Ame
Present
"Sato-san! Can we have a practice run?" Kenji calls over the man whose restaurant we've invaded as she stands behind her keyboard, waving a single arm in the air.
Sato walks through with a sullied apron, carrying a tray of empty glasses he has to put away. I honestly feel really bad for him. Not only does he run a really busy place with lots of customers, but now he has to deal with us three idiots too? That doesn't stop him from being the nicest guy about it.
"Sure thing, kid!" He says with a thumbs up.
"What are we playing first?" I ask, settling on my stool, weaving one of the sticks through my fingers, and admiring the drums. It's a nice set, nicer than the one in my garage, cymbals polished, and bass pedal screwed in just right. I'd be really hyped to play it if my brain wasn't hyper-focusing on the footsteps of strangers walking around.
Mu does a pretty good job of making their own limelight, so they're more than distracting enough.
"Sugar Youth by Greenday!" They yell, jumping onto a table just in front of the stage for absolutely no reason, shoulders high and mighty. "A classic nostalgic rhapsody on today's modern younglings and of course, by artistic necessity, hard drugs."
"Mu, sweetie, would you mind getting off the table?" One of the servers asks, pretty nicely considering.
"Absolutely not my dear barkeep," Mu clicks their tongue and puts up two finger guns in their general direction before hopping off the tabletop like a frog right onto the stage.
Kenji's too busy making sure her keys are tuned and the wires are all snug, but I'm concerned about Mu's choice for our first song.
"Do you realize how loud the drums are in that song?" I groan, my shoulders slouched as far they'll go.
Mu holds their guitar in one hand, a great deal of offense plastered on their face.
"My dear percussionist, that's entirely the point!" They yell, pushing the mass of purple out of their face, motioning with their arms like some kind of Shakespearean actor. "A piece with aggressive tempo is perfect for someone with a stick up their ass such as yourself."
"Should I remind you who's holding the stick right now?" I warn through my teeth, holding up a single drum stick.
"Ooh?" Mu puts a hand to their chest and leans back before gazing at Kenji over their shoulder. "New kink unlocked?"
"I mean," The girl who is supposed to be my best friend quickly betrays my want for sanity. "Kaido did drive him home today."
"Oi! No! He's the last person I want seeing me here. I didn't tell him about this and neither are you two, got it? This is stupid anyway, I'm just here for you."
"Ameee," Mu tippy taps their feet on the wooden planks of the stage right over to me. "Grouch all you want my tsundere. When you're in the midst of a song that catches your heart, don't think the passion in your eyes goes unnoticed."
"You can't deny it," Kenji coos, joining in. "I see how fired up you get when you play just right, all the rhythms and melodies line up perfectly."
"That fear you feel when all eyes are on you?" Mu goes on flipping their guitar strap till it rests atop their neck and shoulders. "It's just adrenaline coursing through your veins. It's your mind and body syncing to prove how brave you really are."
I groan because after the rollercoaster of today, it's my friends who know exactly what to say. Those manipulative bastards. How dare they know me so well and be so supportive!?
