Generally speaking, most larger high schools in Japan offer a wide variety of clubs. With ample funding allocated to extracurriculars, many clubs are able to participate in competitions—and the concert band is one such example.
That afternoon, after classes ended, Ichin and Utaha made their way to the music department to find the teacher in charge of the concert band.
Seeing Ichin walk in, the music teacher smiled and said, "Ah, Ichin-kun, I heard from Hiratsuka-sensei. You want to have the concert band try playing a piece of music? Something you composed yourself?"
"That's right. Though it's still just a rough draft, it'll need quite a few revisions before it's ready for the band to perform."
Without wasting time, Ichin took out the sheet music from his backpack and handed it to the teacher. "This is a piece I plan to use in a game. I'm thinking of making two versions—one instrumental and one with vocals. I'll be needing your help for both, sensei."
The music teacher didn't say anything at first and began reading through the score.
"Huh… I originally thought this would be something simple or amateurish, but this is surprisingly good." Looking up at Ichin with mild astonishment, the teacher asked, "You really learned all this on your own?"
Ichin nodded with a smile. "I had some ideas in mind, so I studied the basics to turn those ideas into something tangible. But as for how it'll sound when performed… I can't guarantee anything. I don't play any instruments myself."
"No need to be modest—you've done a great job."
As he spoke, the teacher picked up a guitar nearby. Glancing at the sheet music, he began to play.
As the teacher in charge of the concert band, of course he could play instruments—more than one, in fact.
Listening to the melody being played, Ichin couldn't hide the smile forming at the corners of his lips.
Meanwhile, Utaha, who hadn't said a word the entire time, was undoubtedly the most surprised. She didn't know much about composing, nor was she particularly good at singing—but she had listened to a lot of music over the years.
And what the teacher was playing now was undeniably impressive. It felt like it would fit perfectly in a game.
After a simple run-through, the teacher picked up a pen from the desk and asked, "Mind if I make a few adjustments? I think there are a few spots that could be fine-tuned a bit."
"Sure—where exactly?"
And just like that, the two of them launched into a detailed discussion about the piece.
Utaha watched them without much reaction. Quietly, she took a seat nearby, pulled out a book on screenwriting, and began reading.
Half an hour later, Ichin and the music teacher reached a consensus on their collaboration. The teacher agreed to help with the arrangement and later coordinate with members of the concert band to record both the instrumental and vocal versions. As for vocals, Ichin would have to find the singer himself.
When it came to the concert band, the teacher spoke proudly. "We may not have won gold at the national level, but in the Kanto region, we've been among the top three for years. So you don't need to worry about the quality!"
As for compensation, they agreed to talk about it later once the arrangements were done. Since they were all part of the same school, there was no need to rush.
Once everything had been settled, Ichin added the teacher on LINE, thanked him, and then left with Utaha.
Outside the school gates, Utaha clung to Ichin's arm, her gaze fixed on his face.
Ichin turned to meet her eyes and smiled. "What's up? You've been staring at me nonstop."
Utaha didn't respond at first. She reached up and gently patted Ichin's head before finally speaking softly.
"I was just wondering what exactly you've got hidden in that brain of yours. These past few days, I thought you were just casually studying some music theory—but I never expected you'd already written a full piece. And it's actually good. Are you a genius or something?"
"What else could it be?"
Ichin shamelessly admitted, then took her hand off his head, brought it to his lips, and kissed the back of it.
"No need to open up my head—I'm afraid even if you did, you wouldn't be able to use it to make roasted brain. But if you really want to try it, when we go back to my hometown for the New Year, I'll take you to get some. Wait—actually, if it's brain dishes you want, you probably won't find the most authentic stuff in Shanghai. Better idea—next summer, we'll take everyone to Sichuan. That's where the real deal is."
"Brain…?"
Utaha had learned quite a bit about Chinese culture recently—especially the food. Ichin had even made her watch some of those bizarre food videos, and "brain" was one of the more infamous dishes that stuck with her.
The moment she heard the word, a clear look of discomfort appeared on her face.
"I think I'll pass on that one… I don't think I can handle it."
"Seriously?"
Ichin laughed at her rare expression, clearly enjoying it. "That stuff's amazing, you know. Super delicious. Don't come crying to me later when you see us eating it and feel left out."
Even though she'd seen the videos, and even though the people eating it seemed to genuinely enjoy it, Utaha couldn't quite shake her doubt—especially with how greedy Ichin looked right now.
"Is it really that good…?"
Maybe she'd send a video to Auntie tonight and ask her about it.
After all, everyone had already agreed during their chats that they'd have Ichin take them on a trip to Sichuan next summer—mainly to see the pandas. And once they were there, they'd definitely be trying all the regional specialties, including things like brain and spicy rabbit heads.
Yep… Utaha figured she'd need some time to mentally prepare for that.
---
Two days later, Friday.
Ichin went to the music room to meet the teacher, and finally received the two arranged versions of the song.
After reviewing them from beginning to end, he couldn't help but say excitedly, "Sensei, can we go to the concert band room now?"
"Sure, let's go."
The teacher smiled. "There aren't any competitions coming up right now, so I've just been having them practice on their own to keep in shape. Your piece will be something fresh for them."
And with that, the two of them headed off to the band's clubroom.
Today, Utaha didn't come along—she had an appointment with the publishing house that afternoon to meet with staff from Kyoto Animation to discuss details about the anime adaptation.
The anime script for _The Metronome in Love_ was well underway. After detailed discussions with Utaha, the scriptwriters at Kyoto Animation had finalized the direction of the project. Several episodes had already been written, and production for the first episode was already in progress. Utaha was gradually getting busier by the day.
When Ichin and the teacher arrived at the concert band room, all the students were present and practicing under the lead of the club president.
This was Ichin's first time watching the band rehearse, and their performance was honestly better than he expected. While they might not be at a fully professional level, the difference wasn't too far off. These were clearly talented students—some of them might even pursue this as a career in the future.
Some of the practicing students began to notice Ichin walking in with their teacher. Recognizing him as a well-known figure in the school, many of them were visibly curious about what brought him to the band room.
Five minutes later, the current practice session ended. The music teacher clapped his hands and stepped up to the conductor's podium.
"Alright, everyone, quiet down for a moment. I've got something to announce."
...
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