The sun streamed through the school gates, painting long shadows across the courtyard. Five figures walked towards the gate,they were ready a shared determination shining in their eyes. Time to rock our hearts out! the thought echoed simultaneously in their minds.
Inside the classroom, a different kind of energy prevailed. Ren, slumped over his desk, let out a groan. "Damn it, I forgot my assignment! What am I going to do?"
Aoi, calmly sipping from a juice box, glanced at him with an expression of thinly veiled annoyance. "Where's that determination you had earlier? All that excitement and joy… vanished?" he said, his tone less teasing and more exasperated. Ren just wallowed in his misery.
Haruto entered the classroom, his usual cheerful demeanor intact. "Morning," he greeted, his voice bright and clear.
Ren, startled by Haruto's sudden appearance, jumped. "Haruto! Have you done the assignment? Please, let me copy yours!"
Haruto blinked, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. "You mean that super hard assignment? The one that's already graded and affects our final grade?"
Ren's eyes widened. "Wait, what?!?"
Haruto chuckled sheepishly. "Yeah, I forgot too," he admitted. "Oh, crap!" he muttered, realizing the gravity of their situation. A sudden thought struck both of them. They looked at each other, then at Aoi. "There's only one person we can rely on!" they exclaimed in unison, both reaching for Aoi's arm in a desperate plea.
Aoi swatted their hands away. "Let go of me, you idiots!" he said, his annoyance clear in his voice. He knew they were counting on his resourcefulness, but he wasn't exactly thrilled about it.
Meanwhile, Kaito, a year younger and seemingly oblivious to the unfolding drama, let out a loud sneeze. He looked thoughtful. "I suddenly feel like Aoi is in trouble," he murmured to himself, a worried frown creasing his brow.
The fluorescent lights of the school cafeteria hummed a monotonous tune, a soundtrack to the chaotic lunch rush. Ren shoved a forkful of the suspiciously beige mashed potatoes into his mouth, a grimace twisting his face. Next to him, Haruto picked at his rice, his usual sunny disposition clouded by worry. Aoi, ever the picture of controlled composure, meticulously dissected his chicken, each cut precise and deliberate. The air hung heavy with the unspoken weight of their unfinished assignment.
"Aoi, man, thank you for helping," Ren mumbled, his voice muffled by a mouthful of potatoes. "But seriously, wouldn't it have been way easier to just give us the answers? We barely finished six out of ten, and I have no clue if we even got those right." He sighed, pushing his plate away. The food suddenly seemed utterly unappetizing.
Haruto nodded, his gaze fixed on the chipped paint of the table. "Yeah, what if we fail? This assignment is like, half our final grade!" He ran a hand through his hair, a gesture of pure frustration.
Aoi let out a long-suffering sigh, the sound almost a groan. He placed his fork down with a decisive clink. "Guys, it's your fault for not doing it in the first place! I helped because I'm your friend, but seriously, learn to manage your time!" He paused, his anger softening slightly. "But," he added, a hint of weariness in his voice, "let's not dwell on it now. We'll figure it out."
A thick silence settled, broken only by the clatter of trays and the muffled conversations around them. The unspoken tension hung in the air, thick and heavy. Ren and Haruto knew Aoi was right, but the dread of a failing grade still gnawed at them.
Suddenly, Kaito appeared, his usually cheerful face etched with concern. "Hey guys," he said, his voice urgent. "Yuji needs to see all of you. Now."
The three exchanged nervous glances. Something was definitely up. They followed Kaito out of the noisy cafeteria, the sudden quiet almost deafening. The air in the band room felt different, charged with an unspoken anxiety.
Yuji, their band's manager and de facto leader, stood amidst their equipment, his expression grim. He gestured towards the instruments, a mixture of battered drums, a dented amplifier, and a tangle of frayed cables. "Bad news," he said, his voice flat. "Our gear… it's pretty much falling apart. Seriously. We need to fix it, or… or buy new stuff."
Haruto's eyes widened, his face paling. "What? How bad is it, really?"
Yuji ran a hand through his hair, a gesture of pure exasperation. "The amp is practically dead, the drums are cracking, and half the cables are frayed. We can't risk this failing if we want to succeed"
Ren slumped in his chair, the weight of it all hitting him hard. "We're practically broke right now tho.
Aoi, ever the pragmatist, took a deep breath. "Okay," he said, his voice firm. "Let's figure this out. What needs fixing? What do we need to buy? And how much money do we have?" The initial frustration seemed to melt away, replaced by a steely determination. The crisis, as daunting as it was, had a way of uniting them. They would face this together.