Just as Amaya Yuu finished finalizing the rehearsal time and was preparing to leave RiNG with Anon and Takamatsu Tomori, a slight noise came from the staircase.
A girl was dragging a speaker up from downstairs.
She had neat, short white hair, and most strikingly, a pair of rare heterochromatic eyes—one yellow, one blue.
She was petite, similar in stature to Takamatsu Tomori, and was cradling a red electric guitar with a heavily worn finish in her arms.
The girl dragged her equipment to a corner, skillfully connected the cables, and tuned it a few times.
Amaya Yuu was just estimating the time to get to the planetarium when, suddenly—
“Zing!”
As she casually plucked the strings, a powerful guitar riff instantly burst forth, and a wave of sound full of energy swept through the entire space in an instant.
Everyone’s eyes were drawn to that unique girl simultaneously.
Immediately after, she began to improvise, and lively notes poured out like flowing water.
Although Amaya Yuu was still a layman when it came to guitar, the skillful technique and tension-filled expressiveness made him hold his breath unconsciously.
The white-haired girl stopped after playing only a short segment, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks as she revealed a satisfied smile.
Afterward, she packed up her equipment as if nothing had happened and turned to leave.
Such exceptional temperament, extraordinary technique, and a mysterious style of conduct!
Could it be…
“That’s some amazing guitar playing!
Is she also an employee at the shop?” Amaya Yuu couldn’t help but ask Taki.
“Huh?” Taki clearly hadn’t expected him to be interested in this.
“She’s not an employee at RiNG; she’s just a ‘stray cat’ who often comes here to practice.”
This answer only convinced Amaya Yuu more that the girl who came and went so freely might just be the “Guitar Hero” he had been searching for!
That aura of a hidden master—there’s no mistake!
“Excuse me, please wait a moment!” As soon as this thought flashed through his mind, he immediately stood up and chased after her downstairs.
“…
Is that guy always this reckless?” Taki felt surprised by his actions.
“Amaya-san does indeed have some unexpected behaviors from time to time.” Anon agreed with Taki for once.
“Please wait!”
Amaya Yuu finally caught up with the white-haired girl at the entrance of RiNG.
Hearing the shout, the girl stopped, turned around, and quietly watched him as he ran over, panting.
“My name is Amaya Yuu, and I am currently learning the guitar.” He caught his breath and pointed at the RiNG sign.
“Do you often come here to practice?”
Even though he couldn’t even be counted as a beginner, he still cheekily claimed to be one.
“Kaname Raana.” The girl softly stated her name, then just quietly stared at him.
Fortunately, his interactions with Takamatsu Tomori had made Amaya Yuu accustomed to these kinds of eccentric, “radio-wave” girls.
He pointed to the guitar bag on her shoulder and asked sincerely, “Could I ask you for some pointers on the guitar?
On the first day of Golden Week in the afternoon, our band will be coming here to practice.
While they are playing together, could I ask you for some tips?”
Kaname Raana tilted her head, thought for a moment, and softly uttered, “Matcha Parfait.”
Amaya Yuu understood immediately: “Matcha Parfait!”
“Interesting man.” After whispering this, Kaname Raana’s lips curled into a satisfied arc.
Ignoring Amaya Yuu further, she turned, dragged her equipment, and walked with light steps into the crowd at the street corner.
Amaya Yuu clenched his fist as if he had won a battle.
When he returned to the second floor of RiNG, Soyo and Anon were chatting happily, while Takamatsu Tomori was still sitting quietly, listening.
Just as Amaya Yuu appeared from the corner of the stairs, Anon was the first to notice him.
“Amaya, where did you run off to just now?”
“I’ve decided to learn the guitar seriously, and I just happened to take on a master!” Amaya Yuu answered in a light tone, a look of eagerness on his face.
“Is it that stray cat of RiNG from earlier?” Anon guessed.
“That’s right!”
“But she’s always so unpredictable.
Is it really okay to learn from her?” Taki, who had returned to the bar to continue cleaning up, heard the conversation and turned her head to give a well-intentioned reminder.
“It’s not like I need daily guidance; I just hope that when I encounter difficulties later, I’ll have the chance to ask an expert for advice.” Amaya Yuu explained.
Upon hearing this, Taki gave a soft “Hmm” and then turned back to continue her pre-closing cleanup work.
“Suit yourself.” Her voice came from behind the bar, the tone still flat, not showing any further concern.
The band was basically formed, and since Amaya Yuu, Anon, and Takamatsu Tomori still had to go to the planetarium, and Soyo had already achieved her purpose for this trip, the group soon parted ways at the entrance of RiNG.
After leaving the lively RiNG, Amaya Yuu, Anon, and Takamatsu Tomori successfully completed the Astronomy Club’s first club activity at the planetarium.
It was just that the seat he chose seemed to have a minor malfunction; the backrest was hard to push down.
With the help of little Takamatsu Tomori nearby, Amaya Yuu finally found the trick to pushing it down.
Aside from this small incident, listening to the narration while lying down and watching the stars was surprisingly quite interesting.
While learning some astronomical knowledge, he occasionally chatted in low voices with the girls beside him.
In the evening, the audience at the planetarium gradually walked out from the exit.
Amaya Yuu chatted animatedly with Anon and Takamatsu Tomori about what he had learned from Uika regarding the “Summer Triangle.”
“I didn’t expect Amaya to actually know astronomical facts like the ‘Summer Triangle’!” Anon stood beside Amaya Yuu, her tone filled with admiration.
“I’m completely clueless about astronomy.”
“The Astronomy Club must know astronomical facts!”
As Amaya Yuu said this, he suddenly stood at attention with his legs together, stood on tiptoes, and stretched his arms symmetrically, pointing diagonally upward toward his shoulders, palms facing outward with fingers together, and fingertips pointing to the sky diagonally above, striking an exaggerated ‘Praise the Sun’ pose.
This strange move, executed without any windup, caused the surrounding audience leaving the venue to cast sideways glances.
Anon quickly pulled Takamatsu Tomori to a corner slightly further away from Amaya Yuu, pretending not to know him, and whispered, “Amaya-san is talking nonsense again.
Could this be some secret ritual of the Astronomy Club?”
Takamatsu Tomori looked at Amaya Yuu’s strange pose and couldn’t help but cover her mouth and giggle, shaking her head.
“This…
I’m seeing it for the first time too.”
“What are you two whispering about over there?” Amaya Yuu walked over, looking curiously at the two hiding in the corner.
“It’s nothing, nothing!” Anon really couldn’t handle the curious gazes from those around them.
She hurriedly pushed Amaya Yuu while pulling Takamatsu Tomori with her other hand.
“Let’s go, let’s go!
If we’re any later, we’ll miss the last train!”
“There are still a few hours until the last train, right?” Amaya Yuu, being pushed along, asked, somewhat confused.
“Quit your yapping!
Get out of here quickly!”
They left the entrance of the planetarium as if they were fleeing.