text20671;"""One of our songs had a particularly complicated bass part that I just couldn't get the hang of."""
text20672;"""Especially the middle of it, when I had to run my left hand up and down the neck like a virtuoso."""
text20673;"""Maybe, I can just play the eighth notes on the open strings?"""
text20674;"""I asked, half-jokingly, but the rest of the band looked at me like I'd just committed blasphemy."""
text20675;"""Give it to me!"""
text20676;"""Ellie took my bass and effortlessly played the bridge I'd failed time and time again."""
text20677;"""It's a shame you can't play multiple instruments at the same time."""
text20678;"""Nick, enough already! Just watch what I do and repeat it."""
text20679;"""She frowned and gave the bass back to me."""
text20680;"""<i>Just</i>!"""
text20681;"""Sometimes it seemed to me that among the members of Z FEEL-Z, I was the most relaxed about music."""
text20682;"""Except probably for Tokyo Rider."""
text20683;"""But understanding when he was and wasn't serious wasn't an easy task in general."""
text20684;"""And it wasn't even about the lack of experience."""
text20685;"""Music was still mostly just a hobby for me, while for them it was an important, maybe even integral part of their lives."""
text20686;"""I'll try."""
text20687;"""In reality, Ellie's demonstration hadn't helped at all — on the contrary, the last bits of my confidence evaporated without a trace."""
text20688;"""When a clown at a child's party juggles ten balls at once and then offers to teach you, a six year old, to do the same — it's met with a smile."""
text20689;"""Meanwhile, I didn't just feel like a clown but an entire circus in a burnt out building with no audience."""
text20690;"""Maybe you'd have it easier with a five-string bass…"""
text20691;"""Ishida said thoughtfully."""
text20692;"""Thanks, but I'd like to get a handle on four first."""
text20693;"""To be honest, I had always believed that the fewer strings there were, the better."""
text20694;"""Alright, let's try it again. One, one…"""
text20695;"""Mitsuyoshi started a count."""
text20696;"""…"""
text20697;"""All in all, I could hit the right notes and didn't go too far out of line, but it still felt to me like my parts were recorded separately, then played on a tape."""
text20698;"""The others played calmly, occasionally bringing passion and improvisation to their music, while I was putting my all into just not screwing up."""
text20699;"""Sure, bass wasn't the leading instrument, and maybe a mistake or two would go unnoticed…"""
text20700;"""But without a well-played rhythm section, rock music loses a good half of its feeling."""
text20701;"""Besides, I simply felt ashamed in front of the guys."""
text20702;"""The strangest thing was, at first I used to think that I was doing pretty great, but the longer we practiced, the more I realized I was years and years behind my band members in terms of skill."""
text20703;"""…"""
text20704;"""When we finished, I, exhausted, put the bass away and slid down against the wall."""
text20705;"""Do we really have to work ourselves to death right before the concert? Do you do that every time?"""
text20706;"""I moaned, not addressing anyone in particular."""
text20707;"""Actually, no. But we're under special circumstances right now."""
text20708;"""As in me?"""
text20709;"""Ishida smiled apologetically."""
text20710;"""It's fine, I get it. Thank you guys!"""
text20711;"""And gal."""
text20712;"""Ellie grinned and played a couple of chords from American Woman."""
text20713;"""Alright, I wish you all a good sleep!"""
text20714;"""Mitsuyoshi stood up from behind the drums and tiredly looked over the room, his gaze stopping first on me and then Ellie."""
text20715;"""The hint, although not completely obvious, was inappropriate."""
text20716;"""He immediately caught himself:"""
text20717;"""I for one will need at least eight hours of healthy sleep."""
text20718;"""Then we meet tomorrow at six in front of the club."""
text20719;"""I'll be there."""
text20720;"""I very much hope so."""
text20721;"""…"""
text20722;"""As usual, the two of us left the rehearsal studio last."""
text20723;"""So, let's go… home?"""
text20724;"""I sounded unsure, but Ellie didn't seem to have paid any attention."""
text20725;"""No, I can't make it today. Grandpa wants to talk about something, so I'll have to stay at my place."""
text20726;"""Talk? About what?"""
text20727;"""Don't worry — we aren't going to discuss any evil schemes."""
text20728;"""She frowned."""
text20729;"""Promise?"""
text20730;"""Promise."""
text20731;"""Ellie kissed me goodbye, though somewhat coldly."""
text20732;"""Or it was just my imagination."""
text20733;"""…"""
text20734;"""I was walking home, feeling somehow relieved."""
text20735;"""I could really use some good sleep, which would be a lot harder to get with Ellie in the same bed as me."""
text20736;"""There were a couple of blocks left before I reached home; I wasn't really paying attention, deep in my own thoughts, so it took some time for me to hear someone calling me."""
text20737;"""…san."""
text20738;"""Niko-san!"""
text20739;"""Kagome was walking next to me within arm's reach and smiling."""
text20740;"""Niko-san, good evening."""
text20741;"""Evening…"""
text20742;"""It seemed that we'd been seeing each other outside of school too often lately."""
text20743;"""Going home?"""
text20744;"""Going home. And you?"""
text20745;"""I asked only out of politeness."""
text20746;"""I had something to do after class — so I had to stay for a while."""
text20747;"""I see."""
text20748;"""Unless Kagome was going to walk all the way to her restaurant, she'd chosen a bad route — it would've been much easier to take a train at the nearest station from the school."""
text20749;"""Unless, of course, it was intentional."""
text20750;"""Iwamura-san…"""
text20751;"""I said with a pointed politeness."""
text20752;"""I don't want to offend you, but recently we seem to be meeting eachother too often."""
text20753;"""Are you afraid that Kobayashi will be jealous?"""
text20754;"""She squinted cunningly."""
text20755;"""That too. But most importantly, I have the feeling that you need something from me."""
text20756;"""I've already told you: I just want to thank you for saving my father and helping me."""
text20757;"""You've already done that."""
text20758;"""I said carefully."""
text20759;"""She suddenly paused for a moment."""
text20760;"""But it's always nicer when gratitude <i>reaches</i> the recipient, so to speak."""
text20761;"""I can only say once again that I had nothing to do with what happened, although I'm glad everything ended well."""
text20762;"""Come on, don't be modest!"""
text20763;"""She suddenly laughed and jabbed me lightly with her elbow."""
text20764;"""I definitely didn't expect that from Iwamura."""
text20765;"""Do I look like a modest person?"""
text20766;"""Right now — yes."""
text20767;"""We stopped at an intersection."""
text20768;"""Alright, see you tomorrow then!"""
text20769;"""She said happily and headed for the nearest station."""
text20770;"""What the hell was that?"""
text20771;"""…"""
text20772;"""I returned home, made dinner, but had no appetite whatsoever."""
text20773;"""I just couldn't get Kagome's strange behavior out of my mind."""
text20774;"""I was sure she never did anything without a purpose, and maintaining a friendship with another person wasn't her style."""
text20775;"""I wondered if she had ever had friends."""
text20776;"""Besides, I was scared of how Ellie might react."""
text20777;"""I didn't want to give her the slightest reason for pointless jealousy, but at the same time, I couldn't do anything about Kagome."""
text20778;"""What, was I supposed to tell her to fuck off?!"""
text20779;"""And I had an important concert tomorrow!"""
text20780;"""My fingers hurt and my shoulder ached from the guitar strap."""
text20781;"""I went to bed around ten but couldn't fall asleep until the late in the night, constantly running through scenarios of me screwing up my first and apparently last stage appearance."""