Club Trial Entry (2)

“…Guitar?”

“Seems like it.”

In front of a door from which faint music could be heard, I, Delphina, and Oscar stood side by side.

In the center of the door, a nameplate with the word ‘Guitar’ engraved in relief caught my eye.

“…They’re playing well.”

Oscar muttered as he listened to the music coming from beyond the door.

I wasn’t sure what it was, but listening to the music that sounded somehow intricate and impressive, my confidence began to shrink rapidly.

“Um, Delphina. I don’t even know how to play an instrument, is it okay for me to go in…”

“It’s fine, you can learn to play an instrument!”

“No, but still, barging in without warning would be rude…”

“Excuse me!”

-Knock knock knock!

Delphina raised her voice and knocked on the door.

“…Yes, coming.”

The music that had been coming from inside the door abruptly stopped, and along with a person’s voice, a dull sound of an instrument being put down echoed faintly.

“Who is… Oh.”

The door opened inward, and a male student with dark blue hair looked down at me and Delphina.

After slightly checking my face, he silently stroked his beard as if unsure what to say.

‘Beard?’

Only then did I remember that this was the academy.

‘He looks old.’

While I was muttering rude thoughts to myself, Delphina opened her mouth.

“Um, we came to see the circle. Is that okay?”

“Ah, a tour!”

Only then did the man clap his hands with a brightening expression.

“Of course it’s okay. Please come in.”

“Excuse us~”

Delphina stepped in with a lively pace as if familiar.

“It’s surprisingly clean inside.”

Oscar, who was following behind, muttered something ominous.

“Usually, at the beginning of the semester, many new students come around to experience circles…”

The man who was guiding Delphina suddenly began to mutter.

“Due to the unfortunate incident at the beginning of the year, the atmosphere has dampened a bit… Not just us, many other circles are in an ambiguous situation. New students want to come but don’t dare because they think the timing is too late, and the seniors too…”

After muttering with an expression dripping with regret, he soon spoke in a dejected voice.

“…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to from the start.”

“No, it’s understandable.”

Delphina shook her head. But he, with his shoulders even more drooped, began to mutter with a gloomy expression.

“No, no. At times like this, I should sublimate these depressing emotions into music…”

Just as he was about to reach for a guitar leaning against a wall, Delphina almost shouted,

“Oh, what’s this over here?!”

“…Ah, that.”

What Delphina pointed to was a shelf densely packed with albums.

She had deliberately chosen one that looked relatively colorful among them.

“You recognize that album, you have a good eye… Hmm, so.”

Only then did the man seem to realize something and asked Delphina,

“I know the two behind you, but may I ask your name, my lady?”

“Oh, I’m Delphina Conwald. I’m from the Failon Kingdom.”

“Miss Conwald. I am Edin Brown. I’m a native of the Delmaria Republic.”

Edin nodded and said. Pulling out the album that Delphina had pointed to, he opened his mouth.

“So, this is… the early album of the guitarist Laurent, whom you all probably know well.”

Edin said, looking at me, Delphina, and Oscar in turn.

‘…No, I don’t know…’

Laurent?

Who’s that?

But unlike me, Delphina and Oscar seemed to know very well.

“Laurent’s album?”

“I personally like Laurent’s music, but… I don’t remember an album with this design. Though it’s possible I just don’t remember.”

“No. It’s understandable. As I mentioned, this is an album released in the early days when Laurent just started his music career. In a way, it’s normal not to know it, and among enthusiasts, it’s worth quite a bit.”

Edin said, caressing the album as if it were precious.

“By any chance, do you know, Lady Evangeline?”

“…Me?”

Looking at Edin who suddenly directed a question at me, I was half out of it and responded with a start.

“La, Laura…?”

“No, Laurent. You don’t know?”

Edin tilted his head as if it was strange.

I felt like my mind was going blank.

Judging from Delphina and Oscar’s reactions, this musician called Laurent must be incredibly famous.

Edin’s reaction as he looked at me was also a question with the tone of, “Surely you can’t not know Laurent.”

But how am I supposed to know that? What would soldiers think if I were to sit around listening to music on the radio on the battlefield?

“Um, Edin sir!”

Just then, Delphina suddenly said,

“More importantly, if it’s okay, could I try playing the guitar once?”

“Ah, I see.”

Fortunately, Edin just nodded without saying much.

“Listening to music is good, but there’s nothing like playing it yourself to feel the charm of the guitar.”

Edin picked one of the guitars lined up in a corner of the wall.

“This is a guitar specially prepared for beginners. It doesn’t have a deep or excellent sound, but it’s made to be comfortable to play after being handled by many people.”

“I, I see.”

Feeling like I might be considered strange if I fell out of the conversation again like before, I quickly nodded and agreed.

“Hmm, would Lady Evangeline like to hold it?”

“M-me?”

“Just observe my posture and follow it.”

Edin nodded and placed the guitar in my hands.

“Hold the neck of the guitar with your left hand… yes, the elongated part, no, your thumb shouldn’t come up. If you don’t apply force properly, the sound can crack.”

As Edin instructed, I held the part of the guitar called the neck with my left hand. But Edin kept shaking his head, saying that wasn’t the right grip.

I tried, as a test, to pluck the guitar string with the tip of my right hand.

-Twang…!

An unpleasantly cracking sound echoed throughout the room.

Only then did I remember what my left hand holding the guitar’s neck was made of.

The prosthetic hand replacing my left arm, which had been almost torn off, was an artificial arm made of metal.

Naturally, its sensation is duller compared to other body parts.

It’s not that I can’t feel any sensation at all. Given that this technology is already close to over-technology, I should be grateful first that I can feel this much sensation.

However, compared to other body parts that feel sensations immediately, it’s noticeably less sensitive and even awkward.

If I had to describe it, it’s closer to the feeling of forcibly recalling a ‘memory’ of sensation rather than directly feeling it myself.

I needed to feel the sensation of the strings being pressed by my fingertips in real-time and correct my grip, but I couldn’t do that with my prosthetic hand.

Not only that. With the stiff fingers of the prosthetic hand, it was impossible to perform complex movements like gripping guitar chords.

Simple actions like holding a teacup, holding a pen to fix it, or lifting something are possible, but playing an instrument is an action that is originally impossible without a person’s bare hand that can move precisely and organically.

-Twang…!

“…”

Even though I managed to hold the neck in a way that Edin could accept and plucked the strings with my right hand several times, due to the strings not being properly fixed, only an unpleasant cracking sound came out.

From the beginning, there was no way I could properly fix rapidly vibrating strings with this hard piece of metal that doesn’t even move freely.

Edin’s expression became increasingly visibly uncomfortable, and I silently bowed my head deeply.

“Um, hmm.”

Edin fumbled with his lips with an uncomfortable expression. In this situation, it would certainly be harsh to have him demand something from me.

So, I spoke to him first.

“…I’m sorry.”

In the end, I let go of the guitar from my hand.

“…I’m sorry.”

Edin bowed his head toward Delphina.

It was right after Evangeline, who was clearly trying to hold back tears, had practically run out of the club room.

“My thinking was shallow. From the beginning, instruments are made for people to play with their hands. I failed to consider the lady’s circumstances…”

“No, senior. Thank you for being kind to us.”

Delphina shook her head and clasped hands with Edin.

“There’s no need for you to feel guilty, senior. I’ll comfort the Princess well.”

After comforting Edin with a smiling face, Delphina turned her steps and said,

“…Well, we’ll be going now. I need to follow the Princess.”

“…I understand. Take care.”

Edin nodded with a very dejected expression. Delphina gave him a sad smile, then hurried out of the club room to find Evangeline, who had quickly run out.

“…Mr. Edin Brown.”

Oscar, who was about to leave the club room as well, paused and said to him,

“Thank you very much for showing us your kindness.”

“No, I…”

Leaving Edin who was about to shake his head, Oscar also left the club room.

“……Hmm.”

Edin tasted a bitter taste in his mouth and carefully placed the guitar that Evangeline had held in a corner of the room.

“…Sigh.”

Sitting leaning against the rooftop of the building, I looked up at the sky and sighed.

Perhaps because I had roughly rubbed my eyes several times, the ends of my eyebrows stung.

“…I should go apologize later.”

As the sadness subsided, feelings of regret and embarrassment arrived a step late.

That person would have tried to teach me with all sincerity. Did I not show the disgraceful behavior of running away, swept up in a moment of emotion?

I slowly raised my left hand and stretched it toward the sky.

As it blocked the sun in the sky, the entire arm appeared blackened due to the backlighting.

A hollow laugh escaped. Isn’t it a fitting color for a terrible weapon made of cold, hard metal?

“…Haha.”

As I lowered my head and smiled, my eyes caught sight of numerous flowerpots placed in a corner of the rooftop.

“…Flowers?”

Small, modest but pretty, unknown flowers were abundantly placed in one corner of the rooftop.

Why didn’t I even notice this when I came in?

‘…Because I was blubbering?’

I asked myself a silly question inwardly and slightly tilted my body toward the flowers.

“Eek, eeek!”

At that moment, a shrill scream echoed from behind me.

“D-don’t move!”

When I slightly turned my head back, I saw a female student who was shouting at me while trembling.

Long black hair reaching down to her waist, and a snow-white skin that contrasted extremely with the color of her hair.

“Eek!”

She, who had made eye contact with me, pointed a small trowel in one hand at me with a trembling voice.

On the handle painted in pink, a teddy bear decoration was drawn.

“S-so y-you’re the one who’s been messing up the flowers all this time!”

What does she mean, messing up the flowers?

Toward me who was tilting my head, she shouted in a stammering voice.

“G-get away from the… the flowers…!”