Bandori! Cross-Dressing Panic: We Went to Pick Everyone Up and Now We're All Missing?! - Shifting rhythms, passing glances

The heavy iron door of the live house "Chronos" groaned open, and muggy air clung to my skin. This place was underground—no sunlight reached it, even in the middle of the day. Old stickers plastered across every wall, and the faint lingering smell of sweat. "Alright, let's run through the whole thing!" Wakana Tae swept their long silver hair back carelessly and strummed their guitar once with a sharp jangle. The sound rippled through the air of Chronos. The new song was "BREAK OUT!" The chord progression Tae had shown us yesterday was a rock tune that felt like it had packed in all the power of us turned into boys. Ushigome Rimi looked down at her bass. (It's fine. I have to hold it together.) She'd been telling herself that ever since talking with Moca yesterday. It wasn't that she was the only one who hadn't changed. Even the her who *had* changed—there had to be something she could do. "Okay, I'll count us in. Ready, set—" Minato Saaya's sticks clicked out a crisp, satisfying rhythm—*tak, tak, tak, tak*. It was just a little slower than usual, a tempo that was easy for everyone to ride. Rimi took a breath and plucked the string. *Thud.* The bass's low note resonated deep in her gut. She layered one note, then another, and Tae's guitar and Kasumi's voice wove in on top. They took off running. The sound raced ahead. (This feels good…!) Her fingers moved. The longer fingers of her new body ran across the strings. The gaps between them felt a little narrower than usual, but that just made her feel like she could move faster. But— "…Huh?" Tae's guitar rhythm pushed just slightly ahead. Rimi scrambled to match it, and her fingers tangled. One bass note slipped badly out of place. The whole band's rhythm lurched and fell apart. "S-sorry!" Rimi hurriedly muted the strings. Her fingers were trembling. "It's fine, it's fine—let's go again! That was really good up to the middle part!" Tae didn't seem bothered at all and just readied their guitar again. But Rimi's heart was pounding. (I have to hold it together.) Saaya's sticks marked the rhythm once more. This time, it was off from the very start. Her timing on the notes was just a tiny bit late. She rushed to catch up, and slipped further out. It fell apart more and more. "…Nn." Rimi finally stopped her fingers. The sound died. A silence sharp enough to hurt the ears dropped over Chronos. "Rimi-rin?" "I'm sorry… I'm sorry, it's my fault…" Her voice shook. Heat gathered behind her eyes, blurring her vision. (I have to hold it together. I'm supposed to be the one keeping everyone on track.) Only those words kept spinning in her head. But her body wouldn't listen. Her new body felt like something borrowed—like it wasn't even hers. "Why… am I…" Tears were about to spill over. That was when it happened. *Thud.* A single heavy bass drum beat. *Thu-thud. Thu-thud.* Saaya had started laying down a slow, simple rhythm. It was a far plainer beat than any Popipa song up until yesterday. But— (It's warm.) Rimi lifted her head. Saaya was playing the drums with her usual gentle smile. "It's okay. Take it slow—just ride this rhythm." *Thu-thud. Thu-thud.* The rhythm Saaya was marking was steady and strong, like kneading bread dough. It was the rhythm born from those hands—the hands that had helped her mother knead bread every morning since she was little. A round, enveloping beat, like it was wrapping someone up in a hug. "…Bread." Rimi murmured it without thinking. "That's right. Bread. Melon bread dough especially—you've really got to knead it properly." Saaya kept marking the rhythm as she laughed. *Thu-thud. Thu-thud. Thu-thud.* "Ah, that's great! Rimi-rin, play along with Saaya's bread!" Tae started lightly strumming their guitar to match the rhythm. Rimi readied her bass again. *Thu-thud. Thu-thud.* Saaya's rhythm seeped into Rimi's chest. (It's okay. It'll work out.) She felt like she could hear Saaya's voice. Rimi plucked the string once more. This time, she didn't rush. She made her note ring out firmly, right in the center of Saaya's rhythm. *Thud.* It locked in. *Thu-thud. Thu-thud.* *Thud. Thud.* The sounds layered together. Perfectly tight, as if the chaos from moments ago had been a lie. "Yeah, that's it! Rimi-rin, that's the one!" Tae's guitar growled with delight. Kasumi's voice came riding in on top. "♪—BREAK OUT! Right now—" (Ah. This is it.) Rimi's fingers moved on their own. Before she could think, her body remembered the rhythm. The hands that her left-handed self should know better than anyone—in this moment, just this moment, they actually felt like hers. When the song ended, Rimi was breathing hard, her shoulders heaving. A drop of sweat fell from her chin. "…I did it." "You did!" "Yeah. That was great, Rimi-chan." Saaya was beaming from behind the drums. Seeing that smile, the tears from before pulled back, and something else welled up in their place. "…Thank you, Saaya-chan." "Bread's all I've got. But when it comes to rhythm, I won't lose to anyone." Everyone laughed at Saaya's words. Clutching her bass, Rimi said "thank you" over and over in her heart. —. In the corner of the studio, a shadow watched the scene intently. Mitake Ran leaned against the wall, arms folded, silently observing Popipa's performance. Fiery red short hair. Reddish-brown eyes that looked strong-willed. But right now, those eyes were wavering with something uneasy. Beside them stood Aoba Moca. Her waist-length silver straight hair floated faintly in the dim lighting of the live house. Her purple eyes were half-closed, same as always. "…Moca. You." Ran suddenly spoke. Their voice was low. A boy's voice. Talking to Moca with a voice they still weren't used to themselves—it felt strange somehow. "Hmm? What is it, Ran-han?" Moca slowly turned her head. Her face wore the same sleepy expression as always. But for some reason, that irritated Ran to no end. (How can you look so damn unfazed?) I've changed this much. My voice, my body, even inside my head—everything's a mess. But Moca's exactly the same as she was yesterday. That— (It's like Moca's the only one who's gone somewhere far away.) "You saw Popipa's Rimi playing just now, right? Even in a weird body, she was desperately trying to lock in. And yet you—" "…Hm?" "You're just spacing out like always, aren't you?! With half-assed guitar like that, you're gonna embarrass yourself at the show!" Even Ran knew they were going too far. They could practically see the words leaving their mouth as sharp thorns, piercing into Moca. But they couldn't stop. (No. That's not it.) There was something they really wanted to say. *The sound feels hollow without you.* *Won't you play guitar next to me?* And yet— "…" Moca's purple eyes opened just a little wider. Then, right away, they slowly narrowed again. "…I see." She murmured it quietly and looked down. Her silver hair slipped softly over her face. "…Moca." "Moca's gonna go get some fresh air." Saying that, Moca turned away. Her small back, clutching her guitar case, climbed the stairs and disappeared. "…Dammit." Ran slammed a fist against the wall. A low, dull thud echoed through Chronos. Saaya, who had been practicing drums, was watching them with a worried look. "The hell are you looking at?" Ran spat the words out and walked out of the studio themselves. —. One step at a time, climbing the stairs to the rooftop. Hanazakigawa Girls' Academy was empty at this hour. The sunset dyed the western sky red, and long shadows stretched across the hallway. Moca opened the rooftop door. The wind blew, and her silver hair floated up softly. Beyond the fence, the townscape of Hanazakigawa spread out below. From this school perched on the eastern hill, you could see the row of cherry trees along the river clearly. They were in full leaf now, the green swaying in the wind. Moca leaned against the fence and slid down to sit. She pulled her knees up to her chest and made herself small. (Ran-han hates me now.) The words echoed over and over in her heart. Ran's words from earlier. "Half-assed guitar." "Gonna embarrass yourself." (That's not true. Moca's been practicing properly.) But she couldn't say it. And even if she did, Ran might just get angrier. (Because Ran-han has changed.) Turned into a boy, voice deeper, taller too. We used to be at the same eye level just yesterday, but now Moca has to look up just to see their face. (Moca's the only one left behind.) She'd thought that yesterday, too. But now it hurt even more. Not because Ran had said those things to her— (Because Moca's the only one who's still a girl. That's why Ran-han is so harsh with Moca.) She didn't even know if that was really true. But it was the only way she could see it. Ran, who had changed. And herself, who hadn't. Between them, a deep rift had opened that wasn't there yesterday. "…Ran-han, you dummy." She buried her face in her knees and murmured it quietly. *Creeeak—* The rooftop door opened again. "Moca-chan…?" Rimi stepped out onto the rooftop, her bass case still on her back. The wind ruffled her bangs. She'd been on the verge of tears herself just a little while ago, but after practice, seeing Moca rush out alone had made her chest feel restless. "…Rimi-han." Moca lifted her head. Her purple eyes weren't wet. But Rimi could tell right away that she was holding back tears. Rimi quietly sat down beside her. "…I messed up really badly earlier too." Looking at Moca's profile, Rimi started to talk. "My rhythm slipped, and I caused trouble for Tae-chan and the others… I was about to start crying." "…Rimi-han did?" "Yeah. I might not look it, but I'm actually pretty clumsy." Moca's purple eyes widened just a little. "But then Saaya-chan helped me out with her drums. And somehow, I managed to pull through." "…Saaya-han is kind." "Yeah. She's a baker's daughter, so her rhythm is really… bready." "…Bready?" "Yeah, bready! She said the rhythm of kneading melon bread dough just turns right into her drumming." As Rimi explained with a laugh, the corner of Moca's mouth softened—just a tiny bit. "…Heh." "Ah, you smiled!" "Didn't smile. Moca's mouth just happened to do that." "That's called smiling!" The two of them shared a small laugh. The sun was already half-sunk. The sky was shifting from orange to purple. "…Ran-han was angry." Moca said it quietly, like a drop falling. "Ran-chan was?" "Yeah. Said Moca's guitar is bad. Said Moca's gonna embarrass herself at the show." "That's…!" "But it can't be helped. Ran-han changed, and Moca didn't. So Ran-han must be frustrated with Moca." Moca's voice was very small. Not her usual drawn-out way of speaking—thin and frail, like it might vanish any second. (No. That's not it, Moca-chan.) Rimi screamed it inside her heart. The words Ran had thrown at Moca back at Chronos—they weren't what Ran really meant. Rimi could tell. Because she did the same thing all the time. (Worried about someone, but can't say it right. They're precious to you, but the only way you can talk to them is by hurting them.) "Moca-chan, Ran-chan is definitely—" She tried to say it. But Moca shook her head. "It's okay. Moca's fine now. Talking with Rimi-han made it a little easier." "…Moca-chan." "Tomorrow, Moca will practice properly. It's a promise." Saying that, Moca slowly stood up. Her silver hair sparkled in the sunset. "Bye-bye, Rimi-han. See you tomorrow at Chronos." "…Yeah. I'll be waiting." Moca gave a small wave, opened the rooftop door, and left. Rimi leaned against the fence alone. (She didn't seem okay at all.) Deep inside Moca's heart, there was still a big chunk of ice lodged there—something Rimi's words alone couldn't melt. (It has to be Ran-chan. No one else can do it.) But she couldn't

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Episode 3

Name: Bandori! Cross-Dressing Panic: We Went to Pick Everyone Up and Now We're All Missing?!
Author: Novelia

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