Official Art

~

Okay, before we start, I'm going to say I'm not an American (some of you may have already noticed). The reason I'm saying this now is because the concept of jelly and jam has always confused me. I've always tried to change words to the American version — like calling "trousers" "pants", or changing "colour" to "color" — because I feel like most of the people who have read this are from America. Don't ask why. It's just a thing I do. But I have never understood the difference between jam and jelly. Is it the same thing, or are they completely different? I've googled it to see which it was, but I never got a straightforward answer. One article says that they're two different things, and another says there isn't a difference between them. So I've just decided to stick with jam for this. If I'm right by saying jam then hooray. And if I'm wrong then cool; I probably won't be bothered to fix my mistake in the future. Just wanted to get that out there in case anyone calls me an idiot for saying "jam" instead of "jelly".

~

A long yawn escapes my mouth as I dragged my feet to the kitchen and whipped up a couple of pieces of toast. With jam. As I take a bite, I feel Bud's paws poking at my leg, begging for a piece.
"You can't have jam," I said. "Too much sugar." Bud let out a small whine, making my heart drop slightly. "C'mon, don't do that. You're making me feel bad." I sigh. "Here," I rip off a piece of the bread that didn't have any jam on it and handed it to Bud.

After I finish my toast, I hear a rhymic knock on my front door.
"Who could it be this early in the morning?" I make my way to the door and open it. "Yui?"
"Hello!" She lets herself in and immediately begins petting Bud.
"You're up early," I said. "And you're not wearing your uniform. Are you not going to school?"
"I wrote on my career plan that I'd try my best so I decided to go jogging. I was in the and wanted to pay a visit."
"Oh, okay."
"Also, the Light Music Club isn't meeting in the clubroom today." She explained.
"Really? What for?" I asked quizically.
"I don't know. Mio said it but I wasn't paying attention. Something about..." She stops playing with Bud to think. "Oh yeah! The finals are coming up!" She seems proud that she remembered, but that pride soon turns to realization. "Oh, no! The finals are coming up!"
"'Do your best', huh?" I mock her.

"Hey, Y/N, when are your finals?" Yui wonders.
"Mine is coming up in a few days. What about you?"
"Next week," She answered. "Would you like to come with me and the rest of the club to study at our school's library after school? You mentioned you aren't good at English right? Mugi's been abroad a lot so she should be able to help you."
"If it's okay with the others, then sure!" I respond.
"Great! I'll see you there after school!" She waves and exits my house. I watch as she almost trips over thin air as she starts jogging down the street.

~

"Hey, everyone," I say as I grab a free seat next to Yui. "Sorry, it took a while. I got lost."
"How long have you been coming to this school?" Ritsu asked sarcastically.
"I've only ever come to the Light Music Club room. I've not needed to visit your library." I defended myself. I reach into my bag and set the books I need on the desk. 

"No Azusa today?" I questioned.
"Not today," Mio answered. "She said something about studying with Ui and Jun."
"I don't think I've met Jun before. I'm guessing she's one of Azusa's friends?"
"You guessed correctly," Yui responded. "Azunyan, Ui, and Jun are all in the same class. They hang out with each other a lot."

I open my textbook and flip to the page I finished off at the last time I studied. A grab a pencil and begin writing. I don't get far however as Yui distracts everyone.
"You take neat notes, Mugi." She said. "I want it..."
"Do you want to make a copy of it later?" Mugi asked. 
"Thank you!" She said. Mio notices Yui glancing around the table and tries to hide her notes. "Your notes are so cute!"
"Shush," Mio said, embarrassed.
"Ricchan," Yui looked smug. "You fell asleep during class too? My true friend." Finally, Yui glanced at my notes.
"Go ahead," I move my pencil so she can take a look.
"You're notes are..." She hesitates.
"Normal?"
"Colorful."
"That's because it makes it easier to keep track of specific things."
"It's kind of like Mugi's," Yui pointed out.
"Yeah, but hers is a lot more organized than mine."

I eventually regain my focus and put pen to paper once more. Not for long, though. Yui, once again, distracts everyone. 'Do your best,' huh? I think to myself. 
"It starts with 'ta,' has 'ki' in the middle, and ends with 'n'..." I turn to Yui and find her doing a crossword.
"Hint: it's food," Ritsu said.
"Don't encourage her," I told Ritsu.
"Tanuki udon," Mio spoke without looking up from her book.
"What kind of food is that?" Mugi leaned forwards in her seat.
"It has a whole tanuki in it." Ritsu joked.
"This doesn't help with studying at all!" Mio raised her voice.
"I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought that,"

~

In the end, we didn't get much studying done. We left the library after not even an hour and made our way to a local shop so Mugi could photocopy her notes for Yui.
"Thank you, Mugi." She said as she puts her new note back into her bag.

"Yui, Mugi, Y/N," Ritsu calls us. "Open your mouth." We do as she says. "It's Hyper Ultra Sadistic Mint." She sets the candy into each of our mouths. "There." I wait for a bit for the sourness to kick in.
"It hurts!" Yui recoils.
"So strong!" Mugi does the same.
"Meh," Is all I say.
"'Meh'?" Ritsu repeats. "What do you mean, 'meh'?"
"It's alright, I guess. But I've had worse."
"You're inhuman," Ritsu said stunned.
"I'm just not affected by sour stuff as much as other people,"

"I'm going to make it my goal to find something you find sour," Ritsu shouted determined.
"...Why?" I ask.
"What are you guys doing..?" Mio looked up from the magazine she picked up from a shelf.

~

"Are you sure you can study?" Mio asked as we all started to make our way back to our homes.
"I'll do it for real when I get home," Yui reassured a worrying Mio.
"And I live close by. If she needs help, I can drop by and give her some assistance." I added.
"Okay..." Mio gave in. "But I expect you to help her as much as you can!" She points at me. "I still haven't gotten over the fright Yui gave us two years ago."
"What happened two years ago?" Azusa asks.
"Yui failed all of her tests and to retake them," Mugi explained. "If she didn't pass, then the Light Music Club would have to be shut down." I stare at Yui with both sympathy and slight disappointment. She nervously laughs and rubs her neck in response.
"You know... I think I might stop by later. Just to make sure." I said.

Yui and I leave the group and we make our way back to our homes. We walk in silence for most of the walk until we meet an old lady. 
"Granny!" Yui calls out to her.
"Oh, Yui!" The lady turns around and smiles.
"Hi." Yui greets.
"Welcome home," She returns the greeting. "And I see you have a friend." She peers over Yui's shoulder and grins at me.
"Nice to meet you," I wave. "I'm Y/N L/N."
"Nice to meet you, too! I'm Tomi Ichimonji." She keeps glancing between me and Yui. "They grow up so fast!"
"But, I saw you this morning," Her comment flew right over Yui's head. Tomi just laughs.

"I made some chikuzenni." (Basically just braised chicken and vegetables) She holds up a small, wrapped box. "I was just about to bring this to you. I made a lot, so enjoy."
"Thank you!" Yui takes the box from her. "Thank you for every-" As Yui goes to bow, her guitar hits her on the back of her head. "Ouch!"
"Oh my..." Tomi has a look of concern. "Be careful."

"You're still playing... that..." Tomi hesitates for a bit.
"It's Giita!" Yui spins and shows Tomi her guitar case.
"Right, Giita."
"It's Giita the Guitar." Yui clarifies.
"You've been playing that ever since you started high school," Tomi said. "You're really keeping at it. That's wonderful." Yui blushes at the compliment she was given.
"And what about you, L/N?" Tomi faces you. "Do you play any instruments?"
"I play guitar as well," I tell her.
"His has a hole in it!" Yui proclaims.
"It's an acoustic," I assure Tomi.
"Ah," She smiles. "I don't want to hold you any longer. Keep practicing your guitar, you two, and you may end up among the greats."

We watch as she walks back toward her house.
"She seems like a nice lady," I said.
"She is!" Yui shouts. "She's the nicest person I know!"

~

A day after studying at the library, I find myself studying at home. I'm focused and have been for the past twenty minutes. That's when my phone vibrates on my desk, distracting me. I pick it up and answer.
"Yui?" I said. "What is it?"
"Y/N!" Her shout causes me to flinch.
"Quiet down a bit, please," I say pressing the phone against my ear once more. "What happened?"
"I need your help!" I stand up quickly and search for my shoes.
"This sounds urgent. What's wrong?"
"I need you to help me study!" I halt in my tracks.
"Don't scare me like that!" I tell her.
"What did I do?" She's oblivious to the slight fear she gave me with her serious tone.

"I can't come over," I said. "My exams are tomorrow and I'd like to get some last-minute studying in, just to be on the safe side."
"Why?"
"I just told you,"
"Please!" Yui begged. "This is important!"
"Why? Your exams are next week."
"The Granny next door invited me to a talent show, but it's the day after finals!"
"Did you accept?" I already know the answer to my question.
"Yes."
"That's not a very smart idea,"
"But, we're always on the receiving on of her kindness! She wanted to see me and Giita play and I wanted to do something nice for her."
"So you want me over to help you study proficiently while you also practice for the talent show?"
"Please!" I could hear Yui drop to her knees over the phone.
"...Fine," I concede. "Only because she is a very kind lady."
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Yui repeats over and over again.
"Yeah, yeah. But I'm bringing my stuff over. I still need to study as well,"
"No problem! See you in a few!" Yui hangs up. I sigh.

"You're a real hassle," I mumble as I put my shoes on. "I say that, but..." I gather my things and make my way to Yui's house.

I knock on the door and after a few seconds Ui answers. "Hello, Y/N! What brings you here?"
"Yui called me over to help with her studying," I answer.
"Is this because of the talent show?"
"You're quite perceptive." I compliment her. "She called me not too long ago and she made me think it was something crucial with the way she phrased it."
"Sounds like a hassle." Ui sympathized. "Yui is upstairs in her room. I'll bring up some snacks later."
"I would love to have you as a sister," I said as I took my shoes off. Ui blushed.
"Thank you," She smiled. "Maybe you will."
"I-I'm sorry, what?" Without responding, she closes the door and retreats into the kitchen.

I let that thought control my thoughts for a bit before I head up into Yui's room. I knock on the door and open it slowly. The sight in front of me makes me sigh.
"I thought you called me over to study?" I say to the day-dreaming Yui with a guitar on her lap.
"Huh? W-Wait!" She flails her hands about. "I-I was just-"
"Yeah, I know." I shut her down. "Get your books out." I direct.

~

I stretch my arms and yawn. Exams are such a pain. And it's still the first day! I sluggishly drag my feet along the concrete ground as I make my way back home. As I slowly stroll the street I can hear the sound of a guitar being strummed from below me. The tune sounded familiar. I started to hum the song.
"Is that My Love is a Stapler?" Curious, I look down the bank. Sitting on the steps, I find Yui. She seems focused. I silently traverse down the steps, careful not to disturb her. I sit down on the grass behind her and listen silently. After about a minute, she begins to wrap up.

"Encore!" I shout, startling her.
"Wah!" She screams. "Don't scare me like that!"
"Karma," I respond.
"How long have you been there?" She asks.
"About a minute," I answer. "It seems like you're practicing hard."
"Yep! I was planning to go home and study a bit after this."
"With my help?" I tease.
"Speaking of, how did your first day of exams go?"
"Tired." That is all I make out before collapsing onto the grass completely. "I might just wait here with you before I go home."
"You're going to listen to me?" 
"Indeed I am. Strum away, maestro!"
"Aren't you going to study?"
"I'd just fall asleep," I say honestly. "You're good at guitar, but you just sitting there makes me want you to play it."
"Thanks." Yui smiles. "Any suggestions?"
"I'll leave that decision up to the emcee."
"Then I'll go with... Pure Pure Heart."

Yui starts to strum once more as I lay on the grass and look up towards the sky. My feet tapped along to the beat as the recognizable tune began. As the song continued, I noticed something felt off.
"You're not singing?" I ask.
"Mio's the one who does the vocals on this song." She stopped playing to reply.
"Aren't you getting some practice in for the talent show? Just think of this as vocal warmups."
"Okay then," 

Yui restarts, this time singing the lyrics. I'd occasionally jump in as well, singing, "Don't stop the music!"
"You're a nice voice, you know," Yui said, still playing the song.
"Really? I shouldn't." I said. "Can't stop my heartbeat!" I shout. "I haven't done any vocal lessons. The most I've done is sing in the shower. But everybody does that."
"You have a point there," Yui continues her solo of Pure Pure Heart.

"I've just had a great idea!" Yui says with pride as the song wraps up.
"What is it?" I ask curiously.
"You should join us in our next concert!"
"No thanks." I dismiss her 'great idea' immediately.
"What!" She cried. "You didn't even think about it!"
"There are two main problems: firstly, I own an acoustic guitar. That doesn't fit in well with Rock and Roll and Pop, does it?" It's obvious that Yui didn't think of that. "Secondly, wouldn't it be strange for me, a guy, to perform in an all-girls school?"
"I don't find it strange!" Yui disputed.
"That's 'cause I've been in your club for a good few months already."
"Everybody in the Mio Fan Club knows who you are,"
"That's just the Mio Fan Club. How many more people are in your school?"
"Don't you think that the people from the Mio Fan Club will tell their friends, then they tell their friends, and so on?" Yui counter-attacks.
"You got me there," I admit. "Still, I'm not joining Ho-kago Tea Time. I wouldn't want to ruin what you five have."
"You wouldn't ruin anything," Yui said. "We all like you."
"Thanks," I take the compliment. "Still not joining, though."
"You sure I can't twist your arm?"
"Nope," I said flatly.
"Fine..." Yui goes back to playing guitar.

"Yui, Y/N." Someone said. We both turn to the voice.

"Oh, Azunyan." Yui smiled.
"How was your first day of exams?" Azusa asked me.
"Please don't say 'first day'!" I plead.
"I take it that means it was exhausting?" Azusa looked down at me in pity.

"You're practicing out here?" Azusa questioned Yui.
"We can't use the music room during the exam prep period, and I thought I'd bother Ui at home." Azusa took a seat next to Yui. "You're out shopping?"
"Yes."
"Don't mix up soy sauce and sugar."
"Huh?" Azusa and I stare at Yui, perplexed.
"It's a common mistake."
"No, it's not." 

"Are you really playing in the talent show?" Azusa asks Yui.
"Oh, did you hear about it from Ui?"
"Yes," Azusa answered.
"It's my first solo gig, so I'm a bit nervous," Yui admitted.
"I'd never thought I'd hear 'Yui' and nervous in the same sentence.
"You're doing it by yourself?" Azusa asked, shocked.
"I am."
"What about everyone else?"
"It's exam time, so I didn't want to bother them." Out of context, that seems fine. But doesn't Yui have exams as well?
"Will you be alright?" It seems Azusa was thinking the same thing.
"Yup."
"And you can study too?"
"Y/N is here to help me." I wave as Azusa looks in my direction.

"All right, then." I could hear a bit of determination in Azusa's voice. "I'll do it with you."
"Are you sure?" Yui said, shocked.
"I study in the evenings, so I should be okay. I think."
"Thanks, Azunyan!" Yui goes on to hug Azusa.
"That's so sweet it's giving me a cavity." I tease. Azusa moves Yui away from her when she hears my comment.
"So, we need to decide on a song, and then practice."

"Y/N!" Yui faces me.
"What is it?" I ask.
"You can join us!"
"I already said-"
"You said you didn't want to join Ho-kago Tea Time. You mentioned nothing about the festival!" Yui cut me off.
"I mean, yeah," She got me there. "But you two seem like you're having fun. I feel like I'd-"
"Like you'd ruin it," She interrupted again. "You said that already. Azusa?" Yui looked to Azusa for confirmation.
"I don't mind at all," Azusa answered.
"See? See?!" Yui exclaimed.
"There's still a problem with guitars. I play acoustic, remember?"
"I have a friend in the Jazz Club that would lend us one," Azusa suggested. "We can also give you the sheet music for the song we decide to play."
"Do you need three guitarists, though?"
"Radiohead has three guitarists," Azusa said.
"Azunyan's right! I think..." Yui didn't seem sure.

"Do you really want me to join?" My defense starts to crumble.
"Who's Radiohead?" Yui mumbles.
"We're not forcing you to join," Azusa reassured.
"But we are forcefully suggesting it!" Yui pitched in. I sigh.
"Fine..." What have I gotten myself into? "But this is just a one-time thing!"
"Thank you!" Yui hugs me this time.
"Now I know how you feel," I say to Azusa.

"Yui, let's start tomorrow." Azusa got back on her bike. "Y/N, I'd advise you to join us after your exams."
"Will do."

~

We had spent the entire week practicing for this festival. Because of my exams, I ended up starting late. But due to Sakura High having their exams just yesterday, I decided to make up for the lost time by practicing alone any chance I could. 

I was asked if I had a yukata. I didn't so I had to buy one that looked similar to Yui's and Azusa's. At first, I was confused, but then I was told that we were playing a slower version of Brush Pen, Ballpoint Pen for the older folks so it made more sense.

When I got to the waiting area behind the stage, I saw Azusa sitting next to an almost asleep Yui. Next to her were three guitars. One: Azusa's Muttan. The other: Yui's Giita. And finally: a Blue Fender Stratocaster — it was missing its whammy bar. I lifted it and strummed it, immediately feeling the difference in the Stratocaster and Akio. I began to panic. This feels completely different from my acoustic. What if I mess up?  I'm in unfamiliar territory. I could feel my hands begin to shake as I stood with the guitar.

"Y/N!" I'm snapped back to reality by Azusa waving her hand in front of my face. "Are you okay?"
"Huh? Oh...y- yeah." I stutter. "Just a bit nervous."
"Why are you nervous?" Azusa asked.
"This is my first time playing on a stage. I've never played for others before."
"Stagefright?" Azusa empathized. "I know how you feel. I'm nervous right now and I've played on stage before."
"Really?"
"Yeah," She said.