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BEGIN.
Lisa has been in a dilemma for weeks now. The club that she had established herself in their university is closing because of a lack of members. Ever since the dean announced that being in a club has no incentive on students’ academic performance, all the club members quitted resulting in her being the last member of the ‘Band Club’ along with the bassist, Eula.
Bassists in bands normally are not being noticed unless someone is a big fan of the band for their instruments are rather quiet compared to the electric guitar that Lisa plays. But it did not matter to Eula, she likes to play some groove that people unconsciously swayed in without getting too much attention.
“So, it’s just us?” Lisa asked Eula as the latter looked bored on her table while cleaning her bass instrument.
“Well, I gave out flyers outside. I have seen them all in the trash this morning.” Eula sighed.
“That sucks. Dean said we still need three more members for the club not to close. They’re giving this, our practice room to the art club if we failed to find members to fill in the drum, keyboard and the lead vocalist.” Lisa stood from her chair and looked outside the window thinking about what to do next.
“Why don’t we hold auditions?” Eula suggested.
“Well, isn’t that on the flyer? We have an audition today till’ 3.” Lisa raised her brows as she looked at her friend.
“I never read the flyer myself, I just gave it out.” Eula shrugged.
“It’s already 3 PM, I don’t think someone will come anymore.” Lisa helplessly rubbed her eyes. She was looking at the unsigned agreement paper on the table that states that they are agreeing for the ‘Band Club’ to close.
“Might as well consider signing this.” She held the paper in her hands until someone peeked at the door.
“Hi, is the audition still on?”
Tall, tanned, and excellent visuals that people would love. Lisa smiled triumphantly.
“Yeah, come on in.”
“I’m sorry, I’m late, this thing is damn heavy.”
“Can you play?” she asked, and the guy showed her keyboards as he panted.
“Hell yeah.”
“Show us what you’ve got.”
Lisa and Eula watched the guy layout his keyboards, set them up and played it himself. The moment he started her first key, Lisa and Eula looked at each other.
The guy was feeling his moment like he is Pachelbel’s love child with Beethoven.
But Lisa can almost feel Eula’s consternation.
“What is he doing? He’s getting out of tune!” Eula frantically whispered at Lisa while looking at the undisturbed guy in front of them.
“That’s Canon in Dickhead key.” Lisa deadpanned.
Lisa decided to end things before she suicides due to off keys and unwelcomed sharps.
“Hey,” she called out, but the guy was so into his moment as he played his off keys with passion.
“HEY!” Lisa yelled and the guy stopped playing and looked at Lisa.
‘Fucking finally.’
“Hey, uh, what’s your name?” she asked the guy awkwardly.
“Oh, my name is Kaeya!” the guy cheerfully said.
“Great! Kaeya… About your audition I-”
“Oh, I was just practicing. That ain’t my piece. I am actually an IT major that loves sound engineering. Want to see something cool?”
“Wait, there’s more?!” Eula frustratingly asked.
“Hell yeah.”
‘Oh, fuck.’
They helplessly watched Kaeya bring something out of his bag. A laptop and some weird device that looks like a giant calculator.
“What’s that?” Lisa asked curiously.
“It’s an SP-404. Watch me.” Kaeya connected his keyboard midi device into his laptop and his SP-404 whatever is that shit.
Kaeya sat proudly and imitated a familiar pose.
“They called me, the Lofi-Study guy.”
Then, the beat suddenly dropped and the two of them heard the jazzy hip-hop sound.
“Ohhh, so this is what they called chill vibe, eh?”
“But Lisa, we need someone who plays the keys,” Eula told her friend and Kaeya heard it.
“Don’t worry, I can always use the samples.” he wiggled his brows.
A great wave of cool sound came out and Lisa was impressed.
“Alright. I think this is good enough. We’ll just have to change our music more into Electro.”
“You mean, psychedelic?” Eula countered and Kaeya grinned and said, “Come on girl, balance your chakra, will you?”
“But we’re rockers!” Eula was still doubting until Lisa finally had her resolved. They need more members and so they need alternatives.
“Then, we’ll do this Lo Fi-Psychedelic-Rock shit!”
“You sure?” Eula asked. Lisa nodded and told Kaeya, “You’re in.”
“Hell yeah.”
“Quick question, why are you the Lofi Study Guy?” Eula asked curiously.
“It’s because I repeated my semester thrice.” Kaeya shamelessly said and Lisa’s mouth opened in realization.
“Oh, he never finished studying.”
‘Great, only two more members!’
***
There is a new girl in Lisa's class. Jean Gunnhildr. The girl was her seatmate. She happens to be quite clueless. People think she is weird, so they do not talk to her so much, but Jean does not seem to mind. She is always watching puppy videos on her phone and talking to herself. Lisa does not appreciate the loudspeaker sound of her phone, but she paid no attention to it. She has more problems to deal with.
“Where can I get more members?” she thought as she looked at the agreement paper on her hands.
“Hi, I heard you’re from the Band Club. I’m interested in joining as a lead vocalist.”
When Lisa looked up, she saw the campus crush, Mona, right in front of her.
‘Is this a miracle?’
“Would you be interested in an audition later?” Lisa asked.
“Sure, music room, right?”
“Yeah, at 3 PM.”
“Okay, see ya!”
Unknown to Lisa. Her seatmate was listening to their conversation. But heard them wrongly.
“Bond Club, huh? Dean said I must look for a club to join immediately. But what do they do there? They probably just bond together.” the girl laughed at her insight jokes while Lisa looked at her weird seatmate who was laughing alone.
‘Is she mentally challenged?’
***
3 PM came and Mona was singing in front of the Band Club Members. Looking like an angel and sounding like one.
‘Can you tell me how can one miss what she never had…♫♫’
“Mona Megistus as our vocalist? Holy shit!” Kaeya, the Lofi Lord squealed in fanboying screams.
“Calm down, man. Yeah, it seems like it.” Lisa whispered, not intending to interrupt the blessing in their ears.
“But Lisa, her style of singing doesn’t seem to suit our genre.” Eula worriedly stated. Mona stopped singing, she heard Eula.
“I love RnB. It’s either you play me RnB or I won’t sing.” Mona said.
“But Lisa, we’re rockers!”
“I thought we’re Lo FI and psychedelic rock?” Kaeya was confused.
Lisa grimaced. She cannot afford to lose Mona as a member. She is an asset and she didn’t want the club to close down. So, she settled for innovative measures again.
“Then, we’ll do this Lo Fi-Psychedelic-Rock-RnB shit!”
Everybody seems to be happy with the weird shit genre they came up with due to their diverse music taste.
“Well, I guess, I’m in?” Mona smiled.
“Welcome to the group.” Lisa shook her hands.
“Now, only one member left!” Kaeya cheered.
Lisa closed her eyes as she remembered another problem, “Oh, right. We need one more. Our drummer.”
“Where can we find a drummer?” Mona asked.
“Looks like the drummer girl is at the door.” Kaeya pointed at the girl who was seemingly lost at the door.
“I heard this is the ‘Bond Club’. Can I join?”
“Oh, she got an accent,” Eula commented.
“British like me, huh?” Mona asked.
The girl looked confused for a minute before she grinned, “Yea, I have been practicing my accent lately for literature class.”
Lisa was looking at the girl, “Wait, you’re Jenny, right?”
“Uh, it’s Jean. We’re seatmates.” Jean chuckled awkwardly.
“Oh, right. Sorry. So, Jean, can you play?” Lisa excitedly asked but frowned and almost facepalmed when she heard Jean’s answer.
“I only play PS4, can I join?”
The four of them were quiet until Kaeya roared into fits of laughter.
“Sure! I play GTA, man!” he gave Jean a high-five.
“I have Call of Duty!” Mona approached the new girl too.
Eula and Lisa looked at each other.
“Uh… we’re the ‘Band Club’. We are looking for a drummer right now. You know, musically inclined people and stuff like that.” Lisa explained gently.
“Oh! My mistake, I thought you guys are the ‘Bond Club.’ You know, people who gather and bond together. The dean told me that I needed to join a club, so I was just trying my luck at any clubs. B-But I know m-music theories!” Jean was embarrassed but she attempted to salvage her dignity.
“Like what?” Lisa decided to give the girl a chance. The girl’s eyes lit up then she cracked some pick-up lines that Lisa does not want to pick at all.
“Are you a C major scale? You look natural to me.”
“You’re making me feel flat.” Lisa was so done that she closed her eyes.
“Beggars can’t be choosers Lisa, the dean gave us a deadline till today,” Eula told the leader.
Right, the dean talked with Lisa earlier, reminding her about the club’s closure and gave her a deadline to find members until today.
“Fine, you’re in! But you have to take drum classes and train so we can play together.” Lisa defeatedly announced.
“Yay! We’re complete!” Kaeya clapped his hands excitedly.
They all put their hands together with new hope inside their hearts.
“From now on, we’re the Band Club! And we ain’t closing!”
Lisa was looking at Jean who was looking so confused but smiling sheepishly.
‘She looks like a pushover.’ Lisa looked at Jean and shook her head.
‘Oh, God. Help us.’
***
Jean has been practicing the drums for weeks now and Lisa and the rest of the band could not see an improvement. Lisa, as the leader, tried her best to make her members train Jean for the sake of their club. They have a band rehearsal coming soon and a live performance on their campus anniversary, they cannot afford to fuck up or the dean will close their club again.
Apparently, the dean was so keen to close the club due to her affiliation with the art’s club president. The art’s club president wanted another room to store their paintings and the Band Club was seen to be lacking members hence they wanted to take the Band Club’s space. Lisa as the Band Club’s leader would not let anyone close the club she established.
Eula was helping Jean to have her own pitch and rhythm, but Jean was the type of girl who only plays PS4 and never touched instruments in her life, drumming is a hard thing to do.
“You kinda messed up on your half beats into the whole beat,” Eula told Jean nicely.
“O-Oh… What’s that?” Jean asked dumbly.
Eula pointed out the music sheet.
“I can’t read that.” Jean shyly confessed.
“Yes, you can’t read the sheet, but can you even hear the beat? Try to follow the rhythm. Listen to Eula’s bass! Again, from the top!” Lisa frustratingly yelled.
“I’m trying, okay?!” Jean yelled back.
“You need to try harder!” Lisa glared at the girl.
Kaeya was looking at his members and commented, “Actually, I could sample beats on my DAW. We don’t need someone with drums at all.”
Mona looked at Kaeya and said, “Then, why do we have Jean?”
“We need a drummer. Dean wants it.” Lisa sighed. She is totally stressed out.
“She can be a lyricist, right?” Mona suggested, Lisa shook her head.
“W-Well, let us give her more time! She can learn in due time.” Kaeya said to give Jean some encouragement.
“Yeah, don’t be so hard on her. Playing instruments isn't easy.” Eula told her friend.
“But we’re running out of time! She could be practicing here with us every afternoon, but she is procrastinating and eating cakes at the canteen instead! Now, look! She can’t even play a decent beat!” Lisa complained as she remembered the times that Jean ditched practice for food.
Jean looked a bit disappointed with herself and displaced since she felt out of place.
“I quit.” Jean finally said.
Lisa shot her a look, “Y-You can’t do that!”
“Come on, I don’t belong here. Find another person who can play the drums.” Jean left her drumsticks on the drum set and left the room.
The three of them looked at their lead guitarist disappointedly.
“There’s nothing wrong in being nice, you know.”
And Lisa felt guilty as ever.
‘Was I too harsh?’
***
It has been a week since Jean didn’t appear at their band practice. The members missed Jean’s bright personality even though she is clueless most of the time, she still cracks some jokes and lights up the room.
‘Why did the pianist keep banging his ears on the keys?’ Jean asked mischievously one day during one of their band practices.
‘Why?’ Mona tilted her head confusedly as she was eating her sandwich. Kaeya and Eula were intently listening to the joke while Lisa was just looking at them.
‘Because he’s playing by ear!’
Her members cracked into roars of laughter while Lisa just shook her head.
Those are just some of those things her bandmates remember from Jean.
Lisa was practicing with her bandmates, but the music seems to be so bland without the drums and her bandmates look quite upset and less energized.
“Let’s call it a day,” Lisa told them.
“Woo! I’m hungry.” Kaeya pouted as he put his gadgets inside his backpack.
“I’m sleepy.” Mona sighed and drank her water.
“That wasn’t good, isn’t it?” Eula told Lisa and Lisa nodded.
“We lack the beat.” Mona commented, “Kaeya’s DAW was too low.”
“I agree. We need Jean.” Eula told her members.
“I got this.” Lisa finally said, “I’ll set an audition for a new member.”
“But how about the dean? Isn’t that cheating?” Eula raised her brows in confusion.
“It has to be in secret. I already set the audition for later at 4 PM. Be here, all of you.” Lisa informed her members.
“I don’t think Jean is bad at all, can’t you just apologize?” Kaeya suggested.
“I did nothing wrong.”
Did she really?
Lisa wrapped up the practice as she looked at the name of the person auditioning for later.
‘Never Wong.’
“What a strange name.”
***
In the late afternoon. A drummer named ‘Never Wong’ came for an audition.
“Hello!”
“Hey, uh… you’re quite late,” Lisa said politely as her team waited for half an hour for the boy.
“I’m not. Time is an illusion.” The boy stated and the band members looked at each other.
‘What the fuck?’
“Uh, okay. Show us what you got.”
“Just so you know, I’m a percussion instrumentalist. I bang really hard.” The boy wiggled his brows and Mona choked on the sandwich she was eating. Lisa’s eyes widened in shock.
“Great,” Kaeya commented dryly and yawned.
“You might be Never Wong, but that can also mean you’re Never Right,” Eula said nonchalantly.
“Watch me.”
The first beat was stomped, and the guy played the drums well. But something is not right.
“He’s good, but I’m not feeling it,” Kaeya whispered to Lisa.
Lisa just looked at the guy.
‘He’s good enough. But why am I sensing something weird.’
“Okay. That is enough. You played well, just mind the loudness sometimes. Some beats may overpower the vocals.” Lisa told the guy.
“Who cares about the vocalist? Everybody thinks the drummers are hot.” Never Wong smirked.
“Excuse me?” Mona was quite offended.
“I am Never Wong.”
“I don’t like this guy,” Mona told Lisa.
“Bitch.” The guy said and Lisa shot him a deadly look.
“Sorry, but all we can give you is a snare for your shitty attitude. You know what, you are good but pack your things and go. We don’t need you.” Lisa told the guy angrily and the guy just shrugged.
“Your lost, I hope the club closes soon.”
“That jerk!”
The members mobbed him, and his drum set was broken.
“Alright, I’m sorry!” The guy ran away while the girls heaved sighs.
“Jean is still better, right?” Eula told Lisa and Lisa realized her mistake.
“I’ll get her back again.”
***
Lisa had been looking at Jean from her seat, but the latter seems to be busy doing her own thing. She heard that Jean was in talks with the art club for membership and she just could not let that happen. She does not know how to apologize to the girl so when the bell rang as a signal for the lunch break, she saw Jean talking with an art club member, she immediately took Jean’s hands and dragged her towards the garden.
“Would you like to have lunch with us? We can talk about membership and all.”Ellin from the art club asked Jean.
“Sure-” Jean was shocked when someone held her hand and dragged her away forcefully,
“Hey!” the art club member yelled.
“Sorry, she’s mine!” Lisa looked back and told the art club member. She pulled Jean close to her as the student started to be packed at the hallway, “Stay close.” she said. Jean blushed but obliged.
She thinks Lisa is attractive as she looked at the latter’s face.
‘Perhaps, a little work with personality.’ Jean thought.
They sat on the campus garden and Lisa quietly laid down her lunches on the bench and ate quietly. Jean looked at her and the food.
“I’m actually hungry.” Jean awkwardly said. As she looked at Lisa’s food.
‘Is she so hungry that she brought a lot of food?’
Lisa took an octopus fish cake through her chopstick on her lunch box and put it on Jean’s mouth.
“Omp-”
“Eat. I have something to tell you.” Lisa seriously said and Jean likes free food so she just does as what she was told.
‘Oooh, this food is great!’
“I’m sorry.”
Jean was surprised. She did not expect to hear those words from Lisa. Lisa hates her for not being good at drums. But why is she apologizing now?
“I-I’m sorry too. If ever I did something wrong.” Jean said as well but Lisa shook her head.
“No, it’s my mistake. You are the perfect member we are looking for. You might not be good at drums but at least you are trying. I should have never yelled at you.” Lisa humbly stated and Jean looked at her incredulously.
‘So, this is why she brought lots of food.’ she smiled.
“It’s okay. But I don’t think I can play the drums; the art club was signing me up to be their mem-”
“Don’t!” Lisa immediately said and put her hands on Jean’s shoulders to look at her directly in the eyes.
Jean saw the fear in Lisa’s eyes.
“Please come back to ‘Band Club’. They miss you.” Lisa was looking anywhere else but Jean.
‘They, huh?’ Jean grinned.
“But I can’t play the drums well.”
Lisa’s emerald eyes twinkle and she said, “I’ll train you myself this time.”
“You know how?”
“The basics but that’s all it should start, right?”
“I guess so.”
Jean smiled and found new hope.
‘I’ll learn how to play the drums well so I can see that twinkle on your emerald eyes more.’
***
“Welcome back, homie!”
Kaeya gave her a huge hug and Eula patted her head. Mona on the other hand waved at Jean.
“We miss you!”
“I do miss you guys too.” Jean appreciated the affection she received.
“You actually did better this practice.” Eula complimented her and Jean looked at Lisa.
She started to be trained by Lisa. She diligently attended each session and she also secretly enrolled in drum classes to boost her progress. Needless to say, Lisa was impressed.
FLASHBACK.
“Try to hit the hi-hat a little bit softer.” Lisa was standing behind Jean as she was teaching her the basics.
“Which one is it again?”
“The cymbals.”
“Oh.”
Jean hit it again a little louder, so Lisa held Jean’s hands to help her.
“Hit the hi-hat this way.”
*Ting*
Jean could feel the warmness of Lisa’s hands and body on her back, and she couldn’t help but feel giddy and nervous.
“Are you listening?”
“O-Oh, yeah. Hehe.”
“Hmmm… since you know the basic beats. If you want, we can practice at home. We have a garage there. My sister Amber has a drum set.” Lisa offered.
“Sure!”
It has been a couple of days that Jean practiced with Lisa at their garage when the other members were busy. The two of them have gotten closer. Jean could say they are friends now. She likes to hang out with Lisa. Lisa is often serious and professional at times, but the girl was reliable and smart.
Since she knows the basics now. She knocks on Lisa’s door fast like the drummer she intends to be.
“Shouldn’t you answer the door?” Lisa’s sister asked her as she saw Lisa just standing in front of the door.
“Yeah, but I like this song.”
Jean was knocking in the beat of ‘We Will Rock you.’ and that made Lisa giggled. Until she heard someone winced.
“Owww!”
She immediately opened the door and saw Jean crouching.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“I kinda hurt my knuckles.” Jean embarrassedly said and Lisa kneeled and held her hand to check it.
“Let me see.”
Lisa helped her stand, “Come on, let’s put an ice pack on that.” she pulled Jean inside her house still holding her hands. Amber sees them and she smiles.
“Oh, young love.”
Meanwhile, Jean felt the coldness of the ice pack on her knuckles but her heart felt warm.
‘Lisa seems to be cold, but she cares a lot.’
END OF FLASHBACK
The Band Club practices altogether with good hopes. Lisa rocked her telecaster, Kaeya with his midi keys, Eula on her bass, Mona with her fire vocals and Jean was already keeping up with her drums.
She plays bass, she plays bass
Nothing matters 'cause we're both in space
Pretty sure we could never date
She plays bass, she plays bass♫♫’
As the song ended, they all looked at each other with surprised and happy faces.
“THAT’S A WRAP!”
“We're surely going to rock that campus anniversary!”
“Wait, is that the final song or the song we were practicing yesterday?”
“Well, the second song doesn’t have so many drums. Though, I love Kaeya’s beat there and Eula’s bass.” Lisa looked at Eula apologetically.
“It’s okay,”
They gave each other high-fives and when Jean gave one to Lisa she said, “Thank you.”
Lisa squeezed her hands in reassurance.
“No, thank YOU.”
Jean looked around her and felt better. Her bandmates are not only her friends but also her family.
***
The campus anniversary arrived, and they were all geared up to impress the dean, but the art club president has a plan. The art club president wanted the practice room to be theirs. So, the president came up with a plan.
“Mona!” the art club president called out Mona as she was on her way to her bandmate’s waiting room.
“Oh, hi there.” Mona greeted.
“You look tired, want some drinks?”
“Sure!”
Mona took a drink and said her thanks as she made her way to their room.
“Hello.” Jean greeted Mona.
“Henlo.” Mona blinked her eyes multiple times then sat down on the chair, “Where...are the o-others?”
“They’re buying drinks. Do you have a copy of the lyrics?”
“H-Here.” Mona gave her paper to Jean.
“Want to practice?”
“Uh...I-I’m okay.”
“Okay. I’ll read this.”
Jean thought the lyrics were beautiful, so she sings it aloud with a few hums. She did not notice that Mona was close to passing out on her seat. Meanwhile, Lisa and Kaeya came with drinks in their hands. Lisa heard Jean singing.
She plays bass, she plays bass
Nothing matters 'cause we're both in space
Pretty sure we could never date
She plays bass, she plays bass♫♫’
“Dude, she sings well!” Kaeya was freaking out as he whispered to Lisa.
Lisa was watching Jean in awe.
“Wow.”
Jean noticed them at the door, and she blushed shyly.
She cleared her throat and said, “O-Oh, hi there.”
“You sing well,” Lisa told Jean and Jean shyly looked down.
“Mona sings better though.” she humbly said.
Eula peeked at the door.
“We’re the third performer,” she informed.
“Want to practice?” Lisa asked Mona but Mona looked at her and she looked pale.
“Are you okay?”
“I feel... sleepy. That bitch art pres drugged me I-I...” Mona fell completely asleep.
“Huh? Hey, wake up!” Lisa was freaking out.
“What are we going to do?!” Eula worriedly asked.
“I don’t know!”
“Hey! Wake up!” they shook Mona, but she was just snoring.
“Let us take her to the clinic first then think. Might as well close down the club.” Lisa defeatedly said.
“NO!” Kaeya said, “We practice the second song, right? Can you sing it, Jean?”
“Huh? Me? How about the drums?”
“We’ll use my sample beats!”
Kaeya looked for the lyrics paper and gave it to Jean. He plugged in the midi and opened his DAW as they started to play it. “Here, try it. Eula, I need your bass.”
“Got it!” Eula plugged her bass on her amplifier and started to play.
“C-Can I really do this?” Jean doubted.
Jean awkwardly took the paper and looked around. She sees her members' faces looking at her expectantly and Lisa’s face was the prominent one she remembers.
Lisa looked at her like she is her only beacon of hope.
“We trust you.”
So, she decided to try her best.
Time changed, we're different
But my mind still says redundant things, can I not think?
Will you love this part of me?
My lover is a day I can't forget
Furthering my distance from you
Realistically, I can't leave now
But I'm okay as long as you keep me from going crazy
Keep me from going crazy♫♫’
It seems like the members got a new lease of hope on Jean. They clapped their hands.
“That’s set!” Eula squealed.
“How about the dean? She would say we lack members.” Jean asked.
“The most important thing is to perform,” Lisa said.
“Yeah, and whatever the art club president did violate the campus rules. We got to tell the officials about this.” Kaeya added.
“She’s right. What happened to Mona is terrible. We will deal with them after our performance. For now, let us bring her to the clinic and prepare our instruments backstage.” Lisa looked at her members and her members agreed.
“We’ll do our best for the Band Club and Mona!” Eula encouraged her friends.
“Hell yeah!”
Meanwhile, Jean’s legs were shaking in nervousness.
‘What if I fucked up?’
They brought Mona to the clinic and made their way backstage as they waited for their queue. The art club president was looking at Lisa with a smirk plastered on her face.
“Why don’t you just give up?” the art club president mocked.
“Bitch, you drugged our bandmate!” Eula told the girl, but Lisa held Eula’s wrist before she launched an attack.
“We’ll show you and everyone else on this campus, especially the dean what we are made of.” Lisa glared at the president.
“Suit yourself. Just don’t go and embarrass the entire student body.” The art club president left, and Lisa looked at Jean who has been quiet for a while.
“That bitch! Vengeance shall be ours!” Eula frustratingly groaned.
“Are you okay?” Lisa asked Jean.
Jean blinked a few times and gulped, “I-I feel like I’m going to fucked this up. I-”
Lisa hugged her tightly and said, “We trust you.”
“Yeah, homie. She’s right.”
“You got this.” Eula patted Jean’s shoulders.
Lisa squeezed her hands and said, “Make that bitch pay.”
The moment they stood on the stage and performed. Jean looked at her band members and Lisa’s face. She felt the love and trust they have for her, so she did her best. When she sang the first line, the people went wild, and her band members smiled.
They are into something good.
The art club president looked so irritated, and the dean was surprised. The bass of Eula was finally noticed and Kaeya’s midi works were on fire.
Meanwhile, Lisa finally saw Jean in a different light. As the crowd made some noises and cheers, all Lisa could hear was her voice.
‘She’s beautiful.’
***
They reported what happened to Mona to the student body and the campus officials. The art president was given a sanction. The dean decided to keep the club as she saw how hyped the audience was during their performance. Mona remained as the vocalist of their band. Jean decided to be the drummer and be better at it in terms of skills. The Band Club became popular at their campus, and they performed various campus activities.
"Ah… I am tired of singing too much. I want to sleep. Can you sing at the next event? " Mona yawned after their gig. She asked Jean.
"Nope, I'm okay with the drums." Jean shrugged.
"Okay, but girl, your singing was a fire! I watched your performance on video." Mona complimented.
"Thank you so much."
"You're cute." Eula pinched Jean's cheeks as she saw the two talking.
"Thanks." Jean blushed.
Lisa saw it as she was cleaning her guitar. She glared at Eula.
"I'm hungry. Come on, let us go to the cafeteria before someone murders you." Kaeya dragged Eula out of the practice room.
"Hey!"
"Wait, I'm hungry too!" Mona yelled.
"Keep up, thiccc thighs!" Kaeya teased.
Jean giggled as she watched the trio.
"They're weird," she commented.
"Yeah." Lisa frowned and kept her guitar on the case.
"Are you hungry?" Jean asked in her attempt to make a conversation.
"No," Lisa replied shortly.
"Uhm, do you have somewhere else to go later?" Jean tried once more. Maybe, it is time to ask this girl out.
"Yeah."
"Oh, where?"
"Sleep."
"I see." Jean defeatedly looked down.
"Would you like to join me?" Lisa decided to tease the latter as Jean is looking confused as ever again.
"Huh?" Jean realized what it meant, and she blushed in deep shades of red.
"I'm just kidding." Lisa giggled but her giggles stopped when Jean dumbly answered,
"Yes."
'Oh.'
***
Jean's friends know her huge ass crush on Lisa, and they are very supportive. Jean was on her usual cafe date with her best friend, Diluc.
"So, you're kinda like, gay?" Diluc teased her.
"I don't like to be called names." Jean frowned.
"That's okay, so you like her, right?" Diluc took Jean's cupcake when she was busy thinking.
"I think so."
"Does she know?" Diluc asked and Jean shook her head.
"She doesn't."
"Then, why don't you tell her?"
"You think it’s, okay?"
"Why not?"
Jean had a realization. She's going to tell Lisa her feelings but she failed to realize her missing cupcake that Diluc took from her plate.
***
The next day, Lisa was playing Sims 4 with Mona and Kaeya in their practice room during their break time.
"Wow, you have fifty boyfriends?!" Mona was looking at Lisa's sims character's relationship timeline.
"Awesome, right?" Lisa proudly stated.
"Whore."
Kaeya looked at the sims character's memories.
"One of them died?"
"Yeah, I kinda bought some cheap stove and trapped him with cheap counters and set him on fire." Lisa calmly explained.
"Oh, there's a baby!"
Then, they saw the child service took the baby because the character was in a red diamond.
"Hey, the child service took away your baby!" Mona slapped Lisa’s shoulders a couple of times.
"My poor baby."
Meanwhile, Jean was at the door holding roses in her hands. She was shocked and unable to move with the things she heard.
'I didn't know she's that kind of girl.'
Then, Eula with snacks in her hands saw Jean.
"Oh, roses! For whom is that?"
Lisa, Mona and Kaeya heard them and looked at the door.
"I-It's yours n-now. Excuse me." Jean ran away as she gave Eula the roses.
Eula looked at the roses in her hands. She saw a dedication letter written on it. She sighed.
'Fools'
On the other hand, Lisa felt betrayed.
'So, she likes Eula.'
They kinda like each other but things have gotten complicated.
***
A week later, Eula felt so done with Lisa's glares at her and Jean and Lisa ignoring each other. So, she decided to tell Lisa the truth she knows.
"Hey!"
"Go away."
"Jean doesn't like me, the flowers were for you," Eula told Lisa and Lisa looked back.
"Huh?"
Eula gave the dedication card to Lisa.
'Lisa, you got my heart beating louder than the drum. Be my girlfriend? - Jean'
It was Jean's writing. Lisa felt happy but also confused.
'But why did she run away?'
"What's up?" Mona asked lazily as she was glaring at Kaeya who keeps stealing her bag of chips.
"Love," Kaeya answered.
"I no longer know if I wish to drown myself in love, vodka or sea." Mona sighed.
"Drinks on me tonight. I know a tavern nearby" Eula cheered.
"Yay!"
"Freeloaders."
***
Upon having some serious thoughts, Jean still could not get Lisa out of her head. She finally decided that she likes Lisa no matter what happened, but she couldn't help but feel sad.
She wants to be the only one in Lisa's heart.
Seeing Lisa kinda stings her heart.
She was staring at the classroom's window until someone put a chocolate bar on her table.
"Yes." the voice said.
It was Lisa who was smiling at her. The emerald eyes that she loves to see. The girl that she loves.
"Huh?"
"Uhm, do you have somewhere else to go later?" Lisa asked in her attempt to ask Jean out.
"Yes." Jean gave her a short answer because her heart still feels bitter.
"Where?"
"Home."
"Can you take me with you?"
Jean surprisingly looked at Lisa who was wearing a smirk on her face.
'Maybe it's time I tell her the truth. '
"Lisa."
"Yeah?"
Jean kneeled and showed her a bracelet. The students started to stare at them.
"I don't care if you have fifty boyfriends and set one on fire. Or had a baby that the child service took away because you neglected it. I like you! And I still like you no matter what happens... I'm kind of falling for you."
The crowd gasped as they digested what Jean just said and Lisa facepalmed and looked away embarrassedly.
'So, that's the reason why she ran away. Stupid. '
"If you're trash, allow me to take you out."
"What?"
"Uh, can I have the honour to make your heartbeat?" Jean asked with her eyes close.
All the embarrassment and people murmurs did not matter. Lisa's heart was already beating for Jean.
"You had me at uh."
In the end, their misunderstanding had been fixed but Lisa's reputation has never been the same but she couldn't give a damn for she got her drummer as a girlfriend.