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Kanade had a bad habit of sneaking out. The world was so big, and she wanted to explore. At night, the house filled with her mom's coughing. She didn't like hearing it.
The quiet outside after sunset was so much nicer. Stars peeked through the clouds, and lamplight covered everything in a faint gold.
There was a playground nearby, so she would go there instead. Eight years old was grown up enough to make her own way there. Kanade wouldn't trip and fall or talk to strangers.
The jungle gym appeared in the distance, and Kanade rushed towards it. The sound of guitar strings being strummed stopped her, and she peered across the playground in search of the sound.
A girl sat on the bench. She looked only a little younger than Kanade and had a blue guitar looped around her.
Paused in place, Kanade listened. The movements were clumsy, dragging across strings and long hesitation before each pluck. After a chord, the girl mumbled to herself, steadying and straining her hands to play another.
Kanade approached her with a smile. “Cool guitar!”
The girl jumped a little, surprised to see anyone else. She eyed Kanade suspiciously before returning the smile. “Thanks!”
Kanade came to take a seat next to her on the bench, giving enough space for the guitar. “Can I listen to you play?”
“I'm not very good…”
“I want to hear you play.” She smiled, looking over the guitar. A Miku sticker was placed on the body, and Kanade pointed to it. “You like Miku!?”
“I love Miku!”
Kanade smiled back. “Can you play me a Miku song?”
“Maybe…” The girl moved to press her fingers to the frets and strum. “I'm learning how to play the start of World Is Mine.”
It was slow, but the notes sounded out, and Kanade recognized it. She smiled wide, listening more and more as the girl started to grow more confident and play on. Then it stopped, and she gave a sheepish smile.
“I don't know the rest.”
“Wow!” Kanade stared awestruck, thinking over and over how guitars were so cool and this girl was so amazing.
“Do you want to try playing it?” She asked, standing up and pulling the strap over her head.
“Can I? Really?”
It didn't seem real. She was going to get to play such a cool instrument? The Miku guitar?
“Yep! I'm Ichika.”
Ichika laughed, looping the strap over Kanade and adjusting the guitar. It was big and heavy. The weight alone made Kanade nervous, and it was so hard for her to hold.
There was a smile on Ichika's lips. “What's your name?”
“Kanade.”
She reached out, taking Kanade’s hand and pressing something into the palm. The touch was warm and made Kanade blush a little. A little blue pick rested in her hand.
“You use this to strum and pluck the strings.” Ichika mimicked downward motions with her hand.
“Right…”
Kanade copied it, nervously brushing the pick across metal to create a sound ringing out. She did it again and again, listening each time as the smile on her face grew.
“So these are the strings. The thickest one is the sixth sting.” Ichika pointed to one of the metallic strings running along the guitar, and she moved her finger down each. “Fifth, fourth, third, second, and first. The first one is the tiny, thinnest one. Try plucking each one.”
“I see!”
Kanade took the pick, gently pushing the end into the sixth string and making her way down each string. They were different, and Kanade felt fascinated by how it could create all these sounds. It was like how each key of the piano magically made something different.
“Okay.” Ichika gestured along the neck of the guitar. “Behind the strings is the fretboard. Each of these little metal lines are frets.” She tapped her finger across the side of the guitar neck, lightly padding it to where each metal rung lay. “These let you play chords and change the sound.”
Ichika pushed her finger into the string, pressing it against the board just above the metal line of one of the frets. “Try plucking the sixth string.”
That was the thickest one, right? Kanade moved the pick as instructed, flicking it over to hear a different sound. Ichika pulled her finger away, gesturing with her other hand for Kanade to do it again. “Keep plucking it; let me show you.”
Each time, Ichika would press into the string at different positions along the board. Before Kanade knew it, she was plucking at a steady rhythm while Ichika controlled what played from the guitar.
A pattern emerged, and it became music.
Ichika was smiling wide, and Kanade echoed it. “That's so cool!”
“There's also chords. Let me show you—”
A voice calling out interrupted her, and Ichika looked downcast.
“I'm sorry. I need to go now.”
“Oh, okay.” Kanade didn't want her to go, but she carefully took the guitar off and gave it back to Ichika. “It was nice meeting you.”
“It was nice meeting you too!” Ichika moved to unzip a soft guitar case, carefully putting it inside. She zipped it back up again, bracing herself and lifting it up onto her back with a little huff. “Bye-bye!”
She raced off, and Kanade looked down at her hand, still clasping the pick tight. “Wait, Ichika!”
Her voice was too quiet, and the distance had grown too much. Ichika disappeared, and Kanade held the pick up to the light. She guessed she could keep it safe for her and give it back the next time she saw her.
When exactly would the next time be?