"Chiose… are you sure this is okay?"
November 22nd. The weekend had arrived even faster than Tomori expected.
Inside Ring's backstage dressing room, Takamatsu Tomori stared in bewildered disbelief at what had been laid out before her: a girls' high school uniform and a bottle of vodka.
Suddenly, taking the stage didn't seem like such a great idea after all.
"Why do I have to dress up like this — it's so… embarrassing!"
"I'm doing this to make up for the fact that little Tomori never got to perform in high school! This is actually your old school uniform — take a good look! I had it specially made to order!"
"And the vodka? This is…"
"Oh, come on, I've told you before — performing! Who on earth performs without drinking first?! You simply cannot pull it off sober!"
Yoshiiro Chiose knocked back another glass with a perfectly blank expression. That made sixteen today.
Better to drink a little more. What she was about to do next would almost certainly be impossible to go through with if she were fully clearheaded.
The plan was proceeding smoothly. Barring any surprises, it wouldn't be long before she could reel everything in.
"Heh heh — drink up, little Tomori! And save me a sip, don't go finishing it all yourself!"
Chiose helped Tomori change into the outfit. The Haneoka school uniform actually passed her standards — once she enrolled at Haneoka in real life, she was absolutely going to make the most of her youth.
The real Tomori… was she at Haneoka too?
Or was Takamatsu Tomori simply a character the system had invented?
"Excuse me! You're almost up, seniors — please get ready!"
A brown-haired girl of sixteen or seventeen pushed the door open to give them their cue, and immediately recoiled at the wall of booze-smell and the two bleary-eyed figures inside.
"Seniors? Are you two… in the middle of…?"
"Heh heh — you wouldn't understand, little junior. As the grand veterans that we are, we carry on a tradition passed down through countless bands before us: before every single performance, we consecrate our music with alcohol. Only then can we truly enchant every last person in the audience with our playing!"
"No way! Is that really how it works?! If I ever join a band, I'm going to learn from you, seniors!" The junior was just as gullible as Takamatsu Tomori — she'd swallowed every word of that nonsense.
"Ha ha… you… keep at it, yeah."
Oh no.
Yoshiiro Chiose kept twisting a strand of hair between her fingers. She was beginning to realize she had a genuine talent for spinning bullshit.
She really hoped she hadn't actually corrupted this poor kid.
"Take your time, seniors, no rush — I won't disturb you any further. I'll go check if the other bands are ready."
The staff girl rose, excused herself, and eased the door shut behind her. The dressing room was now just Takamatsu Tomori and Yoshiiro Chiose — who had slumped against Tomori in a thoroughly intoxicated heap.
And their empty bottles.
"What a sweet little junior. Look, Tomori — I'm someone's senior now too."
"Chiose is amazing!"
"If you think so, then keep drinking! Drink up while you can — once we're onstage there's no more happy hour!"
"Got it!"
Sipping her screwdriver in small, careful gulps, Takamatsu Tomori felt her understanding of rock and punk deepen with every mouthful.
Living out your values and your worldview through music. Treating every single day as the most important day of your life. Taking performance so seriously that you dedicated yourself to refining it with alcohol. Spreading the belief that you must keep pushing forward, always, toward a bright and shining future…
How magnificent! Was she truly on the path to becoming a Savior?!
Chiose had saved her. And now it was her turn to go out and save someone else. The feeling burned like fire.
Takamatsu Tomori stopped hesitating. Her gaze settled with iron resolve on the row of bottles lined up across the wooden table.
[I'm going to drink every single one of you!]
[And then I'm going to sing something that won't disappoint me or Chiose!]
[If I'm drunk enough, nobody can tell me I'm trying too hard, right?!]
Those were Takamatsu Tomori's last coherent thoughts before she drank herself unconscious.
...
"Wake up, little Tomori — we're almost on."
Yoshiiro Chiose could hear the restless roar of the crowd filtering through from the performance hall even from where she sat.
It was as loud as a barnyard — a herd of large, distressed mammals huddling together for warmth in collective chaos.
"Hm?! I — I feel a little bit…"
"It's fine, Tomori, keep drinking and resting — someone will come get us when it's time."
Yoshiiro Chiose's own eyes were half-lidded too, her expression faintly unhinged.
"Okay! ."
Tomori's drinking pace kept accelerating. By this point she could no longer taste any difference between alcohol and a regular soft drink.
The only reason she kept going was because Yoshiiro Chiose had told her: drinking was part of the performance. Drinking before a show had nothing but benefits, zero drawbacks. That was enough for Takamatsu Tomori to keep drinking without question.
Beside her ear, faint and barely there, came the soft little snores of the white-haired beauty. All around them, from beyond the walls, waves of cheering and screaming swelled and ebbed in a continuous tide.
None of it made Takamatsu Tomori anxious or afraid. If anything, it made her more electric, more alive.
She dug her fingers hard into the flesh of her thigh, squeezing until a wide patch had gone red and then purple, before the strange buzzing excitement finally, slowly, began to fade.
So this was… the legendary adrenaline rush in full effect!
Right now, she was closer to being a real human being than she had ever been!
Because only a proper human being could feel something like this.
"Seniors, seniors! It's your turn! Huh? You're still drinking?! Quick, wake up the other one!"
"We'll be right there."
Takamatsu Tomori helped Yoshiiro Chiose to her feet and, with the practiced ease of long habit, tipped a small mouthful of Old Grandfather whisky into her mouth.
"Wow! That's the stuff! I have been resurrected!"
Yoshiiro Chiose's eyes snapped open. She grabbed Takamatsu Tomori by the hand and bolted for the door.
She walked with a pronounced sway, yet somehow gave absolutely no impression that she was about to fall over.
The young staff girl watched them go, her face full of awe.
Incredible! So this was what it meant to be a true senior! What presence, what caliber — someday she too would…
Hang on. Something felt off. Like something was missing.
"Wait! Seniors! You forgot your guitars!"
So this was what it was like to be a seasoned band veteran. She was learning so much.
...
Many years later, standing before a fresh audience, Takamatsu Tomori — corporate drone — would surely still remember that distant afternoon when Toyokawa Sachiko led her into Ring to perform 「Spring Shadow」.
"There are a lot more people than I expected today."
Waiting in the wings behind the curtain, Yoshiiro Chiose had already slipped fully into the zone.
The truth was… this was actually her first time performing on a stage. By rights, Tomori had more experience than her.
Which was precisely why she'd needed the alcohol.
But then she thought — she probably didn't have many days left to breathe anyway. The moment that settled in, the pressure eased considerably.
"Hoo — little Tomori, I'm heading out first. Stay close!"
Chiose strode out onto the stage in one sweeping step, and the youthful energy of the Haneoka uniform wrapped itself around her like an aura.
Since their duo didn't have a name, the MC introduced them by their names instead.
"Hey hey hey! Can everyone hear me?! I'm Yoshiiro Chiose! Tonight — I've brought my very best friend, Takamatsu Tomori, and together we're going to put on a show for all of you!"
____
________________________________________
🌸 Help Love Bloom!
Our girls need a little push... and you can help!
💖 Gift for Everyone: Once we hit 50 Powerstones, I'll release +1 bonus chapter to warm your hearts.
🚀 Community Reward: If we reach 20 supporting members, we'll have a +5 chapter marathon across all stories! The romance won't stop.
👻 Come to our secret corner: Search for GirlsLove on (P). You know that's where the magic happens... 😉