Chapter 45: Electric Pipa

The practice room isn’t spacious. Three walls are lined with mirrors to make it feel bigger, while the fourth has double-paned soundproof glass, offering a view of the bustling street outside.

Liuli huddles in a corner, hugging her knees, muttering self-deprecating words:
“I’m the worst even among amateurs…
After years of piano, this is all I’ve got—no talent at all…
Thinking I could start a band was so arrogant, I’m sorry, sorry…
Do I even deserve to play? Do I deserve to learn music? I’m nothing, I’ll never achieve anything, this is my life, ugh…”

At the drum set, Yuki Matsuhisa rubs her drumsticks, staring at her expressionless reflection.
“Rhythm’s still off. Some hits were too soft. Need more force next time… Gotta keep working.”

The room’s vibe is tense, silent for over half an hour.
After summarizing today’s issues, Yuki turns to Liuli.
“I’ve written down all the problems from practice. Yuezuki-san, want to take a photo?”

“No… I don’t deserve to learn music… I’m done playing…”

“Why don’t you deserve it?”

“Because I’m full of flaws, totally hopeless… I’m no good at anything, just fit to be a shut-in forever. A dark, forgotten corner suits me best…”

“Fix what’s lacking. Even the slowest can reach performance level with effort.”
Yuki, face blank, tears off the section about Liuli’s issues and hands it to her.
“Yuezuki-san, take it. We’ll practice again tomorrow.”

“Sorry… Matsuhisa-san must be so disappointed in me…”

“Just a bit below my expectations.”

“Guuh—!”
Liuli, hit hard again, buries her head in her arms, looking ready to be an ostrich forever.
“Sorry, sorry, sorry…”

Yuki blinks, a rare hint of confusion on her stoic face. As she reaches for Liuli’s shoulder, the narrow wooden door bursts open.

“Heya! Hi, Quantum Band! Just two of you? So, with little Cola, that’s four—perfect for a small band! Oh, no one’s talking? Got it, I’ll introduce myself first! I’m Mahong Byakuya, mixed-blood, lived in Japan for ten years, went to Norway, and now back for school!”

“Cough, hold up…”
Cola clears her throat, glancing at Yuki beside Liuli.
“Prez, this is our new member. She introduced herself—oh, Liuli, feeling better?”

“Sorry…”

“Yo, yo!”
Byakuya, now squatting by Liuli, claps her back hard.
“Hey there! Not feeling well? I’m Mahong Byakuya! Tell me what’s got you down!”

Cola’s lips twitch. Byakuya acts like she’s the band veteran, and Cola’s the newbie.
Cola thought she was outgoing, but Byakuya’s on another level—her energy’s almost manic. Is this girl okay??

“Eh?! W-Who’s she…?”
Byakuya’s close-up face startles Liuli, who leaps up and hides behind Cola, stammering.

“Cough, our new member.”

“N-New member…?”

“Right, Mahong Byakuya, meet our keyboardist, Yuezuki Liuli, and our drummer, Matsuhisa Yuki.”

“Got it!”
Byakuya strides to the room’s center, arms wide, striking a ‘look at me’ pose.
“Once more—I’m Mahong Byakuya, lead pipa!”

“Lead… pipa?”
Liuli’s eyes widen blankly.

“Pipa?”

“Yup, electric pipa!”
Byakuya proudly pats her ‘guitar case.’
“One-of-a-kind in Maebashi! Maybe all of Japan!”

“Pipa’s rare enough, let alone electric…”

“Wanna try it?”
Yuki’s eyes glint slightly.

“Oh, yeah! Let’s jam!”
Byakuya sets her case down, pulling out a metallic blue electric pipa.
Aside from the paint, it’s like a regular pipa, but with little traditional charm left.

“Add some LED strips, and it’s full cyberpunk…”
Cola mutters.

“Oh—great idea!!”

“Just saying…”

“Stickers might mess with the sound, so I’ll hang LEDs on myself instead!”

“Too damn sci-fi.”

“Quantum Band’s name is sci-fi already!”

“J-Just LEDs make it sci-fi?”
Liuli asks quietly.

“Cough, just the vibe…”

“Speakers, speakers… got ’em, plugged in… OK, I’m ready!”

“Eh?! P-Practice? B-But I…”

“Liuli, give it a shot?”

“B-But I’m awful…”

“Have confidence! Uh, what’s your name again?”

“Yuezuki Liuli,” Cola sighs, hand on hip.

“Little Liuli, you look like a piano pro!”

“Eh? R-Really?”

“Yup!”

“How can you tell?”

“Your aura!”

“A-Aura…?”

“OK, first song—something most people know?”

“What song? I need lyrics…”
Cola grabs her phone.

“‘Give Me a Pair of Wings,’ folk style. Everyone knows it, right?”

“I-I need the sheet music…”

“I’m good,” Yuki nods slightly.

“Say ‘start’ when you’re ready.”

“OK, got the lyrics…”
Cola skims them, humming the tune. She might know it better than most Japanese kids—it’s from an Evangelion movie, big in %%.

“I-I’m ready too…”

“Improv a bit if you want! Here we go—start!”

Byakuya’s fingers pluck the electric pipa’s strings, crisp notes like scattered jade ringing out.
It’s close to a guitar’s tone but distinct, with clear note separation and the pipa’s signature trailing vibrato.
Cola, weak in literature, can only think of Bai Juyi’s line: “Large and small pearls falling on a jade plate.”
Despite the electronic edge, it’s still a pipa, its essence intact, blending naturally.

The keyboard kicks in, rushed and messy—Liuli’s not ready.
Yuki’s drums follow, calm and precise, almost robotic.

“Little Cola!”

“Ah!”
Cola, spacing out, grabs the mic.
“Ima—watashi no… negaigoto ga (Now, my wish)…”

Karaoke-level or not, she knows she’s half a beat late, struggling to catch up but feeling breathless.
Byakuya, smiling, glances over, nodding encouragingly.

“Kanau naraba (If it can come true), tsubasa ga hoshii (Give me a pair of wings)…”

She’s on beat!
But Cola realizes it’s not her catching up—Byakuya slowed the tempo slightly, weaving her vocals in, then smoothly brought the rhythm back.
What insane stage control—!

Cola’s thought is cut short; the next line’s already coming.
As everyone syncs to the same rhythm, the drums grow clearer.
The pipa’s sound turns fiery, its continuous trailing notes more emotive than a typical guitar.
Cola’s voice opens up, rising—

“Kono oozora ni (In this vast sky), tsubasa o hiroge (Spread my wings), tonde yukitai yo (I want to soar freely)—”

Liuli, previously off during practice, sinks into the music, softly humming:
“Kanashimi no nai jiyuu na sora e (To a free sky without sorrow), tsubasa wa hamekase (With wings riding the wind), yukitai (I want to fly)…”

Byakuya, pleased, turns, her gaze sweeping Liuli and Yuki, then shifts tempo faster, like she’s caught up in the moment.
The keyboard and drums follow without missing a beat; Cola, after a brief panic, keeps up.
Slow, the song’s melancholic; fast, it’s lively, with a nursery-rhyme charm.

The song feels long yet short, ending with Cola feeling a pang of loss.
“Ah… kinda fun.”
She shakes her head, like she’s at a high school reunion, post-beer karaoke vibes.

“Nice, nice! Clap, clap!”
Byakuya leads the applause, nodding enthusiastically.
“Awesome job, everyone! Little Cola, your tone’s great—clear diction, strong delivery, a feminine voice with masculine flair. Little Liuli, your playing’s so emotional, super sensitive to tone! Your sound switches were smooth, one part like vocal harmonies, adding layers to the song. Little Yuki, your drumming’s precise, even strength control, but—put more feeling into it!”

“Eh? M-Me, okay?”
Liuli points to herself, flustered, her forehead steaming from the praise.

“Super good!”

“R-Really…?”

“Totally!!”

“The final piece of the band puzzle…”
Cola murmurs, eyeing Byakuya.
“So… Byakuya, you’re officially joining?”

“Yup! I’m in! Everyone’s so unique, I love it!”

Byakuya spins, hugging Cola—pipa between them, but her softness still comes through…

“Wah? Eh?!”

This girl’s beyond outgoing…!