AMBiTiON/Story/Ch. 3

## Chapter 3 - Size of a Chihuahua

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Thankful to see someone else in the back of the room, Chihiro started approaching the short girl.

She seemed to be around the age of a middle-school first-year, at least two years younger than Chihiro, her height not helped by the way she leaned against the wall. The small girl had short, curly, dull-violet hair, and a long jacket that stretched down to her knees, only making her look even smaller. She watched ECL:PSE's performance with an emotionless face.

Suddenly, the short girl turned to look at Chihiro, her gaze serious. Chihiro watched as she mouthed something, but Chihiro couldn't tell what the girl said over the loud music. "I-I can't hear you!" Shouted Chihiro.

The girl mouthed something again, her voice still unheard. "I still can't hear you!" Chihiro repeated.

"I said, what do you want?!" The young girl was on the verge of yelling, finally heard. She was visibly irritated.

"Sorry." Chihiro stood closer to the girl as to be more easily heard. "I'm not used to how loud the music is, so I'm standing back here."

She didn't respond, only glancing back at the performance. "So you're new here." She noted. "What did you expect when you came here? ECL:PSE does this genre." The girl was barely audible, but fortunately Chihiro was still able to hear her.

"Genre...?" Chihiro murmured before thinking to herself, 'Sure is a lot to consider when it comes to bands. Such a bother.'

The two silently listened to the rowdy music, neither caring to strain their voices just to speak to a stranger. "And I wander on alone in the Isolation Labyrinth…" Chihiro listened to the song's lyrics. She wondered what genre of music her band would play - that was a matter to discuss with Aki, though apparently neither of them knew much. To Chihiro's knowledge of Aki, that girl could have learned everything they needed to know in a day.

ECL:PSE's song finally ended as the crowd clapped. "Thank you!" The blonde vocalist returned to her sweet voice as if she wasn't screaming just some moments ago. "That was our song, ISOLATION LABYRINTH."

The young girl beside Chihiro used the chance to speak. "Who are you, anyways?" She asked bluntly, turning to look at Chihiro with her turquoise gaze.

Chihiro wanted to scoff at the girl's directness - she was at least two years older than this unsupervised kid! The girl may as well have been born yesterday. But Chihiro responded normally, "My name's Chihiro Satou. You?"

"Izumi Takimoto." The short girl simply said. "So, why are you here?"

That sounded like a rather stupid question. To watch the performance, what else? "I've been trying to form a band with someone else, so I came to watch. What about you?"

Takimoto-san pointed to the girl at the drums, "To watch my younger sister, Kiyomi. She hates me coming, but I have nothing better to do."

"Wait, younger?" Chihiro echoed. Although the drummer looked the smallest out of everyone in ECL:PSE, Chihiro was sure she still seemed older than Takimoto-san.

"Yeah. I'm a high-school second-year, can't you tell?" Takimoto-san stared Chihiro in the eyes. Chihiro thought she saw a glint of humour in the unexpectedly mature girl's gaze, the first sign of positive emotion Chihiro witnessed from her.

"Y-You're a year older than me…?" The brown-haired girl stammered in astonishment. Takimoto-senpai seemed to enjoy watching her shock.

"Oh, you're a first-year." She plainly said, a slight hint of smugness on her face. "What school?"

Now unwilling to act condescending, Chihiro replied shyly, "Um… Hanasakigawa."

"... I'm from Haneoka. So is everyone up there," Takimoto-senpai pointed by looking at ECL:PSE, "but they're all middle-school third-years. Including Kiyomi." At least Chihiro guessed correctly with ECL:PSE's ages.

Their interaction was cut off by the singer. "Alright, next up…" Chihiro mentally prepared herself for another bout of ear-bleedingly loud music.

ECL:PSE's part of the performance finally ended as the four middle-school girls left the stage. Chihiro noticed Takimoto-senpai was heading for the door.

"You won't stay for the other two bands?" Chihiro asked. The short girl shook her head, "I have to leave before my sister sees I'm here."

"... I'll leave too. I don't think I can handle this for now..." Chihiro noted in a humorous tone. Takimoto-senpai didn't react.

They exited the live house, Chihiro going in the direction of her home. Takimoto-senpai beside her. The two walked next to each other quietly, the only thing to be heard were the birds' chirping and the occasional car speeding by. They walked together for a while.

And a while longer.

And a while longer.

"Are you following me?" Takimoto-senpai broke the silence with a sudden direct question, surprising Chihiro.

"W-W-What?!" She stopped in her tracks, stuttering at the accusation, "No! I'm just going home!"

The short girl glared up at Chihiro with suspicious eyes, "Hm. Just making an observation." They continued walking.

Chihiro shifted her gaze towards the street, where Takimoto-senpai wasn't in sight. She wanted to break the awkwardness, but no conversation topics came to mind.

'First,' She figured, 'maybe if I acted friendlier like Aki-yan, this little dwarf might actually get talking!' But what did she want from Takimoto-senpai? To join her band? Chihiro didn't even know if that girl could play any instruments! It would be difficult to use her if she couldn't even play anything.

"Hey, Takimoto-senpai?" Chihiro initiated. "Since your sister is in ECL:PSE, you wouldn't happen to be in a band too? Or at least, play an instrument like her."

The short girl turned to look at Chihiro. "She's let me on the drums once or twice, but I don't have proper lessons or anything, so no."

"Hm~." Chihiro responded, making sure to sound more cheerful and approachable, "Hey, aren't you interested in playing the drums, though?"

"... No." Takimoto-senpai replied after a moment of hesitation. Chihiro wondered if she was lying. She decided to press further.

"Oh, come on~. Didn't you say you have nothing better to do?"

"Nope, nothing."

"No offense, but isn't that kinda boring? You'd be better off with a hobby, right?"

Takimoto-senpai halted to glare up at Chihiro once again, "You're getting annoying. Stop."

"... Sorry."

Their exchange returned to complete silence as they walked side by side, the awkwardness growing louder, evident to the both of them. Chihiro intentionally drooped her head and slowed her pace ever so slightly, staring at her shoes, hoping Takimoto-senpai would take the bait and finally say something.

"Fine, I do want to learn the drums," admitted Takimoto-senpai.

Chihiro stopped walking and turned to face the short girl, triumphant that she took the bait. "Then…!"

It had been in the back of her mind to ask Takimoto-senpai to join her new band, as impulsive an idea that was. Not only did the girl not go to the same school as Chihiro, which complicated matters, Takimoto-senpai would have to learn to play the drums instead of having previous knowledge like Aki with keyboard, definitely proving her less useful than Aki. It would be harder to take advantage of the girl... But Chihiro was going to need as much help as she could get. And with the success of asking Aki to form the band, as well as Takimoto-senpai admitting her wish to play the drums, surely she would agree to join…?

"Takimoto-senpai! Will you join my new band?"

"Nah."

Chihiro thought she could hear her excitement shatter like glass.

"Listen, I hardly know you, and you've been nothing but a pain in the side this whole time," Takimoto-senpai muttered.

"Then, can I at least be your friend or something?"

The small girl's eyes lit up for a second before reverting back to the same, serious gaze. "What, so you can bother me more? No."

"Well, alright then. Nevermind," Chihiro replied, sarcastically stressing the last word. She continued to walk forward again when Takimoto-senpai turned right.

"Oh, you're going straight? Good." And without another word, the peculiar Takimoto-senpai turned around the corner and disappeared.

"Tch." Chihiro felt indignant at the baby-faced second-year, thinking she was the boss of that situation. 'Just for that,' thought Chihiro spitefully, 'I'll prove that girl wrong! I'll make her regret not joining me now! I'll make her change her mind!' She raised her head proudly at the cloudy skies.

Already Chihiro was only a couple of steps away from the apartment she lived in. She wondered how close Takimoto-senpai lived. 'Hopefully enough for me to get a chance to nag that girl again.'

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