"Let's start the interview." Dumdum brushed lightly on his guitar.
(…You're going to do the interview like that?)
"Yep! No time to waste."
The band promised to gather and begin after their final exam. Throughout the month, the members have met several times.
Craycray showed Dumdum her way of enjoying music, and that lightened him. Buddy shared his lyrics with Dumdum, and they discussed them for hours. Pollen had hung out with Dumdum twice, and Dumdum was on the brink of becoming bald from Pollen's head pat.
(Last chapter, I mentioned something called "Assassins." Do you know what it is?)
"They're like...mutants? No, they aren't even humans, right?"
(Yes. They're another kind of homo sapiens.)
"Mhm. This, what seems to be an ordinary world, is not at all ordinary when they exist."
(What do you think of Craycray?)
"The way she talks is scary and unsettling, and her towering height, but her perception of music is exceptional." He was hesitant, though, because he knew that when Craycray joined the band, she would cause many troubles.
(Do you think she'll dislike how amateur you are?)
"Definitely. Well, the only thing I should do is…to prove her wrong! Motivation can infect. That is my goal with this band. I want them to be motivated when seeing how motivated I am."
Dumdum's parents, his teammates, his teachers, and even the school principal didn't approve of his leaving of the basketball team. However, his coach was like an American dad, who wouldn't take responsibility for his decisions, told him to do anything he wanted. At least, American dads would take responsibility for the consequences, unlike black dads.
A guitar was something to practice and play on speakers, not headphones. So, he would rent a room in PowerDragon Mall's instrument shop every day to practice.
"Uaaahggg, I'm back, Dumdu…" Ezra saw Dumdum playing the comparatively muted guitar in the dorm. "He rejected going to the post-exam party to practice?"
It was late at night. The music store closed, but he had more time to practice before his roommates returned.
"Keep going, then." Ezra placed a can of cola on Dumdum's table.
...
"The air conditioner broke?"
"Yes, sorry. All students left, haha. They—"
"It's alright. Lend me a room!"
The soundproof room was somewhat insulated, but the -1 Celsius outdoor temperature still made the indoor unlivable without three layers of clothing.
To compensate, the owner brought Dumdum a paper cup of hot tea, seeing him already pressing the chords with his frozen fingers.
"...Should I give him our non-existent membership card?" The owner laughed.
"Right... Aug chords are when the fifths are augmented."
Dumdum learned all the chord mechanisms. Now, he has increased the tempo to 94, plucking a standard chord progression in eighth notes. Then, 96, 98, 120… He changed to a more advanced chord progression and repeated the same process.
Strumming. Now, add a little syncopation. That song's guitar groove, he'd never heard it before, so he learned.
The exam results were announced, and he was scolded by his parents.
"I'm in the top 50!" Dumdum.
"You've dropped thirteen places! You better stop going to that instrument store and start studying!!" Dumdum dad.
"Remember Auntie Liu? Her son's basketball team just won the—"
"That has nothing to do with me!!"
"What's that attitude!? Give me your guitar!! I'll confisca—"
Dumdum ran to his room and locked the door. They knew nothing. No one knew a thing. Everyone competes, even males and females compete when the world needs both, even old and young when the old were supposed to lead the young, even nations when the world's diversity was supposed to make lives more interesting.
He'd read Buddy's lyrics, and he was inspired even more. His pen strode around the paper. It knew its purpose and destination. Artists strive forward, not compete.
"The world isn't separated by gender, age, or nationality. There're only two kinds of people—artists and non-artists." That was his proudest line.
"Why are you bringing your guitar to the restaurant?" His dad asked.
"Who knows? You might send someone to steal my guitar."
"...Are you stupid? Only talented artists can be successful! Only one out of a million can make a living off of art!!"
"So, I'm not the one, huh? How can one disapprove his own child without giving him a chance!?"
His guitar has never left his side since. Hence, his parents cut his pocket money. He no longer had money to go to the instrument store.
"Larger fret skip!" He played his solo, but he used only the twelve notes in a scale. "This is far from good!!"
Ezra watched, not noticing that his mouth was unintentionally and embarrassingly open. He began playing guitar two years before Dumdum, but it was out of interest, it wasn't out of a dream.
But, Dumdum played his guitar while praying to a god named "Dream."
"I'll pay for today."
"What? No. I dragged you here."
"Don't stop playing."
"Huh?"
"Don't stop playing until we perform on our school's stage, alright?" Ezra requested. "Or I'll leave the band."
"You... That's...unfair."
"There's no need, guys," the instrument store owner suggested. "Would you like to purchase our membership program? Buy three hours, get one free."
"Woah! That's a great deal! When did you establish this program?"
"Today."
"..."
After their exams comes winter break. Ezra's entire family lived in this city, but Dumdum left for his hometown for the Chinese New Year. However, he returned after just one night since he was appointed.
Appointed for the day...
"Ready?" Palakala asked. "Craycray, did you practice?"
"I have no bass at home." I shrugged.
"You said you would come here!!"
"I prefer drinking to practice."
"Ahhhh! Craycrayyyyy!!!"
"She's talented, don't worry." My dad.
"Craycray, you shouldn't drink so much." Ezra.
"You... You're right!" Me.
"Will the girl be alright alone at the store?" Pollen asked.
"Don't worry. I hired someone more capable than myself. She can do all our work at once. She remembers things better than I." My dad.
"That's more of a…bad thing about yourselves than a compliment to her."
"Your memory is terrible, Buddy."
"Let's go, guys!" Dumdum exclaimed.
Like that, our first practice began!
...
"Dumdum... It has only been a month." Palakala told me Dumdum was trash and useless with guitars.
(He did not use such language.)
"I have never seen…someone improve so fast." Even my dad, the ex-semiprofessional, was surprised.
"Haha. I probably practiced for more than a hundred hours the past month." Dumdum had one more purpose, though. He squinted at my woman, Pollen!
"You said I could play guitar smoothly after three months, but look where you are now after one month~" Pollen patted Dumdum!? That whore!!
"Craycray, what do you think?" Dumdum asked, and I shrugged. I didn't know why he and the others looked disappointed.
Aya aya, isn't it normal that someone's effort will fulfill their desires? I wasn't surprised, that was all, because I'd never doubted Dumdum.
"Then, Pollen, since Craycray joined, will you join the band?" My dad questioned.
"Yes! We need one more school member to join, or our band cannot perform." Dumdum really was a dog waiting for its treat.
Heh heh, he was too cute. If the author didn't stop me from having sex with a minor, I would have strapped a dildo around my crotch and humped him already.
I dared say that he was the most normal person here, except for me, of course. To really pray to a god named "Desire," I would assist him by any means.
"Sorry, I don't think—"
"Pollen, I'd never seen you play. Can you show me?" I asked.
"...Okay."
Dumdum lent his guitar to Pollen. My dad played a beat, who said he could help the band perform, but not as the drummer for Palakala's originals.
Pollen switched chord progression smoothly at a good speed without constantly switching her sight from her right hand to her left. However, that was all. She couldn't do barre chords comfortably. She was weak at pull-offs. She couldn't improvise a solo like Dumdum. Dang, I wish she had flexible and strong fingers for me.
But, to play guitar less than fifteen times in four months?
"Why did you play guitar initially?" I asked.
"I was interested in it."
"What happened?"
"Because...my mother...found out."
"So?"
"I don't want to say it."
"You're a hypocrite yourself, aren't you?"
Everyone turned to me. I loved the attention.
"Why... Why would you…" Other than stuttering, Pollen was also trembling. We both hated hypocrites, and I just called her one.
"Don't be mad at me, baby~" I walked behind her. She turned, but I flipped her back. Embracing her from behind, I fondled her hands.
Ezra and Dumdum saw Pollen blushing. Palakala turned to my dad and pointed at us, and my dad returned a thumb-up.
"All genres carry emotions. Amateurs think rock sounds angry, and there's a reason for that. Therefore, play your emotions out." I moved her hands to the guitar strings. Then, I bit her ear and whispered. "Screw your mom, you know? You have me on your side."
"O... Okay." She trembled harder now. Heh heh, no matter what her reason was, I knew it was because of her mother.
"Join the band, will you? I'll give you lots of love~"
Ah, Dumdum was here. Welp, stealing his potential girlfriend would be fun
"Okay... I will join."
"Yeah!!" Dumdum cheered. That motherfucker cared about the band's completion more than her joining solely for me? No wonder he didn't have a girlfriend.
"Psk, Craycray, is she a lesbian?" Palakala mumbled.
"I don't know." I would make her one, but just temporarily, because I loved Ezra, and that would never change. Ah, I was emotional about how infatuated I was with Ezra.
"So, now we have three guitarists, a bassist, a drummer, and a pia…keyboardist. Ezra will be our singer, too," Dumdum announced, like a leader? Hmmm…
"Pollen can sing, too." I received a frown from Pollen, but I gifted her a wink that made her flush again.
Ezra was our singer and backup guitarist. Pollen chose to be the secondary and gave Dumdum the lead guitarist role. As a lead guitarist, Dumdum had a long way to go. Aya aya, we called ourselves a rock band, but our guitarists were the weakest.
Our other instrumentalists weren't, though. My dad still got his touch. He learned to drum when he was nine out of interest. Those fourteen years of experience were invited to 119. Four years later, he went to jail while I was seven, and my sister was four. He would turn 41 this year. Those prison days didn't deaden his hands.
Palakala caught on to music very late. Despite his hundreds of piano lessons before he turned into a high schooler, he never stopped thinking classical music was dull. But, just two years later, a Chinese ROCK band that incorporated TRUMPETS as the MAIN instruments changed his life. In his college days studying musical theory, he discovered an interest in jazz, funk, and even classical music that he used to hate. He also learned guitar.
My dad had the most experience, Palakala was the most technical, I was the most cray-cray, and one more would successfully bring this school band into recognition, and that was Dumdum. Dumdum was the most hardworking.
Assholes, pathetic stupid shits pathetic ugly brainless pathetic men women old young white black yellow brown degenerates, y'all understand nothing. The singers and DJs who know no music theory and make their albums in 1.-934709 months create catchy songs, and everyone began sucking their dicks. After one person stands out and points out that their music actually sucks, everyone goes like "yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I knew that from the start."
I'm just throwing a brick into a pit of dogs. Y'all don't have to bark unless you're hit.
"These three easy tracks, we'll play them to see how in sync we are," Palakala commanded like our leader, too? Hmmm…
"Should I sing?" Ezra questioned.
"Yes, let's do everything for our first try," both Palakala and Dumdum said before they looked at each other. "Buddy, can you give us the tempo?"
"Alright! One, two..."
The song didn't require a keyboard, so Palakala strapped Ezra's guitar around him. Now, all eyes were on Dumdum. Our lead guitarist began that iconic guitar intro.
Aw, not bad, not bad. My dad could perfect this easy beat. Pollen and Palakala joined steadily, but Pollen's expression was as if gore was removed from a Final Destination movie. Ezra was perfect, just perfect.
The bass wasn't easy. Well, guess I should just pluck the strings.
"The heck? She said she didn't practice."
Aya, I played something good. I was talented, like I was in my first sex experience.
"Oh Sweet Child O' Mine~"
...
Nope, Pollen messed up the rhythm later. Again, she couldn't do barre chords. Dumdum was trying to recreate the song's original solo, which failed. We told him to freestyle in the second song, which was melodic, but there were no slides, bends, and he played in one scale. Ezra was still perfe—
(TELL THE TRUTH BITCH!!)
...Ezra's manly baritone wasn't suitable for Axl Rose's voice, but only because Ezra was too manly. His voice and techniques were great, but his pitch range was limited, but only because he was too hot~
"I get all this, but Palakala…?"
"I'm not great with guitars, alright?" Palakala was useless.
"That would be a problem. Most rock songs require three guitars. Either Ezra learn to sing and play, or you master guitar, too," my dad said. "Or Craycray?"
"No one wants to see a tall-ass black-haired ghost play upfront."
"Craycray..." Ezra.
"Sorry!"
"Here, you remember the entire fretboard, ey?" Palakala passed me the guitar.
And so I played.
...
"Problem solved."
Everyone collapsed on the room's one tiny sofa, except for my dad, who gave me a high-five.
"Efforts don't mean crap against talent." Palakala gave up his music dream.
"Why do you need me? Just let Craycray play." Pollen wished she'd never shown up today.
"We need school players." EZRA WISHED HE NEVER LIKED WHOEVER THAT GIRL WAS AND LIKED ME INSTEAD!!!!
(He never wished for this bullshit.)
"No, guys, we can't take shortcuts." Dumdum stood and grabbed his guitar. "Palakala, can you practice more?"
"Uhh, sure, but why? I can play bass, too."
"Because people give up because of talents or blame talents!" Dumdum teleported into my arms as I nuzzled this cute little boy.
"That's right, I won't play guitar for you, noobs." I touched Dumdum in the most nonsexual way because Ezra was here.
"True. You need to be versatile and switch roles whenever," my dad.
"Why are you saying that like we'll be a permanent band?" Palakala.
"Maybe you will. Still, versatility can create many possibilities. Oi, you slack off at work, so use some time learning guitars!"
"You slack off harder than even Craycray!!"
"I'm the owner!!!"
"Oh, I didn't even consider versatility…" Dumdum pondered.
...
"....PFFFTTT HAHAHAHAHAHAç@à/)=ç%!+!!!"
"Oh dear, what happened to Craycray again?" Ezra.
"Uh, I can endure every side of hers but not whatever comes after this kind of laugh of hers." Pollen.
"She won't go overboard, because I threatened her with her little sister. Still, don't act too crazy in front of these students." My dad.
"So, you only wanted Palakala to play guitar because you dislike my talent?" Me.
"No! That's not what I mean!!" Dumdum.
"Crap, don't say anything weird, Craycray." Palakala.
"We don't have a band leader and name, ey?" I asked.
"Nope."
"Dumdum, be our leader, and think of a name for us."
...
"Me?"
"I agree!" Ezra was perfect. Of course, he would agree.
"Hold up, just saying this realistically, isn't the composer or the singer the leader normally?" My dad ain't perfect.
"Me..." Dumdum pondered so dumdumly.
"Well, it's your school band, so I have no problem with it," Palakala said.
"So, if it's not a school band, do you want to be the leader?"
"Of course, if I decide what songs we play. And, since I'm doing indie, we'll be our own manager, and I'm willing to take that bothersome role. I know that's the most looked-at role, too, but I'm not doing it for that attention."
"That's right, Dumdum. This is just a school band, but you still must decide what we do, what tracks we perform, how we practice, and schedule everything." I disliked how Dumdum always ponders, especially at this moment, since being the leader is the first step in pursuing your own desires is common sense.
If this isn't normal…
…Then fuck all of you lazy shits who say "dreams" are unrealistic and never move your sloppy flaccid flesh and do something with your worm-filled brains.
"I... I'll take it!" And Dumdum didn't ponder a second. "I want to participate and know everything that we're doing!!"
"Shut your ass, Palakala." I pointed.
"I didn't oppose...?"
"Yeah! Dumdum!!"
Dumdum pondered after everything, didn't react when I rushed and hugged him, and when Pollen rubbed his head. However, when Ezra raised his palm, Dumdum gave him a high-five.
"There we go~ Who would have thought us two humble students could recruit such experienced and skillful members." Ezra smiled.
Awww, I would have killed every band member so I could be the only one to vote Ezra as the leader, but sorry, Dumdum earned it.
"Yes, not just performing, we can win the school competition!" Dumdum hailed to his desire.
"And go to the Shanghai tournament!" Ezra, what was his own desire?
"And win it!"
"Shanghai tournament?" Palakala questioned.
"Yeah, the tournament against bands from the school's partner schools. Well, our school is the partner school of the main school in Shanghai."
"Right, you told me before, I think."
"It's a tournament every two years. One audition will be held at the end of this year, and the tournament will be next year in April."
"Next year... I don't think I'll play in this band for that long," my dad said. Honestly, he did look like that dude who refuses to drink in a club. "I don't really fit here, you see. And isn't it great for you to find someone you can easily communicate with in your school?"
"Uh, true..."
"..." Ezra frowned at my dad!? Not even Ezra should frown at my dad… But I let it pass because he was too perfect.
"I'm fine with staying till the tournament," Palakala said.
"You'll leave when you find a better band, no?" I knew we were tools to Palakala.
"Well, uh, yeah, or if I get signed by an indie label."
"These are all problems in the distant future. For now, we have one question. What should we name our band?"
...
"I have one request, and I know it's selfish to say when I can't guarantee that I'll stay in this band." My dad raised his hand. "I…want to incorporate my former band, so something related to 119."
...A music room shouldn't be so silent. Well, I knew why he looked concerned at me. Don't worry, dad. I know what happened to mom and 119 isn't your fault.
"Firefighter Desire!"
"What?" I wasn't the one who said that.
"Firefighter Desires!"
"Why...desire?"
"The word 'desire' kind of gives a bad connotation."
"Says who?" It was Dumdum. "Because we hear, 'my DREAM is to become a firefighter,' or something like that. Becoming a firefighter is a dream, but what do firefighters desire? I don't think desire is a bad word at all."
Oh man, I just...
"Desire is a strong will to do something. If desire gives a bad connotation, then the word 'wish' gives a fantasy and unrealistic connotation like 'hope.' I think the only word that's slightly lower than 'dream' but shares the same meaning…"
...Discovered the...
"...Is DESIRE!"
...The brightest rock star.
"Was that why your band was called 119? Because I've read your lyrics before, and…"
"The lyrics were our desire to rescue." And of course, my dad had the same thought as I. "That was our desire, but we fumbled that."
"Dad, maybe this band will achieve your desire."
"Well, it's just Craycray has messed up my impression of the word desire, but I have no problem with such a name."
"Fuck you, Palakala."
"If Craycray agrees, I'll agree."
"Heh heh, Pollen, I have more plans with you~"
"I suck at naming, so let's use this!"
"I love Ezra so much omg ahhh."
"Now that everything's settled…"
"Aw, and of course, our brightest star…"
"Firefighter Desires! Established on February 5th!!"
I'm not alone anymore. Our band will rape the world with me.
(Can't you just appreciate the joyful moment normally...?)
"I've hung out with Craycray a lot recently, and I must congratulate you…" Ezra and Dumdum stayed in the practice room. "…That she is the one who anticipates you the most."
"Yes, I was too excited today that I forgot to thank her." Dumdum never considered or knew that he wanted to be the leader.
"Remember when you said you wanted to learn guitar with me? We never aimed to be a band."
"Haha. You weren't enthusiastic back then."
Ezra composed his own songs for new experiences, but after meeting me, he trashed all his sheets.
"And now, you want to compose for real, right?" Dumdum grinned.
"Exactly! Well, I gotta chase up to Buddy. Are you staying?"
"Yep. I'll practice more."
"Let's go to my house, Pollen~ Winter vacation, ey?" I invited.
"I... I would love to, but…"
"Heh heh, yes?"
"My mother has been rigorous recently."
"That's exactly why I invited you." Anyone could easily guess her messed-up family's trouble. "You don't live with her anyway, so why not just run away? Whatever happened before, you got me this time."
...
"The funnest adventure starts without preparation~" I knew Pollen wasn't just curious about me. I knew what Pollen feels about me, heh heh~
"…Okay." And her blush confirmed it.
"Buddy!" Ezra chased up.
"What is it?" My dad would take another bus, so he had time to wander around.
"Hey um, can I speak with you…um…anytime before our next practice?"
"Oh. Well, I'm free right now."
"Um, next time, though.
"Hmm... He wants to convince me to be the band's long-term member, huh?" My dad was agreeable, but he was tenacious, too. "Sure! Just tell me the date in advance."
"Okay."
"Still, I'll disappoint no matter how you convince—"
"I want to select some new instruments, and you're the most experienced here. Please assist me."
...
"What?"
Dumdum, our leader, with the metronome tapping, he plucked the strings. With his eyes closed, he could never imagine this band's future, and their fateful showdown with the school's infamous jazz band.
No matter what, his fingers kept moving, and I had no doubt…that he would pluck out the future he desired.