BanG Dream: The Unexpected Part-Timer

The Dark Princess

The sun was shining brightly over the town as I made my way to CirCLE Livehouse.

I hadn't been aware of it until I checked my phone that morning. It was a welcome surprise, giving me a break from the usual school routine.

Arriving at CirCLE, I was greeted by Marina's usual warm smile. "Good morning, Nakasone-kun. You're here early today."

I nodded, "Good morning, Marina-san."

I noticed that it was still relatively quiet. The members of Roselia hadn't arrived yet.

"An MV, huh? So, they were arguing in the chat about making a new song."

For some reason, I felt a sense of deja vu.

I patiently waited for a few hours, sitting in the lounge on the comfortable sofa with my laptop on my lap.

"They're taking so long..." I muttered to myself, feeling a bit drowsy. However, just as I was about to drift off to sleep, the lounge door swung open, and a familiar figure burst in.

"Oh! There you are! Nakasone-senpai!"

I snapped awake at the sound of my name. "Udagawa-san."

"I knew you'd be here!"

"Y-Yeah, I was waiting for you guys."

"Oh? I-I thought I was late, so I rushed here." Ako tapped her chin, looking slightly puzzled. "Weird..."

"They'll be here soon, so just be patient."

Although I had already been waiting for a few hours.

"By the way, Nakasone-senpai, what are you doing?" Ako leaned over to take a peek at my laptop.

"Oh? I was just checking something."

"Oh... Wait a minute, senpai..." Ako inspected my laptop screen more closely. "You play Neo Fantasy Online too!?"

"Y-Yeah... Why?"

I'm actually one of the composers of the BGM for that game... (Also MonHun)

"That's incredible! Rin-rin and I play Neo Fantasy Online too!" Ako exclaimed with enthusiasm.

"Yeah, we're in the same guild! Actually, do you want to join our guild?!"

"S-Sure..."

"Maybe we could all play together sometime!"

"Alright."

Ako's eyes sparkled with excitement, and her expression shifted into full-on chuunibyou mode. She dramatically pointed a finger toward the ceiling and declared, "Fear not, Nakasone-senpai, for together, Our party will become legendary!"

I feel like I've heard that line before.

I chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Sounds like a plan, Ako."

She then snapped back to her normal self, giggling. "Great! I'll let Rin-rin know!"

And then silenced...

but Ako finally broke the quietude. "So, senpai, do you have any ideas for our music video?"

I nodded, "I've been thinking about it, and I have a few concepts in mind. But I'd like to hear your thoughts and ideas as well."

Another silenced... but yet again Ako broke it.

Does she hate silence?

Ako's eyes suddenly sparkled as she leaned closer, her voice taking on a dramatic tone. "Nakasone-senpai, do you know, in Neo Fantasy Online, there's a secret quest only accessible to the chosen ones? Legend has it that it grants you ultimate power and a legendary weapon! They say it's guarded by a fearsome dragon that can control time and space!"

Eh?

I blinked at Ako's sudden enthusiasm, trying to match her level of excitement. "A secret quest, huh? T-That sounds... intense."

Ako nodded fervently. "Indeed! It's said that only the bravest and most skilled players can even hope to discover it."

"Well, when you put it that way, it sounds like an adventure worth embarking on."

She grinned, her chuunibyo persona fully engaged. "Then it's settled, Nakasone-senpai! Once we finish this MV, we shall become the legendary duo of Neo Fantasy Online!"

"Legendary duo, huh? What about Rinko?"

"We will invite her too! We need her after all!"

As Ako and I were immersed in our conversation about Neo Fantasy Online, the lounge door swung open, and in walked Rinko.

"Oh? Ako-chan, Nakasone-san? You're very early," Rinko remarked with a shy smile.

"Ohh! Rin-rin! You're late!"

Rinko's expression shifted to one of mild confusion. "L-Late? I-I thought I-Im right on time?"

A sudden realization struck me as I glanced at our group chat. Yukina's announcement was right there, clear as day.

"We will gather at the CirCLE at 1:00 PM," it read, accompanied by a sticker of Michelle.

I couldn't help but sigh as I relayed the information to Ako and Rinko. "Seems like we're the early ones, Ako. The meeting time is at 1:00 PM."

Ako blinked, her chuunibyo persona momentarily faltering. "Oh... I see. My bad!"

Rinko chuckled softly. "It's alright, Ako-chan. We're just excited to get started, that's all."

With the meeting time clarified, we settled in to wait for the rest of Roselia to arrive, eventually after a few minutes... They finally arrived without making contact with each other.

It's quite serene, practicing a new song while everyone's not talking. It's amazing how they can still coordinate with just music.

As expected of them who played at FUTURE WORLD FES.