Mischievous Function

Guess Who We Got on a Video Call?

Back at the hotel, in the lobby...

"WE'RE HERE!" Microphone called out as she, Test Tube, Lightbulb, and Suitcase squeezed through the elevator doors as soon as they began to open. "We're here, guys! We're here!"

They rushed over to one of the lobby couches, where most of the I. High students were either sitting or standing near Balloon. Balloon himself was sitting in the center of the couch and had a tablet extended out in front of him so everyone around him could see. "Is he still there?!" Suitcase frantically asked as the four of them panted and bent over, hands on their knees.

"Oh, you made it just in time!" Balloon said. He raised the tablet over his head, and Bomb and Tissues moved out of the way to give the four girls a view of the screen. "We were about to say bye, but here he is!"

They stood up straight, headed over to the tablet, and waved at the camera with wide grins. "Hi, Box!" they all said in a cheerful tone.

Test Tube stepped forward and gave Box another apologetic wave. "Sorry we weren't here for most of the video call, buddy," she said. "Are you doing okay? You look great!"

"We told Box about your whole singing thing," one of the Cherries said while the other one nodded and pointed at the tablet.

"Y-y-yeah," Bomb nodded excitedly. "H-he's going t-t-t-to t-try to catch th-th-the live-s-s-st-st-str-str-stream on F-Friday."

Microphone pressed her hands to her chest and leaned forward slightly. "Aww! Thank you, Box!"

Balloon lowered the tablet back down to his chest before extending his arms out to try to get all of his classmates in frame. They all scooted or moved close to him and smiled at the camera. "Bye, Box!" they all said as they waved for a few seconds. Finally, Balloon ended the video call and put away his tablet.

"Man, I love that guy," Trophy chuckled as he walked off.

The students who could hear him nodded in agreement as everyone dispersed and went off to mind their own businesses. Soon, only Suitcase, Test Tube, and Balloon remained on the couch. Test Tube had sat on one side of the couch, studying the chessboard on the glass lobby table in front of her intently, while Suitcase and Balloon had taken the other side to rest and relax.

"So, how was idol training today?" Balloon asked, sitting up slightly and turning to face her. "You know, I never thought you would be into all that J-pop stuff. You seem like the more...chaotic type when it comes to that stuff. Like a rapper or something."

Suitcase rolled her eyes and gave him a playful smile. "How dare you. You're just saying that because of my father."

"Yeah, I am," he admitted with a chuckle. "Seriously, though. I thought you'd be more into pop or something."

"Well, I'm open to pretty much everything," she replied. "Except for, wouldn't you know it, rap and pop. I know my parents got filthy rich off them, but they've never really had the time to show me what they like about those genres because...well, you know what they do for a living. From port to starboard, events appear everywhere. And I just...can't bring myself to connect with those types of songs anyway. Alt-rock, pop-rock, orchestral—Hell, even country has some kind of meaning behind it. Conventional pop just feels too...commercialized to me. It's like they take the most talked-about emotions of the soul and wring them dry before throwing them into a calculated formula. Music is an art, not a science! And as for rap...well, frankly, I just can't ever understand anything they're saying. Though I suppose that might be a problem with me instead..."

"From what I hear," Balloon remarked, "I think some of the good rappers out there pour their souls into their songs just as much as some of the alt-rock artists do. I wouldn't judge them too harshly."