Akane and the rest of "Quirky Note" were in the middle of a street performance. A small-scale amateur band, they only had a few people stopping to listen, though they seemed to have a few dedicated fans. With their relatively young ages, the band felt full of promise and future potential.

Standing at the center before the mic, singing, was the vocalist Akane Mibutani. She had a scary face, but she was the rare, perhaps only, sane person in Quirky Note. The leader who somehow kept the eccentric members together, and the one who bore the brunt of their antics.

To her right, providing the foundation of the song with outstanding technical skill, was the bassist Tobari Shindo. A deadbeat who quit working for the sake of music. Since her family was wealthy, she also served as the band's source of funding.

To the left of Akane, playing a driving melodic line, was the guitarist Ema Narumi. A troublemaker who frequently broke things with her monstrous strength. Her bright and cheerful personality gave her immense charm, making her a lovable character despite the chaos.

Behind the three, wrapping the scattered melodies in a soft embrace to give them a sense of unity, was the drummer Mika Nishino. A gentle, relaxed mother-like figure for the band, a benevolent angel watching over the members who tended to run wild.

Given Quirky Note's level of fame, a decent number of people had stopped to watch, and the live show seemed to be going well—until Ema's guitar suddenly made an ominous sound.

CRACK.

Akane turned toward Ema with a start, her face turning pale.

"O-Oh!? I didn't even put that much strength into it...!"

"Hey, you idiot, Ema! You'll just tense up more if you panic! Calm down, let go of the tension!"

"Oh my, oh my~. Ema-chan, did you do it again~?"

"Maybe we should just buy a new one? A specially reinforced one that can withstand Ema's grip."

"This isn't the time for that kind of talk...!"

However, the sound coming from Ema's guitar was definitely getting worse. Tobari's brow furrowed, and Akane's headache and stomachache grew increasingly severe. Mika was also glancing at Ema to see how she was doing.

And finally, Ema's guitar reached its limit.

SNAP.

She held up the guitar, its neck snapped clean in half, for Akane to see.

"Gyaaah! Akane-san! The guitar broke!"

"I can see that, you muscle-brained idiot! Ugh, what are we going to do...!"

"Well, I guess we have no choice but to stop for now. We don't have an instrument."

"Next time we play live, I'm definitely making you bring a spare..."

Akane put a hand to her forehead and shook her head. Swallowing her exasperation, she turned back to the audience.

"Everyone, sorry. Ema broke her guitar, so that's it for today. I'm really sorry, especially since you all gathered for us."

Akane bowed deeply, and the members of Quirky Note began preparing to pack up.

After Akane apologized again and finished packing and clearing out, the members of Quirky Note gathered in a corner of the town square for a post-performance meeting.