A "serious" meeting

It was now noon, and we were gathered in the lobby with Poppin' Party.

"Now then, everyone... You all understand why I called this meeting, right?"

I maintained a serious expression as I addressed them.

Kasumi raised her hand enthusiastically. "Yeah! We're here for Poppin'Party's new summer vacation song!"

I nodded. "That's right, Kasumi. But we're also here because we haven't come up with any ideas so far."

Saaya chimed in, "It's true. This is the first time we've struggled like this to create a new song."

"Okay then," I said, looking at Kasumi. "Kasumi, tell me, what's the theme of your summer vacation song? What kind of feelings do you want to convey?"

Kasumi looked thoughtful for a moment. "Um... Well, we want it to be fun and exciting, like our previous songs. But also, we want it to capture the feeling of youth and adventure, you know, like making the most of our summer break."

"That's a great start," I replied. "Now, Saaya, what kind of melody or tune do you think would fit this theme?"

Saaya thought for a moment. "I think something upbeat with a catchy hook would work well."

"Good," I said, nodding. "Now, Rimi, what about the lyrics? What message do you want to convey through the song?"

Rimi hesitated for a moment. "Um... maybe something about cherishing the moments we have and not letting summer slip away too quickly?"

"That's a beautiful sentiment," I said with a smile. "Now, Tae, what kind of guitar riffs or chords do you think would match this theme?"

"I'm thinking some energetic power chords and maybe a killer guitar solo for that extra punch!"

"Excellent. Now, Arisa, what about the rhythm? How should the drums drive this song?"

Arisa looked thoughtful. "I think a driving beat with some intricate fills during the chorus would give it that youthful energy."

I turned to Kasumi. "So, we have the theme, melody, lyrics, guitar, and rhythm ideas. Now, all we need to do is put them together and see how it sounds."

Kasumi's eyes sparkled with excitement. "That sounds awesome! Let's do it!"

And with that, we began the process of creating Poppin'Party's new summer vacation song. Or so I thought... Why are we still not creating a single thing!?

I could sense the frustration building among the Poppin'Party members as we sat there, ideas swirling around but nothing solid taking shape.

Kasumi sighed, her energetic spirit dampened. "Nakasone-kun, we have all these ideas, but..."

"It's like we're stuck in a place or blocked."

I understood their frustration. Sometimes, even with the best of intentions, creativity just refuses to flow.

  I leaned back in my chair, deep in thought.

Just as Afterglow entered the lobby, Moca timidly greeted us, "Oh?~ Poppipa and Kyo-chan~ Hello~" She waved her arm. 

Kyo-chan? That "chan" again...

Saaya responded with a somewhat downcast expression, "Hello..."

Tsugumi, picking up on the atmosphere, inquired, "Eh? W-What's with the vibe here? What's wrong, everyone?"

I let out a sigh as I explained, "Well... They can't seem to come up with a song for the summer vacation."

"Summer Vacation, huh..." Tomoe mused, nodding in comprehension. "I see... Have you guys tried experiencing summer vacation?"

Kasumi chimed in, "Practicing Guitar~"

"Watering Plants."

  "Helping the shop and tackling summer homework."

"Lazing around..."

"U-Umm... Summer homework?"

Tomoe couldn't help but look surprised, her eyes widening as she responded, "W-What's with the answers... It feels like a daily chore or something."

Himari then inquired, "Have you guys discussed how to create one while actually experiencing it?"

Ran pitched in, "Like going to the beach or embracing the scorching summer heat."

Suddenly, an idea struck me, and I walked over to Ran, gently patting her shoulder, "That's it!!"

"W-Woah... Too close."

I turned my attention back to the Poppin' Party and suggested, "Everyone! How about heading to the beach?!"

Tae nodded in agreement, "Hmmm~ Not a bad idea."

"Well, then I'll be bidding you guys good luck," I mentioned, feeling unsure about joining them.

"Eh? You're not coming?" Kasumi asked, looking disappointed.

I hesitated, then asked, "Wait, should I?"

Kasumi quickly grabbed both of my arms again and stared at me with pleading eyes. "You should!"

Urgk... Those eyes are hard to resist!

Saaya chimed in, "So, Nakasone-san..."

"Yes, Ichigaya-san?"

"I think you should come. I have a feeling that Kasumi would just forget our objective and have fun."

Kasumi pouted and turned to Arisa, "Eh?! Meaniee!~"

Arisa defended herself, saying, "But it's true!"

"Is it really okay for me to come?" I asked, still uncertain.

Kasumi replied with enthusiasm, "Yeah, Yeah! You said you're gonna help us, right!?"

"I did say that, but..."

"Then that settles it! We'll leave tomorrow!"

"Yeah!~" The Poppin'Party cheered in unison.

"Hey Hey Hoh!~" Himari added, but her enthusiasm didn't quite match the others, leading to some awkward silence.

All of us stared at her, making her a bit flustered. 

"E-Eh?! Why!?"

With that, we all left and  headed back home, starting to prepare everything for tomorrow's beach trip.

Just then, my Onee-chan peeked in to see what I was doing.

"Where are you going?" she inquired.

"Hm? Ahhh... Just hanging out with friends," I replied.

"That's unusual."

"Are you here to make fun of me?"

"Of course not~ I came here to check on my little brother~" she smiled.

"Yeah, Yeah~ Shoo," I playfully dismissed her.

I closed the door to my room and sighed as I finished packing.

Tomorrow...