Disclaimer: "Angel Beats!" is property of Aniplex, P.A. Works, ASCII Media Works, Key, Jun Maeda, etc.

Am I Wrong?

Rehearsals didn't always go smoothly, but it was alright, since they were rehearsals after all. Once in a while, something would happen that didn't have to do with how well the all-girl band played together. Sekine would improvise instead of sticking to the score; a drumstick would slip from Irie's hand; or one of Hisako's guitar strings would snap. Iwasawa led the pace and handled these minor hitches with easy-going stride. However, those aforementioned problems could be somewhat controlled – unlike…

"Hic."

The band was sitting around in the empty classroom where they usually practiced. Yes, just sitting. Their equipment and instruments were there, but left untouched as they regarded their band leader.

"We can't practice properly if we have no vocals." Irie sat behind her drum set, hands empty.

Leaning by a window, Hisako shook her head. "Thwarted by hiccups of all things."

"Hic." Their vocalist was perched on one of the desks pushed to the back of the classroom. "Is there anything else we can try?" They had exhausted the usual known remedies – holding the breath, gulping water, lying down… Nothing was working, and the next Operation Tornado was supposed to happen the following day.

"Maybe we should put off rehearsal until tomorrow?" Irie suggested.

"No – hic. I want to make sure we get this."

Hisako folded her arms. "Then should we ask someone else for help?"

Sekine placed a thoughtful finger against her jaw line. "You know…" Her mouth formed a mischievous smile and her eyes cast around the room. "I've heard that having a looong, passionate kiss with someone can cure hiccups."

A silence hung in the air as Sekine's band mates stared at her.

Hisako lifted a hand to her brow as though she were suffering a headache. "What kind of suggestion is that? As if Iwasawa would –"

"I'll try it."

"– try it!" The lead guitarist whipped her hand away to properly focus on Iwasawa.

"Ehhh?" Irie placed her hands over her warming cheeks. "Iwasawa-senpai's going to…!"

"Stop! Stop!" Hisako frantically waved an arm through the air and turned to the girl sitting by the desks. "Iwasawa, you can't be serious."

"If it'll get rid of – hic – my hiccups, shouldn't I try it?" She said it as though it was the most rational thing to do.

Exasperated, Hisako pressed her fingertips to her brow. This girl really didn't think about much besides music. She tried to reason with her. "Look, you know what a kiss is, right?"

Iwasawa nodded. "Although, I've never kissed before so I – hic – don't know if I'd be good at it."

"No, listen, that's not it." Hisako bent forward as though she were speaking to a child. "A kiss requires two people, and the kind of kiss Sekine is talking about –" Her gaze momentarily shifted. "Well, it has to be with someone you're involved with."

"Involved with…" the vocalist slowly repeated. "You mean like Yuri?"

Irie nearly knocked over her drum set. "Ehhhh? Iwasawa-senpai, you're in that kind of relationship with Yuri-san?"

"I know her name is Yuri, but this is incredible!" Sekine's azure eyes were sparkling. "Or wait, do you just mean Yuri as in yuri?"

Iwasawa tilted her head to one side. "I'm not – hic – sure what you mean, but… She's our leader, so aren't we all – hic – involved with her?"

"Please don't make this sound like a harem anime." Hisako felt as though she really was going to develop a headache at this rate.

Sekine put on a face of mock seriousness. "Iwasawa-senpai, 'involved with' as in going out with. You know, dating? Boyfriend and girlfriend?"

There was some recognition in her eyes. "Ahh… But, I'm not dating anyone."

"We didn't think so." Irie lightly chuckled.

It seemed this remedy wouldn't work out either. Of course, the moment Sekine had proposed it Irie and Hisako were dubious. This was just another one of the bassist's fits of playfulness. It wasn't to be taken seriously…

"Does it really – hic – have to be with someone I'm dating?" Iwasawa wondered out loud.

The other girls turned to stare at her. She still wants to try it! Didn't Iwasawa understand what a 'long passionate kiss' meant? You couldn't – shouldn't – do that with just anyone, and yet that seemed to be exactly what their band leader was thinking. If this was how lightly she regarded such a kiss, then what would she think of touches beyond that? Plus, she was in a band! Images of groupies filled the three girls' minds.

Iwasawa looked around at the strange expressions on their faces. She shrugged, taking it as a cue to continue. "Couldn't you – hic – do it, Hisako?"

The girls didn't think they could have been more astonished by the words coming out of Iwasawa's mouth. Irie and Sekine's stunned gazes swiveled to the lead guitarist, who was clearly the most shocked out of the three of them. Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung open like she had lost the ability to speak.

"E… Ehhhhh?" The sound erupted from Hisako's throat like an awakened volcano.

"You – hic – can't?"

"Stop, stop, stop!" Hisako waved her hands. "Why are you even suggesting this?"

"If it's Hisako it should – hic – be fine."

"Why should it be fine?" This was definitely more awkward than the time Iwasawa had pinned Hisako to the ground, agreeing to be in a band with her.

Sekine had crept over to Irie and was now whispering to the drummer. "Oho, methinks yuri is afoot."

Irie simply gave her a puzzled look and said, "Yuri-san?" Sekine sighed as she shook her head at the girl's naïveté.

"It's okay if – hic – you can't." Iwasawa slid off the desk and started walking toward the closest door to the hallway.

Sekine straightened. "Eh? Where are you going, Iwasawa-senpai?"

"I'm going to ask Yuri. As leader – hic – of the SSS, she should be able to handle this."

Her words echoed. Handle this? What did she mean by that? Was she going to ask Yuri what she should do about her hiccups or – ?

D-Dammit! Hisako clenched her hands into fists. She rushed over to Iwasawa and grabbed her wrist before her hand was even on the door. With her free hand, Hisako whipped open one of the storage lockers in the back of the classroom and shoved Iwasawa inside. She followed her in and slammed the door shut.

The two girls by the chalkboard stared at the cabinet, then slowly turned their anxious gazes to one another. When they heard a soft clang from inside the locker, Irie suddenly picked up her drumsticks and started tapping her instrument while Sekine took a great interest in what was happening outdoors.

After a few minutes the door of the occupied storage locker creaked open. Its occupants stepped out, faces subtly rosy. Iwasawa's expression was her usual nonchalance, while Hisako kept her head slightly bent. Sekine and Irie carefully watched them.

The bassist ventured a query after unnecessarily clearing her throat. "… Well?"

Iwasawa looked at them – and hiccupped. Hisako's face flushed scarlet.

A/N: The part about Iwasawa agreeing to be in a band – I picked it up from what I think is a page of the "Angel Beats! – Heaven's Door" manga. If it turns out it isn't, I'll edit the story.