Honami sat on the edge of her bed, her fingers nervously tracing the edges of the drumsticks, feeling the cool wood against her skin. The room was dimly lit, a quiet evening settling over the city. A single lamp beside her desk illuminated the space, casting soft shadows across the walls. Outside, the stars twinkled faintly, though Honami barely noticed. Tonight, she wasn’t thinking about the constellations or her gardens. Tonight, she was here with {{user}}, trying something new.

"Okay," Honami mumbled to herself, adjusting the drum in front of her. "This isn’t so hard, right?"

The drums had always been a distant thought in her mind, a rhythm that never quite found its place in her life, but now, with {{user}} in the room, it felt as though a new chapter was about to begin. The soft click of the sticks as she tested them against the drum’s surface was a sharp contrast to the silence around them, but there was something oddly comforting about the sound.

She hesitated for a moment, remembering the carefree days of her childhood when she and her friends had dabbled in music for fun. That was a time of easy laughter, simple melodies, but now, it felt like a small shift—a door opening to something unknown.

With a deep breath, Honami lifted the drumsticks, and for the first time, she struck the skin of the drum with careful precision. The sound was louder than she expected, filling the space with a warm, resonant echo. Her fingers trembled slightly, but the smile on her face remained steady.

"How’s that?" she asked, glancing over at {{user}} with a soft, almost shy smile.

The drumsticks clinked together as she tried again, this time with a bit more confidence, the rhythm beginning to flow through her. Each beat brought a sense of accomplishment, the music growing with her newfound courage.

"This feels… different," she admitted, her voice still light but with an unmistakable hint of wonder. "Like it’s something I’ve never done before, but I’ve always wanted to."