HI GUYS IT’S TAKI-SENSEI! I MADE IT THROUGH 14 MONTHS OF ARMY TRAINING! :DDD (will delete photos later)
If you are still following me despite my long absence, I can’t tell you how happy and thankful I am. I’m so happy to interact with you guys again and get back into the Hibike fandom!
Here’s what happened in the time I was gone. In January 2019 I made that fateful post saying goodbye to all my followers and taking off for what was supposed to be 2 months of Basic Combat Training (BCT).
One week before graduation, I fell from an obstacle course and broke my leg. I went under surgery and had a 12″ metal pole inserted in my leg. After a month of convalescent leave at home, I was then sent back on-post and withheld from graduation for 2 months, during which I refused a medical chapter out of the Army. My Commander said he was impressed with me for doing that, so he held a make-up graduation ceremony for me where he and my drill sergeants attended. I was super grateful to him for doing that; it meant a lot.
Next, there were only two options for IET soldiers like me (which means I graduated BCT but had yet to attend Advanced Individual Training (AIT)). I could either get chaptered out, or go to rehab for 6 months. Rehab for injured IET soldiers was run by Drill Sergeants and was exactly like what you imagine it would be.
During this time I gained notoriety on-post. Almost every drill sergeant from every training company knew who I was, because I’d been on-post longer than many of themselves. The ladies in the chow line knew my breakfast order by heart. Drill sergeants regularly stopped me to ask if they could take a video of me playing my crutches like flutes (I learned to do that, and it drew a lot of positive attention and sympathy for my situation). At my rehab company, I ran a library of 1300 donated books, so I was known as the crutch-flute-librarian. I have a lot of wild stories to tell! Haha.
Anyway I stayed in rehab for the full 6 months before healing enough to pass a modified PT test, and then shipping off to AIT.
AIT had drill sergeants too, but since my job is to be an Army bandsman, all our drill sergeants were band geeks as well. They were strict with us, but extremely gracious and supportive of everyone’s musical goals.
I graduated AIT on the Commandant’s List and got a shiny coin! I also managed to leave post just before the COVID-19 lockdown. Because of COVID-19 I wasn’t able to get back to my apartment for a long time, but now that I’m FINALLY home, I’m so glad to be back on tumblr and writing AITA again! :)
If you read all this-- thank you for your time, and I hope we can resume our friendship online! <3
AITA Molto Ritmico Chapter 25 is FINALLY POSTED!!!
Read it here on AO3>> or on FF.net>>
PREVIOUSLY ON ANGELS IN THE ARCHITECTURE: Despite Hashimoto-sensei's desperate attempt to persuade the dastardly Taki Noboru to allow Kousaka Reina to attend the pre-competition band camp for the long weekend, his efforts fail, and Reina is unable to go with Kumiko.
Now, band camp is over, and there are only 4 days left until the prefectural-level competition on Saturday. The Friday before that is the Agata Festival. The Kitauji band is talking nonstop about both those days... almost as much as they are trash-talking Reina for her absence.
Kumiko must decide on the best way for her to help Reina...
