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One Year Later

Present Day

HotaruThank you very much...!

Passerby AHotaru-chan~, your piano playing was wonderful today as always!

Passerby BWe'll keep cheering you on~!

Hotaru! Hehe. Thank you so much!

Hotaru(Okay...!)

Hotaru(I think I played better than usual today.)

Hotaru(No rainbow colors are showing up, and there are more people smiling for me now...!)

ChildHotaru! Kanata didn't come by again today, huh?

HotaruAh... I guess not. Her band must be keeping her busy.

ChildAww... I want to see you two play together again~

HotaruIt'll be okay! I'm sure she'll come back soon.

ChildWow...! I'll look forward to it!

HotaruYeah! Leave it to me!

HotaruOn that day one year ago...

HotaruAfter I met Kanata-san, we started playing piano together here from time to time.

Six Months Earlier

HotaruE-everyone...!

HotaruH-Ha... Ha... Hands...!

KanataOh? Is today the day you finally say it?

HotaruRa... raise... raise your...

KanataKeep going! You're almost there!

Hotaru~~~!

HotaruPlease... raise your hands...

KanataGaaah, come on! There you go being a goody-goody again! You're supposed to say, "Get those hands up!"

KanataKeep that up and you'll never play like me, y'know?

HotaruUgh...

KanataWhatever happened to "my master's word is law?"

HotaruB-But...! I still don't think it's right to tell the audience what to do!

KanataMan, you really don't get it. That's not telling them what to do. It's communication. A conversation!

KanataYou've gotta reach out and pull 'em in yourself! That's what you're after, right? "Music that makes everyone happy."

HotaruUgh... I know, but...!

KanataBand lives are all kinda like that, y'know? Like, "You ready?!" "Yeeaah!" Stuff like that.

HotaruI've never been to a live, so I wouldn't know...

KanataAh... Mom said no, huh? No live houses until you're in high school, right?

HotaruRight...

KanataWell, if that's how your family does things, I guess there's no helping it. Still, I really wish you'd come see my band's live sometime.

HotaruYour band... millsage, right? I've always wanted to go, but... ugh.

KanataWell, maybe a live house would be too much for our little goody-goody Hotaru~

HotaruUgh, I want to be in high school already...!

KanataYou're in your second year of middle school now, so... that's still about two years away. Long time. Haha.

KanataI really wanted to show you my incredible band, too.

HotaruI want to see it! I absolutely, absolutely want to see it...!

HotaruBecause, Kanata-san... I just know you'd be so, so cool up there, singing and playing with your band!

HotaruIn two years, I promise I'll be there! Just wait for me!

Kanata...

KanataHahaha, yeah! I'm super cool, obviously. You'd better come see me someday.

HotaruYes!

KanataAnd y'know, my members are cooool too~

KanataIt started out with me and two childhood friends. And those two are seriously such a pain, it's hilarious.

Hotaru"And the two who joined later are total weirdos, which makes it the best band ever." I know... Hehe. You've told me that one a bunch of times.

KanataHuh? Well, listen to me talk about it some more! You're my apprentice, after all! I'm delicate, y'know?

HotaruHehe... Kanata-san, you really do love millsage, don’t you?

KanataOf course! More than anything, I just want them to be happy.

KanataThey're my treasure.

Hotaru...!

HotaruTreasure...

HotaruBut about six months ago...

Hotaru(Kanata-san isn't coming... I wonder what happened.)

Hotaru!

Hotaru(A message... It's from Kanata-san.)

KanataHotaru

Kanata

KanataSorry I flaked on our promise🙇‍♀️

KanataSome stuff came up, so I might not be able to see you for a while🥺

KanataYou said you wanted to make music like mine, and now I'm making you wait. My bad‼️

KanataBut y'know, "music that makes everyone happy..."

KanataIf anyone can make that happen, it's you, Hotaru!

Hotaru...!

Hotaru(Kanata-san...!)

Kanata

KanataThere's your homework until next time. When we meet again, let me hear it.

KanataThat happy music of yours, Hotaru.👍

KanataSee ya! 👋

HotaruAfter that message, Kanata-san stopped coming here.

Hotaru...

Passerby CUm! Could you maybe play one more song~?

HotaruAh, yes! Of course!

HotaruSince then, I've kept making music here.

HotaruSo that the next time I see Kanata-san, I can give her my answer to that homework.

HotaruI'm still not very good at it. But I want to make the kind of music that can make everyone happy, like Kanata-san's—

HotaruWell then... This is a song by my friend... or rather, my master's band...

Hotaru(I still haven't been to one of their lives, but we played this together here so many times that I remember it.)

Hotaru(It's a really wonderful song, and I love it.)

Hotaru—♪

???...!

???It really is a millsage song... She's playing it...!

HotaruWhew...

Hotaru(I wonder if everyone who listened is smiling...)

???…

Hotaru(Huh? Is that person staring at me...?)

HotaruAh...!

HotaruS-Sorry! You're waiting your turn, right!? I'll switch with you right away, so could you wait just—

???Ah, no, that's not it!

???You're the girl from that video... right?

HotaruThe girl from that video?

???Here, this video. The one titled "Mysterious Street Piano Girl Plays Insanely Well."

HotaruHuh...? Wh-What is this!? That's me!

???Ah, so someone really did upload it without asking...

HotaruYes...

???I see... Sorry, I startled you. It's been getting a little attention on social media.

???That got me curious, so I came to see you, but...

HotaruI don't really understand social media...

???I see. Then it might be better to ask someone who knows about filing a takedown request.

MahoroOh, sorry for springing all this on you... I'm Mahoro Hamasaki, a second-year high school student at Minase Girls' Academy.

MahoroI promise I'm not suspicious, so don't worry... Okay?

HotaruAh... My name is Hotaru Shiomi.

Mahoro...!

Hotaru? Is something wrong?

MahoroAh... no. Nothing.

MahoroUm... do you always play piano here? You're really good.

HotaruThank you. Kanata-san used to... Oh, um, someone used to play here with me...

HotaruBut she's been busy lately, and I haven't been able to see her much.

MahoroI see...

MahoroUm, listen. Actually, I—

High School Girl AAh! There she is, the girl from the video!

High School Girl BIt really is her! She's so cute! Excuse me, could we request something!?

HotaruWhat!? Ah, um...

High School Girl BYou always play that millsage song, right? "everscape!"

High School Girl AThat song is so good!

Mahoro...!

HotaruUm, you know millsage?

High School Girl AYeah. They're pretty well-known around here, aren't they?

High School Girl BThey have a live this weekend too~

HotaruThey do!? I-I had no idea...

High School Girl BOh, are you interested?

High School Girl AThis is a flyer for that show. We have a few, so take one if you would like!

HotaruWow, thank you!

Hotaru(That's right...! If I go to their live, I should be able to see Kanata-san!)

Hotaru(If waiting won't bring her here, I'll go see her.)

Hotaru(There's still a year left on my promise with Mom... and I thought maybe I would be a bother, but...)

Hotaru(Still, I want to see Kanata-san!)

HotaruHuh...? Mahoro-san?

Hotaru(Did she leave...?)