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The Next Day

The Garage

Hotaru...

NagiNatsume-senpai, can I borrow your tuner?

NatsumeDidn't you have a clip-on tuner...?

NagiI forgot it.

NatsumeSeriously? What kind of guitarist forgets their tuner?

NatsumeAnd mine's a tuner pedal, so no. It's already wired into my board.

NagiFine. I'll use Mahoro's, then. Mahoro.

MahoroW-wait, I'm using mine too!

Hotaru(Ugh... Our first real rehearsal is about to start... My heart won't stop pounding...!)

HoukaAre you nervous?

HotaruEek?! H-Houka-san...!

HoukaHehe. It is only practice. You needn't brace yourself quite so hard.

HotaruR-R-R-Right...!

Hotaru(I memorized every song we're practicing today, just in case, but...)

Hotaru(This is nothing like classical accompaniment... There's no way I wouldn't be nervous...!)

HotaruIs this really the right place for me to stand...? Am I in anyone's way...?

MahoroYou're fine right there! Relax, Hotaru-chan. Deep breaths!

MahoroWe're still easing back into things too. Let's all take it little by little!

MahoroWe'll practice hard, then have snack time! What kind of snacks do you like, Hotaru-chan?

HotaruHuh? Um... I like egg boro cookies.

MahoroE-egg boro cookies?! Do we have any of those...?

HoukaThen let us take this at our own pace.

HotaruY-Yes! At our own pace!

NatsumeNagi, are you done tuning?

NagiAll set.

NatsumeHotaru, you too. You're ready, right?

HotaruAh... I'll give this everything I've got! Thank you for having me!

30 Minutes Later

Houka、Nagi、Natsume、Mahoro...

HotaruNgh... I-I'm sorry...!

NagiYou're stiff as a board. Nothing like last time.

MahoroMm, ahaha... Hard to believe you're the same person who went toe-to-toe with Natsume-chan.

HoukaYour technique itself is not the issue. And yet... somehow, the sound refuses to come together.

HotaruN-Next time, I'll listen more closely to everyone's sound...!

Hotaru(I-I have to get this right! I'm a support player, so I have to support them properly...!)

Hotaru(And I can't let my guard down. Not for a second. If I see those rainbow colors again, like when I was little...)

Hotaru...!

NatsumeSee? I told you. If rehearsal sounds like this, a live is still asking too much.

Hotaru!

Hotaru(At this rate, I'll ruin the live...!)

Hotaru(But Mahoro-san said she wanted to play it...!)

HotaruOne more time! Please... please let me try one more time!

NagiI don't mind, but... Mahoro?

MahoroHmm...

MahoroAll right, break time!

HotaruWhat!?

MahoroHotaru-chan, come take a walk with me!

HotaruWh-What?

Road Along the Shore

MahoroMmm~ What a nice breeze. The beach may be artificial, but it's still pretty, isn't it?

HotaruAh, yes...

HotaruUm... Was it really okay? Stopping practice like that...

MahoroIt's fine, it's fine. We needed to pick up some egg boro cookies anyway!

HotaruBut...

Hotaru(They're spending precious practice time on me...)

Mahoro...

MahoroHotaru-chan, you used to play with Kanata, right?

HotaruHuh...? Yes.

MahoroWhat was it like? Was it fun?

HotaruUm... I'm not sure if... "fun" is the right word.

HotaruI wanted to make music like Kanata-san's, but most of the time, all I could think was how far I still had to go.

MahoroWhat kind of music do you mean, like Kanata's?

HotaruMusic that can make everyone happy...

HotaruAfter Kanata-san played, everyone in the audience would be smiling. They all looked so happy.

MahoroHmm~ I see, I see.

MahoroAt first, I thought you were just nervous. But you looked like you could barely breathe the whole time.

MahoroThen I remembered Kanata once saying you looked like playing was hurting you somehow, Hotaru-chan.

Hotaru...! Did I look like I was in pain?

MahoroWell... sort of? In a faint, hard-to-explain way?

HotaruI'm sorry...

MahoroNo, no, that's not something you need to apologize for. I didn't know what it was, but I figured there had to be a reason.

Hotaru...

Hotaru(The reason I can't face music head-on.)

Hotaru(A bitter memory I never told my mother... or anyone.)

Hotaru(I always thought I'd tell Kanata-san someday, but...)

HotaruWhen I was little... I used to see rainbow colors.

MahoroRainbow colors...

HotaruWhen I played well, my mother and my teachers would smile... and then everything in front of me would start sparkling.

HotaruThe notes would burst open, and it felt like the whole world was shining.

HotaruI loved that sight.

HotaruWhen I saw those rainbow colors, I could play well... and I won gold again and again.

HotaruBut... because of that, I ended up hurting the other kids who were learning piano with me.

HotaruSo I tried not to see those colors ever again...

Mahoro...

HotaruIf my piano... ever makes someone sad...

HotaruI think that's what I've been afraid of all this time.

MahoroI see... Thank you for telling me.

MahoroYeah... I see... I see...

Hotaru...?

MahoroI... I'm no good at this! I tried acting like a big sister and asking, but I can't give you any advice at all!

MahoroI'm sorry, Hotaru-chaaan...!

HotaruN-no, not at all! Just having you listen is enough!

MahoroThank you... You're so kind... Rainbow colors... rainbow colors, huh?

MahoroThat kind of sounds like the "zone" athletes talk about, doesn't it?

HotaruI don't really understand it myself... Just that I see it sometimes.

MahoroHmm... Is it really such a bad thing, though?

HotaruHuh...?

MahoroI mean, I don't actually know what those rainbow colors are like, but...

MahoroIf something feels that beautiful to you, it seems like such a waste to shut it away.

MahoroI don't have any special skill I can brag about, let alone anything like talent, so...

MahoroIt sounds almost like a gift from god. I might even be a little jealous.

Hotaru...

MahoroBesides! If we're talking about wild performances, Kanata already gave us plenty of practice!

MahoroIn both good and bad ways, I mean.

HotaruHehe...

MahoroIn a band, maybe it won't bother anyone as much as you think.

HotaruIn a band...

MahoroExactly! If one of your members can play something amazing, that's only ever a plus!

Hotaru...!

Hotaru(I never thought of it that way.)

Hotaru(That the rainbow colors might actually help someone...)

Hotaru(If that's really true... then I...)

MahoroOh, it's from Nagi-chan. "Are you about done with your walk?" ...she says.

MahoroAhaha, maybe we wandered a little too far. Let's head back.

HotaruYes!

One Week Later

Mahoro—♪

Hotaru...!

Hotaru(I'm starting to get used to band practice, even if it's just a little...!)

Hotaru(This is a kind of music unlike competitions or accompaniment.)

Hotaru(Every sound has its own personality.)

Hotaru(Houka-san's drum...)

Hotaru(Her form is beautiful, and her rhythm is always so precise... but every now and then, I can see something burning underneath.)

Hotaru(Nagi-san's guitar...)

Hotaru(She holds back one step, then slips right into whatever space needs filling.)

Hotaru(Natsume-san's guitar...)

Hotaru(Cool, always at full power. Like it's shouting, "Look at me!")

Hotaru(Mahoro-san's bass and voice...)

Hotaru(Unadorned music, honest and direct.)

Hotaru(Balancing both still looks really hard, but... Mahoro-san is working so hard.)

Hotaru...

Hotaru(What Kanata-san told me back then...)

Hotaru(When she called it a treasure.)

Hotaru(I think... I'm starting to understand it, just a little.)

Hotaru(Not playing alone, but taking someone's hand...)

Hotaru(And playing toward the same place.)

Hotaru(This... feels so nice.)

Hotaru...♪

Houka、Nagi、Natsume、Mahoro!!

Hotaru(Wait... just now...?!)

Hotaru(There's no mistaking it... This view... It's the rainbow colors...!)

Hotaru(I haven't seen them for years... So why now...?!)

NatsumeHotaru...!

Hotaru! O-Okay!

Hotaru(What do I do? What if this becomes like back then again...)

NatsumeSee? You can do it!

HotaruHuh...?

NatsumePlay like that from the start! You're finally starting to sound like yourself!

NagiSenpai, how about praising her normally? Like, "That was good."

HotaruWait...?

HotaruWas that... good...?

HoukaYes. It was truly splendid♡

NagiIt was really good.

HoukaAnd, Hotaru-san. Did you notice that? Just now, you...

HotaruHuh?

HoukaNothing... never mind. It really was wonderful. Wasn't it, Mahoro-san?

Mahoro...

NagiMahoro?

MahoroHuh...? Oh. Yeah!

MahoroThat sounded amazing! Let's keep that going, okay?

Hotaru...! Yes!

Hotaru(Thank goodness...!)

Hotaru(Maybe Mahoro-san was right after all!)

Hotaru(If we're a band, being different colors can still be okay!)

HotaruI see... So it's okay.

NatsumeAll right, let's do that again before you forget how it felt!

NagiWe've already been going for an hour straight.

HoukaMy, how Spartan.

NatsumeEnough, first-years! Just get in position! Hotaru, you too!

HotaruY-Yes!

Mahoro...

MahoroHotaru-chan really is amazing...