Turning Away

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A Few Days Later

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Nagi

...

Kanata

Hey! Check out this flyer!

Mahoro

..."Little Kids' Mini-Basketball Tournament"? What's this?

Kanata

Apparently it's at the gym nearby!
It's a three-person team, so let's enter!

Nagi

!

Mahoro

Huh? But Kanata, you just got out of the hospital, right?
Are you sure you're okay?

Kanata

It'll work out!

Mahoro

Really...?
Besides, none of us are really good at basketball, y'know?

Kanata

That's why we're gonna do super intense training from now on!
Then I'll awaken and learn some special move or something!

Mahoro

You read too much manga.
Well, but we do need to practice together, huh.

Mahoro

Oh, how about we ask Sis Tsuki to teach us?

Kanata

Sounds good! We'll practice hard every day!

Nagi

...!

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Nagi

(Even if I try hard... what if it still doesn't work?)

Nagi

(That's scary.)

Nagi

(I don't wanna get hurt...!)

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Nagi

...I'm not doing it.

Mahoro & Kanata

Huh?

Nagi

Sorry... I don't wanna enter the tournament. Sorry...

Kanata

Huh? Why not~? Let's do it together~

Mahoro

...Nagi-chan?

Mahoro

Ah... your hands are shaking...

Nagi

...!

Mahoro

...Kanata. Let's not do it after all.
There's plenty of fun stuff besides basketball.

Kanata

Hmm... Well, I guess we'll do that then...

Nagi

...

Nagi

(If trying hard and hoping just means getting hurt...)

Nagi

(I'd rather stay like this forever... just keep everything blurry.)

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—After that. As if that night had never happened,
my sister went back to normal.

And just like that, she retired from her club.

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Nagi's Mother

Itsuki? Stop watching TV and
go take a bath already.

Itsuki

Just a little longer! My fave's part isn't over yet!

Nagi

...

Itsuki

! Look, Nagi!
My fave! So cute~!

Nagi

...Ehehe, yeah.

How was my sister able to recover?

Or maybe she still hasn't.

I didn't have the courage to find out.

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After that, time flowed gently by.

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I became someone who doesn't try hard.

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The world isn't fair at all,
and trying hard is meaningless.

So I figured, just relax,
and if things are good now, that's enough.

Living like that is the smartest way.

Nagi

...Aha.

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Girl A

Hey, hey, have you decided which club to join?
I've been swimming forever, so I'm thinking the swim club~

Girl B

Actually... I applied for an idol audition.

Girl C

Whoa, nice! I applied to study abroad!

Nagi

...

By the time I became a middle schooler,
everyone around me was sparkling.

Sometimes I felt pathetic in comparison, though.

Mahoro

...Nagi-chan?

Nagi

Ah, sorry. Those girls who just passed by are in my class.

Mahoro

Huh, really? Was it okay not to say hi?
It's April, so we should get friendly with them while we can!

Nagi

It's fine... Anyway, Mahoro,
are you doing student council again this year? You were in general affairs, right?

Mahoro

Huh? Ah... no, I think I'll skip this year.
I wasn't really much help anyway.

Nagi

...Aha. I see.

Mahoro

Yeah.
...Ah, the bus to the hospital is here! Hurry!

Because Mahoro was next to me, I felt like it was okay.

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One Year Later

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Nagi

*Sigh*... Fine.
I'll do it, but I don't know much about bands.

Nagi

So even if you two come crying to me like always,
there won't be much I can do.

Kanata

I know, I know~!
Leave it to the great Kanata, the one who started this whole thing!

Nagi

This pattern has never once ended without a hitch...

Mahoro

I-I'll help too! Okay?

Kanata

All right! Our ultimate band life starts now~!

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Nagi

...

Nagi

(We actually formed a band.)

Nagi

(I thought it was just another one of Kanata's whims.)

Nagi

(But this time, she seems pretty serious.)

Nagi

...This place has changed completely too.

Nagi

(Well, but still.)

Nagi

(If we can make fun memories... I guess anything's fine.)

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A Year and a Half Later

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Kanata

Thank you! We were millsage!

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Kanata

*Pant*... *Pant*... Hey, did you see that?!
A packed house, and everybody was hyped!

Mahoro

Yeah, yeah! It's like... a dream...!

Natsume

Hmph...! Want me to pinch your cheek if you're worried?

Houka

Oh my. And you're one to talk, Natsume-san—your knees are shaking too, you know?

Natsume

Huh!?

Nagi

...

I thought maybe.

Kanata

Man! Last year was rough, but
this year's a comeback! A grand slam!

Nagi

...Yeah. We might've knocked it clean over the back screen.

Kanata

Oh, what's this? Is that the crybaby Nagi I haven't seen in a while~?

Nagi

Shut up. It's okay every once in a while, right?

Maybe Kanata's the one who'll
smash this boring reality to pieces for me.

In the middle of millsage.
Maybe she'd show us a shining miracle—

But it didn't turn out that way.

Steady effort and miracle comebacks don't exist.

All I can do is give up.

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Nagi

...

Shiomi Hotaru

Good work today!
Based on the feedback we got today,
I tried coming up with another arrangement!

Izumi Houka

Thank you ❤

Mahoro

Thanks!
I've only written up to the first verse, but I'll send you the lyrics!

Natsume

Before tomorrow's practice, make sure you fix the issues from today!

Natsume

All of you, practice even if you have to skip school!

Nagi

...!

Nagi

...I don't wanna hear it.

Nagi

...I don't wanna move forward...