Beyond the sky

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Nagi

Staying late to practice?

Mahoro

I'll drop the key in your mailbox later, okay, Nagi-chan?

Nagi

I mean, you can use the place, but... why?

Hotaru

? I wonder what's going on with those two...

Houka

My. It seems that old habit of hers has shown itself again.

Hotaru

Old habit?

Houka

...Let us just say Mahoro-san is what one might call a "hard worker."♪

Mahoro

A-ahaha~ well... I figured I should be doing more too!

Mahoro

See? Hotaru-chan is settling in little by little,
and we're starting to sound pretty good, right?

Mahoro

Then once I get the vocals down,
that solves everything, right?

Nagi

I guess, but... wait.
What happened with the bass part?

Nagi

Weren't you going to ask Natsume-senpai to make it easier?

Mahoro

Ah... about that...

Natsume

She turned me down. Said she wants to play it as-is.

Nagi

Wait... what? Why?

Natsume

How should I know? You should ask her yourself.

Nagi

Mahoro...?

Mahoro

...Please!
Just let me try one more time.

Mahoro

Thanks to Hotaru-chan, we don't have to disband anymore.
We finally have a chance to make music like we used to.

Mahoro

If we're really going to keep this band going... and for whatever comes next,
I don't think we should compromise here.

Hotaru

Mahoro-san...

Nagi

Whatever comes next...? It's not like
we're trying to go pro or anything.

Mahoro

R-right, I know that, but...

Natsume

No harm in trying, right?
If it really starts looking impossible, we can rethink it then.

Natsume

Though I'm not sure you can handle that on top of writing lyrics.

Nagi

Wait, wait. You're writing the lyrics too, Mahoro?
That's even more work than before.

Natsume

You didn't tell them that either?

Hotaru

Huh...? Then your burden
hasn't gotten lighter, Mahoro-san?

Mahoro

Ahaha... But it's fine!
If everything I've done so far still isn't enough, I'll just work even harder!

Mahoro

I still haven't given it everything I have.
So I have to push harder.

Nagi

...!

Nagi

*Sigh*...

Nagi

I'm staying too.

Mahoro

Aww, you really are such a worrywart~

Nagi

You hid this from us, Mahoro. You don't get to complain.

Mahoro

Ngh...

Hotaru

I-I can help with something too!

Natsume

Nope. You, kiddo, are going home.
You don't live close enough to walk here like I do.

Hotaru

Kiddo...

Houka

I am afraid if I stayed late now,
I would be cutting it rather close to curfew... My apologies.

Mahoro

Aww, come on, everyone. You don't have to worry about me!
Thanks for today. See you!

Hotaru

All right... I'll be going, then.

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Hotaru

...

Hotaru

(I hope Mahoro-san is okay...)

Houka

Are you worried about Mahoro-san?

Hotaru

Mahoro-san... said she wants to keep trying, but...

Hotaru

Her burden hasn't gotten any lighter, and now she's writing lyrics too...
On top of that, she's been looking after me so much.

Hotaru

But I can't just ignore
how badly Mahoro-san wants to keep trying...

Hotaru

I keep wondering if there's something more I can do.

Houka

...

Houka

There is♡

Hotaru

Huh? Please tell me!

Houka

Hotaru-san. Have you ever watched
one of our live videos?

Hotaru

Yes. Natsume-san showed me one.

Houka

Kanata-san was extraordinary, was she not?

Hotaru

Yes...! She looked like she was having so much fun singing
while playing such difficult phrases.

Hotaru

I already knew how incredible Kanata-san was from the street piano, but...
I thought, maybe this is what people mean by a genius.

Houka

Ah...

Houka

So that is how she appeared to you as well.

Hotaru

...?

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Houka

I just adore geniuses♡

Houka

One of a kind, flawless and unbound.
An existence from another realm, beyond anyone's imitation.

Houka

I want them to shine, to glitter, with everything they have...

Houka

And I want them to burn me away completely.

Hotaru

U-um...?

Houka

But God can be cruel.
One day, He simply took that away from me...

Hotaru

(What is she talking about...?)

Houka

I seem to have strayed from the topic.

Houka

Mahoro-san
is trying to stand in for a genius named "Kanata Sawami."

Houka

A glass bead desperately polishing itself
in hopes of becoming a diamond...

Houka

But you, of all people, can save Mahoro-san.

Hotaru

Please tell me!
What should I do?!

Houka

It is simple. Share the pain with her, and cut it in half...

Houka

You should take on vocals too, Hotaru-san.

Hotaru

Vocals...?

Houka

Your performance at our last practice drew high praise.
I found myself captivated as well.

Houka

That was when I noticed.
Hotaru-san... you were singing softly to yourself, were you not?

Hotaru

Huh...?

Houka

Hehe. Was it unconscious?

Houka

Then that only makes it clearer. You should sing too, Hotaru-san.

Houka

If you do it without even realizing it,
surely that means you love singing♡

Hotaru

...

Hotaru

(Me, sing...?)

Hotaru

(Actually, back when I used to play with Kanata-san...
no, even before that...)

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Hotaru

(When I was little, I did sing while I played.)

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Hotaru

But... loving something
and being able to sing properly are two different things, aren't they...?

Houka

Who can say?
There is a saying, after all. Passion is the best teacher.

Houka

At the very least, with Mahoro-san in that state,
I believe this is the only way to lighten her burden for now.

Houka

My, we have reached the station already.
Well then, Hotaru-san. I shall see you at practice♡

Hotaru

Ah, yes...!
Thank you for today...!

Hotaru

...

Hotaru

(Would doing that really help Mahoro-san...?)

Hotaru

(What would Kanata-san do... in a situation like this?)

Hotaru

(Kanata-san...)

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Mahoro

—♪

Mahoro

*Cough* Cough, cough...!

Mahoro

Ngh... Hah, hah...

Mahoro

This isn't good enough... Not even close...!

Mahoro

(This time, I have to get it right.)

Mahoro

(For everyone.)

Mahoro

(And for Kanata's dream... the dream she never got to fulfill.)

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Mahoro

Oh... So, that's why we're "millsage"...?
The French word for "thousand," and...

Kanata

Corsage, a flower for celebration. millsage.

Kanata

It's happiness I wanna share,
more than we could ever hold in both hands.

Mahoro

...!

Back then, my heart felt like it might overflow.

Kanata

Hey, Mahoro.
Truth is, I...

Kanata

I wanna enter Comet Rising.

Mahoro

Huh...?

Kanata

Comet Rising. You know it, right?
The proving ground for student bands.

Kanata

It's a teen-only contest, and if you win, you get to play the open-air stage!

Mahoro

Oh, yeah. I think I've heard of it.
They call it the Koshien for bands, right?

Mahoro

Wait... Did you just say you want us to enter that?

Kanata

I did!

Kanata

Honestly, this is what made me wanna start a band in the first place.

Kanata

How cool is that?!
The open-air stage, Mahoro! Suzuya Music Hall! The holy ground for bands!

Kanata

Let's enter the next Comet Rising!
Let's make our music ring out at Suzuya!

I had let myself be content with what we already had.

Mahoro

Huh~? Kanata, you really do spring things on people~
I think it's still a little early for us.

Kanata

No way! millsage can do it!
Today's school festival convinced me!

Kanata

Suzuya Music Hall, huh? Not bad.
That's a pretty good goal!

Mahoro

But... You just said you were happy, Kanata.
Then isn't it okay for things to stay the way they are?

Kanata

Dreams gotta be big!

I was afraid of flying higher than where we were.

Mahoro

Then... next time! It doesn't have to be this one. Maybe the one after?

Kanata

Uh...

Mahoro

Yeah! Let's do that!
By then, I'm sure we'll be even better and totally ready!

Mahoro

It's still a little early for us, right?

Kanata

Hmm... I guess so.

Kanata

If that's what you think, Mahoro, then let's do that!

Mahoro

Right, right! That's better.

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I had no idea.

That Kanata did not have much time left.

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Mahoro

(Kanata's dream never came true...)

Mahoro

(Because I never tried hard enough.)

Mahoro

(Because I was a coward, spoiled and weak.)

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Mahoro

(The disappointed smile Kanata gave me back then...
is burned into me and won't let go.)

Mahoro

(I have to atone...)

Mahoro

(I have to stand onstage at Suzuya Music Hall with millsage
and send our music beyond the sky, all the way to Kanata.)

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Mahoro

(Otherwise, I...)

Mahoro

(I could never forgive myself. Not even in death.)