Houka

Please, choose anything that catches your eye♪

Hotaru

Y-yes...

Houka

Shiomi-san...? Your menu is upside down~

Hotaru

What...? Ah! I-I'm so sorry...!

Houka

Hehe. There is no need to be so tense. Plenty of students come here as well.

Hotaru

O-oh, I see...

Hotaru

Actually, um... this is my first time going somewhere with someone outside my family...!

Houka

My, then I am truly honored♪

Houka

If you are comfortable with it, Shiomi-san, shall we order a few things to share?

Hotaru

May I...!?

Houka

Of course♪

Houka

I do have rather discerning tastes, and this Café is especially renowned for its pancakes.

Hotaru

Pancakes...!

Houka

Hehe. Then let us place our order first.

Houka

Now then... shall we turn to the subject that brought us here today?

Houka

About millsage... you said you hoped to help us somehow...

Hotaru

Y-yes...!

Houka

What exactly did you have in mind?

Hotaru

Um... After I went home yesterday, I thought about what I might be able to do...

Hotaru

Like... if you ever needed me for an important rehearsal or live show, I could play piano...

Hotaru

and maybe that would bring your sound a little closer... to how it was when there were five of you...

Houka

I see. So you would be helping us as a support member.

Hotaru

Support...?

Houka

A support member is not a formal member of the band, but someone who joins in when needed to help with performances.

Hotaru

Yes...! I think that's exactly what I meant!

Houka

That is a very generous offer. Truly.

Houka

If there were any way for us to avoid disbanding, I wanted to find it as well.

Hotaru

I'm so relieved...!

Houka

However... I am afraid that alone would not be enough to change where we stand.

Hotaru

Huh...?

Houka

Allow me to explain where millsage stands at the moment.

Houka

The main reason was the departure of Kanata-san and Natsume-san... Natsume-san was our lead guitarist. Losing both of them had a major impact.

Houka

As a result, music that was once performed by five people is now being carried by three.

Houka

We have managed to cover the guitar and piano parts with programmed tracks, but...

Houka

The vocals, however, are different. Someone still needs to take on that role.

Houka

That was when Mahoro-san volunteered to sing.

Houka

Nagi-san said singing was not her strength, and in my case... handling vocals while drumming would not be realistic.

Houka

Even if it was by process of elimination, Mahoro-san was the only real option.

Houka

But... millsage's songs were written around Kanata-san's voice.

Houka

To be frank, Kanata-san was in a class of her own, both in her piano playing and her vocal performance.

Houka

Mahoro-san is giving it everything she has, but she also began learning bass with no prior experience...

Houka

Between the thinner sound I mentioned earlier and the absence of Kanata-san's presence, the audience has judged us rather severely.

Hotaru

...!

Hotaru

(That must be why yesterday's audience felt so distant...)

Houka

And... there is another difficulty.

Houka

With Natsume-san, who composed our songs, gone as well, work on new music has come to a halt.

Houka

Of course, it would be possible for us to continue performing lives with only the songs we already have, but...

Houka

In other words, that would amount to little more than maintaining the status quo. We would not be moving forward, merely standing still.

Houka

If we were to continue under such circumstances, we would only wear ourselves down little by little.

Hotaru

...

Hotaru

(So... just playing piano would not be enough.)

Hotaru

(Mahoro-san's burden, the new songs... We would have to solve both of those problems...)

Houka

...

Houka

Please don't worry. There is indeed a way.

Houka

We simply need to have Natsume-san come back to us♪

Hotaru

Huh...?

Houka

With Natsume-san back with us, we would be able to resume work on new songs.

Houka

And as for Mahoro-san, we could ease her burden as well by having Natsume-san adjust the bass part accordingly.

Hotaru

That's true...!

Hotaru

Wait... But if that is the case, wouldn't that mean you don't need me...?

Houka

No, that is not the case at all. The piano remains an essential part of this band, and that has not changed.

Houka

Besides, Shiomi-san, there is a task of the utmost importance that I would like to entrust to you: persuading Natsume-san.

Hotaru

M-Me? You want me to persuade her!?

Houka

Yes. You, Shiomi-san♪

Hotaru

But Natsume-san... stopped even coming to practice, didn't she...?

Houka

If you were to join us as a support member, Shiomi-san, that would change matters entirely. I am certain she would agree to sit down and speak with us.

Hotaru

B-but would she really listen to someone like me, when we have never even met...?

Houka

There is no need for concern. I have every confidence that you can do it.

Houka

You are the "Angel of the Music World," after all.

Hotaru

!

Houka

I understand you were held in exceptionally high regard in the classical music world, Shiomi-san.

Houka

Forgive my presumption, but I took the liberty of watching the video of your street piano performance.

Houka

It was so... truly beautiful♡

Hotaru

U-um...

Houka

With your music, I truly believe we can make it a reality.

Houka

"A future where everyone can be happy."

Hotaru

With... my music...?

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

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

Hotaru

...

Hotaru

(I still don't know what I can do... or whether I can really do it properly...)

Hotaru

(But if it would help everyone...)

Hotaru

(then I want to try believing in Houka-san.)

Hotaru

All right... I'll give it a try!

Houka

My, thank you very much♪

Houka

Let us strive together, shall we?

Natsume

...

Natsume

(I haven't touched my guitar at all lately.)

Natsume

(Every time I so much as touch music, my chest starts to hurt.)

Natsume

(Maybe I should just... leave things as they are.)

Natsume

...? From Houka?

Natsume

...?

Natsume

What is this supposed to be? Some kind of report? This has nothing to do with me...

Natsume

I don't get it. Whatever. I'm ignoring this...

Natsume

What...?