Raika

...

Raika

(Miku... you didn't have to leave your guitar behind...)

Raika

(I thought you were enjoying playing it though.)

Miku

Eating breakfast together, playing in a band... I hated the life here, all of it!

Raika

...Every bit of it, huh...

Shizuku

Ah... Raika, good morning.

Raika

Good morning, Shizuku. I'll dish up the rice now.

Shizuku

About that...

Raika

Huh, it's not cooked...! I forgot to turn it on again...!?

Raika

*Sigh*... How many times have I done this now...

Shizuku

Should we microwave the frozen rice?

Raika

Yeah...

Raika・Shizuku

Ah...

Chieri

You're finally up! Now, stop spacing out and get ready for the meal!

Raika

About that... The rice isn't cooked, and there's no frozen rice left either.

Chieri

*Sigh*... Seriously...

Chieri

Chieri's bread is on the shelf. Eat it with gratitude~!

Raika

Yeah... Sorry.

Shizuku

...

Chieri

Alright, Chieri's heading out first! You've got the cleanup!

Raika

Hmm...

Yomogi

*Sniff*... Ugh...

Shizuku

...Cherie, sorry, but today too—

Chieri

Today, you want Chieri to drag spaced-out Raika to and from school again...?

Chieri

Aaaargh!!! Cut it out already!!

Raika・Yomogi・Shizuku

!

Chieri

How long are you all going to keep moping before you're satisfied!?

Chieri

And Yomogi keeps lying on the floor all gloomy!

Yomogi

Ugh... I'm sorry for being a weak human who only generates an unpleasant aura...

Chieri

Raika's got that spaced-out look and keeps messing up at work and practice! And Shizuku... hasn't changed much though.

Chieri

Chores, work, and band practice. The only one who's doing it properly is Chieri!

Shizuku

You set out Miku's chopsticks this morning too.

Chieri

Huh!? Ah...

Chieri

I-It was just a coincidence! I just happened to put them out, that's all...

Chieri

Aaaargh!! This is all Miku's fault!

Chieri

Everyone being slack lately! And Chieri not being in top condition! All of it!

Raika

Cherie... Sorry.

Chieri

And Raika just keeps apologizing over and over and it's infuriating!! What is with you!?

Raika

I wonder if everything I did for "family" was all wrong.

Raika

That's why Miku...

Chieri・Yomogi

...

Shizuku

I'll borrow this shared computer.

Raika

Wait... Shizuku, you know how to use it...!?

Yomogi

When you were using my computer, you couldn't operate it at all...

Shizuku

Everyone, I want you to listen to this.

Raika

Oh... Ohh...! It's so cool...!!

Chieri

Hehe, this is a song that can make Chieri stand out...!!

Yomogi

Dazzling and strong...! It might be a bit too soon for me right now...

Shizuku

This song was written by Miku.

Chieri・Raika・Yomogi

...!!

Raika

Miku wrote this!? Wh-Why did you have this, Shizuku...?

Shizuku

Sorry for keeping it secret until now. It was given to me the day before Miku left.

Shizuku

Actually, I had intended to hand it over after understanding Miku's words...

Chieri

Wh-What do you mean!?

Shizuku

Actually, that night...

Miku

So, if you click here, the song plays. Did you get that?

Shizuku

Mm. I'm glad I had Yomogi teach me the basics beforehand. Thanks to that, I could understand what you said.

Miku

That's good. Then, please hand it over to everyone.

Shizuku

Why are you asking me?

Miku

Hmm... Just a feeling?

Shizuku

Just a feeling...

Miku

Don't overthink it. I'm counting on you.

Shizuku

...

Shizuku

After saying that, Miku went back to packing.

Yomogi

So that's what happened...

Shizuku

Since then, I've been thinking about "Just a feeling."

Shizuku

That Miku didn't hand over the song herself. That I ended up keeping it. And that I couldn't stop Miku from leaving...

Shizuku

That was all just a feeling. I thought if I couldn't understand what it meant, I had no right to hand over the song.

Raika

Shizuku... you were thinking about it all on your own...

Shizuku

I still don't understand what "Just a feeling" means... But after listening to the song, I understood something.

Raika

Understood something...?

Shizuku

The overall structure is simple, yet designed to create a lively atmosphere.

Shizuku

Each part is written to bring out everyone's own strengths.

Shizuku

For Yomogi, a bassline that makes the bouncy rhythm work. For Cherie, a phrase that makes the drums stand out.

Shizuku

For me, parts to fill in what was reduced, and phrases that make me stand out. And for Raika, a guitar part and melody that are fun to sing and play.

Shizuku

Without respect and love for family, it couldn't be made like this.

Raika・Yomogi・Chieri

...!

Shizuku

Did Miku really leave because she hated family?

Raika

But...

Raika

I always say "Because we're family," and involve everyone...

Chieri

Aaaargh!! We all knew that!! We've been going along with full knowledge of that!!

Raika

Huh...!

Chieri

Miku's real feelings are packed in that song! Didn't Shizuku just explain that!

Chieri

Chieri believes in the subordinates in front of her! Raika, are you telling Chieri you can't trust the "family" in front of you!?

Raika

Cherie...

Raika

He... Ahaha...! That's right. You're absolutely right, Cherie.

Raika

I trust everyone. I trust my "family"!

Shizuku

Mm... I finally got to see Raika smile again.

Chieri

Honestly... Please thank Chieri!

Raika

Yeah, thank you, Cherie!

Yomogi

Cherie-san, that was such a manly scolding...! It was so bancho-like and cool...!!

Chieri

Hehe, of course! You can respect me more!

Raika

And Shizuku, thank you so much.

Raika

To understand a song like that is something only you can do, Shizuku.

Raika

Maybe Miku also understood that—"Just a feeling."

Shizuku

Is that so...

Raika

That day... Maybe Miku just couldn't be honest with herself.

Chieri

She wasn't exactly being adorable back then!

Yomogi

We really got told off pretty badly, didn't we...?

Raika

Yeah. She wrote a song this amazing, and yet...

Shizuku

What shall we do?

Raika

Let's all go see Miku together, one more time!

Raika

Let's hear from Miku herself what she was really thinking.

Chieri・Yomogi・Shizuku

...!

Yomogi

That said... we don't even know where Miku-san is, do we?

Chieri

If that's the case, then there's only one thing to do!

Miku

*Sigh*... I'm tired... The lesson was too long...

Miku

(It's quiet. I can even hear my ears ringing.)

Miku

Right, my smartphone...

Miku

Huh...!? What's with this number of notifications...!

Miku

(Those idiots...! Why are they still bothering with me...!)

Miku

(Just deal with your own problem already. What did you think I wrote that song for...)

Miku

Oh... I forgot to block them...

Miku

It's complete...

Miku

Maybe I'll play the guitar...

Miku

(Oh... again. I've left that behind.)

Miku

(Because I don't want to get involved in "family" anymore...)

Miku

I did it... I was able to play it a little...!

Miku

(Papa left, and it was just me and Mama. Mama took on more work, and gradually grew worn out.)

Miku

(I used to help out a lot, but eventually I ended up doing all the housework...)

Miku

(I filled the loneliness of not being able to spend time with Papa or my friends by playing guitar.)

Miku

(But...)

Miku

Hmm... Papa played much better... Okay, once again...!

Miku's Mother

I'm back...

Miku

Ah...! I need to hide it in the closet—

Miku's Mother

Miku... You took that out and played with it again? What, is that supposed to be a jab at me?

Miku

No, it's not! This is—

Miku's Mother

You really wanted to leave with that person, didn't you...! You should have just left me behind!

Miku

(I didn't want to make Mama angry, so I put the guitar in the back of the closet for a while.)

Miku

M-Mama~ I got dinner ready.

Miku's Mother

*Sniff*... Ugh... I've had enough...! Why is it always me...!

Miku

If you cry that much, your eyes are gonna swell up again. You've got work tomorrow, right?

Miku's Mother

Oh, yeah!! If I don't keep working tomorrow and the day after, we won't be able to eat, right!?

Miku

Ah... Y-Yeah. Sorry.

Miku's Mother

Ah... Ahh, sorry, Miku-chan...! I'm such a useless Mama, I'm sorry...!

Miku's Mother

I can't live without Miku-chan...!

Miku

...

Miku

It's okay. Miku will hold it together. So... It'll be alright.

Miku

("I hope tomorrow Mama will smile." "I hope my family won't break any further.")

Miku

(Every day I prayed like that, and all I thought about was how to hold my broken "family" together.)

Miku

(Once I got used to that life, I also started finding time to play guitar, and made sure Mama never found out.)

Miku

(If I tried hard enough, we could be happy, just me and Mama. I believed that, but...)

Miku's Mother

Miku-chan, I'm back~!

Miku

Mama, welcome back! Ah... Did something good happen?

Miku's Mother

Hehe... Actually, there's someone I want you to meet soon, Miku-chan.

Miku's Mother

He's a really wonderful person. I think he'll make a great Papa for Miku-chan.

Miku

Huh...

Miku's Mother

Mama is thinking of remarrying. Let's leave this hard life behind together, okay?

Miku

...

Miku

(I believed that if I tried hard enough, we could be happy as family one day.)

Miku

(But reality was different. Mother eventually found another adult to rely on, and was saved by him.)

Miku

(All those eight years of my effort were surpassed by someone else in an instant. That's all "family love" really is.)

Miku

(Even I think I was really stupid back then.)

Miku

("Mama is so happy. Miku-chan, thanks to your efforts.")

Miku

(I thought she would say that to me one day.)

Miku

Um... That data is...

Miku

(I don't know what a "happy family" is. That doesn't matter. But...)

Miku

(Those people don't have to go through something like this. They can just laugh like idiots, without a care.)

Miku

(This song only fits people who can seriously scream like idiots, "As long as you've got family, life's the best.")

Miku

I can't do that, huh...

Miku

Forget it...

Miku

Um, tomorrow's schedule is... Vocal training, then dance lesson...