Miku

Zzz... zzz...

Raika

Mi~~ku~~~!! Good morning—!!

Miku

Kyaah!?

Raika

Did you sleep well? The weather is amazing today~!

Raika

Look, sunny skies!

Miku

R-Really... It's amazing...

Miku

(Huh... What...? Am I getting attacked first thing in the morning?)

Raika

This room feels different now~! It's so clean!

Raika

Hm? It smells nice... Is it from this bundle of stick-like stuff?

Miku

Ra, Raika-chan. I'd rather you didn't come into the room.

Miku

My room's not tidied up yet, and I'm not really comfortable with people seeing me right after I wake up.

Raika

I see... Sorry! I'll be careful starting tomorrow.

Miku

(Not starting tomorrow. I'm telling you to stop right now.)

Raika

Ah! Your guitar is so cool, Miku!

Raika

What kind of songs do you usually play, Miku? Covers of other bands? Or original ones?

Raika

If you have any favorite songs, let me hear them! I wanna be able to play the songs that my family loves—

Miku

Raika-chan. I want to change my clothes.

Raika

Huh? Of course, please!

Miku

Could you leave the room and close the door for me?

Miku

No matter what kind of relationship it is, there's always an appropriate distance, right?

Raika

Oh... yeah...

Chieri

Newcomer, you finally got up!

Miku

Oh, morning~

Miku

Oh, there's breakfast. I thought this dorm didn't come with meals though...

Chieri

Miso soup, grilled salmon, and boiled greens. Chieri procured all of them this morning!

Chieri

How's that? Amazing, isn't it!

Miku

Yeah, it's amazing. You're good at cooking, Chieri-chan.

Chieri

Chieri doesn't cook. Getting shared food from the neighborhood and the shopping street is the basics of food procurement!

Chieri

Chieri got food from Aunt Akemi at the bento shop, and Raika got hers from Aunt Keiko at the diner!

Chieri

In return, we pick up trash around the shopping street and change lightbulbs for them. It's a give-and-take thing.

Chieri

How's that! This is P-Stay's "neighborhood network!"

Miku

(Getting meals in exchange for odd jobs? What era is this? Edo?)

Raika

Oh, everyone's here! This is how breakfast should be!

Yomogi

Ugh... Raika-san, you're choking me...

Miku

Huh... Yomogi-san is being dragged...

Raika

If I leave her alone, she'll stay in that dark room until noon. Come on, you need some morning sun!

Yomogi

Ugh, my eyes...! The morning sunlight... is too strong for me...

Chieri

Stand up straight as Chieri's subordinate, Yomogi!

Raika

You heard her? Here, have a seat~

Yomogi

Here, we go...! *Sigh*... I can't move an inch anymore...

Raika

Alright, my family gathering around the table! Let's put our hands together...

Raika

Let's eat—

Chieri

Chieri has already finished eating!

Miku

I don't eat breakfast. Sorry.

Raika

Huh~~!! "The day's plan lies in the breakfast with family," you know!?

Chieri

The day's P...!? Then Chieri is A! Chieri won't give up the first place!

Raika

Then I take the F from family! No, that's not the point! This is something important that Granny told me!

Miku

(This kind of dumb, simple-minded conversation... It's giving me a headache...)

Raika

Miku~ You actually want breakfast, don't you? Freshly cooked rice gives you energy, you know~?

Raika

Since it's the first breakfast after Miku came here, I went all out and cooked five whole cups of rice! And I cooked it with plenty of love♪

Miku

Wow~ Thank you. But I must go to school now. Bye.

Raika

Wait, wait! Then the band! You'll do the band, right?

Raika

Let's gather on stage after our part-time work! Your guitar's gonna be on fire tonight, don't you think, Miku~?

Miku

Oh, that? It's just interior decoration. I can't actually play guitar.

Raika

Huh? But the strings looked brand-new?

Miku

...!

Raika

That guitar has a history. Both in the past, and the present.

Raika

Because it's a cool guitar, overflowing with love.

Miku

(Love...?)

Miku

No, Papa, please! Don't go!

Miku's Biological Father

Sorry, Miku. I'll leave my guitar here.

Miku

You're going to leave Miku here too...!?

Miku's Biological Father

...

Miku

Please! Papa—

Miku's Mother

Stop it, Miku!!

Miku's Mother

He's not your Papa anymore, Miku.

Miku

...

Miku

Uwaaaaaah...!

Miku

(There's no love in it.)

Miku

(We're both the ones who got left behind. It's the only partner I can trust, that's all.)

Raika

Miku?

Miku

Love, huh... I might be pouring some into it! Just as a favorite decoration though.

Miku

Well then, see you at the part-time job♪

Raika

Ah... Take care~!

Raika

Hmm...?

Chieri

Chieri's going too! I'm such a genius that I've already finished everything!

Chieri

Yomogi, you're not asleep, are you? Chieri'll leave the dishes to you!

Yomogi

Huh...!? Yeah... Um, what were you saying...?

Chieri

So you were asleep after all...! You weren't even listening to what Chieri said!

Chieri

Raika, say something too! At this rate, Yomogi will be a useless subordinate—

Raika

Cherie, we've got big trouble. I don't get Miku at all.

Chieri

Mm... Is that more important than what Chieri has to say?

Raika

How should I put it~ It's like... when an omurice has "curry" written on it in ketchup...

Chieri

So...?

Raika

Even though it's actually an omurice inside, if someone serves it to you saying "This is curry!" you'd be confused, right?

Raika

When the outside and inside don't match, you don't know how to make up your mind to eat it, right?

Chieri

*Sigh*... When you have a subordinate who can't explain things clearly, being the union leader is tough.

Raika

What'd you say~?

Chieri

I don't really get it, but you just have to give it a try, don't you?

Chieri

You never know how it tastes until you eat it.

Raika

Just have to... give it a try...

Raika

Yeah, you're right! Wow~ You're a genius, Cherie!

Chieri

Huh!? Fi... Finally you get it! Chieri has always been a genius!

Yomogi

Zzz...

Raika

Miku, let's try playing guitar together! I'm pretty good at teaching, you know~

Miku

More importantly, the deputy manager was looking for you earlier. She said the register doesn't balance.

Raika

Hey, Miku!! If we use castanets, we could probably play in a band together, don't you think!?

Miku

Hehe, that's cute~ But I don't really have a sense of rhythm.

Raika

I've been the one singing until now, but don't you think you could be a vocalist too?

Miku

I can't really sing in front of people~

Raika

Hmmm...

Oh my~ Rai-chan! It's rare to see you making a face like that.

Raika

Oh, Aunt Keiko~! Sorry I haven't been able to go to your place for a set meal lately.

It's fine, just come whenever you want! How's the dorm going?

Raika

Hmm... We did have a new family member, but...

Hehehe, she refused to join your band too, right?

Raika

That's true, but maybe that's not all...

Feeling down is a sign that you're hungry! Wait a second, I'll get you some of my simmered dish!

Raika

Huh, really!? Aunt Keiko, thank you~!

Raika

Hm...? I think the trash behind the diner moved...

Raika

Maybe that's the cat called Nekotaro we always see around here? Let me get a little closer...

??? (Shizuku)

Um... Uh...

Raika

Huuuuuuh!?!? A girl is lying on the ground!?

Raika

Hey, are you okay!? Are you hurt anywhere!?

??? (Shizuku)

Mmm...

Raika

Oh no, I should get her to the hospital...! But wait, what if her family's out there looking for her...!?

Raika

Alright! Just sleep on my back for a while, okay?

??? (Shizuku)

Uh... Um...?

Raika

Excuse me~~~!! Is there anyone around here looking for a little girl~!?

Miku

(The family idiot went out and hasn't come back. I don't see the other two either... But just in case.)

Miku

Chieri-chan~ Yomogi-san~

Miku

...

Miku

Okay. Now's the time.

Miku

No, this phrase should be more...

Miku

(Like that insensitive girl, being so direct and pushy actually fits the song better...!)

Miku

(She comes into my room without asking, keeps pushing me to do the band, and even touches my guitar...!!)

Miku

(And the girl who keeps asking for compliments, and the girl who stares at me all the time...!!)

Miku

(I'll pour all the stress into a song and let it all out!)

Miku

Phew...

Miku

(Composing is going... really well!)

Miku

(That just shows how much stress I have. But pouring it into a song makes me feel better.)

Miku

(As long as I have this time, even in a jungle of rare animals, I feel like I could make it...!)

Miku

...

Miku

(When I started composing... It was more...)

Miku's Biological Father

Well then, what kind of song should we make next?

Miku

Hmm, then... "The Yummy Stew Song"! Papa, play something! Miku'll sing!

Miku's Biological Father

All right! Here we go...

Miku

Potatoes, nice and fluffy♪ Onions, soft and gooey♪ Papa can't eat mushrooms~♪

Miku's Biological Father

Ugh... Miku, you really hit a sore spot there...!

Miku's Mother

Hehehe. Miku-chan, you're great at both singing and songwriting! That's absolutely right~

Ahahaha.

Miku

(Come to think of it, that was the beginning of my composing.)

Miku

("Papa" would casually play guitar, I'd casually sing, and the three of us would laugh together.)

Miku

(The songs I wrote back then, they all came from feelings like joy and happiness.)

Miku

(But all that changed, when it became just me and "Mama...")

Chieri

Newcomer!! Chieri is ultra amazing today!

Miku

Huh!?

Chieri

Wha... What is that~~!! You can play guitar, can't you!!

Miku

Chi, Chieri-chan, shhhh...!!

Chieri

You said you can't play it before, so that was a lie!?

Miku

Please, shhhh...!!

Yomogi

*Inhale*... *Exhale*...

Yomogi

Okay, my heart's calmed down a bit...! I should be able to talk to her now. I can do this...!!

Miku

Huh...!! Yomogi-san too, since when have you been there...!?

Yomogi

Gyaaaah, I'm sorry!! I just wanted to know your hobbies~~!!

Miku

(A single moment of carelessness can be fatal. That's what this place is, a jungle of rare animals.)

Miku

(I thought I could make it as long as I had time for composing... But living in a place like this is too hard for me!!)

Raika

Everyone, where are you~~!? We've got big trouble!!

Chieri

We're all in the newcomer's room!! What happened!?

Raika

What should I do? I have to save this girl!!

??? (Shizuku)

Hm...

Chieri・Miku・Yomogi

Huh...!?

Yomogi

What's that? Who's that~~!?

Raika

I dunno...! But—

Raika

There might be a "family" somewhere waiting for her! So let's help her!!

Miku

...

Chieri

Th-There's nothing Chieri can't do.

Yomogi

Huh, what? What's going on!? What do you mean by helping her!?

Miku

(Why was I trying to live in a place like this...?)

Miku

(I left home because I don't want to be pushed around by "family." But I ended up being involved in another one.)

Raika

Miku, you too, please!!

Miku

Okay, let's all head to the living room first♪

Miku

(I can't change, if I don't leave this dorm.)