Tomori

Even before I could feel sad...

Tomori

I couldn't help thinking that I could keep the tears aside somewhere.

Tomori

I think I've always lived slightly out of step with everyone else.

Tomori

I first felt that way when I was in kindergarten.

Tomori-chan, do you like leaves, too? I like them too!

Tomori

...!

Tomori's Mother

I'm so sorry. My daughter likes to collect things that roll. She probably thought it would be all right. No, I'm very sorry. Yes... please forgive us.

Tomori's Mother

I know you like pill bugs, but I don't think I'd like it either if you gave me a whole bunch.

Tomori

I felt sad because I was out of step, like I was the only one missing something.

Tomori

So I, like everyone else, try not to get out of step with the world.

Tomori

Then, I became a middle school student...

Yesterday's drama was so moving~! I cried so much~!

I cried~! My mom cried too~! Tomori-chan, did you watch it too?

Tomori

Yeah... it was sort of scary...

Huh? It was scary? I don't think there was such a scene though...

Hey, wasn't that insane!? Ai-chan was—

Tomori

I made friends like everyone else, but...

Tomori

Even when I'm with everyone, it still feels like I'm alone.

Tomori

I just want to live like everyone else.

Tomori

I want to become a human.

Tomori

That was when I met Saki-chan...

??? (Sakiko)

No, don't!!

Tomori

Ugh...

Sakiko

Ouch... Are you all right?

Sakiko

I'm sorry for pushing you... But you mustn't die!

Tomori

What...?

Sakiko

You were trying to die, weren't you!?

Tomori

N-No... The wind took the flower I was holding... I just reached out my hand...

Sakiko

Flower...?

Sakiko

Which is more important, a flower or your life!?

Sakiko

Oh, wait... Flowers have life too, don't they...?

Tomori

It was a falling flower, so I think it was already dead.

Sakiko

Dead!? What!?

Tomori

...

Sakiko

I completely misunderstood... You didn't mean to do that...

Tomori

Yeah...

Tomori

Oh, your knee...

Sakiko

...? Oh my, I've done it... It seems I scraped it when I pushed you away.

Sakiko

It's all right. This is not a problem. Well then, farewell.

Tomori

W-Wait! My home is close, so...

Sakiko

What...?

Tomori

Um... Bandages...

Sakiko

It was my misunderstanding, yet you treated my wound... I feel terribly sorry.

Sakiko

Still, what a lovely room. So many pretty cans and boxes...

Sakiko

Oh, these notebooks...

Sakiko

I used to use these, too. There are so many different covers, I always had difficulty choosing—

Tomori

...! I have all of them!

Tomori

This is sweet pea...! It flutters like a butterfly... And here are cosmos and flower mantis...!

Sakiko

My, there are so many. I'm amazed you collected them all. This is bringing back memories. I often used the one with the rhinoceros beetle...

Tomori

Rhinoceros beetle? Um...!

Sakiko

Oh, don't mind me... I've used this sweet pea too. Actually, the grid was large and easy to use...

Sakiko

...!

Sakiko

Did you write this article?

Tomori

What?

Sakiko

"I made friends like everyone else, but even when I'm with everyone, it still feels like I'm alone—"

Tomori

That's... um...

Sakiko

Are they song lyrics!?

Tomori

What...?

Tomori

U-Um... Where are we...?

Sakiko

This is my home.

Tomori

...

Sakiko

"The Song About Wanting to Become a Human"... These truly are wonderful lyrics...! It's amazing that you can write this.

Sakiko

I apologize for not introducing myself sooner. My name is Sakiko Togawa.

Sakiko

What's your name?

Tomori

Tomori...

Sakiko

Tomori-san... won't you start a band with me?

Soyo

Tomori-chan, you live behind Tsukinomori, don't you? We might have passed each other somewhere!

Tomori

Ah...

Sakiko

Soyo-san will play bass.

Sakiko

She plays contrabass for the wind instrument club. Their performance the other day at the Tsukinomori Music Festival was so wonderful, I just had to ask her!

Soyo

I was surprised when she asked me out of the blue.

Sakiko

This is Mutsumi. She's had an interest in guitar since she was very young, so we can rely on her.

Mutsumi

...

Sakiko

You're being modest again?

Tomori

Are the two of you... Sakiko-chan's friends...?

Sakiko

I've known Mutsumi since we were little. Soyo-san and I are in the same grade, but...

Soyo

But this is practically the first time we've talked, isn't it? And the same goes for Mutsumi-chan!

Mutsumi

Yeah...

Sakiko

There's one more. The drummer. This is the first time I'll be meeting her.

Sakiko

Well then, Taki-san. Could we ask you to introduce yourself?

Taki

I'm Shiina.

Taki

...

Soyo

Taki-chan's older sister is really amazing!

Soyo

She was the leader of the wind instrument club, and she was in the local orchestra at the same time. She even placed first in competitions!

Sakiko

That connection is actually why I reached out to her.

Taki

Does that have anything to do with this?

Soyo

What...? Oh, it doesn't have anything to do with this. I'm sorry.

Sakiko

Apologies. Once again, thank you all for coming today.

Sakiko

I have been greatly looking forward to meeting all of you!

Sakiko

Starting now, we are a band... We'll play music together and our destinies will become one!

Soyo

Destiny, huh...?

Mutsumi

What kind of music will we play?

Sakiko

That's a good question. Tomori-san and Taki-san, have you heard of the band Morfonica?

Taki・Tomori

Don't know it. No.

Sakiko

It's a band made of seniors from Tsukinomori. I'd like to play the song they performed for the music festival!

Soyo

It was wonderful, wasn't it? The student council recorded it, so I'll ask them later so that Tomori-chan and Taki-chan can watch it.

Sakiko

The strength hidden beneath that elegance... I was deeply moved by it!

Sakiko

And I also think that one day I'd like for us to perform our own original songs.

Soyo

What, original?

Taki

We've never even played together, you're aiming pretty high, aren't you?

Sakiko

No, not at all. I can compose music...

Sakiko

And Tomori-san is a lyrical genius!

Tomori

...!? What...?

Taki

Really...?

Sakiko

Tomori-san, will you allow us to look at those notes of yours?

Tomori

...

Taki

We won't know until we take a look.

Soyo

I'd like to see them, too~

Tomori

Sakiko-chan...

Sakiko

Don't worry!

Tomori

Y-Yeah. Then, here...

Mutsumi

I finished reading.

Taki

That kind of thing, huh?

Soyo

I've never written lyrics, so just the fact that you were able to do it is amazing~

Sakiko

Tomori-san has lots of notebooks filled with lyrics at her home!

Sakiko

I have music I played on the piano. I'll play it for you in the studio later.

Tomori

...? The studio...?

Soyo

CiRCLE was completely booked. Sakiko-chan, It's a shame, isn't it?

Sakiko

A shame? Their success is a wonderful thing.

Soyo

What? But if it were at CiRCLE, I thought we might run into someone from Morfonica, right?

Sakiko

What...? That's so disingenuous.

Tomori

...

Taki

Why are you just standing there?

Sakiko

Oh, Tomori-san, could you stand in the middle?

Tomori

Why?

Sakiko

Because you're the vocalist!

Tomori

What?

Sakiko

I'll get your mic ready!

Tomori

Eh... Ugh...

Sakiko

...?

Tomori

I'm... going to sing...?

Tomori

...

Sakiko

Tomori-san, don't be too discouraged. Failure is a natural part of the first attempt.

Tomori

But... I couldn't sing at all...

Sakiko

You're just not used to singing in front of people. With enough practice, I'm sure...

Tomori

Why...

Sakiko

...?

Tomori

Why me...?

Sakiko

They're lyrics that you wrote. It's obvious that it would be better for the writer herself to sing them.

Sakiko

Tomori, the lyrics that you wrote are screams from your heart.

Sakiko

I want to! Become a human!

Tomori

Saki-chan!? Please don't raise your voice that loudly...

Sakiko

With the car noise being this loud, no one can hear my voice at all.

Sakiko

You can scream as much as you like on this pedestrian bridge. Now, Tomori-san, do it with me!

Tomori

Eh... But...

Sakiko

Tomori!

Tomori

O-Okay...

Tomori

I just want to... live like everyone else...! I want to... become a human!!

Sakiko

You can do it if you try...! That's the spirit!

Tomori

But I get nervous in the studio... It's different from here...

Sakiko

Don't worry, there must be a good way! Next time we practice, let's discuss it with everyone!

Tomori

Yeah.