<It's been twenty minutes since lunch began... I guess Yuki isn't coming today either...>

<...>

<Wait, someone just logged in. Is that...?>

<Are you all still here?>

<Yuki! You came...!>

<Is everything okay?
You said you had to take a break from N25...>

<I can't stay long...
I'm just here to take a quick break.>

<Okay, but I'm glad you're here...>

<Then, the rest of us should get to work! Our new song's actually almost finished!>

<I made this effect based on your lyrics, Yuki, and want to see what you think!>

<Oh, me too.
Can you see if my rough sketch captures what you were going for with your lyrics?>

<Okay.>

...

(Now that I'm hearing them together, these lyrics don't really work with this melody. Maybe I should go with something more straightforward...)

(Yes, this should be better...)

(Kanade's songs always feel so warm...)

(Also...)

<Oh, Enanan!
I need you to do a tiny favor for me!>

<You're not talking about adding an extra section again, are you?>

<I am! I've got a feeling that the part during the chorus is gonna look even better if we added a cut where she extends her hand out!>

<Extend her hand out...?
With the current composition, that means I'm gonna have to draw all of that in.>

<I know but it'll make Yuki's lyrics hit just that much harder!>

<Hmm... Yeah, I get what you mean...>

<I agree. I like this idea.>

<Wait, K, you do?
Then, I'll give it a try...>

<Hey, talk about Miss Double Standards...>

(Their usual banter...)

(Just hearing their voices helps put my mind at ease...)

<I'm glad you did this, Mafuyu...>

Huh?

<You seem to be feeling a little better now.>

Oh...

Yes, you may be right...

<I'm finished fixing my lyrics.>

<You are? Thank you, Yuki.>

<Interesting...
I think I'll need to adjust how to show it on screen a little.>

<Once Enanan's done making that hand asset we talked about, I'll try putting a cut together based on these lyrics!>

<About that hand...
You know I pretty much have to draw it again from scratch, right?>

<Which is why you're the best!
Thanks for doing this, Enanan♪>

<Hehe...>

<So, now that the lyrics are done, I should be able to finish all my touch-ups today if I really try. We could conceivably be finished by tomorrow.>

<Yes, if we record the vocals today and edit everything tomorrow, I'd say it'll be ready for upload by that evening.>

<Then, tomorrow's all about cleaning it up. I'm almost done too, so I'll try doing what I can again tomorrow.>

Oh...

<I don't know if I'll be here tomorrow.>

<Oh, right...
You still need to study.>

<Still, don't you want to finish what we've been working on together...?>

Oh...

<Yeah, Mizuki has a point.>

<We'll let you know when we're about to upload it, so try to be there for that. I mean, it was a group effort...>

...

<Then, I'll see what I can do...>

<And I'll let you all know if I can't make it.>

<...!
Thanks, Yuki!>

<We'll be waiting for you.>

Thank you for coming all this way.
So, shall we get started?

Yes, let's.

Still, I feel terrible about asking you to meet with me so suddenly. I know parent-teacher conferences don't take place for some time.

But my daughter's been behaving so oddly at home lately. It's really quite worrisome...

Which is why I was hoping to hear how she's been at school.

Ah, I see.
It's normal for a parent to be concerned about their child, so I understand.

Thank you very much.
So...

How has Mafuyu been lately?

Normal as far as I can tell...
She's been fulfilling her responsibilities as a class representative as always, and is adored by all her peers. I couldn't ask for a better student.

I see...

Was there anything else? I would appreciate anything you could share with me, even if it's minor...

Hmm... Well...

Actually...
She did make quite a few mistakes on her finals. It was strange to see...

What...?

To be fair, we all have our bad days, so I'm sure it's no cause for concern.

It's just... She hardly ever makes careless mistakes like that, so–

Excuse me. What are you talking about...?

You've already finished grading her finals?

Huh? Yes, I handed them back the other day... I assumed she'd already told you.

...

Hello?
Yes, this is Mafuyu Asahina's mother.

I apologize for calling you so suddenly.

Yes, that's right...
How has Mafuyu been acting lately?

Yes... I see...

She didn't show up today...?

Yes, I agree. She's always working very hard, so I'll remind her that she needs to take breaks on occasion...

Okay. Thank you very much...

...

(What's gotten into her...?)

(She hid how she did on her finals from me and didn't show up for cram school...)

This can only mean...

(If this keeps up, she's going to lose focus and not do as well as she needs to on her entrance exams...)

(Which means she won't get accepted to her top choice.)

That is simply not an option...