On Your Feet - 4: Distance Between Us

A few days earlier

Hospital

Sound Effect: Play

BGM: --:-- / --:-- Play

Soma

Listen

Alright, this track's coming along nicely.

Soma

Listen

(It's become a lot better...
It sounds much more balanced. I think I've got a good grasp on that now.)

Soma

Listen

For today, I'll keep working on it for a little while longer and...

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???

Listen

Soma, you there...?

Soma

Listen

...!

Soma

Listen

(Whoa, that was close!
He didn't see what I was working on, did he...?)

Soma

Listen

Don't scare me like that, Arata! Couldn't you have called ahead or—

Arata

Listen

Sorry...

Arata

Listen

There's something I need to tell you.

Soma

Listen

You don't look so good...
Did something happen?

Arata

Listen

...

Arata

Listen

Sorry...
I...

Arata

Listen

I'm giving up on trying to surpass RAD WEEKEND...

BGM: --:-- / --:-- Play

Soma

Listen

Huh...?
What are you saying all of a sudden?

Soma

Listen

Seriously, what happened...?

Arata

Listen

...

Arata

Listen

We battled against Taiga...

Arata

Listen

And he showed me just how hopeless I am. No matter how hard I try, I'll never be able to sing like him...

Soma

Listen

...

Arata

Listen

It's not just that...
That event...

Arata

Listen

RAD WEEKEND...
Nagi fell desperately ill, and it was meant to commemorate her life.

Soma

Listen

What...?
Her life...?

Soma

Listen

You're kidding, right...?
I thought she was overseas doing...

Arata

Listen

I couldn't believe it either at first.

Arata

Listen

But it's true...
Taiga said so himself.

Soma

Listen

(That night really was something else...)

Soma

Listen

(It was so electric that I didn't know what was going on at times. All I knew was that I was seeing something legendary...)

Soma

Listen

(But that makes a lot of sense...)

Soma

Listen

(Nagi was at the center of it all.
Everyone wanted to honor her life...)

Soma

Listen

(Still...)

Soma

Listen

Arata...
I understand what you're saying.

Soma

Listen

Surpassing the event that Taiga and everyone put on to commemorate Nagi's life won't be easy.

Soma

Listen

But let me ask you this...

Soma

Listen

You're not the kind of person who gives up after hearing something like that. If people say it's impossible, you set out to prove them wrong...

Soma

Listen

You wanting to give up has to mean...
What else happened...?

Arata

Listen

What else...?

Soma

Listen

Yeah.

Arata

Listen

Nothing. Nothing at all...

Arata

Listen

...

Arata

Listen

In any case, I'm done chasing after this dream.

Arata

Listen

I need to get away from this city for a while.

Arata

Listen

I need time to think about what I'm going to do with myself.

Soma

Listen

Arata, wait...!

Sound Effect: Play

Soma

Listen

Oh...

Soma

Listen

I...see...

Kohane

Listen

That really happened...?

Soma

Listen

Yeah...

Soma

Listen

I haven't heard back from him since.
Seriously, the nerve of that guy...

Toya

Listen

Soma...

Soma

Listen

So, that's why I asked you all to meet with me today...

Soma

Listen

You guys know what happened to him, right?
Would you mind telling me...?

Listen

But...

Sound Effect: Play

Taiga

Listen

So, Arata, let me ask you this. Who are you really singing for?

Taiga

Listen

You're not trying to make Soma's dreams come true. You can't face the pain of having lost him, so you're just clinging to his dreams.

Arata

Listen

I wasn't able to respond...

Arata

Listen

All I had to say was, “Taunt me all you want! I'll keep carrying his dreams!”

Kohane

Listen

(Tono wanted to carry Soma's dreams...)

Kohane

Listen

(But...
Are we in a position to talk to him about that...?)

Toya

Listen

...

Soma

Listen

Okay...
So something did happen.

Soma

Listen

My bad, I take back what I said!
Please forget that I even asked!

Kohane

Listen

Wait, but...

Soma

Listen

I sort of already knew what I have to do. I need to ask Arata about this myself...

BGM: --:-- / --:-- Play

Soma

Listen

So, I'll stop badgering you guys about him.

Kohane

Listen

We're really sorry...

Soma

Listen

Don't be.
For today, I'm just glad that I got to see how you guys are doing!

Toya

Listen

What?

Soma

Listen

He looked like the life had been drained out of him, so I was worried that you would be feeling the same way.

Soma

Listen

But I feel a lot better now after seeing your faces. You guys haven't given up, right?

Toya

Listen

Yes, that's right.
We still plan on surpassing RAD WEEKEND no matter what.

Soma

Listen

Yeah, you guys really are tough...

Listen

No, you give us too much credit.
We were just as shocked...

Listen

But we found a reason to not give up...

Soma

Listen

A reason?

Listen

Yes.
It's a bit of a long story...

Soma

Listen

The next generation...
That's what Nagi wanted...?

Listen

Yes. Because she was willing to place her faith in us...

Listen

I want us to surpass RAD WEEKEND and see what it's like beyond their dream.

Soma

Listen

I see...

Sound Effect: Play

Soma

Listen

Thank you for telling me about yourselves and Nagi...

Soma

Listen

As sad as I am about Arata's decision, maybe this is the way things are meant to be...

Soma

Listen

He worked himself to the bone for me.

Soma

Listen

If this is what it takes to set him free...

Kohane

Listen

Oh...

Soma

Listen

Oh, sorry...
I didn't mean to get all sentimental.

Soma

Listen

Good luck, you guys...

Toya

Listen

Thank you...

Kohane

Listen

Um... Thank you very much for telling us about what happened with Tono.

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Soma

Listen

No, it was my pleasure.
Thank you for telling me about Nagi and RAD WEEKEND.

Soma

Listen

Anyway, it's starting to get dark out.
Get home safe, okay?

Toya

Listen

We will. Now, if you'll excuse us.

Sound Effect: Play

Soma

Listen

...

Soma

Listen

They really are a tough bunch...

Soma

Listen

I didn't give Aoyagi a proper apology...
After he helped me make this...

Soma

Listen

...

Soma

Listen

To think he's never gonna sing this song now...

Next Chapter: Will Things Be Okay?