Over Rad Squad!! - 3: Special Coaching

A few days later

COL

Sound Effect: Play

Owner of COL

Oh, you both made it over.

Ken

Listen

Sorry we're late.
Our event went on longer than expected, and we got caught up in traffic.

Kohane

Listen

It's so nice to see you again.

Kohane

Listen

I really need to thank you for opening your live house today just for me.

Owner of COL

I was pretty surprised when Ken said that he wanted to use this place for training. But I feel a lot better after seeing your smiling face.

Ken

Listen

Wait, why does she get the royal treatment and not me?

Kohane

Listen

(COL...
Where Nagi and her team held RAD WEEKEND.)

Kohane

Listen

(I still can't believe that I get to train here.)

Kohane

Listen

(I should be able to get a good sense of what she and her team felt as they sang here.)

Kohane

Listen

So...
Where is this special coach that you mentioned?

Ken

Listen

Oh, they should be here soon.
You wouldn't think so from the look of them, but they like to be punctual.

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Ken

Listen

That must be them.

Kohane

Listen

...!

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Kohane

Listen

(I'm hearing a lot of footsteps...
It's more than just one person?)

RUST Member A

Oh, you guys already got everything set up. And it's great to see that you're still alive, Granny.

GLaP day Member A

Is this Taiga's prized pupil?
It's great that we finally get to meet her.

Kohane

Listen

(Huh...?
W-Wait a second, they're...)

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Nagi

Listen

Next, we have RUST!
They're all yours!

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RUST Member

♪————————!!

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GLaP day Member

Thanks, everyone!

Kohane

Listen

You all performed during RAD WEEKEND...!

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GLaP day Member B

Oh, you recognize us?!
Thanks for remembering!

RUST Member B

Haha! RADder sort of dominated everyone's minds, so people sometimes forget that we were also there.

Ken

Listen

What are you talking about?
You guys are way more famous now. Not a day goes by without me hearing one of your songs.

Ken

Listen

Anyway, these guys are going to be your special coaches.

Kohane

Listen

What...?!
But they were such an integral part of RAD WEEKEND! Are you sure about this...?!

Kohane

Listen

Th-Thank you all very much for doing this...! But you must be very busy people...

RUST Member A

Yeah, we are pretty busy, but Ken made a personal request.

RUST Member A

He asked, “Some kids want to see what lies beyond Nagi's dream, so would you mind giving them a hand?”

GLaP day Member A

We sorta couldn't refuse after hearing that.

GLaP day Member A

We were able to grant Nagi's request for one last event...

GLaP day Member A

But we've never done anything about her other last request. Helping the next generation carry her dream forward, that is.

Kohane

Listen

Oh...

Kohane

Listen

(Right...)

Kohane

Listen

(They also want to help fulfill Nagi's final wishes.)

Kohane

Listen

(Then...)

Kohane

Listen

I-I'm looking forward to working with all of you!

Group Members

...!

Kohane

Listen

My goal—our goal—is to take Nagi's dream and carry it forward! Until we're standing on top of the world!

Kohane

Listen

So, please help me become strong enough to make that happen!

Ken

Listen

What did I tell you?
See that look in her eye?

RUST Member B

Yeah, you were right...

RUST Member B

She's serious... And all fired up.

GLaP day Member A

Then, why don't we start explaining what we're gonna have you do?

Kohane

Listen

...!
Y-Yes, please do!!

GLaP day Member A

There's no need to be so formal.
I know you're training, but this is still meant to be fun.

Kohane

Listen

Fun...?

Ken

Listen

Yeah.
Originally, this was a game that we liked to play.

Ken

Listen

The rules are simple.
We'll play some music and take turns singing a few bars each, freestyle.

Ken

Listen

We'll repeat that until it's finished, and the person who did best will be declared the winner. We'll all act as the judges.

Kohane

Listen

I see...

GLaP day Member A

RADder was always so good at this.
You guys won basically every time we played.

GLaP day Member A

But we managed to snag a few wins along the way. I mean, everyone here usually puts up a good fight.

RUST Member B

I mean, we wouldn't be here otherwise.

GLaP day Member A

So, first...
You need to become strong enough to defeat us.

GLaP day Member A

Otherwise, you'll never be able to surpass the energy of that night. Not even for one second.

Kohane

Listen

Y-Yes, understood...!

Ken

Listen

That's what I like to hear.
That being said... Winning consistently against these guys is unbelievably difficult.

Ken

Listen

So, your goal will be to beat each of them one time. If you do, then you'll pass.

Kohane

Listen

...!

Ken

Listen

All of these guys were basically on the same level as Nagi. If you can defeat them, then your chances of blasting a hole in that moment will increase significantly.

Kohane

Listen

(I'm supposed to beat people who were on the same level as Nagi...?)

Kohane

Listen

I'm looking forward to singing with all of you!!

GLaP day Member A

Alright... Let's get started.

GLaP day Member A

♪ーーーー!!

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Kohane

Listen

...!

Kohane

Listen

(I don't believe it...
He's singing off the cuff, but he still sounds incredible...)

Kohane

Listen

(And I'm supposed to defeat all of them...?!)

Kohane

♪————————!!

GLaP day Member A

Hey, not bad...

RUST Member A

Then, lemme kick it up a notch.

RUST Member A

♪————————!!

Kohane

Listen

...!!

Kohane

Listen

(Wait, that sort of felt like...)

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Kohane

Listen

(It's how I felt that time...)

Kohane

Listen

(No, don't get overwhelmed...!
You need to try to win!)

Kohane

♪...ーーーーーーーー!!

Kohane

Listen

Huff... Huff... Huff...

RUST Member A

You sounded pretty amazing, but this first bout's a loss for you.

Kohane

Listen

Yes...

GLaP day Member A

You still did really well.
I'm looking forward to seeing how you grow from here.

RUST Member A

Although, you definitely weren't singing at a hundred percent. I'd say around fifty. You totally pulled your punches back there...

Kohane

Listen

Huh...?

GLaP day Member A

I didn't want to take it seriously before giving my throat a chance to warm up. I won't hold back next time.

Kohane

Listen

...

Kohane

Listen

(He held back... That wasn't everything he had...?)

Kohane

Listen

(This is so frustrating...
I don't stand a chance against them at my current level...!)

Kohane

Listen

(But wallowing in my frustration isn't going to solve anything.)

Kohane

Listen

(I have to keep growing.
I have to get stronger...!)

Kohane

Listen

(In order to surpass RAD WEEKEND!!)

Two weeks later

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Kohane

Listen

Huff... Huff... Huff...

GLaP day Member A

Hey, your breathing is pretty ragged.
Wanna take a break soon?

Kohane

Listen

N-No, I'm okay!
I can keep going!

GLaP day Member A

You sure?
Then, let's go another round.

Kohane

Listen

Okay...!!

Kohane

Listen

(What do I do...?)

Kohane

Listen

(It's already been two weeks.
We've been doing this for two hours every single day, but...)

RUST Member A

♪ーーーー!!

Kohane

Listen

(I can't win...!
I can't even imagine myself beating them...!)

100

Kohane

Listen

(If this keeps up, I'm never going to make any progress...!!)

101

Kohane

Listen

(Focus... You need to focus more...!)

102

Kohane

Listen

(Think back.
How did it feel when you sang with everything you had...?)

103

Kohane

Listen

(That time, I...)

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104

Kohane

Listen

(I took what all the locals were feeling and sang in a way that resonated with them.)

105

Kohane

Listen

(Then, all I have to do now is remind myself of our resolve and express that by singing...!)

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106

Kohane

♪——————————————!!

107

GLaP day Member A

Oh...?

108

GLaP day Member A

In that case...

109

GLaP day Member A

♪ーーーーーーーーーーーーーー~~~~~!!

110

Kohane

Listen

...!!

111

Kohane

Listen

(That still isn't enough...?!)

112

GLaP day Member A

I thought I saw something there for a moment... But, I guess you're still not there yet.

113

GLaP day Member A

If you can take what you just did in that moment and replicate it a hundred times, then you might be able to eke out one win.

114

Kohane

Listen

But...

115

RUST Member A

You don't have time to be feeling bad about yourself.

116

RUST Member A

Because that night was nothing like what we're doing here.

117

Kohane

Listen

...

118

Kohane

Listen

Right...!!

Next Chapter: Growth From Defeat