Over Rad Squad!! - 4: Growth From Defeat

A few weeks later

Crase Cafe

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Kohane

Listen

*Sigh*
I'm exhausted...

Rin

Listen

Hi, Kohane!

Len

Listen

You've really been battling against them every day. How have things been going? Have you managed to win yet?

Kohane

Listen

No, I still haven't won against anybody...

Kohane

Listen

And today...

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Kohane

♪ーーーーーーーーーーーーーー~~~~~!!

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RUST Member A

Oh, that was a close one.

GLaP day Member A

Yeah...
If she was just a bit more polished, I would've been done for.

Kohane

Listen

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

Kohane

Listen

(J-Just a bit more...!)

Kohane

Listen

(I'm so close. I might finally win...!)

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???

Oh, you guys are really going at each other!

Kohane

Listen

Huh?

Owner of COL

These windbags just showed up at my doorstep... Seven, eight... I can't believe you're all here.

???

Yeah, we're living overseas now, so it took us some extra time to get back.

Kohane

Listen

U-Umm...

Ken

Listen

We weren't the only ones who performed at RAD WEEKEND, remember?

RUST Member A

That makes twelve in total.
You have to defeat us one at a time.

Kohane

Listen

A-All twelve of you...?!

GLaP day Member A

Not only that, these guys are still active, so I've gotta think they're gonna put up much more resistance than us.

Kohane

Listen

...

Kohane

Listen

(What...?)

Kohane

Listen

(They're better than the others...? But there are so many of them...)

Kohane

Listen

I have to win against even more people now...

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Toya

Listen

I see...
That's quite the predicament...

Akito

Listen

But I can't lie. I really envy your situation.

Akito

Listen

I mean, you're facing off against active pros who performed at RAD WEEKEND. I wish I could battle against them.

Listen

Yeah, I know things are tough... But you're definitely gonna come out stronger once it's all said and done.

MEIKO

Listen

I agree.
Just keep doing your best to hang in there, Kohane.

Kohane

Listen

Th-Thank you, everyone.

Kohane

Listen

I promise to keep doing my best to win and catch up to all of you.

Kohane

Listen

Shinonome, you trained one-on-one with An's dad and ignited the entire neighborhood all by yourself.

Kohane

Listen

Aoyagi, you took all our feelings and turned them into that amazing song.

Kohane

Listen

And your task is so hard, An.
But you're doing your absolute best to complete it.

Kohane

Listen

Which is why I also need to complete mine...!

Listen

Yeah...
You're right.

Listen

But I still haven't finished mine yet, so I'll be trying just as hard as you.

Kohane

Listen

Right...!
Let's do our best together, An!

One month later

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Kohane

Listen

*Sigh*

Kohane

Listen

(I still couldn't win today...)

Kohane

Listen

(What am I supposed to do...?
On top of me needing to build more stamina, even my singing skills still leave a lot to be desired...)

Kohane

Listen

(I... I just have to keep doing everything I possibly can to get better...)

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Kohane

Listen

(To do what RADder did that time.)

Kohane

Listen

(No, my singing has to surpass that. It needs to resonate even more...)

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Kohane

Listen

Huh...?
A message? But it's so late...

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Kohane

Listen

From An?

Listen

I need you to battle against me.

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Listen

Right here. Right now.

Kohane

Listen

What...?

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Kohane

Listen

(I lost...)

Kohane

Listen

(But I sang with everything I had.
I did better than I ever had while training.)

Kohane

Listen

(And yet, I...)

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♪————————!!

Kohane

Listen

...

Kohane

Listen

This is so frustrating.

Kohane

Listen

(And I know I'm supposed to use that feeling to propel myself forward.)

Kohane

Listen

(But that doesn't make it less frustrating.)

Kohane

Listen

(I still can't sing like the way they do.)

Kohane

Listen

(I still can't throw absolutely everything I have into my singing.)

Kohane

Listen

(Not only that...)

Kohane

Listen

I...was really hoping that I could get her excited.

Kohane

Listen

(An has this way of singing that makes my heart race...)

Kohane

Listen

(But I... I still haven't been able to do the same for her.)

Kohane

Listen

(I want to get her excited.
I want to surprise her. I want her to smile and laugh.)

Kohane

Listen

(That's the way I want to sing.
Which is why...)

Kohane

Listen

I have to become stronger...!

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Kohane

♪————————!!

Kohane

Listen

(More...! More...!)

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Kohane

Listen

(More excitement! More than what An achieved that time...!)

Kohane

♪————————————————~~~~!!

GLaP day Member B

...

GLaP day Member B

Alright, you got me.
I can't top that.

GLaP day Member B

You win.

Kohane

Listen

...!
Thank you very much!

Kohane

♪————————————————~~~~!!

RUST Member C

♪———!! ————!! ————!!

Kohane

Listen

...

Kohane

Listen

(No! You can't give up...!)

Kohane

Listen

(If you do, then no one is going to hear you!)

Kohane

♪————!! ————!! ————!!

RUST Member C

...
Now I see why Taiga took you under his wing.

RUST Member C

Well done.
You win.

GLaP day Member D

You're batting like one for five now, right?
I can't believe how fast you're improving...

GLaP day Member D

I'm starting to understand how you and Taiga feel. I like how she's able to respond so quickly.

RUST Member D

It's been so long since I last sang this hard. You're one tough girl.

Kohane

Listen

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

Kohane

Listen

(That's eleven...)

Kohane

Listen

(Just one more to go...!!)

Ken

Listen

(Looks like she's figured it out.
Her head seems much clearer now. She can focus on each song without anything getting in the way.)

Ken

Listen

(And we have An to thank for what she did the other day. She's become such a good partner.)

Ken

Listen

(You have just one to go, Kohane.)

RUST Leader

Alright, I'm the final boss.
You can go first.

RUST Member D

Get ready!
Our leader's racked up the most wins against RADder!

Kohane

Listen

I'm ready!

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Kohane

♪——————————————————————!!

Kohane

Listen

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

Kohane

Listen

(I can't win...
He's too strong...)

Kohane

Listen

(No...)

Kohane

Listen

(I have to focus.)

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100

Kohane

Listen

(I have to move forward!)

101

Kohane

Listen

(I can do it...)

102

Kohane

Listen

(I can sing like them! I know I can!)

103

Kohane

♪——————————————————!!!!

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104

RUST Leader

(...!
This feels like...!)

105

Kohane

♪——————————————————————~~~!!

106

RUST Leader

Ken, stop the music.

107

Kohane

Listen

Huh?

108

RUST Leader

What you just did... I can't do anything against that.

109

RUST Leader

You blew my mind to pieces.
The last time this happened was during that night...

110

Kohane

Listen

Wait, does that mean...?

111

RUST Leader

You pass.

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112

Kohane

Listen

...!!

113

Ken

Listen

I felt it too just now.
Like being struck by a bolt of lightning.

114

Ken

Listen

That's easily the best I've ever heard you sing.

115

Ken

Listen

Of course, you're still pretty rough around the edges, but now you have the power to create the moment we talked about.

116

Ken

Listen

So, that concludes your first task.

117

Kohane

Listen

Oh...

118

Kohane

Listen

Thank you very much...!!

119

RUST Member A

You did it! Nice work!

120

GLaP day Member A

You sounded so amazing just now.

121

Kohane

Listen

Th-Thank you all very much...!!

122

Kohane

Listen

But...

123

Ken

Listen

Hm? What's wrong?

124

Kohane

Listen

Umm... I'm not sure that I have a good grasp of what I just did...

125

Kohane

Listen

Which is why I'm going to keep practicing. In order to learn how to sing like that at will.

126

GLaP day Member A

Yeah, good plan.
If you can master what you just did, then you guys will have a way better chance of surpassing RAD WEEKEND.

127

RUST Member A

We're counting on you, girl.

128

RUST Member A

We wanna see the moment when Nagi's dream becomes a reality. We promise to be there when it happens.

129

Kohane

Listen

Right!!

130

Kohane

Listen

Thank you all very much for taking all this time out of your busy schedules to help me like this...!!

131

Everyone

Yeah, good luck!
Do your best!

132

Ken

Listen

I promised An that I'd watch her practice after this, but you're free to use this place if you want to keep practicing.

133

Ken

Listen

Mind watching her for a bit, Granny?

134

Owner of COL

Alright, I can do that.
But I'm booting her if she stays too late.

135

Kohane

Listen

Th-Thank you very much...!
I really appreciate it.

136

Ken

Listen

Anyway, I need to get going—

137

Kohane

Listen

Oh, before you do, I'd like to ask you a question...

138

Ken

Listen

Hm? A question?

139

Kohane

Listen

About my second task.

140

Kohane

Listen

You said that you'd tell me once I've completed my first. So, I was wondering...

141

Kohane

Listen

U-Umm...

142

Ken

Listen

My original plan was to tell you once you'd completed your first task...

143

Ken

Listen

But I've decided to tell you on the day of.

144

Kohane

Listen

Huh? The day of the event?

145

Ken

Listen

That's right. For now, don't think about it. Just keep practicing and focus on mastering what you did just now.

146

Ken

Listen

And don't forget to be yourself when you sing...

147

Kohane

Listen

Be myself...?

148

Ken

Listen

Anyway, I really need to get going. So do all of you.

149

RUST Member A

See you later.

150

GLaP day Member A

We're counting on you!

151

Kohane

Listen

Oh... Thank you very much!
Please take care of yourselves, everyone!

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152

Kohane

♪————————!!

153

Kohane

Listen

(I really want to know what my second task involves...)

154

Kohane

Listen

(But for now, I need to focus on mastering what I just did.)

155

Kohane

Listen

(I have to figure out how I'm going to create that moment on my own. So that we can surpass RAD WEEKEND...)

156

Kohane

♪————————!!

157

Kohane

Listen

...!
*Cough*

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158

Owner of COL

Hey, you're going to lose your voice if you keep singing so much.

159

Kohane

Listen

Oh...!
Hello, ma'am...

160

Owner of COL

Here, drink this.

161

Kohane

Listen

Huh? This looks like... Is this hot water?

162

Owner of COL

Yes, with some honey and ginger.
It'll be good for your throat.

163

Owner of COL

I used to make this so often for Nagi...
That girl also had a habit of practicing too hard and losing her voice.

164

Kohane

Listen

She did...?

165

Owner of COL

Anyway, make sure you drink it while it's still hot.

166

Kohane

Listen

Right...! Thank you very much!

167

Owner of COL

...

168

Owner of COL

Still, you've really become quite the singer. You have me doing double takes.

169

Kohane

Listen

Th-Thank you...

170

Owner of COL

Hm? You don't seem all that happy despite the compliment.

171

Kohane

Listen

I-I'm sorry... I wasn't trying to be rude...

172

Kohane

Listen

I'm just worried whether I'll really be able to blast a hole in that moment like he said...

173

Owner of COL

Hm?

174

Kohane

Listen

Everyone congratulated me today on passing and the way I sang...

175

Kohane

Listen

But I still don't have a good understanding of what I did. So, I'm worried about what's going to happen when we do this for real...

176

Owner of COL

I see.

177

Owner of COL

I believe you have more than what it takes to succeed.

178

Owner of COL

If there's anything missing still, I'd say...

179

Owner of COL

You need to take a look at yourself.

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180

Kohane

Listen

At myself...?

181

Owner of COL

That's right.
Or more specifically, you need to find your “ego”.

182

Kohane

Listen

My ego...?

183

Owner of COL

Yes, since the ones with the biggest egos always end up becoming the best singers.

184

Kohane

Listen

Huh?

185

Owner of COL

I've hosted and gone to a lot of different events in my time.

186

Owner of COL

Some were horrible, while others I'm never going to forget for as long as I live.

187

Owner of COL

That includes RAD WEEKEND.

188

Owner of COL

Unfortunately, the ones who come up with events like that tend to be pretty self-centered.

189

Kohane

Listen

Self-centered...?

190

Owner of COL

Yes. To be fair, some were kind, honest and polite on the outside like you. But I'd usually find out that they're egotistical down to the core.

191

Owner of COL

They never listen to anyone else and try to get their way, even if it means causing others around them a lot of trouble... They're always a handful.

192

Owner of COL

But they're the ones who'll do whatever it takes to change the status quo, like you're trying to blast a hole in that moment. People like Nagi.

193

Owner of COL

And that's what makes events like the one she put on unforgettable. The way she pushed herself to the absolute limit as she sang...

194

Kohane

Listen

Ma'am...?

195

Owner of COL

And so, if you feel that you're still missing something, that's what I think you should start looking for.

196

Owner of COL

Your ego, that is.

197

Kohane

Listen

My ego...

198

Kohane

Listen

Does wanting to surpass RAD WEEKEND count as having an ego...?

199

Owner of COL

I don't know.
Everyone's different. You can't just tell someone else who they are.

200

Owner of COL

That being said, I think your case is relatively simple. You just need something plain and simple that drives you forward.

201

Owner of COL

A thing that you want to do no matter the cost, no matter how much trouble you cause.

202

Owner of COL

I believe something like that is what fuels a person's ego.

203

Kohane

Listen

...

Next Chapter: My Ego