???
1

Miku

Listen

Where am I...?
2

Mafuyu's Mother

You came so close on this test, Mafuyu.
3

Miku

Listen

It's Mafuyu...!
4

Miku

Listen

(What's going on here...?)
5

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

I know...
I miscalculated on one problem.

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

6

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

I apologize for dashing your hopes.
I promise to be more careful next time.
7

Mafuyu's Mother

Yes, it is a bit of a shame since you knew how to solve the problem.
8

Mafuyu's Mother

You'll need to focus on your studies much more if you really do intend to become a doctor.
9

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

Okay, I will!
10

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

Anyway, I'm going up to my room to review what I did wrong.
11

Mafuyu's Mother

Okay. Keep doing your best, Mafuyu.
12

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

(Mom looked so disappointed...)
13

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

I need to study...
I have to get a perfect score next time.
14

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

(So that I can become a doctor...)
15

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

Let's see... The problem I got wrong was...
16

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

...

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

17

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

(This cake doesn't taste like much to me.
Mom said it was good, though, so it must be.)
18

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

(But it's not just the cake.
Everything tastes a little bland lately, even restaurant food and Mom's cooking.)
19

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

I wonder if I'm just overthinking this. Maybe I should do something I like to get my mind off things for a while.
20

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

Wait...
21

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

...What things DO I like?
22

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

Haha. How strange. I must just be tired from studying so much.
23

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

Oh, that reminds me. I still need to listen to that song everyone was telling me about yesterday.

Sound Effect: Play

24

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

They said it's really bright and cheerful.
25

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

What exactly is a cheerful song?
26

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

I'm not sure...
27

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

What was it I liked? What did I want to do again?
28

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

Where...is the real me...
29

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

(What are the things that I like...?)
30

Mafuyu's Mother

We're having beef stew for dinner tonight, Mafuyu. I know it's your favorite. Please have as much as you like.
31

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

Oh...
32

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

Thank you, I will.
Let's eat.
33

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

(My favorite...?)
34

Mafuyu's Father

Is something wrong, Mafuyu?
You don't look very excited.
35

Mafuyu's Mother

Oh, is it by chance not to your liking?
36

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

N-No, nothing's wrong.
I was just thinking about something, is all.
37

Mafuyu's Father

Alright, if you say so.
38

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

Oh, here's that book you lent me the other day. It was really interesting.
39

Mafuyu's Classmate

Really?!
That's great! I had a feeling you'd like it, Mafuyu! Can you tell me what your favorite scene was?!
40

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

My favorite scene...?
I thought they were all very good, but...

Sound Effect: Play

41

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

(No matter what I do... No matter who I talk to, I keep feeling that something's wrong...)
42

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

(It's as if I'm talking about someone other than myself.)
43

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

(Who am I talking about...?)
44

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

(Everything tastes bland.)
45

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

(Nothing feels interesting.)
46

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

(And the things I say that I like are really...)
47

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

(So, what does it mean to be me...?)
48

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

(How do I find out who the real me is...?)
49

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

(The real me...)

Sound Effect: Play

50

Miku

Listen

Oh...
51

Miku

Listen

Is this a fragment of a feeling...?
52

Miku

Listen

Based on her desire to find out who the real her is...?
53

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

...

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

54

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

(I've listened to a lot of different songs now, but they don't do what this one does...)
55

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

(K's song has such a cold and dark tone to it, but I feel compelled by it for some reason.)
56

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

Why is it that only K's makes me feel this way...?
57

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

None of the other songs have had this effect on me, and I don't understand why...
58

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

(I just don't know...
And there's no way for me to learn why.)
59

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

(Even if I were to ask someone about this...)
60

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

Oh...
61

Junior High School Mafuyu

Listen

(Would the person who wrote this song know...?)
62

[K]

Listen

<Thank you, Yuki...>
63

[K]

Listen

<I doubt I would've been able to do this without you. It encapsulates what I was hoping to express now thanks to you.>
64

Mafuyu

Listen

<I see...
I'm glad I could help.>
65

Mafuyu

Listen

<Can I ask you something, K?>
66

[K]

Listen

<Huh? S-Sure, go ahead...>
67

Mafuyu

Listen

<What were you trying to express with this song?>
68

[K]

Listen

<Hmm...
That's hard to explain...>
69

[K]

Listen

<A blank sense of despair...?>
70

Mafuyu

Listen

<Blank...?>
71

[K]

Listen

<Yes, you mentioned how this song needed to feel more stagnant. That may be the best way to look at this.>
72

[K]

Listen

<Not a harsh sense of despair, but something more silent and gradual...>
73

[K]

Listen

<Does that answer your question...?>
74

Mafuyu

Listen

<I see...>

Sound Effect: Play

75

Miku

Listen

Oh...!
76

Miku

Listen

Does this mean...?
77

Miku

Listen

(A SEKAI is ready to be born...?)
???

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

78

Miku

Listen

Where am I...?
79

Miku

Listen

It's so quiet, and there's no one else...
80

Miku

Listen

It's completely empty.
81

Miku

Listen

...
82

Miku

Listen

She wants to find... The real her...
83

Miku

Listen

I see...
This SEKAI is empty because she doesn't know who the real her is.
84

Miku

Listen

She must be in so much pain...
85

Miku

Listen

I want to help her...
86

Miku

Listen

I don't know what I can do for her...
87

Miku

Listen

But I'll try doing what I can.
88

Miku

Listen

You can do it...
Next Chapter: A Quiet Warmth