Happy Enjoy Music! - 4: What Defines Us

Jam Fest

Green Room

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1

Shindo

Alright, we're all here.

2

Shindo

I hope you all got plenty of sleep last night.

3

Saki

We did! Hona gave us lots of stern reminders to rest up before our big day!

4

Honami

D-Did I give that many reminders...?

5

Shiho

But I do feel that we were able to rest up properly because of you, Honami.

6

Shindo

I'm glad to hear that.
After all, I need you all to play with everything you have today.

7

Ichika

O-Of course...!

8

Shindo

I'm joking.
You should be just fine as long as you play the way you always do.

9

Shindo

Anyway, I need to go greet the staff, sponsors and everyone else involved. Please feel free to relax until it's time to rehearse.

10

Saki

Okay!

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11

Saki

Wait, I know!
Since we have time, why don't we go greet the other bands?!

12

Honami

Oh, that's right...
Especially since STANDOUT and anemone are also here.

13

Shiho

We'll be playing on the same stage, so I'd like to say hi to them as well.

14

Saki

Alright, that settles that!
So, let's go!

STANDOUT Green Room

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15

Saki's Voice

Pardon us!

16

Iori

Hm...?

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17

Saki

Hello! We're here to pay our respects!

18

Iori

Huh? Tenma?
Wait, respects?

19

Honami

Umm... We're Leo/need.
We look forward to playing alongside all of you today.

20

Iori

Oh, welcome.
You all came together. huh?

21

Mio

Hello. Let's all do our best today!

22

Saki

Yes, our absolute best!!!

23

Saki

Can you tell us which songs you're going to play today, Iori?

24

Iori

Hm? Oh, today...

25

Ichika

Were Saki and Iori always this close?

26

Shiho

No idea...

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27

???

Hello. Oh, Leo/need's also here.

28

Ichika

Huh?

29

Shiho

Saku...!

30

Saku

This is perfect.
Our plan was to greet you next.

31

anemone Member A

Anyway, STANDOUT, Leo/need, let's all do our best today!

32

Honami

Oh...
Yes, let's all do our best!

33

Saku

Come to think of it, didn't Leo/need release a new song recently?

34

Mio

Oh, the one for that cider commercial.
We were actually just talking about it.

35

Ichika

Really?

36

Iori

Yeah, we really liked it.

37

Iori

You spent a lot of time working on it, right, Ichika? Tenma told me everything.

38

Ichika

Saki did...?

39

Saki

Hehe. We had a chance to talk about a bunch of stuff the other day♪

40

Iori

And she told me a lot.
Including what happened while you wrote that song.

41

Ichika

Sh-She did?
Now I'm starting to feel embarrassed...

42

Saku

There's no need to feel embarrassed.

43

Ichika

Huh...?

44

Saku

Because I also like that song.

45

Ichika

You do...?!

46

Saku

*Nod*
But it's not something I'd listen to normally.

47

anemone Member A

You didn't have to say that last part!

48

Ichika

Haha...

49

Ichika

Still, thank you.
We really appreciate it!

50

Shiho

Still, I wasn't expecting to hear that you two had already listened to it.

51

Saku

I mean, you hear it just walking around Shibuya, whether you want to or not.

52

anemone Member B

Saku, phrasing!

53

Honami

H-Haha...

54

Ichika

But we really do appreciate it. The truth is, we weren't sure we should even make it...

55

Saku

Huh, really?

56

Ichika

Yes, the thing is...

57

Saku

I see. You were originally given this offer because the VIRTUAL SINGER version of your other song went so viral, and they wanted it again.

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58

Iori

To be fair, it's a fairly common occurrence. We actually went through something similar.

59

STANDOUT Member A

Haha. Remember how much we argued with them that time?

60

Honami

Wait, you argued back?

61

Iori

Yeah, we were told to write a song based on this melody that everyone else had been using at the time.

62

Iori

But I felt that doing so would effectively spell the end of STANDOUT's music. So we said no.

63

Ichika

Oh...

64

Iori

Your band also said no to producing VIRTUAL SINGER versions of all the songs you wrote moving forward like your company wanted, right, Ichika?

65

Ichika

Y-Yes, we did...
But unlike STANDOUT's situation, that was just me being selfish...

66

Iori

What's wrong with being selfish?
I actually think you made the right call.

67

Ichika

Huh?

68

Iori

Sure, being professional musicians means having to do what you can to be marketable.

69

Iori

Our company's also begun making more demands, which has resulted in us having a little less freedom.

70

Iori

But you can't just say yes to everything. I think it's important to draw a line somewhere.

71

Honami

Draw a line...?

72

Iori

Yeah. In our case, I don't want to do anything which goes against our style, and I really don't want to do anything that everyone else is doing.

73

Iori

Because if we bend on that, then what was the point of STANDOUT going pro?

74

Iori

I don't think our fans would want us to do anything like that, either.

75

Iori

That's our conviction. I absolutely refuse to budge there.

76

Ichika

Oh...

77

Iori

I'm sure you did the same thing because you have your own convictions, Ichika. You should cherish those beliefs.

78

Iori

But that's just my opinion.
Surviving in show business as a band is probably a whole different can of worms.

79

Shiho

...

80

Saku

Some bands prioritize becoming popular by producing songs which they know will sell well.

81

Iori

Yeah.

82

Iori

But not a small number of bands split up after doing that. They blindly follow what their agency tells them to do, and lose sight of what they themselves wanted to do in the first place.

83

Iori

They become obsessed with numbers, and as a result, their music suffers.

84

Saki

I see...

85

Iori

That's why I believe it's important to stick to your own style and stay true to yourselves.

86

Iori

Otherwise, you'll start wondering why you're even still in a band with these people.

87

Ichika

Right...

88

Saku

But she's just stating the obvious.

89

anemone Member A

Again, stop doing that!

90

Iori

In any case, we all have a lot to think about.

91

Iori

But for now, let's just do our best today.

92

Ichika

Yes, let's!

93

Saki

Let's go out there and blow everyone away!

Next Chapter: Full-Power Fun!