Turning Pain Into Drive - 4: Even Alone

???

Akito

Listen

...?!

Akito

Listen

(What just happened? Everything went blurry all of a sudden...)

Staff Member

Listen

“Hey, Akito, you okay?
You're on soon.”

Akito

Listen

(He's speaking English...?)

Akito

Listen

(Wait, of course he is...
I'm in the US.)

Akito

Listen

“Sorry, I'm just a bit light-headed.”

Staff Member

Listen

“Whoa, don't go collapsing on stage or anything, okay?”

Akito

Listen

“I'm fine.
And this crowd won't know what hit them.”

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

Akito

♪———————! ——————!

Sound Effect: Play

Akito

Listen

(That's right. On your feet...!)

Audience

Listen

“Hey, is he from Japan...?”

Audience

Listen

“Seems like it.
He's really young, but he sounds pretty good.”

Audience

Listen

“You're doing great, Akito!!!”

Akito

Listen

(No, I can still do better. A lot better...!)

Akito

♪——————————!

Akito

Listen

(I need to be more...!)

Akito

Listen

Phew...

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

Staff Member

Listen

“You had them bouncing off the walls, Akito!”

Akito

Listen

“Haha. Thanks.”

Akito

Listen

(Yeah, the crowd reacted pretty well...
I still remember the crickets I heard when I first came over here.)

Akito

Listen

(In that sense, things have gotten a lot better...)

Akito

Listen

(But this still isn't enough to surpass RAD WEEKEND.)

Akito

Listen

(I need to learn how to get the crowd going even more and improve my technique...!)

Sound Effect: Play

Staff Member

Listen

“Hm? You're leaving already, Akito?”

Akito

Listen

“Yeah, I still need to finish my training routine for today.”

Staff Member

Listen

“You're so diligent.
But why not hang out with some other musicians for a change?”

Staff Member

Listen

“Sam and the others were just looking for you. They wanted to see if you'd be interested in going to the after-party.”

Akito

Listen

(Actually, I might learn something new by talking to other musicians.)

Akito

Listen

“Okay, I'll go.”

After-Party Venue

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

Musicians

Listen

“There you are, Akito!”

Akito

Listen

“Hey.”

Musicians

Listen

“You put on another great performance today.”

Akito

Listen

“I appreciate you saying that, but I still have a lot of work left to do.”

Akito

Listen

“I mean, what's the point if I can't get everyone in the place fired up?”

Musicians

Listen

“Haha. You don't sound satisfied at all.
I like that hungry spirit of yours!”

Musicians

Listen

“I really admire your work ethic.
I still remember when you could barely get two words out in English...”

Akito

Listen

“That doesn't matter now since I'm a way better speaker now...”

Musicians

Listen

“Haha. True!”

Musicians

Listen

“Still, Akito, you've grown so much in a lot of different respects.”

Musicians

Listen

“I agree. Every time we watch you perform, we're stunned by how much you've grown since the last time.”

Musicians

Listen

“So, Akito, how would you feel about teaming up with us?”

Akito

Listen

“Thank you, but I can't.”

Musicians

Listen

“Whoa, that was fast!
You won't even try it out for a little bit?”

Musicians

Listen

“You aren't helping things by being so overbearing.”

Akito

Listen

“No, it's nothing like that.”

Akito

Listen

“I've already decided that I'm not going to team up with anyone.”

Musicians

Listen

“Wait, why? Did something happen?”

Akito

Listen

“No...”

Sound Effect: Play

Akito

Listen

Vivids broke up...?

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

Toya

Listen

Yes, that's right.

Akito

Listen

...

Sound Effect: Play

Akito

Listen

Dammit...!

Akito

Listen

If they couldn't make it through that, then that means they've reached their ceiling.

Akito

Listen

If they're not committed like we are, they're never going to surpass RAD WEEKEND. Right?

Akito

Listen

We have to forget about them and keep moving forward, Toya.

Toya

Listen

...

Akito

Listen

Toya...?

Toya

Listen

Akito...

Toya

Listen

Let's stop all this.

Akito

Listen

Huh? What are you talking about?

Toya

Listen

I...

Toya

Listen

I can't keep going after this childish dream.

Akito

Listen

...!

Akito

Listen

(At first, I thought his dad was behind what he said.)

Akito

Listen

(But he was adamant about quitting.)

Akito

Listen

(And by the time I calmed down and felt ready to talk to him, he'd left Japan.)

Akito

Listen

(If only I'd contacted him sooner...)

Akito

Listen

(No, what's done is done. There's no use thinking about this any further...)

Akito

Listen

(I just have to keep singing. Alone.)

Akito

Listen

(Because... I think that's the best way for me to rise to the top.)

Musicians

Listen

“While we're on the subject...”

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

Musicians

Listen

“Why did you decide to start singing over here, Akito? Are you chasing after a particular artist or something?”

Akito

Listen

“There's an event that I want to surpass...”

Musicians

Listen

“Surpass?”

Akito

Listen

“Yes. An event that I'm willing to spend my entire life on trying to surpass.”

Akito

Listen

“Which is why, I...”

Akito

Listen

“I'm focused on doing just that right now.”

Musicians

Listen

“Cool! That's awesome.”

???

Listen

<...pen...eyes...>

Akito

Listen

(What was that just now...?)

Musicians

Listen

“What's wrong, Akito?”

Akito

Listen

“Oh, it's nothing...”

Akito

Listen

(Did I imagine that...?)

Akito

Listen

(I thought I heard someone else's voice just now.)

Sound Effect: Play

Akito

Listen

Hm? A message? From who...?

Akito

Listen

...!

Next Chapter: The Lines Begin to Cross