Oh, okay...
Shiho can't make it today either.

Yeah. She said she's busy with work.

Shiho...

...

What was going through her mind while she was working with each us of...?

But she did say that she wants to get better, together...

She did...

I felt the same way.

I thought we'd be able to hang out more too...

Saki...

I wonder what it's like to go pro.

I wouldn't know. It always felt like those people lived in a completely different world than us...

The first time Shiho told me that she wanted to go pro, I thought that it would be sort of nice if I could as well...

But I always knew that it wasn't really possible. I don't think I ever actually wanted to...

This mindset is what's causing her so much pain.

You're not alone, Ichika.
I fell into the same trap...

Me too...

But I want to be in a band with her. I don't want her to leave us for some other band...!

That I know is true...!

But I guess that's not enough for her...

Right...
If we aren't ready to actually start working towards becoming pros ourselves, we'll just end up hurting Shiho more.

So if we're getting in the way of Shiho's dream coming true...

Should we break up our band...?

...

I don't know...

(Becoming a pro, huh...?)

Are they going to be okay?

They're definitely between a rock and hard place. I'm not even sure what to tell them right now...

And Shiho may be going through the same thing right now as well...

They care about each other so much...
But that's also what makes this so hard...

...

Um, Miku...
Do you have a minute?

Yes, Ichika?

Do you know what it means...?
What's needed to become a pro...?

I haven't stopped thinking about it ever since Shiho told us about that...

Becoming a pro...

I'm not sure I can say since I'm not a professional myself...

But maybe it has something to do with constantly trying to understand what your music is about...?

Understanding our music?

Is that it?

Wait, there has to be more to it than that! What about having to push the other things you want to do to the side and stuff...?

That I can't say...

Not even Miku can answer this one.

Of course. I've never thought about turning pro or how to do it.

Right...

But...

I can at least say that I don't think resolve and commitment aren't things you can learn about from others.

Huh...?

So we have to find that answer ourselves...?

Yes...

Thanks, Miku.

Understanding our music, huh?

I sort of get it but not really...

Do we not know how to do that yet...?

Maybe. As much as we've been practicing, I'm not sure we've reached that level of understanding yet...

Oh, hey...! A STANDOUT CD.

You're right. They're being featured as a one of the hottest indie bands out there right now. I guess they are just that famous.

...

(Music that moves people...)

(Shiho probably wants to perform just the way they did...)

(But there's no way we can match them right now. Maybe we should let Shiho be free and pursue her dream with STANDOUT...)

(But...)

If Shiho joins them, she could actually make it and debut as a pro...

But what if she starts drifting away from us...?

Yeah...

But I'm sure we can still see each other. We can still be friends, right?

...

No, I can't let that happen...!

I want us to stay together...
I want us four to be in a band...!

Ichi...

You're right!
We have to tell her that!

I agree. I wouldn't have it any other way.
But...

Shiho's probably thinking long and hard about which path she wants to take too.

We can't go into this half-hearted. She needs to clearly know how we feel and what we plan to do about it.

Right...

We need to think about what it really means to go pro, and if we're willing to make that commitment...