The next day
School SEKAI - Rooftop
1
Saki
Alright, here's to our show yesterday going amazingly well...! Cheers!!
2
Rin
Yay! Cheers!!
3
Shiho
Try not to spill any juice, alright, you two?
4
Len
Yeah, Rin's totally gonna trip and fall at some point.
5
Rin
I'll be fine!
See? My drink's on my desk and I'm using a straw!
6
Saki
Anyway, Len, raise your glass! Cheers!
7
Len
Okay, cheers.
Hey, this juice is pretty good...
8
MEIKO
Still, a rooftop afterparty turned out to be such a great idea.
9
Honami
Saki suggested it on our way home yesterday.
10
Ichika
That was when we decided to bring some food and drinks to celebrate...
11
Miku
Your apple pies really never disappoint, Honami.
12
Luka
I know they're good, Miku, but leave some for the rest of us, okay?
13
Miku
I-I've only had a little bit...
14
Luka
Hehe. I'm sorry.
You seemed to be really enjoying yourself so...
15
Miku
Oh, Luka...
16
KAITO
...
17
Shiho
Hm...?
18
Shiho
Everything okay, KAITO?
What are you doing all by yourself?
19
KAITO
Oh...
N-Nothing in particular...
20
Shiho
...?
21
KAITO
It's just...
22
KAITO
I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do...
23
Shiho
Huh?
24
KAITO
I-It's not that I don't like parties or anything. I'm just not used to them is all...
25
KAITO
I usually play or perform by myself, so I have a hard time figuring what to do in these sorts of situations when everyone's involved...
26
Shiho
I see...
27
Shiho
Actually, I think I understand how you feel. There was a time when I spent a lot of time by myself...
28
KAITO
Really...?
29
Shiho
Yeah.
Ever since I was little, I've always been a bit of a lone wolf when it comes to doing the things I want.
30
Shiho
To be fair, the flip side of that involved me not being great at interacting with others...
31
KAITO
I had no idea.
But I think I can empathize...
32
Shiho
I'm not gonna lie...
Crowds and parties really aren't my thing.
33
Shiho
But things are different for me here...
34
KAITO
...
35
KAITO
Because Ichika and the girls mean so much to you?
36
Shiho
Yeah...
37
Shiho
Our show yesterday even felt like a dream to me. For a moment there, I couldn't believe that I was actually playing in a band with them...
38
Shiho
But during junior high, I put a lot of distance between myself and the others because of my personality.
39
Shiho
Which is why playing in a band together like this feels dreamlike at times...
40
KAITO
I see...
41
Saki
Shiiihhooo!!
You've gotta try these! They're so crispy!!
42
Shiho
Wah!
Wh-What is it, Saki? They're just chips, right...?
43
Honami
She wants you to try this new flavor of potato chips, Shiho.
44
Shiho
Oh, is that what this is about...?
45
Rin
Hm?
What were you and Shiho talking about, KAITO?
46
KAITO
Huh? Um...
What were we talking about...?
47
Rin
Wait! Is it supposed to be a secret?!
48
KAITO
N-No, not really...
Shiho was just telling me about herself.
49
Ichika
About yourself?
50
Shiho
Yeah.
I was just telling him how I didn't expect to be playing in a band with all of you like before.
51
Honami
Like before?
52
Shiho
During junior high...
When all I did was play my bass by myself.
53
Ichika
Oh...
54
Ichika
(Junior high school was when...)
55
Ichika
(Back then...)
56
Shiho
Ichika, Honami...
You don't need to look so concerned. Not now at least.
57
Ichika
Oh... R-Right...
58
Saki
...
59
Saki
If it's alright with you, Shiho, can you tell me more about what happened back then...?
60
Shiho
Huh?
61
Saki
I want to know more because I really didn't get to go to school much during junior high...
62
Saki
I kinda want to hear more about you during that time.
63
Shiho
Saki...
64
Shiho
(Me... Back then...)
65
Shiho
(But telling her about that time won't really...)
66
Luka
I'd like to hear as well...
67
Miku
Me too.
That goes for everyone, including you, Shiho. I want to know more about all of you.
68
Miku
That is, as long as you're okay with it.
69
KAITO
Right. You don't have to if you're not comfortable with it...
70
KAITO
But I'd like to hear someday as well...
71
KAITO
I believe sharing what happened in the past will bring you all closer together and become a great source of strength...
72
Shiho
...
73
Shiho
Yeah, okay...
I've never really had the chance to talk about what happened back then.
74
Shiho
So I'll do that now.
When I was in junior high...
Next Chapter: I Chose Solitude