Outside the live house

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1

Ichika

Listen

Those two that are arguing... Aren't they...?
2

???

Listen

Ugh... I'm done talking to you!!

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3

???

Listen

Hanano!!

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4

???

Listen

...!
I-I'm so sorry!

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5

Ichika

Listen

Wait...!

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6

???

Listen

Hanano!
We're not done talk... Wah!

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7

Honami

Listen

Watch out! That car's going to...!

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8

Driver

What did you do that for?! Are you nuts?!
9

???

Listen

I-I'm sorry!
Ow...

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10

Ichika

Listen

Are you okay?!
11

???

Listen

Oh, sorry about that... But I'm okay.
I just scraped my elbow a little by trying to dodge that car...
12

???

Listen

Wait, aren't you from Leo/need...?!
13

Saki

Listen

Oh no! Your elbow!
The blood is seeping through your clothes too!
14

Ichika

Listen

Wh-What do we do...?!
We need to treat you somehow...!
15

???

Listen

No, that's okay!
I don't want to be any more of a bother...
16

Honami

Listen

No, you won't be a bother.
Let's just get you cleaned up first...
17

Honami

Listen

Shiho, does the live house have a first aid kit? We'd only need a couple of things to properly treat him.
18

Shiho

Listen

Yeah, there should be one.
I'll go get it now.

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19

Saki

Listen

That and... We should find a place for him to sit! Know any good spots nearby?
20

Ichika

Listen

Oh, let's try the park!
Can you stand?
21

???

Listen

Th-Thank you very much...
Shibuya Park

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22

Honami

Listen

There...
All cleaned up.
23

???

Listen

Thank you.
I really appreciate it.
24

Honami

Listen

Nothing broke as far as I could tell, but it still might be a good idea to have someone at the hospital look at it...
25

???

Listen

Okay.
26

Yota

Listen

Um... You're Leo/need, right?
It's nice to meet you. My name's Yota Yoshizaki. I'm always at your shows and really enjoy hearing you play.
27

Ichika

Listen

Oh... Th-Thank you...
28

Yota

Listen

You're all probably really tired after finishing that show... So, thank you all very much.
29

Honami

Listen

No, it's okay.
You don't need to thank us.
30

Saki

Listen

Yeah!
Honestly, we should be the ones thanking you two for always coming to see our shows!
31

Yota

Listen

Huh?
For always... Wait, you recognize us?
32

Ichika

Listen

Yes. You two are always at the front, right?
33

Ichika

Listen

You both always look like you're really enjoying yourselves, so it was hard not to notice.
34

Yota

Listen

I never would've guessed...
35

Yota

Listen

I can't believe you remembered who we are. My little sister's going to be ecstatic when she hears that Leo/need knows who we are...
36

Yota

Listen

Um... I know that this is asking a lot...
37

Yota

Listen

But if my little sister comes and sees your next show, would you mind talking to her for me...?
38

Yota

Listen

She's still in junior high, so I'd really like it if she's with someone she knows when she goes to the live house...
39

Shiho

Listen

Wait, what are you saying...?
You're always with her...
40

Yota

Listen

The thing is...
I won't be able to go to any more shows.
41

Ichika

Listen

What? Why not...?
42

Yota

Listen

I'm trying to stay away from her...
43

Ichika

Listen

Did something happen between you two?
44

Yota

Listen

Our parents got divorced...

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45

Ichika

Listen

What?
46

Yota

Listen

I-I'm sorry...!
I know it's a personal matter and not something I should be discussing with others...
47

Yota

Listen

But Hanano and I have been living away from each other ever since the divorce was finalized last year...
48

Honami

Listen

I see...
49

Yota

Listen

Yes, but...
We're both worried about each other's home lives, so we've been meeting a few times per month like this.
50

Yota

Listen

That was when we learned about your band...
51

Yota

Listen

The divorce left Hanano in a really bad place, but she's been much happier ever since she started attending your shows.
52

Yota

Listen

Apparently, your music speaks to her by saying, “You're not alone. Let's get through this together.” Oh, needless to say, I'm a big fan too...
53

Saki

Listen

You are...?!
Hehe. Thank you so much!
We're really glad to hear that!
54

Yota

Listen

Same here.
Especially since Hanano's been having so much fun going to your shows.
55

Ichika

Listen

That explains why you two are always at the front.
56

Ichika

Listen

(But they like hanging out with each other despite having to live apart... How does that lead to him not wanting to meet anymore...?)
57

Yota

Listen

For a while, we didn't have any problems seeing each other...
58

Yota

Listen

But about six months ago, our dad remarried and wound up starting a new family...
59

Shiho

Listen

A new family...?
60

Yota

Listen

Hanano began to think that she didn't belong at home anymore and asked me if we could start meeting more often...
61

Honami

Listen

That's so rough...
62

Yota

Listen

It really is. I'm sure they're not bad people or anything, but Hanano just doesn't feel comfortable knowing that she's living with strangers...
63

Yota

Listen

Initially, I thought I could keep an eye on her while she adjusted to her new life.
64

Yota

Listen

But as time passed, we began seeing each other more often...
65

Shiho

Listen

...
66

Yota

Listen

And just the other day, after I suggested that she spent more time with her new family, she said, “I don't need my new family because I have you, Yota.”
67

Yota

Listen

That was when I realized that she won't try to get along with her new family as long as her old one's around... Including me...
68

Saki

Listen

But...
69

Yota

Listen

I want to help support Hanano, but realistically, I can't be there for her forever...
70

Yota

Listen

In terms of what's best for her future, I feel like she needs to learn to get along with her new family.
71

Yota

Listen

Which is why...
Today, I said, “We need to stop meeting like this.”
72

Ichika

Listen

Is that why...?

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73

???

Listen

You big dummy...!!
74

Yota

Listen

I was just trying to ask her to get to know her new family better, but I guess it didn't come out right...
75

Ichika

Listen

(They ended up fighting because they couldn't tell each other how they really feel...)
76

Ichika

Listen

(That's so...)

Sound Effect: Play

77

Ichika

Listen

(That's so sad...)
78

Yota

Listen

Anyway, thank you for helping me out the way you did today. Also, sorry for making you listening to my life story even though it's our first time meeting.
79

Yota

Listen

So... Good luck with your shows.
I'll come back once things have settled down.
80

Yota

Listen

Now, if you'll excuse me.
81

Ichika

Listen

W-Wait...!
82

Yota

Listen

Huh...?
83

Ichika

Listen

Um, so...
I know you two ended up arguing today...
84

Ichika

Listen

But I hope you and your sister find a solution because it's awful seeing you two get torn from each other like this...
85

Yota

Listen

Right. Thank you...
I'll try talking things over with her again.
86

Yota

Listen

Once we've come to an agreement, I'll make sure to never see her...
87

Yota

Listen

Never see her... Again...
88

Ichika

Listen

...
89

Yota

Listen

Sorry, I should get going...
Thank you all again for what you've done.
90

Ichika

Listen

Oh...

Sound Effect: Play

91

Shiho

Listen

He's willing to not see her for the sake of her future... He seems to really care about his sister...
92

Saki

Listen

Yeah, but...
He seemed really sad too...
93

Honami

Listen

Isn't there anything we can do for them...?
94

Shiho

Listen

But this is someone's family we're talking about. I'm not sure we're in a position to say anything...
95

Ichika

Listen

So... There's nothing we can do...?
Next Chapter: What We Can Do