Morning, everyone.

Oh, Shiho, morning!

We finally get to practice as a band...

Yeah...

I-I'm a little nervous.
It feels like it's been so long since we last did...

Yeah, I had trouble falling asleep last night because I was so anxious! A part of me was worried about how we'd do today after practicing so much...

But I also can't wait to play as a band! So, let's start already!

Saki...

Hehe.
Your mind must be made of steel, Saki.

(Miku's right...
I'm also really nervous about this.)

(But this will tell us where we are as a band. I have to think that the others are gonna play with everything they have, so...)

Let's play like it's the real thing.

Then, we'll watch as you girls play.

I think we're all looking forward to hearing you play as a band since it's been so long.

(I'm so nervous...
I haven't felt this way in such a long time...)

(I can feel all this anxiety and excitement whirling around inside me... It reminds me of the time when we first played as a band.)

(I can't honestly say how well we're going to do... But I should just try to enjoy the moment and do everything I practiced.)

(I gotta play with everything I have...)

Here they go...

♪————! ♪————!!

...!

(Ichika's singing the high notes with so much power. Normally, her voice can sound thin in high keys, but she's belting it.)

(And...)

(The drums and keyboard are in perfect rhythm... They sound totally different from before...)

(They must've practiced so much.)

————♪

(They're way beyond the level I expected.)

(They're playing really great, but...)

(What do I do...?
Shiho's just way too good on her bass.)

(Not just good...
She seems so far ahead of us in terms of skill.)

(This isn't cutting it...
I can't keep up with Shiho...)

(But... But I...!)

(There's no way that crowd's going to feel anything from our performance if we're this disparate...)

(But it's okay... We still have time before our show...)

(Plus, they've all gotten this good.
So, as long as we practice like we mean it until then...)

(Can I really ask them to do more...?)

(They're all giving it their best. No, they're doing better than that. These past couple of weeks, they've been doing absolutely everything they possibly could.)

(Ichika, Saki, Honami...
Any one of them could've collapsed or fallen ill during these intense training sessions.)

(I can't ask them to do more...)

(At the same time, we can't go on stage in this state. We're too out of sync.)

(We're not in a band and playing music for fun. We want others to be moved by the songs we play.)

(We need to produce a stage-worthy sound. Which means, I...)

(I have to play at their level...)

Shih...

No, don't!

...!

Why are you holding back?

Yes, we're still nowhere near your skill level. You're so far ahead of us...

But I don't want you to hold back.
That's why we practiced so much until now!

Ichika...

I... I get what you're trying to do, Shih...

I'm guessing that you think you'll stand out if you play at 100% and fall out of sync with everyone...

That actually crossed my mind when I heard you play...

Oh...

(Now it makes sense...
Rin knew this would happen.)

Sorry...

But all of you could tell that we sounded really off-balance just now, right?

But...!

At this rate, we won't be able to put on a good performance. So, I have to hold back. It's just what's best for us...

No, it's not what's best for us!

Huh...?

If you want what's best for us, play like you really mean it. Only then...

We'll be able to reach your level, Shiho...!

What...?

She's right...

I think it's fair to say that we all knew you'd be playing at a different level compared to us, Shiho.

That's why we agreed to do these training sessions. We wanted to catch up to you... However, in hindsight, we didn't have much of a chance to do that since you were practicing just as hard.

At the same time, Shiho, I don't want you to not play with everything you have...

Yeah, me too...

The truth is, Shiho, I got to get a peek at how you were practicing the other day...

You looked like you were having so much fun playing your bass... I'm never gonna forget that sound.

And you produced the same sort of sound just now as we played. I felt that same excitement from before. So...

I think it's important to capture that excitement. I think it's what Leo/need really needs.

I mean, it's what we've been trying to translate into sound up to this point. That's why you shouldn't let that feeling go...

But... At this rate...

We all know that it isn't going to be easy.

For us to reach your level, Shiho, we'll probably have to spend less time eating and sleeping in order to practice.

Even so...
I want to make that happen before our show.

You make it sound so simple...

But that's easier said than done.
Until now, we've been practicing with everything we have without cutting any corners.

But to ask you to do even more...
What if one of you collapses from exhaustion before our show...?

I don't care.
I'd rather have that happen than regret not practicing as hard as I could've.

I agree...
I mean, that's what we all initially agreed to do.

...

If we can't reach your level, Shiho, then it just means that we still have work to do. I don't think there's anything you can really do about that. However...

We promise to do everything we can to not make you worry, so please, don't take your foot off the accelerator.

Yeah, I promise too!
Yes, you're way ahead of us right now, Shiho, but just wait... We're gonna catch up to you in no time!

By the time the day of our show rolls around, we'll be standing shoulder-to-shoulder with you...!

Then, we can run across the finish line hand in hand, like that race we did way back when!

All of you...

You know this isn't gonna be easy, right...?

But...

(They've stuck with me until now.)

(Before we formed our band, when I asked for them to play a tough song, when I wasn't sure about actually going pro... Even now...)

(Wait, I...)

(This is just who they are...
I decided that I wanted to go pro with this band because they throw themselves at everything head-on.)

(Not anyone else.
I don't care how long it takes. I want the four of us to go pro together.)

(And they're all doing their best to keep up with me. They don't want me to treat them with kid gloves.)

(Then... Then, I...)

I wouldn't mind running like that again...

*Gasp*
Shiho...!

Sorry...
I didn't realize just how serious you all were.

Even though you practiced as hard as you could up until today, I didn't have faith in you...

So...

I'm gonna play like I mean it.
So, let's make our next performance one to remember...

Shiho...

Does this mean you'll be back to practicing as per usual?

Yes...

But we don't have time to individually practice playing our instruments. Moving forward, we're gonna need to play as much as we can as a band and push each other to do better.

Try to keep up with me, okay?

Okay!

Thank goodness. They all seem in better spirits now...

The thing is, the other day...
When I thought I was assigned to Shih when it was actually your day, KAITO, I wasn't sure what to say after I heard the way she played...

I realized that Leo/need wouldn't really sound like Leo/need if Shih didn't play like she really meant it!

But I couldn't think of a good way to say that or any good solutions for that matter...

I understand how you feel...
I also sensed the same thing that time. But...

I had a feeling that the girls would figure out a way without me saying anything...

Through thick and thin, they've pressed on and kept believing in one another.

Oh...

(That's right. Ichi's been saying that she wants to figure out a way to reach Shih's level...)

(And KAITO didn't stop her because he already knew that...)

Hehe...

Y-Yes?
Is something...?

Nope!
I just thought that you're really amazing, KAITO♪

(But thankfully...)

(Things should turn out great now!)