(Soma wishes to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Tono again. He wants that more than anything it seems...)

And I have a similar wish...

(I can't possibly repay Akito for what he's given me.)

(He was there for me when I desperately wanted to escape classical music, sing and not lose sight of who I really was.)

(That day...)

(He invited me to form a team with him.)

(And I was given a new dream...
To surpass RAD WEEKEND.)

(Our first meeting with Azusawa wasn't exactly pleasant. It was quite the opposite...)

(But it also helped turn the four of us into one team.)

(Akito said that I'm the best partner he could ask for.)

And in order for me to keep being that incredible partner...

I want to keep standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him.

(I couldn't be happier that Akito's been making so much progress, but it also means that I have to keep trying.)

(I have to keep doing everything I can in order to make sure that I don't get left behind.)

(I also want to support him as best I can, so that he keeps getting better. Because I believe in him more than anybody else.)

(And it's not just him that I believe in now. Shiraishi and Azusawa also mean quite a lot to me.)

(They've all been moving ahead...
Which means I don't have time to stay stuck like this.)

(These are the feelings I care about, and I want to convey that through music.)

I'll lower the pitch here...
And try to get the melody to really ring here.

I can have the bass walk at a gentle pace, and give the other instruments a clearer sound. That should make things more dynamic...

♪————! ——!

Sorry, I'm gonna stop the demo for a second!

Sure, what's up?

Hmm, do you want to bring the tempo up a bit? I know we're trying to hold off a bit here, but it might be better to just go all out, you know?

Yeah, I agree. That also bothered me a little.

Then, shall we give it a try? I'd like to.

Yeah, awesome! How about you, Toya?

Yes, I'd like to try that as well.

Alright, let's start again from the top.

Huff... Huff...
Haha. We just sang nonstop...

But it felt really great after we decided to just sing as hard as we could for that one part instead of holding back.

Yeah, that felt really good for me too! And I bet it's gonna feel even better once we've finished editing our demo.

That's also nearly done, correct?

Yeah, we just have a few minor adjustments left to make, so it should be done by tomorrow.

I was sorta worried about what would happen after we all decided to make new songs, but it really ended up being worth the effort.

Yes, and we have you two to thank.

(Next, it's my turn...)

Um, everyone, may I have your attention for a bit?

Hm? What's up? Why so formal?

Oh, it's not actually anything serious...

...

(Ah, so this is how Soma and Azusawa must've felt.)

(This fear that you didn't do enough... That the listener won't understand the feelings you're trying to convey...)

I don't expect it to be used during our upcoming event, but I actually made my own track...

What...?

Aoyagi...

I couldn't help it...

Hehe. Yes, I see.

So, would it be okay if I had you three listen to it?

Of course! I really wanna hear it!

Yeah, me too.

...

Akito...?

The reason I wanted to sing with you is because of that look of determination you had on your face just now.

It tells me that there's no way you didn't give this song everything you had.

I can bet on that look you just made, right? If so, Toya, let me listen to it.

(This is so strange. I was so worried just a second ago, but what Akito just said made that all go away.)

Yes, I appreciate it.
Then, here it goes.

(Wow, Aoyagi...)

(I can hear each instrument so clearly, but they're working beautifully in unison. It feels so good. This must be what he meant by Aoyagi meant by achieving a good overall sound.)

(But it doesn't stop there. You can hear all these different sounds within this incredible harmony...)

(The string section went nuts there just now. It was such a powerful sound, but in a way, also gentle. I felt really encouraged by it for some reason...)

(My chest... It's tightening up... What's going on? I really want to sing right now.)

(Argh, if only we were on stage!)

What did you all think...?

I...

I really wanna sing this track!!

It was so incredibly amazing, Aoyagi!
I really want to sing your song right now too!

Shiraishi, Azusawa...

I'm not sure how to put it into words, but it's like this song was made for us...!

Yeah, Kohane, you're totally spot on.
It's like it was lifting us up onto a stage just now.

Thank you both very much...

What did you think, Akito?

What did I think? Obviously, I thought it was the best thing ever! If we were to perform this song, the sky would be the limit!

Just hearing the intro alone made me want to sing it, but as the song went on, I felt this hot sensation start welling up inside me. I guess that's what it really means to evoke emotions in somebody.

Dude, where did you learn to make something like this?! This means I've gotta up my game too...

Is this what you've been busy with lately, Toya? Were you working on this song?

Yes. So, the truth is...

(No, I'm supposed to keep what Soma was making a secret...)

Is something wrong?

No, it's just... I asked someone for help when it came to actually writing this song, and I really couldn't have done it without them.

However, it wasn't just them. I have you to thank as well, Akito.

Me?

Yes.
While I wrote this song, I was reminded of everything that we'd gone through together.

I'm standing here today because you discovered me singing by myself after I ran away from classical music.

Even when I wasn't sure if it was actually okay for me to be performing alongside you, Akito, you said that it was.

Yeah, I remember...

If you hadn't, I very likely would've stepped away from music altogether.

But you prevented that from happening, Akito.

I realized just how much of a privilege it is to sing alongside a partner like you...

I was able to put this track together because I want to keep singing with you. I want to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you as we perform.

Akito, you're the best partner I could ask for.

Hey, that's my line.

Hm? Akito, are you blushing?

Quiet, you.

(Based on everyone's reactions, it seems I was able to convey my thoughts and feelings.)

(As bad as I feel for making them wait so long, I'm glad I was able to accomplish that.)

Anyway, we have to play this song during next week's event. I'll let Tono and the others know later.

Wait, Akito, we're also going to perform this song...?

Yeah, I want us to practice a bit more in order to get it right.

But we really don't have much time left until the event. Practicing two new songs sounds awfully difficult...

Nah, I'm sure we'll manage.

Hehe. Yeah, that shouldn't be a problem for us whatsoever. Right, Kohane?

Right! I don't care how hard we have to practice. I want to sing your song just that much, Aoyagi.

There you have it.
We aren't about to let a good track go to waste. Not when it's dangling in front of us like this.

As for my track... I'm gonna need a little bit more time, and I'll do my best to not change our individual parts. In any case, I've got a good feeling about how it's gonna turn out now!

(No matter how I look at it, this isn't going to be easy.)

(But going overboard can sometimes be a good thing...)

Let's make this the best event ever, Toya!

Yes, let's.