The weekend
Rehearsal Studio

BGM: --:-- / --:-- Play

Sound Effect: Play

1

Ichika

Listen

Good morning...
2

Ichika

Listen

Oh, no one else is here yet.
I might've left home a little too early.
3

Ichika

Listen

But I've hit a bit of a wall with my song, so it might be nice to work on it somewhere else for a change...
4

Ichika

Listen

Still... Why am I having so much trouble...?
5

Ichika

Listen

(I'm currently writing a song with a message about helping others when they need it, but... No matter how many times I try, it ends up sounding off...)
6

Ichika

Listen

(I've even tried adjusting the parts of the melody that I thought needed fixing... But that hasn't really led to an improvement in quality.)
7

Ichika

Listen

(Also... I'm trying to get used to digital tools, but it isn't going well. I can't quite get the melody that's in my head...)
8

Ichika

Listen

This is a lot harder than I realized...
9

Ichika

Listen

(But I want Miku to sing my song...
I've come this far already, so I need to at least finish it.)
10

Ichika

Listen

Still... What do I do in these situations?
I remember Saki saying...

Sound Effect: Play

BGM: --:-- / --:-- Play

11

Saki

Listen

Let's get started, everyone!
It's time for Ms. Saki's songwriting seminar!
12

Rin

Listen

Woohoo!!!
13

Luka

Listen

Oh, what's going on here?
14

Honami

Listen

Ichika was asking about how to become a better songwriter, and these two became so excited...
15

Saki

Listen

Alright, Ichi!
Once again, ask me anything you like!
16

Ichika

Listen

O-Okay, Ms. Saki.
17

Miku

Listen

She's even calling her “Ms. Saki” like she's a teacher.
18

Shiho

Listen

What are you two doing...?
19

Ichika

Listen

S-So...
What do you do when you get stuck while writing a song? Do you have any advice regarding that?
20

Saki

Listen

Ah, excellent question.
Many things can cause you to get stuck while writing a song...
21

Saki

Listen

For example, if you're having trouble producing the sound you want despite having a solid image in your head, you may want to try looking at your song objectively by taking a step back.
22

Ichika

Listen

Objectively?
23

Saki

Listen

Working on a song for too long can cause you to become unable to distinguish between what's good and what's bad!
24

Saki

Listen

So, whenever you find yourself in such a situation, my... Ms. Saki's advice to you is to try listening to the song you're working on using different headphones or somewhere else entirely.
25

Saki

Listen

By doing that, you might figure out what you were missing and get the hint that you need!
26

Ichika

Listen

I never would've thought to do either of those things... Thank you very much for your advice, Saki.
27

Saki

Listen

You're welcome!
And never stop learning!
28

Saki

Listen

Alright, to be fair, I'm still pretty new to songwriting and also keep getting stuck...!

BGM: --:-- / --:-- Play

29

Ichika

Listen

Listening to it somewhere else entirely...
30

Ichika

Listen

This might be the perfect place...
I think I'll try that while I wait for the others to arrive.
31

Ichika

Listen

Let's see... Just plug the cable into my phone and press play...

Sound Effect: Play

Sound Effect: Play

32

Miku

♪————
33

Ichika

Listen

Oh wow... The studio's speakers sound so much cleaner... This sounds completely different compared to when I listen to it on my computer...!
34

Ichika

Listen

But...
35

Ichika

Listen

The melody still sounds off...
It's not capturing that feeling of wanting to help someone who's in need...
36

Ichika

Listen

If anything, these speakers are only making the problems more evident...
37

Ichika

Listen

The bass sounds...thin...
The drums sound light too. It's like everything sounds really far away...
38

Ichika

Listen

It's not just the melody. I can see now that I need to also be careful about which sounds I choose... The issues are just piling up...
39

???

Listen

What song is this?
40

Ichika

Listen

Huh...?
41

Ichika

Listen

H-Honami?!
When did you get here?!
42

Honami

Listen

Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I should've let you know that I was here...

BGM: --:-- / --:-- Play

43

Ichika

Listen

I-I'm also sorry.
My back was to the door, so I didn't see you come in.
44

Honami

Listen

No, that's okay.
More importantly, this song... Is that Miku singing?
45

Ichika

Listen

Oh... So, um...
46

Honami

Listen

But I've never heard this song before. It skipped in a few places, and the melody seems unfinished...
47

Honami

Listen

Ichika... Did you write this...?
48

Ichika

Listen

Oh...
49

Ichika

Listen

Yes, actually...
50

Honami

Listen

I knew it...!
You were still trying to write your own song. Not only that, you're having Miku sing it...!
51

Ichika

Listen

B-But I really just started working on it. I mean, I can't write anything amazing like Saki!
52

Ichika

Listen

I feel bad about making Miku sing such a half-baked song, and...
53

Ichika

Listen

I'm having a lot of trouble.
Using digital tools to write songs is so hard.
54

Honami

Listen

Oh, you mean using a computer to write music? That's very different from how we usually produce songs...
55

Honami

Listen

Especially since you have to choose which instruments to use and what sounds they're going to make. It sounds tough...
56

Ichika

Listen

Yeah...
I know what kind of song I want to write and have been inputting sounds based on how we usually play...
57

Ichika

Listen

But I'm not getting what I want.
I even realized just now that my song has all these other problems with it.
58

Ichika

Listen

I thought I'd be able to help the band more if I learned to write songs for us...
59

Honami

Listen

Ichika...
60

Honami

Listen

What if you asked Ms. Yoisaki?
She composes songs using digital tools...
61

Ichika

Listen

Oh...

Sound Effect: Play

62

Ichika

Listen

That's right.
I remember her mentioning that before.
63

Ichika

Listen

Thanks, Honami!
I'll try contacting her right away.
64

Honami

Listen

Hehe. I sure hope she can help.

Sound Effect: Play

65

Saki

Listen

Morning!
You two are here pretty early!
66

Shiho

Listen

You know you could've gotten started without us, right? Wait, why's only this speaker on...?
67

Ichika

Listen

Oh... Th-The person who used it last must've forgotten!
68

Saki

Listen

Yeah, that is pretty common!
I remember going out and leaving the air conditioner on during summer once, Tsukasa turned into a popsicle the moment he got home!
69

Shiho

Listen

I feel like the temperature setting you chose is more the issue.
70

Ichika

Listen

Honami, would you mind keeping my song a secret from the others until I've had a chance to finish it...?
71

Ichika

Listen

Partly because it's embarrassing, but mostly... I want the song to be complete when they hear it.
72

Honami

Listen

Hehe. Okay, I promise not to tell them.
And I'll help you when I can to make sure it turns out well.
Scramble Crossing
73

Shiho

Listen

Good job today, everyone.
74

Saki

Listen

Bye bye, Ichi!

Sound Effect: Play

75

Ichika

Listen

Okay...
Another day, another good practice.
76

Ichika

Listen

We even got to finalize our decision to make videos moving forward.

Sound Effect: Play

BGM: --:-- / --:-- Play

77

Saki

Listen

So, which song should we do a video for first?!
78

Shiho

Listen

We'll need to choose carefully.
Our first video's probably gonna leave the biggest impression about who we are.
79

Ichika

Listen

Right... Those who like our first video might become interested in us and even come to see us live.
80

Honami

Listen

Then, why don't we choose a song that we all feel good about and serves as a nice representation of who we are...?
81

Honami

Listen

In other words... It'll be Leo/need's way of introducing itself to the world.
82

Saki

Listen

Yeah!
You said it perfect, Hona!
83

Ichika

Listen

A song that we all feel good about and serves as a nice representation of who we are... I guess that means...
84

Ichika, Shiho & Honami

Listen

Saki's song!
The song Saki wrote!
85

Saki

Listen

Whoa! You all landed on the same answer!
86

Ichika

Listen

It seems like the right choice for our first video since we practiced so much just to play it during that show.
87

Shiho

Listen

Yeah, I agree.
88

Shiho

Listen

And it means something special to me. All of you working hard to master it compelled me to play with everything I had...
89

Ichika

Listen

Shiho...
90

Shiho

Listen

S-Saki, is that okay with you?
91

Saki

Listen

Of course!
I can't believe it'll be our first video... I mean, I worked super hard on it, so this makes me really happy♪
92

Honami

Listen

Hehe. For now, until we do our shoot, let's keep practicing.
93

Ichika

Listen

Unlike shows, videos last forever...
And that comes with a different sort of anxiety...
94

Ichika

Listen

I'll need to practice a lot for it.

Sound Effect: Play

95

Ichika

Listen

Hm? Did someone just send me a message?

Sound Effect: Play

96

Ichika

Listen

Oh...!
A few days later
Yoisaki Household - Kitchen

BGM: --:-- / --:-- Play

97

Honami

Listen

Hello, Ms. Yoisaki.
Thank you for having me over again today.
98

Kanade

Listen

Thank you for coming again, Ms. Mochizuki. Also...
99

Kanade

Listen

Welcome, Hoshino.
100

Ichika

Listen

Thank you for agreeing to help me today. After I suddenly asked you to teach me about digital music tools too...
101

Ichika

Listen

Not only that, you even invited me to your house.
I feel kind of bad about all of this...
102

Kanade

Listen

It's my pleasure.
I mean, I happen to have the equipment you need for this.
103

Kanade

Listen

Oh, however, the house may be a bit of a mess since Ms. Mochizuki hasn't had a chance to clean it yet...
104

Honami

Listen

Hehe. Don't worry. It'll be clean in no time.
105

Kanade

Listen

Thank you...
106

Honami

Listen

So, if you'll excuse me, I'll get started.
107

Honami

Listen

Good luck, Ichika.
And thank you again, Ms. Yoisaki. I hope you two can make some good progress.
108

Kanade

Listen

Me too.
Anyway, shall we head up to my room...?
109

Ichika

Listen

Yes!
Next Chapter: With The Tune