Hope Will Someday Go Beyond the Morning - 8: What I Want To Express

The next morning

Ena's Room

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1

Len

<Zzz... Zzz...>

2

Ena

Oh, it's morning already...
No wonder I feel so sleepy...

3

Mafuyu

Oh, you're right...
I'll open the curtains.

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4

Ena

No, don't...!
It'll be too bright!

5

Mafuyu

The light will help you wake up.

6

Len

<Hm...? Is it morning already...?>

7

Ena

See? You woke Len up.
He was sleeping like a baby too.

8

Mizuki

<Morning, Len!>

9

Len

<Mhm... Morning...>

10

Mizuki

<Also, today's been a lot of fun for some reason, and I got a ton of work done too!>

11

Kanade

<Same...
It was nice to see you really enjoying yourself, Yuki.>

12

Mizuki

<Yeah, you haven't been able to log on much lately because you've been so busy.>

13

Mizuki

<Which made hanging out with you until the morning like this really nice!>

14

Mafuyu

...

15

Mafuyu

I haven't been able to work like this in so long...

16

Mafuyu

If I were at home, I probably wouldn't have been able to. So... Enanan, thank you.

17

Ena

Huh? Oh, um... You're welcome.
I mean, it was nice to get away for a bit, right?

18

Mizuki

<Anyway, I've reached a good place to stop, so I'm gonna go to bed.>

19

Kanade

<Me too. I'll put on the finishing touches after a quick nap.>

20

Ena

Okay.
Night, everyone.

21

Mizuki & Kanade

<Night!>
<Good night.>

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22

Ena

Alright, I think I'll get to work on my assignment.

23

Mafuyu

Your assignment...?

24

Ena

Yeah, for art class.
I've got a good idea of what I wanna draw now.

25

Ena

All thanks to you.

26

Mafuyu

Me...?
But I didn't do anything.

27

Ena

You don't have to understand.
But thanks anyways.

28

Mafuyu

Okay...

29

Len

<Good luck, Ena.>

30

Mafuyu

Then, I'm going home.
I have cram school starting around noon, so I need to head back and get my things.

31

Ena

Oh, are you sure?
Shouldn't you sleep for a bit first?

32

Mafuyu

I'm fine now...

33

Ena

Okay...

34

Len

<Alright, I think I'll head back too...>

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35

Len

<Good luck to you both, Ena, Mafuyu.>

36

Mafuyu

*Nod*
Thank you, Len...

37

Ena

Good night.

38

Ena

Len also seems to be feeling a lot better now.

39

Ena

And he really liked my portrait of you... Oh, I know.

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40

Ena

Here, as a small token of my appreciation and since it turned out so well, you can have it.

41

Mafuyu

Oh...

42

Mafuyu

Thank you...

43

Mafuyu

Anyway, I'll see you later on Nightcord.

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44

Ena

Alright, time to get to work...

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45

Ena

(I wasn't sure what to do when I heard that our theme was “incubation” since I'd never tried to draw something based on that before.)

46

Ena

(But I think I know what to do now...)

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47

Ena

Yeah. So, why don't you try telling your mom what you really want to do?

48

Ena

Including the part about your synth...

49

Mafuyu

I already told her that I don't want to stop...

50

Ena

What...?

51

Mafuyu

I told her that I know that I need to study but also want to keep making music...

52

Mafuyu

My mom knows that things will become much harder if I don't study and do well on the entrance exams...

53

Mafuyu

So...

54

Mafuyu

So... I...

55

Ena

No, I think I just realized how much making songs means to you.

56

Mafuyu

How much it means to me...?

57

Mafuyu

...

58

Mafuyu

I can't say for certain, but...

59

Mafuyu

Right now, I want to keep doing this with all of you.

60

Ena

(I know you can't do much right now since you're still stuck inside your shell...)

61

Ena

(But...)

62

Ena

(One day... I want you to break out of it with your own power.)

63

Ena

(I want to see you driven by your own free will to see the wide world that's out there.)

64

Ena

(And...)

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65

Ena

And live your life the way you like, Mafuyu.

A few days later

Art class

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66

Yukihira

I see.
So this is what came to mind when you heard “incubation”?

67

Ena

Yes, what do you think of it...?

68

Yukihira

Well...

69

Yukihira

First, your brushwork for the background leaves a lot to be desired. I can see that you were trying to depict daybreak, but I'm seeing blotches of colors here and there.

70

Yukihira

As for your figure, their joints don't seem fully connected, which gives them an unbalanced appearance. They seem so stiff that it's hard to tell what sort of pose they're trying to do.

71

Ena

Right...

72

Yukihira

But you've done a good job with the irises. I can see from there that they yearn to break free from their shell and soar into the sky.

73

Yukihira

And how the artist wishes to do the same.

74

Ena

...!

75

Ena

Th-Thank you very much.

76

Ena

(He got it...! I didn't say anything, but he got my message...)

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77

Yukihira

Unfortunately, Shinonome, I cannot give you a pass since you failed to finish it in the time allotted. Nonetheless, well done.

78

Yukihira

I hope you'll work to fix your mistakes and look forward to doing better next time.

79

Ena

Y-Yes, I will...!
Thank you very much, Mr. Yukihira!

80

Ena

(Thank goodness...
I managed to accomplish my main goal...)

81

Ena

(She probably doesn't realize it, but I also ended up learning a few things from Mafuyu.)

82

Ena

(Still, I'm way behind the others.
I need to keep practicing for next time.)

83

Ena

(Someday, I'm gonna get really good, and draw something that properly illustrates the music Kanade and Mafuyu make.)