Find A Way Out

The night of RAD WEEKEND
Shinonome Household - Living Room

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1

Junior High School Akito

Listen

Okay... R-A-D-d-e-r...

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2

Junior High School Akito

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Oh, there's a bunch of videos of them online. But they're mostly of their shows. They really don't have that many music videos...
3

Junior High School Akito

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Anyway, I'll start by watching the one with the most views...

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4

Taiga

<♪————>
5

Junior High School Akito

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(Even in video form, they're beyond incredible...)
6

Junior High School Akito

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(All of their songs have this way of waking you up because they're so electrifying.)
7

Junior High School Akito

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(This thought crossed my mind when I went to the Summer Festival with Ena...)
8

Junior High School Akito

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(But music really is awesome...)
9

Junior High School Akito

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Oh...
10

Junior High School Akito

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I ended up listening to the same song over and over again. I was hoping to listen to more...
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Junior High School Akito

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*Sigh*
But I feel kinda tired for some reason...
12

Junior High School Akito

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...?!
13

Junior High School Akito

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When did I clench my hands like that?
So hard that my nails left imprints too...
14

Junior High School Akito

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I guess I was listening to it just that intently...
15

Junior High School Akito

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(I don't think I ever became this focused when I was still playing soccer...)

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16

Junior High School Akito

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(I thought I was taking it seriously...)
17

Junior High School Akito

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(But then I realized that there were other people who were actually devoting their lives to it...)
18

Junior High School Akito

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(There was no way that I would've been able to make the same commitment.)
19

Junior High School Akito

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(Maybe I feel the same way about music. I can't honestly say if I'm prepared to make those kinds of sacrifices...)
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Junior High School Akito

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(But putting on an event like that one has to be the best feeling in the world...)
21

Junior High School Akito

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(If I could sing like them...)

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22

Junior High School Ena

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You can think about taking it up seriously later on.
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Junior High School Akito

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I don't know if I'm willing to devote my life to it...
24

Junior High School Akito

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I don't know... But I wanna give it a try.
One week later
Shibuya Park

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25

Junior High School Akito

♪——! ——!
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Junior High School Akito

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Argh! Why do I sound so bad...?!
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Junior High School Akito

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What do I need to do to be able to sing like RADder?! How do I produce that jolt?!
28

Junior High School Akito

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I need to learn more...
The next day
Vivid Street
29

Junior High School Akito

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(I watched RADder videos a bunch of times yesterday after practice, but I still couldn't find an answer...)
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Junior High School Akito

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(I have no idea how to get better in a way that lets me sing like them...)
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Junior High School Akito

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(But I might just learn something if I see them live again...)
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Junior High School Akito

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I heard that they perform at the live house from that night... COL.
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Junior High School Akito

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It should be right around... Found it!
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Junior High School Akito

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(Wait, it's so quiet...
And they have hardly any flyers posted.)
35

Junior High School Akito

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(Are they not doing any events?
But the front door's open... I think there's people inside.)
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Junior High School Akito

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(I'll try going in...)

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COL
37

COL Staff Member

Hm? Who are you...?
38

Junior High School Akito

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Oh, sorry...
Should I not have walked in?
39

COL Staff Member

No, it's okay.
We did leave the door open.
40

COL Staff Member

So, what's up?
41

Junior High School Akito

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So, um...
I was wondering when RADder would be doing their next event...
42

COL Staff Member

Ah, I see. Were you here to see RAD WEEKEND?
43

Junior High School Akito

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Yes.
44

COL Staff Member

That's cool. Unfortunately...
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COL Staff Member

RADder's probably going on hiatus for a while.
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Junior High School Akito

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What...?
47

Junior High School Akito

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No...
But they're such amazing singers...!
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Junior High School Akito

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And they're able to put on mind-blowing events like RAD WEEKEND! Why now...?!
49

COL Staff Member

You're right. Without RADder, there wouldn't have been a RAD WEEKEND.
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COL Staff Member

They, along with all the other musicians who participated, put on the best performance ever.
51

COL Staff Member

Sadly, no one is probably going to put on a better event anytime soon.
52

Junior High School Akito

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...
53

COL Staff Member

Also, this place is closing up shop at the end of the week. So, as much as I hate to say this, no events will be held here anymore.
54

Junior High School Akito

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Oh, I see...
Thank you, and please pardon me...
55

Junior High School Akito

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(RADder's going on hiatus...?
And COL's closing down...?)

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Musicians

♪——————
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Junior High School Akito

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Hm? That voice...
58

Junior High School Akito

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(I hear people singing... But who?)
59

Junior High School Akito

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(Oh, people are also singing down that way...)
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Junior High School Akito

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(This is so cool. I couldn't tell earlier since I took a back alley, but it's like they're all competing for everyone's attention...)
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Junior High School Akito

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(And they all seem to love what they're doing.)
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Junior High School Akito

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(So free and unbound by anything...
But it's also really tense... I kinda like this atmosphere...)

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COL Staff Member

Hey, you! Wait up!
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Junior High School Akito

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Huh? Oh, you're from...
65

COL Staff Member

Here, take this. I felt bad about having you leave empty-handed after going out of your way to visit, so I brought you a flyer for this event happening in the area.
66

COL Staff Member

RADder's a tough act to follow, but you might enjoy seeing some events put on by other musicians.
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Junior High School Akito

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Oh... Thank you very much.
68

Junior High School Akito

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This place is incredible. It's like everybody's singing and they all really love what they're doing...
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COL Staff Member

Yeah, this is a great place to sing...
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COL Staff Member

Isn't it an amazing place? This town and everyone in it lives and breathes music.
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Junior High School Akito

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Live and breathe music...
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COL Staff Member

Yup. And things have only gotten more exciting after RAD WEEKEND. Suddenly all these young musicians are aspiring to RADder's level.
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COL Staff Member

Just take a look. The one over there with the big crowd just entered junior high school. In fact, she's probably around the same age as you.
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Junior High School Akito

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What?
75

???

♪————! ————!

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Junior High School Akito

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(She's an amazing singer and she looks like she's having a lot of fun... She's that good even though she's the same age as me?)
77

COL Staff Member

Her name's An. She's actually Ken's... You know KEN from RADder? She's his daughter.
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Junior High School Akito

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KEN's...?!
79

COL Staff Member

She's been telling everyone that she's going to put on an event that surpasses RAD WEEKEND.
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Junior High School Akito

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What? Surpass RAD WEEKEND...?!
81

Junior High School Akito

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(She's nuts. There's no way she can...)
82

Junior High School An

♪————!!
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Junior High School Akito

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(Out of all the singers I saw today while walking around here, she might have the most presence...)
84

Junior High School Akito

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Surpass RAD WEEKEND, huh...?
85

Junior High School Akito

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(But I sorta get why...
To be able to sing that well, I bet she's prepared to do anything to make that happen.)
86

Junior High School Akito

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(Right...
Which means I need to be willing to do the same thing.)
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Junior High School Akito

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(If I somehow managed to put on an event like that... No, I'll never be able to if I don't fully commit myself to it.)
88

Junior High School Akito

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(If I can't stand on the stage I saw that night when my mind was totally blown... unless I give it everything I have...)
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Junior High School Akito

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(I just have to commit and go for it!)
90

Junior High School Akito

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(I don't care how much time I have to spend. I'm not letting her...)
91

Junior High School Akito

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(No, not just her! I'm gonna surpass everybody in town!)
92

Junior High School Akito

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Excuse me...
93

COL Staff Member

Yes?
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Junior High School Akito

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Would you mind if I sang here?
95

Junior High School Akito

♪————————!!
96

Local

Hm? Hey, that kid's singing right next to COL.
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Local

His pitch is all messed up, but I'll give him that he's loud.
98

Junior High School An

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Interesting...
99

Local

An, keep singing a while longer!
100

Junior High School An

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Huh? Uh, sure...!
What should I do next?
One year later

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101

Junior High School Akito

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(I'm going third today...
There's still some time, so I think I'll grab a drink of water...)
102

Junior High School Akito

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Huh?!

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103

Older Musician A

What the...?! Dude, you got water all over my clothes! I'm on stage next too!
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Junior High School Akito

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I'm sorry...
105

Older Musician A

You're sorry? You need to be more careful.
106

Junior High School Akito

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(What a pain...)
107

Older Musicians

What's with the attitude? And quit standing in the way of everyone. Seriously, who do you think you are?
108

Older Musicians

Wait, I know this guy.
He's the one that's been singing in all these places around town, saying he's gonna surpass RAD WEEKEND or whatever.
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Older Musician A

Surpass RAD WEEKEND?
Pretty big talk from someone with zero rep.
110

Older Musicians

I know, right? You'd expect to have heard of someone who goes around making that kind of declaration.
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Junior High School Akito

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Wait, that was when I...!
112

Junior High School Akito

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No, I will surpass it...!
I don't care how impossible it sounds. I'm gonna do it...!
113

Older Musician A

Again, big talk from a total loser.
114

Older Musicians

Alright, that's enough.
He's still just a junior high schooler.
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Older Musician A

Junior high schooler or not, RAD WEEKEND is the stuff of legends.
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Older Musician A

So quit playing around. I hate it when people talk about surpassing it like it's no big deal.
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Junior High School Akito

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...!
118

Junior High School Akito

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I'm not playing around! I'm serious!
119

Older Musician A

Anyway, his performance today is gonna spell it out for us. That no one here wants to hear him sing.

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120

Kotaro

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Hey guys.
Whoa, what's going on here...?!
121

Kotaro

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(Oh, he's been singing around here a lot lately... Did he step on someone's toes...?)
122

Kotaro

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(He really shouldn't go around making enemies like that...)
123

Kotaro

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Tact is what he's missing...
124

Luka

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(I see...
Akito went through quite a lot back then.)
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Kotaro

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Man, talk about a blast from the past.

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126

Kotaro

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You were so prickly back then.
Well, you still are even today...
127

Akito

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Shut it. Also, that last part wasn't necessary.
128

Kotaro

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Alright, alright. Sorry.
Still, you really didn't get along with any of the older musicians.
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Kotaro

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That's why my jaw sorta dropped when you started using that kind and polite persona of yours...
130

Akito

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I was desperate back then, okay?
I didn't have time to think about building relationships.
131

Kotaro

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Yeah, that's definitely true.
Fortunately, as time went on, you started getting better and better.
132

Kotaro

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Speaking of which, that's about the time you started running and singing at the park, right?
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Akito

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Yeah...
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Kotaro

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Also...
Oh, I remember someone began spreading this weird rumor about you.
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Akito

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What weird rumor?
136

Kotaro

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Oh, something about you messing up during an event...
137

Kotaro

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Again, it was just a rumor! I didn't actually believe it! But you did sorta disappear for a while after that, so I thought you quit or something...
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Akito

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Right...
139

Luka

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(Huh? Akito's voice just went all...)
140

Kotaro

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Hm? What's wrong, Akito?
You have this strange look on your face.
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Akito

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It's just...
142

Akito

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That rumor was true.
That event you were just talking about... It happened at Crawl Green.
143

Kotaro

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What?! Seriously...?!
144

Luka

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(...!)
Next Chapter: The Issue With Crawl Green