Find A Way Out - 5: The Issue With Crawl Green

A few years ago

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Junior High School Akito

Listen

I'll be going now.

Staff Member

Ah, Shinonome, see you next time.

Junior High School Akito

Listen

Thank you. See you then.

Junior High School Akito

Listen

I did okay during today's event, but I'm still nowhere near the level of RAD WEEKEND...

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(I've learned to sing high notes better and how to get the crowd going.)

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(Still, I need to keep practicing...)

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(I have to run more to make sure I have stamina for the second half, and...)

Older Musician A

Hey, look! It's him...!

Older Musician A

I told you about him before. He's Akito Shinonome.

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(Geez, they're all here...)

Older Musician B

Yeah, I remember. You said you're gonna surpass RAD WEEKEND or whatever, right?

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Older Musician C

Talk about a pipe dream.
There's no way someone like you is ever going to do that.

Junior High School Akito

Listen

I don't care who says what to me, and I know that it's not gonna be easy.

Junior High School Akito

Listen

Just watch. I'll overtake wimps like you who put down everyone around them because they don't want to aim higher.

Older Musician A

Oh? You being serious...?

Junior High School Akito

Listen

Huh? Of course I am.

Older Musician A

If you're willing to say that much, then come perform at the event at Crawl Green next week.

Junior High School Akito

Listen

Crawl Green...?
Isn't that where RADder debuted...?!

Older Musician A

Yeah, and we've got some serious players lined up. We decided to invite you since you've been showing some signs of improvement lately.

Older Musician A

You're gonna surpass RAD WEEKEND, right? If so, this event should be a piece of cake for you. Don't tell us that you're gonna turn tail and run?

Junior High School Akito

Listen

...!
I...

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(I know better than anyone what I'm capable of...)

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(So, I know full well that I'm not ready to perform there yet. But...)

Junior High School Akito

Listen

Alright, I accept.

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(I'm sick of running...)

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(I've made my decision. I'm devoting my life to music!)

A few days later

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Junior High School Akito

♪——————! ————!

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(No, what am I doing?
I need to sing louder!)

Junior High School Akito

♪——————!! ——~~~!

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(No, my voice is so shaky...
This is the best part of the chorus. I have to nail it...!)

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(I don't have much time left until the show next week... At the place where RADder began...)

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(I've been wanting to play there forever! I have to put on the best performance I possibly can!)

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(I don't care if it takes up all of my time. I'm going to do everything I can for it...!)

Junior High School Akito

♪——————!!

A few days later

Junior High School Akito

♪————, ——!

Junior High School Akito

Listen

Huff... Huff... *Cough*
No, I'm starting to lose my voice... What am I doing? This won't be enough...!

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Older Musician A

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

Older Musician A

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

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(Seriously...)

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(Who do they think they are saying all these things about me... Argh...!)

???

♪————!! ————!!

Junior High School An

Listen

*Sigh*
No! Why can't I get it right?!

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(Isn't that KEN's daughter...?)

Junior High School An

♪——! ——! ————!!

Junior High School An

Listen

Okay, that was better than before...
But I need to find a way to sing with more power.

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Junior High School Akito

Listen

(It's getting pretty late, but she's still practicing...)

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(No, it's not just her...
A lot of other people are still singing, and they all look really serious...)

Junior High School Akito

Listen

It's not just me...

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(They're all struggling and doing everything they can to get better.)

Junior High School Akito

Listen

Which means I need to keep trying...

The day of the event

Crawl Green

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Older Musician A

You really came.
We honestly thought you'd bail.

Junior High School Akito

Listen

I'm not running from this...

Older Musician A

Then, you're up at 4:00 p.m.

Older Musician A

Since you're here, you should see the others' performances. It should give you a taste of what you're up against.

Junior High School Akito

Listen

I still have a lot of time until it's my turn...

Junior High School Akito

Listen

I'll probably go stir-crazy if I stay backstage, so maybe I should see some of their performances...

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Junior High School Akito

Listen

Whoa, they've got the crowd going totally wild...

Participating Musician

♪——, ——!! ————!!

Audience

Those guys have been performing everywhere lately. Didn't they headline a different event just the other day?

Audience

But they're nothing special in the eyes of this place. If only some real talent could show up.

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(You've gotta be kidding me. They're not good enough...?!)

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(So this is Crawl Green...
The venue where RADder began...)

Participating Musician

♪————! ——! ——!!

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Junior High School Akito

Listen

They're all on a totally different level...

Junior High School Akito

Listen

It'll be my turn in fifteen minutes...

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Junior High School Akito

Listen

(In fifteen minutes...)

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(Come on. I don't have time to feel scared. I practiced a ton for this, didn't I...?!)

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(And I get that it's way too soon for me to be performing here.)

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(But none of that matters now.
I just have to give it everything I have...)

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Staff Member

Next is... Akito Shinonome. Is that you?

Junior High School Akito

Listen

Y-Yes...

Staff Member

You're still in junior high?
That's incredible. And you're already performing here?

Staff Member

I only heard this just a second ago, but you filled in for someone who couldn't make it today?

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(Oh, so that's what happened...)

Staff Member

This is your mic.
We'll be looking forward to your performance.

Junior High School Akito

Listen

Thank you...

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(I can't get a good grip. My fingers are shaking too much... But... I've gotta do this...!)

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(This is where I've been wanting to perform! I've been practicing every day just for this! This crowd won't know what hit them...!)

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Audience

I've never seen him before. This should be good...

Audience

He looks like he's still in junior high. He must be pretty good if he's been asked to perform here.

Audience

What if he's like RADder? How awesome would it be to see another legendary performer make their debut here?

Owner

Hm? Who's that...?

Junior High School Akito

Listen

...

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(Geez, my voice... I'm getting really nervous... I might not be able to sing at this rate...)

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(No, I'll be fine. I practiced as much as I did just for this moment.)

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(I worked as hard as I could in this city to get here...!)

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Elementary School Akito

Listen

(They're making everything shake like crazy...! I never knew that a musician could make so many people go wild like this...)

Elementary School Akito

Listen

This is awesome...

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(It's like a tsunami of notes is hitting us all at once...)

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(I didn't know this was possible...)

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(I don't want to regret doing this! I want to do something worthy of this legendary place! So... I have to give it everything I've got!)

Junior High School Akito

Listen

Here we go!

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Junior High School Akito

♪——————!!

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Owner

...

Audience

Hmm... He's sorta nothing special...

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(They're starting to lose interest...
No, I've gotta turn this around...!)

Junior High School Akito

♪————!! ——!! ——!!

Audience

I'm getting bored.

Audience

Don't believe the hype, I guess...?
He's just a kid. Who invited him here?

100

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(I'm not running...
The show has to go on until the very end.)

101

Junior High School Akito

Listen

Thank you very much...

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102

Audience

Finally, he's done.
The others are waiting outside. We should let them know.

103

Audience

Yeah, since those guys are up next!

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Older Musician A

The wait's over, everyone! Where'd all that energy from before go?! Actually, I can't really blame you after what you guys just saw.

105

Older Musician A

We're gonna wipe that from your memories by going all out with our first song! Get ready to make some noise!

106

Older Musicians

♪——————!!

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107

Junior High School Akito

Listen

...

108

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(The crowd warmed up the second they started singing...)

109

Junior High School Akito

Listen

Wow...

110

Junior High School Akito

Listen

What am I doing here...?

111

Junior High School Akito

Listen

...

112

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(How much longer...?)

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Junior High School Akito

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(How much more do I have to practice to be able to sing like them...?)

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114

Junior High School Akito

Listen

...

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115

Junior High School Akito

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(I saw so many other people perform here today, and they're all better than me...)

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Junior High School Akito

Listen

(Why am I not able to sing like them?)

117

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(After going on and on about taking this seriously and devoting my life to music too... But I couldn't do anything in the end. If anything, I...)

118

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(I dragged the name of a legendary venue through the mud...)

119

Junior High School Akito

Listen

...

120

Junior High School Akito

Listen

Argh. Why...?

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121

Junior High School Akito

Listen

(Huh...? Who's there...?)

122

???

Listen

What's wrong, kid?

Next Chapter: If There's A Limit