We Escape to Survive

Empty SEKAI

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

1

Mizuki

Listen

*Sigh*
2

Mizuki

Listen

I thought I'd be able to relax a little if I came here...
3

Mizuki

Listen

(But it's not working...
My brain just won't cool it.)

Sound Effect: Play

4

Len

Listen

Um, Mizuki...?
5

Mizuki

Listen

Oh, Len!
6

Len

Listen

Is everything okay...?
You don't look very happy...
7

Mizuki

Listen

Oh, um...
Don't worry. I was just thinking about something...
8

???

Listen

Is that so...?

Sound Effect: Play

9

Mizuki

Listen

Luka...
10

Luka

Listen

You say you were just thinking about something, but your eyes tell a different story.
11

Len

Listen

Oh...
12

Mizuki

Listen

Were you two watching me this whole time? You could've said hi or something...
13

Len

Listen

S-Sorry...
Luka said we were just going to take a quick peek...
14

Luka

Listen

You're no fun, Len. Spilling the beans like that...
15

Len

Listen

I-I'm sorry...
16

Luka

Listen

Anyway, Mizuki, what's on your mind?
17

Mizuki

Listen

The same thing as before...
18

Mizuki

Listen

I want to help Mafuyu, but haven't been able to come up with any good ideas...
19

Luka

Listen

Is that really all?
20

Mizuki

Listen

Huh?
21

Luka

Listen

My guess is that you're not just thinking about Mafuyu, but also yourself.
22

Mizuki

Listen

...!
23

Mizuki

Listen

What made you think that...?
24

Luka

Listen

No reason in particular. Just my gut feeling.
25

Mizuki

Listen

To be fair, you're pretty much spot on...

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

26

Mizuki

Listen

My mind keeps asking me, “Do you, of all people, think you can help Mafuyu?”
27

Len

Listen

What do you mean...?
28

Mizuki

Listen

Finding a solution to all of Mafuyu's problems isn't going to be easy, so I thought I could at least provide a place for her to run...
29

Luka

Listen

A place for her to run?
30

Mizuki

Listen

Yeah. I went through a really tough period way back when, but I was able to get through it because I had a place where I could run and feel safe...
31

Mizuki

Listen

So, I thought if Mafuyu also had a place where she could run...
32

Mizuki

Listen

But reminiscing about my past led me to ask myself...
33

Mizuki

Listen

What right do I have trying to help her...?
34

Len

Listen

What...?
35

Mizuki

Listen

Kanade's prepared to keep composing songs for Mafuyu until she saves her...
36

Mizuki

Listen

Ena said she'd wait for as long as she needs to...
37

Luka

Listen

And what about you, Mizuki...?
38

Mizuki

Listen

I can't commit like them...
39

Mizuki

Listen

Because all I ever did was run away.
40

Mizuki

Listen

I can't deal with my own problems, and I really don't know how to talk to my friends about stuff that really matters... Even though I really don't want to lose them...
41

Mizuki

Listen

So...
42

Luka

Listen

I see...
43

Luka

Listen

You're such a coward, Mizuki.
44

Len

Listen

L-Luka...
You don't have to say it like that...
45

Mizuki

Listen

Haha... No, she's right.
46

Mizuki

Listen

I really am a coward...
47

Luka

Listen

Yes, you are.
But...

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

48

Luka

Listen

Isn't there something you can do because you're the way you are?
49

Mizuki

Listen

What?
50

Luka

Listen

You say that you're not capable of helping her...
51

Luka

Listen

But I believe there's something you can do specifically because you ran from everything until now.
52

Mizuki

Listen

...
53

Mizuki

Listen

You say that, but I don't know...
54

Luka

Listen

Just look at things from a slightly different perspective.
55

Luka

Listen

Right now, whether she likes it or not, Mafuyu has to face her biggest problems all at once...
56

Luka

Listen

And you have a first-hand understanding of just how painful this process is going to be, Mizuki.
57

Mizuki

Listen

...
58

Luka

Listen

Mizuki...
59

Luka

Listen

When you felt you were about to break, what did you do?
60

Luka

Listen

How did you protect yourself?
61

Mizuki

Listen

When I was about to break...?

Sound Effect: Play

62

Mizuki

Listen

(Back then...)
63

Mizuki

Listen

(When it felt like the real me was gonna disappear forever... That was unbelievably painful...)
64

Mizuki

Listen

(At school, even when I was with my classmates, no one understood... I was all alone...)
65

Mizuki

Listen

(Which is why I wanted to get away from there.)
66

Mizuki

Listen

(Lucky for me, Mom, Dad and Sis showed genuine concern for my well-being...)
67

Mizuki

Listen

(They kept me afloat.)
68

Mizuki

Listen

(I ended up okay because...
I ran and ran and kept running.)
69

Mizuki

Listen

(And then...)

Sound Effect: Play

70

Mizuki

Listen

(I met the others.)
71

Mizuki

Listen

(As I made music videos with them, I gradually became more comfortable with expressing how I really feel...)
72

Mizuki

Listen

(I felt that I could just be myself.)
73

Mizuki

Listen

(It was a small glimmer, but I found the light at the end...)
74

Mizuki

Listen

Oh...
75

Mizuki

Listen

...
76

Mizuki

Listen

It's okay to run...
77

Mizuki

Listen

I want to tell her that it's okay to run...
78

Mizuki

Listen

Or shout, “Run!”
“It's okay to run away from this place!”
79

Mizuki

Listen

And that there's a safe place where you can run to...
80

Mizuki

Listen

Thanks, Luka...
81

Luka

Listen

Hm? All I did was suggest that you look at things from a slightly different perspective.
82

Mizuki

Listen

(I don't know if this is actually gonna help Mafuyu at all...)
83

Mizuki

Listen

(But...!)
Next Chapter: To Survive