< Find A Way Out | Story
.png)
???
What's wrong, boy?
Middle School Akito
...Eh, you're from RADder...why are you...
Ken
——Here, drink this. Mind if I sit here?
Middle School Akito
Ah, go ahead...
Sits
Ken
You sing here pretty often, don't you? I've seen you a couple of times.
Middle School Akito
KEN-san saw me...?
Ken
Yeah. I could hear your loud voice from a street or two over.
Middle School Akito
Ugh...
Ken
It was a good song, and it sounded like you were singing it with your head held high, so I remember it well.
Ken
If someone with that much energy is sitting around with a shadow over his face, of course I'm gonna wanna talk to him.
Middle School Akito
(...That makes me happy, but I feel so pathetic. I don't want the person I admire to see me like this.)
Middle School Akito
...
Ken
I dunno what's got you so down, but if it's not something you can solve alone, you can always try talking to people.
Ken
If you're stuck in a rut, sometimes all you can do is put it into words and spit it out. That goes for singing, and for life.
Middle School Akito
...
Middle School Akito
(...As if I'd do that. It'd be like crying all over him, I can't do something that lame...)
Middle School Akito
(But...if it's him, he might be able to teach me something. This person, who can sing such amazing songs.)
Middle School Akito
(And, if this person, like all the others, tells me I should just quit music...then I'll...)
Middle School Akito
(No, but...still...!)
Middle School Akito
...Today, I performed at an event at Crawl Green——
— Some time later —
Ken
I see. So you performed at that venue, and got beaten to a pulp.
Ken
And, are you frustrated you got beat? From the looks of it, it doesn't seem like that's all it is——
Middle School Akito
...Of course. I'm frustrated that I got made fun of, and that there was nothing I could do about it, but...
Middle School Akito
But, more than that, I——I can't forgive myself for dragging the venue's name through the mud.
Ken
...Can't forgive yourself, huh...
Middle School Akito
——Even if I lost, even if I wasn't good enough, if I kept putting in the effort and upping my strength, all I had to was get back at them. I thought that'd be enough.
Middle School Akito
But...because I thought that, this happened.
Ken
...And, what's your plan now?
Middle School Akito
...
Middle School Akito
...I don't wanna give up, but...
Middle School Akito
I...I just can't believe in myself.
Middle School Akito
No matter how much effort I put in, I have my limits...some part of me feels that way.
Ken
...I get it. You can't forgive yourself for allowing your resolve to waver.
Ken
If you're acknowledging your limits, then maybe that's where your limits are.
Middle School Akito
...That's what I was thinking.
Ken
But——if that's the case, all you have to do is surpass those limits.
Ken
The mind is something that wavers so easily. Is this as far as I can go? There's nothing beyond this point.
Ken
That's why, in those times, you have to trust your heart over your mind. You have to move forward to the rhythm of your heartbeat, and let your body follow.
Ken
Your body's more direct about what it wants, and it'll keep it simple.
Middle School Akito
My body...
Ken
Yeah. Even if you're feeling down, no matter how painful things get, if your body says it wants to keep singing——
Ken
When that happens, don't give up singing. If you wanna surpass your limits, that's your only option.
Middle School Akito
...
Ken
You sang all the way to the end today, didn't you? You did your job fine, then. You did well.
Middle School Akito
...*sob*!
Ken
But, lay off events for a while. I'm pretty sure you've been practicing without rest recently, your voice sounds hoarse.
Ken
Take care of your body, so you can keep singing. ——See ya.
Walking foosteps
Middle School Akito
...Th-thank you so much!
Middle School Akito
...I'll...keep singing...
End flashback
Kotaro
Something like that happened...
Akito
Yeah. Thanks to what Ken-san said, I was able to keep singin'.
Akito
And I decided after that. No matter what anybody said to me, I was never gonna quit.
Akito
To be honest, Toya and An, Kohane...whenever I practice with them, I realize that I've still got a long way to go.
Akito
But, until I surpass RAD WEEKEND with them...no matter how rough it gets, I'm never gonna stop singing.
Akito
That's what I decided.
Kotaro
If you've still got a long way to go, where does that leave me? ...But...Yeah, you're right.
Kotaro
Alright, let's run a little more! And we're singing after that, right?
Akito
What's up? You're all excited outta nowhere.
Kotaro
Well if you tell me a story like that, I'm gonna end up thinking, I'll do my best too! Y'know!?
Kotaro
Cause I wanna surpass RAD WEEKEND with you, Akito, and the others too!
Akito
Jeez, I get it. Then, let's get going.
Kotaro
Yeah!
Kotaro
——Wait...what's with that crowd?
Akito
Hm? ...Oh, that's Punch Drink. It's a new live house that opened recently. Maybe they're doing an event.
Kotaro
It looks pretty popular, I wonder who it is? ...Ah, they're coming out.
Senior Musician
Everyone, thanks for coming to listen today. It's been a while, but being back on Vivid Street really is so nice~
Akito
(Those guys are...)
Flashback
Senior Musician A
If you've got the guts to talk like that, prove yourself. There's an event at Crawl Green this week, you'd better show your face.
.png)
Senior Musician A
We'll kick that kid's ass and get the show back on track, so get ready to raise your voices! We're going all out from song one!
End flashback
Akito
(...So they're back.)
Fan
Um, can I get your autograph!?
Senior Musician A
Ahhh, yeah, gimme a moment. I've gotta get to you all in order.
Senior Musician A
Hey, you guys, can you scoot over here...wait, huh? That guy standing over there, could it be...
Senior Musician A
Oh, Shinonome! It's been a while! I hear you were still doing music?
Senior Musician A
Not only that, I hear you've been hanging around a bunch of people that can sing, and putting on events!
Akito
...Got a problem with that?
Kotaro
Eh...! The guys you had beef with back in the day were Shepherd...!
Kotaro
They're the ones who had a major debut and left town! I heard they've been singing at a whole bunch of places after leaving Vivid Street...I didn't know they were still doing events here.
Senior Musician B
I'm impressed you can still bear to sing around here after dragging Crawl Green's name through the mud.
Akito
——That's...I feel bad about that.
Akito
Back then, the reason I couldn't get the crowd excited was cause of my own lack of skill.
Akito
But, it's different now. I'm sure I could get the audience there...at Crawl Green excited.
Senior Musician A
Heh...d'you think you're hot shit just cause you're doing events with Touno? Is that what it is?
Senior Musician A
If you're gonna say that, go ahead and sing right here.
Akito
Hah? Why would I do that for you——
Senior Musician A
I'm doing you a favor here! We're letting you get revenge.
Senior Musician A
Or——are you too scared?
Akito
...Hah?
Senior Musician A
It's been a few years since then, but the reason you're still here is because you've been struggling in your own miserable way, isn't it?
Senior Musician A
...But, you're still no match for us. You know that, and that's why you're not singing, right?
Kotaro
Tch, as if! Akito is——!
Akito
Hey. ...Leave it.
Akito
——Why don't we give this a shot?
Luka
(Uwawa, this is bad...! What do I do...!)
Luka
(——I know!)
Toya's Room
Toya
...
Toya
...It's already so late. I'll leave the rest of this for tomorrow.
Toya
(I wonder if Akito has finished working out by now. Perhaps he's viewing the lights with Luka-san.)
Toya
(...Maybe I'll try contacting him, in a little while.)
Toya
——Hm?
Luka
"Toya-kun! We've got major trouble!"
Toya
Luka-san? Did something happen?
Luka
"Yeah! Akito started a fight in the streets just now!"
Toya
A fight...?
Luka
"Ah, I said a fight, but I meant with songs!"
Luka
"But, he was outnumbered, and it seemed like a super heavy atmosphere... And I think Akito has some history with his opponents, too."
Toya
An opponent who has a history with him...
Toya
I'll understand. I'll leave immediately.
Toya
And...in the worst-case scenario, ask Shiraishi to contact Ken-san, just in case.
Toya
Luka-san, can you stay with Akito? With the situation as it is, I don't think I'll be able to contact him.
Luka
"Got it! If something happens, I'll go to An-chan!"
Toya
If you would, please excuse me.
Phone dials
Toya
...It's no use. It's not connecting. The cafe is usually quite busy at this time, so she must be helping out right now.
Toya
What other means of communication...I know. Perhaps Azusawa is still with her.
Kotaro
Th-They've started...!
Senior Musicians
♪————! ——, ——!
Fan
They're so cool~! We're so lucky to be able to hear more from them even after their live ended—♪
Akito
(I already thought they were insane back then...but they've gotten even better.)
Akito
(While I was catching up, these guys kept running ahead.)
Akito
(But——)
Akito
(It's weird, but I don't get the same feeling of despair I felt back then.)
Senior Musician A
♪——! ————!
Audience cheers
Senior Musician A
Whew. Thanks, everyone! ——It's your turn now, isn't it, Shinonome?
Senior Musician C
Get a load of this, everybody! This guy says he's gonna hype you up more than us!
Akito
...
Fan
...Is that kid singing alone? The kid next to him isn't with him.
Fan
Don't you almost feel bad for him? But I guess he signed up for it.
Kotaro
Akito...
Akito
♪——————!!
Senior Musician A
...! This guy...
Akito
(I've kept running too, all this time.)
Akito
(I've kept running alongside them——aiming for RAD WEEKEND.)
Flashback
An
Running ahead alone is fine and all, but don't go forgetting us. The four of us are gonna surpass RAD WEEKEND together, aren't we?
An
This isn't just your dream.
Kohane
Yeah! Let's all sing together, Shinonome-kun!
Toya
Akito. You are the best partner I could ever ask for.
End flashback
Akito
(If I run into a wall or burn out, they'll pull me back up.)
Akito
(——They'll say we'll do this together, and they'll push me higher and higher.)
Akito
(Thanks to them, I was able to keep running——faster than ever before.)
Akito
(I'm not the same person I used to be. That's why——!)
Akito
♪——!! ————!!
Audience cheers
Fan
Huh... Isn't this kind of amazing...?
Fan
Yeah, Shepherd's awesome, but this kid, too...
Senior Musician C
Hey, what's going on?
Senior Musician A
...Why is that little shit able to sing so well now!?
Audience cheers
Akito
(Everybody's getting pumped up. At this rate, if I raise my voice a little higher——!)
Akito
♪——————!!
Akito
(In the past, I felt that no matter how hard I tried, I'd never reach RAD WEEKEND. But now ——)
Akito
(I'm able to go toe to toe with the people I thought were so amazing.)
Akito
(I'm able to surpass the limits that I felt back then...!)
Akito
(I'll keep this up, to the end——!)
— Some time later —
Akito
...
Kotaro
...Amazing...
Kotaro
Akito, no matter how anyone looks at it, you totally won!
Senior Musician A
Fuck...!
Akito
(...I won, huh...?)
Akito
(Even though in the past, I thought it was impossible.)
Akito
(I was...able to grow.)
Akito
...
Passerby
I wondered why there was a crowd, but it's Akito...! That's what you'd expect from the guy who says he's gonna surpass RAD WEEKEND!
Passerby
Yeah! And the people he sings with are pretty great too!
Passerby
Yeah. With a group like them, doesn't it seem like it's actually possible!?
Akito
...!!
Flashback
End flashback
Akito
(W...What was that feeling, just now...?)
Akito
(That I was able to clean even a little bit of the mud I smeared on the place I admired... That I was able to grow from the kid who got beat up back then...)
Akito
(...Thinking like that...somewhere, did I feel relieved...?)
Akito
Haha...
Akito
(That's so fucking lame. What am I even doing?)
Akito
(...As if I can settle here. You can't let yourself feel satisfied for even a second in a place like this.)
Akito
(What I...what we're aiming for is something far beyond this moment!!)
Akito
(Toya, An, and Kohane, they're nothing like this! If they were here, they'd have been able to sing even more. They would've been able to get everyone even more excited!!)
Akito
(And if Touno were here——this would've been child's play for him.)
Akito
(Not just that——)
Flashback
End flashback
Akito
(When I heard their song, it felt like I was on fire...my heart burned, and sweat broke out all over my body. I have to be able to do that, and yet...)
Akito
(There's——no way I can let myself be satisfied at this level!)
Senior Musician A
...What, if you've got something to say then just spit it out!
Akito
...Nah, it's nothing.
Akito
It's just——this isn't enough.
Walking footsteps
Kotaro
Ah, oi? Wait, Akito! Where are you going?