< Kick it up a notch | Story
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Crawl Green
An
Excuse us! Uncle, we're here~!
Kohane
(...So this is Crawl Green. It's a little more open than COL was...)
Flashback
End flashback
Kohane
(This is where that legend started... The three of them sang for the first time on that stage.)
Toya
...So Ken-san stood and sang on that stage when he was in high school.
Toya
The ceiling is very high... If it's like this, we'll have to project more than usual, otherwise we won't be heard at the back of the venue.
Toya
...Even though it was their first live, Ken-san and the others were able to heat up the floor so much. How incredible...
Akito
...
Toya
...Akito?
Akito
...I was just thinking that this place hasn't changed a bit since I was last here. Well, I guess people don't change up interiors that much.
Akito
...But, it's good that it hasn't changed. If it wasn't this exact place, I wouldn't be able to take back the mistake I made.
Flashback
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Akito
(Why can't I sing more like them?)
Akito
(I didn't wanna smear mud all over the place I admire...)
End flashback
Akito
——I won't make the same mistake again. This time, I'll hype everyone up.
Backstage
Crawl Green Owner
Right, is this everyone?
Crawl Green Owner
I heard that Arata wouldn't be able to make it, but I wasn't expecting all four of you would show up.
Crawl Green Owner
——And the guy from before, you're not gonna run away this time, right?
Crawl Green Owner
Since you're here, I'd like to have a little chat, but...well, we don't have time. Let's discuss the acoustics first.
An
Yeah!
— Some time later —
Crawl Green Owner
Alright, I've got no problems with that.
Crawl Green Owner
All done~! Thanks for talking us through the details, Uncle!
Toya
That being said, it was something of a surprise. Seeing the owner himself adjust the equipment, instead of leaving it to the staff.
Crawl Green Owner
Of course it is. I'm starting to show my age, and I'd love to leave it to the younger folk, but...I'm a bit of a stickler when it comes to things like this.
Crawl Green Owner
Especially——when it comes to an event put on by passionate people, I wouldn't be satisfied if I didn't put in my best, as well.
An
Ehehe. That sounds like you, Uncle!
Crawl Green Owner
——Well, enough about that, I've been meaning to meet with you face to face for a while, so today's perfect for that.
Crawl Green Owner
Shinonome-kun, you haven't shown your face here since that event.
Akito
...Yes. I'm very sorry for disgracing myself like that back then.
Akito
But...thank you for allowing me to sing that day. I'm very grateful that you didn't cut my performance short.
Kohane
Shinonome-kun...
Akito
Because of my failure that day, my resolve was hardened. I won't ever leave the audience hanging like that again.
Crawl Green Owner
...Right. Well then——I'll let your results speak for themselves.
An
——C'mon, Uncle. Leave it at that. You're gonna scare everyone, y'know?
Crawl Green Owner
...Right, my bad. So, that one over there is Aoyagi-kun, and the one next to him is An's partner——
Kohane
Y-Yes. I'm Azusawa Kohane! It's nice to meet you!
Crawl Green Owner
Yeah, nice to meet you. You sang a good song at your event the other day. It's what I'd expect from someone An hand-picked.
Kohane
Th-That's...thank you very much...
An
Kohane really is amazing! Uncle Taiga thinks so too, and he likes her enough that he's even teaching her to sing.
Crawl Green Owner
...What'd you say? You're the one Taiga's been looking after?
Kohane
...Eh? Ah, yes...! Taiga-san's always taking care of me...
Crawl Green Owner
I see...I wouldn't have believed it from the kid I knew. The only people I can remember him doing that for are Nagi and Ken.
Kohane
Kid... So you've known Taiga-san for a very long time.
Crawl Green Owner
Yeah, well, I've been watching him since he started singing.
Kohane
Th-That long...
Crawl Green Owner
Yeah, most of the folks in my generation are like that. Taiga and Nagi stood out, so we were always listening to them.
Crawl Green Owner
The fact that they had skill was one thing, but...beyond that, they had a crazy dream of "taking over the world".
Kohane
The world...?
An
Yeah. "Becoming the number one musicians in the world" was Nagi-san and the others' dream.
An
At first it was just Uncle Taiga singing alone. Because she liked his songs, Nagi-san started singing too...
An
And then the two of them "found their first dream of wanting to take over the world with their singing". Nagi-san told me that when I was a kid.
Kohane
So that's how it was...
Crawl Green Owner
That's why when the two of them brought another guy...when they brought Ken, saying "We're gonna form a team", it was a surprise.
Crawl Green Owner
But...when I heard the three of them singing together, I was convinced. I thought, man, these guys really could take over the world.
Toya
To think they were so skilled, even when they weren't much older than we are now...
Akito
...Then you approved of Ken-san and the others, and let them do an event here, right?
Crawl Green Owner
Right. I thought I'd go along with Taiga's greediness, so I chose the busiest time of the night, and I got everything ready.
Crawl Green Owner
And then they changed this town with just one event.
Kohane
They changed this town...?
Crawl Green Owner
Yeah. After that event, RADder was the center of this town, and they pulled in all sorts of musicians from outside, too.
Crawl Green Owner
They were friends from the same town, fooling around and butting heads——they competed with each other, and aimed even higher.
An
Now that you mention it, I remember Dad saying something like that.
An
He met his best friends in this town, fought with them, laughed with them, and that's how the three of them kept moving forward.
Kohane
I see... Taiga-san and An-chan's dad really received a lot from the people of this town...
Kohane
When I'm with Taiga-san for practice, I can really tell that he's loved by a lot of people.
Crawl Green Owner
...Yeah, of course. I'm one of those people who fell in love with Taiga's music, from the bottom of my heart.
Crawl Green Owner
...Honestly, it made me a little happy. Like I was watching a movie. That a rough-around-the-edges guy like that found a partner, got a team, made friends——even after he left this town, we watched him make it work on just his music alone.
Crawl Green Owner
That was the case...but.
Kohane
...?
Crawl Green Owner
Nah, it's nothing.
Crawl Green Owner
Right now, even alone, he's managing to stay successful in America. Well, I'm sure he's not even satisfied with that.
Crawl Green Owner
I'm proud that they were...that Taiga was able to carve that first stop in my live house.
Crawl Green Owner
...For both you and Arata to say that you'll surpass RADder from that day, you must have a lot of guts.
An
...Thank you, Uncle. Honestly, I didn't know that Dad and the others' first event was something so special to you. But——
An
I've known that Dad and the others are amazing since the moment I was born. That's why I won't take back what I said. We will surpass them!
Crawl Green Owner
I see.
Crawl Green Owner
If you're that determined, I've only got one thing to say to you all. Show me the best event possible.
Kohane
...Yeah!
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Less than an hour later
Vivid Street
Vivid Street
Kohane
I thought today would just be a meeting, but he talked to us about a whole bunch of stuff.
An
Yeah. That guy might look a little scary, but when you talk to him, he actually has a lot to say, and he's good at taking care of people.
An
But...sorry about today, Kohane.
Kohane
Eh?
An
I thought today might be a good refresher, but hearing all of that might have put even more pressure on you...
Kohane
Ah——no. It's fine. If anything, I'm glad I was able to hear all of that.
An
Really?
Kohane
Yeah. I can't say that I don't feel any pressure at all, but...
Kohane
...Until now, I thought that to surpass RAD WEEKEND, I'd have to at least be able to surpass Taiga-san and the others' first event. But now I realize that just that feeling alone isn't enough.
Kohane
Now I understand exactly what it means to surpass Taiga-san and the others' first event.
Kohane
That's why I'm really thankful that you invited me today, An-chan.
Kohane
(To the people in this town, Crawl Green is somewhere very special...)
Kohane
(There are so many precious memories in this town, that I haven't even begun to realize——)
Kohane
(...It's not just the owner of that place. Everyone here faces the music of this town with all sorts of different feelings.)
Kohane
(An with those people, I'll also——)
Flashback
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Record Store Employee
Taking photos for your singing training? ...Ohhh, another one of those Taiga-san original practice methods~
Lady from the Crepe Shop
And this one's strawberries and fresh cream. Do your best at the event, Kohane-chan!
End flashback
Kohane
(...Right now, Taiga-san and An-chan are connecting me to the people of this town.)
Kohane
(——Right now, I'm a part of this town too.)
An
Whew~ We walked so much today, my legs are sore.
Toya
...Speaking of which, Shiraishi, were you and Azusawa walking around town that whole time?
An
We took a break halfway through, but yeah, basically the whole time. We looked through stores, ate some crepes, and had so much fun, riiight, Kohane!
Kohane
Yeah. It was super fun! And the crepes we got on the house were super good, too.
Toya
...
Kohane
...Huh? Aoyagi-kun, what's the matter?
Toya
No...hearing that just makes me a little hungry.
An
Ah, you too, Toya? Actually, I was thinking the same thing.
Akito
You literally just ate a crepe.
An
Shut up. I used a lot of brain power during the meeting, so it's fine.
Kohane
Ehehe. But, I'd like to take a breather too, so why don't we all go over there together?