Light Up the Fire/Story/Chapter 5

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Chapter 5: ? (edit)
世界一を目指して！ (? (edit))

Character appearances:

Translator(s):

lozy bug (Youtube)

Source(s):

Youtube Playlist

CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains discussion and portrayal of terminal illness. Please read at your own discretion!

Flashback

Over 20 years ago
Vivid Street

Townsperson

You quit working for that company!?

Townsperson

What's that about!? You were selling so well, what a waste~!

Taiga

Hah, we were selling? That's got nothing to do with it! Our dream is to become the number one musicians in the world.

Taiga

I don't care if they were some big name company, I can't stand them acting so smug just 'cause they got us on TV once.

Nagi

It's not like we wanna be TV personalities or anything. Well, I'm grateful we got the opportunity to appear on TV, at least, since it gave so many people the chance to hear our music.

Taiga

That's true. But damn, those guys, they wanted us to go on variety shows and some boring ass rom-com, and then by the end of it they were even trying to interfere with our music...

Crawl Green Owner

Hahaha. Well, it's true, we were talking about how you probably didn't like how they've been advertising you recently.

COL Owner

Well, I can understand wanting to put a handsome guy like Ken into a movie.

Ken

We owe that company a bit, so I would've liked to stick around if possible. But...there's some things we can't compromise on, so there's nothing left to discuss.

Townsperson

But...what're you guys gonna do now?

COL Owner

Good point. Ken graduated college, so he's fine, but Taiga...you dropped out halfway through high school. Are you sure you're thinking about your future?

Taiga

Of course I'm thinking about it.

Taiga

We're planning on starting our own label.

Townsperson

A label!?

Nagi

Right! We all decided after talking it over. We're gonna put together our own label in this town, and be active under that.

Nagi

So, to put it simply...we're starting over from zero!

COL Owner

——Hahaha! That's a thorny path you've decided to walk!

Crawl Green Owner

You're right. But...that way of living suits you guys just fine, I think.

Townsperson

If that's the case...Nagi, Taiga, Ken! Do your best! My wife and son are both fans of you, after all!

Nagi

Ahaha! Your son, didn't he only start walking two days ago? Are you sure you're raising him right?

Taiga

It sounds fine to me. He's got a secure future ahead of him with education like that.

Ken

Jeez...do we really have time to be worrying about another family's issues? Our future is on way shakier ground right now.

Ken

Even assuming that we can start our label, we don't know if it'll get on track... We still have a lot to think about as we——

Nagi

Yeah, yeah, I'll leave the details to you, Ken! People have things they're good at and things they're not.

Ken

Nagi, you...

Nagi

Ehehe, we'll be relying on you, Ken!

Nagi

With that said——let's do our best and aim for number one in the world!

A few years later
Yokohama

Ken

*sigh*...Whirlwind tours sure can be exhausting...

Taiga

We were in Miyagi yesterday, then we went to Kanagawa, and then by noon tomorrow we'll be in Osaka. Well, it'll be good for our label to make a name for ourselves like this. Let's give it our all.

Ken

Oi Taiga, how about you quit telling me to give it my all and drive for once?

Taiga

Huh? Guess I've got no choice. But if you fall asleep, I'm beating the shit outta you.

Ken

Oh, choose your words a little more carefully, yeah? I'm the one who drove you out here.

Taiga

...I got it, I'll lay off. Oi, Nagi! You gonna sleep all day, wake up already!

Nagi

——Eh, uwoh!?

Nagi

Geh! Is Taiga gonna start driving? He always gets pissed off when people sleep in the car, it's the worst~ You should drive, Ken!

Ken

Y'know...just let me take a break for once... Just start talking, you'll stop feeling so tired.

Nagi

Man, you could've just asked someone to drive for us... Then the three of us could've just rested.

Ken

It's called budgeting, we don't have that sort of extra cash. We're not major label artists anymore.

Taiga

But...to think we'd get tired after just this. We used to be tougher...

Ken

Back when we were still students, we'd head straight to COL after school and sing 'til we dropped.

Nagi

We were all so young back then~ From Friday night to Saturday to Sunday, we'd sing all weekend! Then on Monday, we'd have to run to make it to school! It was so fun~

Nagi

Oh, right, right! Since I always ended up running to school with you two, all your fangirls would get crazy jealous!

Ken

Hm? Did that happen?

Taiga

Ahhh, look at you actin' all cool again. You've always been like that, y'know.

Nagi

But even our Ken has a kind and beautiful wife called Yuka-san now. Life really loves throwing curveballs at you, huh.

Taiga

Haha, I thought "don't you go getting a woman in college", at the same time.

Ken

I couldn't help it, it was love at first sight.

Ken

...We don't have time to be yapping like this. If we don't get to Osaka by the end of the day, we'll have to sleep in the car, remember?

Nagi

Geh...! Taiga, floor it!

Several years later
Vivid Street

Nagi

Uwah, look, look, her hands and feet are so tiny and squishy! Actually, isn't she really pretty!?

Nagi

See, look right under her eyes! She looks just like Yuka-san!

Taiga

Oh, you're right.

Nagi

Did you already decide on a name?

Ken

Yeah. ——It's An. Shiraishi An.

Nagi

Ooh! ...An! An! ...Yeah! It's perfect for her!

Nagi

I'm sure she'll grow up to be a great kid! She'll be really nice!

Nagi

...I wonder if this kid'll grow up to like music? Like us!

Taiga

We don't know that yet. Though, she's got a pretty hearty voice already.

Ken

...You're right about that.

Nagi

Oh, I know! This is about us moving forward, but...

Nagi

Why don't we focus on recording our music for a while, instead of performing live?

Ken

Focus on recording?

Taiga

Yeah. Me and Nagi were talking about it the other day.

Taiga

Considering your personality——isn't this the time where you'd wanna stay by An's side as much as possible?

Ken

You guys...

Taiga

Of course, we still need to grow our label, but...recently we've had some pretty good momentum.

Nagi

Recently, more people have been downloading our music! Not to mention, we've been getting requests from overseas to use our tracks at events.

Nagi

The wind's really at our backs here, so we may as well use this time to focus on recording our music properly.

Taiga

Well, we were always planning on making this our jobs... It just means the time for it has finally come.

Taiga

That's why you should stick by your wife and daughter. ——Yeah, An, you like it more when your papa is nearby, right?

Taiga

...Pretty impressive that you wouldn't start bawling at the sight of me. She's gonna make it big when she grows up, I can tell.

Nagi

You're saying something stupid again... But Taiga has a point, you should prioritize An right now.

Nagi

You wouldn't want to have such a cute daughter be disappointed in you, would you? Playing it tough won't work on her~

Ken

You guys...

Ken

Jeez, I got it. ...Thanks.

Over a decade later

Middle School An

Dad, I'm gonna go home first! Uncle Taiga, bye bye!

Ken

Yeah. I'll see you later.

Taiga

Don't trip and fall just 'cause you're excited for lunch!

Middle School An

Jeez! I'm not a kid anymore, so that's not gonna happen! ——See ya!

Ken

Now then...let's get to business.

Ken

It looks like the dates for our American tour have almost been finalized. And they're sounding pretty optimistic about it too, so let's hope negotiations keep going well.

Ken

Taiga, did you already reserve the plane tickets that I asked you to get? It looks like we'll have to speak directly to the suits at Burner Records.

Taiga

Yeah, no problems over here. But——

Taiga

The real issue at hand...is probably Nagi.

Ken

Yeah... I didn't think she'd collapse from her anemia again.

Ken

It seems like things have been pretty rough for her lately...is she alright?

Taiga

I don't know... She said it was a light cold, but maybe I'll tell her to go to the doctor again.

Ken

Yeah. I'll tell her too.

Ken

We've got a couple of CD releases ready to roll out, and I'd like to start planning for the tour next year sooner rather than later.

Phone ringing

Taiga

Oh, if it isn't Nagi. It's rare for you to call. What's the problem?

Taiga

——What?

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