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|sources = [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwpaOLOuLKOJ_WbbZ-4s5dNqK10O6FGmU Youtube Playlist] |
|sources = [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwpaOLOuLKOJ_WbbZ-4s5dNqK10O6FGmU Youtube Playlist] |
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CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains discussion and portrayal of terminal illness. Please read at your own discretion!''' |
'''CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains discussion and portrayal of terminal illness. Please read at your own discretion!''' |
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{{Dialogue options}} |
{{Dialogue options}} |
Revision as of 07:02, 1 July 2024
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains discussion and portrayal of terminal illness. Please read at your own discretion!
Flashback
Over 20 years ago
Vivid Street
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
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
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?