"Kudo's Musical Instruments" "Metropolitan Police Department"
This is awful...
The culprit is his own grandson?
Yes.
According to the witness...
That place...
"Aim for nationals!!"
...was irreplaceable.
Over there! It's him!
See you later, Takezo.
I leave the club to you.
You'll be fine.
If it's you, Takezo, I'm sure...
"Aim for nationals!!" If it's you, Takezo, I'm sure...
"Aim for nationals!!"
"Koto club"
"Kanagawa Prefectural Tokise High School" "School Entrance Ceremony"
Hey.
"#1 New Club Members" Why is that Kudo guy here?!
"#1 New Club Members" By "Kudo" you mean Chika Kudo from Nishi Middle School?
That guy's crazy!
"Welcome!!! Koto Club"
All right.
Perfect!
Next is...
Are these fliers for the koto club?
Principal!
You're very passionate, huh, Kurata?
Ah, well...
The upperclassman have graduated,
so now I'm the only one left in the club.
If none of this year's first years join,
the club will be disbanded.
Is that so?
An old friend of mine actually started this club.
So, I wouldn't like it to disband either.
Good luck, okay?
Ah, thank you.
"Welcome!!! Koto Club"
New club members, huh?
"I'm a virgin~" "Koto Club (LOL)"
"Abandoned" "Koto Club (LOL)"
Ahhh, shit!
Not that way!
Damn, this shit is hot!
Oh?
Nadeshiko!
You've come back to visit our little oasis again?
Th-This is the koto club's room.
C-Could you please leave now?
The new students will be coming to look around today.
If the club looks like this...
Club?
You mean this thing?
Don't touch the instruments!
What have we here?
You're pretty full of yourself, huh?
Even with it in this state, not even the teachers care about this club.
Whether it's here or not, doesn't matter.
No one will notice.
Just like no one notices you.
It's gonna be disbanded anyway, right?
Just give up already.
I--
I won't let that happen!
I made a promise to my upperclassman.
So...
I see...
In that case, I'll make you give up.
--You'll never play agai--
--S-Sto-- --You'll never play agai--
You bastard! What do you think you're doing?!
The hell? A first year?
Hey, quit it!
That's Kudo from Nishi Middle School!
What? The guy that had a run-in with the police last year?
Hey, idiots.
You better stop messin' 'round in front of my street!
Move!
Hey, I have business in there!
Huh?
U-Uh, business? But this is...
--Huh? --Hey, Chika!
Tetsuki?
It's only the first day! What are you up to already?
Didn't you say you weren't gonna get into fights anymore?
Are you stupid?
I was protecting beansprout four-eyes over here from a bunch of delinquents.
--Right? --What?!
Really? Sheesh...
Um, where are the upperclassmen?
Ah, I-I'm the koto club's president so...
Huh? You are?
You're kidding me!
We don't have a hot upperclassman?!
--What is this guy's problem?
--Well, whatever. --What is this guy's problem?
Here.
Huh?
W-Wait, uh... this is a club room for...
I know!
"Club Application 1-F Chika Kudo"
I'm joining the koto club.
What?
Th-This must be some kind of mistake...
--This is a club for playing the koto...
--Hey, idiot! --This is a club for playing the koto...
What's with this club room?!
Do some cleaning, you octopus!
Huh? I do the cleaning everyday...
I've heard enough.
You are disqualified as club president.
From today on, I will be president!
Huh?! Wh-What are you saying...?
I-I don't know what you're up to,
but I can't accept this!
Get out!
This isn't a hang-out spot for you delinquents!
What's with this new member act?
Stop mocking me!
"I'm a virgin~" "Koto Club (LOL)" What the hell is this?!
"I'm a virgin~" "Koto Club (LOL)"
Wh-What is this?!
"Four-eyed alien I took the club sign, stupid four-eyes. From Chika." Wh-What is this?!
What should I do...?
I have to get back the sign I inherited from my upperclassmen.
Takezo got home late today, huh?
He said he was doing club stuff.
Club stuff? So that koto thing?
He's still doing that?
I thought he was doing it out of desperation after failing the exam.
Takezo didn't get into Meiryo High School?
It seems his stomach hurt the day of the test...
Even though he had the grades to pass...
Takezo always messes up when it's important.
It was true that I hated that part of myself
and was on the verge of despair.
But...
Well then, moving on...
This is a presentation from the koto club.
The koto, huh...
It's like...
I don't know anything about the koto, but even I can tell.
They're really bad.
Watching this club...
...is kinda like watching myself.
They probably want to stop performing and run away.
Um...
Are you wanting to join?!
Uh, no, I...
Yes...
I ended up saying yes without thinking...
But...
Thanks for joining, Takezo.
Huh? There's a piece you want to teach me?
So close to graduation?
It's a piece that has been taught here for generations.
I'm glad I've found an underclassman I want to teach this piece to.
I'm really glad
that you're here, Takezo.
C-Can you give me back the sign now, please?
No.
Huh?!
Please!
I inherited it from the upperclassmen,
so it's very important to me.
I ain't got shit to give back to you.
What's so special about it in the first place?
Don't make me laugh.
What is with that guy?!
Suddenly showing up and barging into the club.
Why did he have to go and say that!
The hell? You again?
Why are you here?
Where's all the stuff that was here?
--I threw it out. --Huh? All their things?!
It was trash.
Y-You didn't throw out the instruments too, did you?
What are those glasses of yours even seeing?!
My neck, my neck!
Like I said, I'm joining the koto club!
Why would I throw out all the instruments?
Huh?
Anyway, idiot, if you're so free then go throw this out.
Why me?
The... sign...
Damn it...
What is that guy even thinking?!
Like I said, I'm joining the koto club!
No way, no way.
There's no way a guy like him wants to play the koto.
Nadeshiko!
What?
Kudo already making you run errands for him?
Huh? No, that's not...
You think Kudo's more dangerous,
so you're siding with him, is that it?
It's not like that...
Don't talk back to me!
You getting involved with these small fries again?
K-Kudo!
Hey.
He came at you first, right?
Huh? Y-Yeah.
Well then, this is
self-defense, isn't it?
S-Stop it!
Huh? What's with you? I'm helping you!
I-It's none of your business!
My business?
It's got nothing to do with anyone's business.
Stuff like this has to be stopped!
Well, violence isn't the answer.
All I want is to protect the club.
What exactly are you protecting?
Does "protect" mean "do nothing" to you?!
That's why you get made fun of and beaten up.
It's the same as what you're doing!
You suddenly barge in uninvited and do as you please.
What are you even planning?
Do you have some grudge against the club or something?
Like I said,
I want to join the club!
There's no way I can believe that!
I see...
"Takezo Kurata" "Chika Kudo"
What's with him?
Suddenly getting all gloomy like that.
Now I look like the bad guy.
This...
What kind of sloppiness is this?
It's the same as what you're doing!
Chika?
He's not here yet.
I see...
Was he up to no good again?
Uh, no. Not Kudo.
It was me.
Kurata, can I talk to you for a bit?
Dammit! I hate that Kudo guy.
I have an idea.
Let's lure him out indirectly.
Are you serious?
What are we gonna do?
We're going to recreate it.
Kudo's incident last year with the police...
Oh no, that kid's back again.
Every single month, on this day...
Is this him repenting?
"Land for Sale"
To get straight to the point,
it was his grandfather that introduced him to koto.
In his third year of middle school, Chika started living with him.
Apparently, his grandfather was a koto maker.
A-A koto maker?
That Chika...
He's actually been acting relatively mellow, for him.
In middle school, he was way more violent.
He even fought with his grandfather constantly.
But...
There was probably a lot going on between them.
What's up, Chika?
Have you been off fighting again?
Well, well.
You really lost control again this time.
Shuddup.
There were nine of them.
High school guys.
But I won, so...
You really are a brat, aren't you?
Huh?
How long are you gonna treat yourself badly before you're satisfied?
Living like you're so bored with life.
You know, if I were you,
I'd live a life 100 million times more fun.
Shut up, old man.
All you do is make those dumb instruments every day.
A brat like you wouldn't understand
the profoundness and charm of the koto anyway!
Stop calling me a brat!
I don't want to understand this stupid thing anyway!
And that's why you're a brat.
Hey, Chika! Where are you going?!
Chika!
Shit.
Hey, Gen?
Are you waiting for your grandson again?
That delinquent of a grandson.
You would be better off...
A brat like you isn't my son.
Don't ever show your face in front of me again!
I don't care what he is.
He's my grandson.
I wanna be his grandfather.
What's this?
You've finally gotten interested in the koto?
No way.
I just wondered if this lump of wood could make a sound.
You really don't understand, do you?
This calculated work of art.
You know, the koto...
The koto is an awesome instrument made to resemble a dragon.
A dragon?
You'll understand too, someday,
once you experience the most wonderful performance that comes of a meeting
between the finest koto, the finest piece, and the finest player.
What do you say?
Wanna try playing it?
Why would I?
Are you afraid of failing in front of me?
I'm fine!
Just give it here!
Then, here.
Put this on your finger.
After they started living together,
he and his grandfather stopped fighting as much.
He stopped hanging out with those delinquents, too.
But then,
there were those that thought Chika had gotten boring.
And so...
They attacked his grandfather's place.
What?
Pretending to be Chika,
they waited for his grandfather to go out.
The instruments, their house...
Anything and everything...
You don't mean...
...that incident with the police...
The police suspected Chika.
And his grandfather collapsed that night.
A few days later, he passed away.
Because of what happened?
I don't know.
It seems like he was already ill at the time.
Kurata.
The reason he wants to join the koto club...
...is because it was his grandfather
who started it.
He was telling the truth.
All he honestly wanted
was to join the club his grandfather started.
There's no way I can believe that!
I want to disappear...
I should apologize to Kudo...
But what should I say...
There's no way I can believe that!
Ah, shit!
Hey, four-eyes!
Hey, are you okay?
Hey, you! What are you doing?!
Kudo...
I heard a big racket and came to look.
I should've known it'd be you!
--Come with us! --Huh?!
I haven't done anything!
Anyway, hurry up and help this guy!
Be quiet!
Who would believe anything you say anyway?!
What is this?
Not again...
Ow, ow!
Oh, you're awake?
You were beaten up by some kid named Kudo.
What?! Kudo?!
He was caught red-handed,
so he's in the principal's office now.
He tore up your club room, too.
Oh no...
It's just like the incident last year--
I don't think Kudo is the culprit!
I'll go explain--
Hold it!
You're better off not getting involved with that kid.
But...
With all that's happened,
you understand that, right?
Kudo,
won't you say something?
If you don't say anything, nothing will ever be resolved.
Or maybe...
I should assume your silence means you're guilty?
You're wrong! It wasn't me!
Wrecking the house of the grandfather that took care of you...
What a terrible kid!
I said I--
Even if it wasn't you,
you caused this to happen, did you not?!
She's right.
Involving myself with Kudo...
I should have been prepared for this.
We live in completely different worlds.
I feel bad for Kudo, but…
I shouldn't be involved with him anymore.
I need to protect the club...
Does "protect" mean "do nothing" to you?!
Well, that went well, huh?
I wonder if he'll get expelled now.
Hey!
What are you guys on about?
Principal, it's useless asking.
This is exactly like last year's incident.
It's clear who the culprit is.
What shall the punishment be? Expulsion seems--
Please, wait!
Four-eyes...
Kurata?
Are you okay with those injuries?
I'm fine!
That aside...
Um...
K-Kudo isn't the culprit!
Wha--?!
Do you know who the culprit is?
I don't, but...
Then it's Kudo, right?
I mean, he was at the scene of the crime!
Do we need any more proof than that.
Kudo is--!
Kudo is a new member of the koto club!
It's only natural that he'd be in the club room!
So, you've come, Chika?
Confess!
Who would believe you?!
Wha--?! What are you saying...?
Is this true, Kudo?
Why have you joined the koto club?
I--
You brat!
Don't underestimate your grandfather!
I already know.
I joined because...
...it's the club my grandfather started.
It's my fault that
most of the things my grandfather cherished were broken.
So, I want to at least protect the things that are left.
Whatever that may be,
I want to know more about it.
That's why I joined the koto club.
A story like that--
Couldn't possibly be a lie, correct?
His grandfather...
...was a friend of mine.
Even if you say that,
it doesn't prove he didn't do it!
I mean, it's Kudo that destroyed his grandfather's house--
Be careful what you say!
Even that statement has no proof.
It's nothing but speculation born from bias.
Am I wrong?
B-But...
Principal! Vice Principal!
Three students have come forward as the culprits.
Wh-What?!
Who?!
Kudo. Kurata.
Sorry for the unpleasantness.
I'm truly sorry.
It's nothing.
Y-You were friends with my granddad?
Yes.
Let's have a nice long talk about him sometime soon.
"Silence"
W-Well, shall we go home?
Tha--!
Thank you so much.
Huh?! Was that gratitude?
The hell it is, baldy!
Huh?!
That aside,
what did the culprits even want?
Why'd they give themselves up...?
Who knows?
Well,
some interfering guy probably had a hand in it.
Huh?
Where are you going?
The gate is that way...
The club room.
We can't do any club stuff with it in that state.
You'll be fine.
If it's you, Takezo, I'm sure...
...you'll make it the best koto club there is.
Everyone...
He's a lot to deal with, but...
somehow our strongest recruit yet has joined the club.
Oh, yeah.
Thanks for cleaning the sign, Kudo.
Huh?! I don't know what you're talking about! What sign?!
"Koto club" Why hide it?
"Koto club" Wait, are you blushing?
"Koto club" Shuddup, bald little four-eyes!
"Koto club"
Next time, "Having What It Takes."
"#2 Having What it Takes"