Morning!
I don't have time for this! Stop being so stingy.
You won't improve at all if I just tell you!
What are you two both arguing about so early in the morning?
Oh, four-eyes!
My part has a section where I have to use my fingers to pluck, right?
No matter how I play it, it always sounds dull.
Hey, how can I get a clear sound using my fingers?
You probably just haven't practiced enough.
You don't have any other advice?!
As I said, you're just not trying hard enough!
What did you just say?!
What?!
I-I see...
Um, the reason it's sounding dull
might be because Kudo's fingers are still soft.
Soft?
If you practice more, your fingers will grow calluses
and become harder than before.
Little by little, you'll have your "playing fingers,"
and you'll be able to make much clearer sounds.
I think that's what Hozuki was trying to say...
Makes sense...
Wait, how was I supposed to know that?!
You left out too much!
Hozuki probably isn't suited for teaching,
being so naturally talented.
All right!
From now on, so that she doesn't have to bear all the responsibility herself,
I need to step up, too.
Four-eyes!
Wh-What is it?
My fingers are softer...
...than both that girl's and that four-eyes...
"#4 The First Resounding Note" So, you're tightening the strings?
"#4 The First Resounding Note" Yeah...
If I don't make them as close as I can to the real thing, my fingers won't toughen up.
I can't take the real ones here home, or buy one either.
Then why not borrow one from someone?
Who would have them
and let me practice with them--
"Nishina Instruments" So...
Please let the four of us practice here!
I'm not you lot's grandmother!
If I lent you instruments and gave you a place to practice,
what exactly would be in it for me?
I-I don't have money, but...
"Shoulder Massage Ticket Exclusive Use for Granny Expiration: As long as I live Can be used like 10 times"
Don't you underestimate adults!
Then...
In one month...
...we'll let you hear an amazing performance!
It will be a good memory to take to the afterlife with you.
Honestly...
I see. So, you're Gen's grandson...
You know my granddad?
Of course I do. It's a small industry, after all.
Gen, don't you have your grandson living with you?
I heard he's quite a brat?
Yeah, I guess.
Shizu! Listen to this! You know my grandson?
He played my koto!
I only explained a little, and he was able to play it right away!
I bet he has talent in him!
In one month...
...we'll let you hear an amazing performance!
Gen...
I wish you could have heard those words...
Men don't go back on their word, right?
"Koto Club"
Guys, it's almost eight, so let's start tidyi--
Good work, guys!
Shit...
It still sounds dull...
Plucking with my fingers hurts more than I expected, too...
Those two...
How long did they have to do this before they got fingers that hard?
Yay!
A-Amazing, you guys...
You're able to play your parts with almost no mistakes now!
Hozuki, why don't we all try playing together now?
Very well.
I haven't even seen you practice.
You can actually play this, right?
I don't want someone like you worrying about me.
Okay, let's start!
Three, and...
"Aim for nationals!!"
Beginning's good...
From the fourth bar,
Hozuki's 17-string comes in...
Hey! Why did everyone stop?!
S-Sorry! I-I was just so moved.
Amazing!
She only played for a second,
but every note was extremely honed
with a rich tone that only comes with experience.
Shit... How can I make that sound?!
Come on, one more time from the top!
Right, well...
Three, and...
Beginning's good...
Then Hozuki's 17-string comes in...
We split up into parts!
And we're not together at all...
Hey! Quit making those awful noises, you idiots!
Huh? I played it right, though!
Me, too!
Your playing is fine, but everyone's timing is off.
Make sure you listen to the sounds around you!
Um...
What do you mean by listen to the sounds around you?
Huh?
If we start at the same time, won't we be in sync?
They don't know how to listen to the sounds around them,
or understand how to stay together?
It's such an intuitive thing that I can't teach--
Stop whining that you can't do it!
When you're older,
you will have to take responsibility for this school.
I will not tolerate words like "I can't" or "I don't know."
"Koto Club"
Wrong! You're one beat too fast!
"Koto Club" Now you're too slow!
"Koto Club"
I-I'm done...
My... My feet...
It's like I'm understanding less...
I feel sick...
Why?
We're even less together now than we were before...
O-Once again from the top.
Hozuki, it's closing time.
We have to tidy up now.
I didn't think playing in sync would be this hard...
I'm the one that started Tokise High's koto club.
Isn't that awesome?
I don't care about that shit...
I'll just play by myself.
You don't get it, huh? It's completely different!
The sound you get when you play with people you've spent time with
you just can't produce on your own.
It's nice.
Hozuki probably doesn't know what to do either.
What was it like when I first started?
Takezo, after this, let's all go...
Uh, hey...
Would you like to go eat after this?
W-With everyone!
Sounds fun! Sounds fun!
Let's go! What should we eat?
I'll have to pass...
You should come, too, once in a while!
Huh?
Come on, let's go!
What?! Huh, wa--
Yay, food, food!
"Monja" Yay, food, food!
Is this actually your first time eating monja?
O-Of course not!
So it is her first time...
All right, sorry for the wait!
Cheesy mochi and pollack roe monja and stamina monja, right?
Woo-hoo!
Huh? You're gonna cook it for us, Hozuki?
--Huh? --Really?
All right! Thank you!
Huh? Sorry, you didn't want to?
If you don't want to, we'll do it.
If you can't do it, just say so.
If you don't know something, just say you don't know.
No one's gonna get mad.
Um... Hozuki?
That applies to the club as well, you know?
You're really good and have lots of experience, but...
There's no need for you to be perfect. I mean...
I don't think I can be relied on,
but if there's something you can't solve on your own,
let's all think about it together!
Oh, we can probably eat this soon.
Huh? I-It's done?
You eat it like this.
It's delicious.
Of course it is! I cooked it, after all.
I-I...
...don't know how to teach you guys...
...how to play so that you're together...
From a young age, it just came naturally to me...
You always say one thing too many!
Hey, hey, you two.
Let's all talk about this together.
How we can learn to play in sync, huh?
I play guitar,
but in a band there's a drummer, so gauging the tempo is pretty easy.
Instead of trying to sync with everyone,
syncing to someone might be easier.
Oh, makes sense.
Well then, you guys should try syncing to me!
Why you?!
If we're clapping, I could probably do it.
Oh, then, to start,
why don't we practice clapping to the same rhythm?
You guys look like you're having fun.
--This one's on the house!
--Hurray! Hurray! --This one's on the house!
"It's done..."
"Koto Club" One, two, three, four.
"Koto Club" Fourth and fifth koto rest.
Yes, all together now.
Okay. Let's stop here for now.
So fast. It's so hard to keep up.
But you know,
it really is different with the clapping and Hozuki's cues.
It's easier to stay together!
But...
...it'd be a problem if we got in the habit of relying on them.
Let's try once without the clapping.
Huh? Have you memorized when to come in already, Chika?
Yeah, sort of.
I've sorta figured it out, too.
I can probably do it, too!
Mizuhara.
Don't feel like you have to rush yourself.
I'll try and play so that it's easier for the other parts to come in.
O-Okay.
Just relax, okay?
Yeah.
Okay, ready?
Let's start.
Three, and...
One, two, three, four.
One, two, three...
Now!
W-We were in sync!
You idiots!
We were finally together and you stop...
Well, that said...
It did sound really good.
--Chika, praise me!
--Um... guys... practice... --Chika, praise me!
--Why me? --Um... guys... practice... --Chika, praise me!
We did it! We did it!
Let's hurry up and do the next part already!
Okay!
Aren't there more of you than before?
Ah, you figured it out?
Even if there's one or two more of you, it doesn't change anything.
Do as you please.
I had no idea Kudo and the others were practicing here.
I'm a bad club president, aren't I?
That's Chika's way of saying thanks.
Even though he doesn't look it, he's grateful.
"Strawberry Daifuku full of love and strawberries" Even though he doesn't look it, he's grateful.
"Koto Club"
Stop. We're not together again.
Even though we finally got the beginning down.
--Crap.
--This isn't good. --Crap.
--The atmosphere's gone sour again... --Come on, let's try again!
Hozuki, let's take a little break.
Sakai, you can relax your legs for a bit.
Thanks, club president four-eyes.
Wah, I'm so sorry everyone.
What are you saying?
You and everyone else are doing great!
It took me way longer to get to where you guys are now.
So, um...
So, we'll be fine!
If we practice consistently without rushing ourselves,
we'll definitely be able to do this!
Oh, no!
I sounded so arrogant right now...
Ah, um, sorry. I just...
No. Thank you for that.
Huh?
All right!
Let's practice again from the top!
Wai--! My feet are still...
--You should go on a diet or something! --Why not have Mittsu use a koto stand?
This atmosphere... is kind of nostalgic...
"Nishina Instruments"
So, from here it gets gradually more intense...
And then after that it gets suddenly softer, right?
It has more variation and should increase the impact.
"Ryuuseigun" But just adding varying intensities is still not enough.
"Ryuuseigun" From there, you have to work out the motif,
play it over and over, and make it your own.
Only then will it become a piece that can reach others...
"Motif"?
Like a piece's image or theme.
You consider what a piece is trying to convey,
and then, if you can put your own feelings into it, it's even better.
Our feelings?
So, first we have to understand the piece, huh?
"Ryuu"...
The koto is an awesome instrument made to resemble a dragon.
Hey, the koto is modeled to look like a dragon, right?
Kudo, you're well-informed, huh?
What about it?
Nothing really.
The title replaces the "ryuu" in "meteor shower" with the kanji for "dragon."
I thought there might be a reason for it.
"Ryuuseigun"
Why is the koto associated with dragons to begin with?
This is my own way of explaining it, but...
Dragons are said to connect heaven and earth,
the world of the living and the dead,
joining together two unconnected things.
So kotos, which are created to resemble those same dragons,
connect the hearts of the players and the audience.
I believe it embodies this wish.
Ah, so then...
This "Ryuuseigun" piece is trying to say
"please reach them!" with all its might, right?
I mean it's a dragon meteor shower that connects hearts, right?
Th-That's it!
Through the sound of the dragon, let our feelings reach them!
A piece that will pass on the feelings of us misunderstood guys!
We may have been hindered by the vice-principal and stuff,
but in the end, we'll become dragon meteors and reach everyone!
This piece is surely meant for us!
Right, Hozuki?
You might be right.
Sh-She smiled?!
Hozuki, did you smile right now?!
Wha--? I can smile, too, you know!
No, but it wasn't an evil or devious smile!
You guys are annoying!
Kotos connect the hearts of the players and the audience.
I believe it embodies this wish.
Oh, Kudo!
If you're gonna start practicing again, I'll joi--
Oh, is someone already playin--
This is the first koto part of "Ryuuseigun"...
It's rough... but the core is there...
Moreover, what is this tone?
It's incredibly gentle and warm...
Th-The first koto is... but it can't be...
He can't produce this sound...
What is this tone?
Its core is strong, but gentle...
You wouldn't believe it's Kudo that's playing...
It draws you in...
Ah, shit! I messed up...
K-Kudo!
How did you play that just now?!
Huh? What are you on about?
He isn't aware of it himself?
You've played the koto in the past, right?
Who taught you?
My granddad.
We practiced again after that,
but in the end, he only made that sound once.
Was it just a fluke?
If only we had a proper teacher...
I'm no help...
Kurata!
Our homeroom teacher said to stop by the staff room before you leave.
Huh? Oh, got it.
That aside, are you okay?
What do you mean?
I heard that you're being made to run errands
by the first-year delinquents who've taken over the koto club's hangout.
I see...
So that's how it's still being seen by everyone on the outside...
Everyone's practicing their hardest,
but we don't even know if anyone in the school will listen to us perform.
What if we don't reach anyone...?
Sorry... oh...
The hell? It's Nadeshiko again.
Speaking of, I heard something about you.
Aren't you involved with Kudo and his delinquent friends now?
No, um...
Kudo and his friends are members of the koto club, so...
Could it be you don't even realize you're being pushed around by them?
That's not...
Everyone's actually serious about the koto...
So that's how it is, huh?
Being pushed around by first-years...
It must be so embarrassing that you can't even admit it.
Takezo, sir.
Aren't you coming to the clubroom?
We'll be starting soon.
K-Kudo...
Huh? What's with you guys?
You got business with my club president?
Huh? Uh, no...
If you've got no business, then get lost already!
What's with those guys?
You not coming to the clubroom?
Ah, I have to go to the staff room for a sec...
Oh, I see. I'll head there first then.
K-Kudo...
Thank you!
For what?
"I'm a virgin~" "Koto Club (LOL)"
If I have time to think about whether or not we can reach them,
then I should be thinking about how we are gonna reach them.
We will reach them.
"Koto Club" So we can protect that place!
Oh, Hozuki!
This is unusual. Are you by yourself today?
Yeah.
I feel like I'm holding everyone back,
so I thought I'd come here early and practice by myself!
Why are you trying so hard?
Because Chika is.
Huh?
The reason we're all trying hard is because Chika is.
I'm not...
...really interested in why he's playing the koto.
But...
Is he playing the koto because of his grandfather's influence?
Oh, what? So you knew about that already, Hozuki?
Huh? Well, no...
But, it was a surprise when I heard Chika had started playing.
I thought the incident with his grandfather and the kotos
would have been too traumatic for him for sure.
Traumatic?
I mean...
Huh?
Next time, "Let Our Sound Resound and Reach Them."
"#5 Let Our Sound Resound and Reach Them" Next time, "Let Our Sound Resound and Reach Them."