I still don't quite understand this piece.
"~Leap through time like the wind and wish~" What kind of musical theme should we have?
This is all that's written as the piece's explanation.
I'm surprised you guys are still at it even with it being this hot.
Mr. Takinami.
Oh, uh--
You must have some sort of musical experience, right, sir?
I told you before. I don't have any.
--But this morning with the upbeat--
--Takinami! --But this morning with the upbeat--
Honestly, it's one thing after another. What is it?
This! We just can't get our duet to sound right!
Ugh, don't ask me for help. What a pain.
Kudo, you two are great friends, right?
Trust in your friend!
--Let's go, Kudo. Let's just do it ourselves--
--Got it! --Let's go, Kudo. Let's just do it ourselves--
Let's go, four-eyes!
Huh? Wait-- What did you "get" from that?
Isn't Kudo so fascinating?!
He's just an idiot.
But you've decided to stay here with those idiots, right?
Are you really okay with that?
What do you mean?
I said it before.
If you continue to play with bad players, you'll become bad yourself.
Yet you're still going to stay with them?
I am.
I believe the sound I was searching for is most likely here.
And, sir...
You underestimate them too much.
Everyone's improving very rapidly.
I can't slack off either.
"#11 The Sound We Were Searching For" Listen up, four-eyes.
"#11 The Sound We Were Searching For" From now on, I'm gonna put all my trust in you.
Y-Yes?
I'll listen to you play, but I won't wait.
So that's what he meant.
Right!
Up until now, I've been listening to Chika play and then playing myself.
That's why, when the tempo got faster,
my hand couldn't keep up and it wouldn't mesh together.
Listening to four-eyes' playing before playing myself is no good.
I just have to play and believe that...
--...four-eyes'... --...Kudo's...
...notes will come after mine.
--Amazing! --What is this?!
The notes are right where I want them to be!
Wow, awesome! What was that just now?! It felt so good!
It sounded like only one person was playing!
I've got it! I really feel like I've gotten it!
It's mine now!
Man... This is so fun.
Yeah... Yeah!
Let's do it one more time!
Let's try upping the tempo!
"Aoharu Inn" Now that the duet is coming together really beautifully,
we should try and make it sound more like singing.
Singing?
Right.
Right now, it sounded like "taka taka taka,"
which sounds flat and has no dynamics.
♪ Talalala tilalila. Talalila lilalila. ♪
If you add differing levels of stress, it'll sound like singing.
Singing...
I didn't explain it very well, did I...?
No, it'd just be easier if you showed us as well.
Now, let's work on the first koto's solo a bit more--
B-By the way...
What kind of piece do you guys think this is?
I'm still unsure on what kind of musical theme we should go with...
What was the introduction for the piece again?
It's "leap through time like the wind and wish."
"Wish," huh?
You know, isn't this moment right now kind of amazing?
Amazing?
Just a few months ago,
I never would have imagined I'd be playing the koto.
And if I hadn't, I probably wouldn't have ever met you all.
I'm having so much fun now.
But times like these are fleeting.
I think,
if it were possible, I'd wanna make this time last forever.
Yeah!
Yeah, I agree.
"Leap through time like the wind...
"Kuon" "Leap through time like the wind...
"Kuon" ...and wish."
Well then, to finish off the training camp,
let's do a final run-through together.
Kota!
You'll be fine! You can do it!
Yeah!
"Aoharu Inn"
We're almost at the part
where Kota has a hard time coming in strong on the upbeat.
So burn the image of what we did just now into your mind.
Then...
...hammer it into your head.
One, two, three.
Amazing...
We've kinda...
...gotten better, haven't we?
Y-Yeah!
It feels kinda different from when we've played up until now.
Hey, Hozuki! We've gotten better, haven't we?!
Kurusu, thank you so much.
Huh? For what?
If it weren't for you getting this place for us,
we wouldn't have been able to practice this much!
Truly, thank you.
W-Well then, you should treat me to something sometime!
Huh? Uh, yeah.
Thank you.
All right!
Well, that concludes the training camp!
I imagine you're all tired, so let's finish early for toda--
Chika, you're not going home?
Oh, yeah. I'm gonna practice by myself.
Huh? No fair! I'll practice too!
I can't let you get better without me!
Jeez, guess I'll practice too...
If it were possible, I'd wanna make this time last forever.
I'm going home.
I can't stand being in the light of your youth any longer.
Bye.
Oh, thanks for your hard work!
You don't say...
"Koto Club"
"Land for Sale"
Here's a stone I picked up at the training camp.
The sound you get when you play with your friends
you just can't produce on your own.
I think I understand that a little more now.
Just a little.
So the festival's finally just around the corner, huh?
Oh, the other schools have the nationals before this, too.
The preliminaries were in December, but the tournament's only just happening now?
That's such a big gap.
It really is...
I wish they'd consider the timing of it a little more.
Come to think of it, at the training camp,
didn't you ask us what kind of piece we thought "Kuon" was?
Did you figure it out in the end?
I think what Mizuhara said really hit the mark.
Kota?
Times like these fly away in an instant like the wind,
so we wish that it would continue.
It was like this with "Ryuuseigun," too,
but I think if we can identify with the piece,
it'll be easier to put emotion into it.
Wh-What?
Nothing, I just thought it looked like you're having a lot of fun.
Huh?
You like playing the koto with us that much?
I like playing... with you guys...
Wha-- Hey, you!
That was close...
What are you doing? What if you had gotten hurt?
Chika...
What is a guy like you doing, you bastard?!
--It might surprise you, but I wasn't doing anything!
--Good morning! --It might surprise you, but I wasn't doing anything!
Oh? What's all the fuss about?
Maybe it was bad that my arm brushed her chest a little...
That's right!
The order of performances for the tournament was decided!
What's our number? What's our number?
Number 24 out of 33 groups.
At a tournament, all the schools play one after another,
then the judges give us scores which determine our rank.
At any rate, all that's left to do now is keep going.
Let's give it our all in these last practices.
Yeah!
And, then...
...it was finally time for the big event.
Whoa.
There's more people here than I thought there'd be.
Doesn't it seem like we're practically the only guys here?
Well, koto clubs are 80 to 90 percent female.
What?! Really?!
What's with you guys all of a sudden? You didn't know?
Hi there, Tokise gang!
You're that guy from Meiryo!
I'm the koto club prince, Ousuke Kiryu!
What? You're participating in this tournament too?
Yup.
Oh, yeah. Didn't you say you guys were gonna participate in the nationals?
Did you guys win?
We lost!
We placed in the top four though!
The guys in first place were really good.
Oh, by the way, Himesaka also--
Satowa!
Satowa! We placed in the top four at nationals!
If we have you, Satowa, I'm sure we'll take first place next time!
Persistent...
So the barbarian shows his face!
You'll be playing the koto as well today, right?
What of it?
Nothing really.
Just thinking how much I'm looking forward to it.
At the joint practice, you said all you had to do was catch up to Satowa, right?
The likes of you said this. The likes of you.
Shuddup, frizzy head!
They're scaring me.
Bleh!
See you later, Satowa!
Ousuke.
Hurry up.
Asano and Yoshiki are asking for you.
Asa and Yoshi?
Well then, I'm off!
We'll be performing first.
Whoa, seriously?
I heard going first isn't great because you become the standard for the judges,
so I was kinda bummed at first.
But, well,
there's no problem as long as we outshine everyone coming after us!
Later!
He kinda...
...said that just now like it was no big deal, huh?
Honestly, what is that Ousuke up to?
I wonder if there was a cute girl over there or something.
Ugh.
He was so much cuter when he was young and innocent.
But...
...that guy can instantly change the atmosphere all on his own.
The piece changes color,
and while Ousuke's solos are plenty spectacular,
I know of no other person more able
to bring out other people's strengths in an ensemble.
Is this the concert hall?
It makes me kinda nervous.
These guys...
...are all people who play the koto, right?
Yeah.
It kinda makes you happy, huh?
Now, we shall now begin
the High School Students' Kanto Region Traditional Japanese Music Festival.
Oh yeah, what are the Meiryo guys going to play?
"Hyakkafu."
Is that hard?
Yes, both the rhythm and technique are difficult.
It's a piece that describes the four seasons,
but the Winter part at the end is really something.
The nationals wasn't that long ago.
Which means they made it into the top four with this piece, right?
Just what kind of performance is it?
Is everyone ready? Here we go!
Up first is Meiryo High School
performing "Hyakkafu."
What... on earth...
Unbelievable... this is...
This is an... ensemble, right?
Amazing...
Even with this many people, with this rhythm,
it doesn't feel like they're "fitting together."
They're just naturally... together.
The more people in an ensemble,
the more differences you get in tone quality and rhythm.
That's why, to sound together,
most groups tend to play at a fixed tempo with fixed dynamics.
Even with this many people, they can sing.
No...
That's not it.
That person is leading them
in a way that allows them to sing.
We're ruining every note Hozuki plays.
That's something that, right now,
I'm absolutely incapable of.
Summer... the solo's next...
What the hell? This guy's sound is kinda...
At first, it sounded so pretty, but now...
Now, it's kind of...
...piercing.
And then, my mom got so pissed...
Um...
Good morning.
Huh? Who are you again?
Oh, remember!
It's that boy who's been hospitalized this whole time.
What do you wanna do after this?
Let's go outside!
Hey, you wanna play soccer with us?
Huh?
O-Oh, um...
I-I'll play!
Hey, it went over there!
Kiryu?
"School Nurse's Office"
They told you not to do any intense exercise yet, remember?
And then, you know that new game...
U-Um, sorry about yester--
We got yelled at by the teacher because of you, you know?
Now no one will ever... play with me anymore.
Nice to meet you.
We just moved in next door. We're the Izumis.
This is my daughter, Asano.
Nice to meet ya, Ousuke!
I'm sorry, Asano.
Ousuke's body has been weak ever since he was born.
Ousuke!
Let's play!
You know? I was looking for a fun place to play,
and I found a really cool place nearby!
B-But I...
"Koto School" Tada!
"Koto School" A koto school!
"Koto School" If it's something like this, you can play too!
I can play too...
Asa!
I love you!
Are you two dating?
How lewd.
Idiots.
Don't worry about that kind of stuff, Ousuke.
Let's go!
So pointless.
--Don't they have anything better to do?
--What should I do? --Don't they have anything better to do?
It's because I'm with her that she's...
I have to get away from her.
I have to--
Ousuke.
It's okay!
I have to...
But I don't want to.
If I wanna be with Asano without hurting her, I have to think.
Observe and understand people.
Be distant so they can't make a fool of me.
Have an attitude they can't underestimate.
Know their thoughts, desires, weaknesses.
Before I knew it,
I was able to read people more than others could,
and I was able to hear their sounds.
Summer and Autumn are over.
Next is the conclusion.
The Winter comes.
Ousuke.
You're really able to bring out people's strengths, huh?
When they play with you, you're able to lead them to be better.
Honestly, even though I'm the coach, I can't compare.
Just how do you do it?
I'm not really doing anything special.
I just understand who I'm playing with.
I understand their sound,
and if there's something I can do to help them, I just do it.
"Just," huh? That's amazing.
You must really like people, huh?
You're wrong, Yoshi.
It's not such a pure reason.
I'm...
...just so afraid of being alone again.
I'm just trying desperately to survive
in this colorful world.
That's all it is.
It hurts. It's cold.
The snowstorm is raging.
I feel the same way as I did when I heard Hozuki play...
Shit.
There's no problem as long as we outshine everyone coming after us!
This is...
...what a Meiryo performance is like...
Next time, "Rivals."
"#12 Rivals"