I see...

You wish to move people's hearts, cheer them up, bring them together... And do everything you can to make the above come true.

While they all have their minor differences, your collective desire to move people's hearts remains unchanged, yes...?

Yes, that's correct...

Understood. It suits you all very well.

You think so?! Thank goodness!

Ms. Mochizuki, yours is a bit different from those of your bandmates...

But your desire to provide this band with whatever support it needs should certainly help keep it together.

In that sense, Leo/need is very lucky to have you as one of its members.

Mr. Shindo...

Thank you very much...

Alright, now that I know what you'll all be aspiring to...

I'll start working on a marketing strategy, as well as hammering out the details regarding what you'll be doing moving forward.

I'll let you all know once I've made some progress.

Th-Thank you...!

Also...

There's something else I'd like to discuss with all of you today.

Something else...?

What is it?

In order to function as a professional band...

Someone will need to become the leader of Leo/need.

The leader of Leo/need...?

H-He's right...!

We've never had one! How could we have forgotten about something so important...?!

To be fair, we haven't had a need for one since we've been discussing all the important stuff as a band.

Yes, that's a good thing and it suits you all very well. However, moving forward, you'll be talking with this company more, and you'll likely be asked to do interviews and such as well.

It's simpler to have a single person representing your band in those situations.

I see...

Oh, I have a question!

What else is the leader gonna be responsible for?

Well...

Each band handles that differently, but...

A big part of the job is going to involve deciding where your band is headed.

O-Oh, wow... That sounds hard...

It's okay. Try to relax.

That being said, above all else...

The leader needs to keep your band afloat and moving in the right direction.

Keep it afloat...

As pros, you'll surely be faced with a myriad of challenges and obstacles.

Each one will be a test. Each one will make you worry, wonder and question who you are as a band...

...

Of course, if anything happens, I'll be there to help. I plan on doing what I can to keep you moving in the right direction.

However, I'm also an employee of this record company. My job is to make your band and music as marketable as possible.

In other words, the onus is on you to keep your band together...

Oh...

So, in the event that your band does come under crisis and approach the point of breaking...

You'll need to have a strong leader who can keep everything from falling apart.

...!

As such, I believe...

Ms. Mochizuki, you should lead this band.

What...?

M-Me...?!

B-But why...? Me? The leader...?

Haha. You're that surprised?

I've basically already explained why.

Huh? What do you mean...?

He has...

And I agree. You should be our leader, Honami.

You think so too, Ichika...?

What did he just say?

It's the leader's responsibility to support this band and keep it afloat.

Which means you're the perfect person for the job in my eyes.

Yeah, I agree...!

I mean, Hona, you've already saved this band at least once!

I have...?

Remember when Mr. Shindo asked what our band's secret weapon is?

What you said made us realize how important that is. It's why we're standing here right now.

I agree with them both...

You've kept us going every step of the way, Honami.

I vote for you to lead us.

All of you...

(I was able to say what I did that time because I thought we shouldn't forget about what matters most to us just for the chance to go pro...)

(It was only a spur-of-the-moment decision, though...)

(So I really don't know if I'll be able to do the same thing in the future...)

...

I know this is all happening very fast...

But I also vividly remember the moment Ms. Hoshino is talking about.

What you said was proof enough that you have the strength required to keep this band from bending or breaking.

It was...?

Yes.

To be honest, when I saw you all perform that time, I wasn't exactly overwhelmed by your skills or talent...

And while youthful bands are full of vigor, they're also fragile... The slightest impact can cause them to shatter in an instant.

So, why did I want to sign you...?

Because I thought you'd be able to handle anything that came your way.

...

And what you said then convinced me of that.

What I said...?

Of course, I'll neither force you nor make you state your decision right now. You should go home, sleep on it and—

No, that won't be necessary...

I'll do it.

I'm honestly a little scared...

I can't say for certain that I'm cut out for this.

But if I can be of any help to the others...

No, that's what I want to do.

As... The leader of Leo/need.

Hona...!

...if that's okay with all of you.

Yeah, of course it is...!

Lead on.

Then, Ms. Mochizuki, I look forward to working with you as the leader of Leo/need.

Likewise...!

(I-I'm the leader now...

My heart's still racing...)

(But if it means being able to help the others...)

(I need to do my best... As the leader of this band...!)

Can I come in now, Shindo?

Huh?

Oh, right. We actually just finished.

Thank you for stopping by, Mr. President.

M-Mr. President...?!

It's your first time meeting, right...?

This is the president of our company, Mr. Ota.

I-It's uhh...! Nice to meet you!

I-I'm... We're...

We're Leo/need.

We've really enjoyed working with Mr. Shindo thus far.

Hahaha! There's no need to be so formal with me. Also, I've known about your band for a little while now, so I apologize for not introducing myself sooner.

N-No, that's okay. But is there a reason you chose today...?

I actually have a little favor to ask you.

I'd like to hear you play live sometime.

Live...?

Yes. It won't be taking place for a good while, but there's a big music festival that's held each year. They want one of our artists to perform...

And we currently have you on the short list.

Us...?!

Again, nothing is set in stone yet.

Nonetheless, Shindo here has given me raving reviews about you.

As such, I'd like to do what I can to really get your name and music out there.

That being said, it's a big festival, so you need to be good. We can't afford to send in someone who isn't ready.

Which is why you need to hear us play first...

I apologize if this feels like some kind of test.

But a live performance will be the easiest way for me to see where you're at as a band.

So, if possible, I'd like to be there when you practice a song. Would that be alright?

Understood...

We decided to go pro because we want as many people as possible to hear our music...

And if this is our chance to do that...then we accept.

Honami...

That's okay with all of you, right...?

Of course it is...

We should be taking every opportunity to put on moving performances for people.

Then, excellent...

I'm glad you decided to accept.

As a music connoisseur myself, I'll be looking forward to an outstanding performance.

(An outstanding performance...)

O-Of course...!

This is so amazingly cool!

We might get to play at a big music festival...!

Sorry about the sudden surprise.

However, I'm hoping personally that you'll be chosen to perform.

On the other hand, focusing on winning can cause stilted performances, which will get you nowhere.

Instead, try to relax and prepare in a way that allows you to put on the best performance possible.

O-Okay.

Anyway, that's it for today. You're free to go...

I know auditioning for this music festival is an exciting opportunity, but please keep your health in mind since you're also debuting soon...

Also, Ms. Mochizuki, once again...

I look forward to seeing more of you as the leader of Leo/need.

Thank you...!