???
1
Character icon
Haruka

Wh...

2
Character icon
Haruka

What is this place...?!

3
Character icon
MEIKO

Isn't this crazy?

You should've seen the way KAITO reacted. He nearly fell into that pond over there.

4
Character icon
KAITO

Sh-She doesn't need to know that...

5
Character icon
KAITO

Still, what made this place appear all of a sudden? The path we took to get here is also something I'd never seen until now...

6
Character icon
MEIKO

I don't know, but I suspect that something about what you and the others are feeling must've changed, Haruka.

7
Character icon
Haruka

Us...?

8
Character icon
KAITO

Yes, I'm inclined to agree.

After all, this SEKAI was born out of your feelings.

9
Character icon
Haruka

Oh...

10
Character icon
Haruka

Still, our feelings...? What's changed...?

We've been very busy lately, but...

11
Character icon
Haruka

Huh? A butterfly...?

12
Character icon
KAITO

Look at that.

Its bright orange wings are so beautiful.

13
Character icon
MEIKO

And delicate. Like the hem of a floaty dress. Which species do you think it is?

14
Character icon
Haruka

(Its wings really are beautiful...

They're bright, shiny and...)

15
Character icon
Haruka

(Oddly captivating.

I'm feeling all this nostalgia for some reason...)

16
Character icon
KAITO

Oh, it landed on that flower...

17
Character icon
MEIKO

Huh?

There's a vine wrapped around that flower...

18
Character icon
Haruka

Oh, you're right...

Also, it looks kind of strange.

19
Character icon
KAITO

And this glistening bit. Is it the nectar?

20
Character icon
MEIKO

So, this butterfly was just trying to get to the nectar?

21
Character icon
Haruka

I don't know...

22
Character icon
Haruka

But I feel bad about it being caught in a vine like this, so I think I'll try to free it...

23
Character icon
KAITO

Wait, Haruka, be careful.

24
Character icon
MEIKO

It's very slippery around the pond, so please watch your step.

25
Character icon
Haruka

Thank you.

I'll be careful, but this is wrapped around it much more tightly than I...

26
Character icon
Haruka

Huh...?

This light...

27
Character icon
KAITO

Haruka?

28
Character icon
Children's Voices

Thank you for coming to perform for us today!!!

29
Character icon
Haruka

That sounded like a group of children...

30
Character icon
Haruka

Wh-Where am I...?

31
Character icon
???

Thank you for listening to my song!

32
Character icon
Haruka

Huh...?

33
Character icon
Lady

Seeing all your beautiful smiles has filled me with so much joy!

34
Character icon
Haruka

...!

35
Character icon
Haruka

It's her...!

36
Character icon
Boy

I really love the way you sing!

37
Character icon
Girl A

You're done already?

Can you come back again next Sunday?

38
Character icon
Girl B

Yeah, we wanna sing with you more!

39
Character icon
Haruka

Oh...

40
Character icon
Lady

Hehe. Thank you all very much!

Unfortunately, this is it for today.

41
Character icon
Lady

But I'm sure we'll meet again someday.

When we do, let's sing lots and lots more together!

42
Character icon
Lady

So, let's pinky swear!

43
Character icon
Haruka

(I didn't realize she performed in places like this...)

44
Character icon
Haruka

(I have no idea if this actually happened or if this is all part of my imagination...)

45
Character icon
Haruka

(But it's nice to see that she's still making people smile...)

46
Character icon
Lady

Alright, next, it's time for that fun anime to air! Let's see... It's on channel...

47
Character icon
Haruka

(Is something wrong?

She's parked herself in front of that TV for some reason.)

48
Character icon
Show MC

<And our second most watched show from this past week is... “Chat A Lot About Nothing with Takashi Arimura!”>

49
Character icon
Haruka

...!

50
Character icon
Show MC

<And we have the “Check Out All The Cool Stuff In The Station's Gift Shop!” segment coming in as the most watched part of the program! Check out our highlight reel!>

51
Character icon
Minori

<Oh wow! Look at these!

They're shaped like the studio's mascot, Mr. Alarm!>

52
Character icon
Airi

<Chocolate inside a monaka wedged into a cookie wrapped in a waffle... Mr. Alarm has become a snack within a snack!>

53
Character icon
Haruka

This program...

54
Character icon
Shizuku

<But these kinds of souvenirs are meant to be passed out to a lot of people, so I think it's good that they have a wide variety available.>

55
Character icon
Haruka

<I agree.

Also because these are all really good.>

56
Character icon
Arimura

<You've eaten them already, Haruka?!

The rest of us haven't even opened them yet!>

57
Character icon
Lady

Haruka's still doing her best as an idol...

That's so great to see.

58
Character icon
Haruka

What...?

59
Character icon
Lady

I was so worried when she left ASRUN, so I'm relieved to see that she's decided to go back to being an idol...

60
Character icon
Lady

Hehe. I knew she had talent...

61
Character icon
Lady

And I know that tomorrow's going to be a better day!

62
Character icon
Haruka

Oh...

63
Character icon
Haruka

...!

Where am I n...

64
Character icon
MEIKO

Wh-What was that light...?

65
Character icon
KAITO

That was startling.

It became so bright all of a sudden and...

66
Character icon
KAITO

Are you okay, Haruka...?

67
Character icon
Haruka

Oh, I'm okay...

But...

68
Character icon
Haruka

Did you two also see...?

69
Character icon
MEIKO

See what?

70
Character icon
Haruka

Okay...

I guess I'm the only one who saw.

71
Character icon
KAITO

Huh?

72
Character icon
MEIKO

Are you sure you're okay...?

Maybe that light did something to your eyes...

73
Character icon
Haruka

Oh, no, my eyes are fine.

The thing is...

74
Character icon
KAITO

You saw your hero watching the show you were on the other day...?

75
Character icon
Haruka

I did...

It may've just been a pleasant dream...

76
Character icon
Haruka

But it made me really happy.

She even said how inspired she was after seeing me.

77
Character icon
Haruka

I was able to spread hope to wherever she was through the airwaves...

78
Character icon
Haruka

In that sense...

I'm really glad I decided to keep trying.

79
Character icon
MEIKO

Haruka...

80
Character icon
KAITO

I don't think it was just a pleasant dream.

81
Character icon
Haruka

Huh...?

82
Character icon
MEIKO

I agree...

I think the person you saw really was her.

83
Character icon
MEIKO

I mean, you've been working all this time to take the hope she instilled in you and spread it to so many others.

84
Character icon
MEIKO

So, I wouldn't be surprised if you were able to give back some of that hope to her.

85
Character icon
Haruka

MEIKO...

86
Character icon
Haruka

Yeah.

You might be right.

87
Character icon
Haruka

But... That still isn't enough.

88
Character icon
KAITO

Haruka...?

89
Character icon
Haruka

(Ever since that day she inspired me, I've been striving to be like her. I still am even now.)

90
Character icon
Haruka

(And yet...

I still don't feel like I've been able to reach where she was when we first met. I mean...)

91
Character icon
Haruka

(She hasn't stopped.

She's still spreading hope to everybody she can.)

92
Character icon
Haruka

(She's still inspiring them, making them smile and...)

93
Character icon
Haruka

That's it...

That's what's most important.

94
Character icon
KAITO

Haruka?

95
Character icon
Haruka

I think I found the answer to my question.

96
Character icon
MEIKO

Oh, about coming up with a plan to make your dream come true?

97
Character icon
Haruka

Yes.

98
Character icon
Haruka

There's still a lot that we have to consider, but as long as spreading hope to others remains our top priority...

99
Character icon
Haruka

We should be able to carve out a path and find the right answers in terms of what we need to do to make our ultimate dream a reality.

100
Character icon
Haruka

I actually feel a little relieved now...

101
Character icon
MEIKO

Right. All of you will most likely encounter some tough tasks and difficult challenges in the future...

102
Character icon
MEIKO

But I'm sure you'll do fine since you're driven by such powerful feelings. I doubt that's going to change.

103
Character icon
KAITO

I agree. And we'll keep giving you all the support we can so that you'll also be able to spread hope to those who don't know who you are yet...

104
Character icon
Haruka

Hehe. Thank you both very much.

105
Character icon
Butterfly

...

106
Character icon
KAITO

Oh, it's flying away.

107
Character icon
MEIKO

You managed to free this flower from that vine, Haruka, but I guess our fluttery friend wasn't after its nectar...

108
Character icon
Haruka

(Wait a second... That butterfly's wings...)

109
Character icon
Haruka

(They resemble her outfit.)

110
Character icon
Haruka

She did it again...

111
Character icon
Haruka

(But...)

112
Character icon
Haruka

(I hope you're watching.

I'm going to take the hope you gave me and spread it to others as we make more and more progress towards making our dream come true.)

113
Character icon
Haruka

(Our dream of one day doing a show at the Dome.)

114
Character icon
Haruka

(And I really hope that I'll get to see your smiling face there...)

Next Chapter: Unpacking