Hello!

Oh, An, Kohane. Welcome.

Hm? Are Miku and the others not here today?

No, Miku ran off somewhere. Len and Rin also went off to go do something with KAITO too. Thus, the quietness, but feel free to stay as long as you like.

Haha. Okay!

Looks like we have no choice but to take up her offer, Kohane.

Yeah!

The usual?

Yes, please!

Okay.

Coming right up.

Thank you!

That reminds me, I didn't get to finish saying what I thought about your event today. It was so good.

The crowd was on edge before started singing and it was like you cast a spell on them after you did!

Really?

Yes, really! It's like they were all waiting for you to do your thing!

I didn't realize that, but I'm glad everyone enjoyed it so much.

Seriously, I couldn't be prouder of my partner!

You reminded me that you really are the best partner I could ask for!

Hehe... You're exaggerating

You know I'm not kidding, right...?

Huh?

I'm proud to be your partner, Kohane!

But that's not the whole story. Akito, Toya and everybody on Vivid Street know what you're capable of now.

Today was proof of that too, you know?

I get that you're still a little bothered by what other people say about you...

But it's totally okay for you to have more confidence in yourself!

Okay...

Yeah. You're right, An.

Thanks.

Then... Can I ask you something, An?

Sure! What's up?

How do I do that...?

Huh...?

No matter how much I practice, it never feels right...

How to be more confident, huh...?

I've never actually thought about that. I always assumed that you just do after you work really hard on something...

Hmm... How does it actually work?

That's a tough conversation it sounds like you're having there.

Oh, MEIKO.

Here's your cafe au lait.

Would you like anything else...?

Hmm... Being more confident in yourself...

Have you ever done anything that made you genuinely feel confident about yourself before, Kohane?

Um... Maybe...

With exams, I'm always anxious about how they'll go and even how they went afterward...

I've never had trouble when it comes to taking care of Count Pearl, but I'm not sure that counts...

Oh, guiding everyone around Phoenix Wonderland...!

But that's just me talking about a place I really like, so I'm not sure that counts either...

Then... What about when you were little? I'm sure there's something you did back then that made you feel proud of yourself, right?

When I was little...?

Maybe less so. I don't remember doing anything noteworthy back then...

I do remember a time when I tried to climb a tree with a friend...

You went tree climbing?

Yes. Everybody else kept climbing higher and higher...

But I couldn't.

I was so worried about what would happen if I fell, or not be able to climb back down.

They just kept going up and up, while I stayed at the bottom too scared to do anything...

...

It happened a lot too.

Playing tag, trying to pet my neighbor's dog... None of it went well for me.

My friends back then even kept saying, It's okay, Kohane. Don't worry about it.

Is that why I'm always looking up to and trying to be as good as someone else...?

Have I been standing at the bottom of that tree this entire time...?

No, you're wrong!

There's still a lot that I don't know about you, Kohane, but I know that you're an amazing singer.

So quit getting yourself down like that.

Thanks, An.

But you guys are all so cool and good at what you do...

That's why I want to learn how to do what you're already doing.

You have a talent for seeing the good in people, Kohane.

Huh?

You have a wonderful heart that finds the best in others and an ability to establish goals based on those qualities.

But I also agree that you could commit to yourself more. Have more confidence in yourself, you know...?

Believe in the part of you that can see those qualities in people.

Oh...

Is that what that means?

Yes, Kohane.

You keep saying that you want to be able to sing like the rest of us.

But the reverse is also true. I wanna know how to sing like you.

An...

Thanks, An.

I'm still not sure about how I'm supposed to feel more confident about myself...

But I'll keep trying and do what I can!

Great...!