Mr. Shindo understood!
I'm so glad for you, Ichi!
Me too...
Alright, I understand...
Please, try to relax.
The company will need to know about this, but I'll handle telling them.
Explaining this to them won't be easy, but I'm sure things will work out.
I'm sorry for making you all wait...
I'll do everything I can to help make the best song possible for this collaboration!
I'm looking forward to working with you again, Saki.
Yeah♪ Let's do our best together!
You sound pretty motivated, Ichika...
Hehe. You must be feeling much better now that you have your answer.
I feel like we're really making the most of our youth.
Wait, whoa!
Where'd the instrument shop that was here go?!
Huh? Which instrument shop?
The one that always had cool-looking guitars on display in the window!
Oh, you mean that one we'd window-shop at from time to time just after we started our band...?
Yeah, that one! But it's gone!
Are you sure it wasn't one block down and around the corner?
Huh...?
Yeah, the corner shop that acted as a sort of landmark has changed, but the instrument shop should still be there.
Since it's right there, wanna go check it out?
Here. This one, right?
Yeah, it's still here!
Thank goodness...!
Come to think of it, we haven't been here in a really long time...
No, we haven't. We've mostly been getting everything we need at the shop by the live house.
That reminds me of...
The conversation we had while looking at the guitar on display in the window!
The guitar they have on display is so cool! And the bass next to it's super shiny!
Of course it's shiny. It's brand new.
Wow...
I hope I get to play a cool guitar like this someday.
Actually, how much is it...? Let's see...
Ones, tens, hundreds... One hundred thousand yen.
O-O-O-One hundred thousand yen?!
How many months' worth of allowance is that?!
Probably years. That's including New Year's money.
Yeah...
B-But! You can buy it if you save lots and lots, right?!
True.
My dad even said how finding a guitar you really want can motivate you to save and practice.
Oh, and he's a pro! That means it's gotta be true!
On the other hand, you can't buy skill with money. You gotta be good if you're gonna play a high-end model.
Without the proper skills, you won't be able to make the most of your instrument.
Right...
If I'm going to own a guitar like that, then I'll want to play it well.
Then, how much better do you think we'd have to become before we can start using instruments like these?
What do you think, Shiho?!
Hmm... A hundred times better?
A-A hundred times...?
What?! That can't be right, Shiho!
Hey, it's the truth.
I remember that conversation. We were so adorable back then...
Yeah. Actually, compared to back then, how much better do you think we've gotten?
Good question!
What do you think, Shiho?!
We've made our debut as pros, so it's gotta be like a thousand times or something, right?!
Hey, personal space.
Maybe not a thousand...
But I'd say at least five hundred.
Really?! Then, doesn't that mean it's okay for us to play high-end instruments like the ones they had on display back then?!
Actually, we could even start talking about boutique brands.
Really?!
But everyone has their preferences.
Going for the most expensive thing isn't necessarily the right choice.
Still, this makes me really happy!
Me too! I mean, we've improved five hundredfold!
Oh, while we're here, why don't we ask to see if we can try playing some of their instruments?!
Who knows? We might even find the next model we want♪
True. They might have a nice keyboard or drum kit in stock.
Yeah, so let's go!