Alright. That should be enough for today.
Agreed! Nice work, everyone!
Yes, good work.
What do you plan to do after this? I'll be going to MEIKO's cafe...
I'll join you then. We've been practicing so much that I haven't dropped by in a while.
In that case, I'll come as well! What about you, An?
I...
Sorry, there's something I have to do after this.
Oh, are you helping your dad out?
Yeah, something like that! We're super busy lately.
Don't overdo it. See you tomorrow.
Got it! See you tomorrow!
Now then...
This spot looks okay.
...
♪————! ————!
(I'm still warmed up and I haven't lost my voice.)
(Which means I can go harder...!)
♪————!! ————————!!
(Nice. Now to keep this up and...!)
♪————!! ————~~~!!
Huff... Huff...
(I feel like I'm projecting even more than before. I guess practice is paying off.)
(One more time, while I'm still in the zone...)
<An.>
Huh? That voice...
Miku?
<Yup, that's right.>
Oh, it is you! Why did you pop up all of a sudden?
<Everyone except you came to visit us, so I was wondering what was up...>
<Just like I figured, you're practicing alone, aren't you?>
Yeah, I am.
<I see...>
<Hey, is it okay if I listen to you for a while?>
Of course! While you're at it, feel free to give me any pointers!
<Hehe, got it. I'll be listening in then.>
Sure, and thanks!
Huff... Huff...
How was I?
<I could really feel the power behind your singing. And you sang with a lot of emotion.>
<Also...>
<It feels like your singing has changed from when I heard you recently.>
Huh, recently? When?
<Uh... About a week ago, maybe?>
(Ah, it's pitch black... Well, of course it is. She must be practicing.)
(I hope I get the chance to hear everyone sing... It's been so long.)
(We haven't gotten a chance to meet up in SEKAI lately since they've been practicing with other teams so much.)
(It sounds like their last event was incredible, and I'm sure they're putting that same energy into their practice.)
♪————!! ————!!
(Oh, there it is.)
♪————!! ♪————~~~~!!
(Huh...? I can only hear An's voice. Maybe she's practicing solo again?)
(She's singing with even more force than usual. But, it's not just that...)
(There's this desperation in her voice that's almost painful, like she's thrashing around trying to grab hold of something.)
(An...)
Oh... So you were there when I was practicing alone that time.
<I didn't mean to eavesdrop... It's just that I didn't want to disturb you, and I thought there might be other people around.>
There's no need to worry about it.
More importantly, did you say my singing changed? What did you mean?
<The desperation was still there, but I didn't get a sense of pain like I did last time.>
<How should I put it... It's like, before, you were thrashing under the water and about to drown, but now you're splashing around on the surface... I guess?>
<Sorry, that one got away from me.>
It's okay. I think I got what you meant.
(And the reason my singing changed has to be...)
But, I never intended to put any painful emotions into my singing.
<Well, that can't be helped. When we sing, we throw out one big lump of our emotions.>
<For better or worse, it's pure truth. Of that, I'm sure.>
You know, I think you're right.
Hey, Miku. I'm still in the mood to sing. Can you listen to me practice for a little longer?
<I'll listen for as long as you want. I want to hear more of this new An.>
Thanks!