Wiping his tear, her father says that he also doesn’t know.
“I only have to see you singing like that and I unconsciously feel that it is
boiling up from my chest that no matter how many times I’ve watched it, I would
still cry over it. *teary-eyed* You, are truly quite amazing--..” Riko blushes
as the recorded program ends again. Back at Yuu’s place, while watching Riko’s
performance, Yuu mutters how amazing and Riko is really amazing. His father
says that is right, Riko is very remarkable. Yuu happily says that before the
program they would only be told ‘yoroshiku[/I’m under your care] today’ by the
big shots but after it ended, they are pulling them aside and won’t let go. His
father quietly says is that so. Yuu happily says that they were told ‘come
again next time’ more than 10 times and they would keep on answering, ‘okay’.
His father drops the bomb by saying, “About those words..they aren’t saying it
to you but rather to Riko-chan, right?” Yuu is surprised. While his mother
tells her husband to first take a bath, Yuu’s father tells her to sit beside
him first. While she tries to tell him that there’s no need to hurry for today
is.., Yuu’s father continues to say, “Yuuichi, because we are your parents so
we must tell you this cruel thing. From the start of the performance, the
camera always focuses at Riko-chan. It basically doesn’t have you and Sou-chan,
right? That is also saying that the others had concluded that you don’t have
any value to has to be videoed. *Yuu nervously says..no..* The contract between
you and the recording company is two years. I’m afraid that after two years,
only Riko-chan will renew the contract and for you guys, it will be terminated.
If I were the person-in-charge, I will do that. As long as the one running the
business isn’t an idiot, one will make Mush&Co. disband and then, make
Koeda Riko go solo. *everything seems to have gone black for Yuu* Two years
after, you will be terminated from this agreement. Actually, right now, it has
already been decided.” Everything sinks in and made Yuu look flustered. His
father asks him if he knows what he should do. Yuu looks at his father. His
father stands up and says, “Study properly and go to college. Increase your
knowledge and experience during high school. Society’s cruelty is also not such
a bad thing but do not have this kind of musician dream again. These two years
are but just club activity and nothing more.” Yuu looks stunned by his father’s
words.
At a bar, Miwako comments that today’s Riko is truly really
amazing. She says that she obviously already heard her sing many times and yet
she unconsciously cried. Shinya says that actually, knowing a situation that is
repeated many times and one time duel [victory or defeat] situation are totally
not the same. Soichiro says that generally there are three areas that are
erroneous. Shinya agrees. Soichiro says that is saying that LIVE performance is
better than the CD sound but..in the end, humans are a common/similar
perceptive animal. Miwako is puzzled over what he is saying. Soichiro says that
girl, even if she is smiling but he feels that she is definitely afraid.
“Actually, compared to death, she is quite nervous but she still sang it out
for the people watching her performance. That intense way of thinking gives
rise to making people have a similarity. You guys also felt that intense
desire[/wish], right. Singing one’s song as much as one likes and during the
climax, that voice has the feeling of surging out the thoracic cavity and
feeling the same as that girl. ..in contrast, Mari’s is agitation[/panic].
Merely looking at her, one felt quite painful[/sorrow]...” Miwako looks
flustered and sad. Shinya says that is Aki’s fault for that guy would always
unconsciously hurt others. Then, Shinya orders another glass of Laphroaig. Shinya
says that Aki is definitely still a virgin when he first met Mari. Soichiro
says that is right and it seems that he said that Mari is his first girlfriend.
Miwako protests that they already break up right. Soichiro says who knows, for
it wasn’t because they are tired of each other that they broke up. Miwako is
surprised. Soichiro admits that when Aki learned that he[/Soichiro] and Mari
also did it, he got very angry and dumped Mari. Flustered Miwako shouts, what.
“No way.. What’s up with that? Isn’t that like two-timing!?” Soichiro says no,
it isn’t like what she thinks but they did it. Miwako exclaims that she doesn’t
understand what he means. Soichiro tells her that it is a communication since he
already has a wife and child. Holding her head, Miwako apologizes and says that
she really doesn’t understand what he meant. Soichiro explains that one
shouldn’t look at Mari from the surface for actually she is a weak woman. “It
is because she has no self-confidence. It is because she doesn’t have
self-confidence that she doesn’t believe that she can be loved. She also
doesn’t believe that there is someone who wouldn’t turn away nor look around, and
just stay at her side. So, making love with her is to make her be at ease. This
is ‘It is alright, Takagi Soichiro is my comrade who’ll help me’..”
While Miwako looks flustered and speechless. Shinya drinks a
bit and says that’s so lonely. “Truly such a pitiful woman.” Miwako gulps her
drink straight and shouts that kind of woman is just a shameless woman and
nothing more!! Shinya says that also cannot be helped because Aki, whom she
[Miwako] likes the most, likes that kind of shameless woman and right now, Aki
definitely still likes Mari, right. Back at the luxurious room, Mari tearfully
says that she won’t sing for she has no way of singing like that child. This
surprises Aki. While Mari continues to sob, Aki seriously tells her that this
isn’t about being similar with someone and it is no good for her to do that
with someone. “Mari, quit continuing on being like this.” Mari says but, he
likes that girl right. Aki looks surprised. Aki stands in front of her when she
pulls his shirt’s hem and bends down to him. She says, “..I beg of you.. it is
also okay if it is a lie. Please tell me that I’m the one you like the most.”
Aki suddenly remembers Riko saying that it is okay. He thinks, “It seems like
she doesn’t care at all when she said those words.. What if I were to truly do
it with Mari, what then? *Riko saying that she said that it is okay so it is
okay, right* Would she say that to me? It is like she is magnanimously understanding
and tolerating it. Does she even know that being like that infuriates me more?
Why won’t that girl say ‘don’t go’. She would only has to say ‘don’t make another song
for Mari’ and that’s it. Wouldn’t it be okay for her to say, ‘compose only for
me’.” Meanwhile, Riko is lying on the bed with her sleeping cat. While
listening to her CD ‘Tomorrow still, continue liking you’, she covers her eyes and
mutters that her feelings today is quite good and it is really such a happy
day. But then, a tear falls down to her cheek. Back to crying Mari, she is begging
Aki to please say that he likes her the most. Aki says, “..Mari..you’re quite
annoying like this. *Mari is stunned as Aki pulls up his hands away from her* If
you don’t want to sing then I’m leaving. I don’t want to collaborate with
someone who doesn’t have fighting spirit[/determination]. For me, today is the
first time that I’ve composed a song besides for Crude Play and had it
performed at MST. It is a very important day. *recalls Riko telling Aki that
she would absolutely not sing a song that he composed* (I’m absolutely would
make you regret that) *turning away* I’m going to compose a song. It will be a
song that will make people sing because they cannot help it.” Blurb: “That song
to be composed..is for?”
Comment: There
are some truths that came out in this chapter which makes me think that it is
moving away from the ‘lies’ of before. Well, maybe that would be more on Aki
and perhaps the others would be more honest. =P Aki did a good job in keeping
things professional and not succumbs to Mari’s desperate pleas. He stops
pampering her, which might be more helpful to make Mari snap out of it and
change. Well, obviously pampering and stuff didn’t work for her. So, this is
pretty much sink or swim for her. She has to really reflect on things as to how
she would want from the rest of her life/career. It does seem that Aki has
indeed come to think more of Riko than Mari. Maybe it is just being Aki that
instead of focusing more on wanting Riko to be not too complacent and be more
jealous, it ended up into music. He has his pride as a composer and that is
pretty much what lead to his new goal for a new song and make Riko want to sing
his composed song. Indeed, the question would be who it will be for. It won’t
be Riko because for now, she won’t sing Aki’s song and this is to make her want
to sing it. If Mari hasn’t picked herself up, it would most likely be for CP. I’m
still not quite convinced whether Aki really likes these two women because it
seems to be more on their singing voice. ^^; What Shinya says about Aki still liking
Mari might be his wishful thinking but then, it might refer to Mari’s singing. Their
talk at the bar somewhat confirms that Aki is indeed lying about the other
women to Riko..he lied to make her angry and jealous. And for Riko to easily
forgive him, I get a feeling now that she knew that those are lies so she only threw
water at him to shut his lying mouth up. And making love to Mari is actually
just a ‘job’ for Soichiro. I guess he doesn’t have to do that anymore because
she felt that he replaced her. I do wonder if Soichiro’s wife knows about this
and would be like Riko – ‘it is okay, it’s part of your job.’ ^^; It does seem
that being virgin tends to be portrayed as ‘naïve’. Miwako is saying how
amazing Riko was and the other two guys pretty much analyzed why it is like
that. Miwako cannot believe that sex can happen without love that is claimed to
be not two-timing while the other two are quite casual about it. Okay, maybe
that might be a male-female difference. ^^;; That is like emotion vs
intelligence. Actually, the characters in this series can be separated into
that or dreamers vs realists. Of course, there are those who are in between
that. And, finally, Yuu’s father really delivered the cruel truth to him. I
guess he doesn’t want to wait later on or else, Yuu’s head would get bigger. His
advice is sound and given Yuu’s reaction, I think he knows the truth in it. It
does make me wonder if the other two guys in CP don’t have parents like Yuu’s
or they really believe that CP would never disband anyway as long as they have
Aki as composer and charismatic Shun. Scans by 红莲 & all★wink汉化组
Quote of the day:
The truth can be hard to swallow, but it's always best to
embrace it, no matter how hard you want to keep living in a fantasy. Get real
with yourself. If you can't, ask a friend for a reality check. ~ Author Unknown