Sparkling girl 1 says, “Saneyasu-senpai, how do you play this??” Sparkling girl 2 says, “Kouta-senpai, I also don’t have a sense of rhythm... can I practice together with you?” Shy girl 3 says, “Michichi-senpai...can I trouble you later on...help me undergo a secret special training?”
With sparkles all around, Sane holds his head and says, “Ah, it really cannot be helped...” Michi says, sure. Kouta says, come over here. Narration: “A few minutes ago, this is the future that we saw.” But now, there are these two new club members.
Sane says, ah, these are guys, right. Kouta says, ya, visually, they’re guys. Michi says that perhaps, they are comparatively robust girls. Natsu laughs and asks what they meant by that. “Don’t worry, I’m truly a guy.”
The gloomy three turn around with tears in their eyes. Takezou calls out to them then thanks the two for staying. “Ah, Momoya-kun...and also---” Timid guy says that he’s called Yoshinaga Atsumu and he is in the same 1-C class with Natsu.
Surprised Natsu says is that so. He apologizes for he didn’t know. Atsumu says that it is okay... Amused Hiro thinks that it is once again two people of opposite extremes in a class. [<- similar with Chika and Takezou, I presume] Takezou thinks that he is already used to this kind of situation.
Satowa tells Atsumu that he ought to have heard just now regarding the practice right. “Even if it is like that, you still wish to join?” Atsumu nods. Natsu asks, practice? Satowa tells him that their club practice is very scary and can he accept that?
Freaking out Hiro calls out to Satowa for she forgot to ‘pretend’. Natsu laughs and asks how scary it is. Satowa says that it is playing seven times a week. Natsu asks if she is serious. Freaking out Takezou exclaims but it isn’t compulsory at all for him to join!!
Natsu smiles and says is that so, then there’s totally no problem. Surprised Takezou says, really? Natsu says that he has to go to work three times a week so it’s great if it isn’t compulsory. This surprises Takezou again.
Suzuka says that their school doesn’t permit students to work. Natsu tells him that he’ll apply for an official permit. Then, he notices the others looking at him. Natsu says that is really strange right since he is the only one who won’t be doing club activity together with everyone.
Takezou says ah, no it isn’t like that...by the way, why does he want to join the koto club. Natsu says ah--... Then, he looks at Chika who notices that Natsu is looking at him. Natsu smiles and says, “It is probably because the two female senpai-s are very cute?”
Takezou and Sane felt cold as Satowa and Hiro glare at Natsu. Natsu laughs and says that it is the first time that there are girls who’ll use that kind of look on him---
“Ah ha ha, I’m joking. Last year, senpai-s are performing at a shopping mall in Kawasaki. At that time, I happened to watch it by chance and I felt that it seems very interesting. –it is like that. That reason is okay, right.” Takezou says it is fine and thanks.
Then, he asks Atsumu for his reason. Atsumu is at a loss how to answer so Takezou nervously tells him that if there’s no reason, then it is also alright! “So, next...” Suzuka says that he also has something to say, “This August, our club is going to participate in the Nationals...
...Thus, they are currently in the middle of practicing the competing piece. The two of you, do you want to participate in the Nationals?” Takezou calls out to Suzuka to wait, are they going to discuss about this now!
Hiro exclaims that no matter what is said, it’s too fast. Suzuka says that they don’t have time to slowly welcome the newcomers. “And besides, currently, you guys can only play around five percent [of the piece]...
...If the two want to participate in the Nationals, then they must practice more than you guys. I must also revise the piece. Even if I’m sorry for you two guys but please answer as quickly as possible.”
Natsu didn’t answer but Atsumu says that he will participate. This surprises everyone. Atsumu says, “...I want to participate in the competition. Practice...I’ll do my best.”
Perking up Chika says that he really has a backbone [/resolve]! Takezou nervously wonders if it’s alright. Natsu says that it doesn’t matter to him if he can participate or not.
“If I’m going to be a hindrance to senpai-s, then, I won’t participate. If a person like me is of help, then please, take advantage of me as much as you want.” Hiro nervously says, take...take advantage...? Sane says no, tell them his own thoughts!
Natsu says that he doesn’t quite understand that kind of thing. As Chika quietly observes, Hiro nervously says, that’s right. “It’s a rare opportunity so how about playing for a while to check things out! Sane agrees with that idea. Kouta says that the two don’t have picks.
Sane says that it’s fine for them to lend theirs. After setting up two koto-s on the floor, they say that the two will use that. Holding a musical sheet, Takezou says that the piece he chose is Sakura. Satowa agrees with him.
Michi says that it is the piece that they first played. Giving the picks to Natsu, Sane says that their height is almost the same so he can use his picks. Natsu thanks him. Takezou says that Atsumu would use his, then.
Still standing beside the lockers, Atsumu says that he has his own picks. This surprises everyone. Takezou asks if he can play!? Atsumu says no...he only learned a bit...before. “Right now, I just play by myself...”
Sane exclaims that’s really amazing since his starting point is higher than theirs! “It’s quite unexpected that there’ll be a new military power [/potential] so soon!” Someone asks if it is too easy for him to play Sakura. Kouta shouts for him to try and play!
Atsumu shows them his picks which are pointed. Michi asks what kind of picks are these. Satowa says that they are curved picks. She asks if he is from Yamata school [/style of playing]. Atsumu is puzzled that he asks, Yamata...school...about that...I...
Satowa says that it is probably that the teacher who taught him before is from Yamata school. Takezou says that for the time being, everyone here is from Ikuda school so they use this kind of picks.
He shows the picks to Atsumu. Atsumu tightly holds his picks so the others ask each other what to do. Chika looks at Atsumu and asks if there will be a problem if Atsumu use that kind of picks. “Are you saying that he cannot play together with us because of different picks?”
Someone says that indeed, there is none but the way one plays is more or less a bit different. Satowa asks Atsumu to let her look at the picks. Satowa says that it is possible that the size is a bit unsuitable.
“You can use the picks but you have to change the finger harness [/cover], is that okay?” Atsumu nods vigorously. He looks happy that he can use his own picks. He calls out to Chika, “Ah...that, tha..thank you.”
Atsumu is surprised when Chika holds up his fringes. Chika says, “Ah, finally made eye contact.” Hiro exclaims ah, this is bad, he’s super cute just like a girl. This made Atsumu recall some kids laughing. Atsumu quickly slaps away Chika’s hand. Everyone looks surprised and tense.
Snapping out of it, Atsumu starts to apologize. To Atsumu’s surprise, Chika apologizes to him instead. Chika goes to Sane who asks what he is doing, stupid Chika. Takezou nervously says then, let’s quickly try to play. “First, let’s start with Yoshinaga-kun.” Atsumu says okay.
As Atsumu sits in front of the koto, Michi says isn’t he sitting too straight. Satowa explains that Yamata sitting style is like that whereas for Ikuda, the body is leaning to the left. “Yamata school’s principle is to sit directly facing the koto.” Sane says is that so.
THNN. Everyone goes !!? They were taken aback since Atsumu is plucking the string too hard!!! He obviously looks quite thin and weak. Takezou nervously tries to tell Atsumu that there’s no need to use exert that hard...
To Takezou’s dismay, Atsumu isn’t listening. While puffed up Atsumu continues to play, Natsu observes Atsumu then looks at the music sheet. Later on, Atsumu tells everyone that he has finished playing. Takezou says ah yes, that Sakura is played with such a drive [/resolution].
Michi says that it really has a manly feeling! Suzuka thinks that even if Atsumu’s plucking strength is very strong but honestly speaking, he doesn’t play that well. Takezou says that next will be Natsu.
He asks Natsu if it is the first time he’ll play a koto and does he want him to teach him a simple way to look at the musical sheet. Natsu says that there’s no need and just now, he looked at the sheet while listening so he can roughly understand it.
“Let’s not talk about that because honestly, I want to see a demonstration-- *pointing to Satowa* Senpai, can I trouble you to play it?” Satowa asks why her. Natsu says that it feels that she is a match with Sakura. She asks him if he had played music.
Natsu says that pretty much for he had played those [jazz] drum set and guitar. Satowa says really. After sitting in front of the koto, Satowa asks him won’t he understand it more if he sits beside her?
Sitting in front of her, Natsu says that there’s no need for he can see it better by looking at it from here. Natsu carefully watches while Satowa plays the piece. After Satowa played, Sane exclaims that no wonder it is Satowa! Hiro exclaims that obviously the fingering is very simple but it has depth~~
Natsu tells Satowa that her timbre is really beautiful. Satowa thanks him for his praise. Sane urges Momoyan to go! Natsu laughs for he gave him a nickname. Michi tells him that not to mind even if he doesn’t play well.
Kouta says that from the very start, they play really crappy. Tong- Tong- Everyone looks surprised as Natsu plays the koto. Suzuka seems to be thinking of something. Atsumu looks tense.
After Natsu finished playing, Sane exclaims that he’s so amazing for there is no single mistake until he finished playing. Kouta exclaims that he also totally didn’t stop at all! Natsu says ya, it is because he heard this piece before.
Takezou says he also has an ACCOMPANIMENT. [<- literally, it is ‘sing along’ but since there is no singing here, I presume it means accompaniment to the melody. That is being able to play the bass sound with the left hand to accompany the melody played by the right hand].
Satowa says that he even used his left hand to enrich the TIMBRE. “Is it really the first time you played?” Natsu says that it is the first time. Natsu smiles and says about the left hand, he just watched and studied her movements a while ago, that’s all.
Everyone is surprised. Chika and Michi recall how bad they were when they first started. Suzuka says that Atsumu wants to join the Nationals whereas for Natsu, it doesn’t matter either way. Natsu says yes.
Suzuka tells the others that regarding whether or not they’ll join the Nationals, it is up to the 2nd and 3rd years to decide after they discussed it over. The others are surprised about this. Suzuka explains that they were the ones who won the right to participate in the Nationals.
“So of course, the right to decide is in your hands. Tell me the decision after you guys have decided.” Natsu seems to be looking at Chika. They were interrupted by a cute girl who calls out to everyone if the club activity isn’t over yet. “Aren’t you going to check out the workplace today?”
Natsu says yes, sorry. He stands up and asks if he can go now. Surprised Takezou says ah, yes. Sane asks if Natsu if that is his girl. Natsu says no, she’s just an ordinary friend, that’s all. “Boy-girlfriend relationship is too troublesome. Then, I’ll be going.”
Sane and the two look stunned then become gloomy as the girl is lovey-dovey with Natsu. Takezou and Hiro are startled when Atsumu calls out, about that... Takezou nervously apologizes to him and asks what’s up. Atsumu asks them if they can tell him their names.
Takezou and others look surprised for they had forgotten to introduce themselves. That night, Takezou and others hold a meeting at Shizu’s place. Takezou asks everyone what they are to do with the two new members.
Sane says that the two that came really has personality [/individuality]. Hiro says that Atsumu doesn’t seem like a bad kid but she basically doesn’t know what he is thinking.
Kouta laments and besides, he isn’t a girl. Hiro says about Natsu...he is totally a real life [as in slang for someone who has a life or satisfied with one’s real (offline) life].
Michi says and besides, he isn’t a girl. Hiro shouts that they kept on saying girl, girl, girl, it’s noisy to death and don’t think that she doesn’t want a girl to also come and join!
Kouta tearfully cries and tells her to look, obviously their club room is so small and now, there would be more guys, isn’t it really depressing-- Chika asks Satowa if that Natsu has talent.
Satowa tells him that an amateur can immediately play the Sakura piece but it ought to be few who can use one’s left hand for the first time.... “And, besides, he is also able to familiarize with it quickly.” Chika darkly says is that so— This made Satowa think that it seems that Chika finds it boring.
Takezou asks the others what to do... “Are we going to let them join?” Kouta says that honestly speaking, he would want that they’ll be the only ones who will participate because they super worked hard to get the right to participate. “Isn’t it unfair that they get to participate as new members?” Mchi agrees.
Hiro says but Atsumu said that he’ll participate without even thinking. “He also still stayed even if he heard how long the practice will be. Don’t you feel that he has enthusiasm and willpower?” Someone says that even if his plucking is driven but won’t he directly cover up their own sound...
Takezou says about Natsu, he feels that he can quickly become their military power because it seems that he usually plays musical instruments and he ought to be of help in the side of music.
Someone says, but he can only come 4 times a week and it seems that he isn’t interested in the Nationals. Sane says that if they didn’t let them participate, shouldn’t they arrange some special schedule for them [to do in the club].
“That’s right. We finished playing the welcome piece that I want to concentrate on ‘I’ next but it feels that I cannot concentrate... Obviously, we are in the same group but only two people will be doing some other thing, it makes me feel more or less bothered...
...Honestly speaking, ‘I’ is really quite difficult that we basically haven’t been able to play it decently.” Takezou agrees and says that Suzuka is really a demon [/perverted person]. “I also have not totally grasped the whole feel [/impression] of the piece...
...Also, Takinami-sensei also said ‘Wait until you can play it then you’ll grasp it’. Isn’t that nonsense!” Someone ask Chika what he thinks. Chika says that he totally doesn’t understand. Aghast Sane says that for him to say that...
Chika says that they basically don’t know those two guys so how can they possibly make a decision today. The others agree but then, they also cannot delay this. After thinking for a while, Satowa says what they would think of this kind of method [to do it].
The scene changes to an apartment building. Somewhere else, Natsu climbs up the stairs and heads towards an apartment room. He goes inside and opens the light. He puts down his bag and notices a note on the table from his mother. She wrote that there is food in the fridge so heat it up to eat.
Natsu eats by himself. There is a family picture by the phone. The father isn’t shown but young Natsu looks happy with his mother. Later on, Natsu changes his clothes and heads out.
He goes to a [music bar] club called Bure. A glasses guy and a woman call out to greet him. Glasses asks isn’t the school opening today or yesterday. Natsu says that it was yesterday. Glasses asks how is high school. Natsu says that it is very ordinary and he joined a club.
Glasses exclaims in disbelief, you!? That’s really great! “Did you come to beat the drums today?” Natsu says that if he doesn’t, who’ll come to this place. Glasses says that he’s really mean. Soon, Natsu is busy playing the drums.
Glasses tells the woman that Natsu is still like that. “When he is upset [/unsettled], he’ll come here.” The woman says that she cannot perceive it. Glasses says that Natsu won’t show it. “It will be good when he’ll be able to happily play the drums.”
In a room [at the attic perhaps] of a Japanese-styled mansion, someone is watching a video on his phone. “-Starting from their first piece, thank you very much everyone for performing marvelously for the audience!! The next piece is, ‘Kuon’...
..It was said that this is the piece that they first played in a tournament so it is filled with memories—” Atsumu looks at Chika’s picture [/part of the video] on his phone.
Comment: Well, the others still cannot get over that they don’t have any new female members. Hehe, is it a consolation prize that one of the newcomers looks like a girl? Apparently, Atsumu can play the koto. They would have to temper his strong plucking though and from Suzuka’s assessment, he doesn’t play that well.
The latter part might improve with intense training that the others also undergo. Apparently, he was bullied before based on how he reacted after recalling that comment which was trigged by Hiro’s comment. Is it because of his looks, personality or something else? It is also a mystery as to why he joined.
Based on the last part, I think that it is because of Chika. It turns out that he was the hooded person videotaping Chika. So, does he know Chika before? Since his house was shown, I wonder if he is some relative of Chika. Step/half-brother?
Perhaps, Udzuki's relative? I would think that Chika would be his ‘idol’. If they aren’t relatives wherein he would want to get to know him more, perhaps, he just wants to change like Chika did because of koto.
Perhaps, Chika also helped him with the bullies before. Maybe that is part of the reason why he immediately wanted to participate in the Nationals. There is definitely a story behind those picks of his.
As for Natsu, he is indeed talented with music but has no drive. He is basically easy-going. He is pretty much a complete package of having the looks and talent but something important is missing.
He doesn’t seem to have any good friends. I would think the girls he is with are just to fill up the void of loneliness and/or need of attention. I would think that he got a special permission to have a parttime work due to his family’s financial problem. He seems to be raised by a single mother.
He won’t be causing too much trouble for the couples based on how the girls reacted to his flirting. ^^; As for his reason to join the club, was it really because he finds it interesting? He was looking at Chika before saying his first joke reason. So, was Chika the reason why these two to join the club?
Or perhaps, it was the same with Hiro wherein they wanted to have a sense of belonging into that seemingly fun club of good friends. I’m curious though with Natsu’s choice of words with ‘take advantage of me as much as you want’. It seems that someone did before and now, he doesn’t care if it is so.
Since he mentioned about not knowing what is it to say what he thinks, he is really going with the flow. He’s too easy-going. He gives me a feeling that he is lost. I’m actually surprised that Suzuka is making the others decide if the newcomers will join or not rather than deciding it on his own.
Anyway, I’m curious how they will decide if the newcomers will join. What is Satowa’s idea? It is definite though that joining the koto club will be life-changing for the two new members. What/how they do things all by themselves after school won’t be the same soon. ^^ Scans by 二次元秘店汉化組
Word of the day:
Everyone one has potential; you just have to discover it. ‘To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability. Matthew 25:15’ ~ Mottos for Success by M.S. Fontaine