01x07 - Tumbling Dice

[bunniefuu]

Aki: I thought that love would be softer, sweeter, and kinder.

Aki: I found out with my first love that those thoughts were just a happy delusion.

Aki: Falling in love with someone

Aki: is something much more violent, like having your flesh ripped apart.

Op: Everything that you left behind

Op: Became my everything

Op: The wound pierced into my heart

Op: Still remains as the days continue to go by

Op: If I were to forcibly take it out, the pain would never end

Op: So I'll just leave it there

Op: Rainy, sunny, and cloudy days

Op: Spring, summer, fall, and winter

Op: days a year

Op: You're there in all of them

Op: Reach in deep

Op: And while you're at it, take away my memories, too

Op: The voices that can't be heard

Op: Are strangling me again

Op: Dig deep

Op: And look at the pain within me

Op: Everything that you left behind

Op: Became my everything

Op: Everything that you left behind

Op: Became my life

Haru: That was pretty good, no?

Ritsu: Honestly, I like it better than before.

Haru: Right?!

Haru: Akihiko!

Aki: Yay for Haruki-san. Yay.

Haru: That's sexual harassment, damn it!

Sign: Water

Aki: Mafuyu hasn't been able to write a single line of his song since then.

Aki: Though, I mean, that's to be expected...

Ritsu: Hey, Mafuyu.

Ritsu: Are you actually practicing?

Haru: Hey, whoa...

Ritsu: What the hell was that?

Haru: Now, now...

Ritsu: Are you serious about this or not?

Mafu: I am.

Ritsu: Huh?!

Haru: H-Hey!

Ritsu: You haven't improved at all!

Ritsu: And you keep making the same mistakes!

Haru: Hey!

Ritsu: If you aren't serious—

Haru: Stop! Ue!

Haru: Don't just go off without letting him respond!

Haru: Don't corner him like that!

Haru: Besides, you've been weird lately, too!

Aki: Let's call it for today.

Aki: If this goes any further, our band's going to fall apart.

Mafu: You see, I...

Mafu: had someone I really, truly loved.

Aki: Here.

Aki: It's on me!

Ritsu: Thanks?!

Aki: Hey, you seem pretty worn out lately.

Aki: What gives?

Aki: You can't seem to concentrate at all.

Aki: You're in no place to lecture others.

Aki: I never figured you to be the moody type.

Ritsu: Right.

Aki: So, I'm just gonna come out and say it.

Aki: Did something happen between you and Mafuyu?

Aki: Heh. Just kidding...

Aki: Wait, what?! You already put your mitts on him?!

Ritsu: Huh?!

Aki: I always figured you'd be a late bloomer...

Ritsu: Hey! What the hell does that mean?!

Ritsu: Wait, what do you even think happened?!

Ritsu: Put my mitts on him? Late bloomer?!

Aki: What do I think happened?! Do you even realize what your face looks like right now?!

Ritsu: Wh-What does it look like?

Aki: Your face basically says, "I'm in love with Mafuyu."

Aki: Uesama, on your feet.

Aki: Get a grip.

Ritsu: I-I...

Ritsu: I, uh...

Ritsu: Is there something wrong with me?!

Aki: No?

Aki: What's wrong about it?

Aki: That you like a guy?

Aki: "I'm only supposed to be into girls," or something?

Aki: Don't worry.

Aki: That's what I thought about myself, but I've been with guys, too.

Aki: That was a long time ago, though.

Aki: Or are you gonna say there's something wrong with me?

Aki: Either way, Mafuyu's writing this song because you asked him to.

Aki: You owe it to him to be a little more supportive.

Ritsu: But I just... I really don't know...

Ritsu: Is it okay to admit that I have these feelings?

Aki: Let's go.

Ritsu: 'Kay.

Girl: Ayano!

Girl: Could you take these?

Kasa: What?

Girl: Oh, come on. Your next class is in another room, isn't it?

Girl: It'll be on your way.

Kasa: Jeez...

Ritsu: I'll help.

Kasa: Huh?

Ritsu: They're pretty heavy, right?

Ueki: Come on, let's go.

Ita: Why, though?! Aren't you curious?

Ueki: Sato.

Ita: Hey, come look!

Ritsu: That's that. Now, let's head ba—

Ita: Do I sense a plot twist?!

Ueki: Hey, stop creeping.

Kasa: Why are you being so nice to me?

Kasa: I said something so awful to you...

Ritsu: Huh? Wait, what? Something awful?

Kasa: About Sato-kun...

Ritsu: Oh...

Kasa: I knew it was petty of me to bring up those rumors, so...

Kasa: I thought you'd never speak to me again.

Ritsu: I mean, it was kinda petty.

Ritsu: But I guess I'm glad I found out... or something.

Ritsu: So, like... we're even, okay?

Ita: Seriously, why is Uenoyama so popular?!

Mafu: Yeah.

Ita: The jerk's never even thinking about anything!

Mafu: Yeah.

Mafu: Uenoyama-kun is really... genuinely kind to everyone.

Ita: Oh, yeah!

Ita: You guys are putting on a live show?

Ita: We'll come see you guys. Right?

Ueki: Hey.

Ita: We both love music! Break a leg!

Mafu: 'Kay.

Ita: And let's play basketball during lunch again sometime.

Ita: We'll be waiting.

Mafu: 'Kay.

Ita: But man, I can't wait!

Mafu: I see... So people really do go to live shows to listen to people perform...

Ita: Of course they do!

Mafu: What is it that I want to tell those people?

Haru: Mafuyu's gotten better.

Aki: He seriously just improves outta nowhere.

Aki: Hey... Huh?

Haru: And he's out like a light bulb, just like that.

Aki: Guess this is a good time for a break.

Aki: Haruki, let's go have a smoke.

Haru: Yeah, sure.

Aki: Keep an eye on that.

Ritsu: Sure.

Haru: What?

Ritsu: Come to think of it...

Ritsu: The first time we met, he was sleeping like this, too.

Ritsu: You could practically see the "Zzz" above his head.

Ritsu: No, wait! My heart totally didn't skip a beat just now!

Ritsu: He is actually asleep, right?

Ritsu: His fingers...

Ritsu: He's popped some new blisters.

Ritsu: His fingertips... are already callusing like a pro's.

Ritsu: Guess I used to be like this, too...

Mafu: Um...

Mafu: Uenoyama-kun?

Ritsu: Y-You, you're—

Mafu: I'm awake.

Ritsu: R-Right...

Mafu: Sorry.

Mafu: I haven't gotten anywhere at all with the song yet...

Ritsu: Well, there's still time... So just keep at it.

Mafu: 'Kay.

Ritsu: Honestly... I'm scared of the song he's going to come up with.

Ritsu: I don't want to hear a song about Mafuyu being in love with someone else.

Haru: Oh.

Haru: Looks like Mafuyu's awake.

Haru: Should we head back?

Haru: Uh, what?

Haru: What is it?

Aki: Have another smoke with me.

Haru: I'm out of smokes, though...

Aki: Falling in love with someone

Aki: means you have to expose the softest, most fragile parts of yourself to them.

Aki: Otherwise, it won't work out.

Aki: Being touched sends you spiraling into delirium.

Aki: The slightest hint of their nails on your skin rips it open,

Aki: and if they try to crush you with any intent, it's fatal.

Aki: Uenoyama's love is a b*mb that has the potential to annihilate the whole band.

Sign: Music Room

Aki: While I was still trying to compete for first or second in national competitions,

Aki: there was a genius who kept ripping up

Aki: the dreams of all kinds of talented junior competitors

Aki: and taking first place in international competitions.

Aki: His name was Ugetsu Murata.

Ugetsu: Who are you?

Ugetsu: Oh, you're the guy who placed second in the competition the other day, right?

Ugetsu: You seemed like a really delicate person.

Ugetsu: Your Brahms was excellent.

Aki: It was the summer of my first year in high school.

Aki: Ugetsu had just transferred to our school,

Aki: and I became his first friend.

Aki: I was completely floored by his talent.

Aki: And because of that, I abandoned the violin.

Aki: It's not like Ugetsu Murata was detached from reality, not in the least.

Aki: He had emotions, like everyone else.

Aki: But the size of both his heart and his emotions

Aki: was far more overwhelming than most.

Aki: It was like just the act of being alive pained him.

Aki: Happiness, sadness, and pain...

Aki: They were all amplified exponentially for Ugetsu,

Aki: and he kept it all buried far deeper than a normal person would.

Aki: I was insanely jealous of him for that,

Aki: but at the same time, I pitied him for it.

Aki: When his hands touched my skin through my clothes,

Aki: there was so much tension, it was like I'd been pierced by needles.

Aki: I wanted to rip all of these needles out, strip him naked,

Aki: and sully that sound...

Radio: The winner of the national violin competition was Ugetsu Murata-san.

Radio: Murata-san will hold a solo—

Ugetsu: Finally home.

Ugetsu: You can leave my stuff right there.

Ugetsu: See you later.

Aki: Welcome home.

Ugetsu: I'm beat.

Aki: For crying out loud...

Aki: You want any coffee?

Ugetsu: Nope.

Aki: You're back early.

Ugetsu: Yeah, he was waiting to pick me up.

Ugetsu: Actually, I do want coffee, Akihiko.

Aki: Make it yourself.

Ugetsu: Aw. Who do you think you are, sl*ve?

Aki: Could you at least call me a freeloader?

Aki: I heard you won the competition.

Mafu: Uenoyama-kun.

Mafu: Morning.

Ritsu: H-Hey...

Ritsu: Were you practicing?

Mafu: Yup.

Mafu: There's a part I keep getting stuck on.

Ritsu: What part?

Mafu: Um...

Mafu: The part after that.

Ritsu: Ah... I guess you were having trouble with that the other day.

Ritsu: I'll teach you that part. Meet me at the usual spot at lunch.

Mafu: Are you sure?

Ritsu: We don't have much more time before the gig.

Mafu: Uenoyama-kun.

Mafu: Thanks for teaching me.

Ritsu: Okay, let's up the tempo.

Ritsu: One, two, three, four.

Ritsu: That sounded pretty good.

Mafu: Really?

Ritsu: Now you just have to learn to play without looking at your hands.

Mafu: Without looking?

Ritsu: You can't sing if you're looking down.

Ritsu: You have a mic for a reason.

Mafu: Oh, right...

Mafu: Huh?

Ritsu: Don't give me that!

Ritsu: C'mon! One more time!

Aki: All right, listen up.

Aki: I have a suggestion.

Aki: So listen... We only have a week before our gig, right?

All: Yeah.

Aki: So let's stop practicing.

Ritsu: What?! What are you—

Aki: From what I just heard, we're basically together.

Aki: We'll make it.

Sign: Great!

Sign: Passing Grade

Aki: Mafuyu's guitar playing was one of our two big issues,

Aki: and he's made it to the point where he'd get a passing grade.

ritsu: But that means either he's barely gonna make it or he'll fail!

Aki: It's like when the ball just manages to slip through the middle.

ritsu: Again, that means if he messes up in the slightest, he's out!

Haru: But, I mean...

Haru: At this point, it's way more worrying that the lyrics aren't done yet.

Aki: Mafuyu.

Aki: I don't think you're gonna be able to write the lyrics

Aki: if we just keep casually practicing here.

Ritsu: Why are you pressuring him like that?

Ritsu: C'mon...

Aki: Haruki.

Aki: I'll take Mafuyu home. You take care of Uenoyama.

Haru: Yeah, sure.

Aki: Mafuyu.

Mafu: Yes?

Aki: Are you okay being on a motorcycle?

Aki: Here. Put this on.

Aki: Also, here. It gets pretty cold, so put that on, too.

Mafu: Thank you...

Aki: You know...

Aki: If you don't settle things with your past,

Aki: you won't be able to write those lyrics.

Aki: Do you want to express it?

Aki: Or do you want to run away from ever having to verbalize it?

Haru: Ugh, seriously, what the frickin' hell?

Haru: How dare he...

Aki: Haru.

Aki: Make sure you follow up with Uenoyama.

Haru: Unbelievable!

Haru: My left ear still itches!

Ritsu: Haruki-san, eyes forward. The light's green.

Haru: Right...

Haru: Yeah, I know what he's trying to do and the state our band's in right now!

Haru: The fact is that our huge success is literally right next to our huge failure!

Sign: spaces back

Sign: space back

Sign: Rest turn

Sign: Super Fun Game of Life

Haru: And right now, we're right in front of the goal, going back and forth.

Haru: And yet, he...

Aki: Give him a push.

Haru: My ear itches so much! And he just called me "Haru" outta nowhere!

ritsu: Haruki-san. Light's green.

Haru: At this rate, we're going to crash and burn one day, and I'm gonna die.

Ritsu: Yo. It's green.

Haru: Uecchi.

Ritsu: Yes?

Haru: I think Akihiko suggested we stop practicing

Haru: because of you.

Ritsu: Huh?

Haru: You're able to play fine, so it's probably not that noticeable,

Haru: but your flair is gone.

Haru: And even before that,

Haru: you're thinking, "I just have to do what I always do," aren't you?

Ritsu: Well, yeah... I'm just striving for my usual level of performance...

Ritsu: Isn't that enough?

Haru: It's not. Or at least, that's what Akihiko thinks.

Haru: I don't know if you're just too worried about Mafuyu to even notice,

Haru: but if you go on like this, you're gonna be swallowed up by Mafuyu's sound.

Haru: Aw, man...

Sign: Super Fun Game of Life

Haru: I think we just got farther from the goal again.

Sign: spaces back

Sign: space back

Sign: Rest turn

Haru: What are you gonna do about this, Akihiko?

Haru: I just doubled down on your wager.

Ed: Loneliness is a weapon

Ed: It can hurt people

Ed: And can make you not realize it

Ed: Loving someone is a sickness

Ed: It makes it hard to breathe

Ed: And there's no cure for it

Ed: These days are a miracle

Ed: But something's still missing

Ed: There's still an empty column

Ed: You're mysterious

Ed: Your existence

Ed: Makes me both stronger and weaker

Ed: I wonder how we're doing

Ed: Are we being proper human beings?

Ed: I'm not sure

Ed: But I check our answers as I try to find out