# E14 - A Step Forward
Source: [Crunchyroll](https://www.crunchyroll.com/watch/GYGVNV35Y/a-step-forward)
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(Please feel free to edit the speaker names if incomplete or inaccurate. Names are handled on a best-effort basis depending on the info on the source file. Dialogue is left as is.)
**[00:01] ---**
Hozuki!
**[00:10] ---**
We aren't together!
**[00:12] ---**
No way... What should I do?
It's because he protected me!
**[00:15] ---**
I'd hate for it to end like this!
**[00:19] ---**
I'd absolutely hate it!
**[00:22] ---**
That's right.
**[00:24] ---**
What am I doing... not believing in
the decision I made until the end?!
**[00:29] ---**
It's okay.
**[00:30] ---**
The notes will definitely...
play where we want them to!
**[00:34] ---**
Wh-What is this?! They're playing
totally different than before!
**[00:37] ---**
I'm not alone anymore.
**[00:40] ---**
Don't you dare try and "match" our level, okay?
**[00:44] ---**
Just play with all you've got!
**[00:46] ---**
That's it. I'll lead in my own way.
**[00:50] ---**
Of course I will.
**[00:52] ---**
Once I found it, I couldn't *not* get involved...
**[00:56] ---**
...with the sound that sways
my heart so intensely.
**[01:15] ---**
What on earth... just happened?
**[01:19] ---**
"#14 A Step Forward"
**[01:46] ---**
Their performance got really good
halfway through, didn't it?
**[01:50] ---**
The audience is super excited.
**[01:52] ---**
I-It's okay! We can still
outdo them! Right, Mio?!
**[02:03] ---**
Mio...?
**[02:06] ---**
Mio is laughing out loud?!
**[02:08] ---**
I've never seen that before! How creepy!
**[02:10] ---**
Don't roll around in a place like this!
Hey, it's our turn next, you know!
**[02:14] ---**
President...
**[02:17] ---**
I can give my best performance ever today.
**[02:23] ---**
The first half and the second half...
**[02:25] ---**
It seemed as if they were played
by two different schools.
**[02:28] ---**
Then they showed their real
ability in the second half?
**[02:32] ---**
Their tone was quite different from
what I expected. It was profound...
**[02:37] ---**
You look happy, Ousuke.
**[02:39] ---**
What? I do?
**[02:41] ---**
Sen... Their performance was
kinda amazing, wasn't it?
**[02:46] ---**
Yeah...
**[02:48] ---**
Hey! Don't be so impressed, you stupid Haru!
**[02:50] ---**
Compared to us, they're nothing!
**[02:53] ---**
What? But--
**[02:54] ---**
Shut up!
**[02:55] ---**
My goodness... I feel like
I saw something very incredible.
**[03:00] ---**
They did a great job
recovering in the second half.
**[03:03] ---**
I feel like their performance lifted my spirits.
**[03:06] ---**
We were able to witness someone's growth.
**[03:10] ---**
We're lucky to hear a performance like this.
**[03:13] ---**
Their performance was great.
**[03:17] ---**
Chika did a good job... though he
worried me at the beginning.
**[03:22] ---**
Would you like to use this?
**[03:23] ---**
Thanks, Mom.
**[03:25] ---**
What?
**[03:26] ---**
Are you okay, Kazusa?
**[03:30] ---**
I'm not okay.
**[03:32] ---**
I can't accept a performance like that.
**[03:40] ---**
I'm sorry!
**[03:43] ---**
What?
**[03:44] ---**
Hey, what's going on?
What's up with you three?
**[03:47] ---**
Ah, well, Kudo was actually...
**[03:54] ---**
Since I've been having a bad case of diarrhea,
**[03:57] ---**
I couldn't focus and
dragged you down. I'm sorry.
**[04:03] ---**
I-I knew about it,
but I didn't tell you guys.
**[04:05] ---**
Same here.
**[04:06] ---**
Don't tell such an obvious lie.
**[04:09] ---**
M-Mr. Takinami!
**[04:11] ---**
What? A lie? What're you talking about?
**[04:13] ---**
--Ow!
--Whoa... It looks worse than earlier.
**[04:15] ---**
--Whoa... It looks worse than earlier.
**[04:18] ---**
Chika! Your hand...!
**[04:19] ---**
Oh, no! What happened?
**[04:23] ---**
Could it be from that time...?
**[04:25] ---**
He hurt himself in the restroom.
**[04:28] ---**
What?
**[04:29] ---**
Since he didn't look well,
**[04:31] ---**
I threw him into the restroom and
told him he didn't have to perform.
**[04:35] ---**
Then he snapped and hit the wall,
injuring his hand.
**[04:38] ---**
It was so lame that even I can
understand why he wanted to lie.
**[04:42] ---**
You bastard...!
**[04:43] ---**
Hm? Am I mistaken?
**[04:46] ---**
Y-You're not... mistaken.
**[04:51] ---**
Jeez... How lame!
**[04:53] ---**
That's our Chika!
**[04:54] ---**
You're so funny, Chika!
**[04:56] ---**
Stop playing around and
go get your hand treated.
**[04:59] ---**
I know already!
**[05:01] ---**
Now, you guys pack up the instruments.
**[05:05] ---**
Sorry. I got thirsty, so I'm going
to buy something to drink.
**[05:08] ---**
What? Ah... Sure.
**[05:10] ---**
Whoa... Hozuki sure can pack up fast.
**[05:13] ---**
K-Kurata...
**[05:14] ---**
Is Chika's injury really...?
**[05:19] ---**
Yeah, really, I hope it gets better soon.
**[05:23] ---**
When it does, let's play together again.
**[05:28] ---**
Yes.
**[05:31] ---**
"First-aid Station"
**[05:33] ---**
It'll require one month to heal.
Actually, it might take longer than that.
**[05:37] ---**
Huh?! One month?!
**[05:39] ---**
Why?! It's just a sprain, right?
**[05:41] ---**
Don't take it lightly. Because you overdid it,
it's gotten quite a bit worse.
**[05:45] ---**
Don't use that hand for a while.
Once the swelling is gone, start rehab.
**[05:49] ---**
Wh-What about the koto?
**[05:51] ---**
Don't play it, of course.
**[05:53] ---**
"Shock"
**[05:54] ---**
I'll heal it up in three days!
**[05:56] ---**
Good luck with that. Okay, you can go now.
**[05:59] ---**
Let's see... The one he's always drinking is...
**[06:03] ---**
"Strawberry Au Lait"
**[06:08] ---**
Are you looking for something?
**[06:10] ---**
What? U-Um... I-I'd like to buy the tasty
strawberry snacks. All of them!
**[06:19] ---**
"Concession Stand"
**[06:22] ---**
Ah... Kud--
**[06:24] ---**
Hey you, wait!
**[06:26] ---**
Ugh!
**[06:27] ---**
What, you again?
**[06:30] ---**
What do you want?
**[06:31] ---**
I heard your performance.
What the heck was that?!
**[06:35] ---**
You were unorganized and terrible
in the first half. I couldn't stand it.
**[06:38] ---**
It seemed that you recovered
quite a bit in the second half,
**[06:41] ---**
but a piece is a piece when you
play it from the start till the end!
**[06:46] ---**
I can't accept that kind of performance!
**[06:49] ---**
As I thought, you're not worthy
to play the koto with Satowa!
**[06:56] ---**
You're saying that again?
Today's performance was all my fault.
**[07:00] ---**
And, I've said this many times,
**[07:02] ---**
but Hozuki plays with us because she wants to.
**[07:05] ---**
It's not for you to decide.
**[07:08] ---**
Is that all? See ya.
**[07:11] ---**
It's you guys' fault!
**[07:13] ---**
Huh?
**[07:14] ---**
Satowa's performance today...
**[07:19] ---**
That's... That's not how
her performance should be!
**[07:24] ---**
Huh?
**[07:25] ---**
Those tones weren't hers!
**[07:28] ---**
They used to be sharper
and more honed before!
**[07:31] ---**
They sounded strong, noble, and always solid!
**[07:35] ---**
I admired her tones so much, but now,
they've been defiled by you!
**[07:39] ---**
Because she plays with
unskilled people like you guys,
**[07:43] ---**
Satowa's tones became halfhearted!
She's not as good as she was before!
**[07:48] ---**
If you stay in this puny club,
you'll only get worse.
**[07:53] ---**
Why...? Then does it mean that I
should be facing the koto like I used to?
**[07:58] ---**
Continuing to scream all by myself...?
**[08:02] ---**
Your koto... is like a weapon to me.
**[08:07] ---**
They've become gentle.
**[08:11] ---**
What?
**[08:13] ---**
It's not that they became halfhearted
or that she became a bad player.
**[08:18] ---**
It's just that her tones became gentler.
**[08:21] ---**
I like her current tones a lot more than
**[08:24] ---**
her tones when I first heard them.
**[08:43] ---**
I'm not asking you what you like.
**[08:47] ---**
You don't know anything about tones!
**[08:52] ---**
They've become gentle.
**[08:55] ---**
I already... know that. You don't have
to tell me 'cause I already know that!
**[09:02] ---**
From childhood, Satowa's tones
were enveloped by solitude in some way.
**[09:07] ---**
They were irresistibly beautiful.
**[09:10] ---**
They were so beautiful that they
made her unapproachable.
**[09:13] ---**
They were transcendent to me.
**[09:17] ---**
But I was wrong...
**[09:19] ---**
I've never heard her tones sound so gentle,
brilliant, fun, and happy before.
**[09:27] ---**
Tones like that...
**[09:30] ---**
...would never have been born
playing with me.
**[09:35] ---**
Damn. She just said whatever she wanted.
**[09:38] ---**
Whoa! You?! How long have you been here?
**[09:42] ---**
I've been here from the beginning.
**[09:45] ---**
What do *you* know about my tones?
**[09:49] ---**
What, you were listening?
Sorry, I only said what I thought.
**[10:01] ---**
Th...
**[10:04] ---**
Thank you.
**[10:09] ---**
Thank you.
**[10:20] ---**
Chika!
**[10:22] ---**
There you are!
**[10:24] ---**
This is for you!
**[10:26] ---**
Huh? Wha...?
**[10:30] ---**
Hey, Chika. Is your hand okay?
**[10:33] ---**
Hm? Wasn't Hozuki just here, too?
**[10:35] ---**
Ah! You went ahead and bought snacks
already?! That's not fair! Give me some!
**[10:42] ---**
No way.
**[10:43] ---**
How stingy! Since when
did you become so petty?!
**[10:46] ---**
Shut up.
**[10:58] ---**
That concludes all the performances
by participating high schools.
**[11:04] ---**
My goodness... I never expected to see
this many high-level performances.
**[11:09] ---**
I'm glad I was able to listen to them.
**[11:12] ---**
After hearing them, I started questioning
if it was okay for us to give marks.
**[11:18] ---**
There's nothing we can do about it.
**[11:20] ---**
Since this is a competition, we have
to decide the ranking no matter what.
**[11:30] ---**
Kudo...
**[11:32] ---**
Yeah.
**[11:33] ---**
"Stare..."
**[11:34] ---**
"Stare..."
Is the person behind us your friend?
**[11:36] ---**
"Stare..."
A total stranger.
**[11:37] ---**
Hey... What's your name?
**[11:39] ---**
Definitely no!
**[11:41] ---**
Then give me your contact info.
**[11:42] ---**
No!
**[11:44] ---**
Then can I come hang out
with you at your place?
**[11:48] ---**
Four-eyes! Help me!
**[11:49] ---**
What?!
**[11:51] ---**
Your tones are... interesting.
**[11:55] ---**
Your tones, I can understand.
**[11:58] ---**
What?
**[11:59] ---**
I can see the accumulated
training behind them.
**[12:03] ---**
They're refined, very beautiful tones.
**[12:07] ---**
But your tones are mysterious.
**[12:10] ---**
They're unrefined, but for some reason--
**[12:12] ---**
Hey, Mio! You wandered off again!
**[12:15] ---**
Everyone's sitting over there. Let's go.
**[12:18] ---**
No. You sit here, too, Uta.
**[12:21] ---**
Jeez...!
**[12:23] ---**
What does "unrefined" mean?
**[12:25] ---**
Well, we're now going to announce
the results of this competition.
**[12:31] ---**
Ahh... I'm so nervous.
I'm scared of hearing the results.
**[12:34] ---**
Stop it, Kota. I don't wanna
catch your nervousness!
**[12:37] ---**
Hmph! How pathetic! If you're a man,
you should remain calm!
**[12:42] ---**
You sure seem manly.
**[12:44] ---**
Shut up! You picking a fight?!
**[12:46] ---**
We heard many high-level,
memorable performances,
**[12:51] ---**
which made this competition an amazing one.
**[12:54] ---**
Judging was difficult, especially
the best performance award.
**[12:58] ---**
Well, enough with the introduction.
**[13:02] ---**
We'll now move onto announcing the results.
**[13:09] ---**
First, I'll announce the seven
schools out of all 33,
**[13:12] ---**
one from each prefecture, to receive
the award for outstanding performance.
**[13:16] ---**
Then, I'll announce the school that won
first place, the best performance award,
**[13:19] ---**
out of those seven.
**[13:22] ---**
The first outstanding performance award
is for Tokyo, which goes to...
**[13:26] ---**
...Meiryo High School.
**[13:30] ---**
Great.
**[13:31] ---**
Ousuke.
**[13:33] ---**
We did it!
**[13:36] ---**
Yep.
**[13:37] ---**
Next is for Ibaraki, which goes
to Eidai Fuzoku High School.
**[13:43] ---**
All rrrrrright!
**[13:46] ---**
Whooooa! Sen!
**[13:49] ---**
Did you hear that?!
This is the level of our ability!
**[13:52] ---**
Don't be so conceited just because you
have cute girl members!
**[13:55] ---**
S-Sen!
**[13:58] ---**
Stupid idiot. What an embarrassing guy.
**[14:01] ---**
--Oh, shoot... My heart is pounding
so hard that my body is swaying.
--For Tochigi, the award goes to
Ichihara Yamaoka High School.
**[14:06] ---**
I can't breathe...
**[14:08] ---**
--Ahh... I hope we get chosen.
--For Gunma, the award goes
to Kuriyama Daiichi High School.
**[14:13] ---**
Ahh... Oh boy, oh boy...
**[14:14] ---**
--For Saitama, the award goes
to Ezawa High School.
**[14:16] ---**
--It's nerve-racking, isn't it, Mio?
--For Saitama, the award goes
to Ezawa High School.
**[14:18] ---**
Not really.
**[14:19] ---**
We're not gonna lose.
I don't wanna lose... not to Tokise.
**[14:24] ---**
It'll be fine.
**[14:26] ---**
We'll win.
**[14:28] ---**
Fumi...
**[14:31] ---**
Of course we will.
**[14:33] ---**
And lastly, for Kanagawa.
**[14:36] ---**
I'm more nervous than when I'm by myself.
**[14:40] ---**
We did everything we could do!
**[14:44] ---**
The award goes to...
**[14:50] ---**
...Kanagawa Prefectural...
**[14:53] ---**
...Hakuto High School.
**[15:00] ---**
What?
**[15:01] ---**
We did it!
**[15:04] ---**
Haku... to...
**[15:06] ---**
"Tokise High School
Kanagawa Prefectural Hakuto High School"
What about the school going after us?
They're from Kanagawa.
**[15:10] ---**
They're the ones who played right after us!
**[15:14] ---**
We did it, Mio! We won the award!
**[15:20] ---**
Do you now feel like telling me your name?
**[15:29] ---**
We didn't get chosen...
**[15:30] ---**
Oh, you guys didn't get chosen? How lame...
**[15:33] ---**
Hey, Sen!
**[15:36] ---**
Sorry.
**[15:40] ---**
Well, it was a natural outcome.
**[15:43] ---**
With a mistake like that,
they can't win a competition.
**[15:46] ---**
Hakuto High School... It's the school
that performed right after Tokise...
**[15:51] ---**
Well, that's understandable...
given the kind of performance they gave.
**[15:58] ---**
What...? What just happened?
**[16:02] ---**
Hakuto? Who's that?
**[16:05] ---**
How could we lose
to an unknown school like that...?
**[16:08] ---**
And, as for the best performance award,
actually, it'll be awarded to two schools.
**[16:14] ---**
Meiryo High School from Tokyo
**[16:18] ---**
and Hakuto High School from Kanagawa.
**[16:22] ---**
I know this is unusual,
but both schools are equally excellent,
**[16:26] ---**
so we'd like to give the best
performance award to both schools.
**[16:31] ---**
No way! The best performance award?!
**[16:33] ---**
We did it!
**[16:34] ---**
The same level as us...
**[16:37] ---**
Well then, we'll start the award ceremony now.
**[16:40] ---**
--This can't be happening.
--Those who are receiving the award...
**[16:43] ---**
Himesaka has been in first place
all this time in Kanagawa.
**[16:51] ---**
Kazusa...
**[17:12] ---**
What's happening...?
**[17:15] ---**
The back of my throat feels uncomfortable.
**[17:19] ---**
Hard to breathe...
**[17:22] ---**
It feels damn hot inside my body...
**[17:25] ---**
...like it's burning.
**[17:29] ---**
Takaoka, are you gonna go talk to Chika
and the others before you leave?
**[17:33] ---**
Ah... No, I'll go home. They probably
don't want me to talk to them right now.
**[17:37] ---**
I don't think they mind.
**[17:40] ---**
But well, let's go home, then.
I'll take you home.
**[17:43] ---**
No, thank you. I'll be fine.
**[17:45] ---**
Oh, don't be so reserved.
**[17:46] ---**
No, really, I'm fine.
**[17:47] ---**
Let's go home, Haru. What're you doing?
**[17:50] ---**
Ah, well, I was wondering where they were.
**[17:53] ---**
You mean those guys from Tokise?
**[17:55] ---**
Y-Yeah. I thought I wanted to
make friends with them.
**[17:59] ---**
Huh?! Don't talk nonsense!
**[18:02] ---**
We'll see them again anyway...
**[18:05] ---**
...as long as we continue to play the koto.
**[18:06] ---**
Sen...
**[18:08] ---**
Enough about that!
We have to go home and practice!
**[18:10] ---**
We don't have the luxury to take a break!
**[18:12] ---**
Dammit! We couldn't even
be first place in Kanto
**[18:15] ---**
when we're aiming to be
number one in nationals...
**[18:17] ---**
We'll definitely be first place next time!
**[18:21] ---**
Do you feel a little calmer now?
**[18:24] ---**
I'm okay.
**[18:31] ---**
This will make us stronger.
**[18:41] ---**
Hey, Mio! Where're you going?!
**[18:47] ---**
Looks like things are getting
more and more interesting.
**[18:58] ---**
Guys...
**[19:00] ---**
As expected, it's not
so easy to place, is it?
**[19:03] ---**
Y-Yeah. I thought we worked very hard,
but we were too optimistic.
**[19:09] ---**
I should've... I should've practiced
a lot harder than I did.
**[19:13] ---**
We were talking about nationals
when we're at this level...
**[19:16] ---**
I feel very embarra--
**[19:18] ---**
It's not embarrassing!
It's not embarrassing at all!
**[19:23] ---**
It's true that today's result wasn't
what we wanted,
**[19:27] ---**
but we performed the best we could at the time.
**[19:30] ---**
There's definitely no need
to be so hard on ourselves!
**[19:34] ---**
Takezo...
**[19:37] ---**
It's not working... My words aren't enough.
**[19:41] ---**
I mean every single word, but...
**[19:44] ---**
...since I play the koto with them,
my words aren't...
**[19:47] ---**
Stop looking so dejected.
**[19:51] ---**
Mr. Takinami...
**[19:53] ---**
What'd you expect? You guys
messed up during the competition.
**[19:57] ---**
It was a natural outcome.
**[19:59] ---**
Like I said before, why do you--?
**[20:00] ---**
--To be honest, I never thought that Mizuhara
would become the trigger
**[20:02] ---**
--What?
--To be honest, I never thought that Mizuhara
would become the trigger
**[20:04] ---**
for making a comeback.
**[20:06] ---**
Nor did I think that Kudo could play
all the way through with that hand,
**[20:09] ---**
or that you guys could
recover big together like that.
**[20:14] ---**
You didn't give your best performance today.
**[20:19] ---**
It was better than your best.
**[20:22] ---**
What...?
**[20:25] ---**
I liked your performance.
**[20:28] ---**
It was a good performance.
**[20:31] ---**
You guys can become even better.
**[20:36] ---**
My bad. I can only say what I think.
**[20:50] ---**
I'm so frustrated!
**[20:53] ---**
We'll win next time for sure!
**[20:56] ---**
I'll... I'll practice more
and more to get better!
**[21:00] ---**
Next time, I'll perform a lot better than today!
**[21:04] ---**
Our next competition is
the national qualifier, right?
**[21:08] ---**
Yeah.
**[21:09] ---**
We're definitely gonna go...
**[21:12] ---**
...to nationals!
**[21:21] ---**
Let's go for sure!
**[21:25] ---**
Yep.
**[21:31] ---**
All right! We'll make it happen!
**[21:32] ---**
Ahhh, okay, okay. Good luck.
**[21:34] ---**
Let's go home already.
**[21:36] ---**
You're not telling us
to quit dreaming today, huh?
**[21:40] ---**
I don't say things that I don't think.
**[23:38] ---**
Next time, "Becoming Aware."
**[23:41] ---**
"#15 Becoming Aware"