Kono Oto Tomare! 2nd Season

Hozuki!

We aren't together!

No way... What should I do? It's because he protected me!

I'd hate for it to end like this!

I'd absolutely hate it!

That's right.

What am I doing... not believing in the decision I made until the end?!

It's okay.

The notes will definitely... play where we want them to!

Wh-What is this?! They're playing totally different than before!

I'm not alone anymore.

Don't you dare try and "match" our level, okay?

Just play with all you've got!

That's it. I'll lead in my own way.

Of course I will.

Once I found it, I couldn't not get involved...

...with the sound that sways my heart so intensely.

What on earth... just happened?

"#14 A Step Forward"

Their performance got really good halfway through, didn't it?

The audience is super excited.

I-It's okay! We can still outdo them! Right, Mio?!

Mio...?

Mio is laughing out loud?!

I've never seen that before! How creepy!

Don't roll around in a place like this! Hey, it's our turn next, you know!

President...

I can give my best performance ever today.

The first half and the second half...

It seemed as if they were played by two different schools.

Then they showed their real ability in the second half?

Their tone was quite different from what I expected. It was profound...

You look happy, Ousuke.

What? I do?

Sen... Their performance was kinda amazing, wasn't it?

Yeah...

Hey! Don't be so impressed, you stupid Haru!

Compared to us, they're nothing!

What? But--

Shut up!

My goodness... I feel like I saw something very incredible.

They did a great job recovering in the second half.

I feel like their performance lifted my spirits.

We were able to witness someone's growth.

We're lucky to hear a performance like this.

Their performance was great.

Chika did a good job... though he worried me at the beginning.

Would you like to use this?

Thanks, Mom.

What?

Are you okay, Kazusa?

I'm not okay.

I can't accept a performance like that.

I'm sorry!

What?

Hey, what's going on? What's up with you three?

Ah, well, Kudo was actually...

Since I've been having a bad case of diarrhea,

I couldn't focus and dragged you down. I'm sorry.

I-I knew about it, but I didn't tell you guys.

Same here.

Don't tell such an obvious lie.

M-Mr. Takinami!

What? A lie? What're you talking about?

--Ow! --Whoa... It looks worse than earlier.

-Whoa... It looks worse than earlier.

Chika! Your hand...!

Oh, no! What happened?

Could it be from that time...?

He hurt himself in the restroom.

What?

Since he didn't look well,

I threw him into the restroom and told him he didn't have to perform.

Then he snapped and hit the wall, injuring his hand.

It was so lame that even I can understand why he wanted to lie.

You bastard...!

Hm? Am I mistaken?

Y-You're not... mistaken.

Jeez... How lame!

That's our Chika!

You're so funny, Chika!

Stop playing around and go get your hand treated.

I know already!

Now, you guys pack up the instruments.

Sorry. I got thirsty, so I'm going to buy something to drink.

What? Ah... Sure.

Whoa... Hozuki sure can pack up fast.

K-Kurata...

Is Chika's injury really...?

Yeah, really, I hope it gets better soon.

When it does, let's play together again.

Yes.

"First-aid Station"

It'll require one month to heal. Actually, it might take longer than that.

Huh?! One month?!

Why?! It's just a sprain, right?

Don't take it lightly. Because you overdid it, it's gotten quite a bit worse.

Don't use that hand for a while. Once the swelling is gone, start rehab.

Wh-What about the koto?

Don't play it, of course.

"Shock"

I'll heal it up in three days!

Good luck with that. Okay, you can go now.

Let's see... The one he's always drinking is...

"Strawberry Au Lait"

Are you looking for something?

What? U-Um... I-I'd like to buy the tasty strawberry snacks. All of them!

"Concession Stand"

Ah... Kud--

Hey you, wait!

Ugh!

What, you again?

What do you want?

I heard your performance. What the heck was that?!

You were unorganized and terrible in the first half. I couldn't stand it.

It seemed that you recovered quite a bit in the second half,

but a piece is a piece when you play it from the start till the end!

I can't accept that kind of performance!

As I thought, you're not worthy to play the koto with Satowa!

You're saying that again? Today's performance was all my fault.

And, I've said this many times,

but Hozuki plays with us because she wants to.

It's not for you to decide.

Is that all? See ya.

It's you guys' fault!

Huh?

Satowa's performance today...

That's... That's not how her performance should be!

Huh?

Those tones weren't hers!

They used to be sharper and more honed before!

They sounded strong, noble, and always solid!

I admired her tones so much, but now, they've been defiled by you!

Because she plays with unskilled people like you guys,

Satowa's tones became halfhearted! She's not as good as she was before!

If you stay in this puny club, you'll only get worse.

Why...? Then does it mean that I should be facing the koto like I used to?

Continuing to scream all by myself...?

Your koto... is like a weapon to me.

They've become gentle.

What?

It's not that they became halfhearted or that she became a bad player.

It's just that her tones became gentler.

I like her current tones a lot more than

her tones when I first heard them.

I'm not asking you what you like.

You don't know anything about tones!

They've become gentle.

I already... know that. You don't have to tell me 'cause I already know that!

From childhood, Satowa's tones were enveloped by solitude in some way.

They were irresistibly beautiful.

They were so beautiful that they made her unapproachable.

They were transcendent to me.

But I was wrong...

I've never heard her tones sound so gentle, brilliant, fun, and happy before.

Tones like that...

...would never have been born playing with me.

Damn. She just said whatever she wanted.

Whoa! You?! How long have you been here?

I've been here from the beginning.

What do you know about my tones?

What, you were listening? Sorry, I only said what I thought.

Th...

Thank you.

Thank you.

Chika!

There you are!

This is for you!

Huh? Wha...?

Hey, Chika. Is your hand okay?

Hm? Wasn't Hozuki just here, too?

Ah! You went ahead and bought snacks already?! That's not fair! Give me some!

No way.

How stingy! Since when did you become so petty?!

Shut up.

That concludes all the performances by participating high schools.

My goodness... I never expected to see this many high-level performances.

I'm glad I was able to listen to them.

After hearing them, I started questioning if it was okay for us to give marks.