Tune In to the Midnight Heart (真夜中ハートチューン)

Hmm? Hmm...

All these houseplants just look the same to me.

What? Surely not.

Cactus... I want a cactus!

Why are you complaining?

You're the one who wanted some greenery in the classroom for summer, Nene.

Whistle, whistle.

Say, Yamabuki-kun.

What's this one called?

That's a Ficus benghalensis.

Native to India's Bengal region, it's also known as a banyan.

It's known for being long-living.

It's resilient and easy to raise, so it's perfect for beginners.

But beware of the sap.

Gross! He's a plant otaku!

It causes allergic reactions, so wear gloves when handling it.

Cactus...

Cactus... Cactus... Cactus...

Hey.

Cactus!

This one's pretty cute, no?

Cactus...

That's a pachira.

It's known for its five-leaf stems and its rapid growth.

Cactus... Cactus...

Cactus...

During spring and summer in particular, it'll grow a lot while you look away.

Cactus! Cactus!

Cactus...

We came to this faraway store just to buy this one plant?

We picked it because the five leaves represent us!

More like because it was cheap, right?

I wanted a cactus...

Sure is hot, though.

Summer's almost here, after all.

Ugh, I don't want to get sunburned.

I enjoyed the mini-concert the other day.

I really do love singing my own songs.

I want to pull off a street performance the same way,

but I'm too scared to try.

Heck...

I still haven't managed to write a song.

What do I do? Summer break's almost here.

Rikka still hasn't brought me a new song.

Her trauma is deeper than I thought.

I should probably explore other options. What can yours truly do?

Pretty much anything, that's what!

What the heck?

What's that sound?

Someone's doing a street performance.

I've never heard this song before.

Sorry, go on without me!

Huh?

What's going on, Rikka-chan?

Bathroom break?

I-I'm gonna be this tree's mommy?!

I've heard that hypnosis can help one overcome trauma.

I'll ask my big sis to coach me.

It really is Aiko. I could tell by the way she played.

So she's still doing this, huh?

I can't be seen because it'd be awkward,

but I want to stay and listen some more.

Thank you.

The next song will be my last.

Say, missy.

Nobody's even listening.

What's the point in continuing?

Uh-oh...

Shut your trap, moron!

I'm doing this because I want to!

Say what? You're shit at this, so just quit!

Well, you've got shit for ears, asshole!

I'm not gonna put up with anyone who insults my music!

You're never gonna make it anywhere! Pah!

Shut it, fool!

Never show me your face again, you old fart!

Anyway, here's my last song.

I didn't write this song by myself.

I wrote it with a friend of mine a long time ago.

We did music together back in middle school.

We were so excited when we finished the song,

thinking we made a masterpiece, and we sent it to a record label.

We actually got a response, too.

Which one of you sang the chorus?

We only need the girl with that voice.

But I was still happy,

because our music had been acknowledged.

That's why I entrusted everything to my friend.

I told her she'd better make it!

She'd better become the number one artist in Japan with our music!

But what did that idiot do?

She had a setback or two and ran away from the record label!

Quit chickening out and running to covers of idol songs, you moron!

What kind of middle-schooler brat gives up after one failure?!

So I have to keep singing this song.

After all, her talent is the real deal.

Even if she wasn't Japan's number one artist,

she could still be number one in someone's heart.

So it's fine as long as somebody understands.

If you come to like this song, please remember it.

"The Calm of Night."

As the sun sank into the sea

We let out a deep sigh

And the oceans responded to us

With a big white wave

And dragged the wind away with it

Keep watching this 5-yen coin, and what do you know...

You'll find that even a lemon can taste sweet like sugar

Ooh, I'm starting to believe!

Okay, go ahead and eat that lemon slice.

Sour!

Breathe in... breathe out.

My tongue...

It didn't work at all.

I was hoping to remove Rikka's trauma this way!

Rikka's starting her mini-concert.

It's been a while since her last one!

Hello, everyone.

Thanks for coming even though it's so hot.

Let's get right to it. Here's the first song.

Wait, what's the title?

Wonder what she's gonna perform.

As the sun sank into the sea

What is that song?

Wait, is it an original?

We let out a deep sigh

And the oceans responded to us

What is this song?

With a big white wave

Aw, I wanted the usual stuff.

And dragged the wind away with it

This doesn't feel like her.

I don't know, I think I like this better.

After we saw it off

We made a promise for no reason

Yeah...

The calm takes over the night

When the calm takes over the night

We feel like there's nobody else in the world but us

The sea blends into the sky

When the sea quietly blends into the sky

I know it's just the two of us

But I still whisper to you

When did she write a song like this?

Ah, in the calm of night

What's more, she did it all on her own, without yours truly's help?

Rikka!

When did you write that original song?

It's really good!

It seems I've underestimated you!

You've grown a lot when I wasn't looking!

Seriously.

You haven't given me enough attention lately.

Uh...

For this song, I stopped caring about appealing to everyone.

I wrote it for someone special to me—

my best friend,

and one more throw-in.

I'm a throw-in, huh?

WHILE YOU LOOK AWAY

We have a date and time for the street performance!

I've secured a venue, too. Now we just need your songs.

Now, rock my inner ear with the power of your new songs!

Shut up!

Rikka's working on a song right now.

My bad.

And Bucky, your regular voice is already loud enough.

Didn't you say you were done?

There's still one left.

I'm planning to put five songs on the CD I'm selling at the performance.

But I just can't finish the last song.

Considering how you couldn't write at all before, this is good progress.

You're doing well.

Hey! Don't throw my praise out the window!

Rikka ain't an easy lass.

Oh, I finished the draft for my CD cover.

Show us! Show us!

What do you think?

Do you hate rabbits?

That's a peace sign, not a rabbit.

So, what does this mean?

Well...

This is a symbol for defiance.

I'll make sure it spreads to all corners of Japan.

Huh...

Wow. Now even I'm starting to get nervous.

We'll all come watch your show, okay?

Oh, about that...

For this show,

I'd like to do it without your help.

Huh?

Having you there would make me happy and help me relax,

but if I got too used to that, there'd be no point to this show.

I see.

That's a shame, but I guess it's for your own good.

Okay, gotcha.

But we'll be at the next show, okay?

By the way...

How'd you suddenly make progress after being stuck for so long?

Did you find a song-writing trick or something?