Aki no Kanade (アキの奏で)

That concludes the performance from the Sou Drums Group.

Please enjoy the upcoming Bon dance.

Cheers!

There's something I wanna try out at our next gig...

Sorry guys, I've gotta head off.

What's the rush?

I have to be up early to get to Kitasenju tomorrow.

Good luck, Mr. Civil Engineer!

Thanks for coming!

You seem a little down, Aki.

Not at all.

You got work tomorrow?

Just the late shift.

In that case, let's keep drinking!

Excuse me! Can I get another draught beer?

Oh, shut up...

Yes, hello?

Miyagawa? Long time.

Who're you?

I guess you might've forgotten me... It's me, Yoshioka.

Yoshioka-sensei?!

You been keeping well?

Y-Yes...

I heard you've been doing a great job as a pro in Tokyo.

W-Well, I suppose...

Thing is, there's something I wanna talk to you about.

We're reviving Kariyama's Autumn Drum Festival.

A whole bunch of us are getting together. What's it been, 15 years now?

But, well, we don't really have anyone to do the coaching

and I've gotten a little rusty myself. What do you say, Miyagawa?

Do you reckon you could come back for a little while and teach these guys?

Even I knew that I was pathetic.

I may call myself a professional, but I'm still keeping a second job to make ends meet.

I had no plans or goals for the future.

Someone like me shouldn't be qualified to teach others.

You haven't changed a bit, Miyagawa.

Neither have you, Yoshioka-sensei.

The car's this way.

Oh, I'll take this for you.

That's right...

There's no way that we're still... the same as we were back then.

Kumamoto sure has changed.

The city's expanded all the way out to here.

All else aside, it is an ordinance-designated city.

Even our town combined with the neighbouring ones and became Mitomi Town.

I don't think I'll ever get used to that name.

Kariyama will always be Kariyama. Right, Sensei?

Oh, don't say that.

Thanks to that, we've got a lot more people taking part in the festivals now.

But you know, I'm relieved.

You're finally showing your Kumamoto dialect.

I was worried you'd changed.

I'll stop by to pick you up tomorrow.

Thank you very much.

I'm home!

Welcome home.

Welcome home, Aki.

I didn't know you'd be coming back too, Fumiko-nee-chan!

I heard you were coming back, so I thought I may as well show up too.

Come on, Haruna. Say hello.

You were so tiny the last time I saw you.

I guess you don't remember me.

Here you go. Share it around with everyone.

My, isn't that nice, Haruna-chan?

Yup!

Say thank you, now.

Thank you, onee-chan!

If you're looking for Dad, he's out in the yard.

I'm back, Grandma.

Welcome home, Aki. We were all waiting to see you.

Dad... I'm back.

I see.

You're probably tired from your trip. Wanna go visit the onsen before dinner, Aki?

You too, Haruna.

I wanna stay with Granpa!

My father and I barely ever spoke to each other since I moved to Tokyo.

Ah, this feels great!

I wonder how many years it's been since I had a bath with family.

But it's a good thing Dad's taking care of Haruna while we're here.

How's your husband doing?

Same as ever.

Always busy with work, and barely ever has time for us.

And Dad's still his old self too.

We haven't seen each other in so long, yet he still acts like that.

Well, it can't be helped. I'm the one who left to pursue Drumming as a profession after all.

But hey, you're doing well in Tokyo as a professional, aren't you?

I told my sister to head back home first, and stayed behind to wander around old Kariyama Town.

My old hometown, now called Mitomi Town.

I wonder why I came back.

It's a cute song, isn't it?

What is it, Aki?

Drums...

Oh, they're probably just practicing for the festival.

It's the week after next, isn't it?

I can't wait!

Wait, Aki?

I can't describe it very well, but that sound was special.

"This is drumming!" I thought.

Hey, Aki!

They were so cool!

I don't really get it, but whatever, they were so cool!

Mum! I'm gonna play in the Drums Festival!

Hello.

Hello.

Heya.

Hello!

You're the new kid, right?

Umm...

Miyagawa Aki!

I'm Yoshioka. Nice to meet you, Aki-chan.

Nice to meet you, Yoshioka-sensei!

Come on, now, I'm still a university student.

Don't go calling me Sensei.

She called you 'Sensei'!

Oi, Naoto!

Ready, everyone? Now, slowly lift up your rutes.

You've got pretty good form. If I didn't know otherwise, I'd think you were already experienced.

But you're gripping your rutes a little too tightly, though.

Got it, Yoshioka-sensei!

Like I said, don't call me Sensei.

Get it right!

I was captivated by the drums.

Begin!

Next!

Beating the drums with everyone was really fun.

But above all, it was that feeling of being engulfed in the sound.

Next!

Will the festival be okay to go ahead?

They said the typhoon will pass by before tomorrow, so it should be fine.

It's getting a bit dangerous. Let's head back inside.

I was really worried for a bit there.

I'm sure glad the typhoon's gone.

Hey, Aki.

What is it?

Nevermind. It's nothing.

Thank you all for waiting. We will now begin the Drums Festival and ensuing tournament.

The group from Yamaguchi will be starting off.

Look out!

This is bad!

The festival was put on hold,

and our first stage performance ended as a dream.

"Kariyama Shrine"

It was decided that the Drums Festival would not take place the following year.