Here we are. How about getting a little fresh air before we hit the hay?

Would you like some hot chocolate? It'll help you relax.

Yes, please.

[Fade in/out.]

Mmm! I love the early morning air! It's so refreshing!

Thanks for driving us!

You're welcome. Here's your hot chocolate!

Thank you! Let's see how this tastes.

It's sweet and warm enough to melt your heart!

Ahhh, that's the stuff! It's been a while since I've had some.

I remember making this for Shioriko all the time back in the day.

Really?

Yep. She used to beg me for it when she was little.

But she never does that anymore… I kinda miss it.

She went off and grew up while I wasn't looking.

I guess they do say that children will grow up even without parents. Hahaha.

Um… Kaoruko.

What's up?

Did starting the School Idol Festival ever make you feel anxious?

Anxious? What do you mean?

With everyone around you growing, succeeding, and talking about all their dreams…

Did you ever feel like maybe you'd be the only one who would get left behind?

Ah… So that's what this is all about, is it?

Huh?

Oh, nothing.

Anxious, huh? I'd be lying if I said I never felt that way.

So it was like that for you as well…

Haha. That's right. It was like that even for me.

It hasn't gone away, either. It might look like I'm doing as I please without a care in the world, but there's a lot of things I'm stressed about.

The school idol girls are so dazzling, aren't they? And they're so open and honest about their hopes and dreams.

Who wouldn't feel anxious, seeing that?

…………

It made me feel like I had to think about all that stuff too.

Me too.

And then you start thinking about it, in your own way. But it's no use. You can't figure it out.

I mean, what do you want to spend your life doing? What do you want for the future?

I think the people who can say “Yeah! This is what I want!” just like that are few and far between.

Everyone wavers, worries, and feels anxious. I still wonder about this stuff myself, even now.

But if there's any advice that I can give you, as someone who's lived with that uncertainty for a little bit longer than you have…

Whatever you know you want to do right now, do it with every fiber of your being! When it comes down to it, that's more important than anything, I think.

Do what I want to do with every fiber of my being, huh…

That's right. Isn't that enough for now? Then, as you keep doing those things, maybe you'll start to get a better picture of what you want for your future.

Not that I really have a clear idea of what I want to do with my life, even now…

But what I do know for sure is that I want to do a bunch of interesting stuff that can make people happy.

And if I keep doing stuff like that, I'm sure that someday, I'll find something that I want to devote my life to.

That's what I think, anyway.

Do you think I'll ever find something like that?

I'm sure of it. So don't worry about it too much right now, okay? Just take your time, and I know you'll find that special thing that's yours and yours alone.

It's pretty hard for one person to shine all on their own, but the folks you surround yourself with are overflowing with brilliance, so you'll definitely shine bright someday!

Oops, I'm rambling. Why don't we get some shut-eye?

You just rest for now. Save those worries for tomorrow.

…All right.