I think…I'm done.

Huh?! Rin, it's rare for you to not finish your food. Do you have a stomachache or something?

No, nothing like that. Maybe I'm just a little tired.

I can understand that. I am a bit tired, too…

U-Umm…

Err… I'm glad things with μ's are all back to normal. I was getting worried.

Things had been kind of strained lately.

It threw me for a loop how Nico and Honoka got perfectly in sync outta nowhere.

Yeah, same here. You think they had a heart-to-heart?

Probably.

Seeing both of them fired up at once was a real sight!

Of course, when they are, it gets me extra hyped too…

Same here. But more than getting excited…

It felt like being overwhelmed, right? By the second-years and third-years.

I wonder where all of that came from. You know, the talk about making memories and stuff?

Honoka especially. She kept going on about doing something amazing with the nine of us, leaving behind a record of it, and so on.

Uuugh…

I understand how Honoka and Nico feel. I want us to make lots of memories together too because everyone's so special to me.

It's just that…

No matter how hard things get, we've gotta accept it. We can't stay in the same place forever. We all have our own futures ahead of us.

That's why I get why they're trying to make these memories extra special. And that's also why I didn't object.

The only problem I have is that turning μ's' club activities into a vehicle for making memories…doesn't feel quite right.

I wish the nine of us could stay together like this forever.

Me too.

I… Well…

We know, Maki!

You talk like a grown-up, Maki, but you feel the same way as us!

D-Don't lump me in with the likes of you two!

[Fade in/out.]

See, quizzes aren't the real deal like midterms and finals, you know? That's why I can't really muster up the drive to go all out on them. Does that make sense?

So if you ask me, since they're not the real deal, it's no biggie if the grades are less-than-perfect.

That's nonsense. Each and every evaluation is the real deal.

Honoka, we'll study for the next quiz together. I'm sure you can bring your average back up.

It's nothing short of shameful to have one of the people with whom I've built the history of μ's perform so poorly.

I get it… I'll do better next time…

*Sigh* This really isn't the time to be worrying about Honoka's grades…

You noticed it too, Umi?

I did. Lately, our energetic first-year trio has been unusually quiet.

*Groan* It's my fault for saying all that stuff about making a record that'd last forever…

I'm at fault too for talking about memories that would last a lifetime…

Bombarding them with all that stuff about making memories probably confused them…

If only there were a way to properly explain how we feel…

Hmm… I wanna explain it to them, but I just dunno how to put it into words…

I didn't even get it myself until we took that walk around Akihabara and started singing together.

Hrmm… This is a toughie.

We've gotta make the most of the present if we're gonna create something that'll stay with us in the future, but to do it, we need to change from our past selves…

*Groan* I'm confusing myself trying to talk through it! There's gotta be a better way to say this.

Hey, why not try writing a song?

Huh?

You said it yourself, Honoka. You didn't get it until you saw Akihabara and sang there.

We should put our feelings into a song and sing it for them.

Yeah… Yeah! Let's do it! Kotori, you're a genius!