1. Come over now if you
wanna play hide-and-seek!
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2. Me! I'll play!
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3. The girl who wonders,
"Would it be okay for me to join in?"
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4. Me! I'll play!
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5. and so misses her chance,
ending up all alone.
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6. Hitori-chan, what's wrong?
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7. The girl who ends up all alone at a picnic,
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8. Here you go.
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9. swapping parts of her lunch with the teacher.
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10. I'm home.
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11. The girl who doesn't join any clubs,
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12. comes home right after school,
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13. And here, we'll stir-fry it a bit.
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14. and finds her smartphone full of
nothing but messages from her parents
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15. There's a lot of vegetables,
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16. and coupon offers.
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17. so you can probably make it quickly
if you cut them in advance.
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18. That's me.
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19. You can probably do that
in the morning, yeah.
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20. Hitori Gotoh, first-year in middle school.
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21. Lately I've gotten good at making
so many dishes so quickly
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22. I thought I didn't need to know any more,
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23. Sometimes I think
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24. I should really change the way I am...
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25. but lately I'm learning once again
how interesting cooking can be.
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26. But I always stammer when I try to speak,
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27. and I'm really bad at keeping eye contact...
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28. A life as the archetypal introvert
just seems to fit me best.
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29. Personally I like a lot of options with rice.
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30. Oh, of course. But you—
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31. You watching this?
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32. Nah.
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33. Back in school, I was the guy who sat in the
back of the classroom pretending to read.
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34. No friends.
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35. And now you're part of a band that's
extremely popular with young people!
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36. Yeah. A band is a place where
even introverts can shine.
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37. I see!
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38. Now, here's "Trigger" by Instorms!
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39. What is it?
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40. D-Dad, can I use your guitar?
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41. Sure!
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42. Th-Thanks!
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43. Aha!
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44. At last, Hitori's getting into guitar too!
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45. Maybe even someone like me can shine
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46. if I'm in a band!
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47. I've made up my mind.
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48. I'm gonna learn to play guitar!
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49. Then I'll form a band at school, and...
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50. E, A, G...
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51. What's with all the English?
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52. Then I'll play at the culture festival
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53. and have everyone go crazy for me!
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54. Crazy... for me?
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55. I liked dark, cramped spaces,
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56. so I'd bury my face deep in my hood
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57. My eyes resented the heartless world,
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58. but yearned for love
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59. I liked being soaked by the rain,
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60. because my face looked better clouded over
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61. I pretended to be afraid of the storm
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62. while waiting for the sky to burst
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63. Strum through the light's distortion
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64. I want to make thunder roar
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65. Drum beyond the pain
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66. What can I do? This fierce
pounding is out of control
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67. Strum in a harmonizing quartet
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68. I want to cause a revolution
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69. Drum in a lamenting forte
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70. What can I do? My savage
nature is beyond wild
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71. I practiced six hours every day, so I could
learn how to play in front of people...
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72. The result?
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73. Middle school ended, and I
never played a single note for them!
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74. I never performed once...
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75. At the culture festival!
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76. I never put together...
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77. The members for a band!
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78. And I never made a single friend...
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79. In three whole years!
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80. Now, in high school...
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81. I gotta form a band or die trying!
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82. But despite my vow, it's been a whole month
since high school started,
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83. and yet my heart remains
grounded in the guitar,
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84. little better than a shut-in...
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85. Lyrics and music by me.
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86. From the closet with love.
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87. But before I cause neighborhood problems
playing my crummy original song late at night,
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88. I've gotta upload a cover
I did of a popular band.
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89. It's been a pretty long time
since I started uploading myself
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90. playing under the name "guitarhero"
on my dad's advice, but...
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91. Wow, my latest video already
has so many comments.
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92. I've been racking up the views lately, too,
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93. and people are telling me I'm good...
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94. Yeah, maybe it's okay
if I can't handle real life!
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95. There are tons of people
cheering for me online!
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96. The internet is filled with socially
anxious introverts just like me!
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97. "I formed a band and played this for our cul—"
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98. I put the effort in, okay?
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99. I brought CDs to school
and set them on my desk.
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100. Talk to me!
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101. I bought band merch and showed it off.
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102. Talk to me!
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103. I put in song requests at lunch...
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104. This next song is a request
from Gotoh-san in Class 2-A.
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105. I'm gonna...
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106. for the death metal song
I'd been obsessed with lately.
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107. I'm gonna...
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108. I'm gonna crush your skuuull!
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109. Not the flashbacks!
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110. Begone! Begone, filthy memories!
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111. I wish I could perform live...
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112. That...
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113. That could work!
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114. I look... I look so cool!
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115. I'm already a total rocker chick!
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116. I look like a real somebody!
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117. The people can't look away!
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118. Someone's just gotta talk to me now!
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119. I'm gonna be all over this
year's culture festival!
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120. So you could see the corgi's butt...
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121. Do we move rooms next period?
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122. Science Room B.
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123. Hey, wanna karaoke after this?
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124. Great idea!
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125. You sure?
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126. Wonder what I should sing...
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127. Huh?
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128. Did I go overboard
hyping myself up last night?
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129. But I'm putting out such
powerful rocker chick vibes...
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130. D-Did I end up making myself unapproachable?
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131. No, no, no!
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132. I'm having a mental breakdown!
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133. Wow, look at that!
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134. At what?
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135. I-If they're laughing at me now,
it won't just be a mental breakdown,
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136. it'll be mental annihilation!
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137. Aw, it's so cute, I've gotta laugh!
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138. Guitar?
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139. My day's immediately better!
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140. Right, Kita-chan?
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141. Kita-chan?
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142. Sorry, sorry! What was it?
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143. Look, I know.
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144. You can't put the onus on others
and expect perfect results.
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145. This is a gathering place for
people just as lonely as me.
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146. I bet that guy's separated from—
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147. Papa!
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148. Sorry we're late!
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149. Hey, no problem.
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150. Now, let's grab dinner!
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151. What would you like?
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152. They're the perfect freakin' family!
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153. Please forgive my presumptuous empathizing...
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154. Ah. I broke 30,000 subscribers.
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155. Hey, that's right.
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156. The online world is where I belong.
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157. Sorta makes me not wanna go back to school...
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158. Guitar!
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159. That's a guitar, right?
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160. Do you play?
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161. Hello?
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162. I-I haven't talked to anyone
in so long... My voice!
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163. Hey, sorry to ambush you.
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164. I'm Nijika Ijichi, second-year
at Shimo-Kitazawa High.
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165. Hitori Gotoh. Shuka High. First-year.
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166. So tell me, Hitori-chan...
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167. Right to first names, are we?
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168. How good are you at guitar?
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169. Pretty decent, I guess...
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170. Really?
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171. Say, I'm in kind of a fix here...
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172. If you can't do it, that's okay, but...
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173. It's really okay, but I'm in a real fix...
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174. There's nothing okay about her!
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175. Okay, I'll come right out with it!
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176. Please, will you play second
guitar for my band for today?
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177. Band?
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178. We've got a concert coming up,
and our guitarist just split!
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179. The song's not too hard!
You'll pick it up right away!
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180. A concert? Right now?
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181. Please! Please!
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182. Um, err...
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183. Thanks! Let's head to the club!
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184. I haven't even said anything yet!
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185. I got dragged along.
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186. Do you come to Shimo-Kita a lot, Hitori-chan?
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187. Oh, well...
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188. Right, like I've got the courage to visit
a fashion town for trendy people...
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189. We're almost to the club.
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190. Nijika-chan's fashionable, too.
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191. She's got the real rocker-chick vibe.
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192. Meanwhile, I'm in a potato-quality tracksuit
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193. with a real bear of a set of bags under my
eyes, and a back as arched as a cat...
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194. Wait, do I also smell like mold?
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195. I spend so much time in the closet...
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196. No, I smell like mothballs.
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197. Meanwhile, Nijika-chan smells great!
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198. She smells just the way
a high school girl should!
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199. Oh, am I walking too fast?
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200. N-No...
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201. The club we're gonna play at
is called Starry.
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202. My big sister's the manager there.
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203. Playing at a club...
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204. That sounds weirdly legit.
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205. Wait, what's my heart doing?
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206. And so...
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207. I've been working there part-time...
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208. Hitori-chan, are you
actually pretty athletic?
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209. N-No, but I'm always the last one standing
in dodgeball for some reason.
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210. I... I see.
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211. Me? Playing in a club?
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212. No, don't back down now!
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213. Remember your daydreams of
performing at the culture festival!
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214. And your first solo show at Zepp Super Arena!
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215. Hitori! Hitori! Hitori!
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216. I'm the girl who sold out the Budokan...
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217. What?
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218. Oh, nothing!
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219. Please, don't let her think she
made a mistake choosing me!
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220. I might've made a mistake choosing her...
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221. We're here!
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222. This is the place!
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223. Th-The dark lands?
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224. Good morning!
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225. My first club...
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226. It's so dark... So stuffy...
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227. I-It's so soothing!
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228. You okay, Hitori-chan?
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229. I'm home!
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230. No, you're not!
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231. Could we ask the PA to record again?
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232. That's the band that's playing today.
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233. I thought bands would be intimidating,
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234. They might be a little older than us?
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235. but they're all indoorsy, shy introverts!
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236. After they're done, we'll rehearse too.
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237. They're just like me!
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238. That there's the PA.
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239. Good morning.
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240. Please forgive my arrogance!
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241. What's wrong now?
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242. You're finally back.
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243. Ryo!
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244. This is Hitori Gotoh. Hitori-chan!
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245. I met her in the park by miraculous
happenstance! She's a guitarist!
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246. Oh?
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247. Scary! Is she glaring at me?
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248. This is Ryo Yamada. She plays bass.
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249. I-I'm Hitori Gotoh! I'm so very sorry!
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250. Hang on!
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251. Y-You're okay!
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252. Ryo's just not the expressive type.
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253. Feel free to call her weird! She likes it!
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254. I don't, actually.
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255. Seemed like she did...
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256. By the way, about the manager...
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257. She told you to practice until it was time,
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258. but instead you snuck out of the club,
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259. so she got so mad she went out shopping.
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260. N-No way!
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261. Let's be in the studio before she comes back!
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262. You too, Hitori-chan!
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263. C'mon!
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264. R-Right!
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265. Real life is scary.
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266. But I feel like there's
some fun stuff coming up!
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267. Here's today's set list and score.
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268. Wh-Where are the other band members?
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269. This is everyone!
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270. We'll be doing all instrumentals this time.
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271. Right. I can handle this song.
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272. Though without any vocals, the playing's
gotta be all that much better...
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273. But I'm supposedly good at guitar. I can do this.
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274. I think I can do this!
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275. Gorilla?
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276. Maybe they'll be blown away by my playing!
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277. I mean, I get pretty good...
pretty decent reactions online.
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278. Let's take it right from the top.
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279. It's your first time,
so we'll run through slow,
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280. I even have 30,000 subscribers!
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281. then we can speed it up
as you get used to it.
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282. Yeah, let's do this!
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283. Okay, let's go!
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284. You suck!
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285. H-How can I suck?
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286. Ah, I'm kidding!
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287. I'm guitarhero!
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288. Well, not totally kidding, but...
Ah, I'm sorry!
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289. I've got 30,000 subscribers!
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290. Allow me to explain!
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291. In a band, it's super important to be in
sync with your fellow live performers!
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292. But Hitori has social anxiety
and can't make eye contact,
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293. and she'll be inclined to
rush ahead of the others!
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294. She might be an awesome solo player,
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295. but when in a band, she's sub-water-flea
level, the worst there is!
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296. Hello. I'm Plankton Gotoh.
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297. She sounds like an unfunny comedian!
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298. And thus, Hitori Gotoh turned to dust,
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299. and never picked up a guitar again.
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300. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!
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301. Come out, please!
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302. The show's about to start!
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303. I c-c-can't do it!
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304. It's not your fault!
We just came together today!
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305. It's not like I'm very good either.
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306. I'm very good.
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307. Just look at me, okay!
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308. Stay here in reality!
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309. It isn't like I could
do the intro or anything...
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310. I-I could offer up my life
to put on a harakiri show!
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311. Th-They'll at least remember
the name of the band, right?
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312. Sorry I sucked!
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313. That's a little too rock!
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314. It's okay.
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315. If they boo you, I'll give
them a bonk with my bass.
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316. Does a bass make such a fancy noise?
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317. I mean, bloodshed is pretty rock.
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318. It's rock.
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319. You can't justify everything with "rock"!
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320. Besides, it'll probably just be my
friends who come to watch us play!
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321. And Nijika is my only friend, so...
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322. Normal high school girls
don't know good music from bad.
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323. That kind of take could get you
in trouble on the internet.
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324. Okay? So just chill!
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325. I d-dunno...
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326. I know good music from bad.
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327. Well, you're not normal.
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328. Hey, that wasn't a compliment.
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329. Sorry.
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330. But...
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331. We can't force her.
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332. You're right.
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333. Sorry to push you so hard.
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334. No, actually...
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335. I r-really was happy you reached out to me.
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336. I've wanted to be in a band for so long...
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337. B-But I couldn't get the people together...
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338. So I just upload covers
to the internet instead.
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339. What do you usually play?
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340. M-Mostly songs by popular bands
from the last few years,
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341. so I could play them right away
once the band got together...
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342. That's awesome!
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343. It's not.
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344. It's the reason I'm the way I am now.
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345. Being in a band with other people
was a pipe dream after all.
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346. Covering all popular songs?
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347. She sounds like guitarhero-san!
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348. Have you heard of her?
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349. She's probably about our age, I think...
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350. guitarhero...
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351. M-Me?
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352. I'll send you a link if you haven't!
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353. She's super awesome! You should hear her!
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354. Awe... some?
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355. She comes up in my recommendations
a lot, so I've seen her too.
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356. She really is excellent.
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357. Right?
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358. Though her naming sense is a bit cringy...
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359. It is?
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360. I follow her with notifications on!
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361. I'd love to play with her some day!
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362. You just did, actually...
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363. Look, what I'm getting at here
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364. is that even awesome, popular people
are out there playing guitar,
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365. lots and lots of them,
in places we're not even watching.
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366. You should watch her later!
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367. I think you'll get what I mean
if you watch the videos.
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368. I always figured real-life people
didn't care about me at all...
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369. You can't give up on playing in a band
just because it didn't work out today!
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370. It's possible it's our problem, anyway...
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371. Our problem?
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372. Hitori-chan?
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373. But someone this nice has been
watching me all this time,
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374. and actually spoke to me...
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375. She stood up.
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376. It's the kind of miracle
most people never experience!
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377. I can't let it go to waste!
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378. I... I'm...
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379. D-Do you want to perform after all?
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380. Hitori-chan?
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381. I know all that, rationally...
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382. But I'm still too scared...
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383. There's no way I can play
in front of an audience...
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384. If you're scared,
you could play from in here.
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385. I-It's the same environment
that I play in all the time!
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386. Where exactly do you live?
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387. How you feelin' tonight, Shimo-Kita?
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388. She's suddenly more outgoing.
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389. By the way, how do you
want us to introduce you?
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390. "Hitori-chan"? Should we use your real name?
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391. I'd... I'd rather not...
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392. Any nicknames, then?
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393. In middle school, they called me
"Hey" and "You there"...
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394. I don't think those are nicknames!
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395. I never knew anyone well enough
to get nicknames from them!
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396. Hitori...
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397. Hitoribocchi ...
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398. How about Bocchi-chan?
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399. Another tactless comment!
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400. I'm B-B-Bocchi!
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401. She likes it?
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402. It's just my first ever nickname...
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403. This is making me teary-eyed.
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404. Oh, you haven't told me your band name yet.
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405. It's Kessoku Band.
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406. Kessoku Band...
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407. Isn't that the word for "zip tie"?
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408. It's brilliant.
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409. It's the worst pun!
We're totally changing it!
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410. Why? It's cute.
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411. Y-Yes.
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412. Band name aside, it's time to play!
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413. Don't worry.
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414. The key is to have fun, even if you suck!
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415. Your feelings really come
out in your playing, see?
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416. R-Right...
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417. We can always work on the
skill part next time.
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418. Yeah.
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419. Next... time...
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420. Okay, let's go!
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421. Right.
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422. They're okay with there being a next time!
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423. Nice to meet you! We're Kessoku Band!
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424. We'll play a bunch of
songs you probably know,
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425. so please enjoy!
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426. Who's that?
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427. I hate that I can't play as
well as I usually do, but...
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428. playing in a band with other
people is so much fun!
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429. I've never really shone before today...
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430. And I still don't!
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431. This might actually be a low point for me!
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432. Boy, I screwed up!
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433. Your intro bombed, too.
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434. E-Excuse me!
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435. B-B-B...
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436. What?
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437. B-B-B-B-B...
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438. Okay, you're freaking me out!
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439. B-Before our next performance, I'm gonna get
brave enough to say hello to my classmates!
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440. What a dramatic declaration.
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441. Such growth...
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442. Okay, I get it.
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443. Sure!
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444. Then let's have a Bocchi-chan-welcome-party-
slash-concert-post-mortem!
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445. Actually, I'm pretty exhausted from
all this social interaction, so I'm gonna go.
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446. Sorry. I'm sleepy.
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447. P-Pardon me!
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448. There's no "ties" in this band at all!
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449. I'm gonna get over my social anxiety
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450. and bring out my full guitarhero powers!
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451. For Nijika-chan,
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452. Ryo-san,
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453. and Kessoku Band!
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454. S-Sorry! Sorry!
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455. The tune that plays when my loneliness
and the pedal are stepped on
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456. Tracks down my cheeks over and over again
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457. The pounding of my loneliness
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458. Is joined by the rhythm of the snare drum
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459. To create a solid pulse
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460. Someone, please remove
the distortion on my heart
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461. And take a look inside me
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462. Nobody can get inside my heart
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463. But it's the kind of night
when I hope someone will
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464. Distortion it's Motion
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465. Once it starts, there's no stopping it
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466. Limits can be overwritten with experience
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467. Isn't that right?
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468. Distortion is always like that
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469. My heart takes off, outpacing my left brain
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470. Toward where you are
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471. An escort to the next note
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472. Distortion on my day-to-day anguish
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473. The chord I play when I'm alone at night
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474. Is it the same for you?
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475. I spent all those days chasing my ideal image
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476. Play an F chord with distortion
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477. So loud that the needle swings off the scale
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478. Watch it!
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