Chapter 3

## Chapter Chronology

This is the **third chapter** of *Beat & Motion*, written and illustrated by Naoki Fujita.

## Summary

Tatsuhiko and Nico are at a train station searching for a suitable place to find shooting locations. Tatsuhiko has a project in mind where he plans to draw every detail by hand. The storyboard will lead to the plot where Nico fights Kaijus that have appeared in Tokyo.

Tatsuhiko felt that he and Nico had become much closer lately, which was a realization for him since he used to just admire her from afar. While watching Nico learn how to use the grids on her phone camera and take pictures of potential backgrounds for their animations, Tatsuhiko was grateful that she had come along. He had originally planned to go alone, but shooting together with Nico turned out to be a fun experience.

As Tatsuhiko was preparing to take a picture of the background for his animation project with Nico, he was already envisioning how it would look in the final product. While he was still filming, Nico asked him what they would do if they made a lot of money from their song and MV project. Tatsuhiko didn't have an answer, but Nico shared her own extravagant plans. She wanted to buy everything on the McDonald's menu and then purchase a three-story soundproofed house in Minato City with a glass bathroom. She also dreamed of driving a Bugatti Veyron at 300 km/h while throwing cash out the window. Tatsuhiko couldn't help but comment that she would get arrested for driving so fast while Nico continued to share her fantasies.

Nico continued to share that fantasies are great because you don't have to follow the rules. She then expressed her desire to be signed by a record label within the year and perform at big venues. While Tatsuhiko was still busy taking pictures of the backgrounds, he reminded Nico that they should focus on today's tasks rather than future events. Nico responded by saying that Tatsuhiko was being too realistic and that things would work out as long as they set big goals for themselves. She added that since Tatsuhiko wanted to become an amazing animator one day, they should both dream big and aim for huge goals because it's more fun that way.

As Nico's words sank in, Tatsuhiko began to reflect on what he truly wanted to achieve. When he thought about his dream of becoming a talented animator, he couldn't help but wonder where this career path would take him. He even blurted out that he didn't really have a dream at all. Suddenly, a flashback from his younger self appeared in his mind - the time when his teacher asked him if he had a dream and he remained silent. The teacher then advised them to envision themselves 5-10 years into the future and write down their goals on paper because no dream can come true without imagination and hard work. The teacher emphasized that sometimes hard work is more important than talent, and they should start from there.

The two were currently at Tower Records, where Nico wanted to buy some newly released albums from her favorite bands. As they separated to browse different sections of the store, Tatsuhiko went to listen to some music and contemplate what he would do after their current project. He realized that there was no guarantee that they would work together again, so he began thinking about his own goals. He wondered when he had stopped dreaming big dreams and remembered how he had once wanted to become an astronaut when he was younger. Meanwhile, Nico was listening to her favorite band when she noticed a stand with the albums and posters of another artist nearby. The new album was called SMILE, but as she looked at the poster of the artist on display, she suddenly felt gloomy.

As they walked along the busy streets of Tokyo, Tatsuhiko suddenly brought up Nico's earlier words about having big dreams. He expressed his desire to figure out his own dreams because he didn't want to waste time just drawing without direction. Nico agreed with him but sounded sad as she added that sometimes it's important to be realistic.

While they were at the music shop, Nico had an idea about having their MVs play on the music they make so that listeners could hear it through their headphones. She initially dismissed the idea but then shifted into an energetic mode and suggested that they should aim big and take over the world by having their works plastered on all screens, big or small.

When Nico said that she wanted to be a top star and Tatsuhiko should be a movie director, he became flustered. He questioned himself if he could do it while remembering how his younger self had once dreamed of becoming a movie director when asked by their teacher. Despite feeling unsure, Tatsuhiko reminded himself that he used to decide whatever he wanted to do in the past so why couldn't he do it now?

As Tatsuhiko was lost in thought, Nico received a text message from Mahoroba Records offering her a record deal which left her surprised.

## Characters in Order of Appearance

* Nico Kashiwagi
* Tatsuhiko Hirayama