label dlc_story_1:
stop music
scene black 
$ renpy.pause(3, hard=True)
""
"{i}My name is Kanna Matsumoto."
"{i}I'm now in my second year of high school."
"{i}My hobbies are mostly reading books or playing games by myself."
"{i}I'm not really the most sociable person ever. Most of the time, I just enjoy my time alone."
"{i}But that doesn't mean that I feel sad because of it."
"{i}"
"{i}I live with my mom, and I don't have any siblings."
"{i}My dad left me and my mom when I was eight years old."
"{i}I still don't really understand why he did that. He was a good dad, I think, before he left us."
"{i}"
"{i}He just one day he was gone, and he never told me why."
"{i}As for my future plans after I graduate"
"{i}"
"{i}Maybe go to college? But I still don't know what major I should take. I'm not really good at anything special."
""
play music "dlc1/cigarette_2.mp3" 
scene kannaext1 
Sora "Uhhh... okay, first of all, let's hit the brakes here. That's not how you write an essay."
Sora "I'm sorry, Kanna, but you can't just trauma dump like that on the first paragraph. This is an application, not a therapy session."
Sora "The people who read your essay need to know who you are and what you're good at, not just the sad parts of your story."
scene kannaext2 with dissolve   
Kanna "This essay thing is really hard..."
Sora "No, I think you're one of the smartest students in our class. You're even smarter than me in a lot of ways."
scene kannaext3 with dissolve   
Kanna "But... my essay writing skills prove otherwise... If I was smart, this would be easy."
Sora "We all start somewhere, Kanna, and this is your start. Being smart and knowing how to sell how smart you are are two completely different things."
Sora "You just need a little help framing it, that's all. The raw material is already there."
scene kannaext4 with dissolve
Kanna "Okay... I'll just... I'll try it from the beginning again."
scene kannaext5 with dissolve
Sora "How about this? Let's brainstorm. Just put down any of your academic achievements. Or have you done any volunteer or social activities?"
Sora "Or maybe you've won any kind of competition before? A speech contest? An art prize? Anything."
scene kannaext6 with dissolve
Sora "If there's anything like that, you can just write it down. That's a great place to start."
scene kannaext7 with dissolve
Kanna "Isn't that just... bragging?"
Sora "That's the point of a personal essay. It's a space where you're allowed to brag a little."
scene kannaext8 with dissolve
Sora "But saying it's 'bragging' isn't really the right word for it. You're not showing off. You're providing evidence."
Sora "Think of it like a science report, but the subject is you."
Sora "Your achievements are your data."
Sora "Your experiences are your experiments."
scene kannaext9 with dissolve
Sora "You're just presenting the facts. And the facts, Kanna, are that you are impressive."
scene kannaext10 with dissolve
Kanna "..."
Kanna "Class President... you're really good at inspiring people. You always know the right thing to say."
scene kannaext11 with dissolve
Sora "Whaaat... no, not at all."
scene kannaext12 with dissolve
Sora "The only reason I seem good at complimenting you is because you're just genuinely that smart and cool. It's easy to state the facts."
"{i}She did it again... she just brushed off a compliment like it was nothing, and then threw one back at me."
scene kannaext13 with dissolve
Kanna "I can... maybe accept the 'smart' compliment, but... 'cool' isn't really a word for me."
scene kannaext14 with dissolve
Sora "What do you mean, Kanna? Of course you're cool. You have that quiet, cool energy. The kind that makes you seem mysterious and like you have a rich inner world."
Sora "And your taste in clothes is great."
scene kannaext15 with dissolve
Sora "To me, you look like Ryouko..."
scene kannaext16 with dissolve
Sora "but... you know... kind. And you don't insult someone's entire existence every thirty seconds."
scene kannaext17 with dissolve
Kanna "But... Ryouko is cool because she's not afraid of anything."
Kanna "I'm... just quiet."
scene kannaext18 with dissolve
Sora "You're mixing up 'cool' with 'loud', Kanna. They're not the same thing at all. You're the other side of the coin."
Sora "There's a quiet kind of cool, you know. The person who doesn't need to be the center of attention to have a presence."
scene kannaext19 with dissolve
Sora "Honestly? That's a way more powerful kind of cool."
Kanna "..."
scene kannaext20 with dissolve
Kanna "Really?" 
Kanna "But why do you want to talk to me?"
scene kannaext21 with dissolve
Sora "I mean, if I didn't want to talk to you, would I be sitting here helping you with your life's most difficult essay? Am I right?"
Kanna "Yeah... I guess so."
scene kannaext22 with dissolve
Sora "Okay! No more self-doubt. Let's get back to this essay. We need to find your 'thing'."
scene kannaext23 with dissolve
Sora "How about we start with something concrete..."
scene kannaext24 with dissolve
""
scene kannaext25 with dissolve
Sora "Have you ever won any kind of competition? A prize for an art piece? A perfect score on a regional exam? Anything like that you can just write it up."

Kanna "I... I've never won anything. I don't really join competitions."
scene kannaext26 with dissolve
Sora "Hmmm..."
"{i}"
"{i}"
scene kannaext27 with dissolve
Sora "Okay... so you don't have one... yet."
"{i}"
scene kannaext28 with dissolve
Sora "What if we just... make one?"
Sora "The school festival is coming up. And I heard that Hana is desperately looking for a partner for the two-person relay race." 
scene kannaext29 with dissolve
Kanna "W-what? The relay race? no. I can't. I'm not good at sports."
scene kannaext30 with dissolve
Sora "You don't have to win, Kanna. That's not the point."
Sora "The point is the experience. Can you imagine how good this would sound in your essay?"
scene kannaext31 with dissolve
Sora "'Despite facing personal anxieties, I challenged myself by participating in a team-based athletic competition, demonstrating perseverance and a commitment to teamwork.' See? It writes itself."
scene kannaext32 with dissolve
Sora "It's a perfect narrative."
scene kannaext33 with dissolve
Kanna "But—but I'd have to run... in front of everyone."
scene kannaext34 with dissolve
Sora "And you'd be writing about overcoming that exact fear. That's what these application essays are all about."
Sora "They don't want to see a list of things you were already good at."
Sora "They want to see what you did when you were scared. They want to see growth."
Sora "This isn't just about a race, Kanna. This is about your essay. About your future."
Sora "Just think of winning as a bonus. You don't have to put that pressure on yourself."
scene kannaext35 with dissolve
Kanna "..."
scene kannaext36 with dissolve
Kanna "Yeah... maybe I should think about it first."
scene kannaext37 with dissolve
Sora "Just talk to Hana if you're ready. I believe in you."
scene kannaext38 with dissolve
Sora "And speaking of opportunities... I think you should definitely volunteer to be an assistant for the class festival organizer."
Kanna "What? What is that?"
scene kannaext39 with dissolve
Sora "It's a student role. You basically help the teacher who's in charge of making sure the class activities for the festival are all in order. You help with schedules, check on booths... make sure no one does anything stupid."
Sora "It's a quiet, background role. You're not on stage. You're the one with the clipboard. It's perfect for you."
Kanna "Is... is Miss Eri going to be the organizer?"
scene kannaext40 with dissolve
Sora "I don't know yet. They haven't assigned it."
"{i}"
scene kannaext41 with dissolve
Sora "Maybe?"
Kanna "..."
scene kannaext42 with dissolve
Kanna "Can I maybe just... skip that one..? I think being recommended for a relay competition is already a big enough challenge for me..."
scene kannaext43 with vpunch
Sora "Think of the essay, Kanna!!! Think of the essay!"
scene kannaext44 with dissolve
Sora "This is a golden opportunity! You'd have two amazing experiences to write about! One about teamwork and athletics, and one about leadership and responsibility! You'd be unstoppable!"
scene kannaext45 with dissolve
"{i}..."
scene kannaext47 with dissolve
"{i}This is bad... This is really bad. I feel like I'm in over my head."

"{i}I have to compete in a race, running in front of so many people who will be watching me."
"{i}And now I also have to be an assistant to an organizer that I don't even know yet."
scene kannaext48 with dissolve
"{i}What if it's a scary teacher?"
"{i}What if I mess everything up?"
"{i}All of this is so scary. My chest feels tight just thinking about it."
scene kannaext49 with dissolve
"{i}I don't know if I can do it... I really don't."
scene kannaext50 with dissolve
"{i}But..."
""
scene kannaext51 with dissolve
"{i}Sora already has so much hope for me. She's looking at me with that smile... the one that says she has no doubt I can do it."
"{i}I can't just say no. Not to her. I don't want to disappoint her."
scene black with dissolve
"{i}She's already been so kind to me today. She's the only one who's ever tried to help me like this."
"{i}I have to at least try."
""
scene kannaext52 with dissolve
Kanna "So... Are you also going to write your own essay, Class President?"
scene kannaext53 ##with dissolve
Sora "Uh? Me?"
scene kannaext54 with dissolve
Sora "..."
scene kannaext55 with dissolve
Sora "I don't know... I don't think I really need to, to be honest."
Kanna "Oh... So what are you going to do after we graduate?"
scene kannaext56 with dissolve
Sora "Just continue my family's business, I guess... It's all laid out for me. A golden path, as they say. But it's not really my path."
Sora "I'm not really cut out for that kind of corporate life. All the meetings, the deadlines, the pressure to always be climbing higher..."
scene kannaext57 with dissolve
Sora "I just... you know. I think I'd prefer a simpler life."
scene kannaext58 with dissolve
Sora "Something quiet. Just doing chores, staying at home, maybe tending to a small garden... something like that."
Kanna "I understand."
scene kannaext59 with dissolve
"{i}"
scene kannaext60 with dissolve
Sora "That's a really old way of thinking, right? In this day and age, everyone's supposed to have ambition."
scene kannaext61 with dissolve
Kanna "I don't think so. Why is wanting to be happy considered old-fashioned?"
Kanna "I mean, you're allowed to choose how you want to live your life. And that way of living... it doesn't sound bad at all."
Kanna "I think it actually sounds... better."
Sora "Oh, really? Better than what?"
scene kannaext62 with dissolve
Kanna "Yeah... Better than being stressed all the time. Like... you're not bound to anything. You can be free. You can find your own happiness, I guess."
Kanna "To me, a life like that sounds really peaceful."
scene kannaext63 with dissolve
""
scene kannaext64 with dissolve
Sora "Hearing you say that is... a breath of fresh air, honestly."
scene kannaext65 with dissolve
Sora "Most people, when I mention it, just say a life like that is a 'waste of potential'."
Sora "They say I have so many opportunities, and I'd just be throwing them all away."
scene kannaext66 with dissolve
Kanna "..."
scene kannaext67 with vpunch
Kanna "Ah! I would never say something so mean to you!"
scene kannaext68 with dissolve
Sora "I know you wouldn't, Kanna..."
scene kannaext69 with dissolve
Sora "That's why I think you're the best."
scene kannaext70 with dissolve
"{i}"
scene kannaext71 with dissolve
Kanna "I... I don't hate being complimented, but... hearing it so much makes me really embarrassed."
scene kannaext72 with dissolve
Sora "Awhhh... but you're too cute! It's just impossible for me not to compliment you~ When you get all flustered like this, you look like a little kitten."
scene kannaext73 with vpunch
Kanna "Class President!! I'm not a kid! And I'm not a kitten!"
scene black with dissolve
stop music fadeout 5.0
""
""
"..."
".."
"."
$ renpy.pause(3, hard=True)


"{i}The last bell."
"{i}It gets so loud, so fast. Everyone is packing their bags and talking all at once."
"{i}I'll just... wait for a moment. It's better to wait until most of them have gone."
""
$ renpy.pause(3, hard=True)
scene kanna1 with dissolve
"{i}Okay... it's quiet now. That's better."
scene kanna2 with dissolve
"{i}Only Miss Eri is still here. She's just sitting at her desk."
"{i}She looks tired. I wonder if it's a hard job... being a teacher."
"{i}Standing in the front of the room like that."
scene kanna3 with dissolve
"{i}I don't like it when people look at me."
"{i}She has to talk for the whole class. And she's not just talking... she has to make sure everyone understands."
"{i}That must be... really difficult."
""
"{i}And she knows everyone's name. How does she do that?"
scene kanna4 with dissolve
"{i}I—I have trouble just saying 'hi' to someone new."
""
scene kanna3 with dissolve
"{i}..."
"{i}You must need a lot of energy for that. Mom has that kind of energy."
scene kanna5 with dissolve
""
"{i}..."
"{i}It's nice being in the classroom when it's empty."
"{i}It's quiet. I don't have to worry about what to say."
""
"{i}Okay. I should probably get going now."
"{i}Tamao said she would be waiting for me at the gate—"
scene kanna6 with vpunch
Eri "Uahhhhh~"
scene kanna7 with dissolve
Eri "So tired..."
Eri "My body feels really sore after all of this work... All these administrative papers are a real headache."
scene kanna8 with dissolve
Eri "I wonder if the students even read the feedback I write on their essays..."
Eri "..."
scene kanna9 with dissolve
Eri "Hmmm..."
""
""
scene kanna10 with dissolve
Eri "Maybe I should go to an onsen this weekend. Just to get away."
scene kanna11 with dissolve
Eri "A nice, quiet one... with an outdoor bath where you can see the stars..."
Eri "..."
scene kanna12 with dissolve
Eri "That would be a nice place to go with a partner..."
Eri "You could just relax in the water together... maybe share a bottle of milk afterwards..."
scene kanna13 with dissolve
Eri "It's... it's nice to have someone to share the quiet moments with."
""
""
scene kanna14 with vpunch
Eri "Ahhhhh!! I'm so lonely!!!" with vpunch
Eri "Uwaaaaahhhhh!!!" with vpunch
scene kanna15 with dissolve
"{i}She's crying? Oh no. Oh no, she's actually crying."
"{i}What am I supposed to do? I can't just sit here while she's crying, that's mean."
scene kanna16 
Eri "..."
Kanna "!"
"{i}Uh oh..."
"{i}She saw me."
scene kanna17 with vpunch
Eri "Kanna-chan...!"
Kanna "Ahhh!! S—Sensei?! I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to stay so late!" with vpunch
scene kanna18 with dissolve
Eri "No, no, that's not it! Kanna-chan... you just..."
scene kanna19 with dissolve
Eri "You remind me so much of how I used to be."
Eri "So quiet... you never talk unless someone talks to you first... and even then, it's just a few words." 
scene black with dissolve
Eri "Always wanting to go straight home instead of socializing with friends... just hiding in your own little world." 
scene kanna20 with fade
Kanna "..."
Kanna "Th-Thank you..?"
scene kanna21 with vpunch
Eri "BUT!"
Eri "But you can't keep being like this! You can't!" with vpunch
Kanna "Uhhh... c—can I ask why?"
scene kanna22 with vpunch
Eri "Don't you see it, Kanna-chan?! The loneliness! The way people start to look past you because you're too quiet?"
Eri "The way you miss out on everything because you're too afraid to take one little step forward?"
scene kanna23 with vpunch
Kanna "Uhh—ah! I—I don't know!! I'm sorry! Please don't be mad at me, Miss Eri!"
Eri "..."
scene kanna24 with dissolve
Eri "Hah..."
Eri "Oh, no, no, sweetie, I'm not mad at you. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to raise my voice."
Eri "It's just..."
""
scene kanna25 with dissolve
Eri "A life like that... being so afraid to be seen... it will ruin you in the future."
Eri "It almost ruined me." 
scene kanna26 with dissolve
Eri "I've felt it myself, Kanna-chan... The world isn't kind to quiet people."
Kanna "..."
Kanna "But... I don't understand?"
scene kanna27 with dissolve
Eri "Huh?"
Kanna "I mean... you're really different from me, Sensei."
Kanna "You can speak in front of the whole class... you're not afraid. You're so warm, and everyone feels comfortable around you."
scene kanna28 with dissolve
Eri "Oh... Kanna-chan... the Eri you see now is not the Eri I was back then."
Eri "This person... this teacher... is someone I had to build. Piece by piece."
Eri "Being an adult, being a teacher... it was the reason I had to change. I had to force myself to be this way."
Eri "There was just... no other option."
Kanna "..."
scene kanna29 with dissolve
Kanna "But... why?"
scene kanna30 with dissolve
Eri "..."
Eri "..."
Eri "..."
scene kanna31 ##with dissolve
Eri "That's just life, I guess..."
Eri "..."
scene kanna32 with dissolve
Eri "Besides, being like that... so quiet and in your own world... it really makes it hard to find a partner."
Kanna "A—ahh!! Miss Eri!!" with vpunch
Kanna "S-Something l—like that isn't what I'm worried about at all! Not right now!"
scene kanna33 with dissolve
Eri "Tell me, Kanna-chan, I used to say that too. Exactly like that."
Kanna "Ehh..?"
scene kanna34 with dissolve
Eri "I would tell myself, 'What's the point of getting married? It's just a waste of money and time.' I thought it was more important to focus on my career, to be independent."
Eri "And I was scared... What if the man I chose isn't the right one? What if he seems nice at first, but then he leaves me? Or worse... what if he changes into someone I don't recognize?"
scene kanna35 with dissolve
Eri "..."
Eri "The idea of being pregnant was also very scary for me back then. The responsibility felt... too big."
scene kanna36 with dissolve
Kanna "This c—conversation is really embarrassing..."
"{i}Why is she telling me all of this? I don't know what to say..."
scene kanna37 with dissolve
Eri "Oh, don't look at me like that. That's also going to be you one day, you know. You'll blink, and suddenly you're thinking about these things."
Kanna "I—I don't even want to imagine that..."
Kanna "Also, my body is... it's too small... I don't think I could handle being pregnant..."
scene kanna38 with dissolve
Eri "Ehhh... I didn't mean you have to rush to get married or anything like that! Goodness, no!"
scene kanna39 with dissolve
Eri "You still have so much time for growing. You'll get taller, and bigger... your body will change."
Eri "You have plenty of time."
Kanna "..."
scene kanna40 with dissolve
Eri "Right..?"
Kanna "Yeah... maybe?"
scene kanna41 with dissolve
Eri "..."
scene kanna40 with dissolve
Eri "Just... don't wait for too long."
Kanna "..."
Eri "You might end up like me... alone in an empty classroom, talking to yourself."
scene kanna42 with dissolve
Eri "Haha... ha..."
"{i}..."
"{i}Miss Eri is right..."
"{i}But... to me, it's all still a scary concept. It feels so far."
scene kanna43 with dissolve
Eri "Don't get me wrong! It doesn't mean that if you're in your 30s you suddenly become unattractive or that it's too late!"
Eri "I mean, look at me, Kanna-chan. I'm... I'm not so bad, am I?"
Kanna "..."
Kanna "Yeah..?"
scene kanna44 with dissolve
Eri "Ughhh..."
##Eri "That's not what I was trying to say!"
Eri "I sound so pathetic right now, don't I?"
scene kanna45 with dissolve
Eri "The point is that..."
Eri "Uhhhh..."
Kanna "..."
scene kanna46 with dissolve
Eri "Just... let's put it this way... The older you get, the more problems and responsibilities you'll have. School, then university, then work... it all piles up."
Eri "And all those things... they make it so you don't have the time to enjoy life, or worse, you forget how to feel love."
Eri "You simply don't have the time for it anymore. That's why we need to have that balance in life. Before it's too late."
Kanna "..."
"{i}Balance... I've never even thought about that."
Kanna "I understand..."
""
scene kanna47 with dissolve
Eri "Of course! I have to try my best, too. If I just tell you to do all these things and don't try myself, that would just make me a hypocrite, wouldn't it?"
Eri "I can't be a teacher who just says things without meaning them."
""
scene kanna48 with dissolve
Eri "AH!"
Eri "How about this! Let's make a promise, Kanna-chan!"
Eri "Let's promise that we'll both try our best to become the best version of ourselves, no matter how long it takes!"
scene kanna49 with dissolve
Eri "It won't be easy, and maybe it will be scary, but we'll keep trying. And one day... one day, far in the future, if we happen to meet again, you'll have to show me what Kanna-chan can really do by herself!"
scene kanna50 with dissolve
Eri "You have to prove it to me that you can do it! That you found your own kind of happiness! Promise me!"
scene kanna51 with dissolve
Kanna "..."
Eri "E—eh?! Why are you crying?! Did I say something wrong? I'm so sorry!" with vpunch
scene kanna52 with vpunch
Kanna "I—I'm s—sorry, Miss Eri..."
Kanna "I—I just—when you said 'if we meet again'... it—it really made me—" with vpunch
scene kanna53 with vpunch
Kanna "I don't want to leave you!!! I don't want you to leave either!"
scene kanna54 with vpunch

Eri "Ehhh... ah... please stop crying, Kanna-chan... It's okay, I'm not leaving..."
scene kanna55 with dissolve
Eri "If you cry like that... it makes me get sad, too..."
Eri "And I really don't want to ruin my mascara... I just bought this one and it's supposed to be waterproof, but I don't want to test that right now..."
Kanna "I—I'm s-sorry... I'm making you sad..."
Eri "..."
scene kanna56 with fade
Eri "No... no, you don't have to apologize..."
Eri "I was being too intense, wasn't I? I'm sorry for surprising you like that."
Kanna "..."
Kanna "Thank you, Miss Eri." 
##Eri "..."
scene kanna57 with dissolve
Eri "Hmmm~" 
scene black with dissolve
Eri "You're welcome, sweet heart. There's no need to thank me." 
Eri "I'm the one who should be sorry for getting so emotional all of a sudden."
Eri "I must have scared you."
$ renpy.pause(3, hard=True)
scene kanna58 with dissolve
Eri "anyway, you should really go home now." 
Eri "It's already getting so late. Look, the sun has almost completely set." 
Kanna "But—I can stay a little longer if you need help with anything..." 
scene kanna59 with dissolve
Eri "No, no, absolutely not. Your mom might be worried if you come home too late! As your teacher, I can't let that happen." 
Kanna "..."
Kanna "Okay..." 
scene kanna60 with dissolve
Eri "And don't forget to always tell your parents where you are, okay~? A quick text message is all it takes." 
Kanna "Miss Eri!! I'm not a kid anymore!" with vpunch
scene kanna61 with dissolve
Eri "I'm sorry, I'm sorry~ It's just a habit."
Eri "I was just messing with you~"
Kanna "Errmmm..."
scene kanna62 with dissolve
Eri "But seriously though, you have to keep yourself safe. The world can be a scary place."
Eri "You're a good kid, Kanna-chan. You deserve to be safe."
""
scene kanna63 with dissolve
Eri "Now go on, shoo."
Eri "I still have some work to do. I have to prepare for an interview with the new teacher tomorrow." 
scene kanna64 with dissolve
Kanna "There's a new teacher coming?" 
Eri "Yup."
scene kanna65 with dissolve
Kanna "Oh..."
scene kanna66 with dissolve
Kanna "Uhhh... is it... is it a male teacher, or a woman?"
Eri "Oho~? And why would you be asking that, Kanna-chan? Getting curious?"
scene kanna67 with vpunch
Kanna "Uh! Ah! It's n—not like that! I—I was just— I didn't know what else to ask!!"
Eri "Haha, I'm just teasing you again, Kanna-chan. I know you didn't mean anything by it."
Eri "Your reaction was just too cute."
scene kanna68 with dissolve
Kanna "Hmmmmm... Miss Eri..."
Eri "Hihi~"
scene black with dissolve
Eri "Now, now, Kanna-chan. That would be a spoiler, wouldn't it?"
Eri "You'll all meet them next Monday anyway." 
Eri "So... no spoilers about who they are or what they're like."
Eri "You'll just have to wait and see for yourself."
"{i}..."
"{i}I leave the classroom with Miss Eri."
"{i}She went the other way, towards the staff room, and I head downstairs."
scene kanna69 with dissolve
"{i}..."
"{i}I... I don't know what it is, but I feel like I'm forgetting something important."
"{i}Not something in my bag... but something I was supposed to think about."
"{i}..."
"{i}.."
"{i}."
scene kanna70 with dissolve
"{i}I still can't grasp the idea of me getting married... or even just... having a partner."
"{i}It's just scary, I guess..?"
"{i}Having someone that close to you... all the time."
"{i}Relying on them."
"{i}Having them rely on me..."
"{i}It seems like so much work. So much talking."
"{i}..."
scene kanna71 with dissolve
Kanna "Hah..."
"{i}What am I even thinking about?"
"{i}It's not like that's a problem I'll ever have to worry about."
"{i}It's not like I'm attractive to begin with..."
"{i}I don't think boys like girls who are as short as I am... or as quiet."
"{i}They probably want someone who is fun and easy to talk to. Someone like Tamao."
"{i}..."
scene kanna72 with dissolve
"{i}Maybe if I looked like someone as attractive as... maybe... Isumi?"
"{i}Hm..."
"{i}Well, she is tall... and she has beautiful long hair... and she always looks so cool and confident, like nothing in the world can scare her."
"{i}A—and she has a..."
scene kanna73 with dissolve
"{i}Uhm..."
"{i}A nice... curve... to her body. She looks like an adult already."
"{i}..."
scene kanna74 with dissolve
"{i}I—I don't think mine will even grow any bigger than this... I'm probably done growing."
"{i}I'll just be... small. Forever."
"{i}..."
scene kanna75 with dissolve
"{i}Hah..."
"{i}Maybe I just have to accept it."
"{i}Some people are born to be seen. And some people... aren't."
scene black with dissolve
"{i}And that's okay. It's okay to be the person in the background."
"{i}It's... safer there, anyway."
$ renpy.pause(3, hard=True)
scene kanna76 ##with dissolve
"{i}Oh... It's Yuka."
"{i}She's just standing there by the shoe lockers."
"{i}She's on her phone. Maybe she's waiting for someone."
scene kanna77 with dissolve
"{i}..."
"{i}Should I... say hello to her..?"
scene kanna78 with dissolve
"{i}No, no, that's a bad idea. What would I even say? 'Hello, Yuka'? My voice would probably come out all shaky and quiet."
"{i}She might not even hear me. And then I'd just be standing there, having whispered to myself. That would be so weird."
"{i}But... it's also weird to just stand here and watch her."
scene kanna79 with dissolve
"{i}Okay, what if I just smile and wave?"
"{i}A little wave. That's not too scary."
scene kanna80 with dissolve
"{i}But she's looking at her phone. She probably won't even see me."
"{i}Then I'll be the girl who was waving at nothing. Everyone will see. That's even more embarrassing than talking."
scene kanna81 with dissolve
"{i}What if she does see me, but she's in the middle of an important text? Then I'd be interrupting her. She would probably be annoyed."
"{i}..."
"{i}Maybe I should just walk past. Pretend I didn't see her."
"{i}Yes, that's the safest option. Just look at the floor and walk really fast."
"{i}But... what if she looks up right as I'm passing? And she sees me ignoring her?"
"{i}She'll think I'm a rude person. She'll tell Tamao, and then Tamao will think I'm rude, and then they'll both hate me."
"{i}..."
scene kanna82 with dissolve
"{i}Hah... why is this so hard?"
scene kanna83 with dissolve
"{i}It's just saying 'hello'. Everyone else does it so easily."
"{i}She's still on her phone. She's smiling a little. Maybe she's texting someone she likes."
"{i}Okay, definitely can't interrupt her now."
"{i}Will she even notice I'm here?"
"{i}I hope she doesn't notice."
"{i}No, wait, I hope she does notice, so this will be less weird..."
"{i}I don't know what I want."
scene kanna84 with dissolve
""
scene kanna85 with dissolve
""
scene kanna86 with dissolve
Yuka "..."
Kanna "H-Hello, Yu—"
scene kanna87 with vpunch
Kanna "!!!"
"{i}My voice got stuck. I'm so nervous that I accidentally swallowed my own spit."
scene kanna88 with vpunch
"{i}This is so embarrassing. That was my one chance and I ruined it. I'll just go. If I leave now, maybe she didn't hear that weird noise I just made."
""
scene kanna89 with dissolve
Yuka "Oh, Hey!"
"{i}She... she heard me? She's saying hi back?"
"{i}Okay, what do I do now? Do I wave? Do I say hi again?"
scene kanna90 with dissolve
Kanna "..."
scene kanna91 with dissolve
"{i}Oh. She's... she's not talking to me. She's talking to the person on the phone."
"{i}Of course she is. Why would she be talking to me?"
scene black with dissolve
"{i}I'm so stupid. So, so stupid."
$ renpy.pause(4, hard=True)
"{i}..."
"{i}.."
"{i}."
scene kanna92 with dissolve
"{i}Today was really exhausting..."
"{i}It's nice to just sit here on the bench for a minute. Just... quiet."
scene kanna93 with dissolve 
Tamao "..."
"{i}Tamao is being quiet too. That's... rare."
"{i}Usually she's already talking about some new snack she wants to try or a funny video she saw."
scene kanna94 with dissolve 
Tamao "Kanna—chan..."
Kanna "Hmm..?"
Tamao "Did you see it..?"
scene kanna95 with dissolve 
Kanna "Huh..?"
Kanna "See what?"
scene kanna96 with dissolve 
Tamao "Right over there... by that flickering lamp post. The tall—"
Tamao "..."
scene kanna97 with dissolve
Tamao "No, it's... it's probably nothing. Never mind..."
Kanna "..."
"{i}Her voice was strange just now. She never stops mid-sentence like that."
"{i}What did she see? I didn't see anything but the lamp post."
Kanna "Tamao..."
Kanna "Can I... can I sit closer to you..?"
scene kanna98 with dissolve
Tamao "Huh..?"
scene kanna99 with dissolve
Tamao "Oh... yeah, of course. You don't ever need to ask, you know."
scene black with dissolve
Tamao "Come here. Are you cold?"
"{i}I scoot closer, until our shoulders are touching. She feels warm."
"{i}It makes me feel a little safer."
scene kanna100 with dissolve
Tamao "..."
Kanna "..."
scene kanna101 with dissolve
Kanna "I... I talked to Miss Eri earlier."
scene kanna102 with dissolve
Tamao "Oh..? What did you talk with her about?"
scene kanna103 with dissolve
Kanna "Just... she was giving me some advice about the future... It was nothing interesting, really."
Kanna "But..."
Tamao "But?"
scene kanna104 with dissolve
Kanna "She also said that... there's going to be a new teacher starting at our school."
Tamao "Really? A new teacher? For which class? When do they start?"
Tamao "Did you see what they look like? Are they old? Young? Do they look strict?"
Kanna "No, I haven't met them yet. Miss Eri just said they're starting soon."
scene kanna105 with dissolve
Tamao "Ahhh... I really hope it's not another woman teacher."
Kanna "..."
Kanna "Uhh... what's wrong with a woman teacher? All of our teachers are nice."
scene kanna106 with vpunch
Tamao "Nothing is wrong with them!"
Tamao "It's just... it's starting to get a little boring seeing girls and women all the time. School, on the train, everywhere!"
scene kanna107 with vpunch
Tamao "It's like living in an aviary with only one type of bird. I want to see a peacock! Or a penguin! Something different!"
scene kanna108 with dissolve
""
scene kanna109 with dissolve
Kanna "Tamao... Are you..?"
scene kanna110 with vpunch
Tamao "Eh! No, no, it's not like that! Don't look at me like that!"
scene kanna111 with dissolve
Tamao "I just mean it would be better for the school if we had more diverse teachers, you know?"
Kanna "..."
scene kanna112 with dissolve
Kanna "You're... kind of right, I guess..."
scene kanna113 with dissolve
Tamao "Hmm~ Hmm~ Finally, someone I can relate to! See? You get it."
scene kanna114 with dissolve
Kanna "But we do have a guy teacher, right? I think so."
Tamao "Uhhh... oh, you mean the tenth-grade teacher. Mr... Mr. what's-his-name?"
Tamao "I see him so rarely I always forget he exists."
scene kanna115 with dissolve
Kanna "Yeah... I think I only saw him one time. In the hallway, near the start of the year."
Kanna "He looked really tired..."
Kanna "And then I've never seen him after that."
Kanna " Ever."
Tamao "I think he might have retired? Or maybe..?"
scene kanna116 with dissolve
Kanna "He's around Miss Eri's age from his looks, so... I kind of doubt he retired."
Kanna "Maybe he just... doesn't like being seen."
scene kanna117 with dissolve
Tamao "Well, whatever his deal is, he doesn't count."
Tamao "We need someone new! Someone interesting!"
Tamao "Let's hope this new teacher is at least a little bit cool."
Kanna "..."
scene black with dissolve
Kanna "Yeah... I guess you're right."
""
""
""
scene kanna118 with dissolve
Tamao "Anyway, see you tomorrow, Kanna!"
Kanna "You're leaving already?"
scene kanna119 with dissolve
Tamao "Yup! I'm starting to feel hungry, and I can't function with an empty stomach. My brain starts making weird buzzing noises and I might accidentally start chewing on my own arm."
scene kanna120 with dissolve
Tamao "It's a serious medical condition!"
Kanna "Ah..."
Kanna "..."
Kanna "But... tomorrow is Saturday, Tamao..."
scene kanna121 with dissolve
Tamao "So, what? It doesn't mean I won't see you tomorrow. In fact, it means I have the entire day to plan our adventure!"
Kanna "..."
Kanna "Tamao, wherever you're planning on dragging me tomorrow, I'm not going to—"
scene kanna122 with vpunch
Tamao "Ciao~! I'll text you in the morning! Be ready by ten!"
scene kanna123 with vpunch
Kanna "H—hey!! Wait! I didn't agree to anything!"
scene kanna124 with dissolve
"{i}...and she's gone."
scene black with dissolve
""
$ renpy.pause(4, hard=True)
scene kanna125 with dissolve
Kanna "..."
"{i}It's getting dark... I should hurry. Mom will be worried if I'm not home soon."
scene kanna126 with dissolve
""
anon "Hey, kid. Hold on a second."
scene kanna127 with dissolve
Kanna "Huh..?"
scene kanna128 with dissolve
"{i}Who... who are they?"
"{i}I've never seen them before. They don't look like they're from around here."
scene kanna129 with dissolve
anon "I'm going to show you a photo. Tell me if you've seen this person in the area. It's important."
Kanna "..."
Kanna "Uh... Isumi?"
scene kanna130 with dissolve
anon "Wha—what?? Why does everyone in this town keep calling me Isumi? It's the second time today! Who is she?"
anon2 "Oh, relax.  It only happened this morning with that weird blondish girl, and now this one."
scene kanna131 with dissolve
anon2 "It's probably just a coincidence."
anon2 "..."
scene kanna132 with dissolve
anon2 "Her hair was more like the color of sand, not blonde..."
anon2 "What's the name for the color of sand again? Beige? Khaki?"
anon2 "Is beige a color people actually use to describe things?"
anon "..."
anon "Didn't I tell you to wait in the car?"
scene kanna133 with dissolve
anon2 "You're not my mom. I'm not going to get cramps from sitting in that tiny car for another hour just because you're on a power trip."
Kanna "..."
"{i}These people are scary... They're arguing. And they're loud. I should probably just go."
scene kanna134 with vpunch
anon2 "Hey, kid! Listen to me! What did you say the name was? Beige?"
Kanna "UWahh!!" with vpunch
scene kanna135 with vpunch
anon "Idiot! Stop scaring her! You're yelling right in her face!"
scene kanna136 with vpunch
anon2 "Ow! You don't have to smack the back of my head! I'm still your senior, you know!"
anon "You're only my senior by two months, you jackass! And that doesn't give you a free pass to be completely useless whenever we're out of the city!"
scene kanna137 with vpunch
anon2 "Ohhh, are we really going to do this again?! Right here? You want to air our dirty laundry in front of the local schoolgirl?"
anon2 "You should start being nicer to me before I write up a full performance review and send it straight to the director!"
scene kanna138 with vpunch
anon "You dare?!"
anon "Go ahead! Do it! I'll write my own review about your chronic laziness and how you treat every single trip like it's your personal vacation!"
anon2 "Did you honestly think I'd be scared of a little paperwork—"
scene kanna139 with dissolve
anon2 "..."
anon "What? Why did you stop? Run out of insults?"
anon2 "The kid... she's gone."
scene kanna140 with dissolve
anon "Uhhhgggg... Look what you did! You scared off the first person who's actually given us a lead all day!"
anon "She was probably our best chance and you made her run for her life because you couldn't keep your mouth shut for five minutes!"
anon2 "Me?! You're the one who started getting physical! She probably thought we were just some weird tourists having a fight!"
scene kanna141 with dissolve
anon "I swear, next time you ignore a direct order, I'm leaving you behind."
anon2 "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say. Now, are we going to find some udon or are we going to stand here and keep pretending this day wasn't a total waste of time?"
scene black with dissolve
$ renpy.pause(4, hard=True)
"{i}Ughh..."
"{i}That was really scary."
"{i}My heart is still beating so fast. I feel like I can't breathe properly."
scene kanna142 with dissolve
"{i}..."
"{i}Now I have to walk all the way home."
"{i}For some reason, the bus is late today. It's never this late."
"{i}It's strange... everything feels a little strange today."
"{i}If the bus hadn't been late, I would have been gone by now."
"{i}I wouldn't have been standing at that corner at that exact moment."
"{i}And I might not have had to talk with those people."
scene kanna143 with dissolve
"{i}Why did they have to talk to me?"
"{i}Who are they, anyway..?"
"{i}I've never seen them around here before. They didn't look like they were from this town."
"{i}The woman... the way she stared at me was... really scary."
"{i}And the man was so loud. He got so close when he yelled... I thought he was going to hit me."
"{i}Why were they arguing like that? In front of a stranger. In front of me."
"{i}And I just... ran away. That was so cowardly."
"{i}But I was so scared. I didn't know what else to do."
"{i}Why did I even say 'Isumi'? That was so stupid."
""
""
""
"{i}What if they are dangerous people? They weren't police, but they were looking for someone so urgently."
"{i}Should I tell anyone? Should I tell Mom?"
"{i}No... she'd just worry. She'd probably tell me not to walk home alone anymore."
"{i}Wait... the man, he said something about a girl. 'That weird blondish girl from this morning...'"
"{i}What if the girl they were talking about is... Tamao?"
"{i}Is... is that why she's been acting so weird? All quiet and distant when we're alone?"
"{i}Is that what she saw by the lamp post? Was it them? Is she in some kind of trouble? Are they looking for her?"
"{i}..."
"{i}..."
"{i}..."
"{i}What am I thinking. I'm getting carried away."
"{i}There's no way that's the reason. Tamao hair isn't even blonde. And she would have told me if she was in trouble."
"{i}Right?"
"{i}She tells me everything."
""
""
"{i}I should stop imagining wild things in my head. It's just a coincidence."
"{i}They were probably just some weird tourists, and Tamao-chan is just... being moody."
"{i}That's all it is."
scene black with dissolve
"{i}I just want to get home. I just want to be in my room where it's quiet."
"{i}I hope I never see them again."
$ renpy.pause(3, hard=True)
scene kanna144 ##with dissolve
""
play sound "soundeffect/main-door-opening.mp3"
scene kanna145 with dissolve
""
scene kanna146 with dissolve
Kanna "I'm home."
scene kanna147 with dissolve
Kanna "..."
"{i}The only answer is the click of the door closing behind me."
"{i}So... Mom's not home yet."
"{i}Her shoes aren't by the entrance."
"{i}..."
scene kanna148 with dissolve
"{i}This place feels really empty without her. And so... quiet."
"{i}When she's here, there's always some kind of noise. The TV is on, or she's humming while she cooks, or I can just hear her moving around in the other room."
"{i}It's a nice kind of noise."
scene kanna149 with dissolve
"{i}But right now... there's nothing."
"{i}She's been home late for the past few days."
"{i}She said work has just been really busy lately... but she's been saying that for a few days now."
"{i}I hope she's not working too hard. She always tells me to rest, but she never seems to rest herself."
"{i}..."
##scene kanna150 with dissolve
"{i}Maybe I should text her... No, I shouldn't bother her if she's busy. She'll be home soon."
"{i}She'll be home soon."
"{i}Okay. I should just take a shower."
"{i}I need to wash today off. The whole day felt... strange."
"{i}Those scary people... and Tamao-chan acting so weird by the lamp post..."
scene black with dissolve
"{i}Yeah. A warm shower sounds good right now. It will help me stop thinking so much."
$ renpy.pause(2, hard=True)
""
scene kanna151 with dissolve
""
$ renpy.pause(2, hard=True)
scene kanna152 with fade
""
$ renpy.pause(2, hard=True)
""
scene kanna153 with fade
""
$ renpy.pause(2, hard=True)
scene kanna154 with fade
""
""
scene kanna155 with dissolve
""
""

scene black with dissolve
""
""
""
scene kanna156 with dissolve
"{i}..."
"{i}Tomorrow is the weekend."
"{i}Two whole days. And I don't know what I should do."
"{i}Usually, I just watch movies or play that old RPG I've replayed a dozen times... It's comfortable."
scene kanna157 with dissolve
"{i}..."
"{i}But watching a romantic movie right now... feels like a bad idea."
"{i}I'd just keep thinking about what Miss Eri said... about partners... and being alone."
"{i}I don't want to think about that right now."
scene kanna158 with dissolve
"{i}Ugghhh..."
scene kanna159 with dissolve
"{i}Come to think about it... my lifestyle really is lonely, isn't it?"
"{i}No one to text on a Friday night. No plans to go out."
"{i}Just me, in my room."
"{i}From the outside, it probably looks... sad."
scene kanna160 with dissolve
"{i}But..."
"{i}I... I don't feel like this is a problem."
"{i}I've been like this my entire life. Even when I was a little kid."
"{i}And I've never felt that this way of life really bothered me. It's... peaceful."
"{i}I like being alone. It's safe. No one is looking at you. You don't have to worry about what to say."
scene kanna161 with dissolve
"{i}..."
"{i}Maybe... maybe Miss Eri is wrong."
"{i}Maybe she doesn't understand."
"{i}What does she mean, the world isn't for quiet people..?"
"{i}Does that mean being quiet is... a mistake? A problem that needs to be fixed?"
"{i}But it doesn't feel like a mistake to me. It just feels... like me."
"{i}Is it really so bad to just... want to be left alone?"
scene kanna162 with dissolve
"{i}"
""
""
scene kanna163 ##with dissolve
"{i}Ah... I've been overthinking so much that I completely forgot to actually watch the movie."
"{i}I think I just missed a whole scene. I have no idea what's happening now."
scene kanna164 with dissolve
"{i}..."
"{i}.."
"{i}."
scene kanna165 with dissolve
"{i}Partner..?"
"{i}Like... a boyfriend?"
scene kanna166 with dissolve
"{i}That's what Miss Eri was talking about. What this movie is about. What everyone seems to think about."
"{i}In this movie, being in love looks like something magical. Like it's the answer to everything."
"{i}The main characters, they have a goal. An intention. To be together. And they fight for it."
"{i}They have obstacles, sure—misunderstandings, disapproving parents, bad timing—but they always overcome them. They chase that perfect, happy ending."
"{i}The 'true love' ending."
"{i}..."
"{i}I don't think that's something I can expect from a real life relationship. That's not how it works."
"{i}In the movie, he knows exactly what to say to make her smile. In real life? I'd probably just stand there in  silence until he walked away."
"{i}In the movie, she's brave and confesses her feelings under the stars. In real life? I can't even say 'hello' to Yuka without my voice getting stuck in my throat."
"{i}I think... I think real life is more about confusion, and drama, and disagreements most of the time. It's not a beautiful story."
"{i}It's just... messy."
"{i}..."
scene kanna167 with dissolve
"{i}Okay. I should probably stop thinking about all of this."
"{i}It's pointless. It's just a movie. And I'm just... me."
"{i}There's no point in comparing. It only makes my head hurt."
scene black with dissolve
"{i}I'm just going to sleep, I guess. It's easier than thinking."
"{i}Yeah. Sleep sounds good."
""
""
""
Kanna "Huh..? Hah?"
scene kanna168 with dissolve
"{i}The sound of my phone ringing woke me up. It feels like it's vibrating through my skull."
"{i}Who would be calling this early, anyway? It's Saturday..."
scene kanna169 with dissolve
Kanna "Helwo?"
"..."
play music "seng/Reward_Myself.mp3"
scene kanna170 with vpunch
Tamao "KANNA—CHAN!!!"
scene kanna171 with dissolve
Kanna "Ow... my ear. Tamao-chan, you're so loud..."
Tamao "GOOD MORNING!!! THE SUN IS SHINING, THE BIRDS ARE SINGING, AND ADVENTURE IS CALLING! ARE YOU READY TO GO?!" with vpunch
scene kanna172 with dissolve
Kanna "Huh..? Go where? I was sleeping."
Tamao "..."
Tamao "Don't tell me. Are you telling me you forgot?"
Kanna "Uhh... I don't know what I'm supposed to have forgotten. Can you remind me?"
Tamao "Kanna-chan, we're going on an adventure today! I told you yesterday I had plans for us. This is the day!"
scene kanna173 with dissolve
Kanna "..."
scene kanna174 with dissolve
Kanna "Tamao... I'm sorry, but I think I'm kind of sick today. My head hurts a little."
Tamao "Nonsense! That's not sick, that's just a symptom of 'not-enough-fun-itis'. And I have the cure!" with vpunch
Tamao "We're going to a place that will make you completely forget you're 'sick', trust me!"
Tamao "This is doctor's orders. Dr. Tamao's orders!"
scene kanna175 with dissolve
Kanna "No—no, really, you don't have to— I should probably just rest here."
Tamao "I'm already on my way. I'll be at your front door in 20 minutes, so you should probably get ready!"
scene kanna176 with vpunch
Kanna "Wha— why so early?! Tamao, it's eight o'clock in the morning. On a Saturday!"
Tamao "There's a saying, Kanna-chan! The early bird gets the worm!"
scene kanna177 with dissolve
Kanna "But I'm not a bird... and I don't want a worm..."
Tamao "It's a metaphor for awesome limited-edition pastries at a cafe that sells out by 10 AM! You want the worm now, don't you?"
Tamao "Just get ready, okay! Wear comfortable shoes!"
scene kanna178 with dissolve
Kanna "Wait— Tamao, I'm really not feeling up to it—"
scene kanna179 with dissolve
""
scene kanna180 with dissolve
"{i}She hung up."
"{i}She just... hung up on me."
scene kanna181 with dissolve
"{i}Ughhh..."
"{i}This is the worst. My quiet, peaceful weekend... it's already over before it even began."
"{i}I just wanted to sleep. And maybe finish my book. But now I have to go chase a... pastry worm."
"{i}It's impossible to say no to her."
scene black with dissolve
"{i}..."
"{i}I should take a bath first."
stop music fadeout 5.0
""
""
scene kanna182 with dissolve
"{i}..."
"{i}She could be here at any moment now."
"{i}..."
scene kanna183 with dissolve
"{i}Hah..."
"{i}Tamao can be really pushy sometimes."
"{i}She decides we're going on an 'adventure', and that's it. The world has to bend to her schedule."
scene kanna184 with dissolve
"{i}My quiet Saturday... it never stood a chance."
"{i}A part of me just wants to lock the door and hide under my blankets until she gives up and goes away."
"{i}But I can't push her away every time."
scene kanna185 with dissolve
"{i}She's still my friend."
"{i}My best friend."
"{i}She's the only one who doesn't seem to mind that I'm quiet."
"{i}She just talks enough for the both of us."
"{i}She's still important to me. More important than a quiet weekend."
scene black with dissolve
"{i}I want to protect her..."
""
"{i}Protect her from what?"
"{i}I don't even know. It's just... a feeling I get."
"{i}She's so bright and energetic, she just runs straight ahead into everything without looking."
"{i}..."
"{i}.."
"{i}."
"{i}This is getting me nowhere. Hiding in my room won't help anything."
"{i}Maybe... maybe I should just wait outside for her."
"{i}It's better than waiting in here, where every second feels like an hour. At least outside, I can see her coming."
"{i}Yeah. That's what I'll do. Meet the storm head-on."
""
play sound "soundeffect/main-door-opening.mp3"
""
scene kanna186 ##with dissolve
"{i}..."
"{i}Uhh..."
play music "dlc1/Sunset_road.mp3"
scene kanna187 with vpunch
Tamao "WAH!! I didn't even knock yet! How did you know we were already here?!"
scene kanna188 with dissolve
Tamao "Wait... don't tell me... you can predict the future, can't you?! You're psychic!"
Kanna "I-I don't predict the future... it was just a coincidence."
Tamao "That's exactly what a person who could predict the future would say..."

Kanna "..."
scene kanna189 with dissolve
Hana "Hey, Kanna. I hope you don't mind that I came along without telling you first."
Hana "Tamao just kind of... dragged me here."
Kanna "Uh... yeah, of course, I don't mind at all. It's nice to see you, Hana."
scene kanna190 with dissolve
Tamao "Huh? Hah? What? Why are you suddenly talking like that?"
Tamao "Since when did you become the cool, calm, and collected tomboy type? You're usually way louder than me."
Hana "Unlike you, I'm capable of controlling myself."
scene kanna191 with dissolve
Hana "...Sometimes."
Tamao "Control yourself..? What are you even talking about?"
Tamao "I don't think Kanna would explode if you talk too loud."
Tamao "She's used to me, and I'm basically a walking megaphone."
scene kanna192 with dissolve
Tamao "Right, Kanna-chan?"
Kanna "It's okay, Hana. You can be yourself. Like you are in school."
scene kanna193 with dissolve
Hana "No, no, I just... I'm trying to learn to be... more calm."
scene kanna194 with dissolve
Hana "Haha..."
Kanna "..."
Tamao "..."
Tamao "Okay, I'm not following. What's your end goal here, exactly?"
scene kanna195 with dissolve
Hana "You wouldn't understand."
Tamao "..."
scene kanna196 with dissolve
Tamao "Okay! You know what? Fine. Be mysterious."
scene kanna197 with dissolve
Tamao "Let's just forget about all of this weirdness and go! The day is wasting away!"
Kanna "W-what? You mean... go out? Like, right now?"
scene kanna198 with vpunch
Tamao "Yes! Right now! Immediately! And you should get ready as fast as possible! Time is our enemy!"
Kanna "Ehhh... but..."
scene kanna199 with dissolve
Tamao "What..? Are you still feeling sick? Is it your head? Your stomach?"
scene kanna200 with dissolve
Tamao "It's fine, I can carry you on my back if I have to. It'll be like carrying a noble princess to her grand adventure!"
Kanna "No, you really don't have to do that! You'll hurt your back."
Kanna "I... I'll just... Just give me a minute."
scene kanna201 with dissolve
Hana "Hey, how about we just play at Kanna's house today?"
scene kanna202 with dissolve
Tamao "What? Why? But I had a whole plan! The cafe, the arcade, that one store with the weird cat statues..."
scene kanna203 with dissolve
Hana "I mean, it might be better than dragging her all over town, especially if she's actually sick. Look at her, she looks pale."
Kanna "It's okay... really, I can still walk—"
scene kanna204 with vpunch
Tamao "That's... a great idea!!"
Tamao "A brilliant idea! Hana-chan, you're a genius! Why didn't I think of that?"
scene kanna205 with vpunch
Tamao "Oh! Oh! Let's play some board games! We can have a tournament!"
scene kanna206 with dissolve
Tamao "What kind of board games do you have, Kanna-chan?! Do you have Monopoly? The Game of Life? Something with a lot of tiny pieces we can lose under the sofa?"
Kanna "I, Uh— I think I have Othello..."
scene kanna207 with dissolve
Tamao "And! And! We can build a giant pillow fort in your living room! We'll need all the blankets and pillows you own!"
Tamao "And then we can have a pillow fight inside the fort! It'll be legendary!"
Hana "You sure are excited about this new plan."
scene kanna208 with dissolve
Tamao "I sure am! The location of the adventure doesn't matter, only the spirit of the adventure itself!"
scene kanna209 with dissolve
Tamao "This is going to be so much fun! The best sick day ever!"
scene black with dissolve
"{i}"
"{i}..."
"{i}And just like that, they made themselves at home inside my apartment."
"{i}Tamao immediately started inspecting my bookshelf for board games."
"{i}..."
"{i}As I watch them, I've started to feel bad for lying to them."
"{i}It wasn't a big lie, I guess. A white lie. I just said I was sick because I didn't want to go out."
"{i}But they believed me. Hana even changed the plan just for me."
"{i}She was being so considerate... and I just lied to her face."
"{i}Hah..."
"{i}You're a loser, Kanna. A real coward."
"{i}You couldn't even be honest with your own friends. You had to hide behind a fake excuse."
"{i}What's so wrong with just saying, 'I don't feel like going out today'? Normal people say that all the time, don't they?"
"{i}But I couldn't."
"{i}I was too scared they'd think I was boring, or that I didn't want to be with them."
"{i}So instead, I lied. And now I feel even worse."
"{i}..."
"{i}.."
"{i}."
scene kanna210 with dissolve
"{i}The rest of the day was... nice, actually. Surprisingly nice."
"{i}It was just us playing Othello and talking about a new manga Tamao has been reading lately."
scene black with dissolve
"{i}She was so passionate about it, acting out all the parts. And Hana was making fun of her the whole time."
"{i}I didn't say much. I mostly just listened."
"{i}But... it felt comfortable. Being here, in my own space, with them."
""
scene kanna211 with dissolve
Tamao "Uwahhh, today was so fun! I can't wait to play at your house again, Kanna-chan!"
Hana "We're not even done playing yet. We're still here."
scene kanna212 with dissolve
Tamao "Can you stop being like that for five minutes? Seriously."
scene kanna213 with dissolve
Tamao "We get it. You're already cool. You don't have to act all cold and distant to prove it."
scene kanna214 with dissolve
Tamao "You're supposed to be my right hand in this kind of stuff! My partner in crime!"
scene kanna215 with dissolve
Tamao "Where's the energetic, 'let's-do-something-stupid' Hana I know and love?"
"{i}Tamao is right."
"{i}It's not really usual for Hana to be like this. She seems... different today."
scene kanna216 with dissolve
Hana "So, what will you guys be doing for the school festival?"
scene kanna217 with vpunch
Tamao "Ha! That's a really bad distraction, and you know it!"
Tamao "Don't you try the 'let's change the subject to a neutral topic' tactic on me!"
scene kanna218 with dissolve
Kanna "Is... is the school festival really that soon?"
Hana "I mean, we still have a few more weeks for preparation. There's time to figure things out."
Tamao "Hmmm..."
scene kanna219 with dissolve
Hana "What about you, Tamao? What are you doing for the festival?"
scene kanna220 with dissolve
Tamao "I... I'm going to be helping with the takoyaki stand with my cousin."
Kanna "A takoyaki stand? That sounds really cool, Tamao."
scene kanna221 with dissolve
Tamao "It is... but it's also a lot of work. My hands are going to smell like octopus for a week."
scene kanna222 with dissolve
Hana "Ah... I thought you were going to be free."
Tamao "Huh...? Why? Did you have another adventure planned that you didn't tell me about?"
scene kanna223 with dissolve
Hana "No. I need one more person to compete in the relay race between the classes."
Tamao "Ah... That's a shame. I'd totally do it if I wasn't already committed."
scene kanna224 with dissolve
"{i}..."
"{i}Sora already told me about this yesterday. The relay race. The essay."
"{i}But I'm still not sure about this at all. My stomach has been in knots just thinking about it."
"{i}I'm too scared. I can't do it."
"{i}I think I'll just play it safe for now... Maybe if I suggest someone else, she'll forget about me."
Kanna "How about the class president? Sora seems like she'd be good at something like that."
Hana "Can't. She's with the music club, and they're going to be performing on the main stage at the festival. Her schedule is completely packed."
"{i}Oh, yeah... I totally forgot that she's in the music club. Okay, that was a bad first attempt. Think, Kanna, think."
scene kanna225 with dissolve
Tamao "Damn, she's really good at everything, isn't she? Plays guitar, gets good grades, is super popular..."
Kanna "Yeah... she really is perfect."
Tamao "..."
scene kanna226 with dissolve
Tamao "Good for her. She's going to make a good wife someday."
""
""
scene kanna227 with dissolve
Hana "Are you really complimenting someone on that basis..?"
Hana "That's such an old-fashioned way of thinking."
scene kanna228 with vpunch
Tamao "Come on, Hana! You're supposed to validate me, not critique my entire worldview!"
scene kanna229 with vpunch
Tamao "I want the school version of Hana! The one who would have agreed with me and then made a dumb joke!"
scene kanna230 with vpunch
Tamao "Not this new gloomy, philosophical version!"
Hana "My 'other self' wouldn't have agreed with you, either."
Hana "She would have just laughed and called you an old geezer."
scene kanna231 with vpunch
Tamao "Kanna-chan, please help me!"
Tamao "It's like I'm fighting a battle on two fronts here! Her old self and her new self are ganging up on me!"
Kanna "W—what am I supposed to do?"
scene kanna232 with vpunch
Tamao "Ughhh... You're no fun anymore, Hana. You're not cool anymore in my eyes."
Hana "Uh-huh. I'll try to find a way to live with that."
scene kanna233 with dissolve
Tamao "Even Leo is cooler than you right now. At least her weirdness is consistent."
Hana "Whatever makes you happy."
scene kanna234 with dissolve
Tamao "..."
scene kanna235 with dissolve
Hana "So... Kanna. What are you going to do for the school festival? Have you decided on anything?"
"{i}..."
scene kanna236 with dissolve
"{i}Uh... I actually didn't really join anything to begin with."
"{i}Do I tell them the truth?"
scene kanna237 with dissolve
Kanna "I..."
scene kanna238 with dissolve
Tamao "Oh! Are you going to join Yuka's class for the maid cafe?"
Hana "Wow... so they're really going through with that? I thought it was just a joke."
scene kanna239 with dissolve
Tamao "Uh-huh. Yuka was trying to get me to join, but the takoyaki stand is my true calling."
Kanna "No... I'm not. I'm not that close to her."
scene kanna240 with dissolve
Hana "Huh... why not? She seems nice enough. She's actually really kind, you know."
Kanna "No, it's not that I hate her or anything like that... It's just..."
Kanna "There's something about her that feels... unreachable to me. Like she's on a different level."
Kanna "It's stupid, really. I know."
""
scene kanna241 with vpunch
Tamao "I know why!"
Tamao "It's because she's a normie. A textbook, grade-A normie."
Tamao "It's hard to get through to someone like that. It's not natural. It makes you feel like you're not comfortable being around her."
Hana "You don't like her?"
scene kanna242 with dissolve
Tamao "No. I never said that. I like her just fine. But that's the point."
Kanna "I don't think Yuka being 'normal' is really the problem here..."
scene kanna243 with vpunch
Tamao "It is, Kanna-chan. It's the entire problem. Think about it."
Tamao "Showing your real weirdness around a normie feels like giving a drink to a total stranger."
Hana "What? What are you even talking about now?"
scene kanna244 with vpunch
Tamao "It's a metaphor! It's like, you don't know what kind of drink they hate or what they like, so the most logical, safest thing to give them is a bottle of water. It's neutral. No one hates water."
Tamao "It means you're playing it safe. You're not showing them what you really like to drink, because what if they hate it?"
scene kanna245 with vpunch
Tamao "The same logic applies to Yuka. You don't really know what parts of your personality she'll like and what parts she'll think are weird."
Tamao "So you're more careful around her. You give her the 'bottled water' version of yourself. And that's what makes you not really enjoy being around her! Because it's exhausting!"
scene kanna246 with dissolve
""
Hana "Did you spare all your intelligence for this one theory and decide to skip last week's history exam?"
""
scene kanna247 with dissolve
Tamao "Like you did any better?"
Hana "..."
scene kanna248 with dissolve
Hana "I have to train for the relay. There wasn't really any time for me to study."
"{i}Huh..."
"{i}Tamao's logic... as strange as it is, it kind of makes sense, I guess."
"{i}That 'bottled water' version of myself... that's what I do with everyone. I think too much about not making Yuka or the other girls in class uncomfortable around me."
"{i}And that's why I don't like to socialize with them. It's exhausting. It's a performance."
"{i}..."
"{i}Well, with Tamao and Hana, I can show them the real me. Or... a version of it."
"{i}They know me, and I know them."
"{i}It's easier."
"{i}And yet... I still lied to them this morning."
"{i}I told them I was sick just to avoid going out."
"{i}But... that's just how people work, I guess."
"{i}People lie because they need to."
"{i}It's a shield."
"{i}That's just human nature."
"{i}I lied because I didn't want to hurt their feelings by saying, 'I'm too tired to go out with you'."
"{i}And I will probably lie to them over and over again."
"{i}Because, no matter how much I care about them... no matter how much I want to protect them..."
"{i}I'm still putting myself first."
"{i}My own comfort."
"{i}My own safety."
"{i}..."
"{i}And then I lied to myself again, by calling it 'protection'."
scene kanna249 with dissolve
Hana "Wait..."
Hana "So, Kanna... does that mean you don't have anything you're doing for the festival? At all?"
scene kanna250 with dissolve
Kanna "..."
"{i}Uh oh..."
Kanna "Well, I was actually just planning to—"
scene kanna251 with vpunch
Hana "!!!"
Tamao "Aaaand there she is. The real Hana is back."
scene kanna252 with vpunch
Hana "KANNA-CHAN, PLEASE!! PLEASE!! PLEASE!!"
Hana "BE MY PARTNER! BE ON MY TEAM!" with vpunch
Kanna "Hana-chan! You're too close! Your face is right in my face!"
scene kanna253 with vpunch
Hana "I knew it! I knew you had it in you! You can't hide from destiny!"
Hana "It's in your blood! It's practically written in the stars!"
scene kanna254 with vpunch
Kanna "I-I can't! I'm not good at running! I'll just slow you down and we'll lose and everyone will stare at me!"
Hana "Nonsense! That's the biggest lie I've ever heard! I've seen you in PE class, you're not clumsy, you're just not trying!"
scene kanna255 with vpunch
Hana "I mean, just look at these legs! These are not the legs of a slow person!"
scene kanna256 with vpunch
Kanna "KYAH~!"
scene kanna257 with vpunch
Kanna "HANA-CHAN!!! PLEASE DON'T TOUCH MY LEGS!!! LET GO!"
scene kanna258 with vpunch
Kanna "IT'S REALLY WEIRD!! WHY ARE YOU TOUCHING MY THIGHS?!"
scene kanna259 with dissolve
Tamao "Whoa, hey! This is a moan-free zone, guys. If you both want to get into all that yuri stuff, please don't do it in front of me."
scene kanna260 with vpunch
Hana "AH!"
scene kanna261 with vpunch
Hana "I'm so sorry, Kanna-chan! I'm really sorry!"
scene kanna262 with dissolve
Hana "I got too excited and I completely lost control... I didn't mean to grab you like that."
Kanna "It's okay... I'm okay. You just... surprised me."
Tamao "So that's why you were trying to be more calm."
Tamao "That whole 'cool and composed' act from earlier... it was all because you were trying to stop this from happening?"
scene kanna263 with dissolve
Hana "Yeah..."
scene black with dissolve
Tamao "Hana, that is, without a doubt, the dumbest plan I have ever heard in my entire life. And I'm the one who once suggested we try to build a raft out of empty soda bottles to cross the river."
"{i}"
stop music fadeout 7.0
"{i}And just like that, I have no other choice but to accept my fate."
"{i}I was cornered. There were no more excuses to make. Hana had an answer for everything."
"{i}It was like watching a master chess player, and I had already lost before I even knew we were playing a game."
"{i}So... I'm now kind of officially joining Hana in the relay race."
"{i}'Officially' feels like too strong a word. There was no contract. I didn't even say 'yes'. It was just... decided for me."
"{i}Hana has already asked me to meet her again tomorrow. For 'light practice', she said. I have a feeling her definition of 'light' is very different from mine."
"{i}There's nothing I can do now. I'm in too deep. If I back out now, I'd be letting Hana down, and after she fought so hard for this... I can't do that to her."
"{i}It's not an option."
"{i}So I just need to prepare myself, I guess."
"{i}All I can do now is... try not to completely fall apart before the festival even starts."
"{i}Maybe after all that, I can finally finish my essay."
"{i}I can finally write that one stupid paragraph about 'overcoming a challenge'. I'll have a real story to tell."
"{i}Not just something I made up, but something I actually did."
"{i}That's the prize at the end of all this fear, isn't it? One paragraph. For my future."
"{i}It has to be worth it. It has to be."
"..."
".."
"."
"{i}We only hung out for maybe ten more minutes after that."
"{i}Hana said she had to get home, and just like that, the energy in the room seemed to vanish with her."
"{i}And now... I'm waiting outside my apartment with Tamao."
scene kanna264 with dissolve
"{i}..."
"{i}She's just standing there. In silence."
"{i}Again."
"{i}It happened yesterday, by the lamp post. And now it's happening again."
"{i}The moment we're alone, she just... stops."
"{i}The loud, energetic Tamao disappears, and she's replaced by this quiet stranger."
"{i}..."
"{i}I should ask her what's on her mind. I should just say, 'Are you okay?' It's a simple question."
""
"{i}No..."
"{i}What if she says it's nothing?"
"{i}That would be worse, because I know it's not nothing."
"{i}It's like I have to walk on eggshells around her right now, and I don't even know why."
"{i}Why does she only do this when it's just me?"
"{i}When Hana was here, she was talking, laughing, making plans... she was normal."
"{i}The second Hana leaves, it's like a switch flips. And all that's left is this..."
"{i}What are you trying to achieve by doing this, Tamao?"
"{i}Why?"
"{i}Why, why, why."
"{i}Why are you doing this?"
"{i}And why are you doing it to me?"
"{i}Is it something I did?"
"{i}I don't know what I have to do. I don't know how to fix this."
"{i}Am I supposed to talk? Am I supposed to be quiet too? Is this a test?"
"{i}I feel like I'm failing it."
"{i}"
scene kanna265 with dissolve
Tamao "Hey, Kanna-chan..."
"{i}"
"{i}What is it now?"
"{i}Are you going to tell me you saw another 'thing'?"
"{i}Another tall shadow by a lamp post that isn't there when I look? Another face in a window of an empty building?"
"{i}Because I'll look. I always look. And every time, there's nothing there."
"{i}And you just make me worry."
"{i}That's the worst part. It's not a game. You get quiet, you point at nothing, and then... you just brush it off. You sweep it under the rug like it never happened."
"{i}You just smile and say, 'Never mind' and change the subject to food or some new manga."
"{i}And I can't do anything if you do that. I can't force you to talk. I can't break down that wall you put up."
"{i}I want to grab you by the shoulders and scream, 'What's wrong?! Just tell me!' But I can't."
"{i}I'm not brave like you."
"{i}You're not making me mad, Tamao."
"{i}You could never make me mad."
"{i}You're making me scared."
scene kanna266 with dissolve
Tamao "Today's sunset seems really nice..."
""
"{i}..."
""
Kanna "Huh..?"
scene kanna267 with dissolve
Tamao "Haha, I know. It's weird for me to say something like that, isn't it?"
Tamao "It's just that... the longer I look at it, the more I realize how beautiful this place actually is. I think I've been taking it for granted."
scene kanna268 with dissolve
Kanna "..."
scene kanna269 with dissolve
Tamao "I mean, look. You can see the peak of that mountain in the back of our school from here. It's all purple and orange right now."
scene kanna270 with dissolve
Tamao "I've always loved mountains."
""
Kanna "Our school looks very small from here."
scene kanna271 with dissolve
Tamao "Oh yeah! It's really small, but I can still see the rooftop. It looks like a little toy."
scene kanna272 with dissolve
Kanna "..."
Tamao "..."
scene kanna273 with dissolve
Tamao "You know that old walking bridge near the school? The one over the canal?"
Kanna "Yeah?"
Tamao "The scenery from that place is also really good around this time of day. You can see the whole sky."
Tamao "..."
scene kanna274 with dissolve
Tamao "I... I actually want to go there. Right now."
Kanna "..."
Kanna "Do you... do you want to go there together?"
scene kanna275 with dissolve
Tamao "Hey... aren't you supposed to be sick? You said you weren't feeling well."
Tamao "I don't want you to push yourself and get worse. That's the last thing I want."
Kanna "I want to. Because you're my friend."
scene kanna276 with dissolve
Tamao "Oh... so we're going the wholesome route now, huh? Giving me the power of friendship speech."
Kanna "Maybe?"
scene kanna277 with dissolve
Tamao "Hah... you're a good friend, Kanna-chan."
scene kanna278 with dissolve
""
""
Tamao "..."
scene kanna279 with dissolve
Tamao "Huh..?"
scene kanna280 with dissolve
Tamao "Why is your door cracked open by itself?"
scene kanna281 with dissolve
Kanna "Really?"
Kanna "Oh, yeah..."
scene kanna282 ##with dissolve
play music "dlc1/sleep.mp3" fadein 10
Kanna "That's weird—"
Kanna "..."
$ renpy.pause(5, hard=True)
Kanna "Tamao..?"

scene black 

""
""
""
"End?"
""
""










return

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"{i}"
"{i}"
"{i}"
"{i}"
"{i}"




