Clannad After Story>09.En Route on the Sloped Road

"I":
We've been working hard on a new machine. One that can fly in the sky.
We're going to use it to leave this world far behind.
The world we're going to is full of life, full of warmth and fun.
But we have to hurry. Time is short.
Winter is approaching fast. And when the cold sets in, she won't be able to work on things like this.
That's why we can't rest, why we can't stop until the very end.



Tomoya:
Did you have your parent teacher conference yet?

Nagisa:
Yes, but we didn't talk about much.
I can't find anything I want to study in college, so I think I'm going to start looking for a job soon.

Tomoya:
Your grades are pretty good, it seems like a waste.

Nagisa:
By the way, what are you planning to do after you graduate, Tomoya?

Tomoya:
Um... Anyway, you want me to buy you something?
Like a present or whatever?

Nagisa:
I'm confused, dose this have anything to do with graduating?

Tomoya:
Oh, no. Not really.
I just felt like giving you a present all of a sudden, that's all.

Nagisa:
Tomoya, you're trying to avoid my question, aren't you?
And besides, you can't just give someone a present, you have to have a reason for it.

Tomoya:
I wanna buy a little something for the person I'm in love with.
That should be a good enough reason for anyone.

Nagisa:
I guess, but if that was the only reason you needed to buy someone a present, then I'd have to buy you one every day.

Tomoya:
That doesn't make any sense.
By your logic, the only times I can give you a present are on your birthday and Christmas.

Nagisa:
No. In my case, you'd only buy me a present once a year.

Tomoya:
Why's that?

Nagisa:
Because my birthday is on December 24th and I don't wanna be greedy.

Tomoya:
What rotten luck.
Why do you have to be born at a time like that?

Nagisa:
I don't know. Why don't you ask my parents? It's their fault.

Tomoya:
Fine! Then how about we go on a date instead?

Nagisa:
Huh? That seems kind of sudden.

Tomoya:
If I can't give you a present, then we'll go on a date.
Sounds good, right?

Nagisa:
Sure. That sounds wonderful.

Tomoya:
Good deal. See you later.

Nagisa:
Yah, see you after class.
Hey, wait! You never answered my question!
You're mean, Tomoya...



Tomoya:
Graduation...

Youehi:
Good morning, Okazaki! All that, and a toilet.

Tomoya:
Back on your toilet kick, I see.

Youhei:
You're looking awfully glum this morning, amigo.
Is your honeymoon period with Nagisa over already?

Tomoya:
Hey, listen. Do you know what you're gonna do after you graduate?

Youhei:
'Course I do. I wouldn't wanna trouble my dear little sister.
So after some serious consideration, I've come to the perfect solution!

Tomoya:
Really?

Youhei:
Yup. I'm gonna make money off my looks!

Tomoya:
Hm?

Youhei:
I'm gonna be a model. Get it? A model!

Tomoya:
Oh, obviously...

Youhei:
I know, right? It's like, man, why didn't I think of it sooner?
If I hit it off big, I might even be able to break into the entertainment world.
Dude! This is serious, I might be famous.
The kids will hang onto my every word. I'll use my power to make the Sunohara Brigade!

Tomoya:
It must be nice to be so young and carefree.

Youhei:
Yeah! My future is so bright it's blinding!

Ryou:
The cards don't lie, you can really be a model!

Youhei:
Really?! All right!

Ryou:
You'll hit it off big and break into the entertainment world.
Kids will hang on your every word. Then, you'll form the Sunohara Brigade.

Youhei:
Good. Okazaki, I'll let you be second-in-command of my brigade!

Tomoya:
Hurry, I might die in anticipation.

Youhei:
Mm-hm.

Tomoyo:
Now that I think about it, everyone here is a senior except for me.
Have all of you decided what you're gonna do after you graduate?

Ryou:
I was planning on going to nursing school as soon as possible.
I've wanted to do that ever since I was little.

Kyou:
I always wanted to be a preschool teacher myself.
So I'll work on getting my teacher's license.

Kotomi:
As for me... after I graduate, I'll be moving to America to go to college.

Everyone:
Huh?

Kotomi:
I'll probably be lonely at first, and I know I'll miss all of you a whole bunch.
But I'll try to work really hard and come back to visit everyone as soon as I can.

Tomoyo:
What a shame.
That means we won't be able to hear your high-impact violin solos anymore.

Kotomi:
If you like, I could play one right now.

Kyou:
No, stop! For the love of God, think before you speak!
I know you meant well, Tomoyo, but putting all of our lives at stake isn't very considerate.

Tomoyo:
I'm sorry. I'll try to do better next time.

Kotomi:
That's rude. She seemed perfectly considerate to me.

Ryou:
So, uh, Okazaki, what are you gonna do?

Kyou:
I hear you haven't decided if you wanna go to college or not.
So you're avoiding the guidance counselors like the plague.
Come on, Nagisa. You gotta give Tomoya a little shout if you expect him to do anything.
Nagisa?

Tomoya:
Nagisa, what's wrong?

Nagisa:
Don't worry about me. I just... feel a little...

Tomoya:
Nagisa!
She's got a fever.


Youhei:
You sure you shouldn't be staying with Nagisa right now?

Tomoya:
It's not my choice. There's a doctor at her house.
It might be awkward talking about some stuff with me around.

Youhei:
Yes?

Misae:
Sunohara. You've got a call from your sister.

Youhei:
Okay...
You want me to tell her anything?

Tomoya:
Just that she's welcome to come visit whenever she likes.
Oh, but don't tell her that Nagisa collapsed, okay?

Youhei:
Okay.

Misae:
What do you mean she collapsed?
Don't tell me Furukawa's sick.

Tomoya:
Kinda. I, uh, guess you could say she's got a weak constitution.
Last time she got sick, she missed too many days of school and ended up getting held back a year.

Misae:
Oh, I see.
Try to show her all the support you can.


Tomoya:
Nagisa.

Nagisa:
Yes?

Tomoya:
Oh, you don't need to get up, I was just saying hi.

Nagisa:
Oh, okay. I'll lie back down.

Tomoya:
I'll be back later.

Nagisa:
'Kay. Hope you have a good day at school.

Tomoya:
Try to get some rest now.

Nagisa:
Alright.


Youhei:
You think you might be worrying too much?
I mean, this has happened a lot of times before, right?
The last time Nagisa ended up missing class, you were spaced out for weeks.
So I'm just saying you shouldn't get stressed out over nothing.

Botan:
Puhi-puhi-puhi-puhi-puhi-puhi-puhi. Puhi.

Tomoya:
Did you come to see Kyou again, little buddy?

Kyou:
Tomoya!

Botan:
Puhi!

Kyou:
Oh, you were just saying hi, I thought you were gonna eat her.

Tomoya:
You could have asked me instead of getting violent!

Ryou:
What should we do?
Can you go home by yourself?

Botan:
Puhi puhi.

Tomoya:
I don't speak pig, but it looks like she wants to stay with you guys.

Kyou:
Hm... She can't. I need to go to PE in a few minutes.
Why don't you take care of her?

Tomoya:
Huh? Why me?

Ryou:
N-No. It'll be okay.
I'm her owner, too, so I should take responsibility and...

Botan:
Puhi!
Puhi puhi puhi!

Tomoya:
I don't get it. What, is she afraid of you?

Ryou:
One time I tried to give her a bath, it made the water a little bit too hot.
She got the wrong idea and thought I was cooking her in a stew, so she's hated me ever since.

Botan:
Puhi puhi puhi!

Kyou:
And so, there you have it. She's all yours.

Tomoya:
Hey! Don't tell me I have to take this thing to class!
No way!

Kyou:
Botan, plushie mode!

Bota:
Puhi!

Kyou:
This is one of Botan's seven tricks.
When she's like this, people will think you're a plushie enthusiast, rather than someone smuggling aboard into class.

Youhei:
Have you lost it? What are you doing?

Tomoya:
You owe me bigtime for this.

Kyou:
I'll buy you some strawberry milk tomorrow, okay?

Tomoya:
That's the best you can do?

Ryou:
I really am sorry.

Tomoyo:
By the way, if it's not a bad time, we were thinking about paying Furukawa a little visit right now.

Tomoya:
Oh, sorry.
Actually, she said that she was going to the hospital today.

Kyou:
I see. Tell Nagisa we said hello then.

Tomoya:
Sure. Well, see you later then.

Kyou:
Poor guy. I wonder if that took his mind off things a bit.

Botan:
Puhi...

Kotomi:
I feel so bad. Tomoya looked really depressed, didn't he?

Youhei:
He acts tough, but he's got a soft side, too. Trust me.

Ryou:
Poor Tomoya. I hope Nagisa gets well soon.



Tomoya:
A month passed. But Nagisa's condition didn't improve.
One day, when she was feeling a bit better, she forced herself to go to school.
But she only got halfway there before her fever returned.

Nagisa:
How did the test go?

Tomoya:
Not too bad.
I don't skip classes all the time like I used to.

Nagisa:
You're on break from exams now, right?
Don't mind me. Go enjoy yourself while you have some time off.

Tomoya:
I'd rather stay here if you don't mind.

Nagisa:
You'll get bored staying here doing nothing all day.

Tomoya:
It'll be fine.
I don't mind waiting for now, as long as I have something to look forward to.

Nagisa:
I don't understand. What are you waiting for?

Tomoya:
The day when I can walk with you and hold your hand again.
I know we see each other all the time at home and school.
But there aren't many times when it's just the two of us together.
So I thought, it might be nice to go on a date where we could be alone and just hold hands.

Nagisa:
We're alone right now, aren't we?

Tomoya:
I guess you're right.

Nagisa:
Then would you mind holding my hand now?


Tomoya:
November came.
Seniors were busy studying for their upcoming college entrance exams.
I still went to school, but my head was filled with thoughts of Nagisa.

Yukine:
Here. I found the videos of some of those plays just like you asked.
I tried to pick out some that looked fun.
I hope they cheer you up a bit, I hate to see you like this.

Tomoya:
I appreciate it. I hope they weren't a pain to dig up.

Yukine:
I think I owe you a few favors, this is the least I could do.

Tomoya:
It means a lot.

Yukine:
Say, Okazaki. You haven't lost some weight recently, have you?

Tomoya:
Just your imagination.


Tomoya:
This is how we spent our autumn. It was a bittersweet sort of feeling.
Bit by bit, the air became colder. And before we knew it, winter had crept up on us.

Akio:
I think it's about time we had a little talk.

Sanae:
I hate to say this, but with the way things are going, I'm afraid Nagisa might have to repeat her senior year.
She can't take her tests, and it doesn't look like she'll attend enough days to graduate.
All of her teachers say she should just drop out and focus on getting medical treatment, rather than getting stressed out about graduation.
And of course we're more concerned about her health than her academic record.

Tomoya:
Yeah, but Nagisa-

Sanae:
Don't misunderstand.
I want Nagisa to decide everything on her own.
But because it's a hard decision, if she isn't able to graduate this semester, then I want you to accept that.
Please, can you do that for me, Okazaki?

Tomoya:
It's no good.
I wanna graduate with her. I don't wanna leave her behind like that.

Sanae:
Okazaki, please.

Tomoya:
I'm sorry, but if Nagisa isn't going to graduate this year, then I don't wanna graduate, either.

Akio:
You're so immature. Who are you trying to impress?
If you do that, it'll be even harder on Nagisa.
You realize that, don't you?

Tomoya:
He was absolutely right. I'm immature. I'm still immature.
I was able to help my friends when they needed me.
And in the last year, I felt like I'd become a better person, at least a little.
But now that the girl I love might not graduate, I feel like I don't know anything anymore.
Maybe if I was more mature, I would have known what to do, or could have accepted it, at least.
When December came around, everyone was busy. Everyone but me, at least.
Entrance exams, college applications, job hunting... I felt like I was left behind.


Ryou, Kyou:
Happy birthday, Nagisa.

Kotomi:
I hope you have many more to come.

Youhei:
Happy birthday and Merry Christmas!

Kyou:
Sure are cheerly despite getting turned down cold.
In case you didn't hear, he actually sent an application to a modeling agency.

Youhei:
I can do whatever I want!
I'm moving back home next year, so I'll just end up getting a job there either way!

Tomoya:
Nagisa.

Nagisa:
Hm?

Tomoya:
Here, I got you a birthday/Christmas present.

Nagisa:
Really? It's a Dango!

Tomoya:
Hm?

Nagisa:
Thank you so much, Tomoya.
Thank you guys for coming here to visit me. I know I'm not worth much, but...

Akio:
Don't talk about yourself like that, Nagisa.
We love you. You're just as important as anyone else in this family.

Kotomi:
Uh-huh.

Kyou:
That's right.
And not only that, you're a wonderful friend to all of us, too.

Akio:
I know you think of yourself as a burden sometimes.
But as long as you're happy, we're happy, too.
So please be happy, Nagisa, for us.

Nagisa:
I'm sorry, you guys. Okay. I'll try my best.

Youhei:
He-he.

Tomoya:
It was Christmas Eve, Nagisa's birthday.
It was also the day when Nagisa decided that she was going to repeat her last year of school.
After the New Year, fewer seniors bothered coming to class. I spent my time with Nagisa.
Even though she was small, and even though she was frail, she always tried her best.
And I wanted to try my best to protect her for the rest of my life.


Tomoya:
Sunohara, what do you say we go around and break a few windows?

Youhei:
You're kidding, right?

Tomoya:
I thought maybe if I did that, I could repeat a year.

Youhei:
You wouldn't repeat a year, you'd be kicked out of school.

Tomoya:
Ah, you're right. Not much point in that, huh?

Koumura:
Ah, Okazaki, Sunohara. Congratulations on graduating.

Youhei:
Thank you.

Koumura:
I'm going to be retiring this year myself.
Although it took me a bit longer, you might say I'm graduating along with you.

Youhei:
Really? Huh?

Tomoya:
I hate to say it, but without you around, I'm a bit worried about how things are gonna work out for the Drama Club.

Koumura:
If you're worried about Nagisa, you shouldn't be.
That girl's a lot stronger and a lot more reliable than you two rascals.
By the way, I expect a lot from you.
Takes a special kind of student to give me grief for four whole years.
So if nothing else, I know you've got a lot of spunk.

Youhei:
Thanks for sticking up for us all these years.
We probably would have been expelled a long time ago if it wasn't for you.

Tomoya:
You know, there's something I've been meaning to ask you.
When me and Sunohara met each other in the office that day, did you plan that or was that just a coincidence?

Youhei:
Hm? What's that supposed to mean?

Tomoya:
The two of us getting along really well, right?
We were both troublemakers but if we had a good friend at school, then maybe we wouldn't wanna drop out.
Is that why you wanted us to meet each other?

Koumura:
That's a good question. I don't remember.
Your memory starts to slip when you're my age.
At any rate, you're members of society starting tomorrow.
Be sure to show up for your last homeroom class so you can give a proper good-bye to your school days.

Youhei, Tomoya:
Thank you very much, sir.

Tomoya:
I really appreciate all you've done for me.

Yukine:
I didn't do anything. I should be thanking you.

Tomoyo:
Speaking of which, they decided to preserve the cherry trees after all.
I really owe you one for that.

Tomoya:
When the new semester starts, Nagisa will be in the same grade as you.
Look after her for me, okay?

Tomoyo:
Give me a break, of course I will.

Yukine:
I hope everything works out for you, Okazaki.

Kyou:
Tomoya!

Yukine, Tomoyo:
Hm?

Kyou:
We're all going to a party right now.
But, I guess you have some place else to go, huh?

Tomoya:
'Fraid so.


Nagisa:
Ampan!

Nagisa:
This outrageous lie just came out!


Tomoya:
Dummy! You need to stay inside and rest!

Nagisa:
Sorry, I couldn't resist, no matter what.
I had to see the last time you wore your uniform.
Congratulations. I'm proud of you, and glad you were able to graduate.

Tomoya:
Nagisa...

Nagisa:
Hm?

Tomoya:
I... really did it, didn't I?

Nagisa:
Yah.

Tomoya:
It's all over. I'll never be a student there again.
To be honest, I really hated that place.
But in the end, because I was with you, I wanted to stay there forever.
It sucks. There were so many times I was so miserable that I wanted to quit.
But you know, the last year I spent with you, I finally enjoyed myself.
I was finally happy!
I don't wanna graduate now. I just wanna stay with you.

Nagisa:
Tomoya.
You can't hold yourself back over something silly like that.
If you have the chance to move on, then you should take it.
I want you to move on, okay?
In the meantime, I'll try my best for another year.
And one more thing. Would you mind holding my hand for a while?

Tomoya:
Idiot. What if it makes your fever go up?

Nagisa:
Come on, a little bit won't hurt.
It doesn't have to be far, I just wanna hold hands and walk.

Tomoya:
I wanted to keep walking, and never stop...
Forever, wherever... Along the never-ending path... together with you...



Sanae:
Oh? What are your plans right now?

Tomoya:
Uh, nothing in particular.

Akio:
How about you work here at the bakery for a while?

Tomoya:
Huh?

Sanae:
Well, I'm glad.
I look forward to working with you, Tomoya.

Tomoya:
Wait, say again?

Sanae:
You don't mind me using your first name, do you?
We're practically family now. It only seems natural.