Yes, you could say that things got very interesting indeed. So interesting I that couldn't stop playing until the end credits rolled!
Anyway, on to the final entry on this playthrough:
I kinda hate Nomiya now.
Rin wasn't even given a chance to apologize, as he vented his anger and lashed out at her, yelling. Which reminded the eavesdropping Hisao of his own outburst just a couple of days ago. After Nomiya was finished scolding Rin and stormed off from the art classroom, Hisao went to try and comfort her, leading to the by far most touching scene in this arc for me.
...
Rin was feeling bitter and angry, and told Hisao to go away. But he apologized to her for the way he'd treated her, for being unable to be a friend to her when she needed one. She was thoroughly confused and upset, unable to see why people were be getting so angry at her, and thinking that there must be something terribly wrong with her. Hisao didn't really know how to comfort her, but he told her that he doesn't hate her, that she should learn to cope with things being as they are.
Rin was moved to tears by his words and fell to a crying fit, embraced by Hisao. They spent a long while like that, her weeping into his shirt. It was then that Hisao realized both how futile it may be for them to try and be to each other something that they're not, and how long ago he'd come to have a crush on her. Eventually she ceased crying, and was quite baffled by her own reaction.
She told Hisao about how she tried to paint her feelings on the canvas so that people could understand her through the paintings. His thought on this was that no one could perfectly understand someone else's feelings, no matter how hard one tried to convey them. She felt sad at the idea, but found it acceptable.
They continued chatting for some time, then departed the classroom. Rin felt tired and wanted to sleep, so Hisao walked her over to the girls' dorm.
The sheerness of emotion in this scene really got to me. Definitely one of the most powerful moments in KS, or in any piece of fiction I've read.
...
On the first day off school, Rin showed up on Hisao's doorstep, soaked wet from having walked through rain. She was back to being her typical self, evident by the conversation about rain she engaged with Hisao. She invited herself into his room and revealed that she needed help changing into drier clothes now that Emi had left.
That she'd come to ask such a thing of him was quite telling. As he was drying her hair, she brushed against his hand longingly. Hisao was still feeling uncertain about their relationship, but pushed his doubts aside when Rin communicated, without a single word, her desire to have sex with him.
This could have quite possibly been the most decidedly contented sex scene in the VN I've seen yet, if not for the mildly bittersweet undertone arising from Hisao's worrying about his possibly drifting away from Rin some day. Still, it was clear that they were both genuinely enjoying themselves.
...
After some sweet lovemaking, Rin remembered that it was "the day" and insisted that they should get dressed and go to someplace. She led Hisao to the forest and on to the hill with the dandelions. They watched the wads of flower seeds flying in the wind. Then Rin asked him whether he loves her, and Hisao couldn't give a straight answer. She wasn't sure if she loves him, either, and confessed that she felt a bit afraid of her feelings about him.
In the end, they decided that it wouldn't matter. They watched the clouds drifting in the sky, and felt content being who they were and with what they had between them. And so the story ended.
I guess that was the good ending, as they are called. It did contain a generous dose of happiness, albeit mixed with some uncertainty and worry. I was left with a naggingly ambiguous feeling, at the same time positive yet somber.
Overall, I'd say that this was a very enjoyable story arc. Not the easiest reading, confusing at times, but well worth the effort.
Thank you to all who read this thread and posted comments ^_^