Yeah, it'd be better to say "how about a rematch" there.
I know that work of art that is supposed to make money must do "WcDonald" and similiar idiocy, but I do not think fanfic need to do this kind of CYA.
I really didn't even need to name it at all, just 'a brown bottle with a silver/gold label' would have sufficed. I don't think it's detracting that much, though, plus it creates a bit of consistency with the game's canon, however insignificant.
Superfluous " there...
Uhhh...?
I hope my anally retentive nitpicking did not annoyed you.
Nah, the way I see it; if people have to nitpick, then that means I'm doing all of the major things right.
Awright, beginning of Act 3. Given the option, this is where an Akira-specific animation would play. Beginning of act 2 would be a bad place since you don't exactly go into Kenji's ending expecting to wind up with Lilly's sister. Honestly, the only reason it took so long to push this out is because I kept getting sidetracked while writing thinking of all the little things, like what her title cards and CGs would look like, what an animation would be about, etc. At one point I was just laying down for half an hour thinking of ideas for a smooth jazz arrangement of Lilly's Concord as Akira's theme. I'm terrible with Finale or any Midi editors/composers though, so that's probably never going to come to fruition; hell, CGs and the other things are kind of impossible too, so whatever.
But anyway; got a lot planned for Act 3, so keep it coming with the comments and criticism.
Act 3 - Part 1-1: Insight
A gentle white noise slithers into my ears, wresting me from what may very well be the best sleep I’ve had in months. The school has a decent level of funding, but I speak from experience when I say that the beds are not what that money goes to.
The fact that I’m waking up on a couch doesn’t speak much for Yamaku’s case.
I sit up and raise my arms in a stretch before rubbing the sleep from my eyes, already waiting for the chance to go back to bed. The only thing keeping me from burying my face back in the pillow is the sight of a wall clock indicating that it’s a few minutes past noon.
The scene before me takes a bit to become familiar; below me lies the most comfortable couch in the world, clad in black leather. To the front sits a glass-top coffee table and a flatscreen television, currently showing the afternoon headlines. Other than a faint hum, there’s no volume coming from the panel, muted for some reason or another.
Thanks to the fact that I managed to stay out so late last night, there was no way to get back to Yamaku. Needless to say, I did what any reasonable man would do; I freeloaded on a classmate’s sister’s couch.
“Good morning, sleepyhead.”
The very same sister who happens to be resting on the recliner nearby, arms hanging off the sides in lethargy. She made a point of locking her room when she left me last night, so I'm pretty sure she isn't just waking up. Maybe she was trying to catch up with the news without disturbing me.
“Morning, Akira. Feeling better?”
“Headache, sore all over, the usual fare. I’ve been worse off.” she answers.
After how many drinks she went through last night, I think that’s a pretty light sentence. I didn’t go through even half as much as her when I went up to the roof with Kenji, and I was out of commission for an entire day.
For twelve in the afternoon, the room is rather dim. The glass pane spanning the back wall has been covered by a set of white curtains, with only slivers of sunlight bleeding in between the cracks. It’s not a lot, but there's enough light to make out the figure of the woman beside me, her frame laying in the reclining seat like a ragdoll.
It would seem that she’s intent on taking the rest of the day off as well, considering her state of undress. From the tip of her toes to the middle of her thigh is smooth, bare skin, only cutting off to transition into the silky red cloth of a pair of pajama shorts.
Her upper half is dressed with about as much attention to conservation; clad in a button-up shirt with only one button done up. The pallor of her midriff is exposed and only a few minor details around her bustline remain hidden behind the white fabric. It hides ‘enough,’ although one can still note that her current outfit doesn’t do nearly as well a job of hiding her features as her usual pinstripe suit.
“Why is the TV muted?” I ask; moreso to interrupt the silence, and to reduce the possibility of her looking over and catching me with my eyes in the wrong place.
“You looked so adorable while you were sleeping. I just couldn’t bring myself to risk waking you up.” she returns, her sarcastic humor shining through even the foggiest of hangovers.
“You don't need to worry about me; I slept like a log either way.”
“Yeah, that’s something everyone needs more of -- sleep.” she responds.
“What’s stopping you? Got work today?”
“No work today, but I’ve gotta get ready for some other things.”
As if she were just reminded of the fact herself, she sits up and raises her arms in a stretch, a long yawn sauntering out of her mouth as...
PINK.
“A-Akira, your, uh...”
“What’s up?” she asks as she grabs the chair arm and twists around, popping her back. Such an action only exacerbates the problem and tears me between my two instincts. Given free rule, one eye would focus all of its energy on the perky exposed flesh while the other would look as far away as physically possible – like some kind of googly-eyed, refined pervert.
Unable to form the proper words, I point to my chest frantically, not even bothering to worry about the stereotypical slap or thrown object that would be sent my way.
She tilts her head in confusion before glancing down and noticing the ‘problem’, a long-winded chuckle escaping her throat in response.
“Ah, that’s not very ladylike of me, is it?” she comments as she grabs both halves of her shirt and pulls them in, doing up the rest of the buttons with a light blush emerging on her cheeks. “Sorry about that; you stop paying mind to things like this when you've been living alone for a while."
What has been seen cannot be unseen. And now that she says something like that, I can’t help but imagine a lazy Akira on her day off not even bothering to put clothes on.
“Oh, but you seem to be paying a lot of mind to it~.” she teases.
The only word I’m able to squeeze out in response is an embarrassed “sorry,” the amount of heat rushing to my face cutting off the possibility of any witty retort.
“Nah, don’t worry about it. It’s my fault for lying around in my pajamas when company is over to begin with.”
“Well, it is your place; you have the freedom to do whatever you want.” I reply.
“Are you only saying that because you liked what you saw?” she counters, the sides of her mouth curled up into a catlike smirk.
The only answer I’m able to call upon is a flustered sigh as the palm of my hand flies up to my face.
“Oh c’mon, I’m just having fun. You’re supposed to laugh too.”
“Hah.” I huff.
“See, you have the sense of humor, you just refuse to use it. Lighten up every once in a while.”
Well, there’s plenty of things I could have said in response to that, like ‘yeah, that’s exactly why I said it,’ or ‘I’m just saying you shouldn’t change how you behave because I’m here; you could lie around naked if you wanted.’
But things like that are...
There's no way to feel comfortable making jokes like that. Not yet, anyway. ‘Just because you can doesn’t mean you should’ or some other proverb like that.
“I know how to have fun. It’s what I was doing last night, wasn’t it?” I reply.
That’s no understatement either. From the arcade to the jazz club and all the way home, I don’t think there was a single dull moment. It might be because of the person I was with though; she could make watching paint dry interesting.
“It was a good start, but you’ve still got a long way to go.” she comments, scratching her chin in thought.
“How so?”
“Well, you’re gonna have to start getting out of that school more if you want to be the wild rebel you claimed to be last night.” she answers with an amused smile.
“That was a joke; I’d rather not go down that path.” I reply, shoulders dropping in embarrassment as I remember the fact that I even said such a thing.
“Good man.” she replies with an almost relieved smile.
“I don’t want to stay as the boring, dull shut-in I am now, but I’m definitely not going to turn into a wild animal. There’s so many ways that wouldn’t work out.”
“One day, I want to take you to work with me. If you think you’re a dull person, then you’ve never met any of my co-workers.”
“You said that last night too. What’s so bad about your job?” I ask.
“Back on the interrogation act again, eh?” she answers, crossing her arms in mock disobedience.
“Do you want it to be an interrogation?”
“Ooh, all questions and no answers; so mysterious.” she replies, voice laden with the sarcasm I find myself getting used to.
“How about we make a trade then? You tell me about yourself, and then I’ll tell you about myself.”
“I was actually just playing with you, but I happen to like that agreement; information is a valuable commodity these days.” Akira answers.
“Good luck getting money for anything I have to say.” I retort.
“Believe me; it’s the same on this end. I’m director of human resources for a small networking company here in the city. Don’t buy into the ‘director’ title though; think of a glorified babysitter. All I've got is my Associate's in Corporate Law, and I got hired while I was still in school, so there's more than a few reasons it's not a very prestigious job.” she starts.
“Nine in the morning to five in the afternoon, every day for six weeks; nothing but paperwork, phone calls, and lecturing workers.”
“Yeah, Lilly was saying something like that. Sounds to me like they work you to the bone.” I comment.
The statement gets a rise out of her; but it’s more of a bitter laugh than an amused one.
“There are other guys with me; the company isn’t so small that it can all be managed by one person. But since they prefer to call me the head honcho, it’s only natural that I do about thirty times more work than the rest of the team.”
“What exactly do you do as ‘director of human resources’?”
I’ve heard the term at least three or four times now, but I still haven’t the faintest idea as to what she does, other than ‘discipline.’
She recites a list of terms from memory, such as ‘maintenance of employee relations,’ ‘orientation, training, and development,’ ‘performance management and improvement systems,’ ‘recruiting and staffing,’ ‘organizational and staff planning...’
The only reply I’m able to manage is a weak “that’s quite the list of things to worry about.”
“It’s not as tough as it sounds; more boring than anything else. Most of it is busy work, like interviews with the same three types of applicants, phone calls to find out why someone’s skipping out on work, thinking up ways to motivate grunts who won’t get off their asses...”
She stops mid-statement to think a few things over, as if what she’d said could have been worded better.
“Don’t get me wrong, I like my job, and I like the people I work with. But man, I want something new every now and then. I’m too young to be stuck on the same daily grind as men twice my age.” she finishes with a grimace.
“Well, what would you rather be doing?” I ask.
“Ah, that’s it for now. Your turn.” she retorts, laying back in the recliner with her head in her hands.
If there’s anything she’s good at, it’s making someone want something. Cutting me off right there just increases my appetite to learn more about her, damnit.
“Alright, shoot.”
She scratches her chin in thought as all of the possibilities race through her mind.
As far as I’m concerned; she can ask whatever she wants. The question I’m most squeamish about has already been taken care of, so unless she’s somehow forgotten; it’s going to be something a little easier to answer.
“What have you got planned after graduation?”
Or not.
“There’s something the both of us wants to know.”
An amused chuckle springs forth from her mouth in response.
“We were all there at one point or another,” she replies, “it’s a tough choice figuring out what you want to do with the rest of your existence.”
“Well, I mean, I can narrow it down, but there’s no definites so far. It doesn’t help that I never put any thought into it until I got here.”
“First things first; what are you shooting for?”
“Something in the science world. I’m still a little torn between research chemistry and theoretical physics.” I reply.
The latter of the two options is a flat-out lie, because I know I’m not the sort of person who would even be able to stay on their feet in that field. But it’s something to create some conversation, right?
She whistles in surprise at my response, no doubt trying to wrap her head around the mere idea of me being someone who's into that field.
“I’m going to go ahead and tell you that science has never been my strong point. I’m in corporate law; all that theoretical and scientific stuff is Greek to me.”
“Most scientific nomenclature is done in Latin, so you're actually right on the money.” I jab, no doubt with a smarmy grin plastered on my mug.
“See, just like I said; you've got the smart-ass in you, it's just that you refuse to let him out.” Akira responds, one finger in the air as if she were giving a lecture.
“Anyway; everyone has strengths and weaknesses. I’m sure I’d make a solid F on any kind of law exam.”
She shrugs her shoulders and gives an inconsequential nod, as if to shrug off the comment. “So, where are you planning to go with that? Straight to a career so you can work your way up?”
“Well, actually, I was planning to go to college.”
“Ah, college.” she muses.
She drifts off to a world of daydreaming and nostalgia, reminiscing over what must be the turning point of her life before jumping back into reality.
“There’s two things I can say about college. On one hand, it’s a great place to get a head-start on life; you get your first job and you’re already prepared for most of what you’re going to be doing.”
“On the other hand... well, make sure you have a backup plan. Life doesn't wait for some people to finish their education.” she comments with a half-hearted smile. There's much more emphasis on the second part of her advice.
“You sound like you speak from experience.”
My comment is met with a long sigh and a curt “Yep.”
I get the feeling that she has a lot to say on the matter; pent up emotions, regrets, sarcastic jokes and bitter comments, anything. Though, the primary question is; why would Akira say something like that in the first place? What happened to her in college that kept her from finishing her education?
Was her time in school even left unfinished? She mentioned having her a degree in corporate law, so she at least finished something off; but was she intending to go higher? A 4- or even a 6- year degree? Did she intend to major in corporate law, or was she going for something else?
Normally she’d keep on going; ranting about whatever it was that cut her off with sardonic off-handed statements about her situation flying left and right.
But there’s nothing. Just a sigh, a ‘yep,’ and silence.
Last edited by Thanatos02 on Sun Nov 11, 2012 12:02 am, edited 3 times in total.
“Well, college seems like the best option right now. Not like I’ve got any friends to stick to, and I doubt I have any job prospects with the extent of my experience.”
“No friends to stick to?” she asks, glad to get off the previous subject without questions.
I guess she doesn’t remember that part of our conversation last night. I don't mind repeating myself, though.
“Well, there’s Lilly and Hanako. But I don’t really talk to either of them outside of class. The only time I talk to them during the school day is lunch. Sometimes.”
“No one from back home? I know you have a phone, what’s stopping you from calling?”
“There's no one to call. I lost all ties to my old friends and really, my old life, during my hospital stay; the only contacts I have left are Mom and Dad.” I admit.
Akira gives a disappointed groan, “c’mon, party boy, you need more buddies.”
Before I can answer, she spots my phone on the table and adjusts her position in the recliner, perched on the chair arm as she reaches out and snatches it up.
The lack of password protection offers no impediment as she taps through the contents of my cell phone, thumbs flying across the keys as she inputs some kind of command or information into the plastic slab.
“There, now you’ve got someone to talk to.”
She tosses my phone back, landing it square in my lap with an airy ‘pomf.’ Upon searching through my miniscule contacts list, I notice a new entry: [Akira S. XXX-XXX-XXXX].
“Really now? I’m sure you have better or more important things to do than talk with me.”
“Hisao, what are we doing at this very moment? If I had something better or more important, don’t you think I’d be doing it?” she states with a hint of annoyance as she crosses her legs.
“I’m just saying; between the job, boyfriend, and other friends, should you be wasting time with a high schooler?”
“You’re not a waste of time." she responds, ignoring the first half of my argument, "here, you want to know how easy it is to get a hold of me? Send me a text massage.”
I wave my hand back and forth to concede the argument, but she insists. Better to get it out of the way, I suppose.
The message screen appears on my phone and I type Akira’s name into the ‘To:’ box, filling the next prompt with a simple ‘hi.’ The send button is pressed thereafter, which causes Akira’s phone to ring and vibrate after a few seconds.
“See, easy as that.” she comments with crossed arms.
The cellular device on her side of the table continues vibrating a second and third time, however. I check my phone to make sure I didn’t somehow call her, while she grabs hers and opens it, chuckling as she reads the caller ID.
“What’s up, little man?” she greets.
Well, that proves that she gets calls from other people. I may as well go along with her, though. If she wants me to talk to her, then I’ll talk to her; it's not like there’s anyone else to talk to.
“Oh, I’m doing fine. A little under the weather, but I’ll make it. How’s uncle Jiggy been doing?”
Uncle Jiggy? Is she talking to an aunt, or a cousin, or someone else?
“Yeah, that sounds about right. You’re an expert at dealing with him though, right?” she says into the receiver of the black flip phone.
A few more moments on indistinguishable murmur comes from the speaker before Akira responds with “don’t worry, Lilly and I will be stopping by before we head out, maybe we’ll be able to go out and do something. Speaking of which, are you and Shizune coming with us?”
Shizune? Shizune who? Student council president Shizune?
More noise, and then “I know she and Lilly have gripes with each other, but- hey now, don’t say things like that. She’s your aunt as much as she is mine.”
I’m not even going to try and speculate on any of this. There’s so much new and unknown information flowing into my head that I wouldn’t know what to make connections with.
“Well, we’re leaving tomorrow. Try and make up your mind before then.”
It’s awkward listening to other people talk on the phone; like eavesdropping on a conversation where only one person can speak with an audible volume.
“There’s plenty to do in Inverness, you know. We could go sightseeing, or on a boat ride; maybe we could go to the beach, too. I’d need to buy a new swimsuit, though.”
Inverness? I'm no master of geography, but I'm pretty sure that's in Europe. Are they going on vacation or something? At the very least, it gives my imagination something to take and run with. I wonder if she’s the one-piece or the two-piece type...
"Oh c'mon, you can take a break from 'training to outdo Shizune' and get out of that old house for a week. All work and no play makes Hideaki a dull boy.”
Now there’s a Hideaki. Is it a brother I haven’t heard of yet? A cousin? Or... twenty-four is old enough to have a kid, isn't it? It doesn’t help that she’s talking to him like a child!
“Alright, alright, I getcha. It's just gonna be Lilly and I on the trip then. I do have business to take care of while we’re there, though. After all, there is a sick aunt I haven’t seen since I was in elementary school. And there’s always issues with Father that need to be tackled.”
‘Sick aunt’ and ‘issues with father;’ just a few more things on the never-ending list of curiosities.
“You gotta go already? Alright, I’ll see you soon. Take care, little man.”
She slaps the phone shut and tosses it onto the table, heaving a tired sigh as she flops back against the cushioned chair.
“Family?” I ask.
“Yep. That was a cousin of mine.”
“Do you spent a lot of time with your cousins?"
"'Cousin' is more like it. I haven't seen the other one in a long while, so I can't say much for her. I head over there every once in a while though. Uncle Jiggy really helped me out a couple of years back, and I feel guilty if I don't keep up with him.”
"At least you keep up with your extended family. I don't really know what that's like, since I haven't heard from any of my aunts or uncles since my first week in the hospital."
“Well, it helps that most of my primary family lives on a different continent now.”
“Wait, what?”
Akira turns in the chair and lays on her side, facing me. “Oh, I never told you? My parents live in Scotland."
“Scotland? You mean to tell me you're from all the way over there?"
The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. The blonde hair, the vibrant eye color, the height...
“My mother is. My father is from here in Japan, which is where Lilly and I were both born. They lived here up until a few years ago, when Father decided he’d establish the family business’ headquarters over in Inverness.” she answers, brow narrowed in a mixture of annoyance and displeasure.
So it wasn’t always just Akira and Lilly; there used to be parents with them as well. She also seems to hail from a history of business-oriented people, so that explains the professional aura that seems to follow her around, even when she’s playing video games in an arcade or hustling a teenager for drinks over a game of billiards.
If so, why doesn’t she have a position at her family’s company? I don’t know a lot of things about the business world, but why would she be working a job she feels like she’s stuck with if there might be a better profession a phone call and maybe a plane flight away?
“So that makes you half-Scottish then? I was not expecting that.”
“You’d be surprised to hear how much I get that.” she replies with an amused chuckle.
“It explains the height and eyes as well, really.”
“Actually, my mother is pretty short. I get the height from my father, as well as the eyes.” she responds with a hint of displeasure, as if regretting that she resembled her dad in any way.
“Speaking of which; what was that you said about a trip? Taking a vacation?”
“Hah, I wish. Like I said, I’m going to visit a sick aunt, although ‘sick’ might just be the understatement of the century according to the phone call I got from my mother.”
“That’s never a good sign. Do you know how’s she doing?”
“Nope, not a clue; that’s why we’re heading over to check on her. I haven’t seen her since I was six and I doubt Lilly was even old enough to crawl at the time; but hey, she’s family.”
“Is that why you were trying to get your cousin to come along?”
“Huh? Hideaki? Nah, the kid needs to get out more often. Staying cooped up in that house with no one but Mr. Hakamichi has got to get old after a while; I'm trying to do him a favor.” she retorts.
“Hakamichi? As in... Shizune Hakamichi?”
Akira shoots a surprised glance in my direction before nodding her head. “Yes, actually. How do you know her?”
“I sit right next to her in class, as well as Misha, if you know her.”
“Aha, you can’t meet Shizune without getting to know Misha. How have they been doing?”
“They seem alright. A little pushy when it comes to student council business, but they’re doing well enough as far as I can tell.”
“That’s good. I haven’t had a chance to talk to either of them since last year. There was a time when I could go up to the school and have tea with both of them as well as Lilly, but, well...” she trails off, letting out a wistful sigh.
It’s at this point that Akira seems to grow tired of the room being so dark. She climbs onto her feet and paces over to the corner, pressing a button on the wall that causes the curtains to slide apart. The sound of a faint hum fills the silence as my eyes are bombarded by the first real amounts of natural light all morning.
My sight is truly overwhelmed, however, as Akira steps out in front of the window, back arched and arms raised to the ceiling in a stretch. The silhouette of her figure contrasts with the sunlight emanating from outside, creating an image which, like many others, will be impressed into my mind until I lay on my death bed.
“What’s the matter? Do I have something on my face?” she asks, tugging on the bottom of her shirt in what looks like an attempt to straighten out all the wrinkles that have accumulated during her slumber.
“Nothing, just admiring the view.” I comment.
One blonde eyebrow rises as she steps over and looks out the window.
“That’s why I got the place. There isn’t anything else like it.”
“What time is it?” I ask as my eyes jump over to the hanging wall clock.
“One fifteen. I should probably get to packing.” Akira comments, “you got anything planned for today?”
I shake my head; “I've got some homework, nothing else really.”
There’s also the fact that I haven’t taken my medication today, which could be a very, very bad thing depending on how you look at it. Maybe I should invest in one of those pocket pillboxes.
“But eh, it’s about time for me to head out either way.”
“You need a lift?” Akira asks, perking up.
A lift? Has she ever mentioned having a car?
Nah, that’s beside the point. Even if she did, I couldn’t allow myself to get pulled along any further -- I try to make a point of not overstaying my welcome.
“Ah, no thank you. I’d feel terrible if I crashed at your place and then let you drive me home. I can make it on the bus; it’s how I got here after all.”
“I’m not asking out of good will, I’m asking because I want someone to show off to. I've had that car for 3 years and the only people I've ever driven around are Lilly and a few friends.” she argues, a mischievous grin emerging on her lips.
“Even so, there’s some other things I need to take care of. It just makes more sense to take the bus.”
“Awww, spoil sport.”
“Maybe some other day.” I call out as I slip back into my shoes and stand up.
“Fair enough. I’ll see you around, Hisao.”
“Well, uh, it’ll be pretty hard to randomly run into each other if you’re halfway across the world.” I reply, chuckling. “I might text or call you, though.”
“Touche.” she responds, a look of amusement gracing her features.
“Later, Akira. Hope your trip goes well.”
“You and me both.” she answers, waving her hand as I make my way to the door.
I turn the brass handle and step out into the miniscule pseudo-lobby, having to wait a solid minute for the elevator to arrive.
So far, it's been a rather successful day. More time with the woman I find myself harboring stronger feelings for with each passing moment, more jokes and bitter comments exchanged, and more information picked up about her background life.
She’s going to be gone for a week, but I don’t think that’s going to affect anything. If I really get so desperate, I can just text her -- I’m sure she’ll be free enough to answer my pointless rambling.
Last edited by Thanatos02 on Sun Nov 11, 2012 12:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
Lovin it! Such a happy tone compared to some other fanfics I've read.
Only problem I had is that going from reading every other chapter at once, to just this update, it feels pretty short
This isnt the end of act 3 is it? Act 2 had what, 8 parts, right?
Hanako: 9.5/10 Emi: 9/10 Rin: 7/10 (Also the last playthrough I did, didn't take it that seriously. Lilly: 8/10 Shizune: 7/10 Some really great fanfics: Ascent: An Emilogue, Weekend at Hisao's, Listen to your Heart, Miki Route by Meadows, Akira Pseudo-Route by Thanatos02, and Misha Route by Doomish
Po1ntBlank wrote:This isnt the end of act 3 is it?
We're just gettin' started, mang.
Okay great! Keep in mind I arrived at the end of Act 2, so I wasn't sure how you released them. Keep em coming!
Hanako: 9.5/10 Emi: 9/10 Rin: 7/10 (Also the last playthrough I did, didn't take it that seriously. Lilly: 8/10 Shizune: 7/10 Some really great fanfics: Ascent: An Emilogue, Weekend at Hisao's, Listen to your Heart, Miki Route by Meadows, Akira Pseudo-Route by Thanatos02, and Misha Route by Doomish
Act 3-2 coming up. This one took longer than expected since I couldn't stop playing Majora's Mask. I also spent a lot of time revising the pseudo-route outline, since I've come up with a lot of plans and "IDEA-IDEA-IDEA-IDEA" starts to get a little clunky and unreadable after a while. There's some more nifty and fun stuff coming along though, so hopefully it'll stay interesting enough for people to want to keep up.
Despite the amount of time it took to write, it is a little shorter than expected. I think I covered everything that needs to be said for this portion of the story though, so it should be alright. Comments and criticism are welcome if anyone has a conflicting opinion, however.
Act 3 - Part 2-1: Progress
The tapping of chalk against blackboard, the drone of a long-winded lecture, and the hum of an automated AC all mix together to create a sound whose only purpose is to remind me that I'm back in class.
“We're going to be having a test over everything in chapters eleven and thirteen on Wednesday, so make sure you're taking time to study. I'm not going to be grading anything on a curve this time.” Mutou announces before going onto the next part of the lesson, which involves a heinous amount of unit converting.
With the exception of that one girl in the front row, everyone in class is awake today. Even the most lethargic of us has elected to pay attention, thanks to the threat of exams drawing closer with each passing day.
Still, I can't believe it's already near the end of the first trimester. I've been here for a little less than a month and the first part of the school year is already narrowing to a close. It's jarring, really; the fact that I've only been in class for a third of the usual time. It doesn't feel like very long compared to the endless madness I spent in the company of white walls, white floors, and white ceilings.
And like always, I still need to get off of that. I keep telling myself that I'm going to move forward from here, and yet my mind is always going back to that. It helps that I've found some things to distract me from that past, like spending time with Akira, but at this rate I'm never going to be free of it.
Speaking of Akira, she and Lilly left yesterday, didn't they? I wasn't there to say goodbye or wish them well, but she's the sort to stick to schedule as far as I can tell.
One week. No being invited to that empty classroom for tea or awkward discussions about Lilly's sister. No running into Akira by pure chance time after time, like she were some kind of fairy just waiting for the moment to appear before me.
At least she's only a phone call away, right? Too bad the message I sent this morning has yet to be returned. Wouldn't that be something; if the number she gave me was wrong. Or hell, maybe she realized she doesn't want me to bother her while she's away. Regardless, I can't stop from getting my hopes up no matter the situation.
I manage to look up and see Mutou finishing writing something on the board, his eyes scanning the peanut gallery as he looks for today's victim.
“Hisao, would you like to come up and solve this problem for us?”
“Oh, sur-”
That...
It's not hard to solve, since I've made a habit of reading ahead in the book, but...
That's a lot of numbers. And most of them are in incompatible measurements. I don't care who you are -- dimensional analysis sucks, moreso when you don't have a calculator. Why can’t we just have one unified unit across the globe? Everything could be measured in poofs.
Farenheit? Poofs. Kelvin? Poofs. Atmospheres? Poofs. Molarity? Poofs. It's all poofs. A poof is equal to a poof is equal to a poof.
But wait, that doesn’t make sense, as much as I want it to. Things like temperature and weight are two entirely different spectrum of measurement. That's why it exists in the first place. At least I understand how it all works though.
*************
“And there you have it. See, it’s not that hard once you get the hang of it like Mr. Nakai here.” Mutou calls out to the class, brimming with enthusiasm as I write the answer to three decimal places on the board at the end of a long bout of hapless arithmetic.
My arm hurts. I must have been up there for at least fifteen minutes.
“Sadly, that’s all we have for today. Before you leave, though, make sure you’ve got these dates written down. Those of you who are planning to get a jump start on your higher education ought to pay attention here.”
Without waiting for a response from the student body, Mutou pulls a small flyer out of his briefcase and begins copying a list of times and locations onto the board in two columns; one for exam locations and another for test dates.
College entrance exams, the bane of every Japanese high school student. It doesn’t matter if you’re a student of Yamaku or one of the many other high schools in the country; it’s nothing to joke about. It doesn’t help that I’ve finally made up my mind on going to college, so I can’t just beat around the bush with the excuse “I don’t know what I want to do with my life” looming over my time here.
Akira’s advice tends to get mixed in with that thought now, however. I want to go to college, and I want to be prepared for a real job in the field, but I don’t know what I could ever do as a back-up plan. What if life doesn’t wait for me to finish my education? How could I possibly deal with that?
As if he timed it to the second, the lunch bell rings right as Mutou puts the final note on the board, finishing up our science lesson for the day. The class doesn’t wait for permission to leave as they all hop out of the seats and file out the door, ready to fill their daily quota of waiting in line.
My attempt to join them is met with a gesture from the teacher at the front of the room, followed by a cordial “very good work today, Hisao!”
“Ah, thanks. I think I could have worked that problem a little quicker, though.” I respond.
“Don’t worry about it, you did fine. I actually picked the wrong problem, so you solved something from tomorrow’s lesson.”
Oh, well THAT explains it.
“I’m quite amazed you got through it, in fact. We haven’t gone over ionization energy yet, so there was actually a part of the question you wouldn’t have been able to answer if you weren’t reading ahead.” he asserts, eyeballing me with a mixture of pride and joy.
“Well, yeah, I have been reading ahead…”
Most of the time it’s because I get carried away, however. I wish I could claim that I were this amazing, devoted student; but in reality I run out of things to do, so instead of doing the bare minimum I decide to keep reading in the chapter until I get so bored that I can’t stay awake.
“And that’s great! Think you’re ready for that upcoming test?” he asks, not even having to look down at the desk as he works the many piles of paper into one unified stack.
“It shouldn't be a problem. I've been able to keep up for the most part.”
“How about entrance exams; got a school picked out yet?”
And that's where my problem begins.
There so many different options in Japan – how am I supposed to just pick one?! There's regional colleges, schools just for science, general preparation schools to get you ready for a college or university; hell, I could shoot for the stars and apply to Tokyo U.
I don't even know what I want to specialize in anyway. A generic 'sciences' degree probably won't get me very far, but I don't want to be stuck in school for a decade trying to get my Ph.D in theoretical astronomy. I may as well just pick two things and flip a coin to decide between them, because I'm never going to make up my mind at this rate.
“Uhhhhh...”
“Don't worry, you have time.” Mutou responds with a smile, “we were all there at one point.”
“Are entrance exams particularly difficult?”
At this, the duster-clad man before me drops whatever he was going, his entire body going stiff as he stares me down.
“I want to say it depends on where you apply, but I'm not going to lie to you. Even the lower tier schools will throw some tough material at you.”
Ooh, yeah, that’s exactly what I want to hear. Why should anything be easy? That would be boring.
“It’s not impossible by any means, but you’re going to have to do some outside learning if you want to ace it, or at least increase your chances.” he states.
“What do the tests cover?”
He scratches at the disheveled scruff on his chin, trying to think of the appropriate response.
“That also depends on where you apply. I went to a prefectural college, so mine covered multiple subjects, even though I had already declared myself as a chemistry major on the application.”
Great. Can’t find out what’s on the test until I figure out where I want to go. It’s like solving for ‘X;' nothing else matters until I get that one little variable sorted out.
“Any ideas on where I should apply? I’m still on the fence about which discipline I want to pursue, but there’s got to be a school of general science, right?”
“Well, most schools do have a generic 2-year science program. It’s not enough for some careers though; you might have to head to a university if you want to specialize in say, sociobiology or theoretical chemistry.” Mutou answers, his inability to restrain his enthusiasm quite apparent.
“Okay, so, where should I get started?” I ask.
There’s a lot of extraneous information here. What I need to do afterwards doesn’t really matter until I get the first step down.
“You know you want to work in the field of science, right?”
I nod my head.
“There’s small community college in the city. I’ve got their testing dates right here on the board. Applying isn’t that hard either.” he replies, pointing to a stack of handouts on the desk, which happen to be the only papers he hasn’t haphazardly shoved into his briefcase.
On one of the white sheets is information for entrance exams for three different colleges in the area, all of which are quite a ways off.
“Not due for another three months.” I comment aloud.
“I told you, you have a bit of time to get yourself sorted out.” Mutou responds with an amused smile. “I think you’ve got everything you need. I’ve got to go run some material off for another class, so I’m going to have to leave you here, feel free to ask me anything you want later on.”
With that said, he snaps the brown carrying case shut and lets it dangle from one lazy arm as he takes his leave from the classroom, leaving me here in silence.
I don’t want to procrastinate on getting this stuff in and beginning to prepare for the exam, but… three months. I have ninety days to get this done. There shouldn’t be a rush at all.
Speaking of exam preparation, is there any way to find out what’s going to be on the exam? What about study guides? Does the library here have anything of that sort? Even a generic “one-hundred steps to college success” guide is better than what I've got now.
I may as well take a trip to the library anyway. There's these two books I checked out near the beginning of the year that I've lost interest in, and I'm sure they're past due date by now. I don’t have any cash on me though, so if there is a system for overdue charges then they’ll just have to wait.
It takes only a few minutes to leave the classroom and make my way to the Yamaku stockpile of fiction and nonfiction, stepping onto that carpeted floor for the first time in weeks.
The musty smell of aged paper causes my brain to spring to life for something other than science or existential moping for the first time in a while. It's a nice feeling, although it doesn't do anything to deter the guilt I feel for avoiding the library these past few weeks.
Being lunchtime, there’s not a very high attendance rate; as far as I can tell, it’s just me. Even Yuuko has managed to disappear.
Is there more than one librarian, or is Yuuko the only one tasked to the library? What about the Shanghai – I’ve never seen any other waiters or waitresses or any other staff there at all, really. Does she work both the library and the cafe at the same time? Running back and forth whenever a motion sensor detects that someone has entered the other location?
That could be why she’s never here when I’m first walking in! Taking care of something under the counter is just a clever ruse – she’s just getting here through some sort of underground passage!
Are there two Yuukos? Maybe she has a twin sister, or a clone. Or even worse, the Yuuko that works in the library is actually a Yuuko from a parallel universe, and I never see both her and our universe’s Shanghai Yuuko together because reality would collapse if they were to m-
Book. Turn in. For the love of all that is holy, I’m starting to sound like Kenji. That night on the roof messed me up in more ways than one.
I grab the pair of novels from my book bag and slide them into the return slot, which in turn sets off…
‘THUMP’
“Owww, you could have warned me!” a voice calls out from beneath the library desk.
Within the moment; an injured Yuuko pops up, rubbing the back of her head in pain.
“Oh, Hisao! It’s been a while since you’ve come in here.” the auburn-haired girl across from me comments, still wincing from the collision.
“Sorry, I’ve had a lot of other things going on. Haven’t been able to make it to the library.” I reply.
“It’s alright. We don’t get new books in very often, so I don’t blame you for putting it at the bottom of your priority list.” she states.
Rather forward, as always.
“Does Yamaku have a policy on overdue books?” I ask, hoping to change the subject as fast as possible.
“Ah, we don’t.” she starts. “I think we should though. There’s a lot of people who come in and borrow books, then never return them. But there shouldn’t be fines, I say we make them re-catalogue everything, so they know how frustrating it is having to leave an empty spot on the shelf for those books that never seem to want to come back.”
I guess anyone can be passionate about their job, huh.
“That’s what book-ends are made for, aren’t they?”
“Well, yes, but… I like to plan ahead.” she counters. “There are some books I don’t even get to place on the shelf, though. We just got a new shipment last week, including a copy of a text on cryptography I ordered for the library on my own time. It went missing before I could even mark it as received!”
What does a high school need with a book on cryptograpy? What could anyone who attends this place need with encryption methods? And more importantly; why would they need it so badly that they’d steal it from a library?!
Last edited by Thanatos02 on Thu Nov 15, 2012 12:19 pm, edited 3 times in total.
I’d very much like to leave at this point, considering that my books are already dropped off. But, well, I’m already here, so I might as well take care of something else.
“Do we have any study guides here? Like, for college entrance exams?”
Yuuko jerks back in terror at the mere mention of the term ‘entrance exams’ and without a word, points to the row of book cases near the back of the library with a jittery hand.
That doesn’t answer my question in the slightest, but I think I’m good enough at randomly finding things to be well off without specific instructions. I nod to her and back away from the counter, careful to keep from making sudden movements as I inch my way over to the other accumulation of books and other texts.
The cataloging system the library uses is a foreign concept to me, considering that the hospital didn't organize their stock and I was never interested in reading before my bout with, well, death. As such, I assume that my best bet to find something is to wander the shelves up and down in search of anything that could be classified as a college preparation text.
Computer science… psychology… social sciences… English…
It doesn’t help that this library is rather large compared to anything we had at my old school. I want to know how you get to half of these books if there’s no stepping stools or ladders around. Am I supposed to scramble up and down the shelves like some kind of ape before Yuuko can come back and catch me?
At any rate, I’m not finding what I’m looking for. For all I know, there could be a one-hundred book series on exam prep, and I wouldn’t be any wiser since I’m not eight feet tall.
…What I can find, however, is a stash of bean bag chairs, with one occupied by a certain dark-haired girl. She seems to be in the middle of her lunch, as indicated by one cheek puffed outward in mid-chew.
She’s frozen in place, bookbag at her side and lunchbox open in her lap. Those amethyst-tinted eyes gaze up at me with uncertainty as half of a sandwich lingers between her lithe fingers.
Before any words can hop out of my mouth in response, Hanako swallows the hunk of sandwich she was chewing and asks me “n-not to tell Yuuko.”
Honestly, it makes sense that we wouldn’t be allowed to eat in the library. I don’t blame her though, since I wouldn’t want to go up to that empty classroom and eat by myself either, and I’m not enough of an honor student to even want to tell on her.
“Ah, don’t worry about it. Sorry if I’m bothering you.” I answer.
“Y-you’re not bothering me…” she replies after a pause, looking away as a slight blush emerges on her cheeks.
“Alright.” I respond, unable to think of anything other than that single word. My thoughts also appear to be trailing off in other ways, as the first thing I do is sit down on a bean bag chair opposite her, relieving my shoulder of the strap of my bag and letting it slump down beside me.
She looks me up and down with suspicion before resuming her secretive meal, taking small bites out of what appears to be egg salad on white bread. The box in her lap seems to contain the standard fare; a pocket of rice, some bits and pieces of mixed fruit, and a cookie.
I wonder if she makes it all herself. She seems like the ‘natural-born cook’ type, unlike me. I wouldn’t say I’m a bad chef, considering how much I had to learn on those many nights I was left home alone by working parents; but there’s no way I’d be able to prepare something like that, though.
“So, do you come here often?” I ask in an attempt to alleviate the silence.
…Did I really just say that? Oh my god, that sounded like a pick-up line! It helps to relax so I don't look like I'm forcing myself to talk to her, but that's just too much!
Hanako doesn’t jump when I speak, although she still gives me a look of surprise as she tries to compute the misworded question.
“Only for this w-week.” she answers.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t feel right eating in that classroom by myself either.” I respond, unsure of what to say or how to progress the conversation.
The dark-haired girl nods and finishes the last corner of her main course, content to let things remain quiet as she pulls out a pair of chopsticks and pops slices of apple into her mouth.
No other terrible conversation starters take form in my head as I’m left looking among the scenery of the library. It’s no doubt for the best; otherwise I’d wind up annoying her with questions about how she feels about Lilly’s absence.
It takes no time at all for Hanako to finish her meal, however, as she places the lid back on the small wooden box and slides it into her book bag, hands emerging from within the pack with…
“Oh, I know that book.” I comment, unable to keep the statement to myself.
There’s no way I could forget it. I’d have stared up at the ceiling and turned into a vegetable if it wasn’t for Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect keeping my brain functional.
Hanako glances up at me with a degree of uncertainty before responding with “d-do you?”
This time, I decide to answer with a little more restraint, lest she run away like a scared rabbit for the second time. “Yeah, I read it a few months ago. Are you liking it so far?”
“Y-yes.” she answers in a curt fashion, hiding part of her face behind the cover.
Scratch that, it’s starting to feel like a repeat of the first time I came to the library.
Rather than fidgeting around and looking for a way to escape, however, Hanako sets the book down and continues with “I-I’m on chapter five, I’ve b-been having fun reading it s-so far.” she stammers out, as if she were using every ounce of will in her body to try and keep the talk going.
“Oh, uh, yeah, it’s a pretty good read.” I reply. “Have you gotten to the part with the Vogons yet?”
“I’m j-just getting there.” she answers, a quiet giggle escaping her throat.
Is that because that’s one of the funniest parts of the book, or is she laughing because I somehow guessed right? Either way, it’s something.
And then, as if to spite me and laugh in the face of my meager success; the lunch bell rings, signaling the end of free time and a call to return to the relative tyranny of the classrooms.
Knowing that there’s no point in salvaging what little of a conversation we had going, I hop up to my feet and swing my bag around my shoulder, unable to keep from offering a hand to Hanako as she starts to rise up off of the bean bag chair.
She glances between my outstretched fingers and my expression before taking my hand with a bit of hesitation.
Even with something as minor as this, I can feel how frail she is. Slender fingers, pallid complexion, and a thin frame. Even with as little muscle as I have, it's easy to help her up to her feet.
Her footsteps match mine as we make the trek to the classroom, or at least they match for half of the way as she splits and heads in the opposite direction the second we step out of the library. I can’t help but call out a soft “I’ll see you around, Hanako.” as she paces in the opposite direction.
A timid “b-bye” follows as she waves back. It would seem that we aren't both headed for the next class, as she soon disappears into the stairwell down the hallway. I'm not sure why she's going somewhere else, since we have the same schedule, but I'm not going to think on it too hard. She tends to disappear a lot, as far as I can tell.
Well, let's look at the bright side for once; the fact that I got a response at all means that I at least made progress today. Considering the circumstances that led me to her in the first place, and the borderline-embarrassing amount of awkward silence it took to get a talk going; that's a bit of an achievement in its own right.
I wonder how Akira managed to become acquainted with her, considering her generally brash personality. Is it because of how relaxed Akira is at all times? Or maybe the Satou family radiates some kind of Hanako pacifying aura...
There's got to be some kind of a story behind that; I don't think the two met under the same circumstances as myself and Hanako.
But still, I hesitate to call it a ‘talk;' we exchanged maybe three or four sentences before the bell cut us off. Regardless, it was enough to actually get acquainted beyond names. With that in mind, it shouldn't be too difficult to try talking to her again. If anything, I can just give Akira a call and find out what kind of wizardry she employs to keep a conversation going.
Hell, maybe there will come a day in the future where I can join Hanako and Lilly for tea and not feel out-of-place.
Last edited by Thanatos02 on Sat Oct 18, 2014 12:00 am, edited 4 times in total.
Haha Dimensional Analysis. I admit I hated it at first, but when you really understand why it's better than the other ways of converting, and you have a good scientific calculator, at least it makes sense.
Is it weird that Hisao, who is so good at science, is learning as a Senior what I learned as a Sophomore?
Also, I'm almost certain high schools have Semesters, as in two. Two quarters per semester, two semesters per year, isn't it middle school that has Trimesters
Also, you posted act 3 2-1 twice
Edit: Now after finishing it, I just want to give you a little thanks. Not many fanfic authors are still publishing (at least the ones that I am following) so when I'm sitting in my bed with the flu, and I decide to go on my computer for a minute or so, seeing the email that you replied to this topic really cheered me up. Thanks!
Hanako: 9.5/10 Emi: 9/10 Rin: 7/10 (Also the last playthrough I did, didn't take it that seriously. Lilly: 8/10 Shizune: 7/10 Some really great fanfics: Ascent: An Emilogue, Weekend at Hisao's, Listen to your Heart, Miki Route by Meadows, Akira Pseudo-Route by Thanatos02, and Misha Route by Doomish
Po1ntBlank wrote:Haha Dimensional Analysis. I admit I hated it at first, but when you really understand why it's better than the other ways of converting, and you have a good scientific calculator, at least it makes sense.
Is it weird that Hisao, who is so good at science, is learning as a Senior what I learned as a Sophomore?
The game talks about chemistry, so I'm gonna do some chemistry. Also, they're not learning how to do dimensional analysis, it's the fact that Mutou wrote a ridiculously long problem on the board. Something like determining the ionization energy of a compound, so you've got to go through all that equilibrium nonsense and it's been a few years since I took AP chem so I apologize if I say something stupid.
Also, I'm almost certain high schools have Semesters, as in two. Two quarters per semester, two semesters per year, isn't it middle school that has Trimesters
Really? I thought both middle and secondary education ran on a 3-part year. That's what all the sources I checked said, anyway.
Also, you posted act 3 2-1 twice
Oh DEARS.
I don't even know how that happened. The 'delete post' tab isn't popping up for me, so it's either going to sit there as an awkward semi-blank post, or a mod is going to have to waste more of their time with me and delete the post. Either way, thanks for pointing that out.
Edit: Now after finishing it, I just want to give you a little thanks. Not many fanfic authors are still publishing (at least the ones that I am following) so when I'm sitting in my bed with the flu, and I decide to go on my computer for a minute or so, seeing the email that you replied to this topic really cheered me up. Thanks!
Comments like this give me that 'butterflies' feeling. Glad you like it so far, man.
Thanatos02 wrote:Really? I thought both middle and secondary education ran on a 3-part year. That's what all the sources I checked said, anyway.
Correct. The Japanese school system has trimesters from elementary school to the end of high school.
I'm not completely sure about college, but that's not relevant here.
Thanatos02 wrote:Really? I thought both middle and secondary education ran on a 3-part year. That's what all the sources I checked said, anyway.
Correct. The Japanese school system has trimesters from elementary school to the end of high school.
I'm not completely sure about college, but that's not relevant here.
Oh right, totally blanked about the fact they are in Japan. My bad.
Hanako: 9.5/10 Emi: 9/10 Rin: 7/10 (Also the last playthrough I did, didn't take it that seriously. Lilly: 8/10 Shizune: 7/10 Some really great fanfics: Ascent: An Emilogue, Weekend at Hisao's, Listen to your Heart, Miki Route by Meadows, Akira Pseudo-Route by Thanatos02, and Misha Route by Doomish
Proud member of Polish Route - group that translated Katawa Shoujo to Polish. Full translation released!
