"Can You Open Your Heart?" - a Rika pseudo-route

[Titus]

Right. Excellent, there may be more fanfic! And the characters you chose are spot and deserve it (Christ just what is so appealing about making HanakoFic #14321 ?). I've been trying to come up with criticism so I don't sound like such a yes-man, but ... can't think of one. Well alright, I'll eagerly await your next story

[azahk101]

I just want to start by saying what an amazing writer you are. Even after having just read some amazing pseudo-routes like Aiko's and Suzu's, I think I may have appreciated the message that you brought across in your Rika pseudo-route. After reading the "good" ending (and almost crying afterwards) I believed that Hisao and Rika were talking about how good death was to them and only them. It wasnt until I read through it again (still pretty teary-eyed) that I realized Rika wasn't talking about how good death seems to them. It was actually her realizing how good their lives really were, and how, with their limited lives, they really can appreciate it more than anyone else instead of just trying to throw it away. I'm not sure if this was pretty much automatically picked up by everyone on their first read-through, but it really hit me hard and I wanted to just tell you how much your writing has affected me.

Also, I wanted you to know that even now people like me are still reading and enjoying your writing. So cheers man, you really have a knack for this kind of stuff!

Just a side note: I'm bad with spoiler tags, and couldn't decide whether this needed any or not. On well!

[Rikabro]

It wasnt until I read through it again (still pretty teary-eyed) that I realized Rika wasn't talking about how good death seems to them. It was actually her realizing how good their lives really were, and how, with their limited lives, they really can appreciate it more than anyone else instead of just trying to throw it away.

One of the hardest things about writing is knowing when you're getting your point across, so it's really rewarding when I hear people saying that they saw exactly what I was driving at. So thank you. That really means a lot to me.

I'm not sure if this was pretty much automatically picked up by everyone on their first read-through

I think a lot of people didn't understand it, no. I was being a bit cryptic because one of the things I enjoy in reading is figuring things out for myself and I like writing that obscures its meaning a little. So I wanted to try and be a bit vague as a reward for attentive readers.

Thanks again, your comment really made my day.

[PyroOgre]

I'm not a fanfiction reader generally, but I figured I would give this a shot this weekend and read through the whole thing. In short, wow. Rika had a completely fleshed out personality, the story itself was very well-written, and even Hisao was a very well-done character, at least in some instances. In others he went into "master of romance" mode, but that's not a shot at the writing, that's how he is meant to be portrayed. In particular I loved the firefly imagery near the end, it hit me a lot more than I was expecting it to.

The only minor criticism I would have is that I wouldn't call it much of an emotional roller-coaster compared to the canon routes, but given the way Rika treats her issues and the way the story was written, there wasn't really a way around it, and attempting to add more "feels" (I don't like using the word but I can't think of an alternative) would have ended up hurting the story. Still, I have to say I felt worse for Emi and Miki at the end rather than Rika and Hisao, but that's partially due to how well portrayed the former two were; made me want to go through Emi's route again, actually.

Extremely well-done, with just the right amount of pieces of Rin and Emi's routes mixed in with a truly original character.

[Riakai]

Coulda SWORE I commented on here.

Well, fuck. No rant for me, too late for that.
But, I can give a mini-summary-thingy.

Loved it all to pieces, second full-route Fan-Fic I've read about KS. (First was Suzu, Gateway Dru-Fan-Fics are not good for the soul)

The piece was put together very well, and the choices were also put in good places. The hospital scenes were depressingly amazing, and the camp out was fabulous.

Also...
Rika's character is extremely familiar to a lot of my friends, should I be worried or glad?

[OMGnara]

Started and finished this all today. How the hours pass when you're immersed in a good FF.

Rika kinda reminds me of an easier to understand Rin, maybe 'cause Rin was my least liked girl. But I still thoroughly enjoyed this.

[Trogdor]

Aww, I'm inspired to write them a little poem.

Hisao and Rika sitting in a tree
F-U-C-K-I-N-G.
First comes a baby, then comes divorce,
Then a double heart attack, of course.

[Brisingr]

I can't believe it took me this long to read this fanfic. I've had this fic under my KS bookmarks for a few months like a few other fics just waiting for me to be bored enough to read them and once again, I was completely blown away. It took me 2 days to read this with the only interruptions being food and my job. I can say with certainty that I will read this again and would definitely recommend it to a friend (and likely will).

[sanduba]

Yo! I'm reading this, I'm already at Act 4, and I didn't understand this:

He sighs thoughtfully before continuing. “Well, Nakai, while I was grading it I noticed a substantial error in my grading key that resulted in me scoring many of the answers unfairly. I’m ashamed to admit I didn’t notice it myself until I saw a pattern of even the best students submitting incorrect answers. Once I noticed that the error was in my grading key, I had to backtrack through every examination and grade those answers all over again. Strangely, I came upon not one, but two examinations where the answer had been marked as correct. The error on my grading key had been replicated with total precision.”

Can someone explain it to me?

[BlackWaltzTheThird]

As I understand it, Mutou's saying that the answer sheet against which he was marking the students' tests had a mistake in it. As a result, a number of students who had the correct answer were being marked as incorrect. However, Mutou noticed that two of the students' papers included an answer identical to the erroneous one on the answer sheet. Because of this, Mutou suspects that the two students in question may have cheated by obtaining a copy of the answer sheet and writing its answers on their test papers.

Is this an okay explanation?

[ProfAllister]

As I understand it, Mutou's saying that the answer sheet against which he was marking the students' tests had a mistake in it. As a result, a number of students who had the correct answer were being marked as incorrect. However, Mutou noticed that two of the students' papers included an answer identical to the erroneous one on the answer sheet. Because of this, Mutou suspects that the two students in question may have cheated by obtaining a copy of the answer sheet and writing its answers on their test papers.

Is this an okay explanation?

More a matter of multiple answers being wrong in the answer key. Think multiple choice - the correct answers are A, C, B, E. The answer key (erroneously) lists the correct answers as C, B, B, D. It will raise a few eyebrows when a teacher correcting the papers notices not one, but two individuals who answer C, B, B, D. The larger the inaccuracy, the more suspicious it looks when two students are getting all the right answers on a wrong answer key (the implication being that just one might be a fluke, but two indicates likely foul play).

[sanduba]

Thanks bros. I get it now.

[bnash22]

This story came out 2 years ago. and it's still being read and fawned over today. Feel proud of yourself, this is genuine gold. i'm glad I took the time to read fanfic, because this and scissorlips snoozu route both had me teary eyed. did you make anything else you're proud of afterwards? i'd love to read it.

[PPGX1337]

Just finished reading this and I really loved it. And the ending is perfect.

Are you going to do more fan fiction?If so I really hoope it's as good as this one.

[Patriqwp]

It's my first fanfic after finishing KS, and I'm torn apart after reading this one. Especially after bad ending.
Wonderful, uncommon. Work of art.
I'm gonna print it and frame, even with missing Act 1 stuff. Can I ask for your blessing Rikabro?

Damn good job.