Hanako's Story (COMPLETED 18/08/2014)

[Mute]

Look at what she says in the last scene:
"E-every birthday was the same. Everyone doing their best to pretend that I mattered. Everyone doing their best to pretend that I mattered. Everyone pretending everything was all right... for that one day of the year."
"I didn't want to exist, but they wouldn't let me. Even after meeting Lilly... everything was the same. I was as useless as I'd always been, unable to do anything for her, or for myself."

These lines are basically saying that reason she hates her birthday is because it was the one time people went out of their way to be kind to her. But all they did was rub salt into the wound, because by trying to pretend for that one day that only made it more apparent they didn't really care for her when you contrast it to how she was treated on every besides her birthday. Also, she resented it because she knew that the only reason people were being kind to her was because it was her birthday.

Just wanted to address this point. In her bad ending, she states that she hates Hisao, Lilly and pretty much everyone else who tries to "fix her", and she hates her birthday because of the reasons you listed. It surprises me that she hates Lilly, because from what I've read it seems like Lilly genuinely enjoys spending her time with Hanako. I guess Lilly never stated this herself, but she definitely looks like she enjoys it. And besides, Lilly is the one who suggests to let Hanako deal with her birthday herself.

I'll blame this on Hanako having blown a fuse at that moment. Lilly wasn't really all that focused on "fixing" Hanako, I think. Although.. that was probably one of the reasons they were friends, I don't think that was her primary focus. Meh..

[Guest Poster]

Look at what she says in the last scene:
"E-every birthday was the same. Everyone doing their best to pretend that I mattered. Everyone doing their best to pretend that I mattered. Everyone pretending everything was all right... for that one day of the year."
"I didn't want to exist, but they wouldn't let me. Even after meeting Lilly... everything was the same. I was as useless as I'd always been, unable to do anything for her, or for myself."

These lines are basically saying that reason she hates her birthday is because it was the one time people went out of their way to be kind to her. But all they did was rub salt into the wound, because by trying to pretend for that one day that only made it more apparent they didn't really care for her when you contrast it to how she was treated on every besides her birthday. Also, she resented it because she knew that the only reason people were being kind to her was because it was her birthday.

Just wanted to address this point. In her bad ending, she states that she hates Hisao, Lilly and pretty much everyone else who tries to "fix her", and she hates her birthday because of the reasons you listed. It surprises me that she hates Lilly, because from what I've read it seems like Lilly genuinely enjoys spending her time with Hanako. I guess Lilly never stated this herself, but she definitely looks like she enjoys it. And besides, Lilly is the one who suggests to let Hanako deal with her birthday herself.

I'll blame this on Hanako having blown a fuse at that moment. Lilly wasn't really all that focused on "fixing" Hanako, I think. Although.. that was probably one of the reasons they were friends, I don't think that was her primary focus. Meh..

It's probably best to see those remarks in the proper context. Hanako doesn't hate Lilly. When Hisao asks Hanako about Lilly during their second trip into the city, Hanako says she loves Lilly very much and that she's a very special person to her. Of course, that was when she was calm and relatively at ease. The "I hate Lilly and you" was when she was severely depressed and feeling horrible about herself and...basically everything else and then has to hear Hisao basically admitting he and Lilly just got off the phone worrying about her behind her back.

Hanako's a girl whose ability to trust other people was severely damaged when her elementary school friends stabbed her in the back. Whenever others are friendly to her, her first inpulse is to distrust them. It's a survival mechanism. She has to make a concious effort to keep that paranoia in check. During the times she's feeling horrible, she's incapable of making that effort. When she's at ease, she comes very close to believing her friendship with Lilly and Hisao is genuine. When she's depressed, her emotional trauma tells her that her friends merely interact with her out of pity. It all depends on her mood.

Lilly's problem is the fact that her motherly tendencies get overbearing sometimes and that she tends to worry a bit too much about others, which sends the wrong message to Hanako, but she doesn't look down on her friend. (no matter what Hanako believes during times of emotional duress)

[Oscar Wildecat]

Lilly's problem is the fact that her motherly tendencies get overbearing sometimes and that she tends to worry a bit too much about others, which sends the wrong message to Hanako, but she doesn't look down on her friend. (no matter what Hanako believes during times of emotional duress)

Also, IMHO, Hanako didn't hate Hisao as a person in her bad end path, just the fact that he was being a coddling idiot. I think this fact makes this end path such fertile ground for continuation fan fics. All it takes is for Hanako to recover from her emotion duress and for Hisao to extract his head from his anus to get their relationship restarted. (Of course, "All it takes" is often easier said than done...)

[Lianam]

...and for Hisao to extract his head from his anus...

Hahahaha- that's I silly idea.
I doubt he'd do that because I don't think he realizes where his head is because his head there, ironically.

In all seriousness though, I'm not sure he'd do that or not- Hisao does have a bad track record of being clueless when it comes to the girls, but who knows- he might pull it off. Then again, I don't think Hanako would have the heart to talk to him after that- I think she'd feel guilty enough that she'd want to make things up with him, but she's too guilty to actually talk to him.

[Dream]

Hahahahaha, nice ending Trivun.

I'm not going to comment in the current debate because i'm honestly not interested and comes accross as the usual Hanako route discussion. I would have to agree however that something felt a bit off in Hanako's monologue and reasoning according to what i saw in the route and my idea of Hanako, but IIRC that could be chalked up to different interpretations. Would be interested in this or any other fanfic you decide to write.

[Trivun]

From what I've read so far, It's good. But- and this is really important- but you do realize that the reason Hanako hates her birthday isn't because she blames herself for her parents death?

Look at what she says in the last scene:
"E-every birthday was the same. Everyone doing their best to pretend that I mattered. Everyone doing their best to pretend that I mattered. Everyone pretending everything was all right... for that one day of the year."
"I didn't want to exist, but they wouldn't let me. Even after meeting Lilly... everything was the same. I was as useless as I'd always been, unable to do anything for her, or for myself."

These lines are basically saying that reason she hates her birthday is because it was the one time people went out of their way to be kind to her. But all they did was rub salt into the wound, because by trying to pretend for that one day that only made it more apparent they didn't really care for her when you contrast it to how she was treated on every besides her birthday. Also, she resented it because she knew that the only reason people were being kind to her was because it was her birthday.
Remember that part in the prologue where Hisao gets all of the gifts during the first week, and they stopped after that because they were only being sent as a class project? And that's the only reason why people sent their sympathies, not because they actually cared, but because that's just what society says you should do? And remember how that insulted the made you feel, or how bad that made you feel for Hisao? Yeah, Hanako and her birthday are basically the same thing, but a hundred-fold worse. Add to that the guilt Hanako felt in feeling that she was nothing but a burden to people due to the great lengths people went to in an attempt to make her feel better, and it's no wonder Hanako tries to avoid everyone on her birthday.
While I still think she feels a lot of grief over her parents death, I don't think she feels responsible for it, and considering how long she's had to mourn, I don't think she feels it all the time- sure, ever now and again she must have nightmares of the fire, but I think most of her nightmares would be when her best friends turned on her.

That's why I (personally) think Hanako's route is the best: It's the route that best addresses Katawa Shoujo's social commentary, how it's wrong how society views disabled people as disabled and not as what they are: people like anyone else. All of Hanako's problems- all of the extra hell she went through after the fire- was the result of the way society treats people who are different (disabled people, for example) : something lesser (a great example of this can be found in Hisao's reaction to finding out he has to go to Yamaku). That what KS is about- disregarding our differences and the lines society draws between people and embracing what we all have in common: the fact that we're all Human.

Thanks for your critique . I have to say though, I do agree with you when it comes to the story as a whole (however I think I only brought up Hanako's parents deaths as a reason for birthday-loathing a couple of points early on). Later on though, and especially in this chapter, it's very much not made into an important part of why Hanako hates her birthday. Hence me building off the 'rejection' she felt when Hisao didn't take her into the city after Lilly left. Although as I say I do agree with your points in the earlier parts of the story, and if I do amend and edit and rerelease this later then I'll keep your concerns in mind

Fuck you Trivun... Just... fuck you buddy.

I agree here, I have been very cruel, but it had to be done...

Hey, he did say he was going to get the bad ending out of the way first, didn't he? Onto greener pastures now! I look forward to seeing the little City Rendezvous that's about to happen.

Exactly! And although it's been a month without an update (blame the university course my company has sent me on) I do intend to write this pretty soon, I've also been looking forward to L'Rendezvous de Ville ;D...

That was... Painful.

I do have to agree with Lianam. Her parents deaths really aren't the source of Hanako's birthday issues. And I think that's the real crux of why Hanako blows up in her bad ending. She feels like her worst fears about Hisao and Lily have been confirmed. They don't really care about her, they just want to help the poor little broken doll.

Next one is probably going to be pretty sad. But we do have the good end to look forward to.

The issue really is that that's how Hanako feels, but as we know it's not actually true. Or rather, it is, but the whole 'treating Hanako like a doll' thing is only a minor aspect of Lilly and Hisao that they can't get over. It's when Hisao does manage to get over that, however briefly, in the good ending that he sees how strong she can really be, and allows their relationship to move forward. The irony being that it's not even Hisao that causes the revelation of Hanako's stronger side, but Hanako herself, by being willing to show herself to him (both in a physical and mental sense) because she feels so close to him...

Painful to read. In that good way where you don't wanna stop reading. I love it, can't wait for the Tears of Joy to come.

Tears of joy are so much sweeter when they replace tears of sorrow

Mmmmmhhh Grumble Grumble Grumble.

Mmmmmummblle grumble grumble mummmmmble grump...

How did I forget to comment on this?

Well, this warrants a reread. (I would reread this either way but still )

Ah, nicely done. It did hit home for me, in a way. While it was well done as always, I do agree with the sentiment on the part of Hanako's apparent lack of regret however subtle. The next is a critique of my own, but unlike the original source material, here it seems to skip straight to her sleeping right after he leaves the room. The problem with this is that the POV is Hanako's, not Hisao's -- while you are following canon, it doesn't have to be verbatim. You have more discretion than that.

During your next revision (after you complete the fanfic, if I recall) I would at least suggest the change in Hanako's expression is acknowledged to lay that tiff to rest. Whether it's regret, as it is conventionally considered, or something else. Some finality, much like Hisao's final words in the Bad End after he closed that door behind him (literally and figuratively.)

Those are my two cents anyway. It must have been tough to write, so I see why you'd want it done as soon as possible. Onto greener pastures, I suppose?

Rereading the chapter I can definitely see your point, and it has made me rethink my reasons for writing it as I did originally. To be fair it was partly because I wanted to get that chapter over with quickly (call it lazy writing to a degree, I suppose). However, although I agree now with your point, my original reasoning I think was along the lines of Hanako being completely drained in both a physical and a mental sense, and that was enough to make her tired. I have experienced that myself before, fortunately never after such a big argument or fight as happens between Hanako and Hisao, but drawing on similar cases I felt it made sense for Hanako to go to sleep afterwards, although again it may have been a case of laziness to a degree as well. I was just relieved to finally have finished that route...

Well, I'm kind of glad I didn't discover this sooner than I did. It was nice to just keep reading and not have to wait for another update to get to the end. Or one of the endings, in any case.

When Hisao decides whether or not to invite Hanako down to the city, it doesn't seem to affect him as much either way, so it was hard for me to imagine how it could have been the first critical decision point in the route (as opposed to him choosing whether to take Lilly's advice). Being able to see the consequences of that decision from Hanako's point of view really helps with that. I can't wait to see how she reacts he does ask her to hang out with him!

I did feel the same way at first, but when I thought more about Hanako's side of things (before I even considered writing this story, this was back when I first played the game) I realised it made a lot of sense. This is actually true for all the routes for all the girls, interestingly enough - there are choices that make no sense as to how they affect the story until you think about the deeper meaning. The single choice in Shizune's route, for example - since it doesn't involve Shizune herself it can be hard to see how it affects the ending, except when you then consider how Hisao and Misha are acting and their own very subtle changes in personality and attitude afterwards, which push Shizune into the path she ultimately takes (whether positive or negative, depending on your choice). So in a way this is very much the same, it's just important to get into the minds of people who aren't the player character in order to work out why different choices lead to whatever they do lead to...

I can't wait to see how she reacts he does ask her to hang out with him!

"He asked me, he asked me!" —Raymond Luxury-Yacht

I think Hanako would probably appreciate Monty Python greatly. She seems to me to have pretty good taste in things when she actually shows interest in something... (possibly jazz, for example, or dolls...) I know I appreciate the troupe at any rate!

Hahahahaha, nice ending Trivun.

I'm not going to comment in the current debate because i'm honestly not interested and comes accross as the usual Hanako route discussion. I would have to agree however that something felt a bit off in Hanako's monologue and reasoning according to what i saw in the route and my idea of Hanako, but IIRC that could be chalked up to different interpretations. Would be interested in this or any other fanfic you decide to write.

Thank you . I think everyone will have their own opinions, and what I see in a character won't necessarily be what someone else sees. I know that I've had a lot of comments from people praising how well I've written Hanako and Hisao so far, and then I've had as many comments with people's differering opinions on where I've gone wrong, and in all cases nobody is specifically wrong or right. Except for me, I'm always right . Kidding there, but in all seriousness, as long as I stay as true as possible to the characters in the game, and the majority of people who read the story enjoy it, that's all that really matters

[Trivun]

I'm sorry this has been so long coming, life kind of got in the way for a while. I promise you won't be waiting almost two months for the next update! Also, another song reference used for the title of this chapter...

Act 3 – Chapter Ten, Second Branch: Summer In The City

“So, what do you want to do?” His question catches me slightly off guard.

“I... don't know.” My plans today were to see Lilly off, then sit in my room and do some homework, then read. I didn't think of anything else to do, I had no desire until now to consider doing anything else. With Hisao, however... assuming he does want to do anything with me, that is. I hope so, I hope for it so much...

“Do you want to head into town and look for a bookshop or something? We have the rest of the day free.” He pauses, as if he's not so certain of asking me, as if he thinks I might refuse...

“Okay.” Yes, oh yes this is perfect, more than I could have hoped for.

“Really?”

“R-really. Let's go.” I feel a bit annoyed at him for second guessing me, as if I might suddenly change my mind, but I suppose where I'm concerned it's understandable. He gives me a puzzled look and I can't avoid the thought that he simply doesn't understand why I agreed so readily, but as we wait for the bus into town he doesn't question my decision.

We aren't kept waiting too long and the bus ride is pleasant enough. The countryside is pretty, and it's not very far from the small town at the foot of the hill to the city just on the other side. The bus isn't very crowded either, though I can't say the same for the streets when we arrive. I knew it would be like this though, and if I have any problems coping then I only have myself to blame. I can't blame Hisao, not for agreeing to spend time with me like this, without imposing and forcing his way in. What would I have done if he had tried to force himself into my life? I can't even begin to imagine.

We step off the bus and the immediacy of the crowd hits me, all at once. My first instinct is to retreat and hide myself away, but I have to be strong. I settle for holding closely to Hisao, which I'll admit does have its benefits... a young woman clutching the arm of a young man, a rather attractive and nice young man at that... nevertheless my hat still hides my face, keeping hidden the worst of the scars. Not having to deal with the stares would be much better than succumbing to them.

“So, uh, where shall we go? A bookshop?” He gives me the choice of deciding where to haunt, but I don't know the city very well. It's exceptionally rare that I come here, and the night at the jazz bar was the first in a long time. I have no better ideas, so I nod my head. It takes a while for Hisao to notice, however.

“O-okay. D-do you know of one?”

“Actually, I do. We passed a few when Lilly and I were looking for your presents...” He breaks off suddenly. I know exactly why, it's the same reason why I look down for a second and show a hint of a frown on my face. I think I can deal with it while he's here, but not mentioning it would be much easier for me.

As he notices his error, I wait for him to continue, but when the silence between us is more than a few seconds old I decide to break it. “You both... spent a lot of time?” I don't move away from the topic at hand, but I don't know why. Perhaps it's another sign of how I'm growing, how I can cope more when he's around, when he's treating me as a human being. However much I deserve it, or however little, I feel happier and better about myself when he's with me. In any case, I want him to know that he doesn't need to tiptoe on eggshells all the time.

“We wanted to make sure we got the right present, after all,” he continues. I think he knows that the topic is okay again. I smile and blush, I can't help myself. After so long feeling so worthless it's nice to know that somebody truly values me, enough to go out of their way to make me happy. It's amazing that just a few days or weeks ago, I would have thought they were wasting their time, but now I can see that I really am treasured, at least in some small way.

Hisao carries on speaking as we both smile at each other. “Anyway, there should be a bookshop just up ahead, do you want to check it out?”

“S-sure.” We walk again, and I feel confident enough to lean across to Hisao and clutch his arm with my other, so now I'm holding on with both of my own. From the outside I suppose it could look more like a defensive gesture, and in a way it is. I still feel overwhelmed by the people surrounding us, but it's also a sign of affection, at least in my mind. I feel safe enough with Hisao that I can let him protect me, when I want to be protected. As long as I still have my space when I need it.

We don't talk for a while as we walk, but when we get nearer to the bookshop Hisao had mentioned, he asks me a question, seemingly from out of the blue. “I was wondering, Hanako... have you thought yet about when you're going to learn to drive?”

His question surprises me, and I can't help but wonder why he wants to know something like that? “D-driving?”

“Yeah. You're kind of lucky, in a way; there aren't a whole lot of students in Yamaku that are allowed to drive.” I don't answer, I'm too busy trying to understand what he means, and why he asked in the first place. Maybe he just wants to distract me from the crowd. He has a point, my condition is much more manageable in a physical sense (if not a psychological one) than most of our fellow students. Lilly certainly couldn't drive, and I think of Rin Tezuka, who wouldn't exactly be able to steer a car. I suppose Emi Ibarazaki might, though I'm not so clear on the legal side of driving with a disability. I wonder if Hisao would be allowed to learn? On the one hand, he has the physical capability, and could presumably take controlled lessons with no problems. On the other, what if he were to have a heart attack while on the road? What if he was in a road rage incident, and it triggered his condition?

By the time I finish running down the rabbit-holes of my mind in search of a conclusion to my thoughts of driving, we are standing outside a bookshop. A closed bookshop, no less. I see that Hisao shares my opinion on this turn of events... “What kind of self-respecting bookshop closes on Saturdays?” That being said, though I have the same opinion, I can also think of a very good reason for this.

“Bookshops... don't make much money anymore, because of the Internet. Maybe they just had to close over weekends?”

Hisao looks at me, and nods in agreement. “Huh, I guess that makes sense... it's easier to find books online. Anyway, it looks like this idea is shot. Anything else you'd like to do?”

There is one thing, though I didn't want to say anything before... “I-if it's not... not a bother... could you show me where you bought my present?” I smile, though I can feel the nervous stammer creeping its way in. I'll admit, I am certainly curious to find out where he and Lilly went that day, to find such a cute gift.

“Sure, not a problem. It's not far from here.” We continue walking in the same direction, turning down a few side streets and getting nearly lost in a maze of pedestrianised roads and small stores that sell all kinds of things. A chocolate shop on one side, books on another (also closed), a couple of bars with businessmen singing karaoke (this early in the day?). I spot the same jazz bar we visited before in another street, though it's one that we don't walk down. I'm half certain that Hisao doesn't even know where he's going, until we stop suddenly outside a tiny shop with a number of old chairs, dolls, clocks and other aged items in the window.

“Here we are, Othello's Antiques.” I wonder to myself if the name has any relation to the Shakespearian character (I may not know very much English, but I can certainly say I have a fond appreciation for the translated works of the bard himself). I can't imagine how.

“I-it's small.”

“Well, yes,” comes the reply. “It took Lilly and I some time to find it.”

“Can we go in?” Now that we're here I have a longing to see just what else this cave of curiosities holds.

“I don't see why not; it's open.” I step forward and push the door open, Hisao following behind. I'm not so sure if there are ever many customers here, it seems pretty quiet. In fact, he and I are the only people here, save for the store's owner, who comes walking across as he hears the bell ring. The owner is a bearded man, around middle age or possibly a bit older, going grey. He reminds me a little of a museum curator. He barely glances at me, though my hat is slightly down again, immediately noticing Hisao. I take it he remembers seeing Hisao with Lilly, as he looks slightly forlorn.

“Oh, you're not here for a return, are you?” He probably can't afford to give many refunds with such a small shop and such an apparently low level of clientele. “Wait, that's not the girl you had with you last time...”

“Er, no, we're not here to return anything. We were just in town and wanted to have another look in here.” There's a pause as the store owner thinks about Hisao's words. Customers seem rare enough here, two high school students must be a once in a blue moon occurrence. He soon breaks the silence.

“Might this be the friend you bought gifts for?”

“That's right. They were presents for her.” Upon hearing Hisao's words, the store owner turns to me, and views at me properly for the first time. I freeze, for I can clearly see, and recognise, the look on his face.

It's one that I'm sadly used to. A mixture of pity and revulsion. I wonder if there's anywhere in the world that people like me can live without prejudice, without being looked down upon like second class citizens? Japan has such a well known and well respected culture, based upon honour, but nobody ever thinks about its ugly side. Honour is everything, and someone like me, or like Hisao, someone different, can never be equal. Yamaku is lauded as a place where we can be prepared for society on an equal level, where young people who happen to be disabled in some way can have a normal life until we're flung out to fend for ourselves. It never gets easier, though. It's easier for those like Hisao, who aren't marked so clearly by their weaknesses, but for someone like me? No matter where I go, no matter how strong I may try and be (even if I don't really feel it), I'm faced with this. I'm considered without honour for having these scars, or for not having arms, or legs, or for being blind or deaf or dumb. Lilly sometimes tells me of her uncle, Shizune's father, and how he reacted at finding out not one, but two members of his family were impure, were not perfect. People question why I appear so weak, but is it any wonder when even the most mild mannered citizen will treat me like nothing at all for simply daring (in their mind) to look different?

To the store owner's credit, he doesn't shy away, nor refuse to acknowledge me like others do. Neither does he stare, again like some I could mention. Instead, he looks slightly away, to the side of us both, though I notice his body is tense and his face clearly shows an awkward expression. I wonder how he reacted when he saw Lilly, when she bought me the doll, and noticed her blindness?

I recall my first meeting with Hisao, and remember that he had much the same look, acted in much the same way, when we first spoke. Or rather, when he first spoke, and I ran away. So it's hard for me to be too angry at the store owner today. “You're lucky there, young lady. To have friends that care about you as much as they do.”

I can't be upset, not now. There are many who would have refused to notice me, refused to accept my existence. He may have reacted in the same way at first, and may be struggling to accept my scars, but he's made some effort, and I can see how tough it must be to overcome years of prejudice (especially for an older gentleman like him). His words are sincere. “Th-thank you...”

I walk throughout the store, hoping that maybe the air will clear if given a chance. I look at all the items on display, antiquities and bric-a-brac that I know I can't afford but nevertheless admire. I find the dolls and can see several that look very similar to the one Lilly bought me, although not a single one is exactly the same. Each doll unique, just like I am. Just like Hisao, like Lilly, Akira, and all the other people in my life who have helped me, supported me, and made me the person I am. Sometimes, maybe it's a bit much, and I don't always need the help (a little overdone and overwrought by Lilly especially), but I think to myself how grateful I am to have them all there for me during the times I really need them. And how grateful I am to Hisao for suggesting this little trip. “This is a nice shop.”

“Yeah,” says Hisao, “it's not what I expected. Do you want to buy something?”

I wish I could, but I can't ask that of Hisao. “I-I didn't bring any money.”

“Well, we can always come again.”

“W-we can?” If we can still find it, though I have some faith now (at least, more so than earlier) in Hisao's skills as a human GPS.

“Of course. We can come here as often as you'd like.”

I can't tell him how happy I am to hear that, there aren't words for it. I settle on a simple, stammered, “th-thank you.”

“You don't need to thank me; I almost forgot where this place was.”

I've enjoyed the day, but I think it's probably time to finish this impromptu... well, I can't really call it a 'date'. Can I? “C-can we go back to the school now?”

“Sure thing. Let's go.” We say goodbye to the store owner, and he mumbles a goodbye in return. I see he's still struggling with my presence, but although he never looks at me I can tell from his voice that his goodbye was meant as a pleasant and peaceful wish. We start to walk back up the street, heading towards the bus stop back to Yamaku, when I notice in the corner of my eye Hisao turn his head, to look back towards the store. I don't turn my own head to follow suit, I feel that bit too self conscious to do so. I can't help but wonder, though without any grounding I suppose, what he was looking at...?

We barely speak on the way back, but the silence isn't a bad one. I think Hisao might have been more affected than I was by the look the store owner originally gave me, but what he doesn't realise is that I'm used to that kind of thing. It's new to him, and something that he'll have to deal with a lot less, with his condition being so much easier to hide from people. We're both lost in our own thoughts, whether good or bad, and even as we don't speak we both know there's not much need to. I had fun, and I hope Hisao did too.

Eventually we're standing, alone together, on the steps in front of the dormitories of Yamaku. “Well then,” I say, “goodbye.”

“Do you want to have some tea or something? How about a game?” I'm a little embarrassed, but I have to refuse. It's not that I don't want to, but rather that I need to have some alone time now, and I still have work to do. I've enjoyed myself, spending time with Hisao, but too much time together and we stand to lose what makes it so special.

“I... I'm tired. Maybe later? I've got homework...” The disappointment I feel leaks through my words, and on Hisao's face is a sort of half smile that's tinged with sadness.

“Ah, homework. Thanks for reminding me, I've got a stack to do as well.” Lazy! “I guess I'll see you tomorrow.”

“See you, Hisao.” I turn and walk away, though not without a genuine smile, and head back to the female dormitories, ready to start my work. I look forward to seeing him again soon enough.

Even so, there is something I'm a little worried about. I don't know if Hisao is aware, but tomorrow is the day before my... my birthday. I doubt I'll be in class tomorrow, and probably not for a few days afterwards either. My faith in him is more pronounced, and I hope he'll at least visit, but if he does he risks seeing me at my worst. Could I really face letting him see me like that? In another world, another time, I might be distrustful of him, maybe I wouldn't want him to be there, trying to help me and support me when I clearly don't deserve it. After today, however, I can see that he does care for me, even if it's only as a friend at this point, and he's been willing now to give me my space without complaint even after we've spent so much time in each other's company. I hope I can trust him to give me that space if I need it, and to be there if I want him to be. As for how our friendship, our relationship, develops from here? I'll have to wait and see...

[AntonSlavik020]

Great to see this story updated again. This is one of my favorite ongoing stories on the site. With that said, good chapter. I'm really looking forward to their second time in the city. though that's probably a few chapters away(it's been a while since I've played the route).

[Kyler Thatch]

Squee! An update!

Would it be safe to assume the neutral end is coming first? Time will tell, I suppose.

“Se you, Hisao.” I turn and walk away, though not without a genuine smile, and head back to the female dormitories, ready to start my work. I look forward to seeing him again soon enough.

"See you, Hisao."

[OneDrop]

Would it be safe to assume the neutral end is coming first? Time will tell, I suppose.

Yep, Trivun is doing it in the Bad (which has already been completed), Neutral, and then Good ending order.

I've been looking forward to an update forever, and was excited to see it finally! This was a good update and I'm already getting antsy for another chapter!

[Mournful3ch0]

Hanako's birthday is in the next installment?

Oh my...

Oh... my.

Oh my.

I'm absolutely thrilled! My fascination with this story has hit a fever pitch, glad to see another post!

I am monitoring this thread.

[Negativedarke]

Ah the birthday. Hanako's least favorate day of the year. Sigh, we are going to going through an emotional roller coaster before we are done.

[dewelar]

Enjoyed this chapter, as always.

Hanako's birthday is in the next installment?

Since Trivun seems to be going scene-by-scene, the next installment would be the reflection of "Truancy", with her birthday the one following.

[Mournful3ch0]

Enjoyed this chapter, as always.

Hanako's birthday is in the next installment?

Since Trivun seems to be going scene-by-scene, the next installment would be the reflection of "Truancy", with her birthday the one following.

*snaps fingers* Foiled again!

[Maradar]

I just re-read the entire story and I enjoyed it just as much the second time as I did the first time. Great writing and I'm really excited to see where this is going!