Katawa Shoujo Forums

Foreword:

Okay, so... here's what happened. In all honesty, I have no idea; it really shouldn't be surprising that writing almost 30,000 words in what amounted to five days didn't pan out. The first four parts basically just flew onto the page, and I really liked the length and breadth of their construction, but part five became a huge problem. And I mean that literally, not metaphorically. First, I knew and still know how it ended, but there was a pattern problem that kept making me rethink the whole idea.

See, it started out where I wrote each chapter in a different perspective, hopping back and forth between Hanako and Taro, in that order. That's all well and good, but then I decided it would only last for 5 chapters... which was a mistake. Realistically, and not just artistically, I couldn't fit the story I needed into the space I'd allotted. I kept trying for several days, and I even thought about removing huge chunks of the story just to fit it into my design, but that would have stolen several scenes from the story that might not have been pertinent, but contributed to the tapestry in their own way.

Anyway, a month later (and then some) I'm finally taking some time to review part 5 and I've figured out how to solve all its inequities: I'm splitting it in half! I'm taking a chainsaw to this mother-fucker! Yeah! Just like all the greatest Christmas... hmmm... well, that metaphor didn't work out, but hopefully this story will. I haven't quite finished converting the former latter half of the chapter for viewing through Taro's lens - it was all written from Hanako's perspective - so I won't be publishing that half just yet, but the newly named part 5 will make its debut here.

So, it's a little late,but I didn't have to change much in the first half, apart from creating a proper ending at the mid-point. It turns out that resolution already existed, and just needed a little tweaking, so maybe I could have gotten this done before New Years, but... y'know what? I just didn't have time. There, I said it! I was too busy in the days following Christmas to get it done, and then once that had passed I refocused on Tomorrow's Doom, so now that I've resurrected that thread, I'm taking this one by the neck and giving it a big fat kiss! Okay, not a kiss... maybe a hug?

Fuck it, just start reading! More to come...!

Chapter 1|Chapter 2|Chapter 3|Chapter 4|Chapter 5|Chapter 6|Chapter 7
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Part 5: Diary of a Wallflower

Resting on her bed in the prone position, legs bouncing behind her as she anxiously waited for a loading bar, Hanako wished someone would get her a new laptop for Christmas. It had been a while since she had last opened the particular files her fossil of a computer was trying to access, and she could perhaps have attributed its sluggishness to her operating system having forgotten how to interface with a flash drive, but that just sounded ridiculous. Having little else to do but wait, Hanako did the mature thing and smacked the side of her monitor while grumbling a few expletives under her breath.

When that didn't work, she sat up and crossed her legs, then rested her palms over her eyes and groaned as she lurched forward, landing her elbows on her knees. Thoroughly hating her laptop in that instant, she waited through a few long, silent moments until a sound akin to a radar blip caused her to quirk an eyebrow, and she peeked between her fingers to find that, glory of glories, the retarded thing had finally finished reading the drive. Quickly browsing through the files, she found the password-protected documents she had sought and opened the most recent entry in her diary.

Dated almost a month prior, the contents consisted mostly of comments about Natsume and Naomi treating her more like a member of the newspaper club, rather than a charity case. Reading through it made her regret the depressed tone in her words, but she had always been slow to trust. Besides, this time she had a lot more good news, so she lifted the heavy old laptop into her lap, set up a new document with a different password, then took a swig from her can of coffee and cracked her knuckles; for as many times as she had written in her diary, the starting ritual had never changed.

With that finished, Hanako's fingers began flying around the keyboard with fervor, filling the screen with her typical eloquence as her subdued grin grew to engulf practically her whole face—she even bounced giddily as she typed. Not only had her editorial done its job and gotten the school-board to review Taro's case more carefully, but something completely unexpected had happened due to a bit of misinformation she hadn't even thought about, at least not until after it resulted in a full-blown fistfight. The words spilled out into her secret digital diary so quickly that she didn't even look at the can of coffee for the next hour.

[So, the day the holiday edition landed at my classmates doors, there was an immediate backlash against Valeth and Maeda, as intended, but that wasn't the best part! I hadn't even considered it at the time, but, when I noted all the direct quotes, I had named Anonymous as my source—if only to protect myself. That sparked speculation aplenty from anyone who read the editorial; some thought there were multiple spectators who hadn't revealed themselves, while someone in particular was convinced I had gotten my information from a network of tiny cameras placed all around the school—Setou is hilarious when he gets on a roll!

In any case, nobody knew, or even thought for a moment that I had actually been the witness! Except for Lilly, of course, along with the Student Council, Natsume, and Naomi... but nobody else!

Anyway, after reading the editorial themselves—apparently separately—Valeth assumed Maeda was my unnamed anonymous source, and vice-versa! My simple decision to avoid being discovered had unintentionally played them straight into an argument, right in the middle of the cafeteria! Unfortunately, I was upstairs sharing tea and laughing with Lilly during lunch, so I didn't get to see the fight first hand, but more than one of my classmates took a video with their new phones.

It already made its way out into cyberspace, and they're both famous for their slapping match—with any luck it'll teach them a lesson in humility, though I doubt either of them is capable. Anyway, I'm linking the saved video to this file for future reference, and so I can laugh almost hard enough to pee again whenever I reread this entry! ]

Chuckling to herself as she wrote, Hanako went on to describe how the video evidence had landed both Maeda and Valeth in their own inquests and sequestering, and their expulsions seemed likely. Meanwhile, after multiple classmates—believing Taro had been baited into the assault—spoke out against the injustice, the Dean decided to release him from house-arrest and postponed his inquest. Basically her article had almost worked too well, but she wasn't about to complain.

Once Hanako's witness account was added—which was a necessary process she was dreading—and all the facts were made known, it seemed unlikely Taro would suffer anything worse than mandatory therapy—a proverbial slap on the wrist compared to expulsion. With all that added to her diary, she came to the final bit of personal news she hadn't quite thought through just yet. Staring at the blinking cursor, she would like to have blamed writer's block, but that wasn't the problem.

Having played her role as the White Knight, ridden through with her quill in hand, and done battle with Taro's oppressors, she had hoped her thoughts would return to normal. Passing off her focus on his wellbeing as normal concern for someone in need, she thought the feelings would dissipate once Taro no longer needed her help. By the time Monday rolled around, Hanako thought she had regained control, but the moment Taro stepped into the classroom—into applause, no less—everything came right back to the surface.

Rationally, it hadn't made sense, but even as she stared at her laptop three days after the dust had settled, Hanako was still thinking about Taro's sweet, cherubic grin, hearty laugh, and kind, blue eyes. Somehow she had developed—or finally realized—undeniable romantic feelings for him, but she had denied herself all thoughts of romance for so long that she had no idea what to do, how to think or act, and didn't even know for certain whether what she felt was real.

She had been wrestling with her feelings ever since the library incident—or perhaps even back when Taro was telling his Santa story—but she was too embarrassed to admit anything to anyone; neither herself, her diary, nor her best friend. Smiling irrepressibly despite her confusion, Hanako stared at the blinking cursor so intently that she almost didn't hear the trio of light knocks at her door, or the gentle voice that followed.

“Hanako, are you almost ready?” Lilly inquired, a slight, troubled quiver in her tone, “I know you asked not to be disturbed, but... this dress is... I think I need help...!”

Turning a quick glance at her door, Hanako paused for a moment to consider asking Lilly about her situation, but decided she wanted to handle it herself; she would have to start doing that more often in the near future—after graduation. Saving the file, she closed her laptop and started sliding down off her bed as she spoke. “Just a mo-moment, Lilly,” she stuttered, grimacing as she fumbled with the words, “S-sorry... I'll be r-right... out...”

“Hanako?” came a slightly louder query, this time sounding more concerned than troubled, “Are you alright?”

Lately Hanako had managed to repress her stutter, especially around Lilly, and it only came out when she was under stress. With her play going on stage later that night, Hanako figured she could pass it off as pre-show jitters, so she replied, “I'm f-fine, Lilly... i-it's just the sh-show is tonight, so...” then grabbed her holiday hat off the bedpost as she added, “I'm a little n-nervous about it is all...”

“Oh!” Lilly exclaimed, “You're not in there editing, I hope? Shizune adores your script, but her patience still has limits!”

“N-no, just... s-something else,” Hanako stated, silently berating herself for stuttering as she positioned the hat on her head.

Evidently Lilly decided not to pursue it further, and instead asked, “Well, if you have a moment, I need a bit of help with this... costume... the one Saki insisted on making for me...”

Upon opening her door and seeing said costume, Hanako immediately understood what she meant, and blurted, “Lilly!? Inside... quick!”

As Hanako hurriedly ushered her through the door, Lilly inquired, “What's wrong?”

“J-just... Just trust me, Lilly...” Hanako mumbled, not wanting to startle her.

Hanako had always thought being blind had its perks, although she would never say as much to Lilly; sometimes she thought it might be better if she couldn't see certain things—even her own reflection at times. However, when it came to dressing oneself—especially in revealing clothes—blindness definitely had a disadvantage. For her role as Mrs Claus in the dystopian play Kenji Setou had written for class three-two, Lilly was to wear a thin, black, fluffy-white fringed, figure-hugging dress that ran all the way down to her ankles, and even covered her arms, but its neckline barely existed.

Wrapped just barely over her shoulders, the dress plunged down and exposed almost all of Lilly's ample cleavage—so much that she hadn't realized it had left an areola partially exposed. Without explaining why—if only to save Lilly from the embarrassment—Hanako used some double-sided tape to ensure the neckline didn't dip back down. When she was finished, the fluffy fringe covered up the tape lines, and Hanako felt secure about letting her friend out in public. It occurred to her that a wardrobe malfunction might make a nice fluff piece, but that would be a terrible thing to do to Lilly, and Hanako didn't have to write those anymore.

With Lilly's modesty mostly intact—that neckline still couldn't really be called modest—and the plays due to start within the hour, they put on their coats and left the dorms, headed for the auditorium. Twilight had descended, so as they walked along the winding, snow-covered paths, all the lamps were aglow, lighting the twined silver and gold garlands spiraling around their bases. Trying to describe it as they walked proved futile for Hanako, though Lilly said the cheery, hopeful tone of her voice helped bring it to life.

Upon arriving in the building, the interior of which was dressed in more silver and gold garlands and strings of tiny white lights, Lilly got whisked away by a few of her classmates to help with play preparations. Meanwhile, Hanako headed toward the auditorium at a more leisurely pace. Most of what work remained had to do with costuming, and, having written the play, Hanako had opted out of filling any on-stage roles—her stutter had improved, but not by that much—so she didn't need a costume. With little else to do until the curtain call, Hanako searched through the bustling crowd and found a nice, relatively quiet corner backstage, and sat down to do some reading.

~^~

Usually Hanako would get nervous in a crowd, and often left class during group projects for that reason, but the spot she had found wasn't any more heavily trafficked than her beanbag in the library, though it was a lot noisier. That made concentrating on her book difficult, but didn't stop her imagination from replaying parts of the past week. Most of those imaginings strayed toward Taro, and in them she realized something she hadn't yet considered. In recalling the argument in the library, Hanako came to the realization that Taro might reciprocate her feelings, which could just be a girlish delusion, but her therapist often encouraged her to stay optimistic.

“Hey, Hana-chan!” said a voice, pulling Hanako out of her thoughts, “You seen Miki around anywhere?”

Standing with her hands on her hips, face contorted into a displeased pout, Kapur looked more perturbed than concerned. “N-no, I haven't,” Hanako replied, glancing down at her book, “I've been here... r-reading...”

Leaning back to look down along the row of curtains, Kapur groaned, “Ah, damn...”

Not knowing what she was expecting, Hanako turned back to her book, though a disgruntled sigh turned her attention back to where the worried girl was rubbing her temple. She looked flustered, and Hanako wasn't exactly getting any reading done anyway, so she set aside her book and stood.

Fidgeting for a moment as Kapur bit her lip and winced, she offered, “Where did you s-see her last?”

Waving a hand around aimlessly, she replied, “She's back here somewhere... but I swear she ducks every time I get near! Suzu is getting fitted now—great nurse costumes, by the way! But that means everyone else is busy-busy-busy, so... if you aren't doing anything?”

Figuring she could also take a look around and see how things were progressing in the process, Hanako nodded. Being suspicious that Miura had been hiding from her intentionally, Kapur directed Hanako to check back the way she had come, and they set off in opposite directions. Although the pretense of finding Miura was on the forefront of her mind, Hanako couldn't help pausing to see what her classmates were doing.

Several little alcoves had been set up, and students from all four third-year classes were being made-up and fitted into all sorts of imaginative costumes. Some were as simple as peasant outfits and hospital gowns, which really didn't need fitting, but many were much more complicated. A few even had mechanical parts and clockwork gears—presumably for the steam-punk-themed Christmas Carol room three-four had planned—but Miura wasn't among any of the costuming teams she had seen thus far, so she kept walking.

A short way past the clockwork costumes, Hanako found Shizune and Misha along with a few Fashion Club members. Apparently Misha had already been fitted into the bright white nurse outfit for her role, which Hanako hadn't expected to have such a short skirt, but the bubbly girl didn't seem to mind. Meanwhile, Shizune looked like she was on the verge of going nuclear, although it wasn't clear whether that was because the two student tailors were failing to get the top fitted correctly, or just because the Mrs Claus costume was so revealing—the short red skirt and tiny top didn't leave much to the imagination.

When the fiery Class President sent a frustrated glare into the mirror, apparently noticing Hanako's mirthful smirk, the skittish girl quickly exited the area; some battles are best left unfought. Through another curtain, Hanako found Saki Enomoto, leader of the burgeoning Fashion Club, trying to quickly patch a hole someone apparently ripped in their costume vest. The blond girl wasn't alone at the workbench, but Hanako didn't recognize the tall red-haired girl working alongside her. Neither of them seemed happy, though, so she continued through the next curtain.

Past a rounded corner, she found Natsume and Naomi standing in front of a big mirror having some alterations done to their cute, green-and-white-striped elf costumes. They each waved at Hanako, and she responded in kind, but the girls were quickly discouraged from moving or breathing; moving canvases makes fashion a difficult art. Not wanting to slow progress or draw ire, Hanako left them alone and moved along into another alcove which was left dark and unadorned, but contained exactly what she was seeking.

The overhead lights were dimmed enough to make the figure seated on an old amplifier look like a piece of scenery, but the long hair and missing hand gave away her identity. Balancing an open can of grape juice on one knee as she tapped her other foot in time with the holiday medley being played over the school intercom, Miura didn't notice Hanako's entrance, though that was probably because she had her eyes closed. Having found her charge so soon made Hanako frown for a moment, but then she had an idea.

She needed advice, preferably from someone who wouldn't mince words, and there was no more straight a talker than Miki Miura—it was one of her best traits in Hanako's opinion. Additionally, the sordid tales of romantic intrigue surrounding the one-handed track star were legendary; though none of it had ever been confirmed, Miura could be linked to almost a dozen different boys, and at least one unidentified girl. Even if all those rumors were false, Miura had been friends with Taro since she joined their class the previous year, and would probably have insight to offer on what he might be thinking.

For a moment, Hanako hesitated and considered that Miura might make fun of her, but that warning thought didn't have a rational basis; Miura was known to poke fun at people, but never maliciously. Additionally, Kapur was probably still searching for her friend, but Hanako figured a few minutes wouldn't make a lot of difference. Resolved to at least open up and try asking for advice, Hanako ambled over and found a metal folding chair to set up nearby.

It took a few moments for Miura to realize she had a visitor, but she didn't seem terribly surprised or unhappy to find Hanako sitting beside her. Apparently glad to have company, Miura put her stump arm around Hanako's shoulders and started them both waving with the music. Flashing a big toothy grin, she leaned a little closer and started singing along.

“Danglin' balls, danglin' balls... hairy, round and big-yay~!” she sang, laughing bawdily at the altered lyrics, “Grab 'em, rub 'em, tug 'em, love 'em, otherwise you're gay-hey~!”

Based on the smell of her breath, Hanako surmised Miura had been celebrating early, but that wasn't exactly unexpected; it explained why she had been hiding from Kapur, though. It occurred to her that asking Miura for romantic advice while she was in that state probably wasn't the best idea, but, having experienced drunkenness herself, she knew it often made people more truthful. That didn't make asking any easier, but it guaranteed honest replies, or that's what she hoped, at least.

Summing up her courage, Hanako began, “S-so, Miura, I n-need some ad-”

“To what do I owe the honor...?” Miura interrupted, snatching the can off her knee to take a swig of what probably wasn't juice. Quickly draining the remnants, she crushed the can in her hand, peered around for a few moments, then tossed it carelessly over her shoulder.

Sensing a pause in Miura's thoughts, Hanako sputtered, “Y-you see, I-”

Grinning at Hanako's raised eyebrow, Miura continued her previous statement, “...Of the lof'ly Hanak-” she paused to belch loudly, “Hanako...!? What're ye doin' sittin' back hurr-i-na dark...?” she flitted her eyebrows suggestive, “Lookin' fer a nip?”

As Hanako tilted her head slightly, not understanding at first, but then Miura produced a flask from inside her denim vest and held it out, presumably as an offering. Shaking her head just slightly, Hanako replied, “N-no thanks,” which drew a critical pout from Miura, so she added, “Maybe l-later...?”

After drawing a sip from the flask, Miura conceded, “Okay, your loss...!” Then, once it was closed and stuffed back in her pocket, she asked, “So, wha' ken I do ya fer, Hano-ko-ko?”

Evidently Miura's drunkenness fluctuated in its severity, or at least the outward signs did, but she still seemed coherent enough to answer some questions, and might not even remember being asked, which Hanako thought might be fortunate; nobody would know about her crush on Taro. Unfortunately, while she was hesitating and trying to think, Hanako wasn't doing a very good job at hiding all of her outward signs; just thinking about Taro made her blush. Even while inebriated, Miura could identify that sort of indicator, so before Hanako could say anything, a grin spread across her drunken companion's face and she leaped to some damningly accurate conclusions.

“It's a boy!” she exclaimed, suddenly sounding partially sober, “You've got a crush and parked yerself by Auntie Miki fer sem advi- uh... advinery...?” she paused and scratched her temple before blurting, “Talkin'...! Yeah~! Am I rii-iight~?”

Evidently Miura was more perceptive and less discreet while drunk, which seemed like a somewhat unfortunate pairing of traits, but at that moment all that mattered was that she had been so right. As Hanako wrung her hands together nervously and almost managed to nod, Miura tugged her a little closer and started chuckling. At first it sounded sinister, but quickly changed over into a more cheerful guffaw.

“You got it bad, too, don'cha~! I won' tell—promise~!” she lilted, trying and failing to keep her voice down. Suddenly pulling Hanako a mere few centimeters away, she whispered, “Who's it, ana'way?” Pausing barely long enough for Hanako to look away—which was mostly to get away from the overwhelming odor of alcohol—Miura started speculating aloud, “Can't be Aaron, he's gone to 'Murika fer the holla- holly- Uh...? Season!”

That assumption was probably based on proximity more than anything else, but Hanako shook her head anyway. Trying to stem the flood of questions, Hanako sputtered, “N-no, not-”

“You had a thing fer Hisao, I 'member,” Miura interrupted, apparently suffering from selective hearing, “but he's wiff Emi now, so... U'less he goes all neto- uh... N-T-R on 'er...”

“No, n-neither of them, Mi- uh... Miura,” Hanako sputtered, suddenly wondering why she had bothered with this conversation; it was starting to feel like self-inflicted torture.

“Don' worry, I think I kno' who yer crushin' on, Hana-chan~!” Miura cheered, adding a wink that looked more like a blink, “S'ok, you wanna be private 'bout it, but les' be siri'uss fer a second...”

Hanako hardly thought Miura capable of being serious in that moment, but in her inebriated state Miura would probably reply no matter what she said, so she nodded and mumbled, “O-okay...”

After a few long, paralyzingly awkward moments, Hanako started to hear soft snoring against her shoulder; evidently Miura had already consumed more than her limit of alcohol. Disappointed, Hanako bowed her head for a few moments and let out a disgruntled sigh—she never did get to hear any useful advice. Worse, when she finally looked up, she found that the sleeping drunk was staring to drool. Resisting the instinct to leap away, and not wanting to end up with stains on her holiday sweater, Hanako gently pushed against Miura's shoulder until she was almost sitting upright, then held her there as she stood.

She couldn't just let Miura fall of the amplifier, so she looked around for some way to lower her to the floor, but there wasn't anything nearby that looked useful. Apparently this dark little corner had been left empty intentionally, and it felt like someone had done so only to spite her in that moment, but then there came a shuffling noise and the curtain flew back revealing a stern-looking Molly Kapur, holding a bottle of water.

“Did she pass out?” she asked, rolling her eyes. Apparently realizing the situation, Kapur set down the bottle and moved to Miura's side. “Hold on, I gotcha, Hana-chan—sorry about this!” she said, taking one of Miura's shoulders, “We can set her down and prop her against the amp, okay?”

Turning a quick nod at the twin-braided girl, Hanako replied, “O-okay... on th-three?”

Nodding, Kapur directed, “One... Two...! Three!” and soon they had Miura down on the floor resting against the amplifier. Turning a wry smirk toward Hanako as they backed away, Kapur apologized again, “Sorry, I checked all the way to the other end, and-” she stopped and smirked, “Anyway, nice save...!”

“Thanks...” Hanako mumbled, shaking her head slowly as she watched Miura clutch at her missing hand, then shift her shoulders uncomfortably. “W-will she be alright...?”

“Oh, she's been worse off than this before~!” Kapur assured her, pausing for a few beats before tilting her head a little and asking, “You're cool with this, right?”

Returning a soft smile, Hanako nodded and replied, “S-sure... It's Christmas, a-after all...”

“Okay, good... 'cause I don't think she'll be able to play her part, now...” Kapur mentioned, which Hanako only then realized was true, and might have dire consequences.

Miura didn't have a speaking role, but her part did involve a pivotal moment in the story: she played the third sick kid. If she were wobbling around on stage in front of the whole school—rather than her nice, secluded, backstage corner—someone might notice, and she could end up in a heap of trouble. Added to that, because many of their classmates had already gone home to spend the holiday with family, and two of them were trapped in the dorms until their likely expulsion, there was nobody left take her place unless Hanako counted herself.

Apparently Kapur was having a similar thought, and it left her grinning and nodding while Hanako shook her head and frowned. With Miura unavailable along with everyone else, it would fall on Hanako to stand in for her role, and that would mean getting up on stage in front of two-hundred spectators. Even on her best day, Hanako wasn't sure if she could hold up under that much scrutiny, and then there was the added problem: sick kid number three sits on Santa's knee just before the stage goes dark.

They continued their opposing gestures, both growing more emphatic with each passing moment, until Kapur finally broke the silence. “C'mon~! You wouldn't even have any lines~!” she practically sang as Hanako's shoulders slumped—not that she had any idea about the real reason. “And she can handle a light switch, I'm sure! All you'd have to do is stand on stage with the other kid roles, then take a seat on Taro's knee just before the lights go out... after that you could wander off stage, and nobody'd know the difference! C'mon~!”

The excited way in which she described it made Hanako smile, but Hanako wasn't even worried about going on stage anymore. Getting that close to Taro would be embarrassing enough, but adding her feelings and two-hundred spectators to the equation was just too much. Mouth agape as she fidgeted nervously, Hanako imagined a few dozen scenarios over the course of a few seconds, and her increasingly worrisome expression started to scare Kapur. Most of her classmates had witnessed her panic attacks more than once, and Kapur looked appropriately horrified at the prospect, but Hanako still had control—she wasn't headed for catatonia.

In that moment, all Hanako wanted to ensure was that Kapur didn't figure out the real reason behind her panicked reaction. “I'm f-fine, M-Molly!“ she said reassuringly, as firmly as she could, though her thick stutter did little to ease the concern on Molly's face. Taking a controlled breath, which seemed to help Molly relax as well, Hanako added, “J-just... I'll be f-fine, r-really! It's just a l-little stage f-f-fright...”

Taking a chance by placing a comforting hand on Hanako's shoulder, Molly cheerily exclaimed, “Hey~! You called me Molly!”

“D-did I?” Hanako questioned, pausing for a moment before continuing, “S-sorry, I usually don-”

“No, I like it!” Molly blurted, patting Hanako's shoulder gently as she added, “You never had to be formal or anything—we've all known each other too long for that!”

“Meee too!” Miura added groggily, apparently awakened by their talking. “Me, Miki... You, Hanako!” she added as Hanako turned to see her pointing lethargically, “If you call me Miura one more time, I'll-... No, I'd ne'er do dat...! I-... Juss... call me Miki...”

As Miki drifted back to sleep—all her energy apparently spent on that garbled slur—Molly giggled and added, “That goes for Suzu too—you can call her Snoozu...! Anyway~!” she paused for a moment and clasped her hands together, “You can do this thing! I mean, you wrote it—you should be in it!”

Standing there, frowning perplexedly as she watched Miki start to drool on herself again, Hanako thought that Molly might be right. Even ignoring the fact that Miki probably wouldn't be in any condition to go on stage, Hanako did have an investment in the play itself, and assuming a role—even a minor one—would be artistically satisfying. The prospect of sitting on Taro's knee for any length of time still sounded terrifying, as did simply being on stage with everyone watching, but she could think of it as a test of character. Assuming nothing nothing terrible happened while she was on stage, it might even give her a huge boost of confidence.

“Great~!” Molly beamed, apparently reading an agreement in Hanako's expression. “I'll have her sobered up enough to flip a switch in time for our curtain call,” she continued, moving over to retrieve a bag from behind Miki's amplifier. Drawing out a balled up white cloth with little blue flowers, she tossed it over for Hanako to catch and explained, “That's the gown she was supposed to wear—you can just wear it over your clothes~!”

Molly's exuberance was rather infectious, so Hanako smiled even though her mind was somewhat occupied. The stage lights were supposed to shut off soon after she sat on Santa's knee, thereby simulating a power outage that set up the next scene. The audience would probably gasp in suspense, and there would then be a few seconds of silence, during which Hanako would remain on Taro's knee in total darkness. In those few seconds, nobody would be able to see what was happening, which would create a perfect opportunity. The prospect sounded both exciting and terrifying, not to mention potentially heartening or disastrous.

As Molly went about trying to slap some sense back into Miki—assuming there ever was any—Hanako wondered whether fate might have guided her hand in writing that scene; she couldn't have predicted Miki's drunkenness, or the lack of alternates. Usually Hanako hated reading ahead in a story, and she didn't know whether she would have enough confidence even in total darkness, but maybe she could plot something interesting to write in her diary. One way or the other, fate was either being incredibly unkind, or very generous—Hanako hoped for the latter.
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Chapter 1|Chapter 2|Chapter 3|Chapter 4|Chapter 5|Chapter 6|Chapter 7

Helbereth wrote:Valeth assumed Madeda was my unnamed anonymous source, and vice-versa!

Maeda

Helbereth wrote:the dystopian play Kenji Setou had written for class three-four,

Three-two. And hot diggity damn I'd love to read that.

Helbereth wrote:Most of those imaginings strayed toward taro,

Taro

Helbereth wrote:the Mrs Clause costume was so revealing

Claus

Helbereth wrote:Hanako didn't recognize the tall red-haired girl working alongside her.

Oh, hello there Yoko.

I can't wait for the resolution. Calling it now, Hanako will try something under cover of darkness and the lights will come back on while it's still happening. Cue "OH SHI-" moment.

Valeth assumed Madeda was my unnamed anonymous source, and vice-versa!

While that scene was funny, I find it hard to believe that they would suspect each other of making something public that could get them both expelled...

she played the third sick kid.

I read that as "sidekick" first^^°

Good chapter - or extended epilogue

BlackWaltzTheThird wrote:

Helbereth wrote:Hanako didn't recognize the tall red-haired girl working alongside her.

Oh, hello there Yoko.

It must seem a little odd that I put them working together in this after my recent chapter of TD, but... yeah, I'm not explaining that.

I can't wait for the resolution. Calling it now, Hanako will try something under cover of darkness and the lights will come back on while it's still happening. Cue "OH SHI-" moment.

We shall see...

Mirage_GSM wrote:

Valeth assumed Madeda was my unnamed anonymous source, and vice-versa!

While that scene was funny, I find it hard to believe that they would suspect each other of making something public that could get them both expelled...

Well, there are a few factors I think contribute to making it plausible. First, they're still teenagers, which can distort one's sense of consequence. Second, neither of them has any idea who the anonymous source was, and although they might consider Taro as a possibility, he's been sequestered to his dorm room, and hasn't left it even to shower since returning from the meeting with the Dean. Third, they're both already agitated following the event, and probably feeling paranoid about this very kind of thing happening; it's a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts.

Since they had no idea Hanako was sitting in the back corner and heard/saw the whole thing, and Taro couldn't have given the interview, they're each left to assume the other is responsible. Granted, the venue for their discussion could have been selected more carefully, but the cafeteria is the first place they've been able to talk outside a classroom since reading the article, and neither of them thought it would escalate that quickly. Basically what happens is they both start accusing each other of being the source, and the argument becomes louder and more physical, eventually resulting in what amounts to a slapping and shoving match that devolves into uncoordinated punches.

Good chapter - or extended epilogue

I guess it kind of is an extended epilogue. The previous chapter sort of did resolve the major conflict, even though it was somewhat vague. Still, the underlying conflict between Hanako and Taro remains, and it would be criminal not to see the holiday plays.

Well, here it is Christmas time again. Last year I gave myself 4 days to write a Holiday story. Turns out that wasn't enough time. This time, I've given myself a little over a week to flesh out the last chapters, which is still in progress, but coming along nicely. The last chapter should be ready with time to spare before the 25th, but I don't see any reason to hold back posting the 6th chapter. Thus, here it is in all its revamped glory.

For anyone who hasn't read the rest, I suggest starting at the beginning, and that might be advisable for anyone who read it last year as well - it's a somewhat long tale, and you might have forgotten its particulars.

I'll be editing the initial post with other updates, and adding in the chapter links post-haste. For now, I just wanted to get this posted, if only so people are made aware that I'm still plugging away at KS-related fan fiction. Updates for my other projects are looking like they're on the horizon as well, but I don't wanna get anyone's hopes up, especially around the holidays; y'all might get some funny ideas about Christmas morning and a potential wealth of new writing for you to peruse, and that would be foolish.

...Maybe...

Anyway, if you haven't already skipped past my long-winded introduction, allow me to present the latest chapter in my previously-stalled holiday novella:
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Chapter 1|Chapter 2|Chapter 3|Chapter 4|Chapter 5|Chapter 6|Chapter 7
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Part 6: A Midwinter Day's Nightmare

With all their costumes set, staging ready for assembly and the cast basically decided, all that remained to do was wait their turn. Originally the classes had planned to go in numerical order based on room number, but after reading all the different scripts everyone concluded that ending the night with Hanako's heartwarming tale simply made the most sense. Thus, the last two acts were swapped around, meaning that they would have to wait through three other performances, and providing them with a little more time to tie up any loose threads in their own production.

It also widened the window of time they had to get Miki sobered up, so Hanako could perhaps avoid embarrassing herself on stage. Of course, counting on Miki to reach that level of sobriety in just a few hours seemed foolhardy, so Hanako put some time into reviewing the script in a vain attempt to avoid being thrust into the spotlight. To that end, she began looking over all the other roles, trying to find some loophole that would allow for a casting change, but every shining possibility ended in ruinous frustration—she had probably written the script too well.

The previous two sick kids, played by Misaki Kawana and Akio Hayashi, had few lines, but enough that Hanako felt apprehensive about trying to recite them. Misha and Suzu's nurse roles, and the two elves played by Natsume and Naomi weren't particularly talkative, so one of them could perhaps have taken over all their counterpart's lines while the other assumed Miki's planned role, but it didn't feel right shouldering that burden on one of them, especially on such short notice.

And for such selfish reasons.

Playing the doctor, which Hisao had rehearsed thoroughly, meant using a ridiculous number of cumbersome words that Hanako doubted she could enunciate under normal circumstances, never mind on stage in front of everyone. On the other hand, Shizune's role had the advantage of being completely silent, so they could have switched based on that factor, but Hanako felt far too timid to pull off the pantomiming written into Mrs Claus. Also, there was no way she'd set foot on stage in that skimpy costume—it really left nothing to the imagination.

Lastly, there was Molly's role, which spent most of the play lying in a hospital bed, saying nothing. The problem there was that after the lights went out and her respirator malfunctioned, Santa was supposed to give Molly CPR, which would have put Taro inches away, playing at mouth-to-mouth. Even if she closed her eyes and tried to control her breathing, having Taro play at doing so in front of the whole school could actually send Hanako into a panic attack, which was the last thing she needed. The sequence also couldn't be rewritten since it was the key to the entire climax.

Basically, no matter which way she looked at it, Miki's sobriety was the lynch pin, and, barring a miraculous recovery, it remained to be seen whether the one-handed runner could even handle the lights in her drunken state. That left Hanako with only one course of action: go forward with assuming Miki's albeit tiny role so the play could go on without disruption, and find herself sitting on Taro's knee just as the lights flickered. As she sat in a metal chair in the shadows of stage left, thinking over the possibilities, the potential for embarrassment remained overpowering, though there was a small voice in the back of her mind that liked the idea.

Many of the romantic tales she had read involved throwing two people together through a series of convoluted plot devices, and, although she'd never admit it to anyone—except maybe Lilly—Hanako wasn't above entertaining that kind of fantasy. Unfortunately, there was no way to predict that kind of thing, so, resigned to her fate, Hanako groaned quietly to herself and stuffed the script back into her backpack. At the very least, she regretted not taking a sip from Miki's flask, if only to calm her nerves.

Perhaps to loosen her inhibitions as well.

As she set her backpack down beside her chair, Hanako turned up and noticed class three-one had just finished setting up what looked like battlements, so she shelved her worries for the time being in order to absorb some culture—or what passed for culture among the Yamaku student body, at least. A few minutes of quiet rustling, stomping, and a few incomprehensible yells led to the stage lights being dimmed, and some rather discordant music started playing; it sounded a little bit like holiday music that had been played on a broken guitar.

Moments later, Aiko Kurai stepped out on stage in her green costume and makeup—her whole body was painted green, actually—carrying a wooden Tommy-Gun and a bandolier filled with prop grenades. Gnashing her teeth and gesturing wildly, she began the play with a resounding soliloquy, which defamed everything holiday-related. Matching well with the discordant music, her speech detailed how she, The Grump, was a misanthropic, megalomaniacal, wild-eyed, genocidal super-villain bent on ending Christmas once and for all and slaughtering an entire community of peace-loving, agrarian Wherevians in the process.

The story went on to follow her warring campaign against the Wherevians and their spirited holiday celebrations, which she saw as a blight on a world filled with the reality of plague, war, famine, death, and bad movies—or so she said. Together with her Wheregans—Cerberus-like attack dogs—The Grump chased down the Wherevian rebellion, captured their leader's beloved wife—played by Amaya Yamamoto—and threatened to behead her if their leader—played by Tadao Yoshida—didn't accept her iron rule; the story was actually pretty compelling, in its own twisted way.

The outlandish design and dystopic script made Hanako wonder what was going on in the mind of their class’s playwright, Kenta Tomiya, but the horrifying parody of the Seuss classic certainly got a lot of cheers. Confetti grenades saw to the demise of numerous defending Wherevians as cellophane fires, set aloft by hidden fans, burned their peaceful village to ashes. Kurai really dug into the role, too, shouting her battle cries and pseudo-Shakespearean lines with equal gusto; it almost seemed as though she had been playing herself.

The play came to a climax with a final bloody battle in which all but a few valiant Wherevians were slaughtered, and The Grump was finally subdued by an arrow through her blackened heart. Tall, dark Tadao Yoshida then stood at center stage to give the final, resounding soliloquy, which promoted tolerance and kindness over malignant despotism. The typically soft-spoken Yoshida could project quite a captivating voice, Hanako thought. All the players then lined up to either side and bowed together to thunderous applause. Hanako joined in the applause, quietly from the sidelines; it had been a strange and thoroughly entertaining experience, but things were about to get even stranger.

Setou-level strange, which was always borderline disturbing.

Once the three-one players had cleared the stage, class three-two began redressing it for their production, and Hanako settled back into her seat with an eager smile, waiting with baited breath to watch Lilly in her starring role. When the lights dimmed, Hanako sat up and looked skyward as Lilly began descending, perched on a broomstick suspended by wires, down to the stage below. It might not have been completely safe, especially for her modesty considering where the harness was placed, but it was probably worth the awed reaction from the audience.

As she drifted down, an unseen narrator—voiced by none other than their class' playwright, Kenji Setou—opened the play:

'Twas the nightmare before Christmas,
And the world stood in awe;
From the midnight sky descended,
The dread fascist, Mrs Claus.

Not with reindeer, sleigh, or presents,
Instead she rode a broom,
Delivering sacks of propaganda
Foretelling mankind's doom.

Soon the play was in full swing, which, considering the author's temperament, was about as insane as Hanako expected. Setou's take on a futuristic “'Twas The Night Before Christmas”, in which all of humanity was subjugated under the rule of the vile and misandrous Mrs Claus, was probably the most disturbing of all the class' plays, but the way Lilly threw herself into the role with uncanny realism was what sold every last seemingly impossible moment. The set was bleak and gray, the costumes were ragged, and the cynicism was woven thick into the dialogue, especially that of Mrs Claus, whose speeches really brought out Lilly's authoritarian voice.

Her impeccable diction and precise delivery made every despotic line sound doubly venomous.

Instead of dressing in a jolly red suit and leading a team of reindeer to deliver gifts to all good girls and boys—in the tradition of her purportedly misogynist husband—Setou's version of Mrs Claus rode side-saddle upon a black and red candy-cane broom, draped herself in black, skin-tight material from head to toe—hence Lilly's costume—and focused on delivering her feminist message to young girls all over the world. The warped propaganda took seed in their impressionable minds, turning them as misandrous and despotic as herself, which ultimately led to full-scale gender wars, famine, gender-biased genocide, industrial collapse, and the eventual crumbling of society.

A silver tongue she wielded with ease,
To steer their hearts her way.
Misandry replaced all logical reason;
Young girls followed Claus astray.

Misandrous ire sparked misogynous invention;
War erupted on gender lines.
Battles waged between all men and women,
And so fell all humankind.

At the end of the play, upon realizing that her actions had brought the fall of all humanity, Lilly's character threw herself onto the North Pole—no metaphor involved—thereby ending her life, and placing the final nail in humanity's coffin. It was perhaps the most bleak ending Hanako thought imaginable, but it wasn't quite over, apparently. As Lilly lay there with a striped cane tucked under her arm, the lights dimmed, and a spotlight shone toward the edge of the stage where Setou, who had narrated from the background throughout the play, prepared to step out and deliver a final soliloquy.

From behind her, Hanako heard the bespectacled playwright exclaim, “Here goes nothin', man!” Surmising from the nearby shadowy figure in argyle that Setou was talking to Hisao, she listened as he continued, “If I don't come back, make sure my remains are cremated, stored in a vacuum-sealed container, and dropped into Mount Fuji!”

Hanako barely suppressed a giggle.

“Uh... yeah, I'll see to that,” Hisao replied, though Setou didn't seem to notice his sarcasm. “Break a leg, Kenji.”

Glancing over his shoulder as he started marching toward the stage, Setou replied, “I'll break both, just in case!”

Dressed in a black-tailed tuxedo complete with a red bow-tie and wingtips, matching fedora, a black overcoat, and the ever-present red-and-gold scarf flapping in his wake, Setou tapped a silver cane on the stage and walked with his head turned up, smirking haughtily. Expecting something bordering on insanity, if not completely insane, Hanako and the crowd fell into a hush as the typically-reclusive Setou stopped at center stage under the spotlight—he cut an impressive silhouette, surprisingly. During the silence, Hanako noticed a figure looming beside her, and turned to see Hisao standing there, focused intently on the tuxedo-clad Setou with a knowing smirk on his lips.

As Hisao settled into a nearby chair, Hanako turned back out to face Setou, who had leaned forward, and was using the cane as a brace while he slowly scanned the audience with his half-blind glare; whether he could see them or not, it looked imposing. It remained unclear whether Setou's continued silence was the result of frayed nerves, or being done to increase the tension, but it was certainly having that latter effect. The audience held their breath, tensed in their seats, and fell silent enough for Hanako to hear her pulse thrumming in her ears as they awaited Setou's oration.

Hanako jumped in her seat as Hisao brushed her arm and coolly whispered, “This is, by far... the best part!”

Barely an instant later, tossing the cane aside and sending it clattering offstage, Setou threw an indignant fist in the air and began, “As humanity's last, ephemeral breath escaped its lips, the world fell silent... The annals of history erased! All human experience washed away!” he clenched his fists and raised them up toward the spotlight, “Lo, the sky remained, and beasts ruled the Earth once more, but... for one woman's tainted vision... all mankind was gone...! Gone!” he shouted, dropping his hands to his side mournfully, “And her beloved womankind as well!”

Pausing his oration, Setou began pacing across the stage, seeming to grow more agitated with each step, until he finally stopped at the center once again. “Heed this tale, my friends,” he urged, “for this may very well be our future...!” Aiming a hand toward where Lilly still lay—or in that general direction, anyway—he continued, “Let not the vile and single-minded fury of one unhinged madwoman...” he paused and turned back out toward the audience, “...or madman... lead all humanity unto darkness and death!”

Another pause caused a few stray students to start clapping, but most realized he wasn't quite done. Smirking dryly, he held a pleading hand up toward the spotlight and continued, his voice barely above a whisper, “Feast upon the knowledge of all peoples, all races, all cultures...! And find sustenance in the everlasting providence of equality...! For when we lose those things,” his voice rose to a shout, “we lose ourselves!”

Throwing his hands up and out wide, he paused for a long moment, the slow lowering of his hands conducting the crowd to lean forward in anticipation. Crossing them over his chest, he bowed his head somberly and concluded, “Always remember the world is yours to create as you see fit,” his hands snapped down to his sides, “Or destroy on a whim!” Finally, turning to one side and aiming a threatening finger out toward the crowd, he warned, “Make the right choice!”

In the long silence that followed, Hanako realized she had become no less absorbed in the oration than the rest of the audience, which surprised her more than a little. The play itself had almost seemed like a parody, but somehow Setou had turned it on its ear and used its unusual premise as a vehicle to drive a larger point—in his own, ridiculously convoluted way. That's probably what held the audience in silence for a few long moments as Lilly and the remaining cast moved to join their playwright.

Once they were all assembled, the crowd erupted in uproarious applause, which almost took away from the poignance, but they were mostly teenagers, after all—the fact that they understood the ending at all was impressive. Standing along with them, though obviously far off to the side of the stage, Hanako considered offering a few audible cheers—if only so Lilly knew she had enjoyed the performance—but they could always discuss it later.

Just her standing was a baby step worth taking.

When the curtain closed, she noticed Setou had gone missing, and blinked a few times as she stared at the spot he no longer inhabited. “W-where did...?” she prompted, turning toward Hisao, “Did you s-see where he...?”

Shaking his head soberly, Hisao reasoned, “He's probably back in his dorm already.”

“Huh...” Hanako mumbled, blinking a few more times.

Perplexed, but not entirely surprised, Hanako shrugged and accepted that Hisao was probably right. As the rest of the cast walked offstage and Hisao departed, saying he had promised to help Emi with some show preparations, she settled back into the metal chair to do some thinking. The context was different, but Setou's line about making the world how you see fit had stuck in her mind. If she applied that to her situation with Taro, it seemed to make sense; Maybe the situation wasn't perfect, and she didn't feel ready to put herself out like that, but it occurred to her that there might never have been, nor might there ever be a better opportunity.

So, perhaps fate had dealt her a hand worth playing.

Soon, class three-four was buzzing around the stage, and Hanako watched with a bemused smirk as the gray, dystopic Nightmare set was replaced with red-brick buildings—complete with exposed gears—all made from cardboard and plywood. She didn't know who had written their reinterpretation of “A Christmas Carol”, but she understood the steam-punk theme. The majority of room three-four consisted of students with missing limbs, after all, so many of the mechanical props simply fit over their existing dismemberments; Emi's running spikes had been fitted with a few vestigial cogs, for instance.

Watching Emi barking orders and running around the set put a wistful smile on Hanako's face; the little legless track star attacked the play with as much ferocity as she did her speeding past meter marks. Eventually, after placing around a hundred plywood snowbanks, trees and phony buildings that all resembled clockworks, the lights dimmed, and the play began.

The steam-punk theme didn't change the story much, except that their Scrooge had once dreamed of being a toymaker. Evidently Emi was playing the Jacob Marley role, and she put all her spitfire into warning the reticent humbug Scrooge, played by the Track Captain, about his impending visitors. Scrooge then revisited his past as a track star studying tinker-crafts at university, followed by failed relationships and his slow descent into becoming a heartless, overweight investment banker who hadn't tinkered and had barely smiled since his college days.

Perhaps the biggest shock came when Rin Tezuka stepped out in a holocaust cloak, wielding mechanical arms as the Ghost of Christmas Future. For some reason, Rin's blank expression really worked for the character, and when she silently pointed out the Track Captain's lonely grave, the tension in the audience was palpable. The story ended with Scrooge resolving to get involved with his community, live for others, and finally become the toymaker he had once dreamed of being. Truly, it was a heartwarming tale, which made Hanako wonder why they had bothered swapping the play order.

Either the steam-punk theme hadn't been understood, overshadowing its happy ending, or someone had conspired to get her classroom into the final spot. To accomplish that, someone would have to have convinced Shizune, which seemed less than likely, but not impossible.

Miki could be very persuasive, especially if she got help from Hisao or Misha.

As the troupe took their bows and received ample applause, Hanako turned a curious eye backstage, though she couldn't see the target of her questioning glance. It occurred to her that Miki could have been faking her drunkenness, and there might actually be a conspiracy among her classmates to put her in an awkward position with Taro. That sounded increasingly insane with every passing moment, and she smirked to herself as the curtain dropped. Paranoia was something she felt accustomed to, though it didn't sound entirely unreasonable, especially considering Miki's penchant for manipulation.

Despite only having one hand, Miki really liked playing the hand of fate.

As students from room three-four began rushing around to disassemble the set, Hanako noticed a presence lingering behind her and turned to find none other than Miki standing there, grinning broadly. “Hey, ready for your acting debut?” she asked, her pronunciation mysteriously devoid of slurs, “You look a little nervous—are you nervous? You'll do fine~!”

Miki gave an encouraging wink while Hanako stared in disbelief; merely hours before she had been fall-down drunk, but it now seemed as though she had completely recovered. Perplexing as that seemed, she also remembered their conversation, which wasn't necessarily shocking, but Hanako had expected—hoped for—some lapses in memory. “M-Miki...?” she mumbled, still trying to wrap her mind around the disparity of the situation, “U-um... Miki?”

“Sake goes right through me!” Miki stated, which seemed to answer at least one of Hanako's questions, although it still sounded unbelievable. “As for me, I think you should still take my place,” she added, pointing out toward where Hisao and Molly were wheeling the hospital bed into position. “There's no telling if I'll be able to stop myself,” she said almost threateningly as she patted her vest over the pocket containing the flask, “...and I think you have some business to take care of out there, anyway...”

“B-business...?” Hanako echoed, hoping Miki was kidding.

Flashing her incorrigible grin, Miki crouched down beside Hanako and quietly replied, “It'll be good for ya! Molly thinks I'm nuts, but getting' out on stage'll boost you up a little—make you feel a little less like a hermit, maybe!” Still smiling, she cocked her head slightly and added, “Why, what did you think I meant?”

It was always hard to tell the difference between sincerity and sarcasm with Miki.

“U-um, well...” Hanako sputtered, still not sure whether Miki was being entirely serious, “No-nothing, just... W-wouldn't you rather-”

“Nah!” Miki balked, standing up and patting Hanako's shoulder. “I'll be fine running the lights... 'sides, the whole school thinks you're like a folk-hero now,” she said, chuckling a little as she continued, “You're practically a local celebrity! The reporter who exposed two giant douche-bags... They'll love seeing you up there~!”

Hanako had noticed more than the normal number of curious glances directed her way over the past week, but she had attributed them to paranoia. That thought aside, what Miki suggested did make sense, and she sounded convincingly assured, not to mention sincere, but Hanako still felt hesitant.

Biting her lip in consternation, Hanako inquired, “I-if I didn't w-want to...?”

“I'll go ahead if you want—no pressure! Just thought I'd give you the option,” Miki replied, thereby leaving the decision up to Hanako.

Looking out at the stage, Hanako watched as Misha and Suzu dragged the big, plush, high-backed chair they had secured for Santa to use out in front of the decorated tree, and sighed; Miki was probably right, and going out on stage like that would be good for her confidence. If that led to her being more social and less prone to panicking, then it would be worth the trouble. Even if nothing happened with Taro and her feelings remained unexpressed, there was no reason things couldn't change sometime before graduation; Valentines Day was only a few months away.

Often times, her therapist recommended taking baby steps, and standing in front of two-hundred spectators might be more of a leap, but Hanako felt like it was doable; it was at least worth trying. Turning to tell the one-handed hand of fate as much, Hanako noticed she was already backing away, still beaming her Cheshire grin. Without Hanako having spoken a word, Miki had apparently gotten her answer, and instead just offered a thumbs up and a final warning.

“If Taro gets handsy, I'll see to it he's properly disciplined!" she announced, smirking mischievously as she added, "...Unless you wanna do that yourself~!”

Hanako's cheeks flushed crimson as she bit back a protesting reply; nothing she could have said would have had any effect on Miki's indulgent smirk, except to make it broaden. Spinning away instead, which conveniently made it look like she was turning to watch her classmates build the set, she wondered to herself whether being set up could be a good thing; it often worked out in books. Thinking like that just seemed to make her blush deepen, though, so she shook away the furtive imaginings and stood. Whatever Miki had really intended by thrusting her into a stage debut, Hanako felt a certain lightness in her steps as she moved to assist her classmates with dressing the set.

Maybe, she thought, her stage debut would be the opposite of a disaster.
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Chapter 1|Chapter 2|Chapter 3|Chapter 4|Chapter 5|Chapter 6|Chapter 7

Read the update, laughing joyfully all the way. Glad to see you back, and I'll go get some cider and re-read it.

Okay, so... here's what happens when I set dates... I end up coming down with the flu and shying away from monitors for a few days, as they just made the headache worse. Back on track to have the last chapter out for New Years, though. *knock on wood*

Special note: Claritin should be in the pantheon of gods, because its powers are absolute, and its mercy is bountiful.

Damn, damn, damn, damn!

I may have only just found this fic but god damn it's a good one! The characters and the dialogue are an absolute blast and it really brought a smile to my face, too bad it was never finished...

Maybe Helbereth will write the last chapter this christmas

It'd be a Kwanzaa miracle

Gentlemen, I hate even suggesting that I might finish this, but I would like to. That said, nobody should get their hopes up... least of all me.

Helbereth wrote:Gentlemen, I hate even suggesting that I might finish this, but I would like to. That said, nobody should get their hopes up... least of all me.

Damn! I wish I'd seen this sooner. Regardless, finished or not, I recommend people give this a read. Tis the season after all.

Damn, when I saw this updated it got my hopes up prematurely