Okay, so I decided to take a break from the translation and write another chapter of my story or two, just to show this story is still alive. Don’t expect regular updates anytime soon, though. The translation is still my priority.
The break has been a bit longer than I expected it to be. I planned to get at least a few more chapters done before the release, but then the beta came along…
Anyway.
A few things I should mention for newcomers: I started to write this story before the full version of KS was released, so I had only Act 1 to go on. Obviously this led to some parts of the story being
Jossed.
Still, I decided not to retcon anything I’d previously written, so this FanFic will deviate from canon in a few points. As for stuff I had NOT previously written, I’m taking into account the events of Acts II-IV.
Basically you can assume the story is set after Emi’s good end, except for the following:
- Motoki’s canon name is Taro, and he isn’t narcoleptic but paraplegic. That much was known even before the full version’s release, but not to me and not before I created the character.
- “Leon” is gone from the classroom CG, but as he’s one of the main characters in this story, of course he will stay.
In my version Hisao’s and Emi’s relationship progressed a bit slower, and they didn’t have sex yet – oh, and Hisao isn’t quite as enthusiastic about running. I didn't originally plan on Emi having had a boyfriend before Hisao, but as I didn't specifically say so until now, I changed my mind
- I made Emi the captain of the track team. Actually this isn’t even a deviation from canon, since the story is set after the end of Emi’s regular route, so the old team captain could have changed schools in the meantime.
- Obviously Lilly hasn’t left for Scotland (yet?).
- And, well… My version of Nomiya is actually nice. Live with it.
And with that, here’s the new chapter:
Day 4, 12:30
It really is a beautiful view. I was a bit disappointed that we wouldn’t be able to walk all the way around the lake – it is too large for that – but Mr. Nomiya suggested to walk to the western tip of the lake and back. A round trip of about five kilometers shouldn’t strain Hisao too much.
Not that there’s any danger of Hisao overexerting himself on this tour. Since Kenta and Mai decided to come along we are adjusting our pace to Mai’s, which is barely a stroll. I guess I’ll have to have Hisao go running with me again starting tomorrow, or he won’t get enough exercise on this trip.
The others who joined us are Nanami, who is walking behind us with Mai and Kenta and – surprisingly – Jun, who is chatting with Ms. Uehara, the nurse Mr. Nomiya insisted to send along with us.
She is laughing, apparently at some joke Jun told her.
Hisao brings his head close to mine and whispers. „Do you think Jun is hitting on Ms. Uehara?”
I have to suppress a giggle. „Of course not! How did you get that idea?”
„Well, you know the rumours about Ms. Uehara…”
„Actually I don’t. What are the rumours about her?”
„Well… They say she lost her previous job, because…” He hesitates for a second. „…because she had an affair with a minor.”
I roll my eyes. „Sure, and if that were true she’d
certainly be offered a job at a
school right away. Where did you hear a rumour like that?”
Hisao drops his head sheepishly. „Last week I was waiting with Miki in front of the nurse’s office, and she told me.”
I turn to Hisao and give him a playful smack on the back of his head. „You should know better than to listen to her. That girl has more imagination than Lewis Carroll, and her stories are almost as surreal. Do you know what the current rumour about your reason for being at Yamaku is?”
Hisao shakes his head, so I tell him. His eyes go wide. „Surely nobody believes this!”
I don’t bother to hide my grin at his reaction. „Well, you know there’s always some dimwit who believes everything they’re told and passes it on as fact…”
„Ouch.” He looks at me with a hurt expression.
Damn, he’s learning how to do my special puppy-dog eyes!
„Anyway,” I say, changing the subject, „Jun would never do something like that.”
“Really? How would you know?”
Uh oh… Out of the frying pan and into the fire! Now, this could be awkward... Guess I’ll take the direct approach. “Well, do you remember when I told you I had a boyfriend before we met?”
“Yes, what…” His head whips around to face me. “Wait, you mean that was Jun?”
“Yes, his baseball training used to be before my track training during our first year, and sometimes he’d stay behind to cheer us on. Sometime we’d hang out after that…”
Hisao falls silent for a while, and I gaze out over the lake as we continue to walk.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
I try to discern his feelings about this, but come up blank. “Well, I didn’t plan to keep it a secret, but you never asked, so I thought either you didn’t care or you didn’t want to know.”
He shrugs. “Maybe you were right. I guess it doesn’t really matter. It just seems strange that you’d date someone who smokes. I’m surprised you let him get away with that.”
“Oh, he didn’t smoke back then. In fact…” I hesitate, unsure of how much to say. Jun told me a lot of things about himself and his family that he wouldn’t want widely known, but I guess I can tell Hisao about
that. “Promise me you won’t repeat this to anyone!”
Hisao nods.
“Well, I think he just started smoking to spite Shizune.”
“What?”
“Yes, A few months into our second year he got into a big fight with Shizune about school rules and stuff. You know how she can be. Anyway, the next day he came to school with his first pack of cigarettes, and he made a point of always smoking when Shizune was around. I think it’s more of an image thing for him.”
Hisao shakes his head. “Yes, that sounds like something he’d do, and I can imagine Shizune’s reaction.”
“Oh yes.” I break into a grin, remembering. “She was furious, but Jun just kept ignoring her. I think she was close to hitting him once, but of course that would have meant he’d won. Nowadays they just avoid each other whenever possible.”
We walk on in silence. The trail swings close to the lake at this point, and I scan the shore for marimo. Of course I have no such luck. I guess they’re protected for a reason.
A bit ahead of us, Ms. Uehara and Jun have stopped and turned around. “I think we should turn back here,” she says, “or we’ll be too late for the return trip.”
Hisao looks at his watch. “I guess she’s right. Besides, maybe we can grab a bite in Akanko. I’m getting a bit hungry.”
I look at the way ahead, disappointed that we have to turn back already, but Hisao is right. I’m getting a bit hungry as well. I turn around and put my arm around his waist. “In that case let’s hurry back and find something to eat.”
Ooki's dream not being a dream was fun too ^_^ Hope this "on hold, please wait" doesn't last too long ^_^
