Perspective: Hisao
Scene - The scene (uh...)
A headache relentlessly thumps at the back of my skull as I push open the door to the 22nd Corner. Apart from that, I feel… calm. No, that’s a lie.
I thought yelling at Rin (at to a greater extent Emi), venting all the anger I’ve bottled up ever since I got here, would’ve lifted some weight off my chest. Instead, it feels heavier now. Maybe I was justified, maybe I wasn’t. Then I remember what I said to the both of them and to many others and I just...
I don’t think I’ve been a great person lately—especially since I came to this f@#king school.
I thought, despite everything, that Emi, Rin, and I had something. A connection. But now I’ve gone and ruined that too and it's all my own damn fault. Haven’t seen Emi lately; she’s probably avoiding me. Not that I blame her.
stepping through the door the gallery is full of people a little cramped actually, I guess that's why it was so spacious.
I find Sae as she stands out in the crowd. There are a few dozen wine glasses laid on the tables along the back wall, filled with burgundy liquid. A vast majority of the guests are sipping from their own glasses. The socialites and snobs are mingling happily, exchanging mild opinions about Rin's art which seems to be a secondary object of interest for most.
I start feel this weird distance, like I'm excluded from everyone and everything, and that I shouldn't be here. Maybe that's some self-hate talking though it's not like I'm going to be interacting with anyone here. I wonder how Rin is handling all this. If it was me, I would be quite freaked out. Throwing the anxiety aside, I try to carefully navigate through the crowd, stealing peeks at the framed paintings now hanging on the walls."
Rin's exhibition takes about half of the gallery's wall space. Some paintings are less familiar than others, but I recognize most of them. Some I've seen being created at the club meetings after all, or remember from the time when Rin was choosing her portfolio. I note that a couple of the unfinished paintings are framed and on the wall as well. Maybe that's what they call coincidental art? Even Rin's failures, if you can call them that, became exhibits of her skill. Quite paradoxical.
Where is Rin though? I sure I would've seen her by now right? Maybe she's with Sae? I should go look for her. As I make my way through the crowd towards Sae, yet again I'm feeling something but instead of some vague emotions this is more...palpable. I don't know why but there's this...dreadful air that seems to be coming from Sae's direction and it's building up fast. I wonder if this is coming from Nomiya since despite how annoying he can be I bet right now he's a nervous wreck most likely because of how important this event is for Rin. Maybe I can catch him pissing his pants. hehe...yeah...sure...
I Start to hear Sae's voice "Yes, she is a high schooler at a local school... even though she's graduating next year I'm sure various art schools would be interested in... ...I thought it'd be interesting to have an exhibition of someone who is still in early stages of development..." I finally made it to Sae and it seems Rin is indeed with her. It's so strange, it's like Rin is some kind of mini-celebrity even though this is nothing but a small exhibition opening at a small art gallery of a small town. "In fact, there is a friend of mine from..."
Before I could hear more of what Sae had to say another voice catches me off guard "Who are you?". I turned around and it was just Nomiya, after seeing me he says "Ah it's just you, sorry. I'm just a little nervous"...Something isn't right, that feeling of dread wasn't coming from him and it isn't coming from Sae which could only mean-
"Hello." A familiar voice interrupts my thoughts, it was Rin... S-she still has that stupid poker that has caused me no end of misery given how unreadable she is, but I know what I felt and there is only one source left...
"Ah Rin it seems your friend has come to see you" Nomiya says adding in a boisterous laugh that made him look like an idoit. "C-Congratulations, Rin" I sheepishly say trying to be as friendly as possibly despite what happened in our less than friendly encounter. For better or worse she keeps averting her gaze, pointedly looking at her sandals. Oblivious to the tension between us and ignorant of what happened yesterday, Nomiya and Sae turn to Rin, introducing her. Expecting it, I catch the second of confusion when the guests see her arms. Sae is luckily on the ball and briefly explains about our school. Doubtful faces quickly change to curious.
"Would you mind telling us something about your art? I thought the development is quite easily noticeable, what do you yourself think of the differences between the older and more current works? It's quite rare for someone so young to dabble into abstraction." A man says in a somewhat demeaning tone. Don't know if he meant for it to sound like that or I'm just projecting either way it doesn't matter. I look at Rin and she seems a little out of it, like-
"It would've been interesting to see how you work!" A woman says way too loudly, honestly it isn't really that interesting though maybe that's because I myself can't understand her process. "Oh, definitely! I assume you use your feet? Must've been a great trouble to learn it, you should be proud." The same man says and it definitely sounds condescending. Tch! if the inhibitors weren't active I would've caused an accident that shut him up for the rest of day
"I... ummm..." Stammers out of Rin's mouth. Shit! I haven't been paying attention to her is she okay?
"Will you be pursuing a career as an artist after school? Also will you try to-" Rin is bombarded with so many questions she can't even hope to answer all of them. Can no one see she can't handle it!? seriously why aren't Nomiya or Sae doing anything!?
"So where do you get your ideas?" How about you shut up!!
"That's the fourth, I mean fifth worst..." Rin keeps stumbling with her words, looking more and more perplexed by the expectant inquiries. Should I do something? Like what genius? this is supposed to be her moment...actually speaking of her...
"Ah..." is all Rin could muster. Everyone is waiting for her to say something, but she looks like a cat got her tongue. Each question piling up just adds to her distress. I fail to hear the question that is the proverbial one too many. It's like a motor stalling. Rin just freezes for a long, long second until she falls on her knees, hitting the floor ungracefully like she's shutdown.
"Are you all right?" someone says
"I don't know..." Rin barely gets out
"Tezuka? What's wrong, girl?" Nomiya blurts out yet he doesn't seem worried...not in the "correct" way
"I don't know what's wrong..." Rin says looking dejected...I think at least. A terrible silence falls upon the people gathered around Rin. Everyone is petrified, not knowing how to react to her sudden... seizure, or something. She breathes with deep, trembling gasps as if she was running out of air, staring ahead of herself with hollow eyes. Seeing that nobody does anything, I finally step up to Rin and lift her up from the floor, letting her lean against me to keep standing."
"Would you like some fresh air? OK, let's go outside for a bit." I say trying to hide my concern. I don't even wait for her to answer before grasping her shoulder and pulling her past the stunned-looking Nomiya, Sae, and the many guests who are blocking our way to the entrance.
"OUT OF OUR WAY" I say in a low yell, not really loud but enough to make it clear I'm just about done with this situation. As if sensing I'm someone that shouldn't be messed with despite the inhibitors the pathetic sheeple adhere to my demand and move aside, finally allowing us to get out of the building.
Scene - To take responsibility and move on
The cool evening breeze grazes my face as we step outside. I release my grip on Rin, and she leans against the stone wall, her breathing ragged.
“Are you alright?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady. Rin doesn’t answer immediately, her gaze fixed on the ground. I can’t help but look away too—something about the silence makes it feel like staring would be intrusive. The neon lights along the street flicker, casting strange shadows. It feels like the world itself is running out of power.
"I couldn't say anything," Rin mutters, her voice barely audible.
I glance at her, confused. She’s not looking at me, and her words don’t feel like they’re meant for me either. “What did you want to say?” I ask, feeling like I’m speaking into a void. Still, she’ll answer. She has to.
"I don't know. Something that would have meant something."
That's supposed mean...what exactly? Sigh, I don't feel comfortable being alone with Rin. I am not good at imagining things that don't exist, do... or that things that exist, don't. It’s strange, given everything we’ve faced together... everything we’ve seen like NULLspawn, creatures out of nightmares and the literally void itself—and yet, this? This is what I don’t know how to handle.
Eventually I say. "We should go back in. The guests Sae invited are in there, they probably want to meet you and talk with you. You know, ask you questions and stuff. About those paintings you worked so hard for."
"I don't want them to ask me questions like that. I can never say the right things."
"What do you want then?"
"That someone wouldn't have to ask questions from me."
I just stand there in silence not really knowing what to do next if anything at all. I suppose I'll just do whatever Rin wants and go from-
"Hisao, why won't you answer me?" Rin says unexpectedly and...what? what does she mean by that? was she asking a question?
Has she been asking something all this time, something beyond words? Panic rises, and I open my mouth to speak, but no words come. What am I supposed to say? That I understand? That I get it?
But I don’t. I don’t understand.
H-how I'm I supposed to know it's your life!? you can't expect me to have all the answers, so what am I supposed say? Aren't you happy people are interested in your paintings or something? Actually...s-should I say that I mean-
NO! what the hell am I thinking!? that's the worst thing I could say in this situation, she literally just shutdown in front of you and I want to just shove her back in?
Who would even go for that, Nobody that's who. Absolutely...
...
Everybody. or at least most people would say that to her. They would have told her to shove down her feelings and just go back inside to go ahead and make all sorts of connections, create some opportunities and what have you, completely ignoring or dismissing any and all personal drawbacks she may have.
Most people would have told her that
"Rin"
I would've told her that
But not today, "if you found someone like that, then what? Do you really think that it would be some kind of be-all, end-all thing, star-crossed lovers and happily ever after?" My question is met with a blank stare. I don’t know if this is the right approach, but it’s better than forcing her into that room.
Rin finally speaks up "No, I don't think that. But at least then I wouldn't have to be alone" whispers the words to the grey sky as it's starting to rain
"I shouldn't have done this. Not yet."
"The exhibition?" She nods and closes her eyes, breathing calmly out as if to prove she can, and then continues talking to herself.
"Why? Wrong conjunction of the planets?" I say trying to match Rin's randomness
"No, not that. I double-checked, and I got up with the right, I mean left, foot and did everything else left, I mean right. It's me. I was wrong." She stands straight and stretches before stepping past me out into the street."
"Wait, where are you going?" I ask when she stops on her tracks and turns around, looking at me quizzically.
"School. I'm leaving." she says sounding as monotone as ever
"What... why?" I say sounding beyond befuddled
"Because I want to be me." Rin says before walking off, leaving me behind, yet that last line... I think I've got it now!
"Rin!" I yell hoping to finally get through to her. The last thing she said really touched me, or maybe it was the way she said it. Maybe it was the fact that she said it. I want to say something back to her, before I forget this feeling again. As if granting me a wish, Rin stops in her tracks. She doesn't turn around, just keeps waiting for me to say what I want to even though I didn't have time to think what to say...
"Rin... listen. I... I don't believe you have to be alone, even if you never meet anyone like that." I hope she heard my words, but either way, she doesn't react.
"Please...Please don't leave me alone...I can't handle that again," I finally manage to say, my voice barely louder than a whisper. I don’t know where that came from—it wasn’t planned, wasn’t even really thought about. But it's out there now, hanging in the cold air between us.
Rin stops mid-step, her back still to me. Her shoulders tense, and for a moment I wonder if I’ve broken some unspoken rule between us. The silence stretches out long enough that I start to feel the weight of the words, and I have no idea what’s going to happen next.
"Again?" she asks, her voice softer than usual, barely audible over the sound of the city and light drizzle coming down. "W-when did it happen before...?"
I wince. My head starts to throb. What the hell is this? Where is this coming from? The pounding inside my skull is getting worse, and it’s like there’s something just out of reach, something buried deep. I can’t—no, I don’t want to remember. Not now. Not like this.
"Ugh... my head..." I mutter, pressing my fingers to my temples.
The memories come in flashes. Pain. Fear. Heartbeats echoing in my ears—loud, deafening. But I can't place them. Can't sort through the haze. Why now? Why, in this moment, when I’m standing here trying to keep someone else from leaving me, am I the one feeling like I’m being pulled apart?
Rin turns around, her eyes meeting mine for what feels like the first time in forever. There’s something in her gaze, something... unreadable. Maybe she understands more than I realize. Or maybe I’m just projecting again, wanting her to see through the mess in my head.
"Hisao..." she begins, her tone so neutral, so Rin, but softer now, more deliberate. "What are you afraid of?"
I don’t know how to answer that, so I don’t. Instead, I just stand there, my mind racing, trying to fight through the pounding in my skull. She’s waiting for me to say something, but what am I supposed to say? That I’m afraid of being left behind? That I’m afraid of losing the only connection I thought I had
...
All I can remember through the pain is... a hospital... a big room... there were people there, like me... broken.
The flashes get clearer, sharper. The sterile white walls, the smell of antiseptic. The quiet hum of machinery. Faces—so many faces, each one carrying the same weight. It wasn’t just me. We were all there, fragile, shattered in different ways. I remember lying in a bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling the cold distance of it all. But I wasn’t alone. Not then.
I remember their names... yet I can't say them. They’re on the tip of my tongue, but they won’t come out. Like some part of me has locked them away, buried deep.
I stagger back a step, pressing my fingers harder against my temples, trying to hold onto something, anything that makes sense. The hospital...the people... it’s like a blur of emotions trapped inside me, and all of it is pushing to the surface. But none of it will take shape.
"Hisao...?" Rin’s voice pulls me back, anchoring me just enough to stop the spiraling thoughts.
I look at her, but my vision swims, and for a second it feels like I’m back there. Back in that room, surrounded by others like me—hearts that wouldn’t work right, bodies that had failed us in some way.
"It’s… it’s like something’s locked away. I can’t remember it all, but… there were people, Rin. People like me." My voice shakes, the words coming out fractured, raw. "I knew their faces... I remember talking to them... but now, when I try to think of them, they’re just... gone."
Rin doesn't say anything at first, her expression as unreadable as always, but there’s something in her eyes—something that tells me she understands, maybe in a way that no one else could. She steps closer, her usual distance closing just a bit, and for a brief moment, the space between us feels... smaller.
"I don't know why," I mutter, my voice dropping to a whisper, "but it feels like... I’m losing parts of myself. Like I’m disappearing."
The weight of that admission hits harder than I expect. Because it's not just about them—it's about everything. About Rin. About the fear I’ve been pushing down this whole time.
Rin closed her eyes, as if weighing something in her mind, and then, without a word, she turned and walked away again. Her steps were deliberate, yet quiet, and soon, the fading silhouette of her figure disappeared into the dimness of the night. The streetlights cast long shadows on the pavement, but she was already beyond them, swallowed by the city, until I couldn't see her anymore.
Despite this, despite her retreat and the silence that followed, I couldn’t help but feel that something had shifted. There were no more words exchanged, no resolutions spoken aloud, but still, something lingered in the space where she had stood. A fragile, unspoken thing—an understanding.
It wasn’t the kind of understanding that brought comfort or clarity. It was messy and incomplete, like a puzzle with pieces missing. But maybe that was the point. Maybe Rin and I didn’t need the answers right now. Maybe we didn’t need to fix everything, or even make sense of it. Maybe there wasn't anything too fix.
I sighed, running a hand through my hair, trying to calm the chaos in my head. For the first time, I realized that understanding wasn’t the same as closure. And that was okay. It had to be.
With a deep breath, I turned back toward the gallery, leaving the night behind me, and walked inside.
Scene - True Colors
Inside the exhibition someone is already expecting me.
"So? Where's Tezuka?" Nomiya asks expectedly
I just shake my head, but as it doesn't seem to be a sufficient answer I have to say something, "She ran away." that was probably the wrong way to put it but what else could I say?
"What?" The horrific realization spreads on his face like wildfire.
"This is a fiasco! Catastrophe! What is that girl thinking, the most important event of her life, and she just runs off? And you! Why didn't you stop her? I'm going to hold you personally responsible..." I finally look at him when he says that last part
"Excuse me? what's that supposed to mean!?" I say getting right up in his face (or try to at least), he was surprised by this at first but he started to push back
Before anything could happen, Sae interrupts the both of us, separating us and holding her hands up calmingly. It's good she intervened; we were was starting to get a few weird looks from the nearby guests.
Sae then calmly says "Now, now, Shinichi. She probably just had stage fright. I don't know her as well as you people do, but I did get the image that she is somewhat peculiar. This kind of thing can happen. It'll be fine. I'll explain that she suddenly became ill. The guests will surely understand."
"But..."
"Look around you, everyone seems to be rather happy with their free wine and chitchat."
"The guests will be fine, but we are missing on opportunities here! Networking, making contacts and acquaintances!"
"The hell are you talking about!" I yell not caring if I cause a scene, I don't even know what I'm doing anymore. The only thing I know for real is that this pathetic excuse for a clown pretending to be a teacher has finally pissed me off and I have had enough of it!
So I continue "Your prized student just shutdown in front of you and all you can think about is what she's supposed to do next!? Well let me tell you this—she's not some kind of tool for you to parade around!" I snarl, feeling my face heat up as the words spill out. "You don’t get to decide what’s important for her. What happened just now… it wasn’t some minor hiccup. She was drowning in there, and you didn’t even notice!"
Nomiya’s face darkens, his usually jovial demeanor crumbling. "You’re being overdramatic, Nakai. You think you’re doing her a favor by coddling her? She needs to toughen up, or she’ll never survive in the real world. This was her chance to prove she has what it takes!"
I grit my teeth, my fists clenching by my sides. "And this is how you help her? By throwing her to the wolves and expecting her to magically figure it out? Did you even see what happened? She wasn’t just nervous—she was breaking, and you were too busy selling her off like a commodity to care!"
Nomiya steps closer, his eyes narrowing. "I’ve done more for Rin than you can even begin to understand. I’ve pushed her because I believe in her talent, something you clearly don’t appreciate. If you’re going to get in the way of her future—"
"I'm not getting in the way!" I cut him off, my voice shaking with barely contained rage. "I’m trying to protect her because clearly, you can’t see past your own ambitions. She’s not just some prodigy you can mold into whatever you want her to be. She’s a person, a friend—"
"A friend?" Nomiya sneers, his tone laced with condescension. "You think friendship is going to help her succeed? She needs discipline, not you and your 'friendship'. Art isn’t about feelings, it’s about pushing boundaries, challenging limits—"
"She’s not some project for you to fix!" I shout, my heart pounding in my chest yet it doesn't set anything off. "You keep acting like you know what's best for her, but have you even asked her what she wants? What she needs? Or is this just about you living through her success?"
I'm starting to feel lightheaded but I don’t waver. "You know what, Nomiya? You’re right. I don’t understand art the way you do. But I understand people. And right now, Rin needs someone who actually gives a damn about her, not some self-serving clown who's more worried about his own reputation than her well-being."
Before Nomiya can fire back, Sae quickly steps between us again, her hands raised, palms out. "Alright, alright, that’s enough," she says, her voice calm but firm. "This is getting out of hand. Rin isn’t here to defend herself, and this bickering isn’t going to help anyone."
I feel my chest heaving with each breath, the adrenaline still pumping through my veins. Nomiya looks just as furious as I am, but Sae’s presence seems to keep him from escalating things any further.
"Take a walk, both of you," Sae continues. "Clear your heads before you do something you’ll regret. I’ll take care of things here. We’ll deal with Rin when she’s ready, but right now… let her be."
For a moment, none of us move. Then, without a word, I turn and walk toward the exit, my heart still racing as the gallery’s atmosphere grows distant. I don’t look back at Nomiya, but I can feel his glare burning into my back.
Whatever. He’s not worth it.
I feel disgusted. Not just with everyone here, but with myself. To think there was a time when I might have agreed with someone like Nomiya… it's repulsive. Back then, I would have gone along with it, convinced myself it was the right thing to do. I would’ve left Rin to fend for herself and felt nothing. I would’ve been complicit in everything she’s going through now, and that thought makes my skin crawl.
Maybe I don’t have the right to judge. Maybe the person I used to be doesn’t deserve to stand up for her or even stand with her or even Emi. But that doesn’t mean I can just stay silent, doesn't mean I can't at least try.
So, as of today, I make this declaration to me and me alone. I’m leaving behind this place, these people, and, most of all, my past self.
Never again will I look back.
Scene - The replay only you can see, An Instant we can share together, A wonderful world such could be.
I’m finally out of that wretched place, and for the first time in what feels like forever, I feel... liberated. I can’t explain it—I just do. Maybe it's arrogant to think I've changed completely after today, but if nothing else, I have to change if I want to set things right. And that starts with—
BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT- THWUMP
Whoa! A power outage. The noise jolts me, and suddenly the entire city goes dark. The only light comes from a few emergency signs, flickering against the stormy night. Clouds swallow the moonlight, and the rain pours harder, drumming against the pavement. Despite the chaos, I don’t look back at the exhibition building. I made a promise not to look back, so I keep walking.
I can feel the inhibitors’ grip fading. Maybe... maybe I can use my power again. There’s only one way to find out.
“VOIDSHIFT!” I shout, and the world warps and blurs around me as I slip into the pocket dimension of Void-Earth. No time to waste—“COPY MACHINE!” I call, summoning a sleek hover bike from thin air. The bike thrums with energy, and I leap on, tearing through the empty streets toward Yamaku. With the outage, I doubt any public transport is running, and I can't afford to waste time.
The city speeds by beneath me as I fly through the rain-soaked darkness, thoughts racing as fast as my bike. What will I do when tomorrow comes? How do I fix this mess I’ve made? I want to go in with a plan, but given how much I’ve messed up these past few months, it’s hard not to overthink every detail.
...
I reach the small town, spotting Yamaku in the distance. The sight makes me breathe easier. I land near Shanghai, rain still pelting down, soaking me to the bone. It’s long closed by now, as I expected, but I need shelter. After a quick scan to make sure no one’s watching, I hack the lock and slip inside. The warmth of the dimly lit interior is a welcome relief, and I collapse into a seat by the window, dripping and exhausted.
Shifting back to regular Earth, I conjure a small heater to dry off. The rain taps softly against the window, filling the silence as I sit alone in the empty café.
So... what now? ...Well simply apologize...yeah might need a bit more than that.
But I have to start with apologies. A lot of them. A sincere apology to everyone I've wronged—every time my behavior hurt someone, no matter how small the offense seemed. I need to acknowledge it all, even if it stings.
However, I can’t look too desperate, or they’ll never believe I mean it. Groveling would be a joke—insincere and pathetic. Maybe... a bow. A deep, full bow, forehead to the floor. It’s a traditional gesture. Humble, but not pathetic. I should read up on dogeza to make sure I do it right.
It’s going to look weird. People might laugh, or think it’s unnecessary. But once the laughter fades... I think they’ll understand.
...
The rain is still coming down outside, steady and relentless, as I sit in the quiet café, warming my hands over the small heater. I go over the plan again and again, yet one thing becomes undeniable—Rin and Emi. They’re at the heart of this, and if I'm serious about making things right, I need to face them both.
Rin first. She’s unpredictable, hard to read, and my words might not even reach her in the way they I intened. But avoiding her is out of the question, not after everything that’s happened. You’ll have to go to the art room and find her, and you’ll have to be patient. No rehearsed lines, no grand speeches. She’ll see through anything that isn’t real, so I’ll have to show her that I'm... here—truly here. She may not accept your apology or just shrug it off like she does with most things, but I have to try.
And then there’s Emi. Oh god Emi...
I hurt her no other way to say it. I may have been justified in calling out her objectively harmful and unstable way of coping with her trauma, but the way I acted...the face she made when I dared her to do something...in her own home right in front of her mother...
...what the hell is wrong with me?...
ugh! put a pin in that for later. What matters right now is confronting her head on, she'll probably act like nothing is wrong but it's a front and one that by now is on it's last legs. When it crumbles I'll be there...not to pick up the pieces since I'm not good a putting things together, but I'll be there to help...to support her...to let her know I'm there for her...not to take away the pain...but at least make it a little more bearable so she can find her peace...if there is one to be had...
I take a deep breath. I’ve made my decision, and there’s no turning back now.
"Right," I mutter to myself, pushing back from the table. I feel a strange sense of calm wash over you—like the calm before a storm...ironic given the weather.
I stand up, feeling the ache in my muscles from the long journey back. dispersing the heater, I step out into the weakened rain. Each drop feels like a reminder of everything I’ve been through, and everything I still have to face.
Tomorrow, it all begins. First, Rin and her silent, detached gaze. Then Emi, with her fierce determination.
Walking back to Yamaku, the light rain hitting my forehead. Each step feels like it’s pulling you forward, toward the moment I can’t avoid any longer.
No more hiding. No more running away.
It’s time to face the present.
Sorry if this is all confusing but I really needed this out of my system...Thank you for reading and enjoy the below rantings
Perspective: Narrator, who is just me.
Can you tell I vehemently disagree with the notion that Rin’s neutral ending is somehow her “true” ending or a more realistic resolution? Maybe I’m going against the grain here—probably even clashing with the opinion of the writer himself—but that ending just doesn’t sit right with me.
Maybe I’m naive, or maybe I’ve watched too many stories that champion the idea that “it’s better to be with other people than alone.” But with Rin and Hisao, the miscommunication is so persistent, even for Rin’s unique way of... everything. I couldn’t stop shouting, “SOMEONE, PLEASE GET A THESAURUS!” and “HISAO, PLEASE THINK FOR TWO SECONDS BEFORE YOU SPEAK!” (not referring to the choices that almost mean nothing)
And then I thought, why? Why can’t I see what others are seeing? Maybe it’s a bias, but the ending feels fundamentally off. Against my better judgment, I went back to re-experience it, paying close attention, trying to understand where it’s coming from and maybe-
HISAO: "I... think everyone wants to be understood. That's universal. But... that is impossible. Not only for me, but for anyone. Sae said so too. You affect other people and are affected by them, but in the end, you see everything the way only you do. All people... are alone. We just use each other to alleviate that loneliness."
And with that, I knew exactly why I couldn’t accept this as any kind of “true” ending. It’s a statement on loneliness that feels too final. It’s powerful, sure, but for Katawa Shoujo, a story that dives so deeply into how we can affect each other for the better despite our differences, it felt like a disconnect. (to ME I should stress)
It reminds me of It’s a Wonderful World aka The world ends with you a story that shows we each live in our own reality, but that connection still shapes us, even if perfect understanding is impossible. And just like that world, the one I’m working to build will hold that belief close. In the end, the world only ends when we refuse to connect. And yes the last scene is a reference
Matter of fact the very next scene (maybe) was going to extend that reference as the context for this scene was going to be a memory of an argument Hisao had with two other people and the dialogue was going to reference various lines from the games as the argument went on about the who, what, when, where, why, and how's of connecting with other people eventually ending with one of the voices saying that Hisao is special because he has the potential to be a connector. Not only bonding with others but also have others bond with...well everyone else....how? I've already spoiled enough.
Anything else?...Nagi best girl? seems obvious I know but still should be said
Oh! well I also have two more out of context events I want to show because I think they are fun and set the vibe of what I'm going for here and after I'm done with memories for the future, my focus will be on this...maybe... there are two other stories I need to get back too so...uh...sorry 
Well See ya!