Miki Route 1-5: Shoestring Blues

#jump in from A38, shared Sunday morning intro, beginning of Kenji's interrogation

label en_A38f:

    hi "I promised a girl from my class I'd see the festival with her, so…"

    "Kenji looks horrified, as if I'd just confessed to treason."

    ke "You WHAT?!? Have you lost your mind?"

    hi "What are you talking about?"

    ke "You can't make promises to girls, man. Next thing you know they'll be breathing down your neck, pointlessly bringing up the past…"

    "I get the feeling that comment was a little too specific for him not to be talking from experience."

    ke "Who is this girl, anyway?"

    hi "Her name's Miki. She's going to try and help me get back in shape."

    "Kenji seems to recognize the name, but it takes him a while to place it."

    ke "Is she the one in the track and field club, by any chance? Please tell me she isn't."

    hi "Yeah, she is. That's why she's helping me get into running."

    "Kenji punches the frame of his door in a gesture that seems far too dramatic a reaction to what I just told him."

    ke "Stay away from her, man! She's bad news!"

    hi "Wha-? You know her?"

    ke "Not personally, no, but my sources tell me she's a double agent. She gets in close with the guys by pulling that tomboy act of hers, and before you know it, WHAM! Game over."

    "He throws a fist into his open hand, as if to emphasize the point."

    ke "You have to be careful around her type, man."

    ke "Damnit, I'd never thought they'd try to get to me through you."

#scene en_A38e picks up from here, end of Kenji conversation


label en_AM5:

    "Well then. I guess all that's left is to head out and find Miki."

    #Dorm building, 1st floor

    "It isn't until I reach the bottom floor of the dorms that I realize exactly how empty this place is. Most of the students must already be out at the festival."

    "It shouldn't be all that surprising, considering how late I managed to sleep in."

    "As I think about it, I can't help but feel a slight pang of guilt for not being more involved."

    "I shouldn't give myself too hard of a time, though. I am just a new student, after all, and taking the past few days off has definitely helped me feel a little less out of place here."

    #whiteout

    "The moment I step outside I'm blinded by sunlight."

    #fade to crowded exterior

    "It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust, but when they do I can see the festival is in full swing."

    "A surprisingly large amount of people fill the courtyard. The number appears to be unevenly skewed towards the elderly, although I also see a fair number of what I would assume are parents peppered throughout the crowd."

    "The festival must be a bigger event around here than I realized, if so many people were willing to come up from the town just to attend."

    "Paths that were empty just days before are now lined with stalls, each one looking more lively than the last. I can see that the students working the booths are rushing just to keep up with the crowds."

    "After a few moments of taking in the atmosphere around me, I remember my reason for coming out here in the first place."

    "I should start looking for Miki."

    "Come to think of it, she said I shouldn't be late, but she never mentioned where we should meet up."

    "Fortunately, it doesn't take long to spot her. She's standing at a booth and looks to be ordering a cup of the fruit punch they're selling."

    hi "Miki!"

    "She gives me a quick glance in response before taking the drink from the vendor. As she turns back around, I see her raise an eyebrow."

    #show Miki

    mk "So, finally decided to show up, huh?"

    hi "Yeah. I'm sorry, I forgot to set my alarm last night."

    #Miki surprised
    mk "You've only just woken up? Exactly how long did you sleep for?"

    hi "It's the medicine, I think. Sometimes it takes me a while to fall asleep."

    #Miki neutral/serious
    mk "Oh, I see."

    #Miki smile
    mk "At least you're here now, though. Wanna take a look around? I hear they've got some pretty fun games this year."

    hi "Yeah, but do you mind if I get some breakfast first? I’m starting to get hungry."

    #Miki wink

    mk "Sure, I was just about to have lunch anyway."

    "I hope she's not planning on holding that over my head for the rest of the day."

    "Together, we wade our way through the crowd. As we continue on, I begin to see more and more families breaking up the sea of locals."

    "I guess a lot of the students had their parents come by for this event after all. Now that I think about it, I wonder if I should have invited my parents too."

    "The smell of food frying in the nearby stalls pushes the thought out of my head, however, and I head over to investigate."

    "The closer I get, the more I begin to salivate, but Miki stops me just as I move up to order."

    mk "You're not having any of that stuff, are ya'?"

    hi "I was going to, why?"

    #Miki angry
    mk "You can't!"

    hi "What do you mean, 'I can't'? It's not like eating greasy food once is gonna kill me."

    "She sighs and shakes her head as if I'm missing the point."

    mk "I know that, but…"

    hi "But what?"

    mk "I can't eat that stuff because of the upcoming track meet."

    mk "It's not fair if you get to eat all this tasty food while I have to watch what I eat."

    "I'm more than a little surprised by her explanation. Still, the hot food is so tempting it's making my stomach growl."

    hi "What's unfair about it? I'm not running in the meet, so I should be allowed to eat what I like."

    "Miki cocks her head and studies me for a moment. She then smirks and nods."

    mk "You know what? You're right. I shouldn't make you follow my diet for my own selfish reasons."

    "I'm glad she's so understanding."

    mk "Still, nobody should want to eat this kind of food for {i}breakfast{/i}, Hisao."

    "Damn. In my hunger I hadn't even considered that. It's frustrating, but I have to admit defeat. I guess I'll have to come back here later."

    "My shoulders slump and Miki lets out a triumphant chuckle."

    mk "Don't be sad, I'll show ya' this place where they're selling fruit smoothies."

    "With me close behind her, Miki makes her way through the crowd."

    "Occasionally the eyes of some of the visitors rest on her bandaged wrist a little too long for my liking, but Miki is either unaware of it or choosing to ignore it."

    "It's only a short distance to the stall Miki was referring to. The vendors are a trio of female students I've never seen before. They must be in one of the other classes."

    mk "Hisao, what flavor do you want?"

    "Since it's a small operation, they only offer banana or strawberry flavor. I don't really care for bananas so it's an easy choice."

    hi "I'll have a strawberry flavored smoothie, please."

    "The girl taking our order nods and turns to Miki."

    mk "Me too."

    "Both girls look at me expectantly. I'm a little confused."

    "The girl behind the counter holds out her hand, solving this little mystery."

    hi "Oh, I guess it's my treat then. How much is it?"

    "Girl" "…"

    "She taps her finger on a piece of paper that's been pinned to the stall, listing the prices."

    "As I pay for our smoothies, she turns around and signs to one of the other girls. The latter nods and begins making them on the spot."

    "I wonder why three deaf girls would run a stall together, but once I hear the blender rattle to life, I can assume why."

    "At first glance it seems impractical, but as I look at the stall, I see all the information has already been written down, from prices to ingredients."

    "It seems like these girls have planned out everything well in advance. I can't help but be impressed by their resourcefulness."

    mk "Hey."

    "Miki's voice brings me back to the present. She's holding out a smoothie for me to take."

    "I quickly relieve her of it, allowing her to grab her own drink as well."

    "As soon as I taste the smoothie for myself, I'm instantly grateful that Miki brought me here."

    "The fresh strawberries blended with the yogurt form a simple combination, but it's delicious nonetheless."

    hi "Maybe I should get a blender too. I think I could get used to having these for breakfast."

    "Miki laughs."

    mk "I'm sure the other boys would object to you using something so loud every morning."

    hi "Maybe if I let them make smoothies as well, they'd be okay with it."

    mk "Haha, maybe."

    "I finish my smoothie a lot quicker than I'd like to, and Miki doesn't take much longer. We dispose of our empty cups and decide to check out the games next."

    "The stalls have been organized with great efficiency. We leave the section that's devoted entirely to food and move on to the next."

    "There are various games, from ball tossing booths and racing games to fishing or throwing darts at balloons. There's enough variety that there's a game for everyone, regardless of disability."

    "As we reach the ball toss, Miki stops me."

    mk "C'mon, let's try this one."

    "We each pay our share and are handed a couple of balls. I absentmindedly fumble with one of them as we wait for the vendor to set up the stacks of cans."

    mk "Loser has to buy the winner's next meal!"

    "With that declaration of war, she picks up her first ball and flings it wildly at her stack."

    "The ball sails over it, connecting only with the wall behind the cans."

    hi "If that's the best you can do, I'd like another strawberry smoothie after this!"

    "My ball hits the second row from the top, knocking down three of the six cans in one go."

    mk "Like hell!"

    "Miki throws her second ball, which only barely connects with the top can, leaving five more."

    hi "Try aiming a little lower!"

    "I say it so confidently, but my own throw misses completely."

    mk "Hey Hisao? Try aiming a little lower."

    "Her third and final pitch knocks down four cans at once, but it's not enough to win her a prize."

    "My last throw isn't any better. In the end, we're both left with only one can standing."

    mk "A draw, I guess. Kinda disappointing."

     hi "You think so?"

    "Miki gives me a slight nod, then leaves to check out the some of the other games."

    "The next few hours fly by as Miki and I hop from stall to stall, slowly draining our pockets with each successive game."

    "Much like the ball toss, we always seem to come up just short of the larger prizes. On the bright side, that spares me from having to carry them around for the rest of the day."

    "Nevertheless, even without the prizes as an incentive, Miki and I are constantly trying to one-up each other whenever the opportunity arises."

    "As the heat of the afternoon sun beats down on us in full force, we decide to try and find one last game to play before taking a break."

    "Standing out among the stands is one game that towers well above all of the other booths."

    #switch to strongman game bg

    "It's a simple yellow board, with numbers ascending its length and a small bell precariously placed on top. Beside it is one of the teachers, holding a big red, yellow and black mallet."

    "Miki has noticed it as well, and looks eager to give it a try."

    "Teacher" "Hit the rubber square as hard as you can, if you can make the bell ring, you win a prize!"

    "He motions at balloons around him. It's not much of a prize, but these games are more about showing off to others anyway."

    mk "Let's see who can hit it harder!"

    hi "You sure? I mean that hammer looks a little heavy to swing with one hand."

    "Miki glares at me. I didn't mean to offend her, but she seems determined to prove me wrong now."

    mk "You go first, I'll betcha anything I can hit it harder than you!"

    #super special hammer vfx pops up here

    "I pay for my go at the game and the teacher hands me the mallet. It feels heavy, even with two hands. I glance at Miki, who defiantly meets my gaze."

    #hide vfx

    mk "Go on, swing it."

    "I rest the mallet on my shoulder and step up to the board."

    "It takes some more shuffling around for me to stand in the right place for my swing to land precisely on the rubber square. Throughout it all Miki seems impatient."

    "As I raise the mallet over my shoulder, I realize that it's probably best if I let Miki win this time."

    "I swing the mallet, and the pressure only launches the metal bit halfway up the board."

    "Even though I held back, I'm a little disappointed. I thought I'd put in enough force to at least make it three quarters of the way up."

    "Miki laughs scathingly and fortunately doesn't seem to have realized my intent."

    mk "At least make it a challenge for me to beat you!"

    mk "Okay, my turn."

    "She reaches behind her for the mallet without taking her eyes off of me, as if to drive the point home."

    hi "Uhm… Miki?"

    "Miki looks at me, then realizes she stuck out her left arm. She curses under her breath and takes the mallet with her right hand."

    "I can tell she's struggling with the weight of it. Miki swings it from side to side before using the momentum to swing the head onto her shoulder."

    "She steps up to the board, but doesn't measure out the distance like I did. I guess she's intent on playing this off as if the mallet doesn't weigh nearly as much as it does."

    mk "Now watch this!"

    "With a some effort she lifts the mallet up over her head, straightening her back. The mallet sways in the air until it shoots down with a jerk."

    "Miki's body bends double as she brings the hammer down on the square."

    "The metal shoots up, but stops just shy of my own result."

    "Miki's face seems frozen in a mix of disappointment and frustration."

    "I should say something."

    "Anything."

    "With a thud the mallet is dropped onto the ground."

    mk "Piece of junk! What's a game like this doing at Yamaku anyway?!"

    "Her outburst draws looks from the people around us, the teacher included."

    "Miki rubs her bandaged wrist and glares at the crowd."

    "I feel the eyes on me as well, though I suspect people are looking at me for a completely different reason."

    "It's almost as if somehow, everyone is expecting me to fix this situation. I just have no idea how to."

    mk "There's too many people here. Let's go."

    "I just nod, which is all Miki needs before she turns around and leaves."

    "I follow her as she quickly marches her way through the crowd, heading back towards Yamaku's main building."

    #Back to festival bg #1

    "Was I wrong to let her try this? I could have known something like this might happen."

    "No, Miki would never have let me talk her out of it, even if I had tried."

    "So why, then, do I feel like I failed?"

    "Maybe if I can talk to her in private, I can help calm her down."

    #Yamaku exterior, crowded

    "Miki leads the way through a plethora of unfamiliar faces, but soon I spot one that I do recognize."

    #show Emi

    emi "Hey!"

    hi "Hey, having fun?"

    "Emi grins and nods excitedly."

    emi "Yeah, I love the festival! I don't know how they manage it but somehow every year's better than the last."

    "Compared to Friday, Emi seems to be in a lot better mood. Though somehow I get the feeling it's a little off… forced, even."

    "I have a feeling that I know why, and the last thing I want between us is bad blood."

    hi "Emi, I'm sorry about deciding to run with Miki instead. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

    #Emi sad
    emi "Hisao…"

    hi "And I want to thank you for all the effort you went through for me."

    emi "You don't have to apologize. I know it's easier for you to run with someone from your own class, even if it's her."

    #Emi wink
    emi "You're gonna feel pretty stupid for passing up the chance to learn from the fastest girl at Yamaku, though!"

    "Just like that, she's cheered herself up again."

    emi "Anyway, how about you? Are you and Miki here on a date or something?"

    "My first impulse is to say it's not a date, but then I notice Miki never even stopped to talk to her."

    "I look around, but I don't see her."

    hi "No, I'm her get-out-of-work-free card. Anyway, I should catch up with her, she's not exactly in the best mood right now."

    #Emi smile

    emi "Good luck with that. See you around."

    "As I continue through the crowd, I manage to catch a glimpse of Miki as she disappears around a corner, heading for the back gate of the grounds."

    #school back gate bg

    "When I get there, I find her sitting on the ground, leaning against the dividing wall."

    #forest bg, slow pan

    "With a sigh, I slide down and sit next to her. We both stare straight ahead at the open woods, our vision obscured only by the occasional visitor walking past."

    mk "I still can't get used to it, you know?"

    #switch back to gate, Miki close

    hi "Used to what?"

    mk "Guess."

    "Of course. I should be more thoughtful."

    hi "I understand. I'm still getting used to my own condition as well."

    mk "At least yours is a lot more practical. It took me forever to get the hang of something as simple as buttoning things again."

    "Is she trying to one-up me here? If so, two can play at that game."

    hi "Oh, yeah. If by practical you mean I keep a small pharmacy on my nightstand."

    hi "You're lucky you don't have to worry about sports. At least you can run without worrying about how many steps away from a heart attack you are."

    mk "That's not entirely true, what you said about sports."

    mk "It wasn't until I became like this that I wanted to try baseball. Before I'd never even considered it."

    hi "Maybe it's for the best, after how well you did with knocking those cans over."

    mk "Watch it."

    "She tries to make it sound like a threat, but from the corner of my eye I can see she's holding back a smile."

    mk "At least you're still pretty independent."

    mk "Once, when I went out to dinner, I made the mistake of ordering steak. Do you know how embarrassing it is to need someone else to cut your food up for you?"

    hi "Well, I wasn't exactly independent at the hospital, either. They'd barely even let me leave my room without someone watching over me, as if I could keel over from opening a door too enthusiastically."

    "A little chuckle escapes Miki's lips, though she covers her mouth to hide it."

    mk "Fair enough, but you don't need anyone to help you get dressed."

    hi "You do?"

    mk "I can do most of it on my own, but for some stuff it's just so much quicker to get Suzu to help me."

    hi "So you don't really need help either then, it's just more convenient."

    mk "That's…"

    "Miki stops herself from finishing that sentence. My curiosity refuses to let it go, however."

    hi "What were you going to say?"

    "She stares at her feet, apparently making up her mind about if she should tell me."

    mk "Just, I don't think the guy who invented shoelaces ever expected people to have less than two hands."

    "Though she tries to play it off as a joke, Miki looks slightly embarrassed."

    "I let out a slight laugh before I even realize it. I try to restrain myself, but that was the last thing I expected her to bring up."

    "Still, it's clear that she's self-conscious about it, so I do my best to hold it in."

    hi "That's… understandable, though, if you think about it."

    "Miki nods slowly, though she still seems on edge. Maybe if I tell her something embarrassing she'll feel better about herself."

    hi "It could be worse. Having a heart attack just because a girl confessed to you is a lot more pathetic, no matter how you look at it."

    "For a moment Miki looks dumbfounded. Then she giggles. Followed by a short burst of laughter. She gives me an apologetic look, before it all becomes too much for her."

    "I can feel my face turn red as she continues to laugh. Sure, it's a bit lame that something like that gave me a heart attack, but it's not {i}that{/i} funny, is it?"

    "I'm not sure how much time passes. Part of me wants to be upset that she finds this so funny, but at the same time I'm glad she's laughing again."

    "After what seems like an eternity, she manages to regain her composure enough to be able to speak again."

    mk "Hisao… I'm sorry, haha. Ever since you told me about your condition, I pictured you got the heart attack from overexerting yourself or something."

    mk "But this… This is just too funny, hahaha!"

    hi "Not really, I had to get surgery and was stuck in a hospital bed for months."

    mk "I know, I know… But I can just picture it now."

    "She clasps her wrist and holds her arms up, trying to look sincere."

    mk "\"Oh Hisao, I love you!\""

    "She then clutches her chest and dramatically falls backwards, laughing as soon as she hits the ground."

    "Her reenactment brings back memories. Even though Iwanako's probably moved on by now, I still feel bad for allowing us to grow apart so easily after the heart attack."

    "Yet for how willingly I allowed Iwanako to distance herself from me, here's a girl who's only been bridging the gap between us."

    "It seems to be working, too. Something about her little performance connects and I catch myself grinning at her."

    mk "See? It's funny!"

    hi "I guess it's a little funny, though I don't think she would see it the same way."

    mk "Of course not. But sometimes laughing at the bad stuff in life is the only way to deal with it."

    hi "Maybe you're right. Oh, and by the way, your shoelaces came undone."

    mk "What?"

    "For a moment she looks worried and inspects her shoes, though my laughter spoils the deception pretty quickly."

    mk "Very funny, wise guy."

    "She gets up and waits for me to do the same."

    mk "Let's see what else they've got this year."

    hi "Alright."

    mk "Hisao?"

    hi "Hm?"

    mk "Thanks."

    "It feels weird for her to thank me. I know I was trying to cheer her up, but if anything she made {i}me{/i} feel better about the situation I'm in."

    #bg dorms, mural complete

    "As we make our way back through the crowds, I spot the mural Rin has been working on."

    "It's caught Miki's attention as well, and together we move in for a closer look."

    "Rin nonchalantly stands next to her artwork, surrounded by people firing off one question after another. She seems surprisingly uninterested in the ordeal, while an older man behind her couldn't look more proud."

    mk "What do you think she was going for here?"

    "I try to give meaning to the shapes and colors, but whenever I think I'm beginning to grasp it, something else catches my eye."

    hi "I honestly couldn't tell you. Maybe once those people leave we can ask her instead."

    "We wait for a while, occasionally glancing at the artist, but it doesn't look like her company is planning on leaving her alone."

    hi "I don't think we'll be breaking through that any time soon."

    mk "Yeah… Nice to see she actually finished the thing, though."

    mk "Now come on, let's go find the guys. We can always ask Rin about it after the festival is over."

    "Patience clearly isn't one of her virtues, but I'm not much in the mood to wait either. I nod, and together we leave the mural in search of Miki's friends."

    #School yard, ss
    "We slowly make our way over to Yamaku's open lawn, the sun setting behind us with a tone of finality. It seems that quite a few people have already gathered here to watch the fireworks tonight."

    "Among them are Miki's friends. I'm impressed with how loyal they seem to be to her, since I can't imagine it being very interesting to hold a spot here for long."

    mk "'Sup guys."

    "Track Guy" "Hey."

    "We sit down, but as we do, one of the other guys gets up and excuses himself."

    "Haruhiko" "We've been taking turns keeping this spot reserved, so don't worry about owing us or anything. But just in case you do, I'm sure we'd all like something to drink."

    "Miki laughs and nudges me."

    mk "It's only fair that the new guy gets the drinks. Hisao?"

    "Fair? I don't recall me being the one that got them to save a spot for the fireworks."

    hi "Wouldn't it be more fair if you got the drinks?"

    "She grins and waves her arm at me."

    mk "Sure, but you're better at carrying it all. No reason to make two people go."

    hi "Fine, but I'm just getting whatever's there. You don't get to complain if you don't like it."

    #Miki wink
    mk "Oh, I have faith in your good tastes and resourcefulness, Hisao."

    "I guess that settles it. I get up and head back to the festival's stalls."

    #Yamaku exterior

    "The crowd is slowly thinning, as more and more people attempt to find a good spot for watching the fireworks."

    "It suits me just fine."

    "While I make my way over to the stands, I think about how unfamiliar this whole place looked just a week ago."

    "I felt so out of place then, but today I felt that I was supposed to be here, while the adults were the ones who looked out of place to me."

    "People can adjust to a lot of things and if anything I've proved to be no different."

    "I'm getting used to the routine of attending classes again and thanks to Miki, I'm even beginning to feel normal again."

    "Thanks to her, I feel like I'm not defined by my heart anymore. Today I was even able to laugh at my condition for the first time."

    "Getting the drinks is the very least I can do."

    #short time skip, school yard, ss

    "I was lucky enough to snatch up the last five bottled drinks from one of the stalls. I didn't bother checking what flavors I got, but when I return to the others, they happily divide them amongst themselves."

    mk "Nice job, enjoy your well earned rest."

    "She pats the grass next to her and I take my seat by her side."

    "The five of us make small talk while the sun sets."

    "Though Miki happily talks about the time we spent together, she deliberately doesn't mention what happened at the hammer game, or after that."

    "It makes me feel a bit special, that I got to see a side of her that she's kept hidden even from people that she knew long before me."

    #slow fade to ni

    "Night envelops us so gradually that I barely notice."

    #first firework flash, sfx

    "Countless heads simultaneously turn to the sky when the first firework explodes in the night, casting a red glow on the spectators below."

    #full firework ev, night sky

    "We're no exception, and in awestruck silence we watch one explosion of color after another."

    "As I take in the display, I feel the slight weight of Miki leaning into me."

    "It takes a second for it to register in my head, but soon I can feel the blood rushing to my cheeks."

    "Her sweet scent is easy to pick up on, and the warmth from her body combats the coolness of the night air."

    "However, the moment I try to make eye contact with her, she pulls away and lets out a yawn."

    mk "Sorry, sorry. I must've gotten a little tired."

    "As if to back up her claim, she lies down on her back and focuses on watching the show again."

    hi "I'm feeling a little tired, too."

    "I slowly lie down next to her, a part of me expecting her to joke about my lame excuse or to stop me from joining her."

    "Oddly, she never does."

    #fade to black

    return

    #End of Act 1