script-a3-Emi

label en_E16:
    play music music_daily

    scene bg school_scienceroom
    with fade

    "My head's in a whirl all through Mutou's class."

    "I'm going to have dinner."

    "With Emi."

    "Who wants to be my girlfriend, no less!"

    "A date!"

    "And then she kissed me!"

    "That kiss. I keep going back to it, playing it over in my mind again and again."

    "Everything about that moment felt so right."

    "My mind drifts off, lost in thoughts of Emi."

    mu "Nakai? Hello?"

    "Whoops."

    "It seems like I've drifted a bit too far."

    hi "Huh? What?"

    mu "Egad! You've contracted some kind of amnesia!"

    mu "Someone get the nurse!"

    "The class chuckles at Mutou's antics."

    hi "Sorry sir."

    mu "Hmm, won't happen again and all that, right?"

    hi "Exactly."

    "Mutou brightens considerably."

    mu "Well! Lovely to hear!"

    mu "I'd hate to have my star pupil slacking off, after all."

    "Star pupil?"

    "I've been doing well, but I hardly qualify as a star pupil, I think."

    "I'm fairly certain that this class is the sort that everyone does well in."

    "It's just memorizing formulas."

    "True to my word, I manage to pay attention for the rest of the class."

    stop music fadeout 0.5

    play sound sfx_normalbell

    mu "Nakai, can I have a word with you?"

    play music music_soothing fadein 1.0

    "Whoops."

    "Guess I'm in trouble for drifting off earlier."

    hi "Uh, sure."

    hi "Am I in trouble?"

    "Mutou looks genuinely confused for a moment."

    mu "Huh?"

    "He tilts his head to one side and thinks for a moment."

    mu "Oh, that! No, no, you're not in any sort of trouble."

    mu "There's just a question I want to ask you."

    hi "What's that?"

    "He's not going to ask me about Emi, is he?"

    mu "Nothing terrible, I was just wondering what your plans for after graduation are."

    mu "Are you going to university?"

    hi "Yeah, I guess. I can't really see a reason not to go."

    mu "Given any thought to what you'll study?"

    hi "Not really, no."

    hi "I figured I'd come up with something when I got there."

    "Mutou laughs."

    mu "Taking things as they come, eh?"

    mu "Well, I'd argue against it but that's how I did things when I went to university."

    mu "Well, not really."

    mu "I knew I'd go into a science, I just wasn't sure which one."

    mu "On the one hand, there was chemistry, 'cause of all the explosions."

    mu "Never did replace those windows…"

    "Mutou trails off, and frowns slightly."

    mu "Still, I suppose the ban from the chemistry lab was enough."

    "I nod slowly, wondering where this is all going."

    "Mutou snaps back to the present. It's almost like talking with Rin, only Mutou seems to have more of a penchant for explosives."

    mu "So I did a lot of physics too. Still used explosives and such, only that way I didn't have to make 'em myself anymore."

    mu "Then I went back to chemistry, because nobody would make things for me after the damage to the football field."

    hi "What?"

    "Mutou snaps back again."

    mu "Right! Yes! You!"

    hi "Me?"

    mu "Yes! You should look into science!"

    mu "You're fantastic at it."

    mu "Unless you'd rather just go into math or something."

    "Mutou makes a sour face."

    mu "Not a big fan of straight math. Less explosions and firing things out of cannons."

    hi "You're saying I should study science at university?"

    "Mutou seems thrown off balance by my question."

    mu "Well, sort of."

    mu "You could also join the science club!"

    mu "Well, not really. There's not actually a science club."

    mu "But there could be!"

    mu "You could even be a charter member!"

    mu "A founding father!"

    mu "Of course, you'd need to find other members."

    mu "Well, only if you wanted to."

    mu "We could just start it up with the two of us."

    mu "And um."

    mu "Blow things up."

    mu "Well, not just blowing things up."

    mu "Obviously I could help you get ready for university and such as well."

    mu "Wait!"

    "Mutou rummages around in his briefcase and tosses me a book."

    mu "Read that."

    mu "If it's interesting, then we can talk about it."

    "“A Brief History of Time?”"

    "I don't know if I actually want to read this, but Mutou seems pretty excited about it."

    hi "What's it about?"

    mu "Time. Space. Space-time. Black holes and such."

    mu "And it's not that dense."

    mu "Just to see if that sort of thing's interesting for you, you understand."

    mu "Hang around after class and we can either discuss it or I can show you how to make explosives in the lab."

    mu "Or both."

    mu "Still, I've kept you here long enough for now."

    mu "Think about science as a career path, Nakai. I think you'd enjoy it."

    hi "I will. Thank you for the book."

    "I leave the classroom and look up at the clock. Still a fair amount of time to kill until Emi's out of practice."

    stop music fadeout 0.5

    scene bg school_hallway3
    with locationchange

    play music music_night fadein 1.0

    "Guess I'll give this book a look. And I should probably shower."

    "Showering before a date's only proper, right?"

    "I head back to the dorms."

    scene bg school_dormhisao
    with locationskip

    "I wonder where I'm supposed to meet Emi, anyway."

    "She said “after practice,” but she didn't say where I should find her."

    "I guess I can just swing by the track."

    "That's probably best, anyway."

    "If she needs a shower, I can just wait for her in her room or something."

    "Or in the hallway, I guess. That would probably be better."

    "I take a quick shower, remembering to take my medication once I hop out."

    "Now, for a look at this book."

    stop music fadeout 2.0

    return

label en_E17:

    scene black

    "I wake with a start."

    scene bg school_dormhisao
    with openeye

    play music music_night fadein 0.8

    "Shit! What time is it?"

    "A glance at the clock reveals that I've been asleep for nearly an hour."

    hi "Thank goodness."

    "Emi's practice should be finishing up soon."

    "I throw on some casual clothes and head for the track."

    scene bg school_track
    with locationskip

    "Somehow I get the feeling we won't be doing anything fancy for dinner."

    "Emi doesn't strike me as a very fancy sort of person."

    "Still, I suppose there's a lot I don't know about Emi."

    "Despite our newfound closeness, I still feel like I don't know her as well as I should."

    "Ah well. I've got time to fix that."

    "To be honest, I'm looking forward to getting to know her more."

    "I'm so caught up in my own thoughts that I hardly register that I'm already at the track."

    "Emi is nowhere to be found."

    "Hell, I don't even see any signs of the track team."

    "This…could be embarrassing."

    stop music fadeout 1.5

    "I'm turning to head toward the girl's dormitory when I hear a shout."

    play music music_emi fadein 1.0

    emi "Hey, Hisao!"

    "I turn around to see Emi making a beeline for me with a gym bag slung over her shoulder."

    "She's changed into some decidedly more casual clothing; a pair of cargo pants and an olive green tank top."

    "With the pants on, you can't even tell she's wearing prosthetics."

    "I wonder if that's why she wears them."

    "Maybe she's not as untroubled by her legs as I thought."

    emi "Hey, you came!"

    emi "I mean I figured you would, but still…"

    "I suddenly find myself wrapped in a rather affectionate hug, and it proves to be impossible for me to keep what must be the world's largest grin off my face."

    hi "Well of course I came!"

    hi "I'd have to be certifiably insane not to."

    "Emi considers this for a moment."

    emi "You know, you're right."

    emi "I mean I'm pretty hot, after all."
    #wat. How… I just can't hear this in Emi's voice.

    "I shrug in response."

    hi "I certainly think so."

    "It's an offhand remark, which is why I'm surprised to see that it seems to have caught Emi by surprise."

    "She blushes and smiles warmly at me before planting a kiss on my lips."

    "Now it's my turn to be surprised."

    "Emi steps back, resting her weight on her back heel, looking pleased with herself."

    "My brain fumbles for an appropriate response."

    hi "…"

    hi "I should compliment you more often."

    "Emi laughs and gives me a playful shove."

    emi "Jerk."

    "I throw an arm around Emi's shoulder and mentally rejoice in the fact that she immediately leans into me."

    "A little thing, to be sure, but still immensely satisfying."

    hi "So, where to?"

    emi "I'm not actually sure."

    emi "Where do people go on dates around here, anyway?"

    "That's a damned good question."

    hi "I've got no idea."

    hi "Why don't we just head down to the Aura-Mart and grab something portable?"

    "Emi brightens at this idea."

    emi "A picnic!"

    emi "I think you're on to something, Hisao."

    "Emi snakes her arm around my waist and we begin to head for the front gate."

    "I'm entirely unsure of what the hell I'm meant to do in this situation, but at least Emi seems to be equally clueless."

    stop music fadeout 0.8

    scene bg suburb_roadcenter
    with locationskip

    "Despite the various parts of my brain doing back flips of joy, I still can't help feeling a little tense."

    play music music_tranquil fadein 1.0

    "What if I do something wrong?"

    "I'd hate to make an ass out of myself."

    scene bg suburb_konbiniext
    with locationchange

    "The trip to the Aura-Mart is accompanied by Emi's chatter about how practice went."

    "I keep quiet for the most part, merely enjoying the feeling of being around Emi."

    "We get a few odd looks from passersby, but I don't mind."

    scene bg suburb_konbiniext
    with shorttimeskip

    "We wind up buying some bread and instant noodles which we realize we cannot actually make in the park."

    emi "Oh well. I'll make it for lunch or something."

    hi "That'll work."

    "Hey, didn't I pay for that?"

    "I…can't bring myself to care about that for some reason."

    scene bg suburb_park
    with locationskip

    stop music fadeout 1.0

    "The park is located after a brief loss of direction that I blame entirely on Emi."

    play music music_serene fadein 3.0

    "She, of course, blames me."

    "We find a spot beneath a tree and sit down. I lean back against the trunk, Emi sits across from me."

    hi "I guess we should have brought a blanket or something to sit on, huh?"

    "Emi shrugs."

    emi "I don't mind."

    hi "Neither do I."

    "Emi tosses me a package of bread and we dig in."

    "Curry bread. Interesting."

    "I guess I wasn't really paying attention to what I grabbed in the store."

    emi "Hey, Hisao. You look like your bread's a little spicy."

    "I shake my head, trying in vain to keep an image of manliness."

    hi "Nah, it's hardly spicy at all."

    emi "I see, I see. That must be why your face has gotten so red."

    hi "Yes, exactly. The lack of spice has uh… gotten my blood up."

    hi "Because of the disappointment."

    "Emi laughs and swallows the last of her bread."

    emi "Well if you can't handle it, I'll be glad to take it off of your hands."

    hi "Hey, just because you wolfed down yours so quickly doesn't mean I'm just going to give you mine."

    "Emi mock-pouts, causing me to nearly choke on my bread with laughter."

    emi "Aw, come on Hisao!"

    emi "Aren't you supposed to be concerned with making sure I've got enough to eat now?"

    emi "We're dating, you know!"

    emi "Though…"

    "Emi looks troubled all of a sudden."

    emi "I can't say I feel any different."

    hi "Hmm? What do you mean by that?"

    emi "What makes this a date?"

    emi "It's just what we would have done anyway, really."

    emi "But this should feel different because before when we had lunch we were friends, and now we're a level above friends."

    hi "You sound like Rin."

    "Laughter escapes, and Emi grins."

    emi "Well, she might've put the thought into my mind."

    emi "We've talked about that sort of thing before."

    hi "Really? About me?"

    emi "Not really. Just…generalities, really."

    emi "Rin thinks that the change of a label from “friend” to “girlfriend” seems arbitrary most of the time."

    emi "Like there's no difference between the two."

    hi "I can think of at least one, you know."

    hi "You don't tend to kiss your friends quite as much."

    "For the second time that day, Emi blushes slightly and giggles."

    emi "I suppose you're right."

    hi "Exactly. I'm always right about things like this."

    "Emi rolls her eyes and chuckles."

    emi "Guess you're pretty smart, huh?"

    "I nod in agreement."

    hi "Yep."

    hi "Even Mutou thinks so.  He thinks I should go into some scientific study after graduation."

    "Emi raises an eyebrow."

    emi "Oh really?"

    hi "Yeah, I'm thinking I actually might do just that."

    "Really, the more I consider the idea, the more it appeals to me."

    "I make a mental note to look into the idea a little more closely."

    hi "So what are {b}you{/b} thinking of doing after graduation?"

    hi "Still planning on running?"

    "Emi shrugs, seeming almost a bit hesitant."

    emi "I dunno.  If I'm good enough and I can find a team, I guess?"

    hi "You mean you aren't sure?"

    emi "I haven't…really thought about it, to be honest."

    hi "Really?"

    hi "You probably should, you know."

    hi "Graduation isn't that far off."

    "Emi fidgets a little nervously."

    emi "Yeah, well…it's far enough, right?"

    emi "Besides, I've got other things to think about."

    "There's a mischievous flash behind Emi's eyes, and I suddenly find myself gloriously pinned against the tree."

    "Her top hangs slightly forward, and I catch a brief flash of black cloth."

    #This whole part would make a good CG, if I do say so myself, but the above line clinches it. Or something special in general.

    emi "Like making sure this is a real date, right?"

    emi "I mean if we don't kiss then it's not a date at all, right?"

    hi "I suppose s—mmmph." with vpunch

    "Strawberries. Curry. Not the best combination, but I don't think I mind."

    "Emi sits back on my legs and grins again."

    emi "There. Science would approve, right?"

    "I have the oddest mental image of Mutou nodding seriously and making a mark on some checklist."
    #Somebody draw this for the love of god.

    #And here's a potential insert. Or just random Gallery art. I don't care. Just as long as the above comment is followed.

    "I can't help but laugh at the idea."

    emi "Well I'll admit, this is the first time I've ever witnessed a kiss met with laughter before."

    emi "Should I feel offended?"

    hi "Heh, no, no."

    hi "I'm sure science approves."

    "Emi beams at me, and I find it increasingly difficult to keep my brain functioning properly."

    emi "Oh good!"

    "It is at this point I notice that Emi has stolen the remainder of my curry bread while I was otherwise occupied with images of teachers wielding clipboards."

    hi "Hey!"

    "Emi tries to look innocent, but considering she's just crammed the last bits of my bread into her mouth it does not appear to be working."

    emi "Mmph? F'orry, couln't refisft."

    hi "Thief!"

    "A shrug from my companion is all I get in response."

    hi "You used your feminine wiles on me!"

    "I wasn't that hungry anyway, but I still feel that the point needs to be made."

    "Emi seems confused by the phrase “feminine wiles,” but understanding lights on her features after a moment's thought."

    emi "Wasn't anything of the sort!"

    emi "You were laughing! Feminine wiles don't involve laughing!"

    "I guess I can't argue with this."

    hi "That doesn't change your thievery."

    "Emi laughs at my injured tone and gives me a playful shove."

    emi "Fine, you can have the instant noodles."

    hi "Are you kidding? That stuff's terrible!"

    hi "If anything, you should definitely eat it as punishment!"

    "Another laugh from the girl sitting on my legs."

    "Which have actually, it seems, fallen asleep."

    "I twitch one leg to try waking it up, which has the unintended effect of unbalancing Emi, who falls to the side with a startled “Eep!”"

    hi "Whoops! Sorry about that."

    hi "Legs fell asleep on me."

    "Emi remains on the ground, giggling."

    "I stand up a little shakily, feeling the nerves in my leg wake back up."

    "My eyes wander over the scenery before fixing on the figure of Emi, who still has yet to get up."

    "Her hair is splayed out around her head, and one arm is across her stomach, holding in the laughter that is bubbling up through her mouth."

    "Everything about Emi seems condensed into this one image."

    "Her energy, her spirit, her childish giggling."

    "The urge to lay down on the grass with her rises swiftly from the back of my mind to the forefront of my thoughts, and indeed I am convinced that I would love nothing more than to do just that."

    "Unfortunately, the sun has set and it is probably time for us to get back to the dormitories."

    "While Emi might be happy to stay out here all night, I don't think I have that ability."

    "And homework beckons."

    "It wouldn't make sense to start thinking about things like University and then slack off, would it?"

    "I extend a hand to Emi to help her up."

    hi "We should probably get going."

    "Emi checks her watch and makes a sour face."

    emi "You're right."

    "She grabs my proffered hand and I pull her to her feet and into a hug."

    "This time I'm the one who kisses her, unable to resist having Emi against me."

    hi "Seems a shame to leave, you know."

    emi "Yeah, it does."

    emi "But if we don't get back to the school soon, we'll probably get into trouble."

    "Emi pokes me in the ribs playfully."

    emi "And you need to do your homework, I'm sure."

    hi "Regrettable. You're absolutely right."

    stop music fadeout 2.0

    "I throw my arm around her shoulders and we make the trek back to the school accompanied by occasional bouts of laughter as our conversation jumps from subject to subject."

    "Everything from running, to school, to the peculiar way that one of the cafeteria workers smells."

    play music music_pearly fadein 3.0

    scene bg school_dormext
    with locationskip

    "We find ourselves outside of the girl's dormitory building all too soon."

    emi "Well, I guess I'll be going, then."

    hi "I guess so, huh?"

    "Emi grins at me again with that mischievous look."

    emi "Are you going to be able to survive without me?"

    "I laugh."

    hi "I'm sure I'll manage."

    emi "How terrible! Aren't you supposed to say something like “I'll be counting the seconds you are away?”"

    hi "Nah, I don't think so."

    stop music fadeout 1.5

    "Emi pulls me down into a quick goodbye kiss and steps back, looking unexpectedly shy."
    #>  I just realized my mental image of Emi is about half as tall as Hisao, with legs on

    play music music_night fadein 1.0

    emi "Thanks for dinner."

    emi "I really had fun."

    emi "Honestly, I did."

    hi "So did I."

    hi "I think we shall have to do it again, sometime."

    "Emi laughs at my dead-pan delivery and nods."

    emi "See you bright and early tomorrow morning, right?"

    emi "You've gotta run off that bread, after all."

    hi "Of course. Despite the fact that you ate most of it."

    emi "Yes, despite that."

    "She grins."

    emi "See you later, Hisao!"

    "As Emi turns to head inside, I notice something weird."

    "Something so weird, in fact, that I'm surprised I didn't notice it earlier."

    "She's limping slightly, favoring the left leg."

    hi "Hey, Emi!"

    emi "Hmm?"

    hi "Is your leg okay?"

    "Emi looks confused, or fakes confusion."

    emi "What are you talking about?"

    hi "Your right leg. You're limping."

    "There's the briefest flash of concern on Emi's face."

    "Either she didn't want me to know, or she didn't think I'd notice—or, I tell myself firmly, she just didn't realize it."

    emi "Oh, that."

    "She shrugs casually."

    emi "Must've gotten knocked a little out of alignment during the picnic."

    "She grins slyly at me."

    emi "No idea what would have caused that, of course."

    "I think back to being pinned under the tree."

    hi "Ah."

    hi "You should have told me! We could have stopped and fixed it, you know."

    "Emi waves a hand airily."

    emi "Nah, it's not that big of a deal."

    emi "Don't worry about it, okay Hisao?"

    emi "It's fine."

    #"Why do I get the feeling that she's convincing herself as well as me?"

    #Choice Tiem
    #1. Press
    #2. Rest

label en_choiceE17:
    menu:
        with menueffect

        "Why do I get the feeling that she's convincing herself as well as me?"

        "Press.":
            return m1

        "Rest.":
            return m2


label en_E17a:
    #If you press:

    hi "Are you absolutely sure?"

    hi "You don't want to go ahead and adjust it before heading up the stairs?"

    hi "You could get hurt if you don't, right?"

    "Emi looks slightly annoyed."

    emi "I said it was fine, Hisao."

    emi "Seriously, don't worry about it."

    emi "I've got some experience in these matters, after all."

    hi "Yeah, I suppose so."

    "Emi grins reassuringly."

    emi "Honestly Hisao, I appreciate the concern but I really am okay."

    return

label en_E17b:
    #If you rest

    "Well, she's probably fine."

    "I imagine she'd say something if it was really a problem."

    "Heck, she'd probably get annoyed if I kept bringing it up."

    return

    #End Split

label en_E17x:

    emi "Now really, I need to get going."

    emi "Your attempts to keep me around are doomed to fail!"

    hi "Heh, of course."

    hi "Just prolonging the goodbye, I suppose."

    "Another grin lights up Emi's face."

    emi "Goodnight, Hisao."

    hi "Goodnight."

    "As she limps inside, I find myself hoping she's okay despite her assurances that she's fine."

    "I think I can call this a successful first date."

    "Hell, any day that ends with Emi pinning me under a tree to kiss me can't be bad, can it?"

    "I head back to my room, mentally thank the gods that Kenji doesn't ambush me in the hallway, and get started on my homework."

    return

label en_E18:

    scene bg school_dormhisao
    with locationskip

    "The morning is far too early for my taste."

    "It doesn't help that I had trouble sleeping last night."

    "There were simply too many things to think about."

    "My mind refused to slow down."

    "Instead I replayed the rooftop, the park, and everything in between over and over in my mind."

    "There's a small part of my mind that is still paranoid that this has all been some kind of joke."

    "That I'll meet up with Emi at the track and she'll act like nothing happened yesterday."

    "Pushing these thoughts to the back of my mind, I throw on my running clothes and open the door."

    #Off to the track
    scene bg school_track
    with locationskip

    "Emi's waiting for me with her usual smile."

    emi "You're late!"

    emi "Or at least, you're not early today."

    emi "Are you tired or something?"

    "I find myself ruefully rubbing the back of my head."

    hi "Something like that, yeah."

    hi "Lots to think about and all that."

    "Emi giggles at my mild understatement."

    emi "Yeah, I didn't sleep that well either."

    emi "I was actually glad you weren't early, 'cause I wasn't early either."

    "I wonder if the same thing kept us awake."

    "The image of her weeping face passes through my mind."

    hi "What kept you up?"

    "Emi's expression falters, but she quickly notices my curiosity and gives me a forced smile."

    emi "Nothing important."

    "She's obviously not telling me something."

    "The question is, should I press the issue?"

    "Something's clearly been bothering her for a while."

    "I want to help her, but would it just come off as me being nosy?"

    "She's got to know I care about her, though."

    hi "Are you sure?"

    hi "If something's bothering you, I'm here to help you sort it out."

    "Emi laughs then, but it's not her usual laugh. There's an edge to it that seems almost bitter."

    emi "Sort it out?"

    emi "I'm not sure it can be sorted out, Hisao."

    "An almost grim smile crosses her lips."

    "It's like a smile of resignation."

    emi "I don't think you could help me, anyway."

    "That hurts."

    "I don't want to say that it hurts to her, but it does."

    "Doesn't she realize I want to be there for her when things go wrong?"

    hi "Well, I won't push you on the matter."

    hi "But I'm here for you if you decide later that you'd like to talk about it."

    hi "It might help."

    "I can see the debate raging behind Emi's eyes."

    "It seems like she wants to tell me, but she's not sure whether or not she can."

    hi "Hey, forget about it for now, okay?"

    hi "We've got running to do."

    "The mention of running, something that she can handle, brings Emi back to her usual self."

    emi "Right!"

    emi "Hurry up and stretch out, Hisao!"

    emi "We've got to get moving!"

    "She takes off like a shot, far quicker than I'm used to."

    "Still, I try to keep pace with her, recklessly testing my limits."

    "It gives me a feeling of freedom, like my heart is no longer important."

    "I find myself wanting to laugh, filled with the feeling of moving beyond what I once called my boundaries."

    "The nurse's warnings to not overdo things echo in my mind, and I disregard them."

    "This feeling I've got—this willingness to risk a heartattack for something so trivial as a morning run, feels out of character for me."

    "But is it?"

    "Or rather, should it be?"

    "I've got a weak heart, sure."

    "It'll never be capable of the sorts of speed and endurance Emi's capable of."

    "Though I probably wouldn't be able to get that good if I head a healthy heart."

    "But this feeling of freedom I'm experiencing right now, isn't that worth a little risk?"

    "As we round the final bend, I feel my legs screaming in protest, but for the first time, I ignore them."

    "I accelerate to finish at a sprint, nearly catching up to Emi."

    "That was never going to happen, of course."

    "Still, I feel surprisingly good."

    "Oh sure, my legs feel like they're about to catch fire, and I'm having trouble staying upright."

    "But there's been a shift of some sort today."

    "And it's all thanks to the girl grinning at the finish line, waiting for me."

    hi "That was a bit faster than usual, don't you think?"

    "My comment is met with a grin and a shrug."

    emi "Can't have you think I was going to go soft on you, now can I?"

    emi "But you managed to handle it just fine."

    hi "Well I couldn't have done it without you."

    "Still feeling the high from the run, and moved by a surge of gratitude, I seize Emi in a hug."

    hi "Thanks."

    hi "Really, I'm not just saying that."

    hi "I'm in your debt."

    "Emi seems flustered by my words, squirming uncomfortably."

    emi "Don't be silly, Hisao."

    emi "Someone had to haul you out here, didn't they?"

    emi "And it's not like you're not doing anything for me, right?"

    emi "I needed a running partner, remember?"

    "I shake my head, still pointedly not letting go of Emi, who stops squirming and merely looks up at me with a quickly deepening blush that almost seems out of character."

    hi "No, that's not true."

    hi "You wanted a running partner, but you didn't need one."

    hi "If I hadn't shown up the day after the festival, you still would have run, right?"

    hi "But it doesn't work the other way around."

    hi "I only managed to make it out a few times before the festival."

    hi "And without you…"

    hi "I probably wouldn't have made it out at all after that."

    "Emi smiles at me and prods my chest with one finger."

    emi "You are pretty lazy, Hisao."

    hi "Hey, I was giving you a compliment!"

    emi "Well… you're welcome, I guess."

    hi "I'll pay you back somehow."

    emi "Oh, uh, well…"

    emi "That's not necessary, you know."

    emi "I mean I kinda like you, Hisao."

    emi "And being able to run with you in the mornings isn't exactly a bad deal for me either, so…"

    "For someone who gets so much praise, she seems unused to gratitude."

    "I can't think of anything else to say, so we fall silent."

    "Some part in the back of my mind feels the need to inform me of how long we've been standing together."

    "I become aware of Emi's breathing, of the dampness of her clothing, and of the scent of her."

    "Coming off of anyone else, it would stink."

    "Coming off of Emi, it fits her in a way nothing else could."

    "Her skin is cool, slick with sweat, and a breeze causes goosebumps to rise."

    "Almost without thinking about it, I lean down and meet Emi's mouth which has already moved to meet my own."

    "It's an odd thing about kissing Emi."

    "She grins as we kiss, a movement of her mouth against mine that tugs at my own mouth, leaving me no other option but to to grin as well."

    "Today, she giggles."

    "A girlish giggle whose vibrations travel from her mouth to mine."

    "I feel like I could die happily here, now, at this exact moment."

    "But stronger than that feeling is the desire to stay here, stay with her."

    "The kiss ends, and I finally let my arms drop back to my sides."

    "Emi is smiling warmly at me, and giggles again."

    emi "Come on Hisao, we'd better go see the nurse."

    "Then it happens."

    "As she turns to begin walking, she gives out a tiny yelp and stumbles forward."

    hi "Emi!"

    "I leap to steady her, and notice with some concern that she's favoring the same leg as last night."

    hi "Your leg…"

    "Emi seems panicked, and pushes away from me."

    emi "It's fine!"

    "My expression must seem hurt, because she hastens to apologize."

    emi "Sorry! Sorry!"

    emi "Didn't mean to push you like that!"

    emi "I was just…"

    "She stumbles for something to say."

    emi "It's nothing, really."

    hi "Hey, don't worry about it."

    "She's so flustered, I decide to shrug the whole thing off."

    "But there's a cold feeling in the pit of my stomach now that won't go away."

    "I tried to step in and help her, and she pushed me away."

    "Smiling, I shove those thoughts to the back of my mind and concentrate on Emi."

    hi "I just don't want you getting hurt, that's all."

    emi "You don't have to worry about me, honest."

    emi "I'm fine!"

    "Yes, you say that but I don't believe you."

    return

label en_E18a:
    #If you pressed

    "Why won't you tell me what's wrong?"

    "It's like she gets offended by my trying to help."

    "What am I supposed to make of that?"

    return

label en_E18b:
    #If you didn't press

    "I keep worrying about you regardless, and not saying anything yesterday just makes me feel guilty about today."

    "I should have at least asked."

    "Would she have reacted the same way last night?"

    "Guess I'll never know now."

    return

label en_E18x:
    #Whee no more split

    #Jump to the Nurse's office

    scene bg school_hallway3
    with locationskip

    "I'm still trying to sort out what happened on the track as we arrive in front of the nurse's office."

    "Emi raises her hand to knock, hesitates, and turns to me smiling guiltily."

    emi "Hey, can you do me a favor?"

    hi "Of course."

    emi "Can you tell the nurse that I'll see him later?"

    emi "I just remembered that I've got some…stuff to take care of before class."

    emi "So I really need to get moving."

    "I peer at her closely, and she fidgets under my stare."

    "Yeah, she's clearly just avoiding the nurse."

    "That leg of hers…"

    "Well, whatever."

    "I said I'd help, and so I will."

    "But I'll make damn sure she sees the nurse before the day's out."

    hi "Yeah, okay."

    hi "I'll let him know."

    "Emi looks like I've just given her a pony on Christmas."

    emi "Thank you so much!"

    emi "You're the best, Hisao!"

    "I am rewarded for my complicity in her lie by a kiss."

    "Totally worth the lie."

    "As Emi heads out of the building, trying hard not to let her limp show, I knock on the door of the office."

    nk "Ah, Hisao.  Come on in."


    scene bg school_nurseoffice
    with locationchange

    nk "I don't see Emi with you."

    nk "She's not sick again, is she?"

    "From the tone of his voice, I don't think the nurse is expecting me to say “Yes, she's ill.”"

    hi "Er, she said that she'd forgotten to do something and so she had to skip out, but she'll see you later today."

    "The nurse heaves an exasperated sigh."

    nk "Honestly, that girl…"

    hi "Hmm?"

    nk "She's been avoiding me."

    nk "Yesterday she was in and out of here without even taking off her prosthetics."

    nk "And now this."

    "Well, at least it's not just me Emi doesn't want worrying."

    "That's a… comfort, I guess."

    "Still, I feel like I should say something about her leg."

    "I said I'd lie for her, but she really needs to see him."

    hi "Now that you mention it, she was limping pretty badly today."

    hi "And last night as well."

    "The nurse's eyes narrow at the words “last night.”"

    nk "And what exactly were you two doing last night?"

    "Whoops."

    hi "We were uh, on a date."

    "The nurse's eyebrows raise up as if surprised."

    nk "Really? Interesting."

    nk "Never done that before…"

    hi "Huh?"

    nk "Huh?"

    nk "Oh, nothing."

    "His gaze turns thoughtful, and then he grins at me."

    nk "You don't think you could use some of that boyfriend charm to get her to come see me today, could you?"

    "Of course I can!"

    "I was planning on doing that anyway."

    hi "Of course!"

    hi "I planned on it anyway."

    hi "I think she's really hurt and just pretending she isn't."

    nk "Hmm, yes. She does that."

    nk "Afraid I'll make her stop running."

    hi "Will you?"

    nk "Well I don't like to, but if it's bad enough that she's been limping, well…"

    nk "I guess I'll have to see what's wrong for myself before I make that call."

    hi "I see."

    "Emi, not allowed to run?"

    "Perish the thought."

    "I don't know that she'd be able to function without running."

    "No wonder she's reluctant to admit anything's wrong."

    hi "Well, I'll make sure she sees you."

    nk "Good."

    nk "Oh, and before I forget…"

    "He grins at me again in what feels like a vaguely threatening manner."

    nk "Don't forget I know what medications you're on."

    nk "You be careful around Emi, got it?"

    "Wow."

    "He looks serious, too."

    hi "Got it."

    hi "Don't hurt Emi.  Wouldn't dream of it."

    nk "Grand!"

    nk "I'd hate for you to be late."

    hi "Huh?"

    nk "Late, as in the late Hisao Nakai."

    "He frowns briefly, dissatisfied."

    nk "Sounded better in my head…"

    nk "Well, at any rate."

    nk "Get out of here before you miss your first class!"

    nk "You've got things to do, I'm sure."

    nk "Shoo!"

    "As I leave, I notice the nurse pulling out his phone and dialing a number."

    nk "Meiko, your daughter's being a pain in the ass again…"

    "I'd better head back to my room, or I really will be late."

    "Hey, wasn't he supposed to check my heartrate?"

    return

label en_E19:

    scene bg school_scienceroom
    with locationskip

    "The lunch bell sounds and I bring myself out of the stupor I slipped into during the morning's classes."

    "My lack of sleep last night, coupled with the increased pace of this morning's run, has left me a little exhausted."

    scene bg school_hallway3
    with locationchange

    "Despite that, I find myself taking the stairs up to the roof two at a time."

    "There's a thrill of excitement now, in addition to the pleasure one gets from eating lunch with one's friends."

    scene bg school_roof
    with locationskip

    "True, both Emi and Rin are still my friends, but Emi is more than that now."

    "Rin is back in her usual spot on the roof, almost as if she'd never been absent."

    #Come to think of it, isn't this situation of Rin, Hisao, and Emi lying on the roof a recurring thing? In which case, this could potentially be a CG. A re-usable one.

    hi "Feeling better, I take it?"

    "A raised eyebrow is my reward for speaking."

    rin "Better than what?"

    hi "Er, better than you felt yesterday."

    "Rin gives my question some serious thought."

    rin "I'm not sure."

    rin "I think I might have felt rather good for some of yesterday."

    rin "But it's all fuzzy."

    hi "Too much cold medicine?"

    rin "Well, I was asleep."

    rin "And that usually is pretty good."

    rin "But I can't remember what it feels like to be asleep, because I'm not conscious for it."

    rin "It's a real problem."

    rin "Then again if I knew how good it felt I might not sleep anymore."

    rin "But this way I keep trying so I guess that's how I can keep from being overtired."

    hi "An eternal mystery to keep you sleeping at night?"

    rin "Maybe mystery's the wrong word.  Intangibility might be the proper way to describe it."

    hi "I see."

    "No I don't see at all.  I have no idea what she's talking about."

    "But that's okay, because I rarely do."

    rin "Do you remember what sleeping feels like?"

    rin "Like yesterday, do you remember what you felt like sleeping yesterday?"

    hi "Well, I actually didn't get a lot of sleep yesterday."

    rin "Hmm."

    rin "Maybe that's because you remember subconsciously."

    hi "Actually, I think I was worrying about Emi."

    rin "Doesn't Emi worry enough about herself?"

    "I hadn't considered that, but it gives me pause."

    hi "True, but would she ask for help if she needed it?"

    "Rin frowns, and I raise an eyebrow.  Will I get a proper answer?"

    rin "Probably not."

    rin "Is there something she should be asking for help with?"

    hi "Her leg, for starters."

    "This seems to catch Rin's interest."

    rin "Leg?"

    hi "It's hurt, but she won't see the nurse about it."

    "Rin shakes her head in disapproval."

    rin "You have to make her."

    rin "Like she makes me go to class."

    rin "For her own good."

    rin "Otherwise she could lose her legs again, and that's just too weird."

    rin "Losing things twice."

    rin "Especially if you don't find them again to begin with."

    rin "Unless prosthetics are the same as finding something."

    rin "But that's a different kind of lost, isn't it?"

    hi "I think so."

    rin "Hmm."

    rin "I wonder…"

    emi "Wonder what?"

    "Emi seems to have snuck up on Rin and I, though Rin doesn't seem especially surprised."

    "Which is itself unsurprising, I suppose."

    hi "Your leg."

    hi "How's it feel?"

    "That earns me a frown and a bit of a glare."

    emi "It's okay, I think."

    emi "Certainly not worth worrying about."

    hi "Hmm. Tell that to the nurse."

    hi "He's quite insistent that you visit him, you know."

    "Emi pouts like I've just told her she's been grounded."

    emi "He worries too much."

    emi "It's probably nothing, just a little soreness."

    "I try to resist rolling my eyes in exasperation."

    hi "If it's nothing, then you should have no problem seeing him, right?"

    "Emi narrows her eyes suspiciously."

    emi "Did he put you up to this?"

    hi "Well, maybe. A little."

    hi "But that's not the point."

    hi "I would have reminded you to see him anyway."

    hi "It would be terrible to see you really hurt and not doing anything about it."

    hi "That would make it worse, and I don't really want to see you hurt, you know?"

    hi "Call me crazy, but I kinda would prefer to see you happy and healthy."

    "With each statement, Emi's frown fades a little more, until eventually she's grinning, albiet a little shyly."

    emi "Well, if you're going to put it that way, then I guess I'll have to see him."

    emi "Otherwise you'll keep worrying, and then I'll never hear the end of it, right?"

    hi "That's right."

    hi "I'll keep bugging you about it, and that might put a damper on our dates."

    "I launch into a series of back-and-forths, playing the role of myself and Emi."

    hi "“How's the food, Hisao?” “Talk to the nurse, Emi.”"

    hi "“How was your day, Hisao?” “Talk to the nurse, Emi.”"

    hi "“Hisao, I think I'm ready to go all the w—” “{b}Talk to the nurse, Emi.{/b}”"

    hi "See?"

    hi "It doesn't work that well."

    "Emi giggles at my high-pitched rendition of her own voice and gives me an affectionate shove."

    emi "My voice isn't that high, jerk."

    rin "I thought it was pretty accurate."

    "Emi and I stare at Rin for a while before I burst into laughter."

    "Emi crosses her arms and huffs, mock-offended."

    emi "You're both jerks."

    hi "Such vile calumnies from you, young woman."

    hi "I'm stunned that you would call me, of all people, a jerk."

    hi "Honestly, I just…I don't know what to think."

    "Emi sticks her tongue out at me."

    emi "Ass."

    emi "So Rin, how's the art club these days?"

    "Rin, seemingly as surprised by this sudden change of topic as I am, takes a minute to think before answering."

    rin "I believe it is okay."

    rin "Although Nomiya keeps telling me to work harder."

    rin "But I don't think he understands my methods."

    emi "He always struck me as slightly creepy."

    "Rin ponders this statement for a while."

    rin "I've never really noticed."

    rin "But I don't pay much attention to him most days, so maybe that's why."

    hi "How often do you meet?"

    emi "Thinking of joining, Hisao?"

    hi "What?  Nah, I've already joined a club…I think."

    emi "Really?  Which one?"

    hi "Well, it's not really much of a club, to be honest…"

    emi "Oh, you joined the tea club?"

    hi "No, I uh…joined the science club."

    "Emi looks highly confused."

    emi "We have a science club?"

    hi "Er, not really."

    hi "It's just me."

    emi "Hisao, that's not a club."

    emi "That's sitting in your room reading books."

    hi "No, I mean it's just me and Mutou."

    hi "I'm just the only student."

    emi "Mutou? Really?"

    "A thought strikes her."

    emi "Oh, is that what you were talking about yesterday?"

    emi "Your meeting with Mutou?"

    hi "Yeah, that was our first meeting, I guess."

    "Emi giggles."

    emi "Nerd."

    hi "Hey, I can't help being clever."

    emi "You know, I could have used your help years ago."

    emi "You should've had your heart attack earlier in life, Hisao."

    "I laugh, and then realize this is probably one of the very rare times I've laughed about my heart attack."

    hi "Hindsight…"

    emi "Yeah…"

    "The ringing of the bell ends our conversation."

    hi "Hmm, guess we'd better go."

    emi "Yeah, I guess so."

    emi "Come on Rin, you too."

    "Rin has apparently dozed off, so Emi kicks her awake."

    rin "I almost had it."

    emi "Sorry, but you need to go to class."

    rin "I disagree, but maybe if I nap in class I'll get it this time."

    rin "Changing location is sometimes helpful for that kind of thing."

    "Neither Emi or I bother asking what “it” is."

    "As we arrive at my classroom, Emi gives me a quick kiss and heads down the hallway, Rin in tow."

    "I turn to enter the classroom, to be met by the duo of Shizune and Misha."

    shi "…"

    "Misha seems to be fighting a losing battle to keep from breaking into a fit of giggles while she translates Shizune's latest rant."

    mi "While we are pleased, nay thrilled, to see how well you've managed to make new friends and forge relationships—and with such a cutie, too Hicchan~…"

    "I think that last part was probably Misha."

    shi "…"

    mi "We nevertheless feel compelled to politely remind you that public displays of affection are strictly forbidden—really? That's disappointing, Shicchan—by section eight of the code of conduct laid out in the student handbook."

    shi "…"

    mi "In this case, however, ignorance of the law may be your excuse, as we are feeling lenient and the paperwork required to punish the both of you would only add to the already mountainous volume of work which confronts us, the sole members of the student council—and besides, you two are adorable together~!"

    shi "…"

    mi "Therefore consider this a formal warning, and please refrain from such displays in the future. At least when Shizune can see you, Hicchan~!"

    "This whole spiel is so patently ridiculous that I can't help but reply in the same pompous manner."

    hi "Well, I for one feel enlightened."

    hi "I apologize profusely for my rash actions and will strive to contain my baser impulses which, I fear, impel me toward such inappropriate displays of public affection."

    hi "It is hardly my wish to burden an already overworked Student Council with such petty matters, and will do my best to make your lives easier in this matter in the future."

    hi "At least, when Shizune's watching."

    "This last line is delivered with a wink to Misha, who finally loses control of her laughter."

    mi "Wah ha ha ha ha ha~!"

    mi "Well said, Hicchan~!"

    "Chuckling a little myself, we enter the classroom."

    #Timeskip nao (christ this is a long fucking scene)

    "Class is uneventful, and after the final bell rings, I find myself alone with Mutou again."

    mu "So, the second meeting of the Science Club!"

    mu "Or is it the first?"

    mu "What do you think, should we count yesterday as a meeting?"

    hi "Well, we did form the club yesterday, didn't we?"

    hi "That seems like club business, so we can safely call yesterday a meeting."

    "Mutou seems delighted by my response."

    mu "Very good!"

    mu "Logical thinking! Yes, that's brilliant!"

    mu "You really do have a knack for this sort of thing, don't you Hisao?"

    hi "I guess so?"

    mu "No no no, Hisao."

    mu "A scientist speaks with authority."

    mu "When the world wants to know how it works, we tell it."

    "He grins"

    mu "Even if all we've got is a really, really good guess."

    mu "But we must sound certain anyway, because we're authorities on the subject, right?"

    "This seems to amuse him even more, and he breaks off into a chuckle for a moment before continuing."

    mu "That's a complete load of crap, of course."

    mu "We know a lot, sure, but nobody's an expert on how the world works."

    mu "If only because nobody can be sure."

    mu "And with no certainty, there's no experts."

    mu "But we like to pretend, sometimes."

    hi "And there's some things we can be certain of, right?"

    mu "Oh, of course.  We know gravity's there, for example."

    "To illustrate, Mutou picks up a pencil and drops it."

    mu "See?  Still there."

    mu "But it's good to check every once in a while."

    mu "That's why you'll still see researchers mucking about with gravity."

    mu "We're pretty sure we know how it works, but there's always a chance that something isn't how we think it is."

    mu "So you check, and check, and check."

    mu "That's science in a nutshell, Hisao."

    "The whole time I've listened feeling rather spellbound."

    "Mutou seems to really be passionate about this stuff."

    "I'll admit, I think I feel some of that passion rubbing off on me."

    "How the world works…"

    "How humans work."

    "How the universe works."

    "All these questions to be answered."

    "And hell, depending on what I go into, maybe I could even figure out a way to fix my heart."

    "Although I don't think that's a real priority for me."

    "Besides, as we start discussing the book he gave me yesterday, I find myself more and more interested in that than my heart condition."

    "Before we even realize it, an hour's gone by."

    mu "Well, let's call this meeting over for now, okay?"

    mu "We'll have another meeting…tomorrow, or uh…the day after."

    "He considers this for a moment."

    mu "Call it the day after."

    mu "I've got a lot grading to do."

    hi "Okay."

    hi "See you then."

    "As I exit the classroom, I realize that I don't really have anything to do tonight."

    "Emi and I didn't make plans, so…"

    "I guess I'll go to the library."

    "It beats doing homework in my room, anyway."

    return


label en_E20:

    "The library is cooler, I think, than the rest of the building."

    "Probably to keep the books from getting damaged by excessive heat or cold, or humidity."

    "Books are hardy things, but if you want to keep them in good condition it takes a little effort."

    "I've got several books that are so well-worn the pages are barely clinging to the spine."

    "It seems impossible for them to still be useable, but if you handle them with care…"

    "I make my way to the main desk, where I spot Yuuko busying herself with something or another."

    "She smiles at me as I enter and waves."

    yu "Hello, Hisao."

    yu "Good to see you again! What are you looking for this time?"

    hi "Nothing in particular, I guess."

    hi "I just didn't really feel like going back to my room is all."

    "Yuuko nods."

    yu "Well, if you're unoccupied, maybe you could help me look for something?"

    hi "Sure, what do you need?"

    "Yuuko brings a finger to her lips and looks around furtively."

    "She seems to be looking for eavesdroppers."

    yu "Come closer."

    "I give a few hesitant steps forward while feeling distinctly unnerved."

    "Yuuko lowers her voice to a confidential whisper."

    yu "I'm on the trail of the Yamaku Cat Burglar."

    hi "The what?"

    yu "Shh! The walls have ears, Hisao!"

    yu "Or they might."

    yu "But listen! Those missing books, remember them?"

    hi "Er, yeah?"

    yu "Well, they weren't missing!"

    yu "They were stolen!"

    yu "I'm convinced of it!"

    hi "I remember you saying something of the sort earlier, but how do you know?"

    "Yuuko leans in closer and, if possible, whispers even lower."

    yu "Because I found one of his hiding places!"

    hi "You did what?"

    "Yuuko looks triumphant."

    yu "Found one of his stashes!"

    yu "It was under one of the stairwells in the boy's dorm!"

    yu "Three books I'd been looking for, all there!"

    yu "I'd suspected a thief before, but this proves it!"

    hi "So did you take back the books?"

    "Yuuko looks as if I've just suggested she walk around naked."

    yu "Are you nuts?"

    yu "He can't know I'm on to him!"

    yu "He might go to ground and evade capture!"

    hi "Uh…huh."

    hi "So what do you need my help with, then?"

    "Yuuko casts another glance around the library and leans in closer."

    yu "You've got to spy for me."

    hi "Spy?"

    yu "Yeah, like when you're in the dorms, you know."

    yu "Keep an eye out for suspicious activity."

    "What constitutes suspicious, anyway?"

    "I mean Kenji's a pretty suspicious dude, but I'll wager he barely goes to class, much less sneaks into the library to pilfer books."

    "Still, what's the harm in saying yes?"

    "At the least it'll get me out of this weird conversation."

    hi "Yeah, I can do that."

    hi "No problem."

    "Yuuko straightens up and claps excitedly."

    yu "Great!"

    yu "Now, hurry up and talk about something else in case someone comes in!"

    yu "How's the school treating you?"

    hi "Er, pretty well, actually."

    hi "I've been running in the mornings with—" #reminder for the potential {nw} break

    yu "Emi Ibarazaki, right?"

    hi "Uh, yeah."

    hi "How'd you know?"

    yu "I served you two in the teahouse, remember?"

    yu "I deduced that if you were going to run with anyone, it would probably be her."

    "She looks pleased with herself."

    hi "Impressive."

    hi "Anyway, yes. We've been running in the mornings."

    hi "And uh, we kinda started dating."

    "I have no idea why I mention this fact to Yuuko."

    "Probably because she just seems like the sort of person who'd want to know."

    "Or maybe because I just want to tell someone about it."

    "I mean it's not every day you get a girlfriend."

    "So the desire to tell people about it is, I confess, a little strong."

    "Yuuko claps her hands together excitedly."

    yu "Really? That's great!"

    yu "I'll bet you two are great together!"

    yu "I love seeing people find one another like that, you know?"

    yu "I even thought to myself when you walked into the Shanghai that one time, “I wonder if that kid will wind up with one of those girls.”"

    hi "…Really?"

    "Yuuko doesn't seem to notice my somewhat weirded out tone and nods affirmatively."

    yu "Yup! I could tell that you'd wind up with one of them, you know."

    yu "I've got an eye for that sort of thing."

    yu "Of course…"

    "Her expression droops slightly."

    yu "I'm not so good at it myself."

    hi "Aw, I'm sure that's not true."

    yu "Oh, it's true."

    yu "I met this guy once…"

    yu "We got along really great, but it turned out he was younger than me."

    yu "And that was kinda weird, but not terribly so."

    yu "What was really weird was that he disappeared one day and I've not seen him since."

    hi "Huh. That does seem kind of odd."

    yu "Doesn't it?"

    yu "I hope it wasn't something I did…"

    "I feel compelled to reassure her."

    hi "I'm sure it wasn't."

    "I half-expect to have to elaborate, but this seems to calm down Yuuko."

    yu "You don't think it was because he was—" #reminder for the potential {nw} break

    "But I never find out what he was, because quite suddenly the phone at the reference desk begins to ring."

    yu "What? That phone never rings!"

    "Muttering, she picks up the phone and answers it cheerily."

    yu "Yamaku Library reference desk~"

    "The professional friendly lilt at the end of her sentence makes me think of Misha."

    yu "Oh, hello Emi."

    "She shoots me a look with a raised eyebrow."

    yu "Yes, he's here."

    yu "Yes, of course."

    "She hands me the receiver with a puzzled look."

    yu "It's for you."

    "Confused, I hesitate for a moment before speaking."

    hi "Emi? What's up?"

    emi "Oh thank God I don't have your room number and I couldn't think of where you would be other than here and I can't—" #reminder for the potential {nw} break

    hi "Woah there Emi, slow down."

    hi "What's wrong?"

    "There's a pause on the other side of the line, during which I can hear Emi trying to control her breathing in order to calm down."

    "Something's got her terribly agitated, and it's starting to agitate me."

    emi "Can you just…"

    emi "Can you stop by?"

    emi "Like, now? Or shortly after now?"

    emi "I really, really need to talk to you."

    "There's a tone of pleading in the last sentence that I don't think I've ever heard from her."

    hi "Of course, I'll be right there."

    hi "Hold steady, okay?"

    "In my increasingly agitated state I've apparently started saying things that don't quite make sense."

    emi "Okay. I'll be okay."

    hi "See you soon."

    "I hang up the phone, apologize to Yuuko for running off, and run off."

    #off we go to the girl's dorm

    "Perhaps at some point I would have stopped to think about the lateness of the hour, or how suspicious it looks for a guy to enter the girl's dorm at this hour."

    "Except right now I'm just concerned with getting to Emi and finding out what's wrong and how I can help her."

    "I knock on the door and am greeted with a subdued “Come in.”"

    "Something is very wrong as I stare at the scene before me."

    "Emi's there, yes."

    "But she's in a wheelchair."

    "And her legs are missing. I glance around the room and see them sitting in a corner, looking like they've been thrown there."

    "Emi responds to my entrance with a lopsided grin that is both pleased to see me and completely, utterly heartbroken."

    hi "Emi? What happened?"

    emi "Guess I should've listened to you, Hisao."

    emi "My leg's got a nasty infection. I'm not allowed to run on it for at least a couple of weeks."

    "She gives a bitter laugh that shouldn't be coming from her."

    emi "Heh, I can't even walk on it."

    emi "I could have used a crutch and kept one of my legs, but I didn't see the point."

    emi "Why hop? You can't run on one leg."

    emi "At least this way I can still, I dunno, roll fast or something."

    hi "Y-yeah, that's good, right?"

    "My awkward attempt to look on the bright side seems appreciated."

    "But not really effective."

    "Emi shrugs again."

    emi "It's just… kind of a nuisance."

    emi "I mean, we can't even eat up on the roof now."

    emi "No wheelchair access."

    hi "Yeah, but that's not a big deal, right?"

    hi "I mean we can still eat together, and that's the important thing."

    "That lopsided grin again. It hurts to look at."

    emi "I suppose so, yeah."

    emi "But like I said, it's a nuisance."

    emi "I mean, I haven't used a wheelchair extensively in…"

    "She thinks for a minute."

    emi "Maybe seven years? Something like that, anyway."

    emi "A long time."

    emi "I'm afraid I'm a bit out of practice."

    hi "Well, fortunately it's only temporary, right?"

    "Emi nods"

    emi "Oh yeah, of course."

    emi "It's not like I've lost 'em permanently."

    emi "But it's a pain in the ass all the same."

    "I nod sympathetically."

    "There's not much else I can do, after all."

    "What am I gonna do, say “I told you so?”"

    "Although I {b}did{/b} tell her to get that leg looked at."

    "But by the time I noticed, it was too late anyway."

    hi "Do you need help with anything?"

    hi "Er, that is, can I help with anything?"

    "Emi shakes her head and there's a bit of her usual grin back."

    emi "Nah, I can manage fine by myself."

    emi "Although if you want to help me over to my bed, it would save me the trouble of rolling over there myself."

    "I blush, in spite of myself."

    "Emi giggles."

    emi "You're such a prude, Hisao."

    hi "I'm not a prude! I just wouldn't want to take advantage of a young woman such as yourself."

    hi "It's ungentlemanly."

    "I wheel Emi's chair to her bed, and easily scoop her up and deposit her there."

    "She's actually a little heavier than she looks."

    "It would be rude of me to observe this aloud, of course."

    hi "Man, you're kind of heavy."

    "Emi hits me with a pillow."

    emi "Ass."

    hi "Just sayin' is all."

    hi "Must be all that running."

    "At the mention of running Emi's grin falters slightly."

    emi "Heh, well I guess I won't have to worry about that for a bit, huh?"

    emi "Maybe I'll lose some weight."

    "She shuffles to the side so taht I can sit down next to her, and I do so gratefully."

    hi "That's what you do to lose weight, right? Cease physical activity?"

    emi "I'm pretty sure that's what the nurse would recommend."

    hi "Speaking of, are you going to still be showing up in the mornings?"

    hi "I'd hate to run alo—" #reminder for the potential {nw} break

    #Can we shrink the text or something for this? It's mean to be kind of a muttered thing.

    emi "Ah, shit…"

    "Emi's sudden interjection causes me to look over in shock."

    "She's leaning forward, trying to cover the fact that she's crying by covering her eyes with a hand."

    "Of course, the subdued sobbing makes it pretty obvious that she's crying."

    hi "Hey, I'm sorry."

    hi "Forget I said anything, okay?"

    "I place a hand gingerly around her and pull her close."

    "Emi wraps me in a hug and stays that way for a while."

    hi "Sorry."

    hi "I'm pretty bad at this whole comforting thing, I guess."

    emi "Don't say that."

    emi "I'm fine, really."

    "Her voice is slightly muffled by my chest. I pat her head reassuringly."

    hi "That's the spirit, right?"

    hi "You'll get through this fine, I know it."

    hi "Besides, I'm here to help you, remember?"

    "Emi lifts her head and stares at me with tear-stained eyes."

    emi "Can you? Can you really?"

    "She's grinning lopsidedly, and something sparkles in her gaze."

    "I can't tell if I'm being mocked or not."

    hi "Of course. I mean sure, you're a bit heavy, but—mmph!"

    "My witty comment is cut off by the sudden press of Emi's lips on mine."

    "I'm caught off guard, and am rewarded by hitting my head on the wall behind her bed."

    hi "Ow."

    "Emi pulls back, trying not to look concerned rather than like she's about to laugh."

    emi "Are you okay?"

    emi "Sorry!"

    "I rub my head ruefully and grin back at her."

    hi "Caught me off guard, there."

    hi "Is that going to become a habit?"

    hi "Am I going to be lectured by Shizune and Misha more?"

    "At the mention of the duo, Emi giggles."

    emi "Honestly, those two…"

    emi "If I didn't know why, I'd be utterly confused as to why she hangs around with such an authoritarian."

    hi "Which one are we talking about?"

    "Emi laughs."

    emi "You know exactly which one, Hisao. Misha's hardly authoritarian."

    hi "So what's the reason, then?"

    emi "Huh?"

    hi "The reason Misha hangs around Shizune."

    emi "Er, that's not my place to say."

    hi "How do you know?"

    emi "We…talked about it once."

    hi "I see."

    "Emi raises an eyebrow at me."

    emi "What's that mean, “I see?”"

    emi "Anyway, you seem to be forgetting the original question, don't you?"

    hi "Oh yeah, I guess I am."

    hi "You wouldn't mind giving a guy a little warning, would you?"

    hi "Otherwise I'm liable to wind up with a concussion."

    "I emphasize the point by rubbing at the back of my head."

    "Emi giggles madly."

    emi "You could wear a helmet."

    emi "Some kids here do, you know."

    "In response, I grab a pillow from beside me and whack Emi over the head."

    hi "Or I could just take revenge!"

    "Emi topples off the bed and lands on the floor with a thump."

    "Crap! Did I hurt her?"

    "I lean over the edge of the bed."

    hi "Emi? You okay?"

    hi "You didn't hit your—urk!"

    "A hand shoots up and grabs my collar."

    "I land on the floor next to an uproariously laughing Emi."

    emi "How's {b}that{/b} for revenge?"

    hi "No fair!"

    hi "You can't take revenge for revenge!"

    "For someone missing most of her legs, Emi's surprisingly agile."

    "I swipe at her, but she deftly rolls out of the way and lands a hit with her pillow."

    "Of course, the odds are against her."

    "I can stand up, for starters."

    "Oof!"

    "Guess I can't, after all."

    "Emi seems to have effectively tripped me up, and is now sitting primly astride me."

    emi "I win."

    hi "Death before defeat!"

    "I confess, I play dirty."

    "My hands seek her sides and begin tickling."

    "Emi attempts to keep composure, but her giggling has given me the upper hand."

    "Now I'm in the dominant position."

    hi "Ha!"

    hi "{b}I{/b} win."

    emi "You didn't play fair!"

    hi "All's fair in love and war, Emi."

    emi "Well then!"

    "Her eyes twinkle mischievously as she grabs my collar again and pulls herself up into another kiss."

    "This is…different, somehow."

    "It's like she kissed me on the bed just now, except now I'm not hitting my head on anything."

    "She pulls back, nips at my lower lip, and reinitiates the embrace."

    "I can feel a warmth spreading through my body as my heart begins to beat faster."

    "My mind starts to go foggy, and I become vaguely aware of my hand traveling up Emi's shirt."

    "Huh."

    "Wonder what it's doing there."

    "Emi gasps as I reach a breast, then there's a giggle, and then—" #reminder for the potential {nw} break

    "How did she get me on my back so fast?"

    "I stare up at a grinning Emi."

    emi "I win."

    hi "What? That doesn't count! You used feminine wiles!"

    "Emi laughs at my astonished face and adopts a pretty fair imitation of my voice."

    emi "“All's fair in love and war,” right?"

    emi "Ha! You're even blushing!"

    emi "I didn't know you were a blusher, Hisao."

    hi "You were blushing too!"

    emi "I'm not!"

    hi "Yeah, but you were!"

    hi "You blush all the time!"

    hi "Probably because of your prudish ways!"

    "Even I've got to admit this is a stupid thing to say to a woman who is currently straddling me and had been, up until a few minutes ago, playing tonsil hockey with me."

    "But hey, I needed some kinda comeback."

    emi "A prude, am I?"

    emi "Well then, let's see who blushes first, shall we?"

    "In a motion of practiced ease, she peels her shirt off and tosses it carelessly aside."

    emi "Ha!"

    "I fight the urge to blush."

    hi "Escalation, is it?"

    "My own shirt follows suit. Emi mock-yawns."

    emi "You'll have to try harder than th—ah!"

    "It would seem that my hands are acting on their own, again."

    "They gently caress Emi's bare skin, causing her to shiver."

    "I start to say something about how Emi's starting to blush, but it's at this time that her sports bra finds its way over her head and on to the floor."

    return

label en_E20h:

    "Conversation grinds to a halt."

    "To say the least."

    "I sit up, and we embrace, feeling one another's bare skin."

    "Emi's body shivers and shudders against mine, and I can feel her starting to lose her balance."

    "Of course. It's harder to keep steady because she's missing her legs."

    "I steady her as best as I can, cupping my hands around her backside."

    "It's firm, taut."

    "Makes sense, considering how much she runs."

    "The potential power in those muscles that flex as she responds to my touch."

    "What I fail to take into account is the fact that my attempts to steady Emi kind of slide her forward and, well…"

    "It feels amazing."

    "Neither of us, however, are prepared for this sudden new sensation."

    "An intense heat surges through me, coming from both myself and, it seems, Emi as well."

    "I fall backwards, though I manage to keep my hands on Emi."

    "She has her hands on my stomach to steady herself, and looks at me with a grin that seems pleased with herself."

    "And then, after a moment's hesitation, she moves."

    "And she moves again."

    "And again."

    "As she moves, her breath hitches slightly."

    "My own breath is starting to come faster, more raggedly."

    "The heat is growing more intense, and I can't hold back a gasp."

    "This noise seems to drive Emi along."

    "Her breath comes faster and faster, her voice now joining the sounds of our breathing, a series of girlish cries as the heat"

    "The ever present heat"

    "Grows stronger, threatens to overwhelm us both, and"

    "now I'm helping her along, and our breathing's finding a rhythm, and there's so much heat now, and time's slowing down and now"

    "all I can see is her, still moving, still breathing, gasping now, and she topples onto me, breasts sweat lips hair tongue"

    "back upright now, we've got it all worked out, a rhythm that we can both follow"

    "my own voice joins hers in sounds that only barely manage to describe what we're feeling"

    "I find myself repeating her name, a mantra that helps me keep from losing my mind"

    "but now it's gotten too hot, too much pressure, words devolve into sound"

    "faster faster faster hotter hotter hotter"

    "suddenly the world clears in a single moment, brought into razor focus"

    "I feel Emi tense, she moves a little more erratically as my own breath hitches in my throat, ending in a final desperate thrust that sends me over the edge into a surging feeling I didn't know existed."

    "Our cries rebound off the walls, mine low, hers high."

    "The harmony of our shared climax, the sudden feeling of dampness, sensations unknown that fill my mind with white noise."

    "Then it passes, the white noise clears, and I am left staring up into the eyes of the girl atop me."

    return

label en_E20x:

    "For a few minutes, neither of us speaks."

    emi "So, did I blush?"

    hi "I didn't notice."

    hi "Did I?"

    "Emi shrugs, still breathing a little heavily."

    emi "Didn't notice either."

    hi "Well, maybe we should—" #reminder for the potential {nw} break

    rin "I need to use your window."

    "My first instinct is to hide, but then I realize that I'm still pinned under a topless Emi, so there's no running anyway."

    "Rin's eyes pass over Emi, and me, and focus on the window."

    rin "There was a cloud."

    emi "A cloud?"

    "Rin nods."

    rin "I was watching it from my window but it didn't stay in my window."

    rin "So I need to use your window."

    "Emi shifts a little, causing me to cough in order to cover up a giggle of my own."

    emi "How long do you need the window for?"

    emi "We're uh."

    emi "Busy."

    "This time I can't contain my laughter."

    "Rin ignores both Emi and myself and peers out the window."

    "Her shoulders slump, and she looks disappointed."

    rin "Hmm."

    rin "It changed into something else."

    rin "Disappointing."

    "Emi is having trouble keeping a straight face."

    emi "Sorry to hear that, Rin."

    emi "Could we have a little privacy now, please?"

    "Rin shrugs, as if to say “Can you?” and hooks her foot around the door, pulling it closed behind her."

    "We both dissolve into raucous laughter, unable to deal with Rin's bizarrely timed visit any other way."

    "After our laughter dies down, I look up at Emi, still sitting atop me."

    hi "Well."

    "Emi raises an eyebrow."

    emi "Well?"

    hi "Again?"

    "Emi grins and laughs, and then she nods."

    emi "We should use the bed, this time."

    return

label en_E21:

    "The sunlight breaks through my window shortly before my alarm ruins the morning silence."

    "God, I feel sore."

    "The events of the previous evening suddenly intrude upon my consciousness, and I find myself blushing."

    "Lord."

    "That was an eventful evening—and explains perfectly the soreness in my lower back."

    "The walk back, as I recall, had been rather tense."

    "My trousers having been…soiled, I'd washed off in the bathroom before going back to my room."

    "But there was still a fairly obvious-looking stain on the front."

    "Fortunately for me, the only person I ran into on my way back was Kenji."

    "And he didn't notice a thing."

    "Well, apart from my being in the general vicinity."

    "Of course he'd asked how the night went, and whether or not I'd learned anything of importance."

    "I don't even know if I opened my mouth to answer."

    "I was too tired to care."

    "And this morning, I'll admit that I'm feeling pretty worn out."

    "Still, Emi had promised to meet me at the track, and I'd hate to disappoint."

    "And indeed she is waiting for me when I arrive."

    "Doing her best to look cheery, despite the fact that she's sitting in a wheelchair."

    "I wave to her and begin stretching."

    hi "You're early."

    "Emi frowns and shakes her head."

    emi "Ridiculous."

    emi "{b}You're{/b} late."

    emi "Oversleep, Hisao?"

    emi "All tuckered out?"

    "Well, at least she seems more like her old self."

    "And as expected, she doesn't seem that shy about mentioning our…previous activities."

    hi "Hey, you're lucky I could show up at all."

    hi "All that cardiovascular activity last night, I nearly thought I'd have to see the nurse afterwards."

    "Emi laughs out loud, then her face suddenly becomes concerned."

    emi "Hey, that's not uh…"

    emi "I mean, you're not…"

    hi "Go on, spit it out."

    emi "It's just that it would be hard to explain if you had an episode while we were…"

    hi "Oh."

    hi "{b}Oh.{/b}"

    "Now that she mentions it, it really is a legitimate concern."

    "I certainly hadn't thought of it last night, of course—but other, more pressing concerns had been at hand."

    hi "Well, I don't think anything we, er, {b}do{/b} is going to be any more of a strain than these morning runs, and I handle those fine, so…"

    "Emi considers this point."

    "A devious light appears in her eyes."

    emi "Say…"

    hi "Hmm?"

    "The light vanishes, and Emi grins ruefully at me."

    "I can't help but feel vaguely suspicious."

    emi "I seem to have forgotten a pair of gloves."

    hi "What do you need gloves for?"

    "Emi indicates the chair upon which she is seated."

    emi "For this, of course!"

    emi "Sure, regular moving around is all well and good without 'em, but I want to be able to get a good workout."

    emi "And to get those kinds of speeds, you gotta have gloves if you don't want blisters."

    hi "So what, are you wussing out on me then?"

    hi "Do I have to go it alone?"

    "Emi thinks for a minute—or pretends to think."

    emi "Hmm…if I remember right, there's a spare pair or two in the track shed."

    hi "What are they doing there?"

    "Emi looks askance at me."

    emi "Seriously? You can't think of why a shed full of track supplies at a school for the disabled would have racing gloves?"

    "Well when she puts it that way, I suppose that makes perfect sense."

    hi "Hey, I'm still getting used to this place."

    hi "Give me a break, huh?"

    emi "I guess I can let it slide this time."

    emi "Now come on, I'll need your help."

    "I can't imagine what for, but then again I didn't have a clue why racing gloves would be in the shed, so I'm not willing to press the issue."

    "Emi navigates her way to the shed easily enough, though I can hear her grumbling under her breath."

    "It's actually kinda cute."

    "We reach the door, and Emi seems to be looking for something."

    emi "Now, where was it…"

    emi "Ah! There! Hisao, you see that rock over there?"

    "She points at a rather out of place rock next to the door."

    hi "Hard to miss it."

    emi "Yeah, I told 'em to use something else, but they wouldn't listen…"

    emi "Anyway, lift it up. There's a key under it."

    hi "To that padlock on the door, no doubt."

    emi "Exactly."

    "It's not even a rock."

    "It's like, styrofoam or something."

    "Then again, who the heck would want to get into the track shed anyway?"

    "The door opens, and Emi starts to wheel inside, only to come to a sudden halt at the doorway."

    "It seems the doorsill is slightly too high for her to get over by herself."

    "She makes a few runs at it, unsuccessfully, before crossing her eyes and glaring at the offending object."

    emi "Stupid wheelchair."

    emi "Hisao, can you give me a hand here?"

    hi "Sure, no problem."

    "It's a simple enough matter for me to bump Emi over the doorway, jostling her slightly."

    emi "Hey, easy there!"

    hi "Whoops! Sorry."

    "It's at about this time that I fail to notice where I'm going and run Emi's chair into a mat."

    "This brings it to a halt rather quickly."

    "She gives a startled yelp and topples forward out of her chair."

    "There's a moment of silence as I gaze in horror upon what I've done, and Emi glares at me."

    emi "Hisao…"

    hi "Yes?"

    emi "Promise me you'll never work at a hospital."

    hi "Sorry! I didn't mean to!"

    "Emi giggles, and holds up a hand."

    emi "Would you kindly help me back into my chair, Hisao?"

    "As I bend down to pick up Emi, she grins in triumph and pulls me into a kiss that quickly has us both entirely unconcerned about getting her back into the chair."

    "In fact, as I move to a more comfortable position, I confess that the chair is pushed out the door, which, startled by the passage, swings shut."

    "Well, at least we've got privacy now, which is a good thing as my hands have worked quickly to remove Emi's shirt."

    "I'm startled to discover that she's forgotten a bra today."

    "Did she plan this?"

    "Her arms hook under mine and rest on my shoulders as I kiss my way down Emi's neck, pausing to give special attention to a spot right where the neck meets the shoulder that I'd found last night."

    emi "Y—you've gotten pretty good at th—hee!"

    hi "I do try."

    "Emi pushes on my chest, insistently, and I draw back with a puzzled expression."

    emi "I've got a confession, Hisao."

    hi "Oh?"

    "Having pulled back, I decide instead to focus my attention on her breasts."

    "As she attempts to speak, her words are interspersed with giggles that I find incredibly cute."

    emi "I don't ac-hee hee hee-actually w-woah! Wear gloves."

    "My own reply is rather mumbled onto her chest instead of being addressed to her face."

    hi "Mmm. Suspected as much."

    "Words quickly become irrelevant."

    "There's almost a franticness to Emi's movements, as if she's been holding something back since we met this morning and now she has an outlet."

    "I'm very nearly caught off guard by her aggressiveness, feeling her nearly rip my shirt off, the way she seems to vie to be in the dominant position."

    "For my part, I confess that I'm caught up in her attitude as well, fighting back, rolling and wrestling even as I caress her breasts, even as her fingers dig into my shoulders, and I lose track of where we are."

    "So much so that I roll right off the mat and land on something small and rather hard."

    hi "Ow!"

    "Emi, still flushed and breathing a little heavy (and minus her shorts) peers at me and bursts into laughter."

    emi "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Are you alright?"

    hi "Yeah, I think so. Not sure what I landed on, though…"

    "I reach under my back and pull the offending object out, inspecting it closely."

    "“KY Jelly.”"

    "Wait, what?"

    "Emi's eyes shoot upwards and she begins, if possible, to laugh even harder."

    hi "Somehow, I don't think this is…this isn't track-related."

    emi "Oh man, I know whose that is!"

    hi "What?"

    emi "It's the track captain's!"

    "Ah, my old nemesis. Or, kind of."

    hi "How d'you know it's his?"

    "It appears that I've asked a stupid question, or at least Emi thinks so."

    emi "Because, he's the one who told me the track shed was a good place for…what did he call them?"

    emi "“Clandestine encounters.”"

    hi "Oh? He invite you to one or something?"

    "Emi bursts into more laughter."

    "I confess the sight of a naked Emi laughing is oddly beautiful."

    "I feel an eagerness to end conversation and get back to what we were doing, despite my rather pointed questioning."

    emi "Hisao, the track captain's gay."

    "Huh."

    hi "Really? And here I initially thought you two were a couple."

    emi "Well…I did have a crush on him when I first joined up, but he wasn't interested."

    emi "Obviously."

    emi "But we are good friends, I guess."

    emi "I mean he told me about all this, you know."

    hi "I hesitate to ask,"

    "And really, I do. But I ask anyway."

    hi "But what does he need the uh…lube for, anyway?"

    hi "I mean, he doesn't…er…"

    "Oh wait."

    "Erm."

    "How the hell does Emi always manage to not blush?"

    emi "Obviously he uses it for, you know."

    emi "Anal."

    "I try to suppress a snicker."

    "I fail."

    "Emi's giggling too."

    hi "And he {b}tells{/b} you about all this?"

    "Emi shrugs."

    emi "Yeah, of course."

    emi "He's kinda wild about the whole thing."

    emi "Says it's a feeling that can't be beat."

    hi "Uh…huh."

    "The air in the track shed seems charged with some kind of horrible curiosity."

    hi "That's interesting."

    hi "I suppose I'll have to take his word for it."

    emi "Well…"

    "Birds outside stop chirping."

    "The wind dies down."

    "Somewhere, a man is drinking a cup of coffee. He freezes with the cup at his lips."

    emi "We could…"

    extend " maybe…"

    emi "Try it."

    "My jaw, having suddenly acquired an ability native only to snakes, unhinges and hits the floor."

    hi "W-what?"

    "Emi is finally blushing, rubbing the back of her head ruefully."

    emi "Well, it's just that we really can't…do what we did last night, you know?"

    emi "It would be a little… it wouldn't be safe, you know?"

    emi "I mean it wasn't exactly a great idea last night."

    emi "So you know, we could try this to see if it uh…"

    hi "Is as good?"

    emi "Well uh, yeah. Basically."

    hi "Huh."

    return

label en_E21h:

    #Timeskip

    emi "Careful!"

    hi "Are you sure about this?"

    "I'm positioned behind Emi, who is looking back over her shoulder, looking a little flushed."

    "Well obviously once we decided to go ahead with this idea, we had to get back into the mood."

    "That accomplished, we emptied the tube of lube and…"

    "Here we are."

    emi "Yes, I'm sure! Come on, before I calm down and think too much about this."

    "Emi's breathing is still coming a little heavily, and her response is almost impatient."

    "Which is to be expected, I suppose. We were both so close, and this is kind of delaying things."

    "I think we've both gone temporarily insane."

    "At least that's going to be my claim from here on out."

    "I try hard not to think about the specifics of what I'm about to (quite literally) get myself into."

    "There's no way this is going to be very clean."

    "Taking a breath that is as much for me as it is for her, I enter slowly."

    "There's a lot of resistance, and it's like both our bodies are reluctant to actually go through with it."

    "Emi's whole body tenses, and as I'm only partially in by this point, it feels surprisingly good, if a bit odd."

    "Emi, on the other hand, looks uncomfortable."

    "The expression is almost comical."

    hi "Should I stop?"

    "Emi's breath hitches in her throat, and it seems to take a few seconds longer than it should to formulate a reply."

    emi "N-no, keep going. It just feels weird."

    "She giggles."

    "I can't blame her.  I'm surprised that I even managed to form a sentence."

    "It's…hot."

    "Feels exceedingly odd."

    "The lube glistens unnaturally."

    "It makes me uncomfortable."

    "I continue to work my way inside her, working slowly and listening carefully to Emi's breathing."

    "I reach my limit and pause. Emi looks back again, biting her lower lip."

    emi "Are you going to try moving, or are we just going to sit here feeling silly?"

    hi "No, I just wanted to give you a chance to adjust."

    "This doesn't make any sense."

    "How did we even decide to do this?"

    emi "I don't think there's really any adjusting to this, Hisao."

    emi "Try moving. Maybe it'll feel better?"

    "She sounds doubtful, but certainly unwilling to admit defeat now that we've come so far."

    "I begin a slow motion that seems to work well for both myself and Emi, as she closes her eyes in an attempt to concentrate on this new feeling."

    "As I begin to find a rhythm, I begin to feel that familiar falling-away sensation I got yesterday."

    "I close my eyes and try to lose myself in the feeling, except…"

    "It doesn't seem right."

    "Emi's not making any noise."

    "I learned very quickly yesterday that Emi is somewhat less than quiet when she's enjoying herself."

    "As I open my eyes, I see that Emi's trying to get into things, but it just doesn't seem to be working for her."

    "Her eyes are closed, and she's biting her lip, but it seems to be out of toleration rather than enjoyment."

    "A sort of “Well, this was a failure, but hopefully it'll be over soon” look."

    "I'm caught in a bit of a situation here."

    "In truth, I don't want to stop."

    "But at the same time, it doesn't seem to be doing much for Emi—or if it is, it's coming on far slower than I am."

    "I feel bad. I want Emi to enjoy this, too."

    "I reach one arm around to tease at Emi's chest, which startles her."

    "This in turn causes her to tighten around me considerably, causing a wave of pleasure to blindside me."

    "My gasp seems to amuse Emi, but her grin quickly turns to a gasp as I move my other hand casually down her front and begin to stroke gently at the soft patch of hair between her legs."

    "The motion of my own hips increases as my hand's ministrations to Emi's front bring back the gasps and yelps that I'm used to."

    "I concentrate only on the feelings of my hands, one now slick and sliding, the other on skin soft and responsive, goosebumps on her flesh, shivers and sweats, as her own building climax causes her to tighten, until finally I can't possibly—" #reminder for the potential {nw} break

    "NoIcan'tpossibly"

    "OhgodI'msorryEmiI'mgoignto"

    "I give a final thrust, my fingers tense around Emi's nipples, dive between her legs."

    "Emi's back spasms and she arches up, a high, girlish cry that echoes off the walls, and I feel the wave of my own climax annihilate all other sensations in my body."

    "Emi's arms give out and she falls forward, rather violently disengaging us and pulling something dear to me in the process."

    "The sudden switch from pleasure to pain causes me to lose my balance, and I fall forward on top of Emi."

    return

label en_E21x:

    emi "Ow!"

    hi "Ow."

    "I quickly roll off of Emi and lay there, staring at the ceiling and trying to ignore the pain in my crotch."

    "Emi yelps a little as she rolls over, and she quickly switches to a position on her side."

    emi "That {b}hurt{/b} at the end!"

    hi "Yeah, I uh…"

    hi "This was probably not a great idea."

    "Emi once again attempts to sit down and winces."

    emi "Yeah, I'm going to have words with the captain."

    emi "He was clearly lying."

    "The utter and absolute ridiculousness of the situation suddenly hits and I begin laughing."

    "Emi shakes her head and begins laughing with me."

    emi "Hey, Hisao."

    hi "Yeah?"

    emi "We're never doing this again, right?"

    hi "Yeah, I think my curiosity is satisfied on this one."

    "Emi nods, satisfied."

    emi "Good."

    emi "I think we should maybe stick to the basics, don't you?"

    emi "I mean most of this is new to me anyway."
    #Remark to self: keep under strict watch this specific bit of sexual innuendo. -SC

    hi "What d'you mean, “most?”"

    "Emi grins impishly."

    emi "I'll never tell."

    "An unpleasant thought strikes me."

    "Even more unpleasant is the thought of having to ask Emi about it."

    "Still, after what we've just done, it should be a cakewalk."

    hi "Hey, is there a sink?"

    hi "I'd kinda like to, er."

    hi "Wash off a little."

    "Emi's jaw drops."

    emi "In the {b}sink{/b}?"

    hi "Well, there's not really anywhere else to do it, is there?"

    hi "And it uh…  I want to avoid a smell."

    hi "That the nurse might notice."

    "This is the most awkward conversation I have ever had."

    emi "You're right."

    emi "Yeah, there's uh…  It's on the back wall."

    emi "Might be some soap, too."

    hi "Thanks."

    "There is in fact a little hand soap, which is better than nothing."

    "No towel, though."

    "Guess I'll just have to drip dry."

    emi "All finished?"

    hi "Yeah, that'll do for now."

    hi "It's not like I'm not going to take a shower after we see the nurse."

    emi "Glad to hear it."

    emi "Now help me find my clothes. You tossed 'em somewhere."

    hi "Hey, you were no better! How am I supposed to explain that hole in my shirt, hmm?"

    emi "Heh, sorry."

    emi "I got a little excited earlier."

    "It takes some time (and we never do find Emi's panties), but finally we're both more or less clothed."

    "There's a frantic moment where neither of us knows where Emi's wheelchair is, but I recall it going through the door and rescue it."

    emi "Now be more careful going through the door this time, would you?"

    emi "Bumps are not my friend right now."

    hi "I am so sorry we tried this."

    "Emi shrugs and grins."

    emi "Well, it was worth a shot, right?"

    emi "And anyway, it was good exercise, right?"

    "Can't argue that."

    "As we make our way up to the nurse's office, I notice that Emi keeps shifting uncomfortably in her seat."

    emi "God, this feels weird."

    emi "Good thing I'm in a wheelchair, Hisao."

    hi "Why's that?"

    emi "Because, now I don't have to explain to the nurse why I'm walking funny."

    hi "Oh."

    hi "We're never doing this again."

    "The nurse is at least kind enough to not comment on the marks that Emi left on my shoulders."

    "Nor does he say a word about Emi's constant shifting about in her wheelchair."

    "Either he didn't notice, or he didn't {b}want{/b} to notice."

    "All the same, I'm going to have to make sure he didn't slip cyanide into my medication for a little while."

    "Just to be safe."

    "I shower for longer than usual, just to be sure I'm clean after our little “experiment”, and then collapse on my bed."

    "Class is in twenty minutes, so…"

    "I can probably afford a nap, right?"

    "Ah, screw it. If I sleep, I sleep."

    return

label en_E22:

    "Knock knock."

    "Who's there?"

    "Knock knock."

    "That's not how the joke goes at all."

    "Knock knock."

    "I already said who's there!"

    "More importantly, what time is it?"

    "Even more importantly, what day…?"

    "I am suddenly catapulted into wakefulness by both the fact that the knocking still hasn't stopped and the fact that it's noon."

    "On a school day."

    "Now fully awake, I can remember why I was napping."

    "Better not give that excuse to Mutou."

    "“Sorry I wasn't in class, I was experimenting sexually with my girlfriend and it tired me out.”"

    "Yeah, that'll go over well."

    "I wonder how long this knocking is going to continue."

    "Guess I ought to answer the door."

    "I'm strangely unsurprised to see Kenji on the other side."

    "Though it appears that Kenji is surprised to see me."

    ke "What the hell are you doing here, man?"

    hi "Well, I {b}was{/b} sleeping."

    "Kenji nods in understanding."

    ke "Knocked out.  I see."

    ke "I told you to be careful around that Ibarazaki chick, man."

    ke "This is the sort of thing that happens when you aren't cautious."

    "He makes an attempt to look at the back of my head."

    ke "Did she hit you with something?"

    ke "Or was it a drug?"

    hi "Stop trying to touch me."

    "Kenji produces a flashlight and shines it in my eyes."

    ke "You got a concussion, dude?"

    hi "I wasn't knocked out!"

    ke "Maybe you just don't remember."

    "This conversation isn't going anywhere."

    hi "No, I just had a tiring morning and fell asleep."

    ke "Whatever, man."

    ke "If you want to be in denial about this, I guess I can't stop you."

    ke "But you gotta watch out for that girl, man."

    ke "She's not safe."

    hi "What?"

    ke "To be around, man!  She's one of their most sinister agents!"

    ke "If you're not careful, there's no telling what could happen!"

    ke "She's brought down stronger men than you, you know!"

    hi "What the hell are you talking about?"

    hi "She's not an agent of anything, and she didn't knock me out, okay?"

    hi "I also highly doubt that she's brought down anyone at all."

    "Kenji looks almost offended."

    "I have no idea why."

    ke "You don't believe me?"

    ke "That's cold, man. Real cold."

    ke "I'm just trying to look out for you."

    ke "That's what friends do, you know."

    "We're friends?"

    "I had no idea."

    "Then again, I wonder if Kenji knows what being a friend even entails."

    "I feel something like pity for him, standing there before me."

    "Maybe he does think he's looking out for me."

    hi "I know, I know."

    hi "I'm sorry about that."

    hi "Thanks for the warning."

    "I hold out my hand as a sign of peace."

    "Kenji shakes it gingerly, like my hand could possibly be on fire."

    "There's an awkward silence for a few seconds before Kenji remembers that he's still shaking my hand."

    ke "Anyway, I need a favor."

    hi "What kind of favor? I'm out of money…"

    ke "No you aren't. You've got money kept in your desk drawer under a black notebook."

    ke "For emergencies."

    hi "Did you ransack my room?"

    ke "Not important, man!"

    ke "I don't need money, anyway."

    "He adopts a very serious tone."

    ke "I'm about to undertake a major op."

    ke "It'll blow the whole conspiracy wide open if I'm right."

    ke "But it's dangerous, so I need you to do something for me in case I don't come back."

    hi "Uh, sure man.  Anything."

    "What the hell is he planning on doing?"

    "Should I be telling someone about this?"

    ke "If I go missing, wait three days and then mail my journal off to the newspapers."

    ke "It's hidden in my room under a false bottom in one of my desk drawers."

    hi "How do I get into your room?"

    hi "I don't have a key."

    "Kenji looks at me like I'm crazy."

    ke "So pick the lock."

    ke "You know how to do that, right?"

    ke "It's an important skill to learn at a young age!"

    hi "Uh, yeah, of course I know how."

    hi "I'll be sure to uh, do that for you."

    hi "If you go missing."

    "I don't think I want to read Kenji's journal."

    "Either way, Kenji seems pretty happy that I've agreed to do this thing for him."

    ke "Great, man.  Great."

    ke "I'll see you around, man.  I got stuff to do."

    "And he's gone, dashing down the hallway."

    "He made it seem so final."

    "I hope I don't have to carry out his final wishes."

    "…"

    "Jesus, now he's getting me paranoid."

    "I didn't know paranoia was a contagious disease."

    "Shaking my head, I close my door and walk back to my bed."

    "Guess I should go to class, if only to catch the last half of the day."

    "But I've come this far without going to class today…"

    "And I did want to read more of that Hawking book Mutou lent me…"

    "I'm sure he'll understand."

    #Fade out.  Fade in.  You know, because TIME PASSES.

    "Knock knock."

    "This time the noise jerks my attention away from my book."

    "An experience not unlike being woken up."

    hi "Who's there?"

    emi "Me!  Aren't you glad?"

    "The voice is muffled through the door, but unmistakably Emi's."

    "I hop up and open the door, smiling broadly."

    hi "Hey!  Nice to see you again!"

    "Emi grins back, staring up at me from her wheelchair."

    emi "Yeah, you would have seen me earlier, but the damned elevator wasn't working."

    emi "Had to wait for them to fix it."

    emi "You'd think they could keep it in better order, but nooo…"

    "I chuckle a bit at her vexed expression and invite her in."

    "She wheels in easily, and with my help she hops onto my bed."

    emi "There."

    emi "Much more comfortable than that stupid chair."

    "A sigh of contentment hangs in the air, and for a minute we both just stare at one another."

    "It's at that point that I notice the circles under Emi's eyes."

    "They're not that dark, but they definitely weren't there before."

    "Before I can ask about them, Emi fixes me with a mischievous stare."

    emi "So, I couldn't help but notice you weren't at lunch today."

    emi "In fact, I don't think I saw you at all."

    emi "What happened, hmmm?"

    hi "Fell asleep."

    hi "I actually didn't wake up until lunch, and only then because Kenji woke me up."

    emi "What had you so tired, hmm?"

    hi "Strenuous workout this morning.  Slightly uncomfortable, too."

    "Emi coughs, a half-laughing, half-embarrassed noise."

    emi "Remind me not to do that again."

    hi "No problem. It wasn't exactly great for me either, to be honest."

    hi "We'll just avoid that from now on."

    hi "Are you, er, still sore?"

    "Emi stares at me in disbelief."

    hi "What?"

    hi "It's a legitimate question!"

    emi "Of all the questions I never thought I'd be asked, that's one of them."

    hi "Well, I didn't ever expect to have to ask it, so we're even."

    "Emi laughs at this."

    emi "I guess so, huh?"

    emi "Well, since you asked, yes."

    emi "I'm still a little sore."

    emi "We're never doing that again."

    hi "No arguments from here."

    "A yawn escapes her, and I raise an eyebrow."

    hi "Tired?"

    "Emi nods sleepily."

    emi "Haven't slept well."

    "Not sleeping well?"

    "I can tell that she didn't mean to tell me this either, because she gives a little start like she's just been caught lying and hastens to add,"

    emi "It's not a big deal, though."

    hi "What's the trouble?"

    "Emi shrugs and refuses to elaborate."

    hi "Stressed over exams?"

    "Another shrug, but after a pause, Emi nods hesitantly."

    emi "Er, yeah, I guess."

    emi "Actually, that's why I stopped by."

    "She begins to look more and more miserable."

    "Not so you'd notice, of course."

    "But her eyes are on her lap, and she's fidgeting, and her voice is quiet."

    emi "We uh, we need to stop hanging out so much."

    hi "Huh? Why?"

    "Emi takes a deep breath, like she's been practicing this."

    emi "Because you're too much fun to be around."

    emi "And I can't concentrate when you're near me."

    emi "With exams coming up soon, I just… can't have that distraction."

    emi "Otherwise my grades will be pretty lousy, I'm afraid."

    hi "I could help you study…"

    "She smiles at me, clearly unhappy with the situation."

    emi "I'd love it if you could, but we wouldn't actually study, would we?"

    emi "I mean even now, I'm trying to have a conversation with you but I kinda just want to, uh…"

    emi "Not converse."

    hi "Ah."

    hi "Overwhelmed by my rugged manliness."

    hi "I understand."

    "That earns me a grin, at least."

    "Emi shakes her head."

    emi "Idiot.  You're full of yourself."

    hi "Well I {b}am{/b} pretty irresistible."

    emi "Er, more or less. I guess."

    emi "So that's the situation, Hisao."

    emi "I have too much fun around you, and if I'm going to go into exams prepared, I need to be alone."

    hi "Hey, that's okay."

    "It really seems to have been bothering her."

    "Besides, it's only a couple of weeks."

    "And we'll still see each other in the mornings, and at lunch."

    hi  "We can just hang out at school, no problem."

    hi "And after exams, we'll go on a date to celebrate their being over, okay?"

    "Emi grins, pleased by this proposal."

    emi "Yeah, sure!  That sounds great!"

    "As if to signal the end of the conversation, she leans in and kisses me."

    "The rest of the night is not spent worrying about exams."

    return

label en_E23:

    "It's weird how easily Emi and I can keep from seeing one another after class now."

    "Actually, I'd venture to say that it's vaguely disturbing."

    "As easily as we'd come together, we seem to have split apart without much trouble."

    "Well, I guess that's not exactly true."

    "We'd both been pretty bummed after that last night together."

    "And we get to see each other every morning for our runs (and just our runs, I might add)."

    "Lunch, too."

    "I especially enjoy lunchtime with her."

    "We have plenty of time to talk about everything outside of school, whereas the morning runs have become increasingly businesslike."

    "I think it's because Emi wants to make up for our dalliance in the storage shed."

    "But no matter how much we joke at lunch, I can't help but feel a little worried about her."

    "She seems distracted more often, and I've caught her fidgeting nervously more than once."

    "Never figured her to be someone who cared that deeply about exams, but they certainly seem to be taking their toll."

    "And we haven't even started the damn things yet!"

    "This is just the run up, the deep breath before the plunge!"

    "Tomorrow, the real trials begin."

    "Or the real exams, anyway."

    "As for me, I actually don't feel that worried about exams at all."

    "I'm not sure why."

    "I mean they're pretty important."

    "My scores here will determine my odds of getting into a good university."

    "Hell, if I'm too cavalier now, it could spell doom for my academic career."

    "But going into them, I feel confident that I'll come out the other side okay."

    "Mutou thinks I've got the science examination locked up, at any rate."

    "Or as he says, “The last thing that should give you trouble is my exam, Hisao.  It's way beneath your talents.”"

    "Then again, it is Mutou who's telling me this."

    "His praise of me carries with it the veiled implication that anything less than perfect from me would be a disappointment."

    "Which has actually caused me to fret more than I should about the exam."

    "It's for that reason that I find myself in the library after class, poring over the textbook."

    "Pretty simple things to look over; some formulae of velocity, a few bits about friction…"

    "A walk in the park compared to my dreaded English exam."

    "Never was good with languages…"

    "As I flip through my notes one more time, my mind starts to wander off."

    "After these exams are over, it's all downhill from here."

    "Soon we'll be graduated."

    "Off to college, or not."

    "I remember my abortive attempt to find out what Emi planned to do after high school."

    "Hmm.  She avoided the subject pretty deftly, as I recall."

    "Heck, it seems that just about every time I push too hard, she dances around the subject."

    "Or distracts me by…other means."

    "Like a few days ago at lunch, when Rin wasn't around…"

    "Heh."

    yu "I've done it!"

    "I'm startled from my reverie by Yuuko's triumphant shout."

    hi "Jesus!"

    "Yuuko seems mortified at my sudden starting."

    yu "Oh my god!"

    yu "I'm so sorry!  I just got—and I really wasn't—and it's just that—"

    "As she stutters, I move to quickly calm her down before she gets too agitated."

    hi "Woah, hey."

    "My words seem ineffective."

    "Yuuko continues to work herself into a complete frenzy."

    yu "And it's a {b}library{/b} and I shouldn't be—"

    hi "Easy there, just calm down."

    yu "And really I'm setting a bad example, and now I'll get fired because I can't do anything right—"

    hi "YUUKO!"

    "Shouting seems to work, though I draw the ire of several other students studying in the library."

    "Yuuko snaps to attention, like a soldier who's just heard the captain bark an order."

    yu "Sorry! Sorry!"

    hi "Calm down, it's okay."

    hi "You just startled me a little, and that's only because I was daydreaming instead of studying."

    hi "So really, you got me back on task."

    "This is a complete lie."

    "But it seems to work."

    "Yuuko takes a deep breath and seems to calm down a little."

    "Though she keeps shifting around with a nervous energy that seems awfully familiar."

    hi "So, what's got you so excited anyway?"

    yu "The Yamaku Cat Burglar!"

    "To her credit, Yuuko manages to convey her intense excitement in a whisper."

    yu "I think I know who it is!"

    yu "I got an anonymous tip as to their identity!"

    yu "So I did some spying, and I think the tipster was right!"

    hi "Oh really? And who was this er, burglar?"

    "Yuuko shuts her mouth, shaking her head decisively."

    yu "Nope, I can't tell you that."

    hi "Why not?"

    yu "It's between me and the burglar."

    yu "I can't risk you warning him that I'm on to his game."

    yu "He could tip his hand early, blow town."

    yu "Then I'm left with no perp."

    "When did Yuuko start talking like a hard-boiled detective?"

    hi "I wouldn't warn them!  Why would I care?"

    yu "If you've got to ask that question, then you don't need to know."

    hi "That doesn't make any sense, but okay."

    hi "Congratulations, I guess?"

    yu "Thanks!"

    yu "Uh, what for?"

    hi "The uh, cat burglar thing?"

    "Yuuko nods and smiles appreciatively."

    yu "So!  Studying for exams?"

    hi "Well, that was the plan."

    hi "I'm not having much luck, though."

    yu "Really?  Is it because you can't find a book?"

    yu "I'm really sorry!"

    yu "I've been meaning to clean the shelves up for weeks now, but I keep getting distracted!"

    yu "I'm so sorry!"

    hi "Woah, wait."

    hi "It's not that."

    hi "I've got my book right here."

    "To illustrate the point, and hopefully calm Yuuko down, I indicate the textbook in front of me."

    hi "My mind just keeps wandering, is all."

    yu "Is it because of the noise in here?"

    yu "I'm trying to be more strict about the noise levels, but I can't bring myself to yell at people…"

    yu "I mean aren't their lives hard enough without me throwing my authority around?"

    hi "No, it's not the noise level either, I promise."

    hi "I'm just…"

    "Hell, I don't know."

    "Worried about Emi."

    "Worried about {b}us{/b}."

    "Worried about what happens after we graduate."

    hi "Emi's been kind of weird, lately."

    yu "What do you mean?"

    hi "Well, you know how we're dating now?"

    yu "I'd heard.  I think."

    hi "I just don't know that we're actually, you know…"

    hi "A couple.  Or at least I don't know that we're beyond friends."

    "Though friends normally don't do the sorts of things we do."

    "Physically we're a couple."

    "Coupling, at least."

    hi "It's like every time I try to find out more about her, or about what she wants to do with her life, she dodges the question."

    hi "Like the other day, I was talking to her at lunch about some schools I've been looking into."

    hi "And I asked her, “Have you looked into any schools lately?”"

    hi "She shrugs in response, says no, and when I ask why not she says that she doesn't think that far ahead."

    hi "I asked why she had that policy, and she…"

    "Whoops."

    "I suddenly realize what I'm about to start describing, and wisely decide to clam up."

    yu "She what?"

    hi "Er, she changed the subject."

    hi "Wouldn't talk about it."

    yu "Maybe it's an uncomfortable subject for her?"

    yu "Or she just doesn't think it needs explaining."

    hi "Yeah, but it's not just that."

    hi "Every time I try to find out what's been bothering her, she changes the subject too."

    hi "It's like she likes being with me, but not getting close to me."

    "Now that I've said it out loud, I feel worse."

    "Yuuko digests this bit of information."

    yu "You know, it seems to me that you're more serious about this than she is."

    "I can almost feel my stomach twist into a knot."

    "She's right."

    "That's exactly what it seems like."

    hi "But is that really what's going on?"

    hi "I mean…"

    yu "Sorry!  I'm just talking nonsense!"

    yu "You shouldn't take my advice, you barely know me!"

    yu "I'm just the librarian, and I'm single so you know I can't know what I'm talking about!"

    hi "No, I think…"

    hi "I think you have a point."

    "As much as it hurts to even consider it."

    "Yuuko seems to try desperately to find a way to soften the blow somewhat."

    yu "Er, look."

    yu "I'm probably wrong, but if you want to be sure of how obviously wrong I am, maybe you should just talk to her?"

    yu "Get some time alone and just ask about it."

    yu "And don't let her change the subject, either!"

    hi "Yeah, maybe I should do that."

    "Or maybe I should just enjoy what I have."

    "We have fun hanging out, after all."

    "And the runs are nice, and the other activities are nice, and talking to her is nice…"

    "Do I really need to get closer to her?"

    "What I've got right now is pretty good."

    "But that's silly."

    "I {b}want{/b} to get closer to her."

    "I want to be able to help her out with whatever is bothering her."

    "But…maybe I should wait until after exams are over."

    "Maybe she'll brighten up once the stress has passed."

    "If she has, then I don't need to worry about it anymore."

    "But if she hasn't, well."

    "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."

    "I thank Yuuko for her advice and head back to my room."

    "Maybe I'll be able to concentrate more on my studies in there."

    return

label en_E24:

    "I exit my final exam and breathe a sigh of relief."

    "As I'd hoped, the exams weren't so bad."

    "I managed to breeze through just about everything but the English exam."

    "And even that was hardly terrible."

    "I wonder how Emi did."

    "How she's doing, more to the point."

    "She looked terrible at lunch today."

    "I mean, she was pretty happy to be out of her wheelchair."

    "But she was so exhausted."

    "Something's been wearing her down, and I'm starting to really doubt that it was just exams."

    "But should I confront her about this?"

    "My musing is interrupted by a tap on the shoulder."

    mu "Hey, Hisao."

    mu "Got a minute?"

    #choice time, kiddies!  Either a) Yeah, sure or b) Not really...

    #if a

    hi "Yeah, I've got some time."

    hi "Nowhere important to be or anything like that."

    "Mutou raises an eyebrow as if to question my statement, and then beckons me back into the classroom."

    mu "I wanted to get some feedback from you, if I could."

    mu "I know that this course wasn't quite up to your level…"

    hi "Don't worry about it."

    hi "The science club activities more than made up for it."

    mu "Hmm, did they?"

    mu "Well in fact, that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

    mu "Do you think that was a worthwhile activity?"

    mu "Just for my own reference."

    hi "Well yeah, it was a great way to go further than we did in class."

    hi "It was definitely worthwhile."

    "Mutou seems delighted by my response."

    mu "That's great!  Exactly the sort of thing I was hoping for."

    mu "You know, Hisao, I'm glad you came here."

    mu "It's always good to have a student who really gets into the subject you teach."

    mu "In a way, it makes the rest of the students more tolerable."

    mu "And you're a bright kid, Hisao."

    mu "You took to this stuff like a duck to water, or some other such simile."

    hi "Er, thanks."

    hi "You were a great help."

    hi "Especially with that college stuff."

    mu "There's one more thing, Hisao."

    mu "A bit of advice, from one scientist to another."

    hi "What's that?"

    mu "What does a scientist do?"

    hi "Observe the world around him."

    mu "Exactly. Good."

    mu "A simple question, but one that most people can't seem to answer. That's the essence of a scientist, Hisao."

    mu "We observe what's there, and try to figure it out."

    mu "But what if there's something you can't figure out?"

    mu "What's a scientist to do if he can't observe something?"

    mu "How, for example, can we talk about quarks when nobody has ever actually seen one? Or black holes when observing them directly is impossible?"

    hi "Well, scientific equipment's pretty advanced…"

    "Mutou irritably waves away my response."

    mu "No, that's not it at all."

    mu "Those are tools, I'm trying to give you a philosophy."

    mu "Think!  If you can't observe something directly, then how can you observe it?"

    hi "Uh, guess?"

    mu "How?  How would you guess the movement of a quark? What is your guess based on?"

    "Of course."

    "I should have thought of it earlier."

    hi "The things it affects."

    "Mutou claps his hands together excitedly and whoops."

    mu "Yes!  Exactly!  Good!"

    mu "Remember that, Hisao."

    mu "If you can't examine something directly, it's because you're looking at it wrong!"

    mu "You have to look at it differently if you want to uncover the truth."

    mu "And if it eludes you, then look at what it leaves behind."

    mu "That is the essence of being a scientist, Hisao."

    mu "We never stop looking for the answer."

    mu "Never take anything for granted."

    mu "Observe, experiment, and observe some more."

    mu "There's a lot of stuff out there that makes no sense, and your job, Hisao, is to get it to make sense."

    mu "If nothing else, I hope you've learned that here."

    hi "I think I can remember that."

    "Mutou smiles, satisfied."

    mu "Good.  Now go enjoy your time off."

    mu "You've earned it."

    "I leave the room feeling a little confused."

    "What brought that on?"

    "Although…"

    "Am I going about this Emi thing the wrong way?"

    "If she won't tell me, then can I go some other way?"

    #if b

    hi "Actually, I've got something I need to do…"

    mu "Yeah?  Oh well."

    mu "I wanted to get some feedback on the science club from you."

    mu "But we can do that later, I guess."

    mu "Enjoy your break, you hear?"

    hi "Thanks, I will."

    "I'd really love to chat with Mutou, but I've got other things on my mind."

    "Namely, what to do about Emi."

    "Can I really just confront her?"

    #end split

    "The question spins in my head as I make my way back to my room."

    "What if she gets angry about it?"

    "Besides, what if it's nothing?"

    "If I go in and refuse to leave until she tells me what's wrong or something, won't that come off as clingy?"

    "I don't want to start a fight or anything over something like this."

    "Maybe I should just drop the matter."

    "See how she is tomorrow before I do anything."

    "Would it be so bad to just let it go?"

    "It's not like we don't enjoy ourselves."

    "But odd as it sounds, I really want to… help her."

    "I don't even know what with, or if there's anything at all she needs help for."

    "But I want to."

    "A knock at my door rouses me and I open it to see Kenji."

    hi "Oh, it's you."

    ke "It's me?  That's it?"

    ke "If you had any idea what I'd been through, what I'd done, you'd be happier to see me, dude."

    ke "I mean that was some epic, you-may-never-see-me-again shit."

    ke "And here you're just acting like I went down to the store for some milk."

    ke "You're a cold man, Hisao."

    ke "I really respect that."

    hi "Uh, thanks, I guess."

    ke "It's smart to play it safe, you know."

    ke "Don't show any emotion."

    ke "Keep your cards close to your chest."

    ke "Unless it's time to show your cards, or you have bad cards."

    ke "Then you should fold or collect your winnings."

    ke "Do you understand?"

    "No Kenji, I don't.  I don't have a clue what you're talking about."

    "But if I say that, then you're going to keep talking."

    hi "Yeah, that makes perfect sense."

    hi "I take it the uh, mission went well?"

    ke "Woah, awfully nosy of you, isn't it man?"

    ke "You can't just go saying things like that!"

    ke "Things are at a delicate stage!"

    ke "One wrong move, and BAM!"

    ke "The invasion succeeds!"

    hi "I thought you were going to blow the conspiracy wide open?"

    ke "It's bigger than I thought, man."

    ke "I need to update my charts."

    ke "And probably change some of the puppets around."

    ke "You wanna help?"

    ke "I've got some whiskey from… somewhere."

    ke "You can fill me in on everything your investigation has turned up."

    hi "Er, better not."

    hi "I'm uh… supposed to meet her today."

    hi "Gotta go do that."

    hi "Can't raise suspicion."

    "Kenji nods in approval."

    ke "Still keeping it close to the chest, eh?"

    ke "Okay man, I respect that."

    ke "Good luck."

    hi "Er, thanks."

    "I'm just going to pretend, for the sake of my own sanity, that he's wishing me luck in talking to Emi."

    "And if I squint, that whole card analogy he was talking about works here."

    "Time to lay it all on the table."

    "Or see if I can't get Emi to do so, rather."

    "With a sense of something approaching purpose, I head for Emi's room."

    "I hop up the stairs leading to her room and knock on her door."

    emi "W-who's there?"

    "Huh.  That's odd."

    "Her voice sounds a little choked."

    hi "Hey, it's me."

    hi "Thought I'd stop by."

    emi "Hisao?"

    emi "Come on in!"

    "I reach down to open the door, only to find that it's locked."

    "More and more curious."

    hi "Er, your door's locked."

    emi "Oh yeah, sorry."

    emi "Gimmie a minute."

    "In a few minutes, Emi opens the door, grinning."

    emi "Sorry, I had to put my legs on."

    emi "I was napping."

    "Despite her grin, there's something definitely off."

    "Emi's eyes are slightly red, and it looks like she's been crying."

    hi "Hey, no problem."

    hi "Er, are you okay?"

    emi "Huh?  Yeah, I'm fine!"

    hi "It's just that you look like you've been crying…"

    "Oh yeah, Hisao. You're off to a great start on this one."

    emi "What? Nah, I'm fine."

    emi "I'm just happy to see you."

    "She punctuates this with a long kiss that continues as the door slams shut behind us."

    "I know what she wants to do now, and I'm also painfully aware of how badly I want to do it too, but…"

    "I break the kiss with a wrench of self control that nearly kills me."

    hi "Hey, wait."

    "Emi's eyes crinkle in confusion."

    emi "Huh? Do what?"

    hi "We need to talk."

    emi "Isn't that supposed to be my line?"

    emi "And never a good thing to say?"

    "She's got a point."

    "It's usually the lead-in to a breakup."

    "The prelude to a fight."

    "The moment the V-2 with the guy strapped inside starts its engine."

    "…"

    "Okay, that one got away from me."

    hi "Maybe it can be a good thing this time."

    hi "Er, that's the hope, anyway."

    emi "Uh… huh."

    emi "Can we at least get into bed?"

    emi "It's my first day back on these things, and I'm still readjusting."

    emi "Plus the nurse said I should try to be on them less often."

    emi "Since running puts such a strain on them."

    hi "Can't argue with that."

    "It's a trap, and we both know it, and we both don't care."

    "Then again, it's awfully hard to get angry whilst in bed with the object of your affections."

    "So maybe there's that motivation too."

    "I set Emi's legs by the bedside and lay down next to her, throwing an arm around her shoulders."

    "She immediately turns to throw an arm across my chest, and for a few minutes we just enjoy being able to be in this position again."

    "Then, of course, I go and ruin it by opening my mouth."

    hi "Look, I know that… that you've been having kind of a rough time of it lately."

    hi "And I want to help you out."

    hi "I thought it was just exams getting to you, but now I come to your room and you've been crying, and that kills me."

    hi "But I can't do anything if you won't talk to me about it."

    emi "I told you, I'm fine."

    hi "No, you aren't."

    hi "Something's eating at you, I can tell."

    hi "You can tell me, you know."

    "There's the slightest increase in tension in Emi's voice."

    emi "Why is my saying I'm fine not good enough?"

    emi "You're concerned, I get that."

    emi "That's cool."

    emi "But I'm fine, and it's nothing that you need to worry about."

    hi "Not sleeping and spacing out more than Rin doesn't strike me as “being fine.”"

    hi "I just… I want to help."

    emi "Uh huh."

    hi "Yeah, I don't like seeing you like this."

    hi "I want you to be happy, you know?"

    "I get the feeling that came out wrong, because Emi fixes me with an icy stare."

    emi "So you want to fix me, Hisao?"

    "She's definitely getting angry now."

    emi "Wanna swoop in on your white charger and save the day?"

    emi "Stop the nightmares, the phantom limb pains?"

    emi "Restore what's lost?"

    "Her voice catches in her throat, and the tears start to flow."

    emi "Well you {b}can't{/b}."

    emi "Nobody can."

    emi "Nobody will."

    "I'm so stunned by her sudden verbal assault that I remain quiet."

    "Neither of us says anything for a while."

    "I'm surprised that Emi tightens her grip on me rather than pushing me away."

    "After a deep breath, she starts talking again."

    emi "Look, I'm sorry."

    emi "I just… there's these nightmares."

    emi "About the accident."
    #There's a remark in E7 concerning the type and amount of info Hisao has. Look at that scene too. Make sure stuff works out. Right now, I'd probably add a few lines to the tune of:
    #"Finally, here it comes."
    #"The accident. The things that took her legs."
    #"The beast she had to contend with." etc. etc. -SC

    emi "And I usually deal with them fine, because I can run."

    emi "And running clears my head like nothing else."

    emi "I don't have to worry about anything while I'm running."

    emi "Just concentrate on breathing, on the rhythm of things."

    emi "It's easier that way."

    emi "Life's easier that way."

    emi "Just keep moving forwards, you know?"

    emi "Nothing else matters, just getting around the next curve."

    emi "And then it's the next curve, and the next, and the next."

    emi "Until I can't go any more, or think anymore, or do anything but slow down and walk until I catch my breath again."

    emi "After something like that, nothing else matters."

    emi "But I've been stuck in that goddamned wheelchair for too long."

    emi "So no outlet."

    emi "Today it just kinda boiled over a little."

    hi "You could have talked to me about it, you know."

    hi "You didn't have to go it alone."

    "Emi smiles sadly, like she's trying to explain to a child that all fires burn."

    emi "Yeah, I did."

    emi "And I do."

    hi "But why?"

    hi "Why do you have to keep going it alone?"

    hi "Why can't you just trust me enough to let me help you?"

    "That smile again."

    "Emi leans in and kisses me on my cheek, an almost motherly gesture."

    "She leaves her mouth close to my ear, as she confesses this one thing to me."

    emi "Because, Hisao."

    emi "I've already had everything I knew ripped away from me once."

    emi "I don't know what I'd do if it happened again."

    "She pauses, as if uncertain as to whether or not she should continue."

    "I can feel a sick churning in my gut."

    "She continues."

    emi "So I can't rely on you."

    emi "Or the nurse."

    emi "Or anyone else."

    emi "Just me."

    emi "That's how it's got to be."

    "Having delivered this short speech, she rolls away from me, and throws one of her arms over her eyes."

    "The conversation is clearly over."

    "I search for something to say, but can't think of anything."

    hi "I…"

    hi "Maybe I should go, for now."

    hi "I've got…stuff."

    "Emi doesn't even take her arm off her eyes."

    "She sounds tired, or relieved."

    "I can't tell which."

    emi "Okay, Hisao."

    emi "Go take care of that stuff."

    emi "I'll see you tomorrow."

    "I get out of bed and head for the door, pausing at the doorway."

    hi "Hey, Emi…"

    emi "Yeah?"

    "A thousand things I want to say."

    "But I'm too mixed up to say any of them."

    "In admitting that she'll never let me close, I feel like {b}my{/b} world's just been ripped out from me."

    "What happened in that accident?"

    "I know she lost her legs, but that's never seemed to bother her."

    "What happened there?"

    "What scares a girl so badly that she won't accept help?"

    "Not even from someone she loves?"

    "I don't know."

    "But I want to know."

    "I want to know so badly that being denied that answer feels like a knife in my guts."

    emi "Hisao?"

    emi "You were saying?"

    "I'm still standing in the doorway."

    hi "…Nothing."

    hi "Nevermind."

    "And I'm closing the door."

    "And walking down the hallway."

    "Down the stairs."

    "Out the door."

    "Into the dark."

    return

label en_e25:

    "The morning comes too soon, on the heels of a sleepless night."

    "My god, is this how Emi's been spending her nights?"

    "Staring at the wall, or ceiling."

    "Trying to stop thinking about whatever it is."

    "Her, in my case."

    "That clenched feeling in my gut is still there."

    "“I can't rely on you.”"

    "Words spoken so casually."

    "Almost like she were teasing me."

    "Or chastising me for suggesting the earth were flat."

    "“That's how it's got to be,” huh?"

    "The way it's got to be sucks."

    "I'm feeling so miserable that I very nearly decide to skip the run."

    "But that would be stupid."

    "It's not something I should do just to see her."

    "I mean, it was originally."

    "But it's something more now."

    "I've started to enjoy the running itself."

    "There are worse ways to get the blood flowing."

    "Never thought I'd say it after that first week or so, but-"

    "I feel a lot better after a run."

    "Like no matter what else I do today, I've at least done that one thing."

    "Wakes me up, too."

    "And she herself said that running always clears her mind."

    "Maybe it'll help clear mine."

    "I hope so."

    "The morning is cool and clear, if a bit humid."

    "Summer's making itself known, it seems."

    "Emi's already stretching out when I arrive, and greets me with a smile and a wave."

    emi "Hey, Hisao!"

    "The sight of her so chipper Is like a kick in the nuts."

    "How can she be so happy after yesterday?"

    "I give a half wave and am surprised to receive a hug."

    emi "Hey, about last night."

    "Here it comes."

    emi "I wanted to say thanks."

    emi "I actually managed to get some sleep for the first time in a while."

    emi "And I think it's because of our talk."

    emi "So thanks."

    "Wait, what?"

    "How could she sleep better after our chat?"

    "She basically told me that she wouldn't get any closer to me."

    "And that let her sleep well?"

    "I don't mean to be crude, but what the fuck?"

    "Emi either doesn't notice my bafflement or chooses not to notice."

    "No telling with her anymore."

    hi "Oh, no problem."

    hi "Glad it helped."

    "The venom that threatens to drip into my voice is controlled, for now."

    "But I think I'd better start running now, before I do anything stupid."

    "Emi seems equally willing to get started, and before long we're darting around the track."

    "I can tell she feels more relaxed."

    "Her running has gone back to the more graceful movements I remember from first watching her."

    "It's a stark contrast to the almost brutal way she's been hurling herself around the track these past few days."

    "Our talk really does seem to have helped her."

    "A pity it couldn't help me."

    "Man, remember when I used to be so out of shape that even thinking was hard?"

    "Guess those days are gone."

    "At least for the first couple of laps."

    "Annoyed at the lack of success I'm having with clearing my head, I increase the pace."

    "Ah, there's the burning sensation in my legs."

    "The breaths coming ragged in my chest, the pounding of my heart.  Which I still need to be careful about."

    "But it does seem to have gotten stronger; I can feel it pumping blood through my veins."

    "The sound thrums in my ears, but instead of being panicked as I was that day in the snow, I'm instead filled with elation."

    "Yes, it's working! My heart, that fatal flaw that landed me here, has improved."

    "I'm able to keep going now, and maybe one day I'll be able to stop worrying as much."

    "Right now, it doesn't matter that I have no idea what to do about Emi and I."

    "All that matters is that my arms and legs continue to pump in concert with one another."

    "Nothing else."

    "As I hit the final stretch, it seems like Emi wasn't lying. Running really does help, though not as much as I'd hope."

    "I do feel better, and as I walk a few laps to cool down I begin to see last night in a slightly less emotional light."

    "Emi wants me to stay distant from her."

    "I can't bring myself to do so."

    "There's got to be a way around this, some kind of middle ground I can reach."

    "Not sure what that middle ground is, though."

    "Damn. And here I was almost feeling optimistic."

    emi "Nice run, Hisao!"

    emi "You've really improved!"

    "Hmph. Nice run. That's all I can hope for now, isn't it?"

    "Congratulations, Hisao.  You're pathetic."

    "I gotta change my attitude."

    hi "Well, you know.  I am pretty awesome."

    "And yet I just keep saying things that I don't mean."

    "Any second now I'll be as good at hiding my problems as Emi is."

    emi "I like to think so."

    "Why does she do this to me?  Say something like that with such real affection in her voice that it makes my heart leap?"

    "She doesn't mean it."

    "She can't."

    "I must be doing a worse job than I thought, because Emi peers closely at me."

    emi "Hey, you feeling okay?"

    emi "Maybe we should get to the nurse, huh?"

    hi "Yeah, I'd hate to keel over on you."

    "Emi looks a little shocked at my bitter tone."

    emi "Don't say things like that!"

    emi "You've already done it once before, you know."

    "Why does she act so affectionate?"

    "She doesn't really care, I thought she made that clear."

    "But despite all of that I find myself apologizing, even though I shouldn't have to.  Even though she's probably just putting on an act."

    hi "Sorry, heh."

    hi "Come on, let's see the nurse."

    "I can't get myself to calm down the whole time."

    "Every time it feels like I've gotten over what happened last night, Emi does something or says something that shows affection and I'm back to the beginning."

    "That image of her throwing an arm over her eyes to end the conversation haunts me."

    "It was like the final twist of the knife that left me feeling bereft of any hope that Emi and I could be more than what we are."

    "And what are we at this point?  Little more than friends who happen to fuck."

    "Woah, getting a little crass there, Hisao. Tone it down, it might not be as bad as you think."

    "And really it's not like you don't enjoy the time you spend with her. Said so yourself the other day."

    "You very nearly didn't even bring anything up with her, just were gonna hop on in there and let it ride, weren't you?"

    "With this running through my head, I find myself in the nurse's office still brooding as he checks out Emi."

    "Emi comes bounding out of the door, gives me a kiss, and darts off to shower, I assume."

    "Meanwhile, the nurse beckons me into his office to give me the ritual once-over."

    nk "Any problems today?"

    hi "Nah. I even pushed it a little harder today than I have in the past and I seemed able to handle it."

    nk "That's uncharacteristically risky coming from you, Hisao."

    nk "You've been hanging out with Emi too much. She's rubbed off on you, and not necessarily in a good way."

    "At the mention of Emi's name, I can't help but frown unhappily in spite of my efforts at control."

    "The nurse raises an eyebrow."

    nk "Well, now.  This is new, don't you think?"

    nk "Last I checked, your usual response to Emi's name was a grin, not a frown."

    nk "What exactly happened between you two? Because Emi doesn't seem to be in on it, whatever it is."

    nk "She looked more relaxed than I've seen her in weeks, which is unusual for this time of year."

    hi "What do you mean by that?"

    nk "By what?"

    hi "“For this time of year.” I keep trying to find out what's been bothering her, but she clams as soon as I broach the subject."

    hi "Then last night, she said—"

    #Aw baby don't feel so down, something something something FUCK YOU I LIKE THE STROKES

    nk "Let me guess. She won't tell you, because she says she can't trust you?"

    nk "And now you're crushed, because you thought that the two of you were so much more than she seems to think, right?"

    hi "Er, more or less."

    hi "How did you know?"

    nk "Hisao, I'm the nurse."

    nk "It's my job to know these things."

    nk "Plus I've known Emi for long enough to know that she'd try to do something like this."

    nk "It's just like her."

    "He says this in the sort of half-affectionate, half-frustrated tone that would seem more appropriate if he had a cigarette dangling from his lips."

    "As it is, he seems willing to make do with a pen."

    nk "Look, you mind if I give you some advice?"

    #If you talked to Mutou, then you get to choose between a) Sure, why not? or b) Don't worry, I can handle it.  If you didn't talk to Mutou, default to choice b.

    #If A

    "What was it Mutou said yesterday?"

    "If you can't observe the thing, then observe what's around it?"

    "Worth a shot."

    "The nurse knows Emi better than I do, I'll wager."

    hi "Sure, I'm open to suggestions."

    hi "Honestly, I'm kind of lost."

    hi "I've got no idea how to deal with this."

    nk "I never would have guessed."

    "He grins while he says this. I think he's kidding."

    nk "Look, here's the deal: Emi is…stubborn. You should know that by now, and if you don't know that by now then you're pretty unobservant."

    nk "But I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt, here."

    hi "I'm so grateful."

    nk "Anyway, if she's decided that she doesn't want to talk about what happened, then she's not going to talk about what's happened."

    nk "Has she said anything about what's been bothering her?  Even a hint?"

    hi "Well, she did say she'd been having nightmares about the accident…"

    nk "Really?  You're making progress, then.  That's good."

    nk "Well, I guess I can fill you in on this without violating my strict non-interference policy when it comes to Emi making stupid decisions."

    nk "The accident's anniversary is soon."

    nk "She gets depressed around this time, because it was a pretty traumatic event, considering what she lost."

    hi "That's the other thing.  She acted like she lost more than just her legs.  What happened?"

    nk "Whoop!  Nope, not going there.  You'll have to ask someone else about that, because that's a whole can of worms I'm not about to open."

    nk "If Emi wants you to know, she'll tell you in her own time."

    nk "You've just got to be patient, that's all."

    hi "Why are you even helping me with all this?"

    nk "Because you're good for her. She trusts you, even if you don't think she does."

    nk "And you've got the best chance out of anyone at this school right now to help her through the anniversary."

    nk "She won't accept my help."

    nk "But she might accept yours if you don't screw it up."

    nk "So don't screw it up, got it?"

    #if b

    "Advice? About what? I don't think there's anything I can actually do about this."

    hi "Not really. I don't think there's anything you can say that'll help."

    nk "You never know, Hisao."

    hi "No, I think I've got a pretty good idea."

    hi "Emi's just being stubborn about some things, and it's bothering me, but I'll get over it."

    hi "Don't worry about us."

    "The nurse doesn't seem to believe me, but shrugs."

    nk "Have it your way, kiddo."

    #end split

    "I open my mouth to respond but a knocking sound at the door interrupts me."

    emi "Hey, you guys still in there?"

    nk "Just shagging your boyfriend, Emi."

    nk "Give us a second to get our pants back on."

    "The door bursts open and Emi glares knives at the nurse."

    emi "Asshole."

    nk "Didn't mean to get your hopes up."

    hi "Hey, can we…leave me out of this?"

    hi "Anyway, what's up Emi?  Forget something?"

    "I try to take a more cheerful tone with her."

    "No need to upset her. Two can play the “everything's fine” game."

    emi "Actually, I forgot to ask you something."

    hi "Oh?  What's that?"

    emi "Do you wanna come with me on a trip to my house?"

    emi "My mom's making dinner, and I thought you might want to join us."

    nk "Well of course I accept."

    "Emi punches the nurse in the arm playfully."

    emi "Not you, idiot."

    emi "You were over last week."

    emi "I was talking to Hisao."

    nk "Oh?  How interesting!  Meeting the parent!"

    hi "I'd love to go, thanks Emi."

    "The nurse raises an eyebrow, but says nothing."

    emi "Great!  I'll be in my room, swing by after you shower and change into something clean and we'll grab the bus!"

    hi "Sounds good.  I'll see you in a bit!"

    "This time it's me who leans in for a quick kiss before darting off to my room."

    "What an interesting development."

    "Maybe we're getting closer after all."

    "Maybe Emi's finally ready to open up a little."

    "Or maybe she's just being polite, and a free meal seems like a good way to apologize for last night."

    "Great.  Now I can't decide whether to be excited, nervous, or depressed."

    "I settle for a combination of all three and hop in the shower."

    return

label en_E26:

    "I don't think I like riding on buses."

    "In fact, I think I'm pretty comfortable saying that as a fact."

    "They sway a lot, and they smell funny, and you can feel every bump in the road."

    "Plus Emi's legs keep making a clanking noise that draws the attention of everyone else on the bus."

    "She's wearing a pair of long pants again, and her regular legs, so you can't tell that she's missing anything at all."

    "But that doesn't stop the odd look or two every time her foot hits the ground with an audible clunk."

    "I shift nervously in my seat and Emi raises an eyebrow questioningly."

    "She doesn't seem to mind the stares; either that or she doesn't even notice that people are staring."

    "I'm sure she's gotten her fill of odd looks before. After a certain amount of time, I doubt she notices anymore."

    "Not that she'd ever tell me if I asked."

    "Another fact is, I'm not just uncomfortable about the bus."

    "I can not seem to come to terms with the fact that Emi appears to be trying to bring me closer while at the same time pushing me away."

    #if you picked A in e25

    "The nurse said she trusts me, even if it doesn't look like it."

    "But I'm not sure I can trust the nurse."

    "He's protective of Emi, just like I'm protective of Emi. And I'd be likely to say something to make her look good if someone asked me about her."

    "So he might just be doing that."

    "Still, there was something about the way he seemed genuinely surprised that Emi invited me along…"

    "Maybe last night's talk helped more than I think. But I'm still worried."

    #Meanwhile back on the stuff everyone else sees....

    "Meeting the parents is a big deal, right?"

    "Not that I haven't already met Emi's mother, but that was as just an acquaintance."

    "Now it's going to be as Emi's boyfriend. With everything that implies."

    "I can feel my heart pounding in my chest, an echo of that snow-covered afternoon that feels like it was so long ago that it might as well be another life entirely."

    "Except then, I didn't know what was going on. Didn't have medication to help prevent things spiraling out of control, either."

    "I've come a long way in terms of my physical health, and for the second time today I feel like I'll be able to live normally now."

    "Or whatever passes for normal, anyway. Now if only I could manage my relationship as well as I've managed my heart, I'd be in great shape."

    emi "We're here."

    hi "Huh?"

    emi "I said we're here."

    "Emi grabs my hand and we hop off the bus. Emi starts heading down the street almost immediately."

    emi "Come on, we've got a couple blocks until my place."

    hi "What? Oh, okay."

    "I follow Emi down the street, watching her confident stride."

    "She's setting kind of a quick pace for just a walk. I guess she's anxious to get there."

    hi "So does your mom do this sort of thing often?"

    emi "Nah, not too frequently. Mom's never been much for playing hostess."

    hi "Oh yeah?"

    emi "Yeah, my dad was always the one pushing her to have people over."

    "This sudden and unprompted reference to her father catches me off guard."

    "And from the look on Emi's face, I'm not sure she meant to mention him. I don't think I've ever heard her talk about him."

    "All I remember is that Emi's mom told me that he wasn't around anymore."

    hi "Oh? Your mom prefers solitude?"

    "Emi laughs, then. It's either from relief that I didn't ask about her father or from finding my statement actually funny."

    emi "Not at all! She's why I'm such an outgoing person, you know."

    emi "She just prefers to be a guest rather than a hostess. Less stressful that way, or so she says."

    hi "Clearly she's never had to meet her girlfriend's mother for dinner."

    "Emi giggles again, and speaks in a teasing tone."

    emi "Nervous, Hisao?"

    emi "You shouldn't be, you know! It's not that big of a deal! Just dinner at my house, that's all!"

    hi "Yeah, but have you ever brought home a boyfriend before?"

    "I confess that part of me dreads hearing the answer to this."

    "I know very little of Emi's past relationships—I don't even know if there {b}were{/b} past relationships."

    emi "No, I guess I haven't."

    "She frowns worriedly."

    emi "Hey, maybe this really is kind of a big deal after all…"

    hi "Oh good, now I feel twice as nervous."

    "Though to tell the truth I'm pretty happy to hear that I'm the first one."

    "Maybe we've got something special after all."

    "Bolstered by this new thought, I've managed to calm down considerably by the time Emi knocks on her front door."

    emi "Hey, open up mom! We're here!"

    "The door swings open and Mrs. Ibarazaki stands grinning at her daughter. The grin is still surprisingly similar to her daughter's."

    "I'm never going to get used to that."

    emm "You know, people normally wait for a few minutes before they start shouting at the door."

    emi "And most mothers say hello to their daughters instead of scolding them right away."

    emm "Ah, of course. Welcome home, dear, I've missed you."

    "An affectionate hug later we're inside the door, and it is only then that Emi's mom seems to remember that I'm here at all."

    emm "And hello to you too, Hisao. How are you?"

    hi "I'm quite well, thank you. Nice to not have school to worry about for a little bit."

    emm "Ah yes, you've finished up your exams, haven't you? That must be quite a relief for you both."

    hi "It's certainly a weight off of my mind, that's for sure."

    emi "Mine too!  I think I slept well for the first time in weeks last night from relief alone."

    "If this news is a surprise to Emi's mother, she doesn't show it. Still, her response betrays a note of interest."

    emm "Is that so?  I'm very glad to hear that, Emi. You know I get worried when you get all wound up about… well, exams."

    "Hmm. Certainly Emi's mother knows something I don't—or rather, she doesn't know that Emi's told me about the nightmares."

    "It's interesting, being able to observe how Mrs. Ibarazaki covers for Emi. That protective instinct to make sure that I don't know any more than Emi's willing to tell me."

    #once again, see this only if you talked to Mutou

    "I suppose Emi's got more in common with quarks than I ever realized."

    "Moves around fast, impossible to understand through direct observation, yet she has an effect on everyone she encounters."

    #okay back to everything else

    "I wonder if Emi will indicate that I know about the nightmares. Or does she just keep everything secret from everybody?"

    emi "Yeah, it's not been as bad this year as it usually was. Hisao's helped to keep me focused."

    "Okay, I know that's not true. She even cut off contact outside of school hours during exam week!"

    "But… she did see me during the day. And she told me more than once that the morning run was the only thing she looked forward to during exams, so maybe it's not that unlikely."

    "Either way, to hear that being around has helped even a little makes me feel a bit better."

    "Emi's mother raises an eyebrow at this statement. Either she doesn't believe Emi, or she's as surprised as I am by her statement."

    emm "Well, then it appears that it's a good thing you two have become so close."

    emm "I'd tell you to take good care of my daughter, Hisao, but it looks like you're already doing that."

    "Emi grins at this and seems to take pride in my having managed to ingratiate myself with her mother so easily."

    hi "Actually, I'd say your daughter's been the one taking care of me. She's gotten me out and running."

    hi "I've probably been more active since meeting her than I ever was, even before…"

    "I'd actually never thought of that much before. Nor had I ever appreciated the humor in it."

    "I wasn't too active before the heart attack. Pickup games of soccer don't count; it's not like I did them often."

    "So now that I know for sure that I have a weak heart, {b}now{/b} I run every day, pushing my luck with the help of my medication."

    "I chuckle quietly, then realize that I never finished my sentence."

    hi "Well, before I had my heart attack and wound up at school here."

    "It comes out so casually. There was a time that I would have thought twice about talking about what was wrong with me at all."

    "But now? Now it just seems silly to care. Especially in the company of Emi and her mother."

    "If Emi can be cavalier about her disability, then so can I. I think back to the track meet, where Emi declared herself the fastest thing on no legs."

    "The fact of her obvious loss has never seemed to bother her, at least not in public."

    "Being stuck in the wheelchair had frustrated her, I know, but even that was something she'd dealt with on her own."

    "Despite my efforts to the contrary."

    emm "Emi has a way of bringing out the more active side in people. I've never quite figured out how she does it."

    "Those puppy dog eyes she gets, for starters."

    emm "I'm not surprised that she managed to rope you in to an exercise routine."

    emm "If Rin weren't just as stubborn as she is, I'm sure that Emi would have gotten her out and running with you too."

    emi "Oh, that reminds me!  Rin says hello."

    "I drift to the outer edges of the conversation again as we move into the dining room to eat."

    "It smells delicious in here, and the spread that Emi's mom has produced is impressive."

    emi "Woah, you've made enough to feed an army in here!"

    emm "Is it too much? Well, you can always take some leftovers with you when you go."

    hi "That sounds great! I can only handle cafeteria food for so long. Something home-cooked would be a welcome change of pace."

    emi "What he said. Thanks, mom."

    "The food tastes as good as it smells, and there's a lull in the conversation while we all dig in."

    "Emi assaults her plate with the usual amount of gusto, and I will admit that I set a pretty fast pace myself."

    emm "So Hisao, I hear that you and my daughter here have gotten rather close, hmm?"

    "The urge to say something like “Not really” is so strong that I open my mouth to say it, but then reassert control."

    "We are close, there's no getting around it. I mean Emi's brought me here, hasn't she?"

    "Fortunately, both Emi and her mother seem to take my reaction as a sign that I'm caught off guard rather than considering saying something cruel."

    hi "Heh, I suppose we have. I blame the morning runs, myself."

    emi "You make it sound like a bad thing, Hisao."

    emm "Well I for one found it a relief."

    hi "Why's that?"

    emm "Emi's always been a popular girl, but never made many close friends.  Especially not with a boy."

    "This is a bit of news to me. I've always seen Emi chatting with her classmates in the hallways."

    "And certainly the whole track team seems to love her, but it is true that she chooses to isolate herself during lunch with Rin and I."

    "Not exactly the sort of behavior one expects from a popular girl, after all. Then again, I've experienced her unwillingness to get close first-hand, so I can't say I'm that surprised."

    emm "I was beginning to have my doubts."

    "Emi rolls her eyes to the ceiling, and grumbles something I can't quite make out."

    #emi "Oh sure, that one time in the art room and she gets doubts…"

    hi "Huh?"

    emi "What?"

    hi "What's that you just said?"

    emi "Nothing."

    "Was she joking just now? From the grin on her face, I'm inclined to say she was."

    "Mrs. Ibarazaki certainly seems to think so, as she chokes on her drink with laughter."

    emm "You've been hanging out with the nurse too long, Emi."

    emm "I'm going to have to talk to him about corrupting my daughter."

    hi "Somehow I don't think that would be very effective."

    emi "I learned most of it from you anyway. Not the nurse."

    emm "Don't listen to her, Hisao. She's a born liar."

    emi "Hmph. Yeah right."

    hi "Oh, I don't know Emi, I think your mother has a point."

    emi "What? You traitor! You're supposed to take my side in this!"

    hi "Yeah, but you did lie about your leg after the meet—ow!"

    "A kick in the shins from an unmistakably plastic foot cuts me off, but not before Mrs. Ibarazaki's eyebrows shoot upwards."

    emm "What about your leg?"

    emi "It wasn't a big deal, that's all… I just was, er, inawheelchairforabit."

    "The last few mumbled words are quickly deciphered (I suspect Emi's mother has experience with this sort of thing) and a worried frown appears on her face."

    #As a slight directing note, I would imagine Emi shifting around uncomfortably a lot for the entirety of this exchange, right up to her sudden outburst.

    emm "Oh Emi… I know how much you hate being in a wheelchair."

    emm "No wonder you've been in such a mood lately!"

    hi "Yeah, she's much happier on her feet, so to speak."

    emm "Well of course! She spent enough time in a chair just after the accident."

    hi "She didn't get prosthetics immediately?"

    emm "No, she had to finish healing up before they'd let her start the sort of therapy you've got to go through to adjust to those things."

    emm "Especially since she wanted to run on them."

    hi "I had no idea."

    #this would be the outburst.

    emi "Yeah it sucked. Oh, did you see Rin's mural at the festival?"

    "Emi's sudden change of topic makes me realize belatedly that she'd been fidgeting the whole time her mother and I had been talking."

    "I should have figured on her being a little skittish when it comes to talking about the accident. Even around her mother."

    emm "No, I didn't make it out to the festival, remember?"

    emm "Although I caught a glimpse of it at your track meet. It seemed pretty weird to me."

    emi "I think that's more or less what she was going for. She talked a lot about it being dreamlike. Or trying to make it dreamlike."

    emm "Rin's art is one of those things I don't think I'll ever understand."

    emi "That's not suprising. I don't think Rin expects to be understood."

    emi "She told me once that art allows people to understand stuff they wouldn't understand otherwise, but all the same she doesn't think it actually works that way."

    "I'm actually surprised that Emi's talked about this with Rin extensively enough to actually have Rin's opinion, such as it is."

    "But I probably expect that Rin could not, if she were so inclined, do the same thing to Emi."

    "Unless, of course, Emi is only keeping me in the dark about everything. Which is likely, but unpleasant to think about."

    "I drift down this unpleasant train of thought for a while, losing track of the conversation."

    emm "Hey Emi, I've been meaning to ask…"

    emi "Huh?"

    emm "Are you going to visit your father this year?"

    "From the way she says it, you'd think Emi's mother was talking about the weather. From the way Emi reacts, it's clearly not the weather they're talking about."

    "She flinches, a slight jerk of the head backwards as if she's just been slapped in the face."

    emi "Can we talk about this later?"

    "Her voice sounds brittle, strained.  It looks as if she's been severely shaken by the question."

    "It seems that Mrs. Ibarazaki misjudged just how close Emi and I are."

    "Some things, it seems, are best not conversed about with me around. Her father is one of these things."

    "The accident that took her legs is probably another one of those things, if her reaction to the earlier conversation between her mother and myself is any indication."

    "It doesn't take Emi's mother long to realize she's screwed up."

    emm "Of course we can, dear. I'm sorry to bring it up, I just wanted to ask again so I could make plans—"

    emi "It's fine. Don't worry about it."

    "Emi fidgets nervously, as if embarrassed by her own reaction. I confess that her reaction is confusing."

    "She only just mentioned her father to me earlier today! Less than a few hours ago, even!"

    "Why does a simple question about when she'll visit her father cause such a strong reaction?"

    "Unless whatever serenity she claimed to have reached by means of our talk the previous evening has suddenly evaporated."

    "Or it didn't help as much as she thought. Or claimed."

    emi "I'll uh, be right back. Gotta visit the little girl's room."

    "Emi gets up suddenly and leaves the table, leaving me and Mrs. Ibarazaki alone."

    "I'm a little conflicted. Should I go after her, or should I stay here?"

    "It's obvious that Emi's departure was not based on the call of nature. Something's bothering her, and I have to know what it is."

    #choice time, kiddies.  Well, assuming you talked to Mutou.  If you didn't you'll default to 1) Go after her! and not 2) Talk to Emi's mom
    #It's a little early to say, but it's starting to look like nearly all the path hinges on having picked the right choice with Mutou. Given that it is the first one, or one of the first, that's dangerous. -SC

    #if you go after her

    "The only way to find out is to go to the source. And the source is currently pretending that she has to use the toilet."

    "I excuse myself politely from the table and head upstairs."

    "Emi's left the bathroom door open, and as I approach I can see that she's staring in the mirror in an attempt to compose herself, an effort that fails as soon as I open my mouth."

    hi "Doesn't look like nature's call was that urgent."

    "Emi jumps and glares at me."

    emi "What are you doing up here? I didn't come up here to be with other people."

    hi "I just wanted to help you. You looked pretty rattled down there."

    emi "I said it was nothing, didn't I? And besides, I thought we'd established that you can't help me."

    hi "No, we've established that you're stubborn."

    emi "Look who's talking. The guy who followed me into the bathroom."

    hi "This is different! I want to help you with…whatever this is."

    emi "Funny, because {b}I{/b} just want you to leave me alone."

    hi "But why? Why can't you just trust me?"

    emi "We've been over this already, Hisao. I've got to deal with this stuff on my own."

    hi "I won't accept that! You need my help, you just won't take it!"

    "My wording seems to have been a little off."

    emi "Need? I {b}need{/b} your help?"

    emi "Well, it's a good thing we met, isn't it? Because otherwise I guess I'd just be a broken human being, wouldn't I?"

    emi "No, it's a damn good thing that Hisao came along to save the day, isn't it? Because God knows I can't save myself, can I?"

    emi "I'm just the poor, emotionally damaged girl with no legs, right?"

    hi "Emi, you know I don't think that—"

    emi "Really? Because if you thought differently then I don't think you'd be up here saying I need your help."

    emi "I've gotten pretty far in life as a normal human being without you."

    hi "So what, nothing we've shared was important? I'm just the guy who hangs out with you?"

    emi "You're my boyfriend, Hisao, not my savior."

    hi "Well no, that much is obvious. You won't even consider that I could be a help to you, will you?"

    hi "You'll just bottle it all up and hope that a run will solve your problems. Or you'll come visit me and we'll fool around until you feel better."

    hi "That's not being a normal human being, Emi. That's not what a relationship means."

    emi "Well it's what it means to me right now, Hisao."

    emi "I wish—"

    "She seems to reconsider her words just then. A flicker of pain, of doubt on her face. For a moment I think she's about to cry."

    "But the moment passes, and now she's composed herself again. Whatever that wish was will have to go unspoken."

    emi "Look, I just… I can't do this right now."

    hi "What, have a serious conversation? Be open? Be honest? Give a damn about anyone but yourself and your problems?"

    emi "What do you know about my problems? Nothing! You don't know what I've been through, so don't pretend that you do."

    hi "I know you have nightmares. And I know your father's dead. What happened to him?"

    "Emi's head jerks backwards as if I've just slapped her. That brittle quality has gotten back into her voice."

    emi "That's enough."

    "This is stupid. This whole conversation has just been variations on Emi stonewalling me."

    hi "What, you won't even answer that question? Fine, keep your secrets. They can lie in the grave with him as far as I'm concerned."

    "Emi's eyes widen in shock. When she speaks again, it's in a voice that is low, dangerous."

    emi "Get out of my house, Hisao."

    "The sudden change in her tone snaps me out of my self-righteous anger and makes me realize with a dawning horror what I've just said."

    hi "Emi, I didn't mean—"

    emi "I said {b}go{/b}, Hisao."

    emi "Tell my mother that she cooked a wonderful meal but you've forgotten a prior engagement, and get out of my house."

    "She's trembling now, shaking with anger, or sadness, or determination. Her voice is still low, controlled. Almost a growl."

    "I reach out to put an arm on her shoulder, to apologize for going too far, but she jerks away from my touch."

    emi "Get out."

    "What can I do?  I walk downstairs, make my apology to Mrs. Ibarazaki, and let myself out."

    return
    #You'd then dump to e27, you naughty child.

    #Ah, but what if you chose to Talk to Emi's Mom?  Well, you'd see this:

    "There's an awkward silence at the table for a while after Emi dashes off. I can't think of anything to say."

    "Emi's mother sighs, breaking the silence."

    emm "Sorry about that, Hisao. I forget sometimes that Emi's touchy about certain subjects."

    emm "And I was talking about the wheelchair thing, too…"

    hi "Should I go after her?"

    emm "Heavens no! She didn't leave the table to continue the conversation, you know."

    hi "But if she's troubled, shouldn't someone help her?"

    emm "If it were anyone else, I'd say yes. But my daughter is stubborn as a mule, and if she wants to be alone it's best to let her be alone."

    emm "Otherwise she'll probably say something she'd regret, which would cause you to say something you'd regret, and I would prefer that dinner doesn't end with one or the both of you storming out of the house."

    emm "If that were to happen I'd be a terrible hostess, wouldn't I? And I've already been foolish once today."

    hi "That's okay, I shouldn't have brought up the wheelchair, apparently."

    "Mrs. Ibarazaki frowns, clearly bothered by Emi's omission more than she'd let on."

    emm "I wish she wouldn't do that. It just makes me worry more, you know."

    hi "She does this often?"

    emm "What, running off to the bathroom? No, I can't say she does. Keep injuries from her mother, though? Well, that's a little more common."

    emm "And every time I catch her at it, she assures me that the only reason she didn't tell me is because it wasn't a big deal."

    hi "If it's any consolation, I'm sure the only reason I knew about it at all was because I saw her every day."

    "This elicits a dry chuckle from across the table. Mrs. Ibarazaki sighs, a little sadly."

    emm "Still hesitant about getting close to people, huh? I keep hoping that she'll get over that."

    emm "It's funny, really. She's bounced back so well from the accident in so many ways…"

    emm "I guess some things never really go away."

    "From the looks of it, the whole thing still bothers her, too."

    "She seems to be a little more willing to talk about the accident without Emi around, though."

    hi "Hey, I've got a question."

    emm "Oh?"

    hi "What else did Emi lose in that accident? The nurse said that she gets this way near the anniversary, and she won't talk about it to me…"

    emm "So you thought I'd fill you in, hmm?"

    hi "Er, yeah.  Basically."

    emm "Well, there's a problem with that request, you know."

    hi "Let me guess: you promised Emi that you wouldn't tell anyone she didn't want to know, and you don't know if she wants me to know?"

    emm "Something like that. I promised Emi that she'd be the one to tell people the full story."

    hi "But isn't that important? I mean, it's clearly had a huge effect on her if she's still like this so long after the accident happened!"

    emm "Mmm, that's true. It did have a long-lasting effect on her. There are a few things that she'll probably never really get over."

    "For a moment Mrs. Ibarazaki looks incredibly saddened, as if an old hurt is bothering her."

    emm "I suppose there are a few things I'll never really get over either…"

    "Another dry chuckle, and with a shake of her head Emi's mother banishes the memory."

    emm "Look, there's something you absolutely must understand about the way Emi thinks about the accident."

    hi "What's that?"

    emm "It wasn't a big deal."

    "Somehow I manage to keep my mouth from falling open in surprise, but it takes some effort."

    "That has to be the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

    hi "I beg your pardon?"

    emm "Okay, maybe it's not that simple, but it's a pretty accurate summation. Emi believes that the accident did not define her—everything she lost that day, that didn't define her either."

    emm "She's not “that girl who lost her legs,” she's “The Fastest Thing on No Legs.” Her optimism and energy came out of that wreck without a scratch, as far as she's concerned."

    hi "But it goes beyond that, doesn't it? I mean, last night she told me that she refused to rely on me because it would make losing me too painful."

    emm "Not really. You said she won't tell you about the accident, even though you've asked her about it before."

    emm "The reason she won't talk about it when you ask is because to her it's not something you absolutely need to know. Even if she wasn't terrified of getting too close to you, she still wouldn't talk about it."

    hi "But she is afraid of being close to me?"

    emm "Oh goodness me, yes. For all that talk about being unscathed by the accident, she's gained the ugly knowledge of how quickly it can all be over."

    emm "So she's not going to let people get especially close to her, and she certainly would resent any implication that she cannot work through this on her own."

    hi "But I don't think she {b}can{/b}."

    emm "Oh no? Are you sure you've been dating my daughter and not somebody else? Trust me Hisao, she could get through it on her own."

    hi "But she has nightmares, and can't sleep well, and—"

    emm "And she does this every year. Tell me, if she wasn't able to get through it on her own, do you really think she'd still be alive? She would've killed herself or something equally melodramatic."

    hi "So what, I shouldn't try to help her?"

    emm "I didn't say that! I hate seeing my daughter like this, and knowing that she could rely on someone at school would let me relax."

    emm "You just need to understand that accepting help goes against everything Emi thinks about herself and the way the world works."

    emm "If you still want to offer her help, then I guess that's your call.  I'd like you to myself, but I'd be silly not to warn you that it's not going to be easy."

    emm "You need to be patient with her. She's already closer to you than anyone else she's ever met at Yamaku."

    hi "Well it sure doesn't feel like we're very close."

    emi "Good, that makes this part easier."

    "Emi's voice nearly gives me a heart attack."

    hi "Woah! Didn't hear you come back, Emi."

    emi "How convenient."

    hi "Wait, were you eavesdropping?"

    emi "Nope.  Just happened to come downstairs at the right moment, I guess."

    emm "Emi, Hisao was just—"

    "Emi holds up a finger, cutting her mother off."

    emi "On his way out of the house? Yeah, I know."

    "Emi's trembling with anger now, looking vaguely betrayed."

    emm "Emi, don't be ridiculous, we were just—"

    emi "You {b}promised{/b}!"

    "The hurt carried in that last word is almost too much for me to bear. The idea that I could hurt her that much is like being kicked in the gut."

    "Emi's mother looks similarly pained by the thought."

    emm "And I kept that promise! Just listen, there's no reason to go throwing people out of the house."

    "Emi's mother seems to be both angry at her daughter's outburst and embarrassed that I'm a witness to it."

    "There's only one real solution to this problem, I think."

    hi "It's okay. I'll go."

    emm "Now really, that seems a little unnecessary…"

    hi "Don't worry about it. Thank you for dinner, Mrs. Ibarazaki. And for the advice."

    emm "It was my pleasure, Hisao. I'm sorry we didn't get to dessert."

    hi "That's okay. I have to watch what I eat anyway."

    "The formality of our conversation, coupled with the fact that I'm getting ready to leave, seems to snap Emi out of her anger."

    emi "No, wait. I'm sorry, I've been so… and after last night I just thought… You don't have to go, I take it back, it's okay—"

    "I can't help but smile slightly. She can barely articulate her apology, and I really would like to stay…"

    "But I don't think I can, right now. I need to think about what her mother said. About what I'm going to do about us."

    "And in her current state, I don't want to accidentally get Emi angry again either."

    hi "No, I think I'd better leave. You seem pretty shook up, and, well, I'd only wind up trying to help you again."

    hi "And I know you'd prefer I didn't, so I'm going to leave instead."

    emi "But—"

    hi "Hey, it's not a problem. You don't want a knight on a white charger, right? Just promise me one thing, okay?"

    emi "What?"

    hi "Don't be angry at your mom, okay? She was just giving me some advice, that's all."

    "Emi nods, hesitantly, like this simple idea is all that she can grab on to at this point. She's so terribly off-balance, but I can't do anything about that right now."

    emi "Okay."

    hi "See you tomorrow, okay? Running in the morning. Don't forget!"

    "I can see that I've hurt Emi by deciding to leave. But there's nothing I can do for her as things stand."

    "And I know that she's too stubborn to admit that she wants me to stick around."

    "I watch various emotions cross Emi's face as she tries to process everything that's just happened."

    "But then comes that calm look again, like last night. And that voice that tries so hard to sound careless."

    emi "Sure, Hisao. See you around."

    "Both of us are now unwilling to concede emotion at this point, and I'm having a hard time keeping up my facade, so I turn on my heel and walk out the door."

    "I shut it behind me slowly, pausing for a moment as the latch catches, my hand on the doorknob."

    "Did I make the right decision just now? Should I have stayed and tried to work things out now?"

    "No, I decide. Not in front of her mother like that. In spite of everything, I'd rather keep Emi's mother insulated from the sort of anger that surfaced last night."

    "Even though she's probably used to it, some protective instinct wants me to keep Emi's image as a cheerful girl intact."

    "With a start I realize my hand is still resting on the knob. I take my hand away, put it in my pocket, and head down the slowly darkening street."

    return
    #Hey, you didn't fuck up.  As a congratulatory gesture, go to e29.  You lucky duck.