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HKZ 162

Feb 19th, 2019
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  1. Chapter 162
  2.  
  3. Broken Heart Zombie (BHZ) Eve continues her explanation from last week. She explains that even though Tarou had forgotten about her, she always remained by him. Under her influence, Tarou became withdrawn and subsequently unconcerned about everything around him as he grew up. Eve was always a BHZ. However, when faced with death, Tarou wished passionately to experience first love. So, that's when THAT "Eve" appeared.
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  5. Tarou had his heart broken by losing Ibusuki, so Eve decided to conceal her BHZ side and become a form that Tarou could love. Until now, this is the "Eve" that Tarou knew.
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  7. Until then, Eve had always been an Broken Heart Zombie (BHZ) like all the others he had seen. Eve was nothing more than a manifestation of a form Tarou could love. However, somewhere along the way, Tarou had started to desire for "Eve" to have a heart and soul of her own. It is because of this desire that Eve came to have a personality and mind of her own, as she must bend to Tarou's desires.
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  9. However, with this came self-awareness. Eve began to sense something was missing. Holding on to that sense of deficiency, even though Tarou had come to love her, she became frightened. Eventually, she became aware of the side of her identity that Tarou had never seen and the cheerful shroud she had constructed to conceal it. If this shroud were to be peeled away, she could start to realize why she felt like something was missing. Furthermore, she felt that the answers for which she was searching were right before her. That's when she began to feel like casting aside this falsehood with which she had cloaked herself.
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  11. After this explanation, Tarou is startled to see that she has taken the form of Tarou himself, mired in a menacing darkness and speaking with his voice. Curiously, she (as Dark Tarou) says that the truth is painful, and that's why she tried to warn her (Our Eve). We see scenes from when Dark Eve cautioned Eve against pursuing the truth while she was abducted by Tarou's Dad's tornado of FLZs. If you recall, she told her that if she knew the truth, she couldn't be with Tarou anymore.
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  13. Dark Eve concludes that when faced with the truth or being with Tarou, she heeded Dark Eve's word of warning and chose to be by Tarou's side. In doing so, Eve, the FLZ with a soul and mind of her own, had discarded that very sense of 'self.'
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  15. Tarou puts his face in his hands. He asks "Where... where has the Eve I know gone?"
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  17. Dark Eve, still speaking as Tarou, says that it was when Ebino told him that Ibusuki and Eve were both in on the poolside date plan that he not only started to feel like he couldn't trust Ibusuki, but Eve as well. Since Eve is a being that must live as a manifestation of Tarou's desires, to be hated by Tarou is to be robbed of her sole reason for living as far as she's concerned. So, she passed the proverbial baton off to Dark Eve and let her take over. Dark Eve continues:
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  19. Dark Eve: "So, with that, what will you do? Surely you can't be satisfied with a Broken Heart Zombie like me who knows everything, right? So, would you please reset everything and create a new Eve? I can make it where I forget everything and go back to only being able to love you. This time, just wish for me not to have a will of my own instead. I can look just like I have been until now, or I could become just like Ibusuki for you. Or, I could even be like Ebino... anything you want. Should you ever come to love another, just wish for me to become invisible. I'll just fade away and shut up!"
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  21. Eve says it all with a cheerful smile! However, Tarou has a rare look on his face of complete horror. He thinks to himself "don't say that kind of thing with that look on your face... Eve, where did I go wrong? What should I have done?"
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  23. Just then, something loudly smacks against his window. He hears a voice call out for him. "Tarou, are you there?!"
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  25. It's Ebino. She had thrown her school bag at his window to get his attention. She says "Tarou! I've finally figured it out!" She comes in, complaining that she called him and rang his doorbell a whole bunch. For some reason, he didn't notice. He asks her why she's come. Ebino asks if Eve is there. Tarou tells her she is, but...
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  27. Ebino says she wants to speak to Tarou. Dark Eve says "Oh yeah, sure. Knock yourself out" as she mischievously slips through the wall to leave the room.
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  29. Tarou says "Well, she kinda just... left." Ebino takes in a deep breath.
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  31. Ebino: "Say, the only way to make Eve go away is to fulfill your first love with Ibusuki, right? A first love is born from a one-sided admiration, and when that love is requited, the zombies disappear. Isn't that how it works? But, I'm under the impression that you and Ibusuki for some reason just don't want her to disappear. The truth is that you realized a long time ago that Ririsu is a girl. There have been whispers around class about it, too. You are the person closest to her, so there's no way you wouldn't have figured it out on your own by now."
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  33. Tarou tries to interject "The truth is... I've long suspected it. But, as my relationship with Eve and Ibusuki gradually developed, I had decided that I had to think as if I hadn't noticed it. Ibusuki and I had an implied understanding about this, so we never brought up the subject to one another. "
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  35. Ebino admonishes him in a subdued way. "You guys are the worst." Tarou hangs his head low with his eyes to the ground. She continues:
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  37. Ebino: Tarou, I can't see Eve. I don't know what it sounds like when you talk to one another. I don't know how she laughs or what she's like when she becomes sad. I can't imagine it at all. However, even if I can't see her, I can still understand some things. Whatever Eve is, she's not human like you or me. Even if she has 'feelings' of her own, that still wouldn't make her like us. Have you ever faced her feelings before? Can you really look past it all and believe she's the same so easily? Have you ever had her tell you what she really desires or what would make her happy? You can keep saying she has feelings all you want, but the one who really fails to acknowledge them is you, isn't it? You have really mistreated her."
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  39. Tarou looks as if he's really taking a verbal beating. Ebino continues: "She exists, and she has a heart. It's about time you recognize the way she is."
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  41. Warbly bubbles and sparkly rainbow sunshine enters through the wall. It's FLZ Eve! She tells Ebino 'Thank you.' Tarou looks back and barely mutters out "E-Eve?" Meanwhile, Ebino clutches her chest... even though she can't see her, she feels her presence. Eve has tears in her eyes as she gently cradles Tarou's face in her hands.
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  43. Eve: "Tarou... face me... face your 'First Love.'"
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