Sentimental Gaze (Ch1-10)

Thanks Gilde for the review!

=====1=====

-Coffee Shop-

Shizuku
What would you like to order?

Ryou
Hmm, Midori-san will have a hot coffee.

Ikumi
Oh! Ryou-chan is so adult~
Kumi waaants, black tea!

Shuzuku
Yes, please wait a moment.

[*clang clang*]

Ayaka's Voice
Welcooome!

Ryou
Mm?

Shizuku
.....
...Otou-san, could you take her order?

Shizuku's Father
Mm, got it.

Ayaka
Wait!
That's totally killing the boke! Terrible!
Wait, huh.
Shizuku-chan's senpais!

Ryou
Ahh, it's been a while Mariko-chan.
But it's been an even longer time since she's called us senpais.

Ikumi
Now, we're just all friends.

Ayaka
Oh~
Right, yeah! Whenever she talks about you two, Shizuku-chan's face does look softer than it used to!

Ryou
Heeh, is that so. That's a surprise, though.
She's been talking about us to other people, huh?

Ayaka
Ehh! Shizuku-chan's been talking a lot.
I heard her say what nice people you are about a thouuusand times by now~

Shizuku
W, wait Ayaka...!

Ikumi
Ehehe~ so happy♪

Ryou
But y'know, she talks a lot about Mariko-chan too.

Ayaka
Eh! What what what what! I want to hear this!

Ryou
She says "she's a wonderful friend who's aaalways smiling at me."

Shizuku
Ry, Ryou-san...!

Ayaka
WAAN! PARTNERRR!

Shizuku
Wait, you're too close Ayaka...and too loud...

Ayaka
Ah, s, sorry...! I'm just so happy...dehehe.

Father
Shizuku.

Shizuku
Ah, I'm very sorry for the noise...I'll get back to work right away.

Father
Ahh, it's fine.
It's about time for customers to start thinning out.
Leave the rest to me and go have fun for a bit.

Shizuku
Eh...but...

Father
Your friends came all this way to see you, didn't they?
Don't worry about this, it's alright.

Shizuku
Mm... ...Thank you, Otou-san.

Ayaka
Yaay! Well everyone let's go plaayy!

Shizuku
[Whenever I'm getting along with so many mutual friends like this, I feel a tiny bit uneasy.]
[Ayaka, Ryou-san, Ikumi-san. I'm glad all of us can get along so well, because they're all important people to me.]
[Moreover...]
[When I think about what our relationship used to be like, I understand what a happy thing it is to see the day when we can talk together like this.]
[I wish gentle days like this could last forever, just slowly drifting along...]

=====2=====

-Outside Stores-

Ayaka
Hey Ryou-chan, do you always carry that camera with you?

Ryou
Yeah, I can't ever miss a scoop,
so this thing's always by my side.

Ayaka
Eh! Is it one of those things where you even sleep with it?!

Ryou
Of course I don't go that far.

Ayaka
Ah, c'mon.
That's where the tsukkomi comes in! "It ain't a soccer ball or anythin', ya know!"

Ryou
H-huh...? That's kind of tough.

Ikumi
Ryou-chan also takes pictures of Kumi.

Ayaka
Ikumi-san's?

Ikumi
Yeah!
Ryou-chan takes the absolute cutest pictures of me when Kumi's on stage.

Ayaka
Stage!? Are you a comedian or something?!

Ikumi
Nope, Kumi works as a maid at a maid cafe.

Ayaka
Ehh! Ikumi-san is amazing!

Ikumi
Ehehe, thank you~!
Buut,
Kumi does deliver tons of kyuun-kyun smiles to everyone,
so maybe Kumi's like a comedian in that sorta way?
...Kumi won't get in trouble for saying that, right?

Ayaka
Nah, don't worry! Both are amazing!
Hmm, maybe I'll come to Ikumi-san's place to train as a maid too...

Ikumi
Kumi will always welcome you warmly.
Ooh, also! When talking about Kumi
feel free to say Ikumin instead, okaay!

Ayaka
Ikumin?
That's like some kind of Showa era maid, it's nice!

Ikumi
Hmm, you didn't hafta say the Showa part~

Shizuku
.....

Ikumi
Shizuku-chan's delicious house coffee also
makes everyone smile too!

Shizuku
Ah, um, not as much as a maid cafe, but...
I hope, that I can make others happy enough to smile...

Ikumi
Shizuku-chan's house coffee brings relief when you drink it.
Kumi loves iiit♪

Ayaka's Voice
Ah!! Look look look look!!

Shizuku
...?

Ayaka
A mocha bunny!! Waa!!

Ikumi
Mocha bunny!? Eh! Cute!

Shizuku
And they're gone...

Ryou
Seems to be popular with young kids, that.

Shizuku
As if you're not a young kid yourself...?

Ayaka's Voice
Ryou-chaaan! Take a pictuuure!

Ryou
Ahh sure, I'll be right there.
Hozumi-chan, do you wanna come with?

Shizuku
No, I'm... fine, I guess. Feels a little embarrassing.

Ryou
Mm, I understand. I'll be back soon.

Shizuku
.....
(That looks fun...)

[There's nothing I'm dissatisfied with.]
[Ikumi-san was kind enough to pass the conversation to me, even though I always struggle to say anything.]
[And Ryou-san asked me to come with her, because she knows I have trouble joining in with them by myself.]
[Even Ayaka was trying to liven up the place.]
[And yet, there's still that moment where I feel like I'm about to lose my footing.]
[It's just a little difference in enthusiasm between me and everyone else.]
[A trivial difference that wouldn't occur if, for example, I was the kind of person who wanted to take a picture with everyone.]
[I'm overwhelmed by the sense that I'm just floating in midair.]
[I wonder if I can find peace being with everyone. I wonder if I can laugh naturally.]
[It shouldn't be a problem, but these vague thoughts rise up in my heart, disappear, and repeat.]

=====3=====

-Coffee Shop-

[*clang clang*]

Ikumi
That mocha bunny, was so cute wasn't iiit.
So kyuun kyun wasn't iiit.

Ayaka
Yeah yeah!
But that was, how do I put it...
more funny than cute! Ahaha!

Ryou
At least it's good that they seem to be having fun.

Shizuku
...Huhu.

Old Woman
Oh Shizuku-chan, good evening.

Shizuku
Ah, good evening. Thank you for always coming by.

Old Woman
Uhuhu, I should be saying that.

Shizuku
Huh, what are those stones on the table...?

Old Woman
Ahh this, I've been addicted to fortune-telling lately.
Oh, I know. If you'd like, how about all of you try it?
It's just a little hobby, of course, so I don't expect any of it to come true. Uhuhu.

Ayaka
Yes yes! I want my fortune told!

Ryou
Well, if it's no big deal either way, Midori-san doesn't mind.

Ikumi
Kumi too, Kumi tooo!

Shizuku
Yeah, me too, if you'd please...

Old Woman
Uhuhu, thank you all.
It's a pretty simple type of fortune-telling, so it won't take long.

[*rustle rustle*]

Old Woman
Now just take a stone out of this bag...

Ayaka
That's, like...
SUPER authentic-looking!!

Ikumi
Yeah yeah! Kumi's also getting excited!

Old Woman
Huhu, then let's get started, shall we.
I'll announce them in the order drawn.
First is yours.
Yes, it seems like you'll have a wonderful meeting.

Ayaka
Eeeehhhh!
I've already met Ryou-chan and Ikumin! It totally came true!!

Old Woman
Next is yours, hmm.
You'll come across something very interesting, yes.

Ryou
That's already wished for and granted, as far as Midori-san's concerned.

Old Woman
Yours is...
Today you will fall down.

Ikumi
Heh?

Old Woman
Here's a band-aid, please be careful.

Ikumi
Eehhh~! What kind of fortune is this for Kumiii~!

Old Woman
And now for Shizuku-chan's...mmm...
You may lose something important to you.
It may be good to be careful for the time being.

Shizuku
...Okay.

Ayaka
This, is so heart-poundingly thrilling...! I wonder, if I could become a fortune-teller...!

Ryou
You'd probably spend too much time telling weird gags to give anyone a proper fortune, anyway.

Ikumi
Heey, do you think, Kumi will really fall down?

Ayaka
Mine was dead on! Maybe yours will really be true!?

Ikumi
Eeeehn, Kumi's scared.

Shizuku
.....

Ryou
Well, I don't think you really need to be that careful about it?

Ikumi
Yeah, I don't!
Kumii, only believes in good fortunes.

Shizuku
.....

Shizuku's Father
Shizuku, can you help me wash dishes for a little?

Shizuku
Yeah, got it.

[*shatter*]

Shizuku
Ah...

Father
Shizuku! You okay?

Shizuku
...Sorry. I broke the mug.

Father
Nevermind that, you're not hurt are you?

Shizuku
Yeah, I'm okay, but...

Father
Ohh, this was Shizuku's favorite.

[Right, it is just fortune-telling after all.]
[It was an event that I'd usually just forget about in no time. Nothing more.]
[So, I don't care at all.]
[However, my favorite mug being cracked leaves just a tiny bit of a dark shadow in my heart.]

=====4=====

-Shizuku's Bedroom-

Shizuku
(Maybe it's because things were so lively all day...)
(But now that I'm alone in my room, it feels very quiet...)
(Ah, that reminds me, the book I borrowed from Ryou-san...)
(I need to return it soon.)
...Eh, huh? It's not here...?
It should have been right here.

[You may lose something important to you.]

Shizuku
(...No, it's just my imagination, right...)

[*beep♪*]

Shizuku
...A message?

Ayaka
[Listen Shizuku-chan! On the way home Ryou-chan found a scoop!
For some reason, Hinano-san was picking ingredients for her growth serum in some grass or something.]
[And that's not all! Then, after Ikumin saw that, she totally keeled over
for absolutely no reason! That fortune-telling was all bullseyes, I tell you!]

Shizuku
Eh...
(She said it was just a hobby of hers...)
(But if they keep coming true like this... I might also lose...)
(...I'm just thinking too much.)

[~~♪~~♪]

Shizuku
---!?
Now it's a call from Ryou-san...?

Ryou
Ahh, Hozumi-san, it it okay to talk right now?

Shizuku
Y, yes...

Ryou
Mm, that's good.
I know this is sudden, but Hozumi-chan, are you free tomorrow?
Somehow, Makino-chan
got 2 free tickets that are good until tomorrow.
She said it was for a cake buffet.

Shizuku
Ah...that's kind of you, but I have to go shopping tomorrow...

Ryou
I see, if that's the case we can always hang out another day.

Shizuku
Yeah...
.....

Ryou
...Hey, are you still worried about the fortune-telling?

Shizuku
Eh...
Ah, you see...Ayaka sent me a message...

Ryou
Haa, so that's what's going on.
Hozumi-chan, do you know about the Barnum Effect?

Shizuku
...?

Ryou
Well, I'm not trying to say those fortunes were all bunk or anything...
But most fortune-telling results can apply to just about anyone.
It's this psychological thing where you're just *convinced* that it came true.
'Course, I'm only repeating stuff I heard from the Magius,
so I'm not an expert or anything myself, but...
I guess those fortunes based on your blood type are an easy example to understand?

Shizuku
Haa...

Ryou
'Sides, the reason I never miss a good photo op
is that it's Midori-san's unique magic.

Shizuku
Then, Ikumi-san...

Ryou
Ahh, that's 'cause Makino-chan's always been kind of careless to begin with.
And as for Mariko-chan,
in the world just about everyone has tons of wonderful meetings.
So you don't have to worry so much.

Shizuku
But, I just lost something important.
...That, photo book of cats that belongs to Ryou-san...

Ryou
Hm?
Ahh, you already returned that to me.

Shizuku
Eh...then-

Ryou
Yep, you didn't lose it, you're fine!
So?

Shizuku
Eh...

Ryou
Feeling a little better?

Shizuku
Ah, y, yes...

Ryou
Yeah, well let's hang out together again some time.
Then, good night Hozumi-chan.

Shizuku
Yes, have a good night Ryou-san.
(That's, right. I'm sure I was just thinking about it too much...)

=====5=====

-Train-

Shizuku
(Yesterday I could barely sleep...)
(Otou-san told me to go buy coffee beans from our provider, but)
(it's so far away...)

-City-

Shizuku
(I wonder, is everyone here going to the cake buffet?)
(I didn't ask for the location, but)
(business is pretty good around here, so there's probably a lot of cake shops...)
Hm?
...Huh, are those people over there...?
(It's everyone...)
(That cake buffet was around here...)
(In that case, maybe I could've waited to shop until after I joined them...)
...Huh?
(Ahh, come to think of it, those two free tickets...)
(In my absence, Hinano-san joined them...)
(Then, I'm glad the ticket wasn't wasted.)

-Evening-

Shizuku
(The oba-san we get our beans from...)
(I forgot she likes to talk...)
(That took longer than I expected.)
(I wonder if maybe it's already over.)
(I'm done with purchasing things,)
(so maybe we could go home together from here on...)

Ikumi
Heey heey,
let's take a picture of everyooone♪

Ryou
Then shall Midori-san take the photo?

Ikumi
Nope, Ryou-chan needs to be in the photo too.

Ryou
Eh, Midori-san doesn't mind though.

Ikumi
'Kay 'kay picture tiiime♪

[*flash*]

Shizuku
.....

[I know that if I was there, Ikumi-san would still say the same thing.]
[So I should understand that I'm not being left out of the group...]
[But still, this foggy feeling I'm sure is because those four act so natural together.]
[It's as if those four have been together since the beginning, as if I never existed.]
[It's like each of them is a puzzle piece that fits together perfectly...]
[So if I didn't fit in with them, what does that make me?]
[Fuunii may have been my missing piece, but he's no longer here.]
[I have no place to belong in a puzzle that's already complete. Yes, just like the picture they took yesterday.]

-Flashback-

Ayaka's Voice
Ryou-chaaan! Take a pictuuure!

Ryou
Ahh sure, I'll be right there.
Hozumi-chan, do you wanna come with?

Shizuku
No, I'm... fine, I guess. Feels a little embarrassing.

Ryou
Mm, I understand. I'll be back soon.

-End Flashback-

[It's not just because I'm not with the other two in those photos Ryou-san took.]
[I'm sure that they'll remember who took the photo, but since I wasn't even nearby, everyone will forget about me.]
[I'm the one to blame for all of this. I was invited, but I was too stubborn to go.]
[My body that had always been slowly drifting away suddenly begins to fall, as if it couldn't resist gravity anymore.]
[There's a heavy weight stuck in my chest, like lead, that I can't get rid of.]
[Its thorns are stabbing me from the inside, blaming me for all of my mistakes.]

Shizuku
(It, really hurts.)
It's painful...Fuunii.

=====6=====

-Pond-

Shizuku
.....

???'s Voice
...Mu, someone's already here?

Kanagi
...Ahh, it's you. Hozumi-kun, I believe your name was?

Shizuku
Ah, yes...umm. You are Kanagi-san, aren't you.

Kanagi
Mm,  we've met face to face once or twice.
Incidentally...what brings Hozumi-kun to a place like this?

Shizuku
Nothing...for some reason...I just, want to be alone.

Kanagi
...This may indeed be the best place for that. Very little noise, for one thing.
You can think clearly, feeling nothing but nature... the wind, the voices of insects, the smell of the earth.

Shizuku
.....
Does that mean, Kanagi-san also visits here to think...?

Kanagi
Once in a while.
I think about those that have passed on, while feeling the work and continuous changes of nature..

Shizuku
.....

Kanagi
It's a law of Nature that the world is always flowing, and all life must end one day.
But mahou shoujo, and those who lose their lives in witch attacks...
They perish outside of Nature, disconnected from it.
The thought of that makes me especially aware of how important it is to protect those lives.
Even if those lives will still be lost some day, regardless.

Shizuku
...Y-yeah. Everyone leaves you eventually.

Kanagi
Mm...
Hozumi-kun...!

Shizuku
There's nothing you can do about it...
...Excuse me. I, will be going.

Kanagi
Her soul gem...this is bad...
I was trying to tell her that that's why I feel so strongly
about protecting everything I have now, but... it's rather difficult, I suppose...
...This is concerning. I should inform Yakumo about it.

-Riverside-

Shizuku
(I... really shouldn't have acted like that...)
(I, just ran away.)

-Forest-

[*beep♪*]

Shizuku
(A message...?)

Ayaka
[Heey, heey! Are you at the cafe right now? We're all thinking of going together right now, but is that OK?]

Shizuku
.....
(For some reason...I just don't feel like replying...)

[*beep♪*]

Shizuku
(...Again?)

Ayaka
Also also, today we met Hinano-san, we all took pictures together! Next time let's take a picture with everyone, okay!

Shizuku
.....
(I should be happy that my friends are making more friends, but...)
(...I'm such a jerk...)

-Beach-

Shizuku
(It's about time to go home.)
(But my legs feel too heavy to do that.)

[~~♪~~♪]

Shizuku
Eh...Ryou-san? Why...
.....

[*beep♪*]

Shizuku
---!?

Ryou
[Hozumi-chan, sorry to keep bugging you.]
[Yakumo-san just passed on a message from Kanagi-san; she said she saw you in Daitou.]
[She said it seemed like something was bothering you, so I just got a little worried. You can wait until you're done shopping or feeling more calm, but I'd be happy if you could send me a quick message later.]

[*beep*]

Shizuku
.....
...Why am I, still running away. I even turned my smartphone off...
Even though they're worried,
why am I willingly leaving such an important place behind...?
I, always do.

[I always abandon the places that matter to me. It was the same back when I fought with Ayaka and ran away.]
[And I know there were other factors at play, but I still left Ryou-san and Ikumi-san of my own accord.]
[Doubting myself over nothing, getting angry over nothing, finally finding a place to belong only to leave it behind-- how can I say "I want a place to belong" when I act like this?]
[Besides, I don't even know what I'm looking for. I can't face everyone like this any more. There's nowhere for me to return to.]

Shizuku
No matter what I do, I'll lose everything.
(The way I am now, I'll never find a place for myself again.)

=====7=====

Shizuku
...Huh, where am I...?

???
Oh, you're up.

Shizuku
Eh, you are...?

???
Who cares? More importantly...
You're looking for something, right?
A place where your surroundings won't warp and leave you floating in midair.

Shizuku
.....

???
It's impossible.

Shizuku
Eh.

???
It's impossible. You're never gonna find it again.

Shizuku
Why? Why would you say something like that?

???
Ahaha! You get what I'm trying to say, right?

Shizuku
.....
I became a mahou shoujo to meet Fuunii
and lost so much...
But as I met everyone, I still thought that I hadn't only lost things.
That even if I lose people, or part ways with them, it'll still lead to something new...
At least, that's what I thought...

???
But even if I make new connections, I'll just run away from them too.

Shizuku
Yeah...

???
I'm sure to abandon it of my own accord.

Shizuku
Yes, that's right... that's why I'll never find it again...

-Flashback-

Kanagi
Mm...
Hozumi-kun...!

Shizuku
There's nothing you can do about it...
...Excuse me. I, will be going.


Ryou
[Yakumo-san just passed on a message from Kanagi-san; she said she saw you in Daitou.]
[She said it seemed like something was bothering you, so I just got a little worried. You can wait until you're done shopping or feeling more calm, but I'd be happy if you could send me a quick message later.]

-End Flashback-

Shizuku
(...I knew she was worried about me.)
(But I...)

???
See, the thing about me is that I just can't stay in the same place.
I'm just that kind of person.

Shizuku
.....

???
If I try making a special place for myself, I'll just feel miserable when I lose it.
So don't stop in one place! Let's keep searching forever.

Shizuku
.....heh?

???
We can keep running like the wind, pursuing our ideals for ever and ever.
It's not as bad as you'd think, y'know? Traveling.

Shizuku
Travel...? Like Fuunii?

???
Right!
So we don't need to stay in this place anymore.
I mean, I'm just gonna throw it all away anyway.
So let's break everything, and venture out into the world.

Shizuku
Break...?

???
Right! I don't need any of this, right?
This isn't where I belong after all.

Shizuku
...But,

=====8=====

Shizuku
...But,
even if I throw everything away to go traveling,
I wonder, if I will ever find a place to belong in my travels...

???
I just told you! You're never gonna find it again.
In the first place, it's not *just* that you throw it all away on your own.
You don't even know what you're looking for, either.
So how are you ever gonna find a place to belong?

[What it is I'm looking for...]
[I don't want to be someone like Ayaka, who has endless cheerfulness.]
[I don't want to be a calm and composed person like Ryou-san, or someone that can make others smile like Ikumi-san.]

Shizuku
.....

???
You don't even know what it is that you're dissatisfied with,
and yet you're still complaining about where you are now? There's only one word for that. Arrogant.

Shizuku
I'm not complaining!

???
It's all the same.
I mean, you're here with me right now
because you can't give your current place a 10 out of 10, right?
What a luxurious problem.

Shizuku
...

???
You don't know what kind of person you want to be, what kind of things you want...
And despite that, you just keep saying "I want something else, I want something else!"
And if it's something you don't like even a little, you run away from everything important.
What can you even call that besides "selfish"?
That's why we have to keep on searching.
We'll keep seaching for a nonexistent answer until the day we die.
...I'll show you, who I really am.

Shizuku
This, is...?

???
See? I'll keep searching, forever and ever...
...For something that no amount of searching is ever going to find.
This is who I am!

???
Right? You get it now, right?
You'll never find it either, so let's hurry up and go somewhere that isn't here.
Let's throw this current place away right now and go on a trip together!
I'm sure that'll make you so, so much happier!

Shizuku
...Thank you.
I, finally understand.

=====9=====

???
Hmph. As long as you've clued in, we're all good.

Shizuku
I can't go together with you, after all.

???
Ha? Did you not listen to a word I said?
Even if you do find something valuable, you'll just run away.
The more valuable things you find, the more you'll lose and regret.
And above all else! The thing you need to look for doesn't even...!

Shizuku
...You're right. You're completely right...
Losing things is scary. I run away from them on my own.
I don't know what I want.
But, even still...! I don't want to give up from the start...
Maybe, I won't ever find the answer for the rest of my life, and
I may never find another place I feel like I belong.
But if that's the case,
then I feel like it's all the more reason to cherish what I already have...
So I have to accept this uneasiness that eats at me.
And I'll search a little further. For who I am, that is...

???
...You DO know what you're saying, right?

Shizuku
Yeah. At least, I'm pretty sure I do.
Plus, everything will be gone one day.
People's lives, their connections-- they all end at some point...
I'm sure it's unavoidable. Especially for mahou shoujo like us...

???
.....

Shizuku
...Because of that, we should value all the important people who are already within reach.
So what I can do right now...
is to cherish all of them. To not lose sight of them.
I understand what you were trying to tell me. Thank you.

???
...

Shizuku
Instead of grieving over what we'll lose one day, let's cherish what we have now.
Let's protect it. That's what I'm thinking...what about you?

???
...That's impossible for you. You'll definitely be back here again someday.
You'll absolutely repeat the same mistakes.
Well, I know you'll be here anyway, so I guess I can wait a little longer.

Shizuku
Huhu, you're a good person.

???
Ha! What are you saying!
I'm just waiting for you to mature, it's not for your sake.
Go on, hurry and get out of here, stubborn fool.

Shizuku
Yeah, goodbye.

-Adjuster Shop-

[Nn...Nu]

Ayaka
Shizuku-chan's awake!!

Shizuku
Eh...what...

Ayaka
Don't "what" me!
You, you...ginormous dummy~!

Ikumi
Really! Everyone has been so worried about you!

Shizuku
Umm...

Ryou
On top of how you never replied...
After a certain point, I couldn't even reach your phone.
Even Midori-san here was worried to the bone...

Shizuku
...Ah!
(That's right, I...)

Mitama
It's a good thing that your Doppel emerged where it did.

Shizuku
Mitama-san...

Mitama
When Kanagi-san contacted me I was surprised.
She said you were wandering around with your Soul Gem pitch black!

Shizuku
U...I'm really sorry for worrying you...

Mitama
Really...
Ah, also Kanagi-san had a message for you.

[Hozumi-kun has many friends. If you're having a hard time, I'm sure you can rely on them. I think that's the sort of thing that will help clear away your troubles.]
[I don't mind if you consider me to be one of those friends, either. As someone in the same profession, I hope to continue seeing you around.]

Shizuku
Profession...?

Ikumi
Kanagi-san also works in a maid cafe.

Ryou
Which makes her a fellow cafe worker...
Though I'm not really sure if it counts as "the same profession".

Mitama
The next time you visit her cafe, she said she would give you a discount.

-Maid Cafe-

Kanagi
*Achoo...!*

Manager
Oh what a terrible sneeze that was~

Kanagi
Mm...
Someone must be spreading rumors about me.

Manager
They say that if you only sneeze once, it must be a good rumor~!

Kanagi
Mu...is that so. That makes me happy.

-Adjuster Shop-

Shizuku
...Eh?

Mitama
Huhu. Well today you should be resting...

Ayaka
Ah!!!!!! Shizuku-chan! We're going home!

Shizuku
Heh?

Mitama
No, she needs to rest!

Ayaka
It's alriiight it's alriiight!

Ryou
Uhhhh, sorry to run out on ya!

Ikumi
Mitama-san! Sorry!

Mitama
What's with them...
...Huhu, be careful, okaaay.

=====10=====

-Coffee Shop-

Shizuku
Um...why...

Ayaka
Hinano-san is gonna arrive too, any minute now!

Shizuku
Eh...

Ryou
Ah, good ol' Hinano-san. She fell into a pond while looking for you.
She went to go change her clothes for a bit.

Shizuku
Ehh...

Ryou
When we talked about Hozumi-chan at the cake buffet,
Hinano-san also wanted to be friends with Hozumi-chan.

Ikumi
Right, right! She was like, "you guys are totally hogging her!"
Throwing a lil' tantrum.

Shizuku
Huhu.

Ikumi
I think we still came a little early though, Ayaka-chan?

Ayaka
Ah~! A terrible fumble by Mariko Ayaka!
A swing-and-a-miss triple-strike home-run~!
...Guys, c'mon.
This is the part where the tsukkomi should be like,
"you're just sayin' a random pile of words you remember!", right?

Ryou
Mmm. Yeah, that's pretty tough.

Shizuku
Ah, then, until Hinano-san gets here, would you like a little tea?
I'll prepare some.

Ayaka
Wa! A genius is among us!
Ah, but, but, Shizuku-chan, are you okay? Like, physically?

Shizuku
So asks the person who dragged me all the way here herself.

Ayaka
Uu...

Shizuku
I'm joking. I'm doing fine.
Then what would you like to order?

Ryou
Midori-san will have a hot coffee.

Ayaka
Wa! Bitter! Adult! How old are you!?

Ikumi
Kumi will have black tea. Ryou-chan is in her 3rd year of middle school.

Ayaka
An unforgettable shocking revelation!!

Ikumi
What'll you have, Ayaka-chaaan?

Ayaka
Ah, um, that's riight.

Shizuku
...Melon soda. Total mismatch with the other two.

Ayaka
Eh! That's right on! How!? Is Shizuku-chan an esper!?

Shizuku
Huhu, I wonder.

[Thus, the circle of friends expands. I can't avoid the farewells that will come some day, but for now, I'm fine being together with everyone like this.]
[How I want to live in this place, and what kind of place I am looking for, I still don't know, but I will continue searching for it.]
[...Maybe I will never find the answer. As that girl told me, I may never find a place like this one again.]
[I'm sure I will never fully clear away my uneasiness.]
[But if things can just stay like this a little longer, with me being able to smile as I watch everyone have fun, then maybe that's fine.]

Hinano
Good afternooon! I'm heeere!

Ayaka
Wa! Yahoo!

Shizuku
Ah, good afternoon.

Hinano
Ohh! Thanks as always for taking care of my kouhai.

Ayaka
Eh, you're tiny but you're our senpai!?

Hinano
Hey! Don't call me tiny!
I am an eighteen-year-old woman who puts even flowers to shaaaaame~!

Ayaka
Kyaaa! I'm sorry~!

Ikumi
Um, sorry about all the noise.

Shizuku
Well, right now there's no customers so...

Hinano's Voice
Ikumi! Help me out! This girl needs to be punished!

Ikumi
Eehhh~ Kumii doesn't think violence is good, buuut
it looks fun so Kumi will join in♪

Ayaka's Voice
Go pick on someone your own size! Hey, Shizuku-chan HELP!

Shizuku
Huhuhu.

[*flash*]

Ryou
(Yeah, that's a nice smile, Hozumi-chan.)

Hinano's Voice
Hey Ryou! You needa get over here too!

Ayaka's Voice
Hieeh! She's tickling me, help meeee!

Ryou
Yep, yep. I'm on my way.

Shizuku
Ayaka, quit thrashing like that.
Geeze...huhu. I guess it can't be helped.