Three Year Hill

p1
>>On the way home from a typical entrance ceremony...

>April 8th
>That entrance ceremony was so stressful~
>But the thought that we're middle schoolers today has me really excited!
>Right, Chiaki!

>Hmm~
>But for some reason,

>But the path I take and the people I go with haven't changed from elementary,
>so I'm not excited at all...
>Ah!
>Look over there! That transfer student from Tokyo...
>is in trouble!

>She's heading towards the Three Year Hill!!

p2
>The two who met on the legendary slope on the day they became middle schoolers.
>A special time dangling between childhood and adulthood.
>Girl meets girl.


p3
>This is boring.
>Even though I'm not a middle schooler and I've changed locations,
>I'm still me.

>To me, "cool guys" aren't cool.

>"Cute girls" like cool guys.

>In three years, I'll be in high school, and three years after that, I'll be an adult, and I'll still won't have changed.

>Hey!
>Erm... Transfer student... Watarai Momoka-san!

p4
>Don't go that way!
>That's Three Year Hill!

>Three Year Hill...?

>If you fall over there,
>your remaining lifespan will drop to three years!
>...

>No matter where I live, nothing changes... or so I thought.
>Your must be real bumpkins to believe a superstition like that...
>Cringe...

p5
>No, it's true! Just recently an old guy who tripped here died for real!
>Everyone avoids this slope!
>Just leave her be, Chiaki.
>That girl's giving me really bad vibes...

>Well excuse me for having bad vibes! And after you let me here such an amusing fairytale too!
>But this way's a shortcut to my house, so later...

>Ah.
>I guess that's too realistic for you bumpkins to find interesting. (lol)

p6
>Sorry. I bumped into you.
>Oh no! You fell over on Three Year Hill!

>Although I'm sure to you, it's no different from fall over on the street over there.
>So it's no big deal, right, Watarai-san?

p7
>Gwaaah

>I fell over too.

>Now we're "friends who fell over on Three Year Hill"!

p8
>Hey... Chiaki!?
>What are you doing!?
>I can't believe you...

>Quit making noise in front of my house!
>Keep it up and I'll report you to your school, you little brats!!

>...
>Let's get going!

>...
>Erm...

>How about we go to the park to clean your wound?

p9
>Y'know...
>If you're regretting it that much, you shouldn't have fallen over in the first place.
>>Remaining lifespan: 3 years
>My body moved on its own!

>I couldn't help it.
>My friends who I've known for so long...

>instantly turned into jerks
>just from talking to you, Watarai-san.
>>Watarai-san, aware that she's the one who started it.
>And also...

>I just
>kinda though...

>THIS IS A HUGE CHANGE!!
>Or something!

p10
>...
>Huh~?

>I got so excited that I wanted to become friends with you!
>And so...
>You decided to be "a friend who fell over on Three Year Hill", huh...?

>Yeah!
>...
>...

>On second thought, I'm scared~ I don't wanna die in three years~
>Wah~n!
>You're not gonna die, moron!

>Come on.
>Let's go home!

>Eh?
>What was that chime?

p11
>This is the midday chime!
>Ah~ It's already lunch, huh?
>Hey, wanna hang out this afternoon~?
>...I guess that's okay?
>Yay!

>Morning~!

>Hey, you two! I became good friends with Momoka after what happened yesterday!
>So you two should also...
>Don't bother responding to her.

>There's no point being friends with people who are gonna die in three years.

p12
>So~ about what we were talking about earlier~
>Yeah yeah
>Ahaha...

>Chiaki...

>It's like it's changed into a completely different world since yesterday...
>But...

>I'm with Momoka in this new world,
>so I'm okay with it!

p13
>I understand that I can't be
>in the same world as this girl.

>After all, she'll most likely end up
>falling in love with a boy and going to a different world,

>leaving me behind in the process.

>I understand.
>I understand that, but...

>I can't do anything about it.

p14
>That's exactly why
>falling more and more in love with her is scary.
>It's just like
>tumbling down a huge hill.

>Chiaki... I love you...

p15
>Me too...

>...Heh!

>Thanks.
>Don't treat me like a kid!

>I know exactly what you mean
>when you say you love me, Momoka!

p16
>I'm already a second year, after all!

>Ch-Chiaki~~~

>Chiaki.

p17
>Her limbs are steadily growing longer and she's started to blush while laughing.
>That's how Chiaki's been changing.

>I want to be right by her side to see all of these changes first hand.
>Geez~ We're third years now!
>Time goes fast~

>Which high school should I go to? South would be appropriate,
>South High... Chiaki would look cute in a sailor uniform<3
>but East High's business department would be nice too.
>Heh~ Hmm~

>East... They don't have uniforms...
>I'd be able to see Chiaki wearing different clothes every day<3

>You can wear regular clothes there, so I can comfortably commute in jeans and trainers!

>Wearing trainers and jeans every day... That's so like Chiaki<3<3
>I don't mind either South or East.

>Huh?
>Eh?

p18
>You're top of the class, Momoka, so you should aim for a better school!

>You can even make it to North High if you try!
>They've got the top class in the prefecture!
>B-But Chiaki...
>>Prefectural North High School
>>School Guide

>You're trying to get into college, right, Momoka?
>Then you should go to a good high school!
>But!
>Wouldn't spending three years at the same high school be fun!?
>Or don't you want to be together with me!?

>I'm telling you to think about your future!

>Momoka!

p19
>Future...?
>>When will be able to become "family"?
>>No progress with same-sex marriage law reform

>A future where two girls can live together...
>The average income of female couples is...
>That's Watarai-san from Class 2.
>She's strange, but she sure is pretty.

>But she'll be all chubby when she grows old~
>Ahaha
>Stop that. She'll hear you.

>Y'know, just the other day~ I saw her going home while holding hands with another girl.
>Eh?
>She's serious about that?
>Well, it's only serious for now.
>She'll come to her senses once she becomes an adult, right?
>Ahahaha...

>What the heck is a "future" anyway?

>But that girl won't become an adult.

p20
>It seems she fell over on Three Year Hill...

>Three Year Hill...

>"If you fall over on Three Year Hill,
>your life will reach its end exactly three years later..."
>>Local legends

>"To this day, the locals make avoiding that hill part of their lifestyle."
>...True. I haven't passed by anyone on that hill.

>Hey.
>Eh!?
>Wh-What is it?

>I heard about this old guy who died after he fell over on Three Year Hill.
>Is that true?

>I-
>It's true, right?
>Year before last, is it?
>Yeah. There was quite a ruckus back then.

p21
>Everyone was saying "so the legend of Three Year Hill is true"...

>I see.

>Thank you.

>...
>Did that girl not fall over on Three Year Hill after all...?
>She seemed... happy?

>Chiaki!

p22
>Momoka...
>Um.
>About earlier...
>Chiaki.
>I'll do my best to get into North High, so cheer me on, okay?

>...What's gotten into you?
>You were so worked up earlier...
>Come on, let's go home.
>There's studying to do.

>We're gonna have a study session this weekend.
>I don't want us to not meet up cos we're busy studying.
>Alright, alright.

p23
>Momoka~
>Sorry for the wait!

>You really are wearing trainers and jeans.
>Man~ East High has so much freedom. It suits me perfectly!

p24
>Momoka, North High's uniform really suits you.
>It's cute.

>Putting that aside,
>why are we skipping on the second day of high school...?
>April 8th, 11:30am.

>It's the third anniversary of when we first met, after all.

p25
>I wanted to spend it on this hill from our memories.
>Alright.
>But once it's the afternoon, we need to go to school, okay?

>Yeah.
>In the afternoon.
>When the chime rings at noon, it'll have been three years since that day.

>So what'll be your excuse for being late, Momoka? Missing the bus transfer?
>Hm...
>Maybe I'll say I was late cos I was on a date...
>That's the truth, not an excuse!

>Geez~!
>You're so silly~ Ahaha

p27
>Momoka.

>At some point, I believed in Three Year Hill.

p28
>I was perfectly fine with everything ending after three years!
>Before feeling the pain that girls can't marry each other!
>Before worrying about not having enough money to live together!
>...While we're still cute...
>While Chiaki still loves me!
>I just wanted everything to end just like that!!

>The reason I go this far
>was because I believed it'll all end in three years!

p29
>Idiot!

>Things are gonna change starting now!

>It'll all change for the better.
>Believe that we can change it.
>From this moment onwards.
>Three years.
>Three years.
>Three years.
>Three years.
>And three more years.
>As it keeps piling up,

>let's stand firm together!

p30
>Quit making noise in front of my house!!

>I tripped over on this hill countless times when I was a young lass!
>People around here just avoid it cos it's so steep!
>The man who died here simply died of a heart attack because the slope was too much of a pain!

>If you understand then get going to school, you brats!

>...

p31
>It's been three whole years and that old lady hasn't changed one bit...
>Yeah...

>Let's continue to stay together until we're so old...
>that three measly years would mean nothing!

>...Yeah.

p32
>So much time has passed that I don't think they're gonna buy that we missed the bus transfer.
>You gonna be okay, Chiaki...?

>I'll be fine.
>I'll just tell them I was late because I was on a date with my lover.
>...

>That's the truth, though!
>Ahahaha!

>>On the hill where they met, they begin once again...

>End