Miki Route 1-1: Fashionably Late (Start of Act 1)

    #this script begins on Friday morning (the scene "Exercise") and splits off with a new decision menu after waking up. Your choices are either to get up (Emi's existing track version) or sleep in (the following script)

    #choice made to sleep in.

label en_AM1:

    "I guess it wouldn't hurt to sleep in a little today. After all, I did get up for yesterday's run."

    "Either way, it’s too early to get out of bed, much less to go outside and run. I doubt the track is going anywhere any time soon."

    "I set the alarm to go off in half an hour and roll over."

    "…"

    "Just when I finally feel myself drifting off, the alarm dispels any hope of getting more sleep."

    "Reluctantly, I get up."

    "I might as well head out to the track now. Hopefully Emi will still be there, too."

    "Even if she isn’t, I doubt I'll need any help with just running a couple of laps."

    #Switch to the track.

    "When I arrive at the track, I see a girl already running, though it’s clearly not Emi."

    "She looks like she’s been running for a while. Her dark skin is glistening with sweat, and her long legs and flowing hair make her quite a sight. I can’t help but stare as she runs by."

    "Soon, my eye catches the bandages she has wrapped around her left wrist, covering up the stump that she has instead of a hand."

    "I recognize the girl from my class. It’s not hard to notice a girl who's missing a hand, even in a place like Yamaku."

label en_AM1a:
#if did self introduction

    "It's funny, though; when I first saw her, that wrist was the first thing I noticed. Now it's the last."

label en_AM1b:

    "As she rounds the corner, she gives me a wave and approaches me."

    #show Miki

    mk_ "Hey, new guy! Come to watch me run, have ya?"

    hi "Well, not exactly… I just came out to get some exercise."

    mk_ "Ah, so that's what the outfit's for… I hate to break it to ya', but I don't think you'll find anyone to play soccer with this early in the morning."

    "I look down at the old uniform I'm wearing. Sure, it's out of place on a running track, but they're the only sportsclothes I have."

    "It's only after she flashes me a playful smile that I realize she's trying to make a joke, so I decide to let it slide."

    hi "Actually, I was supposed to run with a friend. Doesn't look like she's still here, though."

    mk_ "Ah, so you’re the mystery person Emi was waiting for earlier. "

    hi "Yeah I guess that'd be me. Sorry, I know you're in my class but… What’s your name?"

    #Miki wink

    mk "I’m Miki Miura, Mister Nakai. You should at least try to learn the names of all your classmates, or else you might hurt their feelings."

    mk "And speaking of hurt feelings, you should also apologize to Emi. She was pretty disappointed that you didn’t show up."

    "I'll have to make sure to do that the next time I see her. I just hope she won’t use those puppydog eyes on me again."

    hi "She’ll be even more disappointed if I don’t run today."

     mk "Why don't you run with me, then? It's more fun than running alone."

    "I consider the offer, but judging from the way she was running earlier there's no way I could keep up with her for very long. I don't want to ruin her workout by forcing her to slow down for my sake, either."

    hi "Thanks, but I've only started running yesterday. I doubt it'd be much fun for you to run with me."

    mk "Oh, don't worry about that! I was about to start cooling down anyway, so it's no problem if we take it slow."

    mk "Come on, I won't bite."

    hi "Alright, if it's really no trouble…"

    mk "Don't worry about it. Besides, there's not too many students here who're like us, so we might as well stick together."

    hi "Like us?"

    mk "Yeah, you're new to the whole disabled thing too, right?"

    "Transferring into this school the way I did surely would have given that away by now. It seems strange that she would try to reach out to me with this of all things, though."

    hi "I guess you could say that."

    "According to the doctors I was born with my heart condition. It feels pretty weird to think of it that way, as if I've only just realized I have always had a tail or something."

    "Miki gives me an encouraging smile in response."

    mk "Alright! Since you said this is only your second time out here, I guess it's safe to assume you still have to build up your endurance?"

    hi "Yeah, that's right."

    mk "Alright, don't worry about going fast then, just run for as long as you can"

    extend "… after you stretch, of course. Wouldn't want to injure yourself, right?"

    hi "Right."

    "Miki shows me a few simple stretches and I follow her lead. Once she's satisfied that I'm ready, the two of us begin making our way onto the track."

    "I begin jogging at a speed that feels like I should at least be able to keep it up for a while, and Miki effortlessly adjusts, running alongside me."

    mk "So how come you transferred here so abruptly?"

    "I know she's just trying to be friendly, but she can't possibly expect me to keep up a conversation when I'm having enough trouble keeping my breathing steady as is."

    hi "Things just happened that way, I guess."

    "I don't want to admit it's too much for me to talk while running. Maybe if I keep my answers short she'll take the hint."

    "We round the curve marking our first half lap, and already it's getting difficult to breathe through my nose."

    mk "I guess, but it must be hard to just jump into things like you're doing."

    hi "I'm just glad to be out of the hospital."

    mk "Hospital? Just how long did they keep you in there if you'd rather be catching up on schoolwork?"

    hi "Couple months."

    mk "No wonder, then. Why were you in there anyway, if they kept ya' for so long?"

    "I'm beginning to pant. I feel pathetic, we've barely run one lap. The last thing I need is to talk about the very reason I'm running now."

    hi "Rather not… Say."

    mk "I understand, guess it's something personal huh? Sorry for askin'."

   mk "So how'd you end up running with Emi? Since she's in a completely different class and all."

    hi "Nurse… Set it up."

    mk "Ah, should've known. I heard those two knew each other even before Emi enrolled here."

    "I manage to make it halfway into a second lap. My legs are starting to hurt and my breathing's only getting worse, but somehow Miki's efforts at keeping a conversation going are making it easier to last."

   "At least she seems to have picked up that I'm in no state to answer her questions any further."

    mk "You're doing alright so far, keep it up!"

    "I don't feel like I'm doing alright at all. It feels patronizing for her to tell me I am, but I'm in no state to argue."

    "I make it through one more bend, though by now I'm trying to breathe more than I'm trying to keep going."

    mk "Come on, think you got one more lap in ya'?"

    #THUMP

    "I stop running immediately while I reach for my chest. It feels tight, a sensation that I've felt before, and it's terrifying."

    "Miki keeps going and starts calling back to me, seemingly unaware of what's happening."

    "I have to calm myself down."

    #shuteye

    "I close my eyes and focus on slowing my breathing, hoping the pain will go away."

    #thumps slow to a stop

    "Eventually, my heartbeat begins to settle again."

    "The pain recedes, but it’s left a strong impression. I can’t be reckless like that."

    #openeye

    "When I open my eyes, Miki is standing in front of me, her expression filled with worry."

    mk "Hey, are you okay?"

    #Choice menu

label en_choiceAM1:
menu:
    with menueffect

    "The look on my face must be telling, since Miki only looks more concerned."

    "I have a heart condition.":
        return m1 #continue to AM1c

    "It's fine, I'm just out of shape.":
        return m2 #jump to AM1d

label en_AM1c:

    #Choice: Tell the truth

    "I don’t like worrying her, so I might as well tell her the truth."

    hi "I… I pushed myself too hard."

    "Miki looks like she’s about to say I’m not telling her the whole story, so I continue."

    hi "I was transferred here because I have a heart condition. That’s why I’m supposed to run now, so that the exercise will strengthen my heart…"

    extend " but I guess this shows that overdoing it only makes things worse."

    "As the implications of what I’ve just said sink in, Miki’s face shows a combination of concern and regret."

    mk "Are you okay, though?"

    hi "Yeah, I just had a little scare, I think."

    "Miki looks relieved as I say it."

    mk "You’re not the only one who got scared. I should have been more careful with you, I’m sorry."

    hi "It’s fine, in hindsight I should’ve told you from the start. It's not like you could know what might happen."

    "I still feel shaken, but I don’t want to give that away. Making her feel guilty wouldn’t help anyone."

    mk "Now that I do, you’re done running for today. I don’t want you scaring me like that again, you almost gave me a heart attack!"

    "Her eyes widen almost immediately as she realizes what she just said."

    mk "Uhm, I’m sorry, that was a dumb thing to say."

    "It’s almost funny; I might have finally found somebody who shares my tactfulness when it comes to talking about people's disabilities."

    "Should it bother me that she considers me a disabled person? Or that I do as well? This place is already getting to me."

    hi "It’s fine, it’s just an expression. Thanks for lending me a hand."

    "Her eyes narrow for a moment, but then she laughs."

    mk "… Yes, an expression. Since we’re done here we should go see the nurse, just in case."

    hi "I can make it on my own, it's not like I had an actual heart attack. Just a close call, I think."

    "Miki looks doubtful, but I don't want to take up any more of her time."

    mk "Are you sure? It's no trouble. I'm used to walking people around, anyway."

    hi "Really, I should be fine. It's getting late anyway, you might miss class."

    mk "As if that's such a bad thing. Well, if you're sure you're okay I guess I'll let you head off."

    hi "Thanks again, Miki. I’ll see you in class, right?"

    mk "Yeah, see ya there."

    "And with that, I take the winding path back toward the school grounds."

    #Transition to hallway outside the Nurse’s Office.

    "As I traverse the empty hallway, I begin to feel even more nervous about seeing the nurse."

    "He already warned me about overexerting myself, so I can't imagine what he'll say when he realizes I did just that."

    #Sound effect of knocking on the door.

    "Cautiously, I approach the door, knocking just lightly enough to catch the nurse's attention."

    nk "Come in."

    #Switch to nurse’s office.

    "The nurse looks surprised, but I can’t tell if that’s because I’m here, or because I’m wearing my old soccer clothes."

    #nurse smile

    nk "Ah, Mr. Nakai! How are you feeling today?"

    hi "Well, I just went for a run and—{w=.5}{nw}"

    #nurse serious

    nk "Did you run by yourself, then? Emi told me you didn’t show up this morning."

    #nurse wink

    nk "Here I was, wondering what lecture to try next to convince you to pick up some good habits."

    hi "No, I overslept, so I got to the track half an hour late. I ended up running with a girl from my class instead."

    "He looks pensive for a moment."

    nk "This girl… would she happen to be Miki Miura?"

    hi "How did you know?"

    #nurse smile

    nk "There's only so many girls in your class who run, Hisao."

    "I can't argue with that reasoning, so I just nod."

    #nurse serious

    nk "Besides, I only know one person other than Emi who's that enthusiastic about running. The two can't even practice together anymore."

    "I don’t really understand the significance of this, which is something the nurse seems to pick up on."

    nk "You see, those two somehow manage to bring out each other’s competitive streak. Any time they used to practice together, it would inevitably turn into a race."

    "The nurse frowns and rubs his chin in contemplation, before his smile returns."

    nk "Anyway, I don’t think that’ll be much of an issue for you. How did the run go?"

    "The one question I wasn’t looking forward to."

    hi "It started out okay, but… I got carried away and I think I pushed myself too hard."

    "The nurse’s expression turns serious."

    nk "Did something happen?"

    hi "When I tried to force myself to run longer, I felt my chest tighten. I had to stop running and steady my breathing. It was only for a few moments though."

    "He makes a ruminative sigh, clearly not happy to hear about my incident."

    nk "I warned you about exactly this kind of thing, didn’t I?"

    "After regaining his composure, the nurse reaches for his stethoscope, motioning for me to take my shirt off."

    "His efficiency surprises me, and before long he tells me I can put my shirt back on again."

    nk "Well, it’s not as bad as it could have been. It’s a good thing that you stopped the moment you felt something was wrong. Still, I can’t stress enough that you shouldn’t push yourself too hard."

    hi "Does that mean I can still keep running?"

    "I’m not sure why I asked that question. Running isn’t particularly special to me, but it does feel like having the ability to do it is something I don’t want to lose."

    "The nurse grins, apparently glad to hear my response."

    nk "Of course, just go at your own pace, and don’t force yourself anymore."

    "I feel relieved. It’s good to know I can at least still do this much."

    hi "Trust me, I don’t plan on letting that happen again. Thanks for seeing me."

    nk "Hey, it’s what they pay me to do, right?"

    #sfx bell

    "Before I know it, I hear the school's bells ring to life. Looks like there's no way I'm making it to class in time."

    "As if he's reading my thoughts, the nurse grabs a pen and a slip of paper from his desk."

    nk "Here, a note for your teacher. To avoid an interrogation."

    "I take the slip of paper he's offering, appreciative of the gesture."

    "I turn to leave, but the nurse calls out before I can."

    nk "Oh, Nakai? If you’re going to start running with Miki from now on, please do me a favor and tell Emi so she won’t worry about you, alright?"

    "There is some way to get to the main courtyard straight from the auxiliary building, but I'm not keen to find out and possibly get lost, so I go out from the exit that I know works."

    "Once I finally reach the open air, I hang a left and head towards the dorm buildings. I'm already late, and I need to get myself out of this soccer uniform in any case."

    "I take my time gathering my books and changing into my school uniform before I head out to class."

    #jump to A29y

label en_AM1d:

    #Choice: Keep it to yourself

    "I feign a smile to keep her from worrying."

    hi "Yeah, it’s nothing. I must be in worse shape than I thought, I couldn’t keep up at all."

    "I try my best to sound convincing, but it does little to put her at ease."

    mk "Are you sure? That didn’t really look like just being out of shape."

    hi "Yes, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it, it’s not worth the effort."

    "She still looks doubtful, but either I’ve managed to convince her, or she realizes it’s not something I want to discuss."

    mk "Fine, but you should pace yourself from now on. Pushing yourself too hard too soon is a rookie mistake that only gets you injured."

    "Whether she’s suggesting she knows something is wrong, or she’s giving advice that she would give any beginner, Miki does have a point."

    hi "You’re right, I won’t let it happen again."

    mk "Good. I’m gonna grab a shower, I guess I'll see you in class?"

    hi "Yeah, I'll see you there."

    "I have to be more careful from now on. I don’t think I could accept dying from doing something that’s supposed to prolong my life."

    return #jump back into main storyline, same as if you never pushed yourself in Emi's route

label en_A29y:

    #from AM1c, classroom scene from A27 (scene No Recovery) goes here as originally written, with Hisao arriving late. When the lunchbell rings and Hisao enters the crowded hall, this variant of A29 (scene Foot and Mouth) begins

    emi "Hisao!"

    #show Emi upset

    emi "Where were you? You never showed up for our run!"

    "Emi looks like she's doing her best to look angry, but the effect is lost on me; instead, it just makes her look cuter."

    hi "I'm sorry, I overslept and ended up at the track half an hour late. But I did run!"

    "I haven't forgotten what the nurse said about Emi and Miki's rivalry, so for now, it might be best not to mention that I ran with Miki instead."

    #Emi happy

    emi "You did your run without me? Well, I'm proud of you that you went, but don't oversleep again, alright? I won't forgive you next time!"

    hi "Okay, I won't oversleep again."

    emi "Good, anyway, that's not the only reason I came to find you."

    emi "I'm going to make you a one-time-only, super extra special lunch offer!"

    #Original Foot and Mouth continues from here
    #Then, go on to scene 1-2