Sawa Sudachi (Valentine Ver.) MSS

thanks bst for review
===============

My Beloved One
Sudachi: "(Today is the adjuster shop's day off! I'm going to go play with Mii-chan!)"

-1-

Mikage
.....Ah-!

Sudachi
.....Mu-!

Mikage
Sutan!

Sudachi
Fuumun!

[*Hug*]

Mikage
It's been so long~!
Huh? Did something change about you?

Sudachi
Fumu-mumunfu~!

Mikage
I see! Guess I'm imagining things.

Sudachi
Fumu-!

---

Mikage
~ Getting a message to come play out of nowhere surprised Mii. ~
~ Are you guys working near Kamihama now? ~

Sudachi
~ Yeah! In Takarazaki! ~

Mikage
~ And you didn't have to help them? ~

Sudachi
~ Mm, well, the day after tomorrow is Valentine's, right? ~
~ The adjuster shop has lots of events planned for it. ~
~ So while it might get busy, ~
~ Livia-san gave me the day off so I can "go have fun while there's still time". ~

Mikage
~ So that's what happened! Then today... ~
~ Let's forget about work and play as much as we can! ~

Sudachi
~ Yeah! ~
~ Ah, that building there is in Terapichi all the time, isn't it? ~

Mikage
~ That's 1090! The symbol of Sakae Ward! ~
~ 'Cause all the stylish girls go shopping there~ ~

Sudachi
~ When we were based in Kamihama ~
~ I thought I'd like to go there someday, ~
~ But I never once got to go. ~

Mikage
~ You did, did you! Then we'll go in today! ~
~ It still feels too early for Mii, so I've never been in, ~
~ But I don't know when the next time you'll be back is! ~

Sudachi
~ Yeah, you're right! ~

---

Mikage
~ Waah~! This is kinda cool, huh~! ~

Sudachi
~ It's so sparkly, like a festival or a party... ~
~ Yep, there's nothing I can afford here! ~

Mikage
~ Ahaha! Right? There's nothing we can buy! ~

Sudachi
~ But just looking is fun! ~

Mikage
~ I know! ~
~ ...Huh? Everyone's lined up over there. ~

Sudachi
~ Valentine's Special Booth, it says. ~

Mikage
~ Ahh, Valentine's, huh. ~

---

Mikage
.....
~ Now that I'm looking, it's all over the shops. ~
~ They're all doing Valentine's events. ~

Sudachi
~ They sure are. ~

Mikage
~ Everyone looks like they're having fun, but... It's got nothing really to do with us. ~

Sudachi
~ Sure doesn't... ~

Mikage
~ I don't really have anyone I like. ~

Sudachi
~ Me neither. ~

Mikage
~ The kids in my class all seem to give out friend chocolates, though. ~

Sudachi
~ I...have never done anything like that. ~

Mikage
~ It's a total waste of money! ~

[*SCREEEECH!!*]
["W-what the!? That car's lost control!"]

Sudachi
Fumu...?

Mikage
What's going on...

Sudachi & Mikage
――っ!?

Mikage
~ A Witch's reaction! ~

Sudachi
~ Then that car just now must have been from getting a Witch's Kiss...? ~

Mikage
~ Who knows! First we stop that car... ~

Sudachi
~ And then we beat the Witch! ~
~ Let's go! ~

Mikage
~ Wah! The heck's with your outfit, Sutan!? So cute! ~

Sudachi
~ Thanks! ~
~ I got adjusted to advertise the adjuster shop. ~

Mikage
~ Heh~ ~


-2-

Mikage
~ Ah - there! ~
~ Sutan! The Witch! Let's take her out in one go! ~

Sudachi
~ ..... ~

Mikage
~ Sutan? ~

Sudachi
~ Doing this... It's been a while, hasn't it? ~

Mikage
~ Ahaha, it really has! It's the return of the strongest grade school duo! ~

Sudachi
~ Ready, and... ~

Sudachi & Mikage
~ Kaboooom!! ~

Mikage
~ Yep, Mii's in top shape today! ~

Sudachi
~ Me too! ~

Man
Uu...uuu...

Mikage
Ah - looks like the person the Witch kissed woke up!

Man
Huh? What in the world am I...? More importantly, what town even is this...?

Mikage
Kamihama City!

Man
Kamihama...?
Ahh, right. I can faintly remember.
I was in the middle of driving the truck to deliver the ingredients for my store's sweets...

Mikage
You felt sick while driving, so you came here for a break!

Sudachi
(The truth is we stopped you while you were driving recklessly, but...)

Mikage
Mii and Sutan found you, so we were looking after you!
'Cause it's dangerous to sleep outside alone!

Man
Is that what happened?
You two really helped me. I ought to repay you somehow...

Mikage
Ehh!? It's fine, it's fine!
I didn't say that expecting something.
Ah, but you did say you were carrying sweets though, mister,
so now you've got Mii a little curious...

Sudachi
(Mii-chan...)

Man
Mm? Ahh, that's right...
It's not sweets, but ingredients, to be exact, though...
You want to check them out anyways?

---

Man
Here.

Mikage
Waah! Amazing! It's jam-packed with cardboard!

Sudachi
Fumu funmu fumumu...? Fumumu fumunn fu-mufumu?

Man
...Eh? .....Huh? Are you perhaps...

Mikage
Ah, ummm, is this for a candy store? 'Cause like -

Man
Y-yeah...that's right. I run a western sweets shop...
Well, I don't have the money to rent a truck or hire a driver,
so I have to transport my own supplies. It's just a small shop, though.

Mikage
That's amaaazing!

Man
Well, to get back to thanking you, how'd you like some of the ingredients?

Sudachi
Fumu-!?

Man
Hmm... Ah, maybe this will do.
Chunks of plain chocolate for businesses.
You could use them for homemade chocolates, since it's that time of the year.

[*Thunk...*]

Mikage
Wah - it's so heavy! We can take this much!? Sweet!

Sudachi
~ Eh, can we really accept this...? Though I could use it for work, I suppose... ~
~ But his store will be in trouble... ~

Mikage
~ That's true. ~
Is it okay? Your store won't go bankrupt, will it?

Man
Hahaha. I told you it's alright.

Mikage
It's okay! Hooray!

Sudachi
Fumu...

Man
I had a kid your guys' age myself.


-3-

Mikage
Where to next?

Sudachi
Fuumu...

[*Thunk...*]

Sudachi
Funmumu fumumun fumumu...
fuumunmumu, fu-mumufunmu.

Mikage
? I don't really mind, but why?

Sudachi
Fu-mumu. Fumu-mumu fumun...
Fumumu fu...

Mikage
Ah! Right, that's a great idea!

Sudachi
Fumu-!

Mikage
Then off we go!

---

Mikage's Voice
We're hooome!

Sudachi's Voice
Fumumu fumuuun!

Mitama
Mii? You're back already?

Mikage
It's been so long that we wanted to play at home.

Sudachi
Fumu-!

Mitama
Oh my, and Sudachi-chan too! It has been a while, hasn't it? Welcome!

Sudachi
Funmumufu!

Mitama
Say, you two. What's with the bag?

Mikage
Oji-san gave it to us! Chocolate!

Mitama
...?

---

Mitama
I see, that's wonderful, you two.
So as a thank you for saving him, you got ingredients.

Mikage
You got it!
And then Sutan said "let's make friend chocolates together",
so when we finish, we'll exchange them with each other!

Mitama
Oh my~ What a lovely idea!

Sudachi
Fumu-!

Mitama
I was just making chocolates to hand out at the adjuster shop,
so how about joining me?

Sudachi
Fumu-!

Mikage
N-no, that's alright, that's alright!

Sudachi
Fumu...?

Mitama
But you have to use the kitchen, don't you? The stove, the pots...

Mikage
We won't use the stove or the pots; it's fine!
Sutan and I already decided it would just be the two of us.

Mitama
Oh, you did say that. Don't let me interrupt you two.

Mikage
Huu...

Sudachi
~ Ah - you're turning her down? I'm worried with it just being us kids, ~
~ so I thought with your onee-san here we would be safe... ~

Mikage
~ You can only say that because you have no idea how dangerous Nee-cha's cooking is. ~

Sudachi
~ So she isn't good at cooking. ~

Mikage
~ It's not that she's bad. ~
~ When I eat Nee-cha's chocolates, my cavities... ~

Sudachi
~ You get more...? ~

Mikage
~ They get fixed. ~

Sudachi
~ Get fixed...!? ~

Mikage
~ The cavity germs die! That's how destructive that hell is! ~

Sudachi
~ Is that true? That's scary... ~

Mikage
But like you said, it's worrying just being us kids,
so we'll call our honorary Nee-cha to rescue us!

Sudachi
Fumu?

---

Rabi
I see. So you need my expertise...

Sudachi
Fumumun fumun.

Mikage
We're sorry~
We looked on the net first, but there's lots of stuff we don't understand...

Rabi's Voice
You don't always have all of the same utensils and ingredients as internet recipes,
so it can be surprisingly difficult to follow one.
For that point, I can follow along through our video call
and offer advice to any road block along the way, so don't worry.

Mikage
Rabitan's so reassuring!

Sudachi
Fumuu-!

Rabi's Voice
So, what kind of chocolate did you want to make?

Sudachi
Fumumufu!

Mikage
Yeah, that sounds good! Like what's on Terapichi!

Rabi's Voice
So prioritizing flashy, sparkly decorations, you mean?

Mikage
That's right! Like that!

Sudachi
Fumu-!

Rabi
Understood. A simple task.
I will provide you with perfect guidance remotely.

Sudachi's Voice
Fumu~!

---

Mikage's Voice
Like this?

Rabi
Ah - not like that. That does not mean do that!
Let me borrow it please!
No wait, this is remotely.

Mikage's Voice
Waah-!? My hand slipped!

Sudachi's Voice
Fumumu-!?

Rabi
See, I didn't say to do that! Are you okay?

Mikage
I'm fine, I'm fine. Almost flipped the whole thing over, though.

Sudachi
Fumu-! Fumumufumu.

Rabi's Voice
It just wobbled, then? That is a relief.

Mikage
Ah - that aside, the chocolate's looking pretty good, don'tcha think?

Sudachi
Fumu-!

Rabi Voice
Yes, despite the messing around, it is looking better than I thought.
You both are quite dexterous and have remarkable talent for this.

Sudachi
Fumu-!

Rabi's Voice
In comparison to Nayuta-sama...

Nayuta's Voice
What is it~?

Rabi's Voice
Ah - it's okay. I was not calling you over.

Nayuta's Voice
You didn't? Well, that is fine.

---

Rabi's Voice
I will say this is good enough.
Next is to put it in molds and add the decorations.
The chocolate you mixed makes about 6 cups of chocolate.

Sudachi
Fu-mun. Fumumufun...!

Rabi's Voice
So, do you have ingredients there?

Mikage
Ah, it's not that there isn't enough. It's more like we have too much...

---

Rabi's Voice
I see, this is the situation we are in... I'm positive that if you tried to use it all up,
it would make around 100 cups of chocolate.

Sudachi
Fumu-!?

Mikage
So that's how much.
I had no idea how much chocolate is needed to make one piece...

Sudachi
Fumu-fumumu...

Mikage
Right... We can't leave any out...

Rabi's Voice
It depends entirely on how much effort you two can muster...
But if you don't want any left over, you could make all of it and hand out the extras.

Mikage
That is true. Why don't we hand out the extras we don't exchange?

Sudachi
Fumu, fumumu?

Mikage
To who? Well, to..... To who?

Rabi's Voice
There is no need to limit yourselves to sweethearts or friends.
Whether it is someone who helps you every day or just someone you know,
if you think they are important to yourselves, I think you should give to them.

Mikage
I see! Then we'll give one to Rabitan.

Rabi's Voice
Uu...I should have expected that from you, Mikage-san. Next snack time we'll have to splurge a little.

Sudachi
.....
(People important to me, huh...)

Sudachi: "Funmumumu fumufuu..."


============

Sudachi's Connections
Sudachi: "(Valentine's... There's so much to think about... And everyone does this all the time...)"

-1-

Mikage
So the person we give chocolates to can just be "someone who cares for us"
and doesn't have to be "a special someone".
Mii has lots of people like that!
Like Rabitan! And Nayutan!

Nayuta's Voice
I heard my name coming from the phone.

Rabi's Voice
Huhuhu...now what could it have been for? You'll have to wait and find out...

Mikage
Of course there's Nee-cha, and Mama, and Papa...
Jii-chan and Baa-chan are important too!
And there's Sensei who went on maternity leave!
Everyone is special to Mii, so I wanna give everyone chocolate!

Sudachi
(I see, I CAN give chocolates to people I live with.)
(In that case...I want to give some to Livia-san and Yozuru...)
(They're very important to me... And they take care of me...)
(Other than them...)

[Mii-chan is going to give to them,]
[but I wonder if I should give to Nayuta-san and Rabi-san too...]
[They've helped me a few times... And among the people of Kamihama, I do talk to them more often...]
[I don't know how they feel about me, but they are close to my friend,]
[so I should give to them... It can be my way to tell them to please continue looking after Mii-chan.]

[For the same reason, I would like to give to Mitama-san too. We've practically never talked to each other, but...]
[would it be weird if her little sister's friend just suddenly gave her chocolates...?]
[I don't know how to get a sense of these things.]

[And then there's the Tomorrow Shop's Obaa-san, and the kids I met there...]
[Ahh, but if I give to them, I feel like I should give to other Mahou Shoujo too...]
[Thinking back on it, there's a lot of people who have taken care of me, so even if it's just as adjuster to customer, maybe I should give to them too? I don't know.]
[Huh? I'm starting to think the 50 pieces from going halfsies with Mii-chan isn't enough...]

Sudachi
Fumu~!

Mikage
Ah, Sutan, something bugging you?

Sudachi
~ Yeah, a lot. I have no idea who I should give to. ~
~ There's maybe only a few nice people I'm really close to, ~
~ but I feel like there's around a hundred nice people I'm sort of close to... ~

Mikage
~ Totally! Mii knows that feel too. ~
~ If you give to this person, then there's that person... And then it goes on and on and on in your head! ~

Sudachi
~ There has to be somewhere to draw the line... ~

Mikage
~ Maybe...make an important person ranking to take care of that...? ~

Sudachi
~ Yeah... Give to the top 50 people... ~

Mikage
~ That's kinda tough, huh... ~

Sudachi
~ Yeah...I'm the one who brought it up, but I don't like this... ~
~ If the 51st kid found out, they would never recover from the shock... ~

Mikage
~ Like it would turn into ~
~ "why give to that kid when they don't hang out with you as much as me"... ~

Sudachi
~ Even though they would both still be important to me... ~
~ ..... ~
~ Relationships sure are complicated, with so much to think about. ~
~ It's so hard... ~


-2-

Sudachi
(Relationships are so hard because there's so, so many things to worry about.)
(I should just run away and give a chocolate to Mii-chan,)
(eat the rest myself. That's the easiest way to not leave any traces...)
(But...)
(I don't live like that anymore,)
(I swore not to...)

-Flashback-
Sudachi
[When I went to school, I felt like forming relationships was annoying and stupid.]
[I didn't even try to get along with anyone in class.]
[As a result, no one bullied me, so I didn't have to worry about anyone or the stress that comes with it...]
[But I was not "important" to anyone in the class.]
[When that man barricaded himself in and held our class hostage,]
[everyone chose me as a sacrifice.]
[This was because I never made friends with anyone. It was my fault...]
[Because I didn't have a good character, I was irritated by everyone and lost my cool.]
[I, by sheer chance of Kyubey appearing in front of me, had my wish granted.]
[This is what you call spite, isn't it?]
[The results of that spiteful wish were hundreds of times more tragic than if I had just been sacrificed.]
[My classmates left me behind. All dead.]
[What's worse, all the people around me didn't know about wishes and magic, and they saw me as a lucky survivor - a victim. They comforted me and treated me with kindness...]
[If I had built relationships properly, I know I wouldn't have been chosen as a sacrifice.]
[If I wasn't chosen as a sacrifice, such a wish wouldn't have happened, and my entire class wouldn't have died.]
[If a more proper wish were made instead, there would have been a good ending for everyone.]

Sudachi
(That's why I am the way I am at this point,)
(troubled by relationships with people.)
(Not giving out chocolates is absolutely unforgivable...)

Mikage
I don't want anyone getting into a fight or being sad...

Sudachi
Fumuu...

Mitama
Excuse me for listening in on your conversation,
but you two are taking this way too seriously. You should be more carefree.

Sudachi
Fumu?

Mikage
We're not irresponsible people like you, Nee-cha!

Mitama
Hmm. And here I had a nice suggestion.

Mikage
Tell Mii!

Mitama
If you don't want to rank all of your beloved Mahou Shoujo,
you can leave them in a place that they frequent.
You won't hand them out,
and can write a simple "feel free to take one".

Mikage
...Ah, I get it! That way the early bird gets the worm!

Mitama
Right - no trouble afterwards. And yet your thoughts will still be known to everyone.

Sudachi
.....!

Mikage
Then we'll separate some for our loved ones, some for the Tomorrow Shop,
and leave the rest with Nee-cha at her adjuster shop.

Sudachi
Fumumuu!

Mitama
Sudachi-chan...
I don't know what exactly happened to you...
But I had a difficult school life as well.
At times I tended to have extreme thoughts.
But you know, reality is that sometimes it's better to just go with the flow.
Not every person in the world is bad,
and more than anything, it gets exhausting.

Sudachi
.....
(I see...I was being extreme.)
(I kept trying to be alone. I was trying to reflect on it, but...)
(I would never become normal that way...)
...Fumumufun. Fumumufu!

Mitama
...Yeah, you're welcome.

Rabi's Voice
I am terribly sorry, you two.
What I told you caused so much confusion...

Mikage
That's not true, Rabitan! If you hadn't told us,
I wouldn't have thought about giving to Nayutan or Jii-chan and Baa-chan!

Rabi's Voice
To hear you say that is wonderful.
Well, now it's time for the decoration stage...
But do you have anything to add?

Mikage
Darn it, we have chocolate, but nothing to decorate with!

Sudachi
Fumumufun!

Mitama
Then I'll give you what I'm using.

Mikage
That's right, Nee-cha's making chocolates too.
What do you have?

Mitama
There's some tempera made with eggs and oil.

Mikage
The heck is that? Sounds good!

Rabi's Voice
Ah - please don't. That is a type of paint.

Mikage
M-Mii...isn't really in the mood for paint this year~

Mitama
Really? Then what else...

Rabi's Voice
Something more...normal...
You don't happen to have something like colorful sugar, do you?

Mitama
If that's what you want, I have some left over that I bought for our New Year's ozoni.

Rabi's Voice
For ozoni...? Why...? B-but that is usable.
Now if you have dried fruit or such, that would be nice to add some sourness...

Mitama
I just happen to have some I bought for the niboshi for Osechi.

Rabi's Voice
For niboshi...? Why...? W-well that's fine...

Mikage
By some miracle this is gonna work out!

Sudachi
Fumu-!

[*Ring♪*]

Sudachi
Fumu?


-3-

<February 14, Valentine's Day>
<Current Puella Care Location: Takarazaki City>

[*Chatter chatter...*]

Sudachi
.....

Livia's Voice
S-Sudachi~!
Could ya lend a hand with adjustin' ova here!?

Sudachi
F-fumu-!

Yozuru's Voice
O-oh no!
I meant to ask Sudachi to serve the food...!

Sudachi
F-fumu-!?

Yozuru's Voice
...As soon as you finish Sensei's task, please assist me.

Sudachi
Fumu!
~ I-it sure is busy... ~

Livia
~ Never expected this many'd show up... This is beyond anythin' I coulda even thought of preparin' for...! ~

Sudachi
~ Even though my promotion didn't even do well at all... ~

Livia
~ ..... ~
~ Look, see that customer waitin' her turn all polite? ~

Sudachi
~ Hm...? ~

Livia's Voice
That there's a flyer our head of promotion Sudachi made, ain't it?

Sudachi's Voice
Fumu...!

Livia's Voice
She still seems a bit wary of tryin' out adjustment,
but she maya come here willin' to give us a try
after readin' about our campaign written on that flyer
and hearin' about us through one of our regulars.

Sudachi's Voice
Fumu...?

Mahou Shoujo (Pink)
Ahh, I'm still scared to get adjusted,
but I see the other girls came here,
and since it's such a nice campaign, here I am too.

Livia's Voice
Took the words right outta my mouth, she did.

Sudachi's Voice
Fun fumu.

Livia
There was meanin' in your hard work promotin', Sudachi.
If ya keep at it, we'll get more and more regulars,
and that means more and more adjustment requests!

Sudachi
Fumu-!

Livia
Ya see, failin' once,
that don't mean the whole world's ending.
Look, that girl over by Yozuru. Watch this.

Sudachi
Fumu?

Yozuru
You are...
From the city we were based in before Takarazaki...

Mahou Shoujo (Blue)
And now I'm here.
You know, I'd already made some chocolates to give you.
Honestly, I never thought you'd up and leave just before Valentine's.

Yozuru
I am terribly sorry for the inconvenience,
though you have my utmost thanks for coming such a long distance over here.
Please enjoy your stay and unwind.

Mahou Shoujo (Blue)
You don't have to tell me twice~

Livia
Get it?
If ya build it up, yer reputation is sure ta come back ta help ya.

Sudachi
Fumu...!

Mikage
Sutan! Mii's here to play!
Wah - that's a whole lot of people!

Sudachi
~ Mii-chan! ~
~ Did you come here to help too? ~

Mikage
~ Nope, I'm here to play! ~

Sudachi
~ That still helps! Thanks! ~

Akari
Everyone at Puella Care, it's been a while. Good day!

Hotaru
Good night...

Ranka
Look, I'm just here to window shop.

Moka
Come on, Ranka-chan, we came here to thank them.

Ranka
(Did I piss off Moka or something...)

Livia
Thank?

Akari
When we went to Mitama-san's adjuster shop
there were chocolates left there that Sudachi-san and Mikage-san made.
They were so good that we wanted to stop by and say thank you...
After hearing from lots of people,
we found out you were next door in Takarazaki, so we decided to show up.

Livia
Thanks for the thorough explainin'. You're awful reliable there.

Akari
Ehehe~

Akari
But your store seems a little hectic, doesn't it?

Akari
Yeah... Are we in your way...?

Livia
Heavens, no...

Moka
If there's any way I can help, no matter what it is, I'll do it!
Heave-ho and away I'll go.

Hotaru
.....
It's dangerous for Moka to be alone, so I'll help out too~...

Akari
――っ!?
H-Hotaru is moving on her own... This could be a sign that a storm is coming...!
No, Moka-san, who the heck are you to be able to get a rise out of her...!?

Ranka
You're surprised as all hell at that?
(...I've totally become a Mahou Shoujo around these parts,  haven't I?)

Livia
Y'all don't gotta do a thing.
Just seein' yer faces makes me happy.
All these people bein' here's all thanks ta Sudachi.

Sudachi
Fumu-!

Yozuru
Sensei, this room is almost entirely linked with Sudachi at the center.

Livia
It sure is.
Not too long ago this woulda never been a thing.
And nowadays, even with all the people she's around, her nightmares have been gettin' less frequent...

Yozuru
Little by little, she has been changing.

---

Akari
Thank you for everything, Puella Care!

Moka
We'll visit again!

Mikage
Once it's night I'll send you a message!

Livia
Shop's finally cloooosed~~!

Sudachi
Fumuuu~~...

Yozuru
I too am completely drained.

Livia
.....

Sudachi
.....

Yozuru
.....

Livia
Mercy, we're gonna fall asleep stayin' like this.

Yozuru
I'll prepare a meal.

Livia
Nn~ but you're tired too, Yozuru.
How 'bout we just eat somethin' outta the can, grab some sweets while we're at it, and call it a day?

Sudachi
~ Ah, in that case! ~
~ I don't know if it counts as a dinner, but... ~
~ Here! To Yozuru and Livia-san! ~

Yozuru
~ Ohh, this is Valentine's chocolate. Thank you very much. ~
~ Did you make this yourself? How wonderful... ~

Livia
~ Thanks. ~
~ So that's what them Kamihama kids were talkin' about earlier. ~

Sudachi
~ Yeah, I made it together with Mii-chan. ~
~ Rabi-san gave us advice too. ~

Yozuru
~ Then allow me. For both of you. ~

Livia
~ Well then here's mine too. To both of y'all. ~

Yozuru
~ Oh? ~

Sudachi
~ It's an exchange party! ~

Yozuru
~ When you arrange them like this, the differences are remarkable. ~

Livia
~ Sudachi's is chock full o' kid's energy; real cutesy. ~

Sudachi
~ I pictured something right out of Terapichi! ~

Yozuru
~ I see, that is a fount of knowledge I lack. ~

Livia
~ Can I stick 'em with toothpicks? They look almost like takoyaki. ~

Yozuru
~ Ah - was that a little impolite just now...? ~

Livia
~ W-whaddya mean! ~
~ Comparin' somethin' ta soul food - there ain't a higher compliment! ~
~ It's like...sayin' it's equal ta my very soul? You could say. ~

Yozuru
~ ...I see, my apologies. ~
~ Ah, and Sensei's chocolates look expensive and decorated quite stylishly. ~

Livia
~ Ya got that right! These were hella pricey! ~

Sudachi
~ So good! Just the smell is yummy! ~

Livia
~ It was worth splurgin' a bit. ~

Sudachi
~ Are Yozuru's handmade like mine? They have cute hearts... ~

Yozuru
~ Yes, I read on the internet that this is the best way to express one's feelings for your love ones. ~

Livia
~ Didn't ya hand these out to our customers today? ~

Yozuru
~ Yes, as every one of our customers is important. ~

Livia
~ Heart-shaped, handmade chocolates for countless people, huh... ~

Sudachi
~ Yozuru... You'll get stabbed in the back one day... ~

Yozuru
~ Ehh-!? Why!? ~

Livia
~ Hearin' that expression come from you is a real surprise. ~

---

Sudachi
(Huu...)
(This year's Valentine's went in every direction, but...)
(This may have been the most fun one...)
(So would wanting even more...be greedy...?)

Yozuru
How may I help you, Sudachi?

Livia
What, it's like ya just lost all yer energy.
Somethin' ya left unfinished?

Sudachi
Fumu-!?
(How do they know...?)

Yozuru
Actually, I was curious, but...
The paper bag you took your chocolates out of earlier...
There's still something inside it, yes?

Sudachi
.....

Livia
Mm, forget ta hand 'em out?
Nayuta-chan's place, or... Tomorrow Shop or somethin'?

Sudachi
~ No, I gave to both of those places. ~

Livia
~ Then...? ~

Sudachi
~ These chocolates here... Are Okaa-san and Otou-san's... ~
~ It's just, when I was talking to Mii-chan about who I should give to... ~
~ Right when I was thinking about who is most beloved to me... ~

-Flashback-

Mikage
By some miracle this is gonna work out!

Sudachi
Fumu-!

[*Ring♪*]

Sudachi
Fumu?
(It's from Okaa-san...)

[Sudachi, are you doing well? We're doing great. When can we see you again?]
[It's a little difficult to convey this through a message, but we have something important to tell you... If you feel okay with it, please come see us again.]

Sudachi
.....

-End Flashback-

Sudachi
~ At that time, all I replied was "I'll go if I can". ~
~ I made chocolates for both of them, ~
~ thinking if I had spare time on Valentine's day, I could go. ~
~ But, today was a lot busier than I thought... ~

Yozuru
You couldn't bring yourself to tell us that.

Livia
What now, is that all?

Sudachi
Fumu-?

Livia
It's dark outside, but...what time's it?

Yozuru
Given that the sun sets early due to it being winter, it's actually only 19:00.

Livia
If we make a run for it now we oughta have plenty of time.

Sudachi
Mu...?

Livia
If we go now, before the date's up... You'll still be in time for the ol' 2-14.

Yozuru
...Shall we go, then? To Sudachi's home.

Sudachi
~ Ehh-!? ~

Livia
~ Sudachi, message yer mother. ~
~ Tell her "I'm on my way". ~

Sudachi
~ B-but, Livia-san, you're already exhausted from today... ~
~ And you have to work here again tomorrow, so driving all night and then going right back to work... ~

Livia
~ No bother ta me. I ain't a little girl... ~
~ All I gotta do is eat some sweet, sweet chocolate and I'm restored to full strength. ~
~ I'm driving right on through the night. Bring on the sleep dep! ~

Sudachi
~ ..... ~

Sudachi: "Fumunmumu, fumunmun."


============

Greeting the World Beyond Her Nest
(sudachi no aisatsu / 巣立ちの挨拶 - a word play on something like "Sudachi's Greetings", could also be written as Greeting Independence)

Sudachi: "(My home...the town I live in... It's getting closer and closer... I'm getting a little nervous...)"

-1-

[*Screech*]

Livia
...Darn it all, the road into the residentials up ahead's too narrow...
And here we're so close...

Yozuru
Whether or not we continue in this trailer... Turning around will be equally difficult.

Sudachi
~ It's a short walk to my house from here, so I can go on my own. ~

Livia
~ .....Honest, now? You don't...need one of us with ya?  ~

Sudachi
~ Yeah, this was all for me, so thank you for taking me this far. ~

Yozuru
~ Please do enjoy the night with your family. ~

Sudachi
~ Yeah! ~

---

Sudachi
.....
.....
.....

[*Sob...sob... Sniffle...*]

Sudachi
――っ!?
(W-what...? Is someone there...?)

Man
Uu... *Sob*...

Sudachi
(That man is...crying...? What's wrong...)
――っ!?
(He...)

Man
Hm...?
You...if I remember right, you saved me back in Kamihama...

Sudachi
Fu-fumu...!

Man
Who would've thought this would happen, huh.
To meet the kid from the city so far away again...
I'm from around here, though...

Sudachi
Fu-fumumun.

Man
Eh? So are you?

Sudachi
Fumu...

Man
――っ!?
...That's right. Back when you saved me,
it felt like I'd seen you even before that.
Now I remember...! You're Sawa Sudachi-chan...
You were my daughter's classmate, right...?

Sudachi
――っ!?

-Flashback-

Man
I had a kid your guys' age myself.

-End Flashback-

Sudachi
(Not "has", but "had"...)
(I knew it... If I came back to this town,)
(I had to be ready for encounters like this...)
(This man...my wish killed his daughter...)
(A family left behind...)


-2-

Man
You know, I...don't have any dream I want to become reality, or be like anyone.
My daughter...she was the only reason I had to live.
It was my reason for working tirelessly. She was my reason to keep going...

Sudachi
.....

Man
It's like I've lost my reason to live, you know.

Sudachi
(Being that hopeless while having a Witch's Kiss...)
(Is that why he was seemed so relaxed even after being saved...?)

Man
And all those little traces of her still remain. It's too much for me to go back home,
so night after night, here I am wasting my life away in the park.
What a hopeless adult, right?

Sudachi
Fu...mu...

Man
Come to think of it, you left your home and the whole town, didn't you?

Sudachi
Fumu...

Man
I don't blame you.
You had to watch something so tragic in person.

Sudachi
(You're wrong... I didn't just see it...)

Man
I know you must hurt, too, having lost so many friends...
Even lost your speech... It's painful to be in this town, isn't it...

Sudachi
(You're wrong...! Don't pity me like that...!)
(I'm not the innocent victim you think I am!)

Man
Since it's Valentine's, did you come to see your parents?

Sudachi
F-fumu...

Man
Ah, then those chocolates...

Sudachi
Mu...

Man
Knew it.
You made them with the ingredients I gave you, didn't you?
That's a very wonderful thing of you to do.

Sudachi
.....
(What he will never be able to get from his child...)
(I'm about to give to my own parents...)

Man
...Haha, no need to make things awkward.
If it helped in any little way, it was the right thing to do.

Sudachi
.....
(If, for example, I gave him half of my chocolates right now,)
(would he cheer up a little and start to feel better...)
(But would that really be a good thing...?)
(Probably not, right...)
(It would be offensive, and come across like it's for my own satisfaction...)
(That's what it would be...)
(And for me to even do anything for him,)
(that's overstepping it to begin with...!)
(All I can do to atone is... Get away from him...)
(Just go back without seeing my parents...)

Man
You're gonna leave without even seeing them?

Sudachi
...!

Man
You can't do that. Go see them. You don't have to worry about me.

Sudachi
Fumu...

Man
Since you survived.....

-Flashback-

["Carry your sins and die."]

-End Flashback-

Man
I want you to live past that event and forget about it.

Sudachi
(You're wrong!)
(Don't say such nice things for my sake!)
(But you don't know anything... So you can't help it...)

[*Wave...wave...*]

Man
Hm? Your smartphone...?

Sudachi
Thank you. Keep doing your best at work.
Goodbye.

Man
Haha...yeah, that's right. I have to "keep doing" my best.

Sudachi
(This is all I can do...)

Man
Alright, see you later.
...Did she see right through me? That I was about to throw it all away?

---

Sudachi
.....
(That man was nice to me, but...)
(It's only because he thinks I'm an innocent victim.)
(If he found out the truth about the incident, I'm sure he would also...)
.....
(I don't know who he was the father of...)
(But she must have been very loved...)
.....
(I'm sorry I'm the one who survived...)


-3-

Sudachi's Mother
Sudachi, welcome home~!

Sudachi's Father
Welcome back, Sudachi.

Sudachi
Fumu-.

Sudachi's Mother
Why don't we all start eating these chocolates you brought right away?
I'll go prepare them.

---

Sudachi's Father
That's right, Sudachi, look at this.

[*Signs...*]

Sudachi's Father
["I am. Sudachi's. Father."]

Sudachi
――っ!?
["Sign language! You're very good at it."]

Sudachi's Mother
["Mother is. Making progress. Too."]

Sudachi
["Amazing! Well, not quite there yet compared to me, though."]

Sudachi's Father
Hahaha, yeah, yeah.
Even though the three of us started learning it together, you mastered it in no time.

Sudachi's Mother
Sudachi has always been good at remembering things,
so compared to us... Honestly, the years are catching up to us.

Sudachi
["But just getting that far is great enough."]

Sudachi's Father
Well, as far as communicating goes I'm a little shaky,
but it seems like I can handle reading someone's sign language easily.

Sudachi's Mother
It's hard to always have to communicate through writing, isn't it?
So from now on you can use sign language to talk to us.

Sudachi
["Thank you. This makes talking way easier."]

Sudachi's Mother
What would you like to drink?

Sudachi
["Roastery Latte With Mocha Syrup."]

Sudachi's Mother
Hahaaan... ...That's cocoa, right?

Sudachi's Father
Looks like we still got more studying to do, huh!

Sudachi
Mufufu-!

Sudachi's Mother
Here, it's all ready.

Sudachi's Father
Then all together...

Everyone
[Kanpaiii!]

Sudachi's Father
Father's digging right into these chocolates Sudachi made...

[*Munch*]

Sudachi's Father
Mm! So good! You knocked it out of the park with these!

Sudachi
Fumuu-!

Sudachi's Mother
And the decorations are very pretty. I love just looking at them.

Sudachi's Father
You do really careful work, don't you? You've got skilled hands there.
But I have to apologize...
We only got sweets from the conbini...

Sudachi
["It couldn't be helped. I messaged you out of nowhere."]
["I didn't think Livia-san would actually take me here."]

Sudachi's Mother
That's right, we need to say thank you to Livia-san and Yozuru-san, don't we?

---

Sudachi's Father
So, Sudachi...

Sudachi
Fumu?

Sudachi's Mother
You got the message, right? About something important we need to tell you.

Sudachi
Fumu...

Sudachi's Father
And this is just a suggestion. We'll let you make the decision.
What do you say...we sell this place soon and we all move?

Sudachi
――っ!?

Sudachi's Mother
Actually, the two of us have been discussing moving for a while now...
We've been saving up money little by little.

Sudachi's Father
Adding in the bonus I got the other day, we're just squeaking by our goal.
But we still have a loan on the house, so finding a seller will be tough.
Doesn't mean it's impossible though.

Sudachi's Mother
So, Sudachi, what do you want to do?

Sudachi
.....

---

Sudachi
(I've always had a feeling that we would move someday...)
(But, having this talk now is a surprise...)

Sudachi's Father
You've already suffered enough...
In a town full of painful memories,
I don't think there's a need to stay here.

Sudachi's Mother
And if you do resume going to school, walking to a new one should be easier on you.
Hey, why don't we just forget everything and restart in a new town?

Sudachi
.....

-Flashback-
Man
I want you to live past that event and forget about it.
-End Flashback-

Sudachi
.....
(Their words are so grating to me.)
(As much as they want to spoil me...)
(It's all just the viewpoint of people who don't know the truth...)
(And they both want me to forget "about this"...)
(So...)
["Sorry. I don't want to move."]

Sudachi's Father
.....!
I...see...

Sudachi's Mother
You're still going to shoulder it all...?

Sudachi
["Yeah... It's unforgettable... But I also think I shouldn't forget."]
["Because moving away as if it never happened..."]
["I would never forgive myself."]

Sudachi's Mother
.....

Sudachi
["But also, that's not my only reason."]

Sudachi's Father
...What could that be?

Sudachi
["Right now, I'm on a journey" with Livia-san and Yozuru."]

Sudachi's Father
Journey...? Is that a metaphor for something...?

Sudachi
["Hmm, maybe half..."]
["That aside, I'm on a journey, but that journey will come to an end someday."]

Sudachi's Mother
Well...if you say so...

Sudachi
["When that journey ends, I hope you keep this house as a place for me to return to."]
["Because in this house, in this town I've lived in, I have lots and lots of memories."]

Sudachi's Father
...!

Sudachi
["There's no other place for me to return to but here."]

Sudachi's Father
Ahh, I...see now... Your parents were being thoughtless...

Sudachi's Mother
We were...
Sudachi's life doesn't revolve around that incident.

Sudachi's Father
Ever since you were born... It's been over 10 years now
that you've lived in this town, experiencing all sorts of things...

Sudachi's Mother
For her, that's been more than 90% of her life...

Sudachi's Father
I'm sure you've got precious memories of this town too.

Sudachi
["Yeah. There has been a lot of painful ones, but I love this house."]
["I don't want to forget "about this"."]

Sudachi's Father (*Wasn't tagged in this one spot in script? json pls fix)
I was so caught up in that incident that I ignored that.

Sudachi's Mother
We were both slaves to it, weren't we...

Sudachi's Father
Yeah...there's a difference between never forgetting and being controlled by it...
Sudachi seems set on not forgetting it,
but she's not letting it control her, she's moving ahead by her own will.

Sudachi
["I'm sorry... I know it's just as hard for you both to stay in this town as it is for me..."]
["And you even saved up so much money..."]

Sudachi's Mother
Huhu, don't you worry about that. If we don't use it, we don't use it...

Sudachi's Father
New car -

Sudachi's Mother
We can put it aside for your education and retirement savings.

Sudachi's Father
That's what I was going to say.

Sudachi
Fumu-!

Sudachi's Mother
You really have grown up, haven't you, Sudachi? Ah, is that also due to your journey...?

Sudachi
.....
(That may be true... That's probably why I got those words out...)
(Because I heard about Yozuru and Livia-san's past before...)
(Every experience has made me who I am today.)

---

Sudachi's Mother
Well, off you go so soon.

Sudachi
["Yeah. I have to be back early tomorrow."]

Sudachi's Father
Do your best out there.
Come on back any time you want, alright?

Sudachi's Mother
This is the place our Sudachi returns home to.
We'll never, ever forget "about this".

Sudachi
Fumu!

Sudachi's Mother & Father
Sudachi, have a safe trip!

Sudachi
["Otou-san, Okaa-san,"]
["I'm off!"]

Sudachi: "Fumumummu fumunmu, funmunmu."