Part 65: 7/5/09-7/6/09

7/5/09

Got a call from Rio earlier, she wanted to hang out for a while.



It’s okay.
Do you want to go somewhere today?
Great! I’ll see you later.
> Rio seems excited…

We headed down to Hagakure.



The special at Hagakure tastes great whenever you have it!
> Rio is eating the ramen contentedly…
Kenji’s a big fan of Hagakure too, so every now and then he takes me along with him.
That guy’s a total ramen geek. He goes on and on about ramen!
> Rio is laughing…
To tell the truth… I haven’t really spoken to Kenji since then.
Kenji’s pretty dumb, so he doesn’t notice at all, but I feel so awkward around him…
…Do you think I’ll eventually be able to talk to him like before?
Definitely.
…Yeah, you’re right.
It’s odd, but hearing you say that is a relief.
> You sense gratitude from Rio…
> Today, you learned something new about her.

I still had some sugar cookies, so we shared them.



Let’s see…
Wow, what is this!? Is it handmade? It looks so good!
Thanks for the food!
…Yep, it’s super delicious! You’re like a pro!
Thanks! I’m looking forward to tasting some more someday.
> Rio seems to really love the present.
> It’s starting to get dark out.
> You decide to go back to the dorm.

Bad news tonight.



Narrator: Episode 20: Married Life! The feat—
Newscaster: We interrupt this broadcast for an important announcement.
The missing elementary school girl has been found.
However, her slack expression indicates that she may have fallen victim to Apathy Syndrome.

I wish we could have helped her, but the only way to do that now is to defeat the Shadow that’ll appear in a couple days.



I have no idea what kind of Shadow it will be, so make sure you’re ready for anything.
As the saying goes, “If you’re prepared, you won’t have any regrets.”

We have no idea what it’ll be like.



Junpei’s a bit worried.



…the Shadows have been getting stronger too.
How long can we keep this up?
What happens if we reach out limit and then totally get our asses kicked? Man, that would suck.

Akihiko isn’t, though.



…and that only applies to someone who’s a master.
Most people use it as an excuse. They say they’ve reached their limit, but in reality, they’ve just given up.
You can start by forgetting about reaching your limit. That’s the first step to getting stronger.

Anyway not much to do but wait.

7/6/09

It’s coming tomorrow.



Yeah.
Dude, I’m totally stoked… like right before a tournament or somethin’, ya know?
Now, I know how Akihiko-senpai feels before he gets in the ring…

Junpei’s kind of climbing the walls.



Luckily, that makes class go by a lot faster.

I headed to volleyball with Rio, we’re actually coming together as a team now.



C’mon, no walking! Show some hustle!
Member with Glasses: Rio’s made such a sudden comeback. We should call her a phoenix…
Short-Haired Member: Phoenix Rio… Why not just call her Rinix?
Member with Glasses: Phoenwasaki sounds good, too. Though it does sound like some kind of monster…
Hey, if you don’t stop flapping your jaws my next serve is going straight for your face!
Short-Haired Member: Ooh, bring it on! I’ll smack it right back at you!
> Everyone is talking now more than before, but they’re all enjoying the practice…
Member with Glasses: I guess in the end, I realized that Rio is a teenaged girl, just like us.
Short-Haired Member: Maybe we should ask her if she wants to join us on a group date… when it isn’t during practice.
I want to go, too!
Short-Haired Member: You’ve got someone already, don’t you? I’ve heard the rumors too. So, why not tell us more—
Hey, you three! Shut it before I make you do more squats!
> You finished today’s practice and helped clean up…

Rio’s really happy, it’s like a weight has lifted off of her.



Everyone was trying really hard to keep the balls in the court…
I really think everyone’s committed to the team now.
……
Well, no… I know they were all committed to each other the whole time.
I guess I only just now saw what we were missing.
I didn’t take the time to see who excelled in which positions…
Aelita… From the looks of it, you’re good at bringing a team together.
You’ve really got an eye for details. Seriously, you’re a much better leader than I am.
Thanks.
Let’s keep doing our best.
> Rio laughs…
> Rio seems calm, as if she’s matured a little recently…

I’m just glad I could help her.



Let’s clean up fast and go home! Oh, I know. Let’s stop by Wuck.
> The two of you had a meal at Wuck before you headed back to the dorm…

Junpei was still buzzing back at the dorm.



Tomorrow’s the day.
If we lose, then pretty soon the city will be full of The Lost.
…Just thinking about it gives me the willies.
We better win… It’s all on our shoulders…
Dude, I don’t’ know if I’ll be able to sleep tonight… If you wanna go to Tartarus, count me in.

I think some people are going to get their wishes granted tomorrow.



Newscaster: Many of the wishes hung up are requests that Apathy Syndrome be finally eliminated.

Akihiko’s almost as excited as Junpei.



I can’t wait to see what the next Shadow looks like.

The Chairman was around, too.



A Shadow will appear during the full moon…
That is very exciting for a researcher, such as myself.

Fuuka still can’t sense anything, I guess she can’t detect the Shadows until they reach full power.



…so we have no choice but to wait until tomorrow.

Tomorrow… We’ll just have to see what it brings.