Part 165: 11/9/09

11/9/09

I think I’m beginning to understand the reason I had to sign a contract committing to this power inside me that turns bonds into strength. Ugh, getting ahead of myself again. We had another transfer student today.



Gossiping Student: I heard the boy who’s transferring here today is a stud!
Loud Student: Really? Are you just messing with me?
Gossiping Student: No! I heard it from someone who saw him filling out the forms.
Loud Student: Which class!?
Gossping Student: 11th grade, Classroom F.
Loud Student: Oh… Well, that’s disappointing. But I’ll go check him out later!
> The first bell has rung.

Some guy who was living overseas.

Video- “Transfer”

Watch

> For some reason, there’s more chatter than usual amongst the students…
Alright everyone, today we have yet another transfer student…
As you know, this is our third. That makes it a hat trick.
> The class seems unamused.
……
…Please introduce yourself.

Ryoji Mochizuki…



I would be grateful if you could show me the ropes.
Female Student: …Hey, he’s kinda cute.
Student’s Friend: I was thinking the same thing.
Female Student: Not so loud…
> You can hear the girls whispering.
…Nice to meet you.
> ……?
> He seems to be looking in your direction…
Ryoji lived overseas for a long time because of his parents’ work, so he may not be used to all of our customs.
Be sure to explain them to him.
I’d be grateful.
Now then, you need a seat. Let’s see…
That one’s open. Second from the left, in the front.
Um… Ms. Toriumi? Technically, that seat’s taken…
You must be present to be a member of this class, so as far as I’m concerned, that seat is available.
Life is nothing but a game of musical chairs. The rest of you should be careful, too.
* sigh *
> ……?

Aigis seems to have a problem with him for some reason.



Good morning.
I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name…
…You are dangerous.
Dangerous? I haven’t even asked you out on a date yet…
A date…?
……
……?
Aigis, what’s wrong with you?
Haha… Rejected from the start. You’re an interesting girl…
* sigh *
Your teacher understands, Aigis…
You haven’t had very long to be the “new student,” and already you have to share the spotlight.
* sigh * I wish your classmates would pay attention to me for a change… Hey, are any of you even listening?

I meant to try and find out why but I got sidetracked at lunch.



Good timing. Are you free today?
I’m free.
I see…
Then… I want to see you.
I’ll be downstairs after school…
…I-I’ll see you later.
> Maybe you should spend time with Akihiko after school…

And then further sidetracked when the trip came up. I’d almost forgotten about it honestly.



Anyone who doesn’t settle down will be left out of the school trip next week, got it?
Good… Now, let’s begin today’s lecture.
Where did we leave off last time…? Oh, forget it. I’m not using the textbook.
“Indeed, ‘twas I who found the corpse…”
…I’m not going to say it again: be quiet! The students who want to pay attention can’t hear!
If you must gossip about Ryoji, you can wait until the break, or ask him then yourself!

Anyway after class was over Junpei dragged me over to talk to Ryoji.



C’mere, over here!
> …?
> Junpei beckons you over.
What’s the matter?
You know the new transfer student, right? Has he been introduced to you yet?
Anyways, this is Aelita Tolstoy.
Hello.
She transferred here earlier this year.
Oh… I see. I’m Ryoji Mochizuki. Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you, too.
……
Hey, what’s wrong? What’re you gaping at?
Huh?
Oh, um…
I just got the strangest feeling when I looked at Aelita-chan…
……
It’s like… I don’t know… nostalgia? Have we met before?

So anyway back to what I was saying earlier, and the first problem with this damn power.



Th-That’s not how I meant it…
……
Anyway, I hope we’ll get along.
> Ryoji gently offers his hand…
> …You went with the flow and shook it.
> You’ve been introduced to the friendly transfer student, Ryoji Mochizuki…

These bonds… I’m not even sure if my choices are affecting them or the other way around anymore. How would I even know if they were?



I get the feeling that we’ll become good friends.
I’m looking forward to chatting with you more.
You are a threat!
> …Aigis suddenly appears from somewhere.
Ryoji-san, please step away from Aelita-san!
…Oh, um, Aigis-san.
Would it be all right if I stood closer to you, then?
Absolutely not!
Yikes… What’s all this about…?

Aigis senses something’s wrong, and even though I don’t I do trust her so there must be something. And even knowing that I still feel like I want to be friends with Ryoji.



I have re-analyzed him and detect nothing out of the ordinary. However, I have a “bad feeling” about him.

Anyway this nicely flows into problem two.



If you want…
…Do you want to come to my room?
> Akihiko’s face is red…
> …You decide to go to Akihiko’s room.

I was wondering how it was that I could love someone who loves me twice over and still feel so… unsatisfied.

Video- “The Star”

Watch

Sorry there’s nowhere to sit except the floor…
Maybe I have a cushion somewhere…
Oh, you want something to drink?
It’s all right.
O-Okay.
> Akihiko is restless…
Err… My room doesn’t weird you out, does it?
It fits you.
You think so? That’s good.
> Akihiko seems relieved…
Though… I guess that means it’s me, not my room, that’s weird.
This is all new for me…
Never had a girl in your room?
O-Of course not.
I mean… I never thought I needed a girlfriend or anything.
……

But all the oceans of the world can’t fill a bucket with a hole in it.



> Akihiko seems embarrassed, but he laughs…
I wanted to give you this today.
Will you take it…?
> Obtained Rabbit Doll.
Don’t you think it looks like you?
What’s with that face? It looks just like you…
……
There was a time when… I thought I was just seeing Miki in you.
But when I bought that… I knew then that wasn’t the case.
Passing by toy stores always made me think of Miki.
But I still kept trying to forget her. I didn’t want to face what happened…
I kept telling myself I was doing everything I could…

It’s like I’m filled with a desire to get close to people, to know and accept who they truly are.



And then I thought about Miki…
I thought about her smiling…
If it hadn’t been for you, I might never have gotten over it.
I would’ve just pretended that I did…
Whether things have been painful, or happy, or sad… You’ve always been there for me.
You should know that if you’re ever going through hard times, I’ll be there for you too.
From now on, we have each other…
……
I… I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but…
Aelita…
You mean a lot to me…
…I love you.
> Akihiko has honestly confided in you how he feels…
> You sense a strong bond with Akihiko…

But even though I should be happy with how things are, it just hurts.



No matter how much love I try to give someone, it’s like I can’t give them as much of myself as they deserve because of this stupid power.



I wonder how things would’ve gone if you hadn’t come here…
…Uh, I mean, Port Island in general, not this room.
D-Don’t think I’m gonna lose control or anything because I let you in here…
…Come on, don’t laugh like that.
Aelita…
…You’re the only one I can act this way around.
Would you mind calling me… Aki?
Come on, let me hear how it sounds.

But maybe that’s enough. Even though I can’t give my whole heart to anyone doesn’t mean I don’t care, doesn’t mean I can’t be the me that they want me to be. And maybe it’s happiness enough just to see those I care about happy.



…Thanks.
……
I’ll be sure to make you happy.
In time, I hope you can find even more about me to love…
> ……
> You spent a long time with Akihiko…

Ugh, I just went back and re-read all that crap I just wrote and I have no idea what half of it was even supposed to mean. I mean why should I be worried about making friends with some new guy?



That Ryoji’s a pretty nice guy.
But Ai-chan was all paranoid about him… I wonder why.
Ryoji-san is no good.
That’s all she keeps saying, too…

I mean yeah Aigis doesn’t like him.



There is something about him…
I don’t know exactly what, though.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean anything is wrong other than he’s kind of a weirdo.



He’s got all the girls lovin’ him…
I’m glad I finally have a rival that can stand up to my good looks!

And I know I love Aki.



He is very strange…

So maybe it’s just me being weird that I feel like I don’t love him as much as he deserves.



Well, he’s pretty good looking, so a lot of them probably don’t mind.
Unlike Junpei, who couldn’t get a girl if he was the last guy on the planet.
I heard that, Yuka-tan! How dare you say something like that about this hunk of burning love!
…Hunk of what?

So yeah hell with all this introspection, I’m going to take Koro-chan out for a walk.



> Koromaru dragged you here…
Arf.
> Koromaru ran off behind the shrine…
> …He returned with something in his teeth.
……
> Koromaru is looking up at you with his big eyes…
> You took what Koromaru was holding.
> Obtained Dirty Collar.
Is this yours?
Woof.
> Koromaru is wagging his tail…
> It seems he wants you to hold on to it…
Thanks.

And then when I get up tomorrow it’ll be a brand new day.



> Koromaru is happily running around in circles…
> But… a collar?
Want to wear this?
* whine *
> Koromaru is shaking his head…
I can hold on to it?
Woof!
> Koromaru answered energetically…
Will you stick with me?
Woof!
> Koromaru is wagging his tail…
> He’s looking straight at you with his big eyes…
> This must be Koromaru’s resolution…
> Koromaru will follow you for sure…
> …no matter where that might lead…
> That’s how you feel…

And I’ll be happy because I know I have people I care about who care about me.



Whether I deserve it or not…



Arf.
> Koromaru is running about the shrine while wagging his tail…
> You decide to play with him a little here…
> It’s getting late, so you decide to go back to the dorm together…