Part 69: September 18 - September 20: XII. The Hanged Man

> All you can do now is wait for Naoto's recovery. What should you do today?

-Tanaka's Amazing Commodities-





-Like A Dream Come True-

> The hill overlooking town...You came here at Rise's request, as she says she likes it here.


I would just listen to the sound of the river, the sound of the birds, the sound of the rain...
I felt I could forget "Risette" and find myself that way...But...
Senpai, have you ever thought that you're pushing yourself too far, or that you were just acting...?
All the time.
Really...? Then you might even be a better actor than me. But I see...You've been through a lot, too...

> It seems Rise is a bit relieved.

I feel like I've been able to relax after coming to Inaba. Meeting all of you, laughing together...Watching the store, reading comics, playing with the cat...When I was at my parents' house, I was on my best behavior around them...Oh, but Grandma doesn't ask me anything. Y'know, like why I quit or what I'm thinking of doing next...
She just talks about tofu. She says...I'm like tofu. I had to ask her what that meant. The way she explained it...Tofu looks weak and fragile, but it's actually pretty resilient. Even though it stands out because it's not like any other food, it can be mixed in with any recipe or flavor...Tofu is incredible. I'm nothing like that...I...I was actually bullied at school before I made my debut. I wasn't good at talking, and always looked at my feet...
I was alone the entire time...But I didn't have a problem with that. No one expected anything of me. And then...the application my relative sent without telling me passed the first audition.
I wasn't interested in being an idol, but...I wanted the chance to change myself. And just by chance, I won. Haha...When it happened, I panicked, thinking maybe I should turn their offer down. Then I thought...if I appeared on TV, I could make friends...That was literally the only reason I went through with it. After a while...I realized something. The person everyone likes, the one they say "hi" to on the street? That's not the real me. Risette is the one everyone likes...The fictional character they sold to the public.
...It's the same with you, isn't it? You don't have to deny it...I won't be mad. You're with me right now because I'm Risette, yeah?
No.
...I'm sorry. That wasn't a fair question...But I'm happy you said so.

> Rise smiles weakly...

When I got back to school after my debut, no one bullied me. I was happy at first, with people I didn't even know talking to me...But they weren't suddenly interested in Rise Kujikawa...They wanted to hang out with Risette. The bullying stopped, but...I felt like none of them saw the real me.
In my heart, I've always thought..."This isn't the real me." Funny, huh? I was the one who wanted to change, and...
But none of that matters now! I'm done being Risette! Now I have people who know the real me. Plus, I have power that can help everyone...I love that! This time, I'm going to change into a Rise that everyone can like! Keep an eye out for her, Senpai!

> Rise is smiling...





Rise will now restore 5% of the team's HP after each combat.

> You walked Rise to her house and went home.



-Sky Full of Stars-



An almost legendary weapon. Isn't that right, Zach?



Cats have been demanded, and cats shall be provided.



> ...You tried communicating with the cat. Interacting with the cute little cat has calmed you and instilled you with a sense of gentleness.

The most sure-fire way to become a more charismatic and compassionate person: stand out in the street for an hour or two going "WHOSUM KIDDUMS DEN." Unfortunately, that's pretty much all there is to spending time with the cat. I'll see how many cats I can accumulate, but I'll skip screenshots until I feel I have an acceptable amount. If I don't show anything happening on an evening, you can assume it was Cat Night.





There's only one thing for a decent person to do on Respect for the Aged Day.

-Heartbeat, Heartbreak-



Fine, two things.

> The man is covered in scratches...

Ailurophobe: The Red Goldfish you gave me...Thanks to that, the kitties were all over me! Ooh, those kittie-witties were soooo cute! The feeling of their soft fur is great! I almost want to get married more for the cat than Miyoko-san! Ooh, I want a kitty-kiss!

> You accomplished the request written on the ema! You should report to the fox...

I don't think I want to claim any responsibility for that.


Haha...I'm no good. I said I didn't want to see you, and yet part of me was hoping that you would come anyway. I'm happy that you did...If it's all right with you, shall we talk?

-Traumerei-


Being noncommittal...floating around, never deciding to be one thing or another. Can a man understand that?
I don't get it.
It's not so bad, as feelings go.

> Hisano smiles cheerfully.

I just remembered something...Before we were married, you remember that my husband and I could only meet once a year, yes? So we exchanged letters, all the time. I'd wait by the mailbox every day, wondering when his next letter would arrive...The days one came would fill me with joy, but I also felt that reading it immediately would be wasteful. But I wanted to write my reply so badly, so I would grow impatient and read it carefully, over and over.
Letters? How inconvenient.
I suppose you would think so, today. But when you write a letter, it's like setting your feelings in stone. It's more than just words; it's your heart.

> Hisano smiles.

When you find yourself somebody to love, try writing a letter for them. Just one line can convey so much more of your feelings than a hundred speeches.

> Hisano smiles nostalgically...You can feel some of the loneliness she is bearing...


But you know what? I've lost the letters he'd sent to me. I thought I kept them in a safe place...Well, I suppose I don't need them anymore, anyway.

> Hisano looks sad...Maybe having those letters again would cheer her up...You left Hisano and went home.



-Youthful Lunch-


Oh well. We've got practice today, right? I'll see you around.

-Specialist-


Mr. Kondo: Did you all take good care of your elders? I sure did! My grandmother is over 90, but she still gets out and sweats by playing gateball! I just know she's gonna live over 100 years! Heck, she's almost there! I wish her all the best to reach 100!...Oh, Genjo! You're a city boy, you might know this! What do you call somebody who's between ninety and one hundred years old?
A nonagenarian.
Mr. Kondo: Wow, I'm amazed by that brain of yours, Sanzo. Are you close to your grandparents? A nonagenarian is somebody in their nineties. I learned that from Mr. Hosoi. Interesting, huh? Say, why don't we practice gateball so you'll be able to play it with your elders!?

-Your Affection-


They say it's all in the first impressions. How would you handle it?
I wait for them to hit on me.
"And I wait quietly, without saying anything about wardrobe malfunctions or getting 'bear' naked or anything else. That part is key."
Ooh, so you wait for the girl to make the first move? Now that's my Sensei! Playing the waiting game! When I come to school, I get to hear so many different stories. It's all part of the charm of this place!
Male student: This guy's been the talk of the entire female student body. Something about him "tickling their maternal instincts." I wanna tickle him too...
Other male student: Hey, did you hear? That Hanako's laying down the law with the other girls. She said, "You better not go near Ted." What the hell did this guy do?


Hurry and find me. I'll always be here...


Ms. Sofue: I'm afraid I need your abilities once more...Ah, just what I'd expect from someone who understands the impact of history like yourself...The truth is, I'm thinking of making another dowsing instrument. This time, I need you to search for ore I can use to make a pendulum. If there is a rare enough metal out there, I'm sure I can make use of its power. Only problem being, of course, that rare metals are usually very valuable, and may not be easy to find...But you're something else, Sanzo. If anyone can find it, it's you. I will have a conferrable rare item awaiting your return and delivery.
I'll find it.
Ms. Sofue: Confident words. I'll leave it to you.


Wanna go somewhere on our motorcycles? I mean, I don't have a reason or anything...I just feel like since I have one, I should put it to some use. There's just days like that, you know?
Let's go to a hot spring.
The hot springs...? Isn't that kinda boring for a couple of high schoolers?
Although I HAVE been pretty exhausted lately, so a little relaxation might be a good idea. Alright, then, the hot springs it is!

-Like A Dream Come True-




But I gotta say it's not bad. You get to relax, take in the scenery together...
Though I gotta say that this is kinda more of something grandfathers do. Hahaha!
What? The future? Oh, uh...Yeah...I guess I kind of have an idea about what I want to do...

Yosuke's Bike Date skills--
Panic Boost: Increases Yosuke's chance to inflict Panic by 50%.
Megido: Medium Almighty attack.
Green Wall: Wind resistance for 3 turns.
Makara Break: Cancels enemy's Makarakarn--like Tetrakarn, but for magic instead of physicals.
Diarahan: Fully restores one teammate's HP.

-How Much?-


I found these strange letters in with what I bought. They're love letters! Don't you think it's strange? Throwing them away is a bit cold...And returning them to their owner is also kind of an admission of reading them...

> Are these the letters that Hisano had told you about before? You asked Daidara for the letters he found. Received Husband's Letters.

-Like the Jordan-

> Yasogami High gym...Today is the scrimmage game that you and Daisuke planned against another school...


More importantly, is Kou here yet?


I'm on the basketball team today.


Alright, they're here. The game's about to start, Kou.
Huh!? Wait, we don't have enough players!
I see five of us right here.
But...that's counting...you!?
Look, I know you think that no matter how hard you train, you're not accomplishing anything.
But you can't do it all by yourself. You've got us. And you've got the rest of the guys who showed up today. Don't forget that.





> Kou's skills are undeniable! But the opposing team is passing well...It's a close game...



> You're playing your best today! Your defense is tenacious, and you manage to prevent the opposing team from scoring several times. But the score is tied...There are only a few seconds left until the final buzzer...An opponent fakes out Daisuke and scores. Your team lost the game...

-Smile-

> Yasogami High rooftop...The three of you came up here after the game.


Sanzo and I were on fire out there, too...
......
I'm not surprised, though. I won't name names, but we had one guy out there who didn't even know what traveling is.
......
"No matter how hard you train, you can't do it all by yourself!" Is that how it went? Man, even after dropping a pearl of wisdom like that...
Shut up, dammit! Look, the whole reason we set up this match was for--
Haha, I know. It was all for me, right? Yeah. I feel...better. I don't know how to say it, but...I don't feel so alone anymore. Does that make sense?

> Kou looks up at the sky...

Lately...I've been feeling bad for my parents. They took me in and raised me, hoping that I'd carry on the Ichijo name, you know? But then Sachiko was born...and even if she can't carry on the name, she'll be the successor of the family. But what does that make me? I'm not related by blood, so do I even have a purpose? It's like there's no point in them even raising me anymore...Should I just leave?
Did they say anything?
No, they've all been really good to me. It's not them, it's me.
So you think just because they're not your real parents that they're not your real family?
In this family? That's a load of bull.
What do you mean?
If we can be family without being related, why are they getting a tutor for a two-year-old!? Why is it suddenly okay for me to play basketball!? I can quit my lessons, I don't have to go to the social gatherings anymore...Why would they tell me that stuff!? It means they don't need me anymore, doesn't it? That I've been replaced, right!?
......
Sorry...I know yelling at you guys won't solve anything...I'm gonna drop by the institute.
The institute? You mean...
Yeah, the orphanage.
What for?
I was thinking maybe I'd ask about my real parents.
I'll go with you.
Huh...? N-No, that's okay. I don't want to drag you into this.
If that's what you need to do, then do it. I know you'll be back.
Um...Well, th-thanks, man. Hey, about the game...When I heard you set it up just for me, it made me really happy. Thanks again, guys.

> Kou laughs sheepishly. The plan you and Daisuke made was a success...


...Too bad we lost.
Dude! Shut up! Sometimes you gotta lose a battle to win the war, or however that goes.
Haha, yeah, except we didn't win anything...

> You talked with Kou and Daisuke and went home after saying goodbye.