Part 71: 10/12/11-10/13/11

10/12/11

I think exams are making Chie a bit philosophical.



You know… Lately, whenever we're "over there," I've been wondering…
Does it feel like you've seen those Shadows before?
I mean, we've fought robots and stuff that look like they're right out of some anime, right?
Doesn't that bother you?
Now that you mention it…
Remember how our other selves had those logos like a TV show?
Maybe it was like that for the same reason as to why the Shadows look like something from the TV.
Teddie said before that the other world is related to our minds somehow.
People who watch the Midnight Channel believe it's a TV show, and we treat that world as "something inside the TV"…
So maybe that's why…
Or is it simply because all of us have had our brains soaked in television since we were kids?
Hmmm… I guess I can't really deny that…
I can't help watching Hong Kong action movies whenever they're on TV…

Mrs. Nakayama is really bitter and horrible, just to point that out.



Mrs. Nakayama: Why would anyone need to find a center of gravity in real life, anyway?
*sigh * It's soooo tiring coming up with stuff for the exams… All I wanna do is go home and play with my stocks.
Even one yen makes a difference in the world of stocks. So addicting, too… I gotta start saving more money!
Speaking of one yen… I've got an interesting fact for you.
Hmm… I'll pick on Satonaka-san! …Nah, Seta-kun!
How much do you think it costs to make a one-yen coin?

This was on TV a while ago when they were talking about government waste.



Mrs. Nakayama: Correct! It costs about two yen for every one-yen coin to be made!
It's so inefficient… By the way, the cost of making coins or bills decreases as the value increases.
Money isn't free, after all. I think I'll put this on the test that starts the day after tomorrow. Study hard!

It started raining in the afternoon. That Namatame guy just stands around town moping even when it's raining.



I can only do my best…
This is all I can do for her… This is the least I can do…

No clue. Anyway, I told the fox that I solved the guy's fear of cats.



Oh, and Nanako went shopping, so I made some lunch for tomorrow.



> There is a variety of food inside.
> Make lunch for tomorrow…?
> Surprisingly…
> You have the ingredients to make croquettes.
> You decided to make croquettes.
> ……
> You put flour, egg, then panko on the ingredients and…
> How hot should the oil be?

You always do this on high heat.



> it's frying well…
> Obtained Crispy Croquettes.

They're going to be good.

10/13/11

Midterms are starting tomorrow, as nobody can forget.



Lazy Student: Ugh… Midterms start tomorrow… But I feel sooooo lazy…
I can't believe you're so hardcore about studying for the exams, Senpai.
Are you sure you're gonna need to know all this stuff in the future?
Brisk Student: Well, you probably won't.
By the way, would you not say the word "lazy" around me, especially this early in the morning?
Lazy Student: Whatever… After exams, we have the Culture Festival.
There are more first-year students this year, so the festival could be more fun than it was last year.

Culture Festival, eh? Could be interesting, yeah. Anyway, I decided to eat my lunch with Rise.



> You ate lunch with Rise.
> You ate Crispy Croquettes together.
Mmm, good stuff! You're a culinary genius, Souji-senpai!
I've eaten a lot of things working in showbiz, but yours is the best!
Thanks for the lunch, Senpai.
That hit the spot!
> It was Rise's favorite!

It's funny because Kashiwagi is terrible but still less creepy than some of the faculty here.



I won't say who, but isn't that just wrong? I mean…
Who cares about a high school girl's measurements? It would've been much more interesting if they were mine, huh?
Organic species grow because it's necessary for both survival and reproduction.
You could say the same thing about the cute little plants, too.
Hmm… I'll pick Souji-kun since our eyes just met.
What happens to plants when you touch them?

I wasn't even sure this was true but it's what they always say.



*chuckle * Correct. You're trying to think from inside the plant's shoes, right?
When plants feel pressure from an outside source, they discharge a hormone that regulates their growth.
Hence, by talking to or petting a plant, it'll bloom flowers quicker than usual.
This process is called thigmomorphogenesis. Maybe humans work the same way… *giggle *
I want you to remember that, so I'll be putting it on the test that starts tomorrow.

The fox had a new request, written as a haiku.



Ema: I wish my wallet would return.

And I found the woman who'd written it around town. It was pretty obvious as soon as I talked to her.



Woman: I'm done for… I'm so hungdy, I'm seeing illusions… Aren't you handsome…
…O-Oh, I'm sorry. You actually are handsome. Ahahaha…
……
I lost my wallet the other day.
I can't find it anywhere…
My entire fortune… Even my seal… It was all in there.
How unlucky must I be…
My luck has left me, I really wish I had food. How my stomach growls…
*sigh * I made another haiku…
> The woman smiles and stares off into the distance.
> Perhaps she's the one who wrote the ema request the fox showed you.
> She wants to get back the money she lost.

I talked to her again to see if she had any idea where she might have lost it.



Wallet Misplacer: Withering, no food/memories of days gone by,/rejected kind words./O, why did I deny you?/Another stupid mistake.
*sigh * I made another tanka…
> The woman smiles and stares off into the distance.
Wallet Misplacer: Where did I lose that darn thing…? If I wasn't so hungry, I'd search every nook and cranny…
Maybe I lost it by the river?
Those rocks look like they're hiding bugs… …Maybe they're edible.

Down by the river, I did indeed find a wallet.



> It's a wallet.
> Obtained Round Wallet.

But it wasn't quite right.



Wallet Misplacer: ……
Some people have said:/"Prosperity is fleeting."/It is very true./I should be happy right now,/However I am dismayed.
Haha, thank you for your hard work… But sadly, that wallet isn't mine.
……
Get that wallet away from me! I'm fighting the urge to take it with all my will!
If I take that money and eat, my conscience will just drive me crazy!
> It seems the wallet you found at Samegawa isn't this woman's…
Wallet Misplacer: It's no use. I give up.
In order to feed my hungry kid brother, I'm gonna go work in the city…
In the turbulent neon sea, I'll wander the dangerous streets…
Tears and memories/within my pulsating heart;/I must now set sail./I'll sadly voyage afar;/O wind, see me off nobly.
So long, Inaba… I loved you so.
> The woman has completely given up…
> You wish you could find it for her…
> Perhaps looking in other locations will prove fruitful.
Wallet Misplacer: *sigh *
Maybe I dropped it when I went to check out the field… That scrooge, he coulda let me have one.
Isn't that land part of the shrine, anyway?

I headed back to the shrine to check the field near there.



> It's a wallet.
> Obtained Square Wallet.

She was still by the river fortunately.



Wallet Misplacer: I was too worried about leaving my brother…
Inaba city Is far from being peaceful. Woe is Inaba…
…I guess I'll find a side job here.
*sigh * If only I had my wallet…
…That! In your hands! That that that that!!
That's my wallet! You found it for me!?
> You gave the woman her wallet.
> She's frantically checking inside…
Wallet Misplacer: Th-This is it! My precious wallet!
My seal! My contract and deed, they're all here!
Hooray! Now I can go back to buying up plots of land!
The land of others/If I want, it is my land/Happens in a flash/That is the law of the world./It is my world, my way.
…I'm short one syllable. Maybe I've lost my knack for tanka. I'll just stick to composing haiku.
Thank you so much! Oh, yeah! I need to go say thanks to the shrine, too!

After that I ran into Kanji, who had finished what he was working on for that kid.



> It seems Kanji called the boy here…
Here.
> Kanji placed a bunch of knit dolls on the table…
> Each one with different clothing and accessories…
> They're… very elaborate.
Doll Boy: I can have these!?
Y-Yeah. If you don't need 'em, I guess you could just toss…
Doll Boy: Thank you!!
Oh, yeah! Mom said…
You should at least be paid for the materials… She gave me some money.
I-I said I don't need it!
I look like I'm in this for the money to you!?
Doll Boy: Mister, you're from Tatsumi Textiles, right?
Oh, uh, nothing!

We heard a familiar voice just then.



Ooh, dolls! These are so cute!!
What are these!?
Uh, well…
Doll Boy: This man made them!
That's amazing! You're really good!
She looked straight at me when he said "this man"…
H-Hey, Nanako-chan…
Don't go around telling everyone, okay? It's kinda embarrassing…
Why? I think it's cool you can make things like this.
I want to learn how to make them, too.
Oh… Well, maybe next time…
That okay with you, "big bro"?
Yeah, go ahead.
For… For reals…?
Er, I-I ain't that good at teaching…
> Kanji is panicking…
Oh, I as on my way to Emi-chan's house!
Teach me next time! Bye!
Doll Boy: I'm going to show these to Mom!
Thank you, Mister!!

They both left, leaving us alone.



About what "strength" really means.
I used to think it was doing what needed to be done, like a man…
So I thought for me, that was catching this damn killer. And I mean, that's important too, but…
There's something else I gotta confront too, ain't there?
Your past.
My past…
Yeah. I still ain't snapped out of it.
The stuff that "other me" said inside the TV world… That girl I made cry a long time ago…
I haven't gotten past any of it…
> Kanji is muttering to himself…
It ain't that easy to become strong, is it…?
> Kanji is looking far into the distance with a relieved look on his face…
> His face shines with a gentleness you've never seen before from him…

Still, he's taking the first step now.



I'm takin' off.
Mom saw the stuff I made… She's been hassling me about selling 'em at the shop.
The hell's a textile shop gonna do with stuff that's already been knit?
> Despite his words, Kanji seems happily embarrassed…
> You parted with Kanji and went home.

Exams start tomorrow. I'm not worried, though, they were easy last time.