Part 51: Tennouji Nae is distrustful of mad scientists

(Fun fact: This is the latest point in the game from which you can access every ending from a single save file.)





Tennouji father and daughter come riding on a moped.

"I'm not your uncle. Call me nii-sama."

"Eh... Daddy, what do I do?"

"Okabe, what nonsense are you trying to feed my daughter?"

"Have you not properly educated her, Mister Braun? That child of yours called me an uncle. Please do something about it."

"It doesn't matter. You're such a picky guy. Nae, you don't have to listen to what this guy has to say, okay?"

"Okay..."








Sister Braun's about to follow him when--

"Ah."

She turns her attention toward the end of the street and instantly brightens up. When I try to see what she's looking at, I see Mayuri walking this way.



"Mayuri-oneechan!"

Nae rushes up to Mayuri with a happy smile. Just like that, she flies into Mayuri's chest.

"Good morning, Nae!"

"Good morning!"

They get along so well that anyone else would see them as sisters. After all, Mayuri has a special skill to get along with anyone - same age, older, younger - like a sister would. Nae keeps her distance from Daru and me, but she gets along well with Mayuri. She always jumps into her chest like this.

Daru complained (?) about that when he saw it.



"No wait. I can't just abandon having Nae jump ito her chest either..."

...or something like that.

"I'll give this to Nae. Welp, here you go♪"

Mayuri takes about three candies out of her convenience store bag and hands them to Nae.

"Wah, thank you!"

"Here, some for Okarin, too!"

She starts giving me some, so I take it silently.

"What are you doing sitting out here?"

"I'm waiting for all lab mems to assemble."

"Uncle Okarin, you have free time?"

Why you small woodland creature, do you have to be so blunt? You don't fear me enough, do you...?!

"That's not it, Nae. You know, I'm sure Okarin's probably busy thinking about something."

"Wah, I see..."

Nice comeback, Mayuri.



"Then, can I go nuke some yakisoba bread?"

"We removed the door, so it's impossible to warm things."

"Ah, I see... I'm disappointed... By the way, Okarin, did you eat breakfast?"

"Nope."

"Then how about we eat together? We can eat the yakisoba bread cold, and then boil up some cup ramen... Nae, wanna join us?"

"No, I ate breakfast."

"I see!"

Nae waves her hand a bit and returns to the Braun Tube workshop.



The stagnant air makes the room hot. Even if we open up the window and turn on the fan, there's not much effect.

"Daru and Cris haven't come yet, huh?"

"Yeah. They're not aware enough of their duties as lab mems."

Then, the sound of a breaking bicycle comes up from downstairs. When I look down the window, Working Warriors about to get to work. She immediately notices me glance, looks up, and waves.



"Tutturu♪ Suzu!"

"Oh! Shiina Mayuri, tutturu♪"

They seem to be hitting it off. That's just like Mayuri. Looks like she's getting along with Nae as well as Suzuha.

"Okabe Rintarou, what happened with Titor?"

"...Who knows."



"You don't seem eager. You asked him, right?"

"I asked, but I don't know if what he's saying is true anymore."

"Eh?! Really?! Which part?!"

Why is she so flustered?

"I see, so Working Warrior is a Titor otaku, huh."

I don't know if those exist, though.

"Ah, it's Cris!"





Kurisu's about to walk over here. That reminds me, doesn't Working Warrior have something against Kurisu? When I look at the situation, Working Warrior's demeanor clearly changed. She stars as Kurisu approaches, complete still. Exactly like she's silently going to pick a fight. Kurisu's got her signature Kurisu intent, so she nonchalantly brushes off that stare.



For a second, I was worried that they might start grabbing each other, but that didn't happen.

"Cris, tutturu♪"

"Good morning."

"What did you say to the worker downstairs?"

Kurisu shrugs.

"Nothing much. I said that if she wanted to say something, she should just say it."

I don't think that's 'nothing much'...

So it didn't become a fight.

"What did she say?"

"Nothing. She just groaned. I wonder what's wrong with her."





Daru briskly opens the door as he comes in.

"'I should've been the one to become Lab Mem Number 004 and spend a fun youth with everyone!! Dammit!' or something like that. 3D is scary."

"If she wants the lab mem number, she can just take it.



"I've got a passport. Where exactly is this certain country?"

"Mayushii thinks it'd be best if everyone got along~"

Well, I don't really care about Celeb Sev and Working Warrior's little quarrel, anyway. Only one thing interests me now: To investigate the mystery of D-mails.