Part 101: Tokimemo Girl's Side Chapter 11: I Won't Say (I'm in Love)
Tokimemo Girl's Side, Chapter 11: I Won't Say (I'm In Love)7/1: We're still allowed to be friends with Tamami
Tamami: Midterms are coming up really soon.
Tamami: How're your studies going?
Goonko: They're going, I guess.
Tamami: Yeah, same with me. But...
Tamami: I really wish it was over. I want to go back to basketball.
Goonko: (I need to study harder!)
Goonko wasn't lying. She really needs to study harder. Her Academics stat has hit a new low at 22, and even hanging out with Shiho to copy her notes isn't enough to get her to 30. It's not the greatest situation. But at least she's good at basketball.
7/7-7/11: Midterms, and a brush with Shiho
Yep, that about sums it up.
Goonko: (I hung around chatting with the other girls after class, and now it's really late.)
Goonko: (Hmm? Is that Arisawa-san?)
Goonko: Arisawa-san?
Shiho: Fudou-san.
Goonko: You're not usually around this late.
Shiho: I was asking Himuro-sensei about some math problems and--
Shiho: Oh no, what time is it?
Goonko: Right now? It's...
Shiho: I'm gonna be late to prep school!
Goonko: Arisawa-san?
Shiho: Sorry, I have to run!
Shiho: Bye!
Shiho: You should probably go home and study too!
7/12: Test results
7th: Arisawa Shiho
86th: Hazuki Kei
94th: Mihara Shiki
137th: Konno Tamami
147th: Sudou Mizuki
180th: Fudou Kimiko
245th: Suzuka Kazuma
Sadly, Kei falling asleep during a test overrides any other event discussing grades, so all we get after this is the usual "What happened?" "Slept." bit of scintillating dialogue.
7/13: Summer shopping
I actually had to reload because I scheduled a date with Kazuma and didn't have anything other than a PE swimsuit. Outside of a school setting, wearing a school swimsuit is a double whammy: it means one or both of "I can't afford anything other than my school-assigned uniform" and "I am here to fuel your fetishes".
Much better. Now we'll have something sporty that Kazuma will like.
Goonko: Okay, time to head home.
(THUMP)
Goonko: Ack!
Goonko: Hey...
???: ...
Goonko: Ow ow ow...
??: ...
Goonko: What was that?
Goonko: Would it hurt so much just to say "Sorry"?
Goonko: Whatever.
And on coming home, there's a new e-mail from our pen pal Chiharu! Let's see if his written Japanese is better than his English.
Nope. Just like his English, his Japanese is a bit halting and awkward. He uses commas instead of particles, which really kills the flow of his sentences. I'll try and preserve some of that in translation. It kind of turns into found poetry with how he breaks up each line.
Kimiko.
Sorry for bothering you.
My parents, they're in America.
I wanted, to send my mail to them.
Your e-mail address, it's one letter different from theirs.
I, sent it to you by mistake.
Sorry.
But your mail to me, it made me happy.
You, wrote a very polite message.
I, very moved.
I, living alone in Japan.
I, hardly speak Japanese.
I, very nervous every day. Japanese people nice.
But I, can't communication.
And so, it makes wall.
How can I break this wall?
I, again wrote a weird mail.
Sorry.
Chiharu (ちはる)
Goonko: Ummmm...
Goonko: I'm pretty sure this means he's having trouble living in Japan, right?
Option 1: If there's anything I can do for you, I'll help.
Option 2: I can't help you, but I wish you luck.
If there's anything I can do for you, I'll help.
Goonko: This must be fate.
Goonko: I'll help him out!
Goonko: I'll start by introducing myself.
Goonko: "I'm a high school student--"
Based on romance logic, the blue-haired mute that we met earlier pretty much has to be Chiharu. Poor guy.
8/5: Flowers for Kazuma
Kazuma: Yo, Fudou! I dropped by to see how you're doing.
Goonko: Hey, Suzuka-kun. What're you doing here?
Kazuma: Flowers are really pretty, aren't they?
Kazuma: I never paid attention to them before.
Kazuma: Anyway, I'll catch you later. Good luck!
8/10: Kazuma and the beach
There we go. A sporty swimsuit for a sporty girl and her sporty guy.
And, at this point, I finally gave in to silliness after 2 weeks of teasing the stream viewers by equipping the Wave Motion Sword.
What I think Goonko looks like right now, part 20:
Kazuma: Alright! Time to swim!
Kazuma: See you in a bit.
Goonko: Okay, I'll go change really quickly.
Kazuma: Whoa, that looks like it'll be really fast.
Goonko: Y, you think so?
Kazuma: Yeah, it's made really well to minimize resistance when you're swimming.
Kazuma: That's how every swimsuit should me, you know?
Goonko: (I'm so glad I chose this one.)
Average teenage boy: Yes show me that skin
Kazuma, anime athlete: Let's race vroom vroom
Kazuma: Alright! Let's swim all day!
Option 1: Yeah, I wanna swim all day.
Option 2: I wanna relax on the shore.
Option 3: I'm hungry, let's go find something to eat.
Goonko: Yeah, I wanna swim all day.
Kazuma: Yeah! Let's get in the water.
Goonko: (Yay! A perfect impression!)
Kazuma: Today was way too short. It feels like we haven't done enough, you know?
Kazuma: Let's do this again some time.
Kazuma: I'll walk you home.
Kazuma: It's a guy's duty, or something like that.
Goonko: Thanks for walking me home!
Kazuma: Nah, don't worry about--
(ring tone)
Goonko: Oh, sorry, someone's calling me.
Goonko: Hello?
Kei: It's Hazuki.
Kei: Can we talk?
Goonko: Uh... I'll call you back later! Sorry!
(click)
Kazuma: What's going on?
Goonko: That was, uh, just a friend calling.
Kazuma: Huh. Anyway, I'm gonna head home. Later.
Goonko: Okay, bye!
Goonko: (That was pretty rude to Hazuki-kun.)
Goonko: (I should probably call him back.)
And that is how Tokimemo Girl's Side warns you about bombs. Good to know!
8/11-8/16: Basketball camp
Kazuma: Yo, Fudou. We've been waiting so long, and camp is finally here.
Goonko: Oh, hi Suzuka-kun.
Kazuma: We can play all the basketball we want! Isn't that exciting?
Goonko: (Time to play hard!)
Tamami: Kimiko-chan! Today's the first day of summer camp.
Goonko: Yeah!
Tamami: Uh, umm... it's really hot, so don't wear yourself out, okay?
Goonko: I'll be fine. If I start feeling bad, I'll be sure to let you know, Tamami-chan!
Tamami: Okay!
8/14: Goonko's turn to cook
Goonko: What should I prepare tonight?
Option 1: Curry from a retort pouch
Option 2: Deluxe curry rice
Option 3: Mutton saag
As we learned last year, these are listed in order of difficulty, and Goonko's Social score determines her ability to cook since it also controls her Home Ec test score. Goonko is somehow an amazing cook who just can't make chocolate, so we'll make up for it by feeding Kazuma some lamb.
Kazuma: Whoa! This looks awesome!
Kazuma: Do you always cook stuff like this?
Goonko: Eat up!
In my imagination, Mizuki has rubbed off on Goonko and Goonko replies with something like "Kimiko always has wonderful meals like this at home!"
Kazuma: That's the first time I've ever had mutton.
Kazuma: You are an unbelievably good chef - can you make this again some time?
Tamami: Umm, dinner was amazing.
Tamami: I can't believe we'd have something this good at camp.
Goonko: (I'm glad they liked it!)
8/16: Summer camp ends
Kazuma: Yo, Fudou! You kept up with us really well.
Kazuma: Great job!
Goonko: (It feels like I've gotten better too.)
Tamami: Umm... good job. You worked really hard.
Tamami: I definitely think you improved.
Goonko: (A little bit, I guess.)
Goonko: Time to head home!
Goonko: Hmm? What's this box?
Goonko: W, wow!
Fudou Kimiko gained the basketball heirloom, "Steel courage"!
This time, the bonus item is worth +10 Fitness, so it's a much more noticeable boost than last year's +5.
8/28: Kazuma also received some courage
Goonko: (Hmm? Who could be calling?)
Goonko: Hello, this is Fudou Kimiko.
Kazuma: Uh, umm, this is Suzuka.
Goonko: Ooh, Suzuka-kun. Yeees?
Kazuma: Uh, say... you, uh, you doing anything on Sunday?
Goonko: Nothing in particular.
Kazuma: So, uh, in that case, wanna g, go bowling?
Goonko: Uh-huh!
Kazuma: R, really? Alright, it's on!
Goonko: So is it okay if I wait for you at the station tomorrow?
Kazuma: Y, yeah! Sunday. Don't forget!
Kazuma has stuttered more in the last 15 seconds than he's stuttered in the previous year and a half. It only gets dorkier from here, which is pretty hard to believe.
8/24: Bowling!
Since Kazuma didn't comment on Goonko wearing a sword to their last date, it's going to stay on until further notice. Can't hurt, might help, right?
Goonko: Hey, sorry to keep you waiting!
Kazuma: Y, yo. I started wondering if you were coming at all.
Goonko: It took longer than I thought to get ready.
Kazuma: Yeah? I guess you're a girl after all.
Goonko: That's so mean!
Kazuma: Hey, I appreciate it, okay?
This is an all-new conversation with Kazuma, with a lot more stuttering and flushing than before. It's all smooth sailing from here, girls!
Kazuma: What do you want to do today?
Goonko: Let's shoot some pool.
Kazuma: Pool, huh? Might as well give it a shot.
Option 1: It'd be great if you could teach me.
Option 2: Let's see who's better!
Option 3: It's just a game, so we should take it easy.
Aaaand time to put this boy right back in his comfort zone.
Goonko: Let's see who's better!
Kazuma: Alright! I don't really know the rules, but I accept your challenge!
Goonko: (Mm-hmm, that went pretty well.)
Kazuma: So, uh, thanks for coming.
Goonko: Huh? Something wrong? Your face is all red.
Kazuma: Wh, what?! It's not what you think!
Kazuma: I, I'm just worked up because I had so much fun!
Kazuma: Hey, you still have some time?
Kazuma: Can we spend some more time together?
Goonko: Yeah, that's fine.
Kazuma: Cool, let's take a little detour on the way home.
Mechanically, this event is the same as the after-school chat, so it's a nice little way to learn more about the characters.
Goonko: Say, Suzuka-kun, what kind of food do you like?
Kazuma: Huh? Hmm, well, I eat a lot of fish.
Goonko: I heard the bones are really good for you.
Kazuma: I guess. I drink a lot of milk too, so I guess I'm a big lump of calcium.
How... attractive.
8/30: Get a status update, reload, and call Kei
Hello, giant pulsing bomb. Time to reload and defuse you before Kei self-destructs.
Goonko: Wanna go shopping with me on the 7th?
Kei: ...
Kei: No.
Goonko: Oh, okay.
Kei: (click)
Goonko: (Well, that was disappointing.)
Purely from a mechanical standpoint, the act of calling the boy is enough to defuse the bomb. That means that it's actually a great idea to suggest awful dates in order to defuse the bomb without having to waste two days, which is fine by me!
9/3-9/4: Wataru's birthday
Option 1: Current hit CD
Option 2: Combining Robot Volbabin
Option 3: Beginner's Guide to Habataki City
I went with the most neutral-seeming option, the pop CD.
Goonko: Hey, Hibiya-kun!
Wataru: Oh, hi senpai. What's up?
Goonko: Today's your birthday, right? I got you a present!
Wataru: Oh, you remembered my birthday? Thank you!
Wataru: I wonder what it is? Dude, can I open it?
Goonko: Of course you can!
Wataru: Dude, you have good taste, senpai!
Wataru: I'll start using this today, man.
Goonko: (Hmm, he seemed pretty happy about it.)
9/5: Kazuma strikes again
Kazuma: H, hey, Kimiko.
Goonko: Oh, hi Suzuka-kun. Yeeees?
Kazuma: So, you busy this Sunday?
Goonko: Not really.
Kazuma: So, uh, you wanna go catch a movie?
Goonko: Yup!
Kazuma: R, really? Alright, it's on!
9/7: Action!
Kazuma: Where should we sit?
Kazuma: There are some empty seats over there.
The Girl's Side movies don't come with synopses by the main character, so I had to look up what this movie is. It's called "SPINNING" and I have no idea what that's supposed to be based on. Looks pretty badass, though.
Goonko: That movie was great!
Kazuma: Well, it wasn't bad.
Kazuma: I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
Goonko: (Mm-hmm, that went pretty well.)
Fast-forward, and we get to:
Goonko: Say, Suzuka-kun. What do you watch on TV?
Kazuma: Me? I watch a lot of sports, I guess.
Goonko: Hahaha, that's exactly what I thought you'd say.
Kazuma: Really? But, umm, I watch movies on TV too.
Goonko: But I bet they're all superhero flicks.
Kazuma: Well, yeah. I enjoy all sorts of action, like kung fu movies and stuff.
Goonko: And let me guess, you're one of the guys who walks out of the theater and mimics all the hero's moves?
Kazuma: Damn straight!
Kazuma: I, I mean, no! I've never done that before, it's stupid!
9/15: The class trip (and all its permutations)
Goonko's Academics are at an all-time low at 18. But hey, who cares? It's time for class trip shenanigans! It's time for the generic trip to Kyoto/Nara and its historic sites.
Goonko: We have a group tour today. We're checking out a bunch of the tourist spots that are scattered around.
9/16: Free time, part 1
Kazuma: H, hey, Kimiko.
Goonko: Hey Suzuka-kun. What's up?
Kazuma: Say, about today's free time. Have you made any plans with anyone?
Kazuma: And if you haven't, wanna go sightseeing with me?
Goonko: Sure, that's fine.
Kazuma: Really?
Kazuma: There's one place I really wanna check out. C'mon!
Kazuma: That's Kinkaku-ji, right?
Kazuma: You don't even have to check the guidebook to know that.
Kazuma: It's pretty gaudy. It's almost like it came from heaven or something.
Goonko: Ahaha, you're right, it's so shiny that it feels like Buddha just might step out of it.
Kazuma: But man, I don't understand how rich and powerful people think at all.
Kazuma: How can you live in a place like that?
Goonko: From what I know, you wake up to the smell of croissants every day, and there's a string quartet playing in the salon, and...
Kazuma: I just, you know, I would prefer something more normal-looking.
Kazuma: Anyway, let's head to the next spot.
Kazuma: Oh, we're already back at the hotel.
Kazuma: Hey, thanks for... you know, coming with me today.
Goonko: No, I should thank you. It was really fun.
Kazuma: Really? I, I had fun too.
Kazuma: Wh, why don't we spend Friday together too?
Kazuma: If that's okay with you.
Goonko: Okay, let's do this again.
Kazuma: Alright, I'll meet you here in the lobby. Later, Kimiko!
9/17: Non-obnoxious minigame time
Goonko: (The boys' room is making a lot of noise.)
Mizuki: Bonsoir, Fudou-san!
Goonko: Hi, Sudou-san. What're you doing here?
Mizuki: Listen to that ruckus!
Mizuki: It carries all the way to Mizuki's suite, and is a terrible bother!
Mizuki: You should go chastise them!
Option 1: Okay, I'll go.
Option 2: No way.
Goonko: Okay, I'll go.
Mizuki: Hey! Wait for Mizuki!
Goonko: Mihara-kun?
Shiki: Why hello, ladies.
Shiki: So you came.
Goonko: Suzuka-kun.
Kazuma: Yo! You guys wanna join us?
Goonko: What're you doing?
Kazuma: Can't you see? We're having a pillow fight!
Kazuma: If you guys just stand there like that, you're gonna--
Goonko: Waugh!
The pillow fight is very simple, and also very fun. There are pillows on the ground. Press Circle to pick a pillow up off the ground, or time it to catch one being thrown at you.
Once you catch a pillow, you can either throw it to the other team's side of the room, or hold X to charge up a super throw that changes properties depending on your club of choice.
The game ends either when one side is completely free of pillows, or when Icehouse 01 shows up to yell at everyone.
Getting hit by a pillow stuns you, and if you're unlucky/greedy enough to get both characters stunned, then it's a quick ticket to a loss. But since this mini-game replaces the RPG mini-game for club-unique supers, it's definitely worth reloading just to see what the supers look like.
Step 1: disable Mizuki and Shiki to buy some time and get a lead.
Step 2: Knock Shiki out of the Art Club super, Pigment Split - splitting into RGB lets him triple his attacks.
Step 3: CHAOS DUNK! Kazuma and Goonko, as members of the basketball club, both have Niagara Dunk as their super. Tamami does not, because she's just the manager and cannot dunk.
Step 4: Victory!
Reiichi: Be quiet! It's long past lights out!
Boy: Crap! Everyone hide!
Goonko: (I need to find a hiding spot!)
Option 1: Hide in the closet
Option 2: Hide in a futon
Option 3: Hide under the table
It's an old cliche in high school stories that the hiding place will be shared by exactly two people, who can barely fit inside and very quickly become uncomfortably hot and steamy. Let's try to hit Kazuma in the lottery, though I'll accept Mizuki too because I imagine that her reaction will be hilarious.
Hide in a closet
Goonko: (What?! Someone hid here first!)
Goonko: (Ahh, our bodies are pressed up against each other. But I can't say anything or we'll be caught.)
Goonko: (My heart's racing so fast, I hope he can't hear it!)
Reiichi: Don't you students understand your responsibilities?
Reiichi: Get ready for tomorrow and go to sleep.
Boy: ...I think he's gone.
Boy: You can come out now!
Goonko: Mihara-kun?!
Shiki: Fudou-kun. You're so bold...
Shiki: Don't worry about it. I don't mind.
What I think Goonko looks like right now, part 21:
Next time: Every possible permutation of this event, for hilarity's sake.
Tamami's super stuns both boys for 5 seconds. Which would be great if she hadn't stolen our man!