Part 106: Tokimemo Girl's Side Chapter 16: I've Got No Strings
Tokimemo Girl's Side, Chapter 16: I've Got No Strings8/29: The rest of the cliffhanger
This is only the tip of the iceberg.
Wataru: My knees are still shaking...
Option 1: I can't understand what's so fun about that.
Option 2: It was over so fast, I didn't really feel anything.
Option 3: That was a huge thrill!
Goonko: That was a huge thrill!
Wataru: I think I'm done with thrills, dude.
Wataru: I don't want any more.
Goonko: (I'm so stupid! I made the worst impression!)
Goonko: (But I got the best picture! Time to bring all of my friends here!)
Wataru: Oh yeah, they have a parade at night this time of year.
Wataru: Let's go watch, senpai!
Goonko: Yeah, let's go!
Wataru: Alright, we should get to the front for the best view.
Wataru: Dude, Senpai, this parade's really pretty.
Option 1: Hey, I can see the seams where that one's been all patched up.
Option 2: I feel like can stand here and watch forever.
Option 3: It's like we're in a fairy tale.
We tormented the kid enough, it's time for something he'd appreciate.
Goonko: It's like we're in a fairy tale.
Wataru: Yeah.
Wataru: So, that makes you and me the prince and the princess, right, senpai?
Goonko: (Yay! A perfect impression!)
And, because Wataru has the affection catchup mechanic that almost all of the underclassmen characters in Tokimemo do, he's now happy enough to walk Goonko home.
Wataru: I'll walk you home.
Wataru: No matter what happens, I'll get you there safe!
9/3: Wataru's birthday
Goonko: What should I buy him?
Option 1: Skullbear children's costume
Option 2: Skullbear cell phone pouch
Option 3: Monthly Popular Guy's Lifestyle Magazine
The cell phone pouch costs 3 Rich, so it's probably the best present. Might as well, Goonko has money to burn!
Goonko: Let's see, where's Hibiya-kun--oh, there he is.
Goonko: Hibiya-kun!
Wataru: Hey, Fudou-senpai, what's up?
Goonko: Today's your birthday, isn't it? Here, I got you a present!
Wataru: Wow, I'm honored to get a present from you, senpai!
Wataru: I'll make it a Hibiya family heirloom, and tell this story to my grandchildren, dude!
Goonko: Sure, sure, open it up already!
Wataru: This is just what I wanted!
Wataru: Dude, you know everything, senpai!
Wataru: I'll treasure it!
9/12: Taking Shiki to the edge
Shiki: What are we going to ride?
Goonko: Let's bungee jump!
Shiki: Sounds like a great idea! Let's move!
Shiki: Magnificent, isn't it?
Shiki: Let's fly together! And scream together!
Even though he's an obnoxious prat, Shiki sure does have fun at the park. I'll give him that.
Okay that's just awesome.
Shiki: That was a fantastic attraction, wasn't it?
Goonko: That was a huge thrill!
Shiki: Yes, the thrill certainly improves your mood.
Goonko: (Yup! That felt pretty good.)
9/20: Who is this new boy, and can we keep him?
Girl 1: Senpai! What's with that new look? You look really cool!
Girl 2: Yeah! I mean, you always look nice, senpai, but this looks even better!
???: Y, you think so?
Goonko: (Huh? There's no mistaking that voice.)
Goonko: Hey, Hibiya-kun!
Wataru: S, senpai...
Goonko: What did you do to your hair?
Wataru: It's not what you think.
Wataru: I just got back from the class trip a couple days ago.
Goonko: Huh? I mean, okay.
Goonko: But what did you do to your hair?
Wataru: Well, the girls said "We'll make you look a lot better" and--
Wataru: And they surrounded me...
Wataru: They were so mean, dude!
Goonko: Hahaha! Is that what happened.
Wataru: So, uh, what do you think of it, senpai?
Wataru: All of the freshman called it "cool" but I dunno, man.
Goonko: It must be nice to be so popular with the freshman girls!
Wataru: What? No, I didn't--
Wataru: I didn't mean it that way! S, sorry!
Goonko: Huh?
Wataru: Wait just a second, senpai!
Goonko: ?
Wataru: Thanks for waiting!
Wataru: Hibiya Wataru has arrived!
Goonko: Hey, you put your hair back to normal!
Wataru: Yup!
Goonko: So you're not going back to that other style?
Wataru: Yeah, I'm done with it.
Wataru: I think this fits me way more.
Wataru: More importantly, senpai--
Wataru: I got you a souvenir!
Goonko: Oh... thanks.
Goonko: (So what did he get me as a souvenir? Oh, it's a baseball pennant.)
9/23: Taking Kazuma to the edge
Kazuma: So, what'll it be today?
Goonko: Let's bungee jump!
Kazuma: Oh, that looks fun. Make sure to pose for the camera when we jump!
Kazuma: Holy crap! That's really high up.
Kazuma: My heart's racing.
Goonko: Yeah...
Kazuma: Alright! Time to show you how it's done.
We have clearly chosen the best boy.
Kazuma: Woooo! That felt awesome!
Goonko: That was a huge thrill!
Kazuma: Seriously. I love that nervous feeling right before you jump.
Goonko: (Yay! A perfect impression!)
Goonko: Say, Kazuma...
Goonko: What were you like as a kid?
Kazuma: Me? Well, I never went home before the sun went down.
Goonko: Whoa, were you doing some dangerous stuff?
Kazuma: No, you dork!
Kazuma: Ever since grade school, I've been obsessed with basketball.
Kazuma: I practiced and practiced every day.
Goonko: You haven't changed at all.
Kazuma: Yeah?
Kazuma: I used to dribble and pass everywhere, even in class.
Kazuma: The teachers always used to try to take the ball away.
Kazuma: But no one's ever been able to steal the ball from me.
Goonko: I... I see.
9/30: What is seen cannot be unseen
Goonko: (Who's that running this way?)
STRANGER DANGER: Oh! Fudou-kun. I was never here!
Goonko: (Huh?)
Goro: IIIIKAAAAAAKUUUUUU!
Goro: WHERE ARE YOU HIDING?
Goonko: (He's turned into a monster! What the hell happened?)
Goro: Oh, my dear.
Goro: I know that face anywhere, you're the lady-in-training!
Goro: Ikkaku ran this way, didn't he? Tell me which way he ran.
STRANGER DANGER I was never here!
Goonko: Uhhhh, ummm, I, I haven't seen him!
Goro: Reeeeeally?
Goonko: N, no sir.
Goro: Ugh, this is awful.
Goro: Look, this is the first design for men I've ever tried my hand at.
Goro: I wanted Ikkaku to wear this for me, and help me develop a better image in my mind.
Goro: But that bastard ran.
Goro: My theme is "shorts for a grown man."
Goro: What do you think? Fresh and wonderful, right?
Goro: But that damn Ikkaku said "it doesn't fit my dandy ways".
Goonko: (Th, those count as shorts? I definitely don't think the chairman would look good in those.)
STRANGER DANGER: Whew... you saved me.
STRANGER DANGER: For the sake of my aesthetics, I had to do everything I could to avoid putting that on.
STRANGER DANGER: Now, if you'll excuse me.
Quick brain bleach
At this point, I would like to step away from the story and show you more bungee jumps. This is Kei and his incredibly disappointing run.
How is this guy popular?
Kei: You did well.
Kei: Was it fun?
Goonko: It was over so fast, I didn't really feel anything.
Kei: Yeah, it's over in no time at all.
Kei: Wanna do it again?
And this is Mizuki-chama's version, available only during double dates.
Whatta gal
Okay, back to the LP.
10/3: Kazuma and the Lion
Goonko: Let's go that way, Kazuma!
Kazuma: ...Huh?
Kazuma: O-Oh, you wanna go to that "make friends with the bunnies" area, right? Sure, why not?
Goonko: No! The lion cage over that way!
Kazuma: Oh, okay...
Goonko: Wow, lions sure look crazy up close, don't they?
Kazuma: H, hey, it's rude to talk to someone like that in front of their faces.
Goonko: Hahaha, you're so weird! The lion doesn't understand what we're saying.
Lion:
Kazuma:
Kazuma: SEE? You made him angry!
Goonko: I never thought you'd be such a scaredy-cat, Kazuma.
Kazuma: Shut up! I was just a little worried is all.
Kazuma: What made you think I was scared?
Goonko: Rar!
Kazuma: Eep!
Kazuma: I mean, um.
Goonko: ...
Kazuma: If you pull that again, I'm gonna smack you.
Goonko: (So he was scared.)
10/16: Kei's birthday
Option 1: Paisley bandanna
Option 2: Full body kitty pajamas
Option 3: Small silver vase
The small silver vase is the 3 Rich choice and therefore the good one for year 3. With a Kei bomb looming, I had to avoid the gag gifts, which I still feel bad about. The dialogue is unchanged from previous years, and Kei is boring, so I'll skip the part where he actually accepts the gift.
10/17: Year 3 profile interlude
This is another chance to check on what people are planning to do after high school, so let's hit up Tsukushi!
The affection chart is about where it should be, except for that horrifyingly increasing STRANGER DANGER rating.
Seems like he's been thinking about continuing his model career.
"The beautiful stand alone" he said, crying.
He seems worried that he's too short to be a basketball player.
His little sister is in my class. She's a lot more mature than her brother.
He plays piano at a jazz club on the weekends, apparently.
Just between you and me... he said that he dreams of raising a lady.
10/25: Shiki humanizes a bit
Goonko: (It's getting late, I should head home.)
Goonko: (Hmm? Someone's still in the art room.)
Goonko: (That's Mihara-kun, isn't it?)
Goonko: (It's like he's a different person. It's almost scary.)
Shiki: Is that you over there, Fudou-kun? Just a moment.
Goonko: Sorry, did I interrupt you?
Shiki: It's fine, it was just about time for me to quit anyway.
Goonko: Hey, Mihara-kun. You're like a different person when you're painting, aren't you?
Shiki: You saw me like that? Now I'm embarrassed.
Goonko: No! You looked very serious, it was pretty cool.
Shiki: Yes... I've hit a rough patch and haven't been able to express what I want lately.
Goonko: So that even happens to people like you, Mihara-kun?
Shiki: Of course it does.
Shiki: The more I'm pulled in by the theme, the more I want it to be perfect.
Goonko: I think I get it. So what were you painting today?
Shiki: A practice piece. I've been drawing the same thing over and over lately.
Goonko: The same thing?
Shiki: Never mind, you wouldn't be interested.
Shiki: Let's head home!
Not only have we seen Shiki express an emotion other than mild annoyance or complete self-absorption, we now see what it's like when he's embarrassed. Alright, maybe he's a good fit for Mizuki after all.
We're going to ignore the obvious implication that on Shiki's path he'd be attempting to paint a portrait of Goonko, and imagine that he's trying to paint Mizuki-chama in the perfect light instead.
10/26: Goonko's birthday
Goonko: Yes, who is it?
Kazuma: Yo, Kimiko.
Goonko: Hey, Kazuma, what's up?
Kazuma: W, well, today's your birthday, right?
Goonko: No way, you remembered, Kazuma?
Kazuma: K, kinda. Anyway, here, I got you a present!
Kazuma: I don't really know what girls want, so you might not be very happy with it.
Kazuma: So, uh, here it is. Later.
Goonko: (Yay! Kazuma gave me a present
)Goonko: (It's a heart-shaped cushion.)
Goonko: (This is way too cute! I wonder what Kazuma looked like when he brought this to the counter?)
The heart-shaped cushion is worth -5 stress. As a note, if we'd managed to get 3 birthday presents from Kazuma (AKA we had our birthday in February, as per Tokimemo exploit tradition), he would've given Goonko a skullbear plushie, worth +5 Sports and +5 Social.
10/30: The theme for the school festival is set
Class president: We're going to be doing a school play this year, so we'd like everyone to sign up and help out.
Next time: Acting!
Sorry this one was so delayed, folks. It's been a crazy couple of weeks! I'll try and get this all wrapped up before Thanksgiving, and spend Thanksgiving weekend cranking out what looks like a quick TM2 run.