Part 13: Fall 1996, Bear Territory Part 2
Chapter 12: Fall 1996, Bear territory part 2So it turns out that chapter 11 actually only covers one week of game time due to the... strange circumstances involved. Let's get back to it!
RELOAD COUNT: 31
9/9-9/14: Class trip
Fast-forwarding to day 3...
9/11: Free time
Goon: Today, we have free time in Sapporo.
Yuina: Gunpei-kun. Aren't you going to say hello?
Goon: Huh? Oh, uh, yeah. Good morning, Himoo-san.
Yuina: Could it be... that you're alone?
Goon: Yeah, I am.
Yuina: It's dangerous. Very dangerous.
Yuina: I shall accompany you.
Option 1: Thanks, that'll help a lot.
Option 2: I'll be fine without you.
This time, we're choosing Option 2. It's less dangerous that way.
Yuina: You will die... you will definitely die. Farewell.
Goon: ......
Goon: Anyway, I should head out.
Option 1: Should I invite a girl to come with me?
Option 2: Should I head out alone?
Time to invite Shiori! Option 1 and Shiori it is.
Goon: Ooh, just the person I was looking for.
Goon: Shiori.
Shiori: Ah, Goon.
That's good, at least, in this run she's still affectionate to call us by our nickname.
Goon: Want to head out with me today?
Shiori: Huh? Oh, yes. Happily...
Goon: Then what're we waiting for?
Shiori: J,just wait a second, I need to go get ready.
Shiori: I'm sorry it took so long. Let's go.
Dammit woman, you look exactly the same! What were you getting ready for? Bear fighting?
Goon: So this is the famous Sapporo Clock Tower...
Shiori: I bet it's even more gorgeous when the lilacs are in bloom.
Goon: Looks like we're out of free time, let's head back.
Shiori: Yes, it's getting late.
Goon: Would you be okay with spending the next day of free time with me?
Shiori: Yes, that's fine. Let's meet up in the hotel lobby.
Goon: (And so, day 3 ended.)
9/13: Day 5 - free time
Goon: Today's another day of free time. I promised to head out with Shiori...
Goon: She sure is late, when's she gonna get here?
Shiori: Sorry I'm late. Let's head out.
Goon: Ooh, it's Professor Clark! "Boys, be ambitious!" What a great saying.
Shiori: It really is. I think it's wonderful to dream big.
Goon: Look out! A bear!
Option 2: Run! I'll hold it off!
This is the same as before.
Goon: Whew, I won. I hope Shiori's okay.
Shiori: Is everything okay? Are you hurt?
Goon: Yeah, I got away with just some scrapes.
Shiori: Thank goodness. I was really worried... but thank you.
Goon: You're making me blush. Should we head back?
Shiori: Yeah, we should.
Goon: (And that's how day 5 ended.)
Goon: I'm so tired... but we're finally back home. The class trip is over.
Goon: That was a really memorable trip, though.
9/15 (Sunday): Call Yumi
We have pretty much ignored Yumi for 6 months, so it's about time to reset the timer on her bomb. Not defuse it, that's pretty much impossible...
Yumi: Yes, this is the Saotome residence.
Goon: Hi, this is Fudou Gunpei.
Yumi: Fudou-san? Do you need something from Yumi?
Goon: Want to go to the game center on 10/13?
Yumi: Yeah, sure!
Goon: Alright, let's meet in front of the game center on the 13th.
Yumi: Got it. Cross your heart, hope to die, stick a needle in your eye!
Goon: Hahaha... cross my heart. Say hi to Yoshio for me!
(click)
Goon: Alright! I can't wait for the 13th.
That is because you are a fool, Goon. A foolish fool.
9/16-9/21: Concert Band
9/22 (Sunday): Preen
9/23 (Holiday): Preen
9/24-9/28: Concert Band
9/29 (Sunday): Sleep
9/30-10/5: Concert Band
10/1: Say no to Yuina
10/6 (Sunday): Exercise
10/7-10/9, 10/11: Forced into Concert Band to prepare for the Culture Festival
10/10 (Holiday): Sleep
10/12: Culture festival!
Goon: Today's the Culture Festival.
Goon: The Concert Band will be doing a charumera concert in the gym. I should hurry and get ready.
The charumera is... interesting in Japanese culture. It's a double-reeded woodwind that is sometimes used in kabuki performances, but is most commonly associated with ramen. Apparently, the proprietors of ramen carts used to play them to alert the neighborhood that they were there, much like the jingles used by ice cream trucks. The sound has become so linked to ramen that a lot of ramen shops still play the music outside their doors.
Proof I'm not making this up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9dgsjsg_LI
Shiori: Don't you think this year's song is kinda weird?
Goon: A concert band arrangement of a charumela song? Yeah, it's pretty funny.
Shiori: I wonder who wrote this?
Goon: I don't know, we just got the sheet music and practiced it.
Shiori: It looks like we're going on stage soon. Let's do our best, okay?
As far as two decades of fandom can tell, the reason that this weird-ass concert exists is because of Ayako. She goes to the Concert Band if Shiori kicks her out of the Art Club, and she thinks it's funny. Ayako is a special girl.
I'll send this one over to get giffed and tindecked as well. Thanks!
Okay, I have to admit that I wasn't expecting that to be the big finish. Shiori doesn't look happy to be doing this. Or maybe she's fine and it's too low-res to tell.
Shiori: It seemed like everyone in the audience had fun.
Goon: Good, I'm glad our hard work paid off.
Shiori: It'll be nice if next year goes this well, too.
Goon: Yeah.
Goon: (And that's how the Culture Festival ended.)
10/13: Date with Jaws... I mean Yumi
Goon: (Today's my date with Yumi-chan.)
Goon: (I should go wait for her in front of the game center.)
Oh god Yumi why are you blushing can I go home now please I don't feel comfortable anymore
Goon: Did I keep you waiting?
Yumi: Uh-uh. Yumi just got here too.
Goon: I'm glad I wasn't late.
Yumi: Let's go, let's go!
Goon: Yeah, let's head inside.
Option 1: Let's go to the game corner.
Option 2: Let's go to the medal corner.
Both of these are fine with Yumi, so let's just be lazy and pick 1.
Yumi: Yumi likes arcades, even though she's a girl.
Option 1: I don't really mind.
Option 2: Will you turn into a delinquent?
Option 3: A lot more girls are coming to these places lately.
I was a fool. A foolish fool. And I chose 1, thinking that it was more neutral than 3.
Yumi: Yumi is really happy that you said that.
Goon: (Looks like I made a great impression!)
NO. NO WHY. YUMI PLEEEEEEASE
Yumi: Today was super duper fun. Invite Yumi out again, okay?
Goon: Sure, I'll call you soon.
Yumi: Fudou-san, let's walk home together.
Goon: Let's go home.
Yumi no please go away I was trying to say something noncommital why do you have to be like this god Yumi why
10/14-10/19: Concert Band
10/19: New version of the perfect week event!
Shiori: You played really well today.
Goon: Thanks.
Goon: (Alright! I'm really motivated now.)
10/20 (Sunday): Exercise
10/21-10/26: Concert Band
10/21: Say no to Megumi
Megumi gets this line:
Goon: (She seemed pretty hurt. It looks like she was waiting for me here the whole time...)
This line is pretty much your Bomb Threat Level. If Goon says "I acted pretty rude" then you're fine. If Goon says "She seemed pretty hurt" then you're in the yellow. If Goon says "She's really hurt. I'm a jackass." then you're in orange threat level. And if the girl looks at Goon, says nothing, and goes home, then you're in red threat level. It gets bad. We'll see it soon enough.
10/24: Shiori invitation to a date on the 27th
Shiori: Hey, are you free this Sunday?
Goon: Option 1: I'm free, what's up?
Shiori: If that's the case, do you want to go to the aquarium with me?
Goon: Option 1: That's fine. Let's go.
Shiori: Really? Then, um...
Goon: Want to meet up in front of the aquarium?
Shiori: Yes, that's fine. Don't forget, okay?
Goon: (This Sunday. I have to make sure I don't forget.)
This is where taking copious notes (and, in some cases, reloading without remorse) pays off - girls can invite Goon out on Sundays where he's already scheduled for a date, and being doubled booked is REALLY BAD. Like, insta-bomb bad.
10/26: Event with Rei, for some reason
Even though there were plenty of successes in the week, we get this:
Goon: (Sigh... something's just not right with me today.)
Rei: How pointless... Well, do your best, I suppose.
Goon: ......
Goon: (Ugh, I just don't care anymore.)
10/27: Date with Shiori
Goon: (Today's my date with Shiori.)
Goon: (I should go meet her in front of the aquarium.)
Goon: Were you waiting long?
Shiori: No, I just got here myself.
Goon: Phew, glad I wasn't late.
Shiori: Let's head in.
Goon: Yeah, let's go.
Shiori: The dolphin show was pretty good, don't you think?
Option 1: Aren't their teeth scary?
Option 2: Dolphins are mammals.
Option 3: Dolphins are pretty smart, huh.
Dolphins are actually pretty scary, but that's beside the point. Let's go with #3.
Shiori: That's true. I really admire them.
Goon: (Looks like I made a pretty good impression.)
Shiori: Thanks for coming out with me today.
Goon: I'll do it any time.
Shiori: Let's head home, Goon.
At this point, I'd like to point out that Goon is Big Man on Campus now. While he may not be High School Superman quite yet, it's pretty close. He's handsome, he has the highest grades in class, he stands out from the crowd during PE (not that you can tell from the sports festival...), and he can play the trumpet like a m-fing riot. The mask is slipping off slowly but surely, and any attempts to remain incognito are now doomed to failure.
This means that the next part of the game is going to be a huge minefield. The Ijuuin Christmas party looms ahead as well, and we have to figure out a way to hold off Megumi and Yumi, who are rapidly becoming problems.
This could get really ugly, really fast.
Next time: We are young, heartache to heartache we stand. Also: reloading. LOTS of reloading.