Part 44: Dropping the act

Chapter 13: Dropping the act

12/2: Kotoko's birthday

Kotoko has ever so slowly warmed up to Goon over the last year of being stuck in the same room as him, but thankfully, Kotoko is designed in such a way that you never actually have to go on a date with her to clear a bomb. It's pretty nice because it removes a little bit of the forced round-robin of the previous Tokimemo.

Best present: Kinchaku
Good present: Lipstick
Bad present: A coffee maker

For the sake of peace, it's best to give Kotoko what she wants. A kinchaku is something you really only see as an accessory to a kimono or a yukata these days - I've only personally seen it at shrines and public baths. It's a cloth pouch with a drawstring, used as a purse.


Goon: Minazuki-san!
Goon: I got you a birthday present. Here, open it.
Kotoko: Oh my, this is nice.
Kotoko: You seem to understand women pretty well. Thank you.
Goon: (Good, it looks like she was really happy about that gift.)

"Why don't you smile, Kotoko?"
"I am smiling."

12/11-12/15: Midterms


Goon: I'm so close to the top. I'll get it next time!

12th: Fudou Gunma
88th: Hinomoto Hikari
99th: Sakaki Takumi
120th: Minazuki Kotoko
127th: Hokari Jun'ichirou
176th: Shirayuki Miho


Hikari: Gunma-kun!
Goon: Oh, hey Hikari.
Hikari: You did great! You really surprised me.
Goon: You think so? I feel like it's kind of a fluke.
Hikari: No way, don't sell yourself short.
Hikari: Help me study for next time, okay?
Goon: (She seems to be in a really good mood.)

12/22: A familiar invitation


Takumi: Yo!
Goon: Hey, Takumi. What's up?
Takumi: You're gonna be flying solo this Christmas, right?
Goon: ...Well excuse me, jerk.
Takumi: Hahahaha, don't be so angry. Here, have one of these.
Goon: (An invitation to the Ijuuin family's Christmas party?)
Takumi: They say it's going to take place at the Ijuuin mansion, and on top of that, the story is that a lot of girls have been invited.
Goon: I'll go! Thanks, Takumi.
Takumi: The price is right around 1 cream soda. Seeya!
Goon: (No such thing as a free lunch with that guy...)

12/23: Date at Hibikino Tower, take 1


Miho. Damn.


Miho: You don't really understand how big this tower is until you look up from the base, do you?
Goon: Yeah, you really don't.
Goon: Haha, my neck hurts now. Let's go inside, Shirayuki-chan.


Miho: My house is over that way.
Option 1: My house is that same way.
Option 2: From this tower, most houses are that way.
Option 3: The one with the red roof?

Just to see what would happen...


Goon: The one with the red roof?
Miho: No, it's further that way.
Goon: (I didn't make a very good impression.)

Before we reload, it's good to run through the mechanics of the new Christmas party once, especially since there's nothing riding on the results of the party for once.

12/24: Christmas party

Goon: Today is Christmas. There was a party at the Ijuuin mansion, right?
Goon: I have a ticket, so I might as well go.


Goon: ...This place is huge.
Sakunoshin: Would you happen to be a friend of Mei-sama?
Goon: You could say that, or you could say I'm her senpai.
Sakunoshin: That's good enough. Please come inside.
Goon: Oh, thanks.

The Ijuuin Christmas Party works on the same mechanics as it did in Tokimemo 1 - if your Looks stat is too low, Sakunoshin will shoo you away at the door. I have no idea if he will pull a gun on you like in his introduction, though.


Goon: Hmm, so that's Ijuuin-san's big brother.
Goon: They really do look alike.
Goon: (Hey, is that Jun over there?)
Goon: Hey, Jun!


Goon: (What? Minazuki-san?)
Jun: Oh - it's you.
Kotoko: Good evening.
Goon: Merry Christmas!
Jun: W, we're in a hurry, so, uh, later.
Kotoko: I guess that means goodbye.
Goon: Oh, uh, see you guys later.
Goon: (I can't really blame you for this, Jun.)

Okay, so Kotoko is capable of actually smiling. Good work, Jun.


Hikari: Gunma-kun!
Goon: Oh, hey Hikari. I didn't know you were here.
Hikari: Yup! I'm glad you got an invitation, too.
Goon: Yeah, it would've been pretty sad spending Christmas alone.
Hikari: Then let's make the most of it!
Goon: (Hikari sure does have a nice smile.)
Hikari: I almost forgot, I was with Kotoko until just a second ago--
Hikari: I'm gonna go look for her.
Goon: No problem.
Goon: (Those two sure do get along well.)
Goon: Oh yeah, it's white elephant time.

Tokimemo 2's white elephant exchange is done on a conveyor belt - instead of picking it yourself, it's based on when you press the Circle button, similar to the old mikuji mini-game or the Shuffle Time system of the recent Persona games.


Spin the roulette and get a present.


Goon: This is... Ijuuin-san's older brother's contribution, I take it?
Goon: It sure is... lucky of me to pick it out of this pile of presents.

Oh COME ON. A whole game later and Rei still haunts Goon! It raises Stress just like the previous Rei gifts did, too.

Goon: Looks like the party's winding down.
Goon: I should head home.

RELOAD COUNT: 118

12/23: Date at Hibikino Tower, take 2


Miho again. D'oh.

12/24: Spin the wheel, get a prize


Goon: I guess this is Ijuuin-san's present?
Goon: It sure is lucky of me to pick it out of this pile of presents.

Cryogenic sleep pods. Huh. Thanks, Mei. These are... so useful.

RELOAD COUNT: 119

12/23: Spin the wheel, get a tower date


The dialogue continues to be the same between the two, but at this point, anyone with half a brain can tell which Miho is which!

Note that B-ho's standing pose has an eternal wink going, which didn't work at all for Saki in the previous game. The artists seemed to learn from their mistake, though, so instead of looking like a creepy facial tic, it just looks like B-ho has something in her eye if you look at it too long. Progress!


B-ho: My house is over that way.
Option 1: My house is that same way.
Option 2: From this tower, most houses are that way.
Option 3: The one with the red roof?


Goon: The one with the red roof?
B-ho: Bzzt! Look a little further.
Goon: (Looks like I made a pretty good impression.)

Same answer, same kind of reply, different impression. This game can be pretty confusing sometimes.

12/24: Spin the wheel, get a prize.


Mei's present again. That's fine - Mei's usually pretty safe to ignore on a regular playthrough, so she doesn't endanger this run at all.

1/1: New Year's Day 2001

Goon: Aaaand it's the start of a new year.
Goon: I wonder if the new year's cards have come in? Let's see...

Goon: Here's Hikari's card. She's always looking out for me, isn't she?

"Happy new year!
Is your new year going well? Here's to another great year!
Hikari"

Goon: Here's Shirayuki-chan's card. It's so like her to send a card like this. The Kero Kero Debeso-chan is really cute.

"Thanks for everything last year.
Let's have another great year.
Miho"

Goon: Here's Takumi's card. "Let's do our best" - at what? I'm pretty sure I know what he means, though.

"How did last year go for you?
Let's do our best this year, too!
2001.1.1 Sakaki Takumi"

Goon: Here's Jun's card. It's pretty much the same as last year's. Not that I'd expect anything different from him.

"Happy new year. Let's have a good year.
First day of Heisei 13
Hokari Jun'ichirou"

(ding-dong!)
Goon: I'll be right there!


This is the best indicator so far that things are going well. B-ho can only show up on New Year's Day if she's currently in the lead and shows up at Goon's doorstep. That means she's well above both Miho and Hikari.

Goon: Oh hi, Shirayuki-chan. What's going on?
B-ho: Happy new year!
Goon: Oh, uh, happy new year.
Goon: (I can't keep myself from staring.)
B-ho: I'm not just here to wish you a happy new year, I'm here to invite you out to hatsumoude.
B-ho: Want to come with me?
Goon: Yeah, let's go.
B-ho: Good, because the greeting was just an excuse. Let's go!
Goon: Mind waiting a second? I'll go change.
B-ho: Yes, take your time.

There is an option to refuse, but it's a double whammy to pick it - not only will B-ho be disappointed, but calling the Shirayuki household on New Year's Day can only ever lead to Miho showing up.


Goon: Oh yeah, I forgot to mention - you're wearing a haregi, Shirayuki-chan.
B-ho: Yeah - how's it look? I'm not very good with traditional clothes...
Option 1: It's pretty stylish.
Option 2: Traditional clothing suits you. You look cute.
Option 3: It's a lot different from your usual look, Shirayuki-chan.


Goon: Traditional clothing suits you. You look cute.
B-ho: Th, thank you.
Goon: (Looks like I made a great impression!)
Goon: Anyway, thanks for waiting. Let's head out.


B-ho: When it's this cold, you have to make sure you don't get sick.
Goon: Yeah.
B-ho: If you got a cold this early in the year, it'd be, like, totally the worst.
Goon: Seriously. If you don't look out, you'll start the year off on a really bad foot.

And once again, a bit of gyaru/gal-talk slips into B-ho's sentences, followed by vestigial politeness.


Goon: (What should I wish for?)
Goon: Wish for good grades, like always


B-ho: And of course, we can't go to the shrine without pulling a fortune, right?
Goon: Good point.
Goon: Alright, let's do it!
B-ho: That's the spirit. I'm super excited about what I might get! Let's hurry up and see.
Goon: (She's treating this more like a raffle ticket than a fortune.)


Goon: Let's see, this year's luck is...
Goon: Chuukichi (moderate fortune). Nice, that's pretty good.
Goon: (I wonder how Shirayuki-chan's fortune came out?)


B-ho: What'd you get?
Goon: Here, see for yourself.
Goon: What was yours like, Shirayuki-chan?
B-ho: What, my fortune? It's on the branch over there. I already tied it on.
Goon: Oh, I, uh, I see.
Goon: (Was it something she didn't want anyone else to see?)

The custom is to tie bad fortunes to a shrine's tree or to special ropes meant to replicate the shrine's trees. These are supposed to leech out the bad luck for you.


B-ho: It was pretty easy to get out of there.
Goon: Yeah. I wish it'd been that easy on the way in, too.
B-ho: Haha, good point. Anyway, I have to head home now.
Goon: Okay, take care.

And, just for tradition's sake, it's time to reload until Goon's fortune is Daikichi, for the sweet sweet -10 Stress it provides.

RELOAD COUNT: 120, 121

After reload 121, I decided to show off what happens if you say no, hoping for a Death Glare.


B-ho: Want to come with me?
Goon: S, sorry, I can't.
B-ho: Oh. Fine, whatever.

RELOAD COUNT: 122, 123, 124


Goon: Daikichi! I'm a different man this year already!

1/13: Miho event


Miho: Oh...!
Goon: Hey, Shirayuki-chan. Wh, what's wrong?
Miho: It's dangerous to go alone! Take this.

Translator's note: Sorry. I had to. She's the voice of Zelda. It isn't even that far from what she's actually saying.

Miho: It's dangerous for you to go home like this. The sign of calamity is on you.
Goon: What?! The sign of calamity?
Goon: Wh, what should I do?


That is definitely the kind of smile you can trust from a fortune teller. Right?

Miho: ...
Miho: Let's walk home together. If I'm with you, I can probably prevent anything from happening.
Goon: O, okay.
Goon: (If I'd just walked home alone... no, I don't even want to think about it, it's too scary.)

1/14: Back to the arcade!


Woohoo, got it in one!


B-ho: There's a machine over there where you can win a Kero-chan!
Goon: (Kero-chan? Oh, Kero Kero Debeso-chan, right?)
Option 1: Want me to grab one for you?
Option 2: I'm really good at those, I can get one for you.
Option 3: Good luck, Shirayuki-chan!

For reference, Miho prefers it if you wish her luck. As for B-ho...


Goon: I'm really good at those, I can get one for you.
B-ho: Really? Okay, I want a Kero-chan and a Pastel-chan. Could you get those for me?
Goon: (Looks like I made a great impression!)


B-ho: Hey, I'm kinda hungry. Wanna go eat?
Goon: Yeah, okay.
B-ho: Good. Come with me.
Goon: Sure!


B-ho: Good, it's not too crowded. We don't have to worry about waiting in line.
Goon: Yeah, there's plenty of seating too.
B-ho: Let's sit over there.
Goon: Okay, I'll claim the table. Order whatever you want for me, Shirayuki-chan.
B-ho: Got it. I'll be right back.

The lengths that some companies will go through to avoid having to use trademarked names is amazing. NacDomald's is hardly the weirdest thing that Japan has done to the golden arches, too.


B-ho: You told me to order whatever I want, so I ordered the same thing for both of us.
Goon: I don't mind. What'd you get?
B-ho: The triple burger set. It's a limited time only, and I wanted to try it.
Goon: Oh, the one that's in all the commercials. What'd you get to drink?
B-ho: Cola. You're fine with carbonation, right?
Goon: That's totally fine. Let's eat.
B-ho: Bon appetit!
Goon: (She has a really cute way of eating.)

1/21: Read the new issue of Hibikino Watcher


New Spot - Penguin Show (top left): The aquarium is reopening! Cute penguins are waiting for you!
New Spot - Wild Plune Hibikino (left side): The all-seasons indoor swimming pool Wild Plune Hibikino opens on 3/10! Ride down the water slide with your girlfriend!
Movie - Marageddon (bottom left): The giant meteor has broken through Hibikino's last line of defense! Run to the theaters!
Medal games (top right): A new medal game corner opens at the arcade on 3/29!

The other two notes are that the circus has come back to town, and the ski resort and ice skating rink remain open through February.

1/19: Invitation from Miho


Miho: Goon-san.
Goon: Hey, Shirayuki-san. What's going on?
Miho: Would you please go shopping with me this Sunday?
Goon: Yeah, gladly.


Miho: Really? Thank you. I was worried that you might say no.
Goon: So, should we meet in front of the train station?
Miho: That's fine. I'm looking forward to it. See you then.
Goon: (Awesome, I can't wait.)

I'm somewhat certain that if Miho invites you out on a date, B-ho can't show up. But there's only way to find out! Unfortunately, it requires double RNG to happen, since all date invitations from girls in the Tokimemo series are for the next day off, which usually means that they don't allow for save points.

1/21: Date with Miho


Well, guess we're stuck with Miho.


Miho: I'm not sure what to get. Could you help me choose?
Option 1: How about the leather trunk in the back?
Option 2: How about the kinchaku in the traditional corner?
Option 3: How about the brand name handbag in the trendy corner?

B-ho is so easy to shop for compared to Miho.

Goon: How about the kinchaku in the traditional corner?
Miho: I looked earlier, but all they have are patterned ones. I like plain designs better.
Goo: (Eh.)

RELOAD COUNT: 125

2/3: Invitation from Miho again


Miho: I know this is sudden, but if you're free tomorrow, want to go shopping with me?
Goon: Yeah, gladly.

2/4: Shopping with Miho, take 2


Once again, Miho invites, Miho shows up. It doesn't prove anything, but it's at least another data point.


Miho: Isn't that great?
Option 1: What, are you talking about that cute outfit over there?
Option 2: What, are you talking about that sexy outfit over there?
Option 3: What, are you talking about that single-mindedly practical outfit over there?

It's obvious which of these answers Miho likes, and which of these answers B-ho will like.


Goon: What, are you talking about that cute outfit over there?
Miho: Yes, isn't it wonderful?
Goon: (Looks like I made a great impression!)

RELOAD COUNT: 126

1/26: After school event


This is pretty obviously B-ho. The differences are getting easy to spot even when they're wearing the same clothes - especially since, if you take away the text box, you can very clearly see the brand logo on her bag.

B-ho: Fudou-san.
Goon: Hey, Shirayuki-chan. What's up?
B-ho: If you're just about to head home alone, why not walk with me?
Goon: Sure, that's fine.
B-ho: That's what I figured you'd say. 'Cause you looked pretty bored.

1/27: Awful week event


Goon: (Ugh... nothing seemed to go well this week.)
Kotoko: How lame.
Goon: ...

On the plus side, at least she's not Rei.

2/10: Perfect week event


Goon: (This week went great!)
Miho: Amazing. You make me feel like I have to work just as hard.
Goon: (Awesome!)

2/14: Valentine's Day


Hikari: Gunma-kun!
Hikari: Ummmm... here, take this.
Goon: Oh, thanks. Hey, did you make this yourself?
Hikari: I worked really hard, but I have no idea if it actually tastes good. Later!
Goon: Wait, Hikari?
Goon: (What's she so worried about?)


Takumi: Yo!
Goon: Yo, Takumi.
Takumi: You get your Valentine's chocolate yet?
Goon: Well, uh, you know...
Takumi: You don't have to lie to me. If you're feeling lonely, I'll give you some of my haul.
Goon: ...
Girl: Takumi-kuuun, I'll give you some chocolate if you come over here~!
Takumi: Yes ma'am!
Girl: Oh, Takumi-kun, you're sooooo cute!
Takumi: Tee-hee!
Goon: (...I can't believe they're buying it.)


Miho: Fudou-san.
Goon: Hey, Shirayuki-chan.
Miho: Don't read too far into this. This is just a normal thank-you.
Goon: I'm just glad to get it. I was actually looking forward to this.


Miho: *giggle* Seeing you this happy makes all the effort I put into making it worthwhile.
Goon: (Wait, what? WHAT?)


Miho(?): Fudou-san.
Goon: Oh, hey Shirayuki-chan.
Miho(?): Here's your chocolate.
Goon: What? Wait, you just gave me one!
Miho(?): Oh, uh, is that so?
Goon: Of course it is, I have it right here!
Miho(?): That, uh, that's a bad batch! I gave it to you by mistake!
Miho(?): This, this is the real one.
Goon: Isn't this from that one really famous shop?


Miho(?): Yeah, isn't this way better than homemade stuff?
Goon: Well thanks, but this is kinda weird...
Miho(?): Hahah. Well, uh, I'm in a hurry. Gotta go!
Goon: Wait, Shirayuki-chan!
Goon: ...she's already long gone.

Yeah, we all know who this is, but it sure is confusing to see them back to back like that.


Goon: I got three chocolates this year. I'm just glad I got any at all...

Next time: "You heard nothing. Got it?"