Part 45: Preparing for the home stretch

Chapter 14: Preparing for the home stretch.

2/19: Miho event at school


Miho: Fudou-san.
Goon: Hey, Shirayuki-chan. What's up?
Miho: Would you like to come 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.)

Look, just because it's happened twice, doesn't mean that Miho is guaranteed to show up for all of these, right?

2/24: Miho's birthday


This event is exactly the same as year 1's birthday, for some reason. So, I'm just going to say we got the best present and leave it at that. I'm not sure why they made year 1 and year 2's presents the same, though.

2/25: Date with...


B-ho! Third time was actually the charm, for once.


B-ho: 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?

Same dialogue, different person!


Goon: What, are you talking about that sexy outfit over there?
B-ho: Yes, it's the latest style.
B-ho: I have great taste, right?
Goon: (Looks like I made a great impression!)

2/27: Meet Homura (for real, this time)

Why? Because I needed a good fighter on my team.


Homura: The heavens call!
Homura: The earth cries out!
Homura: The crowd roars!
Homura: All calling on me to defeat evil!

Just so you know, this is the Kamen Rider she's quoting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxzoHNPdVbA

3/4: Date with Shirayuki-chan


Welcome to spring! B-ho seems happy to be out of her winter wear.


But wait! This is the third date in a row near the shopping center, so punks will show up!


But it's fine - B-ho dropped a rain of frogs on everyone, and things worked out. I'll need an excuse to show off the Drama Club limit break later.


Punk: Damn! We have to report this to the boss!

Bring on your boss. Goon will be waiting.

3/5-3/9: Finals


12th: Fudou Gunma
83rd: Hinomoto Hikari
125th: Hokari Jun'ichirou
132nd: Sakaki Takumi
139th: Minazuki Kotoko
189th: Shirayuki Miho


Miho: Fudou-san.
Goon: Hey, Shirayuki-chan.
Miho: It looks like you did pretty well this time.
Goon: I wasn't very confident going in, but it looks like my hard work paid off.
Miho: Good for you! I'm very happy for you.
Goon: (If it makes her this happy, maybe I should keep studying hard.)

3/10: Read the new issue of Hibikino Watcher


New Spot - Billiards at the Hibikino Bowl
Concerts: SPEECH from 5/3-5/20, and the KNM Symphony Orchestra from 6/1-8/31.
Hibikino Stadium: Baseball from 4/1-9/30
Hibikino Central Park: Cherry blossoms in bloom from late March through early April
Movies: Marageddon and LA Continental.

3/14: White Day


Takumi: Hey, could you help me hand out my White Day gifts?
Goon: Why should I?
Takumi: I'm just joking. Later~!


Jun: Hmph. How pointless...
Goon: Did you already give your gift to Minazuki-san, Jun?


Jun: Y, yeah... she, she was really happy.
Goon: (Good for you, Jun.)

Goon: Alright, who should I give this to?
Option 1: Hikari
Option 2: Miho
Option 3: Nobody

Might as well give it to Miho. B-ho has a massive lead at this point, and let's try not to dick around with Hikari any further.


Goon: Alright, let's go give this to Shirayuki-chan.
Goon: (I wonder if she's around?)
Goon: Hey, Shirayuki-chan!
Miho: Oh... I had a feeling I'd see you today.
Miho: What did you want to talk about?
Goon: Here - as thanks for Valentine's Day.


Miho: Thanks, this makes me really happy.
Miho: It's like a dream come true to receive this from you.
Goon: (I didn't expect her to be this happy about it)

3/14: Bomb warning!

One guess who it is!

Yep.


While we're at it, we might as well take a look at Homura's sta... holy crap, girl!

3/19: Poor Mei.


Goon: Hmm? Ijuuin-san? What's wrong? You don't usually walk to school...
Mei: M, m, my brother is my sister and my sister is my mother and Sakunoshin is my sister and Akai Homura is a woman!
Goon: Huh?
(Silenced pistol sound)


Sakunoshin: You heard nothing. Understood?
Goon: Uh, sure.
Goon: But, what about Ijuuin-san?
Sakunoshin: Mei-sama has taken a slightly strong dose of medicine.
Sakunoshin: It is nothing you have to worry about.
Goon: Uh... sure.
Goon: (What's going on? Well, at least one thing is true, Homura is a girl, right?)

So this is an event that I have referred to several times in the course of this LP - partially because it's one of my favorites. You can just hear the panic in Mei's voice as she wanders to school in a daze, after discovering that Rei is actually a girl.

However, this scene also flies in the face of everything Tokimemo 1 established about the Ijuuin family. For one thing, talking to Rei reveals that she is supposed to be an only child. For another, Rei also eventually reveals that all women of the Ijuuin family are raised as men until they reach adulthood. Mei retcons both of these facts, which the writers didn't seem to realize until fans brought it up to them.

When confronted with the evidence, the creators basically shrugged and said "Well, it was funnier this way. So that's the way it is now." Frankly, Tokimemo is better with this change. Mei's just too awesome.

3/19: Bomb warning, stage 2


Goon: Hey Hikari. What's wrong?
Hikari: ...
Goon: Wait, Hikari!
Goon: (I think I hurt Hikari without knowing it...)

Goon, this is the smartest thing about Hikari you have said all run. There are three stages to bomb warnings in Tokimemo 2 before one goes off. The game really, really doesn't want you to get bombed.

3/21: Date at the aquarium


Goon: The penguin show just opened here at the aquarium.
B-ho: Oh yeah?
Goon: Yeah, let's go check it out.


B-ho: That penguin dance routine was really cute!
Option 1: They look so stupid, but I guess you can teach them to dance.
Option 2: That dance is pretty popular right now because of that one commercial, right?
Option 3: Yeah, they're really cute when they waddle around.


Goon: Yeah, they're really cute when they waddle around.
B-ho: I know, it looks like it's so hard for them to walk with those tiny little steps. It's so charming.
Goon: (Looks like I made a pretty good impression.)

I didn't notice this until I was going through and taking screenshots, but the penguins in the background are ever so slightly animated. It's a pretty nice touch!


And, because the weather is good and Goon gave a good answer, B-ho invites Goon to have dinner. The dialogue is exactly the same, but the outfit changes. That's about it.


And, on April 1st, Disc 3 ends. Disc 4 begins year three, the home stretch for the B-ho run!

Next time: Conspiracy.