Part 54: Akane route, chapter 3: Making enemies

Akane route, chapter 3: Making enemies

With the realization that Homura needs to hate Goon by April 2000, it's time for a bit of a rewind and retool - Goon will need to have either high Stamina or high Stress by the end of summer vacation, and with a paltry 40 stam and 0 stress in the current save, it's time to do some rejiggering and rescheduling.

RELOAD COUNT: 7

Here are the things that went differently from last post:

-Goon never met Miyuki
-I drove up Goon's Stress stat by peeking in on Bakuretsuzan during kendo club summer camp


Screenshot included because it's 5:30 AM and I hate you guys.

-Goon went to the zoo instead of the amusement park with Akane on 8/22

8/22: Zoo date with Akane


Akane: Hey, what do you think about little winged insects?
Akane: Do you hate them? Do you like them?
Option 1: They're gross, I don't like them.
Option 2: I don't really care one way or the other.
Option 3: I like how grotesque they are.

Would you believe that the right answer is to say that you like 'em?


Goon: I like how grotesque they are.
Akane: Some people say it's grotesque, but I think it makes them look strong.
Akane: Like alligators or big lizards.
Goon: (Looks like I made a good impression.)

It feels like we've learned a lot about Akane with this simple little conversation.

8/29: Gave Akane the other answer at the fireworks show


Akane: Wow, how beautiful...
Goon: Yeah, tonight's fireworks are especially gorgeous.
Akane: I've never seen such a wonderful fireworks show before in my life.
Akane: I'm glad we could see this together.

And we're caught up to where we were last time. Onward... and downward!

9/1: Learn more about Jun


Goon: (Time to head home.)
Goon: Hey, it's Jun.


Goon: Jun!
Jun: Yo, you heading home?
Goon: Yeah, you wanna walk with me for a while?


Jun: Sorry. My sister asked me to help out at the store today, so I have to be home early.
Goon: Ah. Don't worry about it, I didn't have anything important to talk about or anything.
Goon: (What a dependable guy.)

Would it surprise you to know that Jun, who flees in confused terror from women who show an interest in him, has three older sisters? And that his family runs a flower shop? Yeah, I'm not surprised about how he turned out either.

9/10: Akane's birthday

Goon: Oh yeah, today's Ichimonji-san's birthday.
Goon: What should I give her?
Best option: A gift certificate
Good option: A stuffed kitty cat
Worst option: Perfume

You might be familiar with the Japanese proverb "Hana yori dango", or "dumplings are better than flowers" - as you can see, Akane vastly prefers things that will help her out in her daily life, as opposed to things that are pretty but useless.


Goon: (Is Ichimonji-san around?)
Goon: Hey, Ichimonji-san!
Akane: Oh hey, what's up?
Goon: Here's your birthday present. Open it up!


Akane: Wow, thanks!
Akane: You really know what I like.
Akane: I'll make good use of this.
Goon: (Good, it looks like she really liked it.)

Technically, she said she'll treasure it, but given that it's a gift certificate, it doesn't really make sense to translate it that way.

9/15: See Jun's holiday model


Screenshot included because first of all, Jun's a bro, and second of all, he appears to be in a barbershop quartet, because otherwise there's no explaining why he looks like a candy cane.


Okay, there's another explanation, but it's too horrifying to think about.

9/17: A brush with Justice

It took going down to 43 Stamina and up to 30 Stress to do it, but some mashing on the kendo club activity led to Goon oversleeping and running into the Homura event, early enough to make sure she hates Goon by the start of year 2.


I said that Goon was going to be a bit of a thug in this playthrough, and having a rivalry with Homura just emphasizes that.

9/19: The second kendo exhibition match


Jun came to cheer Goon on again. What a guy.

As a note, all of the schools you go up against in these sporting meets are named in a punny way. The first opponent is Tofu High, to represent their softness and low level. This one is Hatsuratsu High, which means Lively, so it's a bit less punny. To make up for it, the third opponent is named Third High.


Goon: I pulled out the win!


Jun's congratulatory dialogue is the same as before, too.

10/3: Invite Homura out on a date


Goon: Hello, is this the Akai residence?
Homura: Yeah, it is.
Goon: Oh, Akai-san? It's Fudou.
Homura: Oh, it's you.
Homura: I'm just getting to the good part in Go-Driller, so keep it short if you can.
Goon: Wanna go to to the amusement park with me on the 10th?
Homura: Yeah! I'll accept any invitation that sounds fun.
Goon: Okay, let's meet at the bus stop on that day.
Homura: Cool. Don't forget!
Goon: I won't be late. See you.
Goon: (Awesome!)

10/7: Mild fan service


Akane: Goon-kun!
Goon: Hey, Ichimonji-san. You have PE next period?
Akane: Yeah, it's the class I can relax the most in.
Akane: I look forward to this every week.
Akane: Later!
Goon: (Ichimonji-san definitely seemed really happy.)

10/10: Stand up Homura

Not only stand up Homura, but stand her up by calling her best friend and asking her out. It feels good to be a jerk sometimes.


Goon: There's a message on the machine.
Homura: It's me!
Homura: You should watch your back.
Homura: Next time I see you, I'm gonna make sure you pay for this!
Goon: Oh - oh crap!

This is a great way to lower Homura's affection, but it can't be abused too hard without creating a bomb that will only be diffused with a successful date - and since Homura is Akane's best friend, that'd really hamper the run as a whole. We're just going to have to get Kotoko and Kaedeko to like Goon more than Homura does - thankfully, they have birthdays coming up, which helps.

10/24: Mountain hike with Akane


Akane's winter outfit.


Akane: Wow, the whole place is all red.
Option 1: Yeah, it's just like a wildfire.
Option 2: Yeah, it looks really really angry.
Option 3: Yeah, it's like a heaping bowl of ikura-don.


Goon: Yeah, it's just like a wildfire.
Akane: Yeah! When the leaves dance in the wind, it's just like a flame.
Akane: It's like the mountain itself is burning.
Akane: Amazing...
Goon: (Looks like I made a great impression!)


Notably, Akane is now willing to walk halfway home with Goon and hang out some more.

10/26: Goon's birthday


Akane: Goon-kun!
Goon: Hey, Ichimonji-san. What's up?
Akane: Here - it's your birthday, right? Happy birthday.
Goon: Oh, thanks.
Akane: It's nothing big, so try not to build up your expectations too much, okay?
Goon: Hey, you remembered my birthday and you got me a present.
Goon: That alone is enough to make me happy.
Akane: Oh, you're overstating it.
Akane: I gotta go, later.

11/3: Culture festival

We haven't been able to see it in any of the other three runs because Goon has never been on a sports team, and has always had a concert, a play, or a science experiment on the day of the culture festival. But now, as a member of the kendo club, we get to see whatever we want with whoever we want!


Goon: (Today's the culture festival!)
Goon: What should I do?
Goon: Who should I do it with?
Option 1: Invite a girl
Option 2: Go it alone

The options are Hikari, Akane, Homura, and Kaedeko - the sports girls and the slackers. Kotoko runs a tea ceremony during the culture festival. The only option, of course, is to bring Akane.


Akane: Hey, what's up?
Goon: Do you want to go see some of the exhibits with me?
Akane: Yeah, sure. I don't have any plans, and it's pretty lonesome going by myself.
Goon: Cool, let's go.
Goon: (Where should we go?)
Option 1: Drama club
Option 2: Science club
Option 3: Concert band
Option 4: Tea ceremony

We've already seen the drama club in a previous run, and tea ceremony is about as interesting as watching grass grow, so let's see what the science club pulls!


Akane: Yay, a robot! We get to see a robot!
Goon: You seem pretty excited.
Akane: Uh-huh!
Goon: (I wonder what she's imagining will happen...)
Goon: Hey, looks like they're starting.


Club member: Thank you all so much for coming to see the science club's exhibit today!
Club member: And now, the Hibikino High School science club presents the results of our combined efforts.
Club member: Behold, the self-standing, self-propelled humanoid robot, HR-4!!
Club member: It... it stopped?

The sign behind the club member says "Humanoid robot bipedal motion experiment"


Club member: Enter the password for the emergency shutdown program!

Note: If Goon is a member of the science club, then he's at the console instead of this poor girl, and there's a quicktime event that controls how the rest of this scene goes, depending on if you input the correct password or not.


Club member: Whew...


Akane: So was that supposed to be impressive?
Goon: Sort of, I guess.
Akane: Hmmm, that was totally different from what I imagined.
Goon: What exactly did you imagine, Ichimonji-san?


Akane: Huh? Uh, I'll keep that to myself. It's embarrassing to say.
Goon: (It seems like she was expecting something way different from the real thing.)


Goon: So what did you think of the culture festival?
Akane: It felt way too short. It's the same feeling I get at the end of a festival.
Akane: Oh, right, that's why they call it the culture festival, huh?
Goon: (She's right about it feeling too short.)

11/4: Date with Akane


Akane: Koi always gather up when someone gets near, don't they?
Option 1: They're looking for food. Should we give them some?
Option 2: They're pretty friendly and cute, aren't they?
Option 3: They're all jumbled up and weird.


Goon: They're looking for food. Should we give them some?
Akane: Oh, you're right. Do you have anything you can give them?
Goon: (Looks like I made a pretty good impression.)

11/7: Status report



As of November, Hikari (of course) and Akane are both friendly, while Kotoko and Kaedeko still have the worst opinion of Goon. We'll need to get them past Homura to give Jun some room to work. Time to roll up those Goonsleeves and get to work.

11/14: Kaedeko's birthday

Best present: Knitting set
Good present: Romance novel
Bad present: Scale with body fat measuring capabilities


Kaedeko: Oh, hello. What's going on?
Goon: It's your birthday, isn't it, Sakura-san?
Goon: I got you a present.


Kaedeko: Wow! I've always wanted one of these!
Kaedeko: How'd you know?
Goon: (Good, it looks like she really liked it.)

Just a little more and she should be past the Homura Line.

11/28: Date with Kaedeko


The artists really went through a lot of effort to make Kaedeko seem tiny, even though she's a good 5cm taller than Homura is.


Kaedeko: This avenue is so wonderful - it always looks different every time I come here.
Option 1: It's just a bunch of big trees lined up next to each other.
Option 2: Yeah, you can enjoy it in any season!
Option 3: Really? It seems boring to me.


Goon: Yeah, you can enjoy it in any season!
Kaedeko: Right? I think it's the best for when you're taking a walk!
Goon: (Looks like I made a great impression!)

12/2: Kotoko's birthday

As in the previous run, we're going to give her the best present, the special tea.


And as in the previous run, you would have to use a microscope to tell the difference between her happy face and her bored face.

12/6-12/10: Midterms (results on 12/13)

12/12: Aquarium date with Kotoko

It took some coercing, but for once, Kotoko didn't just say "ask Hikari" when called on a date.


Kotoko: Don't you think sharks kind of resemble you a bit?
Option 1: Because they're brash and bold?
Option 2: Because they're fearsome?
Option 3: Because they bear themselves with dignity?

Kotoko, you ask the greatest questions.


Goon: Because they're fearsome?
Kotoko: You're not fearsome at all.
Kotoko: Just the opposite, you seem nice.
Kotoko: Well, compared to a shark, at least.
Goon: (Looks like I made a pretty good impression.)

You know what, I'll take that as a compliment coming from her.

12/13: Test results

Goon: Eh, not bad.


81st: Sakaki Takumi
88th: Hinomoto Hikari
96th: Hokari Jun'ichirou
102nd: Minazuki Kotoko
110th: Fudou Gunma
179th: Sakura Kaedeko
258th: Ichimonji Akane
298th: Akai Homura (not pictured)

12/19: Kendo exhibition match


Another day of Jun cheering Goon on, and another hard-fought win for Goon against Third High.

12/21: Walk home with Akane


Goon: Ichimonji-san!
Akane: Hey, what's up?
Goon: Want to walk home together?
Akane: Yeah, that's fine. But I have work soon, so I won't be able to hang out for too long.
Goon: Cool, let's go.

The first time Akane has had time to spare for Goon. Hurray!

12/24: Double date with Takumi, Hikari, and Kotoko


Taking the opportunity to get more time with Kotoko, but without triggering any of her events, it was 1 ride with Kotoko and 1 ride with Hikari.

1/1: New Year's Day


Goon: Hmm, it's the start of a new year.
Goon: Oh yeah, did I get any New Year's cards?
Goon: Let's see...

Akane's is the only new card this year; Hikari's, Jun's, and Takumi's cards are pasted Chapter 7 of the Maho run.

Goon: Here's Hikari's card. Yeah, I agree, it'd been seven years since we last met.

Happy New Year!
Last year was truly memorable because I was reunited with you.
Let's have a great year this year, too.
Hikari

Goon: This is Ichimonji-san's card. It feels powerful, just like her card should.

Wishing you fortune in the new year
Happy new year!

The top portion of Akane's card says "Kinga shinnen", which is a more formal way of saying happy new year.

Goon: Here's Takumi's card. It kinda feels like lip service.

Happy 2000.
Let's be nice to each other.
Thanks.
Sakaki Takumi

Goon: Here's Jun's card. It's a pretty curt greeting, but that's just like him.

Happy new year. Let's have a good year.
Hokari Jun'ichirou


Goon: (Alright, let's call Ichimonji-san.)
Goon: Hello, is this the Ichimonji residence?
Akane: Hey, Goon-kun. What did you want to talk about today?
Goon: Do you want to go to hatsumoude with me?
Akane: Yeah, I'll go! I was just thinking of going with someone.
Goon: Okay, I'll meet you in front of the torii.


Goon: Hi, Ichimonji-san.
Goon: Oh, hey, you're wearing a haregi today.
Akane: Y, yeah. What do you think?
Akane: It's my mom's, so it's kinda old.
Option 1: You look just like your mom, don't you?
Option 2: It suits you perfectly. You look cute.
Option 3: That's a really old haregi...


Goon: It suits you perfectly. You look cute.
Akane: N, no way... thanks.
Goon: (Looks like I made a great impression!)


Even with a dangerously low Stamina score, it's still worth wishing for academics over Stamina - Goon can recover stamina by sleeping during the week without complicating his social life, but studying is something he'll have to make the most of whenever he can.


Akane: Hey, are you just going to leave without pulling your fortune?
Goon: Oh yeah...
Goon: Alright, let's do it!
Akane: I thought so. Let's go.

Goon: Let's see, this year's luck is going to be...
Goon: Shoukichi (slightly good luck).
Goon: Well, at least it's on the good side.
Goon: (How did Ichimonji-san do?)


Akane: Hey, how's it looking?
Goon: Here, take a look. What about you?
Akane: I didn't pull one for myself.
Akane: I don't have the money to use on that. Just throwing a coin in the offering box was enough.
Goon: I, I see.
Goon: (She asked if I wanted to do it even though she couldn't do it herself - Ichimonji-san really does look out for other people.)


Akane: Thanks to you, this year's off to a great start.
Akane: Thank you.
Goon: No, thank you.
Akane: And again, happy new year.
Goon: Yeah, same to you.

Next time: Toughening up.