Part 77: Tokimemo 3, Chapter 6: Working toward a better tomorrow
Tokimemo 3, chapter 6: Working toward a better tomorrow12/29: Bomb-clearing date with Yukiko, redux
This time, we resort to the full suit, because screw this game.
And, since the game hates us right back, I am forced to read my own LP to remember where this date is and pass the quiz - mousing over the date in the calendar doesn't provide any details, so it's only due to extensive note-taking that I remember the date is at the shopping center. Otherwise, the bomb would have gone off and forced a reload. There are several schools of thought that you should just let a Yukiko bomb or two go off, but it might not be so bad.
Oh, hello Pastel Maetel. I'm glad you could join us between stops of the Galaxy Express 999.
On the plus side, Yukiko is already there when we get there, so there's no "hey maybe I'm at the wrong place, should I go to one of the other date spots?" angst from Goon.
Yukiko: Fudou-kun.
Goon: Hey, Makihara-san.
Yukiko: ...
Goon: Wh, what? Something wrong?
Yukiko: No, it's nothing.
This is the "hey, I like what you're wearing" conversation, which is honestly not great to hear from Yukiko but we're stuck between either getting Yukiko to like us a little more, which accelerates bombs a little bit, or antagonizing her, which is an express train to Bombsville.
Yukiko: Hey, where do you want to go today?
Goon: Let's go to the fancy shop.
Yukiko: Hehe, there are so many cute things here.
Option 1: I feel kinda light-headed.
Option 2: They really match you, Makihara-san.
Option 3: Yeah, I want some, too.
Goon: They really match you, Makihara-san.
Yukiko: Hehe, thanks!
Goon: (Looks like I made a great impression!)
Yukiko: Today was a lot of fun.
Yukiko: Okay, I need to head home now.
Goon: Okay, see you.
1/1: New Year's Day
Goon: A new year starts today.
Goon: Have any new year's cards come in?
Goon: This is Tachibana-san's card. Brush calligraphy... it really has style.
New Year's greetings
I wish you the very best for the new year and all that it brings.
Tachibana Emi
Goon: This is Shinjo-san's card. It isn't decorated at all?
Goon: Well, that's just like her, I guess.
Happy New Year. Let's have another good year.
Shinjo Serika
Goon: Here's Shiratori's card. I'm pretty sure it's just lip service.
Let's have another good year.
Shiratori Masaki
Goon: This is Yabe's card. It's... it's very lively.
A lot of stuff happened last year, but let's have a good year this year!
Instead of signing his name like a normal person, Takuo draws the first character of his first name a bunch of times as if it's a torrent of lava flying from the Fuji volcano he's drawn on his card. This almost - ALMOST makes up for him being a horrible creep otherwise.
Another thing to note here: Yukiko has already tried to bomb, and her affection is not high enough to send a New Year's card, which arrives at neutral or higher affection. That means that she's going to be bombing at a rate of around once every 4-6 weeks and it's only going to get faster.
Goon: Anyway, I got nothing better to do, maybe I should invite someone out to hatsumoude.
(ring)
Goon: Hey, Shinjo-san. It's me, Fudou.
Serika: Oh, it's you. This is a surprise, what's up?
Goon: Happy New Year. Hey, you want to go to hatsumoude with me?
Serika: I can't today. I have other plans... sorry.
Goon: (That sucks. Guess I'll have to go alone.)
Welp.
Goon: (There are a ton of people here. I should just pay my respects and get home fast.)
Goon: What should I wish for?
As tempting as the romance option is, we'll soon see that it's another fast ticket to Bombsville. Praying for health is pointless since we haven't had to use the Sleep option once due to a steady diet of relaxing tea and hearty lunches, so the only thing left to do is pray for academics, like always.
Goon: (They're selling fortunes over there. Should I pull one?)
Sure, why not.
Goon: Ill fortune... this sucks.
Goon: It'd be nice if this was a good year, though.
By the way, this is what happens in Tokimemo 3 when you pray for academics - every academic stat immediately levels. It's about 2-3 weeks of work, and kinda handy.
1/4: Date with Serika
Once again, for lack of better options it's all about wearing a suit to the movies.
Cut: The usual "did I go to the wrong place?" angst
Serika: Fudou.
Goon: Hey, Shinjo-san.
Serika: Sorry... I had some stuff to take care of.
Goon: Don't worry about it.
Goon: So, the movie playing right now is the action-adventure movie Valley of Kings.
Serika: Action-adventure, eh? From the poster, it looks pretty cool.
Goon: (Valley of Kings is a special effects blockbuster about hidden treasures under a pyramid.)
Goon: (The scenes with the armies of mummies are awesome.)
Serika: Those mummies were CG, right?
Serika: They looked pretty real, it was cool.
Option 1: It feels like they aren't quite there yet, you know?
Option 2: Yeah, it really felt like the latest and greatest technology.
Option 3: All that CG everywhere makes it feel really fake.
The temptation to apply these choices to Tokimemo 3 in general is overwhelming.
Goon: Yeah, it really felt like the latest and greatest technology.
Serika: Movies are getting really advanced these days, I was impressed.
Goon: (Looks like I made a great impression!)
Serika: Today went pretty well.
Serika: Well, see ya later.
Goon: See you.
1/11: Perfectly normal high school hobbies
At this point I would like to point out that in order to find another topic that Serika likes, we have to grow our own coffee beans from scratch and then make coffee from them. Is this... is this a real thing among coffee lovers? I mean, growing flowers and arranging your own bouquets is one thing, but growing your own coffee beans from scratch, roasting them, and brewing them seems like way too much effort.
1/20: Signs of personality
Emi: Oh, good afternoon.
Goon: Hmm? Hey Tachibana-san, Shinjo-san.
Serika: Yo. You heading home?
Goon: Yeah. You two doing the same?
Emi: Yes, the two of us are going to go shopping.
Goon: Oh?
Serika: Yep. Later.
Goon: (Tachibana-san and Shinjo-san sure seem like good friends.)
1/20: Bomb warning
What? It's only been a month since I went on the bomb-clearing date with Yukiko, it better not be her!
1/25-1/26: Recon
After calling Emi and Serika, I confirm that it's neither of them. Which means it's Yukiko. It hasn't even been three weeks, for crap's sake!
Note: At this point I played for a few months and decided "screw it, I'm loading to back before valentine's day". A few
One of the items that can be found via the Excavation activity is "A quiz from when I was young (8 points)"
Let's, uh, let's hope that the score is out of 10 and not 100.
And the real reason that I had to reload so far back:
Year 2 class assignments are random, and having Yukiko in our class isn't just a ticket to Bombsville, it's putting on a cowboy hat and riding the thing and whooping as it drops.
2/3: For the love of...
Yes, of course it's Yukiko's bomb. For crying out loud.
2/8: Zoo date with Serika
Okay, back to normal-person clothes.
Serika: I like animals, but I don't really like zoos.
Serika: Well, I'll go with you, at least.
Goon: Oh. Uh...
Serika: Okay, let's do this zoo thing.
Goon: Sure.
Serika: Why do all the animals in zoos get put in cages, anyway? The poor things.
Option 1: If they didn't do that, people would get attacked.
Option 2: Because it's really hard for animals in cities...
Option 3: It's just the way it is, isn't it?
Goon: Option 2: Because it's really hard for animals in cities...
Serika: That's true.
Serika: Now that you mention it, it's like people stole all their habitats.
Serika: It's so sad.
Goon: (Eh.)
Well, that didn't go very well, I guess we still might be doomed to a lonely Valentine's Day.
Serika: Hey, you still free after this?
Serika: It feels like we haven't been able to talk much.
Goon: Alright, let's find a local place.
Serika: Sounds good, let's hurry over there.
Oh.
Serika: I can't relax here.
Serika: I don't think I'm suited for noisy places like this.
Goon: I see...
Same dialogue as before.
Goon: (What should we talk about?)
Talk in depth about coffee
Serika: Oh, I see. That's a good idea.
Goon: (She's listening enthusiastically)
Talk in depth about rock music
Serika: Yeah? And then?
Goon: (She seems pretty interested in the topic.)
Do you like exercise?
Serika: Yeah, I guess I like it. More than studying for sure.
Goon: (Looks like I made a pretty good impression.)
We have now used up almost half of the topics in the game that Serika likes to talk about. It's going to be uphill from here.
Serika: Today was fun. Relatively.
Serika: We're mostly in the same direction, how about we walk together for a while?
Goon: Yeah, I'm cool with that.
2/14: Valentine's Day
Goon: It's Valentine's Day today.
Goon: But no one's come up to me...
Takuo: Hehe. What's with the long face?
Takuo: Don't tell me, you haven't received a single chocolate yet?
Goon: Back off, man.
Takuo: Me, I've gotten so many that it's a problem.
Takuo: I can't carry them all, so I'm just eating them as I get them.
Goon: I, I see.
Takuo: And that's how it is. Later. Hahaha...
Goon: (I'm just so frustrated right now.)
Goon: Sigh. Nothing here, I guess.
Goon: That's weird. Nothing here, either.
Goon: I, I wonder what's wrong, they could've just given it to me earlier.
Holy crap, Goon is being whiny right now.
Serika: Here you go.
Serika: Better eat it all. It'll go to waste if you don't.
Goon: Th, thanks.
Goon: (Wait, is this chocolate - a military emergency food ration?)
Goon: (In a way, it's like I've gotten something even rarer than a honmei chocolate.)
Congratulations, goons, you've chosen the girl with your sense of humor. I think. I don't know if it's a joke at all, actually.
2/15: 2nd bomb-clearing date with Yukiko
Yukiko: Fudou-kun.
Goon: Hey, Makihara-san.
Yukiko: Wow, you look fantastic today.
Goon: Really? Thanks.
Oh god it's getting worse
Yukiko: You know, I started coming to this arcade a lot last year.
Option 1: Yeah, this place has a great atmosphere.
Option 2: I did too, I totally didn't notice you.
Option 3: You mean you didn't come here before?!
Wow this is an insulting group of options.
Goon: Yeah, this place has a great atmosphere.
Yukiko: I thought so too.
Yukiko: It's nice to have an arcade that's so welcoming to girls.
Goon: (Looks like I made a pretty good impression.)
Yukiko: Hey. We have some time, how about we grab something light somewhere.
Goon: Good idea, let's do it.
[BOMBING INTENSIFIES]
Yukiko: This is the first time we've been here together.
Yukiko: Haha, I'm a little nervous.
Goon: (What should we talk about?)
Talk in depth about tea
Yukiko: Oh, and?
Goon: (She seems kinda interested.)
When's your birthday?
Yukiko: Umm, it's September 11th.
Yukiko: I'm supposed to be a Virgo, but I don't really seem like one, right?
During development, Yukiko's birthday didn't carry any unfortunate connotations. It's only to Muricans that she has quite possibly the worst possible birthday for a serial bomber.
Talk about the baseball club
Yukiko: It's nice, isn't it?
Goon: (She seems pretty interested.)
Yukiko: Oh, it's about time for me to head home.
Goon: You have a curfew?
Yukiko: No, nothing like that, but around this time my mom starts worrying, so I try and make sure to be home by around now.
Goon: I see.
Yukiko: But I wish we could spend some more time together today. Ehehe.
Goon: Time flies.
<Airplane joke redacted>
Yukiko: Today was a lot of fun.
Yukiko: I have to head home now.
Goon: Later.
2/18: Walk home with Serika
Goon: Oh yeah, finals are coming up.
Serika: Finals, eh? I don't really care.
Serika: I'll make sure I don't fail. That's as far as I'll go.
BOMB WARNING
Oh you've got to be kidding me. It's year one! Imagine how bad it will be when these people actually LIKE Goon!
2/25: Because this game doesn't hate me enough yet
Takuo: Hey. What do you think of Serika-chan?
Goon: What is that supposed to mean?
Takuo: She's been amazing lately.
Takuo: That gloomy look to her really hits all the right spots.
Takuo: I can barely contain myself!
Goon: O, okay.
Goon: (So Shinjo-san is his type?)
This is probably the sign that Takuo will try to pursue Serika in this run. I can't find it in me to be threatened - Serika's run demands high fighting stats in the first place, so it doesn't seem like Takuo will be anything more than a complete pushover should it come down to a showdown.
3/2: Moegino Watcher check
There are three attractions of note: one is a comedy duo called Yuuko and Yukari coming to the theater. No, this is not TM1's Yuuko and Yukari, they just named it that to provide you a bit of false hope.
The other is the revival of an 11-year-old movie called 少女時代 Childhood Days - a genderbended version of a famous film about childhood in wartime. You'll understand why the movie is important fairly shortly.
The third is a doggy and kitty playground opening up at the zoo. This will be very helpful.
3/3-3/7: Finals
Goon: I did alright, huh?
44th: Shiratori Masaki
62nd: Fudou Gunzou
133rd: Makihara Yukiko
149th: Shinjo Serika
163rd: Tachibana Emi
22nd: Yabe Takuo
Serika: Hey, I saw your scores.
Serika: You did better than I did.
Goon: Nah, it's nothing big.
Serika: Don't say that.
Serika: Must be nice, all I got were barely passing scores.
Goon: How about we study for the next test together?
Captured in the wild: Serika smiling. This rare and fleeting phenomenon lasts for something like 5 frames.
Serika: Haha, good idea.
Serika: I'll hold you to that... some time. Maybe.
3/8: The arcade with Serika
Serika: Sorry I'm late.
Goon: Hey, Shinjo-san.
Grey hair, popped collar... I'm not saying. I'm just saying.
Serika: Geez. Those crane games really make it seem easy.
Serika: But everything is always just out of reach.
Option 1: That's just how games work.
Option 2: That's the fun part.
Option 3: Yeah, it's really irritating.
Goon: Yeah, it's really irritating.
Serika: Right? It'd be faster to use the money to buy the same thing you would've wasted your money on trying to catch.
Goon: (Looks like I made a pretty good impression.)
Serika: Well, that wasn't bad.
Serika: Let's head home.
Goon: Yeah, let's.
3/10: Bomb Warning
Oh. It was Emi this time. Great.
3/14: White Day
Goon: (Today's White Day. Who should I give my White Day gift to?)
Goon: Okay, I'll give it to Shinjo-san.
Goon: (Hey, I think that's Shinjo-san over there.)
Goon: Shinjo-san!
Serika: Hmm? What's going on?
Goon: Here. As thanks for Valentine's Day.
Serika: Oh, sorry. You didn't have to give me anything.
Serika: But since you're offering, I'll gladly accept it.
Goon: (She seemed sorta happy.)
3/16: Aikido match
Easy win. No new dialogue.
3/18: Meet Yellow
Yellow: Oh, you appear to be working on a painting.
Yellow: But can you really call what you're doing "painting"?
Goon: What?
Yellow: It's awful. It's not expressive at all, and the perspective is pathetic.
Yellow: It's like a kindergartener's scribbling.
Yellow: Why don't you stop wasting paper?
Goon: ...
Yellow: I feel a headache coming on. Excuse me.
Goon: (What was with that girl? She just showed up, badmouthed me, and left.)
Goon: Hey, Yabe!
Takuo: Hey. I saw all of that.
Takuo: She really laid into you.
Goon: Yeah...
Takuo: Mari-chan's gorgeous, but she's kind of overbearing.
Takuo: The first time she talked to me, she really let me have it too.
Goon: You know her, Yabe?
Takuo: What? You haven't heard about Mari-chan from the drama club?
Takuo: Her mom's a famous actress, and her dad's a director, so she's super rich.
Takuo: Because of her parents, they say she's gonna be a famous actress herself.
Takuo: But if she was really working on that, I don't think she'd be at a normal high school like this.
Goon: Hmm.
Takuo: Now if you'll excuse me, some ladies are waiting for me.
Goon: (She's that famous? I had no idea.)
There is a fortuitously timed part 2 to this event coming up, which was completely unintended.
3/21: Bomb-clearing movies with Emi
Goon: According to this, the movie playing right now is Childhood Days.
Emi: It appears to be a drama.
Emi: I suppose the tone is going to be very serious.
Goon: That's not bad every once in a while.
Goon: Let's go find our seats.
Goon: (Childhood Days is a drama about a family whose life is turned upside-down by ethnic strife in a foreign country.)
Goon: (I wonder if it's because the movie's so plain-looking, but there aren't many people here.)
As a reminder, this version of Childhood Days was filmed 10 or 11 years before the setting of Tokimemo 3. Which would make Mari about 6 years old when the movie was made.
Emi: Ah, I was entranced. What did you think?
Option 1: It was kinda boring, I fell asleep.
Option 2: It was utterly depressing.
Option 3: I'm glad it had a happy ending.
Goon: I'm glad it had a happy ending.
Emi: Yes, I agree.
Emi: It was nice that the family was able to find happiness in the end.
Goon: (Looks like I made a great impression!)
The next few weeks get muddied by the sheer number of times I was forced to reload the beginning of the second school year. Even though classes change on 4/7, the RNG seed is set on 4/3, forcing any giblo to start in March. This meant I had to reload for over 6 hours to get the right RNG - representing 55 or so reloads. I'd keep a count, but you know what? Screw this game.
I don't want to talk about it right now. It's depressing.
YKWSTG count: 5
ROYAL RAINBOW!
Okay.
Okay.
That took a more drastic cleansing than usual, but I think I'm ready for the next stream and post soon.
Next time:
