New day, same routine…Get out of bed, get ready, walk up to the school path…That's all that John really needed to do in the morning, along with him constantly thinking about the school's strict council and the revival of the Drama Club, and the "friends" he's made ever since he'd landed.
Today, John needed to find Tomoya and Nagisa once more to try and rehearse and practise the introductory greeting for the Club once more. All John could really do for now was lend support with all of his experience in the field of the arts. While wandering the school halls at lunch looking for either of them, he ran into Tomoyo.
"Hello." John greeted.
"Hello John." Tomoyo greeted back, looking slightly surprised and annoyed.
"Is something the matter?" John asked.
"…I have heard about the "incident" yesterday with the Student Council." Tomoyo said.
"Um…About that…" John sighed.
"I'm not going to scold you or anything but…Even as a Junior I know that no one has spoken up like that to the Student Council in this school for…a while." Tomoyo explained.
"I'll take that as a compliment." John replied.
"At least you're trying hard to get what you want. You mean well and I commend you for that." Tomoyo smiled.
"Oh, why thank you." John responded.
"Hey are you looking for Okazaki?" Tomoyo suddenly asked.
"Indeed I am." John answered. "I need to talk to him about the Dra- WAIT. Are you interested in joining the-"
"I'm sorry John," Tomoyo interrupted. "But I'm actually currently preparing for Student Council elections. I would like to join but it's not possible."
"It's alright." John nodded, taking his notebook out. "I have plenty more people that I'm going to try."
"I wish you luck." Tomoyo said.
"You too. I hope you do the best you can for election." John said back. "If you're lucky, I may consider you to be the "ideal" candidate to vote for."
Tomoyo only let out a light chuckle and then walked away. John wrote down the names of people he'd come to know ever since arriving at this school.
Ryou & Kyou Fujibayashi.
Youhei Sunohara.
John tried as hard as he could to think of anyone else who wasn't already involved in the Drama Club and someone he already could trust like a friend but he only reached a dead end. Oh boy looks like I'm going to have to do a better job at meeting more people. He thought. OH WAIT A MINUTE! How about?
He wrote one more name on the page:
Kotomi Ichinose (?)
"That'll do…For now." He murmured to himself.
He put his notebook away then continued to wander the school halls once more in sight for either Tomoya, Nagisa, or anyone who may know of his whereabouts such as Youhei.
Tomoya and Youhei were taking a walk together. Youhei took another unfortunate defeat from another confrontation with Tomoyo Sakagami.
"I'll get her next time…" Youhei growled.
"You intend on continuing this?" Tomoya asked.
"OF COURSE!" Youhei assured. "Just watch, I'll get her next time!"
"WAIT A MINUTE. There's the weird guy!" A girl's voice cried out.
"I'm not a weird guy so it's got nothing to do with me." Tomoya said, continuing to walk away.
"WAIT!" The girl tugged Tomoya's sleeve to get his attention. "Weird guy…"
"Are you talking to me?" Tomoya asked. Wait, where have I seen her before. Is she the girl from yesterday? He thought, looking at the girl with long dark hair, green uniform patch, and
"It's only natural…There's no one else as weird as you. Someone like you appears once in ten years. I know for sure I'm not exaggerating…I KNOW FOR SURE it's not an exaggeration."
"Thank you very much." Tomoya said with a bow.
"No need to thank me." The girl bowed back.
"I'm Okazaki Tomoya from 3-D and this is my friend Youhei." Tomoya said.
"Just WHO is this little kid anyway?" Youhei asked with a glare towards the girl.
"DOUBLE WEIRD GUYS!" The girl freaked.
"HUH?! Just what IS weird about me?" Youhei asked.
"Your hair is an impossible color!" The girl responded, looking intimidated from Youhei. "And my name is Fuko. Fuko Ibuki."
"Our first meeting and this is what you have to say. That's sort of rude." Youhei commented.
"I just need to talk to weird guy number one." She said, pointing to Tomoya. "Privately. Please follow me."
Both Tomoya and Youhei followed Fuko outside towards a courtyard with fountain and hedges appearing.
"You told us to follow you." Tomoya and Youhei said in unison.
"But I only want to talk with YOU." Fuko exclaimed, pointing at Tomoya.
"You said I was a "weird guy" as well or have you forgotten that already?" Youhei said.
"That's because you have weird hair!" Fuko responded. "And his entire existence is weird!" She then pointed to Tomoya.
"OKAZAKI!" John's voice suddenly echoed.
The three noticed John walk up to them.
"THREE WEIRD GUYS?! Is that even possible?"
"Who is she?" John asked.
"Fuko." Tomoya answered.
"And I'm weird because…?" John asked.
"Your…YOUR HAIR! IT'S SO SHORT!" Fuko yelled.
"My hair…Hmm I wouldn't say my hair is the weirdest thing about me. There's more you don't know and may not be able to understand." John said.
"Oh no…" Fuko stuttered.
"Something wrong?" John asked.
"TWO WEIRD GUYS WHOSE EXISTANCE IS WEIRD!" Fuko exclaimed.
"Why would he be weird?" Tomoya asked.
"Ok, you guys have fun, I'm just going to let the whole "I'm weird because of my hair" thing slide." Youhei said, walking away.
"Saying I'm weird is putting it lightly Fuko." John chuckled. "But you are right…My life is weird…"
Tomoya consciously nodded in agreement.
"So what is it that she really wants?" John asked.
"I was about to tell weird guy number one uh…what was your name again?
"Okazaki Tomoya." Tomoya reminded her.
"Ok Okazaki…Before we begin, who is he?" Fuko asked, pointing to John.
"Key John of 3-D. Long story short, I've moved her sometime ago from America. So you can call me John, if you please." John said.
"No wonder he's so weird…" Fuko muttered.
"Saying I'm weird is STILL putting it lightly." John smirked.
"AAAAAH! OK! OK! So…" Fuko cleared her throat. "AHEM! It's about the present I gave you before…"
"What?" Tomoya asked.
Fuko gave him a reminder by showing him her carved, star shaped piece of wood.
"Oh that present…" Tomoya realized.
"I want YOU to have this." Fuko said, handing John the star.
"Oh…" John widened his eyes. "Thank you."
"Do you…Do you like it?" Fuko asked delightfully.
"Hmm…" John began to examine it and rubbed his hand lightly against it. "You carved this?"
"Yes." Fuko nodded.
"This is really nice. The texture is really smooth…You really put a lot of effort into it…Thank you."
"Ok Mr. "I'm an art critic." Are you an expert?" Fuko asked.
"No…" John chuckled. "But I do an occasional sketch here and there sometimes."
"You draw?" Tomoya asked, surprised.
"Indeed I do." John replied.
"So will you hear me out? Both of you?" Fuko asked.
"Alright, what do you need from us?" John asked back.
"It's about my one and only big sister…She's gonna get married soon." Fuko explained.
"And?" Tomoya questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"She's going to marry someone named Yusuke, will you both please congratulate the both of them?"
"Ok Fuko's sister, congratulations…" Tomoya said, unenthusiastically. "Ok, bye."
Tomoya was about to walk away but… "I think she wants something a little more…Up close and personal." John said.
"At least weird guy number two understands." Fuko sighed, smiling.
"I congratulated her?" Tomoya said, confused.
"I want you to congratulate her on her wedding day!" Fuko finally finished.
"So you want us to congratulate her on her wedding day?" John asked.
"That's it…" Fuko said.
"Why us exactly?" Tomoya asked. "Couldn't you bother someone else or something? We don't even know you that well…And this is the first time John has spoken to you."
"Well you see…" Fuko began. "My sister was an art teacher at this school but stopped three years ago. I only want everyone to come to my sister's wedding so I'm giving these out as invitations."
"EVERY single student?" John asked, widening his eyes.
"Yes…" Fuko responded. "If they all receive something like this they should all be deeply moved by it. It's…its very cute…"
Suddenly, Fuko closed her eyes and went into a trance like state, putting on a very happy expression.
"Give me a moment…" John said, putting the star rock in his jacket while bringing out his notebook.
"Ok." Tomoya shrugged.
John began writing down.
Fuko Ibuki…
Strange freshman girl…Said that my life is weird. I keep telling her that's putting it lightly. TOO MUCH stuff happened in the past few weeks and THAT'S made it weird.
She hands me wooden star shaped carving. So much effort has been put into making this…Jennifer would die right now at the sight of it.
Fuko now wants me and Tomoya to attend her sister's wedding, an art teacher who no longer works at this school.
I don't even know her and yet she approaches us to have such an honor? I guess she loves cute things and gets put into a trance of some sort. What does the star really mean?
"Wha-? What are you doing?" John asked, putting his journal away.
Tomoya had a juice carton in his hand and squirted a pinch of his drink up her nose, but it made her break out of her trance.
"My nose felt funny just now…" Fuko said.
"Don't think too much about it." John told her. "Now as for the wedding, I'm not sure if it's possible at the moment."
"Why not?" Fuko asked.
"What John meant was that everyone hear now wouldn't know your sister and she wouldn't know them either." Tomoya explained.
"You think so…?" Fuko asked, frowning.
"Well the seniors are busy with entrance exams." Tomoya said.
"But…" Fuko re-established a confident look. "I'll do my best! I want everyone to celebrate my sister's wedding."
Afterwards Tomoya and John gave their goodbye greetings and left them.
"Well John, what do you make of this?" Tomoya asked.
"I don't know…And what do you think Sunohara is doing right now?" John asked.
"I think I might have an idea…" Tomoya groaned.
It was still lunch at school but it still felt like a broken record of events transpiring.
"Again…? You've gotta be kidding me." John muttered under his breath.
"It may not look like it but I'm very busy." Tomoyo said.
"Well we don't really have time for this either." Tomoya sighed.
"Sunohara, whatever you're thinking of doing, don't do it." John shook his head. "I'm so sorry." He mouthed to Tomoyo.
"This time I'm taking a different approach." Youhei claimed.
"But you always say you'll do that." Tomoyo said.
"THIS TIME IS DIFFERENT I SWEAR!" Youhei exclaimed, approaching her.
Tomoyo suddenly kicked Youhei into the wall but it was instinctive and accidental.
"Are you okay?!" Tomoyo asked, concernedly. "I just kicked you without thinking!"
"Well after any fight comes reconciliation." Youhei replied, getting up, then walking with her. "Come with me." He told her.
"What is it now?" Tomoyo asked.
Youhei led her down the hall. On the left, there was two bathrooms for the males and females.
"OH MY GOD…" John gasped, shaking his head.
"AAAAAARGH!"
Youhei was launched outside from the boy's bathroom.
"What's going through his head?!" John asked Tomoya. "WHY would he do THAT?! Why would he try and Tomoyo into the boy's bath-"
Tomoyo angrily stomped towards John and Tomoya.
"THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO LIMIT TO THE HARRASSMENT YOU GIVE ME!" Tomoyo scolded.
"I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON!" John assured.
Tomoyo stomped further away and unintentionally brushed John on the shoulder, still engulfed in anger.
"He just wants to watch you go to the bathroom to see if you're really a girl or not." Tomoya finally explained.
"WHAT?!" Tomoyo stopped dead in her tracks.
"You're a little too strong so he suspects that you're a guy in girl's clothes." Tomoya continued.
She turned around with a surprised expression on her face.
"Are you…going to get mad?" Tomoya asked.
"More than that I'm shocked." Tomoyo said. "All this time I was under the impression I was finally acting like a girl and not some bully in this school…"
"You seem sensitive about it…" Tomoya noticed.
"Even with this, I'm trying very hard to change…"
Tomoyo then turned around and walked away.
"Well…What now?" John said, rubbing his arm.
"Let's go back to the Drama room." Tomoya responded.
"I just hope Furukawa is ready." John sighed.
They continued to walk towards the old school building and to the Drama Club room.
"Hey um…Thanks for doing this. It means a lot…" Tomoya smiled.
"No problem." John shrugged.
They got to the Drama Club room and there was Nagisa already there, sitting and waiting.
"HI!" Nagisa waved.
"You ready?" Tomoya asked.
"Uh…"
"It's ok. I haven't the slightest idea what to do today either."
The three sat down at the connected desks. John began.
"So…The Student Council is being pushy on protocol and rules. We can't do this without a teacher watching over club activities. And I think they mentioned something about…Student Council elections."
"We went to them yesterday too." Nagisa said. "They told me the same thing. They kept telling me that we can't have club activities without an advisor present and because of the status of the club."
"So what should we do?" Tomoya asked. "Maybe we can hand out fliers directly?"
"They told me I couldn't do that." Nagisa said.
"Well I don't think putting together a petition would go fairly well…" Tomoya thought aloud.
"So where this leaves us is honestly a bit uncertain." John stated.
They heard the door opened and looked over to Youhei standing outside.
"OH! Look at that!" John chimed.
"Well I heard a lot about what you guys are doing…" Youhei said.
"We're trying to come up with some ways to draw in some members." John explained. "Here, why don't you have a seat?" He offered, grabbing another chair.
"Well, I think I got one." Youhei admitted.
"Alright, I'll listen." John said, drawing his attention towards Youhei.
"So since the Student Council keeps denying the recruitment right? This should be easy."
"So you got an idea that may help?" Nagisa asked.
"Simple." Youhei grinned. "We get the Student Council chairman to meet up behind the school and beat him-"
"NOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooo…" John interjected.
"Says the guy who attacked a motorcyclist." Youhei teased.
"That was defense and protection. Provoking violence is something else…Something WORSE." John emphasized.
"Yeah, I agree!" Naigsa nodded. "Violence isn't the answer to any situation. Besides, we can't blame the Council for everything!"
"But it's the quickest way." Youhei retorted.
"A quick way to get charged with assault." John commented.
"WOAH! Who said anything about the Police getting involved?" Youhei said, widening his eyes.
"Not only the Police but…The general Press?" John replied.
"Why would worry about the TV news getting involved?" Youhei asked. "Oh wait a minute…Your dad…" He then remembered.
"What about his dad?" Tomoya asked.
"I only told Youhei but my dad is a Journalist and that's the main reason I'm in this town." John explained.
"YOUR DAD?!" Tomoya asked, surprised.
Nagisa'a jaw dropped and she thought about the day she waited for Tomoya at the school basketball court when it was a rainy day.
("When I was in ninth grade, my dad and I got into a bad fight…I injured my right shoulder badly. The best doctors tried to fix the problem but…I can't play basketball anymore.")
While thinking about what John said in the library when they first met Yukine.
("When you've travelled across the world away, stripped of the opportunities and life you could have had, then who wouldn't miss it? But don't worry, I'm beginning to adapt and enjoy my life here, creating new opportunity.")
"Furukawa are you alright?" Tomoya asked, snapping her back.
"Wha…Oh nothing." Nagisa said.
"You know…We should probably be asking someone else…We can't just have the opinions limited to you guys." Youhei suggested.
"Who do you think we should ask? You have someone in mind?" Tomoya asked.
"I have someone in mind." Youhei responded.
Tomoya, John, and Nagisa followed Youhei's lead and they found themselves behind a more forested section of the school courtyard. They were spying on Ryou and Kyou Fujibayashi, who were currently greeting their pet, Botan, who apparently came to visit them again, and they were suggesting on finding Youhei, John, or Tomoya for watching Botan.
"To think the class leader would know the rules in bringing pets to school…" Youhei mumbled.
"What's your strategy?" John asked.
"I think he should tell them that someone needs to confess his love to her." Tomoya responded. "That way Kyou may stay away."
"Ok, nice plan." Youhei complimented.
He began to walk over while lightly chuckling to himself.
"I've got a bad feeling about this…" John said, observing Youhei convincing Ryou to follow them.
They brought Ryou to the roof to try and speak with her.
"I still have a bad feeling about this…The reasoning was somewhat worded wrong." John whispered to Tomoya.
"Well at least it worked right?"
"…At least."
Tomoyo then faced Ryou. "The one who wanted to see you was her." He said, patting Nagisa's shoulder.
"Wha-? Wha-? WHAT?!" Ryou asked, astonished.
"I'm Furukawa Nagisa of 3-B. I'm sorry that I had to call you so suddenly…I didn't mean to startle you." Nagisa apologized.
"That's…That's ok. I'm Fujibayashi Ryou of 3-D." Ryou said.
"You're the class leader aren't you?" Nagisa asked.
"Yes I am." Ryou responded.
"Wow…It's not anything I could ever do…" Nagisa sighed. "I really admire you."
"Uh…It's not the greatest thing in the world." Ryou said.
"I have something very important to ask, would you please listen?" Nagisa asked more seriously.
"Y-YES." Ryou stuttered.
"Ask as honestly as possible Ryou." John cut in.
"Hold on…I didn't think it was a girl…" Ryou said, backing away.
"Sex doesn't matter does it? The important thing is what comes from your heart." Youhei stated.
"Wow you're a lot smarter than you look." Tomoya complimented.
"I'm going to hell for this…" John muttered.
"Is it strange of the fact I'm a girl?" Nagisa asked Ryou.
"No…It's just…"Ryou struggled. "You're very cute and…What can I say…? I'm actually flattered."
"I've been a little troubled by it but I decided I couldn't hold back anymore." Nagisa grabbed Ryou's hands so they can cup together and looked straight into her eyes. "I don't know what to do anymore…If you'd please hear me out?"
Youhei began to somewhat shake while John…
"If not hell then hell will find me here…" He muttered with a sigh.
"I understand…" Ryou said. "I'll listen to you seriously.
"Oh please…Pretty please?" Nagisa begged.
Youhei was getting slightly steamed up but Tomoya knocked him out of it with a punch in the cheek.
"Will you please help me form my own Drama Club?" Nagisa finally requested.
"Ok…" Ryou replied without a thought. "HUH?!"
They heard Kyou's voice, followed by a storage room door opening, and collapsing, along with Botan.
"HOW DARE YOU RIDICULE MY SISTER!"
She ran over to Tomoya and Youhei and wrapped her arms aggressively around their necks.
"Ryou…" John sighed.
"Huh, what?" Ryou asked, still confused.
"Sorry about all this…We just need some extra support that's all." John said.
"AND YOU!"
Kyou let go of Tomoya and Youhei and pushed John down on the floor.
"Why didn't you just ask instead of telling us that someone was going to confess "his" love?" Kyou questioned. "AND WHY DIDN'T YOU CONTROL THOSE TWO WHEN THEY DECIDED TO DO SUCH THINGS TO MY SISTER!"
"Honestly…I thought it was interesting strategy but…I could see the end and I just wanted to witness it myself…" John responded.
"You thought our plan sucked?" Youhei asked.
"He JUST said it was interesting." Tomoya said, facepalming.
"Oh…"
"Do me a favor." Kyou offered a hand and she pulled John back to his feet. "Don't do that again please. Just ask us if you need anything and say what you need to say directly. We're on even terms, I promise."
"I hope I can keep this relationship healthy." John nodded.
"I don't want to hurt you for Ryou's sake." Kyou said.
"WHA-?" Ryou jumped.