A/N (Bong Bong Bong): Hello everyone! This is the last Author's Note until the end of 序. We've drafted both the storyboards and script for most of the chapters, and while things will vary somewhat during the writing, the absurd amount of preparation should park installment releases at around once a week or faster, depending on our work commitments. This will be a somewhat long work at about 300k~ words, with about 5k words per episode. Each episode will be split into 3 installments for my convenience; that, and because I like to dripfeed this stuff so it's harder to piece together at first sight. We'll probably be completely done with this around 2025, so if you've got the patience, just wait until then. I know I'll be writing PMMM fanfic until the day I die anyways. That will be a good way to die. Till next time!
Also, we've got nice cover art for each part, but it seems we could only implement in in the AO3 version. Go take a look there if you'd like. The formatting freedom there is nice.
A/N (sanshouowo): Hey! I've got nothing to say here! It's interesting how much things can change from storyboard to text! Some affekts and perspectives are really hard to express the more you limit the way you write. 序 is primarily Sayaka's part, so enjoy!
.
.
.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Beep. Be
"I'm up... I'm up..."
ep. Beep.
A new day had begun in the dark.
It was a cool summer rain that had fallen in the early morning.
Outside, the trees were swinging with great force. The wind must have been strong.
From the far-right corner of the class, there was talk about how it seemed a typhoon was brewing. Perhaps outside activities would be cancelled. If worse came to worst, they would have to stay overnight in school, with lines such as – how exciting it would be, just like a sleepover! – we should hang up the teru teru bouzu! – aw, and I was looking forward to baseball today! – flying about in safety.
Sayaka looked up at the grey patchwork of thunderclouds from her seat by the window, raining down sheets of silver in sloped batches that vanished into the city silhouette. Just by watching, she felt as if her own face was being drenched by the downpour. Her spirits did not dampen however. When she was a child, she might even have dashed out to play in the rain.
She swung her feet in time to the pitter-patter upon the ledge. And she still wanted to rush out and splash on some puddles. Because that's what it means to be a child, she reckoned. Who would want to grow up to become a boring adult with no dreams or flexibility? She swung her feet in time to the pitter-patter upon the ledge, humming the teru teru bouzu song.
Looking down at the busy streets, all the little salarymen in their little suits and flowerpot office ladies in their vests with their clear umbrellas, all of them looked just like pillbugs scurrying about. And she poked Hitomi, seated in front of her, on the shoulder. Hitomi shifted her body sideways, leaning towards Sayaka.
"Ne, Hitomi. Why do people run and hide from the rain?"
– Hitomi answered in a matter-of-fact tone.
"If they don't want to feel all that stuff, then they might as well be dead."
– Hitomi answered with some humour, mentioning she'd rather be caught dead than have her bra be exposed due to wet clothes.
Sayaka answered back with some humour too.
They talked until it was almost time for the first lesson.
Put in such a good mood, almost laughing, Sayaka wondered aloud, "Hm? Where's Kyousuke? Isn't he coming to school?"
Then, there came a loud rattling of the back door. Sayaka turned around.
Then she looked down from the window and stood straight up.
In the end, there was no typhoon.
.
.
.
序: Beautiful World
.
.
.
1) What Are These Hands For?
2) People Can't Handpick Happy Moments Like A Wreath
3) Someone I Can Be Proud Of
4) You Shouldn't Do That
5) Maybe I Can Change Your Mind
6) There's No Way This Isn't Right
7) Can You Face Your True Feelings?
8) Ease My Mind
9) Knocking on Heaven's Door
10) Shallow
11) I Will Protect You
12) Be Happy
序 Theme: 藤井風 (Fujii Kaze) ー きらり (Kirari) / Sparkle
Beep. Beep. Beep.
A new day had begun in the dark.
"I'm up. I'm up."
Sayaka mumbled out some words of protest and curled away from the alarm clock, cocooning herself deeper under her sheets. Through her blue curtains slipped a thin slit of light into her dark room, shining down on a haphazardly placed chair facing the window, then shining down on the alarm clock on her bedstand, then shining down on her earlobes reddening in warmth, then shining down on the stack of CDs spilt all over the floor. Yesterday was a long night.
"I'm up, I'm up, I'm up."
Sayaka rolled onto her back and swung her arm out of bed to hit the snooze button. Missing with a thump, she groped around blindly, refusing to open her eyes or crane her head out.
"Mmfrngh… Yeah, Mom, I'm up, I'm up."
Grumbling those last words out, she slammed her arm down on the table and lazily swept everything off the table with a kerthunk.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
With the last clack of machinery tumbling, Sayaka opened her eyes. Her gaze first landed on the box of tissues now upside down, then trailed off to the light. She peered out the vertical aperture into the golden morning skies and the standing shadows of electricity poles.
Pigeons perched still on the skylines, flapping their wings every so often.
"Just five more minutes," she whispered and closed her eyes.
But sleep was not to be found. Not long after, in a sudden burst of life, she tussled free and off her cocoon blanket she kicked. One, two, three deep breaths, before shuffling to the edge of her bed and sitting upright.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
"Noisy."
Sluggish, she stretched her arms up in the air and got up to her feet.
Then, the curtains were opened.
"Ngh. Bright."
Sayaka winced at the sudden flash, bringing one hand over her eyes still set in the dark.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
She turned to look at the alarm clock, still ringing.
Then, hands on her hips, out the window she looked. There was nothing much to see: bright skies, roads, and buildings far out wide, vision stretching all the way to the city ports and neighbouring Kazamino.
She stared blankly.
Then, there, in the distance, was a small boy running across the zebra crossing with their grandparent following right behind. The next second, they were off the road and back where they started on the sidewalk. A car sped by. Sayaka rubbed her eyes and tried to take a second look, only to be unable to find her mark.
And then, the smell of the bakery downstairs.
"Ahh… I didn't buy any bread last night."
Feeling hungry, she bent down and picked the alarm clock off from the floor.
She read off the time. It was still early.
"Well…"
She put it back on the table.
"I can buy breakfast later."
Then, she bent down and picked the box of tissues off from the floor.
She put it back on the table.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
One, two, three deep breaths.
Then, she bent down and picked up her music player and earphones.
.
.
.
stomp!
stomp!
stomp!
"Ahhh crap crap crap, I'm gonna be late!"
Sayaka barrelled through the corridor and swerved into her bedroom, still dripping wet from head to toe, towelling off fiercely as she swung her cupboard open and began rifling for underwear.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
"All because I took my sweet time!"
Grumbling under her breath – why am I always like this? – I should get up an hour earlier next time – and the like, she hurried into her uniform and combed her hair down.
When at last she had applied the finishing touches, patting down her top, clipping her hairpin on, she huffed out a sigh of relief and checked her watch.
"Guess I can at least drop by the convenience store."
Then she looked into the mirror to check herself.
She smiled.
All there was was visual silence. Like so many short and pointless lines describing an average girl's uneventful morning routine in so many thoughtless actions with unnecessarily surgical precision, nothing all too much stood out to Sayaka. In the outfit she wore every day, with the face she saw every morning, and the little sparkle in her eyes as they gazed back into themselves, everything had washed out into apathy.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The slight freckling of her cheeks that she had once been so bothered by in her childhood now all but disappeared to rosy, fair skin. And her large shiny forehead she had once bared so proudly, even boasting to her grandparents that she could act as a good nightlight given enough moonlight, was now covered by side-swept bangs barely reaching her eyes. Sayaka almost found it as disappointing as it was tiring to look at herself in the mirror every morning, but even this didn't bother her as much as she wished it did.
"I've changed."
But dull as it was to look at, nobody would deny that before her was a very peachy, very cute, and very lovely young girl, dressed for success: objectively amazing, as it were.
"That's right, Sayaka! You're beautiful now, Sayaka! Beautiful as always!"
Beauty was in the eye of the beholder, she reckoned. And in such times alone with oneself, when there was no one to behold Sayaka's beauty, it was only natural that Sayaka ceased being beautiful. And with nothing to behold in particular, neither would Sayaka find anything beautiful. Thus, to this end, there was only one thing left to do.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Smiling wide for the mirror, she spun around and struck a V pose.
"Cure Up Rapapa! Genki Girl Sayaka at the ready!"
She picked up her school bag in one smooth motion and did one last check of her belongings.
Then, turning one last time to the mirror, she bowed a full 90 degrees and passed a stiff salute in appreciation for all the hard work that the person behind the mirror had surely been putting in up till now.
"All hands on deck!"
Turning on her heels, Sayaka moved for the genkan, almost tripping on her blanket in the process.
"Setting sail! Ittekimasu!"
Slipping into her loafers, she opened the door and fumbled around for the keys in her pocket.
The slump of CDs and music scores, the ruffled sheets and unmade bed, the little bits and pieces of everyday life littered callously with no regard for anything but comfort: all glistening as is in Sayaka's changeless room, but for the passing sun.
Beep. Beep. Be-
With one final check that the door was locked, Sayaka turned all but deaf to the alarm clock resounding faintly somewhere in her head up until she descended down the stairs, all the while pretending to play some imaginary bugle to dawn the new day's exciting everyday adventure.
Beautiful World Ep. 1
What Are These Hands For?