Katawa Shoujo- Nocturne
Lenny woke up the next morning, it was the night after the event that caused a wall of his to come down. Everything had been mostly cleaned up except for the sheets which remained wrinkled from everyone either sitting or laying on the bed. Well nothing was soiled which was the good news that came out of all of this. Lenny decided to head to the Nurse to see how his ankle was doing. After a clean bill as his ankle has healed up a bit, he was going to not need the bandage but he still wasn't allowed to run for the weekend to make sure it does fully heal. Well that was perfect meaning there were tests that everyone had to prepare for. It was off to the library for now.
It's weird how easily Emi and Lenny can keep from seeing one another after class now. Actually, he'd venture to say that it's vaguely disturbing. As easily as they have come together, they seem to have split apart without much trouble. Well, Lenny could guess that's not exactly true. They were both pretty bummed after that last night together. And they get to see each other every morning for our runs (and just our runs, Lenny might add). Lunch, too. He especially enjoys lunchtime with her. They all have plenty of time to talk about everything outside of school, whereas the morning runs have become increasingly businesslike. Lenny was starting to think it's because Emi wants to make up for their foolery in the storage shed. But no matter how much they joke at lunch, Lenny can't help feeling a little worried about her.
She started to seem distracted more often, well after running into her this morning and Lenny caught her fidgeting nervously more than once during the check up. Lenny figured out this could be a reflection on him. Never figured her to be someone who cared that deeply about exams, but they certainly seem to be taking their toll. Even though they haven't even started. This is just the run up, the deep breath before the , the real trials begin. Or the real exams, anyway. As for Lenny, he actually doesn't feel that worried about exams at all due to all the ground he made up in the past couple of weeks. He was not sure why. They're pretty important; his scores here will determine his odds of getting into a good university, maybe with Hisao who helped Lenny every step of the way so far. Hell, if he's too cavalier now, it could spell doom for his academic career. But going into them, Lenny felt confident that he'll come out the other side okay.
Mutou thinks Lenny and Hisao have the science examination locked up, at any rate. Or as he says, "The last thing that should give you trouble is my exam, Hisao. It's way beneath your talents." Then again, it is Mutou who's telling them this. His praise of them both carries the veiled implication that anything less than perfect from me would be a disappointment, which has actually caused me to fret more than Lenny should about the exam.
It's for that reason that I find myself in the library this weekend, poring over the textbook and Hisao quizzing Lenny. Pretty simple things to look over; some formulas of velocity, a few bits about friction... A walk in the park compared to the dreaded English exam as Hisao would say. Lenny never had trouble with another language. As Hisao flips through Lenny's mock exam one more time, his mind begins to wander. After these exams are over, things should get easier. They'll graduate. Then off to college, hopefully. Lenny remembers his abortive attempt to find out what Emi plans to do after high school. Hmm, she avoided the subject pretty deftly, as he and Hisao could recall. Heck, it seems that just about every time Lenny pushes too hard, she dances around the subject. Or distracts me through... other means. Like a few days ago at lunch, when Rin wasn't around... Heh.
"Very good Lenny, other than a couple of wrong answers, you have the science exam locked down. Mutou was right about you having interest in it. Tell you what, How about I can see if we can all apply to the same university, we'll never drift apart." Hisao explained to Lenny that he was impressed.
"Thanks, we've been doing this all day and there really weren't any breaks. Something my mind can tolerate because it's not physically running." Lenny explained to Hisao. This gets a laugh out of Hisao though it remains short and sweet.
"It seems you have the endurance to learn there. I think since we've been here since the morning, I say we should rest a bit before we get to head out. Tonight is the night we've planned something since you never really got to go out." Hisao explained to Lenny. Lenny gave a nod before they were interrupted by Yuuko who was triumphant and carrying a short stack of books.
"I've done it!" Yuuko told Hisao and Lenny. She placed the books down, these books said cryptology and a few others. Did Yuuko find the books she said she was looking for? Lenny was startled from his reverie by Yuuko's triumphant shout.
"Gah!" Lenny heard Yuuko's shout and fell backward, knocking himself over and onto the floor. Yuuko seems mortified at Lenny's sudden startling.
Katawa Shoujo- Fripperies
"Oh my god! I'm so sorry! I just got - and I really wasn't - and it's just that—" Yuuko started as she began to help Lenny back up from the floor. As she stutters, Hisao moves to quickly calm her down before she gets too agitated.
"Woah, hey." Hisao told Yuuko, trying to calm her down. It didn't work, Hisao's words seem ineffective. Yuuko continues to work herself into a complete frenzy.
"And it's a library and I shouldn't be—" Yuuko shuttered, trying to help Lenny up and make sure he didn't cause that big of a mess.
"Easy there, just calm down." Hisao explained to Yuuko that she shouldn't get worked up over something small like being triumphant about something. Yuuko eventually calmed down but she was still pessimistic about herself.
"And really I'm setting a bad example, and now I'll get fired because I can't do anything right—" Yuuko seemed to cry out. She was still in her trance and Hisao needed to knock her to her senses.
"YUUKO!" Hisao shouted. Yuuko snapped out of it and looked at Hisao and Lenny. Shouting seems to work, though Hissao draws the ire of several other students studying in the library. Yuuko snaps to attention, like a soldier who's just heard the captain bark an order.
"Sorry! Sorry!" Yuuko apologized.
"Calm down, it's okay. You just startled us a little, and that's only because I was helping a friend study. So really, you got me startled, it's not your fault." Hisao explained to Yuuko that he was being honest when it came to this and helping someone out was going to be something that would make her happy. Hisao was honest with her. It seems to work. Yuuko takes a deep breath and seems to calm down. Though she keeps shifting around with a nervous energy that seems awfully familiar. "So, what's got you so excited anyway?" Hisao asked, thinking Yuuko managed to find something that excited her. Yuuko decided to think about it for a few seconds before she remembered what she was thinking about.
"The Yamaku Cat Burglar!" Yuuko recalled. To her credit, Yuuko manages to convey her intense excitement in a whisper. "I think I know who it is! I got an anonymous tip as to their identity! So, I did some spying, and I think the tipster was right!"
"Oh really? And who was this er, burglar?" Hisao asked, he was more or less curious to figure out who the person that was stealing the books was. Yuuko shuts her mouth, shaking her head decisively.
"It was Kenji." Yuuko explained who the cat burglar was. Hisao wasn't amazed.
"Him? I guess he went out of his way to finally take the books. He complained that he wasn't going to come back here for the rest of the trimester since he spilled whiskey all over the place if Lilly could recall." Hisao had guessed that Kenji was complaining about the feminists that were coming after him and he must've decided to make a big heist off and hadn't come back as of yet. He didn't want to investigate his diary to show what he had written down.
"It's between me and the burglar. I can't risk you warning him that I'm on to his game. He could tip his hand early and blow town. Then I'm left with no perp." Yuuko explained that it was now down to her and Kenji. "It seems I have to look for his last stash of books which I have found a few." This was good news that she was on the burglar's tail and now it came down to the fact that it was now down to just her and a few others if it meant getting it all done. Hisao began to wonder: When did Yuuko start talking like a hard-boiled detective?
"I wouldn't warn him! Why would I care?" Hisao asked. Yuuko began to think but she began speaking about something else.
"If you've got to ask that question, then you don't need to know." Yuuko explained to Hisao that he needed to see if that was the most logical answer but to Hisao, what was logic in the end anyway?
"That doesn't make any sense, but okay. Congratulations, I guess?" Hisao asked Yuuko that he was congratulating her when it came to this type of news.
"Thanks! Uh, what for?" Yuuko asked Hisao.
"The uh, cat burglar thing?" Hisao tried her best to explain about it. Yuuko nods and smiles appreciatively.
"So! Studying for exams?" Yuuko asked if Hisao was up for preparing for next week. Hisao began to think about what he was going to do.
"Well, that was the plan. I'm not having much luck, though." Hisao explained that he was studying with someone but to him, studying alone was going to be rough. Yuuko began to think about it.
"Really? Is it because you can't find a book? I'm really sorry! I've been meaning to clean the shelves up for weeks now, but I keep getting distracted! I'm so sorry!" Yuuko asked if this was going to be the case. Hisao on the other hand felt like Yuuko was heading in another direction when it came to this.
"Woah, wait. It's not that. I've got my book right here." Hisao tried his best to explain to Yuuko/ To illustrate the point and hopefully calm Yuuko down, Hisao showed her the textbook in front of him. "My mind just keeps wandering, is all."
"Is it because of the noise in here? I'm trying to be more strict about the noise levels, but I can't bring myself to yell at people... I mean aren't their lives hard enough without me throwing my authority around?" Yuuko explained to Hisao. Hisao wasn't bothered by that either.
"No, it's not the noise level either, I promise. I'm just..." Hisao explained to Yuuko before he began to think. Hell, he doesn't know. Worried about Lenny. Worried about them. Worried about what happens after they all graduate.
"Emi's been kind of weird, lately." Lenny began to speak, he had remained silent for a while now and he was going to speak.
"What do you mean?" Yuuko asked Lenny, her conversation shifting to him.
"Well, you know how we're dating now? I just don't know that we're actually, you know... A couple. Or at least I don't know that we're beyond friends." Lenny explained to Yuuko about his relationship with Emi. It was still something that he was nervous over. Though friends normally don't do the sort of things they do. Physically they're a couple. Coupling, at least.
"It's like every time Lenny tries to find out more about her, or about what she wants to do with her life, she dodges the question. Like the other day, I was watching him talk to her at lunch about some schools I've been looking into. And he asked her, "Have you looked into any schools lately?" She shrugs in response, says no, and when he asks why not she says that she doesn't think that far ahead. I asked why she had that policy, and she..." Hisao explained the situation between them both to Yuuko. Yuuko listens closely before Hisao suddenly realizes what he's about to start describing, and wisely decides to clam up.
"She what?" Yuuko asked curiously. Lenny listened in, still trying to be a part of the conversation.
"Er, she changed the subject. Wouldn't talk about it." Hisao finished the sentence, Yuuko sighed before she looked at them both. What was she going to do regarding the whole situation?
"Maybe it's an uncomfortable subject for her? Or she just doesn't think it needs explaining." Yuuko explained to Hisao that something like this Emi didn't want to throw out into the open.
"Yeah, but it's not just that. Every time either one of us tries to find out what's been bothering her, she changes the subject too. It's like she likes being with Lenny but not getting close to him." Hisao explained to Yuuko about the situation that was making him feel uncomfortable. Now that I've said it out loud, I feel worse. Yuuko digests this bit of information.
"You know, it seems to me that you're more serious about this than Lenny or Emi are." Yuuko replied. She was more or less curious about what she wanted to see how this was going to pan out. "Depending what happens to them if I run into Emi during the week I'll tell you what she said, for now, keep an eye out and observe everything around you. You don't know what will happen." Yuuko explained to Hisao that the least he can do is be on the lookout for something like this. If Emi ran and talked to Yuuko then that would be good, but if she didn't, this was going to prove harder than Hisao anticipated. Hisao can almost feel his stomach twist into a knot. She's right. That's exactly what it seems like.
"But is that really what's going on? I mean..." Hisao tried to explain. Yuuko snapped out and returned to her playful self.
"Sorry! I'm just talking nonsense! You shouldn't take my advice, you barely know me! I'm just the librarian, and I'm single so you can imagine I don't know what I'm talking about!" Yuuko explained to Hisao, looks like Hisao would need to explain himself when it would come to this.
"No, I think... I think you have a point." Hisao sighed. As much as it hurts to even consider it. Yuuko seems to try desperately to find a way to soften the blow somewhat.
"Er, look. I'm probably wrong, but if you want to be sure of how obviously wrong I am, maybe you should just talk to her? Get some time alone and just ask about it. And don't let her change the subject, either!" Yuuko suggested that Hisao talks to Emi about the situation, if she wasn't going to explain it to Lenny, maybe she can give the secrets to Hisao with Lenny busy doing something else.
"Yeah, maybe I should do that." Hisao sighed. He began packing up the books they had laying around as a means of getting ready to leave, Hisao was definitely going to get ready for tonight.
"Or maybe I should just enjoy what I have. We have fun hanging out, after all. And the runs are nice, and the other activities are nice, and talking to her is nice... Do I really need to get closer to her? What I've got right now is pretty good. But that's silly. I want to get closer to her. I want to be able to help her out with whatever is bothering her. But... maybe I should wait until after exams are over. Maybe she'll brighten up once the stress has passed. If she does, then I don't need to worry about it any more. But if she doesn't, well. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it." Lenny asked, he wasn't entirely sure about how he wanted to proceed with the whole Emi situation. Hisao remained silent for a moment before speaking to Yuuko.
"Thank you Yuuko for your advice." Hisao told Yuuko. Yuuko nodded in response as they headed back to their room. Maybe Hisao will be able to concentrate more on the situation at hand but for now, they are heading nowhere regarding the Emi situation.
Lenny managed to change out his uniform for some casual clothing. He was heading out to town tonight and this was something he was more or less looking forward to. He was still curious about Akira and who she was. Lenny arrived at the main gate to be greeted by a smiling Emi.
"Hey there Lenny, are you excited to head out?" Emi asked Lenny if he was ready to head out of the school. Lenny looked at Emi before Rin walked over to greet her.
"She means to town if I will say." Rin added. Emi pouted over the fact that Rin had popped her way into the scene she least expected her to.
"Rin, if you think we have it planned out, we don't only Hisao knows where we are going, we can't wander aimlessly around town." Emi explained. Rin sighed, she didn't know what exactly Emi was talking about.
"Does he have a map or something, I don't see him over here." Rin explained.
"He's coming." Hanako explained, Hanako had just arrived to see Emi and Rin squabbling around regarding who had the directions to town.
"Well all this fighting is pointless then right?" Lenny asked while he scratched the back of his head.
"Believe so, no one should be fighting each other." Hanako explained. Then Hisao appeared with Lilly and Akira by his side, he was excited to see where this was all going to go.
"Who's ready to head out?" Hisao asked the group.
"I certainly am." Emi responded.
"Town, not my thing." Rin sighed. Lenny said nothing and just settled on a nod.
"Great, let's get going." Hisao explained, the group began to head out of the school and into town, this was something everything was looking forward to. Lenny still didn't know what town was as he rarely went outside of the school. Hanako held Lenny's hand, Lenny didn't know if Hanako was seeking comfort from him or she wanted his comfort. He didn't know but they walked to town.
The feeling of walking through the streets is one of very deep nostalgia. While Yamaku may be like the reverse of where Lenny lived in the past, the city at night is amazingly familiar. His eyes are moving constantly from the bright electronic screens glowing high in the night sky, to the street lamps piercing the darkness with their light, to the businessmen enjoying themselves after work and the busily talking couples on dates. Even if Lenny didn't want to, He can't help soaking in every aspect of the city. Lenny was savoring its familiarity like a sweet candy sitting on his tongue.
"You kind of look like Lilly there." Akira began. Lenny looked at the elder Satou sister as she wanted to talk to him.
"Well I uh…" Lenny began, he wasn't used to having someone talk to him.
"Akira, Akira Satou, you must be Lenny, the new student at Yamaku, Lilly and Hisao told me about you and I was excited to see you." Akira began, she definitely liked the fact that she was talking to a stranger that felt like a friend.
"Nice to meet you Akira, you look sleek with that outfit on." Lenny began. Lenny was starting to feel his heart pick up beating a bit, something felt familiar to him, it must've been the suit Akira was wearing.
"Thanks, I never knew someone was interested in me." Lenny explained.
"Of course, is there something wrong?" Akira asked, she wanted to gauge what Lenny was feeling though his awkwardness was working against him.
"Well I can't say for certain but Lenny's got something similar to Hisao though his attacks are more or less emotionally charged. Is there something familiar about Akira?" Lilly told them both about the friend's condition that Lenny was facing.
"Circuited attacks like electricity?" Akira asked Lilly. "I've been talking to a certain Meiko Ibarazaki for a while as we're settling a welfare case regarding someone. I've talked to the person's mother who sounds like she has been suffering for the past few weeks and keeping him away from her could be a bright future for him. I've been working hard with Meiko to make the case that she should have custody over him." Akira whispered to Lilly, she wanted to make sure Lenny didn't hear about it.
"How do you think he's going to react to living with his girlfriend's family? Meiko would be excited to take care of him and so will Emi. It'll be a surprise to him that he'll get to see her again." Lilly whispered back to Akira.
"Yes, I think I only have a couple more cases and for Meiko to sign some papers, everything should be finished." Akira whispered to Lilly. Lilly nodded as they continued to walk along the street to see where this place was going to be. Lilly is walking to Lenny's left with her cane swaying around them, holding onto her sister's arm for guidance while talking to her. Compared to traveling by taxi or bus, being driven by Akira in her rather nice car was a much more enjoyable experience. Maybe not for the person on his right, though. While Lilly was used to her sister's driving style, and Lenny quite liked a bit of excitement, Hanako was holding very tightly to the door for most of the trip.
"E-everything looks so p-pretty at night..." Hanako told the group. She was hanging onto Lenny or was it him hanging on to her. Hanako quickly looks down yet again as she accidentally catches someone's gaze.
"Yeah, it does." Hisao added to what she had said. Hisao's answer isn't very thoughtful, since he was distracted by so many thoughts that he finds it hard to keep up on smalltalk. One of those distractions, aside from the city sights, is how Hanako looks. This is the third time Lenny has seen her in something other than her school uniform or maybe her pajamas. It gave him pause when I first saw her outfit when he went for that date with Emi in the park, when they met up at the school gate. Considering how much her head is lowered when people walk near them, Lenny and Hisao could imagine that the hat she wears is more than a fashion statement. While initially Lenny was wary of Lilly's plan to take them out into the city, when night fell it became obvious she had thought about this. Not many people have paid Hanako much heed, since the darkness hides her scarring well. "So... we're in the city. Any ideas on what to do?" Akira beams a smile. Something tells me that she's the one who is making this particular decision, even if her sister may have proposed the outing in the first place.
"You'll see. Just follow us." Akira explained to them thinking that what they were looking for wasn't going to be far away. Maybe something for Hanako, Akira was trying to remember the location Hisao nodded, and tried his best to stifle a grimace. After what happened last night or even as far back as Hanako's birthday, Hisao could recall. He still doesn't trust Akira's judgment all that much. They keep walking, and he notices that they're passing more and more cafés, restaurants, and other eateries.
Katawa Shoujo- Red Velvet
Every once in a while a drunken man in a suit comes out of a bar, usually being supported by another, but for the most part the customers around this part of the city look young and fashionable. Different kinds of music come and go as they pass by each business. The discord created by the overlaps should be grating, but it reminds them so strongly of the times Hisao spent in the city with his old friends that he doesn't mind. But to Lenny, it involved similar memories to Hisao's experience. It had been so long that he didn't remember the names of the people he hung out with… well… except for Iwanako. Hanako, Hisao and Lenny have started to drift a little apart from Lilly and Akira. That comes to a stop when Hanako hears a soft thud from beside her.
"S-s-sorry...!" Lenny apologized to Hanako. By the time Lenny rights himself from his apologetic bow, the middle-aged businessman she bumped into is walking away after mumbling a half-hearted apology. Hanako looks a little put off by the experience, and as he quickly skips ahead to match Hanako's pace, Hanako can notice Lenny's head hanging low this time. He probably bumped into him because he was looking downwards and not where he was going. Hanako steps to the side a little and puts one hand on his far shoulder, drawing Lenny closer to her.
"Lenny?" Hanako asked. Lenny paused before he began to think about, maybe he was willing to have himself be close to her.
"It's okay. You can walk closer to me if you want." Lenny hesitantly told Hanako that he could be closer to her.
Hanako hesitates, but eventually nods in assent. After a couple of times when he'd thought they had arrived at Akira's destination, they reached the target. By now they're below the elevated walkways, and past the most garish and brightly-lit places. Lenny's a bit surprised. The average age of those around them is distinctly older, and the smell of cigarette smoke is pretty thick. The area is far from seedy though, and it's a little amusing to see Lilly's reaction to the smell of the smoke. While it's masked by the low talking of those around them, music can be heard emanating from inside. Looking up at the dimly-lit sign, it becomes obvious why.
"This is the place you were taking us. I have to admit, this isn't what I expected." Lenny began. He coughed a bit on the smoke as that was something he wasn't used to. Lilly gives an amused snort and a smile.
"Somehow I feel like I should have known it, Akira." Lilly expressed to Akira. Hanako looked at the place, it wasn't familiar to the place they went to last time but based on the looks inside, it was mostly empty. Weekends would normally be packed with people, especially Yamaku students. With everyone studying and preparing for finals however, the place was deserted, to Akira this was perfect. As they talked outside, Lenny began to notice more and more odd sideways glances directed their way. People awkwardly catch themselves staring and look away, but that just makes it more obvious. Hisao had noticed this occasionally when they were walking, but it's more pronounced now. Lenny must've never experienced anything like that in his life. An average-looking teenage guy, a couple of friends that were just a little taller than normal, isn't the type to draw attention without making an effort.
"Hey, c'mon. Just because you're teenagers, doesn't mean you can't have a taste. Right?" Akira asked them if they could drink alcohol. To Lenny, he was cautious about drinking but to Hanako, this was something she was excited for.
"Well... I don't really mind the music, if that's what you mean." Hisao expressed to Akira that this was something he didn't mind but he understood the message.
"I-I... don't mind it... either..." Lenny nervously stuttered. Hanako looked at Lenny. He's only just managing to force the words out. It contrasts heavily to when they're alone in Yamaku, and it disappoints Hanako a little that he's so highly strung for what's supposed to be a good time out on the town. It's hard for Hisao to read both of their faces as Lenny and Hanako keep looking downwards. It's little wonder if Lenny doesn't often come out into the city during his time in the previous school because of this, and it makes Hisao a little thankful that his own scarring is easily hidden. Lilly has a similar way of attracting people's gazes, but the reason for it is clearly different. She hardly looks like a native, and the same can be said for her sister. That much is far more noticeable than her blindness, from a distance. She may not be able to see this for herself, but Hisao has little doubt she can hear the odd whispered phrase from people who think they're out of earshot. Be that as it may, she doesn't seem to show any sign of either annoyance or pleasure at the attention. Akira's still as confident as ever, though. Flashing a smile, she strides in with Lilly by her side and the others following behind.
Lenny had expected his eyes to need adjusting to the light inside, but it's not much brighter than outside. The music we'd heard is clearer now, mixed in with the sound of glasses moving on the tables and counter, and the husky chatter of the patrons. Looking to his right reveals the music's source, a karaoke stage playing beyond some tables. The patrons seem to be mostly men, and though there's a handful of women, nobody looks under thirty. Aside from us, of course. It feels a little like they have stepped into the 1920s, and the atmosphere is quite agreeable. Lenny was not completely comfortable simply because of his age, but if he was older, he would probably feel quite at home. Hanako seems a bit more relaxed now, probably due to nobody looking at her. Everybody's talking between themselves, drinking, or watching the Karaoke stage.
Akira casually takes a seat at the counter without even glancing around. She's probably come here before. Lilly retracts her cane, feeling out the bar stool and the edge of the counter before taking a seat beside her sister. The bartender takes a brief break from polishing a glass to watch her, before putting it down and coming over.
"Good evening, ladies. What'll it be?" The bartender would ask as Hisao, Emi and Rin took their seats and prepared for their orders.
"Just a scotch, thanks. Lilly?" Akira made her order before she looked at her little sister.
"May I have a glass of cham—" Lilly began speaking before a black-suited elbow hits her side sharply. "Orange juice, please." Lilly corrected her order. The Bartender understood as Hisao, Emi and Rin were still thinking of what they were going to get.
"No problem, coming right up." The Bartender would tell them. The bartender starts to pour their drinks. A couple of seconds pass before Akira suddenly remembers that Hanako and Lenny are indeed here, and turns around to us.
"You two want anything, or are you just gonna stand there?" Akira would ask them if they were going to get something to drink or if they were just standing around and waiting for something to happen. Hanako seems to be getting a bit restless. No matter where they're going to seat themselves, there's going to be people right next to her, and Lenny doesn't think she looks convincingly older than twenty, unlike Lilly. Looking around, there's a games section to our right. A couple of billiards tables can be seen in the corner, and nobody's using them either. Lenny glances at Hanako, about to ask her if she'd like to play, but she's already looking longingly in the same direction. Maybe it says something that they can get by with so few words nowadays.
"We'll go play pool over there." Hanako suggested to Lenny that they could go play something together. Akira leans back to see past Lenny, before shrugging and sitting back up.
"It seems you'll have to put up with only me for company. How unfortunate." Lilly told Akira as the bartender got their drinks. Emi began to make her order of drinks while thinking this was going to relax her mind.
"Have fun, you two." Akira tells Lenny and Hanako with a bit of smugness in her voice. Lenny and Hanako turn and set off for the abandoned corner, with Hanako taking the lead. The prospect of a nice, quiet game away from everyone makes her walk noticeably faster. Her eyes stay firmly fixed on her prize. The table's full-size and well-lit despite the surrounding darkness, thanks to the bright overhead lights. A huge painting of... something... covers the wall. There aren't many people milling about this corner of the club, and Lenny can see Hanako becoming a little less tense as a result.
"You... kn-know how to play?" Hanako asked Lenny if he knew how he played pool. Lenny was feeling less tense as well. He was still nervous thinking that this was something he couldn't recall doing.
"I'm no expert, but yeah, I do. I think." Lenny told Hanako that he wasn't entirely sure about what was going to happen, Hanako began to think about it for a moment before she decided to grab something.
"Then um... eight-ball?" Hanako asked Lenny if this was something he was willing to do.
"Sure." Lenny gave his answer, might as well do something rather simple. Hanako gets the chalk and two cues from a set of hooks against one of the walls, while Lenny went to fetch the balls from the table's pockets and grab the rack from a shelf underneath. She patiently waits as Lenny gets the table set up. After slotting the final ball into the rack and doing some last adjustments, Lenny ends up having to fight any perfectionist urges in getting the bottom row of balls exactly perpendicular with the edges. With the balls arranged and ready for play, Lenny steps back and takes his cue from her outstretched arm. Lenny carries out a quick inspection of the tip before he's satisfied that it's in good condition. "So you've played before?"
"Once... or twice. I j-just kind of... know the rules." Hanako nervously responded. The air between them feels a little awkward. She's still pretty nervous; understandably, given that they're in public. Eventually the silence becomes too much even for Hanako, and she begins to quietly stammer. "Wh-who'll... b-break?" Lenny began to I think for a moment before reaching into his pocket and drawing a coin.
"I'll take heads, you're tails." Lenny told Hanako what the plan was regarding the whole thing. After a nod of agreement from Hanako, Lenny flicks the coin up in the air, catches it, and flips it over onto the back of his left hand. "Looks like it's you that gets to break." Hanako nods again, before taking up her position at the end of the table. She's not usually this quiet around Lenny, but even he was not wholly sure if it's because of the tidbit of information about her past that slipped out moments ago. The cue comes back in a practiced gesture before smacking dead into the center of the cue ball with a thud. The white ball skates across the smooth green expanse before smashing into the carefully-arranged balls at the other end. Balls skitter across the table at high speed. The break was good, with the balls being nicely distributed around the table. Lenny's eyes are already flicking from one to another to pick out the easiest candidates to pocket. Hanako retreats from the side and Lenny takes his shot.
"Well done." Hanako complimented Lenny. It's only after Hanako says this that he realizes the ball he was shooting at was sunk. Lenny looks at her and notices a small smile on her face. It's nice how playing games seems to loosen her up a little.
"Guess I'm stripes, then." Lenny nervously declared. Lenny takes a step back and lets her take the next shot, but she doesn't advance to the table. Rather, she looks down a little and rubs her arm. By now Lenny can identify this as one of her gestures that means she wants to say something, but isn't sure enough of herself to do it. "What's up?"
"It's just... you had a... n-nice smile. Do you like... playing this?" Hanako asked Lenny if he liked playing pool with her. Lenny lets out a sigh and leans back against the table.
"I like playing, yeah. I think I was smiling because it's really nostalgic, though." Lenny explained to Hanako that he liked playing this game. Lenny could recall playing this once or twice before meeting Hanako, he didn't remember the names of his classmates though. It certainly was the pain of his past. Hanako tilts her head quizzically. "Me and my friends used to play pool in the game centers near where we lived pretty often, and at night too." Lenny nervously stuttered, he felt his heartbeat picking but he had to explain this to Hanako as he was going into territory he wasn't comfortable with.
"W-wouldn't your parents..." Hanako asked Lenny if his parents were the ones that would allow this. Hisao was watching in the distance, keeping an eye on them to make sure nothing happened.
"My parents both worked, so they didn't mind me not being in the house. I stayed on top of schoolwork pretty easily as well, so there was plenty of time to do other stuff at night." Lenny explained that he did well academically so his parents were allowed to let him roam around. Hisao continued to listen, something felt… off. Looks like Lenny had a similar life to his. One question buzzed around in Hisao's head however:
"Did I know Lenny from my old school before coming to Yamaku?" Hisao asked the group what was plaguing him.
"What makes you say that?" Lilly asked Hisao if he had any evidence to this.
"I mean, he seems to know everything regarding the whole thing, Iwanako, what he must've done, could he really be the fourth person from my friend group or a classmate?" Hisao asked Lilly if this was going to be the case. Lilly began to ponder about this,
"Possibly, I can ask Misha for his paperwork to see what his old classes are. Assuming she didn't give them to Shizune and therefore she's holding onto them and not willing to give them to me." Lilly explained to Hisao.
"Comparing and contrasting then?" Hisao asked. As the conversation dies down, Lenny's timidity gets the better of him. In response, Lenny got off the table and let her take her turn shooting. Hanako's expression is the same as when we play chess; a relaxed but focused concentration. Athletes sometimes talk about getting into a zone where nothing unnecessary enters their mind, and I wonder if that's something she can do. Her posture is good. Better than mine, to be sure. It's very close to a textbook method of playing, whereas Lenny tend to contort himself into whatever position I feel is most natural for the shot I'm taking. She lines up the cue. The cue comes back, and she does a couple of practice movements to make sure she's lined up correctly. Hanako takes games so seriously. It's the only real hobby Lenny knows she has, outside of reading. It feels good to be able to share this kind of experience with her. She takes the shot after careful consideration, and the cue ball zooms off towards a ball sitting at a slightly awkward angle near a corner. Hanako's careful preparation pays off as the cue ball hits and sends the ball rolling towards the corner pocket. For a moment it looks like it'll stop just on the lip of the hole, but it eventually tilts just enough to drop in.
"Man, that was a hard shot. If you can pull that off, I don't think I have much hope." Lenny sighed, he was impressed with how Hanako was able to line that up. Hanako looked up at Lenny.
"I'm not... th-that good..." Hanako nervously told Lenny. Lenny wasn't looking to scold Hanako as much as he was complimenting her shot that she took.
"It's not just the shot though; even when lining it up you looked really serious. You're like this with chess, too." Lenny explained to Hanako that he rarely saw her this serious and the mask of timidness was being replaced by a much more serious and focused expression. The praise makes her a little flustered. She sets the cue against the table and stands, turning to Lenny.
"I just... like those kinds of things..." Hanako tried her best to explain to Lenny. Lenny could see where this was coming from. Hanako was stuck between her timid self and someone who wanted to break out. He could note that her fingers are twisting and turning tightly "When I was in the orphanage... I just... k-kept doing the things I liked... before. If I p-played games with the others, th-that was enough for the helpers there, so..." Hanako explained to Lenny that she liked playing games, stuff that would make her seem nice when it came to this type of stuff. Lenny had never thought about it that way. Staff at an orphanage would naturally want to have everyone socialize at least a little.
"If it's okay for me to ask... what was it like for you at the orphanage?" Lenny tried his best to find the right words for Hanako. Hanako looked up as they were taking turns around the pool table.
"W-why do you want to know?" Hanako asked Lenny, she remained curious to see what he had asked. Lenny must have touched a nerve, but the fact that she responded at all shows there's at least a chance she'll answer his question. Before, she likely would just have shrunk away from it without a word.
"I'll... tell you, but..." Hanako began before she paused and cuts herself off before formulating a response
"But...?" Lenny asked. He was still curious about what Hanako was going to ask him.
"Could you... t-tell me who I-Iwa... n-nako... is? Hi… Hisao told me about h… her. You might know so… something about her." Hanako explained to Lenny that she wanted to figure out about Iwanako. Lenny paused before feeling his heart rate awkwardly pick up
"Iwanako...? Oh, the letter." Lenny nervously replied. He felt somewhat ashamed about this when he heard about the letter. His cheeks blushed slightly, thinking about the girl who tried to help him. Lenny was beginning to wonder how long she's been waiting for the right opportunity to ask me this. He's surprised, but don't hesitate. Sharing information is naturally a matter of give and take. "She's… she was my friend. We often talked to each other regarding some of our classes." Lenny began. Hisao turned his head, tuning in on the conversation. "I often tried my best to help her in the situations where she was having a difficult time, she told me the boy she had a crush on was in the hospital for a long time and she was worried that he was never going to get out, she never mentioned his name or said what his condition was." Hisao continued to listen, something familiar was coming back into his head, regarding the conversation he had with Iwanako before that fateful day happening. Hisao wondered, were they classmates or something if they knew each other that well? "When she noticed that I told her that my father was dead, I… drifted away from her." Hanako's nervousness subsided, at least for the time it took to ask. Her curiosity is getting the better of her, and I feel a bit uncomfortable to be questioned on this, of all matters. There's no way Lenny could spill out all his feelings about Iwanako here. He doesn't even know himself what his feelings regarding her are, even after talking to Yuuko about Emi earlier, and how Emi wanted to avoid the subject around why she was so distant from him. Hanako doesn't look overly satisfied with the awkward ending to the discussion, but thinks better of continuing it. She was only just managing to ask me in the first place, without knowing that he wouldn't want to talk about it. Lenny moves to finally take his own shot. The lack of talking between them is filled by the chatter of other patrons and the band at the other end of the club. Spying a shot that doesn't look too difficult, Lenny decided to try and shoot for it.
The cue ball taps the ball, and the trajectory is about right, but Lenny had put in too much power. It grazes the corner of the hole and moves off to the side, just skirting the pocket. Lenny grits his teeth a little. He wasn't very good at this game, and it's frustrating to have deteriorated so much. Lenny steps back and lets Hanako take her turn, glancing towards the counter where Lilly and Akira are sitting. They're talking busily between themselves, and seem to be having a good time. Hanako turns back to Lenny as she takes her shot. With the same face as before, she lines herself up and sharply pushes the cue. Just as before, she sinks the ball she was aiming for. It drops into the side pocket more cleanly than her last, though. It looks as if she's getting a bit more into the groove of the game.
"Nicely done." Lenny complimented Hanako. Hanako hesitates for a moment, and begins to address him without turning her head.
"The orphanage... was nice. It felt a bit like Yamaku does... and the staff was r-really kind. But as th-the years went on, I realized something. I was d-different." Hanako nervously explained to Lenny that she was something else altogether as the years went on. It feels strange to hear her speak so candidly about herself. She's audibly telling him about her past and Lenny was opening himself to her. It reminded him of when she insisted she tell Lenny about the fire. Hanako must feel that she has to tell him of such things, if he's willing to tell her about his own past. Her grip on the cue tightens as she continues to speak. "M-most of the children there were up for adoption, just like I was. But unlike me... they gradually left, o-one by one. By the time I went to Yamaku, I was... among the oldest children there. For a while, I h-helped some of the y-younger children, b-but eventually..." Lenny walks over to Hanako and he lays a hand on her shoulder. She's forcing herself by now.
"It's okay. I'm here for you." Lenny calmly told Hanako. She looks mildly surprised for a moment, but then nods before setting down her cue and turning towards me."
"Do you... really think so?" Hanako asked Lenny.
"Yeah, I think so. Even while Lilly's away, Hisao was around to protect you, right?" Lenny asked about his friend. Hanako looks at Lenny for a long time, and he's taken a bit off guard. Her expression hasn't changed from before, still looking somewhat maudlin, and silences between them aren't unusual. Lenny began to think it's the fact that she's holding such prolonged eye contact that makes this feel a bit odd. It feels as if she's judging Lenny. It's a very strange, vaguely uncomfortable feeling. "Hanako...?"
"I-I understand. Thank you." Hanako told Lenny that she knew about what he was going to say and she understood him. She smiles and looks away a little, but it feels stilted. Hanako isn't very good at faking emotions, and this is no exception. Lenny moves to the table and takes his turn to try and distract himself, but it doesn't seem to work. Does he think she's not up to the task of helping him? Is she disappointed in Lenny? He was probably overthinking this. While her silences are just an accepted fact of life by now, sometimes Lenny does wish she'd speak more. With a thud, he sent the white sphere careening down the table into my target. "Ah..." Hanako sees what's happening just as Lenny does. The ball hits hard, with the striped ball I'd intended to sink veering off towards the eight ball. Sure enough, as both Hanako and Lenny look on and bite their lips, they connect and the black ball rolls leisurely into a corner pocket. All Lenny can do is sigh. It looks like Hanako is smiling again though, so maybe it wasn't for naught.
"That was an awful shot, you win. It seems I'm getting pretty rusty after all this time." Lenny explained to Hanako even though his skills were lacking to begin with. Hanako bends down and begins to shoot the remaining balls into the closest pockets. Lenny almost asks if they could play another game, but a quick check of the clock confirms that the night is getting pretty late. Lilly and Akira appear to be still drinking at the counter. Seems like someone will have to drag them away.
"Um, Lenny..." Hanako asked. Lenny turns back to Hanako, who's still looking over the pool table shooting balls. Her voice sounds different from before.
"I'm... here for you as well..." Hanako explained to Lenny that she was willing to help him out much the same way he and Hisao were going to help her.
"Ah..." Lenny nervously stuttered. He suddenly finds himself blushing. It's only natural that she'd respond this way, given what he said earlier, but it's still a shock to actually hear it. Just what is his relationship with this girl? Hanako wanted to protect Lenny, to make him happy... he's not really sure that it's something like love, but Lenny doesn't think these are the same kinds of feelings he has for Emi, either. He began to feel sorry for her, having gone through so much in her life. Her parents died in a house fire, and she lived in an orphanage for much of her childhood... Lenny can't even imagine that kind of life. But he feels like there's so little he can do for her, especially now that Lilly is going to be leaving the country.
Hanako and Lenny finish tidying up the table and cues, Emi walked over ready for the game even though they finished playing.
"It isn't becoming late, woo! I think Lilly said they were going to stay for another hour or two. Looks like you had fun there." Emi began, she seemed to be interested in the pool game.
"Well we just finished playing." Hanako explained.
"All right, looks like I have Lenny to myself." Emi explained in her chirpy manner. Rin walked over as she seemed to want to do some Karaoke
"Up for some?" Rin asked. Hanako smiled.
"Yes." Hanako replied. Rin and Hanako went off as Emi placed a drink down.
"For you, I was thinking you were getting thirsty over there." Emi explained to Lenny. Lenny nodded as Emi grabbed a cue.
"Thank you, it shows how much you appreciate me, were you waiting for me to finish?" Lenny asked Emi.
"Yep. I wanted to play with you thinking we would never do that." Emi giggled. She fished the balls from the holes and gathered the rack together. After finding the balls, she was ready to begin playing the game. Lenny laughed as Emi quickly screwed herself up as she had trouble hitting the white ball. Hanako and Rin were preparing to sing as Hisao was left with Lilly and Akira.
"So what do you want to do while we head off, we're leaving a couple weeks from now once this case is settled and hopefully with a good outcome. Got any plans with Hanako?" Akira asked Hisao if he had anything planned.
"Nothing as of now, we should be able to figure out what will happen, what comes first is making sure our friends are happy and safe." Hisao explained to Akira that he was going to take care of his friends first before he would release them out into the world.
"Protecting eh? Once Lilly gets her grades back, we're off to Scotland. Our aunt is sick with a terminal illness and we need to make sure she is comfortable." Akira explained that they were leaving once Lilly's grades were finalized.
"Oh… too bad I can't go with you to Scotland as I plan on watching Hanako. Hopefully Lenny could do well on his own. Well… he has Emi and Meiko if I will talk about this. I'm glad you're getting this case done as I don't want to take two more people into my life even though Emi outwardly can stand on her own two feet." Hisao explained to Akira.
"Glad I can mention this. I have off tomorrow as I need to go to the summer house and empty it as we are going to sell it." Akira explained to Hisao that they were planning on selling something as they were going to use the money for the trip.
"How empty is it?" Hisao asked.
"I've been emptying it for the past few months, it should be almost empty, a young couple came over and toured the place when it came to this. We still don't know who is going to buy the house so that's the other thing I'm waiting on as well as Lilly's grades before we move away. The other person who visited was a middle aged woman who wanted to buy the house as she wanted to get a summer place for her daughter and her lover. When I asked about this, this is how I ended up with the case." Akira explained to Hisao. Hisao began to put two and two together. If this lady that Akira mentioned was Meiko Ibarazaki, then this could mean that Lenny could be staying where Akira and Lilly used to be for their summers. He turned his head to watch Lenny and Emi playing Pool. Emi struck the ball as it rolled into the hole in the corner, scratching the game. Emi giggled; this was something she was enjoying.
"If this is going to be true, someone's in for a surprise." Hisao explained to Akira.
"Take things one at a time, we don't want to rush things in fear of it happening." Lilly explained to Hisao that Lenny should not rush anything if it meant something was going to happen to him.
"Oh… you're right." Hisao explained to Lilly. He turned his head to see Hanako and Rin singing Karaoke while Lenny and Emi were playing pool. "Well, at least Meiko will be happy about this."
The hours grew later as they were walking back to the school. Everyone had fun with Lenny enjoying himself.
"So, you enjoy yourselves?" Akira asked them. Hanako and Lenny both nod and agree. The game was good, and they both did learn more about each other, so it's an honest answer. Lilly appears to be a little distracted.
"Worried about the trip, Lilly?" Hisao asked Lilly if something was bothering her. She pauses before sighing and smiling weakly.
"A little. It means quite a bit." Lilly explained to Hisao that she thought things were a little quiet and they didn't know what was coming up. The comment earns her a clap on the shoulder from her sister. Hanako smiles back, too.
"You'll be okay, Lilly. I hope you can enjoy your time over there." Hanako expressed to Lilly that she hoped she was going to enjoy her time over there.
"Thank you, Hanako. I'll try to. It will be nice to be back with my family, after all, no matter how brief a time it may be." Lilly expressed to Hanako that she hoped she wasn't gone for that long and hopefully she can return to Japan one day. With that, the seven of them begin the walk to the carpark where Akira's car is. They continue to talk among themselves, but it's mostly just smalltalk.
Lenny would eventually arrive at his dorm as he was pretty tired, after showering and dressing himself, he then fell asleep on the bed, he wanted to see what was going to happen tomorrow.
Tomorrow was the same old as yesterday though for Lenny, he woke up much later than usual, very tired from the events of last night. He looked at his clock as he had been four hours ahead of the usual time of him waking up. He decided to get dressed and head off to study for the day and walk around the school.
Lenny eventually made his way to the art room where Rin was busy painting away as her means of relaxation. Maybe this was something she was looking forward to. Lenny entered the room as Rin was painting on her canvas about what she was going to do. Rin then turned her head to Lenny who was approaching her.
"What brings you here?" Rin asked Lenny.
"Nothing much, just needed a break. I wanted to see what they were going to be doing this week." Lenny explained to Rin that he was just dropping by and meant no harm. Rin looked at him before turning away.
"This has taken me all the weekend as this meant this took a lot of work " Rin explained. "It's what I watched on Friday night with you and I will tell you, I had a good time."
"Glad to hear about that." Lenny explained to Rin. He then began to think of a way in which Rin was able to express herself.
"I wanted to recreate the scene with the zero-gravity battle simulation. I really want to do that to see if a person like me would really compete in this type of environment." Rin explained to Lenny.
"How do you like it?" Lenny asked, he tried his best to explain to her thinking if she had an opinion.
"Well, it shouldn't be difficult to understand but regarding what is going on, this is a breath of fresh air to me. Well according to myself. We're being made to do art for a special fair and everything I tried to make for you ends up getting taken away. If this continues to happen to me, I don't want to keep doing what I want to do." Rin explained that she tried her best to win Lenny over with her artwork, but they kept getting taken from her, so she was unable to express how she actually felt. To Lenny, Rin was doing what she knew how to.
"It's fine Rin. You don't have to give me something to show that you appreciate me. Just one cat was enough. I have cherished this ever since." Lenny explained to Rin. Rin looked up at Lenny, surprised that he had taken one thing, and it was enough for him to not only appreciate Rin but all of her friends too. Rin placed the paint brush down and walked over to Lenny.
"Really?" Rin asked.
"Of course. I mean friends are the best gifts one person can have?" Lenny asked Rin. Rin walked over and hugged him.
"I never thought someone went out of their way to express this. Hanako would have certainly loved to hear that and me and Emi would too. Life… life seems to suck without friends. At least I have one with you." Rin expressed this to Lenny. She reached over and kissed him gently on the cheek. Lenny was surprised to hear about this. "But another thing is… my sketchbook is missing." Rin expressed to Lenny that she lost one thing. Where had it gone off to.
[A/N]: Woo this is done, and I am happy to have it that way and there is a bit more to the plot though this chapter was mostly filler based on what is building up. Lenny managed to open up a bit more of himself to Hanako and there will be a couple more chapters for Act 3 before going to the final act of the story. Hopefully before then I can get this finished. Hopefully… keep that in mind.