Toby was staring at the two students. Who was this girl that Misha had brought along with her? He seemed very curious about what this was about. The second girl looked at Toby and decided to sign to him. Toby stood there, kind of confused.
Katawa Shoujo- The Student Council
"Wahaha! I never wanted to see you seem so confused about who I brought over to you. This is my friend Shizune Hakamichi, I call her Shicchan as she seems to like it." Misha had explained to Toby about whom she brought along with her. Shizune said nothing but instead made a bunch of gestures with her hands. "Shicchan said she wanted to see who you are?"
"My name is Toby Kimura." Toby seemed to introduce himself to Shizune. He made some signs of his own with his words to make Shizune understand him. Shizune read his signs with her eyes, and she spoke to Misha with her hands. She wanted to get her message across to Toby.
"Shicchan says she understands you. But we must get underway, we're going to be late for the second period." Misha told Toby that Shizune understood him. Shizune looked at Toby then to Misha and then back to the newcomer. She didn't know if she wanted to shove Misha out of the way to speak to Toby directly or trust her own instincts and keep herself restrained. They then enter the classroom and took their seats.
"You think she knows what I am saying?" Toby asked Misha if this was the case between them. If this ended up being true, they would be able to make out what Shizune was saying. Shizune all the while staring at Toby, he seemed to be cute in her eyes, but she didn't want to say it to Misha in case she was able to pick the signals up and tell Toby Kimura about it. Shizune decided to withdraw for now. Toby on the other hand was thinking about Nina and Stephanie and wanted to figure out how their days were going. His chances will come.
It was lunch time when Toby decided to head down to the cafeteria, he was still curious about what his decision was if he was going to speak to his friend and sister about it. They must also be on break too if Toby had the chance. After getting his lunch, he decided to sit down at a table. He looked back to see Shizune and Misha interacting with another student. He also seemed to be relatively new. Just then, Nina had entered before plopping herself across from Toby while Stephanie sat next to Nina.
"How is today going so far?" Stephanie asked Toby. She seemed interested and wanted to know how her brother was holding up.
"Good so far. I definitely felt like Misha is trying to befriend me as well as another student who speaks with her hands." Toby explained to Stephanie what was going on. Stephanie nodded and began to speak.
"Another deaf student, that's great. I was surprised by the teacher's need for a translator, and I came in hand for it. It is something I wanted and now that I have it, I am excited. I am getting ahead of myself, who is this student again?" Stephanie tried her best to explain to Toby about this student.
"Shizune Hakamichi? Don't know too much about her. Everything had to be filtered through Misha despite the fact that she looks like she wants to speak to me… alone." Toby tried to explain to Stephanie about the student who was eyeing him up. She didn't know exactly how to act.
"Well, I can't say for certain but if she is trying to find out more about you, you might want to speak to her about it. I don't know her that much either. I think I can ask the staff for some info about the girl you are talking about. Maybe if this is the case, it could be an excellent opportunity to bridge a relationship between the two of you. I sure hope this Shizune person you spoke about is friendly." Stephanie explained to Toby. Nina was already starting to eat her lunch.
"Man, I'm hungry. It seems that a long morning can get you riled up." Nina explained to Toby and Stephanie.
"I'm sure it does, it seems that someone has eyes on my little brother." Stephanie explained to Nina. Nina looked at Stephanie before giving a small pout.
"Someone has her heart out for my cinnamon roll." Nina told Stephanie as she eyed Toby. She knew him longer than this Shizune person and she didn't know if she wanted to treat the newcomer with suspicion. Nina peered her eyes to see Misha and Shizune interacting with the new student. They didn't know exactly what was going to happen.
As the last period came and went for Toby, he found himself in the afternoon with nothing to do. Nina had slipped off to her dorm to get her homework done and Stephanie was left to figure out who Toby's new friends were. Toby was left roaming the hallway trying to think of what was next before he was spotted by Shizune and Misha. They had come to check up on Toby.
Katawa Shoujo- Ease
"Sorry for disappearing on you, we were showing another new student around the school and Shicchan said she wanted to check up on you." Misha explained to Toby about what she and Shizune were up to. Shizune made a few signs with her hands trying to speak to Toby about something. "Oh Shicchan says that she wants to speak to you regarding joining the Student Council. We see the new students are willing to join and Shizune is inclined to have you join." Misha apologized to Toby about where she and Shizune were up to.
"Oh, I guess you want to invite me over for the afternoon. It's a lot to take in on the first day when it comes to this." Toby explained to Misha and Shizune. It seemed to him that the two girls were starting to latch onto Toby, covering each flank in case he might try to escape if he was going to say no. Toby began to feel a little offended, but he'd been considering it. Nevertheless, Toby felt a bit disturbed that enough people have made a break for it in the past that they're on their guard. "What's with the escort? This doesn't make me feel very comfortable." Toby asked about the escort and why they were starting to drag him along with them. In fact, it makes Toby feel like a dangerous prisoner being transported to his cell.
"Wahahaha! What's wrong, Toby?" Misha asked. She seemed excited to have Toby by her side. Shizune began to make a few gestures with her hands while keeping Toby within her arms. "That's right, we're just going to go play a game of Risk, remember?" Misha explained to Toby. Toby didn't know how to react. A game already with the two of them? It's still the first day, why not get settled down first before playing a game. This all seems a little sinister to Toby. Toby starts thinking that when they sit down to play the game, they'll tie him down and torture him until he would have to agree to join the Student Council. Well, that's highly unlikely, but still... For some reason, it just seems like it would be so plausible... Getting to the student council room is as simple as turning two corners from where they started.
"What? That's it? This makes you guys being so on top of me seem a little silly." Toby asked if making those few turns was easy to them and why it seemed that they were going to enjoy it. Shizune made a few signs with her hands, trying to directly talk to Toby. Misha interrupted to speak on Shizune's behalf.
"That's not true, Toby, Shicchan says that when their life is threatened, people have shown the capability to pull off superhuman bursts of speed." Misha explained to Toby exactly what she wanted to speak to him about. Toby didn't know what Misha was talking about.
"'Life is threatened'?" Toby asked in a rather dumbfounded manner. He didn't exactly know what he was going to say to Misha. Shizune's expression unchanging, Misha signs something amusedly to Shizune, who makes a baffling face and puts her hands behind her back, looking pleased with herself.
"Mm~ hm hm hm~..." Misha told herself. Misha seemed to feign her disability and hums cheerfully. Stop that, Toby knows she heard him; Misha has no excuse, unlike Shizune. Shizune opens the door to the student council room. It's a very plain, sparsely decorated room, although it is quite large, maybe even a little larger than a classroom. There's a big table in the center surrounded by chairs, and a smaller desk prominently placed in the back that Toby assumes is Shizune's. There are a few regular desks and chairs stacked to one side, as well. Extras, perhaps? Aside from the tables and chairs, the room doesn't have much else to offer. Just a couple of filing cabinets and bookshelves stacked with old school records and documents. Not much else. In fact, nothing else. This is... a pretty bleak room. They could at least put a potted plant in here, or something. But the most noticeable thing that this room doesn't have is other people.
"Are we early?" Toby asked Shizune and Misha. Shizune looked at Toby before making a few signs for him.
"No." Misha explained to Toby. Toby was wondering exactly what this no meant. He wanted to see what Misha had to offer.
"What do you mean "no"? Does it mean nobody else is coming today?" Toby asked Shizune and Misha if it was just the three of them in the student council. Shizune began to make some signs with her hands, explaining to Toby about what exactly was going on.
"Yeah, that's right." Misha explained. Before Toby manages to ask why that's the case, Shizune claps her hands together very energetically. Shizune knew exactly what she wanted to do. She went off to find the game she wanted to play.
"Toby, let's play Risk! Come on, you promised, didn't you? You have to! Hahaha! Okay okay okay! Do you want to know the rules? We can explain to you while we set everything up!" Misha told Toby about what he wanted to do. Toby signed that he did and wanted to know what he was going to be playing. Misha began to explain the rules to Toby. While Misha is talking, Shizune takes out what looks like a board game from behind one of the filing cabinets and throws it on the table. Actually, this looks kind of interesting. After Misha spends a little too long for her liking running through the basics with a somewhat vague and confusing tutorial, Shizune cuts in and declares the game has started with a decisive motion, slicing her arm through the air. Shizune's aggressiveness was quickly rubbing off onto Toby. Toby started feeling more competitive than he intended to be when he agreed to this.
Katawa Shoujo- Hokabi
Halfway into the game, while Toby tries to ponder how to defend against Shizune's assault from two fronts, she breaks Toby's concentration by drumming her fingers on the table to get his attention. She was getting impatient with him.
"Toby, Shicchan wants you to know that you are taking too long to make a move. Shicchan also says that she will let you keep Australia if you agree to join the Student Council!" Misha explained to Toby, the offer still lingered in the air, was he going to join the Student Council and take her offer? He wanted to make no mistakes if there were any strings attached to the game.
"I thought this was a game with no strings attached." Toby asked while rolling one of the pieces in his hand. He wanted to make sure that this wasn't a trap. He wanted to be sure. Just the fact that she would dangle that over his head as an offer means that she knows Toby would care about the outcome of this game. "And anyway: No!" Toby said to Shizune and Misha that he wasn't going down without a fight. Shizune smiled at this proposition before making some signs to Toby and Misha.
"Shicchan admires your fighting spirit and would be a benevolent dictator who will spare your people if you agree to join the Student Council! Hahahaha!" Misha told Toby. Toby didn't want to say no to the offer of joining the student council but at the same time, he didn't want to lose a game of risk.
"You're so competitive, Shizune." Toby said while making a few gestures with his hands to tell Shizune what he was saying. Shizune smiled, she seemed to take this as a compliment. "I would expect the Student Council president to be a little more magnanimous." Toby explained to them. Misha didn't understand the last word that Toby had said.
"Mag—nan—i—mous...?" Misha tried her best to pronounce the word, did she need a dictionary if she was to have her chance to say what she needed? Toby was looking around to Shizune and then to Misha. Misha doesn't seem to know what the word means or how it's signed, so she pulls out a piece of paper and writes it for Shizune, who in return signs it back to Misha. Misha presses her index fingers against her temples, as if trying to physically imprint the word into her memory. Shizune made a few gestures of her own trying to get Misha to communicate to her. Suddenly, Shizune bursts into a flurry of gestures. Misha looks daunted by the pace of her heated signing. It was if she wanted to laugh at Misha as she thought that it was hilarious based on how Toby could see her face. "Ah, wait, please slow down, Shicchan... Um, Toby! Shicchan says you're going to lose!" Misha told Toby that he was going to press into a defeat. Toby grabbed one of the pieces and rolled it in his hands.
"Tell her I will crush her world empire with my rebellion." Toby explained while making a few signs with his hands.
"Ah... Okay..." Misha explained to Toby. Toby was staring at Shizune, those eyes of hers shine with childlike mischief. Shizune made a few signs to Toby as if he picked them up, she was telling him that he was definitely going to go down. And then it would be Misha after his defeat. She says you have no chance if you keep playing like this, no you won't~! Shizune is either really mocking Toby or trying to trick him into doing something stupid and making a serious blunder. Toby thought that he had nothing else to lose, though, so he might as well try something different. Maybe if he tried to spread out his forces and try to control more territories, he could recoup the advantage. Shizune seems to focus on conquering whole nations, so maybe he can sacrifice his hold on continents to gain more small countries. It's worth a shot. The plan for Toby was to capture the arctic territories and harass Shizune at every opportunity. He would also have to stop attacking Misha so if either one of them went down, the other could ensure victory. Might as well give it a shot.
A few turns later, Toby ends up losing the game anyway. Shizune adjusts her glasses victoriously and allows herself to tentatively pump a fist in the air in celebration.
"I win, I win! Yay!" Misha told the group that was what Shizune had said. Toby looked at Misha and he began to speak.
"There's no need to translate that, it was pretty clear." Toby explained to Misha that he understood what Misha was saying.
"Wahaha! Don't look so sad, Toby! You were really giving it your best, that's what I thought! Sometimes, your best just isn't good enough, though. If anyone knows that it's me! You did very well for someone who just learned how to play today!" Misha told Toby that he gave it his all in the last few turns when he caught Shizune by surprise. Shizune made a few hand gestures with Misha translating them. "Toby, you attacked Iceland and North America at the same time, that's a very daring move. Shicchan is impressed!" Misha explained that Toby made one gamble to try to change the tide and that seemed to impress Shizune herself. Shizune made more signs for herself as she wanted to say something to Toby, but Misha picked up on this and decided to give the translation. "The mark of great people is that they are daring, and that they can follow through~! You're already halfway there; isn't that great, Toby?" Misha explained that she seemed to enjoy this match and so did Toby. Shizune made some last remarks with her hands, trying to say something. "That isn't enough though; just potential isn't enough! There is no point to potential if you don't take the first step, and there is no point to that if you don't keep going. I want to see more. You're right, Shicchan, but that's so demanding..." Shizune and Misha turned their heads and began signing to each other. Shizune turned back to Toby, and she began to sign to him. Shizune leans forward, suddenly looking a lot less playful and more like the serious person Toby expected her to be from the start.
"Toby, would you like to join the Student Council?" Misha offered Toby the invite to join their group. Shizune really doesn't waste any time, does she? But... It's only Toby's first day of school, so he's hesitant about committing to something so early. Toby hasn't even taken a look at any other clubs yet. But spending time with Shizune and Misha doesn't seem like something he wouldn't hate. Toby may still need more time to think about it before he decides for sure.
Katawa Shoujo- The Student Council
"Maybe. I'll get back to you on it. Give me a couple of days before I make any decisions." Toby explained to Shizune and Misha, he still felt very new to the school and didn't know where to go. Shizune made some hand gestures to Toby before Misha picked it up and decided to translate for her.
"Okay, Toby! But I hope you're not just saying that, so we don't feel bad." Misha explained to Toby that she would be more than happy to see him in the group. Shizune looked at Misha before giving her a couple of signs with her hands.
"No, really." Toby explained to Misha and Shizune, he would get back to them once he had come to make a decision.
"Really? Toby, if you're going to say that you're saying that it is definitely the truth, and there can't be any mistake!" Misha explained to Toby about it. Shizune looked at Misha almost as if she didn't want to be interrupted.
"I know, I know. I guess I should have my revenge for losing, at the very least." Toby explained to Shizune and Misha. He definitely wanted to see where this was going. Shizune smiles at that in a mischievous way that feels like twisting the knife in the wound of his loss. Toby takes a glance at the clock on the wall and realizes he's spent far longer playing Risk than he expected.
"Sorry, I think I have to go. I wanted to go to my dorm. It's not too late to see Stephanie, isn't it?" Toby asked as he wanted to see his sister one last time today before going off to do his homework. Shizune scratches her head and gestures at Misha. How hard can it be to determine whether Toby still had time for family matters? There's a clock right there on the wall. Shizune made a few hand gestures before pointing to the clock.
"It should be, unless Stephanie decides to get dinner or is absent. I think you're right, Shicchan. We… I think that Toby should visit Stephanie. She's on the second floor at the dorm building; can't miss it. Do you want us to show you where it is?" Misha offered to take Toby to the dorm building and see where his dorm was.
"No thanks, it's okay. See you tomorrow." Toby explained to Misha and Shizune. He definitely wanted to see what else there was to do in this school building. Maybe figure out who else was there and if he could make more friends.
"Bye bye!" Misha explained with a smile. Toby gathered his belongings and decided to make for the dorm buildings.
Toby made his way to the boy's dorm building to see Stephanie there at the entrance waving Toby down. She was excited to see her brother.
Katawa Shoujo- Stride
"Where were you? I got your dorm set up an hour ago, but you hadn't shown up to help." Stephanie asked Toby curiously.
"I got stuck playing Risk with the Student Council." Toby explained to Stephanie where he was and why it took so long for him to come. I didn't realize how much time had passed." Toby explained to Stephanie where he was and why he must've been absent from helping her.
"Shizune? I found out who she was and she's the president of the student council and the representative of class 3-3. I am impressed that you managed to track her down and spend the afternoon with her.
"It wasn't me tracking her down but her seeking me." Toby explained. Stephanie seemed to be surprised at this notion that Shizune tracked Toby down.
"Well that's good on her. I could have used some extra hands getting your dorm setup." Stephanie explained to Toby. Toby seemed to give a nod yes to this as he seemed to enjoy the company.
"Yeah… I wish I could have come earlier. I guess having fun with Shizune and Misha was what drained the fun out of me." Toby explained to Stephanie. Stephanie gave a nod to her friend.
"Glad you were able to enjoy yourself for the afternoon. I think I'd want to pay Shizune a visit when the opportunity arises. I want to see what she is like." Stephanie told Toby that this Shizune person must've been interesting and for her to spend time with Toby like that, it seemed that she would want to hang out with them.
"Hey thanks." Toby explained to Stephanie. Stephanie lets Toby inside as the two of them begin to walk in the hallways of the boy's dorm building. Despite the ornate exterior, the inside of the dorm is fairly new, functional, and boring as Toby would put it. Just like in the main building, the halls and doors are wide to accommodate wheelchairs. The same goes for the elevators at the ends of the hallways. At least it was new compared to his old school where the dorms were run down and water didn't work half of the time. Toby pokes his head around the corner of the common room door. Inside, a few students are watching the television. One nods and gives a quick 'hello' before turning back to the TV. Seems that only the girls around here are sociable. Toby would suppose that's perfectly fine with him. The dorm Toby was assigned to was on the first floor, climbing the stairs to the upper floors wouldn't be such a hassle. "At least the dorms look new. I had to complain to just get the water running."
"I tested the water there, the building is brand new, hopefully there shouldn't be any problems." Stephanie explained to Toby as they were about to branch off from the main hallway. Each of the minor hallways had a toilet, sink and shower as well as four rooms. They were about to branch off from one of those rooms when they spotted someone. He seemed to be a bespeckled male student with black hair and wearing the standard Yamaku uniform. Only thing standing out from his appearance was the scarf. If Nina's fluffy hat was a stand out, maybe this was something he liked to wear. He stood there staring at Toby and Stephanie.
Katawa Shoujo- Out of the Loop
"Is this building getting new students? This is the second one I bumped into. First one moved into room 119." The bespeckled student told Toby and Stephanie. He leaned into them as he wanted to see what these two looked like. Toby was thinking what this boy looked like but why did he have his eyes so close to them? Was Kenji blind? No, at least not completely, why would he have eyeglasses if he was? He leans closer to me until their noses are almost touching. His breath must've stunk of garlic. Not fresh garlic either.
"Toby Kimura... This is my older sister Stephanie. I thought I should introduce my..." Toby tried to introduce this stranger but this stranger leaned in. His face suddenly brightens in realization, and he stands back upright, thrusting his hand out in a smiling greeting, almost straight to Toby's diaphragm."
"Oh, 'sup dude? The name's Kenji. Kenji Setou." Kenji gave an introduction. "I didn't know you had a feminist for a sister?" Toby seemed to be taken off guard by this statement. Stephanie seemed harmless enough.
"Ah, hi." Toby awkwardly introduced himself to Kenji, he didn't know exactly what he wanted to say. Toby takes Kenji's sweaty hand and shakes it, still a little rattled by the sudden change of attitude and vehement welcome.
"There were some suspicious-looking people going in and out of one of the empty dorms earlier. Another student had moved in next door. Just wanted to see if anyone else is moving into this building." Kenji explained to Toby about the company he was seeing as of today.
"It was me. I was getting my little brother settled here. He's on the first floor." Stephanie explained. She eyed Kenji, he seemed to be interesting to her but she didn't know how to approach him. "You seem to be an uptight man, studying anything interesting?"
"Studying? What can I major in university? I don't know what I want to do for certain, I definitely seem to like charts which I update frequently. Don't judge a book by its cover, I'm not running a business in this school." Kenji explained to Stephanie that he wasn't doing anything major with the charts and what he knew about businesses.
"Hmm… I guess I can try figuring out what you are interested in and we can work from there. I just got hired as the school's new teacher. I can ask the staff about you and see where you stand and how you can improve, well… I tried my best to help Toby wherever I can. Akemi is a lawyer and worked on getting us here in the first place." Stephanie explained to Kenji about what he wanted to be for the future and what he wanted to do in.
"What are you doing looking through my information, are you trying to hunt me down so you flay me alive for being the last sane man on this planet?" Kenji asked, and he seemed to get angry at Stephanie's attempt to help him. Kenji's out-of-place proverb is left hanging between us awkwardly as Toby and Stephanie try to think of some way to respond.
"I'd say the chances are high enough." Stephanie explained. "I'll try to help you the best you can, you seem to be lost much like the rest of us." Kenji shudders and makes some exaggerated hand gestures.
"You're a brave lady, Stepanie. Me, I don't think I could trust the chances. The only one I trust is myself." Kenji explained to Stephanie that she might take a liking to him. But the two of them were taken off guard by what Kenji said. Was it to feign kindness or was there something more to Kenji he was hiding away under that exterior of his?
"Does that mean I shouldn't get to know you, either?" Stephanie asked Kenji that she should not trust him like how she and Toby are trying to befriend him. Kenji decided to think about this for a while.
"A wise decision. Damn, you are smarter than you look Stephanie. Probably. What do you look like? I hope I'm not smart." Kenji gave Stephanie a compliment and asked if he was as dumb as a brick. He squints his eyes and leans closer again, but Toby leans backwards to dodge it. "Never mind, it doesn't matter." With that, he turns, and heads off to the hallway. Stephanie handed Toby the keys as Kenji decided to roam around to see who else he was going to encounter. Toby looked at the keys to let him know what room he was situated in. 024. That's on the left wing of the building closest to the entrance. Stephanie walked him over to the room where there were occupants but they were most likely busy. Toby would take the key and insert it into the door and open it. Toby went inside to see the color of the walls
Katawa Shoujo- Nocture
Soft yellow walls, white linen, a desk made of some type of light wood. Curtains that had a rather unpleasing brown color. It's no one's room; impersonal, like Toby's old dorm room was. Toby's bags are sitting at the foot of his bed, looking a lot emptier than they did this morning. The closet is sitting open, stocked with his clothes. Also, it seems that there are a number of school uniforms hanging there as well. A note is pinned to the sleeve of one of the shirts.
If you don't think these clothes fit, you can see me tomorrow and we can clarify how we can change your appearance. Stephanie Kimura.
Toby knew that he needed to do the finishing touches to make his dorm feel more like home. Toby found the portable piano in his dorm, it hadn't been set up as of yet, Stephanie hadn't done anything like that yet. Toby lies down again, feeling hollow and uncertain, and after that, he was left to keep staring at the blank, unfamiliar ceiling for a long time. It doesn't start looking any more familiar, not even after darkness falls and long shadows draw across his room like fingers. The sheets feel slightly more comfortable, warm and nest-like against the chill that passes for room temperature here. After getting what he needed to get done for tomorrow, the lighter shade of darkness that is the ceiling looks like every ceiling does at night, and it becomes the only thing he could recognize any more. The night beckons Toby to sleep, and he begins to feel the coldness of unfamiliarity and fear creeping up my spine once again. Toby kept drifting further away from the world he once knew.
[A/N]: Second chapter down and already off to a surprisingly good start. I wasn't expecting praise this early on and maybe if certain parts of the site can get working again, I can be notified of private messages. If that can be fixed. I was worried about fading into obscurity was the thing I was expecting and for things to go slow. I feel happy with the attention this early on.
Hopefully the next chapter will include more character interactions between Toby, Stephanie and the students of Yamaku. A bit of Shizune to start you off before the two become invested in each other.
See you in the next chapter.