Katawa Shoujo- Daylight
The next couple of days went by much the same old type of stuff. Saturday was spent mostly setting everything up while Toby was already beginning to work on something he was keeping a secret. Now it's Sunday, Toby wakes up feeling a little lightheaded. It's seven thirty in the morning already. Sleeping late on the weekends is fine, since it's a Sunday and there are no classes. Not just a Sunday, though, but the festival as well. From his window, Toby can already see some people at the soba booth slinging noodles onto plates for people with a craving for low-quality food. It looked like the festival had just started. Toby throws back a handful of his coins while getting his uniform on and begins to ponder how to spend the day. There will be a few exams in the coming weeks, but he doesn't consider those as ominous as others, so he's not as worried about them as he probably should be. With no urgent obligations regarding education, Toby felt like he should be free to spend the day at the festival as he would like. Finishing his morning routine, Toby exits into the hallway, intending to go out and find something to eat to start the morning off. Passing by into the main corridor, Toby spots Kenji who looked like he was carrying something, Kenji's up to today out of impulse. Toby was curious if he has any plans, since everyone is planning on doing something. Then again, he can picture him having built a soundproof shelter in his room. Or possibly something like a fort, complete with "No Girls Allowed" sign. And with the "Girls" crossed out and "body" crudely scrawled underneath it. Kenji peers his head around the corner to see Toby out in the hallway, he wasn't the only person to see up bright and early.
Katawa Shoujo- Out of the Loop
"Who is it?" Kenji began. "Toby, what are you doing up early? It seems that people are going to blow my cover." Toby began to think of something if he was to keep Kenji's attention on him. Was he going to wake anybody up with this conversation?
"You're supposed to whisper, not yell, people are still asleep." Toby explained to Kenji that waking people up wasn't the best decision. Especially this early in the morning.
"Oh, it's you Toby. Damn, it's early." Kenji explained to Toby, he seemed to be carrying what seemed to be a large amount of pillows.
"It's really that early? I guess I couldn't sleep last night." Toby explained to Kenji. "What's the large amount of pillow for?" Toby asked curiously why Kenji had a large amount of pillows.
"The pillows? Oh I'm making a fort." Kenji explained to Toby what his intentions were.
"A pillow fort, that sounds great as I used to do these as a kid." Toby explained to Kenji. "It seems me, Stephanie and a few of our friends have forts like these and we used to watch movies and such inside of them. I bet you're having a party of one I believe." Toby recalled when he was a kid. Kenji lifted his head as he seemed curious.
"Stephanie? I saw her yesterday and I thought… She's kind of cute. I didn't want to take that risk and I'll be in my fort spending the day to myself." Kenji told Toby how he truly felt. "She didn't seem like a feminist who wants to take over the school."
"Kenji, are you saying you don't trust any of the girls?" Toby asked curiously as if Kenji was feeling distrustful of the other students.
"Yes and it's a pretty long story too. I don't want to delve deeply into it as it will bring up… bad memories." Kenji explained. Toby began to think, what memories was Kenji hiding from him.
"Look, the festival is happening today and I was wondering if you wanted to come out into the fresh air and we can talk it out. I mean… we're friends right?" Toby asked Kenji if this was something he was willing to do. Kenji seemed to think about it for a moment, the offer to go outside seemed to be tempting but to Kenji… he had more important things on his mind.
"Sort of, I have a lot on my plate unless you want to help me out." Kenji offered to Toby, Toby looked out of his window to see it was still early in the morning and most students were still sleeping in. Toby decided to turn the offer down as he wanted to be outside before the festival got crowded.
"Sorry, but I'm turning your offer down. Today is too beautiful to pass up. I'm heading outside to enjoy myself." Toby explained to Kenji that he was turning the offer down and he wanted to enjoy the festival. Kenji got a bit angry with Toby.
"Out where? Why?" Kenji asked as he seemed to be irritated that he wasn't going to help him out with the fort he was currently building.
"What?" Toby asked Kenji. He didn't understand him that much. Why turn down an excellent opportunity to get outside with someone he didn't know and get to know him better?
"What what? Is today special? Why are they there? Who are? I can hear them. It's loud... don't tell me... Has the invasion begun?" Kenji seemed to shout at Toby a bit as he seemed to be paranoid about something. "Why did you think people built castles? Because they looked cool? No! Out there was a threat and they didn't know about it and BOOM! Vikings!" Kenji ranted to Toby about how he was paranoid. "Out there in that festival is a threat whether you like it or not!" He suddenly looks more alarmed. Kenji calmed down and decided to ask: "What day is it, man?"
"Yeah I guess you can't see the big wooden booths outside, and people selling stuff..." Toby explained to Kenji of when it seemed that today was the day. Kenji seemed to be ready to panic when he knew what the day was about.
"What the hell are you talking about? I have my curtains closed at all times to thwart the snipers." Kenji explained to Toby. "The feminists are taking over the planet." Kenji told him. Toby tapped Kenji to try to snap him out of it.
"Uhh, it's the festival. You know that... right?" Toby asked Kenji if he knew about the festival. Kenji froze when he realized what it was today.
"Oh shit, that's today? Ah, damn. Ah... damn. Dammit. I can't believe I forgot, I don't have my fort finished yet. This is bad. This is going to be a very bad day... It's good you told me this, man. This is going to be a bad day." Kenji said as this whipped him up into a frenzy. Kenji knew full well he wasn't ready.
"Why?" Toby asked Kenji if he knew what was going on.
"Oh man, they're going to be everywhere. The people. Outside my window. Socializing!" Kenji explained as he grabbed Toby's shirt and shook him around in a crazy manner. Toby looked at Kenji wanting to see if he could calm him down. Kenji releases Toby and rubs his temples nervously, suddenly looking very ill. "It's going to be loud as hell. Damn, and I was going to go out today, but now it's ruined, everything is ruined. This is awful. This sucks. This sucks! What the hell, this really sucks. I can't go anywhere now. There's nowhere to run." Toby noticed that Kenji seemed nervous. Toby could even say he's majorly freaking out. Toby on the other hand wanted to know if he could return Kenji to normal. "I can't believe this. So that's what today was. Damn, and I couldn't even prepare for it. I couldn't even brace myself and now it's here and I can't do anything. You should have told me this earlier, dude. I mean, at least, I know, but... I could have known earlier! Imagine what I could have accomplished..."
"Sorry. I thought you knew. So I guess you're not going to do anything today? The weather is even good. Yesterday was really windy, so I thought today would be cold. It's not, though, so there's no reason to just stay inside. Yeah, you should check the festival out. It'll be fun today." Toby tried to explain to Kenji that they should at least hang out and get to know each other better. Kenji groans at the idea and covers his face with his hands.
"Agh, no, no! I can't do it. They'll eat me alive out there, I know it." Kenji explained as he didn't know what exactly he wanted to thought that has to be a joke, but he said it with such a straight face. Relatively straight. "What are you going to do? We should hang out in here, you can help me build my fort. We might still make it if we work together." Kenji offered Toby that he could use the help with building the fort. Toby seemed to take Kenji's word into consideration, despite looking relatively unfriendly, here he seemed to offer something that had to do with friendship. Kenji could be friendly when he felt like it. Toby began to speak.
"Maybe another time, I'm going to have to hang out with the Student Council, since I promised I would, Stephanie said she might be there and Nina too." Toby explained to Kenji that he was willing to hang out with him another day but today seemed not like a good day to do so. Toby began to realize that they didn't agree on when and where. He'll just wait for them rather than risk missing each other in the chaos outside. They must be busy running around and organizing things, anyway. It's funny. Toby would have assumed the price for losing to Shizune in her games to be a lot more severe. This is just a pretense for spending time with her. In that case, Toby guessed she just wants him to have fun. Even though she can't just come out and make her intentions clear, they may be good intentions after all, and Toby was starting to think he's starting to like her more. "I could skip going and help you with your fort, but it'd be a waste. And I want to go, too. I mean, you know, today does seem pretty exciting. If anything, it'll be interesting." Kenji paused when hearing what Toby had just said.
"The Student Council? What? That's still around? Isn't it like, two dudes?" Kenji asked, his voice was mostly unflattered. Toby looked to his left before looking to his right.
"They're both girls." Toby explained. Kenji seemed to have a lapse in his thought process, something was trying to bore its way through his skull. It was often said that Kenji didn't like girls, but he seemed to be interested this time around.
Katawa Shoujo- High Tension
"Really? Are they cute? Damn, no, wait... are they cute? No! It doesn't matter! I heard the Student Council president is insane... that whoever it is never talks and only gives orders through flunkies. Shit, they're the same in every school... Sounds like a cold-hearted bitch. Bitches everywhere. If it's two girls, they outnumber you two-against-one. That is a dangerous situation, dude. Who knows what can happen. Damn, the Student Council is just two women, but they hold so much power. They must be stopped. I can see them, plotting ways to push their feminist agenda. I can't trust an administration like that. This is not cool. Not cool! Damn. Shit! Damn!" Kenji tried his best to speak but what came out of his mouth was inconsistent rambling, he felt like he was breaking apart like a rocket coming into orbit. A very poorly constructed rocket. He fingers his scarf nervously, faster and faster like he is trying to start a fire, then slowly begins to calm down once the panic attack finishes running its course. "I'm going to have to find some place to hide in, a safe haven. And then knock the lights out of myself so that I don't have to experience this horrible day. I have the perfect thing for that. I must prepare now. Don't go to the festival." Kenji explained as if he seemed to still be in a panicky mood, telling Toby not to go to the festival.
"Okay." Toby explained as if he was taking his advice.
"Later, dude." Kenji told Toby. Kenji slowly walked away as if he was trying to be as quiet as he could. And Toby doesn't know how to feel about what Kenji just said. Toby begins to ponder what he'd like to do with Shizune and Misha as well as Nina and Stephanie. Deciding it's best to be extra prepared, Toby decided to duck back into his room to stock his wallet with money. Toby was beginning to wonder if they have that game where you try to catch goldfish on a paper net. It seems way easier than they make it look. Then again, if he were to catch a goldfish, he'd have no real reason to keep it. What was he going to do with a fish in my tiny room? Cook it? He could give it to Shizune, or Misha, but that might be overstepping his bounds. It's a real problem. Both of them are cute, but Toby doesn't think he'd have any chance with either of them. Regardless, he began to mull over the thought of doing it. Toby could imagine how they might react if he were to give them a gift tonight, like a fish or a doll. Misha would probably laugh like she always does. Shizune might slap it out of his hand. Maybe it isn't such a good idea after all. Okay, Toby thinks he's set.
A good while later, Toby decides that this could be another psych out test devised by Shizune. Even if it isn't, it's starting to get kind of late in the day. Finding Nina and Stephanie was a breeze as they had promised to spend the day with him. Two games and Nina and Stephanie had won their prizes. Toby decides to resolve it and just go out and search for them, even though he doesn't know where he could look. They might be really hard to find today. When Toby takes a step outside, he almost bumps into Shizune at the moment he was least expecting it. Shizune turned to see Toby, Stephanie and Nina.
"Hi, Shizune. Where's Misha?" Toby asked while making some signs with his hands. Toby was trying to sign it as best as he could, but really, Toby felt like he's just making stuff up. He's got to ask Misha to teach him some of this as refreshers.
Katawa Shoujo- Generic Happy Music
"Here!" Misha called out to the four of them. Misha pops up from behind Shizune, grinning widely. "We just came to make sure you're coming along with us to the festival." Misha explained to Toby that they must've been looking for him when it came to stuff like this. Shizune made some signs to Toby and his group. "Don't renege on your promise!" Misha told Shizune. Shizune turned her head back and continued to sign with Stephanie.
"Promise? I don't think I promised anything." Toby tried to explain to Shizune and Misha. Stephanie signed for them to make sure Shizune knew everything. Shizune replied with some signs of her own.
"Stop trying to get out of it! C'mon, Toby, it'll be fun! You need this, anyway, or you'll become a no-good person! You don't want to become one of those people who just stays in their dorm room all day, being paranoid, do you?" Misha explained to Toby that he needed to spend some time with her or she'll think he's not that good of a friend to Shizune and her. Toby felt like he's finding himself staring over her shoulder at the door to Kenji's room a couple of floors up. Toby was hoping he didn't hear that, but Toby begins to think Misha wants the opposite.
"No, of course not. I was just playing around a little, and was right about to leave anyway. You two didn't have to come here." Toby tried his best to explain to Shizune and Misha about the situation. He seemed to be falling apart as fast as Kenji was. Misha couldn't help but smile.
"Really? Ahahaha! Shicchan was worried you would try to get out of it somehow! We need you, Toby!" Misha explained to Toby that she wanted to hang out with them for the day.
"Huh?" Toby asked Shizune if she knew anything that they should do. Toby began to think that his heart just skipped a beat. Misha began to speak, recalling that she had remembered something.
"I don't have the aim to knock the dolls off their pedestals in that one game... and Shicchan refuses to throw things." Misha explained to Toby about the game she recalled playing in her youth with Shizune. Shizune nodded her head no like she felt kind of annoyed of a less than pleasant experience over that one game.
"Oh." Toby told them. Misha turned to a pouty Shizune where Misha was signing: it was an accident I swear. Shizune turns her head and stares at Toby, immediately noticing his disappointment. She uncrosses her arms and adjusts her glasses. She made a few signs recalling the game and where it would be located. Stephanie listened in on the conversation with her eyes.
"What did you think we meant? I refuse to throw anything. Why, Shicchan? That is weird... Well, anyway, Toby, you've thrown a ball before, right, right? So! You have to come with us!" Misha explained that he should join them on their game. Toby looked at Shizune and Misha, he seemed curious about their request. Toby seemed to be amazed by their logic. He doesn't know if they're joking or if they're not.
"Heh, I'd feel offended if I didn't know you guys were joking." Toby told them about what they were speaking about. He paused before he began to ask: "You're joking, right?" Shizune paused before making a few signs with her hands. Toby understood what Shizune was saying but to Misha, she decided to spell it out.
"It is what it is, Toby! It is what it is what it is what it is what it is!" Misha explained to Toby about what exactly was happening and how it got there. Misha seemed to repeat herself a bit.
"Well that's reassuring." Toby explained to Misha. Nina laughed at this, she thought it was funny. Shizune smiled and made some signs, if she could speak, she was laughing along as well with what Toby said.
"Come on, let's go! The deaf band is setting up outside your window." Misha teased Shizune and Toby. Misha grabs Toby by the hand and tries to pull him out the door even though they were outside, but it's clear that she isn't trying at all. Shizune looks at the both of them, blushing slightly and fiddling with her glasses impatiently. Toby's not used to this kind of casual contact, but he could have nothing against it. How could Toby object to this? Stephanie and Nina followed behind, they didn't want to be left out.
Katawa Shoujo- Hokabi
It's still light outside, but the sun is getting ready to set behind the trees. It looks like half the school is out here, and Toby can even see some faculty members standing off to the side, helping themselves to some punch. They are about to empty the entire bowl, to the dismay of the girl working the stall. There are some fortune tellers chatting idly with their friends, while others have already gotten started slinging horoscopes at anyone who walks in range. Toby was beginning to think that kind of tactic is a little too aggressive, but it shows that they're into it. It's refreshing to see, but Toby doesn't know if hell' be able to get used to it. Shizune was making some signs with Nina holding her prize, a stuffed puppy she won at one of the games she challenged Toby to. Toby felt down about not winning but it was his decision to let Nina win. Shizune began making some signs if the group was starving.
"Well, we should get something to eat. Hungry, Toby?" Misha asked Toby if he and his friends wanted something to eat. Come to think of it, Toby hasn't eaten all day.
"I don't really want to eat fried noodles." Toby explained to Misha that he was in no mood for that kind of junk. Misha laughed while she began to speak in her own teasing manner.
"That's okay, there are other fried foods!" Misha teased. She seemed to laugh at her own joke, she even managed to squeeze a laugh out of Nina.
"Are there any foods that aren't fried?" Stephanie asked if there was anything she could eat. Shizune stood there thinking while Stephanie signed it all out for Shizune. Shizune began to return with some signs of her own.
"Candy. Junk food is the essence of celebrations! Wahahahaha!" Misha seemed to interrupt with her answer. She seemed to enjoy it all while signing with her hands. Shizune looked at Misha as if she didn't like it and she had cut her off from signing to Stephanie who in turn would give this information to Toby. Misha's happy smile seemed to deflate as if she was a child telling her mother. "Come on, I - I mean, Shicchan - will treat you to one thing! One?" Shizune turned to Misha to tell her that wasn't what she wanted to hear. If she could hear that was. "Just one! Only so you can build up energy for your throwing arm! Ah, but it doesn't look like all the booths are done setting up yet, so you might not be able to get what you want." Toby takes a look around, surprised by the number of stalls. It's unbelievable, this festival seems larger than the ones you might see in actual towns. Despite what Misha said, it seems like half the school is already celebrating. The air is humming with the excited chattering of at least half the student body. Toby and his friends can smell food cooking, and it's only making them hungrier by the second. Shizune made some signs figuring out what they wanted to eat. "Come on, Toby, the food is already disappearing fast! If you want takoyaki, we need to move now! I could go for some takoyaki! Come on, let's eat that!"
"All right, I haven't had takoyaki in forever. I'm game." Toby told them as he walked with Misha and Shizune. Stephanie and Nina followed behind. Shizune takes off before Misha can even sign it back to her, briskly walking towards the takoyaki stand as Misha and Toby try to catch up. Misha laughs as she skips towards Shizune, who asks for five orders of takoyaki by holding up five fingers. Toby never noticed it before, but for someone who is so obsessed with high class tea, it's a little weird that Shizune is also so into fast food. Toby takes the plate of takoyaki she hands him and he begins to wonder if he should dig in. It looks extremely hot. Toby can see the smoke coming off of it and the oil bubbling on the surface. Shizune and Misha both look at him, as if waiting for them to eat before they can begin. They can't back down, so Toby spears one on the tiny plastic fork jauntily sticking up from the corner of the plate. However, before Toby can even put it in his mouth, Shizune and Misha begin eating eagerly, Shizune taking quick but delicate bites out of the takoyaki while Misha eats with relish like a small child. Toby could guess at the end of the day, both of them are just kids like any other student here. Much like Toby, Stephanie and Nina. Stephanie felt happy that she was like a little kid again. This is kind of nice. Toby doesn't think he's had a chance like this in a long time to just hang out with other people and enjoy their company. Even before coming here, he'd been going through a very busy year. So busy that he hadn't realized what he and Nina have been missing until now. Here, they feel at peace. This is a soothing atmosphere. Toby didn't know these kinds of festivals still existed.
"Eh? Toby, you aren't going to eat your food?" Misha told Toby about it, snapping his head out from staring into space.
"No, I'm going to eat it." Toby replied to Misha. Shizune made some signs while displaying a cat-like smile to Toby.
"I hope you aren't chickening out because it's too hot." Misha told Toby that he shouldn't really be scared of not eating it. Toby better find a reason why he was not eating it.
"That's not it." Toby explained to Misha. Even their teasing is beginning to become endearing. Toby began to eat quickly before his food could get cold, thinking that the dimly lit paper lanterns glowing warmly against the sunset make for a beautiful sight. Before Toby can finish my last bite of takoyaki, Shizune steps in front of him, standing perfectly straight with her arms rigidly behind her back. Toby could see she's trying her best to look as serious as possible, but even she can't hide her good mood, as there is a slight smile on her face. Misha began to laugh as if they would want to join them in some games.
Katawa Shoujo- Afternoon
"Ahahaha! Come on, Toby, let's go play some games!" Misha cheerfully explained as she seemed to be enjoying it all.
"Are they even done setting up?" Toby asked Misha if the games were about ready. Shizune began to sign the answer to Toby.
"No, but it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter! Come on, Toby, before it gets too crowded!" Misha puts her hand on Toby's shoulder and laughs very loudly. "Come on! Come on! The prizes look really great this year, really really! Wouldn't you like to win some prizes for two cute girls like us?" Toby began to blush at this notion, they were indeed cute but Nina always found him cute. Was he being pulled away by Shizune and Misha? Misha flashes her best "cute" look, which is admittedly pretty cute. Toby takes a look at Shizune, expecting her to do the same, but she just looks at him like he's insane. Shizune began to sign as she wanted Misha to stop.
"Misha, stop doing that! Wait... I'm Misha..." Misha told herself while getting tongue tied by what Shizune was saying. Shizune continued to sign as Misha was supposed to translate all of that. "Toby, hurry up, you've been holding that piece of takoyaki for like a thousand years! Hahahahaha!"
"I like to savor everything that I eat. Even this." Without warning, Shizune picks the takoyaki from his hand and plops it into her mouth with a smile. It happens so fast that there was no way Toby could have stopped her. Before he can even fully process what just happened, Misha bursts into laughter, and Shizune smiles at Toby, probably the closest he's ever seen her come to laughing. Shizune began to sign as if she was expressing her happiness and willing to help move things along.
"Well, that takes care of that! Wahaha! Hahahaha!" Misha explained to Toby that she would be more than willing to help him out no matter what the weather. Shizune grabs Toby by the right hand, and Misha grabs him by the left. Nina felt jealous about this, what were they doing with her friend? One that she knew longer than the both of them. Shizune began to sign with the free hand she had.
"You're coming with us! There's a lot to do tonight, you should try harder to enjoy it! Hahahaha!" Misha explained to Toby that he was going to try and keep trying no matter what condition he was in. Running through an already sizable crowd of people, they play game after game, from ring toss, to whack-a-mole, to games he's never even heard of. The five of them rarely win, but it's fun nonetheless. Well Nina seems to be winning out of the most of them despite Toby's determination to keep up with her. How was Nina able to play and keep playing? Toby was thinking these games were more taxing than thinking about being on the piano.
Katawa Shoujo- Ease
"Hey, do they have that goldfish scooping game here?" Nina asked Shizune and Misha if she could get another prize. Nina seemed to have won three prizes so far today. Shizune began making some signs to Nina but Nina didn't understand the signs much like Toby and Stephanie.
"Of course! I didn't know you liked that game, Nina!" Misha explained to Nina about those games.
"Well, I've always wanted to try it. It doesn't seem too hard." Nina explained as that was the one game she hadn't even tried.
"Are you sure about that, Nina? Wahahaha! Okay, okay! We'll see! It should be around here somewhere!" Misha explained. Nina and Misha were getting along very well together. Shizune made some signs with her hands to explain to them about what was happening. "But, where are you going to keep your fish? Do you have a bowl for it?" Misha asked, Nina hadn't thought this through when it came to that type of game.
"Well, no..." Nina told Misha. Toby watched as the two girls were having their conversation.
"Maybe you'll eat it!" Misha suggested to Nina. Toby was horrified about that thought, he didn't want to eat a friend he won, that would be cruel to the fish trying to live its life. "Hahahahahaha! Ahahahahahaha! All right, Nina, if we win any fish, we'll give them to you!"
"Oh, really? Another game? Fine, then." Nina told Misha as they were ready to make the bet when it came to this. Shizune pushes them excitedly towards the booth, trying to hide the enthusiasm in her eyes. Fortunately, the two of them fail to catch a single fish, but Nina doesn't do any better. Toby and Nina can't help but laugh as immediately afterwards, they start tugging me towards a particularly large, colorful stall that Toby and his friends helped build. He remembered this one; it had been a real pain in the ass to make for his friends. The booth runner, one of his friends, snaps to attention when he sees us walking over.
"Toby, I wasn't expecting you. We got the stall finished and we've had some luck with a few winners. Want to be the next?" Haruhiko explained that he hadn't seen him all day. Toby seemed to have his eyes light up with excitement over this revelation.
"The stall looks nice." Toby began. He seemed to be blown away with how it turned out.
"Nice to hear about it. We seemed to take a lot of effort to work on it. Nina's hands keep cramping up and we've got someone to run the stall for us while we enjoy the afternoon." Haruhiko explained to Toby exactly what was going on. Toby nodded to see that his friends were getting long. Toby could also notice two things: First, it's one of those games where you throw a ball at a pyramid of opaque bottles and try to knock over as many as possible. Four balls for 50 yen, that's pretty good. Second, there are instructions on how to play in braille. Toby almost wanted to say something, and look to see if Shizune and Misha see it as well. Either they don't, or they don't find it strange at all.
"Hey! It's good to see you, Hakamichi! Thank you so much for your help with this booth. Having fun?" The man who was running the stall for Haruhiko called out. He seemed to be a fan of Shizune but nothing much was known about him.
"Who is he?" Toby asked if any of them knew about this guy.
"That's Shiraki, one of the first years at Yamaku in class 1-4." Haruhiko explained. Shizune glances towards Misha, who signs everything to her in a flash, then beams at the operator.
"Haha! It was nothing, nothing at all, really! Yeah, this is great, I think it's the best festival we've put together yet! Shiraki, we'd like to play this, that's okay, right? Of course, it would be really great if you would just give your cute, hard working Student Council representatives a prize, for all the hours we put in to make all of this possible!" Misha explained as she seemed to be interested in playing the game. Shiraki looked at the group and laughed.
"Hahaha, haha... No." Shiraki explained. Haruhiko looked at him with a pair of eyes knowing he wasn't playing around. If anything, Shiraki has balls.
"Hey, I built this stall, it was a backbreaking job, too. I wasted two hours of my life, I think they deserve at least a free round." Haruhiko explained to Shiraki to at least let Toby and his friends have a chance and get a free round at playing.
"And me!" Misha explained excitedly. Shizune looked at her before she began to sign that Misha hadn't done much to build the stall. It was a sign that Misha was lying just to get credit. "Me too! Ah..." Misha explained as her composure fell apart. Shiraki decided to give it some thought and after some hesitation, he eventually gives in, and hands each member of the group except for Haruhiko four balls with a shrug. Haruhiko didn't want to play but he was keeping a close eye on everything. Barely a second later, Shizune and Misha dump theirs in front of Toby.
"What gives? Don't tell me that after making such a big deal out of it, you two aren't going to even play? Not after the way we ganged up on Shiraki." Toby explained that he had twelve balls now opposed to four.
"Yeah… Hakamichi is a pain sometimes, giving you everything and not wanting to take some of it herself." Shiraki explained to the group. Shizune made some signs as she didn't like what they were saying in the conversation. Misha turned to Shizune and then to Shiraki with some warning words.
"You stay out of this, please!" Misha barked at Shiraki. Shizune turns to Toby and begins waving her hand dismissively. Misha appears torn between translating for her and consoling the booth operator. Shizune signed to Misha that she wanted to keep her eyes on Toby and explain why they dumped their balls on him.
"Ahahaha! Toby, where's your sense of chivalry? Besides, I - Shicchan, have a policy against throwing balls! Ah, sorry, Toby. I don't know if my aim is that good, either. You must be pretty good at these things, though, right, right? It shouldn't be a problem for you!" Misha explained to Toby about all of this and why he was now the pitcher of the student council. Maybe joining them was a bad mistake if he could recall that. Toby was staring at Haruhiko's game and was thinking how it worked. This looks simple enough. The bottles aren't even that far away, the only challenge is that these are wiffle balls. Toby throws one at the bottles hard, and it bounces off unceremoniously.
"What the hell?" Toby explained as the plastic ball just merely bounced off of the bottles. Shiraki looked at Toby as he began to sign to him.
"Ah, yeah, it's not as easy as it looks. There's water inside the bottles. Trade secret." Shiraki explained to Toby why it seemed to be that way.
"That's not very fair!" Misha explained, she crossed her arms and began to pout about it.
"This must be why it's four balls for 50 yen. How devious." Toby explained. Stephanie and Nina were going to wait their turn while Shizune tapped on Toby and began to sign to him while smiling, she had fate in him.
"Come on, Toby, you can knock them down! You have eleven more chances! Go!" Misha encouraged Toby to keep trying to knock the bottles down. Toby wasn't entirely sure about it and wondered if anyone else wanted his balls.
Katawa Shoujo- Air Guitar
"Maybe you should do it. Shizune? Do you want to try?" Toby asked Shizune if she was willing to give it a try instead of him. Shizune emphatically shakes her head from side to side. Nina gets a laugh out of this, this is actually pretty fun. Winding up, Toby decided to take his chances and throws another ball at the pyramid of bottles and manages to get them to budge just slightly. Both Shizune and Misha are casting longing glances towards a doll shaped like a cat. Stephanie was looking up at the Blenheim colored Spaniel thinking that would be a good prize for Toby. All-in-all, they really aren't that different. Sometimes Toby could wonder if Shizune would sound like Misha if she could talk. No, they're not that alike. Toby decided to take his chances and throw another ball, realizing that it's actually quite simple. If he can hit two bottles in the bottom row at the same time, it's an easy win. Already, a small crowd is beginning to gather, so the pressure is really on him. Nine more shots. Winding up like a baseball pitcher, Toby throws as hard as he can and the bottles come tumbling down.
"We know you had it inside of you little brother!" Stephanie cheered at the sight that he had won the prize. Triumphantly, Toby claims his girlish cat doll prize and Misha laughs uproariously as if it was her who won it. Shizune stares at Toby with her usual blank expression. It's clear she wants the doll too. She made some signs wanting the doll.
"Toby, congratulations! What are you going to do with that doll?" Misha asked Toby what he wanted to do with the doll. There is no right answer. Toby needed to tread carefully.
"I... do not know." Toby explained to Misha. He wasn't fond of the doll, but Shizune and Misha wanted it.
"Wellllll... I'll take it, if you don't want it..." Misha told Toby that she can take the doll off of his hands for him. Shizune made some signs that she wanted the doll more than any of them.
"Unless you want to keep it for yourself, Toby. I didn't know you liked dolls. How delicate." Misha seemed to make a comment about Toby liking something like the cat doll. Toby looked at the doll again, it seemed a little creepy to him.
"I don't. I have no use for this." Toby told Misha. He really wanted that Cavalier Spaniel doll that was still on the booth. He had to give this doll to someone.
"Can I have it, then?" Misha asked Toby if she could have the doll. Shizune looked at Toby while making some signs of her own. She too wanted this doll. Their eyes are drilling into Toby's soul. This is a decision he doesn't want to make. Toby decided to turn back to the booth.
"Hey, you have more than one of this doll?" Toby asked as he wanted to get another doll to satisfy Shizune and Misha to prevent them from fighting over the prize. Shiraki nodded and began to speak.
"Actually, yeah, just one more." Shiraki explained. Toby nodded with a smile. All right now seemed to be the chance to get it.
"Okay, set everything up again, I want to try for that one as well." Toby explained while holding the whiffle balls as he got ready to take those bottles down. Toby still has eight tries. The moment the game is set up again, I throw as hard as he can again, but miss. Misha looked on as she spotted Toby trying his hardest and laughed at him.
"Hahaha! Trying to win another one? Taking the easy way out, Toby?" Misha asked Toby if that was the case. Toby felt something build up inside of him, he could easily snap at Misha if he was given the chance that Misha was taunting him. Toby sighed, now didn't seem a good time to snap at Misha with anger. A deep breath was needed to relieve the tension building up within him.
"If it's that easy, you could try it." Toby explained to Misha that he was ready to hand his remaining whiffle balls over to Misha so she could take the shot for herself. Misha turned down the offer.
"No thanks! Say, Toby, can you at least put the doll down while you throw the balls?" Misha suggested to Toby that he can put the doll down as he was doing this with one arm. Toby looked at Misha and back up, he really wanted that Cavalier Spaniel doll. Toby placed the doll down as it would be easier to do this with two hands.
"No." Toby explained that he didn't want to get that second cat doll for Misha. It seemed that it would be a fight over it.
"There's only one more left, you had better get it! If you fail, I'll kill you!" Misha explained to Toby that he better get that doll otherwise she was going to hurt him. Shizune stepped in and began signing to Misha, Misha was getting it wrong and the fact that she was going to hurt someone was something she wasn't going to accept. Misha paused and began speaking again. "What a clever way to duck out of giving me the doll, though! And by me, I mean me!" Shizune began to sign to Misha telling her to just translate what she was saying. "Ahahahaha! Just kidding!" Misha explained to the group. She went back to her normal self with this thought and now there must've been a renewed effort to getting the second doll. Toby can see Misha didn't mean any harm from it, and Shizune seems to enjoy her joke, smiling at it, but she looks a little depressed afterwards. Toby decides to hand Shizune the doll, at least while he's trying to win the other one. It's kind of hard to aim while holding a giant cat. Shizune began to sign as she seemed to smile with the thought of holding the cat. "Thank you, Toby. Shicchan seems happy, Toby! But, you're going to win one for me, too, right?"
"That is what I'm trying to do, isn't it?" Toby explained to Misha. He threw another ball and it caused the bottles to bounce a bit but they managed to stay standing up. Six balls remained. Nina went forward as she decided to give it a shot.
"Let me try." Nina told Toby. Toby handed Nina the six remaining balls he had. Nina threw the first one as the whiffle ball bounced off of the bottles. Nina throws again, but her aim is way off this time. Nina launched another ball, trying to knock down the bottles but the ball just bounced off the bottles harmlessly. Nina began to feel her right hand cramping up as well while throwing one ball at a time to the bottles, as if blood isn't flowing to it properly. Nina scolds herself mentally, thinking that it's pathetic she could get tired from something like that. Then she realizes maybe it's because of her hands acting up. If it is, then she doesn't know what to think. Nina threw another ball, no such luck in trying to get the bottles down.
It's depressing that even something as small as this is enough to make Toby realize Nina's own limitations. Toby could have guessed there won't ever be a time when they'll be able to forget about it. Even today, when he thought they would be able to just enjoy themselves, on this beautiful night and in this beautiful place, Toby can't escape the reason why he's here. They've never felt so at peace in their life, in this place which is like nowhere else he's ever been. It's hard now to keep from thinking the unthinkable: That Nina may just have been sent here to die while Toby watched.
Katawa Shoujo- Shadow of the Truth
These past few days have been some of the best of their lives. The first time in a long time that Toby felt that he and Nina ever felt truly alive. But in the end, he's someone who finds himself reminded every time she climbs too many stairs or throws a ball too hard that she could have her hands destroyed at any second. Nina will always be limited by this. Toby began to feel depressed by that, and angry as well. In the end, he cares about her life, and he enjoys it, and now it's more transient than ever before. Toby begins to wonder what it is that will finally do her in. It could be anything, if Toby felt this weak and pathetic: a bad fall, a punch to the chest, a stray baseball. Nina now lost her will to keep playing this game, but she kept playing anyway. Suddenly, Nina feels a split-second sensation of pain in her right hand. It comes and goes instantaneously, but it's enough to make her stumble just a bit. Shizune jumps back, startled. She comes closer, staring at Nina with concern. Misha puts her hand on Nina's shoulder.
Katawa Shoujo- Stride
"Hey, Nina, are you okay?" Misha asked Nina with concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I don't really feel too good right now. I think I'm sick. I don't think I can go on." Nina explained. She had used up seven balls to no such luck. She was holding three whiffle balls left. Misha frowns at the lack of progress.
"Don't strain yourself. If you're that sick, you'll just make yourself sicker." Misha told Nina if she was truly feeling ill, she should rest. Shizune walked over and began making some signs for Misha while Toby watched them tending to Nina. "Look, the festival is just getting started, and we've been playing games for a while. We can take a little break if you're tired. Good idea, Shicchan, I'm feeling a little tired too! I think we're all a little worn out, running all over the school, Nina!" Nina gave a nod. They don't seem to notice anything unusual. That's good. She hands Toby the remaining whiffle balls and walks off through the sea of people, with Misha cheerfully pointing out the faces of everyone she knows. Shizune holds the stuffed cat in her arms, cradling it absentmindedly. It seems like they're having fun. Suddenly, Nina felt a pang of guilt. Because of her poor health, they all had to stop. Except for Toby and Stephanie as Stephanie had seven whiffle balls left.
"Let's see if I can finish the job that has been started." Stephanie told Toby. Toby nodded to his older sister as she took one of the whiffle balls and threw them at the bottles. The bottles shifted slightly as Stephanie lined her gaze up, she was going to try what Toby had just done and that was to take down those two bottles. Stephanie threw another whiffle ball as the ball bounced off of the bottles, spreading them out even more. Five balls left, Stephanie threw another one causing the ball to bounce off the table and up, nearly hitting Shiraki in the face. Stephanie looked at her whiffle balls, four left, time to change up her plans. Stephanie threw the next wiffle ball at the center, the bottles clanged as they moved, Stephanie shifted to the growing gap between the bottles. She threw the next ball as the bottles parted again and again. One ball left, it was now down to it. Stephanie threw the last whiffle ball which caused the bottles to come toppling down, once all the bottles were down. Stephanie reached over and took her prize. The Blenheim colored Cavalier Spaniel that Toby had been eyeing for some time now. Haruhiko looked at them, happy that Stephanie had just squeaked by with a prize for her little brother. Toby held the stuffed dog, it was very soft and fluffy. The tags still on it meaning it was brand new.
"Nice job Stephanie, I guess I can wait for my friends and I to decide who's taking over for the stall." Haruhiko congratulated her as he seemed to be proud with how she managed to take down the bottles.
"Thanks, I'm going to go find Nina and her friends to see where they have wandered off to." Stephanie explained to Haruhiko. Stephanie and Toby stepped away as they went off to find their friends.
"Take care." Haruhiko told Stephanie and Toby.
It wouldn't be long until they found the three of them. Shizune, Misha and Nina were busy trying to decide on food.
"Nina, we're both feeling kinda hungry. How about you?" Misha began speaking to her. She wanted to see what they should get her.
"I'm not as hungry as I could be, but I do want something to eat." Nina explained to Shizune and Misha. She definitely wanted something to eat.
"That's good enough, Nina! So, what should we get to eat?" Misha asked Nina. She must've been hungry as Stephanie and Toby watched.
"It doesn't really matter to me." Nina explained to Shizune and Misha. Shizune made a few signs, Nina wasn't helping her when it came to this.
"Ah! How about sandwiches, then? And we'll need something to drink, too! Misha'll get everything! What?" Misha explained to the group what they wanted to eat. Shizune looks at Toby and smiles, and she realizes she might be trying to cheer him up with a joke while signing with her hands. Stephanie laughed at the joke. "Toby, it's getting kind of crowded, so we might not be able to eat here. It's getting kind of loud, too." Misha explained where they should eat. They weren't going to eat out here for sure, it was a little loud for them to really enjoy it. "Maybe we should go eat up on the roof."
"That's fine with me. It might be a nice view, and there could be a little breeze." Toby explained that the roof might be a nice place for all of them. He hadn't seen the roof as of yet.
"Okay then! I guess I should get the food and drinks now... So I'll see you two then!" Misha told them. She gives a clumsy wave and then runs off. Before, Toby, Stepahnie and Nina didn't notice how the paper lanterns look illuminating the dark night, but now that they're able to see it, it's really an amazing sight. Fireflies float overhead, their soft glow making it look as if it's snowing lights in the night sky. This type of thing would be impossible to see in the city. Shizune tugs at Toby's sleeve impatiently and crosses her arms, frowning as if to show displeasure at him for getting distracted. He hadn't won the other cat for Shizune and instead won something else. Shizune began to sign to Toby.
"We haven't been on the roof, have you been up there?" Toby asked while signing back to Shizune while he spoke. Shizune began to make some signs in response. Come to think of it, isn't it kind of stupid of me to have said that to a deaf person? She wouldn't have heard it. Could Shizune read Toby's lips? Toby gave a shrug, hoping to show her that he did understand. Shizune shakes her head and dismisses it with a wave of her hand. Maybe Toby should get around to asking Misha for some more hang out time which he could improve on his sign language. Climbing up onto the roof, Toby could find himself in awe again at the sheer size of this school. The grounds are so expansive he can't believe he hadn't realized it before. As Toby begins to walk across the roof, trailing behind Shizune, he can't help but be taken in by the stars shining in the sky. Shizune and Toby sit down on a bench. She seems like she's in a good mood as she smiles softly while the breeze blows through her hair. They look down at the festival, which looks like a sea of glowing amber lanterns and waving paper fans teeming with people, some of them festively dressed in yukata.
In fact, most of the girls seem to be wearing yukata. Toby began to wonder why Shizune and Misha didn't dress up today. The two of them would look nice in yukata. So would Stephanie and Nina too if Toby wanted to admit it. Toby briefly began to think about what types they would wear. Shizune would likely go with something traditional. However, Misha is a bit harder to place. Misha arrives, panting as she runs to us, trying to keep the food in her arms from falling. Setting everything on the ground, she lets herself drop backwards.
"Ahahahahahahahahaha! That took awhile! Come on, you two didn't tell me what you wanted, so I got some rice punch, some sandwiches, and some candy, too! A little bit of everything!" Misha explained to the group what she got for them. It seemed she got everything for them. Shizune nodded while she signed that it was time to eat.
"That's great. Let's dig in." Nina told them. She was clearly hungry. Misha takes a bite out of a small, triangular sandwich. She turned her head to Toby as she had to ask him something.
"So, Toby, what do you think of the festival? It's nice, isn't it?" Misha asked Toby if today was feeling very nice for them. Toby nodded his head as if he seemed to agree with the statement.
"Yeah." Toby replied while taking a sip of the rice punch. Shizune looked at him as she began to sign away. She seemed to be happy but also, she was more or less genuinely interested in Toby.
Katawa Shoujo- Lullaby of Open Eyes
"The stars are nice tonight. This couldn't have been a more perfect day." Misha explained. Shizune frowned as that wasn't what Misha was supposed to say. Toby got the message though while holding the prize Stephanie won for him. The sound of people talking below us is like faint music alongside the chirping of crickets in the distance. Toby takes a sip from the can of punch and looks over at Misha, who looks as if she's sleeping comfortably with her back stretched out and a half-full can of apple juice balanced on her stomach. Nina and Stephanie were laying in the gravel and staring at the stars. Shizune sits with her legs drawn close to her, rocking back and forth slowly like an impatient child as she stares up at the sky. The two of them are so cute. Toby looks around and can see many students holding hands with their girlfriends or their boyfriends. Not too far from us on this roof, there are couples gazing up at the stars or down at the lights of the festival, holding each other's hand. A part of Toby wants that. Nina and Shizune looked at Toby, they each wanted to hold his hands with theirs.
Looking at Shizune and Misha, Toby began to wonder if maybe he should ask one of them out some day. Toby wondered if it would be worth the risk. The golden hands moving across the face of the delicate watch on Shizune's wrist catch his eye, and Toby sees that it's getting kind of late. But the festivities are still going strong. Shizune is still holding the stuffed cat Toby won by the paw. She notices Toby was looking at it while holding his stuffed Cavalier. Shizune signed with her hands asking Toby if he wanted to get closer. Toby nodded while doing so. The only girl who asked him out so far in life was Nina but that was more of a rare treat than anything as they only viewed each other as friends.
Offhandedly, she offers it to Toby. Toby gives a smile, wanting to ask her what he would do with it, but she wouldn't be able to understand me. Toby shakes his head and tries his best to tell her to keep it, hoping she'll understand. As Toby looks out towards the school, he can see before him so many people, all of which are happy and cheerful. Watching them makes me feel content. This really was something. Today was worth it. But he still can't shake the feelings of guilt and melancholy from earlier from his old school closing down and him helping gut the place, they keep hanging onto him, and he couldn't let them go. Shizune signs something to Toby, and he can understand her. No matter what Toby wanted to say out loud, she won't be able to hear him.
"I can understand you, Shizune. Well, whatever. I wonder if we both consider ourselves at fault for this. Anyway, I'm sorry for not being able to understand. You know, I'm almost, almost glad that you tried to coerce me into coming here. If I attempt to date you, though, I might have to think more about that side of you. No, actually... I'm glad. Today was nice. You would be cuter if you smiled more, you have a nice smile." Toby said to Shizune while signing his hands to her. Shizune took the message personally and tried to figure out what to sign back to him. After a minute of thinking and coming to no conclusion. She began feeling frustrated, she stands up, arms behind her back, looking authoritative and confident against the backdrop of stars. Suddenly, Shizune throws her arms out towards the open sky, seeming to hold it between her hands. It's as if she's telling Toby to look at everything in front of him: The school, bathed with the festival's glow and lit up with the colorful yukata, the roof illuminated by fireflies, the sky so vast that it imposes the feeling of awe onto him. What does she want? It slowly dawns on Toby with time. This beautiful scene before him is proof that there are things wonderful enough that spoiling them with a bad mood would be unforgivable. And he can feel the weight of Shizune's personality pressing the point further. "Thanks, I guess." Toby explained while making some signs with his hands. Toby began to look away, but then Shizune grabs him by the shoulder, her watch brushing against his cheek. With her left hand, she points up at the sky. With faint pops, fireworks begin to go off in the sky, each one spreading a shower of bright colors that slowly fade into the dark. Toby, Stephanie and Nina can't even recall the last time they saw fireworks at all, much less a display this large. Not to mention it seems that they're being launched from the school; it's almost impossible to believe. The lights in the sky mingle with a second salvo from the town below, and they seem timed to complement each other like two parts of a duet If Toby had his piano with him. They continue for maybe fifteen more minutes and then stop. Shizune realizes her hand is still on his shoulder and withdraws it carefully, looking a little uncomfortable.
Regaining her composure, she grins, with her hands on her hips and her chest thrust out in front of her. It's in these moments that she seems most like a regular teenage girl. Energetic, happy, and carefree. Toby began to eat thoughtfully with Shizune, the two of us looking out at the gradually thinning crowds below in silence. She sits leaning forward slightly, her chin resting softly on her hands and a contented look on her face with just a hint of wistfulness. All the while still gently holding on to the stuffed cat's paw. Toby was starting to feel tired, and he told her that he'll see her, Nina and Misha tomorrow, without even realizing that she can't hear him, and then started walking back to the dorms.
Toby was beginning to feel warm and alive, even in this chilly night air. The image of Shizune standing forcefully before the stars themselves, denying his self-pity, does not leave his mind easily. If... if it only takes a moment for there to be love, he thinks that he may be falling in love with her. Just a little bit. If… Nina will allow it.
Katawa Shoujo- Three Stars-Shizune Cinematic
Gentle piano chords drift over as if Toby seemed to be explaining, he could dream, Shizune, Misha, Nina and him, all walking together as they seemed to be one happy group. Nina was trying her best to practice her sign language skills with her hands. Misha laughed as Nina tried her best to communicate while Toby was playing his piano and Shizune was on her student council work. Toby and Shizune were gazing among the stars with Stephanie and Nina nearby as they were more or less enjoying the company. Shizune handed a folded-up piece of paper to Toby as if she wanted to express something to him. Misha watched as if she was starting to feel a twinge of jealousy that Shizune was drifting away from her. The door closed as Shizune gave Toby the piece of paper with a personal note on it. Shizune looked up as the wind ruffled in her hair. She seemed to be more relaxed and at ease with Toby around. She was wondering where this was going to take her.
End of Act 1
[A/N]: Finally Act 1 is done. I kept getting distracted by everything and it progressed slower than anticipated as I wanted to get this act done earlier than usual but I persevered and finished it. Also, people are saying they want to do commissions for this as they seem to really like this story. Let's hope we can push to getting Act 2 done as I wanted to finish this scene a lot earlier than usual. More reviews will be nice to see how you guys are liking this story so far. See you Later.