Special Invitation Ticket 73rd Tokujo High Culture Festival Host: Tsugumi Narita Guest: Fumiya Tomozaki
Tokujo Festival
C'mon, relax those shoulders. And smile! Smile!
R-Right...
Well, I made it on an outing with Mizusawa. But now...
Now to tackle Hinami's tasks.
2nd Stage: Lv. 8 Sometimes the main character can't enter the village of another species on his own
Okay, first we do some flirting.
Huh?! What about scoping out their festival?
That's what we say we're here for.
But if two guys come to an all-girls school festival,
there's really only one reason.
Are you serious?
But jeez, I'm not sure I can just...
Wait—Mizusawa?!
Hi there!
What's that? Looks delish.
Did you bring that from home?
That was fast! Extroverts are something else...
Nope! We bought them here.
Oh, yeah? I thought you two were just super into cotton candy.
What the heck?
You know, since you both liked it enough to bring your own.
C'mon, as if!
Hey, can I have a bite?
No, I don't think so.
Oh, I wasn't asking you. I was asking this girl here.
Meanie!
You'll give me a bite, won't you?
Well, I guess...
Whoa! It tastes just like cotton candy!
That's because it is cotton candy.
Hey, what are you doing here, anyway?
Did you come alone?
Actually, I got separated from my friend.
Let me know if you see him, okay?
We don't know what he looks like.
Oh! I'll send you a picture, then.
And tell me if you see him.
How should we be in touch? By snail mail?
That makes no sense!
Right, right. Then we'll do this.
Um...
What do you think?
So it's snail mail after all?
No, that's kind of a hassle.
It is, yeah. And I don't want to share my address.
So what do we do?
I guess Litter would work.
Better than snail mail!
Okay!
You're really slick, you know that?
No, no! I'm just worried about my poor lost friend.
Oh, of course.
Later!
Hope you find your friend!
Well?
What's my score?
A perfect hundred.
I mean, it all starts by striking up that conversation.
That opening line isn't about what you say—it's how you say it.
How I say it...
According to Mizusawa, it went like this:
When a stranger suddenly starts talking to someone
who's not mentally prepared for it,
that person won't be in listening mode.
But after they acknowledge you and you can hold onto their awareness,
you've got your first conversation.
Once that's underway, just talk about whatever.
You can ask questions—anything at all.
And like with the cotton candy earlier,
it's easy to get a response if you touch on something they have with them...
if you're quick enough about it.
You know, I did some pretty similar stuff
as part of Hinami's assignments...
Ramen
Hey, uh...
You like Hinami, right?
Aoi? Yeah, I like her.
What about it?
I just... Here you are chatting up other girls...
Aha. It's not like Aoi and I are dating at the moment.
I-I know, but, like...
I kind of feel like it's not sincere.
Sincere, eh?
Tell me, Fumiya,
what do you think makes a guy attractive?
L-Let's see...
He keeps himself presentable, plays it cool... what else?
He's good at taking the lead in conversation... Like that?
Hey, three right answers! Nice.
But you know what?
The most essential aspect, more than anything else...
Attractive guys attract people.
Huh?
Sewing Club
If a guy's reasonably presentable and attractive,
Love Fortunes
staying cool will come naturally.
If he's attractive,
Ring Toss
girls will feel like they have to act fast before someone else snaps him up.
That's how being attractive winds up making you even more attractive.
It's a hotness spiral.
So I'm raising my value out there and playing it cool...
until I eventually get Aoi interested in me.
I get it now!
Basically you're flirting with all these girls to boost your attractiveness
so that Hinami will decide to notice you.
Not exactly.
I'm also playing the field because I want to. That's a big part of it.
Hey!
Oh, and one more correction:
Aoi won't decide to notice me.
I'll make her notice me. Right?
Y-Yeah...
Ultra-Scary
Haunted House
Hey, you came!
Hey.
H-Hi.
Hey, you grew antennae!
These aren't antennae. They're ears!
I'm a cute li'l bunny rabbit.
You're even apathetic about your culture festival, huh, Gumi.
Scary Haunted House
That's an Apathy-nian for you.
Apath-what now?
Come see our ghosts.
They're not exactly scary or anything.
I wouldn't go around advertising that...
Right?
How's it going? See any cute girls?
Huh?!
Hey, why do you assume we're out here hitting on girls?
I mean, two guys at a girls' school festival...
why else would you be here?
Eh, I'd say it's going so-so.
See? I knew it!
What about you, Tomozaki?
Me? I'm not hitting on anybody.
You don't have a girlfriend, do you?
Check out my class! This is your big chance.
My chance...
You heard her, Fumiya. Shall we?
Yeah, okay.
Entrance
Two guests? Right this way.
Exit
Thank you very much...
That wasn't scary at all.
Nope.
Hey there!
I see you found your friend.
Hey, Mako and Sayaka!
When did he learn their names?!
Did you check out the haunted house?
Oh, from Tsugumi's class?
No, not yet.
You definitely should go. It's terrifyingly unscary.
But a haunted house has to be scary!
You can totally see all the ghosts, too.
Okay, now to pull a Mizusawa...
I-It's seriously not scary.
Wow, really?
Y-Yeah! It's... surprising, actually.
Surprising, huh?
I guess I'm not ready for this yet.
Whoa!
I bet those look amazing on you, Mako.
Put them on for a sec.
Huh?
Oh, yeah! So flattering!
Some compliment...
Were those some kind of prize?
Yeah, from the ring toss.
These, too.
Those glasses would look pretty killer on you, too, Mizusawa.
Well?
They really suit you!
There's that non-compliment again...
They really do look good, Mizusawa!
Why don't I take a picture?
Hey, good idea! Will you do the honors?
Get in here, you two.
You player!
Can we put it on Pinsta?
He's been getting into that lately.
Well...
Sure, I guess.
Okay, here goes!
Cheese!
Ready!
Those count as glasses, right? Good.
Tokujo Festival
Man, I wanted to see your game out there, Fumiya.
Not at my current level, you don't.
Your current level, huh?
Don't be so down on yourself.
You've been reading self-help books or something, right?
Well, it shows.
You didn't realize?
You've been asking more questions lately—specific ones.
Oh, and you found a good rhythm that makes you easy to talk to.
R-Really?
Yes, really.
Huh.
For someone so awkward to come so far so quickly...
You must have worked hard, tackling one thing at a time.
You can try to hide it, but I can see right through you.
You've gotta admire a hard worker like that.
I...
Well, thanks.
That feeling, right there...
when someone says those things to you?
That's how you talk to a girl.
Why, you...
Later, Fumiya.
Even if Mizusawa's last speech was couched as a joke,
I was glad that someone had recognized my efforts.
Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki S2
Selfie w/ Fuka Kikuchi
Tomozaki?
There you are.
Um... how is it?
Each character's introduction and features are so well organized.
It's looking great!
Now we can move ahead with stuff like costumes.
Thank goodness.
Oh, and I wanted to ask...
About how much time will we have to perform?
Good question. I'll have to check.
Yes, please do. I'll need to adjust things with that time in mind.
If I need to make it shorter, things will need to be cut...
I'm looking forward to this culture festival.
So am I. I've been indifferent about it until this year.
My Unfamiliar Way to Fly
To think that dipping my toes in just a little
would change my point of view so much.
Say, Kikuchi... how about we take a selfie together?
A selfie?
Like, "Ready to work hard on the play!"
We'll get the script in the shot, too.
Okay. If you'll do the honors...
All right, then. Let's see...
Can I come over there?
Um... uh-huh.
O-Okay, so...
I-I'm sorry!
No, i-it's okay.
Um, the selfie?
Oh, r-right! The selfie!
O-Okay, here goes...
Uh-huh...
I'll send this to you later, okay?
Okay.
Sewing Room 2
You're doing well!
You've gotten a fair few likes, too.
I guess so, yeah.
Still, I never thought it would come to this.
Glasses are glasses, right?
True enough.
Add in the selfie with Fuka that you showed me yesterday
and that's all of your photo tasks. Congrats!
Mini-Task: CLEAR! Create private Pinstagram and self-promote
Thanks!
You're not going to post the one with Fuka?
She said she was too shy.
That happens.
Still, I didn't think you'd suggest performing a play with Fuka's script.
I know I told you to approach the festival with enthusiasm, but...
I would have wanted to do that even if it didn't tie in to a task.
Well, as long as it gets you closer to your goals, anything goes.
Hey, Hinami?
You're so invested in getting me to live that normie life.
Why is that?
Don't you remember? The first time nanashi and NO NAME met.
You were all, "You can't change characters in real life,"
that it was a tier issue.
Oh, that's right.
I heard that and wanted to prove that I was in the right.
That's all.
What?
You look like you're not buying it.
I-It's just—
I'm a sore loser.
I mean, if you say so.
But never mind that.
Have you decided who you want to date?
Well...
You said you wanted to wait, so I gave you a grace period.
You are thinking about it, aren't you?
Yeah... I guess so...
Small Goal: Who do you want to get closer to?
I'll need your answer soon.
At least two girls you'd like to date.
Got it?
Got it.
Brain!
Please just say yes and don't ask why!
Out of the blue? No way! Tell me why.
Well, turns out the track-and-field club is talking about
doing a comedy bit at the culture festival.
But I'm not in track.
It's okay! I got permission to go outside the club.
You're the only straight man for me, Brain!
So please... will you do me this favor?
Please?
Hmm...
Show maximum enthusiasm on all fronts
"Show maximum enthusiasm on all fronts" it is.
Yeah, sure.
Oh, c'mon, isn't there some way—
Wait...
Huh?!
You're the one asking. Why so surprised?
It was just so quick and easy!
Wait a sec...
You're jonesing for more of our husband-and-wife routine, eh, Tomozaki?
I am not.
Th-That's my handpicked partner for you...
Such sharp comebacks...
But we won't have much time to practice, what with the class play and all.
No sweat!
Just leave it to me!
Hey, Mimimi.
Morning, Takahiro!
Oh, and Fumiya.
Don't you "oh, and" me!
Hey, I heard from Gumi.
She's coming to our festival.
Wow, she is?
Gumi?
You'll need to rewrite your short story into a script,
but you're still having a hard time with the climax?
Y-Yes.
Um... what exactly is giving you trouble?
I can't decide if Libra, the hero, will wind up with Kris or Alucia...
and what should happen to the one he doesn't choose.
I think I might be... afraid to make that decision.
Afraid of dictating that the relationship among the three should go one particular way.
In that case—
and this may just be my thinking here—
which of the two would you choose, if it were up to you?
I don't think I could choose.
No?
Maybe I personally have an idea of what I'd do.
But what should I do as far as the story goes?
My Unfamiliar Way to Fly
Where could I take the characters that would be best for their world?
These are the kinds of things I need to consider.
Best for their world, huh?
It feels kind of insincere to let my feelings get in the way.
Hmm...
Um, Tomozaki?
Isn't there someone that you like?
M-M-Me?
Yes. You.
I-I... well... good question.
If you had two or more special people in your life,
and you could only choose one of them...
How would you choose that one person?
Probably, if I'm being honest...
Yes?
I think I'm...
I'm not in a position to make that choice in the first place.
Right. That's how I truly feel.
Hinami keeps grilling me about who I choose,
even coming up with that hypothetical about girls confessing their love.
But I've kept putting my answer on hold.
Because deep inside, that's how I feel.
For 17 years, this bottom-tier nature has been ingrained deep in my soul.
I'm not the one who gets chosen, much less the one who gets to choose.
When Hinami gave me that confession hypothetical,
what governed my mind in that moment
was an indescribable remorse, a sense of guilt...
"A bottom-tier character like you, choosing? Don't get so cocky."
In other words, an underlying feeling of incompetence
controlling my thoughts in this game of life.
And it had nested deep within me.
I see.
Mmm.
So I find this kind of stuff hard to talk about.
I'm really sorry I couldn't be more helpful.
Brain!
Mimimi? Don't scare me like that!
Your fault for being wide open.
Says who?
Still at it at this hour, eh?
Did you have a little one-on-one with Kikuchi, hmm?
Uh... I guess so.
Okay, see you.
By the way, Mr. Tomozaki...
Wh-What now?
Who on earth is this Gumi person?
Oh, she's this girl who works with me and Mizusawa.
Really? Is that all she is?
Seems pretty fishy to me!
My sources tell me you went to her culture festival.
Y-Yeah, because she invited us.
That's fishy, all right! She goes to an all-girls school!
What's that got to do with it?
It's just, you know...
You don't seem like the going-to-festivals-at-girls'-schools type.
Like they'd arrest me if I went into a girls' school?
Oh, man, not this again...
"This" what, exactly?
Never mind!
You know, when you're cool, you're cool, but when you're not... wow.
Y-Yeah?
Wait, are you saying I'm cool sometimes?
You are!
You're helpful in so many ways, you did so much for Tama—all that stuff!
Oh.
I respect you, Brain, you know that?
Huh?
I've told you you're like Tama, right?
A scaredy-cat, sure, but you'll still go all-out,
and you head straight for what you want to do.
It's like...
You just go ahead and do all these things I want to do, but can't.
I think that's really wonderful.
And that right there?
That's what I like about you.
You thought I meant I liked you that way just now, didn't you!
N-No... Jeez.
I actually do, though... like you that way.
See ya!
Huh?!