Attack Families!
Super Attack Families
Found! Okay?
It was through this game, Attack Families,
Winrate: 2221 Now matching...
that I, Fumiya Tomozaki, got to know
Found!
Winrate: 2169
Aoi Hinami, the heroine of our school,
and, with her secret coaching,
began to walk away from my low-tier-character self.
She got me growing and developing
by seeing life as a game, and myself as the character I main.
Hinami's strict with her instruction, and we don't always see eye to eye,
but little by little, I've come to see how fun this game of life can be.
Our eventful summer vacation has come to an end...
Game set!
Winner: Found!
One more match!
NO NAME: One more match!!
Bring it on!
...and tomorrow's the first day of the second term.
2nd Stage: Lv. 1 The best games make reconnaissance fun
There.
You've gotten better. Still have a long way to go, though.
Th-thanks...
Sewing Room 2
Okay, since it's the first day of the second term...
let's confirm a few things before we move forward.
Sure thing. Hit me!
Your ultimate goal is "To be as satisfied with offline life as I am."
Ultimate Goal To be as satisfied with offline life as I am
Your medium goal on the way there
Medium Goal: Have a girlfriend before year 3
is "Have a girlfriend before starting year 3."
Got that?
Yep.
As long as meeting that goal doesn't involve any false confessions of love
or spouting superficial stuff I don't mean,
I don't have a problem with it.
Very well. Then let's start...
with this:
observing interpersonal relationships in the classroom.
Today's Task Observe interpersonal relationships in class
It'll lay the groundwork for learning how to read the mood in a room,
and eventually how to control that mood.
Just so you know, the key here is--
It's okay--I know.
If I find a situation that'll give me XP for trying,
take the initiative and plunge right in.
HEXactly!
And there it is.
Hey, Fumiya.
Oh, hey. Morning, Mizusawa.
Hey, did you hear?
Hear what?
Well...
What?! Nakamura and Izumi?
Shh! They're not making it public yet.
You know how Erika is into Shuji, right?
If this gets out, it'll mess up Izumi's standing among the Konno girls.
R-right...
Hey.
Yo, Takahiro! And Army Boy!
Hey.
Yo.
Mo... morning.
Brain!
Long time no see! Ooh, ooh--check this out!
See? It's the dolls I gave everyone!
AKA proof of our friendship!
We all put 'em on our bags!
Great minds think alike!
You gotta put yours on your bag, too, Brain.
Then we'll all match!
No, I-I think I'll pass, thanks.
Ack! I've been shot down...
Oh, Tama! I'm just shocked!
Watch it, Minmi! Quit being so handsy!
Oh, pitiful old me! I need consoling!
Sniffity sniff.
And no sniffing people!
You're adorable!
Good morning, Kikuchi.
Good morning, Tomozaki.
Hiya, Tomozaki.
Oh, hey, Izumi. It's been a while.
Yes, it has!
I hear things are going great.
With Nakamura.
Huh? Oh... y'know...
Now, today we're going to pick class captains for the sports tournament,
Sports Tournament / Captains / Boys: / Girls:
one boy and one girl.
Events / Boys: Basketball / Soccer / Baseball
Girls: Basketball / Volleyball / Softball
Then the boys and girls will each pick one event.
The captains' first job is to decide which event to compete in.
Any interested candidates?
I'll do it!
Seriously? You want Takei in charge?
He can't strategize his way out of a paper bag!
No sweat! We've got soccer, don't we?
Well, I'm on the soccer team. My leadership is on point!
Takei!
Weren't you the soccer captain last year-- right before a sudden losing streak?
Geez, Shuji, you remember that?!
Okay, that's Takei for the boys.
Sports Tournament / Captains Boys: Takei / Girls:
What about the girls?
Anyone?
You're not gonna do it, Aoi?
I've got my student council president gig--I probably can't.
Aw, seriously?
Don't take it personally.
No one wants to work with you.
What?! Is that what's going on?
What's wrong with Yuzu?
Huh? M-me?
You were our first-year captain, weren't you?
Oh... um, but...
This year? I-I don't know...
Huh.
Well, whatever.
Okay, then:
What about Hirabayashi?
Huh?
She's good at, like, preparation and stuff.
Yeah, she is pretty preparation-y.
What's that even mean?
It'd be a big help if you'd be the girls' captain, Hirabayashi.
Right now I lack the power to do anything about this situation.
Say the wrong thing and I risk putting Hirabayashi in an even tighter spot.
So what's it gonna be, Hirabayashi?
W-well, um...
I'll... I'll do it.
You don't need to let anyone twist your arm on this, Hirabayashi.
No, um... it's fine.
Okay.
Groups are tough, all right.
Then Hirabayashi will be the girls' captain.
Izumi was kind of blah all day after that.
She probably feels responsible for Hirabayashi being put on the spot
Boys: Takei / Girls: Hirabayashi
after she turned down the captain gig.
Plenty happened this first day of the second term.
A secret meeting with the school heroine in the morning.
A normal conversation with girls in the classroom.
Hanging out among normie guys after school,
teasing and being teased.
I've gone through unimaginable changes these past few months.
But I didn't use a continue, and I didn't cheat my way here.
I've just been walking a little further forward--every day.
Still,
if that's true, when did she--
when did Aoi Hinami start on her path, and how far has she come?
She got this far with dogged effort after effort, just like me.
But there's one big difference between Hinami and me:
Whereas I'm having fun and experiencing the sparkle along the way,
she's set her eyes on some far distant point
and is absorbed in moving forward, like that itself is her only goal.
What let her keep going for this long?
Sewing Room 2
Mood = Norm for good/bad among a group
"Mood" refers to the norm for good or bad among a group.
Erika Konno used the "plain equals bad" mood...
...to label Hirabayashi as lower-ranked
Boys: Takei / Girls: Hirabayashi
and push a hassle of a job onto her.
That's right. Manipulating this kind of group mood...
...is a must-have skill for being
Ultimate Goal To be as satisfied with offline life as I am
satisfied with offline life.
So your next small goal
Small Goal: Get Erika Konno motivated for the sports tournament
is to get Erika Konno motivated
for the sports tournament.
What?!
Now hang on a second! There's no way that's even possible!
Which is why it's going to take some trial and error.
It'll be a good way to practice the interpersonal skills you've learned.
It might actually be the game-iest assignment you've had so far.
"Game-iest"?
Oh!
I get it:
Assignment Quest Konno Erika / ~ In Search of Motivation Lost ~
This task--
this is an RPG, isn't it?
That's our nanashi!
Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki S2
The first order of business in an RPG
Assignment Quest Konno Erika / ~ In Search of Motivation Lost ~
is doing some reconnaissance in town.
In other words, if Erika Konno is the dungeon boss,
Erika Konno / Fumiya Tomozaki
Erika Konno appeared!!!
But Fumiya Tomozaki
I should ask around to learn her weak points and how to defeat her.
is still no match for her!!!
Fumiya Tomozaki: Got a sec, Izumi?
Yuzu Izumi: Huh? What is it?
Ooh! This is really starting to feel like a game now!
Mmm, Erika really is completely unmotivated.
She sure is.
Hirabayashi doesn't have it easy, either.
I'm not sure she's the captain type...
What do you think it would take to motivate Konno?
That's a tough one.
Wait, why do you ask?
Oh, it's just--
I just thought I'd help Hirabayashi in whatever little way I can.
I mean, I'd like to enjoy the tournament...
I totally get it!
I'm the type that wants to enjoy the heck out of the sports tournament
and the culture festival and everything!
So I was wondering if there was anything we could do
about Erika's lack of excitement.
I get along especially well with Erika,
but Shuji... well, he's not big on talking this stuff out.
Oh... is that so...
How to get Erika motivated... hmm...
She's a real stickler about clothes and fashion--
she'd probably step it up if I promised her pricey cosmetics when we win.
Yeah, I-I don't know...
Oh! Softball might do the trick, actually!
She was on the boys' baseball team in elementary school.
Konno, playing boys' baseball?
You don't say...
Ah, Tomozaki. Nice work today.
You on break, too, Narita?
You can call me "Gumi."
Oof.
This is Tsugumi Narita.
She's a year younger than me, but my senior here at work.
Actually, my shift just ended,
but I'm kinda exhausted, so I thought I'd rest a while before I left.
You sure get exhausted a lot.
That's right--and I hate it.
Which is why I think I'm gonna try to move as little as possible.
No, you need to do your job.
Aw! Don't you want to make money in the breeziest way possible?
I want a zero-effort, no-walking, never-tiring, always-resting life.
That is my policy.
Straight from the planet Apathy, it's Gumi! Thanks in advance.
Wait, so in that case...
Do you drag your feet when it come to sports tournaments, too?
You betcha.
Aha...
In some ways, her attributes are similar to Erika Konno's.
Hey, can I get some advice?
Oh, wow, what a pain.
Erika definitely has it out for that Hirabayashi girl.
I kind of thought as much.
I mean, as soon as Hirabayashi takes on the captain role,
I doubt Erika is gonna wanna do much of anything.
Unless something crazy happens.
Something crazy? Like what?
With me, it all comes down to bang for your buck.
Low effort, high reward.
Oh, I get it.
So if Erika Konno feels the same way...
Right, yeah.
She'll be plenty motivated if she can get what she wants in a cost-effective way.
That's just how we roll on the planet Apathy.
Low effort, high reward...
The next person I thought I'd speak with
Read: I'd like your advice. Can you meet today? Fuka Kikuchi: Sure. Where should we meet? Read: How about The Baron? Fuka Kikuchi: Got it
was Kikuchi.
She may not stand out in class,
The Baron / Open 24 Hours
but she's writing her very own novel,
and I think she's a great observer of people.
Fuka Kikuchi: Sorry to keep you waiting, Tomozaki
I-I'm sorry for contacting you out of the blue.
No, it's fine. You caught me as I was getting off work, too.
I'm just happy for the invitation.
Konno?
Uh-huh.
What kind of person is she, from your point of view?
What kind of person...? That's a tough one.
I mean, like...
We're having all these discussions about the sports tournament,
and Konno is totally unmotivated, right?
Under what circumstances do you think she gives it her all?
What would motivate Konno...
This may not be a very nice way of putting it, but...
I think she really doesn't want people to look down on her. That motivates her.
People looking down on her, huh...?
R-right.
But why be like this for the sports tournament?
Well... if she acts like the tournament is already stupid,
then win or lose, no one will look down on her.
That's what I think, anyway.
I can see that...
Oh, but...
Konno does have her friendly side, and she's so honest--
I don't think she's bad, per se...
Uh-huh.
Now for all the intel I've managed to collect:
In order to light a fire under Erika Konno, first...
we make sure the girls' event is softball.
Next...
we find a low-effort, high-return way
to stimulate her desire not to be looked down upon.
And what I need now
is to find that key item that'll hit her right where it counts.
Okay:
Boys 1. Basketball / 2. Soccer / 3. Baseball Chosen Sports Tournament Events
The boys' first choice is basketball!
I would have preferred soccer, but whaddya gonna do?
Takei!
Can you even be a basketball captain?
Boys 1. Basketball / 2. Soccer / 3. Baseball
No sweat! I've been reading the manga!
"No sweat"--yeah, right!
All right--now for the girls.
Chosen Sports Tournament Events Girls / Basketball / Volleyball / Softball
Uh, um...
Then, uh, l-let's see what the girls want.
Ooh! Ooh! It's basketball for me!
With me and Aoi on the team, we can't lose!
Right?
Basketball... okay.
Anyone else have any preferences?
This is bad. They'll never get to softball like this.
I do!
I want to play volleyball.
One for volleyball.
Which should be our first choice?
Oh, I think I'd prefer softball... or something.
Softball.
Do you all have reasons for your choices?
I do! Because that's what I wanna play.
Tama!
That's too simple to be a reason!
Th-then we'll move on to--
But, like...
Why don't we just vote?
Oh, yeah... right.
Let's not go there, Konno.
I get it--I'm usually the first to want to put things to a vote.
But I'd like to see if you can talk things out instead.
I'll take over from here.
Each of you has to convince the class with the reasons behind your choices.
Sekitomo
Okay, after all that discussion, the girls have decided
Basketball: 2 / Volleyball: 3 / Softball: 1
Softball: 1
their first choice is softball.
The results will be posted over lunch, so keep your eyes peeled.
Sports Tournament: Class Events
Boys: Basketball / Girls: Softball
How to get Erika motivated, huh?
I think it'll be pretty tough the way things are now.
How are things now, exactly?
I mean, as long as Hirabayashi's the captain...
Oh, right. I figured as much...
I've made up my mind.
I'll take over the captain position from Hirabayashi!
She looks like she's having a rough time.
Are you sure about this, though?
I was struggling with whether I should help her.
If I'd taken the captain job, it'd basically be like Erika told me to.
I'd be going along just to get along, and I don't like that side of me.
But that doesn't matter! I'm helping Hirabayashi because I want to.
That's good enough, right? I want to do it, after all!
And I think it might motivate Erika a little bit, too.
But, Yuzu...
Are you really okay with this?
Yeah! And I'll work hard, too!
Huh...
She's neither bowing to the mood or being pushed into the job.
She's calling the shots.
And that "I'm over it" smile... She's a top-tier character, all right.
A strategy began to come together in my head.
A plan that just might get Konno ready and raring to go.
The first item I'd need...
What'd you want to talk about, Brain?
Don't tell me--is it romance advice?!
Nothing like that!
It's actually about Konno.
Erika?
Would you say Konno sees Hinami as her rival?
I think so, yeah. But where'd this come from?
Oh, I have this idea, that's all.
The next must-have item...
Uh, hey...
Hmm? What's up?
You said Konno likes Nakamura.
And that's a sure thing, right?
Yeah. They're keeping it on the down-low, though.
Why do you ask?
My strategy had come together.
Assignment Quest Konno Erika / ~ In Search of Motivation Lost ~
Hey...
I'd like to confirm something about my assignment.
Small Goal: Get Erika Konno motivated for the sports tournament
Confirm something?
I don't have to do this all by myself, right?
You won't mind if I get other people to help out?
Good question. Given that you're up against Erika Konno,
your skill alone may not be enough to get the job done.
In that case...
could I even get your help, too?
My help...?
I'm not going to ask you what I should do.
But can I include you in my strategy,
tell you what I need you to do, and have you do it?
In other words, I'm still the one with the controller--
but I'd be using you as my selected character.
Ah, I see. That would be fine.
Yes!
However...
I won't interfere, not even if I think your strategy's bound to fail.
What's more...
If there's any chance I'll take damage, forget it.
That's fine by me.
All right! Now, about my strategy...
Here it is.
What's that?
A three-pronged approach!