2nd Stage: Lv. 5 If you keep upgrading your initial equipment, it'll usually become your most powerful weapon
O-Oh, wow...
How awful.
Th-This was from you, Minmi.
I'm sorry.
Don't worry about it! I'll get you another one. Okay?
But...
It's fine! We'll be matching again in no time.
Right?
Yeah, but... still... I'm so sorry, Minmi.
Really, really sorry.
Tama...
Tomozaki?
You know...
When I saw this, I was all ready to shout, to say, "Quit screwing around!"
But...
Everyone's been doing so much for me, you know?
Coming up with all these ideas...
I didn't want all that to be for nothing,
so I just sucked it up.
Yeah?
You did good.
It took everything I had.
Still...
I... I just want to run away.
Tama...
Fumiya.
You sure that's the best move?
Mizusawa...
Right. Thanks.
We don't have any proof, after all,
and the ringleader's not around.
Yeah... right.
This is unacceptable.
Aoi?
Old AV Room
Erika's gone too far.
I'm so sorry I couldn't do anything, Tama.
Thanks, everyone.
And I'm sorry.
You don't need to apologize for anything!
H-Hey, I know!
I've been knitting and sewing a lot lately—
I bet I can fix this right up!
Thanks. I'll take you up on that.
Okay! Leave it to me!
Let's see... take this here and...
Whoa, are you sure?
O-Oh, definitely! I've already made tissue covers and stuff.
Tissue covers? That sounds pretty... simple.
B-Busted...
Let's stay with Hanabi as much as we can for now.
We don't know what might happen.
You got it.
Tomozaki
What the heck is this all about?
Oh, y'know...
What the hell?
Who did this to my desk?
It had to be Hanabi.
Hanabi's been with me all day.
Excuse me? What's it to you, Aoi?
Because I can prove Hanabi didn't do it.
Plenty of people would have seen her with me, too.
Well, then!
In that case...
it must have been you, Mao.
No! Why would it be me? I didn't do it.
Then who did?
You, that's who.
Where do you get off accusing me without any proof?
Huh?
Jeez, assume much? Who do you think you are?
M-Mao!
Why the sudden attitude?
You've been sketchy as hell lately.
Me, "sketchy"?
You're all distant. You're off having fun somewhere else!
What are you talking about?
Besides, I can do what I want, can't I?
Oh, so it's like that?
You're sick of us teasing you,
so you thought you'd jump ship to another group, huh?
How lame is that?
Watch yourself—your lameness is written all over your face.
Well, you're the one who looks like some stupid middle-schooler
with that dumb black off-the-shoulder thing you always wear.
Why don't you give it a rest?
What did you just say to me, Mao?
I said that off-the-shoulder thing you always wear is stupid and lame.
And you suck at putting on lashes.
They look all fake and crappy again today.
That's enough out of you!
Ow!
She's a real stickler about clothes and fashion—
she'd probably step it up if I promised her pricey cosmetics when we win.
I think she really doesn't want people to look down on her. That motivates her.
Such a pinpoint attack...
Mao... are you okay?
What's wrong?
Did something happen?
What's with Mao?
Erika's desk?
Seriously?
A fight?
With this mood, she'll have to apologize—or else.
Um...
Mao? Uh...
That's the class queen for you: ultra-sensitive to the mood.
Apologize.
Apologize, Erika.
What? To her?!
Jeez. You're unbelievable.
No—I was just—
Erika... that was uncalled for.
I know it was in the heat of the moment,
but not apologizing just isn't right.
Yeah, that was uncalled for.
Erika really is in the wrong here.
Kinda sours me on her.
How hard is it to say she's sorry?
I've never seen her apologize before, so...
The mood—
it's being manipulated.
I'm against violence!
Huh? That was an accident.
Don't you know what "violence" means?
Tell them, Mika.
B-Beats me...
Aren't you the one who doesn't know the meaning of the word?
No kidding.
Then what Natsubayashi did wasn't violence, either.
The class will automatically start judging Konno.
As a shallow excuse for punishment...
This will settle it.
Still...
Don't you think she has to apologize?
Totally.
C'mon, Erika. All of this has been your fault.
Just apologize already.
That just now—
Don't you think she has to apologize?
Was she looking at Nakamura?
Apologize now and Mao will forgive you, too.
Right?
This time it was Izumi.
That's right, Erika.
I knew it.
She knows it was in the heat of the moment.
No... their words contain...
Apologize to each other and you'll be square.
...a reversal spell...
Yeah, Erika.
...cast by the demon queen!
What gives? What is it with you two?
Don't get so cocky just because you're a thing now.
E-Erika?
It's basically like this:
Hinami called on Nakamura and Izumi in turn
and they both agreed with her.
That's all.
But to Konno...
It probably looked like the two were ganging up on her
as a couple.
See? They're both saying it, too.
Why don't you get a room already? It's disgusting.
Get a room?
Where'd that come from?
Jealous much?
Look, you guys are totally beyond lame.
Just because you started dating doesn't mean
you get to hold hands and dogpile me.
It's just mean!
What the hell... Seriously...
Quit... Quit making fun of me already!
You can date whoever you want, okay?
But going on about how perfect you are for each other is just gross!
The illusion that the demon queen had spun
was visible only to Erika Konno.
Which meant...
What?
Dunno.
Now that's a victim complex.
Right?
Are you two seriously, like, twelve?
Erika...
I get how you feel, but these two don't mean to make fun of you.
I think maybe you're losing perspective, Erika.
You're getting carried away with this crush of yours.
I get it. That kind of thing happens to me, too.
But try to calm down for a sec. Okay?
Why even go there?
But I... I don't...
Hinami.
Well! That's the end of that!
Sorry for saying all that weird stuff.
I don't think we can speak calmly right now,
so let's talk later, when we're not raring for a fight.
C'mon, wipe your tears.
Tissues, tissues...
Sorry, Shuji—can I have a tissue?
Yeah, sure.
No problem.
I've already made tissue covers and stuff.
Here you go, Erika.
Whoa...
Did she just...?
No—wait—
Unbelievable.
You know, I've always thought she was selfish.
Always going around acting like she's the queen.
No...
That was—
She's been crying for a while now.
Is she going for sympathy points?
Seriously!
Lashing out just because the guy you like is taken...
That's so lame!
Serves you right.
Oops, sorry.
It was an accident.
The mood... the norm for good or bad...
had flipped.
Whoops!
An accident.
Me, too—an accident.
At this rate, there's no one who can—
Hey!
Just because Konno did it doesn't mean you can do it back.
It's just as wrong when you do it!
This is too righteous.
With the class mood as it stands now...
You can't just gang up and attack people like that!
Knock it off!
...it might not fly.
Let's end this on good terms and have a fresh start.
Tama-rrow is another day!
You're amazing, Hanabi!
She really is! I didn't see that coming.
But y'know, she could be right.
I mean, if the main victim says we should stop...
I guess we'd better stop.
Erika!
That was so cool, Tama!
I'm sorry, Natsubayashi.
For everything.
Eh. It's fine.
But I'm not the only one you need to talk to.
Um, Hirabayashi... I'm sorry.
Me, too.
Oh, uh...
O-Okay.
That's all right.
Thanks, Hanabi. I don't think I could have quelled that on my own.
Thank you, Aoi—for fighting for me.
You fought plenty hard yourself.
Yeah...
But I kinda didn't want to see you doing that, Aoi.
Hmm? Doing what?
I just...
I really didn't.
Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki S2
I... I made Aoi do something terrible.
You talking about what Hinami did?
Yeah...
She was really angry.
It was shocking, yeah.
I'm pretty sure Aoi didn't want to do what she did.
But because of me...
I thought
Tama had picked up on Hinami's ulterior motives and was disappointed in her.
But...
You trust Hinami, don't you?
Thanks for everything—both of you.
I gotta get to my club meeting!
Tama's half right.
Is that about the shape of it?
Yeah... pretty much.
The way I see it,
I'm someone who can spot the parts of Aoi that she hides inside herself.
You probably know about those better than I do.
Well...
Ah, never mind. Even if you did,
it wouldn't be fair of me to ask.
The team's taught me something lately, too.
How to come right out and say what's on your mind.
So I'm just gonna say what I'm thinking:
I like Aoi.
What do you think of her?
It was several days later.
The animosity toward Konno had gradually dissipated after Tama's scolding.
She didn't take back her throne at the top of the class, of course,
but Izumi's efforts and Konno's naturally strong communication skills
restored her to a perfectly respectable standing.
The rest is up to Konno's maneuvering.
And how did Tama fare in all this?
Simply put, she gained a bunch of new friends.
Tama! We've gotta try karaoke sometime!
Mmm, I'm not big on karaoke.
You're so honest!
Whenever Tama came right out with an opinion,
people got a kick out of it: "That's Tama for you!"
But I'll go if Minmi is coming.
What the—?!
I'm feeling the love!
Hey, Minmi! Back off!
You sure do love Mimimi, don't you, Tama?
N-No I don't! It just looks that way 'cause I'm so small!
Huh? What's your size got to do with it?
I-I mean...
Oh my gosh! Just look at you blush!
A-dor-a-ble!
Hey! Hands off my Tama!
Aw, c'mon...
I'm not yours either, though, Minmi.
What?!
This is "the class being used to her character" in a nutshell.
At any rate, her relationship with Nakamura improved, too.
Huh? What about you, Hanabi?
I'm firmly in the downtown camp.
Let the guys go to the soccer game without us!
Man, you really are stubborn, aren't you?
Oh, like you aren't?
As Mizusawa suggested, it's not like Nakamura truly hated her.
I think he just wanted a reason to forgive her.
Difficult stuff. Human relationships are so complicated.
Okay, everyone, listen up!
Now, I've gathered you all here today for one big reason...
Ooh, are they ready?
Finally!
Ta-dah! Reinforcements!
Reinforcements?
Are these...?
Check this out!
Now we're all set!
Tomozaki, I bet you're the one who came up with this.
You got me. At least now we all match, right?
Oh, Tomozaki, you're such a dum-dum.
But... thanks!
Yep.
I worked hard to sew those!
It's kinda coming apart here, though.
What?! No way!
Kidding.
L-Lying, you mean.
Cut it out!
Okay, okay.
That's enough flirting, you two.
We're not flirting!
But we're not flirting!
They're kind of pretty all laid out like this.
Yeah, they are.
Such a colorful circle—sorta like...
like fireworks!
"Hanabi"—get it?
Hey, don't steal my line!
Since we're all here, let's take a picture!
Hey, yeah.
Yes! To show our friendship!
Let's do it! Let's do it!
Say "cheese"!
Tamaya!
A thought occurred to me...
about the cruel way Hinami brought Konno down a peg.
Make no mistake:
That wasn't some spur-of-the-moment thing.
It was premeditated malice, a plan carefully
constructed in advance to hurt Konno—deeply and completely.
Maybe because I've been acting on my trust in her as her student so far,
but part of me thought she couldn't really be like that...
What do you think of her?
My answer to Miyazawa's question?
She's the teacher who brought color to this game of life.
I'd like to know Aoi Hinami better.
That's what I thought of her.