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TKMobile posted:Actually, according to the Higurashi author at the end of the first manga arc (in his afterward) he stated that the mystery can be solved with the info we were given. The mystery of Onikakushi-hen (i.e., what's going on with Keiichi and co.) or the mystery of Hinamizawa as a whole?
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Aug 8, 2021 20:25
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Why are we certain a needle even exists? Rena doesn't seem like she actually slipped one in his food, and Keiichi's hardly on stable mental grounds to be considered a reliable narrator. Damned thing seems to have just up and disappeared, too.
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Aug 8, 2021 20:39
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Viola the Mad posted:The mystery of Onikakushi-hen (i.e., what's going on with Keiichi and co.) or the mystery of Hinamizawa as a whole? Wow, did he really say that? I'd say neither - maybe the overall mystery in Onikakushi (i.e. wtf happened during this arc) could feasibly be solved, but it's a shot in the dark because the reader doesn't have the tools yet to confirm their theories. It's like solving a crossword that can have multiple solutions. As for Higurashi as a whole, well, some questions haven't even been presented yet so.
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Aug 8, 2021 21:02
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My working assumption right now is that the stuff in the syringe induces suicidal thoughts. But why the girls had it, why Tomitake was chosen earlier (also snooping around?), what it means to be transferred... No idea. I am assuming that Mion and Rena are malicious, but also that there's no needle.
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Aug 8, 2021 21:09
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 Sorry, I had to leave work and look up how to post images on here again. Also, I am... 97% sure this doesn't spoil anything other than the translated names of the first 3 Arcs. Also, it seems my memory is playing tricks on me again; he says there's a "Key" to understanding everything in the first three arcs which must have confused me into thinking we could sus out the solution to the mystery which... I'm not so sure anymore that's what he meant.
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Aug 8, 2021 22:22
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limeicebreakers posted:Wow, did he really say that? I'd say neither - maybe the overall mystery in Onikakushi (i.e. wtf happened during this arc) could feasibly be solved, but it's a shot in the dark because the reader doesn't have the tools yet to confirm their theories. It's like solving a crossword that can have multiple solutions. Yes, this. Anyway! Onikakushi-hen! I think this is probably the most famous arc from Higurashi (okay, there's another competitor for the title, but we'll get there when we get there). The iconic image of Rena with a cleaver comes from this arc, and most of those USO DA memes do, too. And I think it deserves its fame. Onikakushi-hen is Higurashi at its most disorienting. You have none of the context that comes with later arcs, you don't even know that the other arcs start new stories--all you've got is the perspective of one Keiichi Maebara, and poor Keiichi-kun is slowly losing his mind. So you don't even get the comfort of a reliable narrator. Is Keiichi hallucinating? Is he "only" misunderstanding his friends? Or are they really out to get him? When I first watched Higurashi, I recall being baffled, disturbed, and not a little incredulous. Was that it? Did they really just kill off the main characters? What the hell just happened? The only thing I knew for sure was that I had to keep watching. Onikakushi-hen gleefully dumps you in the deep end and then sits back, cackling, while you flail around for the pool's edge. I love it. It's the perfect start for a mystery/horror series.
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Aug 9, 2021 00:35
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Viola the Mad posted:Yes, this. There goes my hopes of unraveling all this without being spoiled on anything again. :V But you know something? Even with the pieces missing, encapsulated, Onikakushi-ken is kind of a complete story symbolically. All through the entire story, whether it's been done to save face, get ahead, or even worse, to avoid punishment or retribution, people in power/in society have obfuscated the truth. What happened with Rena at her old school? We don't know-- the loving school covered everything up because they don't want bad press. Hinamizawa's failure has lead to higher up authorities wanting no more attention brought down on Hinamizawa so they have an unofficial gag order and just hope the killings limit themselves to a pair a year rather than make a huge stink over the place. What did Mion know/what role did she have in all this that she wasn't telling? We'll never know because she died. The Director, the theft of the syringe and the confession tampering--we CAN'T know who did it. Everything keeps being covered up, by everyone else, so it actually makes sense to end the story this way if it were a standalone. Of course, that's not exactly the case but for all intents and purposes, sometimes life hands you a Bad End you can't get out of, and Japanese society places more importance on a status quo than letting anything make waves, so of course the truth wouldn't be allowed to come out.
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Aug 9, 2021 02:16
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VIDEO: Onikakushi-hen | All-cast Review Session BGM: Afternoon in Paris   “How was it? If you enjoyed it, even a little bit, it would make me happy."   "As I understand it, this ~Onikakushi~ chapter is supposed to be somewhat of a prologue to the entire series." "How could the prologue... have such an incredibly dark ending?"  "...It's still just the first chapter. I'm looking forward to the next one." "What happens in the next chapter? Rena, do you know?" "...That's a strange way of putting it. What does that mean?" "In this chapter, they introduced the string of mysterious deaths that were happening in Hinamizawa recently, right? The next chapter will introduce some of the history of Hinamizawa." "With one strange event happening after another, I got totally lost... what exactly is Oyashiro-sama's curse about? Actually, what is Oyashiro-sama to begin with? They didn't explain it much." "...Hmmmm, I haven't heard much about it. But... I have kind of a bad feeling about it." "...It feels like it'll be another one of those scary stories where somebody gets cursed again." "Tough luck eh, Kei-chan~! What kind of curse is he gonna get hit with this time?" "However, I am looking forward to seeing what kind of story it's going to be!"BGM: Hello!   "Same to you~!! Huh? Where's Kei-chan?" "Keiichi-kun is already off reading the script for the next chapter. It must be hard being the main character!" "...Huh... That's too bad. He could have at least poked in to say hello."  "Rika-san, that's what we refer to as a 'personal problem,' hehehehe!"  "Trouble? That was the mother of all Bad Ends!" "I wonder... What was the identity of the thing that attacked Keiichi-kun?" "My theory is that it was the work of people made to look like a curse." "...But at the end, Keiichi made that phone call." "Yeah. I also thought that call was strange. At that point, Kei-chan should have been certain that the culprits were people." "...That really was a strange phone call. It almost sounded like he was being chased by a ghost or something." "Just from that phone call... it really makes me think that it was the work of a curse after all."BGM: Afternoon in Paris   "I absolutely believe it was people! I think it was a man-made incident that was just imitating the strange folklore floating around Hinamizawa!" "Certainly. Every year, on the day of the festival, for another link in the chain of mysterious deaths to happen certainly is suspicious." "That so-called chain of mysterious deaths, is definitely somebody trying to reenact the folklore! Definitely!"  “Looking at the scene were Keiichi-san went berserk in the entryway, and the last scene with the phone call, I just couldn't come to the conclusion that a person was the culprit." "When you say it that way... It really wasn't the type of scene that would make you think it was the work of an actual person." "...Yeah, but even then... I still think it was a person who did it. That last scene and the one with the entryway, I think it might have been a delusional episode brought about by post traumatic stress disorder." "I wouldn't know what's going on anymore, even if you didn't use such complicated words!!" "...In other words, Keiichi was so scared that he was imagining things." "Then, then, thennnnn... what was the meaning behind that scene...? What exactly was that mysterious presence behind Keiichi!?"  "Mii-chan, what do you mean by a red herring?" "Like old man Tomitake here said, that scene was the result of Kei-chan having a stress-induced delusion from being mentally cornered. The overly graphic depiction was a ploy to make the player think it was a curse. That's why it was a red herring!" "Wh-When you say it like that... hmmmmmm... but, but..." "Hahaha, well it just means that there's that possibility." "In that case... the theory that Ooishi-san proposed during the story that it was a conspiracy by the villagers was correct? What does the man himself have to say about that?" "Huh? I totally thought that Ooishi-san would be behind the 'people' explanation." "...During the story, I said it was definitely the work of people. But if a person really was to blame, that leaves a lot of loose ends." "Like what? Let us hear what Detective Ooishi-san's theory is!" "First of all, if a human is the culprit, then there has to be a motive... In other words, somebody has to gain something from it." "Exactly. I felt that somebody could have benefited from the deaths of people related to the dam development, but the recent victims weren't related to that at all. ...First off, who benefits from killing Keiichi-kun?" "I see. If you say it like that, my case is kind of weak too..." "I mean, none of your money was stolen. There's no way it was human culprits!" "But that's not everything there is to it, right? Like Mii-chan just said, there might have been some sort of reason for them to reenact the folklore..." "Exactly! This wasn't a murder where you consider the typical motives. It makes me think that this was most likely... some sort of ritualistic murder to reenact the blood-stained history of the village!" "...So I'll ask the question of the hour, who gains from this reenactment...?" "I see. A member of some repressed family looking to air out an old grudge of their ancestors... something like that? Hmmm... I don't like that." "Then what is it? It couldn't be that you're leaning towards the 'curse' explanation, Ooishi-san?" "That's right, that's right!! The man playing the detective said so! It's decided! It was a curse!!" "If, like how Maebara-san said during the story, it was the case that Oyashiro-sama possessed Rena-san and Sonozaki-san and committed those acts... That would fit the evidence the most. As much as I hate to say it." "Ummm... Actually, I'm of the same opinion as Ooishi-san. I can't come up with any other explanation for the normally-kind Rena and Mii-chan to suddenly start acting strange like that." "...I don't get what Mii is saying. I'd like an explanation." "Oh, sorry. In other words... I think this may end up being a really cruel story." "Huh... Wait, Mii-chan... You don't mean..." "If you follow the trail of evidence to the very end, that's how it would seem... I also have my suspicions." "In other words, Rena-san and Sonozaki-san both actually had those personalities to begin with, and were merely deceiving Maebara-san... Am I right?" "I-I think that too! I think that Rena and Mion-chan are really good people at heart. ...I think that during the story, they definitely were possessed by something." "So Rena also thinks it was a curse. Then let me ask everybody who thinks it was a curse... There has to be a reason for a curse, right? I don't think there would be something indiscriminately cursing everything. Can somebody explain that?" "A curse is a curse! Human logic won't get us anywhere!" "Ahaha, Satoko-chan. A personified deity is, in the end, nothing more than the creation of people. That's why their method of thinking is also understandable to humans. Just take a look at the Greek Pantheon. They cry, get angry, get jealous... basically, they're just like humans." "Uhh... So what you're saying is that Oyashiro-sama is cursing people with some benefit in mind?" "That's an odd way of putting it, but basically, yes." "That's why they say: Far from Jupiter, far from his thunder. Ahaha, you do have a point." "But Rika, what if that reason isn't clear?" "...I don't know." "Ahahahahaha! That's right. This is still just the prologue. There's still a lot of stuff that hasn't been revealed yet." "Yeah. It's hard to come up with any more theories at this point." "Nooo! I won't be satisfied until this is all made clear!" "Mion-san seems rather particular about this as well." "Ahahaha! We'll just make the best with what we know!! Doesn't this feel interesting? Like the club a little bit?" "Ah, yeah! If you put it that way, it does seem interesting!"- - - BGM: Digital Network  "Yeah. I'll go with it being people." "I also agree with the 'people' explanation! That's not to say I hate such fantastic things like curses. But in this particular case, the connection to a curse is a little weak~." "Yup. Satoko-chan and I believe it was a curse. Right~?" "Yeah! I think it was a curse! People who say that Rena-san and Mion-san were evil to begin with are more befitting of a curse!!" "Well... I don't want to believe that my own personality was that twisted. But I have to be cool when I'm in Club Mode! If I base my choice on just emotion, I'll regret it, you know~?" "Well now... It doesn't really matter which side you pick, does it?" "Huh? Rika-chan hasn't said anything yet. What do you think?" "Huh, that's an interesting opinion." "...I don't want to worship some bad god that just curses people. I'd like a generous god more than one that curses." "That's right, Rika-chan is a shrine maiden...! Yup. Good opinion." "Then what? If Rika-chan doesn't believe that it was Oyashiro-sama... then do you think the perpetrators were human after all!?" "...We'll just go with that☆" "Well now... That means the votes are split right down the middle! So half of us think it was a curse, and half of us think it was people?" "Rena-chan, just for reference, what did the test players who played the beta version think?" "See, see, right there! Our veteran comrades are cool, collected, and very observant!" "...But the beta version only finished partway through the story." "That's right. Even the people who played the beta might change their minds if they got through to the very end."BGM: Hello!  "We need there to be an odd number of judges, in other words: We need one more opinion!" "Ah, perfect timing then. Why don't we ask Keiichi-kun himself? Let's call him!" "...The opinion of the victim himself is very valuable." "Since that's decided, it's time for the phone!"- - - SFX: Phone Ringing   "Yeah, really busy. Just when I thought I'd get a break because the chapter's over, it's already time for the next one!" "How's Kei-chan? Busy?" "Yeah. He's moping." "I can hear you, you know!! It must be nice having a wrap-up party! I wanted to go too!!!" "Rika, that's a secret..." "Ah, sorry about that, Keiichi-kun. Anyways, during the current chapter, Keiichi-kun, didn't you... die? We were just talking about who the culprit might be." "Basically, we're deadlocked on whether it was people or Oyashiro-sama's curse that killed you." "I'm really sorry! Even though you're busy reviewing the script... Keiichi-kun, which do you think it was?" "That's obvious, isn't it?" "Which?"BGM: Sutakorasassa (Helter Skelter)  "...So very, very, pitiful. Next time, I'll pat you on the head for you."- - - BGM: Hello! "In the end, the opinion's still split, huh." "I'll think this over again. We might have missed something."  
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Aug 9, 2021 19:37
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...Yeah, the reason why I have Keiichi’s face blacked out is because he technically doesn’t have a sprite yet. 
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Aug 9, 2021 19:38
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...So when does (Sorry, I couldn't resist.  )
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Aug 9, 2021 22:52
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Viola the Mad posted:...So when does TBH, I WAS wondering if they were going to call the cast here like a crank caller or something. :V I'm excited for the next part, but I'm also excited to get to the arc afterwards because it's completely unfamiliar territory for me, apart from the handful of rando spoilers here and there I know. I know that I've said a lot of poo poo, and in fact feel a little called out to see some of the characters say the stuff I've said, especially that there's no concrete motive (curse or human or otherwise) to kill Keiichi. It so feels gratifying to hear someone IN the game repeat that. Going into the next chapter though... I remain convinced that while their may be some basic links between the two, I think that whatever happened to Keiichi, it wasn't directly related to the Festival murders. This years victims were already killed, and if it was a mundane ritual killing, the kid hardly knew anything worth offing him over. I always wanna see if my other theory that "People lying causes freaky poo poo to happen or for people around them to get freaky" plays out some more...
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Aug 10, 2021 02:28
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I saw the first season of the anime years and years ago and got spoiled on the second season. Going from that to the VN kinda feels like going from the Scott Pilgrim movie to the Scott Pilgrim comic. This thread also made me pull the trigger on reading the Umineko threads, so I can share in the speculative hype for another game.
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Aug 10, 2021 02:39
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I almost dug up the live action movie but I was thankfully warned it combines the first two arcs, more or less, with stuff even further out so I stopped, but at some point I think I'm going to give it a try, too...
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Aug 10, 2021 03:03
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TKMobile posted:TBH, I WAS wondering if they were going to call the cast here like a crank caller or something. :V The first Umineko tea party is actually a subversion of the Higurashi wrap parties. The banter between the cousins is supposed to lull returning fans into thinking that it's another wrap party...and then Beatrice shows up. I wasn't there for the start of Umineko--didn't hear about it till the second episode was out--but I'd bet there were a lot of readers who were completely caught off-guard when the (apparent) new Oyashiro-sama abruptly gate-crashes the lighthearted wrap party and challenges the protagonist to a mystery-off. It's a pretty clever trick, now that I think of it. I'm really looking forward to the second chapter, too! I realized just the other day that almost all of my memories of Wataganashi-hen have been overwritten by the events of its answer arc, I only remember a few bits from the very beginning and end. All that's left is a strong impression of  and the memory of some spectacular insomnia. Eight episodes of Higurashi in one sitting, late at night. Never again.  Solitair posted:I saw the first season of the anime years and years ago and got spoiled on the second season. Going from that to the VN kinda feels like going from the Scott Pilgrim movie to the Scott Pilgrim comic. If you like the speculative hype, then you should check out the Ciconia: When They Cry playthrough that ProfessorProf did. It doesn't seem to be up on the archive just yet, but it shouldn't be too hard to find. Plus, literally no one know what the hell is going on because it's completely brand new! Viola the Mad fucked around with this message at 03:43 on Aug 10, 2021 |
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Aug 10, 2021 03:36
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Sorry guys, change of plans - I keep having stuff thrust into my free days last-minute for the past week, so my buffer updates are gone. Since we're in between arcs, I'm going to delay today's planned update to Friday. It's about double the length than a usual update anyways (I couldn't find a good place to cut it off), and I'll have some time to write backlog. Meanwhile, enjoy manga Keiichi's dad  - - - New readers who don't know anything about Watanagashi-hen - where do you think the story can go from here? Rena, Mion, and Keiichi are dead, a 'director' was introduced, and everything's gone gently caress-all. limeicebreakers fucked around with this message at 17:34 on Aug 11, 2021 |
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Aug 11, 2021 17:17
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Just a guess based on reading Umineko, but I think this next chapter is going have more pre-Keiichi scenes. This may be from very long ago, or just a few weeks before he showed up. I don't think we'll see Satoshi yet.
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Aug 11, 2021 19:40
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I'm gonna say...aliens. Definitely aliens. The next arc is going to be a wacky sci-fi romp. After-school Games Club IN SPACE!!
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Aug 12, 2021 00:53
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I'm betting on a soft reboot/"what if" type scenario myself.
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Aug 12, 2021 01:29
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limeicebreakers posted:New readers who don't know anything about Watanagashi-hen - where do you think the story can go from here? Rena, Mion, and Keiichi are dead, a 'director' was introduced, and everything's gone gently caress-all. I'm definitely not a new reader but I was going to bring this up at some point: I would LOVE to see Ooishi have to explain himself to Internal Affairs or any sort of oversight committee and defend how he not only divulged private medical information concerning a minor, he also involved a different minor in an on again off again case that totally contributed to Keiichi's death. Probably wouldn't ever happen--I bet he covered his rear end-- but loving hell would I love to see that. Then again I'd love to see IA really nail characters like Ooishi in A LOT of bad movies, mostly/all of which were from Rifftrax/MST3k. "So, sheriff you knew there was an exonerated WWII German War criminal in the area. Knew he was working on fish mutagens and yet forgot that he was trying to create fishmen monsters after such a creature has been going around murdering half the town???" or "What do you MEAN an alien sex fiend came to earth, kidnapped all but 2ish members of a sorority and hypnotized them and you, the local art teacher, had to gun them all down after they became violent?!? What do we tell their parents?!?" and so on, so forth.
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Aug 12, 2021 04:06
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VIDEO: Watanagashi-hen | Day 1 Part 1 BGM: Silence SFX: Higurashi     - - -   ...Wasn't today Sunday? Wasn't it basically my style to stay up late on Saturday and sleep through the morning on Sunday? ...Why was I waking up at this disgustingly wholesome hour? ...Back to sleep, back to sleep...  At that moment, the sound of my mother calling me from downstairs finally registered. Phone call!? I sprang up out of bed abruptly and stampeded noisily down the stairs.  "Hello? It's me. Who might this be~?"BGM: Hello!  "Oh, Rena! What's up, calling so early in the morning...?" "Ah, I don't think it's so early... it's the middle of the day, you know?"It was 11 o'clock. ...I guess you could loosely consider that 'the middle of the day'. "So, what's up?" "Hold on a second! I'll put Mii-chan on now." "While we're at it, why don't you try saying it in Chinese, German, and Russian as well?" "Ni hao Kei-chan. Guten Morgen Kei-chan. Russian!? Dasvidaniya... ......... How the hell should I know!?!?" "Wahahaha! Well, whatever. This stupid conversation has woken me up." "Ahahaha! That's good to hear.” “...So, Kei-chan, you free right now? If you're good, then we've got everybody."Everybody? Did she mean all the club members?  "Yeah, yeah. The aim of our club is to find the best solution for every situation. In other words, we don't care if it's the weekend." "Oooh! It looks like Kei-chan has come to understand our club! So, how about it? Can you come?"I had absolutely nothing planned that day. If I were to refuse Club President Mion's invitation, what other fun ways to pass the time would I have? "...It's not like I planned on doing anything. And if I said no, you'd probably just declare me the loser by default and force a penalty game on me anyways!" "If you understand that much, then you can't refuse, right~? If you're okay with it, then meet at the usual place at one o'clock! We're going into town, so bring your bike, okay?"Club activities in town? ...Well, we could do them anywhere. Besides, since it was a new venue, there was no way this wasn't going to be intense!  "I'm holding a pretty big grudge from that narrow loss a couple days ago!! I'll say it right now, I'm not going to lose!"A couple of days ago was Friday's club activities... That uncompromising poker match!  Nobody held back. Nobody could tell who was in the lead or who was last until all the points were tallied. In the end, I won by only 1 chip. Mion came in second.  Mion lamented thus, perhaps moreso that than the fact she lost the match. Mion doesn't lose. That's why Mion only whined when she let the champion's throne slip through her fingers. That's why she was more frustrated than anybody over a close loss. ...So, did she mean for today to be a grudge match?! "Bring it on!! Just like last time, I'll shut you down and make you play that penalty game! Make sure you play in a way that you won't regret it when you lose!!" "Hehehe! Wouldn't have it any other way! It'll make it all the more better when I crush you!!!"After that, we exchanged jeers for a bit before hanging up the phone.   "Oh, Keiichi, you seem like you're in a good mood. Heading out?" "Something like that! I'm going into town to play with everybody." "Take care. Watch out for traffic~! Be back before dinner~!" "Yeah, yeah! I'll be back by then!"BGM: Afternoon in Paris  Alright, let's go! I set off on my bike, cutting through the refreshing morning air.  "Ah, sorry to keep you waiting! Huh? Where are Satoko and Rika-chan?" "Rather than meeting up with them here, it's a lot quicker to just meet up in town."Oh, I see. If I remember correctly, Satoko and Rika-chan's houses were on the other side past the school. "Oh yeah. What's up with doing club activities in town? It can't be that everybody's going to put on masks and rob banks all day, is it?" "I wouldn't mind doing that. Even then, I wouldn't lose to you~!" "You see, Mii-chan always tells me the routes and schedules of the armored bank cars. ...I wonder why? I wonder why!"What?! I spun around with a serious look on my face and looked at Mion. ...Well, it certainly seemed possible that Mion was capable of doing that. "...Seriously Mion?"  "Ahahahahaha! Sorry, Mii-chan! Sorry! Ahahahaha!"The two of them joked around. ...That bright laughter was the the best match for a beautiful day like today. "Hey, you two! Satoko and Rika-chan are waiting for us, aren't they? Let's stop fooling around and get going!"Around and around, fooling about like two fluttering butterflies... I earnestly wished I could just keep watching them like this. But, the five of us together would be absolutely more fun! "That's right! Well then, let's go!" "The goal is to plunder one billion! Once we split the loot, everybody scram!!!" ""Yeaaaaah!!""   I occasionally come to the station here. Considering the amount of effort it takes to get here though, it was quite a hassle. That's why I didn't know much about the area around the station, or Okinomiya itself for that matter. The street we were headed down today was of course unfamiliar to me as well.  "...This is the first time I've been this way." "Around here, there's lots of things like arcades and toy stores. Mii-chan knows a lot about it!" "So there's an arcade. I used to go to one pretty often! My gamer's blood roils within me!" "Always going to an arcade? Kei-chan, you're quite the delinquent~! Next time we're here, I'll show you where it is. It's a good one—there's quite a few machines."It seemed like the town of Okinomiya was Mion's stomping grounds. If I asked her, she could tell me a lot of things about it.  Was this the arcade? No... it was a smaller shop. Looking at the window display, it seemed like your everyday toy shop. ...But, for almost ten kids to be filing in and out of the store... they were doing almost too well for themselves! "Could it be... that store is having some sort of event today?" "Exactly! Top prize is 50,000 yen!!!" "Fi-Fifty thousand!?!? What the heck is that!! That's the GNP of the People's Republic of Keiichi 5 times over!!!"   "...Good morning." "Hey! Morning, Rika-chan! Satoko, we'll settle this before the cops get here! The goal is to plunder 1 billion!!" "Huh?? ...Keiichi-san, I have no idea what you're talking about." "Are we late? Did we keep you two waiting?" "...We finished early today, so we've been waiting a while." "I'm sorry about that. Kei-chan here was taking his sweet time!" "...Well if it was Keiichi's fault, it couldn't be helped."Saying that, Rika-chan stretched up and began patting Mion's head. Hey, wait a minute... ...Are you solving everything by making me the bad guy?!  "Of course! Who else but Keiichi-san could fill this important role? Ooohoho!" "I don't like being cast like that. If you think that this'll solve everything, you're sorely mistaken!"...I was feeling slightly irritated, so I began to repeatedly smack Satoko on the head. *smack smack smack smack smack smack...!!!*  "...It's such a shame that Keiichi's bullying you." "Satoko's crying! She's crying!! I'm taking her hoooome~~!!! Your big sis here will take care of the bad guy, okay?" Rena ecstatically wiped the tears (which were probably fake...) from Satoko's face, while Rika-chan gently patted mine as I lay sprawled on the ground. ...Yes, this is fine. "Hmmm, yup. ...This is the way things are supposed to be solved..." "...Although, I think we should find a new punchline before you start losing teeth."Well then, upsy-daisy. In any case, the greeting for today went well!  Apparently they all knew Mion, and finding out that she had arrived, they greeted her with jeers a few at a time. "Mii-chan is a regular at this toy shop. So she has a lot of friends!" "A regular at a toy shop... what's up with that?" "Hey, Keiichi-san, take a look back here!" ...I realized it immediately. "I-It couldn't be... this is the venue for today's club activities!?" "Surprised, Kei-chan? I'm good friends with the owner here! He sometimes lets me hold game tournaments to expand his customer base."Expand his customer base... I see. ...Meaning, all the boys livening up the place... were participants!? "That's right. Normally it's just us five, but today we're gonna play with lots and lots of people!"Rena was innocently happy about being able to play with so many people, but my expression grew noticeably stern. "...Keiichi-san, I know exactly what you're thinking." "Oh? Well then why don't you try saying it? Together, okay? One, two..." Satoko's voice and mine blended together in harmony. We looked over at the participants. ...After all, the top prize was 50,000 yen! My eyes lit up like a flame. "Hey, Kei-chan. It looks like today will be fun." "...Well. No matter how many more rivals I have, the goal is still the same!!" "Rivals? ...*sigh*, Kei-chan. ...Do you think a whale keeps track of all the krill it eats~?"She said that in an unpleasant voice, laughing with the aggressive glint in her eyes reserved solely for club activities. ...Dammit, Mion... ...She's as serious as she can get today!!  Mion pointed. Looking at where her finger directed me... "...What the heck is that?" "...I'm also going to do my best. Go for it, yaaay♪" """Go for it, yaaaaay♪"""Completely emasculated, the group joined Rika-chan in a cheer. The inside of the store had been consumed by 'The World of Rika-chan'!! ...drat. ...She's already chomping at the bit! BGM: Digital Network  It seemed that Rena was also unusually fired up by the large crowd. Hopping about and running around, she had entered entirely into Kyute Mode. ...In Rena's case, the real fun starts when her Tension Gauge fills up! Her happy-go-lucky attitude belied the fact that this was the state in which she was the most threatening... Mion was making small-talk with some of the regular customers she was acquainted with. It was like business as usual with her.  The shadow beneath her feet was exuding killer instinct, rising up like a chill wind! "...drat it, Mion... throwing away her honor and humanity like that... she's serious." "Keiichi-san, didn't you know...? ...The 50,000 yen prize is from Mion-san's own pockets."Wh-Whaaaaaaaaat!?!?!? She was putting out the 50,000 yen... all by herseeeelf?! At that moment, a dark miasma that warped Mion's surroundings began to appear!! BGM: Silence  Eep!! ...A shiver crept up my spine. ...That Mion... cornering herself like that... she was pulling out the demon lurking within her!!! F-Fine with me..! drat it... my knees are shaking like crazy...!  BGM: Spring Step (Mion)Before I realized it, the store had filled up with even more people. However, the looks in their eyes weren't confrontational. They were looks of expectation and curiosity. They were the eyes of onlookers who were wondering what kind of match was going to occur, and who was going to win. "Hehe... you couldn't ask for a better stage than this. This is getting interesting..." Rena was already fully charged. Mortal laws and common sense held no power before the might of Rena in her Kyute Mode! I definitely didn't want to fight her, if possible.  "......Okay. I'll do my best~♪."Rika-chan, who was exuding way too much charm no matter how you looked at it, had already won over most of the onlookers to her side. Nonchalantly avoiding things had always been Rika-chan's creed, but... for her to be blatantly laying out her machinations like this, something was definitely strange!! ...Like Rena, she was somebody who I didn't want to fight if I could help it.  "...I've been lucky to even leave alive more than a few times at the end of club activities, but... I don't think there was a day that even came close to being this dangerous." "Mion-san seems to have developed quite the grudge after losing that poker match a few days back, you know?" "It seems that way. ...In other words, today is just an elaborate stage for her revenge!" Her eyes silently conveyed the message: "You guys just figured that out now?!" It wasn't just Mion; both Rena and Rika-chan were more pumped up than they'd ever been. ...Yeah. ...One's gonna pop up today. ...Without a doubt, there'll be casualties!!  "It seems that somehow Keiichi-san and I are the only ones left.” “...What do you think? Should we not have our match during the opening round?" "Might as well. I need to warm up before I can really kick it into gear—"BGM: Silence  I could almost see the flames backlighting Satoko with their intensity. Even then... while Satoko was displaying a normal smile... It was cold and inhuman, almost as if it were a plastic mask! BGM: Digital Network "...Heh! You must really want to eliminate me in the opening round.You can't hide that murderous intent." "Oh, that's too bad... You're being uncharacteristically cautious today, Keiichi-san. Hohoho!"Without a doubt, it was a trap. ...I don't know what she had up her sleeve, but if I fought with Satoko during the opening round, my loss would be more certain than if I went against Mion!!! A pitch-black miasma permeated the inside of the store... Did they all want to win that 50,000 yen prize that much?! No, that's not right. ...The only ones competing for the prize money were the casual participants. I was different. I had mistaken this as just a way to fool around on a normal Sunday. It didn't matter when it was, or where it was, or who our opponents were. ...In our club, the goal is always the very top of the mountain!!! An intense flame that no strong winds could extinguish, hot enough to melt any steel, began to burn inside me... The fuse had been lit on this unprecedentedly intense club battle!!
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Aug 13, 2021 19:49
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...huh. Ok.
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Aug 13, 2021 21:33
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Kids really bounce back from grievous injury. I dunno what that one guy who lost an eyeball to Rena was complaining about…
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Aug 13, 2021 23:08
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TKMobile posted:Kids really bounce back from grievous injury. I dunno what that one guy who lost an eyeball to Rena was complaining about… In fairness, he specifically didn’t complain! Anyways I remain confused.
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Aug 14, 2021 01:08
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VIDEO: Watanagashi-hen | Day 1 Part 2 BGM: Digital Network  "Is everybody ready~?! Listen close now~!!"Mion began with the formalities, standing in for the owner, and explained the rules of today's tournament. You're only playing to win! There is no second or third place. ...That's the same rule as our club. There were 15 people participating. We were to split up into 5 groups via a draw, and each group would have one winner. Each winner in the first stage would advance to the next in order to compete in the final. "Now, as for how each group will compete: each table can decide to play whatever they want. As long as the game is here in the shop, anything goes!" "Mion, can I ask a question? Won't everybody push to play a game they're good at, and not be able to agree on which one?" "...Hau. That's right. If we can't decide, we can't start."The spectators also nodded along. It was only natural. There wasn't anybody who would simply cede to their opponent's suggestion! "I'd prefer if you were all good sports and manage to come to a decision on your own, but if it comes to a stalemate, should we have the store's owner decide for you?"It was an event at a toy store, after all. You'd expect the owner to referee. After that, Mion's rundown continued. It ended with the rule that any losing participants would have to buy the game they lost at; a rather nice proposition for the store.  Everybody lined up single file, and began to draw tickets that the shop owner had prepared. It was my turn. Alright, time to draw. ...No matter who I was up against... I'd crush 'em!!! At that moment, Mion began to laugh with a hawkish gleam in her eye.  "...Heh. I thought as much. What's the gist of it?" "The winner gets to give the losers one order each."Contrary to how simple it sounded... It was a terrifying eventuality, the subject of which no one could predict... drat you, Mion... Was she... really planning on parading me around Hinamizawa in cat ears and a banana hammock with a tail attached or something?! The look on Mion's face told me... she wasn't going to let me off that easy. On top of that... this time, it wasn't just the person who finished last who'd have to submit to the penalty game.  "That'd be the case." "What about if there's no winner? Like, if all the club members drop out midway through?" "...Ahahahaha!! Kei-chan, are you all right in the head~?" "Wh-whaaaaAAt?!"The look in Mion's eye became that of a lion baring its fangs! "How, exactly, are the elite members of our club going to lose to some mewling newborns? ...Kei-chan. Don't embarrass me by getting eliminated in the first round."Even so, I didn't feel threatened!! The more into it my opponent was... the stronger I would become!! "You just wait and see. I won't just sit here and be bullied by you, Mion. I'll show you!!!" "We shall meet... In the finals!!!!!!"- - - The results of the draw were... enough to make you cry conspiracy. All the members of the club were nicely divvied up amongst the 5 tables. ...How did this happen when the draw was that random?! The thought that I was already caught in Mion's puppet-strings made me feel uneasy. That was fine, though. ...I'll crush all your petty tricks!! Now, where were my opponents? Everybody was headed to the table corresponding to the number on their ticket.  "...Aren't you two classmates of mine?" "Oh, hi. I'm Tomita. This is Okamura."Okamura-kun greeted me by nodding his head. So my opening round was to be against my juniors from school. ...Just saying, but it seemed like a pretty easy match-up. Lucky! Time to destroy them without mercy!!!!  With Mion's declaration, the inside of the store suddenly became lively. Everybody was yelling their favorite games at each other, trying to gain an advantage before they started. Even my two classmates, who seemed taciturn at first glance, began to fiercely insist on their own games as soon as the signal was given. Of course I would kick those suggestions aside! There was absolutely no reason to pick a game your opponent was good at! "Sorry, they're all games I don't know. Could you pick something a little more well-known?"Of course, they didn't agree to the games I suggested either. I could only smirk bitterly. Naturally, after 5 minutes, this table still couldn't agree on a game.  Clearing his throat, the shop owner brought over a board game from the back of the store. It was a game called 'Billionaire'. ...Quite the vintage we have here. Come to think of it... if you lose, you have to buy this game. ...That damned shop owner, was he using this competition to get rid of all the games he couldn't sell? "I know this one. You guys do too, right? Spin the wheel, and head to the goal. Whoever has the most money after we liquidate our assets is the winner."The two nodded in agreement, and finally the game was underway. At that time, I already had a feeling of impending crisis. ...I wouldn't realize why until the game progressed a bit.  Okay! I've built a bit of a lead!! "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.”  “Bonus. Receive $100,000 from the bank."Wha?! The tables were turned in an instant?!  "1, 2, 3.”  “Proceed to the corporate ladder course."Whoa, that's a good route!!! ...It seemed like only my piece was landing on the 'steady' spaces?! I had doubts as to why Mion didn't bring out board games for club activities, but that reason was laid bare to me before my eyes. That's right. I had only realized it now. ...This game... was completely based on luck!!! What could I possibly do to make sure I ended up in first place at the end!?!? The ultimate outcome of this game... was decided in a place beyond human hands!!! ...How were the other club members doing? My eyes naturally wandered off to the other tables.  They weren't doing anything? Had they still not decided on a game...? This naive idea... existed to distract me from the most frightening possibility...  When our eyes met she gave me a look of ease. It couldn't be... she'd already finished?!?! What game was it?! That easily?! It was probably too late to be concerned with that at this point. Only 5 minutes since we started, and her two opponents were already beyond recourse. ...They were sitting there, slumped over in disappointment. Muttering to themselves, trying to figure out where they went wrong... for that, they'd find no answer. Was there any reason for their defeat other than 'they sat at the same table as Mion'?!  It looked like their game was karuta. The shop owner was apparently the one reading out the cards. Karuta is a card game with a lot of variations, but the general rule is that you have to figure out which card is required, and grab it before your opponent does. Uta-garuta is probably one of the more familiar examples; the reader reads out the full poem on one card and the players have to find the corresponding card that has the same last few lines of the poem. Rena tended to dawdle along and space out a lot... ...Wouldn't she have a hard time with this game? "Then, I'll read it out~. ...'The dog gets tired on a walk'~." At the same instant the shop owner began sounding out the words, the card in question disappeared off the face of the table—no, the face of the Earth!!! ...Impossible! Where did it go?! ...It was against Rena's cheek. She was rubbing it there.  Looking at the card Rena was rubbing against her cheek... it was some anime-themed version of karuta, with rather cute moe illustrations decorating the cards. Basically, it was a picture of a pretty dog-girl with a slightly large chest, panting and half in tears as she was being pulled along on a chain. ...With those types of pictures, even I could play with godlike speed... Of all people to play that game, it had to be Rena!! It was entirely possible that her fingertips were on the verge of breaking the sound barrier!!  Mion smiled coolly. Seeing no further reason to keep watching, she turned back. "Sho kyute sho kyute!!! Even if Rena wins, I'll still buy these cards~~!!! I~'m ta~king them ho~me~~~ hau~!!!!"After that, the second the card started being read out, BAAAAAM! BAAAAAAAAAAAAM!! Such decisive sounds echoed...  Judging from the distressed look on Satoko's face... it seemed that she was struggling somehow. One of the main characteristics of Concentration is that the pace of the game speeds up as it goes on. As the number of cards to memorize decreases, it becomes easier to match several pairs in a row. It wouldn't be exaggeration to say that the first person to take over the flow of the match can run away as the winner. The cards still in play had decreased. ...If you memorized the cards that had been turned over before, you should have a good chance to sweep the table at this point... Satoko probably knew the positions of all the remaining cards. ...However, her turn came a little too late! If her opponent followed up... the match would be decided!! "Houjou... Sorry, but I'm also aiming for the prize money. Don't hate me for this!"This guy... did he have the locations of the remaining cards memorized?! He was completely certain of his victory. The tension on his face relaxed.  I whispered that in a bored manner as I turned my attention back to my own game. I spun the wheel. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5... "Wh-Whaaat?!?! No way!! The ace of hearts should have been here!!"There was a commotion at Satoko's table as the shout rang out. The other two at my table turned around in surprise. I didn't. After all, there really wasn't anything to be surprised about. The onlookers were confounded, most of them certain that the ace of hearts should have been there. ‘There's no way... I must be seeing things... It must have been because I was excited…’ ...So assured in his victory, the distress over his defeat ran deep. Hmph. ...That's how it is. If his opponent wasn't Satoko, then the ace of hearts certainly would have been there. What a fool. ...When you're up against Satoko, you can't let your guard down for a moment until the battle is over!!!  With a refined tone of voice reserved for only winners, Satoko called out to me. For the casual observer, it must have looked like she only eked out a victory. From my point of view, however... she was only playing around. The roles of winner and loser had already been decided. It was nothing more than child's play! The laughable part about it was that her opponent didn't know his role had already been assigned. "Nice work there. ...Setting up a farce of a trap with the ace of hearts." "My opponent only walked into one of my traps. Even then, one was more than enough."Satoko was a trapper. Her true talent was never having one misfire. ...Setting off only one trap was more than enough? ...Hmph!! Ain't that cool!!! The fact that the other club members were winning one after another with their own brand of play only added to my impatience at my own lack of progress... Oh right, how was Rika-chan doing?! How was our club's sly little fox doing? ... What the heck is that? BGM: Baby's Walk (Rika)  The game at Rika-chan's table was... you know that battery-powered fishing game? The one where the fish opened and closed their mouths as they rotated on the platform, and you used a magnetic fishing rod to pick them up? That old thing. ...It seemed they planned on competing by seeing who could catch the most fish, but... ...It had become an atmosphere you could hardly call competitive. "....Wow♪ I caught one~." "You're so good! Rika-chan, you're good at this~!" "Oh my, she caught another one~. Rika-chan is really good at this☆"...I knew that Rika-chan had already charmed her opponents, along with the onlookers, before the matches had even begun, but... ...brilliantly played. That corner had become an informal meeting of the Rika Furude Fan Club!! BGM: Digital Network  "What Rika-chan is trolling for probably isn't fish..."Hearing that, she glanced over my way briefly. 'This is my way of getting serious.' ...That's what I heard.  ...Yeah! ...A masterful technique!!!!  "Maebara-san, it's your turn." "Oh, sorry. Guess it is. 1, 2. ...Fined for tax evasion. Pay $50,000 dollars..."In contrast... my game... what an unseemly situation this was!! Noticing the uneasiness creeping across my face, my companions came to see how I was doing.   "Okamura. Right now, how much money do you have?"Okamura, who had wrung lots of money out of the elite course, began to count through a stack of white 100,000 dollar bills. "Uh...about 980,000, I guess." "...How much money do you have, Tomita?" "Ah, I have... $880,000. I'm still close enough to turn this around!"Those two, it looked like they would easily surpass a million dollars!!  Mion's tone of voice was grim from the get-go. ...It was her disappointment and disgust as club president. "I... It can't be helped!! There's no strategy involved other than spinning the wheel in this game!!! How am I supposed to cheat? Tell those two to close their eyes and count to a hundred while I rig the wheel?! ...You know there's no way I can do that!!"Rika-chan gently pet my head. ...Still, she wasn't too happy. "...How pathetic. At one point I thought you'd be a worthy adversary. I've been utterly disillusioned." "Don't give up, Keiichi-kun! There has to be some way to make a comeback! Do your best! Right 'till the end!!"...Like I said... how am I supposed to make a comeback with this game relying entirely on luck!?!? Right?! Mion?!  ...She then turned her back without saying a word. "H- Hey, Mi—"It was a pathetic voice that irked even myself...  "...I'm disappointed. Everybody was serious about this, but Kei-chan was the only one who wasn't." "Wh-What do you mean by serious?!?! Are you telling me to control the spinner through sheer force of will?!?! How can I do that?!?!" "...If you were serious about it, you would have settled this game 10 seconds from when you started." "Mi-Mii-chan! You don't have to get so angry! Wait!" ...Maybe it was because it had become an awkward situation, but the spectators dispersed from around my table... drat it!! Are you saying I'm not serious about this?! Are you saying if I were serious, I would have settled this game of chance in 10 seconds?!?! If I were serious... If I were serious...!!!! Everybody was praying for my victory. They believed in me!! ...Did I betray their expectations?!?! Was it because... I wasn't serious?! ....Ugh...!!!! BGM: Silence SFX: Higurashi  The two of them were timidly trying to resume play. ...I didn't respond to that. The table sunk into silence. "Maebara-kun... should I take that to mean you're giving up?"The owner, thinking I was forfeiting, started to announce the cancellation of the game... At that moment!!!  I get it now, Mion... ...What it means for me to be serious... I'll show yoooooooooooooooooou!!!! BGM: Digital Network BAMPH!! I clamped my hands on their shoulders, speaking in a low voice after pulling them closer.  The two of them, not immediately understanding what I had just said or the meaning behind it, were momentarily confused.  "Hey, Maebara-san, no violence! Let's settle this game properly!!" "Just listen to what I have to say. ...What is it you guys want? The 50,000 yen prize?" "Well, of course. Winning that kind of money is a once in a lifetime opportunity!" "Even supposing you win. What are you going to do with that money? How are you going to enjoy it?"...The two of them considered it briefly. "Buy a new game, or something...? Snacks? ...Maybe some juice..." "Hehehe... that's petty. So petty. Are you guys stupid? Hehehe!!!" "Th-Then, how will you enjoy it if you win, Maebara-san?" "Me? That's the point. Just shut up and listen to what I have to say."We club members have a penalty game separate from the casual participants. If we lose, we have to obey a single command from the winner. ...From another point of view, the winner earns the prize of being able to order the other club members around!  I drew the two of them—red-faced and conscious of whether anybody else heard what I just said—even closer. "Lolis! Moe! Pretty girls!! What men covet, what men dream about!! It's like an unreachable Garden of Eden!! Even then, you'd still aim for it, wouldn't you?! That's because our passionate souls scream for moe!!!!"That sensitive age where you couldn't say you liked the girl you liked... Understanding that gave me all the more power!!! "Tomita-kun, if I win... I'll make Satoko wear a collar and be your little sister for a day."*Pshh*. A red fountain spewed from both of Tomita-kun's nostrils. "Also, Okamura-kun. I'll put cat ears on Rika-chan and let you take her out for a walk on a leash."*Pshh*. Blood erupted from the vein in Okamura-kun's forehead.  "Don't be shy!!! Just pretend I forced you to go along with me!! You two are simply sacrifices to Maebara-senpai's whims!! You can pretend to be against it!! I understand!!! I know everything that your hearts desire!!!!"...Then, I suddenly lowered the tone of my voice. "...My school life was very bleak. I know with my very body how foolish it is to waste such an important time in your lives. ...So... to you, my juniors... I don't want you to live your lives like that!!!!!” ”Be honest with yourselves!!! Chase your dreams!! Fulfill them!!! I'll fulfill them for you!!! I wiiiiilllllll!!!!"  Did I ever have a mentor who ever spoke my mind for me so strongly? Never!! There was no way there was!!! That's because in a man's lifetime, he'll only have three fateful encounters. That valuable first time... was being experienced right this moment with these two!!!! BGM: Sutakorasassa (Helter Skelter) "It's fine then? Let's do it. ...One, two, three."  ”""Game oveeeer!"""It was such an assertive declaration of the game's ending that everybody in the store turned and looked. It had been less than 3 minutes since I was on the verge of forfeit and all the spectators certain of my loss.  "It was my complete victory." "Wh-What did you saaaaAY!? Exactly how did you overcome that situation?!" "There's no need to explain what happened. It was a gentleman's agreement. Right, guys?"""YESSIR!!!!""The two of them, stifling tears of gratitude, answered strongly from the bottom of their hearts. Exactly what kind of miracle occurred here during those three minutes the spectators all looked away from my utter disadvantage?!?!  The spectators were puzzled at how I was able to so quickly overcome that hopeless situation! "...That guy, is he able to control the spinner wheel with his eyes or something?!" "It's a miracle!" "What devilry is this!!" "He's in cahoots with *that* Mion, you know!?" "There's no doubt he had some strange trick up his sleeve!!"I looked at the crowd, who couldn't help but be excited, out of the corner of my eye. Now fully awakened and in battle mode, I let out a derisive laugh. "...So this is what it means for me to be serious. Mion." Baring our fangs at each other, we laughed together in a most unsightly fashion!!  "Which means, this time... it's a match against everybody! A match!" "...I've already decided what I'm going to buy with the prize money." "That's only natural~! Right~?"Satoko and Rena smiled (sneered?) at each other. Hmph, these guys... Do they really think they can win against Keiichi Maebara when he gets serious?!?! "Mion. ...That was a mistake. ...You shouldn't have offered me 'advice' just now..." "...Hehehe... what a mewling newborn you are. You're a million light years too early to think you can win against me." "Mion. ...Light years are a measure of distance." "What are we doing, Mii-chan? How are the five of us going to face off? How?" "Well now. ...Hehehe. We have such a splendid line-up. It would be a waste to rush things." "...Mii is saying something complicated again." "!? ...It couldn't be... why you—!!"Mion's hair flowed elegantly—almost like a cape—as she turned her back to the table.  “...By then, we'll know the best way to finally settle things." "A-Are you running away from this!?!? This is too unfair, even for you, Mion-san!" "Hehehe... you newborn!! Do you still not realize what has happened?"The combative aura billowing out of Mion's body formed a barrier, stopping Satoko's advance!! "We'll meet again. Prepare yourself for your inevitable defeat." After a moment of silence, the crowd erupted into cheers!! "When will they resume the contest?!" "Mion's serious!" "The other members did great too!" "That new guy, Maebara... He's got some strange power...!!!" "He turned the tables in an instant!!" ""Maebara-saaaaaan!!! You've got to win!!!"" "Yeah!! I'll dunk someone like Mion headfirst into the River Styx for ya!!!"The part of the crowd that had apparently overheard the covenant between Tomita-kun, Okamura-kun, and myself erupted into a cheer again!! Mion's going to win anyways!! She's the Undefeated Empress! I'm betting on Mion!! No, it's going to be Rena with that ungodly speed!! Satoko the Trap Artist!! Rika the Siren!! It may be a long shot, but it'll be Maebara!!! However, right now, I had no ear for those cheerful voices. Setting the stage for this huge match and then running away like that... I wasn't going to forgive Mion!!!  "Don't run away, Mion!! If you're the club president, don't run!! Fight meee!!!" "Oh, sorry, Kei-chan. Right now, I've got to get to my part-time job☆."BGM: Afternoon in Paris Huh!? Like you would see in a sketch-comedy show, my legs slipped in opposite directions until I was doing the splits. "Yeah. While you were playing your game, Mii-chan received a phone call. ...It's too bad." "It was just getting good, too... not our lucky day. ...They're getting crushed at the sale over at my Uncle's store. They don't have enough people to work the registers, so he called me for help." "When you say your uncle... does he manage a supermarket or something?" "It's just a small store, buuuut!” “...Whenever you put stuff on special, all the housewives swarm in like locusts. Don't they have any common sense?! Even though they don't have enough staff, they're selling a carton of eggs for 10 yen, limit one per customer!!!"I was a little surprised. You would never think that this was the club president exuding such a dark aura inside the store just a short time ago. It was the usual Mion right now, almost exasperatingly so. My shoulders slumped. ...That's right. Club mode was over now... But... It was really heated today. It really was fun! drat Mion, she really knows how to fire people up!  "It's work, so I guess there's nothing you can do... but it really is too bad!" "I really want to continue this some other time! Any time is good~!" "...How about we do it at the Watanagashi Festival?" "The Cotton Drifting Five-Demon Fire Fight! ...That's right. I'll think about it."Right now, what were Rika-chan and Mion talking about? ...Watanagashi Festival? Cotton Drifting Five Demon... what?? "Ahahahaha! I love it when things turn out all over-the-top and manga-like. It'd be nice if we could have another thrilling club activity like this soon!"She laughed with a smile that made you feel refreshed just looking at it.  "Thank you, everybody, for today. Thanks to you, the event went really well~! It's not much, but here's a little something for you guys~." "Hey, Uncle Yoshirou! Isn't there a little something for me, too?" "My my my!! Quite an adorable one, is it not!?"When Satoko and Rika-chan opened up the bag, there were cute little stuffed animals inside. "Wow!! They're so... kyute~...!! Can I take them home?! I really can...!?" "Which means, there's something for me, too? ......Oh. I got a pretty adorable one."It was a stuffed toy wearing a beautiful dress. One you'd use to play house. Rena's eyes were glued to my stuffed doll! ...Satoko was the same, and... Rika-chan too...!?  "...How do I say this... I could say it's pretty or cute......Well, I guess it's cute and pretty... I can admit, it's adorable... but a doll with changable clothes is... eh..." "If you walked around with it, then you'd be treated like a weirdo starting tomorrow. Definitely!"...Mion didn't have to go that far. This wasn't something a guy like me should be carrying around. Mion was the only one who hadn't received a present, so I thought about giving it to her. However, after briefly considering, I gave it to Rena instead.  "Just protecting myself. ...If I didn't give it to Rena, then walking the streets at night would be scary." "I thought about giving it to Mion, but it just didn't feel right!" "Heh heh heh, you know it! I sometimes wonder why I wasn't born a boy." "It's better that you're a girl. If you were a boy, I would have killed you already!" "Ahahahahaha!! You should kill me while you still can! If you don't, Kei-chan, you might not live to regret it. Ahahahahaha!!"Mion laughed after saying such an ominous line. Everybody laughed heartily along with her. "Ask God to make you a boy in your next life! I'll also have Him make me a boy." "Then together, the two of us will start with taking over the country as a warm-up! Ahahahaha!"“Mion-chan, if you don't get going soon..." the shop owner told her meekly. The lot of us looked like we were having a lot of fun, so it must have been hard to put a wet blanket on things. BGM: Silence SFX: Night Higurashi  "Don't be late for work!"Everybody waved their hands and watched as Mion left. ...Before I knew it, the sun was already setting, and the breeze carried a hint of chill. "Should we play for a bit more in town? Or should we go home?" "...The road gets scary when it's dark." "Then, I guess it's time to leave. We certainly caused a ruckus today!" "We sure did! ...Okay! Let's go home." The road back to Hinamizawa was long, but I didn't really mind. "Oh, that's right! Rena-san, you achieved an overwhelming victory, didn't you?" "When Rena gets like that, I'm sorry to say it, but there's no winning against her!" "Ahahahaha! It was because the cards were so kyute. See! I bought them☆. Hau~~!" "...It was an easy win." "...How much was calculated and how much was natural...? I get scared when I think about how Rika will turn out in the future..." "Ahahahaha! Satoko-chan was amazing too! The way it ended was really exciting!" "It wasn't the sort of game where I should be complimented. Ohohoho!" "...Keiichi, you also showed your fangs at the end there." "Hm? Well, I guess! I'm the type of guy who's strongest when he's cornered!" "...Tomita-san and the others seemed to be cheering you on really hard... what was that about?" "...He made some sort of promise with Tomita and Okamura. ...It's probably a secret." "A... a secret... a secret…” “... Hau~~... I wonder what it is, I wonder!" "....Ah, sometimes, for a man, there are times we can only understand one another by fighting...! Wahahahaha!!"Desperately laughing, I frantically tried to avoid the subject. After that, everybody continued to praise each other for how they defeated their opponents, and reflected on how fun today was.  Satoko, getting even more excited, pointed. Waiting where her finger indicated was an immense sunset, casting even longer shadows of us on our bikes. The cries of the higurashi were gentle and very comforting…  - - -  TIP 1: Who’s Mion’s uncle?
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Aug 15, 2021 17:48
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I like these game contests. I have heard of Higarashi, but never went through it in any form though I have read Umineko and Ciconia, so I have some meta knowledge.
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Aug 16, 2021 00:11
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...Mion is a freaking Yu Gi Oh villain. And yes, I mean the dark as poo poo season 0/1 before Duel Monsters soft rebooted the franchise where a violent death isn't out of the ordinary. I've mentioned this before but given her flagrant cheating and psychological warfare, and worst of all how she influences her club members to be likewise, I can't imagine she'd be popular with regulars, even if she's friends/relatives with the game store owner. She's too ruthless a shark compared to anyone who'd just want to play MtG or Settlers of Catan or whatever...and I have a hard time picturing her not being called out for her fuckery at some point.
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Aug 16, 2021 12:17
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I'm suspecting this isn't exactly a large town, just not a backwoods village. Mion's extended family seems to have roots all over it and she seems to be an only child. They might be letting her get away with poo poo to avoid stirring waves with the big family who probably owns the place they work at. But yeah, Mion's toxic aggro levels of abusive to her playmates.
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Aug 16, 2021 21:20
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Remember she is the one who put the 50,000 yen up as a prize.
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Aug 16, 2021 21:30
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killer_robot posted:I'm suspecting this isn't exactly a large town, just not a backwoods village. Mion's extended family seems to have roots all over it and she seems to be an only child. They might be letting her get away with poo poo to avoid stirring waves with the big family who probably owns the place they work at. MonsterEnvy posted:Remember she is the one who put the 50,000 yen up as a prize. While both of these are probably/definitely true respectively, and assuming nothing substantial about her character changed between arcs, this makes her come off as a little spoiled at the least, (also, did she really threaten to sell a nine year old into prostitution over chump change!?!  ) but at worst it still feels like Mion is prone to playing some pretty callous games with people. While I still...guess this is more because of some innate boredom she suffers from being out in the middle of back-rear end Murderston than her simply being a rotten bastard, she still screws people over for laughs and already it feels like it's ramping up.
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Aug 16, 2021 21:53
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I get the impression that Mion's games are mostly limited to the club...mostly. That doesn't excuse her poo poo, but it does help explain why she gets away with it. If Mion Pulling Her poo poo is something that the other kids only have to put up with every couple of months, I can see how they might let it slide, or just skip the events. As for the adults, if Mion events are usually this profitable (losers have to buy the game!!  ), then there's an incentive to let her get away with poo poo. e. Also, outside of gaming she seems to play the role of "cool big sis" to the younger kids in Hinamizawa. When you're ten, a fourteen-year-old can be so much BIGGER and COOLER and EXCITING and  .
Viola the Mad fucked around with this message at 01:39 on Aug 17, 2021 |
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Aug 16, 2021 23:05
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MonsterEnvy posted:Remember she is the one who put the 50,000 yen up as a prize. That was bait.
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Aug 17, 2021 03:31
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The random CG with mion giving that sombre look is rather spooky, given the consensus is mion is a crazy sociopath. Especially since they talk about killing right after! 
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Aug 17, 2021 05:13
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TKMobile posted:(also, did she really threaten to sell a nine year old into prostitution over chump change!?! Pretty sure she just has a dark sense of humor. She seems like Satoko in that she is a bit of a prankster. (Though she has not gone as far as Satoko in setting traps)
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Aug 17, 2021 06:39
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Viola the Mad posted:I get the impression that Mion's games are mostly limited to the club...mostly. That doesn't excuse her poo poo, but it does help explain why she gets away with it. If Mion Pulling Her poo poo is something that the other kids only have to put up with every couple of months, I can see how they might let it slide, or just skip the events. As for the adults, if Mion events are usually this profitable (losers have to buy the game!! She's Fourteen? I thought she was aged to 17 in the re release. Edit: Just checked she appears to be 14 here though on the older side. MonsterEnvy fucked around with this message at 07:01 on Aug 17, 2021 |
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Aug 17, 2021 06:54
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MonsterEnvy posted:Pretty sure she just has a dark sense of humor. She seems like Satoko in that she is a bit of a prankster. (Though she has not gone as far as Satoko in setting traps) That's still... Rika's parents were murdered. This is not the kind of joke you make to an orphan who lost mom and dad barely two years prior. Mion has very little scope of what's actually appropriate behavior so even if she tries to act like everybody's big sister, she is unwittingly kind of a (predatory) rear end in a top hat. I know she seems really demure and all but... honestly, Rika's been a hard character to get a bead on, and while Keiichi accurately discerned that she can and will use her own adorability to her advantage, out of everybody Rika seems to have gone out of her way to NOT attract attention to herself. She has, so far, the least amount of lines (I'm ballparking) out of any of the other main characters and never does anything bombastic or anything that puts a spotlight on her. ..Hell, it would have been deplorable, but Ooishi should have tried to recruit her given her poker face instead of the new, gullible, kid. Rena's good natured, Satoko really feels like an actual child who hangs out with the big kids, Keiichi's kind of a dope who gets hyper focused on what's in front of him, but Rika seems detached. But not TOO detached, though--we've seen Keiichi ignore the group or try to oust himself, which ironically just brought him more attention so she puts in enough effort so it still looks like she's trying without violating Mion's playground rules.
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Aug 17, 2021 17:09
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VIDEO: Watanagashi-hen | Day 2 Part 1 BGM: Silence SFX: Higurashi  Mion spoke in a voice that went so far as to make whoever heard it lethargic. "You want a medical explanation for sleepiness? I could say it, but it'll just make you more sleepy." "...Gah~ ...Spare me~..." 6th period was almost over. By the way, Satoko and everyone else in the lower grades ended their school day after 5th period, so they were probably running around in the schoolyard right now. I could hear their joy-filled voices coming from there right now. Oh, what I would give to be able to join them.  "You see, rather than the class representative, I'd rather be the president of the boxing club. They get to sleep a lot." "Huh? ...What makes you think that?" "At the boxing gym they're always hitting the sack. Get it?" The teacher cackled as she hit the back of Mion's head with the corner of a textbook.  "...That's all from me. I'll leave it at that for today. Representative, please direct the class." "Everybody stand up! At attention!!"Mion, who had been half-asleep, became lively again the moment she heard class was over. ...It must be delightful to be that shrewd. Homeroom was done after the lower grades had finished their lessons, so we were free to go. It was one of the odd rules we had as a mixed-grade school.  BGM: Hello!  "All right!! It's time for happy fun club activities!!" "Yeah! That's right. What should we do today?" "Hey, Mii-chan. Why don't we continue what we started yesterday?" "Yes! We should do that! To have it end like that when things were getting good, I won't accept it!" "Now now. I know how you feel, but let's save that for another time! Something like that shouldn't be done somewhere dinky like an classroom after school, but a grander stage!" "I'm down whenever. But some of the younger guys said they'd watch me in the finals. So let me know ahead of time." I couldn't help but watch as Rena entered her Pining Maiden Mode. "I'm not gonna pull any punches, but I'll pray for your victory, Rena."With a saccharine Keiichi-brand smile, I ruffled Rena's hair roughly.  "Wha!? Hau~~~!?!? ...Ke-Ke-Ke-Ke... Keiichi-kun, What.. are you... hau~~..."Rena turned bright red and short-circuited, smoke billowing from both her ears. Gazing into her eyes, a strange scene of me holding hands with Rena and skipping through a flowerbed was reflected there... ...Ahh... even if it was in somebody else's imagination, it was terribly troubling...  When Rika-chan said that, everyone burst out laughing at once. "Ahahaha! That Rena is a Satoko and Rika-chan killer, though!" "It may be true that we can't win against Rena... but we won't lose to Keiichi!!" "Oh~ This is becoming a pretty interesting relationship map. Our strengths kind of interact like in rock-paper-scissors! ...But that doesn't include Mion, does it?" "Of course not. It doesn't matter who it is, I won't lose."Mion leered with the gaze befitting of a club president— no... befitting of an empress! The mood in the room became more lively. It was as good a moment as any to get started!  "Yeah! So then Mii-chan, what shall we do today? Today?Mion let out a small interjection as she rummaged through the so-called 'Club Locker'. Every time I look... there's always a ton of things crammed in there. Everything that's jammed in that locker is a game of some kind, you know? On top of that, things used for penalty games like cat-ears and collars were kept in there... the capacity of that thing is unfathomable! ...That locker, maybe it actually extended through the wall into the 4th dimension... that's my theory, anyways. If not that, then how else could you explain how someone could pull out item after item!?  "Why don't we try and keep it a bit simple today? Playing games that require lots of pieces all the time can be a little bland, right?" "...It doesn't matter what game it is, if everybody plays together we can have fun." "Yeah. That's right. That's right!"Rena and I both expressed our agreement. ...I feel the same way. With this group, there's no doubt even if we were pulling weeds from the school grounds it would be fun.  "Ah, that's right, isn't it? ...By the way, Satoko. Could you stop reading people's minds by looking at their expressions?" "Whatever you're thinking is always written all over your face. So I always know right away~."I've always been told that, but ever since I transferred it seems like it's been especially bad... I need to develop a poker face or I could be in for a rough time… BGM: Digital Network  We all immediately cut the idle chatter and put on stern expressions. In no time at all, everybody's gaze focused like a tiger or a shark, listening intently. That's right. From the point where the rules are explained... the match has already begun! "Today's game is... probably better known as a party game. It's called 'Sympathy'. Has anybody heard of it before?"...Sympathy. It means to share someone's feelings, right? ...Huh? Maybe I might know this...  “In that case, Rena knows about it!"Ahh... I remember! I recall playing a game like that in grade school while we were on the bus during a field trip! "I'm not familiar with this game. I would like an explanation." "First of all, we have the leader choose a topic. For example... if they choose 'dessert.'" "Hehehe! Satoko-chan, when somebody says 'dessert,' what's the first thing you think of?" "...Ummm. ...Let's see here... 'Pudding' or something." "Ok! In that case, Satoko, you would write down 'pudding' on your memo pad. Then, everybody reveals their answer at the same time. If there's two or more people who wrote down 'pudding,' they get points!” “The more people who write down the same answer, the more points are awarded. So if everybody writes down the same answer, that's a max of 5 points!" It was exactly as Rika-chan said. The point of this game was to think in a way so that you have the same answer as everybody else. For example... even if you heard the word 'dessert' and immediately thought of 'strawberry sundae'... ...If your answer doesn't match up with everybody else you don't get any points. That's why you have to hold off on that answer, and change to one that seems like one everybody else will choose... The key becomes not what you think yourself, but being able to predict what everybody else will answer. It's a very high-level intellectual game!! "...Mii, for Satoko's sake, let's try practicing for one round." "OK~. For this round, seeing as I'm club president, the leader will be me, alright? The topic can be something random..."Taking out her literature textbook, she began flipping to a random page.  "Ahahaha! When you say 'shaved ice'... there's only one answer, isn't there~!"Among the standard flavors of shaved ice, there's strawberry, melon, and blue hawaii. The most popular amongst those... is obviously melon! "Everyone write down an answer? Then everybody show theirs at the same time, okay? Ready... go!" Wha—!?!? I'm the only one.. with melon!? "Y-You guys...! Don't go doing something so mundane as picking strawberry as the standard! Hey Rena, would you actually order strawberry shaved ice!? The first thing that always sells out at summer festivals is always melon, isn't it!?!?" "Rena also likes melon flavor! But really... it's all about the strawberry, right? Right☆! "Kei-chan, if I was to pick, I would actually choose melon. But you see, this is a word association game. If somebody says shaved ice the first thing you think of is strawberry!"I'm still not entirely convinced... but in any case! It's this type of game!! "R--Rika, what exactly did you write? Is that a type of shaved ice??" "...It's ujigintoki. It's incredibly delicious, you know."Well, it might be delicious, sure... but it's not exactly run-of-the-mill. ..Still... that's a pretty refined choice...   "Yeah, yeah! I've got it!! More importantly, Mion-san. What shall we do about today's penalty game!?" "Hau...! Th-There's going to be one after all... ...What will it be? ...What will it be!" "Hmmm... What should it be? ...Kei-chan, you have a suggestion?" ”Wha- for the penalty game?? ...When I was in elementary school... there was a penalty game... yeah. It can only be -that-. Schlepping!  "But... how will we do that? Satoko-chan and Rika-chan's houses are the complete opposite direction from ours." "Then how about... the loser carries just the winner's stuff to their house? Getting everybody's stuff to their house would involve covering a pretty sizable distance." "Oh, yeah. Just that much... might be alright!" "...Somehow, today's penalty game is pretty simple. With a penalty game of this level it wouldn't even be fun to make Keiichi-san do it!!" "Then shall we raise the stakes a bit! Not just playing porter... ... Tadaa! How about we have someone schlep stuff around dressed in this!?" BGM: Sutakorasassa (Helter Skelter) "H-Hau...! I-It's cute and all... b-but no waaaaaaaaaaaay~!!!!" "...But you see, you see! What do we do if Keiichi-san loses? If we don't have a size that fits him..." "Oh I didn't let that little detail get by~! I have a nice XL size one prepared juuust for Kei-chan!! So, Kei-chan, are you ready!? I'm going to have you walk around outside dressed up as a maid~!!! ”From the headband to the garter belt, even the underwear... I've got it aaaaall prepared for you!!" "T-T-This is insane!! Why do you have every possible size of that type of thing in that locker!?"Th-This is bad, Keiichi Maebara!! Somehow... it's become a situation where only my failure results in an overly cruel price to pay. What if I make a mistake and lose...!? I wouldn't be able to walk around in broad daylight anymore!! BGM: Silence   BGM: Sutakorasassa (Helter Skelter) "Ngyaaaa----!!! Th-That's way too harsh!!!!!That's just incredibly... brutal!! If we're to return this penalty to some semblance of normalcy, now is the only time! E-everybody, I think we should refrain from this unwholesome penalty game...!!! Why on the way back home from school!? Do we have to be accompanied by a girl wearing a maid uniform and carrying our baggage!? Having them say "Master", while dragging them around the village in such an embarrassing outfit... ...*pant pant* ...Wait, why am I panting? ...Wh-What is this... This feeling welling up inside me... "Hey, let's just make it a normal penalty game...! Wait, Keiichi-kun has frozen stiff..." Burning with passion, I firmly placed my hands on Rena's shoulders!!! "Rena, there is no problem with the penalty game. ...I just have to win!! That's right, everybody!!!"I turned to everybody with an idiotic grin, my pearly whites flashing with a brilliant gleam.  "No matter what the penalty game is, there's no reason to be afraid!! You just have to win!! Right, everybody!? Yeah! Yeah!" """Yeaaaaaaaaah—!!!"""From Mion to Rika, everybody energetically thrust their fists up high!! Only Rena seemed somewhat undecided, standing there looking flustered. ...She's a little bit slow, isn't she. If she wins, even for Rena it's quite a delectable opportunity! "Hey, Rena. Don't you see this is a pretty big opportunity!? ...Rika-chan or Satoko-chan in a maid outfit, coming right to your doorstep. This is a historically great chance, isn't it!?" Rena began spouting a fountain of blood from her nose. The look in her eyes completely changed... she's shifted into Kyute Mode! I was waiting for this Rena!! That look in her eyes!! "Hau~~~, to my doorstep~!!! It's not like Keiichi-kun or Mii-chan wouldn't be good too~! Hau!"BGM: Digital Network "Alright!! It looks like everybody's prepared themselves!! Get your memo pads ready!! First question, ready!?"Mion opened up her textbook to a random page, and read out a word that caught her eye!  This is yet another... quite abstract keyword. ...Well then, let's not worry about it too much and start with something like this. "Everybody good!? Time to show 'em! Ready, go!!!"On Mion's signal, everybody simultaneously held up what they wrote. Let's see, what did everybody write?  "Oh, Rena and I have the same answer! Alright! Two points!" "But Satoko's 'Fireworks' was pretty good too. Rika's 'Mosquito Coil' is a very nice seasonal choice as well." "...All the choices are quite invigorating." "It's almost summer break, isn't it. ...I wonder how we'll spend it this year."Invigorating words that invoke the image of summer break. Certainly things that enrich the soul. As everybody approaches the soon-to-come summer break... a plethora of dreams should be etched upon their thoughts... "...By the way... Keiichi-san, what did you answer? Hurry up and show us." "Ah.... I di-didn't really write down anything that great..." "No no no! Showing us is part of the rules!! Now come on!" "Ah... stop it! D-Don't look!!!"BGM: Silence  The room went silent. ...Nobody could really follow up that response. It's as if my impertinent answer had somehow sullied the wonderful dreams of the coming summer break... "Keiichi-kun's summer breaks... ...were never fun, were they..." "...It's alright. Let's spend the summer this year with everybody. ...We won't leave you by your lonesome."Rika-chan gently petted my head. Wh-what exactly did summer break mean to me... ...Summer courses. Observing sunflowers. Practice exams. Special summer focus seminars. ...I know nothing of hot summers. Because I've always been in an air-conditioned cram school... ...Ugh... the tears... they...  BGM: Sutakorasassa (Helter Skelter) "Wa... WaaaaAAaaaaAaaaaaaaAAAaaaaa!!! Don't look at me with such pity in your eyes! Don't look at meeeheeeeheeeeeeeeeEEEeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!"...This game called 'Sympathy' may be more terrifying than I could ever imagine… BGM: Digital Network  So, it's 'Fish'! Come to think about it, I haven't eaten sushi in a while. By the way, rather than lean tuna, I'm quite the connoisseur on things like flounder! ...I wonder who I'll match with this answer. Because for a Japanese person, anyone would think of this.  BGM: Silence SFX: Higurashi 'Sushi'. How about that for an answer! When you see a lively fish, do you want to steam it or grill it? No, to have fresh sashimi is the epitome of cuisine! Rather than write 'sashimi', however, I'll choose the more amiable term in 'sushi' - That is my cunning ploy!! ...But contrary to the intrepid resolve of my reply, everybody's expression was listless.  BGM: Sutakorasassa (Helter Skelter) "Wa-aaaaaaAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaa!! Stop talking to me in that consoling tone! Stop iiiiiiiiiiiit!!!" "Well then, should the rest of us show our answers? Ready, go!"'Dolphin'. 'Whale'. 'Aquarium'. 'Aquarium'. "Rika and I have the same answer! That's 2 points!!" "Rena picked whale, eh? I thought about that too, but I ended up picking dolphin." "Ah, really!? Rena wanted to write dolphin at first... but Rena didn't think anybody else would write it..." "...Either one of them is very kyute."Everybody, excluding me, stopped and stared blankly as their thoughts drifted over the horizon. It seems as if they can hear the roar of the open sea from over there...  "...Keiichi-kun's answers... were worth 0 points, ...but Rena thinks they were very unique and interesting! Interesting!" "To immediately think of food when you hear the word fish. ...Kei-chan, you should really be ashamed of how destitute your soul is, huh." "WaaaAAAaaaaaaaaaaaAAaaaaa!! Don't say something like my soul is destituuuuuuuuUUuuuuuuuuuute!! ”Besides, what's with Mion and Rena's answers, anyways! Those aren't even fish! Those are mammals!!" "Objection overruled!! Next!!"Wh-What a horrid game this is today!! As the games pile on and on, it seems as if I will be further exposed as a petty human being!! I'm the only one who still hasn't earned any points!! I want to at least get a point in the next round!! BGM: Digital Network  Dammit!! This time I'll do it!! Keep your cool, Keiichi Maebara! Don't think what you would normally think! Everybody else here is a girl! Stop thinking like a man!! If you write down "Sakura Mochi" here you'll only be repeating the tragedies of the past! Throw away that gastrocentric male sensibility! Just for now think of yourself as a girl! You are a girl... You are a girl... I am a girl...!!!  "Keiichi-san, if you don't start getting points right now, won't it be a bit dangerous~?"Hmph! This time it's perfect. I've completely suppressed my own instincts. This time... I will have a match! No, I will *make* it match!!!  "... I like them too. I wrote it down."Rena and Rika giggled together. "WhooOOOOOooooaaaaaaahh!! Now is not the time to think with your stomach!!" "That's riiiight! When you say 'Sakura' it just has to be 'Hanami', yeah? I wrote that down too!"Mion and Satoko's response was 'Hanami'! 'Hanami', seriously!?!? "Th-Th-That's the kind of event where old geezers getting drunk and doing all sorts of depraved things is the standard, isn't iiiiiiitttt!!! And why of all times did you just decide to abandon answering from a girl's point of view!!" "Well then, Kei-chan. ...What sort of girly response did YOU write down?" "I-i-it's nothing!! Let's move on to this next topic, moving o-- ...Ah." "...'Card Master Sakura' is written down here."BGM: Silence It became dead quiet. The abrupt silence enveloped the room. It would be fine if somebody at least laughed at me or played it off as something dumb... but nobody even flinched. The feeling in the pit of my stomach reached critical mass, causing my once blood-drained face to flush with a sudden wave of heat. BGM: Sutakorasassa (Helter Skelter)  “It's broken through to every demographic from little girls to grown meeeeeeen!! You've seen it, haven't you!? No, you've definitely seen it, even I've seheheeen iiiiiiiiit!!!!" "...Um yeah, even without the forced explanation, I know about it. It's that thingy where she fights in a different costume every week, right? Yeah. I know, I know." "Yup, yup. It's kyute, isn't it! Rena sometimes browses through it at the magazine stand to keep up with the story☆." "I saw it for the first time recently. Sakura is cool and so cheerful all the time!" "...I like that girl who's always filming with the camcorder." I felt like I had inadvertently blurted out something unnecessary and had completely self-destructed but... that wasn't the main problem. "S-So you all know it, don't yoooooooou!?!? Then why didn't you write it dooooooooooooown!?!? Sakura means Sakura Kinomoto!! Sakura-tan *pant pant*!! Card Master Sakura is the right answeeeeeeeeeeeer!!!"*poomph* Mion quietly put her hand on my shoulder.  "GyaaaaaaaaAAAaaaaaAAA!! Why is everybody looking at me with those eyes filled with piittttttyyyyyyyyy!!!" "Th-That's not true, Keiichi-kun... Ok! Let's do our best! Here's where the comeback begins!" "There's no coming back for Keiichi-san the geezer!! Now give up quietly and accept your penalty!!"Wh-What was today's penalty game again... !?  "Nuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!" "Alright!! If you're real members of this club, show me you won't let anybody come back from this disadvantage!! Alright, alright, let's keep it rolling!!"
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Aug 17, 2021 19:12
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Mion posted:"Oh I didn't let that little detail get by~! I have a nice XL size one prepared juuust for Kei-chan!! So, Kei-chan, are you ready!? I'm going to have you walk around outside dressed up as a maid~!!! Mion. Calm the gently caress down.
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Aug 18, 2021 01:39
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Viola the Mad posted:
I know, right?!? Did she have that specifically made with Keiichi, or hell, Satoshi in mind?
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Aug 18, 2021 03:26
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TKMobile posted:I know, right?!? Did she have that specifically made with Keiichi, or hell, Satoshi in mind? why are you putting these questions in my head STAHP 
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Aug 18, 2021 05:36
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TKMobile posted:I know, right?!? Did she have that specifically made with Keiichi, or hell, Satoshi in mind? I don't think she had it made, remember an earlier tip says a relative owns a second hand store that collects tons of outfits, presumably she gets all of these punishment outfits from there.
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Aug 18, 2021 06:12
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