Underwater and a Maple with a Name/Transcript: Difference between revisions

NARRATOR: "She plops down on the forest bed, leaning on the maple she named the Worry Tree. After wondering what to do for a minute, I sit down too, three feet apart from her. The forest envelops us in its embrace, and its stillness falls upon the two of us. We sit there without speaking for a long while. I can literally feel the time passing. Patches of sunlight litter the small clearing in a pattern that echoes the maple canopies. One of them falls directly on me, warming me all the way to the bone. I wonder what I could do for myself, and maybe for Rin. For now, I just keep watching her from this distance. Sometimes she cranes her neck all the way back, so much that it looks almost painful, and stares up at the small patch of sky visible past the canopy of the Worry Tree. Sometimes she just stares blankly ahead, as if seeing something just beyond her reach. She keeps whispering to herself but so quietly that I can't hear her, even though I'm sitting right next to her."

NARRATOR: "I only see her lips moving, like she was in the middle of a distant dream. I realize that right now, I no longer feel any of the intense loneliness I feel at night, just before falling asleep. I might be more like Rin than I thought. I can either give up and stay submerged under the weight of all the crap in my life, or try to change myself for the better. Her decision is different, yet the same. And unlike her, I know for sure that I can't stay like this forever. I have to change."

NARRATOR: "Emi probably has done it. She's so happy and energetic, a runner girl without legs. If anyone has “beaten” a disability, it must be her."|-|

NARRATOR: "It makes me feel a little bit better too, and I lean back against the tree, breathing out deeply as if for the first time in a long time. We stay that way in the small clearing until the angle of sun changes and the chilly shadows deepen. No longer warm where we sit, we leave the forest, returning along the same path we took coming in. It doesn't seem like Rin has come to a decision."

NARRATOR: "While we walk back towards the dormitories, the sky is changing to a deep ultramarine. The first summer stars twinkle softly from between spots in the canopy, barely visible like tiny fireflies. I become very self-conscious about Rin's presence."

NARRATOR: "I haven't thought much about girls since things fell apart with [[Iwanako]]. This is kind of the same situation as then, but to be honest I don't think it really counts for much. Not with Rin. And yet... it feels good walking next to her, even if it isn't anything more than this. At first, I think Rin agitated me quite a bit with her unpredictable behavior. But recently, I feel I haven't had to be on my toes so much. I've managed to let myself go a little. It makes me feel satisfied, even though ultimately I think it's more thanks to Rin than myself. She seems to be disinterested in a huge number of things, but something in her makes me try harder than I normally would."

NARRATOR: "It's not that I want to impress her; I think that truly impressing Rin would take near-superhuman effort just because of how she is. Instead, it's because there is this relentless feeling inside of me that I shouldn't let Rin down. It's really weird. I wonder why I started thinking like that. I don't even know what sort of expectations she has about pretty much anything. So how could I let her down? Rin has this unassuming air around her, and she doesn't really talk about stuff very often. Even today's confession of her self-doubt caught me a little bit off guard. I feel like I want to talk more with her. The realization suddenly dawns on me that Rin is basically the only person I talk to nowadays, apart from whatever I have to endure from [[Shizune]], [[Misha]] or Kenji. I feel slightly depressed."

NARRATOR: "In front of the dormitories, as if summoned by my dark thoughts, we run into Kenji himself. It feels very odd seeing him outside, breathing fresh outdoor air. At least it's already dusk; I partially expect Kenji would disintegrate upon direct exposure to the sun. Kenji himself seems very insecure as well, standing around looking like he's waiting for something, but doesn't know himself what it might be."

NARRATOR: "Kenji sticks his hand enthusiastically forward, almost straight into Rin's stomach. Rin looks at his outstretched hand in confusion until Kenji clears his throat and retracts the hand. There is something almost cool that he manages to do with social awkwardness. It's not like I'm the most suave man on the planet, but I don't think I'll ever be able to even approach Kenji's level. I think I respect Kenji a little bit more."

KENJI: "Come on man, you know I can't talk about stuff here in public. They might be listening. I'm going to have to go pick up some stuff from somewhere, and I don't want those snooping student council hags to get on my case. Also, I don't trust your friend. Nothing personal. Are you sure he's trustworthy?"

NARRATOR: "He suddenly reaches to his pocket and draws out a ballpoint pen and what looks like a convenience store receipt. Kenji furiously scribbles on the scrap of paper and then thrusts it towards Rin."

NARRATOR: "I take the receipt from Kenji as Rin is unable to do so, and glance at it. It's indeed a receipt, apparently for two rice balls and five boxes of matches. I hope he is not planning to burn anything down. On the other side is written just one word."

KENJI: "Still got your wits about you? No shady mind tricks going on? Nothing personal man, but I have to be on top of things. Can't get caught with my pants down. Speaking of which, you should really take showers a bit later. Gotta respect that personal space. Nothing personal."

NARRATOR: "Kenji takes off rapidly towards the main gate. Rin looks after him, frowning. We watch after Kenji's diminishing figure in silence."

<p style="text-align:center;">'''Next Scene: [[Iwanako's Regret/Transcript|Iwanako's Regret]]'''</p>