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| My first impression was right; the library is surprisingly big.
| | FUCK OFF WEEBS XD[[Category:Transcripts]] |
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| Ambling down the narrow aisles, I study the spines of the books in random order, occasionally sliding one out to read the blurb, taking it with me if it looks good.
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| In a few moments I have a respectable stack of books in my arms.
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| I guess I'll never be stuck for choice in here.
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| The normality of the library sinks in. Sure, there are large-print and Braille books scattered throughout, but it is what it is: a library.
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| It's as if the calm mood from the room I had tea with Lilly in snuck with us in here, unless it was here to begin with.
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| Something about that puts me at ease, just like before.
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| I reach the end of the aisle and find a collection of desks, set up for study or personal reading. Going a little further, though, I discover a nice quiet corner at the back.
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| While the rest of the library has the odd student sitting at a desk either reading or stealthily sleeping, the back is pretty much deserted.
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| As I glance around, I see someone who I recognize sitting on one of several beanbags.
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| It's the dark-haired girl from my class. The one who snuck out of the classroom earlier.
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| She's reading a book, keeping it close to her face which makes her look like she's really into it.
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| From the way she was acting today, I had her pegged as more of a delinquent than a bookworm. In fact, her mysterious disappearance from the class raises all sorts of whys in my head.
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| Intrigue floats slowly but surely towards the surface, and before I know it I'm walking towards the mysterious long-haired girl.
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| I guess there's no harm in introducing myself as I would with anyone else. She's a classmate after all.
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| Walking over to another beanbag, I take a seat and lay my books besides it.
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| The girl starts, looking scaredly up at me from underneath her fringe.
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| This is the first time I've seen her this close. Underneath her long, dense bangs, I can see that part of her face, at least a third if not a half, is pretty badly scarred.
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| My eyes are immediately drawn to the scars, subconsciously peeking past her hair until they meet her own eyes.
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| For a second, I am shocked, and divert my eyes to the book in her hands, before I realize that looking away probably only makes it worse.
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| It takes too many seconds to collect myself and remember what I walked up to her for.
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| ==> I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you.==
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| Hisao
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| "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."
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| Purple-haired girl
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| "It... it's okay."
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| The girl certainly doesn't look like it's okay, but I let it slide.
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| Hisao
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| "So, umm... do you mind if I sit here?"
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| She seems to be very uncertain whether it's okay or not for me to sit, but finally she nods, just a little.
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| Purple-haired girl
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| "O... okay."
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| I take the seat next to her, and she hides herself behind her book.
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| "Life of Pi"... Never heard of it.
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| Hisao
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| "So, errr... sorry again for startling you. I'm Hisao."
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| She looks up from her book, stalling a little before replying.
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| Purple-haired girl
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| "I... know."
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| Purple-haired girl
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| "We... are in the same... same class."
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| Her speech is stilted and so quiet that it is barely audible even in the still library.
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| Somehow I think that my "delinquent" impression of her was wrong.
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| Purple-haired girl
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| "H-H-Hanako. I'm... Hanako."
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| ...
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| I resist the urge to say "that's a nice name" just to have something to say, but really, it's the only thing that I can think of.
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| I feel like an idiot. Everyone here must be used to being different to each other, and here I am being all bothered and fussed about that kind of thing.
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| Hisao
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| "Don't let me interrupt your reading. I'll... just check these books if you don't mind."
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| She nods a little, and sighs a little sigh of relief.
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| ...
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| So I try to read the covers and the introductions of the books I picked up and she buries her face in her book.
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| Uncomfortable silence consumes us.
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| My eyes still wander to her direction, and I sneak peeks at her flowing hair and the scar it's hiding.
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| After a while I realize that she's doing the same, and only pretending to immerse in "Life of Pi."
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| Her gaze is not inquisitive at all though, it darts around like a scared rabbit.
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| When our gazes finally meet, the chain reaction is unstoppable.
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| She stands up forcefully from the beanbag and takes a deep breath.
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| Hanako
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| "I..."
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| Hanako
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| "I... I..."
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| Hisao
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| "I...?"
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| Hanako
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| "Ivegottogodosomething!"
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| Without warning, Hanako takes off and runs towards the counter.
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| Her hare-like takeoff catches me so off guard that I don't manage to go after her until she has a good head start.
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| By the time I reach the counter she is nowhere to be seen.
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| Lilly and Yuuko are happily chatting away.
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| Knowing that I won't be able to catch Hanako myself, I approach the girls.
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| Hisao
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| "Hey, did you see... er... notice a girl run past here?"
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| Yuuko
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| "Um, maybe... what did she look like?"
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| Hisao
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| "Long, dark hair. Kinda shy. She had... well... some scars... on her... face."
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| Lilly
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| "You wouldn't be talking about Hanako, would you?"
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| Hisao
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| "Yeah, that's her. I saw her reading and tried to talk to her, but I think I scared her off or something."
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| Lilly
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| "Oh dear. Yuuko, would you excuse me, I had better try and find her."
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| Yuuko
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| "S-sure. I'll just hold onto these until you come back."
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| Hisao
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| "Um, what's going on?"
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| Lilly
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| "I'm sorry, but I'll have to explain it to you some other time."
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| Hisao
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| "Right. I'll see you later then..."
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| Lilly hastily grabs her cane and hurries out of the library, leaving me alone with Yuuko.
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| Hisao
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| "I don't think I'll ever get the hang of this place."
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| Hisao
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| "Did I do something wrong?"
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| Yuuko
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| "What did you do?"
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| Hisao
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| "Nothing! I was just looking for some books and then she got this fit and ran off."
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| Hisao
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| "The most offending thing I can think of was that I might've looked at her general direction a few times."
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| Yuuko
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| "Well, she is a very timid girl."
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| Yuuko
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| "You have to be very careful around her. She can be very jumpy, I think, and she's not accustomed to talking with other people."
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| Hisao
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| "Isn't that a bit... strange?"
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| Yuuko
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| "I wonder... It's just how she is, I think."
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| Yuuko doesn't sound all that convincing. Then again, maybe this is just the norm around here.
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| Everyone has their own problems, or else they wouldn't be here.
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| Hisao
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| "But how should I deal with these people? Forcing myself to act overly casually only makes me feel phony."
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| Hisao
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| "Like I was supposed to be ignoring the elephant in the room."
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| Yuuko fidgets, looking like she wants to say something to that, but resists it.
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| Yuuko
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| "I think it's an elephant only if you feel that way."
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| I guess she doesn't have a good sense of self-restraint. It makes me smile, and she blushes heavily.
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| Yuuko
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| "W... what? Did that sound stupid?"
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| Hisao
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| "No no, it sounded really wise. I guess you're right. It's more about me than anyone else."
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| Neither of us has anything to add so Yuuko fills the silence by shuffling some papers around.
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| People who have papers on their desks really like doing that.
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| Yuuko
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| "Did you find any books? I should be closing soon. I mean this library should be closing. But I have to do it. I hope that's not too inconvenient for you."
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| Hisao
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| "Oh. Yeah, I want some books, but I left them over there because..."
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| Hisao
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| "...I'll just go get them."
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| I fetch my stack of books from beside the beanbags where Hanako and I were sitting and return to the counter.
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| Yuuko
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| "Wow. You read a lot, don't you?"
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| Hisao
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| "I surprise myself with that too, honestly. At least, when I really think about it."
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| Hisao
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| "I had a lot of free time earlier this year, so I just kind of... started reading books to fill that time. I couldn't do much else."
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| Yuuko
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| "I see."
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| But she doesn't say anything else, and just checks out my books for me.
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| I guess this is what they call "tact."
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| ==> Hi! I'm new here. Hisao Nakai. We're in the same class.==
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| Hisao
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| "Hi! I'm new here. Hisao Nakai. We're in the same class."
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| ...
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| Hisao
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| "Umm... I just transferred here the other day. Maybe you don't remember?"
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| ...
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| Hisao
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| "I did a self-introduction too."
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| ...
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| The girl still doesn't say a word, but simple stares at me, wide-eyed.
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| Hisao
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| "I'm still getting used to the place so I'm trying to meet as many people as I can."
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| Hisao
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| "So, er... what's your name?"
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| Purple-haired girl
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| "H... Hanako..."
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| Her speech is stuttering and so quiet that it is barely audible even in the still library.
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| Somehow I think that my "delinquent" impression of her was wrong.
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| Hisao
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| "Hanako, eh? So what are you reading?"
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| She gently tips the book backwards so that I can read the title, at the same time hiding her face behind it.
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| She must have noticed me staring before.
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| Hisao
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| "Life of Pi? I've never heard of it before. What's it about?"
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| Hanako
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| "A boy... and a tiger..."
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| Hanako
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| "...on a boat..."
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| I can see this taking sometime.
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| Hisao
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| "Sounds interesting. Is it any good?"
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| She nods from behind the book, but stays silent.
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| She looks kinda tense. A bit like Yuuko earlier, but in a different way. More like... petrified with terror, I'd say.
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| So the mystery delinquent girl turned out to be anything but, and she is quivering in a way that makes it look like she is mortally afraid of me.
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| The only way out of this, as far as I can tell, is to try to get a normal conversation going.
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| Hisao
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| "Is it a library book? I'm looking for new ones to read, but there's just so many..."
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| Hanako
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| "N-no. It's mine."
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| Hisao
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| "Oh. So... do you come here often?"
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| ...
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| A huge, huge blush spreads on Hanako's face and her eyes widen far larger than I thought it was possible for eyes to do.
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| Uh-oh. Did she interpret my lame attempt at small talk as a feeble attempt to pick her up?
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| Hisao
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| "I mean... ehh... I didn't mean it like that..."
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| Hanako
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| "I..."
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| Hanako
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| "I... I..."
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| Hisao
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| "I...?"
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| Hanako
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| "Ivegottogodosomething!"
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| | |
| Without warning, Hanako takes off and runs towards the counter.
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| | |
| Her hare-like takeoff catches me so off guard that I don't manage to go after her until she has a good head start.
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| | |
| By the time I reach the counter she is nowhere to be seen.
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| | |
| Lilly and Yuuko are happily chatting away.
| |
| | |
| Knowing that I won't be able to catch Hanako myself, I approach the girls.
| |
| | |
| Hisao
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| "Hey, did you see... er... notice a girl run past here?"
| |
| | |
| Yuuko
| |
| "Um, maybe... what did she look like?"
| |
| | |
| Hisao
| |
| "Long, dark hair. Kinda shy. She had... well... some scars... on her... face."
| |
| | |
| Lilly
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| "You wouldn't be talking about Hanako, would you?"
| |
| | |
| Hisao
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| "Yeah, that's her. I saw her reading and tried to talk to her, but I think I scared her off or something."
| |
| | |
| Lilly
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| "Oh dear. Yuuko, would you excuse me, I had better try and find her."
| |
| | |
| Yuuko
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| "S-sure. I'll just hold onto these until you come back."
| |
| | |
| Hisao
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| "Um, what's going on?"
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| | |
| Lilly
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| "I'm sorry, but I'll have to explain it to you some other time."
| |
| | |
| Hisao
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| "Right. I'll see you later then..."
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| | |
| Lilly hastily grabs her cane and hurries out of the library, leaving me alone with Yuuko.
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| | |
| Hisao
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| "I don't think I'll ever get the hang of this place."
| |
| | |
| Hisao
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| "Did I do something wrong?"
| |
| | |
| Yuuko
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| "What did you do?"
| |
| | |
| Hisao
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| "Nothing! I was just looking for some books and then she got this fit and ran off."
| |
| | |
| Hisao
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| "The most offending thing I can think of was that I might've looked at her general direction a few times."
| |
| | |
| Yuuko
| |
| "Well, she is a very timid girl."
| |
| | |
| Yuuko
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| "You have to be very careful around her. She can be very jumpy, I think, and she's not accustomed to talking with other people."
| |
| | |
| Hisao
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| "Isn't that a bit... strange?"
| |
| | |
| Yuuko
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| "I wonder... It's just how she is, I think."
| |
| | |
| Yuuko doesn't sound all that convincing. Then again, maybe this is just the norm around here.
| |
| | |
| Everyone has their own problems, or else they wouldn't be here.
| |
| | |
| Hisao
| |
| "But how should I deal with these people? Forcing myself to act overly casually only makes me feel phony."
| |
| | |
| Hisao
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| "Like I was supposed to be ignoring the elephant in the room."
| |
| | |
| Yuuko fidgets, looking like she wants to say something to that, but resists it.
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| | |
| Yuuko
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| "I think it's an elephant only if you feel that way."
| |
| | |
| I guess she doesn't have a good sense of self-restraint. It makes me smile, and she blushes heavily.
| |
| | |
| Yuuko
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| "W... what? Did that sound stupid?"
| |
| | |
| Hisao
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| "No no, it sounded really wise. I guess you're right. It's more about me than anyone else."
| |
| | |
| Neither of us has anything to add so Yuuko fills the silence by shuffling some papers around.
| |
| | |
| People who have papers on their desks really like doing that.
| |
| | |
| Yuuko
| |
| "Did you find any books? I should be closing soon. I mean this library should be closing. But I have to do it. I hope that's not too inconvenient for you."
| |
| | |
| Hisao
| |
| "Oh. Yeah, I want some books, but I left them over there because..."
| |
| | |
| Hisao
| |
| "...I'll just go get them."
| |
| | |
| I fetch my stack of books from beside the beanbags where Hanako and I were sitting and return to the counter.
| |
| | |
| Yuuko
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| "Wow. You read a lot, don't you?"
| |
| | |
| Hisao
| |
| "I surprise myself with that too, honestly. At least, when I really think about it."
| |
| | |
| Hisao
| |
| "I had a lot of free time earlier this year, so I just kind of... started reading books to fill that time. I couldn't do much else."
| |
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| Yuuko
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| "I see."
| |
| | |
| But she doesn't say anything else, and just checks out my books for me.
| |
| | |
| I guess this is what they call "tact."
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| [[Category:Transcripts]] | |
| [[Category:Act 1 Transcripts]] | | [[Category:Act 1 Transcripts]] |