Throwing Balls/Transcript: Difference between revisions

MISHA: "Really? Ahahaha! Shicchan was worried you would try to get out of it somehow! We need you, Hicchan~!"

NARRATOR: "It's depressing that even something as small as this is enough to make me realize my own mortality. I guess there won't ever be a time when I'll be able to forget about it. Even today, when I thought I would be able to just enjoy myself, on this beautiful night and in this beautiful place, I can't escape the reason why I'm here. I've never felt so at peace in my life, in this place which is like nowhere else I've ever been. It's hard now to keep from thinking the unthinkable: That I may just have been sent here to die."

NARRATOR: "Misha takes a bite out of a small, triangular sandwich."

NARRATOR: "The sound of people talking below us is like faint music alongside the chirping of crickets in the distance. I take a sip from the can of punch and look over at Misha, who looks as if she's sleeping comfortably with her back stretched out and a half-full can of apple juice balanced on her stomach. Shizune sits with her legs drawn close to her, rocking back and forth slowly like an impatient child as she stares up at the sky. The two of them are so cute. I look around and can see many students holding hands with their girlfriends or their boyfriends. Not too far from us on this roof, there are couples gazing up at the stars or down at the lights of the festival, holding each other's hand. A part of me wants that."

NARRATOR: "Looking at Shizune and Misha, I wonder if maybe I should ask one of them out some day. I wonder if it would be worth the risk. The golden hands moving across the face of the delicate watch on Shizune's wrist catch my eye, and I see that it's getting kind of late. But the festivities are still going strong. Shizune is still holding the stuffed cat I won by the paw. She notices me looking at it."

NARRATOR: "Offhandedly, she offers it to me. I smile, wanting to ask her what I would do with it, but she wouldn't be able to understand me. I shake my head and try my best to tell her to keep it, hoping she'll understand. As I look out towards the school, I can see before me so many people, all of which are happy and cheerful. Watching them makes me feel content. This really was something. Today was worth it. But I still can't shake the feelings of guilt and melancholy from earlier, they keep hanging onto me, and I can't let them go. Shizune signs something to me, and I can't understand her. No matter what I say, she won't be able to hear me."

HISAO: "I can't understand you, Shizune. Well, whatever. I wonder if we both consider ourselves at fault for this. Anyway, I'm sorry for not being able to understand. You know, I'm almost, almost glad that you tried to coerce me into coming here. If I attempt to date you, though, I might have to think more about that side of you. No, actually... I'm glad. Today was nice. You would be cuter if you smiled more, you have a nice smile."

NARRATOR: "Frustrated, she stands up, arms behind her back, looking authoritative and confident against the backdrop of stars. Suddenly, Shizune throws her arms out towards the open sky, seeming to hold it between her hands. It's as if she's telling me to look at everything in front of me: The school, bathed with the festival's glow and lit up with the colorful yukata, the roof illuminated by fireflies, the sky so vast that it imposes the feeling of awe onto you. What does she want? It slowly dawns on me with time. This beautiful scene before me is proof that there are things wonderful enough that spoiling them with a bad mood would be unforgivable. And I can feel the weight of Shizune's personality pressing the point further."

NARRATOR: "I look away, but then Shizune grabs me by the shoulder, her watch brushing against my cheek. With her left hand, she points up at the sky. With faint pops, fireworks begin to go off in the sky, each one spreading a shower of bright colors that slowly fade into the dark. I can't even recall the last time I saw fireworks at all, much less a display this large. Not to mention it seems that they're being launched from the school; it's almost impossible to believe. The lights in the sky mingle with a second salvo from the town below, and they seem timed to complement each other like two parts of a duet. They continue for maybe fifteen more minutes, and then stop. Shizune realizes her hand is still on my shoulder and withdraws it carefully, looking a little uncomfortable."

NARRATOR: "Regaining her composure, she grins, with her hands on her hips and her chest thrust out in front of her. It's in these moments that she seems most like a regular teenage girl. Energetic, happy, and carefree. I eat thoughtfully with Shizune, the two of us looking out at the gradually thinning crowds below in silence. She sits leaning forward slightly, her chin resting softly on her hands and a contented look on her face with just a hint of wistfulness. All the while still gently holding on to the stuffed cat's paw. I start feeling tired and I tell her that I'll see her and Misha tomorrow, without even realizing that she can't hear me, and then start walking back to the dorms."

NARRATOR: "I feel warm and alive, even in this chilly night air. The image of Shizune standing forcefully before the stars themselves, denying my self-pity, does not leave my mind easily. If... if it only takes a moment for there to be love, I think I may be falling in love with her. Just a little bit."

<p style="text-align:center;">'''END OF ACT 1'''</p>