Up, Down, and Up Again/Transcript
NARRATOR: "The library is cooler, I think, than the rest of the building. Probably to keep the books from getting damaged by excessive heat or cold, or humidity. Books are hardy things, but if you want to keep them in good condition it takes a little effort. I've got several books that are so well-worn the pages are barely clinging to the spine. It seems impossible for them to still be useable, but if you handle them with care... I make my way to the main desk, where I spot Yuuko busying herself with something or another. She smiles at me as I enter and waves."
YUUKO: "Hello, Hisao. Good to see you again! What are you looking for this time?"
HISAO: "Nothing in particular, I guess. I just didn't really feel like going back to my room is all."
NARRATOR: "Yuuko nods."
YUUKO: "Well, if you're unoccupied, maybe you could help me look for something?"
HISAO: "Sure, what do you need?"
NARRATOR: "Yuuko brings a finger to her lips and looks around furtively. She seems to be looking for eavesdroppers."
YUUKO: "Come closer."
NARRATOR: "I give a few hesitant steps forward while feeling distinctly unnerved. Yuuko lowers her voice to a confidential whisper."
YUUKO: "I'm on the trail of the Yamaku Cat Burglar."
HISAO: "The what?"
YUUKO: "Shh! The walls have ears, Hisao! Or they might. But listen! Those missing books, remember them?"
HISAO: "Er, yeah?"
YUUKO: "Well, they weren't missing! They were stolen! I'm convinced of it!"
HISAO: "I remember you saying something of the sort earlier, but how do you know?"
NARRATOR: "Yuuko leans in closer and, if possible, whispers even lower."
YUUKO: "Because I found one of his hiding places!"
HISAO: "You did what?"
NARRATOR: "Yuuko looks triumphant."
YUUKO: "Found one of his stashes! It was under one of the stairwells in the boy's dorm! Three books I'd been looking for, all there! I'd suspected a thief before, but this proves it!"
HISAO: "So did you take back the books?"
NARRATOR: "Yuuko looks as if I've just suggested she walk around naked."
YUUKO: "Are you nuts? He can't know I'm on to him! He might go to ground and evade capture!"
HISAO: "Uh...huh. So what do you need my help with, then?"
NARRATOR: "Yuuko casts another glance around the library and leans in closer."
YUUKO: "You've got to spy for me."
HISAO: "Spy?"
YUUKO: "Yeah, like when you're in the dorms, you know. Keep an eye out for suspicious activity."
NARRATOR: "What constitutes suspicious, anyway? I mean Kenji's a pretty suspicious dude, but I'll wager he barely goes to class, much less sneaks into the library to pilfer books. Still, what's the harm in saying yes? At the least it'll get me out of this weird conversation."
HISAO: "Yeah, I can do that. No problem."
NARRATOR: "Yuuko straightens up and claps excitedly."
YUUKO: "Great! Now, hurry up and talk about something else in case someone comes in! How's the school treating you?"
HISAO: "Er, pretty well, actually. I've been running in the mornings with—"
YUUKO: "Emi Ibarazaki, right?"
HISAO: "Uh, yeah. How'd you know?"
YUUKO: "I served you two in the teahouse, remember? I deduced that if you were going to run with anyone, it would probably be her."
NARRATOR: "She looks pleased with herself."
HISAO: "Impressive. Anyway, yes. We've been running in the mornings. And uh, we kinda started dating."
NARRATOR: "I have no idea why I mention this fact to Yuuko. Probably because she just seems like the sort of person who'd want to know. Or maybe because I just want to tell someone about it. I mean it's not every day you get a girlfriend. So the desire to tell people about it is, I confess, a little strong. Yuuko claps her hands together excitedly."
YUUKO: "Really? That's great! I'll bet you two are great together! I love seeing people find one another like that, you know? I even thought to myself when you walked into the Shanghai that one time, “I wonder if that kid will wind up with one of those girls.”"
HISAO: "...Really?"
NARRATOR: "Yuuko doesn't seem to notice my somewhat weirded out tone and nods affirmatively."
YUUKO: "Yup! I could tell that you'd wind up with one of them, you know. I've got an eye for that sort of thing. Of course..."
NARRATOR: "Her expression droops slightly."
YUUKO: "I'm not so good at it myself."
HISAO: "Aw, I'm sure that's not true."
YUUKO: "Oh, it's true. I met this guy once... We got along really great, but it turned out he was younger than me. And that was kinda weird, but not terribly so. What was really weird was that he disappeared one day and I've not seen him since."
HISAO: "Huh. That does seem kind of odd."
YUUKO: "Doesn't it? I hope it wasn't something I did..."
NARRATOR: "I feel compelled to reassure her."
HISAO: "I'm sure it wasn't."
NARRATOR: "I half-expect to have to elaborate, but this seems to calm down Yuuko."
YUUKO: "You don't think it was because he was—"
NARRATOR: "But I never find out what he was, because quite suddenly the phone at the reference desk begins to ring."
YUUKO: "What? That phone never rings!"
NARRATOR: "Muttering, she picks up the phone and answers it cheerily."
YUUKO: "Yamaku Library reference desk~"
NARRATOR: "The professional friendly lilt at the end of her sentence makes me think of Misha."
YUUKO: "Oh, hello Emi."
NARRATOR: "She shoots me a look with a raised eyebrow."
YUUKO: "Yes, he's here. Yes, of course."
NARRATOR: "She hands me the receiver with a puzzled look."
YUUKO: "It's for you."
NARRATOR: "Confused, I hesitate for a moment before speaking."
HISAO: "Emi? What's up?"
EMI: "Oh thank God I don't have your room number and I couldn't think of where you would be other than here and I can't—"
HISAO: "Woah there Emi, slow down."
HISAO: "What's wrong?"
NARRATOR: "There's a pause on the other side of the line, during which I can hear Emi trying to control her breathing in order to calm down. Something's got her terribly agitated, and it's starting to agitate me."
EMI: "Can you just... Can you stop by? Like, now? Or shortly after now? I really, really need to talk to you."
NARRATOR: "There's a tone of pleading in the last sentence that I don't think I've ever heard from her."
HISAO: "Of course, I'll be right there. Hold steady, okay?"
NARRATOR: "In my increasingly agitated state I've apparently started saying things that don't quite make sense."
EMI: "Okay. I'll be okay."
HISAO: "See you soon."
NARRATOR: "I hang up the phone, apologize to Yuuko for running off, and run off. Perhaps at some point I would have stopped to think about the lateness of the hour, or how suspicious it looks for a guy to enter the girl's dorm at this hour. Except right now I'm just concerned with getting to Emi and finding out what's wrong and how I can help her. I knock on the door and am greeted with a subdued “Come in.”"
NARRATOR: "Something is very wrong as I stare at the scene before me. Emi's there, yes. But she's in a wheelchair. And her legs are missing. I glance around the room and see them sitting in a corner, looking like they've been thrown there. Emi responds to my entrance with a lopsided grin that is both pleased to see me and completely, utterly heartbroken."
HISAO: "Emi? What happened?"
EMI: "Guess I should've listened to you, Hisao. My leg's got a nasty infection. I'm not allowed to run on it for at least a couple of weeks."
NARRATOR: "She gives a bitter laugh that shouldn't be coming from her."
EMI: "Heh, I can't even walk on it. I could have used a crutch and kept one of my legs, but I didn't see the point. Why hop? You can't run on one leg. At least this way I can still, I dunno, roll fast or something."
HISAO: "Y-yeah, that's good, right?"
NARRATOR: "My awkward attempt to look on the bright side seems appreciated. But not really effective. Emi shrugs again."
EMI: "It's just... kind of a nuisance. I mean, we can't even eat up on the roof now. No wheelchair access."
HISAO: "Yeah, but that's not a big deal, right? I mean we can still eat together, and that's the important thing."
NARRATOR: "That lopsided grin again. It hurts to look at."
EMI: "I suppose so, yeah. But like I said, it's a nuisance. I mean, I haven't used a wheelchair extensively in..."
NARRATOR: "She thinks for a minute."
EMI: "Maybe seven years? Something like that, anyway. A long time. I'm afraid I'm a bit out of practice."
HISAO: "Well, fortunately it's only temporary, right?"
NARRATOR: "Emi nods."
EMI: "Oh yeah, of course. It's not like I've lost 'em permanently. But it's a pain in the ass all the same."
NARRATOR: "I nod sympathetically. There's not much else I can do, after all. What am I gonna do, say “I told you so?” Although I did tell her to get that leg looked at. But by the time I noticed, it was too late anyway."
HISAO: "Do you need help with anything? Er, that is, can I help with anything?"
NARRATOR: "Emi shakes her head and there's a bit of her usual grin back."
EMI: "Nah, I can manage fine by myself. Although if you want to help me over to my bed, it would save me the trouble of rolling over there myself."
NARRATOR: "I blush, in spite of myself. Emi giggles."
EMI: "You're such a prude, Hisao."
HISAO: "I'm not a prude! I just wouldn't want to take advantage of a young woman such as yourself. It's ungentlemanly."
NARRATOR: "I wheel Emi's chair to her bed, and easily scoop her up and deposit her there. She's actually a little heavier than she looks. It would be rude of me to observe this aloud, of course."
HISAO: "Man, you're kind of heavy."
NARRATOR: "Emi hits me with a pillow."
EMI: "Ass."
HISAO: "Just sayin' is all. Must be all that running."
NARRATOR: "At the mention of running Emi's grin falters slightly."
EMI: "Heh, well I guess I won't have to worry about that for a bit, huh? Maybe I'll lose some weight."
NARRATOR: "She shuffles to the side so taht I can sit down next to her, and I do so gratefully."
HISAO: "That's what you do to lose weight, right? Cease physical activity?"
EMI: "I'm pretty sure that's what the nurse would recommend."
HISAO: "Speaking of, are you going to still be showing up in the mornings? I'd hate to run alo—"
EMI: "Ah, shit..."
NARRATOR: "Emi's sudden interjection causes me to look over in shock. She's leaning forward, trying to cover the fact that she's crying by covering her eyes with a hand. Of course, the subdued sobbing makes it pretty obvious that she's crying."
HISAO: "Hey, I'm sorry. Forget I said anything, okay?"
NARRATOR: "I place a hand gingerly around her and pull her close. Emi wraps me in a hug and stays that way for a while."
HISAO: "Sorry. I'm pretty bad at this whole comforting thing, I guess."
EMI: "Don't say that. I'm fine, really."
NARRATOR: "Her voice is slightly muffled by my chest. I pat her head reassuringly."
HISAO: "That's the spirit, right? You'll get through this fine, I know it. Besides, I'm here to help you, remember?"
NARRATOR: "Emi lifts her head and stares at me with tear-stained eyes."
EMI: "Can you? Can you really?"
NARRATOR: "She's grinning lopsidedly, and something sparkles in her gaze. I can't tell if I'm being mocked or not."
HISAO: "Of course. I mean sure, you're a bit heavy, but—mmph!"
NARRATOR: "My witty comment is cut off by the sudden press of Emi's lips on mine. I'm caught off guard, and am rewarded by hitting my head on the wall behind her bed."
HISAO: "Ow."
NARRATOR: "Emi pulls back, trying not to look concerned rather than like she's about to laugh."
EMI: "Are you okay? Sorry!"
NARRATOR: "I rub my head ruefully and grin back at her."
HISAO: "Caught me off guard, there. Is that going to become a habit? Am I going to be lectured by Shizune and Misha more?"
NARRATOR: "At the mention of the duo, Emi giggles."
EMI: "Honestly, those two... If I didn't know why, I'd be utterly confused as to why she hangs around with such an authoritarian."
HISAO: "Which one are we talking about?"
NARRATOR: "Emi laughs."
EMI: "You know exactly which one, Hisao. Misha's hardly authoritarian."
HISAO: "So what's the reason, then?"
EMI: "Huh?"
HISAO: "The reason Misha hangs around Shizune."
EMI: "Er, that's not my place to say."
HISAO: "How do you know?"
EMI: "We...talked about it once."
HISAO: "I see."
NARRATOR: "Emi raises an eyebrow at me."
EMI: "What's that mean, “I see?” Anyway, you seem to be forgetting the original question, don't you?"
HISAO: "Oh yeah, I guess I am. You wouldn't mind giving a guy a little warning, would you? Otherwise I'm liable to wind up with a concussion."
NARRATOR: "I emphasize the point by rubbing at the back of my head. Emi giggles madly."
EMI: "You could wear a helmet. Some kids here do, you know."
NARRATOR: "In response, I grab a pillow from beside me and whack Emi over the head."
HISAO: "Or I could just take revenge!"
NARRATOR: "Emi topples off the bed and lands on the floor with a thump. Crap! Did I hurt her? I lean over the edge of the bed."
HISAO: "Emi? You okay? You didn't hit your—urk!"
NARRATOR: "A hand shoots up and grabs my collar. I land on the floor next to an uproariously laughing Emi."
EMI: "How's that for revenge?"
HISAO: "No fair! You can't take revenge for revenge!"
NARRATOR: "For someone missing most of her legs, Emi's surprisingly agile. I swipe at her, but she deftly rolls out of the way and lands a hit with her pillow. Of course, the odds are against her. I can stand up, for starters. Oof! Guess I can't, after all. Emi seems to have effectively tripped me up, and is now sitting primly astride me."
EMI: "I win."
HISAO: "Death before defeat!"
NARRATOR: "I confess, I play dirty. My hands seek her sides and begin tickling. Emi attempts to keep composure, but her giggling has given me the upper hand. Now I'm in the dominant position."
HISAO: "Ha! I win."
EMI: "You didn't play fair!"
HISAO: "All's fair in love and war, Emi."
EMI: "Well then!"
NARRATOR: "Her eyes twinkle mischievously as she grabs my collar again and pulls herself up into another kiss. This is...different, somehow. It's like she kissed me on the bed just now, except now I'm not hitting my head on anything. She pulls back, nips at my lower lip, and reinitiates the embrace. I can feel a warmth spreading through my body as my heart begins to beat faster. My mind starts to go foggy, and I become vaguely aware of my hand traveling up Emi's shirt. Huh. Wonder what it's doing there. Emi gasps as I reach a breast, then there's a giggle, and then—"
NARRATOR: "How did she get me on my back so fast? I stare up at a grinning Emi."
EMI: "I win."
HISAO: "What? That doesn't count! You used feminine wiles!"
NARRATOR: "Emi laughs at my astonished face and adopts a pretty fair imitation of my voice."
EMI: "“All's fair in love and war,” right? Ha! You're even blushing! I didn't know you were a blusher, Hisao."
HISAO: "You were blushing too!"
EMI: "I'm not!"
HISAO: "Yeah, but you were! You blush all the time! Probably because of your prudish ways!"
NARRATOR: "Even I've got to admit this is a stupid thing to say to a woman who is currently straddling me and had been, up until a few minutes ago, playing tonsil hockey with me. But hey, I needed some kinda comeback."
EMI: "A prude, am I? Well then, let's see who blushes first, shall we?"
NARRATOR: "In a motion of practiced ease, she peels her shirt off and tosses it carelessly aside."
EMI: "Ha!"
NARRATOR: "I fight the urge to blush."
HISAO: "Escalation, is it?"
NARRATOR: "My own shirt follows suit. Emi mock-yawns."
EMI: "You'll have to try harder than th—ah!"
NARRATOR: "It would seem that my hands are acting on their own, again. They gently caress Emi's bare skin, causing her to shiver. I start to say something about how Emi's starting to blush, but it's at this time that her sports bra finds its way over her head and on to the floor."
Adult Content Scene
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NARRATOR: "For a few minutes, neither of us speaks."
EMI: "So, did I blush?"
HISAO: "I didn't notice. Did I?"
NARRATOR: "Emi shrugs, still breathing a little heavily."
EMI: "Didn't notice either."
HISAO: "Well, maybe we should—"
RIN: "I need to use your window."
NARRATOR: "My first instinct is to hide, but then I realize that I'm still pinned under a topless Emi, so there's no running anyway. Rin's eyes pass over Emi, and me, and focus on the window."
RIN: "There was a cloud."
EMI: "A cloud?"
NARRATOR: "Rin nods."
RIN: "I was watching it from my window but it didn't stay in my window. So I need to use your window."
NARRATOR: "Emi shifts a little, causing me to cough in order to cover up a giggle of my own."
EMI: "How long do you need the window for? We're uh. Busy."
NARRATOR: "This time I can't contain my laughter. Rin ignores both Emi and myself and peers out the window. Her shoulders slump, and she looks disappointed."
RIN: "Hmm. It changed into something else. Disappointing."
NARRATOR: "Emi is having trouble keeping a straight face."
EMI: "Sorry to hear that, Rin. Could we have a little privacy now, please?"
NARRATOR: "Rin shrugs, as if to say “Can you?” and hooks her foot around the door, pulling it closed behind her. We both dissolve into raucous laughter, unable to deal with Rin's bizarrely timed visit any other way. After our laughter dies down, I look up at Emi, still sitting atop me."
HISAO: "Well."
NARRATOR: "Emi raises an eyebrow."
EMI: "Well?"
HISAO: "Again?"
NARRATOR: "Emi grins and laughs, and then she nods."
EMI: "We should use the bed, this time."
Next Scene: Storage Space
