Uijin Isu no Hanashi Kanketsuhen
初陣．椅子ノ話 完結編
First Battle: Story/Tale of a Chair (End of an episode)
Rio: I don’t know when it first started, but I do know that it began with Private Sorami Kanata after she had arrived at our squad. It was on that stormy night when she and Private Suminoya Kureha explored the Time Telling Fortress. The incident became a small cut/wound and a crack in the glass lens called reality. I can only think of the incident in those terms/in that way. My friend and commander of the 1121st Tank Platoon/Squad, Lieutenant Felicia Heideman, had erased/destroyed the official records on the incident and saying that it had been erased from the history of Time Telling Fortress. But I felt differently, what was it/what was that incident/event? I felt if I write it down, perhaps I could come to grips on it, and finally understand and settle my feelings on it (alt trans: or else my bottled up feelings would remain festering within me). The incident happened after a month Private Sorami Kanata arrived at her post. The day/Work had passed without incident, and everything seemed to utterly calm/peaceful on that night…
Sorami: Sora no Woto Drama CD.
Kureha: 1121st Division/Squad’s
Noel: Informal…
Kureha: Incident/Activity Report, first report!
Felicia: Episode number 3.5.
Rio: First Campaign/Battle: Story of a Chair (Concluding volume/end of an episode)
Noel: *Yawn*
Felicia: Okay Noel-chan, I know you’ve been working very hard/all night and you’re sleepy but you have oil on your cheek. Let’s get washed up shall we? Now lift your arms (banzai)!
Noel: Lifting…
Felicia: Okay, let’s undress.
Noel: … undressing…
Rio: Seriously, you’re indulgent as always. Take it all right off yourself, right away. Here!
Felicia: Oh, Rio you’re too quick/rough.
Rio: We’re all girls here, so why should we get all embarrassed about it?
Felicia: Hee hee.
Rio: What’s with that laugh?
Felicia: Oh nothing, I’m just remembering when we first met; the innocent Private Rio got all flustered/got red in the face just by seeing our sempais/seniors in their underwear.
Rio: Ah, that… I was… I just wasn’t used to taking baths with other people before, that’s all!
Felicia: It’s okay!
Rio: Don’t be like that!
Felicia: Oh look, Noel-chan got cold because we were standing around listening to your excuses. Let’s get in quickly.
Rio: Seriously…
Sora: Really? So it wasn’t Kureha-chan then?
Kureha: I didn’t touch the laundry at all.
Sora: I see. Then I guess it really was the gho-. That was horrible Kureha, tell me if you’re going to pour/rinse, I got soap in my eyes.
Kureha: Erg, you’re so stubborn! Last time it was Shuku fooling around, this around it’s just your overactive imagination.
Felicia: You two sure are getting along well.
Noel: Yeah, love-love…
Rio: Hey, wait, it doesn’t look like that at all, what are you seeing? Hey you two, what are you arguing about?
Kureha: Oh Rio-sempai! Listen to this, Kanata’s saying it again!
Rio: Saying what?
Kureha: Um, er, about that…
Rio: That?
Kureha: Um, you know… about that… You know what!
Rio: I don’t get what you’re trying to say! I told you before, be specific and precise when reporting/speaking!
Sora: Then I’ll report!
Rio: Very well! Report, Private Sorami Kanata.
Sora: Yes ma’am! It appeared again, ma’am!
Rio: I told you before; I don’t know what you’re talking about!
Sora: The ghost, ma’am!
Rio: URG. EEK…
Kureha: Huh? What’s wrong sempai?
Rio: I… just felt something really cold on my back!
Kureha: EH!?
Rio: *screams* It’s here/appeared!
Kureha: Wow…
Sora: Rio-sempai looks so cute…
Rio: Really? I mean, what was that?!
Felicia: Oh Rio, you’re such a kidder, that was just dripping water from the ceiling.
Rio: What?
Sora: Look up there please.
Kureha: Oh hey, you’re right.
Rio: *cough* Ah, um, er, this bathroom sure gets pretty moist.
Felicia: You know Rio, if you’re trying to make up an excuse; you might want to remove the wash basin you were using as your helmet from your head first.
Rio: Um, this, this is just me showing you how you always must always remember during possible attack to protect your head. (Bad translation)
Felicia: Fine, we understand. Now Noel-chan, I’ll wash your hair so try to be patient okay?
Noel: Hm… I’ll try…
Felicia: You too, Kanata-chan, Kureha-chan, make sure to wash off again. Rio, you too. Let’s make sure to wash our head/hair well. It’s going to be fine, ghosts won’t appear… here at least…
Rio: What did you just say?!
Felicia: Oh, the water was wonderful.
Noel: Satisfying…
Kureha: Rio-sempai, here’s your milk as always.
Rio: Hm. So Kanata…
Sora: Yes?
Rio: Did it… really appear?
Sora: Yes!
Kureha: You’re still going on about that!
Sora: But it’s been really strange lately! Like when I leave bowls out, their position changes. Or just dried clothing becoming completely wet. Oh, and in case, when I left my hair ties in the bathroom, they suddenly appear on my pillow!
Rio: In other words, the stuff left in one place are put somewhere else suddenly. That’s what your experiencing…
Noel: The ghost…
Felicia: You’re trying to say it’s the ghost’s fault?
Sora: Yes, my grandmother told me once, that sometimes ghosts who feel they are being ignored play tricks on people.
Felicia: Say Kana-chan, are you the sort that can see them?
Sora: See them? See what?
Rio: Don’t encourage her Felicia!
Felicia: Now, now. Let’s see, like when you’re walking around at night and realize that there’s something behind you or when you first enter a room or house and feel that there’s something inside?
Sora: Oh you mean that, I’ve never experienced that at all.
Felicia: I see, how about you Noel-chan?
Noel: Ghosts are scary but people are scarier.
Felicia: What about you Rio?
Rio: NEVER! NOT ONCE!
Felicia: Of course, what about you Kureha-chan?
Kureha: I… I… I… Um… well…
Sora: Oh, you have?! That’s amazing!
Kureha: No I haven’t! I’ve never experienced say, in the middle of the night feeling as if I can’t move (ie sleep paralysis or something on my bed) or hearing splashing noises when I’m alone or all of sudden feeling someone behind me and turning around to find no one there or seeing the shadow of someone in the hallway (bad translation)! NEVER NEVER NEVER! NEVER!!
Noel: So you have.
Sora: I’m so jealous/envious.
Kureha: I told you, I never experienced it! Even that chair you’re sitting on, I’ve never saw anything when I went to the other building when I got it there in the middle of the night!
Sora: Ah…
Felicia: Oh my…
Noel: Snap(ped)…
Kureha: Ah! My chair!
Rio: Ha, you’re such a scaredy cat Kureha. It’s because you got all scared/agitated from that ghost talk.
Kureha: So did you, sempai!
Rio: Eh? What did I do?
Sora: Don’t worry about it, it’s just the arm rest that broke, I’m sure Noel-chan can fix that up for you. Right Noel-chan?
Noel: Yeah, I can fix it… or at least that’s that I want to say.
Kureha: No way!
Noel: I don’t know how to do carpentry repair.
Sora: And Kureha-chan went through all that trouble to make sure everyone had matching chairs. Kureha-chan, go ahead and use my chair.
Kureha: It’s fine, that’s your chair, so you use it.
Sora: But that means…
Kureha: Don’t worry about it. To tell you the truth, when I was looking for your chair, there was another chair of the same kind. It’s in much better condition than yours.
Sora: Really?
Kureha: Yup, if we get that, everything will be fine again!
Sora: I’m so glad. So let’s go get it!
Kureha: Huh? You mean right now?
Sora: Yup, I’ll go with you.
Kureha: Um, that’s…
Rio: Oh, you scared?
Kureha: I am not scared. I can go by myself and get it, there’s no such thing as ghosts.
Rio: That’s true, I don’t believe in ghosts and you also don’t believe in them. This is an excellent opportunity deny the existence of ghosts, don’t you think so Kureha?
Kureha: Um, er, well I guess…
Rio: Therefore Private Suminoya, what is your duty/should you do!?
Kureha: Yes ma’am, what might it be?!
Rio: HM?!
Kureha: Um, well, I guess it’ll be like last time or something like that?
Rio: Private Suminoya!!
Kureha: Yes ma’am! I will enter into the said fort/tower/building and bring back from within said building the said chair!
Rio: Very well! Once you have successfully completed your mission, I shall reward with this! This special farm fresh milk with fresh fruit squeezed/mixed in!
Kureha: YEAH! I am utterly honoured!
Rio: You’ll shout/cry with joy when you drink it. We’ll be right behind you! Therefore, right turn, right! Forward, march!
Kureha: Yes ma’am! One-two! One-two! One-two! One-two! One-two! One-two!
Sora: She went…
Noel: Kureha was crying…
Felicia: Oh Rio, you’re so terrible/under handed.
Rio: I do not want to hear that from you of all people! And besides, I don’t believe in ghosts! Therefore, there is no danger to Kureha!.. Right?
Felicia: Let’s hope so.
Rio: Hey!
Felicia: I’m just joking, really. Anyways Rio, how long are you going to be like that? It’s going to be problematic if you’re going to be standing around with just a bath towel on.
Rio: I can’t imagine running into a problem any time soon like this. But I guess I’ll go get changed.
Felicia: Your laundry has been placed on your bed. Try not to pile up too many dirty ones okay? Last time there was a lot.
Rio: Sorry about that.
Felicia: Will you be all right by yourself?
Rio: Of course I will be!
Shuku: *ooot*
Rio: Shut up or I’ll eat you!
Track 2
Rio: Seriously Felicia, always poking her nose into… Huh? Why is it all wet? Oh no, my clothing/laundry, it’s all wet. Why? Eek! As if I would get scared over this! It’s just dripping water from the ceiling. Wha-! Let me out! Oh, it was just the wind. Yeah, the wind. Heh heh, this building is pretty old after all. It’s only natural it would groan and creek every now and then, yeah. Oh, I almost forgot, gotta get changed. Seriously Felicia, how careless of you. Placing my underwear in a place where the roof leaks even though it’s not even raining today. It’ll be fine, I still have few clean/spare ones left. Huh? What? This is all that’s left? Ah, oh this, this is underwear you wear so when you’re wearing tight clothing, that way the outline don’t show up. It’s made so that the fronts real small and leaves your butt completely bare, I hate wearing it usually. Huh, Shukou when the hell did you get in here? Now listen here! This underwear is for fashionable purposes only, because my mother told me I should have something womanly for myself. So it’s… It’s not because I want something sexy (alt trans: It’s not for perverted reasons/purposes)! Don’t misunderstand, got it? Seriously… Well it’s not as if I am going to show it off to anybody, I guess for today, I’ll just have to go with this.
Rio: Oh man, hey Felicia, sorry to bother you, but the roof sprung a leak. This needs to be washed again. Huh?
Felicia: Oh welcome back Rio.
Rio: Why are you by yourself? Where’s Kanata and Noel?
Felicia: They went with Kureha-chan.
Rio: What?
Felicia: While you were out, Kureha-chan came back saying she forgot something. We couldn’t find out exactly what she lost but while she was here, Kanata and Noel-chan said they would go and help her out.
Rio: I see. They get along well.
Felicia: That’s true. I’ll put some tea on, you want some right?
Rio: Yeah, if you could. It sure is taking them long…
Felicia: Yes…
Rio: They’re only looking for a chair, how long is that supposed to take?
Felicia: If you’re so worried, why don’t you go and get them?
Rio: Um, no, it’ll be bad if I go easy/soft on them like that. I’m their superior officer after all.
Felicia: Oh Rio, you don’t have to act so tough when we’re alone together like this.
Rio: It was all right when I was just a subordinate/junior. I could get gush over them and treat them like nicely, but now it’s different. Isn’t it? I want to be a good superior officer, a good sempai/senior to them, just like she was.
Felicia: Rio, you’re so cute.
Rio: Stop teasing me like that.
Felicia: Oh, I’m being completely serious.
Rio: Urg, right now, that’s what ‘teasing’ is.
Felicia: Oh sorry, would you like another cup of tea?
Rio: They’re late…
Felicia: Yes, they are late…
Rio: Seriously, where are those three brats wasting their time at? (alt trans: Where do those three wander off to?)
Felicia: Hey Rio, you know that unlike the landlocked Helvetia, the Holy Roman Empire has a navy right?
Rio: Why are you asking about that all of a sudden?
Felicia: The uniform those sailors/naval members are wearing, even the women in the navy wear pants right?
Rio: Yeah, that’s right.
Felicia: Then is there a country out there with a similar uniform but with skirts out there?
Rio: Never heard of one before.
Felicia: That’s true; perhaps I made the wrong impression that that girl isn’t a bad character/person then.
Rio: What are you rambling about? Hey, when you first arrived to this Time Telling Fortress, you used to say you saw something a lot to surprise/scare me didn’t you?
Felicia: I used to do that…
Rio: But… then one day you stopped talking about it. I thought it was simply because you got tired of teasing/making fun of me about it.
Felicia: I stopped because it seemed to really scare/freak you out. (alt trans: I stopped talking about it because you really didn’t like it)
Rio: If that’s the case… then… you really…
Felicia: Oh, I wonder. Anyways, I’m going to go look for them.
Rio: What?
Felicia: It’s been almost an hour. If it’s taking them this long, they must have gotten into some sort of trouble. Its fine, I won’t ask you to come with me. Just wait here, okay?
Rio: Are you leaving me here alone?!
Felicia: Rio.
Rio: Fine, I got it! I’ll go with you. I just need to go with you right?!
Felicia: Rio, I love that part of you best.
Rio: So it’s our turn to rush in eh?
Felicia: Um, yeah, but you didn’t have to come all the way here carrying an automatic rifle.
Rio: But we have no idea what could come out!
Felicia: Rio, please make sure the safety’s on okay! Well then, let go.
Rio: Yeah…
Felicia: When you look around, you can see ideograms here and there in this building.
Rio: This town was built before the current era. The buildings of the Time Telling Fortress must be from the old era then.
Felicia: Hey Rio, can you read them?
Rio: Read what?
Felicia: The ideograms.
Rio: Oh no, that man… Just my father, I guess the only ones I can are the ones we use in our (family) names. The Church Priests are the ones who specialize in it.
Felicia: What mysterious characters. There are those that look like pictures and those that look like simple alphabets mixed in them.
Rio: The demise of the previous/old era. After the Great Destruction/Apocalypse, Arkadia the First traveled from the distant/remote West with his own people and came upon this land, here he founded this country and built it up with the help of the surviving people of this land. They say that this was the beginning of Helvatia.
Felicia: It sounds quite romantic, doesn’t it? That these are the words/letters from distant ages past when humanity flew in the sky freely. Sometimes when I look at Takemikazuchi, I wonder to myself sometimes, what were the people of the distant past who had such incredible technology like? (Alt trans: how did the people… live like?) Or perhaps, they were the same as us? They laughed, cried, got into pointless fights and fell in love… Perhaps it was like that?
Rio: Who knows? But, you know, it’s like Kanata said. Despite it all, the sound never changes. So no matter when, no matter what the age, no matter what the place, people are the same. There is no doubt about it.
Felicia: How wonderful/beautiful. How very like Kana-chan.
Rio: Yeah…
Girl: *laughing*
Rio: Hey, I told you to quit the weird laughing/giggling
Felicia: Huh? But that wasn’t me this time.
Rio: What?!
Felicia: No Rio!
Rio: Wh- why not! My hands are steady (can’t hear).
Felicia: What was that? My hands are shaking. (can’t hear) It says, come here.
Rio: Stop staring at stuff/places that’s not there!
Felicia: Rio, let’s go!
Rio: Wha-! (can’t hear) Hey Felicia!
Felicia: Is there anyone there? Please answer!
Sora: Sempai~…
Rio: Who is it?
Sora: I’m so glad. Rio sempai!
Rio: Kanata.
Felicia: Noel-chan too. I’m so glad your safe.
Noel: Felicia, but…
Sora: Kureha-chan’s…
Rio: What is it? What’s wrong Kureha?
Felicia: Pull yourself together!
Sora: She suddenly fainted.
Felicia: Let me see! No external wounds, no fever and her breathing is normal/stable. From what I can see, she’s only unconscious.
Rio: I see, I’m glad. Kanata, Noel, tell me what happened.
Sora: Yes ma’am.
Rio: Three hours?!
Sora: About that, we’ve been lost the entire time.
Rio: Wait a moment, but only an hour past since you left us.
Sora: But…
Noel: It’s as Kanata says, we were lost the entire time.
Rio: If it was just Kanata, it would be normal but you too Noel?
Noel: Inconceivable. But that’s what happened.
Rio: That’s impossible.
Sora: At first it was really great/fun, we showed Noel-chan the classroom that me and Kureha-chan had gone to before.
Rio: Classroom?
Noel: Kanata thinks this was a school.
Rio: Here? It’s true that it looks similar to the Science Academy building back at the Capital.
Sora: I’m sure it’s a school. When we started searching for the room that Kureha-chan said had saw the chair… but we couldn’t find it at all.
Felicia: So you really walked for three hours?
Noel: From that corner, we went around 1147 times, looked into 108 rooms (bad translation). The distance walked is roughly 5062 meter, plus or minus 100 meters.
Rio: That much?
Noel: The biggest issue is that though we went up and down the stairs, up until the eighth floor; when we went down we still remained on the second floor.
Sora: Then we started getting really scared. That’s when we finally found this room.
Rio: This room full of books.
Felicia: Amazing, all the books here are in ideograms.
Rio: If the guys back the Academy saw this, they would be jump/faint with joy.
Sora: We looked at a lot of books for fun. But as soon as we got to this book, Kureha-chan dropped what she was doing and screamed out.
Kureha: No, don’t come near me! NO~!
Noel: That’s what she screamed out and then collapsed.
Felicia: I see.
Noel: An acquaintance/professor I know told me, that scientists in the old era believed that 99% of all phenomena in the world can be explained with science. But similarly they also believed that there was that 1% that cannot be explained by science. This is most likely that 1% they were talking about.
Rio: Damn it. Felicia, it looks like we’ve gotten into something really weird.
Felicia: So it seems. Could I see that book for a second?
Sora: Yes ma’am.
Felicia: Huh? There’s something stuck between the pages. This is?
Sora: A letter?
Track 3
Kureha: No, don’t look at me!
Sora: Kureha-chan?
Felicia: Oh thank goodness, you’re awake!
Rio: Hey, you all right to be standing up so quickly?
Kureha: AH~!
Rio: Huh?
Sora: Kureha…chan?
Kureha: I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. It’s just that you were all of sudden tried to touch me.
Rio: What’s wrong with you Kureha? You’re acting weird.
Kureha: *moji moji* (sound effect: means squirming/fidgeting) um, sorry but I am not Kureha-san.
Rio: Stop joking with us Kureha.
Kureha: I’m sure you’re having a hard time believing me, but I’m not joking.
Sora: Wow, could it be that Ms. Ghost to Kureha-chan?
Rio: Quit it, stop, please don’t say it, DON’T SAY IT!
Noel: She’s been possessed…
Rio: AHHHH~!
Felicia: Silence (Be quiet) Rio! (Shut up) Keep your mouth shut. Sit! Shake! Good girl, good girl.
Sora: Amazing, Rio-sempai obeyed right away.
Noel: As expected of a therapy dog (bad translation: cannot hear well)
Kureha: *poro poro* (sound of tears falling)
Rio: What the heck is that supposed to mean?
Kureha: The sound of tears falling.
Noel: None are falling though.
Sora: Actually, it’s rather creepy/scary. Your eyes are wide open but they’re completely expressionless.
Kureha: I’m so weak (my strength is so weak) that it takes all my strength to just suppress this girl’s will and speak. And so I decided to make do without emotions and movement and just speak to you.
Sora: Oh, that makes a lot more sense.
Noel: Yeah, sounds transmit/inform better.
Sora: So why are you crying?
Kureha: But it’s because… I don’t want Rio-sama… to act so shamelessly/uncool.
Rio: Huh? Me?
Felicia: That’s right Rio, despite your true nature; you are (act) the cool sempai. A Rio that isn’t cool, collected and smirking self confidently isn’t really worth much. (alt trans: existence has no meaning)
Rio: Do you have to downplay my worth so thoroughly/completely? You’re the one who pushed all your expectations on me! (bad translation)
Kureha: *bikubiku* (sound of fear/nervousness/timidity)
Felicia: Stop that Rio, you’re scaring her. Calm down Rio, there’s nothing to be afraid of. Nothing to be afraid of at all. Good girl, *tickle tickle tickle*... While she’s distracted, tie her to that chair.
Sora: Yes ma’am. Hey, this chair…
Noel: Yeah, it’s the same as the ones in the dining room.
Sora: All right, with this our mission/goal has been fulfilled.
Felicia: So all that’s left is to try and help you out somehow Ms. Ghost. You’ve been haunting this Time Telling Fortress haven’t you?
Kureha: Yes.
Sora: Hey, why did you make us become lost and possess Kureha-chan?
Noel: Regrets.
Sora: Huh?
Noel: I think I read about this before. Ghosts spontaneously generate because they have regrets. As a result they cannot move on to the next life and become stuck in this life.
Sora: Really?
Kureha: Yes.
Felicia: I see, so if you can dispel your regrets, you can move on then.
Kureha: Probably.
Rio: If that’s the case, then start talking! Actually, before that, untie me!
Felicia: Oh my, did you come back to your senses already?
Rio: What’s with that disappointed look? I won’t run away. (bad translation). I don’t care if it’s a ghost or something else, I’ll do anything necessary!
Kureha: Oh, do you really mean it?
Rio: Huh? Um, yeah, so start talking about that regret of yours?
Kureha: *mojimoji* (sound of fidgeting/nervousness). Um, could you lend me your ear for a moment, please?
Felicia: Oh you mean me?
Kureha: Yes. Um, you see… *bosho bosho* (whisper whisper)
Felicia: Oh I see now. So this letter… I understand. Leave it to me.
Rio: Er, um, so why are you looking at me?
Felicia: You just said you didn’t care if it was a ghost right?
Rio: Um, yeah, so what does that have to do with it?
Felicia: Once upon a time/Long ago, there once was a girl…
Rio: Why a fairytale all of a sudden?
Felicia: That girl once had a senior/sempai she greatly admired. But the girl was very shy/timid and found she could not bring herself to talk to her sempai.
Sora: Oh I know that feeling completely. But that’s no good, you have to tell them!
Felicia: Yes, it could not go on. So the girl gathered her courage/determination and decided to tell her greatly admired senior/sempai her feelings in a letter.
Noel: *dokidoki* (sound effect quickly beating heart)
Felicia: But fate is cruel. After gathering her courage and writing her letter at last, her senior/sempai died in an accident.
Sora: No way…
Felicia: The letter she never managed to hand over, the confession she never got to say became her greatest regret and found that she could not move on. And so she came to haunt this place since then.
Noel: God is such a meanie.
Felicia: But wait, after hundreds of years, a miracle happened! A person who was exactly like her admired senior/sempai appeared before her. Moreover, there was a supernatural sensitive girl that she could communicate through who was a companion! Could this be anything but a miracle?!
Rio: Wait, I don’t like the direction that this story is heading. Tell me, this greatly admired sempai/senior of yours that I supposedly look exactly like… is…
Felicia: What’s wrong Rio? This is a wonderful coincidence!
Rio: That’s why I’m taking the opportunity to ask you, this senior/sempai of yours is…
Felicia: A boy, of course! Aren’t you glad Rio? You look as handsome as him.
Rio: Oh I see, thank you, I’m flattered. IS THAT WHAT YOU EXPECT ME TO SAY!! Enough of the jokes already; let me go! Untie me! I refuse! I absolutely refuse!
Kureha: Oh, of course, you wouldn’t want someone like me confessing to you. It would all just be a terrible bother…
Rio: Er…
Kureha: I knew already but Rio-sama looks/acts so much like my sempai. I’m sorry, I’m especially sorry because it seems that Rio-sama has a hard time dealing with ghosts. I must be utterly disgusting to you.
Rio: Um, no, that’s not it at all.
Sora: Rio-sempai , please accept her confession. I know exactly how this girl feels.
Noel: If you refuse to do this, you’re not human.
Rio: This girl is the one who’s not human!
Felicia: Hey Rio, if you don’t help this girl fulfill her wish, we might be trapped in here forever. You should show your compassionate side to Kana-chan and the others. And I want to see it too, the gallant/dignified/chivalrous and cool Rio accepting a love confession.
Sora: That’s right! Please let us grant this girl’s dream! Please sempai!
Rio: Urg, how the heck are you able to look down at me with such expectant/sparkly eyes all the time? FINE! No matter what it is, a confession of love or something else, I’ll do anything you want!
Kureha: Really?
Rio: Yeah…
Kureha: *dokidoki* How very manly. You’re exactly like him! *kyun* (sound effect: momentary tightening of one's chest caused by powerful feelings)
Rio: I won’t run or hide any more. So, could you start untying me already?!
Felicia: Sorry Rio, we can’t do that yet.
Rio: Why?
Felicia: Because she’s hoping to confess to you with the right mood/atmosphere. And so, tadaa!
Rio: What’s that clothing?
Felicia: A uniform she says. The same from her time when she was alive, through some miracle there was one still remaining. Of course, her sempai was actually bald/had a buzz cut but she says it would be a sin to cut Rio’s beautiful long hair, so she’ll leave it as is. So at the very least, we’ll have you wear this.
Rio: Hah, I told you I won’t run or hide any more. I am completely fine with you guys watching me get changed… No wait, you can’t…
Felicia: As I had suspected!
Rio: No, that’s not what I mean. Please, it’s just that right now wouldn’t be great that’s all! Just go over there, and I’ll get changed alone.
Felicia: Yes, yes. Now then, Kana-chan, Noel-chan, do it girls.
S+N: Yes sir, on the double!
Sora: Excuse us, sempai!
Noel: Heh heh, give it up little girl.
Rio: Urg, no don’t come near me…
Kureha: *doki doki**wakuwaku*
Felicia: Oh stop being such a big baby, now let’s start stripping.
Rio: STOP! NO!
Sora: Huh?
Felica: Oh my.
Kureha: Oh.
Noel: It’s a thong.
Felicia: Oh Rio, really, how perverted/sexy of you.
All: Huh?
Kureha: … no, that’s impossible. My sempai, wearing that sort of underwear? I can’t believe it! I don’t believe it!
Sora: An earthquake?
Felicia: No, this is…
Kureha: That’s so dirty/filthy. So obscene/indecent! This… This… this isn’t the sempai I liked!
Rio: Of course not. Sorry for having a thong on but stop tacking/projecting your standards/expectations on me. After all, you didn’t know what your sempai was like when you weren’t looking. He might not have been as cool or as great as you thought he was. He might even have had a weird hobby. But if you’re able to forgive/overlook all that isn’t that real love then?
Kureha: But… but it can’t be helped. I don’t know anything about him at all! Nothing at all.
Sora: Ms. Ghost…
Rio: I haven’t found someone I like or fallen in love yet. To be honest, I don’t know much about it. But, I think that you were just in love with love. Am I wrong?
Kureha: … Yes…
Rio: If that’s the case then, talk…
Kureha: Okay… I… I have always been waiting. For someone to finally notice me. I found that I couldn’t leave this place. Numerous, countless seasons passed in the outside world from the one window I gazed out from. Then one day I was utterly alone and the world as I knew it completely ended.
Felicia: You… You’re really from before the Great Apocalypse/End…
Kureha: *gokuri* (gulp). Oh that was just a sound effect. Since/from that day, a truly long time passed. The few remaining surviving people who I knew from my country scattered/dispersed and a new people came and began building a new town around this school. But even then, I was still alone. Always alone, all I could do was watch. I know, I know that you’re not that person. I know that person… is dead. They’re all dead/gone on ahead. I have no place to go; all I have left is my memories…
Rio: Damn it!
Kureha: Why… are you hugging me?
Rio: I may not be that person you liked. I might not be your ideal cool Rio-sempai in your heart. But if it’s all right with you, I’ll accept your letter. Thank you for liking me. For gathering your courage and confessing, thank you.
Kureha: *kira kira kira kira kira kira* (sound: sparkling)
Noel: The light…
Kureha: I’m so happy. I always dreamed of it, to be held in that person’s arms like I am right now. *kira kira* Thank you. I liked/loved you semp-.*kira kira*
Rio: And with that, the misunderstood ghost left. When we opened our eyes the next moment, we found that we were at the same old abandoned building as we were before. That strange room full of ideogram books had completely utterly disappeared. Without speaking another word to each other, we carried the still sleeping Kureha to the Time Telling Fortress. Kureha slept through the entire day and when she awoke she could not recall/remember anything about the ghost possessing her at all. It seems that Kanata and Noel, not wanting upset her, decided not to speak of what happened on that day to her. Same for Felicia… and for me too, because everyone decided to ignore it, it feels as though the events of that day are fading away from our memories. Even now, I think to myself, was it all just a dream? But I have proof that what happened was not a dream right before me. An old letter addressed in ideograms, with ideogram words written full of fear/nervousness and full of feelings. I haven’t opened it and I don’t intend to. In any case, it’s in ideograms so I can’t read anyways. But if I were to open the envelope, I would know exactly what was written on it anyway. Without a doubt, it will have these words written there, “I like/love you”.