It's a bit early, but let's take advantage of Golden Week for an outing.
Then let's go to the beach!
But it's only May.
I sure didn't expect that suggestion from you, Murakami.
Well, after all...
it's past deadline for the plot.
Oh, right. Yes, I'm sorry.
I'm working on rewrites now...
If we keep delaying, it'll inconvenience the others.
If we're shut down by the Student Council for inactivity,
and this club and all our works fade away...
Homemade games?
Yeah, it was harder than I thought.
We sure were young back then.
We had so much free time.
Years from now, we'll be drunk and commiserating about it.
Isn't that a bit too negative?
Is it your first outing with a club?
Yes!
Just let the upperclassmen handle the details this time.
That's right, we went to your house last year, Shii.
Teru suggested it.
Is that so?
Can we go again this year?
My kid brothers won't leave us alone.
Neither will my parents.
If there's nowhere else, I guess my place then.
It's small and messy though...
So we start with a major house-cleaning this year too?
Remember, Aya, this outing is to help you finish your story line.
J-just kidding.
That was harsh.
Oh, umm... It's far and in the booneys,
but you're welcome at my house.
Transmitter Item
Look at the rice fields!
I've never been to the end of this line.
Hello, everyone!
Hi, Granny Kasai.
Hello, Tama.
Such a good girl.
Was it wise to let her join our sleazy den of game creation?
Say, Murakami, didn't you over pack a bit?
I figured I could install our programs in Honda's computer,
along with a back-up server and in case there wasn't enough power...
Oh, there's cell phone connection.
And in case of a bear attack, I have several repellents...
Aw, but we ain't that far in the backwoods.
"Ain't"?
Sorry, just forget it.
Plus a few provisions.
I must say, you came prepared.
-This is my house. - It's humongous!
You're Tamaki's friends? Make yourselves at home, hear?
She's my granny.
Hello, thank you for having us.
This is just a token of our appreciation.
You're so young, but you have such good manners!
She seems like a kind granny.
She is kind. I adore her.
Are you alone here?
Her father is overseas and her mother is at work today.
I see.
So, what're you doing here?
Where Tama goes, Yumine goes.
I'm getting great background shots.
Hey, don't get carried away.
Thank you for coming so far.
Is that green tea? You made it?
Yes! Mom got the snacks.
She'll see you after work, but she says hello.
Whoa, it's sweet! This tastes like matcha ice!
Usually it's the opposite.
It tastes so good.
This would be so good mixed with the drink I brought.
Forget it and mind your manners!
This PC is much older than I expected.
It's Dad's old computer.
He said I could use it any way I want.
I've installed everything you'll need.
including shared folders, a chat app, and some hardware.
Thank you. You gave me a lot of things.
It's okay. I wasn't using any of them.
Oh, a pen tablet.
Am I supposed to draw lots of pretty pictures with this?
So...
this next game that we're going to create...
It's an adventure game.
Like a shorter, side story of last year's game.
Adventure?
I see!
Yes, it's too bad.
Don't agree, Shii.
An adventure game is also called ADV. It's the same genre as novel games.
Like a picture story show with sound and pictures.
The story develops from the choices you make.
Shii, your explanation is too vague.
Recent games have more gimmicks.
I'm not into novel games, so I can't help it.
Choices?
I get it!
I guess you like tram elements.
This is the game planning stage.
We're brainstorming for the kind of game and story.
This is the real McCoy, isn't it?
Right? Doesn't it feel like you're creating a game?
- Yes! This is exciting! - I knew it!
First is scheduling.
Work schedule? Timeline? I just write until I finish. Lots of time!
Actually, compared to last year, she's made progress.
Let me remind you. The purpose for this outing is...
Finish the story! I know. I'll get right to it!
Still...
Nothing comes into my head! And time's running out!
I'm behind schedule because I dropped the love-comedy plot.
But the ending for this new idea is really touchy.
Even if I take the ending from the last one...
Say...
Do you really have to agonize over the plot?
It's a side story, right?
I think that last idea was fine.
After looking over it...
I wanted to make it more worthy of your drawings.
Anyway, I wish you'd give me ideas on the music.
I have time. I might just create a bunch of weird music and build up to a climax.
Sorry.
Huh? A mic?
And... I might switch the audio to this.
O-Okay, I'll have something by today.
Who's playing with the bamboo clacker?!
And...if you set the blend mode to "multiply,"
Oh, you're right.
It's getting close to dinnertime, so I'm going home.
Just do as I showed you.
Okay, thank you, Yumine!
See you.
Um, next...put the highlight...
I can't concentrate.
By the way... What does SNS stand for?
Oh, last year's president...
The club application was due yesterday?!
Yes. I'll go to the Student Council and apologize.
But we don't have a club name yet.
You first-years can decide. And fill in that application.
This is the only way.
And no hard feelings later.
Ready, set...!
All three words were my suggestions.
They're all so depressing!
It's hard to draw lines on a pen tablet.
A pen tablet is essential when drawing on a PC, but it's hard to use alone.
I guess it's hard to draw pretty pictures.
I'm sorry! I was fooling around...
This club...
...was basically an idea that Teru, the past president, came up with.
She's my friend. She's a programmer.
At first, I considered it a nuisance.
But the year went by and we made such progress...
Now, I think it'll be boring without the club.
This picture is part of my diary. I'll keep it as long as I'm alive.
Th-that would be a bit embarrassing.
I just...
want to...
make this a club where no one gets bored.
So please don't get worked up about quality.
It sounds bad to say it's "just" a club activity.
But going forward...
please concentrate on finishing the work.
But I'm not sure...if I can draw decent art.
Actually, I agree. You may need a scanner.
Scanner?
It scans pictures that you draw.
But the characters' faces can be actual photos.
That photo I took is good. So I'll cut it out...
Please stop!
The president tends to be on the pessimistic side...
but she's a romanticist and playful, yet very diligent.
Gosh darn, you're so funny, President.
R-really?
Oops, did I sound folksy just now?
A little.
I'm so embarrassed.
You can't judge people by their looks.
Oh man...
Seriously, people are not who they seem.
- What happened? - Seen a bear or something?
I made this chirashi sushi. Please eat up.
- It's huge! - There's so much stuff on it!
Mom's sushi is really good.
My daughter's never been in a club before.
Please support her.
Same here.
Okay, relax and enjoy. I'll go start the bath.
Your mom seems so nice too.
Yes! Mom, Dad and Granny are all very kind.
Who are you?! Oh, it's you, Seki.
Hey, Honda. That was a great bath.
Well, you see...
I'm back!
I finished and copied the story at the convenience store.
Can I take a bath now?
We're passing it around now.
Why didn't you make copies for all of us?
And only part one?
Hey, it's expensive.
And I wondered if it's worth keeping a copy for posterity.
Isn't it too late?
Okay, Honda, shall we read it?
Umm... In a certain place...
Stop! Read it silently!
In a certain place, in a certain love-romance game world...
lived Samyu the main character and Stella, his girlfriend and heroine.
Stella: Samyu, I...
Stella: ...love you too.
One year later
However, the player of this game
decided to stop and a year has passed.
D-doesn't look promising.
I'm sick and tired of waiting in a game that no one wants to play!
Stella, let's run away together!
But sadly, Stella the heroine suffered from a strange illness.
I forgot to tell you, but...
I have an incurable disease that causes me
to express whatever things around me are feeling.
Say what?
So you feel emotions from things other than people?
Yes. I consider it my role in this game world.
Like the feelings of that animal over there?
She's watching me.
Why is she staring at me?
My fragile tip... and bold and deep foundation...
She can see all of me!
This wonderful feeling! Go even deeper!
Who needs ornamentation like leaves or flowers?!
That's the tree, not the cat talking!
This is creepy!
Samyu and Stella research hard to find a treatment.
But they can't seem to find any cure.
Stella steps out of her destined scenario for the first time...
and is deluged with the feelings of a myriad of things in the world...
and begins to turn pale.
Samyu's desperate efforts weaken her, but she continues to support him.
And before they know it,
Samyu, thank you for all you do.
If it's okay with you, I'd like to stay with you forever.
You could say I've never felt anything so strong.
Samyu feels pressed to answer.
> He lies. Let's get married.
Their future.
However...
Damn it! I shilly-shallied and inadvertently made a choice!
I've chosen a player, now there's no one else who will play!
No one else can choose this so I'm stuck here!
Samyu's adventure comes to an end here.
What kind of outcome is this?! This is awful!
That's a bad end! There's more!
Uh...but something happens and we move on.
You seem at a loss, sir.
The select screen just spoke!
The way you defied the story and made it to my path is...
most praiseworthy.
I have witnessed many come to a crossroad in a myriad of stories.
I must push your forward...
Or I'm not a man!
No more hesitation. Stella, let's stay together forever.
I'm so happy. I've waited for those words!
I...
Voice of the bed: Way to go, bro! Now get into bed...
Oh, that's...
I'm sorry, I heard...
It's okay.
It'll be a hard road, but let's walk it together.
Let's continue to defy fate.
H-happy endings are good, right?
The theme is there are always two sides in life.
Who was it?!
Oh, like earlier...
Oh and, we talked about adding an older guy.
So here.
Personification of select screen
Congratulations. I shall continue to protect you.
Personification of select screen
Is this necessary? Doesn't it seem out of place?
I think it's great!
Seriously? You approve?!
So how do we split up the bad end and true end?
Is there anywhere the story diverges?
See, that's it.
The story was about what lies on the reverse side of fate.
So I figured it's weird to choose between bad or finish.
And so, when you play this game...
A "true way.exe" appears on the PC desktop,
then you double-click, it takes you to the true end.
- Yuck... - It sounds like a virus.
I guess...
Anyway, good job.
It'll be great if we can add interesting elements to this.
Yeah.
Let's look into the idea of hearing things talk.
Let's make all kinds of voices.
Don't you think it adds to the creepiness?
That'll be fun.
What if the things that talk also turn into people in the game?
Good! Great! Nice!
Yes,congratulations!
Yeah, but they don't have to be older guys, right?
You can mix in pretty guys to attract girls who like boy-love comics.
When'd you come back?
Like the one you were reading back at the club office?
This is our first game together... and that comic's too big in scale...
We should start smaller...
Fine observation. If only you noticed sooner.
Is this the one?
"Look at the evening dew on the leontochir flower..."
Hey, that's not it!
How about some tea and snacks?
Are you okay?!
What?!
You again?!
Sorry, sorry!
Things got messy with tea and all, so we went to a bath house.
I'm sorry for the ruckus.
After you opened up your house.
It wasn't your fault.
But Seki got her story line during this outing.
I have to do my best too.
First, we write the selection system, right?
Those two are getting along nicely.
Fujikawa? I wasn't sure who it was.
Well now, that's an interesting element.
The senior and her subordinate...
Girls in love...not a bad idea.
What are you conjuring up?
I misjudged you! Is that how you see Tama?!
Come on...
I was just considering possibilities.
Tama...?
...is the dominant one!
On the slim side as a guy...
But in bed...always on top!
Oh, but easily lured...
- Get your mind out of the gutter! - Is there a reason for changing gender?
Today was fun, Shiina.
I'll practice what you taught me for a little while longer.
Marika will be happy to help!
No can do. The game has to be done within an hour.
We need Honda to design it.
Skill Up