Science Fell in Love, So I Tried to Prove It
Gone Home
4th dimension
In Lab
Rm 507
On Campus
Lecture Hall
Really, you really saved me there, Ibarada-kun.
Proof 8 Science-types Fell in Love, So They Tried to Gather Evidence of Love.
Thanks to you, I wasn't late to the department meeting.
Won't you please buy an alarm clock that won't break when you hit it already?
Blast it!
No measly CPU is gonna...
Take this!
I died!
Kosuke-kun,
what are you doing?
Brace yourself!
Oh! Using a star there isn't playing fair!
You've still got a lot to learn, Professor!
You're the one who has a lot to learn.
It's not possible...
Ibarada-kun.
Couldn't you show a little more consideration for this frail elder?
Say that again once you've gotten frail.
Oh, right, Kosuke-kun.
How is your research theme coming along?
Ack!
U-Um...
Kosuke-kun...
There is less than a month left until the training camp.
If you don't do something soon...
I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Just spare my life!
If you would just tell me your situation, I could offer my support.
Where are you stuck?
I just can't understand...
not the papers, not even my own future...
Saying that with a despondent expression doesn't really...
So, basically, it's just that Torasuke's an idiot.
No one asked you! Stop saying it so bluntly!
The upperclassmen here...
doesn't really need saying, but they're all super skilled.
Every day, they do crazy hard research like it's nothing.
Even Kanadecchi. In the end, she's a real science-type girl.
But me? All the stuff everyone says...
I can't understand any of it!
In the first place, what the heck are these things?
These university textbooks, and theses, and stuff?
Polynomial-time. NP. It's pointlessly abstract.
A bunch of crazy hard words and formulas all stung together.
Instead of showing off how smart you are, explain it so people can understand!
Unless you give me examples from dating games or soccer, I can't comprehend it!
How's this stuff ever gonna be useful in life?!
Sounds just like a middle schooler who can't do math.
I'm pretty sure that
I don't belong in this research lab...
Then why don't you transfer to a different lab?
If you insist that you can't keep up,
then that would be best for all of us, wouldn't it?
What did you just say?
Dear, dear. At this rate, Kosuke-kun might actually transfer...
What should I do...?
Think!
Think, me!
Rika Koi Another
In that case, Kosuke-kun...
All those dating games...
If there was an algorithm that could quickly find the True End, would you research it?
I'd like to hear more about this in detail.
Wait. Seriously?
That kind of research counts?
I just came up with it, and felt like it might work, but...
What do you think, Ibarada-kun?
Well...
S t a r t
In your average dating game,
Sure, let's go home!
Sorry, I'm in a hurry.
Of course I don't want to!
Hayami: "Want to walk home with me?"
making choices is what moves you forward, right?
Yeah.
And, based on those choices, the ending changes, right?
S t a r t
Ending
Paths
Yeah!
For example, if you pick from three choices a total of ten times in the game,
you have 3 to the power of 10, about 60,000 possible paths.
Oh...
In a larger work with 50 choice screens, there are about 7000,000 quintillion paths.
Ending
Paths
S t a r t
approx.
Finding which combination leads to the True End
would be an exceedingly difficult problem.
Rika Koi Another
With a very large-scale game,
finding the right route would be difficult, even for a computer.
Which means that dating games,
according to computational complexity theory, might be classed as NP-hard!
Are dating games NP-hard?
Does a particularly effective method of exploration exist?
This would be wonderful computer science research!
I-I could do that?
Researching games like that...
Recently, games like Manio and Pac-Mon
have been proven to be NP-hard in various papers.
Same with Punyo Punyo, Totris, and other games where stuff drops.
For real?
If I could complete this research,
no matter how epic or complicated the game is,
I could instantly find which route makes Aika happiest.
Is that what it means?
No matter which erotic game I play,
I could instantly collect every CG scene?
I suspect that would be impossible, however...
something very close to that
could be possible.
One more thing...
Kosuke-kun, you like soccer, don't you?
Do you know about the top players shooting free kicks with no spin?
Of course.
Those crazy-amazing shots that wobble unpredictably, right?
Apparently, they move that way because of chaotic air currents, or turbulence.
Really?
Chaos theory, which explains the creation of turbulence, is...
My field of study.
What?!
Truth is, Kosuke-kun, even among the things you love,
you can find lots of science tucked away within them.
A...
All right!
Whoops! Can't just sit around now.
It's really all self-interest with you, isn't it?
Just a second ago, you were ready to quit the lab.
No one's talking to you!
I'm sure you're just feeling relieved that the man you've fallen for isn't leav—
No.
No, no, no. So very much not that.
Do you have to say "no" that much?
No, no, no, no, no.
I mean, compared to me...
everyone here is super amazing, but...
It's not uncomfortable to be here.
I just can't hate it, you know?
This lab.
If I can't get a hold of it myself,
then I wanna grab a hold and go along for the ride!
Oh, come on, take a jab at me!
You're making me feel all embarrassed now!
I see.
What's with that?
That expression's not like you at all...
Yes. I'm starting to look forward to the training camp, aren't you?
Outrageous.
What's wrong, Yukimura-kun, Kanade-kun?
Just now, I asked Yukimura-senpai and Himuro-senpai
to watch me practice my presentation, but...
It's not worth consideration.
Practice should take care of the hesitation in your speech, but...
The slides are hard to read.
You've packed too much information into each one.
There are too many unnecessary sentences.
But... um...
If I write a lot on the slides,
then I don't have to worry if I forget what I was going to say.
Don't coddle yourself!
You should be determined to memorize every line!
That's a rather Spartan attitude, Yukimura-senpai.
Spartan?
I'm not talking about strength of will.
I'm talking about the ten-thousand-hour rule.
No matter the field, in order to reach the top level,
at least ten thousand hours of practice is necessary.
That's what you're referring to, right?
A theory first proposed by psychologist Anders Ericsson based on his own study.
Ten thousand hours...
For Aika's sake, I've already burned through that several times over.
I understand.
When I'm with Aika, it's like I forget the time.
I'll go through and redo the slides.
Or like, time has passed without me realizing...
I'm grateful for the guidance, but...
When you're in love...
I don't know whether to say that senpai of mine doesn't hold back, or that he's harsh...
And Himuro-senpai... It's amazing she managed to fall for him...
By the way, Kanade.
Yes?
I want your saliva.
Huh?
Science Fell in Love, So I Tried to Prove It
Yukimura-kun, I borrowed some vials.
Kanade-chan, what happened?
I-I'm very sorry!
It's... um...
I was just so shocked by his statement... It was sort of a reflex...
I'm sure Yukimura-kun had his usual lack of tact when he said what he did, right?
It wasn't really a question of tact, exactly...
It was so sudden, I wasn't sure what was going on...
Oh, right, Kanade-chan.
Would you let me collect some of your saliva?
Wham!
I see. It's for research.
What else would it be for?
I'm so sorry.
So, what is it this time?
In preparation for the summer training camp,
we will conduct a new experiment measuring oxytocin.
Oxytocin?
When people are in love, many different hormones are secreted.
Endorphins
Testosterone
Oxytocin
Phenethylamine
Dopamine
Estrogen
Among them, one is released when a person is touched by the person they love.
That's oxytocin.
It's also known as the love hormone.
I see. I see.
This hormone is activated by physical contact.
It can bring feelings of euphoria,
lower blood pressure,
and even seems to have an effect on general health.
There's even a treatment called touch therapy because of these effects.
Wow.
Of course, it isn't as if you can touch just anyone.
It's contact specifically with someone you love which causes oxytocin to be released.
Oxytocin
Oxytocin!
A hormone produced in places like the brain, ovaries, and testes.
It makes you stupid happy, reduces stress...
It seems to be an amazing hormone that's good for the body, bear,
but there is also research saying it can make people aggressive and cliquish, bear.
There are pluses and minuses to everything, bear, right?
In order to effectively produce oxytocin,
the best thing is lots of love and snuggling, bear.
For those unpopular men and women who don't have someone to love,
contact with pets works, too, bear.
What?
You don't have friends or pets?
Then, I've heard it'll get released if you stimulate the mammary glands.
Just means all you amateurs should go play with your nipples, bear.
Oh! That's...! Wait, I...!
Take that! And that!
If we investigate the amount of oxytocin released,
it's possible we can discover whether the subject loves the person who touched them.
Oh!
Oxytocin can be measured in saliva.
So, the specifics of the experiment involve
collecting roughly one milliliter or more of saliva in these preservation tubes.
After which, the subjects will attempt physical contact with each other.
Um... What should we do...
for the physical contact?
Contact, is it?
We should have collected saliva back then.
If we had, it would have given us valuable data.
During the date experiment at the amusement park, right?
No.
Yukimura-kun, I wuv you!
This video is from the party we had the other day.
Even looking at it again now,
A kiss of the highest theoretical value... please?
I believe the amount of physical contact was quite high.
I didn't think that the words of a drunk could be used as reference,
but alcohol inhibits the function of the cerebral neocortex, which governs reason.
That allows for the possibility of repressed emotions to present as—
The words of a drunk can't be used as reference.
Delete that!
That's exactly why I was saying we should have collected oxytocin then.
We don't need video data, do we?
Delete it!
It's extremely valuable data.
I will not delete it!
Besides which, a saliva sample from an inebriated subject would be unsatisfactory!
On what grounds?
Um...
For now, wouldn't it be best to start collecting new data?
That's true.
However, the method of physical contact...
It's most effective if the area of contact is broad, right?
Something like this, perhaps?
Kya!
With this amount of physical contact, there shouldn't be any issues.
Again, what is this?
This suppleness? This sweet scent?
I suppose 60 seconds would be sufficient.
I was just outside walking, so I'm sweaty, and now...
Oh, I can't...! It's Yukimura-kun's scent...
What is this feeling of happiness?
My heart is starting to feel more tranquil...
Is this the effect of the hormone?
A pleasant sensation is running through my whole body!
The oxytocin is...
...flooding through me!
...overflowing!
Yukimura-kun! This is oxytocin, isn't it?
A tremendous amount of oxytocin.
My whole body is filled with oxytocin!
At this point, we are oxytocin itself!
The oxytocin is...
Are they stupid?
Ding dong!
Oxytocin is not a hormone that is
produced in the manner depicted here.
The subjects' subjective impressions
have caused a placebo effect,
so we ask for your understanding.
Here we are! Here we are!
It's been a long time!
It brings back such memories.
Saitama U!
Let's see... for now...
After physical contact, the subjects' saliva must be collected again.
Before Experiment
After Experiment
Saliva from before and after the experiment will be analyzed,
and the amount of oxytocin will be compared.
So that's why you needed saliva.
At the upcoming summer training camp,
along with presenting at the study groups,
we will engage in as much physical contact as possible,
and collect saliva at regular intervals!
Wow...
Senpai,
are you talking for real right now?
It's for real.
As much physical contact as possible?
So I can touch girls as much as I want?
That's right! The more data the better!
Just keep touching them—
Force of Impact
Of course not. Idiot.
You should hurry up and progress your own research, Torasuke.
At this rate, even though we'll be in Okinawa, you'll be holed up in the hotel.
I guess you could call this business as usual here in the Ikeda lab.
Though, if regular people saw this, they'd probably be super put off by it...
I-I'm so sorry.
Um... The door was open, so...
I... I'm sorry...
A regular person!
Oh, you're here, Yamamoto-kun.
Professor Ikeda! It's been a while!
You look well.
My wallet isn't doing well at all!
I see your muscles haven't weakened in the slightest.
Oh, you're a guest of the professor's.
Oh, that's right.
You haven't met before.
The only one who was here at the same time was... Ibarada-kun?
Yes.
Yamamoto-kun graduated from this lab.
Thank you for having me.
Ena, good to see you again!
Yeah...
Please, come in.
You have some students doing some crazy things out there.
You mean Himuro-kun and Yukimura-kun?
Those two are using themselves to conduct romance research.
Really...
Now, we need to decide the timing and frequency of the sample collection, but...
Attaching the right conditions becomes very important.
Hello, everyone!
I really do apologize about earlier.
Not at all. We're the ones who should apologize.
I asked the professor about you two just now.
He said you're conducting some very interesting research!
If it isn't a bother, would you tell me more about it?
We don't mind.
Though, it might take a while.
Our research involves finding the base conditions of "love."
To that purpose, we are currently looking for "evidence of love."
Evidence of love?
Using things like "when we're together, my heart rate increases," and
"the person appears in my dreams" as starting points,
we have collected approximately 50 items.
Yukimura-kun, I wuv you!
"Shouting out your affection while drunk, and embracing,"
should be added to the list, too.
I told you to delete that, didn't I?
And you, Yukimura-kun,
do you have any evidence that you love me?
Uh... Well...
If I had to say...
"For some reason, I periodically desire to watch this video."
...something like that.
Stop that, you idiot!
You have a problem with it?
What do I do?
These kids are too entertaining!
At any rate,
as you can see, evidence of love is quite varied, however,
if we keep investigating, there may be evidence which shows commonality.
Common Conditions
That is what we are searching for.
The logical, true definition of love!
A change of pace and an overthrow of the status quo...
Here, at my alma mater, where I've come to gather intelligence...
I never thought I'd find material like this!
What's with her?
What is she writing?
You... who are you?
Apologies for not introducing myself.
My name is Yamamoto Arika.
Nice to meet you
Up!
I'm a manga artist using a particular pen name.
Ikeda Lab Alumnus Manga Artist Yamamoto Arika Height: 165 cm Weight: ? Blood type: B Hobbies: Drawing manga Favorite foods: Spicy foods, alligator sashimi Favorite phrase: After all, this world is survival of the fittest. Looks up to: Tezuka Osamu, Watsuki Nobuhiro Goals: Dreams of living off royalties
A manga artist?
That's awesome! I've never seen one before!
At the moment, I don't have a series going,
and my storyboards are continually rejected. I'm just a lowly being.
What do you think?
Will you let me turn you into a manga?
The sight of you flirting like that while you research...
I'll transmit it to the world,
and collect evidence of love from people everywhere!
If we do that, you can make it clear as to whether you love each other or not.
That's true...
We could collect an even wider range of data.
We would very much like for you to do so.
Thank you so much!
What's this?
I take it you've come to a mutual understanding?
Yes. They've agreed to work with me.
In that case,
Yamamoto-kun, why don't you participate in our summer training camp as an alumnus?
Summer training camp?
This year, if you can believe it, it's in Okinawa!
Oh, how wonderful!
A bespectacled man in a white lab coat with a bespectacled woman in a lab coat flirting.
The swimsuit episode you get once a season.
Permission to go have a little fun, within certain boundaries.
Actually, that makes it even better!
With the sea at night in the background...
Don't worry.
It'll be over before you can count all the prime numbers.
I can't...
There are infinite prime numbers...
As the two of them face their first night together...
they do this and even that...
What?
What are you imagining?
I-It's too soon for that!
We haven't experimented with all the steps before that to our satisfaction yet!
Well, I mean...
that makes it more exciting, doesn't it?
Now that I'm going to make a manga of you,
I'll use what ever methods necessary to keep it interesting.
Please do let me join you.
It's going to be such a wonderful training camp!
Glad to have you with us.
We both looked forward to...
and feared the summer training camp.
What kind of thing will it turn out to be?
Next Time
Proof 9 Science-types Fell in Love, So They Tried Attending a Training Camp in Okinawa.
Next time, Proof 9.
"Science-types Fell in Love, So They Tried Attending a Training Camp in Okinawa."