Part 13

Ran: (That was exhausting. Saying all that chicken soup for the soul stuff, ugh. That's just not my style, even if I did my best to copy miss Sakura's nurturing mannerisms.)

Ran: (At least the case itself was pretty fun. Made me think a bit. I feel pretty accomplished for having solved it.)

Ann: Well, I was really worried about you, so I waited outside the whole time.

Ran: 😍 😍 😍 😍 😍 Miss Sakura~😍 😍 😍 😍 😍

Ran: So you heard all of that?

Ann: Yes. I have to say, you did quite well at comforting Tama.

Ran: I was just trying to imagine what the past you would have done in the same situation.

Ann: Is that so? I suppose the past me would have responded to this situation completely differently from how I'd react, then.

Ran: (...No, y'know what, I already know how to deal with downer things like this.)

Ran: (I just need to bring them up with miss Sakura, just like before! With her around she'll surely be able to figure out how to solve this problem.)

Ran took the opportunity to tell the others about the truth of the case as well.

Sai: Oh, so that's why they didn't come down to eat with us. I betcha they're having an argument in their room right now.

Miho: Yano-san, please don't joke about a thing like this.

Koizumi: I have to say, I was quite shocked when I saw Tama wander into the dorm this morning. The case was solved before I could even begin to make heads or tails of it. That's Ibuki-san for you, I guess.

Aya: I know you said no joking, but this is actually kind of serious, isn't it? What if we check up on Makoto's room later and it turns out that Tama's been corpsified again? That'd be the worst.

As soon as Aya finished speaking, Miho gave her a knocking on the back of her head. But judging from everyone's expressions, they had the same concerns as well, more or less.

Sai: Y'know what, I'm going to go check up on them. You all keep enjoying the food.

Ran: (Oh no did I make a mistake, please tell me I didn't read that situation wrong, Makoto wanted Tama to shout at her didn't she, oh no please don't tell me I messed everything up I don't want to get vivisected by Tama Indou...)

Before long, Sai came back down the stairs with a faint grin, and with Makoto in tow.

Sai: Relax, they're having plenty of fun. Tama needs to rest upstairs for a bit, so I just brought her down for now.

Makoto: I wasn't done talking to Tama yet.

Ran, seeing Makoto's transformation, thought that she ought to say something to Makoto. But Makoto ignored her and sat down straight at the table.

Ran: (Okay, I guess I'll catch her later.)

Miho: Ibuki-san, there's something I need to tell you.

Ran: What is it? You're acting real mysterious.

Miho: Tonight, I'm going to be switching bedrooms with Yano-san.

Ran: Wait, so that means...

Miho: Yes. It means we'll be sleeping in the same room tonight.

Old Schoolhouse Chapter Part 1 has been completed. Gained the chance to improve one of your stats.

Miho: I got into a fight with Aya.

Miho took a seat, and gestured at Ran to sit down.

Ran: (Looks like she has a lot to talk about. Maybe it has something to do with what I saw in the kitchen a few days ago?)

Ran: I sure couldn't tell you two had gotten into an argument.

Miho: Well, it isn't even the first time we've had an argument like this. I got into a big fight with her around when we graduated from middle school.

Miho: Because the cause of that argument was completely and indisputably Aya's fault, I was really mad with her, and even decided to go to a different high school from her so that I'd never have to see her again.

Ran: Sounds serious.

Ran: (What even is this. Have I become Miho's private relationship advisor now??)

Miho: Before this, I thought that, since we'd ultimately ended up attending the same highschool anyways, maybe our relationship would improve a bit, but whenever romance has come up in our recent conversations it's always a reminder to me about how she hasn't changed at all.

Ran: (Yeesh, we really are just heading towards gossiptown now aren't we. Maybe I can try and ask some important questions while I've got this opportunity though.)

Ran: So how come you two wound up in the same highschool anyways?

Miho: Well, nothing particularly special. My parents recommended this place to me, and Aya's family did the same for her.

Miho: When I first got here I thought this was a very strange place, but now I've found that my classmates are all quite amicable, and the educational system was quite distinctive. It's honestly pretty nice.

Ran: Really. Except for the part where you can't even be certain if you'll be able to properly participate in the college entrance examinations if you stay here.

Miho: Well, that's not a problem. We've all got student IDs, so we can go to the cities to take the exam when the time comes for that.

Ran: (Been a while since I've asked a question like that. I almost forgot how they only give barely-logically-passable answers whenever I ask questions like that. I guess there's not much point in asking them how they got here at this point, since they're clearly not going to actually give me any useful answers.)

Ran: (Ever since I recovered my memories of Koizumi-Sensei and Makoto Asakura, I can definitely confirm that they did not arrive here through anything remotely resembling conventional means, so there's probably no use in wondering about it.)

Miho: I don't want to say.

Miho: I don't want to say.

Ran could feel the corners of her eyes twitching in irritation at Miho's response.

Miho: If I don't tell you why we had the fight, are you still going to let me stay in your room? You're not going to kick me out, are you?

Ran: Nah.

Miho smiled, put her hands on her thighs, and leaned forward slightly.

Miho: It's because I think Aya and Sai are pretty compatible, so I...

Ran: That's what you call an argument??

Miho: Oh hey look, my phone just rang. Looks like Sai sent us a message. She said that Tama's gone downstairs now. We should go down and pick lots again too.

Ran: Oh, right, I almost forgot about that.

Ran's notes have been updated.

Miho running over to sleep with me, is Aya going to get mad? 💢 💢

Can't imagine what Aya getting mad at Miho would look like

Seeing Asakura with such a long face is actually pretty funny

Tama's eyes were puffy and red, and she was sniffling a little, but she was still standing besides Makoto and holding onto Makoto's sleeves with her tiny hands. Seeing that made Ran feel a bit better.

Ran: (Looks like Tama'll be fine. Makoto's still looking like she couldn't give a damn either way.)

Ran got next to Ann and held onto her arm as well, as though she and Tama were in a hand-holding contest.

Miho: Alright, then. Let's begin drawing the lots.

Ran: (Speaking of Asakura, I have really got to have a proper conversation with her sometime-)

Aya: Ahhhh!

Suddenly, everyone's attention was drawn by Aya, as she shouted out and dropped her card onto the table. It landed face-up, and everybody could clearly see Miho Takei written on it.

Ran: Okay, you did that on purpose.

Aya: Oh, uh, no, I must have just practiced guitar too much recently. My hands just shook!

Aya continued laughing awkwardly. Miho didn't particularly react, though; rather, she just reached out and took the card with her name on it, stacking it on top of her own.

Miho: I suppose we'll all have to do a redraw, then.

Everyone else handed in their victim cards for Miho to shuffle and re-deal.

Ran: (Oh, Aya's play just made this situation a lot more convoluted. If Aya is the culprit, then it's possible she intentionally dropped the card because she didn't want to kill Miho.)

Ran: (Does this mean that Miho will be more likely to be safe after the redraw? But what if Aya draws Miho a second time? Or, if we flip that around, if Miho dies, does that mean that Aya's probably not the culprit?)

Ran: (The last case really took a lot out of Tama, poor girl. She deserves some rest.)

Ran: (Anyways, there's no point to thinking about this. Let's wait until someone turns up dead first. After all, it's not like the victim is going to be me.)

Miho: Alright, then. The drawing is concluded. Everyone may now enjoy free time for the rest of the afternoon.

Ran: (Gotta visit her when I've got the time, later. Real curious what she and Tama have been talking to each other about.)

Ran: Ooh, that's the first time I've seen that kind of movement outside of television! I just figured you used this pool as a glorified plus-sized bathtub, Sai.

Sai: If you want to praise me, could you be a little more direct about it maybe.

Sai: Seriously, do you really have nothing better to do, though. You keep coming to watch me swim.

Ran: Well, do you really have nothing better to do, then? You keep coming here to swim.

Sai: Well, I like swimming. Do you like deduction, Ran?

Ran: Eh? Why ask about that now?

Ran: Are you asking about whether I like playing this killers-and-detectives game with the rest of you?

Sai: Sure.

Watching Sai as she floated back and forth, Ran had a bit of trouble finding her bearings. She wasn't sure why Sai was asking that, all of a sudden.

Ran: I've always thought, from the start, that this kind of thing was fundamentally wrong. Even if the victims can be brought back through correct reasoning, murder itself is always an extreme act.

Ran: The situation we had this time with Makoto and Tama has honestly left a real mark on me. If we can't resolve their situation properly, then the next time Makoto draws a killer card, she's definitely going to right back to torturing Tama.

Sai: Yeaaah. I would never have imagined that Makoto would be that vicious with Tama. But it looks kind of like their relationship has actually gotten better for it, somehow?

Ran: Maybe, I guess. Overall, I don't like the fact that you all engage in this kind of activity. But the deduction and reasoning itself I suppose is fairly enjoyable for me.

Sai: The more difficult, the better, right?

Ran: Hardly. The situations where the killer thought they finished the victim off, but the victim was able to write a note with key clues in blood, now that's the best kind of case if you ask me.

Ran: (That's a lie. I love the kind of riddles where the success rate is 1%. Though usually in cases like that, the 1% that actually beat the challenge are usually people like miss Sakura, not me.)

Ran: If there's nothing else to talk about, I'm heading out.

Sai: Wait a sec.

Sai, seemingly reflexively, raised a hand towards Ran. Water dripped off her arm in rivulets, gradually splashing into the surface of the pool below.

Sai: Forget it, nevermind. Go on ahead.

Ran: Uh, okay.

Ran: (What's going on. Don't tell me that Sai's about to start showing signs of weird personal issues too, following in Miho and Makoto's footsteps.)

Ran: (Still, spending time with Sai really is quite enjoyable. I wonder how I came to know her, previously.)

As soon as Ran opened the door to the music room, the girl sitting on the piano bench spoke up.

Aya: Oho. My romantic nemesis has appeared.

Ran: C'mon, clearly Miho was the one who made the request to swap bedrooms with Sai.

Aya put down her guitar and replied with a grin.

Aya: I know, I know, just making a joke.

Then, pursing her lips, she made a hesitant inquiry.

Aya: Miho, uh, did she say anything?

Ran: (Looks like Aya really wants to make up with Miho, more than Miho herself does.)

Ran: She told me that you two originally weren't supposed to attend the same highschool, but she didn't explain why you had your most recent fight exactly.

Ran: It looks like you two had a serious argument?

Aya: Oh, for sure, it was mega serious! And it was all Miho's fault, you know?

Ran: (Ah. The kind of argument where both sides think it's the other side's fault. An incredibly standard and incredibly frustrating structure for domestic drama.)

After Aya made her complaint against Miho, though, her expression immediately softened.

Aya: But the only reason I'm even daring to say something like that is because we're attending the same school. If we actually had to split up for three years, there's no way I'd be able to handle it.

Aya: I'll probably go with my tail between my legs to Miho and pitifully ask her forgiveness, in a day or two.

Aya: She's not like me, though. Miho excels at everything. Even without me, she can still adjust her emotions on her own and live her own life perfectly fine.

Aya: So, if she said she was never going to talk to me again, she'd actually be capable of carrying through with it. There's no way I could bear it, though.

Ran: I understand how you feel. If miss Sakura was angry at me, I'd do everything I could to make up with her as well.

Ran: Though I've never had an argument with miss Sakura before.

Aya: Are you here to just show off, Ran-chan?

Ran sat down on the piano bench next to Aya and patted her shoulders.

Ran: (So Aya does represent the disadvantaged side of this relationship, then. Makes me sympathetic to her plight.)

Ran: So, just what was the cause of your argument anyways? If you want to compare Miho with miss Sakura, then I'm on your side of things here. Why don't you tell me about it?

Aya: No way.

Ran: Eh?

Aya: Miho was way smarter than me, but she didn't tell you why we fought either, right. So if she didn't tell you, I can't tell you, either. She surely has her own reasons and I don't want to mess it up for her.

Ran: But.

Ran: (I guess if I were in her shoes I might do much the same, holding miss Sakura's wants as paramount.)

Ran: Well, okay, but, what are you going to do about it then? Just let it play out on its own?

It was Aya's turn to pat Ran's shoulders this time.

Aya: That's a problem for me and Miho. I'm sure you've got lots of other things to worry about, don't you, Ran-chan?

Aya: Compared to us, your own problems are more important.

Ran: You're absolutely correct.

Ran: (I don't need to concern myself with their relationship issues. I should concentrate all of my efforts on miss Sakura's situation.)

Ran: (But what if solving this situation would allow me to unlock my memories pertaining to the two of them, just like with Asakura?)

Aya: What's up with you now?

Ran shook her head, and got up from the piano bench.

Ran: (All I can do is leave'em to it. Both of them are resisting outside interventions, and even if I wanted to do something to help, I don't even have a point of entry to the problem.)

Ran: I hope I'm not interrupting you?

Tama: Oh, no, Ibuki-san. I was just about to take a break.

Ran: First time seeing you in the library by yourself.

Ran sat down next to Tama, and saw that she had opened a notebook in front of herself and was taking some kind of notes in it.

Tama: I feel like I've learned a lot of things since I've talked to Asakura-san.

Tama: I used to think that following Asakura-san around everywhere would be the best for her, but now I've come to understand that maybe the best thing for us is to spend some time separately by ourselves, right?

Ran: I mean, I don't think that's the real issue. I get the impression that Asakura would like nothing more than to swaddle the two of you up all nice and tight together in the same blanket each night??

Tama: Is that so? I do sleep together with Asakura-san frequently.

Ran: (...Makoto, you are an actual criminal, wow.)

Ran: So you think that spending some time apart from her might result in a change to your relationship?

Tama: That's right. Plus, I want to write down some things to show Asakura-san. I have a lot of things I want to tell her.

Ran: Well, okay. So long as I can confirm you're not going to, uh, do anything to me, then everything's peachy.

Ran: Even if you can't be as close with Asakura as you used to be, before, I still think that everything worked out for the better in the end.

Ran: At least now Asakura's willing to speak her true feelings to you. From now on, you two can start building up an actual relationship.

Ran felt like she was talking too much, so she reached out and poked one of Tama's hairbuns, to try to alleviate the awkwardness.

Tama: I understand, Ibuki-san. Thank you.

Ran: No need to thank me. After all...

Tama cocked her head in confusion.

Ran thought to herself, about her memories of Asakura, and her knowledge of the original time period from which Tama hailed, and decided to give up on the cliche she was about to speak. Instead, she chose something else to say.

Ran: After all, these are all decisions that you made for yourselves.

Ann: [Ran, do you have time? Come to the observation deck of the dorm. I want to talk to you about the situation with Koizumi and Makoto.]

Ran: (Miss Sakura truly understands my soul in the way that only a soulmate can! I should go see her immediately.)

Ran: Where've you been this afternoon, miss Sakura? I haven't seen you around the campus at all.

Ann: I was thinking about the things you told me.

Ann took Ran and led her to the viewing deck's bench, where they sat down together.

Ran: (Miss Sakura's being so proactive today...)

Ann: The things you told me about those memories- I believe they're all real. Perhaps the others are all similarly tied to you in some nebulous way.

Ann: And, as only the two of us seem to be suffering from amnesia, perhaps I can regain my memories by doing the same things you've been doing.

Ran held her hand tightly, and rubbed her fingers repeatedly. She hesitated about whether to speak or not.

Ran: Miss Sakura, the two of us differ significantly, though.

Ran: The memories I'm missing all seem to be memories directly related to the other students here.

Ran: Whereas you've forgotten practically everything, right, miss Sakura? I feel like it'd be very difficult to regain all of your memories just through the people currently here.

Ann, noticing that Ran's hands were shaking, interwove her own fingers into the gaps between Ran's fingers, to still them.

Ann: It's no matter. I was just thinking that I'd give it my best try, since you're really hopeful about me recovering my memories. If it doesn't work, we can try something else.

Ran: Miss Sakura, I know that...

Ran: No, nevermind.

Ran: (Miss Sakura is, with more or less subtlety, expressing that she doesn't want to recover her memories, since, for the current miss Sakura, such a thing would more or less be equivalent to dying, huh.)

Ran: There's something else important, though. My method of recovering memories is clearly not a normal method. That's why I think it's very likely that there's something with consciousness and intentionality that's caused me to lose my memories, and that I recovered those memories by reaching certain criteria relating to those memories.

Ann: Something conscious and intentional? So you're saying that our memory loss might have been caused by someone?

Ran: Yes. The thing that brought us here, could also very well be that 'intentional' thing that's caused our memory loss.

Ann: So, you want to find it?

Ran: It'd probably be difficult. Since it was capable of bringing me here while avoiding being detected by me, and then remaining concealed for the whole time I've been here, it's not likely I'll be able to find it unless it actively appears before me.

Ran: But what I have to do after this is pretty clear. There must be some sort of meaning to recovering everyone's memories, or else there'd be no point to putting all these people connected to me in this place.

Ann: Well, we've got plenty of time in front of us. Let's take it slow and see where we end up.

Ann: After all, my relationship with you is quite significant, so maybe the people connected to you will also turn out to be familiar to me as well.

Ran: That's true! The possibility is there and quite significant! After all, you were practically the only person that I had a good relationship with back then, miss Sakura.

Ann looked like she didn't quite know how to respond to that. After an awkward moment, she spoke again.

Ann: Ran, have you considered the situation where I never manage to recover my memories?

Ran: Of course I have. But I'm never giving up no matter what.

Ran, face shadowed: After all, it only took me four years to find you. In order to be able to return to the life I had with you, miss Sakura, I'm willing to try anything.

After Ran finished speaking, Ann seemed clearly somewhat cowed, and didn't reopen her mouth.

Ran: Koizumi?

Ran had apparently interrupted Koizumi's deep breath, resulting in Koizumi starting to cough uncontrollably.

Ran: Uh, nothing's wrong, right?

Koizumi: No, no, everything's fine.

Koizumi: After dinner, could you come to the dormitory building entrance? There's something important I want to tell you.

Ran: Whatever it is, you can't just tell me through the phone??

Koizumi: Ah? Uh, no... there's something I need to give you as well.

Agree to meet up

Refuse to meet up

Ran furrowed her eyebrows. She wondered why Koizumi couldn't just hand whatever the thing was over right now, rather than make her wait. But Ran supposed that demanding Koizumi hand the thing over immediately would be too pushy, and that, if at all possible, she'd rather be gentle with Koizumi than pushy.

Ran: Alright. See you then.

Ann: Koizumi invited you to meet up?

Ran: Yeah. Now that I remember how she took care of me before as a teacher, I don't know how to face the current her.

Ran: Miss Sakura, what should I do? Can I make up for my mistakes with Koizumi-sensei, with the present Koizumi?

Ann herself wished she had an answer for the hardball question that Ran had just tossed at her.

Ann: I think that Koizumi's very easy to talk to. I'm sure you don't need to feel any pressure at all, Ran.

Ran: (...Did Koizumi-sensei not tell miss Sakura about the whole confession thing??)

Ran: Okay, I'll try, I guess.

Tonight's dinner was a lot less lively than usual.

Miho and Aya were still sitting next to each other, but they were both just mechanically shoving food into their mouths with their heads lowered.

On the other side of the table, Makoto and Tama were still sitting together as well, with Tama occasionally giving Makoto a glance, but they remained silent as well, and Tama was conspicuously not helping serve food up for Makoto as she'd done at previous dinners.

Ran made the occasional bit of chitchat with Ann, but due to the atmosphere at the dinner table, they couldn't exactly have a free conversation either.

Koizumi, at least, looked the way she always did, and chewed her food slowly and methodically. Ran couldn't see anything out of the ordinary with her, and she had no idea what Koizumi was planning on getting up to after dinner.

Ran: (Maybe I'll take another stroll after dinner. Miss Sakura's preparing her lessons so I probably shouldn't disturb her.)

Ran turned her gaze and saw that even Sai seemed to be in a low mood.

Ran: (What, even she's in a funk? Whatever. I guess I should prepare myself mentally. Who knows what Koizumi-sensei is going to say to me in a bit.)

Ran: Apologize?

Koizumi: I'm here to apologize for not being concerned enough about your feelings, Ibuki-san, and only being concerned with my own. I've been disregarding the relationship between you and Sakura-san, and I've been ignoring your own will in these matters.

Ran: Ohhhh, you're here to tell me that you're formally renouncing your confession to me and that you have no intentions of getting between me and miss Sakura any longer. Good on you, Koizumi-s- uh, prez. In a way, this is a decision you've made on your own as well, isn't it?

Koizumi: ...Yes, but- I spent so much time rehearsing my lines and then you just skipped right to the end of my speech.

Ran: Yeah, sorry. Is that all though?

Koizumi: Well, I had something for you as well, remember.

Ran: (Right. What did she have for me? I honestly have no idea.)

Koizumi: Whether I'm able to borrow Ibuki-san to achieve my transformation or not, I've... really fallen for you. I'm sorry.

Koizumi raised her head, took a step forward, and grabbed Ran by her shoulders, pulling Ran towards herself.

Ran: Wait-

Before Ran could finish the rest of her sentence, Koizumi's lips had already touched themselves to hers. Ran immediately raised her hands to push Koizumi away.

But when Ran's hands reached Koizumi's shoulders, she found that she couldn't make herself actually apply any force. Instead, she gently embraced Koizumi.

Ran: (I guess we can leave it like this for now... Koizumi-sensei.)

She hoped that Koizumi Hyuga would be able to gain some kind of determination from this, something to sustain the path she would take in her future life... though, the way things were now, what meaning did that have?

Ran could feel that Koizumi's lips were trembling, so she gently pushed against her shoulders.

Ran: (Not enough... something just like this isn't enough!)

Ran: (This isn't enough to help Koizumi-sensei, not by itself! There's got to be something else I can say to her...)

Koizumi: I'm sorry, I'm so sorry...

Koizumi wiped her eyes on one hand and tried to turn and depart on the other hand, but Ran immediately seized her by the wrist.

Koizumi: Ibuki-san?!

Ran: Koizumi! It can't end like this. You can't solve your problems just like this!

Ran: ...But I don't know how to help you. I only became the way I am now thanks to miss Sakura's help.

Ran: I could become the way I wanted to be, only because I had the person I loved by my side.

Ran: I...

Ran blinked her eyes furiously, trying not to let the tears spill.

Ran: I can't become the person who can help you change, because I don't have that kind of power, but! But- so you should-

Ran's words gradually lost their coherence. She was furiously trying to imagine what Ann Sakura would say, in a situation like this, but she couldn't come up with anything.

Ran: (My starting point here is myself, not Koizumi-sensei, and that's why I don't actually know how to help her.)

Ran: (She's not merely helpless and passive, but rather- there's a fundamental meaning to existence that she's missing...)

Ran: (That's why she doesn't have the ability to strongly reject other peoples' demands of her...)

Ran: (The me from before could never have thought of these things, and the me of the present no longer has the opportunity to help her.)

Koizumi: I understand, Ibuki-san.

From Koizumi Hyuga's perspective, Ran was just sincerely worrying that she couldn't follow through on her initial surge of determination, so she turned around and held Ran's hand.

Koizumi: You've already taken plenty of concern for me. I'm really glad I was able to fall for you, and just a little jealous of Sakura-san, now.

Smiling, she slowly released Ran's hands.

Ran: (No, I'm just- I'm just trying to say something that can help you because I'm feeling guilty, it's all for me not for you-)

Ran: Koizumi, I'm not as great as you're making me out to be-

Koizumi wiped the tears from the corners of Ran's eyes, and shook her head.

Koizumi: Then just treat it all as the fanciful whims of a lovestruck girl, I suppose. Ibuki-san, you don't need to worry about doing anything for me, anymore.

Koizumi: It's getting cold outside. Let's go back inside, okay?

Ran: Okay...

Ran: (Why make me encounter something like this again? Just so I can experience being helpless to do anything for Koizumi-sensei a second time?)

Ran: (Or is this a way of saying that, if I change Koizumi-sensei here, then the her in the outside world will change accordingly as well?)

Ran and Koizumi returned to the dormitory, and as Koizumi led Ran through the threshold, Ran thought to herself that she was being foolishly idealistic, and that she ought to abandon those silly hopes she was holding on to.

Ran: What's with all this stuff.

Sai: Everyone looked like they were in a bad mood today. I'm going to make some more nutritious food tomorrow, maybe cheer them up a bit.

Ran: (So that's what she looked frustrated about at dinner today. Why does Sai have to be such a great person.)

Sai: No offense, but with how long it took you to make those meat skewers, I doubt you'd actually be able to be helpful.

Ran looked at what she was doing. Sai was wearing gloves, and picking away the withered bits of a bunch of vegetables which Ran couldn't even name.

Ran: Well, I could help you wipe the table or something, then?

Sai, without turning around, nodded.

Looking at Sai busying herself with the mountain of work in front of her, Ran couldn't help but want to say something to her.

Ran: (Hm...)

I really like the food you make (REQUIRES CHARISMA 6)

Sai sure knows how to do everything, huh

Use temp points

Ran: Sai, I really like your cooking. It used to be that I didn't particularly care a lot about eating, but recently I've really been looking to our meals.

Sai: That so.

Sai didn't turn around as she spoke, but anyone could tell that she sounded quite pleased.

Sai: My little sister was just like you; she liked eating my cooking as well. Really, I only started learning how to cook for her.

Sai: There was a period of time where she only wanted to eat my cooking, for whatever reason, so to make sure that she could enjoy her meals a little bit more, I did my best to learn a lot of things.

Ran: Oh, a siscon.

Sai: Y'know what, you're right, I've got a sister complex, so what.

Sai: I haven't been able to see her since I came here. I wonder how she's doing.

Very close to her little sister, but it's been a long time since Sai has seen her. At the swimming pool, sometimes she'll treat Ran as her own younger sister.

Responsible for cooking at the school.

Due to a certain illness, Sai's younger sister seems to only want to eat Sai's cooking.

Sai seemed a little downcast, thinking about her little sister, and Ran didn't like seeing Sai that way. In Ran's perspective, Sai Yano was someone who oughtn't have that kind of look on her face.

Ran: I'm sure she's waiting for her big sister to come home and make her plenty of tasty things to eat.

Sai smiled as she turned around. Now that was the kind of expression that Ran wanted to see on Sai's face.

Sai: You're right, Ibuki, you're right.

Ran opened the bedroom door, and saw that Miho was just shoving a book into the reading table's drawer. After closing the drawer, she flipped a tuft of hair behind her ear, and showed Ran a dazzling smile.

Miho: What is it, Ibuki-san?

Ran looked at the entirely empty table in front of her.

Ran: Nothing.

Miho: Shall we go shower, then? I believe it's about time.

Let's go shower (ENDS EXPLORATION MODE)

Let's wait a bit (CONTINUES INVESTIGATION MODE)

The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy? (INVESTIGATION 5- PASSED)

Use Temp Points

Ran: Miho, why are you reading the Merck Manual all of a sudden.

Miho: Ah...

Miho hesitated before giving Ran a small smile and answering easily.

Miho: I'm the school nurse, after all. I always need to keep myself on top of knowledge related to my job.

Ran narrowed her eyes at Miho a bit, but nodded.

Ran could hear the plucking sound of a guitar, from Aya's room. The sound was on-and-off and didn't really seem to form a coherent tune.

Ran: (You can tell that the person playing feels terrible, just from the sound.)

Aya: Oho, my romantic rival. I thought it was Miho here to tell me to stop making a racket with my guitar.

Ran: Don't tease me.

Aya: So, is there anything you need?

Aya set the guitar aside.

Ran: Nothing. I heard the sound so I came to check it out.

Aya: Don't tell me you're here to take pity on me, are you?

Ran: O-of course not. I'm just passing by.

Ran: (Shit. Busted.)

Aya: Then please leave me alone, if you'd be so kind.

Aya made a theatrical show of slowly reaching for her guitar.

Aya: And then I'll play some slow tragic songs to myself.

Ran: If you're feeling so awful, you should hurry up and make up with Miho already.

Aya, with a rare frown: Absolutely not. I can't make concessions about this, at least not while we're still in the same place.

Aya: This matter is very important to me, you know.

Smiling, Aya pointed two fingers at Ran.

Aya: As important as Ann is to you!

Aya stretched her legs out straight and tapped the tips of her toes together. Ran had noticed that she seemed to like this act.

Aya: I've already been with her for fourteen years, and this is just the start, which is why I'm sure that Miho will be the person that's most important to me throughout my life.

Ran: (She really is a lot like me. That makes me want to help them make up even more, now.)

Ran: (If Miho and Aya came into conflict, I'm sure I'd stand on Aya's side.)

Ran: Well, if that's the case, then you better make up quickly. I don't think I could stand to be apart from my beloved for more than a day.

Aya nodded and showed Ran a goofy smile.

Aya: Mhm. Hearing that from you, it's just so convincing.

Ran was about to take her leave, but Aya stopped her.

Aya: Ran-chan, since you're already here, how about we shower together tonight? I wanted to chat with you a bit longer.

Ran: (Aya doesn't want Miho to shower with me, huh.)

Ran: Sure. I'll come find you once I've gotten ready. I don't want your relationship with Miho to get any worse, either.

Aya smiled. Her hands were mashed into a tight ball in front of her.

Aya: Oh, Ran-chan, you're so... Why don't you try and apply your cleverness to something else, hm?