Tsukiuta. Girls’ 4th Season 1 – Chrysoberyl Drama (2)

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2. Drama – “It Doesn’t Have to be Special”

 

[Murata Mako opens the door to her room and falls onto her bed.]

 

Murata: ...Hm... *groans* I get the feeling that tons of weird things have been happening these days...

 

-

 

Kurisu: All right~! The Big Variety-Inducing Invention Strategy is a go!

 

Okuri: Whoo-hoo!

 

Hina: *weakly* Wh... Whoo... Um. Please, you two?

Please keep it to a degree that will not cause trouble, okay? Please don’t cause trouble...!

 

Kurisu: Variety. In short, that is the extraordinary that creeps into one’s ordinary everyday life.

 

Hina: The introduction itself already sounds threatening...!

 

Kurisu: So with that! Ta-dah~! A small-scale UFO!

 

Hina: Do not “Ta-dah~!” me! DON’T YOU “TA-DAH~!” MEEE!

UFO!? Unidentified flying object!? Yes, you’re right that it’s extraordinary, because it’s extra and not ordinary, but...!

 

Kurisu: Brace yourself. Go!

 

[An alarm blares, and the UFO takes off.]

 

Murata: Hmm? What? ......There sure are funny-shaped drones these days, huh!

 

[LOSE.]

 

Kurisu: Gah... Are you telling me... that because drones have become completely commonplace, the specialness of UFOs has gone down...!?

 

Hina: Also, handmade UFOs seem to be a thing, too.

 

-

 

Okuri: Ta-dah~! Okuri Ramune is heading out!

This here’s my invention! Ramune candy will shower down from the sky! Nothing more extraordinary than this!

 

Hina: Ramune!? From the sky!? Like the Fafrotskies phenomenon, where fish or frogs fall from the sky when they’re not supposed to be there!?

I wanted to ask this during the UFO thing, but why is it that you leap right into urban legend-level craziness!?

 

Kurisu: Hina, you’re... actually pretty knowledgeable when it comes to urban legends, huh?

 

Okuri: Let’s go~!

 

[An alarm blares, and ramune candy begins raining. A background song similar to the X-Files theme plays.]

 

Murata: ? Huh!? Kyah—KYAHHH!

 

Okuri: Haaahahaha! You’d best accept your newly extraordinary, ordinary life!

 

Hina: Gaah, I’m so sorry, Mako-san...! The ramune-from-the-sky looks like it sorta hurts...!

 

Murata: Wh... What the heck is going on... R-ramune candy...? Um, where’s it coming from?

Umm... Did someone lose this? Should I should take it to the police station?

 

[LOSE.]

 

Hina: The morally correct response!

 

-

 

Okuri: Today, we’re starting off with my invention! Take a look! A cat-attracting spray!

 

Kurisu: Not bad. There’s no such thing as a human who doesn’t feel comforted by cats.

 

Hina: Hey, that’s right! ...Huh? Comfort? That’s not exactly what I’d call “variety,” though...? Er, no! But it is extraordinary, true?

...Hmm?

 

Okuri: Prepare yourself, and let yourself be comforted to your heart’s content!

 

[She sprays the bottle.

Cats begin to meow, gathering up in front of Murata’s apartment.]

 

Hina: Amazing! This really would comfort anyone!

...Ah, oh! The target’s come back home.

 

Murata: Huh!? There are tons of kitty-cats in front of my apartment!?

So cute~!

 

Kurisu: She’s being comforted...!

 

Hina: She’s being comforted!

 

Okuri: Could this be a successful strategy~!?

 

Murata: Mm! There, there... Mmh, you’re so cute... Phew~ So cute~ Cats are so nice~

But I can’t keep pets in this apartment. I’m sorry, kitty-cat. I can’t keep you. *sighs*

 

Hina: Ahh! What a shame! The apartment’s control agreement stood in her way!

 

Okuri: I didn’t expect this...!

 

Kurisu: If anything, she’s more depressed now.

 

-

 

Kurisu: OOOOHOHOHO! If you can’t do cats, then what about birds!? I’ve already checked the apartment rules, and they say birds are okay!

Ta-ta-ta-daaaah... A bird-attracting spray!

 

Okuri: Gh... You saw my failure and made use of it in your own invention! I expected nothing less of you, Miss Kurisu!

 

Hina: Both of your goals have changed, haven’t they!?

 

Kurisu: Hit’er up, extraordinary life!

 

[She sprays the bottle.]

 

Kurisu: Now! Become like a princess who plays around with birds! Uh—

 

Murata: ......

 

Okuri: ...It’s almost impressive how all the birds that gathered up here were crows and crows alone.

 

Hina: If... i-i-i-if these many crows swooped down on her... it’d be horror movie levels of terrifying! This is no longer about variety in daily life! Kurisu-chan, cancel it! Cancel it~!

 

Kurisu: Argh... A failure, eh!?

 

-

 

Murata: Hmm...

 

[She walks into the convenience store.]

 

Hina: Um... What did you do today?

 

Okuri: Heh heh heh~! Listen, and be amazed! Through analyzing the past data accumulated from this convenience store, I’ve induced the exact timing for her to enter the shop!

 

Kurisu: Wow, that’s sorta impressive!

 

Hina: What did you do to tempt her to enter the store at that time?

 

Okuri: I hid her stock of toilet paper ☆

 

Hina: Urk—That’s petty, but it does have noticeable effects.

 

[The counter beeps, and a fanfare rings out.]

 

Murata: Wh-what’s going on?

 

Convenience store worker: Congratulations! You’re the monumental 10,000th customer of this store!

 

Murata: M-me...?

 

Convenience store worker: Please take this pair of tickets to an amusement park, brought to you by this store!

 

Hina: Wow! She could be happy with this present! ...Huh?

 

Murata: Er... Thank you very much...

 

Kurisu: She’s got an incredibly doubtful expression on her face...

 

Murata: Pair of... tickets... Even though I don’t have anyone who’ll go with me... a pair?

 

Okuri: Argh! True that, if she doesn’t have any friends or a boyfriend, going to an amusement park with a pair of tickets... seems complicated!

 

Hina: Maybe she can take it to a ticket resale shop?

 

[T/N: Ticket resale (Kinken) shops are places that purchase certificates or gift tickets that you’ve obtained but don’t want. They sell them to customers who need or want them instead.]

 

Kurisu: Hina...

 

-

 

Kurisu: Hmph! Goodness, to think... I’d forgotten about the most basic of basics! What the target needs is variety that provides vitality to her daily lifestyle. And that must certainly be something extraordinary.

 

Hina: I’ve been saying that since the beginning.

 

Kurisu: So, with that being said, I’ve set up a bit of a scheme. For what it is, check out the monitor.

 

[The monitor turns on.]

 

Hina: Mako-san’s resting today, huh? She’s been looking at her tablet this whole day. Well... I guess if all that happened to her, it’d be natural to want to take it easy relaxing in her room.

 

[An alarm comes from her tablet.]

 

Murata: !? Wh-what’s up with the screen? Wait! An app’s been forcibly installed?

 

Okuri: You’ve accomplished some complex programming for that to happen. Now that’s Miss Kurisu for you!

 

Hina: K-Kurisu-chan!? What’d you do!?

 

Kurisu: Take a chill pill. It’s just a totally normal mobile game. I was the one who made it, and it’s perfect for helping make friends.

 

Hina: I-I see... But if she knows that it’s been forcefully installed onto her tablet...

 

Murata: This... is so scary... I-is it a virus? Anyway, I shouldn’t open it, so if I just uninstall it, restart, install a virus checker...

 

Kurisu: Oh, come on! Play the dang game!

 

Hina: I think that’s the normal response!

 

[PSA!]

 

Okuri: Everyone, if you ever see suspicious apps on your phone that you don’t remember installing, or suspicious messages, make sure you don’t open them! ✨

Promise this Goddess, would you?

 

Hina: Ramune-san!! Who are you even talking to!?

 

-

 

Hina: “And afterwards, Kurisu-chan and Ramune-san continued with their invention strategy... but not a single one was successful.”

 

Kurisu: Hina! Quit that foreboding narration, would you!?

...Still, I didn’t expect that things would be so unsuccessful at this point in time.

 

Okuri: Me neither. The inventions themselves activated without a hitch, regardless of the plan itself.

 

Kurisu: It sure is curious.

 

Okuri: I wonder why...?

 

Hina: *flatly* Oh, I sure wonder why.

 

Murata: *sighs* I don’t know why, but it feels like only exhausting things have been happening to me recently.

 

Hina: *sighs* It looks like the target’s mental condition is taking a plunge, even worse than it was before... She’s looking far off into the distance while sitting on the park bench.

 

Murata: ......

 

Hina: ......All right!

 

[Hina runs off.]

 

Kurisu: What? Wait, Hina! Where are you going?

 

-

 

Murata: *sighs* ...

 

Hina: Good afternoon!

 

Murata: Huh?

 

Hina: Great weather out here we’re having, isn’t it?

 

Murata: Er, yes. We’re... having nice weather, yes. It really is...

 

Hina: Oh... ...Um. Ah, I play that game, too.

 

Murata: Huh? Eh—What the... I thought I uninstalled it the other day! Since when did it come back...?

 

Hina: I play it too! Isn’t it fun?

 

Murata: What? Um, er... Y-yes... I-is that... so...?

 

Hina: Um...

 

Murata: ...

 

Hina: A-a friend of mine... plays it. She invited me to play it, and... um.

 

[Kurisu and Okuri run up to her, panting.]

 

Kurisu: Hina!

 

Okuri: You surprised me back there, running off like that! What’s the matter?

 

Hina: Kurisu-chan! Ramune-san!

 

Kurisu: Ugh, good grief.

 

Murata: Uh...

 

Kurisu: Umm. Is she... an acquaintance of yours?

 

Hina: Ah, no! Er, just now... we just greeted each other for a bit.

 

Okuri: Because the weather feels nice, huh?

 

Hina: Y-yes! Since it feels so nice out, I was in a great mood, and I got carried away...

Er, umm... doesn’t that ever happen to you?

 

Murata: ...Oh! It... does.

 

Hina: Ufufu! I’m glad to hear that.

I just thought it’d be good to work up a little bit of courage or a little reason. Just having something that spurs you on is good.

 

Murata: ...

 

Hina: If those “little bits” accumulate, they’ll become something great. I’m sure something will change. Even if it’s not a dramatic change, your future will start to change, bit by bit. I just thought... that sort of thing would be nice.

 

Murata: Ah...!

 

Hina: Er, um! Well, then!

 

Kurisu: Goodbye!

 

Okuri: Sorry for interrupting~!

 

[The three of them walk away.]

 

Murata: ...What was that just now...

But... accumulating a little bit of courage... huh? Hm. ...Okay!

 

-

 

[The monitor pops up.]

 

Kurisu: It’s questionable, but it looks to me that... her expression is a bit more refreshed?

 

Hina: Fufu! It seems to be the case!

 

Okuri: Ooh! Hina-chan, Miss Kurisu. Could you take a look at this?

 

Kurisu: What’s th... Oh, my!

 

Okuri: The target’s mental condition is on the rise. At this rate, she might be back on average levels, maybe even greater! That’s what it looks like. You did it!

 

Hina: Yes!

 

Kurisu: Hina...

 

Hina: Hm?

 

Kurisu: It’s high time you give an explanation. Why did she suddenly take a turn for the better? What’d you do?

 

Hina: You’re asking me what I did, but... I didn’t exactly do anything. All I really did was give her a nudge on the back... at least, that’s what I think.

 

Kurisu: Huh?

 

Hina: Before Mako-san met us, she was already trying to face her worries head-on and was earnestly trying to deal with them, wasn’t she?

 

Kurisu: You mean that random wandering?

 

Hina: Yeah. That’s why we didn’t need to jostle her up so intensely. We just had to acknowledge her efforts and tell her, “That was enough.” Which is what I thought...

 

Kurisu: And that was the meaning behind your conversation, which only lasted a few minutes?

 

Hina: Yep. A stranger talking to you is a bit extraordinary, isn’t it? It doesn’t have to be all too special. If there are small moments that help you treasure the insignificant parts of your everyday life, that could very well connect to a huge change in your future.

That was... my thought process.

 

Kurisu: Hmm~? It doesn’t have to be special, huh? It’s just like you to say that.

 

Hina: Urk... I know that, when push comes to shove, I’m not that special~!

 

Kurisu: Gosh, that’s not what I meant. You’re... well. You’re a specialist when it comes to normalcy.

 

Hina: A specialist for normalcy...?

 

Kurisu: Yep! It’s because you’re normal that you’re more attentive to when these things need care... Your faults and weaknesses are very realistic.

 

Hina: I-I see?

 

Kurisu: You don’t really get it, do you?

 

Hina: No! Um—Ehehe. Actually, yes.

 

Okuri: A specialist for normalcy! Yes, that’s a great comparison. That’s the type of person you are. When normalcy’s the topic, you’re the go-to specialist. You’re incredible.

You’d be a specialist for all things daily life. Great! ☆

 

Hina: Wh-when Ramune-san says it, I start to think that it’s really impressive.

 

Kurisu: Heh! Fufu.

 

-

 

Murata: Hm. If I accumulate little changes... um, let’s see here.

“This is the first time I’ve seen this game.” Hmm.

“I hope I can make friends to play it with together.” Mm...

“If anyone’s playing this, could you react to this?” Heh...! *She sends it.*

I have to take that first step on my own, after all!

Huh? Ah! Someone reacted!

 

Hina: Ehehe. May Mako-san’s future change for the better.

 

Kurisu: Why, true. I get the feeling that you swept in and took all the good parts for yourself at the end, but... I won’t lose next time!

 

Hina: It’s based on victories and defeats!? Urk—Ehehe! Don’t worry~

I’m sure the power of your troublemaking, off-the-wall inventions will be of good use for something.

 

Kurisu: Like what?

 

Hina: Fweh, umm... Public works, maybe?

 

Kurisu: Hey, what was that just now!? I heard you!

 

Hina: Ufufu! Ahehehe...

 

Kurisu: Jeez...! Hehe...!

[They laugh together.]

-

(part 1)