Novella Hasuka ~ A Magical Girl VN Project

[Kogetsu Shirogane]

I'm not sure if this is really allowed or not, but I couldn't find anything specifically stating original works aren't permitted. Well, I guess I can get away with it, seeing as it's being created by a fan of the magical girl genre... even though my actual exposure is surprisingly limited.

Anyway, towards the end of last year, I started putting together this little project based on a long-time desire to write a visual novel and the realization that quite a few of those I'm familiar with have some sort of magical girl spinoff. So I figured I could just cut out the middle man, so to speak, and just make a magical girl themed visual novel.

... Unfortunately, I'm incredibly lazy, so during the seven months time I've been working on this, a similar fanfic project by Triple_R based around Madoka Magica has already gone quite far. In fact, it already has one route finished.

For now, I'll just stick with putting up the writing portion, thinking of this as a sort of "open beta" of sorts. Ultimately, I want to turn this into a full-fledged VN, but I figured it couldn't hurt to post the beginning sections.

So without further ado, please humor the insane desires of someone who is probably too obsessed with this genre.

(Oh, and make sure to keep track of choices made... they are kinda important, after all. )

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Wh... Where am I? Why am I running? Is... Is something chasing me? It looks like the floor and walls around me are... Made of some sort of metal? There are pipes and other things protruding out of them. I can't think much about my surroundings, though, as there's sounds of explosions behind me! Am I being attacked? Why? What did I do?! Suddenly...

I find myself sitting up in my bed, with my hair a complete mess. Was that... A dream? It felt so real...

Episode 01
An Unexpected Encounter

"What a strange dream..." I said while brushing my light, somewhat reddish hair. I was wearing my school's uniform, which consists a white button-up top with a ribbon tied into a bow near the collar, a red-trimmed blue jacket featuring a green emblem on the left side pulled over it, and a red pleated skirt that went about halfway down to my knees. When I was finished fixing my hair, I tied it off on the sides. Oh right, I almost forgot! I'm Hasuka Murasaki, a second-year middle school student.

After eating breakfast, I swiftly ran out the door, shouting a cheerful "I'm going now!" as I left.
"Okay then. Be careful!" Was the response I had gotten from my older sister, Sumire. Her classes start later than mine, so she generally takes her time getting ready. As a result, I generally have to leave home by myself... but I don't mind, really! I'm not alone the entire way, as I usually meet up with my friends about halfway there. Of course...

"Oww..."

Today was a little different, as a girl I never met before ran into me... Literally! I'm guessing she's rather light, as the force of her bumping into me was only enough to make me lose my balance slightly. It seems she wasn't as lucky though, as she was on the ground when I turned to check on her.

"A... are you okay?"

"Um... I..." the girl managed to say, albeit in a slight whimper. She seemed a little shy...

Looking closer at the girl, her short hair was styled in a manner that gave her bangs extending down her forehead and parted in the middle. It also seemed to have a bluish hue, and it looked like she had a white ribbon of some sort on the right side, which crossed itself once at the top and went straight across just below. If you were to look at it sideways, it would look almost like the Roman letters X and I... or maybe I and X? Anyway, judging from the uniform she was wearing, she goes to the same school as me, though the yellow emblem on her jacket meant she was a first-year student. More to the point, it seemed she got hurt from the fall.

I didn't want to just leave her alone if she needed help, but I didn't want to make my friends needlessly wait longer for me, either. At the very least, I wanted to make sure I apologized.

Choice 1

Spoiler for A: "I'm sorry! Let me help you up, okay?":

"I'm sorry! Let me help you up, okay? I mean... it is my fault you got hurt, after all..."

"N-no! It's fine! I'll be okay!" She exclaimed in response, apparently flustered. And with that, she got up and ran away while blushing. In a way, she reminded me of how my sister used to act a few years ago by doing that.

I was about to walk away from where we collided when I noticed something shining on the ground. "Glasses? Do they belong to that girl?" I mused aloud. I figured I could return them later, so I picked them up and brought them with me. Besides, if she realized she was missing them, I was bound to see her again before that.

I didn't really have much time to think about it anyway, as I was greeted by a pair of girls who were waiting for me a short while later. One of them had a different style of glasses than the pair I was holding onto, short hair of a similar, albeit lighter, color as the girl from earlier, and a large grin on her face. If I didn't know better, I'd swear the two of them were related. The other had her legs covered with black tights. She also had green hair reaching down to her waist, and what looked to be a scowl on her face.

"Hasuka-chan! Good morning!" The cheerful one with glasses responded. This is Satomi Shirakawa. A rather energetic girl who, two years ago, went out of her way to befriend me when my family first moved here. Of course, it probably looks like we've known each other our entire lives to anyone unfamiliar with us.

"Hello. You're one minute and ten seconds late." The green haired one added. Filling out our trio is Hiyori Katsuyama. She's been friends with Satomi since before I knew either one. While she's generally laid back, her attitude can a little unpredictable at times.

"I'm sure she has a reason for it, right?" Satomi responded, while smiling in my direction.

"Well, there was this first-year girl who ran into me. I tried helping her up, but..."

Hiyori couldn't maintain her scowl any longer, as all of a sudden... "Hahahaha! Like I'd really keep track of something that trivial!" ... Let's just say we're used to that side of her personality. Anyway, after the initial greetings, we started heading towards school.

"More importantly, I think she lost these when she ran into me," I said, while showing Hiyori the glasses I was carrying.

"Hm... A pair of glasses, a shy first-year girl... I see..."

Not wanting to be left out, Satomi responded with the question, "Do you know her?"

"Nope, not at all! But I get the feeling you'll find her in the school's library during lunch break. She probably won't be reading anything without these, but she'll still be there."

"What makes you think that?" I was genuinely curious about that deduction. It seemed a little... Unusual, even for Hiyori's standards.

"Sacchin wears glasses and you're kinda shy at times. If I put the two of you together, I'd get someone like her. After that, it was simply a matter of thinking 'If the two of ya wanted some alone time together, it'd be somewhere quiet like the library.'"

Maybe I was better off not knowing. Of course, while I decided to not say anything, Satomi didn't stay quiet very long after hearing the reason.

"Hmm... Now why would we want to be alone somewhere... Any ideas on that?"

Before I knew it, I found Satomi's arms wrapped around me from behind, while she pressed herself against my back!

Choice 2

Spoiler for A: Try and get free:

I tried to struggle free, but it seemed that only encouraged her. "Satomiii... stop it..."

"Hm? I can't hear you. You're gonna have to speak up."

Given Satomi's vigorous grip, it was proving impossible to get free. Meanwhile, Hiyori was laughing about it all. I'm not sure how much more I can take...

"Isn't Hasuka-chan just adorable? I just want to do this all day."

Thankfully, Hiyori eventually spoke up again. "The two of ya are putting on quite a show, ya know. Maybe you should save it for somewhere a little more private, eh?" She then motioned to a group looking at us.

"Huh? Oh... Right. Guess I kinda got carried away there," Satomi said nervously as she let go of me. Meanwhile, I oddly found myself breathing heavily...

Spoiler for B: Play along with Satomi:

I didn't see any harm in humoring her, so I decided to play along with her a bit. It seemed like it was just a bit of harmless fun, after all, so I playfully responded, "Mmm... Feels nice..."

"Heh? I was only playing around, but if you really want..." Satomi said, started moving her hands up and down my arms. Even though my sleeves no doubt blocked some of the sensation, I actually liked the way it felt... Unfortunately... it seemed like Hiyori wasn't too thrilled with seeing us this way.

"I was only joking around, ya know... Oh well, guess I'll just leave you two lovebirds alone. Laters."

"H-Hiyori! Wait up!"

Satomi let go of me to chase after Hiyori. Giving a sigh, I followed after the two. When we caught up to Hiyori, she seemed to be in a better mood.

Spoiler for C: Look to Hiyori for help:

While Satomi was occupied with wrapping herself around me, I looked at Hiyori, hoping she'd realize I wanted help. I wasn't sure what she'd be able to do, but I figured it was better than not doing anything. Seemingly understanding, Hiyori spoke up after giving a brief sigh.

"Okay, Sacchin. While I'm sure the two of you would have a lot of fun together, I don't think this is the right place for it." Hiyori stated bluntly as she motioned to a group looking at us. "Besides, Hasukan's getting all flustered over it. Ya gotta think about her feelings when ya do this sorta thing."

"Heh? Oh, right... Sorry about that, Hasuka."

Satomi seemed a little sad when she let me go. While I'm glad to be free again, I can't help but feel a bit sorry for her...

"Th... Thanks, Hiyori-chan..."

"Hey, don't mention it. Was kinda my fault, anyway."

After a bit of a laugh over that last event, we reached the school.

Spoiler for B: "I'm sorry! Do you need some help?":

"I'm sorry! Do you need some help?"

"No... I should've been watching where I was going, is all..."

"So you're okay, then?"

The girl blushed and shook her head. Judging from that particular response, she probably would've ran away if I tried to help her up immediately.

"I'll be fine. Honest." As she put her hand on the side of her face, the girl seemed to be in a state of panic. "A-ah! My glasses!"

"Did you lose them? I can help look if you want."

"Y-you mean it? Thank you..."

While I hated the thought of being late, I couldn't just leave someone alone when they were in trouble. What kind of person would do that? So, for a few minutes, the two of us looked for her glasses. Just when it seemed like she was about to give up, I noticed something shining just a short distance away. "Are these them?" I asked, while holding up a pair of thick-rimmed glasses.

"Yes! Thank you so much!"

I felt a little weird being thanked, seeing as it was partly my fault they went missing in the first place. However, she seemed pretty happy, so I guess it all worked out. As I was about to say goodbye, she muttered something that sounded like a weather condition. As a result, I responded, "I think it's going to be clear today."

"N-No. A-Ame."

"Huh?"

"My name... my name is Ame Shimotsuki..."

"Oh, right. I'm Hasuka Murasaki. Is it okay if I called you Ame-chan? I think it's a pretty name."

After hearing that, she started blushing again. "O... okay. That's fine, Ha... Hasuka..." Ame seemed a little nervous about calling me by my first name, so I told her she didn't have to if she didn't feel comfortable with it. Afterwards, I started walking towards school, with Ame following a few paces behind.

After a while, we encountered a pair of girls who were waiting for me. One of them is somewhat similar to Ame in appearance, with the only major differences being the badge on the uniform, a different style of glasses, and her hair being a lighter shade and less styled. The other had her legs covered with black tights. She also had green hair reaching down to her waist.

"Hasuka-chan! Good mor... Oh hey, who's that following you?" The short-haired one said while peeking around me.

"I'm guessing ya met her on the way here..." The long-haired one added. "Funny, I was planning on teasing ya about being late, but I didn't think it'd actually happen. Go figure, huh?"

"Um... Murasaki-san... Wh-who are these people?"

"The other girl with glasses is Satomi Shirakawa, and the one with long hair is Hiyori Katsuyama. I've been friends with them for about two years now, though they've known each other longer than that."

"Hi!" Satomi shouted cheerfully.

"Nice to meet ya!" Hiyori added.

"Oh right, this is Ame Shimotsuki. We kinda bumped into each other earlier, and she decided to tag along after I helped her out a little."

"Hm... You found a real cutie here."

"You could probably pass for Sacchin's little sister if ya wanted..."

"E-eh?"

It seemed they liked Ame, but their reactions were probably a bit too much for her to handle all at once. Maybe I should have figured out some way of introducing them one at a time... At any rate, I had to stop them, given how shy she's been so far. "Okay, that's enough. You don't want to overwhelm her, do you?"

"Eh? Sorry! I guess I got a little excited there." Satomi said, laughing nervously.

"Yer probably right..." Hiyori responded, with a sly grin suddenly appearing on her face. "Didn't know ya could play the knight in shining armor type though, Hasukan."

For the rest of the trip, Ame seemed to be walking very close to me. She probably just felt more comfortable that way, given our other walking companions. Once we reached school, though, we said our goodbyes as we went to our separate classes.

Spoiler for C: I'm sorry! Are you going to be okay?:

"I'm sorry! Are you going to be okay?"
"Yeah, I think so..."

After making sure she was fine, I said goodbye and left. I considered asking for her name, but I figured it would have been awkward. She seemed to be looking around for something as I left, though. I didn't really have much time to think about it anyway, as I was greeted by a pair of girls who were waiting for me a short while later. One of them had glasses, short hair of a similar, albeit lighter, color as the girl from earlier, and a large grin on her face. The other had her legs covered with black tights. She also had green hair reaching down to her waist, and what looked to be a scowl on her face.

"Hasuka-chan! Good morning!" The cheerful one with glasses responded. This is Satomi Shirakawa. A rather energetic girl who, two years ago, went out of her way to befriend me when my family first moved here. Of course, it probably looks like we've known each other our entire lives to anyone unfamiliar with us.

"Hello. You're one minute and ten seconds late." The green haired one added. Filling out our trio is Hiyori Katsuyama. She's been friends with Satomi since before I knew either one. While she's generally laid back, her attitude can a little unpredictable at times.

"I'm sure she has a reason for it, right?" Satomi responded, while smiling in my direction.

"Well, there was this first-year girl who ran into me. I wanted to make sure she was okay first."

Hiyori couldn't maintain her scowl any longer, as all of a sudden... "Hahahaha! Like I'd really keep track of something that trivial!" ... Let's just say we're used to that side of her personality. Anyway, after the initial greetings, we started heading towards school.

"So, what was this girl like? Was she cute?" Satomi piped up, with the curiosity of a cat.

"A little, I guess... I didn't really talk to her all that much, so I can't say for certain what her personality is like..."

"So Hasukan likes cute girls, eh? Is that it?"

"E-eh?! That's not what I..."

"Is anyone here cute enough for you?" Satomi teased. Before I knew it, I found Satomi's arms wrapped around me from behind, while she pressed herself against my back!

Choice 2

Spoiler for A: Try and get free:

I tried to struggle free, but it seemed that only encouraged her. "Satomiii... stop it..."

"Hm? I can't hear you. You're gonna have to speak up."

Given Satomi's vigorous grip, it was proving impossible to get free. Meanwhile, Hiyori was laughing about it all. I'm not sure how much more I can take...

"Isn't Hasuka-chan just adorable? I just want to do this all day."

Thankfully, Hiyori eventually spoke up again. "The two of ya are putting on quite a show, ya know. Maybe you should save it for somewhere a little more private, eh?" She then motioned to a group looking at us.

"Huh? Oh... Right. Guess I kinda got carried away there," Satomi said nervously as she let go of me. Meanwhile, I oddly found myself breathing heavily...

Spoiler for B: Play along with Satomi:

I didn't see any harm in humoring her, so I decided to play along with her a bit. It seemed like it was just a bit of harmless fun, after all, so I playfully responded, "Mmm... Feels nice..."

"Heh? I was only playing around, but if you really want..." Satomi said, started moving her hands up and down my arms. Even though my sleeves no doubt blocked some of the sensation, I actually liked the way it felt... Unfortunately... it seemed like Hiyori wasn't too thrilled with seeing us this way.

"I was only joking around, ya know... Oh well, guess I'll just leave you two lovebirds alone. Laters."

"H-Hiyori! Wait up!"

Satomi let go of me to chase after Hiyori. Giving a sigh, I followed after the two. When we caught up to Hiyori, she seemed to be in a better mood.

Spoiler for C: Look to Hiyori for help:

While Satomi was occupied with wrapping herself around me, I looked at Hiyori, hoping she'd realize I wanted help. I wasn't sure what she'd be able to do, but I figured it was better than not doing anything. Seemingly understanding, Hiyori spoke up after giving a brief sigh.

"Okay, Sacchin. While I'm sure the two of you would have a lot of fun together, I don't think this is the right place for it." Hiyori stated bluntly as she motioned to a group looking at us. "Besides, Hasukan's getting all flustered over it. Ya gotta think about her feelings when ya do this sorta thing."

"Heh? Oh, right... Sorry about that, Hasuka."

Satomi seemed a little sad when she let me go. While I'm glad to be free again, I can't help but feel a bit sorry for her...

"Th... Thanks, Hiyori-chan..."

"Hey, don't mention it. Was kinda my fault, anyway."

After a bit of a laugh over that last event, we reached the school.

At the start of class, our teacher, Konishi-sensei, had an unexpected announcement to make. After clearing his throat, he spoke up. "Starting today, a new student will be joining you. Be sure to treat her with respect, and try to get along as though she were here from the start."

He then motioned to someone standing outside. Shortly after, a girl with long, dark hair tied into a pair of ponytails, one on each side of her head, entered the room. The rest of the class seemed fascinated by this girl, who seemed to be gliding on air as she walked past the front row. After walking halfway across the room, she spun on one foot to face us. Then, with a smile on her face, she began her introduction.

"Good morning. My name is Kei Katsuhiro. Prior to today, I received private tutelage overseas. However, I hope you will treat me as though I have lived here my entire life. It is my pleasure to meet you all." With that last sentence, she had bowed in an elegant manner. Her impressive introduction was met with applause.

"As for seating arrangements... Hm... There seems to be an empty seat next to Murasaki-san. Please stand up and direct Katsuhiro-san to where she will be sitting."

"Y-yes!" I quickly stood up in response. Unfortunately, I had lost my balance when doing so, and fell in the process. Some of my classmates chuckled a bit at this, but I tried my hardest to ignore them. What did manage to catch my attention, however, was the person who spoke next.

"Are you alright? Let me help you up." Before I realized what was happening, Katsuhiro-san hurried to my side to help me back to my feet. It felt like my heart had skipped a beat as our eyes met.

"Th-thank you, Katsuhiro-san... Um... I... my name is Hasuka..."

"You're welcome, Hasuka. Please, just call me Kei," she said, with what was quite possibly the sweetest smile I've ever seen.

"Oh... Okay... Kei-chan... Um, your seat is right there."

"I hope we'll have a great year together." Kei smiled at me again as she took her seat. I gave a nervous laugh as I sat down, and noticed a few of my classmates were still chuckling. It's not like I do that all the time, honest! Throughout the rest of the morning period, Kei did a superb job of answering various questions the teachers asked, which resulted in the class being a little awestruck with her.

Spoiler for 1A:

During lunch break, Satomi, Hiyori and I generally sit together and chat. Today was a little different though, as I decided it would be a good idea to look for the girl whose glasses I may have. And while the reason Hiyori had given was unusual, I figured the school's library would be a good place to start.

Satomi had wanted to accompany me to see the girl for herself, but I told her it was probably best for me to go alone. Given the girl's initial reaction to me, Satomi's rather energetic personality would probably be a little too much for her to take, after all. So with that thought out of my mind, I entered the library. As luck would have it, it seemed Hiyori was right. The girl was looking through some books on the shelves. She seemed to be struggling a bit, so I offered a simple, "Do you need some help?"

"E-eh? No, I don't need any help..." The girl had said, even though it was obvious she was having problems reading the spines of the books.

"I'm not exactly sure how to ask this, but... Do you usually wear glasses?"

"Um... Yeah... I didn't realize I wasn't wearing them until I made it to school, and I would've been late if I went to look for them..."

After that, I felt I had the confirmation I needed. I then walked over to her and showed her the glasses that, thankfully, didn't get broken when I fell earlier. "Are these yours, then?"

With wide eyes, the girl excitedly shouted, "Yes! Where did you find them?!"

"Well..."

As she cleaned the lenses and put her glasses on, I mentioned she ran into me earlier in the morning, and explained exactly what happened after she ran away. After a bit of blushing and apologizing, she said something that really caught my attention.

"Ame..."

"Huh?"

"My name is Ame Shimotsuki. Thank you... um..."

"I'm Hasuka Murasaki. Is it okay if I call you Ame-chan? It sounds so pretty..."

"Th... That's fine... Oh! Thank you, Murasaki-san... for returning my glasses, I mean." And with that, she turned back to the books on the shelves. I figured it was okay to leave things like this. If nothing else, I was sure I'd see her again after today. At any rate, lunch break ended soon after. Thankfully I had a big breakfast, as I didn't really get a chance to eat...

Spoiler for 1B:

During lunch break, Satomi, Hiyori and I generally sit together and chat. Today was obviously no exception, as the three of us were in our usual spot.

"So what do ya think of the new girl?" Hiyori said with a smirk, which got a somewhat odd response from Satomi.

"She's kinda hot. Seems pretty popular with the rest of the class, too."

"That's a funny last name she has, huh?"

"What's funny about it?" I responded, as I couldn't think of anything amusing.

It seemed Satomi was on a closer wavelength to Hiyori, as she gave an answer immediately after. "Katsuhiro, was it? That first part sounds like your family's name."

"That's what I'm getting at! Given the private tutor sessions, she's probably rich, too."

At times, I actually forget that Hiyori's family is rather well-off. She doesn't really dress or even act like the wealthy princess type, and she generally doesn't flaunt her family's status around.

"Of course, a big difference is that someone here fell head-over-heels for her at first sight... Right, Hasukan?"

"E-eh?!"

Obviously she was joking about my tripping in class, but I still don't like being teased that way!

"Two girls in one day... You'd be a real heartbreaker if you were a boy, ya know?"

Seemingly sensing I wasn't enjoying Hiyori's teasing, Satomi immediately tried changing the subject. "... Hey, Hasuka-chan. Wanna try some of my chicken? It's really good!" Satomi then pulled out a piece of chicken from her lunch and held it in a way that seemed like she was actually wanting to feed it to me!

Alternate Choice 2

Spoiler for A: "No, I'm fine... Thanks anyway.":

"No, I'm fine... Thanks anyway." I figured I'd at least try and turn her down gently. I wasn't really all that hungry, after all.

"Oh... Well, okay then." Satomi responded, in a tone that made it clear she wasn't too upset with me. "Figured you might want to try it."

"I'll take some if ya don't mind!" Hiyori said, as she quickly took the chicken from Satomi and placed it in her mouth. After a bit of chewing, she swallowed it and spoke up.

"Heh? But I..."

"Wow, that really was good! You totally should've taken her up on it, Hasukan."

"Maybe next time..."

Spoiler for B: "O-okay...:

I barely managed to get out an "O-okay..."

"Open up!" Satomi clearly responded, with a big smile on her face as she went to place the chicken in my mouth. I felt a little silly about doing it, but she was definitely right. The chicken she fed me was delicious!

"It's good, isn't it? Only the best will do for Hasuka-chan."

I laughed a little at that remark. Meanwhile, Satomi decided to try and continue feeding me. I still felt silly being fed like this, but Satomi seemed happy, and it wasn't like I didn't like the food. Besides, it seemed like it got me away from the embarrassing remarks Hiyori was making. That is, until...

"The two of ya really get along great, huh? Ya look like a couple of newlyweds sharing a meal together."

Satomi laughed a little nervously over Hiyori's last remark, while I coughed a little on the piece of chicken I was eating. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea...

"I-is that so? I just thought Hasuka-chan would like it..."

"Hahahaha! Why so serious? I'm only messing with ya, after all."

Spoiler for C: "Satomi... Not in front of Hiyori...":

"Satomi... Not in front of Hiyori..." I stated while casting an aside glance over to Hiyori.

"Oh? Is there something going on between the two of ya?" Hiyori said, while winking at Satomi.

"N-no! Nothing like that!" an unusually flustered Satomi responded.

"They say that sort of thing is 'Forbidden Love' ya know..." A rather large grin appeared on Hiyori's face as she turned her attention back to me. "You really are a little heartbreaker, aren't ya? I better be careful!"

"Hiyoriii..."

"Hahahaha! I'm only kidding around here. But really Sacchin, ya gotta think about how Hasukan's gonna react to stuff like this."

Satomi forced a laugh in response while rubbing the back of her head, before turning her attention back to me. "Sorry... Guess I should've thought things through a little better, huh?"

After a bit more random chatting, lunch break ended.

Spoiler for 1C:

During lunch break, Satomi, Hiyori and I generally sit together and chat. Today was obviously no exception, as the three of us were in our usual spot.

"So what do ya think of the new girl?" Hiyori said with a smirk, which got a somewhat odd response from Satomi.

"She's kinda hot. Seems pretty popular with the rest of the class, too."

"That's a funny last name she has, huh?"

I didn't really have much time to think about what Hiyori meant though, as the girl I met this morning showed up soon after.

"Um..."

"Oh? Seems we have a visitor today." Hiyori stated inquisitively.

It seemed like the girl wanted to say something to me. Looking closer, she was currently wearing glasses... I guess hair color isn't the only thing she has in common with Satomi. Did she have them this morning?

"I... I just wanted to say I'm sorry! ... For earlier, I mean..."

"It's okay. I already apologized, remember?"

After looking at the girl for a moment, Hiyori asked her a question. "Wait a minute... Aren't ya the new student librarian? Shimo...?"

"Sh-Shimotsuki. My name is Ame Shimotsuki... Um... Have we met before?"

"Nah, but I do like keeping track of that sort of thing. Never know when it might come in handy, right? By the way, I'm Hiyori Katsuyama."

"Oh right! I forgot we never really introduced ourselves, I'm Hasuka Murasaki. By the way, is it okay if I call you Ame-chan? I think it's a pretty name."

Ame paused a bit, then nodded.

"Hey there! My name's Satomi Shirakawa!"

"N... Nice to meet you..." It seemed like our enthusiasm was a bit much for her, as she started walking backwards... "... Oh, right! I should probably get back to the library before anyone shows up... It was nice meeting you all..."

After smiling, Ame left.

When she was sure Ame was gone, Satomi spoke up. "She kinda reminds me of Hasuka-chan a little."

"Eh?" I wasn't exactly sure what Satomi had meant by that...

"Dunno... I think she looks a little like you, Sacchin. Do ya have any long-lost cousins we don't know about?"

"I don't think we're related... Would be kinda funny though, huh?"

After a bit more random chatting, lunch break ended.

During gym, the class was split in two for a game of dodge ball. I'm not going to pretend I'm good at sports, but this game in particular is one I've always had a lot of trouble with. I'm good enough at avoiding the ball, but my throws are generally terrible and I just don't like hitting other people anyway! Whatever team I'm on generally loses as a result... However...

"This is a first..." I couldn't help but state.

"Usually one of us is playing for the other team," Satomi added. "Kinda seems unfair, huh?"

This time, there was no way we'd lose! Unlike what you'd expect from a girl with glasses, Satomi's one of the most athletic girls you'll ever meet. Of course, she wasn't exactly wearing her glasses now... Anyway, Hiyori's aiming is impeccable. With both of them on the same side, the other team has no chance!

"Feel kinda sorry for them. Oh well, let's wrap this one up fast, Sacchin!"

As soon as we heard the whistle, the game was afoot. Our team got off to an amazing start, with Satomi eliminating two people almost immediately, and Hiyori landing a surprise hit soon after! It really did seem like there wouldn't be a problem...

"Huh? Who just..." Satomi said, taking the words right out of my mouth.

Despite our fast start, it seemed as though the other team had a secret weapon up their sleeves. A couple of our teammates went down one right after the other...

Thinking back, there was one person we hadn't considered... "I'm sorry, did that hurt? I didn't mean to throw it that hard..." The other team had someone we've never seen in action before. Kei proved to be someone we sorely underestimated, and at a steep cost! Pretty soon, our side dwindled to just three members...

"This is getting rough..." Satomi stated, seemingly knowing what I was thinking again.

"Who knew Hirotan was gonna be this tough?" Hiyori added. I'm guessing the nickname was based on Kei's family name.

Satomi and Hiyori were both highly capable of avoiding elimination, while also managing to take down opponents in the process. As for myself, I think the other team simply ignored the fact I was even here, as almost all their shots were aimed at someone else. However, Kei's next shot would be directed towards the obvious weak link on our team. As the ball was flying directly at my face, I completely panicked, and was unable to move out of the way...

Spoiler for 2A/A2A:

"Hasuka-chan! Look out!" Satomi shouted, which thankfully brought me out of my state of panic just in time for me to put my hands up. Had I not grasped for the ball when I did, it would have hit me right between the eyes.

"... I'm so sorry! I didn't want to throw it that high, so I'm really glad you caught that one." Despite Kei's calm demeanor and words of apology, she seemed to be hiding a strong killer instinct...

I'd probably miss if I threw it, so I quickly passed the ball I caught to Satomi. She gave me a smile and said, "Don't worry, I'll get her for you!"

Spoiler for 2B/A2B:

"Oh no you don't!"

Before I realized what was happening, Satomi had positioned herself between me and the ball... And caught it!

"Nice one, Sacchin!"

Briefly directing her attention back towards me, Satomi stated proudly, "Even in dodge ball, there's no way I'm just gonna stand back and let someone take you away."

I think I may have blushed a little at that remark, as Hiyori started laughing. Satomi's next proclamation was directed back towards Kei. "Don't think you're gonna get away with that!"

Spoiler for 2C/A2C:

"Hasuka-cha... Heh?!"

Before I realized what was happening, another ball had collided with the one headed towards my face, deflecting it into Satomi's hands.

"Ya gotta keep your guard up, Hasukan. I'm not always gonna be there for ya, after all."

"R-right... Thanks a lot, Hiyori-chan."

Hiyori smiled in response, followed by turning her attention to Satomi. "You're up, Sacchin!"

"So all I gotta do is take her out, huh? Piece of cake!"

Satomi immediately aimed the ball directly at Kei's legs. It didn't hit its target though, as she nimbly jumped over the ball. However...

"Gotcha!"

... Satomi was just a distraction! The real shot came from Hiyori, who hit Kei in the side with a surprise attack. While they'd switch roles depending on the situation, this was a tactic they always liked using when they're on the same team. Kei obviously had no way of knowing that, though, so she fell for their trap.

"I made a mistake... I'm sorry I couldn't live up to the trust you placed in me."

Kei's remaining teammates tried their hardest to cheer her up, and she gave them a smile in return. As for the game itself, it was over soon after Kei's elimination. With no one else of note standing in our way, we won... Even though I didn't really do much beyond collecting stray balls. After the game was over, Kei decided to address us in person.

"That was an impressive performance today... Shirakawa-san and Katsuyama-san, correct?"

"Ehehe... Really? We didn't do anything different than normal, right?"

"Nope, that’s just how we are. Glad ya liked it, though!"

"I'd like to think I learned something from this experience. Who knows? Maybe I'll be the winner next time." Kei said with a smile, before turning her attention to me. "As for you, Hasuka..."

Spoiler for 2A/A2A:

"That was a very nice catch earlier. When I realized where the ball was headed, I was worried you would have been injured."

"Thank you... I know you didn't mean to do it, Kei-chan..."

Spoiler for 2B/A2B or 2C/A2C:

"I'm sorry about my earlier throw. I really did mean to aim lower, so it's a good thing someone was around to stop it."

"I-it's okay. It's good to know it was an accident."

After school, Satomi, Hiyori and I generally walk home together, or at least as far as we can without having to turn around. During this period, we generally have random conversations about the second half of school or our plans for the rest of the day or whatever else comes to mind. Today, the conversation was about something a bit unusual... Or so I thought at the time.

"The two of ya ever watch anime?" Hiyori inquired to us.

I don't think either of us really expected a question like it, as Satomi had given a puzzled look before responding, "Sometimes, I guess."

Not wanting to be left out, I chimed in, "Yeah, when I'm not busy."

"Ever watch anything of the magical girl variety?" Hiyori's question was unusually specific. "Like the one with the moon princess or the one with all the cards?"

"Maybe I'd watch if they involved flashy punches and kicks or fighting with real weapons. Twirling a staff or baton around... That's more suited for someone like Hasuka-chan."

"Eh? But I couldn't..." I started saying, before realizing what she meant. "I mean..."

"I meant watching that kind of show." A grin then appeared on Satomi's face. "Though, you would definitely look cute in one of those frilly pink outfits the protagonists always seem to get..."

"Hahahaha. Maybe we should buy one for ya, Hasukan. Then we can have fun taking all kinds of pictures."

"Ehhh?! But I don't..."

'Help... Somebody...'

"... Huh?"

Did I just hear someone calling for help?

"Hasuka-chan?"

'Anybody... Please...'

"D... do either of you hear that?" I asked, while looking around to find the source.

"Hear what? I can't hear anything. Hasukan... You know I'm just playing around, right? I don't really..."

'... Don't know... How much longer...'

"There it was again! Someone's calling for help!"

With a look of concern on her face, Satomi responded, "Hasuka-chan... Are you sure? We can't hear anything..."

"I'm positive! There's a voice somewhere calling for help!"

"Heh... Think it could be one of those magical girl familiars trying to recruit ya?" Hiyori grinned while asking that.

"You think so? That would explain why you..."

Hiyori spoke up before I could finish. "Ya really gotta learn to pick up on when I'm being serious or not."

'Help... Please... Come quickly...'

"... I hear it too... Hasuka's right." Satomi said, with a look of complete seriousness on her face.

"You see? I'm not the only one who hears it!"

"Are the two of ya trying to play a joke on me? I'll admit it's cute you'd try and stick up for Hasukan over this, but it isn't exactly funny..."

"It's coming from that way!"

"Ha-Hasuka-chan! Wait up!"

Without giving it another thought, I immediately ran in the direction I thought the voice was coming from. I didn't know for certain whether I was going the right way or not, but something inside was telling me I was right. After a bit of running through some woods, I saw something... Was that the source? It looked like a grey tabby cat was barely managing to avoid being struck by lightning... But the skies were perfectly clear, and it was too horizontal to be normal lightning! Someone or something had to be causing it!

'Is anyone there?! Please, help me!'

There was no turning back now, I had to do something! But... What could I do? There's no way I could stop a lightning bolt, so jumping in the line of fire wouldn't accomplish anything. If anything, it would only make things worse. So, not being able to think of anything else, I waited for an opening to dash in, grab the cat, and run! I'm not exactly proud of it, but one thing I'm good at is running away!

"... What is that girl doing?" I heard an oddly familiar voice say. I didn't pay much attention to it though, as I was more concerned with saving the cat in my arms!

"It's okay, I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Just hold on, we'll get out of this, I promise!"

Unfortunately, dodging around trees did little to deter what was definitely an attacker. If this kept up, we would surely get hit eventually! Suddenly, I heard the voice again.

'There's no time... Please, you have to lend me your strength!'

It was coming from the cat after all! Thinking now wasn't the time to react to the fact it was talking, I instead addressed what it said to me. "Lend you my strength?"

'You can stop this... You have magical powers within you, I know it! I can help you unlock them.'

Without any other option in mind, I agreed to it. Suddenly, I found myself being surrounded by a bright light...

To Be Continued...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At any rate, I hope someone enjoys what I've written. Though I'd imagine this simply getting buried under everything is far more likely.

[Triple_R]

It's certainly very well-written.

The lead character sounds great (both narration and dialogue-wise) for the lead character in a magical girl narrative.

Other major cast members have good, distinct personalities.

The overall complexity is rather impressive for an opening chapter.

My choices so far are A for Choice 1, and B for Choice 2. Both yielded pretty interesting results. I was genuinely surprised by the results of A for Choice 1.

[Kirito]

Okay Shirogane, I've finally gone through it and it sort of feels like Madoka and Sailor Moon rolled into one, but none the less, something really original, unique, and really amazing.

Before I give you my final grade and judge you similar to "you know what", I'll going to break down and go deep into what you've done here. Please note: I'm still not confident with my words so bear with me here.

Like with PPPL I've got ClariS playing in the background So let's get started!

Ahem:

Great introduction to Hasuka because it immediately gives us the impression that she's your normal average middle schooler. I also liked how detailed and concise you were when you were describing her appearance and features, so hats off to you on that. The timing on the appearance of Ame seems to be one of the possible few stepping stones that will change Hasuka ordinary life.

Judging on the choices you've made:

Spoiler for A Novella Encounter:

1A. Ame runs away nervously leaving her glasses behind and Hasuka's friends get introduced immediately after.
1B. Help Ame find her glasses and get introduced to her and Hasuka's friends as well.
1C. Hasuka checks to see if she's okay and ignores her problem to meet up with her friends.

So choices 1 and 3 are outcomes are similar, but the circumstances were different in said encounter with Ame. Makes sense because she was on her way to meet her friends and choice 2 sort of caused her to sidetrack a bit. On the plus side, Ame got introduced to 2 interesting people.

Getting back to choice 1A and 1C and going to choice 2 with decisions A B C.
Like choice 1B we're introduced to Hasuka's two best friends Satomi and Hiyori. Satomi seems to be flirtatious, fun loving, and a tease (especially with the yuri vibes she gives off) while Hiyori tends to be the straightforward.

Satomi playing the role of a certain girl with blue hair teasing her best friend with pink hair. The yuri vibes are strong in this one.... Anyway, in one choices she was annoyed, two she was willing, and three she asked her friend for help to get Satomi off her. She's got interesting friends, I really liked what you did with them. Excellent work on those two characters.

I ended up choosing Choice 1B because Ame definitely seems to be an interesting character. I wonder if there's more than meet the eye than just a over the top shy girl with glasses, and her name means "rain". I wonder if that'll hold any relevant to the story, can't wait to see where you'll go with this.

Spoiler for Transfer Student Wavelengths:

The sudden appearance of Kei Katsuhiro seems to be coincidental considering her run in with Ame early. Like Homura on her "first day", she won the whole class over with her oujo like mannerisms and talents. The one things that got me intrigued in all of this was the volley ball scene where it looked like Kei seemed to be testing Hasuka for some reason. Correct me if I"m wrong, but it feel like when she threw the ball at Hasuka she seems to be waiting for her to do something "out of the ordinary". The "killer instinct" part really summed up my entire opinion about this, and Hasuka is seems to be a part of her reason for doing the said act. I'm really liking the mystery behind Kei and it seems she has a motive that can't be comprehended as of yet.

Ignoring Choice 1B Lunch Route for now.

For choices 1A and 1C feels similar to the first choices made in the chapter earlier. First one she returned her glasses to Ame and she's introduced to her friends. Third one Ame walked up and apologized for bumping into Hasuka and it seemed like she doesn't remember her...weird.

Anyway back to Choice 1B Lunch Route.

Anyway Satomi bringing the yuri vibes when she wanted to feed Hasuka her chicken and the choices that came with it. I choice B because it looked cute and Hiyori was teasing her friends how much of a newlywed couple they were, which was really amusing. Great work with the scenarios and introducing Kei in an interesting and mysterious way. Can't wait to how you'll flesh out Kei's character a bit more.

With two chance encounters with added drama at school, it looks like the Wheels of Fate is turning for Hasuka. With the scenery turning a little ominous and cryptic voices coming into play here, it's safe to say that we're entering the point of no return for Hasuka and I can't wait to see where this goes.

Grade:

Spoiler for Pros:

The characters are all unique, interesting, and well described in their psychically descriptions. The story and setting shows promises, and Ame looks to be an interesting character with something to hide. Will Ame show relevance in the story? She look like she will. The mystery behind Kei left me interested and compelled. Plus will yuri-romance come into play as well, because Satomi showed it and most Magical Girls are know for there yuri vibes. I hope you'll incorporate it into your story, if that's your thing that is.

For your first chapter I'm going to give you a 9.5/10. Congrats dude, it was truly amazing to read and I really enjoy to no end. Can't wait for the next chapter. This work of yours needs more views.

Spoiler for Cons:

Ame didn't really make much of an appeal compared to Kei who sort of shown us what she could be capable of. I wish to see more Ame development because she certainly interests me. That's all.

Phew! It took some doing, but I hope you like what you'll see/read and I really enjoyed what you've written here. So until the next update whatever that may be, I definitely need to give my fingers a break. So until then dude, until then!

[Kogetsu Shirogane]

Episode 01
Chapter 2

"W-what is this? Where are we?" I ask while looking around at the bright light surrounding me, in an attempt to figure out where I ended up.

'This place is a spiritual realm, located within your mind... When we're finished here, you will be returned to the exact place and time we departed.'

That voice... The cat is trying to talk to me again!

'Let's begin with an introduction... As my actual name would be hard for you to pronounce, you can call me... Kanemi.'

"Ka... Kanemi?" I ask, curious about the name.

'Yes... I'll explain later... Please, tell me your name.'

"My name is Hasuka Murasaki... I'm a second year student at..."

'That's good enough for now, Hasuka... We have more important matters. Specifically the fact we're currently under attack in the outside world...'

I laughed nervously at that reminder. Suddenly, the bright surroundings were replaced with a silvery sky. It also looked as though I was standing in, or maybe on, a large pool of shimmering water of the same hue as the sky above me, with no end in sight. In front of me was a small pedestal, with what looked to be a pendant floating just above it.

"What is this?" I asked, while walking towards the floating pendant. It looked like... A flower?

'In front of you is a representation of your deepest desires... Those desires will turn into magical power for you to wield. Take it in your hand or turn back now. Choose wisely, though... You can't turn back once you've taken it, and you may not get another chance if you don't.'

Looking at the flowery pendant, which was attached to a thin golden necklace, it seemed to have large pink petals that faded to white as they got closer to the center. Inside the petals was a golden gem of some sort.

'I didn't want to rush you, but our time here is running out... Please, make your decision now.'

Backing out now wouldn't help any, so that was out of the question. Despite Kanemi's claims, I didn't really have much of a choice. So, after giving a brief sigh, I reached out to wrap the fingers on my left hand around it. Soon after, I felt it start to shake in my grasp, and large vine-like objects burst from the unusually solid water beneath me! Panicking, I shout out, "W-what's happening?!" Instead of an answer, what I got was the vines wrapping themselves around me! "Ka-Kane... Huh?"

The next thing I knew, I was back in the woods. Did all that really happen? I could still feel Kanemi in my right arm, but in my left hand, it felt like... A staff? It had a white shaft almost the same height as me, with a large pink flower at the top, and had what appeared to be golden vines spiraling down to the bottom. It looked as though my sleeve was different, as well... It was a white color, and had a large, pink cuff with gold trim near my wrist. I didn't have much time to check out the rest of what I was wearing though, as there were still bolts of electricity flying through the air!

'You hold in your hand the power to make your dreams a reality... Envision a way to stop the attacker and it should happen!'

"Something to stop the attacker? I don't even know who that is!" As I said that, a girl who looked to be about my age appeared in front of us, bringing my running to a halt with an axe-like weapon pointed directly at me!

This girl had blonde hair flowing down her back, though I couldn't make out how long her hair was, and she had a black hairband in it. In addition, she was wearing an exquisite yellow-trimmed black dress that looked almost like a Victorian-era garment, with a skirt reaching down to her knees. Her legs, or at least what I could see of them, were covered by black stockings with what looked to be yellow diamonds on the sides, which met with a pair of metallic boots near her feet. On her shoulders was a piece of fabric split in the middle just below the neck, with each side extending to a point about halfway down her chest. It also seemed to be connected to what looked to be a black and yellow cape that reached her calves, only it was split in a way that oddly resembled long, thick wings. Her hands and much of her lower arms were covered in metal gauntlets, and held the axe-like weapon she was aiming at me. Between the unusually long points of this weapon was what looked like an electrical charge. Looking closer, it seemed more like a large beetle than an actual axe head, and the "points" were the front legs... But that wasn't as important as what she was doing with it!

"W-why are you aiming that at me?! What's going on? Who are you?"

After staring at me briefly with a piercing gaze, she began to speak in the same familiar voice I heard not too long ago. "If you really want to know the answers to those questions, then turn the creature you are holding over to me."

'Don't do it, Hasuka! She has no intention of sparing either one of us! I'll tell you everything you want to know as soon as we're away from her, I promise!'

What do I do? What do I do?! Just based on the surface, Kanemi is in need of help and this girl in front of me would clearly be an enemy... But I don't know either one well enough to really know if that's the case!

Choice 3:
A: Ask the girl what's going on, then make a decision
B: Tell the girl you don't trust her, then get ready to fight.

Spoiler for 3A:

"... First, tell me what's going on..." I tell her, cautiously. At the very least, this should be able to buy me some time to figure something out.

Apparently that was convincing enough, as while she was still aiming it at me, the electrical current between the tips of her weapon's head disappeared as she spoke up again. "The creature you are holding is an escaped fugitive. My purpose is to retrieve her. I had hoped to find her before she had made contact with anyone, but that didn't happen."

"Fugitive? What are you talking about?" I ask, even more confused about what to do than before.

'Hasuka, this girl is far more dangerous than she's making herself out to be! She's one of the ones that attacked my home not too long ago. I barely managed to escape from them before encountering you. Please, you have to help me! Your planet is certain to be next on their list!'

"Eh?! What's this about planets?!" I couldn't help but shout while looking down at... What I thought was just a gray tabby cat. In addition to the pretty red jewel that seemed to be lodged in her forehead, Kanemi's ears had what looked to be large tufts of fur forking out from the ends of her unusually large ears, and it seemed her tail even had an extra tip to it. How did I make that kind of mistake?

Unfortunately, it seemed my outburst ruined any chances of things being resolved peacefully, as the girl's expression turned to one of anger and the tips of her beetle-axe once again held an electrical charge.

"I don't know what that creature just told you, but it seems I'm going to have to deal with you as well... This had been such a good day, too..."

As talking clearly wasn't going to work after all, I aimed the flowered portion of my staff at her...

"Before we start, please, at least tell me your name!" I shouted to the girl.

Spoiler for 3B:

"Why should I trust you when you're obviously trying to hurt this poor cat?" I shout at the girl, while pointing the flowered portion of my staff at her.

"A cat?" The girl asked, followed by turning her gaze towards Kanemi. "Look at the creature you're holding. She isn't what you think."

Looking at Kanemi, I noticed a few traits I really shouldn't have been able to miss. In addition to the pretty red jewel that seemed to be lodged in her forehead, Kanemi's ears had what looked to be large tufts of fur forking out from the ends of her unusually large ears, and it seemed her tail even had an extra tip to it. What is she, anyway?

'Does me not being a cat change the fact she was attacking me? That girl isn't what she seems, either! She's one of the ones that attacked my home not too long ago. I barely managed to escape from them before encountering you. Please, you have to help me! Your planet is certain to be next on their list!'

"My... planet? You mean the two of you aren't even from Earth?" I quickly turn my attention back to the girl. "I'm not entirely sure what's going on, but I'm still going to stop you!"

Of course... I didn't actually know how I was going to do that...

"Very well. If that's what you want, then so be it. It's impossible to leave you alone now, anyway." The girl seemed... Almost upset as she said that.

"First though, please! Can you tell me your name?"

"My codename is Lightning Bug. That's all you need to know."

"Li...ght...ning... Bug? I can't keep saying that! Is it okay if I just call you Raito?"

After giving me a strange glare, she spoke up once more. "Do as you wish... It won't matter much longer."

Seemingly not wanting to waste another breath, Raito immediately discharged the electricity from her weapon. Before I could even react, it hit the arm holding my staff, causing me to feel a sharp pain, followed by numbness. Without even thinking, I let go of Kanemi and grabbed at the point of impact. What did I get myself into?!

"Consider that your final warning. Give up now."

'Hasuka, do something! Tie her up, blow her away, anything!'

"Blow her away... Of course!" I then let go of my arm and grasped my staff with both hands. It shouldn't hurt her too much, but I'd imagine a strong gust of wind should be enough to at least take Raito off her feet long enough to figure something else out. The flower at the tip started spinning swiftly, causing the air around it to spiral around, while also making it shake in my hands.

The force of it pushed me back a bit, and almost made me lose my grip! What I wanted was just enough wind to knock her down, but what I got was... "A... Tornado?! I... I'm sorry!"

It certainly did its job, as the swirling pink flower petals carried Raito back quite a bit with them. I hope I didn't hurt her too badly...

'Im... Impressive... I didn't know you would be that powerful...'

While I was glad at least someone was pleased, it seemed Raito had already managed to recover and was charging straight for me. I don't think she was quite as thrilled as Kanemi at what happened...

During her charge, it almost looked as though Raito wasn't moving her legs. Is she... flying? Pretty soon, I found myself trying to push back her beetle-axe with my staff! I don't think it's made for that purpose, though...

"That was a once in a lifetime attack." Raito said to me in a rather angry tone. "You won't defeat me, just give up."

I could tell she wasn't planning on giving up herself, and I found it incredibly hard to just stay on my own feet. This girl... She's obviously stronger than I am, so I don't have much of a chance... My only hope is to somehow use her strength and momentum against her...

So, while she was still putting as much force as she could into trying to overpower me, I twisted my body to the side, while stepping back with one foot. Thankfully for me, that seemed to do the trick, as . Not wanting to pass up the opportunity, I quickly unleashed another pink spiral of flowers at Raito before she could turn around, causing her to crash into the ground... I'd like to think of it as a tactical advantage, rather than a cheap shot...

"Please! Stop this now!" I shouted to Raito. "If this continues, one of us is going to get hurt really badly!"

"Then give up. You clearly have no real desire to fight beyond protecting that creature. Just turn it over to me now and you won't have a reason to fight anymore."

It's true that I don't exactly want to fight... But I can't just turn my back on someone in need, regardless of who or what they are! "No! I said I was going to help Kanemi, so I will!"

Raito was getting ready to stand back up, which made me realize this wasn't really going anywhere... Desperately trying to think of something, I shouted, "Just... stay where you are!" while pounding the bottom portion of my staff against the ground. I'm not sure why I did that, but I couldn't think of anything else. Suddenly, what looked to be vines sprouted from the ground, wrapping themselves around Raito.

"... Did I just... Wha?!"

"Ng... Let me go!" Raito exclaimed, while struggling against the vines.

'Nice work, Hasuka! It'll be a while before she can get free, so let's take this chance to escape!'

I didn't exactly want to leave Raito like that... But I didn't want to fight her anymore, either! So, while it really hurt to leave her alone like this, I took Kanemi's advice and ran away... But not before shouting "I'm really sorry about this!" back to Raito.

'I'm sorry about bringing you into this without explaining the full situation.'

"It's okay," I said in response. "There's no telling what would have happened if I didn't help you when I did."

'I guess you're right... Also, there's something I didn't tell you before. Whatever you're wanting to say to me, just think it.'

Think it? Hm... Well, it does seem like Kanemi's voice isn't coming from her mouth... 'Like this? Is this what you mean?'

'Yes. One convenient benefit of the reconfiguration process is the ability to communicate with other magical beings without speech.'

'R-reconfiguration?! What does that mean?' I'm starting to like this less and less...

'Don't worry about it. It's nothing that serious. Your body is just now designed to absorb and manipulate magical energies. In all other aspects, you should still be human... I think...'

That... didn't sound very reassuring, but it's not like I can really change back. A flower that's already sprouted can't go back into its seed if it doesn't like the colors of its petals, after all... But something came to mind... 'Can I ask you something in particular?'

'That sounds fine. Sure, I'd be glad to answer your questions as thanks for helping me.

Choice Ka 1:
A: Ask about her name.
B: Ask about her home.
C: Ask about the attackers.
D: Ask about her abilities.

Spoiler for Ka 1A:

'Why did you pick the name Kanemi? I mean, you said that isn't your real name, right?'

'It's derived from three words of your language. Kawaii, neko and mimi.' Noticing my disbelief, Kanemi continued with her strange explanation.
'Kawaii, because I'm so cute. Neko, because cats are almost as physically perfect as my kind. Mimi, because I have such lovely ears.'

... The reasoning for that sounded a little vain...

'Is that all, Hasuka?'

(Either pick another option or read the following segment)

Spoiler for No Further Questions:

'That's fine.'

'Very well. It doesn't look like we'd have much time for further questions anyway.'

Spoiler for Ka 1B:

'Where are you from, exactly? You aren't from Earth, right? What was your home like?'

Kanemi grew quiet for a moment, before finally responding to my question.

'My home was on a distant planet... It was such a beautiful place... I...'

'That's enough,' I couldn't help but interject. 'If this isn't something you feel like talking about, we don't have to. Let's just forget I asked, okay?'

'Okay... Is there anything else?'

(Either pick another option or read the following segment)

Spoiler for No Further Questions:

'No, that's fine.'

'Very well. It doesn't look like we'd have much time for further questions anyway.'

Spoiler for Ka 1C:

'What kind of people are we dealing with? The ones with Raito-chan, I mean.'

Kanemi seemed a little lost in thought for a moment before answering. 'Well I suppose I should tell you what I know. After all, I'd imagine more of them are going to show up at some point.' I didn't quite like the sound of that, but I nodded for Kanemi to continue.

'Aside from Raito, as you call her, I can recall at least two others chasing me. If I had to describe them, they looked vaguely like humans, but had traits similar to insects from this world. They also looked... somewhat metallic...'

'So... Does this mean I'm going to be fighting metal bugs with a magical flower?'

'When you put it that way... Anyway, is there something else you wanted to know?'

(Either pick another option or read the following segment)

Spoiler for No Further Questions:

'No, that's fine.'

'Very well. It doesn't look like we'd have much time for further questions anyway.'

Spoiler for Ka 1D:

'What can you do? I mean aside from communicating like this...'

That came out a bit ruder than I intended it... Still, Kanemi decided to answer my question anyway. 'My abilities, along with others of my kind, are purely on a mental level. Beyond what you're already familiar with, I can disguise myself as a defensive measure... Though obviously that didn't help earlier...'

'I guess not...' I then laughed nervously.

'That's about it, I'm afraid... Did you want to ask anything else?'

(Either pick another option or read the following segment)

Spoiler for No Further Questions:

'No, that's fine.'

'Very well. It doesn't look like we'd have much time for further questions anyway.'

Looking ahead of us, it seemed Satomi and Hiyori were still trying to find me... Do I really run that fast? When I called out to them, Hiyori oddly jumped in front of Satomi, putting her arms out.

"I don't know what yer game is, but back off, okay? Sacchin's with me." I honestly can't recall seeing Hiyori this serious... It's almost funny in a way, actually.

"Hiyori... Doesn't she seem... Familiar?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" I have no idea what's going on...

'I guess I forgot to mention that, as well... As part of the reconfiguration process, you've taken on a slightly different appearance. As a result, people close to you will think something is familiar, but they won't be able to fully recognize you.'

'But... Wouldn't what I'm...' I stopped after remembering my sleeve, and presumably the rest of what I was wearing, was different... I could tell my skirt was definitely longer than what my uniform has, as I could feel it when I was running. With Raito a safe distance away, I finally had a chance to really look at it, though.

The obvious difference was my skirt now reached down to my ankles, and was white, but slowly faded to a really pretty pink at the bottom, where it covered a pair of pink-and-gold shoes. Combined with the way it was folded, it almost looked like I was wearing a giant flower! I also had another much smaller pink skirt over that, which seemed to be part of a small dress that had large pink shoulders with a golden trim at the bottom. The ribbon my uniform normally has was replaced with a golden one, and it seemed as though the white sleeves were part of a white blouse with a folded-out collar.

'I doubt you can tell, but even physical features such as your hair color are different. Pink definitely suits you, by the way.'

"Just who are ya, anyway? We came here looking for a friend of ours, and yer the one we ran into. If you did anything to hurt her..."

"Hiyori-chan! It's me!" I shouted, hoping she'd at least recognize my voice. She lowered her arms, only to give me a rather angry look soon after.

"Ya almost had me... How do I know ya knew my name before Sacchin said it?"

It seems Hiyori's as sharp as always. I don't think I'll be able to get through to her that easily... While I'm sure Satomi would believe me, it'd probably be easier to just show them proof. So, I turned to the alien cat to the side of me. 'Kanemi... Isn't there a way to turn back? I think this would work better if I didn't look like some pretty pink princess...'

'Of course. If you want to change between your normal and magical forms, just focus your thoughts on being the other... To put it in terms someone of your planet would be familiar with, your magical powers are like a light switch, and your thoughts are what flips it off and on. Oh, and one last thing. While we should be a safe enough distance away, I must warn you that the vines holding our assailant will disappear once you've reverted.'

I wasn't exactly wanting to endanger my friends if I didn't have to, but I figured there was no other choice. Hiyori tends to be stubborn, and I don't think even Satomi would be able to talk her down in this state. So, I focused my mind intently on my student uniform... Soon after, my surroundings were replaced by a bright, pink light for a brief moment. When that died down, I found myself in my uniform again, with the flower pendant from earlier replacing the staff I had been holding. After putting the pendant around my neck, I looked at Hiyori, whose eyes were wide with shock. It actually looked as though she couldn't think of anything to say.

On the other hand, Satomi had a rather large grin on her face as she spoke up once again. "Oh wow, it really is you! Is this why you were all flustered when we were talking about magical girls?"

I rubbed at the back of my head while I gave a slight nervous laugh in response. "Um, no... this is kinda new to me, too. In fact, if I didn't run off when I did, I'd still be as normal as ever."

"Do you have some cool secret identity? Like Heal Lotus or something?!"

"Ehehe... I don't know about..."

"Ya know..." Hiyori chimed in, after having a chance to take everything in. "We could totally stick to the original idea of takin pictures of ya like that..."

"N-no thanks... I think I'll just stay like this until I need to change..."

Hiyori gave me a weird look, then started laughing soon after as she reached down to scratch Kanemi on the head. "So this little kitty here would be yer familiar, right?"

"Um... yeah, I guess..." I couldn't help but laugh nervously... This is all new to me, it's not like I know how to explain this sort of thing!

"Don't they generally talk though? C'mon, say 'Hiyori' or somethin!"

(If you asked about Kanemi's abilities, read Kanemi's Disguise. Otherwise, read Kanemi Explains It All)

Spoiler for Kanemi's Disguise:

'As you've probably guessed, this is what I meant earlier by disguising myself. Specifically, I should resemble a gray cat. While these two aren't dangerous, I figure it's probably a good idea not to involve ordinary people.'

Spoiler for Kanemi Explains It All:

'Don't worry, Hasuka. Ordinary people simply see me as a gray cat. These two shouldn't be able to view me in my real form. It's probably a good idea to limit the amount of people involved, after all.'

I thought I heard Satomi say something, almost in response to what Kanemi said. Come to think of it, it did seem like she genuinely heard Kanemi earlier...

"Did you say something, Satomi? Something about ordinary..."

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing." She then laughed a bit before continuing. "Anyway, my brother's probably starting to wonder where I am, so I'm just going to go home. Hasuka, Hiyori, see you tomorrow."

And with that, Satomi turned and walked away. While she seemed happy enough, I thought I could sense a slight hint of... disappointment? Shortly after, I felt Hiyori's hand on my shoulder.

"Hey now, so yer the only magical girl who's got a plain alley cat as a sidekick. That's no reason to be all gloomy, right?"

"It's not that, it's just... Did Satomi seem upset to you?"

"... That obvious, huh?" Hiyori then smiled at me. "No idea what's goin on in her head right now, but don't worry. Sacchin'll be as cheery and excited as ever tomorrow, I promise."

"Yeah... You're probably right." I said, while smiling back at her. "But she did have a point... We really should get home."



We parted ways afterwards, with Kanemi following closely behind me. When I got home though, I had a bit of a problem. Due to the fact there's generally a lot of food items sitting out there at this time of day, I can't really bring a cat, or at least what looks like a cat, in through the front. Giving a bit of a sigh, I picked up Kanemi and entered through the back door. Hopefully it doesn't seem like I'm trying to hide something...

"I... I'm home!" I shout as I step inside. Soon after, I spot the person who saw me off in the morning; a third-year high school girl not too much taller than me, with a similar hair color to mine, though hers is a bit longer in the back. She currently has a bluish apron on over her school's black-and-white uniform. Beneath her brown eyes was a smile. Having noticed me, Sumire responded with a greeting of her own.

"Welcome home." She chuckled a bit before continuing. "I'm used to being greeted by my little sister, not greeting her. Did something happen?"

"Well, um... Sort of..." I look down to Kanemi, who seems to be content with sitting in my arms. "This cat seemed to be in a lot of trouble, and I kinda... Thought it would be best if I brought her home with me!" I then started laughing nervously. While what I said is somewhat true, I probably should have thought of something a bit better before coming in...

It seemed to be good enough for Sumire though, as she quickly moved to where I was standing and began petting Kanemi. To her credit, Kanemi seemed unusually skilled at playing the role of stray cat, as she made a purring sound while her back was stroked.

Of course, she didn't have to keep up the act for very long, as someone else decided to make his presence known by calling out, "Is something wrong?" The man who the voice belonged to is wearing a green apron over a white t-shirt and khaki pants. He has short, dark hair and a bit of stubble on his chin. Pretty much what you'd expect from my dad, I guess.

"Not at all," Sumire responded cheerfully. "Hasuka just came home."

"Is that so..." He stared directly at me for a moment, then his gaze lowered to Kanemi. "It looks like she brought a friend home with her. I assume you have an explanation?"

"Well..." I began nervously. I didn't want to lie to him, but the truth is a little hard to believe...

Choice 4:
A: "Leaving this cat where she was would've been too cruel!"
B: "This cat is actually an alien! I saved her from someone trying to hurt her!"
C: "... Would you believe I'm a magical girl and this cat is responsible for that?"

Spoiler for 4A:

"Cruel? What happened?" Dad looked at me, almost as if he didn't believe what I was saying.

"Apparently the cat was in some kind of trouble. I don't think my sister would lie to both of us."

"Well, that is true... Okay, if you're really that worried about this cat's safety, she can stay, provided you keep her in your room and take care of her. Who knows, maybe this act of kindness will be returned and she'll save your life some day." He then chuckled a bit. "That actually reminds me of a cat I had in high school... I probably wouldn't be here today if it weren't for that."

I'm not exactly sure what he meant by that, but it seemed he believed me.

Spoiler for 4B:

"An... Alien? But it looks just like any other cat to me..."

'Ha-Hasuka?! Why would you bring your family into this?' Kanemi's outburst was accompanied by her jumping up and turning her head to face mine.

"An alien cat, huh?" Dad paused for a moment, then seemed to talk directly to Kanemi. "If that's the case, then the only thing I ask is that you keep my little girl safe. If you're anything like the cat I had in high school, I'm sure you can do that." He then rubbed Kanemi on top of her head before turning his attention back to me. "Still, I will have to ask you to keep her in your room and take care of her yourself, Hasuka."

I'm not exactly sure what he meant, and he kinda got it backwards as to who is doing the protecting, but it seemed he believed me.

Spoiler for 4C:

"Magical... Girl? I knew my sister had a creative imagination, but..."
'Ha-Hasuka?! Your friends saw for themselves that you're a magical girl, but this is completely different!' Kanemi's outburst was accompanied by her jumping up and turning her head to face mine.

"Hmm... Either you're telling the truth or that was an amazing coincidence... Well, even if it's not true, coming up with something like that would mean you really don't want to part with this cat." Dad then smiled. "As long as you take care of it and keep it in your room, I'm okay with it. I owe my life to a cat after all, so I certainly wouldn't turn one away."

I'm not exactly sure what he meant by that, but it seemed he believed me.

At any rate, I did as I was asked and brought Kanemi to my room.



'Your family is nice. Growing up in an environment like this, I can see why you'd be so kind.'

'Thank you, and I'm sure they'd like to hear that, too.' I 'said' with a smile, before quickly adding something to my message. 'But as long as you're here, I'd like you to think of us as your family, too... Um, if that's okay with you, that is.'

'I think that we had better make sure your mother is also fond of me first. Of course, if she's anything like you or your sister, I'd imagine she... Hasuka? Is something wrong?'

I gave a brief sigh when Kanemi brought that up, then started to pet her. 'That won't be an issue. It's just been the three of us for a few years...'

'Oh... I didn't know that...'

[i]'Don't worry about it. Dad had to quit his old job for something a little more "at home" because of it, but we've been doing all right. My sister has actually become really great at cooking, and a friend of hers often comes by to help out. I haven't quite figured out anything in particular that I can do to pitch in, so I mainly just help out wherever I can.'

'By the way... I've been smelling something sweet ever since we got here, Hasuka. Would you know what that is?'

I laughed at that. Of course, that earned me a weird look, so I had to explain. 'While this is our home, it's also a bakery. That's actually why I have to keep you in my room. Do you want a bite?'

'Maybe later.'

Not much else of note happened that evening, so eventually I went to bed, with Kanemi oddly deciding to rest her head against one of my feet as though it were a pillow. It seemed she was worn out, as she fell asleep almost immediately.

To be continued...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What's this? An actual update? It only took seven months.

Anyway... to whatever readers are out there, I hope this was worth the overly long wait.

Also... sorry, Kirito, but I just couldn't think of a way to believably fit Ame into this one. Don't worry, in seven more months the next update, she'll be back again.

[Kirito]

Yo!~, it's great to see you back with another great update, Kogetsu. Like Triple R finally returning to do the Mami romance scenarios again, it's great to see something new from you in half a year since your last write up. Like I promised I'm set and ready to get you my fully review. I got ClariS playing on my Itunes and I'm ready to go.

Ahem:

Right where we left. The ominous voice and the turning point that'll end the "normal" life aspect of Hasuka's.. So now we're psychically introduced to the Magical Girl animal mascot character Kanemi, a cat like creature with long ears... hmmm, nah. Anyway, I really liked the way you went about the scene where Hasuka was given the choice to accept the power that's in front of her or turn back and pretend nothing had happened. The dialogue and the way it was written was truly astounding, and added the right tone and impact to make it more enjoyable to read and know about. The short pedestal and the short floating pendant sort of reminded me of Legend of Zelda and the Master Sword, weird huh.

The way you described the dress was well written and it gives you a sense of how it looks and how it suits Hasuka in terms of appearance and its functionality. The staff thing is sort of expected since it's a staple weapon for Magical Girls ie. Cardcaptors Sakura. Great work for being creative with something so simplistic and expected, and it'd feel weird for Hasuka's character to wield a gun or a sword.

The appearance of Lightning Bug or "Raito" as Hasuka puts it sort of reminded me about how Homura was trying to eliminate a said creature with long ears and white skin etc. The description of the clothing regarding the headband, the yellow trimmed dress, black and yellow cape sort of forced me to think of Mami, Sayaka, Homura, Kyoko, and Madoka's dresses being mixed in with the design, but with a unique on it. Well detailed on that part so that's good, plus the way she looks and sounds really interesting since it seems that her logic for hunting down Kanemi seems to be out of revenge and a warning similar to you know what with time manipulation abilities.

Judging by the choice and the situation that presented itself:

Spoiler for Lightning Strikes in the Same Place.:

3A: Ask the girl what's going on, then make a decision
3B: Tell the girl you don't trust her, then get ready to fight.

With two choices given you can choose to get an understanding of the situation first before acting, or let the staff do the talking then ask questions later. Choices A and B are similar but the situation is quite different in its presentation... somewhat...

Choice A you see that Kanemi is a "fugitive" of sorts making the reader wanting to know why she's labeled as much. Plus, you see a reason for Raito for hunting it down making her agenda more apparent at the least.

Choice B you see that Hasuka is a little hostile (Hence the wording of the second choice provided), and Hasuka realizes that the two are not from the same planet as her, making her more confused at what's happening around her.

I ended up with choice 3A since it totally speaks out to me since it's better to attempt to assess a situation before acting. Plus, aren't most Magical Girls hesitant to fight when they get their powers for the first time, but are forced to make an action based on the change of the situation at hand...?

Great use of choice as it logically fits into a situation you've been forced upon but don't know the full details of what's happening around you.

Now to the fight scene.

Ahem:

Hasuka first fight as a Magical Girl was interesting to read and quite enjoyable too, I might add. It seems that despite the troubles she had during it, it seems that she has incredible power to blow back or hurt someone who's more experienced at combat than her. At least the way the fight scene for a first timer was described really well so great job on that.

So now to the choices regarding Kanemi.

Spoiler for The Novella Mascot:

Choice A: Ask about her name
Choice B: Ask about her home
Choice C: Ask about the attackers
Choice D: Ask about her abilities

The 4 choices given are great because it's about getting to know the Kanemi, but with different questions and answers given depending on the choice you take. Is this branching point a singular choice answer or you can answer them in anyway order given? If so correct me on that.

Choice A is great because I like the meaning behind Kanemi's name since it bears the meaning of the words, cute, cat, and ear (kawaii, neko, and mimi respectively). Nice work on that, well done "applause".

Choice B: You ask about her home but seems to be a sensitive topic that I'm sure will be exploited in future chapters.

Choice C: Knowing the enemy to get a more understanding of what's happening and who could be next to attack Kanemi.

Choice D: So like most Magical Girl mascots they use of telepathy and shape-shifting is used for communication for whomever Kanemi's desires to speak or reveal her existence too. No surprise on that expect from a Magical Girl genre standpoint.

In terms of choice (If you can pick one at a time before moving on) I choose A, D, C, B because I thought since they're in a situation where Hasuka doesn't know exactly what's going on at a larger scale, it's best to take in small tidbits of info she can while at the same time respecting Kanemi's privacy... for now.

I'm really interested in knowing what Kanemi's goals and home world will bring to the story.

So we're the point where the secret couldn't be kept from Hasuka's two other friends. I wonder if you possibly did that intentional with the thought of adding them as potential allies or just for moral support. Or just remain awkwardly oblivious to Hasuka's situation. It was really amusing seeing Hasuka trying to get Hiyori to recognize her and getting out of Mahou Shoujo mode, and also not being able to see through Kanemi's disguise.

Nice surprise to finally to feature Hasuka's family - A father and older sister it seems. I totally loved the interactions with the family regarding Hasuka bringing home Kanemi, and the choices given.

Spoiler for Novella family:

4A: "Leaving this cat where she was would've been too cruel!"
4B: "This cat is actually an alien! I saved her from someone trying to hurt her!"
4:C: "... Would you believe I'm a magical girl and this cat is responsible for that?"

All of the three choices given were an interesting to choose from since they're different but at the same time pretty much the same.

Choice A is much more of a innocent excuse similar to a little kid bringing an abandoned animal home and hoping for the parents to accept it.

Choice B the family remains oblivious to the world Hasuka is now apart of but jokingly asks Kanemi to look after her. Not much of a choice now is there.

Choice C The outbursts from the family was amusing to read about and Kanemi's frantic reasoning was strangely adorable (just like Choice B as well)

I ended up with Choice A just to keep the formula of keeping the new secret life under the rug, just like most Mahou Shoujo premises due, to name a few.

Excellent list of options and the choices were amusing this time around. Phenomenal job this that.

With meeting Kanemi, entering a new world, getting into a fight, and not knowing what's going to happen next, Hasuka is definitely at the point of no return and can't turn back even if she has second thoughts about it. We're finally at another turning and I can't wait to see where this will go.

Grade:

Spoiler for Pros:

- the scenario was well written, concise, and very informative. Leaving you with wanting to know more.
- Kanemi's approach, character and background looks interesting. I also wish to know more about her and how she'll impact Hasuka's life and the story.
- Choices to choose from are fun to pick and easy to understand.

Overall: 9.2/10 excellent job, I enjoyed every minute of it!

Spoiler for Cons:

- There was no branching choices for Hiyori and Satomi similar to meeting Raito, the parents, or questioning Kanemi. I really wanted to see more indepth picks of how to take their reaction of Hasuka being a Magical Girl in said format.

That's all!

No Ame, huh. That sucks but you better make it up to me next update. I look forward to see what role she'll have in the story than just being a simple ordinary girl. Plus, I want to know more about that transfer student who "tested" Hasuka during the volley ball match.

Well that's all for now. I enjoyed this update and take your time with the next one, which I definitely look forward too. Like Triple R with PPPL, you now have a loyal reviewer and fan. Like Triple R, I enjoy your work and I wish to see more soon. So remember to take your time, I'll be waiting patiently with anticipation of the next update! You rock dude, seriously!

I'm going to put my fingers to rest now. So until then dude, until then!

[synaesthetic]

Your "branches" aren't branching. They're like when you talk to an NPC in an RPG and no matter what you say he attacks you. But Thou Must is in full effect here.

Maybe this will change in the future, but there's not much in the way of actual decision in any form other than purely cosmetic.

Yuri is a plus, though. I might keep reading based on that alone, though in my old age my patience for the magical girl genre is about totally exhausted.

[Kudryavka]

Wow, a whole VN?? Good luck man, those take serious dedication.

[Triple_R]

Excellent job on character designs, the first meeting between the opposing magical girls, and the fight itself. Very good dialogue in general. Good pacing - The writing is nicely detailed, and doesn't feel rushed, but nothing feels dragged out either.

For your choices, I actually liked what you did with Choice 4. It reminds me of dialogue choices in Mass Effect. As long as you compliment those with real branching choices it should be all good.

My suggestion is that it might be nice if your next update includes a branching point with some background lasting consequences (think of how, in PPPL, I gave Madoka the option to tell Sayaka and Hitomi about her dreams) and/or that results in Hasuka spending more time with one girl or another (i.e. one choice means Hasuka spends a scene with Satomi, a different choice means she spends a scene with a different girl).

Overall, this is very nice work so far. Good blending of a lot of different magical girl concepts, characters, and character types. It feels reasonably fresh yet also oddly comfortingly familiar.

[Kogetsu Shirogane]

Episode 01
Chapter 3

As I hold the staff in my hands tightly, I watch the flower on it twirl like a top as it unleashes a hurricane of petals against the metallic, bee-like figure in front of me. To my horror, the flowery spiral has no effect at all, and I suddenly find myself being pinned down! I hear someone screaming out in terror, but I can't make out whose voice it is or what they're saying. Just as I thought it was over for me... I woke up.

'Hasuka? Is everything okay?'

(If C was one of your choices for Choice Ka 1, read Bugged by a Nightmare. Otherwise, read Unpleasant Dreams)

Spoiler for Bugged by a Nightmare:

I look towards my feet and see Kanemi sitting there, with a hint of curiosity in her eyes. 'I... I think so... Can I ask something?'

'Hm? What is it?' Kanemi asked while tilting her head slightly.

'Um... When you said Raito wasn't the only one attacking you... Did one of the others look like a bee?'

'I don't think so... I'm guessing that's what had you so restless?' Kanemi then walked towards me. 'It was just a dream, probably brought on by that conversation. I wouldn't put too much thought into it.'

'Okay... Oh, and good morning!'

'Good morning, Hasuka.'

Spoiler for Unpleasant Dreams:

I look towards my feet and see Kanemi sitting there, with a hint of curiosity in her eyes. 'Yes... Sorry for worrying you, it was just a bad dream.'

'Oh, okay. Well, I suppose the only thing left to say is, good morning, Hasuka.'

'Good morning.'

After eating breakfast, I went back to my room to grab my bag, and told Kanemi to wait at home while I went to school. I figured that Raito most likely wouldn't try attacking while Dad was around, given the fact she really didn't seem too keen on bringing bystanders into things, but the simple fact pets aren't allowed at school is what I told Kanemi.

(If you chose either B or C for Choice 4, read the following section. Otherwise, skip it.)

Spoiler for Special Cat?:

Sumire couldn't resist teasing me over what I said about Kanemi before I left, but it's not like I was making things up or anything. Still, she said she wouldn't tell anyone anything other than we have a new cat if it came up.

At any rate, on my way to school, I encountered a certain someone again, at about the same place she ran into me the previous day.

"Ame-chan, good morning!" I shouted to her.

(If you chose A for Choice 1, read Lonely Librarian. If you chose B, read Sunny Shimotsuki. If you chose C, read Distant Dreamer.)

Spoiler for Lonely Librarian:

"Good morning, Murasaki-san..." Ame said in a quiet voice. She still seemed a bit shy... "Is... Is it okay if I walk to school with you today?"

"I don't mind." As she smiled in response, I felt it necessary to add something, "Some friends of mine should be waiting for me just ahead. They can get a little overexcited at times, but they're great friends. Is that fine with you?"

Ame looked to the side briefly, as if she was lost in thought, before responding. "Oh... okay... That's fine."

Spoiler for Sunny Shimotsuki:

"Good morning." Ame said with a smile as she saw me. "Is it okay if I walk with you again today, Murasaki-san?"

"No, I don't mind at all." I said in response, laughing a bit before continuing. "Hopefully things will be a bit calmer today."

Ame turned her head away from me before speaking again. "Well... You'll be there to help if anything happens... Right?"

I didn't exactly want to make any promises, but she seemed to trust me enough to ask for help. "Well, I think they were just a little excited to meet you yesterday, but sure. If it seems like you need help, I'll step in."

"Okay. I'll be counting on you then!"

Spoiler for Distant Dreamer:

"Good morning, Murasaki-san..." Ame said in a quiet voice. She still seemed a bit shy, but I guess it's an improvement over the way things went yesterday. "Is... Is it okay if I walk to school with you today?"

That's strange... I would've figured she'd want to try and avoid me. "I don't mind, but... We didn't exactly get off to a great start yesterday, after all. Are you sure you're okay with it?"

"Yes... I want to try and make up for running off yesterday..."

I figured I should point something else out. "Satomi and Hiyori should be just ahead. It'd probably be better if..."

"N-no, it's fine, really!"

Well, if she really wants to, I can't exactly stop her... "Okay, if you really want to come along, it's fine."

After that, we started walking together. Soon after, Ame spoke up again, and with a more serious tone than I was used to from her.

"There's one other thing I'd like to ask." That actually surprised me a little, but I nodded for her to continue. "Could you come by the school's library at lunch? B-by yourself, I mean."

"Well..." Looking into Ame's eyes, it seemed this was something important to her. Of course, I'd have to abandon my usual plans. I'm not sure how well that would go over...

Choice 5:
A: Agree to it.
B: Turn her down nicely.

Spoiler for 5A:

While smiling, I responded with, "Okay, that sounds fine." Hopefully Satomi will understand if I want to spend time with Ame today...

"Y-you mean it? Great! I can't wait!" Ame's face beamed as she said that. I wonder why she's so excited.

Spoiler for 5B:

I gave a bit of a sigh before finishing. "It's not that I don't want to, but..."

"I... I see... That's okay... It just gets lonely sometimes, so I thought..." Her voice trailed off a bit at the end... I guess she took it harder than I thought she would.

"I can't come today, but I'll try to make it some time next week. Okay?"

"Oh... That sounds fine..." After a moment, she smiled again. I guess that went as well as I could've hoped.

It's not like I really had much time to think about her reaction, as we reached the point where I usually meet up with Satomi and Hiyori not too long after.

"Hasuka-chan! Good morning!" Before I could respond, Satomi had already ran to where the two of us were standing. "I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't want to just up and leave like that, honest!" It seems Hiyori was right. I guess I was worried over nothing, then.

"That's all ya got for Hasukan? Funny... Ya spent half the ni-"

"Looks like you aren't alone." Satomi interjected, before turning her attention to Ame with a grin on her face. "Hi there! You run into Hasuka-chan today?"

"Um, no... I... "

(If you chose A for Choice 1, read Hiyori's Intuition. Otherwise, read Satomi's Observation.)

Spoiler for Hiyori's Intuition:

Ame started to pull on my sleeve. "Murasaki-san, are these..."

"These are the friends I mentioned earlier. The one with glasses is Satomi Shirakawa, and the other is Hiyori Katsuyama."

"Ah, so yer the little librarian who caught Hasukan's eye. Shimotsuki, right?"

Ame's eyes widened after hearing her name. Honestly, I was a little surprised by Hiyori's remark, as well.

"Y-yes, My name is Ame Shimotsuki... Murasaki-san, did you..."

"Nah, Hasukan never said yer name. There's just a certain type of girl I go out of my way to know as much as I can about. Cute face, glasses, short hair... Yer just my type." Hiyori then winked with a big grin on her face, causing Ame quickly grab onto the back of my sweater tightly while firmly positioning herself behind me.

"Um, I..."

Hiyori soon burst into laughter, causing Ame's grip on my uniform to loosen a little.

"A... are you teasing..."

"Sorry, sorry. I figured ya would've realized I was jokin around. Really, I just knew there was a first year glasses-girl by that name workin in the library."

Not wanting to be ignored, Satomi decided to reintroduce herself into the conversation. "Hiyori was right about one thing though... You're definitely cute. In fact..."

Spoiler for Satomi's Observation:

Ame lightly grabbed my sleeve. "I... I just wanted to walk with Murasaki-san today, is all..."

"Oh? You aren't trying to take Hasuka-chan away from us, are you?" Satomi said with a sly grin on her face.

"T-take her away? No, I..." Ame then moved herself behind me.

"Don't think I'll let you get away with that just because you're cute... In fact..."

"You're such a little cutie, I think I may have to do something about you..." Satomi then gave Ame a mischievous grin before darting around me to try and grab her. To her credit, Ame was doing a good job of keeping me between her and Satomi, but I don't think she's having much fun. I really can't imagine her keeping it up much longer, either...

... I'm starting to get dizzy from this blue tornado that's surrounding me...

Choice 6:
A: Try to get away in order to get a better grasp of the situation.
B: Try to stay between them as best as possible.
C: Try to stop Satomi from chasing Ame.

Spoiler for 6A:

After they made a few more rounds, there was just enough of a gap between Satomi and Ame to back away from them. Obviously, this managed to catch Ame's attention, as she suddenly looked towards me with incredibly wide eyes...

"Gotcha!"

... Followed by immediately being caught...

"N-no! L-let me.. HahahaHAHAhaHAHA! St-stop it!"

Satomi had already started tickling Ame in various places, causing her to laugh uncontrollably while trying in vain to break free.

"Don't worry, I'd never hurt someone as cute as you." Satomi's words, while meant to be reassuring, didn't seem to help matters. Meanwhile, Hiyori was too busy laughing about as hard as Ame to do anything, so it seemed like I was going to get to play hero...

"Satomi-chan..." I said with as calm a voice as I could, while grabbing her wrist. "Please, that's enough."

"Huh? Hasuka? But I..." Satomi said, with a look on her face that was somewhere between surprised and dejected. "... I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it, honest..."

Satomi then released her grip on Ame, who suddenly darted off while looking as though she was about to burst into tears. Without giving it another thought, I chased after her.

After a bit of running, I finally caught up with Ame, who... Was in the arms of another girl, who looked really pretty! The girl, who was taller than Ame, had long, somewhat blonde hair, with some of it curling in the front ... Or at least it looked that way from where I was standing. The expression on her face seemed to be an odd mix of comfort and worry. I also just barely got a glimpse of the red emblem on her uniform. For some reason though, I couldn't help like I knew this girl from somewhere. Of course, as her attention was dedicated solely to Ame, she didn't seem to notice me yet.

"It's okay. No one is going to hurt you." The incredibly pretty girl said in a soothing voice, while delicately stroking the back of Ame's hair. "Now, please... Could you tell me what happened?"

"Um..." I shouted out to the blonde senpai nervously. "I think I can explain that..."

The girl then turned her attention towards me. "Is that so?"

The look she gave me after that turned what was initially just nervousness into fright, but after regaining my composure, I said who I was and explained what happened.

"Is what Murasaki-san said the truth?"

After a bit of a pause, Ame finally spoke up again, with a weak "Yes, Mitsugi-senpai." That seemed to be enough for... Mitsugi-san, as she began smiling.

"If that's the case, then it's nothing to worry about. From what I understand, this 'Satomi' didn't seem to mean any harm." She then turned her attention towards me. "Please, tell your friend to be a bit more careful in the future, as some people aren't overly fond of that sort of attention."

(If you chose B for Choice 1, read the next section. Otherwise skip over it.)

Spoiler for Broken Promise:

"Also, while you certainly did the right thing, and I can understand your inability to act sooner, may I suggest you prevent the situation from happening altogether instead of waiting for it to get out of hand, should it ever come up again?"

"R-right... I'll keep that in mind." She doesn't hate me... Does she?

After that, she checked to make sure Ame was okay one last time, then left. Ame looked at me with a sad expression on her face before saying good-bye, then also left.

Spoiler for 6B:

After they made a few more rounds, I managed to wedge myself completely between them. Of course, that idea didn't exactly work the way I had planned... as I suddenly found myself in Satomi's grip in place of Ame! More to the point, I was knocked off-balance by the impact, and suddenly found myself lying on the ground, staring up at Satomi.

"Oh ho... I see how it is!" Satomi said, with a gleaming smile directed at me. "You just can't stand the thought of me putting my hands on another girl, eh?"

"E-ehh?! I... I just..." Why did I get myself into this?

"Hahahaha!! Nice catch, Sacchin!"

"Okay, fine. Today these hands belong to you and you alone. Hey Ame-chan, you're off the hook! Be sure to thank Hasuka later, 'kay?" Satomi then gleefully proceeded to rapidly move her fingertips all over my upper body, causing me to start laughing uncontrollably!

"HahaHAHAhaHAHAha! Stop it!" My struggling to get free didn't help... If anything, I think it encouraged her!

I'm not exactly all that sure what happened after that due to my attention being directed towards Satomi's fingertips, but somehow it resulted in Ame running off. As a result, when Satomi finally relented in her... pursuits, I had to make a pursuit of my own...

When I finally caught up to Ame, she was standing still while trying to catch her breath. I placed my hand on her shoulder, which caused her to jump a bit.

"It's okay, everything's fine now."

Ame turned slightly to face me. "O... oh... Murasaki-san... I..."

"Are you okay, Ame-chan? I'm sorry about how things went..."

"I... I'm fine... I should be apologizing..." Ame turned her head away. "That wouldn't have happened if it weren't for me..."

(If you chose B for Choice 1, read Keeping One's Promise?. Otherwise, read A Flower in the River.)

Spoiler for Keeping One's Promise?:

"Didn't I say I'd help if you needed it?" I gave a slight laugh before continuing. "I know what happened wasn't exactly all that heroic, but it all worked out in the end. Besides, Satomi didn't mean any harm by it."

"Eh?" Ame turned to face me again.

"She does that sort of thing a lot. I'll admit I was kinda bothered by it at first, but I started to realize she only does it because she likes me."

Spoiler for A Flower in the River:

"That's not true!" My abrupt statement caused Ame to quickly turn her head back to face me again. Realizing I probably startled her, I took a deep breath before starting over. "That's not true at all. Satomi acts like that with me a lot. She may get a little carried away from time to time, but that just shows how much she cares."

"Oh... Then maybe I should..."

"If you don't like it, that's fine." I smiled at Ame before continuing. "She might be a little upset at first, but if Satomi knows it's bothering you that much, I don't think she'll keep it up."

"I guess I was worried for no reason." I heard a strangely familiar voice say. "When I saw Ame-chan running, I was afraid something terrible happened, but I should've known it was something like that."

When I looked towards where the voice was, I saw an unbelievably pretty girl looking back! She had long, somewhat blonde hair, with curls in the front. On the portion of her uniform that particularly stood out was a red emblem, meaning she's a third year. The smile on her charming face had a hint of relief behind it. Though... I couldn't help but think I knew her from somewhere...

"But, where are my manners? I'm Anna Mitsugi. Ame-chan is a dear friend of mine."

"Ha-Hasuka Murasaki!" I shout in response, before quickly trying to compose myself. "N-nice to meet you..." I'm serious, I don't always act like this when meeting someone!

"Oh my... Ame-chan, you seem to have found an adorable friend..." Mitsugi-san then gave Ame a bit of a sly glance. "She reminds me of someone I know."

"Mitsugi-senpai!" A rather startled Ame responded. "Please... Don't say things like that..."

Mitsugi-san gave a slight chuckle, then turned her attention back to me. "Murasaki-san, it was a pleasure meeting you. It's my hope that we'll see each other again."

My brief encounter with Mitsugi-san this morning didn't last much longer, as she bid me farewell soon after. Ame seemed to have problems making eye contact with me when she followed suit."

Spoiler for 6C:

After they made a few more rounds, I found an opportunity to stop Satomi... by force. I didn't do anything like hitting her, of course. I just grabbed onto her from behind to restrain her so Ame could get away!

"Ha-Hasuka?" Satomi asked in response... Then continued on, with a hint of mischief in her voice. "Wait? What are..."

I found my arms being pulled tightly around Satomi's body! "Y-you don't mean... So that's what it is. You want me all to yourself, don't you?"

"E-Ehh?! That's not..."

"M-Murasaki-san? Is... Is that..."

Before I could even think of how to respond to Ame, Hiyori decided to speak up in my place. "Just let 'em go. They do this sorta thing all the time."

"Or maybe... Maybe it isn't just me..." Satomi said, while pulling my arms even tighter around her body. "You'd like to do this with a certain other glasses-girl, wouldn't you?"

"Wha? N-no!" Suddenly, I found myself looking at the other girl wearing glasses, whose normally pallid complexion was replaced with a glowing red, and her eyes looked ready to burst into tears. "... Wait! I..." Before I could finish, Ame had already darted away. "... Just wanted to help..."

"Oh my... Now ya've gone and done it. I think that's enough of yer little couples act for one morning."

"Ehehe... Guess I did overdo it a little..." Satomi then let go of my hands. "I think you should probably go explain things..."

Taking Satomi's suggestion, I ran off in the direction Ame headed.

When I finally caught up with Ame, she seemed to be out of breath. I placed my hand on her shoulder while calling her name, which caused her to twist her body to get away.

"It's okay, it's over now..." I said, trying to cheer her up. "I don't think Satomi will try anything like this again."

(If you chose B for Choice 1, read A Promise is a Promise. Otherwise, read Delicate Flower.)

Spoiler for A Promise is a Promise:

"You... You also thought she wouldn't try anything today... You said she was just excited yesterday..."

"Well, I guess that's true..."

"W-Why did you follow me, anyway?" Ame asked while turning her head away. "You said you didn't want to be close to me like you were with her..."

Ame rather obviously misinterpreted what I meant...

"Do you remember what else I said?" I walk closer to Ame as I say this. "I said if it seemed like you needed help..."

Ame blushed a little before responding. "That... That you'd step in..."

"And that's what I did, right? Satomi was chasing you and I stopped her. Sure, it didn't exactly work out how I wanted, but..."

Before I knew what was happening, Ame suddenly wrapped her arms tightly around me. "I'm sorry! I should've known better..." The tone in her voice calmed soon after. "You were just looking out for me, and I... And I..."

I put one arm around her while placing my other hand on the back of her head. "It's okay. I should have been more careful of what I said after that."

In truth, I was actually enjoying the situation I found myself in more than I was letting on. Ame also seemed to like it, given how I think she said something about feeling warm. Unfortunately, things didn't last much longer...

Spoiler for Delicate Flower:

"W-Why did you follow me?" Ame asked while turning her head away. "You said you didn't want to be close to me like you were with her..."

"Is that what this is about..." I was actually a little hurt by what I just heard. "Ame-chan... Would you have liked it if I grabbed you from behind like that and held on tightly?"

"I... No, I wouldn't have..." Ame responded as she turned her gaze towards the ground. "I'm sorry... I should've known better..."

This isn't working... All I did was make her upset.

"I wouldn't have wanted to do that to you. However..." I say, while putting my hands on Ame's shoulders "... If I wanted to simply put my arms around you, would you like that?"

Ame looked up and stared deeply into my eyes, as though she were trying to figure out what to say. After a brief pause, she gave a weak smile while slightly nodding. I then gently placed one arm around her back, while moving my other hand to the back of her head.

"Is this fine?" I ask while lightly stroking her hair.

Ame responded by putting her arms around me in return, while resting her head on my shoulder. I think she said something about feeling warm, but I couldn't quite tell. And while I did manage to defuse the situation, things didn't last much longer.

"Oh my..." An oddly familiar voice said. "Is this a pair of young maidens in love? And unashamed to show such affection towards one another in public?"

When I looked to where the voice seemed to be coming from, I saw an amazingly pretty girl! Her long, somewhat blonde hair had curls in the front, and seemed to just flow smoothly elsewhere. Her noticeably curvy upper body was adorned with the red emblem of a third year student. The smile on her face beamed with the light of the sun on a clear summer day... As gorgeous as this girl was, though, I couldn't help but think I've seen her before... Of course, Ame did seem to know her, as she pushed away from me with an embarrassed look on her face.

"Ame-chan? When I heard the commotion, I was expecting to see something." A sly grin then appeared on the girl's face. "I certainly wasn't expecting to see this, though."

I tried to respond, but all I could manage was a stutter. Ame, on the other hand, seemed unusually vocal.

"Mitsugi-senpai, it's not what you think! Murasaki-san was just helping me to calm down after what happened with her friend earlier."

"Is that so..." The smile on Mitsugi-san's face slightly diminished in its glow before she turned her attention towards me. "Murasaki-san, is it?"

"Y-yes..." I couldn't help but wonder why I'm the one acting embarrassed when Ame's able to form complete sentences around this girl...

"I'm glad you seem fond of Ame-chan, but I should warn you. There are some people who wouldn't be as accepting as I am. They may get the wrong idea, and think that you were trying to coerce her into something..."

"Murasaki-san wouldn't do that!" The tone in Ame's voice had an intensity in it I never would have expected from her. "I haven't known her very long, but I can tell Murasaki-san is a good person. She'd never do something like that!"

"A-Ame-chan... You don't have to..."

"Well that settles it. Murasaki-san, I think I can trust you. If Ame-chan is defending you this passionately, I've no choice but to believe her. I hope the two of you can become good friends."

With that, Mitsugi-san bid the two of us good-bye. I didn't have much of a chance to ask Ame about how the two knew each other, as she blushingly followed suit after Mitsugi-san left.

Soon after, Satomi and Hiyori caught up to me, and after giving them a basic idea of what happened, the three of us headed to class.

(If you picked A for Choice 5, read A Date in the Library. Otherwise, read Not So Usual Scenery.)

Spoiler for A Date in the Library:

On the way there, I mentioned Ame wanted me to visit the library today. Satomi wanted to come along to apologize, but eventually Hiyori and I managed to convince her it wouldn't be a good idea.

When we got to class, Kei approached me almost immediately with an offer to join her at lunch time, which I had to respectfully decline. She seemed a bit upset, but when I explained I already promised to be somewhere, she seemed to understand... I'll try and make it up to her some other time.

Outside of Konishi-sensei dramatically pointing out the window at some clouds during a lecture on atmospheric pressure, the morning classes didn't exactly stand out much... Of course, that may just be because my mind was occupied with trying to figure out why Ame wanted to see me at lunch.

As a result, time seemed to fly by, and before I knew it, I found myself opening the door to the library. Almost immediately, my eyes focused on the short-haired first year girl keenly checking and placing books on the shelves. The sight of Ame working so diligently was actually quite charming, so I simply stood at the entrance watching her until she turned around.

"M-Murasaki-san? How long have you..." She stammered in response to seeing me.

"Not that long. You looked like you were enjoying that, so I didn't want to disturb you."

Ame looked to the side before responding. "... You didn't have to do that..."

Ame showed me to a chair set up at a table, then hastily finished her task before sitting across from me and sparking a conversation... Sort of. "I'm sorry! I thought I would have had more time to finish, but..."

"It's okay, really." I said to try and reassure her. "It was fun watching you working." I then smiled towards her. "Before I met you, I never thought a librarian could look so cute."

Ame's face turned a bright red as her eyes widened. "I... I'm not..." After that, she averted her eyes from me and nothing she said sounded like a complete sentence...

"Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything." I kinda forgot that Satomi said how cute she though Ame was before what happened earlier. "Which reminds me... Satomi wanted to apologize. She wanted to do it in person, but we agreed it'd probably be better if I just delivered the message."

Ame started to calm down again after that, then after taking a deep breath accepted the somewhat indirect apology. There was something else on my mind though, so I asked her another question.

"Ame-chan... I'm fine either way, but I'm curious. Is there something you wanted to talk about or did you just want some company?"

"W-well... It's rare for anyone to visit the library at this time of day, so it does get lonely at times..." Ame seemed lost in thought for a moment, but I figured I'd give her a chance to finish before responding. "... Do... Do you like reading?"

"Of course I do." I giggle a bit before continuing. "It'd be a bit silly to spend time in a library if I didn't, right?"

"Is... Is that the only reason you came?" Ame said, somewhat diverting her gaze.

"Well, no. You wanted me to visit the library, didn't you?"

Ame blushed slightly, then after a few false starts, returned to the subject of reading. "Is there any kind of book you like?"

Choice 7:
A: Science fiction
B: Fantasy
C: Nonfiction

Spoiler for 7A:

"If I had to pick a favorite... I'd probably say science fiction novels." If it weren't for the magic thing, I'd say I'd probably be living a sci-fi story right now. I'm housing an alien, after all.

"... Stories that involve things like aliens and strange powers, or people from the future or even from other dimensions?" I seem to have caught Ame's interest. At the very least, she's certainly not shy about this conversation.

"Something like that." I laughed a little. "You wouldn't happen to be an alien, would you?" While I meant it as a joke, Ame seemed startled by the question.

"Wha? N-no! I'm human, I don't know anything about aliens beyond what I've read in books, honest!"

"Relax... I didn't seriously think you were from another planet or something." I have to remember to be careful with what I say around her... "Is there any type of story you like?"

"... Please, don't laugh... My favorite stories were always the ones where a dashing knight or prince would face some monster or evil sorcerer and save the young maiden..."

"I guess you like putting yourself in the role of the maiden?"

Ame blushed slightly. "Y-yeah... I know, it's silly, isn't it? I mean, I'm in junior high now, right? I shouldn't be thinking like that..."

Just then, a redheaded third-year student entered. After apologizing, Ame went to attend to things. It looked like the third-year was sizing me up for some reason, though I'd imagine Ame was the real focal point. After that was taken care of, Ame returned to her previous seat.

Spoiler for 7B:

"Hm... If I had to pick a certain type, I'd say stories with magic and monsters." To be honest, my life looked as though it would end up that way, albeit with aliens thrown in. "The heroes in those can be so cool."

Ame's eyes widened. "Yeah! The thought of a courageous knight or charming prince facing off against insurmountable odds to save a young maiden..." She started blushing. "I... I mean..."

(If you chose C for Choice 6, read Lotus Knight. Otherwise, read Soothing Rain.)

Spoiler for Lotus Knight:

"... You want to be one of those maidens, don't you?" Ame's face turned a deeper red from my question, but she soon nodded in response. "I may not look the part, but I can play the knight role for you if you want. I don't know if I can fight off a dragon or anything, but I'll always be glad to help you when you need it."

Before I could get a response, a third-year student with red hair walked through the door. Ame quickly darted off to take care of the redheaded student... with her face being almost the same shade of red. It actually looked like the third year student was giving me an angry look, but I was probably imagining things. After that was over, Ame returned to sit across from me, though she couldn't seem to look me in the eyes.

Spoiler for Soothing Rain:

"Don't worry... I'm sure there's a knight or prince out there somewhere for you." I smile at Ame before continuing. "Who knows, they might be closer than you think."

Before Ame could respond, a redheaded third-year student entered... And gave me a strange look. Ame apologized and attended to the needs of the other student before returning to her seat.

Spoiler for 7C:

"Honestly, I like nonfiction works. Learning new things about the world is a good use of one's time, right?" Though to be honest, fiction books with aliens or magic seem to fit better with how my life is turning out...

"Well... Yes, that's true. I've read lots of books like that while working in the library, and I've discovered things I don't think I would have otherwise." Ame's voice had a hint of sadness behind it.

"What kind of books are your favorites?"

"Well... Um..." She began to blush. "I like to read fantasy books..." It didn't seem like she was feeling all that comfortable talking about it with me.

Before I could try and ease the situation, a student with hair almost the same shade of red as the uniform's emblem entered. Ame apologized to me before attending to the third-year student, then returned to her previous seat across from me when she was finished.

"I'm sorry..." Ame began. "Lunch period is almost over, and we didn't get to spend all that much time together..."

"It's okay, really." I said, before thinking of something. "Are you free tomorrow? It's our day off, so we could spend the whole day together if you want. It can even be just the two of us again."

I probably came across a little more forceful than I wanted to... Still, after a bit of hesitation, Ame accepted my invitation with a smile. After that, the lunch period ended, and I returned to class.

Spoiler for Not So Usual Scenery:

When we got to class, I was suddenly approached by our recent transfer student, who seemed to emerge from a sea of classmates. "Hasuka, may I have a minute alone?"

"Sure..." I motioned to Satomi and Hiyori to go to their seats before turning my attention back to Kei. "What is it?"

"Would you mind joining me for lunch today? There's something I'd like to talk about."

"Well, um..." That was a little unexpected...

Choice 8:
A: Agree to it.
B: Turn her down.

Spoiler for 8A:

"O-okay." I glanced over to Satomi... Hopefully she'll understand.

"Great. I'll see you then." Kei then disappeared back into the group she was in, prompting me to head to where Satomi and Hiyori were sitting.

"Um... She wanted to see me at lunch..."

"Did you say yes? If so, I'm fine with it." Satomi then smirked at me. "I get you all weekend, after all. One lunch is fine."

"Heh. Ya sure about that, Sacchin? Hirotan might be tryin to take our little Hasukan away from us."

"N-no! It's nothing like that, honest! Kei-chan just wants to talk about something... I didn't see anything wrong with that, so I said yes..."

"Well... I should probably apologize to Ame, anyway..." While she seemed to take it well, I couldn't help but wonder if Satomi was upset... Hiyori simply laughed it off, though.

After that, everyone returned to their seats, and class started. Not much of note happened during classes, aside from Konishi-sensei oddly pointing out the window at some clouds while talking about atmospheric pressure. Soon, it was lunch, and Kei and I proceeded to our destination.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Kei asked rather abruptly. "Your friends seem quite fond of you, so I almost didn't want to ask..."

"It's fine. Satomi said she was okay with it, and Hiyori's generally busy this time of the week due to student council meetings."

"Katsuyama-san's in the student council? Hm... I remember my father mentioning once that he used to be student council president in high school..." Kei gave a slight laugh.

"Hiyori's not the president or anything, she's just the treasurer."

"Hm... Do you think I'd have what it takes to be president?"

Choice Ke 1:
A: "Go for it!"
B: "If you aren't sure..."

Ke 1A

Spoiler for Ke 1A:

"Go for it!" I shout excitedly. "You're smart, popular, and you really had your whole team behind you yesterday. I'm sure you'd make a great student council president!"

"Well, with encouragement like that, I may just consider trying for it after all." Kei smiled at me as she placed her hand on mine. "Thank you, Hasuka. If I do end up as president, I'll be certain to mention you're the one who gave me the push I needed."

"N-no problem... I'm glad I could help." I'm pretty sure I was blushing over Kei's words, but she didn't say anything about it. After that, we mostly just engaged in random conversation... Though I think we may have forgotten about something...

Spoiler for Ke 1B:

"If you aren't sure... I don't know... You're certainly better suited for the role than I'd ever be..."

"I knew I could trust you to give an honest answer." Kei smiled at me before continuing. "To tell the truth, I don't think I could do it just yet anyway. I have a lot going on as it is, so I'm not sure if I'd have the time..."

"Well... You still have plenty of time to run..." I never expected I'd be encouraging Kei. "Even if it's not this year, when things calm down for you long enough to focus, I'm sure you'd make a great leader!"

"Well this has certainly given me plenty to think about." After that, most of our conversation was idle chatter... Though I think we may have forgotten about something...

Spoiler for 8B:

"I... I'm sorry, I've already got plans..." I glanced over to Satomi, which Kei seemed to notice.

"Oh... Well, I guess if you have previous plans, it wouldn't be right of me to keep you from them. I'll ask again some other time." She then smiled at me, before returning to the group that had been surrounding her. I then went over to Satomi and Hiyori to explain things.

"Um... She wanted to see me at lunch..."

"Did you say yes? If so, I'm fine with it." Satomi then smirked at me. "I get you all weekend, after all. One lunch is fine."

"Actually... As I told Ame-chan when she asked something similar, I already had plans for lunch today..."

"W-wait, what?" Satomi seemed a little shocked by what I said. "You didn't have to do that!"

"But... I didn't want to leave you..."

"Hahahaha! Turning down not one, but two girls she just met for ya, Sacchin? If Hasukan were the lead in one of those dating sim-type games, I'd say she just triggered a flag!"

"H-Hiyori?! Keep it down, okay?" Satomi seemed unusually flustered for some reason... Though, I guess I didn't feel very comfortable with that remark, either...

Hiyori then burst into laughter again. "I almost feel like I'm gonna miss somethin today, but hey, duty calls and all that."

After that, everyone returned to their seats, and class started. Not much of note happened during classes, aside from Konishi-sensei oddly pointing out the window at some clouds while talking about atmospheric pressure. Soon, it was lunch, and Satomi and I proceeded to our destination.

It's actually something of a minor miracle that no one else ever seems to come to this little courtyard. It's always just the three of us sitting around, talking about random things... Well, except when Hiyori has to attend student council meetings like today, then it's just Satomi and I. I'm not complaining, of course.

"I still can't believe you'd choose to just sit and talk with me over being alone with a cute girl like Ame or someone as popular as Kei... Honestly, I probably would've accepted either one of their invitations if it were me..." A devilish grin appeared on Satomi's face before she continued. "You didn't turn down anyone else, did you?"

"No... the only other person I've come across today was a blonde third year student... I think she said her name was... Mitsugi-san?"

"Mitsugi? You... You don't mean Anna Mitsugi, do you?" Satomi's eyes widened a bit. "Curled hair, pretty face, beautiful voice? Not to mention a body any girl would love to have..."

"Y...yeah, that's her..." I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks Mitsugi-san looks really pretty...

"How did you meet her?! Outside the music club she's a part of, only a small handful of students have ever really gotten to talk to her!"

"W... well, she seemed to be friends with Ame when the three of us were together..." I honestly didn't realize Mitsugi-san was a bit of a celebrity here... Maybe that's why she seemed familiar?

Satomi's expression quickly went from one of sheer excitement to bitter disappointment. "... If that's the case, then I guess I've already blown any chance I'd have of meeting her, huh? No doubt Ame's already told her about what happened this morning..."

I explained to Satomi how I managed to talk things out with Mitsugi-san. She seemed to cheer up a bit as a result.

"Okay... Though, if you somehow manage to become her friend, you gotta introduce her to us. Hiyori'll flip if you managed to befriend someone like her, too." Satomi's expression gained a bit of nervousness before she continued. "Oh, and... Try to put a good word or two in for me the next time you see her, okay?" Satomi gave a slight laugh. "I'd rather not have her thinking I'm just some weirdo who can't keep her hands off other girls."

"Okay, sure." After that, not much of note came up in our conversation.

Not much else of note happened that day. The afternoon classes were more or less the same as always, and my walk home with Satomi and Hiyori thankfully didn't include any random attacks like yesterday.

Due to it being so close to the weekend, Satomi followed me instead of going to her own home. When we got there, we pretty much headed directly to my room...

(If you picked A for Choice 5, read the following paragraph. Otherwise, skip over it.)

Spoiler for Rainy Forecast:

I figured it'd be best to tell Satomi that our usual plans for the weekend would have to be postponed, as I wanted to make up for how today went with Ame. Satomi seemed a little upset, but she understood the reasoning.

"So... How are things with Kanemi?" Satomi asked rather suddenly. "I'll be honest, I'm a little surprised you were able to keep her here."

"I didn't say everything, of course! But... What I did say seemed to be okay." I chuckled a bit. "Dad even said something about a cat he used to have."

"Oh yeah? Well, as long as things are okay I guess it's fine." Satomi sighed while scratching Kanemi's chin. "... Bit of a shame I can't help you out, though."

"Yeah... But I know you'd do anything you could if you were able to."

After a while, Satomi's older brother Souta, who had arrived with Sumire at some point, knocked on my door for Satomi. After Satomi and her brother left, I helped out with the bakery, and later went to sleep, wanting to be well-rested for my day with a certain blue-haired girl...

~Episode 1 End~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heh, only two months between updates? That's gotta be a record for me. Next Episode is going to be fun...

Lastly, I'm sorry I haven't gotten back to anyone on their comments. I'll get to that as soon as I can. I will say thanks for the advice I had gotten, though.

[Vexx]

Just found this. This is great stuff with the VN "choose your path" aspects. I'm curious about your process. Are you plotting this on a huge board? Did you work out an outline and the whole arc paths? Or is it more organic, you're developing the arcs as you move along?

Anyway, off to read the effort.

[Triple_R]

Very impressive work, Kogetsu.

The narrative and its characters feel very vibrant, colorful, and lively. It's easy to imagine it in anime format.

The complexity and intricacy of the choice options is also very nice.

Hasuka's character is nicely rounding into shape, and I think she benefits from Ame's presence in the narrative. With Ame there, Hasuka seems less like an extreme outlier when it comes to being shy and soft-spoken since Ame is even more shy and soft-spoken than she is. That's a good way to make Hasuka's characterization seem believable and vaguely "normal" while also having her fit well the magical girl archetype.

[Kirito]

Yo, Shirogane! I'm back with another review just like I told you a while back. I think I have an idea on how to approach this current update, but sort of worried about how to execute it in a reasonable manner. With that being said: I'm ready to go, and I got ClarLive playing, so let's get this party.

Ahem:

Right where we left off with Hasuka becoming a Mahou Shoujo, her first fight with Raitou, and bringing Kanemi home to live and to take cover. It seems that her worries regarding yesterdays events are only just beginning after the strange and terrifying nightmare she had. Like her first prophetic dream in chapter 1, it looks like major turning points are quite evident since her dreams generally are warning her about things that could or in this case will likely happen, and it's evident what with her life changing experience meeting the mascot character and all.

Judging by the choices and the situation.

Spoiler for Prophetic Dream?:

Spoiler A: Bugged By a Nightmare
Spoiler B: Unpleasant Dream

With two of the two choice given under certain conditions. One can ask a peculiar and issue related questions or just not talk about it and dismiss it as a bad dream. It's clear that both options can sort of similar, but how the scene turns is different... to an extent.

Spoiler A: Hasuka tells Kanemi the nature of the dream and how it related to what's currently happening.

Spoiler B: Or to just keep quiet about it and tell the latter everything is fine, despite the fact the matter is troubling.

Since I didn't choose Choice Ka-C because I sort of did a "connect the dots" method regarding question Kanemi. You can go back and see what I mean if you wish, but it seems like I'll have to go to Spoiler B: Unpleasant Dream due to the nature of my past choice. Interesting way for me to do this, but sometimes being a little "secretive" can be a good way of keeping the drama factor and give Hasuka more of a chance to access the situation herself without having to rely on someone...for now.

I don't know how this will affect the story, but I'm quite confident in the choices I've picked.

Now it's time to head off to school and oh wait we meet Ame along the way. I was really happy that Ame finally got her appearance after being "truant" in chapter 2. Now that we've met her let's go to my choices shall we?

Spoiler for Shy Lovely Glasses Girl:

Spoiler A: Lonely Librarian
Spoiler B: Sunny Shimotsuki
Spoiler C: Distant Dreamer

Let's look at Spoiler A and C for a moment. They're both similar in terms of how Ame greeted Hasuka. but the presentation came off as a one being friendly and that of a "bitch". Why I think that? Here's why:

Spoiler A: She allows Ame to walk with her with the chance of meeting her friends. She was warm and friendly, which really clicked with me.

Spoiler C: Ame wanted to walk with Hasuka, but it came off as "If my friends see me with her, they'll think I'm weird".To me that came off as Hasuka being a bitch. I don't know if that was your intention, but it felt like that to me. Thank god I didn't get stuckwith that choice, I hate bitchy characters and I hope Hasuka isn't like that down the road in the story.

Because of me picking Choice 1-B. I'm have to go with Spolier: B because it shows a little bit of Ame being a bit cheerful while keeping her shy disposition. It also sort of gave Hasuke the reliable friend feature and that really works for me, and her friends have taken a liking to her and that's a plus. It's like that with choice Spoiler: A, but oh well, the more the merrier.

Also! Don’t you know that n the world of anime romances helping a cute and shy megane girl is a great way to set a romance flag? If you’ve forgotten that shame on you dude, seriously! I hope Choice 1-B sets up a romance flag with Ame. I don't know if that will happen, but I'll be hopeful about it!

I like my decision for this one. No regrets...hopefully.

With a warm or awkward encounter with Ame out of the way. What else could happen? A private lunch invite from Ame… I wonder what that could mean? Anyway let’s go and discuss Choice 5 and the selections available; my picks and reasoning for them.

Spoiler for A Sudden Invite:

5A: Agree to It
5B: Turn her down nicely

With the choice to either walk to school or decline the option with Ame, we’re at least given another chance to spend time with her and get a interesting depth of her characterization a little. Me, being a big Ame fan, I decided to go with her private invite at lunch in the library, hoping to possibly set more Ame x Hasuka flags and a chance to explore this chapter and how her personality will come into play in the stories development.

Unfortunately the offer doesn’t come without its problems. Why is that? Because there’s are two new contenders Ame must deal with in order to enter the next stage.

Since I didn’t choose Choice 1-A I had to go to Satomi’s Observation and quite the mandatory option that is. Ame’s shy nature is really quite natural in this situation as she’s not fully acquainted with Satomi and Hiyori for that matter. Satomi being the tease and flirt, and Ame being stuck between the hunter and hunted situation what will our lovely Novella heroine do in this situation?

Spoiler for Hallway Blues:

6A: Try to get away in order to get a better grasp of the situation
6B: Try to stay between them as best as possible
6C: Try to stop Satomi from chasing Ame

Time to in more depth about the three choices given.

6A: I was admittingly amused at the fact that Satomi was being the friendly tease and flirt, but the wa that Hiyori was laughing at the scene sort of made me feel that Ame was being “bullied”, and it turned me off from this choice. Hasuka’s inability to act quicker made me just skip this one despite the fact she tried to help. Sorry. Choice A is not for me.

6B: The role of Tickle Me Elmo switched from Ame to Hasuka. Satomi still being the loveable flirt that is she, Ame feelings responsible as to why Hasuka got tickled and her in some odd way her presence being some kind of a nuisance. Since I chose Choice 1-B earlier I had to choose that option. That being said, in that option Hasuka appeared sympathetic, but for some of the wrong reasons. Like, shouldn’t she understand Ame’s shy nature and her not being used to her friends yet? I know, she, and they, mean well, but it’s like her saying, “My friends do this all the time. Get over it!”. The bitch card sort of came into play her, but it’s still preferable to the first of the 3 choices this had to offer.

6C: Hasuka appeared more forceful and blunt in this option while Satomi still plays the flirt and tease role. Interestingly enough, an awkward misunderstanding and choice of words sort of came into play her, as it caused Ame to be overly shy and embarrassed than she normally is. It’s was really more refreshing to see Hasuka being more comforting than the other two choice since it sort of added more to “reliable” senpai figure she’ll most or has likely become.

So after giving it much though, I decided to go with Choice 6-C because it felt like Hasuka and Ame are connecting and getting closer to each other. It seems that Ame is truly making the attempt to fully open up to Hasuka at this point, and I hope it’ll lead to more warm and interactions with each other. Sort of feels glasses Homura and Madoka-ish, but that’s the feeling I’m getting with this choice. I mean, I understand Hasuka’s friends mean well, but to mean each choice sort of put Ame in a position where it felt like she was unwanted or in the first choice case “bullied”. At least to me. Like Choice 6-B since I chose Choice 1-B earlier I had to choose that option, and I truly glad I did because I really loved the Ame x Hasuka moments, as I’ve mentioned previously in this paragraph.

Okay now getting to the blond beauty analysis. I really wanted to get the Ticklish Devil issue before tackling this. So either way the tall blonde beauty is Anna Mitsugi is a senpai and friend to Ame… interesting. Since I thought that Ame would still be friendless due to her shy nature. Right, let’s divide this a bit here…

6A: Ame runs into the arms of a lovely blond beauty really scared and embarrassed. In this choice she seemed pretty spiteful and annoyed towards Hasuka for her inability to rectify the situation that Ame was clearly a victim of. She made clear good points about not acting when a something is not right or inappropriate to the “victimized” party involved.

6B: This is choice Anna approach was more friendly than Choice 6=A. Not much going on accept some introductions and a bit of friendly banter.

6C: This is really interesting because Anna was being really protective and a little attentive to Ame, as her tone and way of speaking had a bit of anger and a “threat” factor to them. The misunderstandings have been cleared up, so it’s good between them…for now.

In case you haven’t guessed it, I’m going to go with Choice 6-C and the introduction of the beautiful blond senpai was a unique way to fix more drama and pacing to the scenery. I’m really interested in what you have in store for Anna as she and Hasuka seem to have sort of feeling that they’ve met… wait! Hold on a second! Blond hair, tall, mutual feelings of those two meeting somewhere… right. Come to think of it, didn‘t Hasuka just run into a girl with similar features when she fir-

Spoiler for “Wait!":

OH MY GOD!!! It can’t…no, no, no! It can’t be right? It just can’t be! If my guess is correct, I think I might know who this Anna girl is! Sweet Incubators ghost! Alright, alright, okay! Right! Regain composure.

Yeah with a sudden meeting with a pretty senpai, who in turn is connected to Ame, and the strange feeling that Hasuka and Anna have towards each other. Thing will truly be interesting.

Spoiler for “Novella Librarica”:

Spoiler A: A Date in the Library
Spoiler B: Not so Usual Scenery

With two options given and the choices I’ve made playing a mandatory role here, I’ll be skipping Spoiler B and heading off to Spoiler A. No regrets since it means more Ame, hurray!J

It would be interesting to go to Spoiler B since it’ll be Kei’s turn to shine since she hadn’t appeared in chapter 2. But, I’m going straight to the Ame route, but will drift if things get more in tone of interesting with Ame’s pacing.

Let’s go deep into what you’ve done with this.

Hasuka heading off to the library to fulfill a promise she made to a certain shy girl earlier (depending on the route and choices you’ve made). It’s also nice that Satomi had to sit this one out with Hiyori due to an unpleasant event that took place earlier much to Ame’s surprise. Kei getting rejected was a surprise as well since it’s quite it was sudden that she invited her out of the blue like that. Well, since I’m possibly missing some stuff due to me branching off, I still to keep moving forward and review the route of interest when it becomes more natural to me.

Now the library date. Poor Ame she needs a hug, or way she did get one indirectly earlier so I suppose that count. I really liked how both of them had a interest when it came to books. It’s a good thing since it’ll give Ame a piece of mind knowing that there’s someone out there who shares her interest. There have been cases where people like something, but people aren’t fans of it, which sort of leaves the awkward feeling of being able to blend in. This is where I really enjoyed the chapter the most. It’s now on to Choice 7 and let’s see what you’ve got here:

7A: Science fiction
7B: Fantasy
7C: Nonfiction

7A: It’s funny because Hasuka has an alien living with her and has met someone who’s otherworldly than her. Add magic to the mix and you pretty much get the full picture to an extend.

7B: No surprise here since this story IS a Magical Girl story with some Sci-fi elements implemented in it. Hasuka is pretty much living the irony of the said genre you can ever find in books or in anime. Talk about irony.

7C: It’s good to stay within the norm, but it’s sort of too late for that since Hasuka is living both the Sci-fi and Magical Girl realm of things. It’s great to stay normal when your everyday life comes to a grinding halt when an alien cat and a super powered girl enters into your life unexpectedly.

I ended picking Choice 7-B because as a reader myself, I often read fantasy novels and play the games of said genre. It just appealed to me the most due to my interests in that genre and the majority of anime that I’ve watched have been fantasy and supernatural elements, so why not pick the options that suit you best.

I also liked in the choices I’ve made with 6-C and 7-B how Ame sort of played the hopeless princess and Hasuka actually willing to play the dashing prince role. It sort of fits in with the whole fantasy aspect coming into play with the choice here and how it’s influencing the flow of the conversation.

It sucks that they didn’t get much time to interact at lunch, but an offer to spend the day together! Isn’t that a date? Looks like things in this route is getting more and more interesting!

The day ends with nothing eventful happening…weird, but peace and quiet is also a great way to unwind to prepare for the upcoming date with a certain shy blue hair girl. Since I’ve chose Choice 5-A, I had to read about Hasuka explaining to her that she has plans the upcoming weekend, and for Ame’s piece of mind. Much to Satomi’s getting upset and possibly understanding that she does bear shame of the fact that things got awkward because of her.

With plans with an upcoming date, prophetic dreams, many weird encounters and moments what will happen next in the world of Novella Hasuka. Unfortunately we’re going to have to wait awhile before that happens, but I think I can deal. A date with Ame, yeah, but things will definitely take a weird and interesting turn. Can’t wait to see where this goes!

Grade:

Spoiler for “Pros”:

The chapter was a blast to read. I really liked how each option can sort of give you a chance to know many different characters and how they react and interaction with the main character and the supporting case. The way it was written was easy to read and follow and the choices given were clear and interesting.

Most importantly, more Ame! I’m definitely pushing for the Ame end. I really like her and I think that she and Hasuka can create some good chemistry with each other. I really hope Ame played an integral role and have something special about her. Ame can also mean “rain” after all. I’m still wondering if it hold any relevance to the story… who knows?

I’m going to give you 7.5/10 in this update. Why? Let’s take this to the cons tab shall we?

Spoiler for “Cons”:

The chapter was great, but I was sort of expecting Ame to be someone more who meets the eye. She appeared normal and I was expecting her to be a little more special than your typical shy girl in glasses. Maybe my expectations were too high, but you sort of betrayed my expectations of Ame a little.

Some of the choices offered when it pertained to Ame, Hasuka came off as a complete bitch to her. I was really not happy with the way that Choices 5-6 in certain points because to me it felt like Hasuka’s friends were “bullying” her and she stood there as if it had nothing to do with her; plus making her feel unwanted. I don’t know if that was your intention or not, but make it so that Hasuka doesn’t come off as a “bitch”, but add more action to make up for the inaction to show that she genuinely cares. I know she has other friends and things to attend, but at least make it so that Ame wouldn’t feel like she’s a bother or a nuisance to her.

That’s all.

I’ve done. Sorry it took so late. I had to go back, rewrite, and carefully analyze the choices I’ve made and how to make my input and reasoning make total sense. I don’t know if I’ve fully did that, but you can be the judge. All and all, it was a great update and can’t wait for the next one. So until then dude, until then!J