wordswords[truncated] - Let's Play Aoi Shiro

So I don't know how many of you are familiar with this game. I played the demo a few years ago, and I always wanted to play the full version, but I couldn't find it. Well, now I have, and what better way to celebrate than with a LP? If you're wondering about the title, well... I guess you'll see what I mean.

AOI SHIRO

We'll be playing as Osanai Syouko, the girl with black hair in the center, who has her hand resting on the white-haired girl's head. From what I remember in the demo, she's the club captain. This is a blind playthrough, so I just stole Wikipedia's description of the game.

Before I start, let me just stress that I am playing this blind, so if you happen to know anything about this game, please use spoiler tags! I don't have a problem with anyone talking about it, but if you think it might be a considered a spoiler, tag it to be safe.

Now, for the opening video. If, for whatever reason, the video below isn't working just click here.

Personally, when I first played the demo, the girl at 1:21-1:23 caught my eye. Not that I would try to sway you in any way. No, no, no, no, no, no.

*looks at title *

...so are there lots of words, or lots of swords?

A long time ago---





{Izanagi and Izanami are the gods who created Japan. There's this story where they have to walk all the way around the world before they can get married. When they finally meet each other at the start again, Izanami greeted her husband first. Apparently, this was all wrong, so they had to walk around the world again so that Izanagi could speak first.}

To reconquer the island, the feudal lord immediately formed a group of soldiers and crossed the rough waves to Onigashima. However, the opponent was an oni. It was strong and used sorcery. As the oni lord mumbled his spells, an unearthly aura rose among dark clouds. Strong rains and winds turned the seas stormy.



There was also an explosive storm. Like an invincible oni with an iron club, the feudal lord couldn't even lay a finger on it. Whether it was a curse, or the oni's counterattack, a plague appeared and spread across the land. With plague, came famine, earthquakes, typhoons, and drought. The situation had almost gone beyond an onitaiji.

Both.

Yes.

Good.

I wanted to play this but I cowered from the 56 different endings. GOOD LUCK *cheers you on*

The population had been reduced to one half, when the King of Time told the princess a revelation from Ryuujin-sama, the Dragon God.





The princess continued praying diligently day and night. Please, Dragon God, cure this disease and stop the storm. She prayed for three years to the god that lights the sea and he finally answered.



The ships could cross over again. This time they would reclaim Onigashima. The soldiers got excited and gathered their ships, but...

F... Fifty-six?
No one told me that.

This should be interesting.

He was appointed leader. He used the ships as a decoy and with only a retinue of three people, snuck over to the island.

{Retinue: (noun) a group of advisers, assistants, or others accompanying an important person. Aoi Shiro: a Japanese game that's teaching me English.}

Once a year at a certain time and place, a secret path to the island appears. That way, the group could sneak over without being seen, but after that, a fierce battle broke out.





Would the arrows run out first? Or would the rocks hit first? After five minutes, the shogun changed his tactics. Firing two arrows at once, the shogun struck the Oni King's eye!



The drops of blood turned to black miasma. The rising youkai blocked the light and enveloped the Oni King! That's not all! That's not all!!

An ox beast darker than black appeared. It was the size of a small hill with the ferocity of a tiger. Yellow eye glowing, the beast flung it's sharpened horns and kicked the ground. A normal soldier would have given up without a struggle and ran away. However, he was a great shogun. He was the leader and was a warrior with courage. Without fear he fired one, two, three arrows. The target never changing, the arrows struck. However, the beast was not injured and the quiver was soon emptied. This was no ordinary oni. Like gods of a long lineage, it had ancient blood and was a demon god. Then of course, an arrow from a human would do no harm, but against a divine sword, the oni should fall.



{... shone what? I thought I missed a screenshot here, but instead the next line is}



{Um... okay. I'll just assume the gods blessed your sword with divinity or... something.}



And so, the oni who lost their king fled like spiderlets. The subjugated people gave their allegiance to the shogun...



{Why hello there, Orator.}

{Would you have preferred everyone get impaled by the ox beast's horns?}

When the applause died down, a slight sound reached my ears. Above the incessant vibration, the source was the engine hitting rough patches of road. The boxy bus was the same shape as a train but its sound was more intermittent than going over gaps in rails. In the afternoon we were on a train, but had changed to a bus a while ago.



The storyteller gave a bow

I love this game lots, but blind? Knowing just how many bad ends there are in this?

*pre-emptively sets up a Protagonist Memorial Fund*

I'd suggest not screenshotting every line, because this game is quite wordy, especially early on while it's establishing the setting... grabbing every line will take forever and make the whole affair hard to read as we have to keep scrolling past large amounts of identical imagery.

Interspersing full screens with summaries (or headshots and typed-out text but that's a lot of work) would be easier to read through. Just my opinion though, not a requirement, of course. :)

It has how many endings now

ALL OF THEM.

Yay, let's watch protag-chan die horribly in bad ends!
I'm a terrible human being...

But more seriously now, I like this game. I started playing it, but I didn't have time... Protag-chan is cool, I like her ^^

With that many endings, one of them has to be a harem end. Go for that one.

Though not a charter bus, it would not have been strange to have a tour guide, but... With a mike in one hand, the woman in glasses and sweats didn't look like a bus guide. Of course.



{I should probably take this chance to point out that little green book at the upper-right corner of the text box. That's our dictionary. It isn't translated and I can't read Japanese, so I won't post anything from it, unless someone wants to have a go at translating it for us. Also, another strange camera pan: it started at Sensei's chest and stopped here. Didn't even show her face.}

Aoi: Yes, what is it?

Called by the title of Sensei, she [Aoi] was a high school teacher. Graduating from a professional teaching school, it was her first year at Seijou High School Girls Academy. Her storytelling ability rivaled that of a guide. An expert in classics, she also knew fairy tales well. Are classics fairy tales? I thought compiling fairy tale stories from famous places was a different field of study. Anyways...

For a teacher and students to be on the same bus, besides being just a coincidence, was usually something like an event. And the standard thing in summer was a summer camp where an adviser was needed. That was also our reason.

Genki Voice: Unasaka, where we're having our training, had such a legend!?

Heading south, today we started training camp.

Genki Voice: Maybe we're going to learn the ultimate onitaiji kenpo (oni extermination sword skills) from a mysterious old man!?
Aoi: Who knows?
Genki Voice: Oh! What kind of answer is that!? I can't stand this situation, Osa-sempai!



Though the shortest in our club and with hair in childish pigtails, she was very athletic and a lot was expected of the novice.

Syouko: Yes, yes, I'm sure that's true.

Talking with her increases my tension and she's the type to make me extremely tired, but...

Momoko: What's with that apathetic response?
Syouko: It's the truth.
Momoko: Eh, you should listen to what I'm saying.

She was a forward girl and not bashful, but maybe that was a good thing.



When I was sponsored into the club, that name was established. But back to the talk of onitaiji kenpo.

Syouko: ... Anyways, if it were so powerful, it would be weird for no one to know, right?

It would have been promoted and put on a billboard.

Momoko: But we're talking about the ultimate skills, here.
Syouko: So, they'd be a secret?
Momoko: To protect them, they would only be taught to a chosen successor.
Syouko: ......... (sighs) Look, the spread of kenpo was due to the civil wars in the Edo Period, right? Before that, there's the legend of Minamoto no Yoshitsune being taught sword skills by tengu in the mountains, but...

Usually, onitaiji fairy tales would go in that direction, and out club was a kendo club. Because of Momoko and also my grandmother's love of sword fighting novels, I can't say I wasn't totally unaffected.

Yeah, I actually tried screenshotting up to the opening video and it totaled over 100 images. Definitely not going to work. Hopefully this format works out a little better for everyone. Thanks for the tip c:

Oooh, looking forward to this LP. Always wanted to try this game but had trouble finding it.

So is this a yuri visual novel? Because I don't see any male characters on the box art up there.

Yup. I had the words shoujo ai in the title, but there weren't any spaces so it got truncated (lolwhoops).

Neat. :D

Awesome, that's what I thought!

so happy for yuri you have no idea~

Happy to hear it c: Now let's see how many times I can keep Syouko from getting killed!

I'll try and get another update up asap, but copying all the lines takes me a bit (sorry 'bout that). As a consolation, I removed some of the more repetitive screenshots from the legend above, so... yeah. There's that.

Syouko: Aoi-sensei, how long ago did this take place?
Momoko: Since it's a legend, long ago.
Syouko: You should pay more attention to Sensei...

What a vague answer.

Kind Voice: Syouko-san, I believe it was 2000 years ago.

Sitting in the next seat, a kind voice rescued me. Like her voice, she had a pretty face and long, straight, black hair... Perhaps because of that, the former captain gave her the nickname 'Hime'. Different from my Osa, Sakurai Ayashiro's nickname didn't use any letter from her real name. However, her generous behavior really did make her worthy of the title princess.


Well, I didn't normally use her nickname but instead called her by her given name.

Ayashiro: It seems it took place eras ago.
Syouko: So that's why the story's fake.
Momoko: Eh? Why is that?
Syouko: Swords from an era ago and ones used in kenpo are totally different.

Like waving t-shirt sleeves you can't wave a non-existent sword.

Momoko: Ah, I see.
Syouko: By the way, is Yasumi sleeping?
Momoko: Zawacchi? I don't think she's sleeping.

Zawacchi comes from Yasumi's last name. The 'zawa' of Aizawa. Aizawa Yasumi and Akita Momoko are in the same class. They live in the same dorm and are even roommates. They are with each other 24/7 and get along well like sisters.

Momoko: Oi, Zawacchi!

It's unusual that Yasumi didn't say anything after Momoko made such a ruckus. In any other situation, Yasumi would have normally responded. More than unusual, it was approaching strange. If she was just sleepy due to traveling, or the teacher's story, it's no problem...

Syouko: ............

But if it were something else, it's best to deal with it now.

Syouko: Yasumi, are you awake?
Momoko: ... Yes? Did Zawacchi do something?
Syouko: It's the opposite. I'm concerned.
Momoko: Hmm?

Looking down diagnally to the right, Momoko checked the seat next to her.

Momoko: Oi! Zawacchi! Zawacchi!

I looked back as Momoko waved her hand in front of Yasumi's face.

Momoko: Zawacchi, are you asleep, or awake?

Behind me, sitting next to Momoko was a girl with wavy, long hair, loosely braided. Addressed as 'Zawacchi', her name was Aizawa Yasumi.



Momoko: Teya!

Momoko stopped waving her hand, flicking Yasumi on the forehead. Yasumi's unsteady eyes focused on the finger in front of her.

Yasumi: ... Eh?

Since her eyelids were open, it seems she wasn't sleeping. When focusing intently, background noise and scenery gets excluded from your mind, but that didn't seem the case here.

Momoko: Zawacchi said 'eh'. What's wrong?
Yasumi: What do you mean? Nothing's wrong.
Momoko: That's not true. Compared to normal, you don't look so good.
Yasumi: That's not...
Momoko: It's true. Right, Osa-sempai?

Looking for reinforcement, Momoko urged me to say something. I couldn't make an apathetic response so I looked at Yasumi's face.

Syouko: Yasumi.
Yasumi: Y... yes?
Syouko: We've been sitting on the bus a while. Are you okay?
Yasumi: I... I'm okay.
Momoko: It's sudden, but Zawacchi, want to switch seats?
Yasumi: It's not like I'm car sick. I'm fine, Momo-chan.

She said she wasn't carsick, but the color of her face was a little off.



Yasumi: Yes?

With a questioning look, she timidly stuck out her arm. I pressed down on the inside of her wrist, along the tendon, a few centimeters in the direction of her elbow.

Yasumi: Th... that's a pressure point, right? I'm really not carsick. I'm really fine!
Syouko: Oh, you already knew.
Yasumi: I thought massage would be useful so I read about it in a book.
Syouko: You might already know that point affect the whole body.

I had learned about it from my grandpa's job. In the past, I thought knowledge from elders was annoying.

Syouko: Nn...
Yasumi: Y... yes?
Syouko: Nothing...

Continually staring at her, my face got a little red. It was like how the sun that was setting in the west was slowly spreading its color.

Syouko: You were spaced out a while ago. Do you have a fever or something?



{It's a question!?}

Syouko: Really? We've just started so you shouldn't push yourself.

Momoko: That's true! If Zawacchi collapses, our meals will be in a big pinch!
Syouko: Big pinch? If Yasumi couldn't someone else could.

I gave an opposing opinion. In a grand gesture, Momoko thrust her finger in my face and waved it back and forth like a metronome.

Momoko: Naive! Too naive! Sempai doesn't understand Zawacchi's talent.

She looked proud, as if it were her own ability.

Ayashiro: Is Yasumi-chan's cooking that delicious?
Momoko: Yes, it's something.

{After that outburst, you give such a deflated response. Momoko I am disappoint}



Syouko: That's true.
Aoi: Umm...
Syouko: What is it, Sensei?



My grandma, who died long ago, liked to travel. Unfamiliar places. Unfamiliar people. She liked seeing unfamiliar things... Like how you'll grow tall if you're raised in a place with a high ceiling... If the items in the world become larger, people grow larger.

{Pretty sure she means the more you see the more your perspective broadens, but make of it what you will.}



Though it was summer camp, it was still a journey. Riding by train then car, with sword and dougi in hand, we went towards the Southern Sea...

{Annnd then the opening video plays.}

Syouko: Nn... That was long.
Ayashiro: Though we weren't sitting in seiza, it's still tough.
Syouko: Well, the driver has it worse though.

We arrived close to sunset. The door to our bus opened with a sound different from other cars. We walked down the steps of the old-fashioned bus. The cool air of the bus's air conditioner mixed with the hot air outside. Cutting through it was...



Syouko: Hey, Momoko!
Yasumi: Momo-chan! Your bag!
Aoi: Everyone, don't forget anything.
Ayashiro: Driver-san, thank you for everything today.

Though we were still in Japan, the southern environment felt different. In the past, the strait marked the boundary between another country. The asphalt under my feet felt warm. The air in front of me wavered.

Syouko: -------- (takes a deep breath)

Hot air filled my chest. What a heavy feeling. The air density must not be the same. The hot smell of the waves was different than what I was used to. Every breath felt as though is pressured my lungs. In truth, it was a little hard to breath.

Syouko: Hah...
???: Hah...

As I let out a sigh, Yasumi also sighed and our eyes met. Then...

Momoko: We've arrived! It's hot! The summer sea!

A wild cry reached us. We both gave a pained smile.

Yasumi: Momo-chan sure is energetic...
Syouko: True.

Maybe I had gotten used to the air. I smiled and the pressure on my chest went away. I looked around. Between the beach and the sound of waves on my left, the vast ocean spread out. A few kilometers ahead was an island, past which the sea stretched. Compared to how it looked above land, the sky over the beach looked wider. The setting sun was reflected on the water's surface, glittering among the waves. The reflected light didn't manage to light the island's shadow. It was a pity that it remained dark. Depending on the person, the shadow, looking like a black ink painting, would be interesting but... To me, who had no refined artistic taste, a colorful scene was more to my liking.

Yasumi: ............

Yasumi might've felt the same since she had been silent until now, letting out a long sigh. Was Yasumi disappointed? Everyone had different tastes. Mixing the red and the black didn't leave such a good impression. Also standing out was...

Momoko: I see. So that's Onigashima.

We had just learned of another name for the island. An island so close being occupied and subject to attacks anytime would've added a lot of stress. With that situation, it's no wonder there's another name for the island. Nonetheless...

Momoko: Yo!

The island rose above the breakwaters.

With a hand up to the sun, Momoko jumped. The sound of footsteps, then a voice.

Momoko: It's to be expected, but it looks like just a normal island.
Syouko: It seems that way.

Looking around, she checked just to make sure.



Momoko: I see. There's no billboards, souvenirs, or food stands here, yah?
Syouko: Now...

Back on topic. I stretched my stiff body.

Syouko: Why don't we head over to the inn since there's nothing here?
Ayashiro: True. We're a little over our scheduled arrival time.

Checking the time on her cell, Ayashiro looked a bit worried.

Ayashiro: We already notified them earlier, but should we do so again?
Syouko: We've been traveling half a day, so there's bound to be some calculation errors.

The reservation ticket only had an estimated reservation time written on it.

Syouko: Sensei, what should we do?
Aoi: It's fine. Don't worry about the minor details.
Momoko: I saw on TV that people in the South don't keep track of time too closely.

{Wow, Momoko. Snobby.}

It seems people from Okinawa were known to be up to one to two hours late for appointments.

{Don't encourage her, Syouko! Not even in narrative.}

That show was pointing out an extreme case though.

{Oh.}

Aoi: It's okay if we relax a while more but...

Aoi-sensei wiped the sweat off her brow and fanned her shirt to let wind in.

Aoi: If we're going to rest, we might as well drop off our luggage and change into more comfortable clothes.



If she got any more comfortable, it'd be a problem.

Ayashiro: I agree with the idea, though.



Everyone: Okay!

{Sorry that the amount of text between screenshots is so disproportionate. I'm looking more at screenshots, trying to pick out the ones that stand out the most. If anyone has any suggestions, feel free to post 'em.}

...ladies.

...I'm sorry. I'm not sorry

We had all agreed to head to the inn enthusiastically, but we would need a bit more effort. The sun traveled northeast from the southwest sea and shone along a road next to a mountain filled with lush vegetation. The round mountain wasn't big, but it was still a mountain with inclines and descents. To get to the troublesome inn we had to scale the small mountain first.

Ayashiro: Ah, here are the stairs.

Stone steps thrust through overgrown plants. The steps looked like they were made from antique materials and went diagonally up the mountain. I looked up the steps we needed to climb.

Momoko: Wah, they're long...

That was true. I had to look up to see the end of the stairs. I bent back slightly to look ahead. Just going up and down would be good exercise. At the top of the stairs was an old gate. Though far away, I could tell it was grand, not suitable for a home. Plaster walls surrounded the site which had roofed tiles.

Momoko: And it's rundown...

That was true. The wind and rain that assaulted the place had faded the colors and bits of plaster had fallen off. Some of the gutters of the stone steps needed cleaning, too.

Syouko: ............
Ayashiro: ... You could say it has a certain elegance.
Syouko: You could just be honest.
Ayashiro: Then I agree with Momo-chan.
Syouko: In other words, it's rundown...
Ayashiro: Umm...

She gave an abashed smile.

Ayashiro: I guess it is.

With a troubled look, she lowered her eyebrows.

Ayashiro: It's okay about the gate, but I wonder if the inside's okay.
Syouko: Okay?
Ayashiro: It'll be troublesome if it leaks when it rains.
Momoko: Hime-sempai is too naive! You underestimate the effect of nature on country homes.
Ayashiro: Eh?



Momoko: Hii! It's so scary! Just thinking about it is scary.
Ayashiro: Is it going to be that bad?
Syouko: Even if you ask me, I wouldn't know. But I don't think it's as bad as Momoko says. Sensei, what's the area like?
Aoi: I think it'll be okay. It might be dilapidated but Suzuki-san lives here.
Syouko: Suzuki Yuukai-san... was it?
Aoi: Yes. He's a friend of my father. When I asked about holding the camp here, he quickly replied saying we could.

His name could be read 'Tasuku' (to help). It was fitting. His name sounded weird, like it wasn't his real name and instead he made it up from his favorite motto. Then again, though my grandma's name was written as 'Akiyoshi' it was pronounced as 'Shuuhou' giving the name a classical Chinese feeling.

{Um... okay. Good to know, Syouko? I think she's basically saying: his name was weird but sometimes names are. Once again, just my take on it, since it seemed a little out of place. Anyways, back on topic, as Syouko says.}



{（￣へ￣）}

Ayashiro: As a monk, I don't think he'd say that...

Suzuki Yuukai was supposedly a Buddhist monk in the area.

Aoi: ............
Momoko: Uwah?! What's with that silence?
Aoi: Eh? Suzuki-san is a very good person, though he might have some problems as a monk...

The monk lived here, which didn't look like an inn at all.

Looking at the temple again... It did have an appropriate bearing for an ancient temple and a mysterious effect on the heart. Matter is void. Everything is constantly changing. The world shifts---no... There was a more famous and fitting phrase for this. Ah, that was it.

Syouko: The sound of the bell at Jetavana Monastery...



The voice that continued my mutterings echoed at the temple gate. As if it were a spell, the metal bell rung from the temple.

???: The color of the sal flowers reveals the truth that the prosperous must decline.

An unknown voice recited at the same time as the bell rang so as to leave an impression. I turned to see the owner of the voice. The mountain was facing the calm sea we saw earlier. The setting sun had sunk halfway into the ocean, coloring it red. The sky was getting darker, but at the height we were at, I had to squint my eyes against the light.

???: A haughty person also fades like a midsummer night's dream. The mighty fall at last, they are as dust before the wind.

{Shakespeare and Kansas?}

I confirmed the owner of the voice after the person had stopped speaking. Though I knew from the voice, the silhouette was a girl's. She was rather tall, with long limbs. From her form-fitting dress, you could tell she was stylish. She looked like she was from the south. Her features---eyes, mouth, nose, and ears---all had good balance. In other words...



???: Hmm... reciting the Heike Monogatari. Quite a refined hobby. Hello, everyone. Just to confirm, you're Seijou's kendo team?
Syouko: Yes, we are.
???: Then welcome to Shoushinji!

Facing us, I saw that her eyes shone and she had a smirk. My impression of her changed. More than looking like a pretty girl, she seemed like the type to play pranks. If that were true... In reality, it's a type that's hard for me to deal with.



{And to prove the point, our welcome committee has a new title.}

Hard to Deal With: Ah! You there. Don't glare at me like that. It's not like I'm some suspicious person who came to flirt with high school girls.
Momoko: I wasn't glaring.
Yasumi: Me neither...



Hard to Deal With: Yes, you, with black, bobbed hair.

Since I realized she was a troublesome type, I might've unknowingly tightened my gaze.

Syouko: I wasn't glaring either.

As far as I was aware, that wasn't a lie.

Hard to Deal With: Really?

The girl turned around and looked at me over her shoulder. She clearly met my gaze.

Hard to Deal With: I see. The sun was in your eyes.

She found an acceptable answer.



Syouko: ............ (taken aback)
Hard to Deal With: And I even hid myself and strained my ears to carefully time my entrance.
Syouko: ............ (sighs)
Hard to Deal With: Oh? Is the sun in your eyes again?
Syouko: No, it's not. Isn't that enough?

As I thought, she's a type that's hard for me to deal with. It's not that I dislike her, it's just hard to deal with. Even if I managed to get past my initial impression, I'd still feel suspicious.

Hard to Deal With: Oh, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Migiwa. Kyan Migiwa.

{Kyan!}

She pointed her hand at her ample chest. That was quite a weird name.

{It's the best name.}

Migiwa: The characters for joy, store, and warrior: Kyan.
Syouko: Isn't there a place in Okinawa with that same name?
Migiwa: Yes, yes, that's Kyan. My home is around there.
Syouko: Hah...
Migiwa: Migiwa is formed from the water radical plus the character hinoto.
Syouko:: Hinoto?
Migiwa: It's the same character as tei for 4th place, but that makes it seem like I have bad grades so I don't like that explanation...
Syouko: The 'chou' from 'houchou' and 'icchou me'?
Migiwa: That's it! It's the same 'chou' used in the word 'eloquence'. Adding the water radical, word means...

She turned to face the beach and pointed at the boundary where the sea met the sky.

Migiwa: Like it sounds, the water's edge.

Kyan Migiwa... it sounded rather majestic. Momoko, who was tracing in her palm, was thinking.

Momoko: Using the first two words as a last name, the last two words make a first name.

A carefree thought like that.

Syouko: How would you read that?
Momoko: Maybe 'buchou'?
Migiwa: That's bad. It'll conflict.
Syouko: Eh?
Migiwa: My name as 'Buchou' and 'buchou' meaning captain would conflict, right?

She pointed at her, then me.

Syouko: Did I say I was captain?

I didn't say that. I didn't even tell her my name. I remembered being suspicious about her and it seems my expression hardened again.

Migiwa: Oh... scary...

Looking at me frankly, she shrugged her shoulders and looked down at me. She was five to six centimeters taller than me.

Migiwa: I can tell by looking who is the boss. The girls were calling you 'Osa Osa', right?
Momoko: That's true, Osa-sempai.



Yasumi: ... Syouko-sempai?

What she said was true, but it was annoying to admit it.

Syouko: That's not correct.
Migiwa: Hmm?
Syouko: The term isn't for 'boss', it's from my last name.
Migiwa: Heh? Osa-san? Osa-what-san?
Syouko: Osanai. Osanai Syouko.
Migiwa: The characters for Osanai are small, mountain, and inside. Sorry, there's no character for boss there.

I asked a question, and I received a response. Normally you'd give your first name too, but introducing myself like that would make us seem too familiar. Since we're staying at the temple, we should act mature and not get off on the wrong foot.

Migiwa: ............

Waiting, she urged me to continue.

Syouko: Like you surmised, I became captain this summer.

Normally no one would say, "Starting tomorrow you're captain." But the former captain did as she pleased so there's no helping it. She also colluded with Sensei to have our training camp here.

Syouko: ... Ah.
Migiwa: Ah?
Syouko: It's nothing.
Migiwa: Really? Is it truly nothing?

That was close. If I get angry, I'm going to harden my gaze again. She continued to stare at me.

Migiwa: Fuu~
Syouko: What is it?



She looked away from the mountains beyond Shoushinji and walked away from me.

Migiwa: Then, let's go, everyone!
Momoko: Okay!

We should've done that from the start.

Kyaaaaaaan~ Such a nice name~ So fun to saaaay~

Kyankyankyankyankyan~

...can we romance her? She's fun.

Yes. Yes, we can <3

Of all the ladies we've met so far, we can romance both Yasumi and Kyan.

In groups of twos and threes, we followed Migiwa up the stone steps. Each side of the stairs had a low barrier. The trees were like a wall and stretched their branches over the border.

Ayashiro: And also...

Shrines and temples were known for their scenery, but...

Ayashiro: Shoushinji sure has a lot of flowers...

It was impresive to have only one type of flower blooming along the path. The pure white flowers shown through the shadows of the trees. The scenery was extraordinary. These stairs surely were a boundary that separated the temple from the outside world.

Migiwa: Ah, morning and noon are even better.
Momoko: So evening doesn't look good?
Ayashiro: Oh, it seems like a lot of flowers have fallen.



Syouko: These are Sal...
Aoi: Huh? Didn't you say that phrase earlier because they were Sal Trees?
Syouko: No, I didn't know that...

I didn't know the poem referred to the white flowers. It must be coincidence... That happens sometimes.

Syouko: These are Sal trees?
Aoi: Yes, they are, but these might be a little different.

The answer was somehow vague.

Aoi: The real sal tree is from India. If it's not hot they can't grow, so before greenhouses they didn't exist in Japan. But a monk in the past thought that Japan should also have them and searched in the wild. The result is this tree with white flowers, the summer tsubaki (camellia). It's become the sal tree in Japan.
Momoko: Ehh...
Aoi: So because of it's origin, it's not unusual to see them planted at temples.





Migiwa: The top is even better. It's like a forest of sal.

Pushing my back, a strong wind blew. The strong, salty wind might be due to the lack of obstructions from the sea to here. The white flowers did not scatter but held their shape as they fell to the ground.



Falling... The white, transient flowers melted into the setting sun. Red light and... black shadows... Dazzled, my eyes closed. When I opened them again, I saw...



Was it the color of the tsubaki?

One thing I really like about Aoi Shrio: seems like there's a CG for just about everything. Oh, you're on a bus? Have a CG of that! Oh, you guys are climbing some stairs? Have a CG of that! Something smells good. Hey, are you guys having dinner? Have a CG of that! Are you playing card games? That deserves a CG!

Yasumi: Syouko- sempai, what's wrong?
Syouko: Eh?
Yasumi: You seem spaced out.
Syouko: Huh?

I thought I had been dazzled by the fallen flowers for only a moment. Looking around, it was just Yasumi and me. The others were several steps ahead.

Yasumi: Were you entranced by the pretty flowers?
Syouko: That's not exactly it...

My heart was not stolen by the flowers here. What was that vision... No... I took a breath and calmed myself.

Syouko: Anyways, you did well to notice I was behind.
Yasumi: I'm still the manager, you know.

Yasumi proudly stuck out her chest and held that pose for a few seconds.



Embarrassed about her lack of stamina, for a moment, her skin matched the setting sun's color.

Yasumi: The stairs were a little tough so I was going to rest a moment. Then I noticed Sempai.

Normally the team members, weighed down by their gear, would have a tougher time, but here it seems the manager will instead.

Syouko: ............
Yasumi: Syouko-sempai...?

In a situation like this I could ask if she were okay, but... Maybe because of my grandpa's lack of courtesy, I just stared at her to assess her condition. It wasn't a habit I liked. It wouldn't be a problem to soften my expression, but in my case it would look forced.

Yasumi: Syouko-sempai, what's wrong?

Anyways, we were just a captain and manager. Her undaunted, bright smile urged me to answer. Since I was being asked, I should just honestly answer.



I wanted to prevent Yasumi from politely hiding her condition. I couldn't just say, 'Hand me your luggage.' So instead I put my hand on the bag with the first-aid kit...

Yasumi: Eh? I... I'm fine.
Syouko: It'll be bad if you fall down the stairs.
Yasumi: But...

She stood her ground. Though she didn't look it, she could be stubborn and always finished a task assigned to her. Which caused me to worry more...

Momoko: Oh!

Momoko's voice distracted her for an instant and I grabbed the team's luggage from her.

Syouko: See? Everyone's already climbed to the top.

Wait, so we can't romance sensei?

EVERYTHING I KNOW IS A LIE.

For some reason, this is one instance when I'm not really interested in a teacher route. Don't get me wrong, she's great, and if it were ingame, I still would. But for some reason I don't know how I'd feel making Syouko go after Aoi-sensei. Then again, if it were included in the game, I probably wouldn't think twice about it. Maybe more of a otome/otoge troupe? I dunno, can't say I know much about GxG games.

In other news, I got my first bad end in my side file. I was expecting to get a bad one the first time around, and that was fine so long as it was one of the "and then i decided to go home" ends (because, yes, you can end up back on the bus without going through the full game), because that would've been lame. Well, I got my wish: Syouko got killed. In the lamest way possible (I guess that's what I get for going after a demon first). So for a while I was just like



But I do have an update in the works, I just need to go through and summarize everything so you're not stuck with one conversation that lasts 50+ screenshots. And before I do that, I have to some Important Stuff to do. So it might be a little while, but you can definitely expect an update in the near future!

Wild grass growing in the stone pavement and fallen flowers gave the temple a dilapidated look. The sepia-colored twilight might have emphasized the dreariness. Though not as bad as the gate, the main building was old, too...

Momoko: Wah! As expected, it's rundown.
Migiwa: So it is. But the rooms you're using are neat and tidy.
Momoko: That's good to hear.
Ayashiro: I'm a little relieved...
Aoi: Hey, don't say such rude things. We're in the care of the people here...



The person who had interrupted Aoi-sensei's objection was not one of us. He was not beside us, but standing right behind us. He had a refined, cheerful voice.

Cheerful Voice: As you can see, it's rundown, but thank you for coming.

Turning around, we saw the temple's owner. Wearing simple, black robes, his Buddha necklace was hidden by his white beard. Looking up we could see a prominent nose and think eyebrows. His shiny head was completely bald. He was the personification of the stereotypical mountain monk.

Momoko: He's big! Bigger than my grandpa!

He was taller than expected and muscular. A big difference from my slender grandfather.



His shoulders formed a line upwards and standing right next to him... For Momoko, our shortest member, it's like standing next to a wall.

Yuukai: I, Suzuki Yuukai, am the one and only humble cheif priest here. It's rundown, but there's no one else to help me. Since I was ringing the bell, I was even late in meeting you.

The monk pointed to an altar bell. It was like one you'd see on TV at New Year's Eve.

Ayashiro: Then monk-sama just rang the bell?
Yuukai: Yes.
Ayashiro: The sound clears the heart.



Ayashiro: Though, it was quite a random time to ring the bell.
Syouko: Well, that's true...

It wasn't rung at five or six on the hour.

Yuukai: I see you've noticed. It's true it's rung at a random time but... This is a poor temple and an automatic bell ringer would be bad karma.
Ayashiro: Eh? Automatic...
Yuukai: Fufufu. There's such things now.

Ayashiro looked blank as the monk stroked his luxurious beard and continued. {That is exactly what the game says: his luxurious beard. What the}

Yuukai: It seems Shoushinji is a small temple with too many partishioners, if it were larger...

He stopped speaking and put his hands in his sleeves.

Yuukai: It's a bit hard to ring the bell at a set time each morning and evening.



Syouko: ... Huh?

If the monk was the only one here...

Syouko: Kyan-san doesn't work here?
Migiwa: Though I came out on my own to greet you, I'm just a normal guest.

Facing my glare, she was calm and didn't look ashamed at all.

Migiwa: Well, I never said I was from the temple.
Syouko: ............

{Kyan, I love you.}

Yuukai: Anyways... The bell at Shoushinji sometimes rings on time, sometimes not, sometimes not at all.
Syouko: Hah...



If you wanted to think of it poorly, the laughing monk could be considered rough around the edges, but you could also consider him broadminded.

Yuukai: Hmm?