**Please do not use my translations without my permission or claim as your own**

Direct comments & questions to me sweetremiks@tumblr

Special thanks as always to Jordon (pseudosuicide@tumblr) for her editing job!

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KAMIGAMI NO ASOBI – Balder Chapter 2

TITLE: “Twinkling Christmas and Looming Shadow”

Our month of summer vacation ended. A few days had passed since classes started up again.

I spent some time with Thoth after class to check over everyone’s homework together. We read through
the gods’ summer projects and graded them.

THOTH: That moronic sun god recorded every sunrise and sunset. There’s no ingenuity at all. Completely
boring.

YUI: P-Please don’t say that… We left it up to everyone’s interests.

THOTH: The foolish moon god chose rabbits as a topic, huh? What did you research with that airhead?

YUI: Fool, airhead… please don’t call everyone weird names…

THOTH: Shut up. Don’t give me orders. Just do what you’re told.

He sighed. He still had the same old arrogant attitude.

YUI: Balder-san did research on the ocean. He wrote about his experiences by the sea.

THOTH: Ah, this one. It’s titled ‘The Birthplace of Life’.

Thoth opened up the notebook and glanced over the words on the page.

THOTH: “The white waves wash onto the beach, then pull back again. This seems like it will go on
forever, but that is just one’s impression. It is not eternal.”

THOTH: “Even the most repetitive movements show changes over time. There is nothing that does not
change. Everything lives, grows old, and finally dies.”

YUI: …Is that really Balder-san’s writing?

THOTH: I only quoted a part of it.

YUI: I can’t believe he wrote that…

It was completely different from how he normally seemed.

THOTH: Think it over. What is your evaluation of this work?

YUI: Evaluation…?

THOTH: Tell me your impressions.

YUI: Ah, yes.

In response to Thoth, I said…

CHOICE

>He’s like a poet

>He sounds sad
>I’m worried he wasn’t satisfied

CHOOSE: He’s like a poet

YUI: It’s very sensitive, like a poet’s words… I think.

I felt sentimental from simply listening to it.

THOTH: Hmph, right… There’s someone here who thinks about life and death.

It seemed Balder was more delicate than I thought.

CHOOSE: He sounds sad

YUI: He really sounds sad.

They were beautiful words, but it somehow felt tragic, full of despair.

THOTH: I agree. His heart may be filled with grief.

YUI: Grief…?

Is there really such an emotion behind that gentle smile of his?

CHOOSE: I’m worried he wasn’t satisfied

YUI: I’m worried that he wasn’t satisfied. Maybe he didn’t get enough out of summer vacation.

THOTH: A needless fear. Just from the thought put into these sentences, it’s clear that’s not possible.
Make a better guess.

YUI: Mnn… I-I’m sorry.

(choices converge here)

THOTH: Even so…

Thoth closed Balder’s notebook and sighed.

THOTH: We still haven’t seen all of it. Everyone took this very seriously.

YUI: The self-study was a success. It would be nice if they could put in this much effort for the whole
year.

There were still submissions we had to look over.

YUI: Let’s spend some time looking over the rest. There’s still some days left in summer… probably.
I didn’t know when Zeus was going to roll his dice.

YUI: …I wonder what the next season will be. Normally, it would be autumn, and we could do a culture
festival.

THOTH: Who knows. It is Zeus’s responsibility to run the Garden. It is none of my concern, and I’m not
interested.

THOTH: That’s the end of this useless chatter. We’re finishing off the rest of this dull work.

YUI: P-Please don’t call it dull…

Grading the rest of the research took a few more days.

BACKGROUND: YUI’S ROOM

MELISSA: Hey you! Hey you!

Melissa shook me awake and yelled in a loud voice.

MELISSA: Look! Take a good look at that!

YUI: At… At what?

MELISSA: Snow! There’s snow outside!

YUI: Huh…?

I lifted my head from the bed and looked out the window. The sky was covered in listless clouds, and
snow fell softly to the ground.

YUI: It’s summer… why snow?

MELISSA: It’s been changed to winter. Anyway, it’s so pretty!

MELISSA: Oh, even your breath is freezing…

YUI: M-Melissa-san?!

Melissa stiffened and fell over.

MELISSA: I-It’s too cold… my innards… no, my mud is hardening.

YUI: I-I’ll go turn on the space heater. Please hang in there!

MELISSA: It’s too late now… I can’t feel anything anymore…

YUI: Please don’t jinx yourself!

MELISSA: Don’t mind me… go on ahead. You’ll… be late. Be warm… during winter…

YUI: Come on, it’s not like you’re stranded on a snowy mountain or something! Pull yourself together!

I picked up Melissa, who had been frozen into one pose, and brought him in front of the space heater.
As soon as his body warmed up, the ice melted and he was back to normal. He munched on some
snacks, acting as if nothing had happened. What a troublesome doll… Did he even understand the
concept of dying?

Faced with the unforeseen problem of winter coming too soon, I made sure I would be protected from
the cold before leaving my room.

BACKGROUND: CLASSROOM

BALDER: Hey! Did you see it? There was snow falling earlier! Though it sparkles so brightly, it vanishes
with only a bit more warmth. How delicate.

Melissa wasn’t the only one excited about the snow. The gods were the same way.

YUI: Do you like snow too, Balder-san?

BALDER: There’s a lot of snow where I came from. More than liking it, I guess it feels nostalgic.

LOKI: It’s reaaally nostalgic, isn’t it? The three of us played in it a lot!

THOR: …Yeah, that’s right.

THOR: …We would make snowmen out of snow from avalanches.

YUI: What?!

THOR: …Compared to midwinter here, Fimbulwinter 1 is… like wearing no clothes.

YUI: It certainly sounds cold… I guess that’s something only gods can do.

Gods definitely worked on an entirely different scale from humans.

THOR: …What do humans do in the winter?

YUI: We have an event called Christmas.

THOR: …I see. …I guess that’s the student council’s business.

BALDER: I know about Christmas. Where we come from, we call it ‘Yule’. It’s a really fun festival where
the gods all drink and eat meat.

YUI: This is the first time I’ve heard of it. I guess the name and the event itself are different depending
on the region.

YUI: The student council was thinking of doing another event. How about we suggest this?

Balder’s smile was filled with extreme bliss. A new season, a new event. My chest filled with excitement
as I thought about what could happen next.

The bell rang for classes to end. The gods stood up from their seats and headed off to their various
committees.

1 Dictionary entry: FIMBULWINTER (in mythological tradition) A series of three extremely cold winters. It is also
known as ‘the great winter’. The first is the ‘Winter of Winds’, the second the ‘Winter of Swords’, and the third the
‘Winter of Wolves’, and snowstorms will blow endlessly through all three stages. Fimbulwinter is also known in
Norse mythology as the precursor to Ragnarok.
LOKI: We have to issue a winter paper! I’m gonna get the scoop on the best winter hotspots right now!

LOKI: Hey come on, Thor-chin! Let’s get movin’!

THOR: …I’m part of the broadcasting committee.

LOKI: Aren’t we both reporters? Come on, start running!

THOR: …How troublesome.

HADES: The tortoise has started to hibernate already… there’s nothing else I can do. …Maybe I’ll go
water the plants.

It seemed that everyone was reacting to the change in seasons very well. As usual, Balder was flooded
with fans, so I took it upon myself to clear a path for him. I held my bag in one hand and Balder’s hand in
the other.

YUI: Alright, shall we go?

We entered the crowded hallway and headed for the student council room.

BACKGROUND: STUDENT COUNCIL ROOM

Once we arrived at the student council room, we explained the details to Apollon and Tsukito.

YUI: Just now, I was talking about winter activities with Balder and the others, and I figured that since we
have the chance, we should do something involving winter.

TSUKITO: I welcome this idea. The summer activities were successful. What is the plan?

YUI: Humans have a holiday called Christmas, so what about adapting that for school?

YUI: I think it would be fun for everyone to work together to make something like a cultural festival.

TSUKITO: What sort of event is a cultural festival?

YUI: A cultural festival is run by students. We display artwork, do theater and singing performances… all
kinds of cultural activities.

YUI: There are also things each class can do… like run a café, make a haunted house, and set up stalls to
sell things.

YUI: It’s like making things by ourselves so we can show each other what we’ve done.

BALDER: It sounds fun already. So we just need to connect this to winter and Christmas, right?

I tried imagining something along the lines of what Balder said… A cultural festival, but with a Christmas
tree instead of photographs and paintings, and snowmen decorating the grounds. The cultural festival is
usually held in the fall, so a winter festival felt new and exciting. Once we gathered our thoughts
together, we split up to think about some specific ideas for the festival, which we would share
tomorrow. When I was about to leave the student council room to go find some resources, Balder called
out and stopped me.

BALDER: Hey, Yui-san. Could I ask for your help? I want to learn about winter culture.
BALDER: If we work together, everything will be more fun, and we’ll be more motivated. I think things
would progress more easily.

YUI: Ah, sure. Of course it’s alright.

BALDER: You’re agreeing now because of that promise, right?

He stuck his little finger up in the air. He was referring to the promise we made on the boat during
summer vacation. I hadn’t forgotten it, but I honestly didn’t think about it too often.

YUI: Even without that promise, I would’ve helped you.

Why was Balder so concerned with me? If he just asked, plenty of people would’ve agreed to help… As I
thought about that, I left the student council room with Balder and headed for the library.

BACKGROUND: LIBRARY

Balder and I shared a desk and piled up books we thought we interesting.

YUI: ‘World Festivals’, ‘History of Winter Festivals’, ‘Winter Songs’, ‘Traditional Northern Arts’, ‘Theater
Scripts’, ‘Exhibition Photographs’…

BALDER: ‘Troika Culture’, ‘Life in an Igloo’, ‘Danger! The Life of the Yeti’, ‘Regional Yuki-onna Stories’,
‘How to Gain Certain Victory in Snowball Fights’, ‘Midwinter Swimming’…

YUI: Igloo?2 Midwinter swimming?

Balder’s tastes were a little strange. I was worried about the outcome of the culture festival.

YUI: Ah, um… You can read my books too, if you like?

BALDER: Really? Then I’ll take your word for it.

Balder happily took a book from the pile and started to read. These seemed like good references, so I
skimmed over them. Normally, the four seasons would just casually pass by, but researching them like
this allowed me to see new sides of them. How did everyone coordinate with the season? What kinds of
games do they play? What hardships were there in the past? What about now? All sorts of knowledge
ran through my brain.

BALDER: …Hey, look. In the modern… in the Nordic areas of your time, they have this.

Balder poked me with a finger and held out the book he had been reading.

YUI: Um… which one?

Where he was pointing, there was written the words ‘Christmas market’.

YUI: Christmas market? This is the first time I’ve heard of it.

2 Dictionary entry: IGLOO (common definition) A house made of snow and ice. It is shaped like a Japanese
kamakura (snow hut) but it is made by forming rectangular blocks of ice and snow and layering them on top of
each other. The inside of the hut is covered in twigs and blankets to keep out the cold.
BALDER: Oh, you don’t know? That’s unusual. Rain could probably just fall out of the sky right now… ah
right, it already snowed.

BALDER: According to this book, they hang decorations on fir trees and have hot chocolate… and it looks
like they sell things relating to Christmas.

YUI: …Ah, it looks like it includes anything related to winter, not just Christmas things.

I took a closer look at the book. In it was a picture of a winter nighttime market, where shops lit with
warmly colored lights were lined up in rows, and the streets were filled with people. There were all
kinds of Christmas decorations in the stalls, and the shoppers were looking at them with great interest. I
guessed they would buy things here and decorate a tree at home with them. Everyone looked excited,
and I felt happy just looking at it.

BALDER: How about this? Wouldn’t this be great if we could pull it off?

YUI: This is amazing!

BALDER: Hehe, what a cute smile. You seem very interested.

YUI: I felt so happy just imagining something similar to this picture.

BALDER: I feel much happier seeing your smile.

Balder watched my face with a warm expression.

YUI: Since we have the chance, let’s suggest a Christmas market tomorrow.

YUI: I think everyone else will like it too.

BALDER: Let’s do that. We’re done with our homework. Could I have some of your time after this?

Balder and I walked out to the courtyard in the evening and discussed our suggestions for tomorrow.

BACKGROUND: CLASSROOM

The next day, when I told the other two about my idea…

TSUKITO: A Christmas market? I have not heard of this before, but from looking at the photograph, it
certainly appears flashier than a cultural festival.

APOLLON: Kalos!3 Wonderful…! This market is the bestest!!

YUI: Kalos? Bestest?

Some strange words were being mixed into Apollon’s words.

APOLLON: This looks really super fun, yeah?! Let’s do it! We need to do it!

BALDER: Thank you for the praise. …What about your ideas?

TSUKITO: My suggestion was Christmas. We could prepare a large tree to put in the courtyard.

3 T/N: Greek for ‘good’.

APOLLON: Setsubun was my suggestion, setsubun! 4

TSUKITO: Setsubun…? Is that alright for a winter festival?

APOLLON: The neverending storm of soybeans… The fierce battle between demons and humans, with
fortune on the line…! There’s no doubt it would be exciting!

It seemed to me like he was leaning more toward a sports festival-type thing…

APOLLON: …But I think Christmas is better. It’s three against one, and the market seems really exciting.

YUI: So, with Christmas as a basic idea, let’s work out the details for our cultural festival.

The stalls of the Christmas market that Balder and I suggested, and the gigantic tree in the courtyard
that Tsukito suggested. We decided to make these the main attractions of our winter festival.

We enlisted the help of some volunteers and delegated the work for the Christmas market. The student
council were the ones to arrange the setting up of the stalls. We called in people from each class. Also,
in order to fully enjoy the decorations and lights on the tree, we decided to hold the event at night. We
smoothly worked out all the important parts of our plans.

After spending so much time planning events together, it really felt like everyone had grown a lot. When
we were finally able to take a small rest after settling the details, Apollon suddenly stood up.

APOLLON: This is good by itself, but I think we need something explosive. I read in a book that art is an
explosion!

I felt like I’ve heard that somewhere before, but…

BALDER: An explosion… an explosion, hm? Should we put some gunpowder in the tree? Or how about
setting it on fire in the end?

YUI: What?! T-That’s a little too dangerous.

YUI: Besides, I think the ‘explosion’ Apollon-san is talking about has a different meaning.

BALDER: Really? Is that so? In Yule, we have a custom of burning a piece of firewood called a yule log.

TSUKITO: Let us consider explosive content with a high level of safety. Whatever shape it will take,
keeping this in mind will make our plans more plausible.

We decided to reserve some things for our event’s centerpiece for now, and Tsukito and Apollon were
put in charge of the shops. Balder and I were in charge of the decorations for the tree. We had one
month to prepare.

APOLLON: Looks like we’ll be busy…! We have to balance both student council work and managing our
own stand!

TSUKITO: Will we be splitting into two groups for our stand as well?

4 T/N: Setsubun is a Japanese holiday celebrating the coming of spring. Traditionally, people throw roasted
soybeans out of their window to keep demons from coming in their homes. Clearly, it’s not something done in
winter…
YUI: We have a lot of opportunities to spend time with each other, so how about working with other
people this time?

BALDER: What…?!

YUI: For instance, how about splitting up into groups from the same world?

YUI: Excluding myself, the groups are always together at the dorms, so I think preparations should go
smoothly too.

TSUKITO: …I see. I will work with Totsuka Takeru, and you too, right?

YUI: That’s how it is.

BALDER: …

YUI: Balder-san, is something wrong?

BALDER: …Ah, nothing. I was just wondering if this is really okay, but if you say so, let’s do it.

BALDER: I feel sad parting with you, but this arrangement might be good too.

BALDER: From today, we’ll be partners in the student council, but rivals for the event.

APOLLON: The Greek team obviously has the best entertainers!

BALDER: If that’s the case, we won’t hold back either. I’ll make you regret choosing a different team.

Sparks crackled between us.

YUI: Looks like this will be interesting. Let’s give it our all for this fight.

YUI: Now, let’s hurry and start working toward opening in one month!

With my shout, Apollon and Tsukito went to the store, and Balder and I headed for the courtyard.

And so our winter festival began with a good omen.

BACKGROUND: COURTYARD

Balder and I looked up at the big tree in the courtyard.

YUI: Looking at this again, it seems pretty big.

BALDER: …

YUI: What’s wrong? Is there something you’re worried about?

He’d been silent for a while, as if thinking about something.

BALDER: …I was wondering why you suggested we work far, far away from each other.

YUI: Um… We could all learn more from working with all kinds of people…

BALDER: I heard that earlier, and I understand. What I’m asking is different…
BALDER: I wanted to be with you. It might be the very last event we have at this school…

When I saw his sad face, my heart squeezed painfully. I had no idea I would make him this sad from
failing to address his feelings.

YUI: I’m sorry.

YUI: …But, we can do student council work together, and if you like, I can also help out with the Norse
team’s stand.

I wanted him to return to the same old Balder I knew. So I suggested doing whatever I could to help.

BALDER: …I’m sorry too. I said something selfish and troubled you.

BALDER: But, I want to make memories with you. It’s hard to hold back these feelings.

BALDER: Each day may seem the same as the last, but there’s no such thing.

BALDER: And even if it seems nothing’s changed, there is nothing that stays the same forever.

Those words were a lot like the ones in his summer report.

BALDER: Do you remember when we first met?

BALDER: I fell over and you were so shocked. Your eyes were as big as dinner plates.

YUI: That’s right. But you suddenly fell over nothing, of course I was surprised.

BALDER: There was the field trip, then the sports festival. Then that fun summer vacation…

BALDER: No matter how small, every moment is an important memory for me. I have engraved
everything into my heart.

YUI: Every little moment?

I felt a slight sense of unease at his assertion.

BALDER: For example, the number of pieces of meat you ate at Loki’s barbecue.

BALDER: All the times and places we’ve held hands. Your reactions, expressions… I remember
everything.

YUI: …

I was dumbfounded, completely speechless. I’d just thought he had a good memory, but this was a little
different. Things I didn’t even remember myself, Balder recalled in great detail. Of course it wasn’t a bad
thing, but my heart wavered a little.

BALDER: By the way, could I say we’re going out?

YUI: Huh?!

Those were some surprising words. I accidentally let out a noise close to a shriek.

BALDER: That promise. I intended that to be a confession. If you’ve forgotten, I’ll say it again.
BALDER: You are my first and last love. I will offer up my love to you until I draw my last breath.

BALDER: These feelings grow stronger every day. It’s eating away at my heart.

BALDER: So please, accept me… I’ll do anything.

At those words, I…

CHOICE

>Suggest something he can’t do

>I don’t believe it
>Show it with your actions

CHOOSE: Suggest something he can’t do

YUI: Don’t say you’ll do anything. What if I asked you to die for me? What would you do?

I gave him a warning by suggesting something I figured he couldn’t do.

BALDER: That might be good too. If I die for love, I’m satisfied. Where there’s a beginning, there is also
an end.

BALDER: It’s just, because I’m immortal, it would be difficult to do it right away, but if you wish…

YUI: I don’t wish for that. Don’t just say things like that. …It makes me sad.

I had no idea he would accept it with so little resistance.

BALDER: You felt sad for me. That truth alone makes me happy.

His voice was very kind as he slowly stroked my hair.

CHOOSE: I don’t believe it

YUI: Even if you say that, I don’t believe it. I don’t think I match with you, Balder-san.

YUI: There’s definitely someone out there who’s more suitable for you.

I didn’t have confidence in myself, so I couldn’t truly believe his words.

BALDER: Don’t put yourself down like that. You’re my savior, my goddess. Don’t say those sad things.

CHOOSE: Show it with your actions

YUI: It’s easy to say it, but can you show it with your actions?

I let my mouth run off, but I regretted it when I saw Balder’s expression.

BALDER: I’ll show it you anytime. Now, let us share a kiss of love.

He lifted up my chin and slowly brought his lips closer.

YUI: I-I’m sorry! That’s not what I…

BALDER: What a shame… it was such a good chance. If you ever feel like it, let me know.
My face grew warm at his gentle smile.

(choices converge here)

YUI: Um… I don’t really know, I don’t have any experience with dating.

YUI: I’m thankful for your feelings, and it’s true that I want to spend time with you.

Some of that was from the pinky promise, but it was true that I was more aware of him now. But the
more I got to know him, the more I was worried about our different social positions, and our parting at
graduation. If I grew to love him, would I be able to bear that parting myself? I might just be being
cowardly because I’m stepping into an unfamiliar territory.

BALDER: I got it… I’ll make you feel the same.

BALDER: Nothing will happen if you’re just sad about parting. I want to live in the present.

BALDER: Besides, we don’t know when our lives will end, right? There’s no proof we will even graduate.

YUI: But, Zeus-san said we were all okay to graduate already.

BALDER: …That would be nice. I really hope that’s the case.

His face clouded. It was an expression close to despair.

Zeus did say I should pay attention to Balder. Does he have a secret I don’t know?

BALDER: Alright, if we don’t get back to work, the others will get mad at us. This tree will make a
wonderful Christmas tree.

Balder opened the book he had brought with him and compared the tree in front of him with a tree in
one of the pictures.

BALDER: Let’s put an extra-large star on the very top… then wind lights all the way down… It’ll be a tree
of light that brightens up the whole courtyard.

YUI: Ah, that’s good! It should really sparkle if the god of light is decorating it.

YUI: It would be really pretty if the lights shone through the decorations.

We discussed our ideas and solidified which direction we were taking with the tree. We thought up
materials we would need, and even drew a simple design. While we were engrossed in our work, time
passed by in a flash…

BALDER: The sun sets early in the winter… Shall we get going? It’s dangerous when dark, and we won’t
be able to do much work.

YUI: Yes. I can’t believe it’s so dark already.

APOLLON: Wait, wait!! Don’t go yet, wait a bit!

YUI: Apollon-san?

TSUKITO: I was dragged here as well…

As he said this, Tsukito shook off Apollon’s hand.

YUI: What’s wrong?

APOLLON: I found our artistic explosion! Look at this page!!

Apollon thrust a picture from a thick book in our faces. A bunch of lanterns lit up with candles were in
the river… no, they were floating in the sky.

TSUKITO: Instead of putting them in water, we fly them… that is the main idea.

YUI: Lanterns can fly in the sky too? That’s the first time I’ve seen it.

BALDER: Oh, how pretty…! It’s like angels dancing in the sky. What is it called?

APOLLON: I think it was khomkhom5 or something? If everyone sets them off at once, the sky will light
up like midday!

YUI: How does it fly in the sky?

APOLLON: …Who knows? I don’t really know how, but isn’t it great? Isn’t that enough?

APOLLON: Oh, let’s do it like this. We’ll put all our thanks into these flames and send them to Santa.
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas! Like that.

YUI: Huh? To Santa Claus?

I was pretty sure that on Christmas, Santa Claus was the one giving us presents. Somehow, several
different things got mixed together. It was a fresh idea, very much like Apollon…

CHOICE

>I think it’ll be hard to put together

>It’s the opposite in the human world
>It’s a great idea

CHOOSE: I think it’ll be hard to put together

YUI: It’s a wonderful idea, but I think it’ll be hard to put together.

APOLLON: We’ll compensate for that with guts! If we give up before we start, we can’t even do the
things we can!

When I looked at the other gods, I saw Balder’s eyes sparkling, and Tsukito was showing no small
amount of interest.

YUI: You’re right… Please forget what I just said.

YUI: Everyone looks excited, so let’s do our best!

5 Dictionary entry: KHOMKHOM (in the world of Kamigami no Asobi) Short for khom loi. They are also known as
tenkou in Japanese. It is a small hot air balloon, made of an upside-down paper lantern stretched over a bamboo
frame. Apollon couldn’t remember what they were called, so now they have a really cute name.T/N: Khom loi is
the Thai word for these lanterns. They are also known as kongming, and they are a popular attraction but banned
in many countries due to fire hazard.
CHOOSE: It’s the opposite in the human world

YUI: In the human world, Santa Claus is the one who gives us presents, so it’s the opposite.

YUI: Santa might be surprised.

APOLLON: Wouldn’t a surprise be good too? I actually think it would be more like us. And besides, it
looks fun, right? Right?

YUI: Well… yes.

I actually did want to see the lanterns dancing in the night sky.

TSUKITO: Would it not be nice to thank Santa Claus once in a while? This is the only work he does.

YUI: That’s true.

There was no need to stick to the regular stuff.

CHOOSE: It’s a great idea

YUI: I think it’s a great idea. It looks really romantic. I feel excited just looking at the picture.

APOLLON: Of course, Fairy-san, I got it!! Okay okay let’s settle on this. Let’s do this.

TSUKITO: It seems to be worth doing. Let us work toward making this our main attraction.

Everyone agreed and nodded over and over.

BALDER: It truly is a magical sight. It’s perfect for expressing love.

Balder turned to me and winked.

(choices converge here)

We settled on the explosive elements to spice up our festival, and our preparations picked up speed.

BACKGROUND: STUDENT COUNCIL ROOM

Student council activities grew even busier as the opening day approached. The grandness of the
courtyard increased in proportion to our work. Preparations were moving along steadily, while opening
day grew closer and closer.

BACKGROUND: SKY

Then… We finally welcomed the day before the cultural festival.

BACKGROUND: COURTYARD

YUI: Just a little to the right! Yes, a little more!

The big tree stood in the center of the courtyard, adorned with gaudy decorations. Balder was standing
on a ladder near the very top, attempting to place the star on top, our last decoration. We were
adjusting it to decide exactly where to put it. This was fairly difficult and took a lot of time.
YUI: Ah, stop!! Right there! It’s perfect!!

BALDER: Thanks for the help! I’ll just fix the star here… there! Alright, our preparations are all complete!

Filled with joy, Balder threw his hands up in the air.

…Uh, threw his hands up?

YUI: B-Balder-san! You can celebrate once you get down!!

BALDER: I’m fine! …Wahh?!

YUI: Look out!!

He lost his balance, and his body leaned dangerously. But at the very last second, he grabbed a tree
branch, avoiding the worst case scenario.

BALDER: Phew… Oh, that was a shock. I almost split my head open.

YUI: Oh, please stop that already… Please come down carefully this time.

Balder listened to me and slowly descended from the ladder.

BALDER: I’m back. With a narrow escape from death.

YUI: Welcome back. Good work today.

YUI: Thanks to you, we’ve finished all our work for tomorrow.

YUI: All that’s left is to wait for tomorrow night… the opening.

BALDER: Get excited, enjoy ourselves… Let’s make it a wonderful winter just for us.

YUI: Yes…!

As I imagined this place filled with noise tomorrow, I went back to the dorms with Balder. The sky was
filled with sparkling stars. I looked up at them, praying for tomorrow’s success.

BACKGROUND: SKY

It was the day of the winter festival… We had free time until opening, so the students were spending
time in their own ways by taking breaks, setting up their stalls, and other things. I did a final check of
everything in the student council room… Before the sun completely set, Balder and I inspected the
decorations. Then…

APOLLON: We will now begin the first cultural festival!! First we will light up the symbol of our festival!
Baru-Baru! Fairy-san! It’s all yours!

We stood at the base of the tree and both placed our hands on a switch.

BALDER: Here we go! Ready, set…!

BACKGROUND: COURTYARD
The main power kicked in, and the area was bathed in light. The darkness was chased far away, and the
grounds were filled with light as bright as if it was afternoon. A roar of applause arose from the student
body. We also looked up at the tree, entranced by its brilliance.

APOLLON: Okay everyone, the curtains have raised on our festival! Everyone please go to your booths
and get to business! For those with nothing to do, go ahead and start shopping!

With Apollon’s words, the students all began to move at once.

BALDER: I don’t want to part for a single moment. Let’s make some time to shop around later. That’s a
promise…

He seemed very reluctant to let go of my hand.

YUI: Okay. Let’s take it easy then. I’m looking forward to it too.

TAKERU: Hey, what are you chattering for? Stop dragging your feet, weed!!

YUI: I’m sorry. I’ll see you later…

I worked myself out of Balder’s grasp and ran over to where Takeru and Tsukito were waiting.

TSUKITO: Let us go to our booth. We need to fulfill our sales quota.

YUI: I-I’ll do my best…!

The three of us in the Japan group headed for the booth we made together. Normally there was no
currency in the Garden, but we had special coins prepared for this festival so the gods could learn the
concept of shopping. They could only enjoy the culture festival for as much as their money allowed
them. In the midst of this simple monetary flow, we sold Japanese style goods from our booth.

TAKERU: Haa, so warm… A stove is nice on cold nights.

To complete the Japanese style atmosphere, we even prepared an oil stove.

TSUKITO: Totsuka Takeru, a customer is coming. Stop being a fool and start cooking.

TAKERU: Oh, leave it to me, Bro! I’ll get that mochi going in a sec!

Takeru put a net above the stove and began to cook the mochi that had just arrived yesterday. With his
free hand, he placed a pot with azuki beans over the fire.

TAKERU: Welcome, welcome! We have awesomely good red bean soup!

TAKERU: Freshly cooked mochi loaded with azuki! There’s all kinds of other stuff, come take a look!

YUI: T-Takeru-san is really serious about customer service…

He raised his voice, actively calling people over to our stall.

YUI: I can’t lose to that.

I lined up our Japanese sweets at the front of the booth, then took a deep breath.
YUI: Daifuku! Sweet mochi cakes! Chestnut manju! We’ve gathered all kinds of Japanese sweets!
Everyone, please take the chance to try some!

TAKERU: The red bean soup is better!!

YUI: No! The daifuku is!!

We yelled loudly, competing for our sales. Then…

TSUKITO: …Customers approaching.

There were some people in front of our stall.

THOTH: So this is that booth I heard about.

YUI: Lord Thoth…?!

I jumped at the unexpected customer.

YUI: So you’re part of the festival too… I thought you would be cooped up in the library.

THOTH: You fool. I’m running a stall here too.

YUI: What?!

It was hard to believe at first.

YUI: Tsukito-san, did you know about this?

TSUKITO: Of course. I am aware of all the booths here.

TSUKITO: Thoth Caduceus runs a booth by himself that sells goods relating to Egypt.

YUI: By himself… Are you abandoning your stall right now?

THOTH: Obviously. I have things I need to buy. I have no ties to that inorganic object.

YUI: But what does that mean for your shop…?

Though I said that, I knew he wouldn’t listen to me, because he usually just did what he wanted.

THOTH: Now, shall I have some of that red bean soup? I have prepared more than enough money.

Thoth took a large amount of coins out of his breast pocket.

TAKERU: T-That’s a lot. Where’d you get all those coins?

THOTH: From my sales. Now, give me one soup loaded with azuki.

TAKERU: O-Okay… I’ll have that out immediately.

YUI: I’ll help!

What did Thoth like so much about red bean soup…? Regardless, I helped prepare more than ten cups of
soup and exchanged them for the coins.
TAKERU: Hey… Are you gonna eat all those by yourself?

THOTH: Obviously. Who do you think I am?

TAKERU: Who…? Well, whoever you are, I don’t care as long as you can eat it. Just take it already.

THOTH: I will be back. Make sure to prepare more before then.

TAKERU: Wha?!

YUI: What?!

THOTH: Until then.

TSUKITO: Thank you very much for your business.

Keeping us in the corner of his eye, Tsukito leisurely sent Thoth off.

TAKERU: What’s wrong with that guy’s stomach…?

YUI: It’s a mystery… And why red bean soup…?

There are other booths here. Thanks to all the customers who came to buy things, we were very busy
from the beginning.

YUI: That’s the end of our red bean soup supply! That certainly took a while.

We had to cook the mochi and boil the azuki from scratch.

TSUKITO: Good work, you two. The number of customers has lessened, so let us take breaks in shifts.

TSUKITO: You must want to enjoy the festival as well.

TAKERU: I’m fine over here. If you’re staying here, Bro, then I’ll be here too. I can’t have fun without
you.

TAKERU: So get outta here, weed. Shoo!

I was ushered out of the stall. It seems like I was intruding upon their family time together.

YUI: Okay, thank you. I’ll go ahead and look around.

I lowered my head and thanked them, then headed into the crowd.

YUI: It’s really crowded today…

As if everyone was thinking the same thing, a bunch of other students came out of their stalls after
business relaxed and started walking around.

YUI: First I’ll go to the Norse booth and go see Bal…

???: Who is iiit?

YUI: …?!

Suddenly, my eyes were covered and I heard a voice from behind.

???: Hello? If you don’t answer, then I’ll stay like this forever. Hehe, I wouldn’t mind that, though.

While eyes were still covered, I felt my body being pulled back and held up again someone else’s.
Gradually, warmth seeped into my back.

YUI: …This is… Balder-san, right?

BALDER: Yes! Correct! Is this the power of love? I was so worried you would say Agana Belea or Totsuka-
san or some other name.

A gentle smile arose to Balder’s face.

YUI: I wouldn’t get that wrong. Once I hear your voice, I know.

BALDER: Really? That makes me happy. May I sweep away this goddess right now? I can’t wait any
longer…

YUI: I actually just started my break and was on my way over here to see you.

BALDER: Then it’s decided. I’ll get lost if you’re not here. So could we hold hands?

YUI: That’s fine, it’s dark and crowded after all.

He was probably saying that out of concern for me. Balder took my hand as if embracing it gently. We’d
held hands many times before when going to the student council room… but it felt fresh and new just
because the place was different. It was just like a real date. And I was also more aware of the gazes from
other students. It was a rare thing for Balder to be casually walking around with a special someone. It
was somehow really embarrassing.

BALDER: So, where shall we go? I want to go where you want to go. My time is meant to be spent with
you.

When he said that, I thought for a little bit. If there’s a booth I’m interested in, it would be…

CHOICE

>The Greek booth

>The Norse booth
>The Egyptian booth

CHOOSE: The Greek booth

YUI: How about looking at the Greek booth? Apollon-san and the others should be there.

YUI: Apollon-san worked really hard on it, so I think it’ll be good.

BALDER: Agana Belea and the others? …Right, let’s go check up on them.

We headed for the Greek booth.

YUI: Ah, look at this! There’s a line!

In front of us was our destination, the Greek booth. There were several students in line.
YUI: It sure is popular. Shall we go closer?

Excited, I ran up to the booth.

BALDER: Good evening, Aidoneus. We came to check on you. It sure is magnificent.

HADES: Y-You…! Why are you here?

YUI: Wah, pretty. Are you selling flowers here? Whose idea was this?

Hades’s cheeks were dyed pink as he tried to hide the flowers lined up at the front of the booth.

HADES: …It’s Dionysus’s hobby.

DIONYSUS: Hey, don’t just blame it on someone else! You’re the one who wanted to do it. Besides, you
grew all these flowers at home.

YUI: Huh? You grew all these? That’s amazing! But it’s also somehow surprising.

I had no idea he would’ve grown all these colorful flowers by himself. Hades fell silent, as if he didn’t like
being the center of attention. Is he embarrassed…?

APOLLON: Wait, wait! Look at my stuff, not just Uncle Hades’s flowers!

YUI: Apollon-san, your… what is this?

APOLLON: One minute, one Santa Claus!

Behind Apollon was some realistic-looking figures of Santa Claus.

BALDER: Wow, amazing…

DIONYSUS: You moron. There’s no way this would sell.

DIONYSUS: It’s just a waste, like it’s so realistic, it’s scary. It looks like it could drive away evil if you put it
in your room.

APOLLON: Di-di, you just have no sense. Not only is this an artistic masterpiece, it’s a candle! Very
practical!

YUI: What? You made this out of wax?

DIONYSUS: When you light it, Mister Santa starts dripping everywhere. That’s even more horrific.

YUI: I-It is kind of scary.

HADES: Just give up and help me with my part. You haven’t even sold one of those candles yet.

APOLLON: There just hasn’t been anyone who understands how good they are yet! I won’t stop! I will
sell all 108 of them. Just pretend you’ve been fooled and buy one!

Apollon was getting fired up.

YUI: Um… I don’t want to be fooled…

I left before Apollon could make me buy one of his Santa candles.

CHOOSE: The Norse booth

YUI: Shall we look at the Norse booth?

BALDER: It’s kind of embarrassing… But if you want to see it, let’s go. Be careful not to let Loki push you
around.

We headed for the Norse booth.

BALDER: Can you see it? That flashy booth over there. That’s our shop.

YUI: Wah, it’s incredible.

There were countless colored lights all over the booth, and it emitted a bizarre glow.

THOR: …Low, low prices. …Step right up.

YUI: Is he trying to call people over…?

Thor stood in front of the booth, saying something that sounded like an announcement.

LOKI: You have to say it happier! All the customers are gonna run away!

THOR: …I’m not suited for this.

LOKI: Nooo, I’m saying that’s not true! It’s the experience that matters! Come on, work harder!

THOR: …Fine.

THOR: …W-Welcome! Low, low prices! …Come to this booth for all your Christmas needs!

YUI: We’re here to look around. You seem enthusiastic. How’s it going?

THOR: …We have some customers. …I feel awful.

THOR: …Balder. …Come back.

BALDER: I want to help out, but I also want to escort her around. It’s only for tonight, so hang in there.

THOR: …I regret this.

LOKI: Ahh! You’re here too? Step right up and take a look! We have all kinds of interesting things!

Where Loki was pointing were a bunch of Christmas goods. There were stockings to put presents in and
ornaments for the tree, and also cutely wrapped boxes.

LOKI: Oh right, I’ll give you a token of appreciation for coming over! Here, isn’t this one cute?

He handed me a beautifully wrapped box.

YUI: What is this?

LOKI: You’ll find out after you open it! Okay, open up!
I put my hand on the stylish ribbon. Then…

YUI: Ah?!

Suddenly the box opened up and a doll jumped out at me!

LOKI: Hehehe, success! It’s a surprise box! You and Balder are both about the same level of idiot, so
there’s worth in playing!

BALDER: Hey, Loki! I can handle it if it’s just me, but could you not be mean to her?

LOKI: It was just a teeny little joke. Don’t get so mad…

YUI: I was surprised, but I’m not hurt.

LOKI: You’re such a worrywart, Balder… You’ll run yourself thin☆

BALDER: And whose fault is that…? Well, it’s all solved now, I suppose.

After that, I gazed at Balder’s many handmade items lined up on the shelves as long as I wanted.

CHOOSE: The Egyptian booth

YUI: Shall we take a look at the booth Lord Thoth is running?

BALDER: What…? Caduceus-sensei is here too? That’s interesting.

YUI: Right? I thought so too when I found out.

We walked around, looking for the Egyptian booth.

YUI: Isn’t that Lord Thoth’s booth over there? Look, he’s in business.

At an ordinary-looking booth near the front, Thoth was standing with a bored look on his face. As usual,
he has no motivation. He actually looked kind of annoyed. However…

THOTH: Good work coming here. Bring out your money. I’ll give you this.

As soon as he saw students checking out his booth, his expression completed changed.

JAPANESE STUDENT: W-Why do you have this?!

THOTH: It’s a special doll. If you carry it, you will make a profit. If you understand, then pay. I’ll allow it
to be sold for five coins.

JAPANESE STUDENT: But there are other I things I want to…

THOTH: You wish to defy me? That is not a wise decision…

JAPANESE STUDENT: N-No, that would be unthinkable! I’ll pay! I’ll pay already!

THOTH: Your obedience is good. Come again.

JAPANESE STUDENT: P-Please excuse me!!

The student scurried away.

BALDER: …Hey, what should we do? Should we really go look?

YUI: I think we should just go…

THOTH: Good work coming here.

YUI: L-Lord Thoth?!

He found us before we could run away.

YUI: Just letting you know, we have no money right now.

THOTH: I’m appalled.

YUI: By the way, what are those dolls?

THOTH: Mummy dolls.

YUI: M-Mummy?! D-Don’t tell me there’s something inside those bandages…?

THOTH: Unfortunately, they are only made of bandages. However, mummies are the greatest creation
of Egypt, so there is worth in having one even if it is a replica.

YUI: No way, did you make these…?

THOTH: There’s no way I could make something like this. I left everything to my assistant.

YUI: Huh… you have an assistant?

This was the first time I’d heard of this.

THOTH: It is no concern of yours. …I’m going, I need to save money to buy more red bean soup.

Thoth went back to his booth to sell more of his mummy dolls. Sensing danger, we decided not to go
near the Egyptian booth anymore.

(choices converge here)

Afterwards, we slowly and aimlessly walked around the stalls. As we were enjoying the showy
atmosphere of the festival, we heard a shrill sound somewhere.

YUI: I hear something.

I strained my ears, but I couldn’t quite catch it. It seemed like the sound was coming from the tree. We
pushed through the crowd and headed for the base of the shining tree. The vague sound grew clearer,
and I realized there was music playing. The students were dancing to the song.

BALDER: When people gather, they form circles, and a dance naturally begins… It’s a form of celebration
from ancient times.

It wasn’t something the student council had planned. People who could play instruments gathered
together, and the people danced to the rhythm as much as they liked.

BALDER: Since we have the chance, let’s dance. Shall we dance, my lovely goddess?
Balder held out a hand. I thought of how to respond…

CHOICE

>I only know bon-odori6

>I don’t know how to dance
>Teach me how to dance

CHOOSE: I only know bon-odori

YUI: I only know bon-odori.

BALDER: Bon-odori is that one you do in summer, right? Japanese dance is so unique. Isn’t it difficult?
That’s amazing.

For some reason, I was met with a look of respect.

YUI: It’s not really that amazing…

YUI: I don’t think I can dance at all, but I’ll try. Let’s dance.

I placed my hand in his and bowed lightly. How much more could I learn after just bon-odori? Though I
still felt unsure, I went with him into the dance floor.

CHOOSE: I don’t know how to dance

YUI: I’m not very good at dancing.

BALDER: Don’t say that. Here, just move to the rhythm. Leave yourself to me…

Balder firmly pulled me into the dance floor.

CHOOSE: Teach me how to dance

YUI: Could you teach me how to dance?

BALDER: Of course. It’s a man’s role to lead the woman. Please, take my hand.

YUI: Okay.

BALDER: It’s an honor to be able to dance with you. Don’t be afraid, I’ll make it easy for you.

I followed Balder’s invitation and moved over to the dance floor.

(choices converge here)

BALDER: Come closer. Or do you not want to be close to me?

YUI: Of course not. I just don’t really know… like… this?

BALDER: That’s not enough. We have to be close enough to share breath and heartbeats… don’t be shy.

6 T/N: Typically a slow group dance performed in a circle during the bon festival in summer. Often based on daily
actions such as farming or fishing, the motions are simple and easy to remember. Anyone is free to join in the
dance at any time.
YUI: M-More?

His face was right in front of my eyes. I felt nervous. I mustered up my courage and took one more step
forward. My chest and stomach were touching his, and I was looking up into his face. It was a little
uncomfortable… And it was really embarrassing. I followed Balder’s instructions, though my thoughts
were in disarray from how close we were.

BALDER: Good job. That’s exactly right. The view of you from here is so adorable, I could eat you right
up. Now, let’s begin.

He supported my back with his arm, leading me into the correct posture. It became much more
comfortable to dance in this position. He was always doing such small things to care for me. It was one
of his most charming points.

We stepped gently to the music. I wasn’t really doing anything, but Balder’s lead was so good that the
dancing felt natural.

BALDER: Look, you’re good at this. You’re dancing quite nicely. You might surpass me already.

YUI: It’s thanks to you, Balder-san.

BALDER: I’m just lending you a hand. The rest is your good sense.

YUI: Oh, no… you’re exaggerating.

BALDER: I’m not just flattering you. You’re really good. You do a good job of following along. I think this
is doable.

BALDER: Could I consider this proof that you’ve accepted me? Or is that just my own misunderstanding?

I didn’t know what to say, so I shook my head.

BALDER: It kind of looks like I’m forcing you to do this. But I think it’s really fun to dance together. Shall
we try moving around some more?

I agreed, and the dance steps grew a little more complicated. I tried my best to follow along as Balder
and I continued to dance. As we spun around, the world around us fragmented, like an illusion. The
shining lights, the shadows of people dancing. The ever-changing scenery was so beautiful.

BALDER: How many times will we dance together like this? Even if this was the very last time, I would
have no regrets. This is wonderful.

YUI: Don’t say it’s the last time. We still have time before graduation. I’ll dance anytime, if you’ll have
me!

I got a little worked up over his words “the last time”. Lately, I think I’ve been trying to avoid thinking
about our inevitable parting.

BALDER: …Please, smile. I’m engraving this joy into my memory. I love your smile.

The tempo of his dance increased, and we spun in an even bigger circle.

YUI: Ahh!
The centrifugal force lifted me up, and it felt like I was flying through the air. I was a little scared, but
Balder smiled at me, as if telling me that I was doing the right thing.

YUI: Geez, Balder-san…

I smiled back at him. I never expected to be dancing under a Christmas tree with anyone. I was nervous
but also enjoying myself very much. I enjoyed my time with Balder with all my heart.

The pleasant time we spent together slowly passed by. And the night deepened…

APOLLON: Everyone, the time has come! Closing time is approaching! Which means, explosion time!

TSUKITO: Please bring the khomkhom that were handed out to you and move off the campus.

Balder and I headed to our destination.

BACKGROUND: SKY

We crossed over the meadow and passed through the dense forest. We huddled together and endured
the freezing winter wind as we moved along. And the place was arrived at was…

BACKGROUND: RIVER

A quiet place with little wind. The sky opened above us, and we could see across the beautiful nighttime
scene. This was where we would gather up all our gratitude and send it up into the sky with our
lanterns.

BALDER: Hey, how about we go further that way? The lanterns will look prettier from the side than from
directly underneath. Let’s find a secret place just for us.

This was Balder’s suggestion. I thought about what I should do in response…

CHOICE

>Accept his suggestion

>Suggest inviting other people
>Express concern that it’s against the rules

CHOOSE: Accept his suggestion

YUI: That sounds good, let’s go. Since we have the chance, let’s find the best position to watch from.

Just as Balder was always saying, there weren’t many opportunities like this. It was important to enjoy
them to the fullest.

BALDER: Hehe, thank you. I thought you would say that. We’re becoming more and more like each
other.

BALDER: Now you’re my accomplice in love. Let’s make our own secret memories together.

We quietly tiptoed away from the crowd.

CHOOSE: Suggest inviting other people

YUI: Then shall we invite the others?

BALDER: We can’t. There’s meaning in it because we’re alone together. If that’s not the case, then it’d
be the same as watching from here.

YUI: Huh…? Is that how it works?

I thought it would be nice to share happiness with more people, but it seemed like Balder had a different
opinion.

BALDER: And besides, it’d be bad if we got separated, right? And there’s the possibility that the event
itself will get chaotic. So let’s watch it alone.

YUI: Is that right…? If that’s the case…

Balder and I alone separated ourselves far from the other students.

CHOOSE: Express concern that it’s against the rules

YUI: Is that okay? I feel it might be against the rules…

BALDER: There’s no rules, right? When it comes to festivals, to each their own. Come on, let’s hurry. The
most amazing sight is waiting for us.

YUI: I see…

Balder and I quietly separated from the crowd.

(choices converge here)

BALDER: How about here? …Alright, let’s light up our lanterns.

In a place pretty far from everyone else, we each lit up our lanterns. The flames from the other lanterns
were tiny, and even everyone’s excited voices sounded muffled.

APOLLON: And now for our final big event! Everyone, let’s count down!! …5! 4! 3! 2! 1!

At Apollon’s signal, all the lanterns flew up into the sky at once. We let go of ours too and looked up at
the scene.

YUI: Wah, pretty…!

It was a sight that far surpassed my imagination. We let out incredulous gasps. Countless lights floated in
the sky. They slowly drifted up and twinkled like stars. The legion of lanterns emitted warm orange light,
like the Milky Way out of season.

YUI: Balder-san, this is incredible!

I yelled excitedly. However…

BALDER: …

Balder was silent. Without even blinking, Balder stared at the lanterns, as if drinking in their light. He
must really like this illusionary sight. So I…
YUI: Let’s watch them again together. We’ll make a bunch of lanterns and fly them with everyone.

BALDER: …Again? But, I…

YUI: There’s still time before graduation.

BALDER: ……

Balder stood silent, his expression dark.

YUI: Balder-san?

YUI: Ah!

When I went closer to peer at his face, he grabbed my wrist and pushed me down to the ground. His
long, silky hair flowed onto my body.

YUI: W-What’s wrong? There’s a beautiful sight above you. You need to see it or…

My vision went dark as my words were halted by Balder’s lips.

YUI: !!

BALDER: Mn… I love you. …I want you. Haa… I can’t wait any longer.

YUI: Mnn!

An electric current ran through my body at the soft touch of his lips.

YUI: Stop!

I pushed against him with one hand and somehow managed to separate us.

YUI: What… What happened all of a sudden? This is… weird!

Tears welled up in my eyes. Shock, sadness, fear… Many different emotions mixed together. I didn’t
even really know why I was crying.

BALDER: Sudden? This isn’t sudden at all. I’ve always told you I love you. Isn’t that right?

BALDER: Besides… Time isn’t limitless. It’s much, much shorter than you think… I don’t have the time to
take it slow.

He whispered as if saying this to himself.

YUI: …Balder-san.

BALDER: …Hey. What do you think of me? Do you… not like this?

Balder stared straight at me.

BALDER: We’ve spent the longest time together during both summer and winter… was it just my own
selfish wish?

BALDER: What feelings do you have right now? Answer me.

YUI: I-I…

My mind was in such confusion that I couldn’t think of an appropriate response.

BALDER: Can you give me an answer? Why aren’t you saying anything? I love you so much, and yet…

YUI: P-Please wait. Give me a…

BALDER: I can’t wait. I don’t have time.

YUI: …!

BALDER: Forget it… I don’t need words. What I want is your heart and body.

BALDER: If I take you by force, I can still have you that way.

He put more strength into the hand holding me down, and I could feel the bones in my wrist creaking
against the pressure.

YUI: Ow…

I felt a little afraid at his uncharacteristic words and actions, and I tried to push him off of me.

BALDER: No. I won’t ever let you go. Not until you love me back.

Balder held on tightly to my hands.

BALDER: What do you want me to do? I’ll give you the greatest pleasure you’ve ever had.

His hand gently caressed my body. Cheek, neck, collarbone… His fingers traced a line down my body. My
body stiffened at that sweet sensation.

YUI: S-Stop…!

???: Hey, get off her!!

Suddenly, someone cut in between us and pulled Balder off me.

YUI: Loki-san!

LOKI: You disappeared, so I was looking for you. Don’t be alone with her anymore. You’ll only hurt each
other.

Loki stood in front of me as if protecting me.

BALDER: This is unnecessary… How tactless of you to interfere in our romance.

BALDER: Besides, I have nothing to lose… Even if we hurt each other…

LOKI: Cool your head!!

LOKI: …I’ll see her off. Alright?

Loki raised his voice at Balder’s self-deprecating comment. As if he didn’t intend to yell, he immediately
acted calm again.
BALDER: Why are you butting in? Do you hate me?

LOKI: I…!

YUI: Both of you, calm down!

I raised my voice at the seemingly endless argument, and both Balder and Loki stopped. And they glared
at each other for a while.

LOKI: Let’s go. Come on.

YUI: But…

Was it alright to leave Balder like that?

LOKI: If you care about him at all, come with me. He need to clear his head right now.

YUI: …Alright.

I followed Loki away from the river. When I looked back, Balder was watching us sadly. My heart
squeezed at that expression on his face, but I looked away and continued to walk.

BACKGROUND: DORM HALLWAY

LOKI: You room was here, right?

YUI: Ah, yeah. Sorry for making you come all the way here.

LOKI: I’m the one who should apologize. I’m sorry Balder caused you trouble.

LOKI: Take care. …Okay, I’m going.

YUI: Thank you very much.

I sent Loki off with a bow. When I looked up again, he had disappeared.

YUI: Take care, huh?

Balder rose to the back of my mind.

YUI: What happened to him…?

I’d never seen that expression on him before.

YUI: What should I do?

How should I act toward him…? Still worrying about it, I went into my room.

BACKGROUND: YUI’S ROOM

MELISSA: Oh, there you are! The festival looked pretty good out there!

MELISSA: …What’s with that face? Did you fall over and hurt yourself?

YUI: No, that’s not it… It’s just something with Balder-san…
MELISSA: Something doesn’t tell me anything! If you talk to me, I’ll listen, okay?

YUI: The truth is…

I told Melissa everything that just happened.

YUI: …I just don’t know what to do now.

MELISSA: I see…

MELISSA: Just as Loki said, it looks like you should put some distance between you so you don’t get hurt.

YUI: Distance, huh?

MELISSA: In moderation, of course. That’s the deepest mystery of human relations, right?

YUI: You’re right.

MELISSA: Do your best, Kutanagi. I’ll be cheering you on.

YUI: …Okay. Thank you.

After I said my thanks, Melissa went back into his dollhouse.

…Just as he said, I should I keep my distance from Balder. I remember that expression I last saw on
Balder’s face and strengthened my resolve. I don’t want to see that face anymore. I love his normal
gentle smile. So… I stuck with this idea, believing it was the best decision I could make right now.

NEW CHAPTER: BALDER CHAPTER 3 – “Expectations Intertwined”