KAMIGAMI NO ASOBI – Apollon Chapter 3

TITLE: “Feast of the Sun God”

BACKGROUND: INFIRMARY

…It hurts.

When I opened my eyes, I was hit with a throbbing pain in my head. My body was sluggish, and I felt
dizzy and lethargic. I willed my body to move and lifted my head to look around.

YUI: …The infirmary?

I had been sleeping on a bed in the infirmary.

THOTH: So you’re awake.

YUI: Lord Thoth?

THOTH: I’ve been looking after you since you were brought in here. Now throw yourself prostrate and
give thanks to me.

YUI: B-But I’m a patient…

THOTH: It was just a simple cold. You should control your condition at least that much.

YUI: I’m sorry…

THOTH: Well, whatever. My business here is done. Return to your room immediately.

YUI: You mean… like this?

I was taken aback by his request. This god didn’t even go easy on sick people.

THOTH: Leave. Even you should feel better in your own room. Is that wrong?

His voice lowered in warning.

YUI: U-Understood.

I dragged my heavy body out of bed. Swaying back and forth on my unsteady feet, I walked over to the
door and placed my hand on it.

THOTH: Wait.

YUI: Huh…?

Just when he’d told me to go, he suddenly stopped me.

YUI: What is it?

THOTH: Take this with you. Your staggering is an eyesore.

As he spoke, he held out some cold medicine.

THOTH: Recover quickly.

My heart warmed at his unexpected kindness.

YUI: Thank you very much.

I lowered my heavy head to him before leaving the infirmary.

BACKGROUND: YUI’S ROOM

YUI: I-I’m back…

When I returned to my room, I felt exhausted from my sickness.

MELISSA: Kutanagi, you’re finally back!

When I saw Melissa happily jumping around, I felt a little better.

MELISSA: When I heard you fell over, I was worried. Here, get some pajamas on and rest.

He dragged my clothing over to me, though it was quite a bit bigger than him.

YUI: Thank… you…

Perhaps it was because I was sick, but today I felt especially grateful when people did things for me. I got
ready, took some medicine, and immediately lied down on the bed.

MELISSA: If you need something, lemme know, okay? I’ll be here.

He stroked my hair with his little hand.

YUI: Okay, I will.

I was very thankful for Melissa’s kindness toward me. I relaxed my body and rested. And then, Apollon’s
words came back to my mind.

…It’s not you…

…It’s my fault…

Words that had nothing to do with the play. The sight of Apollon’s back as he left the stage.

Why… Why did this happen? I sleepily wondered about this question.

CHOICE

>The kiss was bad

>Apollon is the reason
>I’m the reason

CHOOSE: The kiss was bad

Maybe it was because we tried to have a kiss in order to win. Who would want to kiss someone they
weren’t dating? So then, he ran from the stage. …When I thought about it, my chest hurt. Even though it
was Loki’s idea, the truth that I was avoided left a wound on my heart. However, I felt like that wasn’t
the only reason this happened… With that as an incentive… there was a deeper reason behind it.
CHOOSE: Apollon is the reason

Maybe Apollon was the source of it all. Everyone moved according to the script during the performance.
We had practiced it over and over in the classroom. The only special thing was the kiss. If we didn’t want
to do it, we could have just ignored it and gone on as practiced. But Apollon had tried so hard to kiss
me… then gave up and ran away.

At that time, something had happened inside him, and it turned into this mess. What was that reason?
Regardless, the look on his face had been so pained, so it was probably some deep reason.

CHOOSE: I’m the reason

Maybe I was the source of it all. I didn’t do anything in particular. But the person who threw Apollon into
confusion on the stage had to have been me, who played his partner. So this time was definitely my
fault.

(choices converge here)

My head overflowed with all kinds of emotions. Loneliness and sadness, unbearable feelings… Those
negative things mixed together into an indescribable emotion.

If I hadn’t done that at that time, maybe this wouldn’t have happened. Why did it get like this? I knew
that no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t undo it.

I knew that, but I thought about it anyway. I’d been unable to run away from it. My heart only fell into
deeper sorrow. Why do I have to feel this way? Is it because of the cold? Maybe it’s because my body is
in bad shape… It was my first time experiencing something like this, and it was distressing.

I suppressed my thoughts, trying to escape. I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

YUI: ……

The morning sun shined through my window on my face, and I suddenly opened my eyes. I couldn’t get
out of bed; only change the direction I was facing. I still felt sluggish. I couldn’t muster up the strength to
go to school.

MELISSA: Feeling bad today too?

YUI: Yeah…

MELISSA: It’s been a week since you got this cold. Ain’t that bad?

YUI: This kind of cold happens often… I think…

MELISSA: You gotta see that Thoth guy again. Go to the school infirmary, okay?

YUI: If I take my medicine and sleep, it should get better…

MELISSA: You’re a stubborn thing, aren’t ya? Even though it’s so loud outside.

Outside my window, I could hear the cicadas making noise. I see… while I’d been sleeping, winter had
ended, and summer had come to the Garden. It was the season we’d yearned for during the ocean trip.
If only summer had come sooner… then I could watch fireworks again with everyone. That was what I’d
been thinking.

The plants outside were lush and green, overflowing with vitality. But my mind still felt dark. I almost
wanted my school life to be over already, while I was on this bed. Even if I had a cold, these negative
thoughts were not like me at all. I didn’t even know why I felt so depressed. The only thing I could do
was hole up in my room until I got better.

…Or rather, that’s what I intended.

YUI: …?

I heard a knock on the door. There was someone outside my room.

MELISSA: Mm…? Who’s that?

HADES: It’s Hades.

YUI: Ah… Hades-san?

I lifted my head in surprise at this unexpected visitor.

HADES: I came to check up on you. Could I come in? I brought food.

YUI: I-I’ll open it right now.

I willed my heavy body out of bed, put on a jacket, and opened the door.

HADES: Are you alright?

YUI: Well, I’m… alive.

YUI: Ah, please sit wherever you like.

HADES: Excuse me, then.

When Hades came into the room, Melissa went back into his little house.

HADES: I bought some different things from the store. Eat what you like. I didn’t know what your tastes
are, so I prepared lots of things.

I guess he was worried about me.

YUI: Ah, thank you for taking the time. I don’t really have an appetite right now, so I’ll eat some later.

HADES: I see.

HADES: …

YUI: …

The conversation didn’t continue, and an awkward atmosphere settled between us.

HADES: …
YUI: …

W-What should I do…? I need to talk about something. I didn’t have much in common with Hades, so I
had a hard time finding where to begin. We’d had a few exchanges during the culture festival, but I
didn’t know him as well as I did the members of the student council.

HADES: …

He seemed to feel the same way, since he kept looking around aimlessly as if thinking about what to say.
And suddenly…

HADES: I sure hope that cold will stop cold. 1

YUI: …Huh? What do you mean?

He’d said something so extraordinary that for a moment, I had no idea what happened. I ended up just
asking him.

YUI: My cold… stop cold…? …What?

HADES: I-It’s a simple joke. I thought I would try one of those human puns.

YUI: Ah… Ohhh!

I didn’t think Hades would say something like that, so even when he explained, it took me a few seconds
to understand.

YUI: So with “cold”, and “stop cold”… I see!

Unfortunately, I didn’t think it was funny, but I was happy that he’d tried to lighten to mood.

HADES: Your bed will feel bedder when your cold goes away. 2

HADES: I heard if you take too many pills you might have a spill. 3

Hades’s puns continued. Did he think of all these for me? I was grateful, but I was also worried about
how I should react.

YUI: …Um, Hades-san. Did you come all this way just to tell me some puns?

HADES: Ah, no… not really. That was just some extra entertainment. Don’t worry about it.

Hades cheeks turned pink for a moment, as if suddenly embarrassed about his successive puns.

HADES: There’s something I need to talk about with you.

YUI: Something… with me?

1 Pun in Japanese: kaze ga kaze ni tobasareru to ii; lit. ‘I hope your cold is swept away by the wind’
2 Pun in Japanese: natsukaze de futon ga futtobanai you ni; lit. ‘I hope your futon won’t get blown away by the
summer wind (also: cold)’. This is one of the most well-known puns in Japan, so it’s consequently one of the least
funny…
3 Pun in Japanese: kusuri wo nomisugiru to, kusuri to waratteshimaurashii; lit. ‘I heard if you take too much
medicine, you’ll start giggling’
HADES: It’s about Apollon.

YUI: …!

When I heard that name, my heart skipped a beat, and a terrible pain ran through my chest. Since that
horrible scene at the culture festival, I haven’t seen him once. It wasn’t a topic I wanted to talk about.

YUI: …

I silently listened to Hades talk.

HADES: Nothing happened in particular. Since the culture festival, he’s quit student council and started
to focus on studying.

HADES: It’s painful to see.

YUI: Painful?

HADES: He’s clearly trying to force himself to live that way. It’s painful.

YUI: Apollon-san… is…

He’d been so bright and cheerful before. What happened to him?

HADES: …It seems I’d misunderstood the god Apollon.

HADES: I’d thought he was just the self-important son of an annoying father, but really…

HADES: Though he has skill, he’s a sorrowful man who can only live a clumsy life.

YUI: Apollon-san… is sorrowful and… clumsy?

It was inconceivable to me.

HADES: Remember what happened at the culture festival. You can’t deny that a guy who knew what he
was doing wouldn’t have run away like that.

When Hades pointed it out, I really couldn’t deny it.

YUI: You’re right; there should have been better ways to handle that situation.

If he was better at handling things, he wouldn’t have done something so extreme.

YUI: And Apollon-san has always single-mindedly pushed forward, saying he needed to work harder and
harder.

The other students thought of him as a model student, and he was also the student body president. That
must have put a lot of pressure on him.

HADES: It might have been inevitable. He can see the future of others, but he cannot see his own.

YUI: Wha…

YUI: He doesn’t know… his own future?

HADES: Yes. It’s part of his power of prophecy.

HADES: Since long ago, he’s been a slave to his own talent.

Hades was looking somewhere far away. He was remembering something in the past.

HADES: When he was young, he never played with other gods his age.

HADES: He would only gaze at the other gods playing… and when they asked, he would prophesize what
they should play next.

HADES: Because of his power, Apollon was usually treated like a leader, but he was always alone.

YUI: A past like that…

They didn’t need Apollon himself, but his power of prophecy. As this unique power might have been the
reason why no one understood him.

HADES: He probably couldn’t connect with people other than using his power. But even then, he
seemed happy.

I remembered the ocean trip, when he’d used his power, and everyone was impressed. I’d thought it
was a reliable power back then, but it was actually a double-edged sword.

HADES: He usually acts cheerful, but there is a shadow in that light. The stronger the light, the deeper
the darkness.

YUI: He acts cheerful in order to hide his true feelings from everyone? That’s too sad.

I finally realized I’d only been seeing one side of him. I’d been so close to him, so why hadn’t I noticed?

HADES: So now you understand why he’s a sorrowful god. And he’ll remain that way if we leave him
alone…

HADES: But, don’t you think that’s not the case? He tried hard to bring us into the classroom. That’s the
unchangeable truth.

HADES: Because he made an effort, our class was brought together, and new bonds were formed among
us.

YUI: Yes. Apollon-san worked the hardest for everyone’s sake.

YUI: When we had the ocean trip, and the culture festival, he would always say “this is for everyone”
while we were getting ready.

He worked tirelessly with all the strength he had, believing something would work out if we tried. He
stayed up all night to study when he was told graduating would be difficult, and during preparations for
the school festival, he took the initiative and stayed after school to work. That’s who Apollon is.

HADES: Our ringleader has met with misfortune. Everything he gave us…

HADES: It’s our role to return that favor. So I would like your cooperation. Could you lend me a hand?

Hades looked at me with a serious expression.

In response, I…

CHOICE

>Say I’ll cooperate

>Ask if I will be useful
>Tell him I don’t qualify

CHOOSE: Say I’ll cooperate

YUI: I’ll cooperate.

I nodded.

YUI: If you’re alright with me.

HADES: No need to be modest. Apollon trusts you the most, so I’m counting on you.

YUI: That would be nice if it was true…

I didn’t have confidence in that part of it.

CHOOSE: Ask if I will be useful

YUI: Can I really be useful?

I didn’t have much confidence.

HADES: You’re the one who spent the most time with him. You should be the greatest help to him.

Hades expressed his approval of me.

CHOOSE: Tell him I don’t qualify

YUI: I don’t qualify for that.

YUI: After that failure onstage, Apollon-san distanced himself from me.

HADES: That is Loki’s responsibility. Don’t worry about it.

HADES: You’ve built up trust with him as a fellow actor. I want you to bring Apollon back.

He gave me an intense look, and I ended up nodding.

YUI: I’ll do my best.

It was a lukewarm response.

(choices converge here)

HADES: I’m grateful for your cooperation. …Sorry for asking so much of you right now.

HADES: But, not one can take command of our class except you, our vice president. I’m counting on you,
as a human representative as well.

YUI: I understand.
When I nodded, a look of relief appeared on Hades’s face.

HADES: Thank you. He should be happy too. I thought I should at least somewhat act like an uncle to
him.

He gave me an embarrassed smile. Apollon, Hades, and Zeus… the three of them may be blood-related,
but they had complicated feelings toward each other. I didn’t know the details, but if there was
something I could do, I wanted to help.

HADES: For now, rest and get yourself back in order. Once you recover, we’ll begin our plans.

YUI: Okay…!

And thus our plans to get Apollon back slowly began to move. It was still awkward between us, but I
vowed to do my best to get rid of that. Returning our class to its normal cheerful state was important for
Apollon and everyone else.

BACKGROUND: SKY

It was two days from then that I’d finally recovered. I put my arms through the sleeves of my uniform
and went to school for the first time in a while.

BACKGROUND: CLASSROOM

YUI: Good morning.

It was the first time I’d been to the classroom since summer came.

BALDER: Yui-san! It’s been a while. I’ve been so lonely.

YUI: Sorry for being out so long.

TSUKITO: It has been a while. Good morning. It is good to see you are well.

YUI: Good morning, Tsukito-san.

He greeted me politely, so I gave him a polite answer and bowed.

YUI: Hades-san. Sorry to keep you waiting.

HADES: It’s not something to apologize for. More importantly, we’ll be starting after school. The others
know, too.

YUI: Okay, I’ll see you then.

The rest of my classmates came up to me and told me how things were. While I felt ticklish from these
sensations I hadn’t had in a while, I also felt happy that I was able to come back. From today, our class
will work together to bring Apollon back to the student council.

It was then... Apollon entered the classroom with a dark expression.

APOLLON: …
He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye and wordlessly moved over to his seat. He then took out
his books and began to read. His attitude was completely different from before. I was shocked.

Where did the Apollon from before go, the Apollon who was always the brightest and friendliest? He’d
changed so much, he was like a different person.

LOKI: Ahollon, g’morning!☆

Loki energetically ran into the classroom and gave Apollon a hearty pat on the back.

APOLLON: …

He didn’t say a thing, only glanced briefly toward Loki. Before, he would’ve given a big, warm hug or
some other exaggerated form of greeting.

LOKI: Ah, I see… looks like I’m not welcome here. Gee, how boring…

He was silent with everyone, as if telling us not to talk to him. I gave up before trying. If he wanted to
put distance between himself and everyone else, then I didn’t want to hurt him unnecessarily. So I didn’t
greet him, and I stayed in my seat until class began.

The chiming of the afternoon bell reached my ears. I’d faintly heard it while I was resting in my room last
week, but hearing it at school again was refreshing. Apollon was the first to stand up from his seat.

APOLLON: …

Still silent, he picked up his bag and left without looking at anyone. He was clearly acting differently. I
could kind of understand why Hades had called this painful. It was like he couldn’t get the just the right
amount of distance between him and us, so he took it to the extreme instead.

The sound of Apollon’s footsteps completely disappeared from the hallway. When Thoth left soon after,
the remaining gods finally stood up.

HADES: Shall we begin?

YUI: The plan you mentioned?

DIONYSUS: As you can see, Apollon’s like that now. He wouldn’t be like that if he wasn’t uncomfortable.

YUI: It doesn’t seem like him at all…

I couldn’t find his usual smile, his cheerful expression, or his friendly disposition anywhere.

YUI: Um, so…

First we had to think of what we were going to do.

YUI: Once committee hours are over, please gather in the student council room.

YUI: We can work out the details there.

Once we set a time, the other gods left the classroom as usual.

BACKGROUND: STUDENT COUNCIL ROOM

Together with Tsukito and Balder, I went to the student council room before the rest of the students.
The room I’d spent every day in seemed more empty than usual. It was probably because Apollon, our
president, wasn’t there. Though we were only missing one person, he had a big presence. I felt lonely.

YUI: This is…

When I looked up at the blackboard, there were already several ideas lined up on it. Get friendly again
with a study party, forge bonds with a festival, beg on our knees… various suggestions had been written
down.

BALDER: It’s no good just waiting around, so we thought of as many ideas as we could.

YUI: There are a lot of them…

TSUKITO: No one in the class can accept his resignation from student council president, no matter what.

BALDER: That’s why we’ll bring him back with our own power. A world without sunshine is boring. Isn’t
that right?

YUI: Yes, I agree.

YUI: If Apollon isn’t feeling well, the whole class feels gloomy…

I fully realized it in class today. After losing Apollon’s big influence, I’d finally noticed. He was a necessary
presence in our class.

As for myself, my chest was filled with a terrible loneliness. What could it be? It prickled painfully inside
of me, and it wouldn’t go away.

YUI: Let’s work together and settle this.

Once I knew how the student council felt about it, I vowed this to myself. I wanted to bring a smile back
to his face soon.

Not long after, the rest of the students finished committee duties and gathered inside. As if they were
attending some important business meeting, each one of them ran over here as quickly as they could,
and they all seemed out of breath when they arrived. Did they want to fix the situation this badly?
Believing I should respond to those feelings, I walked over to the president’s chair.

LOKI: I need to let that Ahollon know I’m partly responsible for the culture festival results!

THOR: …He’s an indispensable member of our class.

Everyone else in the room agreed.

YUI: Then let’s begin.

The curtains opened on our plan to bring back our missing president… to bring back Apollon.

BACKGROUND: HALLWAY

The bell chimed, ending extracurricular hours, and the hallways returned to silence. However, we were…

TSUKITO: I borrowed this.

Tsukito grasped a key in his hand.

YUI: Thank you.

I received the key from Tsukito. It would be useful for our plans.

DIONYSUS: Did Thoth-san say anything when you got that key?

TSUKITO: He only warned me not to trouble him.

It seemed Thoth was more lenient with Tsukito, who barely caused trouble anyway.

DIONYSUS: Trouble, huh… That’s not what we’re going for, right?

TSUKITO: I cannot judge that.

HADES: Could we stop chatting and open the room already?

TSUKITO: Understood.

Tsukito unlocked the door that was tightly shut.

BACKGROUND: EMPTY CLASSROOM

The room inside was a classroom that wasn’t being used.

LOKI: Whoa! This is nice. It’s wide enough to have a party in here.

THOR: …It’s hidden well, too.

LOKI: This isn’t a place people pass by often, so we don’t have to worry about being found! Secret,
seeecret!

BALDER: Then we can greet Apollon here with our surprise party.

We’ll call Apollon over once the room is decorated and begin a thank you party for him. We’ll win him
over by telling him how much he means to us, and then we’ll change it into a welcome back party. That
was the main content of the Apollon come-back plan that we’d devised during the meeting earlier.

He looked so glum, it was like dusk had fallen on him. He wouldn’t even smile if we tried to just appeal
to him. That was why we would hit him unwittingly with surprise and joy. We planned to get him to
smile again… to confess everything he’d been hiding from us.

TSUKITO: Prepare during this week, and have the party on the weekend… That was our plan, right?

YUI: Yes, that’s right.

I nodded, taking a look around the empty classroom.

YUI: Let’s divide up the work and start preparing tomorrow.

A few days from now, this empty classroom will be filled with liveliness. I took one last look at the room
before turning to my friends.

YUI: Everyone, thank you for helping!

I lowered my head deeply to them.

BALDER: Thank you, too.

TSUKITO: …If the vice president wishes.

There were various reactions… but they were all positive. Hades gently watched over us. It wasn’t public
knowledge, but……He was probably the most worried out of all of us. Little by little, the plans we’d
discussed in the student council room began to take shape.

TSUKITO: …

YUI: …

The next morning, Tsukito and I swept the room.

TAKERU: Bro! Sorry I’m late! We’re cleaning up the room this morning, right?

YUI: Ah, Takeru-san.

I’d never seen him with such a huge grin on his face. I sensed that the sight of Takeru running up,
breathlessly excited, was a very rare sight.

TAKERU: …Y-You damn weed!

As if he hadn’t imagined I’d be here, he backed away from me in surprise.

TAKERU: W-Why are you here too? I thought cleaning up was our job.

YUI: I just thought I would help.

It seemed like I shouldn’t have come.

TAKERU: …Did you hear that just now?

YUI: What just now?

I couldn’t think of anything in particular. What was he talking about?

TSUKITO: Perhaps it is the nickname “Bro”. He hates to have other people hear it.

TAKERU: D-Don’t tell her that, Bro!!

Though his face was completely red, he couldn’t speak harshly to his beloved brother.

YUI: It’s fine, Takeru-san! I’ll pretend I didn’t hear it!

I didn’t really count, but I felt like he’d already said “Bro” in public many times… Maybe because it was
something he specifically used only for Tsukito, he didn’t think other people could hear it.

TAKERU: Shut up, weed! That’s not the problem here…

Though he was sulking, he didn’t drop the combative attitude.

TSUKITO: We should stop chatting and continue to work. There is not much time until class begins.
YUI: You’re not going to apologize to Takeru-san…? He seems pretty concerned about this.

TSUKITO: Our assigned duty is more important. Totsuka Takeru, dust cloth please.

In contrast to Takeru’s vigor, Tsukito remained cool.

TAKERU: Well if Bro says so, I guess I should!

YUI: Is this really okay?!

Just when I thought he’d suddenly felt depressed, Takeru instantly got back his motivation at Tsukito’s
one request. While witnessing the incredible exchanges between the Totsuka brothers, I finished up the
cleaning with them.

BALDER: Sorry for the wait. I didn’t know what we needed, so I bought all kinds of things at the store.

After school, it was the Norse gods’ turn to work.

BALDER: I have some marble that we can sculpt and decorate the classroom with. I also got some thread
to weave into a tapestry, but do we need anything else?

YUI: What…?! Y-You’re starting from there?!

And how did he get all this stuff into classroom in the first place? That was probably a dumb question,
considering the people here.

LOKI: Okay, ooookay! No problem at all! This stone is the greatest! Great job, Balder! Thanks!☆

YUI: Um, wouldn’t more common decorations be better?

Like origami flowers, simple cloth banners… there were a lot of things that didn’t take so much time to
make.

THOR: …Common? …Do humans not do this?

Our sense of decoration was so different, I found it hard to go against it. Is this culture shock? This was
on a whole different scale. I felt an impenetrable wall between us, but I decided to believe in everyone
and watch. The method and form didn’t matter as much as conveying everyone’s feelings to Apollon.
The most important thing was that it got through to him.

LOKI: Are you ready, Thor-chin? My blood’s boiling for the first time in ages, my friend!

THOR: …Of course I’m ready.

LOKI: ‘Kay! Get back, get back! Back it up, yo!

YUI: Ah, get back…?

Why? Though I was still confused, I followed his directions.

LOKI: Alright then…! It’s showtime!!

Loki pulled out a strange tool, and the marble began to disappear like magic.

But…
YUI: Ahh…! B-Be careful, Loki-san!!

Pieces of marble were flying in every direction.

YUI: At this rate, the classroom will be ruined before you finish!

I tried to warn Loki as I defended myself from the flying bits of stone, but the noise of him chipping away
was so loud, my voice didn’t reach his ears. Then suddenly, single huge piece of stone went flying
toward me.

YUI: !!

The moment I thought it would hit me—

THOR: …Loki, stop it. …It’s dangerous.

Thor caught the piece of stone in one hand.

LOKI: Wha? Then what do I do? I was so close to finishing…

A statue that looked a lot like Apollon was beginning to form in the marble block. From the body shape,
pose, and approximate facial features, I could definitely see the likeness.

THOR: …I’ll take over.

Thor walked closer to the sculpture. This was the first time I’d seen him so proactive. He wasn’t the type
to say much, normally.

He took a deep breath and concentrated. Then he raised his fist…

THOR: ……Finishing touch!!

He brought his fist down on the sculpture.

THOR: …Ha! …Hah! …Ha!!

He hit, hit, and hit it again. I was so shocked that I couldn’t say a word.

THOR: It’s done.

Thor stepped away from the sculpture…

YUI: A-Are you serious?!

I knew he was a god, but this power was outrageous. There was no way he could’ve carved that with his
bare hand.

YUI: Huh?

The sculpture collapsed to the ground.

LOKI: Haa, I thought you’d do it this time. You’ll fail every time like this.

LOKI: You’re not that skilled yet, so don’t just go ahead and do stuff!
THOR: …Sorry.

How mystifying… He’d been so serious that I ended up believing it was done.

BALDER: H-Help me. I got caught in the thread…

When I looked behind me, I saw that Balder had become a ball of thread. Why did problems keep
coming up?

LOKI: Ahahaha! You look great! That’s fine, that’s fine! Let’s just decorate with Balder, then!

He found the end of the thread, deftly looped it around the lighting fixture, and yanked on it.

BALDER: Aghh… H-Hey, don’t do that, Loki! I’ll get mad. Agh, I-I can’t breathe…

YUI: Please stop fooling around! You want to bring Apollon-san back, don’t you?

As if my loud voice surprised them, the gods stopped in their tracks. To prevent any more damage, we
decided not to elaborately decorate the room, but make a souvenir out of the remaining thread to give
to Apollon. With this, at least we lowered the chance that the whole room would be destroyed. I made
the Norse gods take everything home with them.

DIONYSUS: We got the groceries! And a magnificent amount, too.

HADES: All that’s left is the real thing. …Kusanagi, lend us a hand.

YUI: Uh, me too?

YUI: What do I do…

HADES: Your orders are to bring him here on the day. I’m counting on you.

YUI: Ah, okay. I got it. If I can do it, I will.

There were only a few days before we put our plans in motion. It was a little different from what I had
imagined, but everyone worked hard in their own way. These feelings will definitely be conveyed to
Apollon. Everyone’s anticipation grew as our plans were made into reality.

BACKGROUND: HALLWAY

YUI: C-Cooking?!

On the morning of the party, I suddenly received a shocking request.

HADES: I’ve prepared Apollon’s favorite things. However, that is not enough. I’ve heard that nothing is
greater than something handmade.

YUI: But, I’m not that good at cooking, you know? I can’t make any sweets… and besides, I’m not
prepared to do anything like that.

HADES: Is that so? I heard that humans cook ingredients before eating them. Is that not something
everyone can do?

YUI: Well, fundamentally, yes… But I, uh… don’t really have any experience.
The gods’ understanding of humans was surprisingly crude. They didn’t consider individual differences at
all.

HADES: It’s fine as long as you put your feelings into it. The ingredients have been prepared already. So,
please. For Apollon’s sake, too.

His serious gaze pierced through my heart.

YUI: I-I’ll do my best…

I couldn’t refuse.

BACKGROUND: SKY

Once morning classes were over, I received permission from Thoth to leave early. Thinking only of
bringing Apollon back, I stepped into the dining hall.

BACKGROUND: YUI’S ROOM

YUI: Good luck to me…

I rolled up my sleeves and headed to the kitchen. I was unsure whether this would go well. If I felt
nervous about it, then maybe I should choose an easy dish to make. I worried over it…

CHOICE

>Go the safe and easy route

>If there’s feeling in it, anything’s fine
>Try harder within the scope of my ability

CHOOSE: Go the safe and easy route

YUI: If I fail, I might ruin the mood…

I chose a dish that wasn’t too hard to make. So I made onigiri.

YUI: There are all kinds of onigiri, and it’s easy to eat.

It should be good for the party. With confidence, I started to make them.

CHOOSE: If there’s feeling in it, anything’s fine

YUI: The most important thing is the feelings behind it. That was what Hades-san said, too.

So I chose a dish fitting for the party, something I wouldn’t normally make. Karaage, pizza, roast beef… I
wrote down everything I could think of and immediately started to cook.

CHOOSE: Try harder within the scope of my ability

YUI: I should try harder, but stay within what I can do. I shouldn’t give up before I start.

I wrote out different dishes that might be good for the party and chose one to try. Then, I started to
cook.

(choices converge here)

BACKGROUND: CLASSROOM

YUI: Sorry for the wait…!

I brought in the food only a few minutes before the party was scheduled to begin. Inside, there were
many other dishes that Apollon liked.

HADES: Good work, Kusanagi.

YUI: You too.

YUI: All that’s left is to call Apollon here, right?

HADES: Yes. I had Tsukito prepare an invitation.

YUI: Wha, an invitation?

TSUKITO: Here it is.

“Invitation” had been written on the front with a calligraphy brush. The paper itself was folded into
thirds, and the details of the party were recorded inside.

HADES: Will you take it to him? He’s in his room.

YUI: M-Me…?!

YUI: Is that really alright…

Since the incident during the play, I felt like I’d been avoided. Could I really take on this important role?

HADES: There is no one else. You’ve been taking the lead all this time. Have confidence.

The other gods nodded vigorously, reassuring me that it was okay.

YUI: …I understand. I’ll go.

When I took the invitation in my hands, my pulse quickened, and I broke out into sweat. What should I
do if he avoids me again? If I let these nervous feelings show, Apollon wouldn’t come out for me. Telling
myself that, I left the classroom, followed by everyone’s encouraging voices.

BACKGROUND: DORM HALLWAY

Once again, I stepped inside the dorms. I went through the entrance hall and walked into the hallway.

I wonder if Apollon will like the party we planned together… Expectation and nervousness mixed inside
of me, and my heart was doing odd flips in my chest.

…It’s fine, calm down. I didn’t know if I would succeed, but the current situation wouldn’t change if I did
nothing. I had no choice but to move forward. I remembered Apollon’s word during the ocean trip. He
taught me the importance of looking forward and believing in myself.

BACKGROUND: COMMON ROOM

There was no one in the room. At least, not in this common space. The door of one room was slightly
ajar: Apollon’s room. But I didn’t know for sure if he was there or not.
Pacing around the empty room, I thought for a while. Am I the right person to call Apollon over? Maybe
that would just rub him the wrong way. Right now, what should I choose? How should I act…?
Depending on what I do, something might drastically change. Should I go in Apollon’s room or leave the
invitation here?

My choice was…

THREAD OF FATE

>Enter the room

>Leave the invitation there

CHOOSE: Enter the room

NEW CHAPTER: Apollon Love Ending – “An Unfolding Love Song”

CHOOSE: Leave the invitation there

NEW CHAPTER: Apollon Fate Ending – “The Tragedy of Oedipus”