Volume 1
Chapter 1-3
Part 3
“Hey Tomoya, do you have a copy of ‘The Amber Coloured Concerto’?” (1)
“‘The Amber Coloured Concerto’…, was it?”
I was talking with my classmate Kamisato Yoshihiko. Class was already over and we were preparing to open up our lockers and leave at around 3:30 pm.
“Aah, of the dating sims that have come out this year they said it was one of the good ones. It’s also based on an original eroge, so I thought with you being you, you would have definitely checked it out, man.”
“And so what of it?”
“Lend it to me, yo. After all, you should’ve cleared it ages ago, yeah?”
I wanted to get home quickly so that I could burn through all the anime I’d recorded the night before, however to delay me from my anime over something as negligible as this was just annoying. At any rate it seemed to him that I was the kind of person who would be able to distinguish all high quality and famous dating sims that had been ported from eroge, as well as the sort to buy everything upon release.
“Don’t know. Buy it yourself.”
“I ain’t rich like you though.”
I’m not rich, although I did buy it on the day of release at 10 in the morning.
All the stores had special goods to go along with the game, and I remember being troubled when choosing which store to quickly slap down my pre-orders at.
Speaking of the game, I cried about four times before clearing it.
“Hey, I work hard at those part-time jobs so I can get the money to buy games, anime, and the like, so could you stop mistakenly saying that I’m rich just because I’ve got the means to meet my goals?”
Speaking of money, my father is a salaryman in a small company, and even though there’s still a mortgage, there’s enough leftover money for me. We’re just your basic middle class family. However, that’s not to say I’m the same as some dating sim protagonist who has no issues with money and has parents that are away together on a business trip overseas leaving them alone in a nice big house.
“What the hell man, I thought you’d have bought it.”
“Lending and borrowing games is generally against official policy. Besides, if I had it you could at least ask to play at my house.”
“No way man, you’re one of those guys who’d do nothing but make annoying comments on every little thing.”
“That’s just the right of the inviter and the lender, wouldn’t you agree? Besides, being able to chat to someone who is playing through the same game with you is a blissful thing….”
“Last time we did that, you were blabbing out spoilers before I cleared the game.”
“That was my bad. Just forget about it.”
Yoshihiko’s words had gouged out my ignorant hypocrisy. Humans can often unknowingly hurt the feelings of others deeply. After all, spoilers are, to otakus, the lowest kind of act possible—it’s on the same level as copying and cracking.
“In any case, ask someone else for it. I honestly don’t have it.”
“Are you serious man?, The game practically destroyed Akiba, it surpassed 10,000 units in sales across the web. Even though I want it, I can’t get my hands on it.”
“That’s why I’m always telling you to pre-order your games. If pre-orders don’t come in, then the shops can’t send out the numbers for the game to the companies, and afterwards when people complain about not getting the game, you could say that they’re the ones who are paying for their own mistakes.”
“What are you, a turncoat for the company attempting public relations?”
Well, to be honest if we had had this conversation a day earlier, I might’ve ‘turned’ around on the matter…although if it came to that, then it’d be hard to imagine what sort of vitriol he’d be spewing at me.
“Well that’s basically how it is so just head home already. See you tomorrow.”
“Oh you’re also heading home now? Wanna walk with me to the station?”
“Erm, no that’s….”
“Oh that’s right, while we’re at it, you can help me look around the shops yeah? Finding rare stuff’s your speciality right?”
“Sure leave it to me!…oh.”
“All right then it’s decided. Let’s get going then, Tomoya!”
Oops, I’d thoughtlessly accepted his “I’ve been waiting for you” style invitation. Now that I thought about it, shouldn’t I be trying to keep this guy away from my locker?
“Uh hey Yoshihiko, on second thought I….”
Because, currently inside of my locker was….
“Why are you being so slow man? Ah well, since it’s you Tomoya, I guess it can’t be helped,”
“Aaaaah….!”
“Here’s your bag bro. You’re not going to try to leave carrying all those textbooks and stuff are you?”
“Erm yeah! Well then, let’s get going!”
“…What the hell man, what’s with that overblown reaction?”
“Come on come on!”
I quickly closed the locker, which had nothing inside it except for the bag. Pushing Yoshihiko’s back, I started to run through the corridors…. Then remembering the school regulations I began to walk instead.
I had put in my locker this morning a package weighing 1/8th of a kilogram, the first press edition of the “The Amber Coloured Concerto”. Upon noting its disappearance, I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Ah that’s right. Yoshihiko…?”
“What is it?”
“You should stop speaking like that luckless, annoying girl. You sound like you want to get beaten up.”(2)
“I don’t want to hear that from you after you kicked me.”
Given how annoyed I was, that kick was kind of inevitable.
Toyogasaki Private Academy. Situated in a place neither of scenic beauty nor in what you would call a bustling city centre. It was a school that did not combine junior high and senior high, nor was it a school that had affiliations with universities. The student council at this school doesn’t really exercise much command; the discipline committee members here don’t carry weapons; and there was no sort of political tension or clash at all between the student council president and the headmaster. The school was far from Tokyo—although it was situated in a metropolitan area. It was a fairly new high school that had not even reached its tenth year of operation. This was our school: an ordinary stage setting which would not lend itself well to dating sims or bishoujo anime.
“Oh by the way Yoshihiko, you’re really limiting yourself by only buying things from the big name retailers.”
“What are you talking about?! They’ve got a good selection and also great discounts, don’t they?”
I’m actually completely unconcerned about where you shop, but there’s no need to go that far in having to explain yourself.
“In a situation where you’re just after regular goods, any old shop will probably be good enough. But our current focus is on finding one of those hot topic items that’s already been sold out once before from the marketplace, right?”
“And so, what of it man?”
“Well it’d be an instant sell out if they restock an item for those ‘wanderers’ even it were only for a day. A tactic aimed at a amateurs such as yourself would have you playing right into the hands of the big retailers.”
“You’re treating me like an amateur just because I buy all my games atYodo○shi ….”(3)
No one mentioned the name of the shop. That’s why amateurs are…
“Well you shouldn’t be setting your sights on the retailers, Yoshihiko. It’s why gaming specialist shops are too simple for this purpose.”
“Well then, what should I do man?”
“What you should be looking for are stores that clearly sell items aside from their main products. Such stores are usually opportunistic sellers of games as well.”
“And what is a main product?”
“Well, products such as Adult DVDs would be a good example. So say, in those six storey-tall buildings that sell almost nothing but adult goods, there’d be a corner on one of the floors where you’d find all ages games neatly stacked….”
“Aah, so you mean La○ta○”(4)
There’s really no need to say the shop name when we all know what it is….
As we were getting pointlessly fired up over our discussion in the corridor, a sweet-sounding voice greeted us from the side.
“Ah, bye bye, you pair of ota-kuns.”
“Ah, see you tomorrow.”
“Oi hang on a sec, what did she just call me!?”
“Ahaha, see you later!”
Upon hearing that name calling, I calmly noted the friendly manner of not only her voice but her attitude towards us as well. Girl #1, despite Yoshihiko’s heavy response, flashed us a smile, and departed in a hurry, unwilling to be caught up with us any longer.
“Geez, it was because I got put into the same second-year class as you that I’m now treated like some creepy otaku.”
“I think that being greeted like that is actually a blessing. After all, it’s only normal for us otaku to be ignored or targeted for persecution right?
“What era is that talk from bro?”
“Seven years ago perhaps?”
“Why I am being stigmatised so much, man. I’m not even a hardcore-level otaku who can’t be helped or rehabilitated like you are in the first place.”
“Whether you’re a hardcore otaku or light otaku, from a non-otaku’s perspective, you’ll look like a first-class otaku anyway. However if you look at it from the perspective of a hardcore otaku, light otakus are nothing but targets of contempt. No need to worry though Yoshihiko, even if you lead a bountyless, dry and meaningless life, I’ll never abandon you.”
“… How did I get dragged along this road by you and how did I end up being your friend?”
After hearing my passionate declaration of friendship, Yoshihiko not only appeared completely unmoved, but inclined his head to the side in skepticism. That’s why amateurs are…well actually, being an amateur has nothing to do with it.
“Anyway, light otaku such as yourself are generally quite late to the scene. It’s already been two years since the launch dates of some of the original eroge works. But even now at the Comiket booths there are always huge lines for dakimakura pillows, so even if you get on the first train you usually can’t buy anything at all, and on top of that, when they start processing some of the official mail orders, they run out in just 5 minutes. That’s just the miracle of popular titles isn’t it?”(5)
“Hey Tomoya, we’re still minors yeah?”
“Don’t worry. I decided that I won’t set foot into any 18+ content. The current information is suitable for all ages.”
That’s right, I haven’t gone past any of the 18+ curtains on the top or bottom floors of those shops. Naturally that’s why I haven’t even touched the genre of eroge, including the original work of “The Amber Coloured Concerto”.
“You like saying meaningless things as usual.”
“None of my words are meaningless. I’m going to be grateful for the day I turn 18. Until then, I’m going to follow the rules precisely, so that I don’t cause trouble for myself and others.
“Tomoya’s ethics are the ethics of the software ethics….” (6)
“Don’t call me by that second name; I’ll kick you if you do.”
“Ah stop, not the back, not the back!”
And so, as we deepened our very thin friendship in the shoe rack area, a voice came from the side again—this time a sweltering, noisy voice that pierced our ears.
“Oh, Team Tomoya, heading off now?”
“Aaah yeah, had fun with training?”
“Don’t make me repeat what I said again 5 minutes ago. Why do you keep pairing us up?!”
“Well you two always look as though you’re having fun…. See you lot later!”
“You guys go give it your all for your club. See yas!”
Here was Boy #2, a classmate who was in the Rugby Club. The huge jersey he wore was smeared with dirt, despite it only serving to liven his style and emphasise his physique. As he finished his grunted, incomprehensible series of one-line exchanges with Yoshihiko, the trudging of the spikes on his shoes echoed as he left the schoolyard.
“Damn it, they call me an otaku like you, but why do I also get treated as though I’m your sidekick?”
“It’s as unexpected as you say, isn’t it? It’s because you’re not a hardcore otaku like me, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Well, Tomoya, I never did agree on people being separated by their stages of otakudom.”
“Well Yoshihiko, when it comes to other merits such as our grades and our athleticism we’re all quite average in those wouldn’t you agree? If that’s the case then it’ll end up only being the differences between our looks and our degree of otakudom. So don’t worry Yoshihiko…..”
“Then could you stop showing off your otaku tendencies? Also, our faces are on similar levels as well.”
And my passionate declaration of friendship…was this time around quickly blocked.
“Anyway the consumer version of the game this time round was announced as being more than just some mere beta version port without the ero-scenes. In the original version people were almost on the verge of rioting when they found out the little sister had no route, her promotion to being one of the regular heroines is a tale of legend. It was an incredibly strong character lineup…. There was nothing negative about it at all.”
“The way you’re putting it seems like a huge Defeat Flag….By the way Tomoya, you have a thing for little sisters?
“What are you saying? Whether it be older or younger sister, senior or junior, active, silent, mysterious, violent, I’ve decided each one of them is equally the best.”
“O, oh….”
“However there’s only one type which doesn’t interest me—the heroine who can’t be captured. Because no how matter how long you’ve been interested in her, those feelings will definitely never be reciprocated. It’s just simply too bitter, isn’t it?”
“After listening to what you’ve just said, I think I’m the one who should be bitter….”
“Yes, this time round, I’ll finally…!”
The big reason for why I deeply love dating sims, especially the ones that were ported from eroge titles, is because of the additional elements they put in. This I can say is no exaggeration. You could say that having users pay multiple times is greedy and such, but attractive non-heroines you couldn’t get the first time are now attainable, and if you think about it logically you’d see that there’s really no one losing out here. However, forcibly inserting scenarios for new heroines can break the consistency of the story. Also, leaving out the original creators in the process can lead to mix-ups. I think it would be wrong for this to happen….
“Aah, reminiscing about the time I was playing through Rikka-tan’s scenarios is, by itself, enough to bring a smile to my face.”
“Looking at your face by itself is enough to sicken me.”
And so, we amused ourselves by the school gates with deep and profound theories about dating sims, until a soft voice reached us….
“Ah, there you are, there you are Aki-kun!”
“That’s why I’m telling you to knock it off and stop calling us a set!”
“Uh, um….”
“No Yoshihiko, this time you’re being completed ignored here.”
This time without attaching “Ota-pair” or “Team Tomoya” or the like, Girl #2, also from our class, had called me out. Whilst being slightly confused by Yoshihiko’s sudden outburst, she headed straight towards me.
“Hasumi-sensei is looking for you, Aki-kun. She said she wants you to come to the staff room right now.”
As I expected, she only spoke to me because she was sent by the homeroom teacher.
“Kano-chan did? Why?”
“She said she wanted you to carry some learning materials to the audio-visual room. It’s going to be used it in tomorrow’s class.”
“Geh, why me? Even though I’m not a class rep or anything?”
“Isn’t it because you regularly hold your own little convenient anime screening meets there?”
“Those screenings are not at my own convenience. I get proper permission from the teachers every time.”
I also get screening permission from the makers, too.
“You sure have made many, many, many, many, many, many trips to that staff room. Even heaven itself would give in to that.”
“Besides, what’s wrong with sharing the excitement of seeing amazing works with others?”
Even the likes of anime and games can be the impetus that leads to deep reflection on human life. There was once a young man who was drawn in by a certain eroge, and so deeply moved by it he became a truant, quit school, and had to repeat middle school all over again. Those kinds of stories do exist to a certain degree. All you bad middle school students should stop playing eroge.
“Well, wouldn’t this be a good opportunity to return the favour? It’d be troublesome if you were no longer allowed to use the room, now wouldn’t it?
“S-so, who is helping?”
“I’m just a boring male classmate who doesn’t want to interfere with the sweet and sour moment between the dating sim protagonist and the female teacher heroine.”
“So my partner is going to be a 3D woman in her late 20s?”
“Well then, let’s hope that big mouth of yours doesn’t get you slapped with a one-week suspension along with a ban from that room. Later.”
“O, oi, Yoshihiko….”
Where did our twisted friendship from earlier go off to? That Yoshihiko guy quickly abandoned me and my hardships and walked right out of the school gates. Afterwards, all that was left standing here with despair was me and….
“Um, excuse me…”
Time which has passed is forever lost. That being said, that girl from earlier were still standing here.
“Feel free to head off. I won’t be asking you to help out or anything like that”
“Ah, well I wasn’t planning on helping out even if you asked.”
“Ah, is that so?”
Such heartlessness is what you’d expect from a classmate you’ve only known for half a month.
“Alright, see you tomorrow.”
Ah well. Anyway, I get on quite well with the home room teacher, Hasumi Kanoko. Round up her age a bit and she’d be 30, but despite that, amongst the teachers in my school I could say she’d easily make the good-looking category, and she’s also one to never get mad over giving her a friendly nickname like Kano-chan. She’s just that easy to talk to, easy to understand kind of teacher. Well, it’s because I’m that friendly with her that she always pushes a bunch of odd jobs onto me.
“Ah, by the way Aki-kun.”
“Hm?”
I had proceeded to turn back towards the school building, and begun walking dejectedly.
…Well, a flag development event with Kano-chan was basically at a level that’s too high for me in many ways, although outside of that level it’s not as though there wouldn’t be any development….
“Thanks for earlier.”
“Huh, for what?”
…For example…ah yeah, if I went to the staff room where Kano-chan was, maybe there would be a girl in a different uniform standing there….
“You know, during Spring Break, didn’t you pick up my beret? The white one.”
“Ah, did I…? Sorry I don’t remember at all.”
…And Kano-chan would say something like “Ah Aki-kun, you’ve come at the right time. You see, starting tomorrow this girl will be transferring into our class. I’ve got my hands full at the moment; so could you please guide this girl around school?”, and she’d suddenly leave me bewildered and alone with the transfer student, who would then give me a most pleasant smile….
“A…ah yeah that’s right. The person in that event from a month ago. Well then bye-bye. Also, be careful of not just the cars but the bicycles too.”
In that moment when we said our farewells for the day, both of us gazing into each other’s eyes…it had began to come back to me, my recollection of the events from one month ago. My eyes opened up in surprise as I registered that expression on her face.
“Wait whaaaaaaaat!? Wait uuuuuuuup!?”
…The heartless girls from my class, they had lost all interest in me a long time ago, in the same way she had just walked off quickly earlier before. However this girl….
And so, I turned back at once towards the school gates, sprinting at full speed.
“Hm? What is it?”
“You’re, you’re….”
“I’m…?”
“During that time, the white….”
“White?”
“The one-piece dress!”
“Aah…was it?”
“….What do you mean by was it?”
“Well, I guess it’s only normal you wouldn’t remember what you were wearing a month ago.”
“Ah true…it’s, only, normal.”
Chapter 1
…
On that spring day, I had met again with fate….
Standing upon the very top of that hill was a single person—a single girl from my class. She was a girl whose name I knew, the girl from just one month ago whom I now come face-to-face with everyday.
The setting sun illuminated the road home, while the chilly winds stirred the dust along roads into their evening dance.
“Um…you’re Kanou Megumi right?”
“It’s Katou.”
Ah, I still did not know her name.
Translation Notes and References
1. From the prologue, a continued reference of Mashiro Iro Symphony. The author must really like that visual novel.
2. This line “Quit speaking like that meddlesome girl with rotten luck. You sound like you want to get beaten up.” seems to refer to Yoshihiko’s line here “Why are you being so slow man? Ah well, since it’s you Tomoya I guess it can’t be helped”. The original Japanese of Yoshihiko’s line is 「何モタモタしてんだよ、もう、しょうがないなぁ倫也は」. Supposedly it refers to the character Natsumi Rikako from the visual novel Parfait ~Chocolat Second Brew~, which is incidentally written by the same author of this light novel.
3. Yodo○shi refers to Yodobashi, an electronics store in Japan. Whether they have fast service because they’re atrociously bad, I don’t know.
4. “Aah, so you mean La○ta○” refers to an adult shop in Akihabara Lammtarra. Now I have actually visited a shop similar to this in Akihabara, which may or may not be this one. If it is, I only ventured on the first floor anyway and yes there were games on display, although I don’t remember if they were tucked away neatly in a corner or not. Also on display were ‘other’ items, although I don’t recall them being placed in areas with 18+ curtains to shoo away minors.
5. Tomoya mentions Comiket and First Train. Comiket used to, if I recall, allow people to line up overnight (and longer) so that they could be the first ones to buy some of the highly limited goods. However due to safety issues this is now forbidden and so the first train refers to catching the first available train to get off at the station closest to the Comiket venue. I have heard from many people that things sell out incredibly fast, so Tomoya is not exaggerating at all when he mentions this.
6. A pun on his name and a reference to the Ethics Organisation of Computer Software in Japan. Find out more at sofurin.org or not.