Muku Sakisaka/Premonition of Blooming

Hidden Path in the Morning

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2

Muku	Umm, this is…
Izumi	It's a very big puzzle. 500 pieces?
Muku	Yes, that's right. Once you complete it, this is the picture you get.
Izumi	It's cute. There're so many cats.
Muku	The other day, I read a manga about going to the kingdom of cats, and I thought it was lovely…
	Then I found this puzzle in the shop, so I just ended up buying it.
	Ah, if you like, want to do it together Director?
Izumi	Is that alright?
Muku	Yes!
	Looks like it's going to take a long time if I do it alone, so I would be happy if you helped me.
Izumi	Then I'll take you up on that. Let's do our best together!
	This color, I think it goes here.
Taichi	What are you doing?
	Ah, a puzzle!
Banri	Hmm, 500 pieces huh. This piece… goes here.
Taichi	Awesome!! Ban-chan, you got it right in one try!
Muku	This is amazing, Banri-san!
Banri	It just happened to catch my eye.
Izumi	Ah, then isn’t the piece next to it this one?
Muku	This one fits exactly too!
Masumi	…I heard something about the piece next to Director's.
Banri	What kinda sharp ears do you have, it's scary man.
Masumi	I'll definitely be the one to find the piece next to yours…
Izumi	Masumi-kun, puzzle is not this kind of game okay?
Taichi	Alrighty, next I'm gonna be the one to fit it with a bam!
	This one-…
	Goes heree!
Izumi	…seems like it doesn't.
Banri	It doesn't.
Taichi	Uhhh this ship has sunk…
Misumi	I found a triangle! This one, is the black cat's triangular ear!
Taichi	Eeeh, Misumi-san nailed it in one try too!? What's this place, don't we have too many puzzle geniuses?
Homare	My, puzzle huh. You are playing quite a logical game.
	I too will lend a hand for this uncompleted piece of art.
Masumi	I won't hand over the piece next to Director's.
Banri	It's scary I'm telling you.
Izumi	Everyone who comes to the lounge would give us a hand huh.
Muku	Yes!
	It feels like we're all creating it together, it's fun!
	This goes here… or not. Maybe here?
Izumi	Doesn't this pattern belong here?
Tsuzuru	Eh, you two were still at it?
Kazunari	Director-chan, didn't you say that you gotta be up early tomorrow?
Tsuzuru	Muku you have school tomorrow too right. You're going to be late you know?
Muku	Uh, you're right but…
Izumi	Just a little bit more…
Tsuzuru	Geez, keep it moderate and rest okay?
Kazunari	Mukkun, I'm gonna head to our room first~. Director-chan too, g'night~!
Izumi	G'night~.
	(Next one… ah, I think it's this one)
Muku	This…
Izumi	Ah.
Muku	Ah-…
Izumi	(Before I noticed we got so close huh)
Muku	S, S-S-SORRY…!!
	M-My hand has bumped into yours!
Izumi	(…Muku-kun, his face is all red)
CHOICE 1: That surprised me [+] Izumi Haha, that surprised me. I'm sorry too. Muku N-No! I became too engrossed in the puzzle… Izumi Me too. It's so fun it makes you all enthusiastic. Muku That's right. Together with Director, it's even more fun… I don't even notice the time.
CHOICE 2: Our faces were about to bump each other [+] Izumi Our faces were about to bump each other Muku O-our faces!? S-Such a shoujo manga like thing…!! Izumi (Muku-kun's face became all red again…)
Muku	With this it's… completed!!
Izumi	It's finished!
Muku	Yay!
Izumi	Huh, it became completely late… wait, it's already this late!?
Muku	I'm sho happy it'sh completed…
	Yawns. Sleepy…
Izumi	Muku-kun, you can't sleep here!
Muku	Zzz…
Izumi	Muku-kun? Muku-kuuun! It's no good, he completely fell asleep.
	(It can't be helped, I'll get someone to help me carry him to bed.)
	Yawns…. I have to go to bed soon too…

Izumi	Hnm… hm, morning already? My watch… my watch...
	--!?!?
	Good morning!
Omi	Ah, good morning Director. You seem to be in a rush, can it be you overslep—
Muku	I'm late-!!
Tsumugi	Eh, you too Muku-kun. Both of you overslept?
Tsuzuru	That's why I told to go to bed already. It's because you stay up late doing puzzles…
Omi	Aah, so that's what happened. Here, a mixed juice.
Izumi	Thank you!
Muku	Um, I, remember completing the puzzle yesterday, but I don't remember me getting back to my room.
Izumi	Muku-kun, you fell asleep just like that, so I asked Kazunari-kun and got him to carry you.
Muku	Eeh, so that's what happened! Uwah, so embarrassing…!
	Thank you very much! I have to thank Kazu-kun later too.
Tsumugi	Are you two okay with the time? Isn't it better if you leave soon?
Izumi	Aah, I have to go!
Omi	I made sandwiches so take one with you. Be careful!
Muku	I'm sorry, thank you so much!
Izumi	Thank you, I'm off!
Tsuzuru	Good grief.
Tsumugi	Hahaha, staying up late doing puzzles is charming so it's fine right.
Izumi	Will I make it in time for the next train? Anyway I have to hurry…
Muku	Director, over here!
Izumi	Eh, Muku-kun!?
	He, pulled my hand so I ended up following him but, where are we headed to…!?
Muku	This is a short way!
Izumi	S-Short way you say, it's not a way at all though…!?
Muku	It's alright! It's right here!
Izumi	(More like, Muku-kun is fast…!)
	Huff, huff… …ah, the road in front of the station?
Muku	Great, looks like you're going to make it in time for the next train.
Izumi	Amazing, it really was a short way…! That aside Muku-kun, you're really fast. You aren't even out of breath.
Muku	…my only specialty, is running…
	Or was.
Izumi	…was?
	(Why past tense…)
Muku	--then, I'm going this way. Goodbye!
Izumi	Yeah. Be careful!
Muku	Director you too, be careful!
Izumi	I'm back.
Yuki	Welcome home.
Itaru	Welcome.
Muku	Welcome home, Director!
Izumi	Right, thank you for the morning Muku-kun. Thanks to Muku-kun I wasn’t late.
Muku	I'm happy! Me too, somehow I made it to homeroom.
Yuki	Aah, that thing about you two doing puzzles until late, then oversleeping?
Izumi	As I thought it's spreading in the dorms…
Itaru	Keep your all nighters to a minimum.
Yuki	If I were to hear that from someone else, you're the only one I absoluuutely wouldn't want to hear it from.
Itaru	Yesterday I participated in a quest, and was awake until 3am but I wasn't late.
Yuki	That's not something to brag about. You games addict.
Izumi	Hahaha… But Muku-kun, why did you know about such a path?
Muku	Ah, that's…
	Um… cat…
Izumi	Cat?
Muku	…w-when I was looking for a path that connects to the world of cats, I found it!
Yuki	….huh?
Izumi	The world of, cats…
Muku	I saw it in a manga the other day, and I thought it would be nice if it existed… and then, err…
Yuki	Stupid Muku. There's no way something like that exists.
Itaru	I feel you. I also want to live in the world of games.
Yuki	You shut up.
	Geez, Muku, you're dreaming too much.
Muku	Y-You're right. There's no way it exists, right…?
Izumi	(Uhh, Muku-kun's innocent eyes are too bright…!)
	(But, if Muku-kun believes in it so strongly, it's possible that, a world like the one in the puzzle…)
	…might…. exist.
Muku	!
	I'm, going to try and look for it a bit more!
Izumi	…..
Itaru	…..
Yuki	Take responsibility for that.
Izumi	(What should I do…)

Hoshiko