"What happened to me?" "Is this... um..." "I—" "I know." "A person must first experience pain to be able to pilot Nyapollon." "What?" "I will defeat all of the Nyangoro aliens." "I don't know how to respond to that kind of confession... this is goodbye." "h-hold up!" "Wait!" "kouhai-kun!" "What?" "for the sake of Earth's future!" "What's going on here?" "1)}#13 One Step Before Winter" "What was with that dream?" "What?" "Are you still dreaming?" "psychic?" "but I'm afraid not." "I thought you might still be buzzing from the Nyapollon experience." "that..." "Look at this." "Culture Festival Multiplayer Game:" "Please participate in the following survey about "Milky Way Cat Nyapollon." "Nyapollon's survey." "This is the majority of them." "Looks like everyone enjoyed the show." "Really?" "Sorata." "It was because everyone else did such a great job..." "It didn't matter who was in my position." "The end result would have been the same." "That's very modest of you." "It's a level-headed analysis." "But..." "I do feel a little more confident now." "Are you going to reapply to the "Let's Make a Game!" contest?" "Yes!" "I submitted my application right after that." "I'm waiting for the results." "Akasaka told me to look over the notes from the Nyapollon review meeting... so that I wouldn't make the same mistakes again... and I wrote a pitch based on that." "how confident are you feeling?" "Pretty confident." "that's great." "Your entry has been submitted." "Thank you." "Speaking of Ryunosuke..." "That was pretty bold of Rita-san. so I finally gave her Akasaka's number." "Maid-chan must have been mad." "Completely outraged." "It'd be nice if those two could get it together properly." "Yeah." "What are you two doing together?" "Mashiro asked me if I knew where Kanda-kun was... so I brought her." "Huh?" "What's wrong?" "Do you need something?" "I don't need anything." "What?" "right?" "No." "I don't understand... what's going on?" "Don't ask me." "I found everyone!" "Jin!" "kouhai-kun?" "My once-in-a-lifetime opportunity has presented itself!" "I don't understand what you're talking—" "Why are you pouncing me this early in the day?" "I couldn't wait until tonight." "so I'll be staying out tonight." "I made you lunch." "thanks." "Wasn't Jin-san just eating bread?" "I Love You" "Well?" "Did it win your stomach over?" "I haven't eaten any yet." "what's wrong?" "Did you see something you want to eat?" "No." "What did Shiina come up here to do?" "Who knows?" "Are you mad about something?" "Not at all." "I'll make it even more gorgeous next time!" "do you?" "Jin!" "Jin!" "What?" "Do you?" "but I'm not telling." "It's not like you to say something like that." "I'm not that nice." "aren't you?" "I don't know what you're talking about!" "Huh?" "What?" "I'm depressed." "Christmas is next month." "Really?" "Yayoi?" "I'm throwing a party for the Softball Club." "You're such a kid." "Mayu?" "Nanami?" "me?" "What about Kanda?" "What will you do about him?" "Do"?" "What do you—" "Don't you know that people suspect..." "Kanda-kun and Shiina-san are dating?" "You've got to get your act together!" "either." "But I turned him down..." "Wait!" "How do you know about that?" "!" "It's obvious just by looking at Miyahara-kun." "Isn't it?" "you've got to make your intentions clear!" "Okay..." "To:" "Jin" "Mitaka-senpai?" "Aoyama-san." "Is that a love letter?" "something like that..." "Wedding Registration" "Mitaka Jin" "Kamiigusa Misaki" "C-Congratulations on getting hitched." "Aoyama-san." "I'm not surprised Kamiigusa-senpai sent you that." "yeah..." "I've got something I've been meaning to give you." "What?" "Happy White Christmas why don't you go see this with someone?" "Tickets to a play!" "Are you sure?" "but she can't make it now." "so you can have them." "Thank you." "I almost forgot:" "The performance is on Christmas Eve." "Huh?" "You've got to use the tools at your disposal." "7:00 PM what were you going to do if I had taken off... my underwear while I was changing?" "I would have knocked." "It'd be too late by then!" "what do you want?" "Are you going to say you don't need anything again?" "I do." "Are you hungry?" "Promise you won't get angry. you must be about to say something crazy." "It's incredibly normal." "don't lead off with a weird statement like that!" "I want to make a lunch." "What?" "I want to make a lunch." "Shiina." "A lunch?" "don't grab my arm!" "Shiina." "Great potential lies within all humans." "there are some things people cannot do." "People cannot grow wings." "These are things you have to accept!" "There!" "That should do it!" "why are you putting an apron on her?" "!" "Sorata?" "Take it off." "I never dreamed you'd be so forward." "That's not what I meant!" "Shiina and cooking seriously don't mix!" "I'm ready to cook." "It looks to me like you're ready to make me cook!" "I've got to go meet Rumi-san." "you two." "What?" "Jin-san..." "Sorata..." "I... cook." "Why are you talking like that?" "are you serious?" "Don't you need to work on your manuscript?" "You must be behind schedule because of the culture festival..." "It's okay." "I'll work on my manuscript later." "You'll do it later?" "You..." "What?" "nothing..." "Sorata?" "I get it." "right?" "Please." "Sheesh..." "Your main dish will be fried mackerel." "We'll also make fried eggs and a salad." "Let's start with the eggs." "I'll start with the eggs." "You don't have to repeat what I say. break it in half with both hands." "Try it." "Break it in half." "I feel like a parent... who's just sent their kid out on an errand for the first time." "where's the knife?" "No." "Only after you've leveled up your cooking skills." "I can break eggs." "That's all you can do." "I like knives." "Just how much do you like them?" "So much that I can't sleep at night." "I hear ya." "Let's use a knife." "That's how you hold it when attacking someone!" "This way feels more natural." "Don't point it at me!" "What exactly are you planning to cook?" "!" "Do you want to be cooked?" "Forget this!" "You can't cook!" "No more knives!" "I cannot allow that." "hold it normally!" "Fold the fingers of your free hand when you use a knife." "Like a cat." "Exactly." "don't cut yourself." "What?" "The end—" "Did I win your stomach over? I'd be the guy who was won over by a cucumber farmer." "Cooking's so deep." "What could you possibly have understood... just by cutting off the end of a cucumber?" "!" "then." "Fold your fingers." "Like a cat..." "What?" "let me see that!" "Wait right here!" "Sensei!" "Shii— that should do it." "Ow!" "What was that for?" "!" "of course!" "I'm s-sorry." "What are you apologizing for?" "It's creepy." "Will you be able to finish your manuscript?" "Isn't the deadline tomorrow?" "I have the cover left to do." "You should contact your editor." "Give up on cooking." "I shouldn't cook?" "What?" "don't you want me to cook?" "You don't need to injure yourself any more than you did today." "That's not it." "What's not it?" "I..." "I don't understand." "What do you mean by that?" "Enough talk." "I'm calling Ayano." "Huh?" "Hey..." "What's her problem?" "Up until recently... it seemed like she lived solely to draw manga..." "Hello?" "Onii-chan." "Who do you want to speak to?" "I'm sorry!" "I'm so sorry!" "Yuko?" "Onii-chan?" "!" "I just had a supernatural experience! but it connected me to someone—" "And that's what you call a "supernatural experience." "I'll be going now." "do you have a minute?" "I like brown foods." "I-I see..." "Will her manuscript be all right?" "she'll finish up today." "The cut on her finger doesn't seem to be causing any problems." "I see." "I want you to give me your honest opinion." "How do you feel about Shiina-san now?" "What? or do you get the urge to hold her?" "Wh-What are you trying to get me to say?" "Putting that aside..." "You're putting it aside?" "!" "Don't you think Shiina-san has changed a little lately?" "she had the face of an artist." "A strange feeling washed over me while talking to her. but not really seeing me..." "She seemed otherworldly." "I got the same feeling the first time I met her." "It's different now?" "Now..." "I want to make a lunch." "I'll work on my manuscript later." "I don't understand." "something feels off." "There's something uncomfortable... either." "it irritates me." "That's a valuable opinion." "it seemed like the only thing she thought about... and nothing else mattered." "But then she suddenly says she wants to cook..." "It doesn't make sense." "It feels like... the current Shiina isn't the real Shiina..." "I actually think her current behavior is normal." "What?" "I mean." "But I'm conflicted." "It's important for a girl who's spent her whole life studying art... to have normal high school experiences... and learn what it means to be normal." "But if that causes her to lose her unique outlook on the world..." "I've been thinking about things an editor shouldn't worry about." "Her talents and experiences won't falter on her now." "I kinda understand what you're saying... or now... which is the Shiina-san you like?" "Huh?" "What..." "What are you talking about?" "it means you like her..." "I..." "I feel more at ease around... the old Shiina than the new one." "Kanda Sorata-sama" "Sorata?" "What are you doing?" "Cooking." "What about your manuscript?" "I finished it." "but what are you doing?" "Cooking." "You hurt yourself doing that!" "What if you hurt yourself again and it doesn't heal... within a day or two next time?" "I'll be careful." "Don't be ridiculous!" "Focus on your manga!" "I finished my manuscript..." "You used to work harder!" "You focused on raising the quality as much as you could!" "People who have been allowed to draw shouldn't slack off!" "In that case... get out from inside of me!" "What does that mean?" "I don't know!" "I don't know what this feeling is..." "What are you..." "Tell me." "Sorata." "End-of-Year Party Announcement but... the publisher's having an end-of-year party." "so could you give it to her?" "I missed the right timing..." "I need your advice about something!" "Why are you Santa in a miniskirt?" "Only a few more nights until Christmas!" "It's still more than a month away." "Don't sweat the details." "Come to my room!" "Want a lift?" "I know better." "He might already have plans for Christmas Eve." "it's hard to invite him when we're not even dating..." "Sakura Hall" "What are you doing?" "Misaki-senpai wanted my advice about something." "Aoyama." "How can I make my feelings reach Jin?" "You aren't dressed like someone who's worried. but Jin's too dense to notice!" "these passionate feelings you're trying to send him... right?" "I even put a marriage registration form in his shoe locker." "M-Marriage registration?" "!" "Yeah." "And when I took him all he said was: "It's cold." "Let's go back inside. all he said was: "I'm tired." "Let's go home." "He's completely ignoring you." "Yeah." "but he thinks it's all a joke!" "That's why I've decided to resort to my final option." "Your final option?" "I want you to leave me alone with Jin." "What?" "!" "Please help me." "She had her answer before she even asked for my advice." "I should..." "Huh?" "Uh..." "Aoyama?" "Can we go... to your room?" "Why don't you come in?" "I-I'm fine here." "okay." "What's up?" "here!" "What is it?" "I have two tickets to a play." "I was wondering if you'd go with me." "A play?" "Yeah." "It's actually on Christmas Eve..." "Sure." "What?" "I-It's on the 24th." "Are you sure you want to make plans with me?" "so why not?" "it's a promise." "Okay." "Promise!" "we can pinky swear it." "Let's do that!" "I was only kidding." "Let's do it!" "It's a promise." "a promise." "Why am I anxious on Christmas Eve?" "1)}#14 The Windows and Lights of Christmas Eve" "This'll be my first time spending Christmas with a girl!" "This is a big step up!" "I guess I should recite some sutras to calm down..."