*Stretch*

I feel so much better after talking to you, MEIKO!

Now, let's go check out this new area.

Wanna come with?

I'll pass.

What?!

But I don't know where it is! What if I get lost?! Can you live with that?!

You won't get lost.

It's straight ahead this way.

That's still too vague!

Can't you come with me?! Pretty please!

*Cry*

MEIKO hates me.

She doesn't care if I get lost.

...

*Sigh*

I'm going.

Aww, come on!

You're really not coming with me?!

I just said I'm going...

Huh?

I'm leaving you behind if you don't hurry it up.

Oh...

Hey! All you said was, “I'm going.”

I thought that meant you were headed somewhere else!

I guess this means you're nicer than you let on, MEIKO.

And I guess this means you want to get left behind...

Whoa, hey! Wait for me!

C'mon, let's go together♪

Cool...!

So this is the new area...

But it's a lake... Right?

Yes, that's what it seems to be.

Hmm... It seems to go pretty far.

Do you think there's something waiting for us on the other side?!

Who knows...?

Hey, can't you at least try to play along?!

I thought you were looking for Rin...

Oh, right!

Let's see...

Hey, Rin! Miku!

Oh...

I didn't know you were here, Mizuki.

Yeah, I was so surprised when I heard the news!

This place just sprang up overnight, huh?

Also, what are you two reading...?

Oh... A children's picture book.

It came out of the lake.

What? Wait, out of the lake?

Mafuyu's feelings manifest themselves in this SEKAI. I'm sure this lake is connected somehow.

And despite being very clear, it's too deep to see the bottom. Her feelings may be hiding somewhere down there...

Mafuyu's feelings...?

Then, does this picture book also mean something?

Yes, I believe so.

I see...

By the way, what's it about?

Can I read it with you guys?

Sure.

Thanks!

Then, lemme squeeze in♪

Alright, let's have a look...

“Once upon a time, there was a little rabbit.”

“She lived a very happy life with her mommy rabbit and daddy rabbit.”

Hey, that's pretty cute...

I kinda want to animate these rabbits now.

I'd like to see that as well.

Oh, then, maybe I'll do just that!

I'll get Ena to do all of the illustrations.

Are you gonna keep reading?

Oh, right. Where were we?

“The little rabbit was a very nice girl.”

“She did her best to help others because seeing them smile made her very happy.”

“She also loved seeing her mommy and daddy smile, so she helped them as much as she could.”

“Whenever her mommy asked her to clean her room, she'd clean and clean and clean until it became spotless.”

“Whenever her daddy asked her to go buy something for him, she'd take her little basket and get whatever he needed as quickly as she could.”

“She also knew that studying lots and lots would make them proud. And so, she did.”

“As time went on, the little rabbit learned to do many different things.”

“But...”

Oh...

“She tried so hard that she started getting tired.”

Wait, this sounds like...

...

“Even so she kept trying and trying because she knew that's what would make everybody happy.”

“But then, she started to forget why she was working so hard and what she really wanted to do.”

“Still, even when she was in pain and so tired that she had very little energy to keep going, she kept doing what she could for others.”

“But trying and trying started to make her chest feel colder and colder. Until eventually, she couldn't keep going.”

Mafuyu...

Oh...

Mizuki, look at the next page...

Huh?

“That was when the dog, hedgehog and cat came to save her.”

“The dog played warm-sounding music for her.”

“The hedgehog drew pictures of the rabbit going forward even when she was lost.”

“And the cat said nice things to her.”

Nice things...?

“The dog's music helped the rabbit open her eyes once more.”

“The hedgehog's pictures helped her feel hopeful about the future.”

“And the cat's words...”

“And the cat's words helped her escape the place where she had become trapped.”

“As sad and painful as it was to leave...”

“With the help of the others, the rabbit was able to protect what mattered most to her.”

“And then, the rabbit...”

Huh? That's it...?

Yes, the last pages are blank...

Right...

Haha. That's pretty cool...

It's like an illustration of Mafuyu's current situation...

I guess it makes sense that we'd find this in Mafuyu's SEKAI.

Yes, I agree...

Which means...

This story may be based on Mafuyu's feelings.

Mafuyu's feelings, huh...?

I'm glad this rabbit's friends were there for her when she really needed them...

I doubt she could've escaped without them.

Oh...

(In this story, the dog used music, the hedgehog used art and the cat said nice things to her.)

(So, does this mean what I said really helped...?)

Thanks, MEIKO.

I'm gonna see what I can do about dealing with my own problems.

I mean, I can't let cottontail here hog all the glory.

Is that so?

Then, do your best.

I will!