Thank you for your help today, Toya. Especially considering I've been keeping you from reading the book you bought earlier...
Oh, please don't mind that. I'm glad I could be of service.
Hm? Wait, over there... Is that?
Hey, Tsukasa! And Toya!
Welcome home!
Well, if it isn't Saki and the gang.
Here for a visit?
Hello, Tsukasa.
Oh, and this is...?
Yes, meet Toya. He's my junior and was helping me out with some shopping today.
Toya, this is Ichika, Honami and Shiho.
They're Saki's childhood friends.
Pleased to meet you all.
My name is Toya.
Uh, yes. It's nice to meet you.
He seems much more down-to-earth compared to Tsukasa...
Sh-Shiho, let's keep that to ourselves...!
But it looks like you got a lot of stuff, Tsukasa! What exactly were you out buying?
Ah, they're all Doll Festival party goods!
Wait, all of it?! Whoa!
Thank you so much!
Hehe. Tsukasa takes such good care of Saki.
That I can't deny.
This party should be a lot of fun. Right, Saki?
Yup!
And thank you for helping Tsukasa today, Toya!
You were indeed a big help! Again, thank you! And see you at school!
Oh, it was nothing. It was fun to help out. Now, if you'll excuse me.
(Tsukasa thought long and hard about which dolls to buy. Saki also seemed very happy with all of her friends around...)
(I hope their party turns out well.)
Hehehe. Saki still seems to be asleep. Now, to put the new dolls I bought on display!
Let's take the old ones and...
The closer I look, the worse they seem...
Their hair's completely out of place...
And this is it for these dolls...
Maybe I shouldn't just...
Wait! No, I can't start getting all sentimental now. I'll swap them out for now and deal with them later.
Just have to put them up here...
And done!
Hah hah hah! I can't wait to see the look on Saki's face!
Now, what to do with the old ones? They're in tatters, so I could just toss them out but...
(I've always wondered why dad just kept these as they were... They've been kept as clean as they can be but...)
Huh?
Tsukasa, what are you doing?
Wah!! S-Saki?!
You're up already?!
I woke up and couldn't fall back asleep!
I could ask you the same thing, Tsukasa...
Wait... Are those my dolls in your hand?
Hah...
Hah hah hah hah! It seems I've been caught red-handed so... Surprise, Saki!
Take a look at the top of the stand!
For the dolls...?
Wait, that's...
Yes! New dolls!
I had Toya help me pick them out!
...
S-Saki, how are they...?! Could it be that you're so happy that you've been left speechless...?
Why...?
Why did you change out my dolls with those...?
Huh...?
Why? Wait, why?
I thought you'd be happy...
No, I'm not happy at all!
Wh-What?!
It has to be my dolls! My own dolls! The only set in the whole wide world!
Wh-What do you mean?! But they were in tatters before and...?!
Tsukasa, did you forget about what you did for me that time...?
Of course not! It's still fresh in my mind! That's why I...
No! You definitely have! If you did, you never would've done something like this...!
I get that you're a forgetter, but I never thought you'd ever forget about that...
Tsukasa... You big, dumb forgetter...!
Wh-What?! How can you..?!
Honestly, what's so great about having these old and dirty dolls? Won't everyone make fun of you for that?
No, that doesn't matter! Plus, Ichi and the others would never do anything like that!
But...!
Just forget it! We're done talking, Tsukasa! At least until you remember what actually happened back then!
I said I still remember!
All of it!
No, you haven't!
Until you actually do, I'm done talking to you!
But... Fine, be that way!
Grrr!
Hmph!
I'm going to school!
Bye!
Fine! Bye!
What's gotten into Saki...? Why is she so obsessed with her old dolls?
And what did she mean by me not remembering anything? Am I really missing something here...?
No, there's just no way!
I'll never forget the way I felt after that!
(But... Why do I suddenly feel doubt welling up inside me?)
...
I have no idea...