Second Story: The Rules of Friendship



Chapter 1

Visiting both of her best friends





Since Ui was always with them, I’m sure they’d remember her.









I always thought it was strange

How my room was completely empty on one half.

When I asked mom and dad, they said I had told them I didn’t want anything there.

But I have no memory of that happening.

But, now I know the reason why.

Ui… you were here.

This unnaturally empty half-room was your space.



Ui: Yay, I get to share a room with big sis!

Ui: It’s kind of strange…

Ui: From now on everyday, I can wake up with big sis and go to school together.



Just like that, when I close my eyes… I can relive those moments with Ui.

And just like that, a lot of important moments started to pop up in my head.

Like the two who were in the hospital together with Ui… Tomoka-chan and Nemu-chan

They were really smart, but also kind of strange, Ui’s best friends…

I’m sure those two will remember her. Or rather, I want them to remember her…

After all, inside that hospital, they were always together…





Iroha: (If I remember right, if I turn here and go up, I’ll reach the hospital…)

Iroha: Why is a smartphone so hard to use…

Iroha: This blue point on the map is me… but what’s… this arrow...?

Iroha: (Uuu… I wonder if there’s a medicine to cure bad sense of direction…?)

Iroha: Hey, Chibisuke, is it hard to read the map…?



(Two choices: one says “I don’t understand it either” (starts with ボクも) and the other says “The arrow shows the direction you should go in” (starts with 矢印). I picked the latter.)



Iroha: Oh, I get it!

Iroha: The arrow is the direction I should point my smartphone towards.

Iroha: Haa…

Iroha: (I can see it… the building…)





Iroha: It’s this hospital…

Iroha: …

Iroha: (Until recently, Ui was in this hospital with them, too…)

Iroha: (It’d be great if Tomoka-chan and Nemu-chan had gotten better…)

Iroha: (Please, please let them remember…)

Iroha: Alright!

Iroha: Tomoka-chan, Nemu-cha…

Iroha: …Eh?

Iroha: (They’re not here…? I’m sure it was this corner room…)

Iroha: (I wonder if they were moved to another room…?)

Iroha: (I’m pretty sure Tomoka-chan had her own room…)

Iroha: (Depending on her condition, Nemu-chan might’ve been moved too…)

Nurse: Uhm, excuse me?

Iroha: Huh?! Ah, y-yes?

Nurse: If you are here to deliver a present, please check in at the reception first.

Iroha: Uhm, ah…

Nurse: Do you have an entry card?

Iroha: Ah… I don’t…

Iroha: Ah…

Iroha: (They wouldn’t tell me their hospital room number since I’m not family…)

Iroha: Hitting a roadblock so early…

Iroha: (Tomoka-chan and Nemu-chan, they’re not my imagination, right…?)



Nemu-chan is a girl who loves writing.

I’m sure the stories she published online are going to turn into books someday…





Tomoka-chan is a girl who loves to discuss about the universe with others.

She’s really, really smart…





It was a bit mysterious how well they got along with Ui, considering they were children overflowing with talent.





And just like normal children, they got into fights all the time.





Tomoka: Hey, Nemu!! You're so mean!

Tomoka: Did you really have to throw a revolution now!?

Nemu: It’s only natural to add in something unexpected in a story sometimes. Even if you’re a millionaire.

Tomoka: But the way I played it was perfect-!

Tomoka: The cards everyone had, and the cards in play…

Tomoka: You knew all of them?

Tomoka: No no no, just when I was riding the flow of victoryyyy!

Nemu: It’s fun to see people who’re defeated scramble for excuses, Tomoka.

Tomoka: Whaaaat!?

Tomoka: That’s enough! I won’t be your friend anymore, stupid Nemu!

Nemu: That’s only natural, after all. I don’t want to be your friend anymore either.

Tomoka: Huh?!

Nemu: Hmm?!

Ui: Stop it already, both of you! How many times are you going to end your friendship until you’re satisfied?!

Iroha: (Those memories are so vivid… they have to be real…)

Iroha: (Ui also ended up getting dragged into their crazy fights every time…)

Iroha: Seriously… Even though they always said they were breaking off…

???: Breaking off… you say…?

Iroha: Eh…?! Who is it?



Player Choice:

右だよ！ (Right!)

左だよ！ (Left!)



Chibisuke: Puii!

Iroha: Oh, it’s you…

Yachiyo: Just now, you said breaking off…





Iroha: It’s… Yachiyo-san, right…?

Yachiyo: I’m surprised you remember my name.

Iroha: Of course I do, after being targeted like that…

Yachiyo: Well, I suppose…

Yachiyo: Is it really that big of a deal? I had no intention of harming you.

Yachiyo: I just thought I’d give you some advice.

Iroha: Advice…?

Yachiyo: Yes…

Yachiyo: You must not speak of ‘ending friendship’ within this town.

Iroha: Eh?

Yachiyo: Especially not after you’ve gotten in a fight with someone.

Yachiyo: Or else you’ll be caught by the rumor of the rules of friendship…

Iroha: Caught by… the rumor…?

Yachiyo: Have you not heard this story?



Haven’t you heard? Has no one heard?

The rumor of the rules of friendship





Does it make you regret it if you don’t know?

Does it make you scared if you don’t know?





If you say you’re ending your friendship,

That’s the signal to begin the rules of friendship!





If you’re a liar caught apologising, that’s biiiiig trouble!





A scary monster will catch you,

And you’ll have to spend eternity cleaning up stairs!





If you get in a fight, one of you will disappear

It’s a popular rumor among the children of Kamihama





Scaa~aaa~ry!





Yachiyo: Well, yes, it goes something like this.

Iroha: So… that just now was the rules of friendship?

Yachiyo: That’s right.

Yachiyo: It’s all over if you speak of ending friendships.

Yachiyo: No matter what happens, you must never apologize.

Yachiyo: If you apologize for ruining a friendship, the monster will catch you.

Iroha: W-well, even if you tell me such a crazy story, I…

Yachiyo: Please, believe it.

Yachiyo: It’s a highly credible rumor from “The Rumor File of Kamihama City”.

Iroha: The… Rumor File…?

Yachiyo: Of Kamihama City!

Yachiyo: I’ve summarized all of the rumors that are overflowing within Kamihama.

Iroha: Eeh…

Yachiyo: Recently, in this town, a lot of rumors have become real.

Yachiyo: Depending on the rumor, people have even gone missing…

Iroha: That’s…

Yachiyo: It’s the truth.

Yachiyo: It’s an irregularity of the same kind as that Kyuubey.

Iroha: Eh!?

Iroha: Yachiyo-san, are you going to be targeting Chibisuke again…?

Yachiyo: That depends on you.

Yachiyo: If nothing bad has happened then I don’t particularly find it necessary.

Iroha: Nothing bad has happened…

Iroha: Even if it had, I got to remember my little sister…

Yachiyo: Little sister… you forgot someone that close to you?

Iroha: Uhm, yes…

Iroha: Well, my mother and father don’t remember her either…

Iroha: And everything she owned is gone.

Iroha: To say the truth, I have no proof that my memory is real.

Yachiyo: Then it’s possible it’s a fake memory that was planted?

Yachiyo: Besides, for the world to be changed just for that little sister…

Iroha: Changed…?

Yachiyo: Well, maybe that’s an exaggeration.

Iroha: I don’t know if it’s an exaggeration or not…

Iroha: No matter what I say, I can’t deny that right now.

Iroha: But still, I think I did have a little sister.

Iroha: Since I am filled with warmth when I think of her…

Iroha: So, I will choose to believe these new memories.

Iroha: I want to find my sister…

Iroha: So, some strange things have happened but none of it was bad!

Yachiyo: I see… if that’s so, then I have nothing to say.

Yachiyo: And besides, it’s not like I don’t understand…

Yachiyo: …those feelings of yours…

Iroha: Eh? My feelings…?

Yachiyo: Never mind.

Yachiyo: I will be leaving now.

Yachiyo: Be careful of those rumors. I’ve given you the advice I could.





Iroha: (In the end, I didn’t find out anything about Tomoka-chan or Nemu-chan…)

Iroha: (And what should I think of Yachiyo-san’s story...)

Iroha: Rumors becoming reality… Chibisuke, what do you think?



Player choice:

本当じゃないな！？ (It’s not true!?)

嘘かもしれないね... (It might be a lie…)



Iroha: Hmm… I don’t really know what to say…

???: (Loud yelling)

Iroha: Fwahh!?

Iroha: W-wow, that’s a loud voice…

???: (More loud yelling)

Iroha: I can hear it coming from the park.

Iroha: (A fight…?)

Iroha: Wait… is that… Momoko-san…!?

Iroha: And that other girl… she’s the one I helped inside that barrier…

Momoko: Anyways, you should calm down. What on earth are you fighting about anyway.

???: It’s none of your business.

???: That’s right, Momoko-chan, you should stay out of it!

Momoko: Hey hey, I’m the leader here though?

???: Zip it! I’m ending my friendship with Kaede!

???: Aaaah, she said it!

???: If you say that, then I’m ending my friendship with you too, Rena-chan!

Momoko: Idiots! Don’t say that stuff so lightly!

Momoko: And anyway, how many times have you done this already?

???: …

Momoko: C’mon, say something? There’s gotta be a reason, right?

???: —!!!

???: Don’t stick your nose in other people’s businesss, you, you overprotective meddling jerk!

Momoko: H-hey, Rena! Don’t yell that at me and then run away!

Momoko: !? That’s…!

Iroha: Aah…

Iroha: (They said it… that they were ending their friendship…)

Momoko: Iroha-chan, catch that girl!!

Iroha: Eh? Uh, what!?

Rena: OUT OF MY WAAAY!!

Iroha: Aaah!



Iroha: Eh!? What!

Iroha: S-stop right there!

Rena: You…!

Rena: I dunno if you’re Momoko’s friend or whatever...

Rena: But I won’t forgive this!





Iroha: Ah…!

Rena: Hmph, I fought better than that when I was a kid!

Iroha: (She’s gonna beat me…)

Rena: Take this too!

Iroha: Fuu!

Iroha: Eeeh!? It’s… me!?

Rena: This is the gap between us!

Iroha: Kyaa!

Rena: Hmph, don’t get involved when you don’t know anything!

Rena: Idiot!

Iroha: Ow ow ow…

Momoko: Crap… she ran away…

???: …



Momoko: Here you go, it’s my treat.

Iroha: Oh, that’s…

Momoko: It’s an apology for getting you involved in that fight.

???: Also, I couldn’t properly thank you before for helping me…

Iroha: Oh, um… there’s really no need…

Momoko: Oh, huh, the two of you have met before?

Iroha: Yes, but we weren’t properly introduced.

Kaede: Oh, yeah, that’s right… I’m Kaede Akino.

Iroha: I’m Iroha Tamaki. Nice to meet you, Kaede-chan.

Kaede: Yes!

Iroha: So, what was that fight all about?

Kaede: Oh… that’s…

Momoko: Is it too much again?

Momoko: She’s been like this since we got back from the park…

Momoko: Isn’t it an everyday thing for you guys to fight?

Momoko: Anyway, I won’t force you to talk.

Iroha: It’s that common…!?

Momoko: They fight every time we go out for sweets.

Kaede: Stop it, Momoko-chan, that’s embarrassing.

Momoko: Sorry, sorry, usually it’s caused by Rena.

Momoko: Well, it’s the same thing this time. I’m sure tomorrow she’ll apologize to you.

Momoko: When she cools down, she always reflects upon what she did.

Iroha: …

Yachiyo: Yes… You must not speak of ‘ending friendship’ within this town.

Yachiyo: Especially not after you’ve gotten in a fight with someone.

Yachiyo: Or else you’ll be caught by the rumor of the rules of friendship…

Iroha: Kaede-chan… will you be fine, since you talked about ‘ending friendship’…?

Kaede: Hm? ‘Fine’?

Iroha: I heard of a rumor called the rules of friendship that could be dangerous…

Momoko: Eh!?

Momoko: Iroha-chan, who did you hear that from?

Iroha: Oh, uh, it was from Yachiyo-san…

Momoko: Ahaha, I thought as much.

Momoko: You shouldn’t accept that sort of dumb story.

Momoko: Since that girl’s a total rumor freak…

Momoko: Even if they’re completely over the top, she’ll believe every single rumor…

Iroha: Is… that so…?

Momoko: That’s right. So don’t give it too much thought.

Momoko: I mean, rumors becoming reality is a totally preposterous story.





