Battle 11

[We see the mall]

Rika: *The day is finally here…!*

*Based on the masterpiece shoujo manga, the premiere of the ‘The Classroom Dyed Madden Red’ movie*

*When I told her that I wanted to see the movie, Ren-chan told me that she also wanted to see it and came with me to the opening day, but…*

“E- Eh… What an incredibly long line…”

Ren: “… Y- Ye…”

Rika: “Ah! This isn’t the time to be overwhelmed!”

“I’ll go buy the tickets, ok?!”

“Do you have your student card?”

Ren: “Ah- Right…”

Rumbling

Ren: “Here you go…”

Rika: “Ah, thank you”

“I’ll go by drinks after! What do you want?”

Ren: “I- I’ll go… buy the drinks…”

Rika: “Eh… Are you sure?”

Ren: “Ye…”

Rika: “Thank you”

Ren: “What drink do you want…?”

Rika: “Uhm… Coke!”

Ren: “Got it…”

Rika: “Ok, then we’ll meet up here after we’re done buying!”

[Screen slide, Rika is alone]

“… Aah…”

(The ticket line is even crowdier than I thought I’d be)

(…If I’d bought both the drinks and the tickets)

(There’s no way I would make it in time for the opening…)

(I’m really glad Ren helped buying them)

Cashier: “Next person please”

Rika: “Ah, Yees!”

“Two middle school student tickets”

“For the 10 am showing of ‘The Classroom Dyed Madden Red’ please”

Cashier: “Ok, may I see your student cards”

Rika: “Yes, here you… go…?”

Cashier: “Please wait a s…”

Rika: “Ah!”

Cashier: “Eh?”

Rika: “……..”

“Ah no sorry…”

Cashier: “…Then, I will take your student cards for a little, ok…?”

Rika: “Eh, yes…”

(The birthday written on Ren-chan’s student card…)

(… Is next month!)

Cashier: “Ok, I am done checking your cards, so here you go”

“The total is 2000 yen”

Rika: “Yees”

“Hmm…”

(I’m back to where we agreed to meet up but…)

(Looks like Ren-chan isn’t here yet?)

“……..”

(Ren-chan’s birthday hmm…)

(Aahh, Ren-chan why are you so reserved)

(We’re friends, you should’ve told me)

(… But, I guess that’s just like you)

(For now, I’ll keep it a secret that I know her birthday)

(Then I can surprise her with a present when the day comes!)

(Then, I just have to figure out what to give her…)

“Hmm~…………..”

(… Ah, there she is…!)

Ren: “Rika-chan… Sorry for maki…”

Rika: “Nono, I wasn’t waiting at all? I just got back here too”

Ren: “Really…?”

[Back screen]

Rika: *The protagonist in the movie ‘The Classroom Dyed Madden Red’ that I saw with Ren-chan was a high school girl who was gentle and earnest, but also clumsy and bad at talking to people*

*What caused the timid protagonist to start to change was an encounter with a boy her own age*

*After experiencing the boy’s kindness, the protagonist decided that she wanted to live life facing forward. And the boy, charmed by the earnestness of the protagonist’s actions, decided to support her by being honest in his actions*

*And then, while overcoming various challenges, the two became tied together… And together they walked… The long path… Of life…*

[Back in the mall]

Rika: “U- Ghu… Hih…”

Ren: “Ri- Rika-chan… Are you ok…?”

Rika: “Ye… Ye… Thank you Ren-chan”

“… Ye, I’m all fine!”

Ren: “Ye…”

Rika: “Haa… That was super good…!”

“The main couple was good but, I cried especially much in that scene~!”

“The one where her childhood friend helped her for her sake”

“Even though the truth was that he too loved her… And he was crying by himself”

“That part was really touching…”

Ren: “Ye… That was painful… And very sad…”

Rika: “What about you? Any special scenes that made you cry or that or you liked extra much?”

Ren: “Mh… The scene when she… Managed to overcome her painful past…”

“And finally smiled again…”

“I liked that… Very much…”

Rika: “Ye I totally get you!”

“That scene that made you think ‘She finally took the step towards happiness!’”

“It just made me cry my eyes out!”

Ren: “Ye…!”

[On a road in the park in the evening]

Rika: “Thank you so much for today Ren-chan! Let’s hang out again soon ok?”

Ren: “Ye… See you later…”

[Ren leaves]

Rika: “……..”

(Looks like Ren-chan is smiling a lot more now than before)

“… Fufu”

“Okay”

[Black screen]

*Time to give Ren-chan a present that will make her smile even more!*

Battle 12

[We see Rika’s room]

Rika: *When going out to watch a movie with Ren-chan I happened to get to know her birthday*

*Which is next month… There’s still a lot of time until then, but I want to actually have enough time to make it, so I have to figure out what the present should be fast*

“Ok then…”

“A birthday present for Ren-chan… I wonder what she’d like?”

“Candy, my favourite makeup, accessories, stuffed toys…”

“Or maybe flowers… Or a cute pouch…?”

“Uuuh…”

(None of these sound like a great fit…)

(… Ren-chan is kind so)

(I have a feeling she would be happy no matter what)

“… Eh! No that’s not right!”

“I can’t be lazy with thinking out a present for her!”

“Mmm…”

(But it doesn’t really seem like any good ideas are going to come any time soon if I just sit here…)

“… Okay”

“I’ll try to fish for an idea… In a natural looking way!”

[In the streets by Emirii’s Advice Spot]

Ren: “……..”

Rika: “……..”

(Uu…)

(Now that I’m actually here I really tense up…)

“Uumm…”

Ren: “Uhm… Rika-chan…?”

Rika: “Eh? What?”

Ren: “Um… Can we stop by the stationery shop…?”

Rika: “A- Ah… Sure! No problem! I’ll come with you!”

“………”

(… That’s true, Ren-chan buys a lot of colour pencils…)

[On a road in the park in the evening]

“Ren-chan like, is drawing a hobby of your’s?”

Ren: “Drawing…?”

Rika: “Ye”

“You collect colour pencils, right? That’s why I asked”

Ren: “...I draw, but… It’s not anything great… So...”

Rika: (Owah! My intuition hit a bingo!)

“But I’m curious! Your drawings, I really want to see them”

Ren: “The pictures in my diary…?”

Rika: “Ue!? Ah, in your diary huh~?”

(Diary pictures… So that’s what they are…)

“Forget it, then I won’t ask to look at them”

[Back at Rika’s room]

“Diary… Diary… Umm…”

“Give her a diary…?”

“Mm… No that might be a bit too heavy of a present…”

“Then… Since she likes to paint maybe a sketchbook or an art book or something…?”

“… None of those sound like a great fit either I think…”

“……..”

[Flashback to the park]

Ren: “E- A- B- But… If it’s just the pictures… Just a few...”

Rika: “Really? Waai!”

“……..”

“……..”

“…. Ren-chan?”

Ren: “Eh! Ea…! Ah…!”

“N- No…! I…! I can’t show you…!”

Rika: “That’s fine. I was the one who asked for something unreasonable”

“...Well, if you ever change your mind, show them to me then, ok?”

Ren: “...Mm, ye...”

[Flashback end]

Rika: “……….”

“I really wanted to… See Ren-chan’s drawings though…”

(Well… Showing the pictures in your diary is really embarrassing…)

(Maybe I can ask her to draw something for me when we’re hanging out?)

(… But, I guess she wouldn’t normally walk around with her colour pencils)

(So when I ask her to draw me something I can give some pencils…)

“……… Eh, oh?”

“That… That might just be a great present to give!?”

“Ye ye! That’s good that’s good!”

“I’ve decided her birthday present will be colour pencils!”

“Mmm… But, she already has tons of colour pencils doesn’t she…”

“Uuum…”

“The present’s main idea looks good but”

“If it’s just normal colour pencils there won’t be that much of an impact”

[Black screen]

*If I can’t think of a better idea then…*

*And so, while no idea was coming to mind, the only thing that passed was time*

Battle 13

[Black screen]

*I decided that I was going to give colour pencils to Ren-chan for her birthday, but it’s not like I want to just give her normal colour pencils*

*Then, before the troubled me, appeared the goddess of ideas!*

[In the streets by Emirii’s Advice Spot]

Emiri: “Heey! Look here, look! I decorated my phone case!”

Rika: “... Decorate...... Decorate...?”

“That’s it!”

[Black screen]

*I decided that Ren-chan’s present would be colour pencils and a pencil case*

*Of course, it wouldn’t just be a normal pencil set, I would engrave her name on the pencils and I would decorate the case with May bell flowers*

*But… Since that wasn’t something I could possibly make by myself, I got Yayoi Itagane’s heir, Kano-chin-sensei, to teach me, and I started working on them*

*To start things of, we went to the woodwork factory in Kano-chin’s neighbourhood to engrave Ren-chan’s name on the pencils!*

[In Kanoko’s neighbourhood]

Rika: “Thank you sooooo much!!”

“Please accept this candy as a thank you!”

Man: “No no, I said it’s all fine, it’s fine”

Kanoko: “But really thank you pops”

“Letting us borrow the factory and machines just like that...”

Man: “I don’t have any reason to reject a request”

“From you or your friend, Kanoko-chan!”

“So, let me explain how this works”

Rika: “Yes, please do!”

*With Kano-chin and the man’s help, the name engraving was a success!*

*With means the next thing to do was making and forming the case!*

*While borrowing space and machinery in the Yayoi metal sheet factory I would work every day to make the case!*

*... Or at least, that was the plan*

Rika: “Eeeh? You still haven’t’ decided...?”

Kanoko: “Ye...”

“The ideal case material... That is also good to hold...”

“I’m still not sure what to go for...!”

Rika: “But like I said normal material works fine!”

“The focus will be the May bells engraving after all...”

Kanoko: “That’s no good!”

“With different materials the engraving can end up with a completely different look ok!?”

“I won’t allow you to make something that’s half-heartedly done...!”

Rika: “Ka-... Kano-chin...”

*This was where Kano-chin’s pride in her work really exploded...*

*And so, Kano-chin and I spent our time after school and weekends looking for the right material”

[In Rika’s room]

“Hm?”

(A message from Ren-chan...!)

-------------------------

Ren-chan☆

To: Ayano Rika

Subject: Exhibition invitation

I got tickets to a picture book exhibition this Saturday

If you’d like, do you want to join?

-------------------------

“... Hwe!?”

(The first time Ren-chan’s... Invited me to something)

(... That’s right, lately we haven’t been hanging out at all...)

(... It should be fine as long as it’s just for a short while right...?)

“..............”

“... Ugh, but...”

*Her birthday just keeps coming closer*

*And the pencil case is far from done, I haven’t even started making it...”

*Also, if it keeps up like this, I’ll be going searching for materials with Kano-chin again next Saturday too...*

“........”

“Ren-chan.... I’m so so sorry!”

-------------------------

To: Ren-chan☆

Thank you so much for the invite, I’m really glad (* ‘w ‘*)

But I’m so sorry!

I’m already busy with plans on Saturday, so I can’t goo! (>_<)

-------------------------

“...........”

“... Okey, I have to get Kano-chin to hurry up”

[In Kanoko’s neighbourhood]

*As expected, on the Saturday that Ren-chan had invited me out for I went out looking for materials with Kano-chin...*

*But, at last she decided on the material!*

*But, before I could start making the case with the actual material, she had me practise on scrap material, and the results weren’t good at all...*

Kanoko: “Okey, no good, one more”

Rika: “Kuaah~...! It’s a lot harder than I thought it’d be...”

Kanoko: “That’s right, it isn’t something you can just do in a blink!”

Rika: “It really is... Maybe I was too optimistic...”

Kanoko: “You want to make Ren-chan happy right?”

“Don’t worry!”

“You’re already a lot better than when you started. Have faith in yourself and keep at it ok?”

Rika: “... Yea!”

*And so, we kept practising every day...*

“Uhaa... So tiring...”

Kanoko: “Let me see?”

“... Yea, this looks good don’t you think?”

“If you’re able to make this I think you can start with the actual material”

Rika: “Seriously!? Yay!”

Kanoko: “But before that, let’s take a break ok?”

Rika: “Yees”

Emiri: “Hallo hallo! Are you hanging in there Rika-ppe!?”

Rika: “Emirin!”

“Kano-chin’s instructions are merciless, but I’m doing my absolute best”

Kanoko: “Which instructions...”

Emiri: “Seriously!?”

“Then, I have a reward to the absolute maximum hardest working Rika-pee!”

Rika: “Ah, candy!? I’ll have some. Thank you Emirin!”

Emiri: “Yes, with this both your motiving and flab will increase!”

Rika: “I don’t need the flab!”

“A message...? Ah! From Ren-chan!”

Kanoko: “Ren-chan? What about?”

-------------------------

Ren-chan☆

To: Ayano Rika

Subject: Teddy bear exhibition

It looks like there is a teddy bear exhibition in the central ward art gallery

Why don’t we try going there next Sunday?

-------------------------

Rika: “Teddy bear...! I want to go!”

“But...”

Kanoko: “... Ye, I get that you want to hang out with her”

“But you’ve kept at it so far, so you can finish it right”

Rika: “Ye...”

Kanoko: “Then, until the end...”

“Do your best to finish the case to perfection!”

Rika: “...!”

“I will!”

“I want Ren-chan’s present to be super perfect!”

Kanoko: “If that’s the case, you’ll have to work on it this weekend too!”

Rika: “Uh... That’s right...”

Emiri: “Then... You won’t be hanging out with Ren-pasu?”

Rika: “... Uuh...”

(Ren-chan...)

“.........”

(... I feel bad for having to turn her down again...)

(This is, to not hurt her...)

-------------------------

Recipient: Ren-chan☆

I’m reeeealy sorry!

I have supplementary lessons I have to go to...

I don’t think I’ll be able to hang out much right now...! (>_<)

-------------------------

(.... It’s not like, it’s a lie...)

(And this is... All for Ren-chan’s sake...!)

[In the streets by Emirii’s Advice Spot]

*And so... On the Sunday that Ren-chan had invited me out for, days later, Ren-chan’s birthday present was finally done...!”

“Thank you for the help! Really...”

“Kano-chin, Emirin, thank you so much”

Kanoko: “It was nothing”

Emiri: “Yea! We’re true friends after all!”

“Oh. It’s Ren-pasu”

Rika: “Eh...?”

Ren: “... Ah...”

Rika: “Ah...! Ren-chan...? Uhm...!”

(No way... No way... Ren-chan...!)

“Um... This is... It’s like... It’s not...!”

Ren: “... A... It’s... It’s fine...”

Rika: “Ah...! Ren-chan!!”

*On the Sunday Ren-chan had invited me out... Ren-chan saw me together with Kano-chin and Emirin...*

Battle 14

[In Rika’s room]

Rika: *On the Sunday Ren-chan had invited me out... Ren-chan saw me together with Kano-chin and Emirin...*

*Because of that it got really hard speak to her. Not that I met her anywhere, nor did I get in contact with her*

“.............”

“Haa...”

“...........”

-------------------------

Recipient: Ren-chan☆

I’m sorry about the other day

I know the last thing you might want to hear is an excuse, but

It wasn’t like that

I wasn’t just hanging out with Kano-chin and the others

-------------------------

“...........”

(I wanted to hang out with you... But...)

[Flashback]

Kanoko: “... Ye, I get that you want to hang out with her”

“But you’ve kept at it so far, so you can finish it right”

Rika: “Ye...”

Kanoko: “Then, until the end...”

“Do your best to finish the case to perfection!”

Rika: “...!”

“I will!”

“I want Ren-chan’s present to be super perfect!”

Kanoko: “If that’s the case, you’ll have to work on it this weekend too!”

Rika: “Uh... That’s right...”

Emiri: “Then... You won’t be hanging out with Ren-pasu?”

Rika: “... Uuh...”

[Flashback end]

“.........”

[Flashback]

(... I feel bad for having to turn her down again...)

(This is, to not hurt her...)

-------------------------

Recipient: Ren-chan☆

I’m reeeealy sorry!

I have supplementary lessons I have to go to...

I don’t think I’ll be able to hang out much right now...! (>_<)

-------------------------

(.... It’s not like, it’s a lie...)

(And this is... All for Ren-chan’s sake...!)

[Flashback end]

“.........”

(The truth is, I was making your birthday present)

(Like, there’s no way I can say that...)

[Flashback]

Emiri: “Oh. It’s Ren-pasu”

Rika: “Eh...?”

Ren: “... Ah...”

Rika: “Ah...! Ren-chan...? Uhm...!”

(No way... No way... Ren-chan...!)

“Um... This is... It’s like... It’s not...!”

Ren: “... A... It’s... It’s fine...”

Rika: “Ah...! Ren-chan!!”

[Flashback end]

“.........”

(I thought I did it for Ren-chan’s sake but...)

(Did I just end up hurting her...?)

“Haa...”

*I made a present to my dear friend, because I wanted to make her happy*

*And to not hurt my dear friend, I avoided her...*

*But, by doing that I think I just ended up making my dear friend sad, and hurt her...*

*And it’s just going to stay like this, without me being able to give her her present...?*

*I really don’t want that...*

“.........”

(Doesn’t look like she’s going to answer...)

“.........”

“.........”

“NWAAAA!”

“Stop! This is just making me depressed and furiated!!”

“........”

“... I don’t think I could tell her well over a message...”

“... I guess I’ll ask Emirin and the others directly for advice tomorrow...”

[In the streets by Emirii’s Advice Spot]

Kanoko: “Nonono... With a misunderstanding like this that’s to be expected”

Akira: “Yea. I think so too”

Rika: “Ye...”

*Ren-chan has to think I turned her down, just so I could hang out with Kano-chin and Emiri...*

*I want to explain that misunderstanding but...*

*I don’t know how I should explain it in a message... And it’s not like she’s answering me...*

Akira: “If you can’t reach her by text, go find her... And talk to her directly”

Rika: “........”

[Flashback]

“... I don’t think I could tell her well over a message...”

“... I guess I’ll ask Emirin and the others directly for advice tomorrow...”

[Flashback end]

“... Ye...... Right...”

*If I can’t tell her over a message, then I should just meet her and tell her directly*

*Even though she might not want to meet me...*

*If I find her... And explain her everything, I’m sure she’ll understand*

*I want to be good friends with Ren-chan forever. For that to happen, there is something I have to do now...!*

“... Right! I’m going!”

[Flashback]

“’Audiovisual room’?”’

Ren: “Yes... People rarely come there... It’s quiet...”

“At school... It’s the place I love being the most... Yes...”

[Flashback end]

Rika: *That’s got to be where she is...!*

Battle 15

[In the classroom]

Ren: “...Uu, u... Uuuu...!”

Rika: “!? Re-... Ren-chan...!?”

Ren: “... Tha... Thank you...! Thank you... Thank you...!”

Rika: “........”

“... Ye. You’re welcome”

*We talked about what happened, and I gave her her present... Ren-chan was extremely happy*

*I was so glad...*

*I’m glad I did my best and made her gift, and I’m glad I managed to properly give her her present*

*... And after that, we became good friends again, and went back to hanging out and having as much fun together as we’d had before*

[Black screen]

*Today I had an errand in Minagi with Myako-senpai. On the way home we noticed a witch...*

[Inside the Candy barrier]

Rika: “Myako-senpai! Force it over here!”

Hinano: “You don’t have to tell me!”

“Uryaaa!”

Witch: “□□▲☆▼◎◎□!!!?”

Hinano: “Uwaa!?”

Rika: “Myako-senpai!”

“Guard! And then!”

“You bastard! Take this!!”

Witch: “◎☆☆▼※◇◇…!!!”

[Barrier disappears, we see a road in Minagi, they detransform]

Rika: “Fuu... We did it Myako-senpai!”

Hinano: “You saved me... Thank you Rika”

Rika: “Hehe ♪”

“Let’s see, are there any people with witch kisses here...?”

“... Um, looks like there’s no one?”

Hinano: “Yea, looks like it”

Rika: “That’s great, just great!”

“Oh wait wait!?”

“This might be a new record for our fastest witch elimination ever!”

Hinano: “Mh? Y- Ye, it might be...”

Rika: “If we two fight together now”

“Don’t you think we could even take out all the witches in this entire area!?”

Hinano: “... Say, Rika”

Rika: “Hm, what?”

Hinano: “... Compared to before, your fighting style has changed quite a lot “

Rika: “Eh?”

Hinano: “Before you fought a lot more recklessly”

“As if your surroundings never came into your field of vision...”

“But now, you’re looking out for yourself, and your surroundings”

“And it feels as if your fighting spirit is more focused on helping your friends”

Rika: “Aa...”

“... Agh, Myako-senpai, what are you saying!?”

“If you’d told me you’d where going to give me that much attention I could’ve done even more!”

Hinano: “What, that shouldn’t matter!”

Rika: “.........”

(Save my friends...)

[Flashback]

Rika: “Hey Ren-chan like...”

“You’ve been working even harder at helping people lately haven’t you?”

Ren: “Eh… Do you think, so…?”

Rika: “Yes I do. It’s got to be because you’re so kind...”

“It’s like if someone’s in trouble, you just can’t leave them alone”

[Flashback end]

Rika: “.........”

“... Um, Myako-senpai...”

Hinano: “Hm?”

Rika: “Before...”

“I thought I had to defeat witches to atone for making my selfish wish”

“But, after all... I couldn’t come to grasp with result of my wish”

“And, to clear up that stress, I defeated witches”

Hinano: “... Yea”

Rika: “But you know... Now it’s different”

“Now, as a magical girl, I want to help everyone by defeating witches”

“I want to help everyone, be it you, or Ren-chan or, anyone else...”

“I want to work with everyone to defeat witches... And I want to help everyone”

Hinano: “Rika...”

“... Fuu, I see”

[Black screen]

*At some point, being a magical girl and defeating witches... Stopped being the cause of my stress and the method of my relaxation*

*It’s just like Myako-senpai said, I might’ve changed*

*... Well, it’s not like I can change my reason for becoming a magical girl or the results of my wish...*

*But for the future. There’s nothing wrong with changing myself as much as I want*

[A classroom]

Rika: “Then see you tomorrow!”

Rika’s classmate: “Huh? Rika you’re leaving?”

Rika: “Ye, I have to go see a friend!”

“See you!”

*My dear friend is a little clumsy, she’s a bit bad at talking to people, and because of that others find her hard to understand*

*But, inside her, is a very kind, genuine, troubled person. Someone doing their absolute best, someone I can absolutely not neglect*

*And the kindness and earnestness of that girl, Ren-chan, has charmed me...*

*I want to help her, and then, I also want to, like she does, be able to help everyone*

[In the audiovisual room]

“.........”

“The reason I changed...”

“Is because of Ren-chan”

[We see the “My Dreams Continue After I Wake Up” memoria art]

*It’s fine*

*No matter if you’re clumsy, no matter if those around you don’t understand you, it’s fine to walk at your own slow pace*

*It’s fine, even if you’re late*