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Please let August be better than July I'm begging

✽ Due to 10+ classes raising their ranks last month, ALL characters have access to the courtyard via the door in the locker area and the windows facing the courtyard.
✽ Characters with 1-10 tallies are not able to get any further past the end of the courtyard before they fall unconscious; characters with 10-20 can get halfway to the pool building before the same happens to them; characters with 20+ tallies can reach the pool building but unfortunately, the door is on the other side. There are no windows on the walls, but from the clocktower, characters can see that it has a glass ceiling, though they are unable to see inside.
✽ Outside, there is no breeze, and it occasionally rains ash.
✽ Characters going up to the 4th floor will feel that the door is warm to the touch, and will occasionally open (see: missions)
✽ The student store opens, with the door propped open with a doorstopper. The npc running the store ~~is currently not interested in conversation, but may be available for threading in the future~~ and is available for threading in the toplevel below. Please see the updated bonus activity page for more information.
✽ Posted on the bulletin board and also handed to each club president before break is the notice that proof of club activity is due at the end of break. Please submit these proofs in the toplevel below.
✽ There is another ad on the bulletin board advertising an exchange student program for the month of October. Applications will be taken until the end of August, and there is a 300 merit point fee. Sister cities include Death City, Devildom, Ishigami Village, Lanling, LazyTown, and Maiami City.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

By giving you cash?

( is that the answer, because he genuinely thinks that's what the other is going to say. talking about giving cash, as he looks at his locker, and its contents as well... if the locker has to be humid to keep it like that...

...

he's decided he doesn't want this locker anymore. he'll look right at npc-kun as he waits for their reply, but also... sell him a new locker. )

Yeah.

[ Play the part of a wealthy customer...

There's a glance inside the locker again when Komaeda looks into it, and then back at him when he looks at them, holding his gaze. ]

Is that a yes?

( is money supposed to rain down... stop looking...

he'll turn around, fixing things properly... there's not much to komaeda in here, he hardly uses this... )

How about I rent something instead? There isn't much I want aside from hope.

( friendship, to be loved, understood, to be worth something... yeah, he can forgo those things for hope, and for npc-kun's hope too, that's more than enough. )

And you're going to work hard in regards to that, right? ( a soft pat on their head like he believes they're capable. )

[ They stand still when Komaeda pats their head, and doesn't speak until he moves his hand away. ]

Renting is okay, I guess.

[ It's not as satisfying as a final sale, but they get money AND the item back to resell at a later date, there really is no downside considering they'll charge the same as the sales price and it's per day instead of just the once. ]

What did you want to rent? Some rocks?

( rent him that little hole under npc-kun's counter, that way all the hope items can go there? )

You have a lot of those, and I wouldn't want to rent them all. I just want somewhere to put my things, and that way we can successfully take care of the log.

( that's better than cutting it in half, or regifting it... or whatever komaeda wanted to do with it. you know, so neither of them get in trouble because... npc-kun your brother... is like insane... why is he like that. )

Besides, you have to take care of your half too.

[ It's the paint fumes from being an art club member, or something ]

The log? What's wrong with your locker? Or— [ someplace dark and humid... ] under a sink?

( is this really what we're blaming it on... )

Nope! Everything, you'll help me won't you...? Especially if I pay for it...

( i hope there's nothing in his hands because he's going to open his arms to pull npc-kun into his embrace, and he'll press his cheek against their cheek annoyingly. )

What do you say?

[ yes... ]

Huh? Um.

[ npc-kun returns the hug almost reflexively, arms wrapped around Komaeda's torso and leaning into the hug, even though it's hard to speak with your cheek pressed up against somebody else's. ]

Okay, as long as you pay for it. I can rent you a spot in my shop: 500,000 yen a day, and you also have to buy everything on that shelf to make room for the log.

( ...need him back on the soccer team... )

Hmmmm...

( softly done, and he continues to hold on, not put off by the embrace, but thinking of how this works out in his favor. keeping his locker would be... free, but as he thinks about it, engagement is good for npc-kun considering they don't have many friends. he's silent first, as if he's thinking about it — )

210,000 yen a day, I'll make my own shelf, and... ( he's thinking, what would sound beneficial to npc-kun? money, money, and more money... ) I'll tell you my favorite things about you.

( say deal! )

[ was he more or less insane after he was crippled

npc-kun frowns against Komaeda's shoulder, because that's less rent per day AND they're losing out on shelf sales, and words? words are cheap. ]

There's not much else besides my devotion to Hope.

[ They're ??? the best, but that doesn't necessarily equate to being liked. They're awesome at everything, there's just too many things to list— but they don't need their confidence stroked, all they want is to further their goal. ]

I'd really much rather have the money.

( ok tbh, the general consensus is that he's still scary while crippled, so he looks even more insane...

not their frown, which komaeda places his palm against their back, his fingers curling slightly. )

Hope is important, it's everything to me... while you devot, you have to care for yourself too.

( which is hypocritical coming from someone like komaeda, but he makes the rules when it comes to hope. )

I'll pay properly... but you have to explain your happiness to me, show me your hope, you said I didn't understand you... but not giving up is a very hopeful thing.

I care for myself.

[ Nobody can say they aren't doing well for themselves, at any rate. It's not like they're starving, or unhappy, or unproductive... ]

And I'm not giving up on anything. I just think monetary transactions are the cleanest. Words... feelings... that sort of thing is priceless. It wouldn't be a fair trade.

Sure you do.

( he won't argue, but he'll let go of them so he can turn to his locker, and proceeds to pick out a few things to hand them. first... what the fuck do i even have in komaeda's locker... the leash and collar is placed into their hands, izumi's pda, his notebook, another one, the ugly jacket...

listen this clean out makes sense so that when he comes back and it's filled with money, he can come here to get what he needs for npc-kun. )

That's what you want to be... fair? I'm a very honest person, so I'll pay accordingly. It'll be great doing business with you. ( yeah, he's just putting everything he owns into npc-kun's arms to carry to wherever that secret spot is... ) We don't always have to be business associates, though, we can be... followers in what we love.

( hope! )

[ I saw Izumi's name and had a fight or flight response thinking it was his arm

Anyways, it's hard for npc-kun to carry all of this so they pull on the ugly jacket and roll up the sleeves so they don't hang over their hands, and stuffs the collar and leash in one pocket, pda in the other, notebooks they're carry in their hands but they're absolutely opening them and seeing what's inside, is it a diary, they want to know... ]

I'm a businessperson. My transactions are agreed upon. [ fair according to both parties, even when it's skewed heavily in their favor ]

I have no interest being part of a congregation.

( i won't scar npc-kun, listen... they don't deserve the hell rokkun goes through.

komaeda has the log, and whatever other little thing that's in his locker while npc-kun has most of his private possessions. the first notebook is what komaeda was given like everyone else in the school — from his studies, to the notes he took down in his classes, i don't know if the 21 questions is in that or rokkun's notebook... it's just normal stuff. as for the other notebook... that is... a diary... if npc-kun tries to open that specific one, komaeda's going to reach out to close it properly, but allows them to hold onto it.

the only thing left there is the memoirs of the depressed, information that brings komaeda to stare at npc-kun wordlessly as if they shouldn't proceed any further. )

Of course, and we'll make a transaction too. ( sort of, one that komaeda accepts... it has to be fair, now!! honest and fair. then again, how much money has npc-kun got out of him already? )

Don't misunderstand, hope is something you can follow... that's why stepping stones are needed to keep yourself on the right path. It's not a congregation at all.

( not their big words that make them seem smart, rokkun does that too... not the fam resemblance. )

[ This just showed up on my tumblr and I legit stared at the sky

Anyways, npc-kun does try to look through that second notebook, surprised when Komaeda reaches over and flips closed the lid. They stare at him for a moment, but in the end they look away and holds the two notebooks to their chest; they won't try to open it again. ]

It's a congregation if our relationship is both of us being "followers"...

[ ...

They look up at Komaeda. ]

I can't show you my hope until the end of the school year. So I can't take your money now... and by then, I'm not going to need it.

( reading that feels so cursed, it's going on his journal.

npc-kun has pretty good eyes, don't they... for being a salesman and dealing with rocks, so they probably caught a glimpse of this page. yama rolled a d20, and rolled the actual fucking 20 and i was like IS THAT THE ONE PAGE AND SHE SAID YESSS I'm crying. so, npc-kun can see whatever much of that page they want before pressing both the notebooks up against their chest... me and yama also agreed if npc-kun ever gets the chance to look again, she'd start filling in pages for them to have more to see. )

I'm a stepping stone, I'm the lowest of the low... scum to this world, calling myself a "follower" would be too much credit, but I'll be anything for hope... to take part in it... to see it...

( he sighs wistfully, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he looks forward. oh, that sounds familiar. at the end of the school year... )

What's at the end for you? You aren't a student, so you don't need to graduate... Will you disappear?

[ crying bc at a glance, the words that stand out are "the more right it feels, and it hurts." and "my heart hurts... I'm happy, too. Because Nanami likes me back." and now npc-kun believes Komaeda has love troubles and they're not equipped to handle that and so this is none of their business ]

...Yeah. I'll be leaving, because my contract ends at the end of the school year.

( i'm......................please speak up npc-kun so komaeda can fix this, i'm going to go insane, he can't live that lie. komaeda's not equipped to have them think like this noooooooooooooooooooooooooo. everyone knows komaeda doesn't know how to love and that's what makes him so desirable. )

If your hope is at the end of the year, what will you do to show it off?

( he sighs, thinking about everything he's done so far, and the people he's around... will he really get to see it? )

Oh, oh... tell me about your contract, maybe we can extend it so you can show me your hope for two whole years.

[ Wait until npc-kun tells Rokkun ]

Hm...

[ ... ]

No spoilers! I'm going to reach my goal by the end of the year for sure, so there's no need to extend the contract!

( they don't even talk HELLO!?!?!? pays them to keep their mouth shut and to read the front of the notebook...

if he finds out, they'll just be this tiktok. )

... ( his voice low as he starts ) Arata-kun... ( now louder as he holds the log to his chest. )

Some students here are excited over graduating, well... the third years, and there are others like you... who aren't a student, but also leaving.

( this school has worn down others, weakened a few wills, cut down their numbers. )

Where will you go after overcoming this place? Some are... afraid of going further, that leaving this place isn't a smart move. They believe that we're actually safe here, and others see this place as it limiting us... as staff, what do you think?

I'm not staff. Not really.

[ They work here? but they aren't faculty, they don't have their own desk in that office, don't interact with any of the teachers. ]

After all of this, though... I think I'll go into woodworking.

You're here to help feed into the hopes of others, yes, I know that... I just would have thought you had some sort of power like the others.

( well they do right, considering they can open the totem room and no one else can... )

Ah? Really... you'll send things to me so I know how far you've progressed, won't you?

( npc-kun's shop isn't that far away from the lockers, so he'll make sure to open the door for them once they're close enough. )

[ They give him a dubious look, thinking administrative power.

Like with the counselor's office door, the door to the store does not open when Komaeda tries the handle.

Shifting the notebooks to one arm, npc-kun reaches for it instead and it opens without any sign of being unlocked, and they walk inside first so they can prop the door open with the doorstop. ]

Where will you be next year? Where do I send things to?

( ...

who was going to rob them... who... why do the arata's have this power? sick and twisted.

...

he doesn't even question it, of course that would happen to him, as he takes a few steps forward once npc-kun moves forward, the ultimate isn't paying attention properly. trying to think of where he'll be, he manages to trip over the doorstop, falling forward, log flying up, and he crashing down to the floor with a loud thump. i thought about making him reach out to grab npc-kun, but they can be spared... maybe. )

Please let August be better than July I'm begging

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