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Otome Domoyo.: Change 5

Hi, this is Chapter 5 of the Otome Domoyo. novel!

Chisalt index for this part: ★★★★★

Previous part (Change 4)

Next part (Change 6)

-One-

After the short Spring break, those boring and tedious days made their return again.

Takano Chisa sat at her desk with an expression of complete boredom, thinking that the fact that her classmates had changed as they entered their Second Year of High School did not matter to her at all.

After the homeroom period ended, everyone else left the classroom as they did not have any lessons that day. Chisa, too, had entertained thoughts about heading straight home, but she wanted to finish her drawing first. She was just passing time.

Having been unable to draw to her liking, she sighed and rubbed it out with her eraser. She had been drawing a picture of two boys, who were characters from her favourite light novel.

“What a nerd…” a boy muttered as he passed by, having caught a glimpse of her drawing. When Chisa glared at him in discomfort, he quickly ran away in shock.

(Shut up… this is fine, isn’t it… things like this.)

Chisa wondered why other people had felt the need to make remarks about her activities. She had not been bothering anyone. If what she drew made them uncomfortable, all they had to do was to not look at it. If they had the free time to butt in on the works of others, they should just make better use of their time and concentrate on memorising even a single word of their English vocabulary instead.

Chisa drove out the excessive feelings of irritation out of her mind and redrew the lines on the face she had erased.

No matter where she went, there would be idiots who would say pointless things, so she found no point in caring about them. She had learned as much a long time ago. They had neither literacy nor delicacy, so they did not mind trespassing into the territories of others. She had thus decided to ignore them, or, if they got too unbearable, to physically drive them off.

However, even though she had chased the boy off, Chisa was unable to completely shake off her feelings of discomfort, with wrinkles forming between her eyebrows. The hand that she had been using to draw the hair of her characters stopped moving, and she found herself unable to proceed from there. Her concentration had been completely broken.

At that moment, Chisa heard a reserved voice call out from the back of the classroom. “Um… do you have a moment?”

It was a girl from her class who wore a red ribbon. Chisa did not remember her name, nor had she planned to remember her name from the very beginning. She had never intended on talking to her anyway. She turned her gaze to the girl for a moment, before returning it to her notebook.

Most of the other students had left, so the only ones remaining in the classroom were Chisa, the girl with the red ribbon, and two girls who were chatting with each other.

“I was told to collect the printouts that are due today…”

Ignoring the girl who was talking to them, the two girls stood up from their seats.

“Rie, I have something that I wanna buy today, so let’s head out together.”

“Sure. Come to think of it, a new CD was just released.”

Talking happily to each other, the two girls quickly left the classroom. The girl who was left behind looked down as she remained standing where she was.

An awkward atmosphere filled the quiet classroom.

Chisa had no interest in the affairs of others. They did not matter to her. However, being in the small classroom together with them, she was able to see it even if she did not want to.

(That girl… Come to think of it, she was all alone at the Sports Festival, right?)

Chisa did not know the girl well as they were in different classes during their First Year. However, she remembered seeing her eat her lunch alone in the back garden during the Sports Festival. The red ribbon that she used to tie her hair had left a strong impression on Chisa—.

During the relay event that was held in the afternoon, the girl had been laughed at for dropping the baton. However, it had been because a girl in her class had deliberately released the baton before she had gotten a proper grip on it.

There would always be one or two people that would be hated no matter where one went. It was not an unusual situation.

(Well, that goes for me as well…)

Ever since she was in Elementary School, Chisa’s classmates did not talk to her. Even if they tried to talk to her, she would either ignore them or chase them away, so no one dared to approach her any longer. She did not mind it, nor did it bother her. She found it more uncomfortable to hang out and be all chummy with someone else.

When people gathered together in groups, they would speak ill of others to satisfy their fragile egos, or say words like “We’re friends, aren’t we?” to feel secure in the cages that they had created. Just thinking about that made Chisa feel sick.

In actuality, when Chisa had been an Elementary School student, she would occasionally feel ill and rush towards the bathroom, which had prompted some of her classmates to give her unpleasant nicknames and to make fun of her. If they did not shut up, she would take matters into her own hands, and shove either her fist or a rag into their mouths. Eventually, her classmates became so afraid of her that no one would say anything to her face.

Owing to that, no one lingered around Chisa, but she found it to be more comfortable that way. She could do as she pleased, without having the need to “play friends” with others.

That was why Chisa had never had a single friend, and she did not even know what it was like to have friends. She had never learned the definition of what a friend was in school. She found humans to be troublesome creatures.

She was sure that the correct answer would be to remain uninvolved with others.

After all, she did not know what people were saying about her behind her back—.

Chisa leaned her cheek against her palm as she glanced out of the window.

She did not care at all—.

The girl was looking down beside the desk without moving a single step. Chisa wondered if she was feeling depressed because she had been ignored. If that was the case, the girl should not have talked to them from the very beginning.

The teacher may have asked that girl to collect the printouts, but the blame for failing to submit it despite being instructed to fell onto the two of them, so they deserved to be called out by the teacher on a later date. When that happened, that girl should just pull an expression of feigned innocence. Such would have been what Chisa would have done.

If the two of them complained to that girl afterwards, she should just say “It’s your fault for not submitting it when you were told to do so.”, and that would be the end of it. Chisa found that girl rather stupid for calling out kindly to them, and feeling depressed when she was ignored.

Chisa thought of that girl as the walking definition of a goody two shoes, since that was exactly what she looked like. She felt that she could sympathise more with the two girls who left. That girl looked to be the type of good-natured person who subconsciously got on peoples’ nerves.

(I’d be bad at handling her too… Like, what’s with the ribbon…?)

Chisa figured that the girl may have thought of herself as a “tragic heroine”, like the ones that appeared in girls’ manga.

(Well… I do think it’s cute, but…)

That girl looked like a doll, and her hair was fluffy. That was probably why she was hated. Out of envy.

She was hated because she had something that others were unable to attain, no matter how much they wished for it, no matter how much they tried to get it. The fact that they were envious of her could not be helped.

Chisa wanted to ridicule them for their ugly actions. No matter how envious they were, no matter how much they harassed that girl, they were neither able to become her, nor able to become wonderful people in their own rights—.

(But… the same goes for me, huh…)

Chisa was unable to say that there were no small tinges of envy amidst her feelings of disinterest towards that girl. She was not the least bit cute, unlike that girl. She had never had a hairstyle that looked good with a ribbon. It had nothing to do with cuteness or beauty. She had never been told such a thing by anyone.

(I don’t particularly want to be told such a thing, though…)

“...That’s amazing.”

Chisa instinctively turned around at the sudden voice by her side. She quickly pulled her notebook close to her, shutting it to hide its contents. In the process, her elbow hit her pencil case, sending it tumbling to the ground.

That girl was standing next to her desk. She blinked in surprise as she bent down to reach for the scattered pens.

“Wha-what?!”

Chisa had not realised that the girl was standing so close to her, nor had she expected that she would call out to her. Her face tensed slightly as she found herself blurting out as such in her agitation.

“Here…” that girl picked up the fallen pens and the pencil case, holding them out to Chisa, who snatched them away from her.

“Ah… I’m sorry…” that girl apologised softly, her gaze drifting downwards as though she was depressed. It was the same expression she had made when she had been ignored by the two girls earlier.

Feeling as though she had done something terrible, Chisa grew irritated.

(She’s making that expression of a “tragic heroine” again…)

Chisa figured that the girl thought of herself as pitiful. She wondered if the girl knew that that conspicuous attitude of hers was what made others hate her. If she did not know it, Chisa considered the thought of telling it clearly to her, but she felt as though doing such a thing would be unnecessary. She felt that it would be best to not get involved with someone who seemed to be troublesome.

Chisa grabbed her bag, which she had hung next to her desk, and pushed her notebook and pencil case into it. She gripped the handle of her bag and stood up, pushing that girl away as she left her seat.

“Wait, Takano!”

Chisa involuntarily came to a halt when her name was called. She was a little surprised that the girl had remembered her name, even though they were just classmates.

Chisa had never made an effort to remember the names of others. They would be changing classes in a year anyway, thus it would have been pointless for her to do so. Once they graduated, she would never meet them again. They were just allocated to the same class for the time being. She was not bothered by the fact that she did not know the names of others, as she would not even call out to them in the first place.

Chisa turned around to see that girl holding onto her shirt. The girl’s expression morphed into one of surprise as she immediately removed her hand and hid it behind her back. Her lips, which were shiny and glossy with a hint of lip gloss, moved. “I’m sorry.”

(What’s… this girl’s name again…?)

There was no way for Chisa to recall it. She did not even try to remember it from the very beginning.

Chisa regained a little of her composure before replying to the girl in a low voice. “...What is it?”

“Takano, you haven’t… submitted the printout either.”

When the girl said that, Chisa finally remembered the printout that she had shoved into her bag. Having no room to talk about others, she pressed a hand to her forehead in resignation.

That girl’s gaze drifted downwards as she waited. She seemed to be serious about it. She probably thought that she could not leave until she had collected all of the printouts and submitted them to the staff room.

Chisa wondered why the girl did not just leave it as that. It was just an errand that the teacher had asked of her—.

Chisa heaved a sigh as she retrieved the printout from her bag and gave it to the girl. “Here.”

That girl looked relieved as she received it from Chisa. “Thank you.”

She had a soft smile on her face, remaining completely defenseless without any sense of caution.

(Why is she smiling…?)

Chisa did not understand her at all. She furrowed her brow as she came to the conclusion that she was bad at dealing with that girl after all. She felt as though she was looking at a strange and unfamiliar creature.

That girl had not received a present at a birthday party or anything. It was just a printout. Even if she collected all of the printouts and submitted them to the teacher, her value would not increase. It would be more expected for her to look bothered, as opposed to the happy expression that she now sported on her face.

“...Is that all?” Chisa asked without hiding her annoyance.

“Ah, yeah…” the tone of that girl’s voice dropped.

They had nothing to talk about. There was no reason for them to continue to speak to one another. She was just one person among their many classmates. Even so—.

“Um… Takano.”

Chisa felt a sense of irritation when that girl called out to her again as she was about to leave the classroom. Not bothering with a verbal reply, she merely looked towards her.

Even though that girl had stopped Chisa again, she was hesitating for an unknown reason, without telling Chisa what she needed her for.

“What is it?” Chisa asked with a frown on her face. She should have just ignored the girl, but she would have just made that expression of a “tragic heroine” again. It would have also made her feel as though she was bullying someone weaker than she was.

That girl was standing by Chisa’s desk, looking as though she was at a loss for what to do.

“Are you gonna confess to me or something?” Chisa asked sarcastically, owing to the fact that the girl had not given her a quick reply.

That girl raised her head and opened her mouth, as though she had made up her mind. “What you were drawing earlier… were characters from a light novel, right?”

Chisa looked at the girl in surprise. Why did she know about it—.

Chisa found herself unable to voice an immediate reply due to the unexpected words that the girl had spoken. She wondered if a few seconds had passed since she had started to stare at the girl in silence.

“...Did you read it?” Chisa finally asked, her voice taking on a slightly raised register. It was evident that she was rather agitated. Feeling terribly embarrassed, her face had turned red.

“Eh?” that girl asked softly.

“What I’m asking… is if you’ve read it?!”

“I saw a poster about it at a bookstore… so I figured that it must be popular,” the girl replied apologetically.

(So that’s what it was…)

Chisa stroked her chest and sighed. Even if the girl had read the novel and knew what it was about, it should not have agitated her this much.

“If you don’t know about it, this conversation is over,” Chisa spoke as she glared at the girl. Not wanting to talk to her any longer, she quickly walked away.

She wondered if that was the girl’s idea of a conversational topic. She had barged in on what Chisa had held dear to herself so easily.

(What a bothersome girl…)

Chisa wondered if the girl was looking down with that expression of a “tragic heroine” on her face as she remained alone in the classroom.

Feeling as though she had drunk muddy water, Chisa’s expression turned severe as she walked down the corridor. The next time that girl talked to her, she would definitely ignore her. Such was what she had resolved to do in her heart.

-Two-

That girl was apparently named “Miura Karen”. Chisa finally learned of it when she was forcibly put in charge of taking measurements during the physical fitness test. That girl seemed to be just like the protagonist of a girls’ manga, even up to her name.

After a month of being in the same class as her, Chisa’s ears had naturally picked up things that she did not want to know. She had no idea what Karen had done during their First Year, but she seemed to be hated. The girls in their class all ignored her, and would not talk to her. They only called out to her when they wanted to push troublesome tasks onto her.

Karen would eat her lunch by herself, and she was always alone whenever they moved classrooms.

Chisa overheard a lot of malicious gossip about Karen. Most of it was about her either flirting with or playing around with boys. It was so stupid that Chisa wanted to throw up. She did not know if Karen was flirting with boys, but she did not think of her to be someone who would play around with boys.

On the contrary, Karen was an astoundingly serious person. She did not have to run the errands that had been forced upon her, but she took all of them in stride. Due to that, whenever Chisa saw people mocking Karen behind her back, saying words like “She’s just trying to look good.”, she felt rather sickened, even though it did not concern her at all.

Chisa wondered why Karen did not just clearly tell them “I don’t want to.”. She definitely knew that even if she did things for them, she would not receive any gratitude in return. Doing so would not make an understanding person appear, nor would it help her to make more friends.

Everyone was just making use of others for their own selfish gains.

Best friends that could be trusted from the bottom of one’s heart? Lifelong friends?

What nonsense. Chisa turned up her nose at the possibility of finding such people in the world. Every person lived for themself. Even if it seemed like people were able to understand each other, it was simply an illusion.

It was futile to have expectations of others. If Karen was just going to end up disappointed, Chisa felt as though she should not have even tried to ask for it in the first place.

However, Karen herself did not seem to think so. She knew that she would just be ignored, but whenever she arrived at school, she would greet everyone with a “Good morning.”. The only people who happily returned her greetings were boys. That was probably the reason as to why people said “She’s flirting with boys.” about her.

As Chisa was about to take her seat, she noticed that Karen was looking her way.

When their eyes met, Karen called out to her. “Good morning…” The smile on her face seemed to be awkward, perhaps due to her nervousness.

After a beat, Chisa turned towards the window, radiating a sense of rejection off of herself. If she showed such an attitude to Karen, she normally would not call out to her again. She continued to ignore Karen, who was standing there as though she had wanted to say something, until she finally gave up and returned to her own seat.

(...If you have something to say, just say it already.)

“That girl changed her lip gloss, right…? That’s the new one that Sena’s advertising in that commercial, no?”

“Eh~ I just bought it myself. I don’t wanna use the same one as her~.”

The two girls who were conversing as such nearby were the two girls who had ignored and left Karen when she called out to them. They had probably said that their names were Aikawa Saki and Ihara Rie. The two of them knew that Karen was able to hear their conversation, but they both just laughed in amusement.

Feeling sickened, Chisa deliberately stood up from her chair, dragging it as loudly as she could.

Spooked by the sound, the mouths of the two girls clamped shut. They looked over at Chisa cautiously, questioning expressions on their faces.

Absolute filth to the ears—.

Spitting out as such in her heart, Chisa left her seat with a frown on her face. The homeroom period was about to begin, but she felt uncomfortable with being inside the classroom, which had the ambience reminiscent of a stagnant tank of water.

☆◯☆

Even as the months changed to June, the atmosphere in the classroom had not changed a bit.

Chisa, who remained in the classroom even after classes had ended for the day, gazed out of the rain-speckled window. It had been raining since that morning. As though it was due to the rainy season, the atmosphere in the classroom was damp and heavy.

(How gloomy…)

Chisa had an umbrella with her, but she did not feel like walking home in the middle of the downpour. There were others who seemed to share the same sentiment as she did, as there were many people who stayed behind in the classroom. She listened to their conversation as she continued to draw.

“Miura seems to have been playing around with boys since Middle School. A girl who attended the same Middle School as her told me so.”

“Does she like being pampered by boys that much?”

“Saki and Rie, didn’t you hang out with her during our First Year?”

“She just happened to be following us around. Right, Saki?”

“I wished that she’d stopped acting like we’re friends just because we talked a little. She’s always grinning dumbly and she’s so boring to talk to…”

Gathered at the back of the classroom were Saki, Rie, and several other girls from their class.

“I want her to stop greeting me every morning. She calls out to everyone, doesn’t she?”

“Doesn’t she realise that we’re all ignoring her?”

“Ahahaha, right? Isn’t she way too dense?”

Chisa snapped the lead of her mechanical pencil at the sound of the girls’ jarring, high-pitched laughter. She felt as though they should just hurry home already, as they had no further business here. If they wanted to speak ill of others, they should do it elsewhere instead.

However, the girls did not get bored of that topic, and their conversation continued.

“Being classmates with her in our Second Year too is the worst…” Saki spat in disgust.

“How annoying…” Chisa found herself voicing in irritation.

With the sound of Chisa’s voice being louder than she had expected, the girls in the back of the classroom were able to hear her as well. Their conversation came to a halt, and a blanket of silence enveloped the classroom.

“...What did you just say, Takano?” Saki asked after a beat of silence.

Chisa stood up and stepped out, looking at the group of girls. “I said ‘how annoying’.”

Saki’s expression hardened as Chisa enunciated each word clearly to her. Chisa returned Saki’s glare with a cold stare of her own.

“Whatever we talk about is none of your business. It doesn’t concern you, so can you just stay out of it?”

“Do you still not get it? I’m telling you to shut up. If you want to cause a racket, go do it elsewhere. Or what? Are you only able to spout bad things about other people with that mouth of yours?” Chisa spoke calmly as she edged her way towards the girls.

“Hey, aren’t you going too far?!” one of the surrounding girls protested.

“You say whatever you want about other people. But when it comes to yourselves, I’m suddenly going too far? Don’t you think that… that’s awfully convenient?” Chisa sneered. That girl shut her mouth, her face turning pale.

“It’s none of your business, so what are you getting so mad for? Or do you just feel sorry for that girl? That kind of ally of justice is the most…!”

Before Saki could finish her sentence, Chisa roughly grabbed the collar of her uniform. A scream sounded out, and the surrounding girls backed away in retreat.

Chisa pushed Saki away and slammed her fist with all her might right next to her frightened face. A loud bang echoed throughout the classroom.

Saki covered her face with her quivering arms, as though she was under the assumption that she would be beaten up. The other girls were frozen in their places, completely silent.

Saki turned her fearful gaze to the side to look at Chisa, who continued to laugh right beside her.

“It’s ugly, isn’t it…” Chisa stopped laughing and whispered into Saki’s ear. She covered Saki’s mouth with her hand when she tried to say something in response. “You satisfy your own ego and make yourself feel superior by looking down on someone else. You’re just dying to hurt and tarnish someone else. When you drag someone else through the mud, you feel so satisfied because it makes you feel that you’re not alone. It’s so low and so ugly, it’s unbearable to watch…”

Chisa put more strength into the hand that was holding Saki down. Saki’s face scrunched up as though she was struggling to breathe, and a desperate groan slipped out of her mouth. Blood drained from her face, probably out of fear.

Keeping a frosty expression on her face, a mocking grin spread across Chisa’s lips. “Don’t worry… I’m. The. Same. As. You.”

Tears welled up in Saki’s eyes as she was grabbed by Chisa’s hand. None of the surrounding girls opened their mouths, seeming as though they were reluctant to help her.

No one in that place was willing to take Saki’s place. That was all there was to it—.

(So even your “playing friends” has a limit, huh…)

Chisa heaved a sigh of boredom.

It was then that it happened.

“Takano!”

A voice called out from the direction of the classroom door. Chisa, Saki, and the other girls that were there turned around.

Standing in front of the doorway was Karen.

“It… It’s fine already…” Karen mumbled very softly upon catching a glimpse of all the occupants in the classroom.

Chisa numbly removed her hand from Saki’s mouth, slowly lowering it.

Saki took a few pained breaths as she slumped down on the spot, her energy seeming to have been drained out of her body. Having finally been freed, her face immediately turned red, probably out of shame and anger. She glared at Chisa, but she did not seem to have the guts to say anything, merely biting her lip in frustration.

With this, thoughts of talking behind someone’s back or of speaking ill of someone in front of Chisa would no longer enter their minds.

(That’s better than nothing…)

Chisa turned around and returned to her seat, where she put her notebook and pencil case into her bag, before heading towards the doorway.

No one spoke a word, merely following Chisa with their eyes.

Chisa left the classroom, avoiding Karen, who was standing there.

“Wait, Takano!!”

Chisa had thought that she would just ignore her and leave—.

A hand tugged at the sleeve of Chisa’s uniform. She brushed Karen’s hand off in disgust as she chased after her.

“...What is it?”

“Thank you… for earlier. You defended me…”

“Ha,” Chisa mockingly voiced in response to Karen’s words.

Karen was a goody two shoes to the end.

“Why I defended you… I don’t care about what others say about you. It’s none of my business, and I have no interest in it whatsoever. I just shut them up because they were being so annoying. Besides…”

Chisa forcefully pushed Karen’s shoulder, causing her to stumble backwards. Her eyes widened, as though she was surprised by the unexpected action.

“I hate people like you, who try to appeal to everyone, the most. If you understand that much, don’t talk to me,” Chisa spoke clearly, without trying to hide her disgust.

Karen closed her mouth, as if she was discouraged by Chisa’s words.

It did not hurt, nor did it itch to be hated by Karen. Chisa did not even want to be liked by anyone from the very beginning. She turned around and walked away quickly, with her eyebrows knitted close together.

She wanted to be free from the annoyances. That was all—.

She did not do it for the sake of another. Being misunderstood of that was even more of a nuisance to her.

-Three-

In the afternoon on her day off, Chisa went to the bookstore by herself. After picking up a few volumes of manga from a series that she was curious about, she made her way over to the shelves where light novels were displayed.

(That’s right, a new volume should be out…)

She had forgotten about it as she had not stopped by the bookstore for a while due to having been studying for her tests. When she thought about it, she recalled that the light novel would come with purchase bonuses.

She searched for the book, wondering if any of them remained, to find just a single volume left. When she reached out for it, someone else’s hand extended out from the opposite direction at the same time.

Chisa looked up and looked over at the other person, who also met her gaze. She froze for a moment as she realised that the other person was Karen.

As though she was surprised as well, Karen reflexively took a step back. She immediately closed her open mouth, seemingly having recalled that Chisa had told her not to talk to her.

“Why are you here…?!”

“To buy… books…” Karen mumbled nervously. That was a given. They were in a bookstore after all.

Chisa glanced at the novels that Karen was holding, wondering what she had intended on buying. She found herself becoming even more surprised by what she saw.

Karen was holding the light novels that Chisa liked. She had all of the volumes with her, along with all of the purchase bonuses. The boys that Chisa had been drawing in her notebook on an earlier occasion were characters that appeared in that very light novel series.

Chisa remained silent for a few seconds before giving Karen a quizzical look. “Could it be that… you’re reading these novels?”

Karen, who had been looking down, immediately raised her head and nodded happily. “Yeah!”

“Why are you reading them?!”

“Because… earlier…” Karen closed her mouth and quickly looked down, holding the light novels in her arms.

“If you don’t know about it, this conversation is over.”

Recalling what she had told Karen in a prior incident, Chisa found herself to be at a loss for words. Karen was looking at her, as though she was trying to gauge her expression. She looked like a child who had been scolded.

“So… you decided to go out of your way to buy and read them?”

Karen nodded again upon hearing Chisa’s question.

Chisa wondered if Karen was intending to talk about the novels with her after she had finished reading them. Feeling her temperature rise, Chisa held her forehead with her hand. A deep sigh leaked out of her mouth. “Haah…”

(She’s impossible…)

Normally, a person would have immediately known that Chisa was telling them to stay away from her. She wondered if Karen had a very brash personality, or if she was either just really dense or a natural airhead.

“But it’s not just that… I was also curious about it…”

“...”

“I often stop by this bookstore. I wanted to buy some pens and stationery… Then I remembered about it when I saw the poster… I tried to find the light novels, but I didn’t know where to find them, so I asked the staff…”

“You asked the staff?!”

“Yeah… Was that a… bad thing?” Karen nervously asked.

“Ba…!!”

Swallowing the words she had intended on saying, Chisa glanced at the covers of the light novels. It was not that it was a bad thing. The light novels did not contain any age-restricted content. It was just that the illustrations on the covers were so risqué that it took some courage to buy them for the first time. That was all there was to it.

As there would be a stage play adaptation of the series soon, there were posters of it hung up inside the store. It had gotten a lot of attention because the popular dance-vocal unit, Soda Mifuyu and Ibuki Kazuma, were starring as the two protagonists. It would not be strange if Karen had gained an interest in it as well.

“The staff told me where to find it really kindly, and recommended another series by the author that was also very interesting. I bought a few of those books and read those too…” Karen’s voice bounced happily as she spoke.

“...So?” Chisa prompted.

“So?” Karen tilted her head a little in confusion.

“...How did you find it…?”

“It was really interesting. I bought the next volume at the bookstore the next day and read it right away… Aomi and Tsukiya are both very cool, aren’t they? I really like the scene where Tsukiya cried on the rooftop. I was so moved when Aomi comforted him,” Karen smiled, her cheeks glowing in happiness.

Chisa almost agreed with her with a “You get it too, don’t you?”, when she stopped herself as she came to a realisation.

(How do I even talk about it in a place like this…?!)

Up till then, Chisa had never talked to anyone about her favourite works. She did not have any friends who shared the same hobby as her. She did not interact much with fans of the same works either. Even though she liked the works, getting involved with the people in the community was troublesome. Forgive her for not wanting to get into trouble.

“The new volume was released, so I thought that it’d come with purchase bonuses…” Karen glanced at the single light novel that remained on the shelf. The light novel came with a box containing the purchase bonus of an acrylic key chain.

“I’ll look for it at another bookstore. I was planning to drop by the shopping mall…” Karen smiled. She was giving it up to Chisa.

Chisa frowned deeply as she reached for the light novel with the purchase bonus. She shoved it at Karen.

“Eh,” Karen looked at the light novel and Chisa in confusion.

“If you want it, go ahead and buy it… Don’t hesitate.”

“But… You want to buy it too, Takano…”

“Do you wanna buy it or not?!” Chisa asked strongly.

“I-I want to buy it,” Karen answered honestly.

“Then why didn’t you say so from the very beginning? That attitude of yours is irritating,” Chisa gave Karen one last look as she took only the manga she had in her hand to the counter. She could just find the light novel with the purchase bonus elsewhere. If she went around a few other bookstores, there should be at least one copy left.

(I really should have made a reservation for it after all…)

That was what Chisa usually did. She had let her guard down, thinking “Well, it’s bound to be around somewhere.” that time.

Chisa felt someone tug on the hair at the back of her head, so it could not be helped that she instinctively brushed them off.

(I shouldn’t get involved with that girl��)

Chisa finished the transaction at the counter and left the bookstore. As she walked down the path towards the train station, Karen came out of the bookstore after her.

“Wait, Takano.”

Chisa frowned as she heard Karen call out to her as she pursued her. She pretended that she could not hear Karen and walked faster.

However, Karen managed to catch up to Chisa and grabbed her sleeve. She seemed to have run with all her might. She leaned forward, breathing heavily.

“...Seriously, what do you want?! Do you still need me for something?!” Chisa asked in a strong tone.

Karen looked up, holding a hand to her chest. Her hair was clinging to her sweat-drenched forehead. Her precious ribbon seemed to be on the verge of unravelling.

“Um… Takano, do you have some time after this?” Karen glanced up at Chisa as she tried to catch her breath.

“Huh?” Chisa looked at Karen in confusion, not knowing why Karen had even asked her such a thing.

“The author seems to be having an autograph session today. There may be novels with the purchase bonus there,” Karen showed Chisa the flyer in her hand.

Chisa’s eyes immediately widened as she grabbed the flyer with both of her hands.

(An autograph session?! I heard nothing about it…)

Chisa had not stopped by the bookstore recently, and she had not been in the mood to collect any information. According to the flyer, the autograph session seemed to be scheduled for 3pm that day.

Chisa took her phone out to check the time, to see that it was about 2.30pm. The autograph event was held at a bookstore that was not too far away. The bookstore that she was just in was under the same company as that other bookstore, so there had probably been flyers there as well. She wondered why she did not notice it.

“You managed to find this flyer, huh…”

“When I was buying the books, I asked the lady at the counter if there was another novel with the purchase bonus. She told me that it was out of stock at that store, but that I could find it here…”

Chisa had never thought that Karen would be the one to tell her about it.

“Did I do it… unnecessarily?” Karen asked, looking at Chisa’s bitter expression.

(Aah… geez…!!)

“Hey, let’s go!” Chisa grabbed Karen’s hand impatiently.

“Eh, but…”

“You like it too, don’t you?!”

“Yeah!” Karen nodded, a look of surprise on her face. “I like… I like it!!”

“Then, let’s hurry!!” Chisa started to run together with Karen, pulling onto her hand. Karen stumbled lightly, but she held her newly-purchased books firmly to her chest.

When they arrived at the bookstore where the autograph session was held, there was a queue in the aisle.

Karen pressed a hand to her chest as she took many deep breaths, a pained expression on her face. She seemed to be bad at running. Whenever they had to run marathons for Physical Education class, she was always running behind everyone else.

Even so, in her haste, Chisa had grabbed Karen’s hand and had run as fast as she could.

“Are you okay…?” Chisa asked Karen worriedly.

Karen nodded with a smile. Her cheeks were reddened, probably because her body temperature had risen.

Chisa finally managed to enter the product sales booth, but most of the goods had already been sold out. However, there were still a few copies of the light novel that came with the purchase bonus left. She bought a copy and got the author’s autograph before leaving the venue, only to find Karen waiting for her.

Chisa’s cheeks were flushed in her happiness to have had the opportunity to tell the author “I’m a fan of yours! I love your works!”. She had even gotten a handshake. As she absentmindedly basked in the afterglow of her excitement, Karen walked up to her.

“Did you get an autograph?” Karen asked.

Chisa nodded. She had been able to buy the light novel with the purchase bonus, and she had even gotten the author’s autograph. Never had she thought that she would be so lucky.

(I’m glad…!)

Chisa was unable to stop a smile from spreading across her lips. Then, she suddenly snapped back to reality and turned to face Karen. “...What did you buy?”

“I bought a can badge… and some pens,” Karen took the blue and red pens that she had just bought out from the bag and showed them to Chisa. Then, she smiled. “I’m glad.”

Suddenly feeling a sense of embarrassment at having been so uncharacteristically happy, Chisa feigned a frown. She was not used to having others see her in a good mood.

“Let’s go…” Chisa stated bluntly as she started to walk. Karen hurriedly followed her.

Feeling curious, Chisa’s gaze drifted towards Karen. The edges of her lips were upturned, an obvious indicator of her inexplicably happy mood.

“Oh right,” Karen unexpectedly turned towards Chisa. “The acrylic keychain purchase bonus comes in two designs, right? Which one did you get?”

An acrylic keychain of either one of the male characters from the light novels, namely Aomi and Tsukiya, was included with the novel. It was randomised, so no one knew which character they got until they opened it.

“Takano, which one do you want?” Karen asked innocently. Chisa averted her eyes from her.

“It doesn’t matter which one I get… I like them both,” Chisa replied before continuing. “But…”

Chisa had only decided to continue the conversation with Karen on a whim. It was because she looked like she was having so much fun—.

Perhaps it had been because she was so delighted to have gotten the autograph of the author. Karen had also been the one to tell her about the autograph session, which allowed her to get a copy of the light novel with the purchase bonus.

“I’d rather get… Aomi…”

“I get what you mean! I… like them both, but I’d be really happy if I got Tsukiya.”

The taller boy was Aomi, and the smaller boy was Tsukiya.

(I thought as much…)

Chisa had no basis nor any reasoning for her assumption, but she just had the feeling that it was so.

As they walked, Karen glanced at Chisa. Chisa sighed, wondering what Karen was holding herself back from just speaking clearly. However, against all odds, Chisa found herself to be less irritated than she usually was. It was probably because she was in a good mood that day.

“...Wanna open it together?” Chisa was secretly surprised by her own proactivity in making the suggestion.

Karen seemed to share that same sentiment. Her eyes were widened in surprise as she nodded. “Yeah!”

They could not just open it in the middle of the street, so they entered a nearby fast food restaurant. They ordered shakes and sat down, before immediately taking out their purchase bonus boxes and opening them.

“...Which one did you get?”

“I got Aomi!” Karen smiled, showing off her acrylic keychain.

The character that was in Chisa’s purchase bonus box was Tsukiya. They seemed to have gotten each other’s favourite characters.

“Let’s swap,” Karen grinned, holding her acrylic keychain out to Chisa.

Chisa’s expression softened as she gave Karen the acrylic keychain that was inside her own box.

Karen happily swung the acrylic keychain with Tsukiya on it, mumbling softly to herself. “So cute.”

(The one that’s cute is you, isn’t it…)

She looked just like an innocent, untainted princess—.

However, that was not all. Karen did not give up when they were running with all their might to get Chisa’s light novel that came with the purchase bonus, and she did not falter, even when Chisa treated her coldly. Chisa was surprised by the guts that Karen had hidden within her.

When Chisa looked at Karen, she felt as though she herself had been boring and stubborn. She wondered if the poisonous atmosphere around her had been dispelled.

Chisa put the acrylic keychain into the box and placed it into her bag. She glanced over at the window seats, where girls from a different High School were laughing together. They seemed to be talking about popular idols.

(...Friends… huh.)

Chisa rested her cheek against her palm as she brought the straw of her shake to her mouth. She wondered if this was what it would be like to have friends.

Going to a fast food restaurant on a day off and drinking shakes together, talking about their favourite things, swapping goods, and making plans to go to a live or an event.

Chisa had always turned away in disinterest from things like this, but she did not do so without any feelings of envy. It was something that she had never been able to attain, no matter whether she wanted it or not—.

Wanting such things would only make her feel empty. She had always told herself that there was no need to force herself to experience the frustration and loneliness of not being able to get it. That was just the easiest thing for her to do. That feeling of hers had never changed. She would still continue to feel that way from that point on.

(I’m fine by myself…)

Chisa had just chosen to spend her day like that on a whim. She thought that it would not be a bad thing to experience something like “friendship” just once in her life.

Yes, it was just for that day. If she experienced it every day— she was sure that she would get tired and irritated of it eventually. That was how she had come to distance herself from social media.

It was always so repetitive. Chisa wondered if she was just not suited to make friends with others—.

“Takano, um… after this…” Karen, who was drinking her shake, lowered her cup and hesitantly opened her mouth.

“I’m going home,” Chisa stood up with her empty cup and picked up her bag, which was lying next to her.

“I see…” Karen made a small smile. Her voice sounded a little disappointed.

“Thanks for today… See you,” Chisa said, leaving their seat.

When she exited the store, she sighed heavily.

She was finally able to continue to spend her off day like she usually did, but somewhere— she felt a little dissatisfied.

☆◯☆

At the beginning of July, after morning classes had ended, Chisa left the classroom with a pack of sandwiches and a water bottle in hand. She climbed the stairs and opened the door. Strong beams of sunlight rushed into her eyes. It was hotter than it was inside, but it was noisier in the classroom.

Chisa walked over to the side of the fence, where she sat down and took out her phone. When she opened her pack of sandwiches while looking at her phone, the door opened.

“Ah,” Karen, who was about to walk out onto the roof, mumbled. She was holding her lunch box and her water bottle in her arms. She looked as though she was about to eat her lunch on the roof as well. She stood at the doorway, but, after a beat of hesitation, she made her way over to Chisa.

“Um…”

When Chisa remained silent, pretending that she was unable to hear Karen, Karen mustered up a little more courage and asked another question. “Can I eat here too?”

“...Do as you like?” Chisa replied bluntly as she chewed on her sandwich.

The rooftop did not belong to anyone. Karen sat down at an arm’s length away from Chisa and opened the lid of her lunch box. Fried shrimp and salad were neatly packed inside it. The rice dish looked to be pilaf. Chisa noticed how delicious it all looked. She did not know who cooked it, but she concluded that they were good at cooking.

“Ah, do you want to eat anything?” Karen showed her lunch box to Chisa, as though she had noticed her gaze.

Chisa almost answered her with “Fried shrimp.”, but she managed to hold herself back and turned away. “No thanks.”

For some reason, Karen withdrew her lunch box with a depressed expression on her face. Following that, the two of them ate in silence for a while.

(It’s hot… I should have eaten in the classroom after all.)

Chisa’s forehead felt hot, and her head felt blank. The lively voices of the cicadas echoed amidst the heat.

Chisa had spent her lunch on the roof during the Summer of the previous year as well. She was always alone during lunch breaks.

“...Come to think of it, there would be a stage play of that light novel series soon, right?” Karen suddenly stopped moving her chopsticks and spoke.

As Chisa chewed on her sandwich without replying, Karen continued to talk. “Takano, are you going to watch it?”

“It’s a popular stage play, so it won’t be so easy to get tickets,” Chisa answered her.

There were many fans of the light novels, but more important than that, Soda Mifuyu and Ibuki Kazuma, who were chosen to be the leading actors, were very popular. Since their fans would also be participating in the battle for the tickets, the probability of acquiring tickets seemed to have decreased. As it was their first stage play, there were many people who wanted to watch them. Most of the people who balloted for the tickets were disappointed by the notification of their loss. The winners of the tickets were just very lucky.

“I was completely destroyed too…”

Chisa had expected the outcome, but she was still disappointed when she saw the email that informed her that she had not managed to acquire tickets.

As Chisa leaned against the fence, Karen raised a hand to her chin and pondered. “I see…”

After glancing at Karen’s side profile, Chisa suddenly jerked forward from where she had been leaning against the fence. “Don’t tell me… you won?”

Karen nodded a little in response to Chisa’s question, which she had asked with a straight face.

“Really?!” Chisa asked, pulling Karen’s face closer to hers. Karen nodded again, looking to be under pressure.

“Why were you the one to win?!” Chisa yelled, holding her head with both hands. Calling it a platinum ticket would be an understatement.

“...Do you want to go together?” Karen hesitantly asked.

“Eh?!” Chisa looked at her in surprise.

“I… applied for two tickets, so… I thought… if you’d like…”

“You’re not gonna invite someone else…?”

“If I won… I was hoping to be able to go with you,” Karen mumbled, her words blending together as her face turned a bright red.

Chisa looked at her with wide eyes. “...You mean, me?”

Karen just smiled in embarrassment in lieu of a verbal reply.

Having no words to say to that, Chisa put a hand to her own face.

She wondered if Karen was just a glutton for punishment—.

Even though Chisa always showed Karen such a dismissive attitude, she always approached her with a smile.

“You’re really… surprisingly unguarded,” Chisa muttered to herself. Karen looked at her in confusion.

Chisa had found it troublesome to interact with other people, so she made sure to keep her distance from others, and always built walls around herself. She only followed her own hobbies, and she was not good at having fun conversations like the other girls were. When it came to choosing “friends”, there were other people who were easier to get along with—.

“I’ll go… I want to see the stage play!”

There was no point in remaining stubborn. Besides, it would be a shame to waste a platinum ticket.

“I’m glad…” Karen whispered in relief, a smile on her face.

“...You’re that happy about it?”

“Yeah. Because it’s my first time… watching a stage play with someone else. How about you, Takano?”

“...Likewise for me…” Chisa answered honestly after a moment of hesitation.

☆◯☆

It was on a Sunday in July that Chisa went to see the stage play with Karen.

Sitting in her seat as she watched the stage play, Chisa secretly glanced at the side profile of Karen, who was seated next to her in the dimly-lit audience seats. Her eyes were fixed on the stage. Chisa was sure that she was completely engrossed in the play. She was crying during the second half, probably because she had been so moved by it.

When it came to the curtain call, cheers rose and applause filled the entire venue. It rang out continuously for a while. Karen sniffed and repeatedly wiped her tear-stained cheeks, clapping so hard that her hands would probably hurt afterwards.

The characters of the light novel, Aomi and Tsukiya, were established to be dancers. The dance-vocal unit, Soda Mifuyu and Ibuki Kazuma, were the perfect cast for them, and the performance was fully enjoyable for the fans of the original work.

When the final announcement was made, Chisa and Karen stood up with the other audience members. As they left the hall, Karen was still in a daze, seeming to still be basking in the afterglow of the performance.

“It was really good! The two of them were so cool,” Karen smiled, hugging the pamphlet to her chest. There were still tear stains on her faintly-reddened cheeks.

Chisa’s face naturally relaxed as she looked at Karen.

“Let’s go back… Karen.”

She had just wanted to call her first name—.

Karen laughed lightly as she walked right next to Chisa.

Chisa was not used to going out on an off day with someone, nor was she used to walking alongside someone like this. However, she did not think that she hated it. This ticklish relationship— might not be so bad either.

“Can I… call you by your first name too?”

“Hm, I’ll make a special exception for you,” Chisa answered.

Karen smiled happily. “Chisa, will you be reserving a DVD?”

“I will. I’ll decide on where to buy it after seeing the purchase bonuses. What about you, Karen?”

“Yup, me too. I’m looking forward to it!” Karen laughed carefreely, the acrylic keychain that she had traded with Chisa swaying lightly from where it was attached to her bag.

Chisa smiled at the sight.

Just a little more—.

#honeyworks #otome domoyo.#takano chisa #miura karen #karenai circulation intensifies #instant ramen instructions comprehensions

14 notes · View notes

comicteaparty · 5 years

Text

February 24th-March 1st, 2020 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party week long chat that occurred from February 24th, 2020 to March 1st, 2020. The chat focused on Whispers of the Past by Crona J.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

Comic Tea Party

BOOK CLUB START!

Hello and welcome everyone to Comic Tea Party’s Book Club~! This week we’ll be focusing on Whispers of the Past by Crona J.~! (https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/whispers-of-the-past/list?title_no=191366)

You are free to read and comment about the comic all week at your own pace until March 1st, so stop on by whenever it suits your schedule! Discussions are freeform, but we do offer discussion prompts in the pins for those who’d like to have them. Additionally, remember that while constructive criticism is allowed, our focus is to have fun and appreciate the comic! Whether you finish the comic or can only read a few pages, everyone is welcome to join and chat with us!

DISCUSSION PROMPTS – PART 1

1. What did you like about the beginning of the comic?

2. What has been your favorite moment in the comic (so far)?

3. Who is your favorite character?

4. Which characters do like seeing interact the most?

5. What is something you like about the art? If you have a favorite illustration, please share it!

6. What is a theme you like that the comic explores?

7. What do you like about the comic’s story or overall related content?

8. Overall, what do you think the comic’s strengths are?

Don’t feel inspired by the prompts? Feel free to discuss anything else that interested you!

FeatheryJustice

So far, first impressions, holy cow the art is amazing.

Ash🦀

1. My favorite part about the beginning was the style. It immediately drew me in how everything was lovingly rendered in color that made me feel like I was seeing the world for the first time. It made me want to paint, too! 2. When we first see the man. Whoo buddy. Whoooooooo buddy. That was... a finely sculpted painting there. I could’ve framed him and hung him on my wall if the artist would let me. WHOOOO BUDDY. 3. My favorite character so far is Martel. I don’t write them often, but I love seeing kids in media, and I love the design of her hair. I know it’s a random thing to make me like her but I just... really like her hairstyle. She’s cute, and I’d guess she’ll be a breath of much-needed light air later in the story. 4. Mystery man and Martel are precious. 5. I point to answer 2 here. That lovingly sculpted chest? My heart was a-flutter I tell you what. 6. The art style is just... SO LOVINGLY RENDERED. The quiet moments of baking bread juxtaposed against a chaotic battle was SO. GOOD. Aaaaaah Could also be that that particular part is my favorite part of making bread so it was extra special aaaaaaah 7-8 I haven’t seen enough of the story to answer these yet! But the art is banging and I can’t wait to read more. Subscribed.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

I've read this before and the art and story aren't really my thing. Since critique is allowed I could give art comments if CronaJ would find that kind of thing helpful? But even though I won't be following the story I was still impressed by how much care the author puts into it. Both from looking at their comic and from reading their comments on this discord and on the tap forum it's clear they've put a ton of effort into the art and story, and haven't cut any corner.s And all the panels are so rendered. I wonder how long it takes to draw a page?(edited)

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Hey everyone! I'm the artist and writer of Whispers of the Past. I want to thank you all for your kind comments and observations so far. It really means a lot to me to hear what others think of this heartfelt project. I know that the story is in the beginning stages right now. But I'm looking to post the end of the first chapter this week, so hopefully a bit more will be revealed soon. Please feel free to ask me questions about anything, or (to answer @Eightfish (Puppeteer)'s question), to offer critiques for how I can improve what I'm doing.(edited)

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

@FeatheryJustice & @Ash🦀 I'm glad you enjoy the artwork. The painting process is probably what takes me the longest when it comes to pages. In response to @Eightfish (Puppeteer)... It takes me around 30-40 hours per page, and I try to post 2-3 page updates. Obviously, the amount of time spent per page varies depending on several factors, such as: the number of panels, the level of complication of poses, how many characters/background elements there are, and sometimes just whatever weird reason my brain isn't working that day ^^; So for my average 5-7 panel pages, they typically take longer than, say, a full-page spread. @Ash🦀 I'm so happy that the first few pages pulled you in! I spent a lot of time deciding on how I wanted to draw those panels, and what style to use, etc. I actually redrew the first 3 pages at least 5 times before settling on them as they are. And, you can hang and frame the image of our male MC if you want, haha, I actually don't have prints of it, but it is something to consider That particular panel was a one-page spread, so I was able to dedicate a bit more detail to it. Maret is a worthy favorite character. She is too pure and precious, and she just wants to make friends with everybody. Even when the "strange man" is kind of curt and unfriendly to her, she wants to befriend him. Also, I am SO unbelievably glad that you picked up on the juxtaposition in the bread-making scene! Ahhhh! I had a lot of fun with that one

FeatheryJustice

1. The Pacing, I love slow starts to comics because I get to absorb it and learn more. 2. Favourite Moment? Dude trying to climb out the window and failing. That was really funny XD 3. Mysterious dude from the water of course. He has pointed ears, you know something is up. 4. I like Maret and the mysterious man, it seems like a child being like 'this is new and I want to learn more' Also thank you for not writing a grating child character. They sometimes turn up too pure to be real, or too grating because they are too real. Maret at least has that nice balance of a healthy child will not acted spoiled but still want things because child like the scene where she was shoo'ed out of the room. 5. I think we talked about htis a long time ago, but I love the way you draw hands and feet! 6. Nothing so far, not sure where the story will head so I can't answer this. 7. I like the start of the mystery and the slow ramp up. We are just getting comfortable and I'm sure we are going to get rocky soon! 8. Art, from seeing Cronaj spend so much time on it, it's freaking amazing. I can almost feel the characters come to life.

Also on a side note, I want Maret to hear from the Conch shell (As a memey joke) "Under the sea, under the sea" XD

(Mysterious man has red hair, I wouldn't be surprised he turned out to be a mermaid XD Sorry I'm just on slight crack theory mode right now. He didn't sell his voice though)

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

When I was first writing and planning this comic, I was a little scared about how slow the start was, but I'm glad that it has been interesting despite the slow nature of the exposition.

2. Favourite Moment? Dude trying to climb out the window and failing. That was really funny XD

@FeatheryJustice Accurate! He's kind of an idiot, and he panics over nothing. For Maret... I actually based her character partially off of my two younger sisters, so that might be a lot of what contributes to her personality and realism. We did talk about hands and feet before! I love drawing hands, because they are so expressive and complex, but hate drawing feet because they are complicated. But I did study from life to draw Maret's feet, because I felt like I would mess it up otherwise ^^;

Hahahaha! I could definitely make an edit of that, tbh.

FeatheryJustice

That would be a funny joke panel if you ever want to do one. XD It's like replace the diaolgue memes XD

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

And I was partially making a mermaid joke when I had the reference to mermaids in the comic because he is a redhead

Definitely an idea....

I would title the episode "Whispers of the Crack"

FeatheryJustice

OMG YES I would love to see that XD

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

I have a WotP meme folder on my computer already

carcarchu

1. What did you like about the beginning of the comic? Mystery man pretty 2. What has been your favorite moment in the comic (so far)? i liked the part where maret was listening to the conch for mermaids, had a lovely magical charm to it 3. Who is your favorite character? mystery man 4. Which characters do like seeing interact the most? not too many interactions so far but maret and the mystery man were cute 5. What is something you like about the art? If you have a favorite illustration, please share it! the sunset scenery had a nice vibe

also i can see why people were saying it reminded them of ruroni kenshin, mystery guy especially with his hair up and on the cover image is reminiscent of kenshin but storywise doesn't remind me of it at all

carcarchu

I have some critiques that i'll cover in case you don't want to see them. SPOILER The anime-ish emotes (the blush and the anger vein) to me clash against the realistic artsyle and detracts from the moments, some more subtlety with them would be appreciated. And Maret doesn't really look like a child to me, her face is very mature so it makes her look older than she is. Moreover the 3 characters that have been introduced thus far have very similar facial features. For maret and agatha they are siblings so it makes sense but the mystery man is (presumably?) not related to them so i'm not sure if that's intentional. In any case more facial diversity would be appreciated going forward (if it's just your style that's fine too). And this is a really small nit-pick but the first panel of chapter 6 has horse hooves with the sfx thump thump thump. In my opinion this sfx should be clip clop clip clop END SPOILER

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

@carcarchu Thanks for the notes! I actually had a hard time deciding how to portray blush noticeably in a more realistic style, haha, but I can definitely see why it's jarring. Do you have any tips for how to depict blushing without anime emotes? I would just make it more reddish/pink, but it always looks weird to me (or too unnoticeable). As for Maret... She looks like a child to me? She's six, so she isn't quite a toddler, so I don't know if that changes your perception of her. She actually resembles my youngest sister a great deal, and my youngest sister was 5, almost six, when I designed her. (I just looked through the pages again, and there's maybe one panel that I think she looks slightly older in, so if anything, I'll try to fix that panel.) So yes, obviously Agatha and Maret look very similar, hahaha. They are biological sisters, so that makes sense. There will be at least two more characters introduced that are also related to them (and look fairly similar as well) and one character who will be mentioned who is also related and looks just like Agatha. Other than that, Izrekiel does look somewhat similar, I suppose, but it might also be partially that he canonically has a very feminine face as opposed to other male characters to be introduced later. It could be that and also a bit as a result of my style. I'm not sure. Ahhhh, sound effects! I also struggled with deciding what to do here. I wanted to do something different than "clip clop," mostly for a stupid personal hang-up. (I don't know why, but "clip clop" always looks so comical to me.) But if it helps translate the sound better, I might just have to bite the bullet and change it. Thanks for your feedback! Even if I don't agree with all of it, it does help me to take a closer look at what I've done with some different eyes. (edited)

carcarchu

That's fair! You don't have to accept anything just my thoughts (i hope nothing i said was too harsh) for me thump thump is a dull sound whereas clip clop or clippity clop is a sharper and harsher sound

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

yeah, I think you're right about that

thump is more like a heartbeat

or someone falling on carpet or something

carcarchu

and as for the blush question i think there are ways to depict a similar emotion without relying on the blush itself as a short hand like the softening of the eyes, the shape of the eyebrows, looking down and heck even body language can help with this. expression is more than what is shown on just the face

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Thank you. I always feel like my characters look too stiff, like mannequins. ^^; I'm probably not going to completely redraw any old panels at this point, but I might make a few alterations to these panels to make it more consistent with later panels down the line.

carcarchu

i also noticed that a lot of your panels are the characters looking straight towards the "camera" and i would appreciate more varied angles and perspectives

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Particularly with the first ten pages, that is certainly true

I got that note before, but I didn't redraw every panel, only some which looked particularly bad.

carcarchu

personally i never edit old chapters unless i 1. forgot to draw something important 2. there's a huge typo 3. it's missing a panel

any critique you can just keep in your heart and implement if you choose to do so moving forward

keii'ii (Heart of Keol)

2. I really liked "what if it's mama?" - a lot of hints condensed there: family history, how the topic of deaths/ disappearances are handled around children (either in that family specifically, or in that culture), and also a moment that shows a glimpse of Agatha's sisterly love instead of having the readers assume it.

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

Really loving the comic so far! Right now, I'm most interested to learn about this family situation. I'm guessing their mother is dead or missing, but what about their father? I suppose his clothes were still in the house so maybe he just went out? Or maybe they're both missing and it was just fairly recent?

Also, the paint-y style of this comic is just incredible

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

https://media.tenor.com/images/878a64d90a1139bcb1e863ee29bfa929/tenor.gif

I'm so happy that you guys picked up on the clues about their mother. It alludes to some pretty plot heavy stuff that very few people have really commented on so far.

eli [a winged tale]

Oooh I’m so excited for your story Cronaj! Here are my answers~ 1) I love the beach scene! Maret with the shell is adorable and you established their relationship right away 2) Fav moment is probably the scene transition to our lad waking up with Agatha going about her day. It’s very peaceful and I’m a sucker for slice of life stuff. 3) Can’t pick just yet~ I like Agatha as a solid protagonist though. 4) More Agatha x mystery man please 5) I loooove the illustration aesthetics. Bold colours! 6) haven’t gotten to the core theme yet I’m sure but first impressions/meeting are always exciting. 7) I’m excited for what is to come. Can’t wait for the call to adventure. 8) Strength is definitely the art - beautiful and bold. Keep up the wonderful work!

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

@eli [a winged tale] Woah!!! You're the first person I've heard say that they like Agatha! She's mah girl! (And don't you worry, there will definitely be a lot more Agatha x Mystery Man ) Thanks for participating

eli [a winged tale]

she’s a solid sister!

sagaholmgaard

1. What did you like about the beginning of the comic? I like how the intro had a nice balance between art and text. Usually if there’s a lot of text on the first page I can get deterred from heading a comic, but here I think it worked really well! And the loverly painting of the ocean sunset also reeled me in and fit really well with the poetic text! 2. What has been your favorite moment in the comic (so far)? ”He’s the prettiest man I’ve ever seen!” LOL (and she’s right too…) 3. Who is your favorite character? I like the kid! But I’m excited to learn more about the other characters as the story goes on! 4. Which characters do like seeing interact the most? I liked Agatha and Mystery Man interacting, it felt very natural and I’m curious to see what comes of it. But the dialogue felt pretty strong which I gotta applaud 5. What is something you like about the art? If you have a favorite illustration, please share it! The beautiful shot of Mystery Man on the beach of course, lol! I love the way the hair is rendered, it really feels like it’s has weight and is spread out in the sand, if that makes sense? 6. What is a theme you like that the comic explores? It seems like it will explore a lot of interesting themes in the future, such as grief and finding where you belong, so again I’m interested to see what the story brings! I’m sure it’ll be good no matter what :D Overall I like what I’ve read so far! It’s not the type of art style I usually gravitate towards, but I can tell a lot of love is going into rendering and I think we’ll be seeing Crona’s art improve a lot as the story goes on, which is always exciting to see!

RebelVampire

What I like about the beginning of the comic, which also goes for what I like about the art in general, is the attention to detail in the background colors and lighting. I've never seen such a beautifully rendered (what I assume is) a sunset. It really makes everything have this great almost mystical atmosphere to it. In general, though, the art so far is definitely the comic's strength because you can see the sheer passion in every drop of it. My favorite moment so far is when Maret gives Izrekiel some flowers and then drags him off and he's just meekly protesting. It was both cute and comedic and the preciousness hurt my heart. This is also why this is my favorite pair of characters interacting so far. I think the age gap combined with the context of Izrekiel's situation is gonna lead to lots of awkwardness that I look forward to. As for fave character, though, I would have to go with Agatha right now. I don't know what it is about her, but everytime I see her I feel like I'm looking at an old soul. Like maybe someone who still has a lot to learn about the world, but is wise beyond her years in other regards. And it makes her a captivating character for me.

While I'm not sure if this will be an overall theme throughout, I like that the comic starts to deal with the theme of loss and hope. On one side you have Agatha who just kind of accepts loss and deals with it, and then you have Maret who just lives on in hope. And I kind of feel they represent two dynamic sides to the issue about whether its better to cling to hope or just move on and deal and how both can be harmful if not expressed in the correct way. As for overall story content, while we're not that deep in, I do like it starts with a multitude of mysteries cause mysteries are always great for making ppl want answers

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Since Crona said they were good with art critique: The main thing I noticed when I first saw the art was that, though lovingly rendered, the characters' faces and bodies are kind of stiff. They don't really scrunch up their eyes and faces when they emote- it's mostly just the eyebrows (this was especially noticable when Maret was crying, or on the latest page, first panel, where Agatha's face doesn't really match her body language or words). And characters often don't seem to twist their bodies as much as they should. Oh- also the same camera angles of faces and bodies are repeated a lot. Front, 3/4, and profile. It'd be cool to see some shots with foreshortening from above or below the characters. Also the lighting is pretty diffuse- the characters seem to be shaded about the same way, and with the same colors, regardless of the lighting situation. I can still tell where the light is coming from, because there are those strong bright highlights in the direction of the light, but other than the bright highlights everything else seems to be shaded as if there was another light source coming from straight ahead. Also, sometimes characters seem to lose their shadows? Like on this page https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/whispers-of-the-past/ch-1-what-the-waves-left-behind-pt-3/viewer?title_no=191366&episode_no=4 where Agatha doesn't cast a shadow on the man, or this page https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/whispers-of-the-past/ch-1-what-the-waves-left-behind-pt-8/viewer?title_no=191366&episode_no=10 where they're running.

Those things being said though, I was still very impressed by the sheer amount of effort put into this comic. 100 hours/ update is absolutely insane. And you pay so much attention to the inanimate objects of this world. It makes the story feel grounded. About what someone else said: I agree that the cartoonish blush looks out of place. But I disagree about Maret- I think she does look like a child. 5. Favorite illustration? Definitely Agatha's hands when making dough. Not a critique but just a question: I was confused on the location of the story. Where is this?

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Ooof. Finally got a chance to sit down and respond to all these comments. I keep rereading them over and over again, so thank you so much for sharing your thoughts everyone! I've noticed a few themes with what people have commented so far: Maret is most people's favorite character, the panel of Izrekiel on the beach is also very popular, and the theme of loss/grief is apparent to the readers (which I'm very happy about.)

@sagaholmgaard I'm glad that you mentioned the theme of "finding where you belong" too, because it is and will be a very prevalent theme in the comic. And reading your comment about how the dialogue seems natural made my day. I used to worry about how the dialogue came off constantly, and to hear that it's strong is so encouraging.

@RebelVampire As is expected, your comments are very thought-out. The interaction between Izrekiel and Maret after he falls from the window is one of my favorite moments so far as well. I'm happy that Izrekiel's behavior came off as meek in this scene, because that is one of the defining traits of his personality. I'm glad for another Agatha fan! She is such a fun (and difficult) character for me to portray. There are so many layers about her that even I am still discovering. She is definitely an old soul, and he experiences growing up have definitely matured her beyond her years. As I mentioned before, the theme of loss is definitely a major theme of the comic overall. And hope as well, since I think the two are very connected.

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

@Eightfish (Puppeteer) Thank you for offering your critiques! Character stiffness is definitely one of my major problems that I'm working at. I definitely see what you mean about Agatha's face in the latest update. Her eyebrows look painted on (pun not intended). I have been looking forward to having some more dynamic poses, especially foreshortening, but I do find it somewhat difficult when most of what the characters are doing so far are standing, sitting, talking, and maybe doing something with their hands. ^^; Hopefully, in the future, when more "action" happens, it will be easier to do this. As for bird's eye or worm's eye shots, I'm not gonna lie, I struggle with them so much. I had two bird's eye panels, and those took so much time, and I still don't know how I feel about them. If you have any tips for exercises, I would be so grateful. (Finding reference isn't always possible.) I also would love some tips/resources on how to get better at lighting. Again, lighting reference isn't always possible for specific panels, so it would help me a lot to learn how light works in general. OOOOOOF! I don't know how I missed the lack of shadow on Izrekiel in that panel. That was 100% a stupid oversight on my part. The scene with Agatha making dough had some of my personal favorite illustrations for a while. :) Also, your question about the location, I'm not entirely sure how to answer it?(edited)

It's a high fantasy story, so the location is entirely fictional.

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

The best I can answer that is to say that the story takes place in a country called Shai-Ryam, consisting of four major "districts" in a semi-tropical temperate peninsula called "The Aka Peninsula," named after the native people who originally lived there. As of right now, they are in a city called Gon Atam, a seaside village on the western shore of the Nuata District, near the Ocean of Saturuna. It is a city heavy in trade and with a long history, yet quaint and small due to a disaster several hundred years ago. It is only now being repopulated.

Comic Tea Party

DISCUSSION PROMPTS – PART 2

9. Where do you think Izrekiel comes from, and what is his past history that seems to haunt him? Additionally, how do you think he wound up with amnesia and seemingly abandoned by the sea?

10. How will Izrekiel’s past history affect events of the story? In particular, how will revelations about his past affect his relationship with Agatha and other characters?

11. How do you think Agatha’s life will change from her encounter with Izrekiel? Will it somehow lead her to a more exciting life? If so, will it make her miss her simpler life with her family?

12. What are the biggest questions you have so far and are hoping to see answered over the course of the story? Also, what do you think will happen in the story in general?

Don’t feel inspired by the prompts? Feel free to discuss anything else that interested you!

Ash🦀

9. Okay, so, here’s my theory. Just a guess. So Izrekiel is from a very war-friendly people up north who need land. Izzy just isn’t all about that life, but feels like he has no choice. Then he gets hurt fighting someone close to him (I’m putting money on brother or cousin who lives on the “wrong” side of things, hurt because he just couldn’t fight them at full strength. And then he realizes he can’t do it, while on the ship bound for new fight zones. His captain gets wind of it and is like “oh no I can’t let Mutiny Happen” so HeS all long ike “either fall in line or get off my ship” and Izzy is like “no I don’t wanna fight anymore heck you guys” and the captain proceeds to yeet him off the ship, leading him to the island, which, unbeknownst to him, is the next target. That’s my guess. Might be wildly off. He might be part mermaid. (Merman? Is mermaid gender neutral?) 10. Izzy or his bros probably killed one of Agatha’s family members, possibly the mom? Possibly violently? Which is why she never told babygirl what’s up. It’s probably going to be remembered in the buds of their relationship, hes going to try to hide it but it’ll come to light and she’s gonna be like “Izzy I hate you” and it’s going to make me cry. 11. She’s going to have a bread making partner in the end. They’re going to have adventures and go back to a domestic bread making existence, I speak it into being now /smacks table That may just be what I want to happen, though, as I very much enjoy bread making and wish others the same simple joy of giving dough a good smacking. 12. IS THE MOTHER REALLY A MERMAID OR WHAT Is Agatha a mermaid Are they like Selkies where they can come onto land a little Is babygirl a mermaid too(edited)

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Omg... I love reading these theories. I won't say you're wrong or right, but this is a riot. I'm thoroughly enjoying this.

FeatheryJustice

9. Pulls out my Crack Theory brain Okay, so Iz is actually not a very hot man, but actually a really hot princess, transformed into a man since she was exciled from her country but their rules are to give the exiled a new life so they shape shift them into something else. Iz got shifted into a man, and the lovely wide bare chest was because their top was lost to the ocean like how someone would lose their bathing suit top to the sea. Anyways, knowing nothing about themselves, Iz now lives their life as a man never remembering they were a princess in the first place. Ends Crack Theory 10. Don't know, can't say for now. 11. She could always politely kick him out later, so I can't say for now. XD 12. I want to know if there are monsters in this story or just like different species warring it out.

RT|NitghVision

^ I like this theory

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

@Cronaj (Whispers of the Past) Oh! I missed that it was high fantasy. I thought the story was historical fiction. No wonder mystery man has pointed ears. I was so confused- I kept thinking, oh, she looks Polynesian and lives by the ocean. But wait, her name is Agatha and she makes bread? And the houses look Japanese? What culture are her clothes from? The world being completely fictional explains all that. I think I was confused by the real names in a high fantasy story- you don't really see that a lot. Finding the right reference for lighting or pose is impossible for me. I have no tips. The only way I've found is to make my own references. I will sit in front of a window, or take a lamp into a dark room or something, and prop my phone up and take photos of myself in the poses and lighting direction I need. But hey, at least that way I don't have to worry about stealing someone else's work?

(i also like feathery's theory)

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

@FeatheryJustice Crack theories are best theories.

@Eightfish (Puppeteer) Oh! I had no idea you thought it was historical fiction No wonder you were confused! There's a lot of weird cultural-mixing shenanigans going on in the setting, and it's a bit confusing.

I should try that, for now the lighting has been primarily sunlight, or diffused sunlight (which I don't think I depicted correctly).

RebelVampire

Time to crack story theory. I don't know enough about the world to guess a name to where Izrekiel is from. However, wherever it's from, I get the impression its embroiled in a bloody war that is suffering heavy casualties. I imagine that Izrekiel mightve been in a battle and just wound up in the sea by circumstance - like maybe was taken as a prisoner of war and jumped overboard to escape. Something like that. As for the amnesia, well, Imma chock that up to PTSD cause the brief flashbacks we got don't look pleasant. However, I definitely think someone will come looking for him, and that these someone's will make trouble with the people he's just met - perhaps even forcing them to abandon their home with people in pursuit. And I'm sure as Izrekiel remembers more, others are going to really view him as potentially dangerous and blame him (but then get over it cause he's pretty O_O) Given that, I do think Agatha is gonna leave home because of Izrekiel's past running after them. I do think she's inevitably gonna miss the simpler life. Not to the point she won't rise to the challenge, but to the point that she's gonna be like "wait theres danger out here and i didnt even get a sword from an old man in a cave!" As for biggest questions, right now I'm just kind of hoping to see more of the world cause current world events really are gonna dictate a lot where the story could go.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Dude I was literally googling the names to see what country they were from because I thought they were from some obscure real island with a history of cultural mixing that I hadn't heard about before.

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Hahaha! Yeah, Agatha is an English name. Maret and Kelan (a character that hasn't been introduced yet) are Irish names. Aalia (another character that isn't introduced yet) is an Arabic name. Kehhasan (another character) is a made-up name. Izrekiel is a made-up name inspired by the biblical names Israel and Ezekiel (although technically it is often spelled in their alphabet as "Isarikieru," which has a particular meaning and pronunciation in an even older—fictional—language). Ryukou (another character), is a real-ish name, based off of the Japanese names "Ryu" and "Kou," which mean "dragon" and "peace/light" respectively. Four other characters have fictional names: Ia, Tammamori, Soro, Ghita (although technically it's a Greek name, that wasn't my inspiration). And of course there are hundreds of side characters with a combination of weird names and name origins.

Comic Tea Party

DISCUSSION PROMPTS – PART 3

13. What are you most looking forward to seeing in regards to the comic?

14. Any final words of encouragement for the comic?

Don’t feel inspired by the prompts? Feel free to discuss anything else that interested you!

Deo101 [Millennium]

So! I don't really do so well with answering questions, but I do want to say it's inspiring to me to see just how much WORK is put into this comic. It's really lovely to see so clearly how much you care for it. Just want to give some general words of encouragement, keep it up!

Ash🦀

I’m most looking forward to seeing more of Izzy how the story develops along with your painting. There are so many hints and peeks at the world, and I can’t really guess where it’s going. I feel like I already care for these characters, and I can’t wait to see their journey. I am also not good at encouragement, as generally I’m fueled by spite. But I just wanted to say, keep going! You got this! We believe in you!

eli [a winged tale]

Keep up the good work Cronaj! Your art is beautiful and I can’t wait till we start rolling into act 2!

FeatheryJustice

I'm excited to see what else comes up next!

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Thanks for all the kind words and encouragement everyone! I'm so happy to know that you are enjoying the story so far!

RebelVampire

I'm most looking to learning a bit more about the world structure I think. Since I think current events are really gonna hint at a lot what's going on. As for final words, this is an artistically wonderful comic with a lot of love put in, and I can only imagine how things will improve in the future!

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

I'm just really looking forward to seeing these characters grow! This is a beautiful comic, and I can't wait to get more of it!

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Before the book club ends, I just wanted to pop back in and say thank you to everyone for their participation. Your kindness, insight, and critiques will stay with me for years to come. I'm so happy to have found a supportive community of readers and fellow creators!

Comic Tea Party

BOOK CLUB END!

Thank you everyone so much for reading and chatting about Whispers of the Past this week! Please also give a special thank you to Crona J. for volunteering the comic and creating it! If you liked Whispers of the Past, make sure to continue to support it via some of the links below!

Read and Comment: https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/whispers-of-the-past/list?title_no=191366

Crona J.’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cronasonlyfriend

Crona J.’s Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/cronaj

Crona J.’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/CronajArt

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