Staring Love ~ There's a Kind of Hush, Part 2
1704 Words
Friday.
Again, it's another plain vanilla day, with nothing significant or exciting happening today.
That is, until I get home early, way ahead of Harumi (because she told me earlier she would be on a quick errand to restock her food).
So to pass the hours away, I'm just chilling in the sofa, watching random online videos on my phone (which I did roughly three months ago).
And look what I just found!
A video posted by “The Infernal Gunner Mods” a mere 30 minutes ago!
Basically, it's a summary video of Soren's Japan trip, enumerating all the deals he got, and of course, mentioning those who have helped him all the way – me and Harumi included, of course.
He then segues into a quick build video of a portable system that utilizes a lunchbox-looking case, with handle and all, that can fit at most a micro-ATX motherboard and a full-sized ATX power supply.
He explained that this build is perfect for certain types of people who can't afford an expensive laptop nor lug around a full-sized system while traveling – indie game developers who participate in onsite game jams, photographers and video editors covering events, and DJs jamming at concerts and such.
Since the case has some limited cooling options (owing to the fact that it's a decade old), he wisely does some mods to fit two 120 mm fans – one for intake, one for exhaust.
He even lists the price for the build, since he plans to sell it himself.
The planned selling price is $200, or more than 21,000 yen.
Harumi and I are forever grateful to grace your presence, Soren.
The next video I'm watching is simply titled “Book or Film?”
This is an allusion to the fact that many adaptations of books to the big screen are either epics... or epic fails.
There are solid arguments on both sides on the debate.
On the side of those who prefer the film adaptations, they very much prefer the story going at a steady pace without being bogged down by lots of expositions, which the originals carry a lot due to their express purpose of helping shape the imagination of the readers. While some details will be sacrificed due to the limitations of the medium itself, viewers are fine with having the details realized on the big screen; and it's up to the cinematographers, props designers, set designers, costume designers, and other related personnel to help shape those descriptions into reality.
On the side of those who prefer the originals, adaptations will always suffer from some form of dilution, as some details are understandably and unfortunately left out as stated above. And then, there are some film adaptations which cut out some characters and replace them with movie-exclusive ones, and these more often than not catch the ire of some die-hard fans of the books. There are also fans of the books who anticipate for the film adaptation, only for the actual product to fall short of their usually lofty expectations.
In the end, the author of the video boils down the answer to personal preferences. If one wants convenience, they can go for the films. If one wants immersion, they can go for the books. And there are those who take the third route and prefer them both to double their enjoyment and understanding, and it's also a valid choice to make.
I pretty much agree with the author of the video. Debates on adaptations can get pretty ugly at times, and it's about time the voices of the sane fans must be heard.
After a few short clips, Harumi's back.
“Oh, hi again, Harumi!”
“Sorry if I'm a bit late. There was quite a long line at the supermarket.”
The time now's 6:01 pm. There's still enough room for the power hour.
So after Harumi organizes her goods, another familiar face is back.
“Good evening, Saya!”
“Sorry if I'm quite late. My shift today has been quite longer than I expected.”
“Let's wait a bit for Harumi to arrive, and we'll set the storytelling session at 6:05.”
“OK!”
It's now 6:05 pm. We three gather at the my unit's living room coffee table for the continuation of the aftermath of the prom.
***
Where we last left the story, I was showing Noemi the pictures of the just-concluded prom.... in her own room.
“Wow, I never thought they would all look stunning in their own evening gowns.”
“Bet you didn't know that those gowns were all hand-me-downs from the moms of the three girls, but understandably modified to fit the bodies of the girls themselves.”
“That's great. To be honest, Saya is the best-looking ever, though Anya and Ruriko deserve praise, too. Those dresses shouldn't stay in the closets forever, you know.”
“Say, you have one right now?”
“Hmm... better check my closet first.”
She then searched her closet for something close to the definition of an evening gown, while I still clutched the handle of the fancy shopping bag that contained the things I wanted to give to her.
Five minutes later...
She was holding a midnight blue sleeveless dress, draped with colorful lines that somehow come out of a van Gogh painting.
She explained...
“My parents bought this for me two years ago, but I've never had any use for it since then. But now, with your invitation to next year's prom... I'll surely wear it with pride!”
“Then why not have a trial run of it tonight? I'll also wear the same outfit I wore yesterday.”
“Please do, Gunpei!”
“Thanks, And before I forget... a little something for you.”
I proffer her the shopping bag with the goodies inside.
“Wow! Discount coupons and novels?”
“Yup. They're part of the prizes me and the girls won at the prom. You deserve them, as an honorary member of the so-called 'harem'.”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
She hugged me again, knowing that her disappointment at not being at the prom was dissipated.
***
Saya adds some more details to my story.
“Ah, I remember it now. Noemi wanted to have an informal prom with you... and us three... that Saturday night. But then, you didn't state where to hold it in the first place.”
I reply to her, “Yeah, I had no idea where to start.”
“Good thing I came into the picture to fill in that void. I then proposed to you, Noemi, Anya, and Ruriko that we should all hold the event at... Murakami Shore.”
Murakami Shore? Yup, that's the shore that encompasses the entire coastline of Sango-minato.
“Yeah, that's a great place. Silly me for not thinking of that place beforehand. What was on my mind was the Shiokaze Trail, and not the shore itself.”
Harumi cuts in.
“Yeah. I can imagine that place being the perfect place for weddings and such.”
I then return to my narration.
“Well anyway, the rest of Saturday – that is, before that auspicious night, was quite a mixed bag. While I could certainly feel something good in the air... I had to... ugh... secure a permit from the mayor first. But then, I had to bite the bullet if I want that occasion to proceed without a hitch.”
Harumi reacts.
“Usually, in an exam, you would concentrate on the hardest parts first; so that if you ever fail them, you can always make up for the easier parts you'll eventually nail.”
“Yeah, you're right. Moving on.”
***
I eventually secured a permit from the mayor; and to my surprise, he was glad, and not incensed, at my proposal. He even stated that due to other high school juniors and seniors learning of what happened at the prom, they're even proposing informal proms of their own.
Leaving the city hall triumphant, I could feel a kind of something transpiring all over the town tonight.
And you know what I mean, of course.
With the worst then over, the four of us went back to our own homes, preparing for the auspicious night.
On my end, I started chilling off by watching a musical variety show.
Oh, there were a group of guitarists singing a classic love song.
A love song that was... strangely appropriate for what would be happening tonight.
Good thing there were no saxophones, because saxophones are and should be meant for lovemaking only.
After a brief lunch of beef stew and rice, I set out in searching for the song on legal music platforms.
Fortunately, I found it.
It turned out that this classic is as classic as it can be, as it was released back in 1967, or more than 50 years ago.
Even with its simple instrumentation and somewhat short length, this song sure is timeless.
Timeless enough for me to buy a visual novel with the money I won back at the prom.
So off to the local video game store I go.
In the visual novel section, I was disgusted.
Disgusted at the titles on offer.
Most of those games focused on... themes that should absolutely not be discussed at length in public, lest I would be slapped with an obscenity charge.
What were those makers thinking?!
Thankfully, the memory of the song was still fresh in my mind.
With lyrics that portray simple, unadulterated love being felt by people all over the world, with a simple gesture of getting closer to each other and whispering the three magic words.
Aha! Thanks to that song, I found the metaphorical diamond in the rough!
The game is titled A Thousand-year Love; and based on the title alone, only the purest of romantic relationships are being portrayed here. None of the nasty stuff, thank goodness.
I happily paid 5,000 yen (about $47) for this fresh copy.
***
“And the rest is history. The game now proudly sits in my own humble game collection, and I'm still playing it as we speak.”
Saya reacts... “Well, I know you to be the one that owns a handful of those... gal games... even though you had a girlfriend of your own!”
“Come on! That's freaking embarrassing!”
Harumi finally has the last word.
“You know what else is embarrassing? Running out of time for this storytelling session! Normally, we'll resume the session Monday next week, but seeing as Saya is ecstatic to join us again...”
“Yes, yes, Harumi, I'm indeed ecstatic.”
“We'll dedicate a special session tomorrow afternoon. Are you fine with it, Saya?”
“Absolutely. It's my day off, if you want to know.”
“Great! Now I'll get to hear the epic conclusion of this long-winded prom saga!”
“W-what saga?!”
Man, Harumi tends to over-blow stuff.
We eventually bid goodbye to Saya as she agreed to set the special session at 4pm tomorrow.
Speaking of Saya...
I wonder what's up with Anya and Ruriko nowadays?
- Writer
