Do You Remember Love?

In spite of my reduced activity in Lemuria of phosphorescent, I managed to achieve the title of God Slayer just before the release of 天秤のLa DEA。~戦女神MEMORIA~. There's no connection between the two games whatsoever, but I feel like my life is now complete.

Eriri is going to crash and burn in the next volume, isn't she?

Here I thought 冴えない彼女の育て方 was just going to be fairly uneventful albeit harmlessly fun, but Maruto sure showed me that it's quite not the case. While the latest volume can be seen as a nice gesture from Maruto to fans of Eriri, Megumi distancing herself from Tomoya and the rest of their doujin circle ends the story on a rather solemn note. The worst part is probably the fact that the next volume is going to be a series of short stories, because the editor asked Maruto to buy some time before the anime airs. Really now? It's pretty hard to imagine that they won't butcher Kurehito's fluid art style, which had drawn me in well before I knew of Maruto's involvement. I'm such a sucker.

For those unfamiliar with the series, 冴えない彼女の育て方 is authored by Fumiaki Maruto, a veteran scenario writer who is probably best known for penning White Album 2 these days, and illustrated by Kurehito Misaki. The story follows Tomoya Aki, an otaku whose chance encounter with a beautiful girl during the spring break inspires him to make a doujin game with a heroine based on the girl. A month later, Tomoya finds out that the girl is actually his classmate Megumi Katou, an ordinary girl with no notable features. Joining Tomoya on his project are his childhood friend and doujin artist Eriri Spencer Sawamura, his senior and popular light novel writer Utaha Kasumigaoka, and his cousin Michiru Hyoudou who is the vocalist and guitarist of icy tail. Together they form the doujin circle Blessing Software and youthful shenanigans ensue. Currently they are working hard to finish up their game before the Winter Comiket deadline.

Volume 6 opens up with Utaha sexually harassing Tomoya, again, and an overreacting Eriri bursting onto the scene, again. Megumi arrives unusually late and Utaha notes that something is different about Megumi, though Tomoya and Eriri are both completely oblivious to the subtle changes in Megumi. "Trap-mode" Utaha asks Megumi if some big event had happened to her and deduces that it's got something to do with boys. Megumi admits that she has just been confessed to, while Utaha tells Tomoya that she has been confessed to many times since attending high school and Eriri chimes in with some three-digit number.

The group moves to a cafe and discusses about what course of action a main character would take if the heroine becomes troubled by the confessions she receives. Utaha asks Tomoya to give some specific monologues of the main character. Tomoya does so and Utaha tells him to try some more sentimental lines. He makes a start and she asks him to repeat after her but alters the line to make it sound like he's confessing to her. Tomoya notices this and asks Utaha about the voice recorder on the table. Utaha says she's using it to record information to fill herself with inspiration, but Eriri, who is sitting at another table since she and Utaha dislike each other, asks if Utaha is really filling herself up with "inspiration" and not something else. They briefly play some verbal tennis before going back to the main topic. Eventually Utaha asks Megumi how she would respond to being confessed to by someone other than the main character - a seemingly appropriate question for Megumi, who is the model for the main heroine in the group's upcoming game, but is really aimed at getting the details about Megumi's confession earlier. Megumi asks Utaha if she's been a little impatient lately. Megumi sounds worried, but Utaha doesn't take this kind of unnecessary concern very well and looks at Megumi even seriously than before. Megumi says that she did get an confession, but the guy changed his mind immediately after she told him that "the Winter Comiket is near so right now it's a bit (difficult for me to be seeing someone)". Everyone is surprised. Megumi blushes and asks Tomoya if she had become an otaku.

Tomoya's cousin Michiru, who is in charge of the game soundtrack, plays a new ending song she has just composed before the group at Tomoya's house. Tomoya is moved to tears by the song and decides to include it in the game, despite the tremendous work involved in changing the game data. He lies to Michiru and says one or two songs won't be a big deal. Michiru asks Tomoya if finishing developing the game will really make everyone happy. Tomoya gives her a positive answer but Michiru tells him that their group can easily collapse due to some trivial things. Tomoya says that like Michiru has told him before, he will keep the circle running no matter what. He will watch over everything they have done together. He thinks to himself that after all this time, he can't go back to being a consumer otaku who just watches anime and plays games. Utaha will be graduating soon, and she will definitely be very busy with her own life. It doesn't have to every day or forever, it will be fine if they could get together once in a while like a class reunion or a rock band that reunites after decades. Michiru says Megumi also seems to think the same way as Tomoya. She tells him that their circle has come this far all thanks to Megumi and then cryptically says that Megumi is their strongest ally but also their biggest enemy. Tomoya ponders about Michiru's words in the bath and finds himself on the receiving end of her wrestling moves once he returns to his room.

Eriri comes to Tomoya's room the next morning and sees him and Michiru in a compromising position, though Michiru is just trying to put some patches on her cousin's back. Eriri says she has something to discuss with Tomoya and asks Michiru to leave. They bicker for a bit and Michiru eventually gives in, though she just goes to the room corner and plays the guitar with headphones on. Eriri says Tomoya is surrounded by nymphomaniacs like Utaha and Michiru. She tells him that compared with them, she is the kind of person who carefully plans and develops her creative work. Tomoya thinks her doujinshi does feel like it's been well thought-out from the very beginning. Eriri goes on to boast about how she thoroughly plans the premises, plot points, endings, number of pages, situations, number of ejaculations and orgasms and so on. Tomoya cuts her off before she can continue. Getting to the main topic, Eriri says she's going to lock herself away in her family mansion on the Nasu Highlands for a week and complete the game illustrations. She tells Tomoya that she will contact him at least once a day and asks him to believe in her who believes in him. Before leaving, Eriri says that she will stay in touch with him, text him every day, and that she'll definitely come back to this town where Tomoya is. Tomoya says he understands and will wait for her. Eriri jokes that their conversation sounded like one between a couple in a long distance relationship. Tomoya suddenly feels a tiny bit of worry despite being hopeful and believing in Eriri. He becomes strangely emotional before realizing it's because Michiru is strumming away the theme song of 5 Centimetres Per Second on her guitar.

Initially things seem to be going smoothly for Eriri, who's making good progress. Megumi becomes concerned when she learns that Eriri has isolated herself to work on the game. She suggests that they should go to check on Eriri on Saturday and come back together on Sunday - Eriri's planned deadline. Tomoya says he will be busy with the master-up of the game so Megumi has to go without him. Megumi says in that case she won't go either because she can't leave him to do everything on his own.

The next day Tomoya's junior Izumi asks him out and gives him a copy of her (and her brother's) circle rouge en rouge's new game. Izumi says illustrating for the game put her under a lot of pressure, and she'd like Tomoya to play it and give her his impressions. Tomoya says he will and hopes Izumi will play his game once it's done as well. There is some intense rivalry between Eriri and Izumi, who practically demonizes Eriri. Whenever Eriri is mentioned, the normally sweet Izumi becomes wild and enraged by fantasies in which she is terrorized by Eriri. Tomoya says they won't lose to Izumi and they wish each other luck in the Winter Comiket.

On the third day, Eriri finishes the last illustration for Ruri's route in the game and begins to conceptualize drawings for the grand route. Utaha meets up with Tomoya and shamelessly reads through his and Eriri's messages. Utaha says that Tomoya has made a grave mistake leaving Eriri on her own with the deadline so close. Utaha warns him that Eriri will soon start breaking under the pressure and run away. Tomoya says that Eriri won't lose herself because she always plans each of her steps carefully. Utaha is angered by what Tomoya thinks are "praise" for Eriri. Utaha says he's misjudging Eriri as an artist who is always in control and will not push herself beyond her limits. She tells him that it's silly how someone like her who doesn't like Eriri has a better opinion of the artist than Tomoya, who should understand Eriri the most.

Eriri makes no progress the next day and sends Tomoya an apologetic message. He realizes that she's become self-accusing just like Utaha has predicted. He goes to school and Megumi asks him about Eriri. Tomoya says he hasn't received any reply from her, and the grand route has no illustrations yet. He asks Megumi why she became close friends with Eriri (they didn't get along in the beginning), she says it was during that time at Rokuten Mall (epilogue 1 of the second volume). Megumi says that the real Eriri is someone who will never betray the person she's opened up to, and asks Tomoya to believe in Eriri regardless of the past. Tomoya says that Eriri is still deceiving those around her by hiding her otaku side. Megumi tells him that Eriri's cover will likely be blown soon because of her friendship with Megumi, who is seen as Tomoya's "subordinate". Tomoya says that everything will be fine as long as Eriri denies the rumours, but Megumi informs him that Eriri has never tried to defuse any of the rumours and won't say anything when asked about her relationship with Tomoya. She believes that Tomoya and Eriri will be able to get over the past and truly mend their relationship. Megumi says that she will go to the Nasu Highlands if Tomoya doesn't hear anything from Eriri by Saturday. She tells Tomoya to stay at home and work on the game, but his mind is a mess and he fails to register Megumi's words.

Tomoya gets a message from Eriri at 4AM on Saturday, saying she saw the ocean today and she's not afraid any more (a famous line from Kana -Imouto-). Except that there's no ocean in Tochigi. Worried, Tomoya calls her and she tells him that she sent the message because she thought he too will soon be facing difficult choices. He asks her about her progress, Eriri says she will probably make it in time and she has some nice ideas from yesterday. She tells Tomoya that up until now she has always drawn people and backgrounds on separate layers, and then goes on and on about how she's trying out a new style akin to oil and watercolour painting as if she's in a trance. Tomoya becomes increasingly alarmed and asks her how many drawings she has done. Eriri says she hasn't drawn anything yet and she's not sure of how many she wants to draw. She tells Tomoya not to worry but he says it's too reckless. Eriri enthusiastically says she can do it, which disturbs Tomoya even more because this Eriri is completely different from the Eriri he knows. He tells her not to push herself too hard. She asks him what he's trying to say and gets angry when he says that he will remove the grand route if they ran out of time. Eriri says she really loves the grand route and while the writing is poor, she was really moved by the ending. She says she is a diehard fan of happy endings, just like Tomoya, who notes that the two of them are soul mates (when it comes to anime and games). He wants to visit her the next day and asks her if she wanted something. Eriri tells him not to come but says she does want to see him. She blames him for calling her and making her feel lonely. She asks him to cheer her up and he does so, though not quite in the same way she had wanted.

Forty hours later, Eriri calls Tomoya and says she's just finished everything. With 7 illustrations completed in a day and half, she's broken her personal record. Tomoya notices that she seems unnaturally excited and asks her if she's checked her temperature. Eriri says she's fine but suddenly she starts to feel cold. Tomoya knows that it's because she has just been released from all the stress and pressure, which have kept her distracted from her sickness. She asks him when he's coming and Tomoya says she's told him not to visit. Eriri says they have made a promise to catch incests together during the summer break. Tomoya realizes that she's losing it, so he asks her to hang up and call a doctor immediately. Eriri says she will be alright but faints from her fever in the end.

Insert here a brief non-chronological interlude in which Eriri wakes up and desperately tries to send the CGs but ends up stepping on Tomoya who is lying on her bedroom floor.

Back to the present. Tomoya rushes to the Nasu Highlands but realizes that he can't afford to pay tens of thousands yen worth of taxi fare. He contacts Izumi's brother and his rival Iori for help - and some help he gets. Iori arranges to take Tomoya to Nasu in his BMW and prepares medicines and a bunch of essential daily items for Eriri, though not without causing some misunderstanding by asking Tomoya about Eriri's three sizes. Iori says he's happy that Tomoya's asked him for help, it reminds him of the time back in middle school. Tomoya thanks Iori but tries to act tough by saying that he's only asked Iori for help because the latter is loaded and spends money rather freely, otherwise he wouldn't have come to someone like Iori.

Iori says Tomoya is not acting like himself, because normally he would have relied on his friends in these situations. Tomoya says Eriri getting sick is unexpected and he's not clever or calm like Iori. The rich boy says he's heard from Izumi that Tomoya's game is huge (2MB+ script, over 30 music tracks and more than 100 CGs). Tomoya replies that it happened due to his bad management. Iori remarks just what a circle formed by a bunch of high school students for fun thinks they are doing. Tomoya says they are not fooling around, prompting Iori to ask him why he's going to Nasu and not staying at home finishing up the game if he's serious about his circle. Iori wonders why Tomoya is giving up in the very end. Tomoya says it can't be helped since Eriri is sick. Iori asks Tomoya why he didn't choose the best solution - saving both the game and Eriri, by asking someone else to go to Nasu. Tomoya says it's because Eriri is in a lot of pain right now. Iori again tells Tomoya that he should just let the other members take care of Eriri. Tomoya says he can't trouble the others. He thinks to himself that he can't ask Utaha because of her and Eriri's mutual dislike for each other, and Michiru is no good either because Eriri doesn't like her. He doesn't want to trouble Megumi because he's always pushed and dragged her around. Iori however points out that Tomoya really just wants to hoard Eriri all to himself. Tomoya is stunned by Iori's statement and unable to refute him.

At the Sawamura mansion, Iori and his driver help Tomoya carry things inside the house. Iori gives Tomoya a contact number and says that he's got in touch with people in the business in order to buy some time for Tomoya to deliver his game. Tomoya apologizes and thanks Iori.

Eriri asks Tomoya about the game as he tries his best to change the subject. She becomes extremely upset when she finds out that Tomoya has abandoned the project to look after her. He says that between finishing the game and taking care of a sick patient, it's obvious which one people should choose. Eriri says that people would obviously choose both. Tomoya thinks everyone around him lacks common sense. She tells him to go back but he says it's already too late. She asks him if he's letting all of their hard work for the past 6 months go to waste. Tomoya says it's the same if they release the full game some time other than this Winter Comiket, but thinks to himself that what he's telling Eriri contradicts everything he's done so far for their project. Eriri calls him an idiot and lets out some desperate screams.

Eriri ends up crying for the next two hours or so. Tomoya says they can still release the game at Comiket, but the most they can manage to produce before the event is about 100 copies. Eriri says she won't be able beat Izumi like this. Tomoya tells her that there's no need to fight any more because her illustrations are the best he's seen in the whole year. She asks him if her art is better than Izumi's, and Tomoya says it is. He apologizes to Izumi in his mind but says that he's not lying to Eriri - he really likes her art.

Tomoya's compliments are enough to cheer Eriri up and the next part is basically the two spending some quality time together watching anime and so on. On Christmas Day, Tomoya and Eriri play Little Love - Rhapsody, a famous otome game, together. Eriri says she will apologize to everyone when they go back. Tomoya says they should do it together but Eriri tells him it's okay, she wants to do it by herself because it's the first time she's failed to meet the deadline. She's been too caught up with the quality of her work that she's ended up ruining everyone's goal. She says that it's her fault, her responsibility, and it's all because of her pride - as if it's being said by the princess in the game. Eriri holds Tomoya's hand and rests her head on his shoulder. She apologizes to him, twice, though Tomoya is uncertain what the second sorry is for. He thinks that even if he asked Eriri, she probably won't give him a clear answer. He keeps quiet and presses the game controller to make the hero speak the last line.

"Merry Christmas, Elly (Eriri)"
"Merry Christmas, Selvice (Tomoya)"

Just like that, Christmas comes to an end. After eight years, the two childhood friends are finally able to reconcile with each other.

On the day of the Winter Comiket, Eriri apologizes to everyone in the circle one by one. Utaha says she doesn't really mind if Tomoya is okay with what has happened, because she's credited together with him as TAKI UTAKO, which she claims to be her and Tomoya's lovey-dovey pen name in the game. Utaha tells Eriri that the twin-tail girl's illustrations far exceeded her expectations, an embarrassed Eriri thanks Utaha but gets mad when the latter tries to record Eriri confessing about reading her light novel. Michiru tells Eriri that there's no need for her to apologize. Megumi accepts her friend's apology. Eriri asks Megumi how she feels about Tomoya. Eriri herself says that she thinks of Tomoya as a dear friend. Megumi asks if she's okay with that. Eriri says she's fine with it because Megumi is also her dear friend. Megumi tells Eriri that the last picture she drew for the game is amazing and it may just be Eriri's big break. Tomoya and Eriri admit defeat to the Hashima siblings, though Iori says that it's not quite over yet as they can still make proper copies for the store version. Iori gets a call from Akane Kousaka, the founder of his circle rouge en rouge. Akane tells Iori that it is him who has lost and asks him if he's played Tomoya's game yet.

Winter and drama go hand in hand

After the event, the group plans to stop by somewhere for tea. Tomoya goes back to Megumi, who appears to be unfamiliar with using a roller bag and is falling behind everyone else. Tomoya finds her in the crowds, though Megumi says it's fine if he didn't come back to look for her. He thanks her for everything and apologizes for messing it up in the end. Megumi says it can't be helped and that Tomoya's made the right choice. Tomoya thinks that it's really like Megumi to remain so cool. He tells Megumi that they are going towards the Yurikamome direction.

"I'm going home now."

Just when Tomoya thinks he can spend some time with Megumi, she tells him that she's going in the Rinkai line direction. He notices a slight difference in her usual reserved tone. She tells him that she's going back early because it's New Year's Eve. He says that everyone is just going to have lunch together and will be dismissed in the evening. Megumi says she can't go today. Tomoya asks her if she's upset that they weren't able to sell the full edition of their game at Comiket. Megumi says it's regrettable but it can't be helped because Eriri was sick. She asks Tomoya why he didn't talk to her about the deadline, about Eriri, or about giving up on the Winter Comiket. Tomoya finds it hard to believe, but there is a hint of anger and sadness in Megumi's characteristic "flat" tone.

Megumi says she is not against prioritizing Eriri's well-being, because she would have done the same thing. However, Tomoya didn't say anything to her and made the decisions himself. Tomoya says to himself that it's because Eriri pushing herself and falling sick were his fault; and though Iori had bought time for him to complete the game, he still chose to give up. Megumi asks him if it's because he thinks that she will choose Comiket over Eriri. She tells Tomoya that she believes he did the right thing, and she considers him a friend; but precisely because she thinks of him as a friend, she can't forgive him for what he did this time. She remarks that she's not like her usual self at all and walks away after apologizing to Tomoya.

For the next two months, Megumi remains distant to Tomoya and hasn't been coming to their circle. Meanwhile their game has become quite a hot topic on the internet and the store version sells out almost immediately. Eriri plans to change the package artwork for the next batch of games. She wants to use the new style she's discovered before the Winter Comiket. She invites Tomoya to go out and play together once she finishes drawing. Tomoya notes that even though Utaha has graduated and he's not getting along with Megumi, he will continue the circle. He also vows to make a new game. The volume ends with Eriri finding herself unable to reproduce the art style she had developed in Nasu.

Maruto strikes again. Rest in peace Eriri.