02x23 - Beginning of a Dream

[bunniefuu]

I told you, this is making

the gyro too sensitive.

If you want to prioritize visual tracking,

you've got to leave a little more wiggle room

in these parameters.

But then wouldn't there be a lag

with any sudden movement?

For that, you'll have to hope

the optimization program's training kicks in, Kazu.

Hey, how much longer?

Lunch break will be over soon!

For now, let's assume

the initial settings are good to go.

Uh... Ms. Yuuki? Can you hear me?

Yes! I can hear you loud and clear!

Good. All right, I'm gonna initialize

the lens area now, so...

...call out to me at the point

that your vision clears.

Right! Roger that!

There!

All right, we're done here.

Asuna.

Just in case, I've equipped it with a stabilizer,

but try not to move too suddenly.

Roger!

I've been walking in the light all this time

I've been following footprints

that didn't exist until yesterday

Although I've been in a maze with no goal,

with a map drenched in rain

I have no regrets at all

If I cry out

I'm sure my voice will reach you

The sound of the bell in the beginning of the story

Will connect us during our journey

The future world that you envisioned

Will lead you to a sky of that day

And will make our dream come true

and even go beyond miracles

The future world that you envisioned

Exists somewhere even now

Let's add layers of our dream

and reach the true pure light

Ah on give for my way

"The Dream Begins"

Wow! It's such a huge school!

Sorry, Yuuki...

I meant to give you a tour of the school first,

but lunch break's about to end.

That's okay! I'm really looking forward

to sitting in on class, too!

Okay!

Then let's go say hello to the teacher

for our next class!

"Faculty Room"

"Faculty Room"

What's wrong?

Um... I've always dreaded going into them...

Faculty rooms.

Don't worry! None of the teachers in this school

act like normal teachers anyway!

Excuse me!

E-Excuse me!

About that matter I consulted you about

the other day...

Right, it's fine with me.

Uh... what was

the student's name again?

Uh, right--Yuuki!

I'm Yuuki Konno.

Ms. Konno. If you like, you may

attend my classes regularly from now on.

We're starting Akutagawa's

"A Lorry" today, you see.

And that story falls flat

unless you read it to the end!

Y-Yes, sir! Thank you very much!

Yes... yes.

Excuse me!

Ms. Yuuki... what's that?

How did you know my name?

No, no--that's my last name!

Oh, I see! Sorry about that!

This is Yuuki Konno.

She's in the hospital right now

and can't leave her room,

so we've arranged

to have her attend class like this.

I'm Yuuki! I'll be joining you for a short time!

--Wow!

--Nice to meet you!

I'm Kota! Nice to meet you!

Yes! Nice to meet you!

Nice to meet you!

Stand.

Bow.

Sit.

All right, today we're going to start

on page in your textbooks...

We'll be reading

Ryunosuke Akutagawa's "A Lorry."

Now, then, let's have someone

read it out loud from the beginning.

Ms. Yuuki Konno?

Can I ask you to do the honors?

--Huh?

--What?

U-Uh...

--Is that not possible?

--N-No, I can read it!

Yuuki... Can you read it?

Of course. I may not look it,

but I happen to be a bookworm!

"Construction on the light railway

between Odawara and Atami began

when Ryohei was eight years old.

Everyday, Ryohei would head to the outskirts of town

to watch this construction work.

The construction, or rather,

merely the transport of soil by lorry,

that was the sight

that drew him to watch.

There were two laborers aboard the lorry,

standing behind the soil they'd loaded.

Since the lorry was headed down the mountain,

it would roll down unaided by manpower.

Seeing the chassis swinging,

the sleeves of the laborers' coats flapping,

the narrow rails bending,

As he gazed upon these sights, Ryohei sometimes

wished that he could become a laborer.

He would also wish at times that he could

ride the lorry with the laborers, if only once."

Yuuki, you're so good

at reading out loud!

Hey, have you already

toured the school?

Why don't we show her around?

--H-Hold on a second...

--Are you into soccer?

Thanks, you guys!

Oh, wow, that was fun!

I'm so glad!

Asuna, I really want to thank you for today.

I had such a blast!

I'm never gonna forget what I did today,

no matter what.

What are you talking about?

The teacher told you it was okay

to come everyday, remember?

We have Modern Japanese class

during third period tomorrow, got that?

You'd better not be late!

Yeah.

Anyway, is there anything else

you want to see?

Um... Well, you see...

There's just one place I'd like to go.

Where?

This is such a beautiful town, huh, Yuuki?

The sky seems so spacious here!

Yeah.

Sorry, Asuna.

Making you humor me like this...

Is your family okay with this?

Hey, no worries! I just texted home...

Come on, Yuuki!

Where is it that you want to go?

Um...

Tsukimidai... could it be around here?

Yeah. There's a white house

around the corner up there... Stop in front of it.

This is your house, isn't it, Yuuki?

Yeah.

I never thought I'd ever see it again.

Thanks, Asuna. For bringing me

all the way here.

Do you want to go inside?

No, no, this is enough for me.

Come on! We should head back now,

or you'll be late.

Oh, I'll be all right

for another few minutes.

We only lived in this house

for a little more than a year...

But I remember each and every day

from that time so clearly.

My sister and I always used to run around

and play on that lawn.

We'd have barbecues,

and we even built bookshelves with Dad!

Those were good times.

Lucky you...

Yeah, but this house

is going to be torn down.

Why?

My aunt says she wants to put

a convenience store here, or sell the property.

No way...

That's why I wanted to see it

one more time before that happened.

Then here's what you should do!

Huh?

Yuuki, you're fifteen now, right?

When you turn sixteen,

marry someone you're in love with!

And then that person

will take care of this house forever!

Asuna, you have the wildest ideas!

But unfortunately,

I don't have a husband lined up!

R-Really? But you and Jun

look pretty cute together.

What? No way, no way!

A child like that won't do!

Let's see...

Um...

Hey, Asuna, want to marry me?

But if you do,

you'll have to be my wife, okay?

Because if it were the other way around,

my name would be Yuuki Yuuki, you know?

Yeah, but two girls...

My bad, I was just kidding!

After all, you already have

a special someone, right?

Well... uh... I guess...

You should be careful, though.

Because although it's

in a different way than me,

he seems to be living in a place

other than the real world.

Really, thanks so much, Asuna.

Just being able to see this house again...

I couldn't be more satisfied!

Back when we lived in this house,

after prayers, Mom used to say this

to me to and my sister.

"God would never subject us

to suffering that we couldn't bear."

But I was just a little bit resentful.

Rather than quote from the bible, what I really wanted

was for Mom to talk to us in her own words.

But you know... seeing this house

one more time, I get it now.

It wasn't with words.

Mom was enveloping us

with her feelings.

So that I could walk a straight path,

facing forward, till the end.

All that time, she was praying for me.

I finally understand that now.

Me, too... I... I haven't been able

to hear my mom's voice for the longest time.

Even if we speak face to face,

I can't hear what's in her heart.

And my words never reach her, either.

Yuuki, you told me

something once, remember?

"There are things that you can't communicate

unless you clash."

How can I become strong like you?

But I'm not strong or anything... not at all.

That's not true!

You're not like me, trying to gauge people's feelings,

being intimidated, flinching...

You don't do any of that, Yuuki!

You look so incredibly natural.

Yeah, but...

Back when I lived in the real world,

I think I was always playing a role that wasn't me.

I didn't want to make my mom and dad feel sad,

so I thought that I always had to be cheery.

Yuuki...

But... This is what I think.

So what if it's acting?

If that helps me to go on smiling even a little longer,

then it shouldn't matter at all!

I mean, since I don't have much time left...

It seems like such a waste of time to hold back...

I can't help feeling that way.

Why not just start out

by clashing with people with a bang?

I don't care if the other person hates me.

It's still the same as being able to get real close

to the other person's heart, right?

You're right.

It was because you did

that for me, Yuuki,

that we were able to get so close

in just a few days, right?

No, that wasn't thanks to me.

Even after I ran away, you did everything

you could to pursue me--that's why.

So why don't you try talking to your mother

like you did with me that time?

I think feelings are sure to reach the other person

if you just try to communicate them.

Don't worry! You're way stronger

than I am, after all! I mean it!

Yuuki...

It's because you clashed

right against me

that I knew you were the one

I could entrust my whole self with.

You made me feel that way!

Thank you...

Thank you, Yuuki.

I think feelings are sure to reach the other person

if you just try to communicate them.

Don't worry! If anyone can do it,

you can, Asuna!

Come in.

You're late coming home.

I'm sorry.

If you want something to eat,

make do with whatever's in the fridge.

The deadline for the transfer application

I mentioned the other day is tomorrow, you know.

Make sure you fill it out by morning.

About that...

I need to discuss something with you, Mom.

Talk to me.

It will be hard to explain it here.

Then where do we have to go

for you to tell me?

A virtual world.

Just for a little while...

I'd like you to come somewhere using this.

Most certainly not--not that!

If you can't tell me while we're face to face,

I have no inclination to hear it.

Please, Mom!

There's something that

I just have to show you!

Just five minutes of your time!

Please.

What is it that I'm feeling right now...

what I'm thinking...

I can't tell you any of that here.

Just once will be enough.

I want you to see my world, Mom!

Five minutes--no more.

But...

No matter what you tell me,

I have no intention of allowing you

to attend that school again next year, understand?

One more thing... Once you're done talking,

you're to fill out that application without fail!

Yes, Mom.

What am I supposed to do with that thing?

Get into a comfortable position.

Once I switch it on,

it will automatically connect to my sub-account.

Once you're inside, wait until I get there.

I'm turning it on now, okay?

Link start!

This is really bizarre, isn't it?

For an unfamiliar face to move

just as you want it to...

Not only that,

but my body feels strangely light.

Of course it does!

After all, that avatar's effective weight

is lbs or so.

It should feel vastly different

than it does in reality!

How rude! I'm not that heavy,

I'll have you know!

By the way, you have the same face

that you do over there, don't you?

Well, yes.

But... your real face is a bit puffier

around the edges, don't you think?

You're pretty rude yourself, Mom!

I'm exactly the same as I am in the real world!

All right, there isn't much time.

What is it you want to show me?

Come this way.

Well? Doesn't it look just like it?

Just what is it supposed to look like?

It's nothing but a boring cedar grove--

Right? Doesn't it bring back memories?

Of Grandpa and Grandma's house?

I really loved Grandpa

and Grandma's house in Miyagi.

Do you remember that Bon holiday

when I was in seventh grade?

You all went to

the Yuuki ancestral home in Kyoto,

but I went off to Miyagi by myself.

I remember that.

When I was there,

I apologized to Grandpa and Grandma.

I said, "I'm sorry that Mom couldn't come

to visit our ancestors' graves."

That was because there was a memorial service

at the Yuukis' that I couldn't miss...

No, I'm not blaming you for anything.

Because then Grandpa told me

that you were their precious treasure, Mom.

Making it to college from this village

and becoming a scholar...

Publishing all those magazine articles...

Watching you make a name for yourself...

He said that it made him really happy.

And then Grandpa added,

"But even you might grow weary one day,

and want to stand still for once."

"In case you ever longed for

some kind of support,

in order to be able to tell you that

you had a place to come home to,

I'm going to go on protecting

this house and the mountains."

It's only recently that I finally think

I understand what Grandpa meant.

Life isn't just about pushing yourself

for your own sake.

To make someone else's bliss your own bliss...

you can lead that kind of life as well.

And I want to make everyone around me

go on smiling... that's how I want to live.

To be someone who can always be counted on

to support the weary.

That's the kind of life I'd like to lead.

And to do that...

Right now, I want to go on studying and working hard

on all kinds of things at the school that I love!

Mom...

Wait... what is this?

I'm not... I'm not crying or anything!

Mom...

In this world, you can't hide your tears.

No one can hold back

when they feel like crying!

What an inconvenient world!

Good morning, Mom.

Good morning.

So you say you're prepared to do what it takes

to support someone else for life?

Y-Yes.

But in order to support someone else,

first you need to be strong yourself.

Make sure you go to college.

To that end, come third semester and next year,

you'll have to get even better grades than now.

Mom...

Then that transfer...

Didn't I just say?

It will depend on your grades.

So do your best.

Thanks, Mom...

Thanks, Yuuki!

I'm off.

The street lights cast a glow on cheerful

laughter and footprints in the back-alley

I wonder how much you understood of the

feelings I've always wanted to convey to you

I always turn around to you and make sure

Because no matter how I am, I believe you'd

always chase after me without any hesitation

When I gazed at your eyes,

I saw the proof that I've lived

Whenever my heartbeat was about to stop,

you made it ring out very, very loudly

I want to go far beyond today

Next time: "Mother's Rosario."