Alteration Part 6 (
Summary[]
Part 1: The Debrief[]
The chapter begins at the Second Day of the School Festival, with Akane Aoi in her costume, being told by the other students of Class 1-A that Yashiro Nene's gone missing. Aoi expresses shock at this, as the other students explain to her that they can't reach her through her phone. They also wonder about what to do for today's play and so Aoi offers to reach out to her. She calls Nene on her phone when suddenly, a bunch of male students were shouting Aoi Akane's name, clearly looking for him. As it turns out, Akane himself is also missing, and not only that, he has neither responded to their messages nor answered their calls. Then suddenly, a bunch of students in maid and butler costumes barged in and ask Aoi as to the whereabouts of Minamoto Teru, figuring that as his fiancee, she would know where he is. With no answers as to their whereabouts, Aoi stares in the scene confused as chaos ensures due to the absences of the three students. From there, she began to wonder if the three of them had gone somewhere.
But then it is revealed that the three of them are actually at a Diner called Demmy's (Clearly a reference to Denny's), and with them together, Akane begins a "debriefing". They begin by stating that the goal of the debrief is to discuss on each other's findings, including what kind of world the New Present is, what differences does it have from the Original Timeline, and any related stuff. But Nene's stomach growls in the most comedic of timings as she had skipped her breakfast, leading Akane to conclude that they should order some food first. They order three sets of unlimited drinks, some fries, and other meals that were not mentioned. Just then, Teru receives a text from Aoi, asking where he is, and so he sneakily gets away from Akane and Nene to respond to it.
Sometime later, the foods come in, including Club Sandwiches, Tarako Fries, Steak Meals, Shoyu Ramen and Tekkadon, and even a Dinner Mokke, for some reason. As for drinks, Nene has a vegetarian juice while Akane had some tea, while Teru's seems to have a rather weird bubbling concoction below it. Both Akane and Nene ask Teru as to what it is. Teru then asks the both of them what they think it is, which Akane insultingly calls "Toilet Water". Then Teru answers that it's a special blend of drink, and then says nothing further about it. Overall, the foods are delicious and except for the suspicious drink that Teru ordered, the other drinks are fine too.
While they are both eating Nene opens up on her findings, while Teru suspiciously switches his and 's drinks. She tells both Akane and Teru about her findings offscreen, and so shocks Akane when he found out that Yugi Amane became a teacher in the New Present. Nene then clarified that he was the Astronomy Club Advisor and showed Akane and Teru the photo of Amane leading a group of students at a tour of the Reflecting Telescope. Akane becomes shocked as he exclaimed that the world has gone crazy if Hanako, who was a Murderer, became a teacher in the New Present. Likewise, Teru found it unbelievable that not only did Amane became an adult but also a teacher.
This situation eventually reminds Nene of what Tsuchigomori had said to her, in which Hanako's original fate was to become an adult and a teacher, and that he wasn't supposed to die young, and so she tells both Akane and Teru that she sees the New Present as a world where Hanako got to become an adult, like he was supposed to become, and that when she realized that, she wondered if the New Present should stay that way.
When Teru wondered on her encounter with Amane, he also told her that he met Yugi Tsukasa, which surprises her. Akane then clarified that what happened was that they had bumped into both Minamoto Kou and Mitsuba Sousuke, and that this version of Tsukasa was an offshot of the Kokkuri-San rumor. However, he thinks that the Yugi Tsukasa they encountered is different from the Yugi Tsukasa that they both knew. Nene clarified if the New Present of Tsukasa is both Tsukasa-Kun and not Tsukasa-Kun, with Akane answering that from what both Kou and Mitsuba had described, he looked like a young ghost kid with a hole for his face. This confuses Nene further.
Teru then added that what is now clear is that both the Yugi Twins have been drastically changed in the New Present, with Akane agreeing, because despite such changes, they are too insignificant due to the apparent stability of the New Present, as when one compares it to the Original Timeline with all its horrors and terrors, it is no contest, and so he agrees with Nene that they shouldn't return the world back to the Original Timeline, having already accepted his change as to his relationship with Aoi if it meant that the New Present is what is best for the timeline going forward.
Part 2: Teru's Disagreement[]
Teru, still clinging on to the plan to reverse what the Clock Keepers had done, remarks that Nene had a change of mind, and Akane wants to defend the New Present, which causes him to have a long sigh. Both Akane and Nene are annoyed by this, and Akane tells him that if he has something to say, then he should say it. Teru snarked back by saying that does he need to spell it out for them, which further confuses Akane. Teru then calms down, and begins his counter-defense by beginning with Nene.
Towards Nene, he tells her that while it is now true that the New Present is a world where Hanako is now an adult, he jabs at her with a heart-wrenching question, asking whatever proof she had that can make him happy. Nene, who was surprised by his remark, doesn't answer as she has defense to Teru's words. Teru then proceeded to Akane, and tells him that while the Clock Keepers' Yorishiro won't be destroyed in the New Present, he also tells Akane that in the New Present, the Seven Mysteries as a whole, didn't exist to begin with, and since their main function is to keep balance and order between the Near and Far Shores, and between the Humans and Supernaturals, their non-existence in the New Present means that there is no actual stability in the way things are run (This appears alongside chibi versions of the Seven Mysteries with the notable exceptions of both Kako and Mirai). As such, he claims that it is too early for Akane to conclude that the New Present is as stable as it is, and to conclude his statement, he tells Akane that he is rather rash for saying that, with a comical fist coming out of his speech bubble to indicate that his words hit Akane hard.
Teru then concludes by saying that it is not a matter of whether the New Present is good or bad for everyone, as he admits to them that his mother is alive. These words, alongside Teru's unusually sad expression shocks both Akane and Nene. Teru further continues by telling them that his father is home, and both he and Kou have time to hang out with their friends. He then mournfully admits that both Akane and Nene are correct and that the New Present's great. Akane begins to counterpoint Teru but he interrupts Akane by saying if there is any guarantee that the New Present won't change again, and then points out that there is a method to do so. And so if they let it slide, what's not to say that time can be rewinded a second or a third time. (As he says this, a rather eerie image of both Kako and Mirai rewinding time over and over again is seen, with Mirai looking more like a deathly husk than a doll). They could easily lose the New Present as easily as they gained it, and so be at the mercy of the Clock Keepers who can dish out new iterations of their world entirely at their own discretion.
This statement seems to hurt Akane deeply, given the time he spent with both Kako and Mirai, and so he tells Teru that the Clock Keepers aren't as tyrannical as Teru made them out to be, to which Teru admits he is fine with, but then he tells Akane that he would rather not live the rest of his life not knowing if everything can be rewritten by the Clock Keepers again, and to all that, he says "Thanks but no thanks". He tells both Akane and Nene that he is sorry but that he has no interest in leaving the New Present as it is, and he tells Akane how he has any position to object to him, in light of Aoi being his fiancée instead of Akane's girlfriend. It seems to trigger Akane as he tells him "Come again?".
While secretly giving somebody their location, and their footsteps walking towards them, Teru then makes clear his intention to return the New Present back to their original timeline, because if they don't, then the things they treasure the most will be stolen away. Then he looks at his back and tells somebody "Right?" That somebody is revealed to be Aoi, now in her School Uniform. Her appearance shocks both Akane and Nene. Akane asks her why she's here, but instead she wants to know "Why".
Part 3: Aoi's Misunderstanding and Akane's Confession[]
Aoi then questions Akane as to why he would leave the School Festival in order to "play hooky" with Nene, and then leave everyone in a bind. Then in a more threatening aura, she asks him again "Why?". This really shocks Akane, who notices that she's getting really angry, and then he remarks to Teru, suspecting him of having called her in. Teru then confirms it to Akane, telling him that he called her, and told her that he was at the Diner with Nene, with Akane angrily calling him a bastard. In a fit of misunderstanding that Teru intentionally caused, Aoi then tells both Akane and Nene that she wasn't aware that the both of them are so close, and then she begins to cry. She then angrily tells them that if they are both going out, they could have just told her, to which both Nene and Akane tell her that she got the wrong idea.
Then as Akane panics and plays Damage Control by telling her that she shouldn't trust Teru's words and take them at face value, while Nene joins in by telling her that she had already mentioned to her that she has someone that she likes. These words caused Aoi to suddenly change her attitude and so she leans in towards Nene and asks her "Who?", which only makes Nene fluster all the more. Teru then adds insult to injury by daring her to tell Aoi that she was in love with the Evil Spirit of a Murderer (Clearly referring to Hanako). This only confuses Aoi further and so Nene instead does double damage control by telling her again that she and Akane aren't like that at all. Aoi doubts what Nene said and asks "Really", causing Akane to make a random confession out of nowhere:
“ |
REALLY! The One I've loved my entire life... and will spend the rest of my life loving... no, even after that... IS YOU AND ONLY YOU, AO-CHAN!
|
” |
— Aoi Akane's confession towards Akane Aoi, in order to dispell the Misunderstanding that she had about him and Yashiro Nene.
|
This confession out of nowhere shocks Aoi and makes her heart skip a beat, but Teru only continued to mock Akane further, remarking that the Aoi that Akane likes is a different Akane Aoi, technically speaking. Knowing that such a statement will cause further confusion to Aoi, Teru further continued that the Aoi that Akane confesses to everyday, and even kissed isn't the New Present's Aoi, but rather another girl with the "Akane" surname. This makes Akane panic all the more and tells Teru to not say those things or Aoi will misunderstand the situation further. Aoi continues to be confused and misunderstand the situation, all the while Akane tries to defuse it, which does not work in the end (In fact, Akane called Teru a "Demon from Hell" when he mocked him). When Aoi started to become angry again, Akane breaked down, slumps onto the floor, and then screams out that he will tell her everything if she just listens to him.
Part 4: Aoi joins the team[]
Following an off-panel revelation of his relationship with the Original Timeline Aoi until now, and an additional order of Mini-Grape Parfait and French Toast (And also a Mokke holding a Gum Syrup), the New Present Aoi is surprised on the fact that the timeline was changed, and that both Nene, Akane and Teru are in her words, "from a world that she doesn't know", to which Teru answers in the positive. Akane, defeated by his prior confession and explanation (Comically represented by having a low health bar above his head), admits to her that he is really in love with her, while Nene apologizes to Aoi for getting her wrapped up in their actions. Aoi only gives a sad look, and when Teru asked that what she heard was hard to believe, she answered in the positive. He then asked her if she is anxious due to the revelations, she only said nothing, to which Teru says that she is. He then invites her to come with the three of them, thus recruiting her into his team.
Of course, while she still said nothing, Teru decides that it is settled which surprises both Akane and Nene, and while Aoi askes if that is right, he tells her that it is all right, since this is not a top secret operation or anything. Teru then tells both Akane and Nene that Aoi would be a great help in their investigations of the New Present, and with that, the four of them get up and leave the Diner, with Teru saying that they have to go somewhere. The others asked Teru where they will go, and he answers that since both Amane and Tsukasa's fates were drastically altered, then something big must have happened to change their lives for good, so he decides that they have to investigate their childhood home next, which is of course, none other than the Red House itself.
Part 5: The Red House of the New Present[]
Coincidentally, both Kou and Mitsuba are unknowingly headed into the Red House, when the both of them are walking together on the streets of the town. Mitsuba remarks to Kou that he is too kind for his own good, as he is doing his teacher's errands despite their encounter with Tsukasa yesterday. Mitsuba then further remarks that today is the Second Day of the School Festival, and that they are both invited to go Karaoke with friends afterwards. Kou then responded that he wasn't given a choice since he was entrusted with the errand of delivering the printouts, and then he berates Mitsuba by telling hi that he could have gone to Karaoke himself. Mitsuba then clapped back by telling Kou that what he said was a funny way of saying "Thanks for coming with me". But more importantly for Mitsuba, he wanted to continue his conversation about his dream. Kou merely said "Oh, right", and Mitsuba berated him for his look and not wanting to talk about it. Mitsuba then decided that they should just get over with the printouts.
They approached the place where Kou was going to hand over the printouts, which is none other than the Red House itself. Mitsuba askes Kou if this is the place, and Kou answers in the affirmative. Kou even notes that the place has a red roof. And then as he tells Kou if that is what the place looks like (And even poses in front of it), Kou notices that the entire place looks dilapidated, and then says that the address can't be right, as the entire place is falling apart. All of a sudden, a rather eerie voice emerges from his ear, saying "That's it", in an eerie tone, and while Kou turned back to find out who said it, he saw nobody around. He asks Mitsuba if he said what he had heard, to which Mitsuba answers that he didn't say anything. Mitsuba then being impatient, tells Kou to hurry inside, and Kou follows through, despite his suspicions on the location and the voice from earlier. The Chapter the ends.
Characters in order of appearance[]
- Akane Aoi
- Various Class 1-A Students
- Various Student Council Members
- Various Maid And Butler Cafe Members
- Fuji Suzuto (Cameo)
- Yamabuki Lemon (Cameo)
- Yashiro Nene
- Aoi Akane
- Minamoto Teru
- Mokke (As a Food Decoration, and holding a Gum Syrup)
- Hanako (Mentioned, Flashback and Chibi Cameo)
- Yugi Amane (Mentioned and Photograph)
- Tsuchigomori (Mentioned, Flashback and Chibi Cameo)
- Yugi Tsukasa (New Present) (Mentioned)
- Minamoto Kou (Mentioned and Flashback, Appears in Story)
- Mitsuba Sousuke (New Present) (Mentioned, Appears in Story)
- Yugi Tsukasa (Original Timeline) (Mentioned and Flashback)
- Plant-like Supernaturals from the Attack on the School Festival (Flashback)
- Yako (Chibi Cameo)
- Mitsuba Sousuke (Original Timeline) (Chibi Cameo)
- Shijima Mei (Chibi Cameo)
- Shinigami-sama (Chibi Cameo)
- Minamoto's Mother (Mentioned)
- Minamoto's Father (New Present) (Mentioned)
- Kako (Flashback)
- Mirai (Flashback)
- Akane Aoi (Original Timeline) (Mentioned)
- The voice in Kou's ear
Trivia[]
- A student named Hanagishi is mentioned as someone who is subbing for Yashiro Nene in the role of Dorothy. Whether Hanagishi is the same person as Hanazashi from the Original Timeline or different persons who are related to one another remains unknown.
- The name of the Diner where Nene, Aoi Akane and Minamoto Teru are in is called "Demmy's", which is clearly a reference to the Denny's chain of restaurants in the United States.
- Some of the foods and drinks mentioned in this chapter seem to be taken from the various cafe events that AidaIro promoted, such as the Ghost Hotel's Cafe and Bakeneko Ryokan Hanakotei.
- The "Special Blend" drink that Teru drinks is possibly based on the Shining Exorcist Blue Soda from Ghost Hotel's Cafe, although the Two-Layered Soda Of Brilliance from Bakeneko Ryokan Hanakotei is possible as well
- The Mini Grape Parfait that Akane Aoi Eats is possibly based from the Purple Agar Parfait from Bakeneko Ryokan Hanakotei.
- In the Flashback featuring Kako and Mirai when Teru is talking about how the Clock Keepers could reset the timeline again and again, the timeline appears as a film reel that features a number of "takes", representing the different timelines caused by the Clock Keepers. Interestingly, the last number in that reel is "22", perhaps as a light reference to Volume 22, which is on sale as of the publishing of this chapter.
- The New Present version of the Red House appears, making it the latest appearance since Chapter 82, when its Original iteration burned down to the ground.
- Given where Minamoto Kou was going to hand over the printouts and his Original iteration having him as his homeroom teacher, it is possible that it was the New Present Tsuchigomori-Sensei who gave him the printouts and told him to bring it over the Red House, perhaps because either Yugi-Sensei or something else had asked for them.