Master List of Translations and Summaries
Shinsouban Clover no Kuni no Alice Part 1
Shinsouban Clover no Kuni no Alice Part 2
Heart no Kuni no Alice Twin World
Not today Justin

Kiana Khansmith

tannertan36

No title available

izzy's playlists!

Discoholic šŖ©
hello vonnie

Andulka

@theartofmadeline
ojovivo
RMH
Sade Olutola
Show & Tell

ē„ę„ / Permanent Vacation
NASA

⣠Chile in a Photography ā£
šŖ¼
seen from Brazil

seen from Philippines
seen from United Kingdom

seen from United Kingdom
seen from Malaysia
seen from Philippines
seen from France
seen from United States

seen from Saudi Arabia

seen from Malaysia

seen from United States
seen from United States

seen from Singapore

seen from Malaysia

seen from Germany
seen from United States

seen from United States

seen from Malaysia

seen from United Kingdom

seen from United Kingdom
@eldiatricc
Master List of Translations and Summaries
Shinsouban Clover no Kuni no Alice Part 1
Shinsouban Clover no Kuni no Alice Part 2
Heart no Kuni no Alice Twin World
SCnKnA Pierce Villiers Event 01
Event List
Scene - Forest - Alice's Room
Another span of hours passed, and I was steadily growing used to this new life.
Even though I say Iām āliving in the forest,ā the truth is that Iām staying at an inn, so thereās nothing inconvenient about it. Iāve started to get used to my new job, and I can now clearly recognize the faces of my coworkers.
Life here is becoming my new normal. And whenever that thought crosses my mind, it brings with it a pang of guilt.
The place I chose to stayāwasnāt just where Boris was. It was also the amusement park with Gowland and the other staff. Not here.
Alice (And yet...)
Alice (...)
Scene Change - Forest - Arrows and Doors
Since I had the day off, I came to the forest. Whether Iād run into Boris or Pierce was, as always, up to chance.
There were places they were likely to be, but that didnāt guarantee anything. I wandered, looking around for a familiar face.
Alice (Ah... itās Pierce.)
I spotted Pierce alone. When I called out to him, he ran over with quick, nimble steps.
No sound actually accompanied him, but thatās how it felt. Then again, since heās a mouse, maybe āscurryingā is more appropriate...
Alice (...Not that it really matters.)
Pierce "Alice, Alice! You getting used to the forest? I heard it was your first time moving, right?"
Pierce "And being surprised by a move? Thatās pretty rare too. You really are full of surprises."
The moment he reached me, Pierce started talking like that.
He probably heard it from Boris. Still, bringing it up now, of all times, felt like digging up something Iād already moved on from.
I knew I was being selfish, but it still rubbed me the wrong way.
And being treated like some kind of curiosity wasnāt exactly flattering.
Alice "Donāt talk about me like Iām some rare animal."
When I voiced my irritation, Pierce just stared at me, confused.
Pierce "???"
Pierce "Why are you mad? Itās rare for someone to have never moved. And rare to be surprised by moving, too."
Pierce "See? Everything about it is unusual. Iām not wrong, right?"
He tilted his head and leaned closer with a bright, innocent smile. It made staying mad seem pointless.
Alice "Ahh, fine, fine, I get it."
Alice "Youāre right, from your perspective, anyway."
Honestly, I was the outsider in this world. Pierce technically wasnāt wrong, which somehow made it even more annoying.
Pierce "Alice, Alice! A rare lost thing, I found a lost thing!"
Pierce "Youāre mine, so donāt forget it, okay?"
Still completely unconcerned with my mood, Pierce sang those words like a little rhyme.
Alice "...Are you still going on about that?"
Heād said that over and over when we first met, and it still didnāt make sense. Why was I being treated like something lost or picked up?
Alice "Iām not a lost item or something you picked up. And obviously, Iām not yours either, okay?"
Pierce "Eh?! Youāre still saying things like that? Thatās a problem... I picked you up fair and square, so why donāt you get it yet...?"
Alice "I could say the same thing! Why donāt you get it?"
Pierce "Maybe itās because I just picked you up recently? I guess I should make it more clear that youāre mine, huh...?"
He tilted his head again, mulling it over. Clearly, he wasnāt listening to a word I said.
Soon, he seemed to arrive at a conclusion, looked at me dead-on, and saidā
Pierce "Want to kiss?"
Alice "...Huh?!"
Alice (What did he just say�)
This was another one of those things heād said beforeāsomething Iād already wanted to ask "Are you still saying that?" about.
A kiss⦠Why does it always come back to that? I truly have no idea how he even arrives at that conclusion.
Pierce "I said, do you want to kiss? A kiss, a kiss."
Pierce "See, kissing really is the best thing. Because youāre mine, Iāll give you a kiss⦠I mean, thatās just the natural thing to do, and I think itās the best."
Pierce "So come on, letās kiss, Alice!"
Alice "Iām not kissing you."
(What part of that is supposed to be natural? In what world is that the best?)
Said in a sleepy, offhand voice, it sounded like a joke at best. I had no interest in taking it seriously.
(And honestly, what heās saying is completely absurdā¦)
Then again, the people in this world are all absurd.
(ā¦But this mouse is in a league of his own.)
A sleepy-looking, giant mouse.
Heās so absurdly big thereās no sense of realism. And like many girls, I donāt particularly like mice.
Pierce "Letās kiss, yeah? Cāmon."
Alice "No. I said no."
Pierce "But letās kiss. A kiss, kiss."
Alice "Iām not kissing you!"
(ā¦This is bad. Iām starting to catch it againā¦)
āKissā⦠That is, āchu.ā
Even Iāve started saying āchuā without thinking. Ever since I met him, Iāve been catching his weird way of speaking.
(Strange words really are contagious⦠Itās like a habitā¦)
(Like how dialects are easy to pick up⦠Well, dialects arenāt bad, but stillā¦)
āChuā is just embarrassing. Chu.
Alice "How can you say something so embarrassing so easily?"
Pierce "Embarrassing? What is?"
At some point, his hazy eyes were suddenly very close.
(Whāwhen did he get this closeā¦?)
He has a way of lowering your guard, and despite looking sluggish, Pierce is incredibly fast. His appearance is misleading.
Alice "A ch⦠a ch-chu⦠or whateverā¦"
Saying it again just made it even more embarrassing.
(Chuā¦)
(I actually said āchuā⦠out loudā¦)
The word kiss doesnāt feel embarrassing to sayābut āchuā is something else entirely.
Alice "See? It is embarrassing, right?"
Pierce "Chu is? Why? Why would chu be embarrassing? Chu is embarrassing?"
Pierce "Chu, chu~"
Alice "Donāt go chu chu chu chu-ing all over the place!! Itās embarrassing!!"
(Ugh⦠I said it againā¦)
(Again⦠I said it againā¦)
This is humiliating.
Alice "Even just saying it once is mortifying for me⦠and youāre over here saying it over and over without a care⦠C-chuā¦"
Pierce "A kiss is embarrassing??? But saying 'chu chu' is totally normal!"
Pierce "Because Iām a mouse. Thereās no such thing as a mouse that doesnāt say 'chu chu.'"
He tilted his head like, āIāve told you that before, havenāt I?ā
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice "ā¦Mice are such embarrassing creatures, then."
Pierce "Eh!? Wh-Whatās that supposed to mean!? Iām not an embarrassing mouse! Iām a totally not embarrassing mouse!"
Pierce reacted with absurd exaggeration. His sleepy-looking eyes popped wide open in disbelief.
You could practically hear the dramatic BANG sound effect.
Or maybe something like hyururururu~.
Alice (That reactionā¦)
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice "Any creature that goes around saying 'chu chu' is just plain embarrassing."
Pierce "Eeeeh!? But mice are supposed to say 'chu chu'ā¦!"
Alice "Then I guess mice are, overall, just embarrassing animals."
Pierce "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!? Th-Thatās a complete rejection of all mice!?"
Alice (ā¦His reactions are hilarious.)
Alice "Iām not saying I reject them entirely, but they are embarrassing."
Pierce "N-No wayā¦"
As a small animalās sound, maybe āchuā wouldnāt be that bad. But when Pierce says it, itās unbearably embarrassing.
Alice (Heās not a small animal, after all⦠Heās a mouse bigger than I amā¦)
Alice (ā¦Which, when you think about it, is kind of terrifying.)
And the āchu chuā heās saying doesnāt even refer to a squeakāhe means kissing. Not a sound. Not cute.
Pierce is a mouse, sure, but heās a boy about my age.
Alice (Itās just⦠a little too embarrassing.)
Alice (Ugh, so embarrassingā¦)
Pierce "Alice⦠do you hate mice?"
Alice "Yeah, Iām not really a fan."
Pierce "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!!? Youāyou donāt like mice!? Alice, you hate mice!?"
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ I mean, I donāt think most people like miceā¦"
Pierce "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!!? Thatās how it is in your world!?"
With an over-the-top GAHHHHN!!, Pierce reeled in shock.
Alice (ā¦He really is fun to watch when heās like this.)
Alice (Is that really so shocking, though�)
Itās unfortunate for Pierceāwho is apparently a mouseābut in my world, mice are despised creatures.
Alice "I mean, maybe people like hamsters or something, if itās a pet speciesā¦"
Alice "But stray miceāwell, I donāt know if thatās even what youād call themābut wild ones, like the kind that scurry around the streets⦠not so much."
Mice are considered carriers of disease, blamed for plagues. Theyāre filthy animals directly associated with death.
There was even a time when people couldnāt keep hamsters as pets. Thatās how serious disease transmission was.
Alice "In this world, are mice actually liked?"
Pierce "Well, thatāsā¦"
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Pierce looked thoroughly dejected. His ears drooped sadly.
Pierce "ā¦I guess⦠mice arenāt that well-liked, huhā¦"
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Pierce "B-But, hey, Iām not dirty, okay!? I take baths regularly!" "And! And Iām good at cleaning too. I like cleaning!"
Alice "I seeā¦"
1. That's a good thing 2. That's just basic decency
1. That's a good thing
Alice "Thatās a good thing."
Taking baths is just expected (or maybe in this world, it's not?), but being fond of cleaning is definitely a positive trait. When I praised him, Pierce beamed and nodded enthusiastically.
Pierce "Right?! Right, itās a good thing, isnāt it!? Cleaning may be plain, but itās super important!"
Alice "Yeah, I think so too. Butā¦"
That doesnāt necessarily mean people will like you. Even a tidy mouse is still a mouse.
2. Thatās just basic decency
Alice "But, I think thatās just what anyone should be doing."
Bathing and cleaningāthose are just basic parts of living. Nothing to brag about.
Being good at cleaning is fine, but bathing is just a given (or maybe not, in this world). Itās not enough of a reason to be well-liked.
Pierce slumped again with a dramatic gaaahn, but itās just the truth.
[Choices Converge]
Alice (So even in this world, mice arenāt all that popularā¦)
Alice (ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦Stillā¦)
I glanced at Pierce.
This larger-than-me mouse still looked completely dejected, his big ears drooping.
Pierce "Ugh⦠yeah, thatās right⦠Iām a clean mouse⦠so why does no one like meā¦?"
Alice (ā¦He kind of looks like the type who gets picked on.)
Alice (ā¦The type who practically invites itā¦)
He reacts in such an obvious, exaggerated wayāitās kind of cute.
Annoyingly cute, and oddly entertaining. Iām not the kind of person who enjoys teasing others, but with him, I feel the urge to poke and prod him a little.
Pierce "Is it because I say chu chu that people donāt like meā¦?"
Alice "ā¦I donāt think itās the chu chu. Itās probably just because youāre a mouse."
I gave the sulking mouse a little poke.
Pierce "Ughā¦!? Th-Thatās too cruelā¦"
Pierce "But I mean⦠I am a mouse. I canāt help it if Iām a mouseā¦"
His eyes welled up with tears.
Pierce "~~~~~~~~ā¦"
Teary-eyed⦠on the verge of crying, but not quite. Just barely holding it in. If I poked him just a little moreā¦
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice (W-What do I doā¦) (ā¦I want to tease himā¦)
Iām not the type who picks on people. Or⦠I thought I wasnāt.
Alice (But I really want to tease him right nowā¦) (Iām starting to understand why Boris chases him around all the timeā¦)
Scene Change ā Clover Town ā Inn
Waitress "So? Are you getting used to the job now?"
Waitress "From the looks of it, youāve gotten pretty used to things. Youāre handling everything on your own without needing anyone to teach you."
Alice "The basics, maybe. But Iāve still got a long way to go. Itās not like I can really do everything by myself."
Alice "Sometimes I canāt answer a guestās question and have to ask someone else to help."
Waitress "A question you couldnāt answer? Like what?"
Alice "Like where the nearest pharmacy is, or a shortcut to the Clover Tower."
Since itās an inn, guests often ask questions about the town.
Waitress "Thatās understandable, though. Youāre still new to this town."
Waitress "Before long, youāll remember all kinds of things and wonāt have any trouble at all."
Alice "Yeah, I hope that happens soon. Iāve been walking around a lot, trying to memorize the layout of the town and the shops."
Waitress "Now that you mention it, you do go out pretty often on your days off. But you donāt have to use up your free time like that, you know?"
Waitress "Seriously, you should actually rest on your days off. Thereās no need to think about work all the time."
My coworkers are kind. They worry about whether Iām pushing myself too hard.
Alice "Donāt worry, Iām not overdoing it. I am getting proper rest."
Waitress "Really? Well, if you say so."
Waitress "But youāre almost always going somewhere, arenāt you? And when itās not around town⦠where exactly do you go?"
Alice "Eh? Oh⦠the forest, I guess."
Now that I think about it, Iāve been visiting the forest quite often. Sometimes I visit other territories, but by far, the forest is the most frequent.
Waitress "The forest? Why would you go to the forest of all places???"
Waitress "You know people get lost there easily, right? Youāre not even from around here, and youāre not familiar with it eitherā¦"
The looks on my coworkersā faces turned grim. Clearly, they didnāt approve.
Alice "I know."
Even I have places in the forest Iād rather avoidālike that area full of trees with doors stuck to them. I donāt like it there.
Alice (But Pierce and Boris live in the forest.)
Even the door to my room leads into the forest if I picture it while opening it. Half of my daily life is rooted in that place.
A forest where a cat and a mouse are constantly chasing each other. Itās not exactly a lively place, but its cartoonish charm reminds me of the amusement park.
Alice "I just end up going there a lot. There are⦠animals I care about."
Waitress "Huh�"
Waitress "ā¦ā¦??"
My coworkers tilted their heads in confusion. Now that Iāve thought about them, Iām starting to wonder if those two are fighting again.
Alice (Maybe I should head over there after workā¦)
Scene Change ā Forest ā Arrows and Mushrooms
Alice "Boris!"
This time, I spotted the pink cat. When I approached, he smiled and walked up to me.
Boris "Oh, hey Alice. Out for a stroll?"
Boris "Iām on a walk too. Since weāre both out here, why donāt we stroll together for a bit? Cāmon, letās go."
Alice "Ah, wait!"
Without even waiting for my response, he starts walking. Heās always like thisādoing things at his own paceābut I donāt dislike that about him.
Heāll quiz me with riddles, or tell me stories Iāve never heard. When Iām with Boris, thereās never a dull moment.
When I used to live at the amusement park, weād play around the grounds a lot. But even if that hadnāt been the case, I donāt think Iād ever be bored.
Walking ahead of me, Boris began to speak as if talking to himself.
Boris "The forest is nice and all, but sometimes I really start to miss the amusement park~"
Boris "ā¦Well, more than the park itself, itās the attractions I miss. What about you? Donāt you ever get homesick for it?"
Alice "Huh?"
It was probably a casual question with no deeper meaningābut since Iād been thinking about the park too, it caught me off guard.
Alice (Do I miss the amusement park�)
1. I always miss it 2. I donāt really miss it 3. More like, I hate it here
1. I always miss it Alice "ā¦If anything, I always miss it."
It was a place I really liked. I chose to stay in this world because I liked it so much.
Of course I miss it.
Boris turned around with a surprised look.
Boris "Eh, seriously? That much? Why though� Were you that into the amusement park?"
Boris "ā¦Or what, do you actually miss the old man? Wow, I had no idea you liked him that much."
Boris "ā¦Kinda makes me jealous. Like, am I not enough to make you feel at ease?"
Alice "What? What are you talking about?"
Alice "I never said that. I miss everyoneānot just Gowland."
Gowland was there, Boris was there, and all the other staff, too. I miss the amusement park as a whole.
Boris still looked skeptical, but when I insisted, he finally nodded in acceptance.
2. I donāt really miss it Alice "Not particularly. I donāt miss it."
ā¦Though honestly, there are times I do. But I didnāt want to say thatāit felt unfair to Boris.
If I said I missed it, it would sound serious. Considering everything Boris has done to set me up here with a place to live and a job⦠I couldnāt say it.
Boris "Really? I totally do. Stuff like the roller coasters and go-karts."
Boris "ā¦Crap, just talking about it is making me really miss it."
Whether or not he knew what I was really thinking, he just kept chatting casually.
3. More like, I hate it here Alice "ā¦More like, I kind of hate it here."
Boris "Seriously? I think itās pretty fun in its own way."
Boris "What donāt you like about it? Tell meāIāll fix it if I can."
Alice "Ehā¦"
I panicked at his sincere response.
Alice "ā¦I was just joking. Donāt take it so seriously."
Iād just meant to tease him a little, but I didnāt expect him to take it at face value.
Alice (Boris really can be unexpectedly earnest sometimes.)
If I really hated it here, I wouldnāt keep coming back like this.
Boris "I seeā¦"
āJeez, donāt tease me like that,ā he saidābut there was clear relief in his expression.
Choices Converge
Chatting about how he wants to ride a roller coaster again, Boris kept walking ahead. After a while, he turned back as if something had just come to mind.
Boris "Youāve been living here for a while now, right? Are you having trouble with anything? I mean, youāre a girl, so maybe thereās stuff I wouldnāt think of."
Boris "If something ever comes up, talk to me, okay? ā¦Rely on me more than the others, alright?"
Alice (ā¦ā¦)
Alice (ā¦This kind of thingāhe acts like heās used to taking care of others.)
As far as I know, that shouldnāt be the case.
And yet, thereās nothing forced about itājust a natural attentiveness. Itās annoying how endearing it is.
Alice "Iām not really having any trouble. Iāve got everything I need."
When he asked again, "Really?", I nodded. Boris looked a bit let down.
Boris "You seriously have no material desires, huh? I mean, yeah, thereās plenty of stuff youād struggle without, but not much thatās a problem to have."
Boris "Or is it just that you donāt have anything and thatās the problem?"
Boris "If thatās the case, just tell me, okay? Iāll get you whatever you want."
Alice "Itās not that. I really am satisfied with what I have."
Alice "ā¦Is that what it means to not have material desires?"
I ended up asking aloud, which made Boris laugh.
Alice (But⦠I really am satisfied.)
My life feels full. I might miss the amusement park sometimes, but I have no complaints about my current life.
If anything, I feel guilty for not having complaints.
Later
Even after parting ways with Boris, I continued wandering on my own.
Alice (I wonder if Pierce is around�)
Not seeing him made me curious. After a bit of searching, I found him.
Pierce "Hey, Alice! You came againāI'm so glad! You came to see me, right?"
1. I came to see Pierce 2. I came to see Boris 3. I was just taking a walk
1. I came to see Pierce Alice "Yes, I came to see you, Pierce."
When I told him Iād been looking for him, he looked bashfully pleased.
Pierce "Hehe, thanks~"
Pierce "So, what should we do? Want to go into town together? Or I could show you someplace youāve never been."
Alice "Eitherās fine. I didnāt have anything specific in mind."
Pierce "Really? Nothing in mind? So that means⦠you came just to see me?"
Alice "Huh? Well⦠yeah, I guess you could say that."
Honestly, I just hadnāt thought that far ahead. But seeing the hopeful look in his eyes, I decided to go with that answer.
Alice (Since all Iād really thought about was meeting him, itās not exactly a lieā¦)
Pierce "Ehehe~ so thatās it. You came because just seeing me was enough. That makes me really happy! And not because you wanted to tease me or chase me or anythingājust to see me."
He looked so happy, he was practically skipping.
Alice (ā¦Thatās kind of a heartbreaking reason to be happy.)
2. I came to see Boris Alice "No, I came to see Boris."
Iād already met with Boris and was now searching for Pierce. But once again, my mischievous side got the better of me.
Pierceās ears twitched sharply as he tensed up.
Pierce "ā¦You came to see the cat? That terrifying beast? Youāre pretty braveā¦"
Alice "ā¦Well, after Boris, I was planning to see you too. Iām glad I found you."
Alice "Not that I had a set order or anything."
When I admitted the truth, Pierceās ears perked back up and he lit up.
Pierce "So that means you were planning to see both me and Boris!? You were just messing with me, Alice!"
Pierce "Thatās so mean⦠but wait, you did come to see me too, so actually itās not mean at all! Yeah, not mean. Not mean!"
Alice (I tried to tease him, but he just got happyā¦)
3. I was just taking a walk Alice "I was just out for a walk."
I had been looking for him, but I didnāt say that out loud.
Somehow, I always end up teasing him. Maybe I just want to see that disappointed look on his faceā¦
Pierce "Oh⦠so you werenāt here to visit me? Thatās⦠kinda disappointing. Really disappointing."
Pierce "But heyācanāt you change it from a āwalkā to a āvisitā? You can walk anytime, but spending time with me is rare, right?"
Just as I expected, he poutedāthough his follow-up suggestion was oddly optimistic.
His eager little request was honestly kind of cute.
Alice "Alright. Sure, letās say thatās what it was."
Choices Converge
Later
Pierce "Alice⦠do you⦠hate mice?"
He asked this out of the blue as we walked through the forest together. At some point, he had crept closer againāthose sleepy eyes were right near mine.
Alice (ā¦So fast. He's ridiculously fast.)
Despite the way he talksāslow and drawlingāhe moves surprisingly fast. His agility makes me think maybe I shouldn't let my guard down around him, but at the same time, he always seems sleepy.
Alice (ā¦I donāt really know much about Pierce, do I?)
We havenāt known each other for long. Maybe thatās exactly why we became close so quickly, without any baggage.
If the amusement park disappeared and I suddenly grew close with someone I used to be on bad terms with, it would feel a bit awkward.
Even if weād gotten along before, using someone as a replacement would just feel sad.
But with Pierce, thereās none of that hesitation. I can be friends with him without overthinking it.
Being with him is easy. Even his slightly foolish side makes him approachable.
Alice (But⦠what kind of person is he, really?)
A mouse.
Alice "ā¦ā¦"
Alice "I donāt like them. Mice arenāt well-liked creatures in my world."
Alice (ā¦Didnāt I say this before?)
No, I did. And now Iāve gone and said something again that hits him where it hurts.
Pierce "Not well-liked⦠So⦠hatedā¦"
Just as expected, Pierce gives a painfully obvious reactionālike a mental "gaaaaaan" sound effect.
Alice (When Iām with him, that sound keeps playing in my headā¦)
Alice "ā¦ā¦"
Alice (Really now⦠I wasnāt supposed to be the type who bullies others.)
But when Pierce gets all sulky, I canāt help myself.
Alice (What is it? Just seeing him makes me want to tease himā¦)
Alice (And the way he immediately gets all weepy when poked at is justā¦)
Alice (ā¦ā¦)
Alice (No, no, I shouldnāt. Thatās just mean.)
Alice "Maybe⦠there are people who like mice, you know?"
I try to offer some kind of comfort.
Pierce "But you donāt like mice, right? You donāt like me, do you?"
Pierce "I found you just lying there, so I picked you up⦠But when you find something, itās supposed to become yours..."
Alice "I wasnāt lying around for someone to pick up. I wasnāt even lost to begin with."
Iām not some lost item. Heās been saying this since we first met, and Iāve been denying it just as long.
Pierce "You were. You were all alone, just lying there."
Pierce "You were a lost item. Thatās why I picked you up."
Alice "People donāt get āpicked up.ā"
Alice "Iām a person, you know? Not an object."
Pierce "So⦠are you already someone elseās property?"
Alice "Listenā¦"
Alice "ā¦I donāt belong to anyone. I belong to myselfā"
Pierce "If you donāt belong to anyone else, then youāre mine. Iāll make you mine."
Pierce "Youāre my possession. Youāre mine."
He declares this entirely on his own.
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice (ā¦He's not the same as Peter, butā¦)
Even if theyāre different types, theyāre similar in that you just canāt reason with them.
Pierce "I picked you up, so youāre mine."
Pierce "I love cute things. I collect cute things."
Pierce "ā¦Yeah, I knew it. We need to kiss! Letās kiss, okay?"
Alice "N-O."
I block his face with my hand as he suddenly leans in.
Pierce "??? I canāt kiss you like this, you know?"
Pierce "Move your hand. Itās in the wayāI canāt kiss youā¦"
Alice "I said N-O, didnāt I?"
Alice (Peterā¦)
Alice (ā¦He really is another Peter, isnāt heā¦?)
He reminds me of that rabbit.
That said, Peter and I have settled into a kind of friendship lately, and Iāve come to trust him in his own way.
He does think about me. (Even if his way of doing so is⦠completely off.)
As for the kissāPierce feels like something else. His forceful attempt at a kiss does bring Peterās early days to mind, but the vibe is entirely different.
Itās like⦠writing your name on something you own. Thatās the kind of "kiss" this feels like.
Pierce "Why not? Why canāt we kiss? Thatās so weirdā¦"
Alice "The weird one is you! Why are you trying to kiss me in the first place!?"
Pierce "Because youāre my possessionā¦"
Pierce "Why not? Letās kiss, come on, kissā¦"
Alice (Kiss kiss, kiss kissā¦)
My head is starting to ache. Iāve heard it so many times, itās like Iām desensitizedāeven to how embarrassing the word itself is.
Alice "In my world, we donāt go around kissing so casually! Itās something you do with family, or friends, or⦠with someone you love!"
Pierce "Hmmmm⦠but weāre not family, or friends, or lovers, rightā¦? ā¦But thatās fine. Letās kiss anyway."
Alice "No, itās not fine."
Alice "If weāre not family, not friends, not lovers, then thereās no kissing!!"
ā¦Itās completely rubbing off on me.
Alice (Kissā¦)
Alice "Not just in my worldāpeople in this world donāt go around kissing so casually either, do they!?"
It might be a desperate excuse, but I had to say it.
Pierce "Eh⦠ehhhh⦠well⦠y-yeah we do, we kissā¦"
Alice (ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦) (Wow⦠you are such a terrible liar.)
Itās such a transparent lie, I donāt even feel like getting mad.
His eyes dart everywhere, fidgeting all over.
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Pierce "Kiss⦠w-we⦠we do⦠we do kissā¦"
His ears droop pathetically. When I look down, even his long tail has gone limp.
Heās just so obvious.
Alice "ā¦Really? From what Iāve seen, people in this world donāt seem to kiss all that easily either."
Pierce "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Pierce "ā¦We do⦠They just donāt let meā¦"
Pierce "I want to kiss cute things⦠But every time I try, they all run awayā¦"
Pierce "Is it because Iām a mouseā¦?"
Pierce "Mice are hated, arenāt they? Am I hated? Why do people push me away when I try to kiss themā¦?"
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice "ā¦The people you try to kissāare they your family, your friends, or your lover?"
Pierce "No. Just cute creatures. Theyāre not family or friends or lovers."
Pierce "But theyāre so cute."
Pierce "Why do they push me away when I want to kiss themā¦? Is it because Iām a mouseā¦? Being a mouse is roughā¦"
Alice "ā¦I donāt think itās just because youāre a mouse."
If someone whoās not family, not a friend, not even a romantic partner tries to kiss youāespecially a mouseāanyone would push them away.
Alice "You shouldnāt kiss someone who isnāt family, a friend, or a lover."
Pierce "Eh? But⦠theyāre cute."
Pierce "When you see something cute, you have to kiss it. Otherwise, someone else might take it."
Alice (ā¦He really does think of it like writing your name on something to mark it.)
Alice "I donāt think kissing someone out of the blue makes them yoursā¦"
Pierce "Even if they donāt become mine, if I think āsoooo cute,ā I have to kiss them!"
Pierce "When you see something cute, donāt you want to kiss it? Right? Right??"
Alice "Well⦠maybeā¦"
Alice "ā¦I guess youāre not completely wrongā¦"
Alice (ā¦Wait?)
Alice (No, hold on⦠Am I seriously agreeing with this�)
Heās overwhelming me with his weird logic, and Iām about to give in.
Pierce "Exactly! You see something cute, and you kiss it!"
Pierce "Iām a mouseāso I should kiss! Kisses!!"
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦S-So⦠maybeā¦???"
With him declaring it so confidently and passionately, it kind of started to feel true.
Alice (Iām losing to the momentumā¦)
Pierce "Yup! So letās kiss! Kiss!!!"
Alice "Not happening."
I was close to giving inābut I held my ground.
As his face rushed toward mine with enthusiasm, I smacked himāhard.
Pierce "OwāOWWWWW!! That hurt, Alice!! What was that for?!"
Alice "What was that for? Thatās my line."
Pierce "What do you mean what!? I was just trying to kiss you! Just a little kiss!"
Alice (Just trying to kiss me? Justāhe says??)
Alice "Thatās more than enough reason to hit you."
Smack! Another hit, just as solid as the first.
Pierce "OWWWWWWW!! It hurts!! Youāre so mean!!"
Pierce "Is this because Iām a mouse?! Am I being persecuted because Iām a mouse?!"
Alice "Iād hit you even if you werenāt."
Mouse or human, if someone Iām not close to tries to kiss me, I will resist.
And if they keep pushing? Iāll take appropriate action. Itās self-defense.
Alice (There is no world where kissingāsorry, āchuāāis done that casually!)
Alice "Listen. I donāt kiss people Iām not close withānot unless theyāre family, a friend, or someone Iām dating."
Alice "It doesnāt matter what the customs are in this world, or whether youāre a mouse or not."
Alice "I just donāt kiss people Iām not close to. A kiss is something you give out of affection."
Pierce "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Pierce "Then⦠letās become family or friends or lovers! If we do, then I can kiss you, right?"
Pierce "Right?? So letās do that! Letās become one of those so we can kiss!"
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice (Heās not listening to a word Iām sayingā¦)
Alice (Is it because heās a mouse? Is that why I canāt reason with himā¦?)
After a brief silence, Pierce started squealing in excitement again. I let out a sigh. I could feel myself slipping into mouse prejudice.
Alice (I mean, cats are still somewhat reasonable⦠but miceāmice are justā¦) (Mice.)
Pierce "Chu chu! I canāt wait to kiss cute things. Iāll wait until weāre family or friends or lovers, okay?"
Pierce "I wanna hurry up and become one of those so I can kiss you!"
Alice "Sighā¦"
Alice (How should I put thisā¦)
Alice (Heās even more of a simpleton than Peterā¦)
Peterās behavior was outrageous, but heās actually smart. That mix of intelligence with his eccentric actions made him scary in a sort of stalker-ish way.
But with this kid, thereās none of that.
Alice (Heās just an idiot⦠A complete idiotā¦)
An exhausting idiot.
Pierce "Family, friend, or lover⦠hmm⦠Which one should I pick? Which sounds best?"
Pierce "Hey, Alice! Which one do you think is good? Which should I be?"
Alice "ā¦Thinking about it normally, Iād say āfamilyā is off the table."
You canāt just decide to become blood relatives.
If this kid were my little brother or older brother⦠itād be exhausting. Even as a relative, itād be tough.
Pierce "Hmm? But if we get married, doesnāt that make us family? I think thatās the easiest and fastest way to do it."
Pierce "Should we go with that? Wanna get married?"
Alice "No."
Pierce "Hmmmmm⦠Then I guess itās either friend or lover⦠That means weāve gotta start by getting closer!"
Pierce "What should I doā¦? I guess spending more time together, playing togetherā¦"
Alice (The conversation is just⦠moving on entirely without me.)
Still, this is better than being pestered for kisses, so I let him keep talking.
Pierce "Oh, I know!! Iāll invite you to my house!"
Pierce "Yeah! Iāll invite you over to my place and boost our intimacy! Come over, Alice! Letās become closer friends!"
Alice "You have a house�"
I thought he was just wandering around the forest all the time like a stray.
Pierce "Yup! I do! My very own house!"
Pierce "Iām inviting you over! Then we can get closer and become friends!"
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice "How do I put thisā¦"
Pierce "Hmm?"
Alice "ā¦ā¦Just, I donāt know⦠how to respond to all this."
Alice (He's just⦠so transparent.)
Itās not exactly a āhidden motiveā⦠or maybe it is, but either way, itās so blatant that Iām not sure how to react.
Alice "ā¦Most people donāt go around saying āboost intimacy,ā you know."
Pierce "ā¦Really? But I do want to get closer to you! I want to increase our intimacy!"
Pierce "Then we can kiss!"
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice (I really donāt know how to respond to thisā¦)
Pierce "Youāre so cute, I wanna kiss you soon!"
Pierce "How close do we have to be? I wanna kiss you so bad, Iāve gotta invite you over ASAPā¦"
Alice (How close do we have to be⦠I wanna kiss you⦠gotta invite youā¦)
Alice (You knowā¦)
Iāve been tuning out all the constant āchu chuā talk, but if he wants to kiss cute things, that meansā¦
Alice (ā¦Heās calling me cute, isnāt he.)
He says Iām so cute he wants to kiss meāeven though I donāt think I have the kind of face people usually call cuteā¦
Alice (What a strange kid.)
Alice (How do I even describe this�)
Itās⦠itchy. In that emotional, awkward kind of way.
Pierce "ā¦Hmm, but with that size, you probably canāt fit⦠Thatās a problem, what should I doā¦?"
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice (ā¦Is his house that small I wouldnāt even fit in it?)
Like a rabbit hutch, except for mice.
Alice (ā¦Honestly, I donāt want to be invited overā¦)
End Event
SCnKnA Boris Airay Best End
Event List
Scene ā Clover Town ā Aliceās Room
Boris āAh, morning, Alice. Yawn⦠I had a weird dream or something.ā
When I returned to the room, Boris, who had been asleep, was just waking up. Still a little drowsy, he was sitting cross-legged on the bed, rubbing his eyes.
Alice āA weird dream?ā
Just the other day, he was dreaming about go-karts. Heās a cat who dreams often.
Boris āWeird, or maybe⦠scary? Was it a scary dream?ā
Alice āā¦What kind of dream was it?ā
Boris āThe kind where a friend yanked out my tail.ā
Boris āā¦Why the hell would I dream that? Woke up feeling awfulā¦ā
Alice āWell⦠yeah, I guess that would be kind of scary.ā
It doesnāt need to be saidāheās clearly referring to Dee and Dum. Theyāve been after Borisās tail for a while, but maybe theyāve stepped up their attempts lately.
Muttering something like āNo way Iām letting them rip it out,ā Boris climbs off the bed. His still-sleepy eyes blink rapidly when he sees me.
Boris āHuh? Alice, you look kinda tired.ā
Alice āEhā¦?ā
Sharp, even half-asleep. It's true, I didnāt sleep well either, and I felt sluggish when I woke up.
Maybe Iām coming down with something. And I do have a suspicion about why.
Boris walks right up to me and peers into my face.
Boris āYeah, youāre definitely tired. And your face is kind of flushed tooā¦ā
Boris āYou okay? Are you feeling sick? Should I take you to the doctor? Or would you rather just rest here?ā
He asks with concern in his voice and worry in his eyes. Butā¦
Alice āExcuse me⦠but who exactly do you think is responsible for this?ā
I give him a half-glare.
Boris āWait⦠Iām responsible?ā
Boris āIs this about that night after your bath when I got a little too excitedāOW OW OW!ā
Alice (You didnāt have to say it!)
He went and said something totally unnecessary, so I gave his tail a sharp tug.
Boris āAlice, are you really sick!? Youāre way too strong for a sick person!ā
Alice āThatās because of what you said! Honestlyā¦!ā
Still, I already figured that was probably the reason.
Boris āAah⦠yeah, okay, so it was my fault. Sorry, alright?ā
Boris āNext time, Iāll be more careful not to let you get chilled after a bath, so forgiveāOWW!ā
Alice (Heās still going!?)
Boris āWhy!? I apologized, didnāt I!?ā
Boris āI said I was sorry, so why are you still pulling myāOW OW OW this seriously hurts!!ā
Boris āDee and Dum donāt even go this hard on my tail! Alice, are you trying to rip it off too!? Is this propheticāa vision of the future!?!ā
Alice āIf you donāt want that dream to come true, stop saying such things!ā
I squeezed his tail hard. Boris quickly surrenderedāthis round goes to me.
Later
Boris āā¦Sometimes I honestly wonder if you even like me.ā
Boris āLike right now, for example. How many times do I have to tell you I canāt eat hot food?ā
Iād stepped out to cook in the kitchen downstairs and reheated the food once Boris woke up, then brought it back to the room.
Itās become a regular thingābreakfast for two (technically lunch, but we just woke up). Todayās menu: piping hot egg soup, salad, bread, and milk.
I just wanted to see the face you make when you hate somethingā¦
ā¦Because you're a cat, after all
Iāll never understand, no matter how many times you say it
1. I just wanted to see the face you make when you hate somethingā¦
Alice āI just wanted to see the face you make when you hate somethingā¦ā
Boris āā¦Thatās a pretty wicked hobby, Alice. Funny, thoughāI love seeing your annoyed face too. It gives me the chills in the best way.ā
Boris āYouāve had your fill watching me suffer, right? Now itās my turn. Show me lots of those annoyed expressions of yours.ā
Alice āHey. Thatās not very polite!ā
I lightly slapped the hand that was reaching for me.
Alice āā¦I was kidding. Obviously.ā
2. ā¦Because youāre a cat, after all
Alice āā¦Because youāre a cat, after all.ā
Boris āThatās right, I am a catāgot a problem with that? Cats have sensitive tongues. I canāt handle hot food! So remember that, okay?ā
Boris āSeriously, Iām begging you here.ā
Alice āI do remember. But this time, I had a reason.ā
3. Iāll never understand, no matter how many times you say it
Alice āWho knows. Maybe Iāll never understand, no matter how many times you say it.ā
Boris āā¦So youāre saying you donāt plan on learning your lesson, huh?ā
Boris āJust so you knowāeven for you, I have my limits. I really canāt eat hot food.ā
Alice āā¦I was joking. Obviously.ā
Choices Converge
Alice āI just needed to warm myself up a bit. Sorry, but could you wait until it cools down?ā
Like weād already discussed, I wasnāt feeling great. If I let it get worse, it could turn into a full-blown coldāso I was trying to prevent that.
Iād been borrowing a corner of the busy inn kitchen, so I didnāt have time to heat things up separately. When I explained this, Boris seemed to understand.
Boris āWell, if thatās the case, you couldāve just said so. That makes sense.ā
Alice āYeah⦠sorry.ā
Boris āItās fine. Iād hate it if you caught a cold anyway.ā
Boris started with the salad, then took a sip of the soup once it had cooled slightly.
Boris āOh, this is good. Nice bit of pepper. Did you add a little ginger too?ā
Alice āI did⦠Does the flavor bother you?ā
Boris āNah, this much is totally fine. Actually, itās pretty good. Definitely feels like itāll warm me up.ā
Boris āYou whipped up this menu to suit your condition just like thatāimpressive. Just like you, Alice. Youāre a great cook.ā
Alice āYouāre exaggerating. I didnāt have much time, so itās kind of a thrown-together meal.ā
The soup was hot, after all. I actually felt a bit guilty about that.
Boris āEven if it was thrown together, itās still really good. Honestly, anything you make for me is a treat. Thatās probably why it tastes even better.ā
He says the most embarrassing things so casually. Boris is unfair like that.
Even so, he kept complimenting the meal and finished everything on his plate.
Boris āJust being with you makes me feel so happy⦠I donāt get it. Iām not supposed to be this kind of guyā¦ā
He placed his hands together and gave a soft āthank you for the mealā, then muttered those words with a quiet smile.
I couldnāt help but smile wryly in return.
Alice (If anyoneās breaking character, itās me.)
I was the one who thought Iād sworn off love for the time beingāand now here I am, dating a cat. That alone is unbelievable.
Living almost like weāre sharing a home, making meals for my boyfriend⦠None of this was ever part of the plan.
Alice (The move wasnāt the only unexpected event⦠this entire situation is just as surprising.)
Still, I donāt hate this life. If anythingā¦
Alice (My boyfriend is sweet, but free-spirited, mischievous, and jealousāa Cheshire Cat through and through. I know heāll keep stirring things upā¦)
But somehow, that makes it fun. I kind of want it to last forever.
And that might just be the biggest āunexpectedā of all.
Scene Change ā Clover Town ā Inn
Man "A hangout spot for cats? Yeah, thereās one in this town too."
When I asked him, thatās what he told me.
Heās the same person who told me about the glowing mushrooms before.
Alice "There is one, huh⦠Well, every town seems to have at least a few of them."
A place where cats gather. A hangout, a meeting spotāfor cats.
Man "Yeah, thereās one here too. The spot where the most cats gather⦠let me think⦠probably the alley off West Street."
Man "Near the park with the fountain⦠Do you know the place?"
Alice "Yes, I know the park. But there are a lot of alleys around there. Which one?"
Man "If youāre interested, you should go check it out. The alley is⦠hang on, Iāll draw you a map."
Alice "Thanks."
Even after everything that happened, he was still kind as ever.
Man "But Alice, your cat boyfriend might get jealous, you know?"
Alice "Iām just going to see some cats."
Man "Cats donāt like it when their owners look at other cats."
Alice "Iām not Borisās owner. Iām his girlfriend."
Man "Then heāll probably be even more jealousā¦"
Alice "ā¦You think so?"
Man "Most likely⦠yeah."
Scene Change ā Clover Town ā Main Area
Meow, meow. Mii, mii.
Myah, myahā¦
Alice "Whaā"
Alice (thought) (ā¦So cute.)
This is heaven for a cat lover.
Following the directions that man gave me, I arrived at the cat gathering spot. True to its name, the place is full of cats.
Meow, meow. Meow, meow.
I pet one of the cats that comes up to me. As I do, it rubs itself against me affectionately.
Alice (thought) (So⦠so cuteā¦)
Having owned a cat before, Iām definitely fond of them.
Alice (thought) (It reminds me of Dinahā¦)
Cats are adorable. Iād forgotten just how adorable they could be.
Alice (thought) (ā¦I was starting to forget.)
Cat "Meow."
Alice "There, thereā¦"
Cat "Meow, meow."
Alice "ā¦Are you hungry? Iāve got some fish. Want some?"
Cat "Meow, meow."
Alice "ā¦Alright then. Here you go."
I offered a few small dried fish I had brought with me.
Cat "Meow, meow."
Cat "Meow meow meow."
Cat "Myah. Meow meow."
Alice "Ahh⦠donāt fight over it."
For the weaker ones who couldnāt get any, I hand-fed them directly.
Cat "Miiā¦"
Alice "ā¦Youāre a timid little one, huh? The others keep taking your food so easilyā¦"
Alice "ā¦Still so small. Not a kitten, butā¦"
Alice "ā¦You canāt be this weak if youāre not a kitten anymore."
It was thinner than the other cats. Probably hadnāt been able to get enough food.
Alice "ā¦Where are you from?"
Cat "Nii, niiā¦"
It licked at the small fish as it ate. Such a small, fragile cat.
Alice "Donāt you have a home?"
Cat "Niiā¦"
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice (thought) (ā¦Maybe it really doesnāt have a home.)
Alice (thought) (Just like meā¦)
??? (Boris) "Itās a stray."
Alice "!!!"
At some point, another cat had appeared behind me. I hadnāt noticed at all.
Boris "You donāt need to be feeding such a weakling."
Boris casually lifted the little cat by the scruff.
Alice "B-Boris!"
Boris "What, cheating right out in public? With some⦠feeble little stray like this."
Still holding the cat, Boris gave it a shake. The cat just let it happen.
Cat "Nii⦠niiā¦"
Boris "Looks as weak as it gets⦠Itād probably die even if left alone."
Boris "These others too⦠all cats I could kill without a second thought."
He glanced around, eyes sweeping the group of cats.
Cat "Meow!"
Cat "Meow meow!"
Cat "Meow meow meow!"
The cats all bolted at once.
Alice "Ehā¦"
They scattered in perfect unison, like frightened spiders.
Alice "ā¦Boris, are you some kind of hated cat or something?"
Boris "No. Iām feared."
Boris "Iām a Cheshire Cat, remember? Iām not like the others."
Boris "Iām a strong cat. Every cat is afraid of me. See?"
Cat "Niiā¦"
Dangling helplessly in the air, the small cat looked completely defenseless.
It was being held up, so it couldnāt even run like the others.
Alice "Put it down. Thatās just cruel."
Boris "It pisses me off. Itās so weak⦠and yet you pay attention to it. Even fed itā¦"
Boris "ā¦Why are you always fussing over other cats? Do you like this weak little thing more than me?"
Boris "You feed them⦠live with them⦠You do all the things you wonāt do for me."
Alice "ā¦Do you want food?"
I asked, thinking no way heād say "yes."
Boris "Yeah. I want you to feed me."
Alice "Not like making you a meal⦠you mean, feeding you? Like youāre a pet?"
Boris "I donāt care what you call it. If it means being tamed by you⦠I want you to feed me."
Boris said it so casually, without hesitation.
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice "A catā¦"
Boris "Huh? Yeah, I told youāIām a cat."
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
He said it so confidently, I was left without a retort.
Boris "ā¦Agh, it's your fault Iām hungry now. You feed all the other cats, but not meā¦"
Boris "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Boris "ā¦This one looks weak. Doesnāt it kind of look like a mouse?"
Alice "ā¦ā¦!!!"
Alice "N-no! Donāt eat it!"
Boris "Iām not gonna eat it⦠Geez, donāt take it so seriously."
Boris "A cat doesnāt eat another cat. Iām a cat, so I wonāt eat this one."
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ ā¦I donāt think youāre a cat, Boris."
Boris "ā¦ā¦?"
Alice "Cats are cute creatures. Boris, youāre not cute."
Boris "ā¦ā¦!!!"
Borisās eyes flew wide open in shock, and he gasped.
Alice "Boris, you're completely different from this kitten⦠or any other cat, really. I realized that again after petting a regular cat for the first time in a whileāyouāre nothing alike."
I never truly thought of him as an ordinary cat. Heās more like a human.
But being told over and over that heās a cat had nudged my perception in that direction.
Sure, Boris is catlike. Thereās a feline aspect to him. But stillā¦
Alice "Boris, youāre not a cat. You donāt have the kind of cuteness cats have."
Boris "ā¦ā¦!!! ~~~~~~~~~!!!!"
His not-so-cute, catlike face started to stiffen more and more.
Boris "S-So⦠does that mean Iāve failed as a cat!? That you can fawn over other cats but not me!?"
Alice "Youāre cute, but⦠not in the catlike way, I guess."
Boris "So Iām worse than that thing? Is that why you wonāt live with me or feed me!?"
Alice "Feeding⦠I mean, I do bring you food and cook for you sometimes, donāt I?"
Just a few time slots ago, we had a meal together. He said that hot egg soup, once cooled down, was delicious and ate it happily.
Boris "That wasnāt enough! Not even close! I want more!"
Alice "ā¦Haah. Fine, I get it."
Alice "You want me to feed you like a cat, right?"
I offered him a dried fish.
Boris "!"
Boris lit up with joy and immediately chomped into it.
Boris "Hamā¦"
A cute gesture. Adorably catlike behavior.
Boris "Nnā¦"
He ate it slowly, as if licking at it.
The way he ate was exactly like the small cat from earlier. He licked his fingers with soft smacks, trying not to leave even a single piece behind.
Alice (thought) (ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦)
Alice (thought) (ā¦Yeah, heās still different.)
Alice (thought) (Boris is different.)
Heās not just a cat. He may be a cat⦠but heās something else entirely.
Alice (ā¦Not cute.)
Boris "Give me more."
He licked his fingers.
Alice "There⦠thereās no moreā¦"
I had already given the rest to the other cats. The one I gave to the cat in front of me was the last.
Alice (thought) (A catā¦)
Alice (thought) (Heās a cat, butā¦)
Boris "ā¦It was delicious."
His pink tongue licked his lips.
Alice (thought) (Ughā¦)
Alice "ā¦Iām glad you liked it. But thereās no more."
Boris "Moreā¦"
Alice "I said⦠thereās no moreā¦"
Boris "I want moreā¦"
He whispered in my ear.
For a cute catās begging, it carried an unusual force. His lips, still wet from licking his fingers, drew closer.
Alice "ā¦ā¦"
Boris "I want more, Aliceā¦"
That pink tongue licked me again. He kissed me.
Alice (thought) (Pinkā¦)
Thereās no other cat this pink. Thatās why Boris is both a cat and not a cat.
Heās cute, but not cute. More than cute, heās⦠pink.
Alice (thought) (Pink⦠A cute color, but⦠not cute.)
Boris "Alice."
That pink voice called to me.
Boris "Give me more food⦠Alice."
Alice "Borisā¦"
Boris "ā¦Alice."
Cat "Niā"
Alice "!?"
Boris "ā¦!!!"
A sweet voice scattered the pink mood into mist.
Cat "Niā"
Boris "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Cat "Niāniā"
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Boris "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
It was like⦠a young couple being interrupted by a crying baby. ā¦A terrible comparison, but thatās exactly how it felt.
We both froze.
Cat "Niāniā"
Boris "ā¦What. You want food too? You⦠you want more too?"
Cat "Niāniāniā"
Boris "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Boris "ā¦Alice."
Boris "ā¦If itās not gonna eat⦠can I shoot it instead?"
Alice "No."
Scene Change ā Clover Town ā Shopping District
Boris "So you are taking it home in the endā¦"
On the way back. Boris was completely sulking.
In my arms was the small cat I brought from the gathering place. It was still thin, and I could feel it hadnāt been eating enough.
Alice "I couldnāt just leave it there. This little one would definitely be left out when it comes to food."
Alice "And Iāve got work, so I canāt be there to feed it all the time."
Itās hard for me to go feed it directly every day. If I keep it close, I can help.
Boris "But you wonāt take me home. And now this guy you just metāyouāre taking it home and planning to live togetherā¦"
Alice "ā¦Donāt sulk."
Boris "Of course Iām sulking. How can I not? If I stop sulking, I might just shoot it, you know?"
Alice "No, you wonāt! Thatās not allowed!"
I snapped, and Boris let out a big sighāāhaaah.ā It was like he was too shocked to even argue back.
Boris "You always say Iām fickle or whatever, but youāre pretty fickle yourself. Just when I think youāre back by my side, you drift off somewhere else again."
Boris "ā¦Donāt make me feel so anxious."
Alice (ā¦Hmph. Now heās saying something all meek and tenderā¦)
Is this some kind of āIf anger doesnāt work, try acting pitifulā strategy? I donāt know if thatās even a real strategy, though.
Alice "I never meant to make you anxious."
Boris "But I am anxious. Iām your boyfriend, and yet youāre always thinking about and being nice to other cats."
He cast a resentful side glance at the cat in my arms.
Boris "ā¦I wish your head was filled with only thoughts of me. Then I wouldnāt be constantly on edge like this."
Boris "Iām seriously a lost cause at this pointā¦"
Alice "You donāt need to be so jealous. This isnāt what you think it is."
Itās not cheating. Iāve said it before, and Iāll say it againāBoris is completely different from other cats.
Bringing this little cat home is not a betrayal.
Boris "I canāt help it. Ugh⦠I feel like Iām going crazy with jealousyā¦"
Boris roughly ran his hands through his own hair. Watching him so out of sorts reminded me of something he said not long agoā¦
When was that againā¦? Rightāafter we had that meal with the egg soup.
Flashback
Boris "I never imagined Iād fall for you like this."
Boris "Honestly, I feel so uncool right now⦠But itās your fault, so take responsibility, okay?"
Boris "ā¦Iāll take responsibility too."
Boris "Itās okay if Iām full of myself, right? To think youāre mine, and Iām yours?"
End Flashback
Alice (He didnāt seem to have much composure then eitherā¦)
Heās hopelessly in love with me. Lately, Iāve been feeling that even more than before.
Alice (ā¦Maybe itās time.)
Maybe itās time I made up my mind.
Being with Boris is fun. I want to keep being with him.
I love Boris. I never thought Iād fall this hard.
Weāre the same now. Iāve come to think the same way he does.
Alice (Iām probably going to be dragged all over the place, thoughā¦)
Alice "Boris, listenā¦"
Scene Change ā Borisās Room
Alice "Iāve decided to live with you, Boris."
Pierce "G-Good for you. W-Well, thatās great and all⦠but⦠but stillā¦"
Pierce "Th-there are two cats now... The number of cats has doubled..."
Pierce "The cats... they've multiplied... Cats..."
Pierce was visibly trembling.
Alice "This little one is our new housemate too."
Alice "ā¦Right, Boris?"
Boris "I'm not happy about it... A cat like this..."
True to his words, Boris looked displeased as he stared at the kitten. When their eyes met, he frowned in discomfort.
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Cats "Nii, nii."
Boris "ā¦You're hungry? Want some fish?"
Boris "Well, I guess I donāt have a choice... Youāre pretty weak, huh."
Grumbling, Boris fed the small cat with a sulky look.
Cats "Ni~i."
The cat was already fond of Boris.
He wasnāt the one being fedāhe was the one doing the feeding. Despite his complaints, Boris was surprisingly caring.
Alice "What a heartwarming pictureā¦"
Pierce "ā¦What a terrifying picture⦠A feline dinner tableā¦"
Pierce "This is horror⦠I canāt even look directly at itā¦"
While the scene was cute enough to make one want to keep watching, Pierce averted his eyes.
Pierce "ā¦Hey, is that cat your child, Alice?"
Alice "Huh?"
Pierce "Your and Borisās child? Boris is the dad and you're the mom...? Did you become a cat family?"
Alice "A cat familyā¦"
A completely absurd ideaābut the phrase cat family had a certain charm.
A cat dad. A cat mom. A cat childā¦
Iām human, and Boris isnāt a normal catāheās pink and all. But the kitten is a proper, ordinary cat.
Thereās a lot that doesnāt make sense, but somehow, it still feels heartwarming.
Alice (A family, huh...)
(ā¦That sounds nice.)
It felt like home.
A place of rest. Somewhere that always exists. Unbreakable bonds.
None of us had anything like that.
Not Boris, not me, not the small cat. Weāre just strays brought together.
But together, it almost feels like a family.
Alice "Yeah... I suppose itās like we adopted him."
Watching the two cats, I felt at peace.
Adorable creatures. Someone I love.
It was like the life I had once imagined. A house, someone I love smiling beside me, a life shared with cats.
I thought it would last forever. And now, even if the form is different, itās right in front of me.
Cat "Nii, nii."
Boris "Youāve gotta toughen up, you hear me? Otherwise youāll dieā¦"
Cat "Nii, nii, ni~i."
Boris "You listening?"
Cat "Nii, nii, ni~i."
Boris "Take this seriously, will you?"
Cat "Nii, nii, ni~i."
Too distracted by food, the cat didnāt hear a word of Borisās lecture.
Boris "You gotta eat a lot, get big, and get strong, got it? You need to learn how to fight for your food. How to catch mice and stuffā¦"
Boris really did sound like a proper dad.
Alice (So Iām the mom, huhā¦)
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice "ā¦Maybe we should get even more cats. More adopted kids. We could become one big family."
Pierce "ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Pierce "ā¦Maybe I should run away from the forest too. I canāt take this. I just canāt handle a forest full of catsā¦"
Alice "ā¦Oh, come on. There are only two right now. Just two⦠for now."
This is my home. And for now, we have two cats.
Alice "If we're going to be a cat family, then we need more members."
Boris "...Cat family? You want to add more?"
Boris "But I donāt want to share you with anyone else."
Cats "Nii, nii."
Boris "See, even this one says no. Cats are super possessive, you know? Right?"
Cats "Ni~i."
Boris "If we had kittens, then maybe adding more to the family would be nice... Oh, but wait. If weāre already a family, then itās already three of us, right? Not two."
Alice "Huh? I donāt have any kids... I mean, probably not."
Boris "Thatās not what I meant... I mean if weāre talking about a cat family, then youāre a cat too. So you count as one, right? That makes three in total."
Alice "ā¦Iām a cat too?"
Boris "Yeah. In a cat family, that makes us a three-cat household."
Cats "Nii, nii.ā
The little cat chimed in as if to agree.
Alice "ā¦A family, huh."
Counted among them, that made me the third cat.
It was strange to be considered a cat⦠but if it meant being part of a family, it didnāt sound so bad.
Alice "ā¦Alright, then Iām the third cat."
Pierce "...Iām running away from home."
The mouse didnāt get counted.
End Event
SCnKnA Home Event - Pierce 4
Event List
Scene ā Clover Town ā Bar
We went into town and ended up at the same cafƩ Pierce and I visited before.
Alice (I didnāt think Iād come back here again⦠but, well, whatever now.)
As usual, he ordered coffee. But once it was brought to the table, he just sat there smiling at the cup without taking a sip.
Alice āWhatās wrong? Arenāt you going to drink it?ā
Pierce āYeah⦠I was just watching it, thinking how happy I am. Thanks to you, I can drink coffee even without sweets now.ā
Alice āAhā¦ā
I remembered our last visit to this cafƩ.
Pierce had said, āI canāt drink bitter coffee, so I gnaw on sugar cubes,ā and Iād told him that sugar cubes were meant to be put in the coffee.
Back then, he hadnāt even known that muchāand when he tasted sweetened coffee, he seemed really moved by it.
Pierce āI didnāt know there was a way to make coffee sweet. Itās all thanks to youāI discovered something amazing.ā
Pierce āYouāre so smart, Alice. You know everything. Youāre really clever.ā
Pierce āOutsiders can do anything, huh? Thatās so impressiveā¦ā
Alice āā¦ā¦ā
Being praised this much just makes me want to take it the wrong wayāat least, thatās my usual cynical self.
But this wasnāt sarcasm. Pierce meant every word.
ā¦Still, being looked at with such sincere admiration is awkward.
Heās usually half-asleep, yet now his gaze is so intenseāearnest, even. This mouse is staring at me like Iām something incredible.
Like Iām something completely different from him. Something amazing.
Alice āā¦Look, anyone knows that you can put sugar cubes in coffee. It just makes it less bitter.ā
(Though there are people who drink it blackā¦)
(ā¦But that wouldnāt suit him, now would it?)
Alice āIām not especially smart or impressive or anything like that.ā
Alice āā¦Seriously, didnāt you notice? If youāve ever attended one of Bloodās tea parties, you mustāve seen someone put sugar in tea, right?ā
His boss prefers his tea straight, but sometimes adds sugar depending on the kind or his mood.
Pierce āYeah, Iāve seen that⦠But still, I never thought of putting sugar in coffee too⦠I mean, it didnāt occur to me that it would be okay in both.ā
Alice āOf course it is. How could you not realize that?ā
Pierce āI wouldnāt realize it. Iām a mouseā¦ā
Pierce āā¦Iām not smart. Iām not clever.ā
Pierce āSo⦠unless someone tells me, Iāll never figure it out on my own. Itās impossibleā¦ā
Seeing Pierce so downcast, I couldnāt bring myself to tease him.
Normally, anyone would realize that if somethingās too bitter, adding sugar helpsāeven without being told.
Alice āā¦Someone shouldāve just told you.ā
Pierce āNo one tells anything to a mouse.ā
Pierce āYouāre probably the only one who ever teaches me things, Alice. A kind girl whoās nice to a mouse. You treat me gentlyā¦ā
Pierce āā¦You say youāre not especially smart or impressive, but you are especially kind and sweet.ā
Pierce āYou donāt need to be clever to be kind. You donāt have to be important to be nice. I⦠I like that about you. I like that youāre gentle and kind.ā
Pierce had completely taken a liking to me.
Alice āā¦Donāt you have any friends, Pierce?ā
Pierce āNope. Everyone just bullies meānobody really wants to be close. Itās all bullies. Iām always being picked on.ā
Alice āā¦I see.ā
He is easy to tease. His reactions are obvious and amusing.
(Still, I donāt think anyone actually bullies him seriouslyā¦)
Alice āā¦Itās kind of surprising that someone like you doesnāt have any friends.ā
Pierce ā? Really? Why?ā
Pierce āI donāt think itās that strange for a mouse to only have other mice as friends, you know? Since Iām a mouse, I canāt be popular.ā
Alice āYou donāt have to be popular to have friends. You actually seem like someone who would make friends easily.ā
Pierce āMake friends easilyā¦ā
Pierce āEhāehhh!? N-no way! I canātā¦!ā
Pierce āB-but⦠is that how I look? Like someone whoād make friends easily?ā
Pierce fidgeted shyly, clearly embarrassed.
Alice (What a silly kidā¦)
Alice (ā¦So sillyāand such a good kid.)
Calling him āsillyā might not sound like praise, but heās the kind of genuinely good person that makes cynicism feel pointless.
Alice āYeah, I think you would.ā
Itās strange that someone like him doesnāt have friends. In this world, itās someone like me who seems to have a lot of friends.
Alice (How oddā¦)
Alice āYouāre a good kidā¦ā
Pierce āā¦Iām a good kidā¦? R-really? Heheā¦ā
The way he blushed and smiledāhe really was a good kid.
Alice āYeah, a good kid.ā
Pierce āā¦Alice, youāre so kind. I love you.ā
Alice āEh⦠I-I mean, Iām not reallyā¦ā
It didnāt feel like a conversation between two people of the same age.
At my age, people are usually more aware of the opposite sexāfor better or worse.
Alice (People around our age usually have more boundariesā¦)
But there were no boundaries with Pierce.
Alice āā¦ā¦ā
Alice (ā¦Heās a strange one.)
Iām not that nice of a person, so I usually donāt get along with people who are too good.
Alice (ā¦Or maybe Iām the one whoās not such a good person?)
Still, he really did seem like a good kid.
Pierce āAlice, Alice, Iāll put sugar in for you. Itāll be sweet and delicious.ā
Pierce āIf you do this, it wonāt be bitter. I was taught that.ā
Pierce leaned over with the sugar pot in hand.
Alice āā¦Huh? Ah, uhā¦ā
Alice āā¦Wait, Iām the one who taught you thatā¦ā
Alice āā¦ā¦ā
Alice āā¦!?ā
Alice āW-wait a second!? What are you putting in there!? What!?ā
Into the teacup I had taken a few sips from and set back on its saucer, he was droppingāplop, plopāwhite lumps.
Pierce āWhat, you ask⦠sugar.ā
Pierce āIf you put it in, it gets sweet. The more you add, the better it tastes.ā
Alice āThereās no way that makes it better!!ā
Pierce āHuhā¦? But without it, itās bitter. Bitter and⦠not tasty, you know?ā
Alice āIām drinking tea, so itās not even that bitter to begin with! And I can drink it straightā¦ā
Alice āI already added the right amount of sugarā¦ā
Even if I hadnāt added any beforehand, the amount he dumped in wouldāve made it overwhelmingly sweet. And I had added some. This wasnāt a matter of preference anymoreāit was a disaster.
Alice (A mountain of sugar overflowing from the cupā¦)
Alice (Even the most die-hard sweet tooth would run screaming from thisā¦)
He had put in so much that the sugar wouldnāt even dissolve. The lower layers were melting into a syrupy goo, but the upper cubes remained intact.
Pierce āOh, you already added some?ā
Pierce āBut it wasnāt enough. It still tasted bitter. Thatās why I added more.ā
Pierce āLast time, I only put in one cube. But then I discoveredāif you add lots, it tastes even better!ā
Pierce āIt gets sweeter. The taste goes from bitter to sweet!ā
He started adding sugar to his own coffee too.
Alice āā¦ā¦ā
Alice (Thatās⦠way past the point of dissolvingā¦)
Alice (Didnāt we do something like this in science class once? Like how the solubility changes with temperatureā¦)
My mind started drifting somewhere else.
I felt faint. Itās the kind of scenario that might seem funny in a comedy skit, but when itās right in front of you, itās pure horror.
Alice (S-sooo sweetā¦)
It was sludgy. At this point, it was more like a sugar risotto than a beverage.
Pierce āItās the perfect way to enjoy coffee. You donāt get sleepy, itās not bitterāitās the best.ā
Without hesitation, Pierce took a sip of the syrupy mess.
It made a crunching sound. Absolutely not the sound coffee is supposed to make.
Alice āā¦ā¦ā
Alice āā¦Isnāt that a bit too much sugar?ā
Pierce āNope. It gives it a nice textureāadds character.ā
He was starting to sound like a phony food critic.
Pierce āLately, Iāve stopped eating too many sweets or gnawing on sugar cubes. Itās thanks to you, Alice. Youāve helped me become a better person.ā
Alice āā¦Iām not sure Iāve actually helped that much.ā
Alice (At this rate, even without eating sweets, the sugar overload alone is going to give him some diseaseā¦)
End Event
SCnKnA Boris Airay Event 13
Event List
Clover Tower - Assembly Hall
Boris āAnother meeting, huhā¦? Iām so sick of thisā¦ā
Once again, the season of meetings had arrived. We were already changed and gathered in the assembly room.
Alice āSick of it? ā¦Thatās so like a cat.ā
Boris āWhatās that supposed to meanā¦ā
Alice āCats get bored easily.ā
Boris āThere you go again⦠treating me like a cat.ā
Alice āYou are a cat.ā
Boris āWell, yeah, but stillā¦ā
Boris āIām only here because itās the rules, you know? These pointless meetings⦠they mean nothing.ā
Boris āAlice, donāt you get tired of them?ā
Alice āMore than tired, Iāve just gotten used to it.ā
Pierce āAlice, youāre amazingābeing able to adapt to anything so quickly. Thatās a good skill to have!ā
Alice āWell, I got used to this world, didnāt I?ā
Iād even grown used to the fact that the amusement park had turned into a forest. Staying in a different place during the meeting period didnāt bother me at all.
ā¦Though, truthfully, the only ones staying here were Pierce and Boris.
Boris āSo youāve gotten used to itā¦ā
Boris āBut Iām tired of it. Same place, same pointless discussions. These meetings are just boring.ā
Alice āHmā¦ā
I was just tagging along. I wouldnāt be staying in the meeting hall for long.
Boris and the others didnāt have that luxury. They could sneak out sometimes, but there were many situations where they had to be present. No wonder they were sick of it.
Alice āā¦Sounds tough. Did something happen?ā
Boris āYeah⦠itās tough. ā¦Because I canāt shoot my gun freely while Iām here.ā
Alice āā¦ā¦ā
Alice (thinking) (Of course⦠here we go again.)
Boris was a gun enthusiast. Noāmaniac was more accurate.
Alice āā¦Itās not like you have to shoot guns.ā
Boris āNo, itās not okay. Without guns, like thirty percent of a catās life stops being fun.ā
Alice āThirty percentā¦?ā
How exactly was he calculating that?
Pierce āItās like a mouseās life without cheese. Everything becomes flavorless.ā
Alice āCanāt you just⦠endure thirty percent?ā
Boris āWhat?! No way! I canāt endure it!ā
Boris āSure, it makes sense for the authorities, but even someone like me is restricted under these agreements. I canāt take itā¦ā
Alice āTry.ā
Pierce āI canāt either! A life without cheese is unbearable!ā
Pierce āI mean, Iām a mouse, so technically itās not life, but still!ā
Alice āI wasnāt telling you to endure cheese, you knowā¦ā
Boris āUgh, this is such a pain⦠I just want these meetings to end already. ā¦Alice, what about you?ā
Alice āā¦Huh? Me?ā
Alice āI guess⦠like I said earlier, Iāve gotten used to it by now, so Iām fine.ā
Alice (Itās not like Iām upset about guns being restricted⦠If anything, I actually welcome it.)
Pierce āI see⦠But Alice, soon we wonāt even need to hold these meetings anymore. Then you wonāt have to come to places like this at all.ā
Alice āHuh, really? Just when I was starting to get used to itā¦ā
Clover Town had become a place of daily life for meāit was finally starting to feel familiar.
And despite everything, these meetings were safe. Even if normally hostile parties crossed paths, no shootouts broke out during this period.
Pierce āBut still, thereās no cheese here, and itās so boring.ā
Boris āExactly. All I can do is chase the mouse around.ā
Pierce āP-pi!?ā
Alice āā¦Thereās no cheese in the forest either, and you chase Pierce around there too, donāt you?ā
Boris āStill, I want to get back to the forest soon. These meetings are pointless for people like us. I'd rather be in the forest than stuck in these complicated talks.ā
Pierce āAlice, youād rather be in the forest too, right? I want to go backā¦ā
(ā¦But I donāt live in the forest. I live at the inn here in town.)
Still, being included as part of the group made me a little happy.
Later
Pierce āAh, Alice! You finished work? Good job!ā
As I entered the salon, Pierce called out to me.
Iād just returned to the tower after finishing up my duties. The only familiar face in the salon was Pierce.
Alice āThe meeting doesnāt start for another two time slots⦠Not many people here yet.ā
Pierce āYeah, thatās true. A lot of them show up last minute. I got here way too early and Iāve just been sitting here bored.ā
Pierce āHey, Alice, want to go out for tea? Sitting around here wonāt make the time pass any faster.ā
He invited me, eyes sparkling with anticipation.
By the way, while Pierce occasionally arrives early like this, Boris is solidly part of the ālast-minute arrivalā groupāat least if Iām not around.
Alice āā¦Sure. As long as we donāt go too far from the tower, letās kill some time.ā
(Boris probably wonāt be showing up for a while anyway.)
Pierce and I had gone to a cafƩ together before. There was no reason to overthink it.
Pierce āYay, letās go! Letās go have tea!ā
Alice āā¦Itās just tea, you know? Calm downā¦ā
With an overly excited Pierce in tow, I stepped out of the salon.
Go to Home Event ā Pierce 4 Scene Change ā Clover Town ā Bar
Pierce āWhy are tea drinkers always so intense? Theyāre way too intenseā¦ā
Pierce āOr maybe itās just the boss whoās like that. Is he the only one that extreme?ā
Alice āItās definitely just Blood. Vivaldiās a huge tea fan too, but sheās not nearly as obsessed.ā
Alice āI mean, reallyāwe donāt need two tea fanatics like Blood.ā
We continued our idle chatter while killing time at the cafƩ.
Naturally, Iād asked to have my tea replaced. Iām not someone with bizarre tastes who enjoys gritty, sand-textured tea.
We were still at the cafĆ©, time unchanged (at least by my sense of it). Just as I was about to suggest moving to a different locationā¦
The cafƩ door opened. Casually glancing at the entrance, I saw a scowling Boris walk in.
Alice āBoris.ā
Our eyes met the moment I saw him. He had clearly come in looking for us.
Pierce āNy-nyan cat!? Awawa, itās the kittyāwhat do I do!?ā
Alice āCalm down, Pierce. Thereās nothing to do. What do you think heās going to do, really?ā
Pierce āW-what if he chases me!? I have to runā¦!ā
(ā¦Oh. I see now.)
As usual, Pierce was simply worried Boris was going to eat him. So it wasnāt the kind of situation I had initially assumed.
As for meāI was thinking about something else entirely, since I was currently alone with a man who isnāt my boyfriend.
Alice (Boris is definitely sulkingā¦)
He clearly didnāt like the idea of me and Pierce spending time together alone.
But there was nothing to feel guilty about. We were just killing time before the meetingātwo friends, thatās all.
Boris āIāve been looking for you, Alice. So this is where you were⦠with the mouse, no less.ā
As expected, Boris walked over with an annoyed tone. I made sure to answer as normally as possibleāacting guilty would only make things seem more suspicious.
Alice āPierce and I both got to the tower way too early and had time to kill. So we came here to wait.ā
Boris āTime to kill, huhā¦ā
He shot Pierce a sharp glare.
Pierce āPi!? A-are you mad? Boris, why are you mad!?ā
Pierce looked terrified. It seemed he had no idea why Boris would be upset.
Boris āOf course Iām mad⦠Why the hell are you spending time with her? Youāre a mouseāshouldnāt you be off nibbling cheese by yourself or something?ā
Pierce āW-why canāt I spend time with her!? I do nibble cheese, but I drink coffee too! I drink it at home and itās normal to drink it at a cafĆ© too!ā
Boris āThatās not the point⦠Ugh, youāre such a hopeless idiot.ā
Boris let out a sigh, completely exasperated. Seeing him like that, Iā¦
1. Donāt be mad at Pierce 2. Pierce is a good boy
1. Donāt be mad at Pierce
Alice āBoris, donāt be mad at Pierce.ā
I defended Pierce. It was obvious that Borisās anger was nothing more than jealousy.
I knew how deeply he cared for meāand how that made him overly possessive at times. Still, it wasnāt fair to take that out on Pierce, who didnāt even understand what was going on.
Boris āThere you go, defending him again? Thatās harsh, Alice⦠I really thought youād be waiting for me in the towerās salon.ā
2. Pierce is a good boy
Alice āPierce is a good boy.ā
I vouched for him.
Sure, his way of thinking is a little⦠out there, but heās not a bad person. When he invited me out for tea, there wasnāt a shred of ulterior motive.
Alice (Heās like a childāhe doesnāt even think in that way.)
There was no reason to be jealous.
Boris āYouāre seriously calling him a good boy!? Are you kidding me right nowā¦!?ā
Boris was stunned, then muttered with a dejected look on his face:
Boris āA good boy, she says⦠Alice, somethingās seriously wrong with you. Iām just getting the short end of the stick here⦠You werenāt in the salon like I thought, and now thisā¦ā
Choices converge
Alice āLike I said, I already explained why I left. It wouldāve been too long to wait in the salon.ā
Alice āā¦Besides, if you didnāt want to be left out, you couldāve come earlier for once.ā
Boris almost never shows up before the meeting starts. Thatās partly why I decided to go somewhere else.
Boris āā¦Tch. Yeah, I guess thatās true⦠But I had stuff to do too, okay? Iām busy.ā
Alice ā? ā¦Busy?ā
Pierce āNo way~! If by ābusyā you mean doing dangerous stuff, then sure, I believe that.ā
Pierce āYouāre always off doing reckless things with the twins, right? I bet thatās what it is! Definitely!ā
Pierce teased him, and immediately froze when Boris shot him a deadly glare.
Alice (If you're that scared, maybe keep your mouth shut...)
(ā¦Well, Iām starting to understand that not keeping quiet is just who Pierce is.)
Boris āShut up, Pierce. Seriously⦠youāre so annoyingā¦ā
Boris āā¦Anyway, Alice, I was looking for you because I wanted to ask you something. When it turns to night again⦠are you free?ā
Alice āHuh? Next night?ā
Boris āYeah, next night. Are you free? You donāt have work or anything?ā
I had no idea why he was suddenly asking me that, but I tried to recall my schedule. Next nightāI had that time off.
Alice āIām free. Itās my break⦠Well, unless a meeting overlaps, I suppose.ā
Since we never know exactly when itāll be night, itās a bit vague. But I prefer sleeping at night, so I tend to reserve those hours as my downtime anyway.
ā¦Also, because Boris is nocturnal. No matter how many time slots pass, Iād still have that night off.
Boris āGreat. Then make sure you absolutely donāt make any other plans. Keep it open, okay?ā
His voice sounded happy, like all that earlier irritation had evaporated.
Alice āSure, I donāt mind. But⦠is something happening at night?ā
Boris āThatās a secret. Just donāt forget, alright? Itās next night.ā
Alice āI wonāt forget.ā
I doubt Iād go so long without seeing the night that Iād actually forget.
Boris āAlright, in that case, letās get out of here already. Watching you and Pierce sipping tea face-to-face is seriously irritating.ā
Pierce āThatās so mean! We were having such a nice time together! Why are you mad? Boris, you big bully!ā
Boris grabbed my arm, trying to pull me to my feet. Pierce, flustered but determined, protested.
Alice āā¦Pierce, we can redo this another time. Weāve been here long enough anyway. Letās go for now.ā
I reassured him, and though disappointed, Pierce stood up.
Pierce āO-okay⦠if you say so. But reallyācan we try again next time?ā
Alice āOf course. Next time, the three of us can go together.ā
Boris and Pierce blinked and looked at each other but didnāt object.
Scene Change ā Forest ā Trees
Night fell. Just as he promised, Boris came to get me and led me outside.
I followed his lead, walking through an unfamiliar area.
Boris āThis way, this way.ā
Alice āW-waitā¦!ā
Boris āHuh? Whatās wrong? Youāre wobblingā¦ā
Alice āEither slow down or walk a little farther from me!ā
With his arm around my shoulders, pushing me along at that pace, I felt like I was going to trip.
Boris āIf I walk farther away, you might fall. The ground hereās all unevenāitās easy to trip.ā
Boris āI can see fine in the dark, but youā¦ā
Alice āIf you donāt back off, Iām the one whoās going to trip!ā
The ground was really uncertain. Boris tried to guide me, but he was so close that I kept bumping into him.
Not being able to see only made me more uneasy.
And he was fastāway faster than usual, making it downright hazardous.
Alice āSeriously, either keep some distance or slow downā¦ā
Boris āWeāre almost thereā¦ā
He didnāt listen to a word I said.
Alice āWould you listen already? Iām telling you, this is dangerousā¦!ā
He kept forging ahead through the forest.
It was pitch black. The dark woods looked like they were opening up to swallow me whole.
If I were alone, I wouldnāt even think of going in. I wasnāt scared with Boris here, but it was still eerie.
Alice āHey, Boris⦠Where are we going?ā
He hadnāt even told me our destination.
Boris āJust a bit more. Almost there⦠Weāre really close.ā
Alice āI didnāt ask how farāitās where weāre goingā¦ā
Alice āā¦?ā
In the pitch-dark forest, a tiny light appeared.
Faintly glowingājust a small, lonely light. I squinted, wondering if someone was there, but saw no one.
As we moved forward, the lights began to multiply, dotting the path ahead.
Alice āā¦?ā
Alice āBorisā¦? What is that?ā
It didnāt look like a ghost or anything frighteningly supernatural. Just a gentle, small light.
I couldnāt tell what the source wasāit was a faint glow.
Boris āWhat do you think it is?ā
Alice āā¦??? Donāt be meanājust tell me.ā
Boris āItās something you heard about from someone, remember? Judging by your reaction, you never went with anyone else to see it. Thatās a reliefā¦ā
With a pleased tone, Boris moved ahead.
And sped up even more. My footing grew even less steady.
Alice āWāwaitā¦!ā
Just because it was slightly brighter didnāt mean the ground was any less treacherous. I stumbled, nearly falling.
Alice āā¦Ahā¦ā
More of those little glowing lights began to appear.
Alice āā¦?ā
Alice āWāwowā¦ā
It was more than just a scattering of light. It lit up the forest.
The once-dark woods now glowed softly and dreamily, almost like a fairytale.
With this many lights, I could finally tell what they were.
Alice āMushroomsā¦ā
Boris āAmazing, right? These are the glowing mushrooms I was telling you aboutā¦ā
Alice āThese⦠oh, right, a guest at the inn mentioned them before.ā
Theyād said, āThere are mushrooms that glow, you know.ā Iād been curious, but never got the chance to see them.
Boris āI thought you might want to see them. ā¦Ah, but this isnāt the same place that person told you about.ā
Alice āHuh? Itās not?ā
Boris āThe one they were talking about is closer to town. No way anyone could find this spot way out here in the forest.ā
Boris āGlowing mushrooms only shine in the dark⦠Itās hard for townsfolk to make it all the way out here.ā
Boris āThe spot near townās easier to get to, sure, but itās crowded. And there arenāt nearly this many mushrooms.ā
Alice āI see⦠So this is a place not many people know about, then.ā
Boris āProbably only me. I found it by chance.ā
Alice ā!ā
Alice āThatās incredible! I canāt believe you knew about this!ā
People are silly creaturesāif a place is unknown to others, it suddenly feels more special. Things like āsecret hideoutsā and āhidden placesā have a powerful appeal. Iām no exception.
Boris āI searched for it.ā
Alice ā?ā
Boris āI searched⦠and I found it. The one near town is famous, but I didnāt know anywhere else. So I wandered around, hoping Iād get lucky.ā
Alice āā¦ā¦ā
Alice āā¦You searched for it.ā
Alice (Could it beā¦)
I remembered earlierāwhen Boris had shown up while I was at the cafĆ© with Pierce.
Boris āā¦I had a lot to do, I was busy.ā
Alice āBoris⦠When you said you were busy with a lot of thingsā¦ā
(And maybe the reason he usually only came back to the tower at the last minuteā¦)
Boris āā¦Yeah. This was one of the reasons. Not the only one, but⦠yeah.ā
Even without me saying the rest, Boris understood what I was asking. He answered, a little awkwardly.
Maybe it embarrassed him, having me realize just how much effort he had gone to.
Alice (Even if thatās true⦠thereās nothing to be embarrassed about.)
(ā¦Heās been searching all this time.)
I rememberedāit was after the first assembly when that guest told me about the glowing mushrooms. Since then, Boris had been looking for a good place⦠all this timeā¦
Alice āWhyā¦? The famous spot near town wouldāve been fine.ā
To be honest, I had hoped he might invite me on a date.
He had heard the conversation between me and that guest. He mustāve known I wanted to go.
So I thought, if he didnāt want me going with someone else, then maybe he would take me.
But he never invited me.
And I couldnāt exactly ask him myselfānot when there was a chance someone might get shot over a misunderstanding. If I mentioned the place Iād heard about from someone else, Boris might jump to conclusions and end up hurting them again.
Because he hadnāt asked me, Iād honestly felt a little frustrated about it.
Boris āItās because⦠I didnāt want to lose to the guy who talked to you. I wanted to take you somewhere better than where he wouldāve taken you.ā
Alice āBorisā¦ā
Alice āā¦I got irritated over nothing. I kept thinking, āWhy wonāt he just take me already?āā
I was upset that he didnāt invite me out. But knowing now that he had been looking for a place all alongāsuddenly I felt bad for ever being frustrated.
Heās fickle, yes, but he loves me. And even when I didnāt see it, heād been thinking about me.
Boris āYeah⦠I knew. Iām sorry I didnāt take you soonerā¦ā
Alice āI didnāt know you were searching for a placeā¦ā
There was no reason for him to apologize. And maybe I didnāt need to apologize either. But the truth isāI hadnāt considered his side nearly as much.
Back at the cafĆ©, I even told him, āIf you donāt want to be left out, come back earlier.ā
I didnāt know. But even so, that was a cruel thing to say. No wonder he looked so annoyed.
Alice āIā¦ā
Boris āItās fine. Think of it as a present. Did you like it?ā
Just as I was about to fall into guilt, Boris gently lifted me up again.
Alice āOf course I did. Itās beautiful.ā
Even more beautiful than I had imagined from the stories. That such a breathtaking place could be hidden so deep in the forestāit was amazing.
I was mesmerized. It was beautiful⦠and specialā¦
Alice āā¦A surprise gift like this⦠was it for some special occasion?ā
It was so meaningful, it actually worried me. Maybe Iād forgotten something important.
What if Boris remembered something I had forgotten? That would be terribleāas a girlfriend, thatās the worst-case scenario.
Girls are supposed to be the ones who remember anniversaries and special days.
Boris āThereās no such thing as anniversaries in this world, Alice. Every moment can be special⦠and at the same time, none of them have to be.ā
Boris āSo basically, they can all be something⦠or nothing. But either way, none of them are truly special.ā
Alice āThere you go again, with your weird rulesā¦ā
Still, he had a point. Time in this world is broken. Nonsensical. Chaotic. No consistency at all.
Alice (So we canāt really have anniversaries here.)
Even the concept of a "day" is vague.
Alice āSo this wasnāt even for a special occasion?ā
Boris āYou donāt need a special occasion to give your girlfriend a present, right?ā
Alice āWell, maybe not⦠but I didnāt prepare anything for you.ā
Boris āThatās fine. Itās enough that you were surprised and happy.ā
Alice āā¦ā¦ā
It wasnāt a special day. Just a complete surprise.
And even if I wasnāt supposed to have something for him, I still felt bad.
In such a special place⦠I couldnāt do anything special in return.
Alice āI want to do something for you.ā
Boris āHmm⦠well, that would definitely make me happy. Then⦠how about a kiss to mark the occasion?ā
Alice āā¦Thatās hardly something worth commemorating. Itās not really special.ā
Boris āSure it is. Itās special, and worth remembering. Our first kiss after we started dating⦠do you remember it?ā
As if I could forget. That was a kiss to remember.
I joked about it at the time, but laterāI was glad we shared that kiss.
Alice āā¦I remember. That kiss was special.ā
Everything changed with that kiss.
Boris āYeah, same here. I still remember that kiss. No matter how many kisses we share, I donāt think Iāll ever forget that one.ā
He kissed meāsoftly, gently.
A different kiss than that time. But with Boris, no two kisses are ever the same.
Each one is special. But that one⦠that one was truly unforgettable.
More than I realized in that moment, it left a mark.
Boris āThe first kiss I shared with youāafter we became a couple.ā
In the middle of this dark forest, in a place only he knew about. The first time he brought me here. The green of the woods bathed in a soft, golden light.
A fairytale-like space, where a pink cat kisses me. Itās all so surreal.
That pink cat is my boyfriend, and I live in this strange world now. In this fairytale land.
The very sight around me feels like the embodiment of all this strangeness and wonder.
Boris āOur first kiss⦠it really was special. Iāll never forget it.ā
Alice āYes⦠me neither.ā
A dreamlike fairytale, one that might vanish any moment. But I want it to stay just like thisāalways mysterious, always magical.
Alice (Donāt change. Not any more than this.)
Each time our lips meet, another special kiss is added to the story.
Alice āI wonāt forget this kiss either.ā
End Event
SCnKnA Boris Airay Event 12
Event List
Scene ā Clover Town ā Inn
Man āThereās all kinds of rare things in the forest, but nothingās as beautiful as the glowing mushrooms.ā
Alice āTheyāre really that pretty?ā
Man āOh yeah. I think theyāre worth seeing at least once.ā
Heās a regular customerāone who still talks to me the same way he did before, even after Boris shot him.
That unchanged attitude⦠I appreciate it.
But at the same time, I find it terrifying. If this had happened in my original world, he wouldnāt have forgiven it.
At that time, Borisāwho was just a friendāshot him. He was injured.
And yet, the next time they met, he acted completely normal. No hint of hiding bitterness or pretending.
Nothing had changed. At first, I felt relieved by that⦠but then I was disturbed.
Violence is tolerated here. Itās just part of everyday life.
Heās just a role-less citizenābeing shot isnāt even enough to make a fuss here. In this world, even one-sided violence is simply⦠accepted.
Itās absurd.
Alice (But⦠Iām a part of this world now.)
A world unlike the one I came from. But I chose to stay. And by staying, Iāve become part of this world.
I had another dream about my sister the other day. I still remember her.
But I donāt regret choosing this world over hers. Now that Iāve stayed, I have to accept what comes with that.
Part of me is thankful that my friendship with this good man wasnāt destroyed. Another part is disturbed by how nothing was made of itāand grateful it wasnāt.
Iām fully entrenched in this worldās madness.
Boris āSo, Alice... this guyās bothering you again? Persistent, isnāt he?ā
Man ā!ā
Alice ā!ā
Here comes my boyfriendāthe unhinged cat who thinks nothing of pointing a gun at people.
Alice āBorisā¦ā
Alice āWhat are you doing here? You didnāt say you were coming.ā
Alice āWe agreed on the next time zone, didnāt we?ā
Boris āI wanted to see you. So I came. ā¦What, didnāt want to be interrupted? What were you doing with this guy?ā
Man āI was just talkingā¦ā
Boris āI wasnāt asking you.ā
Bang!
Boris fires his gun with a loud crack.
This time, he missesālikely because I scolded him pretty harshly the last time. He took it to heart⦠somewhat.
Thatās about the extent of his āremorse.ā
Alice āStop it, Boris! We were just talking!ā
Boris āYeah? Well, heās too clingy. Always hanging around youā¦ā
Alice āHeās just a customer. Heās not clinging. He just came to eat.ā
Boris āYeah, using food as an excuse to cozy up to you. Pathetic.ā
Alice āThatās not it. Heās a good personāā
Boris āGetting you on his side⦠No way. Heās no āgood personāānot to me. To me, heās the enemy.ā
Boris āYouāre my girlfriend. And yet here you are, with some guyā¦ā
Alice āWe were just talking!ā
Boris āThen donāt talk to him!ā
Alice āDonāt say stuff like thatāit makes you sound like an insecure boyfriend!ā
Boris āI am an insecure boyfriend!ā
Man āā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā
Alice ā...Ah.ā
Suddenly, it hits me.
Weāre being ridiculous.
This is basically a loversā spat in public. Like clinging to your partner in the middle of a crowded streetāmaking things awkward for everyone.
Alice (Ugh⦠We just put on a full-blown jealous scene for an audienceā¦)
It wasnāt like a loversā spatāit was one. And we had the misfortune of putting on the whole embarrassing show in front of someone.
Man ā...Fighting isn't good, you know.ā
Alice āā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā
In a world so full of violence, to hear something that normalāit hits strangely.
Man āIf youāre lovers, you should try to get along.ā
Boris āGetting lectured by a faceless guyā¦ā
Alice ā...He is a good person.ā
I swatted Borisās hand away as he started to raise his gun again.
Boris āDonāt defend the faceless guy! You do like him, donāt you?!ā
Alice āWhat are you saying?! The one I love is you, notāā
Alice ā...ah.ā
Boris āReally!?ā
Alice āReallyā¦ā
Boris āAliceā¦ā
Alice āā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā
Alice ā...Ah.ā
It hits me again. We really shouldnāt be doing this. Not hereānot in front of a random bystander.
Man āI guess that ātry to get alongā line was unnecessary, huh?ā
He smiled warmlyākindly.
Man āYou two are clearly close. You make a good couple.ā
Alice āā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā
Boris āIf you get it now, then stop interrupting and disappear already.ā
Man āAhāsorry for being so clueless. Well then, see you, Alice.ā
He said it breezily and walked away. It reminded me of that knight.
Alice (Ugh⦠I really canāt handle the overly cheerful typesā¦)
Scene Change ā Forest ā Mushrooms and Doors
Because Boris had arrived a time slot earlier than planned, he waited until I finished work. Now that night had fallen and my shift was over, we were back in the forest, taking a walk.
ā¦Though walking by the creek had left me a little chilled.
So now weāre resting.
Just like that time we fell asleep togetherāwe sat at the base of a tree, wrapped in a blanket Boris brought. His body heat and the shared cover warmed my cold body. Cozy, safe, and warm.
Alice ā...Can I get a promise?ā
Boris āYeah, yeah. I get it. I promise. No pulling a gun at your job, right?ā
Alice āItās not just that. You said those things too. I asked you to stop saying that kind of stuff.ā
A loverās quarrel in front of coworkers and customers. Iām sure Iāll be teased when I go back to work.
That kind of sceneāwe have to avoid it from now on. I had Boris promise not to do it again.
Boris āI donāt really get the problem, though⦠I mean, weāre dating. Whatās wrong with saying so?ā
Alice āWhatās wrong isāitās embarrassing, okay?ā
Boris āEmbarrassing? You mean being my girlfriend is embarrassing?ā
His hurt tone made me panic.
Alice āNo, no! Thatās not it at all! Itās just⦠showing that kind of thing in front of other people⦠itās kind of⦠flustering, you know?ā
Boris āYou donāt have to be flustered, though. ā¦But, if thatās the reason, I guess I can respect that. Iāll promise.ā
Boris āBecause I love your flustered face. I donāt want other guys seeing how cute you get when youāre embarrassed.ā
He said it so naturally and kissed my cheek. A quiet smooch echoed in the still forest air.
Alice (His reason for promising is a little questionable⦠but oh well. If he keeps the promise, Iāll take it.)
Alice "Then promise me properly."
Boris "Yeah, yeah, I got it. I wonāt say weāre dating or that I love you in front of other people. I wonāt shoot my gun either. I promise. ā¦Iāll try to be careful."
Alice (...Huh? Try to???)
That part caught my attention, but I wasnāt given the chance to ask. A hand reached out, gently turning my faceāand then his lips sealed mine.
Alice "Mmphā¦"
Boris "Alice."
He whispered my name sweetly as he gave me soft, pecking kisses, one after another. They gradually deepenedāturning into a kiss that sought connection, reaching inside, long and consuming.
Alice "Mmm⦠Hahā¦"
Boris "Nn⦠Hahā¦"
Alice "ā¦Ahā¦"
Boris "ā¦Haaā¦"
Again and again, changing angles each time.
I was breathless. I forgot where we even were, caught up entirely in the moment.
Boris "ā¦"
Alice "ā¦ā¦Nnā¦"
Alice "ā¦ā¦Haaā¦"
When I was finally released, a long sigh escaped my lips.
I tried to turn my gaze away in embarrassmentābut I couldnāt. Boris cupped my cheek and gently held my face in place.
Boris "ā¦ā¦"
Boris "I really like how you look at night. You sparkle... you look so beautiful."
Alice "...Huh? Where did that come from all of a sudden?"
Boris "Ah, donāt get me wrong. I love how you look in the afternoon and evening too, of course."
That wasnāt the point. He just threw it out there without any lead-in, so it caught me completely off guard. But Boris didnāt seem to notice that.
Boris "You're always cute, and I love you so much⦠I really just want to stay close and keep looking at you like this forever."
Alice "ā¦Foreverās a bit much. Iād get tired."
Boris "Ugh⦠There you go again with your cold responses⦠You never say the kind of things that would actually make me happy."
Alice "That's just the kind of person I am."
Boris "Don't just brush it off as āyour personalityā... Haa, well, whatever. You're right, this position is kind of tough."
He said that and removed the hand he'd placed on my cheek.
Boris "I could stay like this forever and not get tired⦠but I might get sleepy."
Facing forward, Boris let out a yawn. āFuaaahā¦ā
Alice "You're not going to get sleepyāyou already are, arenāt you?"
Boris "Just a little, maybe. I wonder why⦠Nights are usually when Iām most awake, but when Iām with you, my rhythm gets all messed up."
Boris "When Iām with you, I feel really calm. So calm that I start dozing off."
Boris "I might not even notice if someone does something to me while Iām half-asleepā¦"
1. āReally?ā
2. āI feel calm too.ā
3. (Guilty gulp)
1. āReally?ā
Alice "Really?"
Boris "Yeah, really. But that might actually be a problem. You're a girlāI'm supposed to be protecting you."
Boris "But being near you feels too good⦠I only ever let my guard down like this when Iām with you."
Alice "ā¦Huh."
(So when he's near me, he lets his guard down that much.)
For a cat to be defenselessāit means he really likes and trusts someone. To know that Iām the only one he relaxes around makes me feel⦠a little proud.
2. āI feel calm too.ā
Alice "Yeah⦠I feel calm too."
Next to Boris, itās warm and peaceful. Even without the blanket like we have now, Iād still feel safe with him.
When I said that, Boris beamed happily.
Boris "Haha, yeah, we do tend to doze off together a lot, donāt we?"
Boris "You can relax and let your guard down as much as you want, okay? Iāll protect you."
Alice "Mm-hm. Iām counting on you."
3. (Guilty gulp)
(Gulp.)
His āmight not notice if someone does somethingā line struck a little too close to home. I didn't say anything out loud, but of course, sharp-eared Boris noticed right away.
Boris "ā¦Whyād you react to that, huh?"
Alice "Eh? N-no, I meanā¦"
He leaned in closeāreally close. His face was right in front of mine.
(ā¦I-I canāt say it.)
Boris "Cāmon, be honest, Alice. Youāre a good girl, right? What did you do to me while I was sleeping?"
Alice "N-nothing! I didnāt do anything!"
(When he's asleep, I touch his tail sometimes⦠because thatās the only time he doesnāt get mad. ā¦But I can't say that.)
Boris "Something's fishy⦠But hey, nothing weird happened when I woke up, so I guess it's fine."
(Phew⦠thank goodnessā¦)
Choices Converge
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice "ā¦Iām getting sleepy too."
Itās nighttime. Weāre outside, sureābut wrapped in a warm blanket.
Itād be stranger not to get drowsy.
Alice "Itās nighttime⦠Maybe we should sleep."
Boris "You always want to sleep at night, huh? Whyās that? Is there some reason?"
Boris "I mean, why are you so set on sleeping at night? Iām nocturnal, so I donāt really get it."
He tilted his head like he genuinely didnāt understand, though I could tell he was getting sleepy himself.
Alice "Itās just habit from my original world. But youāre sleepy too, arenāt you?"
Boris "A little, yeah. But Iām not gonna sleep. And Iām not gonna let you sleep either."
Alice "Eh?"
His golden eyes sparkledāthough maybe not in the most wholesome way.
Boris "I waited a whole time slot just to be alone with you. No way Iām wasting that on sleep. Thatād be a real shame."
Alice "Thatās not really aāmmphā¦"
Another kiss. It came fast and a little roughābut quickly melted into soft heat as his lips moved with mine.
Alice "Mmmā¦"
Boris "Nn⦠Donāt fall asleep, Alice. Letās do something more fun."
He whispered mischievously between kisses. His hands started to slide along my body, hidden under the blanket.
Alice "Waitā¦!"
(He thinks the blanket hides everythingā!)
Though honestly, Boris would probably do this with or without the blanketā¦
Alice "N-noā¦!"
Boris "No? But why not? Thereās nobody else hereāso whatās the problem?"
Alice "That's not what I meantā¦! This is a huge problem!"
The issue wasnāt just about cuddling. Sure, snuggling under a blanket in the forest might be tolerableābut this wasā¦
Alice "ā¦!"
As I squirmed in protest, Boris let out a breath of laughter.
Boris "You're so shy. You only let me cling to you at night. Thatās no funāI'd want to touch you in the morning, evening, any time."
Alice "ā¦Huh? Just because it's nighttime doesn't mean you can do whatever youā"
Alice "ā¦Ah!"
I tried to argue, but Boris's hands moved skillfully. He remembered exactly where I was sensitive, leaving me unable to form a proper response.
Boris "ā¦Well, whatever. Itās night now, right? So that means anything goes. I feel like seeing a whole lot of that shy face of yours tonight."
Alice "Wrongā!"
(I never said anything goesā!)
Boris "Haha, even if you say no, I'm not stopping, you know? So get ready."
Alice "ļ½ļ½ļ½ļ½ć£"
Alice "ā¦Ugh!"
He clearly wasnāt going to back off. His hands moved without restraint.
The blanket was starting to become⦠indispensable.
(ā¦This is starting to feel like Nightmareās territory.)
Visitor Event ā Peter 4
Scene Change ā Clover Town ā Alice's Room
Boris "You had a cat�"
Alice "Yes, I did."
I was talking about my old world. At home, we had a cat.
Today we were spending time in my room, and Iād brought it up myself.
Alice "She was called Dinah. She was so cute."
Boris "Dinah�"
Alice "Mm-hm. Cute name, right?"
She was incredibly affectionate toward me. Of course, like any cat, she could be a bit bratty tooābut that just made her more lovable.
She was a mischievous little thing, but adorable. My precious cat.
(I wish I could introduce her to Boris.)
I had no idea whether theyād get along, but stillācat to cat, I was curious what would happen.
Alice "Even when I bathed her, she didnāt thrash around much. Isnāt that amazing?"
Alice "She was a very good girl. A housecat who never went outside, always in my room⦠so she never fought with other cats. Iām sure she wouldnāt scratch you either."
I was definitely being a doting owner, but Dinah was adorable enough to deserve it.
Boris "Baths� Always in your room�"
Alice "I really loved her. Are you interested?"
Of course, I couldn't introduce her nowāI was in a different world.
But Dinah was such a sweet cat, I wanted to talk about her. And I figured Boris, being a cat, might take an interest.
(I bet he wouldācat to cat and all.)
Even though I had no intention of going back to that world, talking about Dinah still made me happy.
Boris "Aliceā¦"
Alice "Hmm?"
He suddenly had a very serious look on his face.
Alice "???"
An almost tragic expressionā¦
Boris "You were cheating on me!?"
Alice "Huh�"
Alice āWā¦What? Cheating!? Cheatingā¦? With a cat!?ā
Boris āIāM a cat too!!ā
Alice āY-Yes, butā¦!ā
Boris āYou wonāt live with me, but you lived with another cat!? Thatās cheating! Thatās betrayal!!ā
Alice āWhaāwhaaat!?ā
Of course, I never meant it like that.
Boris āYou had a pet cat⦠Lived with another catā¦! While I have to live apart from you!?ā
Alice āEh⦠well⦠I donāt live with her anymore⦠It was in my old world!ā
Boris ā!!! A former cat!?ā
Boris āYou said I was your first cat! Even if itās not happening nowāstill! You lied to me!?ā
Alice āI didnāt lie! Iāve never had a romantic relationship with a cat until you!?ā
First and last. No one expects to fall in love with a cat even once in a lifetime.
Boris āSo you werenāt lovers? You lived with a cat you werenāt even dating!? Thatās immoral!!ā
Alice āEhhhhh???ā
Alice āBut she was my pet⦠I said āmy cat,ā but really she was the familyās cat.ā
Boris āSo your whole family approved of her!? Like you were practically married!?ā
Alice āā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā
I honestly have no idea how to even respond anymore.
Boris āA cat worthy of marriageā¦!? You never told me you had a pet!! You kept it a secret!!ā
Boris āUghhh, even if it was a past cat, I canāt stand itā¦!! If it were a cat in this world, Iād shoot her dead!!!ā
Heās way more worked up than when he was jealous of that guest at the inn.
Alice (Boris really isā¦)
ā¦a cat. Other cats seem to pose more of a threat in his mind.
Alice āUm⦠you know⦠we werenāt getting married or anything. Dinah was a girl cat.ā
Besides, itās not like I could actually marry a cat.
(ā¦Unless that cat was someone like Boris.)
Boris ā!ā
Boris āA girl⦠But still!! I canāt forgive that cat!!ā
Boris āAlice, you were tricked by a wicked cat! It was practically marriage fraud!!ā
Boris āPurring and meowing, fooling you into falling for her!ā
Boris āNo cat like that could really be cute! Her true nature mustāve been awful!ā
Alice āUm⦠uhā¦ā
Boris āIāll make you forget that cat! So donāt ever think about her again!!ā
Alice āā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā
He hugged me tight. Hugged me tight and started licking me.
Licked, kissed, huggedāwrapped up in his possessive affection.
Boris "Iāll make you forget herāthat other cat. Iāll make sure you canāt remember anyone but me..."
He's serious. Boris is completely serious.
And it's because he's serious that this whole thing is incredibly awkward.
Alice (ā¦Is this supposed to be dramatic? From a catās perspectiveā¦) (If I replaced ācatā with āmanā in my head, maybe it wouldnāt sound that weirdā¦)
Boris "ā¦Iāll be your pet cat instead!"
Alice "I donāt need you to make me forget her, and you donāt need to be my petā¦"
Boris "So you do like that old cat better!? Even when youāve got me right hereā¦!"
Boris is truly, hopelessly sincere. And apparently, genuinely heartbroken.
Alice "Listen, Boris. Itās not that I prefer Dinah to you or anythingā"
I couldnāt finish. A large feline silenced me with a kiss.
Boris "ā¦Even if you say no, Iāll make you forget that other cat."
He whispers sweetly, and it almost feels like something out of a romantic drama.
Butā¦
Alice (A cat⦠yeah, still a catā¦) (Even if I mentally swap ācatā for āmanā⦠it's stillā¦) (ā¦Nope. Itās the cat part that ruins everything.)
āForget your old catāāwhen you hear it enough, it stops sounding dramatic and starts feeling like comedy.
And Boris isnāt listening. Nothing I say will get through to him.
Alice (ā¦I should just give up on telling him about Dinah.)
Not only did I bathe her, I bathed with her sometimes. We even slept together often...
If I said any of that, Boris would definitely lose it.
(Cats really are territorial creatures, arenāt theyā¦)
End Event
SCnKnA Pierce and Boris (Boris) Event 3
Event List
Scene ā Forest
Boris "Hey, Alice... I canāt dip the fish in thisā¦"
Alice "ā¦Why not? Itās fine, go ahead."
Alice "Feel free to dip it and eat itāyour beloved fish."
Boris "Even if you say I can⦠but, like, I mean⦠look at itā¦"
Alice "ā¦Go on?"
A sweet aroma wafts into the air.
It's fondue, yesābut today, Iāve brought chocolate fondue.
Boris "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Boris "ā¦Are you mad?"
Alice "ā¦No?"
Alice "ā¦I just think itās a little disappointing that no matter how many ingredients I prepare, you always only eat fish and Pierce only eats cheese."
Boris "ā¦So you are mad."
Alice "Oh my, Iām not mad at all⦠I just want you to enjoy a variety of flavors."
Boris "ā¦Like fish with chocolate?"
Alice "ā¦A rich chocolate aroma mixed with fishy goodness. Sounds delicious, doesnāt it?"
I dipped a strawberry into the chocolate and took a bite.
Delicious. Vegetables go well with cheese fondue, and fruits go perfectly with chocolate fondue.
Boris "ā¦That looks good."
Alice "ā¦It is. Fruits and chocolateāsweet and perfect for a snack or dessert."
Boris "ā¦But not with fish, right?"
Alice "ā¦Maybe not. But for a cat who loves fish like you, Boris, Iām sure itāll be fine."
Alice "Youāll love itāchocolate-covered fish."
Boris "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Pierce "Mmm, yummy, yummy! Chocolate fondue is so good!"
ā¦Pierce really is a mouse who canāt read the room.
Heās not bright enough to notice that Iām upset. Noānot upset. This is all coming from a generous heart, wanting them to enjoy many flavorsā¦
Pierce "So good~ Chocolate fondue~ Chocolate, chocolate! Cheese, cheese!"
Boris "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
The mouse who canāt read the room wasnāt just grabbing random fruitā¦
No, he was eating cheese. The cheese I had prepared for him.
And he was dipping it into the chocolate fondue.
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice (thinking) (Cheese in chocolate fondue...)
Worse than "cheese in cheese fondue"āa dense monstrosity. So dense Iād like to blur it out with a mosaic.
Just imagining the taste is enough toā¦
Alice (T-too richā¦)
Pierce "Chocolate cheese~ Cheeeese~ Two flavors in oneāsuch a deal~"
A ādeal,ā maybe, but the flavors are probably so overwhelming they cancel each other out. Of course, I have no intention of finding out.
Even if it remains a mystery forever, Iāll have no regrets.
Boris "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Boris "ā¦I didnāt know mice were such strong creatures."
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Boris "ā¦Should I show my cat pride and eat it out of sheer willpower? That chocolate-covered fishā¦"
Alice "ā¦No need."
Alice "Iāll give you some fruit instead⦠Just eat thisā¦"
Later
Alice "ā¦Ah."
Pierce "ā¦Ah."
Boris "You dropped it."
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
(ā¦Oops.)
A strawberry plopped into the pot of chocolate fondue.
Alice "Aaahā¦"
(This isā¦)
(ā¦In my world, this would meanā¦)
What about in this world? I didnāt intend to say anything.
Boris "ā¦Punishment game."
Pierce "Punishment game, punishment game~"
Alice "ā¦Ugh. Even this world has thatā¦?"
If you drop something into the fondue pot, you get a penalty.
Itās a sort of traditional ruleāwhoever drops their food has to do a āpunishment,ā usually something silly decided among friends.
Boris "Of course it exists. Thatās the ruleādrop food in the fondue pot, and you get punished."
Pierce "Alice, youāre always picking up after others, and now youāre dropping stuff too. What a klutz~ Youāve gotta do your punishment~"
Alice "ā¦Ugh. Just great. The worst parts of both worlds are the same."
Alice "So, whatās the rule here? Do I have to chug something?"
Not exactly admirable, but in my world, the typical punishment is chugging your drink.
Since fondue often contains alcohol, itās treated as a kind of drunken party gameāa casual tradition between friends or family.
Boris "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Pierce "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Boris and Pierce exchange a glance.
Boris "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Pierce "A kiss."
Alice "ā¦Huh?"
Pierce "A kiss! You know, a chu~"
Boris "Not from yourself. Itās a kiss from someone else at the table. A punishment bestowed by the group."
Alice "Uh, r-really�"
Alice "A kiss�"
Boris "Alice, does your world not have that custom? Youāve never heard of it?"
Alice "U-uhā¦"
If it were total nonsense, I couldāve rejected the idea outright.
But I have heard of it. In fact, in my world, that kind of punishment game does exist.
Dropping your food in the fondue pot? Sometimes, depending on the region, the āpunishmentā is getting a kiss from someone else.
Itās meant to liven things up and bring people closer together. The original version is the drink penalty, but this variation is more common among friends.
Pierce "So it exists! Then itās okay, right?"
Pierce "I'm gonna give you a kiss~ Chu, chu~"
Alice "ā¦W-Wait a minute. Thatāsā¦"
Itās not a loud party crowdājust two boys here. Honestly, chugging my drink would be the easier punishment.
Boris "Move, Pierce. Iām the one kissing her."
Boris said this with clear irritation.
(Well, yeah⦠Heād be irritated if Pierce kissed meā¦)
(But⦠heās okay with it?)
I half-expected him to go full possessive-cat and start firing off rounds to keep everyone away. Surprisingly, he wasnāt that extreme. Even though a kiss, even as a game, feels pretty borderlineā¦
(Well⦠Itās a game, I guess.)
A punishment game. Thatās all it is.
In this world, games matter more than anything.
Pierce "Thatās not fair. I wanna kiss too!"
Alice "ā¦Whaā?"
Boris "Back off, Pierce. Iām the cat here."
Pierce "Even a mouse has the right to kiss in a punishment game! Iām gonna kiss tooā¦"
Boris "Mice donāt get rightsā¦"
Pierce "Alice, you taste sweet⦠Like chocolateā¦"
Boris "You taste like strawberriesā¦"
Alice "Itās just your imagination⦠Or maybe the fondue we were eating earlierā¦"
Pierce "No, itās you, Alice. Youāre sweet⦠Like chocolateā¦"
Pierce "Mmm, tasty. Can I take a bite?"
Boris "Iām gonna lick⦠Mmm, tastyā¦"
Alice "ā¦D-Donāt eat me, please."
With these twoāno, these two animalsāI might actually get eaten.
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
(Maybe Iām drunk from the fondueā¦)
My body feels warm all over.
(Drunk⦠maybeā¦)
But I know what ingredients I used in that fondue. I made it myself, after all.
(ā¦Thereās no way I could be drunk.)
Chocolate fondue, unlike cheese fondue, barely contains any alcohol.
Cheese fondue has a generous amount of white wine, but chocolate fondue is just cream and milk. Maybe a touch of brandy for fragranceājust a dash.
No way Iād get drunk.
Boris "ā¦Too long. Mouse, youāre in the way."
Pierce "The cat keeps interrupting my kissingā¦"
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice "ā¦Youāre both taking way too long."
This isnāt a punishment game anymore.
End Event
SCnKnA Visitor Event - Peter 3
Event List
Scene ā Forest ā Doors and Arrows
Alice (ā¦Huh?)
I thought I was walking toward Peter, to go see him⦠And yet, somehowāIād wandered off again.
Peter āā¦ā¦This is exactly why I canāt take my eyes off of you.ā
He had come to find me. Peter offered a soft smile that carried a hint of exasperation.
When he acts like an adult like that, it only makes it harder. It feels worse than being scoldedāit makes me feel guilty.
Alice āUghā¦ā
Alice āā¦Please keep this a secret, okay?ā
Peter ā?ā
Peter āA secretā¦? About what?ā
Alice āThat I got lost.ā
Peter ā?ā
Alice āThat I got lost!ā
Peter ā???ā
Alice āI said, that I got lost! Donāt make me repeat it again!ā
This forest must have some kind of hysteria-inducing effect.
When Iām with Boris and Pierce, I can enjoy myself. But when Iām alone⦠it all changes.
Alone, I just end up yelling. Yelling at the doors, and now even at the rabbitā¦
Alice (thinking) (Isnāt forest bathing supposed to be calming? Forests are supposed to ease the mind, right?)
(This must be a forest lacking in negative ions.)
Instead of negative ions, it has doors.
(I donāt need doorsāI need peace. Whereās the healing energy?)
Thereās no healing here. Just an overwhelming number of doorsā¦
And yet, I keep coming back to this forest. I end up here and lose my way.
Alice āItās honestly embarrassing to get lost this many times.ā
Alice āIt should be a straightforward path, and yet I end up in the forest on the way to the castle⦠I canāt even laugh at Ace anymore.ā
(Even though I try to avoid using the doors and stick to walking on my own. Maybe Iām being punished for slacking off now and then.)
Peter āā¦ā¦ā
Alice āā¦And donāt you dare tell Ace, okay!? Heād definitely make fun of me!ā
Peter āā¦ā¦ā
Peter āā¦Youāre not lost, Alice.ā
Alice āā¦What?ā
Peter āYou didnāt get lost. There just happened to be a door in the direction you were heading. You walked toward it, and so you ended up here. Thatās all.ā
Peter āYouāre not lost.ā
Alice āWhat are you talking about? I wasnāt aiming for the forest full of doorsāI was heading for the castle.ā
I had no intention of ending up here. I didnāt mean to arrive in the forest.
Alice āI did get lost.ā
Peter āEven if you did, itās something you wantedādeep down.ā
Peter āā¦But I donāt want that. Even if you wished for it, I donāt want you walking toward the doors.ā
(CG: Peter in forest with gun)
Peterās watch transforms into a gun.
He shoots a doorā Bang, bang, bang. One after another. Not just one doorāhe begins shooting all the surrounding doors.
Not a single tree trunk is hit. Every shot lands squarely on the doors.
Though the targets are large, some are quite far away. Still, he hits them all with the same accuracy as those nearby.
Itās as if he already knew exactly what to do. He moves slowly, like the hands of a watch, gradually turning his body.
There are so many doors, the motion is slow. But the speed of his shots is fastāhis hands donāt stop for a second.
Some doors are made of wood, others look like iron. Each gives off a different sound when struck.
Alice (thinking) (Talking doors⦠Theyāre not living creatures, rightā¦?)
Itās an eerie thought. They speak, but theyāre not alive⦠probably.
If they were alive, I would have stopped him.
But theyāre just doors. Doors attached to trees, belonging to no one.
If Peter were shooting the trees, Iād stop him like I would for a living thing. But just the doors? Thatās harder to judge.
Alice (thinking) (ā¦ā¦)
Somehow⦠I also felt relieved.
The talking doors are eerieāfrightening. They keep repeating, āOpen me. Come inside.ā
Alice (thinking) (ā¦Theyāre scary.)
Even so, I keep ending up here again and again.
Peter shoots the doors. The gunshots drown out every voice.
Right now, there's no sound. Just the sound of Peterās gun.
Those loud, echoing shots right next to me⦠theyāre oddly comforting. The doorsā voices only ever try to lead me astray.
Later
Bang. A final shot.
Alice āā¦ā¦ā
Alice āYou used a lot of bullets, didnāt you?ā
Honestly, I was a little dumbfounded that he hadnāt run out.
Peter had shot every door in sightāevery one visible within view. How had he not run out of ammo?
He had reloaded several times, but how much was he carrying? Bullets are heavy. Carrying that many would normally slow a person down.
Alice āTo shoot that much and not run out of bullets⦠you mustāve brought way too many spares.ā
Peter āFufu. I never run out. I have an endless supply of bullets. The only time Iāll ever be out of ammo⦠is when I die.ā
Peter āā¦ā¦Now then. This looks a bit better. No more voices. Letās head to the castle.ā
Looking around, every door was full of bullet holes. The doors were finally silent.
Even now, with the gunfire stopped, the quiet remained. Peter gently took my hand.
Alice āBut⦠next time I come here, itāll all be back to normal, wonāt it?ā
Itās fine now. Thereās no voice.
But the next time I come, the bullet holes will be gone. Everything will be as it was before. Like Peter never fired at all, the doors will talk to me again.
In this world, things like dirty clothes or worn-out items donāt stay that way. Cleaning, laundryānone of it is necessary.
Even if no one fixes them, things repair themselves.
Just like how people here are interchangeable, buildings and even nature get restored without notice. Time turns backward, returning everything to its pristine state.
Itās convenientābut also meaningless. What Peter did just now⦠itāll be erased.
Alice āThe doors will fix themselves.ā
Peter āYes, I know. Even if I destroy them all now, theyāll be repaired later.ā
Peter āBut⦠at the very least, I can buy you some time. Enough time to get to the castle and back.ā
Peter āTruthfully, Iād destroy them so thoroughly they couldnāt be repaired⦠But thatās not allowed here. So at least, Iāll do this much. So you wonāt get lost again on your way back.ā
Alice āā¦ā¦ā
Alice āEven so⦠theyāll fix themselves soon, right? You didnāt have to go this far.ā
Peter knew. He knew it was futileāand did it anyway.
Peter āIf they fix themselves⦠Iāll just shoot them again.ā
He smiled with the same expression as someone saying āI love you.ā
Later
We left the forest of doors and returned to the path.
As long as Peter was with me, I wouldnāt get lost. With his hand in mine, I felt sure even the return trip would be fine.
What did I do with Peterās handā¦?
a. I kept staring at it
b. I held it back
a. I kept staring at it
I kept looking at the hand Peter used to lead me. A white-gloved, pristine handāsoft and clean. The hand of a white rabbit.
In truth, it was a hand that could easily pull a trigger and hurt others.
But right now⦠I could just follow that hand. Thatās all I needed.
b. I held it back
I gripped Peterās hand tightly in return. He had been walking straight ahead, but he turned back slightly.
With a shy little smile, Peter said:
Peter āItās alright. I wonāt let go. No matter where you try to go⦠Iāll bring you back.ā
Alice āā¦ā¦ā
Peter would bring me back.
Even though I no longer had any intention of getting lost again⦠For some reason, those words made me feel safe in a way I couldnāt explain.
Choices Converge
End Event
SCnKnA Boris Airay Event 11
Event List
Scene ā Forest ā Mushrooms and Arrows
Pierce "When you think of sea creaturesā¦"
(Ding Dong)
Boris "ā¦Fish! Itās gotta be fish! The sea means fishies!"
While Pierce was deep in thought, Boris cheerfully declared his (questionable) answer.
After the meetings ended, the three of them had returned to their usual days spent together in the forest.
It was nighttime. The other two had said something odd and roped Alice into coming out.
āLetās go look for sea creatures,ā they said.
But this was a forest. There shouldnāt be any sea creatures here, so what were they even talking about?
Alice (ā¦Even though I thought that, I still came along.)
Pierce "Thatās such a cat-like way of thinking."
Boris "I am a cat, so of course."
The two were talking about āwhat kinds of sea creatures exist,ā butā¦
Pierce "Iād like cheese. Wouldnāt it be nice if cheese were swimming around? If it were, Iād totally catch it."
And just like that, the mouse started saying strange things again.
Boris "ā¦You really are short a few screws. Itās kinda sad. No one associates cheese with the seaā¦"
Pierce "I-Itās a metaphor! I was just saying if cheese were swimming⦠itād be nice⦠like that!"
Boris "Even as a metaphor, it doesnāt work. Cheese isā¦"
Pierce "B-But⦠I really like cheeseā¦"
Pierce "Cheese⦠I want someā¦"
Boris "Even if you want it, cheese doesnāt swim⦠The only thing swimming is the fishies."
Boris cheerfully started scanning the ground.
Boris "Fiiishies, little fishiesss~āŖ"
Alice "ā¦Fish."
Where Boris was looking⦠was indeed a fish.
The āsea creatureā he had found.
Only, it was swimming on the ground. ā¦Something like a fish.
Alice (It⦠kind of looks like one⦠I guess⦠but doesnāt it feel off?)
It had a vaguely fishy shape, but the fact it was swimming through dirt instead of water made a lot of things wrong.
A fish swimming through soilāat that point, could you even call it a fish?
Boris "Itās not off. Itās a fish. What else does it look like?"
With a face that said, āWhat are you even talking about?ā Boris insisted. Pierce, on the other hand, looked devastated.
Pierce "A fish⦠Itās not cheeseā¦"
Alice "ā¦Well, I mean, it does look fish-like."
Alice (ā¦It definitely doesnāt look like cheese.)
But just because it isnāt cheese doesnāt mean it is a fish.
What was it? It was just⦠something was off.
āItās fish-like,ā but itās not the real thing.
Boris "I wanna catch it~ā¦"
Pierce "ā¦I wonder if it tastes like cheese if I bite it."
Boris "ā¦It doesnāt."
The two of them were now targeting this mysterious lifeform.
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
And I⦠was just watching blankly.
Alice (More and more things like sea creatures keep showing upā¦)
The whale-like thing (which, in my opinion, wasnāt a whaleājust whale-ish) was already enough, and now something fish-like had appeared too.
Alice (Sighā¦)
I felt the same kind of weary resignation I had during my move.
Later
Boris "Letās go fishing."
After staring at the āfish-like thingā for a while, Boris suddenly said:
Boris "Letās go fishing."
Alice "ā¦Huh?"
Boris "Fishing. Letās go fishing!"
Before I realized it, Boris was holding a fishing rod. ā¦Where had he gotten that from?
Alice "Fishing, you meanā¦"
Alice "ā¦youāre going to fish that?"
Boris "Alice, even you now⦠Look, cheese isnāt something you can fish for."
Alice "I wasnāt thinking you could fish for cheese. I just meant⦠can you even fish that thing?"
Pierce "You canāt fish cheeseā¦?"
The moment Boris said cheese couldnāt be fished, Pierce visibly deflated.
Alice (He thought it could be�)
Alice (Donāt tell me he actually thought cheese was fishableā¦)
Pierce "So disappointingā¦"
ā¦Apparently, he did.
Boris "When you say fishing, itās gotta be for fish."
Alice "Fish⦠Well, yeah, fishing is usually for fish⦠but that⦠can that even be caught?"
It wasnāt a freshwater fish or a sea fish. It was swimming, sure, but through dirt. Dirt-swimming fish. If it could even be called a fish.
Alice (Can you really call that a fish?)
Boris "If itās a fish, it can be caught. Fish always get caught on fishing lines."
Alice "Yeah, if itās really a fish⦠But seriouslyāare we still calling that a fish???"
Boris "Itās a fish. It looks like one. If you grill it, itāll be grilled fish."
Alice "Sure, if it is a fish and you grill it, you get grilled fish⦠But even if you grill that, I donāt think itāll become anything at allā¦"
It didnāt look like itād become anything edible. It didnāt even look tasty.
Alice "That thingās⦠green. You canāt eat green fish, right?"
Boris "If itās fish, you can eat it. The weirder it looks, the rarer it might beācould be a delicacy."
Alice "Ugh⦠no wayā¦"
Alice "But what if itās spoiled or rotten?"
Boris "Itās not rotten. Look, itās flopping around right now. Super fresh."
It was alive and well. Swimmingāno, flippingāthrough the soil, full of energy.
Alice (It might be fresh, but stillā¦)
Alice (Stillā¦)
It was green. And swimming through dirt, not water.
Alice (For something thatās supposed to be a fish, it doesnāt even seem fishy. If anything, it smells like earth.)
A green creature bounding through dirt. It was hard to see it as food.
Boris "Iāll catch it for you."
Boris grinned brightly.
Alice (Cats⦠bring things to their owners, donāt they?)
They present them, hoping to be praised.
To a cat, itās a giftāsomething valuable, an offering to their beloved human.
Shoes, trinkets, bugs, mice⦠Not always welcome gifts.
But the cat thinks itās being helpful. āLook! Praise me!ā it seems to say as it rubs against you.
Theyāre certain their owner will be happy, that theyāll be praised. They puff up proudly just from being petted.
Alice (Itās affection⦠I know that.)
Alice (ā¦Which is exactly why itās so hard.)
Alice (Because itās an act of affection, I canāt just push him away.)
Heās a sweet, affectionate cat.
Saying something like āI donāt want this thingā... Itās not easy.
Boris "Iām gonna catch a big one for you, so wait right there!"
Boris casts his fishing line into the ground.
A fisherman dropping bait into the dirt might seem ridiculous, but the green fish is flopping around nearby. It actually seems like it might get caught.
Pierce "If you catch any cheese, can I have it?"
Boris "I told you, thatās not gonna happen. No matter what I catch, itās not for you. Iām giving everything to Alice."
Alice "Ah⦠thanksā¦"
Alice (ā¦ā¦)
Alice (If he really catches that green fish⦠does that mean I have to eat it?)
I canāt help but hope he doesnāt catch anything.
Alice (Dear fish, dear fish, please donāt bite the hook.)
A catās trophy is the ownerās crisis.
Scene Change ā Clover Town ā Inn
Waitress "Good work today, Alice. You can go ahead and clock out."
Waitress "Thanks for your help!"
Alice "Thanks. Iāll be heading out, then."
Waitress "So, whatāre you up to after this? Going out with that Cheshire Cat again?"
I havenāt told them weāre dating, but Boris has always dropped by often, so my coworkers casually ask about him.
Alice "No, not this time. Iām thinking of going to another territory for a change of pace."
After those long meetings, I get the urge to go somewhere far. During the sessions, itās basically just back and forth between the inn and the tower.
Waitress "Oh, I see. Well, be safe and have a good time!"
Waitress "Take care! Hope itās a nice break for you."
Alice "Thanks. I will."
After parting ways with my coworkers, I leave the dining hall and head toward the stairs to go back to my room on the second floor and get ready.
??? "ā¦Alice!"
Alice "!? Wahā!?"
Someone suddenly grabs me from behind, and I panic. That voiceā
Alice "Boris! Donāt scare me like that!!"
I glance back, and see a swish of pink fur in the corner of my eye. Itās definitely Boris.
No one else would cling to me so unreservedly from behind.
Boris "Aw, come on, no need to get so mad. I just saw you and caught up. Thatās all."
Alice "You didnāt just call out. You hugged me."
Boris "And thatās bad? I mean, I canāt help it⦠when I see you, I just wanna hug you."
With no trace of guilt, he rests his chin on my shoulder affectionately.
Boris "Why is it that your back just makes me want to hug you? Every time I see it, I get the urge. And hugging you feels so good, tooā¦"
Boris "Itās like⦠like smoking. Once you get hooked, you canāt quit."
Boris "Iām already addicted. So I donāt think Iāll ever stop."
Alice "Donāt say things like that⦠If thatās a habit, Iām just going to keep getting startled all the time."
I protest, but Boris just brushes it off with a āyouāll get used to it.ā
Boris "Anyway! I timed this so Iād catch you right after work. Letās go on a date, Alice."
Alice "Huh? A date?"
He loosens his grip, so I turn to face him as I ask.
Alice "We didnāt make any plans, right?"
Boris "Nope, no plans. I just wanted to see you. But I held myself back and waited a little before coming."
Alice (āHe said, āI heard this was your working time,ā and for some reason, he looked proud of himself.ā)
Boris "A real cat would just do whatever it wants, whenever it wants, you know?"
Boris "But I held back my urge to play with you right away, and waited until your work was done."
Boris "Arenāt I amazing? So come onāgive me a big reward, okay?"
Alice "A rewardā¦"
Alice "ā¦Iād love to, but I canāt right now. I was planning to go out during this break."
When I told him that, Boris widened the visible eye in surprise.
Boris "What? Youāre going out? Alone? Even though I came all the way here to hang out with you!?"
Alice "Yes. Iām happy you came, really, butā¦"
Boris "Youāre happy, but youāre still going somewhere else? Even when your boyfriendās inviting you out? Youāre saying going off somewhere else is more important than me?"
Alice "Ugh⦠donāt say it like thatā¦"
It made me sound like some cold, unloving girlfriend. Thatās not how I meant it. Still, itās true I wanted to get away for a bit, to visit a place I havenāt been to lately.
Alice "Weāve been cooped up in Clover territory during the entire summit, havenāt we? So I just feel like getting out for a change."
Alice "I want to see my friends tooā¦"
Though I said it clearly, I still felt a little guilty. Boris let out an exaggerated sigh.
Boris "Geez⦠you always do this. Youāre really good at making me jealous, you know?"
Alice "Itās not like Iām trying toā¦"
Boris "I get lonely when youāre not around, but you donāt seem to care. You just leave me behind without a second thought. Thatās pretty harsh, donāt you think?"
Boris "Man⦠Iām so pitiful. I care so much about you, and yet it feels like Iām the only one in love hereā¦"
Alice "ā¦Hey. Itās not one-sided. Thatās not true."
Boris "Yeah? Itās not one-sided? Then what is it? Because honestly, it feels like Iām the only one who really cares."
Alice "Wh⦠what?"
Boris looked at me with probing eyes, like he was testing me.
Boris "If itās not one-sided, then tell me what it is. In a way I can really understand."
Alice "Wh⦠whaaaat�"
Alice (He wants me to say it? Right here⦠in the middle of the inn hallway?)
I had already left the dining area, but the door was still open just behind me. I could hear the buzz of conversation from inside. Our voices probably wouldnāt carry that far, but it was still embarrassing.
Alice (This is so embarrassing⦠butā¦)
Boris "Alice?"
He stared at me intensely, leaning in challengingly. If I didnāt answer, he wouldnāt let me go.
Alice (Ugh. Fine, I guessā¦)
Alice "Weāre in love. Thatās what we areā¦"
Boris "Eh? What? Thatās kind of vague. I donāt really get it. Could you maybe explain in more detail, so itās easier to understand?"
Alice "~~~~~!"
Alice (You littleā¦!)
Boris was already grinning, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
He was definitely in teasing mode.
Alice (You sadistic catā¦!)
But it would be too frustrating to back down now.
Alice "IāI love you, Boris, and you love me, so weāre in love with each other! Thatās what Iām saying!"
I blurted it all out in one breath. My face was burning red.
Alice (āWhat is with this guy, making me say something like that in publicā¦!ā)
But despite how embarrassing it had been, Boris seemed thoroughly satisfied.
Boris āWow, nicely said. Good girl. You looked so cute all embarrassedāIāll let it slide this time.ā
Boris āGo take your little trip and refresh yourself⦠but no cheating or staying overnight, okay? Be back in one or two time slots, max.ā
Alice āā¦Yeah, yeah, I got it!ā
Alice (Ugh⦠Why does going out for just a bit of fresh air have to be this exhausting�)
Well, it canāt be helped. Letās just say the person Iām going to see is worth the trouble.
ā¦ā¦
ā¦ā¦
Alice (ā¦Are they, though? Worth that much?)
Alice (ā¦ā¦)
I guess Iāll just have to find someone who feels worth the trouble. Iām not even sure what I want to do anymore, but Iām going out anyway.
1. Castle of Hearts 2. Hatterās Mansion 3. Clover Tower
1. Castle of Hearts
Scene ā Castle of Hearts: Garden
Peter āHello, Alice. Have you had lunch yet?ā
Peter āIf not, would you care to join me? I found a place that I think youād really like.ā
We ran into each other in the garden, and he invited me like that.
Alice āIāve already eaten. But if you havenāt, I can keep you companyā¦ā
Peter āNo, no, if youāre not hungry, then itās fine. I donāt mind skipping lunch. Letās just have some tea here instead.ā
Peter summoned a maid, and she quickly set up a tea service on a garden table. Thus began our rose-surrounded teatime.
Whenever he drinks tea across from me like this, Peter always seems so happy.
This time, his delight was even more obvious than usual. He set his cup down on the saucer and began to speak, looking oddly dreamy.
Peter āā¦Itās like a dream. I felt that way when you decided to stay in this world, but even more so now.ā
Peter āIt really feels like a dream. Iām so happy, itās almost scary. Like⦠what if this really is all just a dream?ā
Peter āI know itās not like me to say things like this, but I canāt help it sometimes.ā
Alice (āā¦??ā)
Alice āWhatās with you all of a sudden, getting all serious?ā
When I asked, Peter just smiled and said, āItās something Iām always thinking about.ā
That this might all be a dreamābecause itās just too good to be real.
a. You're sleep-talking b. Thatās ridiculous
a. Youāre sleep-talking
Alice āAre you sleep-talking? Because what youāre saying right now already sounds like a dream.ā
I teased him, and Peter let out a wounded, āWhaaat?ā
Peter āThatās so mean! Even if I sometimes think this is a dream, Iām definitely not sleep-talking right now!ā
Peter āI would never zone out in front of you! Iām always wide awake when Iām with you!ā
Alice āReeeally? You sure about that?ā
b. Thatās ridiculous
Alice āThatās ridiculous. What kind of nonsense is that?ā
I dismissed it with a little scoff. Peter looked visibly shocked.
Peter āRidiculous? You really donāt hold back, do you⦠I didnāt expect to be shot down that hard.ā
Alice āWell, it is ridiculous. Youāre not the dreamy typeādonāt try to act like some storybook girl.ā
Peter āIs that so? Well, I suppose hearing that does make me feel better. Kinda helps convince me this is all real.ā
Alice āOh? Then I guess thatās good for you.ā
Subchoices Converge
Alice (I keep my tone deliberately light. I wanted this to stay a light conversation.)
The thought that this whole world might be a dreamāitās something even I occasionally wonder.
But not for the same reason as Peter, not because itās too happy. More like⦠back when I got lost in the Door Forest.
Surrounded by countless doors whispering āYou can go wherever you want.ā It becomes hard to tell what's real, where I am.
Alice (That kind of thinking is best saved for when Iām actually lost.)
Right now, Iām surrounded by beautiful roses and drinking delicious tea.
Itās not where Iām staying, but I do like it here. Even after moving, this place remainedāone of my special spots.
Alice āā¦Letās drop this topic now. Hey, could I have another cup?ā
I hold up my empty cup with a touch of playful selfishness. Maybe Peter will realize how silly his ādreamā idea sounds, considering how un-cute I can be.
Peter āOh! My apologies, how could I not notice! Iāll pour you some right away!ā
He responds apologeticallyāand then smiles, happy as can be, while pouring the tea.
Visitor Event ā Peter 3
2. Hatter Mansion ā Hallway
Blood āAh, Alice. Sorry, workās unusually busy right now. Even when youāve come to visit, I havenāt been able to give you the time you deserveā¦ā
I came to see Blood, but unfortunately, he seems to be swamped with work.
Itās rare to see him admit it so openlyāhe must be truly overwhelmed.
Blood āWhen things settle down, Iāll make it up to you. Think about what youād likeāwhether itās a trip, a gift, anything you want.ā
Blood āOh, but if you wished to make this your permanent residence instead, wellāIād gladly drop everything and make that happen right now.ā
Alice āNo thanks. Thatās one request I donāt intend to make.ā
I reject him flatly. One of his eyebrows twitches slightlyāa sign heās amused.
Blood āMy, so you actually like living among those animals? Thatās⦠unexpected.ā
Alice āUnexpected? Why?ā
He knows Iām staying in a town inn, not roughing it in the forest. Whatās so surprising?
Blood āWell, itās a cat and a mouse, isnāt it? Mortal enemies, traditionally. Natural-born rivals. Like dogs and monkeys.ā
Alice āHuh? I mean⦠biologically, sure.ā
His toneās overly dramatic, but technically, heās not wrongāBoris and Pierce are cat and mouse. Coexisting peacefully isnāt exactly natural.
Alice (Though I do think theyāre getting along well, all things consideredā¦)
Blood āTwo men on opposing sides, and you caught in the middle. I had no idea you were into that kind of tension. And with animals, no less. Quite the connoisseur, arenāt you?ā
Blood āTotally different personality types tooāit must be quite the spectacle. So, whose style do you preferā¦?ā
WHACK. I kick him in the leg mid-monologue.
Alice āShut up and do your work.ā
Alice (ā¦I shouldnāt have come. Seriously.)
3. Clover Tower ā Salon
I visited Clover Tower. During a break, Gray offered to keep me companyābutā¦
Gray āā¦Sigh. No, itās nothing. I am listening to you.ā
Gray āSo, what happened next?ā
Alice āWell, then my coworker helped me out, andāā
Alice āā¦ā
Gray āā¦Sigh. Iām sorry. Itās not that your story is boring. I just canāt stop worrying about Lord Nightmareā¦ā
Gray āI canāt help wondering if heās collapsed somewhere by now⦠or run away⦠He definitely seems like he would.ā
Gray is clearly distracted. Heās worried sick about his chronically ill boss.
Alice āI get how you feel, but you need to switch gears. If you donāt actually rest when you have time, youāll be the one collapsing.ā
Being dedicated and caring is great, but rest is essential too. Even as I say this, Gray just grimaces.
Alice āā¦Do you never take proper breaks?ā
When I ask, Gray responds with, āI do when I canā¦ā and starts to explain.
Gray āThe other day, I found myself passed out at my desk. I mustāve been really exhausted. I barely remember anything before or after.ā
Alice āWhaā?!ā
(Faceplants at his desk? Thatās⦠not a break. Thatās collapseā¦)
Alice (And he calls that a break? Then heās in serious trouble.)
I mustāve made a face, because Gray chuckles bitterly.
Gray āYou donāt have to look so horrified. That day was particularly busy. I donāt normally do things like that. At least⦠I donāt think I do.ā
Alice āā¦Itās not really my place to say, but⦠you really should be taking proper breaks.ā
Alice (This is hopeless. Every time I see him, he just seems more and more pitifulā¦)
Scene ā Clover Town ā Restaurant Area
Boris āHmm, Iām getting hungry. Want to go eat something? Donāt worry, I picked a place that serves food youād like.ā
Weāre walking through the town together. As usual, Boris refuses to stop clinging to me.
But Iāve already accepted itāand honestly, I donāt really mind anymore. Iāve gotten used to this closeness.
Alice āSomething Iād like? Donāt tell me itās a seafood place again?ā
Boris āYeah, but you like fish dishes too, right?ā
Alice āWell, yeah. I do. ā¦Just, in a normal way.ā
I did tell him once that I prefer fish over meat. Since then, all our meals have involved seafood without hesitation.
Boris āThis place doesnāt just taste goodāit looks good too. Itās neat and tidy. Totally your kind of place.ā
Alice āOh, I see. Thatās what you meant by āsomething Iād like.āā
Boris āExactly. If it were just me, Iād go for flavor over atmosphere any day. But itās a date, so you know. ā¦Stillā¦ā
Boris āI hope someday youāll come with me to all kinds of places. Whether itās mouse-hunting or meals, I think everythingās better with you around.ā
Boris āUntil youāre more comfortable with that stuff, Iāll stick to the places you like.ā
Alice āIām never going mouse-hunting with you. But⦠unless itās really bad, Iām fine with any place. Even a cheap diner in the lower town would be okay.ā
When I say that, Boris looks surprised.
Boris āReally? But wouldnāt a date at a cheap diner feel⦠kind of unromantic? I figured girls would care about that kind of thing.ā
Boris āI thought you especially would. ā¦Wait, was your ex the kind of guy whoād take you to places like that?ā
Alice āā¦Huh?ā
I wasnāt expecting that topic to come up now, and my heart skips a beat.
1. āHow was it againā¦?ā
2. āNo, not like thatā¦ā
1. āHow was it againā¦?ā
Alice āā¦How was it againā¦ā
I dodge the question. Itās not a topic Iām eager to revisit.
We only went on what youād call āreal datesā a handful of times. The relationship ended before we had many chances for romantic outings.
Boris āāHow was it againā? It canāt be that long ago, right?ā
TouchĆ©. At my age, itās not like my first relationship was that far in the past.
Alice āā¦Yeah. To be honest⦠we didnāt really go on many dates. He was coming to my house from the startā¦ā
He was my tutor. Since he was always at my house, we didnāt have much reason to meet outside.
I give him a simple, vague explanation.
2. āNo, not like thatā¦ā
Alice āNo, thatās not it⦠Itās justā¦ā
You firmly deny it. It's not something you particularly want to talk about, but there's no reason to hide it either.
There were only a handful of moments that could be called real "dates." It's nothing impressive...
Alice āI wasnāt telling a story about my past. I just meant itāI really donāt mind. Besides, I hardly ever went out to eat with my ex.ā
Choices Converge
Boris āā¦I see. So you didnāt eat out much, huhā¦ā
Boris āā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā
I feel his gaze, curious and unfiltered. Boris continues with a surprisingly casual question.
Boris āWhat kind of guy was he?ā
Alice āWhat kindā¦? Thatās kind of vagueā¦ā
But if you ask what kind of person he was...
Alice āA perfectly ordinary person.ā
I try to recall him.
For some reason, everything but his face is fuzzy. He was gentle, quiet, and kind.
(Personality-wise, heās nothing like Bloodābut he did look a lot like himā¦)
Thatās probably something best left unsaid.
He bore a strange resemblance to the mafia boss of this world, Blood Dupre. It was uncanny.
Alice āJust a very, very ordinary man.ā
(If someone looks like a mafia boss, they wouldnāt be called āordinaryā here, though.)
But personality-wise, he was nothing like Blood. He was peaceful and kind to a fault.
Boris āHuh⦠Was he strong?ā
Alice āEh⦠Well⦠not really, I guessā¦ā
I wonder if āstrengthā is what defines a good man in this world.
Alice āHe didnāt go around shooting guns or anything.ā
He wasnāt a criminal. Even if he looked like a mafioso, he was a completely different person.
Boris āHm⦠So not that strong, then. What were his ears and tail like? Was his fur nice?ā
Alice ā...Huh?ā
Alice (Ears?) (Tail??) (Fur�??)
Alice āU-Umā¦???ā
Boris āWas his tail fluffier than mine? What color was it? Did he have a nice coat?ā
Apparently these are important detailsāheās asked about his fur twice.
(Is this his... point of pride?) (...Really???)
Alice āUm⦠The person I dated was a human, not a cat.ā
Boris āEh⦠Oh. So, the person you dated wasnāt a cat, huh?ā
Alice āOf course not. I wouldnāt date a cat.ā
Iām human. I donāt date cats.
Boris ā? But youāre dating one now.ā
Alice āā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā
Alice āā¦Right. Youāre a cat, Boris.ā
Boris āYup. A proud catāwith perfectly good ears and a tail. From every angle, a fine feline, donāt you think?ā
Boris shows off his tail. There's no need to checkāI already know itās real.
Alice āā¦A cat, huh.ā
Boris is a cat.
He may look human, but as he says, heās essentially feline. Itās not a person with cat earsāitās a cat in human form.
ā¦How different that really is, Iām not sure, but the scales tip toward ācat.ā
Alice (A cat⦠Huh⦠A cat...)
Alice āSo Iām⦠dating a cat, huhā¦ā
There are plenty of times when I think, āWow, Boris really is a cat.ā But to deliberately reflect on the fact that my boyfriend is a catā¦
Boris āYup, thatās right. Iām a cat, and youāre dating me.ā
Boris āHey, Aliceāam I your first cat boyfriend?ā
Alice āOf courseā¦ā
(ā¦Or maybe not.)
After all, I am currently dating a cat.
Boris āAh, good. So Iām your first cat. The first cat boyfriendā¦ā
Boris āNice⦠Iām glad. Knowing youāve never dated another cat makes me happy.ā
Boris āNo need to be compared to some other cat. That would totally suck.ā
Alice āA catā¦ā
Alice āI wouldnāt date any cat but you, Borisā¦ā
Boris āReally? Man, you say the best thingsā¦ā
Boris āDonāt go straying to any other cats, okay?ā
Alice āā¦Yeah. I have no intention of dating any other catā¦ā
Boris āAlice⦠Youāre really smooth, you know that? Iām blushing hereā¦ā
Alice āNo, seriously. I mean it. Iām being honest.ā
Boris āAliceā¦ā
ā¦Well, itās not that I intend to date cats.
But I am dating one. Iām in a relationship with a cat. A cat boyfriendā¦
Alice (thinking) (I came to another world⦠and started dating a catā¦)
Alice (thinking) (Itās like a fairytale. A weird, whimsical, dreamlike fairytaleā¦)
But my boyfriend walking next to me? Still a cat. No matter how many times I look, heās undeniably a cat.
Alice (thinking) (Fairytaleā¦)
ā¦It makes me feel like some painfully cringey girl.
Boris āWhatās wrong, Alice? You look tired. Weāre almost there.ā
Boris āSee that place with the purple roof on the corner? Thatās the oneābest fish in townā¦ā
Alice āā¦Boris, you really love fish, donāt you?ā
Boris āOf course! Iām a cat, after all. Iām picky about fish.ā
Boris āGet ready for some amazing flavor.ā
I can feel it clearlyāheās in high spirits, happy to be with me.
Boris likes me. And I⦠like him, too.
Alice āā¦Iām looking forward to it.ā
Boris is a cat.
Alice (thinking) (But⦠itās fine. I like him.)
Alice (thinking) (Cats are cute. I really like catsā¦)
Iām in love with a cat.
Scene Change ā Clover Town ā Fancy Restaurant
Clerk āThank you for waiting. Here is your main course.ā
Woman āWow, it looks delicious! Is that a jelly-like sauce on top?ā
Clerk āYes, thatās right. Since the white fish has a mild flavor, the sauceā¦ā
Man āAh, no need for the explanation. I donāt really get that stuff anyway. Letās just dig in.ā
Man āMmm, this is amazing! You can tell the fish is super fresh from the very first bite.ā
Woman āYes, itās really good. All the other dishes were great tooāI'm glad we came.ā
The restaurant Boris had recommended was clearly a popular one, bustling with customers.
We ordered a few dishes and began eating. As expected from a place a cat would wholeheartedly endorse, the food was undeniably delicious.
Boris, with a look of utter happiness, kept eating with great enthusiasm.
Boris āYup, this placeās food is always a win. Ahh, so good. So gooood~ Nyaa~ā¦ā
Alice (thinking) (Oh come on. āNyaa~ā? Itās fine to be impressed, butā¦)
Alice āYouāre getting too emotionalāyouāre basically turning into a cat, Boris. ā¦Well, you already are one.ā
Boris ā???ā
Apparently, he didnāt get what I meant. He tilted his head in confusion.
Alice āā¦Donāt worry about it. Just eat.ā
As we resumed eating, Boris once again let out delighted āmeows.ā
Alice (thinking) (Cats⦠they really are cute.)
Having a meal with a cat could make even me feel blissful.
Scene ā Forest ā Arrows and Doors
Wanting to share another meal with the three of us, I made my way into the forest. Weād done this many times before.
I walked around searching for Boris and Pierce. The first to appear was Pierce.
Pierce āAlice! You came to visit again! Iām so glad you come see me a lot!ā
Pierce āBesides the cat and those mean twins, youāre the only one who ever comes to see me. Iām really happy!ā
He was practically sparkling with joy. If Iām the only one visiting him outside of Boris and the twinsā¦
Ā 1: āSo⦠you donāt have any friends.ā
2: āIām happy too.ā
3: āYouāre kind of a bullying target, huh.ā
Ā 1: āSo⦠you donāt have any friends.ā
Alice āā¦So, you donāt have any friends, huh.ā
Pierce ā...Yeah. Thatās right. Iām a mouse, so Iām not really popular. Because Iām not liked, I donāt have any friends.ā
Pierce āBut yāknowāeven if it sounds like an excuseāIād still rather be friendless than constantly running for my life being chased around...ā
Alice āI... see.ā
Alice (Excuse or not, thatās pretty pitiful...)
2: āIām happy too.ā
Alice āIām happy to see you too, Pierce.ā
With how genuinely happy he looked, I couldnāt have said anything else.
Pierce āThen weāre the same. We match! Hehe, it kind of ticklesāmakes me all warm and fuzzy inside.ā
Pierce āSo this is what having a friend feels like?ā
Alice āYeah, maybe it is.ā
Alice (thinking) (He doesnāt even have someone he can call a friendā¦) A poor little mouse. Letās comfort him with a warm meal.
3: āYouāre kind of a bullying target, huh.ā
Alice āā¦Youāre kind of the bullied type, arenāt you?ā
Pierce āOof, donāt say it so bluntly! Iām not getting bullied because I like it, you know!ā
Pierce āI mean, I donāt think anyone likes being bullied.ā
Alice āNo, probably not.ā
Pierce was, indeed, being bullied.
Choices Converge
A poor little mouse. Letās comfort him with a warm meal.
Go to Event ā Pierce and Boris 3 End Event
SCnKnA Vivaldi and Boris Event 2
Event List
Scene ā Clover Town ā Main Area
Boris ćā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ć
Vivaldi "ā¦Cat. We meet again."
Boris "Y-yeahā¦"
They had run into each other on the street.
I had passed along Vivaldiās message, as promised. Boris had given me a strained smile and asked, ā...Can we pretend I didnāt hear that?ā
And now, as fate would have it, theyād crossed paths again. Vivaldi looked absolutely delighted.
Vivaldi "You missed me, didnāt you? You looked for me, right? That cat food was delicious, wasnāt it?"
Boris "Ha, hahaā¦"
Vivaldi "Of course it was, of course. It mustāve been delicious. A feast for a hungry little cat."
Vivaldi was in high spirits.
Boris "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Boris, on the other hand, looked thoroughly troubled.
Alice (ā¦Did he really eat the cat food?)
To be honest, I hadnāt asked him for the details. It felt like something I shouldnāt pry into.
Vivaldi "I have a present for you."
Vivaldi "Want to see it? I bet you do, right? You want it, donāt you?"
Vivaldi "I brought lots of things a cat would love. Iām giving them to you."
Vivaldi began rummaging through her bags.
Alice (Th-this patternā¦)
Alice "Itās just like last timeā¦"
Boris "ā¦Yeah. Iāve got a bad feeling about thisā¦"
Vivaldi "Here you go."
What she pulled out was⦠a canned item.
Boris "ā¦Cat food."
Boris accepted it. Or ratherāhad it thrust into his hands.
Vivaldi "And this one too."
She pulled out another can.
Vivaldi "And this."
Another can.
Vivaldi "And this one too."
More cans.
Vivaldi "This one, and this one. And this one, too."
Cans.
Cans.
Cans.
Cans.
Cans.
Boris "ā¦ā¦ļ½ļ½ļ½ļ½ļ½ļ½!?"
Both of Borisās hands were now full of canned goods.
Vivaldi "Hehe. Theyāre all different flavors. Every single one. So you wonāt get tired of them, I made sure to pick out a wide variety."
Boris "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
A mountain of cans. Only the labels were different.
Boris "H-hey⦠I-I mean, I am a cat, but this cat food thing isā¦"
Vivaldi "Are you happy?"
Vivaldi was smiling brightly.
There was no sarcasm, no maliceājust a purely innocent look on her face.
Boris "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Vivaldi "Hehe, you're happy, arenāt you? Itās delicious, you know?"
Boris "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦" "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦" "ā¦Thank you, Your Majesty."
The cat had been defeated.
Vivaldi "Hehehe. Youāre welcome. Iāll bring you more next time."
Boris "ā¦Eh?"
Vivaldi "Next time, Iāll bring even more than today."
Vivaldi "All different flavors of cat food. Iāll gather up the tastiest kinds, so look forward to it."
Boris "Uh⦠uhā¦"
Boris "Um, Iām on a diet right now. So I really donāt need that muchā¦"
Vivaldi "Oh? A housecat might gain weight, but youāre a Cheshire Cat⦠I see, you must not be getting enough exercise."
Vivaldi "Youāre not domesticated, so you shouldnāt be skipping your walks. Hmm⦠perhaps I should prepare some exercise equipment for you."
Boris "Eh? EHH?? No, no, noāI donāt need that! Iāll exercise on my own!"
Boris "I love walks! Iāve just been a bit busy and couldnāt go out, thatās all! Iām going to start walking again, so really, no need for exercise gear!!"
Vivaldi "Hmm. Then I shall bring you low-fat cat food. Iāve heard such things exist."
Boris "Uh⦠low-fat cat food, huhā¦"
Vivaldi "The taste is a little inferior, but Iāll bring you some next time. Instead of the exercise equipment."
Boris "Low-fat cat food or exercise gearā¦? ā¦So it's one or the otherā¦"
There was no escape.
Boris "By the way⦠you. You've been carrying around that mountain of cans this whole time?"
Vivaldi "Yes. It was heavy to carry around."
Vivaldi "But seeing you happy makes it all worth it. Iām glad I brought them."
Boris "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Vivaldi looked perfectly content. Boris had no words.
Vivaldi "Hehe. Iāll bring more next time, so be ready, kitty."
Boris "ā¦Thanks."
Vivaldi "Well then, kitty. Iām already looking forward to our next feeding time."
Vivaldi left, thoroughly pleased.
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice "ā¦Boris. You will eat it, right? Youāre not going to throw it away, are you?"
Boris "Uuugh⦠I know⦠I canāt betray her like that⦠not as a catā¦"
No cat could ever win against a cat lover.
End Event
SCnKnA Boris Airay Event 10
Event List
Scene ā Clover Tower ā Aliceās Room
Boris "ā¦Hey, how about wearing something a little less revealing? I mean, yeah, I know itās not that revealing or anything, but stillā¦"
Boris "I just donāt like it. The idea of other guys seeing you dressed like that. I want to be the only one who gets to see you all dressed upā¦"
The catās voice was a mix of sulking and sweetness.
Heās a catābut not just a cat.
Heās Boris. My boyfriend.
He has the right to say things like this now. So my reaction to hearing it changes too.
Before, I wouldāve just chalked it up to animal instinctāa possessive streak.
But now, I canāt hear it the same way. If itās jealousy born from affection⦠if thatās what it is, my heart jumps a little.
Alice "ā¦Itās not like I can dress just for you. The meeting requires formal attire. Itās the rule."
My heart pounded. To hide the fluster, I answered flatly, maybe a bit coldly.
Boris "I know that⦠but if your outfit showed a little less skin, I might not feel so irritated, you know?"
Alice "You think?"
Alice "Isnāt the real issue that Iām dressed up differently from usual? Even if I covered more, wouldnāt it still bother you?"
That desire to be the only one who gets to see someone when theyāre dressed upāit's a common feeling, I think, among men in love.
Boris "ā¦Youāre so calm. Why are you always so calmā¦?"
Alice (Calm???)
I wanted to snap back with āwhere exactly do I seem calm?ā
Iām not calm at all. Iām so flustered I donāt even know what to do with myself.
Iām just pretending to be composedāsaying the same kinds of things I always did. But inside, everything feels different.
Boris "Youāre always calm, and Iām the one freaking out over everything⦠Iām here getting all worked up over what youāre wearing, and youāre just steady as ever."
Alice "Borisā¦"
His voice sounds the same as always when heās sulking. But somehow, it feels different now. Why is that?
Alice (Things have changed.)
Back when we started dating, I thought things might not change at all.
Alice (But they have changed.)
In a short timeāmaybe not that short, but short compared to how long we were friendsāmy relationship with Boris has become something completely different.
From friends to lovers. Not just the title, but everything between us has shifted.
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice "ā¦Um. I should probably get goingā¦"
I couldnāt take the tension in the air any longer. I started to get up, as if to escape.
Boris "Wait."
That one word pinned me in place. I froze, half-risen.
Boris "Alice."
He took my hand and looked straight at me.
His ears were perked up. He was serious.
A catās eyes, when theyāre staring intently, can look so cold and unreadable theyāre almost scary.
Boris "Alice⦠right now, unlike beforeā¦"
Unlike before.
Or maybe⦠he did look at me like this back then. I just never noticed.
Boris was a friendāmy cat friend in a strange, surreal world. A dear friend.
That someone like him would ever look at me like thisā¦
Boris "If I ask you⦠to stay a little longer⦠not to go home yet⦠will you stay?"
Alice "ā¦ā¦"
Being stopped just as I was about to leave.
A scene thatās happened before. Words that sound familiar.
But the feeling is differentābecause we are different now.
Alice "Y-You⦠donāt want me to leave?"
Boris "Yeah. Stay a little longer."
Alice "ā¦ā¦"
Boris licked my lips, softly.
Boris "I never wanted you to leave. But you always go, leaving me behind⦠even though I just wanted a little more time with youā¦"
Alice "ā¦But youāre not lonely, are you? Cats are fine on their ownā¦"
Boris "Even if Iām not lonely, I still want you to be here. Donāt go."
Alice "B-Butā¦"
My voice trembled slightly.
Boris "ā¦Pfft. What, are you scared?"
Alice "Iām not scared."
A bluff.
This wasnāt like the usual Boris. No⦠The Boris from our days as just friends had been gone for some time now.
He changed the moment we became lovers. Heās still the same person, but everything feels different.
ā¦Maybe itās just that I never noticed before.
Boris "ā¦So youāre not scared?"
Alice "No, Iām not."
Boris "Then maybe you should be."
Alice "�"
Boris "I just want you to be more aware of me. Of us. Weāre lovers, you knowā¦"
I am aware.
Right now, Iām hyper-aware. So much so, I can barely breathe.
Boris "Aliceā¦"
He leaned in. His lips met mine.
At first, the kiss was soft, just the slightest contact. But then it deepenedāstealing my breath, claiming my mouth.
Alice "Nnā¦"
Boris "ā¦Nn. Haā¦"
Alice "ā¦ā¦"
Boris "ā¦Heh. Mmmā¦"
Alice "ā¦Ha⦠Ahā¦"
From the point we touched, heat began to spread through meāflooding my insides, making it even harder to stay calm.
It always happens like this. He entangles both body and heart, leaving me helpless.
Boris "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Boris "Workā¦"
Alice "Eh�"
In between kisses, he said something incredibly unromantic.
Boris "You were going to leave⦠because of work, right? How long until then?"
Alice "ā¦About two time blocks from now, I think."
Boris "Two time blocks, huh. Feels short⦠and longā¦"
Boris "No⦠itās short. Time flies when Iām with you."
Boris "ā¦Though, now that Iāve asked, Iām not sure itāll be enough. Honestly, this is kind of your fault."
Alice "Wh-What? How is this my fault�"
Boris "Because youāre just too cute⦠I donāt think I can let you go that easily."
Alice "ā¦Ahā¦!"
Alice "Whaā!?"
He pushed me down. Like this, I can't leave.
I was trying to go. I was just steps away from the door.
Boris "Iām not letting you go, Alice."
He touched me so gentlyālike I was something precious. It was the kind of touch that could fool me into thinking I was special.
I knew I had to leave. But when he touched me so softly, that resolve started to fade.
I'm weak. I can resist pressure, but when someone treats me kindly⦠I fold far too easily.
Boris "Aliceā¦"
He said my name like it was something sacred, touching me as though I were something fragile and cherished.
Alice (The doorā¦)
My thoughts started to melt. Through my blurring vision, I caught sight of the door.
The door that connects this room to the forest.
Or perhaps⦠a door to an entirely different world.
Alice (The door isā¦)
So far away.
Scene Change ā Clover Tower ā Salon
Alice (ā¦Heās not here.)
After finishing my work, I returned to Clover Tower. Almost instinctively, I looked around for Borisābut he was nowhere to be found.
Alice (Where did he go�)
While glancing around the salon, I spotted someone from the forestābut not the one I was looking for.
Pierce "Alice!"
Alice "Pierce."
Pierce "Back from work, huh? Youāre so responsible. Even though youāre an outsider, you always come back. And you work so hard too."
Alice "I wouldnāt say that hard⦠Itās just, I mean, technically weāre supposed to attend, right?"
Pierce "Thatās true for us. But youāre not required to be there. Youāre not one of us."
Pierce "I never told you that? Wait, didnāt I? Maybe not??"
Alice "You did, I remember. But if Iām not aroundā¦"
(You guys would have no one keeping you in lineā¦)
How many times have I stopped them from slacking off or chasing each other through the tower?
I canāt stop everything, but Iāve prevented plenty of chaos.
Pierce "Meetings are such a pain. Itās always stuff that has nothing to do with us."
Pierce "ā¦Hey, Alice, letās skip it and go get something to eat. That would be way more meaningful, donāt you think?"
Alice (ā¦He says that just as I was thinking it.)
(Well, I didnāt say it out loud, but still.)
Pierce "Huh??"
Pierce "Come on, letās go eat~"
Pierce "Meetings donāt fill your belly, but a meal does. And when youāre full, youāre happy!"
Alice "No. Skipping is not allowed."
I shut him down flat. Pierce visibly wilted like a scolded child.
I did feel a little bad, but skipping wasnāt something I could condone.
Alice "Letās go another time. For now, letās do our duty and attend the meeting."
Alice "ā¦By the way, do you know where Boris is?"
Because if left alone, heās the most likely to skip.
Pierce "Boris? No clue⦠I mean, heās a cat. How would I know where he is?"
Pierce "I never know, which is why Iām always running from him. Iāve been chugging coffee just to stay awake and keep ahead!"
Alice "I see⦠Thanks. Iāll go look for Boris."
Pierce "Youāre going to look for the cat? Then I guess Iāll go somewhere else⦠See you later, Alice."
Pierce exited the salon. Now, where could Boris be?
Alice (Where should I look�)
1. Stay in the Salon
2. Head into Town
3. Search Inside the Tower
1. Stay in the Salon
Alice (ā¦No, maybe itās better to wait here.)
Boris often stops by here before meetings. Thereās still time before the next session, so if heās not planning to skip, chances are good heāll show up soon.
Alice (Better to wait here than wander around and miss him.)
With that thought, I decided to stay in the salon. After a short waitā¦
??? "Alice."
Alice "Hm? OhāVivaldi."
Turning at the sound of my name, I saw a strikingly elegant woman entering the salon.
The Queen of Hearts, Vivaldi. Even in a formal suit, she radiated glamour.
Vivaldi "Alice, have you seen the cat? No, itās nothing urgentāI just had something I wanted to give himā¦"
Vivaldi "I thought he might be resting here, but it seems notā¦"
Vivaldi "Well, if heās not here, I suppose Iāll just give it to him another time."
Alice "The cat? Youāre looking for the cat?"
(She means Boris, right�)
Vivaldi apparently likes cats. To her, Boris still seems more cat than man.
I learned that once when she bumped into the two of us in town.
What could she want to give him? I had a guessā¦
Alice (She canāt mean a real cat, right?)
Itās not like regular cats live around here. And if she did mean a regular cat, itād be weird for her to ask me about it so casually. So thenā¦
Alice (ā¦Boris?)
It has to be him. Still, I was curious what exactly she wanted to give him.
Alice "Um, Vivaldi. What is it that you wanted to give him?"
Vivaldi "Hmm? Curious, are you? ā¦Itās something very nice. Something the cat would love."
Alice "Something heād loveā¦?"
Vivaldi "Yes, something cats adore. I got quite a lot of it, so Iād really like to give it to him soon if I can."
Vivaldi "Alice. If you see the cat, would you tell him I was looking for him?"
a. If itās just passing the messageā¦
b. If I see him, sureā¦
a. If itās just passing the messageā¦
Alice "ā¦If itās just passing the message, fine."
I had a feeling Boris wouldnāt be thrilled to hear it. Iād rather decline, but I couldnāt outright refuse.
Alice (Whatever happens after that isnāt my responsibilityā¦)
Vivaldi "Yes, yes, just pass it along. Iām sure once he hears it, heāll come find me."
Alice (ā¦I doubt that.)
Still unsure of what she was actually planning, I gave a noncommittal answer. Vivaldi didnāt seem concernedāshe simply nodded and smiled.
Vivaldi "Iām counting on you, Alice. Well then, I must be off⦠Until next time."
With a rather pleased expression, the Queen swept out of the salon.
b. If I see him, sureā¦
Alice "ā¦If I see him, sure."
I kept my answer vague, uncertain of her intentions.
Vivaldi "Youāre bound to see him sooner or later, no? Donāt you always sit near him at the meetings?"
Alice "Yeah, I guess thatās true, butā¦"
Alice (ā¦Well, Iāll at least pass along the message.)
Vivaldi "Iām counting on you, Alice. Now, I must be off⦠Until next time."
The Queen left with a suspiciously pleased expression on her face.
Subchoices Converge
Event ā Vivaldi and Boris 2
2. Head into Town
Scene ā Clover Town ā Main Area
Heās probably wandering around outside again. Thinking that, I headed into town.
I walked around near the tower, checking shops Boris tends to like, whenā¦
Ace "Hey, Alice! Whatās up? Youāre looking all around like you lost something."
Alice "ā¦Ace."
Instead of the cat, I ran into the knight. His usual cheerful smile was plastered on his face.
Ace "Looking for someone? Oh! Waitādonāt tell me you got lost trying to find your way back to the tower?"
Alice "Iām not you. Thatās not even remotely possible."
The tower is right nearby. Itās not far enough to get lost.
Ace "Ahaha, so that means youāre looking for someone. Or⦠knowing you, probably not someoneāsomething. Like an animal?"
Alice "ā¦Right. Iām looking for Boris."
Ace "The cat-boy, huh? Well, Iām one to talk, but he does tend to just wander off."
Alice "Yeah, really. Every time thereās a meeting, he immediately wants to ditch it."
Ace "And now youāre the one tracking him down. Youāve got my sympathies."
Naturally, we both started glancing around to see if Boris might be nearby. But no sign of him in the area.
Aceās gaze drifted upward, almost absentmindedly.
Ace "Skyās so blue and high today. Really good weather, huh?"
Alice "Thatās nothing new. Itās always good weather in this world."
Ace "True, but donāt you think this time slot has especially good weather? I do! It was so nice, I ended up going for a walk⦠Hey, Alice, do you know where we are?"
Alice "Huh�"
(Wait a second. Donāt tell meā¦)
Alice "ā¦You got lost again, didnāt you?"
Ace "Ha! Of course I did. Iām always lostāanywhere, anytime!"
Alice "Why are you bragging about that!? Thatās nothing to be proud of!"
Ace "Iām not bragging. Iām just stating a fact. Gotta own your truth, right? Nothing cool about denying reality."
Alice "No, seriously. You being lost is already plenty uncool."
3. Search Inside the Tower
Scene ā Clover Tower ā Hallway
Maybe I should check around the tower a bit. With that in mind, I left the salon.
As I walked down the hallway, a familiar face appeared ahead.
Nightmare "Ah, Alice. What a coincidence. What are you doing here?"
Alice "ā¦Nightmare."
The master of this towerāand chairperson of the meetings. His face is as pale and sickly as ever.
Alice "Hello. You look terrible as usual. Are you okay?"
Nightmare "Terrible, am I? ā¦Well, Iāve just recovered from an illness."
(Recovered? More like perpetually ill.)
Nightmare "ā¦The next meeting is coming up. Ugh, I have to speak in front of people again⦠Just the thought makes me nauseous."
Ignoring my internal sarcasm, Nightmare covered his mouth with a hand, clearly distressed.
Alice "Get it together. Youāre the chair, remember?"
Alice "ā¦Honestly, you're such a poor excuse for a chairman. You just stand there and do nothing."
(If anything, he just flails around helplessly.)
Nightmare "Whaāhow could you say something so cruel!? Iām not doing nothingāIām working plenty hard!"
"Meeting periods are especially busy times! Itās a lot of work, and Iām doing my best!"
"During meetings, thereās a mountain of documents. One territory's this, another oneās thatāitās such a mess, just skimming them makes me never want to look again."
"Thatās how complicated it all is. It kills any motivation I might have had. Along with motivation, I think itās taking a few other things tooā¦"
Alice "Oh, Iām sure. Looks like itās draining your very life force."
Nightmare "Exactly! And yet I press on. Even if Iām coughing, feverish, or spitting bloodāI face my duties! Isnāt that amazing!?"
He puffs out his chest like he expects praise. Everything about this is ridiculous, but I canāt even muster the energy to call it out.
Nightmare "I might look like Iām always running away from work, but Iām doing it! Really, I am working behind the scenes!"
Nightmare "ā¦I mean it. Iām seriously working hard, okay?"
Alice "Yeah, yeah. I got it."
(Does he not realize the more he talks, the more it sounds like excuses? This guyā¦)
Choices Converge
Scene Change ā Clover Town ā Aliceās Room
Alice "Phew⦠Itās finally over."
Boris "Yeah, finally done. Iām beatā¦"
Pierce "Another meeting full of absolutely nothing. I almost fell asleep like three times."
Boris "You shouldāve just slept. Iād have enjoyed snacking on you."
Pierce "Thatās exactly why I didnāt!! I didnāt wanna be eaten by a cat!!"
Boris "Whatās the problem? Nothing wrong with that. Itās not like youād be missing anythingā¦"
Pierce "I would be missing things! Iād be missing a lot of things! Like life, for starters!!"
Boris "Nah, nothing would be missing. āCause I wouldnāt leave anything behind, you know?"
Pierce "Thatās worse!! Way worse than just missing something!!"
Alice "ā¦Stop bullying him already."
Alice "Iām going to go change."
Later
Alice "Yep, everyday clothes are the best."
Boris "Yeah, way more comfortable. Suits are too stiff."
Pierce "Wearing that stiff outfit to a pointless meeting just makes you feel extra drained and cheated."
Boris "Nothing ever gets decided at those meetings anyway. You say that like itās new."
Pierce "I know that! I know nothing ever gets decided!"
Pierce "Thatās why I always end up feeling tired and ripped off!"
Boris "Cool. Go get tired all you want. Hopefully youāll pass outāmakes things easier for me."
Pierce "What are you planning?! What are you planning to do with that knife and fork?!"
Boris "What do you think? Obviouslyā"
Boris "I sneak up while you're asleep⦠and stab you with a knife and fork. Then when you wake up, only your skinās left behind."
Pierce "EEP!!"
Alice "I said stop bullying him already!"
I shield a pale, trembling Pierce behind me.
Boris bullies Pierce, I step in and stop it. Just another typical scene in our forest life.
Alice (ā¦Well, itās kind of nice how easily we can fall back into our everyday routine.)
If we return to the forest, weāll slip right back into our everyday life.
Whether thatās a good thing or a bad thingā¦
Alice (ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦)
(ā¦Weāll be able to go back, right?)
End Event
SCnKnA Pierce Home Event 3
Event List
Scene ā Clover Town ā Main Area
Pierce "Alice, want to grab tea with me? Not tea-tea thoughācoffee, actually."
Pierce "See, I found this place that serves really amazing sweets. And their coffeeās great too!"
Pierce "Come on, youāre curious now, right? Letās go together. Iāll show you the way."
Pierce "ā¦And Iām definitely not trying to convert you to being a coffee person or anything, okay?"
Later Scene ā Clover Town ā CafĆ©
And just like that, I ended up going to the cafƩ with Pierce. It was our second time having a drink together, just the two of us.
Last time we sat at the counter, but this time we were at a table. True to his word, Pierce ordered several varieties of what heād called āsuper delicious sweets.ā
Pierce "I was heading to the meeting when I bumped into Boris right outside my room. He chased me all over the placeāit was awful. I almost called your name!"
Alice "Huh? Why would you call my name?"
Pierce "Why? Because youāre the only one whoād save me!"
Pierce "Well⦠sometimes you donāt save me and just watch everything happen, but stillā¦"
Alice "'Watch'? Thatās kind of harsh. I mean, sometimes thereās just no way to step inā¦"
We chatted and sipped our drinks. Just like last time, I had tea and Pierce had coffee.
Heād pop a sweet into his mouth, then sip coffeeārepeating the process in quick, twitchy motions.
Alice (ā¦He really is like a mouse. Well, I guess he is one.)
Sweets and coffee. The sweets were fine, but...
Alice "You donāt really look like someone whoād drink coffee."
Pierce looks a bit too young to be called a grown man, but too old to be called a boy.
More juice than coffee, honestly. It just doesnāt suit him.
Alice (Not that drinks are about what suits you, but stillā¦)
Nightmare, on the other hand, totally seems like someone who drinks coffee straight.
Pierce "Coffee keeps me alive, so I like it. But I donāt like the taste. I drink it because I have to stay awake, not because it tastes good."
Alice "Waitāyou donāt like the taste of coffee?"
But just earlier, heād said this place served delicious coffee.
Pierce "Yeah, coffeeās bitter and gross."
Pierce "But sometimes, it tastes good. Like when Iām munching on sugar cubesāI suddenly crave it. So when that happens, it tastes good."
Alice (ā¦I see. So by ātastes good,ā he meant 'tolerable under certain conditions.ā)
(Waitāwhy am I just accepting that!?)
Alice "ā¦You eat sugar cubes?"
What a bizarre eating habit.
Alice "Youāre not supposed to eat them like candy. Sugar cubes are for putting in tea or coffee."
Alice "Theyāre not meant to be eaten on their own."
Sugar cubes are not snacks.
Alice (Youāre going to give yourself diabetes.)
Pierce "Mice love sugar cubes. We canāt help it."
Pierce "Itās a mouse thingāwe have to gnaw on sugar. Thatās just what we do."
Alice "ā¦Well, donāt blame me if you get diabetes."
Pierce really does love sweet things. Even now, he was happily munching on a tableful of sweets.
Alice "Youāre eating way too many sweets. Thatās way beyond a snack."
Alice (Even if they are tastyā¦)
Alice "If you keep eating like that⦠youāll get fat, you know?"
Pierce "Itās not a snack. This is my meal. This is food for me."
Alice "Meal�"
Pierce "Yeah. Itās not a snackāitās lunch."
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice "Sweets as a meal⦠This counts as a meal�"
Pierce "Yep, itās food! If itās not sweets, then itād be cheese."
Pierce "Delicious, delicious food. Iām such a spoiled mouse, huh?"
Alice (More like a mouse on a fast track to diabetesā¦)
Even if not diabetes, heās definitely headed for some kind of lifestyle disease.
Alice "Itās bad for your health. Stop it."
Pierce "Eeeeeh!? Thatās so mean!"
Pierce "Youāre trying to take away my food!? You want to snatch it all and keep it for yourself!?"
When I pushed the sweets aside, Pierce started whining loudly. His usually sleepy eyes popped wide open, and his ears perked straight up.
Alice "Youāre a mouse, not a pig. Quit with the 'oink oink.'"
Alice "If you keep eating this much sugar, you will turn into an actual pig."
Pierce "Oink⦠sheeshā¦"
Pierce reached for the sugar cubes.
Alice "No sugar cubes, either."
Alice "Youāre going to eat a real meal. Iāll order for you. In the meantime, drink your coffee."
Pierce "Coffee without sweets!? And I canāt even have sugar cubes!?"
Alice "Itās not mean. Iām doing this because I care about your health."
Alice "Eating nothing but sweets and sugar cubes is bad. Youāre taking in way too much sugar. Those things arenāt supposed to be a meal, you know."
I was starting to sound like a mother scolding her child.
Pierce "But itās my food⦠My food⦠Donāt take it awayā¦"
Alice "Sweets are something you eat in small amounts as a snack. Not by the handful."
I swatted his reaching hand away with a light tap.
Pierce "W-wah⦠sniffleā¦"
Alice "Donāt cry! You canāt cry just because I took your sweets!"
How old is this kid�
Pierce "B-but⦠Alice is being mean⦠I thought we were going to be friendsā¦"
Pierce "You keep saying no, no, no⦠So mean⦠sniff sniff sobā¦"
Alice (ā¦Heās way too easy to tease.)
I didnāt mean to tease him, but somehow it always ends up that way.
Alice "Iām not bullying you. Iām saying Iāll order you proper food, and you should eat it. Itās for your own good."
Alice "Just drink your coffee and wait. ā¦Excuse me, can I place an order?"
Protecting the sweets from further assault, I called over a nearby waitress.
Waitress "Yes, how can I help you?"
Alice "Umā¦"
Now, what should I orderā¦
1. Vegetable Sandwich 2. Croque-Monsieur
1. Vegetable Sandwich
Alice "Iāll have the vegetable sandwich, please."
Waitress "One vegetable sandwich. Certainly."
Pierce "Vegetable� You mean, like⦠a vegetable sandwich?"
Alice "Thatās right. With lettuce, cucumber, onions⦠a sandwich packed full of healthy veggies."
It seemed like a good healthy choice. Maybe a little too late for that, but stillāitās better than nothing.
Pierce "Packed with vegetables⦠Thatās not sweet⦠Itās not sweet, right? I canāt drink coffee with a sandwich like thatā¦"
Alice "Thatās not true. Sandwiches go with coffee. Of course they do."
2. Croque-Monsieur
Alice "Iāll have the croque-monsieur, please."
Waitress "One croque-monsieur. Certainly."
Pierce "???"
Pierce "Cro⦠Crosh? Huh? Whatās that, Alice?"
Alice "Not Crosh, croque-monsieur. Youāve never heard of it?"
Pierce "Nope, no idea. Is it even food? Is it safe? Youāre not trying to bully me, are you?"
Alice "ā¦Of course itās food. And no, Iām not bullying you. Why would a cafĆ© even let you order something dangerous to begin withā¦?"
The waitress left with a strained smile.
Alice (Iāve become that person with the dumb friend⦠Iām never coming back to this place.)
Alice "Croque-monsieur is a kind of toasted sandwich. Itās made with ham and cheese, grilled together."
Pierce "Cheese!? Itās cheese bread!? Yay! I love cheese!!"
Alice "Yeah, I know."
Obviously. Thatās why I ordered it.
Pierce "You got it for me ācause it has cheese, right? Thanks, Alice!"
Pierce "Ah⦠But ham and cheese⦠itās not sweet. Not sweet at all. It sounds yummy, but⦠it doesnāt sound sweetā¦"
Alice "???"
Alice "Of course itās not sweet. Ham and cheese arenāt sweet, and the breadās not a dessert bun either."
Choices Converge
Pierce "Uuuu⦠Maybe they go together, but for meā¦"
Pierce stopped drinking his coffee, looking utterly dejected.
Alice "Just until the food comes. Youāll be fine. Be patient."
Alice "ā¦Youāre not drinking your coffee?"
Pierce "Coffeeās⦠bitter. I canāt drink it. I can only manage it when I have sweets or sugar cubes to help⦠sniffā¦"
Pierce "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice (So thatās why he said he couldnāt drink it with breadā¦)
Alice (ā¦Yep. Definitely a future candidate for lifestyle-related diseases.)
I felt bad when he started to cry, but I had to draw the line somewhere.
Pierce "sniff sniffā¦"
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice "ā¦Fine. Just one. You can have one sugar cube."
Pierce "I can gnaw on it?"
Alice "ā¦No gnawing. Drop it in the coffee. And then wait for your food."
Pierce "ā¦Put it in the coffee? The sugar cube?"
Alice "ā¦Yes?"
Pierce "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
With exaggerated caution, Pierce dropped the sugar cube into his coffee. It plopped in with a soft splash.
Alice (�)
Alice (That was an awfully delicate movement⦠Something about it seemed dangerously hesitantā¦)
Alice tilted her head at his unfamiliar, hesitant behavior.
Pierce "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
He watched the sugar cube sink and dissolve into the cup. Then, just as cautiously as he had dropped it in, he lifted the cup and took a sip.
Pierce "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
His tension was palpable.
Alice (�) (�??) (Why is he so tense?)
Alice (If you stiffen up that much, you're going to make me nervous too!)
Pierce "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Pierce "ā¦!"
Pierce "!!!!!!"
Alice "ā¦Wh-What happened?"
Pierce "Itās deliciousā¦! Alice, this is so good! Itās really good!!!"
Alice "ā¦H-Huh?"
Pierce "Itās delicious, delicious! Wow, this is great! So delicious!!!"
Pierce squealed with delight, practically bouncing.
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice "ā¦Um, you have had coffee before, right?"
Pierce "Yup, lots! I drink it all the time!"
Alice "ā¦Stop chugging it. Itās bad for your stomach."
Alice "ā¦Wait, thatās not the pointāso youāve had tons of coffee before, but never thought to add a sugar cube?"
Pierce "Yup!"
He answered without a hint of guilt.
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice "ā¦It never occurred to you to put it in?"
Pierce "I just gnawed on them. Coffeeās bitter, but if I eat a sweet or gnaw on a sugar cube first, itās not so bad."
Pierce "But it gets less bitter even if you put it in too! Wow, what a discovery!"
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Pierce "Youāre so smart⦠You know so much, Alice. Iām gonna start listening to you more from now on!"
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice "ā¦For starters, stop eating so many sweets."
Pierce "Okay!!"
He replied with cheerful energy.
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
End Event
SCnKnA Boris Card Game 3
Event List
Scene ā Clover Town ā Aliceās Room
Alice (ā¦Oh. I think this is a good turn.) (If the next card is a high number⦠maybe I can win?)
It had been a while since I played cards with Boris. We hadnāt done it in a long time, so I was the one who invited him this time.
I draw a card⦠Looks like luck is on my side today.
Alice "I win, Boris!"
I played my card with delight. The moment I did, Boris quickly got up and began heading for the door.
Alice "ā¦Hey, wait a second. Where do you think youāre going?"
When I called after him, he visibly flinched.
Boris "Ahaha, I just remembered something I had to do. I promised the mouse Iād meet him⦠Itās about time we started our game of tag⦠you know?"
Alice "Canāt it wait? Itās not like youāll catch him this time either."
Boris "Whether I catch him or not isnāt the point, okay? Itās about enjoying the process, you know? Chasing the mouse around is the fun part."
Alice "That so? Then all the more reason it can wait, right?"
Boris "No, no, the mouse is waiting for me. Heās probably stretching his neck out right now, dying for me to come play with him."
Boris "So⦠yeah. Iāll keep your promise next time, okay?"
He tilted his head cutely. But right now, I was in no mood to fall for it.
Alice "You will keep your promise, right?"
I mimicked him, tilting my head just as he had. I knew it didnāt suit me, but Boris was weak to that kind of cheesy behavior.
Boris "Ugh⦠Fine, do what you wantā¦"
He slumped in defeat, clearly resigned.
Later
Alice "So fluffyā¦"
Boris "Itās my tail⦠I am a cat, you knowā¦"
Before we started the game, weād made a bet:
If I lost, Iād do whatever Boris said during this time slot. If he lost, heād have to do what I wanted.
It was something we used to do from time to time when playing games. Since we hadnāt played since we started dating, I felt like doing it again.
And so, having secured my victory, I was now getting to touch Borisās tail. I also borrowed his fur wrap and draped it around my neck.
Alice "I get now why the twins want this so badlyā¦"
Boris "ā¦Please donāt say creepy things like that. Those guys have been looking at tails with really suspicious eyes latelyā¦"
He actually shuddered. I guess the fear of having your tail pulled out is something only a cat could understand.
Alice "I want one tooā¦"
Boris "YOU TOO!?"
Alice "But itās just so soft and nice to touch. I wanted to feel itāthatās why I got so serious about the game."
Boris "Yeah, I noticed⦠You were dead serious. I could feel the intensity in your eyes."
Boris gave a mock sulk, shrugging his shoulders.
Alice "ā¦It feels like I used up all my luck for the year."
My starting hand had been awful. I honestly thought I had no chance of winning.
Well⦠"for the year" might be a bit dramatic.
Boris "Oh come on~ Youāve got pretty good luck when it comes to games. After losing by that much, itās hard to feel like Iāll ever win again."
He gave a crooked smile as he said it.
Looking at all the games weāve played in the past, itās trueāI do win more often.
Alice "Itās not like that⦠I might lose next time."
Boris "ā¦Then letās play again next time. That way weāll see. Letās keep playing until I win."
He said it gently, casually locking in another promise. Smooth as ever.
Alice "Will you really keep playing with me like this from now on, even if itās just games?"
Boris "???"
Boris "Of course! If youāre not sick of me, Iād love to keep playing with you as much as you want!"
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ I see. Got it."
It seemed Boris didnāt quite catch the real meaning behind my question.
Alice (The way we spend time together has changed since we started dating⦠Am I the only one who's bothered by that?)
Boris is always so natural and relaxed. Maybe Iām the only one whoās hyper-aware of it.
Alice (I am aware of him⦠very much so.)
Itās frustrating, but I have to admit it. Whenever things start to feel romantic, I get nervous and canāt help but focus on it.
This time, thanks to the game and the bet, weāve slipped back into the old rhythmālike when we were just friends.
And thatās been a relief. Without that playful atmosphere, I definitely wouldnāt have been able to touch his tail.
Boris "But still, no matter what, it doesnāt change the fact that I lost again."
Boris "This poor loser needs some comforting words⦠Youāll give me some, wonāt you, Alice?"
Alice "ā¦Want me to pat your head?"
Boris "Uh, no, not that kind of comfortā¦"
Apparently disappointed, Boris slumped his shoulders. He began mumbling, "I was hoping for more likeā¦"
Clearly, he wasnāt satisfied with just a head pat. So what kind of comfort did he have in mind?
Alice (I can guess⦠but just this once, Iāll let it go.)
Even as a couple, I still want moments like thisāmoments that feel simple and familiar.
Boris "ā¦Hey Alice, what are you doing?"
Alice "Canāt you tell? Iām patting your head."
I answered while enjoying the silky feel of his hair.
Borisās hair is lovely to the touchāit really does feel like petting a real cat.
Alice "Just like a catā¦"
After a while, Borisās tail started slowly swaying, clearly in bliss.
He looked a little pouty, but his eyes softened dreamily as he smiled. His tail and expressionāit was all unmistakably cat-like.
Boris "Of course I am. Iām not like a cat. I am a cat. How many times do I have to say that before it sinks in?"
Alice "ā¦I think I understand. Or at least, I try to."
Sometimes he really does seem like a cat, through and through. But maybe because of how he looks, I still tend to see him more as a cat-like person than an actual cat.
I kept stroking his hair, and soon he started purring in his throat.
Alice (ā¦He really does look like a cat.) (A giant, pink one⦠but still.)
If I overlook the size and color, heās unmistakably a cat. Then again, those are pretty big things to overlook.
Boris "ā¦Well, this kind of comfort isnāt bad either. But next time, Iād love it if you comforted me the way I want."
Alice "ā¦That depends on how you want to be comforted."
I gave a light smack to the head of the oversized, pink-colored cat who had snuggled into my lap, clearly enjoying himself too much.
Later
Alice "ā¦Letās clean up the cards first, okay?"
She spoke in a tone like a mother calmly reasoning with her child. After tapping the stacked cards into place, she slid them back into their case.
Almost as if waiting for that moment, Boris spoke up again.
Boris "Are you done? You're done, right? Then letās do riddles!"
Alice "ā¦Why are you so obsessed with riddles?"
Boris "Because I lost the game and got my tail touchedānothing went my way. But if we do riddles, I can make you struggle for once, right?"
With his tail swishing, Boris smiled brightly.
Alice "ā¦You want to make me struggle?"
Boris "Yeah, I do. I love the look on your face when youāre stumped. Youāre seriously cute when you're confused⦠and even cuter when you get the answer wrong and pout about it."
So letās do riddles, he said with a grin, pleading with a bright āplease?ā
Alice "ā¦Only if you let me pull your tail."
Boris "ā¦Youāve been spending way too much time around those twins."
Boris "Aaagh, why do you always go there? Iām starting to doubt if you even like me⦠seriously, Iām losing confidence hereā¦"
Alice "What? How did we even get to that point?"
Boris "Because itās true! You were way sweeter to me before we started dating⦠now that weāre together, youāve gotten kind of cold."
Alice "You're imagining things. Thatās not true."
Boris "Imagining it? Reallyā¦? I donāt think itās just in my head."
Alice "Iām telling youāit is."
Alice (Donāt look at me with those eyesā¦!)
His upward glance made her heart skip a beat. Before, she wouldāve been totally unfazed by a look like that.
Alice (ā¦ā¦ā¦)
Alice (ā¦Iām hopeless. Iāve got it badā¦)
End Event
SCnKnA Boris Airay Event 9
Event List
Scene ā Clover Tower ā Aliceās Room
Alice "ā¦Itās that time again. Another round of meetings."
The third assembly period. That troublesome time has returned once more.
Boris "If you sigh too much, your happiness will slip away, you know?"
Boris "Come on, just get changed for now. It might not lift your spirits, but⦠it couldnāt hurt, right?"
Alice "If anything, I think itāll just make me more depressed."
Alice "ā¦Well, no point complaining. Iāll go get changed."
Boris "Wow, Alice, youāre such a manāso decisive and cool. Iām falling for you all over again."
Pierce "Boris, you idiot! Alice isnāt a manāsheās a girl! Sheās not cool, sheās cute!"
Boris "ā¦Youāre the idiot. I know sheās a girl, and I know sheās cute. You just donāt get metaphors, do you, dumb mouseā¦"
Pierce "Iām not dumb! Iām a smart mouse! Iām way smarter than any cat, especially you!!"
Boris "Thereās no such thing as a smart mouse. All mice are dumb. You just happen to be the dumbest of them all."
Pierce "IāIām not dumb!! Iām not dumb!! Iām a very smart, clever mouse!!"
Alice "ā¦Anyway, Iām going to go change."
Later
Alice "ā¦Okay, Iām changed."
Alice "ā¦So, what exactly are you two doing?"
Pierce was sprawled out on the floor, while Boris stomped on him repeatedly.
Boris "Welcome back, Alice. What am I doing? Isnāt it obvious? Iām playing with the mouse."
Pierce "H-help me, Aliceā¦! The cat⦠the kittyās being meanā¦!!"
Alice "ā¦Boris, get your foot off him."
Boris "Aww, but it was just getting to the good partā¦"
Alice "Just move it."
Alice "And Pierce, come onāboys donāt cry."
Alice "ā¦Sigh."
Boris "ā¦You look kinda drained, Alice. You sure youāre okay? You seemed exhausted just from changing."
(Who do you think is exhausting meā¦)
Alice "Iām fine. Iāll recover soon enoughā¦"
Alice "But yeah, thinking about the meeting does make me tired. I wish we could have a more productive discussion for onceā¦"
Boris "Not gonna happen. Not with that guy running the show."
Pierce "Nightmareās trying his best! He really is trying to make the meetings meaningful!"
Pierce "Trying to make decisions⦠I hope."
Alice "ā¦That sounds more like wishful thinking."
Boris "Donāt waste your time on that stupid mouse, Alice. If you catch his stupidity, thatād be a real problem."
Boris "Still, yeah, trying to keep that group in line must be rough. Theyāre all a bunch of weirdos with their own baggage."
Boris "And getting them all to focus on one topic? Practically impossible."
Alice "ā¦Youāve got a point."
You could call them unique, or just say theyāre a bunch of difficult personalities. Either way, managing them or getting them to concentrate on a single issue is an impossible task.
(Expecting Nightmare to pull that off is probably asking too muchā¦)
Then again, even someone other than Nightmare probably couldnāt do it.
Itās only now that Iām realizing just how impressive that "no interference during the assembly" agreement really is.
The agreement is impressiveābut the person who managed to establish it might be even more so.
Go to Event - Boris Card Game 3
Later
Scene ā Clover Town ā Shopping District
Man "Did you hear? Just a while ago, the lizard was dragging a Nightmare down the street."
Man "Really? I hadnāt heard."
Man "Apparently, they brought him back after he ran off. What a headache..."
Man "He probably didnāt want to attend the meeting. I mean, making him the chairman⦠itās worrying in so many ways."
Man "None of us really want a Nightmare as the meetingās chair, eitherā¦"
Woman "I feel like eating mushroom dishes. Is that okay?"
Man "Sure, I donāt mind. Iāll eat whatever."
Woman "Thanks, then letās go with mushrooms. Thereās a really good place nearby."
Woman "Oh, but the meeting at Clover Tower just ended, didnāt it? It might be crowded..."
Man "Letās go check it out anyway. If itās packed, weāll just find somewhere else."
Woman "Right, good idea."
The meeting had ended, and Iād gone out into town.
I was supposed to spend time with Boris, but the twins stirred things up, and he got all worked up chasing after them.
As a result, I was left alone with nothing to do. So, I decided I might as well wander around by myself.
Later
I enjoyed a bit of window shopping. Just as I was about to call it a day, I ran into a familiar face.
Alice "ā¦Pierce."
Pierce "Oh, Alice! Are you heading to the Tower now?"
Pierce "Me too! Want to go together?"
As soon as he saw me, Pierce brightly invited me along.
1. Go with him 2. Iāve got an errand to run⦠3. Decline
1. Go with him
Alice "Sure. Letās go together."
Pierce "Yeah, letās go! Do you want to stop anywhere on the way?"
Pierce "I mean, being a little late is okay, right? Nightmareās nice, he wouldnāt care."
Pierce "Ah, but the lizard assistant is kinda scary. If weāre late and he gets mad, maybe we should be on time after all."
Pierce "Instead, letās hang out after the meeting!"
Alice "Hang out? Where?"
Pierce "Anywhereās fine! There are tons of shops and plazas around the Towerāwe can have fun anywhere."
Pierce "As long as there are no cats, Iām happy. Oh, but since a catās usually stuck to you, that might be a problemā¦?"
(āStuck to meāā¦)
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice "ā¦Weāll see. If it works out, Iāll come with you."
2. Iāve got an errand to runā¦
Alice "Sorry. Iāve got somewhere I need to stop by for work before heading to the Tower."
I planned to drop by the inn before returningāit's time to submit shift preferences.
Pierce "Really? Youāre such a hard worker, even now."
Alice "Itās not like Iām working right away, though."
Pierce didnāt seem particularly upset. He just muttered, "Huh, okay."
Pierce "Well, Iāll head there first, then. See you at the Tower!"
Alice "Yeah, see you later."
3. Decline
Alice "ā¦Sorry, I think Iāll pass. I want to wander a bit longer."
(If Boris saw us together, heād definitely sulkā¦)
Feeling a bit guilty, I turned him down. Pierce immediately drooped.
Pierce "ā¦So you donāt want to hang out with me? You donāt like me?"
Pierce "If even you donāt like me, Iām gonna be so sadā¦"
Alice "I didnāt say I didnāt like you. Itās not about youāitās just that Iām not ready to head back yet."
Pierce "Really? So you donāt hate me? Then thatās fine! Iām just glad you donāt hate me!"
After I reassured him, he quickly perked up and walked away, cheerful again.
Alice (Good thing heās so simpleā¦)
Choices Converge
Scene Change ā Sky
And so, after all that, I returned to the Tower and attended the meeting once more.
During the assembly period, it's just meetings and breaks over and over again. I still have work outside of this, but even then, Iām more than a little tired of it.
Boris and Pierce are probably even more fed up than I am.
Alice (I hope this ends soonā¦)
During the assembly period, conflict is forbidden. The peace is nice⦠but life in the forest wasnāt so bad either.
Alice (ā¦Wait. When did I get so used to the forestā¦?)
Well, aside from the door stuck to that tree. That thing is creepy and downright unsettling.
But aside from thatā¦
Alice (ā¦ā¦I kind of want to go back to the forest soonā¦)
Scene Change ā Clover Town ā Restaurant Area
Boris "ā¦I wish the meetings would just hurry up and end. Being tied down against my will seriously pisses me off. I mean itāI just want it to be over already."
Boris "ā¦And itās not just me, you know. What really bugs me is that youāre being dragged into this too. Only I should get to pull you around for my own convenience."
Alice "Yeah, wellāhold on, I never gave you that kind of privilege, okay?"
During our free time, the two of us walked through town.
Boris had been talking nonstop for a while now, but I was only half-engaged in the conversation.
Boris "What? So, are you saying youād let some other guy drag you around however he wants?"
Alice "Thatās not what I mean. Iām saying that you dragging me around is also a problāah!"
Boris "OW! Hey, Alice! Youāre stepping on itāyouāre stepping on it!!"
Alice "What!? Wh-what!?"
Boris "My tail! You stepped right on my tailāit hurts! Ow, ow, ow!!"
Alice "!?" "Oh my gosh, Iām sorry!!"
I had been looking at Borisās face while talking, and my feet got tangled. Sure enough, Iād stepped right on his tailāhard.
Boris "Why would you press down harder like that!? Are you sure it wasnāt on purpose!? That really, really hurtā¦"
Alice "Of course it wasnāt on purpose! Iām sorry, my feet just got tangled up!"
(I mean, walking in these shoes is hardā¦)
I hoped he could read the part I didnāt say aloudābut Boris gave no sign of catching on. He was too busy holding the tip of his tail and blowing on it.
Boris "So it wasnāt on purpose? Okay then⦠still, ouch. That pain made my fur stand on endāitās been a while since something hurt that bad."
Alice (That bad, huhā¦)
Still, Boris didnāt blame me. He returned to his usual tone and kept walking as if nothing had happened.
Later
Boris "Suits really make your shoulders stiff, huh? I mean, theyāre formal and tightāitās to be expected. But even if you know that, stiff is stiff."
Alice "ā¦Isnāt it the fur thatās making your shoulders stiff?"
Boris "No way! If that were true, Iād have permanent shoulder tension, wouldnāt I?"
Alice "Well⦠yeah, good pointā¦"
I said something kind of silly.
I just couldnāt concentrate on the conversation. My mind kept wanderingā¦
Boris "I donāt hate this outfit, but the downside is the colorāitās black."
Boris "Itās hot during the day, and at night I blend into the shadows. I donāt dislike black, but as a clothing color, itās kind of... yeah."
Even though my replies were a bit lukewarm, Boris didnāt seem to care and just kept bouncing from topic to topic.
1. You usually wear black too 2. It suits your catlike nature 3. Pink is hard on the eyes
1. You usually wear black too
Alice "You usually wear black anyway."
Boris "Yeah, but the clothes I usually wear donāt make me blend into the darkness at night, right? So I donāt really mind wearing black in those cases."
Boris "What went wrong this timeā¦? Maybe it was a mistake to go with black fur trim too⦠But if I went with pink, Iād probably get flak for it."
Alice "Yeah, Iād probably be the first to complain. A man in a black suit with pink fur trim? I wouldnāt want to walk next to you."
3. Pink is hard on the eyes
Alice "Blackās fine. Pink is way too harsh on the eyes."
Boris "So basically⦠youāre saying my usual outfit is painful to look at? No way youād say something like that, right?"
Boris "ā¦Why are you looking away, then?"
Alice "ā¦Hmm, I wonder."
(He didnāt realize it was hard to look atā¦)
Choices Converge
Boris "Tch, seriously. Youāve never really complimented my clothes, have you?"
Alice "Can you blame me? There are more things wrong with them than worth praising."
Boris "Ehh~? Okay, maybe this suit isnāt great, but I donāt think my usual clothes have any issuesā¦"
Alice "ā¦Want me to list all the problems I see with them?"
Boris "ā¦No thanks. I donāt need you insulting my casual clothes too. Ugh, Iām sick of this outfitāI wanna get out of this stuffy suit already."
Boris "Hey, Alice. Arenāt you getting tired of your clothes too?"
Boris "If you are, letās wear something different. Like matching suits. You and me, all dressed up the same."
Boris "ā¦Yeah, that would be dangerously cute. Itād look amazing on you. Adorable."
Alice (Huhhh!? W-what part of that sounds like a good idea!?)
2. It suits your catlike nature
Alice "I think it suits you. Itās very⦠catlike."
Boris "Really? If you say so, I guess the colorās fine after all."
Boris "And sometimes itās nice to blend in instead of standing out all the time."
Alice "Exactly. You normally stand out like a sore thumbāmaybe itās good to be inconspicuous once in a while."
Boris "Stand out? Thatās not a bad thing. Standing out is awesome."
Boris "Tch, seriously. Youāve never really complimented my clothes, have you?"
Alice "Can you blame me? There are more things wrong with them than worth praising."
Boris "Ehh~? Okay, maybe this suit isnāt great, but I donāt think my usual clothes have any issuesā¦"
Alice "ā¦Want me to list all the problems I see with them?"
Boris "ā¦No thanks. I donāt need you insulting my casual clothes too. Ugh, Iām sick of this outfitāI wanna get out of this stuffy suit already."
Choices Converge
Boris "Hey, Alice. Arenāt you getting tired of your clothes too?"
Boris "If you are, letās wear something different. Like matching suits. You and me, all dressed up the same."
Boris "ā¦Yeah, that would be dangerously cute. Itād look amazing on you. Adorable."
Alice (Huhhh!? W-what part of that would look good!?)
Boris "Iām telling you, itāll look greatāI guarantee it. Come on, please?"
Alice "ā¦Give me a break."
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
We continued walking as we talked.
Just a leisurely stroll with no destination in mind. Weād probably walked quite a bit by now.
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Boris "ļ½ļ½ļ½āŖ"
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Boris "ļ½ļ½ļ½ļ½ļ½ļ½āŖ"
He seemed to be in a really good mood, humming a tune here and there.
Alice (ā¦This wonāt do. I should say it.)
Alice "ā¦Itās hard to walk like this."
I finally spoke up. His reply was casual and breezy.
Boris "Yeah? Donāt worry, if you trip, Iāll catch you."
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ Thatās not the point."
Boris was clearly enjoying himself. He had no intention of changing this setup.
Alice "ā¦Itās making me walk slower."
Boris "Then just walk slowly."
And I really was moving slowly. Thatās how I ended up stepping on his tail earlier.
I couldnāt help itāI had no choice but to slow down.
Even if I wanted to speed up, I couldnāt. I was going at less than half my usual pace.
Alice "Youāre making it hard to walk."
Boris "! Hard to walk!?"
Borisās cheerful expression faltered.
Boris "Come on, thatās a little harsh⦠Iām just trying to keep us from getting separated during our walk."
Boris "If youāre going for a stroll with a cat, you have to make sure you donāt lose them. Cats wander off easily, you know?"
Alice "Walking a cat, huhā¦"
Cats arenāt the kind of pets you need to take out for walks in the first place. Itās not that they get lostāthey just wander off on their own.
They disappear somewhere and come back whenever they feel like it. Thatās what cats do.
Alice "A cat isnāt a dog. You donāt need to put it on a leash and walk it. So thereās no reason for you to be this clingy."
Boris "Yeah, Iām not a dog, so I donāt need a leash. But since cats do tend to wander off, I need you to keep me close."
Boris "Since I donāt wear a leash, Iām the one keeping you close."
Alice "Keeping me close is one thingā¦"
Alice "Holding hands would be fine, but this isā¦"
Too much.
He had his arm around my shoulders, making it incredibly difficult to walk.
Boris "More than holding handsāit looks even closer, donāt you think? Like weāre really close. Totally gives off that vibe."
Alice "Yeah⦠we really do look like a couple."
Boris "Exactly! We are a couple, so itās fine."
Boris "Anyone who sees us would know right awayāwe look like a close couple. Iām not doing it just for show, though."
Boris "Iām not showing off, but⦠this kind of thing is nice. Itās obvious to anyone that weāre lovers."
Alice "Yeah. Obvious⦠painfully obvious."
Obvious lovers. A couple still in their early days.
If this were marriage, itād be the honeymoon phase.
Weāre radiating sugary sweetness so strongly, you could practically see it in the air.
Alice (S-So sweet⦠Too sweetā¦)
I donāt know what to do. Not that I have to do anythingābut itās all so ticklish and overwhelming.
Boris "Itās nice, walking together like this. I like taking walks with you. Itās fun."
Alice "Y-Yeahā¦"
Weāre just walking, and yet Boris seems totally giddy.
Boris "Huh? Alice, arenāt you having fun? Isnāt it fun being with me?"
Alice "Eh⦠No, I am having fun. But stillā¦"
Alice "Being this clingy is kind of⦠embarrassing, I guessā¦"
My voice trailed off, flustered.
Boris "Clingy� Am I really that clingy?"
Alice "You are. Youāre way too clingy."
Boris "Really�"
Alice "Yes, really."
(I wasnāt this clingy with the person I dated beforeā¦)
Granted, I only have one person to compare to, but stillāthis didnāt happen with my previous partner.
He was an adult manācalm, gentle, and composed.
We never did things like this. Never so clingy and obviously ācouple-like.ā
Alice "Yes, youāre too clingy. Itās like⦠so over-the-top, itās annoying."
Boris "Annoying!?"
Alice "I mean, to people watching us. They probably think weāre a couple of idiots. Like āUgh, look at those twoā¦ā"
Clinging to each other to the point that it interferes with walkingāwe look like a textbook example of a dumb couple.
Those kinds of couples are embarrassing to even look at. I never thought Iād become one of them.
That never happened with my previous partner. We never did anything so flashy or ridiculous out in public.
He was always cool, always composed. So much so that I sometimes wondered if he really liked me.
We never did anything foolish.
Boris "Who cares how other people see us?"
Alice "ā¦I care. Even if weāre dating, I didnāt think weād be walking around like this, all glued together."
Boris "ā¦Tch. Who are you comparing me to?"
Alice "Huh�"
Boris "Youāre comparing me to someone, arenāt you? That guy you dated before?"
Bullseye. He was rightāI was thinking of the guy I dated before.
Boris "Iām not him. Thatās why I cling to you. I like you, I want to be close. I want to be clingy. Just deal with the awkward walking, okay?"
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
So obvious. Jealousyāclear as day.
It felt childish, like something out of a pretend relationship. Not even trying to hide it.
He didnāt care who saw us or what they thought. Completely free-spirited. It was embarrassing. Ridiculous.
ā¦No one had ever been foolish like this with me before. Iāve never felt this ticklish inside before.
Alice (Ah⦠I see. He really does like me.)
He likes me. Itās clear to anyoneāheās showing it so openly.
Like an animal showing affectionāno need to hide it. No concern for others, just focused on whatās right in front of him.
Boris likes me.
Alice (ā¦He loves me wholeheartedly.)
Iām the one being loved. But in my previous relationship, it was the opposite.
I was the one hopelessly in love. I loved so much, I couldnāt see anything else.
Alice (That feelingā¦)
That same feeling I had back thenādoes Boris feel that way about me now?
Does he love me just as deeply as I once loved⦠him?
Boris "Hey, Alice⦠Do you still love that guy? Do you want me to act like himākeep my distance when we walk?"
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice "ā¦No."
He never even held my hand in public. Not once did he ever put his arm around my shoulder like this.
But I wanted to hold him. I couldnāt see anything elseāI only had eyes for him.
I think I was foolish. But still⦠that feeling I had back thenā
If Boris is giving that same kind of feeling to me now...
Alice "Itās embarrassing⦠but itās fun⦠so, itās okay."
I squeezed up against him, closing the distance on my own.
Back then, I was always anxious. I never felt truly fulfilledābecause I was the only one in love.
Alice "Itās really⦠super embarrassing, though."
Boris "Heh. Iām not embarrassed. Iām enjoying this."
Boris "Going out with someone you likeāitās fun."
Alice "ā¦Youāre such an embarrassing cat, Boris."
I donāt want Boris to feel like I did. I donāt want him to ever feel unsure or unloved.
Boris "Iām not an embarrassing cat. I just like you, thatās all."
Boris "I like you, so of course I want to be close to you. You donāt have to be a cat for that to be normal, right?"
He gave me a wide, toothy smile.
His outfit today might be more muted in color, but his head is still pink. From the first time I met him, heās always been all pinkāthat ridiculous pink cat.
Now, it feels like even my mind is turning pink under his influence.
Go to Home Event ā Pierce 3 End Event
SCnKnA Boris Airay Event 8
Event List
Scene ā Forest ā Arrows and Doors
I walked through the night forest, alone.
Even when I wasnāt specifically looking for Boris and the others, I found myself coming here time and again.
The forest of arrows and doors. Sometimes I wandered into the area where the doors stood, sometimes I just sat down and spent time there.
Leaning against a tree trunk⦠I would dream.
Dreams of my sisterāvisions of her that only appeared here, or in dreams.
I had just seen her again recently. I remembered her voice saying, āI wonāt forgive you.ā And before I knew it, I was here once more.
I walked on. Through the silence of night...
Boris āGood evening, Alice.ā
Alice āā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā
The stillness was broken by the sound of my name. The voice of my sister ringing in my head was overwritten by Borisās voice.
That bright pink presence appearing in the darkness reminded me of reality.
Boris āOut for a nighttime stroll? Itās dangerous to be aloneāso Iāll walk with you. Letās enjoy a nice little walk together.ā
Alice āUh⦠yeahā¦ā
For some reason, I felt dazedālike I was in a trance, unable to speak properly.
I had felt like Iād drifted into another dream again, but Borisās presence pulled me right back. My head was foggy, like Iād just woken up.
Boris āWant to hold hands while weāre at it? Might as well do it like lovers. Come on, give me your hand.ā
Before I knew it, he had taken my hand. In a smooth motion, he intertwined his fingers with mine.
āLetās go,ā he said, and we started walking again. After a little while, he spoke.
Boris āWanna explore around here together?ā
Boris āDonāt say something boring like āweāve already explored everything.ā Itās about us exploring togetherāthatās what matters.ā
Alice āā¦Whatās the difference between exploring and taking a walk? Are we supposed to be looking for something?ā
Even now, walking with Boris holding my hand, it already felt like a kind of exploration to me. I wasnāt really in the mood for any kind of survival-type activity, so this was more than enough.
Boris āIf you want to pick a goal and search for it, we can do that. If not, thatās fine too. Just walking around wondering if weāll find something fun is good enough.ā
Alice āIf weāre just walking, isnāt that a stroll?ā
Boris āIs it? I think itās different. A stroll is just aimless wandering. Exploration is when you go out hoping for something exciting to happenātogether.ā
(Something exciting togetherā¦)
1. āYou say the cutest things.ā 2. āSounds fun.ā
1. āYou say the cutest things.ā
Alice āYou say the cutest things.ā
Boris āCute? You mean fun, right?ā
Alice āItās fun too, but itās also cute.ā
Boris āCut it out. Iām a guy, you know? Donāt call me cute⦠I just wanna have fun with you, thatās all.ā
2. āSounds fun.ā
Alice āSounds fun.ā
It was a childish kind of ideaābut coming from Boris, it did sound fun, even to me.
Boris āRight? And itās not just sounding funāexploring really is fun. Youāll be excited too, Iām sure of it.ā
Choices Converge
Boris āHey, letās go together, okay? If youāre afraid of the dark, Iāll hold your hand the whole time. ā¦Actually, I wanna hold it even if youāre not.ā
He gave my hand a gentle squeeze.
Not hard enough to hurt, but just enough that I could clearly feel the warmth of his skin and the strength in his grip.
(Somehowā¦)
His usual attitude calmed me. A smile naturally spread across my face.
Alice āAll right, letās explore. No specific goal, thoughājust looking for something interesting.ā
Boris āGot it. And donāt you dare let go of my hand, okay?ā
Alice āI wonāt let go.ā
Scene Change ā Arrows and Mushrooms
I wonder how long weād been walking. We must have covered quite a distance.
The "exploration" was more fun than Iād expected. As one would expect from Boris, he knew so many things I didnāt.
A spring with crystal-clear water. An area full of mushrooms big enough to use as umbrellas.
A suddenly appearing flower field. A suspicious hole in the trunk of a tree.
After such an adventurous journey, I was completely worn out, and finally leaned back against a large tree to rest.
The time of day was still night. As we sat side by side to rest, a cool breeze blew through.
Boris āThe night breeze feels good. On nights like this, sleeping outside feels amazing. I think Iāll sleep out hereā¦ā
Alice āHuh? Sleep outside? Where exactly?ā
Boris āWhat do you mean where? On a tree, of course. Where else? Wanna sleep too? Though you might catch a cold.ā
Alice āOn a tree!? Iāll pass.ā
Maybe a cat could do that, but I certainly couldnāt pull it off.
Boris āReally? Itās nice and cool though.ā
Alice āIs it really? Didnāt you say you might catch a cold?ā
Boris āI havenāt caught one so far. Even if it feels a little chilly, itās still pleasant to me.ā
Alice āI donāt think chilly is pleasant at all.ā
Boris āIt is! The best part is just being in nature and feeling the wind while you sleep. Thatās the greatest.ā
Boris āThe birds chirping is soothing too⦠Ahhh, I wish I could show you how great it is. Hey, letās sleep together after all.ā
Alice āNo way. Iāll fall if itās on a tree.ā
Boris āYouāll fall if itās on a tree? Oh, so if itās not a tree, then itās fine?ā
Alice āā¦Huh?ā
His eyes lit up. That look meant he had an idea.
Boris āSo, as long as itās not on a tree and itās not cold, right?ā
He pressed on, and before I really thought it through, I found myself answering vaguely, āWell⦠maybe.ā
The moment he heard my reply, Boris sprang up from where heād been leaning.
Boris āOkay, got it! Wait hereāIāll get everything ready so youāre comfortable!ā
He dashed off. The tree he was heading toward had a door on it.
(Wait� That tree has a door?)
This wasnāt normally part of the area with doors, yet that particular tree had one.
Boris opened it and disappeared insideāthen returned quickly.
Boris āHere! Thisāll do the trick, right?ā
What he offeredā
Alice āā¦A blanket?ā
A pink blanket. It looked warmā¦
Boris āYep, a blanket. If you wrap up in this, you definitely wonāt be cold. And, lookā¦ā
He opened it up and wrapped it around both of us. Before I knew it, we were both snuggled under the same blanket.
Alice ā! Wait, together!?ā
Boris āOf course. With my body heat too, itās extra warm, right?ā
Boris āYouāre wearing pretty light clothes, and you donāt have any fur like I do, so this is perfect. You definitely wonāt be cold like this.ā
With a wink, Boris gently pulled my wrist under the blanket.
It was a sign to sit down. Still wrapped in the same blanket, the two of us sat down together.
Leaning against the large tree trunk, knees drawn up.
Alice āā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā
Alice āā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā
Same posture as when I come to the forest alone. But now, Boris is by my side.
Our bodies pressed close under the blanketājust like he said, our shared warmth made everything comfortably toasty.
Alice "ā¦Itās warm."
Boris "Yeah, really warm. Uh-oh, I might fall asleep just like thatā¦"
Alice "ā¦Huh? Donāt. I canāt fall asleep that easily."
Itād be lonely if he dozed off first.
ā¦Somehow, itās been decided that weāre going to sleep like this.
Alice (ā¦Iāve been outmaneuvered.)
This blanket is cheating. Itās so warm.
So comfortable. Even though Iāve never slept outside before, somehow, none of this feels unpleasant.
Alice "ā¦Stay awake a little longer. Iām not going to fall asleep just yetā¦"
Alice (I want to stay like this a little longer.)
If I fall asleep now, I feel like the next thing Iāll know, itāll already be time to wake up.
Boris "Got it, Iāll stay up. You get lonely if I fall asleep first, huh⦠Thatās adorable."
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦"
He saw right through me. I suppose it was obvious, but still, itās a little irritating.
Alice "Iām just worried something might happen! Youāre the one who suggested this, so you better do your part and play bodyguard."
Boris "Getting all huffy about it⦠okay, okay, Iāll let you have that. Iāll protect you from anything bad⦠but in return, give me a reward."
Rub rub rub. He snuggles against me under the blanket.
Now our whole sides are pressed together.
Alice (ā¦It tickles.)
And now heās nuzzling his face closer too.
Boris "You smell like soap⦠Not too sweet, just like you. A scent that fits you perfectly."
Alice "Waitāwere you sniffing me?"
Boris "Mmm, yeah. You smell really goodā¦"
His voice is sluggish and drawn out. He must be getting sleepy.
What heās saying is a little off too, butā¦
Alice (Well, itās true I donāt really like super sweet-smelling soaps.)
I prefer something cleaner and more refreshing. That must be what he meant.
Boris "You smell nice. Itās warm⦠honestly, this might feel even better than sleeping up in the trees. Way better with you next to me."
Alice "Is that so. Good for you. Iām glad Iām not catching a chill."
Boris "Thatās not exactly the nuance I meant⦠ah, whatever."
Boris "I like just lazing around with you. Even if itās not daytime, it feels like lying in the sun. Warm and cozy."
He sounds so content, it makes me smile.
As I listen, I feel my own consciousness begin to drift gently.
Alice (Warm and cozy⦠yeah, me too.)
When I used to sit here alone in the forest, hugging my knees, I was always cold. Like sinking into icy water.
Alice (But now, Iām so warm.)
I could stay like this forever.
Alice (Foreverā¦)
Boris "Hey, Alice. Stay with me forever, okay? This time of day, the next, and the one after thatāalways."
Boris "Will you stay with me⦠forever?"
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦"
It was so perfectly timed, like heād read my mind, that it made my heart skip a beat. I glanced overāand those golden eyes were gazing straight at me, just inches away.
That made my heart pound again.
Alice (Forever⦠together?)
Was he thinking the same thing I was?
It seems too perfect to be true, but somehow⦠it is. Boris isnāt Nightmare. He canāt read minds.Top of Form
Alice "Being together⦠forever, huh."
Staying together this time of day and the nextāthatās impossible. I have work.
But still⦠I found myself thinking, maybe that wouldnāt be so bad.
I want to be with Boris more. I really do.
I find myself wishing this moment could last as long as possible.
Right now, everything just feels so⦠comfortable.
Even though Iām sitting on the ground, not even inside a house or any sort of buildingāit shouldnāt be comfortable at all.
Alice (And yet, even being this close together, I donāt dislike it.)
Alice (If anything⦠I want to be closer.)
Boris "ā¦Sorry, I think I really am getting sleepy. Sleeping next to you like this⦠feels like Iāll have a really nice dreamā¦"
His voice is slow, sleepy.
Alice "You can sleep. Iām starting to get sleepy tooā¦"
And again, the same thought crosses my mind.
Alice (I think Iāll have a happy dream.)
Scene Change ā Clover Town ā Inn
A few more time slots have passed since then. This time, weāre back in my usual room.
Boris is sprawled across the sofa again, playfully clinging to me. He seems to really like cuddling like this.
Alice "ā¦Hey, Boris."
When I call out, he lifts his head with a "Hmm?" I steel myself and begin the conversation Iād been thinking about.
Alice "Iāve been thinking about what you proposed to me. Iāve actually considered it."
Boris looks genuinely caught off guard, his expression blank.
Boris "A proposal⦠consideredā¦? That sounds seriousā¦"
Boris "ā¦Youāre always so serious, Alice. Thatās admirable."
Alice "Donāt tease me."
I really did think about it.
Honestly, I hadnāt given it any serious thought at all before. But after that night in the forest, when we fell asleep together⦠I started to feel like maybe I should.
After we both fell asleep wanting to stay close to each other⦠I thought maybe it wouldnāt be so bad to give it some real thought.
Boris "Iām not teasing. I really mean it."
Boris "ā¦So? What did you consider? Living together?"
Alice "Not that."
What I considered wasnāt that. It was the other thing.
Alice "I wonāt live with you, but⦠Iāll be your girlfriend."
Boris "ā¦Huh!?"
Boris "ā¦Wait, whatā¦? Iād get it the other way around, but whyā¦??? Why date me but not live with me???"
Alice "We donāt have to live together to date, right?"
Boris "Yeah, but⦠Saying you donāt want to live with me but still want to date⦠That just feelsā¦"
Boris "ā¦It kind of feels like you're just pitying me 'cause I seemed lonely. Thatās⦠kinda pathetic."
Alice "Oh, donāt take it that way. I get it nowāyouāre not lonely."
Youāve explained that enough times. You said the amusement park disappearing wasnāt a big deal. And I believe itās true.
Not because youāre cold, but because you trust that the people from the amusement park are okay somewhere else.
And you still have a home, even if the place you lived is gone. Youāre the kind of personāno, catāwhoās fine without staying in one place. Fine being alone. ā¦Thatās just who you are. Very much a cat. Not cold-hearted. Just⦠feline in your thinking.
Alice "Youāre fine on your own, right? Thatās why we wonāt live together."
Alice "But I like you, so Iāll be your girlfriend. That makes sense, doesnāt it?"
Bottom of FormBoris "Consent... You're saying it in such a serious way again... This isn't some kind of contract procedure, you know?"
Alice "Oh, but isn't it something like that? It's a procedure for changing from friends to lovers."
Boris "Ugh... Hmm... It doesn't feel like two people in love deciding to become a couple. Are you forcing yourself?"
Boris "It feels more like you're becoming my girlfriend out of some kind of friendship obligation, just because I'm feeling lonely..."
Apparently, he didnāt like the way I agreed.
Alice "That's not it... I wouldn't become someone's lover just out of friendship."
Alice "If anything, if I were trying to do something about your loneliness out of kindness, it would be the other way around. I'd agree to live with you, not to be your girlfriend."
Boris "...Yeah, you're right. But still... I donāt know..."
Alice "Ugh... Hmm, yeah... I guess I see your point..."
The way he asked, like he was troubled, made me lose my resolve too.
I had made up my mind to say it, but... maybe I approached it the wrong way.
Boris "It doesn't really feel like we're saying, 'Let's start dating from now on,' does it?"
Alice "...No, it doesn't."
We're both unsure.
Boris "Do you... really want to date me?"
Alice "I think Iād be okay with it. I like you..."
Boris "That sounds... half-hearted."
Being called half-hearted stings.
Alice "What about you, Boris? Do you really want to date me that badly?"
Boris "I do! Because I like you!"
Alice "Then weāre the same."
Boris "No, my passion is different!"
Boris "I'm more serious about this. I like you, and I'm the one who said we should date, right?"
Alice "Well... yeah. But itās not about who said it first."
Alice "...Are you seriously in love with me?"
Boris "I love you... I really do. I want to be with you."
Boris "Because I love you and want to be with you. Stay with me, Alice."
His plea of "Stay with me" sounded just like that night we spent wrapped in blankets.
Alice "I canāt live with you. I donāt have the confidence for cohabitation."
Boris "Thatās fine. I donāt care about living together. Just be with me. We donāt have to live together... letās just see each other a lot and spend time together."
Alice "...But weāre already doing that, arenāt we?"
Boris "...Yeah. You're right."
Boris "Even now... not much is changing, is it?"
Alice "Yeah. I donāt think things will change much."
Since we both want to be together, thereās no need to force some kind of structure. Our feelings arenāt suddenly transforming, nor is there any dramatic shift.
Boris "...This whole idea of 'dating'āI donāt really get where the line is. Itās not like thereās a clear moment where everything changes..."
Alice "...True."
Nothing really changes. Thereās no definite point where you can say, "This is different now."
Boris "If you knew nothing would change, why did you decide you wanted to start dating me?"
The reason. Thatās hard to explain.
Alice "...Because I wanted to be with you."
Boris "But we are together, right? You said that yourself earlier."
Boris "Nothingās changed. Weāre still together now."
Alice "I want to be with you more."
Boris "Huh?"
Boris "Then we should live together. Come live with me."
Alice "That's not it... It's more like... I want to be closer to you, more than just friends..."
It was something Boris had said before. But when I say the same thing, it comes out awkward.
Alice "ā¦ā¦"
(...I wonder if itās not getting through.)
Boris is good with words, but Iām not. Even when we say the same thing, my meaning doesn't come across as clearly.
Boris "...Me too."
Alice "...Huh?"
Boris "I like you too, so I want to be closer to you than just friends. I want to be by your side even more."
Alice "ā¦ā¦"
(Even though he said the same words...)
Even when we say similar things, Boris conveys it so much better. Itās a little frustrating.
Boris "Alright, letās date, Alice. From now on, weāre a couple."
Alice "...Okay."
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice "Still... It doesnāt really feel like weāre lovers. Maybe itāll gradually start to feel that way?"
Boris "Hmm... Yeah, maybe."
Boris "I think weāll get there eventually. We'll start acting more like a couple..."
Alice "...I can't really picture it."
We've always been friends. Even saying we're a couple now doesnāt quite feel real.
(Iām the one who brought it up, but... this is kind of weird.)
Even after declaring we're dating, it still doesnāt feel like weāre lovers.
Boris "Hmmmm... Itās kind of a problem if we donāt feel like a couple..."
Boris "Ah, I know! Letās have a kiss like real lovers! A kiss to commemorate the start of our relationship!"
Alice "A-a kiss to commemorate..."
Boris "...What?"
Alice "N-no... Itās just... surprisingly fairytale-ish... You're more of a romantic than I thought, Boris..."
Boris "Hmph... Men are dreamers too, you know! Donāt you want to?"
The way Boris sulked made me want to laugh.
Alice "N-no, itās fine... Letās do it. As a commemoration of the start of our relationship."
Boris "Yeah, then... as a commemoration. Letās do it..."
(...Even though, weāve actually kissed before as friends.)
Boris is a cat. Heās a friend, yes, but also a cat, so he doesnāt make me put my guard up.
There have been plenty of times weāve touched in ways that would be rejected if he were an ordinary man. Heās even licked me before, including kisses.
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Boris "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
We closed our eyes and kissed. It was the first time weād done it like this, formally.
The kisses before weren't lover-like, of course. Nor were they the affectionate kisses shared between friends.
They were animal kisses. I had never really given them much thought.
(But really, this doesnāt feel much different.)
The act is the same.
A kiss is a kiss. Lips touching.
Getting licked had actually felt more intense.
Eyes closed, lips touching... A typical, unremarkable kiss. Just a normal kiss between lovers.
(...Huh?)
Alice "ā¦ā¦?"
(ā¦Huh?)
Something feels strange.
Iām nervous. It feels different from usual.
(Ugh⦠wh-what�)
Itās different.
Even though it wasnāt a deep kiss or anything, it feels different. Iām getting warm.
Boris "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Boris "ā¦Alice?"
Boris calls out to me as I lower my gaze.
He says my nameāin the same voice as always.
Nothing about it has changedā¦
(Just hearing him say my name⦠why is that enough to make me feel this way�)
It just feels different from normal.
Boris "Did you not like it?"
Alice "N-no, I didnāt hate it. Weāve done it a few times before, right?"
Boris "Yeah, we have⦠a few timesā¦"
Boris "ā¦But I got nervous. Wasnāt I weird?"
Boris lowers his gaze too. He mustāve been holding his breath, because he lets out a slow, shaky exhale.
Alice "Ehā¦"
Boris "I was⦠weird."
Boris "It felt strange⦠It was just a normal kiss⦠but it felt so different."
Alice "Y-yeah⦠it did."
(So Boris felt it tooā¦)
Realizing that only makes the strange feeling grow stronger.
Scene Change ā Clover Town ā Restaurant
Waitress "Good work, Alice. Iāll take over now."
Alice "Thanks. Letās see... thereās nothing in particular you need to know."
Waitress "Good work. Youāre always zipping around the dining hall, arenāt you?"
Alice "...Are you saying Iām scurrying around? I move a lot because the customers keep calling me over."
Waitress "The customers like you, you know. Some of them even ask only you for water refills."
Alice "Really? I hadnāt noticed."
Waitress "You hadnāt noticed? Youāre so oblivious... I bet a lot of them come here just for you."
Alice "What? No wayā¦"
Waitress "Iām serious. Before long, theyāll probably start calling you the poster girl of this place."
Alice "Ehhh⦠No way thatās happening."
Waitress "Itās not impossible. Actually, I think it is happening. You might not like the attention, but outsiders like you are rare and intriguing."
Waitress "Yeah, itās totally happening. If you think of it as part of your charm, itās not a bad thing, right?"
Male Customer "Excuse meee! Iād like to order!"
Waitress "! Coming right away, sir!"
Waitress "ā¦Well then, see you later, Alice. Get some rest."
Alice "Thanks. You all hang in there too."
I switched out with my coworker, ending my shift at the restaurant. Now Iāve got a bit of a long break.
(I want to go see Boris⦠but I kind of feel like going out somewhere tooā¦)
Alice (I was with Boris before I started work. Maybe Iāll just go somewhere for now.)
Since I have a long break, I can visit Boris afterward. With that thought in mind, I start considering where to go.
1. Castle of Hearts 2. The Hatterās Mansion 3. Clover Tower
1. Castle of Hearts
Scene ā Castle of Hearts ā Peterās Room
When I visited the Castle of Hearts, Peter invited me into his room.
He seemed delighted that I didnāt turn him down. More hyper than usualāin fact, he was basically radiating crazy rabbit energy.
Peter "I love you. I adore you."
Peter "Ah, Alice. Without you, my life can't even begināow! What was that for, hitting me mid-love confession?!"
He was being annoying, confessing right beside me, so I shoved his cheek sideways with a ācrack.ā ā¦Apparently, that hurt.
Peter "I was only trying to express my feelings for you..."
Peter "And to think, Iām not even allowed to do that? How cruel. Itās a violation of rabbit rights."
Peter "But still, I love even that kind of tyrannical you. Whether youāre unreasonable, selfish, or completely self-centered, I love you all the same."
Alice "Sorry for being tyrannical, selfish, and self-centered."
(Do you want more of it? Is that what youāre after?)
Heās quite the rabbit when it comes to provoking oneās sadistic instincts.
Peter "Itās not a bad thing, because I love you. Sure, Iād prefer a gentler version of you, butā¦"
Peter "No matter what kind of you it is, as long as I get to be by your side, Iām happy. Even if I canāt confess my love and you beat me instead, Iād still love you!"
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
(He really does sound like he wants more. Does he want to be hit�)
Peter "...Being with you like this makes me so happy, I donāt even know what to do with myself. Iām just so happy, so happy that everything else starts to feel irrelevant."
Peter "Is that⦠weird?"
a. I think itās extremely weird b. ā¦Well, it is you c. I feel the same way
a. I think itās extremely weird
Alice "Yeah, I think itās extremely weird."
I answer without hesitation.
Peter "I see. Itās extremely weird, huh... But honestly, I donāt really mind."
Peter "Whether itās weird or not isnāt all that important to me. What matters more is how happy I feel right now."
(Then why askā¦)
b. ā¦Well, it is you
Alice "ā¦Well, it is you."
Peter "Because itās me? I turn into this kind of person because Iām me? Hmm, Iām not sure I understand⦠but itās not a bad thing, right?"
Peter "If itās not bad, then I donāt need to worry about it. Iām still happy either way. ā¦Although, I am a little scared of being this happy."
(Iām scared too...)
I still donāt really understand what makes him feel so blissful.
c. I feel the same way
Alice "ā¦I feel the same way."
If I said it was weird, heād probably go, āBut why?! Tell me why?!ā and pester me about it. That would be annoying, so I gave him an answer I figured heād like.
Peter "You feel happy being with me tooā¦? That makes me so happy⦠Sorry, Iām so overjoyed I canāt even come up with something clever to sayā¦"
Just as expected, Peter was deeply moved.
Peter "Thank you. Really, Iām so incredibly happy."
(ā¦I feel a little guilty.)
But I hope heāll forgive me, since I donāt really enjoy having my sadistic side teased too much. Itās not like I want to be rough with Peter on purpose.
Subchoices Converge
Peter "ā¦I had a wonderful time, Alice. Please come again. Iāll wait for you, no matter how long it takes."
Alice "ā¦Yeah. Iāll drop by again sometimeā¦"
After having tea in Peterās room, I told him Iād be heading off. Somehow, I always end up relaxing when Iām here.
(Iāll probably end up coming to see him againā¦)
2. The Hatterās Mansion
Scene ā Hatter Mansion ā Gates
I visited the Hatterās Mansion. This time, both of the gatekeepers were present.
Alice "Itās been a while, Dee, Dum."
Dee "Weāve been waiting for you, Sis!"
Dee "You never come to play with us anymore, so weāve been so bored! You have to come visit more, or weāll be sad."
Dum "Yeah, youāve gotta come visit a lot more."
Dum "You havenāt been coming around, so we got so bored⦠we accidentally killed a guest we werenāt supposed to kill."
(Thatās not because of meāyou two have always killed people indiscriminately.)
Iād really prefer if they didnāt try to blame me.
Cute faces hiding cruel heartsāthese twins may sound like theyāre joking, but they never are.
Alice "Even if you're bored, you canāt go killing guestsā¦"
I try to scold them, but they cling to the idea that itās my fault.
Dum "If you want us to do our jobs properly, then you have to come play with us more! If youāre with us, weāll behave."
Dee "When you donāt come around, we just lose all motivation. We end up thinking things like, āWhere is she hanging out?ā or āWhoās she playing with?ā and we canāt focus at all."
Alice "Sigh⦠Is that so?"
They talk like theyāre completely obsessed with me. Hard to tell how serious they are, though.
Dee "Donāt you think youāve been neglecting us lately? What have you been doing, ignoring us like this?"
Dee "If you keep ignoring us, weāre gonna start sulking!"
Dum "Weāre still kids, you know! If you donāt give us enough attention, weāll go past sulking and turn bad! Are you okay with that?"
Alice "Uh⦠wellā¦"
(Waitātheyāre not already bad?)
Sure, they arenāt jaded like ātroubled teensā in the usual sense. But theyāre far from normal children.
(I wonder what would happen if these two did turn ābadāā¦)
A small part of me is curious to find out.
3. Clover Tower
Scene ā Clover Tower ā Hallway
I stopped by Clover Tower. While walking through the hallway, I noticed the tower seemed oddly noisy.
Everyone I passed was rushing around, visibly anxious or surprised.
Gray "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice "Oh, Gray!"
Itās Gray RingmarkāNightmareās assistant. I spotted someone I knew and ran over.
Alice "Hey, the tower seems kind of noisy. Did something happen?"
Gray "Oh, Alice. The towerās noisy?"
Alice "Yeah. Everyone seems kind of restless."
Gray "Ah, yeah⦠That might be it. Nightmare-sama is, for once, working seriously."
Gray "ā¦Itās honestly kind of chilling."
Alice "ā¦Huh??"
Gray "ā¦Sorry, that slipped out. Please pretend you didnāt hear that."
Gray cleared his throat quietly, trying to cover for his slip.
Gray "ā¦Itās true that Iām glad heās working. But more than that, itās justā¦"
Apparently, Nightmare is the kind of boss who never takes work seriously. And now, for once, heās actually working diligently.
Alice (I wonder if it feels the same as when the twins act serious.)
Alice "So thatās why everyone looked so confused. I think I get it now."
Alice "But Iām glad Nightmare is doing his work properly. Actually, I brought something for him."
I lifted the basket I was carrying and showed it to Gray.
Alice "It wouldāve annoyed me to give this to someone who was slacking off."
Alice "Itās stew from the inn I work at. There was some left over, but itās really good. And of course, thereās some for you too."
Gray "A food gift? Thank you. I was just starting to feel hungry."
Gray "ā¦Sorry if this was a burden on you."
Alice "It wasnāt a burden. Itās just leftoversāthere werenāt as many customers as expected."
Gray "I see. Then Iāll gladly accept it. Nightmare-sama will be pleased too."
Gray took the basket I offered and gave a faint smile. He looked, somehow, a little tired.
Alice "You look tired. Is it because things are busy?"
Gray "Yeah, very busy. Weāre preparing for the upcoming assemblyā¦"
Alice "Oh, right. Another one of those meetings is about to start, isnāt it?"
I think I heard something about that from Boris or Pierce. Gray gave a heavy nod.
Gray "Just thinking about the next meeting gives me a headacheā¦"
Gray "Whether Nightmare-sama can properly lead the proceedings, or if the invited guests are going to cause trouble⦠Thereās just no end to the worries."
Alice "ā¦Good luck."
(He really must go through a lotā¦)
Choices Converge Scene ā Forest
Boris "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Alice "ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦"
Boris "ā¦Weāre a couple, right?"
Alice "ā¦Yeah."
Weāre lovers now. Thatās what weāve become.
Boris "If weāre a couple, then kissing should be normal, right? We should be able to kiss as much as we want. Itād be weird if we didnāt kiss."
Alice "I-itās not that extremeā¦"
Boris "It is weird! Couples who love each other kiss! Not kissing would be the weird part!"
The way he confidently declares it is oddly convincing.
Itās trueācouples who are close do kiss. And weāve already kissed now that weāre dating.
I came to the forest to see Boris, so this is a loversā meeting. Basically, a date.
And kissing on a date is perfectly normal.
Alice (Loversā¦) Boris and I are lovers. Thereās nothing strange about kissing.
Boris "Letās kiss."
Alice "ā¦No."
I turned my face away from Boris as he leaned in.
Boris "Youāve been avoiding it this whole time⦠Why?"
Alice "We shouldnāt do it too much."
Alice "I think doing it too often isnāt good."
Boris "You wonāt even let me do it too much! Why are you rejecting me? Do you hate kissing me?"
Boris "Itās not like weāve done it that muchā¦"
Alice "Itās not like we havenāt been kissing. Weāve kissed a lot. We didnāt used to kiss this much before."
Boris "Thatās because we werenāt lovers back then."
Alice "But we still communicated well enough."
Boris "When you're lovers, you get more variety than just being friends. Even if we argue, maybe we could make up with a kiss..."
Heās said something like that before. But itās not like weāre even fighting right now.
Alice "Weāre not arguing, though."
Boris "Not right now, no, butā¦"
Boris "ā¦So why canāt we kiss? More variety is a good thing, right? We can do more things than before."
Alice "Even if you say there's more variety, weāre still only kissing."
Before, we used to talk, go out, play games⦠all kinds of things. Thatās decreased lately.
1. Itās not that I donāt like it, but⦠2. ā¦I feel kind of lonely
1. Itās not that I donāt like it, butā¦
(Itās not that I donāt like itā¦)
Itās not that I dislike acting like a couple.
Maybe this is what couples are supposed to do. Wanting to spend time like that is probably a form of affection, and I am happy about that.
(I am happy, butā¦) (ā¦ā¦ā¦ ā¦Itās complicated.)
2. ā¦I feel kind of lonely
(ā¦I feel just a little bit lonely.)
Itās not that I dislike acting like a couple.
Maybe this is normal. Wanting to be that close must be a sign of affection, and that makes me happy.
(But⦠I also want to spend time like we used to.)
Just hanging out, playfully goofing off without kissing. I liked that too.
Choices Converge
Alice "Lately, itās been all about kissing."
Boris "Hmmmmm⦠Then do you want to do other stuff? We can expand the variety even moreā¦"
(Exā¦expand it!?)
Boris "Like, besides kissing⦠there are other things⦠Is that okay?"
Alice "!?"
Alice "N-no, itās not okay. Thatās not what I meant by variety!"
Itās not that I want things to escalate further.
Alice "You can communicate without kissing, right? Thereās no need to do it."
Boris "You donāt kiss because itās necessary."
(Ughā¦)
Alice "Well, no, itās not like we need to kiss to survive, but⦠thatās exactly why we donāt have to do it all the timeā¦"
Boris "If we do it enough, maybe it will feel necessary. It might become a habitāsomething we need to do."
Alice "That⦠that would be a problem."
Which is why I donāt want to do it that much.
Getting into the habit of kissingāitās something I never had before.
Boris "It wouldnāt be a problem for me. If I needed it, Iād just do it. Iād kiss you until I couldnāt live without it."
Alice "Butā¦"
(It would be a problem if we broke up.)
I was going to say that, but the words caught in my throat. Itās not something I should say.
Boris looks at me intently. Animals are strangeāthey make you feel like they can see right through you.
Boris "We should just kiss. And if thatās not enough, we can kiss even more."
Boris "More⦠and more⦠lots and lots. It just shows how close we are, right?"
Alice "We didnāt kiss this much before. Thatās why⦠Iām overwhelmed."
Iām confused. I donāt understand how Boris can be so calm about all of this.
Boris "Donāt be overwhelmed. Weāre lovers nowāof course things are going to change. Itās not the same as when we were just friends."
Boris leans in closer.
Alice (ā¦Ah) (Heās going to kiss me.)
I shut my eyes tightly.
I canāt look directly at him. It all feels strange.
Back when we were just friends, heād look at me. Heād kiss my cheek, even lick me sometimes.
Even back then, he had kissed me on the lips before.
Boris "Why are you resisting the kiss? I want to kiss you. If you push me away⦠it hurts."
Alice "B-but it just⦠it feels ticklishā¦"
Boris "Are you embarrassed? Thatās adorableā¦"
Alice "Ughā¦"
Boris "Alice, youāre so cuteā¦"
His voice is dreamy and sweet.
Like a cat drunk on catnipāso sugary, so dizzyingā¦
Alice (So⦠sweetā¦)
I never imagined it would be like this.
Boris had always been just a friend. Calling him a "lover" never quite felt rightāhe was just a close male friend.
I never thought heād become this sweet. I never thought heād change this much.
Alice (Boris was always a kind and gentle catā¦) But being lovers makes him far more overwhelming than I expected.
I start to flail and struggle, instinctively trying to break the sugary tension.
Boris "Alice, stay still. I canāt kiss you if you keep moving⦠Youāre so cute."
Alice "~~~~~~~~~ā¦!"
I donāt mind being scolded for squirming, but why does he have to end it with āYouāre so cuteā?
Alice (T-this is too ticklishā¦)
I never knew⦠a kiss could feel this ticklish.
End Event
SCnKnA Pierce and Boris Event 2
Event List
Scene ā Forest
Pierce āCheese-flavored cheese fondue⦠So tasty, so tasty⦠Itās really delicious.ā
Cheese fondue in the forest. It wasnāt just a standard mealāit had been popular last time, so I prepared it again.
Pierce was happily dipping diced cheese into the cheese fondue pot and eating it. He looked utterly content.
Boris āā¦Of course cheese fondue tastes like cheese.ā
Alice āā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā (Cheese in cheese fondueā¦)
Just like the name suggests, cheese fondue tastes like cheese. Aside from cornstarch and white wine, itās basically pure cheese.
Naturally, dipping cheese into more cheese isnāt the standard way to eat it. Itās essentially cheese covered in cheese.
(That looks way too richā¦)
Since cheese fondue is already very rich, the ingredients you dip in it are usually on the lighter or blander side. Occasionally people use fried foods as a novelty, but thatās rare.
Alice āCheese on cheese is justā¦ā
Alice āā¦too much.ā
Cheese squared.
Way too rich. Too intense.
Alice āIām not good with overly rich foodsā¦ā
Pierce āHuh? Itās tasty though. So delicious⦠like a feastā¦ā
Boris āā¦You could just gnaw on a block of cheese, couldnāt you? No need to turn it into fondue.ā
Pierce āCheese on its own is good too, but when itās fondue, it adds more depth to the flavor. Itās way deeper!ā
(Heās talking like a gourmet, butā¦)
Alice āā¦Basically, itās just overly rich.ā
Even just watching was enough to make my stomach churn.
Authentic cheese fondue is traditionally eaten on its ownāit stands as a dish by itself.
But I canāt handle something that rich as a main course. I like to have some salad or something on the side too.
As for what I dip into the cheese, I prefer vegetables.
Doing what Pierce doesādipping cheese into cheeseāis an outrageous offense to the eyes.
Boris āā¦Wait, doesnāt it taste a little lighter than before?ā
After taking a bite of a normal bread-dipped fondue, Boris asked.
Alice āā¦Oh, you noticed?ā
Alice āI used cider instead of white wine this time. Apple cider.ā
I donāt like strong flavors, so dry white wineāthe usual base for fondueāfeels a bit much for me. Thatās why I tried substituting cider.
Boris āHuh. No wonder it tasted different.ā
Alice āā¦Did it not suit your taste?ā
Unlike fake gourmet Pierce, Boris actually has a decent palate.
Boris āNo, itās good. Youāre a really good cook. I bet youād make a great wife.ā
Alice āā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā
(This catā¦)
I canāt tell how serious he is.
Maybe heās tipsy. Even with cider, cheese fondue contains more alcohol than people think.
Pierce āI canāt really tell the difference.ā
Alice āā¦I thought so.ā
Pairing cheese fondue with cheese is borderline taste-bud negligence. And Pierce was eating a lot.
Pierce āWhy do you look so grossed outā¦? Am I not allowed to dip cheese in cheese fondue? Is that against the rules or something?ā
Alice āItās not a rule, butā¦ā
Itās just not done. It probably doesnāt taste bad, but itās so rich, youād realize it was a mistake the moment you took a bite.
Pierce āThen what kinds of things are okay to dip in it? Besides vegetables? I donāt mind veggies, but what else?ā
Alice āLetās seeā¦ā
Alice āNot just vegetablesāsome proteins, like sausages, go well too.ā
Alice āSeafood also pairs wellā¦ā
Boris ā!!!!!ā
Boris reacted like he was about to leap off the ground.
Boris āFish! Fish counts as seafood, right!?ā
Alice āUh⦠yeah, technicallyā¦ā
Boris āFish! Letās add fish! Donāt you have any fish!?ā
Alice āI donāt carry fish around. Iām not a fish vendorā¦ā
Boris āNext time! Bring some next time, okay!? I want fish! Fish in cheese fondue!ā
Alice āā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā (Fish in cheese fondueā¦)
Not as weird as cheese-on-cheese, but still not a typical ingredient.
Itās too hefty. Fish tends to fall apart when cut into chunks, and if it has a strong smell, it can ruin the fondueās flavor.
Boris āFish, fish! Fiiiishā¦ā
Pierce āCheese, cheese! Cheese tastes better~ā
Boris āWhat are you talking about? Fish, obviously. Fish~ā¦ā
Alice āā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā
(Same levelā¦)
Boris really has no room to call Pierce stupid.
End Event
SCnKnA Event Boris Card Game 2
Event List
Scene - Clover Town - Alice's Room
Alice āBoris, I win.ā
Boris āGy-nyaa!ā
Alice ā!?ā
As I laid down the winning card, Boris gave a start and let out a strange cry. I flinched at the sound, too.
We were spending a quiet time together in the room, playing a card game. Ever since weād played it once during the meeting period, we occasionally played like this.
Alice āW-What? Donāt make weird noises like that, it scared me.ā
Boris āAh, sorry, sorry. But I was surprised too, you know? You looked like you were struggling for a bit there, so I thought maybe I had a shot this time.ā
Alice āā¦Did I really look like that?ā
There was a point where I thought things might go badly. I canāt say my poker face is perfect, but I donāt just bare all my emotions either. I touched my cheek reflexively.
Boris āYeah, you had a bit of a look. So I thought, āthis is my chance!ā⦠But wow, youāre not easy to beat.ā
Boris āā¦Wait, did you make that face on purpose to throw me off?ā
Iām not so calculating or grown-up to pull something like that deliberately.
Alice āOf course not. I didnāt even realize I was making that faceā¦ā
Boris āā¦Really? So it was unconscious?ā
Boris āUnconsciously making a face like that to lure someone in⦠Alice, youāre not easy to take lightly.ā
Alice āYou say that, butā¦ā
Something about Boris today felt extra insistent.
Alice (thinking) (??? Is he really that upset about losing?)
Alice āā¦Wanna go for another round?ā
Boris āSame game again? Hmm, what to doā¦ā
If he was that upset, I figured heād want a rematch, but he didnāt seem too eager.
Boris āArenāt you getting a little tired of this game?ā
Alice āā¦I donāt think so.ā
We hadnāt played this one enough times for it to be boring yet. Cats tend to get bored easily, but Boris seems especially prone to it.
Alice āIf you want to switch games, thatās fineā¦ā
Alice āBut Iām not that knowledgeable about card games. Maybe poker at bestā¦ā
Boris āAhāno, not card games. I mean something more exciting.ā
Alice āā¦Exciting?ā
I looked at him suspiciously, and Boris nodded enthusiastically.
Boris āYeah, more thrilling⦠You know, like a roller coaster or spinning teacup ride at the amusement park!ā
Boris āThose were thrilling! Just thinking about them gives me shiversā¦ā
He spoke with dreamy eyes, like someone in love.
Like a maiden sighing over her crush⦠except his crush was a twisted amusement park ride. Something about this felt fundamentally wrong.
I had ridden that ride once myself. And whether it should even be called an "attraction" was⦠questionable.
It was a coaster disguised as a teacup ride. The cups spun while moving on a track.
That alone was absurd, but it would sometimes derail or come to sudden stopsātruly a work of chaos and madness.
You donāt often get that kind of thrill from a single attraction. In fact, you shouldnāt.
It was that intenseāBoris would call it thrilling, sure, but Iād call it dangerously absurd.
Boris āI want to play a game that feels like that. This is fun and all, but sometimes I really miss those rides.ā
Boris āHey, Alice. Do you know any games that feel like those rides?ā
Alice āNope, and even if I did, I wouldnāt play them.ā
If itās comparable to that, itās practically a death trap. Thereās no way Iād willingly play something like that.
End Event