Confession time: I actually didn’t play through Ai’s Social Link when my friend lent the game to me (I think part of the reason is because in order to initiate it, you have to choose “ask her out” even though she told you (and your sports team teammates) to not do that. I felt kind of bad choosing that option, even with the knowledge that I’m not actually asking her out for a date.) But then I was a dumb and didn’t max Marie’s Social Link in time, so I piggybacked off my friend’s old save file to do that, and Ai was one of her protag’s Social Links. And as I got to know Ai better, I really liked her! I looked forward to chatting with her at night, and I thought she was pretty fun to hang around. (I totally offered to be her ‘boyfriend’ until she felt better, haha.) While I’m not sure if Ai’s my absolute favorite, she’s pretty high up there, along with Shu and Dojima.
Metamorphosis (look at me)
When she was younger, her mother loved to cook, and Ai enjoyed good food; that was back when things always worked themselves out naturally. She gave love and was loved in return.
Junior High was when it all changed. It was the first time Ai found out there are unspoken standards in the world, and she’s not up to it. (Piggyhara, Piggyhara sings the skinny girls in her class; Ai has no choice but to listen to their sneers, spine curling, and turns her face away to hide the tears.)
She spent those days by herself, drifting in and out but never escaping the taunts. Everyone joined in; girls snicker behind her back where she could hear them; boys fling slurs about her figure in her face; even teachers slide their gaze off her, like water off the ugly duckling’s back.
Yamada laughed at her with the other boys, but he’s kind to her when the others aren’t around. He never started the taunts, unlike all the others. Yamada was different, Ai’s sure of it. If she gave love, she would be loved in return, right? (Piggyhara, Piggyhara shouts the boy she thought she loved; Ai hears the echo of her broken heart tinkling in the space between them.)
Then there was another shift. Her family has gotten their lucky break, and the other children hated her even more. Finally, fed up with all the cutting remarks, the Ebiharas moved to Inaba. Sleepy little Inaba was like a dream; a small town where nobody knew her, and Ai knew what she had to do to become good enough.
She threw herself into diets and devoted her entire being to following the girls in fashion magazines, because only skinny, pretty girls stand a chance in the world. And she will become one of them. (Piggyhara, Piggyhara rings in her ears; now she can stand up and smash the brittle taunt into a million tiny pieces.) She is better than all of them, the frumpy girls and plain boys in an outdated town.
But Ebihara Ai is still alone.
