Part 1

Empty SEKAI

BGM: --:-- / --:-- Play

1

Miku

Listen

Cherry blossoms...

Sound Effect: Play

2

Luka

Listen

Remember how that doll appeared here that one time? Could the same happen with a cherry blossom tree?
3

Miku

(I want to find some cherry blossoms, but...)
4

Miku

Listen

Oh, MEIKO...

Sound Effect: Play

5

MEIKO

Listen

Miku? What is it...?
6

Miku

Um, there's something I'd like to ask you.
7

MEIKO

Me?

Sound Effect: Play

8

Rin

Listen

Oh, Miku, there you are...
9

Luka

Listen

Oh, MEIKO, you're here too.
Would either of you like to play cat's cradle?
10

MEIKO

Listen

No.
11

Miku

Listen

I can't either right now...
12

Rin

After spending all this time looking for you...
13

Luka

Hehe. Don't worry.
I'll play if no one else will.
14

Luka

Listen

By the way, what were you two doing just now?
15

MEIKO

Nothing yet.
Miku said she wanted to ask me something...
16

Miku

Yes. I'd like to ask you two as well...
17

Rin

Listen

Yes?
18

Miku

Listen

How tall are cherry blossom trees?
19

Luka

Cherry blossom trees?
20

Miku

Yes.
21

MEIKO

Listen

Doesn't that depend on an individual tree's age? The longer they live, the taller they grow, right...?
22

Luka

Listen

How tall did you think they're supposed to be, Miku?
23

Miku

Listen

Huh? Um...
24

Miku

This tall?
25

Rin

Listen

I would think they're taller than that. Like this, maybe...?
26

Luka

Oh, you two are so adorable.
27

MEIKO

*Sigh*
Quit teasing them...
28

MEIKO

Listen

Do you want to look for some cherry blossoms, Miku...?
29

Miku

Listen

Yes...
30

MEIKO

I see.
31

Luka

Listen

That sounds wonderful. I'd love to see a real cherry blossom tree. However...
32

Luka

As beautiful as they are, did you know that there are some terrifying tales surrounding cherry blossoms?
33

Miku & Rin

What?
34

Luka

Listen

There are instances throughout history where people refused to plant them in their gardens because they believed that it would cause the other plants to die.
35

Miku

Listen

Die?
36

Luka

Wilt away to be more precise.
37

Rin

Listen

Wait, wilting away means...
38

Luka

Listen

Yes, they cause them to wither and die. To be fair, I'm not sure how true that is.
39

Miku & Rin

...
40

Luka

Some even say that misfortune will befall a family once a tree loses its cherry blossoms.
41

Luka

Listen

Conversely, many graveyards had cherry blossom trees planted in and around them as a part of consoling and honoring the departed.
42

Luka

At the same time, that also means these trees absorb nutrients from their bones. As a result, some stories state how ogres inhabit the roots of said trees.
43

Rin

Listen

...
44

Luka

Also, did you know that most of the trees that Kanade and the others are used to seeing were cloned from branches of one tree?
45

Rin

Okay, I've made my decision.
46

Miku

Listen

Hm?
47

Rin

Listen

I'm not going to look for any cherry blossoms and I'll ignore any that I happen to come across.
48

Luka

Listen

Oh, because you're scared of them now?
49

MEIKO

Listen

Weren't you trying to scare us with those stories just now?
50

MEIKO

But you really shouldn't worry so much. After all, they're just stories. Old ones at that.
51

MEIKO

Listen

The only part that's true is probably how they're all cloned from the same tree, right? That sounded much more modern.
52

Rin

Oh, right...
53

Rin

Listen

Luka...
54

Luka

Don't give me that look.
I said that they're stories, didn't I?
55

Miku

But cherry blossoms aren't just about how pretty they are...
56

Miku

Listen

(She may be right...
However...)
57

Miku

(Mafuyu thought they were beautiful...)
58

Miku

Listen

(So, I still want to find some.)