Part 1

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Mizuki

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Anyway, I should head home...

Mizuki

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Luka, Len, thanks for listening. I'm gonna try my best!

Luka

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Of course. I'm sure you'll do just fine, Mizuki.

Len

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So, um... Please come back if anything does happen, okay? We'll be here to help.

Mizuki

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Thanks! See you later!

Len

Thank goodness...
Mizuki seems to be feeling a lot better.

Luka

Yes, especially compared to the face we saw earlier...

Len

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Yeah, I was really surprised then...

Luka

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Oh, you were?
It's fairly normal for anyone to have something weighing on them...

Len

Yeah, I know...

Len

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But Mizuki's such a nice person.
Trying so hard to come up with any way to help Mafuyu...

Luka

Yes.

Luka

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(There is genuine kindness there...)

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Mizuki

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I want to help Mafuyu, but haven't been able to come up with any good ideas...

Luka

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Is that really all?

Mizuki

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Huh?

Luka

My guess is that you're not just thinking about Mafuyu, but also yourself.

Mizuki

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...!

Luka

(But during our conversation, other realities came to light...)

Luka

(Still, now...)

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Luka

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You say that you're not capable of helping her...

Luka

But I believe there's something you can do specifically because you ran from everything until now.

Luka

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Just look at things from a slightly different perspective.

Mizuki

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Oh...

Luka

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Hehe...

Luka

We shall see how Mafuyu takes what Mizuki is going to tell her.

Luka

(Since she may very well act on what she hears instead of just listening to it.)

Len

...

Luka

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Hm...?

Luka

Len, is something wrong?
You always avoid making eye contact with me.

Len

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Huh? No, um... It's just...

Luka

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You want to slip back into your shell when I look back, no?

Luka

I've been wondering this for a while now... Are you afraid of me?

Len

What? No, uhh...
I'm not afraid of you, but...

Luka

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But?

Len

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You're not afraid of being blunt or talking about serious topics. My heart jumps whenever I hear that sort of stuff...

Len

I mean, during your conversation just now, you weren't afraid to call Mizuki a coward...

Luka

Oh, that?
I simply said what was on my mind.

Luka

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Because the unadulterated truth is what makes people pause or snap out of it.

Luka

Especially when it's something they don't want to hear.

Len

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But...

Len

That seems really mean not just to Mizuki, but the others as well...

Luka

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Oh, is that how you see it?
Then, allow me to remedy your misunderstanding.

Luka

The way I see it, they're all being bound by forces that are keeping them from escaping these unfortunate circumstances.

Len

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Unfortunate circumstances...?

Luka

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Yes.

Luka

Each of them is in a different situation. Some are in shackles, while others are surrounded by high walls.

Luka

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(And one even seems to prefer being imprisoned...)

Luka

In any case, doing nothing won't solve anything, right?

Luka

So, they need to break free.

Len

...!

Luka

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Hehe. Does what I'm saying make a little more sense now?

Len

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Y-Yeah...
But “break” still sounds kinda strong...

Luka

I believe what you're feeling is also valid, Len. Getting a person to rise up after being subjugated for so long is going to involve some amount of pain.

Luka

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And if you can't break free of your shackles, you'll just have to tear your own arms off. And if push comes to shove...

Len

What?!

Len

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B-B-B-But that would be excruciatingly painful...! We can't let anyone...

Luka

Hehe. That was just an example.
I don't plan on causing them any pain needlessly.

Len

Oh... R-Right...
Thank goodness...

Len

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(I think she's just teasing me a little...
B-But she still kinda scares me...)

Luka

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Hm? What's going through your mind now...?

Len

Huh?! N-Nothing...!