Searching for Sunken Shadows

Empty SEKAI

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1

Mizuki

Listen

*Stretch*
I feel so much better after talking to you, MEIKO!
2

Mizuki

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Now, let's go check out this new area.
Wanna come with?
3

MEIKO

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I'll pass.
4

Mizuki

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What?!
5

Mizuki

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But I don't know where it is! What if I get lost?! Can you live with that?!
6

MEIKO

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You won't get lost.
It's straight ahead this way.
7

Mizuki

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That's still too vague!
Can't you come with me?! Pretty please!
8

Mizuki

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*Cry*
MEIKO hates me.
9

Mizuki

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She doesn't care if I get lost.
10

MEIKO

...
11

MEIKO

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*Sigh*
12

MEIKO

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I'm going.

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13

Mizuki

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Aww, come on!
You're really not coming with me?!
14

MEIKO

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I just said I'm going...
15

Mizuki

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Huh?
16

MEIKO

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I'm leaving you behind if you don't hurry it up.
17

Mizuki

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Oh...

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18

Mizuki

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Hey! All you said was, “I'm going.”
I thought that meant you were headed somewhere else!
19

Mizuki

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I guess this means you're nicer than you let on, MEIKO.
20

MEIKO

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And I guess this means you want to get left behind...
21

Mizuki

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Whoa, hey! Wait for me!
C'mon, let's go together♪

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???

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22

Mizuki

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Cool...!
So this is the new area...
23

Mizuki

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But it's a lake... Right?
24

MEIKO

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Yes, that's what it seems to be.
25

Mizuki

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Hmm... It seems to go pretty far.
Do you think there's something waiting for us on the other side?!
26

MEIKO

Listen

Who knows...?
27

Mizuki

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Hey, can't you at least try to play along?!
28

MEIKO

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I thought you were looking for Rin...
29

Mizuki

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Oh, right!
Let's see...
30

Mizuki

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Hey, Rin! Miku!

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Sound Effect: Play

31

Rin

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Oh...
32

Miku

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I didn't know you were here, Mizuki.
33

Mizuki

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Yeah, I was so surprised when I heard the news!
This place just sprang up overnight, huh?
34

Mizuki

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Also, what are you two reading...?
35

Miku

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Oh... A children's picture book.
It came out of the lake.
36

Mizuki

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What? Wait, out of the lake?
37

MEIKO

Listen

Mafuyu's feelings manifest themselves in this SEKAI. I'm sure this lake is connected somehow.
38

MEIKO

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And despite being very clear, it's too deep to see the bottom. Her feelings may be hiding somewhere down there...
39

Mizuki

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Mafuyu's feelings...?
40

Mizuki

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Then, does this picture book also mean something?
41

Miku

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Yes, I believe so.
42

Mizuki

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I see...
43

Mizuki

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By the way, what's it about?
Can I read it with you guys?
44

Rin

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Sure.
45

Mizuki

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Thanks!
Then, lemme squeeze in♪
46

Mizuki

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Alright, let's have a look...
47

Mizuki

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“Once upon a time, there was a little rabbit.”

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48

Mizuki

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“She lived a very happy life with her mommy rabbit and daddy rabbit.”
49

Mizuki

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Hey, that's pretty cute...
I kinda want to animate these rabbits now.
50

Miku

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I'd like to see that as well.
51

Mizuki

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Oh, then, maybe I'll do just that!
I'll get Ena to do all of the illustrations.
52

Rin

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Are you gonna keep reading?
53

Mizuki

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Oh, right. Where were we?
54

Mizuki

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“The little rabbit was a very nice girl.”
55

Mizuki

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“She did her best to help others because seeing them smile made her very happy.”
56

Mizuki

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“She also loved seeing her mommy and daddy smile, so she helped them as much as she could.”
57

Mizuki

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“Whenever her mommy asked her to clean her room, she'd clean and clean and clean until it became spotless.”
58

Mizuki

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“Whenever her daddy asked her to go buy something for him, she'd take her little basket and get whatever he needed as quickly as she could.”
59

Mizuki

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“She also knew that studying lots and lots would make them proud. And so, she did.”
60

Mizuki

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“As time went on, the little rabbit learned to do many different things.”
61

Mizuki

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“But...”
62

Mizuki

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Oh...
63

Mizuki

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“She tried so hard that she started getting tired.”
64

Mizuki

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Wait, this sounds like...
65

Miku

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...
66

Mizuki

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“Even so she kept trying and trying because she knew that's what would make everybody happy.”
67

Mizuki

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“But then, she started to forget why she was working so hard and what she really wanted to do.”
68

Mizuki

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“Still, even when she was in pain and so tired that she had very little energy to keep going, she kept doing what she could for others.”
69

Mizuki

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“But trying and trying started to make her chest feel colder and colder. Until eventually, she couldn't keep going.”
70

Mizuki

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Mafuyu...
71

Rin

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Oh...
Mizuki, look at the next page...
72

Mizuki

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Huh?
73

Miku

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“That was when the dog, hedgehog and cat came to save her.”
74

Mizuki

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“The dog played warm-sounding music for her.”
75

Mizuki

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“The hedgehog drew pictures of the rabbit going forward even when she was lost.”
76

Mizuki

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“And the cat said nice things to her.”
77

Mizuki

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Nice things...?
78

Mizuki

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“The dog's music helped the rabbit open her eyes once more.”
79

Mizuki

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“The hedgehog's pictures helped her feel hopeful about the future.”
80

Mizuki

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“And the cat's words...”
81

Mizuki

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“And the cat's words helped her escape the place where she had become trapped.”
82

Mizuki

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“As sad and painful as it was to leave...”
83

Mizuki

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“With the help of the others, the rabbit was able to protect what mattered most to her.”
84

Mizuki

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“And then, the rabbit...”
85

Mizuki

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Huh? That's it...?
86

Miku

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Yes, the last pages are blank...
87

Mizuki

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Right...
88

Mizuki

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Haha. That's pretty cool...
It's like an illustration of Mafuyu's current situation...
89

Mizuki

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I guess it makes sense that we'd find this in Mafuyu's SEKAI.
90

Miku

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Yes, I agree...
91

Miku

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Which means...
This story may be based on Mafuyu's feelings.
92

Mizuki

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Mafuyu's feelings, huh...?
93

MEIKO

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I'm glad this rabbit's friends were there for her when she really needed them...

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94

MEIKO

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I doubt she could've escaped without them.
95

Mizuki

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Oh...
96

Mizuki

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(In this story, the dog used music, the hedgehog used art and the cat said nice things to her.)
97

Mizuki

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(So, does this mean what I said really helped...?)
98

Mizuki

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Thanks, MEIKO.
99

Mizuki

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I'm gonna see what I can do about dealing with my own problems.
100

Mizuki

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I mean, I can't let cottontail here hog all the glory.
101

MEIKO

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Is that so?
102

MEIKO

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Then, do your best.
103

Mizuki

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I will!
Next Chapter: Where I Want To Be