And we're back. The day starts of black; all I can see is the menu in the top right, and someone ("???") saying "...kun...". Odds are good that this is Kaede, and if I'm lucky, it's the second of two CG scenes based on Kaede leaning over Rin as he wakes up.
Heard the voice this time. Definitely Kaede ...waitwhat? She just said both "Rin-kun" and "Rim-kun"? O_o ...Upon reflection though, this is likely a typo; I don't think anyone uses "kun" for Primula.
That aside though, when Rin mutters that he wants to sleep for a few more minutes, Kaede reminds him that he wanted extra time to review his notes for the exams this week. Cue sudden wakeup... straight into the background scene of Rin's bedroom. No CG for me I guess.
MONDAY 5TH
...I think I spoke too soon. In Rin's haste to get up, he's pushed Kaede over onto the floor and is now over her, holding her breasts. Scale of 1-10 of her happiness? I'm guessing B.
And if I can be right, I was. She certainly wasn't unhappy. Indeed, she even gave a strong implication that she didn't consider it much of an issue purely because of who it was "straddling" her. (Shuffle!'s words, not mine. The CG certainly didn't make it look like he was straddling her. Heh heh... Straddling) And while Rin monologed that he wanted to just forget it happened, he admits to himself that it's not the kind of thing he can just ignore.
Hmm... Is there a trope for relationships getting better largely because of perverted events such as this? Nerine had a couple, Lisianthus had one or two, and I've already seen one for Asa while I was doing Lisianthus' route. And I'm fairly sure I've seen it quite a bit in manga, too.
Moving on though: School's over for the day, and like the last times, Rin is confident about how he did and so makes a bet with Itsuki. I wonder whether the results will be announced during this route?
Note: I still don't like Itsuki's laugh.
Back at home, Lisianthus and her father once again talk/argue about the "extra lessons". Rin reminds Kaede about which exams are the next day. Nothing new here. (Although I do mentally note how Kaede was more focused on helping Rin than making sure she knew which exams were on which day. Which we've been repeatedly told is typical of her, but whatever.)
WEDNESDAY 7TH
No Tuesday? Odd; I seem to recall stuff happening on this Tuesday at least once before...
But yeah. This is the day we find out that Asa refuses to have anything to do with magic. I'm curious, but that will have to wait for the next route, I think.
THURSDAY 8TH
Nothing really here. A talk with Nerine about having a party during summer. I do note though that when Rin mentions next summer, she gets sad. So she intended the whole time to not stick around to indulge Lycoris' feelings? Hmm.
FRIDAY 9TH
After the exams are all done and Mayumi shouts out in relief, we get new plot. Or at least it's white text, which is the important part.
Kaede comes up to Rin to ask how he did and as expected he is barely confident while Kaede is barely worried at all. They talk about how being good at exams isn't necessarily the same as being smart as well, pointing out Mayumi as a perfect example: bad at exams, but would be a terrific survivalist.
SATURDAY 10TH
Nothing of note. Stuff about being optimistic in the face of bad grades.
SUNDAY 11TH
Oh? More white text on a black screen. It seems Rin is remembering something. Considering the route, I get the feeling that it's about Kaede and her relationship with Rin in the past. Maybe even as far back as when her mother died.
It goes that "the girl" was crying, so he "told her". What he told her was very saddening and certain to provoke a negative reaction, but it was because of that that he had to tell her. She tells Rin to die.
Cue wakeup scene... Huh? Why is Kaede waking Rin up on a Sunday? (That said though, it's a repeat of Kaede's first scene, as she hovers over him in bed.)
Ah. It seems that Rin was going to meet up with Itsuki. Rin is impressed that Kaede knows his schedule so well, and pats her on the head. She looks said, but replies comparatively happier while he asks her to make him some breakfast. He's not terribly polite, this Rin.
Just before he leaves, he notices how sunny it is, cueing Kaede to mention how the rainy season has ended. Rin wonder's whether the reason he's happy for that is because he's Japanese. Kaede smartly suggests that that's unlikely.
And... blue text. While near the CAFFE, Rin (figuratively) bumps into Lisianthus' father. Shortly after, the scene ends while the God chases off some guys harassing his daughter. Nothing new with that.
That night though... white text! It seems that Nerine's father has made a housecall, and to the great surprise of all involved (except the girl in question), he announces that Primula would be attending Verbena starting tomorrow.
Ah. I was wondering whether this would happen in Kaede's route or not. It certainly makes the pool scene near the end make more sense if she's a student.
MONDAY 12TH
...Dammit. I mean, I'll go through with it now that I've started, but... Ugh.
It seems that I've hit Primula's route - the transparent portrait at the start of the day was Primula. I guess that throws what I just said about Kaede's route out the window, huh? I get a strong feeling that this happened primarily due to the determinist's nightmare, aka. choosing to buy something for Primula instead of accidentally stumbling across it. Not hesitating in letting her stay near the start likely also helped this. >_>
(Question though, to people/person who have done this before: As you saw the choices I made, did you realize ahead of time that I wasn't on the route I thought I was?)
That said though, most of the content from here on out is of course going to be new. Yay me. First up is taking Primula to school, which Rin starts off with by calling her out shortly before they need to leave. He knocks on her door a couple of times, and getting no answer - paired with knowing from previous experience, he says - he assumes this means that she doesn't mind him coming in.
Cue obvious CG scene of her getting dressed. Of course she's not embarrassed, but Rin of course very much is. And in shock of her lack of embarrassment, has become prone to say some notably unsuitable things, such as complimenting her small bust...
As soon as he gains a bit of composure though, he quickly leaves... but can't get the image out of his head. After repeatedly telling himself "calm down" and "it's gonna be a crime", he then says But she's only a year younger than me...
...Wut. I mean... Really? Now I'm really curious to know how old the people in Shuffle! are. (Except the adults, for whom all I need to know is that they're an adult.) Of course, this miraculous hey-that-loli-is-actually-legal deal makes the parental advisory notice actually right, essentially, but that doesn't excuse the fact that Primula, even by anime & manga standards, looks like a child while being in an eroge released in the US.
And back to the story: Rin continues to tell himself how wrong what he's thinking is. (While I'm surprised that no one has come to ask what all the racket is, what with him banging on the wall this whole time)
At school, as soon as he walks in with Primula, all the guys around him start attacking him. Reminds me of what he said he had to go through with Kaede in middle school. Even in class they don't stop, and indeed don't stop no matter where he is. At least there's one guy though who doesn't attack him physically... although verbal blows could be considered just as bad when it's coming from Itsuki.
Luckily for Rin though, Nerine is glaring at Itsuki when he calls Rin "Mr. Pedophile" again, warning him to back off. Mayumi informs Rin that Nerine has sent more than a dozen people to the nurse's office already that day, thanks to the bullying of Rin. (13 people, Kaede chimes in)
Itsuki however does his best to calm down the situation by saying that he doesn't have a bad opinion of pedophiles (a rare view indeed), and considers "their interest toward the young shiny buds (to be) a beautiful thing". Nerine is somehow convinced by this speech, but Mayumi tries to egg her on regardless, with Rin agreeing. Also, not too surprisingly, Primula already has a fanclub, including some of the sturdier people at Verbena.
During that conversation though, Kaede disappeared, and it seems it's because she saw Primula. When she comes back with Primula, the homunculus sits herself right next to Rin, and says (of course) that she was trying to find him. She sticks around until the next period. Everybody is speechless. When Itsuki asks Rin if he has anything to say, he merely claims innocence.
Lunchtime now, and Primula is as clingy as ever.
And then after fifth period it's the same. Everybody is very impressed with her tenacity, including Asa & Kareha when they come in. Kareha mentions that she'd be a good go-to person for healing magic, causing Asa to tell her to not use it near her, and Mayumi to give a short "it was nice knowing you" speech. Rin does his best to assure her (Mayumi) that she's worrying needlessly.
After school, Rin starts to leave, although in concern for Primula, first makes sure that she's not in his class (she isn't), then checks her class. She's there. When she asks why he's there, he answers ambiguously, before then taking her home. When he mentions that Kaede would probably have already started cooking, she says that she likes Kaede's food. They leave hand-in-hand.
.
I think I'll need to mentally prepare myself for what follows hereon; I had psyched myself up for Kaede's route, but here I am with something... decidedly different.
おわり
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