LET'S PLAY HATOFUL BOYFRIEND - SHUU ROUTE PART 1

[playerprophet]

Greetings, friends! And welcome back to Let's Play Hatoful Boyfriend! Today we're beginning the most infamous route of them all: can we win over Doctor Iwamine Shuu and come out in tact?

_______________________________________________________________
April 11th

So we'll be following a lot of what we did in Yuuya's route, and joining the infirmary.

________________________________________________________________

April 12th

For Shuu, intelligence is important, so we'll be going to math class again this time. So I'm just going to cut out all of those since we've seen them a billion times.

________________________________________________________________

April 15th

 

Oh! I'm supposed to help at the infirmary today.

I shouldn't keep them waiting.
Better hurry!

( St. Pigeonations' Institute )

"Salut, Hiyoko."

"Yuuya?!"

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"So sweet of you to worry for me!
But, no. I'm the second-in-command here."

"...you are?
I never would have guessed!"

"I couldn't be happier, mon amie.
Mystery is the most powerful of aphrodisiacs."

"Anyway, our job as staff is to check the medicines and clean up in here. Normally, I'd do that."

"But today I've got some stuff I need to take care of, so could you handle this mess for me?"

"Of course!"

"My thanks, Hiyoko. Oh, and don't touch the desk -- it's the doctor's personal area."

"I'll take you somewhere nice in return. Adieu!"

 

Yuuya flutters out the door.
...did he just ask me out?

Anyway, cleaning.

The screen fades out and in, the music quiets.

 

Some of these drugs are a little weird, no matter how you look at it. Is this really an infirmary?

It feels more like a human, or rather, avian experimentation room.

Huh?
The desk drawer is open, and there are files sticking out.

Everything was very neat when I was in here last, but maybe the doctor's a little careless about tidying up?

Yuuya did say not to go near the desk, but...

Of course we should make sure everything is pristine for the good doctor.

 

Just putting the files back in order should be fi-

???

"You again?"

"D-d-d-d-doctor?!
When did you...?!"

"I just got back, but...
Oh my, we do have sticky fingers, don't we."

"Th-that's not it!
Sakazaki asked me to clean..."

"Clean?"

"...oh, I see. You're on the staff now."

"Y-yes..."

"Did he say anything about going near the desk?"

"...yes, sir."

"Please do be more careful next time."

"Curiosity killed the cat... among other things. Hohohohoho."

"Yes, sir."

 

Let's never do that again.

 

________________________________________________________________
May 21st

Today's the sports festival!

I never did make up my mind. What should I do?

I LOVE FRESH NEW MATERIAL.

"Salut!
Did you come to gaze into my eyes, mon amie?"

"Umm... I heard the first-aid team was shorthanded."

 

("Salut"??)

I think I might have mentioned this before, but the actual translation choice was "Salutations", and so I've been ironing that out in my LP because I think it's dumb. Originally, Yuuya said "Salut", which is a french greeting (pronounced "Sal-uu"), so why the translator chose to turn it into "Salutations" is a bit beyond me, but I don't think that they themselves are a native English speaker, which might account for some of the problems. It could also be that they don't know french.

"Alas! Spurned for the sake of medicine. I must work harder to prove my love."

"Anyway, happy to have you. As you can see, we have plenty of work to do."

"Ah... the obstacle course does always hurt a lot of birds. Why use a game designed for humans?"

"Beyond me, mon amie.
I suppose it's tradition."

As a note, just in case you don't know - "mon amie" is just "my friend"!

"Where's the doctor? Shouldn't he be here, too?"

"Over there."

 

He's resting in the shade of a tree, some distance away. It looks like he's taking notes on the performance of the birds on the race track...

"What's he doing over there?"

"He doesn't want to ruin his girlish complexion working in the heat. He does the same thing every year."

I'm sure that would be a good excuse if you didn't have feathers.

"Is he taking notes on something?"

"A lot of the birds graduating from this school get scouted by pro sports teams, so maybe he's checking up on the promising ones?"

"Uh-oh, they've started. We'll be busy soon -- get ready, mon amie."

"Yes, sir!"

 

And so I spent the sports festival patching up damaged doves with Yuuya.

I learned some first-aid from him so it was time well spent... I think?

________________________________________________________________

June 22nd


(St. Pigeonation's Institute)

"Mmm! Today is a good day.
I feel like I'm shining!

I wonder what I should do during break..."

To the infirmary!

 

"You again. Are you ill?"

"Umm, not exactly..."

"Then why are you here?"

"I wanted to hear your voice."

"My voice?"

"Yes! You sound like Snufkin."

Snufkin is a character from a Finnish cartoon called Moomin. You can see a little video of him in Japanese here. I REALLY LOVE SNUFKIN... The voice actor, Takehito Koyasu, actually also voices Shuu in the Drama CDs, hahahahha! I'm so glad... I wonder if this joke was in the game before it had voice actors?

"And?"

"Umm..."

"Don't tell me you came here just for that."

"Would it be bad if I did?"

"You're even stranger than I had thought. I'm fascinated. How I'd love to experiment on you..."

"Sadly, I am busy at present. Please go elsewhere."

"Okay..."

 

I got kicked out.

I guess being told I'm interesting is a step in the right direction... or is it?

 

________________________________________________________________

July 7th

Today is Tanabata!

There's probably a bamboo tree in the plaza this year, too...
I think I'll go make a wish.

Wow, there're lots here already!
Anybirdie I know?

Oh, Yuuya's is also here. (And Nanaki's too but we get that one a lot so whatever.)


 

What should I wish for?

"I wish to take the reins of power through clever schemes
and rule the world from the shadows!"

________________________________________________________________
July 13th

 

Cleaning the classroom took longer than usual.
I need to hurry to the infirmary!

This cracks me up every time. I'm sure he's just calling her name, but oops.

"What is it?
I'm in a bit of a hurry..."

"Nothing much.
Just... have you heard of the seven mysteries of St. Pigeonations, Hiyoko?"

"This school even has its own horror stories? Do tell."

"Yeah. Well... there's one that says that sometimes students will disappear in the infirmary only to show up again as food in the dining hall and quill pens in the school store."

"Sounds like an urban legend to me."

"It does, but... Doctor Iwamine is pretty suspicious. Be careful, okay?"

"You go to the infirmary a lot, right?
Has he ever done anything to you?"

"No, but...
Well, you're a girl, Hiyoko.
I'm a little worried."

"That's true. I'll be careful."

 

Ryouta always has been one to overthink things. Anyway, can't keep Yuuya waiting!

"Excuse m..."

 

Huh?

Yuuya and the doctor are talking about something.

"Did you really think I hadn't noticed?"

"You sure look like you woke up on the wrong side of the nest.
What are you talking about?"

"I shouldn't have to explain.
You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"I have told you never to touch my desk, haven't I?"

"And what makes you think I ever have?"

 

This doesn't look too good.

"Umm..."

"!
There you are, mon amie!"

"Hiyoko can back me up on this.
We were in the courtyard together until a few minutes ago."

"She said she was going to the restroom, so I should go on ahead.
I only just got here."

"In other words, I haven't had time to go rifling through your stuff, doctor.
Right, mon amie?"

 

Just what is going on here?

It sounds like the doctor suspects Yuuya of having searched his desk while he was out...

I came straight from the classroom to here, so Yuuya's obviously lying.

This time...

 

I don't even know what's going on yet. I can't just lie through my teeth!

"No. I was in my classroom until just now. Ryouta was there, too. Yuuya is lying."

"...shit."

"Well done, Miss Tosaka. I am glad our new assistant is so astute."

"What a pity, Yuuya. It would seem that you are somewhat lacking basic truthfulness.
I think we need to have a long, serious discussion."

"...alone."

"I'm sorry, Miss Tosaka, but could you leave? This is important."

 

I got kicked out again.

Yuuya's face looked pretty bad.
Doctor Iwamine praised me, but...
What on earth is going on?

 

________________________________________________________________
July 20th

The school bell rings.

Today's the last day!
It's been a semester already...

Sometimes it seemed long, and sometimes it seemed short, but either way, it's summer now!

I should probably find out if I need to come to school to clean the infirmary at all.

"Cleaning...?"

"Well, I will be here just about every day that the building is open... but there isn't really any need for you to come too."

"There's nothing I could do to help?"

"No.
Was there anything else?"

 

I kind of wonder about what Yuuya said last week...
Maybe I'll test the waters.

"Umm, sir? I heard that sometimes students disappear after coming in here, and..."

"Who told you?"

"No one in particular...
Everybody's talking about it.
It's kind of like a school legend, or something."

"So you believe in urban legends?"

"What? No, not really.
Just that it would be kind of cool if it were true..."

Cool and... terrible.

"Then we shall leave it at that."

"???"

"That it would be 'cool' if you were to disappear.
...or something like that.
Hohohoho."

 

I guess I shouldn't have expected a straight answer in the first place.

I never can tell what the Doctor is thinking when I talk to him...

 

________________________________________________________________
August 6th

Today's the local summer festival! I think I'll go with somebirdie.

"What do you want?"

"Waaaaaaah!
It's the doctooooooooor!
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

"..."

"Is that all? I'm going home."

"S-sorry! I just... hadn't thought you'd actually come."

"But I didn't have anything better to do, so I decided even if it was a 0.05% chance, it was still worth trying."

"You invited me based on a chance like that? Fascinating.
I think I want to try studying primate ethology next."

"That aside, what did you want?"

"I wanted to go to the festival with you!"

"A festival?
Forgive me, but I do not ascribe to idle superstition."

"I think 99.95% of the people there will be there just for fun, not religion..."

"...very well. I shall accompany you."

"In exchange for your left arm, of course."

"M-my left arm...!?"

"Oh, would that pose problems to your active and youthful high-school lifestyle?
I shall accept a lock of your hair instead, then."

"U-um... okay."

 

Yup, he's a pervert. Yippee.

The screen flashes.

"Fireworks. How marvelous."

"You mean even you like fireworks, sir?!"

"Naturally! Such potential...
If only I could be so grossly incandescent. Hohoho."

 

I'm not sure I want to know what he's thinking about.

"I enjoyed myself tonight.
Thank you, Miss Tosaka."

 

And so he left, a satisfied expression on his face.

I'm a little worried that he was trying to study me, but I'm glad he had fun!

 

________________________________________________________________
August 14th

The late sunset in the summer makes it easy to stay out late! I feel like my internal calendar is off already.

I think I'll get some udon and go home before I get life counseled.

 

Wait, isn't that... the Doctor?

"Good evening, Doctor!"

"...!"

"Ah, it's you. Is this any hour for a high school student to be wandering about?"

 

Huh?

There's mud on his wing.

"Little of this city's nocturnal entertainment is to be admired.
Perhaps you should go home."

The Doctor's route rewards us for snooping. Well, if you consider it to be a reward to go through with this.

"Umm, sir...?"

"Yes?"

"What are you doing out here, sir?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all. I was on my way home. I just happened to pass by."

"But... if you were just walking around, how'd you get all muddy?"

"..."

"...I had forgotten that primates retain their keen vision in the dark."

"Informative, indeed. Thank you, Miss Tosaka. Good night."

"W-wait! You didn't answer my question!"

"...throwing something away."

"Huh...?"

"I was disposing of some things I no longer needed."

 

And so he hurried away into the night.

Throwing something away? What?
Littering is bad, Doctor!

As a reminder I'd like to note that this is the same date that, in the Yuuya route, we find him in this park digging in the trash.

And that's all for this term with the Doctor! Can we survive his romance?

 

________________________________________________________________

 

Return to Gateway - To Shuu's Route Part 2

________________________________________________________________