“Sometimes, it feels like I don’t really have any options either.”
CHAIN-LINK EVENT
WARNING: this Event is part of an Event Chain! You've lost all control over your own actions and must now sit back while
someone else takes the wheel. Enjoy the ride while it lasts, and hope that you did things right before taking the plunge!
Back outside, Io wants to know Sensei’s thoughts on Halloween. He admits that he likes the prospect of seeing some nice costumes, an answer she already predicted, and while she doesn’t like it, she accepts this prospect of him, going on a rant on how people often settle for the closest thing to a perfect partner and how some people put themselves out there to be noticed. Sensei already expected her to go on another pessimistic rant but already accepted that his interactions with Io will always fall back to those until something or someone makes her change her outlook on life.
Io is glad that Sensei hasn’t pushed her away yet, even if she has nothing to offer and them not spending time at the beach made her worry, but he doesn’t expect anything from her and he assures her that time just flew by when they were at the beach and will spend time with her on another occasion. She asks if he will take her to an amusement park, feeling “contractually obligated” to ask, but he can’t remember signing a contract, only to learn that he “signed” it when he decided to hold her hand on the bench. Sensei tries to figure out what the source for her current breakdown is, and she thinks it might be a result of her waiting in vain for him on the beach or the fear of being abandoned by him for not going as far as she needs to go to keep his attention. Sensei assures her that she doesn’t need to do anything to keep his attention, but she has a hard time believing this.
Their conversation is interrupted when Yumi finally appears at the mansion. Her presence makes Io uncomfortable and she leaves, claiming she needs to eat something to prevent possible side effects from her anxiety meds. Once she’s gone, Sensei asks Yumi why she hasn’t answered Chika’s text messages, only to learn that Chinami accidentally drowned her phone and she couldn’t save it due to her not knowing how to use rice to get the water out. He remembers Yuki’s birthday gift for her and hands her the present, and while she’s genuinely surprised by this, she gets sad when he reveals that it’s from her mother. She begs him to leave her alone, getting angry when he offers to get her something as well, and, once he’s gone, throws the present in the pond.