(Scene: Like it's ever gonna take place anywhere else! But for those of
you watching for the first time, a darkened room. Lights slowly come on
to reveal a small, cluttered dorm room with couch, coffeetable, TV, and
VCR in their respective spots. Seated on the couch are Raphael and
Noriko, sheets of paper held in front of them.)
Raphael: Welcome back to another episode of Mystery C&C Theater 1/2!
Noriko: Tonight we continue further into Zen-san's fanfic "Bitter End."
Raphael: Last time, after repeated admonitions from Ukyou, Ranma agreed
to start regularly attending a support group for battered spouses.
Noriko: Ranma meshed into the group like acid in rain, and almost
immediately began making significant contributions towards helping out.
Raphael: Which brings us to the present.
Noriko: So, without further ado... (throws down her sheaf of paper in
disgust) That's it! That's the last time I listen to another one of your
stupid ideas! Scripts, indeed! Do you realize just how ridiculous we sound?
"Meshing like acid in rain??"
Raphael: (defensively) Hey, I just thought that a scripted intro would
help keep us on track.
Noriko: Next time, then, let _me_ write the intro. I think I have more
experience in that sort of thing than you do. Honestly! Push "play," will
you?
(Raphael gives Noriko a sour look and pushes "play" on the remote.)
10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...
-----
Ryouga strode up to where Ranma was waiting, but he made no move to
attack. Ranma eyed him quizzically, and maintained a ready stance. The
lost boy sighed and shook his head. "Relax, Ranma. I'm not here to
fight with you."
Still a bit suspicious, Ranma notched back to Defcon 2. "You're not?"
Ryouga shook his head and tried his best to radiate an air of peace and
good will. "Nope. Not anymore."
-----
Raphael: Hey, check it out! A kinder, gentler Ryouga! Will wonders never
cease?
Noriko: Perhaps. Maybe you'll start actually making useful comments for a
change.
-----
"Yah, I'll bet. Still no sense of direction, eh?"
Ryouga shrugged again. "It really hasn't been as important to me
anymore. Traveling isn't so bad when you can take the time to enjoy the
scenery." He paused. "So. How is Akane?"
Ranma's defences snapped back up. "We're still married, if that's what
you're asking."
Ryouga made a pacifying gesture. "No, no... Don't worry. I know that
Akane was never meant to be mine. I learned that even before the two of
you were married. I was just too stubborn to admit it."
-----
Raphael: (almost dumbstruck with shock) Geez. Ryouga _has_ changed, hasn't
he?
Noriko: I guess the incident with Akane beating up on Ranma really shook
some perspective into him. (shivers)
-----
"Yah, I know. You did the right thing, Ryouga. Sometimes... there are
times when I wish that P-chan was still there, if only because it gave
Akane some pleasure, but if she had discovered your curse...."
Ryouga shuddered. "I know. Look. I gotta go now, but I'll try to get
by the dojo soon, okay?" He stuck out a hand.
After a second, Ranma took it and they shook. "Take care of yourself,
P-chan."
Ryouga turned and started walking off. "And you Ranma. Take care of
Akane."
-----
Raphael: Boy, this guy is full of surprises. You'd think _one_ of those
cracks would of set him off...
Noriko: Well, like he said, he got tired of being angry, didn't he? And
besides, with him fully over Akane, Ryouga really doesn't have any reason
to be angry at Ranma. You know, they'd probably be really good friends if
it weren't for that.
-----
"You know, there may come a time when you don't have any choice. You'll
*have* to fight back."
Ranma looked glum. "Yes, I know. I'm just praying that it will never
come to that. If it does, I'll lose her for certain."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean that I can't do it." Ranma sagged and looked away. "The one
time that I did stop a punch she threw, the only thing that kept her from
breaking her own arms trying to hit me some more was the fact that she
*had* promised to listen to me. If I had to fight her, she would not
stop until I had hurt her badly. I would rather die than do that." The
last was a bare whisper.
-----
Noriko: See? I told you so. _That's_ why Ranma's problem is so difficult.
He could either take the torturous abuse or fight back and basically tear
his heart out. For him, the choice is obvious.
Raphael: Obvious? I dunno... if someone was _really_ trying to kill me, I
think I'd try and defend myself, no matter who it was.
Noriko: Really? But what if the person was someone you loved more than
anyone else in the world? And what if she wouldn't quit until either you
or her was dead? What then?
Raphael: (thinks for a long, hard moment) I... I guess I really don't
know what I'd do. Geez, I hope I never have to face that kind of choice.
Noriko: (nods sagely) Neither do I. Unfortunately, Ranma does.
-----
Finally, Genma's frustration got the better of him. "Dammit boy, at
least defend yourself!" His chopsticks flashed once more towards Ranma's
plate, but he got nothing this time. Indeed, he only got back half of
each chopstick - they had been sheared neatly in two. Genma blinked. He
would have sworn that Ranma never moved. Indeed, as far as he could
tell, Ranma was still ignoring him.
-----
Raphael: I think Genma might be pushing it a little bit this time...
Noriko: "This time?" I don't think there's ever been a time Mr. Saotome
hasn't been pushing it. But I think it would be a good idea for him to
lay off for a while. There's no telling what Ranma's capable of when he's
pushed too far...
-----
"You've been fighting with her again, haven't you?"
"No."
"Ranma...."
"No!" Ranma turned to face her mother, a haunted look in her eyes. "I'm
sorry, mother. But I haven't been fighting with Akane. I swear that I
haven't!"
"That makes no sense, son. Why would she be so angry if you have not
been fighting?"
"I wish I knew," said Ranma miserably. "Maybe then I could fix it."
-----
Noriko: (sympathetic) No one believes him, huh?
Raphael: Well, even if they did, there wouldn't be a darn thing they
could do about it, I imagine. Ranma's really on his own here. And it's a
crappy place to be.
-----
Kasumi smiled. "Really, Nabiki, he's just maturing. Acting more like a
responsible adult."
"Kasumi, he's losing weight, and he looks like hell. Akane... she just
won't let up on him, and he won't fight her. She's hitting him harder
and harder, getting angrier and angrier with him, and it's starting to
really scare me."
"Akane will calm down - eventually. She's a good girl, and she loves
him. She would never hurt him deliberately."
-----
Raphael: I guess Zen doesn't subscribe to the Kasumi-is-a-goddess theory,
huh?
Noriko: It's actually hard to imagine her as such -- where in the
original source do you see her actually resolving a conflict?
Raphael: Well, there's lotsa places... lessee, there's that one time...
hm... No, that was a fanfic... No, that one, too...
-----
Nabiki sighed. "Honestly? I have no idea. But it's just not going to
get any better on its own."
Kasumi paused, and turned to face her younger sister. "All right. I'll
take care of it, Nabiki."
"Thanks, sis. I'd hoped that you might."
-----
Raphael: (stops racking his brain for a moment) See? Once Kasumi's agreed
to help solve a problem, there's nothing that'll stand in her way!
Noriko: Ah so? (points at the screen)
-----
Kasumi watched her sister leave, and shook her head sadly. "I just wish
that I knew what to do." she said to herself.
-----
Raphael: .....
-----
"Can't you just avoid her attacks, like you've been teaching us?"
"It's not quite that simple, Natsumi. Akane is also a trained martial
artist. A good one. When I *do* come up with an evasion, it doesn't
take her long to develop a counter for it."
"I'd have thought that it'd be easier to evade her if she were so angry
that she lost control." said Makoto.
"Up to a point you'd be right. When she's that mad her technique goes
straight to hell. On the other hand, her attacks get faster, stronger
and harder to predict. To make it worse, the longer I hold her off, the
angrier she gets, and the more vicious her attacks become."
-----
Raphael: Waitaminute. You're saying that Akane's better than Ranma when
she's in a blind, uncontrolled rage? With no technique? I mean, Kuno's
always infuriated at Ranma, but he can walk all over him.
Noriko: Sure, Ranma can beat Kuno any day of the week. And he could
probably beat Akane, too, if he wanted to. But how long can he last if
all he lets himself do is dodge? No counterstrikes, no disables, no joint
locks, just dodge, dodge, dodge. Sooner or later, a blow will slip in.
And with Akane, one blow is usually all it takes to open the floodgates.
-----
"What on Earth did you say?"
Ranma mumbled something, just barely loud enough for the others to hear,
but not loud enough for them to understand.
"I'm sorry... I didn't quite get that." said Natsumi.
"I said," Ranma took a deep breath, "That Iwouldn'thavebeenspying
onher'causeIwasalreadyabetterlookinggirl...."
There was a moment of silence. "You're right," said Keiko at last. "That
one *was* your fault."
-----
Raphael: Heh heh heh. To this day, I _still_ love that line. Boy, that's
a doozy!
Noriko: _That's_ because you're a male. _I'd_ probably pound someone who
pulled _that_ line on me. (Raphael bigsweats)
-----
"Nope. Furinkan had more than its fair share of martial artists. The
leader of the crew was a pompous blowhard by the name of Kunou Tatewaki.
He wasn't a bad kendoist, he was just a little peculiar. It seems to run
in the family."
"Gallop, you mean," muttered Ukyou.
-----
Raphael: (grins) Okay, but _that_ was pretty funny, wasn't it?
Noriko: (tries to suppress a smile, but gives up) All right, you win. This
time.
-----
Yuriko took a deep breath. "Well, I'm just guessing here - I'm not a
professional, but I think that your wife might be suffering from what is
called a 'rage disorder'. What you've been describing certainly fits the
patterns."
"A 'rage disorder'? What's that?"
"Well, basically, a rage disorder is a bio-chemical imbalance that can
cause a person to fly into extreme fits of anger over the least little
provocation. Sufferers literally can not control their tempers, and the
level of anger that they exhibit is all out of proportion to the things
that set it off."
-----
Raphael: Aha! We have been vindicated!
Noriko: Don't jump the gun yet. Zen-san hasn't made it explicit that this
is what Akane suffers from.
Raphael: Yeah, but what else could it be? Zen wouldn't introduce
something like this this late into the story if he didn't have some stock
in it.
Noriko: Well, you do have a point, and it does describe Akane right now
pretty well. I guess it's the only conclusion we can draw. It certainly
isn't _normal_ behavior, that's for sure.
-----
"One word, Ranma." said Yuriko. "Treatable. Rage disorders are
treatable. There are a number of names for them, and a number of
causes. I can bring more detailed information to the next meeting, if
you'd like."
Ranma's eyes went wide. "Please... I'd be very interested to see that."
Yuriko smiled. "What is it you say? No worries."
-----
(a sudden brief flash of light enters the room, and is gone)
Noriko: Did you see that?
Raphael: See what? That flash? What was it?
Noriko: It was a glimmer of hope! Didn't you hear what Yuriko said? Akane
might have a chance of getting back to normal! They can be happily
married, just like before...
Raphael: (not wanting to squash Noriko's hopes _too_ much) Um, yeah...
(catches Noriko's rather contagious optimism) Well... yeah. Why not?
Maybe we can have a happy ending after all!
-----
"About what Yuriko was talking about? About that 'rage disorder' thing?"
That caught Ukyou by surprise. "Ran-chan! Why?!"
"Eh? Think about it, Ucchan. If what Yuriko said was true - if Akane
really does have this rage thingie, then there's a *reason* that she's
been this way - and it's *not* my fault! Even better, she said this
thing was *treatable* - that there was a cure!" Ukyou could almost hear
the relief in Ranma's voice.
-----
Noriko: That's true. It's far better, no matter how serious the problem
might be, to know what it _really_ is rather than only know that
_something's_ wrong. Ranma's finally got an answer, and now he can
finally do something about it instead of just suffering!
Raphael: (realizes something) But, um... you can't do treatment by
remote-control, you know. Somehow, Ranma's gonna have to convince Akane
that something's wrong with _her_, and that she needs treatment? You
think that's gonna be easy?
Noriko: (suddenly a bit apprehensive) Well...
-----
Ukyou had to smile. This was more like the Ranma that she had known in
the past - optimistic, confident, on top of the world. Ranma had hope
again, and Ukyou was hopeful that even more major break- throughs could
not be far behind.
-----
Noriko: That's an extra space there.
Raphael: Well, I guess we can wrap up this episode, then. You've made
your Ridiculously Picky Remark for the day. (Noriko hits Raphael over the
head with her notepad) Ow!
-----
"Ranma, I have a question for you."
Ranma stiffened, forced a smile, and turned to face his wife. "Sure,
Akane? What is it?"
"I want to know just what it is that you've been doing every other Monday
night. You're gone for hours."
-----
Raphael: Oh, nooooo! She's caught on, she's caught on! We're doomed!
(ducks for cover)
Noriko: (clutching her notepad with anxiety) I hope Ranma pulls through
this time...
-----
"But Akane! They *need* the help!" Ranma thought desperately. "Think of
it as a community relations project. Besides, some of the people from
this class might come to the dojo for more advanced training later!"
Akane softened, but was not convinced. She took a step toward her
husband. "And just who needs this 'help' so desperately, eh?"
Ranma started to sweat. This was it. He could not lie. "Well, umm,
y'see, there's this group that meets at the Civic Centre.... It's kind of
a support group for battered spouses... and... well...."
-----
Raphael: Oh no oh no oh no oh no... If she makes the connection, Ranma's
_finished_... (Noriko holds her breath, waiting for the explosion)
-----
Akane's eyes widened. "You're teaching a self-defence class to abuse
victims?" Ranma nodded. "That's wonderful! I'm so glad that you're
helping all those poor women! I'm proud of you, Ranma."
Ranma blinked as Akane gave him a quick hug, and turned back toward the
house. Well, he thought. That went better than I would have expected.
-----
Noriko & Raphael: Whew. (long exhale of relief)
Noriko: _That_ was close. (Raphael silently nods)
-----
Ranma looked thoughtful. "You know... that might just explain something
that's been puzzling me."
"What's that?"
"Well, when Akane and I are sparring in the dojo, she can't touch me.
She's never been able to come close. But outside of the discipline of
the Art - at those times when she loses that control, she's nailed me
every time. Mom always said that it was because deep down, I knew that I
deserved it - but now I'm not so sure."
-----
Raphael: So much for the
Anything-Goes-Only-Applies-When-You're-In-the-Moral-Right theory.
Noriko: Be fair. There are lots of theories about Jusenkyo, Martial Arts,
and such in fanfics. Just because they don't all support each other
doesn't mean one theory has more merit than another.
-----
"Akane? Have you got a minute?"
Akane looked up at him, her expression unreadable. "I suppose so. Was
there something that you needed?"
"Yah," said Ranma as he sat down across from her. "I seem to have a bit
of a problem, and frankly, I need help."
Akane appeared to find that amusing. "You? You have a problem? What
sort of problem do *you* have? Apart from that little matter involving
water, that is."
-----
(Raphael crosses his fingers. Noriko holds her breath)
-----
"Why do you keep putting words in my mouth?! Look... all I want is for
us to be happy together! Is that so terrible? Can't you see that?"
Akane got to her feet and headed for the door. She paused on the
threshold, and turned back to face her husband. "All I see is that one
of the strongest fighters that I've ever known is turning to jelly right
in front of me."
Ranma watched her go and sighed. Yuriko had been right. This was not
going to be easy.
-----
Raphael: (sigh of disappointment) I should have known better than to keep
my hopes up.
Noriko: Well... these things do take time... maybe there's still hope yet.
Raphael: Well... Yeah. At least Akane didn't hit Ranma this time. That's
a start, isn't it?
-----
Akane wondered if now she just wore it out of habit. She looked down at
her own ring - the trophy that she had won, a little over three quarters
of a year before. Was it really hers after all? Or had she been fooling
herself? Akane wasn't sure. And she wasn't sure that she really wanted
to know.
Curling into a ball of her own, Akane cried herself to sleep.
-----
Noriko: So even after all this, there's still a tiny flash of Akane left.
Maybe hope isn't lost quite yet...
-----
What do I want?" Ranma asked bitterly. "I want you back! I want the
Akane that I married, the one who would occasionally smile at me. I want
the kind and compassionate girl who likes holding hands, ice cream,
romantic movies and walks in the park. That's what I want!"
-----
Noriko: There's a quotation mark missing from the beginning of that
paragraph.
-----
"Are you on about that again? How is it *my* fault?" Akane grabbed
Ranma by his collar and shook him.
Ranma threw up his arms defensively. "That's just my point! It's *not*
your fault. But we can't go on like this! I can't...."
Ranma never got a chance to finish his protest as Akane started her
attack. The last thing that he heard as the cool, sweet darkness of
unconsciousness claimed him was Akane growling, "If it's *not* my fault
then it *must* be *yours*...."
-----
(Noriko lets out a small squeal of horror)
Raphael: You all right?
Noriko: (still staring at the screen) ...Yes... I'm fine... Sorry; I
guess it's been so long since I've seen Akane actually hit Ranma like
that. I don't think I can ever get used to it...
Raphael: I know what you mean, I guess. Seeing scenes like this kinda
churns your stomach after a while.
-----
Akane pretended to write the name and the number down, thanked the girl
and hung up. So. Ranma was a *member* of the group. Why would Ranma
have joined... and then those pleas to go and see a counselor....
Akane's eyes snapped wide. Ranma... Ranma thought of himself as a
battered spouse?!? Inconceivable! Akane could feel her blood beginning
to boil. Worse, Ranma had been telling some crowd of strangers that she
had been abusing him? And still worse, they had apparently believed it!
Ranma would never have done that on his own. He'd never have been
willing to admit that kind of weakness. Someone had talked him into it.
There was only one person on the planet who Ranma talked to that much.
Only one person on the planet that Ranma considered to be a friend above
all others. Only one person on the planet who was too stubborn to see
that all the trouble was Ranma's fault. Kuonji Ukyou. Damn her, but she
was *still* after her husband!
-----
Raphael: Oh no... The hour is finally upon us...
Noriko: And it looks like Ukyou might get caught up in it, too... This
looks really, _really_ bad...
-----
"You must think I'm formidable indeed, to go running off to a group of
women for help!"
Ranma scuttled behind the table. "Now Akane, calm down... please, let's
talk about this...."
"I AM CALM!" Akane shouted as she batted the table aside. "But YOU are
gonna be in a world of hurt. How DARE you say those sorts of things
about me!"
-----
Raphael: You know, I'd be reveling in the irony right now if I wasn't so
scared spitless for Ranma...
-----
"Akane, please!" Ranma brought her arms up in a gesture that she knew
would be futile. Ranma never had a chance. Plea after plea was ignored
as Akane pressed her attack. Ranma dodged as best she could, but there
was no match for Akane's fury. Blow after blow got through her defences
until finally, after a crunch, a squawk and a splash, silence once more
descended like a pall on a little part of Nerima.
-----
Noriko: (softly) Do you think he's...
Raphael: No... not yet, at least. Besides, there's still one volume left
of this after this part's done.
-----
Ranma was a mess. Her fiery red hair was matted with blood, her right
eye was blackened - swollen shut, and the whole side of her face was red
and puffy. Purple and black bruises mottled her forearms, and she was
walking with a pronounced limp. There was a large bloodstain soaking
into the fabric of her shirt just under her ribs, and her breath rattled
in her throat. She hobbled painfully up to the counter and took a seat,
wincing sharply as she sat down.
-----
Noriko: Oh, my... This has gone too, too far.
Raphael: Still think Ranma shouldn't defend himself? Look at him!
Noriko: But... I don't know... But maybe he should seriously, seriously
think about getting away, at least for a little while. I don't think even
Ranma can take much more of this...
-----
"Why?" she asked finally. "I have to know, Ran-chan. Why?"
"I think it was because I insulted her cooking... I'm not entirely
sure," said Ranma.
-----
Raphael: Wait, huh? This is a _different_ case than when Akane first
found out?
-----
Ranma shrugged. The movement cost her. "Dunno - I got home, and all of
a sudden, she was on me about Monday nights - I don't know what brought
it all up - or how she found out I'd been a part of the group. But she
knew all about it."
Ukyou winced. "I see that she didn't take it too well."
"No," Ranma grimaced. "She did not."
-----
Raphael: Okay, so it isn't a different case. So what in the world was
Ranma getting at?
Noriko: Hmm... Zen-san, this _is_ kind of confusing. Maybe you could
clarify this one for us?
-----
"Ran-chan, I'm begging you. Leave her! Go to China and live with
Shampoo, enter a monastery, join the Foreign Legion, it doesn't matter;
but you have got to get out! Get away! Get away while you still can!"
A new voice spoke up before Ranma could answer. "Ahh, Ranma! Here you
are!"
-----
Noriko: Oh, no. This is the worst possible moment for Akane to walk in now...
-----
Ranma stiffened as the owner of the voice walked in. "Hello, Nabiki."
-----
(Noriko exhales in relief)
Raphael: Whew. You really had us going there for a second, Zen.
-----
"Spending time with Ukyou again. And conspiring, no less. Tsk tsk...
You know what Akane will say if she finds out, don't you?"
Ukyou growled in the back of her throat.
Ranma just sounded tired. "I don't have any money, Nabiki."
Nabiki flinched. "I'm... sorry, Ranma," she said quietly. "You *know* I
didn't mean it like that. She won't hear anything from me."
-----
Noriko: That was a cruel, cruel joke. I don't think Nabiki would stoop to
something that low, especially considering Ranma's condition. She's not
that heartless.
-----
Ukyou's answering smile was tight. "I got to the dojo, and it was really
quiet. Finally, I worked up enough nerve to actually announce myself and
ask about Ranma." Her grim smile faded into a somber expression.
"Kasumi answered the door, thank God. She seemed to be very upset. When
I asked her about Ranma, she said that Ranma was in hospital - that Akane
had gotten mad at him again, and had beaten him so badly that... that for
a minute his heart had stopped...."
"She beat him because...." Ukyou fought back the sob that threatened to
overwhelm her; "She had beaten him because she had smelled the
okonomiyaki on his breath. She almost killed him because he had been
with me." Ukyou wrung her hands in the handkerchief she had been given.
"She beat him because of me...." she said again. This time she did not
fight the tears.
-----
Noriko: Ohhhhh... This must be horrible for Ukyou...
Raphael: Horrible for Ukyou? How about horrible for _Ranma_? Didja hear
her? Akane put Ranma in the _hospital_!
-----
"When he found out that I was a girl, he told me that I was cute. I
couldn't hate him anymore. I tried, but I just couldn't. He was the
same Ran-chan that I had loved ten years previously, the same Ran- chan
that I still loved."
-----
Noriko: There's an extra space there, too.
-----
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that you might *have* to take him away from her after all. You
may have to do what we call an 'intervention'"
-----
Noriko: And there should be a period there as well. (notices Raphael's
glance) Hey, would you rather I just leave them there and not have
anything done about them?
-----
He was in a bed. His chest felt like it was on fire, and there were
needles in his arm. The lights were just a touch too harsh to be
pleasing, and there was the god awful stench of antiseptic in the air.
Hospital, Ranma thought. I'm in hospital. But why?
-----
Raphael: Me Ranma. I'm in hospital. Hospital bad.
Noriko: You're absolutely unbelievable! How can you joke at a time like
this?
-----
"Oh, Ranma... I am so sorry...." Akane's tear-stained face hovered in
the center of his field of vision. "I didn't mean to hurt you like that.
I swear that I didn't...."
Ranma studied his wife. She probably means that - now, he thought. But
she's said it before. And will she still mean it tomorrow?
-----
Raphael: She's still there, just not much of it left...
Noriko: (sadly) Maybe _this_ is the shock she needs to realize she needs
help. Maybe this can be the turning-around point...
-----
"Why?" croaked Ranma. "I was only trying to get help. I... I just
wanted to see you smile again."
"Oh, Ranma... couldn't you have just come to me and talked? I would have
listened. You didn't have to go behind my back like that."
-----
Raphael: How can she say that? That's an outright lie! She _can't_
believe that!
Noriko: Remember, though, that Akane isn't terribly rational when she's
not in remorse right now.
-----
"Ranma, listen to me. Someone else can teach them the Art now. I don't
want you to go back. Stay home and talk to me instead."
"Why? I don't understand...." There was a buzzing in Ranma's ears.
"Because you're embarrassing me!"
-----
Noriko: Oh, no... she's not going to hit him while he's in that
condition, is she??
Raphael: I think I'm gonna be sick...
-----
The buzzing grew to a roaring, and Ranma could feel himself losing his
grip on consciousness. "But... but I just wanted... to get some help.
I'm so lost. I want us to be happy together. I want it to be the way it
was before... back when you smiled...." And Ranma fell back into the
blackness.
-----
(tape ends)
Raphael: Whew. I was really scared for a moment there.
Noriko: No kidding. Just when things were starting to look better,
something terrible like this happens. And it doesn't even look like it's
going to have any effect on Akane...
Raphael: Well, there's still part six left. Maybe some big changes'll
happen then, huh?
Noriko: Maybe... I'm almost afraid to get my hopes up again, though.
Zen-san keeps dangling false hope after false hope in front of us,
though, only to just yank them away just when we're about to believe
them. I'm a little afraid of what might happen in the last part.
Raphael: But on the other hand, something really drastic might happen and
turn the whole thing around, right? I mean, it could go either way.
Noriko: Perhaps. I guess we'll just have to watch the rest of it to find
out. Tomorrow. I'm sure I can't take any more of this tonight.
Raphael: Fair enough. (turns to the camera) On behalf of both of us here,
good night.
Noriko: (turns to the camera) Good night.
End part five
Thanks for reading! See you in part six!
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Raphael See