After the Fall [Undergoing Major Rework]

[CloudGrain]

-Undergoing Rework-

'Prelude'

Update 1
Update 2
Update 3
Update 4

Hanako's 'Route'

Update 5a
Update 6a
Update 7a
Update 8a

[Mahorfeus]

Ooh.

This is a concept that's always been on my mind. What would happen if Hisao were to survive his fall? It's perfectly possible, after all. I can only think of one fic off the top of my head in which it happens, though I am sure there are many more. That being said, it's nice to see another person's take on it.

My only real complaint is that regardless of Hisao's condition after that fall, he would have most definitely been shipped off to the hospital, all things considered. There are just too many potential injuries he could have gotten that Yamaku would not have been properly equipped to screen for. Nurse is the one lecturing him here, but I think it's more likely that a doctor would be the one telling him these things.

[TheTealeaf]

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Dis, dis I like!

In fact it's just sparked a rabid plot bunny.

Goddamit cloud.

-headbutts desk-

Still a good solid, 'what if' piece. I agree that a hospital would be the more likely place but what I really, really like is you placing Hisao even lower down mentally. Could be an interesting place to start from for route.

-looks around shiftily- I'm going to need to go kill this plot bunny or write it out... sigh.

As always, keep writing cloud!

[Mirage_GSM]

I can only think of one fic off the top of my head in which it happens

If it's not "Constant Companion" I suggest you look that one up.

About this piece here... Is it a one-shot or the start of something longer?

[CloudGrain]

Ooh.

This is a concept that's always been on my mind. What would happen if Hisao were to survive his fall? It's perfectly possible, after all. I can only think of one fic off the top of my head in which it happens, though I am sure there are many more. That being said, it's nice to see another person's take on it.

My only real complaint is that regardless of Hisao's condition after that fall, he would have most definitely been shipped off to the hospital, all things considered. There are just too many potential injuries he could have gotten that Yamaku would not have been properly equipped to screen for. Nurse is the one lecturing him here, but I think it's more likely that a doctor would be the one telling him these things.

I toyed with the idea (of shipping him off to a hospital), but decided that a more familiar environment would be more suitable in my own mindscape. Even managed to justify it with the idea that Yamaku might not want to blemish it's reputation by admitting Hisao to the hospital. Sometimes, bureaucratic proceedings can get in the way of things that need to get done from getting done. I'll laugh a little and point out my job, where I'm supposedly weeks behind but unable to progress at all due to modifications and paperwork needing to be pushed that's beyond my reach. At Yamaku, maybe Nurse could cut through all that red tape... But it very well might cost him his job, or some serious repercussions by the administration.

Anyways, that's how I'll skirt off changing the environment. Thanks for the interest in it!

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Dis, dis I like!

In fact it's just sparked a rabid plot bunny.

Goddamit cloud.

-headbutts desk-

Still a good solid, 'what if' piece. I agree that a hospital would be the more likely place but what I really, really like is you placing Hisao even lower down mentally. Could be an interesting place to start from for route.

-looks around shiftily- I'm going to need to go kill this plot bunny or write it out... sigh.

As always, keep writing cloud!

Thanks very much Tealeaf! Written out on a whim after (finally) getting the very last route there is in the game... And wondering just how easily it (the game) could have continued with an entirely different structure. I mean, if people can manage to hit terminal velocity, hit the ground and be fine, why can't Hisao? He's moreso let go because he hasn't managed to pique any of the girls' interest by this point. Let die because he's falling into a more depressive state. But hell, agony and ecstasy, the dichotomy of man. Could be even more interesting to pick him up from an even deeper hole, to have more interest in not only his physical condition but his mental well-being.

Anyways, kill the plot bunny, steal its foot! Cheers, Tealeaf!

I can only think of one fic off the top of my head in which it happens

If it's not "Constant Companion" I suggest you look that one up.

About this piece here... Is it a one-shot or the start of something longer?

I'm not entirely sure to be honest. Right now I'm feeling pretty decent about it. A little over a thousand words, wrapping itself up fairly nicely with only one major-seeming issue that people are pointing out. (The need for hospitalization after such an accident) It lets the imagination run wild as to what could happen next. Would Hisao just be able to make himself a little bit 'better'? Would his stay at Yamaku be permanently blemished with this addition to his reputation, instead of just being *the new guy* being *the new guy who jumped off the roof*?

I've obviously got my own ideas as to what could happen. Empathy, sympathy, progression of multiple characters and personal growth.

But I'm not entirely sure, as I've stated in earlier posts, that my material would be homogeneous enough over a longer period of writing to merit attempting to show this idea rather than allowing everyone else's imaginations to run wild on their own. The products they come up with might be just as enjoyable to them, or moreso than reading through what I've got when it varies from 'good' to 'meh' with astounding irregularity. It's entirely possible I'll add to it... Little pieces, here and there, if I deem it to be appropriate and right.

Maybe a ten-thousand word deal to get things back properly on track maximum in order to preserve it before things really digress terrible. Maximum.

[Mahorfeus]

I can only think of one fic off the top of my head in which it happens

If it's not "Constant Companion" I suggest you look that one up.

That would be the one.
I believe it was discussed in the Book Club not too long ago.

I toyed with the idea (of shipping him off to a hospital), but decided that a more familiar environment would be more suitable in my own mindscape. Even managed to justify it with the idea that Yamaku might not want to blemish it's reputation by admitting Hisao to the hospital. Sometimes, bureaucratic proceedings can get in the way of things that need to get done from getting done. I'll laugh a little and point out my job, where I'm supposedly weeks behind but unable to progress at all due to modifications and paperwork needing to be pushed that's beyond my reach. At Yamaku, maybe Nurse could cut through all that red tape... But it very well might cost him his job, or some serious repercussions by the administration.

Anyways, that's how I'll skirt off changing the environment. Thanks for the interest in it!

Ah, the corrupt Yamaku bureaucracy. I can actually buy that explanation. It'd make for an interesting fic on its own.

At any rate, this piece stands well on its own, I think.

[Zarys]

Interresting

[AntonSlavik020]

It was decent. Didn't really stand out either direction for me.

[CloudGrain]

Ah, the corrupt Yamaku bureaucracy. I can actually buy that explanation. It'd make for an interesting fic on its own.

At any rate, this piece stands well on its own, I think.

It would, wouldn't it? Reminds me of one of the most interesting theories I think I've ever heard on the subject of Yamaku's bureaucracy/administration was a crackpot theory that it was all run by the Yakuza. Strange amounts of money for what is most likely considered a niche community? A number of well-to-do students attending, some of who's parents seem to be quite unflappable with attitudes that seem to flaunt an idea of being untouchable?



Anywho, thanks very much for the praise on saying this stands up well! Very glad to hear it.

Interresting

Thanks kindly, glad it held your attention.

It was decent. Didn't really stand out either direction for me.

Any tips on how I might improve it in some way to make it any more appealing? I'm actually considering expanding upon this concept slightly, and would definitely be grateful for any constructive criticism on how I might improve the end-product.

[AntonSlavik020]

It was decent. Didn't really stand out either direction for me.

Any tips on how I might improve it in some way to make it any more appealing? I'm actually considering expanding upon this concept slightly, and would definitely be grateful for any constructive criticism on how I might improve the end-product.

To me, it didn't really do anything outside of having Hisao survive the fall. It's a nice concept, but nothing was really done with it, outside of Hisao maybe having a more positive outlook.

[CloudGrain]

To me, it didn't really do anything outside of having Hisao survive the fall. It's a nice concept, but nothing was really done with it, outside of Hisao maybe having a more positive outlook.

Very fair analysis, that was pretty much the only thing to happen. Definitely considering expanding upon the thought with some 'new' interaction between him and his peers, with a definite new outlook on it seeing how the event would shape opinions of him. May very well actually have the fortitude to do it this evening... Been working on the concept in the back of my mind at work at least a little. We'll see if I can't get a little more, especially a little more interesting stuff to happen. Thanks for the feedback!

[CloudGrain]

If what I'd felt entering Mutou's classroom on my first day had been apprehension... Well, what I felt now was something a few levels above it.

Yesterday had gone uneventfully, as far as it could have. A call from my parents, who'd thankfully been more happy that I was still alive than angry with the circumstances that lead to my falling off the roof. I couldn't be much more glad that they were so far away, imagining the reaming out that I would've eventually gotten for my irresponsibility. There'd been a lot of officials coming in to get as much of my story out as they could. Head pounding, hurting all over, I'd given what I could remember from the previous night quite willingly to the first few. Then a more abbreviated version to those following. When I lost count after the sixth, unable to remember if the woman interviewing me had already come in, I couldn't help but begin to get irritable.

Finally, after about the eighth or ninth time I was asked to recap what happened, I couldn't help but snap at the newest administrator with a clip-board standing in front of the bed. Another older looking esteemed 'gentleman', wearing glasses, a suit and tie. Writing down things in some pre-formated accident sheet, trying to reduce things to basic math rather than bother to even so much as glance over the papers at me. The Nurse had finally managed to corral them away after the very single-sided shouting match. He'd even asked if there'd been anything he could do for me to make the day go by at least somewhat comfortably. I asked for a book; something, anything to read to take my mind off the situation at hand.

I don't think that I ever got anything to read before I finally just fell asleep for the rest of the day, giving in to the tiredness and dull pain behind my eyes.

Today I was woken up, my bag brought down from my room to the infirmary along with a fresh change of clothes, and told that 'nothing had changed'. That I just had to keep going with school for now, everything would somehow manage to sort itself out. However well the reassurance might have been meant, it wasn't doing anything for me as I opened the classroom door to be met with immediate silence. The immediate feeling of dropping down a roller-coaster hits as I can see the poorly-hidden looks of surprise on most of my classmates' faces, quickly followed by pity, and then once again poorly masked with blank faces. Shizune and Misha were literally frozen in the middle of a conversation they'd been having, Shizune glancing over her shoulder at me with at least a modest attempt to remain inconspicuous while Misha openly seemed to gape at me. The quickest survey of the silent room makes my gut churn, and I can't help but feel physically ill noticing that even Hanako is gazing at me intently, as if trying to figure me out.

I'm hardly even aware of my feet carrying me to my desk and my slinging my bag to the floor by the side of it. As I get my books out of it, muted conversation slowly begin where they'd left off. Not the normally somewhat loud chatter between my classmates that I'd noticed last week when we always seemed to invariably be waiting for Mutou, or when teachers were switching classrooms. Just... Whispers. Out of the corner of my eye, it looks like even Shizune's usual heavy and harsh movements in sign seem to be slow, deliberate, and soft. In a flash of a moment that she seems to catch my eye she looks away. The illness that I seem to feel spread through me at that is cut blessedly short as Mutou manages to suddenly appear in the classroom, a miraculous single minute late, and already lecturing on some topic or another, writing on the board the proper pages to refer to in order to better demonstrate his point.

I manage to lose myself in the class with relative ease, diving into the distraction from my peers with abandon.

There's no group work today, Mutou elects to keep on with his lectures. I can hardly complain as it all passes by in something of a blur. It's almost a surprise when the lunch-bell rings and the room suddenly springs 'back to life' from Mutou's rambling lecture and rather complex and roundabout explanations. It's less-surprising that even when waiting a moment for the room to empty out on it's own, Mutou calls out to me as I pass by his desk while he shuffles through some papers. "Nakai, a minute?" He asks, not shifting his view from the papers he's shuffling into his briefcase.

Obediently, I stand to the side... It's hardly as if I had any idea where I might be going to have lunch. Away from people would certainly be nice, although probably asking too much given how willing people have been to drag me along for a little while before getting bored with me just last week.

Mutou looks... Almost abnormally pensive as he seems to regard the now clean desk before turning to me as the last students file out. It's the same look that he sometimes has when he's in the midst of a lecture that's somehow super-ceded what he should be teaching and segued into something completely different. "You're already demonstrating yourself to be a fairly good student when it comes to the sciences, Nakai. I just want to remind you of one of the simplest facts of scientific observation." The topic catches me somewhat off-guard. It's... Definitely not what I expected, some speech on how I should be able to go to him or any other member of the staff with problems. The same speech I'd heard yesterday and this morning at least a dozen times. But from Mutou, I should already know that the unexpected is to be expected. Regardless, he takes my silence as a cue to go on.

"It takes more than a single experimental attempt with a new environment to achieve optimal results with anything. Even with multiple controls, changes to the variables modified, multiple hypotheses..." He says it just like he might be in the middle of a lecture explaining some experiment that the entire classroom might be, even beginning to go on something of a tangent before catching himself. "I'm not entirely sure what happened Sunday, Nakai, and I don't think that anybody except you really has much right to know. Life-changing events aren't easy, especially for someone your age, imaginably with such cases as yours. But you really shouldn't be willing to give up after a single, or even just a few experiments in a new environment."

The... Sincerity of his tone is rather striking as he attempts one of his somewhat malformed smiles. It's awkward, stilted somewhat in some odd way unique to Mutou, but completely sincere as he shuts his briefcase with a snap. "I know that I might not be one of the best teachers to talk to about things like this, but as your homeroom teacher I might be one of the easier ones. I'm willing to listen if you need to talk." With that, Mutou gives me an awkward nod and goes on his way to enjoy his own lunch.

It must've been difficult for him to make that offer, and give that advice.

The thought comes suddenly as I realize that a lot of what I thought of my homeroom teacher seemed to be contradicted by what he'd just said. A brief statement, an absolutely sincere-seeming want to help me if I thought I might need it. As much as Mutou was a teacher, he didn't seem to always be the most sociable person, or even seem to know a whole lot of the basics of being sociable. On the very first day it was impossible not to think that he'd been a little bit odd, though his teaching style suited me well enough.

It seemed like the most sincere offer I'd received yet. Not wanting to pry at all, despite my 'accident' being so obviously the talk of the school. No big confrontation, no apologies on behalf of something that he might've imagined doing or not doing. A small bit of the weight on my stomach seemed to dissipate as I took a deep breath, turning on my heels and leaving the classroom. The cafeteria would hopefully be full enough that nobody would be able to pick me out as the new guy... And if the way that class had went was any indicator, it didn't seem like there was much of a chance that anyone might confront me anyways. Taking a deep breath, I just hope that the small measure of resolve that Mutou's sincere concern gave me will last.

[AntonSlavik020]

That was much more interesting than the first part, largely because it involved some of the interaction that I was looking forward to. I could see Mutuo talking with Hisao like that. Looking forward to more.

[CloudGrain]

Last week it hardly took me long to realize that the cafeteria's food was mediocre at best, and that the best way to deal with it was to eat it quickly and be done with it.

Today, I think that I learned that knowing you've got people shifting uncomfortably to watch you, considering approaching you but always seeming to shirk away from it makes you wolf down that same food like a starved dog, just so that you can escape being a center of attention. Even choosing what I thought was a relatively empty area of the cafeteria, eyes followed me from three or four tables away as I simply ate. Judging me, apparently seeing me in the same light as some actor on television. There's hardly a doubt in my mind that the stomach ache was worth going in, eating, and getting out of the cafeteria within just ten minutes. Escaping from the pressure-cooker of a situation before it became too much to bear.

Exhaling, I realize just how quickly I'm walking through the blessedly empty hallways. Straightening myself, I'm suddenly aware that I feel like I've got the faintest perspiration all over, sweating from a combination of the situation I escaped and the pace I'd unknowingly set for myself. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, allowing myself to rest on the wall for a moment as I place a hand over my chest, disconcerted by my lack of fitness and the possible impact on my heart.

A few deep breaths as I close my eyes to focus on the sound and feel of my heartbeat... I nod at the relative 'normalness' of the rhythm after a short span. I'm not overdoing it, just terribly out of shape.

When I open my eyes, I'm almost surprised to see Rin Tezuka halfway down the hallway, wandering without intent with that awkward gait of hers and seemingly looking past me. She suddenly seems to notice me as I push off from the wall and hope to walk by without much of an incident, putting on what looks like a pensive expression as she actually looks at me rather than through me. "Did you know that they had more than one lock?" She asks with a mildly put-off expression, as though the fact that 'they' had more than one lock was somewhat concerning or annoying; like it was something that made her have to do something. Although come to think of it, random as Rin might be it seemed somewhat odd to find her wandering around.

I can't help but pinch the bridge of my nose with the hand that'd been on my chest just a few seconds ago as I try to follow Rin's logic, or lack thereof. "One lock for what, Rin?"

She looks at me, through me with an expression of non-comprehension. "The roof." My jaw clamps shut like a steel trap as Rin seems to think of something for a moment. She's one of the last people who I would expect to be 'in' on all of the gossip of the school. But at the same time, the idea that she hasn't heard at all, or doesn't care about my reaction to what she's saying is somewhat incomprehensible given the circumstances of the school. She'd have to be deaf as Shizune, and without the aid of an interpreter to not have overheard something or the other. That same feeling of dread, of near-physical illness that I'd had on stepping into my classroom today seems to come back in full force. I can suddenly feel myself begin to sweat, ignoring the sudden diatribe Rin starts off on, looking past me all while suddenly acting very confused by locks and doors.

It's my fault that there'd be a new padlock on the door to the roof. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if all roof access was cut off for years because of how Sunday almost turned out. It'd be a decade before someone would eventually cut off the padlock again and open up that avenue to anyone who wanted to have lunch outside but not out on the grounds.

"...-doors are only there because they need to let you in and out already. They're just holes in walls that can be walls again." She says evenly, turning her attention back actually towards me rather than through me suddenly. Startlingly enough, she actually seems to come in touch with reality for long enough to look vaguely concerned and voice it. "Are you OK, Hisao?"

A sharp breath and a quick nod, followed by a strained false smile is all I can come up with as I think of a way to escape. "I'm fine, I've... Gotta go get some stuff though. Sorry, Rin. Later." I mutter weakly, getting a raised eyebrow and nonchalant shrug from Rin in response as I begin to wander the halls once again.

It's a mindless way to waste the time and avoid meeting anyone else between my finishing lunch and getting back to class... And it works.

Back to class, back to throwing myself into the lesson with an abandon that surprises me. I finish the lesson's work as the teacher is only just getting to the questions, begin to go ahead of the lesson and only focus on the teacher when she's explaining something that I didn't understand in the text. There's some group-work for English, and although Shizune and Misha both look at me pointedly for a few seconds, as if asking for some sort of unconscious approval they look away when I continue to pointedly ignore them.

After all, I've already finished ninety-percent of the work... I can't help but think that besides finishing that little bit of work it'd just be the two of them trying to avoid some landmine or the other and trying to make some sort of meaningless conversation with me. I actually kind of appreciate the fact that they don't impose on me by pushing their desks over regardless, and file that little fact in the back of my mind. Hopefully, in a while I might be able to just... Feel better. Maybe then I can thank them a little more properly.

I'm neither surprised nor pleased when the final bell rings. I'm already well-ahead on all of my work, having finished most of my homework when I was supposed to be doing group-work. In fact, it almost frustrates me that there won't be much for me to focus on tonight in the realm of schoolwork. I'll have to find something else to do... Sitting in my room doesn't seem like an appealing prospect, but neither does the idea of being around people.

The saving-thought comes to mind as I lazily sit back and wait for the rest of the class to file out ahead of me. I'm in no rush as I contemplate what I should do next, and neither is only one of my classmates, Hanako.

The library.

The thought comes to mind thanks to Hanako's own reading habit, she's even got a book out now as she most likely waits for Lilly. The library is quiet, likely to be relatively empty, or at the very least have some quiet spots left in it for me to find and use for a few hours. I can pick up some new reading material, get into it, and not have to leave for at least a few hours. After that, maybe I can go get some dinner, and then go to my room and call it an early night.

I grab my bag from the floor next to me, stand up and make my way across the room, almost making it out the door without incident.

Even closer than almost... I think that I make it through the door without incident. But my ankle catches something right in the doorframe, and I awkwardly stumble over it with my hasty stride. A blink and a flash later, and I'm on my knees, the instinctive arm that shot out to brace me from the fall succeeding in keeping me at least from falling face-first. The voice that comes just as suddenly as the sudden tripping explains the situation even as it inquires.

"I'm sorry, did I run into someone?"

Lilly Satou. She must have had her cane out in front of her, and I tripped right over the tip of it in the doorframe as she was coming to 'pick up' Hanako after class. I wince internally, knowing that unlike Rin, Lilly will just as certainly know about the details of my... Accident on Sunday. But I'd feel just as guilty leaving her without knowing what'd just happened. She'd really made an effort to make me feel welcome last week... Even if I couldn't open up about things on the way back from the store on Friday. Hopefully, I can keep this short.

"Yeah, no problem though. I'm alright." I respond, swallowing past a lump in my throat as Lilly's concerned expression deepens hearing my voice before she does her best to hide it. Unsurprisingly, her best-hidden expression of concern is... Not the most convincing. I get to my feet easily enough, brushing some imagined dirt off my knees.

"Hisao, is that you?"

"Yeah." I say shortly, grimacing as I realize that Hanako is probably able to overhear the conversation back in the classroom as well, hoping to keep this as short as possible.

Lilly's expression of concern becomes even more transparent as she seems to wrestle with something in her mind for a moment, before finally giving in and speaking. "Are you... Doing well?" She asks, the strain in her voice making me cringe slightly. She doesn't want to ask the question, it's discourteous. But at the same time, she might have somehow managed to make herself feel guilty about the whole ordeal. It dawns on me that besides my going to class on Saturday, she'd been the last person I really interacted with before the whole... Ordeal, with Kenji. Sure, I tried to 'hang out' with Hanako in the library after classes were over, but just reading with someone hadn't exactly been an equivalent to interaction.

Just in the brief span I'd known Lilly, I have a sinking feeling that she's going to feel sorry for me. To try and make me feel better. Somehow think that she can take on some part of the whole situation.

"Yeah... I'm... Doing OK." I finally settle on, slowly trying to decide the least concerning words that are truthful enough to keep her at bay. Lilly's expression shows all too well that her concern hasn't exactly gone away, but hopefully her politeness will keep it at bay for at least long enough for me to escape to get through the rest of the evening with my little somewhat hastily made but appealing plan for it intact. She looks like she's wrestling with the idea once again, though this time the other side; the prim, proper, polite one seems to win out as she gives a single slight nod.

"Hanako and I were going to the tearoom, if you'd like to join us?" She asks softly, although her tone and expression betray the fact that it's very much an empty-seeming invitation. There's no real expectation of acceptance. I shake my head, before realizing the futility of it and voicing my answer instead.

"No... Maybe another time. I've got, uh... Homework." I lie, badly, simply hoping against hope that my tone is more convincing than I'm sure the words and expression I'm wearing are.

Surprisingly, another voice joins the conversation. "A-are you... Sure?"

Hanako is in the doorway to the classroom, apparently having readied her things to go with Lilly after the calamity of my falling. A quick glance at Lilly shows that I'm not the only one surprised at her jumping into a conversation, especially one that'd already been awkward before her coming. In the brief few conversations I've had with Hanako, there have been precious few times she's shown much initiative.

Not unlike my conversation with Mutou, the sincerity of it all puts me a little at ease. I take a deep breath... Both Hanako and Lilly had been... Accepting wouldn't even do justice to what they'd been willing to do for me since I've come to Yamaku. It's only been a week, and really I've only known either of them for a few days. But Hanako has let me just a little bit closer than anyone else in our entire class seems to her, and Lilly had been completely open to going even a little bit out of her way to helping me. They might not judge me the same way that I could feel practically everyone else judging me throughout today. They wouldn't broach the topic of why everyone else was judging me, or at least seemed like they wouldn't. Lilly being too polite, Hanako too timid.

Maybe... Just maybe it'd be alright. And if it wasn't, ducking out wouldn't be all too hard. Neither of the two girls would or could exactly stop me if I decided that I would be better off heading to the library or my room. Realizing the awkwardly long silence, Hanako's blushing at her short 'outburst' and Lilly's expression of surprise having faded once again to concern, I finally answer.

"Well... Maybe I don't have that much homework." I half-mumble.

"I could join you for a cup of tea."

[AntonSlavik020]

Looks like Hisao is slowly allowing himself to become at least a little closer to the girls. I have to remember that this is the Hisao the closed himself away from everyone. Not sure how long this is going to go, or if he's going to end up dating anyone, though to be honest he probably just needs a friend or two more than anything right now.