Episode 2: Voice of Wishes

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Yuuki and the others were watching the worshippers toss their papers into the bonfire that the shrine had prepared.

Hiyori
Whoa! Look at that, Rei! People are lined up all the way down that path!

Rei
I think the last time I came to one of these was when I was a kid. I never realized that there were this many people visiting.

Yui
It's another reason why the town gets so quiet on New Year's Eve. Many of the stores are closed in preparation for the new year.

Hiyori
I've heard that thieves and pickpockets sometimes show up, too. We might be here to purify wishes, but if other people are in trouble, we've got to help them, too!

Rei
Yeah. But, Hiyori...

Hiyori
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight...! Two, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight!

Rei
Hiyori. Do you have a moment?

Hiyori
Huh? What's up, Rei? Ah! Did you see someone in trouble already!?

Rei
That's not it, Hiyori. Just be calm for a while. Seeing you getting this fired up is making me anxious...

Yui
Hee hee, Rei, you've been anxious for a while now.

Hiyori
But, but! If something happens, we've gotta spring into action right away! We don't know where or when something might come up!

Rei
That might be true, but...

Child's Voice
Waaaah! Mama! Papa!

Hiyori
Did you hear that!? Someone's crying! We've gotta go help!

Yui
Ah! Hiyori!

Rei
Let's go with her! One of the wishes might have already materialized!

Yui
Hiyori! Where'd you go?

Rei
Hiyori! Where are you?

Hiyori
Yui, Rei, Yuuki! Over here! This boy is the one who was crying!

Boy
Papa, Mama... Waah...

Rei
Looks like he's lost... I guess it wasn't a materialized wish after all.

Yui
We've got to find his parents right away...

Hiyori
Yeah! I'll go look for them!

Old Woman
Um, excuse me. Are you someone from the shrine?

Hiyori
Yeah! That's right!

Youth
Is there a priestess around? Excuse me. Do you have a lost and found? I'm looking for an amulet that my girlfriend dropped.

Rei
We don't really take lost item reports here. And I'm not really a priestess, but...

Youth
Aw, man... It was supposed to be a paired set, and I wanted to find the other one for her. It should be around here somewhere...

Rei
Well, in that case, I guess I can lend a hand. Sorry, Hiyori. I'll leave the child to you.

Hiyori
All right!

Old Woman
Um...

Yui
Hiyori, let me talk to the old woman. You look after that kid.

Hiyori
Thanks, Yui! All right, let's find your parents!

Man
Ah, there's one! Are you a priestess from the shrine? I've gotten separated from my friends. Can you help me out?

Hiyori
Um, I'm not a priestess...

Hiyori
(Huh? I'm not gonna be able to help anyone at this rate...!)

Man
C'mon, help a guy out!

Boy
Miss...

Hiyori
Um! I'm sorry! I've gotta find this kid's parents!

Hiyori
W-What do I do, Yuuki? Everyone's in trouble!

Yuuki
1. "Let's have everyone help each other out."

Hiyori
Yeah! That's right! Nice idea!

Hiyori
Um! If anyone around you is in trouble, then help each other out! Please!

Hiyori
Mister! Could you look after this kid for just a little bit?

Man
Sure, no problem. What's the matter, little guy -- are you lost?

Boy
Yeah... Are you also lost?

Man
Sure am. The friends I came here with just vanished all of a sudden. Weird, huh?

Boy
... Hahaha.

Yuuki
1. "Hiyori, now's the time."

Hiyori
Okay! Let's go find the boy's parents, and the guy's friends! We've got this!

Hiyori
Is there a mother or a father here looking for their lost child!?

Later.

Boy's Father
Thank you so much...

Boy's Mother
How can we thank you enough...

Hiyori
Don't worry about it! We should help each other in times of need!

Boy
Thanks, Miss!

Man
Sorry for the trouble, Miss. This kid here was able to find my friends. But thanks for looking! See ya!

Hiyori
He found his friends! How nice...

Yuuki
1. "Nice work, Hiyori."

Hiyori
Thanks to you too, Yuuki, for the advice earlier!

Girl's Voice
Papa... Mama... I want to see them...

Hiyori
That voice! Is it another lost child? Yuuki, let's go see!

Later.

Hiyori
It was definitely coming from around here, but...

???
I want to see my Papa and Mama...! I miss them...!

Hiyori
Huh!? Yuuki, that's not a person at all, is it!? Could this be a materialized wish...?

Materialized Wish
Papa, Mama...

Hiyori
These must be the words of someone's ungranted wish... Hey! Are your Papa and Mama here?

Materialized Wish
Living apart from them is so lonely...

Hiyori
Um... Then we have no idea where they are... What do we do?

Yui
Hiyori! Yuuki! Are you okay? You're not hurt, right?

Rei
This must be a materialized wish... We can't let this go.

Hiyori
Yui! Rei! This one keeps saying they want to see their Papa and Mama...

Rei
Their parents... Are they nearby?

Hiyori
This is the wish of someone who lives apart from them, so I don't think they'd be here. Yuuki, do you have any ideas like before?

Yuuki
1. "Let's be their Papa and Mama."

Hiyori
The two of us!? But how...?

Hiyori
(... I can't lose my nerve now! We've gotta do everything we can right now!)

Hiyori
Okay, Yuuki! Let's become their Papa and Mama!

Yui
U-Um, does that mean...

Rei
Yui, you might be getting the wrong idea... At least, I hope.

Materialized Wish
Come home... Papa... Mama...

Hiyori
Poor thing... We'll grant your wish right away! Yuuki, are you ready? ... On three!

Hiyori
Hi, there! It's your Mama!

Yuuki
1. "Hi! It's Papa!"
2. "Hey! It's your Papa!"

Option 1.

Materialized Wish
Papa...! Mama...!

Hiyori
Nice! They really think we're their Papa and Mama, Yuuki... I mean, Papa!

Option 2.

Materialized Wish
Papa...? Is it really you...?

Hiyori
T-That's right! It's Papa and Mama!

Materialized Wish
Ah, it's you, Mama... Mama!!

End of branches.

Yui
Yuuki and Hiyori are Papa and Mama...

Rei
Yui, it's only an act. It's not reality.

Yui
... Huh? N-No, no, Rei. I understand that, okay?

Rei
(... You don't look like it at all, but I'd better not say that.)

Hiyori
Hey. Is there anything you want to say to your Papa and Mama?

Materialized Wish
... I'm sorry for fighting and running away from home... I really wanted to come back and apologize. But I didn't have the courage...!

Hiyori
... It's okay. Papa and Mama will always be waiting for you to come home.

Materialized Wish
O-Okay! Thank you! Papa! Mama!

Materialized Wish
I've been so lonely and homesick... But I'll hang on for just a little longer...

Hiyori
... They disappeared. Did the wish get purified?

Rei
Yeah, it seems like it. Wonderful work, you two.

Hiyori
Whew... It's good that we were able to purify it before it turned violent.

Yui
I feel bad for the person who burned that wish... Will they be able to see their parents again?

Hiyori
I'm sure they will!

Hiyori
Anyway, playing Papa and Mama together with Yuuki...

Yuuki
1. "What's the matter, Mama?"

Hiyori
Ahahaha! Thanks, Yuuki! It's nothing! You can be done playing Papa now. Just go back to being Yuuki as always!

Yui
You're so lucky, Hiyori...

Hiyori
Yui? You wanna try being Mama for a change?

Yui
Huh!? No, um, uh...! I-I-I-I'm fine!

Rei
... Sigh. Honestly, you don't look like you can take much more...