In the Morning, I'll Say Hello - Chapter 8

"In the Morning, I'll Say Hello" is a yuri comic I wrote. I can't draw, so I will be posting the scripts for each chapter here. Enjoy!

In the Morning, I'll Say Hello - by Jaime Lustig

Chapter 8

"A Week's Worth of Lunches - Part 2"

SCENE 1:

"Thursday"

Yuka's apartment, early in the morning. Yuka is in the kitchen cooking a bunch of food for lunch. There are two bento containers out. Suzu comes in bleary eyed in her  pajamas.

Suzu: "Yuka! You didn't have to get up and cook, I'm happy to do it for you."

Yuka just turns and smiles and goes back to cooking. She's made quite a mess and has containers and food everywhere. Suzu teases Yuka.

Suzu: "Are you in a growth spurt, this is a lot of food, are you finally going to get taller?”

Yuka just shoots her a funny look. Suzu is helping Yuka cook during this exchange.

Suzu: “Or maybe...Could it be that it's for that super hot secret boyfriend of yours. Are you sneaking out of school at lunch to meet him?"

Yuka blushes and makes a vigorous set of 'no' head movements.

Suzu: "Don't protest too much! Besides, at least one of us needs to find a boyfriend!"

Suzu is messing up Yuka's hair as she says this. Both are laughing

SCENE 2:

Heizo and Eriko's house. It's quiet, still. Heizo is sleeping in his chair in the main room. Eriko is sitting alone in the low sunlight of dawn at the small kitchen table with the lights out, the strong early morning rays of sunlight are very crisp against the darkness in the house. We see the dust in the air sparkling in the light. She's eating a simple bowl of rice in silence. Then she gets up and leaves for school, pausing to look lovingly at Heizo sleeping on her way past him.

SCENE 3:

Hatsue pulls up at school gate in sports car with Tetsu, the hot driver. Lots of students are arriving at school. They see Hatsue and commence with a  mixture of whispering (good and bad), squeals (from the fans who gather at her car and welcome her down the path) and hushed pointing from those with rumors.

Student "Look at her, she's so radiant!"

Student: "I wish I had a man like that!"

Student: "He is a real man, isn't he!?"

Student: "I don't care about her anymore."

Student: "That's right! Can you believe she's friends with that criminal?"

Student: "She doesn't deserve someone like him."

Student: "He can totally do better than her."

Student: "Oh, you mean like you?"

Student: "hahahahaha"

Student: "She thinks she's so special."

Hatsue is saying hi to many students and doing her best to ignore the ones whispering about her, but she does notice it happening. Hatsue sees Eriko walking in. She's taller than the rest but also projecting a very different vibe.

Hatsue: "Arishima-san! Wait up!"

Hatsue runs by her on-looking groupies as well as her normal three friends (Satomi, Kaori, Chitose).

Kaori: "Do you remember his name? What did she say?"

Chitose: "Tetsu-kun I think"

Kaori: "Maybe we need to have a little talk with him about Ha-chan's new attitude."

Satomi: "And her new friend."

Hatsue catches up to Eriko.

Eriko: “Oh, um,...Fujimaki...san?”

Hatsue: “I’m so happy! You remembered my name. I was worried it might have been a one-time thing.”

Eriko: “You’re loud.”

Hatsue: “Ha ha ha! True, oh well. You look more refreshed today than normal.”

                Eriko (to herself): "I actually slept last night."

Eriko: “mmmm”

Hatsue: “I mean this in the best possible way, but you usually come in looking like you were dragged behind a train or something.”

Eriko (to herself): “I don't even know what keeps happening to me.”

Eriko: “um, sleep walking, I guess.”

Hatsue: “Oh, that makes sense.”

Hatsue (to herself): “What on earth could she be doing in her sleep that would cause all that?”

Satomi, Chitose, and Kaori run over to where Tetsu is getting back in his car to drive away, there’s still throngs of girls staring at him.

Satomi: “Wait, Tetsu-kun is it?”

Tetsu: “And who wants to know?”

Chitose: “Are you really Ha-chan’s boyfriend?”

Tetsu: “Is that what she said?”

Kaori: “It is, is it true?”

Tetsu: “If she said it, then it must be, right?”

Satomi: “Wait, you should kn...”

And he gets in his car with a wink and a peace sign, a flash in his eye, a total playboy image, disregarding Satomi. Kaori and Chitose are swooning.

SCENE 4:

Time is passing in class, the teacher is lecturing, Eriko looks at Yuka from time to time. Yuka is drawing, looking out the window, making origami, etc... Hatsue looks at Eriko, notices her looking at Yuka, Eriko then notices Hatsue noticing her and puts her head down, not making eye contact. More embarrassed than anything.

Lunchtime arrives. Eriko's head is still down on her desk. Hatsue comes up to Eriko with a bread.

Hatsue: "Alright Arishima-san, you know the drill, you're coming with me!"

Eriko: "Sorry...not hungry."

Aiko closes the book she's reading.

Aiko: "Ready to go outside for lunch, Yuka?"

Yuka nods “no” and pulls out two bento boxes. Then she gets up to go with Aiko.

Aiko: (to herself): “What’s that for, She knows I always bring mine.”

As Yuka and Aiko are walking past Hatsue and Eriko, Yuka puts a bento down on Eriko's desk and keeps walking with Aiko. Aiko looks at it, then at Yuka, then takes her hand and leads her out of the room.

Eriko looks up in shock, to see Yuka leaving the room, but looking back at her with a big smile as she's being led away by Aiko. Eriko blushes.

Eriko (to herself): “Is this for me? Why would she do that?”

Hatsue: “Well, go ahead, open it!”

Eriko: “...yesterday...”

Hatsue: “Don’t worry about yesterday. She must have made this for you!”

Eriko opens the bento and looks at all the wonderful food inside.

Hatsue: “That looks amazing. You know what they say about a girl making a homemade bento for someone..."

Eriko: "Wh...what?!"

Hatsue: "Hahahaha. Come on, pack it up and let’s join them outside.”

Eriko: “I....I can’t”

Eriko just puts her head back down on her arms. Hatsue tries to pull her with no luck.

Hatsue: "Okay, okay, I get it. We'll eat inside today. But what a waste, although, it looks like you've made enough progress to skip one day."

Eriko (to herself): “Progress, what does she mean? What does she think is going on?”

Hatsue: “I mean, that’s a pretty big sign right there that...”

Eriko shoots her a death look. Hatsue just laughs at her.

Hatsue: "Hahahaha! At least your willing to look at me again. Anyway, I've got an idea, are you free after school?"

SCENE 5:

After school, students are getting ready to go home. Hatsue is pulling Eriko down the hall by her arm.

Eriko: "Where are we going?"

Hatsue: "You'll see. Anyway, you wouldn't come if I told you!"

Eriko: "Then I’m not going...I have to go...um...home?"

Hatsue (to herself): “Why did that sound like a question?”

Hatsue gives Eriko a cute but devious look.

Hatsue: "Too late, we're here!"

It's the Home Economics room. Eriko is just a bit confused.

Eriko (to herself): “What are we doing here?”

Hatsue notices she’s confused.

Hatsue: "Don’t look so surprised. If you're going to get any farther with her, you need to learn to cook, come on!"

Eriko (to herself): “Farther with who? She doesn’t mean...she can’t possibly think...I mean, I don’t care about...I...I don't think of her...”

Hatsue drags Eriko in.

Hatsue: “Okay, I’m going to teach you to make lunch.”

Eriko: “Lunch?”

Hatsue: “Come on, what she did today!? It was huge, you have to reciprocate. You can’t miss a chance like this.”

                Eriko (to herself): "Reciprocate?"

                Eriko: "I...I don't...understand."

Hatsue: "Come on, don't you want to see her face when you give her a homemade lunch?"

                Eriko (to herself): "Her face...will she...smile?"

Eriko is somewhat lost in thought at this.

Hatsue (to herself): "Wow, it's like you can see the smoke coming out of her ears! But I mean, is she really that dense about her feelings and Kiyoura-san's? This might take a lot more than lunch, but she’s got to start somewhere, I guess.”

Hatsue: "Besides, it'll be fun to spend time together now that we're friends."

Eriko: “We're...friends?”

Hatsue gives her a big smile.

Hatsue: “Of course, stupid!”

Scenes of them cooking, making a mess, Eriko burning things, setting things on fire, stuff coming out awful looking, spilling things, etc... they're laughing in a way we haven't seen Eriko laugh before.

Hatsue: "I like it when you smile"

Eriko blushes then changes the subject.

Eriko: "Um...So you...and...that guy?"

Hatsue gets kind of shy and looks away a bit.

Hatsue: "Oh, uh, you mean Tetsu? Um, I...I guess."

Eriko (to herself): "Is that what it looks like to be in love?”

Eriko: “Is it...do you...love him?”

Hatsue: “Well, I...I guess I do.”

Hatsue (to herself): “That’s not exactly a lie, right?”

Eriko: “How...how did you know?”

Hatsue (blushing): "Well, I guess...I guess you just do, right? It’s not really one thing, I don’t think...”

Hatsue (to herself): “I’m totally bluffing here, I guess it’s okay, it seems like she knows even less about this stuff than I do.”

                Eriko (to herself): "I've never seen her like this."

Eriko: “I thought you were more...confident.”

Hatsue: “You think? I don’t know. Maybe on the outside, but when I’m with him...I guess I don’t have to be. Just being with him makes me feel safe, I don’t have to try so hard.”

Eriko: “So that’s...love?”

Hatsue: “Love? Hmmmm...Feeling safe? I guess that’s a big part of it. At least for me. Anyway, what about you?”

Eriko: “M...Me?”

Hatsue: “Yeah, do you have someone you love?”

Hatsue (to herself): “I’m not expecting much, but you never know, maybe she's more aware than I'm giving her credit for.”

Eriko: “No. I mean...I...I don’t...”

Eriko starts to look away, to lose herself in the moment.

Hatsue (to herself): "Hmmmm?"

Hatsue: “Okay, okay, never mind, it’s fine, it’s fine. Here, look at this next step.”

Hatsue reaches to point at the recipe book, but throws some flour at Eriko in jest. Eriko is shocked, but then an evil smile crosses her face. Eriko throws some flower back. They both start laughing. More shots of them back to cooking and having a good time.

SCENE 6:

Nightime. Eriko comes home with groceries. She puts them away in the fridge with Heizo watching silently and tracking her movements. He's got a sly, confident, little grin on. She sits down with him for dinner.

Both: "Thank you for the food" (Itadakimasu)

Heizo (slyly): "It’s unusual to see you go shopping."

Eriko responds quietly and noncommittally.

Eriko: "mmm."

Heizo: “Maybe you’re going to cook this old man something delicious?”

Eriko is frantic, thinking she's done something wrong.

Eriko: “Oh god! I...I'm sorry...I'll help out more."

Heizo laughs an old man laugh.

Heizo: "Ho, ho, ho! It's not that this old man would mind, but..."

Eriko: “With everything you’ve done for me...”

Heizo: “Silly girl, I’m just kidding. You have school to worry about. Besides, it’s nice to have someone to care for.”

Eriko: “What?”

Heizo: “I promise, you do more for me than I could possibly do for you.”

Eriko: “But you...you took me in...you...you saved me.”

Heizo responds very sarcastically, yet kindly.

Heizo: “Yes, I did take in a beautiful young lady. Clearly I’m the victim here."

Eriko blushes. She looks up and Heizo is just smiling kindly. She blushes and looks down.

Heizo (to himself) "Teenagers are so wonderful to tease! She’s so transparent, so earnest."

They go back to eating, this time in silence.

Eriko: "Thank you for the food. I'm going to bed."

She gets up and carries her dishes into the kitchen.

Heizo (to himself): "But really, where did she come from? What happened to her to bring her to me? What can I really do for her?"

SCENE 7:

Scenes of them sleeping, Eriko tossing and turning in bed, Heizo in his chair (never made it to his bedroom); a book, open on his lap.

Black panels with the white lights of Kami-sama and Eriko’s mother.

Kami-sama: “The earth is restless, it needs its balance.”

Eriko’s mother: “She is so close, don’t you want to see?”

Kami-sama: “I thought it was you who accused me of making this into a game, yet you hang your emotions on such trivial events?”

Eriko’s mother: “Trivial to you yes, but to a girl’s heart...”

Kami-sama: “We will see what the dawn brings. One more day will not change our course, nor hers.”

SCENE 8:

"Friday"

The dawn comes. Early in the morning on Friday, Heizo still "sleeping" in his chair. Eriko in the kitchen cooking, lots of rattling and clanging and chopping. Heizo is actually awake and watching her from the other room, he has one eye on the action and a small smile on his face. He turns his head back and closes his eyes, satisfied.

SCENE 9:

Eriko is laying on the bench in the main entry yard of the school. She's got her bag next to her, it's a bit bulging compared to normal. She's got her arm over her eyes and her leg up on the bench where she's laying. We hear poking sounds.

                Sound effects: "Poke, poke"

Eriko opens her eyes to see Yuka squatting down poking at her full bag. She sees Eriko looking at her, smiles big and then tilts her head in a question and points at the bag. Eriko's eyes widen. She quickly snatches her bag up and holds it tightly against her chest.

                Eriko: "Wha...what are you doing?"

Aiko is standing there looking off to the side, clearly annoyed at them. Yuka points towards the bag again.

                Eriko: "It's...nothing!"

Eriko gets up and rushes away inside, clutching the bag. Yuka is just blinking after her, she turns to Aiko questioningly. Aiko just shrugs.

                Aiko: "You're on your own with her."

SCENE 10:

Lunchtime. Eriko has her head on her arms on her desk again. Hatsue is just coming over when Yuka and Aiko walk past on their way out of the room. Yuka goes to put a lunch on Eriko's desk, but Eriko turns her head away, blushes (in secret), doesn't refuses to look at Yuka and says:

Eriko: "I...have one, already."

Yuka looks down sadly/hurt, withdraws the lunch she was about to leave, then brings her head up with a sad little smile but also a tear in her eye, nods 'yes,' and then walks dejectedly out of the room alone. Aiko left behind.

Aiko: "You asshole!"

Eriko doesn't even look up.

Eriko: “What did you say?”

Aiko: “You heard me. I said you’re an asshole. You knew what she was doing for you. For YOU of all people? You don’t deserve her attention or her kindness.”

Eriko stands up at this and says in Aiko's face:

Eriko: "What’s your problem?”

Students in the room are noticing this conflict and staring, whispering in the background.

Aiko: "You're my problem, ever since you came, you do nothing but hurt Yuka! Stay away from her!"

Eriko moves in on Aiko.

                Students whispering: "Okumura-san is gonna die!"

                Students whispering: "I don't know, she's pretty strong."

Aiko stumbles back and knocks Eriko’s bag off her desk. Two lunches fall out. Eriko sees them, blushes, and quickly stoops down and starts picking up all her stuff trying to keep people from seeing it.

Aiko: "Wait, why do you have two lunches?"

Eriko (to herself): “Oh no, they saw. I am so stupid, what was I thinking, how can I give her a lunch now?”

Hatsue starts smiling and laughing.

Hatsue: "Arishima-san, you're such an idiot, just go, find her already! She misunderstood you."

Eriko looks up at Hatsue's kind face.

Hatsue: “What are you waiting for? Go, go!”

Eriko looks over at Aiko. Aiko just turns away from her in a huff but without saying anything or trying to stop her.

Eriko takes the two lunches and runs out of the room. Aiko just gives a death look to Hatsue for supporting them but Hatsue just gives Aiko the biggest smile and a shrug back (like, “I had nothing to do with it").

SCENE 11:

Eriko is running down the halls, she checks outside but doesn't see Yuka anywhere. She turns around and starts looking all over the school. She thinks back to Yuka’s sad face as she left the room.

Eriko (to herself): “I can’t believe I’m doing this. But I...I made  Kiyoura-san sad. It’s all my fault for even trying, for even thinking that I could...that she would...”

As she passes a window she sees a bit of clothing from behind a tree in the back part of the building. She goes out and carefully goes around it to see Yuka sitting with her legs pulled up, head on her knees. Eriko is standing still, maybe a bit backlit by the sun.

Eriko: "Um...Ki...Kiyoura...san?”

Yuka doesn’t look up from her pose.

Eriko: “Um...I think you...I made you...misunderstand.”

Eriko (to herself): “Dammit, why is this so hard? Why can’t I get my words out?”

Yuka isn't responding.

Eriko: “...I’m sorry...I didn’t mean to...to not accept your lunch...I...I do want it...”

Eriko (to herself): “Fujimaki-san talked about being friends...is this what’s it’s like to want to be friends?”

Eriko: “It’s just that...well...here!”

Eriko shoves her own homemade lunch at Yuka as she's saying the above. Yuka pulls her head up from her legs, it turns out she was actually playing with a frog, which jumps out and scares Eriko, knocking her back. Yuka just starts dying with laughter and a big grin and a kind look in her eye, like she is so happy to see Eriko.”

Eriko: "I was so worried... I...I thought you..."

Aiko comes up from behind them.

Aiko: "You thought she what?"

Eriko is trying to hide her embarrassment.

Eriko: "Nothing, nevermind."

Hatsue: “Come on, let’s eat!”

We see all four of them eating lunch together. Yuka opens up Eriko's homemade lunch, it's nothing fancy, mostly just rice balls and simple things like cherry tomatoes. They aren’t beautifully made (very rough and first-time effort).

                Eriko: "I...I'm sorry...I'm not very good..."

Yuka shakes her head 'no.'

Yuka smiles huge and begins eating it greedily and gleefully, getting rice on her face, looking adorable. Eriko is watching her and secretly smiling. Aiko is sighing and pulling the rice off Yuka’s face. Eriko cautiously opens and begins eating the really nice lunch that Yuka made, blushing as she does so. Hatsue is there eating too. The camera continues to pull back in successive panels showing the group of four from ever greater distances, sitting together under the tree, looking like they might actually be a group of friends.

(to be continued...)