To Heart 2: Yuki Kusakabe

Generic disclaimer: Same basic rules apply as in my To Heart 2 project. Please do comment or contact me in case I have mistakes in describing each girl's scenario.

This is the shortest scenario, but the most confusing so far to me! I really never knew the point of Yuki's story, except that she is also of the childhood friend/promise type. In any case, I will try my very best in relaying to you whatever little I understood about Yuki.

Yuki Kusakabe's scenario doesn't appear in the game until you finished some other girls. But once you did that, there will be a new decision option in April 14, where Takaki goes back to school at night. That night, Takaki sees Yuki. She seems to know about him already, and also, they seem to get close almost immediately. Takaki offers Yuki a canned drink in the vending machine, and she gladly accepts.

Lonely Girl

By the way, her scenario seems to require that Takaki should also get close to Karin Sasamori! Yuki is actually a weird girl, she sometimes talks all by herself, hums singing tunes, talks while dreaming (as if she's Takaki's wife in the dream), and tells random stories to Takaki. It seems that through Karin and her UMA (Unidentified Mysterious Animal) research, Takaki tries to find out about the mysterious girl. Why does she only appear at late hours, and only at the school? Does she have no home?

Events

In any case, Yuki shows lots of weirdness, but actually is more normal than any other To Heart 2 girl. To describe, I think she is in the middle of Konomi and Manaka when it comes to cheerfulness. Anyway, she and Takaki do all sorts of stuff, like finding trash items? (she has a trash basket note book) They also do a tea party on an empty science room.

Stories

More importantly, Yuki tells a lot of contemporary stories to Takaki. I didn't catch most of the narratives because of my lack of Japanese, but most of them may coincide with legend and classical stories like a typical Princess and a poor man falling in love story, Noah's Ark, among others. She also told a story about the sea when they had gone in an aquarium.

Childhood

This is where it all gets confusing. Yuki wants Takaki to remember "something". Actually, Yuki already knows about Takaki from way back in childhood. But her attempts seem futile, and her time is running out. Yuki offers that they go see a meteor shower one night, because she said this may be the last time they will be together. And so one night, at the roof, they wait for the shooting stars. Yuki surprisingly knows many stuff about the stars and constellations, and even told stories about them. I guess through the stories Yuki is trying to make him remember, but still not. But it doesn't matter anymore, and they kiss within the shooting stars. Yuki's departure is about to start, and so she offers a final song to Takaki. The song seems familiar to me. In any case, a faint flashback happens, where we see an empty chair. The memory is still bleak to Takaki though. After that, he sees that Yuki is gone. But she left a diary. After reading the diary, he rushes out to find her. While running though, he is about to be run over by a truck! But Yuki is there to seemingly save him.

"I am someone who's not supposed to be here"

This is where the story gets mystical, so get ready for reality bending. Yuki says that the diary seems to be from the future? Trying to warn Yuki about an incoming accident involving Takaki. Okay, maybe Yuki's story will clear it out more. Based on what I understood, Yuki is a childhood friend and classmate, but was supposed to transfer to another place because the family is moving. On the day of the transfer though, young Yuki seems to realize (through the diary?) that young Takaki is going to have an accident! The end result is that Yuki saved Takaki and was supposed to have died. But then she woke up to the present time. She was very surprised when she met Takaki at present. The reason why she wanted to make him remember the past is that the accident day split Yuki's destinies. The real Yuki is the one who moved back then, the alternate Yuki is the one Takaki met at present. A lonely alternate Yuki, without any home, that's why she thinks she isn't supposed to be. As Yuki had called it destined meetings, Yuki had already met Takaki three times. First is the real meeting when she was supposed to move to another place. Second is the chance meeting in the accident maybe. Third is the present meeting. After hearing this, Takaki finally remembered what he was supposed to remember. I think the alternate Yuki's role is over, and so she disappeared as Takaki faints.

Separation

Takaki wakes up at a hospital bed, thinking that Yuki is the one in front of him. It was actually Konomi (they look alike, heh), and was quite worried about him. He was supposed to be run over by a truck right? Actually, the truck had a separate accident not involving Takaki. Takaki was only hospitalized because of fainting! What a weakling. Yuji also paid over to visit, and make a tease out of Takaki's clumsiness.

Reunion

Some days later, I guess he misses Yuki, but then… Yuki appears near the vending machine! This is the real Yuki who has moved from way back. Now she transferred back into their school. Yay, they're happy to be together again!

The end. I saw no epilogue, maybe because she's the bonus character. In any case, it was short and sweet. Confusing too, but that's fine with me. Now I have to prepare for Lucy though, I think she will be the one to test my pretentious Japanese skills to the fullest. Until next time.

This is a Summer of Bishoujo feature