Episode 2. Why Am I Here?

Kaihei and Sister Akane are checking a video tape from the Broadcast Course of the school. She explains him that the short cut at the school entrance is the only one in which Merina appears.

None of the teachers are really enthusiastic to find out where Merina is. Some male teachers are keen to deny the rumor while others are concerned in avoiding their responsibility. Jasmine is sure Merina will come back in a few days and the other teachers agree with her. Akane sums up the mood of the meeting; wait and see. She then asks Kaihei's opinion, who has no choice but to agree but insists that he will personally continue to search for her. After the meeting he confide himself to Akane; he is disappointed to see that no one seems to worry about Merina. Akane tells him they are, as a teacher, more concerned with their own class.

Noriko comes to see Kaihei to ask what lecture he is going to take from now. As soon as she hears his answer, Electric Engineering, she says "Oh, Jim the sexual harasser". She takes him to the classroom but it isn't only her that are interested in his next move. Two girls nearby look at each other with a smile to know it. As he is dragged away by his sister, Kaihei asks Akane if she is not worried about Merina, either. Her answer is, however, swallowed in the bells.

In the electron engineering class, the two girls tease Kaihei by lifting their skirts a little to which he doesn't know how to react. The girls are told off by a woman teacher but Jim sees Asako's legs peeping from her lifted skirts.

In fact Kaihei seems to be very popular among the girls. Even when he asks around about Merina, they are only concerned about him. It is Ryuuzou who literally drags him away from the girls. He tells Kaihei that he is the sole topic of conversation in the dorm. He, who feels like a hungry dog who is told to wait before food, tells him to be more alert about them. But Kaihei has no intention to listen to him.

Yukine lights a candle on a piano. Asked by Shanon, she tells it is Sweet Lime, the best one to relax. She has also blended oil specially made for Shanon that will make her feel "fantastic". It does make Shanon feel good and she starts to compose her new piece, Prelude to Call a UFO. Last time, she made "Cantata to Resurrect Amakusa Shirou" which completely failed. She claims he was ill-suited with her. But today she is sure her music will work and they encounter "aliens" [Here Shanon says 'isei no hito' which mean "people from another planet" but the word has the same pronunciation with another, meaning "people of the opposite sex"].

Kaihei and Ryuuzou pass by the prefabricated house for the art club, on whose wall Cathrine is painting her art. Kaihei asks her about Merina, which appalls Ryuuzou. "Are you going to ask every single girl in the school about her?" That's exactly what Kaihei was thinking but the old woman on a bicycle distracts him.

As he approaches her, she declares, "I know it", before he even asks a question but doesn't say what she knows. Hearing the name of Merina from Kaihei, she takes it as she has committed a suicide. She has no intention to listen to him and just carries on to talk things like, "I thought a girl like her won't do such a thing..." as if to herself.

Kaihei, Ryuuzou, Noriko and Ryouko are having tea. Noriko tells the boys the old woman must be Suzuyoshi Moe but doesn't know what she is herself. Ryouko is more keen on colouring her nails than the conversation but warned by Noriko; she is breaking the school code (not to colour nails) in front of the Chairman. Ryuuzou shares with Kaihei unhappiness that no one in the school seems to be concerned about Merina. Suddenly Ryouko mutters "Suicide...". Noriko thinks it is possible but Ryuuzou is sure it isn't the case. But Noriko insists that "Merina" which Asako saw may have been a ghost and Ryuuzou becomes not so sure of his opinion.

Then Kaihei's pager rings; "Why don't you go to the dorm?" He doesn't know who sends the message but asks Akane if he can see Merina's room in the dorm. She is reluctant as men are prohibited from the dorm but his enthusiasm persuades her to agree in the end.

Sister Gena, who is the matron of the dorm, guides him to the room but, as usual, is very concerned about possible troubles caused by Kaihei's visit. They have come here secretly not to be notices by other girls but underestimated their ability to sense events. They all know of his visit and peep out of their rooms.

In Merina's room, Kaihei cannot find anything except fragrance of lavender. Ryuuzou tells him it is not unusual in the dorm. Koushinzuka Yukine can get all sorts of fragrance for other students. Even one with aphrodisiac effect called Ylang-Ylang [Cananga odorata] is available. Akane finds a small scent bag under the pillow and points out Merina must have had a sleeping difficulty as lavender is effective for insomnia.

While the three are investigating the room, Jasmine comes to the dorm. She has heard a man entered it and intends to punish him severely.

Kaihei and the other two continue to survey Merina's room. All of her books are on philosophy, which are beyond Ryuuzou's comprehension. Kaihei finds her diary and, with Akane's permission, opens it. "What am I doing? Why am I here?"

Asako rushes into the room to tell them Jasmine is coming. The girls takes Kaihei away for safety. Jasmine comes to Merina's room when Akane and Ryuuzou are just coming out of it.

Kaihei is told by the girls to hide in a room downstairs. But it was a trap; the girls are going to fill the room with Ylang-Ylang, which would make even serious-minded Kaihei an easy prey for them. But Yukine tells her that Ylang-Ylang has been sold out for the day and the room is already occupied.

Inside the room, Kaihei finds Shanon playing the synthesizer. It takes a little before she notices him as she was absorbed by her own music. She thinks Kaihei is an alien which her prelude has attracted. He asks her to carry on and begins to read the diary again. It is full of questions to herself and reminds him Asako's word, "Merina was a girl who was wishing to vanish." He asks himself, "Then why am *I* here?"

Before he finds the answer, the fire alarm goes off in the dorm. It is a fake one which Jasmine has set off, finding a man in the dorm. A boy has been with Mimori Machi in her room and Jasmine severely accuses her. She orders Machi, who looks restless [probably because of Ylang-Ylang] to immediately get out of the room. Asako comes in to intervene; she thinks Jasmine's one-sided decision is unfair but Jasmine shows no sympathy to her. Then Ryuuzou speaks up on behalf of the girls. He thinks banning men from the dorm is too oldfashioned, especially for St Luminous which claims to care students' natural feelings. Jasmine isn't moved and insists on the punishment.

Akane comes there with Kaihei, "The punishment should be given by the Chairman of the Trustees". He is very reluctant to punish her but gets reproached by a surprising person; a freshman, Irina. She tells him she chose the school because it is girls only and his changing rules freely is not acceptable. Jasmine makes the most of it and urges Kaihei to decide now.

All the arguments are more than enough for Machi. She shouts, "I don't want to stay at a place like this!," and runs out of the room. Kaihei goes after her, leaving angry Jasmine behind, who points her anger to Asako instead.

Kaihei finds Machi in the misty ground of the school. Her image in the mist reminds him of Merina and sends him to panic. He jumps on to her and cries, "Don't vanish". Her words of pain brings him back to reality. He apologises and offers hand to get her up. But she wants to stay lying on the ground as "it feels nice." She continues to talk; "Funny, isn't it? I'm lying on the ground in the mist. Don't you wonder why I am doing such a thing?" The question alerts Kaihei but her answer is completely unexpected. "Because you pushed me down!" It is her turn to jump on to him and hug him. She asks him what her punishment will be. "A report on why she chose the school" This light punishment surprises and somewhat disappoints her. With a kiss to him, she walks back to the dorm.

The next day is a fine day and Cathrine continues to work on her art on the wall. Jasmine gives a hard swimming training to Asako. It is obvious she does it as a revenge. As Cathrine takes a break and watches Asako from the distance, Asako disappears into the water. "She's vanished..."

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