Act 3: Castling is the third act on Hanako's route. There are two choices the player can make. One does not affect the outcome of the game and the other does.
Synopsis
Lilly realizes that Hanako's birthday is coming up. The two of them go into town and spend an exhausting day looking for a suitable present. They find what they're looking for in an antique store. Lilly buys a doll to complement the one she gave Hanako last year, and Hisao finds a reproduction of an antique chess set.
During science class, Hisao, Shizune, Misha, and Hanako are paired together for group work. Misha and Shizune's gossipy nature makes both Hanako and Hisao uncomfortable. But the final straw occurs when Misha forces Hisao why he and Lilly were gone yesterday -- birthday shopping. For some reason, this causes Hanako to freeze up. With her completely catatonic, no one is sure what to do. Mutou asks him and Shizune to take her to the nurse's office. After returning, Mutou explains why Hanako is allowed to be absent and truant so often -- that this school is meant to give opportunities these students wouldn't have in normal education -- and students who have special needs need to attend to them.
That night, when Hisao visits Hanako to check up on her, he crosses paths with Lilly who has bad news. Her aunt has become sick, and she and her sister will have to leave school for a week to visit her in Scotland. They decided to combine Hanako's birthday with a small "going away" party.
At the party, Lilly's sister has brought two bottles of wine. Hanako is delighted with her birthday presents and, as the night goes on, the wine has a noticeable effect on her, slurring and stumbling. Hisao ends up carrying her to her room and putting her to bed.
Hisao receives a letter from Iwanako shortly before he, Lilly, Akira, and Hanako spend one last night on the town. He and Hanako spend all night playing billiards while Akira and Lilly stay at the bar. Before they return to their dorms, Hisao promises Lilly that he'll be there to protect Hanako. And Hanako admits that she is there for him as well. After Lilly leaves on a bus, Hisao and Hanako either split up the rest of the day or go into town to visit the antique store where they bought her birthday presents. In either case, Hisao goes to sleep after a tiring day.
Characters
- Hisao Nakai
- Hanako Ikezawa
- Lilly Satou
- Akira Satou
- Shiina "Misha" Mikado
- Shizune Hakamichi
- Akio Mutou
- Yuuko Shirakawa
- Nurse
- Miki Miura
- Shopkeeper
- Bartender
Scenes
- Invitation
- Shady Encounter[1]
- Antiques and Pie
- Falling
- Treading Softly
- Reaching Out
- One More Year
- One Piece of Paper
- Stripes and Solids
- Beginning of the End[2]