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“Sometimes, it feels like I don’t really have any options either.”
CHAIN-LINK EVENT
WARNING: this Event is part of an Event Chain! You've lost all control over your own actions and must now sit back while
someone else takes the wheel. Enjoy the ride while it lasts, and hope that you did things right before taking the plunge!
Sensei approaches Maki, who's trying out fishing at a nearby lake, and she's happy to see him as she's bored and has no clue how to fish. He wonders why she even tries it then, and she explains that she wanted to learn it in an attempt to be "closer with nature", which he finds surprising, though Maki can say the same about him and Ami joining them.
After getting a camping chair from her car, Sensei sits next to her and, as she stares into his eyes, contemplates their respective inner turmoils. Maki compliments him for being a good guy, though he knows she only says it since she's still unaware about his relationship with Makoto, at which point he has to deal with Pareidolia again.
Maki wonders if staying silent is his default reaction after getting compliments, and when he tells her he was just lost in thoughts, she reveals that she tried fishing because her husband did it a lot as a way to calm down, making her wonder what was going on in his mind whenever he went out to fish and if she was the reason for his trips. She further explains that her attempt to fish didn't come from her desire to be closer with nature, something Sensei assumed was the case, but instead to feel closer to her husband after his death.
The conversation takes a weird turn, which makes Sensei wonder if Maki is doing alright, and while she initially plays it cool, she gives in when he asks her if she misses him – She does, and the feelings she has for him will never go away. He uses this to ask her if she has some advice in regards to moving on from losing a loved one, admitting that this is reason why he's feeling down. Unfortunately, she can't give him any advice in that regard since this is something that everyone has to overcome by themselves and help from outside won't do much as those who aren't involved can never fully comprehend the pain someone goes through after their loss.
Maki points out that there are some things to help him stay grounded, and Sensei admits that Ami is his right now, which Maki can understand since it's the same for her and Makoto.
The ending of the event plays out in two different ways:
Sensei acknowledges that he needs to put in more effort for Ami's sake and ignore his own issues for now, and while Maki encourages this mindset, she also asks him to not neglect himself completely, an advice he only halfheartedly accepts.
Maki offers to be another reason for him to stay grounded, though it causes her to stumble on her own words for a while until she can finally admit that she likes him. Sensei reveals that he already knew that and how appreciates her company, embarrassing her to the point where she runs away.
Maki Affection
