Cycle I: Coming on Strong
The Hidden Voice
Record ~ Kawaii · Debut
THE HOUSE OF ZAN — Zan
Opening Arrangement: ♡ SUMMONERS 2+ — DeCIDE
Oh!
You’re here!
I was planning a proper introduction.
Something SPECTACULAR!
Balloons!
Perhaps a little confetti.
Even if it takes forever to clean up.
And a very dramatic bow.
But I suppose we can skip the ceremony.
I’m Emika Hanamori!
But you can call me Emi.
Unless you’re announcing that I’ve won something.
Then I expect the full name.
ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ
Before we get too far along…
If you’d rather jump straight into my interpretation of Cycle I: The Record and skip my brief introduction to the Kawaii Edition series, you can start right away!
I won’t be offended.
Probably.
Hop! To Cycle I: The Record ~ Kawaii Edition →
Still here?
Wonderful!
I was hoping we’d have a chance to talk first.
You see, I’ve always found people rather fascinating.
Have you ever received a message that simply said Sure and wondered whether somebody was happy, annoyed, or secretly disappointed?
It’s one little word!
How complicated could it possibly be?
…
Very complicated!
I could probably come up with six different explanations.
Seven, if I was feeling particularly imaginative.
And after all that careful consideration?
I might still be wrong!
How embarrassing.
But that’s what makes people so interesting!
We form impressions, make assumptions, develop expectations, and somehow convince ourselves we understand somebody we’ve barely begun to know.
Sometimes we’re right.
Sometimes we’re spectacularly wrong.
And occasionally, the person causing all the confusion turns out to be us.
Honestly!
Some people can be so difficult.
…
Oh.
That includes me, doesn’t it?
How inconvenient!
ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ
But that’s where Cycle I: The Record comes in to say Hi!
The original Records explore how quickly we think we’ve figured somebody out, even when they’ve hardly told us anything.
A little presumptuous of us, don’t you think?
And each voice has its own way of looking at things.
And then there’s me!
I’m exploring many of those same questions through my own understanding of the world.
With curiosity, imagination, and perhaps a slightly unreasonable enthusiasm for things that make me happy.
Because I don’t think something becomes less meaningful simply because it makes you smile.
Do you?
We can enjoy ourselves while thinking about complicated things.
Imagine that!
How terribly unconventional.
That’s what makes this my interpretation.
I’m not simply retelling the original Records with a few cute decorations.
…
Although I do have some lovely decorations.
(=^･ω･^=)
That’s beside the point!
These are their own pieces of art, exploring much of the same psychology through a different personality and perspective.
And sometimes I even surprise myself with what I discover.
How exciting!
There’s something else you should know.
There’s no sexual content, suggestive material, violence, profanity, or anything deliberately shocking in Cycle I: The Record ~ Kawaii Edition.
But that doesn’t mean we’ll avoid complicated feelings.
People can be disappointing.
Trust can be difficult.
And sometimes learning something about ourselves isn’t particularly comfortable.
I simply have my own way of exploring those feelings, with curiosity, humor, and the occasional spectacular misunderstanding.
You also don’t need to know anything about the original Records, psychology, or Japanese popular culture to enjoy what we’re exploring.
Although I might have a few recommendations.
Excellent ones!
And speaking of excellent things…
I have opinions!
Quite a few, actually.
Most of which are perfectly reasonable.
According to me.
I’m enthusiastic, curious, and occasionally stubborn.
I also have a tendency to talk.
Quite a lot!
An idea that another voice might explore in a few sentences could become an entire conversation with me.
I like considering possibilities!
Examining things from different directions.
And occasionally getting so carried away that I forget what I was originally trying to explain.
…
Wait.
What were we talking about?
Me!
Right.
An excellent subject.
૮₍ ˶•ᴥ•˶ ₎ა
But I’m not here to tell you my entire life story.
Goodness!
We’ve only just met!
I’d rather let you get to know me.
Through the things I notice.
The questions I ask.
The opinions I defend.
And perhaps a few things I reveal without quite meaning to.
…
Hmm.
That last one sounds slightly dangerous.
I should be careful.
But that’s rather important to The Hidden Voice.
A voice can tell you a great deal about somebody without telling you everything.
And sometimes what we discover later changes how we understand what they’ve already told us.
Perhaps that will happen with me.
Or perhaps you’ll become increasingly convinced that I’m exactly as wonderful as I first appeared.
A perfectly reasonable possibility!
Now, there are a few things you should know about how my Records work.
Each one stands on its own.
You can choose whichever interests you without needing to read everything else first.
Some Records give us plenty to talk about.
Others get straight to the point.
And a few might be over before you’ve even settled in!
See? Even I know when to stop talking.
Sometimes.
But if you’d like my recommendation?
Start at the beginning!
Read them together, in order.
Not because there’s an elaborate story you need to follow.
But because getting to know somebody is different when you remember the conversations you’ve already had.
You might recognize something I’ve said before.
Catch me contradicting myself.
Or discover that something I say later changes how you understood me earlier.
You might even change your mind about me!
…
Hopefully for the better.
But I suppose that’s your decision.
And there’s something else!
Music!
I love music.
And I’ve personally selected a Companion Track for each Record.
Each song is another piece of art, chosen because I believe it belongs beside what I’ve written.
I know why I chose each one.
But you might hear something in it that never occurred to me.
Now I’m curious!
You don’t have to listen to enjoy the Records.
Each one is complete without its music.
But I hope you’ll give the songs a chance.
After all, I chose them for a reason!
And besides…
I have excellent taste!
Obviously.
/ᐠ｡ꞈ｡ᐟ\
You’ll also find a little Japanese OPENING at the beginning of each Record, with an English ENDING waiting when we’ve finished.
Two little moments surrounding our conversation.
One before we’ve begun.
Another after we’ve had something to think about.
Perhaps they’ll mean something different to you once we’ve finished.
Or perhaps you’ll discover that you understood them perfectly from the beginning.
How impressive!
Either way, there won’t be a test afterward.
Goodness!
Can’t we enjoy a conversation without turning it into homework?
If something gives you a new idea, wonderful!
If it simply makes you laugh, that’s wonderful, too.
Although I’d be especially pleased if I managed both!
You don’t have to agree with everything I say, either.
Although I’d certainly prefer it.
Imagine how wonderful that would be!
Everybody agreeing with me.
All the time.
Without question.
…
Actually…
That sounds rather boring.
Eventually.
I’d much rather discover that somebody has something interesting to say.
Even if it means reconsidering one of my excellent opinions.
Perhaps you’ll recognize yourself in something I say.
Or remember somebody you’ve known.
Or wonder how I could possibly have arrived at such a ridiculous conclusion.
Excuse me?!
Well…
I suppose that’s part of getting to know somebody.
We don’t get to decide everything another person thinks about us.
Even when we’ve made a perfectly wonderful impression.
Like mine!
Naturally.
There are twenty-six Records waiting for you.
If you dare!
…
That sounded rather spooky.
How exciting!
Ꮚ•ꈊ•Ꮚ
You can visit for one conversation or stay for the entire experience.
Perhaps you’ll discover something familiar.
Something unexpected.
Or something that makes you look at somebody a little differently.
I’d really like that.
And perhaps, by the time we’ve finished, you’ll have a better idea of who I am.
Although I wouldn’t get too confident.
People can be full of surprises.
Especially me!
…
Oh!
Look at what I’ve done.
I’ve spent all this time explaining what it might be like to get to know somebody.
And we’ve barely even started getting to know each other!
How embarrassing!
Perhaps we should begin with something simple.
Something ordinary.
Something people do every single day without giving it much thought.
…
Although I suspect we’ll find plenty to think about.
Shall we?
I think I’d like to start by saying hello.
Hop! To Cycle I: The Record ~ Kawaii Edition →
／(=･ x ･=)＼
For other rooms in The House of Zan, return to the House Map.