1. The moment I was born,
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2. my fate was set in stone.
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3. I was destined for a life of solitude.
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4. I had long resigned myself to it.
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5. For a princess born into royalty,
it was inevitable and inescapable.
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6. And yet I longed...
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7. That zing just now...
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8. Could it be?
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9. Is she my soulmate?
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10. The 100 Girlfriends
Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You
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11. I didn't expect to run into another
soulmate here and now.
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12. Oh, no! You go ahead!
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13. Is she telling me to read that?
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14. Er...
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15. "'Tis I, the governor of this land"?
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16. You mean you're a librarian?
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17. "He had hit the bull's-eye."
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18. Wait.
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19. What's going on here?
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20. Is it no talking in the library?
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21. "What brings you here? What do you seek?"
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22. "I wished to aid in their goal."
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23. Oh, uh...
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24. Book.
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25. Novel.
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26. Funny.
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27. Story of...
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28. "Why do you not open your mouth?"
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29. Right back at ya!
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30. "My apologies."
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31. "She found conversing
with people most difficult."
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32. "I'll go get someone else."
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33. Wait, wait!
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34. Sorry, I didn't realize.
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35. Could you help me?
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36. Do you have any recommendations?
My favorite genre is romance.
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37. I'd like something with a good ending,
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38. where the characters overcome
difficulties to live happily ever after.
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39. Any suggestions?
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40. Look at this tiny girl running around...
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41. Trying so hard to help me.
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42. Trying way too hard!
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43. "I'm so sorry."
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44. "It was but a nuisance."
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45. "Take what you need, and be on your way."
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46. Nah, you picked these out for me,
so I want to read them all.
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47. Yeah, I'll borrow them all.
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48. Oh, dear.
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49. Sorry, it takes a week
to issue a new library card.
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50. Come back next week.
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51. Skewered with office pens,
bound with red tape!
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52. That book...
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53. It belongs to you and not the library, right?
You're willing to lend it to me?
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54. Really? Thanks!
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55. Oh, by the way, what's your name?
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56. Class 1-4, Yoshimoto Shizuka-san...
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57. Oh, we're in the same class!
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58. Sorry, I haven't memorized
everyone's faces yet.
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59. I'm Aijo Rentaro.
Thanks for this, Yoshimoto-san.
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60. Oh!
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61. I think this recipe might be more in line
with Rentaro-kun's tastes.
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62. Huh? L-Lemme see.
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63. Look at your own book.
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64. Oh, wow. Are those all cookbooks?
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65. Rentaro-kun!
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66. I kept picking out more and more books
trying to find something that'd make you happy!
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67. I-I just wanted to boost
my repertoire of dishes!
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68. You two!
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69. I'm blessed to have
such hard-working girlfriends!
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70. "Circlet Love Story."
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71. A story of Princess Io
and her knight Kamakuru,
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72. and their star-crossed romance.
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73. I hope that your fealty and
propriety will remain steadfast.
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74. Sir Kamakuru, I do hereby
proclaim thee my knight.
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75. Princess Io, I swear on my life that
I will protect you, no matter what it takes!
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76. Those were the very first words exchanged
between Princess Io and Sir Kamakuru.
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77. And then, the two locked eyes.
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78. They would rise above their status
as princess and knight,
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79. and give their hearts to each other.
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80. She is to marry into our ally's royal family.
I'm sure His Majesty is overjoyed.
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81. Princess Io!
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82. Princess Io! I swore on my life to protect you,
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83. and yet I... I...
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84. Is there no way for us to defy this fate?
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85. You can do it, Kamakuru, Io!
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86. Don't let fate defeat you!
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87. Beat the odds and live happily ever after!
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88. The first book ends here?
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89. "Fate," huh?
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90. Soulmates must be together, or else...
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91. they die.
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92. Good morning, Yoshimoto-san.
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93. Thanks for this.
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94. It was so good, I read it all in one night!
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95. Huh?
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96. Is that book...
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97. You brought the sequel for me? Wow, thanks!
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98. I'm dying to know what happens next!
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99. But wait, I gotta repay you first.
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100. I know!
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101. Come with me for a sec!
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102. Oh!
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103. These animal nuggets are cute!
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104. Okay, I'm gonna make 'em.
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105. Hey, quit stealing my ideas!
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106. You wha? I found it first!
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107. I feel like they're thick as thieves now.
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108. It's nothing! Just my way of
saying thanks for the book.
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109. Do you read a lot?
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110. I see. No wonder you knew about that series.
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111. I've read lots of romance novels in the past,
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112. but that was something else!
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113. A charming love story and an epic adventure!
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114. I was panicking hard when Io and
Kamakuru had their misunderstanding!
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115. "This is my favorite item, too."
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116. "I have carried it from an early age."
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117. "She pored over the text repeatedly."
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118. I see. That explains it.
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119. I mean, the way you talk...
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120. You always flip the pages
and find the right line to say in an instant.
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121. You must know that book
like the back of your hand.
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122. I've never read the same book
over and over like that.
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123. That's so cool.
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124. Yoshimoto-san?
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125. "I am unworthy of such praise."
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126. "It was an act that came naturally to her."
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127. "Given the kind of person I am,"
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128. "there has never been even one person
I could call a friend in all my life."
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129. "Only the world I saw
through here gave me respite."
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130. "I thank you from the bottom of my heart."
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131. "For you do not shun
the person I have become."
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132. Shun you? Why would I?
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133. Hey, sorry, can I borrow
that first volume again?
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134. I'll give it back as soon as I can.
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135. Thanks.
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136. You're in high spirits, Yoshimoto-san.
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137. Did something good happen?
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138. "I vehemently deny that accusation."
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139. "The days go by, unchanging as ever."
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140. "I am merely carrying out my duty."
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141. "And what is my duty..."
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142. Okay, okay! I get it!
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143. You always seem so
sleepy lately, Rentaro-kun.
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144. Yeah... I've just been getting busy.
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145. I've had a few late nights.
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146. "Late nights"?
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147. "Getting busy"?
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148. Is something wrong?
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149. Oh, okay. If you say so.
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150. H-Hakari?
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151. Just sharing some of my energy.
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152. Tee-hee!
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153. Thank you, Hakari, my dear angel!
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154. Gah! H-H-Hold up!
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155. I've got plenty of energy
for you myself, you know!
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156. Really?
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157. Sweet Chin Music, delivered via headbutt?
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158. Oh, s-sorry!
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159. Thank you, Karane, my Gradivus!
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160. Why am I the god of war now?
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161. Aijo-kun already has a girlfriend.
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162. No wonder.
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163. He's too busy to read books all the time.
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164. What did I expect? Nobody...
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165. What's your deal, Yoshimoto-san?
Why do you always talk through that book?
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166. Can't you just talk normally? It's creepy.
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167. Why can't you talk like the other kids?
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168. Come on, speak up!
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169. You'll never be able to talk
if you keep clinging to that stupid book!
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170. S-Sorry...
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171. Come on, say something!
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172. Speak!
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173. Speak already!
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174. Why are you such a freak?
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175. Nobody has the time
to talk to a freak like me.
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176. Oh, good. You're still here, Yoshimoto-san.
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177. You see, I wanted to repay you today
for lending me your books.
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178. Do you have a smartphone?
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179. Great.
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180. There's an app I want you to install.
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181. Don't worry. I've confirmed it's safe.
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182. Yeah, that's the one.
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183. Once you've installed it, could you
use it to import the file I send you?
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184. Done?
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185. Now open it up.
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186. It's the first volume of Circlet Love Story.
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187. But I'm sure it hasn't been
released as an e-book.
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188. Now, when you select a part of the text...
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189. "I am Kamakuru,
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190. a knight sworn to protect
our beloved princess."
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191. It's a text-to-speech software.
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192. It'll read out whatever text that is
inputted using a synthesized voice.
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193. No way...
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194. He went through the whole book and typed
every single word into this thing?
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195. And he did it all manually?
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196. The way you were doing it, both you
and the person you were talking to
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197. had to look at the book, right?
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198. So you never really got to talk face-to-face.
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199. But if you use this app...
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200. "You can look each other in the eye."
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201. while you talk.
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202. I can't even begin to imagine
how hard it is for you to talk out loud.
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203. So I can't bring myself to push you to do it.
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204. But...
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205. I did want to make communicating
with others easier for you,
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206. and I hope this helps, even a little.
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207. Now, let's give it a shot.
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208. Try saying something to me.
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209. "I love you."
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210. "I apologize."
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211. "Pray, pay it no heed."
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212. "I ask not for an answer."
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213. "I know already there is
a maiden promised to you."
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214. "I only wished to make
my feelings known before..."
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215. Ah, I see now.
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216. It's not because she's my soulmate,
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217. or because I have to save her life,
or anything like that.
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218. I truly, genuinely just...
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219. "I love you, too!"
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220. "But we are destined to never be together."
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221. "If fate stands in our way...
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222. we need only break through it!"
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223. "Let's go forth together,"
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224. Shizuka!
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225. And there you have it.
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226. Could I have your permission to make
Yoshimoto Shizuka-chan my newest girlfriend?
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227. Did your damn brain rot away?
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228. Did. Your. Damn. Brain. Rot. Away?
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229. I can't even argue with that.
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230. Rentaro-kun... how could you...
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231. Hakari...
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232. You've found a new love,
and yet you have the grace not to dump us!
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233. How could you be so endlessly kind?
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234. Somebody stop this brainrot epidemic!
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235. No! My feelings for you haven't
shifted to Shizuka-chan or anything!
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236. If I could make an analogy,
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237. it's not that you'll be sharing
the spoils from the same old oil field.
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238. It's that meeting Shizuka-chan has
unearthed a whole new, untapped reserve!
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239. Could you maybe not compare your
love for your girlfriends to fossil fuels?
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240. Anyway, I'll cherish the two of you
and Shizuka-chan just the same as ever—
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241. No, even more than before!
And I'll prove it with my actions!
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242. Even more than before? Really?
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243. Really. And if you ever feel
like I'm not, tell me.
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244. And I'll atone for it
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245. by committing seppuku.
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246. Who're you, a samurai?
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247. Such a man! You're a man
among men, Rentaro-kun!
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248. It's the natural course of action.
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249. Anybody who hurts his loved ones is
a piece of trash that has no right to live.
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250. I've already ordered a gangsta knife online.
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251. Fine, I get that you're serious about this!
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252. No, this is something I need to do.
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253. And so the love triangle
becomes a love rectangle.
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254. Can Rentaro handle this?
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255. I need something tangible
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256. Can he maintain this eccentric relationship
with no real experience to speak of?
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257. to serve as a reminder to myself...
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258. To serve as proof of my
continued love for you three.
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259. Or is he doomed?
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260. Is he gonna have to commit hara-kiri?
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