Sand Sculpture of the Heart - Track 5

It was an honor taking a picture with you! I’m definitely going to come see you on stage!

I just recently discovered Ev3ns… I watch your videos everyday! I’m so happy I got to see you here~!

Haha, thank you. We’re happy to be here as well.

Thank you for watching the videos.

Let’s all enjoy ourselves at the live show later! Everyone, I ado…

Ahem! It’s almost time to go to the stage. We’ll be moving on.

This truly is a beautiful place. Walking through these sand dunes makes me feel like I’m in a foreign country.

(Sighs)… Raito, do you even know how many times you almost broke your promise to me today?

Ahaha. Sorry, sorry. But I never finished saying it.

That’s because I stopped you! I can feel a migraine setting in…

…Is it truly so wrong for him to say that he adores his fans, even if they are overjoyed by it?

Simply making them happy would be fine, but using such strong words can be a double edged sword. Emotions are a complicated thing, so…

…I intended to ask you, Raito. What do you think is essential for emotional development?

What’s essential for emotional development, huh…

Hmmm… I would say my childhood played a rather big role in it.

Your childhood?

…If I hadn’t experienced such a dramatic event during my childhood, I probably wouldn’t have become who I am today.

……

(Raito is… referring to his death prophecy.)

…If something had gone wrong during a time like that, then it certainly would have affected his future.

…Given that I was created in my current form and will not age, I will never experience a childhood.

Does that mean experience places a restriction on emotional development?

Haha! I don’t think that’s the case, though? If anything, it must be the opposite.

?

The growth you’re looking for is not physical, but mental, yes? Thinking about it like that, you could say you’re in your “childhood” right now.

…Are you suggesting that I am currently still young?

Yes. Until now, the only person in your world has been your father. It’s the same for us humans, as we spend most of our childhood with our parents.

Throughout our life… we slowly start becoming part of large communities such as daycare or schools. Then, as we interact with others, we gradually develop our emotions.

Interacting with Ev3ns and the rest of HAMA House’s residents could be a positive experience for you, Azekawa-kun.

Using that metric… how old do you believe I am?

Hmm… You’ve just started getting out of the house, so I’d say Somewhere around 5, 6, maybe 7 years old.

…So I am that underdeveloped.

I often speak with members of the Day Team. Kurama-san especially communicates with me, but does that mean I am younger than them?

Akuta’s Day Team are all 16 years old… They’re in their “adolescence”, so they’re a little older than you.

Unlike humans, though, you’re gaining a lot of experience very quickly. You’ll grow up quickly, so treasure your childhood while it lasts.

I personally think it would be best if you don’t rush, savor the present, and let your emotions slowly develop…

(Don’t rush… However, if I do that, then when will I catch up? If the only way for me to gain emotions is through the passage of time…)

(When I finally obtain those 21 grams… will Master… and everyone in Ev3ns… still be by my side…?)

The Sand Museum was seeriouslyyy amazeballs! Like, totally epic, dontcha think!?

Even you were speechless when we walked in, and you usually take pictures with the first chance you get.

I mean, the second I walked in, that giant building just hit me like BAM! Crazy that it’s just sand and water, right?

It’s incredible how all these small grains of sand can pile up to become something so grand.

Sand sculptures are made by mixing sand with a bit of water, forming a nice, sturdy foundation, then chipping pieces away. It sounds pretty simple, but it takes a lot of patience.

(It’s been a few days since we’ve started doing Ambassador work here at the sand dunes…)

(Unlike how it was when we were in Beppu, everyone is getting plenty of sightseeing done and they look like they’re all having a good time. I’m happy.)

The seafood bowl we had for lunch was delicious as well… The toppings were huge… Made me think that Tottori’s fish are delicious, too.

And that sand dune pudding was, like, totally next-level! The caramel had this sandy feel, it was soooo good!

I had some ramen during my break. There’s this interesting local kind called “su ramen”¹.

At noon, I received a stuffed camel from a fan… it seems to be a souvenir from this site.

A puppet getting a stuffed animal, hm? That suits you, plüss.

By the way, Kuguri, what did you all do yesterday? Kinari and I entertained people…

Wouldn’t you like to know? Ask maci or nyuszi.

Oh yeah, BTW! Yesterday, right near our station, I saw something real wild!

Oh? What was it?

A wedding! They were having their ceremony right on the dunes. They even took some pics together after, isn’t that lovely?

It was a platonic wedding, too.

(A platonic wedding… So there’s a thing like that in this era… I’m surprised…)

A lot of platonic weddings are only documented on paper, but having a wedding in the sand dunes definitely feels romantic.

I know, right!? Gettin’ glammed up on the dunes like that is like, the absocutely cutest thing ever!

I’m not too fond of it. Putting limits on relationships, no matter what form it takes, is pointless…

Is that so? I’d say it’s fine. They become partners because they trust one another. I think it’s a wonderful thing.

…Thinking about it this way, I suppose I could experience marriage too, if it were in this way. I have Nayuki, so I was never that interested in having a family, but…

……

I could marry the Chief, and–if we get close enough–I could even marry Kuguri! The possibilities are endless!

Nom… (Choke… cough, cough)!

…That sends a shiver down my spine.

It’s discomforting and I’m leaving.

Chief, that idiot speaks before he thinks, please don’t listen to him. I’ll give him a good whack later.

Ahaha… I know how he does, it’s okay.

(Even though Raito-san’s cleared up all the false allegations against him and made it back to the “Most Desirable Lover”, it’d be problematic if his fans found out about that…)

……

Kinari-kun? What’s wrong? You look spaced out…

I was thinking about emotions. Recently, I encountered a strange couple that wanted to get married…

Huh? Did you get an invitation to their wedding?

No, but they seemed to have stared at each other for forty-eight hours and fell in love.

Whaaa… That’s a pretty crazy story. Maybe it was love at first sight?

They said they fell in love. Now that I know there are other forms of marriage, human emotions have become increasingly complex to me…

Ummm… I think that both friendship and romantic relationships pretty much come down to simple feelings, like trust in the other person and wanting to be together. That’s just what I think!

Simple…

Oh, right. For example, I think trust is built gradually with another person. Like after times where they helped and supported you.

Even without having a story for it, just being close to someone can make you feel more relaxed. Each instance is kinda like a grain of sand, and when all those little things come together and form a solid foundation, it creates a strong sense of trust.

Are you suggesting that it would become something that will not collapse, like a sand sculpture?

Yeah. Definitely. Of course there’s going to be times where it crumbles a little after a tough moment, but I believe that our emotions are built from many small, individual experiences coming together.

…I am lacking those grains of sand.

I’m sure you’re in the process of collecting them right now, Kinari-kun. There’s no need to rush. Just take it one at a time, okay?

……

(I can understand… the feelings of frustration the Original had in my records. I want to grow quickly as well. Before I’m left alone.)

(Could this be… comparable to a child’s tantrum…?)