耳をすませば 📚 | 幸せな時間 Spinoff

This thread is for those who wish to read 幸せな時間, the sequel story to 耳をすませば.

Vocabulary List

I’m adding weeks to the main book club’s vocabulary spreadsheet.

Please read the editing guidelines in the first sheet before adding any words!

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Week 1

For week one, we’re reading 21 pages. It looks like this puts us right between two scenes.

You'll be on the last page for this week when you see Shizuku standing in front of this building.

I haven’t read this one in advance, so I’ll be enjoying it for the first time along with everyone else!

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And we’re off!

Story comments

I like how it immediately remind us that Shizuku is a writer and likes to tell stories. Writer’s block, I can sympathize. I’m really enjoying the older looks of Shizuku and Yuuko. I didn’t recognize the other two girls.

Also it seems to be setting us up for an interesting story. What will come of that dream? Even in black and white, those wings looked awe inspiring.

BUT WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHIZUKU ISN’T SUPPOSED TO READ? That seems like a terrible plan. I assume it has something to do with taking entrance exams for 高校 but still! I cannot condone. だめだめだめ!!! :no_good_woman:

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The pain of being bit players.

Here’s (きぬ)ちゃん:

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She had a few lines but otherwise was fairly a background character.

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As for the other girl, I don’t see her in the couple of pages from the original story that show much of the class. Maybe a new addition to the cast?

I’m enjoying the story so far, but I’m missing the expressive faces from the original story.

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Week 2

This week it’s another 20 pages to read together.

You're at the end of this week's material when you see this sparkly effect in the bottom panels.

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Considering most of last week’s reading was all a dream, I’m looking forward to what happens this week, as we go through the second third of the story.

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Read the next part.

Middle third of the story (week 2)

Seems we are probably still in a dream, or in a dream again. Although the cat library is amazing and should be a real thing.

幸せな時間 makes me remember how wonderful it is to get lost in a book, in a story. Just completely lost to the rest of the world for a while. Living an impossible life somewhere else.

I love how Shizuku’s eyes changed to show her enthrallment to the library. Stars in her eyes.

Hopefully I can use this remembered feeling to get more reading done every day. And I don’t necessarily mean Japanese book reading, any reading honestly. :star_struck:

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Week 3

Final week!

When you reach the end of this week’s reading, you’ll probably know you’ve reached the end.

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I kinda read ahead. I finished this story a few days ago.

Last third of the story, and thoughts on the whole, spoilers ahead

So unsurprisingly it really was a dream. The cat library and such.

I did not see the twist coming of Seiji taking the wings, but as he flew away I figured it out, before the story told me. Yuuko said Seiji might move far away for 高校 and that triggered this dream.

Also Shizuku is so funny there at the end. I don’t know if I missed anything in that conversation between her and Seiji, but it seemed like she was kinda saying only half the things she was thinking. Loved the cat smile face.

I kinda like her thoughts though, that life will happen and we will probably get off the airship at different harbors eventually. But until then… I got the feeling (not sure it was supported by the text) that we should just enjoy our time together.

Normally I wouldn’t like a story that is basically: it was all a dream. But not only was the dream entertaining and a complete story (that Shizuku could have written!), it tied in beautifully with the real world discussions happening in Shizuku’s life and those talks were entertaining and fun (well definitely the one at the end anyway). Also, I loved how the dream had notes of the real world discussion but showed up as something entirely different. So very dream-like.

I just recently had a dream that had that quality of being metaphor for some real world stuff.

Also, who can complain about a cat library where you can learn everything, plus having the time for unlimited knowledge/reading be called 幸せな時間? Like I’m sold. Better than could be expected. :star_struck:

So yeah, highly recommend this little short story! :heart:

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