[player] It's never too late to start practicing. I'm sure you'll be smiling naturally in no time.
[Yui Yagi] A natural smile...
[Yui Yagi] What kind of practice should we do?
[player] Well... let me think about it.
To be frank, I don't really know exactly what we should do either.
[player] Perhaps we could start by exercising your facial muscles?
[Yui Yagi] Which muscle exactly?
[Yui Yagi] Do you mean the levator labii superioris, orbicularis oris, or masseter muscles?
[Yui Yagi] Or maybe the orbicularis oculi, zygomaticus minor, or depressor anguli oris?
[Yui Yagi] Or rather, the mentalis?
[player] S-sorry, I don't understand any of those terms...
[Yui Yagi] But the human face has about 30 different muscles.
[Yui Yagi] To create a perfect smile, I need to precisely control every single muscle's movement.
At this point, Yui's eyes suddenly grow wide.
[Yui Yagi] Are you saying everyone practices this advanced mental exercise every day?
[Yui Yagi] That's exhausting... no wonder people often say socializing is complicated...
[player] Hold on, hold on, it's not complicated at all!
[player] Let me put it this way...
[player] Look, like this – just use your index fingers to push up the corners of your mouth.
[player] That's a basic smile right there. Wanna try?
Yui puts her index fingers against the corners of her mouth and pushes them up hard. The result looks extremely unnatural and rather funny...
She made a completely mechanical smile.
So Yui really doesn't know how to smile...
[Yui Yagi] Why are you laughing?
[player] Ah, sorry about that.
[player] Watching you give it your all is just too adorable – I couldn't help myself.
[Yui Yagi] Adorable? Me?
[Yui Yagi] Could you stay and talk with me for a bit?
Without a word, Yui stares intently at my face.
I hope I didn't upset her...
[Hinata Takanashi] Ah – so this is where Yui has been hiding!
I turn toward the sound of the voice and see Hinata standing at the foot of the rocks, waving up at us.
Following behind her are the rest of our friends. Natsuki is carrying the drinks I bought earlier, and just like that, our group is reunited.
[Yui Yagi] Got busted. Too bad.
[player] Hmm? What was that?
[Yui Yagi] Nothing.
We play among the rocks, all six of us, bathed in the soft afterglow.
Tiny fish swim happily back and forth in the numerous tide pools between the rocks.
These little fish probably have no idea Earth is a sphere either.
As we're all observing the tiny world in the tide pools, Yui suddenly stands up and points to something nearby.
Following her gesture, I spot a strange creature trying to scale a rock, its back covered with writhing tentacles.
[Yui Yagi] That's a hermit crab.
[player] Is THAT what hermit crabs look like?!
[Yui Yagi] In addition to living in shells, hermit crabs sometimes carry sea anemones on their backs for protection.
[Yui Yagi] Though this is my first time seeing one alive.
[player] I see... hold on, did you just...
[player] Did you just smile?
I can't be completely sure, but I don't think I was imagining it. For just a moment, Yui's lips curved up at the corners.
[Yui Yagi] Eh?
[player] I could be wrong. But from what I saw, you were definitely smiling just now.
[Yui Yagi] Is that so?
[Yui Yagi] ...That's great.
Yui says softly, before turning her attention back to the tiny world at her feet.
Her smile still needs practice, but perhaps success isn't too far off.
Until then, I'll enjoy this journey with her.
