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Without any sort of fancy-pants introduction or expository text...
... the game sends us hurtling straight into the ninth chapter.
TAISHO ERA, 13th YEAR (1924)
NEW YEAR'S DAY
Wait, no, scratch that, we DO get a little explanation, in the form of a--
[Narrator From Out Of Fucking Nowhere]
Three months later, on New Year's Day of 1924.
The city is miraculously fully reconstructed, it seems.
So's the theater!
[Everyone]
Happy New Year!!
[Ogami]
Happy New Year, Sakura-kun.
Let's both do our best to make this year great.
[Sakura]
You've done so much for us this past year. We're in your care again this year!
----
[Ogami]
...
[Sakura]
... what is it?
[Ogami]
I... I honestly can't tell if you're being bitingly sarcastic or not.
[Sakura]
I always mean what I say!
[Ogami]
Yeah, I'm telling you, that doesn't really help--
----
[Sumire]
Oh my... Sakura-san. That was quite an unusually courteous New Year's greeting.
[Sakura]
Thank you very much. I'll do my best this year to become a lady like you, Sumire-san.
----
[Sumire]
(... Ensign, is she being--)
[Ogami]
(Don't ask ME, I can't tell either! Just roll with it!!)
[Sumire]
(B-But it's Sakura! She isn't capable of such-- I AM SO CONFUSED.)
[Sakura]
Ufufu.
----
[Sumire]
Well, just devote yourself to learning from me so that you may one day make your debut in high society.
By the way, Ensign. What do you think about this outfit? Might it really be a tad too plain?
[Ogami]
(... exactly what part of it is 'plain'?)
WELL, FIRST THINGS FIRST, it's time for another point 'n click adventure of the female a character's body!
[Ogami]
(It's hard to see her chest with what she's wearing.)
...
I-Is he disappointed, or is he just stating the truth with the sort of clinical detachment that one gets from routine and continuous study?
The world may never know.
[Ogami]
(Those are some amazing clothes...)
[Ogami]
(Wh-What IS that? Do you call that a turban or a hair ornament...?)
(It's almost achieved a level of glamorous that you see more in theatrical costumes...)
----
[Ogami]
(Maybe it serves as an anchor to keep her bloated ego from soaring into the sky.)
[Ogami]
(... man, if I said THAT out loud, I'd never hear the end of it.)
[Iris]
Yaaaaay! Blackmail material!
[Ogami]
No. BAD Iris, no using telepathy for evil purposes. Also, you'll get us all killed if you tell Sumire.
[Iris]
Phooey.
----
[Ogami]
(Sumire's eyes are sparkling.)
[Sumire]
Hmhm... to be honest, I had it tailored from Nishijin silk fabrics that were special-ordered from Kyoto...
... though it was supposed to be unveiled in the fashion world as a super high-quality long-sleeved kimono. Truly a pity...
[Sumire]
My... that is quite a thorny way of phrasing it!
[Ogami]
Eh?
A quick-thinking subject change that avoids either Ogami or Kohran's untimely death!
... our... our boy's really growing up. 
[Ogami]
Sumire, it looks good on you.
[Kohran]
Yeah, y'see? Sumire-han, yer th' type who'd look good in jes' 'bout anythin'!
----
[Ogami]
Hey, Maria. I'm in your debt this year, too.
----
[Maria]
Of course, if you DON'T exhibit an acceptable level of competence--
[Ogami]
Yes, Maria, I know.
[Maria]
Are you quite certain? Because I have come up with at least five more ways of making your life a living--
[Ogami]
No, Maria, I... I've gotten the point.
[Maria]
Very good, Captain. Happy New Year.
[Ogami]
... well, at least we can agree that it's certainly the New Year.
----
[Ogami]
Well, let's celebrate it anyways. Happy New Year.
[Ogami]
Hey, Iris. Happy New Year.
Thankfully, as time passes, Iris will steadily grow out of lolidom and, perhaps, become an interesting character of her own, and one that DOESN'T hinge on being a little girl!
... wait, no, no such luck.
[Ogami]
N-No... ha ha ha, uh, it's still too early, way too early...
----
[Ogami]
... what's with that expression? Look, I'm telling you, eleven years old is not a marriageable age in Japan.
[Iris]
Then we should just--
[Ogami]
And for chrissakes, don't try abducting me and taking me to a place where it IS acceptable. Again.
[Iris]
Awwww.
----
[Ogami]
Kanna, Happy New Year.
[Sumire]
How self-important...
[Sumire]
Your voice is much too loud. You lumbering brute!
[Kanna]
Wanna go at it!? You rotten snake woman!
[Ogami]
Hey now... New Year's Day has just started, won't you guys knock it off?
----
[Ogami]
There'll be plenty of time this year for you guys to go murderize each other.
[Kanna]
Then there's nothing wrong with getting an early start, is there!?
[Ogami]
But--
[Sumire]
It is either us or you, Captain.
[Ogami]
N-No objections here, you guys carry on.
----
[Ogami]
Y... yes'm...
[Kohran]
Ogami-han, you... yer bein' all lovestruck right from th' New Year's Day, ain'tcha!
[Ogami]
Hahaha...
----
SOME TIME LATER...
Suddenly, the PA system rings out.
[Ayame]
Ensign Ogami, Ensign Ogami. Manager Yoneda is calling. Please come to the Manager's Office.
[Ogami]
Manager Yoneda, huh... I wonder what he needs? Anways, guess I'll go drop by...
----
... rrrright, scratch that, we ain't going nowhere.
[Ogami]
Huh? Kohran? What's wrong? You're looking down.
[Ogami]
A problem... what do you mean?
[Kohran]
With th' battle 'gainst th' Hive of Darkness, th' Koubu are already startin' to rattle...
[Ogami]
No way! Then if enemies suddenly start appearing as often as they used to...
----
[Ogami]
... got it. I'm counting on you, Kohran.
----
[Ogami]
...
[Ogami]
... should I even be asking why the hell you didn't figure this out... oh, you know, sometime during these past three months of complete and utter inactivity?
[Kohran]
That's 'cause I was doin' science!
[Ogami]
What kind of--
[Kohran]
Awesome science.
[Ogami]
... alright, how many casualties?
[Kohran]
Only three so far!
[Ogami]
... well, at least you're showing improvement.
----
[Ogami]
Anyways, you're really enthusiastic right from the start of the new year, huh. Isn't there anything I can help with?
Wow. Well, that's refreshingly straightforward AND obvious enough, even for an idjit like Ogami.
However...
[Ogami]
Sorry, I've kinda got something to do... Manager Yoneda's calling for me.
... denied.
----
----
[Ogami]
Toy with... wait, what?
[Kohran]
You've already forgotten, haven't ya!? All that time that we'd spent together!
[Ogami]
Most of our interactions have consisted you strapping me to a bloodstained table and everything that followed!
[Kohran]
All those times Ah'd come t' yer room durin' th' middle of th' night!
[Ogami]
To get back whatever instrument you'd left lodged up one of my inner organs!
[Kohran]
All those sweet nothings that we'd traded!
[Ogami]
You can't classify screams of fear and mad scientist cackling as "sweet nothings"!!
[Kohran]
WAAAAAAAAAUGH!!
[Ogami]
I-I can't think of any rebuttal to that very fine point, so please don't kill me.
----
...
...
...
Welp, anyways. 
[Yoneda]
Yo, so you came. C'mon in.
[Ogami]
Yessir, please excuse me.
----
----
[Ogami]
... my apologies, but I'll have to decline.
[Yoneda]
After all... if you forget about this still-recovering capital, you wouldn't be fit to be captain.
[Ogami]
Yessir.
----
[Yoneda]
Also, this glass that I was gonna offer you's actually filled with a potent laxative.
[Ogami]
Yessir, I still remember that from the LAST time I accepted a drink from you.
[Yoneda]
Ha ha ha, well now, that's all water under the bridge, right? Or should I say that it's all shi--
[Ogami]
YESsir, I get it.
----
[Yoneda]
... well, despite all that, it's only human to want to take it easy on New Year's Day.
Either way, you don't have to do any work for the day. Go off and take a stroll or somethin'.
----
[Ogami]
...
[Yoneda]
Well, what're you waiting for?
[Ogami]
The catch or the cruel joke that you usually throw in right about now.
[Yoneda]
There isn't one. What, do you really think that I'd be THAT much of a colossal dick to stiff you on New Year's?
[Ogami]
Holy fucking shit he gave me a legitimate break.
[Yoneda]
... right, don't answer that.
----
[Ogami]
Y-Yessir!
In that case... please excuse me here.
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