Tsugumomo (Pilot)

## Chapter Navigation

**Tsugumomo** (継百(つぐもも),, *Tsugumomo*) was the pilot chapter before the serialization of what would become the Tsugumomo manga. The chapter was later included in the Volume 18.5 official guidebook.

## Summary

The protagonist, Kazuya Kagami, finds himself falling off of the school roof after some railings broke. Just as he beleives he is about to die, a mysterious voice calls him a fool and the obi in his backpack expands, cushioning his fall. The obi forms into a girl who greets Kazuya with familiarity but Kazuya does not recognize her, causing her to headbutt him. Two teachers arrive to check on Kazuya. When Kazuya tells them he was saved by the girl, she is nowhere to be found, leading the two teachers to believe he has suffered serious head trauma and bringing him to the nurses office. The girl watches from above the school rooftop.

At the school infirmary, the nurse affirms that nothing is wrong with Kazuya. She asks Kazuya for a light for her cigarette when suddenly Kasumi barges in to check on Kazuya, screaming and hugging Kazuya in a panic.

Kazuya walks home with his sisters, complaining about her overbearing affection embarrassing him. Kasumi thinks back to a time when she found Kazuya alone huddles in a storage room, before snapping back to the present moment. At home Kasumi asks what Kazuya thinks of her cooking. Kazuya tells Kasumi he enjoyed it and remembers their mother making the same dish as well. Kasumi grows quiet when Kazuya mentions their mother, before getting up to clean the dishes. While Kasumi washes dishes, Kazuya goes to bathe but Kasumi insists on joining him and ends up washing his back for him.

Kazuya lies in bed thinking back to earlier in the day. He thinks about the girl who saved him and disappeared, and a missing item from what was recovered from his destroyed backpack. Kazuya has a nightmare about kids dancing around him while chanting with blood on the floor before being awakened when turning around to find someone. Upon waking up, he finds the girl who saved him to be lying in bed with him. Kazuya screams, prompting Kasumi to rush in to check on him. Kazuya quickly hides the girl behind his bed and tells Kasumi nothing happened.

## Differences

* The title of the series is written in kanji instead of hiragana.
* Kazuya interacting with his friends is absent, instead starting off with him falling off the school roof.
* Kazuya is implied to have been pushed off the roof in an accident with other students instead of by an amasogi.
	+ Amasogi as a concept are not brought up.
* Kazuya is brought to the school nurse where Kasumi arrives to check up on him.
* Kasumi plays a larger role, walking Kazuya home and showing more concern about Kazuya's current status.
	+ A flashback shows Kasumi finding Kazuya in a storage room and Kazuya mentions their mother's cooking when eating Kasumi's.
* Various characters without a role in the chapter itself are described differently than they appear in the serialized series.
	+ Misako Misago is suggested to have a larger role, possessing a character description and being shown close to Chisato Chikaishi.
	+ Osamu Osanai's character design has visible eyes and a parted haircut. Unlike in the manga where he is stoic and unexpressive, Osamu here is depicted flustered. He is described to have an interest in the occult.
	+ Shirou Shiramine is described as popular and silent, the complete opposite of how he is in the manga.
	+ The school uniform of the female students have a different design, with Sunao's early design wearing a uniform which more closely resembles their uniform in the manga.

## Characters In Order of Appearance

* Kazuya Kagami
* Unnamed Students
* Kiriha
* Kasumi Kagami
* Chisato Chikaishi
* Misako Misago
* Osamu Osanai
* Shirou Shiramine
* Unnamed Teachers
* Unnamed Nurse