Balloon Vine/Scenes

## Character Story Quests

### In order to be able to Fly

*Every now and then, I see Balloon Vine standing alone. She's always looking up at the sky and deep in thought. She then reaches up and has a look of yearning.*

**Balloon Vine:** Ah, Danchou-san. What's up? Why are you here?

*I got curious enough to ask, and that's the answer I got from her.* “That's my line. You've been staring at the sky for about an hour now.”

**Balloon Vine:** Eh, no way, I've been looking at it for that long? Danchou-san, are you free?

“...It appears I have some time. But I'm more interested in why you want the sky, Balloon Vine. So I was hoping you'd explain your fascination.”

**Balloon Vine:** Want the sky... Such a poetic expression. But, maybe you're right. I'm always thinking about how I could fly.

“Flying... It's easy to say, but hard to do. Within the Flower Knights, there are some that can float in the air using magic. But from what you're saying, that's not what you're after, right?”

**Balloon Vine:** Yes. I don't want to float, I want to fly. I'm always thinking on how to fly freely through the sky. I've asked my smarter friends and we've tried many things...

But, it's no good. Of course it's not so straightforward to fly. There's still something I'm missing, and then some more.

“I understand that something is missing, but what do you mean by some more? I think it's always better to have more knowledge and experience, but...”

**Balloon Vine:** In order to fly, the first thing is that you need to be light! I can't fly if I'm heavy! But I'm...Uuu

*Balloon Vine's shoulders drop in defeat. As well as having plump breasts, she's quite a glutton.* “Certainly, if you want to be lighter, your weight and appetite will be an issue.”

**Balloon Vine:** I was thinking of going on a diet, but it's no good. A Flower Knight's mission is busy and tiring, so I'm always hungry...!

*Balloon Vine cradles her stomach regretfully. Nothing is more tasty that the food you eat after you get home tired.*

*Besides, fighting is hard work. You need to build a body that can fight against the pests.*

**Balloon Vine:** If I can make myself lighter, I think I'll get closer to the sky. Danchou-san, what should I do...?

“If it's about that, I have an answer. At the least, starving yourself isn't good. You're also exercising properly. Saying that, if you do nothing, you'll get fatter.”

“In this case, I think we should change the quality of the meals. If you eat a healthy diet that doesn't make you fat, you should be able to lose weight efficiently.” *As I explain that, Balloon Vine's lights up.*

**Balloon Vine:** Y-you're right...! There are many tasty ingredients in this world that you can eat without getting fat! I understand, thank you Danchou-san!

“But that's not the problem, is it? If there was a menu that didn't make you fat when eating it, the other Flower Knights wouldn't be able to keep it quiet. In other words, it hasn't been discovered yet.”

**Balloon Vine:** Well, if it hasn't been found yet, we need to find it! Will you help me out, Danchou-san!

*Balloon Vine rejoiced. It won't raise the spirits of just her, but all of the Flower Knights. I tell her I'll help her in any way I can.*

**Balloon Vine:** Yippee! The first step towards that wide sky!

*That's how it was decided we would look for dieting ingredients in order to fly. Will we succeed?*

### Are all Methods Exhausted?

*It has been decided that the first step for Balloon Vine to fly is to find ingredients that will help her diet.*

*That's a good thing in itself. An unreasonable diet, such as skipping meals, is a problem, but if there was a way to eat delicious food and still lose weight, then we should look for it.*

*But, I don't think there are any such foods. A lot of information has been gathered from Flower Knights, but it was still difficult in the end. Of course, eating a nutritionally balanced diet and exercising properly is still the best.*

**Balloon Vine:** Then, why am I so heavy!? I've been eating the same amount of food and doing the same amount of work as everyone else after all!

“The body conditioning is the same as other Flower Knights, but the nutritional balance is a bit skewed. You should also worry about that, Balloon Vine. That's how you could lose weight, but don't overdo it now.”

**Balloon Vine:** UU, 'you should eat your vegetables', or 'Carbs are the enemy' or something... I already know that. But, if it's delicious, I'll end up eating it. But I always exercise...

*Her shoulders drop, and her large chest shakes. Just as I worry about her...she suddenly starts to laugh.*

**Balloon Vine:** Fufufu...But I found it. The ultimate nutritious and slimming ingredient.

I read it in a book at the library. I started to look in cookbooks for edible herbs... Then I moved on to historical cooking and alchemy books.

*Suddenly it flew in a strange direction. But it harvested, so it was good.*

**Balloon Vine:** It was written in an old book, but it's an interesting custom from a certain tribe in a foreign country. They have a habit of eating 'insects' there. According to the records, they're very nutritious.

“Stop. I think it'll be better if I don't ask any more. No matter how many insects you eat...”

**Balloon Vine:** No no no, that's not the case! What I'm trying to say is that tribe found a way to eat even insects. You can eat anything depending on how it's cooked, right, Danchou-san!

...Is it honestly impossible to eat pests?

*There's a strange look in her eyes. She's too deep into her dream of dieting. I try to persuade Balloon Vine that there must be a better way.*

**Balloon Vine:** Th-there must be! I'm sorry, I was so absorbed in losing weight, that I went a bit crazy. Uuu, I don't really want to eat insects...

“It seems like we need to think of an effective diet method outside of ingredients. In order to get closer to the sky, we should look at all possibilities from all directions.”

**Balloon Vine:** A way to lose weight with my current diet. Or even...How to fly without losing weight. Whether such a way exists or not, I don't know.

But, I'll try my best! I don't want to give up on my dream, even if I can't see it right now!

“I'll help you in any way to find that dream. So let's both do our best.”

**Balloon Vine:** Thank you so much, Danchou-san!

### Balloon Vine and the Sky

*It's been a few days since then. But we still haven't come up with a diet plan that helps Balloon Vine to float.*

*We tried using different ingredients in multiple ways, but nothing has worked. For the time being, we've found an amazing ingredient in the sense that it suppresses appetite. It's actually just horrible in every way. Actually, it's hard to think about it.*

*We've even tried eating bubble gum. After all, Balloon Vine is good at handling balloons.*

*As I was thinking about it, I suddenly spotted something in the meadow.*

**Balloon Vine:** Ah, Danchou-san. Perfect timing. Could you help me?

*It looked like a huge flower had bloomed around Balloon Vine. She was holding on to a load of balloons. They had all been inflated and tied to a thin tree.*

*When I asked her what on earth she was doing, she smiled brightly and replied;*

**Balloon Vine:** I was thinking. About how to fly without losing weight. I mean, it's not like I have to lose weight to fly, right? I just need to make my flying power greater than my weight!

My speciality is handling balloons. So if I prepare enough balloons, I can fly. So if my weight goes up, I just need to add more balloons. If I keep adding balloons, I'll be able to fly at some point.

*Balloon Vine blows onto an inflated balloon. As it gets blown high into the sky, it begins to float away.*

**Balloon Vine:** Have I told you this story? When I was a kid, I fell down a cliff. It was a cliff deep in the forest, so I waited for a whole day, but help never came.. I was really stuck.

Then, a balloon flew past from somewhere. A traveller who had seen the balloon noticed me, and saved me.

“Suddenly a balloon is flying in the vicinity, so you would look down to see where it came from. So when they looked down, they saw Balloon Vine at the bottom of the cliff, right?”

**Balloon Vine:** At that time, I had a feeling. That the sky is all connected. You can't see it, but the sky connects everything in existence. These balloons will connect our existence to the sky.

“So that's the reason for the balloons. It's the best tool to connect Balloon Vine and the sky. So it's not just for floating?”

**Balloon Vine:** Eh? Is there be anything else?

“When you inflate a balloon, you need to take a deep breath first. That exercise would be great for training your abs. In other words, your stomach will firm up and it'll be like a diet.”

**Balloon Vine:** Amazing! It's like two birds, one stone! O-K, I'm going to work hard!

*Balloon Vine inflates balloons with greater enthusiasm. When I offered to help, she gave me a small vial.*

**Balloon Vine:** Before you start inflating, drink this magic medicine. This medicine will make the breath you exhale very light. With that, you can inflate the balloons.

*I do as I'm told and inflate balloons with a little medicine. Doing so, the balloons begin to float. Will she be able to fly with commercially available balloons?*

*After inflating a huge amount of balloons, my stomach begins to hurt. I've been working my abs. It looks like I'll lose weight.*

**Balloon Vine:** We're making so many... There must be about a hundred of them?

“It looks like we're close to a hundred. It's becoming difficult to tie them to that thin tree. Should we move them to a thicker tree? Be careful when untying the string...

**Balloon Vine:** Wawa, Danchou-san!

“Hm? Somehow, my body feels lighter...”

**Balloon Vine:** You're floating! Danchou-san, you're floating!

*When I look down, there's a mysterious feeling of floating swelling in my legs. Right down to the tips of my toes, everything is floating off the ground. If I don't do something, I'll fly off into the sky.*

*...My body senses the danger, and my hand slips the balloons. From my hand, the balloons fly into the sky like a huge flower.*

**Balloon Vine:** Aaa... The balloons.

“I'm so sorry. I've wasted all of Balloon Vine's efforts.” *I apologise.*

**Balloon Vine:** It's fine! Danchou-san, you just flew, didn't you? That's amazing!

“It was more like floating than flying, but...”

**Balloon Vine:** But, you flew! I knew this method wouldn't be wrong!

“But it was me who flew. It should have been Balloon Vine that flew.”

**Balloon Vine:** What are you talking about? Just proving that the method works is a huge success! This means that I can fly any time I want!

*Even though I flew and let go of the balloons, she looks so happy. As I look at that smile, I finally understand.*

*We understand how to do it now --- Now she's connected to the sky. That's why it doesn't make sense to get any further obsessed with it. Whenever she wants to fly, she can.*

**Balloon Vine:** Also, even if I fly in that manner, I won't be able to come back down. The next time we try it, we need to make sure it's safe! When that time comes, I hope you'll help again, Danchou-san!

*Balloon Vine declares that with a smile as colourful as all the balloons in the sky.*

–– *At that moment, a loud sound came from somewhere on the ground.*

*I was wondering if the pests were making and assault, but it wasn't the case. With a practised shyness, she answered me.*

**Balloon Vine:** Excuse me... I've blown up so many balloons that my, my stomach is empty... Can we go get something to eat?

*There's no way she'll ever be able to diet.*

### I'll be able to Fly if I'm with you

**Balloon Vine:** Danchou-san, I'm over here, over here!

*Balloon Vine, who was running around with high spirits, turned around and waved. As she waves her hand, the richer parts of her also move. The view was perfect.*

**Balloon Vine:** This terrain around here is rather complicated, but because of that, a nice breeze is blowing. It feels like I can fly from here.

*Balloon Vine's dream is to fly. She has been trying various methods using her balloons, which are also her weapons.*

*This time, she's had a new idea, so has taken some leave to return to her home town in Bergamot Valley.*

**Balloon Vine:** This time, I want to try it with a huge balloon. If the balloon's big enough, I should be able to fly, don't you think?

*She has confidence in this time's idea, and so with a bright smile, Balloon Vine begins to spread out her luggage.*

“Fumu. A huge...balloon?”

**Balloon Vine:** Danchou-san, where are you looking? The new balloon is here, look!

*Balloon Vine shows me a balloon that's yet to be inflated. She tugs on it, saying that she's also gotten stronger. With each movement, Balloon Vine's own body also sways.*

*Every time something begins to sway, I feel eyes from around us. It is close to cliffs, and the footing isn't good, but surprisingly there are a lot of people around, even families.*

**Balloon Vine:** The scenery around here is great, isn't it? When the weather's nice, lots of people always come here. We should fly in a place that won't bother them.

“I see. But if the wind picks up, you'll suddenly be over the cliffs. It looks dangerous if you go past there...”

**Balloon Vine:** The locals are used to it, so it'll be fine. Well, unless you get distracted by something else, you want fall accidentally.

This is... It's a hard climb, and the wind is a little strong, but it's a good place. Our lunch will be extra tasty while we're looking at this scenery!

...haa, lunch... I want to eat. No, if I eat now, I'll be heavier. I need to try this while my body is light...

*Downhearted, she places her luggage, Balloon Vine puts her magic medicine in her mouth and begins to blow into the balloon.*

*It is said that using this magic medicine makes your breath lighter and allows balloons to float.*

**Balloon Vine:** Fuu...Fuuu---- ...Haa, I knew it would be tough. ...Fuu----!

*This time it's a huge balloon, so to inflate it fully is going to be difficult. Balloon Vine's chest is also moving a lot.*

“...Also, people are watching. Should we be a little further away?”

**Balloon Vine:** This is the only place where the wind is just right. Danchou-san, are you interested in the surroundings?

“Here is fine. If it's fine for Balloon Vine, it's fine for me.”

“Either way, it seems tougher than I thought to inflate such a giant balloon. Should I help?”

**Balloon Vine:** No, I want to magic power inside it to be only mine. But, if it takes much longer, the chances we can use it will become limited...

*Balloon Vine's dream is to fly in the sky. So, there's no special objective that it needs to be used to complete. But it seems to be too difficult, so without thinking of combat, it may even be unusable for transport.*

**Balloon Vine:** Fu, fu... Will this ever be inflated?

*It took a long time, but somehow we managed to get it inflated. It's certainly huge... It looks difficult to handle, but that's natural it would be harder than normal balloons.*

**Balloon Vine:** Well then, let's ride the wind... I'll give it a shot!

*Balloon Vine uses the slope to catch the wind as she holds the balloon and floats up.*

*She's lighter than usual and floats--- but, that's it.*

*Plomp. Balloon Vine lands back on the ground, shaking her balloons.*

**Balloon Vine:** How odd, I didn't expect... Was it not inflated enough...?

I'll try harder to inflate it! –Fuuu------u!!

*If she's going to inflate it to the max... The natural next step is to blow out. Balloon Vine's chest also contracts, then swells...*

**Balloon Vine:** Wah, oh no, they almost fell out... Ah, Danchou-san, did you see it...?

“I saw it, but it's fine.” *...But, it seems like I wasn't the only one who saw, I felt the gaze from our surroundings...Huh? That's...*

**Balloon Vine:** What's fine? Grr! ...Huh, what? Danchou-san...Danchou-san?

*Just as I noticed, I started to run. Will I get there in time?*

**Balloon Vine:** Da-Danchou-san!? There's cliffs over there!!

“I know!” *Sliding head first, I reach my hand out over the cliff. In front of me is---*

*---OK, I made it...!*

**Balloon Vine:** Eh? A child...? Danchou-san, you saved that child...

“Yeah, this nearby boy, was running and slipped off the cliff. He was surely distracted by us inflating the balloon.”

*Fortunately, the ground was extremely sandy, so I managed to get to him. I'm glad...*

*---The moment I thought that, the ground right below me collapsed.*

*I'm falling!? At least the child is. Thinking that, I threw the child back onto the clifftop. Instead of him, I'm falling.*

**Balloon Vine:** Danchou-san! Grab onto me!

Grab on tightly, Danchou-san! I'm coming...!!

*Balloon Vine's chest inflated. At the same time, a faint light spreads around me... Is this the activation of Balloon Vine's magic!?*

**Balloon Vine:** In-fl-at-io-n...! Haaaaa!!!

*Balloon Vine pours all her breath and magic into the giant balloon at the same time. The balloon inflates instantly.*

*My fall stops, and the wind begins to blow.*

*---Somehow, everyone is safe.*

*The boy I flew to the clifftop was seemingly caught by the surrounding people.*

*And so, Balloon Vine and myself are...*

**Balloon Vine:** Danchou-san, at that time, we definitely flew, didn't we...?

“Aah, we sure did.”

*After flying for a short time, we successfully managed a safe landing. However, the balloon was damaged somewhere and quickly deflated...*

**Balloon Vine:** That child, and Danchou-san are both safe, I'm so glad. When I saw Danchou-san fall, my head went completely blank...

When that happened, I knew that saving Danchou-san was vital, but I couldn't think of how to do it...

“You filled the balloon with your magic and your breath... If you hadn't tried doing both, it wouldn't have ended well.”

**Balloon Vine:** I'm not so sure... If I'll be able to do that again.

But, that's fine. As long as Danchou-san is with me, I know I can fly.

Danchou-san is a very important person, no... My special person. So...

From now on, please stay with me at all times, Danchou-san!

*As she said that, Balloon Vine stood beside me with a relaxed expression.*

*Bergamot Valley's wind is strong. Sometime I'll be able to fly on this wind alongside her. I was confident of that.*

## Date Scene

*Looking down from a dizzying height, I saw white waves crashing. Towering cliffs, a place that needs a name.*

**Balloon Vine:** Today's wind is great! If we ride that up draft, we can fly anywhere! This is... going to be good, I can feel it!

*Balloon Vine nodded as she saw the balloon swinging from side to side.*

**Balloon Vine:** We need to have at least one success today, so make sure you're fully prepared...! Would it be better if I inflated more balloons?

*In contrast Balloon Vine's triumphant and jovial manners, her face was a deep blue. There was a huge challenge right in front of her for her to face.*

**Balloon Vine:** Danchou-san, have faith in the balloon! Definitely... No, I'll absolutely fly!

*When I heard Balloon Vine's thoughts, I felt my heart would stop. “*Tying balloons to your back and jumping off this cliff, this isn't sane...”

**Balloon Vine:** It's fine! I've inflated more and more balloons, look! Even with the current amount of balloons, I'm likely to fly with my weight!

“No no....”

“Nononono....”

*Anyway, I need to give up on convincing Balloon Vine. With that in mind, I come up with a distraction plan. “*I want to eat some cotton candy...” *and sulk. It's really a childish thought, especially for me.*

**Balloon Vine:** Cotton Candy... Would bread do? I put a lot of bread in my bag. I'd be in trouble if I got hungry while flying.

“No, I want cotton candy.” *and I lie down in a sulk.*

**Balloon Vine:** Fufu, Danchou-san really loves cotton candy! Cotton candy's great, isn't it! It's really fluffy, and when it melts, it's super sweet...

*Balloon Vine is deep in thought. I'll push a little more.* “Right now, I can hear tasty cotton candy calling out from the town. But...”

**Balloon Vine:** Ah! Danchou-san, look! The clouds in front of the sun! They look just like cotton candy! It definitely must mean that it's tasty!

*Balloon Vine was pointing at the clouds right in front of her.* “They definitely look like delicious cotton candy.”

**Balloon Vine:** Eating clouds like cotton candy, just like in a story book, but... I'll give Danchou-san some cloud cotton candy as a present! Fufu, I'm suddenly motivated♪

*Balloon Vine begins inflating balloons at a rapid rate. My cotton candy tactic failed.*

**Balloon Vine:** It's starting to feel just right! It's about time to fly!

Do the run up, then jump towards the sun...! Step with the right foot...Catch the wind...

Yeah... That's just my imagination, that's not good enough... I need to practice this once!

*With lots of balloons tied to her back, Balloon Vine measures the run up distance. She uses skips to do so, and just watching becomes dangerous.* ”Is this really going to be alright, isn't this...?”

**Balloon Vine:** I'll aim for that cloud, and jump! O-K, let's go!

*The balloons begin to sway as Balloon Vine runs at full sprint. There's no way she can stop. My heart freezes. In a panic, I leap towards Balloon Vine's body.*

**Balloon Vine:** Let's fly, together!

*With that, Balloon Vine doesn't let up. As expected of a Flower Knight's power.*

*Doing things by half is bad... As I think that, I hold onto her body as tight as I can. Due to unforeseen circumstances, I end up holding onto her large breasts.*

**Balloon Vine:** Kyaa!?

*Balloon Vine suddenly stops. Did I manage to succeed...?*

**Balloon Vine:** Da-Danchou-san, your-your hand... it's... so tightly... my boob...

*It was comfortable to hold onto, so I was gripping tightly... I apologised profusely as I let go, and Balloon Vine turned bright red. But I could still feel her on my fingertips... It was an odd, electric feel...*

**Balloon Vine:** Da-Danchou-san, while we're flying, please hold onto my waist, OK. My boobs will make me too nervous.

*I put my hands around Balloon Vine's waist. If we begin to fly, this close contact will continue to... I'm surely going to feel like I've gone to heaven. Although, if I really do end up in heaven, I wouldn't mind.*

**Balloon Vine:** Now that Danchou-san understands how to hold onto me, we'll need some more balloons to support both of us!

*Balloon Vine begins working on inflating balloons once again. The only way I can stop all this is to make an environment where it's not possible to fly any more. In order to make her give up on her lifelong dream, I'm going to have to work hard.*

**Balloon Vine:** Beyond these distant skies, there might be countries we don't even know about. I'm sure they use balloons as modes of transport there. From a borderless sky, I want to see so many different countries.

*Looking at the distant sky, Balloon Vine gets lost in her dreams.*

*...In that moment, I take some bread from her bag. I tear it into small pieces and scatter it around. And then... From out of nowhere, birds began to gather. It was a sudden thought, but unexpectedly, it was super effective.*

**Balloon Vine:** Kyaa!? Si-since when did all these birds appear!?

*The bread that was brought in case we got hungry is slowly disappearing. Then, when the birds could no longer find food, they began pecking at Balloon Vine's readied balloons. One by one, the balloons burst with a loud bang.*

**Balloon Vine:** Th-that's making it dangerous to fly...! Danchou-san, we need to run away!

*Balloon Vine grabs my hand and pulls me away from the cliff. Although the distance didn't change, the sky now feels a little further away.*

**Balloon Vine:** –Danchou-san, I'm sorry. Is it alright if we try air travel another time?

It's become a big deal now, so let's watch the birds and the clouds while eating some bread!

*The challenge to the sky was put off, but Balloon Vine was smiling. Some of the gathered birds were still fascinated by me and followed after me.*

**Balloon Vine:** Such beautiful wings. I wish I'd been born with wings...

If we had balloons and wings, we'd definitely be able to fly anywhere. I'd let Danchou-san ride on my back, and we'd go to distant countries... While resting my wings, I'd let the balloons do their best.

“With that, I'd just be a passenger.”

**Balloon Vine:** Fufu, that would be fine. Just to have Danchou-san with me. I'm so happy that you've come along with me up until now!

What I want to do someday is to go on an air trip using balloons for my honeymoon. It would be nice if it was Danchou-san... don't you think?

*As Balloon Vine looked up at the sky, some of the balloons slipped and floated away.*

**Balloon Vine:** That's right! I just had a great idea!

*From her bag, she pulls out a small piece of bread, and Balloon Vine begins to write something before tying it onto a balloon and letting it fly high into the sky.*

“That sounds like it would be a nice honeymoon.” *As I said that, Balloon Vine blushed.*

**Balloon Vine:** I'm so glad you think so.

*Balloon Vine held out her hand. I squeeze it gently.*

**Balloon Vine:** Well, let's go home! Although we have to walk, unfortunately.

*With the remaining balloons still tied to her back, we walked while holding hands. Thanks to the colourful balloons, our steps were light. With Balloon Vine, the two of us were unknowingly skipping.*