Title: Welcome Apple! - We Aren’t Even Halfway There Yet
Characters: Jade, Epel, Idia, Sebek, Grim
JP Proofreader: okaykei
EN Proofreader: Jewishruggie
Event Story Navigation
| Episode 1 | 1-1 ・ 1-2 ・ 1-3 ・ 1-4 |
| Episode 2 | 2-1 ・ 2-2 ・ 2-3 ・ 2-4 ・ 2-5 ・ 2-6 |
| Episode 3 | 3-1 ・ 3-2 ・ 3-3 ・ 3-4 ・ 3-5 ・ 3-6 ・ 3-7 ・ 3-8 ・ 3-9 ・ 3-10 ・ 3-11 |
| Episode 4 | 4-1 ・ 4-2 ・ 4-3 ・ 4-4 ・ 4-5 ・ 4-6 ・ 4-7 ・ 4-8 ・ 4-9 |
| Episode 5 | 5-1 ・ 5-2 ・ 5-3 ・ 5-4 ・ 5-5 ・ 5-6 ・ 5-7 ・ 5-8 ・ 5-9 ・ 5-10 |
We Aren’t Even Halfway There Yet
Harveston
Sebek
This is quite the long path.
Epel
This road is known as Harvest Highway. It is a crucial road for us that connects Harveston's entrance to the town square.
Grim
Fnagh… No matter how far we walk, all I can see are apple trees for miles. The scenery never changes…
This road is sooooo long… How much longer do we have to walk?
Epel
We aren't even halfway there yet.
Grim
You gotta be kidding me! We've been doing nothing but walking since we got here!
Harrumph… I wanna get to the village already and stuff myself full of yummy apples!
Epel
My house is right at the end of the road, so just bear with it for a little longer, okay?
Grim
Alright! If that's how it is, then let's make a run for it!
Idia
……
Grim
Oi, Idia! Wha'tcha doing spacing out for?!
Idia
I-I'm savouring Harvest Highway as thoroughly as my senses allow. I'm literally in the world of Love Sled right now.
Fuheeheeheehee… Who would've thought I'd be able to walk down the very same path featured in the anime with my own two feet! It fills me with such honour!
Epel
…To me, it's just a normal road I use all the time, though.
I used to take this road on my way to school.
Jade
The signboard earlier didn't show any building that resembled a school, however?
Epel
Right. This village has no schools because there are very few young people living here.
Sebek
Now that you mention it, I've not seen a single child since we arrived.
Epel
That's why I'd ride my bike for about three hours from here to a school in a nearby city.
Jade, Grim, Idia & Sebek
THREE HOURS?!
Epel
Cycling uphill was tough, but I got to pick up speed whenever I was going downhill and I really loved that thrill.
Plus, I got to admire all the seasonal apple blooms along the way. They're extremely pretty, you know.
It was always really exciting watching the apples grow more with each passing day.
Jade
How hardy of you indeed, to religiously devote three hours of your life daily just for a commute to school.
Your overflowing vigour must be the fruit of nature's labours here, Epel.
Idia
Pffft, heeheehee! Truly must have been tough, eh? Even though you could've graduated with way less effort through online courses lmao.
Sebek
Commuting to school via bicycle for three hours? Sounds like a good training opportunity to me.
What did you do when it rained or snowed, then? Did you run instead?
Epel
N-No, that's a bit extreme to be honest… It'd take a full day just to get there and back.
I'd hitch a ride in my parents' car when the weather was bad.
When you live in a place as remote as Harveston, cars are essential for daily life.
Jade
Speaking of which, I have indeed seen numerous cars driving to and fro on our way here.
Epel
Harvest Highway is a popular road to drive on, since it's straight and wide.
I loved speeding down this road with my parents as well.
They'd drive to the neighbouring city to ship our harvest…
…and I'd often sit in the back and join them on the trip.
Jade
It certainly seems like it would feel incredible to zip down such a straight road.
Epel
I wanna get a Magical Wheel of my own one day and dash through this road myself too!
Speeding down the road with the wind blowing against my face sounds like it would be so invigorating.
Sebek
You're a fan of Magical Wheels, Epel?
Epel
Yeah, I am.
But there's no Magical Wheel Club in school, and Vil even told me not to get into them…
Argghh!!! It really drives me up the wall!!
Sebek
Hm? What did you just say?
Jade
"Drives me up the wall"…?
Epel
Wait, erm, it uh…means something like "makes me angry"…
Vil always strictly warns me never to use my dialect in front of others, and yet here I am, already breaking that…
Sebek
Really? Some strange rule you have there in Pomefiore.
Epel
S-So please don't tattle on me to Vil if I were to use words that I'm not meant to, please!
Jade
Oh, of course I wouldn't rat you out… Hehehe…
Epel
Oh no… I have a feeling that I just handed blackmail material to someone really, REALLY problematic on a silver platter…
…Ah! There it is! That's my house!