Puchi Pura Midori!

[News] PuchiPura - New TV Anime Announced for Summer 2026!

Press Release - Feb 15 2026

PuchiPura fans, rejoice!

Just in time for the franchise's twentieth anniversary, the studio behind the Heisei-era cult classic anime series "PuchiPura", Asteroid Produce, have announced a brand-new original 13-episode season of PuchiPura, under the working title, "PuchiPura Revival!".

Despite it having been more than fifteen years since the last season aired on national television, the new Revival! series will continue to follow the everyday life of five middle school students at Umehara Chuugakkou, taking place in the same time period as the previous seasons.

At an hour-long live speaking event held earlier today in Akihabara, the five voice talents of PuchiPura's main character quintet, known in-show as the Flower Arrangement Club (Tentative), confirmed at the end of the surprise announcement that all five seiyuu will be reprising their roles.

Long-term fans of the franchise, which still retains a loyal following today, will no doubt be intimately familiar with the five main club members:

'Lotte' (CV: Rikitake Rika)

'Tanigawa Tomoe' (CV: Takeuchi Tsukasa)

'Sasaki Sana' (CV: Sasahara Shiina)

'Hidamari Hanako' (CV: Horiguchi Hina)

'Miyanami Midori' (CV: Miyazawa Misaki)

"We're thrilled to be working together again," said Rikitake-san, who plays the energetic, self-proclaimed 'leader' of the group, the purple-haired Lotte.

"And we're so incredibly moved that the fans have continued to support PuchiPura during all these years," added Sasahara-san, who attended the event during a live video call, as touring conflicts prevented her from being able to attend in person. "It's very humbling to see the love the fanbase has for the Flower Arrangement Club (Tentative)." Sasahara-san lends her voice to the monotone and aloof Sana, the oddball character of the group.

"We hope we can live up to everyone's expectations," said Horiguchi-san, the seiyuu of the shy and adorably timid Hanako. "Please take care of us!"

Takeuchi-san, who plays the cool tsukkomi, at times described as bordering on tsundere, character of Tomoe, smiled at the crowd and remarked, "We wouldn't be here without the passion of PuchiFans across not only Japan, but the whole world. Thank you for being so patient and supporting us as always."

And finally, Miyazawa-san, the voice actress behind the 'heart' of the group, the green-haired twintailed Midori, had the last word.

Bowing deeply to the crowd, microphone in hand, she declared, visibly emotional, "Please look forward to spending time with the Flower Arrangement Club (Tentative)! We can't wait to see everyone again!"

Though PuchiPura Revival! reunites the five voice actresses together into the recording booth after a decade and a half, their close friendship behind the scenes has been well-documented. Performing together as the musical unit, Flower Arrangement Club (Tentative), they have made many appearances at conventions and fan events. A live concert was held in Odaiba, during which the franchise's prolific character songs and opening and ending theme songs were performed to a sold-out crowd, at the height of the series' popularity in 2012.

The new series, PuchiPura Revival!, is slated to broadcast this summer. A promotional key visual of the series, drawn by the original mangaka, was released alongside the announcement.

The mangaka could not be reached for comment at this time.

Warm, pastel colors, bleeding in from the edges of the screen.

As the image resolves, we see four middle-school third-year students in matching uniforms, sitting on cushions in the middle of a traditional clubroom. Each girl taking up a side of a square kotatsu, their lower halves hidden under the shared blanket.

They sip green tea from their respective yunomi cups, and occasionally take a senbei cracker from the communal dish in the center of the table, biting into each one with a polite, soft crunch.

Beside them, on the tatami floor, a kerosene heater glows red as it warms the room.

Outside the window, snow can be seen drifting lazily and silently down.

The purple-haired girl yawns, stretches her arms out. "Aahh, you know," she says, "usually first episodes like this take place in the springtime."

The other three girls look up from their cups, and turn to face the girl, who falls backward now, her back hitting the tatami with a soft Thump.

She folds her hands behind her head. As we close in on her face, subtitles appear and reveal her name: LOTTE.

"… I guess it's supposed to symbolize rebirth and all that," she says. "I mean, you gotta admit, starting in wintertime is just kinda weird."

Sitting across from her, a girl in glasses, looking flustered, stammers out, "L-Lotte-chan," as she nervously brushes her hair, "th-the fourth wall …" Subtitles above her head read: HANAKO.

Lotte, ignoring her friend, continues on, "But maybe we're allowed to do things differently!" She sits up again, eyes lit up. She extends her arm, points a finger to the air. "After all, this is our third series! So maybe we've earned the right to do whatever we want!" Lotte turns to the corner of the room, as though there's a camera there, makes a V with her fingers, and winks. "That's right, folks! We're back on primetime!"

To Lotte's left, a black-haired girl, unperturbed by her friend's antics, as though she's grown inoculated over many years, retorts, without missing a beat, "'Primetime'? Lotte, we're an otaku anime. We air after midnight." Above her, subtitles read: TOMOE.

Hanako, growing increasingly panicked, protests, timidly, "G-guys … Please … The fourth—"

Lotte slams her fists on the table, visibly startling Hanako.

"I got it!" declares Lotte. "The animators just didn't want to animate the falling cherry blossoms! That's all it is! That's why we're in the middle of winter!"

Tomoe side-eyes her friend. "… You're still on that?"

The remaining girl, who's been staring absent-mindedly at the senbei platter in front of her all this time, remarks in monotone, "If they can animate falling snow, surely they can animate falling sakura." Subtitles read: SANA.

Lotte turns to Sana, points an accusatory finger. "Ho-houuuu … And when did you become such an expert on the intricacies of genga and douga!?"

Sana looks up, blankly. She slowly turns to her left. Then her right. Then back to Lotte. Sana, quizzically, points a finger at her own chest, as though surprised to be addressed.

Tomoe, unamusedly, mutters under her breath, "(Who else would she be talking to …)"

Lotte reaches under the kotatsu, pulling out an entire arsenal of mechanical pencils, timing sheets, and an artist's lightbox.

She slams them down in front of Sana, and stands up, hands on her hip. "Then animate me some cherry blossoms, if you're so great!"

Sana, looking determined, balls her fists, and nods with a sharp exhale. After tying a white cloth headband with a red circle around her head, she grabs the pencils and starts to work immediately, putting her head down and scribbling furiously on a blank sheet.

Lotte sits back down, apparently satisfied with herself, and grabs another senbei cracker.

As the Flower Arrangement Club (Tentative) continue their carefree club activities, we see various shots of the town outside, covered in snow.

On telephone poles, as well as a community bulletin board, several MISSING posters can be seen, all depicting a smiling green-haired student.

Each poster reads:

Back in the clubroom, a long period of silence, save for the sounds of Sana's pencil scratching on paper.

After some time, Tomoe dispels the silence with, "… I wish Midori were here."

"I wonder where she is," says Lotte. "She's been gone so long. I hope she's okay."

Hanako says nothing, looking uneasy.

Lotte sighs. "We can't start the series properly without Midori! She's our 'heart', after all!"

Another tense, awkward length of silence.

Lotte taps her fingers on the kotatsu. "… Sana! How are those cherry blossoms coming along!"

Sana looks up from her stack of keyframes, blank-faced. Guilelessly she tilts her head in confusion. "… 'Cherry blossoms'?"

Lotte grabs the stack of papers, looks through them. Sana has been drawing sketches of the FAC(T) members as muscular pro wrestlers, in outlandish outfits, this entire time. Lotte's caricature in particular is wearing a luchadore mask.

Lotte simply stares back, stone-faced, without a word.

"Well," she says, changing the topic, "anyway, never mind that. … But! We gotta do something to pass the time while we wait for Midori." She looks around the table, at her friends. "Suggestions, ladies? I'm open to anything. We can't just do nothing."

Tomoe mutters, under her breath, "(Even though we did precisely that for two seasons? …)"

Lotte claps her hands together, grabs a toy microphone from out of the kotatsu. "Alright! Flower Arrangement Club (Tentative), assemble! What do we do in the first episode!?" She points the microphone at Tomoe.

"Well," says Tomoe, "We could … do actual flower arrangement, for once. You know, like what our club says it does, on paper?"

Lotte answers with a mock-buzzer noise. "Bzzzt! Rejected. That's boring. … And besides, we're still just a (Tentative) club." She turns, points the microphone at Sana next.

Sana stares with her usual blank face at the microphone, and taps it a few times with her finger. Finally, she says, "… I want to go river rafting in the jungles of South America."

Lotte, without missing a beat, replies, "Our club funds won't cover that." She turns finally to Hanako. "Hana-chan! … Go!"

Hanako fidgets nervously on her cushion, cross-legged. After working up the courage, she offers: "… H-how about a w-welcoming party?"

At the suggestion, all faces turn to Hanako.

"You know … f-for Micchan?"

The other three girls continue staring, surprised.

At the lack of response, the nervous girl's face falls. "… No good?" she asks, anxiously thumbing the hem of her skirt.

Lotte's face lights up. She shakes her head. "No, Hana-chan! That's a great suggestion!"

Tomoe smiles slightly, and assents. "I like the sound of that, too."

Sana crosses her arms, nods sagely. "The Great Sana voices her approval."

The clubroom buzzes with energy, as they begin to discuss ideas about Midori's welcoming party.

"… We should make a nice banner …"

"… Oh, oh! I'll be in charge of snacks, and drinks …"

"… We should invite Kanemoto-sensei, too! …"

"… I can't wait to see the look on Micchan's face …"

"… What do we have to work with? Maybe we have some supplies already," says Lotte, energized, as she walks over to the supply closet.

She slides open the closet door, crouches down, and begins rummaging through the years of accumulated clutter.

The other three members peek over Lotte's shoulder, into the darkness.

"Geez," says Lotte, unearthing various artifacts from the past. "… When's the last time we did a proper cleaning?"

Tomoe snarkily replies, "Not for a decade, at least."

Lotte continues to dig through the pile. Looking at some of the items with nostalgic fondness, and others with apathetic indifference, she tosses each one behind her onto the clubroom tatami floor, all the same.

The other three pick up the discarded items, and comment on the memories they bring back.

"… Oh, I remember this!" says Tomoe, holding a portable stove. "That camping trip was really fun."

"Hee hee," giggles Hanako, examining an old stage script. "It was really fun when we performed the play for the culture festival."

Sana picks up a crumpled maid uniform, and sniffs the fabric. "I wonder if this still fits me …"

"Gyaaaa!"

Lotte's sudden, sharp yelp cuts the three girls' reminiscences short.

Tomoe, Sana and Hanako look up, alarmed.

"What is it, Lotte?" asks Tomoe.

Lotte begins pulling at what looks like a girl's arm, trapped underneath the mountain of junk.

"It's … an arm," says Lotte, struggling to free the rest of whatever the appendage is connected to.

"It's wearing our school uniform," notes Sana, peering from behind.

Hanako watches, stunned. "That's not a … real person, is it?" she asks, in a thin, fearful voice.

"It feels like it's … stuffed with straw or something."

"A doll?" asks Tomoe.

"I dunno," says Lotte, still pulling. "Guys. Come on. Help me out with this."

The four girls begin working together to free the rest of the object.

"… Pull … harder …"

"Stop, Lotte, not like that … You're going to break it!"

"Here, lift—lift this up first …"

"Okay, okay, I got it—here, everyone, pull this part, okay?"

"Yeah, got it. Okay, girls, altogether now, ready?"

Then, the four voices in unison, "Se … No …"

And with a final Yank!, the object is finally freed, as the four girls fall backward onto the tatami floor.

Lotte, wincing, rubs her sore bottom. "Ouch … I-te-te-te …"

As she recovers and opens her eyes, we, along with the FAC(T), finally see the object revealed in its entirety.

Sprawled out in front of the closet, is a lifeless, green-haired, twin-tailed straw and fabric effigy of a middle school student, staring back at them with unseeing glass eyes. Its doll-like mouth frozen in an uncanny grin.

Nobody speaks for a long time.

"Is that supposed to be … Micchan?" Lotte wonders aloud. "Why would someone put this here?"

Tomoe adds, "Why would someone make this?"

Sana leans in and sniffs it. "It smells like … It smells like my bath towel, when I don't wash it for a few weeks."

Tomoe mutters, "(You should wash your towel more often, Sana …)"

Lotte picks up the life-sized doll, sits it up, and props it up against the clubroom wall.

The effigial Midori stares off in the distance, grinning.

"Well …," says Lotte. "Until Midori gets back, maybe this will have to do."

"I don't like it," says Tomoe. "It gives me the creeps. Why are its eyes so … real-looking?"

Hanako fidgets nervously. "I-I feel sorry for it. It w-was trapped in there for so long …"

Sana looks at it, her head tilted. "I wonder how flammable it is."

Tomoe side-eyes her friend. "… That's a weird thought."

Sana nods, eyes closed, and strokes her chin. "Yes. Yes, I am incredibly strange."

Lotte shrugs. "Well, whatever! We still need to plan our party. Let's go see what the other clubs have for materials. There's nothing else in our clubroom."

As the four girls exit the clubroom, talking amongst themselves, their voices growing more distant, we stay in view of the false Midori.

Glass eyes stare off into the distance unblinking.

The doll grinning.

Grinning.

… Grinning.

Updated: Feb 16 2026

… Hi!

Hello!!!

Hello!!!!!!!!!111

If you're a first-time reader who's just found my page, because of the recent announcement of the new season, then … (drum roll please) …

<marquee>W e l c o m e T o M y B l o g !!!</marquee>

My name is PuchiBro and I'm the sole proprietor of this here interweb page.

(Ugh, geez, do people still say interweb in Current Year? Really outing myself here as a boomer. Hmm, or is it 'unc' now … Is that what the kids say nowadays?)

(And yes, yes, I'm aware this page still looks like it came right out of 2009. Believe me, there's a good reason for that.)

(… That very reason being that, I created this page in 2009, right after the first season of Puchi Pura came out.)

Alright, alright, I'm rambling already. You long-time readers (yeah, that's right, all three of you; two of those being bots, of course) already know that I tend to do that a lot.

(Man, I'm coming on way too strong right now, aren't I? Ah, I've always sucked at first impressions. Okay, okay. I'll tone it down, I promise.)

… But dammit, can you blame me for being so hyper and manic!?

It's a very exciting time to be a Puchi Fan.

Nay. I daresay, it's a very exciting time to be alive.

After all, I've waited—

No, we've waited, fifteen (that's an entire decade and a half! … just think about how many times you've heard the phrase 'unprecedented times' since then) long years.

And our patience is finally paying off, minna.

For the uninitiated, let me walk you through this wonderful franchise to date.

2006 - PuchiPura manga first serialized in a now-defunct shonen magazine. Initially warm reception.

2009 - PuchiPura Panic! (aka Season 1): 12 episodes + 1 OVA

2011 - PuchiPura Passion! (aka Season 2): 24 (two cours, believe it!) episodes + 2 OVA

2012 - PuchiPura Live! Concert in Odaiba: (A live concert, more on this in detail later)

2026 - PuchiPura Revival! (Coming later this year; slated for 13 episodes.)

Like, it's a bit surreal. I don't think anyone could've expected another season of PuchiPura. Just look at that huge gap of time between 2012 and 2026. I mean, it wasn't complete radio silence. The Flower Arrangement Club (Tentative) members have gone on talk shows, radio shows. We got the occasional low-key fan event (some of which I've attended in person, of course; though not so much in recent years, for various reasons …), some drama CDs, character songs … A few small pop-up shop collabs … (Oh, there was also a pachislot machine that came out around, I wanna say 2015, which had a bunch of exclusive new animated cutscenes. I have no idea how to play pachislot, though, and besides, those stores all reek of tobacco smoke. However! Some other Puchi Fan was dedicated enough to record all the scenes, so you can watch them for yourself. My entry on that can be found here.)

But we long-time loyal fans have finally been rewarded! Patience is a virtue, truly. The surprise anouncement really was out of nowhere. No rumors or leaks about it. Believe me, I would've known.

So!

Over the next few weeks (… months? …), let PuchiBro be your personal guide through the world of PuchiPura. I'll talk about the anime, the manga, the setting, the characters, as well as introduce you to their lovely seiyuus.

(I mean, now that I think about it, you could just go through my archives to get the true experience, in real time, but then you'd be scrolling through, what, like 1000+ entries. And plus, a huge portion of those posts are just my everyday mundane life or random thoughts. … Weeell, then again, you could sidestep all those by Filtering on the PuchiPura tag only, as I think I've done a pretty meticulous job of tagging everything, but—…)

Okay, I'm getting off-track again.

… Ah, but you know, a part of me is uneasy when I think about how many half-hearted nostalgia-bait revival series we've gotten, especially in the past few years.

I've made my thoughts well clear on the glut of mediocre, soulless cash-in remakes and reimaginings and continuations of, not only beloved anime series, but even Hollywood franchises from the 80s and 90s, that we've gotten one after another since 2020; so many of these properties brought back like re-animated corpses without even a fraction of the charm the originals had.

So, yeah, am I cautiously optimistic?

I'd be lying if I said otherwise.

… No! Actually, no, you know what? Forget that. Snap out of it, PuchiBro—you're being way too pessimistic. There's absolutely no reason to think that Asteroid Produce aren't going to knock it out of the park. The director of the last two series is returning, a lot of the same key animators and storyboarders are there. The key visual they revealed at the speaking event (ugghhh … so jealous of those of you in Akiba who got to see it live …) looks Great, with a capital G.

Yeah, yeah, I know I can be a bit of a doomer. You long-time readers (yes, both of you; yes, I'm resuing that joke) will know I've got a knack for being a doom and gloom kinda guy.

Aaaanyway, that key visual's great, isn't it? If you haven't seen it, here it is:

[ attachment: puchipura_revival_key_visual01.png ]

I really like it. Even from just the art alone, you can really get a sense of what the characters are about.

And speaking of which, that seems like a great starting point to begin our retrospective journey in the world of Umehara Junior High, doesn't it?

(Heh, how's that for a segue? sunglasses.gif)

First up: Lotte.

Yes, that purple-haired girl pointing to the camera, her eyebrows angled determinedly, as if challenging you directly. (… To what exactly, you ask? Well, of whatever her impulsive thoughts decide in the moment, of course!)

Our resident self-appointed leader (or would instigator be more appropriate?) of the Flower Arrangement Club (Tentative), without whom the club wouldn't even exist in the first place!

Ya see, it was really the traditional clubroom that Lotte had her eye on, despite having no real interest in actual flower arranging. And after managing to rope in her childhood best friend Tomoe (more on her later), as well as the ever-so-shy Hanako, a timid classmate who had the misfortune of being within Lotte's field of vision at the time (too shy to say 'No'), and the lovably aloof and quirky Sana ('weirdo', to use her own words), she only needed one more person to complete the minimum member requirements.

The first episode of the series is basically the four of them trying to recruit their last member. And when Lotte was just about to give up hope, who else but Midori knocks at the door, looking to join the Flower Arrangement Club.

And then, in classic Lotte style, once she goes to fill in the paperwork for approval to their club advisor, Ms Kanemoto, she adds a (Tentative) at the end of the club name.

"I don't like committing to things!" she explains. "Isn't it more fun when everything's full of possibilities!?"

Lotte's hobbies? Well, they're kinda hard to nail down as she doesn't really have the attention span to commit to one for more than an episode.

But her favorite food is baumkuchen, especially the prepackaged ones they sell in konbinis, which Tomoe always gives her grief about. She can be seen throughout the series snacking on them, leaving crumbs everywhere. In fact, she loves them so much that the FAC(T) members bribe her into doing what they want with them.

Despite her chaotic and unpredictable personality, Lotte cares a lot about her friends, even when she's causing trouble for them.

It's important to point out that she never goes too far, and a couple of really emotional episodes really show her soft side.

Lotte is played by Rikitake Rika—yes, that Rikitake Rika. Or, Rikki, as affectionately known by her dedicated fanbase. (Even for those who don't follow voice actresses, you'll no doubt recognize her voice as she also plays, hmm, gee, I dunno, every single character of each season's top Best Girl viewer poll rankings. … No, seriously, she's become a prolific superstar in her own right. Quite possibly one of the hardest-working seiyuu today. A few character names might ring a few bells? Elmyra. Stephanie. Anna. Matsuoka-sensei. … Yeah. You've heard her voice before.)

It's amazing, and humbling, when you re-watch PuchiPura, and hear Lotte's voice, to think how far in the industry she would go. Especially since she made her debut as Lotte.

That's right—Lotte was the first the world ever heard of the legendary Rikitake Rika. (Of course, Rika's not the only superstar the show birthed. But more on that later.)

Next time: I'll introduce you to even more members of the FAC(T)!

Look forward to it!

This has been PuchiBro, signing off for now.

Until next time.

o7

The end of school bell rings, and students begin filing out of the classrooms in an orderly manner.

Among the crowd a smiling Lotte hums to herself, as she skips down the hall toward the Flower Arrangement Club (Tentative) clubroom.

Once again, the halls of Umehara Middle School are suffused, as they have always been, in red and orange, the pre-twilight hues of a constant, eternal dusk which refuses to inch further toward night.

Lotte turns the corner, and skips past the school's bulletin board, which is covered in endless copies of the same poster, all with the same green-haired third-year student, her eyes scratched out in each poster.

Now we're inside the traditional clubroom, with a direct view of the sliding door entrance.

We see the outline of Lotte's silhouette appears through the door's paper screen, as she approaches from the side.

She slides open the door with a loud Thwack!, and she raises an arm in greeting. Smiling wide, eyes closed, she lets out a cheerful, "YA-HHO!!!!"

But there is no response from within.

Lotte opens her eyes. Her smile fades.

The room is empty, once again.

She slips off her indoor slippers, and walks sock-clad onto the tatami.

Lotte kneels down on a cushion, at the kotatsu in the center of the room. She places her head down on the table, cheek against the surface.

She looks off to the side, at the thick kotatsu blanket folded neatly away against the wall.

"Wish it was winter again," she says, softly, to herself.

Then her eyes drift to the window, to the eternal dusk, the blood-orange sky.

"… I miss the stars. … I miss the night."

She turns again, placing her head face-down on the table.

"… I miss the day."

Suddenly: the sound of the door sliding open.

Lotte shoots up, turns to the entrance. "Ha, finally! Took you all long enou—"

She stops herself, once she sees the figure standing in the entrance.

"Oh," says Lotte. "… It's you."

The false Midori smiles innocently at Lotte from the doorway, her glass eyes unblinking.

"Hi, Lotte! Beautiful day out, isn't it?" chirps the straw effigy.

Lotte scoffs, looks away. "What's beautiful about it?"

"Aw, don't be like that, Lotte-chan!" says Midori (Fake), taking off her indoor slippers, shutting the door behind her.

The false Midori shuffles into the room on her straw-stuffed fabric legs, one limping ahead, the other dragging.

Pat, shfffft. Pat, shffffft. Pat, shffffft.

Lotte watches, disgusted.

With a grunt of effort ("Yoi-sho, tto,"), the straw doll grabs a cushion, and sits down on it, at the other end of the table opposite Lotte, with a sigh of relief. "… Ah, that's better."

The doll smiles at Lotte.

Lotte rolls her eyes, "… Whatever," as she begins taking out her notebooks from her bag, planting each on the table with a pointed Smack!

She takes out a mechanical pencil, flips open a page, and begins writing.

"… Whatcha doin'?" asks the false Midori, leaning over for a closer look.

"Homework. What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Ehh?" exlaims Midori (Fake). "Already?! I thought the point of the Flower Arrangement Club (Tentative) was to have fun!"

"Actually," growls Lotte, "it's to arrange flowers."

"Hehe," chuckles the doll. "You sound like Tomo-chan. Oh, by the way, she said the funniest thing to me yesterday, did you know? We—"

"I don't care."

"Aww, don't be like that, Lotte-chan! Tomo-chan and I are good friends now, but she's still your friend, too! You're childhood friends, after all! That's a strong bond. Hey, we can all be best friends, together. Me, you, and Sana-chan, and Hana-chan …"

Lotte says nothing, face down in her homework, pencil scratching away angrily.

"Do you need some help?" asks Midori (Fake).

"Not from you."

"Eh? But Midori got an A on her test today!" The doll makes a double-peace, opening and closing her twin Vs like crab pincers. "It may not look like it, but I'm pretty smart, you know? In fact, even Hana-chan says I'm—"

Lotte slams her notebook closed.

"I. Don't. Care."

Lotte glares at the false Midori.

Silence, in the FAC(T) clubroom.

The false Midori's smile fades, her face grows severe. "… It's my legs, isn't it? I know, they're unsightly. You're disgusted by them."

Lotte doesn't respond.

The edges of the screen blur, as we're taken into Lotte and the doll's shared recollection.

In the flashback, we see a hallway, saturated in the same crimson-orange of the perpetual dusk, as Lotte makes her way to (or is it from?) class, a few days prior.

From behind her, she hears the false Midori call out.

"Lotte-chan!"

Lotte winces. Then, turns back.

The false Midori waves. "Are you heading to class, Lotte-chan? Let's go together!"

The doll begins limping forward.

Pat, shfffft. Pat, shffffft. Pat, shffffft.

Lotte watches the false Midori's unsteady gait, clear revulsion written on her face.

A few feet from Lotte, the false Midori's legs begin to wobble.

She falls, flat on her fabric-doll face.

Lotte stands there icily, looking down on the fallen effigy.

After a few seconds, two underclassmen rush in to help.

"Midori-chan, are you okay!?"

"Do you need to go to the nurse's office?"

The two underclassmen, propping Midori (Fake) up on either side, help to stand the doll up, and begin to escort her down the hallway.

Midori (Fake) shakes her head, and smiles warmly. "Mm-mm. That's okay. I'm fine. Thank you both very much!"

As the three pass by Lotte, still standing there, one underclassman glares at Lotte.

"… Why didn't you help her back up!"

"What's wrong with you, Lotte-senpai!?"

Lotte, caught off-guard, stammers, "I-I …"

"Shame on you," one of them says, shaking her head.

They pass by Lotte, and the two juniors help Midori (Fake) the rest of the way to class.

Back in the unblurred present, the false Midori, at the kotatsu table, smiles once again at Lotte. "It's okay if you hate me, Lotte-chan. I know I'm disgusting. That's okay."

Lotte grits her teeth. "I don't … hate … you. I … don't." Forcing herself through this last part: "You're not … disgusting."

The doll tilts her head again, mock-curiously. "Mm? Then what is it?" Then, as if coming to a sudden realization, clapping her hands together: "Ah! I know! You're jealous, aren't you?"

At the suggestion, Lotte balls her fists.

"You're jealous that I started the Floral Decoration Club (Definitive), right?" grins Midori (Fake). "That the others have been hanging out together there instead? Right? It's only natural to be envious, I suppose. The FDC(D) clubroom is much more spacious, after all."

Lotte bites her lip, struggling to keep it together.

"You're quite welcome to join us. The invitation still stands. Oh, we have so much fun in the club."

Lotte, trembling.

"Oh, wait," giggles Midori (Fake). "Is it—are you afraid you wouldn't fit in?"

No answer.

The doll makes the universal 'It Can't Be Helped' gesture, and says, "I guess it makes sense, after all. Because, you know, Lotte-chan—"

"Don't call me that."

"—you're the odd one out, aren't you?"

Lotte, knuckles whitening, her nails digging into her skin, on the cusp of drawing blood.

"Even your name. I mean, you're the only one with a foreign name. Are you sure you're even Japanese? It's—"

Thwack!!!!!

The door to the clubroom slides open, clattering loudly against the frame.

Lotte and the straw Midori turn their heads, to see Hanako, Sana and Tomoe standing at the entrance.

Lotte's face lights up, as she stands up and rushes toward her friends. "Guys! … Geez, took you long enough! Come on, I just got a new board game! O-or if you want, we can play RacerKart instead! I borrowed three more controllers, so we can—"

But she trails off, as she sees the looks on her friends' face, as they stand around awkwardly.

Hanako stammers, twiddling her fingers. "A-actually, Lotte-chan, w-we just came for Micchan … We've b-been waiting for h-her in the other c-clubroom … So …"

At Lotte's resulting crestfallen expression, Tomoe offers, "… But! But, I mean, we can hang out here for a bit, too … Haven't been here in a while, I suppose. Could be a nice change of pace."

Sana rolls her eyes. "Yeah, a boring one, maybe."

"Sana!" hisses Tomoe.

Lotte, perhaps a bit too desperately, insists, "It'll be fun, guys, I promise! I have—I have snacks. Baumkuchen! A-and purin! Hanako's favorite brand, too! It'll be like old times. Remember how much fun we used—we used to have? Before the …" Her eyes dart to the window. "… before the sun stopped … working."

Sana and the others look outside.

The eternal dusk stares back.

Nobody speaks for a long time.

"You know," says the straw Midori, after a long silence, "if something is too painful to look at …"

The former members of the FAC(T), and the one remaining member, turn to the doll.

The false Midori reaches up toward her glass eyes.

And they watch on, jaws slack, as the doll plucks them out, one after another, before setting them gently on the surface of the kotatsu.

"… Just don't look, silly!"

And the doll grins.

Two black, empty voids where her eyes used to be.