Mechanical Marie (機械じかけのマリー)

Mechanical Marie

Mechanical Marie

Mechanical Marie

Mechanical Marie

Mechanical Marie

Mechanical Marie

Episode 9 "Deceitful, Mysterious, Exposed Marie"

Today marks the fall festival!

Fireworks fly across the land.

Every year, the students of Kalmia High look forward to seeing them after school.

I have student council work to do. I can't participate.

I see.

Of course I want to see the fireworks with Marie... but it's not that simple!

If I were a human girl, I'm sure I would have fallen in love with you.

I-It's hopeless! After what she said to me,

I can't help seeing her that way.

That really is a shame.

I'll at least wait for you until you finish.

I appreciate it. Later.

I would've loved to watch the fireworks with Master Arthur.

Friends, huh?

Even on that tropical island, I longed for Arthur to say,

"You useless sows!" Or, "Get back to your pig farm!"

I know!

That's Master Arthur's fan club.

I'd sure like to make friends with them and see the fireworks together.

But just wishing won't do anything, will it?

I came prepared!

I baked these cookies in cooking class!

They'll make a perfect token of friendship.

Um...

W-Would you like to be friends?

Maybe watch the fireworks together?

Why, Marie.

Yes, we'd love to.

Wow! Those cookies look delicious.

I made them for all of you.

Okay. The simulation checks out.

But just to be safe, I'll do one more practice run.

W-Would you please be my friend?

You bet I will.

Huh?!

Are these for me?

Nice!

Hey! Don't just—

I was confident in my poison tolerance, but these are intense.

So, you want to make friends with those girls?

It'll never work, though.

They're all rich kids, raised in the lap of luxury,

so you'd stick out like a sore thumb in their group.

I already planned for that problem!

Marie... in rich girl mode!

So then, Arthur—

Goodness me. How do you do?

Huh? Marie?

A-Are you trying out a new look?

How rude of me not to introduce myself sooner.

Like you, I am a wealthy debutante.

My hobbies include... horses.

I like lifting them.

And pianos. I lift those too.

Dear me, your meal there looks a trifle lacking in protein.

Tea is hardly complete without it.

This is beyond barbaric!

She's an impostor for certain, no doubt!

Away with her!

Oh my!

You okay?

Lunch is almost over. Think the whole making friends thing will pan out?

I've never met anyone I wanted to make friends with more.

Dear Bridget,

I'm sorry for earlier.

Please be friends with me!

I want to see the fireworks together.

Yours truly, Marie

I'm sorry for earlier.

Please be friends with me!

I want to see the fireworks together.

Yours truly, Marie.

I got someone to tell me where the fan club president's locker is.

Maybe it will be easier to get through to them in writing.

A letter? That's all?

I enclosed the best present I could think of to cheer her up.

I just hope she likes it.

My, what's this? A letter?

What a lovely envelope.

Perhaps it's a love letter.

You think so?

Let's see here...

Huh?

A-A four-leaf clover?!

She knew about my ultra-specific four-leaf clover allergy and set this trap for me!

No way.

How would you know that?

Darn this... this thing!

I! Am! Seething!

S-Seething!

This concludes homeroom for the day.

Or so you thought! Well, think again!

Take a look at this!

Who was it?! Who broke my favorite vase?!

You tried to hide it with tape, but I can tell!

Oh, my poor flowers!

As punishment, the guilty student will stay late and clean the classroom!

And homeroom will not end until I find out which of you was responsible!

That means no fireworks!

What?!

No way!

They're starting in ten minutes.

But I want to see the fireworks!

The fastest way out of this is for someone to take the fall and stay late.

Here.

I broke the vase.

What about your new pals?

I'll live.

I wanted friends to see the fireworks with,

but everyone else is so excited for them.

So to preserve that...

and not spoil everyone else's fun, I can live with this.

Man, good thing that gloomy nobody raised her hand.

She's got no friends, so it works out perfectly.

Even though we're the ones who really broke the vase.

Oh yeah?

That's really great to know.

H-Hey, you're that honor student.

You've been getting on my nerves for ages.

Nice timing. I'll show you who's boss!

Forget everything you just heard!

Or else!

Oh? You're throwing the first punch?

That makes this...

self-defense.

I-I'm so sorry.

Let's set the record straight.

No one bullies Marie except me.

We broke that vase!

We smashed it horsing around, and now we're cleaning up!

What are they...

Come along now.

Got it? Speak clearly when you talk to them, and try to act natural.

U-Um...

Now get going!

Hey!

Whoa, whoa, whoa...

Marie? What can we do for you?

Be brave.

Would you be my friends?

No, thank you.

Have you been hovering around us all day just to ask that?

We can never be friends!

We simply don't see eye to eye.

However, I do respect your feelings for Arthur.

So...

I would watch the fireworks with you, not as friends, but as good rivals.

My name is Bridget. Pleased to have you.

Oh, Marie, about the vase in the classroom...

We told the teacher you'd never do that and it must have been someone else!

Thanks a million!

Noah...