Guy I love your story and this chapter was no exception. One thing that could've been a bit clearer was if the Goddesses were staying in the beach house or if they just came for the day and left at night.

Also loved the Daddy Elliot and Mommy IF scene.
And my favorite line in the entire chapter was when he told her "Today is about me and you, no one else".

Keep doing your best. another random dude on the internet.

"How many cliches are you willing to unpack for this breather chapter?" says the mysterious entity, as the author grabs the legendary cursed pen. They then turn around, a single line slipping through their lips:

"Yes."

... I've always wanted to use that overused meme, sue me.

Anyways!

You kept true to your word about this chapter being a more relaxing one, and also that you sinned through and through with it as well. The beach episode, the scene where Elliot, IF and the twerps looked and acted like a family, the carnival close by the beach, the games, the Ferris Wheel (plus malfunction), the fireworks (and even the attempt at a confession interrupted by them) - you filled enough boxes on the test to get a clean 100, dear author...

And I absolutely loved it. I'm a sucker for cliches, admittedly, and especially so if they're romantic. Dunno, they always make me feel good and fuzzy inside, regardless of how unrealistic they might be - I believe that only adds to their charm, honestly. I'll be the first to admit that the whole fuzzy feeling did strike a bit of a weird nerve, however, since I temporarily forgot that Noire's feelings still hasn't been confronted yet, but that either was the intention or it's just a me thing.

Regardless, for what amounted to several textbook cliches strung together ended up being a heartwarming experience, mostly because of how well it was performed, and while yes, the beach part wasn't as... prominent as one could be led to believe in hindsight, I think it served well its purpose.

Plus, I don't see IF being the kind of girl that enjoys splashing around on the water while donning a skimpy bikini... Although it could've been endearing to watch.

Thanks for the breather chapter, and see you later at the beginning of the Neptune(IF/Compa) arc!

This certainly was a very Vert kind of climax, alright, and I absolutely enjoyed every second of it!

As always, every goddess is there to help Elliot overcome just a tad of what keeps him from fully enjoying this new stage of his live, as well as preparing for the big decision day. Honestly, you shouldn't feel ashamed in the slightest; Vert really feels like the kind of character that would pull this kind of trick (or test, in this case). Plus, unlike most of the times this same act is used, it normally is to add a girl to a potential harem and stuff, not to actually serve as a way for a character to, albeit slowly, develop!

You really used this dangerous card well, and you should feel proud of that, dear author.

The rest of the chapter was very well done, too. The references to the first game were on point and appreciated, the bit with Elliot dominating the hill right before leaving as a way to show his growth through this surprisingly eventful arc, and then the last couple scenes at the airport (I still feel sorry for Noire, though).

I also share the feeling of showing off Blanc's boyfriend a bit, too, but you shouldn't feel pressured to do so unless there's a good reason (just like lil' Melanie a chapter ago).

All in all, yet another enjoyable chapter. I'm really excited, though, for this means that the final stretch is just around the corner. For now, though, we shall await and judge you for whatever sin you've apparently committed!

The whole sama san thing require a basic understanding of Japanese culture and hierarchy. There are a lot of subtle meanings in them that tend to be lost on weeblets...and normies..so it's fine.

Another great chapter, keep it up! Also, I'm gonna guess it's a beach episode, isn't it?

Not that I want an entire chapter but I do hope we get to meet Blanc's Boyfriend.

And ofcourse another great chapter.

I remember the first time I tried an egg burger. On the first bite, the yolk burst and got all over my clothes. Same thing happened to my brother too. Egg burgers are cursed.

Honestly really like Melanie. Seems like an interesting character. Keep up the good work!

At this rate, Elliot will definitely end up suffering from some weird nosebleed syndrome or something with how much Vert is teasing him and making him flustered, lol. Don't ruin our boy for marriage!

I must say, though, that Melanie's appearance is something I think is something that had to happen, sooner or later. Ghostly characters that are only mentioned are fine generally when their involvement with the character is mild, and she definitely was beyond just mild. I'm glad we managed to get a glimpse of her at least once, and that it actually helped stick some more ideas into Elliot's head to boot.

Also, I gotta say... I like how the current events feel like repeats of the past, with how Elliot is now the one that tries to pick a choice between going somewhere or staying with his potential lover (Melanie was in a similar position before), and how his mentor had to move his workplace as well, albeit now is from Planeptune and back to Lastation. How will things turn out, I wonder; will fate play the same cars, or something completely unexpected will end up happening instead, hm?

Also, dropping dead by 4 AM. Vert would be so very disappointed, dear author. You should be able to play for days without needing sleep, come on!
... Just kidding, don't do that.

Anyways, I think this is it for my review of the chapter. Be seeing ya on the next one, however long it takes!

god vert is so much fun

This wasn't the beach chapter I had in mind, but I guess you're saving the real deal for a certain brunette, and this definitely didn't disappoint!

Getting to know more about our main character is always entertaining, especially if it has to do about that part of his life he's always bringing up: his school life. I wholeheartedly agree that the average person does at least try a single sport and plays it casually for a while, mostly stuff like soccer, basketball and baseball, at least around here. He did pretty well for someone who only helped out and played, well, casually, and against one if these infamous fair games, though (I guess that granny was a softie or something).

Vert being a tease is always fun to watch, but I can only wonder how much of it is actually teasing. Classic Vert, no doubt. It was comforting to see some other ways she has to vent her mild frustration at the lack of a sibling, too. Perhaps being friends with this young man could help relieve that feeling just a little bit, which is why her tease game seems to be at it's highest.

I honestly didn't spot anything to heavily nitpick about (other than a lack of Chika, but she was mentioned at least and that's good enough). Really excited to see how this short arc unfolds and rounds up before what I assume is the beginning of the end starts (Nep arc and a IF arc?).

I guess I'll just wait and see. Until the next chapter!

I like how the Vert arc is coming along. It's different than the other arcs in feeling, but at the same time it's also fitting for Vert's mentality. She's a very good big sis for people when she isn't overdoing it with her vices (considering she doesn't have a little sibling, I really hope they give her one in the future (Microsoft needs to make a handheld already!)), and your story does very good on bringing that aspect of her out into the foreground. You do really well with bringing out aspects of characters that aren't brought out in most fanfics, but still are canon with their personalities and that is very admirable. Please keep up the good work!

Gonna drop a review here that accounts for the entirety of the thing, because I binged the entire thing for about three days of (almost) non-stop reading!

If I had to describe the entire story in a single word, I think that would be refeshing, original or dynamic. I really expected something simple going in, as I wanted a breather from a couple drama-filled fanfiction I finished not too long before jumping into this one... Oh boy I had no idea.

The beginning was soft, simple and easy to get into, and although I do feel the transition from the original idea (that kinda reminded me of Va-11 Hall-A and, more prominently, Coffee Talk) to the climax of the Gala wasn't super smooth, it did the trick just fine. This is just a personal observation, though, so don't pay it much attention. The starting plot and the Gala climax were still pretty entertaining, albeit a tad sad looking back (Three oofs for the Noire ship).

The following arc was a nice way to lower the heat from the previous one, though if I were to nitpick anything is that the climax with the reveal probably happened a bit too fast, content-wise. I know it makes sense in-universe, with the skips and everything, but I can't help but think that some more things could've fit in-between. It was a bit rushed, or, again, so I felt.

The second-to-last(?) arc just started so I cannot comment much on it, other than be expectant to see what kind of aid Vert's gives Elliot. Blanc and Neptune kinda gave him some insight in what he had to do with himself, so I'm raring to see what does Vert bring to the table (even if some of that was already shown through the training).

I don't really have much else to say, having covered most of what I wanted to. Perhaps going into my favorite scenes so far and stuff could be fun, but this review is already long enough as it is... Instead, I'm just going to leave it here for the time being.

See you on the next update (with a shorter review, too), dear author!

And so it begins! I've been curious how Vert's arc is gonna play out, and I gotta say it's off to an interesting start! I think it can be hard to get Vert's character right sometimes, but a balance between maternal big sis-type and teasing is a good start I think. Despite how she likes to, Vert does have quite the caring side.

That training though... Wasn't expecting that! Good surprise though. I'm looking forward to seeing what the rest of the arc has in store.

Hope you're doing well! And great chapter!

Can't believe it's been two years since this began. I'm gonna be so sad but happy once the last arc hits. It's been a wild ride eh. Let's hit that 1/4 of a 100 chapter mark!