[sfx: whisking]
Anne: [humming to themself]
[sfx: sizzling]
Anne: Alright! There we go! And a big dollop of whipped cream, and a little bit of special sauce to top it off...
[sfx: food crimes]
Anne: Just a bit... there! Looking good for a first try! Time to go wake Allen and Hajun up.
[sfx: footsteps, opening door]
Anne: Allen! Hajuuun! Get up! Food's ready!

Anne: Tada! Anne-sama's Special Blueberry Pancakes!
Allen and Hajun: Wuh....
Anne: I just had a sudden craving, and since Hajun's usually the one who makes breakfast for us, I thought it might be nice to have a change of pace every once in a while.
Hajun: You say "usually", but I don't know if I can remember any other time you've done something like this.
Anne: Yep! It's my first attempt!
Allen: Uh... well, uh, these are... blueberry pancakes, you said?
Anne: Yeah? Something up?
Allen: It's just that it looks like the batter is the color of squid ink...
Anne: Ah, that! It's just that the blueberries all got crushed up while I was mixing them in. It's fine! It's all the same once you've chewed it up anyway.
Allen: Ah... ahahah... right, yeah? [sotto voce] How in the world do you make blueberries turn black like this?
Hajun: And this fluorescent sauce on top of all of this whipped cream is...?
Anne: Oh, that? Isn't it adorable? It's great what can happen when you just mix things you've got in the kitchen together, right? It's amazing!
Hajun: ... well, it certainly is amazing, I will give you that. [sotto voce] How on earth did you make it turn that insane color with just things we had lying around the kitchen?
Anne: Well, no need to be shy! Eat up, eat up!
Allen and Hajun: ...
Hajun: Well, after you, Allen!
Allen: Oh, no, Hajun, you should be the one to eat first!
Allen and Hajun: ...
Hajun: By no means! As the esteemed leader of BAE, you should be the one to go first.
Allen: No, no, see, I have no sense for these kinds of things, you should go first, since you've got such a refined palate!
Anne: Hey, you two! Why are you acting like you can't just both eat the pancakes I made?
Allen: ... Hajun. Let's brace ourselves.
Hajun: Well, I'm sure one bite won't kill us.
[sfx: forks clinking]
Allen: On three, we eat. It'll be fine, right?
Hajun: Yes.
Allen: One, two--!
[sfx: taking bites]
Allen and Hajun: --!
Anne: Well? Is it good?
Allen: [with full mouth] It tastes like poison...
Anne: What? What are you talking about!? Hajun? Why are you not moving?
Hajun: ...
Anne: You guys are being dramatic. Sure, I didn't taste anything as I went while I was making them, but... they're pancakes! How wrong could they possibly go?
[sfx: Anne taking a bite]
Anne: ... Oh, that's foul!!

Anne: [muffled] And I thought I had done a good job...
Allen: Well, I mean, it was your first time, right? It's to be expected. And it turned out looking, uh, kind of cool, you know, from a certain perspective? They're really unique, really Anne-like...
Hajun: I mean, it certainly takes some kind of talent to make a simple pancake have such an arrestingly horrible flavor.
Anne: I don't follow at all...
Allen: ... ah, well, what's up with the sudden urge to make blueberry pancakes, anyway? Do you like them a lot or something?
Anne: Yeah... when I was little, my mama used to make them for me all the time. On days off -- days like today, where everyone wakes up late.

*

[flashback begins]
[sfx: sizzling]
Anne: Wow, that smells good!
Anne's Mother: Today I'm making Anjin's favorite... blueberry pancakes!
Anne: Yay! Hey, mama, can I help? I wanna try making them, too.
Anne's Mother: There's no need for that. Just let mama make them for you, Anjin.
Anne: But...
Anne's Mother: I said no. How would I feel if you got burned? You're my most precious little prince, Anjin. I'd be so sad I might start to cry!
Anne: ...
Anne's Mother: And see? I'm already just about done. Why don't you go wake up papa, my little prince?
Anne: 'Kay!
[flashback ends]

*

Anne: On days off we'd have brunch together as a family. Those were the only times I ever saw my mama and papa both smiling. They weren't fighting or raising their voices. Maybe it was just that they'd just agreed to play nice for those occasions. Probably. But maybe just at those moments, we were happy.
Allen: Anne...
Anne: [laughs] I mean, I've said before, my mama was a toxic parent... but not all of my memories of her are bad ones. She was beautiful, and she always smelled nice, and she was a proud parent. She always made the blueberry pancakes that I loved, and on nights I couldn't sleep, she'd read me fairytale stories. I was the best thing in her life. And she was the best thing in my life, too. But...

*

[flashback begins]
[sfx: scissors]
Anne's Mother: See? Doesn't that look nice? Long hair really doesn't suit you at all, Anjin. You're a boy, after all, so short hair is always going to look better on you.
Anne: But, I...
Anne's Mother: Anjin!! When papa left, you promised mama, right? You promised that you'd protect mama from now on, right?
Anne: [crying] ... yeah.
Anne's Mother: That's right... that's right, Anjin! I love you, Anjin! And I want to be able to keep loving you, so... you need to stay my little prince, forever and ever, okay?
[flashback ends]

*

Anne: ... my mama never really loved me the way I was.
Allen and Hajun: ....
Anne: ... oh, sorry! This is probably a bit heavy for this early in the morning, with such a downer story and everything.
[sfx: phone buzzing]
Anne: ... huh? ... an unknown number... I wonder who this is?
[sfx: phone tapping]
Anne: Yes? ... yes, this is them speaking... ... huh? ... yes. Yes. Yes, that's right. I'm sorry. I understand. Thank you for calling.
[sfx: phone tapping]
Anne: [sigh]
Allen: Who was it?
Anne: ...
Hajun: What happened? You look depressed.
Anne: ... It was from the hospital. My mama was admitted for an injury. It sounds like she's going to be fine, but...
Allen and Hajun: ...
Anne: ... but she wanted to see me. It sounded like she's been raising a fuss and causing trouble at the hospital, so they asked if I could come and talk to her.
Allen and Hajun: ...
Hajun: Are you going to go?
Anne: ... I should go. As my mother's child.
Allen: But you haven't seen her in years, ever since you left home, right?
Anne: Yeah. Sometimes I get calls even though we haven't talked, but I've been ignoring them. But...
Hajun: To which hospital has your mother been admitted?
Anne: They said it was Keiyo Hospital.
Hajun: Oh, my, is that so? Very nearby there is a cafe that serves delicious blueberry pancakes. If we're going to go, we can go for brunch together there afterwards. Does that sound good to you, Allen?
Allen: Huh? ... ah... yeah, for sure.
Hajun: Well, then that's decided. Shall we go? Anne.
Anne: ... Mm.

*

[sfx: footsteps]
Hajun: Room number 503... this is the room.
Anne: Yeah...
Allen: Are you okay? You've already done all you need to, so if you want to leave without meeting her, then...
Anne: No. I've already decided to do it.
[sfx: knocking, door opening]
Anne: Mama?
Anne's Mother: Anjin!! I'm so glad you came!
[sfx: door closing, footsteps]
Anne: How's your injury?
Anne's Mother: Oh, that. It's awful. My heel snapped all of a sudden and I took a fall, and when I hit the ground I broke my wrist. And it's my right hand, too, so it's my dominant hand! It's so terribly inconvenient.
Anne: [sighs] And that's what I got called in over, huh?
Anne's Mother: Were you worried? You were, right? You've always been such a kind child, Anjin. You were always there for me whenever I was sick.
Anne: You seem to be doing alright.
Anne's Mother: Not at all!  It hurts a lot in between the pain medication, and the food here is terrible. And worst of all, I'm bored.
Anne: Did you call for me just because you were bored?
Anne's Mother: ... are these your friends?
[sfx: Allen stepping forward]
Allen: Nice to meet you. I'm Sugasano Allen. And this is Yeon Hajun. We work together with Anne-san in a unit called BAE.
Anne's Mother: I see. So you are...
Anne: The two people I'm living with now.
Anne's Mother: So you're those horrible children who stole my Anjin from me.
Allen: --! Not holding back even with the first punch...
Hajun: It's very intense.
Anne's Mother: How dare you drag my precious Anjin into something as horrible as phantom lives? And you're even forcing him to dress up like some kind of crossdresser.
Allen and Hajun: --!
Anne: You're wrong. I wear these clothes because I want to. And I do phantom lives because I want to, too. I asked them to let me join them.
Anne's Mother: They're just using you, Anjin! I've heard about that phantometal stuff, and how dangerous it is. You're putting your life at risk! How could you possibly get involved in something so horrible!?
Anne: --!
Anne's Mother: Mama is just trying to look out for you, Anjin. You need to get away from those two immediately and come back to your mama. Even with the way we parted ways, mama's not mad at all, okay?
Anne: ... I'm not coming back.
Anne's Mother: ... why? Are you saying that those horrible children are better than your mama? That they love you more than I do? Absolutely not!! They call yourself your friends, but they're just using you! They're going to give you all kinds of sweet words when things are going well, but the second things go bad, they're going to betray you!! Just like your papa did to me!!
Anne: -!
Anne's Mother: Anjin! You're all I have left, and your mother would never betray you.
Anne: Stop it...
Anne's Mother: You're always going to be the best thing mama has, Anjin. And you feel the same way, too, right? There's no such thing as a mother who doesn't love their child!
Anne: Stop it.
Anne's Mother: Don't betray your mama. Don't run away from me. Just stay close to your mama, Anjin, and then we'll both be happy. You said you'd always, always protect me, remember? You promised!
Anne: That's enough!!
Anne's Mother: --!
Anne: That's enough...! There's nothing more to say. I can't be your prince anymore, mama. When I left home, I told you that.
Anne's Mother: Anjin...
Anne: Even if we lived together again, I wouldn't be able to do what you want from me. We'd end up fighting every single day and wearing each other down to nothing.
Anne's Mother: But that would be fine. My house is so empty without you in it, Anjin. No matter how many men stay with me and tell me they love me, there's no true love anywhere in it. Every one of them leaves in the end. They leave your mama all alone. Your mama misses you, she misses you so much!
Anne: ... Allen, Hajun. I'm sorry to hold you guys up. We should leave.
Allen: Are you sure?
Anne: It's fine. There's nothing more to talk about.
[sfx: footsteps]
Anne's Mother: Anjin, why do you not love your mama?
Anne: --!
Anne's Mother: Mama loves you so much, but you just...!
Anne: ...
Anne's Mother: What kind of horrible child are you?! How can you not return love with love!? How did you be like that!?
Allen: ... there's no way they don't love you. If they didn't love you, they wouldn't be suffering this much over you. When they have their trap reaction, it's about the day you forcibly cut their hair. Do you remember that? You cutting their hair while they cried? But even so, Anne still tried to be your prince!
Anne: Allen...
Allen: ... They endured the pain of having their true self cut to pieces for you. And you're going to tell them that they don't love you? There's absolutely no way!!
Anne's Mother: --! What would you know!? You're just some interloping stranger!
Hajun: It's because we're strangers to you that we know. When you're a young child, your parents are your entire world. It's quite foolish, but... it's the foolishness that gives rise to the illusion. Your parents say they love you, and so you try to answer that and love them back with your whole being. You want your parent to smile, to give you their approval, to praise you. You want them to be proud of you. That's what you want, and it's what you do everything in your power to accomplish.
Anne's Mother: Is that not a given?
Hajun: If it's a given, then what effort have you made to help Anne? Have you made any attempt to understand the Anne that actually stands in front of you now? No? You're just trying to force your own ideals onto them. Cutting Anne's hair, over and over.
Anne's Mother: --!
Hajun: I don't think you really love Anne at all. The only person you really love is yourself. You're so cruel, so greedy, so desperate to be loved, that you don't even notice it when the other person screams out in pain.
Anne's Mother: --!
Hajun: You're the one who's empty. You're a poisonous person who can never get what you want as long as you don't know how to give to others.
Anne's Mother: --!
Anne: Mama... I'm not going back.
Anne's Mother: Anjin...
Anne: I... I either have to live as Anne Faulkner, or die as someone I'm not.
Anne's Mother: Don't say that, Anjin! Don't say that!!
Anne: You don't have to approve of it. I don't expect you to.
Anne's Mother: Why? Why are you saying these horrible things?
Anne: You and I are a lot alike, mama. We both want to do what we want to do and won't be swayed.
Anne's Mother: Anjin, you're going to leave your mama alone?
Anne: I've decided to be where I belong. And I'm not coming back to you.
Anne's Mother: So you're leaving your mama and going with them.
Anne: This isn't about the two of them. This is the choice I made.
Anne's Mother: No!! You're going to regret this!! Mama's just trying to protect you, Anjin!! Those two horrible boys are lying to you! They're lying!! I'm the only person who really loves you, Anjin!!
Anne: ... mama. I'm going to leave now. It doesn't matter what you say. I have to be true to myself. But I'll never forget this. I love you, mama. In my own way. I always have, and I always will.
Anne's Mother: --!
Anne: Let's go.
Allen: ... yeah.
Hajun: Well! Now that that's taken care of.
[sfx: door closing]

*

[sfx: footsteps]
Allen: ... uh, hey. Anne. About that. ... ... I guess I wanna say I'm sorry. I probably should have kept my mouth shut, and that made us have to leave...
Hajun: I also got a little heated. I may have been a bit rude to your mother. ... however, I have absolutely no intentions to apologize for it.
Anne: ...
Allen: Anne...
Anne: Thanks.
Allen: Huh?
Anne: It's thanks to you guys that I was able to say things that I've wanted to say for a long time. ... I was finally able to tell my mama I loved her.
Allen and Hajun: --!
Anne: I couldn't make myself say it when I left home. I felt sad and pathetic for loving my mama, and I wasn't able to accept myself for who I was. But you know... I get it now. Even if the feelings are a little ugly, I still love my mama. And that's fine. That's why I was able to say that I loved her today. Children can't choose the parents they're born to, but you can choose who you live your life with. Even if it wounds me deep down inside, I'll turn my scars into medals of honor.
Allen: Anne...
Hajun: That's the kind of person you are... [laugh] To care about loving rather than being loved... you're far braver than the prince of any fairytale.
Allen: I'm really proud of you, Anne.
Anne: Hajun. Allen.
Allen: Mm. Let's show them who we are. With our music, our phantom live performances-- right?
Hajun: Yes. A performance to show the world what we're made of. [laugh] Next up is the finals, yes?
Anne: We're not going to lose this time. We'll show them all how fabulous we can be. I don't care what anyone else says.
Allen: Let's show them who we are. With our music.
Allen, Anne, and Hajun: Together!

*

[sfx: passing cars, footsteps]

Allen: Well, I'm hungry. How about we go to that café that Hajun mentioned?
Hajun: I think that's best left for another time.
Allen: Huh? Why?
Hajun: For today, I think we should buy some groceries and head home.
Allen: Groceries? What are you going to make?
Hajun: Blueberry pancakes.
Allen and Anne: --!
Hajun: We'll make them together. I will be giving directions.
Anne: Is that okay?
Hajun: Yes. If we do this, then you'll be able to eat them whenever you want, right?
Anne: ...! Yeah! You're right!
Hajun: Besides that, I prefer making something myself rather than waiting for someone else to make it for me.
Allen: Ah, I get it. Someone else making it for you... yeah. That's what makes me happy.
Anne: [laughs]
Allen: What? Did I say something funny just now?
Anne: No, I was just thinking. We've all grown up. Well! With that decided, let's get a move on!
[sfx: footsteps]
Hajun: Well, if we're going to make pancakes, we may as well make the best pancakes we can. I will not be tolerating any cut corners, so please prepare yourselves.
Allen: Eh? Aren't just regular pancakes enough?
Hajun: You're lacking in ambition, Allen.
Allen: It's more that I'm hungry... ah, that's right! We should eat at the café first to see how it's done!
Hajun: Denied.
Allen: Augh, how did I know you'd say that?
Anne: [laughs] That's just the way he is.
Allen: Hajun, you're not hungry at all?
Hajun: Your sense of taste is heightened when you're hungry, so that is a small price to pay to achieve a higher standard.
Anne: [laughs] I'm Anne Faulkner. My favorite things are blueberry pancakes, and myself.