Chapter 5: Conversation and Big Ideas.
March 18, 2026 at 2:08 PM
Chapter 5: Conversation and Big Ideas.
The three exit the building. Tadashi approaches his scooter, starts it, and looks at them. Tadashi: (calling out to them) Let's hurry if you want to make it to the robot fight. He notices his younger sister and niece looking at the institute, then quickly turning to him. Hana: (she began) I need to study here. (pacing back and forth) If I don't get here, I'll go crazy. (she said, placing a hand on her black hair) Fiona couldn't keep quiet any longer. Fiona: (with admiration and joy) Oh my god, Uncle Tadashi, why didn't you show us your cool school sooner? She started waving her arms and smiling. Fiona: (continuing to speak, smiling happily) And Mirabelle and Annabelle are so cool and special. I want to be friends with them. (She suddenly jumped.) And Uncle Fred has such an amazing imagination; he should write comics himself; he's a natural at it. She thought of Honey Lemon. Fiona: And Aunt Honey is so fun and cool. And then Fiona suddenly remembered Baymax and squealed. Fiona: And Marshmallow... oh, I mean, Baymax is such a cute robot, I even want to hug him. How can my mom get in here? Can I study here too? (she blurted out in one breath.) Her blue eyes gleamed with a mixture of childish curiosity, admiration, joy, and delight. Tadashi and Hana watched and listened, smiling tenderly. Tadashi realized everything had worked out well, and Hana was happy that her daughter would finally make friends at this school. In those half an hour, she'd seen how outgoing Fiona had become with everyone at this college and how kind Tadashi's friends were to her daughter. A few seconds later, Hana and Tadashi noticed that Fiona's half of the ring on the string was glowing faintly, white as silver. Hana's brown eyes widened in surprise, and Tadashi feigned surprise, but he knew the whole truth about the ring Fiona wore around her neck. Fiona: (looking at them in turn) What happened? (she asked) Hana: (pointing to the half of the ring in surprise) Fiona, your ring is glowing. Fiona was confused at first, then she looked down at her half of the ring and carefully held it in her palms. Fiona stared at the faintly glowing half of the ring, mesmerized, then looked back at Hana and Tadashi. Fiona: (simultaneously asking and clarifying) Did this just happen, or did it happen while we were inside the college? Tadashi: (explaining) We just noticed it now. Fiona: (waving and running toward the scooter) Okay, let's go home. Tadashi carefully lifted his five-year-old niece, placed her on the scooter, and placed a pink helmet on her head. Hana shook her head and climbed onto her older brother's scooter. They all rode off toward Aunt Cass's coffee shop, and Fiona glanced at her half of the ring on the string again and noticed that her half of the ring had stopped glowing silver. She then looked toward the college with a careful gaze. Fiona: (thoughts) My ring reacts to my uncle's college. So there's something about that college that my ring reacts to. (she thinks, hugging her uncle around the waist) At that moment, Tadashi looked ahead, his gaze serious, and Hana, too, became lost in thought. Tadashi: (thoughts) So the time has come. (he thought) Hana: (thoughts) So our family heirloom has a secret. I wonder what it is? (she thought) The next day, Tadashi pinned an announcement about the school's SFIT exhibition above one of the posters featuring a combat robot drawn by Hana. At that moment, Fiona entered their room, dressed differently. She wore a simple white nightgown with short sleeves and a bright green ribbon at the collar, reminiscent of a dress in both length and looseness. Her long, straight, dark blue hair was loose, her bangs slightly covering her left eye, and she was barefoot. She approached them curiously. Tadashi: (smiling at her) Fiona, you're just in time. Fiona stood next to her mother and looked at the poster. Tadashi: (explaining) The institute holds a student exhibition every year. (he looked at Hana) If Callaghan is thrilled with your idea, you'll be accepted. The reminder of Robert Callaghan sent shivers down Fiona's spine. Fiona: (thoughts) What happened yesterday? And why did I sense something strange about him at that moment? (she thought and shook her head) Fiona: ((thoughts) Of course, it will be amazing. (she looked away) Will the exhibition be during the day or in the evening? If in the evening, then I'll have a chance to understand what my ring reacts to and what it's trying to show me. (she thought) Hana looked at the ad. Hana: Don't doubt it. It will be. She cracked her knuckles, pulled out her sketchbook, sharpened her pencil, and prepared to sketch out her ideas. Meanwhile, Fiona moved closer to her mother and watched as Hana's pencil touched the page of the sketchbook. Ten minutes later, Hana started banging her head on the table. Crumpled papers were scattered all over the desk, and Fiona stood next to her, looking at her mother with alarm. Hana: Nothing! No ideas! Useless, empty head! (she exclaimed.) Tadashi was lying on the bed. Tadashi: Wow. Writer's block at 14. What a shame. Hana: (panicking) I can't think of anything! I'm in trouble. They won't accept me. Fiona quickly appeared next to Tadashi, and he turned Hana around, and their eyes met. Tadashi: Look, Fiona and I still believe in you. Fiona: Don't give up. At that moment, Tadashi grabbed Hana by the legs, threw her over his shoulder, and started shaking her. Hana: What are you doing? Tadashi: I'm shaking you. Think about it and find a solution. Hana: (confused) What? As soon as Tadashi stopped shaking his mother, Fiona looked at Hana and tapped her forehead with two fingers. Fiona: As Aunt Cass says, "Even old things can be made new." (She smiled as she recited Cass's quote.) Tadashi smiled at his niece. Hana just sighed, holding Tadashi's hand. But then she noticed Megabot and looked at her robot from a different angle, and an idea occurred to her. After a while. The music started playing. The action shifted to Fiona's room, cozy and decorated in pleasant colors. She had various stuffed animals, dolls, and so on. Fiona was sitting on the rug next to her bed, weaving friendship bracelets for Mirabelle and Annabelle using a slingshot and colorful rubber bands, but the twin girls didn't know anything about this yet. She felt Moti the cat lie down next to her, watching her intently. Fiona simply smiled and stroked his ear, and Moti purred with pleasure. Then she continued weaving bracelets. We hadn't seen what they would look like yet, but there were a few red rubber bands lying on the floor. Later, Hana opened the garage and ruffled her daughter's hair, who giggled and smiled. Hana began to bring her ideas to life. Hana worked for several days and nights, Fiona helping her mother and not forgetting to make bracelets for the twins. From time to time, Tadashi, Aunt Cass, Moti, and the whole gang would stop by to visit Fiona and Hana. By the time Hana finished, she had about 12 trash cans full of her ideas. We then see two boxes tied with ribbons on Fiona's bed. Fiona had already finished making friendship bracelets. When Hana, Fiona, and Tadashi peered into one of the trash cans, Hana and Tadashi first exchanged fist bumps and mimed an explosion. Then they turned to Fiona, and all three exchanged fist bumps. Fiona: (smiling and miming an explosion) Bah-da-la-la-la-la. (She said this, and all three giggled.) Continued in Chapter 6: SFIT Display Case and Warning.
