An unexpected pair of a kitty and a crow! Yes, it’s convenient for me to imagine Germ as a raven, or, at worst, a jackdaw, I don’t know why. I thought for a long time about who I should ship Mae with. Don't get me wrong - she's the kind of character that would look great solo, but why not get creative? I imagined her with a variety of people, but Germ somehow fit in best.

There wasn’t any special chemistry with him, like, for example, with Bea, but I think that’s more of a plus, because Mae already has enough stress in any kind of relationship. It’s difficult for me to see any romantic aspect in their constant conflicts and reconciliations; after all, it’s more like the behavior of two friends. And from Beatrice’s actions, it becomes clear that no matter how attached she is to Mei, she would prefer a more mature and responsible person as a partner (it is also possible that she is simply straight).

Bombshell brings some kind of novelty and adventurism, but I think it’s not without reason that the developers pulled off a twist where Mae forgets to ask for her phone number. For me personally, this situation became a symbol of that sometimes we miss out on some cool people in our lives, but it's still not the end of the world.

There was an idea to write a fanfic with the OC, but knowing my love of creating characters and then suffering trying to write out the character and biography, I dismissed it. I will work with already familiar characters.

Previously, I confess, it was a sin to ship Mae with Lori (already an adult). Like, they are still hanging out years later, but now imagining the events of the game even after a short period of time seems tiring to me. Despite the upbeat ending, the game hints that things could go south at any moment. And Lori will most likely go to college, leaving the pining Mae in the town.

Germ, it seems, is not going anywhere, and so far feels like the most comfortable character. He, of course, is not part of Mae’s main group of friends, but at the same time, it’s as if he’s always on hand. Finding him somewhere in the middle between a close friend and a good acquaintance seems like the perfect foundation for deeper feelings. The way Mae follows Germ around when he suggests they hang out is very cute, and most importantly, she is not disappointed in all their hangouts. It seems as if whatever surprise Germ brings, Mae will definitely like it, as if it was obvious to him, as if he did not doubt for a second that what he had prepared would make Mae happy, even if only for a while.

So yes, I think they would make a good couple. And Mae's shock, as depicted in the art, is more happy than disappointed. Simply because Germ surprised her once again, pleasantly surprised, as always.