Amity Sprouting From Reminiscence

Houga Tsuisou no Amity (萌芽追想のアミティエ) is a short story which tells how Daru became Okabe's "My Favorite Right Arm" (right-hand man); in other words, how they became such true friends during high school.

The scenario writer was YASUMOTO Toru (安本亨) with HAYASHI Naotaka (林直孝) acting as editor and SAKAI Kyuuta (坂井久太) providing the illustrations. It was published in July, 2012 as part of the booklet Steins;Gate – This Side of Paradise, which was bundled with the original anime BD/DVD v1-9 set.

Plot
The story is set in August, 2010 during Operation Urd in Alpha Attractor Field and is told alternating between Okabe and Kurisu's perspectives, as Okabe and Daru reminisce about how they met in high school. These past events set in February, 2008, are the same in both the Alpha and Beta Attractor Fields because Daru's memories are from the Alpha AF and Okabe's from the Beta AF.

In their high school, there was a girl named Otomi Youko, aka the "Queen of Red" or "Red Marks/Points Girl (Akatenjyou 赤点女)", who had trouble passing tests and was in danger of not having enough school credits to graduate due to health issues. Before the final supplementary exams, she and Hououin Kyouma came up with a strategy, worthy of a Mad Scientist's diginity, to obtain the exam questions ahead of time.

In order to do so, they pulled Daru into being their "comrade", and when he succesfully obtained the exam questions via hacking, he and Okabe exchanged a firm handshake. At that moment, both of their mobile phones received the same set of messages:

From: future-gadget8@hardbank.ne.jp Received: 03:42am Subject: Untitled Don't forget, From: future-gadget8@hardbank.ne.jp Received: 03:42am Subject: Untitled that man is your From: future-gadget8@hardbank.ne.jp Received: 03:42am Subject: Untitled sworn friend for life.

In the end, Otomi, without cheating, fails the supplementary exams and leaves school. However, she seems to have recovered her health and is doing her best to pass the “Kounin” (Upper Secondary School Proficiency) exam since then.

While having fun reminscing, Okabe realises that those mails he and Daru received from an unknown sender must have been a D-Mail that he sent now to the two of them in the past, which he dubs "Operation Thrym!"

Main Characters

 * Rintaro Okabe
 * Itaru Hashida
 * Kurisu Makise
 * Youko Otomi

Supporting Characters

 * Mayuri Shiina