. ׂׂૢ-ׂׂૢ .

Stressed from school and having to work a job at the same time, I felt like I had no time to study and the deadlines were all piling up. The shifts I was being scheduled to cover overlapped with certain due dates and I needed the money. I stared at my sandwich, sitting there on the table as I was in my jacket hoodie lost in thought sitting in my apartment. Tomorrow’s the reported research deadline and then right after is the presentation deadline. I sighed as I pressed my hands against my forehead, as I hear the door click open. Tomoya had came out of his bedroom and noticed my untouched lunch.

“Hey.. are you okay?”

He asked, his voice cutting through the fog of silence that I was getting lost in with my thoughts. “Huh?” I looked up, not realizing when he had gotten there. “Yeah, what makes you say that?” I asked, putting up a smile.

“I mean you don’t look okay, you didn’t eat and you’re unfocused. Also you haven’t been sleeping well, and you just seem very tired,” he pointed out, his voice coming from a place of concern rather than criticism. He pulled over a chair and scooted next to me as he stared at my face.

“… what?” I asked, my breathing growing quick as I felt his observant and almost piercing gaze. “Do you mind telling me what’s going on?” He asked softly, my mind freezing at the slight mention. My eyebags, lost gaze, and slouched posture of exhaustion were all obvious to him. So obvious of my cracks that I was scared. Even I didn’t know what I was scared of, but I felt my heart stinging and suffocating with heavy pain.

“I- I don’t know where to start,” I replied, my voice shaking a little as I avoid his gaze. “Then we can just sit here, in comfortable silence, so you’re not alone,” he replied, his gaze not moving from my face. I could feel it, even if I wasn’t meeting his eyes.

“You don’t have to do that, moya, you have your own things. You don’t have to keep me company,” I hesitated, my hand clutching my jacket sleeve ends. “You’re carrying everything all by yourself, like you always do. Being here for you is the least I can do,” he kept his gaze on me, his response made my heart squeeze a little. Almost like it was telling me to stop fighting this uncomfortable silent battle, keeping it all in my heart.

“I-“ My words couldn’t escape as I slightly choked up, my lip quivering and I looked down.

‘Oh no, my tears are welling up.’

I felt something warm as I realized tomoya reached out to pat my head. His hand soothing, almost as if to hold me from falling apart.

In that instance, I felt everything in me break. Everything that had been holding it all together, the cracks, start to fall as I started sobbing uncontrollably while Tomoya pulled me into his arms in that moment. Even as I felt like I was falling apart, his hug was like a warm blanket, protective and safe.

After a couple minutes of sobbing, as Tomoya soothed my back and rubbed it, I looked up at him at last to meet his gaze. “Ugh I probably look so ugly with snot right now,” I realized as I turned my face away as he laughed and touched my chin to move it towards him. “Yeah you look like a snot monster, just kidding.”

“Hey, you just called me a wha-” In the middle of the moment, he pressed a kiss on my forehead in that second as I was processing everything that just happened. “What the-“ I stared at him as he put on his cheeky grin with his pouty full penguin lips and I just started laughing. “Pfft, what are you even doing.”

“Making you laugh, duh,” he said as he shrugged his shoulders as if to him it was very obvious. “You’ve been putting so much pressure on yourself that I feel like I’ve been seeing a ghost of you almost, you slouching, sighing, and walking around dreary,” he noted as I laughed. “Yeah, I’ve just been very stressed and stuck in my head about what to do with my schoolwork,” I admitted. “There’s so many projects, assignments, homework,” I sighed, just by thinking of them.

“Hmm, I can help out with ur homework and studying,” Tomoya suggested, as I looked at him for a second. “Moya, you don’t have to do my homework for me,” I replied as he pinched my cheek. “Ow-”

“Silly, it wasn’t an offer, if you can’t complete everything I’ll do the rest then, unless you can complete it before me,” he said raising an eyebrow as I laughed. “Okayy, you got me,” I replied as I rested my head against his chest, feeling my heart beat steadying as his heart beat pulled me into a calming lull. From that moment on, I felt the heavy weight from my shoulders lift off.

“Boo!” His sudden voice shook me as I turned around to see geon hiding behind the door. “Yah! You scared me,” I sighed as I crossed my arms, as geonie wraps his arms around your shoulder. “Hehe sorryy,” he says as I walked in with him clinging onto my shoulders like a giant husky smothering their owner with its fur. “I got some food from the convenience store,” I noted as I took out the sushi rolls I purchased and placed them on the kitchen table as geon eyes the sushi rolls with sparkly intent.

“Wow, don’t mind if I do,” he jokes as I laughed. I split the chopsticks up to start using them as geon grabs one sushi rolls with his hand and pops it in his mouth. “Geonie, you might get an upset stomach if you don’t use your chopsticks,” I frown slightly worried as he waves his hands up. “Don’t worry they’re clean,” he says cheekily as he goes to grab the other pair of chopsticks. Sitting next to me, our shoulders touching, he started chewing on the next rolls as I looked at him.

“What is it?” He asked curious, as I laughed. “You have a rice grain stuck on your face,” I pointed out as he tries to lick it off despite not knowing where it was. “Here,” I plucked it off from the right corner side of his lips as I plopped it onto a napkin. “You eat like you’re starving man,” I joked as geon laughs.

“Not only that, but the sushi just tastes better when I’m with you,” he grins as I smile. “You…” I pull his cheek a little and squeeze it. I suddenly recalled, “Ah, I have to go later to get my study materials, so I’ll have to leave soon,” I told him as I almost forgot and geonie’s face immediately pouted.

“Noo, I won’t let you,” He grabs ahold of me as he pulls me into a hug. “Geonie..” I sigh as I brush his hair. “It won’t be long,” I assured him as geon side eyes and pouts. “You say that but you’re gonna take hours to come back,” he whines as he rubs his cheek against mine, his arms tightening around my waist.

“Can’t you stay a little longer?”

His words made my chest flutter a little as my eyes drifted to his face.

“You can do that tomorrow..” he tells me sulking as I laugh and begin to protest. But geonie shoots me his killer puppy dog eyes and pout with his lips downturned into a sad frown, and I felt my heart squeeze a little.

“Sigh.. what am I gonna do with you geonie,” I relent with a tired smile, as I got the feeling I was going to have to revise my study plans for the rest of the week.

🍀1. The way that stores are introduced are different: In New Leaf, the stores are separated in another street to unlock and visit. In new Horizons, the clothing and nook store can be built on your island, however the other stores are separate from your island. Kicks, Harriet, Leif, Reese and Cyrus are all on Harvey’s island that you can visit on.

🍀2. In New Leaf, Timmy and tommy swap places in working at the store on different days you visit. Whereas New Horizons has the two twins both greet and run the store when you visit.

🍀3. Small difference but notable is that you start off with the title as mayor in New Leaf game, while in New Horizons you are invited to live at the island at first while having the most active role contributing to the island.

🍀4. The way you start off in the opening of the game is a bit different, in New lead you’re greeted by Rover on the train you’re boarding. In New Horizons you’re at the airport greeted by the twin raccoons, Timmy and Tommy.

🍀5. In New Leaf, the customization of some items and creative liberty are kind of limited. Whereas in New Horizons, there are a bunch of options to creatively design your island by placing furniture, changing colors, and designing your own home. Additionally New Horizons has the DLC (happy home paradise) which also allows the function eventually of capable of designing your villagers homes on your island.

🍀6. Both games officially have a separate installment that focuses on designing homes, ran by the happy home academy ppl. Happy home designer is the predecessor to Happy home paradise. To which, Happy home paradise has more options, items, and creative choices to edit, place, and change things when designing the homes.

🍀7. In New Leaf, Tom Nook is the owner of his own store that offers home expansion and customization for the player. Whereas in New Horizons, he resides in the office and works with Isabelle and is seen as a higher up giving tasks and directions to the player at the beginning of the game. However he still stays true to his og role in the previous game, where he also offers home customization and expansion to the player in New Horizons. (Regardless, you will always be in debt to Tom Nook wherever you go…)

🍀8. In New Leaf, Isabelle’s brother appears to introduce you to check out the HH showcase and has a more permanent role. In New Horizons he doesn’t appear as frequently and is not a stationed npc.

🍀9. The interaction with villagers plays a crucial role in New Leaf. If you never talk to a villager, at some point they will decide to move out and decide their moving day. Whereas in New horizons, the only way for a villager to actually leave is till they also question whether they should move out and you would have to give them an answer to stay or leave. They won’t just willingly leave in the end though compared to New Leaf.

🍀10. In New Horizons, you can craft, customize the color, and get DIY recipes from the beach or villagers. Whereas in New Leaf, new furniture and customization can be purchased in Reese’ store and customized by her husband Cyrus.

🍀11. The feature of multiplayer and online depth is included in both games, however New leaf Online services no longer are supported as of this day. While New Horizons has multiplayer still available on the switch. With online membership on the switch, New Horizons can allow the player to travel to visit other players’ islands and visit random islands through dreams. In New Leaf, for the online services, you had the HH Showcase to be able to visit other players’ houses locally near you and other features to host and visit other islands through dreaming and traveling thru the train via internet.

🍀12. In New Leaf, there is a possibility to chance upon a tree full of perfect fruit of the fruit you have on your starter island. These perfect fruit variations have a higher value than the regular fruits to which you can sell for a more heftier amount of bells. There are also the existence of durian trees, lychee trees, and mango trees in New Leaf if you visit the tropical island by paying Kappa to take you there. Whereas in New Horizons, you won’t be able to grow perfect fruit, and the options for fruit trees include just peaches, oranges, pears, apples, and cherries.

🍀13. Lastly, the dialogue and options to interact with villagers are a bit different in the two games. In New Leaf, you either have the option to talk to them or they bring up a request that you could fulfill and complete. While in New Horizons, after getting closer and talking to the villager you have the option of gifting them. In New Leaf, there isn’t a direct option to gift them when you go talk to them, but you can gift them through letters sent through the postal office. In both games, villagers will reciprocate and show happiness after being given a gift or completed a request by gifting the player something.

Overall, once playing through both games, it is clear that they both have different strongpoints while carrying the og similar traits and function. It’s interesting and satisfying to see the evolvement of functions and added improvements from New Leaf to New Horizons in terms of creativity and variety of choices in items, design, and collections. Both platforms had online services to allow interactions with a growing community, so whichever game you resonate with the most you can definitely enjoy either game to live out your animal crossing adventures 🌱🌼☘️