Necessary To Keep Winning
Chapter 1: The Test Of Time
A new school year began at Oarai Academy, one that many believed was never supposed to take place. The government had decided to consolidate, and saw little reason to maintain Oarai Academy, a school that was unremarkable in most ways. But the student council made a deal to keep the school open if it won the tournament. With a large group of mostly amateur tankers, and the tanks that they found on the ship, they were able to overcome the odds and win.
But while Oarai's victory had saved the school, there was much that remained unresolved. The school still had to weather budget cuts, and continue to prove that it was worth keeping open. The tankery team had succeeded once, but other teams had risen and fallen over the years, so no one knew for certain what the future would have in store for the fledgling tankery team.
Several members of Oarai's tankery team achieved goals that were dear to them in the process of winning the tournament and saving their school, but they realized that their work was not yet done. But several others had not achieved their goals yet, and with the threat of their school closing forestalled, they now saw an opportunity to do so.
Nishizumi Miho and Haramura Nodoka led the team during this time- the first year of Oarai's new lease on life and the year after the tankery team's revival- knowing that they would not be the last to do so. But they knew it was necessary to keep winning and lead the team well to ensure the team was of worth to Oarai, and that whatever direction their school went in the future, the tankery team would have a place in it.
As Miho walked to the Student Council office on the first day of her third year, accompanied by her friend, kouhai and new vice-captain, Nodoka, she felt a sense of déjà vu. About a year ago, she had been called in to explain her reasons for refusing to join the tankery team, despite being the best qualified in the school. She joined, for her own reasons, and eventually learned that there was more to the Student Council than she had thought. But the end of the tournament that year, she learned that her school's fate depended on her success.
So who were these girls who had taken up positions on the Student Council? Why did they want to see her? Miho had heard their names before, but knew little else about them by the time she had gotten a letter in her mailbox asking her to meet with them during the lunch hour.
Miho stepped into the office, and saw four individuals greeting her. The president sat at her desk, with shoulder-length dark hair and a pair of glasses on her face, while her three colleagues stood nearby. The vice-president had an almost bored expression on her face and had her brown hair in a neat ponytail. The treasurer had a somewhat boyishly short haircut for her light brown hair. The PR representative had long blonde hair, and greeted Miho and Nodoka with a warm smile.
"Thank you for coming, Nishizumi-san, Haramura-san," the PR representative said. "My name is Teradaira Natsumi, and I'm the PR Rep. I would like to introduce my fellow student council members, all of whom are third-years. This is the president, Mikado Shizuru-san. This is the vice president, Fujino Shiina-san. And this is the treasurer, Satou Ayano-san."
"It's nice to meet you," Nodoka and Miho said as they bowed.
Immediately after the fact, Miho noticed that the usually impassive vice-president had slightly winced as she was introduced.
"It's nice to meet you, too," Natsumi said. "Can I get you something to drink, or anything else like that?"
"No, thank you; I'm fine," Miho said, and Nodoka nodded in agreement.
"That's good," Natsumi said. "Please have a seat."
Miho and Nodoka sat in chairs across from Shizuru.
"I called this meeting to discuss the tankery team this year," Shizuru said. "Nishizumi-san, Haramura-san, you were told about what was at stake in the last tankery tournament, were you not?"
"Yes, President," Miho said. "We heard, in the middle of the semi-finals, that if we were unsuccessful in winning the tournament, Oarai Academy would shut down."
"That is correct," Shizuru said, "and I hope the significance of the wording of what you heard was not lost on you. If you had been defeated, the school would have shut down. But since you've won, now what? Will the school necessarily be safe from now on?"
Miho and Nodoka paused and looked at each other. They had expected Shizuru to tell them the answer to what sounded like a rhetorical question, rather than expect them to guess. Nodoka shook her head and silently deferred to Miho.
"Not necessarily," Miho said.
"Good, you understand the situation quite well," Shizuru said. "The previous Student Council- the Kadotani administration- may have told you something different, but I hope you aren't under the impression that the proposed closure was solely about money."
"No, we weren't," Nodoka said. "We did hear about some budget cuts, but that seemed to be a separate issue."
"Exactly," Shizuru said. "The Kadotani administration did what it could to cut expenses, but the truth is that the government believed that it would be most expedient if Oarai Academy's school ship was shut down, and the students were moved elsewhere. By winning the tournament, you and the rest of the team convinced them otherwise… for the moment."
Shizuru gestured to the treasurer.
"In short, the lesson of this entire affair is that, in the field of education, ideas, programs, and even schools themselves can only get the resources they need by proving that they are worthy of them," Ayano said. "And while winning is an impressive achievement, great teams have consistent success over a long period of time. Winning second place every year for five years is arguably more of an accomplishment than winning first place once and having mediocre showings in the other four years."
Miho and Nodoka glanced at each other, not liking where the discussion was going, but unsure of how they could shift it to their favor.
Miho briefly pondered her situation. In spite of her knack for strategy, she was not used to giving orders or getting into arguments with others. A year ago, she had been called into the office to explain her decision not to participate in tankery, and the encounter had ended with her deciding to do what the Student Council wanted, if for other reasons. Even though she eventually became commander, Miho felt as though it was because others wanted her to be it.
And yet, that fact was significant in and of itself. Hisa had, when trying to convince Miho to assert her will on the team, reminded Miho that people believed in her- Hisa herself, otherwise the best candidate for commander at Oarai, had chosen to entrust Miho with the responsibility. Hisa, having graduated, would not be part of her school in its new lease on life, and now it was up to Miho to do what she could for the team.
Knowing all this, Miho had no desire to let the tankery club get shut down now that it had served its purpose. In spite of this certainty, though, she knew she had to first clearly determine where the president stood on the issue.
"So what are you going to do, President?" Miho said. "Will you shut down the club now that it's no longer needed to keep the school going, to cut expenses? Quite a few people, myself included... would not be happy with this."
Shizuru shook her head, having anticipated Miho's question. The course of action Miho had mentioned was one that she had considered, but it was also one she had ruled out. Shizuru believed that to make the best decision in any given situation, she had to be aware of all the other choices, and understand why they were less than optimal.
"The problem is not that simple," Shizuru said. "Treasurer, please explain further; I believe you aptly described it in our earlier discussion."
"The fact of the matter is that the government is loath to invest large sums of money in a school that it believes delivers nothing but mediocre results- we must prove that we need money, and can use it well," Ayano said. "As such, as I said before, the budget cuts over the last few years and the school's existence being at stake are two separate issues. The various clubs and programs the previous student had to cut were a way of dealing with the former. Your victory in the tournament last year helped with the latter."
Ayano turned to Shizuru, who nodded approvingly.
"That essentially is the issue we are facing," Shizuru said. "The tankery club may be expensive, but it has, at least so far, proved that it is popular and of value to Oarai, which is why, so far, it has justified those expenses."
Miho smiled slightly, pleased that she had room to work with the student council. The two of them had made their respective desires clear, so they could work on a way to fulfill both of them together.
"So what do you want us to do, President?" Miho said.
"The long and short of it is that we want you to, with the limited resources at your disposal, continue to prove that the tankery team is of value to Oarai," Shizuru said. "You will need to run the club well, win matches, and put forth the best possbile effort for Oarai, showing that we, as a school, can go far with what we have."
"And what does that mean?" Nodoka said. "Does that mean that if we don't win the tournament, the tankery team will be cut?"
Nodoka took tankery seriously, but she believed she and Miho had been under enough pressure last year. Had they lost, Oarai would have been shut down. If Nodoka had failed to fulfill her end of the bargain with her father by winning the tournament, she would have had to leave her school. Miho's friend and driver, Reizei Mako, would have been unable to get the tardiness passes necessary to advance a year if she had not done well. Miho would have been disowned for losing the semifinals. With such long odds, and so much at stake, they had succeeded. As such, Nodoka did not believe they needed any "encouragement" to do so again, especially from a Student Council that did not seem to be getting involved in it.
Shizuru's response, however, was not what Nodoka had expected.
"No," Shizuru said. "Hardly anyone expected you to win the tournament last year and while you succeeded, the odds are still against you in many ways. We expect you to put in a good showing so that you can prove that what happened last year was not a fluke, and that Oarai's tankery team will be able to do well in the future. As for whether that will ensure that the tankery team will keep going in the future, with new commanders and student councils… I honestly cannot say."
An awkward pause ensued, as everyone involved tried to think of what to say next. Miho and Nodoka already knew that the future was uncertain, but a part of them had hoped for a more definitive statement from the student council.
"I'm sorry, Nishizumi-san, Haramura-san," Natsumi said, adopting a reassuring smile. "The president did not intend to frighten you or threaten you with adverse consequences if things don't turn out well. Her intention was to be up front about the reality of the situation, and ensure that you know everything you need to know about us and the status of this school."
Shiina let off a faint chuckle, albeit one that was audible to Nodoka and Miho, somewhat amused at how her best friend was avoiding mentioning the elephant in the room.
"Why don't you come out and say it, Natsumi?" Shiina said. "Why don't you say how we feel about the Kadotani administration keeping quiet about the school being at risk of shutting down? After all, it's a large part of why we're in our current positions, even if Mikado-san thinks Kadotani-senpai's secrecy about this issue almost cost us our school."
As Natsumi was taken off guard, the smile slipped off her face for a moment. She remained silent as Shizuru turned to Shiina, a stern frown on her face.
"Vice president, I believe I asked you and the others to use titles while on official business," Shizuru said. "That aside, you do have a point. The Kadotani Administration's decision to conceal the fact that the school was in danger was unwise, and even if things ultimately turned out relatively well, I have no desire to repeat this mistake. But that is not the only point on which I disagree with them. We also heard that they... put pressure on Nishizumi-san to get her to comply, which is hardly an appropriate tactic, even considering the circumstances."
Ayano did not speak but let off a soft sigh.
"I know how you feel about that issue, Shizuru, just as you know how I feel," Ayano thought. "But while we may be friends in spite of our disagreements- or rather, because we can comfortably talk about them with each other- you are my superior, and I will not contradict you here, President Mikado."
Much to Ayano's surprise, though, Miho was the one who spoke to express her disagreement.
"I don't think that's entirely true, President," Miho said. "The first fact is that Hisa-senpai and Koyama-senpai didn't agree with Kadotani-senpai and Kawashima-senpai. The second fact is that it vaguely sounded as though they were trying to tell us that the school was on the line, but didn't want to come out and say it; I think they believed that it'd be easier if I thought it was only for my sake, rather than everyone else's. The third fact was that, in the end, I chose to do tankery, not because the student council wanted me to do it, but so I could do it alongside my new friends."
"Point taken," Shizuru said. "But as I said before, I have no desire to repeat the Kadotani administration's mistakes, even if we face significantly different decisions."
Shizuru paused and took a deep breath.
"Nishizumi-san, Haramura-san, I can say with full honesty that, in spite of the somewhat dire picture I painted, and the fact that we cannot predict the future, there is no imminent threat to the tankery team or the school," Shizuru said. "And you can ultimately count on us to be completely honest with you. We will not withhold information from you, but at the same time, we will not claim to be absolutely sure when we are not."
Miho and Nodoka nodded appreciatively.
"Thank you, President," they said.
"That is essentially all I had to say to you," Shizuru said. "Does anyone else have anything to say?"
Ayano nodded.
"Just one more thing," Ayano said. "While the president and I disagree with many of Kadotani-senpai and the others' decisions, I recognize that they were driven to act out of a belief that what they were doing was right, in order to prevent the impending closure of our school. Our circumstances and methods may be different, but we also do what we believe to be in Oarai Academy's best interests."
"I understand," Miho said.
"That's good," Natsumi said. "We'll see you for tankery practice!"
"Ah yes," Miho said. "I heard that you had signed up for it."
"We had considered doing so at the end of last year," Shizuru said, "but there were no tanks open and we did not think that we would be able to compete well against the former champions, Black Forest."
"Yeah," Shiina said. "A friend of mine got a first-hand look at how they fough. Because of that, I knew I wouldn't be much help. The fact that my mom doesn't really like tankery didn't help."
"But if the tankery group is to be of use to Oarai, we will do what we can to help you," Shizuru said. "This is not solely your battle, and we also share our hope that you will succeed."
"That's good to hear," Miho said. "I'll see you for tankery practice."
Miho and Nodoka, bowing, excused themselves from the office, shutting the door behind them.
"That went better than I thought," Nodoka said, as she and Miho began the walk back to the main school building.
"I agree, Nodoka-san," Miho said. "In the end, they want what we want- to keep the school going- and they even seemed to be hoping that we'd run the tankery team well."
"This is certainly different than last year," Nodoka said. "We will have to do our best, but it's not necessarily a tournament in which we must win every match or lose everything. The student council seems different from last year, but they still seem relatively supportive of our efforts."
Miho nodded, recalling something Hisa had told her late the previous year. Oarai Academy's student body did not have any political parties, but there were various schools of thought among those with ambitions in student government, and the winds of change did occasionally blow in favor of those with certain opinions and policies of leadership.
"That's essentially it," Miho said. "So, just like last year, let's give it our best, and do our part to help the tankery team withstand the test of time."
Nodoka nodded, glad when the solution to any situation at hand was simple and something she was trying for anyway. They would spend a great deal of effort trying to accomplish this goal, but it did not seem to be impossible for them.
"Oh, and..." Miho said, hoping to change the subject to something more pleasant, "I didn't have the opportunity to mention this earlier, but I like your new hairstyle, Nodoka-san."
"Thank you, Miho-senpai," Nodoka said. "I find it makes me look a bit more grown up."
Nodoka's parents, a prosecutor and defense attorney, had often impressed upon her the importance of looking and acting professionally. As such, Nodoka placed great importance on her appearing mature, which is why she went to great lengths to prevent most people from finding out about her sleeping with her stuffed penguin, Etopen.
Of course, Nodoka and her parents did not always see eye to eye, especially as far as tankery went. Her father had seen tankery as a waste of time, and Oarai as a school unworthy of her. In response, she had endeavored to change his mind by winning the tournament, succeeding as much as she thought possible. He was still no great fan of tankery, but he was at the point at which he would not make her give up her sport or leave her school.
So part of Nodoka understood the need to prove herself to others, and realized that Miho, a daughter of the Nishizumi school of tankery, had gone through that all her life, even if she was not destined to inherit the school. Miho had a certain level of competitiveness and determination to win, but not the same level demanded by her school, so her sister had hoped to be heiress so that Miho could find her own way of tankery.
Miho's decision to save a tank in the finals of the tankery tournament two years ago had cost the school the tournament, incurred the wrath of her mother and some of her teammates, and had resulted in Miho resolving to leave tankery for good. But Oarai, rather than being a place where Miho could go to avoid tankery, became the start of the new beginning for her. Miho had to win for the sake of her school, but she did not sacrifice her principles or lose sight of what she wanted.
The path ahead of them and their tankery club would be a difficult one to traverse, but it was clear, and they had many people who would support them in their efforts.
Miho settled into her class, which, this year, was separate from some of her closest friends, as afternoon classes began. While slightly disappointed at this development, Miho realized that she would be able to spend time with them at lunch, outside of school, and when they crewed the Panzer IV Ausf. D as part of Anglerfish Team for the tankery team.
During a class break, Tsuyama Mutsuki, Tsuchiya Yoshiko, and Isobe Noriko, some of Miho's teammates from the tankery team, approached her. While Miho was acquainted with them, she was somewhat surprised to see them initiate a conversation with her, as she had not talked with them much outside of the commanders' meetings.
Noriko had been the commander of Duck Team's Type 89 since last year, while Mutsuki and Tsuchiya were stepping up this year to command Sparrow Team's Cromwell and Leopon Team's Porsche Tiger, respectively. All of them had their respective tank crews and groups of friends, girls from their respective clubs who shared their interests. Two of the clubs had been shut down due to a lack of members, and Miho wondered if the same would befall the auto club if it were not so vitally useful to the tankery team, acting as a repair crew and doing the tasks that larger schools entrusted to specialized mechanics. In spite of that, the girls had a lot in common, and so remained close friends and effective teams in combat.
Miho realized this was the first time she had laid eyes on Tsuchiya and Noriko in their school uniforms, rather than their mechanic coveralls and gym clothes, respectively, or in the uniforms they wore for the tankery team.
"Nishizumi-san?" Mutsuki said. "Do you have a minute?"
"Certainly, Tsuyama-san," Miho said. "What's this about?"
"Noriko, Tsuchiya-san and I were wondering- did you meet with the new Student Council yet?" Mutsuki said.
"I did," Miho said.
"What did they want to talk with you about?" Noriko said. "And what kind of impression did you get of them?"
"Essentially, they told us to keep up the success and prove that the tankery team is an asset to the school," Miho said."As for the Student Council, they're very stern and pragmatic, but they take the school's best interests very seriously. Things will be hard for us, but we'll be able to deal with it."
"I see," Mutsuki said. "That's about what I'd expect from them."
"Yeah, I agree, Mutsuki," Noriiko said. "It's not like we'd just get our clubs back, even if we helped the school stay open."
"Just wondering, but do the two of you know each other?" Miho said, taking note of Noriko and Mutsuki's use of each other's first names.
"We've been friends since our first year," Noriko said. "In addition to having the same classes all through high school, we have one other thing in common- being in charge of a club that got shut down last year, and doesn't have much hope of getting back up this year."
"That's true," Mutsuki said. "We met with the Student Council earlier today, and they said that even though we'd met the membership requirements, we'd need a little more interest to qualify for funding."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Miho said. "But what about you, Tsuchiya-san?"
"I'm more of an acquaintance to Tsuyama-san and Isobe-san," Tsuchiya said. "But I also am the leader of a club, with a responsibility to my club members, so I have some understanding of what they're dealing with. I'm sure you know that it means leading your people, managing what you have, and looking out for your club's interests."
"I know," Miho said, reminded of how she wondered whether she would have to negotiate with the Student Council to allow the tankery club to keep running.
"Not all of us were interested in tankery from the very beginning," Noriko said. "Akebi, Shinobu, Taeko and I initially got involved in this in hopes of getting our club going again. Playing volleyball with your friends doesn't have quite as nice of a ring to it as playing as part of a school club. But over time, as we did tankery together, we began to enjoy it more, as something we do together with our friends, for the sake of our school. Even if the school isn't going to be shut down this year, this much hasn't changed."
"The same goes for us, too," Mutsuki said, "and I would point out that Momo and Kaori mainly came to both the club and the tankery team because of Kajiki-senpai and Kanbara-senpai's respective invitations. Momo in particular was happy to stay with Kajiki-senpai as long as she could. Even after those who invited them graduated, they're continuing onward, and we have some recruits this year."
"I think Nodoka-san mentioned that two of her friends were joining earlier," Miho said. "Is that correct?"
"Yes; two of Haramura-san's friends and classmates from middle school- Yumeno Maho-san, and Murohashi Hiroko-san- are joining the club as well as the tankery team," Mutsuki said. "Just wondering, but do you know them?"
Miho shook her head. While Miho was friends with Nodoka, Nodoka had quite a few disparate groups of friends over the years, apart from those she had made at Oarai Academy, and while Miho was one of her friends, not all of Nodoka's friends knew each other.
"Not quite; I heard about those two, even before I met them late last year, even if I don't know them personally," Miho said. "Yumeno-san is joining Octopus Team as the new driver, replacing Nodoka-san, who has now become their commander. And Murohashi-san is coming to your team, if I recall correctly."
"That's correct," Mutsuki said. "I might be commander of Octopus Team now, but as luck would have it, we have someone who's expressed interest in being our new loader."
Earlier that day
Tanaka Anko, a third-year, approached the table where the Mahjong Club was recruiting new members for the effort to revive the club. The table was a relatively plain table with a somewhat hastily-made sign for the mahjong club, a picture of a mahjong game in progress, a copy of the rules for the club and a sign-up sheet. Since the mahjong club was essentially a dead group that was trying to come back to life, joining such a club was a difficult sell for most people, even those interested in mahjong, and few people so much as slowed down when they walked by the club's table.
Anko reasoned that most would wonder why she was coming back now. In her first year, she had come to the mahjong club, but was disappointed by the relative lack of activity in it. Eventually, she stopped coming regularly, and by the end of the year, was effectively a ghost member; one of the few times she showed up in her first year, Yumi had to ask her for her name. By the end of the year, she had stopped coming at all.
Then, in her second year, she had heard that the mahjong club had been disbanded. Although she later heard that the club was disbanded due to budgetary reasons, she wondered if its fate would have been different, had she been there to support it. For the rest of the year, she wallowed in her guilt, unsure of what she could do, save for the participation in tankery, which seemed to be an impractical way of reviving the club. A part of her was scared to face the clubmates she had abandoned.
But now that she saw the club recruiting, and realized that the remaining members had not given up hope, however slim their chances seemed, she knew what she had to do. She would go before them and offer her help, hoping that they would welcome her as they would any new member.
Anko almost froze upon seeing Mutsuki at the table, one of the few people she recognized from the club. She hesitated a moment, worrying about how Mutsuki would react ot an individual who had walked away from the club before, and froze in place. She lingered too long, enough to seem like someone who was browsing with an interest in the club, so Mutsuki noticed her and greeted her, hoping to get her attention before she wandered off.
"Hello," Mutsuki said. "Are you interested in the mahjong club?"
"Tsuyama-san?" Anko said. "Is that you?"
"Yes, it's me," Mutsuki said, wondering how Anko knew her name. Did she hear Mutsuki's name from somewhere, or had they met before? "I'm President of the Mahjong club. But, if I may ask, how do you know me?"
Anko sighed.
"I was a member of the club once, but lost interest after a while," Anko said. "I… couldn't live with the knowledge that the club was disbanded because I wasn't there, so I came back."
"I see," Mutsuki said. "We're not likely to go anywhere any time soon, but we also take part in tankery, as Sparrow team, crew of the Cromwell. Can I count on you to stick with us in our efforts to re-establish ourselves, and possibly help us in tankery as a loader?"
Anko paused to consider what Mutsuki was saying, not wanting her response to be too quick to sound sincere. Mutsuki was asking a fair amount of her, and seemed to realize that it was a difficult sell.
"Yes," Anko said enthusiastically. "You can count on me to work toward reviving the club and loading for you, President Tsuyama."
During lunch, Mutsuki led Anko to a club room, to get her started with the club and introduce the other members to her.
"We don't really have an 'official' meeting spot anymore," Mutsuki said, "but this room serves as our meeting spot. Come on in; everyone should be in here already."
Mutsuki opened the door, and ushered Anko inside. Four sets of eyes, only three of which Anko could see, turned to her.
"Everyone," Mutsuki said, "we have a new member and a volunteer for our tankery team. Her name is Tanaka Anko-san."
Mutsuki then turned to Anko.
"Tanaka-san, I'd like to introduce everyone else," Mutsuki said. She gestured to a blonde who was wearing glasses. "This is Senoo Kaori, the only other third year besides us. She's been a member since last year."
"N-nice to meet you," Kaori said. She was a bit shy by nature, and felt out of her depth when faced with the prospect of being one of the most senior members of the club, compared to her easygoing childhood friend, Kanbara Satomi.
"Next is Touyoko Momoko, or 'Momo' to her friends," Mutsuki said, gesturing at an empty space that soon revealed a girl with shoulder-length dark hair. "Momo's a second-year, and has been in the club since she first came to Oarai."
"Nice to meet you~su!" Momo said, slightly startling Anko. In spite of her lack of presence that often caused her to be almost invisible, when with her friends, Momo was cheerful and energetic with her friends, especially her best friend and former senpai, Kajiki Yumi.
"The other two are Yumeno Maho-san and Murohashi Hiroko-san," Mutsuki said. "They like mahjong as a hobby, and are also interested in tankery.
The short girl with purple hair and the taller girl with dark hair nodded and bowed, saying, "Nice to meet you, senpai."
Anko could not help but feel impressed by the commitment they had demonstrated, and wondered if she was simply trying out the club, or here to stay. But while she couldn't decide whether the club had changed, or if only her perception of it had, there seemed to be hope in it.
Present day
"I only learned who Tanaka-san was when I checked the roster from last year," Mutsuki said. "But to be honest, I didn't really hold her losing interest against her, especially not when I didn't remember her. And even if I did, I'm not about to turn away help. She's not the only one who gave up on the club, but is the only one of those people who came back, and I'm glad she did."
"That's the spirit," Miho said.
"Yeah, I'm glad to hear that your new recruits are flexible, Mutsuki," Noriko said, "because unfortunately, the same can't be said for mine. I got a few people who wanted to get involved in volleyball, but aren't interested in tankery- one's parents won't let her do it, another says the student council is stringing us along with the hopes of reviving our club, and the rest won't elaborate. "
"I see," Miho said. "That's unfortunate, but I suppose it would be a bit much to ask them to get involved in tankery for the faint hope of getting their club back."
Mutsuki and Noriko nodded. Since their clubs were defunct, they had no official authority to compel their members to participate in another club for the sake of getting the club going again.
"I'll be honest with you, Nishizumi-san," Noriko said. "I'm glad to be of help to you in tankery and really enjoy doing it with my teammates and the others, but I would like to get the club going again, and not just for my sake. Akebi, Taeko and Shinobu came to the school wanting to play volleyball, only for it to get cut no sooner than they arrived, and I'd like for them and all other girls who are interested to have a chance to do what they love most. Did you know that the outfits those three wear to tankery practice are their old school's volleyball uniforms?"
"I think I did hear that, once," Miho said. "Apparently, their old school had a somewhat robust volleyball team, but no tankery team."
"Yeah, the three of them wanted to do volleyball as much as I did," Noriko said, "and given that I sometimes imagine seeing volleyballs when looking at our... more endowed... teammates, I can't blame them."
"And it's just my luck that you chose Haramura-san as your vice-captain," Noriko thought. "She might be one of the few with any leadership experience in tankery prior to coming here, but why does she have to also have the largest chest of all of us?"
"So that's why I'd like to get the club started again," Noriko said, "for the sake of all those girls who love volleyball and want to share their passion with others."
"I know where they're coming from, even if we, the auto club, are better off than the others," Tsuchiya said, having remained silent during the discussion of resurrecting their clubs, unsure of what she could say. "Some of our new arrivals are significantly more interested in cars than tanks."
"But aren't some of them coming to the tankery team?" Miho said.
"Yes, some of them are," Tsuchiya said, "specifically, a trio of first-years; Gotou, Rokubungi and Nanami. But even they are worried about the auto club being used as a tool for the tankery team by the student council, given the red tape surrounding maintenance. We have to document everything we use for tankery, as well as non-tank projects. And what are we getting in return?" Tsuchiya paused, wondering how she was coming across to Miho. "Maybe it sounds selfish, but I can't fault them for thinking of it that way, or being concerned over how we might end up."
Miho shook her head with a reassuring smile, and looked Tsuchiya in the eye.
"I don't think so, Tsuchiya-san," Miho said. "Please feel free to discuss your concerns with me. I can't promise that I can solve your problems, but I can lend a sympathetic ear."
"Thanks, Nishizumi-san," Tsuchiya said.
Having remained silent so that she could consider what to say, Mutsuki now spoke. She was somewhat cautious and less than fully confident by nature, so she was sometimes afraid of offending people. But part of her believed that they had to hear what she had to say, and so she said it.
"I understand your problems and sympathize, Noriko, Tsuchiya-san," Mutsuki said. "But there are those who aren't so fortunate. The vice president mentioned in passing that she used to be part of the now defunct shogi club. When that club shut down, all the members went their separate ways, without trying to revive the club, and the vice president herself admitted she was somewhat apathetic about the club despite being its leader."
"I see what you mean," Miho said. She had originally refused to get involved in tankery again and had been reluctant to lead, but had gradually learned to enjoy tankery again and embrace leading the team. She was glad that she had done so for many reasons, with the most important being that she could not have succeeded had she not participated wholeheartedly.
"For both of our respective clubs, and the tankery club as a whole, we're blessed with good people who are willing to do their part for the group," Mutsuki said. "Being dissolved hasn't broken our spirit, which is why I think the mahjong and volleyball clubs can re-establish themselves, and the Auto Club won't fall apart or become a mere tool of the tankery team."
Noriko nodded.
"Yeah," Noriko said. "Even the girls who are just showing up to do volleyball with us when we can are doing a lot more than most people could ask of them unde these circumstances."
"Both of you are right," Miho said. "And it may just be me, but I got the sense that the Student Council put themselves to the same scrutiny, and are willing to make the same sacrifices themselves. One principle of leadership I find important to follow is to not ask your subordinates to make sacrifices that you would not make yourself."
"Yeah," Noriko said. "I practice when I can, partly because I don't want to be outdone by the new arrivals, but also so that I have a leg to stand on when I ask my teammates to keep up with their training, even if tankery keeps us busy."
The other club heads nodded in agreement. Times were still difficult at Oarai, and a great deal would be asked of all four of them in their final year at the school.
Sitting off in the distance, Ayano could not help but hear snippets of the conversation, enough to understand the gist of it if not all the specifics. She was aware that for every club that suffered cutbacks or was cut entirely, others were spared. There were times when people would have to make sacrifices for the collective good. Even if not everyone made the same sacrifices, everyone would be better off in the end. Every time she attended class, she was reminded that she, too, was part of the student body.
But she also believed that it was important to see the human face of the clubs with whom she dealt, and realize there was more to the issue than numbers. Her job, and that of the rest of the Student Council, impacted the lives of all of Oarai's students, and she found it important to understand the impact of those decisions.
Elsewhere, Reizei Mako settled into her class for afternoon classes. She was more used to being separated from her friends than Miho was, having been separated from her childhood friend, Takebe Saori, every year since she started high school. Saori, having always been more outgoing than Mako, had told her that getting separate classes from her friends helped her meet new people; she had met their mutual friend Isuzu Hana in their first year, and Miho and Akiyama Yukari in their second. Who, then, would Saori and Mako meet in their third year?
As Mako pondered this question, a voice near her interrupted her train of thought.
"Reizei Mako-san?" the girl sitting next to her said.
"You know me?" Mako said. Not having met the vice-president of the Student Council before, she did not know Shiina's name.
"Well, you are one of the best drivers on the tankery team," Shiina said. "And you're at the top of the class; my mom says I should do more to get myself up to your level, even if I'm near the top of the class."
"Does this include being late so much you almost get held back?" Mako said.
Shiina laughed.
"Good one, Reizei-san," Shiina said. "But in all seriousness, I'm not that different from you. I may be one of the top students, behind you, the president and a few others, but I do well at school and as vice president because it keeps people off my back."
"So you're on the student council?" Mako said.
"Yeah, I'm forgetting my manners," Shiina said. "My name's Fujino Shiina, and I'm the student council's vice-president."
Mako nodded, noticing that Shiina seemed significantly more lively than she was, even if she disliked hard work.
"It's nice to meet you, Fujino-san," Mako said, "or should I call you by your title?"
"I only go by my title on official business, and it gets a bit awkward calling everyone else by theirs, especially my best friend, Natsumi," Shiina said. "The president insists, though, so I have to do it."
"Sounds like the president is pretty difficult to work under," Mako said.
"The president's fairly strict about those things," Shiina said, "but she's also really smart, hard-working and principled. I'm partly motivated to act because I'm afraid of her, but I also do what I do because I respect her."
"Does she have a bad temper?" Mako said, reminded of her grandmother, Reizei Hisako. Mako was largely motivated to keep her grades up, get to school on time and do many other things she was otherwise reluctant to do to avoid being yelled at by her grandmother, but also so that she could one day care for her elderly grandmother, the last living relative she had left.
"Not really," Shiina said. "When she gets mad, she doesn't lose control, but is calm, yet focused and intense. It's pretty much like the Phoenix Matriarch's Incineration Beam from Ancient Legacy Online; it's a single target attack that pretty much kills you instantly unless you're a tank, have a lot of fire resistance and pop a defensive cooldown."
"Come again, in Japanese?" Mako said, confused.
"Ah, sorry, I forget that not a lot of people at this school play that game," Shiina said. "Even my gamer friends like playing tank games instead. But in any case, the point is that if you work under the president, you do what she says."
"I see your point" Mako said.
As Shiina began to talk about her various day-to-day responsibilities as vice president, Mako noticed that Shiina was starting to sound like a professional member of the student council. Perhaps there were those who, like her, struggled to conform to people' s expectations. Perhaps there was no better place for her than doing tankery under someone like Miho, who led a team full of people who would be out of place in elite tankery schools to victory in the high school tankery tournament.
"Miho really does have all sorts of students on the tankery team," Mako thought. "I wonder who else will be new this year."
As the first tankery practice of the semester in the tankery hangar, Miho looked over the application forms of the new people on the team. Among them were the applications from the four Student Council members who, true to their word, had joined the tankery team. Their applications were similar to many of the other newcomers, indicating no experience but abundant willingness to learn and work hard.
"It's good to see you and the others here, President," Miho said as she greeted the four newcomers.
"Please, Commander, there is no need to call us by our titles while we are outside of student council business," Shizuru said, "since this is now your club, and we are your subordinates. The four of us discussed this earlier."
"I'll try to do so, Mikado-san," Miho said, having memorized the names of the new arrivals to the tankery team, the student council in particular. "But I'm not particular about my title, either; 'Nishizumi-san' will work both inside and outside of the tankery team."
"Very well, Nishizumi-san," Shizuru said. "The four of us are willing to do whatever tasks you require of us, up to and including sitting on the bench if there is no available spot."
"We're always looking for new talent," Miho said, "so there are open tanks for you. I had considered putting the four of you in the Hetzer, the tank crewed by your predecessors, but..."
"But?" Shiina said.
"I've been able to find replacements for all the other teams," Miho said. "Two of the members of the new mahjong club are filling the missing spots on Sparrow Team, and one is helping Octopus Team. We have three new members from the Auto Club to replace those from Leopon Team who graduated. Mallard Team has a new commander. But even if we put the four of you in the Hetzer as the new Turtle Team, that leaves Anteater Team's Chi-Nu with only two people."
"Is that a bad thing?" Shiina said.
"It should have five people total," Miho said. "And while some of our tanks have to make do while slightly shorthanded, we can't get by with only two people in Anteater Team."
In the background, a third-year known as Nekota, a tall yet surprisingly shy girl with long blonde hair, odd glasses and cat ears, walked up to the group. While not on the same level of invisibility as Momo from the mahjong club, Nekota tended to be somewhat bashful, and often faded into the background, often having difficulty saying hello to people.
But as Nekota approached, one member of the Student Council turned to glance at her, and, upon recognizing her, didn't look away. Nekota recognized her as well; while she was bashful toward a stranger, she was comfortable around her friends.
"Hi, Misha-san!" Nekota called out upon noticing Shiina
"Nekota!" Shiina said, losing her composure for a moment, "I told you not to call me by my username in public!"
Shiina then glanced back at the other Student Council members, who remained silent as Shiina's jaw dropped. What little she had said in an attempt to keep her private life private had evidently been too much.
"The cat's out of the bag, Shiina," Natsumi said. "I get that you're committed to being professional, but you shouldn't be so worried about Mikado-san and Satou-san finding out what you do on your own time."
"I wholeheartedly agree with Teradaira-san," Shizuru said. "So long as your performance remains good, Fujino-san, what you do in your free time in the privacy of your own home is your business alone. But it seems you have some friends who share that hobby, do you not?"
"Yeah," Shiina said, somewhat more comfortable as a result of her relief. "Nekota, I'd like to introduce you to my fellow Student Council members. You've head of my best friend, Natsumi, and met the commander before, but this is the president, Mikado Shizuru-san, and the treasurer, Satou Ayano-san."
"Pleased to meet you," they said.
"In any case, Fujino-san," Miho said, "You have worked with Nekota-san and the other members of Anteater Team before, have you not?"
"I guess," Shiina said. "It's just an online tank game, and they know already that it's no substitute for experience. I saw what happened in the finals myself; they barely lasted a minute in battle against the former champions."
"Then, might it be a good idea for you to be the third member of Anteater team, given that you have worked well with the others before?" Miho said. "I understand the difference between games and reality. But if you're still learning the ropes, it might be best to do so alongside those you already work well with."
"Sounds like a good idea," Shiina said. "I'm up for it, Nishizumi-san."
"That's good to hear," Miho said. "You should start getting settled into your new team. I have some other people who need help, but I'll stop by later to see how you're doing."
Shiina began to leave to join up with Anteater Team, while Miho moved on to some of the others who needed her help. Before leaving, however, Shiina stopped and turned to Natsumi.
"What is it, Shiina?" Natsumi said, in an informal and slightly blunt tone she never used in her duties as a public relations representative, with her teachers, or around most of her schoolmates.
"I'll have you know that the Commander most likely knows that you're putting on an act with that smile of yours, Natsumi," Shiina said. "I think she's probably had you figured out all along, but she didn't say it outright."
"Well, smiling has its uses, even if you don't mean it," Natsumi said. "I've said before that people tend to be more cooperative and approving of me if I smile at them and act pleasantly, and I believe this applies for tankery as much as it does to the student council. We are the newcomers, after all, and we need to make a good impression."
"You may be right," Shiina said. "But while I might have my own biases that influence me and reasons for saying this, I think that the Commander is the sort who will like the sort of person you really are more."
"Well, relaxing and being myself around her isn't exactly easy," Natsumi said, "considering our relationship as leader and subordinate is not unlike the one we share with the president. It certainly isn't any easier than your disclosing your private hobbies in front of the entire team is."
"Point taken," Shiina said. "Still, even if they're like-minded individuals, I have friends who accept me for who I am- one of whom is you. Keep that in mind."
Natsumi nodded as Shiina parted ways with her, and rejoined the others.
"I'm sorry I'm late, President, Treasurer," Natsumi said. "I was talking to the vice president."
"You don't need to use our titles here, Teradaira-san," Shizuru said, "not on me, not on Ayano, and certainly not on your best friend, Fujino-san. As I said before, they mean nothing if we're rank-and-file members of the tankery team."
"I understand, Mikado-san," Natsumi said. "But in the end, you are still my and Satou-san's direct superior, are you not?"
"I am," Shizuru said. "But at the same time, I'm one of many newcomers, still learning how to use our tanks and hoping to be of use to the team. I do not intend to use that as an excuse for my mistakes or failures, but I acknowledge my place in the team, and will do my best for everyone's sake. Can I count on you to do that?"
"Yes ma'am," Natsumi said.
"You can, Shizuru," Ayano said.
Shizuru nodded approvingly. Neither the process of learning tankery nor leading the student government would be easy, but she was glad to have people who were committed to the process. As long as they were, none of the challenges they would ace would be insurmountable.
Elsewhere, Mako, while walking around helping drivers, noticed one girl who seemed oddly familiar. With shoulder-length hair in a bob haircut, she looked like Sono Midoriko- known to her as Sodoko- and the other members of the disciplinary committee, who looked highly similar to each other, and Mako recognized the girl's disciplinary committee armband. But the girl more often heard people say that she resembled her paternal cousin, a girl one year older than she was who had graduated from Black Forest.
"Reizei Mako-san?" the girl said. "I thought I'd find you here."
"Sorry, but who are you?" Mako said. "I think I've vaguely seen you somewhere before, but then again, pretty much everyone on the disciplinary committee looks like Sodoko."
"Hirose Satomi, third-year and new head of the disciplinary committee," the disciplinary committee member said. "I've also been appointed leader of Mallard Team, as a result of the others wanting to stick with their previous roles, and wanting their leader to command them."
Mako thought about the other members of the disciplinary committee. She remembered Gotou "Gomoyo" Moyoko and Konparu "Pazomi" Nozomi, Sodoko's colleagues on the disciplinary committee and crewmates, as well as the fact that, as less experienced members of the team, their performance was mediocre at best. Mako thus understood why they wanted to stay with their positions, knowing that it would be a hassle to retrain in another position, even though Mako herself knew how to drive several of the team's tanks just by reading the manual. Gomoyo and Pazomi also looked quite like Sodoko, as did the girl standing before Mako, so Mako could not say for certain whether she had met their new leader before.
"Ah, nice to meet you, Saro," Mako said.
Saro rolled her eyes, a far cry from the angry outburst that would be Sodoko's traditional response to her nickname.
"So I suppose this is some sort of tradition you have, Reizei-san," Saro said. "Assigning nicknames to the hall monitors immediately after meeting them. I always found your nicknames a bit weird, and felt the same way about how the tanks here are named after animals."
"It helps me tell all of you apart," Mako said.
Saro let off a soft sigh of annoyance.
"I can't say I entirely approve," Saro said, "but unlike Sodoko, I won't waste my breath making futile attempts to get you to refrain from calling me that. It's a bit like getting the History Club to give up their costumes."
Saro's mind went back to how the disciplinary committee had little ability to enforce the dress code, since they could only send students home if they were not wearing the uniform at all. This, among other issues, frustrated Sodoko, and led some, such as Saro's aunt and uncle, to see the morals committee as toothless.
"But Sodoko's fine with you using her nickname?" Mako said.
"Surprisingly enough, she is," Saro said. "In spite of her image as an unyielding enforcer of the rules, she does make compromises from time to time, especially for her friends."
Mako nodded, remembering how, after the victory in the tournament, Sodoko had deleted all of her tardies and unexcused absences in the record. The benefits offered by the student council had included 200 tardiness passes for effective tankers. While Sodoko had initially opposed the incentives as enabling bad behavior, she had gone above and beyond what Mako was promised, because Mako had been instrumental in saving the school. Sodoko had a great deal of respect for Mako's skill in tankery, and appreciation for her contribution to winning the tournament, even if she found it difficult to openly admit either feeling.
"So what do you think, Saro?" Mako said. "You think you could let me into that club?"
"Maybe, Reizei-san," Saro said noncommittally. "We'll have to see about that."
Mako couldn't help but smile. The new head of the disciplinary committee seemed in many ways different than the old one. She was serious about her job but too cynical to carry it out with the same zeal that Sodoko did. She was formal and a stickler for manners, but it was leavened with a sense of humor and occasional sarcasm. She had her buttons that could be pushed, as everyone did, but had far less of a reaction to hers being pushed than Sodoko did.
"I think I might be starting to like this one," Mako thought. "Or rather, it might be easier to admit to liking her than it is for Sodoko."
The training of some of the new members in their respective roles began, with many of the more experienced members mentoring the newer ones, even if that was a relative term. Some of the tanks with newcomers went to the firing range, with experienced gunners and loaders sitting in the commander and radio operator seats to supervise the process. Experienced commanders, like Miho and Nodoka, sat in on other crews and guided them through the processes, while some commanders also helped their own crews.
While progress was being made, Someya Mako, the radio operator for the P44 Tas, Octopus Team's tank, realized that there was a problem. The more experienced and knowledgeable members could not be everywhere at once, so some of the members who had only started last year had to share their knowledge, recently-acquired as it may be, with the newcomers.
"I was hoping some of you could help me out a little here," Mako said. "I can't teach all the newbies by myself."
"You're asking us, Someya-san?" Kaori said nervously, fidgeting with a lock of her long blonde hair. "Most of us are newcomers to tankery."
"So was I last year," Mako said. "Essentially all I'd done before now was read some books, and had no practical experience. In terms of seniority, all of you are second- or third-years, and all of you have tankery experience, which is more than can be said for the newcomers. It's time to step up and help your less experienced teammates."
"Someya-san's right, Kaorin," Saori said. "We're not amateurs anymore. I even got a Amateur Radio Operator Level 2 license last summer. A bit of studying, and you can achieve the same thing."
Utsugi Yuuki, the radio operator for the M3 Lee, Rabbit Team's tank, could not help but smile with amusement at Saori's confidence. Saori had the same approach to giving advice about relationships, even if she never had a boyfriend. Yuuki's boyfriend had broken up with her over her taking tankery, and she had no idea what she could have done. In spite of how it ended, wanted to try again, but had not succeeded in even finding a boy who fit her interests. If Saori spoke in terms of romantic fantasy and ideals, Yuuki had some idea of how reality could be less than pleasant. The same went for tankery; while Anglerfish Team was the top crew in the team, Rabbit Team faced a great deal of setbacks and bad luck, trying their determination and their fortitude.
But she realized Saori had a point. Things had not always gone swimmingly for Rabbit Team team, often due to bad luck and sometimes due to their own mistakes. Despite, or rather, because of those difficulties, every battle was a chance to learn from their mistakes, and improve further.
"I agree, Saori-senpai," Yuuki said. "Ayumi-chan and Aya-chan are helping out the gunners. Karina-chan's helping with the drivers, even if she has trouble explaining her technique to the others, Let's do what we can to smooth the learning curve for our kouhais, and ensure they have an easier time adjusting to tank combat.
That evening, Nodoka called her father, Haramura Kei, to let him know what was happening in her life. She was hardly expecting any sympathy, since Kei was strict, slightly cynical and not much for sentimentalism. In spite of that, she was interested in hearing what he had to say, seeing a bit of his attitude in the new student government.
"I see," he said in response to the student council's plan. "I didn't think that the situation would be resolved just by winning the tournament, but the situation doesn't seem to be at all hopeless. MEXT has given Oarai a new lease on life, and left it up to the school authorities to manage it well enough to remain open. All things considered, the student government seems to be doing the best it can."
"What do you mean by 'all things considered,' Father?" Nodoka said.
"Essentially that of all the choices they have, they're choosing the best possible ones, Nodoka," Kei said. "Do keep in mind that they are essentially politicians, and even if they're not looking out for their own political interests, they also have to take into account the various realities of governing the student body. The decisions they make may not necessarily be the decisions they want to make."
Nodoka's father found little humor in jokes about politicians being self-serving and corrupt. He believe that those who made them missed the reality of the situation, and were holding politicians to unrealistically high standards, even if he conceded that not all of them were of good moral character. To him, it was all too easy to judge someone's decision from an outsider's perspective, without knowing what that person knew, and not knowing what that person did not.
"I understand and agree, Father," Nodoka said. "But I'm also glad that they have been as forthcoming with us as is reasonably possible, including telling us the things they can't say with absolute certainty. As such, Miho-senpai and I know exactly what to do; win and prove that we have a good tankery team."
"That's good to hear, Nodoka," Kei said. "Then if you believe that course of action will be best for the school, by all means pursue it."
Nodoka nodded. Even if there would be many challenges to deal with even before Oarai faced its reinvigorated rivals, she believed she and her school could rise to face them. She had helped the team win the last tournament to prove that there was value in her school, and because her team had succeeded, she believed she had what was necessary to keep winning and continue to prove their worth.
The conversation soon concluded, with Kei telling Nodoka to "keep up the good work." A few minutes after finishing the call, Nodoka heard a knock on the door.
"I'm coming," Nodoka said.
Opening the door, she saw five figures standing nearby.
There was Someya Mako, now in her final year of high school. She was the most senior member of Octopus Team, but deferred to Nodoka's leadership, just as she deferred to her old friend and the former treasurer Takei Hisa's. In spite of her initial disappointment in Oarai's lack of a tankery team, she was glad to finish her high school years at Oarai, and even more glad that she was able to help keep it open through winning the tankery tournament.
There was Kataoka Yuuki, Nodoka's first friend from middle school, who had introduced her to the rest of the middle school club. While their senpai, Kirame, had chosen to go to Saunders, Yuuki had followed Nodoka to Oarai, and hoped to graduate from there together.
There was Miyanaga Saki, Nodoka's best friend. She had entered the tournament to reconcile with her sister, Miyanaga Teru, and also stood by Nodoka in her quest to achieve her own goals.
And there were Murohashi Hiroko and Yumeno Maho, Nodoka's two friends and kohais from middle school. Maho had hoped to follow Nodoka to high school to do tankery under her, and had Nodoka gone to Kitaniji Prep as her father had hoped, Maho would have had little chance of passing the entrance exam.
All of Nodoka's high friends who were still in high school were together now, attending school with, living near and doing tankery with her. She saw it as her reward for winning, and hoped to make the most of this time with them for as long as she could.
Elsewhere, at Rhineland University, Miho and Saki's older sisters, Nishizumi Maho and Miyanaga Teru, sat with their mutual friend Hirose Sumire at a table at an on-campus dining hall, having lunch. Maho and Teru had once been nothing more than colleagues among Black Forest's leadership, but near the end of high school, they had begun to confide in each other more, and had become friends. Around this time, Sumire had befriended Maho as well, having spent a fair amount of time with her and being grateful that Maho had reached out to Teru.
"You seem to be in a good mood today, Sumire," Teru said.
"My cousin Satomi's joining Oarai's tankery team," Sumire said. "Do you remember her?"
"I recall you mentioning her a few times, even if we've never met," Teru said. "I didn't know she was interested in tankery."
"My aunt and uncle did their best to discourage her from doing tankery," Sumire said, "while 'encouraging' her to work on the disciplinary committee with the same fervor that mine wanted me to succeed at tankery. It must have been quite a task for Satomi to convince her parents that commanding a tank's part of the responsibilities of being head of the disciplinary committee."
Teru turned to Maho, who was quietly eating, not sure of what she could say.
"Sorry, Maho," Sumire said. "I didn't mean to prattle on about my family issues, when you have issues of your own."
"It's alright, Sumire," Maho said. "If your cousin genuinely likes tankery, then she's making the most of her current situation, not unlike how I am."
"Ah yes, Miho," Teru said. "There really aren't many people who can find satisfaction from their sisters' happiness like you can, Maho."
Teru said those words with a hint of guilt in her voice. Maho strove to live up to her mother's expectations- which many, Teru included, found almost impossible- so that Miho would not have to. Teru, on the other hand, had been estranged from Saki for years after the death of their relative Mizuho. Miho and Maho remained close in spite of the persona Maho was required to adopt as part of her duties as commander and Nishizumi heiress. By comparison, the Miyanaga sisters had only started talking again after the last tournament, and while they had confronted the most difficult issues, they had yet to banish the awkwardness between them. Teru felt many emotions when reminded of those differences between her and Maho's relationships with their respective sisters, and chief among them was blaming herself for things coming to this point.
At the time of their parents' separation, Teru had her reasons for not wanting to talk with Saki, but all of them felt like mere rationalizations in hindsight. So, too, did her reasons for doing tankery, now that one of the family members she did it with was dead and the other was at another school. Teru had been angry that Saki had quit tankery after the tragedy that had claimed Mizuho's life, believing that Saki wanted to distance herself from her painful memories, but Teru was no longer sure of why she wanted to do it. Teru had thus chosen to take a hiatus from tankery, at least for her freshman year of university, while she mended her relationship with Saki and thought over her reasons for doing tankery.
An awkward silence had descended, while Teru wrestled with her thoughts. Maho spoke in order to change the subject, suspecting that Teru's thoughts were taking her to dark places again.
"In any case, it's up to Miho to make full use of the opportunities given to her, and she's done so well," Maho said. "Her, Saki and Satomi's school remains open, and will likely enter the tournament again. Of course, our old school, along with many of Oarai's old opponents and schools they haven't faced yet will be redoubling their efforts. She has what is necessary to keep winning, though, and all I can do as her sister is wish her the best."
Author's Notes
So begins the sequel to Necessary to Win, the final installment in the series. A major theme of this story will be how Oarai can, after winning the tournament and saving the school, keep its school and its team around for years to come.
This chapter sets the stage for some of the events to come, and gives you some idea of who will be prominent this time. For example, Nodoka will be replacing Saki as a secondary protagonist.
The new student council will play an especially prominent role in the story. They have their own set of priorities now that they no longer need to save the school, and tankery is no longer vitally important. However, they're also willing to work with- and under- Miho toward that end (By contrast, I notice in canon that Momo seems to order Miho and the others around and stress that they improve themselves, which rings hollow given that Momo is an utterly incompetent gunner and subpar commander who never improves in either aspect) and are also quite up front with Miho about the things she needs to know. In addition to being somewhat more pragmatic, they're also significantly more serious and professional than the Kadotani administration, although they are not infallible, and there may be those who don't like their approach to leadership or their decisions.
A minor note about Shizuru; her dialogue is intended to reflect her speaking very formally, as she does with almost everyone except Ayano when the two of them are off-duty.
One thing many Girls und Panzer fanfics and synopses miss is the fact that Miho did, in the end, choose to do tankery on her own, and for her own purposes. Here, with the school no longer on the line, Miho will have more freedom to lead her own way and do tankery for her own reasons, and the others will once again do tankery as they wish.
Updates on this fic may be slightly slower than the later chapters of Paths Toward Victory, as I work on later chapters in the fic.
Here's the Character Analyses, which, once again, will provide information on the characters' arcs from the author's POV, and also explain how they relate to canon. This time, they will also include some information about how the characters have developed over the course of the story.
Made a few minor changes.
Character Analysis: Nodoka Haramura
If there's one phrase that most encapsulates Nodoka's canonical desires, it's "being taken seriously."
In canon and this fic, she knows she's not the absolute best there is at her game, but she believes she's good at it. When she's faced with rumors that her beauty and chest size are the main reasons behind her popularity, she doesn't like them, but she has enough pride to strive to disprove them. She doesn't like to lose, but is resilient enough to soldier on. Above all else, she does not want to be perceived as someone who's fooling around or wasting her time by doing tankey.
As a result, one imagines that she's not happy to hear her father dismiss mahjong as a game of chance, and even less so when he wants to uproot her from her friends once again. In an attempt to stay with her friends, she makes a deal; win the tournament and she will be able to remain at her school. It's a simple matter of proving her commitment and her skill, but Nodoka believes that she has to do this much to convince her father.
Nodoka is fully cognizant of the fact that she's not on top of the food chain, canonically or in here, as you can see in canon when Nodoka, in the quarterfinals, goes up against three older opponents (something that is mostly true in the semifinals, and will be in the finals). In this fic, her experience in the middle school tournament causes her to realize that there are some out there who are simply more skilled and better equipped than she is. But Oarai's victory in the tournament reminds her that such disadvantages can be overcome.
So when Nodoka is given the job of assisting Miho as Oarai's vice captain, she sees it for what it is; a difficult task and a great responsibility, but an opportunity to show Japan what she and her school can do. She is somewhat stricter than Miho, holding others to the same standards as she holds herself; she wants them to do well, but more than anything, to take it seriously, since if they do the latter, the former will follow. Of course, she also respects Miho's leadership style enough to work with her.
Character Analysis: Kaori Senoo
In canon, Kaori is a beginner at mahjong, who, like Momo, was brought in at the last minute so that Tsuruga could go to the nationals. But while Momo is quite skilled, Kaori has never played before, Satomi recruited her because they've been friends since they were young. However, she has beginners' luck, enabling her to get a Yakuman that gives Tsuruga a fighting chance. Of course, Tsuruga does eventually get eliminated, and Kaori doesn't get far in the individual tournament.
As you may realize, tankery doesn't have luck in the same way mahjong does, and Kaori doesn't stand out compared to the rest of her peers, so she has neither the advantages nor the disadvantages of her canon counterpart. She's yet another beginner to tankery, who is forced to sink or swim in the national tournament.
Canonically, Kaori's teammates realize that her beginner's luck is a strong asset, enough so that they don't let her practice prior to the individuals, but Yumi floats the idea of making her a stronger player over time. Here, one has to imagine how she will do once she gains more experience over time, and she, like the rest of the returning members, has become a reliable asset to the team.