Chapter 24: Reconciliation and Preparation
In the days before the finals, Oarai approached its training with a new sense of urgency and resolve. They had to do everything they could to win, or they would not have a second chance. That meant that all the teams had to maximize their skills, and they had to make the most of their equipment at hand.
Some of the team realized that the new information painted the entire tournament in a new light.
"Nishizumi?" Yumi said as she approached Miho during lunch on the first day of class after the match with Saunders. "I have a confession to make to you, as well as some advice if you're interested in hearing it- and willing to talk about what is probably a fairly sensitive subject for you."
"Go ahead, Kajiki-senpai," Miho said.
"I...caught wind of the conversation between you and that maid of yours in the cafe," Yumi said. "The one in which she said you'd be disowned if you lost to Saunders."
"Oh..." Miho said, no longer surprised about her secret getting out. "Yukari-san wasn't the only one, then."
Miho looked around, unsure of how to respond. After a moment, Miho's wandering eyes caught a pair of eyes she was unable to see.
"Please don't blame Senpai, Commander~su," Momo said, appearing next to Yumi. "I was the one accidentally overheard the entire thing and I couldn't help but worry."
"You're here, too, Touyoko-san?" Miho said incredulously, before realizing what had happened. "…oh."
"Momo wasn't trying to eavesdrop," Yumi said. "She just happened to hear it while waiting for me."
"I see," Miho said. "That seems like a natural reaction to hearing something like that, especially when I wasn't telling anyone."
"I suppose Akiyama must have felt the same way; both Momo and I saw her leaving the cafe," Yumi said. "And to be honest, I assumed you were discussing that with Hisa when you walked off to consult with her before the match with Saunders. I thought it would explain your unusual- albeit correct- insistence on caution in the match."
"Hisa-senpai and I were only talking about being more assertive," Miho said. "Which, I might add, is probably something my family would have wanted me to do, and one of the ways I fall short of my mother's expectations."
"Ordinarily, I would assume that you'd do anything to avoid getting disowned," Yumi said. "But now that I've heard what I did, I have to wonder- why would you want to stay in that family?"
"Because it's my family," Miho said. "My sister may seem distant at times, but she is still my sister, and cares for me, even if she can't always show it. My father appears to go along with my mother, but he wants to keep this family together. And my mother brought me into the world and raised me. Even if she puts expectations on me that are too ruthless for me to meet, or if she threatens to disown me, she is my mother, and I cannot so easily forget that fact, even if I sometimes wish she would remember as well. This tendency might seem emotional to you, but that's how I feel."
"I understand," Yumi said. "I have a more or less normal family- and after talking to you, I'm more grateful than ever for them- but I realize that my way of thinking of them is often affected on an emotional level, simply because they are family. Blood is thicker than water, after all."
"Growing up, I didn't stand out much from my two older siblings and two younger ones~su," Momo said. "And yet, while I often saw myself as 'the family member that doesn't stand out much' the 'family member' part was never in question."
Momo's siblings each stood out in various ways. Her older sister was in graduate school and had published works. Her older brother was just starting university. Her younger brother was in middle school, and was often getting into trouble in one way or another. Her youngest sister was about to enter middle school, so her family had to prepare themselves for her departure. As Momo did well in school, albeit not well enough for her to earn acclaim for her academic accomplishments, and had settled into high school much like she had in middle school, her family was less concerned about her.
The Touyoko family had called Momo to congratulate her after she had fired the winning shot on St. Gloriana's flag tank. She understood that even if she was lost in the shuffle of her siblings, she had her parents' tacit approval, if nothing else; when they spoke about her, it was to say that she was reliable, doing whatever was asked of her and meeting their expectations for her. Momo had gone unnoticed for much of her life, but knew enough to realize that there were some kinds of attention that were highly unwelcome, especially being treated as the black sheep of the family. Momo often went unnoticed, but she could be her own person, and was grateful that her parents were willing to let her do that.
"You're right; some would say that they are fortunate compared to me, and that hearing my problems puts theirs into perspective," Miho said. "But I've also realized that the worst has not yet happened, and my parents are still here in my life. That's why, even if I realize things are more difficult for me than most, I also realize that I still have the ability to solve my own problems."
Yumi furrowed her brow.
"Solve your own problems?" Yumi said. "You are correct in that you have the ability to solve your problems, as well as the opportunity. But you shouldn't think of them as yours alone."
"Why not?" Miho said.
"I heard a little from Hisa about how Fukuji of St. Gloriana does things, caring greatly for those under her command, to the point at which they start to empathize with and worry about her," Yumi said. "And in that regard, you're not that different from her. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that those whom you care for also come to care for you."
"I know Senpai and I haven't talked all that much with you~su," Momo said to Miho. "But she's also a person who notices others around her, and would actively seek out someone she can't even see. There are others like that on the team, perhaps closer than you think. Trust your comrades with your problems~su."
"I will," Miho said. "Thank you, Kajiki-senpai, Touyoko-san."
"Not a problem, Miho," Yumi said, reflexively, prompting Momo to stare at her in shock as Miho began walking away.
"S-senpai...!" Momo said.
"Sorry, Momo," Yumi said. "When she comes up when I'm talking with Hisa, Hisa keeps referring to her by her first name; I can't help but do it as well. And, of course, now the leader of our opponents in the final round will be Nishizumi Maho."
Momo nodded. She was the only one in her family who seriously did tankery or mahjong, and found it difficult to comprehend the idea of entire families being focused on either game.
"The large age difference between each of my sisters and me aside, I can hardly fathom having to face either~su," Momo said. "To think my family issues were so simple by comparison..."
"Well, winning the finals will be difficult enough, even without the other issues that are tied to it," Yumi said. "We can only do what we can, which, for the moment, involves scrounging up every last resource we can. It's quite different from mahjong, where funding only allows for more resources for training and recruitment of players. But whether neophytes or veterans, we must win the last round to accomplish our goals, whatever they may be."
Miho stepped away from her meeting with Momo and Yumi to rejoin her friends in Anglerfish Team, who were sitting on their Panzer IV and having lunch.
"There you are, Miporin!" Saori said. "We were just having some rice balls that Mako's grandma made."
"She got out of the hospital a few days ago," Mako said, "and this time, she's coming to see us in person at the finals."
"Speaking of family," Hana said. "Would it be alright if I left early on Saturday? Some of my flower arranging works are going to be on display."
"That sounds interesting, Hana-san," Miho said. "Thank you for letting us know; we'd like to come, too."
"That's good to hear," Hana said. "The setup will take some time, hence my early departure, but you should be able to get there in time for the event to start if you leave tankery practice as soon as it's over."
"I've got some business to take care of, too," Miho said. "Some clubs have stepped forward to donate money to the tankery club now that the school's at risk of being shut down. Said money could help us buy what we need to even the odds against Black Forest. Hisa-senpai and I discussed what we could get, and brainstormed some possibilities."
Miho met with Hisa in the tankery club's meeting room to discuss some of the team's new acquisitions.
"So what were you able to get with the newfound money, Hisa-senpai?"
"Let me see..." Hisa said. "We won't be able to get a new tank, if that's what you're thinking; we don't even have any new crew for the tank at this moment, much less the money. However, we were able to find a good deal on a kit to make the Pz 38 that Turtle Team has into a Hetzer, which should give us the firepower we need against Black Forest. With the remaining money, we can get some Schurzen for your team's tank, to make it a Panzer IV Ausf. D. Does this sound good to you?"
"It does," Miho said. "As always, we'll need to make the most of our existing tanks."
"Excuse me... Nishizumi-san?" a soft and faint voice came from behind Miho.
Miho turned around and saw a girl, known only as Nekota, who had very long blonde hair, a pair of white cat ears, and strange glasses with yellow lenses. She wore the Oarai uniform without the neckerchief and seemed to be fidgeting with her fingers.
"My friends and I from an online tank game would like to join," Nekota said.
"I appreciate the offer," Miho said. "But we don't have any available tanks right now, although our fellow club members are busy scouring the ship for the tenth tank that could not be sold. Are you OK with being a, for lack of a better term, bench-warmer?"
"I am," Nekota said. "But do you mean that the tank in the parking lot didn't work for some reason?"
Miho and Hisa looked at each other.
"Could you please show us what you're referring to?" Miho said.
Miho and Hisa wondered if there was some catch to Nekota's report of seeing a tank in a parking lot as they followed her over to the tank she reported finding. As such, they were quite surprised- and pleasantly so- to realize that there was no catch, and they were looking at a tankery ready Type 3 Chi-Nu.
"I can't believe we missed that one," Miho said.
"Well, we assumed that it was worthless if it was left out in the open," Hisa said. She pointed at a scrap of food that was lying on the ground, which was impossible to conclusively identify. "For example, no one in their right minds would eat that, since it's been laying on the ground for who knows how long and has probably been stepped on."
Hisa picked up the scrap and threw it in a nearby garbage can, making a mental note to wash her hands later.
"But in all seriousness, the Instructor told me once that this is practically the same model as the one on display at the JGSDF Military Ordinance Training School, a tank she often passed by without noticing," Hisa said. "I don't think she came to this part of the school much during here time here, nor did I."
Miho looked over to the girls who were chatting. Nekota had been joined by her friends, Piyotan and Momogawa, a tall silver-haired girl and a girl with spiky red hair, respectively, whom she was meeting for the first time in real life. They had considered recruiting a fourth girl they played with online, known as Misha, but Misha had declined, citing "prior commitments."
"The three of you will be known as Anteater Team," she said. "Have you decided which roles you will play?"
The three looked at each other blankly.
"In our game, there's only one player per tank," Momogawa said. "Your computer-controlled crewmates handle most things."
"I guess we'd be suited to the commander position," Piyotan said.
"But it all seems so different from the game, especially since none of us played in this tank- in the game or real life," Nekota said.
"Of course, only one of us can actually lead," Momogawa said.
Miho let off an amused sigh.
"There's still some time to practice before the finals," Miho said. "You should be able to operate on a basic level by then, and work out which positions you're best suited to."
"Yes," Nekota said, excited. "It sounds so amazing, to pilot tanks in real life!"
Miho nodded. She knew that the Anteater Team would be far from the others' level of skill
"Speaking of tanks, how is our other crew-less tank- the Porsche Tiger- doing?" Miho said, turning back to Hisa.
"I talked to the Auto Club," Hisa said. "They mentioned that it still often overheats, gets stuck in mud, and undergoes engine failure... sometimes all at the same time."
"That sounds quite troublesome," Miho said. "None of the tanks at my disposal were ever that unreliable; if this were Black Forest or Bismarck, we'd have put them in the storage, rather than try to make them work, since we have many good tanks to spare."
"They basically said that they'd have to be on the Porsche Tiger the entire time, doing maintenance, to even get this to work to any degree," Hisa said. "A shame, really, because in terms of statistics, the Porsche Tiger's one of our stronger tanks."
Miho thought for a moment.
"Actually..." Miho said. "I'd like them to crew the Porsche Tiger in the finals. We've always had to work with what they had, and when certain tanks and people didn't seem to be good enough, we had to make them work. I think the Auto club is up to the task."
"That sounds like a good idea," Hisa said. "Let's see if we can talk with the Auto Club... or better said, Leopon Team."
The Auto Club was surprisingly receptive to Miho's proposal. Tsuchiya, a girl with short brown hair, was a skilled driver. Hoshino, with longer dark hair, had test-fired the cannons of many of the tanks she had repaired to determine how functional they were, so she had an idea of how to fire the guns and hit targets. Suzuki, a very tanned girl who, when asked, pointed out that her having the same last name as "Caesar" was a mere coincidence, had done the same for loading. And Nakajima, much like some of the other clubs, had effective leadership skills.
"We can help," Nakajima said. "Though I must say you must be hard-up on people to resort to this."
"Mainly on people who are suited to something of this nature," Hisa said, "although the only new recruits since we've started the tournament are Mallard Team and Anteater Team."
"Still, will you be able to manage in a fight, Leopon Team?" Miho said.
"The four of us know what we're doing," Suzuki said. "We've taken this thing out for test runs before, driving, shooting and loading. We may be the only ones able to make it work."
"True," Suzuki said. "But we're the Auto Club. For us, motor vehicles are more than means of transportation, but our passion. Some see a tank like this as one that's completely worthless, but we see a challenge."
"And a way to help you all out," Hoshino said. "We might not be up to the others' level of skill, but we can manage with this, and show everyone else what we can do."
Miho realized that the Auto Club could, at the very least, operate a tank, and Miho hoped their skills could keep the Porsche Tiger going, even if they had no real combat experience. Miho knew that she would need more people and strong tanks in order to deal with Black Forest and what they would likely bring to bear in the finals. As such, no effort could be spared, which was part of the reason why Miho was so fervent that working tanks should not be declared useless, nor should willing help be turned away.
As Miho expected, Oarai was not the only contender to be doing preparation. Maho had, on the coach's urging, benched the players who had surged forward into Pravda's trap against her orders, but had requested to sit in on the disciplinary committee meeting to prevent the coach from going further. Maho had considered doing the same for Erika, but Takako told her to give her a warning, a judgment that her mother agreed with. Maho oversaw the practice for the players who remained, hoping to increase their individual skills and get them to work well on their own, while remaining in the bounds of what she could do as commander.
While considering where the final match would be set, Maho came up with a plan, one that would counter Miho's past strategies, and make it clear that Maho was putting all her effort into winning.
After making all the necessary preparations, and having finalized he plan, Maho called Teru and her crew for a meeting the day after her discussion with Teru regarding her and Saki's past.
"Teru, I have a role I'd like you and your crew to play in the finals," Maho said as she led her and her team to a storage area behind the school. "As we have discussed before, people, including my mother and our coach, are especially insistent that we win this year, particularly so that we will not be defeated by a relative unknown like Oarai. That's why I've decided to use every resource I have at my disposal, including this."
Maho produced a key that the coach had given her, and unlocked a side door near a large hangar door, opening the way to a dark room that was also very spacious. She stepped inside and turned on the light.
Teru and her crew looked inside and realized the real reason why there was such a large storage area, and the true purpose behind such a large door in addition to the one they had used.
"I...I never realized Black Forest had this," Takami said, awestruck.
"Neither did I; I'm curious as to why we never used it last year," Seiko said.
"It has a fearsome reputation, and in many cases, that fear is justified," Maho said. "But it is not useful in all circumstances, particularly the rocky and uneven terrain of the finals last year. That's why I have a very specific plan for it that will take advantage of its maximum capabilities. And I believe you're the best crew I can entrust with this."
"You can count on us, Commander," Teru said.
Teru and Maho exchanged knowing glances. Each was aware of the other's hidden motivations for participation in the tournament, but both realized that they would, for their own reasons, be doing their utmost to win, both as their duty to the team, and as a part of their efforts toward their respective goals.
Maho hoped she could say the same about a certain other person.
Miho got a phone call from Maho one evening after school, as Mho sat in her apartment.
"Miho?" Maho said. "How have your preparations been going?"
"Quite well, Onee-chan," Miho said. "We should be as ready as we can be for the finals."
"That's good," Maho said. "The main reason I called was to let you know that I understand what Teru was talking about in that outburst against Saki."
"I think I know what you're referring to," Miho said. "But does Teru-san think that someone died because of Saki-san?"
"It's a long story, and I'm not sure how much you know already," Maho said, "but apparently, three years ago, Saki, Teru and a girl named Mizuho, who was close to both of the Miyanaga sisters, plunged into a river while inside their tank. Teru was unable to save both Saki and Mizuho, and saved Saki. Mizuho, trapped inside the tank and unconscious, drowned as a result."
Miho gasped in surprise.
"Saki-san... didn't remember any of this," Miho said. "She knows Teru-san saved her life, but not that."
"Saki must have been powerfully impacted by the experience," Maho said. "And while Teru appears outwardly composed, inside her, there's a maelstrom of many different emotions- grief, guilt, wishing that things could have gone differently, blaming Saki to an extent, but also blaming herself."
"So what she said back then... wasn't the entire truth?" Miho said, confused.
"Evidently not," Maho said. "More than anything, I think she's also trying to understand what happened to Mizuho, and if blaming Saki is her way of avoiding collapsing under the guilt, that is what she will do. I don't approve of how she's treating Saki, though, nor do I think that it's a helpful way to cope with her problems. But make no mistake, Miho, I want Teru to be able to find closure and inner peace."
"So do I, Onee-chan," Miho said. "But how's Teru-san holding up?"
"I spoke with Teru and asked her if she's ready to come to the battle," Maho said. "She said that to her, Oarai is just another school that Black Forest needs to defeat, so that everyone will know that we are still the strongest. She also said that to her, any Oarai tank she sees is just another target, especially the flag tank."
"So... essentially the same as everyone else, then," Miho said, having acknowledged that when she entered the tournament, all of her old schoolmates at Black Forest- those who disliked her, those she barely knew, her friends and even her sister- had become her rivals. Miho had accepted it, but still found it difficult, both on an emotional level and in a practical sense.
"Correct," Maho said.
The conversation came to a pause.
"I have another question, Miho," Maho said. "I heard a rumor... is it true that Oarai Academy is going to get shut down?"
"It will, if we don't win the tournament," Miho said. "I... didn't want to have to tell you this, so that you'd be able to do what you had to without fearing what might happen."
Maho sighed, realizing that Miho had most likely realized why she had faltered early on against Pravda.
"If there were any... outside factors... that altered the outcome of the finals, people would notice," Miho said, "perhaps more so than last year. Winning that way would certainly not serve our purposes; we're trying to win to prove what we can accomplish on our own. My friend Nodoka-san has a similar goal in mind, and said she felt the same way."
"I understand," Maho said. "And I want you to be able to succeed on your own merits, Miho, even if you end up defeating me in the process. I look forward to seeing how you do."
"I'll see you at the finals, Onee-chan," Miho said.
"Until then, Miho," Maho said, before hanging up.
Nodoka looked through the first copy of the student newspaper after the match with Saunders; the front page story was about the revelation that Oarai was threatened with being shut down, and inside, there was an article about Oarai's victory in the semifinals. The student council, having realized that they could no longer keep the secret, had decided that the time had come to let the students know about it.
Responses varied. Some came to understand why their clubs had been shut down. Others criticized the Student Council for not being more forthcoming about the situation; one second-year, Mikado Shizuru, the class representative for Standard Class I, 2-B, wrote a scathing letter to the Oarai school newspaper denouncing the student government for recklessly endangering the school by keeping something of that importance secret. Still other students discussed what they had just learned with their friends and their families.
Naturally, this meant that people outside Oarai would hear about the state of the school. And as such, Nodoka was not surprised when her father called her about it, immediately guessing the reason for the call when she saw the caller ID show her home's phone number, and "Haramura Residence."
"Hello, this is Nodoka," Nodoka said.
"Nodoka, this is your father," Kei said. "I just recently heard the news that Oarai's continued existence depends on this tankery tournament. How long have you known?"
"Only since the middle of the last match, Father," Nodoka said, hoping to dispel any suspicion that she had known longer and deliberately withheld that information.
"I am unsurprised that a school with nothing going for it was slated for being shut down, only that mere students, even the Student Council, could get a chance to forestall it," Kei said. "Just how long do they think they can keep this school afloat? And do they honestly think winning a tankery tournament will make the necessary difference?"
Nodoka paused, realizing that she could not conclusively answer that question, in part because it was based on information that she did not have at her disposal. Indeed, if Oarai was able to stay open next year, would it stay open the year after? Would it remain open five years, ten years, or more into the future, after everyone who had fought to save it had left?
"The Student Council mentioned the possibility of getting monetary support if they win the tournament," Nodoka said. "Doing so- both by obtaining additional funding and showing that the school is able to drum up support- would convince the government to keep the school open"
"That's merely adding sand to the hourglass," Kei said. "It seems unlikely that this will do much in the long run."
"For the student council, a slim chance to get what they want and stay open is better than none," Nodoka said. "And the same goes for me; I am willing to pursue any chance to stay here even if I were the only one who would be changing schools if we lost."
Kei scoffed.
"There are some things that are worth saving and some that are not," Kei said. "My firm does not hire out of pity or sentimental reasons. And if the lawyers or other employees there are not able to do the jobs, we do not keep them around."
Nodoka shifted tack, moving on to debate the facts.
"We had a deal, Father," Nodoka said. "If I won the tournament, you would reconsider forcing me to transfer. And at this point, I am one match away from succeeding. Perhaps I have not yet fulfilled my part, but I have come farther than one would expect given the circumstances."
"At the time I made the deal, I did not know that school was at risk of being shut down," Kei said, "and as such, I assumed that the school would be around for the next year, as well as the year after that, neither of which is certain at this point. I should never have allowed you to come here."
Nodoka paused and reflected on how, for as long as she could remember, all the things she had done were things that her father had allowed her to do. Now, this one opportunity she had to change things and make her own decisions seemed to be slipping away. The time to accept it passively had faded, and she was not about to let all her efforts over the course of the tournament be for nothing.
"Father, all these years, I've done as you asked," Nodoka said. "You told me you expected me to do well in school, so I worked hard and got good grades. Whenever you or Mother had to move because of your jobs, I went along with it, saying goodbye to my friends and my school. Even though I did not like it and often found it hard to understand; I never complained about either; the former was for my own good, the latter was because Mother had a responsibility to her employer. But what about how I can become a better woman and be happy through participating in tankery? What about my responsibility to my friends and my school? As I have done everything you asked of me until now, is it not possible for you to allow me to make my own decisions on those principles?"
Kei paused, unwilling to believe what he was hearing from Nodoka.
"So what happens next?" Nodoka thought. "Will I end up disowned like Isuzu-senpai was? Reizei-senpai might call this move overly reckless, but she also said that I'd put off addressing this issue for too long. And Miho-senpai chose to stand her ground at such a moment."
"Father?" Nodoka said.
"I'd never expected to hear this from you before now, Nodoka," Kei said. "You stand your ground, hoping to remain at a school like Oarai Academy, and keep on doing a waste of time like tankery. I will talk with your mother about this, and contact you soon."
"I will talk with you then, Father," Nodoka said, unsure whether she had done what was right.
Nodoka hung up, then began dialing another number.
"...I see," Shizuno said as Nodoka called her to tell her what had happened; the phone was set to speaker phone so that Ako could join in. "So your dad might just make you move even if you win this tournament?"
"That's an unfortunate possibility, Shizuno," Nodoka said, "but a possibility nevertheless, one I had considered when talking with you earlier. He's going to talk with my mother about it."
"So there's nothing you can do for the moment, is there?" Ako said.
"Unfortunately, no," Nodoka said. "But it's not completely hopeless."
"How so?" Ako said.
"Tomorrow, I have an appointment in the afternoon," Nodoka said. "A friend of mine is putting on a display of her flower arranging work. For her, what I might consider the worst-case scenario has happened, and that display might be her best chance at reconciliation. I'm doing everything I can to make sure that it doesn't come to that, but not at the risk of sacrificing tankery and abandoning my friends."
"I'm sorry we can't help more, Nodoka," Ako said.
"It's not a problem, Ako," Nodoka said. "It's nice talking to you two. Please tell Arata-san I got her letter and have sent a reply."
"I will," Shizuno said. "We'll be coming to the finals- Ako and I, the Matsumi sisters, Arata and Hanada-senpai."
"I appreciate that, you two," Nodoka said. "I'll talk to all of you later."
"Goodbye," Shizuno and Ako said.
After hanging up, Shizuno and Ako met with the Matsumi sisters, Arata and Kirame, discussing what they had just heard. But after a cursory description of Nodoka's situation, no one was able to think of any possible solutions for Nodoka.
"I don't know what to say," Kuro said. "Dad has always been supportive of what my sister and I did, and Mom would have been as well." Kuro then turned to Kirame. "Hanada-senpai, did Nodoka-chan discuss any of this while at middle school?"
"Unfortunately, no," Kirame said, the usually cheerful smile gone from her face and replaced with an uncharacteristically serious expression. "It took her meeting Yuuki for her to join our team, and I didn't hear anything that suggested her parents liked it better when she wasn't in tankery. You seemed to know her a lot better, Kuro, so I thought you'd know why he didn't nip it in the bud."
Kuro shrugged.
"I wonder if he was expecting her to outgrow this," Shizuno said. "Adults do tend to have a lot more tolerance for things little kids do than things teenagers do, especially if they're in a phase."
"I see your point, Shizuno-chan," Yuu said. "But for Nodoka-chan, it's not a phase, and I think her father has realized as much. What can she do now, to resolve this conflict?"
"Maybe there isn't anything Nodoka can do, Yuu-nee," Ako said. "If her father's stuck in his ways and doesn't like tankery, the only choice is to either quit, or do it and incur his wrath."
"I may not know Nodoka well, and heard most about her second-hand," Arata said. "But to me, it seems as though she and her father had more or less avoided this problem all these years, and are only now dealing with it because, as Yuu-san said, neither side is simply giving up on their position. It's possible that Nodoka, by making her feelings known, might force a resolution to the issue."
"I had the same perspective, Arata-chan," Yuu said. "But a part of me can't help but worry about what the resolution of this might mean for Nodoka-chan."
"She mentioned a friend of hers who had experienced, in her words, 'the worst-case scenario' for such a situation," Kuro said. "Perhaps that's her way of saying that things aren't as bad as they could be. And maybe, if they do get to be that bad, it's not necessarily impossible to repair her relationship with her parents."
"In any case," Shizuno said, "Nodoka, for the first time in a while, has hope and is moving forward. I'm sure that, whatever happens or whatever she can do, she hasn't given up on bringing about a desirable resolution to all this. Let's just believe in her and give her our support."
"Sounds like a wonderful idea," Kirame said.
The five girls then got out a piece of paper, and wrote on it. After discussing the situation for so long, trying to find the cause of the problem and its solution, it was refreshing to make a simply expression of goodwill toward their mutual friend.
Nodoka- We wish you the best with your family, and the best of luck in the finals!-Shizuno -Ako -Kuro -Yuu -Arata -Kirame
The next day, at Saunders, Nodoka's old friends from Achiga, as well as the ones she had recently befriended, found out that they were not the only ones who were unpleasantly surprised by the revelation of what was truly at stake for Oarai in the tournament.
All it took was one slip of the tongue by Kuro as the girls talked with Kay in the commander's office.
"WHAT THE HELL!?" Kay said, almost shrieking. "If we won against Oarai, their entire school would have gotten shut down?" Kay put her hand against her forehead and muttered "Jesus..." in English.
"It seems that way, Kay-san," Yuu said. "Nodoka-chan said this to Shizuno-chan and Ako-chan over the phone, while mentioning that it had impacted her plan to convince her father not to make her leave her school if she won the tournament."
"Wait, so we'd have spoiled Nodoka's plans to stay with her friends even if Oarai wasn't shutting down?" Kay said. "That's' even worse! Miho must have thought I was a complete and utter idiot when I told her about things that mattered more than winning."
"The fact that she's unlikely to hold such an opinion notwithstanding," Arata said, "Nishizumi-san didn't go on the offensive around the time that the Tas got into trouble. Of course, that was Nodoka's tank, so it doesn't say much about her reaction, but still..."
"That's true," Kay said. "I'm curious about what Oarai's past and future opponents think about this. Maho seems to be as much of an enigma as always, and Anchovy might consider this fair under some sort of Darwinistic ideology, but I can't see Mihoko being happy about this."
"Well, yes," Ako said. "I imagine Oarai consented to this, but I don't think any of their opponents were informed that their victory would have consequences of this nature."
"For Nodoka, I think it's the same as the deal with her father," Shizuno said. "It's an opportunity, a chance to avert what otherwise would be inevitable. Even just taking that gives it hope, the same kind of hope that we had when we went on this tournament in hopes of seeing her again. So, Kay, whatever we almost did in that match, you helped us reach Nodoka's school in the tournament and fight well enough to enjoy the match, and I'm grateful to you for it."
The rest of the team nodded.
"That's right," Kay said, starting to consider things in a new light. "Maybe Nodoka isn't the only one- at Oarai or any other school, for that matter- who has a goal like this that she has a burning desire to accomplish. Maybe Oarai can survive until next year, after all."
That Saturday, Anglerfish and Octopus Teams attended Hana's flower exhibit after getting done with practice. Looking around, they saw various people looking at the flowers on exhibit, from some women in kimonos to people in modern attire to even a few Oarai students like them. The dress code was not strictly defined, but some, such as Hana, chose to dress for the occasion.
The group looked around for Hana's flowers, and before they found the name plate saying "Isuzu Hana," they recognized the tank vase that held them.
"Thank you for coming, everyone," Hana said.
Hana approached, dressed in a yellow kimono with a floral pattern. It was her favorite kimono, both aesthetically, and because of the flower pattern being tied to her love of flowers. She wore it for formal occasions, but had not had any cause to wear it until now which was why she had asked for Shinzaburou's help in sending it over. Hana's casual clothing typically consisted of dresses, blouses and skirts, which she believed looked nice, but were not out of place among her schoolmates.
"Hana-san, you did some good work here," Miho said. "The flowers turned out quite well."
The others nodded in agreement, silently regretting that they did not know enough about flower arranging to say anything more meaningful.
Hana smiled appreciatively. She knew that her friends had little knowledge of or interest in flower arranging, but they had turned out for her sake, and she was glad for their support.
"Yes, quite well indeed," Yuri said, announcing her presence to the group.
Everyone turned and saw Hana's mother approach, while wearing a blue kimono. Miho realized that she had actually seen Yuri browsing the works earlier, but had not recognized her, as she was dressed similarly to many of the other women attending.
"Her flower arranging has always been proper, but looking at it now, it lacked a certain freshness," Yuri said, turning to Hana. "Could it be that tankery is what allowed you to do this?"
"Mother..." Hana said.
"You've come up with this by yourself, drawing on your own influences," Yuri said. "I am so proud of you, my daughter."
"Thank you, Mother," Hana said, overwhelmed with emotion.
Yuri and Hana talked about Hana's flowers for several minutes. The rest of Hana's friends, having only a casual interest in flowers, remained silent, finding it difficult to follow the conversation, much less contribute in a meaningful way.
Miho looked on, glad to see Hana and her mother reconcile. Perhaps there were times when children could go different paths than their parents, and their parents would come to approve of them. She had to wonder- were the Isuzu school's traditions any less rigid than the Nishizumis? If Yuri had the potential to change her mind, did the same go for Shiho?
"I must be going, Hana-san," Yuri said. "I suspect you are busy with the finals for the moment, but please visit when you can."
Nodoka smiled. Perhaps parents could recognize success when they saw it, even if it was in an area they did not approve of. Perhaps her parents would come to a similar conclusion regarding tankery.
As the group walked out of the flower arranging exhibits, the three first-years of Octopus Team broke off from the others.
"Do you think the situation with your dad's going to turn out fine, Nodo-chan?" Yuuki said, having heard of Nodoka's conversation.
"I'm confident that I've done what I can, Yuuki," Nodoka said, before turning to Saki. "But I must say, Saki-san, I have gotten some idea of how difficult it is to change the mind of someone you've known for a while."
"That may be so, Nodoka-chan," Saki said. "But it's important to you, right? In struggles like that, we do what we can in spite of the difficulty."
"That's what I like most about you, Saki," Nodoka said, realizing after a moment that she had forgotten the honorific after Saki's name. "I wonder if, on some level, my parents respect this kind of resolve."
That afternoon, Reiko sat in the living room of the Haramura apartment that evening, listening to her husband talk to her about the phone conversation he had with their daughter.
"Nodoka said that?" she said, amazed. "I should have expected it earlier. She went along with moving for the sake of my job for all those years, separating from her friends every time. The fact that she did so was by no means indicative of her liking it."
"Dear, I, too, have had to make allowances for your career," Kei said. "Every time I move, it is an adjustment for me; I also have to say goodbye to colleagues, and leave the places where we have lived."
Kei thought back on his choice of words. He had never referred to those he interacted with on a daily basis- whether for business or leisure- as friends, nor did he call the places where he worked, slept and ate as "home." He was never much for sentimental value, but he had to wonder- could he truly expect Nodoka to do what he did?
"Perhaps," Reiko said. "But today, while at the store, I ran into an old friend of mine. We talked for a few minutes; it was touching that she remembered me, even though we had been together at the Achiga branch for only about two years, before I transferred, and she had a change of careers. She mentioned that she missed some of her old friends, although she did keep in touch with them. She even heard that one of their daughters competed in Nodoka's last tankery match, and the name sounded familiar."
"What was the name of the girl?" Kei said.
"Takakamo Shizuno-san," Reiko said. "Apparently, Nodoka spoke with Takakamo-san and her friends after the match, and reconnected for the first time in years, resuming contact. And I was told that Nodoka seemed to have a new direction and new drive to make her own decisions, rather than going along with the flow."
Kei that what Nodoka had said was not the spur of a moment decision, but an inevitable response to being forced to move again. He did not know why or how long ago she had changed, only that she had.
Kei wondered if Nodoka had lost sight of the goals he wanted her to pursue, but realized that this was not the case. Nodoka had never, even in her final statement against him, denied the benefits of a good education, or the good jobs it would likely allow her to get one day. She merely doubted whether those things and the ability to spend time with her close friends, or pursue her passionate for tankery, were mutually exclusive.
And, when he thought about it, why did she make the deal with him to begin with? Was it truly the greatest relevant pre-requisite for herself that she could think of? Or was the entire point for her to prove through the undertaking, that she could do it? If it was the latter, she had already defeated three strong schools, succeeding where few thought she could win.
"So what are you saying, dear?" Kei said, knowing that his wife was getting at something, and likely had changed her mind regarding their daughter.
"I'm saying that if Nodoka has chosen to make her own decisions and has thought through them," Reiko said, "then perhaps we should allow her to do so."
Kei nodded.
"You have a point, dear," Kei said. "Nodoka does understand the situation and what kind of school she is at. Perhaps, at the very least, our deal should still hold."
Kei called back and got Nodoka's voice mail. He considered it fortunate, since it allowed him to compose his thoughts, and let her know his basic intentions before he spoke with her directly.
"Nodoka, this is your father. I have spoken with your mother regarding your school, and have come to a decision. If you win the tournament, and Oarai remains open, I will allow you to stay there. If you do not… we will discuss it more at that time. Please call back when you have the time. Goodbye."
As Kei terminated the call, he still believed that even in an optimistic point of view, the kind Nodoka had, her chances of success were slim. But he also realized that while the path he had taken to become a successful adult required no small amount of effort and talent, it was also, more than anything else, a relatively "safe" path, with little left to chance. The more risky paths had little appeal for him, but what if he had found his calling in one? What would he have done in that case?
"I don't think I would have ever tried something like this when I was your age, but I also didn't have anything I deeply desired that would have required me to do so," Kei thought. "Good luck, Nodoka."
As Oarai finished its preparations, they assembled in front of the tankery garage.
"Everyone, we've done what we can," Hisa said, standing before Oarai with the rest of the Sttudent Council. "And now, a few words from our commander, please."
Hisa beckoned forward and she moved from where she was standing with Anglerfish Team, to where Hisa and the others were standing. She saw the move as somewhat symbolic of what she had to do as commander- stepping above her peers and giving commands. She realized that it was unlike herself to do so, but here, all she had to do was say what was on her mind.
"Thank you," Miho said. "Everyone, tomorrow, we will face our next and final opponent, Black Forest- which is also my former school. But whatever happens here, I will consider Oarai Academy my alma mater, and will do everything I can to ensure that we can come back next year, future generations of students can come to this school, and the third-years can graduate while knowing that they will not be the last to do so. So for the sake of our school, let's do our best, and win this battle!"
The rest of Oarai's tankery team cheered. Miho's speeches were short, heartfelt and to the point, so Oarai found her easy to trust. If Miho said that it was possible to win against Black Forest, they would believe her. And if she told them how they could win, they would follow her plan. All that remained was for them to do their part and strive as hard as they could for victory.
The night before the tournament, the various teams went their separate ways to relax, having done everything they could to prepare.
Octopus Team, without Hisa, set out for Yuuki's favorite taco place to have tacos together. As they sat in the restaurant, the topic shifted to Nodoka's family.
"How are things with your father, Nodoka-chan?" Saki said.
"To be honest, little is certain at the moment," Nodoka said. "I was able to convince him not to withdraw me now, and he sent me a voicemail indicating that he was reconsidering, but will he keep his promise if we succeed? I'm not entirely sure, since he did change his mind before."
"Does your father really think Oarai should be shut down?" Saki said.
"Yes, at least the last time we talked," Nodoka said. "He believes that its academic program isn't good enough and that there's nothing 'special' about it compared to other schools- I think Kawashima-senpai said the latter. He's a somewhat harsh man who judges things by their usefulness, rather than any sentimental value. The same goes for his parenting- he wants me to succeed, but doesn't think as much about what will make me happy."
"I think Miho-senpai might have said the same thing about her mother once," Saki said. "Her goal for Miho-senpai and her sister was more specific, but it was one that they were expected to go along with, supposedly for their own good."
"And that's what I did for most of these years," Nodoka said, "regardless of how unhappy it made me. But when you set out to try to get your family back together, Saki-san, even though no one was telling you to do so, and most people were expecting you to fail, it encouraged me."
"It was because I saw you enjoying tankery so much, Nodoka-chan, even though your father didn't like it," Saki said. "It reminded me of the time I did tankery and enjoyed it in spite of my father's disapproval. Even as I realized how unlikely I was to achieve what I wanted, the fact that tankery was fun was, by itself, reason enough to continue. My desire to reunite my family was what got me into tankery, but you were what helped me enjoy it again."
Nodoka smiled and nodded.
"The same can be said of my goal as well," Nodoka said, "Oarai Academy still has value for those of us who attend school there, if for no other reason than that it's our school, and our home in a sense. Even if Father doesn't keep up his end of the bargain, keeping the school open is good enough of a reason to win. And doing tankery is, for me, a good thing in and of itself."
For Saki, the question of whether she could reconnect with her sister had always been uncertain, more than ever now. But she also had other reasons to win- to stay at her school, to enable that Nodoka could stay with her, and because she enjoyed it once again.
"Then I suppose for now, we can only do what we can, Nodoka-chan," Saki said. "Whatever happens with your father and my sister after the match, we can only enjoy ourselves and do our best in this match."
Rabbit Team watched one of their favorite movies, one of the few things they had in common apart from tankery. When they talked about this common hobby, they brought up several things they liked about movies, but one recurring answer that they agreed on was seeing stories of people succeeding in spite of the odds
For them, the first time they set foot on Oarai was in the recent past. They remembered the feeling of expecting to spend three years at Oarai and hoping to become accustomed to Oarai as soon as they could so they could make the most of their time here. They hoped their friendships would last until their graduation, and their school would prove to be a good place for them.
They realized that their seniors in the third year would graduate at the end of the year, and would be unaffected by Oarai's closure, but still chose to fight to keep it open anyway, whether out of principle, a sense of duty or love of the school.
All of them realized the battle would be difficult, but were prepared to face it. Hisa had once shared with them a comment she had made to her teammates; that Rabbit Team would often have bad luck and be faced with long odds, but they would have to persevere and prevail nevertheless. They realized that many of their favorite movie characters had accomplished the same feat, which was why their stories were so exciting and inspirational. Perhaps, if they managed the same feat, their story would be as well.
Hippo Team, eating dinner together on the bench of a park, realized that they were, at this moment, closer to making history than they ever had been before in their young lives.
They had a habit of making morbid jokes when their team was in dire straits, referencing battles in the past, and often, ones that went poorly for the side that they believed represented Oarai.
And now, when their school was on the brink of shutting down, they couldn't help but think about how their idols' lives had ended.
Julius Caesar had been stabbed to death on the Ides of March, before his ascension to power.
Erwin Rommel had committed suicide after the failed attempt on Hitler's life.
Sanada Yukimura, also known as Saemonza, had been defeated and beheaded.
Sakamoto Ryouma, Oryou's husband, had been assassinated before the Meiji Restoration.
All of their idols had died violently- in battle, from assassins or by their own hands- before their times, and often, before they could accomplish what they set out to do. But history remembered them for what they had done in life, and Hippo Team, knowing better than most how their lives had ended, took their stories to heart.
The four history-obsessed second-years realized that their efforts might end in failure. But they hoped that if they were defeated in the last battle of the tournament, their school's effort would be immortalized in tankery history, and the finals would be a match that people would talk about for years to come.
Perhaps Oarai might shut down a few years or decades down the line; no one had promised a "happily ever after" for their school, and even staying open was not necessarily guaranteed. But they were determined that it would not close on their watch, and that the efforts they and their schoolmates had made to save their school would not be forgotten.
Sparrow Team's plans for the evening were dinner out and a few games of mahjong. The restaurant where they planned to go was a relatively affordable one that was popular with the students, and Satomi and Yumi had once gone there with a few other members, who only came for that one meal. But Yumi was now doing it with her fellow club members, crewmates and close friends, and she hoped that they would not only come back once they were victorious, but the three members who were not graduating would come there again the next year with their new friends.
"One more round remains," Yumi said as she walked with Momo at her side, having set out earlier to discuss their personal concerns. "If we lose, we will be shut down. The odds of winning are slim, but I keep things in perspective- the Student Council saw this as their chance to stave off being closed, which would have happened had we not chosen to do it."
Momo's expression turned glum and pensive.
"That may be true, but… you've realized it, too, haven't you, senpai?" Momo said. "That even if we win, we'll still be separated at the end of the year."
"I have, Momo," Yumi said. "It's something all of the third years face, with their friends among the underclassmen, and often, with each other. We have different paths in life after high school. Some of us will be heading off to university, while others may not want to… or can't."
"Who are you thinking about~su?" Momo said.
"Specifically, Kanbara," Yumi began, "While I will be graduating and will go off to university next year, Kanbara's future is less certain. She's not stupid or lazy, but she's less proficient than either of us at academics. An hour of study is less fruitful for her than an hour for you or for me, and the kinds of grades that you can get and I could get in my first year were more difficult to her, so it follows that she'll have more trouble getting into the school of her choice."
"So you're saying that the president's worse off than either of us~su?" Momo said, sobered slightly by what Yumi had just told her. Her grades were good, and her parents and teachers told her that she had relatively little reason to worry when her exams came in her third year, provided she continued to study diligently.
"I'd call it having concerns with more practical ramifications," Yumi said. "And yet, in spite of that, she worries far less. There was a time when I thought that was a sign of her lacking the intelligence to understand the gravity of her problems, but now I see it as her having the wisdom to put them into perspective. One's successes are not always final- even before we got five members, we knew the mahjong club might be shut down anyway. But one's failures are not always fatal- I'm sure the Student Council arrived at this idea after failing to keep the school open other ways."
Yumi paused and took a deep breath, her expression turning grim, yet resolute.
"And… what if the worst happened?" Yumi said. "What if we lose and our school gets shut down? We would have to say goodbye to our school and likely most of our friends, but our lives would go on. We would have to go on to new schools and make new friends, but it is possible in the future for our lives to bring us together again. Obviously, we don't want that to happen, but if it did happen, it wouldn't be the end of the world."
Momo nodded in understanding. She knew Yumi was, albeit reluctantly, considering the possibility of failure, and what it would mean for her. Momo would have to start over again, at a new school, and make new friends. But communication with others no longer seemed as difficult, nor did that difficulty any longer outweigh what she had to get out of it. In spite of that, she considered Yumi a dear friend, more so than all the others, and lamented how they would be going their separate ways at the end of the year.
"There doesn't seem to be any outcome in which you and I stay together next year, senpai," Momo said. "But even so, we can still keep the school open. I would like to stay here, with the new president and Kaori-senpai, as well as everyone else on the team. I'd also like you, the student council, and the rest of the third-years to be able to leave without regrets."
"That's the spirit," Yumi said. "For better or for worse, for everything that it implies, it's not over yet. And even if our time together in high school will soon come to an end, we can ensure that our school does not suffer the same fate."
Elsewhere, Mutsuki walked with Satomi and Kaori to meet up with Momo and Yumi.
"Are you sure about this, Pres- Kanbara-senpai?" Mutsuki said. "Making me president, even though..." Mutsuki trailed off.
"Even though, what?" Satomi said. "Sure, we don't have a club, but if the school survives, or if we find ourselves at the same school next year, we'll need a leader to petition to get the club started again.
"And as for me, surely you've noticed by now, haven't you?" Satomi said, "I'm really only president as far as registration is concerned, which means nothing now that the club is no longer officially recognized. Yumi-chin is the one that held us together, and gave us our ideas. She believes many things; that we can build a strong club in this school, that we can come back from having our club shut down, and that we can win one more round to save our school. The only question is, do you?"
"I do," Mutsuki said. "Of course, it will be hard to make these ideals reality."
"Maybe it isn't easy," Satomi said. "But where there's a will, there's a way. As long as we keep that in mind, winning the finals won't necessarily be impossible."
"I'm not sure if I'm cut out for leading the club or Octopus Team, but I'll do what I can," Satomi said.
"Wa-ha-ha!" Satomi said. "You know, Yumi felt the same way, and she came around in the end. You should should do fine, Mukki."
Mutsuki nodded, thinking about Noriko, her friend from since her first year at Oarai, who had become captain of her team despite being the most junior member at the time. Oarai had unlikely leaders who achieved stunning results, and perhaps it was her turn to step up, however much she doubted herself.
Duck Team was in the school gymnasium, spiking a volleyball back and forth between the four of them. While they were quite busy in their practice for tankery, and understood the importance of it, they also did volleyball when they could, so that they could keep in practice, stave off what Noriko called "volleyball withdrawal," and do the game they enjoyed and had brought them together.
"A lot of clubs have come forward with funding for our tankery team," Akebi said. "That's how we were able to get the Hetzer conversion kit and the upgrades for the Panzer IV. Our tank's not getting any of that, but any upgrade that benefits one of our crews benefits the team as a whole."
"I suppose having the school on the line gives the student body some perspective," Taeko said.
"Yeah; I spoke with Mutsuki earlier," Noriko said. "Given the choice, she and the others would rather have their mahjong club back, but they see the prospect of losing the school as that much worse. There are perfectly good practical reasons for banding together, not just loyalty to one's school. Our coaches and PE teachers wouldn't drill into us the value of teamwork and sportsmanship if they didn't get good results."
"It doesn't always work out this way, you know," Shinobu said. "Sometimes, instead of working together to save everyone, people only look out for themselves- although if the school shuts down, then no one can succeed, whatever their interests in it may be."
"Maybe not," Noriko said, as she spiked the ball. "But I certainly think that because we can get our students together for something like this that Oarai is worth saving. Whether in volleyball or tankery, I'd be glad to represent this school next year."
"So do all of us," Akebi said with a smile.
Turtle Team, along with Hisa, ate at one of their favorite restaurants.
"You sure you're fine not spending this evening with your friends, Takei?" Anzu said.
"That's an interesting question, President," Hisa said, "and while I assume that you're talking about Octopus Team, which is having fun without me, I'm not entirely sure which group you're referring to, exactly. Yumi? She's spending the evening with the rest of the mahjong club, and probably a little time alone with Touyoko-san. Miho and Yukari? They're with the rest of Anglerfish Team at Miho's place. Erwin? She's with Hippo Team in the park. And, of course, Mihoko's at St. Gloriana and Yasuko's at BC Freedom, with their respective friends and students."
"It's nice that you've got a lot of friends outside the Student Council, Hisa," Yuzu said. "How are they taking the news?"
"Most of them are quite understanding," Hisa said. "And, more importantly, they remain committed to our goal. A good portion of the student body is upset, but in the end, even our critics still hope we succeed. If anything, the fact that they spoke out against us is proof that they care for our school, and if they disagree with us, it's only over our methods."
"That's good," Momo said. "I didn't originally want to come here, but I grew to care for Oarai over time. As our goal seemed to get more difficult over time, I made the mistake of thinking that the four of us were the only ones who cared about keeping us open, and as such, the only ones who felt pressure to win. But I was wrong. We were the only four who knew that this tournament was to keep us open, and once Nishizumi and the others knew, they rose to the occasion."
Hisa nodded, finding Momo's perception of Oarai similar to her own.
"It was about three years ago that Yasuko challenged me to make something of myself and this school during my time here," Hisa said. "In my efforts over the years, I developed an appreciation for this school. And because I was invested in it, to some extent, I didn't want all my hard work to be invalidated and my friends scattered to the four winds by the school shutting down."
"If we'd been called into MEXT's office at the start of our first year, rather than our third, I don't think we would have tried quite as hard to save this school," Anzu said. "We'd probably be seeing it as our responsibility, to some degree, rather than what we want to do."
"Well, Nodoka likes this school well enough after attending for less than a year to want to win the tournament so that she can stay at it," Hisa said. "And I believe the same applies to Saki, Yuuki and the rest of the first-years. If they're able to reach that conclusion that quickly, and can get a good education while they're here, I think that's all the proof we need that Oarai deserves to stay open for future generations of students."
The disciplinary committee, also known as Mallard Team, worked on posters thanking the school for their support. Some, such as Mako, would have found it strange that they were doing work on the eve of battle, but they believed that with the right perspective, productive activities such as schoolwork and the Morals Committee could feel fulfilling. While most people saw them as overzealously pursuing rulebreakers, they also believed in rewards for good behavior, seeing the carrot as important as a stick.
Sodoko had always been a studious, hard-working and driven girl. She believed that becoming a good student required a great deal of effort and sacrifice, and being a responsible individual involved making hard choices. She thought of her path as more difficult than most, but also more rewarding for others. She believed that virtue was its own reward, but that there were also perks to making the right decisions, from succeeding at one's pursuits to gaining the respect of one's peers.
She couldn't help but think about her schoolmates. There was the student council, a group of four somewhat eccentric students who were her superiors, but did not share her zeal for enforcing the rules. There was Duck Team, which only wore their school uniforms to class, and would not even have done that if they could have gotten away with it. There was Hippo Team, which flagrantly defied the dress code by cosplaying as historic figures. There was Sparrow team, whose leader had sparked Sodoko's ire by barging into a first-year classroom and loudly calling out for one particular student she couldn't even see. There was Rabbit Team and their tendency to wear makeup. There was Anteater Team, with three different members who wore the uniform three different ways, none of them properly. And, of course, there was Anglerfish team and the chronically tardy Reizei Mako.
Sodoko believed there was no such thing as a breach of the rule too small to be ignored. She could, at the very least, admonish someone for breaking the rules, even if it did not even go on the record as a warning for the offense. But all that seemed to pale in comparison to the idea that the school would be shut down.
Suddenly, all the rules she had set out to enforce seemed minor in comparison, especially the ones that people broke on a daily basis, and as a result, so did Sodoko's job enforcing them. She had to wonder about herself and the role she played at the school.
What did it say about fairness if the disciplinary committee preached rules that were important for the academy but did nothing to protect it when its existence was at stake?
What did it say about rewarding good behavior while punishing bad behavior if Mako, who was a vital part of the crew's success-, both in driving and training other drivers, and had worked on getting to school on time- early if need be- to that end, was unceremoniously held back or expelled at the end of the year?
Sodoko stood by everything she had done as head of the disciplinary committee, but believed she should continue helping out the tankery team in its efforts to keep the school afloat.
Perhaps, if Sodoko's school won the tournament, she would continue harassing rule-breakers from the time the last match ended until the time she graduated; it was not in her to ignore such things, and she saw reminding others of the rules as doing them a favor. But she would never forget the students who fought to save their school, or the fact that she and they had fought side by side.
Anteater Team sat on their tank, looking up at the moonlit sky while eating together.
They had met each other online, as they were, for various reasons, uncomfortable speaking with others in real life. They had found few people who shared their hobby in real life, and worried that expressing an interest in video games stigmatized people as asocial loners. While they had to acknowledge that they did little to disprove that perception, they had to wonder- did the friends they met online mean less than those they met in real life? They had been playing together for some time, played well together, and enjoyed each other's company, even though, being of three different years, they were unlikely to meet in class.
Their brief experience practicing was a shock in many ways. Crewing a tank was more difficult than they had first anticipated; the main gun was slow to load, the shells didn't go where they wanted, and the tank was difficult to steer. They took their first steps towards overcoming this, but realized that they had a long way to go, and little time to make that progress.
But at the same time, they realized that socializing in real life was easier and more pleasant than they had initially predicted. In talking with some of their more experienced crewmates, they realized that they now had something in common with others in real life. Perhaps casual conversation in real life was not so different from a game, and it was not that difficult to speak and socialize with their Oarai schoolmates.
Would they be as lucky elsewhere? Piyotan knew that she would be graduating the next year, and as such, would have to find out, whether she won or lost. But she agreed with Momogawa and Nekota that Oarai was a good place, and hoped that they could stay there for as long as they could.
Leopon Team did last-minute inspections on the team's tanks in the tankery garage. While they had not fought in any of Oarai's prior matches, they felt invested in the team's success, and felt a responsibility to do their best to contribute to it, in their own way.
They had been the unsung heroes of Oarai's long struggle to reach the top. Whenever a tank broke down, whether due to crew error, or a desperate sacrifice, or through wear and tear, it was up to them to do maintenance on it. Without them, the tanks would not have gotten to operational capacity for the practice match, much less returned to that state between the battles in which they sustained damage.
They had been content with doing just this until now. Initially, all of the members had been provided with a tank, and while they varied in competence, the Auto Club, having been more familiar with the operation of automobiles than tanks, had to wonder how they would do. How would a vehicle that had treads instead of tires, and levers instead of a steering wheel, gas pedal and brakes, handle? Would their skills in a vehicle with one person being the driver and the rest being mere passengers translate to a vehicle that required several people to operate? They had tried the vehicles out at times, but how well would they hold up in battle against teams with more experience?
But they realized that even many of the neophytes with no relevant experience had taken to the tanks well. And now there was a spare tank, one that had thwarted everyone else's attempts to operate it on a basic level. Perhaps Miho was right, and they could make it work, just as Oarai had worked with the people and tanks at its disposal.
This was something that perhaps only they could do, and their time to shine, to take the same leap of faith that most of their teammates had.
Anglerfish Team's activities the night before the finals were far simpler than those of their peers, simply a dinner at Miho's apartment. The occasion was also celebratory, as Saori had recently passed a Level 2 Radio Operator License test, as Mako had helped her to study for the test.
In addition to the other factors weighing on her mind, Miho was worried that bringing up her family situation would ruin the mood. But she found Yumi's points difficult to contest, and ultimately decided to say it.
"Everyone," Miho said, "I would like to talk with all of you about something. In the last round, I was threatened with being disowned if I lost to Saunders."
Saori gasped in shock. Mako grimaced, disturbed at what she had heard. Hana put her hand over her mouth as her jaw dropped. Yukari solemnly nodded, approving of Miho openly addressing this issue but being no more happy about it than when she discussed it after the match.
"How long have you known this, Miho-san?" Hana said.
"Since a few nights before the match with Saunders- just after I met with the Student Council for dinner," Miho said. "I'm not sure how long in advance my mother was planning this, or how long she had been seriously thinking about it, but she seems to have thought it over."
Hana frowned at the implications of what Miho had said.
"I can hardly believe it..." Hana said. "When my mother told me not to come home again after the match with Anzio, it was a spur of the moment decision, fueled by anger and shock. It took her some time to work through her feelings, but I think that as she became calmer, she also became more receptive to reconciling with me, and more able to understand my decision. But did your mother seriously intend to disown you? And did she make such a terrible decision so calmly, and after thinking it over?"
"As far as I know, she did, Hana-san," Miho said. "She always says what she means and never makes empty promises or threats."
"So now that you have won, what happens next, Miporin?" Saori said.
"I'm not sure," Miho said. "My mother does not believe I can defeat my sister tomorrow. The expectations she had of me over the years are the ones that she believes I can meet, although whether I can meet them is another matter."
"Why even bother, then?" Mako said. "In hindsight, I realize that my parents, when they were alive, just wanted me to do well in school so I would be successful later in life. But even if tankery's supposed to be good for girls, it doesn't sound like your mom considers what's good for you at all; it sounds like she's obsessed with this school of hers."
"That's advice that my sister would like me to follow," Miho said, "so I imagine it must have been hard on her to realize that Mother disapproved of my decisions. It would be nice to have Mother's approval, but I've long believed that the price for that is one that I cannot pay."
"You've 'long believed' that, Miho?" Mako said. "Are you saying something has changed?"
Mako, in spite of her laziness, was not one for leaving one's problems unresolved. The fact that Miho had a possible solution was a good sign for her, as it signified that Miho understood herself better, and was forming a plan.
"Now that I'm not fighting alongside, but against my sister, I know what I want to do," Miho said. "I want to defeat my sister tomorrow. I want my mother to approve of me, not as the person she wants me to be, but of the person I am. I want Nodoka-san and everyone else to be able to stay at Oarai. I want to help Saki-san reconcile with Teru-san. I want to prove that unlikely individuals, working together, can accomplish great things."
Miho's friends smiled. Saori had wondered if she should change the subject, not sure if there was any way to put a positive spin on this conversation. But Miho had regained her hope, and would do her best in the finals, come what may.
Author's Notes
Thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows
EXpertUS: Tankery can be dangerous, and I've noticed that authors try to put in certain safeguards to make it more reasonably acceptable, with varying degrees of success (both as far as safety and realism goes.) Out of curiosity, what did you expect for the cause of Teru's animosity toward Saki?
This turned out to be a fairly long chapter, since it deals with quite a few different plot threads, but I wasn't sure where or whether I could split it in two. I ultimately decided to take off the pre-match part, and put it into the first part of the final battle.
Oddly enough, Oryou seems to be more of a fan of Ryouma Sakamoto, but she dresses as and assumes the name his wife, Ryou "Oryou" Narasaki.