Akari: Gingerbread Girl

Akarin!

Kyouko: Hey! Yuru Yuri: Amusement Club Forever is about to start!

Himawari: Hello, everyone!

Kyouko: Hiya, Himawari! Ready for the chapter?

Himawari: I'm in this one?

Kyouko: Yep!

Himawari: We're not focusing on your plot with your, um, current troubles?

Kyouko: No, we're taking a break from the heaviness today. This chapter will be a little lighter.

Himawari: Oh? How so?

Kyouko: Well, it features Akari...

Himawari: And that makes it lighter?

Kyouko: Yes. And Sakurako's in it as well.

Himawari: Oh. That makes it much lighter, in more ways than one.

Kyouko (laughing): Indeed! So, let's get this show on the road.


Akari sat in the Student Council room after school with Himawari and Sakurako. Since there was little work to do, Himawari had dismissed both her and Chinatsu, but Sakurako had invited Akari to stay around, so she had. Akari, in turn, invited Chinatsu to stay, but her pink-haired friend insisted she had to go to the store. Sitting at the table in the Student Council room, Akari listened politely as Himawari ran down a short list of discussion items with Sakurako.

"And finally," Himawari said. "Don't forget, we'll have two new members on the Student Council with us next week."

"Really?" Sakurako asked. "We finally got some other girls to come and join us?"

"Class elections are this week," Himawari said. "So, we'll have a new first-year representative and a new second-year representative."

"Exciting! Let's have a big party to welcome them!"

"Sakurako," Himawari frowned. "That won't work. And don't give the new members the wrong impression of the Student Council, please."

"Perish the thought, Hima!" Sakurako laughed. "Wait, just what are you trying to imply?"

"Nothing. Anyway, that's all for today. Thanks for staying around, Akari, though it wasn't necessary."

"It's no problem!" Akari said. "Akari enjoys spending time with both of you!"

"And she's a hard worker too!" Sakurako said.

"Unlike some people around here," Himawari said dryly.

"Humph," Sakurako said. "If you're referring to me, I work sometimes!"

"True," Himawari said. "You used to just not work at all, but lately you've worked more, so you're definitely at the level of 'sometimes.' Maybe you can raise that level even higher in the future."

"You're so mean, Hima. Oh, right, levels! That reminds me. Akari-chan! Do you have your portable with you?"

"Sure, I do."

"Let's play Gingerbread Girl."

"Well," Akari replied. "We have homework, but I guess a little playtime wouldn't hurt."

"Hooray!"

"Well, if you two are just going to play," Himawari said. "Then I'm going to take off."

"You're welcome to stay and play with us, Hima," Sakurako said.

"Yes!" Akari said. "Please, stay and play."

"I…don't have my portable with me." An inscrutable expression crossed Himawari's face. "No, I'll just leave you to your game. Have a good afternoon, both of you." Himawari gathered up her bag and headed out the door.

"See you tomorrow, Himawari!" Sakurako called. She dug into her bag and pulled out her portable. "Okay, ready to play, Akari-chan?"

"Yes!" Akari pulled her own portable out from her bag and started up the game. On the screen, a small gingerbread girl with a two candy hair buns smiled up at her. After her game session had linked with Sakurako's, she found her character standing in a little field of sugar flowers. Sakurako's character was nearby, so Akari maneuvered her own over next to her.

"So, have you changed anything with your gingerbread girl?" Akari asked.

"I gave her a little marshmallow hat. See?"

"Oh, that looks really cute on Gingerbread Sakurako!"

"And she has an ice-cream cone mace, and a cookie shield. What about you?"

"Gingerbread Akari has a Pocky wand and a lollipop scepter."

"Sounds good! Let's go!"

"What do you want to do today? Do you want to work on the main story or just go around and explore some?"

"What did we do the last time we played?"

"We tried doing both and ended up doing very little of either," Akari laughed.

"Okay, let's go work on the main story then."

"We'll need to get our bearings first. I think if we follow that chocolate river over there, it ought to take us where we need to go."

"Imagine swimming in a chocolate river, Akari-chan!"

"It would be tasty, but messy."

"But mostly tasty!"

"Here, across this bridge, Sakurako."

"Wait, Akari-chan, I don't know what I'm doing!" Sakurako cried.

"That's okay. What are you-ooh, you're glowing."

"I am!"

"Why are you glowing?"

"I don't know!"

"Well, what did you do?"

"I ate my shield."

"Huh?! Why would you eat your shield? You need that!"

"I thought Gingerbread Sakurako might be hungry!"

"We'll need to go to find you a new-hey! You just ate your ice-cream cone mace too!"

"I thought she needed dessert after her cookie."

"Now you have no weapons though."

"Oh, whoops. Hey! She just grew wings!"

"Eating ice-cream makes you grow wings?!"

"You should try eating your weapons, Akari-chan!"

"Sakurako, you're flying away!"

"Good-bye, Akari-chan!" Sakurako laughed.

"Wait for Akari! I'll try eating my scepter."

"Hey, the clouds are cotton candy. Hurry up and fly up here!"

"I can't!"

"Not even after eating your scepter?"

"All it did was cause Gingerbread Akari's hair to grow…"

"Oh, let me see! I'll fly back down to take a look."

"Gingerbread Akari is over near the green candy house."

"I see! And, boom! Successful landing!"

Akari giggled. "That looked more like a crash."

"Well, landing is hard. Oh, your hair looks really cute now!"

"Thank you, Sakurako."

"I'm going to see if there are new weapons inside this house!"

"But that's someone's house! We can't just go in without permission."

"Don't be silly, it's just a game, Akari-chan. Besides, nobody's home."

"It's still not polite…"

"Hey, I found a licorice whip!"

"And now we're stealing," Akari sighed. "Oh well, can you at least use it?"

"I think so. Okay, Gingerbread Sakurako is armed. What's next?"

"Well, thinking back to the last time we played, we were supposed to go to the Candy Cane Forest to find a clue."

"I guess we don't have a clue, huh, Akari-chan?"

Akari laughed. "You're always so funny, Sakurako."

"Thank you! Okay, let's head for the Candy Cane Forest, then! It's this way, right?"

"No, this way. That way is the Whipped Cream Volcano. See the sign?"

"Oh, right. Let's go there another time."

"The forest is just past this little village, Sakurako."

"I wonder what the people in that village eat if they're all made out of candy and cookies and cake…"

Akari shrugged. "Probably candy too."

"Ooh, that sounds weird. I'm not going to think about that."

"Better not to. Okay, we're here at the forest. Let's head inside."

"And find that clue!"

"What should we look for?"

"Not a clue, Akari-chan," Sakurako laughed.

"Well, let's keep walking until we find something."

Some time passed as their two characters wandered the in-game forest.

"It doesn't seem like there's anything to find…" Akari remarked. "What do you think, Sakurako?"

"I don't know. I've just been following you."

"But Akari has been following you!"

"Maybe that's why we're going in circles."

"Yes, I think we passed that candy cane tree already."

"All the trees here are candy canes!"

"And they all look exactly the same. If only you could grow wings again," Akari sighed. "You'd be able to fly up and see what direction we should go in."

"I could eat this licorice whip."

"No, don't! You'll need it for when something attacks us."

"I can get another weapon again, Akari-chan."

"Not when we're in the middle of nowhere."

"Oh, right. Whoops, my mistake."

"Oh, hey! There's a little cave over here."

"Good job, Akari-chan!"

"Eheheh," Akari smiled. "Thank you! Let's head in."

"Can you see anything?"

"There's something yellow ahead…oh no!"

"What is it?"

"A honey bear!"

"Let's fight it!"

"No, it's too strong! We have to run away!"

"Understood! I'm running out of the cave! Where are you?"

"The bear just ate me!"

"What?! Don't worry Akari, I'll avenge you!"

"No, just run, Sakurako! Otherwise, it'll get you too!"

"Okay! Still running…WAH!"

"What happened?"

"I fell off a cliff."

"How?"

Sakurako shrugged. "Well, I was running and suddenly it was there."

"I guess that didn't go so well," Akari said.

"I guess not," Sakurako laughed. "It's fun playing with you, Akari-chan."

"I have fun playing with you too, Sakurako!" Akari switched off her portable. "But Akari probably should head off now. And you too. We've both got homework to do."

"Ugh," Sakurako moaned. "I hate homework."

"Well, we have to do it, regardless of how we feel about it."

"You sound like Himawari," Sakurako said. "Say! Akari-chan, want to come to my house?"

"And do homework?" Akari asked.

"We could do that…" Sakurako said. "But I was thinking we could play Gingerbread Girl more."

"Sakurako, we can't just play all the time."

"Fine, fine. What if we do our homework and then play?"

"Will you really do your homework?"

"Yes, I promise! Will you promise to play with me afterward?"

Akari laughed. "I promise. Akari would love to go to your place and do homework. Thank you!"

"Hooray again!"

The two girls left the school and started walking to Sakurako's house. The sky was overcast, and the weather was dreary, but Akari was glad at least that it wasn't raining as they made their way down the street. She did, however, expect it to rain at any moment and said as much to Sakurako as they made their way to the Ohmuro house.

"Oh, don't worry, Akari-chan!" Sakurako said. "I read the weather report, it's not supposed to rain until later this afternoon."

"Sakurako," Akari replied. "It is late afternoon."

"Oh, you're right. Do you have an umbrella with you?"

"No. Do you?"

"Uh, no. We had probably better hurry in that case." Sakurako picked up her pace, and Akari matched it. They were in sight of Sakurako's house when Akari suddenly felt a drop splash her shoulder.

"We had better run, Sakurako!"

Akari and Sakurako took off her running down the street. They had just made it inside of Sakurako's house, when they sky opened up and let loose a torrential downpour.

"It's not even the rainy season," Sakurako complained.

"At least we didn't get soaked," Akari pointed out.

"True! Good running, Akari-chan!"

"And you too, Sakurako."

"Come on, Akari," Sakurako said, removing her shoes. "Let's head upstairs."

"Please excuse me," Akari said, removing her own shoes and following Sakurako up to her room. She passed Sakurako's younger sister Hanako in the upstairs hallway. Akari smiled at her, and she smiled back. Akari hoped Hanako wasn't remembering the first time she and Akari had ever met. Akari had made a bit of a fool of herself in front of the girl, and it had been embarrassing.

Sakurako turned out to be true to her word once again. Sitting across from Akari at the little table in her room, she diligently worked at her homework. After they had been at it for about an hour, Akari looked up and smiled as she watched Sakurako concentrate hard on the textbook in front of her.

She really can work well when she puts her mind to it, Akari thought. She just doesn't seem to want to do so much of the time. Maybe she needs better motivation, like taking a break to play afterward.

A knock on Sakurako's bedroom door interrupted her thoughts.

"Come in!" Sakurako called.

The door opened, and Sakurako's older sister Nadeshiko peered in at them. Hanako was standing behind her.

"Sakurako," Nadeshiko said. "I know you have a guest, but it is still your turn to-oh. You're studying."

"Yes!" Sakurako said, looking up from her workbook. "We're almost done with this assignment though, so I can still make dinner. That's what you were going to ask, right?"

Nadeshiko raised an eyebrow. "Sakurako's actually doing her homework?"

"That's correct," Akari said. "She's been working very hard too."

"That explains why it's been so quiet."

"Maybe Akaza-onee is a good influence on Sakurako," Hanako suggested.

"It would seem so. Concentrate on your studying, you two. Sakurako, I'll take care of dinner."

"Are you sure?" Sakurako asked.

"Yes."

"Okay, thanks then! I want pizza!"

"Though perhaps not an absolute influence," Hanako added.

"Eh?" Sakurako asked, tilting her head in confusion.

Nadeshiko chuckled. "I guess not. Come on, let's let them work."

"Is your sister going to live at your house all through college?" Akari asked after Sakurako's sisters had departed.

"I think she's going to go and live with a close friend of hers next year."

"Oh, that sounds fun!"

"Yeah, then it'll be just Hanako and me here. That'll be weird."

"Oh, you'll miss your sister, won't you, Sakurako? Akari would miss Akane if she moved out!"

"Eh, sometimes, I will. Maybe not so much when she's criticizing me or picking on me."

"Oh, I'm sure she wants you to do your best."

"Something like that. Come on, Akari-chan, let's finish this up, so that we can play."

"Of course. The sooner we finish our work, the sooner we can play."

Sakurako smiled wryly at her. "Unless you want to just quit and play now, of course."

"Sakurako, no!"

"Fine, fine. Back to work."

Akari and Sakurako worked a little more. When they had finished, Akari kept her word, just as Sakurako had kept hers. They played Gingerbread Girl until it was time for Akari to leave, laughing and chatting and having a wonderful time all the while.