The Festival Committee Gathers!

Ooarai school carrier - streets - 08.35h Monday

Making her way quickly across the crossing Miho was still asking herself how Azusa was doing, ever since the younger girl had left her apartment last night she had been wondering about her well-being, although given how it had gone she was feeling optimistic.

'I think I'll go and see how she's doing when I have the chance during the first break. I just hope that she's had some time to let it all sink in with her.' The young brunette had seemed to be doing a lot better by the time she had excused herself to Miho and said that she wanted to go home. They had done a lot of talking, for which Miho felt grateful as she felt that she hadn't had the opportunity for having gotten to know said girl better.

'She shouldn't feel bad about what happened, we all have those days that nothing seems to go right. As long as she learned from it, it's alright. I know that she's a clever girl.' Still, Miho regretted that she hadn't had the opportunity to watch how the battle had unfolded from the side as it would have allowed her to gain a clearer insight at how the teams moved and operate according to their commander. Then again that might not be such a bad idea for another training match as it was becoming important that a new second in command was picked sooner rather than later. 'With any luck, we'll get a lot of visitors who are interested in Sensha-do during the festival, hopefully, we can get plenty of new members to fill in the holes in the team roster. We really need more numbers if the team wants to be able to do well next year.' That wasn't going to be an easy feat and Miho was painfully aware of it.

Having an interest in tankery and actually participating in it were two separate things, no doubt a lot of the visitors were going to show an interest in Ooarai's tankery team but that didn't automatically mean that they would also join the team, furthermore there was the ever-present risk that people who had no reason or desire to enlist to their school would come anyway and have a better look. Miho didn't even dare to think that maybe even people from other schools might come and spy on them.

'Well it's not like there's much we can do about that, we can't stop people from visiting the school, and besides, it's not like we have anything to hide at the moment.'

Their team didn't have any secrets hidden, no new tank that was kept out of sight, what they had was what they had to work with. Unless they could acquire new tanks, or enhance their existing vehicles, it was going to become that much harder for them to pull off any victories as their opponents weren't likely going to fall for the same tricks like this year again. New tactics would also be in order as well as keeping a watchful eye on any new developments in the other schools.

Then there was also that she was going to need to do her best to train the team and work hard to acquire additional tanks and crews in order to strengthen the team, it was going to be some rather intense times for her but that was alright with Miho as she was looking forward to it.

"We're going to meet more people, come to think of it, it's rather exciting," she whispered to herself before her attention was caught as she noticed somebody approaching from the corner of her eye. Turning around quickly she was pleasantly surprised to see that it was Hana and Yukari coming over to greet her though what puzzled her was that Saori and Mako were absent.

"Takebe-dono told me to let you know that she's going to be late today," Yukari quickly filled her in and explained to Miho that she had gotten a text message this morning in which Saori had said that they could go without her and Mako and also an explanation for why the two girls wouldn't be present. "It seems that Reizei-dono needs to visit the dentist and Takebe-dono went with her to make sure that she would get there in time. On a different note, what do we want to do with Sawa-san? She seemed really upset about what happened yesterday."

Hana agreed with the suggestion though as she and Yukari already had talked about during their walk towards the crossing. "Yukari-san's right, I really got the impression that she was pretty depressed. I think it'd be best if we went and see her during one of the breaks and talk to her a little."

"Ah actually," Miho remarked as she held up her hand. "She already came to see me yesterday, we had a lot of talking as she was really upset about what had happened and she needed somebody to talk to. She ehm… Spend quite a few hours at my place."

"To be expected of Nishizumi-dono," Yukari beamed, impressed by the kindness and sincerity of her idol at helping a team member, and yet there was also a subtle hint of jealousy in her eyes, as she envied the younger girl for having been able to get to have the person that Yukari admired the most all to herself for an entire night. How much she wished to get such an opportunity, how much she longed to get to know her commander even better.

'I hope we can do a sleepover at Nishizumi-dono's house soon,' came to the front of her mind as she became aware that while they had gone camping before they had never done a sleepover at any of their respective houses before. But that also reminded her of something else that had been said before. 'I guess I could suggest it during our lunch break, I guess that the other wouldn't mind it either. That reminds me, Nishizumi-dono mentioned before that we could come with her the next time she would go to her home. I wonder when that'll be.'

As quickly as that thought had surfaced, just as quickly did it get pushed to the back of her mind as it simply wasn't that important at the moment. Shaking her head as she reminded herself that she needed to focus her attention on how the younger girl and the others of Rabbit were doing, she promised herself that she would mimic Miho's kind gesture from last night.

Even if she wasn't going to be able to offer as good advice as the team's commander had, Yukari could at the very least offer a listening ear to them. Immersed in her own thoughts the cheerful loader wasn't aware that there was still a conversation going on between her friends.

"So I guess that means that there's no reason for us to go and see how she's doing then, am I right?" Hana asked the question as she had come to the conclusion that what the five of them had agreed to yesterday was no longer needed, it seemed that the long talk that the younger girl had with her friend had done wonders. "I'm really glad that she came to see you, Miho-san. Still, if it's alright with you I'd still like to go and see her."

"Of course," Miho said in return, "I want to go and see her as well but at least we don't have to worry that much about her, I guess we can go during the lunch break, then Saori-san and Mako-san can come with us. Though I wonder if it's really alright for the five of us to show up?"

"Well, maybe it's better if it's just you, Nishizumi-dono," the fluffy-haired brunette remarked with a sense of caution as she joined the conversation again, if it might come over as intimidating at having five older girls come to see you, then it only made sense to have just one person go over. "I'm sure that if it's you that she won't mind it. We'll be waiting for you then in the tank shed.

Nodding her head Hana added her opinion to that, placing her hand against her chest, "Yukari-san's right, it's likely best if you were to go alone, I'm afraid that having all of us there might just scare her. But do give her our regards, we want her to know that we all care about her. Also, be sure to tell her that if she ever needs anything that she's welcome to see any of us."

Smiling as she heard her friends say that Miho was overcome by their sincerity, they just wanted what was best for Azusa, it reminded her again on how selfless Saori and Hana had been when they had just met, willing to cast aside what they wanted for the sake of their friend.

"Are you really sure that's alright with you? I'm sure that it'd mean a lot to Azusa to hear it from you as well and I-." Miho wasn't allowed to finish her sentence as Hana shook her head.

"It's alright, Miho-san. I'm certain that she'll understand even if we're not there. And besides we can always visit her ourselves later, but right now what's best for her is to have some time for herself. I don't think that we're needed for that, you, on the other hand, Miho-san, are."

It didn't sit well with Miho but as she thought about it, she found that it was hard to disagree with what Hana had just said, what mattered now, was for Azusa to regain her confidence.

Hopefully, though, the younger girl would at some point seek contact with the others as well as there was a lot that she could learn from them. But for now, that could wait, until the younger girl would feel confident again about her own abilities, confident enough to come forth and seek out the advice and criticism of others.

"Well, I guess it's settled then," Yukari said as she spotted their school when they rounded the corner, even from this distance she could already tell that there was a huge crowd of people going through the main gate. "Today's gonna be pretty lively won't it?"

"Sure seems like it, then again, isn't our school at its best when it's lively?" Hana added to the brunette's question. "I think that's when our school at its prettiest when it's full of people."

Silently agreeing with Hana, Miho found herself smiling as she saw so many students appearing, yeah, their school was at its best when people came, people who love this school.


Ooarai school carrier - school hallways - 10.25h

"Ah there you are, Nishizumi-senpai," a brown-haired girl with golden-brown eyes called her out as she walked up to Miho in the hallway. "I've been looking everywhere for you, I thought you were in your classroom so I went there first hoping to find you but you weren't there you see. I'm so glad that I managed to find you here. Do you have a moment for me, senpai?"

Miho blinked as she hadn't seen this girl before but nevertheless, she remained polite and asked the girl what is was that she needed her for, that and an introduction. "And you are?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," the younger girl said in return quickly before she properly introduced herself to Miho. "I'm Hanazawa Mikan from class 1-C, I'm also with the festival committee which is why I came looking for you. You see we're kinda busy with planning and coordinating everything but we haven't heard if the school's Sensha-do team has any plans. Given you did so well at the Nationals we were kinda hoping that you'd give a show or something. Do you think it would be possible for you to come see us at the next meeting, I mean we'd like to hear what you have to say? It doesn't have to be much but of course, but we'd appreciate it if you've got a fully worked out plan for us to review. Do you think that would be possible, senpai?"

As Mikan continued with explaining her reasons for having come to see the older student, Miho watched how the girl kept holding the notebook that she had been carrying in her hands, she reasoned that most of the points that the young brunette was mentioning were likely written down, however, as the brown-haired girl kept on talking Miho began to notice that said girl barely looked at the notes but rather seemed to recall most of them from memory which did really impress Miho.

"So with all of that out of the way," Mikan said, stopping for a moment to catch her breath before she would continue, "Is it going to be a problem for you to come and see us later today? I mean would it be possible for you to come to the meeting and explain your plans for the festival and tell them in person? We'd really like to make sure that everything gets properly organized as it's going to be really important that everything goes smoothly."

"Oh, I ehm… no, it won't be a problem," Miho said as she felt that it wouldn't be a bad idea for her to go and visit the festival committee and find out for herself how things were going, and besides that would also allow her to personally explain in her own words to the committee what the tankery team had planned. She hoped that they would understand though she did remind herself that they had the student council on their side so she doubted that any person would object to their plans. Still, it would be best if she were to show her face, there was no reason for the team to exploit that they had the student council on their side. Miho wanted to find out who these people were; she wanted to get to know them.

"Yes! Oh, that's great to hear," Mikan replied, visibly delighted as she heard Miho's answer. "I'm really looking forward to hearing what you have to say! Oh before I forget, we're at the main conference room on the third floor, the meeting starts at around 17.00h so if you could make it by then that'd be really great! I'll inform the committee then that you're coming, oh I can't wait to hear what you are going to say, Nishizumi-senpai." Mikan began to beam, it was pretty obvious to anybody that this girl was feeling excited about the whole prospect.

Scratching the back of her head Miho explained to her that it wasn't anything special, somehow she was getting the impression that the brown haired girl might have gotten the wrong idea here. "It's nothing out of the ordinary, to be honest, we just want to let people experience what Sensha-do is like, and I can imagine that plenty of people want to see the tanks up close. Also, we'll do our best to answer any questions that the guests might have."

"Wow," Mikan breathed a sigh of amazement, "I knew that you were cool, Nishizumi-senpai! That sounds really awesome, oh the chairperson is going to love it. She's a big fan of you as well, a little crazy though, but she's definitely going to approve anything you suggest. I mean, it sounds like you guys put a lot of thought into it! She's definitely going to love it!"

"Oh, is that so…?" If Miho wasn't certain of it at first she definitely was convinced now, this girl and apparently the chairperson of the festival committee were big fans of her. That was something that she hadn't expected, well she was used to some adoration and idolization from Yukari so she didn't think it would be any different than what she was accustomed to.

"Ah but I need to go now, I need to tell the committee that you'll be coming to the meeting, I can't wait to see you appear, I so want to hear more. Well, thank you for having been kind enough to answer my questions, take good care, Nishizumi-senpai. See you later! Bye bye!" And with those words Mikan said her goodbyes as she made a quick bow to Miho before leaving, still clutching the notebook she had been carrying with her all this time.

Watching the brown-haired girl leaving, Miho was left a little anxious about going and talk to the committee later today, maybe she should have left these kind of things to the student council instead. Still, she reasoned that no harm could be done by going and discussing her plans.

"She seems really nice, not to mention a little excited. I wonder if the other people in the committee are like her as well, I guess I'm going to find it out anyway."

"Miporin, there you are! We´ve been looking for you," Saori led out as she approached her fellow classmate, "We were getting a little worried when you didn't show up at the sheds. Did anything happen, who's that girl you were talking to, did she want anything from you?"

Miho blinked as she hadn't noticed the ginger-haired girl until she was standing in front of her. She wasn't even aware that she had been gone for that long. "Oh you mean Hanazawa-san," she said in return, explaining to her friend what said girl wanted with her and why they had been talking. "After classes are over I'll be going to the meeting and discuss with them what the Senshado team has decided to do for the upcoming festival, I'm sure they'll appreciate it if I come and talk about it in person. Also the sooner they know of our plans the easier it'll be for them to work it into their schedule."

"But don't you think it's better to just go and ask the student council instead?" Saori asked as she felt that it would be a lot easier for the team to get what they wanted if they used the student council instead as they held a lot more power. With their backing, there was no doubt in her mind that the team could get whatever they wanted to get done. "I mean, it sounds like you'll have to go through a lot of effort just to get this committee to approve the ideas you come up with, they might not even agree with you, Miporin. So why go through all the trouble instead?"

Miho just smiled in return, letting her friend know how she felt about it. "Well that's certainly true but I feel that it's better this way, I'd hate to cause them any problems because we didn't cooperate with them, they're working hard to make this festival a success for the school and I want to help them with that because I love this school. So I want to help them as much as possible."

"You're right, Miporin." Nodding her head in understanding Saori agreed with her. "I guess they're no different than we are, everybody loves this school. So do you want us to come with you when you go and see them?"

"Ah no, but thank you for offering it, Saori-san," Miho said as she politely declined the generous offer from the ginger-haired girl, waving her hand to gesture that there was no need for her friends to come with her. "I can handle it on my own but if I need anything I'll let you know. So what was it that you needed me for?"

"Oh, that's right," Saori exclaimed as she clapped her hands together. "We wanted to discuss something with you for tonight's dinner, we're… kinda… stuck on what we want to make," she laughed, a little nervous at it, as she rubbed the back of her head as she felt a little embarrassed about it. "So is there anything that you'd like in particular, Miporin?"

Hearing what it actually was that had made Saori come looking for her, Miho could do little else but chuckle a little as she had falsely thought it had to do with the team, that said she preferred this as she enjoyed spending time with her friends.

Giving it some thought Miho could only reach one sensible solution, giving the ginger-haired girl a smile in return Miho gave her answer as she said, "Well, to be honest, I'm kind of happy with anything that we make together, every time we've had dinner together the food always tasted so good. So as long as we're making it together, I'm really fine with anything."

Saori's eye twitched a little as she responded. "Oh, I see," before letting out a deep sigh as that was a typical Miho kind of answer, it didn't really offer them with an answer on what to make tonight though she couldn't really blame the brunette for it. "So would curry then be alright with you? I've already got most of the ingredients for it at home so I only have to make a short stop at one of the stores on the way back."

"Ah, I see you've found her," Hana remarked as she appeared from around the corner. "I've gone to the cafeteria but I couldn't find you there, Miho-san. So did you get the chance to ask her about tonight, Saori-san?"

Shrugging her shoulders in response Saori answered her friend's question. "Miporin's being Miporin. So with that, I guess we'll be going for curry as I have most of the stuff for it back home, is that alright with you? Anyway, I think we should be going back to class."

With her hand pointing upwards as they could all hear the bell going off, which signaled that their break was over and that their class would resume soon.

"That sounds wonderful, Saori-san, I'd like to try my hand at making it as I've never tried it before," Hana said in return. "Well, I guess we can then discuss this with the others during the next break but first I think that we should go back to the classroom before our teacher does."

Nodding their heads the trio of girls agreed to continue this conversation later, right now they had a classroom, and their teacher, to go back to.


Ooarai school carrier - school library- 13.25h

As Miho sat down, at one of the many tables situated in the library, opposite of Azusa, she couldn't help but feel relieved at the reassuring sight of the younger girl smiling brightly, it seemed that her concerns had been unfounded as the girl in question appeared to have made a good recovery.

Still, it was a shame that she didn't get the opportunity to see her any sooner, during her break one of her teachers had asked Miho if they could help carry some supplies and by the time she had returned from that little errand her break had nearly come to an end.

Having some time now she had excused herself from her friends and had gone to see Azusa and have a little talk with the younger girl to find out how she was doing, as luck would have it said girl also had some time to spare, with that both of them had gone to the school's library. There they could talk in relative peace, it was better this way.

"You seem to be doing a lot better, how are you feeling, Azusa-san?" Miho asked, giving the younger girl a warm smile in return as she waited with bated breath for the answer. Her instinct told her that Azusa was doing better than yesterday but she much rather wanted the younger girl to say it in her own words.

"I am, thank you for taking care of me yesterday, Nishizumi-senpai," Azusa bowed her return as she expressed her gratitude to the older girl opposite of her, the long talk that she had with her captain last night had done wonders for her self-confidence. "I've realized that mistakes are going to happen no matter how hard I try to prevent them and that I'll just have to accept that. That and I also have to learn from my mistakes, making mistakes isn't that bad as long as they're new ones, otherwise, I haven't learned from my past ones."

"I'm really glad to hear that Azusa-san. If you ever feel the need to talk to somebody then please don't hesitate to come see me, my door's always open for you." It certainly made Miho feel a lot better now that she had heard it from Azusa and she told herself that whenever anybody on the team would be in need of a person to listen to them than she would be there for them. Looking over her shoulder she noticed, that although there were some students present in the library, it was still rather quiet and peaceful inside here.

"You're going to get your chance to make up for it soon enough, we're going to do a lot of practicing over the coming months as we need to be ready for next year," Miho said before she craned her neck and gazed at the ceiling. "It's not going to be as easy as it was this year."

"Ehm senpai," Azusa asked as she raised her hand. "Do you really think it's going to be so much harder for us next year? I mean, I get it that with them graduating that the team will lose a lot of its members but aren't we likely to get plenty of new members as well?"

Gazing at the younger girl Miho smiled before giving her an answer, "You're right, we're likely going to get new members but it's hard to say if we're going to get enough of them to make up for the people we lose. Still, we shouldn't let that deter us from keeping on like we have, we still have some time left and I'd like to use that time to train you all."

Azusa nodded silently as she listened with captured interest to what her captain had to say, hearing those words again allowed her to better place what was being expected of her. She knew that was Miho was saying was true, nobody could deny that their opponents had learned from Ooarai's battles so far. And yet it still frightened her a little in realizing that there would be more of a burden placed on her shoulders, she was going to be one of those charged with supporting the team in the future.

"Actually I have a little favor to ask of you, Azusa-san?" Miho said all of a sudden as she looked the younger girl straight in the eyes. "As you and the others of Rabbit are the only first years that we have on the team you're going to have to play a big role model for any new students who have an interest in joining the team. I know that this might seem like a lot I'm asking of you, but if possible I'd like for you and the others to answer any questions you might get during the festival as I can imagine a lot of people will curious to your opinions."

"U-Us… a-are you really sure, t-that it's alright for me and the others, to answer questions, senpai? Isn't it better if you and the other older students do that instead as you know a lot more? I-I…" Azusa stammered across the words as she felt that it would be better for the team's more experienced girls to answer any questions that visitors might have. Surely it wouldn't be right for her and the others members of the team to do so as they had the least amount of experience and besides they were only first years, who would possibly listen to what they had to say.

Miho gently shook her head as she said, "That's precisely why I want you and the others to answer the questions, Azusa-san. You're the youngest members of the team, which means you'll also be here the longest, that's why you and the other first years are the best people to do so." Just smiling as she leaned back in her seat Miho waited for a response from Azusa, she did briefly ask herself if she had done the right thing with being somewhat abrupt about it but she felt that this would be a good experience for them.

As Azusa was going to take on a more commanding role next year it would be good if any potential news members of the tankery team would get a chance to already meet her, the younger girl would need to build more confidence in herself as well as getting more experience with communicating and issuing orders. Doing so to potential new students would be a good place to start and with that in mind, Miho had reached the decision to let the members of Rabbit and Azusa in particular handle it. It would be a good experience for them all and also allow them to gain some practice.

"Don't think too much about it, just be honest with your answers and above all have fun. What they want to hear are you experiences, what it's like to be a part of the team, I don't think that you've got to worry about being asked any difficult questions," Miho summarized as she gave several examples of other kinds of questions that Azusa and the first years could likely expect to have them asked about. It went without saying that none of the questions were difficult or even unpleasant.

"I see," Azusa said as she began to get an impression of what she could expect then, still it remained a rather daunting prospect to her and more than once she averted her eyes from Miho to avoid the older girl seeing the hesitation in her eyes. Still, she couldn't deny that after the lengthy explanation of her team captain that she had gotten a little excited at the prospect of getting so much attention from others. She was going to be the senpai for some many others next year which almost caused her to giggle a little as she liked being called that.

"So Nishizumi-senpai, do you really think I can do it?" she asked, wanting to get some reassurance that her captain's faith in her wasn't misplaced. "What if we do something wrong or we give somebody the wrong kind of answer, what if they don't like what we've got to say, or we give them the impression that it's not fun to do Sensha-do? What if we mess it up?"

"I know that you won't do that," Miho said as she leaned forward again and placed her hand on top of Azusa's, giving the younger girl a warm and sincere smile. "It's going to be alright, Azusa-san. Don't worry about it as you're going to be fine. I believe in you, you'll do fine."

It was going to be a little tense but Miho felt confident that the youngest members of the team were going to be the best people suited for the job as they would remain here the longest, which meant that for any new students they would be a familiar face. That did apply to any second years as well but her choice remained with the first years.

"Then senpai, is it alright if I come visit you again to discuss any ideas? I'd like to run them through by you first before presenting them to the team. Just in case… you know…" Fidgeting a little in her seat it was clear that Azusa was not entirely fond of the idea of presenting an idea to the remainder of the team. "… I… mean, if that's alright with you…"

Seeing her behavior Miho gave the younger girl a reassuring smile in return before she said, "Of course, I'd like you to come visit me again, I really liked it when you came to see me. So, whenever you want to come you're welcome to. Just give me a little call so I know that you're coming, I'd hate it if you were to find yourself in front of a locked door."

"Ah right," Azusa was quick to nod her head, appearing to be visibly happy that it was alright for her to come see her team captain on such short notice. "W-Would tomorrow night then be alright? I-If it's not too much trouble for you, I-I promise that I'll have something good."

"I know you will," Miho said before turning her head and having a look at the clock that hung above them, already she could tell that her next class was going to begin in ten minutes, sadly that meant that her time with Azusa was coming to an end.

"I guess that's it for us," the younger girl remarked as she had noticed it as well, she felt disappointed in having to go but she knew that she would get to see the older girl soon enough again. Getting up from her seat and turning to face Miho she made a bow. "I want to thank you for having taken the time for me, senpai. It really means a lot to me, thank you for everything thing. Have a good day, Nishizumi-senpai, until later."

Returning the gesture Miho offered her thanks as well, mentioning that she was already looking forward to hearing what Azusa was going to show her, to be honest, she felt a little excited about it. "You have a good day too, Azusa-san. Goodbye now."

Watching as said girl left the library Miho picked up her belongings and got ready to leave for her own classroom when she was reminded again that later today she was going to have to visit the festival committee.

"Oh that's right," she said to herself, closing the door to the library behind her as she began to think about what she was going to say to these people, she had already worked out several ideas and she was keen to present these. That said she could not shake the feeling that perhaps there would be people on the committee who would disagree with their ideas, well there was little point in worrying about it, she was going to find out tonight.

Pushing those thoughts to the back of her mind, as walking through the hallways, her footsteps echoing, she caught sight of her friends standing there at the door, waving to her.


Ooarai school carrier - promenade deck - 16.55h

Perched at their usual spot, Saori, Hana, and Yukari were left to their own devices as Miho had a meeting to attend while their drowsy compatriot had opted to go home instead as she had to go somewhere, it took little guessing that this go was said girl's grandmother.

"I suppose we're not going to see Nishizumi-dono anymore today, are we?" Yukari asked, the messy-haired brunette expressing her concerns over not being able to see their friend for the remainder of the day. "Do you think they're going to be in there for long? I was hoping that we'd still get to hang out a little longer, but I guess if they're busy then it's just us."

"There's not much we can do about it, Yukarin," Saori answered the brunette's question, with just the three of them here at the moment there really was not a lot that they could do. "Miporin needs to be there and explain to them what we have in mind otherwise we might get into trouble, sure we could've let the student council handle this but I don't think it's right to let them solve everything, and besides we're not going to be able to count on them again next year."

"That, and it'll be easier for us if we're on good terms with the other departments in the school, don't you think?" Hana added, the graceful girl explaining that even with the student council on their side it would not hurt the team to establish good relationships with the other various departments within the school. At the very least it would offer them more platforms through which to look for any new potential members.

"You know, I can't help but wonder who's going to be the new student council? Do you think they'll be holding elections or anything like that?" Yukari presented them with another question, a difficult one as well, as nobody had any idea if the student council already had some students in mind to become their successors. "We should do our best to welcome them when they're elected, don't you think?"

"You're right," Hana said in return. "We'd definitely need to do our best to welcome the new student council members, getting along with them is going to matter a lot for the team."

Leaning back, Saori craned her neck as she looked up towards the sky and said, "You know what'd be really weird? If any of us were to get picked to be part of the new student council. I don't know, it kinda feels strange, I mean I don't really know what to do if I were to get elected."

That gave the other two girls some pause, neither of them sure on how to answer that question as neither of them had ever thought about such a possibility. Besides the chances of that happening had to be pretty slim, no doubt there had to be other students present in the school who were far better suited to such a role, having such responsibility thrust on one's shoulders.

"So Yukarin, who of us do you think would make a good president?" she asked after a moment of silence between the three girls. "I don't think that I could handle the pressure and the responsibility, what if I were to screw up, and then the entire school would be in trouble."

Shaking her head Yukari was quick to inform her distressed friend that it could never be that terrible. "I don't think you need to worry about that happening, Takebe-dono. And to be honest I think that Nishizumi-dono or Isuzu-dono would make a better president."

"Oh my," Hana merely said in return, a little mischievous smile gracing her face. "I'm honored that you think that highly of me, Yukari-san, but if I'm being honest here, I don't believe that I'd make a good president either. I don't think that I have the right people skills for that, so with that, I'd have to decline such an offer."

Next to her Saori was at a loss for words, her left eye still twitching, as her mind was struggling to process the return answer that she had gotten from the brunette. Eventually, she was able to break her silence when she let out, in a whimpering voice, "… Y-You… really… t-think… so…?"

"You two really think that?" Yukari asked both of her friends as she found it hard to believe that these two people she had come to cherish felt this way about the matter. "Well, I guess it doesn't really matter as I doubt any of us would get picked anyway. Besides it'd also mean that we couldn't do Sensha-do anymore with Nishizumi-dono as often as we do now."

That gave them all something to think about, being a member of the student council would also mean that there was a lot more to do besides simply attending classes. While the current student council appeared to be able to achieve all this while still participating with the tankery team, it remained to be seen if any of them could do the same, especially with none of them having the same degree of experience that the current student council possessed.

"Yukari-san does have a point there," Hana voiced in agreement, expressing her own concerns at how it would be a shame for them to be separated from another. She had come to appreciate tankery and cherished the times that she could be together with her friends, thinking about not being able to see her friends or join them during matches was an unpleasant thought for the graceful gunner.

"Yeah..." Saori sighed, it seemed she too shared the idea that being a member of the student council would pose a problem for her. "I'd hate that, I don't want to lose any of you, isn't that why we fought so hard? To prevent ourselves from being separated, though I suppose it's gonna happen anyway when we graduate. I wonder what'll happen once we all go our own separate ways. Do you think that any of us will still be doing Sensha-do when that happens?"

"… I don't want that…" the messy-haired brunette mentioned, appearing visibly depressed at that question. "… I don't want us to stop doing Sensha-do… it's what brought us together… I'd be lonely again without any of you…"

For her the thought of being without her dearest of friends was a painful one, she had experienced loneliness before, she did not want to return to that. The time that she had spent at Ooarai had been the best time in a long while, she wanted for it to continue for a little while longer. She had made friends here who appreciated her for who she was, here she had come to meet her idol, and here she had finally found joy in school.

"You know, this is getting a little too depressing for me," Saori remarked as she pushed herself off the bench. "Why don't we change the subject and talk about something more pleasant, oh I know. How about what we're going to do this weekend? The ship should dock again at Ooarai, doesn't it? What do you say we all go shopping again together?"

"Are you sure that you should go shopping again, didn't you get a message from your parents that you were spending too much on clothes and such?" Hana was all too quick to remark, taking full advantage of having a little jab at her friend when the opportunity presented itself.

"Hey! That was mean, Hana," the girl in question said, pouting, causing Hana to chuckle.

Yukari just watched, and smiled, as she continued to watch Hana and Saori trade playful banter with each other, as only the closest of friends could do. For the brunette, this amicable bickering was in a strange way almost relaxing and combined with the tranquil setting of the ocean view it helped her to push her worries and concerns to the back of her mind.

With the sun beginning to hang lower in the sky, casting its red glow across the surface of the ocean, Yukari felt at home. This school was where she belonged, where she wanted to be.


Ooarai school carrier - festival committee conference room - 17.05h

"Ehm, excuse me. Is this the meeting of the festival committee?" Miho asked as she set foot inside the room and her sudden presence was met by about three dozen people staring back at her in return, she had expected for people to be here but not this many which caused her to take a step backward. Pulling herself together she took another step forward, made a bow and introduced herself. "I'm Nishizumi Miho from standard class I, 2-A. Pleased to meet you all. I was asked to come here and give an explanation with regards to any plans that the Sensha-do team might have for the upcoming festival."

"Ah Nishizumi-senpai, you came," Mikan said in her cheerful voice, appearing excited at Miho's presence she wasted no time in getting up from her seat and coming over to greet her. "I'm so glad you could make it in time, I've told the others you'd come but I wasn't sure if you would. Still, you got some really great timing Nishizumi-senpai and-."

"Mikan-chan, that's enough!" another girl said, interrupting said girl in the process before she got up from her seat and judging from where this new girl was seated Miho got the idea that she was likely the chairperson of the committee. "I'm terribly sorry about that, Nishizumi-san. Mikan-chan can be a little over-enthusiastic. She's been going on and on over that you'd come and visit us today, still I'm glad that you could make it. I'm Ichimichi Yuuri from class 2-D, I'm the chairperson of the committee and I welcome you to our meeting," she said as she introduced herself to Miho, making a bow to the other girl, expressing her apology as well as throwing a disapproving glance over towards Mikan. "You should apologize as well."

The younger girl mimicked the gesture and made an apology. "I'm sorry, Nishizumi-senpai, but if it's alright with you then I'll be going. I need to get some more paperwork from the teachers' room, I'll be back shortly, Yuuri-senpai. If you would so kindly excuse me."

After that, the older of the two girls gestured for Miho to come and have a seat as well and, as the committee was having a short break, took the opportunity to explain a little more about the planning that was being worked out by the committee.

Miho noticed how Yuuri appeared as a strikingly beautiful young teenage girl with long and straight brown hair. Following her, she noticed that said girl's hair fell freely down to her hips, a piece of her hair worn into a bun at the left side of her head, tied with a small silver-grayish colored hair clip. That and Yuuri was also a bit taller compared to her.

"So can I get you something to drink, we've got both water and juice here? Or do you want something else?" Yuuri asked as Miho sat down opposite of her at one of the many desks. "Don't be shy about asking and thank you for coming here today, it means a lot to me that you took the time to come and discuss the plans of the Sensha-do team with the committee. I was already worried that the student council might cause some issues again like they did last year."

Politely declining the offer for any drinks Miho expressed her amazement at seeing how many students were present inside this room. "It really is something, isn't it? I didn't think that there would be so many students in the committee, is this all of you or are there any others?"

Staring back at Miho with her olive green eyes Yuuri chuckled, "Well there's more actually and we also have a number of teachers on the committee as well to make sure that things are passed on to the principal and of course we have members of the student council present."

As the taller girl turned her head to look to her right Miho noticed that she had a beauty mark underneath the girl's left eye and a light complexion that was prone to blushing, which did only enhance the girl's natural beauty. Though not a standard part of the Ooarai uniform, Yuuri appeared to be wearing a white cardigan over her school uniform.

Another thing that began to dawn on Miho was that she didn't get the impression that Yuuri was a fan of her much like Mikan had said earlier when she had come to invite her, had the younger girl been mistaken. "Ehm excuse me, Ichimichi-san can I ask you a question?"

"Oh my, what is it? Could it be that you thought I'd be a crazed fan of you like Mikan-chan tried to paint me off? Don't worry about it, though I guess I'll need to have a few words with her about that later on," Yuuri chuckled in response though the tone of her voice gave away some of her intent.

That said Miho felt that this girl wasn't being mean or anything, Yuuri was polite and spoke gently and judging from how people treated her she likely commanded a lot of respect. Still, she was a little curious about what the younger girl had said earlier and so she decided to ask Yuuri directly, "Sorry if I sound rude but are you a fan of me like she said you'd be?"

"Ah," Yuuri let out as she pondered on it before giving an answer. "Well, I do admire you but it's not for Sensha-do actually, I don't really like that sport all that much, to be honest. No, the reason why I admire you as a person, Nishizumi-san, is that you did everything you could to protect this school, I want to see this school remain open for years to come. I'm grateful to you for having been able to make that a reality, I wish I could've helped you as well but I couldn't."

Listening closely Miho was pleasantly surprised by that answer and at the same time also a little relieved, hearing that Yuuri wanted for the school to remain open filled her with a sense of satisfaction. "So ehm, does that mean you also love this school?"

"Who, me? Well, I guess you could say that I do," Yuuri answered the question, her face taking on a few shades of pink as she did, which gave away how she was feeling about that question. "Well I guess I've been influenced by my mother, she attended this school as well when she was young and she often told me how special this school was to her. What's funny is that she met my father on this ship as well." Yuuri began to smile as she recalled those stories.

"Oh, that sounds so romantic." Fascinated, Miho kept on listening, she didn't know why but for some reason she loved to hear the story about Yuuri's mother and father meeting on this very ship. She could imagine why this school than would be so special for the girl opposite of her, her parents had met here for the first time.

"And there's another reason, a really important one for me at least, but I'll tell you about that later," Yuuri remarked as she hinted at the door where, as on cue, Mikan came back in the room carrying the papers she had mentioned earlier and she was closely followed by two teachers. Looking up Miho recognized one of them as being her homeroom teacher Kodaira which kind of surprised her as she hadn't really thought that the young teacher would also be here, then again Miho had to admit that she really didn't know all that much about her homeroom teacher. For that matter, she didn't know anything about her other teachers either.

'I guess I've never really taken the time to go and talk to any of them, would it be better if I did, given that we're likely going to have to work with several of them during the festival but then we already have the student council with us so I'm not sure.' Miho wasn't really sure what to make of it but before she had the opportunity to act she was interrupted when Yuuri spoke.

"Ah, it seems that the meeting is about to resume. If you want you can be the first one to speak and present your ideas to the committee," Yuuri remarked, in a gentle manner, as she turned back to face Miho and offered her the chance to be first. "I don't know if you're in a hurry to get back home but if you are then you might want to go first and after you've given us your presentation you can leave. You don't have to stay until the end if you don't want to but we'd all appreciate it if you could. But if you can't then it's alright with me, I can understand that you have other obligations."

"Ah no, it won't be a problem for me," Miho said in return as she shook her head and explained that she still had some time left before she needed to leave and she had gotten pretty curious to see for herself how things went inside the festival committee. "So if it's alright with you, Ichimichi-san, I'd like to stay until all of you are finished, I'd like to see how things go. It seems like it might be interesting"

Yuuri could only smile in return as she heard that, extending her hand she reached out for Miho and said, "I'm glad to hear that, Nishizumi-san. You're welcome to stay as long as you want. Now let me show you how we take care of things here in the festival committee."


Ooarai school carrier - streets - 19.55h

Finally leaving the school grounds Miho was feeling tired, her body and mind were exhausted after the long session that she had spent with the festival committee though at no point did she feel like it had been a waste of her time. What she did regret was that she didn't get the chance to walk home with her friends as she had told them that she would be late today.

"That sure was something special, I'm glad that I went. They seem like really nice people, I can't wait to see what the festival is going to be like," she said in a calm tone as she came to halt and craned her neck back to gaze at the sky overhead, already the first stars could be seen appearing as the last vestiges of the sun were slowly disappearing in the distance.

It filled her with joy just thinking about the many possibilities offered by the upcoming cultural festival, with people as dedicated as Yuuri or even Mikan on the committee she felt like that this festival was going to be something special alright.

"I can't wait for it to be here, come to think of it I don't think that we've ever had any kind of festival back at Kuromorimine so this is going to be my first time." Smiling as she thought about it Miho was about to resume her pace again when she noticed that in front of her there was somebody else, and looking more closely she was surprised to see that it was none other than Yuzu from the student council, it was strange seeing her without the others.

Quickening her pace she quickly caught up with the older girl and greeted her by making a bow. "Ah good evening, Koyama-senpai. I'm a little surprised to see you out here by yourself, where are the others if I may ask?"

"Oh, Nishizumi-san, I hadn't seen you. Thank you, a good evening to you as well. So how are you doing, I didn't get to see you anymore since yesterday, how did it actually go with the training match and the debriefing? Oh, and as for me being alone well Momo-chan needed some time alone and Prez went to do her own things," she mentioned though it seemed that last part about Anzu made her somewhat anxious as she let out a nervous laugh.

Although Miho didn't get any further details she could kind of imagine what Yuzu had meant when she had said that the diminutive president went out to do her own thing though she reasoned that said girl must have had a good reason to do so.

"The training match went well, there were some mistakes made but I guess that was to be expected with letting others take command, there's bound to be more problems later on but that's part of the learning curve. The debriefing went well though I haven't gotten any of the after action reports back from them yet, then again it's a new experience for them so I think some of them might be struggling with writing one."

"Is that so?" Yuzu listened as she hadn't been aware that Miho had requested for the commanders to write reports with their thoughts on the match, but as she gave it some thought she had to admit that the young captain certainly had a good idea. "Well I guess it couldn't hurt for them to write down their experience, still are you sure that it's going to help them?"

Hearing the older girl ask the question Miho found herself somewhat hesitant to give a definitive answer, "Well, it's a new experience for them and I think there'll be a learning curve but I do believe that it'll benefit them in time, and if it's not them, others will. We need to find ways to help train new members faster, the experience that we've gathered shouldn't go to waste."

Yuzu nodded her head, her ponytail swinging back and forth, "You're right, after all, that we've been through, I'd be a shame if we didn't use it. Still, do you have any ideas on how to use those reports to train new members?"

"I don't know, I was hoping that once I got the reports we could go over them and see what we can use. I know that it's easier said than done but I've never really worked with such reports either. Still, I want to do whatever I can do to help the team."

Walking alongside each other the two girls were enjoying the chance to have a more intimate talk with each other, much like Miho had yesterday with Azusa, these more private talks were enjoyable and a good opportunity for her to get to know others better.

"So Koyama-senpai, if you don't mind? How are you looking towards graduating next year?" Miho asked all of a sudden. "Do you have any plans for the future?"

That gave the older girl something to think about. "Well, I definitely want to go to college and then later on to university, with any luck I might see prez or Momo-chan there. That said, I'm a little sad about leaving this school, I've had a really great time here, I'm going to miss it."

Hearing what Yuzu had to say Miho was reminded again of how much she had come to love this school as well, she had heard a similar story from Yuuri during the meeting.

"But then, that's just how things go, isn't it? I'll definitely miss all the people I met here, but the prospect of meeting a lot of new people is also pretty exciting. I don't know if I can continue with doing Sensha-do but I do hope that there's a chance for me to keep practicing at college. That'd be really nice," while her ponytail swung from left to right as the girl kept on walking it was becoming obvious that she was enjoying herself. Somehow the small talk about their futures allowing her to open up, normally this kind of talk wouldn't be possible if they were at Anzu's office.

That resonated with Miho, she too hoped that after she would graduate from Ooarai that she could continue with doing tankery although it was going to be different without the close friends that she had met here. Then again, she was also going to meet new friends, and these days it was easy to keep in touch with others so she felt confident that she was never going to lose contact with any of her current friends

Turning her head to face the younger girl Yuzu asked her a question that said girl had not expected. "So what about you then, Nishizumi-san? What are your plans for when you graduate from Ooarai? Will you continue doing Sensha-do, then again I guess that you'll likely have a bright future if you continue with it so I can see you doing just that."

Miho forced a smile. "I don't think that I'm going to have much of a choice, after what we did at the Nationals, people will likely expect me to continue with the sport. Besides, being here with everybody, I've come to love Sensha-do again, I want to continue doing it, if I were to quit doing Sensha-do then I fear I'd lose all of the emotions and feelings that the people I care about, have put into it. I have found my way of doing Sensha-do, I want to keep holding onto it. So that I won't forget what others did for me, for their sake I can't lose these feelings and memories. I want to cherish them for the rest of my life."

Nodding her head Yuzu appeared to be satisfied with hearing that answer. "I'm glad to hear you say that Nishizumi-san, I hope that one day we'll get to meet each other again. I'd hope that I get to hear more of you in the coming years. So do you think that you might join the ranks of the University Selection? I doubt they'll find anybody better than you."

"I'm not so sure about that, I mean; there are a lot of other people who are really good at Sensha-do as well, so I don't know if I can make the cut. Even then, it's alright with me."

Reaching a crossing Yuzu came to a halt, letting Miho know that this was a far as the two of them could go, from here their paths would separate. "Thank you for having accompanied me, Nishizumi-san, I liked having the chance to talk to you. I hope you'll have a good night and I'll be seeing you again tomorrow. Oh, before I forget to mention it, be sure to visit the prez tomorrow. We've got something important to tell you. Take care and have a good night."

Saying their goodbyes Miho and Yuzu each went their own separate ways, the younger girl's mind occupied by what she had just heard, Anzu had something important to tell her tomorrow, no doubt it would be related to the team. But that could wait for tomorrow, right now all that she wanted to do was to go home, get something to eat, and go to bed early. Tomorrow would be just as busy as today had been.


Ooarai school carrier – student dormitories - 21.55h

Leaning against the railing of her balcony Azusa was reaching the end of her short break, allowing a cool sea breeze to gently caress her face she let out a deep sigh. Thinking back to this afternoon her chest swelled again with pride as she recalled the kind words that Miho had said to her. "I'm glad that I was able to gather the courage to see her yesterday," she mentioned to herself as rested her head on the railing, overlooking a portion of the carrier, she thought back to her conversation with her captain. It was enough to bring a smile to her face.

This morning she had gone and apologized to her fellow crew, offering her apologies for the way she had acted and treated her friends the day before. Fortunately for the brunette, her friends didn't mind, they had gladly accepted the apology, keen on getting their friend back. Standing there with the six of them they had made quite a scene in the hallway.

"I'm glad that our teacher could understand, I would've felt bad if we had gotten into more trouble. Well, I'm glad that I was able to make up with my friends, now I've got to make sure that I make Nishizumi-senpai proud of me as well."

Pushing her herself off she went back inside her room, her eyes resting on her work desk where the scattered pieces of her after action report lied. Ever since she had come back at the dormitories she had begun to work feverishly on the report that Miho had requested of all tank commanders. "I need to get this finished so I can hand it over during training tomorrow."

She was planning on being the first commander to hand in her report, with any luck that would enable her to impress the captain, but so far it had proven harder to make the report than she had believed at first. "This is harder than I thought, I wonder if any of the others are having as much trouble with theirs as I am. I guess I'll grab something to drink and then I'll get back to working on it."

Making her way over towards the small kitchen of her dorm room she reached over and opened the small fridge that was placed there, grabbing a bottle of juice she found herself staring at it for a moment. "I wonder if I should invite Nishizumi-senpai over some day? Would she like to come visit my room or would it be better if I visited her place instead?"

Gazing around, taking in the sight of her dorm room she was reminded that the apartment did not differ all that much compared to the one from Miho, after all, most of these dormitories had been built to similar specifications.

Sitting down on the bed she found herself staring again at the paperwork, asking herself again what else she could add to the report, already she had written a hefty amount with regards to her own functioning, the plan that she had worked out, and where she had felt that she had made mistakes.

"I wonder if the others are having any luck with theirs. No, even if they're having more luck with it, I'll still need to do my best. I was the commander of the team so my report needs to be the best one, I can't come up with anything less than that in front of, Nishizumi-senpai," she promised to herself. After the trust shown by Miho, she could not do less, more than anything she felt compelled that she needed to prove that the trust placed in her by their commander was justified.

Letting herself drop down on the bed she found herself staring at the white ceiling of her room, to think that tomorrow night she was going to visit Miho again, already she was looking forward to it. Letting her hand rest against her chest she could feel a throbbing sensation being stirred.

There was a sense of excitement coursing through her body when she thought about it, she could well imagine that some of her friends or classmates might be a little jealous of her if they were to learn that she was going to visit the legendary Miho Nishizumi.

It was almost enough to make her giggle like a little child, quickly reaching out to grab a pillow she pressed it firmly against her face as she let it all out. As she rolled onto her belly, still firmly clutching the pillow in her hands, her legs kicking wildly in the air as her excitement was starting to get the better of her. 'Ah, I can't wait till tomorrow, it'll be great.'


Author's note: And there we are folks, latest chapter for this story and like I promised a lot sooner than the previous one.

I've just gotten back from the Santa Fe Event 2017, and damn can I say that it has been a busy weekend. A terrific event, very enjoyable, met a lot of great people and simply had a blast. A little backstory on this event for those of you who've never heard of it, plenty of you most likely, this event is much like Militracks is but it focuses on mainly American and some British vehicles.

I had hoped to get the chance to catch a ride in the M4 but sadly it broke down, seems like it has been in the repair shop for a month now with them waiting for a new gear shaft. Somewhat disappointed but not much one can do about it. So I made due with the next best thing which was an M20 utility car, which proved to be more enjoyable than I thought it would, given that the driver was not afraid to floor it. Met some great people, had some very enjoyable talks about the vehicles, and I was able to add a few more books to my collection though I guess my wallet hates me for it. Long weekend but a great time… and now I'm tired…

Spent a fair amount of time editing this chapter so that I can get it posted today. Oh well, sleep can wait, damn I hate having to get up early in the morning. Then again, this one needs to get posted so I can resume working again on the next chapter, a good portion of it is already written.

Also, do some of you know that it's almost 5 years ago since a little phenomenon called GuP was unleashed upon an unsuspecting world? Weird, thinking about how long it's been with us already. I can't wait to see what we're going to get with 'das Finale' later this year though I guess for most of us outside of Japan it'll likely be mid next year at best. Still, it's pretty exciting, don't you think?

Well, enjoy the chapter, in case you haven't already, feel free to follow or favorite this story so you can keep yourself up to date whenever a new update comes through. Feel free to leave a review if there's something you want to comment on or have a question about, as it is nice to hear from you.

So have a nice week and take care folks. See you all soon.