Last Day Preparations!
Ooarai school carrier – school entrance – 08.45h Friday
Placing her outdoor shoes into the locker Miho was, for some reason, feeling a little strange though she guessed that it likely had to do with today being the last day they had left for their preparations. It was an exciting yet also daunting thought.
Closing her shoe locker she made a turn to her side to go and join up with Hana and Saori, the pair of Mako and Yukari going their separate ways.
"So Miporin, what else do we still have to take care of?"
Not expecting that question Miho could do little but let out a surprised, "Huh?"
"Saori-san wants to know if there are still matters that we need to take care of today?" Hana was kind enough to explain it to the unfortunate girl. "I guess there's still plenty to do for us, right?"
"Ah yes, I'd like to have all crew go through the routine a few times. Also, Hana-san, do you think we can practice your opening shot once more?"
"But of course, Miho-san. I'd love to." As could be guessed from the tone of her voice the black-haired gunner was more than keen to accept any opportunity that would allow her to fire a tank's main gun.
Seeing the twinkle in the corner of her friend's eyes Saori could not help but comment on it. "Hana, you have that weird look in your eyes."
Miho chuckled, causing the two girls to look in her direction, distracting them from their little antics for the moment. Her friends just had their ways to make her forget all about her concerns or how to get a smile on her face.
In return, Hana stood there with an air of innocence around her, as if she was unaware what the other girl could have meant with that remark. Not that it was any secret to anybody who knew the graceful-looking girl that she had developed something of an addiction when it came to firing the main gun of a tank.
Saori sighed while shaking her head.
"Oh that's right, I almost forgot." Miho stopped as she remembered something important. "Say, do any of you have plans for tonight, you know for when we're done with practice and all?"
"Uh-huh, sure we do," Saori answered.
"… Ah I see," Miho said while looking away in disappointment at hearing that her friends already seem to have plans for tonight. Letting out a deep sigh before a somewhat melancholy expression crossed her face she dared to inquire, "So can I ask what the plan is? I had hoped we coul-"
"Well duh, we're gonna celebrate at your place Miporin, right? I mean like how can't we celebrate tonight, we've got to have a party to sign off on the week, am I right?"
"… Eh, my place...?"
"Of course, where else should we go? Your place makes the most sense don't you think?"
"Saori-san has a point," Hana said, one finger daintily resting on her lips. "We normally celebrate at your place Miho-san, so I feel that there's no better place to celebrate the end of this week than your apartment."
"Uh-huh…" Mulling over what she had just been told Miho was wondering if it would be alright as her place was a bit of a mess at the moment, with the way things had been going she had been a little lax on her cleaning of the room.
"So anything you want to eat? We could go with pasta, or maybe something with potatoes, or how about if we just order some pizza. Hana, what would you like?"
"Oh, pizza sounds just wonderful!"
"Pizza, huh?" Miho replied, adopting a thinking pose. "Well, that does sound like a good idea."
It had been a while since the last time that she had pizza and there was a certain appeal in not having too much to clean up afterward though, to be honest, it was not like it was a hassle to do. It was a surprisingly easy feat to accomplish in a short time if one did it with four people cleaning up the dishes and all that.
"Hey, why don't we discuss this during lunch with the others?" Saori asked as she was feeling that it might be better for them to continue with this discussion when the two absent members of their party were present as well.
"Saori-san has a point, it is better if we have the opinion of Mako-san and Yukari-san."
"Ah right, yeah I think it's best if we did that," Miho said in agreement with her friends. They would discuss their plans during lunch, and perhaps they would be able to already make a pick of what they wanted to eat.
"I guess that means we can go to our classroom then," Hana remarked before shooting a glance at Saori as she said, "Oh were you able to get your homework done this time, Saori-san?"
"H-Hey!"
Judging by her friend's sudden outburst it was obvious that she had not done her homework, seeing it Miho was feeling conflicted by wanting to help her friend in this moment of distress though there was also the fact that the girl had brought this upon herself.
"Ehm Saori-san, I'm just asking so please don't take this the wrong way but you did do your homework like you were supposed to, right?"
"…"
"Saori-san, please tell me you did?"
"…"
Letting out an exasperated sigh Miho had to shake her head, it was even worse than she had thought it was. The girl had not done anything to her homework, and to think that their teacher had been very clear on it, this was not going to end up well for her.
Fiddling with her fingers the girl was avoiding the looks she was getting her from friends. "… Well… I kinda forgot about it, I mean we've been really busy with a lot of things so…"
Hana had, which at best, could be described as a mildly disapproving look in her eyes. "My my my," she let out in a gentle sounding tone although it was clear to anybody that she was poking fun at Saori's expense, "Are you sure that's the only reason?"
"H-Hana!" the girl snapped back.
"It's okay," Miho said, "I'll let you copy mine this time."
"…T-Thank you Miporin… you're a lifesaver!" the girl exclaimed, rushing forward she grabbed a hold of Miho's hands and began shaking them, offering her thanks in return for the act of saving her from almost certain additional work.
Shaking her head in response Hana could only say, "Miho-san you're too kind. It's not going to do poor Saori-san any good if she doesn't learn to understand the consequences of her lack of diligence. I feel that you might be pampering her."
"Why you?!" the girl in distress cursed.
Miho chuckled softly before going into the classroom with her friends, already she was looking forward to what the remainder of the day was going to hold for her.
Ooarai school carrier – school grounds – 09.30h Friday
"Alright! Pay attention with that cargo, that's very fragile!" Momo was shouting directions as the heavy crane began lifting one of the massive containers from the back of a flat back truck so it could be placed at its allocated spot. "Hey, I said to be careful with that! Don't make me repeat myself!"
Those who were working with the cargo paid her ramblings no attention; they knew what they were doing and their actions were focused towards accomplishing that goal.
Grumbling and biting her tongue at the lack of responses she got from these people Momo just folded her arms across her chest and silently cursed them. Well, not there was going to be any skin off her back as long as they did their jobs and got the stuff to where it was needed undamaged.
She would feel a lot better if the stuff was already at the school. Tapping her foot impatiently she was feeling annoyed by these people taking their sweet time. There still was a lot for her to do before this day would be over, and the sooner she was able to start on the job the better.
"I can't believe that I'm stuck here," she said underneath her breath.
As the winch began to spool in the cables Momo took a cautious step back, from the few years of experience she knew that it was always best to put a bit of extra distance between oneself and any heavy cargo that was being lifted as a precaution.
The cables straining as the container was lifted from the back of the truck, the boom of the crane slowly swung around.
"Ah, they're finally starting to move it," Midoriko let out in a remark as she came up to Momo, clutching a notepad underneath her arm. "I just hope that they'll be finished with it quickly. They're preventing some of the groups we had assigned from performing their duties."
"That may be but these parts are important," Momo said in return, granting the other girl a nod in return before she turned her attention back on the container which was now hanging in the air. "The supplies in that container are rather important for the food stalls; they need to have it in place before they can move on. I have to prioritize this."
"Understood," Midoriko acknowledged that answer although she was not happy with it; her concerns were more with maintaining safety for the students and this big crane was not making it easier for her. She had of course cordoned off the area so no students would be in any immediate danger and appointed several members of the Public Morals Committee to keep other students at a respective distance.
"How much longer do you think it's going to take them?"
Momo sighed, expressing her irritation at the question but she nevertheless answered it. "I'm estimating it to be no longer than thirty minutes at max. Once they have lowered the container on to its spot they can begin with cleaning up. I hope that answers your question."
"Thank you. I'll go back and resume with my route." The girl made a bow before turning on her heels and going back the way she had come.
"You do that, and make sure that there's no slacking off! A lot is riding on this festival so everything needs to be perfect!"
Momo was just feeling the pressure of this being the last day; everything had to be in order by the evening unless they wanted to have a problem that could jeopardize their guests having a good time. To the monocle-wearing girl that was simply an affront she would not stand for.
"I can't believe that some of the stuff we need the most is late," she mumbled as a way to express her growing frustrations at important shipments being well past their delivery time. There was a lot that she was going to have to look after before the day was over, and that was not something she was keen on.
At least once this container was in place the students she had assigned to this could begin with their given task, provided that a certain quartet of girls would get over here in time. Momo was not happy by not having seen any sign of the members of the Automotive Club as they had been put in charge to supervise the project.
"If they could just hurry up and get here," she growled. "The sooner this project's done the better. There's plenty more that needs to be taken care of in the tank sheds. Well, at least the Sensha-Do team can keep itself occupied with that after practice."
She would be glad when this weekend would be over and they could all return to normal school life, not that there was that much to complain about as things had gone better than they had planned.
"This had all better work out the way we're hoping," she said to herself while having another look at her watch before continuing, "We're putting in so much effort, not to mention resources, into this festival just for the hope of attracting a lot of interest. If this is not going to work out the way we hope it will, we're going to be in a lot of trouble."
Two days had been planned; two days in which visitors from all over the country would have the opportunity to come and see their school inside out. A lot was being asked of all the students here to make it possible; the same would also apply to all of the other residents on the carrier as well.
"Once this is all over we can hopefully catch some rest," she said while observing as the large container was being lowered onto its spot. "Ah, to think that there's going to be plenty of other headaches to deal with after this weekend is over. We still have to tackle the issue of getting our M3 back into service. Well, that is gonna be a worry for next week."
With the container now firmly resting on the ground the crew rushed over and began the task of uncoupling the cables and all.
Momo was just glad that it was finally on the spot where it was supposed to be, it had been a harrowing race to get all of these supplies here in time but somehow they had managed to pull it off. Now they could put Miho's suggestion into practice, that way the M3 would still be able to fulfill a purpose during the festival.
Now all that was left for her was to sign off on the paperwork for the delivery and she could turn her attention towards the next job, it was going to be a long day for her. Not that there was much that she could do about that.
"Now where is that guy with the paperwork?" she asked herself as she began to look for the person in question, letting out a somewhat relieved sounding sigh as she spotted the man in question approaching her, a clipboard in his hands.
"Good, time to get this one rounded up," Momo said to nobody in particular, feeling that she would treat herself to some well-earned respite once she had gotten most of her assigned tasks finished.
"Well, that's the last of it, if you'd sign here," the man said as he presented her with the forms. "You people sure have a lot going on. Seems like it's going to be a rather big fest doesn't it?"
"Uh-huh, sure." Signing the paper quickly Momo did not pay much attention to what the man had just said, her mind was already preoccupied with other more pressing matters. "Have a good day and thank you for your services."
"You as well miss, take good care."
Watching as the man and the others left Momo was finally left with a sense of satisfaction that this job was now finished up, all that was left for her now was to hand in the paperwork to Yuzu and to make sure that the Automobile club along with the volunteers would be put to work.
"No rest for the weary," she said before setting off.
Ooarai school carrier – school hallways – 10.45h Friday
Leaving the teacher's office Miho came to a halt as she heard somebody call her by her name, looking to her right she was surprised to see that it was her homeroom teacher, Minami Toba. She was a relatively young teacher yet despite that she always had a certain air of maturity to her, her long black hair tied at the shoulder, her clothing as always was rather simple.
"Ehm sensei, did you call for me? Is there something you need me to do?" she asked.
She was smiling, like she always was whenever Miho saw her, in all of her time at school the brunette could not recall when she had seen this teacher look any different. Then again, the woman was a very kind teacher; some would even say shy as she did not raise her voice even when somebody was a little noisy in class though Miho had heard certain rumours circulating the teacher in question, and there was for some reason a rather unflattering nickname for her.
She had never pressed further into the origin of the nickname or if it even was true, not that she could really care for either nor did it matter given that the woman was in her opinion a good teacher.
And if Miho was not mistaken then the woman was also an adviser to one of the more eccentric clubs in their school though she could not recall which one exactly. Apparently, her being appointed to that club had also been something of an accident.
"I was hoping to get the chance to talk to you about the current state of the Sensha-Do team. I have to admit that I'm a little worried from what I've heard, it seems like you were in a bit of trouble, am I right?" the older woman asked, explaining her reason for having called out Miho in the hallway. "I was wondering if you were feeling the need to perhaps discuss these with an adult, oh but it's not like I want to impose on you. Also, if possible I'd like to ask if you had already found a solution to the problem that you're having with one of your tanks."
"Ah that yes, there were some complications that we had to deal with but I think we were able to come up with a good solution to the problem, or at least ones that still allowed us to make use of the tank," Miho said before she continued explaining her reasons as to why she had opted to go with her decision. Not that there was much to explain about as it was a pretty straightforward solution to their problem.
"So that is what we went with Toba-sensei. I handed in my proposal to the student council last Tuesday, as far as I know, it had been approved by them."
The woman raised one of her eyebrows at hearing that answer but other than that she did little else, opting instead to continue listening to the explanation from the student. That was the kind of teacher that Miho knew her as, always willing to listen to one of her students.
"Oh, is that so? Well, I guess that makes sense, dear. I hope that it'll work out as you hope it will."
"Ah yes Toba-sensei, so do I."
"So how has practice been going for you? I've heard from some of the other teachers that you've all been making some long days. I hope you're making sure not to overexert yourselves?"
From her question, it was clear that some if not most of the teachers were aware of the state in which the tankery team had returned from their most recent match. In hindsight that should not have come as a surprise, of course, the faculty had to be aware of the team that had kept their school from closing.
Nodding her head Miho explained to the woman that it had been the only option for them given that there was so little time for them to train due to the necessary repairs; something the team could have really done without.
"I see, that must've been pretty hard on all of you.
"We've managed so far, we're giving it our all."
Minami could not help but smile when she heard that answer. "I'm glad to hear you say that, with you students given it your all it's bound to pay off. Oh for that matter how did your talk with Kuzehashi-sensei go? I hope that it wasn't an unpleasant experience for you."
The girl was not sure what to make of this, to be honest, she would rather not talk about it as it was a rather private matter though, in all honesty, it was more likely that her teacher was just concerned about the wellbeing of one of her students.
"Oh… I-I'm sorry," Minami said as she realised her mistake, waving her hand frantically. "I didn't mean to pry into a private affair. I haven't talked to Kuzehashi-sensei about this if that is what you think. I-I just wanted to know how you were doing…"
Seeing the embarrassment on her face Miho knew that the woman had to be speaking the truth, it was just that she may have been a little too keen.
"It's okay Toba-sensei, you don't have to apologize," she informed the woman, letting her know that it was alright and that no harm had been done. Miho could not hold it against the woman for being concerned for one of her students. "To be honest it felt a little strange at first but Kuzehashi-sensei was very kind to me and she explained everything. In the end, I think I was able to have a good talk with her about it all."
"Thank goodness, I'm glad to hear that. I was worried."
Nodding her head in acknowledgment of that reply Miho continued, "She told me that I would be fine and to be honest it doesn't bother me as much as it did before. I think I've been able to put it behind me."
A warm smile graced the woman's face in response to that explanation; it was clear that her answer had done a lot to make the woman feel better, or at least at ease. "That does make me feel better but if you ever feel otherwise than I want to know that I'm here for you as well. You're always free to come and see me in class or the faculty office."
Nodding her head Miho gave her an offer of thanks, "Thank you Toba-sensei, I'll keep that in mind. I feel that I'm blessed with having teachers such as you or Kuzehashi-sensei around."
By now the woman's cheeks were picking up a few hues of pink, it would seem that Miho's remark had a certain effect on her.
"… Y-You're welcome…"
"Ehm sensei, are you going to be present here tomorrow? I mean at the festival that is."
"Who me? Oh yeah, most of us teachers are going to be present in one form or another. A few are on patrol duty but the majority of us are here to help our guests with any question they might have. We can't leave everything to the students now can we?"
Miho chuckled as she answered, "That might be asking too much of us."
Both of them had to laugh about that, gentle smiles caressing both of their faces.
"You're right Nishizumi-san, we teachers also have our responsibilities to make good on. That comes with being both an adult and a teacher."
The two women continued talking for a bit longer; Miho talking about the things they had been doing for practice as well as what the tankery team had planned for the guests. It was all pretty simple but in her opinion, it would be the best way for them to let their guests experience what it would be like to serve in a tank.
In return Minami kept on listening to what the young girl had to say, smiling now and then at noticing the girl's excitement, opting to offer suggestions or advice in return while from time to time giving her observations on certain matters.
"Well, if it's alright with you Nishizumi-san I'll be going inside then as I still have some work to do. Have a pleasant day and good luck with practice. Goodbye"
"Goodbye to you too, Toba-sensei. And thank you for your time and effort."
Making a bow to each other the two went their separate ways, Miho picking up where she had left and her teacher entering the teacher's lounge.
Ooarai school carrier – tank sheds – 12.20h Friday
Having taken their spot on the engine deck of their cherished Panzer IV, the quintet of girls that made up the famed Anglerfish team was enjoying a casual lunch together. With most of their classes already behind them, they all knew that this lunch was going to be their only moment of rest until the evening.
"Ah, I just wish this day would be over already," Saori complained about the mountain of work that was waiting for them at the end of their lunch break. "I mean we still have our fair share of classes to attend to but they're also expecting us to do practice and get everything in this building ready. That's a bit too much to ask of us if you ask me."
"Nobody's asking." Mako let out from her spot in the sleeping bag, feeling that it was getting a little too noisy for her liking.
"Hey! Why did you have to say that?"
"Cause it's true."
Taking a pick from one of the many delicacies that were spread out before her Miho could somewhat understand what her friend was talking about; sure there was a lot of work being put on their shoulders, on the other hand; they did not have to help with the classes or such.
"I don't think it's all that bad, at least when we're done we can go home."
"Nishizumi-san has a point, compared to some of the other classes or clubs we have it rather easy so I don't feel it is fair for us to complain about it." Hana did speak what was on her mind though she was rather more preoccupied with treating herself to whatever snacks or morsel was within her reach.
"Even so I don't think it's entirely unfair to Takebe-dono given that we do have a lot to do. Those last practice runs are going to take up enough of our time as it is, and keep in mind that we need to clean all the tanks afterward."
"Exactly! Just as Yukarin said!" Saori proclaimed proudly before shooting a foul glance at Hana when said girl snatched away the last two of the friend's eggs from her. "H-Hey Hana!"
Feigning innocence Hana gave off the impression that she had no idea what the other girl could mean with that.
Doing her best to hide her smile Miho gave a silent prayer for having ever met these wonderful friends of her, with them even something as simple as a lunch break was a delight.
"So Miporin, do you think that everything's coming along?"
Miho glanced up from her lunch to lock eyes with Saori. "Hmm? Well, to be honest, I don't know if everything is coming along. I heard from Kawashima-senpai that all of the material they requested arrived this morning so I think we should be good. I might be wrong but we should at least give it a try, right?"
The other girls nodded in agreement.
"Do you think we may have any problems with that?" Hana asked, stopping her placid chewing of a sandwich. The question caused Miho to pause for a second in thought.
"… That's hard to say, I don't know everything but even if there might be some problems in the coming days we should be able to solve them with what we have here. I think the worst that we can expect might be a snapped track pin or such, those are easy to fix."
"You know," Saori said as she raised her hand before she continued, "Wouldn't it kinda work to our benefit if a track pin were to snap? I mean, it's pretty common for it to happen when going over rough ground so it would be a good experience for potential new members to be aware of that. Our instructor was pretty keen on making sure we all were able to fix a broken track."
"Takebe-dono's right!" Yukari exclaimed as she slammed her hand on the metal surface of the tank's engine deck. "I think that's a great idea! If anything it'll be a great way to show people some of the problems that exist with tanks! Most people think they are for the most part invulnerable but in reality, they are surprisingly vulnerable!"
"…Y-Yukarin… I hadn't meant it like that…"
Hana just chuckled while Mako merely rolled her eyes before turning their attention back on the food in front of them. They were more concerned with the delectable treats a mere meter from them than the ramblings of their overexcited loader.
"… S-Sorry… everybody."
Miho took a sip from her lemonade before reaching out to grab one of the rice balls, staring at it for a second was wondering what kind of filling it would have. Saori had made these like she always did and she was not shy about experimenting with those, it was always a surprise as to what might find inside the, that said Miho was fond of the red adzuki beans.
Clapping her hands to catch the attention of her friends to her Saori asked a question, "Well, now that we're all full I'd like to inform you that we're gonna celebrate at Miporin's place tonight but we don't know what we should pick to eat. So do any of you have anything in mind that you'd like to eat, or do you feel okay with ordering pizza for tonight?"
"Huh?"
Yukari had a surprised expression on her face as if she had just been slapped in the face, her mind needing a moment or two so it could process the sudden change in topic. It was just too big of a shift in a different direction.
"Why do you want to order pizza, Takebe-dono?"
"Well," Hana chimed in, "We still have a long day ahead of us and it's likely going to be late by the time that we're finished so ordering some pizza makes sense given how little time we likely have."
Moving just enough from her spot Mako was by now keenly listening in on the discussion that was going on, although she was normally indifferent to their talks about dinner, she did have to admit that the suggestion of pizza was one too good to pass up on.
"I guess that makes sense, that'd save us a lot of time. So what do you want to order then? You want to do that when we're at Nishizumi-dono's place?"
"Mako, are you okay with that?"
"Yeah sure," the girl deadpanned as she was not going to give the ginger-haired girl the satisfaction.
"That's great!" Saori grinned while she flashed the others a quick peace sign. "If you want we could order them before we leave school, that way we won't have to wait long for them. So what kind of toppings would you all like? Oh, there's also the option to mix them."
"Yeah, that sounds good." Hana was the first one to speak. "As for my toppings I don't have any preference but I like the idea of having several different ones. You think it's best to go for halves?"
"A great idea Isuzu-don!" Yukari beamed. "That way we can all have several different ones!"
Seeing her friends smiling while discussing the various toppings they could pick, Miho was giving some thought on what she would like on her pizza, which again reminded her that it had been a while since she last had pizza.
'These really are the kind of moments that I wish to cherish, being here with my friends and talking like this. Everybody's so excited and smiling over the simplest of things. If only these days could last forever.'
"Nishizumi-dono, are you okay?" Yukari asked as she caught sight of a smile that ran from ear to ear on the other girl's face. "Did you just think of something good?"
"Huh?"
"Yukarin's right, it's rare to see you smile like that Miporin."
"Uh-huh?"
"They're right, you look pretty when you smile like this Miho-san."
"W-Wait… what are you… saying?"
The other three girls had to laugh out loud, taking delight in the treat of seeing Miho's embarrassed face. For them, it was one of those moments that they all cherished, and given that Miho was less prone to being embarrassed that face of her's became a rare sight.
Much of the rest of their break was spent on conversations over what remained of their lunch, or what they could all be expecting tomorrow, their excitement and hopes over the coming two days. Eventually, their pleasant time was brought to a halt as the telltale sound of the bell called the girls back to their respective classes.
Ooarai school carrier – school grounds – 16.55h Friday
From where she was standing in the observation tower Miho was keeping a watchful eye through her binoculars on the vehicle's progress, noting with satisfaction as the StuG crested the hill while maintaining its speed.
"Oryou's pretty good at this," she said while continuing to keep a close look, noting again that the assault gun's driver displaying a good amount of skill in negotiating the various obstacles of the route. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised, she's been driving the StuG for a while now."
"Ah Nishizumi-dono," Yukari said as she appeared from the stairs. "I thought I could find you here. How's it going with the other teams, are they making progress?"
"Hmm, well I guess you could say that. Some of them a bit more than others though." Lowering her binoculars Miho gave a second pair to Yukari and told her where to look, towards where a certain Chi-Nu was struggling to keep within the boundaries of the track.
"Ah I see what you mean, guess that means that Anteater hasn't done enough practice to understand the terrain it seems. So are you going to let them do another lap?"
Miho shook her head. "No, I don't think that another lap or two is going to solve their problem, they'll just have to drive a little slower during the festival and pay a little more attention to their map."
Looking further down the route Yukari saw that Duck in their Type 89 was also making good progress, moving at high speed while seeming to take any obstacle with the least amount of effort on their behalf. "Wow, Duck's really good aren't they?"
"Yeah," Miho answered while observing the tank in question. "Kawanishi-san's pretty good as well though given how often Duck finds itself in trouble I can imagine that she's had plenty of practice at avoiding obstacles in her path."
Yukari could not help but chuckle at hearing that, it was true that the crew of the Type 89 had the most contact with their opponents simply due that they were often doing recon, and that often brought them into direct contact with the enemy.
Overall most of the teams that were traversing the route were making good progress; a result of the long hours of practice they'd had over the past few days.
"Isuzu-dono was also pretty good with her aim today wasn't she?" the fluffy-haired brunette asked all of a sudden. "The way she can land her shots where she wants them is so impressive."
Smiling Miho answered the question, "Well, I knew that Hana-san would get it right within the first few tries. It's not like she really needed the additional practice today but I just wanted to make sure that there wouldn't be a problem with it tomorrow."
"Wait, if she didn't need the extra practice then why did you ask her?"
Explaining her reasons for doing so Miho said, "Because I had to make sure that there wouldn't be any risk to the spectators. The shots were there so we could make sure that at no point any of the spectators won't be in harm's way. I know we're using a blank for the opening shot but it's never wrong to ensure the safety of others."
Listening to it Yukari felt a little silly for not having figured that out.
"So Nishizumi-dono, do you think we're ready for tomorrow? I'm still a little worried that maybe not everything is as it should be."
Putting her binoculars down Miho adopted a thinking pose; she could not deny that things were not exactly what she had hoped they would be but there was no other option for them at this point, they had to work with what they had available to them.
"Some small problems are likely going to happen, thinking that everything's just going to be perfect is just asking for trouble. We'll do whatever we get to be prepared for everything but if something happens with one of the tanks then it just happens, not much we can do other than resolve the issue then and there."
Yukari nodded her head in agreement, the best they could do was to prepare themselves as best as would be possible. Beyond that, all that was left to them was to pray and hope for the best.
"Four out of the six tanks that we have available can do the route without any issues, I think that Anteater is gonna be fine as long as they take it a little easy. Leopon is trickier to say for sure but the Automotive Club has been doing laps every night in a car so they are at least familiar with the terrain," Miho said.
"That's true. Still, Nishizumi-dono, it's a shame that we can't use all of our tanks."
That was the unfortunate truth; they had six tanks available for participating in the course, Rabbit's M3 was for obvious reasons of little use and Turtle's Hetzer would also not participate as the members of the student council had other obligations.
"That is just how things are at the moment, not much we can do about it."
It would have to suffice though they would be able to offer more than enough guests with an opportunity to have a ride in a tank. Still, it once again hammered down the problem of Ooarai only possessing eight tanks at the moment.
"If only we had more tanks," Yukari said underneath her breath as she put down the binoculars. "That would've helped us a lot with the festival; it definitely would've been a big help in our last match. And I guess now it's too late for us to go and search for new ones."
"That may be true Yukari-san but right now wishing for more tanks isn't going to help us."
Yukari admitted that was true, as much as she would wish for their school to gain more tanks that would not happen overnight. That search would take time, not to mention plenty of resources.
Miho smiled. "Don't worry; I'm sure we'll get plenty of opportunities to look for new tanks to add to our roster once the festival is over. After that, it's all going to depend on what funds we can expect next year."
"Yes, Nishizumi-dono!" Yukari exclaimed as she stood to the attention and saluted Miho. "I'll do my very best to find whatever may be left hidden on the ship! I promise that I'll spare no effort in this important search!"
"Y-Yukari-san," the other girl said. "It's alright; you don't need to get all worked up about it. And besides, I don't want you to do anything that could get you hurt, I'd be sad if that happened."
"…"
Nailed to the floor where she stood Yukari could not move even if she wanted to, not after hearing the girl she idolized told her that she would be sad if she were to get hurt. How could she ever do anything that would put herself at risk after this?
"So please don't do anything to hurt yourself. Alright, Yukari-san?"
"Y-Y-Yes!" Was all that the poor girl could get past her lips before she shut up. At moments such as these, it was frightening to learn the true power that mere words could hold over a person.
"Are you alright, Yukari-san? Is there something wrong?"
"… Err… ehm…No! No, there's nothing wrong! Absolutely nothing at all!" With that off her chest, Yukari grew silent although the obvious fact that her face was beet red did betray her feelings. Though luckily for said girl her companion if she was aware of the obvious choice not to comment on it, opting instead to continue with observing the other teams.
Offering a silent prayer for the opportunity to calm her nerves and recompose herself Yukari let out a sigh of relief, steadying herself while doing something about the ache in her chest.
A tranquil silence came down over the two girls, immersed in their observation of the other teams who were by making going into their final run.
That was until a certain girl called one of them out.
"Ah Nishizumi-san, I'm glad I found you," Yuzu said as she appeared at the top of the viewing platform. "I've been looking for you but I couldn't find you in the sheds. They're almost finished with getting everything set up for the M3 so if you want to come and check up on it you can."
"Thank you Koyama-senpai." Miho made a bow towards the girl. "I'll come and have a look once the last of our tanks have made it back to the sheds if that's alright with you? It shouldn't take them long so
"Of course, I'll be taking my leave then as I still have enough work to do back at the office. Nishizumi-san, Akiyama-san, I wish the both of you a pleasant evening, goodbye."
"Goodnight to you as well Koyama-senpai."
"A very good evening to you to Koyama-senpai!"
Watching as the older girl left by going down the stairs Miho and Yukari were left to themselves again, the sound of her going down the stairs gradually dissipating. Knowing that nobody else would be coming up the stairs to see them the duo went back to their current task of keeping a look on the remaining teams to make it back to the sheds.
A further ten minutes or so into the lap Yukari got curious. "How much longer do you think it's going to take them, Nishizumi-dono?"
"Not long, Duck and Hippo are likely going to be first."
The brown-haired girl nodded in agreement.
"Anteater and Mallard are going to need a bit more time but that's okay, as long as they make it back safe."
Yukari turned to look at the other girl and asked, "You care a lot about everybody on the team don't you, Nishizumi-dono? You do it in every match and even during practice, you're always looking out to make sure that nobody gets hurt."
"Do I?"
"Yes you do, but then that is also why everybody here loves you Nishizumi-dono. It's why everyone gives it their all for you. We do it because we all love you, and we know that you love us in return."
"…" Miho had to blush; it was a little embarrassing to hear even though she knew that it was true. "… Yeah… Anyway, Yukari-san let's go downstairs and greet Duck and Hippo now they're almost back here. Besides, I also want to go and have a look to see how things have gone with Rabbit's M3."
"Yes! Lead the way Nishizumi-dono! I'll follow!"
Chuckling a little at hearing that response Miho made her way towards the stairs with Yukari close behind, with the two girls going down the stairs the telltale sound of tanks' engines was getting louder. In the distance, the blocky shapes of Duck's Type 89 and Hippo's StuG could be seen.
Ooarai school carrier – tank sheds – 18.05h Friday
"Well, we got everything set up as you asked us to," Tsuchiya remarked as she took a few steps back to admire their handiwork, "I guess that ought to convince most of the people that this tank is undergoing maintenance. Still, it really pains me having to leave her in this state."
Murmurs of agreements with that statement could be heard coming from several others, including the remainder of Leopon who were of the opinion that leaving the tank in this dishevelled state was an affront to their creed.
"I know how you feel but there's little else that we could've done about it," Miho said while sympathizing with them, she agreed with them that it was not fair at having to leave the M3 in this poor state but under the current circumstances, they had little choice.
Even so, she had to admit that the members of the Automotive Club had truly outdone themselves, she knew that they could pull off some serious work but in a short time but what they had done in the past 5 days or so was nothing short of amazing. Sure it was this particular group of girls she was talking about but still.
"Nishizumi's right, now quit your complaining and finish setting everything up!" Momo's crass voice could be heard echoing through the building, "I don't want to let any of those inspectors even get the opportunity to say that we messed with the tank. We need to get our innocence proven and without fail! I will not tolerate anybody or anything jeopardizing that!"
"Yeah yeah, we know!" Hoshino remarked in a slightly bitter sounding tone as they had all heard this several times over the past days and by now it was starting to get on their nerves. "I know that you're worried about that happening but there's no point in repeating that for the thirtieth or so time!"
Momo could be seen biting her tongue although she came dangerously close to shooting off her mouth had it not been for Nakajima stepping in and easing tempers.
"Alright, that's enough from both of you," the brunette said, "I know that it's been a stressful week for all of us, we've been through a lot. We've all made long days to get to where we are now and we're just tired."
"Nakajima-senpai has a point, please don't let your weariness get the better of you," Miho spoke as she came to stand next to the brunette to support her, "There's no need for us to start arguing amongst ourselves. All of us have been working hard for this event; together we've been doing everything that's in our power to make this festival a success."
"You're right," Hoshino said as she came to realize that perhaps she had been a little too pushy in her retort, "Kawashima-san, sorry about that. I shouldn't have reacted like that."
"No, you're right; I'm the one who was at fault."
"I'm sorry," both girls said in unison as each made a bow towards the other to express their apology, acknowledging that both of them had been caught up in the heat of the moment.
Now with the situation resolved for the time being Miho went back to inspect the tank and the set up they had erected around it. She had planned that everything would be put in such a place that it gave the impression that the tank was meant to look like this.
"It almost feels like we're cheating here, pretending that the tank's fine when in reality it isn't," she said as she placed her hand against its armoured hull, feeling the cold steel. "You're sad aren't you, about being left like this? You'd rather been out there with Azusa-san and the others."
The tank had to be feeling sad as well, being left here all by itself while the others were able to go outside with their crews. Once the festival was over they would look to do whatever was possible to speed up the process and get this tank back to running again.
"Yeah, she's gonna be a lot happier when she's able to get out there," Nakajima said as she stood next to her, having a look for herself at the work she and her fellow technicians had done. "Well, this definitely oughta do the trick for the general public but there are going to be some people who might be able to tell that it's not."
"I'm sure there are, but that's okay. We'll just explain it to them," Miho said in return.
Interrupted by the noise of engines of Ooarai's last tank, people turned to look towards the open gate as the rear of Anteater's Type 3 Chi-Nu slowly moved past the doors as its weary driver sought to steer her steel beast towards its resting spot.
"I'm glad to see that they're back as well," Miho said as the engine went quiet the moment the green-coloured tank had come to a stop. "Now everybody's back here safe and sound."
With her attention going back to the M3 and the entire set up surrounding it Miho was feeling that they were going to pull it off. Still, there was no way to be sure and only the coming days would tell.
"Nishizumi," Momo said as she addressed the other girl. "I think it's time that you went up the stage and addressed the team, we've all been here long enough and everybody must get enough sleep. You all need to be in your best shape!"
"Ah right."
"Make sure you keep it short as well as I don't think anybody is interested in a long-winded speech at this point. Short and to the point please."
"Ah, ehm, yes."
"Good luck Nishizumi-dono!"
"You tell them Miporin."
Making her way over towards the stage where she could address the body of students who were present here she could feel her heart beating inside her chest, maybe it had to do with tomorrow but somehow it just felt different today.
Standing on the stage Miho placed her right hand against her chest before she took a deep breath to calm herself, just standing there with everybody looking at her did always make her feel a little anxious.
"Everybody!" she said as she began to address the arranged crews of the tanks. "Firstly, I want to thank all of you for your efforts. I know that we've had a busy time these last two days in getting everything prepared for the festival tomorrow and I can't express in words how proud I am of you all."
Muttered words of gratitude were spoken between the various crews at the sudden praise of their commander. Everybody present could experience a sense of pride washing over them; they all were in the belief that their hard work was going to pay off this weekend.
"Secondly, we don't know how many guests we can expect to visit our school but it's a safe assumption that these might just be the highest numbers ever witnessed by our school. People are bound to come and see not only our school but our Sensha-Do team as well."
Momo came forward to stand next to her on the stage and added, "That means, you maggots, that there's a pretty big responsibility resting on your shoulders! We're all expecting you to be on your best behaviour and to promote our school to the public! I won't tolerate any slacking in this given task!"
"As Kawashima-senpai says, there's a big responsibility resting on our shoulders. People from all over the country are coming to see us; the school's Sensha-So team is the big attraction it has to draw in new students. That means it rests on us to give all those students who are visiting to give them a reason for signing up here. We must promote our school to the best of our abilities."
"You heard what Nishizumi said, you're the best promoters our school has at the moment. I don't need to tell you how important it is that all of you act responsibly. That also means that the student council comes to expect a lot of each of you!"
Nobody said a word in return, instead opting to listen and let the words that were being spoken to them sink in. They were aware that a lot was resting on their shoulders, they certainly did not need to have Momo tell them that.
For any person on the team, it was an obvious fact.
"That is all, I'll be leaving it at that," Miho said, feeling that more than enough had already been said. "You can all go home and get yourselves something to eat and rest. Please be careful tonight and I wish you all a good night."
The students arrayed here made a bow in return. "Thank you for your efforts."
"Everyone dismissed!" Momo stated.
With that the mass of students began to disperse, going into their groups, some would stay a little longer as they needed to get changed or finish the last of their chores, while a select few were already making their way for the exit of the building.
As she came to approach the girl Momo stated, "Nishizumi, I'll be returning to the office as there's still enough work for us to do. On behalf of the student council I want to thank you for all of your efforts in the past week, you have our gratitude. Goodbye."
"Thank you as well Kawashima-senpai, I couldn't have done it with the support of the student council. Thank you, and goodnight to you as well."
A notable exception was the group that had arrived last as they still had to clean up the tank so that it would be presentable to the public tomorrow.
"I guess we should leave as well or do you wish to stay a little longer Nishizumi-san?"
"Ah," Miho said in surprise as she had not expected that question. "I want to make sure that Anteater is going to be alright here, they still have plenty of work to do."
"Don't worry about that," Nakajima said as she came to the quintet of girls, still wearing her overalls. "We'll be staying here for a little longer so we'll keep an eye on them. Wouldn't want them to make a mess of the place, would we?" Winking she had to smile as well.
Some of the other girls were finding it hard to keep back their amusement, doing their best to hide the smiles on their faces from the prying eyes of Anteater.
"Thank you Nakajima-senpai," Miho said, visibly relieved at knowing that the trio of girls would not be left to their own devices in the building. With Nakajima and the other members of the Automotive Club being present put her at ease; there would be less reason for her to worry.
"Right, I'll go and call for the pizza then!" Saori declared with vigour as she pulled out her phone, taking matters into her own hand while not wasting a second. Informing the person on the other side of her order she said, "We'd better get going as well Miporin, they'll be able to deliver them by the time that we get to your place but we've got to get going then."
Miho nodded, giving in to the other girl's suggestion, as she said, "Well, let's go and treat ourselves to dinner. I'm… a little hungry." The rumbling of her stomach emphasised that.
The other four girls wholeheartedly agreed with that sentiment, for all of them it was already late enough and a good dinner was something that all of them were looking forward to.
Ooarai school carrier – student council office – 20.10h Friday
"Well, the last of the preparations are finally finished," Yuzu mentioned underneath her breath as she went through the last of the reports about the progress, "I'm glad that we were able to get everything wrapped up in time although some of the clubs were cutting it pretty close you know."
"It can't be helped," Momo let out in response, still going through her own stack of reports that even now she was desperately trying to round up. Much like everybody else in the student council today had been a hectic day with so much running around and overseeing. "We were able to get it all done just in the nick of time but that shouldn't matter, what's important is that we have everything set up, that is all that matters. The rest will be up to the students and the guests."
"That's true, no need to get worked up about this~," Anzu said as she turned around in her seat to face the other two girls present in her office. And unlike the other two girls, she made no impression of being under a lot of stress which was in contrast to how things had been for her in the past days with one meeting following another.
"It was getting pretty close with getting our tanks repaired in time but they were able to pull through till the last moment. I've got to hand it to those from the Automotive Club for pulling through the ordeal that we burdened them with."
"Yeah," Yuzu said in agreement, "They really outdid themselves this time. I don't know if we would've been able to hold the demonstrations if it hadn't been for them. They saved us this time."
"Well, it seems that everything is in place. Still, it's kinda a shame that we can't make use of the M3 like we originally had planned but at least thanks to Nishizumi-chan's suggestion we'll get some use out of it." Getting up from behind her desk Anzu made her way to the window to oversee the city, taking in the sight to help to remind her what it was that they were working so hard for. "We're going to be busy in the coming days, aren't we?"
"Ah yes!" Momo shot up from her spot.
"Yep, and we're going to need all the help we can get to see us through this."
"Prez, you really should've helped us." Sounding a little bitter about it, as if she was resenting the diminutive girl, Yuzu gave her response to that. Right now she was in anything but the right mood to hear that, she had a long and exhausting day behind her.
"Now, now, we all have our own responsibilities and obligations here," Anzu said, jesting the taller a girl, waving her hand and having that distinct innocent smile of hers etched on her face. "I've indeed left a lot in your hands but I was busy with other matters. One of which is gonna directly affect us."
"You mean the one about the agreement that was mentioned in the letter?"
Momo took the opportunity to look up from the pile of paperwork in front of her. "How has that gone? What did they say? Did they give us any promises or guarantees?"
Anzu's smile grew from ear to ear as she gave her answer, "They'll be here, alright. They couldn't tell me all of the details but they did assure me that they would send over some people to discuss the matter in more detail with us. Other than that, they said precious little."
"Don't you think that still sounds a little vague on their part?'
"Nope~."
Not exactly the answer that either of the two girls was waiting for and a collective sigh of exasperation could be heard escaping their lips.
"… Prez…"
Giving the two concerned girls opposite her a sly smile Anzu could understand their concern but she was also under no illusion that this meeting with MEXT would be different than previous ones.
"Don't worry too much about it, you just leave that to me," she said to reassure them that there was little reason for them to get too worried, she had been in contact with several people over the past days to gain additional information and while she had not been able to gain more she had been able to garner other information that made it clear that MEXT would be there to strike a deal with her school.
"I feel that you should be a little more worried about this, Anzu," Yuzu said, this time opting not to address the girl by her title but by her given name. "This really is going to be one of the last things that we'll be able to do not only for the school but for the students as well."
"I'm fully aware of that," the girl said while nodding her head, the melancholic expression on her face making it clear that she was also painfully aware of this fact.
"Good," the other good replied, "Because if you aren't then everything could be at risk. After we've been through so much the last thing I want to happen is for one of my last duties as vice president of the student council is to let this meeting jeopardise this school's future."
"A-As do I!" Momo proclaimed loudly, doing her best to appear as confident as ever though the quivering of her voice did betray her uncertainty and nervousness.
Leaning back in her seat Anzu could understand it, she did not hold it against either of them, truth be told she was a little worried herself but as much as she would like to confide in her two companions she knew that at the moment she had to present a strong front.
"One way or another it's going to end for us, won't it?" she said.
"Huh?" Both girls asked in unison as they were for a moment confused by that sudden question, neither of them able to figure out if they should answer it or not.
"Well, after this weekend we're going to have another tough job ahead of us," the twin-tailed girl continued, sounding a little melancholic, "I do gotta admit that I'm not looking forward to it, never thought that this was going to hit me so hard… well… I guess…"
"…Prez?"
"We all knew it was coming," Momo said before letting out an exasperated sigh. "… But that doesn't make it any easier or less unpleasant for us… we just… you know…"
Nodding her head Anzy knew what her compatriot was hinting at. "It's okay, you both know as well that it's going to happen whether we want to or not. We shouldn't try and fight what's going to happen."
The two other girls were nodding their heads silently; they both knew what the girl opposite of them was hinting at, as much as they would rather not admit it there was no denying in the fact that their time at this school was coming to an end.
"Well, I'm glad that we're able to stay here until our graduation. Those three years sure have gone by fast," Yuzu mentioned as she began to look around the office, trying to think of the time when she and her two associates had first set foot inside this office as the new student council. "That sure was something back then, ah I felt so nervous."
"Our senpais back then must've had a lot of trust in us, to think that they allowed us first-years to take over from them…"
Yuzu nodded, trying to figure out how their predecessors may have felt back then when they had to decide on who their successors were going to be. Would they have been as nervous about this as they were? Why had they placed so much trust in some first-years, to begin with?
"They must've really believed in us, don't you think?"
Reaching out for a snack, Anzu was giving it plenty of thought as well, smiling as she could vividly recall the warm smiles that their senpais had given them when they wished them the best in the world. Not to mention the tears and the aching in her chest when those same senpais graduated from their school and left, entrusting the future of the school they had all cherished so much to her and her friends.
Quickly wiping a tear from the corner of her eye, and doing it in such a manner that neither Yuzu nor Momo would have seen it.
"At least we did everything within our power to keep the school open to the students. I don't think that anybody can ever say that we didn't give it our all. I wonder if our senpais would be proud of everything that we've achieved."
"… I… don't know…" Yuzu was anything but sure on how to answer that question, to be honest, she had been wondering the same more than once over the past few weeks. Her eyes darting back and forth she could only hope that they had done enough to make their senpais proud of them. "… You know, I kinda would like to see them again."
Momo was surprised. "Eh, you do?"
"You don't, Momo-chan?"
Blushing and looking the other way all she could let out a soft sounding, "I-I've told you, don't call me that…"
"It's okay, Momo-chan."
"…"
Chuckling as Momo's reaction was simply too good for her to ignore, Anzu had to blink quickly to get rid of another tear that had been forming, she knew why she was getting a little emotional knowing that she was going to miss this place. She was going to miss it so bad.
"You okay, Anzu?"
"… Who me? Yeah yeah… I'm fine~" she said quickly and waved it off, doing her best to sound as carefree as she could when in reality she was feeling conflicted.
Ooarai school carrier – Miho's apartment – 20.45h Friday
"So what do all of you think we should do about breakfast tomorrow?" Saori asked when the quintet of girls was coming up at the entrance to Miho's apartment building. "Do we want to meet somewhere? I think that some restaurants offer breakfast in the morning. Or do we want to meet again at Mako's place and make hotcakes?"
"That sounds awesome, Takebe-dono!" Yukari exclaimed with joy. "To be honest I'm kinda okay with anything. I mean, I loved your hotcakes back then but going for an easy breakfast doesn't sound so bad either."
Thinking about it for a moment Miho could see that both options had their pros and cons, although it certainly would be nice to have breakfast together at one of their homes she could also see the appeal in going to a restaurant.
Uninterested in where they could have breakfast just as long as she would get breakfast Mako simply stated, deadpan, "Don't care, anywhere's fine."
"What do you think, Miporin, got any preference?"
"Ah no, I'm fine with either though I've never had breakfast at a restaurant before so I wouldn't mind giving it a try."
The girls would have continued with their discussion was it not that they had noticed that Hana had dropped out of step with them. Instead, the black-haired girl's pace had by now been reduced to little more than a crawl, her eyes glazed over as if her mind was preoccupied with something else. "Mmmmm…"
Waving her hand tentatively in front of the graceful gunner's face, Saori had a look at the others and said, "There's no response, I think we've lost her…"
"Huh?"
A snap of Saori's fingers only evoked a slight twitch, whatever it was the girl had to be heavily lost in her own thoughts to be left in such a state. And they all had an inkling of what was currently occupying the girls' mind.
Exchanging confused looks with each other the other girls were wondering what they could do to bring the long-haired girl out of her seeming trance-like state.
Letting out an exasperated sigh Saori was aware that she was going to have to resort to some desperate measure id she wanted to snap her friend out of it. Turning her head to look off to the side, she clasped her hands to her mouth, and in a flat delivery said, "Oh no! That poor patch of gardenias over there could use some desperate tending to it!"
In an instant, Hana snapped back to attention as she began a frantic search for the ailing flora. "W-What? W-Where is it? I've got…" she exclaimed, her sudden vigour dissipating as she began to realize that she was the victim of a cruel trick. "That's mean of you, Saori-san."
Seeing her friend's pouting face gave her cause to giggle.
"Isuzu-dono does like her flowers, doesn't she?" Yukari would whisper to Miho who was standing next to her.
Mako just rolled with her eyes before saying, cheekily, "Perhaps only slightly more than she loves food."
This prompted the normally graceful looking girl to glance at her in mild disapproval.
"Maybe it's best if we just head to your place Miporin. That way Hana can stop daydreaming about having breakfast," Saori suggested to her friends, earning her a similar foul look from the girl in question. "We've still got a lot to do and besides I'd like to be home in time so I can make some onigiri for tomorrow."
With little left to discuss the quintet of girls would go through the entrance of the building in relative quiet, occasionally trading bits of small talk here and there. All of them were tired from their long day and by now they were all keen to get something to eat.
Standing in front of her apartment and opening the door Miho gestured for her four companions to step inside and get comfortable.
Taking off their shoes they all went further, putting down their belongings where they could before taking a seat at the table. All of them were spent, the … of the past week catching up to them.
"You know," Yukari said. "I could just fall asleep on the spot. The last few days have just been crazy you know?"
Lying on the floor already the best that Mako could manage in response to that was to let out a snore as if she had already fallen asleep.
"Mako!" Saori snapped at her friend as she caught sight of it. "C'mon, just give me a break already! Wake up Mako, we still need to go get them!"
"Just wake me when it's here," the girl said, deadpan.
Saori puffed her cheeks as she said, "Fine! But you're not getting any!"
To say this had a profound effect on the sleeping girl would be an understatement as she shot up in an instant. "I'm awake!"
Letting out a sigh Saori just shook her head and walked away.
Miho and Yukari both had to chuckle as they saw the transformation before they went to the kitchen to fetch some drinks for everybody, it was still going to take another ten to fifteen minutes or so before the pizzas would be delivered. That gave them some time to settle down and catch their breath after a long day.
While occasionally trading bits of small talk, it was relatively quiet in the room as the girls were making the most of the short window of rest they had. That was until some ten minutes later when the sound of Saori's alarm alerted them that the hour was near.
"I think it's about time," Saori let out as she had a look at her watch. "I'm going downstairs to get the pizzas from the delivery guy. Yukarin, could you come with me?"
"Ah, sure Takebe-dono, see you all later."
"Be back soon."
Excusing themselves as they went to get the pizzas, Saori and Yukari left the room, leaving the remaining three girls to get the table and all set up.
"Almost done there," Miho said as she placed down a few plates as well as a knife so they could cut the pizzas into smaller slices. Luckily they did not have to do much as it was a simple dinner tonight; it did not take them long before they would be back waiting for the other two girls to return.
A knock on the door was all that was needed and Miho was quick to get back on her feet so she could open the door for her friends.
"Okay everybody, the pizzas are here!" Saori announced to her friends as she and Yukari entered through the door, each of them holding a few boxes from which a delicious aroma was coming.
"Oh, that smells good."
"Yeah but I don't think they're gonna be as good as the ones you get at Anzio," Yukari stated.
The others all had to laugh in agreement at hearing that, they could all envision that the food coming from a school, and its associated town, that had given itself to Italian cuisine would have the tastier food.
"Do you think Anzio may have a delivery service?" Hana asked openly as she was giving it some actual thought, no doubt her stomach doing the talking rather than her mind. Her face was glowing when she said, "I could sure do with all of those delicacies they offered me… oh, it was all so good."
Not that any of the other girls would object to treating themselves to some of Anzio's high-quality cuisine, the food of that after-party they had given them during the tournament had been sublime.
"So do any of you have a preference for which one to start with as I don't want to open them all straight away."
Gently raising her hand Hana merely stated, "I'm fine with any."
"I don't have any preferences either," Miho said as well.
"Same."
"Fine." Opening the first two boxes Saori gave a slice of each to everybody with an optional third slice of one's pick. With plates full of slices of pizza and their glasses filled everybody was about as ready as they could be but there was one thing they had to do first.
"Thank you for the food!"
Clapping their hands together the girls gave a collective prayer, offering their thanks for the meal before they would all dig in with gusto.
"Oh this tastes so good; I love the taste of the cheese they used on this one!"
"Hmmm," Hana let out in delight, barely able to control herself. "Yukari-san's right, this cheese is so scrumptious. Ah, I can't get enough of it…"
Munching on her slice Miho had to admit that her friends were right, the flavour of the slice was delicious, to say the least, and it made her glad that they had gone with Saori's suggestion to treat themselves to pizza tonight. "It's good…"
Looking across the table, and the happy faces of her dearest of friends she told herself that coming here has been the best thing she had thus far. Being able to spend an evening with these four girls, enjoying a good meal together meant the world to her.
"Alright, everybody!" Saori spoke, raising her glass as she wanted to make a toast. "Let's do our best tomorrow to make this the best school festival ever! Panzer Vor!"
"Hurrah!" Everybody cheered with joy, raising their glass in response.
And with that out of the way the girls began on the next box of pizza to satiate their appetites, with several different types of pizza there was no shortage of treats for their palates. The girls were enjoying themselves to the fullest as a festive mood began to settle in.
In between savouring their share of the pizzas, the girls would occasionally talk about their thoughts or expectations for the festival tomorrow, even so, they were all excited for it.
Smiling, Miho craned her neck back up to gaze at the ceiling of the room. Tomorrow was going to be the beginning of a hectic period as tomorrow the Ooarai school festival would begin.
Just thinking about it brought an odd sensation with it, something that Miho found difficult to explain; there was an unexplainable tingle running up her spine at the mere thought of what was going to happen tomorrow.
Was it anxiety, maybe excitement, impatience, or could it possibly be all of those combined? It was hard for her to tell as this was the first time she had ever been a part of something like this, it truly made it something of a special event for her that she wanted to cherish.
There was no way that she could hazard as to what would happen this weekend but even so, she was looking forward to all of the people she would get to meet.
Breaking the silence tentatively Yukari asked a question.
"Nishizumi-dono."
"Yes?"
"Are you nervous about tomorrow?"
"… A little yes."
"Uh-huh, me too," the messy-haired brunette said before pausing for a moment but as there came no response from the other girl she continued. "It'll be weird you know, the school festival last year wasn't all that special and not a lot of people showed up, but this year… this year it's going to be very different you know."
"Yeah…" Nodding her head Miho was aware that this year's festival was going to be very different from previous years.
Author's note: Hello folks, newest chapter for you all to read and enjoy.
Well, where to even begin, the last two months have certainly been as interesting since the previous chapter was posted, a lot of countries saw a rapid decline in new cases of Covid-19 before all of a sudden it surged up again. We definitely live in very interesting times, whether that is a good thing or not, remains to be seen.
Oh well, luckily there is also more enjoyable news for us even if it comes in only small packages. They are working hard on the third episode of 'das Finale' and according to a tweet they have already begun with the storyboard for the fourth episode, so hopefully we'll soon get to see a short teaser. We can all do with more good news.
Hopefully, you've found the chapter to be enjoyable. As always I'm looking forward to hearing any thoughts, opinions, and whatever kind of ramblings or abuse you feel would be appropriate to throw in my general direction. If you spot anything or just want to talk, feel free to contact me.
Take good care of yourselves folks, stay safe, and stay healthy. I hope you are all here again when the next chapter gets posted. Look after yourselves.
See you all next time, until then.
