How Did it Come to This?!
Ooarai school carrier – tank sheds – 11.30h Saturday
Hearing something resembling an argument going on the other side of the tank, the quartet of girls got a little curious to find out what was happening, and besides for all they knew it might be some visitors in need of help.
Rounding the corner of the M3 they saw a quintet of girls standing next to the tank and it seemed that they were caught up in an intense debate.
"What is it you think they're arguing about?" Saori asked as she spotted the small group of girls, "I hope that they won't be a disturbance to the other visitors..."
"... Yeah," Hana agreed, "If that were to happen I'm sure that somebody from the Public Morals Committee would be here though I can imagine that must be unpleasant as well for the other visitors."
Shrugging her shoulders Mako didn't say a word, feeling that this was not worth her time or effort. For all she cared this lot could scare away all of the visitors so she could have a little nap in peace, that said she was not keen on the prospect of these girls disturbing her much-needed sleep.
"Looks like it's about Rabbit's tank," Saori remarked as she noticed something, "One of them seems to be holding a booklet. Hold on, give me a sec, it's called... the Tank Recognition Guide for Dummies...?"
"Huh?!"
"Anything wrong, Yukari-san?" Hana asked as she was curious about the sudden and undignified reaction that had been prompted by the fluffy-haired brunette, this was not common so it piqued her interest.
With her left eye twitching, Yukari gave off the impression that she was a little agitated. "T-T-That's a book for complete newbies, you know the kind of people who've never seen a tank, like at all! What are they even doing with that? This doesn't make any sense!"
Contemplating why anybody other than an utter newbie would even have that particular book with them Yukari became curious as to the reason why these girls were here. Something here felt off but she could not put her finger on it.
"Y-Yukarin, what are you doing?"
The girl in question was quiet, only flashing her friends a thumbs up, which did little other than worry her friends even more. Eyeing the messy-haired girl closely as she was about to approach the bickering girls her friends held their collective breath and watched.
"It's a Grant!" one girl profoundly declared.
"No! It's a Lee!" the other girl, sporting short twin tails, rebuked her companion. Tapping with her finger on a specific page of her book she said, "Look here! It says it's a Lee. See!"
"I'm telling you it's a Grant..." the other girl, with shoulder-length hair returned the favour with gusto.
Watching the drama unfolding Saori was praying as the tensions kept rising, neither of the two bickering girls seeming to be willing to back down or concede defeat for that matter. And to think that her friend was about to step into a proverbial minefield, she did not dare to look.
"Lee!"
"Grant!"
"Lee!"
"Grant!"
"Lee!"
"Grant!"
"It's. A. Lee!"
"Put a sock in yer gob!"
"Actually, it's a Lee but the official designation of it was the M3 Medium Tank," Yukari remarked as she chimed in on the little discussion that had been going back and forth, having heard enough her urge to share her knowledge overtook her common sense. "But names such as Grant or Lee were coined up by the British instead; they're based on famous generals from the American civil war."
"Oh My God! I-I-It's Akiyama Yukari-dono!" one of the girls screamed at the top of her lungs as she saw and instantly recognized Yukari's face. Nailed to the floor she turned white as a corpse and dropped to the floor like a ragdoll while the other jumped up in fright.
"...H-H-HUH?!"
"Ah! Shannon-san!"
"Oi, stupid Shannon!"
"S-Shit!"
Caught in her own state of shock at just having caused a girl to faint, Yukari all of a sudden found herself attracting a lot of raised eyebrows from the remaining crew of Anglerfish, and in particular from the pair of Saori and Mako.
"Y-Yukarin, what did you do to the poor girl?!"
"... N-N-Noooo! No! Takebe-dono! Isuzu-dono! Reizei-dono! ... I-It isn't like that... I-I swear! P-Please you've got to believe me..."
"Do you usually have that effect on people?" Mako let out in a drawl, throwing a suspicious glance at the fluffy-haired girl was even more in a state of panic now. Waving frantically with her arms and stumbling over her own words the girl made for a pitiful sight.
Helping the unfortunate girl back on her feet, Saori and Hana could not help but wonder what had prompted the unfortunate girl to faint on the spot.
"Let's get her to the bench over there," Hana said as she
"Oi, let me lend ya a hand here," one of the girl's companions said as she came over to help, "Yer gonna need some help with carryin' dumb Shannon aintcha?"
Hana nodded in acknowledgment of the offered help, although she had to suppress a smile at hearing the girl's rather coarse accent. "Thank you."
"Shannon's bein' a bit of a handful, ain't she?"
Walking behind them Yukari was still shaking, no doubt feeling guilty over what had happened to a guest. Oh no she was never going to hear the end of it if the others found out about it.
"Hey Annalee, can ya go back and get pickin' up the stuff Shannon dropped from her bag?" the other girl shot across her shoulder to a shorter girl who was following them.
"Ah, sure onee-chan," the girl replied and went to her assigned task.
Taking note of it Hana could not help but ask, "Is she your younger sister?" Luckily they were almost at the bench.
"Yep, she's my sister, her name's Annalee and I'm called Erne. Not our real names ya know but they're kinda like a nickname Shannon came up with for us."
"Oh is that so?" the black-haired girl asked as the three of them kept walking, chuckling a little as it became clear that this was a most curious group of girls to have crossed their path. But as much as she wanted to have a further explanation there would be none when they reached the resting area and gently put the girl down on one of the benches.
"Thanks a lot for helping us out, and I'm really sorry for all of the commotion we've caused," a girl said as she made a deep bow towards Hana and Yukari, "We didn't mean for any of it, we're really sorry for being a burden to you."
"It's okay, I guess it shouldn't have come as a surprise that we might run into some more... ahem... devoted fans," Yukari said, rubbing the back of her head as she was still feeling nervous. "Oh, we almost forgot to introduce ourselves I'm-."
"Ah, we know. We all know who you are as Shannon-san, oh she's our, ah, team captain," the girl said quickly as she hinted at the girl who was still unconscious, letting out a disappointed sigh the girl continued, "She's been on about all of you ever since you won the Nationals, and she can't stop talking about all your great achievements so we all have a pretty good idea who you are."
"Hana eyed the girl and asked her. "And who may you be?"
"Ah you're right, I'm sorry for not introducing myself any sooner," the girl said in return before making a bow to apologise for her rudeness, "I'm Hanamori Kira but everybody on the team just calls me Clare. It's a pleasure meeting all of you, the legendary Anglerfish."
Exchanging some confused looks, the members of said team were uncertain on how to react to that. It was rather flattering to hear her say that but also definitely embarrassing. It was something they had all been expecting to hear during the festival, but having a person actually say it to them did emphasize how unprepared any of them were for it.
Except for Mako, who seemed to be unfazed by the compliments and praise she was getting. The girl merely shrugged her shoulders in response before she disappeared into the dressing room, seeming to want to have some time to herself.
"Here," Erne remarked as she put down some pre-packaged sandwiches in front of Shannon before she said, "Eat up. Ya gonna get knackered if ya don't eat. I told ya that before."
Shannon gave her friend a warm smile in return while thanking her. "Thanks!" Leaning forward and reaching out for the food her hand stopped as if she was waiting to be told that it was alright for her to have these.
Hana gave her a reassuring smile. "It's alright, I think that your friend is right in that you should eat. It's not a good idea to skip breakfast or lunch on days such as these, it can be a burden on your body if you don't get enough to eat and drink."
"Hey, are you alright?" Saori asked as she noticed that one of the other girls seemed to be a little unsteady, "Do you want to sit down? Or do you want me to contact somebody from the medical staff for you?"
"Who me?" the girl in question asked as if she had her doubts that she was the object of the expressed concern, "Ah no, I'm fine. It's just that we've been walking a lot and I didn't yet have a moment to sit down and get some rest. So is it okay if I sit down there?"
Looking to where the girl was pointing, Saori quickly told her that it was more than okay for her to have a seat over there, and being the good-natured girl she was, Saori wasted no time to escort the girl in question to another bench where she could sit down.
Reaching it and helping the young girl to sit down, Saori felt good about herself, knowing that she was helping a visitor. "There you go. You can sit down here until you feel better."
"Ah this definitely feels a lot better," the girl said as she sat down, "Thanks for helping me get here, miss? Oh, that's right; I don't know what you're called."
The other girl just smiled as she introduced herself, "I'm Takebe Saori, pleased to meet you."
"Ah, you're right, silly me," the girl joked, "I'm Kamezawa Ume but my friends just call me Laune, it's kinda a thing for those of us in the Sensha-Do team."
Raising an eyebrow Saori got curious. "A thing? I don't understand."
Laune just shrugged her shoulders. "Neither do I, don't know who started it..."
"So if I may ask, where are you and your friends from?"
"Hmm, who us? Do you mean like what school? The school we're from, I mean."
Saori nodded while she was silently asking herself what else this girl thought she could have meant with that question. Slightly turning her head to avoid the girl from seeing it, she rolled her eyes while telling herself not to let it get to her.
Pointing at her companions Laune just said, "I'm with them."
Letting out a troubled sigh Saori merely pinched the bridge of her nose, it figured that the girl would say that.
"...Ah."
She could hear Laune let out before she reached for her right thigh and undid a buckle or something, Saori could not entirely see it but it looked like some kind of strap to her. Maybe it was something like a hip pouch or something though that was a weird spot to carry one.
"I'm just worn out… gonna take this off for a moment."
"Take what off?"
She got her answer, and it was rather different than she thought, and something she would have never predicted. For the unfortunate girl, it was something she was likely never going to forget, despite her wanting to.
Saori looked in mild horror as the girl literally took off one of her legs, which was clearly a prosthetic one. Saori's eyes widened, her mouth felt dry and she had a sense of nausea rising. Feeling like she was going to faint she leaned quickly against the wall. As she had never come across a person wearing a prosthetic before, being confronted by one all of a sudden had taken her aback.
'... This is just freaky...'
Just staring at the prosthetic leg resting against the wall Saori felt an unpleasant shiver creep up her spine, her face rather pale while a morbid curiosity began to surface as she wondered what had happened to the unfortunate girl to have lost her leg. That said, she dreaded the possible answers to that question.
"It's not pleasant to see, isn't it?" Laune remarked.
"... I ehm... I'm sorry," Saori admitted with shame, realizing now that the girl had found out.
Laune gazed at her leg before turning to face Saori. "It's okay, I've kinda gotten used to people giving me the odd look because of my leg. "I just got unlucky that day, was at the wrong place at the wrong time as they say. Just some stupid traffic accident..."
Saori was left speechless as she heard it, hearing what she thought it was she could feel an unpleasant knot in the pit of her stomach.
"Wot's all this, then?" Erne asked as she came over to see what was keeping her companion, "Ya keepin' this one busy aintcha? I'm tellin' ya, yer both a hassle to look after."
Looking at the girl Saori was not sure what to make of her, she sounded rather crass and that coarse accent of hers certainly did not help. That said, she did not feel that this girl was a bad person, rather she was a bit rough around the edges; in fact, very rough around the edges.
"Hmmm, what do you mean?" Laune asked, looking utterly confused as she did.
The girl just shook her head and said, "Should ya really be sayin' that?"
Her eyes dashing from one girl to another Saori got the unpleasant impression that she was now caught between a rock and a hard place.
A bloodcurdling scream could be heard, catching all of their attention. Turning in the direction of the source they all saw Shannon trembling on the spot. The backpack she had been carrying with her all day lying on the floor in front of her, its content spilling from it.
With her hands shaking and her face devoid of all colour, the unfortunate girl let out a wailing cry.
"W-What's wrong?" Saori cried as she rushed forward. "Are you alright? Did you hurt yourself? Should I call a doctor for you?"
The girl did not respond, staring at the others with tear-stained eyes before she collapsed to her knees all of a sudden.
"S-Shannon-san?!" Clare stammered. "W-What's wrong? What happened? Please, answer me."
With tears running down her cheeks the girl's lips were moving but words did not come out.
"I'll go and contact one of the teachers," Hana said. "You stay here and watch over her, I'll go and get help!
Kneeling in front of the afflicted girl Annalee reached out, holding Shannon's hands firmly she reassured the girl. "It's alright Shannon-senpai, we're all here for you. You don't need to be afraid, everybody is here to help you."
"... N-Nishuzumi… a-autograph…" the girl muttered underneath her breath.
"What was that you said?" Clare asked as she leaned closer to cradle her friend. "Can you repeat that, Shannon-san? Please, can you say that again so I can hear it?"
Exchanging worried looks Saori and Yukari were wondering what they should do, neither of them knew exactly what else they could do for the poor girl, Hana had already set off to find a teacher but at the moment they had a responsibility to watch over their guest.
"... Nishizumi… Miho… sama… m-met her… d-d-didn't…" Shannon sobbed in response to the question that had been asked. "... M-Met… h-her… d-didn't… ask for…"
"Miporin? Did she just mention Miporin's name?"
"You're right, Takebe-dono. I heard that as well," Yukari said in return though she was just as clueless as her friend. She had no idea what this girl could mean by mentioning her friend, it was puzzling, and despite her efforts at trying she was left without an answer.
"What about this girl, Shannon-senpai? Did something happen to her?" Annalee kindly asked the older girl, hoping that she could get an answer from her.
"... N-No… s-s-she's fine," Shannon answered. "... I-I met her… b-before you showed u-up."
Clare was confused. "Wait, you mean when we met up with you again in front of the canteen?"
"Y-Yes…"
"Wait," Saori interrupted. "Did she just say that she met our friend before you all got here? When did this happen actually?"
Shaking her head Clare could not offer much of an answer. "I don't know, we met her in front of the main canteen before we made our way towards the tank sheds. I don't think we saw your friend, Shannon-san was all by herself when we found her."
Listening to what the girl had to say Saori did feel a little better knowing that Miho was somewhere in the school but it did make her ask why her friend had not returned yet.
With Clare turning her attention back to Shannon, who seemed to be somewhat recovering thanks to the efforts from the young Annalee, she was feeling a bit more at ease. Even so, she knew that she was going to have to ask her.
"Shannon-san, what about this Nishizumi-san? Did anything happen to her while you were with her? Shannon-san, please answer me? Did anything happen? Please, say something."
"I-I wanted her to sign my autograph book... b-but I forgot to ask her!" the girl cried out, wailing in the process as she did. "Aahhh… I-I so badly... w-wanted her autograph! Nishizumi Miho-sama! W-Wehh... Waaaah!"
With a frustrated mumble escaping her lips Clare rose to her feet, towering over the crying girl in front of her. With an infuriated look in her eyes, she gave the offending girl a taste of her mind.
"Shannon-san, please be mindful next time what consequences your actions may have for others!" Clare said, a hint of annoyance in her voice, making it clear that she was anything but happy. "This is simply unacceptable! Do you have any idea of the trouble you're causing our hosts?! No, don't answer that! It's a rhetorical question! Now go and apologise to our hosts!"
"... Sowwy…"
Pinching the bridge of her nose Clare was disappointed in her commander. "We're so going to talk about this once we get back to the carrier! Apologise to them and this time do it properly!"
"... I-I'm so sowwy…"
Saori and Yukari could do little other than shake their heads in disappointment, to think this is what all of the commotion and drama had been about. With an exasperated sigh leaving their lips the two girls were left with the troubling thought of what they had done to deserve this.
Erne, now having learned the reason for Shannon's meltdown, was beside herself as she yelled, "Shannon, ya idjiiit!"
Ooarai school carrier – school hallways – 11.55h Saturday
Making her way through the hallway Momo was taking the shortest route to get to the tank sheds as it was of the utmost importance that she got there with due haste, she knew how important it was to be at the meeting room in time.
"I can't believe that they're already here," she growled as she rounded a corner, quickening her pace as something kept nagging at the back of her mind, the uneasy feeling that came knowing that representatives of MEXT were here for some kind of important meeting. "Just what is it that you're after this time?"
Greeting a couple of girls as she passed them Momo continued, this meeting did not sit well with her but there was little she could do about it now, everything had already been taken care of. And besides, she had trust in the president of the student council.
"Nishizumi should be there; once I've picked her up we'll be making our way to the meeting room. The prez will be there with our guests so we shouldn't keep them waiting."
She was under no illusion that this meeting was going to be of importance to the future of their school and as such, she would do everything within her power to make it a success.
"Not to mention that instructor Chōno is going to be present as well, I know that prez has been in contact with her in the past week but the fact that she's here as well just underlines its importance."
It was an exciting prospect and Momo did not deny that she could feel her heart beating in her chest at the thought of this meeting but she was also aware that it could be quite dangerous as well.
"Still, I hate the idea of being stuck in the meeting room with those representatives when the festival is already in swing. I hate it, I should be out here making sure that everything runs smooth," she said while gritting her teeth in frustration.
There was no denying that she would rather be outside and do her level best to ascertain that the festival would meet its intended goals in convincing scores of students to apply for their school.
Anything and everything else was nothing more than a distraction from achieving that goal, and it irked her more than anything that she was going to be stuck for God knew how long in one of the meeting rooms with a pair of representatives from MEXT.
"... It's important... I know, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."
That did remind her, should the opportunity present itself she would make damn certain that these representatives would be made aware of the matter that their school was currently struggling with. The frustrating fact that they could do nothing with one of their tanks because a certain school of sore losers had to make a big fuss about it. To make the matter even worse they had even filed a false complaint against them.
Just thinking about it was enough to cause her ire to rise again and briefly, just briefly, Momo thought about hitting the wall next to her but she was able to restrain her anger. Composing herself she told herself that it was not going to do her any good to just lash out.
"Right, I need to stay calm about this. I sure can give them a piece of my mind but I'll need to choose my words carefully," she said while holding her hand. "... Yeah..."
It was a bit too important though with any luck Anzu would make that one of her first points of discussion, if that was the case it would make it a lot easier for her as Momo knew that the diminutive girl was far better at using words to reach her goals than she ever could. Starting to feel a little better she pressed on.
Rounding a corner she was already well on her way towards the main staircase and from there it would not take her long to reach the ground floor, and from there on it would be a short walk to the tank sheds. Provided of course that there would be no interference or unforeseen issues occur.
Momo growled, "Yeah, which would be just our kind of luck for something to go wrong on such an important day. Well, at least it's better if it happened today than tomorrow though I'd rather wish it wouldn't happen at all."
She knew that there was a certain kind of saying for this but for the life of her she could not recall how it went, not that it was of any importance to her. Momo simply had far more pressing matters at hand to focus her attention on, how annoying it was that out of all the days these representatives could come; it had to be this weekend.
"I can't help but wonder if they did that on purpose," she said underneath her breath, still doing her best to keep her voice as low as possible to prevent others from hearing her, "There's a bit too much coincidence going on if you ask me..."
The girl had her suspicions but that was about all she had, and without anything else, there was little that she could do about it.
"Once I've got Nishizumi I'll be on my way," she growled underneath her breath while she reached the top of the main stairs.
For some reason, she came to a sudden halt and looked down as she heard the voices of guests coming from all the way downstairs. There were already guests present in the building by the sound of it.
Taking it in while silently nodding her head in approval Momo pressed her hand against her chest and took a deep breath. Standing there in silence, holding her breath for a moment before letting it out she could feel herself calming down a little.
"Right," she said underneath her breath. "I need to stay calm, there's no point in me getting all worked up already. There are far more important things that I need to pay attention to. There's so much that we need to keep an eye on. And to think this day has only just started..."
Pushing such thoughts to the back of her mind Momo went down the stairs, albeit at a slower pace than what most students would find normal for the girl in question.
Well, she had her reasons, mostly because she wanted to enjoy the relative silence the staircase was offering her for this brief moment. There was just so much weighing down on her shoulders, she could not imagine how heavy the burden that her friend Anzu was carrying had to be. In whatever way this festival could go, the responsibility for whichever outcome lay chiefly with her.
Pushing those thoughts away Momo continued making her way over towards the tank sheds, to where she knew she would find the girl she was after. She would be there soon enough.
Ooarai school carrier – tank sheds – 12.15h Saturday
Coming to a halt at one of the entrances to the tank sheds Miho took a moment to catch her breath; it had been quite a hike to get here and one that had seemed to have been rife with all manner of distractions but she had, in the end, reached her goal, the tank sheds.
"I'm glad I'm back," she said underneath her breath, still drawing in gasps of air while reminding herself that maybe she could do with a little more exercise. Still, pushing such thoughts back she pulled herself together and went through the entrance nearest to her, somewhere in the distance she could barely make out the sound of a tank's engine.
"... I guess some of the guests are already having a ride, I hope they're enjoying it." It did make her feel sorry that she had not been here to greet the firsts of their guests but there was little that she could do about that now, even so, she did make a promise to herself not to let this happen tomorrow.
Having regained her breath Miho stepped inside the building and was met with a sight that was new to her, there were so many people here walking around their tanks and talking with those students wearing the Ooarai tankery uniform.
Taking a few steps forward she came to a halt when she heard a familiar voice call her out.
"Hey, Miporin, over here! You're finally back!" Saori cried as she ran up to her friend and hugged her, letting her know that they had all been worried about what had kept her away for so long. "Where have you been? We've all missed you!"
"Welcome back Miho-san," Hana said as she made a graceful bow to welcome her friend. "It has not been the same without you, we're all glad to have you back. I trust that you have been able to sort the manner that the student council wished to discuss with you?"
"Ah... uhm... about that," Miho said in return, feeling rather embarrassed to admit that she lost track of the time when she had stumbled upon a certain group of girls, and then there had been the odd encounter with Shannon earlier. "... I kinda did and I kinda didn't..."
"Huh?"
"It's nothing," Miho said quickly. "And I'm sorry that I've been gone for so long. I'm really sorry about that..."
Saori just smiled as she gestured for her friend to come to their spot quickly. "That's okay, hey you've gotta come with us, we've met this really interesting group of girls. Sure they're a bit weird but they're also pretty nice once you get to know them."
Listening to what her friend was saying it seemed that a rather interesting encounter had taken place in her absence but from what her friends were telling her she could not wait to meet these girls.
"They're over there Miho-san," Hana said as she hinted at a group of five girls sitting on one of the benches. "They are quite a remarkable lot if I say so myself."
For Miho, it came as nothing short of a surprise as she laid her eyes on the familiar form of the girl she had met earlier, Shannon. To see the girl here again on such short notice was simply unimaginable.
"... Shannon-san," she stumbled in her surprise. "I didn't expect to see you here..."
"N-N-Nishizumi Miho-sama!" The girl in question jumped from her spot at the mere sight of seeing her idol a second time. Firing off a salvo with her mouth the girl wasted no time to let the unfortunate team commander know how she felt. "I-I-It's you! It's really you! Ah, I'm so happy to see you again Nishizumi Miho-sama! This must be fate! Ah, I can't believe I get the chance to talk to you again! I-I'm so happy I-I could c-cry."
Everybody else just stood there, dumbfounded and confused as none of them were even aware that these two girls had already met each other before. Letting out the occasional blink while trading confused glances between each other, it took them a while before it dawned on them.
"Hello, Shannon-san," Miho said as she greeted the sobbing girl before making a bow towards the other four as well. She did not know who they were but they were guests of their school and as such, she welcomed them all. "Thank you all for coming to visit our school. I hope that you all have been able to enjoy yourselves."
"Thank you for having us!" Three of the girls said in return, making a bow of their own. But of the girls, a girl who went by the name of Erne did her own thing. "Heya, thanks for havin' us. Nice school ya got but it ain't got no bar."
"... A bar...?" Miho and her friends asked in confusion, not seeming to understand what the other girl could have meant with that last remark. Surely she did not really mean it when she said bar. Why would a school even have a bar? That just sounded ridiculous.
"Wot?" Erne asked with her accent, shrugging her shoulders as she did not understand why these people were looking at her as if she had just said something weird. Their school had a bar after all.
A lively and spirited discussion developed as the quintet of girls from Shamrock began to warm towards the group of girls that made up the legendary Anglerfish team, with some a little more reserved than others.
It did happen that some of the other girls from Shamrock would throw the occasional confused glance over towards Shannon as if they were questioning why nothing matched with what said girl had told them. Apparently, the red-haired offender had been responsible for creating a great many misconceptions.
Even so, everybody was in a good mood, the atmosphere within the building was a pleasant and surprisingly inviting one. Small talk and joyous laughing filled the air as the group of girls were having a great time together.
"Ah!... Ehm," Shannon stammered as she cautiously approached Miho. "... I-It's uh me again."
Turning to look at her the other girl gave her a reassuring smile and said, "Hello Shannon-san, it's good to see you again. How is the festival for you? Are you enjoying yourself?"
It made the girl blush, and while averting her eyes from the girl in front of her she began to fiddle. "... S-So you still know who I am...?"
"Of course," Miho said in return. "You did surprise me the first time as it was all so sudden. But now, I'm glad that I get the chance to see you again."
"T-Thank you, Nishizumi Miho-sama!" the girl blurted out loudly before she lunged forward and grabbed Miho's hands. "I-I was a little worried you might've forgotten about me already. I mean... we're only from a small school... a-and our Sensha-Do team is, well, you know..."
Listening to what Shannon had to say she was again reminded of how other people would view her these days. Guess there was no escaping for her from this fact.
"Is there something I can help you with?" she asked, aware of the expression in the girl's eyes. "There is something you want to ask me, am I right? Please let me know if there's anything I can do for you."
The girl merely gazed her at, her tear-stained eyes questioning her. "... R-Really? Is it really alright for me to ask for a favour? F-From you? F-F-From the great Nishizumi Miho-sama?!"
"Sure," Miho said with a smile.
With a quivering voice, Shannon replied, "... T-Then... if it's alright with you." She kneeled and placed the backpack she had in front of her, fumbling with the straps in her excitement to open it.
Hearing Shannon let out an exasperated sigh Miho watched with anticipation as the girl pulled out an item from the backpack. "So uh, what is that if I may ask, Shannon-san?"
With the item she had sought now firmly in her hands the girl pushed herself back on her feet, still with her back turned towards Miho the girl took a deep breath before letting it all out, almost as if she was steeling herself for what was to come. "... Right."
Spinning on her toes Shannon turned on the sport and presented Miho with the item, eyes closed, and with her arms outstretched she yelled. "P-P-Please sign my book, Nishizumi Miho-sama!"
"Huh?" Miho was perplexed as she found herself staring at the book in front of her and then Shannon, the poor girl was shaking, with her eyes still squeezed shut where she stood. Somehow it made for an endearing sight and she had to admit that the girl in front of her was a charming person, if somewhat a little eccentric in her ways.
"Y-Your autograph! I-I want your autograph!" Shannon blurted. "T-T-That's all I want! Your signature! Anywhere! Anywhere you like! I-I don't mind where you sign it! ... J-Just... as long as you... s-s-sign it... N-Nishizumi Miho-sama..." with a trembling voice the girl made her plea.
Everybody stood there, motionless and silent, as they all were in a collective state of confusion at the scene that was transpiring right in front of their eyes. An uneasy silence taking hold of the group as no one dared to say a word.
"Uh... I... uhm." Miho struggled to give a reply, the words tumbling off her tongue. Seeing all of those stares aimed at her made it an embarrassing moment for Miho, her cheeks taking on a reddish hue as it dawned on her.
"... P-Please..." Shannon whimpered, tears forming in her eyes. "... J-Just this... p-p-please..."
Seeing the poor girl in such a state was pulling at her heartstrings and while Miho had no intention of hurting the poor girl, her indecisiveness had unfortunately led to that.
"It's alright, Shannon-san," Miho reassured the girl as she placed a hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to cry. I'd really like to sign it for you. After all, you went through so much trouble to bring this with you, am I right?"
"... Y-Yes..." the girl mumbled with a quaver in her voice
"Agh! Right, all right! Please stop yer cryin'!" Erne said before she shook her head at her companion's expense, letting out a troubled sigh she ruffled the girl's hair. "Ya just gotta grin an' bear it, Shannon. Ya big dummy."
Accepting the book and opening it in a gentle manner Miho leafed through it, taking note of the other signatures that were written in it, some she did recognize while others were a mystery to her. "Wow, I didn't know that you've already collected so many names!"
"... Really? You mean that Nishizumi Miho-sama...?"
"Of course, I think it's wonderful that you were able to meet so many people in this sport in such a short period. You said it yourself, that your school has only recently restarted its Sensha-Do right? That makes it all the more amazing to me."
Shannon's mouth fell open in response to receiving such praise, almost being in denial as she could not believe her ears, the girl nevertheless made an effort to accept the compliment with humility. "No, it's not amazing, Nishizumi Miho-sama. Not compared to what you've done."
"You think so?"
Shannon nodded fervently.
Writing down her name in the book Miho could feel a little sensation being stirred in her chest, what an odd sensation it was but she could not deny that it was also a pleasant one. Maybe meeting some of the girls whose hearts she had touched might not be such a bad thing after all.
"Here you go, Shannon-san," she said as she turned around the book to show the page where she had signed it. "Thank you for letting me sign it for you. This was a new experience for me, and I'm glad I got the opportunity."
"... Ah no, thank you. Thank you so much for this Nishizumi Miho-sama, I'll cherish this for the rest of my life! I promise you, I-I won't ever let go of this!"
Miho could not help but smile. "That really means a lot to me."
Staring at the signature in her book Shannon was beside herself with happiness, barely able to contain her emotions the girl was shaking with excitement. For her, it was something that she had dreamed of but never thought it would be possible.
Watching the energetic girl bounce all over the place, showing off her book to anybody and everybody, Yukari was a little conflicted about the matter. Sure she was overjoyed that her friend had been able to help this girl but at the same time, well, she could not explain it but somehow it did not sit well with her.
"Yukarin, you okay?"
"Ah yeah, I'm fine, thank you, Takebe-dono."
"I'm glad that Miporin was able to help this girl," Saori said as she kept her gaze on an overexcited Shannon who by now was running all over the place. That girl was a little too happy in her mind; guess there were some unique people out there.
"Ah, Nishizumi-dono wait! There's something I've got to show you. It's really important!"
Miho eyed her friend. "What is it Yukari-san?"
"It's about what we discussed on the train a week ago, do you recall?"
Shaking her head Miho had to admit that she could not remember, so much had happened in the past week. "I'm sorry, could you tell me what it is about. I'd love to see what it was that you want to show me."
Doing her best to keep smiling Yukari was finding it hard to hide her disappointment at hearing that the girl she idolized did not remember, still she did understand that with everything that had happened since then it was not really a surprise.
"Just let me go and get it for you, it's really important, Nishizumi-dono!"
"Okay," Miho said in return, "I'll wait here for you."
"Right!" Saluting her friend Yukari took off, jumping up from her spot as a sudden thought came to mind Yukari stormed off towards the dressing room. Heading towards the locker room where she had her laptop she shouted over her shoulder, "I'll be right back!"
But before she would get a chance to show her friend what it was that she had learned fate itself intervened when one girl, in particular, entered the building and made her presence known.
"Nishizumi!" Momo declared upon spotting the girl she was after. "It's time, I'm here to inform you that you're to come with me immediately. This is not open to debate."
"Huh?"
"W-Wait, you can't just waltz in here and take Miporin away like that!"
"Indeed," Hana agreed. "Miho-san has just arrived here and now you want to take her with you again? What is the meaning of this?"
"I said this is not open to debate! Kindly refrain from intruding any further in official school business," the girl stated with a hint of irritation in her voice. "This is a matter that concerns only the student council and Nishizumi."
Gritting her teeth Saori was not about to let this go but a gentle tap on her shoulder by Hana convinced her to do so; this was obviously something that they had no business in. Making a troubled sigh the girl gave in, biting back in her resentment.
They did not like it but there was little any of them could do about the situation and at the back of their minds they had been expecting something like this to happen at some point, they just had not expected it to happen today.
"It's okay everybody," Miho said as she knew how her friends had to be feeling, for her to leave again had to be a disappointment for them. "This won't take long. I'll be back soon, I promise, and then we can enjoy the festival together."
Coming back, while holding her laptop, Yukari was met with the disheartening sight of her idol saying her goodbyes to her friends. Just the thought that her cherished friend would leave again so soon for a second time left her with a knot in her stomach.
"B-But Nishizumi-dono..." she stuttered as she took a tentative step, "... I thought that you were going to stay with us? So that we could enjoy the festival together, welcome the guests and such... I don't understand... why?"
Seeing her friend standing there Miho could tell that the messy-haired brunette was sad about her leaving, not that she could blame her for feeling that way. She was also feeling a sense of disappointment about leaving all of a sudden; she had been looking forward to getting to spend the entirety of the day with her beloved friends. And instead, she now had to abandon them.
"I'm sorry, Yukari-san," she said, feeling guilty as she saw the laptop, "I know that you wanted to show me something special but when I come back I promise you that I'll look at it with you together. I'm looking forward to it."
Hearing that, Yukari's face took on a few hues of pink although that did little to hide her disappointment, the girl knew that the only thing she could do at the moment was to accept it and move on.
Turning to where Shannon and her companions were busy arguing amongst themselves she felt sorry for not being able to say her goodbyes to these girls. There might still be a chance for her to see them, but she knew that it was unlikely.
"It's time for us to leave," Momo stated as she turned on the spot, "Nishizumi if you would follow me. The rest of you will continue with your assigned tasks, we'll be back at the earliest opportunity. Now get to work!"
Maybe she would get to see them again tomorrow or perhaps at some match. Who could say for certain, their paths would likely cross again someday. But now there was something else that she had to do first.
"Yes Kawashima-senpai, I'll be coming with you."
Letting out some disapproving murmurs the remaining four members of Anglerfish could do little other than watch how their friend was taken away for a second time this day. None of them were in favour of this but they all knew that it had to happen; the student council would not come to pick up Miho if it was not for good reason. If that also meant that it was good for Miho was an entirely different thing.
Behind them, the sound of approaching guests told them that it was time for them to get back to their jobs as well. Going back to greet the guests they knew it was going to be a while before any of them would be reunited with their friend.
Ooarai school carrier – school main entrance – 13.15h Saturday
Closely following the girl in front of her Miho was surprised when she saw the familiar sight of Ami standing there but she was also accompanied by several other people, a man, and a woman, both of whom were wearing suits. And there was another woman dressed the same as Ami was. Now while they had all expected for Ami to show up at some point during the festival, for her to be accompanied by these people came as a surprise.
If she had to judge their age then Miho's guess would likely be somewhere in their late twenties, possibly even their early thirties but she went with the former given they both still appeared to be relatively young.
"Good to see you again Nishizumi, how are you doing? Ami asked as she came over to have a little talk with the girl and at the same time to offer her some assurance, "How are things going with you? We haven't spoken to each other since the celebration of your victory have we?"
"Ah yes," Miho answered the question after she had made a bow.
Ami just smiled, it was obvious to anybody who saw the expression on the young woman's face that she was enjoying herself, before she said, "I guess we did take you by surprise by calling you here but I want you to know that for the purpose of this meeting we're going to need you to be present. If we could have done this without you we would believe me."
As the girl was not sure how to react to that so she just silently nodded her head, even if she were to try and object, at this point there nobody was going to change what was about to happen. She might as well go with it to try and
"This really is a great festival, in my entire career I've never seen this many people at a single school, you people really outdid yourself with this one. Good job, very nice." Ami was smiling as she looked in the direction of the festivities. Unknown to the others she did have an ulterior motive for being here for the weekend but she kept that to herself.
"Uhm, prez?" Miho asked as she approached the diminutive girl to ask her some questions as right now there was a lot on her mind and she was not sure what to make of it. "Kawashima-senpai already explained a little to me on the way here but why exactly are we having a meeting with representatives from MEXT and the Federation? Are there any problems with our funding?"
"It's nothing of that sort, Nishizumi-san," Ami interjected as she joined the two girls in their little talk, "The truth is actually of a very different nature this time, you see both MEXT, as well as the Federation, are finding themselves in a bit of an unfortunate situation so they have come to us to see if your school could perhaps help them~."
"... Help them?" That did not reassure Miho in the least; the way that Anzu had just worded her answer gave her an ominous feeling about this whole matter. She just knew that the other girl was planning on something and that whether or not she wanted to, she was already in the middle of it.
"Don't worry Nishizumi-chan," Anzu remarked to her. "It's all going to work out just fine. Trust me on this, you'll see~."
"Allow me to introduce myself, miss," the man said in a polite tone as he made a bow towards Miho and those members of the student council that were present. With a kind, warm, expression on his face the young man introduced himself and his associate. "I am Sugawara Kouji, and this is my companion Kikuchihara Shiina. We're with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. It is my pleasure to meet you in person, Miss Nishizumi."
There was a collective shock going through the four girls present, previous run-ins with MEXT had left a rather foul aftertaste so it came as not much of a surprise that they were a little apprehensive about these two being here in the presence of Ami.
"It is a pleasure to meet you," the other woman said as she introduced herself to them. "I am Sarashina Inori. I have had the pleasure of watching your school in action against the All-Star university team and I was moved by the determination and skill displayed by your team, it is an honour for me to meet you all in person."
"No need to worry," the short-haired instructor was quick to remark when she noticed the sudden unease of the girls. She knew the reason why these people had come to see the students of this school, this was a rather important matter, and one she had felt needed to be discussed at the earliest opportunity which was why she had invited the two to accompany her when visiting Ooarai's school festival. "There's actually something that we came here to discuss with you. Would it be possible for us to talk about this in private? As this is a sensitive subject we'd rather not have any outsiders overhear us. This is really important."
Seeing their reaction Sugawara stepped forward and made a deep bow towards the four girls in front of him. "I apologise if our presence here offends you, I can fully understand your position with regards to MEXT. If you would give us the opportunity I will explain our reason for coming here, please be assured that we have no ill intentions towards any of you or the school."
It was at this point that the woman also took a step forward and mimicked her colleague's gesture. Making a bow she said, "On behalf of MEXT, I too would like to apologise for past mistakes. If you would permit us, then we would be glad to explain past actions as well as our plans for handling the impending problem that has arisen. What we have come to discuss concerns the future of our countries' Sensha-Do."
"Kikuchihara, I think that is enough for now," Sugawara interjected, before he shot a somewhat disapproving glance at his associate, making it clear that she was talking about something that was not to be discussed out here. "Please be mindful of these matters."
"My apologies, sir," the woman said as she came to realize her mistake. "It won't happen again." Excusing herself she took a few steps back, resuming her place behind the man.
This was not what any of the Ooarai students had thought was going to happen, nor were any of them aware that there was a problem, but apparently, and judging by Ami's expression, it was not an idle statement. Exchanging confused looks between the four of them, Anzu, Miho, Momo, and Yuzu were not sure what to make of this. The one thing they were certain of was that the adults were not taking this lightly.
"Excuse me," the man who had introduced himself as Sugawara asked, "But is there a room where we can talk in private? We would very much prefer it if this matter could be kept between us as it is sensitive. I'm certain that you understand this."
"Of course," Anzu answered and gestured for the man and his companion to follow them. "If you'd come with us there is a conference that has been set aside for just this occasion. I'm confident that it will meet all of your requirements for this meeting."
"Thank you." Sugawara made a bow to thank the girl for her consideration. "Then we will be on our way. If you would be so kind as to show us the way we would appreciate it."
"Just follow me."
And so the odd assembly began their track towards the one conference room that had been reserved the moment Anzu became aware of MEXT wanting a meeting with her. Now was going to be her moment to find out what this was all about and how much they could benefit from it.
Having retreated towards the conference room that had been set aside for this meeting, as it would allow them to talk without being disturbed, the scheduled meeting between representatives from MEXT and the student council from Ooarai was about to begin.
For Miho however, it did not make her feel any less nervous about the prospect of this meeting, not in the least because she had this uneasy feeling of being involved in a matter that went well above her head. Offering a silent prayer for the reassuring presence of Ami Chōno with whom she was a bit more familiar, that said the presence of these two MEXT representatives left her with a lot of questions.
Only once all of the introductions and a few other matters were done and settled could this peculiar meeting finally begin in all earnest. Sure enough, Anzu wasted no time and made the first move.
"So Sugawara-san, what exactly is it that has given both MEXT and the Federation to send representatives to our little school? I don't assume you were just sent here to do a spot of sightseeing at our school."
"I apologize if this might offend you, Miss, but unfortunately the actions of your school have put us in quite an unpleasant situation. A situation that, if I am honest here, we could have done without," Sugawara said, the tone of his voice making it clear that he was serious about the matter. It would seem that for a representative of MEXT he was rather direct, it even seemed to have taken his colleague by surprise. "If you would like to humour me for a moment, I have a simple question for you."
The girls nodded silently as they were keen to hear the answer to that question.
"What do you think are the consequences of your recent victory?"
Staying silent, Miho was giving it some thought but to be honest, she had never really given it much consideration as it was something that did not mean a lot to her. And besides, she did not believe that she and her school had made much of a difference when it came to the sport anyway. But before she had time to dwell any further on the matter the man continued.
"As you ladies know we've had two great houses of Sensha-do ever since the sport was started, both of them you should be rather familiar with. The Nishizumi and Shimada styles have for a long time dictated how the sport has been practiced. Even today both houses hold a great amount of power over it."
That was common knowledge, well, at least to those who had slightly more in-depth knowledge about the sport. Most people would have heard of these houses and know that they were rather famous throughout the country, that they even had a profound influence on the sport was rather commonly known. The full extent of it, however, was not so well-known.
"It has long been hoped that we would be able to combine these two great houses into a single combined style which would provide our nation with a Sensha-do that we could proudly show to the world. Unfortunately, as it would turn out to be, both houses were opposed to it, and the intense, ahem, rivalry between these two meant that this idea never came to fruition."
Gently nodding her head Miho had a glance over towards the other girls next to her; none of them gave off the impression of being new to this information which did take her by surprise a little. As for herself, she knew that her house had always had a rivalry with the Shimada house, something that came to play during their recent match. It made her wonder if things might have gone different if there had not been this rivalry between the two houses.
"Reasons for attempting this merging again are two-fold; namely firstly that in the previous world tournaments our country has suffered decisive defeats at the hands of teams from the United States, Russia, and Europe. Given that the upcoming world championship will be hosted by Japan it is simply unacceptable for a repeat of previous tournaments, which is why we're looking again for a fusion of the Nishizumi and Shimada styles to create, what we believe to be, the ultimate style of Sensha-Do with the goal of winning the World Championships and establishing our country as a world leader in the sport."
"That was an interesting lesson in history~," Anzu let out before she would lean forward to grab her cup and have a quick sip of it. "But I don't feel that this has any relevance to us. Our school has never been connected to any of the two great houses when it still practised the sport in the past.
Sugawara gave her a kind smile in return before he said, "Please bear with me for a moment, Kadotani-san. I fully intend to explain it to you but there is a little history attached to it. I can understand that this may seem like a lot to take in but I can assure you that it is of importance."
Seeming to accept his explanation, Anzu leaned back in her seat and gestured that if he wanted, he could continue with his story.
Watching from her spot Miho knew that once Japan had been at the forefront of the sport on the global stage but about two decades ago that all began to change and ever since the country had never been able to seize back its former glory.
Keeping it to her as she felt it would be better to remain humble about it; Miho did not feel very appreciative of what the man had just said about them wanting to combine the two houses. To her, the government's motivation for doing so seemed far too self-centred for her liking, she could understand that the nation's national pride was at play here but that made her somewhat uncomfortable. It did not feel right to her somehow.
"Sensha-Do, as we have known it, is not doing so well. Despite the best efforts of the Federation," he said as he turned his head to the side to have a short look at Ami before he continued, "The sport's popularity has been in sharp decline for several years now, it has become stagnant shall we say with many schools and teams having not much of an interest in participating any more in tournaments."
Miho had to swallow as she heard the man say that, in hindsight, that should not have come as a surprise. Despite that, it was still a rather bitter pill to swallow as she had gotten the impression that the sport was doing better following her school's victory in the National Tournament, though perhaps that had just been a misjudgment on her behalf.
'Now I'm starting to worry that perhaps we made it worse...' Thinking about it Miho let out a troubled sigh before a somewhat melancholy expression crossed her face. Maybe she was overthinking here but she could not shake the uneasy feeling she was getting. '... What if we really did make things worse for others...?'
Pulled from her thoughts Miho looked up, shaking her head, as Sugawara continued with his little speech. Even without knowing what the man was going to say, she knew that she was not going to like it.
"The blame for the current situation we find ourselves in? Well, I believe that in this case, all parties involved share a measure of responsibility for the problem that we find ourselves with. No single person or school is to blame for this, in my humble opinion; this is a problem we all must share the responsibility for."
Noticing that the girl next to her was appearing to be absent-minded Yuzu leaned closer to the girl in question and whispered to her. "It's hard to keep your attention when it gets so long-winded, don't you agree. Personally, I wouldn't mind a little break."
A distracted nod was her only answer, causing the girl to frown. "Is there something on your mind, Nishizumi-san?"
"Hmm? Oh uh, nothing much," Miho answered before turning the other way, feeling a little embarrassed about herself at just having been caught immersed in her thoughts.
"You're worried that we're going to get involved in something this time where you won't be able to save us, aren't you?" Yuzu said, prompting an immediate look of surprise from the Ooarai tankery commander. "Please, don't look so surprised, Nishizumi-san. I know you well enough by now to know that you fret about whether or not you've worked hard enough; nobody is going to deny that you have put in more effort than ever could've been asked of you."
The other girl grew quiet in response.
Seeing it, the brunette laid a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. "And besides you haven't let us down before, Nishizumi-san," Yuzu said to her, reminding the girl that there was nothing for her to be ashamed of. "All of us in the student council have complete faith in you, and we all know that you always try your best. So please, you can relax a little."
Miho smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Koyama-senpai. Thank you... I'll try and relax." With those words, she turned her attention back to the meeting that had still been going on though it did seem that she had missed nothing of importance.
"And while we're touching on the subject of your match against the All-Stars University team, their performance, that of your opponents I should add, was shall we say rather disappointing. Bar the daughter of the headmistress for obvious reasons. But the team as a whole was quite the disappointment, to such a degree that there is some concern."
Momo raised her hand before asking her question. "What kind of concern if I may ask?"
Kikuchihara's face didn't betray any emotion and if anything it just gave away that she might be left cold to the request. "Unfortunately for you, we are not at liberty to disclose any such information, that is strictly confidential. To do so would be a breach of the terms and conditions under which the exchange program operates."
All of the Ooarai members who were present in the room looked up with an equal mix of surprise and confusion on their faces as this was not the kind of answer that they had been expecting. Least of all because it did not make any sense to any of them, bar one, one who already had her suspicions.
"I apologise," Momo stated as she stood up from her seat and made a bow to the representatives. "I did not mean to intrude into the matter or anything."
"It is alright," Sugawara was quick to inform them before throwing a disapproving glance at the woman next to him. He did not have to say anymore but it was clear that he did not approve of the way she had handled that question. "Please be seated and I wish to apologise for my associate's inappropriate response to your question. Again my apologies."
Further disapproving looks from the two women of the JSF provided the impetus for Kikuchihara to take her responsibility and apologise as well, luckily she did and she did it with the proper manner one would expect from a representative of MEXT.
"We accept your apology," Anzu stated without even so much as moving from her seat as she was keen on progressing this meeting, and she did not want to waste their precious time on trivial matters. There was something more important at hand here and despite the man being honest she was not fond of the way he went on with his monologues.
"Now, I'm certain that by now you've heard the news," Sugawara said with confidence and he was just about to reach for a new document when he was stopped.
It was now that Anzu raised an eyebrow at his remark before asking a question of her own. "Heard the news? That really depends on what exactly your definition of news is, that is if we are talking about the same news here, am I right?"
The man nodded his head in acknowledgement of her question. Giving it some thought he found himself wondering how he was going to formulate his answer to that question. "I see. It would appear that I was wrong in my assumption. I apologise for that."
"Good, I'm glad that we're on the same page here~." Sitting in her seat Anzu gave the man one of her typical smiles, after that, she gestured that he could continue with his little speech.
"As part of an ongoing exchange program between the JSF and the UETSA, a team from Germany has come over for a set period of time, roughly ten months I believe. Their arrival has however led to a few unforeseen issues which bring me to the matter of the allegation filed against your team. The one filed against you after your most recent match, am I right?"
"It is a false allegation," Anzu said in response with a calm voice. "I'm certain that you also have gotten a report from the judges who were present at the scene. We did nothing wrong, they on the other hand threatened and assaulted us without any kind of proof."
Looking over towards the two women of the JSF from his spot Sugawara received a nod from both of them. Scraping his throat he said. "Yes, we have indeed received and reviewed the report submitted by the JSF personnel who were present at the scene. We intend to send a team over to inspect the vehicle in question with all due haste but we find ourselves understaffed at the moment. Rest assured, you have my assurance that once the required number of inspectors is available they will be sent over to your school."
"Oh, that is awfully generous of you," Anzu remarked as she raised an eyebrow in response. "I suppose that your problem of being understaffed is due to this German team, am I right? You likely have a lot of work on your hands at making sure that the Pro-League teams are ready for them, or am I wrong here?"
"You are correct Kadotani-san but there is another reason as well," Sugawara interjected, "And that has to do with the fact that each and every single vehicle of our guests has to be checked and tested to make sure that they are in accordance with the regulations so as to be legal for participation in the sport."
Miho blinked upon hearing that, to be honest, she was a little confused by this as she had been under the impression that the rules governing whether a vehicle was deemed legal for use in the sport were internally agreed upon. "How so? I thought all countries abide by the same rules for the sport. Or are there indeed differences between Japan and the rest of the world?"
"Well yes and no," Kikuchihara stated instead, "The core rules of the sport are identical but they hold a different view on how the sport is practised which differs to a quite degree from our own."
"But~," Anzu interjected with a devilish smile on her face.
"Let's just say that there is a difference of opinion with regards to the manner in which the sport is practised there, you can read about it in the report that we have compiled for your ease. I am, unfortunately, not that well-versed in the details of it but several of our experts have compiled a report for any potential future need. But I digress."
Accepting that answer for the time being the girls from Ooarai turned their attention to the copies of the report that were being distributed to them at the moment. It did raise several question marks with them.
"Now as you all can imagine," Kikuchihara took over from her colleague. "The sudden influx of a large number of vehicles, all of which need to be examined and checked to make sure they comply with our countries' regulations mind you, in a rather short period is the reason that we are currently devoid of available inspectors. But we are confident to have the full examination conclude within the next two weeks."
Hearing that Anzu rose from her seat, planting her hands on the table she said, "I am sorry but I cannot accept that outcome. You want to tell us that it may take another two weeks before we have any chance of repairing and using that tank? That is unacceptable to us." The tone of her voice left no doubt as to how she was feeling about this matter.
"...Ah I uh ehm..." Sugawara fell silent as he had no suitable answer to give her. "I am terribly sorry about this. I will not deny that this has been a miscalculation on our part, but you must understand that it is important that this foreign team can participate in the Pro-League. That is agreed upon under the terms and conditions of the exchange program."
"Forgive me for intruding Sugawara-san," Ami mentioned as she got up from her seat. "I have to agree with Kadotani-san here, her school should not be penalised because of this oversight. This school has only a limited roster of tanks available to it for participating in matches; even the loss of a single vehicle places their school at a significant disadvantage
"Y-Yes, you are right of course. Thank you for your opinion Chōno-san on this." It was clear that this was becoming a somewhat uncomfortable situation for the man.
But Anzu was not finished yet. "We already had to change our plans for the school festival because we can't make use of the tank, we had intended for visitors to have a ride on it but those plans had to be cancelled. It is not only us who are being penalised but also the visitors. To us, and to me as the president of the student council, that is simply unacceptable."
Exchanging some concerned glances between each other the two representatives knew that this was a development they would have rather avoided if possible, but now, they found themselves confronted with it.
Scraping his throat Sugawara responded. "I understand your concerns, Kadotani-san, I really do but you must understand that there is little I can do about it at the moment. I am sorry to say this but both MEXT and the JSF have prioritized the examination process of this foreign team, I cannot change that. Surely you should understand that."
"He is right on that, both MEXT and the Federation prioritised it, it is still an oversight on their behalf for not properly estimating how long the work would take," Inori spoke out. "It is a bit of an unfortunate outcome but priorities had to be made. There is a lot at stake here; your school does not have any matches scheduled at the moment so the loss of one vehicle should not be much of a major issue for you at the moment."
Looking at the other woman from the Federation Miho had to admit that she did have a point, as unpleasant as it may be; Ooarai was at the moment not in any desperate need of the tank. Sure it would be nice if they could have made use of the tank in question but the team could survive having to wait for a week or two.
"Then if it's alright with you, would a short break be acceptable?" Anzu while holding up her hand made a request, exchanging a few looks with Ami to assess whether or not the woman agreed with her proposal. Seeing the curt nod that she received in response Anzu continued, "We've been here for a while now, and there's been a lot for all of us to take in. A short break would allow us to let this all sink in as well as provide the opportunity for some drinks and other refreshments."
Leaning back in his seat before nodding his head Sugawara said, "Yes, I think that would be a good idea. I can understand your position and to be honest, I could use a short break myself as well. Would an hour suffice for you?"
"That would be more enough for us, thank you," Ami replied, making a bow in return before pushing herself up from her seat. "Then with your permission, we'll excuse ourselves."
"Of course, with your approval, we would like to make use of the opportunity to make a phone call. There are a few things I would like to check up on."
Nodding her head Anzu knew that the question was only a formality; there was no way that she could deny either of these two from contacting their associates. Still, she did appreciate the polite gesture of them asking first.
"Nishizumi-chan, please come with me~," Anzu said as she gestured for the girl in question to follow her to a nearby room where they would be able to talk in private, "It must be a lot for you to take in and I can imagine that you've got a lot of questions, right?"
"... Ah, I yes..." the girl answered. "... Prez, I know that they already explained it to us but I still don't understand why they say that Sensha-Do is dying..."
"Well, they did make it sound a little too dramatic but they're not wrong," Ami said as she came to join the pair of girls, "I don't mind filling you in on the details if you want though it might get a bit boring. There's a good bit of politics involved I'm afraid."
Nodding her head in acknowledgment Miho understood what that meant; politics was not a subject that she was well-versed in, not a surprise as she was just a girl in high school.
"So what exactly is that they want from us?"
Ami gave her a reassuring smile. "They'll explain that after the break, I know that it may seem a little elaborate for them to go through such lengths but humour them for a bit longer."
That just left Miho all the more confused though she guessed that this too was a part of politics, not something that she felt happy about.
"Alrighty then, let's go!"
Ooarai school carrier – break room – 15.40h Saturday
"Nishizumi, if there is something you would like to eat or drink let me know," Momo informed her, "I'll have somebody go and get it for you."
"Ah no," Miho said, "I'm fine, I've had a few things to eat already." She did have a few cakes during her time at the board game cafe after all. "But milk tea would be nice if it isn't too much trouble for you."
"Understood, I'll get some for you," Momo said in response as she continued with taking orders from the others, making sure to note down the specifics of their order. "Right, that'll be all. I will go and make the arrangements for this to be delivered to the room with haste." With those words she took her leave and left the room.
Excusing herself as well, Yuzu also left the room to go and acquire a few items that they might require later on but she did inform that she did not expect it to take long.
"Quite a meeting thus far, don't you think?" Ami let out the moment the door was closed, leaving just the three of them left in the room. "So does the way this meeting goes thus far confirm your suspicions, Kadotani-san? For that matter, what are your impressions of our esteemed guests?"
The diminutive girl just chuckled softly before she leaned back in her seat. "You can say that again, to be honest, they seem like good, decent people, but I don't like that they are being so bureaucratic about it all. Still, I guess it can't be avoided since we're dealing here with both MEXT and the Federation. Guess that's politics for you~."
Ami could not help but let out a short giggle of her own in response to that remark, the diminutive girl had pretty much hit the nail on the head. She too was not that fond of the rather bureaucratic manner in which the representatives were working but she knew that both of them were decent people who only had the best intentions of the country in mind.
"Well, you did give them reason for concern."
A gentle knock on the door pulled them from their conversation and going to see who it was a bit of a surprise to learn that it was her colleague, the woman who had introduced herself as Inori Sarashina, who had come to visit them.
"Chōno-san, could I have a moment to speak to you in private?" the woman asked. "There's something that we need to discuss before we can continue with the meeting. I know that you agreed with a short break but if possible I'd like to get this sorted."
Nodding her head Ami turned around and said to the girls, "I'll be taking my leave for a moment. There's something that I need to discuss with my colleague, I will be back at the earliest opportunity. Well, until then."
With Ami leaving the room as well for the time being there were now only two people left in the room, and while for Anzu it made little difference, for the other girl it was a bit troubling as it was rare for her to be left alone with the other girl. Normally there would always be somebody else, at the very least others of the student council.
But not day, today things were taking a rather different turn.
"Well," Anzu remarked as she turned to face Miho and asked her a simple question. "What do you make of it so far? I guess there must be a lot on your mind, isn't there Nishizumi-chan? Oh, and you can be honest with me here~."
Quiet at first as Miho was uncertain on how she could best answer that question
"Don't be shy Nishizumi-chan~," Anzu said to her, letting her know that she could speak her mind freely and without any consequences. She knew that the girl opposite her was always humble in voicing her opinion but right now she was keen on getting the girl's honest feelings on the matter. That was important at the moment.
"... Are you really sure?" Miho asked in return, her hesitance to answer that question obvious as she had her reservations about speaking openly on what she was thinking.
Nodding her head in reply the twin-tailed girl merely said, "I don't see why not. It's only the two of us here at the moment. If I don't say a thing then how is anybody ever going to find out?"
"..."
"Exactly." Anzu was sporting a cheeky smile before leaning back in her seat. "So you don't need to worry about that, just be honest with me here. If there are any concerns you have now's a good time for you to tell me."
"... I ehm..." Miho said before she stopped in her sentence, her mind trying to come up with a way to formulate her thoughts into words. Her mind was still trying to wrap itself around the revelation that a University level team from Germany had come to Japan but for the life of her, she could not understand why they had been told this in the first place.
"Why... why did they tell us about this exchange anyway? Why us, we're only high schoolers? ... I don't understand it, I just don't understand why..."
"It's okay," Anzu said in return as she could understand why the other girl was confused about it all, she was in agreement that it made little sense to either of them. That said, she knew that there were others to whom it did make sense and she had an unnerving suspicion they would soon find out. "I'm sure they'll tell us about it, Nishizumi-chan. They didn't come all this way to just let us know about an exchange program that doesn't concern us. No, they have something in mind for us."
Miho looked at her. "But what?"
Leaning forward and grasping the hands of the other girl Anzu reassured her. "That is something the two of us will find out together once the meeting resumes. I have my hunches but whatever it is I'll make sure that there's going to be benefits in it for us, for the school, for the people on this school carrier. And I'll have it all black on white."
"Prez..."
The girl began to grin. "That said, you'd better prepare yourself Nishizumi-chan because if my hunch is right, we're all going to be in for one wild ride. Ah, it's all going to be so exciting, kinda really makes me want to see what sort of picture they have in mind~"
It was clear that something had gotten Anzu pretty excited but for the life of her Miho did not dare to imagine what that something could exactly be, she was already dreading the question itself, and she had no desire to learn the answer.
"Even so," Anzu remarked. "I think we'll be able to benefit a lot from this if we play our cards right. Say Nishizumi-chan, you wouldn't happen to know of anything you'd like to add to the tank sheds do you?"
"H-Huh?"
"To the building, I mean, expanding it or fitting it with better equipment. You know, that kinda stuff. I really think that the facilities we have for the team could do with a badly needed upgrade."
Blinking for a second before it all sank in with her Miho was trying to follow what the other girl was saying, it was all going a bit too fast for her to follow. The way that the diminutive girl was jumping from one topic to another made it hard to follow.
"I ehm... I don't know," Miho admitted. "I've never really paid that much attention to the facilities for maintenance and repairs that we had at Kuromorimine. They've always been there so nobody really paid it any attention. Perhaps I should've..."
"Ha!" Anzu began to laugh as she could see how to most students at any of the big schools the facilities there had to be the least interesting aspects of the sport. "Don't blame yourself for that, I don't think that any other student would bother with those as well. Not if they're from a big school that has had all of those facilities since the start."
Reassured by the girl's words Miho nodded her head in agreement. "Yes, I guess it's different for us since there's not a lot for us to work with. Speaking of that, why does our school have so little in terms of facilities?"
Anzu shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows, a lot of it was already gone by the time we came to this school. My guess is that they sold a lot of that hardware to aid in their finances, back then it made sense given that nobody on board was practicing Sensha-Do anymore. They just needed the money."
Hearing that made Miho realize just how bad Ooarai must have been just a few years ago for any student that had an interest in the sport. She stopped in her line of thinking as her friend came to the front of her mind, how had it been for Yukari? A girl who loved this sport so much, somebody who loved nothing more than to practice it with her dearest of friends? How must it have been for her, to be at a school where you could not chase her passion?
A knock on the door eventually put an end to their little conversation.
Author's note: there you go folks, latest chapter for you all to read and enjoy. At least I can only hope that it was enjoyable for you.
I did say in the last chapter that we would be seeing more of the maidens of Shamrock soon, I bet you did not expect to see them this soon already. Now in my defence they were a lot of fun to write as they are a rather lively bunch, if somewhat chaotic in their manners.
This chapter had originally been planned to be released next month but as progress on the next chapter is going better than I thought, you're getting this chapter now. Yay for you lot.
As always I'm looking forward to hearing any thoughts, opinions, and whatever kind of rambling or abuse you feel would be appropriate to hurl in my general direction. If you spot anything or just want to talk, feel free to contact me.
Now with that all out of the way I wish you all a good time ahead. See you all next time and take care. Cheers.
