Enjoying the Festival With Everyone!

Ooarai school carrier – tank sheds – 13.40h Sunday

"Hello, Miho-san." A far too familiar voice called out to her, compelling her to turn around and see who it was, her heart beating with excitement as she recognised the voice. With her breath caught in her throat she stared at the person.

"I'm glad that I got to be here today, I wouldn't have wanted to miss this for the world."

Spinning on her heel Miho came to an abrupt halt as her eyes locked with those of the person who had called her name.

"... K-Koume-san...?" she spoke in surprise at the sight of an old friend from her former school standing there. "... But how? Why? I don't understand. Why did you come to our school today?"

"Well, I came to see you Miho-san. I did come to see your school as well of course, but mainly you. To be honest, I'm a little curious about how things are going for you."

"Me? But why?"

Koume returned her question with a warm smile on her face. "Shouldn't that be obvious, Miho-san? It's because I'm a little worried about you. You've heard the news right, about your sister?"

Freezing on the spot the girl did not know how to respond to that. In hindsight, she should have seen it coming that students at her former school were all aware of her sister's departure. She had not even brought this up to any of her friends, as she had hoped that she could have told them after the festival was over but it would seem that fate had a different plan. Still, she could not blame Koume for bringing the topic to the front.

"Yes, I have... she told me about it last week. I'm still having trouble accepting it, it's all so sudden. I ehm well I-"

"I know," Koume agreed. She could understand all too well how the girl opposite had to feel. "It wasn't easy for any of us either, sure we all knew it was coming at one point but that didn't prepare us for when she brought the news that she would leave Kuromorimine... we were all kinda, you know... shocked about it..."

Nodding her head Miho understood as well, to these girls the departure of their beloved commander had to be devastating. Her sister was the kind of commander who was able to inspire those under her command to push their limits, which was just who her sister was, and also why so many students from her former school idolise her.

But before she had the opportunity to inquire any further into the matter the two of them were joined by a quartet of girls who were only too keen to learn who this new arrival might be; their curiosity piqued when they had seen her talking to their friend.

"Hey, haven't we seen you from somewhere before?" Saori asked as there was something about this girl that seemed awfully familiar to her.

Making a bow towards the quartet of girls that had appeared, Koume introduced herself to them. "Good day everyone, it's a pleasure getting to meet all of you in person. My name is Akaboshi Koume and I'm a student at Kuromorimine Girls' Academy."

"Takebe Saori, it's a pleasure meeting you."

"Isuzu Hana, likewise."

"Ah! That's right!" Yukari cried out as it dawned on her. "You're the one who came to speak to Nishizumi-dono before the match against your school during the Nationals, am I right?"

"Yes," Koume answered. "That is correct. I'm glad to see that you still remember me."

"Excuse me," Hana interjected. "Weren't you also present with other students from your school in our match against the University Select Team?"

Nodding her head Koume answered. "Yes, I was in command of one of the Panthers that accompanied our commander towards the top of the hill."

The other girls were listening as they began to recall, there had been a group of four tanks from Kuromorimine that had come to their aid and there had been two Panthers as part of that group.

"Wait, you came under fire from that Karl thing, right? That must've been rough for you."

"Yes," Koume admitted with a hint of shame and disappointment present in her voice. "My tank was, along with the other Panther, its first victims. Everyone, I am sorry for not having been able to help you in the match, I still blame myself for having been the first to be knocked out in the match. For us to have come such a long way, only to be taken out so swiftly makes me feel ashamed of myself."

Miho could understand the frustration that Koume had to have gone through when she realised that she was out of the match, thereby no longer being able to aid the girl she had come to help.

"It's okay, Koume-san," Miho assured her. "There's nothing any of us could have done about that. Nobody could've known that they would bring something as absurd as that machine with them."

"Miporin's right, so please don't be too hard on yourself. You did the best you could and that is what matters. There's nothing for you to be ashamed of Akaboshi-san."

"I agree," Hana chimed in. "You came to help our school and that is all that matters."

"They're right!" Yukari declared with vigour. "You came to our aid, nobody could've asked for more! You deserve to be proud of yourself Akaboshi-dono!"

"... I uh... I don't know what to say..."

Saori nodded. "You don't have to; we all know that you came with the best intentions. We could not have asked more of you than that. Please allow us to show you our hospitality as a sign of our thanks to you."

Koume tried to object but the other girls would have none of it. In their opinion their guest had already done enough for the school to deserve special treatment. Of course, that did beg the question in what way they could best show her their sincerity.

"No, no, please," Koume waved her arms in front of her. "I couldn't possibly ask you to do that for me, it's nothing really. And besides, I don't feel like it'd be fair to all of the other people who have come to visit your school, it'd be wrong of me."

"Maybe so," Hana interjected. "But to us, it feels wrong not to thank you for your efforts. We all feel strongly about returning the gesture so please accept our offer."

Seeing the determination in their eyes Koume knew that they had her beaten, and as such she relented. To her, it was clear that these friends of Miho had made up their minds and they would not take no for an answer.

"Alright then, I'll gladly accept your offer," she told them with a smile on her face. "I know when I'm beaten. But please, don't go out of your way just for my sake, I only came here to see Miho-san after all."

The other girls exchanged looks, neither sure of how they would proceed from here on further. Then again, there was no immediate rush as the day was far from over; they could afford to take their time and come up with a proper way for them to express their gratitude to their guest.

For Miho, though it was somewhat different, she had not expected to see Koume here at Ooarai but now that she was here it only made sense to try and spend some time with her. But that was easier said than done as she still had her responsibilities to the other guests.

On the other hand, spending some time together with Koume might allow her to take her mind off some of the matters that had been troubling her for the past week. At least it might just allow her to put her mind at ease.

So absorbed she was in her own thoughts that Miho failed to notice that by now the topic of the conversation had shifted to her and that everybody was gazing at her.

"Hey, Miporin," Saori's eye darted over to her friend as she had a sudden idea, "Don't you think it might be a good idea to offer Akaboshi-san a little personal tour of our school? I mean she came all this way from Kuromorimine so it'd be really nice if you did something for her in return, don't you think."

"You think so?"

"Takebe-dono's right! It's only fair that you spend some time with Akaboshi-dono!"

Hana silently nodded in agreement with her friends, in her opinion there was no need to say any more on the topic that was so obvious. This girl had come from far to see her old friend so it only made sense to return the sincerity of her gesture. "I think that is a wonderful idea, Saori-san."

"Say ehm Koume-san, would you like a tour of our school? I wouldn't mind showing you around if that's okay with you," Miho made the offer, spurred on by her friends, though to be honest, she had been planning on this, her friends just got the jump on her.

"I'd be delighted to," the girl answered, visibly excited at the prospect of spending more time with her friend though she had not expected it to turn out this way. "After all, it's been a while since we last got to spend time together, hasn't it?"

"It has been," Miho agreed. "It must've been a year or so ago, I guess it makes sense for us to do something about that then, wouldn't you agree, Koume-san?"

The other girl could not help but let out a gentle chuckle at hearing that question.

"Alright, well, I guess that's settled then!" Saori, in her excitement, clapped her hands. "You two take good care of yourselves now! See you later!"

"Nishizumi-dono! Akaboshi-dono! You two have a good trip, take care!"

"See you later," was all that Mako said before she turned around and went to look for a quiet place. Besides, it was also starting to get a little too crowded for her taste.

"Have a pleasant time together," Hana said to the two girls in question, wishing them a good trip through the school. "We'll be looking forward to seeing you return, please stay safe and enjoy your stay at the festival."

Nodding her head Miho could not hide her embarrassment as her cheeks took on a few hues of pink, and even though she tried to conceal it from her friends their gazes told her enough.

"Thank you all so much for this," Koume voiced her thanks to the girls in front of her; this was more than she could have hoped for. "I'll be certain to remember this gesture."

"Not at all Akaboshi-san," Hana replied. "This is our way of thank you."

Saori nodded in agreement. "You've earned it, now go on and have a good time."

Saying their goodbyes the pair of Miho and Koume took their leave, exiting the tank sheds, they made a turn to their left before disappearing from sight.

With that, the remainder of the Anglerfish crew went back to their assigned task. They would hold the fort until Miho and her friend would return but for now, they still had a job to do.


Ooarai school carrier – tank sheds – 14.05h Sunday

"I wonder who that girl was. I know I've seen her before but I don't know where," Azusa let out as she had another look at the brunette who had suddenly turned up and was even now talking to Miho. "It almost looks like they've known each other for a long time..."

Along with her crew, she had retreated to the spot that had been set aside for the members of the senshado team to have a bit of rest and get something to eat. They had already quite a day behind them and right now the sextet of girls was enjoying their lunches, sharing as was so common for them, and with the festival in full swing there were so many treats.

"Who are you talking about?" Aya asked in surprise before she continued with her lunch.

"Huh?" Ayumi remarked, her mouth full with a piece of fried egg.

Shaking her head Azusa told her friends. "It's nothing really. Just that it feels like I've seen that girl who's talking to Nishizumi-senpai and the others. Doesn't she look familiar to you?"

Looking up from her lunch, still chewing as what she had just taken a bite off, Aya had a look in the direction of the older girls, doing her best at having a look at the unknown girl. Well, she did have to admit that the brown-haired girl did look familiar to her but she could not recall where she had seen her before.

"Does it really matter?"

"I guess not," Azusa admitted, followed by her letting out an exasperated sigh. "You're right, it doesn't matter. Hey, do you have any of those skewers left?"

"Ah yeah, here, have one."

"Thanks," Azusa said. "Ah, that looks so good. You know, I never thought there'd be this much great food available, I don't even know some of this stuff existed!"

"I know! Isn't it great?"

"You know," Yuuki remarked quickly. "I think that has to be because those girls from Anzio have several food stalls, they really know how to cook. I mean, you all recall how it was after we had our match against them in the Nationals, right?"

"Oh yes! Oh, that was so good back then, I felt like I was going to pop."

With the girls reminiscing on the fine quality of dining they had on that eventful day, Azusa lost her interest in the girl for the time being and turned her attention towards finishing her lunch.

"Still, you have to admit that it kinda sucks that we can't do anything with our tank," Ayumi let out with a sigh while holding a piece of fried chicken between her chopsticks. "We can't drive it around, we can't fire the gun. Ah, I so wish I could fire it... This isn't fair you know."

"I know," Azusa acknowledged. "But you know as well as I do that there's nothing we can do about that now. Just like Nishizumi-senpai said we've got to make the most of it."

Letting out a frustrated sigh which betrayed her feelings Ayumi nodded.

"Yeah but you've got to admit that it's boring," Aya chimed in. "All we're doing here is talking to people and answering their questions. We did that already yesterday, we're doing it again today, we're not doing anything else... this is so unfair you know."

"I know," Azusa admitted, and to be honest she was getting bored as well. Sure it was nice and all to be able to help their guests and answer any questions they might have but she could not deny that she missed going for a ride in their tank. "I miss it too; just being stuck here is starting to get a little boring."

"Yeah, I just want to take her for a spin," Karen gave voice to her frustration. "... I'm bored here..."

Azusa shot her a glance. "You shouldn't say that you know. Listen I know that it's not easy for any of you to be stuck here, believe me, I'd much rather be out there taking our tank for a ride as much as any of you. But we're still doing an important job by helping and informing our guests."

Letting out a sigh in unison, Aya and Ayumi were rolling their eyes at hearing that again. "We know that alright, you've said that before. We get it. Doesn't change how we feel okay?"

About to respond to her companions the group was disturbed as they got some unannounced company all of a sudden.

"Hey girls, how's it going?"

"A-Ah Takebe-senpai," Azusa shot out as she saw the girl standing there all of a sudden. "W-What brings you here? I didn't hear you coming."

"I just came checking up on you girls," Saori answered her. "So how are all of you holding out? You've been keeping yourselves busy with helping the guests? How has that been working for all of you"

"Ah yes senpai," Azusa shot to attention. "We've been helping and providing those guests who came to see the tank with explanations and additional information wherever we could but it wasn't easy."

"Oh, how so?"

"I know," Aya shot up. "Some of those girls asked some tricky questions you know. I don't even know what they meant when they asked me what it was like when you were all fighting against that other school in that train yard. I mean, we weren't even there."

Raising an eyebrow Saori could understand how such a question might be a little hard to answer for any of the first years, after all their tank had been largely absent from that fight.

"Or you know," Ayumi remarked. "Like if we're planning on replacing it with another tank? I mean like any of us got a clue when or even if that's possible. It's not like a brand new tank is just lying around."

"Aha."

"Yeah, and they're well how are you going to handle the Nationals next year? What tanks are you planning on buying for the team? Will you upgrade your current tanks? I mean how the heck can I know what our plans are! We don't know, I ain't got a clue what's going to come next okay."

Aya voiced her frustration." "You're so right, really annoying when they keep asking you this. Some of them even asked if I knew what tank they could drive next year. As if I'd know that."

Hearing all of the complaints Saori could well imagine that the crew of Rabbit must have had a hard time with such questions, though from the sound of it did seem that they had been able to answer most of those. It made her smile.

In all fairness Azusa and her crew had done more than could be asked of them, for their job was just as crucial as anybody else. Well, once the festival was over Saori planned to treat them to some sweets but for now, she would keep that a secret from them.

"Ehm, Takebe-senpai." With her hand raised Azusa hinted that there was something she wanted to ask. "Could you tell us a bit more about that girl; you know the one who was talking with Nishizumi-senpai earlier. I haven't seen her before. Who is she?"

"The girl who was talking to Miporin earlier? Oh, you must mean Akaboshi-san, am I right? Yes, she's a friend from school when Miporin was still at Kuromorimine."

Listening carefully to make sure that she did not lose any detail Azusa was captivated by the revelation. "So why is she here, did she come to see Nishizumi-senpai?"

"Yes, she came to visit her friend and see how she's doing. To be honest, though, I think she may also be a little worried about Miporin."

"Whoa...!" The other four girls led out in surprised amazement; to them, this might actually be the most exciting thing they had heard all day. Now here was a nugget of information that was worth their time.

"So senpai, did she come here to spy on us?" Yuuki blurted out, still seated at her spot with an air of innocence about her, as if she had not just asked a rather silly sounding question.

Saori sighed, not sure how she was supposed to answer that.

Luckily Azusa jumped to her aid.

"Don't be silly, Yuuki," she said. "Why would anybody from another school even come here to spy on us in the first place? They know what tanks we have, they know how many tanks we have, and they all know what there is to know about us."

"Uh-huh," the other girl replied. "So...?"

"What Sawa-chan means with that is that there's no reason for Akaboshi-san to come and spy on us. She's just here to see her old friend again and to be honest, I can't blame her for that, I know I'd do the same if I were in her shoes."

"Ooooooh..."

"So if I may ask Takebe-senpai, where exactly did Nishizumi-senpai go? I don't see her," Azusa asked.

"Miporin has gone with Akaboshi-san to give her a more personal tour of our school; I wouldn't be surprised if those two also have quite a bit of catching up to do. So please be good dears and give them some time alone."

"Yes senpai," the brunette said underneath her breath, it was not as if she refused to accept it but it just was something that felt odd to her. Then again, she knew very little about Miho's time at her former school. Maybe, once the festival was over, she could try and ask her.

"Anyway, you girls all enjoy your break," Saori said to them as she turned around. "And good luck for the remainder of the day. We're all there in case you need our help."

With her departure, a peaceful air reigned over the table for the next ten minutes, as the sextet of girls polished off what was left on their lunch. Enjoying the somewhat tranquil atmosphere Azusa began to wonder how she could best raise the point with Miho.

Taking a last sip from the can of soda she had brought with her, she knew that it was time. Their break was coming to an end anyway. Part of her was already looking forward to getting back into the action.

"Ughhh... It's almost time, I don't wanna," Ayumi drawled, not keen on sacrificing her comfortable seat. Nevertheless, her astute observation had a galvanizing effect on one person in particular.

"Alright, we need to get a move on then!" Azusa exclaimed. "Everybody finish what you're eating and clean up your plates. Let's do this!"

The others voiced their complaints but they still did as they had been told. For Rabbit, their little break had come to an end.


Ooarai school carrier – school hallways – 14.30h Sunday

Walking through the hallway on the second floor Miho and Koume were simply marvelling at the sight that greeted them. Taking it all in, they were simply left devoid of words to express their amazement.

There was simply far too much for them to see, and even with them spending the bare minimum of time at each classroom time was not slowing down. It was a testament to all of the hard work that so many students had put into their assigned projects.

"Wow, your school really is something Miho-san," Koume let out as she was amazed at the sight she was taking in. "We'd never have anything like this back at Kuromorimine, it's a shame you know."

Miho nodded in silent agreement, she had seen it for herself. Sure there were festivals at her former school like any other but they were different in a way, it was hard to describe, and to be honest she did not feel like trying to. Besides, she was keen on enjoying this festival.

"I can imagine that things must've been hard for all of you, I mean given how much work all of this must've been for you." She was visibly impressed by what she was seeing.

That was something that Miho could relate to, over the course of the past week she had been impressed on an almost daily basis. So many students had given it their all to get their projects finished for this weekend.

"Personally, I think it's really impressive what all of you have managed to pull off for this festival. To me, you all deserve to be proud of your efforts.

In a way, it had left Miho a little guilty about having had much less work to do than some of the others, overall the team had had it rather easy which stood in such contrast given the important role that had been assigned to them.

"Thank you..." Miho said softly.

"So how long have you been preparing for all this?"

"To be honest I don't really know, for us in the Senshado team it was about two weeks ago that we started practising but I have no idea when the others did, though I suppose that the Festival Committee must've been busy way longer than us."

"I guess that makes sense, at Kuromorimine there's also a lot that needs to be discussed first by a committee before anybody can get to work on it. Guess there's always going to be some similarities no matter where you go, don't you think?"

Miho had to chuckle as she heard, her friend certainly had a point there. "That's true, but despite there being similarities both schools are still pretty different though."

"Yes, you're right about that of course." Koume agreed. "The atmosphere here at Ooarai is a lot different than how it is at Kuromorimine, I can't really describe it but it's definitely different. I wonder if this is what allowed you to flourish."

"It might be but to be honest I've never really given it much attention. I'm just having too much fun here, ever since I came to this school things have been going better for me."

"I know, and I'm really glad to see that you're doing better. I can't express how happy I am to see that you were able to get over what happened to you in the past."

"So am I."

Smiling as she continued her talk with Koume, Miho came to feel a lot better. This was a rare occasion for her, talking with a friend from her former school, and not something she had thought would happen any time soon. To her, it was a sign that this was going to be a nice day, and one she would treasure for a long time.

"You know I could really do with something to drink," Koume let out after a while. "My throat feels a little dry. Do you know if there's a stall nearby where we could get something to drink, Miho-san?"

"Huh?"

That question had come out of the blue and Miho was without an answer, there could be one right around the corner but she had no way of knowing. Well, knowing the Student Council they had likely made sure that there would be stalls for drinks at regular intervals so that the guests would at any one time be able to easily get a drink.

"Well, I guess we could get a drink. I think there should be a stall nearby, knowing Prez and the others there must be one nearby."

"You think so?"

"I do," Miho answered and began to explain how she had gotten to know the student council pretty well ever since that first eventual encounter. "You might not say but they're all pretty committed to making this school the best school there is for its students. So, there's no way that they haven't put down enough stalls for food and drinks."

It made Koume laugh, knowing well that her friend must be correct. "Okay, if you say so."

"Kawashima-senpai can be a little scary but once you get to know her you can see that she's a kind person. And Koyama-senpai, well, she is always so understanding of others."

"Uh-huh."

"And Prez, well she's kinda unique you can say."

It made her raise an eyebrow before she asked. "Unique? In what way?"

Miho gazed at the sky outside of the window. "How do I answer that? Well, I guess you would have to see for yourself. Prez is really special in her own way. If you first meet her you might be left thinking that she's only lazing around, never doing anything. But the truth is different, she's a hard worker. I think she works harder than anybody in this school."

Staying quiet and listening to what her friend had to say, Koume was wondering if next to people that Miho called her friends this student council may have also played a role in the girl's rekindled love of the sport. "I wonder..."

"About what?"

"Oh nothing, I was just musing a little," Koume said quickly, rubbing the back of her head in the process. "Just ignore what I said. Now, about those drinks. Aren't you thirsty, Miho-san?"

"Huh, me? Well, I guess."

"Great!" Koume clapped her hands. "Let's go then shall we?"

With somewhat renewed vigour the pair in question set off in pursuit of a means to satisfy their growing thirst. Leaving the main entrance of the school the two of them were now making their way towards where they knew a good portion of the stalls had been placed.

Her friend now taking the lead Miho was left wondering what it was that Koume had been mumbling about, and even though a part of her was curious to find out she was also aware enough that she should not ask further. It would be something for another time.

"Get your drinks here folks! Cool and refreshing!" Someone could be heard shouting from around the nearest corner.

"Did you hear that?" Koume asked.

Miho nodded. "I did. I guess we found one."

Quickening their pace the duo was staying the course that was going to take them towards their common objectieve, the as of yet unknown drink stall. Only a few more meters were between them and the corner where it lied.

But barely had the two girls rounded the corner or Miho came to an abrupt halt, as an encounter that neither she nor Koume could have anticipated occurred.

"Hey there Miho! Great to see you again! Oh before I forget I loved that speech of yours! It was so exciting and exhilarating! Ah, I'm still totally pumped from it!"

Letting out a surprised, "E-Eh? K-Kay-san?" Miho could not believe her eyes as she found herself confronted by a most peculiar sight; one that seemed so excessive that it made her question as to why this was even here in the first place.

It was a trailer, a large trailer mounted on a double axis, one that had been converted to fulfill an altogether different purpose. With its side wide open and the interior inside being taken up by an assortment of equipment that would not be at amiss at a fancy bar or something, it certainly was an odd curiosity to gaze at.

"Miho-san, what is that? It's certainly odd," Koume remarked as she took in the sight. For her this was certainly something out of the ordinary, there was no chance that a vehicle like this would ever make an appearance at her school. "Still, this is quite a sight."

"It sure is," Miho agreed. Looking further across the trailer she noted that this must have been a rather expensieve conversion. Certainly not something that would be feasible for a school such as Ooarai, but Saunders was an all together different beast when it came to finances.

She could not imagine what kind of figure would match the money spent on it, that said, she could also not deny that perhaps it had cost far more than it had any right to. Still, to Miho this did kinda feel like a typical Saunders move. She was not sure how to feel about that.

Approaching the two girls Kay smiled. "Ah, the mood here is just to die for! This is such a cool festival you got going on here Miho! Not as cool as ours but still pretty cool! Anyway, what can I get ya?"

"... I-I don't understand," Miho let out in her surprise before unleashing a barrage of questions at the blonde. "How are you here? For that matter, why are you here? A-Are you actually selling drinks here? And what's even more, why are you wearing that outfit to begin with?"

"Yes!" the girl in question declared with pride.

Blinking Koume was just as confused about what was transpiring as her friend said she knew that the blonde girl was none other than the commander of the famous Saunders senshado team. And much like Koume, this girl had come to the aid of her friend's school.

"... So Kay-san, what exactly is this?" Miho uttered while she was pointing at the over-the-top-looking drink stall in front of them. "What exactly is this supposed to be? I mean it kinda looks like a drink stall but this is way too excessive if you ask me."

"But it is! The best soft drinks money can buy this side of the planet!"

"Uh-huh...?"

Looking past the boastful blonde Miho repeated her question. "So that is a drink stall?"

"Isn't that obvious!" Kay declared with pride. "We're here to lend Ooarai Girls' Academy a helping hand! To make sure that your guests have full access to the best drinks that money can offer! We've spared no expense! Hah, I can tell you the people love it!"

"W-Wait? What?" Miho was dumbstruck; what and where did this come from all of a sudden? She had an odd feeling, an ominous sense of déjà-vu, this was starting to look a little too much like her prior encounter with Anchovy and the other girls from Anzio.

Noting the girl in front of her getting a little anxious Kay just wrapped an arm around her as she reassured her that there was nothing for her to worry about. "Don't worry, it's all fine. We got a call if we wanted to lend a hand and as we had nothing better to do we came."

"J-Just like that?" Koume dared to ask. "That seems a little... you know..."

"Just like that!" Kay gave them the thumbs up. "And besides I had a hunch that this was gonna be a fun festival and would you know. It is! I'm really glad that we came over for this party of yours!"

Laughing nervously Miho was asking herself where Kay had the idea that this was a party. Then again, for some people here the festival was likely closer to a party than anything else, and if any people were of that mindset it had to be Kay and her fellow students from Saunders.

"... So ehm Kay-san, what kind of drinks do you have?" Asking the question Miho was already dreading the potential answer she was going to get. She knew she would come to regret this in one form or another.

Sporting the biggest grin that Miho had ever seen the blonde wrapped an arm around the pair and began to guide them towards the bar. "Ha! Just you wait and see! You're so never going to believe what I got on offer! Your taste buds are gonna be knocked out of this world!"

Exchanging a quick worried look with her friend Miho was of the opinion that despite her wide smile Kay's words were anything but reassuring.

"Ah don't worry!" Kay exclaimed. "It's nothing dangerous or anything. I mean this still's Japan so there are rules we have to follow and all."

Breathing a sigh of relief Koume was visibly glad hearing the blonde say that. Already she had been dreading that perhaps the boisterous girl might offer them something illegal.

"You know Miho," Kay let out. "I'm really enjoying myself here at Ooarai. There's nothing I love more than enjoying a Festival with everyone!"

"Uh-huh," Miho responded. "Same for me."


Ooarai school carrier – school grounds – 15.10h Sunday

"There you go, Momo-chan," Yuzu said to the girl as she placed a soft drink down in front of her. "I hope you like it, it has a rather unique flavour to it I should add."

"... Please, don't call me that..." the girl in question mumbled underneath her breath. "And ehm thank you..."

Yuzu just smiled and offered her some words of comfort. "That's okay, Momo-chan. I know that you've been pretty busy for most of the day. So if you don't mind me asking, how did it go?"

Letting out an exasperated sigh Momo began to list the myriad of troublemakers that she had dealt with in sequential order. From the sound of her voice, it was clear that she was just feeling run down from it all.

"Honestly, damn those people... Damn those idiots from the Astrology club... I hate them so much... If any of them would just use their damn brains for even a second I wouldn't be running around... Ah, I swear that I'll show no mercy whatsoever to the next miscreant..." she grumbled underneath her breath.

Hearing her friend's plight Yuzu was wondering who she should be feeling the sorriest for, either her dear friend who was spent or the unfortunate person who would happen to cross said friend's warpath next. There was a certain grim inevitability to it.

"Well, I'm sure you'll feel a lot better if you were to rest for a bit. Just stay here and allow yourself some much-needed rest. You're definitely in need of it I can tell you."

"... T-Thanks..." Momo was simply at her wit's end, with all of the running around and issues that she had to resolve on the spot it was little wonder that she found herself to be in a particularly foul mood. And to think that this year was far from over, there was no telling what could be transpiring at this very moment.

"Is there something else I can get you? Maybe something to eat?" the brunette asked while her gaze was drawn to a couple of girls who were enjoying some of the snacks they had bought from one of the nearby food stalls.

Waving her hand Momo made it clear that she really was not in the mood for anything to eat, having lost her appetite due to all of the stress she had been having.

"You sure, I wouldn't mind getting you some? And besides, Momo-chan, it's not good for your health to not eat anything. It's a pretty busy day for all of us in the Student Council so we need to keep our strength up."

A cold shiver ran down Momo's back the moment she heard the subtle change in her friend's tone. How could one's voice be so caring and threatening at the same time? Not even daring to look up for fear of what she might see, the black-haired girl was contemplating her few remaining options.

"Momo-chan, is there something wrong?"

"N-No, there's nothing wrong!" The afflicted girl shot up straight in response, her body moving by an instinctive fear of might happen otherwise. "A-Ah... I uh... Ehm, I think I would like to have something to eat. O-Oh I am feeling so hungry all of a sudden would you know."

"Is that so?" Yuzu's face, and more importantly her smile, betrayed no emotion. It made one wonder how it was possible for a girl's smile to be so warm and at the same time be oh so cold. Not saying a word the brunette just merely stared at her friend with a look so utterly unamused it went beyond terrifying, and Momo swore that he could see wisps of malicious intent seep from behind her friend's eyes.

"Oh?" the girl said, her ponytail moving in sync with the movements of her head. "Is that so?"

"Y-Y-Yes!"

"Good," Yuzu remarked. "Now please wait while I go and get some refreshment for us, Momo-chan~."

Watching her friend leave Momo began to feel a bit at ease, at least for the time being. She still did not have much of an appetite thanks to all of the problems she had to deal with; she was tired, exhausted, and right now she could do with a little rest.

"... Maybe it's not that bad... to eat something while I can..." she said underneath her breath while she craned her neck back to gaze at the sky overhead. "This is nice..."

Closing her eyes she allowed the gentle breeze to caress her face while the scent of the ocean tickled her nostrils, not that she was bothered by it, she had long ago become accustomed to it. Left like this she lost all track of time as the minutes went past her, leaving her in a state of silent comfort.

That was, from somewhere in the distance, came the telltale sound of her Yuzu voice. Calling out her name she knew that her fleeting moment of peace had ended. Then again the prospect of having a meal and the company of her friend was just as appealing.

"Here you go, Momo-chan."

"... T-Thanks," Momo uttered as she brought up the bottle of juice to sip it, it was not like it was anything special but she was grateful for it nevertheless. And it did seem that the small act of accepting her friend's offer had gone some way to appease Yuzu's mood. "Still, you shouldn't have gotten me an extra-large one you know. A medium-sized one would have been good enough for me."

"Ah but Momo-chan it's really important to make sure that you keep yourself sufficiently hydrated throughout the day. And Momo-chan you have a nasty habit of forgetting to drink regularly when you're busy."

With a lump stuck in her throat, Momo opted to not say a thing in return. Just casually, or at least trying to, taking sips from her drink. That was about all she could do at the moment, she was not going to risk upsetting the girl opposite her.

"... So ehm, thank you, for this I mean," Momo uttered while she hinted at the sandwich that Yuzu had brought along for her. "I really appreciate it. You were right."

Leaning a little closer, Yuzu said. "Oh, what's this? Could you repeat that for me Momo-chan? I couldn't quite hear what you just said."

Letting out an exasperated sigh Momo just gave in. "F-Fine," She grumbled. "You were right and I'm sorry, okay. You were right that I needed to get something to eat. There I said it okay, are you happy now?"

"Huh? Well, I wouldn't not be unbothered by it."

Shooting her companion a disapproving glance Momo did her best to bite back a snappy remark about her friend needing to make up her mind. It was fortunate that she was successful as the mood of said friend left to doubt what the possible repercussions might be.

"Is there a problem, Momo-chan?" the girl said.

"... No, nothing..."

"It is peaceful, don't you think?" Yuzu asked with a somewhat melancholic expression on her face. "I'm going to miss this place, I've spent so long here and now it's all of a sudden coming to an end. I should've seen this coming though I guess I was just…"

"… Y-Yeah…" Momo admitted before having another sip. She had not come to terms with leaving this place yet she knew that it was going to happen. "We all knew it was going to happen at some point, we know it, yet somehow when it's already staring us in the face we're surprised."

"Please don't say that, honestly that makes it sound all so ominous."

Yuzu could do little but shrug her shoulders; maybe she was feeling a little melancholic at the moment though could anybody really blame her for that. There was just a lot going on in their lives at the moment, a girl could do with a little airing now and then.

"So do you think we can make this work? I mean what those representatives from MEXT proposed?" She changed the subject. "I still don't know what to make of it."

Momo shook her head. "I don't know, we don't even have the faintest idea of what this German team supposedly has. We know nothing about them which is going to make it that much harder to plan for it but I…" she trailed off, exhausted from the day.

"You what?"

"I fear that this is not going to be a problem for us. For you or me I mean. Or for the prez for that matter. That is what I'm afraid of."

Yuzu was a little puzzled by that answer. "How come?"

Clearing her throat before answering Momo said, "Because we're not likely going to be here when that match is going to take place. There's just no way that they're going to pull off making all of the required arrangements for that match before we graduate from Ooarai."

"You're not saying what I think you are?"

"I am," Momo answered. "This is something that we're going to have to entrust to Nishizumi and the others. They're the ones who are going to have to pull this off; we're not going to be able to help them when the time comes."

"That doesn't make me feel proud as their senpai." It did not sit well with Yuzu knowing that they were going to have to leave such an important matter to their successors to resolve. One could be forgiven for getting the impression that the current student council was just dropping this in the laps of others, not the kind of impression she would want her last semester to be remembered by. "I don't like the idea of that, Momo-chan."

"Neither do I," the other girl admitted. "Believe me I do. I don't want to leave this to others to take care of any more than you do. It doesn't feel right to me, as if we're irresponsible."

The brown-haired girl nodded in agreement. "Yeah... So what do you think we should do?"

Nodding her head in recognition of that question, the black-haired girl merely adjusted her monocle without answering it. With Momo adopting a thinking pose it became clear that Yuzu had asked her the kind of question that even she had trouble with finding an answer for.

"... I uh... I don't know..."

"The same goes for me sadly," the brunette admitted.

"Do you think that the Prez knows what to do?"

The girl just sighed. "I wish I knew. Maybe she does and maybe she doesn't, just like us."

Shooting her friend an exasperated glance Momo shook her head. "That isn't funny."

"I know, Momo-chan."

"Ugh..."

For both of them this was an unpleasant subject to discuss, and one that might be better suited at a later time and place. With so many people around it would not do either of them any good if word of this were to already get out, for now, the secret had to be kept.

And besides, with the festival in full swing, it would be best for them to focus their efforts on making it the success they were all hoping for.

Breathing out an exasperate-sounding sigh Momo took another swig of her drink, offering herself only a brief moment to savour the cool drink.

Looking around Yuzu could tell that the area was alive with people, mostly guests and students from other schools who had come to visit but also some who had simply had a job to do. It was quite a hive of activity, and everywhere she looked there was something that caught her interest. "You think we're able to do what we set out to do?"

I have no idea," Momo grumbled after which she emptied the last of her drink. "Honestly I've been running around so much that I've had no opportunity to get an idea on how many visitors we even have present here."

Yuzu could not help but chuckle as she heard her friend complain. "Well, you've been really busy haven't you, Momo-chan?"

"Can you please stop calling me that? Oh, just forget it."

"Hmm?"

Just shaking her head Momo knew that her friend was feigning ignorance but there was little that she could do about it, and besides, she was a little too tired to go and waste her energy on a fruitless endeavour. She was going to find herself running from one place to another before the day would be over.

"Well, I should be going,' Momo let out as she pushed herself to her feet. "There's plenty left for me to do anyway. No doubt there's something going wrong somewhere or at least somebody is in dire need of a good scolding."

"Same here, make sure that you look after yourself, Momo-chan," Yuzu said in return. "I have an appointment of my own that I need to take care of.

"I'll see you later.'

"Take care then."


Ooarai school carrier – school hallways – 16.10h Sunday

Continuing their journey through the school Miho and Koume were both noticing that fatigue was starting to catch up to them, having spent all of their time walking around it came as no surprise that they either needed some rest.

"Hey, Koume-san?" Miho addressed the point. "Would it be alright with you if we were to grab a seat somewhere? I'd like to rest or a bit if that's alright with you?"

Koume gazed at her friend. "Ah, yeah, sure. I guess we've been at it for so long that it couldn't hurt to take a break."

"Thank you."

"Please, you don't have to thank me Miho-san. Now, do you know of a spot where we could go?"

Miho gave it some thought, she did not know of any immediate spot they could go to but it would not surprise her if somewhere up ahead would be a suitable spot for them to catch their breath. "I think we should just continue this way, there's bound to be one."

"Okay," Koume said in return. "Then we'll do just that. To be honest I could do with a little break myself. After all that walking we did I don't mind having a chance to rest my feet."

"I know."

After having left the Saunders' drink stand the pair had continued their track through the school, with their immediate thirst satiated they had gone exploring the myriad of stands and clubs that had been set up along this wing of the building.

There had been more than enough for them to see and experience, and while most of it had been very entertaining it had also made both of them oblivious to the time. And by now both of them were feeling the fatigue from having walked around most of the day catching up.

"Ah, I think I can see a sign there," Koume remarked as she spotted it first. "It looks like a class has set up a small cafe over there."

"Oh, that sounds good."

Steadily making their way towards the sign the two girls were glad that they could catch their breath for a moment. They had been at it long enough so a well-earned break was definitely in order.

Koume's left eye twitched as she read the sign. "Does it say here what I think it does?"

"Huh, what does it say?" Leaning in closer Miho was curious what her friend could be hinting at. "Oh... I see. So it's a maid cafe."

Neither girl knew how to react to this but both of them had to admit that they were rather curious to find out what exactly it was that went on inside the classroom. Going inside they braced themselves for what they might find.

Looking at the maids who were serving the customers for a moment Miho could not deny that she found their uniforms to look pretty cute. It was all too easy to imagine how her friend Saori would be reacting if she were here.

Making a courteous bow to welcome them, one of the maids spoke, "Welcome miladies. Please take a seat where you would like. A maid will be with you shortly to take your order."

Taking in some of the details of the uniforms she got the idea that these had likely been ordered at a shop or such as they were all pretty similar to each other in appearance, though there were some minor differences in the finer details.

"Oh so this is what it must be at a maid cafe," Koume said cheerfully as she sat down and gazed around the room. "We definitely don't have anything like this at Kuromorimine and I've never visited one on the mainland either. Have you?"

"Huh me? Ah no, I've never been to one before either. I suppose it's my first. But a friend of mine did want to do a panzer maid cafe for the festival."

Koume laughed as she heard that. "Really? How did she think that one up?"

"I've got no idea," Miho admitted as she shrugged her shoulders. "But she had already gotten herself a complete maid outfit with you know like gloves, stockings, apron, everything."

The other girl's eyes widened. "So ehm, how did it look? I'm a little curious you know."

Seeing Koume's sudden reaction made Miho chuckle. "I admit it was a little weird at first but that outfit she had was really pretty, she also had these cute maid-style thigh high socks. They looked so adorable."

"Wow," her friend said underneath her breath. "Sounds like your friend really likes cute clothes, doesn't she? I mean she went all in for that outfit. Kinda makes me wish I could meet her."

Miho blinked. "But you already did. You met her already in the tank sheds, remember. She was the first one to introduce herself."

"Wait, you mean her? That's the friend you're referring to?" Koume was quick to ask. "Well, I didn't expect that. She didn't strike me as that kind of person. Guess that shows that I don't really know them all that well do I."

"..."

"No, it's okay," Koume remarked in answer to that silence. "I mean, I've barely spoken to them. I'm ashamed to admit that I don't know much about your life here, and know even less about your friends. Even though they're really important to you..."

"... Koume-san... I..."

"You don't have to say anything, it is the truth. You shouldn't apologise to me, you already went through so much trouble just to show me around your school. You've done more for me that I could've asked for, Miho-san..." Leaning back in her seat Koume found herself feeling guilty for imposing so much on her friend. Honestly, she had already gotten more than she could have asked for.

Seeing her friend's expression, Miho grew worried. "Are you alright?"

"I am," Koume answered. "Thank you for asking though."

The sound of approaching footsteps put an end to their little conversation and drew their attention towards one of the maids who was making her way towards their table.

"Good day miladies, how may I serve you?" a maid asked as she came to a halt at their table. "Is there anything that you wish to order from the menu?"

Having a look at the menu Miho just went for something simple. "Thank you. If possible I'd like the carrot cake and a milk tea."

"Yes, milady."

"I'll have the strawberry cheesecake and a black tea thank you."

"Understood milady. I will return shortly with your order," the maid said, making a bowing before leaving.

"You know I was a little nervous at first," Koume admitted. "Did it do that for you as well, Miho-san? I just can't get used to being called milady all the time, it feels... weird. Do you know what I mean? Huh, Miho-san?"

From the corner of her eye, a curious sight caught Miho's attention and as she slightly turned her head to catch a glimpse, she paid no attention to what her companion said to her. It was an odd sight and one that she could not place.

Still puzzled by the sight she leaned back towards Koume and whispered. "Do you think that is who I think it is? Over there at that table near the window in the back."

"Who?"

Pointing in the direction of a table where a trio of girls was seated Miho said. "I think they might be from Gloriana but I can't imagine why they might be here.

Koume raised her eyebrows. "Wait, you mean as in the St. Gloriana Girls' College? Why would any of their students come and visit your school in the first place? I have to say that seems a little odd. Don't you think?"

Miho did not have an answer to that question; she did not see a reason for why any student of such a prestigious school would come to visit Ooarai. "True, but their table manners are rather different from most people and just look how they're holding the teacups."

"Well's true, the students of Gloriana are well-known for their immaculate table etiquette and I doubt other schools would put efforts into those. Still, it feels odd that students of that school would be here."

"Maybe you're right..."

Maybe she had been mistaken; perhaps what Koume had said was true. After all, it made little sense for any students of a school as prestigious as S Gloriana Girl's College to be present here. And yet Miho could not ignore that there was something off about that particular trio of girls she was seeing.

Pulled from her thoughts as the maid returned with their order Miho pushed the matter to the back of her mind. But for now, she would enjoy the tea and cake she had ordered.

"Excuse me milady but this is for you," a girl said, in a most polite manner, as she placed two cups of tea gently on their table. "This is the finer tea that they have on offer here. Please enjoy it; it is my treat."

"Huh? But we-." Miho froze as she saw who it was standing next to her.

"Hello Nishizumi-san," the girl known as Orange Pekoe greeted her. "I'm glad that we got to meet here and not the tank sheds instead. I feel that a conversation here would be more pleasant than over there."

"... Miho-san?" Koume whispered. "Is this who I think it is? I didn't know that you were so familiar with any students from St. Gloriana Girls' College. When exactly did this happen?"

"Ah, but we don't know each other that well, unfortunately," Pekoe corrected the girl. "So far we have only met on brief occasions, and it has always been in the presence of Darjeeling-sama. I am Orange Pekoe, and who do I have the pleasure of speaking to, if I may ask?"

"My name is Akaboshi Koume and I'm a student at Kuromorimine Girls' Academy. It is a pleasure meeting you."

"Likewise Akaboshi-san," Pekoe said in return. "It is a delight to make your acquaintance. To be honest, though I hadn't expected to meet a student of your school today but I'm glad that we got this opportunity. If I may inquire, what brought you to Ooarai today, Akaboshi-san?"

"Oh but that's really simple actually." With those words, Koume turned an eye towards her friend on the opposite of the table and gave her a quick wink.

"... H-Huh...?"

The confused expression on her friend's face made Koume chuckle. "Oh I'm sorry but your face just now was priceless. It's been so long since I last saw you make such a face, this school really has done wonders for you."

Miho could not help but blush, her cheeks turning reddish in response.

Laughing about it in an amusing way the trio of girls were enjoying themselves.

"So Pekoe-san, are you visiting Ooarai on your own?"

"Oh no, I am here with a few students from our school, they are still seated at the table over there." Hinting at the table where she had previously been seated, Pekoe made mention of her two companions. "The one near the window is Rosehip-san and the other is Rukuriri-san."

Looking to where the girl was pointing Miho and Koume could see to who Pekoe was referring to, a girl with pinkish-red hair who sat next to the window and the other, a brunette with her long hair tied in a braid over one of her shoulders. It was a bit strange to see any of the maidens of Gloriana without their usual attire though it made sense for them to wear something more casual.

"I'm sorry for asking this but why are you all here?" Miho was a little curious to hear their story though with the way the weekend had been going it would not surprise her in the least if they had also been invited by Anzu.

"Nothing in particular, Nishizumi-san," Pekoe answered. "We were just told that we should pay a visit to your school and as this weekend would happen to your school festival it was decided that it would offer a good opportunity."

Koume raised a cautious eyebrow. "Who told you actually?"

"Why Darjeeling-sama herself of course. Who else?"