The Festival Draws to a Close!

Ooarai school carrier – tank sheds – 15.40h Sunday

Keeping herself occupied with helping the guests there was a curious sight that grabbed Saori's attention; from the corner of her eyes, she caught a glimpse of an odd couple approaching the Panzer IV, one a young girl and the other an elderly man.

'Huh, that's odd, I didn't expect to see that,' went through her mind as she saw it.

Keeping the odd pair in her sight she saw how the man walked up till he was right next to the tank and gently placed his right hand on the tank's front glacis before the man began to shake, which caused the young girl to rush up to him and support him.

'What is happening with him, I don't understand what is going on here? I guess I'll go and have a talk with them. See if they're alright.' Was the only thought that remained after she had seen that, all that mattered to her now was to make sure that the man was alright and perhaps gain a few answers.

Excusing herself from her current guests she quickly made her way over towards where the elderly man and the young girl stood. 'I hope it's nothing serious, that'd be bad.'

Seeing the man steady himself did give her a sense of relief but she was still going ahead with her intentions. Better safe than sorry as people would say.

"Ehm excuse me, are you alright? You looked like you were having trouble," Saori said as she came to a halt in front of the couple. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"Oh, ah, I ehm..." the girl fell quiet quickly, seeming to be startled by her sudden appearance.

Greeting her the man gently made a bow towards Saori before he said, "That is very kind of you young miss, my emotions just got the better of me for a moment there. I am quite fine, thank you for your concern."

Having a closer look at the man Saori had to admit that he seemed to be in rather good shape, even though he was using a cane he did not give her the impression that he had trouble standing.

"The name is Ootsuka Hayato, it is my pleasure to meet your acquaintance," the man said while introducing himself, after which he made the gesture for the young girl to do the same. "And this little lass over here is my granddaughter. Go and introduce yourself to the young lady here."

Taking a few cautious steps forward the girl made a deep bow before loudly introducing herself. "I, ehm, I am Ootsuka Mami, i-it's a pleasure meeting you senpai!"

"... Oh, eh right. It's a pleasure meeting the two of you as well. I'm Takebe Saori, I'm a member of the school senshado team, and I just happen to be part of this tank's crew." Hinting at the Panzer IV next to her, Saori could not help but notice that the eyes of the girl, who had introduced herself as Mami, were getting bigger.

"Wow, you're part of Anglerfish right?" the girl asked while her excitement was obvious.

From the corner of her eye, Saori could just see the old man have a little chuckle. "Uh-huh, yes, I'm the radio operator. I've been with the tank since our school restarted senshado."

"So you took part in the Nationals, did you senpai?! That's so cool!"

Rubbing the back of her head Saori was not sure how to react to that. Sure, she was happy that she was getting some attention but honestly she had mixed feelings about it being this girl.

"So, em, Ootsuka-chan, oh is it alright if I call you that?" Saori asked the girl.

Nodding her head Mami said, "Sure, that's fine with me senpai."

Somehow Saori was not left with the impression that this girl was a student at their school as she looked a little too young for that although Saori did guess that she might join their school next year. "So Ootsuka-chan, what brings you and your grandfather to our school?"

Fidgeting a little, the girl gave off the impression that she was a little shy about answering that question.

Risking a glance at the elderly man Saori could just see him offer a short nod, giving her the answer to her question.

"It's okay dear," she said to Mami in return. "You don't have to answer that if you don't want to. So are you and your grandfather enjoying yourselves here at Ooarai?"

"Ah yes!" Mami was quick to say. "The people here are really friendly and the opening speech that the team captain gave was so cool with the way the tank fired!"

That seemed to get the girl to open up, prompting a chuckle from the old man. "Ojii-chan told me that obaa-chan used to drive a tank just like yours!"

"Oh, did she?" Saori asked. "And where is your obaa-chan then? Is she with you as well or is she at home?"

As open as the girl had been just moments before, she closed up, her head cast down. It puzzled Saori for a moment. Turning her attention to the older man she got the confirmation that she was dreading.

"My wife," he said. "She is sadly not with us anymore. She passed away last year. When she was young she also studied at this school, she was also a member of the school's senshado team back then. Ah, she was quite something." The man began to smile.

"Oh, I am terribly sorry to hear. My condolences for your loss," Saori said in return while making a deep bow to both the man and the girl as a sign of her respect. She was feeling somewhat ashamed of herself for having been careless, in hindsight she should have been more attentive.

"It's alright ojo-san," the man reassured her with a warm smile on his face. "My wife lived a long and happy life. She had no regrets. We always made it our goal to enjoy our lives to the fullest."

Hearing the man's reassurance Saori was feeling a little better but she could not entirely ignore that uneasy feeling she was having in the pit of her stomach. And yet she could not deny that she found herself admiring the late woman for her stance on life.

"Your wife, she sounds like quite a woman," she said.

The man chuckled. "She was, she was something alright. She did not make it easy for me at first; she had quite a fiery temper and ambitions. But I never came to regret every second I got to spend with her."

The man was smiling, a warm and gentle smile, the kind of smile that came when a person was thinking back to happy memories. It was quite heart-warming to see.

"My wife has always been passionate about the sport; she passed on that passion to our daughter and our granddaughter here. Mami-chan has been really awed with what your school has done, so much that she has been pestering her parents to allow her to come to Ooarai."

"O-Ojii-san..." the girl whimpered before her face turned beet red.

It was clear that the man had said something that was making the girl quite embarrassed though he certainly had meant it in the best possible way. Any person could tell that this man loved his granddaughter more than anything in the world.

"And what about your parents, dear?"

"They couldn't make it, they're both busy with their jobs," the girl said in a dejected tone. Just from the tone of her voice, it was clear that the girl had not been happy with it. Tears were forming in the corners of her eyes.

Exchanging a glance with the girl's grandfather Saori could see that the man was also disapproving of it but from his expression, it did seem that there were good reasons for their absence.

Kneeling in front of the girl, Saori gave her a handkerchief. "Well, I'm sure your parents would've liked to see you smile. So what do you say if I wipe those tears and let you smile again, would you like that?"

"... U-Uh-huh..." the girl sobbed.

"It's okay dear~" She reassured the girl. "Here, let me dry those tears for you..."

Gently wiping away the tears Saori did feel pity for the girl but on the bright side she knew with her grandfather being here she knew that Mami was going to be fine. But before she would see them off Saori would make sure that both would have a good time here.

Getting back up on her feet and extending her to Mami she said. "Would you like me to give you a personal tour of our tanks, Ootsuka-chan?"

"Yes!" the girl beamed.

As so Saori took the couple along with her as she gave them a tour around each and every single one of the tanks that Ooarai had at its disposal, taking her sweet time so as to allow her guests to take it all in.

Doing this Saori lost all sense of time, and when the moment had come that the couple had to say their goodbyes close to an hour had gone by. And even though the pair had been immensely enjoying the private tour, they did want to go and see more of the school by themselves. As such, and with a heavy heart Saori said her goodbyes to the two of them.

"They were such nice people; I really hope that Ootsuka-chan will come to our school. I'd love to talk to her again." She was smiling, she could not help it, and this had been more enjoyable than she could have thought.

But as pleasant as her thoughts were, the sound of an approaching voice pulled from her thoughts and as Saori turned around to see who it was who had been calling her she was in for a bit of a surprise.

"Ah Takebe-san, there you are," Yuzu said as she made her appearance back in the tank sheds, "Would you happen to know where I could find Nishizumi-san? There's somebody with me who would like to talk with her."

"She isn't here at the moment, Koyama-senpai. But maybe I can help you out."

"Greetings, I'm Ou Taiga from the Broadcasting Club. I came here with a request for an interview with Nishizumi Miho," the brown-haired girl introduced herself.

Listening to what the brunette had to say, Saori had another look at her. The girl messily wore her brown hair with two bangs and short twin tails. The red armband she wore on her left gave away what her role was during the festival.

"I'm sorry Ou-san but Miporin isn't here at the moment. She got a surprise visit from an old friend from her former school and now the two of them have gone for a tour of the school," she explained to the other two. "I wish I could tell you when she's back but I don't know. I'm really sorry for that."

"Ah no, that's okay Takebe-san," Yuzu was quick to assure her, "You couldn't have known that we were coming. We only have ourselves to blame for not informing Nishizumi-san of this sooner."

"She's right," Taiga agreed, shrugging her shoulders as she did. "Ah well, I guess we'll just have to look for that interview some other time then. Do you think it'd be possible to give us a ring when she's back? We'd appreciate it if you could."

"Ah, yeah I guess..." Saori was a little confused but she figured that it would not hurt to give them a call. But she did not know the girl's number so she would have to give the other a call instead. "Would it be alright if I let you know, Koyama-senpai? I have you in my contact list anyway so it'd be easy to send you a message."

"That'd be very helpful if you could, Takebe-san," the brunette said before turning towards her guest. "I don't know if you want to wait here for Nishizumi-san to return but if there is anything you would like to record I'll be happy to take you there."

"Hmmm," the girl let out, thinking carefully about the offer while she was trying to visualise what it was that she wanted. True, there were some shots that she was keen to get her hands on but a quick glance across the interior told her it would be difficult. "That won't be necessary. Maybe it would be better if we wait with that, it's hard to get that particular footage right now."

"Oh okay."

"Don't worry, we'll get that sorted," Taiga informed them upon seeing their faces. "We still have a lot of footage that we took yesterday and this morning to go through. And besides, we can always stage some of them tomorrow should we need them. Though of course, we'd prefer them being more authentic, if you know what I mean."

Pretending like she knew what the girl was talking about, Saori could not shake the uneasy feeling that this girl was pretty passionate about her profession, perhaps even a little too passionate. Still, there was something about her passion that almost seemed infectious.


Ooarai school carrier – forest area – 16.35h Sunday

With the clattering of its tracks, the Panzer IV rumbled along the dirt path at a steady pace, Miho and Koume were making the most of this enjoyable occasion, both of them knew that it had been so long since they had ridden the same tank.

"I'm really glad I came to visit this festival, Miho-san," Koume remarked while she shifted her weight, the rocking motion of the tank forcing her. "Getting to see a side of you that we never saw back at Kuromorimine has really made it worth the trip; I can't express how happy I am seeing you smile."

"Ah..." Miho grew quiet, not sure how she was supposed to react to that. To be honest she did not think much of it since it was so normal for her to smile ever since she had come to Ooarai. Though, perhaps it might be different for those who only knew her from her time at Kuromorimine.

"They truly are wonderful friends of yours, aren't they?"

"Ah yes, I don't think I would've been able to get back into senshado without them. They were there for me when I was going through a rough time in my life. Without Hana-san and Saori-san to support me, I don't know if I could've faced the Student Council."

"Yes, and that is why I'm grateful to them. Without them you would've likely never returned to the sport, and even if you had, you might not have been the person you're today," Koume explained. Taking a deep breath Koume smiled of her own. "I've got to admit though that I'm a little jealous of your friends.

"Huh? But why?"

She could not help but chuckle as she heard the question. "Well, obviously it's because they get to see you smile every day. You rarely smiled back at our school though I now understand what you had to be going through. I just wish... that I had... noticed... it sooner..."

"It's okay Koume-san," Miho was quick to assure her. "You couldn't have known. I kept it all to myself; I never had the courage to tell anybody what was eating at me. I didn't even try and reach out to any of you about what was troubling me..."

Listening to the heavy words her friend was speaking Koume knew that this was not an easy subject for either of them, in a way Miho having left the sport and everything associated with it entirely was something in which she as well shared some of the responsibility.

Koume admitted, lowering her head as she did, "I just wish there was something I could've done for you."

"Please don't," Miho said quickly. "Please don't think about it any further. I'm sure that you already have enough on your mind as it is. You shouldn't feel guilty about what happened, it happened and there's nothing that any person could do about it anymore."

Giving the girl a moment to let it all sink in with her, Miho felt that it was a little strange that she was the one offering advice here to others. Well, she reasoned that even the most composed of students would struggle when there was so much going on in such a short period.

"Rather than worrying about what's in the past, we should be happy that in the end, it all worked out. I don't regret having left the school, at least not as much as I used to, I'm just glad that I was able to find a school where I would meet some of the best friends in my life."

Koume smiled. "Yes, you're right of course."

With the Panzer IV traversing the ground at a gentle pace the two girls could enjoy the tranquil setting of the surrounding greens in relative peace. Well, apart from the tank's engine and the ever-present clattering of its tracks. Even so, they were comforting sounds to both girls; they had been around tanks for as long as either of them could remember.

It was a reassuring and pleasant presence that both appreciated and cherished.

"Miho-san, are you sad about your sister leaving Japan?" the girl asked when she caught sight of the forlorn expression. "We were all shocked by it when she told us about it; I guess nobody just saw it coming..."

"... I am... at least I think I am... I don't really know what I'm supposed to feel, a part of me is happy that she can go to Germany... but on the other hand..."

Listening to her friend's concern Koume nodded in agreement as she could understand how the other girl had to be feeling right now. She knew that in her senshado team some had been deeply shocked by the decision made by their beloved commander, those girls had been hit especially hard by her leaving not only the team but also the school.

"Everybody at Kuromorimine is going to miss your sister dearly; she's an example to all of us. It's not going to be the same anymore without her, but I guess it was going to happen sooner or later. I just wish she could've stayed with us until the end of the academic year."

Hearing her friend say those words gave some measure of comfort to Miho, somehow it made her feel a little more at ease knowing that her sister's departure was not just affecting her alone.

"My sister has always been popular with the team though she never knew it herself; she always kept a certain distance between herself and the others.

"So," Miho said cautiously, "Can I ask how Erika-san is doing?"

"Huh?" the other girl blinked.

"She has always been close with my sister; she has always looked up to her in every way. I can imagine that the departure of my sister must have been pretty hard for her. I hope she'll be okay."

"Ah," Koume remarked before she went silent as if she was not sure what kind of answer to give. Then there was also the matter that she was uncertain if it would be alright for her to voice some of her concerns on such a personal matter. "I ehm... I don't know how I should tell you this but you know how Erika-san can be, it's been pretty hard on her though she's keeping up an appearance... but deep inside I think that she's really sad about it..."

"Ah…" Miho said in a low voice, "Is she having such a hard time with it? After that she began to trail off, a lump being stuck in the back of her throat as the realization sank in with her that she may have just asked an inappropriate question. Staring off in the distance, not even meeting Koume's questioning eyes.

Nodding her head without saying a word the brunette kept it at that.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay," the girl replied.

"No, it isn't," Miho said in return, shaking her head knowing that she had put the other girl in a difficult situation. "I shouldn't have asked that question in the first place. That was wrong of me."

"... You only asked because you're worried about Erika-san. I don't feel that's something you have to apologise for. There's nothing wrong with that." There was a conviction in Koume's voice.

"...Yeah... I do worry a little for Itsumi-san... I know how much my sister means to her. She has always looked up to her; my sister is the kind of person that Itsumi-san is striving to become."

Koume just eyed her; she knew that what her friend had just said was true. And in fact, it was well-known to just about every member of Kuromorimine's senshado team that Erika in a way idolized the heir of the Nishizumi-style.

"And why exactly are you worried about that if I may ask? Do you think she might not manage the pressure and responsibility of being in charge of the team now?"

Taking a deep breath Miho was anything but sure how to answer that. She could not deny that Erika was in all likelihood better able to cope with the rigid manner in which that school practised its senshado than she ever had been able to.

"I just... I don't know... maybe I'm overthinking it," Miho said underneath her breath. Her hand was trembling just a little as she did, knowing that she may have said something she should not have. Maybe it was wrong of her. Maybe.

Koume shook her head and said. "No, I don't think you have. Honestly, I'm a little worried about her as well. She carries such a big responsibility on her shoulders now. It feels like this might be too much for her."

"... Koume-san..."

"Still, that isn't going to deter me from being at her side. She's still my friend and fellow tanker, so I'll do whatever I can to support her to the fullest of my abilities. In my heart, I know that this is the right thing to do."

Listening to what her friend had to say, Miho was feeling a sense of awe at the clarity and confidence at which Koume had just made that proclamation. There truly was a sense of purpose there. She could not help but admire her friend for that.

Nodding her head in silent agreement, Miho did not say a word. There was no need to. What needed to be said had already been said. Koume was right.

"And besides," Koume added. "We're all going to have to work hard to make your sister proud of us. Even if she's in Germany I know for certain that she'll keep an eye on us; that's just the kind of person she is."

A warm, gentle smile began to caress the brunette's face.

Just the sight of it was enough to warm Miho's heart, and it gave her the confidence that she was going to need to say her goodbyes to her sister in just a couple of days. Hopefully, it would last.

"Say, is anybody going to see my sister off at the airport?" Miho asked.

"Hmmm? Oh right, Erika-san and I will accompany her. Your sister said that she didn't need an escort but well, you know how Erika-san can be." Koume began to laugh. "She was pretty vocal about it being wrong that nobody from Kuromorimine would accompany her to the airport. She wouldn't budge. She refused to do so."

It gave Miho cause to chuckle at imaging that scene. It was true. "I'm surprised that my sister agreed to it."

"Well, it wasn't easy. You know that your sister can be pretty obstinate in her own ways. I was kinda surprised when she accepted the proposal. But... I'm glad she did..."

"Uh-huh."

It did make Miho feel better knowing that others would accompany her sister to the airport, and although it did make her feel a little nervous, she was not going to let that deter her. This was her beloved sister, after all, if anybody should be present to see her off, it should be her.

"I think that your sister also mentioned that somebody from the household would accompany her as well but she never said who," Koume remarked.

"Oh?" Although sounding surprised by that, Miho knew who her friend meant.

"You have an idea who she could have meant?"

"I do," Miho nodded. "It's a servant we've both known since we're little. She has always looked after us in our mother's absence. Guess it only makes sense that she'll accompany my sister."

Adjusting her weight as the tank encountered a few bumps Koume gave a silent prayer of gratitude for having come today. Even when she had gotten up that morning to get herself packed and all, she never could have foreseen having such a conversation with her friend. She was happy, more than happy even. And above all, she was grateful.

"Thank you, Miho said. "Thank you for having come here today. This means a lot to me."

"Don't mention it," Koume answered. "And besides, the feeling is mutual. It really means a lot to me as well that you were willing to spend your day with me. Honestly, I can't thank you enough for that."

Nodding her head in return the girl said, "You don't need to thank me, Koume-san. Really, I'm the one who should be thanking you instead.

Giving the girl opposite of her a kind smile in return the brunette told her that it was alright, that she did not have to worry about it, nor that she would have to apologise for it. Koume had come here after all of her own violations, nobody had forced her.

With the tank continuing in its direction of travel the two girls continued to have a lively discussion with each other, the topic always changing from one thing to another. That was until it eventually came back to the topic of the departure of Miho's sister.

"Still I'm glad that they allowed me to take that day off, I don't want to miss my sister's departure, I want to be there when she leaves… you know..." Wiping away a tear that had been forming she pushed herself up from the bed, feeling that it might be a little silly of her to get emotional about it.

Well, in truth she was happy for her sister but she could not deny that the thought of her sister leaving the country was an unpleasant one for her. Though to be honest it was not like she had seen her sister all that often in the past year, maybe she was just thinking too much about it.

"You don't want her to leave, do you, Miho-san?"

"... N-No, I don't... want... to see... my sister leave..." Miho admitted while she struggled to keep back her tears. She should be happy, happy that her sister got to have such a wonderful opportunity but she was anything but that. She was sad, sad that her cherished sister was going to leave the country.

"... It hurts Koume-san; it hurts so much knowing that she's leaving... I can't really explain it but it hurts me so much... I can't bear it... the thought of her not being around... I-I... can't..."

"It's okay; you don't need to feel ashamed about it," Koume reassured her, "I guess you're having trouble accepting this because you always were able to find strength in knowing that your sister was always there for you. Am I right?"

"... U-Uh-huh..." Miho sobbed, the pain and sadness in her voice all too easy to spot.

It was just as Koume had expected; in their days back at Kuromorimine she had always known that these sisters were close with each other. Now that one of them was leaving the country, the other was scared because someone they had always looked up to for support would be gone. For Miho, it was the fear of the unknown that was plaguing her.

"It's going to be okay," the brunette told her friend. "I'm sure that your sister wouldn't leave the country unless she knew that you were strong enough to go on without her. And you know what Miho-san?"

With tear-stained eyes, Miho gazed at her friend. "... Huh?"

"She's right. I know that you're strong enough to go on without her, I know that and so does your sister. That is why she is confident in leaving the country so she can study abroad. And I'm very certain that your friends here at Ooarai know it too!"

Nodding her head in acceptance of those words Miho turned her head to gaze at the tank's direction of travel. Somewhere in the distance, she knew, was the path that would lead them back to the tank sheds.


Ooarai school carrier – school hallways – 16.40h Sunday

"Alright, thank you for informing me of this Ichimichi-san," Momo said in recognition of the report she was reading. "It seems that things have gone a lot better than they have been in past years. Still, we have no way of knowing if we were able to reach our set goals when it comes to guests' numbers."

"Yes, it'll be a week before all of the information has been compiled," Yuuri agreed with her.

Both girls were going over what data had been gathered thus far, sadly it was not much to go with, but the current prognosis did paint a favourable picture. They would have more to work with in the coming days, hopefully, that would only confirm their somewhat optimistic suspicions.

"That's true, still, you can't deny that visitor numbers seem to be at their highest in years. If I recall correctly, last year the figures were pretty disappointing. There are a lot more people this year, and people are having fun."

"You're right, Kawashima-senpai. It's obvious to anybody that this year's festival is a resounding success, especially if one compares the number of visitors to those of previous years." Yuuri was more than happy with the results thus far. She was keen to get more information but everything that she had seen for herself in the past two days told her that this festival was the best that Ooarai has had in years.

Momo could not help but smile. "You should be proud of this achievement Ichimichi-san, you and all of the others in the Festival Committee have truly outdone yourselves. It goes without saying that without your meticulous planning this would not have been possible, you have the thanks of everyone in the Student Council."

"No, please don't thank us. We only did our part in giving form to this festival," Yuuri was quick to remark. "There are countless others who have worked just as hard as any of us to see this come to fruition. They deserve the praise more than us in the Festival Committee."

Momo scoffed at that remark. "I know that you are a modest person, Ichimichi-san, but please don't sell yourself short. What you and the others were able to achieve here is not something to be dismissed."

"I could say the same about what you and all of the other members of the senshado team were able to achieve, Kawashima-senpai," Yuuri said in return.

With her eye suddenly twitching Momo was taken aback by that answer. Sure she knew that, but it was something else to be confronted with it. Honestly, she was not that keen on being reminded of their extraordinary feat, especially since others did far more than she had.

Scraping her throat she gave quick thanks and left it at that.

"Okay, your point has been noted. Rest assured that the President will be certain to thank all of the students involved in the festival in the proper manner. Naturally, we will do the same for all of our associates outside of the school who have offered us their help."

Yuuri chuckled when she heard that. "Yes, I could not help but notice that there were some very peculiar participants running some very, ahem, unique stands. I was quite surprised when I saw them."

"Don't get me started," Momo grumbled underneath her breath, she pinched the bridge of her nose when she thought back to the unpleasant surprise of learning that all of those people had been invited by Anzu. That had just been one frustration after another.

"W-Was it that bad?" Yuuri asked when she noticed the exasperated look on the other girl.

"You know how the President can be."

"Oh right. Yes, I can see that." And Yuuri chose to leave it at that, as she knew for herself that the girl in question could at times best be described as reckless, even more so when she felt that something would be more fun that way.

"That said, I'm a little worried about our expenses this year. I know that this was all accounted for in the allotted budget but still." Casting a glance across her shoulder Yuuri was hinting at many of the larger food stalls and such. "It all seems so expensive..."

Momo nodded, she knew what the girl opposite her was referring to. It was true that the expenses for this school festival had been significantly higher than in previous years. She herself had gone over the numbers multiple times just to try and reduce them, which had not been an easy task.

"We are aware of that, however, it was felt that this would be a worthwhile investment to secure the school's future. If it makes you feel any better, you can think of it that way."

"Ah yeah..." Yuuri let out, visibly a little nervous. "Listen, I just feel that we should be a little cautious here. I agree that it's really important that we convince as many potential students as possible to pick Ooarai as their school of choice but until they have registered here we don't know for sure."

"Noted," Momo remarked.

"Well, anyway it sure has been some weekend," she said in response before she had a further look at her own notes. "I think that students are going to be talking about this festival for the remainder of the year. Who knows, perhaps even longer?"

"I'd rather have the non-students keep on talking about it. We did not organise this festival to impress our current student body, but rather to impress and give reason to any and all potential new students that our school is the right one to pick." Adjusting her monocle just a little Momo gave off a slight hint of irritation.

Yuuri just smiled as she said. "I am well aware of that, Kawashima-senpai. That is after all why the Festival Committee has worked this hard to see it come to fruition. We all have been fully aware of what was at stake here."

Momo shot her a glance. "Good, I'm glad to hear that we're on the same page here, Ichimichi-san. Please don't take this the wrong way, it has been some stressful days for all of us involved."

Nodding her head in agreement Yuuri could easily understand that, she had after all seen that for herself. A lot of students had given it their all and then some more, just for this festival to succeed. As for herself, she had been running around all over the place just to keep track of how things were going as well as to check up on potential trouble spots.

"How is Nishizumi-san doing, if I may ask?"

"Hmm," Momo said in return before contemplating on what to say. "Nishizumi's fine; Yuzu has just finished an interview with her and Ou-san for the school's newspaper. Well, we did not ask too much of her other than doing the opening act at the tank sheds."

"Yes, I was quite surprised by that. Why didn't the Student Council decide to have her do more?"

"Oh, that?" Looking up from her notes the older girl could not help but smile, only a little though. "The president did have more plans for Nishizumi but she just decided overnight that it would be better to let her enjoy the festival at her leisure. I don't know why but it isn't my place to question her decisions."

That answer made Yuuri raise her eyebrows a little as that was something that came as a complete surprise to her; she had been certain that Anzu would have made use of Miho's presence in every possible way to promote their school. But this. This was not what she had been expecting.

Noting the other girl's surprise and confusion Momo said. "Believe me; I'm just as surprised as you are. We had all kinds of proposals worked out for Nishizumi but in the end, they were all for naught."

Yuuri smiled. "You don't look so disappointed though. Somehow I thought you'd be a little annoyed with all that work has been for nothing."

"It is what it is. Yes, I am somewhat upset that something I had put in my time and effort was ultimately not used. Even so, I abided by the decision of the President, she made the final call and that's that." Momo shot back, a somewhat foul look in her eyes.

It was clear that despite her words that the girl was still struggling with coming to grips with the decision though Yuuri could not blame the poor girl for feeling that way. She herself knew perfectly well the bitter taste of seeing one's hard work be dismissed. It was awful.

"I understand."

"Huh?"

"Nothing," she said quickly, feigning innocence.

"Well, whatever," Momo said before putting away her notes. "I think that concludes it for the time being. Should anything come up I'll be certain to inform you of it. Now, with that settled I will be taking my leave. Take care, Ichimichi-san."

Momo bowed.

"You as well Kawashima-senpai," Yuuri answered and mimicked the gesture.

And with that, the girls parted, each going their own way. Momo still had a lot of things to keep an eye on while Yuuri would continue with her duties as a member of the Festival Committee.

For both of them, the festival was slowly coming to an end, but before that moment there would still be enough work to do for either of them. Their responsibilities would always come first and foremost, even today.


Ooarai school carrier – tank sheds – 17.35h Sunday

Having a look at her watch Koume knew that it was time. As much as she came to regret it she knew all too well that her time here at Ooarai was coming to an end. Letting out a troubled sigh she turned to face her dear friend.

"It's time, isn't it Koume-san?" Miho asked her.

"Yeah, I'm afraid it is," she answered in return. She knew that she had to go but a part of her wanted to stay. "I would've loved to stay longer but we both know that isn't possible. I guess you're all going to have a big celebration tonight, right?"

Nodding her head gently, Miho was aware that there would be some celebrations later today, once most of the cleaning was done. There was enough work left for them to do before the day would be over.

"I know I've said this before but I feel that you have made some wonderful friends here at Ooarai," Koume remarked with a smile on her face. "I feel a lot better knowing that they're going to be there for you whenever you need them. Ah, I envy them for getting to see you like this every day. I really do."

"... Huh?"

Taking a step forward and leaning forward just enough so she was level with her friend Koume whispered in her ear, "You know Miho-san, you really look best when you're smiling."

Hearing those words the girl could do little but blush with embarrassment, her face taking on a few hues of pink. "... K-K-Koume..." she stuttered, the name rolling off her tongue in a clumsy manner.

Just behind her, the sounds of muffled laughs and chuckles told her that her friends must have found her reaction to being most enjoyable. She felt somewhat embarrassed by it. She did not dare to look back.

"I ehm... I..."

"It's okay Miho-san," Koume whispered to her. "It's okay, it's nothing for you to feel embarrassed about. Even more so when it's just a simple truth."

More sounds came from behind her back and Miho felt even more embarrassed than she already was. She could only hope that nobody had taken a picture or so of her. That would have been so embarrassing.

"..."

"It has been such a beautiful day; I can't thank you enough for having shown me around your school, Miho-san. I really can't thank you for having been so generous. Thank you." Reaching forward Koume took a hold of her friend's hand, wrapping her fingers around hers, intertwining them. "I wish there was a way so that I would never have to let go of you."

"K-Koume-san..." Miho blushed as she heard that confession.

The girl just smiled. "But well, we both know that isn't going to happen. We both have our own separate lives; you have yours and I have mine. But I also know that we'll see each other again."

"That's true," Miho answered. "No matter how far we're apart, we'll always be able to stay in touch with each other. We have each other's number now anyway so we can always call each other whenever we want."

"Yes, I'll be certain to call you from now on," Koume made a promise, a warm glow surrounding her face. "I'm not going to make the same mistake I made when you left Kuromorimine, I promise you that, Miho-san. You have my word as your friend."

Nodding her head, Miho could only silently smile, being overcome with emotions and joy. She was happy, more than happy in fact. She could not ask for more.

Keeping their distance the other four girls knew it as well, this was the moment that Miho was going to have to say goodbye to her friend. For all of them, the moment held a mixed sensation, although they were all happy that the girl had enjoyed her time at their school they were also a little sad that she had to leave.

They may not have been able to spend long with her but they all knew that Koume cared as much for Miho as any of them did and knowing that made all of them happy.

"I'm really glad that Akiboshi-san came to see the school today," Saori said underneath her breath, just enough so that her companions were the only ones who could hear it. "Miporin looks really happy, seeing her friend again has been good for her."

Hana silently agreed; they could all see that. Koume having come here today had been a blessing for their friend.

"Still, you've got to admit that it's kinda a shame that Akiboshi-dono has to leave again." Yukari was a little sad; she was anything but keen on seeing their newfound friend depart. She had been hoping that perhaps they could enjoy the bonfire together or at least be able to chat a little longer. But like so many good things in life, Koume's stay at Ooarai was sadly coming to an end.

"Just how things go," was all that Mako felt like saying.

"Mako-san has a point there," Hana remarked before the other two girls could say a word. "And besides, rather than being sad about Akiboshi-san leaving, we should be happy that she came today. I think that's more important now wouldn't you say?"

The others remained quiet after they had heard that, they silently agreed.

"Please give my regards to all of the others back at Kuromorimine," Miho told her, "It would've been nice if they could've been here as well but I guess everybody must be pretty busy with preparing for their exams."

Koume nodded. "I will, Miho-san. I'll let them know how you're doing."

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

"Well," Koume almost whispered. "I guess this is goodbye then..."

Miho nodded. "I guess it is yes."

Neither of the two was keen to say their goodbyes. But they had to, one had to go home and the other had her responsibilities.

"I had a lot of fun today Miho-san, thank you for everything. I'll be going home then, I wish you and your friends a happy night. Take good care of yourself, Miho-san. Goodbye."

"Thank you Koume-san, I'm really glad that you came by today. I won't ever forget this. Thank you so much. Please have a safe journey home, and I hope we'll see each other again soon. Goodbye."

Both making a bow before having one last look at each other, the two girls parted. Either was reluctant to leave but both knew it had to be this way.

Slowly making her way towards the main entrance of the school Koume could feel a sense of melancholy wash over her at leaving behind one of her dearest friends. She was proud of herself for having come today, whatever doubts she may have had on the journey towards the town of Ooarai had long since disappeared. She was happy, satisfied with what she had experienced today.

Back at Kuromorimine her home was waiting for her, and it would be something to be back there after having been at Ooarai for the better part of the day. She did wonder what would have happened had she chosen to follow Miho, leaving her current school and taking residence here at Ooarai. Well, that was a question she might never find the answer to.

The quintet of girls kept watching Koume until she eventually disappeared from their sight, and with that came the realisation that they would not be seeing her again for some time. Even though most of them had only met the girl that morning, it did somehow feel like losing a friend.

"You know Miporin, it's a shame that your friend had to leave," Saori remarked as she came to stand next to Miho, much like the others she was in a way sad to see their friend leave. "It would've been nice if she could've stayed and celebrated with us."

"Uh-huh." That would have been nice, but Miho also knew that was something that was not going to happen. Koume had her own responsibilities at Kuromorimine. Tomorrow was going to be a normal school day for her anyway so she was going to be able to stay late.

"You're not sad about her leaving then, Miprorin?"

"No," Miho said with confidence in her voice. "Sure I wouldn't have minded if she could've stayed but I'm already glad that she came and spent time with me. I'm happy with it as it is with how things turned out for me."

Hearing her friend say that, Saori could do little other than smile. "Well, I guess you're right. The festival was great! I don't think I've ever had this much fun."

"So did I, Takebe-dono!" Without warning, Yukari just chimed in on the conversation. In her usual high-spirited tone, she began to ramble on about how the whole experience had been in her overexcited opinion. Not that it was a bad one.

"My my, I see that Yukari-san is beyond herself with excitement as usual," Hana let slip past her lips when she caught sight of it, to be honest; it was in a unique way rather heart-warming to see. "It's kinda charming, don't you think? I guess she must've had a lot of fun."

"She's not wrong," Saori said in return. "I don't think I've ever had this much fun at a school festival. This has got to be the best school festival ever!"

Not saying a word Mako just rolled her eyes at that gross exaggeration. Was it a great festival? Without a doubt. But the greatest ever? No, that was just dumb. But even Mako had to admit that it had been a fun festival, there had been plenty of tasty food for her to enjoy and somehow she had even been able to catch some rest every now and then.

"So I guess all that there's left for us is to start with the clean-up, am I right?"

"Yeah, we still have a few hours left before we can celebrate," Saori explained, though it was not needed. "I'm kinda glad when we can rest at the bonfire and enjoy the rest of the evening. Just hope that it'll be nice and quiet, I could do with that, or a hot bath."

"Oh, that does sound most appealing!" Hana let out.

"I honestly wouldn't mind a bath myself," Miho admitted as the thought of a hot bath right now was just too good to pass up on. After the hectic of the past two days, she could do with one.

The others were all in agreement with that sentiment; this weekend had asked a lot of everyone. The likelihood of there being any student on the campus who was not dreaming of a long hot soak in one was pretty close to zero, everybody was just worn out from a ferocious weekend. Students were spent.

"I could really do with one now, do you think we can go and quickly have a bath before coming back for the celebrations?"

"I don't think we'll make that."

"That's a shame..." Saori pouted.

"Let's focus first on getting things cleaned up shall we?" Miho informed her friends as they had more important things to do than to dream about hot baths. "But maybe it's not a bad idea for a bath later; I mean we could always look to take a bath after the celebrations are over."

"Brilliant idea, Nishizumi-dono! Truly outstanding!"

"Oh, I am fond of that suggestion," Hana said, giving her approval.

A chorus of opinions and laughter broke out between the five girls that made up the legendary Anglerfish as they got on with their task. For all of them, this day was far from over, plenty of work was still waiting for them, but they all knew that later tonight, they would get the chance to celebrate.


Ooarai school carrier – student council office – 19.20h Sunday

"Oh is that so? Well, that is very kind of you to share this information," Anzu said as she offered her thanks to the person on the phone. "Yes, this is certainly very helpful. Thank you very much."

Ending the call she put down the phone before turning her attention back outside the window. She had just been privy to a lot of sensitive information; information that she had to be careful with. Letting all that she had just obtained mull around in her mind, she was aware that by itself the information meant little, in itself, it was almost pointless, but she knew that under the right circumstances it could be valuable.

"So Prez, what was that about?" Yuzu asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Just a very kind man from the Federation."

"Uh-huh?"

"Well, it wasn't all that important though."

That gave Yuzu cause to raise an eyebrow. "So what was it about?"

"Our esteemed guests from Germany," Anzu answered with hesitation, "It seems that their next match is already scheduled for this Saturday."

"But that's less than a week away. Weren't they supposed to be busy with having to inspect all of their tanks before they could be allowed to participate in matches?"

"Apparently they already got enough vehicles checked so that they can have some matches. What's more, it seems that they already had a match the past week."

"That doesn't make any sense. Why are there already matches being planned so soon? Doesn't this feel a little too fast to you?"

Anzu shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows what they are thinking. And to be honest I don't really know either but what I do know is that they're pretty keen on getting to know the strength of our guests."

"I guess that hints that the Federation and MEXT are somewhat desperate, don't you think?"

Anzu nodded in agreement. In her opinion, it was rather obvious what the motivations were for having this quickly arranged a match against the team from Germany. "They want to see as quickly as possible how good Japan's teams are."

"That is my take on it as well," Anzu agreed.

"So, to go back to their scheduled match next Saturday," Yuzu remarked, "Do we already know who they will be going up against?"

With a smirk on her face, Anzu knew the answer. "We do," she said, "From what I was told it seems that their opponents are going to be Rose Garden University. The format is also going to be an annihilation match."

"So I take it then that Rose Garden is participating in the Pro-League as well?"

"That'd be my guess as well," Anzu said in return. "I guess it was to be expected with the Pro-League just starting up. They want to get things started with all due haste. I believe that they're planning on using our guests as a way to kick-start the Pro-League."

Yuzu gazed at her. "Surely you don't mean."

"Yep~." The girl grinned.

That was enough ground for Yuzu to shake her head in disapproval. "That sounds awfully risky of them, don't you think? From what they told us I don't think they have much of an estimate of this team's strength."

Anzu just shrugged her shoulders in response. "As I said, I think they're desperate. Our little victory already delayed their plans and took away some of their funding for it. And besides, I can imagine that they're also looking to promote the sport and encourage national pride."

"... I ehm..."

"I know."

"It's just that..."

"I know."

Leaning forward from her seat Anzu craned her neck back to gaze up at the ceiling. "They're overambitious if you ask me though I can kinda understand their reasons for it. They're not the best reasons but I can understand them to some degree."

"But you don't like them, am I right?"

Simply nodding her head was enough of an answer that the twin-haired girl was comfortable with, and besides, there was little point in explaining it further. Even if any of them wanted to, they were not able to affect any changes.

"So," Yuzu remarked, her head slightly tilted. "Tell me exactly how this wasn't all that important? To me, that does sound pretty important, especially in light of what we were told yesterday."

Remaining dead silent the diminutive girl did not say a word in response, opting instead to feign her ignorance and remain quiet. She knew that she had just been caught out. Well, she would need to divert the conversation quickly.

But the other girl beat her to the punch before she even got the chance.

"Prez, I'm pretty certain that you heard me," Yuzu remarked while she took note of the girl in front of her. "I don't believe that we have the luxury of ignoring any and all information when it comes to our honoured guests from Germany at this point."

"Yeah," the girl said underneath her breath. "You kinda got me there. Guess it was a bit premature of me to say that it wasn't so important. I'm sorry Koyama..."

"Good." While being a little annoyed at her boss's opinion Yuzu could not stay upset with her. And there was also the fact that at the moment she had no idea how to punish the girl, which was something she would think about later. "Please don't do that again next time."

"You're right," Anzu said.

Taking a deep breath the brunette was wondering how their school could best move forward with this information, giving it some thought she came to the opinion that it would be best to consult this with Miho before making any further moves.

Making a mental note to allow Nishizumi to read the report at her leisure, Yuzu was about to turn around when she saw Anzu standing there with a big grin on her face. "I guess you're having the same thoughts I was just having, am I right?"

"Yeah, we'll need to let Nishizumi-chan have a look at that report as quickly as possible. That and we need to make sure that she'll go and see that match."

Yuzu eyed her. "Surely you don't mean?"

"I do," Anzu replied. "Nishizumi-chan needs to go to that match; she needs to see that team operate with her own eyes. That's the only way that she'll be able to start forming a strategy against them."

Having her reservations about that, Yuzu gave voice to them. "I don't think it's fair to place that much responsibility on Nishizumi-san, and besides you can't expect her to go all by herself."

"Hmm, good point," the girl said in return as that was something she had not thought about. "You're right, it'd be wrong of us to expect Nishizumi-chan to be there all by herself. So the solution's pretty simple then, don't you think?"

With her eye twitching, Yuzu was already dreading the answer to that, but she would humour the diminutive girl anyway. "And that would be for her to go with friends? Still, wouldn't that still be asking too much of them?"

Anzu gave her companion a sly smile as she said, "Ah but it won't be her friend who will accompany Nishizumi-chan~. It'll be them, you know who I mean. That'll be the perfect opportunity for us to find out just how passionate they are about their little society."

Knowing exactly who it was that the girl was referring to, Yuzu had to pinch the bridge of her nose, painfully aware that she was going to have her work cut out for her. "I suppose so... still I don't like this..."

"Don't worry your head about it~" Anzu gave her a warm smile, it was clear that she was in a good mood. "Say, speaking of Nishizumi-chan and such, how did it actually go with that interview for the school newspaper?"

"Ah that," Yuzu was quick to snap at the attention. "We did have a bit of an issue as Nishizumi-san was off for a ride with a friend of hers from her former school when we came to see her. That did cause a delay of our plans but luckily Ou-san was able to work around the issues and start taking various background shots that they could use to dress up the article."

Anzu raised her eyebrows. "You know, I'm kinda surprised that you just missed Nishizumi-chan. You're normally pretty on point when it comes to these sorts of things~."

"I know..." Yuzu admitted.

"Still from the sound of it, it does seem that you were able to have the interview, in the end, am I right Koyama?" Just walking around in her office Anzu gave off the impression that she was becoming a little impatient at being stuck here. The girl was keen to be somewhere else.

"Luckily yes, we were able to get the interview done without a hitch when she came back from the ride. I was pretty relieved when it was done and Ou-san could wrap it all up."

Just listening to Yuzu's explanation did make it feel like it had been more of a hassle than the brunette was willing to admit. Still, the interview would offer them another great opportunity to capitalise on the success of the senshado team, and in particular, on Miho's role as the team's commander.

"Still, I'm confident that Ou-san will be able to turn all of the material into a great article. It will be well worth the effort we had to go through to gather it all," Yuzu told her smaller companion, sounding relieved.

"Great! Anway," Anzu remarked cheerfully as she pushed herself from her seat. "Let's go downstairs and join the others in the celebration. It'd be pretty bad if they were to start the celebrations without us," she smiled.

Nodding in agreement Yuzu gently followed her. They could all do with some relaxation. Tomorrow they would go back to work. Tonight, they would celebrate. "Well, Prez, I'm keen to hear your speech tonight. I've been looking forward to it the whole day."

All of a sudden it got awfully quiet in Anzu's office, the kind of quiet that gave a clear signal that something had gone wrong. And gone wrong it most certainly had, as an ugly truth was about to rear its head.

"I... ehm..."

"P-President," Yuzu said underneath her breath while she towered over the diminutive girl. She already had a very good idea why it had gotten so quiet all of a sudden after having mentioned the speech. "Didn't we agree that you would make a proper speech this time?"

"... Yes..."

"And did we not agree that you would practice it so that you could present the students with a proper speech to thank them for all of their hard work this past week?

"... Well, I..."

Yuzu was not amused, in fact, she was actually a little angry at the fact that despite her reassurances the short girl in front of her had not lived up to her promises. A lot of students had given it their all this past week to make the festival what it was. To her, it only made sense, that a proper speech to thank all of them for all of their hard work was in order.

"You promised me, Prez."

Taking a step backward Anzu knew that she was in trouble, Yuzu was not normally one to get upset quickly; it was a very rare sight, but when she was upset she was like a force of nature. And right now, that force of nature was directed at her.

"I-I can explain K-Koyama," she stammered backward. "... T-There's a very good e-explanation for all this... i-i-if you just give me a m-moment to e-explain it to you..."

Looking down upon the form of the offending girl, Yuzu was in no mood for excuses, or for that matter, to show mercy.


Ooarai school carrier – school grounds – 21.10h Sunday

Sitting there, Miho found herself staring at the bonfire, feeling a sense of tranquillity wash over her. Turning her head from left to right she could not help but smile at the sight of her friends.

Hana was treating herself to some snack she had gotten herself while Saori was a little occupied with making sure that Mako would not fall asleep on the ground. It made for quite a heart-warming scene and one that Miho offered a silent prayer of gratitude for.

"Ah..." she let out gently. "I can't believe that it is already over."

So much had happened in these past two days, more than she could have imagined. That said, she was glad that things had gone the way they had, otherwise she would not have made these wonderful memories. There had been just so many people she had met, some more unique than others.

Staring at the bonfire Miho could not help but ask herself if she was ever going to see these people again, true some were more likely than others, but she was hoping she would get to see all of them again sometime. That was something to hope for, to pray for, something for her to be looking forward to.

She had to chuckle, just thinking back to it all. Leaning so she could lie on her back and stare at the heavens above, Miho was wondering when the last time she had felt like this.

"I don't think I've ever felt like this at Kuromorimine. Then again, we never had a school festival like this one. That really is a shame..." she began to trail off, her mind pondering on other things.

By now the festival was slowly coming to an end, as the last of the guests had already left hours ago. Many of the students had already been busy with cleaning up, although an hour ago the student council had announced that all students should gather and celebrate. For them to enjoy what was left of the evening, everybody was winding down after a long and exhausting weekend.

"Say Nishizumi-dono?"

"Huh?" Pulled from her thoughts, Miho looked.

"I had a lot of fun today," her friend said.

She nodded. "So did I, I don't think I ever had a school festival that was this much fun. I can't even say how happy I am that I was able to spend it with all of you. I'll cherish this for the rest of my life. This whole festival has been like a dream..."

Captivated by her friend's words and sincerity Yukari cheeks to on a hue of pink, this girl was someone who she idolized in every possible way. To her no words could ever do justice at the sight of her friend's face gently lit by the bonfire, it was such a pure sight that it nearly made her want to cry.

Biting back on her tongue and trying to quell this aching sensation in her chest Yukari had to look away, because she knew what would happen otherwise. Her friend's words had touched her deeply as well, for her this had also been a festival to cherish.

"Mako! Get up!" Their friend's voice caught their attention.

With both girls turning their heads in the direction of the sound, they were treated to a scene that both had seen dozens of times before.

"Oh c'mon! Mako, I told you not to sleep on the ground. You're gonna catch a cold!"

"Don't care, need sleep," the girl muttered.

"H-Hey!"

It did seem that their little altercation could last for a little while as neither gave the impression to give up any time soon. And as such Miho and Yukari made the wise decision to not dwell on it any longer, other subjects were more pleasant to talk about.

"Say, don't you think that the Prez's speech was a little odd? Somehow it just felt weird," Yukari said as she shrugged her shoulders. "And what was actually up with Koyama-dono?"

"I don't know Yukari-san," Miho answered, she had been just as puzzled as her friend had been though she had ascribed the oddness of the speech more to Anzu's antics. Not that it mattered to her, she was for the most part exhausted and now she just wanted some rest.

"Ah, I'll be glad when I'm in my bed," she said.

"Yeah, same here, I think I can easily sleep for a whole day."

"To be honest, that doesn't sound so bad, Yukari-san." To Miho that did sound like a nice idea as she could do with a good night's rest. It was not uncommon for her to be an early riser but with this weekend behind her, even she would reckon that she could sleep in.

With a deflated expression etched on her face, Saori came over and joined the two of them, apparently, whatever kind of struggle she had with Mako had ended in her own defeat.

"So ehm Takebe-dono..."

The girl dropped to her knees. "... Please don't ask me, okay. I just don't wanna talk about it at the moment. Just wanna go home and go to bed right now... ah I'm way too tired right now..."

It was pretty clear that a combination of fatigue and whatever had transpired between Saori and Mako had ended in a decisive loss for the poor girl.

"I guess you must really be glad that we can sleep in tomorrow, am I right Takebe-dono?"

"... uh-huh..." the girl whimpered, too tired to even look at her friend. "... S-Sorry Yukarin... kinda too tired for a lot right now..."

Miho was feeling sorry for her friend; it was not often that one would get to see Saori in such a sorry state as normally the girl took a lot of effort to present herself in the best possible manner. Well, it did seem that this day had not yet run out of surprises.

"It's okay Saori-san, you're tired, just like the rest of us," Miho did her best to offer her friend a few words of comfort in an effort to make her feel a little better, though it was unlikely as she could tell that her friend was just worn out.

Wrapping her arms around her legs Miho had to admit that exhaustion and fatigue were also starting to claim her, and the fact that it was also starting to get a little chilly in the evening did not help. Well, given the time of year it was not much of a surprise that it was getting colder; they were well into the fall season.

"Nishizumi-dono, here you go," Yukari said as she offered her friend a blanket to help her keep warm. "I figured it might be cold so I brought some of these with me, you know so we could keep ourselves a little warm throughout the celebrations. Hehe."

"Thank you, Yukari-san," Miho thanked her friend as she gladly accepted the blanket and wrapped it around herself in one fluid move. Barely had she donned the blanket or already she began to feel cozy and warm.

"S-Say, could I have one too...?"

The brunette nodded her head. "Of course Takebe-dono, I brought one for each of us with me. I had to stuff them a little to get them all inside my bag but it did work out in the end. I'm glad I thought about it this morning to bring them with me."

Wasting no time and quickly wrapping a blanket around herself the moment she got one Saori made it clear that she was needing this. Her mood already visibly improving her optimistic self was back. "You know Yukarin, there are often moments when I think you're a little too well prepared for situations but at times like these when I'm truly grateful for it. Thank you so much for having thought of these."

"That's okay Takebe-dono, I kinda learned a lot from our match against Pravda so I have been reading up on how to prepare for the winter," Yukari explained to her friends. "It was more of blind luck that my mother told me that it would get cold in the evening now. That gave me the idea to pack some extra blankets."

"I guess we should thank your mother for that foresight then," Saori laughed before she moved over to be a little closer to her friends. "Winter is nice and all but I really don't like the cold, you know. Sure it isn't so bad if you can just stay home and warm yourself there but out here..."

"Well, it's a good thing there aren't going to be many matches during the winter. That said, I wouldn't mind another match in the snow, that was so cool, and the tanks look so cool as well in their winter camo." Smiling as she could picture it all in front of her, Yukari was somehow in her element.

"Maybe that isn't such a bad idea," Miho mused after some thought. "It wouldn't hurt for us to get some more experience in how to operate our tanks in winter conditions; we've only had the one match against Pravda and that did show that our preparations had some shortcomings."

Saori's eye twitched at the word winter being mentioned. "M-Miporin, please don't tell me..."

She was anything but keen on the idea of being inside the steel hull of a tank during the middle of winter when the temperatures were below zero; she was not fond of that at all.

"That's way too cold, don't wanna," she complained. "Please, I beg you. Don't do it."

"I'm sorry Saori-san but it's for the sake of the team that we should. We can definitely do with the extra training," she explained to her friend as right now their team simply did not have enough experience with such conditions. "That said, don't worry about it, it's going to take a while before there's enough snow that we can practice. The weather just isn't right for it just yet."

"Thank Heavens for that..." Saori let out an exasperated sigh.

Pouting a little to express her disappointment Yukari was about to remark when she came to the insight that now perhaps may not be the best of times to discuss this. They were still at the festival, a festive mood was present, and as such there were better subjects to discuss. She would let it slide for tonight. It was the right thing to do.

"So ehm..." she cleared her throat before she continued. "What, ehm, do you think of all of the people we met? I never thought there'd be this many people who would show up."

"I know," Hana commented the moment she finished the last of her snacks. "I was quite surprised by how many familiar people there would turn up. I saw people from Saunders, Anzio, Pravda and we had of course Akoboshi-san from Kuromorimine grace us with her presence."

"Oh I also met Orange Pekoe-san from Gloriana in one of the cafes," Miho added. "And I think that I also saw Fukuda-san from Chihatan come and visit the Duck team in the garage."

The others were surprised when they heard that, as none of them had seen any students from Gloriana but given how many people had shown up and that they had mostly been stuck in the tank sheds it did not come as a surprise to them.

"Hey, what about Shannon-san and her friends from Shamrock?" Saori remarked as she brought up a particular group of five girls that had come to see them on Saturday, and who had a pretty long talk with them. "They were a little weird but they all seemed like good, honest, people."

Miho agreed. "That is true; they were a lot of fun to talk with. That said, it was a little weird for me when I first met Shannon-san in the cafeteria when she came to ask for my autograph. I don't know if I was more nervous than she was." Back then it had been a little unsettling but now she could laugh about it.

Hana raised her hand. "Say, didn't they also invite us to come over to their school and their senshado team? I will be honest and say that I wouldn't mind and visit them should time permit it."

"I believe they did, yes."

"You think we'll ever see them again?" Yukari asked as she was a little curious about the possibility of meeting these girls again though she was more interested in what cool tanks they might have for her to marvel at.

"Who knows," Miho answered. "It's certainly possible but I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

The others were in agreement with the sentiment; there was no way that they could be sure about that. Besides they all had more important things to turn their attention towards. The end-of-term exams were looming across the horizon and they all would need to hit the books soon.

Sitting there with just the five of them, they were at least able to enjoy the tranquillity of the celebrations after a weekend of hard work, during which all of them had given it their best. For what was left of the evening they were going to make the most of it, and have whatever fun they could have.

Tomorrow would be a new day.


Author's note: a new chapter for you all to read and enjoy.

And yeah, I know that I have been absent for a bit which has not really done much in terms of being productive when it comes to writing, not done much, done very little if I am being honest with you all.

There's, well, as you can expect just a bit too much going on all at the same time and I'm just struggling with sorting my thoughts enough to a point that I can write on a continuous basis which would go a long way towards having some of a more regular release schedule but well, sadly doesn't seem like that'll be the case just yet.

Still trying though, and I think it is largely due to the support of both AAHW and Sharkycast that I haven't yet quit with it. They're both a tremendous help to me, in more ways than one, I really can't thank them enough, especially Sharky who has been a major support to me for a few years now.

This chapter took me quite a while to write, luckily next chapter is already written though it needs to be proofread and all before I can post it but I am reasonably confident in saying that it will be out before the end of the year which is approaching us at a frightening pace.

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, please feel free to contact me.

Well, enough of my rambling, hope you all enjoyed the chapter. I will see you all, at least I hope so, again with the next chapter.