Chapter 22: Bound by Blood, Love and Circumstances

In the days and weeks to come, some of the students of Oarai, their friends and their rivals, had a chance to see and talk with their families. This was also a chance for them to follow the advice they had heard from Mako, or advice that she had passed along the grapevine.

Shiina, settling into her room one evening after tankery practice, got a call from her mother. After their greetings and a short conversation, Shiina's mother asked about school.

"How has work on the student council and tankery team been going?" Shiina's mother said. "Have you been doing well at both?"

"Very well, Mom," Shiina said. "We recently won the semifinals in tankery, and things are as usual in the student council. The president runs a tight ship, so she's naturally on top of everything. Some people, such as a few of the second- and third-year class reps, find her overly strict, but I think they're more used to the Kadotani administration."

"That's good to hear," Shiina's mother said. "I'm honestly still not fond of tankery, but if you're taking it seriously and doing well, I can at least respect that."

"Well, I'm not the only one, Mom," Shiina said. "Some of my friends and fellow gamers were encouraged to get out and meet people in real life after joining the club. They've gotten a lot better at tankery and socializing over the course of the last year."

"I see, and I believe you've changed as well, Shiina," Shiina's mother said. "You were never this enthusiastic about the shogi club, so it's nice to see you working hard and committing yourself to not one but two clubs."

"Part of the reason is that getting involved in tankery and the student council are choices that I made on my own, Mom," Shiina said. "I couldn't do much to buoy the spirits of my old clubmates when I wasn't particularly interested it in myself."

"What else is there?" Shiina's mother said.

"I think you're part of the reason, too, Mom," Shiina said. "I'd like to thank you for keeping me motivated and encouraging myself to push myself harder and try new things."

"You're welcome, Shiina, but I really don't think it's any different from what most parents invested in their kids' success do," Shiina's mother said. "In the end, what's most important is that you find something that you're good at and that you enjoy doing. With that in mind, I no longer see why it's a bad thing for you to be doing tankery."

"Thanks, Mom," Shiina said.

"I'll let you go for now," Shiina's mother said. "Please do tell your friend Mikado-san that I would like to meet her someday."

"I will," Shiina said. "Bye, Mom."

As Shiina hung up, she was a bit surprised to hear her mother call Shizuru a friend. They had a professional relationship, and Shiina respected Shizuru, but she also felt a sense of camaraderie with her.

Shiina's thoughts turned back to how her mother's thoughts on tankery were gradually shifting from reluctant tolerance to genuine acceptance. Either was fine for Shiina's purposes, but she hoped her mother would wholeheartedly support her.

Still, current state of affairs was acceptable for Shiina, especially in light of what she had heard from Mako. Shiina recalled how she had done what her mother asked of her and met her standards to avoid conflict with her, and had largely succeeded. A chill went through Shiina when she realized that an argument with her mother might not only be unpleasant for all concerned, but might just end up being their last conversation, as it was for Mako and her mother. Shiina had every reason to think herself fortunate, at least compared to some of her friends.

She couldn't help but think of another person she knew who was dealing with her family's expectations, and wished her the best of luck.

At Saro's house, her side of the family was having Sumire's side of the family over for dinner. Sumire had a day off of class and tankery practice. Upon hearing this, Sumire's mother, Hirose Sayuri, sighed with relief and said they were in luck, muttering that the dinner might otherwise have been scheduled at an inopportune time because "that woman has no knowledge of or appreciation for tankery."

Sumire wished she could say that her mother was blowing things out of proportion, but Saro called her to inform her that her mother, Hirose Sachiko, "that woman" in question, only asked if the dinner would conflict with her work on the morals committee, and was not concerned about tankery. So while the two cousins looked forward to meeting again they were also concerned.

"It's good to see you again, Nii-san, Sayuri-nee-san," Satomi's father, Satoru said, as his older brother and sister-in-law hung up their coats and took off their shoes.

"Likewise, Satoru," Sumire's father, Soichiro, said.

Sachiko and Sayuri looked at each other, sizing the other up in order to determine how to proceed. After an awkward and slightly tense moment, they exchanged bows and greeted each other by name with the "san" honorific.

Sachiko and Sayuri had their differences, to put it mildly, and would likely never have met if not for their husbands being brothers. And it was for the sake of their respective husbands that they tried to get along, even if many of their encounters involved a great deal of passive aggression. Sumire once described their putting up with each other as a bit like eating one's vegetables.

"Hi, Sumire," Saro said. "I'm glad you could make it."

"Same here, Satomi," Sumire said. "It has been a while since my parents and I have been over to your house."

"Not long enough for my mother," Satomi said.

Sumire let off a sigh that essentially said "I was afraid of that," before nodding.

The two sides of the family sat down in the living room, with Satomi's side of the family on one side and Sumire's side on the other. There almost seemed to be an invisible battle line between them, as if they were two armies standing before each other, waiting for negotiations to break down.

"So, Satomi, how has tankery been going for you?" Sayuri asked her niece after a few minutes of conversation.

"Quite well, Aunt Sayuri," Saro said. "We recently had a match with Rinkai. Commanding the flag tank, I was able to keep my team in the game long enough to win.."

"That's quite impressive," Sayuri said. "I'm sure your mother knows enough about tankery to understand at least this much."

"I am not completely ignorant about tankery, Sayuri-san," Sachiko said. "It may be a game, but I know enough about it to not conclude that it's anything less than what it is."

The exchange was all too familiar to Saro. In most of their meetings, the two women were like two duelists, expressing a degree of obligatory politeness to one another, but waiting for the signal to begin fighting- in their case, one that one of the two of them made.

"I really don't know who's worse- Aunt Sayuri for baiting Mom, or Mom for taking the bait- and I don't care," Saro thought. As she looked across the table to see her cousin rolling her eyes, and her uncle trying not to make eye contact with her mother, Saro realized that she was not alone in her beliefs.

"You would call it a game, Sachiko-san?" Sayuri said. "A term used by those to denigrate something as a waste of time. Apparently, living vicariously through your daughter in her position as head of the disciplinary committee is acceptable, but letting her do tankery on the side is not."

"Don't change the subject," Sachiko said. "You put pressure on your own daughter to do tankery, so I'm fairly sure you 'encouraged' Satomi to do tanke..."

"Actually, Mom, that was something I decided on my own," Satomi said, interrupting her mother. "I've been interested ever since Sumire first told me about doing it. The part about it being part of my duties was just an excuse."

For a moment Sumire's generally expressionless facade broke. But going with the flow, she responded to back up her cousin.

"That's true," Sumire said. "Mom essentially never talked about it with Satomi. And as for me, I essentially just told her about what I was doing in the tankery club when Satomi asked how school was going for me. I certainly didnt' expect her to take it up, but I'm glad that she did. She and I can talk about it more now, and it's helped us grow closer as cousins."

"So what now, Satomi?" Sachiko said. "Are you just going to quit the disciplinary committee, after spending so long in it and becoming its leader? Didn't you find it a beneficial experience? Wasn't it important to you?"

Satomi paused to consider her answer. Her mother seemed unusually desperate, not to gain a point over her rival, but to ensure that her daughter did not give up something valuable to her and in so doing, make a decision she regretted. Perhaps Satomi thought this because she wanted to, but she believed that her mother was honest, and so chose to respond in kind.

"Perhaps I might have if this had happened two years ago," Satomi said. "But over time, my work in the disciplinary committee grew on me, and I began to take it more seriously. I believe it's also something worth doing because it's a good cause, not because your parents tell you to do so, and I feel the same way about tankery."

Sachiko let off a sigh. Perhaps etiquette would dictate an apology now, but as unpleasant as she found it, she knew that it was the right course of action.

"I'm sorry, Sayuri-san," Sachiko said. "I was wrong to assume that you had put pressure on Satomi."

"I must apologize as well, Sachiko-san," Sayuri said. "I, too, have unfairly ascribed motives to you.

After the two women stood up and bowed to each other in apology, the conversation ground to a halt, with everyone having exhausted what they had to say, and no one yet sure of a good diversionary subject.

Sumire and Saro let off sighs of relief, even if neither believed they had won anything more than a cease-fire in the conflict between their mothers. Their fathers had also been able to get their wives to apologize to each other, but had never been able to resolve things. But Satomi's admission had cleared up a misunderstanding, and she believed that perhaps they would make truly significant progress.

Shortly before dinner, Sumire and Satomi privately met in Saro's room. In private discussions like these, the cousins felt free to share their thoughts about their family, and Sumire chose to go first.

"I wasn't expecting you to admit to what you did just now, Satomi," Sumire said, "nor was I expecting either of our moms to apologize."

"Well, it's the simple truth," Saro said. "I wanted them to understand that I was doing tankery on my own, for my own reasons. It wasn't an easy admission to make, but I felt this issue had gone on long enough without them understanding that."

"I agree," Sumire said. "For all my time together with Teru in high school, I held the fear that Saki would eventually give up on reconciling with her sister, and that the once close relationship they had would become nothing more than a memory."

"Saki told me that once," Saro said. "The thought of them parting on bad terms and never reuniting was quite depressing, which is why I was glad to hear that they've patched things up."

"So am I," Sumire said. "Of course, while it has taken them a while to start talking again it will take longer still to get anywhere close to the way they were before. As you can imagine, it will be even more difficult for our mothers, who never had anything in common, to be able to interact on truly amicable terms, since your doing tankery was never the only point of contention between them."

"I wouldn't rule out the possibility just yet, Sumire," Saro said. "At the very least, I'm grateful that both of them are still around, and neither has done anything that they cannot take back."

Sumire nodded. She knew hindsight was 20/20, and that the possibility of Saki and Teru reconciling had seemed remote at best. But it had happened anyway, so perhaps there was hope for her mother and aunt.

Hana and her mother were at a flower exhibition in Oarai, wearing matching kimonos. Hana had said hello to her friends from Anglerfish Team, as well as Natsumi and Shiina, but they had decided to go home after seeing her work and giving a show of support.

That was as much as Hana could hope for from her friends regarding flower arrangement, something in which they had little knowledge or interest, and it was all she wanted. The same could be said of her mother regarding tankery, even after Yuri's change of heart about it.

"I must say, you look quite nice, Hana-san," Yuri said.

"Thank you, Mother," Hana said. "It is not often that I get the occasion to wear a kimono."

Yuri nodded. She was well aware of how many people saw her adherence to tradition as outdated, and while she was reluctant to change, she also acknowledged that she had to adjust for the times.

In the last few months, she attended a seminar on how to best take advantage of the internet for publicity and other such features, hoping to broaden the Isuzu school's online presence. Since the event required business attire, Yuri wore a navy blue skirt suit with black pantyhose, a white dress shirt and light blue necktie to the event. With Shinzaburou's help, Yuri e-mailed a photo of herself to Hana, who was surprised to see her mother in more modern clothing, but thought she looked quite nice.

Yuri realized that she was starting to look to influences outside of her school for flower arranging. Perhaps it was not so strange that Hana was viewing tankery as a means of revitalizing her own flower arranging.

"It seems your flower arranging continues to improve," Yuri said. "I am glad that you have chosen to do tankery, even if there are still many things I do not understand about it."

"I believe so, too," Hana said, "although I may eventually stop doing tankery."

Yuri's face turned slightly pale, as she wondered what could drive Hana to give up something she enjoyed when she had been determined to do tankery before.

"I...Is it because of me, Hana-san?" Yuri said. "I was overly harsh with you before, but now, I hope you do not end up leaving tankery on my account."

Hana shook her head. Her mother had a tendency to worry, as before she had left for middle school, her mother had lost sleep worrying about the various things that might happen to Hana at middle school, even if she had never expected Hana to get involved with tankery. Indeed, Hana had not had any interest in tankery back then, being completely satisfied with her flower arranging, but how would things change?

"No, that is not it, Mother," Hana said. "Miho-san told me that there are people with varying degrees of interest in tankery. There are women who become professional tankers, but also women who join the JSDF, work outside of the home, become housewives, and other such things. Tankery is more than about the skills necessary to run a tank; it's about discipline, teamwork and determination, which serve you well in all walks of life."

Yuri nodded. She recalled the cover of a book on tankery she had bought after her reconciliation with Hana, called "Tankery: One Road, Many Destinations."

The cover illustration had featured a few women standing around a tank- one was wearing a business suit and holding a briefcase, another was wearing a JGSDF dress uniform and saluting, a third was wearing the uniform for Japan's national tankery team, and a fourth was wearing a dress and holding a child. The woman in the tankery team uniform was holding a framed picture of the four women while they were still in high school, and all of them were wearing the same uniform.

"Ah, yes," Yuri said. "When I was in high school, I took archery, as flower arranging was not a recognized elective at the time, and was not officially designated as one until after I graduated. The practice was good for me, and I made some friends among my teammates, but I wished flower arranging had been afforded equal recognition."

"Not everyone recognizes tankery," Hana said. "There are those who do not regard tankery as a 'legitimate' martial art due to not being as old as the others. And there are those who regard it as out of date. Miho-san told me that tankery will somehow have to gain respect while staying fresh in order to endure the test of time."

Yuri nodded, and glanced around at the sparse crowd at the exhibit, which had passed its peak attendance. She could see a group of no more than twenty people, generally wearing suits and kimonos. Oarai's flower arranging exhibits drew enough people to keep being held year after year, but they were a niche event at best. But while Yuri was not entirely happy with the number of people who were coming, she was happy with the kind of people who came. If popularity caused events like these to lose their heart and soul, then it was clearly not something they needed.

"But at the same time, should its practitioners not be certain that it remains true to itself?" Yuri said. "Even if it changes over the years, is there not some part that should always remain the same?"

"Yes, Mother," Hana said. "But... was that what you were concerned about when I took tankery? That I would no longer be a 'true' Isuzu flower arranger?"

After her surprise at being asked the question faded, Yuri sighed, realizing Hana would be disappointed with her answer.

"To be honest, Hana-san, when I... told you to not to come home, I wasn't thinking of my duty to the Isuzu School, or my responsibility to you as your mother," Yuri said. "I was simply angry that you'd chosen to do something like tankey, and, on a simpler level, that you'd gone against what I'd hoped you would do while away from home. In my anger, I made a decision that I regretted. Please forgive me."

Yuri bowed deeply in apology. Hana had heard her apologize for casting her out before, but this was the first time Yuri had ever openly discussed why she had done it.

Hana simply nodded. Her feelings about this were the same as they were on the day she had reconciled with her mother in the previous year's exhibit, and even when she was cast out in the first place.

"I have forgiven you, Mother," Hana said. "To be honest, part of the blame is mine. How could you have known I was discontent with flower arranging, or that I would have chosen tankey if I never said anything about it before?"

Yuri smiled, first appreciatively of her daughter's forgiveness, then an intrigued smile at her daughter's question. Hana raised an interesting point, but Yuri saw only one real answer.

"I asked Shinzaburou that question once," Yuri said. "He responded by asking me what I would have told you, and I could not answer with any certainty, because we had never discussed anything like that before. But I believe that should chang. From now on, my daughter, you should feel free to talk to me about anything that is concerning you; difficult subjects are no longer taboo."

"Thank you, Mother," Hana said.

"But, if I may ask, Hana-san, what brought this on?" Yuri said. "You do seem to have something on your mind."

"I was thinking about what Mako-san told me once," Hana said. "She said that because she parted with her parents on bad terms, she didn't want the same thing to happen to me. And now... she and her grandmother will never have the chance to speak again."

"I know," Yuri said. "Please send my condolences to Reizei-san."

As Hana and her mother returned to focusing on the exhibit, Hana pondered what Mako had told her. She realized that it was possible that her attempts could have ended in failure, as her appeals to her mother fell on deaf ears. She was thus glad that she had tried, and appreciated that the outcome had been successful.

Saki and Teru's parents spoke over the phone one evening. The conversations were relatively infrequent, and mainly about their children. While each still had custody of one daughter, they both still cared for the other one, and hoped to check in on the other from time to time. Kai and Keiko's differences had proven irreconciliable, but during these conversations, they could be civil and even amicable toward each other, since they were largely based around what they had in common, rather than their disagreements.

"How's Teru doing, Kai?" Keiko said. "I heard from her that she came by your place some time ago."

Kai subtly nodded. It was longer ago than Keiko's tone suggested, but it was since the last time they had talked.

"She was mainly there to visit Mizuho's grave and spend some time with Saki," Kai said. "Even if she reconnected with Saki, she and I had our differences even before the family split apart. It may be more difficult to mend my ties with her."

"Saki would be sad to hear this," Keiko said, "especially since she keeps in touch with me. Our divorce was hardly the outcome she had hoped for."

"I know," Kai said, "although I do think it's better this way. Still, I hope neither Saki nor Teru end up giving up on tankery, even if I never was wholeheartedly enthusiastic about her doing it."

Keiko sighed

"I think I knew all along, even if I didn't acknowledge it, that Teru was doing tankery for her own reasons," Keiko said. "Teru did say that when she, in her Maus, faced Saki and the rest of her teammates, she had a purpose to be there, as did Saki. I only hope Teru rediscovers that purpose."

"So do I," Kai said.

The former couple said their goodbyes and hung up. The conversations they had since their divorce had always been awkward to some degree, but they were also able to openly discuss issues that they had not confronted until their marriage had gone downhill. Perhaps if they had been more open with each other, things would have gone differently- perhaps the marriage would have been saved, or it may never have happened in the first place.

But Teru had once told her mother that she had spent too long regretting the past and thinking of what might have been, and Keiko shared it with her ex-husband. She did not know much about what role tankery would play in her future, but was determined to find it herself and move forward from the tragedy, just like Saki had. The Miyanaga family was irreversibly broken, but perhaps that feeling would enable them to bring about a better future for all of them.

At the Haramura family house, Kei and Reiko had dinner with Nodoka, who had managed to get Saki invited over.

"So, Nodoka, I have a question," Reiko said. "Is it true that some of the teams are other clubs moonlighting in tankery?"

"Yes, Mother, to an extent," Nodoka said. "Duck Team and Sparrow Team are defunct clubs trying to re-establish themselves. The Auto Club is participating with Leopon Team, as an offshoot of its supporting us as our vehicle repair crew. Some of the Discipline Committee members and Student Council also participate.

"I see," Reiko said. "The higher-ups in your student government seem surprisingly involved in this. I wonder if people will see a conflict of interest should they give more support to the tankery team."

"It's a matter of our school's image, Mother," Nodoka said, "so their interests align with those of the school. When we were about to be closed last year, we had to find a reason why our school had value compared to others. It's like making a case in court, and finding the evidence that we need."

Kei nodded. He recalled how his firm had urged its lawyers to be mindful of the image they presented, and how one employee had been dismissed after a somewhat noticeable incident that reflected badly on the firm.

"When you describe it in those terms, Nodoka, I can understand it well," Kei said. "I need the trust of my client to do well, and enough evidence to convince those responsible for the verdict to rule in my favor. Evidence and good arguments are needed for the latter. The road ahead of your school may be difficult with what you have."

"Perhaps, Father," Nodoka said. "But Oarai is more than its arsenal of tanks. We have people who will support the team, among them, Saki, who always sees a glimmer of hope and never gives up on the things that matter to her. She's not only a great asset to our team, but she's inspired me to do the same."

"I'm glad to hear this, Nodoka," Reiko said, before turning to Saki. "Thank you for taking care of our daughter, Miyanaga-san."

"You're welcome, ma'am," Saki said. "But I will say that Nodoka-chan has also inspired me to both take tankery seriously and have fun while doing so. That's why, even if I accomplished my goal of reconciling with my sister, I still enjoy doing it with her and the rest of my friends."

Kei nodded and pondered what had been said so far. He felt as though he understood why his daughter had stuck with tankery so long, why she enjoyed it so much. He knew that success over a long period of time required a great deal of effort from many people, and could not predict the future, but was hopeful that Oarai would be able to manage it.

At the Sawamura apartment, Tomoki had Jun and Hajime over for dinner. The three girls and one adult woman sat around the small table in the apartment.

"I'm glad you could come, Kunihiro-san, Inoue-san," Tomoki's mother said. "And I'm sorry that Ryuumonbuchi-san and Amae-san couldn't make it. I was hoping to meet the latter."

"Touka said her dad had other plans, Sawamura-san," Hajime said, "specifically, that he wanted her and Koromo to eat with him tonight."

Touka's father was often busy with his work, and saw relatively little of his daughter and niece, and this only seemed to get worse after his wife's death. Whenever people suggested that Touka benefited from her father's influence, she sardonically asked if he was aware that she was going to his school.

"That can sometimes happen," Tomoki's mother said. "My husband's work is keeping him late tonight, so it was nice to have people to have dinner with besides Tomoki."

"Yeah, being able to have happy family meals together is something a lot of people don't appreciate nearly enough," Jun said, "which is why I hope things are going well with Touka, her dad and Koromo."

At the Ryuumonbuchi manor in Koala Forest's home port, Touka, along with her cousin and father, ate at a small yet nicely set table that the Ryuumonbuchi family ate at when not having company. Touka and Koromo wore white dresses that, while tasteful, were not the sort they would wear while dressing up, while Touka's father wore a blue suit, the kind he tended to wear to work.

"So, Touka," Touka's father said, "how is the team doing in the post-season practice?"

"Very well, Father," Touka said. "We are working to improve our perfomance, and are speaking with Saunders College High regarding the possibility of an exhibition match after the tournament ends."

"That's good to hear," Touka's father said.

"Father could simply ask the coach to report to him," Touka thought. "So why would he ask me? And why would he have Koromo eat with us as well, unless..."

Touka wondered if her train of thought was going to somewhere too optimistic for her liking, going off the tracks and into the realm of fantasy. But another part of her wondered if maybe her more cynical side was wrong this time- or perhaps missing the point entirely.

Koromo had come to realize, in hindsight, that it all should have seemed so simple. How many cousins would go as far for her as Touka had? The difference between her perspective before and after the match was the difference between choosing a more pessimistic view and a more optimistic view. And it so happened that before, she was wrong, but now, she was right.

Touka, glancing over at Koromo, acknowledged that she could not read her cousin's mind, but noticed that she seemed happier than before, and that was what mattered. The Ryuumonbuchi mansion and even her room off in an isolated part of the house seemed more like home to her.

Touka smiled. They had one more year together as a team, one more chance for Koala Forest to rise to the championship, and more time for Koromo to spend with her new friends.

Elsewhere, back in her apartment at Rinkai, Myeongwha talked with her mother over the phone.

"(I have some bad news, Myeonghwa)," Professor Choe said in Korean. "(My talk has been pushed back, so I can no longer come on the day of the finals)."

"(It's alright, Mom)," Myeonghwa said, "(considering we aren't proceeding to the finals after all)."

"(Again, I'm sorry to hear that,)" Professor Choe said. "(I had considered the possibility of your school losing to Oarai, but hoped you would prevail.)"

"(Still, the rest of the team is in high spirits,)" Myeonghwa said. "(We did prove ourselves in this tournament, and two of the more exciting matches are ahead. The finals determine the championship, but the other semifinals match will determine whether Black Forest gets another shot at resuming its win streak.)"

"(Ah, yes,)" Professor Choe said. "(Given that you and your teammates from France ended a five-year winning streak by Hammer and Sickle High School, it makes sense that you want to level the playing field)."

"(I'll be trying again next year, too,)" Myeonghwa said. "(Some of my friends will be gone, but others are ready for another chance.)"

"(That's good to hear,)" Professor Choe said.

Myeonghwa checked the time on her cell phone, and noticed that it was getting late. Since Professor Choe kept a clock showing the time where her daughter lived, she also was aware of this, and so chose to draw the conversation to a close.

"(I'll let you know for now, Myeonghwa)," Professor Choe said. "(Just remember- I'm proud of you and what you've accomplished)"

"(Thank you, Mom,)" Myeonghwa said, before saying goodbye and hanging up.

Bed time came; what for her mother was the early morning was nearing the end of the day for Myeonghwa. Myeonghwa thus brushed her teeth, put on her nightgown, and said her prayers.

"Lord, my friend Mako hopes that her friends and their friends will love and cherish those close to them, and so do I," Myeonghwa prayed. "Please help them understand it before they lose what is dear to them."

At the Nishizumi family home, Miho sat before her mother. Much to Miho's disappointment, Shiho had no significant news about Homura's condition, and mainly talked about the battle with Rinkai, giving her advice that would only apply to the Nishizumi style. Miho listened, out of politeness and to see if there was anything useful, but she knew long ago she had come to the realization that she could not do things her mother's way.

"In the end, I'd like to congratulate you on winning against Rinkai, Miho," Shiho said. "But as I said earlier, I had hoped that Erika, the representative of our family's style, would be the ones to fight the newcomers from Rinkai."

"Is this related to the Nishizumi School's need to prove itself, Mother?" Miho said. Miho was fully aware that the Nishizumi school could use how it was doing at the moment to justify pushing themselves further. If they were doing well at the moment, they needed to redouble their efforts to stay that way. And if they had run into a difficult period, it was clearly a wake-up call to improve themselves. Clearly, they were in the latter, but would it be a simple task to renew their winning streak?

"In part, yes," Shiho said. "It would be a way for the Nishizumis to stand up against foes from other countries. And it would be a high-profile success, to offset recent failures."

"I know, Mother," Miho said. "But Oarai is also striving to prove itself, to show they have a tankery team to be proud of and that they can achieve consistent success."

"I can understand that much," Shiho said. "And in the end, if any other team brought down Rinkai, I'm glad that yours was the one to do it."

Miho smiled. Congratulating someone was a small gesture, often done merely out of politeness, but it was a significant one from her mother, so Miho was grateful for it.

"Thank you, Mother," Miho said.

Miho met with Maho on the porch outside the living room, where she could talk away from her mother's ears. The night air was cool, but not yet cold enough for them to stay in.

Maho listened to what Miho had discussed with their mother, simply nodding until Miho finished telling her everything.

"I suppose I understand Mother's perspective as head of the Nishizumi school," Maho said. "But as your sister, Miho, I'd like to congratulate you on winning again."

Miho smiled appreciatively.

"Thank you, Onee-chan," Miho said. "How are things at your school and tankery team?"

"Largely the same as usual, Miho," Maho said. "I have been living up to Mother's expectations and defeating whichever opponents come my way. Most of the pressure comes from her, however; while my university has the best tankery team in the national university level, it's not as dominant as Black Forest was."

Miho noticed Maho emphasizing the past tense.

"Is this pressure coming because of me?" Miho said, her voice quavering.

"That's not it at all, Miho," Maho said decisively. "Mother seems to be aware that the Nishizumi school's problems cannot solely be laid at your feet, which is why she chose not to disown you. She realizes that even if we disassociate ourselves from you, it won't make our problems go away."

"But what will solve the school's problems?" Miho said.

"To be honest, I don't know yet," Maho said. "Maybe winning all the time isn't the solution, or maybe the Nishizumi school needs to rethink its own identity. But for the moment, I'm expected to continue winning, to show that the Nishizumi school is still a force to be reckoned with."

"I understand," Miho said. "But it still seems like you have a rather large task ahead of yourself."

"No more than it usually is," Maho said. "In any case, it's a simple matter of defeating whichever opponents come my way, just like I always have beene expected to do so."

"And that's probably Hiroe-san next, right?" Miho said.

"She easily won in the semifinals," Maho said. "Her school's not as strong as mine is, but she has a fair amount going for her."

"Such as?" Miho said.

"For one, she's doing what she does for her own sake," Maho said. "Her mother's ideals are also her own, so she's naturally true to herself. And even if it goes to her head at times, she's confident and decisive. Back when I faced you in the finals, I tried my best, but couldn't perform at my absolute best, because I was fighting against what I wanted to happen. Hiroe has no such doubt, so she fights without holding back."

"Even when it comes to defeating you?" Miho said. She recalled that Hiroe had once said that she had never hated or even disliked Maho, despite her efforts to defeat her.

"For what it's worth, Hiroe understands what I'm doing," Maho said, "which is why she doesn't hold it against me or think I'm a hypocrite. In fact, she's expecting me to put up a good fight, since she loves going up against challenging opponents." Maho smiled slightly. "I'll try not to disappoint her."

At the Atago family home, Masae had her entire family- her husband, her daughters, her mother, her sister, her brother-in-law and her niece- over for dinner.

Before dinner, Kinue and Masaki sat in the living room. Kinue had called Masaki aside to speak with her aunt privately.

"Aunt Masaki, I have a question about tankery," Kinue said.

"I'll do my best to answer it, Kinue," Masaki said, "but if you're looking for tankery-related advice, I'd suggest either of our sisters or Hiroko. In our generation, your mother was the one who truly excelled, while I was mainly along for the ride."

"Actually, that's why I wanted to speak with you, Aunt Masaki," Kinue said. "I'm wondering what it was like to be in my mom's shadow, to live up to the accomplishments of someone who nearly defeated Black Forest."

Masaki nodded. She had done her best while in tankery, but was dispassionate enough about it that she did not mind people pointing out that she was not doing it as seriously as her older sister had. Because of that, she knew where her niece was coming from, and believed that she would be best suited to answer.

"I see your point," Masaki said. "For me, I saw it as a matter of duty to do my best in whatever position I am assigned. If the team had a job for me, I did it to the best of my ability. If the team did not, I accepted it gracefully, while doing whatever I could to be of use to them. This wasn't good enough for Black Forest, which is one reason why I had no regrets about leaving when circumstances forced your mother and I to switch schools."

"I know," Kinue said, having head the story. "I don't think I could have made the cut there, either, so I've always been glad I went to Pravda."

Masaki nodded in agreement.

"I also fit in better at Pravda, but my aspirations were significantly more humble than most people's," Masaki said. "A few of my teammates were a bit surprised to hear that I didn't plan to do anything tankery related, probably influenced by hearing about your mother's exploits on the university circuit."

Kinue nodded. She had long considered becoming a teacher, but had only recently considered the possibility of becoming a tankery teacher, believing that she was not enough of an expert to guide others.

"I know what it's like to look up to your sister and feel inadequate by comparison," Kinue said. "Of course, this is purely about what I want to do, so that's not necessarily useful."

Masaki nodded. High school was when her and her sister's paths had diverged; one became a relatively famous tanker and teacher, while the other became a humble homemaker. Tankery was the last pursuit they were involved in together, and it was obvious even then that they were both doing it for different reasons. But Masae had once told Masaki that this difference of purpose was not a bad thing, and Masaki agreed wholeheartedly.

"Still, when all's said and done, tankery was fun while it lasted," Masaki said. "I couldn't go on any longer, but I didn't regret the time I spent doing it, since it was my choice. I did my best and took it seriously; I may not have won the tournament, but I have no regrets about it."

"It's just like my playing soccer, then," Kinue said. "I couldn't do it forever, or as seriously as some of the people in middle school, but it had its value."

"When I think about it, everyone else is the same," Masaki said. "Your mother did not establish a school to force her descendants to carry on her work, but to make a difference. Your sister chose to take up that responsibility herself. Hiroko chose to do tankery alongside your sister. You, too, have a choice, just as you have participated in tankery by choice thus far, and it's ultimately up to you how you choose to win in the end."

Kinue nodded. In the end, some of her teammates- albeit a small portion- had served under her sister, but in the end, they would be looking to her for their orders. She thus realized least she could do for them was believe in herself, and while her aunt had not done tankery in over two decades, she had helped her realize an important truth.

"Thank you, Aunt Masaki," Kinue said. "I may not know what I need to do in order to win, but now that you've helped me put things in perspective, I feel as though I can find the solution."

"You're welcome, Kinue," Masaki said. "Your mother has helped Hiroko out many times, so the least I can do is help her children."

Kinue pondered the task ahead of her. Some of the people she had looked up to had defeated Black Forest, while others had fallen short. But while her opponent was Black Forest, it was not necessarily the same as it had been in the past. It seemed more vulnerable somehow, whether because of its performance this year or its defeats the past two years, so winning was not necessarily out of the question.

Perhaps the answer was up to her, one that would be the sum of all her experiences, training and tankery battles up until now. Perhaps the only way to defeat Black Forest and succeed where her mother and sister had failed before was by a method neither had tried.

A few nights later, at the Akiyama family home, Yukari had her friends over for dinner, having told her mother about it several nights in advance. On Mako's request, relayed through Yukari, they largely decided not to discuss her grandmother, save for a simple expression of condolences from Yukari's parents.

"Please tell me what you think of this recipe, girls, and don't be afraid to be open-minded," Yoshiko said. "It's been a while since I've last cooked for seven people."

"You cooked this quite well, ma'am," Hana said. "Because of that, I'm grateful that you gave me a generous portion."

"I'm glad to hear that, Isuzu-san," Yoshiko said. "Yukari told me that you had quite an appetite."

"I can cut any of your hair if you'd like," Jungorou said, with an eager and almost plaintive grin on his face. The fact that Akiyama barbeshop was struggling for business was an elephant in the room, so to speak, as many people preferred the larger hair salon nearby, or got their hair cut while the ship was in port.

"Thank you for the offer," Hana said. "I will stop by here if I need a haircut, though."

"You know, Yukari, I think I have some idea why you're such a tank maniac," Mako said. "You get that from your dad."

Yukari and Yoshiko chuckled, while Jungorou seemed slightly sheepish.

"That sounds like a good guess, Reizei-san," Yoshko said. "Whenever my husband and daughter get serious about something, they go all out. It seems odd to most people, but that enthusiasm is part of the reason why I fell in love with my husband in the first place."

Miho nodded approvingly.

"Yukari-san's knowledge of tankery has been quite useful," Miho said. "And much of Oarai's success has been because of people who are enthusiastic enough to do whatever we need them to do, going the long odds."

Miho looked around and remembered the first time she had come to the shop, seeing a normal, happy family. In the course of getting to know all her friends, she had met those with troubled relations with their family, like Hana, or who had lost family members, like Mako. But she had also met those who had not suffered that, and could not help but feel happy for them.

"So do you girls have anything going this evening?" Jungorou said. "We were hoping to catch a movie on TV, and it might be nice to do it with Yukari's friends."

"I actually have a meeting with my sister and Erika-san on Skype later," Miho said, "so I'll have to get going after dinner."

The other members of Anglerfish Team's expressions turned concerned, as they recalled that their encounters with Erika had largely not been pleasant, least of all for Miho. But Erika had taken the defeat more gracefully than they expected, so they realized that their guesses were not guaranteed to be right.

"What's it about?" Saori said.

"She wanted to talk about her upcoming match with Pravda," Miho said. "Apparently, it's a big match for the Nishizumi school and Black Forest, more so than most semifinals matches usually are."

"So she's feeling nervous?" Yukari said. "That's unexpected, given how... confident in her abilities she seemed when we first met."

"Losing is something of a new thing to Black Forest," Miho said. "They no longer have the same belief in their invincibility that they once had, so they have to redouble their efforts."

"Is that really a bad thing?" Mako said. "If it knocked her down a peg, then that's all the more reason for me to be happy that we won. And I may not be the best person to say this, but isn't having to try hard for something good for them?"

"Those are good questions, Mako-san," Miho said. "Perhaps when I speak with Erika-san, she will answer them."

Author's Notes

This was another chapter to go into various characters' family issues. Some of them have changed last time, while others have changed over the course of the story. It's often nice to take a look to see how your characters are developing.

The next chapter is the final Interlude, for Erika.

There's also a side story about what certain characters do after they're done with tankery.

Please vote in the OC poll while you can; when the next chapter comes up, I'll ask you what your favorite Interlude was.