Chapter 32: Thinking About Tomorrow
Miho met with the Student Council in their office shortly after the end of the tournament. Although her family was on her mind, she also had to deal with matters relating to the team in the aftermath of their defeat, and in the months leading up to her graduation.
"So what did you want to talk with me about, President?" Miho said, adopting a more formal and businesslike tone than she used on Shizuru and the others outside the office.
"We have some good news," Shizuru said. "Our defeat was what might be considered the best possible result. We proved to potential benefactors that we could do well with the tanks that we had, but could use more tanks to fight on even footing with other schools."
"We're in talks with potential sponsors who could potentially provide us a tank," Ayano said. "It wouldn't be for free, and the help wouldn't arrive this year, but it would be significantly cheaper than what we would pay for it otherwise."
Miho nodded, pleased.
"That sounds promising," Miho said. "Please keep me informed about this process."
"If nothing else, we take losing a lot more gracefully than say, Black Forest does," Shiina said.
"So you heard the news," Miho said, "about what happened with their coach."
The student council members nodded.
"Since getting started in tankery, we have been getting into the habit of keeping up with what's going on with our competition," Shizuru said. "Doing so can help us learn about what to expect from our opponents when we face them in battle. And, as I learned over the past year, there's a certain value in watching those you disagree with, even if you will never emulate them."
Miho nodded. Her time at Black Forest had its ups and downs, and she knew she was better off at Oarai, but her time at Black Forest was a large influence on her, just like being born into the Nishizumi family was. She had many new friends at Oarai, but she was still interested in how those who were left behind were faring.
The day after the tournament
Takako entered the office of the headmistress of Black Forest, Fujisaki Natsuki, who had been hired the year after Miho had left. While roughly a decade Takako's senior, the new headmistress was quite young compared to her predecessor. In spite of that, however, she was also well-accomplished and had a good deal of administrative experience.
When Takako had first met Natsuki, Takako had been impressed by her new superior's qualifications and professionalism. Natsuki even reminded Takako of Shiho in some regards, as she was a tall woman with long, dark hair who wore a dark pantsuit that was similar to the one Shiho wore, albeit with a bright red necktie- Black Forest essentially required its higher ranking faculty, both females and males, to wear ties to work.
But Natsuki, in spite of stressing the importance for Black Forest to remain successful and competitive as an academic institution, also believed change was important, and there were multiple ways to accomplish it. As such, Takako wondered what place, if any, she and the Nishizumi school would have in Black Forest under the school's new management.
"Thank you for coming, Coach Kubo," Natsuki said, before motioning for Takako to have a seat. "I called you here to discuss a few recurring issues in your time as Black Forest's coach."
"Is it about... the rumors?" Takako said.
"Not entirely," Natsuki said. "We obviously take them with a grain of salt, but when so many people are talking about it for so long, then perhaps that, in and of itself, is a troubling sign. More recently, though, there are those who have come forward, and while most have done so anonymously, there are others with signed statements. Please take a moment to look them over."
Natsuki slid a small stack of papers across the desk, and Takako read them, recognizing the names of some of the students she had disciplined, and remembering some of the incidents involved. She also remembered why she had disciplined them and what she had hoped to accomplish, but it seemed as though Natsuki was more interested in the facts than in Takako's reasons or justifications.
"So, Coach Kubo," Natsuki said. "Are these reports truthful?"
"Yes, ma'am," Takako said without hesitation. "I disciplined them as I believed necessary, for the sake of correcting their actions and making them better tankers and more useful to the team as a whole."
Natsuki sighed. By all accounts, Takako seemed to take little pleasure in disciplining students, but she was largely unrepentant, so the meeting would be difficult.
"I appreciate your willingness to be forthcoming on this matter," Natsuki said, "but this leads to my second point. There is also the matter of the Nishizumi ideology. It has always had its fair share of critics, but it also has a record of success... until recently."
Takako took a deep breath to compose herself. Most other people saying that would have elicited an angry response from her, but she realized that she could not afford to show rudeness to her superior. She was clearly in trouble, but it was possible that she would avoid the worst of it if she presented her case effectively and tactfully.
"With due respect, headmistress, I do not practice it entirely as Instructor Nishizumi envisions it," Takako said. "To me, I see it as an ideal promoting excellence among students, and choose to implement my own interpretation, for the sake of the students."
"Perhaps," Natsuki said. "But you do follow the spirit of it, do you not?"
"Yes, ma'am," Takako said, knowing it was the only answer she could honestly give.
"The Nishizumis believe that the results matter most of all," the headmistress said, "not quite 'the ends justify the means' but fairly close. But if I may ask, why do we, as a school, seek to win?"
Takako paused. Clearly, Natsuki wanted her to answer truthfully, but some answers would be acceptable, while others would not. Takako then considered her response and chose her words carefully, hoping to appeal to Natsuki's values, rather than recite those of the Nishizumi school.
"It's for the sake of our school," Takako said. "By winning,we uphold our good name, keep tankery as a point of pride for us, and prove to the nation and the world that we are a good school, and second to none in tankery."
Natsuki hesitantly nodded, and waited a moment for Takako to continue. When Takako did not speak, Natsuki broke the silence.
"Those are valid reasons, Coach Kubo," Natsuki said. "But are they the only ones?"
Takako paused, slightly taken off guard. Some of her students would have been surprised to see such a display from her, at least until they realized that Takako was now dealing with someone who outranked her, and the conversation had taken an unpleasant turn. Takako had assumed that the coach saw the team's success as most important, but if this was not necessarily the case, then she was at a loss for how to deal with her.
"They're the ones that are most important, ma'am," Takako said. "By associating with a successful team, students will learn a great deal and have an avenue to future success in tankery and life in general. The Nishizumi school inspired me to reach for those heights, and with my interpretation of its style, I intend to do the same for my students... with any means necessary."
Natsuki sighed. Any hope she had of persuading Takako, or of Takako understanding what Natsuki hoped she would had now faded.
"I had hoped you wouldn't say that," Natsuki said. "It is true that the team is our school's pride, but it is not solely about how many championships we win, or how many of our alumni become professional tankers or coaches. It's about providing a team our students can enjoy being part of, in which they can learn and grow as tankers and people. My point is essentially that I am no longer certain the Nishizumi doctrine, with its ruthless competitiveness and exacting standards, is conducive to that end."
"With due respect, headmistress," Takako said, "the Nishizumis believe that great effort in tankery translates to success in other endeavors. Perhaps you may not have taken part in tankery, but you should know what our tankers have gone on to do after graduating."
Natsuki shook her head.
"As an alumna, I know that the tankery team has changed little since my time at the school," Natsuki said. "And while it is possible that the unfortunate incident at the finals two years ago and Oarai's sudden rise to prominence were factors against us, the school has not adequately changed with the times. It's time for a changing of the guard, and to take Black Forest into the future."
"What are you saying, headmistress?" Takako said, almost unwilling to believe what she was hearing.
"In other words, Coach Kubo, we have no further need of your services," the headmistress said. "Your employment will terminate at the end of the academic year, and we will soon begin the search process for your replacement."
Takako was speechless for a moment. Not only would she soon lose her job, but Black Forest was starting to turn its back on the Nishizumi style. She soon realized there was only one way to process this. Nishizumi disciples were expected to never lose, fail to accomplish their missions, or disappoint their superiors or those who were counting on them, but once they did, they were expected to take responsibility and accept the consequences gracefully.
"Yes, ma'am," Takako said.
"That will be all for today," Natsuki said. "Keep me apprised on your efforts, and we will discuss your exit over the next few weeks. You are dismissed."
Takako stood up, bowed deeply to the headmistress and left.
Takako, returning to her apartment on the Black Forest school ship, placed a call to Ami.
"Hi, Takako," Ami said. "How are you doing today?"
"Hi, Ami," Takako said with a soft sigh. "I met with the headmistress today, and was dismissed from my position as Black Forest's coach, effective the end of the school year."
Takako, hearing what she just said, was amazed at how much she had internalized the formal language of the workplace when talking about her job.
"I'm sorry to hear that, Takako," Ami said. "I honestly wouldn't have fired you over something like this, even if I were in the position of Black Forest's headmistress."
"I think they're growing tired of the Nishizumi style," Takako said "They're looking elsewhere, for a solution that will help them as a school, for things that matter more than winning."
"That's unfortunate," Ami said. "Ever since I've graduated high school and entered the JGSDF, I've taught many students, from cadets to civilians, often in ways very different from how I was taught. In the process, I've learned the limitations of the Nishizumi style in teaching and tankery, but still believe that without my time at the Nishizumi school, I would never have become the person I am today."
"I could say the same," Takako said. "But the issue's out of our hands now. Perhaps someday a new champion of the Nishizumi style will arise, restoring our good name like you restored Black Forest's winning streak twelve years ago."
"Perhaps," Ami said. "It may well be a very different Nishizumi style from the one we knew."
Takako nodded.
"That may not be a bad thing," Takako said. "Even though my employment with Black Forest has ended, I still hope for my students' success, and that of my replacement. I suppose the time has come to part ways with Black Forest once again."
"You could say that," Ami said. "Wherever you end up, Takako, I wish you the best of luck."
"Thanks, Ami," Takako said, before saying goodbye to her.
Takako looked around her apartment, knowing that she would soon have to leave the ship behind once more. In her more optimistic moments, she thought of the change as a chance to start over, to rethink her way of tankery and teaching and begin anew elsewhere. Just as Black Forest was looking in a new direction, so, too, would she, and a part of her eagerly looked forward to the process of discovering what she could do.
A few days after the end of the tournament
"Miho?" Shizuru said as Miho was lost in thought.
"Sorry, Shizuru-san," Miho said. "I was just thinking for a moment about Coach Kubo- or rather, the former coach."
"Ah yes, your former tankery coach," Shizuru said. "Do you think what happened to her was fair?"
Miho sighed and shrugged. She was tempted to ask "By whose standards?" but realized that the student council did not expect her to necessarily approach the issue from the headmistress' point of view.
"She was... quite harsh with us," Miho said, "particularly to those who were unable to meet her standards. But she believed in all of us, and respected those who persevered. Who could say what she might have accomplished had she been given another chance?"
"That's a good question, Miho," Ayano said. "Of course, she's beyond the point at which she can look at this as a trial run and see her mistakes as nothing more than learning experiences. If I recall correctly, she said as much in one interview she had a few years ago, so she can't complain when she's subject to it."
Miho sadly nodded.
"I suppose so," Miho said. "Still, I wish her the best, and have the same wish for my old school. Perhaps my time at Black Forest is in the past, but I will soon have to say the same about Oarai."
The others silently concurred before changing the subject. Their time at their school was running out, and they would have to spend what was left of it preparing for what came next, and ensuring that those who stayed behind would be able to assume the positions they vacated, and perform well in their stead. In those regards, they had something in common with Takako, and so they strove to carry out their responsibilities to the very end.
In Miho's classroom, her fellow club heads were hard at work preparing for the next year, including recruiting new members to replace those who would be graduating at the end of the year.
"Hi, Mutsuki," Noriko said after class one day. "I'm looking for some people to the volleyball team, now that we've gotten going again. Do you know anyone?"
"What a coincidence, Noriko," Mutsuki said with a smile. "I waws also hoping to recruit some new members to the recently reformed mahjong club."
"Yeah, congratulations," Noriko said.
"Thank you, Noriko; I'd like to congratulate you as well," Mutsuki said, causing Noriko to smile appreciatively. "Of course, neither of us, nor Tsuchiya-san, will be around to see it.
"Well, I think of it somewhat differently," Noriko said. "We didn't succeed in re-establishing our clubs, but in restoring their status as clubs. The people were there all along and helped us reach our goal."
"Indeed," Tsuchiya said, walking over. "That's why I feel confident in leaving the auto club in the hands of my juniors. I may not have a choice in the matter any more than the two of you do, but it's a choice I'd gladly make."
The three girls knew that the same would soon apply to the tankery team, as the largest group of the first-generation tankers graduated, moving on to university and other pursuits. As much as they regretted parting from their friends, they were each moving on to the next phase of their lives, and they hoped that one day, those still at Oarai would take that next step as well.
Later in the year, Shiina and Natsumi had an interview at a college to which they both applied. They spent weeks preparing, and the entire process, including the tour and entrance interview, took several hours.
Not too long ago, both of them would have found it to be qute stressful. They had to look professional and be on their best behavior. They had to exude an aura of affability and confidence, while giving the "right" answers to the questions. Any misstep could potentially be their undoing, without them even realizing it.
But they had experience doing that from their time in the student council. And from their experience with Ayano, they realized that many of those whose job it was to make difficult decisions did so to the best of their ability.
As the two girls, the receptionist called out "Have a nice day!" Almost on reflex, the two girls said, "You too, ma'am."
Shiina and Natsumi walked out of the office, got into the elevator, and took it down to the ground floor. After the doors shut, they decided to discuss the interview.
"How do you think it went, Natsumi?" Shiina said.
"Quite well," Natsumi said pleasantly. "I'm certainly hoping I get in, since this looks like a promising place."
"So am I," Shiina said. "But I have to say, that's not at all like your reaction three years ago."
"You mean, apart from me being on my best behavior?" Natsumi said.
Shiina nodded.
"You've changed, Natsumi," Shiina said. "You're no longer the same person you were when we first met, but you're not the person you pretend to be, either."
"Is this a bad thing?" Natsumi said, briefly taken off guard. From time to time, there were situations in which Natsumi was no longer sure how to react, such as when she was unsure of how best to appeal to them. In such situations, she could only do what came to mind.
"No, I like it," Natsumi said with a smile. "You feel more comfortable and open with being yourself, and when you conform to others' expectations, it feels more natural."
"I'm not the only one, Shiina," Natsumi said. "Didn't you come up with the idea to apply here on your own?"
"Well, I did hear about it from Ayano," Shiina said. "She's very practical and analytical, and you can talk with her about almost anything."
Natsumi nodded approvingly. Some would imagine it to be a surprise that the more idealistic Shiina and the pragmatic Ayano would get along well, but Ayano said that she was friends with Shizuru, who was in many ways an idealist, in spite of their disagreements, so it seemed natural that she would also befriend Shiina.
"Speaking of things you don't talk about with others much," Natsumi said, "I've been playing Ancient Legacy Online, and I'd like to know any strategies about playing rogues."
"I didn't play one, but Shizuru does, and she says they do a lot of DPS at higher gear levels," Shiina said, growing somewhat excited. "To begin with, you'll need a lot of Critical Hit for the Serpent's Fangs passive ability, so you can poison the target while backstabbing if you get a crit. Be sure to choose Enfeebling Venom talent when you hit Level 30, so you can get 5% extra damage on poisoned targets..."
Anyone who caught a glimpse of those two girls would have remarked at how well they were dressed. But anyone who heard them would have found them to be two ordinary teenagers, talking with each other about their interests. Both Shiina and Natsumi had to go along with the expectations of others in their own ways and for their own reasons, but that did not stop them from being true to themselves.
At BC Freedom, Kei prepared to graduate, and thought about the future as she tried on the cap and gown, which she wore over her school uniform. In spite of BC Freedom's limited success in the tournament, she was well liked by those on both the BC and Freedom sides, remnants of two separate schools that shared the same ship but had never fully united, and would be missed.
Much like the other recent graduates, Kei had been faced with the task of choosing a successor, and had chosen Hatsuse, in hopes of finding a competent commander who would be able to lead both halves of the school well. Kei had known Hatsuse well all throughout her time in high school, and felt confident in her choice, just as Miho and Kinue felt confident in choosing Nodoka and Anastasia, respectively.
But while it was tempting to choose a commander that was familiar and similar to the outgoing commander, it was not always possible. At Black Forest, Erika's replacement was a girl who had a promising start in Maho's final year as commander, but no connection to the Nishizumi school. Rinkai passed over Nelly and Myeonghwa as commander in favor of a Japanese commander neither knew well, and Nelly was chosen as vice captain. St. Gloriana chose Lei Cha, who was, by all accounts, stern and something of a disciplinarian, but willing to give second chances, such as when her gunner failed a crucial shot to protect their flag tank against Koala Forest.
Many new commanders were rising, while some, such as Arata, Touka and Kazue, would once again be assuming their positions. Kei regretted not being able to participate any longer, but hoped to watch as she competed against the others on the university level.
At Koala Forest, Touka's crew did not do much for the graduation of a significant portion of the team, with Touka giving a short speech at the end of the final tankery practice of the year congratulating the graduates and wishing them luck in the future. The same went for Kazue at Joghurt and Arata at Saunders, even though they were aware they would soon have to say goodbye to some of their senpais.
The three commanders, who would return to their posts the following year, decided to hold a Skype conference to discuss the future, particularly the various new arrivals and the greater promise of victory now that, for the last four years, the same school did not win twice in a row.
"If any of us wins the tournament, it'll be the first and only time in our high school careers," Arata said, "as well as the only time, at least in recent memory, that any of our schools managed to win."
"That's to be expected," Kazue said. "The Nishizumi sisters won a single tournament victory each while in high school, far more than most people can hope for."
"And yet, I will not be able to face and overcome either one next year?" Touka said. "That is most unfortunate! I had hoped to prove my mettle against adversaries of their caliber, and Koromo enjoys fighting challenging battles, as well."
"There are a lot of strong up and coming students, Ryuumonbuchi-san," Arata said. "Someone will undoubtedly be willing to make a name for herself by taking any of us down, the same way you did by defeating St. Gloriana this year."
"Not all of them will succeed, mind you," Kazue said. While encouraged by Oarai's victory as an underdog last year, she was still realistic about her chances, especially in light of Oarai's defeat against Pravda by virtue of being outnumbered and outgunned. "But still, it is a nice thing to aim for, and I certainly will do my best toward that end."
Arata looked at her computer's time display on her desktop, and realized that another appointment she had was drawing close.
"Wow, look at the time," she said to herself with her mic off, before starting up her mic again. "I must be wrapping things up," she said. "I'm planning on meeting with some friends on Skype a little after this."
"We are amenable to that," Touka said. "In fact, I was intending to retire for the evening, having exhausted the topics I wished to discuss."
"We do have an entire year ahead of us," Kazue said, "so I wish both of you the best of luck in making the most of it."
"I should be the one saying this, Nanpo Kazue, Sagimori Arata," Touka said with a confident grin."For you will be in need of luck should you face me on the battlefield!"
"Thank you both," Arata said. "I'll talk with you later, Nanpo-san, Ryuumonbuchi-san."
Arata then signed out of the conversation, ready to resume the effort of bettering herself and her team with what she had learned. In spite of her failure, and the fact that the next year would be her last chance to win the tournament, she felt closer to achieving her goal than ever before. Perhaps her opponents also felt that way, but that would likely make for a fun tournament.
Nodoka spoke with her friends on Skype. While most of them, like her, were returning for the next year, Kirame was graduating.
"Congratulations on graduating, Hanada-senpai," Nodoka said. "Although I'm sorry your school didn't do better."
"It's alright," Kirame said. "I'm the sort who's glad to just be able to do tankery, rather than expecting to become commander or some such. The last three years were an interesting time, and it was wonderful to be able to do tankery in them."
"That seems very much like you," Nodoka said. "You were certainly grateful for the small things, enjoyng doing tankery at all, even if it was at a small school."
"What about you, Nodoka?" Kirame said. "Surely you didn't predict that Oarai would get this far?"
"No, I don't believe I did," Nodoka said. "But I do believe in taking things seriously, and giving my all to whatever pursuit I have."
"That's one thing we have in common," Arata said, "and I believe the same goes for Ryuumonbuchi-san and Nanpo-san, your former opponents. They said as much when I talked to them recently, and the three of us are looking forward to trying again."
"As am I, Arata," Nodoka said with a smile. "I hope we can face each other again one day, just like Miho-senpai and her old friend Nakasuga-san did."
At Continuance, Hitomi and Chihiro prepared for graduation. Their school greatly valued friendships, and some of their newer friends were pleased that they, friends even before they had met Miho and Emi, had remained close all those years, even after going their separate ways for middle school.
"Our time here's almost done, Chii-chan," Hitomi said. "Once more, we'll be going to separate universities."
"We can still keep in touch, Hii-chan," Chihiro said, "with each other, Miho-chan and Emi-chan."
"I know," Hitomi said. "It's too bad we won't be able to see either of their graduation ceremonies."
"Miho-chan and Emi-chan have friends at their respective schools, as do we," Chihiro said. "They'll want to share the celebration with those who are also graduating... and also say goodbye to them."
"I guess," Hitomi said. "But if all of us made friends at our new schools, doesn't that mean it will continue on at our next stage of our lives? And won't we have all sorts of other beneficial experiences?"
"I think so, too, Hii-chan," Chihiro said.
Hitomi and Chihiro's conversation stopped there, as one of their friends, whom they'd known since their first year, called out to them, hoping to say goodbye. For years, they had walked paths separate from each other, making different friends, learning different lessons. Their paths were still separate from each other, but they were once again in touch, and could share what they had experienced, what they learned and what the future held in store for them.
Rinkai held its graduation, which meant that Satoha, Megan, Aislinn and Emi, among others, would be leaving the school, the same year they had arrived.
Emi had heard about how Miho had said the previous year that even if she was forced to leave Oarai, she would consider that school her alma mater, above Black Forest and whatever school she might have attended in her third year, had things gone differently. Emi, while touched, said she did not share this sentiment; she could unreservedly say that she liked her German school about as much as Rinkai. She hoped that her schoolmates could have followed her to her new school, but also that she could have spent longer at her new school.
"It's a bit sudden, isn't it?" Emi said. "We only just arrived, and now we're going our separate ways again."
"It was a good year," Satoha said. "The two of us won the championship back home, and we took part in helping this school establish the tankery team. You really can't ask for much more than that as far as tankery goes."
"I agree," Myeonghwa said. "That said, I, along with many of the others who are your underclassmen, wish we could see you around here again next year."
Satoha nodded. She had not thought of herself as a senpai to many of her juniors, especially not when the second-years had been there for longer than she had, but she, too, had to face the reality that she would be parting from them at the end of the year.
"Saying goodbye doesn't always have to be a sad occasion," Megan said. "I'm glad to be parting with all of you on good terms, and hope to keep in touch with you all."
For a long time, Megan had regretted how she had parted with her old school. She had said goodbye to a few of her closer friends- the ones with whom she was still on speaking terms- but it was somewhat awkward, and a part of Megan found it difficult to accept that this was the way her time at her old school was ending. But now, knowing that she would be graduating, she realized that there was no school she would rather be graduating from, and no group of friends she would rather have at her side.
"Yes," Aislinn said, causing everyone to turn to her. "We're all moving onward and upward, toward the next stage of our lives."
Everyone turned to look in surprise at what Aislinn had said. The words that she needed to express herself had come naturally to her, flowing in largely clear, if slightly accented, Japanese. Aislinn was speaking from her heart, and thus everything came naturally to her.
"Yeah, good point, Aislinn," Emi said. "When I last saw Miho before leaving Japan, she'd come to a decision about tankery, and in the years since, all of my friends started on their respective paths. Now that I'm leaving again, I'll keep in touch with everyone else and cheer them on, come what may."
As the final preparations were made for Pravda's graduation ceremony, the students who were preparing to attend milled around the school, getting final looks at the place where they had spent three years.
Kinue met her mother outside the school about an hour before the start of the event. Masae was expected to show up early to prepare, but chose to arrive even earlier than that to see her daughter prior to the ceremony.
"Hi, Mom," Kinue said.
"Hello, Kinue," Masae said. "Did you hear from your sister or Hiroko?"
"I got a call from my sister a few minutes ago, saying that she and Hiroko had just gotten onto the ship," Kinue said. "What about Dad, Aunt Masaki, Uncle Masaya and Grandma?"
"They've already arrived, and are headed to the area with the other parents," Masae said.
"That's good," Kinue said. "In any case, I'm glad you could make it, Mom."
"I wouldn't miss either of my daughters' graduations," Masae said. "Especially not this time, when I was invited to serve as graduation speaker."
Kinue nodded.
"Are you going to mention... us at all, Mom?" Kinue said.
"Only in passing," Masae said. "Perhaps you exemplify persisting and learning from your mistakes, but you're just one example of it. Those may be ideas that I teach at my school, but I teach them because they're right, rather than for the sake of promoting my ideals. Perhaps the students, in understanding some of the reasons why Pravda won this year, can learn lessons that will be useful in achieving their next victory."
Kinue nodded in agreement, and the conversation stopped short as Hiroe and Hiroko, wearing suits, walked over to greet them. Much like Oarai, Pravda would not merely be content with its victory, but would continue to improve itself, reach for greater heights and do its best in the tournament. Hiroe had once remarked that it was fully possible to do your best without going to "Nishizumi-like levels of obsession," and Kinue agreed, hoping for a team that was dedicated but not perfectionist, and had high standards without being overbearing. That was her goal at Pravda, and would be her goal at Romanov, along with her sister and many of the others she admired.
Kinue hoped that Oarai, her greatest rival in the tournament, and the school whose team one of her close friends had commanded, could say the same.
Oarai's last practice session of the year ended early, with one last match for the graduating members. The match, held between Miho and Nodoka's halves of th team, ended in Nodoka's victory, much to Miho's pleasure.
Miho had already prepared for this in many ways. She had started to train those who had joined midway through, who had been joined by several others, and had replaced most of the people who were graduating. While Nodoka had been her top pick for her successor as commander for a while, she needed a new vice captain to replace her, and so chose Azusa from Rabbit Team, who had long been a promising candidate for the position.
Still, as she took the Panzer IV out for one last practice session, as part of an exercise to lead some of the newcomers, Miho had a hard time believing that the day had come.
As practice ended, Miho gathered everyone together in front of the tankery garage to make her announcement.
"Before you go, I have some announcements to make," Miho said. "Today was my last day as Oarai's commander. Next year, as I have said earlier, you will have Haramura Nodoka-san as your commander, and Sawa Azusa-san as your vice-captain."
The others gave a round of applause, until Miho motioned for silence.
"To be honest, I had not originally envisioned myself coming to Oarai, or commanding for all of you," Miho said. "But I came to love this school, and in its team, I remembered my love for tankery. When I heard that this school would be closed if we did not win last year, my greatest desire was to stay with all of you. It was because of some of my closest friends that I chose to do tankery again. It was thanks to all your efforts, and those of our teammates who graduated last year, that we succeeded. Thank you, everyone."
Miho bowed in gratitude, while the crowd erupted in shouts of "Thank you!" Having said everything she wished to, Miho slipped away.
On her way out, Miho encountered the rest of her crew waiting for her on a street corner near the school.
"That was a wonderful speech, Nishizumi-dono!" Yukari said.
"I'm glad you liked it, Yukari-san," Miho said. "My sister did a longer speech when she was finished leading our middle school team. She also had more of a celebration, but I wanted to leave more quietly."
"Good thinking," Mako said. "A lot of pomp and circumstance does seem quite tiring, after all."
"Still, I think we should do something to celebrate Miporin's retirement as commander," Saori said.
"Having dinner at my apartment sounds good," Miho said. "I bought everything we need for it."
"Then that will be how we celebrate," Hana said. "I'm looking forward to eating Saori-san's cooking once again."
Miho nodded in agreement. Her and her friends' time at Oarai would soon end, but she hoped to enjoy their company while she could, while continuing to stay in touch with them into the future. Having reconnected with her friends from elementary school, she no longer believed in ends so much as new beginnings.
The auto club finished up their last repairs on the tanks, before closing up shop and leaving for the day.
"It's hard to believe it's over..." Tsuchiya said as she locked the garage, and prepared to turn in the key for safekeeping. "I'm going to miss this."
"So will we when the time comes in two years, senpai," Nanami said.
"Yeah," Gotou said. "There was a time when we couldn't wait to be done with helping the tankery team out, and now, we want to enjoy it as long as we can."
"Well, it's good that we realized this when we did," Rokubungi said. "There are some people out there who don't fully understand the value of something until after they lose it.
Tsuchiya smiled. The girls, the first generation of students to arrive in Oarai's first lease on life, had not been around for when Oarai was in peril, but she felt as though they understood what they needed to learn from that, as well as everything they needed to learn for helping the tankery team.
On her way out, after saying goodbye to her clubmates, Tsuchiya encountered Someya Mako, who had been her classmate in all three years of high school. While the two had little in common apart from that until they joined the tankery team, they had begun talking more in the past few weeks.
"It's been a while, Someya-san," Tsuchiya said to Mako,
"It certainly has, Tsuchiya-san," Mako said. "I was hoping to see you one last time before we graduated and chat since we have something in common."
"We're both leaving our respective clubs behind in the hands of relative newcomers?" Tsuchiya said. "In your case, your crew has some holdovers from the previous year."
"Yeah, but Nodoka's new at commanding us, albeit with some experience," Mako said. "This year, she did a good job as vice-captain, good enough that she'll command us next year, with Sawa-san underneath her. All the first-years really have come a long way."
"I know," Tsuchiya said. There was nothing in Mako's point that she felt like disputing, so she hoped to hear the final part.
"So trust those who will come after us," Mako said. "Let them lead the school to victory next year."
Tsuchiya nodded. Most organizations took a long time and a lot of work to become successful, and she was glad that her club mates had become people suited to the long and difficult task. Many others would takes up that task over the years, but this was a promising start for the Oarai tankery team's future.
On the night before graduation, Miho finished packing her goods away in preparation for moving out of her apartment. Only the bare essentials- her bedding, enough food for the next day, and a few other things that she needed- were still out, and even they would be packed away easily, leaving the apartment almost bare.
As she finished, she felt something quite similar to what she had felt when she left Black Forest- a sense of regret in leaving her old school behind, but the knowledge that it was necessary, albeit with the necessitating factor being different. Her time at Oarai had come to an end, and she would now have to leave the school behind, and leave her responsibilities in the hands of Nodoka, and those who would come after her. With or without her, the school and its tankery team would go on.
But while Miho missed some of her friends from Black Forest, she was glad that she had come to Oarai, having found a place better suited to her, one in which she could develop her own style of tankery. Similarly, the next step in her life awaited her, and she once again was taking a large step- choosing to help her sister in hopes of turning the Nishizumi style into something that could rise to the challenges, and was not so ruthlessly devoted to victory.
Once again, Miho felt a sense of uncertainty, much like she had when she prepared to leave tankery behind. In spite of that, another part of her felt that while the challenges ahead would be great, she could meet them. She had the motivation and ability to meet those problems, and would not be facing them alone, but would have the help of her sister and some of her old friends.
After their last day in office, the outgoing Oarai student council met with their predecessors, who had come to see some of their old schoolmates graduate.
Throughout the meeting, both the Mikado and Kadotani administrations shared stories of their time on the student council, including the challenges they faced and the difficult decisions they had to make. The former had been at Oarai for most of the latter's tenure, while the latter still kept up on current events at their alma mater, so both knew about the other's decisions. In spite of that knowledge, learning how the other group had reached their decisions was an eye-opening experience.
"That really sounds quite like you, Mikado-chan," Anzu said.
"You could say that, Kadotani-senpai," Shizuru said. "But now, I think I have some idea of what you were up against."
"Some idea?" Momo said. "Is that all?"
"I mean exactly that, Kawashima-senpai," Shizuru said. "I have experienced running the school government, but the circumstances I experienced were not the same ones you experienced in your third year, nor were they even much like the ones in your first two."
"Well, in all fairness, Mikado-san, your task is probably more difficult in some ways," Hisa said. "Your goal was to keep the school going over the long term. You had to do your best, knowing that your decisions will have long-term consequences, but it won't end with you."
Shizuru nodded, agreeing with the sentiment, but only to a point.
"So did you, Takei-senpai," Shizuru said. "But how could you plan for the future when a misstep meant that it would be Oarai's final year?"
"What are you getting at, exactly?" Yuzu said.
"My point is that I still don't agree with many of your decisions, or your ways of running things," Shizuru said. "But in the end, you did your job, and gave Oarai a new lease on life, and I respect you for doing so. Perhaps it is easier to plan for the future when you have the luxury of thinking about tomorrow, and it is easier to make decisions when you know that if you're wrong, the school won't shut down."
"Fair enough," Anzu said. "But I will say this, Mikado-chan; we got some good successors, even if we do have our disagreements.."
Shizuru nodded in agreement.
"So do we," Ayano said. "You may have heard this, but the incoming student council is composed of a lot of people who didn't agree with Shizuru on many issues."
"What goes around, comes around, as they say," Shizuru said, turning to Shiina and winking slightly. "Still, I cannot fault those who will replace us, and believe that they seem like promising new arrivals."
As she parted with her predecessors and proceeded to her graduation ceremony, Shizuru's thoughts went back to one piece of advice her father had given her when she had first become student council president. He told her to think of herself as a temporary steward, like a runner of the Olympic torch, who would inherit her responsibility from her predecessors, carry out her duties, and pass it on to her successor. Doing them to the best of her ability was of the utmost importance, to honor the efforts of those who came before her and for the sake of those who would follow her, but she should never forget that she was one in a line of succession.
Oarai was still in existence, and still performing relatively well considering its circumstances. That was enough for Shizuru, and that idea gave her hope that her alma mater would continue long into the future.
Oarai's graduation ceremony was a simple fare. After speeches by the headmaster and Shizuru, the students, one by one, walking up to receive their diplomas, as their family, friends, and much of the rest of the school watched.
After the graduation ceremony concluded, Miho met up with her mother, father and sister. Her father was walking with a cane, having recovered enough to attend Miho's graduation, but not yet back to full capacity.
"Congratulations, Miho," Maho said.
Miho's parents smiled approvingly.
"The team that you founded seems to be in fairly good hands, Miho," Shiho said, "although only time will tell if Oarai's team endures and remains successful over the long term."
Miho nodded, having often thought about what her mother just said. Upon realizing that the same could be said of the Nishizumi school, Miho reached an epiphany and spoke.
"I think I've begun to understand what it means to create something successful," Miho said, "and to keep perpetuating that success across many years, even as the leadership changes. Having overseen Oarai's tankery program over the first two years of its return, and doing what I can to pass it along to future generations, I've learned why you try so hard to advance the interests of the Nishizumi school, Mother."
"My mother inherited this school from her mother," Shiho said. "To honor her efforts, and those of the people who helped make it into what it is today, I seek to ensure that her school remains respectable."
Miho paused to consider her answer.
"I believe that respecting those who came before you is important," Miho said. "But I also believe in keeping it around for those who will come after you. I'd like to see Oarai remain a good school into the future, that its graduates can send their daughters there and know that they will get a good education, even as it changes with the times and meets every challenge that comes its way. And I feel the same way about the Nishizumi school, which is why I hope to help my sister."
Shiho nodded. She saw what Miho said as a promise, and knew that words meant little compared to actions. But the fact that Miho had said this showed that she had grown, even if she had not grown in the way Shiho had originally envisioned. And yet, perhaps that was not a bad thing, and possibly, the Nishizumi school's evolution in the future would not be, either.
As Miho stood on board the boat that would take her away from Oarai for what would likely be the last time, she glanced back at the Oarai school ship. When she first looked at it, it had initially seemed so small in comparison to Black Forest's ship, but over time, looking at it evoked feelings of familiarity, as though she was coming home. She had become familiar with almost every part of it, living in an apartment, going to school on it, shopping, hanging out with her friends, practicing tankery on its grounds, searching for tanks and even once doing a tour of the entire ship. Now, the time had come to say goodbye to that home, but Miho left bearing cherished memories and valuable lessons in life and in tankery. She hoped to see her friends again and hear more about her alma mater in the future.
Oarai's efforts at winning the tournament the past year had ended in failure, but for better or worse, the struggle was still ongoing. The tankery team would have to remain in operation and true to itself in the years to come, the effort carried on by Nodoka, her successors, and many others that Miho would likely never meet. They would once again face the opponents they had defeated, those who had defeated them,those they had never faced, and new challengers.
The future was uncertain, but within that uncertainty lay hope. Miho had faith in her comrades and school, and believed that Oarai Academy had what was necessary to win and overcome whatever the future had in store for them.
Author's Notes
So ends Miho's time at Oarai, along with that of many of her friends, but the story isn't quite over yet.
The denouement chapter seemed to be significantly shorter than its equivalent in the original, possibly because there's fewer revelations this time.
One final chapter will follow, showing some of the cast in the future and concluding the series.
Edited to fix a few typos and expand on some of the scenes