Yuna jumped up from her bed, rudely awoken by her phone blaring the PTSD-inducing sound of the iPhone alarm. A split second later, the headache kicked in. She let out a pained grunt, wincing before she got out of bed.
After she massaged her forehead, Yuna looked towards her window to the right where the sun was peeking over the horizon.
Oh right... it's Monday...
She made her way to the kitchen to get breakfast, tripping on a plastic cup on the way and spilling water all over the lightwood floor.
"Ah goddammit. Gotta clean that up later. Man, last night was crazy..." Yuna mumbled before continuing on her way to the kitchen.
Upon arrival, she immediately checked the fridge and grew a smile at the sight of an omurice doria bento, bought straight from the local convenience store. Yuna placed it inside the microwave and decided to clean up her room a bit while it heated up.
She picked up everything that was scattered on the floor and threw them in the bin before going over to her shelf - on which the television sat - and arranged her countless figurines ranging from model tanks, nendoroids of a brunette woman named Miho Nishizumi, and fumos in the form of her favorite tank commanders.
Afterwards, Yuna dug into her breakfast. She also booted up the TV since she couldn't eat without watching something.
"Let's see what's on today…" the brunette cycled through the channels, the majority being uninteresting until she ended up at a channel broadcasting an undergoing Tankery match somewhere in Europe. She was immediately hooked.
Yuna always dreamed of being a tanker, riding around in a tank with the wind in her hair just like the people she looked up to. Yuna wanted to feel the thrill of a Senshadō match. She wanted the fame and recognition of a tank commander. And most importantly of all, she wanted friends who would ride the tanks with her. It's too bad though. One couldn't achieve those things if they study at an old school that has forgotten the sport for years. All Yuna could do was dream.
After finishing breakfast, Yuna tossed the bento box into the bin in the kitchen and made her way to the bathroom to fix herself up and get ready for school.
The brunette gave herself one look in the mirror and was met by a woman who looked like she had been living in the streets for years. Her long, light brown hair was messy; her pajamas, stained with ramen broth; and her eyes were baggier than a pair of jeans.
"Holy hell, did I wild out again last night?"
After seeing herself in such a disheveled state, Yuna decided to clean herself up. A few minutes later, she came out of the bathroom with the bedhead gone, the bags under her eyes slightly invisible, and now wearing her school uniform which consisted of a white sailor uniform with a green trim, a matching green skirt, and a black neckerchief.
Yuna took one last look at her apartment to see if anything was out of order before grabbing her blue school bag and making her way to her apartment's genkan. She put on her black shoes which were left scattered on the entryway and stepped out. She got outside the apartment, locked her door, and made her way to street level
Once there, Yuna took a deep breath and inhaled the fresh ocean air mixed with smoke from a passing car.
"Today's gonna be a good day!" Yuna told herself before embarking on the journey to school.
She walked with a pep in her step through the narrow, maze-like streets of the Zuikaku carrier. Sometimes she would meet a fellow student and she'd wave hello to them. Most of the students didn't wave back though as they had no idea who she was. Sometimes Yuna would get distracted by cats perched on walls. She'd try to pet them but almost always fails as the cat would either run away or hiss at her. Sometimes she'd even find herself lost as the alleys felt like copies of themselves. Slowly but surely though, she got closer and closer to the school.
Yuna couldn't walk all the way to Oarai. Her school was a couple of kilometers away from her apartment after all. That's why, like everybody else, she had to take the train.
As she made her way through the suburbs of the Zuikaku, Yuna noticed some of the houses started getting replaced by cafes and bakeries and the roads started getting wider. Those bakeries, whose products proudly displayed themselves on the windows, made the young schoolgirl halt. The brunette now stood unmoving in the middle of the sidewalk, her eyes focused on the displayed food of one of the bakeries across the street. She scanned the trays for anything that might satisfy her lust for consumption, but disappointingly, none did so she resumed her walk.
She checked her watch and it displayed "6:45 AM" causing a smile to creep up her face. I still have time! I can make it!
After a while of walking, Yuna now found herself in the middle of a public square where the station entrance was. All semblances of a quiet and peaceful neighborhood were thrown out the window as the young schoolgirl was now smack dab in the hustle and bustle of the commercial center of the Zuikaku: Mito District.
Mito District is to the Zuikaku, what the Financial District is to L.A. In this part of the carrier, hundreds of salarymen and office women work tiring jobs and break their backs just to make a living.
Yuna felt overwhelmed, being surrounded by commuters whose statures were towering compared to her and all. She managed to squeeze through the tight crowds though and successfully made it to the station entrance.
She made her way underground and found the station's shopping center. There, she searched for a bakery and eventually found one where she bought her favorite delicacy: the Yakisoba Pan. After gobbling up the fried noodle sandwich, she ordered another one to go. Yuna placed it in her bag before hurrying to the metro station as she was notified of the arrival of her train by an announcer.
Yuna caught her daily train just in time but it was packed like a sardine can in there. There was absolutely no chance she could find a seat so she just stood and was sandwiched by the crowd. The claustrophobic space and the smell of various types of colognes and deodorants mixed with sweat that invaded the schoolgirl's nostrils made it a living hell for a morning commute.
It took a while to arrive at another station. Once the train opened its doors, the crowd came spilling out. Yuna was finally free and thus she took in massive breaths of fresh air. After taking a small rest, the brunette continued her journey to school. She checked her watch and it told her the time was "7:20 AM".
I made it... Just about... she thought before she caught an escalator and ascended to ground level.
It would only take a few more minutes to get there. Yuna was now reunited with her fellow schoolmates who also made their way to the campus, and followed them.
While amongst the crowd of students, Yuna looked around for any familiar faces. She didn't have to look far as she realized the person she was looking for was walking right beside her, oblivious to her presence.
She was a girl with a long black ponytail who wore large round glasses whose bright reflection obscured her dark brown eyes. She walked with a slouched posture, almost as if she was hiding from someone, or trying to lower her profile. Yuna immediately identified her as Ayano, her sister from another mother and her one and only friend in this world.
The brunette slapped the bespectacled girl on the back which led to her letting out a quiet squeal. Ayano turned her head to Yuna, her bright red face on full display.
"Ohayō, Aya-chan!" Yuna greeted with a wide-open grin. Her loud voice caught the attention of a few who walked along with them.
"Y-Yuna! Wh-Why'd you do that?!" she said quietly, flustered at the unwanted attention.
"Oh come on! Aren't you glad to see me?"
"I-I am, but why'd you have to yell?"
"I haven't seen you ever since last Friday! I couldn't help it after seeing your adorable self! Come on, bring it in!" Yuna then went for a hug, only to be pushed away.
"Stop doing that! It's embarrassing! A-And quiet down! We're in public!"
Yuna chuckled awkwardly as she scratched the back of her head. "Hehe, alright I'll stop. Anyway, how was the weekend? Did ya get any progress with, ahem, the guy?" she nudged Ayano's shoulder with her elbow.
"Can't we talk about this in private?! W-We're surrounded by people right now!" she whispered, looking around shyly. Ayano despised any form of attention. She'd rather just stay in the shadows rather than stand out.
"Come on! I'm sure they won't hear! Besides, I won't leave you alone 'til you tell me!" Yuna teased.
"Fine! Just don't start yelling all of a sudden okay?" she asked to which Yuna nodded eagerly. The brunette then placed her arm over her friend's shoulder which resulted in her glasses sliding down her nose but she pushed them up before they could fall.
Ayano then whispered into Yuna's ear, "Alright, so... I followed him to a cafe on Central Street. I sat three tables away from him, and get this! He managed to glimpse at me five times that day! Five times!"
"Oh wow! That's a record breaker!" Yuna patted her friend on the back. "That's the 24th glimpse this month right?"
"Yep! I owe you for those clothes you gave me, Yuna! I think he liked it." Ayano then adjusted her glasses.
"Ah, I told you he would! Now a good outfit's not enough! You gotta crack a smile more often! Plus, you gotta stop being all introverted alright? If not, then your relationship's gonna get stuck at glimpses and simple greetings!"
"Oh, sure! Let me just turn off my social anxiety for a sec! You dumbass! And you said I gotta smile?! Are you crazy?! I'd look horrible!"
"No you won't, you'd look pretty cute! Those glasses really boost your level of moe...ness. And you know, most guys like youthfully-innocent-and-vulnerable-but-in-the-idealized-type-of-way kind of girls!"
"Th-That sounds creepy," Ayano replied with a chuckle.
"Well, you're not trying to date a 30-year-old guy, aren't you? Ooh, and speaking of him, I got into contact with the guy, and I set up a blind date between you two!"
"You what?!" Ayano yelled in a hushed way.
"Relax Aya-chan! If anything goes wrong, I'll step in and help ya out! 'Cuz that's what friends do, remember?"
"I... I guess? When's it gonna happen?"
"Eh, in a couple of weeks since he's pretty busy and all."
"Whew!" Ayano swiped some sweat off her forehead. "At least I got some time to prepare…" she then gave Yuna a light punch in the stomach for getting her into this situation. "Don't do crazy shit like that again, alright? What little of a reputation I have left is at risk here!"
"I-I won't..." she said in a pained voice before she removed her arm from Ayano's shoulder to tend to her injury. Yuna then checked her watch. "Hey, it's 7:30. We should probably hurry up."
"No shit," she whispered, "You wanna get yelled at by the Public Morals Committee girl?"
The two stopped their conversation and quickened their pace to school. Soon enough, they reached its outer walls. Now they just needed to get to the gate before it closes.
While Yuna and her friend were walking along the sidewalk, they were suddenly pushed aside by a very peculiar-looking girl who had three more peculiar-looking girls in tow. They paid no mind to the two of them.
"Woah, hey! Watch where you're going!" Yuna exclaimed but was ignored.
She then noticed the four girls - who walked in a single file line - wore unusual clothes. Two of the girls wore officer's tunics of some kind while the one at the end of the line only wore her Oarai uniform and nothing else, but for some reason, was still part of the clique. The one who lead the group was the most peculiar of all. The girl in question wore a red headband that was tied in a ribbon. She also donned the chest armor of a samurai over her school uniform, as well as a shoulder guard on her right arm. She had short dark gray hair, red-brown eyes, and a permanent stern look on her face.
"Who the heck are they?" Yuna whispered to Ayano.
"I-I dunno. M-Maybe they're cosplayers?" Yuna's friend answered. Surprisingly, the samurai girl managed to hear them and she came to a halt, causing her three comrades to bump into one another.
The girl looked over her shoulder and glared at Ayano. "What the hell did you just call us?"
Ayano gasped and hid behind Yuna who now had to face the brunt of the upcoming verbal attack.
The four girls walked over to the brunette, visibly offended. Yuna went stiff as beads of sweat trickled down her forehead.
"Move aside," the samurai girl ordered sternly.
"H-Hey look, I apologize on her behalf for offending you, alright? She didn't mean anything by it, I swear. B-But uh, I do gotta ask though..."
The 'cosplayers' raised their eyebrows.
"Why do you guys have those... things on? Are you like, part of a play or something?"
"We're history buffs! We wear this to increase our immersion. Haven't you heard of us before?" said one of them.
Yuna scratched the back of her head. "W-Well... n-not really…"
One of the tunic-wearing girls interjected, "You know, you're not that well-known as you picture yourself to be, Shingen."
To which she turned around and said, "Shut up, Wittmann, I'll ask for your opinion when I need it," leading to the girl grumbling something incoherent.
The samurai girl then cleared her throat and turned around. "I am Takeda Shingen. Real name, Tsuruki Shinzu. I would say 'it's nice to meet you' but to be honest, it's not."
"She hates everyone equally," Wittmann interjected once again.
"Shut up!"
Now that this complete stranger decided to go out of her way and introduce herself to Yuna, she felt like returning the formality. "Um, my name's Fujiwara Yuna," she said and bowed. "It's a pleasure meeting you, Tsuruki-san,"
"I prefer to be called 'Shingen',"
"The Sengoku daimyō? Uhh, sure…"
"Hey, you said your name was Fujiwara? You wouldn't be a descendant of the Fujiwara clan from the Heian Jidai, are you?" the samurai girl asked.
"I'm just a normal schoolgirl, how would I know?" Yuna shrugged with a confused look on her face.
"Hmph, then there's no point talking to a nobody like you," Takeda said with a contempt look before turning her back on the brunette and walking away.
"Did I mention she has a power complex too?" Wittmann interjected for the last time before being dragged away.
"It was interesting meeting you!" Yuna bid farewell.
Before they got far enough, Ayano emerged from behind Yuna and apologized for what she said. "S-Sorry for calling you a cosplayer… My name's Ishii Ayano by the way-"
"I don't give a damn about who you are!" Takeda yelled. After which, Ayano bowed her head in shame.
Yuna patted her friend's head to console her. Meanwhile, she took a glance at her watch and realized it was 7:58 AM so they booked it to reach the gates. There they prepared themselves for a full-blown roast session from Akane Narumi, the head of the Public Morals Committee, but thankfully she was grilling somebody else for being late and so the two slipped past and ran to their class.
Yuna and Ayano ran through the mostly empty halls of the main school building. They climbed a set of stairs that lead to the upper level before running through a hallway, passing by the library; the History Club room; and a few other classrooms.
They turned another corner and saw a sign above one of the classroom doors in the distance which read "2-C". Their destination was confirmed.
Yuna and Ayano halted to a stop as they almost missed their classroom. Before Yuna slid open the door, she checked her watch.
"8:17! We made it Aya-chan!" Yuna said, panting heavily.
"Yeah... W-We did..." she replied, also panting heavily. She held onto Yuna's shoulder with her right hand while the other adjusted her glasses.
Yuna then opened the door and the whole class turned their attention to her for a second before going back to their business. Ayano as always, hid behind her friend as she walked in. She then detached herself from her and went straight to her seat to fiddle with her phone and be left alone. Yuna however, went over to one of the occupied seats by the windows first where an acquaintance of hers sat.
The acquaintance in question was a girl with short orange hair and light brown eyes which were focused on a small book she was reading. Yuna couldn't make out the title so she went closer. But once she was noticed, her acquaintance hid the booklet in her bag.
"Hey Eiko-san! How was the weekend?"
"Good day, Fujiwara-san. It wasn't much. Just sat around the house and watched TV all day." Eiko leaned against her seat and looked up at the girl.
"Nice! Also, you can just call me Yuna. We're friends now, right?"
"Not yet, I'm afraid. You're gonna have to return the book first." Eiko then smirked at her. "Unless, you accidentally lost it?"
Yuna began to sweat. "I-I uhh, I didn't lose it!" she assured, "It's in my writing desk. I-I just… forgot to bring it is all."
"Your expression betrays you, Fujiwara-san," Eiko said, her smirk becoming wider and wider by the second. "You know, that book cost a lot of yen, right? It'd be a shame if it was suddenly lost…"
"Y-Yeah… It'd be a real shame… I uhh... I-It was good talking to ya..." Yuna nervously retreated back to her seat.
"If you don't return the book by Sunday, you'll owe me your weekly salary!" the redhead warned Yuna just before the teacher arrived to start the 1st Period.
The class went on as usual. Nothing out of the ordinary came up. To Yuna and Ayano, this was just gonna be another Monday where they sit around and talk.
The four periods passed by so quickly, that Yuna didn't even notice it. Now it was time for lunch. The brunette arranged her chair so that it would face Ayano's before she took out her bento from her bag and presented it on the desk. Her friend did the same.
"Alright! We'll open our bentos on three! One... two... and- holy crap you got curry for lunch?!" the brunette exclaimed, her bento still unopened.
"Shh! Don't be so loud!" Ayano, who acted like a scolding mother for a second, said in a whisper.
"O-Oh right..." Yuna settled down. She then opened her bento box and revealed to Ayano five futomakizushi which had a colorful assortment of salmon, capelin roe, fried eggs, and cucumbers.
"Let me guess, you bought it from a convenience store?" Ayano asked while arranging her glasses. Her tense behavior from earlier that day had seemingly gone away.
Yuna chuckled, "Where else could've I bought it? You know I can't cook!"
Ayano, now with a visible smile said, "Well, you gotta learn soon. Or else you're gonna be a bad wife."
The brunette shrugged. "Who says I'm planning to be one?"
"You're planning to stay single all your life?"
"Yeah! I don't wanna have a husband, or kids, or any of that jazz! That's boring and tiresome! I'm happiest when I'm by myself and so I'll stay by myself 'til the end of time!" Yuna crossed her arms, sporting a smug grin.
"Hmm... You do you I guess. Anyways, let's eat."
The two put their hands together and said in unison, "Itadakimasu!" before they pulled out their utensils and dug in. It took Yuna a mere two minutes to wipe her bento box clean of sushi rolls. Meanwhile, Ayano was halfway finished with her curry.
While the brunette was leaning back on her seat, a satisfied look on her face as she rubbed her stuffed belly, the sliding doors of the classroom suddenly opened, causing her to jump up in surprise. Ayano turned around to look at what was happening and saw her classmates doing the same.
A second after the loud interruption, three girls suddenly barged in and walked their way to the teacher's podium. This wasn't the first time they've visited so Yuna grew a rather tired look.
"Not again... What does the Student Council want from us now?" Yuna muttered, careful not to be heard by one of the trio.
Akira Kawashima, the president of the Student Council and the de-facto lord of the school stood before the bemused students, her hands behind her back. She had long black hair tied into twintails and wore a weird monocle on her left eye. She always radiated an authoritative aura except for when she was alone.
Flanking her were Makoto Nagama who had short dark brown hair and hazel brown eyes, and Izumi Saikawa with long curly brown hair tied into a ponytail. These two were the Vice President and the PR Manager respectively.
Izumi, for some reason, kept an emotionless blank stare while Makoto tried as hard as she could to appear menacing by wearing a grumpy-looking face. Akira however, was well versed in intimidation. Her dour looks and silent stares could put fear in any Oarai student's heart.
Yuna however, wasn't impressed. She saw them more as a nuisance than a threat. It's partly the cause of them ignoring her for she's considered lower than them.
The awkward silence was then broken, as after Akira finished scanning the room, she opened her mouth and everybody was sent into a split-second state of panic.
"Pardon us for intruding. We're looking for a Fujiwara Yuna. We believe this is her classroom."
The brunette's heart dropped and her fingertips immediately grew cold. Cold sweat moisturized her face as she drew quick breaths.
Ohshitohshitohshitohshitohshitohshitohshitohshit!
Meanwhile, Ayano hid her bento as fast as possible before sitting upright with her hands clasped together on the table. She too was sweating up a storm.
Yuna looked around, trying to telepathically tell her classmates, "Don't snitch! Don't snitch!"
"Well? Anyone gonna answer?" Akira demanded a response. A millisecond later, someone raised a hand and the three Student Council members turned to her.
"I-I know where Yuna is!"
"Where is she?"
The girl pointed to a brunette girl who sat on a chair facing another. Akira spared no time and walked over to the girl she was looking for.
Yuna's heart beat so fast that it could jump out of her chest. She kept a sheepish smile as the three surrounded her. They were like tall, towering skyscrapers as they held an imposing stature whilst looking down at the brunette.
"Good afternoon Fujiwara-san."
"H-Hey K-Kaichou!" Yuna waved hello with her trembling hand.
"We apologize for interrupting your meal, I assure you this will be quick. We came here to procure your service in helping out with a newly-revived club."
"C-Club? Service? Wh-Why not ask someone else? I-I'm not really good with manual labor and that kinda stuff..."
"We're not asking you to be our slave, lunkhead!" Makoto snarled.
"Calm down Makoto, you can't recruit anyone with that attitude!" Izumi reprimanded before turning to Yuna with a calming smile. "We've heard from Muranaka-san of the Journalism Club that you're well-versed in the art of Senshadō, correct?"
Yuna's fear suddenly turned to surprise and intrigue. "S-S-Senshadō?"
Upon hearing those words, Yuna's classmates began murmuring.
"Yes," Akira nodded, "The ancient Japanese sport involving World War 2 era tanks. A situation concerning the school has led to the reintroduction of our old club; I'll explain the situation in more detail later. We've searched the school for any people who know about the sport but it seems like everyone's lost interest in it. I wouldn't blame them, Senshadō stopped being relevant after they adopted European rules… Ahem, anyways, that's why we came here. So Fujiwara, will you join the Senshadō Club?" the president extended a hand over to Yuna and waited for a handshake.
"-And that's not a yes or no question, we insist!" Makoto exclaimed and was immediately shushed by Izumi.
"Will I ever!" Yuna, with a wide grin, immediately shook Akira's hand which resulted in the trio smiling.
All while this happened, Ayano was still frozen in her seat like a statue. She was safe however as she was considered nonexistent to the Student Council members.
The Student Council trio backed off a little to give Yuna space before Akira said, "Good, now for your first order of business: advertising."
Yuna tilted her head with a puzzled smile. "W-What?"
40 minutes later, at the Gymnasium...
Yuna stood as straight as an arrow on a platform before a hundred students who looked on in amused curiosity. Stage fright overtook her and she was sent into a paralyzed state. The brunette sported the only surviving Oarai tanker jacket before the club closed. Once belonging to someone named Azusa Sawa, the jacket bore the symbol of a pink cartoon rabbit behind it. Unfortunately, the jacket was stained with dirt and mud from the days of old which made Yuna look like a disheveled soldier coming home from war.
As her first order of business, she was to show the students an example of what a tank commander looked like. Although she didn't do a good job as she just stood there as still as a twig while Akira, who stood beside her, gave the audience a rousing speech.
Behind the two of them was an old archived footage of a Senshadō match between Oarai and an unidentified school from 1984. It was played on loop and gave the audience a distraction from their Student Council president's rambling.
"...And that's why we turn to you, dear students of Oarai. Together, we can save our school from completely disappearing into obscurity! (Plus, we need the money 'cause we're going bankrupt,) Join the Senshadō Club now, and you will be etched in the annals of this school's history as legends!" Akira ended her speech with a mic drop.
Izumi then walked up and joined the two. She turned to the crowd and said, "If that speech hasn't convinced you enough, then this offer should." she then held out a 1/4 sheet of paper and read out its contents. "Those who participate will receive 200 lunch coupons, 100 discount coupons for dried sweet potatoes, and 200 pardons for tardiness."
The crowd then broke out into cheer.
Akira smiled. It seemed like her plan proved successful. She then turned to Yuna and returned to her usual serious look. "Meet us at the sheds near the track and field. You know the place?"
Yuna nodded. "Yeah, I take my lunch there with Aya-chan sometimes. Place's serene and full of history."
This girl's… quite peculiar...
With her job of advertising done, Yuna retreated down the platform and reunited with Ayano. After Akira finished her closing speech they went back to class and waited until the end of the day.
The afternoon came and Yuna still couldn't believe what was happening. She was dreaming about riding around in tanks last night and now she'll actually be riding one in real life. She couldn't confirm if this day was just one long dream or if it was actually real, regardless though, she needed to be at the tank sheds.
Yuna hurriedly walked around the track and field to avoid colliding with a runner as she was getting late for practice. She also dragged Ayano along with her. Even though she didn't really want to be in the club, she was forced to join as she would be separated from her only friend if she didn't.
Once the two rounded the corner of a random building, the tank sheds appeared into view. Before one of the rusty green doors of one of the buildings gathered the volunteers, some of whose faces were familiar to Yuna and Ayano. The two arrived just in time as Akira - accompanied by her other two SC members - was reading names out of a clipboard for attendance.
"Alright, we got six freshmen from Class 1-B here; five members of the old Volleyball Club; a bunch of cosplayers-"
"Hey, we heard that!" yelled Takeda who was there with her three comrades.
Akira ignored the interruption and continued, "us three; Fujiwara and her friend; and a Takebe Eiko... Are we all here?"
"Hai, Kaichou!" said Yuna, raising a hand as she and Ayano walked up and joined the crowd.
"Good..." Akira then passed the clipboard to Makoto who set it aside. "Now," she clapped her hands, "we're all gathered here to officially begin the study of Senshadō. Now I know most of you don't know what types of activities we do here, so let me elaborate." the monocled girl started to pace back and forth. "From today onward, you are to arrive here after classes, at 4:45 PM sharp. You must wear proper attire which for now, would be your department-issued school uniforms until we receive proper ones. Once assigned to your tanks, you must inspect and maintain them so they don't fall apart like poorly made buildings. You must also turn in maintenance reports on the daily. Failure to do any of these will result in a punishment. Do you understand?"
The crowd gave a less than enthusiastic "Yes ma'am" and some even saluted rather awkwardly.
"Alright, now an instructor from the JGSDF, who will teach you all about how to operate the tanks, will be arriving here in a few minutes. Meeting adjourned." she then snapped to silence, still keeping her staff sergeant-like stance and serious look.
The crowd paused for a minute, uncertain of what to do next. They looked around cluelessly before one of the freshmen broke the confused silence with a question.
"Umm, what're we supposed to do now Kaichou?"
Makoto answered her question for her. "Just stand around and talk about shit, you idiots!" she was then shushed by Izumi.
The crowd looked at each other before they dispersed into four cliques: the Freshmen, the Volleyball Team, and the cosplayers. Yuna and Ayano, who were by themselves as they were non-cliques, were soon joined by Eiko; she was in the club too for some reason.
Yuna sat on the asphalt ground near the tank sheds along with her friend. She recounted a story about a recent event that transpired during her weekend while Ayano wiped her glasses clean with cloth as she listened to the story. Yuna was then interrupted when she noticed Eiko standing over her.
"Oh, Eiko! You're here too!?" she exclaimed in surprise. Ayano put on her glasses and turned her eyes to the redhead.
"Yep, I guess I am," she replied, both her hands inside her skirt pockets. "A-And since I'm not a freshman, or an athletic person, or a cosplayer-"
She heard a faint, "Hey, I heard that!" before continuing.
"...I guess I have no choice but to team up with you guys…"
"Does this mean we're buddies now?!"
Eiko averted her eyes and shifted in place for a few seconds before giving an answer. "Y-Yeah I guess..."
"Yay!" Yuna suddenly hugged Eiko's legs which startled the girl. "We're besties!"
Eiko held onto Yuna's head, wobbling as she tried to balance herself. "H-Hey! The hell are you doing, I'm gonna fall over!"
"We're gonna drive tanks together! Shoot tanks together!"
"Yeah, yeah, just get the hell off my legs first!" Eiko smacked Yuna on the head.
"Ow! Alright, alright…"
While she rubbed her head in pain, Eiko sat down and asked, "So umm, you have any idea why the Student Council dragged you into this club?"
"Well, this is just a rumor, but I heard that the Ministry of Education's threatening to close our ship if we don't win in the 84th National Senshadō Tournament, we're getting shut down."
"Where'd you get this from?"
"Uhh, Muranaka-san from the Journalism Club?"
"The Journalism Club? Oh, it's definitely a hoax," she retorted.
Ayano then took this opportunity to introduce herself, she reached out a hand to Eiko and said nervously, "H-Hey umm, my- my name's Ishii Ayano by the way, nice to meet you Takebe-san." her eyes were once again obscured by her glasses' reflection.
Eiko shook the girl's hand, much to Ayano's surprise. "Nice to meet you too, Ishii-san-"
"Ayano. Y-You can just call me Ayano."
"...Ayano it is then. You can call me Eiko, no honorifics needed."
Yuna, Ayano, and Eiko then spent a few minutes just talking about casual stuff. Yuna told them how much she loves Senshadō and also told stories of her favorite tank commanders. Ayano didn't contribute any stories and only listened. Eiko on the other hand rarely participated in the conversation and focused on a book she was reading instead. Sometimes Yuna would bug her about borrowing the book, to which she would always refuse.
The club volunteers were just starting to get bored when suddenly, they heard the sound of a large aircraft passing overhead. They turned their gazes to the sky and saw a Kawasaki C2 military transport with its cargo ramp open.
"She's here!" Akira exclaimed, "Everyone in position!"
While they were doing so, a tank parachuted out of the aircraft and landed in the parking lot. It screeched to a halt, destroying a few cars in the process including one red Ferrari F40 owned by the school's headmistress.
The tank in question was a German Tiger H1, painted in a desert tan camouflage. Its engines sputtered to life right after it landed.
As the tank began to move towards the fence which separated the tank sheds and the parking lot, the various cliques of volunteers gathered up and formed a neatly aligned formation. They stood in columns with the 'leader' of the clique in front.
Yuna couldn't contain her excitement and was visibly shaking. Eiko stood behind her and was ready to stop the brunette if she started acting out. Meanwhile, Ayano hid at the back of the line, praying she won't get noticed by the instructor.
The Tiger halted right in front of the crowd, tipping forward before settling down. The hatches then opened and the crew revealed themselves.
Yuna was struck with a sense of familiarity once the commander poked herself out of the cupola. She wore a stahlhelm which hid most of her hair. Yuna thought that she had seen the woman before, but she couldn't wrap her head around who exactly it was. The tank commander faced the crowd with the same stern look that Akira and Takeda possessed, but behind that stone-faced look was nervousness.
"Everyone bow!" the Student Council president ordered.
Everyone did so and they greeted the instructor in unison. "Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!"
The instructor bowed back and said, "Nice to meet you too!" before removing her helmet and tossing it aside, revealing short light brown hair. Yuna's eyes instantly widened and her heart started pounding like crazy. Her voice and her looks immediately gave it away.
At first, she was in disbelief. Maybe the instructor just really resembled Yuna's idol? Maybe she was just seeing things from the frenzy after joining the Senshadō Club; something she thought impossible?
The instructor continued, "So uhh... I assume you're all familiar with how the sport works and its various rules and regulations?"
The crowd's answer was mixed with some saying they have and some saying they haven't.
"Huh... well, nevertheless, I'm here to teach you all about Senshadō. Now, to introduce myself. My name's Ni-"
"NISHIZUMI MIHO?!"
Miho paused and turned towards Yuna, who covered her mouth as she blurted something out. "Uhh yes?" she asked. Everyone turned to the brunette for an answer.
"I-I-Is it really you?!"
Before Miho could say anything, her loader, who was outside her hatch, replied first, "Yes she is, you a big fan kid?"
Yuna nodded nervously. "Y-Yeah..."
"Ah really?" the loader grew an intrigued smile and questioned further, "Well, if you're such a big fan, then what kinda merch have you got?"
"U-Uhh well... I have uhh... 13 posters of Nishizumi-san plastered on my apartment walls... 7 Panzer IV Ausf. H figurines, all modeled after the Anglerfish Team's Panzer... umm, a-and I have a dakimakura-"
Eiko suddenly covered Yuna's mouth from behind. "Whoa, dude! Too much info!"
Takeda and her comrades began to snicker and soon, the freshmen and volleyball team too. Miho just raised an eyebrow, unspeaking.
They still sell those?
She was then tapped in the back by her loader. "You should be proud, commander! You got a stan!"
"A-A what?" she asked, slightly flustered to learn that someone would be this down bad for her.
The instructor then turned around and gasped at the sight of Yuna doing Dogeza pose.
"F-Forgive my degeneracy, oh great Nishizumi!"
"Wh-What the... G-Get up kid, there's no need to apologize!"
Ayano and Eiko went over to pull the girl up and the two dusted off Yuna's clothes.
Meanwhile, Miho cleared her throat and told her crew, "W-Well, with all of that aside, let's not waste any more time. Let's see what kind of tanks they got! Forwards driver!"
The driver nodded and went back inside. The Tiger's engines revved up and the crowd got out of the way as the tank drove through the fence.
Afterwards, the volunteers surrounded her tank and started praising the woman for her graceful entrance.
"Now, now, everyone settle down! Who's the overall commander here?"
Yuna raised her hand.
"Umm, alright then… who's the second in command?"
"That would be me, sensei." Akira raised her hand.
"Alright then monocle girl, how many tanks do you have in your possession?"
Akira then realized something so she scratched the back of her head and replied unsurely, "W-Well, about that... We haven't really confirmed if we have any tanks left..."
"Umm, alright... I did hear about the Senshadō Club closing down years ago. Just like the old days, huh... Have you checked out the tank sheds though?"
"We've tried but the doors are too rusty to open."
"Ah well, let me open them for you."
"What are you-"
Miho then banged on her tank's hull twice before the Tiger suddenly fired a deafening shot. Everyone jumped in surprise except Miho who just stood there. The heavy tank blew open the gate with an armor piercing shot.
The crowd went wild in amazement at the war machine's sheer power.
"Welp, it's open. Let's see what tanks you guys got!" said Miho before she got out of her tank. Her crew poked their heads out of their respective hatches to watch.
They all then gathered to the now opened tank sheds. Yuna and her two other friends were at the back of the crowd so they couldn't see what was actually inside.
"Dammit, we can't get through!" said Eiko.
"I-I'm okay with staying here..." whispered Ayano.
Yuna however, hadn't given up. She wanted to see the supposed tank so she squeezed through the crowd and ended up at the front right next to Miho.
"What the hell..." the instructor muttered as she looked in curiosity at a giant figure obscured by darkness.
Yuna squinted her eyes and got a better look at the vehicle. After thirty seconds, her eyes suddenly widened as she fully made out what it was.
"It's a Bob Semple..."