Underdoctor - 5

[verdantgrove]

 Location: Student Council Room

Keito: ? Did someone knock on the door just now? Who is it?

Ah, Anzu. What is it? Do you have some sort of business in the student council room?

Unfortunately, everyone else is out at the moment. I also have no clue as to when they’ll return. If it’s something I can take care of in their stead, I’d like to know.

Hm? You don’t need to stress over asking me. We don’t have any big events or anything like that going on right now. All of our current work more so involves simply handling the aftermath of previous events.

Speaking of which, I’d like to thank you for all your hard work at the Halloween Party the other day. It’s all thanks to your efforts that everything went so smoothly.

Well, it is true that we were considerably far behind schedule. But I suppose that’s all in the past now.

Naturally, don’t forget to use this as a learning experience to reference next time.

The party the other day was a great success, though. Even though we did have a few reports of some minor issues…Just trivial ones, like that we were running out of sweets, and that we were so behind schedule and such.

However, that’s simply because the scale of our events just keeps growing.

It’s inevitable that we’ll continue to run into problems like that in the future. I won’t tell you not to celebrate your victories, but I will tell you to brace yourself to handle those problems.

By the way, what was it that you came to the student council room for?

Hm? No, I just told you a moment ago that I wasn’t that busy, didn’t I?

I also told you a moment ago that I don’t know when the others will get back.

...Do you realize how dubious you’re acting? What are you hiding from me…?

Don’t lie to me. You’re very clearly acting suspicious right now.

...You really won’t tell me? It’s really that hard to say? How incorrigible.

Didn’t you come here to talk anyway? You can stall all you like, but that doesn’t change the fact that you need to be honest sooner or later.

Alright, I got it. You said it was hard to say, so it’s something that I’d lecture you about, isn’t it? Well, this time, I’ll cut the time of my lecture in half for you. Deal?

What? Was I wrong? Then what is it? Spit it out.

What’s this…? Ah. It’s about that magazine from the other day, huh? This is the questionnaire I submitted to the company that makes it.

This is Akatsuki’s page, isn’t it? I heard that they’d be conducting interviews later on based on this questionnaire, though. Is something wrong with it?

...What? They sent it back…? Hold on. What on earth are you talking about?

Yes, correct. There was a list of questions related to the special feature in the magazine about high school idols. They even asked us how we’d plan dates.

After much deliberation, I decided to go with a museum date. That way it wouldn’t solely be a date, but an opportunity to learn as well. I think it was a good choice.

The question about how I spend my days off, hm? I read quite often, so I just wrote “reading”— is there a problem with that?

As for what I do after school, you ask? Well, I’m almost always busy with student council work, but I couldn’t put that down.

When I’m lacking work to do, I go to the library to read, so I wrote “reading”.

My hobbies? I put down “reading”.

What? I really can’t change the fact that I had the same answer for so many of them. Did everyone else have different answers for all of them?

Ggh… But just think about it. If there’s something I like to do in my free time, then that’s a hobby. So why do I have to have different answers… 

Anyway, I know what it was that you needed now. You don’t have to feel bad about it. Sure, they sent the form back, but we can’t do anything about that now.

Yeah. It’s not like I don’t understand having trouble saying something when you feel like it’s dismissive of what the person you’re talking to wants.

Weren’t reading manga and drawing hobbies of mine, you ask? Say we put something like that out for the public eye. People are going to end up asking me to draw things in all kinds of places and situations.

I don’t want that. If that were to happen, Eichi’d get a kick out of it as usual, and he’d just make fun of me.

Anyhow. You’re asking me to change my answers for the questions about what I do on my days off and what I do after school, right?

However, just writing something else is… I already wrote down archery in the club category.

Hm, I see. We’re in a hurry because they’ll be conducting the interviews soon, hm? Still, even if you tell me to hurry…

Yeah. Speaking of which, occasionally I’ll chant sutras and meditate on my days off as well. ...Why are you frowning at me?

Well, I’m aware it’s not very common. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not the truth. I can’t just lie on these questions.

You think these answers make me come across as uptight and unapproachable…?

Hmm. So I have to seem more easy to talk to, hm? You’re right. I’ll be kept at an arm’s length otherwise— not to mention these hobbies aren’t exactly suited to the times…

On top of that, you want the audience to be surprised? Come to think of it, as far as I’m aware, this article is titled “An Unexpected Side of High School Idols”.

You’re suggesting window shopping? I don’t quite think something like that would be much of a shock to the audience, though…?

Oh, you’re talking about things that would be surprising if I did them, not surprising in general?

I understand now. Do you mean to ask that we go to a store I wouldn’t usually visit? ...Sure, that’s something we can do without having to get ready.

Alright, sounds just fine to me. It’s not like I have any fantastic ideas anyway, so I’ll go along with yours, Anzu.

Besides, if we have a fun experience today, it could be a good talking point for the interview.

Quite conveniently, I’m also free of work today. Let’s hurry and head downtown or something.

Location: Yumenosaki School Route (Autumn)

Souma: Oh my! Is that… 

Kuro: Oh? Hasumi, what are ya doin’ here? It’s pretty rare to see ya walkin’ here at a time like this, ya know? You’re always shut up in that student council room.

Keito: I have business to take care of, that’s all. What about you two; what are you doing?

Souma: We are simply taking a brief respite to head downtown, whereupon arrival we shall procure fabric to use in costumes!

Keito: Costumes…?

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