2026-07-26: The Christmas Village

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Since it's an interschool event, this will take place not at any of the schools themselves but at the Underground Mall at Shibuya Station in Tokyo. It will be organized over the first two weeks of December, then take place all day on Saturday, December 15, the last day before finals crunch week, as a chance for students to blow off steam and have fun one last time before exams. Booths will be set up and run not by classes but by grades per schools (i.e. Gekkoukan first years, Shujin second years, Sevens third years, etc.)--in return, they'll be much bigger and more robust.

Food booths, game booths, shopping booths, and more! Collaborate with your schoolmates on what you'll be doing, or simply show up and enjoy the event whether you're a student or not! All are invited to attend, from adults with jobs to students of non-participating schools! 

(|================ Shibuya Station - Underground Mall (#143) =================|)
-====================================================== Tokyo/Shibuya Ward ====-
If you think Shibuya Central Street has the ultimate in shopping, wait 'til you 
see the Underground Mall off of Shibuya Station. A collection of all sorts of   
stores, it's accessible down the stairs from both Shibuya Station and Central   
Street, making it feel like an "as above, so below" situation.                  
                                                                                
There's only so much room in these subterranean walkways, so each store is more 
like a hole in the wall, but each one makes the most of the space they've got.  
Clothing and shoe stores use racks that spill into the walkway, the walls, even 
the ceiling to display their wares. A flower shop has a chalkboard describing   
prices for its potted plants and specialty bouquets. Jewelry stores show off    
their wares beneath locked glass cases. A premium mini-supermarket offers the   
most delectable sweets. Japanese sundries, cosmetics, music and DVDs--you can   
find all of them and more here.                                                 
                                                                                
The hallway walls display massive, colorful ads for the next hit thing, and more
ads string overhead. It's almost jarring compared to the bland concrete         
hallways, tiled floors, and corrugated steel shutters for stores not currently  
open.                                                                           

<Pose Tracker> Naganaki Shrine has posed.

    It's the most~ wonderful time~ of the year~
    
    ...as long as you don't have to slap together a school festival out of season with only two weeks' notice, that is. But that's all part of youth and being young, probably.
    
    That's the theory behind the Christmas Village, a joint school festival between Seven Sisters, Gekkoukan, and Shujin put on after entirely coincidental delays pushed their individual school festivals, which normally take place in the fall, back into the winter. Apparently, Shujin's Principal Kobayakawa masterminded it. Speculation that this is a desperate attempt to clean up Shujin Academy's image after the scandal last spring is rampant, but hitherto unfounded.
    
    (It is absolutely a desperate attempt. When is anything Kobayakawa does anything but desperate?)
    
    Nonetheless, in the end, it's actually come together nicely. The partitioned-off section of Shibuya's Underground Mall, usually locked away by a metal grate, is now open, and students from all three schools have taken advantage of the space to offer booths, shops, entertainment, snacks, and sundry to whomever happens by. (That includes students of Kasugayama, who were otherwise not invited to take part in the Christmas Village as festival-runners.) Festive, seasonal decorations line the wall--wreaths, colored lights, layered paper cut-outs of Santa and reindeer and snowflakes and other such things made by various students, paper chains of alternating red-and-green and blue-and-white... Whatever drama may have taken place behind closed doors, it's all going smoothly now.
    
    Curious crowds have already trickled in, excited to do their Christmas shopping and support local and less local students. The sections are divided by grade and school, as opposed to by class as a cultural festival normally would be.
    
    Gekkoukan High School's first years are selling homemade ornaments, tree toppers, and other decorations. The second years are putting on a maid cafe with a variety of simple sandwiches and hot drinks for reasonable prices. The third years, for some reason, have set up... a travel agency, to arrange customers to buy trips to various locales across Japan...? Whose idea was that??
    
    Shujin Academy's third years, clad in Christmas-themed outfits, have a soup kitchen, offering hot chicken, rice and vegetables soup for free while accepting donations in a jar. (There's a number of homeless people in and around Shibuya Station, so it's already got a significant line; good luck getting anything from there.) The second years are running a gift-wrapping station booth; for a reasonable fee, customers pick out wrapping paper, bows, ribbons, labels, and so on, and the students there wrap your gifts for you. Cards and envelopes also available! Finally, the first years are offering modest slices of a variety of cakes baked early that morning, including strawberry shortcake, the traditional Christmas cake. You can pick up trays and pick out whatever you want with tongs, then pay at the register.
    
    Seven Sisters's second years are offering one thing, and one thing only: fried chicken. They've got deep friers in the back and make them as you watch and wait, so you know you're gettin' 'em hot and fresh, yum! Meanwhile, the third years are running a lottery raffle with a few flashy, expensive prizes, while the first years have a game booth with three levels of prizes; one tosses plastic balls through increasingly smaller rings, and the smaller the ring, the better the prize, though theirs are still not nearly as nice as the third years' prizes.
    
    May this cultural festival be both fun and profitable! 

<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.

Katsuko was a dab hand at no shortage of things, but cooking - at least to the scale required of a soup kitchen serving such a crowd - was not a skill she had in her arsenal. Being a competent enough home cook and being able to follow instructions during class did not necessarily translate well to the skillset asked of students manning the third years' stall, after all, but it was not something that she gave too much thought to. Partly because they had more than enough people handling that side of things, and partly because her unfaltering ability to maintain her cool in the face of adversity made her far better suited to the front-of-house operations instead.

She took no pleasure in it. Socialising on her own terms was a tiring endeavour at the best of times, as was having to put up with insufferable people for the sake of forging useful connections. Thus, acting as customer service for a slew of strangers was an experience that she certainly did not relish. However, she recognised the importance of it, and that she was well-suited to it - moreso than the kitchen, at least - so she kept her complaints to herself. There would be plenty of time to stew on it in the comfort of her own home later.

Having to talk to other people and pretend like it didn't make her want to grind her teeth in abject frustration was not even the extent of her trials and tribulations that day. Someone, somewhere, had convinced those in charge of the stall that all front-of-house students had to wear seasonal attire. Fortunately that did not mean everyone had to dress as Santa or reindeers or his many elves, but it did mean that she had had to make a last-minute trip to the closest department store available and throw on a plaid dress at a markup she balked at. It didn't look bad - red was a nice base colour, the green and white stripes complimented it nicely, and the fluffy white trimmings didn't look *offensively* bad. But there were vanishingly few occasions where she could wear it without feeling self-conscious, and that alone made the price nearly unjustifiable.

it was too late to walk back any of it, however, and it would do her no good to lament it during working hours. All she could do was suck it up and keep serving the ever-growing crowd. 

<Pose Tracker> Lisa Silverman has posed.

Lisa Silverman made time to help out with the preparations for the booth--she'd been excited about the school festival before, and while there may be no Miss Sevens this year after all, she can still participate!

...Maybe her classmates are happy to have the three Muses there to endorse their booth, too.

It's a little extra work, but it's fun! Though...

Sheba seemed kind of tired to Lisa, and still does. But Miipo is ready to go! So the three of them stand at the outer part of the booth for the moment in their uniforms, complete with red second-year bows.

"Want something romantic?" Miipo asks. "We've got it! Fried chicken!"

"Just hungry?" Sheba offers in turn. "Our portions are just right for energizing to walk around some more!"

And Lisa chimes in, "It's good! It's yours! And remember, Sevens is the best!"

...But Lisa's shift is almost up, and she wants to see other booths, too... 

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.

Ririka has been... well, she's had better months. Or better years, even. But right now, she's actually in a pretty good mood. It's hard not to be in a good mood with all of the festive decorations and atmosphere at work. She's even humming as she carries a tray to a table. "Here you go! Please enjoy!"

She's dressed in a nice, traditional maid getup, with her hair up and a purple bow at her throat. Hands free, she turns to head to the next waiting customer. "Thanks for coming to--"

Ririka pauses, cheeks flushing as she spots who's next.

It's a girl from Gekkoukan, wearing a warm jacket, a pelated skirt, and stockings for the cold, with short, dyed green hair. she grins as she spots Ririka, raising her hand in a wave. "Hey, Kawae-chan. Was hoping I'd catch you on your shift. Nice outfit."

"Oh, Okuyama-chan. I wasn't expecting-- this early, um." Ririka's cheeks are a little flushed. "Um, thanks. Glad you like it. Oh! Um, right this way, please."

Ririka walks Ikumi over to a free table, and if she's lingering at that table for a little bit longer than the others, surely that doesn't mean anything.

And it doesn't mean anything if they're spotted wandering around together later, too, after Ririka's shift. 

<Pose Tracker> Lisa Silverman has posed.

Meanwhile, at the Sevens booths, Ayame Watanabe cheers and encourages her husband's students, trying some of the chicken for herself--and of course, also playing the lotteries for the other years. ...but mostly the chicken, she's very hungry at 20-weeks pregnant or so.

Hana Fukami has also dropped by, and has purchased an ornament, bought a trip, and sat down for tea with a maid!

Reiya Aomori is doing secret market research for the second-years' booth. Kanae Fuyuki busy wrapping presents for people and pretending not to be bummed about things that are going on lately. And Ichika Kawase...

Ichika hasn't been to the Gekkoukan booths yet. But she will. Oh, she will.

Miho Ijuuin made a brief appearance to support Seven Sisters High, and talk with the students she met at Gekkoukan the other day... but had to leave for work. 

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.

Maid cafe... Fuuka finds herself a little grateful she got some experience dressing up at the convention a while back. She doesn't think she could do something like this in so public a place without it.

That... being said...

...A cyberpunk-themed outfit is quite different from a maid costume. She's gotten a lot of complements, and people say she's a natural...

...But, well, she's a little dissatisfied with that, too. She's just doing what people expect of her again.

...Well, someone needs to do it, and the class does need the help.

"Please come by Gekkoukan's Second Year Maid Cafe! Um... our hot drinks are the perfect balm for a hot day like today, and be sure to try a delicious handmade sandwich while you're there..." Fuuka encourages passerbys, trying to draw people in.

...It's probably for the best that she isn't on food and drink preparation duty.

---

The Muses are putting on a remarkable show. When it comes to publicity, you can't really beat an idol group... But, it'd be a shame if they didn't get any chances to enjoy the rest of the culture festival themselves.

"Silverman-san." A familiar voice calls out from behind Lisa and the Muses. "I can take over from here, if you and your girls want to go see the other booths."

The owner of the voice is one Misato Fushihara...

...and she's currently wearing a fullbody reindeer costume. Her face pokes out of a hole in the neck and the head stands tall over the crowd, an LED in the nose causing it to light up red.

If they're losing the Muses, they need another scheme to drum up attention, after all...

"Don't worry." Misato assures. "I know what I'm doing."

She grabs a pair of tongs from the table, dual-wielding them and clacking them together like crab claws. ...She is a baker - she has plenty of experience with frying things, and probably helped coach some of the other students during the planning process. It's probably safe to trust her. 

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.

Suzume was...

All right. 'Less than enthused' wasn't the best way to put it. She *had* put her support behind it (at the same time as Junpei, which probably doesn't mean anything). But that was before she remembered she'd have to participate in whatever they came up with too.

They'd offered her a position as a maid. She'd declined. Then they'd offered her a position as a butler, and she'd declined that too. Fortunately she had something else to offer:

Suzume was on sandwich duty. She's an athletic, active teenager: she's frequently hungry and they're one of the things she makes so that she doesn't get stuck with instant ramen all the time. (Though she eats a lot of instant ramen too.) Her egg sandwich is good, anybody can make a fruit sando...

But she also has a secret weapon. And that is: Suzume knows how to make Sham onigirazu.

It's fried egg and Sham and a bit of lettuce, pressed between sushi rice and all wrapped in nori. It is only very technically a sandwich since it doesn't have bread, but it is sandwich-shaped, and has the advantage of being portable and stores well enough (a few hours without a cooler) that she did a lot of her prep work earlier. Ostensibly it is a Hawaiian invention, but Suzume likes it, and if she's handling them, nobody is making her serve customers.

Apparently those times Suzume listened to Shinjiro go on in the kitchen weren't just for show.

But Suzume is ahead of the game now and does not need to keep making them at the moment. They're better cool, anyway. So she's not in the back area but is hanging around and people-watching, which includes but is not limited to maid-watching. After a bit of that, she slides off where she'd perched, absently straightening her uniform skirt (she has leggings on underneath, as per usual). "I'm gonna head out," she says, to whoever's closest. (Maybe Fuuka? it is a mystery)

She wants to see the other booths too! 

<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.

Hyousuke, in a turn of events that anyone could have predicted, had made a beeline straight for the cakes that Shujin's first years had brought out to sell. What was less predictable - though perhaps not entirely surprising - was the bag by his side. An assortment of cards from the second years were arranged neatly inside so as not to dent the corners or otherwise mar their appearance. This, he supposed, could be a little Christmas gift to himself - a few minutes alone to recollect with some hand-baked cakes, and perhaps a jaunt over to the cafe to see how Gekkoukan handled tea.

He wondered if anything there was good for dogs. His new friend certainly didn't know what Christmas was, let alone how to celebrate it, but that was no excuse. 

<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.

    Situated in front of the Shuujin First Years booth, is a certain redheaded gymnast. She's wearing her uniform underneath a homely looking apron, with various holiday themed sweet pastries decorating the front. "Thank you for your patronage!" She chimes out as she exchanges change.

     Kasumi's been busy practically since she started her shift. Most of her classmates have been letting her do all of the register work too. "Wasn't it such a good idea to have Yoshizawa-san up front? The cakes are practically flying off the shelf!" One girl whispers to her friend, who giggle deviously. A boy who just got his cake wonders, "I should've gotten her number..." to his frtiend.

    At least Kasumi is none the wiser. "Thank you for your patronage!" She says cheerfully, as yet another transaction is complete.

    Kasumi keeps sneaking a glance at the time, counting down the minutes until her shift is done. Maybe in a pose, or so... She really wants to visit that ornament shop...! And maybe see her Senpai's in the second year placement.

     Meanwhile, Akihiko Sanada just clocked in. As soon as he takes a table, he gets a group of girls, hanging on his every word on where to go, India, France, or wherever else. He keeps sneaking glances towards the Sevens Second year booth. That fried chicken smells way too good...

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    Umie Akabane... is here. Fresh from her shift, with her hair up in two loose buns, she's dressed in her usual for winter: a red ribbed turtleneck, a white winter jacket, leggings, and sneakers.
    
    With the Underground Mall not that far away from her shift, it felt like a good idea. Support the youth, maybe get some cheap food, maybe score a few presents. Of course, she keeps her eyes open for various students she's gotten to know through one source or another, be is SEES, the various Persona Users that go to Shujin (as well as the completely ordinary Ren and his friend circle), and any Sevens students she may have gotten to know.
    
    Speaking of Sevens... that's where Umie is now, considering the fried chicken. Something romantic, huh... Something told Umie that trying to get Shiryuu to come here would be a complete fool's errand.

    "How about a 'just hungry'?" Umie says to Sheba. "And well, of *course* Sevens is the best," she adds, with a cheeky grin. "But I'm a little biased." 

<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.

Kazusa is... still feeling a bit rattled. She'd been hoping to just utterly avoid Shinichi's Homunculus until a solution could be found, but, sadly, that hadn't come to pass.

Unfortunately, she still needs to cover her shift for Shujin's gift-wrapping station. That's later, but... she still needs to be here in the mean time. She'd hung around near the first year's booth, where her brother Kazuhiro is currently helping out, but after a while she couldn't stand being near Shinichi so headed out into the crowd.

She's at least made the effort to dress up for the season--she's wearing a very elegant red dress with white lace and fur trimmings, green accents, stockings, laced-up boots, and a matching cloak with hood. It's festive! (And not doing a great job of keeping her spirits up.)

She starts to wander the other booths, checking them out, making note of things she might like to come back to later (she doesn't want to buy anything until she's sure what she wants.) But she spots a familiar face, and makes her way over to Fuuka. "Yamagishi-san. How are you?" She's trying to be sociable, but she looks distracted still. 

<Pose Tracker> Naganaki Shrine has posed.

    Sevens' fried chicken is, in no small part thanks to the MUSES barking for it, a runaway hit among the mall-goers. It's also just the thing to get around Christmas if you're Japanese. (Thank the Colonel.) By the time Lisa gets off her shift, their booth will be absolutely mobbed. But they'll have raised a lot of money!
    
    Shujin's cakes are also popular; Kasumi isn't famous like MUSES is, but she is very cute. The maid cafe is getting steady business, largely thanks to its hot drinks, though the sandwiches (and Sham onigirazu) are doing well too.
    
    As the day goes on, though, the crowds start to thin a bit. This is a good opportunity for students to take breaks and visit other booths; it's easier to converse when it's not so noisy and crowded.
    
    Meanwhile:
    
    Yanagi Nagisa... is not here. Today is a bad health day, perhaps exacerbated by yesterday's battle; she's having a quiet day in, resting at home over in Shimokitazawa.
    
    Ren Amamiya... is also not here. In fact, the infamous "delinquent" "criminal" of Shujin Academy barely participated in preparations for the Christmas Village. Students are mixed on if they're glad or mad about it.
    
    However, Jun Kashihara is here! He picked up some charming ornaments and had several gifts wrapped, then purchased a few raffle tickets with a hopeful and then resigned look around the Sevens third years' booth. Currently, he's elegantly tossing balls for prizes. Maybe he'll grab something to eat and drink at the maid cafe later. (Fried chicken, though seasonal, is far too heavy for him.) 

<Pose Tracker> Lisa Silverman has posed.

Umie is here!! And well--none of the Muses show any signs of having a Persona. But Sheba is happy to answer Umie. "We have another order!" Sheba calls back to the others, and smiles at Umie. "Aaah, because you're still one of us!" she says slyly. "I'll be biased, too."

Misato to the rescue! Lisa blinks once and turns to--a girl in a full body reindeer costume!! "Aiyah," she says. "What a costume..."

Sheba laughs elegantly. "Well, it seems we've been rescued."

Miipo tilts her head. "Do you? Well, you look super cute!"

Lisa smiles. "Touche!" she says, thank you! "C'mon, let's go!"

Though she stops before she goes, "Hey, you'll definitely enjoy it," to Umie. "You must've only just graduated before we started," Miipo says brightly to Umie.

They could deliver to akihiko... but they probably won't. Yet.

With the thinning crowds though, the MUSES can walk without being accosted as much. It's a lot easier! 

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.

The day goes on, and the crowds start to thin a little. Just enough that Fuuka is freed up to go take a look around herself.

She's still in the maid dress, though. In a way, releasing her may have just been a strategy to turn her into a walking advertisement for the cafe... but at least this means she gets to enjoy herself while helping out.

But as she's seeing the sights... someone greets her!

"Oh hello, Motojima-san." Fuuka greets. She pauses for a moment. Her training flashes through her mind - and she punctuates the greeting with a prim and proper curtsy. "I've been doing well. I've been busy preparing for this and studying for exams, but... I think I'm ready."

She considers her thoughtfully for a moment.

"How about you?" She asks. She knows she had... trouble, with tests before, but she's polite enough to not bring it up.

---

Ah, it looks like they're with a customer... Misato won't interrupt, but she does look pleased at Miipo's compliment.

"I do my best~." She replies, then pauses for a moment to add, "...I'm glad it looks fine, the head's a little heavy..."

She offers Lisa a nod when she thanks her.

"Hey, it's no problem. I'm good at this kind of thing, anyway." She replies with a nod. She takes up her position, clacking the tongs once more as she prepares for battle. (Or maybe 'batter' would be accurate...) 

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    Ren's notoriety at their school will not be discovered today, for better or worse, when Umie gets to that booth.
    
    But right now, Umie's doing her part to support her former school.
    
    "Yes," Umie confirms to Miipo, chuckling. "That must make you second or first years, huh... Though it's not like I was a social butterfly in my senior year."
    
    An idol group, though... "I wish you all the best," Umie says, waving a piece of fried chicken. "Good on you all, chasing after your dreams."
    
    With that, she lets them go, munching on some delightful fried chicken. Mmm. Maybe she should go check out the Gekkoukan booth next... 

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.

Hibari Aoki is also not here. Kasugayama wasn't invited to participate, and while she *could* have shown up on her own time... she didn't!

She already lost some of her exam prep time to Kenzo. She's stealing it back.

Suzume, though, remains. Sort of. Having promised she'll be back soon in case they need more sandwiches (probably not, but you never know) she is at liberty to do what she wants for a little while. Part of her debates going through her own year's event and getting a drink, but she has already had the ability to swipe a drink and she isn't sure she wants to do the rest of it that badly.

So with one last glance at the maid cafe, Suzume strides away from it for the moment, wandering aimlessly. She has no particular goals and so drifts past a bunch of different booths.

...including a travel agency. Really? Suzume bails on that one *real* quick. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't afford any more than she already does, with the occasional day trip somewhere on the train.

But cake sounds good. Suzume lingers there for a bit, trying to edge up to get strawberry shortcake without being trampled. Fortunately, it's not *that* busy. Now, if she was trying to get soup... But she's not, so it's a lot easier. Hmm, maybe she can give a prize toss a shot... 

<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.

Kazusa runs a critical eye over the maid outfit mostly out of reflex. "Nice maid outfit. I guess Gekkoukan went all out, huh...?" The curtsey is cute but Kazusa won't say that part. "I'm feeling better prepared for finals than I was for midterms," she admits.

coming back right in the middle of Crunch Week for midterms after missing the first month and change of the semester was... an experience.

She sighs. "Hey, I know things are busy with finals, but when you get a chance can I talk to you? There's... something I need help with."

---

Back over at Shujin's First Year booth, a boy by the name of Kazuhiro Motojima is currently helping out. (He is, in fact, Kazusa's younger brother by a year.) He offers Kasumi a warm smile. "Hey, Yoshizawa-san, great work out there!" he's helping get things prepped, since everyoine else seems to be content to leave the register to Kasumi. "But don't forget to take a break, okay? We can take over for you if you wanna walk around a bit." 

<Pose Tracker> Naganaki Shrine has posed.

    Another day, Umie. Another day....
    
    The crowds that are still here absolutely see Fuuka in her adorable maid costume, and it absolutely works wonders as free advertisement. Before long, the maid cafe is bustling with business! Jun and Ichika barely get a seat together in time before the rush, though they won't be able to linger long. There's a premium on seats, after all.
    
    Suzume might have a tough time buying one of the strawberry shortcake slices; they're the most popular type for obvious reasons. By the time she gets into the booth, there's one slice left, and someone else is reaching for it...! 

<Pose Tracker> Lisa Silverman has posed.

"Second-years!" Miipo responds cheerfully. Sheba says, "Don't sell yourself too short--I'm sure you were memorable."

And Lisa says, "Thanks! Today, my dream is... cake!"

The MUSES continue in their uniforms towards Shujin's first-year space--where cake awaits. Luckily, she doesn't need strawberry shortcake--

Is there any chocolate left???

"Ah, the one I wanted was popular," Sheba says sadly. Miipo says, "The display's pretty adorable, though..."

And Lisa waits patiently behind Suzume!! 

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.

"Takeba-chan. You've been requested. Can you take table four?"

"Requested? Uh... sure? I guess." She groaned internally, just knowing it was going to be another one of those boys who heard she was dressed as a maid and wanted to take advantage of it. Heading out of the back of Gekkoukan's section, she approached the figure from behind.

Of course, she was dressed as a cute French Maid, it's not like she likes this kind of thing. Nope, not at all. It was definitely forced upon her by a wager she lost.

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/megamitensei/images/5/51/Yukari_Takeba_8Maid_Uniform9.png/revision/latest?cb=20240409194852

"Welcome! I'll be taking care of you tod-"

"'Sup Yuka-tan." Junpei Iori, was grinning like a fool as he threw an arm around the back of his chair, and turned to face her causing Yukari to recoil in alarm, "Hey! You're a part of this class, you're not supposed to be taking up a table!"

Junpei didn't miss a beat, as he said, "There's no rule that says I can't. And since you're serving me, does this mean you have to call me master?"

"... ... ... Somehow I knew you were going to say that." She replied in a tone that sounded like half a groan. "Anyhow, do you need more time, or are you ready to order?"

"Nuh-uh. That's a cafe foul! I demand the full treatment. You're supposed to say 'are you ready to order- 'Master'.'"

What he received was a death glare, and he almost cracked, but part of him still thought, worth it.

...
...
...
...

"Well alright, Master." She chirped cheerfully, like she was obeying, "Are you ready to order?"

"That's more like it! I'll have... the espresso with latte art. Extra Love."

"Tee-hee... coming right up, master."

~*Three minutes later*~

People expecting fresh espressos usually got them. What Junpei Iori received, was four hour old coffee in the pot that was only lukewarm.

"Here you go... Master." She said just as cheerfully as she placed it down hard, saucer rattling, "Now for your latte art."

As Yukari Takeba, diligent maid extraordinaire proceeded to pour the not steaming but definitely still uncomfortably warm milk right on his head. "Hey-PBTT- What the hell!?"

Whirling it around in the rough shape of a heart over him, he stumbled to try to get up, over his chair. Which is when she proceeded to kick him in the shin, sending him sprawling. "OW-Hey!" "Extra Love!" As her voice drops to one of deadly menace, "All. For. You. Now get out of here!"

-=-=-

~*Two hours later*~

"Uh. You've had another table request you, Takeba-chan. And they're asking if you can be extra mean to them."

"ANOTHER ONE? But... basically every table here is already mine!"

"Haha... yeah, but you know the people know what they want?"

"... ... ... ... Can they even be called people at this point?"

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.

Oh no! Suzume's cake!

Suzume is exactly the sort of person who is willing to fight for a slice of cake. She is filled with *determination*. Which is not normally a bad thing but, you know...

Unfortunately, someone is already going for it by the time she gets the tongs she needs. Suzume makes a lunge for it, but...

She is an instant too late!

Suzume's tongs skip off the other set of tongs, and scrape a corner of the icing off the slice but don't actually connect with the cake proper. She's been defeated!

Somewhat overexaggeratedly, Suzume slumps forward, unable to seize her perfect (?) slice of cake. Fortunately, she can just get something else, so it's not a total waste. No strawberry shortcake for her, but if she can find a slice of jam roll cake that'll make a good replacement.

"Hope you didn't want strawberry," Suzume says to Lisa, behind her. She does not recognize her, apparently. Either she's not up on her idols or she's oblivious. (It's the first.)

Suzume is not over at the maid cafe right now, but she's going to hear about it later. There is a zero percent chance she does not break down laughing at Junpei, then. She ends up laughing so hard she nearly falls over. 

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.

This is a lot more attention than Fuuka's used to... but seeing someone she knows helps.

"Oh, thank you." Fuuka replies with a small smile, and then nods. She knows that Kazusa is good at costumes, so when she says it's good, that means a lot. "Mm-hm. There was... a lot of enthusiasm for the idea."

Kazusa says she's feeling better prepared for finals than midterms...

"That's good..." Fuuka replies. "...Let's both do our best, alright?"

Kazusa, though... needs help with something! Fuuka studies her curiously for a moment, and then nods.

"Sure, I'd be glad to help." Fuuka replies. "I can give you my number, if you want." 

<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.

    Thankfully, due to being self serve, the cake lines are much faster than the soup or even the chicken lines. Suzume absolutely is able to get through quite easily.

    "Ah... Thank you, Motojima-senpai." Kasumi says, as she offers her Senpai's younger brother a smile. A part of her hestiates, feeling bad that she's leaving her shift. "I can finish. Thank you, Motojima-san."

    Chocolate for Lisa is definitely still there! Jam roll cake will certainly manage still. Kasumi rings up Suzume, her ponytail swaying slightly as she moves. "Thank you for your patronage!" Next is Lisa, who she has to take a second glance. "Lisa Silverman?!" She says, shocked! The new idol...

    That was a little too loud... "A-ah, sorry... Let me ring you up, okay?" She says, shyly.

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    'I'm sure you were memoriable.' Umie chuckles. "Keep flattering people like that and you guys be an idol sensation in no time~ " Giving a nod as they depart, Umie continues on to the third years' section of Sevenms, until...
    
    "Kashihara-kun! I see you've managed to land some goodies." Having grabbed some water from another spot, she gives Jun a bit of Christmas cheer, only realizing a moment later just what Jun may be there to see.
    
    ... Ah...
    
    She doubts Tatsuya's drive to stop that other world from happening will have lessened any, if that Akihabara attack was related.
    
    "You'll find him eventally," Umie encourages under her breath towards Jun. "I don't think he was ever one for sticking around festivals."
    
    From the corner of her eye, Umie sees Yukari at the maid cafe. Giving Yukari a small, knowing grin, Umie doesn't gift the SEES member with her presence, seeing as she's busy, and, to a certain degree, she doesn't want to socialize with anyone who saw how she acted, in the end of that recent battle.
    
    AT least Umie has fried chicken, tho. Yum. 

<Pose Tracker> Naganaki Shrine has posed.

    "Oh, Akabane-san, hello. Yes, I've managed to finish up all my Christmas shopping today," Jun greets Umie with a smile. A shadow falls over that smile when she realizes what he was at the Sevens third years' booth for, however. He whispers back, "I didn't think so either, but..."
    
    He couldn't help but hope.
    
    However, Jun is there with a friend, so he bows to Umie and moves along. 

<Pose Tracker> Lisa Silverman has posed.

"I did," Sheba sighs, but she smiles again a moment later--an idol never stays too sad! "But jam rolls are good, too." They don't mind as a whole that Suzume doesn't recognize them--especially not when Kasumi recognizes Lisa!

"Hi!" Lisa says, and smiles widely. "It's fine, it's fine," she assures her, though she does worry she might get mobbed if the wrong people hear. ....It's probably fine!

Miipo gives a V-sign to Kasumi. "That's right! Lisa-chan is leading us today!"

Lisa though just says, "Thanks. We've been at the Sevens second-years' booth and I definitely want something sweet..."

That's two chocolates and one jam roll for the MUSES! 

<Pose Tracker> Shinichi Nagisa has posed.

Shinichi Nagisa, as a Class Rep, was already on the committee for the Cultural Festival. Specifically, he was assigned to health and safety, which meant he was supposed to float around the Christmas Village, in order to make certain everything was running smoothly.

You know, do the small tasks of maintenance, escort anyone who got hurt to the First Aid Booth. Stuff like that.

"Hey! Can you lend me a hand dude?" A milk-soaked, limping Junpei Iori asked Shinichi Nagisa who was standing just around a corner clearly marked with an armband as someone working the Christmas Village, "I need to get this ankle looked at."

Shinichi didn't even so much as glance, "Find it yourself. ... I'm a little occupied right now."

"Huh!? But I can barely walk..."

Which is when Junpei heard a second more feminine voice, up against the wall, just out of his view, of a Seven Sister's First Year. "Can't he take a hint? You don't have time for something like that."

Now he was looking, smiling at Junpei in an unnerving way. And Junpei's annoyed expression turned to something more tense. "Maybe I'll just sit down around here for a while."

"You do that." Shinichi said, dismissively.

Junpei didn't really know what he was feeling, but there was no way he was leaving an unsuspecting girl alone with- whatever the hell this guy is.

Even if it was really annoying to have it rubbed in his face that- whatever he was, was more attractive to the fairer sex than he was.

<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.

There was a lot of enthusiasm for the idea, Fuuka says. "That makes sense. It's a good choice, honestly. They're popular over in Akiba, so you're bound to good target audience for it."

"Right. You too, Yamagishi-san." Why do HJomunculus-related problems always have to hit her around big exams? She hopes this doesn't become a pattern.

But Fuuka offers her number, and Kazusa nods seriously. "I'd appreciate that." She pulls her phone out to enter it.

"I'll text you the details. Just..." She tenses, and the take a furtive glance around them to make sure he's nowhere in sigh or earshot before looking back to Fuuka." ... be careful if you see the Shujin second-year assigned to health and safety."


Kazuhiro nods to Kasumi. "Alright, well... don't work yourself too hard. But thank you for all your hard work!" 

<Pose Tracker> Naganaki Shrine has posed.

    Meanwhile, at the Sevens third years' booth, raffle ticket sales are starting to lag with all the attention the maid cafe is getting... so they pull out their secret weapon: a giant poster of media darling, "Detective Prince" Goro Akechi, and a sign saying that, starting now, those who buy at least ten tickets will get a signed glossy of the Detective Prince himself, free.
    
    Needless to say, there's soon a stampede over there, leaving many of the food booths a respite from their own crowds. Except for Yukari, whose clientele are not the kind of people (or not-people) who would be swayed by a handsome boy.
    
    Despite high hopes from his fans, Akechi himself is nowhere to be seen at said booth. No doubt he's off doing important detective things, but clearly he's done what he can to support his fellow students' efforts while keeping the greater Tokyo metropolitan area safe from crime! 

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.

"Hey, if you have cake, I'm happy to," is Suzume's response to Kasumi, because she's in a good mood (even if she didn't get her strawberry shortcake). She steps out of the way...

...and apparently the girl behind her is famous. She's certainly striking, Suzume thinks. Not a lot of blondes around here, and she's pretty sure that didn't come out of a bottle; in her limited experience, that's an actual complexion for... you know. Blonde foreigners, which her name proves she is. But her Japanese is good; Suzume didn't hear an accent.

Suzume does *not* mob her, at least. Nor the others, as she glances past her and sees the rest of MUSES. Huh, Suzume thinks. I HAVE seen them before. She's pretty sure Ririka mentioned them, or had merch - that must have been where she'd seen it.

Having solved the mystery to her own satisfaction, Suzume says, "You're from Sevens, right? What's their booth, the chicken and the raffle?" Suzume lifts her head from the cake, looks past... "Looks popular," she says. She can't see the poster from her angle - or, rather, she can see that there *is* a poster, but not make out what's on it. 

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    With a nod of holiday wishes, Umie sees Jun off with his friend, and notices a suspicious amount of people gathering. Hm, what's going on now? Oh, it's--~
    
    ----A MINUTE LATER----

    "Yeah, Goro Akechi is over there in the Third Years' area, so good luck getting anywhere close right now."
    
    Like a glinting knife in the dark of night, there's Umie Akabane right there, by Suzume, having moved from her last spot. Mysterious! Restless!
    
    .... Maaaaaybe feeling a little ill because there feels like something near this booth that feels... off. But anyway!
    
    While Umie is blonde, it just drives home how Lisa's blonde hair is natural, while Umie's, if you manage to get close enough, is not, if those undyed eye brows say anything.
    
    She still has her fried chicken. 

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.

"I suppose that's true..." Fuuka considers thoughtfully. It does make sense from that perspective... Fuuka nods as Kazusa echoes her well-wishes. As for her number... she doesn't have her phone on her, but she does still have a stack of flyers. She turns one over, pulling out a pen and scribbling her number on the back before handing it over to her.

"Okay. I'll be watching for your text." She replies. She gives a warning - the second-year Shujin health and safety student...? She can't recall if she's seen them around, but... She nods. "Okay. I'll be careful."

Fuuka considers Kazusa, then. It seems like she's on her own right now... and so is she.

"Well... for now... would you like to check out some of the other booths together? It might be more fun than doing it alone..." She offers. 

<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.

Kazusa doesn't feel like walking around without a means of quickly contacting someone right now, for some reason. Hence, she has her phone on her.

Kazusa takes the flyer and puts the number in, and sends Fuuka a text. She'll have it waiting for er when she gets to her phone. "There."

And then Fuuka makes an offer. Kazusa looks a bit startled--as if she hadn't expected that offer. "... sure. That'd be... that'd be nice." And again she takes a glance around. "... where do you want to start? Shujin's third years are doing soup, the second years are doing gift wrapping, and the first years are doing cakes." 

<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.

    The Sevens third year booth try a new tactic, which elicits giggles from Kasumi as peopple pass by in a rush. Sure, it's pretty tempting, but she could just ask the real deal.

    Hold on... She could sell them to her classmates! That's a pretty decent idea.

    Snapping back to reality, processes Lisa and the MUSES. "Thank you! It's good to meet you!" She offers an awkward little bow.

    With her line up processed now, she's about ready to take her break. "I'm done my shift!" She calls calls to her classmates as she steps away, undoing her apron real quick. She'll toss it into the back in a second.

<Pose Tracker> Lisa Silverman has posed.

Famous!! And yes, MUSES are here. "That's right," Miipo answers Suzume first. "Chicken," Sheba supplies. Lisa adds, "It has been! ...I'm not sure what they're doing now, though..."

They didn't tell Lisa baout that!?

But as Kasumi rings them up then takes her break, Lisa stops Kasumi for a moment.

"Say," she says, "What's your name?"

She wants to be warm and welcoming to fans!

Also none of them have ever sensed a homunculus in their lives, so that's nice. 

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.

Kazusa sends her a text! Fuuka nods. She'll check it when she gets her phone back. Kazusa seems surprised by the offer, though, but accepts it - and Fuuka offers her a small smile.

She listens to the Shujin school option. Soup, cake, and gift wrapping... She 'hm's to herself.

"Cake sounds pretty good, but it might be packed... But we can swing by and check, and do something else if it's too busy?" She considers. "Would you like to lead the way?" 

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.

"Then I'm gonna go find out," is what Suzume says to Miipo. "I could do with some chicken anyway. Have fun," she says, as she turns away.

Suzume was cursed to make sandwiches, not to eat any.

Unfortunately, she's going to get caught up in the crowd, and probably stuck for a while unless she's willing to employ elbows to get herself back out... 

<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.

"Have a good break!" says Kazuhiro with a smile to Kasumi. But the smile fades for a moment. "And, uh, tell my sister hi if you see her around."

Meanwhile, Kazua nods to Fuuka. "Yeah, the soup and cake have both been really busy. So if you want to check it out, now's probably the time to do it before they run out of everything." She cranes her head. "... Looks like Sevens did something to pull the crowd away..." she mutters. She wonders what it was. Maybe she'll find out later.

"Anyway, it's over this way." She and Fuuka will head for the cake booth that Shujin's first-years are running! 

<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.

    Ah!!! Kasumi is stopped for a moment by the idol, hands wrapped around her back. She tilts her head slightly, wondering why an idol would be interested. "Yoshizawa, Kasumi." It takes a moment, but she offers a genuine smile. "I hope you enjoy our cake, Silverman-san!"

<Pose Tracker> Lisa Silverman has posed.

Lisa smiles back. "Thanks, Yoshizawa-san. Just wanted to remember who gave us cake!" That's all she really needs out of her--it's just nice, to let someone feel 'noticed'. Lisa's realized she has that kind of power since she and her friends became an idol group...

Miipo meanwhile waves to Suzume. "Thanks!"

Sheba for her part just finds a place to lean on a wall for a moment so she can eat her cake. Mmm, cake... 

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.

"Good point..." Fuuka agrees with a nod. She certainly doesn't want to miss it, just because she was worried about the crowd... And apparently, the crowd has thinned out a little. "I wonder what they did...? I suppose we should be grateful, at least."

And so, cake! They approach the cake booth... which currently has some familiar faces at it. One of them, she's met personally. The others, she only knows by reputation, due to being a music fan... She's familiar with the work of MUSES.

They're students, so it makes sense they'd be here.

"Oh, hello." She greets them and Kasumi as well, with another prim and proper curtsy. Something about the uniform makes her feel like she should... "And hello, Yoshizawa-zan. It's been a while, hasn't it?" 

<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.

    With the apron off finally and stored in the back, Kasumi is ready to take on the event as a patron! Ah, and there she spots Motojima-senpai and Yamagishi-san! She offers a bow as they meet up.

    "Hey, Senpai! And it's good to see you again too, Yamagishi-san." Being able to wear the maid outfit without any sort of embarrassment... It's pretty impressive, she's got to admit. "It has been. Thank you for remembering me." She offers a smile. "Were you helping run the maid cafe too, Yamagishi-san?"

<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.

"Not sure," Kazusa answers Fuuka. "But I guess everyone's trying to do things to get attention for their booths..." She crosses her arms for a moment, tapping her fingers. "I might have to do our plan soon..."

What plan? don't worry about it.

Oh, so MUSES is here, too? Well, maybe she'll find a moment to talk to them later, because right now--

Kasumi approaches them. "Yoshizawa-san. So you're taking a break?" She's trying not to sound like the harsh senpai she's been to Kasumi for most of the rest of the year, but she's tired and a bit distracted. "How's your booth doing?" She manages some genuine-sounding interest for that, at least. 

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.

"Mm-hm. Everyone wants their booths to do well... I can't blame them for using whatever they can." Fuuka replies to Kazusa with a nod. "At a time like this, when so many schools are gathering together, it's a good opportunity to get to know new people you wouldn't have met otherwise..."

She does look at her curiously when she says 'their plan', but... if it wasn't a secret, she would've just said it.

Fuuka smiles as Kasumi returns her greeting.

"Of course." Fuuka assures, as Kasumi thanks her for remembering her. She looks between Kasumi and Kazusa, as they seem at least familiar with each other. That's right, they're both Shujin students... She nods, as she asks about the maid cafe. "That's right. That's what our year decided on... I've mostly been focusing on advertising, though."

She's definitely a little embarrassed, but handling it well so far. ...And, in a way, her job might be easier than those staying back at the cafe itself...

She does look curious as Kazusa asks how Kasumi's booth went, though. 

<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.

    Kasumi gladly nods to Kazusa. "I just got off. The booth's been going really well thankfully. Though, it might be a little slower for a bit, considering..." She gestures towards the Sevens Third Year booth. "...They laid the Akechi-san sized bait." She jokes. (Several of the other First Years are gonna have to kick it up a notch as well, now that Kasumi's off.)

    "Oh, your brother wanted me to say hi for him..." She hestiates for just a moment, before deciding that Fuuka is in the know. "Are things going well with him, Senpai?" She asks, delicately. Better, she hopes, than with Wakana-senpai. Must be so much harder if you had to dodge a sibling you live with, huh? Kasumi wouldn't know anything about that.

    "Advertising?" Kasumi asks, "were you one of those sign spinners, Yamagishi-san?" she jokes. She glances over to the maid cafe set up and...catches Yukari berate another patron. She recognizes the brunette at least from Kazusa's homunculus - but the sight doesn't surprise her any less. "Is...everything okay over there?" She wonders aloud, placing a hand on her cheek.

<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.

"That's true..." Kazusa agreed with Fuuka about the opportunity. "It's a bit unusual, isn't it, to have so many schools in one festival..." She sighs. "I can't believe Shujin forgot to host our festival, though. What is the school coming to?"

Look she's trying to be nicer to people, the school is still fair game. Image is everything, after all.

She catches that look and just smirks a little. "You'll see."

"But I didn't know you two knew each other," she comments of Fuuka remembering Kasumi. "Yoshizawa-san and I are both in the Rhythmic Gymnastics Club."

But she gets her answer from Kasumi, and another one besides. She blinks. "Akechi? Like... the Detective Prince? So they were willing to resort to that, huh...?"

"That's good things were going well, though. And.. thanks. I'll say hello to him in a second." There's a pause, as Kasumi asks about that. "... Yeah, they're... good," she says. "Kazuhiro-kun hangs out in the studio with me sometimes." He has his own key, even, but Kazusa doesn't share that part.

But she doesn't have to dodge him, at least.

She glances to what Kasumi is looking at, blinking. "... some people are into that, I guess?" she says with a frown. "... I know that's a thing in manga, I didn't think anybody did it for real..."

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.

"It is... But, I think it's a good thing. I think our schools could afford to get along more." Fuuka replies. A part of her wonders if there wouldn't be a way for Kasugayama to get involved, too... but she understands why there might be some hesitance, there. "So, that's what happened...? Well, I suppose there are worse reasons for the festival to be delayed..."

There could've been a massive typhoon throwing everything off! But that would never happen, right...?

'You'll see'... that just makes her even more curious.

"Oh, yes. We ran into each other in the same store a while back, and got to know each other..." Fuuka explains for Kazusa's sake. ...And, also while dealing with her Homunculus. Kazusa, meanwhile, explains that they're both in the Rhythmic Gymnastics club. "Oh, I see! That must be nice..."

Kasumi confirms what they were thinking - the booth might be slower thanks to the Sevens distraction. And, she says what it was.

"The Detective Prince? It's no wonder people flocked that way..." She comments thoughtfully. She looks between the two of them as they talk about Kazusa's brother, and is quietly glad things are going well between them... and at Kasumi's joke, Fuuka laughs.

"That would've been fun! ...But, no, I've just been handing out flyers." She replies. She draws one out, offering it to Kasumi. "You can have one too, if you like!"

As for what's happening at the cafe... Fuuka laughs sheepishly.

"I'm sure it's fine, but..." She trails off awkwardly. ...She definitely got the better job. 

<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.

    "It's not a bad idea though, is it?" Kasumi says on the combined cultural festivals. "It's pretty fun, if exhausting." If no one's gonna ask, then Kasumi might as well. "Though, I wonder why Kasugayama didn't join too?"

    kasumi giggles bashfully, as she realizes that it must've been pretty confusing. "Yes, we're in the gymnastics club together." She nods again, as Fuuka's explanation pretty much sums it up. "We had also met very briefly during your time in need." There's a visible grimace as Fuuka says it must've been nice. "It's been more fun now, since Senpai is outgrowing her mean girl phase." She lets out a giggle.

    "I'm not surprised. If you have that secret weapon, might as well use it. I'm just surprised that Akechi-san gave them permission..." She says, alluding to her ~personal relationship~ to the detective prince.

    Kasumi gives a relieved nod to Kazusa. "I'm glad to hear that..."

    Kasumi gladly accepts the flyer! "Thank you, Yamagishi-san! I might just visit if I have time." Having someone call her 'Master!' might just be worth the trip...!

    Kasumi taps her cheek a bit. Then, she cracks a cheeky smile. "I guess you know a lot about that sort of thing, huh Senpai?"

<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.

"It is. The administration says that it's not just an attempt to save face, but..." She shakes her head. "What an embarrassment." After a moment she looks around. "... it is interesting to see what the different schools came up with, though... I guess normally we don't get to see other schools' festivals this closely..."

Kasumi wonders about Kasugayama. Kazusa scoffs a little. "Come on. Do you really think Shujin would ever agree to that? Besides, they'd run out of space pretty quickly if they kept inviting more schools to participate."

"Oh, I see," she replies as Fuuka explains. She might question it, but then again, she met Fuuka in a store even though they live in different cities, so it happens. But her time of need... "... Oh. I see."

'Oh, I see! That must be nice...'

There's a complicated look that passes over Kazusa's face as she glances away. A look that very rapidly change once Kasumi just spills the beans. Her head whips sharply back to Kasumi, irritation filling her voice. "H-hey! D-don't just say things like that!" She instantly backs off, though, muttering. "Is this how you respect your elders?"

She croses her arms again, glancing to Fuuka. "... it's a long story."

She freezes and turns to glare at Kasumi. "And just what are you implying?" 

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.

"Mm-hm. I feel the same way." Fuuka agrees with a nod, as Kasumi says that it's fun... if, indeed, exhausting. Kasugayama, though... Kazusa has it right. "...It's true that it's hard to find a place to fit three schools, let alone four..."

Kazusa's 'mean girl phase'... Fuuka thinks on that. That... makes sense. She looks toward Kazusa as she reacts. It makes sense that she'd be sensitive about that... She knows from hanging out with Natsuki how hard it is to shake a reputation like that. She'll accept that it's a long story.

"You're welcome." She replies to Kasumi with a nod and a smile. "I'm sure they'll appreciate the business."

...She looks between Kasumi and Kazusa for a moment, though. ...Uh-oh.

"U-um, Yoshizawa-san, would you like to get some cake with us? ...As long as it wouldn't be awkward to buy some from your own booth..." She offers, trying to defuse tension. 

<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.

    "Oh! Kasugayama is-" That school! The delinquent school...

    Call it her will of rebellion, but Kasumi is being very cheeky today. Still- Kazusa's surprise catches Kasumi off guard. "H-huh? Oh, did...Yamagishi-san not know...?" Kazusa was alright with people even before this renewed strength? "I-I'm really sorry, Senpai..." She mutters, looking down. She feels bad about it now.

    Worse, the quiet part of her feels...extremely jealous. Why couldn't that have been the Kazusa Kasumi had to do Rhythmic Gymnastics with, since the spring?

    Still a little shellshocked, Kasumi shuffles her feet a little. "I just mean, you'd be good at it, Senpai. Sorry..." The mood changed on the flip of a dime.

    Fuuka tries to defuse things, but Kasumi suddenly feels very out of place. Like she's intruding on a friendship that shouldn't be seen within Shuujin Academy. She needs to back off.

    "Thank you, Yamagishi-san." Kasumi manages. "But I really shouldn't. I wanted to visit the ornament shop before..." She gives Kazusa a look. "Well, you'll find out soon. I hope you enjoy your cake!" Satisfied with her ability to remain together in front of the others, Kasumi steps back and offers a quick bow before speedily leaving!

    You're better than this, Kasumi. You gotta respect your elders.

<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.

"I guess with more people running the booth, it helps distribute the work more, but... it's harder to get a whole year to agree on something. Especially on such short notice." Crap. She's being too negative again. "... but..." she adds slowly. "... I really do think everyone rose to the occasion."

And Kazusa used to care so much for her reputation, too--she weaponized it, as a shield. And in the end the shield failed her. And now she's trying to figure out what to do next.

Kazusa presses a palm to her forehead to try and calm down when she catches Kasumi's reaction. "Look, I'm sorry I snapped, you just... caught me by surprise. But that's not an excuse." She lowers thehand, and glances at Fuuka for a moment. "... no, she probably had an idea..."

Fuuka extends an offer, and Kazusa watches Kasumi back off. "No, you don't have to--" Annnnd she's gone. Kazusa groans. "Why did I do that..." she half-whines, half-mutters to herself. She looks to Fuuka again. "Sorry about that, Yamagisha-san. I'm... still working on my temper." Now she feels worse than before, but she's trying to power through it. "... let's go see what they have left, and say hi to my brother."

A LITTLE BIT LATER

There are some girls in light costuming gently trying to clear a space near Shujin's group of booths. Some more girls, including Kazusa and Kasumi, take up spaces inside that empty space, and to Christmas music they do a short little routine to attract attention to their booths! They have to be mindful of the fact that they don't have mats and as much vertical clearance as they'd like, and the limited time to prepare, but given all of those constraints... it's not hard to see why Shujin's team is ranked so highly. And the routine is even Christmas-themed with the costuming and props being in festive colors!

Kazusa can at least feel good about th performance going off without a hitch, after everything else.

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