Launching Somen

[nebulancer]

Hokuto: W-wh-whoa?

Mao: Hold it steady, Hokuto. Brace yourself~, on three, two, one☆

Hokuto: Urgh. It feels like I'm going to strain my back... I've been told by my grandmother that I have to treat my back with care.

Mao: Sorry about this~, Hokuto. I'm super grateful that you're lending a hand~♪

Even though "Trickstar" is busy lately too, the Basketball Club's got a competition soon and work for Student Council's getting held up.

This kinda physical labor is a pain, so I ended up putting it off, you know~?

Hokuto: You're really getting in over your head with what you're doing. You're always the one going through hardships, so tell me sooner whenever you need a helping hand.

...Anzu, sorry for this, but I'd like you to stick a compress on me.

Mao: You really act like a "Grandpa" at times, don't you...

It's not my place to be telling you this, seeing how I'm relying on you for work that's not your own, but why not take care of your body~?

Hokuto: I know. Aah, once the compress was stuck, I'm feeling a bit "better." We already have one job down, so what's the next?

Mao: Well, for the most part, the equipment and outfits are done being organized~. I'll do the rest, so you can rest now. Good work♪

Hokuto: I see. But just watching makes me unable to sit still, so I'll exert all I have until the end.

Mao: Thank you. I'm relieved~, seriously. So, until we're done, could you pile up the scattered cardboard over there?

I'll send a report document to the Student Council that we're done with our work~

Hokuto: Understood. But where did the idiot duo go? It's only myself, Isara, and Anzu working...?

Makoto: As soon as you called out for us, we came out~♪

Subaru: Ta-ta-ta-daa~ah☆

Hokuto: ...You two. You've shown yourselves at the end, right when we're about to finish up the work.

Sit still over there.¹ Isara and Anzu have coddled you enough, but I'm going to discipline you harshly.

Subaru: Eh~, I'm telling you, we were working! Right, Ukki~?

Makoto: Well, no, this time I might not have helped that much.

This studio's the place where "Knights" gathers up, right?

I never know when I'll encounter Izumi-san, so I couldn't really get that close to here~?

Mao: Aah, I asked that Makoto and Subaru take out the trash.

That cardboard that Hokuto's putting together will be bound up with vinyl tape, so could you carry that?

Subaru: Leave it to me, Sari~!

Don't forget the promise you made to give me a 10-yen coin once I make my round trip between the garbage disposal place and the studio! I'll work super hard for it☆

Hokuto: Hmph. As expected of Isara, he's understood how to handle Akehoshi well.

Mao: Anything's "experience," Hokuto. But you two, what're you carrying there?

Subaru: Uh, well. This was dropped around the disposal place, but what is it? This model's something I've never seen before, I'm really interested~☆

Mao: Hey you, don't just pick up trash... You're like a dog, aren't you? Even though we cleaned up already...

Hmm, uh, seriously, what is this. It looks to be bamboo split in half. Some kind of health equipment?

Hokuto: Hm. Isn't this, that thing for "nagashi somen"?

Mao: Aah. I guess so. It's one of those things that remind you of summer, huh~. I've done it before in the countryside with my grandmother when I was a kid, too. But why's something like this in the trash?

Hokuto: It'll be summer soon, so some "unit" might have held a Dreamfes with "nagashi somen" as the theme.

The informal [B1] is, after all, anything goes.

Mao: No way, no way. What kinda thing is a "nagashi somen" themed Dreamfes? You say stuff I can't get with such a serious face sometimes, don't you...?

Subaru: Me, me! I wanna do it, nagashi somen! I worked a lot today, so I got hungry~, and I wanna try something I've never done before☆

Hokuto: Are you a kid? But this looks as if it's going to break. That must be why it was disposed of, deemed unnecessary, right?

Makoto: Ah, if it's only that much I might be able to repair it. Leave mechanic-related things to me~, I'll have it fixed in a jiffy♪

It's kinda huge, so let's set it up somewhere outside. While that's being done, everyone else can get the "somen" or ingredients~♪

Subaru: Sounds good! To celebrate ending our work, it's some kind of somen party☆

Hokuto: Don't go and behave as you see fit, you two... What do we do, Isara?

Mao: I like ramen more than I like "somen"~♪

If ramen noodles are allowed, I can prepare them pretty easily. I've been making the noodles myself in the cafeteria, actually~?

Hokuto: You're actually going along with it!? Isara, you at least should have common sense!

Mao: Ahaha. You should get used to it too, Hokuto. I don't really know why, but this sounds incredibly fun. We're "Trickstar" aren't we~?

Really, you're actually hungry, right? This is just the right time♪

Let's eat until we're totally full and prepare ourselves for the hot summer☆


¹- "正座" (seiza) is the term used for how one sits stiffly, on heels, feet folded back, and not moving. It's generally used as discipline or a punishment.