*MEANWHILE*
SHIORIKO: "The School Idol Festival, huh?
I never thought I'd find myself involved in it like this."
*KNOCK* *KNOCK*
SHIORIKO: "Yes, come in."
AYUMU: "Excuse me."
SHIORIKO: "Uehara? What is the matter? Is there something else you wish to say?"
AYUMU: "Yeah. Shioriko... I mean, Mifune. I forgot to congratulate you."
SHIORIKO: "Congratulate me? For what?"
AYUMU: "I know it's a little late, but I wanted to congratulate you for putting together a successful School Tour. I heard we received a huge number of applicants to enroll."
SHIORIKO: "What? Ah, yes. I am grateful for all of the assistance you provided."
AYUMU: "And, um, just going back to what we were discussing. The School Idol Festival really is a great event, you know? It's known as a festival especially for school idols, and..."
SHIORIKO: "I know."
AYUMU: "What?"
SHIORIKO: "The School Idol Festival is precisely the result of constantly clinging to something one lacks any aptitude for."
AYUMU: "What do you mean?"
SHIORIKO: "That event is what made my sister, who was broken by being a school idol... No, that doesn't matter at all."
AYUMU: "It doesn't matter? It sounds like it matters a lot to you..."
SHIORIKO: "It really doesn't matter. I also do not care about whether or not the School Idol Festival is a great event."
AYUMU: "You don't look like you don't care."
SHIORIKO: "It matters not how I appear to you. Could you please leave me alone?"
AYUMU: "I can't."
SHIORIKO: "Why not? You are only doing me an unwelcome favor otherwise."
AYUMU: "Unwelcome favor or not, you always look so pained when we bring up the School Idol Festival. I can't just ignore that."
SHIORIKO: "Do you really have the leisure to meddle with me? Isn't there something you should be doing right now with Suzuki or the rest of your club? You must gather one thousand volunteers by the deadline, that is my ultimatum. This condition absolutely must be met if you wish to hold the School Idol Festival at our school or at all for that matter.
The School Idol Festival itself will cease to exist if you are short by even ONE person. Do you understand?"
AYUMU: "Of course I do."
SHIORIKO: "You clearly do not. In my experience, running an event with individual volunteers is based on an extremely uncertain level of trust in them.
Just because you have resolved to gather one thousand volunteers does not necessarily mean they will appear out of thin air. I believe it is near impossible."
AYUMU: "I understand where you're coming from... But I disagree. Aki is already out there, gathering volunteers as we speak."
SHIORIKO: "Already? He isn't an individual who waits around..."
AYUMU: "He isn't. Because the School Idol Festival is our dream... It's the dream of all of Nijigasaki High School. We will make it a reality."
SHIORIKO: "That does not include me. I do not have dreams of that sort at all."
AYUMU: "I see... But you like school idols, don't you?"
SHIORIKO: "I would not say that exactly."
AYUMU: "That's a lie."
SHIORIKO: "Why would I lie about such a thing?"
AYUMU: "Because you wouldn't have been so serious at practice if you hated school idols."
SHIORIKO: "Suzuki and I had agreed to a deal. Why would I breech its terms and conditions?"
AYUMU: "Then I'll leave it at that for now."
SHIORIKO: "My stance will continue to remain the same."
AYUMU: "Shio- I mean, Mifune. I know that you're a kind person, regardless of your stance."
SHIORIKO: "Why would you suddenly say something like that? I do not understand."
AYUMU: "Well, you were the one who told us we'd need a thousand people to hold our event, right? You were kind enough to tell us that so we would succeed, right?"
SHIORIKO: "No, that was not my intention!"
AYUMU: "Well, I'll just leave it at that. Anyway, look forward to the event! We'll make sure we gather a thousand people!"
SHIORIKO: "Goodness me... You are much more stubborn than you appear."
AYUMU: *Chuckle* "You're the same as well, aren't you, Shio... I mean, Mifune?"
SHIORIKO: "Allow me to clarify one thing. I do not care what people call me.
I have been called many things such as Shioriko, Mifune, Shioko, Shio-ti, The Demon Student Council President, Cold-blooded, rotten to the core, and even an obedient little bitch! *Ahem* As such, you can call me whatever you wish."
AYUMU: "I-I'm sorry, did that bother you?"
SHIORIKO: "Indeed, it did. It is difficult to focus on the conversation at hand, so please just call me whatever you wish."
AYUMU: *Giggle* "Then that's what I'll do! See ya, Shioriko!"
SHIORIKO: *Sigh* "Why won't they just leave me alone already?
Why are people who are so engrossed in school idols all like that? I do not understand at all.
But the thing I have trouble understanding the most, is myself.
I shouldn't what that event to go forward. If she created it, then I want to be the one to destroy it.
But then, why did I give them such a condition for approval?
What is it that I am trying to accomplish, exactly?
The School Idol Festival... Was my sister's creation."