*SCHOOL IDOL CLUBROOM - URANOHOSHI GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL - UCHIURA - SHIZUOKA PREFECTURE*
HANAMARU: *Sigh*
RUBY: "What's wrong, Hanamaru? You've been so listless all morning. Are you sick?"
YOSHIKO: "Yeah, and you didn't have much for lunch, either."
RUBY: "You're looking just as sad as Chika's been lately..."
YOSHIKO: *Gasp* "Could this be an omen that Armageddon is upon us?!"
CHIKA: "Huh?! O-Oh no! Should we take her to the nurse's office?! W-Wait, I'm not sad!"
DIA: "There's no need to go overboard. Why don't you go home and rest before your condition gets worse?"
HANAMARU: "N-No! It's not like that! I feel fine, and the world's not ending, zura!"
RUBY: "Then did something...bad happen? Or are you worried about the Nijigasaki girls?"
HANAMARU: "It's not that... I mean, I am worried about if they'll bring him back. But that's not it, zura.
Do you all remember the Setsubun event we held at my family's temple last month?"
YOU: "The one we did with the kindergarten kids? Of course! We all had a blast!"
RIKO: "Everyone who played a demon really brought their role to life. So, does this mean your temple is doing another event?"
CHIKA: "It is? Then that means we get to pitch in again! Go ahead, ask us anything!"
DIA: "Oh, Chika, there you go again, making decisions that affect all of us."
CHIKA: "Sorry..."
DIA: "Though, I'll admit it's a welcome change in expression from your recent glum demeanor."
MARI: "What's the big deal? I'm in. Playing along with those powerful little tykes was a lot of fun."
HANAMARU: "Thank you... Chika's exactly right. We got such positive feedback on the Setsubun event the kindergarten teacher asked us to do something again soon.
And so, we decided to do a story time next, zura."
RUBY: "A storytime? Awesome! That's a perfect fit for you, Hanamaru!"
HANAMARU: "Yeah. I was excited when they suggested it, so I immediately picked all kinds of great books."
CHIKA: "Hey, that's great!"
HANAMARU: "But the teacher...rejected every one of my suggestions, zura..."
CHIKA, RUBY: "Whaaaat?!"
MARI: "Oh, what a shame! She must be a stringent judge if she turned down all of them. Either that or some book critic."
YOSHIKO: "Uhh... I have a feeling she made the right call. Let me guess; you picked out nothing but difficult books that were way above their level?"
HANAMARU: "I did not, zura!"
RIKO: "Well, what were you hoping to read to them?"
HANAMARU: "Umm, well, the first was Shakespeare's 'Hamlet,' and Japan's historical 'Records of Ancient Matters.'"
KANAN: "Y-You think those are stories kindergarten kids want to hear?"
YOSHIKO: "They'd fall asleep. Guaranteed."
HANAMARU: "I want to enrich their senses from a young age, zura! Exposing them to classic literature at an early age isn't a waste, zura!"
CHIKA: "That's true! I've heard playing classical music to babies in the womb is good for them."
RIKO: "You're on board with this?! I understand what Hanamaru is trying to say, but maybe we should pick more age-appropriate books for them."
YOU: "They should probably be shorter... I guess we're better off going with picture books."
HANAMARU: "What about classic folktales? I feel like I had a big compendium of stories and lore from all over the world... I'll look for it as soon as I get home!"
YOSHIKO: "Don't pick anything obscure, or you'll get denied again."
CHIKA: "Picture books, huh? Man, that takes me back. I remember our kindergarten teacher reading to us. The best books got all beat up because we'd rush to grab them."
YOU: "Didn't we put on little plays and act out some popular books? Of course, we had multiple people playing the same role over and over..."
CHIKA: "A play..."
YOU: "Hmm?"
CHIKA: "What if we took one of the stories and acted it out? It'd be more engaging, and I bet the kids would love it."
HANAMARU: 'A...play?"
CHIKA: "Sure! I know you acted in one recently, Hanamaru. Plus, if we added a narrator, that should make it similar enough to a regular storytime. What do you all think?"
HANAMARU: "Yeah, yeah! I love it! I never would've thought of doing a play again... I can't wait to see how this turns out, zura!"
RUBY: "W-We're doing a play? I'm not sure I'll be any good..."
RIKO: "Are you sure we should consider this a done deal? We haven't even asked the kindergarten teacher yet."
KANAN: "Nah, we can do that afterward, can't we? We're going to take care of everything, so I doubt she'd say no. What story should we do?"
YOSHIKO: "Hah, if worst comes to worst. I'll write a story myself! We'll tell the children the sublime tale of Yohane, from my birth until my fall from grace!"
RUBY: "No horror stories."
RIKO: "Please make it something appropriate for kids."
MARI: "If we need a horse, don't hesitate to ask. I'll borrow one of theirs from my favorite riding club."
DIA: "A horse? Why on earth would we need a horse?"
MARI: "You need them for folktales and fairy tales! Think of the Prince riding his white horse, the enemy army standing before him as he charges through them! Before confronting his greatest enemy and challenging them to a final battle!"
KANAN: "That sounds more like a period drama mixed up with a kid's fairy tale...and a bunch of other oddly-specific stuff."
CHIKA: "I think we need an exciting, popular story and many characters. Something where the heroes fight off the bad guys. Know what I mean?"
HANAMARU: "A tale of good versus evil, huh? That's definitely something kids can understand and probably wouldn't mind sitting through, zura. Hmm... How about Momotaro?"
YOU: "Momotaro! I like it. Let's go with that."
HANAMARU: "Momotaro it is, zura!"
RIKO: "We'll need a Momotaro, his dog, the monkey, the pheasant... What kind of sound do pheasants make?"
DIA: "If you don't know something, do your research! Why don't we go to the zoo and see the real thing?"
MARI: "You're kicking it into high gear, Dia."
DIA: "Once I decide on a course of action, NOTHING stops me! Move out, Aqours! We leave immediately!"
AKI: "..."
AQOURS: "?!"