Hyakkiyako Residential Region.
"You must be the famous Sensei from Schale!"
The one who said this was a girl smaller in stature than Hoshino, yet possessing an… asset Hoshino would likely never achieve even in a hundred lifetis. She wore a red-and-white shrine maiden outfit that bared her shoulders, stood on towering wooden geta, and had round animal ears perched on her head, her hair tied into a tidy bun.
She was waiting at the agreed eting spot, and the mont she spotted from afar, she broke into a run with a bright, energetic smile, though how she managed to sprint in those shoes was a mystery. She practically glided across the ground.
Still, there was sothing about her tone that gave a strange sense of discomfort, as if it was stirring up so long-buried, terrifying mory I'd rather not recall.
When I nodded in confirmation, her smile grew even warr. She clasped my hands with both of hers and shook them enthusiastically.
"Hello, Sensei! I'm the cute and clever mascot of the Inner Discipline club, Isami Kaede! It's such a pleasure to finally et you!"
Such a lively, extroverted personality—it felt like dealing with a cheerful child.
But wait, did she just call herself a mascot?
Kaede kept talking at a rapid pace. "So, about this request, it's really hard to explain properly in an email! It's sothing that has to be discussed in person, right?
"Basically, Hyakkiyako Alliance Academy is hosting the [Club Introduction Contest]! I want to make a video that can win the competition, but no matter what I try, it just doesn't co out the way I imagined…
"And then! Just when I was feeling stuck, I happened to change the channel after watching the hit show Beetle Queen, and there was a news report about Schale!
"They said you were mysterious and aloof, soone who never accepts ordinary requests, but they will do whatever it takes to achieve their goal, boasting a 100% success rate."
Was… that really about Schale?
Sothing about it felt off and yet, not entirely wrong.
Sure, technically the "100% success rate" was true, but that was only because I'd barely taken on any requests so far.
To avoid disappointing her later, I thought I should probably clarify that the rumors weren't quite accurate.
But then she continued, "And they said you're also kind and cool! Mature, dependable, and a trustworthy leader that students can rely on!"
I looked at Kaede's pure, innocent smile and swallowed my words, then nodded calmly.
"That's right, that's exactly what Schale is like. You can leave it to ."
As a cool and reliable Sensei, I couldn't betray a student's expectations now, could I?
Kaede's eyes sparkled like gemstones, and she jumped up in excitent. "Yay! I knew I could count on you, Sensei!"
Her open trust pricked at my conscience, so I coughed lightly.
"Ahem. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I'll do my best, that's all I can promise."
But Kaede didn't seem to mind. "If you're helping, I'm sure we'll finish the video perfectly and win the contest too!"
That made pause. "…Wait. You're aiming for first place?"
The request I'd received was to help her film a successful promotional video, but I hadn't realized she ant so successful that it would outshine every other Hyakkiyako club's entry.
Hands on her hips, Kaede declared as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "Of course! A contest is a battle, and battles are ant to be won! We're living in the Warring States era of competitions, after all!"
Then her expression clouded a little. "Last ti, during the Hyakkiyako Karuta Grand Championship, the Yin-Yang Club snatched first place from us. I won't let them win again!"
If I rembered correctly, from the information I'd gathered online, the Yin-Yang Club currently served as Hyakkiyako's de facto Student Council.
And one of its mbers was a widely beloved figure, an idol across all of Hyakkiyako, if the rumors were true.
If we were up against them, we'd already be losing in both popularity and publicity.
Still, I didn't have the heart to crush her enthusiasm.
"And people always call the Inner Discipline club a 'bunch of weirdos'… If we can make a winning video this ti, we might finally clear up that misunderstanding!"
I couldn't help but nod, feeling a bit of warmth toward her. It wasn't just about victory, she genuinely wanted to restore her club's reputation. That kind of reason felt far more admirable than simple pride, and it made want to give her my full support.
Just as I was about to praise her sincerity, she clasped her hands dreamily and added,
"And if we win the grand prize, I can finally afford to buy the legendary Golden Hercules Stag Beetle model…"
Wait a second... you had such a noble reason, and that's where the prize money's going?
Sensing my puzzled look, Kaede's face flushed bright red and she waved her hands in panic.
"No, no, that's not what I ant! I an… I'll use it as the club's activity budget! Yes, that's it! It'll also help grow into a more refined lady! Truly, a perfect plan! Two birds with one stone! Such brilliant foresight… I bet anyone would look at and say I'm already an elegant young lady!"
Her self-praise nearly broke my composure.
Honestly, despite her talk of becoming a "refined lady," my impression of her was more like a child pretending to be grown-up. She still had a long way to go before she could truly call herself that.
Still, I wasn't about to crush her confidence. I smiled and said gently, "That does sound like a win-win. A great plan, Kaede."
"Hehe~" She rubbed the back of her head, eyes curling into cheerful crescents. "Thanks, Sensei! If I win the contest, I'll treat you to sothing delicious!"
"I'll look forward to it then."
"Mm!"
She nodded, but her expression soon turned uncertain again. "But like I said earlier, when I tried filming before, I just couldn't capture that 'Yes, that's it!' kind of feeling. I can't tell what's missing…"
The next second, her frustration vanished and her confidence returned full force. Clearly, she was the kind of girl whose emotions played right across her face, much like Yuuka's.
"Of course, with a super cute Inner Discipline club mascot like as the reporter, winning should be totally guaranteed anyway!"
Honestly… I was starting to think she might be more confident than I am.
"But, how should I put it… I feel like it needs a bit more of that, you know, bam! and wow! kind of impact! Sothing like that!"
She waved her hands around, making odd gestures as she spoke nonsense, but sohow, I got what she ant.
"You an sothing that imdiately catches people's attention, sothing clear, direct, and fun that highlights the Inner Discipline club's strengths?"
"Yes, exactly!" Kaede's eyes sparkled again. "So, Sensei, do you have any good ideas?"
"Hm…"
I thought for a mont. "Well, I don't actually know much about the Inner Discipline club yet, so I might not be able to give precise advice. If it's alright, could I visit first to get a proper understanding before I make suggestions?"
"Of course! That's how it should be!"
Kaede turned around and bead. "This way, Sensei! Please follow !"
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