The drama club were eating lunch together in the clubroom with the doors shut.

"If you tell me any jokes about Hamtaro I will kill you," Shoto said as Ayano opened the door.

Ayano tilted her head. "Why would I?"

"Shoto!" Tsuruzo paused from pacing around the clubroom. "Please don't turn on one of our brightest allies in this darkest night!"

Shoto put his head in his hands. "You haven't had people coming up to you all morning wanting to gush about children's cartoons."

"I don't understand." Ayano pulled the door closed behind her and joined Tokuko on the floor, resting her bento on her crossed legs. "I was late this morning. What did I miss besides..." She stared at her rice. "Kokona."

Tokuko shook her head, clucking her tongue. "Poor girl. To think she's involved in something so low..."

Ayano gave Tokuko her darkest look. Tokuko's mouth twitched and she broke eye contact.

"She isn't 'involved'," Ayano said bluntly. "She was desperate, and now she isn't. It's over."

"Well," Tsuruzo said, twirling on his heels as he resumed pacing, "did you not see anything else Juicy Girl posted?"

Ayano took a bite of fish before answering. "Well... photos of your house, Tsuruzo."

"And one of Shoto's ah... early experimental works," Tsuruzo said.

"A stop-motion made with children's toys," Tokuko said.

"I was twelve," Shoto muttered.

"And for twelve, you already had a gift for photography," Riku said half-heartedly.

"I don't care; it's embarrassing and I'm sick of people thinking I'm still a fan of Hamtaro or want to talk about it." Shoto stirred his rice vigorously. "I don't make commercial trash like that anymore."

"That's irrelevant," Tokuko said. She turned to Ayano. "What matters is that Juicy Girl seems to be targeting our club out of the blue. The Sports Club surely has a hand in this."

"No, go back." Ayano looked at Shoto. "You're unhappy because... everyone liked your old video?"

Shoto blinked at Ayano. "How is that a hard concept to understand?"

"Ayano, darling," Tsuruzo said with a grand gesture of one hand, "you have to realize- Shoto is an artiste! We do not make entertainment for the plebian masses!"

Riku shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Not, like, we only make art for rich people- it's about how you think!"

"No one thinks it's about money!" Tokuko rolled her eyes dramatically. "Kizana's family is richer than yours, Riku! Stop being self-conscious!"

"But a lot of people really do think that way," Riku muttered. "That if you have money you're better than everyone."

"We're not better than everyone because we have money," Tokuko sighed. She looked sidelong at Tsuruzo. "Clearly, not all of us have money anyway." She shook her head, her ringlets swaying. "We're better than everyone else because we actually use our heads. We don't just mindlessly devour whatever garbage happens to be good enough for television."

"Discernment!" Shoto clapped his hands. "Anyone can get popular if that's the goal! I could make funny cat videos and get millions of likes. I chose to actually create something worthwhile with my time and I want everyone to realize that!"

"Onward! And! Upward!" Tsuruzo threw his hands up in the air, tilting his head back in ecstasy.

Ayano was starting to understand why Osana had dismissed the drama club so readily. Osana loved cheesy anime and pop music and would probably regard the current tone of the conversation as a personal attack.

Riku pursed his lips and looked at Ayano. "What... what do you think about art?"

Ayano couldn't begin to answer that question. Stories, TV, paintings... all of them were only for people who felt emotions. Ayano could tell green from blue, but she couldn't tell which one she liked more than the other. They were just... different.

"You... don't want to know what my taste is," Ayano said curtly.

Tsuruzo looked down in alarm and took a step back. "I d-didn't mean to offend you!"

"You didn't." Ayano popped a cherry tomato in her mouth. "It's just not important what I think. Why are you so sure the Sports Club is involved?"

"Because they're not just spreading internet rumors or kicking us out of their gym anymore." Tokuko pursed her beautiful lips. "They've gotten our play cancelled."

"Can... cancelled?" Ayano was stunned. "Why- how did they do that?"

"The headmaster called Tsuruzo to his office this morning-" Riku said.

Tsuruzo held up one finger. "Ah ah ah, my story." He spread his hands wide in a clueless gesture. "The headmaster doesn't think we made the right call when we chose The Dollhouse. He suggested we find a more traditional Japanese work; Kizana's obsession with European theater is apparently ticking off some of the alumni."

Ayano swallowed. "Did he say... which alumni?"

"No." Tsuruzo looked Ayano dead in the eye. "He didn't."

Ayano's stomach hurt. Tsuruzo knew something... something he didn't want to tell the drama club.

"That can't be the reason," Shoto scoffed. "That's just nationalist garbage."

"I mean... Japanese theater is good too," Riku said.

"No!" Tokuko stabbed her chopsticks into her bento and stood up. "This is censorship! We can't just discard all our hard work up until this point! What did Kizana say?"

"Ask her yourself." Tsuruzo curled his fingers into fists, but kept them by his sides. "The headmaster didn't approach her about this problem; he took it to me. I'm the one who has to captain this sinking ship and we'll never make it to harbor if we only attend to the sick bay!" He tossed his hands in the air.

Shoto jumped to his feet, knocking his lunchbox to the floor. "How could you! Kizana is our-our queen!"

Tokuko glared at him before returning her attention to Tsuruzo. "This doesn't only affect you, you flamboyant flippant fool! This was my- our time to shine, and you're just going to back down the instant you face an obstacle!?"

"Please stop!" Riku jumped between Tsuzuso and Tokuko. "Please, don't do this!" He shot Ayano a look that pleaded for help.

Ayano slowly stood up. Tokuko was still heaping abuse on her deputy club leader's head. Ayano grabbed her firmly by the shoulder and spun her around.

"You are being childish," Ayano said.

Tokuko's eyes flamed with fury. "I'm not-"

"Lunch is over!" Ayano shouted over her objection. "Go to class, everyone, and cool down!"

The tension sunk as everyone hurried to gather their things. Ayano snapped her lunchbox shut with a scowl.

At least Kokona didn't have to see any of this.


"Flour's in the biggest cannister."

Ayano pulled the pink-and-white container down from the cooking club cabinet. Saki took it from Ayano with a smile.

"This means a lot to both of us," Saki said as she unscrewed the lid. She measured three cups of flour into the mixing bowl. "Baking powder's in the next cupboard to the left."

Ayano kept handing Saki ingredients for cookies. She could hear the drama club arguing next door. The kitchen was a haven by comparison.

"Do you do a lot of cooking at home?" Saki asked.

"I make all my meals," Ayano said. "I... can't really say I find it fun."

Saki stirred the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon. "I guess that makes sense... if it's just a daily chore. Can you beat the butter for me?"

The electric beater drowned out any other possible conversation.

Part of Ayano wished she hadn't committed to spending the afternoon on baking. She had a Juicy Girl to hunt down and a Senpai to protect. But since she was here... baking was oddly satisfying. The cookie dough asked no questions of her, required no complex moral judgments or foresight. It would obligingly turn into cookies, with some simple, clear steps. And Kokona would cheer up. And Ayano would be a good friend.

She could spend the weekend worrying if she was a good enough friend.

"Baking's so nice to relieve stress, isn't it?" Saki beamed at Ayano. "Hearts or stars?"

Ayano looked at the cookie cutters. How was she supposed to know? "Shouldn't it be Kokona's favorite?"

"I don't think she has a preference." Saki picked up one cookie cutter. "How about I do the stars and you do hearts?"

The two stamped across the sheet of dough in irregular fashion.

"I hope Taro feels better when he bakes..." Ayano muttered.

"I hope so too," Saki said. "Oh- we made fruit salad with him before! Maybe next time I should make cookies with him. Do you think he'll like that?"

Ayano placed her hearts on the baking tray. "He likes vanilla ice cream best. Osana makes fun of him."

Saki looked thoughtful. "Maybe peanut cookies-"

"No!" Ayano saw Saki jump back. "I mean ah... he's allergic to peanuts and doesn't like talking about it."

"Ok..." Saki moved Ayano's cookies further apart. "How did you know that then...?"

"Osana told me," Ayano replied. Well, not to Ayano's face, but Ayano had overheard it while... eavesdropping... from the bushes... but she didn't need to tell Saki about that.

Thinking of eavesdropping made Ayano glance at the hallway.

A white-haired boy was staring at her. He gasped as she made eye contact and ducked out of sight.

"Hey!" Ayano dashed after him.

He made it only just out of the building and into the school yard before Ayano caught up with him. She grabbed his arm and pulled him around to face her.

Swim goggles, white hair, red eyes...

"You're Iruka," Ayano said, recognizing him from Info-chan's sport's club report.

Iruka tried to pull away, but Ayano kept a tight grip on his wrist.

"Why are you spying on me?" Ayano's tone was even.

"Not on you!" Iruka looked away. "I mean, I- it's not like that!"

"Then tell me what you were doing."

"Just... you know, hanging around!" Iruka took a step back. "Please let go..."

"What happened?" Saki peeked around the corner.

"I've got this," Ayano said.

Saki shivered a little as she ducked back into her clubroom.

"Got... got what?" Iruka asked. "I s-said, I was just hanging out!"

Ayano scowled at him. This kid wasn't about to tell her what he was doing... so... she'd have to tell him what he was doing. A sports club member spying on Saki... after what had happened between the drama and sports club...

"You want to know if Kokona's ok?" Ayano saw the alarm in Iruka's eyes. She was on the money. "Well, what do you think? Are you happy with what you've done?"

"I didn't- it was an accident!" Iruka gasped. "I mean-"

"How!? How was it an accident!?" Ayano yanked him closer and grabbed his shirt collar.

This boy was weak. Her verbal barrage was cracking him. The sports club definitely didn't send him here- they wouldn't trust anyone this flaky with anything important.

"I-I just told Itachi that she might be a blogger- that's all!" Iruka looked on the verge of tears. "I didn't know this would happen; I-"

"WHO might be a blogger?" Ayano shook Iruka.

Iruka wilted in Ayano's grip. "If I tell you everything will you let me go?"

Ayano steered Iruka to a nearby bench and planted him down. She remained standing, glowering down at him.

Iruka looked down at his hands. "Um. So, like, last week Mantaro was complaining to us... he was partners with this girl for a class activity but she just kept using her phone instead of helping."

"What girl?" Ayano said.

Iruka shrugged. "I don't think he said her name... at least not to me. She's in class 1-1 like him I guess?"

That narrowed things down enough. "So what made you think she was a blogger?"

"Uh... we asked if she was texting boys and Mantaro said no, it looked like the WordPress app." Iruka shifted uncomfortably. "But when Mantaro asked what she was writing she got all hissy at him."

Ayano folded her arms. "So... you just pointed out WordPress was a blogging app and so you feel like this is your fault? Why?"

Iruka winced but didn't answer.

"You're not a bad kid." Ayano sat next to him; time to be Good Cop. "This fight between the clubs is out of control, isn't it?"

"Y-yeah." Iruka rubbed his head. "I uh... I think I heard Unagi and Itachi talking to someone about the drama club. I was planking so I couldn't get a good look at the girl; just her puffy socks."

"Planking- the internet trend?"

"No- yes- it's, uh, a stretch exercise." Iruka got on the ground to demonstrate; it was like a pushup except held in one place. The grass was tickling Iruka's nose; it was no surprise he couldn't see anything from that level.

"Ok, so what did they say?" Ayano checked her phone. 4:55; better wrap this up.

Iruka rolled into a crab position. "They were saying how the drama club was trashy and didn't deserve the gym. That it would be a good subject for a blog post. The girl laughed and said that wasn't her kind of thing but she didn't sound sincere about it."

"Ok; thanks for the lead." Ayano stood up. "I'll... talk to her about this."

"Ok; good luck." Iruka scrambled to his feet. "And... tell Kokona I-I'm sorry..."

Ayano nodded and waved goodbye before racing off toward the fountain.


The cool fountain spray felt good on Ayano's hot forehead. All that running and her mysterious note-giver was nowhere in sight.

Who was she expecting, anyway? Kokona couldn't have sent it because she wasn't in school... or did she? If not Kokona then who? Who else was in a household with domestic abuse... oh.

Ayano flopped into the fountain bench. A minute later she heard exactly the voice she was expecting.

"Saaaaaalutations!" Tsuruzo slid next to Ayano with a flourish. "I see you got my message?"

Ayano nodded. "You wanted to talk about... your parents?"

"No." Tsuruzo's accent was gone, his voice deadly serious. "I want to talk about yours."