I arrive at the handicrafts club to find several others already working on the wedding dress.

"Gokigen yoh, Reika-sama."

"Gokigen yoh, everyone. You're all working so hard. Is there anything that I can do to assist?"

"Can you continue the embroidery in this area, president?"

"Very well."

Minami-kun, the master of embroidery and a junior, is primarily responsible for the embroidery on the wedding dress. His work is so beautiful that I think he could make it as a professional. I'm still not any good at detailed embroidery, so I'm not much help, but I work on parts that aren't readily seen along the hem. The kindness of allowing even clumsy and unskilled members like me is another good point of the handicrafts club.

"Reika-sama." As I gazed at Minami-kun's skilled hands, the vice president that worked supporting the president in name only, came to me. "I wished to discuss something."

"What is it?"

She covered her mouth and whispered, "Concerning the next president of the handicrafts club, I thought that Minami-kun would be good, but what do you think?"

"The next president…" That's right. I'd forgotten, but if Fellow Stalking Horse is about to step down, it's about time for the handicrafts club to also change. "I see… Minami-kun is skilled at handicrafts and would be suitable as the next president." And he loves handicrafts enough to join the club, despite being a boy. He'll become a president many times greater than me, and advance the club to greater heights.

I felt pangs of sadness as I was nearing retirement from the handicrafts club. The first team wasn't over, but I still feel sadness…

As I was becoming sentimental, the vice president said, "One more thing. Reika-sama, will you make a wedding doll?"

"Wedding doll?" My eyes grew wide at the unexpected suggestion. A wedding doll is that. The things on the welcoming board to greet the guests, the deformed animal bride and groom dolls.

"We were thinking about making a wedding doll wearing that wedding dress and having it decorate the welcoming board by the exhibit."

"Oh, that would be cute." A cute, mini-plush with a gorgeous dress to greet everyone. Sounds good. "But should I be the one making it?" I don't want to say it, but I have no skill. Should I be making anything so prominent?

"Of course. You are the face of the handicrafts club, so that's meaningful in itself. The entire club agrees. Please put all your feelings for the handicrafts club into this." I was touched. They're letting me take some credit as the president, even though I can't even help much on the wedding dress. That sentiment makes me happy…

"Yes, I'll work hard…" I might start to cry if I relaxed, so I nodded, holding my lips together tightly, and the vice president gave me a smile of unconditional maternal love. I feel the gazes of the other members around us. I'm glad that I entered the handicrafts club. I don't know how well I can do it, but I'll work as hard as I can to make a wonderful final product. "So how should I go about this?" There are simple kits for wedding dolls for sale, but I can't be using them.

"Reika-sama is synonymous with needle felt. So how about doing that?"

Needle felt! Then maybe I can do it! "All right!"

"This is one of the show pieces, so it will have to be fairly large. It will be difficult."

"Don't worry. I'll work hard," I said with excitement.

"And the dress for the doll will have to match the wedding dress and made separately."

Uh…. So I'll have to handcraft the dress instead of making it from felt… That just made things a lot more difficult. Even a miniature version of that detailed design would be… I mind almost broke glancing at the wedding dress still being worked on, but I can do it!

Other members shower me with words of support like, "Good luck, Reika-sama" "We'll help, too." Thank you!

"So what should I base the doll on? Rabbits and cats are popular, correct?"

"Of course the model has to be Reika-sama!"

"Huh? ME!?" Me, the model?!

"Did I not say that Reika-sama is the face of the handicrafts club? The doll of Reika-sama who represents the club will welcome the guests!" The vice president has the look of someone saying 'how's that, isn't that wonderful' but wouldn't that make me look like a narcissist?!

"I don't know…" And putting a wedding dress on a doll that looks like me might go beyond narcissism and be mental…

"No! We must have that! Having Reika-sama's wedding doll had been decided, so even if you don't, someone else will."

"HUH!?" It's already decided?! I'm the president, and I never heard this!?

"Reika-sama, let's make something wonderful that the guests will remember!" What if they remember at how laughable it was…?

I became exhausted from discussing the construction of the wedding doll, and doing embroidery work, so I decided to stop by the Pivoine Salon for some tea before going home. Most wedding dolls fit on your palm to match the welcoming board, but I was to make something that you have to hold in both hands. I accepted to do it easily, but I wonder if I can do it… I'm worried.

I opened the door to the Salon, and it was empty on this holiday. Do I have it all to myself!?

Then I saw a shadow move. "Who is it?" That's my line. But I knew that voice, so he didn't surprise me as he got up from the sofa. "Kisshouin-san…"

"Gokigen yoh, Enjou-sama."Enjou with his hair honey-colored like the manga with the sun's reflection was here. Why did I stop by the Salon? I could have had tea at a café outside…

"What are you doing here on a holiday?" he asked looking puzzled. Normal students wouldn't be here on a holiday, after all. "You didn't have make-up exams…"

"I did not!" Don't say anything so dreadful!

"That's right. Sorry. Kisshouin-san was working hard, studying." He made an honest apology to my anger.

"Masaya said that you'd probably be fine." Kaburagi accepted my effort!

"He said just as long as you didn't forget to write your name on the test."

"Stop that!" Quit saying such terrifying things! Uh, but, I did write my name…? I did, right…? I'm not sure. I want to go to the teacher's lounge to confirm…

"Sorry, sorry. I'm kidding. Don't be so serious."

"Is Enjou-sama aware of the power that words hold?" I glare at him in annoyance, and Enjou throws up both hands in mock surrender as he laughed.

"So what are you doing here today?"

"I had club activities."

"Oh, right. Handicrafts club." Does everyone know what club I'm in? I guess that his best friend, Kaburagi, rode into the club, so it's not surprising.

"So what might you be doing here?" It's not like Enjou, who's always near to the top of the class, would be forced to take make-up exams.

"Me? Hmm… It was getting to be uncomfortable staying at home, so I fled here." He leaned on the piano, and continued, "Though it's embarrassing that I ended up at school to do so. But there's almost nobody at school, and only certain people are allowed in, so it's a good spot."

"I see…" I won't pry. I guess he has a lot going on.

"You should relax as long as you're here, Kisshouin-san," and he indicated the well-lit sofa he was just sitting on. Huh? At the same table he's at? "What do you want to drink?"

I guess it's too impolite to turn him down and leave… "Some mint tea…" I choose a herb tea that goes well with the humid season, and choose a spot without direct sunlight.

"All right," answers Enjou and asks for the drinks from the concierge. He closed the curtains close to us and sat down.

"…"

"…"

I don't like this uncomfortable silence. What can we talk about? Something we have in common… "How did you do on your tests, Enjou-sama?"

"About the same as always." So nearly perfect in all subjects, as usual. "Those sophomores turned blue after they matched answers with Masaya, though."

"Ouch…" I received mail saying that. They had several answers which were completely wrong, so they might barely make the top 50 depending on how others did. It's bad luck to keep mail that prayed for bad luck upon others, so I immediately deleted them.

"Kisshouin-san got away clean." Is he talking about the review meeting with Kaburagi?

"I had plans to celebrate the end of exams with friends already." As of anyone would want to review tests just after the exams ended. "Did you attend, Enjou-sama?"

"Well, I only watched, though. They seemed downtrodden after they went over the answers, so I took them out to dinner to cheer them up with Masaya."

So he had to help like that… "So you've had problems yourself."

"You understand?"

"Yes, of course," I nodded. Kaburagi's caused me plenty of problems.

Masaya's caused Kisshouin-san plenty of problems, too."

"Yes, he has." Huh? Wait a minute. Wasn't it Enjou who dragged me into Kaburagi's messes?

"He was always so direct, even when he was little."

"What was the most difficult incident?"

"Most? When he left for the trip suddenly during winter break our sophomore year, and I had to go get him." Oh, the trip following the rejection by Yurie-sama. "The wind blowing in from the Sea of Japan was colder than I imagined."

"Well… I'm sure your hard work was appreciated."

"Better be. Yurie should have rejected him in the fall, at the very least."

"That's the problem?"

"I'm being realistic. Don't underestimate how cold the jyukai (suicide woods) is in the winter," Enjou replied seriously. It must have really been rough.

"So why do you stay with Kaburagi-sama after all of that?" I always questioned this. Why Enjou helps Kaburagi since he brings nothing but trouble.

"Is it strange?"

"Hmm… Not strange, really…"

Enjou stated, "There's not clear reason to be somebody's friend, but… Masaya, he looks indifferent and might seem hard to understand, but he's so straight and honest, that I can relax around him. He's honest with everyone, so Masaya would never betray me, and it's fun watching his crazy part," Enjou laughed. From that kind expression on his face, I could tell how much he liked and trusted his friend.

…As he says, Kaburagi being honest is easy to see, even looking at how he handled the conflict with the external students.

Enjou went on to talk about the various troubles brought on by Kaburagi along with any hilarious instances. I replied in kind with Kaburagi getting caught by the sales by sampling every time, which Enjou enjoyed greatly. I draw a picture of the king of easy marks, Kaburagi, holding vegetable juice and a melon in both hands gained from sampling, and Enjou burst out with laughter.

"And Masaya in love is even more trouble."

"That's so true." I had another mint tea and talked about the mister timid out of his element being unable to order from the side menu. Enjou told an even worse story of mister timid. I laughed so hard, I couldn't breathe.

Conclusion: It's fun making fun of someone who's not there.