June Bride Symphony

1: The Wedding Event Kicks Off!

Nishi Kozue: Test, test. Clear blue skies today, clear blue skies today. Now testing the mic, now testing the mic. Ah~, Ah~... Mm, okay!
Kozue: Ahem... Acting as your host today, as well as event commentator, I'm Nishi Kozue, a 1st year engineering student in high school at Osafune Girls' Academy. And with me is--
Aoto Hina: Aoto Hina, her assistant, and 2nd year high schooler studying polishing at Renpu Girls' School.
Hina: By the way, did you know my family runs "Aoto-kan", the sword dealership down in Tokyo's Harajuku! Whether it's scabbards, grips, or guards, we'll cover all your needs!
Hina: If you're looking to give your okatana that personal touch, we're running a limited offer right now for a whole 10% off all orders! Come on down to Aoto-kan and we'll make it worth your while!
Kozue: Ahaha... You've got the heart of a saleswoman... I didn't think you'd go plugging an advertisement now!
Kozue: Sorry, we've gotten a little off track. The reason why you've all been gathered here today is to participate in a certain event.
Kanami: I heard this event was to make toji look more appealing?
Kozue: Yes, you got it! Working as a toji is a wonderful job that helps the government and provides you with many benefits.
Kozue: But the facts are, it's also a job with many dangers. Fighting aradama is a life risking business!
Hina: Because of that, and with the declining birth rate, there's less little girls dreaming of becoming toji with every year.
Hina: So the bigwigs put their heads together and came up with this event as a way of turning things around.
Hiyori: What is it you want us to do exactly?
Mihono: I bet they want us to fight each other live on TV! When everyone sees how intense it gets, they'll think "Toji are so cool!"
Kanami: That's a pretty good idea, but if things got too intense, wouldn't it scare people away?
Sayaka: Then, what if Mai makes cookies to hand out?
Kanami: Ahaha... Mai-chan's just one person, so I don't think she could make that many.
Hiyori: So, what are we really doing?
Kozue: We're going to make you all into "brides"!
Hiyori: B-Brides!? What do you mean; I'm only in middle school!
Sayaka: If Mai dressed like one, she would look pretty...
Hiyori: ...Why are you blushing?
Hina: Don't worry, when we say brides, we don't mean you'll actually be getting married!
Kozue: To be precise, you'll all be put in a competition to get your hands on a limited number of bouquets.
Mihono: Competition? And what does that have to do with being a bride?
Kozue: The rules are: you have 60 minutes to locate the bouquets scattered in the nearby area and return them here to the altar in this chapel. If you do that, you win!
Kozue: And the winners get the right to dress up in a wedding dress!
Kozue: We even have pros here who will give you a beautiful makeover! Make no mistake, this is the chance of a lifetime!
Kanami: Seriously!? We really get to wear a wedding dress!?
Hina: The owners of this chapel and wedding hall have gone to great lengths working with us for this PR event, so don't worry about anything on that end!
Kozue: All you sweet young girls, do your best to hunt down those bouquets! Then when the whole world sees how happy you look done up in those dresses, it'll improve our image too.
Kozue: And that's all there is to know about this event! Film crews from each media outlet are already standing by. This is a big event, so let's make it a success!
Mihono: I don't really get it, but it sounds fun!
Hina: But don't forget, everyone! A toji's job is suppressing aradama! If you run into any aradama during the competition, please be mindful and take care of them!
Kozue: Now, to make things fair, everyone who's interested in participating should stay here. Those who aren't, could I ask you to leave. The event will begin 10 minutes from now!

2: The Elite Guard Enters the Bride Battle

Kozue: All of you toji, it's time to begin! Aoto-san, please give the signal to toss the bouquets!
Hina: Understood!
Hina: Okay, all staff members out around town!! Please spread those bouquets around-!!
Kozue: With that, the Bride Battle for the Bouquets starts! Everyone participating, please exit the chapel and find those bouquets-!
Toji A: Those bouquets are mine!
Toji B: As if, they're mine!
Toji A: Funny, I know a way to make it clear who they belong to. I always figured I'd have to fight you someday!
Toji B: You read my mind!
Toji C: Hehe, now's my chance!
Toji A: Ah-, Wha... H-Hey, stop!
Hiyori: ...Everyone left in a panic. They weren't acting so sweet. Is this really going to improve our image?
Kanami: Ahaha... Everyone's getting caught up in the competition because they all want to wear a wedding dress.
Mihono: It doesn't matter what you're competing for, of course you'll want to win! I'm not gonna lose either!
Kanami: Right? Besides, they made this whole event for us, so it'd be a waste not to enjoy ourselves! And I want to cross swords with all those toji!
Mihono: Yeah, yeah! That's more like it!
Sayaka: Then, I'll go on ahead.
Hiyori: M-Munen Musou!? She's that serious about getting a bouquet?
Hiyori: If that's how you're going to be, then I won't lose.
Kanami: Third Layer Jin'i!? Sayaka-chan and Hiyori-chan are totally getting into it!
Mihono: We can't let them leave us behind either, Kanami!
Kanami: Mm, you're right!
Yume: Look at them go. They're getting all worked up, aren't they!
Maki: They're making too much noise; it's like a festival here.
Suzuka: But is there really anything wrong with that? Things have been quite busy lately, so a chance to let loose might be just what they need.
Maki: Let loose, huh. Having fun is one thing, but I hope you haven't forgotten this is a mission too?
Yume: Yeah, we know that already. You always worry about everything, Maki onee-san.
Suzuka: I couldn't have put it better myself. It's good to be dedicated to your work, but you need to learn to relax as well, Maki-san.
Maki: You want me to ignore my responsibilities?
Suzuka: I didn't say that.
Suzuka: I only think you shouldn't tackle every one of your duties with the same level of intensity.
Suzuka: Overworking leads to impatience and opens you to making oversights. In situations such as this, it's fine to stop taking yourself so seriously.
Yume: Yeah see, we're here, so we might as well have fun with it! If you keep thinking too hard, you're gonna end up with so many wrinkles on your forehead you'll start looking like an old lady.
Suzuka: Ufufu, Maki-san as an old lady... In its own way, I'd be interested in seeing that.
Maki: Who're you calling an old lady? That's a rude thing to say to a young girl.
Suzuka: Oh, you're actually aware that you're a young girl? Now that's surprising.
Yume: Whoa, I don't believe it!
Maki: J-Just what do you two think I'm like...
Maki: Anyway! In the name of the elite guard, we can't afford to let the rest of the toji get ahead of us! I'll see to it this mission's successful.
Yume: Mission...? You're taking it too seriously again...

3: Great Minds Think Alike, Though Fools Seldom Differ

Kozue: As of now, 30 minutes have passed since the event began. A heated battle for the bouquets has been unfolding here!
Kozue: We've seen resourcefulness, scheming, and even use of force! As they do everything they can to get those bouquets, the cracks in relationships are showing!
Kozue: Ahh~, I sure hope no one will be holding any grudges after the event's over!
Hina: Don't worry, it's all good. Everyone's just messing around. No one's actually going to be losing friends over an event like this.
Kozue: True, it does look like everyone's having a good time out there! Let's keep things fun and friendly till the finish!
Mihono: Bouquet, bouquet... Where's a bouquet? Don't tell me everyone found them all already.
Mihono: But it's still a while before they give the signal to stop, so it's too soon to give up. I'll just have to look as best I can!
Mihono: Wait, huh? Is that-- I found a bouquet! Woohoo, I'm so lucky! It must have gotten stuck back here when it fell.
Mihono: Now all I have to do is get this bouquet back to the altar in the chapel, right? I've gotta make sure no one can steal it from me!
Mihono: Come to think of it, what happened to Kanami? I wonder if she found a bouquet yet?
Mihono: A wedding dress... I wonder what Kanami would look like wearing one?
Mihono: With how she usually looks, I can't really picture it... But that's all the more reason... Why I totally want to see it!
Mihono: I'm just looking to have fun here, so it doesn't matter if I'm not the one who gets to wear it.
Mihono: And this was fun enough already, so why don't I give my bouquet to Kanami?
Kanami: Found you, Mihono-chan!
Mihono: Kanami!? ..."Found me", were you looking for me?
Kanami: I found a bouquet and thought I'd give it to you. You looked like you were having so much fun, Mihono-chan, so I thought you'd be glad... Or did you not want my help?
Mihono: But, Kanami, if you gave that to me then you wouldn't get to try on a wedding dress!
Kanami: Nnn~, I kinda want to, but if wearing one would make you happy, then I'd be happier that way too!
Kanami: I got to see swordfighting from a lot of different toji already, so I'm satisfied with this event!
Mihono: Ahaha... Kanami, I am glad! So much so that I could just marry you!
Kanami: M-Mihono-chan!?
Mihono: But don't worry about it. Look! I already got a bouquet of my own!
Mihono: ...See, actually, I was planning on giving this bouquet to you.
Kanami: Ehh, you were? ...Fufufu.
Mihono: It's pretty funny, isn't it? Ahahaha!
Kanami: In that case, Mihono-chan. Let's go to the goal together!
Mihono: Ah! Good idea! Yeah, let's go, let's go! The two of us together!

4: A White Hot Meeting of the Minds

Kozue: It's already been over 30 minutes since Itomi Sayaka and Juujou Hiyori began their showdown.
Kozue: Right after the event began, the two of them came across a bouquet together, and now their standoff continues!
Hina: ...Take a look! Between the two of them, an invisible war is raging! It's getting tense; neither of them can afford to let their guard down for even a second!
Hina: As we speak, there must be thousands of simulations running through their heads as they plan their next move!
Kozue: When it comes to a fight between two toji at top performance, they're almost beyond our understanding!
Hiyori: (This is bad... I got carried away with the others, but now that I've had a chance to think about it, I don't care about this event at all.)
Hiyori: (I have no interest in putting on that dress, and I can't find any reason to keep going along with this.)
Hiyori: (That said, I'd hate to let it seem like I lost to Sayaka by letting her steal this bouquet from right before my eyes.)
Hiyori: (I don't actually care about proving I'm better than her, but there's no way I'm just going to let her take it.)
Hiyori: (But I can't tell... Just what is she thinking? Sayaka... Are you coming up with a way to outsmart me?)
Sayaka: (I'm hungry...)
Sayaka: (I feel weak. I should have brought Mai's cookies with me.)
Sayaka: (I can't eat the bouquet, so I would rather have cookies... But, if I gave the bouquet to Mai, she might be happy. If Mai wore a wedding dress... She would look pretty for sure...)
Sayaka: (But I'm too hungry to focus... I want to eat cookies...)
Hiyori: (Did she relax her body just now? No wait, I can't let myself be tricked. Are you trying to bait me into lowering my guard!?)
Hiyori: (Still, as long as we keep staring each other down, I'll keep wasting energy without having done anything. I need to find a way to end this as soon as possible!)
Kozue: It's anyone's guess how long these mind games will go on for. But this much is clear, it's an intense battle!

5: The Wisdom of Weaklings, and Its Dangers

Kozue: Up until now we've only been reporting on the event, but we've decided it would be a waste if we didn't participate too!
Kozue: Which means we'll be continuing our coverage of the event as we leave the chapel and try to find a bouquet of our own!
Hina: Well actually, we already found one!
Niwa Tomomu: Shhh! If you tell them that, you're putting a big target on our backs! Just leave that part out!
Kozue: Exactly! We were lucky enough to find this bouquet, so we don't need any rivals coming after us.
Kagami Mimi: It's okay! Mimi will protect you!
Tomomu: Having a toji around is so handy! The rest of us non-combatants are counting on you!
Mimi: Ahh... Sorry, I said that, but I've actually never fought outside of play fighting... I'm not really used to my okatana yet...
Tomomu: Don't worry, you're still the strongest one of us here for sure.
Kozue: Anyway, let's just keep an eye out as we head for the chapel altar.
Hina: And once we make it to the altar, we'll settle this with a no hard feelings rock-paper-scissors match! Until then, we're all in this together!
Mimi: Yeah!
Yume: Bouquet spotted-!
Kozue: Gehh! It's the fourth seat of the elite guard, Tsubakuro Yume-san!
Yume: I might be fourth seat, but I'm still the strongest!
Mimi: E-Elite guard!? There's no way I can beat her...
Yume: Hmm, so you get it already. That's right, there's nobody who can beat me, so hurry up and give me that bouquet!
Kozue: U-Umm, is there any chance you'd be willing to overlook this...?
Yume: Ehh~, but I finally found a bouquet?
Hina: W-We'll make it worth your while, of course-! If you leave us alone, I'll buy you candy for a whole week!
Yume: You will, onee-san?
Hina: And if you act now, I'll throw in a free set of 5 chocolate bars! What great value!
Yume: Candy and chocolate, huh...
Kozue: With how strong you are, it would be way too easy to take it from us, wouldn't it?
Yume: That's for sure! If I even got a little serious, this'd be over before you know it~!
Hina: Yeah, of course. Of course you would. So I'll even throw in a discount for you at the sword mountings specialty shop, "Aoto-kan"! ...Will you let us go?
Yume: Hmmm
Yume: Actually I won't! I'm competing against Maki onee-san, after all. So I'm taking that bouquet from you.
Kozue: W-We're done for!
Mimi: I-I won't let you!
Yume: Oh, you're actually gonna put up a fight?
Mimi: You might be a really strong prodigy, Yume-san, and I might not be able to beat you...
Mimi: But just because I can't beat someone doesn't mean I'm gonna run away. I'm still a toji, you know!
Yume: Nice, nice. That's cool of you. But--
Yume: No matter how much you pump yourself up, what wasn't gonna happen is still not gonna happen. A fight's still a fight after all.
Mimi: No way... I didn't even see it-- Uuu... I'm the same age as you too...
Tomomu: S-She's too strong...
Yume: Ahaha, I'm taking this now. Bye, onee-sans!

6: You're More Beautiful than Anyone

Maki: ......
Suzuka: Maki-san. We finally acquired a bouquet, so why don't you stop making that troubled face?
Suzuka: If you keep your brow furrowed like that, those wrinkles really will turn you into an old lady, you know?
Maki: No they won't.
Suzuka: Of course not. Maki-san is a sweet young girl, after all.
Maki: Just let it go. I thought we moved on from that conversation.
Suzuka: Then tell me what's the matter. Are you unhappy with this event?
Maki: I'm not unhappy with it. Whatever the mission requires, I'll see it through. I'll do it like I've always done.
Maki: But, I just don't understand. Was this really something the elite guard needed to get involved with?
Suzuka: Well, it has a connection to politics.
Maki: Ahh... So that's how it is.
Suzuka: Yes. Thinking along those lines, involving the elite guard will carry quite a lot of influence in political circles.
Suzuka: The ones supplying us with funding will feel satisfied seeing it put to good use.
Suzuka: And even more so by seeing us front and center in the activities.
Maki: What are we, pandas?
Suzuka: If we're to act as pandas, then we should put on the flashiest performance we can manage. ...This is all to give us better standing in negotiating a higher budget.
Maki: In that case, you deserve this bouquet more than me. You should be the one to wear the wedding dress. I'm not cut out for it, but I'm sure it would look perfect on you, Suzuka.
Suzuka: M-Maki-san...!? ...Fufu.
Maki: Hey, what're you laughing at...! I've known from the start that I'd look no good in a dress.
Suzuka: Fufu. True. Rather than a dress, you'd look more natural in a tuxedo than anyone else, Maki-san.
Suzuka: ...Though, you worked so hard for this bouquet. Are you sure you're willing to give it to me? Wouldn't that mean losing your competition with Yume?
Maki: Yume's the one who came up with that competition. I never cared if I won or lost.
Maki: ...Now that that's decided, let's go. I'll escort you to the chapel altar, Suzuka.
Suzuka: You'll escort me...? You say that like we're actually getting married, Maki-san.
Maki: I couldn't help myself, that's all. Come on, let's go to the chapel.
Suzuka: It would be my utmost pleasure to be escorted by you, Maki-san. Now, let's go. Fufufu!

7: The Bride Battle Reaches an Intense Impasse

Hina: --Bringing things up to speed, we gave up on getting bouquets and came back to the studio here in the chapel to focus on reporting the situation~.
Kozue: In these final minutes, a fierce struggle is breaking out...
Kozue: Whoa there! Now this is unexpected!
Kozue: The ones who failed to get a bouquet of their own have gathered here at the chapel, waiting in a last ditch effort to steal from anyone who arrives with one!
Kozue: With all of them crowded in here like this, it's like an impassable human wall! Even a mouse couldn't find a gap to slip through!
Hina: Thanks to that, with only 5 minutes to go, not a single person's made it to the goal yet. Forget closing with a bang, at this rate, the event will end in a whimper!
Hina: Somebody~, anybody, just make it to the goal! If none of you put on a wedding dress, this'll be a PR nightmare!
Toji A: Hey, get out of my way!
Toji B: If you want to get through, then hand over that bouquet!
Toji C: Hey, stop pushing!
Yume: Whoa, look at all of them! Nn~, what should I dooo...
Maki: Don't even think about it, Yume. If you went and did something unnecessary, people would get injured. They're not strong enough for you, so just let it go today.
Yume: Hehehe~ You know me too well, Maki onee-san!
Suzuka: But with no one able to reach the goal, this is quite a dilemma...
Kanami: We can't get anywhere like this.
Mihono: Don't let your guard down here either, or else someone will steal our bouquets. We have to stay careful!
Kanami: We made it this far, so we have to reach the goal!
Mihono: Sure we will. I'm not gonna let it end like this after all!
Hiyori: Still, what do you plan on doing? It doesn't seem we can even leap over them.
Sayaka: It's okay if it ends like this.
Mihono: No way! They put the goal there so people would reach it!
Sayaka: So what will you do?
Mihono: I'll, uhhh~... What do we do, Kanami?
Kanami: Eh? What should we do, Hiyori-chan?
Hiyori: As if I know.
???: What's going on here. Why has no one reached the goal?
Kozue: Ahhh! Th-That voice; it can't be! Ehhhhhhh!!!!

8: The Head of the Family has Arrived!

Yukari: What's going on here. Why has no one reached the goal?
Kozue: T-Th-The head of the familyyyy!?
Hina: What's Yukari-sama doing here!?
Yukari: This event was organized for the Five Traditions... For the recognition of toji to be further spread among the people. Is it really so strange I would come to observe it?
Kozue: Y-You have a point!
Yukari: So then, why has no one reached the goal?
Kozue: W-Well that's because, umm... You see...
Hina: R-Right...
Yukari: Why has no one reached the goal?
Kozue: U-Uhh, well... Ahh! Oh no, time just ran ouuu~~~t!! We've reached the time limit!
Kozue: Who could have seen this coming; we finished without a single winner!
Yukari: ...Hm, that would be a problem. Then all the trouble of planning this event was for nothing.
Hina: Y-Yes... It seems like it...
Kozue: A-All of you gathered here~~! If things end like this with no winners, you're causing serious problems for the head of the family, you know!
Mihono: ......Hmm~. Then, why doesn't everyone reach the goal together? That way we can all wear dresses and everyone's happy?
Kanami: Ah, that could work!
Hiyori: Really...?
Sayaka: Mm. I think everyone should get along today.
Yukari: ...I see.
Suzuka: Yes, it's not such a bad idea. It can appeal to the unity of the Five Traditions as well.
Yume: Ehh~, so that means everybody wins? But that's boring.
Maki: Yume, you're the only one who was hoping for this to become a bigger ordeal.
Yukari: In that case, I'll allow for everyone here to be recognized as a winner.
Kozue: R-Right! Understood! Then, everybody, head for the goal!
Hina: Everybody, please start trying on dresses! And try to get along~! There's dressing rooms ready for you here in the chapel~!
Mihono: ...Everybody here's a winner, huh! Ahaha! Just look at all their bright smiles! I'm glad things could turn out like this!