There's an Anomaly in the Seasonal Rain Front!
1: A Picnic for Two!#
Weatherman: --The seasonal rain front has been hanging over Japan, but if it continues rising north like this... We expect the rainy season to have cleared up by this weekend.
Mai: (Ah, the rainy season is ending.)
Mai: (We'll finally have some sun for once... What should I do? Of course, I should take care of the laundry that's been gathering up, but it's sort of lonesome if that's all I have planned, isn't it?)
Kanami: Mai-chan, what are you watching on TV?
Mai: Oh, Kanami-chan.
Mai: It's just the weather report. They say the rainy season will clear up this weekend.
Kanami: Really!? It feels like it's been raining forever; that's great news.
Kanami: It's not like I don't like rain, but sometimes you just want to go outside and exercise, don't you?
Mai: Sure!
Mai: ...You know, it's been a while since we had a chance to talk with just the two of us, hasn't it?
Kanami: Now that you mention it... I think it has.
Kanami: It's fun with all of us together, but sometimes I want to hang out with just us two.
Mai: Ah, I've been thinking the same thing!
Mai: In that case, this weekend... Do you want to go on a trip with me? We could wake up early, and bring bento with us.
Kanami: It's a picnic!! Sounds like fun; let's do it, Mai-chan!
Kanami: Is there anywhere you want to go?
Mai: Where to go... Oh, I know where. There's somewhere I want to take you.
Kanami: Take me? Hmm, where could that be? Tell me, Mai-chan!
Mai: It's... A secret, until we get there.
Mai: (If Kanami-chan doesn't remember... Then it would be kind of sad.)
--The day before the picnic.
Mai: Let's get everything ready for the bento! Since we're having a picnic and all, I can get a little extravagant.
Mai: Karaage, ginger fried pork, hijiki kinpira. With this many brown colored foods, I should add a side dish of boiled spinach with soy sauce, tamagoyaki with tomatoes, and some Chinese style cucumber salad!
Mai: After that... Kanami-chan's favorite: natto over rice! ...I can't make that now though... Oh, right! I can just set the rice cooker for tomorrow morning... There!
Mai: Fufu~. Mr. Teru Teru Bozu, I'll be needing your help tomorrow~. [teru teru bozu are simple dolls made to pray for a sunny day]
--The day of the picnic.
Weatherman: --In what would normally be an unthinkable weather pattern, it seems the rainy season will be continuing over this particular area for a while longer.
Mai: Eh!?
Mai: (The rainy season cleared up everywhere besides the spot we were planning to go picnicking at!?)
Hiyori: Look at that... The rain front's a total V shape. It's like it got stuck on something there.
Kofuki: Is it cause of the air pressure or something?
Mai: ...Sigh.
Mai: (There's nothing I can do about it. The bento is already made, so I'll search for a place nearby with a good view, and we can go there instead!)
Mai: (It's a shame I won't be able to take Kanami-chan to that spot though...)
Kofuki: Hey, it's a mission!
Hiyori: They messaged me too. And...
Mai: ...Oh, that's right, me too.
Mai: Let's see, the members are... Myself, Kanami-chan, Hiyori-chan, Shichinosato-san, and Yui-chan. The five of us will be going... Eh?
Mai: There!?
Mai: (I never thought we would be coming here like this...)
Kofuki: GOTCHAAAA!!
Yui: Nice going, Kofuki-san!
Kofuki: Ha ha ha! Keep the aradama-chan coming-!
Hiyori: Anyway... With the aradama appearing right where the rain front is sticking around, the rain sure isn't making this any better.
Yui: That's not true, Hiyori-chan! In fact, with it soaking shirts see through, I say bring on the rain!
Hiyori: ...You're always like this, aren't you.
Kanami: It's too bad, Mai-chan. We got pulled into this mission all of a sudden...
Mai: I know. But still, our duty as toji is important, so let's set our feelings aside and work our hardest.
Kanami: Right!
Mai: Though, I did make our bento, so I would at least like to share it today.
Kanami: I'm sure everyone would love to share your bento, Mai-chan!
Kanami: By the way, isn't this place--
Yui: Huh? Look over here, everyone! A teru teru bozu came out with the noro!
Kofuki: Teru teru bozu? Why was that in there?
Yui: I bet the aradama were wishing tomorrow would be bright and sunny too! ...Just kidding.
Hiyori: No, wait... Look at that!
Mai: It's brightening up? But, it was pouring rain just a minute ago...
Yui: Fufufu, it's all becoming clear now...
Yui: The reason this place is the only spot where the rain didn't go away is because the aradama stole the teru teru bozu!!
2: Clearing Away the Rain and Eating Bento#
Yui: Fufufu, it's all becoming clear now...
Yui: The reason this place is the only spot where the rain didn't go away is because the aradama stole the teru teru bozu!!
Kofuki: Get real.
Mai: (Defeating the aradama gets rid of the rain? Could that actually be the case?)
Mai: (I did see the rain stop with my own eyes though...)
Mai: I'm going to check the weather forecast site real quick.
Kanami: What's it say, Mai-chan?
Mai: I can hardly believe it, but... The weather front moved just a little bit north.
Yui: See! It's just like I was saying!
Yui: We have to get back the teru teru bozus, all filled up with everyone's wishes for sunny skies... That's our mission here!
Hiyori: But, still... What do you think, Mai?
Mai: ...Teru teru bozu have been a tradition since ancient times, so maybe there's some sort of cause and effect happening here...?
Hiyori: Is that how this works...?
Kanami: Ahaha, well, that might be what's happening, so we should try doing like Yui-chan says. People worked hard to make those teru teru bozu, so let's get them back.
Yui: Kanami-chan... I love you!
Kofuki: Get off of her. It's wet and gross enough as it is without you making things more muggy.
Yui: This isn't muggy at all! Actually, it's pretty cold after the rain...
Yui: I just made a sound unbecoming of a maiden! [her stomach growled]
Hiyori: Who are you calling a maiden.
Yui: No matter how you look at me, I'm a maiden, aren't I!? Anywayyy, my heart might be full, but my stomach right now...
Mai: I did bring a bento box with me... Would you like to have some?
Yui: I'd eat it even if it were poison!
Kanami: Then we should eat now, whil the rain's stopped!
Kanami: I'd hate to have the bento Mai-chan worked so hard to make get rained on.
Hiyori: Hmm, it's simple, yet carefully made. Let's see... Mm, this is good.
Kofuki: This karaage's seriously the best! This onigiri too...
Mai: Oh, that has...
Kofuki: Natto!? Who puts natto in onigiri; that's just weird.
Kofuki: ...Hey, but it's still good. There's plums, and sardine, and, what else did you mix in here?
Mai: I used natto and plums as the base. After that, I would make some slight changes to add variety.
Hiyori: I can tell you really challenged yourself with these onigiri, Mai. But, the sardines give it an interesting texture. It goes well together.
Yui: Mmhmm, that's Mai-chan for you. I'm glad to be on this earth if it means I get to eat onigiri this good~~~!!
Mai: ...What do you think of them, Kanami-chan?
Kanami: Of course I think they're extra delicious! The ginger fried pork and kinpira are really good too, but I love the natto onigiri the most!
Mai: ...I'm glad to hear it.
Mai: (I made that bento so you could eat it here, after all...)
Mai: (It might not be the picnic we planned on, but I think this might be fine in its own way.)
Kanami: Ah~, that totally hit the spot~. I wish I could eat your cooking every day, Mai-chan!
Mai: -!!
Kofuki: Oh, nothing helps a full stomach like some exercise! That's my aradama-chan, always looking out for me!
Kofuki: You're the last of 'em! I love you!
Hiyori: So, that aradama had a teru teru bozu too?
Mai: Wait? This is...
Kanami: Did you notice something about the teru teru bozu?
Mai: Could you let me see that, Hiyori-chan?
Hiyori: Sure.
Mai: Thank you.
Mai: ...Mm, I'm sure of it. This is the teru teru bozu I made for today.
Hiyori: Why would something you made end up here...?
Mai: I thought it was in my room when I left, but... After that, maybe an aradama got it...?
Yui: Hang on, there's a bigger mystery here than that!
Mai: Yui-chan?
Yui: This smells... I can smell it...
Mai: ...Smell what?
Yui: The finely crafted bento, and the teru teru bozu hoping to stop the rain...
Hiyori: The weather forecast did say the rainy season would end today.
Yui: Exactly, which means, Mai-chan must have had plans to go on a date with someone today!
Kanami: Ohh-! That's amazing, Yui-chan! You almost figured it out!
Hiyori: (Wait, why did Kanami answer?)
Yui: Was it with Sayaka-chan!? Were you going on a date with Sayaka-chan!?
Kofuki: Get ahold of yourself. If she were going on a date with Sayaka, there would've been a bunch of cookies in the bento box, right?
Yui: ...Ah-! You're right!!
Mai: Umm, I do have cookies here...
Yui: I'll have some!
Kanami: Ah, can I have some too!
Hiyori: (Chew chew)... So anyway, who were you going on a date with?
Mai: I was...
Mai: (It's not something I need to keep a secret, but... For some reason, I don't want to say...)
Hiyori: I guess this is no time for us to be standing around talking.
Kofuki: Ah-! A real big one showed up! Time to help myself to dessert!
Mai: Let's go, everyone!
Kanami: Yeah!
3: The Scenery We Once Saw#
Aradama: oouuu...
Hiyori: Phew, we're just about done with them all.
Kofuki: What, that's it already?
Yui: I'm totally beat... Fighting in the rain is actually pretty tough...
Mai: Do you want to take a short break then? If we wait a moment, the rain should clear up too.
Hiyori: I don't see why not.
Kanami: Mai-chan.
Mai: What is it, Kanami-chan?
Kanami: Will you come take a walk with me?
Mai: (Kanami-chan... What could she want, asking that out of the blue?)
Kanami: Mai-chan, do you remember?
Mai: Eh?
Kanami: We've been here before.
Mai: ...You remembered that, Kanami-chan?
Kanami: How could I forget!
Kanami: The time we stopped here, back when we had just become toji, on our way back from a mission. This place is important to us.
Mai: Me too... I would never forget.
Mai: To tell the truth, I was thinking of coming here for our picnic.
Kanami: You were!?
Mai: That's why, it was kind of depressing. This was the only place the rain didn't clear up... And then we were called on to suppress aradama.
Kanami: Mai-chan...
Mai: Even so... Getting to talk with you like this now... I'm a little glad.
Mai: A lot happened, but... I think we got to make a more memories here than just a simple picnic, didn't we?
Kanami: Of course we did! I'll never forget about coming here today!
Hiyori: Kanami-! Mai-!
Kanami: Hiyori-chan? What does she want?
Mai: Let's go find out, Kanami-chan!
Kanami: What is it, Hiyori-chan?
Hiyori: Look up at the sky!
Kanami: The sky...? Ah!
Mai: A rainbow...
Yui: I never noticed this place was so beautiful.
Kofuki: That's a weirdly decent comment from you. Did Mai's bento fix you?
Yui: What if... It's purifying me from inside out!?
Hiyori: ...I'm sure if we had eaten Mai's bento while looking out on this, it would have tasted even better.
Kanami/Mai: ...Pfft. Ahaha!
Hiyori: What's with the two of you?
Kanami: Oh, it's nothing! I was thinking the same thing, Hiyori-chan!
Mai: In that case, how would you all feel about coming to a picnic here?
Mai: I'd want Sayaka-chan and the others to see this scenery too.
Kanami: That'd be great!
Kofuki: Bring the same onigiri with you again! I wanna see the shock on their faces when they bite into it.
Yui: And after their shock, they'll be hooked without a doubt!
Yui: Natto onigiri might become the next big thing, don't you think?
Hiyori: If we're going to do it, we should do it soon. Now that the rainy season is over, summer is right around the corner.
Yui: The season when girls start to shine is upon us!
Kofuki: You're always like this, aren't you.
Yui: This is just my identity!
Kanami: When we get back, let's start planning it together with everyone! It'll be a lot of fun, won't it, Mai-chan!
Mai: It sure will, Kanami-chan!