Plum Blossoms and Snowflakes | Plum Blossom 1
Akiomi: —Oh, hello there, Ayase-kun. Thank you for coming.
You were taking your time so I assumed you had already left the school for the day.
Mayoi: I’m so terribly sorry! I’m sorry for being late! I’m sorry for being an unsightly weirdo, I sweeear!
Akiomi: A weirdo…? Well, I would certainly consider your sudden outburst to be ‘weird’.
We're at fault for summoning you so abruptly, so don’t feel bad for taking a while. If anything, I’m glad you showed up at all.
The sooner that we can talk about this, the better.
Mayoi: It’s that urgent…? Aah, why did you call me here…?
Akiomi: Let’s continue this conversation in the staff room. This isn’t something we should discuss in the hallway.
Mayoi: I-I understand…
Location: Staff room, Akiomi's Desk
Akiomi: We want to propose a repeat of the year.
Mayoi: …? For who?
Akomi: You, Ayase-kun.
Mayoi: I see, so it’s for this ‘Ayase-kun’ person…
…
Mayoi: …Wait, huh!? That’s me!?
Akiomi: Correct. Granted, the decision hasn’t been set in stone yet.
But as it stands now, you will be repeating a year.
Mayoi: T-That sounds so definite…
Uhm, I understand that I didn’t attend school for a long time but shouldn’t the credits I earned from home-study be sufficient…?
It was enough for me to complete the grade in past years…
Akiomi: You’d be right, there’s no issue pertaining to your schoolwork. However, the new system has introduced another evaluation criteria…
Ayase-kun, you’re overwhelmingly lacking in regards to the number of days that you’ve participated in campus events.
Mayoi: Campus events…?
Akiomi: Like the name suggests, it refers to events held on the school grounds. Chocola Fes or Repayment Fes are some upcoming examples.
In the new system, idol activities are considered to be equally as important as schoolwork, so students are able to compensate for low credits by doing more jobs…
In an extreme case, a student could graduate off of idol work alone.
To prevent school-life from falling into a monotonous routine, we introduced an additional evaluation category pertaining to the participation of campus events.
That being said, the conditions are fairly loose. As long as you participate in events on a regular basis, it shouldn’t affect you. However…
Mayoi: I didn’t attend in-school classes until summer, so my overall participation is poor…
Akiomi: That is correct.
Mayoi: I-I see…
Uhm, I’m not sure how to respond.
Mayoi: I’ll do my best to graduate next year…
Akiomi: Next year…? You’re saying you’ve accepted repeating a grade?
Mayoi: Yes. With the time I have left, it wouldn’t be feasible for me to participate in enough school events.
I’ll be joining Chocola Fes with ALKALOID but that won’t be enough to put me in the clear.
It’s impossible for me to get myself out of this, so I’ll just have to do my best next year…
Akiomi: (Good grief. I knew this kid was pessimistic, but he’s so readily willing to accept his fate like this…)
(The entertainment industry is a cruel world. It’s not a place where you can live your life being coddled.)
(But…this boy is a student, and I am his teacher. As a beacon of guidance I should at least set him on the right path.)
(A lack of solution is likely what led him to give up.)
…It’s not impossible. We have measures set in place to help students in situations such as yours.
It would be rather sad to see a student fail to graduate because of the introduction of a new system.
Mayoi: There’s a way…?
Akiomi: There is. In order to meet the requirements to graduate, you’ll have to work on an individual assignment.
Mayoi: Individual…? Without ALKALOID, you mean…?
Akiomi: Yes. ALKALOID has been putting out exceptional work and the group has a strong sense of unity. There’s no problems to speak of there.
Ayase-kun, you’re often acting as a support within ALKALOID, yes?
That’s a wise role to undertake for your unit. In truth, your support has allowed the other members to grow and increase ALKALOID’s strength as a whole.
However, are you sure it’s beneficial to be devoting yourself to a backing part?
Won’t that pose a problem when you can’t bring yourself to stand on stage as a singular idol?
Mayoi: …
Akiomi: School is a place for students to receive an education and to increase their potential. With this preventative measure, you should see a development in your own growth too.
To begin, start off by seeking out some peers to form a temporary unit with.
Mayoi: A temporary unit…?
Akiomi: Yes. Look for people outside of ALKALOID, preferably ones you don’t interact with often, if possible.
I’ll need you to find a job and work together with your temporary unit to complete it. However, given the time of year, you may not be able to find a substantial project.
In that event, I ask that you hold an S3 Dream Fes.
Mayoi: You want me to form a temporary unit and complete a job…
Finding other members on its own will be terribly difficult. Would it even be possible for me to hold an S3?
And if I'm doing it with people I barely know—
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