Episode 5: As The Rain Clears, So Does The Fight

---

Having returned to the village, Suzuna burst at full speed into the guild house.

Suzuna
Misakiiii!!!

Misaki
S-Suzuna!? Gah!?

Io
Ha ha, welcome back, Suzuna.

Suzuna
I'm sorry about earlier!

Misaki
Hold on! Don't squeeze me so tight! Shouldn't you be gentler with a lady!?

Suzuna
It's fine, it's fine! Um, I said some hurtful things earlier! I'm sorry!

Suzuna
I'd just been thinking for a long time before this trip about what would happen if the school shut down! Isn't that super worrying?

Misaki
It is, but...

Suzuna
Isn't it?

Misaki
Yeah, it is.

Suzuna
Oh, good! You understand!

Misaki
Huh... Is that all?

Suzuna
Eh? What do you mean, is that all? It means that we might not be able to play again like this next year, right? Isn't that super sad?

Suzuna
We'll all be apart, including Smarty and Io-io, right? Before that happens, we have to make as many memories of this year as we can.

Io
Suzuna...

Suzuna
That's why I started panicking on my own. I didn't realize you were just trying to cheer me up, Misaki...

Suzuna
Misaki! I'm super sorry!

Misaki
Um! I-It's not like I was particularly trying to cheer you up...!

Yuuki
1. "That's not what you said earlier."

Misaki
No comments from the peanut gallery!

Misaki
And anyway! Even if we end up all in different schools, it's not like we'll stop being friends, right?

Misaki
... Even if we wind up in different places, no matter how much time passes, we'll always be friends.

Suzuna
Misakiiii!

Misaki
And also, the more time passes, the more wonderful of a lady I'll become, too. You'll have my incredible future charm to look forward to!

Misaki
But well, Suzuna, it was also wrong of me not to realize how much this job and this vacation meant to you.

Misaki
It looks like I still have a long ways to go as a lady. But this brings me one step closer to being the wonderful lady I aim to be.

Misaki
Suzuna, I'm also sorry for today.

Misaki
And also, if it's all right... Why don't you have some of this?

Suzuna
Whoa, what kind of parfait is this? It's chock full of fruit!

Misaki
It's a token of my apology. I made it in the hopes of having a wonderful vacation together.

Misaki
The fan of yours who we met on the beach earlier helped me make it. She said eating it would cheer you right up.

Suzuna
Misaki, thank you! I looove it!

Misaki
All right, all right, just go ahead and eat some.

Suzuna
Ahaha, sorry, sorry.

Io
Suzuna, Misaki, I'm so glad to have you two in my homeroom. As a teacher, I'm happy to have such wonderful students.

Io
Of course, I'm just as fond of you, Yuuki, as well as all the other students.

Suzuna
All right, let's dig in!

Suzuna
Munch, munch... Mmmm! It's super good -- it's godly!

Misaki
Of course! I made it, after all!

Suzuna
I'm getting some super great vibes from this tastiness! I bet Rainy would feel better if she had some, too!

Misaki
Rainy?

Suzuna
Yeah, the Rain God. I gave her that nickname!

Io
Suzuna, you mean you met the Rain God?

Suzuna
Yeah! I met her earlier, but she seemed pretty down in the dumps.

Misaki
Huh!? You should've said that sooner -- it's important!

Suzuna
Ahaha, sorry, sorry. The sweets you made were so good, Misaki, that I totally forgot!

Misaki
Well, I guess that's understandable...!

Suzuna
Anyway, she told me that there's another spirit like her.

Suzuna
But, did the villagers say anything about that? I can't remember... Io-io, can you?

Io
Yes, they only told us about the Rain God.

Io
But are you certain that there's another spirit? We should call the mayor and ask him about this.

Io
Suzuna, while we wait for the mayor, can you tell us what you talked about?

Suzuna
Yep!

Later.

Village Mayor
Is something the matter?

Io
Mr. Mayor, pardon us for calling you. It's a little sudden, but would you be able to tell us not about the Rain God, but about the Sun God?

Village Mayor
W-Where did you hear about that!?

Misaki
That reaction sure is suspicious.

Village Mayor
N-No...

Misaki
Suzuna heard it directly from Rainy. Oh, Rainy is the nickname that Suzuna gave the Rain God. And also, she gave the Sun God the nickname of Sunny.

Misaki
Now then, fess up right now! If you're hiding something, spill it!

Village Mayor
How could this be... You met the Rain God directly, and heard of the Sun God that way...

Village Mayor
I suppose no secret can remain concealed forever. Perhaps inviting Suzuna here was the correct choice after all.

Suzuna
What do you mean?

Village Mayor
Allow me to explain. How much of the situation have you heard about?

Io
This year, when the ritual took place, Rainy was the only one to awaken, right?

Suzuna
That's what I heard!

Village Mayor
I see. I believe the reason for that is, this year, we were not able to gather enough power for the ritual to awaken them both.

Village Mayor
I do not know why we were unable to gather enough power. We simply did as we always do, and prayed for good fortune to come to our island this summer...

Suzuna
And that's why Rainy's been all alone ever since then. That's really sad -- just seeing her made me feel sad, too.

Io
Rainy and Sunny seem to be very close friends. It must be difficult for Rainy to be all alone...

Village Mayor
Yes. And the reason for the torrential rains on our island is the fact that only the Rain God is awake.

Suzuna
What's bad about that?

Village Mayor
The Rain God and the Sun God are the beings who control the weather. However, that power is complete only when the two of them are together.

Village Mayor
If one of them attempts to wield that power without the other, the result can only be poor weather for the island.

Misaki
But even if you just get rain for a while, Rainy will eventually go back to sleep at the end of summer, right?

Village Mayor
We cannot allow that to happen.

Misaki
Huh, is there more?

Village Mayor
It is said that, if things continue as they are, their power may end up consuming them and running out of control, causing them to lose their minds. It's possible that this has already begun to happen to the Rain God.

Village Mayor
If that happens, then the island's climate will become extreme, perhaps rendering the island uninhabitable.

Suzuna
Huh! That's awful!

Village Mayor
That was why we devoted all we had towards putting on tomorrow's event.

Village Mayor
Every year, starting on the first day of vacation season, many visitors come to our island. We thought that all of those peoples' prayers would surely be enough...

Village Mayor
In order to gather as much prayer power as we could, we thought to invite a famous celebrity from Landsol. So I solicited the opinions of our islands' youths...

Misaki
And they chose Suzuna!

Village Mayor
Yes, that's right. Suzuna's name was on everyone's lips. We thought there was a slim chance that such a famous person would come to our island...

Suzuna
Huh? But, then, why didn't you say anything about the Rain God to begin with? You should've told us sooner.

Village Mayor
That's because... We thought that getting you involved in our island's affairs would exert too much pressure on you, Miss Suzuna. So we decided to keep quiet...

Village Mayor
However, that doesn't change the fact that we were hoping to use your presence for our own ends... I truly apologize for trying to keep this secret from you...

Suzuna
It's all good! I'll go anywhere there are fans!

Suzuna
It's true that awakening spirits and managing an island's weather isn't really a model's job...

Suzuna
But if it brings smiles to everyone's faces, then we can call it the same thing!

Village Mayor
Miss Suzuna...

Village Mayor
... Then, let me ask this of you once again. Please, call out to the guests at tomorrow's event, and awaken the Sun God!

Village Mayor
The Rain God is at his limit... If nothing is done, then summer may never come to this island again...!

Suzuna
Got it! Leave it to me! I'll bring a smile back to Rainy's teary face!

Suzuna
Plus, I'm not the only one who came to this island! Right?

Misaki
Right! That Sunny will wake right up once she gazes upon my elegant looks!

Io
You can count on me! As a teacher, I'll be sure to protect everyone.

Yuuki
1. "We'll be sure to make the event a success."

Suzuna
Glad to hear it, Smarty! I'm counting on you, too!

Now that Yuuki and the others knew the true nature of the island's offer, they were completely motivated to prepare for the next day's event.