Let's Go, Let's Go

Anna, do you know what time it is?

......

Anna!

Sonya, you can see I've been assembling my outfit. The clock's behind you. You have the power to look for yourself.

It's already twenty 'til!

Your warning is appreciated.

Yeah, I AM warning you!

I did tell you how strenuous it is to coordinate an outfit, and that it could take a very long time. If you're hungry, you can go to the canteen for lunch, and I'll head there myself once I'm done.

Do you really need to do all this just for some food festival booth?

Sure, you're manning it, so you wanna dress up a little. But do you have to take this long? It's already been half an hour.

Is half an hour so long?

It's not short.

It's worth taking the time to ensure we match well with the theme of our booth.

And that theme is 'Ursus Desserts'. That's it.

Like, we're Ursus from Ursus, even if we're wearing plain old Rhodes Island uniforms, we're gonna fit the theme. How are you still working on this?

If you're going to be so impatient, you don't have to be here.

Hmph. Fine. I'll go eat.

I know you're reading your book there because you want to keep me company. You don't want to leave me alone

!

But there's no need to force yourself, Sonya.

......

Want me to bring you something to eat?

No thank you. I'll go to the canteen myself in a moment.

I'm bac—

......

Anna... why are you still screwing around with your clothes?

I'm almost finished. I only need about ten more minutes, barring any calamities. All that's left is a hairband to settle on.

Slow down there, speedy. Don't give me whiplash.

Sonya.

You done?

What do you think of this hairband? It goes well with the ensemble, but isn't it too plain?

Can you just tell me what you want already?

I think we can do something to spruce it up. What if we take some lace from the old clothes in that box there and sew it on?

Don't look at me. I don't know the first thing about sewing.

Then it's up to me.

You think I don't know you've never held a needle in your life?

Ahem.

While I've never actually put it into practice, I have read a few books on the subject. I have an understanding of the basic concepts. And we have plenty of lace, anyway, we can do a test run on a towel first.

And how long is that gonna take?

Maybe... one hour?

Anna!

Did you forget all the baking supplies we've gotta haul this afternoon?!

Yeah, me and Rosalind will bring the muscle, but you've gotta be there to tell us how much of what we're moving to where!

This is a FOOD festival. Isn't the food the important part? Focus on the food first, and then if you've got time left over, screw around with your clothes and whatever. Doesn't that make sense?

You can take this if you're worried that you won't know what to move where.

Huh?

What's this paper?

Recipes. I stayed up all night preparing them. They have the desserts we'll be making and the ingredients needed to make them. Good luck.

......

And while you're correct that our theming and decor is less important than the food, that doesn't mean appearances are entirely unimportant.

......

Suppose Natalya bakes some cookies that taste fine, but they come in random, unattractive shapes. Would you prefer to eat those, or Lada's?

*Sigh*...

Whatever, there's no getting through to you.

I give up. You win. I'm gonna go find Rosalind.

Good luck. I'll be there to help you shortly.

Phew... we had a bit of a scare there, but I've got the lace nicely sewn onto the headband.

(Forgive me, Lada, for breaking into your secret snack stash... I'll pay you back double tomorrow.)

It's two o'clock already...

I'd better go check on Sonya and Rosalind.

Natalya?

Good afternoon, Anna—I see you're in a hurry. May I ask to where?

Good afternoon, have you seen Rosalind?

Rosalind?

Yes, we were supposed to go with Sonya to move the flour and such this afternoon. But neither of us have been able to find her.

I do believe she's in the training room.

You saw her?

I can't say I laid my own eyes on her, but I did see two bottles of non-honeyed honey-flavored beverage at the door to the training room. To my knowledge, only Rosalind and Beehunter drink those.

Thank you very much, Natalya. You have a class in the afternoon, don't you?

I still have time, no need to rush.

Ah, but there is the matter of the application for the booth. You've asked that none of the surrounding booths serve beverages, and that yours should be close to the entrance, yes?

That's correct. I would also like for the booth to be as large as possible, but I understand that's beyond our control.

If there are too many participants, there simply won't be room for a large booth.

Indeed. Now then, I'll be sure to discuss the booth situation with Closure after my class.

Thank you very much.

Think nothing of it.

Although, I do believe this is the first time I've ever seen you so passionate about something besides books, Anna.

Is that a compliment?

I would like to think so.

Then I'll thank you once more.

Good luck, Anna.

And the same to you, Natalya.

—Of course, to drag Rosalind out of the training room, you're going to need it.

Your prospects there are far more pessimistic, I believe.

Istina! What goes in the oven next?

Cheese piroshki. They're already on the baking sheet, waiting for the last custard tart to come out.

Thanks for your help, Istina!

Don't mention it.

I'm so glad you're here!

You've been helping set up the booth all day, and even went to fetch Leto for us, and got us fresh berries from the greenhouse with juuust the right acidity...

I thought you'd be really tired by now.

Well, I can't say it's been easy.

So I think you'd better go back to your room and read for a bit! I can handle all this by myself!

Of course, I'm sure you can do it.

But two heads are certainly more efficient than a single Gummy.

You're really awesome, Istina.

Oh?

I used to think just baking some tasty treats for everybody to enjoy at the festival would be enough.

But you taught me good food alone doesn't cut it. To really make the festival perfect, you've gotta work out your theming, get a design, make everything match...

It's really awesome that you even think of this stuff, but you don't stop at the thinking, you actually come out and help us do everything. You find the time to lend Zima and little old Gummy a hand...

I never knew how awesome you were, Istina!

You're making me blush, Lada—

Sorry, you're more comfortable with operator codenames now, yes?

Don't worry about it. Istina can call Gummy any name she wants!

Thank you, Gummy.

(To have Lada showering me with compliments like that... I really am blushing.)

(Especially considering how I just stole from her snack stash...)

Oh, Gummy, there's something I have to tell you.

What is it, Istina?

While I was back at the room working on my outfit, I didn't have time to go to the canteen. I'm afraid I ate all the snacks you had hidden in the living room cabinet.

Oh? I don't remember putting any snacks there.

But I found a package of cookies, they were pumpkin-flavored. I remember you were into pumpkin for a while.

Pumpkin, huh...? Let me think...

Istina...

Oh no... Gummy... why did your face turn so dour...?

Did those cookies taste really extra bitter and bad?

I... paired them with some coffee.

I burned those pumpkin cookies when I was baking in the canteen this morning.

!

But it hurt my heart to think of throwing them away, so I put them in the bottom of the cabinet. I figured I could find some use for them.

I mean, eating them won't do anything to you, but...

You've said enough, Gummy, I get it.

Just go home and get some rest! Leave it all to Gummy here. When everything's baked up, I'll call everyone to taste test!

With nothing to it but the traditional Ursus elements... hm... it feels a little shallow...

What if we added a little something else? Something like... a puzzle game?

......

With just an outfit, a set of clothes, is there really a way to add deductive reasoning? Probably not.

But if we put it into the desserts—No, that won't work. It's not like we can make a puzzle out of them.

What about using the deductive elements as a sort of decoration?

Still a little off...

I've got it!

These books just might give us what we need.

'The Death of Ilyich, the Suspect', we can't well use this one.

Hm... let me think... with these books—

The idea is coming together, this should be possible.

Then we put the rest of them as padding underneath.

Need a few more clues... a chessboard, maybe? Let me see...

Welcome back, Sonya.

What are you doing back here?

I had another idea. I need to revise the layout of our festival booth.

The layout—Oh...

(Whispers) I'm getting a headache.

I heard that.

Huh? 'The Death of Ilyich, the Suspect'? I borrowed this book.

I recommended it to you.

I forgot.

So, do you remember the plot of the book?

Nope.

What about the name of the killer?

Not coming to me.

So what exactly did you read?

I never remember anything after I finish a novel.

Like, what's the point of remembering the plot of a book? Not like I'm gonna be a writer.

Forget it. This is my fault. I still have unrealistic expectations of you.

(Whistles)

Now then, there will be a puzzle in our booth, and it derives from these books.

'Ten Little Durins', 'The Feranmut Four', 'Murder in Mossmead'... I feel like I've read these, but I also feel like I haven't.

You've been through all of them, and somehow didn't retain a thing.

I thought you'd be able to solve this puzzle, but now I find you can't.

As if I even wanted to.

Not worth your time?

I just couldn't care less. I'm dead tired from hauling that crap all afternoon. The last thing I need is another pain in the ass.

How about this? If you solve the puzzle on the day of the festival, I'll do your homework for you exactly once.

You've been skipping Hypatia's class lately, haven't you?

Deal!

On the other hand, if you can't solve it...

Hm?

We'll need a punishment. One I've not yet thought of.

Hmph. Punishment, huh? As if that scares me.

I'll be in my room.

You'll what?

What else am I gonna do? I told you, I'm dead tired. I'm going to bed.

I thought you'd at least take a book back to review. You have to prepare for the puzzle.

I know I'll be able to solve it when the time comes. Sleep is more important for now.

Well, good luck, Sonya.

Thanks—

Actually, Anna, there's something I've been meaning to ask you since this morning.

Go ahead.

I've never seen you so passionate about something like this. You're even more into it than Lada is. You're totally committed to getting it perfect.

But why?

Any guesses?

Hm... to make Lada happy?

Making Lada happy is a delightful thing, but that's not the reason.

To sell lots of sweets?

You've forgotten, Sonya, everything at the festival is free.

So what's the reason?

I just want to know what it feels like to go all in, for once.

All in?

Have you lost your marbles? You're suddenly missing the old days?

This is different, Sonya. Listen to me.

Back in those days...

Back in those days, we went all in and put it all on the line because if we slipped up even for a second, we were dead.

But this is different.

Now we're going all in on a happy little thing. How long has it been since we've busied ourselves with a happy little thing?

Think about it. The core of a food festival is a pleasant holiday atmosphere and the joy of eating. It doesn't get much more fun and relaxed than that.

So...?

What we did before, we did out of necessity. But now, laying it all on the line for a delightful little festival... I've never tried anything like that. And I want to.

When the day of the festival comes, it'll probably be a lot of fun.

I think you're having fun already.

Am I?

Yeah.

...hm.

Welp, I may not get what's so much fun for you...

But I hope it makes you happy.

Wowww! Soo many booths, and with so much food! I'm worried I can't eat it all...

Calm down, Cardigan, the festival runs all day.

Why are you following me at a time like this?!

It is precisely at a time like this that our little Lava needs to watch what she eats—

What a uniquely sweet smell—

Tell me about this thing. It's a custard tart, right?

And this one's a berry cake! I'd love to know the exact ratios at play in the recipe!

It would be my pleasure...

Treeaaaaats! I smell treeaaats!

Woooow! So many people! And so much food!

Little Cub made those snacks! They smell sooooo goooood!

Kay, slow down, no running!

How was the berry cake over there? Gummy only just brought out a tray and before I knew it, they'd all been snatched up.

Unusually delicious.

What do you think, Ifrit?

...not spicy enough...

But the one with the light blue hair, she's dressed very pretty.

Watch this, Popukar—

You threw the pastry up in the air, then caught it in your mouth on the way down—awesome!

You wanna try? I can teach you—

Gah!

I don't want Popukar learning any stupid and dangerous tricks from you!

I've known for a while that Maggy has a very unique palate, but I never knew it went this far...

Oh, is that some kind of puzzle thing over there?

I've gotta check that out.

What do you think of the puzzle Istina and the girls designed, Doctor?

Is something wrong, Doctor? Why are you so quiet?

Show a little restraint, Doctor, you've already eaten so much.

The food festival's over...

I asked Midnight to wake me up, but the clown slipped out without a word.

Guess I shouldn't have stayed up all night reading comics.

What are those girls doing over there instead of packing up their booth?

I can't make out what they're saying—Huh? A shaved ice stand behind the stairs? I didn't even know it was there.

Yep, got plenty of cans left! Here you go!

(Takes a deep breath)

Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!

Is that the legendary Ursus's Roar?

It's awe-inspiring.

I might have had a feeling about it, but I was surprised Sonya failed to solve the puzzle. The solution was so obvious.

It was Rosalind's idea, but everyone agreed on the punishment. That Sonya would have to eat an entire bowl of Magallan's signature canned shaved ice.

Magallan's other flavors are plenty delicious.

But her signature canned shaved ice...

How should I put this...? The look on Sonya's face as she brought the ice to her mouth...

Pfft... I can't even describe it.

What a wonderful day.

Standing in the crowd, looking at all the smiling faces around, listening to the delightful conversations that had nothing to do with me...

While I normally wouldn't look to avoid such things, I also wouldn't be able to enjoy them.

But after throwing myself into this festival, all the noise and excitement started to mean something, it even became a reward for all my efforts.

Looking back, all that exhausting preparation was no trouble at all.

Really, going all out on a happy little thing was a ton of fun.

In the old days, several of the middle schools in Chernobog would hold events like this.

At the time, I found them pointless in comparison to reading a good book.

So I was clever, avoided all the prep work, then spent the day of the event at home reading.

It wasn't a big deal, honestly.

Something so typical. What's the point?

Don't these kinds of things happen every year?

Even after graduation, we could still attend as alumni, or the general public... why work hard for something like that?

......

I never imagined. I could never have imagined.

But it's true... there will never be another one.

Never, ever again.

......

So I spent a hundred and twenty percent of my energy on this food festival. Was that a sort of... memorialization?

And the facts show that my efforts were worth it.

I've never experienced an event with so many people that was so enjoyable.

If there's another such festival...

I dare not hope it could be as happy as this one.

But I certainly want to try.

Now, that's enough for today—

Anna, I'm home—

Welcome back, Sonya.

Wasn't today fun?

Of course!

But if we're talking about fun, I just found out there's still some food left, so I had the whole U.S.S.G. share it. And we've got a bit for you.

Didn't I see Natalya drink all the borscht? What could be left?

What else? Magallan's cans!

!!!

I'm going to bed. Good night, Sonya. Sweet dreams—

You're not going anywhere. You're the only one who hasn't had any—