When she came to the handicraft club, Naoko greeted the other members as usual, but when she passed by Ogawa Rina, she was stopped.

"Ogawa-senpai?"

"Come with me to the bathroom."

"Huh? Good. ”

Naoko was stunned for a moment, but quickly agreed. Go to her place and drop her things, Rina Ogawa is already waiting for her at the door.

After walking a few steps farther, she immediately asked, "What's the matter with Naoko's boyfriend?" ”

"Boyfriend?"

Naoko quickly reacted, "Senior sister is talking about Chunhai?" ”

"Is there anyone else?"

She smiled, "We're not in this relationship yet. ”

Rina Ogawa looked at her for a moment and turned her head, "If it continues like this, even if Naoko wants to become this kind of relationship, she won't have a chance." ”

"Why do you say that?" Naoko asked.

Rina Ogawa quickly turned back, "Look, you really care. ”

"Yes, I care."

Naoko smiled, "Please tell me, Senpai." ”

"I'm not the kind of person who chews the root of the tongue, but last Friday, the day the typhoon came, your childhood sweetheart invited at least six girls from the craft club to have coffee, at the Hakaino Cafe near Tsudaka...... What's going on, that guy. ”

Naoko was stunned for a moment.

That's why he met starfish there...... It's not a coincidence.

"Naoko?" Rina Ogawa looked at her.

She came back to her senses and smiled and replied, "Just a coffee." If Chunhai really had that kind of plan, he shouldn't have asked so many girls at once. ”

"Don't think that the girls in the handicraft club are not as good-looking as Shangzi, so you let your guard down."

Rina Ogawa suddenly became serious, "The methods of a few girls in the club digging the foot of the wall can scare you to death if you say it." ”

"Senpai......"

"I've already said hello to Naoko anyway, and when the time comes, my boyfriend will be lost, so don't come to me to cry."

Naoko didn't speak, just smiled.

Ogawa Rinai specially called her out, just to remind her of this matter in private, went to the bathroom, and the two washed their hands and went back.

"Then again......"

On the way, Rina Ogawa thought of one more thing, "Naruse has been staying in the ministry with Naoko recently, and those girls won't take the initiative to embarrass you." ”

Naoko's face sank slightly, "Hmm." ”

"It's a girl, even if it's a boy who can't get it, I don't want to make a fuss in front of him...... Let's just let Naruse join the handicraft club. She proposed.

Naoko stopped suddenly.

Rina Ogawa took a few more steps before he realized, "Naoko? ”

Naoko looked at her, the second-grade senior sister in front of her was the person she trusted the most in the handicraft club.

"Senior sister, I have something ...... something"

After another moment, the two returned to the department.

Rina Ogawa sat down in silence, and before Naoko could return to her place, she was stopped by a second-year boy.

"This flower, is it convenient to come out?"

Several eyes converged at the same time, and Naoko turned a blind eye, but understood in his heart.

The second-grade senior Yu Nan is good-looking and the most popular boy in the handicraft club.

"Seniors have something to say here."

"Ah...... All right. ”

Yu Nan swept left and right, lowered his head and leaned over, and lowered his voice: "I've heard about that incident......"

Naoko took a step back as he approached, met his stunned and somewhat embarrassed gaze, and stared back to show that she was listening.

He had no choice but to continue.

"That...... I've heard what Naruse's kid did last Friday. That, this flower, don't be too sad. ”

It's this thing again.

Naoko sighed inwardly.

She didn't speak, just nodded.

The second-grade senior, who was "kind and comforting", seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and also nodded heavily to her, and then returned to his original position.

And the gaze that gathered with his approach did not dissipate.

"This flower—"

A second-year girl sitting on the other side of the room suddenly spoke.

Naoko glanced at the seat just a few steps away and stopped, "Takahashi-sani." ”

Takahashi Tomoyo also stood up and folded his arms, "I said, the handicraft club will be miserable this time." ”

As soon as the words came out, the entire department fell silent.

Naoko turned to face her, "What do you mean, Senpai?" ”

"Don't you know, that 'tree' has fallen." Takahashi said.

Shangzi was stunned for a moment, and then frowned, "Is Senior Sister talking about paper apple trees?" ”

"What else could there be?"

Takahashi sat down again, but put on a higher posture, staring at Master Shangzi Xingshi to ask for guilt.

"The second assembly test was carried out at noon today, and the result was that it didn't last even one afternoon, so how could it be displayed at the cultural festival for three days? It's all your fault. ”

"I ......"

She interrupted Naoko's words, "The new structure that made everyone spend a long time working hard, the strength is only ...... like this"

"Enough is enough!"

Rina Ogawa, who was sitting at the door of the department, stood up and looked at Takahashi coldly.

"Is this Naoko's fault? If it weren't for the method that Naoko proposed, the tree might not have lasted even a few minutes. It's obviously a matter of the overall design, which is your responsibility! ”

There was silence in the room.

Although the whispering that followed was not real, it also made Takahashi's face cold all of a sudden.

"It's the first time I've designed such a complex structure, and I haven't given much time, so who knows if I won't be able to hold it...... And ah, if we follow the original folding method, although it is more untenable, it can make us find that there is a problem with the design in the first test, right? ”

Finding a plausible excuse, Takahashi glared back at her without showing weakness, "However, because this flower has done superfluous things, the problem has been covered up, not only has everyone been busy for a few more days during the summer vacation, but now it has to delay more time, Ogawa, can you take responsibility for this matter for her?" ”

Rina Ogawa was so angry that she laughed.

"Takahashi, there must be a limit to your nonsense, if this is Naoko's responsibility......"

"—all right."

Minister Ritsuko Sugiyama, who had been silent, finally stood up at this time.

That's the end of the conversation. Now that the problem has arisen, the next thing to consider is how to redesign the structure of the paper apple tree, rather than passing the buck to each other. ”

Takahashi pouted and turned away with a snort. Rina Ogawa looked at her coldly, and only sat down when Ritsuko Sugiyama looked at her again.

"This flower, do you have time to come out and talk for a while?"

Faced with the minister's invitation, Naoko nodded and went out.

The handicraft club is located in the middle of the second floor of the annex building, and the two of them walked to the end before stopping, next to the empty chemistry classroom.

"I'm really sorry, this flower."

Ritsuko Sugiyama suddenly apologized to her and lowered her head slightly, "It's all my responsibility that things become like this." ”

"Ah, Minister."

Naoko hurriedly took half a step back, raised her hands, and seemed to be a little flustered, "No, that, I ......"

"Zhishi led the design of the paper apple tree, and now that this is happening, she is not in a good mood...... I hope this flower doesn't pay too much attention to it. Ritsuko Sugiyama said.

Naoko was silent for a moment.

"Minister, that tree ......"

"I can't hold it."

Ritsuko Sugiyama sighed, "It's completely made of waste paper, and the strength is still a little worse, and the height of three meters is really too reluctant." ”

"Is it a structural problem?" Naoko asked again.

"Takemoto-san, they're still researching. With just over three weeks left before the festival, it's too late to redesign other projects, and if that doesn't happen, the original design will have to be changed until the tree can stand. ”

Naoko understood that this meant to lower the height of the paper apple tree, and even cut off some of the branches and leaves.

Ritsuko Sugiyama sighed in a low voice, "In that case, the works of this year's handicraft club will not be as dazzling as they used to be." I'm such a failed minister. ”

"No, it's not the minister's responsibility." Naoko looked at her and said, "Minister, can I help in any way?" ”

"This flower is good at cloth things." Ritsuko Sugiyama said.

"If there is a need for me, I will definitely do my best...... Yes. She suddenly remembered what Takahashi had just said.

Ritsuko Sugiyama apparently thought of this as well, "Don't take Tomoyo's words to heart, I understand that this flower made suggestions for improvement at that time, and it was completely out of good intentions. ”

Naoko raised her eyes and lowered them again, "Hmm." ”

"Another ......"

Ritsuko Sugiyama thought for a while, and said in a low voice: "They occasionally embarrass this flower in some things, but in fact, I have seen it in my eyes for a long time. ”

Occasionally?

Naoko pursed her lower lip.

"I'm sorry, this flower, as a minister, I didn't stand up and speak for you."

"No, the minister will stand up today."

Ritsuko Sugiyama shook her head and smiled wryly.

"As a minister, there are many things that I want to do but can't do, or even say more...... Because the current balance of the handicraft society is actually very fragile. ”

Naoko lowered her head, "There are too many members." ”

"There are many members, many factions and complexities, and there is always a lot of competition, consciously or unconsciously...... It's like that meeting before the summer holidays. ”

The purpose of that meeting was to discuss the works to be presented at the cultural festival, and Naoko also participated. Several major factions put forward their own demands one after another, and the process was so intense that it was not surprising that the handicraft society dissolved on the spot.

In the end, it was Ritsuko Sugiyama who balanced the situation and decided on the project of the cultural festival.

"I don't like competition, I hate conflict, and I often feel like I shouldn't have taken over as minister in the first place...... However, for the sake of the handicraft club, I chose to be patient. ”

"Minister's ......"

"Sorry, that's too far."

Ritsuko Sugiyama looked at her, "However, I'll only say these words to this flower." ”

Naoko was stunned, and suddenly remembered the rumors that Ritsuko Sugiyama had recently heard about her coming to succeed her as minister after she quit the ministry.

"Let's take the small fights of the present as a rehearsal for the stormy future scenes."

Naoko pursed her lips and said nothing, and she nodded to the end.

After saying a few more words, Ritsuko Sugiyama patted her on the shoulder and went back to the ministry first.

Watching her walk away, Naoko caressed her heart, and suddenly felt a lot more relieved.

"The minister really noticed it a long time ago......"