“What are you doing all the way over here?” I asked Alice, knowing the answer already. I was relieved to see that she wasn't obviously peeved at me. A cross schoolgirl is a fearsome thing to behold. Worse still to suffer. At least the ones that I knew. They had a knack for getting under my skin.
“I was reading, actually,” she held up the book in her hands for me to see. A novel by some guy with a hard to pronounce name, probably written before the invention of the lightbulb. Very dull.
“You've chosen a strange spot to read. There's noise from practice and the lighting isn't all that great for reading.”
“I like to be here in case I'm needed,” she stated humorlessly. That was about all that I would get about her, I felt. She wasn't the kind of person to talk about what she was thinking. Her reticent nature could even be charming at times. When she was quiet and lost in thought, she could look rather cute. Not that I would tell her because she'd misinterpret what I meant by it. I didn't need more grief born from misunderstandings.
“Maybe you should just go ahead and join the club,” I told her, “you'd look rather good in a leotard. Plus you seem to be interested anyways.”
“...I don't see a need to join,” Alice brushed off the suggestion with a plain reply. I'd love to know why she did the things she did just once. Maybe I'd be spared from her nagging more often.
“That's a shame. Still, you know a lot about the people here, right? I mean, you talk to them.”
“Are you asking as just a concerned manager?”
“Of course!” I nodded, pulling out the makeshift badge that I had made for myself. A lot of time went into the paper construction. “See this?” I showed her the glittering emblem made from the junk I found lying around the classroom, “I've taken on a responsibility and this is the proof.”
“The 'manager' written below the emblem really adds to the dignity of it,” she observed in a very deadpan way. She was too good at it. Still better than being called an idiot outright, I felt.
“So then, won't you please tell me anything that could help me?”
With a sigh, Alice put down her book. She began to explain the dynamics of the rhythmic gymnastics team. There was a larger number people in the club and who came to training than actual competitors and people who took it seriously. This lead to those who wanted to compete to stick together and practice routines and technique on their own time. The girls I had seen earlier were one half of a quartet that had been together since they started school. They were all seniors and were graduating soon. That left the club without a team of performers. No one else bothered to train in groups.
“Isn't it a bit pointless for the club to continue if they aren't going to send people to competitions?” I asked, sitting down next to her. I watched someone do an impossible-looking bend of their leg.
“In rhythmic gymnastics there's also solo performances. The team theoretically has someone who is good enough to participate in exhibitions and competitions,” her gaze listed to the opposite side of the gymnasium, making it certain that she was talking about one of the chatting girls.
“That must be a lot of pressure, huh? To be the only good person in the club.”
“She isn't the only one,” Alice hesitated a bit, no doubt thinking about how much was appropriate to tell me.
“You know I'll just find out if there's something wrong sooner or later, I'd rather hear the truth from you, whom I know I can trust.”
“That's the nicest thing you've said to me all day,” she once again broke out her deadpan voice for that one. Dealing with a sarcastic Alice was... a change of pace. “Fine, since you're the manager and are asking directly, I guess I'll tell you. This better not just be a pretext to chat up the girls.”
“It mostly isn't,” I assured her with a wink. Her 'hmph' meant that it was a good enough explanation.
She told me about something that had happened a few months back, “Kaenbyou there, the one wearing her uniform, was the star. It looked like she would go on to competitions and easily win them. She hurt herself a while ago, in an accident she claimed happened when she was trying something new late at night. The result is that it's painful for her to do some of the more demanding moves, which rules her out of any competition this year.”
“Then it was fortunate that someone else showed up.”
“That's the thing. The current hope for the school is her friend. She joined after Kaenbyou's accident and has been dedicating herself nonstop to be as good as she possibly can be. It's not for me to say any more, sorry,” she refused to say anything else. It felt like I was still missing a piece of the puzzle.
I thanked her anyway, “Hopefully I'll be able to be a competent manager. Thank you for helping me understand the way things are.”
“Do you want my advice?”
“Sure, go ahead,” I said, knowing that it was better to hear her out right away instead of later when I was in trouble.
“Take this seriously.”
“I am.”
“It's not good enough for you to try for efficiency,” she told me while watching the seniors practice part of a routine together. “If you really want to succeed and help out the club then know exactly what you're doing. That means studying the rules and being understanding of the needs of the people here. You're not a coach, your job isn't to tell people how to improve. You just have to make it easy for them to do the best they can.”
“You'd probably be a better manager than I am,” I admitted easily enough. She seemed to know what she was talking about.
“No, not for this club and not under the present circumstances,” her words hinted at that something that had been left unsaid earlier. Rather vexing, that.
I thought about what I was doing. It seemed to be a consistent theme that I should take my time to get a better understanding first before actually doing things. It would be wrong of me to simply act and interact with the others before at least having some clue of what I was doing. As much as it pained for me to admit, study was the answer to my problems. I had done as much as I could do in the gym for the moment. Anything else would be just pleasure. And there would be plenty of time for that later.
[] Read the files and consult Yuugi when needed.
[] Alice is the ideal tutor. Ask her to help out.
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>>45407 Not yet anyways. Turns out that work and sleep deprivation trumps any desire to jump into things. I like to relax and play long games so I'll end up waiting until things are less hectic and I'm less tired.
