#not that tsukiko minds- it means she gets to take a free nap

[fatedroses]

Reaper's Bounty.

[letsplaystarrysky]

Starry★Sky in Autumn -Hoshizuki- 10/10

We join Tsukiko and her class as they’re bustling around getting ready to open their cafe for the first day of the festival…

Tsukiko’s rushing here and there helping everyone out, and just as she begins to worry she won’t have time to track down the teachers to give them their costumes, Haruki-sensei bounds in. She meets his cheerful greeting by admonishing him for being late and telling him to hurry up and change. This is the moment Mizushima chooses to slink in and he gets a lecture too.

But where’s Hoshizuki-sensei?

He didn’t sleep in did he?

“*yawn* I’m so tired… Was I supposed to cosplay or something today…?”

Lo and behold, Sleeping Beauty arrives on cue. Tsukiko hands him his costume and the three teachers peer into their bags curious to see what Tsukiko made them. She tells them she’s quite proud of her work. Mizushima whines about his but Hoshizuki looks back up at her and casually praises her work. Haruki’s just worried he’ll be able to pull his off… Wait, Hoshizuki reconsiders, he’s not sure how to put his on...

Yeah yeah, save it for later. Tsukiko pushes them off to get changed already. There’s no time.

Her classmates join Tsukiko then, joking that only she’s capable of managing the free-spirits working at that school. By the way, Arata adds, and hands her something. This is for her. The boys got together and bought her a surprise costume to go with the ones she made.

I’m assuming bought anyway. Do you think any of these losers can sew?

Okay…

I’ll admit…

Suzuya probably can.

But he’s sir-not-appearing-in-this-game, so… bought we shall assume.

Tsukiko’s touched and thanks them all for the surprise. She runs off to change at the boys’ insistence, and when she returns it’s to embarrassingly melodramatic gasps of appreciation.

Oh. My bad.

Suzuya is a sir-appearing-in-this-game…

...in the background…

I see these games continue to throw continuity right out the window by including Yoh in the Spring cameos but what can you do?

Anyway, how smart do our teachers look? Haruki’s looking smart in his Taisho-era style, Hoshizuki looks like some laid-back poet or scholar, and I’m not entirely sure what Mizushima’s costume is supposed to be. I think it might be Imperial Navy which is a bit, could we not? But what can you do?

Also how adorable does Tsukiko look?

Hoshizuki makes a comment that uses the proverb “umako ni mo ishou” which direct-translates to “the clothes make the man”. Now, the English is basically a backhanded comment but could be taken either way, the Japanese however outright refers to the wear-er as the child of a horse so it really can only go one way and Tsukiko takes offence. That’s mean!

Mizushima laughs and tells her Hoshizuki’s just teasing her, because she looks really pretty and he knows it.

Hoshizuki: Excuse me, I was praising the costume. The wearer… well, we’ll see how she looks in about ten years or so.

You get the feeling Hoshizuki doth protest too much?

Tsukiko actually rolls with his comments after that, she’s much too self-conscious about wearing a costume to be worried about being treated like a child right now.

Hoshizuki: I guess you do look a little more like a refined lady

Tsukiko: What do you mean by a little?

Hoshizuki: You still lack charm and grace

Tsukiko: So sorry to disappoint.

Hoshizuki: You do kind of look like you’re heading to the matchmaker though.

Tsukiko: :p Maybe I will.

Matchmakers on the brain, Hoshizuki? He laughs and asks if she’ll have a matchmaking date with him and she accuses him of enjoying himself too much teasing her.

But enough awkward and not-so-awkward foreshadowing, it’s time to open the cafe! Tsukiko and the teachers are tasked with serving customers, all the cooking is left up to Suzuya, and the rest of the class is… probably slacking off. Hoshizuki and Mizushima protest this whole serving customers business but Haruki and Tsukiko talk them into it.

The cafe ends up being super busy the whole day and time flies by. When the events have ended for the day and Tsukiko finally gets some time to breath, she sits down with a grateful sigh in the nurse’s office where she and the teachers are relaxing. They’ve already (sadly) changed out of their costumes. Mizushima wants something sweet, Hoshizuki wants a nap, and Haruki can’t wait til tomorrow! :D

“Why did I agree to this?”

(exceedingly loose translation is exceedingly loose)

They agree to not dress up in their costumes the next day, although it’s kind of a shame since Tsukiko went to all the trouble to make them. Mizushima flirtatiously offers to cosplay in private for her, and when Tsukiko dryly says she’ll pass, this gets a laugh out of Hoshizuki. Tsukiko reroutes the conversation back on track and comments on how the costumes were kind of tiring. Hoshizuki points out that it’s partly because traditional Japanese clothes force you to stand upright and be more careful about how you move.

Still, Tsukiko points out, Hoshizuki-sensei looked rather good in his kimono. The word she uses often gets translated to sexy, but has a slightly different nuance than what the word carries in English. He looked different, in a more attractive, beautiful way that made her heart beat a little faster when she looked at him.

Hoshizuki: Yahisa, were you checking me out?

Tsukiko: I-I wouldn’t go that far…!

(She was totally checking him out)

Hoshizuki: You should though. You don’t seem especially attractive no matter what you wear, so maybe you can learn how to be like me.

Wow dude, that’s harsh, even as a joke.

Hoshizuki notices this stung and frowns at her. She should be happy to be that way, being in a school full of hormonal teenage boys the way she is.

So wait, does that mean he’s concerned about her? Well yeah, he answers with a wry grin on his face. Imagine the temptation she’d be if she were actually attractive.

The subtle misogyny in scenes like this is staggering. Everytime I hit the spacebar there’s a new reason to eyeroll.

Tsukiko: Would I be a temptation for you, too?

Hoshizuki: Who knows? Don’t ask such weird questions.

You brought it up, dude, just sayin’...

Anyway, talking this much about how non-attractive she is would bring literally anyone down, so Tsukiko isn’t especially feeling any better. Hoshizuki tells her she has lots of good points too, she should focus on those.

Tsukiko: Are you just saying that to make me feel better?

Hoshizuki: Wow, suspicious much? I am capable of praising you, you know.

Tsukiko: News to me. What’s one of these supposed good points then?

Hoshizuki: :D that’s something you need to think of for yourself.

You’re worse than Kanata sometimes, you know that, Hoshizuki?

Some time later, Haruki points out that they should head back to the dorms and rest since there’s still tomorrow. Tsukiko’s a little sad the festival will be over so soon after all the hard work she put into getting ready for it. (so wear the costumes another day, silly) Haruki cheerfully reminds her to focus on the positive; they still have tomorrow.

By the way, Mizushima asks, is the Star Road still a thing?

Of course it is, Hoshizuki tells him. It wouldn’t be Seigetsu’s school festival without it. Tsukiko expresses her wish to someday walk through it with someone she loves. Hoshizuki teases her for saying something so abjectly girly. Tsukiko protests that he shouldn’t laugh at her. She walked through it with her childhood friends last year, and expects to do the same this year too…

...and while that’s fine and all, she wouldn’t mind if it weren’t a little more romantic…