自分の用事を先に済ませる

[-] As I glance at the cameras densely packed around Cynthia, I decide I'd rather get some air away from the limelight.
[player] I've got a few things to take care of. Let's meet back up after you finish this.
[Cynthia] Okay, see you later then.
[-] I say goodbye to Cynthia and head off to check out the other stalls in the food market. After all, I need to get a lay of the land so I can keep a cool head on the day of the celebration.
[???] PLAYER!!
[player] Jiu Hua?
[Jiu Hua] Get over here and try this! I just bought them, so they're still hot!
[-] I look at the shrimp dumplings. The faint blue-greenish color inside makes them look even more translucent. I instantly take a bite –
[player] Ahhh... Ah-CHOO! {var:ShakeScene}
[-] The tender shrimp filling abruptly bursts with a pungent wasabi kick that stings my sinuses. The ground seems to spin beneath me, and I'm bombarded by sneezes as tears stream from my eyes.
[player] Jiu Hua!!
[Jiu Hua] Hmph, that's what you get for your treachery! You promised me – Ah-choo! – that you wouldn't tell Ume... Ah-choo! I can't believe you went back on your word like that... Ah-choo! Ah-CHOO! {var:ShakeScene}
[-] I look at Jiu Hua, who, like me, is wiping tears from her face, and pass her some tissues. I'm not sure whether to laugh or to cry.
[player] We need to stick together right now! And which stall did you get these dumplings from? I need to steer clear of it...
[-] Following Jiu Hua's directions, I make my way to the dumpling stall alone, only to find out that the "volunteer chef" is none other than Miki Nikaidou.
[player] ...Suddenly, everything makes sense.
[-] Just as I'm about to slip away, I spot Take. He looks up and our eyes meet.
[Take] Oh? We meet again.
[-] I walk over and see him holding a pen, scribbling some calculations. A box of snacks with the lid half-off rests next to him, nearly cold...
[player] You should be enjoying the food, not working overtime!
[Take] Food?
[-] Without saying another word, Take hands me the box besides him. An eerie green light glows from the half-eaten shrimp dumpling inside... I see. None of us can escape Miki Nikaidou's "dumpling spell."
[-] Take picks up his chopsticks and takes a small bite. Wiping away a tear and gritting his teeth, he continues with his calculations on the scrap paper.
[Take] I'll be at a loss if I don't finish three fourths of it. PLAYER, if you ate some too, you'd better work out your loss rate now.
[player] Miki... Look what have you done!
Bamboo Cloud HQ, VIP Room
[-] After leaving precisely one fourth of the dumplings behind, Take invites me back to Bamboo Cloud for a late-night snack. As we're eating, he takes out a pot of neatly pruned bamboo and passes it to me.
[Take] I know it's a little sudden, but... please accept this.
[player] What's this...?
[Take] Lucky bamboo. I thought I should give you something as thanks for helping me clean up the accounting office the other day. Lucky bamboo symbolizes wealth, so I figured it would make a fitting gift.
Memento Received: [Potted Lucky Bamboo]
[player] Wealth... The perfect blessing in every sense.
[-] I feel an indentation on the bottom of the pot. I lift it up and see words carved into it: "From Shi Nian."
[player] Shi Nian?
[Take] Oh, that's my name.
[player] Huh? I thought your names were "Ume," "Ran," "Take," and "Kiku."
[Shi Nian] Ms. Fuuka gave us those names as status symbols. Basically, if I perform well, I get to be "Take." But if I don't and Ms. Fuuka is dissatisfied, then someone else might take the name "Take."
[player] I didn't realize you faced such cut-throat competition for your name.
[Shi Nian] Ahem... We have a good relationship though. You can just call me by my real name like Jiu Hua does in private. But out there, you'll have to call me "Take."
[Shi Nian] After all, it's a form of recognition. It means that, like Ume and Ran, I've earned my title!
[player] Then, what about Jiu Hua...
[Shi Nian] She's different. Her name is like her spear – it holds special meaning. Once you've known her for a long time, you'll understand.
[player] Great, now you've made me more curious.
[-] Just as I'm about to attempt to smooth-talk all the secrets of the "Four Nobles of Bamboo Cloud" out of Shi Nian – or rather, Take – Ran calls on the phone to let me know that we're meeting in Bamboo Cloud's main hall.
Bamboo Cloud HQ, Main Hall
[-] When I arrive, I'm surprised to see that Fuuka Minami is here too, as well as the other two of the "Four Nobles."
[Fuuka Minami] I had Ran call you over because... the four of them have presented me with another campaign proposal.
[-] Jiu Hua comes bounding over to me with a mysterious smile. She plays an edited video clip on her phone. To my surprise, it has the livestream Hibiki Himekawa filmed of my "duel" with Jiu Hua, Ume's footage of me hopelessly overwhelmed by ledgers in the accounting office, and even a photo Cynthia posted on CatChat of us at the food market...
[player] What's this...?
[Ran] Celebrity endorsements aren't the only way to promote our brand. Another great approach is to release a behind-the-scenes documentary, showcasing Bamboo Cloud's meticulous preparations for the anniversary celebration and the staff's passion for the company.
[Fuuka Minami] And you, my dutiful secretary, are perfect for the central character in this documentary. After all, you could be found pretty much anywhere the preparation work was happening.
[Fuuka Minami] As you can see, this video is just missing one final piece: an on-camera interview with you, to talk about your experience working at Bamboo Cloud.
[Jiu Hua] Hehe, don't worry! If we do more intro videos later, I'll be sure to say lots of good things about you.
[Shi Nian] I will too.
[Ume] Okay... Let's get started then.
[-] As Ume raises the camera to record the last part of the documentary, all the feelings I've experienced at Bamboo Cloud over the last few days well up from my heart... only to get stuck in my throat.
[Jiu Hua] Come on, relax! Try looking a little more natural!
[Shi Nian] There's a wrinkle in the hem of your shirt.
[-] Finally, I face the camera and say...
Welcome to Bamboo Cloud!//nAnd welcome to Bamboo Cloud's anniversary celebration!