Alright, I think we've got our new formation totally down!

Yeah, and this seems like a good place to stop our morning practice.

Okay! Whew, I'm exhausted...

Hehe. You did come here very early this morning to practice, Minori.

Hehe. It's been so long since we last practiced on the rooftop that I couldn't help but feel excited!

It did snow a lot recently, which led to it being closed off.

Right. Thankfully, we got to practice using one of the stages in SEKAI.

And it's supposed to be sunny all day today, so we should be able to practice up here after school.

Really? Yay!

Oh, that reminds me.
About practicing after school...

I was hoping to stop by my club today, so I won't be able to make it today. Sorry, I know this is pretty sudden.

I see... But it is important to stay active in our various clubs. So, Airi, please have fun!

Yeah! We'll handle things here and promise to work extra hard while you're gone!

Hehe. So no need to worry, Airi.

Okay, okay. Message received.

(But I'll need to make up for the time I'll be losing by practicing on my own later.)

You're in the tea ceremony club, right, Airi?

Yeah, that's right.

The tea ceremony club... It sounds nice to get to have good tea and have nice snacks to go along with it...

Yes, having tea and snacks is a part of the ceremony, but focusing on that means you're sort of missing the quintessential point of our club.

Q-Quintessential point...?!

That's right! Tea ceremonies require you to know how to use each item properly, have a good understanding of etiquette and be in the right state of mind...

In other words, it's meant to be a work of art!

Whoa!!!

To be fair, I'm not really in a position to be saying that.

A part of me wanted to know how tea ceremonies worked, but another part of me was hoping to have some tasty treats.

However, actually taking part has taught me a lot. It's actually really interesting.

There's quite a bit of history behind it as well. Which aspect of it did you find the most appealing, Airi?

Well... Tea ceremonies have different styles, like martial arts. For instance, depending on your style, the etiquette and the bowls and utensils you use can differ greatly.

The teacher usually teaches us the style they studied, but we also invite practitioners of other styles and have them teach us from time to time.

Wow... It sounds like you have to learn so much...

Hehe. I actually really enjoy learning about all these different styles.

And I want to go today because we get to speak with one of those visitors today.

That means this is a special day for you.

Yeah, it sort of is.
Not only that, I heard that we get to see some really rare tea bowls, so I'm really looking forward to seeing them!

Were they made by somebody famous?

Yeah, some of them apparently were.
Also, it's fun to see how ceramic objects differ depending on where they were fired.

Obviously, no two really look the same, but they also usually feel different in your hand in terms of weight and texture.

Th-The way you're talking, Airi... You sound like an expert!

By the way, Airi, what kind of tea bowl is your favorite?

My favorite...? I think I like bowls that feel bumpy but have a glossy glaze. To me, those seem the most unique and have the most presence.

G-Glaze...? Presence...?

You know how ceramics usually look all smooth and shiny? Glaze is essentially glass, which gives it that effect.

Oh, it's called glaze?
That's good to know!

I have a vague picture in my head of the kind of bowl you just described, but it'd be nice sometime to actually see one...

Hehe. Yes, you should!
Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to go into so much detail...

No, that's okay.

You seemed to really enjoy talking about this, which put smiles on all our faces.

Yeah, your eyes sparkled while you talked.

R-Really?

A-Anyway!
Today, club activities will be taking priority over practice.

Of course! I hope you have fun, Airi.