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Dazzling Bouquet |  |
Kanon
Summer vacation is right around the corner. I'll have to add my club and part-time job plans to my calendar... Hm?
Kanon
Isn't that Eve-chan over there? That's a pretty intense expression. She must be really into that book...
Eve
"Writing haiku is the art of expressing concepts such as objects, accomplishments, and scenery into words."
Eve
"Let's begin by simply describing what you currently see and hear in the form of a haiku."
Eve
In the distance, I can hear cheers from the athletic club, as well as the song of summer cicadas. I also hear the sound of students rehearsing in the tea ceremony club room...
Kanon
...?
Eve
And last but not least, the image of a puzzled Kanon-san!
Kanon
Fue... Uhmm...
Eve
Fufu. I am currently studying the art of haiku writing! Would you care to join me?
Kanon
Haiku? Wh-what brought this on...?
Eve
I believe tea ceremonies and haiku are very similar.
Kanon
It's true that each one is a reflection of Japanese culture, but... how else are they similar?
Eve
Tea ceremonies also place importance on seasons, yes?
Kanon
That's true. The tools and sweets that are used change depending on the season...
Kanon
Oh, I see now. Another key part of haiku, aside from the five-seven-five pattern, is the seasonal vocabulary!
Eve
Exactly! Both show the change in seasons, making them perfect representations of Japanese culture!
Eve
Because of their similarities, I thought there might be some way to skillfully incorporate the two together.
Kanon
Oh, that's interesting.
Eve
Yes. The time spent making and drinking tea should be enjoyed to its fullest. I believe haiku would be perfect for that!
Eve
Would that not be an excellent way to experience the true beauty of Japanese art?
Kanon
I see... Yeah, I could see haiku doing that.
Eve
Yes! That way our tea ceremonies can be even more thought-provoking and fun!
Kanon
Yeah, I'm kind of interested myself now. Maybe we should both give it a try.
Eve
Very well, let's hurry and make some tea! I will get everything ready!
Kanon
Ah, let me help you!
Kanon
I see you've chosen a bowl with a maiden silver grass pattern, Eve-chan. Fufu, I can almost feel the cool autumn air.
Eve
So you noticed? How very observant, Kanon-san!
Eve
The patterns we select must not only match the season but also bring pleasure to our guests... The level of hospitality in tea ceremonies is truly remarkable!
Kanon
Fufu, I agree. Alright then... Thank you for the tea.
Kanon
... Mmm, it's good.
Eve
Really? I am glad!
Eve
And now, let's move on to the task at hand! We must take these feelings and express them in haiku form!
Kanon
Okay, let's give it a go! Let's see... What am I feeling...?
Kanon
Hmmm....
Eve
... Oh dear, is nothing coming to mind?
Kanon
Yeah... I've never practiced haiku before, so making one on the fly is kind of tricky.
Kanon
I know that haiku need to touch on the current season, but I'm not really sure what kind of words to add...
Eve
The book I was reading had a list of vocabulary you can use! Let's look over them together!
Kanon
Wow, amazing. Every page is packed with so many words.
Eve
Look at this, Kanon-san! I found the summer section!
Kanon
Let's see... "Hammock"... "Bungalow"... Wow, they have almost anything you could think of.
Eve
Both "cooler" and "refrigerator" are listed! Those are words that we use almost every day!
Kanon
I'm not too familiar with haiku, so I expected it to be beyond my understanding, but I feel a lot less intimidated knowing that these words are also acceptable.
Eve
I agree! Though I feel that the words "refrigerator" and "cooler" may now remind me of haiku whenever I see them...
Eve
Having so many words and phrases at our disposal makes it difficult to decide which to use.
Kanon
... I think the trick may be to not think so hard about it.
Eve
What do you mean?
Kanon
If haiku are expressions of familiarity, then it may be best to not stray too far from our usual selves.
Kanon
Instead of worrying about what makes a good haiku, we should start with being honest with our feelings and write them as they are.
Eve
You are exactly right...! Great thinking, Kanon-san!
Eve
In that case... Yes, yes... Be honest with our feelings... Hmmm...
Kanon
(Eve-chan is thinking really hard about this... It's kind of nice to spend summer vacation tackling a new challenge with a friend...)
Kanon
("Intense vibrations... Troubled groans of a close friend... A cicada's song...")
Kanon
(... Hehe, just kidding.)
Eve
Ah! Kanon-san! You came up with a haiku just now!
Kanon
Huh?! H-how did you know...?!
Eve
You cannot fool these eyes! I can see through your every action, Kanon-san!
Eve
Please share your newly written haiku with me! I will not move from this spot until you do! Immovable is my spirit!
Kanon
I-I don't think this is a matter of spirit...
Kanon
A-alright! I'll tell you, I'll tell you!
Transcript
Kanon
Marina-san, BanG Dreamer-san. Good afternoon.
Marina
Oh, Kanon-chan! If you're coming from that direction, then... that means you're on your way home from CiRCLE, right?
Kanon
Yes. Are you doing some shopping?
Marina
No, it's our day off today. You caught us discussing how unlikely it is that we would bump into each other, holding the same pamphlet, no less!
Kanon
Ah! I recognize that pamphlet! It's for a pleasure boat!
Marina
Sure is. We picked them up from the station a little while ago. I thought it would be a nice place to get away from the heat.
Marina
Are you interested in going too, Kanon-chan?
Kanon
Actually... we spent the evening on one during the fireworks festival the other day.
Marina
No kidding!
Kanon
Yes. It all started when Hagumi-chan, Kokoro-chan, and Misaki-chan needed to finish a haiku assignment for their summer vacation homework...
Kanon
Kokoro-chan and Hagumi-chan didn't really seem to understand what a haiku even was... so I figured I could try helping them out.
Marina
Hm, a haiku assignment~. Sounds interesting. Wait, how exactly does that tie in with the fireworks?
Kanon
The first step in making haiku is to experience something that inspires you to write one.
Kanon
That's when we realized that the festival was right around the corner...
Marina
I see. An event like that does seem like a good source for inspiration.
Kanon
I agree. We met up a little early that day to stop by the stands and try our hand at writing a few haiku.
Kanon
From there, we were on our way to watch the fireworks when a nearby pleasure boat grabbed Kokoro-chan's attention, and she dragged us all aboard.
Marina
Fufu, I can see her doing that.
Marina
How was it? The pleasure boat, that is. Tell me all about it!
Kanon
It was a lot of fun!
Kanon
The interior was much more spacious than we imagined, and we realized that it being isolated like that means it could make for a good performance venue...
Kanon
Ah, and the view was also very beautiful! Common everyday sights somehow took on a new refreshing perspective when seeing them from the river...!
Kanon
And finally, the fireworks started. They're somehow even more amazing when watching from inside of a pleasure boat.
Kanon
I hope we do it all again next year...
Marina
Fufu, sounds like you had a good time.
Kanon
Ah, I-I apologize! I've been rambling this whole time...
Marina
Not at all. I'm glad to hear that you had such a nice experience. An enjoyable evening like that is sure to help in creating all sorts of haiku.
Kanon
... You're right. I can't speak for their quality, but they definitely felt like haiku that only we could write.
Marina
Really?! Can you maybe share a few with me? Pretty please!
Kanon
Um... it would be kind of embarrassing to recite them by myself...
Kanon
I'll try to have the others share them with you the next time we stop by the studio.
Marina
Fufu, alright. I'm looking forward to your next session, then!
Kanon
Thank you. But, um... please promise that you won't share them with anyone else.