Kaori:
My name is Kaori Izumi.
I'm in the 8th grade at Miyagami Academy.
I'm also the youngest member of the Best Student Council's Assault Squad.
The only reason I came to Miyagami Academy was to become a member of the Best Student Council.
I wanted to be closer to the president of the Best Student Council, the beautiful Miss Kanade Jinguji.
Her beauty transcends everything...
And with her calm demeanor, she never flaunts her high social standing...
Miss Kanade is the woman of my dreams...
I wanted to attend the same school she goes to, to participate in the same activities that she did.
And one day, I hope to become an executive member and serve alongside her!
Someday, she'll say to me...
Kanade:
I have something to ask you, my dearest Kaori.
Promise me that you'll stay by my side forever.
Kaori:
I promise, Miss Kanade.
[Je vous aimerai pour toujours.]
Kanade:
Wow, that's French, isn't it?
Kaori:
Someday it'll happen, but where will we go from there?
What will happen next?
As a pure and innocent 14-year old girl, I'm afraid I can't imagine any more than that!
Huh?
Kanade:
Rino, you've got some lint in your hair.
Rino:
Well, thank you, Miss President. Merci beaucoup.
Kanade:
Oh wow, that's French, isn't it?
Kaori:
You little ditz, Rino...
I will never forgive you!
That should be ME spending quality time with Miss Kanade, not you and your stupid puppet!
That puppet is so gonna get a beating!
Calm down. It's okay, Kaori.
Miss Kanade is only talking to her out of morbid curiosity, I mean, that little ditz is a rare creature.
If she hangs out with that klutz for too long, I'm sure she'll be fed up with her soon enough!
Just you wait, I'll replace her!
The girl who Miss Kanade is gonna end up with is ME, KAORI IZUMI!!
Nanaho:
The abilities of our newly appointed secretary, Miss Rino Rando, are as-yet-unknown.
Therefore, we've decided that she will temporary become a member of the Assault Squad, so that we may determine her aptitude.
Kaori, I want you to look after her.
Kaori:
What?
Rino:
Please take good care of me!
Kaori:
But why me?
Nanaho:
What's with that expression?
Is there a problem?
Kaori:
No! Not a problem at all!
Well, Rino Rando, I'd be honored to show you the ropes.
Rino:
Thank you very much, Kaori.
Kuon:
Hey Nanaho, who decided to pair the two of them?
Nanaho:
The president did.
Kuon:
Humph, I figured that.
Rino:
Um, excuse me! Please wait for me!
Rein:
You wanna bet on whether this Kaori / Rino duo works out?
Sayuri:
I bet it DOESN'T work.
Rein:
I'm afraid the bet's off, Sayuri. Game over. There's no contest.
Kaori:
I don't like wasting my breath, so I'm gonna get straight to the point.
Listen carefully to everything I say. Got that, Rino?
Rino:
Uh, yes!
Kaori:
The main duty of the Assault Squad of the Best Student Council is our patrol duty.
We walk the school checking for any possible problems, and if we find any, we deal with them.
Well, that's pretty much it. You got all that? Rino?
Rino:
Yes, ma'am!
Pucchan:
Listen, lady, aren't you supposed to report any problems that you find to the vice-president?
Kaori:
If it's a minor problem, you can just report it at your convenience.
Each member is responsible for making that call themselves.
Pucchan:
Now I get it.
So in other words, you could forget to report a big problem to the VP and then you could blame it on Rino, huh?
Kaori:
What do you mean by that?
Pucchan:
I mean what I said.
I get the feeling you don't like the kiddo very much.
Kaori:
You idiot!
Rino:
Stop it, Pucchan!
You shouldn't say such rude things to Miss Kaori!
Don't forget that she's a fellow member of the Best Student Council!
Pucchan:
Yeah, you're right.
You wouldn't try to frame another student council member now, would ya?
Kaori:
No. Even if I would really love to, I couldn't.
Rino:
Huh?
Kaori:
I don't like you, Rino, and I don't think you're qualified to be a member of the Best Student Council.
But I'd never do anything that would cause Miss Kanade not to trust me.
Don't you forget that. You don't ever have to worry about me.
Rino:
Uh... okay.
Pucchan:
You're brutally honest, aren't ya?
Kaori:
Ya, I'm always brutally honest.
Come on, let's go.
Rino:
Uh, yes, ma'am!
Rino:
It doesn't seem like there're any problems today, huh?
Kaori:
I guess not.
Ayumu:
Hey, what's up, Rino?
Rino:
Ayu-chan!
Ayumu:
Thank you for patrolling the school.
Rino:
We're just doing our job.
Ayumu:
Oh, wow...
Rino:
What? What's the matter?
Ayumu:
It's just that you look so official wearing that Best Student Council armband, Rino.
Tell me, do you like the student council?
Rino:
I love it, but sometimes I get nervous being around such amazing people.
But President Kanade has been so incredibly nice to me.
Like last night, she was nice enough to make me one of her really awesome homemade desserts!
It was absolutely delicious!
Ayumu:
Rino, wow, you must be the president's favorite!
Rino:
You think? Maybe...
Kaori:
You're not her favorite!
Ayumu:
Um, Kaori? Is something wrong?
Where'd THAT come from?
Kaori:
It was nothing. Sorry for yelling.
I just got a little carried away, that's all.
Hazuki:
Excuse me!
You guys are from the Best Student Council, aren't you?
Rino:
That's right. What seems to be the matter?
Hazuki:
Please come with me!
We really need your help!
Kaori:
Can you tell us what happened?
Hazuki:
There's been a horrible incident!
Rino:
An incident?
Hazuki:
Uh-huh.
Pucchan:
Don't worry, I'll take care of it for ya, sweetie.
Now let's get a move on, you guys!
Kaori:
Hey, don't boss me around!
Mami:
You guys! Check out this amazing puppet!
It looks like it's alive!
Pucchan:
Fall in love with me and you'll only get burned, sugar.
Mami:
Wow, he's so hot...
Kaori:
Ahem!
Mami:
I'm so sorry!
I'm Mami Aoki, and I'm the captain of the puppet theater club.
I'm in the 10th grade.
And behind me are the other members of our club.
Sachiko:
I'm Sachiko Iijima from the 9th grade.
Tomoko:
I'm Tomoko Egawa from the 8th grade.
Hazuki:
Hazuki Oda. I'm in 7th grade.
Rino:
Thank you all for the introductions.
Kaori:
So tell us about this "incident" that occurred.
Mami:
Sure. Today, I... I found this when I came in this morning.
Kaori:
A puppet?
Mami:
Yes. This is Snake.
He was going to play the main character in our next show.
Our Snake used to be such a beautiful puppet...
And look how disfigured he is now!
Sachiko:
How can they do that?!
Tomoko:
He had a career on the stage ahead of him!
Rino:
So sad!
Pucchan:
Man, I've never seen a victim so cut up before!
Rino:
We have to figure out who did this!
Kaori:
It's time for us to leave, Rino.
Rino:
Huh? But aren't we gonna help them?
Kaori:
I'm sorry, but this is not an investigation that requires the skill of the Best Student Council.
It's just a puppet, fix it and the problem is solved.
Pucchan:
You moron!
Don't judge the weight of the crime by the size of the victim!
Can't you see these girls are in pain because something that they cherish has been destroyed?
This is a criminal act and they need your help!
Rino:
I have to agree with him.
I mean, if Pucchan ever ended up like Snake, I don't know what I'd do...
Pucchan:
Hey, watch what you say there.
Rino:
Sorry about that!
Ayumu:
Kaori.
Kaori:
So who's the person in charge of this meeting room?
Mami:
That would be me.
I'm the only one who has a key to this room.
Kaori:
Where do you keep the key?
Mami:
I keep it in a pocket in my bag and I carry it with me at all times.
Kaori:
Is there a spare?
Mami:
No, there isn't.
Kaori:
So the culprit must have taken the key from your bag sometime between when you got to school and your lunch break.
Then, they were able to secretly infiltrate this meeting room and destroyed the puppet in question.
Ayumu:
That sounds about right to me anyway.
Kaori:
How many people are in your club?
Mami:
It's just the four of us, and we're all here.
Kaori:
Have you let anyone else know that you were going to use this puppet as the lead for your next performance?
Mami:
No, we haven't.
Kaori:
Well, that narrows it down.
The only people who really know the importance of this puppet and that might have a reasonable motive to destroy it are...
That's right...
Pucchan:
The suspect is in this room!
Kaori:
Don't steal my line, you jerk!
Rino:
But I'm not the suspect, I swear!
Ayumu:
We know that, Rino.
Mami:
There are only four members in the puppet theater club, and we all get along really well.
So there's absolutely no way that the person who destroyed Snake could possibly be a member of the club!
Kaori:
Where did you keep the puppet when you weren't using it?
Mami:
There. We kept him in that big wooden box.
There are other puppets in there, too.
Kaori:
Was there damage to any of the other puppets?
Mami:
No. Snake was the only puppet in the box that was damaged.
Kaori:
So which of the members of the puppet theater club made Snake?
Mami:
Snake was made by Sachiko Iijima.
Sachiko:
Usually, Mami takes care of everything from making the puppets to writing the scripts.
We kinda just help her out a little.
But for our upcoming performance, we decided it would be cool if all of us could take part in it, you know.
Ayumu:
So, you're the one who made Snake, isn't that right?
Rino:
How cool! Totally awesome!
Sachiko:
I was so excited.
Mami spent a lot of time showing me all the different ways to make puppets.
I was a pain in the butt, but I managed to finish it.
But I can't believe something horrible like this happened!
And this is so miserable that I can't even eat anything!
Pucchan:
You're eating right now.
Can I have some?
Tomoko:
This is the first time that I've been in charge of the script.
Captain Aoki and the others kept telling me what a great story it was.
That's why this is so frustrating.
Kaori:
How did you decide who was going to take care of the different tasks?
Tomoko:
To be fair, we decided to pull names for each tasks.
Kaori:
Did you have any issues with the task you were given?
Tomoko:
Not at all. I don't think anyone else did, either.
Pucchan:
Okay, one last question: Why do you have to speak with the puppet? Can't you speak for yourself?
Tomoko:
Hey now! Look who's talking, buddy!
Pucchan:
Oh!
Hazuki:
I'm still new to the puppet theater club, so all I ever do is help the others with their tasks.
Ayumu:
So you must really love puppet shows!
Hazuki:
I wasn't really into puppets at first, you know, but then I saw a show that Captain Aoki had put together.
I joined 'cause of Captain Aoki!
The puppets that she makes are so incredibly beautiful!
The stories she writes and her acting ability are amazing!
Rino:
Wow, sounds cool!
Pucchan, we should check out her show sometime.
Pucchan:
Yeah, we have so much free time.
Kaori:
You said that your job is basically to help out the other members, so you're in a neutral position.
Let me ask you one more thing, Hazuki: Who do you think the culprit is?
Hazuki:
Um, I don't know...
I really don't know who it could be. But, I...
Kaori:
But what?
Hazuki:
At the end of the day, the real star of the show is the puppet itself.
To be honest, I was a little jealous of Sachiko, 'cause Snake was the first puppet she made and he came out so well.
Oh, but I would never do anything like that! And that's the truth!
Rino:
Yeah, we know that, Hazuki.
Kaori:
You commented on the quality of the puppet.
Was it better than the ones Mami makes?
Hazuki:
Yeah, I think so. It was well-made.
Kaori:
Let me ask you one more thing, Mami: Are you and the club members still going to perform if this case doesn't get resolved?
Mami:
I'm not sure, I'd have to ask the others what they think.
But personally, I don't think it'd be very much fun to perform together if we all still suspect one another.
Who knows?
Kaori:
What are you gonna do if you find out this was an inside job?
Mami:
I'll have a talk with them.
If there are any problems in the club, I'd like to resolve them.
I want this to be a fun club again like it used to be, because that is my responsibility as the puppet theater club's captain.
Kaori:
I can understand that.
Now, please excuse us while we examine the scene.
I'm sorry to ask this of you, but would you mind waiting outside with the other members?
Mami:
Sure.
Ayumu:
Hey, Rino, do you have any idea who might have done it?
Rino:
How in the world am I supposed to know who did it?
Pucchan:
It's obvious. It was Hazuki Oda.
Rino:
What?
Pucchan:
She joined this club out of admiration for the captain.
Now she doesn't do anything while the other club members do cool stuff.
I'm thinking she didn't like the politics.
Rino:
There's no way!
Ayumu:
You know, he may be right.
Hazuki was the one who came to us in the first place.
Pucchan:
The first person to report a crime usually turns out to be the culprit.
Rino:
But she's such a good person!
She'd never do such a thing!
Pucchan:
Don't let her sweet facade fool ya!
Rino:
Hazuki didn't do it!
I know she didn't, Pucchan!
Pucchan:
I told you, kiddo. There is the weapon.
Ayumu:
A pair of scissors?
Anyone in the club would have a pair of scissors.
Rino:
Yeah, they all have 'em!
Ayu-chan has a really good point!
Pucchan:
Why don't you take a closer look at the blades, girls?
Rino:
What's that stuff on it?
Ayumu:
It looks like thread.
Pucchan:
Not only is it thread, but it's the same color as Snake's outfit.
This is what we call "solid evidence".
Ayumu:
No way... I never thought that she would be the suspect.
Rino:
I know. I don't want her to be.
Pucchan:
Just accept the truth, kiddo.
Rino:
No! If that's the truth, then they're all gonna be so upset that they'll never trust each other again!
They're not gonna enjoy performing together anymore!
And that would be terrible for all of them!
The club would never be the same again!
So you're wrong! It's not Hazuki! It's definitely not her!
Kaori:
Wow, Rino, you really are an idiot, aren't you?
If you keep letting your emotions get in the way, you'll never be able to solve the case.
Rino:
But...
Kaori:
Listen carefully!
Don't worry about Hazuki, she's not a suspect anyway.
Ayumu:
Really?
Kaori:
Ya.
Pucchan:
How can you be so sure, toots?
Kaori:
I don't think anyone would do something like that knowing that it would devastate the person they admire.
I wouldn't do anything like that, out of the question, no matter how frustrated I may get sometimes.
Ayumu:
Kaori...
Kaori:
I know who the culprit is.
And I know that it's not her.
Everyone:
What?! The cat is the suspect?
You gotta be kidding!
Kaori:
Uh-huh. I saw a stray cat out here in the courtyard earlier.
There's a ventilation window on the floor that's really easy to open.
The cat must have opened this window and come inside, where he found the puppet.
Pucchan:
Hold on a second.
The puppet was inside that wooden box on the shelf.
Are you trying to say that the cat got up there and then only messed with that one puppet?
Kaori:
Ayumu, go ahead and smell the puppet.
Ayumu:
It kinda smells like food.
Kaori:
That's because Sachiko, who made the puppet, loves eating snacks.
Let me explain what happened.
The smell of Sachiko's snacks was passed from her hands on to the puppet.
That smell then attracted the cat.
And that's what really happened.
Tomoko:
That makes me happy.
I'm so glad that it wasn't one of us who did that to poor Snake!
Hazuki:
Isn't that great? That means we can perform again, captain!
Sachiko:
Yeah! I promise to do my best to fix Snake for the show!
Mami:
Thank you guys.
Everything's gonna work out.
Hazuki:
Yeah!
Tomoko:
You should try cutting back on the snacks, Sachiko!
Sachiko:
I don't wanna.
Tomoko:
None of this would have happened if it wasn't for your snack problem!
Sachiko:
Well, I'll try to stop...
Ayumu:
I'm so glad that it all worked out.
Rino:
Yeah, everything's resolved.
And it's all thanks to Kaori!
Kaori:
Well, what did you expect?
I mean, I just did my job as a member of the Best Student Council's Assault Squad.
What is it?
Pucchan:
Oh, it's nothing.
I guess we'll just leave it at that for now.
Seina:
Thank you. I'm impressed.
Your report was very well written, and the video clips were extremely well put together!
I'll go ahead and submit them to the president for you.
Keep up the good work!
Nanaho:
You guys on the Covert Squad work hard.
Well, I guess this settles the puppet theater club's case then.
Seina:
Yeah, but there may still be an epilogue.
Nanaho:
An epilogue?
Seina:
Maybe they'll find out how Kaori joined the student council.
That's pretty interesting.
Kaori:
I would never want to make a person that I admire upset.
That should be obvious... you would think...
Kanade:
I don't mean to startle you, but aren't you Kaori Izumi?
We would very much like for you to come with us to Miyagami Academy.
Kaori:
Huh?
Kanade:
We'll take care of you, and we'll have a lot of fun.
There're so many different things to do there, you'll never be lonesome again.
I promise you that, Kaori.
Kaori:
I wanna do that...
I wanna come with you! Take me with you!
Kanade:
I know that you'll love it there. Yes, we'll be so happy.
All of us together...
Kaori:
That's right, it'd be pointless if I was alone.
Thanks to that ditsy Rino, I remember... The reason why I am who I am.
"I am captain of the school's puppet theater club.
I do everything from making the puppets to performing.
I know I'm the best, 'cause I am the captain.
I know that I am what the other club members aspire to be.
I know that and I accept praise on behalf of them.
As the girl who stands above the others, I've given them an opportunity.
But the girls that I once thought were merely my sidekicks are on the verge of developing their own wonderful talents.
I don't want to lose my comfortable position, so..."
You chopped up the lead puppet and tried to use that crime to cancel your upcoming performance!
You even tried to frame a sweet girl, who has done nothing but admire you!
Mami:
I didn't wanna do it, but I...
Kaori:
Don't worry, Mami. I'm not going to tell anybody.
Mami:
You're not gonna tell on me?
Kaori:
No.
Mami:
Thanks a lot...
Kaori:
You should be a role model! You have people that look up to you!
Do your job the best you positively can for the sake of those who admire you!
Oh, and lighten up, captain.
Kaori:
The girl that I admire is someone who's truly worthy of being looked up to.
She is someone that I could be proud to admire, openly and tenaciously.
So I won't be jealous of Rino Rando anymore.
I wouldn't want to do anything that might make the one I admire upset. I'd never do that.
I'll live a happy life admiring from afar. Isn't that right, Miss Kanade?
Kanade:
So tell me, what would you like for dinner tonight, Rino?
Rino:
Hamburg steak!
Pucchan:
Curry and rice!
Kanade:
Can't make a decision?
We'll ask Maachi to cook both for us.
Rino:
Yay!
Pucchan:
All right!
Kanade:
I'm thrilled that you're so excited about dinner.
You know what, Rino? Looking at your smiling face makes me so happy.
Rino:
Thanks, Miss Kanade. Merci.
Kanade:
Wow, that's French, isn't it?
Kaori:
I'm lucky to be a member of the Best Student Council...
And I care about the other members, especially our President Kanade...
What is this feeling? This horrible feeling that's coming from the very bottom of my heart...
This is unforgivable, and I won't let her get away with it!
She can't have Miss Kanade all to herself!
I hate Rino Rando!
Rein:
Tsunomoto here! Rein! Rein Tsunomoto!
The student council and the culinary club face off in a cooking battle!
It's a challenge, it's yummy, it's a lot of trouble!
Next time on Best Student Council: "A Beautiful Battle"
It's a Best triumph, a win, a victory!
My name is Kaori Izumi.
I'm in the 8th grade at Miyagami Academy.
I'm also the youngest member of the Best Student Council's Assault Squad.
The only reason I came to Miyagami Academy was to become a member of the Best Student Council.
I wanted to be closer to the president of the Best Student Council, the beautiful Miss Kanade Jinguji.
Her beauty transcends everything...
And with her calm demeanor, she never flaunts her high social standing...
Miss Kanade is the woman of my dreams...
I wanted to attend the same school she goes to, to participate in the same activities that she did.
And one day, I hope to become an executive member and serve alongside her!
Someday, she'll say to me...
Kanade:
I have something to ask you, my dearest Kaori.
Promise me that you'll stay by my side forever.
Kaori:
I promise, Miss Kanade.
[Je vous aimerai pour toujours.]
Kanade:
Wow, that's French, isn't it?
Kaori:
Someday it'll happen, but where will we go from there?
What will happen next?
As a pure and innocent 14-year old girl, I'm afraid I can't imagine any more than that!
Huh?
Kanade:
Rino, you've got some lint in your hair.
Rino:
Well, thank you, Miss President. Merci beaucoup.
Kanade:
Oh wow, that's French, isn't it?
Kaori:
You little ditz, Rino...
I will never forgive you!
That should be ME spending quality time with Miss Kanade, not you and your stupid puppet!
That puppet is so gonna get a beating!
Calm down. It's okay, Kaori.
Miss Kanade is only talking to her out of morbid curiosity, I mean, that little ditz is a rare creature.
If she hangs out with that klutz for too long, I'm sure she'll be fed up with her soon enough!
Just you wait, I'll replace her!
The girl who Miss Kanade is gonna end up with is ME, KAORI IZUMI!!
Nanaho:
The abilities of our newly appointed secretary, Miss Rino Rando, are as-yet-unknown.
Therefore, we've decided that she will temporary become a member of the Assault Squad, so that we may determine her aptitude.
Kaori, I want you to look after her.
Kaori:
What?
Rino:
Please take good care of me!
Kaori:
But why me?
Nanaho:
What's with that expression?
Is there a problem?
Kaori:
No! Not a problem at all!
Well, Rino Rando, I'd be honored to show you the ropes.
Rino:
Thank you very much, Kaori.
Kuon:
Hey Nanaho, who decided to pair the two of them?
Nanaho:
The president did.
Kuon:
Humph, I figured that.
Rino:
Um, excuse me! Please wait for me!
Rein:
You wanna bet on whether this Kaori / Rino duo works out?
Sayuri:
I bet it DOESN'T work.
Rein:
I'm afraid the bet's off, Sayuri. Game over. There's no contest.
Kaori:
I don't like wasting my breath, so I'm gonna get straight to the point.
Listen carefully to everything I say. Got that, Rino?
Rino:
Uh, yes!
Kaori:
The main duty of the Assault Squad of the Best Student Council is our patrol duty.
We walk the school checking for any possible problems, and if we find any, we deal with them.
Well, that's pretty much it. You got all that? Rino?
Rino:
Yes, ma'am!
Pucchan:
Listen, lady, aren't you supposed to report any problems that you find to the vice-president?
Kaori:
If it's a minor problem, you can just report it at your convenience.
Each member is responsible for making that call themselves.
Pucchan:
Now I get it.
So in other words, you could forget to report a big problem to the VP and then you could blame it on Rino, huh?
Kaori:
What do you mean by that?
Pucchan:
I mean what I said.
I get the feeling you don't like the kiddo very much.
Kaori:
You idiot!
Rino:
Stop it, Pucchan!
You shouldn't say such rude things to Miss Kaori!
Don't forget that she's a fellow member of the Best Student Council!
Pucchan:
Yeah, you're right.
You wouldn't try to frame another student council member now, would ya?
Kaori:
No. Even if I would really love to, I couldn't.
Rino:
Huh?
Kaori:
I don't like you, Rino, and I don't think you're qualified to be a member of the Best Student Council.
But I'd never do anything that would cause Miss Kanade not to trust me.
Don't you forget that. You don't ever have to worry about me.
Rino:
Uh... okay.
Pucchan:
You're brutally honest, aren't ya?
Kaori:
Ya, I'm always brutally honest.
Come on, let's go.
Rino:
Uh, yes, ma'am!
Rino:
It doesn't seem like there're any problems today, huh?
Kaori:
I guess not.
Ayumu:
Hey, what's up, Rino?
Rino:
Ayu-chan!
Ayumu:
Thank you for patrolling the school.
Rino:
We're just doing our job.
Ayumu:
Oh, wow...
Rino:
What? What's the matter?
Ayumu:
It's just that you look so official wearing that Best Student Council armband, Rino.
Tell me, do you like the student council?
Rino:
I love it, but sometimes I get nervous being around such amazing people.
But President Kanade has been so incredibly nice to me.
Like last night, she was nice enough to make me one of her really awesome homemade desserts!
It was absolutely delicious!
Ayumu:
Rino, wow, you must be the president's favorite!
Rino:
You think? Maybe...
Kaori:
You're not her favorite!
Ayumu:
Um, Kaori? Is something wrong?
Where'd THAT come from?
Kaori:
It was nothing. Sorry for yelling.
I just got a little carried away, that's all.
Hazuki:
Excuse me!
You guys are from the Best Student Council, aren't you?
Rino:
That's right. What seems to be the matter?
Hazuki:
Please come with me!
We really need your help!
Kaori:
Can you tell us what happened?
Hazuki:
There's been a horrible incident!
Rino:
An incident?
Hazuki:
Uh-huh.
Pucchan:
Don't worry, I'll take care of it for ya, sweetie.
Now let's get a move on, you guys!
Kaori:
Hey, don't boss me around!
Mami:
You guys! Check out this amazing puppet!
It looks like it's alive!
Pucchan:
Fall in love with me and you'll only get burned, sugar.
Mami:
Wow, he's so hot...
Kaori:
Ahem!
Mami:
I'm so sorry!
I'm Mami Aoki, and I'm the captain of the puppet theater club.
I'm in the 10th grade.
And behind me are the other members of our club.
Sachiko:
I'm Sachiko Iijima from the 9th grade.
Tomoko:
I'm Tomoko Egawa from the 8th grade.
Hazuki:
Hazuki Oda. I'm in 7th grade.
Rino:
Thank you all for the introductions.
Kaori:
So tell us about this "incident" that occurred.
Mami:
Sure. Today, I... I found this when I came in this morning.
Kaori:
A puppet?
Mami:
Yes. This is Snake.
He was going to play the main character in our next show.
Our Snake used to be such a beautiful puppet...
And look how disfigured he is now!
Sachiko:
How can they do that?!
Tomoko:
He had a career on the stage ahead of him!
Rino:
So sad!
Pucchan:
Man, I've never seen a victim so cut up before!
Rino:
We have to figure out who did this!
Kaori:
It's time for us to leave, Rino.
Rino:
Huh? But aren't we gonna help them?
Kaori:
I'm sorry, but this is not an investigation that requires the skill of the Best Student Council.
It's just a puppet, fix it and the problem is solved.
Pucchan:
You moron!
Don't judge the weight of the crime by the size of the victim!
Can't you see these girls are in pain because something that they cherish has been destroyed?
This is a criminal act and they need your help!
Rino:
I have to agree with him.
I mean, if Pucchan ever ended up like Snake, I don't know what I'd do...
Pucchan:
Hey, watch what you say there.
Rino:
Sorry about that!
Ayumu:
Kaori.
Kaori:
So who's the person in charge of this meeting room?
Mami:
That would be me.
I'm the only one who has a key to this room.
Kaori:
Where do you keep the key?
Mami:
I keep it in a pocket in my bag and I carry it with me at all times.
Kaori:
Is there a spare?
Mami:
No, there isn't.
Kaori:
So the culprit must have taken the key from your bag sometime between when you got to school and your lunch break.
Then, they were able to secretly infiltrate this meeting room and destroyed the puppet in question.
Ayumu:
That sounds about right to me anyway.
Kaori:
How many people are in your club?
Mami:
It's just the four of us, and we're all here.
Kaori:
Have you let anyone else know that you were going to use this puppet as the lead for your next performance?
Mami:
No, we haven't.
Kaori:
Well, that narrows it down.
The only people who really know the importance of this puppet and that might have a reasonable motive to destroy it are...
That's right...
Pucchan:
The suspect is in this room!
Kaori:
Don't steal my line, you jerk!
Rino:
But I'm not the suspect, I swear!
Ayumu:
We know that, Rino.
Mami:
There are only four members in the puppet theater club, and we all get along really well.
So there's absolutely no way that the person who destroyed Snake could possibly be a member of the club!
Rino:
Yeah, you're right, Mami!
That's impossible!
Kaori:
Stop being swayed by your emotions.
Rino:
Okay...
Kaori:
Where did you keep the puppet when you weren't using it?
Mami:
There. We kept him in that big wooden box.
There are other puppets in there, too.
Kaori:
Was there damage to any of the other puppets?
Mami:
No. Snake was the only puppet in the box that was damaged.
Kaori:
So which of the members of the puppet theater club made Snake?
Mami:
Snake was made by Sachiko Iijima.
Sachiko:
Usually, Mami takes care of everything from making the puppets to writing the scripts.
We kinda just help her out a little.
But for our upcoming performance, we decided it would be cool if all of us could take part in it, you know.
Ayumu:
So, you're the one who made Snake, isn't that right?
Rino:
How cool! Totally awesome!
Sachiko:
I was so excited.
Mami spent a lot of time showing me all the different ways to make puppets.
I was a pain in the butt, but I managed to finish it.
But I can't believe something horrible like this happened!
And this is so miserable that I can't even eat anything!
Pucchan:
You're eating right now.
Can I have some?
Tomoko:
This is the first time that I've been in charge of the script.
Captain Aoki and the others kept telling me what a great story it was.
That's why this is so frustrating.
Kaori:
How did you decide who was going to take care of the different tasks?
Tomoko:
To be fair, we decided to pull names for each tasks.
Kaori:
Did you have any issues with the task you were given?
Tomoko:
Not at all. I don't think anyone else did, either.
Pucchan:
Okay, one last question: Why do you have to speak with the puppet? Can't you speak for yourself?
Tomoko:
Hey now! Look who's talking, buddy!
Pucchan:
Oh!
Hazuki:
I'm still new to the puppet theater club, so all I ever do is help the others with their tasks.
Ayumu:
So you must really love puppet shows!
Hazuki:
I wasn't really into puppets at first, you know, but then I saw a show that Captain Aoki had put together.
I joined 'cause of Captain Aoki!
The puppets that she makes are so incredibly beautiful!
The stories she writes and her acting ability are amazing!
Rino:
Wow, sounds cool!
Pucchan, we should check out her show sometime.
Pucchan:
Yeah, we have so much free time.
Kaori:
You said that your job is basically to help out the other members, so you're in a neutral position.
Let me ask you one more thing, Hazuki: Who do you think the culprit is?
Hazuki:
Um, I don't know...
I really don't know who it could be. But, I...
Kaori:
But what?
Hazuki:
At the end of the day, the real star of the show is the puppet itself.
To be honest, I was a little jealous of Sachiko, 'cause Snake was the first puppet she made and he came out so well.
Oh, but I would never do anything like that! And that's the truth!
Rino:
Yeah, we know that, Hazuki.
Kaori:
You commented on the quality of the puppet.
Was it better than the ones Mami makes?
Hazuki:
Yeah, I think so. It was well-made.
Kaori:
Let me ask you one more thing, Mami: Are you and the club members still going to perform if this case doesn't get resolved?
Mami:
I'm not sure, I'd have to ask the others what they think.
But personally, I don't think it'd be very much fun to perform together if we all still suspect one another.
Who knows?
Kaori:
What are you gonna do if you find out this was an inside job?
Mami:
I'll have a talk with them.
If there are any problems in the club, I'd like to resolve them.
I want this to be a fun club again like it used to be, because that is my responsibility as the puppet theater club's captain.
Kaori:
I can understand that.
Now, please excuse us while we examine the scene.
I'm sorry to ask this of you, but would you mind waiting outside with the other members?
Mami:
Sure.
Ayumu:
Hey, Rino, do you have any idea who might have done it?
Rino:
How in the world am I supposed to know who did it?
Pucchan:
It's obvious. It was Hazuki Oda.
Rino:
What?
Pucchan:
She joined this club out of admiration for the captain.
Now she doesn't do anything while the other club members do cool stuff.
I'm thinking she didn't like the politics.
Rino:
There's no way!
Ayumu:
You know, he may be right.
Hazuki was the one who came to us in the first place.
Pucchan:
The first person to report a crime usually turns out to be the culprit.
Rino:
But she's such a good person!
She'd never do such a thing!
Pucchan:
Don't let her sweet facade fool ya!
Rino:
Hazuki didn't do it!
I know she didn't, Pucchan!
Pucchan:
I told you, kiddo. There is the weapon.
Ayumu:
A pair of scissors?
Anyone in the club would have a pair of scissors.
Rino:
Yeah, they all have 'em!
Ayu-chan has a really good point!
Pucchan:
Why don't you take a closer look at the blades, girls?
Rino:
What's that stuff on it?
Ayumu:
It looks like thread.
Pucchan:
Not only is it thread, but it's the same color as Snake's outfit.
This is what we call "solid evidence".
Ayumu:
No way... I never thought that she would be the suspect.
Rino:
I know. I don't want her to be.
Pucchan:
Just accept the truth, kiddo.
Rino:
No! If that's the truth, then they're all gonna be so upset that they'll never trust each other again!
They're not gonna enjoy performing together anymore!
And that would be terrible for all of them!
The club would never be the same again!
So you're wrong! It's not Hazuki! It's definitely not her!
Kaori:
Wow, Rino, you really are an idiot, aren't you?
If you keep letting your emotions get in the way, you'll never be able to solve the case.
Rino:
But...
Kaori:
Listen carefully!
Don't worry about Hazuki, she's not a suspect anyway.
Ayumu:
Really?
Kaori:
Ya.
Pucchan:
How can you be so sure, toots?
Kaori:
I don't think anyone would do something like that knowing that it would devastate the person they admire.
I wouldn't do anything like that, out of the question, no matter how frustrated I may get sometimes.
Ayumu:
Kaori...
Kaori:
I know who the culprit is.
And I know that it's not her.
Everyone:
What?! The cat is the suspect?
You gotta be kidding!
Kaori:
Uh-huh. I saw a stray cat out here in the courtyard earlier.
There's a ventilation window on the floor that's really easy to open.
The cat must have opened this window and come inside, where he found the puppet.
Pucchan:
Hold on a second.
The puppet was inside that wooden box on the shelf.
Are you trying to say that the cat got up there and then only messed with that one puppet?
Kaori:
Ayumu, go ahead and smell the puppet.
Ayumu:
It kinda smells like food.
Kaori:
That's because Sachiko, who made the puppet, loves eating snacks.
Let me explain what happened.
The smell of Sachiko's snacks was passed from her hands on to the puppet.
That smell then attracted the cat.
And that's what really happened.
Tomoko:
That makes me happy.
I'm so glad that it wasn't one of us who did that to poor Snake!
Hazuki:
Isn't that great? That means we can perform again, captain!
Sachiko:
Yeah! I promise to do my best to fix Snake for the show!
Mami:
Thank you guys.
Everything's gonna work out.
Hazuki:
Yeah!
Tomoko:
You should try cutting back on the snacks, Sachiko!
Sachiko:
I don't wanna.
Tomoko:
None of this would have happened if it wasn't for your snack problem!
Sachiko:
Well, I'll try to stop...
Ayumu:
I'm so glad that it all worked out.
Rino:
Yeah, everything's resolved.
And it's all thanks to Kaori!
Kaori:
Well, what did you expect?
I mean, I just did my job as a member of the Best Student Council's Assault Squad.
What is it?
Pucchan:
Oh, it's nothing.
I guess we'll just leave it at that for now.
Seina:
Thank you. I'm impressed.
Your report was very well written, and the video clips were extremely well put together!
I'll go ahead and submit them to the president for you.
Keep up the good work!
Nanaho:
You guys on the Covert Squad work hard.
Well, I guess this settles the puppet theater club's case then.
Seina:
Yeah, but there may still be an epilogue.
Nanaho:
An epilogue?
Seina:
Maybe they'll find out how Kaori joined the student council.
That's pretty interesting.
Kaori:
I would never want to make a person that I admire upset.
That should be obvious... you would think...
Kanade:
I don't mean to startle you, but aren't you Kaori Izumi?
We would very much like for you to come with us to Miyagami Academy.
Kaori:
Huh?
Kanade:
We'll take care of you, and we'll have a lot of fun.
There're so many different things to do there, you'll never be lonesome again.
I promise you that, Kaori.
Kaori:
I wanna do that...
I wanna come with you! Take me with you!
Kanade:
I know that you'll love it there. Yes, we'll be so happy.
All of us together...
Kaori:
That's right, it'd be pointless if I was alone.
Thanks to that ditsy Rino, I remember... The reason why I am who I am.
"I am captain of the school's puppet theater club.
I do everything from making the puppets to performing.
I know I'm the best, 'cause I am the captain.
I know that I am what the other club members aspire to be.
I know that and I accept praise on behalf of them.
As the girl who stands above the others, I've given them an opportunity.
But the girls that I once thought were merely my sidekicks are on the verge of developing their own wonderful talents.
I don't want to lose my comfortable position, so..."
You chopped up the lead puppet and tried to use that crime to cancel your upcoming performance!
You even tried to frame a sweet girl, who has done nothing but admire you!
Mami:
I didn't wanna do it, but I...
Kaori:
Don't worry, Mami. I'm not going to tell anybody.
Mami:
You're not gonna tell on me?
Kaori:
No.
Mami:
Thanks a lot...
Kaori:
You should be a role model! You have people that look up to you!
Do your job the best you positively can for the sake of those who admire you!
Oh, and lighten up, captain.
Kaori:
The girl that I admire is someone who's truly worthy of being looked up to.
She is someone that I could be proud to admire, openly and tenaciously.
So I won't be jealous of Rino Rando anymore.
I wouldn't want to do anything that might make the one I admire upset. I'd never do that.
I'll live a happy life admiring from afar. Isn't that right, Miss Kanade?
Kanade:
So tell me, what would you like for dinner tonight, Rino?
Rino:
Hamburg steak!
Pucchan:
Curry and rice!
Kanade:
Can't make a decision?
We'll ask Maachi to cook both for us.
Rino:
Yay!
Pucchan:
All right!
Kanade:
I'm thrilled that you're so excited about dinner.
You know what, Rino? Looking at your smiling face makes me so happy.
Rino:
Thanks, Miss Kanade. Merci.
Kanade:
Wow, that's French, isn't it?
Kaori:
I'm lucky to be a member of the Best Student Council...
And I care about the other members, especially our President Kanade...
What is this feeling? This horrible feeling that's coming from the very bottom of my heart...
This is unforgivable, and I won't let her get away with it!
She can't have Miss Kanade all to herself!
I hate Rino Rando!
Rein:
Tsunomoto here! Rein! Rein Tsunomoto!
The student council and the culinary club face off in a cooking battle!
It's a challenge, it's yummy, it's a lot of trouble!
Next time on Best Student Council: "A Beautiful Battle"
It's a Best triumph, a win, a victory!