Akari and Friends' Leisurely Shopping District Summit - Akari's Heart-Pounding Prize Strategy Meeting!

"A spy is coming... I'm absolutely sure of it!" Friday after school. Ishikari Akari's voice echoed through the arcade of Hinata Shopping District. She clutched a thick file in both hands. Her bobbed hair, cut straight at the shoulders, swayed with her energetic movements. Beneath the bangs pinned back with a red clip, her large, round brown eyes sparkled brightly. Her small frame was dressed in the red happi coat of Ishikari Meat. Below, she wore easy-to-move-in jeans and sneakers. A memo pad and spare bags peeked out from the pocket of her apron. "This again?" Toyama Rei, walking beside her, let out a sigh. Her straight black hair reached down her back. Her bangs were cut in a perfectly straight line just above her eyebrows. Her narrow, cool eyes fixed on Akari's file, then narrowed slightly. "Look, Rei. This is a serious crisis. Here, check this out." Akari spread the file open. Inside, handwritten notes filled every inch. The names of every shop owner in the district, their family structures, even their favorite foods were all recorded. "Chairman Tsunoda's favorite food is amanatto... There's no way you can use that for counter-espionage." "Now, now. That's so like you, Akari." Another voice, Asagiri Misaki, laughed from behind them. Her gently waving black hair reached her waist, tied into a single bundle with a white mizuhiki cord. When the wind blew, it swayed softly, carrying a sweet scent like incense. Her gentle brown eyes, which formed crescent moons when she narrowed them, were now half-closed in a smile. The three of them were on their way to a meeting to decide the prizes for the stamp rally. The location was Hinata Center, right in the middle of the shopping district. The first floor was a community space, used for meetings and event preparations. The second floor housed the shopping district association's office. Akari had been born and raised in this shopping district. She was the only daughter of the meat shop "Ishikari Meat." Founded 52 years ago. Her father, Takeshi, was the second-generation owner, and their specialty was handmade menchi-katsu, 150 yen each. A delicious smell always drifted from the fried food corner at the storefront. The shopping district stretched 280 meters in total. It had an arcade and was lined with 32 shops. At the east end stood Asagiri Shrine, Misaki's home. The west end connected to the rotary of Hinagi Station. Her mother, Hikari, handled the accounting, and Akari helped out at the shop after school. Since she snacked on croquettes every day, her cheeks were plump. She worried she was getting fat, but everyone around her said she just looked healthy. "Listen up! This stamp rally is the perfect chance for Akebono Street Shopping District to steal our customers. They're definitely going to come at us with extravagant prizes." "Didn't you guys do a joint event with Akebono Street for the summer festival? You're on good terms." "That's exactly the camouflage! I'm telling you, spies are secretly at work behind the scenes!" Akari put both hands on her head and yelled, "Aah!" It was a habit she had when she was troubled. Laughing, Misaki lightly patted Akari's shoulder. "But isn't it nice that you seem to have fun thinking about these things?" They walked through the shopping district's arcade. Various shops lined both sides. Rei's family's greengrocer, "Yaotoku," was three doors down from Ishikari Meat. They sold fresh vegetables sourced directly from local farmers. Rei's father, Tokuzo Toyama, was the third-generation owner. Her mother, Saori, also helped at the shop. Next to that was "Kadoya Hardware Store." The owner, Genzo Tsunoda, was 78 years old and the chairman of the shopping district association. His catchphrase was, "Well, it'll work out somehow." Across the street was "Marusen Fresh Fish." The owner, Kotaro Senda, had the loudest voice in the entire shopping district. He went to the market every morning at four. A short walk further was "Boulangerie Konayuki," which had opened half a year ago. A stylish bakery, its exterior alone was strangely sophisticated. Their natural yeast bread "Konayuki Bread" was 420 yen a loaf. The owner was Yukimura Rin, a 28-year-old woman. Akari clutched the file tightly. (It's okay. With this confidential file, I should be able to handle any surprise attack.) But, to be honest, she was a little uneasy. She had been so nervous last night that she barely slept. She tossed and turned in bed, mentally reciting the file's contents. Chairman Tsunoda's favorite food is amanatto. Mr. Senda's favorite TV show is period dramas— (No, wait. Does this actually mean anything?) The thought crossed her mind for a moment, but she immediately dismissed it. (Of course it does. Information is power.) They arrived at Hinata Center. Several shop owners had already gathered in the community space. Chairman Genzo Tsunoda sat in the center seat, and Kotaro Senda was talking loudly next to him. "Mr. Chairman! I have a critical matter to report today!" Akari entered the room, holding the file high. "Oh, Akari-chan, what's that you've got there?" Chairman Tsunoda asked with a beaming smile. At 78, his short, gray-streaked hair was neatly groomed, and he wore his usual work clothes. Deep wrinkles lined his face, but his eyes were kind. "This is a top-secret file compiling information on all the shop owners in the district! With this, we can stay one step ahead of the spies' movements—" "Ah-ha-ha! Akari-chan, you're being so dramatic again!" Mr. Senda laughed loudly. His voice reverberated throughout the room. "There's no way there are any spies. I don't care what the stamp rally prizes are. As long as my fish sells, I'm happy." The other shop owners also gave wry smiles. Akari felt a little dejected. (Again... Nobody gets it.) "But I like that about you, Akari." Misaki said quietly as she sat down next to her. Those words warmed her heart, just a little. "Well then, shall we start talking about the prizes?" With those words from the chairman, the meeting began. Akari pulled herself together and stood up. "First, my proposal! Ishikari Meat's special, legendary sukiyaki set! Everyone would absolutely love this!" "Over budget. How much do you think one of those costs?" Rei immediately retorted. "Then, a 1,000-yen shopping voucher for the district! That's the most reliable option." "That's so boring! A stamp rally should be more exciting!" "I was thinking, how about a set with a special shrine goshuin stamp and a shopping district tour map?" Misaki proposed gently. "Oh, that might be good. I hear collecting goshuin stamps is popular lately." "But, but! The bigger issue is what Akebono Street Shopping District is up to! They're definitely going to attack with luxurious prizes! And what's more, they've infiltrated a spy to steal our plans!" As Akari launched into another passionate speech, the air in the room grew a little heavy. The adults exchanged glances. (Huh? Did I overdo it again?) Rei shot her a cold look. "Akari, calm down a little." That's when it happened. "If there is a spy, I'll make sure they draw the 'Great Curse' fortune at my shrine." Misaki said it with her usual smile. A moment of silence. And then— "Ah-ha-ha! The 'Great Curse,' she says!" Mr. Senda burst out laughing loudly. "That's terrifying. Even a spy would tremble at that." Even the chairman was laughing. The atmosphere in the room suddenly lightened. Akari let out a sigh of relief. (Misaki... thank you.) After that, the mood somehow shifted. "To tell the truth, I used to be particular about prizes too, but in the end, I realized that what matters most is trust with the customers." The chairman began to reminisce. "When Parc Mall was built, customers really stopped coming... But I'm glad we kept at it here." Mr. Senda's voice became a little quieter. "Parc Mall Asatsuki," a large shopping mall built in the southern part of Asatsuki City in 2003. A massive facility with 35,000 square meters of floor space, 120 tenants, and even a movie theater. Akari always called it "the enemy's headquarters." "My son says he won't take over the shop, either. But, well, it'll work out somehow." "Mr. Chairman..." Akari felt a tightness in her chest. So this is what it means to protect the shopping district. It's not about fighting someone. It's about continuing each day, properly. "In the end, everyone just cares most about their own shop, huh." Rei said coolly. But everyone laughed at her words. "That's right! My fish is number one!" "Hardware's pretty good too, you know." "Then, how about we make the prize a collaboration assortment box from all the shops? I talked to Konayuki-san about it too—our menchi-katsu, Yaotoku's vegetables, a fortune slip, the chairman's recommended hardware—" "Akari, when did you talk about all that?" "Ehehe, information gathering is fundamental!" Akari puffed out her chest proudly. In the end, it was decided that the prize would be based on that idea and finalized at the next meeting. Chairman Tsunoda stood up. "Akari-chan, thank you for today. I wondered how it would go at first, but it turned out to be a good meeting." "Huh? Did I... actually help?" "Thanks to you running around in circles, everyone was able to speak their true feelings." His rough hand gently patted Akari's shoulder. "Well, it'll work out somehow." * The meeting ended, and the three of them were walking through the shopping district. The sun was starting to set, casting orange light into the arcade. "Can we stop by Ishikari Meat real quick? I'm hungry." "Sure, but I want some menchi-katsu too." "Yeah, yeah. It's your treat." When they arrived at the shop, her father, Takeshi, was making fried food. "Oh, Akari. How was the meeting?" "Yeah, it was okay! Oh, three menchi-katsu, please!" "Coming right up. They're freshly fried." The good smell of oil filled the air. The sound of batter crisping up. Listening to that sound, Akari remembered how she had grown up surrounded by this smell ever since she was little. "Here you go!" The three of them stood in front of the shop, stuffing their cheeks with the piping hot menchi-katsu. "Hot, hot... but so good." Misaki narrowed her eyes happily. "Our menchi-katsu really is the best, isn't it." "You just keep jumping to wilder and wilder conclusions. Today too, going on about spies and all that exaggerated stuff." Rei laughed, exasperated. "But it was fun, wasn't it." Misaki said, stuffing another menchi-katsu into her mouth. Akari looked up at the shopping district's arcade. Some of the lights were starting to flicker out. They were installed in 1978 and partially renovated in 2010, but they couldn't hide their age. But she thought that was okay. (Protecting the shopping district isn't about fighting enemies.) (It's about spending time laughing together like this. That's what matters most.) A warmth spread deep in her chest. "I hope we can get together like this again tomorrow." "Tomorrow? Tomorrow's Saturday, so we'll just be helping at our shops as usual." "Ah, right. Then on Monday!" "Akari, you really are funny." The three girls' laughter echoed through the twilight shopping district. * That night. Akari returned home and was sprawled out on the bed in her room. Fiddling with her smartphone, she thought back over today's meeting. (The chairman, Mr. Senda... everyone is seriously thinking about the shopping district.) (I need to be more serious, too.) As she was thinking that, she heard her father's voice from downstairs. "Akari! Come down here for a sec!" "What is it?" When she went down the stairs, her father was grinning. "About the meeting the week after next—Yukimura-san from Konayuki is going to participate for the first time." "Huh... Yukimura-san, from that bakery?" "Yeah, that's right. She's a young female o

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Episode 1

Name: Akari and Friends' Leisurely Shopping District Summit
Author: Novelia

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