*It’s very faint, but throughout the episode, you can hear raindrops against the window*

Etsuko: Hey everyone! I’m back!! And today, it’s 4:10 pm on Monday, May 21st!

Natsuhiko: Yep! You heard it! Etsuko’s back! She’s no longer sick and we can go back to our normal podcasting!

Etsuko: Well, I kind of was in the last episode.

Natsuhiko: Oh yeah…. *remembering it* You were messaging me.

Hotaru: *crabby* And you were being C-R-E-E-P-Y!

Etsuko: What’s his deal?

Natsuhiko: I think maybe he might still be upset with what you said…

Etsuko: Oh, when I asked why the chocolate cupcakes taste like dirt was used instead of cocoa powder?

Hotaru: Hmph! That was my first time ever making chocolate cupcakes!

Etsuko: Oh it was? No wonder. It didn’t taste sweet at all, just bitter.

Hotaru: *irritated* grrr…

Etsuko: It was 5 days ago. Let it go.

Hotaru: Apologize!

Etsuko: Alright, I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was you who made them, let alone it was your first time. Are we good?

Hotaru: Hmph! (No.)

Etsuko: *sighs and mutters under her breath* So childish, I swear…

Hotaru: Shut up Etsuko!

Natsuhiko: Hey, why don’t we get started with our intro?

Hotaru: *snaps at Natsuhiko* Fine!

Natsuhiko: *sad and worried* Why are you getting upset at me now? Wh-whatever I did, I’m so sorry!

Hotaru: *sighs and loosens up* Sorry, Natsuhiko, I’m not mad at you. Don’t worry. *raises voice* I’m mad at her!

Etsuko: *starting to get annoyed* WHATEVER!! *sighs and tries to remain calm* Why don’t we just get on with it?

Natsuhiko: Well anyway, welcome to another episode of…

All three: The After-School Podcast!

Natsuhiko: I’m Natsuhiko, the president of the After-School Podcast!

Hotaru: *still sounding a little crabby* I’m Hotaru, the founder and vice president!

Etsuko: And I’m Etsuko, the secretary of the After-School Podcast! Right now, it’s 4:03 pm on Monday, May 21st.

Natsuhiko: Alright, let me see what’s first on today’s schedule… Okay, it's a suggestion from User5092, and it says, ‘Talk about the best kind of weather, and what everyone’s favorite is.’

Etsuko: I really like those rainy days, where you stay inside and snuggle in a blanket, maybe marathon animes, play board games, all of that!

Hotaru: I like sunny weather, perfect for going to the beach and eating chocolate ice cream..

Natsuhiko: Honestly, I like sunny weather too. It’s my favorite also.

Hotaru: I knew you were a good man Natsuhiko. *pats him on the back* Are you trying to butter me up? Well, I don’t generally like to pick favorites, but if I had to choose, it’d be Natsuhiko, of course! *the last little bit is pointed more towards Etsuko, to bait her*

Etsuko: *trying to keep calm and collected* Anyway, I kinda like all weather.

Hotaru: Oh! Now you’re saying that? Sorry, -10 points for trying too hard to please me.

Etsuko: *annoyed* I wasn’t-- ugh, whatever…

Natsuhiko: Hey guys, hey now, lets all get along, okay? Why don’t we come up with another topic?

Hotaru: Alright, I’ll read the next one. It’s from User0329, and it says, ‘If you saw a shooting star, what would you wish for, if it was guaranteed to come true?’

Etsuko: *thinks for a moment* I’d wish… to find my soulmate on the other end of my red string, and for us to be together forever.

Hotaru: *barely giving it any thought at all* I’d wish for a thousand-- wait no infinite!-- chocolate milks and chocolate cookies!

Natsuhiko: That sounds yummy! What if you get a tummy ache after eating all those cookies and milk?

Hotaru: That’s impossible! I’d never! Especially since… I’d wish to never ever get tummy aches!

Etsuko: That’s not really how it works…

Hotaru: Hey, let me wish what I wanna wish, okay?

Etsuko: Hey, what would you wish for, Natsuhiko?

Natsuhiko: *gives it quite a bit of thought* I don’t know.

Etsuko: Well, you don’t have to know right away.

Natsuhiko: There’s so many possibilities.. I could wish for something silly like Hotaru--

Hotaru: *taken aback* Infinite chocolate milk and chocolate cookies are not silly!

Natsuhiko: …Or something sincere like Etsuko… I just don’t know.

Etsuko: Well, that’s understandable.

Natsuhiko: Maybe I’d wish for… people to accept me?

Etsuko: People already accept you, Silly!

Hotaru: *pretending to be a little offended* What are we? Chopped liver? We accept you!

Natsuhiko: Or maybe I’d wish for… a ton of hamburg steaks?

Hotaru: With fried eggs on top?

Natsuhiko: Definitely.

Hotaru: Mmhhmmm, now you’re talking.

Natsuhiko: So many possibilities, I don’t know what to choose… I could wish for anything, y’know? And it would be guaranteed to come true, too--!

Etsuko: Hey, why don’t we think of another topic. So we don’t give Natsuhiko a headache…

Hotaru: Yeah, good idea.

Natsuhiko: But then, if I don’t answer, I’ll just keep thinking of it forever!

Etsuko: Alright, then take a while to think about it. Why don’t we, in the meantime, choose another topic?

Natsuhiko: Yeah… Y’know what? I’ll go with my first idea. *quietly and timidly* I think… one of the things I really really want in the world… is to be accepted…

Etsuko: *respectfully* Alright, that’s perfectly fine. I feel like we all kind of worry about being accepted. Just know me and Hotaru are always here to openly accept you for who you are, no matter what.

Natsuhiko: *touched* Alright, th-thanks…

Etsuko: You have a really nice smile, Natsuhiko.

Natsuhiko: I do? Well um, thanks… you do too…

Hotaru: *doesn’t want to be left out* Hey, what about my smile!

Etsuko: *bluntly* Your smiles are average.

Hotaru: Well, an average smile is better than a bad smile!

Natsuhiko: Yeah, you’re right. Though, I mean, to me, no smiles are bad. I think you have a good smile, Hotaru.

Hotaru: Thanks Natsuhiko!

Etsuko: Hey, what happened to you being mad at me?

Hotaru: Oh yeah! *pause* I forgot what I was mad at you for though…

Etsuko: *facepalm* Well, whatever. So we’re good?

Hotaru: *shrugs* I guess so.

Natsuhiko: I’m glad you’re not mad anymore, Hotaru!

Hotaru: Yeah, I don’t like being mad anyway…

Etsuko: *sighs in relief* I don’t like people being mad at me.

Natsuhiko: Me neither…

Hotaru: Don’t worry! I’ll never be mad at you Natsuhiko!

Natsuhiko: *a little nervously* Thanks Hotaru, but if I do something wrong to you, I’d completely get it if you get mad at me. Let me know if I ever do something you don’t like, okay?

Hotaru: Alright!

Natsuhiko: Same goes for you Etsuko!!

Etsuko: Okay, but you won’t do anything wrong. You’re amazing and kind, Natsuhiko. You’re extremely considerate of other people’s feelings, too!

Natsuhiko: Thanks Etsuko! But… sometimes I can be kind of ignorant to the moment, and may act wrongly to match that moment…

Etsuko: Naw, you’re fine!

Natsuhiko: Are you sure?

Etsuko: Of course I’m sure!

Natsuhiko: *relieved and sounding happy* Thanks Etsuko!

Hotaru: Wanna move onto the next topic?

Etsuko: This one is from User4582, and it says, ‘Talk about pie, and what kind of pie is best.’

Natsuhiko: I like apple pie. It's sweet and savory and cinnamon-y… so good!

Etsuko: How come a lot of people ask us about food? Once it was toast, and another topic someone suggested, which we didn’t add but that doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate it any less, that we talk about how we prepare our breakfast.

Natsuhiko: Rice! *nervous* Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to interrupt you…

Etsuko: And now it's about pie? Huh.

Hotaru: I really like those pies that my parents make.

Natsuhiko: Oh yum! Homemade pie! What kind of pie was it?

Hotaru: I can’t remember what kind of pie it was, but it was really good!

Etsuko: To be honest, I’m a little more of a cake person than a pie person…

Hotaru: Oh yeah! Cakes are good too!

Etsuko: My favorite kind of cake is probably strawberry shortcake!

Natsuhiko: I think we all know what Hotaru’s favorite kind of cake is…

Hotaru: It’s chocolate cake! Duh!

Natsuhiko and Etsuko: Called it.

Natsuhiko: I like the light and airy jiiiigggglllly cheesecakes. That’s my favorite kind of cake!

Hotaru: Yeah those are really good too! My parents make the best cheesecake. When you smack it, it jiggles so much!

Natsuhiko: I should order that next weekend, when we’re at the bakery!

Etsuko: You’ll love it Natsuhiko! It’s so amazing!!

Natsuhiko: *faint stomach grumbling* Now I’m hungry for cheesecake…

Hotaru: Hey! We should all eat some after the podcast!

Etuko: Alright.

Natsuhiko: Yay!

Etsuko: Back to business though, what else do we want to talk about?

Hotaru: Hey, there’s this topic suggested by User4020, and it says, ‘What’s your favorite thing about the podcast?’

Etsuko: Honestly, I like going over the posted recordings of the podcast and converting them to transcripts. Like, it's fun going over them and listening to everything I did or said wrong (and cringing about it).... And also just seeing us at square one, and then comparing that to how far we’ve climbed, it’s nice, y’know?

Natsuhiko: I honestly squirm and can barely be patient on Mondays in class, because I’m so excited and can’t wait for the podcast. I like hanging out with you guys, and I like seeing Hotaru, who I don’t really get to see all that often because we’re in different grades.

Hotaru: Yeah. I’ll be honest with you guys, *solemnly* I um, don’t really have any friends in my own grade…. So literally every day of the week, I’m always so impatient for the next Monday to come ‘round, or for the school day to finally end. I lose focus in my classes too, because I’m so excited! *semi-embarrassed as he raises his voice* I love doing this with you guys!

Etsuko: Aw, that’s so sweet! I really love doing this with you guys too!

Natsuhiko: S-same here!

Etsuko: Let’s keep doing this throughout this entire year, okay?

Natsuhiko: Definitely!

Hotaru: Hey guys, I think it might be raining outside…

Etsuko: Wait, it is? Gosh, I didn’t even notice.

*Sure enough, you can just faintly hear the sound of raindrops pattering against the windows*

Natsuhiko: It’s so loud, how did we not notice?

Etsuko: Well, I mean, we were putting our full attention to the podcast.

Natsuhiko: That’s true.

Hotaru: Yeah, but it was still pretty loud!

Natsuhiko: We’re also right next to a window, too.

Etsuko: Yeah.

Hotaru: Well, Etsuko, didn’t you say you really like rainy days?

Etsuko: Yeah, I do. Call me weird for this, but I really like rainstorms and I somewhat find comfort in the sounds and smells and everything, too…

Natsuhiko: Yeah, I really love the smell of rain. Hey, isn’t there like a word for that smell of rain?

Etsuko: Yeah. It's ‘petrichor.’ 

*Etsuko stands up, and you can hear her footsteps and her chair scraping against the floor. She gets a book and opens it up. You can hear her flipping the pages*

Etsuko: *reading the text* It comes from the Greek words ‘petra’, meaning stone, and ‘ichor’, which is a word referring to Greek Mythology, the golden fluid that flows in the veins of the immortals. The word is a noun that means, ‘a pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather.’ Isn’t that cool and pretty?

Hotaru: Whoa. You just gave us a full-on Language Arts lesson. Petrichor… I like it! It’s a cool word!

*Etsuko stands up again, which you can hear, and she puts the book back. You hear her footsteps walk back to the chair*

TO BE CONTINUED (DUN DUN DUUUNNN)