Natsuhiko: Wait, so I start it today?

Hotaru: Yeah, because I always start it!

Natsuhiko: But, I have started it before.

Hotaru: Alright maybe once or twice, but you need to do it more!!

Etsuko: Hotaru’s right Natsuhiko. For once in his life.

Hotaru: Hey!

Natsuhiko: Um, alright then. Hi everyone! Welcome to…

All three: The After-School Podcast!

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

Hotaru: I’m Hotaru, the founder and vice president!

Etsuko: And I’m Etsuko, the secretary of the After-School Podcast! And today’s date is Monday, June 18th, 4:35 pm.

Hotaru: What’s on the agenda today?

Natsuhiko: Well, I was thinking… What if we did arts and crafts today?

Hotaru: We already tried cooking!

Etsuko: Cooking is different from arts and crafts!

Natsuhiko: Well, I found instructions to make a cute DIY panda bear made from socks… so I brought all the supplies, we just gotta make it! Alright, step one… get a cookie?

Etsuko: What? Let me see that.

Hotaru: It really does say that! Wow. What website is this from?

Natsuhiko: 2 second crafts...

Etsuko: Oh, that explains it.

Hotaru: Let’s just keep going. I’ll get cookies from the vending machine.

*Hotaru leaves*

Etsuko: What do you think we should do next week?

Natsuhiko: Well, what if we did another Q and A?

Etsuko: But that ended in disaster last time.

Natsuhiko: That’s when we didn’t have many listeners. We’ve been climbing the ranks. We have 200 listeners now! I’d be nice to incorporate more audience participation.

Etsuko: That’s true... We should write that in the notebook too.

Natsuhiko: Ready for next year?

Etsuko: Heck no. This year was way too stressful.

Natsuhiko: I’m sure it’ll be fine, as long as we stick together. I’m... really glad I met you guys. I was all alone until I met you.

Etsuko: Me and Hotaru have always been childhood friends. We never really felt that we needed another. But now that we do have a third, I’m glad I met you too.

*heartfelt silence*

Hotaru: I’M BACK!!!

*Etsuko lets out a surprised yell. Then you hear Etsuko smack Hotaru upside the head*

Hotaru: Ow!

Etsuko: Dummy.

Hotaru: C’mon let’s get back to arts and crafts.

Natsuhiko: Yeah. *unsure of how this is all gonna come together* We all got our cookies?

Hotaru and Etsuko: Yep.

Natsuhiko: Alright, the next step is to put it in the sock...?

*confused noises all around*

Etsuko: Trust the process I guess.

Natsuhiko: Step 3, get a hot glue gun and googly eyes. Think the art room has a hot glue gun?

Etsuko: Yeah, probably, I’ll go get it.

*Etsuko leaves*

Hotaru: Well I guess it’s just you and me now, Natsuhiko.

Natsuhiko: Yeah, guess so.

Hotaru: Wanna do an interrogation scene?

Natsuhiko: What?

Hotaru: We can ask each other questions or something. Like going back and forth.

Natsuhiko: Alright... *unsure*

Hotaru: Do you have any crushes?

Natsuhiko: I don’t know. How about you?

Hotaru: Yeah, but she’d never look my way. What do you mean you don’t know?

Natsuhiko: Love’s been complicated for me.

Hotaru: How so?

Natsuhiko: Ehhh, it’s hard to say. I think it’s your turn to ask a question.

Hotaru: What? When’d you ask a question?

Natsuhiko: I asked “what about you?”

Hotaru: Oh, alright... uhhh... What’s your genuine opinion of the podcast?

Natsuhiko: Well, at first I was really nervous, but I honestly have grown to really like it. I feel like I can have an easier time talking to people now. I’ve been kinda alone for a while.

Hotaru: Wow.

Natsuhiko: Huh? Wow?

Hotaru: Sorry. I just meant wow as in like I didn’t think we were similar.

Natsuhiko: Huh? What do you mean?

Hotaru: Nothing. Etsuko’s coming back, I can hear her.

*Etsuko walks back in*

Etsuko: Hey!

Natsuhiko: Hey.

Hotaru: ETSUKOOOO YOU LEFT FOR SO LONG!

Etsuko: You’re so clingy.

Hotaru: Am not!

Natsuhiko: Let’s continue the arts and crafts. Step 4 is to... get a black marker and color the black parts of a panda. Here, I got the markers for us.

Etsuko: We’re one short.

Hotaru: We can share.

Natsuhiko: and once that’s all done, we move onto step 5, which requires yarn for the mouth, and then green felt to make bamboo, along with light green thread. I didn’t have any of that at my house. Think there’s any in the home ec room?

Hotaru: Maybe. Natsuhiko, it's your turn to leave.

Natsuhiko: Alright.

*Natsuhiko leaves*

Hotaru: Hey.

Etsuko: Hi.

Hotaru: How’s your parents?

Etsuko: As stubborn as ever. But hey, at least they split up so I don’t have to deal with it.

Hotaru: *quiet* Sorry.

Etsuko: It’s fine. I keep thinking maybe it’s my fault…

Hotaru: *louder than he probably should’ve said, in high contrast to his quiet “sorry”* It’s not! It’s not your fault. I know it’s not. Even though you’re mean sometimes, and are just as stubborn and stuck-up as a princess, it’s not your fault. I promise it’s not.

Etsuko: *silent*

Hotaru: Are you okay?

Etsuko: I don’t know anymore.

Hotaru: *quiet* Do you need a hug?

Etsuko: Yeah.

*Natsuhiko comes back*

Natsuhiko: Etsuko? You okay?

Etsuko: Yeah.. I’ll be fine.

Natsuhiko: Let’s keep doing arts and crafts.

Hotaru: Ouch! I pricked my finger!

Etsuko: Quick go to sleep!

Hotaru: Hey!

Natsuhiko: I brought bandaids.

Hotaru: This one’s a rainbow! It’s pretty!

Natsuhiko: Yeah. *chuckles softly*

*they continue making it*

Natsuhiko: AAAAND...! WE’RE FINISHED!

Etsuko: This does not look like a panda bear.

Hotaru: use your imagination. Just let Natsuhiko be proud of his work.

Natsuhiko: I’ll call you... George. 

Etsuko and Hotaru: George?

Natsuhiko: George.

Hotaru: okay then.

Etsuko: hi george.

George: HI :3

Etsuko: THE HEC--

Hotaru: Well, that’s it for today’s episode of the After-School Podcast!

Natsuhiko: I really hope you enjoyed your time here!

Etsuko: And we hope to see you next Monday!

All three: *in better sync than usual* Have a good week!