Mahoro

...!

Houka

Oh, Mahoro-san. Good work today.

Mahoro

Y-Yeah...! Good work today...!

Houka

Is something the matter...? You keep looking around rather anxiously.

Mahoro

Oh, yeah... It is because of my horoscope...!

Houka

Your horoscope?

Mahoro

Yeah... I always watch the horoscope segment on the morning news. Cancer was ranked last today...

Mahoro

It said, "You may be distracted today! Watch out for unexpected injuries!"

Houka

So that is why you are walking so carefully.

Mahoro

Yeah... I cannot stop thinking about it.

Mahoro

I brought my lucky item too, just in case. It said stationery, so... Look, my pencil case.

Houka

My. It is packed full of pens.

Mahoro

I brought every pen we had at home... And there are still two more pencil cases there...

Houka

I see. That does sound rather burdensome.

Mahoro

Ugh... Are you the type to believe in horoscopes, Houka-chan?

Houka

Let me see... There are 365 days in a year, so with twelve zodiac signs, each one will be ranked last about one twelfth of the time...

Houka

I feel there would be no end to it if one worried about that every time.

Mahoro

Haha, I guess so.

Houka

Besides, if you checked a different horoscope, I am sure it would give you a different result.

Mahoro

Yeah... I know I should not take it too seriously, but...

Mahoro

I start worrying that something really might happen...

Houka

Hehe. You have such a gentle heart, Mahoro-san.

Mahoro

Do I...?

Houka

Then why not think of it this way?

Houka

Rather than treating last place as something bad, simply think of it as the ordinary state of things.

Houka

That way, your horoscope is always ordinary or better. See? There is nothing to worry about.

Mahoro

I-I see...

Mahoro

You can be pretty levelheaded sometimes, Houka-chan. "Dry" might make it sound mean, though.

Houka

Oh my, do you think so?

Houka

I do not feel that I am consciously trying to be any particular way...

Houka

If I had to say, perhaps it is that I try not to expect too much.

Mahoro

Expect too much...?

Houka

Yes. I believe life has a way of hurting us when we expect too much from it.

Houka

It is only natural for nothing to happen. If something good does, then that is a lucky surprise... That is about the right balance, I think.

Mahoro

That is so grown-up...! I get excited about things all the time, and I want to keep feeling that way~

Houka

Hehe... It is not easy to change the way one thinks.

Houka

I think that is perfectly fine for you, Mahoro-san♪ Horoscopes can be fun little spices in everyday life, after all.

Mahoro

Yeah, thank you! I will try not to worry so much about the result!

Houka

Of course. I shall be wishing, in my own small way, for a good turn of fortune to come your way, Mahoro-san♪