The PA system crackled, and their teacher fell silent, waiting patiently for the message. It took a few seconds before a familiar voice echoed through the room.

"Attention, please," Ms Kashima sung, her voice only slightly distorted from the sound distribution system. It was eerie, but she must have had a trick for speaking into the microphone or something, because her voice always came out clearer than any of the other staff members who used it. Usually the voices came out crackling on every second word, in a low grizzly pitch, but hers had a musical tone to it. "Would the following students please come by my office after class: Nobori Shiranui. Chisaka Kagerou. I repeat, would the following students please come by my office after class: Nobori Shiranui. Chisaka Kagerou. Thank you for your attention."

With a final, irritating crackle, the PA system fell silent.

All the heads in the classroom simultaneously turned towards Kagerou, Shiranui's included.

She almost smiled when she realized none of her classmates knew her name so they defaulted their attention on Kagerou, who looked like she'd accidentally kicked a puppy. Utterly frozen, her pencil dropped from her hand as she stared ahead. The image of a perfect student, shattered in a heartbeat. Shiranui might have been imagining it, but it looked like Kagerou's lips were quivering, as though on the verge of tears.

The professor cleared his throat. Applying a little more pressure to his chalk, to ensure the screeching sound regained everyone's attention, he continued his diagram on the wavelength of the Type 21 radar, which had been scavenged from Germany before all the technology had been lost to the ocean. Shiranui kept taking notes, though she had a feeling Kagerou had been knocked out of commission and wouldn't be writing anything more for the rest of the lecture.

There was little question they were in trouble, but Shiranui had skipped the entire day, Friday, whereas Kagerou had only missed Abyssal Theory I, so their detentions would likely be different. Shiranui would be getting much worse. She'd already received a warning from the self-proclaimed very generous Ms Kashima, so there would be no mercy this time around. Kagerou, on the other hand, would probably be lightly rebuked and sent on her way.

There was also the minor concern of ditching the last hour of fitness class just before lunch, but after earning five points for her team and completing her dive, there wasn't anything left to do. Professor Rina would probably have understood, though in retrospect maybe she should have asked for permission before leaving. All in all, Shiranui might have been pushing the boundaries a little too hard, recently. She was keeping her grades up, but she might need to pay a little more attention to her attendance.

Shiranui wondered if yesterday had been the first time Kagerou had ever missed a class.

The lead of her pencil snapped after she'd put too much pressure on it. She brushed the lead tip off her desk and swapped the pencil for a new one from her backpack. She was a little angry, and she blamed Kagerou. It was her own fault, too, for assuming Kagerou was an Orphan, but still – Kagerou approached her on two separate occasions, surely it was a reasonable assumption?

Shiranui hoped they wouldn't be in the same room for their detentions – even thinking about the girl elicited bitter feelings. Why did Kagerou have to be a Filles? And why did Shiranui have to recognize the distance now between them, and be unable to ignore it? The fact that Kagerou had willingly engaged in conversation with her proved it wasn't an impossible relationship. They could still be acquaintances, or friends, even if Shiranui wanted more.

She enjoyed Kagerou's company, though it was always unanticipated. She spent too long alone, thinking about the ocean and the past and what could have been, so Kagerou's interruptions, her serious voice and challenging words, were found to be a welcome distraction.

When class ended, they somehow ended up walking to Ms Kashima's office together. It was a coincidence, not orchestrated by Shiranui's realization that she needed to sharpen all her pencils before leaving class. They drew stares, more than Shiranui would have liked, but it wasn't as discomforting as she would have once found it. Because people talked behind her back about her bad work ethic and lazy attitude, Shiranui grew impervious to the attention. The words of strangers wouldn't hurt her.

She didn't know how to initiate conversation, after they parted ways earlier in the day, but she also wasn't one to hesitate. She took the first thought that came to mind.

"Since fitness class, have you experienced any chest pain, or coughing fits?"

Kagerou looked up at her in surprise. "No. Why do you ask?"

"No reason."

Secondary drowning was too rare. It was a pointless worry, but at least now the thought wouldn't nag her any longer.

"She's not going to kill us," Shiranui said a moment later, when she realized how nervous Kagerou was acting.

Kagerou recoiled a little, as though the thought of murder hadn't crossed her mind. "Maybe she will."

"You're a Filles," Shiranui said, making sure to speak the word like it was acidic. "She won't do anything too terrible to you."

For other people, she might have used the word 'Filles' as an insult, but she didn't really mean it for Kagerou. Maybe, with a some concerted effort on her part, she could overlook it. Maybe, she could hope they shared the same detention, so Kagerou would come to her for support when Kashima's punishment broke her.

Shiranui felt a little excitement as she watched, out of her peripheral vision, Kagerou shrink a little. The girl began to take smaller, quicker steps and clutched her arms around her chest like she was injured. It was so little effort to tease her, and for so much reward. Already, today, she had a front row seat to watch a bikini clad Kagerou crawl out of the ocean, exhausted and defenseless, collapse onto the sand, her chest heaving with each breath and relief etched on her face. Shiranui had almost stepped forward, to offer a hand as an excuse to be closer to the girl, but she had refrained. The whole class had been watching, and Shiranui hadn't seen reason to get herself any more attention than necessary.

"But I skipped her class," Kagerou said.

"Kashima doesn't teach Abyssal Theory."

Kagerou shook her head. "I went home, after – um – after we went swimming."

Shiranui stopped in the middle of the hallway.

What had she done? It was because of her that Kagerou's cloth had been wet and she had went home, so it was her fault Kagerou was being called to Kashima's office. No, she reasoned, there was no need to apologize. Kagerou had been the one to try to physically bring her back to class. Shiranui had just been conforming to the delinquent stereotype and reacting appropriately. Apologizing was a sign of weakness, her mother would say. Shiranui wouldn't apologize. Her resolute decision, however, did nothing to assuage her guilt.

She would focus on making things right, at the very least.

They arrived at the office, Kagerou one step behind, as if using her to hide from sight. Shiranui realized she was no longer angry with the girl, and with a sigh, she gave the door three concise raps. Immediately, Kashima responded.

"Enter."

Her office smelled sickly sweet, like they were swimming in a pool of honey, surrounded by a field of flowers, and Shiranui was pretty sure that was the exact imagery that Ms Kashima was going for. The atmosphere actually felt heavy, like the aroma was thick enough to weigh the air down, and it was noticeably warmer than out in the hallway.

For a brief second, Shiranui wondered if what she smelt was aphrodisiac. She quickly dismissed the silly thought as she sat down on the couch Kashima had motioned towards. Kagerou joined her a second later, though she was conspicuous in leaving a couple feet between them.

On principle, rumours weren't to be believed, but there were certainly some circulating among the students. Apparently, Kashima had made an advance on some of the second year students. People were saying she was a predator, looking for young girls – though first year students were supposedly safe – to have a fling with. There was little doubt how the rumour was created.

Her office, aside from the aroma, had some other odd aspects to it.

Kashima's cabinet had three shelves, and a compartment below which was locked by key. The top shelf held trophies. They were all shining gold in the room's dim lighting, and most featured people in different poses. Ice skating, perhaps a ballerina, and one who was clearly swimming. Kashima was an accomplished person, though it shouldn't have been surprising, considering she was teaching the next generation, which the government so often loved to proclaim would save the world.

On the shelf below her trophies, there were more additional knick knacks. A snow globe, which had small white grains actively floating in it – had Kashima shaken it just prior to letting them in? There was a large, two plated scale that took up most of the shelf's room. It had red nuggets in one plate and blue and green ones in the other. Habit was, when seeing colourful gems, to assume they were rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. In this case, Shiranui thought it would be safe to yield to the assumption. Kashima was said to be a high end person, and fake gems didn't fit her persona.

The final shelf is where the innocence stopped, or at least that was Shiranui's impression. There were books, but none appeared academic. She may have been wrong, though, because most weren't in Japanese or English. She recognized the French word 'amour' along the spine of multiple books, along with other vocabulary that didn't leave much room for interpretation. The books stopped at a bookend only halfway along the shelf. The bookend itself, a nude woman with a bountiful chest, stretching upwards, made Shiranui flush.

She attributed part of that to the room's actual heat. She couldn't see any incense, but she imagined there was a flame somewhere, heating up the room.

The remaining items on the bookshelf, Shiranui almost discounted. They looked to be rubber dog toys, but, obviously, there were no dogs around. They were plain and looked soft, and their ends were shaped like a cucumber. Surely Kashima wouldn't leave such an item out in the open? The whip on the table jumped into sight, and then Kashima's white leather gloves. Also, and Shiranui tried to find a plausible explanation for it, a pile of ribbon was heaped on top of the cabinet, almost out of sight from where she sat on the couch. Restraints?

This was a professor at the most esteemed academy in Japan, she reminded herself. She was over thinking things because of the rumours she had previously heard.

But no, she told herself again. Shiranui wasn't normally the type to see inappropriate content everywhere; it couldn't be helped when sitting in Kashima's office. There was definitely some illicit activity happening in this room after hours. Even the lighting lent confidence to this.

About a year back, through an odd series of events, Shiranui had acquired rare magazines from the former Unites States which featured nude woman in different poses, and she couldn't help but compare the lighting from the lewd photos to the current office's lighting. A dim, purple light permeated the room, more concentrated on Kashima's desk, where, if it were an image from the magazine, a woman would be laying on the wood, hands covering her nipples and erotic expression on her face.

Shiranui shook her head.

She wasn't usually so dirty minded. It was the office.

"Shiranui, Kagerou, I'm glad to see you made it here in a timely manner."

Kashima was a mix between childish and mature – though more on the mature side. She wore twin ponytails in her silver hair and a red bow affixed to the neck of her suit. Her eyes were grey, and narrowed as she scrutinized them. It was rather uncomfortable because Shiranui hadn't a clue what the professor was thinking.

Her shirt was formal wear, white with black trim, and it accentuated her bosom, which was probably intentional on her part. As far as Shiranui knew, Kashima was a high ranking member of the IJN, and a series of badges pinned just above her chest indicated she had fought the Abyssals multiple times in the past. The woman was powerful, experienced, and, Shiranui didn't want to admit it, but a little intimidating.

Kagerou shifted a little closer to Shiranui, who decided she would be fine taking a bullet for the girl, if it meant they could be a little closer.

"I've spoken with Katori and discovered that both of you missed not only my Destroyer Theory lecture, but her Abyssal Theory course, too. She told me it was a very important lecture about telepathy, the British Columbian Tea Party, and the moon's influence on the Abyssals. These topics are critical to understanding the Abyssals, and I offered to handle your detentions for missing her lecture. She accepted."

Of course Katori accepted. They were best friends, and though Shiranui wasn't positive, she was pretty sure they were also cousins or related somehow.

More importantly, Kashima had mentioned the moon having an effect on the Abyssals. It was also responsible for the ocean's tides – maybe it was a link worth investigating. Although, the oceans rising started well before the arrival of the Abyssals, so it wouldn't be too promising of study. It could explain the reason for the end of the Flooding, however, since the arrival of the Abyssals coincided with the estimated end of the Flooding.

"As such, I decided to roll your detentions for Destroyer Theory and Abyssal Theory into one. Shiranui, I've previously given you a warning, so don't think you'll get off so easily this time. For what reason did you miss Friday's courses?"

"I had other business to attend to," she hedged.

"I'm sure it was extremely important." Kashima giggled, an unfitting sound that was both scary and seductive. "And you, Kagerou. You built yourself up as a respectable student in the first week. What caused this absence?"

"I – uh-"

Shiranui almost face-palmed. Kagerou wouldn't be able to lie to an authority figure, nor could she admit she had been swimming at the beach. If Shiranui didn't intervene, Kagerou would be more likely to break down in tears before offering a reasonable excuse.

"Ms Kashima," Shiranui said. Hesitating, she brought a hand up to her mouth, as if to bar Kagerou from hearing. "Her period started – she's easily embarrassed by this kind of stuff-"

Kagerou's face was quickly turning a deep shade of red, with no signs of it being acting on her part.

"-see? And it was particularly bad this time around. She wasn't feeling well."

Kashima frowned, before nodding. "I see. Though I heard she performed quite spectacularly in fitness class, earlier today, for it to be her time of the month."

Shiranui shrugged, taking the opportunity to put a consoling hand on Kagerou's shoulder. The girl squirmed uncomfortably, but didn't pull away. Shiranui was pretty sure she was a bad person.

"I take it you two were together, during your absences?"

Shiranui nodded, realizing Kagerou had, for all intents and purposes, had a meltdown and was now just another piece of furniture in the room.

"Only for a short while. I ran into her outside," she clarified.

"Then I think it appropriate that you two spend detention together."

"Together? We're doing the same thing?"

Kashima picked up her whip and rotated it in hand as if to examine every facet of the black leather. "I'm a busy person, Shiranui. I don't have the time to manage two separate punishments. You'll both be assigned the same activity, and oversight will be minimal."

"Okay."

"You seem rather accepting of this."

Another casual response would almost certainly be a death trap. Kashima's words warranted a casual shrug or verbal agreement, and alarms went off in Shiranui's head. Kashima was a woman who liked control, and the conversation wasn't apparently going in the expected direction. Offer resistance. Give the woman what she wanted.

"You said it yourself, oversight will be minimal. There's no reason for me to stress."

Shiranui waited. Hinting towards slacking off would probably be sufficient. She half expected to hear the whistling of the whip as it cut into the desk, but Kashima only smiled.

"I should correct myself. Oversight by me will be minimal. I have a friend, a man named Conor, who needs assistance. You two will offer it to him. Though, as I'm sure you recall from your previous meeting with me, I am a benevolent, reasonable person. I will offer you a choice, between activities."

Was 'activities' a euphemism? It was an eerie choice of words. Wasn't detention supposed to be writing 'I won't skip class anymore to swim in the ocean with a cute girl' a thousand times on a stack of papers?

"You have the choice between either a mental activity, or physical one. Choose, and don't regret it."

The way she spoke, Shiranui had a feeling they would regret their choice no matter what. In the end, however, they were students of Kantai Academy. It was obvious, wasn't it? There was really only one choice.

"Physical," she said, offering confidence so Kashima could enjoy cutting her down when she revealed the task.

At the same time that she spoke, however, another voice rang out. It was jittery, and a notch quieter than her own. "Mental."

There was no appropriate reaction, Shiranui realized, to being so ruthlessly betrayed by the girl she was supposed to be protecting. Though, in Kagerou's defense, she looked equally horrified at their dissonance. She opened her mouth again, maybe to apologize or change her mind, but like earlier at the beach, she was unable to speak. For this very reason, Shiranui immediately forgave her. The vulnerable expression, wide eyes, and even her faint smell of sweat from the room's stifling heat all made Shiranui want to lean in closer and hug the girl.

Kashima looked like she had just received a chocolate castle full of candy for White Day, and Shiranui was momentarily, truly terrified of the woman.

"Both, it is."

'Wait!" Shiranui shouted. "That's-"

The crack of the whip silenced her. Kashima was on her feet, the whip perched atop the wood desk. She was smiling.

"You heard me. I am a reasonable person. You two are serving your detention together, and you two have chosen both tasks, which I know Conor will be delighted to hear."

It wasn't arguable. Shiranui knew boundaries. She knew what she could get away with. Skipping certain classes, earning a certain amount of red marks in her Kantai Project record. It wasn't that she liked to push the boundaries, but if they could be pushed to give her a little more freedom, then why not? This was it, now. She had to buckle in and do whatever was demanded of her.

"Conor MacKetian is a friend of mine from Ireland. Seven years ago, his business went bankrupt when his ship, Irish Hazel, sank off the coast of the Japanese Archipelago. Since then, he's struggled to keep his family afloat – literally. He is here in Japan on an all-or-nothing endeavor. With a crew of four men, plus two newly acquired hard workers, and the usage of a particularly well equipped supply boat, he plans to salvage Irish Hazel's cargo."

The question was begging to be asked, and Shiranui knew it was exactly what Kashima wanted, so she didn't hesitate.

"What's the cargo?"

"Six hundred cases of Guinness beer, fourteen thousand bottles of Irish whiskey, and six thousand bottles of Poitin."

"Dear lord," Shiranui couldn't help but mutter. "And we're supposed to help with that?"

Kashima nodded. "But, don't forget, you've also volunteered for the other aspect of the job. Once all thirty four thousand bottles have been brought ashore and secured in the warehouse, you will verify the structural integrity of every bottle. After having been in the water so long, under the immense pressure at the bottom of the ocean, there's a chance they've been damaged."

Shiranui suppressed a groan.

It sounded like an immense task that would take at least a week. Kashima couldn't be serious. All for missing a single class? Maybe she deserved it, but Kagerou too? The girl would be so miserable even Shiranui wouldn't be able to enjoy it.

"Does that sound like a fair detention for you two?"

"No," Shiranui said, hiding her fists at her sides and clenching them. She shouldn't have spoke, especially not when so angry, but she hadn't been able to help it.

"No," Kashima echoed. "I didn't think so. But I expected you to say as much. So worry not, there's more."

"Miss Kashima," Shiranui said.

It was true, what they said about the professor. She would beat you to the ground, grind her heels on your hands, and then spit in your eyes when you tried to look up and plead with her. Shiranui had stepped past the boundary intentionally, but she hadn't planned on dragging anyone with her, least of all Kagerou.

"Kagerou only missed one day – she's a good student. She hasn't even received a warning. It's - it's not-"

She couldn't use the word 'fair'. It wouldn't jibe with Kashima. It was exactly what Kashima wanted to hear. Shiranui was defeated, and she acknowledged it. Even her voice threatened to break, as she struggled to find an argument.

"I said there's more," Kashima said, ignoring Shiranui's half completed plea. "The bottles, submerged in saltwater for many years, will have had their labels shredded or completely lost. Once they're all recovered and you've checked their integrity and dried them off, you will need to remove any remnants of labels on the bottles, write up new ones, and apply them to the bottle. We want a proper, finished looking product when all your work is done. Documentation of the quantity of each type is also necessary. You will start tomorrow. Meet at harbour four, dock six, eight am sharp. Regarding my lecture which you missed, pages sixteen to one hundred should suffice. And Katori informed me you will need to read pages one twenty eight to one seventy and answer questions one through six in the end of chapter exercises from the Abyssal Theory text. You are dismissed."

Shiranui nodded.

Tomorrow, Sunday, was their only day off for the entire week. School was eight hours a day on the other days, excluding Friday. And from what the second years had forewarned, they would usually have a paper or two to write on Sundays, or a test to study for if exams were coming up. This detention wouldn't simply drain them, but it would harm their grades too. It might even set up a domino effect, where they would always be behind in work and sleep, and never be able to catch up for the rest of the semester. It would be like kicking them while they were down and never giving them a chance to free themselves from their situation.

The way Kagerou spoke of it, the Kantai Project meant everything to her. She sounded like she was dedicating her life to it without hesitation. This punishment would crush her dream, if Shiranui didn't act.

Shiranui's mind wasn't thinking fast enough, but she did have the workings of a plan. The plan being, to think. Leave the office, take an hour to think, plan, and prepare, and then return with an argument that would defeat Kashima.

'Defeat Kashima'.

It simply wasn't possible, was it? No, she would need to settle for a small compromise.

At the very least, Kagerou wouldn't be around to hear her attempt if it went south and she made things worse, which wasn't too unlikely of a possibility.

She stood up, her movements stiff. When she realized Kagerou hadn't moved an inch, she reached out to grab the girl's arm. For a terrifying moment, she thought Kagerou might recoil from her, realizing whose fault it was that they were in such a devastating situation. The girl didn't react to her touch, but stood up when she was pulled. Like the blind leading the blind, they left Kashima's office without so much as a goodbye.

They stood out in the hall for a moment. Shiranui adjusting to the brightness of the lights, despite knowing she would soon need to return to the devil's lair.

She saw a familiar face standing down the hallway. The girl was the one from the beach during fitness class – she looked like a middle school student, flat chested, large eyes, and light brown hair with twin ponytails. Kagerou had claimed they were friends, and Shiranui didn't know the girl's name, but knew that she was a Filles.

"You," Shiranui said. "Take her."

She gave Kagerou a shove, and the friend moved in to take the girl's hand. Slowly, they walked down the hallway together.

Shiranui took several deep breaths. Needing to dismiss her Tokarev TT-33 as a solution to her problem spoke volumes about her current mindset.

Blackmail was a dangerous path, but plausible. If she could verify some of the rumours floating around Kashima, maybe she could find a girl who had been exploited by the professor-

A related thought came up, and she immediately told herself 'no'. It was wrong on so many levels.

But it was a potential solution. Didn't it have to be filed into the list of valid ideas? Wasn't it worth it? Besides, there was the rumour that Kashima wasn't interested in first years. It wouldn't work.

But it could.

Shiranui collapsed against the brick walls of the ex-university building. Just by having the thought, no matter how disturbing it was, she felt a little better. There was no cost to Kagerou, if it worked, and that was what mattered, wasn't it? Saving the girl who she inexplicable enjoyed the company of, and didn't want to lose. Even seeing Kagerou walk down the hall, holding hands with her friend, hurt Shiranui. It was greedy, but humans were greedy. They were also selfish, though saving Kagerou from Kashima's punishment didn't seem entirely selfish. To an outsider, it would seem like a respectful action. A responsible action.

When half an hour passed with no one entering or leaving the hallway she sat in, she stood up, her back sore from the wall and her butt sore from sitting on the backs of her feet. Investigating rumours would take too long, and she had little to no contacts within the academy. Arare could offer her feedback on her working theories of where the oceans' water was coming from, and other aspects of science and technology, but she wasn't a viable source of gossip.

Shiranui knocked on Professor Kashima's door, surprisingly herself with her pace. Hadn't she wanted to spend a few more minutes planning?

"Come in."

Once again, she found herself in the devil's lair.

"Ah, Shiranui. Back for some more? Please, take a seat."

Kashima set a book aside, leaning back in her chair to wait as Shiranui returned to the leather couch. She took a deep breath, daring to meet Kashima's eyes.

"I wanted to talk about the detention."

"Go ahead, then."

"Kagerou – she missed your class because of health reasons. She, more than anyone, values the opportunity to learn. To give her this punishment, it's – it's illogical. The amount of time it'll take away from her education is too great. You're looking for people to fight the Abyssals, and I understand you want them to be well disciplined, but you would do better cutting her some slack, here. I don't know her entrance grades, but I'm willing to bet she's top of the class."

"You want me to reduce your punishments?"

"No."

Kashima raised her eyebrows.

"Hers. Just change hers. I'll help your friend salvage his alcohol. Cut Kagerou some slack. I'm the trouble student."

"You want to be a martyr."

"If you want to put it that way."

Kashima laughed. "No. I refuse. You two will share the same punishment, and it will not change."

Shiranui swallowed. Of course trying to reason with her wouldn't work.

"I was visiting some of my second year acquaintances, earlier."

"Heard some rumours, have you?" Kashima said, her tone quickly dropping to a deadly whisper.

Shiranui was in dangerous territory.

"More than that. I've substantiated a few of them. It just so happens, I know one of the girls you seduced. She's willing to testify. If you were to show some generosity to Kagerou, she might have a change of heart."

"Vicious," Kashima commented, pushing her chair back and drawing her long legs up to rest on her desk. "You really, truly, do have a vicious nature."

"You know how these things work. If one person steps forward, the rest do. How many girls have you manipulated? It'll all come crashing down on you. They may not all be minors, but if there's even one, you're looking at jail time. And in either case, exploiting students under your authority means you'll lose your job and forever be blacklisted from teaching. If you don't mind spending the rest of your life doing hard labour on a construction site, the answer is obvious."

"The answer is no." Kashima's next words were bare whispers. "I'm not afraid. Even if there's any substance to these rumours, which you've apparently verified, then I still wouldn't be afraid. I imagine any sexual activities between me and another individual would leave them wanting more, not threatening to turn me in."

Shiranui stared, wide eyed.

Kashima's confidence, and the way she practically admitted to having affairs with the students, left Shiranui reeling. But she couldn't stop now. Letting the tides of the conversation change would mean the end of negotiations. Shiranui wiped her forehead, her fingers coming back glistening with sweat. It was too hot in the room. It was driving her insane.

"I see," she mumbled.

Shiranui had been called conceited, earlier, and she believed it, but she also believed she was attractive. Anyone who appreciated a woman who was young, healthy, and strong would find her attractive. She had been babysat by the ocean much of her life and as a result, she was tanned from the sun, her skin clear and her abs well defined, and though she had a smaller chest, she had strong muscles from all the swimming she had done, both in the USSR and Japan. Her hair was an exotic light pink, and she made sure to take good care of it. She was good-looking, and for the first time in her life, she would make use of her appearance.

All that being said, she hadn't a clue how to seduce an older woman. In fact, she wasn't well versed in sex at all. Being a virgin, the entirety of her knowledge came from books, and from magazines from the West. She knew very little about how two woman would do it.

"With these rumours in mind, professor, I still believe you should forgive Kagerou. I don't have much to offer, but I would be in your debt."

She said the words casually, but her mind was churning as she unbuttoned the top button of her skirt.

It was wrong, and she knew it, but she simultaneously felt excited at the prospect. It was purely a primal urge, but she knew Kashima was experienced – she had all but admitted the girls she'd had sex with enjoyed it. There was a difference, however, that Shiranui couldn't ignore. She wasn't attracted to Kashima. The woman had a suggestive aura about her, but Shiranui couldn't help but compare the woman to Kagerou.

Shiranui wanted to be close to Kagerou. Intimacy wouldn't be enough, with Kagerou. She wanted to hug the girl, to feel her warmth and make her feel happy and safe. She enjoyed teasing Kagerou, because the girl was so cute and when she was embarrassed she wouldn't make eye contact so Shiranui could watch the flustered girl without reservation. She wanted to be the only one who could stir up Kagerou's emotions, and Kashima had walked over them and kicked Shiranui aside.

A wide smile crossed Kashima's lips, and the woman stood up and walked around her desk. Shiranui froze, unsure of what to do, as Kashima approached until their knees were almost touching and Kashima was leaning over her, a hand resting on the coach's back just beside her neck.

"You would be in my debt," Kashima breathed, her eyes turning to Shiranui's shirt.

Her fingers wouldn't stop trembling, and it took her four tries to undo the next button.

Kashima leaned lower, until their eyes were level and their lips inches apart.

A memory, one from only yesterday, arose. Shiranui and Kagerou, in the ocean, water up to their waist. The waves brushing past them, their faces inches apart. She could hear the girl's breaths and get lost staring in her hazel brown eyes.

"You don't mean, you like this?" Shiranui said, grinning.

Kagerou, blushing, had looked away, whispering a very unconvincing 'no'.

It wasn't too late. Shiranui could run out of the office, and forget it. Preserve her virginity, but for what? If Kagerou hated her... staying was the best choice. She could free Kagerou from detention, and maybe they would be able to talk again. Even if their relationship never got better than that, she could make sure nobody else got close, and she could keep teasing the girl and seeing her blushing face and watery eyes as she squirmed in embarrassment, only to forgive Shiranui a second later.

That was the correct course of action.

"After attempting to blackmail me, you think to offer me your body? Why should I trust you won't turn this on me?"

Shiranui shook her head. The thought hadn't even occurred to her, but it was an obvious course of action. "It would be my word against yours. I'm not even respected by my peers, you can't seriously think I could be a threat to you?"

Kashima smiled. "True."

She put a finger on Shiranui's neck, and gently ran it up to her chin. Shiranui held her breath, shivering at the sensation.

"I'll be honest," Kashima said, pulling away and immediately dispelling the tension. "I was wondering how I would break you. You seemed fearless. At a glance, you have no weaknesses. You're smart, if your entrance exam was any indication, you're in peak physical condition – with a very tempting body – and you have great potential, whether you choose to succeed in the Kantai Project, or you look elsewhere. You have the drive to get things done, even if it costs you. Knowledgeable, and content with your current living situation, I didn't know how I would manage. And then I realized it."

Kashima sat on her desk, and Shiranui remained utterly still.

"You're alone, and you're lonely. I find your protectiveness of Kagerou quite sweet. You've found someone to care about, but that, in itself, is a weakness. I didn't have to do anything. You brought this upon yourself."

It was all Shiranui's fault. She stood up.

"No," she hissed, as if saying it would make it not true. "Leave her out of this."

"The punishment stands."

"Wait, wait! What do you want from me? I'll quit – I'll leave the academy!" If Kashima wanted an ultimate victory, then that would be it-

Kashima shook her head with a sad smile.

"I – I can get money," Shiranui said. "I have assets. A Beriev Be-2 out east. Peak condition, well maintained, fully fueled. It's yours, just leave Kagerou alone! It's worth a lot. There were only twelve of its kind ever built, before the factory went under. You can sell it, or do whatever you want with it. Just... please," Shiranui choked. "Please."

"Maybe start thinking on how you can improve your image as a student, if you don't want to hurt her anymore."

Kashima looked towards the door, a clear sign of dismissal.

Shiranui was already on her feet, having offered everything she had to the woman, but she almost couldn't turn her legs around. She was shaken, nearly crying, and she didn't want to move. A few seconds passed in silence, and she felt like she was suffocating in the room's heat. Her feet felt like foreign objects as she finally stumbled towards the door, putting her weight on the handle and swinging it open.

Shiranui stepped outside, closing the door only as an afterthought.

The hallway lights were bright, but looking out the windows, it was dark outside.

Nothing. Was she so worthless, that nothing she had was of value to Kashima?

And she would have done it. She would have given up the Beriev for Kagerou. It was her most valuable possession, inherited from her father and meant to be her emergency funds if ever needed. She would have given it up for Kagerou.

Instead, she'd simply been the evening entertainment for Kashima.

A/N: The mention of the Beriev Be-2 was accurate – only 12 were ever made of the Soviet seaplane. I haven't played KanColle for years, so I imagine some people will be upset at how I portrayed Kashima – I apologize, but it just wrote itself. The professors at Kantai Academy are a little questionable.