Ch 7: The tables are turned
Setting: Youko's Home (Gobuster base)
Youko was past her bedtime. She couldn't sleep. Memories from some hours ago keep rewinding inside hear head:
Youko was reading from a script then.
"Yaah! Why do I have to tell you this!" complained Youko while scratching her head. She looked at the script that was lying in front of her. Hiromu on the other hand was still listening intently.
Youko inhaled deeply, "Hiromu—I like you"
Hiromu's mouthgaped open, "HUH?!"
Youko scrambled to get up. When she saw Hiromu, her mouth parted wide too, "HUH?!"
"Ano—" Hiromu was struggling for words. His eyes were dancing from Youko to space.
Youko fidgeted too, "Hiromu, chigaimas—" ("Hiromu, you're wro—")
Hiromu's morphin brace rang. It was commander Kuroki from on the other line. He excused himself awkwardly and vanished from RH-03. Youko could only slap her forehead repetitively for missing the chance to explain herself.
Youko decided to call Ryuji for help. She can hear blueprints being examined from the other line.
"Ryu-san, Hiromu heard me practicing my lines"
"I don't see anything wrong with it Youko-chan" Ryuji said
"Demo—he didn't see that I was holding a script. I didn't even know that he's behind me. What am I going to do Ryu-san!"
Ryuji could only laugh at Youko's story. His face was so red that Gorisaki thought he needed ice. When he gained composure, he told Youko, "daijobou, I'll talk to him".
"Arigatou Ryu-san!" Youko said happily. She dropped the line and hugged her usagi to sleep.
Setting: Youko's home
The following day, Youko thought that Ryuji had explained to Hiromu about practicing her lines for a school play. The truth: Ryuji hadn't told Hiromu anything yet. He was too busy working with Gorisaki in their deadline that he forgot to consider Youko's request.
Youko also thought that she had to act normal when she sees Hiromu again. In this way, Hiromu may perceive that everything was the fault of the script.
Youko and Usada were making cakes together with Nakamura-san. They planned to hold a party later to celebrate the end of Youko's school year. When Nakamura-san excused herself for a while to use the restroom, Usada pleaded Youko to recite the part (from the school play) where Youko's character is actually talking to Usada. Youko hesitated at first, but Usada was so persistent to participate that she had to give in.
Apparently, Hiromu arrived too early for the party. When he heard Usada's voice from the kitchen, Hiromu thought of joining him. He stopped immediately when he heard Youko talking to Usada.
Hiromu didn't know that Youko was practicing lines that involved a conversation between a girl who likes Hiromu and Usada the buddyroid:
"Hiromu's really kakkoi (cool), isn't he?" Youko said, trying to act giddy
"well, he is the leader of Gobusters after all" Usada said, trying to act like himself
"Hiromu's kawaii (cute) too" Youko added, "Hiromu, toki-doki!"
Hiromu eyes were so big that he stood frozen solid. Youko and Usada were laughing at themselves. Nakamura-san appeared later with a grocery list. She asked Youko whether she could run to the grocery while she and Usada prepare the other dishes. Youko nodded happily and went out to the door. She was surprised to see Hiromu standing frozen near the fire extinguisher. Her thoughts whirred from the awkward event yesterday. She puffed her cheeks and decided to act as normal as possible.
"I'm about to go out," she said, "daijobou?"
"Ah!" Hiromu answered tensely, forcing a normal big smile
"what happened to your face?" Youko kidded, pointing to Hiromu's face
"it's-hot!" Hiromu replied quickly, tugging his shirt to convince her
Youko looked outside, some kites were flying because of the strong wind, "carry on" she said to him and went towards the exit.
Time to Party!
The buddyroids (including J), Hiromu, Ryuji, Commander Kuroki, Nakamura-san, and Morishita-san were present in Youko's party. The buddyroids were happily satisfied with their own enetron while the others feasted on the dishes prepared by Youko, Usada and Nakamura-san. Youko noticed that Hiromu looked very still. She confided to Ryuji about it.
"Hiromu's silent tonight, Ryu-san" Youko said quietly
Ryuji put his hands together in a praying position, "gomen Youko-chan! I forgot to tell him about your school play!"
Youko's eyes were very wide from shock. "Ryu-san!"—were the only words that escaped from her mouth. Now she realized why Hiromu was acting strange towards her.
Hiromu excused himself from the crowd to answer a call from Rika-san. He went outside the building for better reception. Youko followed him shortly.
Finished with his call, Hiromu headed to the entrance. He stopped to see Youko who looked uneasy beside the entrance.
"Gomen, Hiromu" Youko said looking down, "I forgot to tell you that I'm practicing lines for our school play. It's a Gobusters tribute. My character is a girl who likes you—everything you heard…they're from the script"
Hiromu's mouth parted a little, but no word came out. Youko thought he was deliberating.
"souka" he said, then he started to laugh
Youko's face brightened up, "Baka! (idiot) you thought it was real?"
"Ah" Hiromu answered. To Youko's relief, Hiromu gained back his normal composure—the one that Youko's character in the play described as "kakkoi" (cool).
When they headed back inside the building, it was Youko's turn to be quiet.
After the Play
Youko's school play was successful. It may mark the beginning of Youko's vacation, but Youko apparently looked pensive. She had many homeworks with her and it all involved critical thinking and problem solving. But more to that, Youko and Hiromu are now normal with each other. Youko tried to brush away the thoughts when Hiromu was awfully awkward towards her. But she can't deny that she missed it everytime Hiromu would show up at the base in his usual composure. These feelings of regret grew and it made Youko unhappy.
Meanwhile, in the place where the buster machines are located, an employee accidentally pushed a control button that launched CB-01. Without its buddyroid and pilot, it may still move to damage anything that gets into its way. Youko and Usada saw this and went inside RH-03 to stop it.
Youko and Usada fired away to dismantle CB-01, but all efforts were in vain.
"Usada, I'll stop it from the inside" Youko said with conviction, "Every machine has its deactivation button somewhere. Meanwhile, try to stop CB-01 while I'm in it"
Usada refused Youko's suggestion. But he couldn't do anything when Youko motioned RH-03 to CB-01. Youko jumped from her buster machine and landed successfully to CB-01. Usada was firing away while Youko struggled to manually deactivate CB-01.
Meanwhile, Ryuji (from the command center) appeared on CB-01's screen.
"Youko-chan! Do as what I say!" Ryuji was reading from CB-01's system files and told her instructions on how to manually deactivate it.
CB-01 was deactivated soon after. Youko jumped from CB-01 using her superhuman jumping ability. She waved at Usada who moved out from RH-03. Usada looked at Youko from top to toe—Youko had scratches and wounds on herself.
Hiromu and Nick was running towards them. Hiromu appeared very frustrated.
"Baka!" Hiromu said, "You're not trying to kill yourself aren't you?!"
Youko squinted her eyes and grimaced at him, "well, you're not around siscon"
Youko felt her insides grumble. She's starting to lose her fuel. When she's about to collapse, Hiromu was just in time to catch her. Youko was still conscious even if physically incapable to move and she felt awkward when her head was resting on Hiromu's shoulder. She consumed her candy quickly and moved away from him.
Usada and Nick returned with RH-03 and CB-01 back to the base. Youko was walking with Hiromu behind her.
"I'll make sure that the control panels are protected from human error" Hiromu said seriously, "and Youko—don't do it again"
Youko made a face towards him, "I'm not that crying kid anymore Hiromu!" She laughed at her own childish gestures soon after as she commenced to walk again.
"Youko I'm serious!"
Youko turned around to face him. To Youko's surprise, Hiromu looked really frustrated.
"CB-01 is important to you" Youko said, her hands on her hips, "I'm just protecting what is yours"
"So you really like me" Hiromu said straightforwardly
"HUH?!"
Hiromu cleared his throat and looked straightly at her, "I like you too"
