Chapter 10
It's All Started from Small Thing
Death
Hyuuga's POV
"We're searching that area right now!" I yelled on. What the hell is attacking them!?
"Everyone, full speed to the waypoint! No time to waste!" I commanded. What the hell is that!? Even from here, I can hear that shells literally raining them! Oh no, I can sense that Yuudachi can break down at any moment now!
"F-Fubuki-chan…" Yuudachi-chan said in the faint voice. Crap, no other way out except to use that!
"Yuudachi, focus on the mission. They're counting on us!" I yelled at her. please, let her be frantic at this moment!
"H-Hai!" She said frantically and sped up immediately. I know I'm the worst, silently threatened my own teammates and make her go frantic like a person chased by the devil himself, not mentioning that I put her mind in totally unstable state. But, this is all I can do if Yuudachi really want to help them! God forsake me and my whole life, I have to do this. No, I don't want to see any of my comrade sunk anymore…
"Fairies spotted the enemy. They're consisted of unknown class of abyssal, but they reported that it is some kind of light cruiser!" Ise said to me. Okay, confirmed that they're light cruisers.
"Let's get them! Yuudachi, go check the location where the fairies were! They should not be that far from the last location! Don't engage the enemy if you spotted them!" I commanded.
"Heading there now, poi!" She said and then turn to right, while avoiding open water.
"Ise, how long before we reached enemy's position?" I asked her.
"Can't confirm the exact location. All of our planes are being shot down! Fairies reported that the ship has a lot of dual purpose guns!" Ise said to me. Did I ever hear a light cruiser class abyssal with many dual purpose guns?
"Let's head to the location! They're light cruisers, so we can take them once we spotted them!" I commanded.
"Let's go!" She said. Please, let them be safe!
Yuudachi's POV
"Fubuki-chan, please be safe,poi…" I said in faint voice. I don't know what's going on. I thought this all will end well…I thought we all will get home safely…I thought that none of us have to stay in the dock… I thought that this will be just another operation….
"Fubuki-chan…" I said her name again. I don't know why, but I like her name. even though her name means blizzard, she doesn't really live up to her name. actually, she's the opposite of her name. She is a warm, friendly person. Really, she doesn't live up to her actual name which means only destruction and sadness. she has a gentle smile like a breeze in autumn. She has gentle and caring personality, like a snow in the winter. She's hardworker with a spirit like a blazing hot sun in the summer. And she's as beautiful as a sakura petal in the spring. All of them makes my heart want to burst out and say that she's the best person I met in my life.
I have heard people said that I'm really sensitive. I even managed to make some people annoyed by me. But not Fubuki-chan. Even when I act so selfish that I regret for what I've done, Fubuki-chan never protested, even just a bit. Even after I basically used her kindness for my own will, she doesn't protest. Especially the promise I made with her. I still remember that my heart and mind conflicted. My heart wanted to keep pushing, but my mind said that she will hate me sooner or later. I don't like to remember even a second when I forced her to go to the city with me. I know that's wrong to do something like that and I wanted to stop. But, she still said yes about it. I was shocked to hear that. After we parted away, I feel my heart start to pound faster, and I made a swear to myself.
I will never let her go.
I want her to makes everyone feels happy. I want her to spread that smile that can reassure everyone. But, in my deepest mind, I want her to be with me forever. I want her to keep smiling for me. I want her to do anything just for me. I want her…to stay beside me.
"Yuudachi-chan!" I heard someone's calling me from far away. Ah, it's Mutsuki-chan!
"Where's Fubuki-chan, poi?" I asked her from here.
"Behind the island!" she said. She's pointing on that island. What is she doing on that island? Whatever, let's go there!
"Heading there, poi!" I said to her. Mutsuki-chan got pretty beaten up. I can see her chimney got hit by shells. Not only that, her clothes got torn pretty badly. My chest hurts a bit, but I'm relieved that she's still okay.
Okay, just a bit and….Oh no….
"Fubuki-chan…" No, no, no, no, no. What…happened…to her? Fubuki-chan is laying there…I see her clothes torn up, even worse than Mutsuki-chan…I saw her right leg bruised…she can't even move…What happened to you? WHO THE HELL CAN DO THIS TO YOU!?
"Fubuki-chan!" I called her. Please, just hold a bit longer! We can get through this! I will bring you back home! We all will bring you back home! I'm coming for you, Fubuki-chan! I still want to see you! I still want you to be my closest friend! I still want you…to love me!
Why is she smiling!? What's gonna happen!? PLEASE, KAMI-SAMA, KEEP HER-
*PING*
*BOOM*
No…
No...No…No…No…No
THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING! NOT RIGHT NOW! NOT TO HER!
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Sendai's POV
We just finished the sortie. The enemy only consisted of 1 battleship, 2 heavy cruisers, and 2 submarines. Well, the last two was a bit challenging. But thankfully, we do have a decent enough equipment to destroy them.
"Good work for today~" Fusou-san said to us.
"Well, that was a bit surprising at the start." Jintsuu said.
"Yeah, fortunately, we all have seaplanes with us." Yamashiro-san said "And I even managed to impress Onee-sama~!"
"Your performance was really good. So, you deserved a compliment." Fusou-san said and then patted her head. Oh boy…
"Uwah, Onee-sama!" Yamashirso-san squealed like a little girl. This happens like almost every time we finished a sortie. Except when one of them got slightly damaged or worse, they always act like this. Well, at least we know that their relationship is as close as always.
"Good job for today." Ooyodo-san greeted us "Want to resupply? Or maybe some of you want to get to the dock first?"
"Naka-chan wanted to get to the bath first, so she can have a good skin!" Naka cheerfully said. Ah, Naka. Never stop to improve your performance, huh?
"Well, I'm hungry. Want to eat first, Jintsuu?" I invited her. This is like our to-do list. Naka always take a dip in the dock first, while I always take my food. Jintsuu is the one who doesn't have preferences.
"I think I might want my parfait first." Jintsuu said. Well, that means that she's going with me.
"Onee-sama, let's go to the restaurant first! I want to treat you something today!" Yamashiro-san said.
"Ara, how sweet of you, Yamashiro! I have to take you for your offer." Fusou-san said happily.
"Anything for onee-sama~" Yamashiro-san said. Well, I think that's the benefit for having not so many sisters. Sometimes, I just can't help myself but imagining if destroyers have that kind of relationship with each other, I'm pretty sure the lead ship will be spoiled non-stop. Plus, I also can't hold my giggle while imagining 9 of them called their lead ship 'Onee-sama'. It will be like the all-girls school from an anime that I watched!
"Headquarters here…copy that…over." Ooyodo-san said "Akashi, we need you here, right now!" Woah, what's going on?
"What happened here?" I asked her.
"You might want to see there…" Ooyodo-san muttered. What's there?...It's the ASW fleet. What's wrong with them?
"Look at who's Mutsuki-chan towing!" Jintsuu said to me. Woah, Mutsuki-chan got beaten up really bad. And towing? what happened to… oh my god!
"Fubuki-chan!" I screamed. Oh no, please don't tell me….no, please…not my teammate…
"Excuse us! Please clear the way!" Akashi-san and Yuubari-san shouted. Fubuki-chan….who did this to you?...
"Fubuki-chan! Fubuki-chan!" I know I'm freaking out right now, but I don't care, damn it!
"We have to get her to the medical center. She got a massive bleeding on her side!" Akashi-san said.
"While you patched her up, I will prepare the tools!" Yuubari-san said. And there she goes…
"Sendai?" Yamashiro-san asked me.
"I lost my appetite…" That's all I managed to say…I don't care what's happening around me…I just need to go to my room…
Few hours later…
"So, how's she?" I asked Akashi-san. After weeping for few hours, I decided to strengthen myself.
"She's…barely alive, to say. We managed to restart her heart, but she's on coma now. No amount of time in dock can restore her condition. She might be alive, to say, but she might stay like that for really, really long time." Akashi-san said with a hint of sadness in it.
"I'm really sorry for that. I should have make something for this if I know this will happen." Yuubari-san said while bowing her head off.
"No, I also don't expect something like this. if you can keep her alive, there might be still a chance for her to wake up again, no matter how small it is." I said to her. To be honest, I might actually have lost all my hope. But I'm still holding my hope in that number, no matter how many point zero there is, there might be a chance.
"I want to take some fresh air first. See you later." I said to them.
"See ya."
"See you."
Now, let's head to outside of office building. There's a bench if I remember correctly, and a vending machine. And it's near the sea, so I can calm myself down a bit.
…
…
*CLANG* popped it open and *SLURP* ah, that hit the spot. And now, take a seat...there we go. As always, it's always beautiful at night. But today, something's off. I'll usually over the moon when It's night time. But not today…
"Fubuki-chan…" I muttered her name. As a squad leader, that mean that we're back to 5 persons again. But as a senpai… I just lost my kouhai. Not only that, she made both Mutsuki-chan and Yuudachi-chan a better person. Mutsuki-chan became more cheerful and she started to forget about Satsuki-chan and Yayoi-chan's death. Yuudachi-chan also became more tolerable person. Maybe she's still very sensitive about things, but she's becoming better at controlling herself. But now…they fall into deeper hole.
After Fubuki-chan was taken to the medical center, both Yuudachi-chan and Mutsuki-chan left immediately. Mutsuki-chan didn't even care that she was damaged pretty badly, she just went straight to somewhere and bam, she's gone. Yuudachi-chan went to their room because I heard crying voice from their room. Yeah, no kidding, Yuudachi-chan ACTUALLY CRIED, unlike the usual fake crying. When I'm alone in my room, her crying voice is like a banshee's moan to me. Every seconds I heard her cry, I feel a sadness that I never felt before. And when I met both of them, both of their eyes…they cried like they never cry before. But most importantly…that blank stare.
Did you ever thought someone like Yuudachi-chan, a childish, happy-go-lucky girl turned into a girl who can't even smile, has her usual carefree green eyes to blank, dull one? or even worse, turned a girl from someone who enjoyed her life by doing what all she wants and can, to a girl who locked her own room and cries? Or turn Mutsuki-chan from her usual warm and friendly demeanor to someone's even deader than a fish that's already out from water for 3 whole days? And not only that, in this few hours, she turned into a ninja. Nobody saw her for 8 hours. EIGHT FREAKING HOURS. I don't even know if she's in her room now! Fubuki-chan, what have you done to them? I never thought that you can make them do something like this until now.
But I guess, I can only pray to the Kami-sama so he will bring Fubuki-chan back. No, you can't go, Fubuki-chan. You have one job, and that is to wake up.
"Kami-sama, I don't know if this prayer will reach you or not. But I only ask you one thing, and that is to make Fubuki-chan come back to us. I don't want to see my kouhai and my teammates crying again. I want to see all of them smiling again. I want to see them with their own banter. I just… want to make them happy again. So please, Kami-sama, do something so they get what they deserved, and that is happiness."
I guess time to sleep now. I'm not in mood for night battle…