I sighed heavily as I laid on my surfboard out on the sea, waiting for any good wave. I thought I could catch a few before the commander arrived, but it's been unusually calm today. The commander's really taking his sweet ass time. He told me to go ahead of him while he wrapped things up, but that was almost a half-hour ago. Whatever. I guess I can wait a bit longer. After all, it's the commander.
I just wish a good wave would come in. The port beach is usually great for surfing. Ain't sure why it's so dead today.
I leaned on my hand, drawing circles in the water as my thoughts took over.
I should be happy right now. I get the commander all to myself. No work. No interruptions. Just the two of us on the beach with some crash-course surfing lessons. What more could I ask for?
But... I dunno. I feel so defeated. Hmph... I suppose almost being sunk fresh after repairs might be part of it. Not to mention Richelieu nabbed the MVP. Again. Such a petty thing to bitch about, but it wouldn't be the first time she's beat me. I've never been able to escape her shadow. It's a venom-laced sting that never goes away.
One day, I'll surpass her.
Damn it, I was in such a good mood earlier too. Nothing matches the adrenaline rush from battle, especially after several days of withdrawal. Leading the charge with my fleetmates, kicking ass with the commander watching, looking forward to his praise afterwards... until Akagi ruined everything.
Akagi... just thinking about that bitch made my body simmer.
I think I was too easy on the commander. He should've punished her straight away. Anything except that "I'll think of something" bullshit. Maybe I can talk some sense into him later. He can't be so soft with her anymore. If it were me in his position, I would've slammed her in the brig right then and there. Maybe shave her tails for good measure.
I'll talk to him before we start. He needs to know ASAP. I'll give him a day to think about it, though. I want the rest of our time this evening to be for detox.
Speaking of the commander...
I looked behind me again. Damn, still not here. Just the other surfboard I brought for him sitting there with my hat and cooler. Where the hell is he? How much stuff did he have left to do? Can't surf if it gets too dark out. If swear if he stands me up, I'll hand him over to Akagi myself... after slapping some sense into him.
Unless... he doesn't wanna hang with me?
Jean, don't do this. You're out here to relax, remember? Not beat yourself up. Ya got enough of a beating today anyway. Besides, this is your chance to show him you're not a total bitch. I know he's been on dates with other shipgirls. He should know to never give them the cold shoulder.
Wait... date...?
"Guh!" I yelped. D-Date?! Is this...? Did I accidentally ask him out?! B-But I never said "date" to him! I-I was just hoping to... shit, it feels like I'm gonna have a heart attack!
No! Calm down, Jean. Calm... the hell... down. Deep breaths. In through the nose... out through the mouth. Easy, girl. Easy...
Phew. Okay, now without panicking, let's think. Is this actually a date? That wasn't what I was thinking when I asked. I just wanted to show him that I can unwind after busting his balls all week. But... did he think I was asking him out? But what if…
...no. What am I worried about? I never said the word "date", nor did I ask, "Will you go out with me?" I just invited him to the beach. A guy and a girl can just chill on the beach together as friends, right?
...but I don't wanna be just "friends" with him, right? Isn't a date exactly what I want?
Shiver me timbers, why does this crush have to be so damn complicated?
Ugh... I oughta not dwell on that crap. I'm came to relax and have fun, and that's exactly what I'm gonna do. Maybe blow off some steam too.
My surfboard began to rock more. I perked up when I saw the peak of a bigger wave quickly approaching. A wave perfect to surf on.
"Finally," I mumbled. Showtime.
I paddled to turn myself around and waited for the wave to pick me up. When it did, I got ready to stand. The refreshing blue water shattered into white all over my body, cooling me as I popped up to my feet. I steadied myself and gazed outward, coasting straight with the wave. Nothing too crazy yet. Just warming up. I took a deep, invigorating breath. Ah... brisk. I almost prefer this to fighting. No Sirens or horny foxgirls trying to kill me. I can just be out on the water and enjoy myself.
This is really helping to brighten a crappy day. Only thing that could make it better is...
...hmph... speak of the devil.
I saw the commander sitting on the beach. Heh... probably the most casual garb I've seen in him. Just a T-shirt, swim trunks, and flip flops.
Oh shoot, he's waving at me.
"Hehe..." I giggled.
...that was the girliest giggle I've ever uttered. Well, besides when he asked me to be his secretary. Okay, second girliest. Whatever. Jeez, I must be blushing up a storm. It's not my fault the dumbass looks so damn cute right now.
I waved back...
"WoaAAhh!" I yelped as my board thrashed a bit. I managed to regain balance.
Phew... that was close. Now ain't the time to wipe out. Just taking it easy, remember?
Although... this wave still has some length and power to it. And I'm a healthy distance away from shore...
Know what? Screw it. I think I'm warmed up enough, and I think I've got a second chance to show off for him. I grinned as I crouched...
"Alright, Commander. Lemme show ya what I got."
With the white water chasing me, I coasted along the trough of the wave, gaining speed. Once I had enough, I turned my board towards the wave's crest. I skirted on the top of the wave, scattering saltwater to the wind as I crouched and turned the board to accelerate down to the wave's base. I repeated this a couple times. Up to the crest, down to the trough.
Now this is child's play. Simple s-bends. But I'm only getting started. Let's see if I can land one of the tricks I've been practicing.
I accelerated towards the edge of the wave. I could feel my ponytail start to thrash behind me as I gained speed. It felt like my heart was beating as fast as I was surfing. When I felt like I had enough speed, I coasted up to the tip of the wave. Before I actually touched the crest, I leaned my body to my side. As if I was surfing in a solid bowl, my board seamlessly carved the edge of the wave as I circled back around, creating a smooth, clear fan of water in my wake.
Now the tricky part. Catching the white water.
C'mon, Jean. You've got this. He's watching...
My board was at full speed. Barely any time to think as I fixated on the wave's white water. I gotta hit this just right. I grit my teeth as I closed the gap between me and the tip of the wave. Crouching to absorb the punch of the white water, the nose of my board broke through the crest. I quickly leaned to turn the board back around, slicing through the wave's crest like a knife through butter.
"Kyah!" I grunted, slamming the board down into the water as the wave shattered around me, and I had full control of my board once again.
"Hah!" I did it! Yes! Yes! I thought for sure I was gonna wipe out when I saw how close the white water was, but holy crap I nailed it! I don't even care that it's one of the easier tricks!
If nothing else, I know I've got Richelieu beat at this.
With a big smirk, I allowed the dissipating energy of the wave to carry me back to shore. I waited until the sand below the water was visible before dismounting. A smaller wave rolled up around my shins as I hoisted up my board. I tossed my hair to shake the excess water out as I walked onto shore, greeted by my smiling commander.
"About time you showed up," I said.
"Jean, that was awesome!" he said.
"Heh... thanks," I said, undoing the leg rope on my ankle. I hope I'm not blushing too much. Hearing him praise me like that gives me butterflies. "A roundhouse cutback is what that's called. I still need to perfect it a bit, but I'm glad I could land one for ya."
"You don't expect me to do anything like that, right?" he asked.
I chuckled as I reached behind my head to undo my ponytail. "Of course not. Gotta learn to use the board first."
I tossed and fluffed my hair as it was freed from my hair tie, feeling it gently fall across my back like a cloak. Ah... much better. The ponytail's nice until it gets wet. Then it feels like it's tugging on your head.
Wait... was he staring at me while I did that?
"Oh, that's another thing," he said before I could call him out for ogling me. "I kinda... don't have a board...?"
"I figured," I said, walking over to the second board and swapping it out for my current one. "I was gonna let you borrow my other one. If you like surfing well enough, maybe you can get your own."
"Sound good to me," he said. "I'm excited to try it. It looks really fun."
"Hold on, Commander," I said. "I'm glad you're excited, and I know we're here to chill, but I need to be a secretary one last time before we start."
"Um... okay?" he said. "What's up?"
I sighed. I hope this doesn't kill the vibe too much, but I really do need to lay into him.
"Have you thought of a punishment for Akagi yet?" I asked.
His eyes widened. "Oh... Akagi. Um... not yet."
"Okay. Well, here's a follow-up question," I said. "Have you thought about it at all since training? And don't lie to me."
He pursed his lips. His face said it all.
"...no," he said.
Yep. I figured as much.
"Well, at least you're honest," I said. "Look, you were too easy on her. That bitch oughta be punished and you know it."
"I know, I know," he said. "It's just... I..."
"What?" I pressed. "Ya scared of her? Commander, she attacked an ally willingly and with purpose. If ya know ya oughta punish her, then why haven't ya thought about it?"
"B-But Jean..."
"No no no, don't 'But Jean' me," I said sternly. "You know damn well that the only reason ya didn't punish her then and there is because you're scared of her. Right?"
He was silent, pursing his lips and fidgeting his fingers.
"Ya know I'm right," I said. "Just admit it."
He sighed. "...y-yeah."
That wasn't so hard, was it? He may be cute as hell, but he can really get on my nerves.
"Well, guess what? She ain't the commander. You are," I said. "You call the shots. If ya let her control ya like this, it's only gonna get worse. I reckon if it was anyone else, ya woulda let them have it on the spot. Nobody deserves special treatment for something this severe. I don't give a damn how scared you are. Ya need to man the hell up and confront her. And I ain't saying this because it was me she tried to frag. I'd be lecturing ya regardless of who it was. Besides, ain't nobody gonna respect ya if ya can't put your foot down."
He was silent for a moment, looking down at the sand. The only sounds were that of the ocean waves washing onto shore. Ugh... I hate upsetting him, but he needed to know.
"Ergh... you're right," he said. "I messed up, didn't I?"
"Tell ya what. I might be annoyed for what happened, but I know ya didn't come out here to get lectured, nor is it the reason I invited ya," I said. "I'll give ya till the end of the day tomorrow to come up with something. If ya don't, I'll punish her myself. And believe me, anything I do will piss her off way more than anything you'd do."
He didn't say anything for another minute. I can't help but wonder what he's thinking.
"...alright. Deal," he said.
I nodded. "Good. Alright, I'm done lecturing. You've had a long week, so let's unwind for a bit, huh?"
He chuckled. "Kind of a sudden change of mood."
I shrugged. "I wanna relax too, but I knew I had to get that out before too much time passed. This is why I'm giving you the whole day tomorrow—so we can relax together tonight. You understand, right?"
He nodded. "Sure."
"Glad ya see it my way," I said. "Anyway, enough of that. I don't wanna think about work anymore. For the rest of the day, I ain't your secretary. I'm your coach. Ready to get started?"
Hope you enjoyed. I'm pumped for the next chapter. I've already started writing it, so hopefully it won't take too long. Thanks for reading and sticking with me. I'm enjoying exploring Jean Bart's character a lot. Definitely has become my favorite character in the game thanks to this fic. As always, thanks for reading, and thanks for bearing with me on the downtime between chapters. Regardless of how long the next chapter takes, this story ain't going anywhere, I promise. Cheers.