Name format: (FN) (LN)
I won't be using the Japanese name format, so I won't be confused when writing this.
The whirring of an 85mm shell in flight was heard just before an explosion was seen right next to his tank on the side of the mountain wall.
"Shit!"
All the vehicles sped up before returning fire shortly after.
"We're almost out!"
Or so they thought…
A shell landed on a patch of unstable ground which another tank just so happened to be passing over, causing the vehicle to slide into the river below.
"Bail out!"
"Doors are stuck I can't get out!"
"Commander, let us help them!"
"Go! But we can't wait for you!"
"They're dug in pretty good! We can't get to them!"
"Stop the match!"
"HELP!"
The morning sun slipped through the blinds, giving the room some form of illumination. It was modestly decorated and was suited for only one occupant. The setting focuses on the lone bed with a figure sleeping on it under a blanket. It then focuses on the clock on top of the nightstand next to it. The blinking of the LED repeated for a few moments before the whole display changed which was followed by a loud irritating noise.
The person underneath the blanket shifted before extending a hand to shut off the alarm clock and straightening up and rubbing his eyes. The hands went down to reveal the face of a young man with dark brown hair and equally dark eyes.
"Really shouldn't have stayed for another match," He muttered to himself, groggily.
He immediately pushed himself out of bed and into the bathroom to do his morning routine, looking at the mirror to be greeted by a tired face belonging to a young man with short dark brown hair and similar color eyes. The face of Kenji Kanagawa, a second-year high school student. He later came out looking like the model student. He threw a Yakisoba Bread into the microwave and heated up some coffee. He then scarfed down his breakfast as quickly as he can before exiting the apartment.
He walked down the sidewalk, passing by various shops and crossing streets. He looked up to see the clear blue sky. It was a beautiful day and he thought that nothing.
"Yo, Kanagawa!" A voice called out.
Kanagawa looked to the other side of the street to see another young man waving at him. He smiled and they both approached each other, giving him a clear picture of a boy with ash brown hair and similar color eyes. The features of a boy he only recently made friends with, named Kobe Nakasone.
"Hey, Fujimoto," He greeted.
"Hey, so how're you feeling?" Fujimoto asked.
Kanagawa yawned. "Like crap. That last match was a mistake."
"We just had to get a Battle mode in Vietnam, talk about sweat."
"They just would not give up their point."
"Good thing I came in with a Pe-8 then," A voice said from behind them.
They both turned to see another pair of faces approaching them.
"And that I was able to hold them off before what's left of us can swoop in and cap the point," The other boy said.
The first speaker had black hair and gray eyes while the other had orange hair and green eyes, belonging to his other friends named Goro Yoshima and Akio Fujimoto respectively.
"Thanks for that one Nakasone, but Yoshima got me too. Are you blind or something?" Kanagawa asked him.
"He, I knew you were there, my sight's just fine. T'was a necessary sacrifice, be thankful," He argued while trying to sound like some aristocratic person.
"Yeah yeah, I guess you're right."
"I'm just glad we won, we had boosters on and everything," Nakasone said.
"It's not our fault you had three two +500% boosters and a Golden Eagle wager on when we played," Fujimoto said.
"When the hell did I say it was your fault? Ugh, you guys suck."
"It's fine, I had boosters on too," Kanagawa said.
"Me too," Fujimoto and Yoshima also said and they all laughed at that.
"Hey, where's Katayama?" Fujimoto asked.
"Where do you think?" Nakasone answered and they all laughed some more.
They talked about some other things until they reached the campus of Hakodate Boys Academy. They moved to cross the road to get to the get, but Kanagawa stopped.
He could hear them coming. The sound of two pairs of treads, the sound of two diesel engines, the sounds of war machines. Immediately he put a hand up and spoke in a firm voice.
"Halt!" He ordered.
"Whoa, what's up-," Yoshima said but was silenced when he also heard the noise.
They all did. And sure enough, a moment later two hulks of steel came into view. They were the rulers of ground warfare, steel killing machines, they were tanks. Both vehicles passed by them and continued down the street.
Four of them gazed upon the steel chariots with varying degrees of wonder, while Fujimoto was ecstatic.
"Wow! An American M4A3 Sherman "Zippo" and a Soviet KV-85," He identified by memory with stars in his eyes. "It's weird seeing them over here, I wonder what they're up to?"
"Probably just keeping the engine warm," Nakasone remarked.
"School's about to start though," Yoshima said.
"Maybe they're just taking it out for a spin," Nakasone added again.
"Perhaps," Fujimoto said.
While the other three discussed what the tanks could have been doing so early in the morning, Kanagawa remained silent as he stared at the war machines. The two armored vehicles turned a corner and he felt his headache just a bit, making him look away. Yoshima who was beside him quickly picked up on this and noted it.
"Hey, are you alright?" He asked.
"Huh?" Kanagawa said, turning to his friends to see them staring at him. He quickly caught on to what was happening and responded. "Oh yeah, I'm fine. Just a small headache, guess I'm still kinda sleepy."
"Just buy an iced coffee once we're in. You'll be okay in no time," Fujimoto told him and the rest nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, you're right."
They crossed the road and passed through the gate, seeing another familiar face right outside it. He had short black hair in a crew cut and dark blue eyes. He also had a distinct armband on. He sighed and checked his watch.
"Kanagawa, Yoshima, Fujimoto, and Nakasone. Well done, you were eight seconds from being marked late," Taro Ueda told them.
"Morning to you too, Ueda," Nakasone greeted. "Not gonna ask where Katayama is?"
"What's the point? Besides, he already came in," Ueda told them and they all gawked at him.
"Eh, really?!" Nakasone exclaimed.
"Yeah, he came in five minutes before you four, somehow. Go see for yourself, my job's not done yet here."
"Kay, see ya around."
They walked through the gate and into the school grounds. As they walked to the building, something caught Yoshima's eye when he glanced at the front lawn and the trees elaborate planted on it.
"Contact, 1:30, under a tree," He reported.
They all looked in that direction and moved to investigate. Once at the reported position, they were greeted by the sight of a human being snoozing peacefully on the grass with his head against the base of the tree.
"Wow, he really did show up," Nakasone remarked.
"Well, what's the point if he's just gonna pass out in the front lawn?" Yoshima said.
"I guess he just wanted to clock in some attendance before deciding to doze off," Fujimoto answered.
Kanagawa sighed. "C'mon, let's get him up."
They all surrounded Haru and started poking and pushing at him with the stuff they had while telling him to get up.
"Yo, Katayama, get up! Classes are about to start," Nakasone said while shaking him.
"Very tired, can't move," Katayama retorted in a groggy voice.
"Well, why the hell did you bother coming to school then?!"
"...Need attendance record."
"Well, that answers that," Fujimoto said.
"C'mon, man, you're here already, at least try to get through first period," Yoshima told him.
"I'll go later, just leave me here…"
"Hey, classes are about to start! Why the hell are you still there?! And why are you on the grass in the first place, can't you read?!" Ueda yelled whilst pointing at a sign planted on the grass which told people not to step on it.
"Sorry, Ueda! We'll be heading out, just give us a second!" Fujimoto responded.
"If it's Katayama, then just leave him! Your attendance doesn't deserve to be ruined because of him!"
"Man, that's just rude," Katayama said.
"We'll be out in a second, just wait!" Kanagawa told Ueda and turned back to him. "Come on, already. We're gonna be late."
There was a loud groan that came from him and he finally started to move.
"Fine, you win."
"There we go," Kanagawa said. "Nakasone, pick up his stuff. Yoshima, help me out."
They nodded and proceeded with the assigned tasks. Nakasone picked up Katayama's bag and slung it around his shoulder while Kanagawa and Yoshima picked him up. Once he was off the ground and into the light, they could finally see him properly. He had black hair, amber eyes, and was about as tall as the rest of them were.
"C'mon man, at least put some effort in," Yoshima complained as they struggled a bit to pull him up.
"Humans aren't made to function with so little sleep. Actually, why do we even have to wake up, go to school, and have a life, when we can just sleep it all away?" Katayama wondered, sounding all philosophical all of a sudden.
"That's a fancy way of saying you want to die," Fujimoto remarked.
"I don't wanna die, I just want to sleep forever," He clarified.
"Same thing, man. Besides, why were you up so late anyway?"
"I dunno, who's idea was it to go another round with +500% boosters and Golden Eagle wagers? And who had to distract the enemy team while the rest of you flanked them?" Katayama answered while glaring at him.
"Good point."
"I barely escaped from that 5K bomb Yoshima dropped though. But it worked anyway cause we still won."
"Yeah, let's play again tonight!" Fujimoto suggested but was quickly shut down.
"I have homework," Kanagawa said.
"I have chores," Yoshima said.
"I have to sleep," Katayama said.
"I have a date," Nakasone said.
"You mean you want to play another dating sim, right?" Fujimoto clarified.
"I have a severe lack of women in my life, I need to compensate somehow!" Nakasone argued.
"Isn't your mom always at home with you?" Yoshima asked.
"She doesn't count! She's my mom, for God's sake!" He exclaimed and the rest of them just laughed at his expense, even Katayama was smiling a bit.
They went in and went through the first half of the day with no problems. It was now lunchtime and only three of the group of five were present. Fujimoto was at the library looking for some books while Katayama was dozing off somewhere quiet and discreet. It's only been a week, but Kanagawa has gotten quite fond of this little group of guys he suddenly became a part of.
"So, I heard they'll be giving out the elective forms today," Nakasone said.
"Oh really, well it's about time," Kanagawa said.
"What will you guys be picking?"
"Dunno yet, I'll just wait and see what they have to offer first."
"Same. I heard that there'll be more choices this year," Yoshima said.
The conversation then gradually shifted to another topic from there.
"What do you guys think those tanks were doing driving around this morning?" Nakasone asked.
"Aside from the speculations already made earlier, I think they were just testing their gear. The second season of Sensha-Do this year is only right around the corner. So they're probably making sure their equipment works before signing up. That, and they're probably using it as a tool to attract more contestants to fill in their gaps," Kanagawa explained, almost whispering the last part.
"Maybe, but it's not like we win anything anyway. Sensha-do was restarted two years ago here in Hakodate, but before that, it was in the dark for ten years. No experience, bad training, and poor maintenance of what equipment we do have results in a loss after just thirty minutes," Yoshima explained.
"I also heard rumors that Sensha-do will go dark again since it's not producing anything meaningful for the school and it's just burning money now," Nakasone said and sighed a bit. "It's kinda sad. I read that Hakodate used to have one of the best Tankery teams before going dark the first time."
"It's probably for the best. Tankery isn't that popular anymore, especially when it's us boys doing it. And it's also quite expensive to do," Kanagawa said.
"Yeah maybe, but it's still a shame. In that case, this last match would be Hakodate's Tankery team's final hurrah before going dark for good. It makes me want to join, 'cause I feel like it's gonna be fun," Nakasone said.
"Yeah, me too. And I'd like to do something more exciting than darts," Yoshima said.
"You said it! Besides, I can use the training and experience to gain brownie points from girls in other schools! Even if we would lose, I want to do it in the coolest way possible! And then maybe I can snag myself a cute tanker girl from another school," Nakasone explained with a stupid grin on his face.
"Is everything you think about all day are girls?" Kanagawa asked with a bored expression.
"No, I need to figure what to eat and drink every day," Nakasone answered.
"Smartass," Kanagawa muttered.
"Come to think of it, girls doing Sensha-do has always been more popular than boys," Yoshima said.
"Sensha-do or Tankery was originally only meant for girls when it started almost a hundred years ago, but after a few decades, the first boys' teams were formed. However, the girls have always remained the most dominant," Kanagawa explained.
"Well, how can they not be? According to everything I've read, it's only ever the cute and hot girls that take up Tankery. That combined with the fact they are trained to fight each other in metal killing machines, then you essentially have the male fantasy. Of course, they'll be more popular," Nakasone explained.
"Going by that logic, I guess that makes sense," Kanagawa said.
"Yeah, and now I guess my mind and probably Yoshima's mind has been made up about Sensha-do. What about you, Kanagawa?" Nakasone asked him.
He shook his head. "I'll pass, it's not for me. I think I'll take art or something, I guess."
"Eh, why not? We've known each other for only two weeks, but I've already figured out stuff about you. When we play War Thunder ground forces, you always almost wipe the floor with the whole enemy team. And didn't you get a 3/20 on that drawing assignment last week? I know you suck in art so much you can't even draw a circle perfectly, so why?" Nakasone asked.
It's true, all of it. They'd only been friends for the past two weeks since school started but they'd already revealed quite a lot to each other. And in that time, Kanagawa discovered that this guy, who seemed like a typical normie who hounds over girls, was quite perceptive and observant of the things around him. And they were all generally very friendly. But that did not mean he was keen on fully trusting them. But, he sighed and spoke.
"Let's just say that I come from a family that's constantly around tanks, and I just want to take a break from them. But before you ask, no, my family's not threatening me with disownment or anything. They were a bit upset but they still support my decision to transfer here from my old school. And tanks in a video game and tanks in real life are still not completely equal, besides the guys we were versing were as dumb as rocks since no one else responded while three of them were already trying to fend us off. And it's why I can't draw a circle properly that I want to take up art as my elective to learn. You understand me?" Kanagawa explained.
Nakasone nodded and smiled. "You've got a point. Alright, I won't touch that topic anymore. And I hope you'd be happy with your decision."
"Yeah, I hope so too."
"Well, girls like men with talent. If you can impress her with an accurate drawing of her face, and/or body if you can, then she's bound to fall for you."
"My God, does it always have to be about girls with you?"
"No, I like messing around with radios and code."
"Freakin smartass," Kanagawa muttered, making the rest of them laugh.
After that, lunch ended and it was back to classes. But before they were dismissed for the day, they were all gathered in the gym to be briefed about their elective classes. Each subject was given an introduction through a video presentation, but the most creative and elaborate of them all was the one for Sensha-do which came in last.
First, there was a brief overview in the history, then a segment showing the highlights of the best matches between schools, and then reasons why more boys should get into Sensha-do. And to top it all off-
There were two explosions on either side of the stage, creating two holes as a result, and the two tanks from earlier drove inside. They stopped after completely advancing inside and their crew popped out from the turret, standing proudly whilst looking onto the other students.
"Be the best you can!"
"Win the hearts of many!"
"Bring glory to yourself, your family, and your school!"
"Join Tankery today!"
There was a sound of a Viking horn and many of the students cheered. The mentioned group of five were also amazed, except for Kanagawa who was quiet and frowning, and Haru who was close to passing out again.
"So this is why they were driving around so early in the morning!" Fujimoto exclaimed.
"That was pretty badass!" Nakasone exclaimed.
"Indeed, I'm impressed!" Yoshima said whilst clapping.
A moment later, the three members of the Student Council walked on stage and stood in front of the student body. The Student Council President was a blonde with blue eyes named Kaede Machida. Then there was the Vice President and PR manager, a boy with short black hair and dark green eyes behind a pair of glasses, named Yuu Ishihara. And lastly, there was the Secretary and Treasurer, a boy with light brunette hair and similar color eyes, named Atsushi "Atsu" Terada. The VP stepped forward to grab the microphone before adjusting his glasses and speaking.
"Everyone please calm down, our President shall be addressing you personally now," He said.
The President stepped forward, took the mic from him, and smiled.
"Good day to all of you, I hope your second week here has been great! Now, I know you all just want to head back home and play video games, so I'll make this one quick. As you just saw, today we will be handing out the elective forms. You're free to choose any of the electives but we are urging many to choose Sensha-do/Tankery.
"Now, why should you do that? Isn't our Tankery team no good, that we can't even survive for more than thirty minutes? And isn't Sensha-do a girl's sport anyway, that we won't be gaining much popularity from it? If you're thinking that, then you would be correct. Our Tankery team does suck, and the girls have always been better than us boys."
The President announced to them and they all remained silent and looked amongst themselves in embarrassment. But, the President kept smiling.
"Now, if you've read about this school's history, then you should know that we used to be the Kings of Sensha-do. The other schools looked up to us, feared us even. And then we slowly became the joke we are now. However, that was all due to the circumstances of the past, and it shows that we all have times when we win or fail. Maybe it was for the best that we are who we are right now, so that we may not get used to being on top all the time and to learn to be humble. However, I say that our period of failure has ended, we have remained like this for too long. It's time that we rise up again and make a change. But we can't change without your help. By joining, you would already be eliminating one of the main problems, which is our lack of manpower. Everything else will come afterward. And, it's a bit unfair if you have nothing to gain, so here's a little something. Mister Secretary, if you will."
The Secretary stepped forward and took the mic from the President and faced the student body.
"We've decided to strike a with you all a deal. Those who join our Tankery team shall receive some cool benefits. They will receive 100 meal passes in the cafeteria, 200 passes if you're late for anything, and the best one yet, three times the grade in another subject!"
After the Secretary's announcement, there were murmurs all around the student body as many found the prospect very interesting to them.
"We thought about it and decided that you deserve to receive something if you join. The road of Tankery is a rough one, but I know we can get through it," The Vice President added.
"Well, there you have it. You'll all be given your elective forms before you leave. And again, whether it's Tankery or any of the other electives, they are all there to help you grow as a person. So please think about it carefully. That is all, have a great day!"
The President put the mic back on the stand the Student Council climbed down the stage.
"Nice speech back there, Prez," Ishihara told him.
"Thanks. I improvised most of it," Machida said.
"A bit much, don't 'ya think?" Terada asked.
"We need as many members as we can get. It's the only way forward," The President said with a sigh before turning to his friends. "So, who's gonna fix the wall?"
There was a sudden loud noise and they turned to see the KV-85 ram into the wall when it reversed incorrectly, causing more of it to collapse. The VP and Secretary sighed, it's gonna be a long night.
The scene then cuts to the four of five walking back home together.
"Holy shit, they actually drove the tanks through the walls! The sound of those diesel engines was awesome! Goddamnit, it would've been awesome if they fired their cannons too! But, it's also good that they didn't otherwise there would be a lot of deaf people right now," Fujimoto said.
"They really went all out, huh?" Nakasone said just as he received his form.
"I guess they really need people in Sensha-do that much. Although, I do agree with pushing ourselves back up. I'm quite pumped to hop in a tank and start shooting things," Yoshima said.
"Well, I bet I'm the most excited out of all of us! I just want to be in a tank so much!" Fujimoto exclaimed.
"You love tanks that much, huh?" Nakasone asked and he nodded. "Why didn't you join last year?"
Fujimoto shook his head and sighed. "I never had many friends, and the few I did have had other interests. No one I knew then wanted anything to do with tanks. I guess I was just afraid of being alone."
They all eyed him carefully for a moment before Nakasone smiled and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.
"Well, you're in luck! Yoshima and I have talked about it, and we've decided to take Sensha-do as our elective! That way, you won't have to be lonely over there!" He told him.
"Oh wow, really?!" Fujimoto exclaimed, his features lighting up to their normal cheerful forms.
"Yup! So make sure your tank nerd brain stays in shape because I'm taking you into my team! We'll use it to crush the enemy and bring home lots of cute girls!" Fujimoto declared.
"When did you two even decide that?" Kanagawa asked, confused that he didn't hear about his friends' decision which came out of nowhere.
"Oh, we decided when we were at the restroom awhile ago. We thought that it'd be fun to go blow stuff up, so we picked Tankery," Nakasone explained.
Kanagawa blinked. "What kind of thought process is that, didn't the Prez say to think about it carefully?"
"Elective subjects are where you're supposed to have fun. Tanks seem fun, so why not?"
"I don't think I'll ever understand how your mind works."
"And that's a good thing in my book. Now get ready to be impressed when I beat another school and bring home a girl!"
"We'll be sure to tell you about our adventures in Sensha-do, Kanagawa," Yoshima told him.
"Survive against Kurowashitsume for at least forty-five minutes, and I'll be impressed."
They talked some more on the way home but eventually split up since they live in different parts of town. Once Kanagawa was back in his apartment, he immediately went into after school routine. A change of clothes, dinner, homework, and then some video games before he went to bed.
As he played a certain simulator game, his gaze drifted over to the papers on the side of his desk, the top paper being the elective form. He cursed himself for forgetting to fill it up but then hesitated to pick it up. Actually, what was he going to pick? The incident at his old school had changed him, and he didn't feel like he was good for Sensha-do ever again. But you could always change, right?
He sighed and turned back to his computer monitor. An enemy P-47 bombed him but crashed in the process; his first death since the match started, and after he scored twenty-five kills in his Tiger E. At this point of the match, his team already won, and it was just a matter of corralling the enemy so they can no longer advance, which means spawn-camping them. And sure enough, a moment after he respawned in an Ostwind II, the message displaying that there are no more active players in the enemy team showed, and the match concluded with their victory.
Kanagawa sighed again as he took off his headphones and leaned back in his seat. He then glanced down at the hoodie he was wearing. It was color grey and had the Bundesadler with some Kanji underneath in black emblazoned on it, the symbol of his former school. He then glanced back at the form and stared at it. Then he grunted and took the form and a pen and wrote on it.
The next day came as normally as ever and the group of five had come together to show each other their choices of electives, their forms spread neatly on a table with all of them staring at it.
"I already knew you three would be taking Tankery, no surprises there. But you, Katayama? You got me there, what made you want to take it?" Kanagawa asked, the others also waiting for a response.
Katayama shrugged lazily. "They said there would be passes if you're late. I need those otherwise I'm screwed."
"Oh yeah, your grades are through the roof, but all your tardys combined would pull you down anyway. You'd have to repeat another year," Nakasone remarked.
"I also know how to drive cars and tractors since I came from the countryside. It's probably not that hard to translate into tank driving," Katayama added.
"No problems there then," Nakasone said and then glanced at Kanagawa. "So, you're really dead set on art, huh?"
They all glanced back at the forms. Out of the five forms, only four had a big circle written on the box for Sensha-do. Kanagawa's form was the only odd one out, with the circle written on the box for Bijutsu or art.
"Yeah, I guess I really want to learn how to draw a circle properly," He said.
"Why not just use a compass?" Katayama asked.
"Because it pokes a hole through the paper, and I don't like that," He answered.
"Well whatever the case, we wish you good luck in your new elective, Kanagawa," Yoshima told him with a smile.
"I'm not very into art, but I heard it could be really fun and relaxing," Fujimoto added.
"Yeah, what's always important is that you're happy with what you pick up and have fun," Nakasone said.
"Yeah, what they said," Katayama added in a monotone voice.
"Thanks, you guys," Kanagawa said with a smile.
"Just watch, when we take on the champion and win, we'll get lots of girls! We'll be sure to get you one too," Nakasone told him
"We'll get you souvenirs from wherever we go," Katayama added, his tone unchanging.
Kanagawa chuckled. "As I said, survive against Kurowashitsume for forty-five minutes, and I'll be impressed."
Classes started after a moment and they all turned in their forms. The hours passed by quickly again, and before they knew it, it was lunchtime. Four of the five were casually talking to each other while they ate while Katayama was dozing off somewhere again. But as they talked and ate there was a sudden sound of a whistle which reverberated across the mess hall through the 1-MC before a voice spoke.
"Attention! Student, class 2-B, Kenji Kanagawa, please report to the Student Council office. I repeat, student, class 2-B, Kenji Kanagawa, please report to the Student Council office. Thank you," The voice of the Vice President announced through the 1-MC.
"Well, that's something," Nakasone remarked and turned to his friend. "Did you break some sort of rule?"
"Um, no. I've been keeping a low profile since I got here," Kanagawa answered.
"It's probably nothing serious, maybe they just want to clear up some things," Yoshima said.
"Yeah, those guys are a mystery. It could be anything or it could be nothing, but I think it really is just nothing," Fujimoto said.
"Well, whatever it is, I'm part of it," Kanagawa said before scarfing down the rest of his and putting his stuff in his bag, and then getting up. "Welp, I'll go see what der König wants with me. Catch you guys later."
His friends said their own farewells and Kanagawa moved out of the mess hall. He walked through the various facilities of the school for a couple of minutes before reaching the "island" and ascending it to the student council office. Once at the entrance, he knocked and received an answer.
"Come in."
Kanagawa then walked inside the room and closed the door behind him. The office was quite large and was well decorated. Bookshelves, coffee table, sofa, microwave, refrigerator, TV, a dining area, and a bunch of other things could be found in the office. He then saw the Student Council at work with the VP and Secretary writing on some papers on the table while the Prez was going down a bag of potato chips while reading a newspaper right behind his desk. Apparently, these guys are the best in years, even if it doesn't seem like it.
The President glanced over in his direction and promptly put the bag of chips and newspaper down. The headline read: "Oarai Girl's Academy Beats All-Stars University in Sensha-do Match!"
"Ah, if it isn't the man of the hour. Please take a seat. Do you want anything? Tea? Coffee?" He asked.
Kanagawa shook as he moved forward and took a seat opposite of him
. "No thank you, President. I'm good," He said.
"Okay. And there's no need for titles here, just call me Kaede."
"Of course, Kaede-san."
"Nope, just Kaede. We're all friends in this school, there's no need for honorifics," He corrected.
"Um, okay then. So, uh, what am I here for?" Kanagawa asked awkwardly.
"Right, we're getting sidetracked again. Sorry about that," Kaede chuckled and cleared his throat. "You're here because of your chosen elective. There's… a small problem."
Kanagawa raised an eyebrow. "I turned in the form this morning, is there something wrong with it?"
"No, we received your form. In fact, here it is," Kaede said, pulling back one of the drawers on his desk, pulling out the form, and putting it on the table.
"Okay, so, is there a problem with the elective then? Was there like a sudden change and now the art elective is gone?"
Kaede shook his head again. "No, the art elective is fine, we've got quite a lot of applicants for it. But it's not full either."
"So, what's the problem then?"
At this point, Kanagawa was only one step from going into high alert. He was tensed up but didn't show it, but he knew something worrying was going on here.
"Well, we want you to switch electives. Right now. To Tankery more specifically, we need you in Tankery," Kaede said.
Kanagawa swallowed. "I… thought so. You read my record, right? Well, I shouldn't be surprised, I'm pretty sure it's your job to evaluate transferees."
"Yeah, we got your record and went through your whole history. Now, I won't delve into it too much since some of them are touchy topics, but we know how skilled you are in Sensha-do, and that's exactly what we need in our own team right now more than anything," Kaede explained.
"Right, I see where this is going," Kanagawa sighed. "But, I can't do Tankery anymore. I'm very sorry, but I just can't."
The mood within the room became even more suffocating as if it already was not. The other two working in the side froze as they listened in the following conversation. The President blinked and then sighed.
"I thought you'd say that. You came here to get away from Sensha-do, right?" He asked.
"Yes, I did."
"Of course. And… we also know about that," He said, and Kanagawa's breath hitched. He opened his mouth to say something, but Kaede stopped him with a raised hand. "Just so you know, the boys over there and I aren't holding anything against you. Actually, we haven't read into it much, and everything on the surface is also so confusing that we choose not to have any sort of opinion at all. Don't worry about it now."
Kanagawa nodded. "I-I see. But that still doesn't change my decision."
"Of course, it wouldn't. I don't mean to assume, but you're probably going through things right now, it's best for you to lie low for now. That being said, you've also seen the state of our team and our need for experienced members to fill in our gaps. Otherwise, we have no chance of winning."
"I get that, but I really don't feel comfortable in Tankery anymore. You're gonna have to find someone else."
"Would you do it if we give you more benefits than promised?"
"You guys really are that desperate, huh?" Kanagawa asked and shook his head. "Look, it's not like I don't understand you guys, I really do. But, I just can't do it anymore… I'm really sorry."
There was a sudden noise that made them all turn to the source which was the table to the side. The Vice President had slammed a fist onto the table and stood up before glaring at Kanagawa.
"Would you quit your whining already?! We're already sticking our heads out so much for you! So just get yourself together, and take Tankery already for God's sake!" He yelled.
Kanagawa also stood up and matched his gaze.
"Well, I'm sorry that I went through something traumatic which now makes me want some peace and quiet to recover, goddamnit!" He argued back.
"Hey, guys, let's all calm down please," Terada, the Secretary, told them to try and placate them.
"Unlike the rest of them, I actually read through everything! The whole thing was out of your control and there was nothing better you could've done! Any logical mind will put that together! So, stop acting like a little bitch already!"
"It doesn't matter if it was out of my control, I should've fucking done something!"
"ALRIGHT, ENOUGH!" The President demanded, getting up from his seat and glared at his VP. "That was uncalled for! I don't care how bad it is, but you will never say stuff like that again! Be considerate too, for God's sake!"
Ishihara gritted his teeth and sat back down, not looking at anyone. Terada glanced at him but didn't do anything else. Kanagawa and the President both sat back down with the latter rubbing his eyes in a tired manner. He then turned back towards Ishihara.
"Hey" He called out and he looked up at him. "Aren't you forgetting something?"
Ishihara looked back down for a moment before risking a glance at Kanagawa and turning away again. He then grunted and spoke.
"Lots of complicated things are happening right now, but it's still not an excuse. I'm… I'm very sorry. I really am," He said.
Kanagawa considered his words for a moment before sighing and nodding.
"You're forgiven. But, this brings me to another point. I thought the electives were all optional, but now you're pressuring me to take up Sensha-do. Not only that, but Ishihara-san also said that there are complicated things happening. What exactly is going on around here, Kaede?" He asked.
The room was quiet again, and even Kaede was looking away. It wasn't until a moment later that someone spoke again.
"Y-You, shouldn't concern yourself with that," Terada said.
Kanagawa raised an eyebrow. "What does that-" He cut himself off when it finally clicked to him. "I-I see. They're gonna try to do to Hakodate what they tried to do to Oarai, right?"
There was another bout of tense silence in the room before Kaede exhaled.
"Yeah, they are," He answered.
"If they said we're decommissioning by the end of the year, then would've been better. That way, the students can organize to transfer elsewhere and everything will go smoothly for everyone. But that's not the case, they want us out now," Ishihara explained.
"By Christmas, the school would be shut down and the whole ship would be decommissioned. As for us, well, they're just gonna throw us to the side to figure it out ourselves," Terada added.
"But, we were able to strike a deal with the MEXT. If we can somehow win this season's tournament, then we can keep our school. I know that it's an impossible task but it's all we can pull out of those bastards. Believe me when I say that we wouldn't be talking here if there was another way. We're very sorry, but we have to try or else nothing would matter," Kaede explained.
Kanagawa just looked away. It all made sense now. Just a few minutes ago, he thought these guys were making him join Sensha-do to boost themselves up the school hierarchy. But now, he's realized that they're just doing this to survive so that they all could survive.
One year ago, he promised himself that he would help anyone who absolutely needed it, was he going to start going back on his own words now. With a sigh, he spoke.
"You guys really found yourselves in a real shit hole, huh? Fine, I'll join Sensha-do," He relented.
The three Student Council members exhaled and allowed themselves to relax. Kaede rubbed his eyes in exhaustion before speaking.
"Thank you so much, we'll make sure to repay you in whatever way we can," He said.
Kanagawa simply lifted a hand and shook his head. "There's no need, the original promises would be just fine. And you guys obviously need the help. But even with what I know, there's only so much I can do."
"Any help we can get is already a blessing. We just have to try."
"Hey, we can have you as just an adviser on the sidelines actually. That way you can stay on the sidelines while we do all the heavy lifting," Terada suggested, but Kanagawa shook his head.
"No, that's not going to work. In order for me to make any sort of difference, I have to be there physically. I work best that way," He said.
"Well, it's settled then. The boys and I are also part of the team, we'll follow whatever you say," Kaede said.
"Alright. So now for the next bit, what kind of equipment do we have?" Kanagawa asked.
There was silence once again and Kaede chuckled nervously while rubbing the back of his head.
"That's the other problem," He said.
Yoshima, Fujimoto, Nakasone, and Katayama hung out at the designated area for the Sensha-do elective with a bunch of other people as they all waited for the organizers to come. The Sensha-do grounds were just a big flat area with some warehouses right next to the forest and hills.
"How much longer do we have to wait?" Katayama asked with a tired expression.
"Dude, we've literally only been here for eight minutes," Nakasone told him.
Katayama just groaned at that and walked away. Meanwhile, a pair of feet were approaching them from behind. He spoke to get their attention just
"Hey, is this the Tankery elective?" The person asked.
They all turned around and their eyes widened to see Kanagawa walking towards them with his bag over his shoulder.
"Eh, Kanagawa? The hell are you doing here?" Nakasone asked in a confused tone.
"What does it look like? I'm taking Tankery too," Kanagawa answered.
"What happened to taking art?" Yoshima asked.
"I still want to learn how to draw a circle properly, but I got peer pressured into switching to Sensha-do. Don't worry about that though, it doesn't matter now," Kanagawa answered and scratched the back of his head. "I guess I'll just use a compass to draw circles from now on."
"That's what I said," Katayama said.
"Well, in any case, we're glad you're here with us now! That way we can have a full crew for a tank like the Sherman, T-34, or Panzer IV!" Fujimoto exclaimed.
"Thanks, I'll also do my best then."
"Of course, you will," A voice said, and they all turned to see the Student Council walking towards them with the Prez having a big smile on his face. "You all will have to."
"Afternoon, Prez, are you guy the one facilitating the Sensha-do elective?" Yoshima asked.
"Yup, we were the ones facilitating since we restarted it two years ago. We couldn't improve the state of it much in that time frame, but we will right now," Terada said.
"There are fewer people who joined than I originally thought," Ishihara remarked.
"That's fine, it's not like we have many tanks anyway," Kaede answered.
The Student Council then walked forward towards the doors of the warehouse where eight guys were standing and waiting. Four of them were wearing blue coveralls while the other four looked like they were partially cosplaying people from different time periods, one of them was even wearing the jacket and hat of a Soviet Army officer from WW2.
"Since we restarted the team two years ago, the number of applicants has always been low. We had people coming and going after every tournament. However, these four guys here are the exception. Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet the Automotive and History clubs, they are the only ones that bothered to stick around, meaning they have the most experience here," Kaede introduced.
"It's an honor to meet you all," The eight members of the two clubs greeted with a bow.
"And you as well," The rest of the applicants greeted, doing the same.
"Alright, now let's introduce you to your equipment," Kaede said and turned the eight guys. "Georgy, Mino, if you will."
Georgy and Mino nodded, and the two pulled open the warehouse doors. They all gazed inside to see nine tanks arranged neatly side by side with one taking a position at the back and facing towards them. Every single student gawked at each of the armored vehicles, Fujimoto himself was drooling. But Kanagawa remained the most composed, however, he did allow a small smile, seeing those tanks brought up some fond memories. His eye was also drawn to the tank facing them head-on, acting as a centerpiece of sorts. Fujimoto was on it instantly.
"A Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf E, or a Tiger I!" He recited from memory. "This absolute unit of a tank is the poster child for German tanks everywhere!"
"The tank looks like it's seen better days, though," Nakasone remarked, noting that it was rusty at some parts with the paint fading away. There was even some rust in some parts.
Yoshima walked forward and to the side, inspecting it closely until he saw some markings that hadn't faded away. On the turret was painted the numbers: 217. And on the hull, there was an Iron Cross insignia with some Kanji written in it. Squinting his eyes, he read them carefully.
"'Kuromorimine', Black Forest Peak. What's that?" He asked.
"Kuromorimine Girls' Academy, sister school of Kurowashitsume Boys' Academy. They're home to some of the most well-trained and well-equipped Sensha-do teams in the country. They won nine times in a row until they were beaten by Pravda Girls' High School in the 62nd Women's Tournament, and then by Oarai Girls' Academy just this year in the 63rd," Kanagawa recited.
"Oh yeah, I saw the finals of that tournament! The way they took out that Maus was creative and awesome!" Fujimoto exclaimed.
"Honestly, they could've just run from the damn thing or ignored it completely. I've seen it running with my own two eyes, they can't drive it around much because it eats so much fuel. Basically, it's a very inefficient vehicle," Kanagawa said.
It became quiet at their spot all of a sudden with his friends just staring at him.
"Umm, how do you know all of that?" Nakasone asked.
"Um, I read Wikipedia a lot. And just look at the thing, it has to consume a hell of a lot of fuel," He argued.
"The bigger and heavier the vehicle, the more fuel it would need. He has a point," Katayama stated.
Kanagawa then walked to the side of the tank before tracing a finger across the metal hull.
"Unlike the rest of the vehicles here which were leftovers from before, this Tiger came from outside, hence the markings of a different school. We found it in a junkyard while we were on land before school began and purchased it for a stupidly low price," Terada explained.
"I see," Kanagawa said.
"So, what do you think?" Kaede asked.
Kanagawa inspected the Tiger once more before walking to the middle of the arrangement to get a better look at all the tanks.
"Are these all the vehicles, and are they all working?" He asked.
"This is everything we can find within the whole school. And they're all working except for the Tiger over there, we're still not done with her," Mino from the automotive club said.
"Right," Kanagawa said and turned to face the Student Council. "These are some fine vehicles you have here, and that Tiger looks like it's the full package. We definitely could make something out of it. If you guys don't know, Oarai has worse equipment than this, but they won. So with that in mind, I think, we can win too."
Kaede smiled and others cheered.
"You got it."
They all began talking amongst themselves as the setting zooms out to reveal the Tankery grounds, the whole school, the surrounding town, and the massive ship on which all of it was situated.
AN: Cue the anime opening! Lol.
Three weeks ago I watched Potential History's video about the Girls und Panzer anime, even though I've already watched it multiple times before. But this time I actually decided to give the anime a try. And by God was I impressed by it! So impressed that I started digging deeper into the fandom until I reached the fanfictions area. And well… they're not bad, but they're not stellar either.
Thus, here we are. Here I am making another fic that I totally won't finish, and here you are reading another fic that won't make it past twenty chapters. So please, don't trust me as an author.
Oh yeah, most of my knowledge would come from watching the anime and reading the wiki. I'll read the manga somewhere down the road. And if you've noticed, I'm using the word Tankery in this fic, which is the word used to refer to Sensha-do or Panzerkraft in the anime and manga respectively. I generally prefer to watch dub over sub because I don't like having to read the subtitles while also trying to absorb what's happening in the show.
Also, if you decide to continue, expect changes to happen in earlier chapters as it progresses because I already know I'm gonna make a lot of mistakes as I go on. All of my fics before had some serious drama going on, so this time I want to try writing something happy with nothing too major going on.
Anyway, thank you for reading this, and I'll see you in the next one.