The Legends Still Live On
Bogen Neunzehn: Es ist Dafas Rückzahlung der Dankarbeit!
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Yet another day had just begun aboard the Zuikaku, and all the students were making their way to the school. As many students strode through the main gate, they ended up passing by the Public Morals Committee members that were assigned to take attendance of everyone passing by.
"Morning," Lemu greeted people as they passed by him. He was there along with Sodoko, Kolari, Satiainen, Gomoyo, and Pazomi making sure everyone was there and accounted for. Since it was getting to be time for classes, everyone was in their school uniforms.
"Morning," Sodoko greeted various students as they passed by while she marked them off as present on her tablet. She took a quick look at the time on it. "Everyone, it's almost time for the first bell!" she announced to everyone who was nearby. "Better hurry up!"
Lemu looked around the area to observe that everyone heard, but he stopped that action as he took a greater interest in three particular people approaching the gate. "Wait a minute, aren't they…?" he wondered as he took a closer look at them.
The three people he spotted approaching the gate were Erich-Dietrich Hartmann, Miho Nishizumi, and David Faul from right to left. Miho had one arm slung over David's shoulders and another slung over Erich's shoulders. The two boys each had an arm slung over Miho's shoulders for support as Miho stumbled to the gate while dragging both of the dead tired boys. All three had their bags over their shoulders as well. With their uniforms, Erich had his usual jacket and stringed scope, while Miho had, yet again, worn the Ritterkreuz she was gifted around her neck.
"Mr. Faul! Mr. Hartmann!" Lemu barked out upon seeing the three approach. "Why are you two causing Ms. Nishizumi trouble again?!" Lemu was not at all pleased with seeing David and Erich, two of the less responsible students he often saw, impeding the attempts of Miho, a model student to him, to be on time.
Miho had a slightly exhausted look as she stood before the Public Morals Committee, but she still had a smile on her face, as if she didn't really mind it. "Ah, don't worry about what Bubi's doing right now," she said in a tone that sounded assuring. She then cast an amused glance to Erich, who was still slumped over and only barely standing up because of Miho's support. "He does stuff like this all the time." She then turned back to Lemu and continued. "I've been trying to correct that behavior of his myself, but I've had no luck so far after about a decade of trying. But I ran into David on the way here and saw him in a similar state." She then shrugged as best she could with two boys with a current preference for sleeping practically dragging her down by the shoulders. "I thought that I should at least help him out."
"Ooooooh, Lemuuuuuuu…" David sleepily called out as he yawned. He had also gotten away from Miho's left side as he walked forward sleepily with arms extended. "I'm tired, Lemu…"
"Hey!" Lemu snapped in response to David running into him with his arms out. "I already told you to stop calling me Lemu!"
"Take my arms, Lemu," David insisted still with a sleepy tone. He then looked back at Miho, who still had a sleepy Erich on her right. "Miho, grab my legs. That way you can both carry me off to the nurse's office."
"Hey, I'm not about to let you make a fool of me!" Lemu yelled at David with an aggravated tone.
"It's something that cannot be helped," David argued with Lemu. It sounded humorous given his sleepiness. "I'm too tired, so there's nothing else that'll work. Public Morals Committee, I'm counting on your help."
"That's not even remotely within our jurisdiction!" Lemu argued back in a shout. He was ready to snap with David's current behavior. "Just because you have chronic fatigue doesn't excuse you from performing your duties! Your laziness is because you have a lifestyle that's very slacking! Let me tell you this! There's a limit to how many absences you can incur, and you're on track to break that record yet again! I'm not about to…!"
David stood there with a blank look mixed with his sleepiness as he endured Lemu's continuous lecturing. But to him, all he could hear was something along the lines of "Lemu, Lemu, Lemu…" with regards to Lemu's relatively animated scolding.
Miho stood off to the side supporting the still sleepy Erich as she held an awkward smile at the situation with David and Lemu.
"Häää…?" Erich wondered with a sleepy tone as he also watched the scene, though only barely because of his own tiredness. "Oh, it's just this again." He then fell back asleep as he leaned against Miho's side. The light brunette girl supporting him glanced over to him in reaction to his leaning, but she soon grew a resigned smile knowing she wouldn't ever change the blond-haired German's habits.
Miho chose to walk on and drag Erich further along upon seeing David and Lemu continue on with their usual quarreling. "Morning, Sodoko," she kindly greeted Sodoko, who was still guarding the gate.
"Morning," Sodoko responded absentmindedly. But she raised her eyebrows upon spotting the two Germans' attire. "Hey, Ms. Nishizumi?" she beckoned.
Miho stopped and looked over to her with a look of curiosity. "Yes?" she asked with an appropriate curious tone.
"You can't wear that on school grounds," Sodoko informed as she pointed to the Ritterkreuz on Miho's neck. "No accessories of any kind."
Miho blinked for a second before bringing her free left hand to her Ritterkreuz. She slowly removed her hand and simultaneously slowly grew a dark look at Sodoko. 'Oh, she did not just imply what I think she implied, did she?!' she thought to herself with obvious tenseness in her tone.
The girl from the Public Morals Committee grew some raised eyebrows in surprise at the sudden change in Miho's face, as she had never seen such a look on her before. 'Uh oh, this doesn't feel like it'll progress smoothly…' Sodoko thought to herself, as if anticipating and bracing for what was to come.
"I apologize in advance for what I'm about to say," Miho began with a restrained voice that still gave the impression she was by and far the more dominant of the two now. "But I'm not going to stop wearing a one-of-a-kind gift from my one true love for anyone. It's far too special to me. I respect the uniform policy completely otherwise, but being forbidden from wearing this," She gestured with her free hand to her Ritterkreuz. "is a huge insult to me. I simply cannot accept that particular part of the dress code if it means I'm not allowed to wear a small gift that's dear to me."
Miho then broke away from the conversation as she started to walk away to the school proper. "Ich wünsche Ihnen einen schönen Tag," she ended in her native tongue as she dragged Erich along, though she had a certain forcefulness to her now, both in her voice and in her movements.
Sodoko stared off at her and Erich for a moment before blinking and coming back to the world. 'I'll have to address that issue later,' she thought as she turned back to continue her role of marking off everyone as present or absent on her tablet and monitoring everyone that passed her by, all the while Lemu continued lecturing David with a passion nearby.
"Well, God, if you put it like that, then it might be better if you just came over to wake me up every day," David nonchalantly remarked as he endured Lemu's scolding.
But the English Public Morals Committee member heard his remark, and he immediately stopped his scolding. He continued holding his finger up in a pointing gesture, previously from his scolding but now because he was processing exactly what David had said. He then grew an idea as he held his serious expression.
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The next morning was just coming into being as the morning sun's rays shined over the eastern horizon. Birds were chirping happily as they received the pleasant warmth of the sun for the first time in hours.
In David's house, he was lying on his back on his bed under the sheets wearing some basic sleepwear. He was awake staring up at the ceiling, but he had a certain tenseness to him from a slight fear, though.
That slight fear came from the fact that he could see that Lemu was nearby within his room, already in his usual school outfit. He was standing up with his back leaning against the wall. He had his head down as he slept in that position. Also present on the stand beside David's bed were numerous alarm clocks. All showed that it was very near to 0700.
"Lemu…" David began with a nervous sweat as he forced himself to remain calm. "… That's really you, right? You're not one of those visitor spirits I heard about, right?"
Just after that moment, all of the alarm clocks went off. Immediately, Lemu snapped awake and quickly moved to David's bed.
"Wake up!" he barked as he whiffed the sheets off of David with great force.
"Ah!" David briefly cried out in surprise as he tumbled to the floor courtesy of the sheets being forcefully pulled off of him. He started to recover his breath from getting thrown from his bed. "Jesus Christ, for some random reason I actually woke up from someone's presence!" he noted while recovering his breath as he rose to his knees. "Lemu, what the hell is this all about?!"
"It's like you suggested yesterday," Lemu responded as he looked down to him. "I came over to wake you up."
"But how did you even get in my house?" David asked as he slowly made to get up.
Lemu got a key out of his pocket and waved it once. "Mr. Silva was kind enough to lend me a spare key for this place," he informed as he put it back in his pocket.
David blinked at that answer. "Oh… Well, I know I said what I said, but…" he began.
"If that's the case, then hurry up and eat!" Lemu insisted as he turned around and walked out of the room. "Get ready and get going to school!"
David blinked again in confusion at his words as he followed Lemu in a walk. "Wait, eat?" he asked in confusion.
"Yes," Lemu confirmed with a nod as the two reached the kitchen. "Eat."
What awaited David on the table was a massive breakfast that was still steaming hot. Among the breakfast elements were pancakes, eggs, sausage, biscuits, and various other additives like syrup, salt, and pepper. For a drink was a large pitcher of orange juice.
David's mouth was hung open as he took in the delicious aroma of the breakfast served out.
"Oh, and sorry for just using your kitchen as if it was my own," Lemu began as he looked around nonchalantly with crossed arms. "But it's for the greater good in getting your lifestyle on the right track, so don't bother complaining about it."
"Lemu…" David interjected as he turned to face the English Public Morals Committee member.
"What?" Lemu responded with a tinge of annoyance. He didn't really want to waste time talking.
"Be my butler," David requested with his usual blank face.
Lemu widened his eyes in surprise and nearly fell over in shock from such a request. But he quickly recovered and shot back up. "Quit trying to make a fool of me and be serious for once!" he sharply retorted.
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For the next few days, the daily routine of David proceeded along much differently since Lemu was now directly involved in it. The first morning continued on with Lemu instructing David to eat up with a healthy breakfast, which was followed by Lemu helping David get his school uniform on, even if it was a clumsy process because of David's sleepiness. Lastly, the English Public Morals Committee member forcefully dragged along the American sleepaholic of a boy as the two made their way to the school. Although it was a strenuous task on Lemu, he was able to get the job done and get David to school on time.
The next day, the routine was largely similar. After the alarm rang at 0700 hours, Lemu forcefully dragged David out of his bed. He then brought him down to the kitchen table and made him eat a full breakfast.
The days afterward held the same routine. At the beginning of another day, Lemu was dragging along a still-sleepy David to the school, having already gotten him prepared for the day back at the house. Once again, he was giving nothing less than his best effort to make sure the American boy was on time.
Further back watching the scene was one particular group of seven that was similarly ready for the school day. The group consisted of Anton carrying a conked-out Mako on his back, Herz, Hana, Saori, and Miho, who was once again supporting a sleepy Erich with her arm across his shoulders and with his arm across hers.
"It seems that as of late, Lemu's been giving his absolute hardest," Herz observed with some admiration of said effort. "I wonder, how many days has he been dealing with David in the morning now?"
"Not a clue, but that's still quite the feat," Anton responded with a satisfied grin. "Really, he's given the Public Morals Committee a great name with his actions so far."
"That's true, but…" Saori began to contradict when she saw Lemu's physical condition, which could be summed up as absolutely beat. "… He's looking like it's taking its toll on him…"
While all that was happening, Miho was looking down deep in thought. She was particularly thinking about her interaction with Sodoko one recent morning where she had effectively told her off, and it was deeply troubling her if her face said anything about it.
'Gah, why did I do something so stupid?!' she berated herself in her mind. 'I never should've snapped at her like that! Ach, ich bin so ein Dummkopf!'
"Hey, Miho?" Saori garnered Miho's attention. Miho snapped out of her train of thought to find Saori and a few others looking to her with some confusion mixed in with an ever-so-slight amount of concern. "You alright? You've been in real deep thought ever since we met up."
Miho knew exactly why she was being asked that question, and she instinctively put on as much of a reassuring smile as she could. "Don't worry, it's nothing important," she dismissed with a wave of her left hand. Her other arm was the one supporting Erich, who was still asleep without a single care in the world.
Saori stared at Miho for a bit longer before breaking away and looking forward again. "Alright, if you say so," she rescinded. She had seen something in Miho's eyes that gave at least a hint that she wasn't being entirely truthful, but Saori chose to let her be, as she couldn't tell for sure what was going on with the light brunette German girl.
Miho relaxed slightly seeing that she was no longer in the spotlight. She took another glance at Erich beside her, and she followed up with bringing her free hand to the Ritterkreuz around her neck. 'No matter what, I have to correct what I did that morning,' she thought to herself with determination as she looked forwards again.
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After a few minutes, the group of seven reached the school's main gate just after David and an exhausted Lemu. The school day was about to begin, hence why there were many students passing through the gate. At the gate checking for the latecomers were the usual members of the Public Morals Committee that were assigned the task, which included Sodoko.
"Morning," the taskmaster of a girl said absentmindedly as she marked off student after student passing by her as present on her tablet. "Morning."
Miho subtly dropped further back from her group as they neared the gate. She dragged a still-sleepy Erich along while dropping back from the others and moving in the direction of Sodoko.
"Morning," Sodoko greeted again as the others in the group passed by her. She barely took notice of the sleeping Mako on Anton's back and reacted to it appropriately. "Ms. Reizei, wake up! Quit burdening others with your habits!" she followed up with a reprimanding tone.
"Fine, fine…" Mako responded sleepily from her spot.
"Just one fine is enough!" Sodoko barked back as she stomped a foot.
"Fiiiiine, Sodoko…" Mako dismissed in her same sleepy tone. Sodoko could not respond to her again since Mako was being carried out of reach. The rest of the group did not stop for Sodoko and continued on so as to get to their classes.
Sodoko huffed a bit in dissatisfaction. 'I'll get her set straight one day,' she determinedly thought to herself. She then turned back to continue her duties of taking attendance, but she found a slight surprise upon seeing two particular people standing just before her now. "Can I help you, Ms. Nishizumi?" she politely and professionally asked.
Indeed, Miho was now standing by Sodoko as she supported the still asleep Erich. Miho herself was looking much like she had something burdening her mind.
"Hey, Sodoko…" Miho greeted with a slightly unsure tone. "Um…" She grew a bit fidgety out of nervousness as she looked anywhere but directly at Sodoko. "I wanted to say… I mean…" She started trying to force herself to look to Sodoko and be more confident. "I just want to say I'm sorry!"
The Public Morals Committee taskmaster blinked upon seeing Miho immediately look down in shame. 'What is she even apologizing for?' she thought in some confusion. "For what?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
"… I shouldn't have said what I said back a few mornings ago…" the light brunette German girl elaborated while looking down. "I didn't mean to snap that way at you, not in the least." Miho then looked at Sodoko again with a remorseful expression. "I'll take any punish-"
"Hey, hey," Sodoko cut her off as she waved a hand in interruption. Miho was a bit lost as to why she interjected, but she took the hint and grew silent. "You don't have to worry about those sorts of things." The taskmaster of a girl held a more casual stance as she continued. "Besides, now that I look back on it, I think I was overextending my enforcement of the dress code a bit with that. I know you're no troublemaker, so I can accept it if you choose to wear something so important to you as that." She gave a hand gesture to Miho's Ritterkreuz. "Of course, provided it's of reasonable appearance."
Miho blinked in confusion at her response. "Wait, so you're fine with what happened that morning?" she asked with slight disbelief.
"Yeah," Sodoko answered. She then shrugged a bit. "I've gotten used to unhappy people complaining to me, so I don't take any offense to it."
Miho remained silent as she digested the entire conversation. She then grew a bright smile upon coming to her realization that Sodoko had effectively forgiven her actions. "Thank you, Sodoko!" she enthusiastically thanked the taskmaster from the Public Morals Committee for her forgiveness.
"It's nothing," Sodoko waved off. She then glanced at Erich, who was still fast asleep and being supported by Miho. "Though, would you mind solving that problem?" She nodded at Erich.
Miho looked over to Erich in response. She giggled a bit at the implication as she turned back to Sodoko. "Oh, yeah, don't worry. I'll take care of him," she confirmed with her usual happy tone.
The Public Morals Committee taskmaster simply nodded as she turned her attention back to her duties. Miho saw no further need to be around having achieved her objective, so she continued on into the school proper, still dragging Erich along, but she no longer had to drag along any feelings of guilt.
Sodoko took a second to look over to Lemu, who was back from dragging David along into the school proper. The English boy was on the ground recovering all the energy he used up dragging David along. "Note to self," Sodoko began to herself as she resumed her duties of performing attendance. "Temporarily take Lemu off the list of available members."
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The next morning came around, and it was still the same routine for Lemu with making sure David was on time to school. He was sleeping against the wall in David's bedroom already in his usual school outfit, but most notable was the fact he appeared dead tired.
"Uh!" he woke up with a start. "Bollocks, I dozed off!" He hastily looked around the room, and he blinked in confusion upon seeing David's bed fully made. "Where did Mr. Faul go? What, did he wake up already?"
Lemu chose to leave the room and explore the house to try and find David. "I wonder if he went ahead already…" he mused as he looked in some of the other rooms for any sign of David. But he was stopped from his search when he smelled a delightful scent. "Oh? Something smells peachy…"
The English boy followed the smell until he arrived in the dining room. On the table, there was a small yet adequate breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, and some milk. In front of the meal was a note.
"What is this?" Lemu wondered as he took a seat. He picked up the note and read it to himself. "'Lemu… Thanks for all you've done. So as to express my gratitude to you, I chose to make a breakfast for you. I'd greatly appreciate it if you liked it, but whether you do or not, I hope you take your time to savor the food.'"
The English Public Morals Committee member chuckled a bit. He was honestly caught off guard by the note. "By Jove, that was quite out of character for him," he remarked in a notably more relaxed manner. He then set the note back down. "But even if that was totally unexpected, I can't just let his efforts go to waste. I should eat what he made."
Lemu then dug into his breakfast, and he immediately savored the taste. "Mmm… This isn't bad at all," he judged as he ate. "So it seems that he really can do some things if he actually tries. Really, that boy is something…"
He continued eating over the next few minutes until his plate was completely cleaned out. "Aah, that was one of the best breakfasts I've had in a while," he opined. "Now then…" Lemu made to get up, but he stopped with a start. "Wait, huh? Wasn't I supposed to do something else…?" He thought for a bit until it hit him like a hail of gunfire. "Oh, shite…"
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"Goddammit!" Lemu yelled in frustration a little later. "I forgot that there's still school!" The English boy was now running as fast as he could with his bag down the sidewalks on his way to the school. "Bollocks, to think that I of all people could be late!"
Lemu continued running throughout the streets in a mad rush to get to the school on time. A few minutes later, he eventually reached the school's front gate.
"Wait, what?" the English Public Morals Committee member reacted in confusion upon seeing another person standing guard at the gate besides the other members of the committee. "Mr. Faul?"
David was at the gate with the rest of the usual committee members that stood guard at the gate. He noticed Lemu approach and turned to him, but he was now wearing a highly mischievous grin. The grin was notably dark in how it was worn, almost as if he was intending for something to happen.
"Mr. Mulberry, you're really straddling the line there between being on time and being tardy," David informed with his sly grin in a tone that sounded reprimanding in nature. "I suggest you pull yourself together and fix your lifestyle."
Lemu immediately popped a vein in his forehead as he tried to control the intense rage he was feeling towards David now. Suffice to say that he was going to have one of those days thanks to the American sleeper's deliberate humiliation of him.
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Anton: And here we have a case of paying good deeds with evil. How this concept works is when one ends up causing harm to a benefactor in their attempts to repay them a favor. This is not something that good people do, so don't any of you all ever try something like this, okay? Okay!
Part of Projekt Jägermeistern.
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The author doesn't claim to own "Girls und Panzer," the music used, or any other references made. "Girls und Panzer" belongs to Actas. Any references made belong to their respective owners.
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