Chapter 14: Entrusted Hopes

The morning of the match, Miho arrived at the hospital, and met up with her family in the waiting room near where her father was being operated on.

Miho's anxiety was almost palpable. The trip over seemed to be an almost interminable wait for news about her father's condition, so she could only imagine waiting the entire match without hearing anything... unless, perhaps, the match ended far more quickly and less favorably than she had hoped.

As she entered the room, Miho saw her mother, her sister and her aunt, who had apparently arrived not long before her.

To an outsider, Shiho seemed to be unaffected by what was going on and possibly even callous toward what had happened toward her own husband. But while Shiho had recovered from the initial shock, Shiho was a far cry from her stoic and resolute usual self. There were bags under her eyes, as she had seemingly not slept at all the entire night.

"Hello, Mother, Onee-chan," Miho said. "It's been a while, Aunt Koharu."

The three other women nodded at Miho. Shiho was bottling whatever feelings she had over her husband in critical condition inside of her, knowing that neither feeling emotion nor displaying it would have any beneficial impact on Homura's fate. Maho remained silent, knowing that her mother was nearby and having to defer to her, but she gave a silent smile to Miho, glad she could be here in spite of the circumstance.

Miho's aunt was another matter, and Miho would not have expected to see her apart from the fact that Miho's father was also Koharu's younger brother. Koharu's job as a professional tanker resulted in her visiting her brother, sister-in-law and nieces a few times a year while Miho and Maho were young. By the time Miho and Maho went to high school, they typically saw her only once a year in most cases, and Miho had not seen her since she had transferred out of Black Forest.

The fact that her aunt was rarely present in Miho's life did not sadden Miho as much as most would thought, since she knew her aunt's loyalties were more in line with the Nishizumi school rather than the Nishizumi family. Koharu's ideology was in line with the Nishizumi school in most cases, and believed that it was Shiho's right to raise her children however she wished- or cast them aside if she must. Had Koharu married and had children, perhaps she would have raised them the similarly, even if they would be behind Shiho's daughters in the Nishizumi school line of succession. So Koharu stood alongside Shiho, silently questioning Miho's decision.

"How's Father?" Miho said.

"Your father has been taken into surgery at the moment," Shiho said. "They're still working on him, but he's not out of the woods yet, so to speak."

"I see," Miho said. "The worst hasn't happened yet, but this is not exactly reassuring."

"Did you really come all this way just to hear this news?" Shiho said, her voice laced with frustration. "It seems that you could potentially be helping your team at the moment. As head of the Nishizumi school, I hardly care how your team fares outside of your battle with us, but simply believe that this says a great deal about where your priorities lie."

Miho shook her head, before answering without any further hesitation.

"If I had come to the match, my mind would have been elsewhere," Miho said, "thinking of Father, wondering whether he was alright, and possibly hesitating at a critical moment. I couldn't have helped my team, whether our way, or the Nishizumi way. I have to wonder; is this why the Nishizumis say that we must advance without hindrance from our emotions?"

"It's one reason," Shiho said. "Emotions and things that have no concrete value can undermine one's commitment to the common goal, and it is selfish for one person or group to place their needs above those of the entire team."

Miho sighed. When she was younger, her friends had done tankery together, without winning any matches or earning any trophies, and with a performance that could only be described well compared to other beginners.

"Perhaps that is why I could never become a true Nishizumi style tanker, Mother," Miho said. "I never could deny my feelings or dismiss one person's desires as meaningless compared to the whole. Because of the latter, I would have allowed this for any of my teammates. And because of the former, I don't believe I can command well as I am now. If I tried to do so, would that not also be irresponsible?"

Shiho remained silent for a moment, somewhat caught off guard by Miho posing such a question and arguing against her in terms of practicality. It was clear that Miho could no longer be convinced to accept Shiho's way of tankery, but Shiho was somewhat surprised to see Miho arguing so vigorously in defense of her own decisions.

"Perhaps you are right," Shiho said, "and perhaps this was the best choice you could make. But in any case, we shall see whether your faith in your friends is justified, or your absence is their downfall."

Miho let off a soft sigh. She knew that it was difficult for her mother to understand what her friends meant to her, let alone realize their worth while judging them by the Nishizumi school's standards.

At the arena, Nodoka's four friends from Saunders showed up to watch the match, having kept up on Nodoka's exploits in tankery, and having started to watch her matches in person, for the sake of supporting her and cheering her on. Shizuno wore her jersey, while Ako wore a sundress. Kuro and Arata had changed into their uniforms, their typical attire for watching tankery matches, so they were surprised when Shizuno and Ako had not followed suit.

"Hi Kuro, good to see you made it, too," Ako said.

"You're not wearing your uniform, Shizuno-chan, Ako-chan?" Kuro said.

"Shizu talked me out of it," Ako said. "She said it would be incredibly hot where we were going."

"Well, it's not like you have to wear the uniform to tankery matches that we're watching," Harue said, wearing a short-sleeved blouse and a medium-length khaki skirt. "Just wait two more years, Shizu, and you can wear what you want within reason at university."

"Knowing her, she'd probably wear her jersey all the time," Ako said.

They then saw Yuu waving to them, wearing a long skirt, a thick sweater and an overcoat. Yuu had gone onto university, and enjoyed the ability to dress as she pleased, favoring conservative, tasteful and most of all, warm attire.

"Hello, everyone," Yuu said, waving. While going to a university separate from the rest of her friends from Saunders had further forced Yuu out of her shell, she still enjoyed watching tankery matches with her younger sister and the rest of their mutual friends from their hometown of Achiga.

"Hi, Onee-chan!" Kuro said. "I'm so glad you could make it."

"I'm glad to see Nodoka-chan's match with you and the others, Kuro-chan," Yuu said. "But why are the others looking at me so strangely?"

Arata, starting to feel a little hot, took off her blazer, unbuttoned her shirt's top button and loosened Harue's old necktie. Kuro started to do the same.

"I've known you since we were kids, Yuu-san," Arata said, "but your sensitivity to the cold still amazes me sometimes."

"I know," Yuu said. "I can hold onto your blazers, Kuro-chan, Arata-chan."

The girls proceeded to the arena to take their seats, not yet aware of how she had taken command of Oarai for the match. The sudden change in command had been reported to those holding the match, but was not common knowledge, save for a select few who had been entrusted with that information.

Meanwhile, Oarai was in the process of making its preparations in a staging area, having prepared for desert combat since they had received the notification of where the match would take place days in advance. The only difference was that Nodoka, rather than Miho, was now in charge, although since she had helped oversee the preparations in the past, the process flowed smoothly.

While Oarai was making its preparations, Touka's group approached their staging area. They wore uniforms resembling those that the Australian tankery corps wore in World War II, with Koromo having one that was custom-made for her. The team had seen a few members who were as tall as Jun, but none who were as short as Koromo.

"Haramura Nodoka?" Touka said.

"Yes, I am," Nodoka said. "And you are?"

"Ryuumonbuchi Touka, desu wa," Touka said. "I command the Koala Forest team, and I would like to meet Nishizumi Miho, my esteemed adversary in our match on this day."

An awkward silence descended as Nodoka looked around at her teammates. She was as good a person as any to tell about what happened with Miho, and perhaps the best person to speak for the team as acting commander.

"Nobody told you?" Nodoka said. "My commander, Nishizumi Miho-senpai, was unable to come to the match today, as a result of... a family issue."

Touka let off a sharp sigh of disappointment, her expression quickly turning disdainful. It was clear that Nodoka was leaving some information out, out of regard for Miho's privacy, but Touka and Nodoka knew that it was beside the point. Miho would not be commanding Oarai,

"I'd hoped to face off against the champion," Touka thought. "But now this girl I've heard so little about is replacing Nishizumi Miho. She hardly seems like a worthy opponent, but defeating her will have to suffice for now."

Koromo, meanwhile, had an oddly gloomy expression. When even her own teammates often struggled to understand what was on her mind, Oarai was naturally completely ignorant of her thoughts.

Tomoki briefly glanced in Touka's direction, before turning back to Nodoka.

"It can't be helped," Tomoki. "Our vice-captain is not feeling well, so we also have to fight with a handicap of our own."

"That's fairly mundane by comparison," Nodoka thought. For a moment, she had to wonder if perhaps Oarai needed benched players to serve as substitutes for their teammates, so that they would be able to deal with contingencies of this nature.

"Sorry to hear that, Haramura-san," Hajime said. "Let's both do our best."

"Yes, let's," Nodoka said.

"See you later, Haramura Nonoka!" Koromo said, departing before Nodoka could correct her about the pronunciation of her name.

While outwardly cheerful, inwardly, Koromo was disheartened by this development. She hoped Miho would present more of a challenge to Touka, and grant her even more prestige when she was ultimately defeated. But more than that, she hoped Miho would have some understanding of what it was like to be an unneeded part of the family, even if she was lucky enough to still have her parents.

Koromo realized her situation was far from unique, but at times, wondered just how much those closest to her understood it.

As the match's pre-game greetings, both sides gathered with nine of their ten regular commanders, plus one substitute. Yukari served as Miho's replacement as the Panzer IV commander, while Erwin stood as deputy vice-captain. The replacement for Touka's vice-captain came from one of the crews that had been benched.

As Touka and Nodoka exchanged a pre-game handshake, Nodoka realized the significance of this match. Oarai would have to be able to fight without Miho's leadership, and would have to deal with unexpected situations.

At the site of the match, Nodoka turned to Erwin after hearing which tank would be the flag tank- her own Tas.

"It seems my tank is the flag tank this time," Nodoka said. "Do you know what that means?"

"I do," Erwin said. "If you're taken out of the game, no one will be able to step up and replace you. It seems you'll be in charge until the end, however this match goes."

Nodoka nodded grimly. These were hardly the circumstances that she had wanted for her first battle as Oarai's commander, even if she understood Miho's decision. But even if she could not choose the circumstances in which she was fighting, she was the commander, and had the responsibility of leading Oarai to victory. Nodoka did not believe in deserting her responsibilities or making excuses, so she vowed to do her utmost, as she always had.

Elsewhere, Nodoka's parents watched the match. Their daughter had confirmed that she would be competing, and had informed them of Miho's absence.

"So, is it true that Nodoka's in charge this time?" Kei said, seeing his daughter representing Oarai as the acting commander.

"That's what Nodoka told me, Kei-san," Reiko said. "Apparently, Nishizumi-san, Nodoka's commander, was unable to come to the match today, as a result of family troubles."

"I see," Kei said, only able to give the barest acknowledgment of his wife's answer as he was lost in thought about it.

"Is something the matter, dear?" Reiko said.

"It's the first time I've ever thought about it this way," Kei said. "Nodoka is serving a leadership position in her team, filling in for another person who is, due to circumstances beyond either of their control, unable to fulfill her responsibilities. Tankery might be a game, but ever since last year, Oarai has become known as the 'underdog champions of tankery'; they take pride in that reputation, and now Nodoka and the others are upholding that. Perhaps I misjudged Nodoka's dedication."

"Once again, it's time to see how she does, dear," Reiko said. "I, for one, am rooting for her success for her and her friends' sakes."

Elsewhere, Hisa and Mihoko sat in the stands, having just heard about the news about Miho. Miho had called Hisa when she had a spare minute, and Hisa had told Mihoko the news.

"So Haramura-san is in the same position you were in three years ago, Hisa," Mihoko said, immediately recognizing the news' significance for Oarai.

"Well, not quite the same position," Hisa said. "Back then, I probably would have lost to Miho and her sister even if I had been able to come. By comparison, Nodoka has more favorable odds. Koala Forest defeating St. Gloriana is no mean feat, but they're not quite as much of a powerhouse on their level as Geneva or Black Forest."

"Perhaps," Mihoko said. "But now she has the same responsibilities as Nishizumi-san does, entrusted with leading the entire team, and making decisions that will determine the outcome of the match."

"Yes, and that's a position she'll likely have permanently next year," Hisa said, smiling as she realized that she could speak confidently about events to come, and plan for the future, "since she's one of the few with any leadership experience. This match will likely be an important test for her."

"I see," Mihoko said, worried about Nodoka. As her own school had been eliminated, Oarai was the school she rooted for among all those remaining.

Hisa then placed a hand on Mihoko's shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile, looking her straight in both her eyes.

"What I'm saying is that Nodoka will do just fine," Hisa said. "And so will everyone else on my old school's team."

Miho and Maho sat down in a waiting room, and saw that the television was tuned to a live report on the match between Oarai and Koala Forest. The only others who appeared to be watching were those who were bored while waiting for someone else, and none of them had as much invested in the match's outcome as she had. Miho had made her decision, and now the time had come to see how it would impact her teammates.

A thought went through Miho's head as she sat with her sister in silence. If she were hospitalized, would the rest of her family necessarily return the favor for her? Her mother placed duty first, and her father and her aunt supported Shiho, the family matriarch and head of the school, in all things. The only member of her family she could count on to do this for her was her sister, although being far away and having her own responsibilities would make it difficult. Miho was seized with anxiety and her hands, resting on the armrests of the chair, clenched in anxiety until Maho laid a comforting hand on her, and gave Miho the best reassuring smile she could manage in spite of being burdened with similar concerns.

This was the part of Maho that was Miho's sister, the part Miho loved and admired, rather than the part that was the heiress Shiho wanted, a forced, artificial construct dedicated first and foremost to the Nishizumi school. Miho was fully aware that she was different from most of the others in which part of her sister she held dearest to her, among many other regards, and had long since given up on trying to emulate them.

One way in which Miho was set apart was that she never was completely free of doubt when it came to difficult decisions, like the one she had recently made concerning the match. Miho never saw her emotions as a sign of weakness, but proof that she was human. These feelings were one of many ways she fell short of Nishizumi style perfection, but she did not see this or any of her other deviations from it as flaws.

"Perhaps you see it as mistake that I came here instead of fighting and denying my feelings, Mother, Aunt Koharu," Miho thought. "But just as you believe in the Nishizumi style, I believe in my friends, and am confident that they can win without my leadership."

Author's Notes

This is one case in which Miho can argue more passionately in favor of her style of tankery, having seen that it can compete with the Nishizumi style. She's no more able to convince her mother of her points than she had been before, but now, she can stand up for herself, and even surprise Shiho at times.

This part of the story also focuses to some degree on the Nishizumi family, such as how a crisis like this one would challenge them. The short answer is that it doesn't change them as much as might be expected. The majority of them still put the family's collective goals (mainly its school) ahead of any individual member, but they are affected in various ways by what had happened, even if not all of them readily admit it.