Chapter 4 – Adi settling in

Just after a minute in the road trip, Toshiro said, "Stop the truck, Trude…"

"But why?"

"Just stop it… Don't turn off the engine."

Trude shrugged and stop amidst the forest.

"Now, Trude… I know that Yoshika is here close to you and all, but geez, look at the road! You spend half of the time secretly glancing at Yoshika and the second half sweating…"

Trude was speechless at Toshiro's verbal assault.

"I mean, come on…" he continued. "I know that you're a very family person, but don't just melt away every time Yoshika says something to you…"

"Um… Well…"

"Come on, Toshiro… Don't be so mean to Trudy…" Yoshika said.

"Yoshika, but she's barely paying attention to the road before her… I mean, if she had a Maus tank, she'd probably just plough through Sint-Truiden not knowing she did anything!"

"Heehee… Well… It's true… But, maybe then you should drive, and I can take care of Trudy?"

"Take care she says… Okay, Trudy, move aside," Toshiro commanded.

"O-Okay…"

Trude moved over beside Yoshika and Toshiro took the position of the driver. Unexpectedly to him, Yoshika climbed on Trude's lap.

"W-W-What are you doing, Y-Yoshika?!" Trude stuttered.

"If you want to be close to me, dear cousin, then here, an occasion to let off some steam so to speak. You can hug me, pat me on the head, whatever."

"S-Seriously?"

"Yeah. Come on, we'll reach Sint-Truiden in three minutes at most when Toshiro starts driving, so be quick about it."

"Okay!" Trude shouted and hugged Yoshika.

She looked as if she obtained the highest level of bliss obtainable to a human being. Trude was patting Yoshika's head in absolute glee, not paying attention to the surroundings as Toshiro started driving forward.

Toshiro looked at Yoshika first, then at Trude and gave a wry smile. Yoshika furled her eyebrows and quietly said, "No. We ain't related in any way yet, but no."

"Spoilsport…" Toshiro mumbled. "But hey, Trudy actually looks cute right now, don't you think?"

"I don't see…"

Toshiro moved the mirror so Yoshika could see Trude in it.

"Oh… Heehee… She really does… Say, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I'm still thinking about you two having…"

"Oh shush!" Yoshika interrupted. "I want to drag Trudy into the clothes shop…"

"Ah… He… Heheh… Do it, I'll procure the supplies by myself in the meantime, okay?"

"Kay."

"But first we have to go to my informer…"

"Oh, who's that?"

"You'll like him, heh…"

Toshiro drove inside town and stopped near the kiosk he once visited.

"This is it, Yoshika. Trude, hey, snap out of it."

"Hum, whaa?" Trude asked after resuming contact with Earth.

"Come on, Trudy, I'll treat you to some stroopwafel."

"Never heard of it…" she muttered.

"So you were, summarily, for at least half a year in Belgica, and you don't know what a stroopwafel is?"

"I'm a soldier, not some kind of tourist…" Trude pouted. "Is it good?"

"Yeah, it is. Come on you two."

Toshiro got out of the truck and approached Guillaume.

"Morning."

"Ah, morning, General. I see that you have a small entourage, and that you've left the bicycle in the shed, huh?"

"Obvious things are obvious. Get me… Hmm… Fifteen stroopwafels, a dozen packed in a bag for later."

"Haha, you must be hungry!"

"Nah, I want to give each of my girls one to eat. Let them know about one of the best things about Belgica, heheh…"

"Fifteen… Counting you… Did you get reinforcements?"

"The usual NJG1 from here is on leave, but from now on, till an unknown time in the future, the 501st JFW will be cooping up with them."

"The 501st? Here?"

"Yeah. We reformed just yesterday, so we need to get some supplies. I know where to get food, but… hmm… I need directions to a female clothing shop…"

"The girls need threads…" Guillaume sighed. "There's a shop in the north part of the marketplace, you won't miss it. Now please wait for the stroopwafels."

"We're here to buy clothes?" Trude asked with a sour face.

"Stop being a sourpuss, Trudy. We are doing it aside of the supply run, so you don't have to go all "True Soldier of Karlsland" on me now…"

"Well okay…"

"One up!" Guillaume shouted.

Toshiro took the treat and gave it to Trude. "Here, lighten up a bit."

Trude looked at the waffle and took a whiff of it. "Smells good…" She took a bite of it. "Hmmm… Not bad," she said and devoured it momentarily.

"Quite the speed of eating for a "not bad"…" Toshiro sighed.

"Okay, it was good, sheesh…"

"Hey, I want one!" Yoshika pled.

"One up!" Guillaume shouted again.

Toshiro picked up the waffle and gave it to Yoshika. She immediately took a bite.

"Yuuuuuum!" She cheered and ate the treat even faster than Trude. "More!"

"What are you, Francesca?! No more."

"Awwwwww…"

"One up!"

Toshiro took his waffle and split it in half. He gave one part to Yoshika.

"Heehee, thanks!"

Yoshika munched down what she received and they all waited for all the stroopwafles to be done. Toshiro picked up the package and they went on to the marketplace.

He stopped the truck before the clothing shop that Guillaume told him about.

"Okay…" Toshiro said and pulled out a ten-pound bill. "Here, Yoshika. You can go all out on yourself and Trudy."

"Wait, what? On me?" Trude asked dumbfounded.

"Yeah, we want to beautify you a bit, cousin!" Yoshika cheered.

"Heeeh… Wait, wait… I don't need to be beautified, I'm a soldier!"

"And you're also a damn woman," Toshiro said. "Either you get out of the truck or I'll kick you out of it."

"And what if I don't listen?"

"Ooooh… You don't want to take your chances…" Toshiro said in a low voice.

"What do I have with you two… Okay, come on Yoshika… Make me a look like some kind of queen or something…" Trude mumbled

"I was thinking of something more modest, heehee…" Yoshika said and pulled out Trude by her hand.

"Wait for me here in case I disappear, okay?" Toshiro said

"Okay-ay-ay…" Trude said as she was being tugged by Yoshika.

"Oh, and Yoshika?"

"Yeah?" Yoshika asked in a cutesy manner.

"Get your measurements, the most accurate ones, jotted down. I'll need that."

"Kay!" Yoshika cheered and ran off with Trude in tow.

Toshiro exited the car and went to the woman from before.

"Oh, it's the General from before. How were my fruits?"

"Splendid, ma'am. But I have an inquiry…"

"Shoot."

"I wanted to buy some potatoes and more of that fruit in bulk, but I only see… hmm… domestic amounts here."

"Ah, then you have to drive to my husband on our farm, he'll set you up. We are the first farm out of the north exit of Sint-Truiden."

"Ah, thank you! I'll be sure to leave a lot of money, heheh…"

"God bless you, General. These are dire times…" the woman said, looking up into the sky.

"I always like to boost the local economy a bit, heh…"

Toshiro returned to the truck and took the route of the city. He saw the farm from a literal mile, as the orchard and fields were enormous. He drove up the farmhouse and got out.

After approaching the front door, he knocked on it. A middle-aged man opened it after half a minute.

"Oh, the military… What do you want?" The man asked with a gruff voice.

"I'm here to purchase some of the fruit of this fine land."

"Ah, then that changes the situation diametrically. Park that truck of yours before the barn and… ah, fuck… our farmhand took a day off today…"

"I can load up the truck; I'm not just a paper-pusher like the rest of the Generals."

"Well then, come on!"

Toshiro went to the truck and maneuvered it before the barn door. After the door opened, Toshiro saw a slew of potatoes, both in sacks and in bulk. The same could also be said about apples, pears, and cherries.

"That's an awful lot of potatoes… You sure you don't make any byproducts?" Toshiro asked with a wry smile.

"God forbid! We have a legal business on the side, which is selling various alcohol brands from all over the world. My son is tending to the shop in the city."

"Hmmm… Have any… neutral spirit?"

"Sure! How much?"

"A crate could be good."

"You sure have a big valve there…"

"I figured we would use it for cooking mostly. And you can always dilute it, heheheh…"

"Heheheheh…" The man laughed in the same way. "Okay, start loading whatever you want; I'll be counting on the side."

"Okay, but first…"

Toshiro pulled of his uniform top and placed it on a haystack.

"Well shit, you didn't lie…"

Toshiro started loading up the truck. He took about half a ton of spuds and a quintal of each of the fruit types.

"Hohoho, nice speed! Okay, I'll be going for that spirit. Don't you drive away without paying; I had one of those in the past!"

"Hey, my mug is known throughout the whole world, you would know where look for me anyway."

"Ah yes… You looked a bit familiar… Well, anyway, stay put for now."

"Yeah, yeah…"

Toshiro pulled on his uniform and leaned over the side of the truck. After a few minutes, the man returned with a whole twelve-bottle crate.

"Well, good nuf?"

Toshiro pulled out one bottle and read the label

"Victoria Braurei AG Neutral Spirit, 96% vol… Never heard of it…"

"It's a company from Stettin. They managed to move their equipment to Neue Karlsland during the big evacuation."

"Good enough. I have Britannian pounds on me."

The man told him the grand total.

"A bit steep… But whatever, it's for the good of my girls." Toshiro sighed as he was giving the money to him.

"Pleasure doing business with you."

Toshiro hauled the crate of alcohol to the cabin and he drove back to the city. He saw Yoshika before the store with somebody he at first didn't recognize. He stopped the truck and opened the passenger door from the inside. Yoshika jumped inside with a few bags and Trude slowly crawled in, red on the face as the surface of Mars.

She was wearing a green frilly dress with matching green slippers and even green ribbons on her pigtails.

"My, my… Who is this Fräulein, ah?" Toshiro asked amazed.

"Oh shush…" Trude said still red and looking down.

"Hey, Trudy, get some makeup and you can go hunting for a man!"

Trude mumbled something unintelligible.

"Oh, Toshiro, look!" Yoshika cheered and flipped the bottom of her uniform up slightly.

Low hanging blue striped panties were revealed on Yoshika's bottom parts.

"Well, nice choice, I approve."

"Heehee, my bra is matching, but you'll see it later."

"I'll be glad to get rid of it, hahaha!"

"Heh… Hey, what's all this booze?"

"Well, we can use it for cooking, party tricks, and simple hard drinking."

"Party tricks?"

"You'll see, heheh…"

"Sorry, I searched for that one…"

"Damn you…"

"But the others will probably like it, heheh…" Yoshika giggled.

"I hope…" Toshiro mumbled and started the engine.

He drove back to the base and stopped before the entrance to the main building.

"Now, out you two, I have some hauling to do."

"Oh, I'll help!" Yoshika cheered.

"I'll… wait, I have to get dressed, damn it!" Trude yelled. "If Elwyn sees me in this I'll…"

As on command, the door behind Trude opened and Adolfine, Francesca, and Shirley came out. The three stopped dead in their tracks and looked at Trude, who in turn started blushing fiercely.

"Hoho, Barkhorn… Going on a date?" Shirley said and gave her a nudge.

"Sh-Shut up! It's her fault!" She pointed at Yoshika.

"Barkhorn blaming her underlings? How terrible…" Shirley sighed.

"Heehee, you look cute!" Francesca said with a wide grin.

"Yeah, Trude, you look nice. But I doubt you'll be parading in this outfit on a daily basis, right?" Adolfine asked.

"Of course not!" Trude rebuked. "Now excuse me, I have to change my clothes!"

She dashed inside the building.

"Yoshika, in a one to ten scale, you get a solid nine for that prank!" Shirley said and patted Yoshika on the back.

"But that wasn't a prank… I really wanted for Trudy to have some feminine clothes…" Yoshika mumbled with puffed cheeks.

"Well, it turned out beneficially for me, heheh…"

"What are you guys doing, bunched up in this specific group?" Toshiro asked.

"I'm going to show that to Shirley," Adolfine winked.

"Ah, carry on then!"

"Hey, Yoshika… I spy with my little eye…" Francesca looked at Yoshika carefully. "Stripes!"

"Heheh, yes, I switched from swimsuit to lingerie, heheh…"

"Now be both have striped panties, heehee!"

"Speaking of clothing… I wonder if Trude…"

Like a hurricane, Trude dashed outside of the building, huffing, and puffing, clad in her usual uniform.

"Well, that was fast…" Toshiro mumbled. "Come on, Trudy, let's unload all of this."

"Okay… Just… Let me catch… My breath…"

"Yeah… Anyone see you?"

"Minna…"

"And?"

Trude only panted further.

They waited for Trude to catch her breath and they proceeded with moving the goods from the truck to the storage, which took them a bit of time.

"Wuuuh…" Trude sighed heavily. "Nothing like a glass of water after hard work…"

"Maaaah… I just hope Sakamoto doesn't bother me with training in the next hour…" Yoshika sighed ever so heavily.

"Did I hear the word "training" just now?" Mio appeared out of nowhere.

"Wah!" Yoshika shouted spitting her water at Toshiro's face.

"Well thanks a lot…" Toshiro mumbled.

"I'm sooorryy! It's just that…"

"Yeah, yeah… I know… Mio, cut Yoshika some slack, she's been helping me and Trudy with moving supplies."

"Well, then I suppose she doesn't need a warm-up, hahaha!" Mio laughed loudly. "Come on, Miyafuji, we'll start off slow, I promise," Mio said softly while extending her hands towards Yoshika.

Well, shit, this is unexpected… For Mio to take training so lightly? And to be so nice towards Yoshika? Hoho…

"Okay…" Yoshika sighed. "Are the rest coming too?"

"The rest were trained while you were in the city and then working. You'll have a private session with me today!"

"Hmmm… I suppose I should feel honored…" Yoshika said while slowly moving towards Mio.

"Just don't cleave the whole woods around our base, okay?" Toshiro asked with a small smile.

"Oh, don't worry, I have found the perfect spot, Toshiro. Now, excuse me, I'm going to whip your fiancé into shape!"

"Just don't whip her up to much, or she'll lose those curves, bahahaha!"

"Toshiro!" Yoshika shouted.

"Hahahaha!" Mio laughed and dragged Yoshika along with her.

"Well, at least one thing has settled in and returned to its older self…" Toshiro said.

"Hey, Toshiro, maybe we should clean the briefing room, now that we will have so much people here?"

"We have a briefing room?"

"Yeah, but we didn't use it to be honest… It's on the fourth floor, near the office."

"So it has windows?"

"Yes, it does. Weird construction, right? Every even floor has the rooms on the edges on the buildings and the odds have them inbuilt in the core of the building…"

"Well, that's why the bedrooms are on an odd floor probably, so the sleeping people have more time to evacuate thanks to the better protection…"

"Maybe… Oh well, I'll get the cleaning supplies, you go and open the windows and start tidying up already."

"You're forgetting yourself, Trudy…"

"When it's about work, we are all even!"

"Unless it invalidates point one of the Code of Conduct Towards Superiors."

"What's that? Never heard of it…"

"Point one is "Your superior is always right" and point two is "If he isn't, consult point one.""

"Hey, you're pulling my leg now!" Trude protested

"Heheh, quick thinker of you. Okay, which room again?"

"Two rooms apart from the office."

"Roger wilco!"

Toshiro went to the fourth floor and found said room. It was a spacious room full akin to a classroom, with a blackboard, chairs, school desks, a big desk and lectern in the front and something Toshiro suspected to be a pull-down map. Toshiro tugged said item and confirmed his suspicions. The room was rather well lit on its own, but there was artificial lighting all over the ceiling.

"What a blast from the past… Looks almost like the classrooms in Fuso…"

"Just don't get emotional, Toshiro…"

"As if…"

Toshiro looked out of the window and saw Shirley, Francesca and Adolfine going wild on the new bike. After a sweep with the Hebigan, Toshiro saw Mio and Yoshika training in the forest.

"Hey, Toshiro, come on, let's do it," Trude's voice sounded from the room's entrance.

"Yeah, okay. I'll show you how I cleaned such rooms in Fuso."

"Oh do tell…"

After some time, they finished, and the rooms was clean enough to eat from the floor.

"Wow! That was something, Toshiro."

"Kids in Fuso are on class duty, so we have to clean the class, water the plants et cetera. Guess I still have it in me."

"A man who knows how to clean… Yoshika is really blessed…" Trude smiled shyly.

"Yeah, she is… Any tips on what to do now?"

"I have no idea, Toshiro. Guess you're free."

"As if I needed your approval," he snickered. "Okay, I'm going for a nap on the roof, wonder how that feels."

"Ask Hartmann, she's there sometimes."

"Kay," he turned around. "Trudy, I hope I didn't cause you unnecessary trouble with Yoshika clothing you like a girl going on a date?"

"Uhhh… No… It's just I'm forgetting I'm a woman sometimes… And Shirley was there, so I had to keep up my façade… Actually I was parading in a dress not long ago?"

"No shit?!" Toshiro turned around.

"Yeah…" She blushed. "A red dress, with short sleeves, a very short skirt, with a white corset having red straps, a white apron, and a red ribbon tied around my waist… Of course everything was frilly up to the point of vomiting…" She muttered. "I even fought Neuroi in that, can you believe?! I fought Neuroi dressed in a traditional dirndl!"

"Nope, it didn't happen…" Toshiro said with a straight face. "But in the event it did, when was it?"

"The time Ursula visited us in June, maybe you heard about it?"

"Yeah, she told me she was here. Well, I'll inquire about the details later, now, off where I was supposed to go."

He went up all the floors and out to the roof. Nobody was there, so Toshiro just lied down.

"Respite after hard work…" A familiar voice said.

"Kye… Let me take a nap, I'm pooped…"

"Hey, I can't bug Yoshika, since she's training, so I thought I'd bother you a bit."

"What now?"

"Like this place?"

"It's serene to be honest, very peaceful. The town is even closer than Pescara was while I was in Romagna, and the people are nice. And the fruit is nice… The stroopwafles are nice… How's the prognosis for Neuroi?"

"Slight breeze with a chance of rain. I told you I won't say."

"Oh at least a hint…"

"Fine, fine. It will be peaceful for the next few days. Happy?"

"Happy. Now, please let me take that nap…"

"Okay, sleep tight, Toshiro," she said warmly. "Oh and… Here."

A translucent projection of Trude, wearing the dress she described herself appeared before Toshiro's eyes. He couldn't help but to snicker fiercely, and after a few seconds, the image disappeared.

"Bye, Kye, thanks for that… Oh shit, my sides…"

Toshiro nodded off immediately after a bit of wiggling.

"Buuuh-roooo…" Toshiro heard Erica's voice while being shaken. "Broo-oooo…"

"Is it dinner time already?"

"Yup. Come on, everyone's waiting."

"Oh why don't you just start without me…"

"Galland forbade it…" Erica mumbled.

"Hehe, that's Adi for ya… Okay, come on, dear ersatz sis, let us stuff our guts with the culinary delicacies of… who exactly?"

"Lynne and Yoshika, Trude was overjoyed she could finally take time off from cooking…"

"But her meals were so good…"

"Every workhorse deserves a time off, bro."

Toshiro and Erica arrived in the dining hall.

"Oh ho ho, what smell… Somebody deserved a pat on the head!"

"Oh, you don't have to…" Lynne said and blushed slightly.

"I'll take my reward later, heehee…" Yoshika giggled.

"So, everyone get reacquainted with Adolfine?" Toshiro asked.

"Yeees!" The girls responded.

"Ah, good, very good. Say, Adolfine, let's use the newly cleaned briefing room later, okay? I bet you have something to communicate."

"Indeed I do have some issues to touch upon. But now let's eat, the smells is making my stomach twist in a knot!"

Some of the girls giggled and everyone started eating.

After dinner, they all went to the briefing room.

"Hmm… Toshiro, I'll be using this as a lecture room for Hattori, okay?" Mio asked.

"Better do that than it would gather dust unnecessarily. Oh right, you're still a trainee, right, Shizuka?"

"Yes sir. I still haven't finished the theoretical courses," the Fusojin replied making a serious face.

"And I'll do exactly that with you, Hattori," Mio said. "All that knowledge and teaching certificate can't go to waste, especially since I can't go into battle with all of you."

"Good," Toshiro said. "Now, Adolfine, the floor is yours."

"Thanks, Toshiro. I officially want to introduce myself before all of you. I'm Generalmajor Adolfine Galland, now the commanding officer of the NJG1 Vierte Staffel. Until Command says otherwise, I will be sharing my unit with yours, but since the building is huge, I believe there will be no problem with that, heheh… The four from the NJG1 are bound to appear in a few days, along with another wave of supplies."

Trude raised her hand.

"Yes, Trude?"

"Do you know what Command has in store for us?"

"The plan is to scout out Frankfurt am Main for a place suitable for a forward base, which will be either built or renovated until the end of October. That will mean that you all will have to relocate from here. During that time, you will patrol the usual area and protect the builders-slash-renovators in Frankfurt. After that, even I don't know…"

"So we shouldn't make ourselves comfortable?" Yoshika asked.

"Not too much, but don't sit on your suitcases either. Just don't make or buy things that you can't move with you, okay?"

The girls nodded.

"Well, I think that's all I wanted to tell you… Ah, and please, call me Adolfine, since you all prefer to call each other by first name anyway… With a few notable exceptions…" She shot a glance at Mio, who in turn turned hear head away fiercely. "Heheh…"

"Oh, Auntie, so you ain't Toshiro's boss now?" Francesca asked.

"No, his boss and mine are Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel, the head honcho of the Wehrmacht."

"Ah, okay," Francesca smiled.

"Hey, Adolfine, I have a question," Toshiro said.

"Oh really? Fire away."

"Are you a club member?"

"Why ye… Uh… Why are you asking?"

"I just thought that you should be a rather low number, since you like me so much…" Toshiro said with a devilish smile.

"Uhrgh… I'm number three."

"Oh shit! Hah! I knew that I wouldn't regret asking! But your complimentary pat on the head is forfeit in shadow of… other rewards…"

"Heheheh... But hey, why don't you ask your compatriots what numbers they have?" Adolfine asked with an even more devilish smile while looking at said Karlslanders.

"Oh riiiight… Okay girls, cough up them numbers."

Minna looked a bit ashamed and said, "Four…"

"Five!" Erica cheered.

"Six…" Trude mumbled with red cheeks. "But only because damn Hartmann signed me up without me knowing!"

"Ummm… Thirteen, but you know that already…" Heidemarie said silently.

"Yeah, nice number by the way… Well, nice to know that you like me so much as to conscript yourselves into an unofficial organization worshiping me, bahahahaha!" Toshiro laughed but something came up in his mind fast. "Hey… But all the current members I saw are Karlsanders… What gives?"

"You are a Karlslander, right?" Adolfine said. "So it's logical that most of your fans ARE Karlslanders."

Toshiro saw that Shizuka was wiggling strangely.

Could she? But not now…

"So, who do the girls need to call to get in the club?" Toshiro asked.

"Inge, she's the secretary general," Minna explained.

"How fitting… Hear me girls? If you want in the club, just holler and I'll call Inge and put you through."

"Roger!" The girls responded.

"I think that's truly everything right now…"

"Toshiro, I thought up a way for us to be busy!" Trude waved her hand.

"Hmm?"

"We can clean the archive!"

"Ah, I wondered why I didn't visit that room yet… Of course, let's go."

"Fifth floor, third door, but I have to get the key, so wait for me there, okay?"

"Sure."

"Oh, Toshiro, can I join in?" Yoshika asked.

"If Mio doesn't have any more elaborate tortures or training as she calls it, why not…"

"Right now I'll be putting some theory in Hattori's head, so Miyafuji and the rest are free."

"Yay!"

"Come on, Yoshika, let's go before that room, and wait for Trudy."

"Okay!"

The two went to the fifth floor and waited before said room.

"So Yoshika, how was the training?"

"Bearable. Basically what I did in Romagna once I gained Yumemaru."

"Ah, I thought it was something special…"

"Well, Sakamoto trains me with what she's got under hand. I suppose there are training methods more advanced, but… I would need Amaterasu or Kye for that…"

"Hmm…"

"Nope, I can't train you, Yoshika," Kye's voice sounded suddenly.

"Wah!" Yoshika shouted scared. "Don't skulk on me like that!"

"Hehe, sorry. It seems that only Toshiro can sense fast enough to avoid getting startled."

"Indeed…."

"You're not from my world, Yoshika, so I can't directly help you, and neither can Amaterasu, since you're not a Chosen One. But trust me; Mio's training methods are plenty sufficient for you to unveil your potential."

"I wonder if I could be as strong as the me from your world…"

"Strong... no. Beautiful... perhaps," Kye gave her a wink. "The Yoshika in my world matured similarly, but it took another two years. You have an advantage."

"Heehee, Toshiro already likes the changes I have undergone, I wonder what will happen when I fully mature…"

"You'll see. Toshiro might even end up with the cutest and sexiest Yoshika in the whole multiverse."

"Really?!" Both Toshiro and Yoshika asked.

Kye nodded. "Toshiro's influence is something else. No other universe has a Toshiro like this, so they don't have the advantage you have either."

"Daaaawwww… How nice…"

"I know, right? But I'm going now, Trudy is coming."

"Bye!" Yoshika cheered.

Kye disappeared and Trude appeared, on the stairs.

"You two are lively…" she said. "I hope you have energy for cleaning, huh?"

"After such a dinner, I would move a mountain!" Toshiro said.

"And I could move a small hill, heehee…" Yoshika giggled.

"Here," Trude threw a rag to Yoshika.

Trude opened the door and they entered.

"Gods…" Toshiro gasped. "What a fucking pigsty!"

Toshiro wasn't much off in his description, as the room was truly a mess, with papers lying all around and file cabinets lying on the floor.

"Did a bomb explode here, Trudy?" Yoshika asked.

"Dunno, maybe… Let's clean this up."

It took them until supper, but the result was impressive, with all the cabinets standing neatly in a row, and all the files ordered.

"This was probably the busiest day I've had in a few months…" Yoshika said as she almost collapsed on a chair.

"Few weeks at most for me…" Trude did the same.

"Well, I was busy in Neue Karlsland, so I'm the most diligent of you all, heheh…"

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but supper has been served," Shizuka appeared out of nowhere with her head bowed.

"Weee, food!" Yoshika cheered. "Toshiroo, carry meeee…"

"Do I look like a pack mule or something?"

"You're my trusty steed, he… heh…"

"Get a room you two…" Trude mumbled and went on.

Shizuka looked a bit awkwardly at both Toshiro and Yoshika.

"If you have anything to discuss, just let it rip, Shizuka. Really, we don't bite," Toshiro said with a soft voice.

"Ummm… Urrr… I'm also a club member…"

"You are? Great to hear! Number?"

"Sixty-nine…"

Toshiro and Yoshika snorted immediately in sync.

"Wha-what is it?" Shizuka asked clueless.

"Oh Shizuka… You're missing a lot from the world, but you're only fourteen, so I guess you're excused. Any other issues you want to discuss?"

"N-No…"

"Really?"

Shizuka squirmed around in place, refusing to answer.

"Oh okay, if you want to tell me something in private, you'll have an occasion after supper."

"Yes sir…"

"Let's go you all, or our supper will get cold, our bread stale, and the girls' irky."

Things were rather peaceful at supper, except maybe for Eila shooting glares at Heidemarie covertly. After the whole thing, Toshiro went outside. He stood on the runway alone in the twilight, enjoying the silence and brisk air.

"Um… Sir…"

And no more silence…

"Yes, Shizuka?"

"I want to discuss… something…"

"Something? Or someone?"

'Y-Yes… Someone."

"Come on, let's take a walk."

"O-Okay…"

They slowly walked down the runway to the west.

"So what is it, Shizuka?" Toshiro asked as they were far away from the main building to maintain some privacy.

"I wanted to talk about… Miss Yoshika…"

"There you go with the Miss… She's only two years older than you, and I believe she likes you at least a bit…"

"But I can't just fraternize with my idol and superior… It's what Miss Sakamoto taught me!"

"Oh for fucks sake, that's why you were behaving towards Yoshika so strictly? Because of what Mio taught you?"

"Y-Yes sir…"

"Eeeeehhh… I suppose she taught you something good beside that… But you did make some progress as I told you, right?"

"Um… I'm calling her Miss Yoshika now…"

"Ugh, not much progress… Come on, now that she's in one unit with you, try to get on her better side. I know you want it."

"M-Maybe…"

"But know this; I won't force you to do anything. You two should get along on your own terms."

"O-Okay sir…"

"And why the hell are you so timid around me? I saw that you're playing around with Francesca and Shirley during supper."

"Rank difference… Fiancé…" She mumbled.

"Oh, that's where it lies… As I said, I won't force anything. But remember that you calling me by my first name is nothing wrong, and nobody will have anything against it."

"I… I will remember…"

"Should we go back already?"

"Hmmm… Not necessarily… I like sunsets…"

"Well lookie here, we have something in common!"

"R-Really?"

"Yeah, I absolutely love sunsets. I guess we can walk on for a few minutes."

"T-Thank you sir."

"No problem, Shizuka."

After a few minutes, they returned to the main building.

"Have a good night, Shizuka."

"You too, sir…"

"Oh I guess I will… Heheh… Yoshika always guarantees a good night…"

Shizuka's face started getting red suddenly.

"Heh, face it, Shizuka. Yoshika is doing it with me."

"C-C-Can I be dismissed?!"

"Yeah, go already, or you'll melt a hole in the ground, hahaha!"

Shizuka turned around and ran upstairs.

Hmmm… Bath time I guess…

Toshiro went to his room to fetch his bath supplies, but he bumped into Yoshika, who was inside.

"So, how did it go?" She asked.

"With Shizuka? She's a bit stubborn and indoctrinated, but I'm sure one day she will open up."

"Nice… Maybe it's time for a bath?"

"I think it would be a good idea. We did so much today that the going down the drain should be black, heheh…"

"Let's go then!" Yoshika cheered.

They took their bath supplies and entered the bath room. They took a shower together, and when they entered the bath section, they saw Eila and Sanya inside.

"Whoops, I hope we're not interrupting?" Yoshika asked.

"No, no, not a bit," Eila said. "We're decent, if you know what I mean."

"And it's always nice to be with the best couple of the 501st, heehee…" Sanya giggled.

"Best in what way, huh?" Toshiro asked.

"Oh, just best…"

"Well, whatever. So, how's it going you two?" Toshiro asked curiously.

"Depends on what you're asking about…" Eila answered ambiguously.

"Well… For example the love life… On my behalf, I can say that Yoshika scaled to a new level recently, right, Yoshika?"

"I got that good?"

"Duh! Yesterday was the best sex we had since our first time!"

"No way?!"

"Way!"

"We're keeping it modest…" Sanya said silently.

"I have trouble convincing Sanya to go all out…" Eila pouted.

"Your all out would end in me being unable to do a patrol…" Sanya followed suit.

"This was a bad topic to bring up…" Toshiro sighed.

The four soaked in a bit more in utter silence and everyone went their way.

"The bath itself was nice, but the atmosphere went sour…" Yoshika said.

"Yeah…"

"But whatever… Toshiro, you said something about getting rid of my underwear earlier…"

"Yeeees?"

Yoshika lifted herself from the bed and pulled off her uniform.

"Well, have at it, my dear future husband, heehee…"

"Be careful what you ask for!"

Yoshika pounced at him, but before she engaged herself more, she asked, "Toshiro, I dug through your memories, and something stung me a bit…"

"What was it, Sweetie?"

"How that Yoshika talked about selfishness and selflessness…" Yoshika frowned. "She was right, but I don't think it was selfish that I wanted to save you… I mean, I wanted to save everyone there, but you…"

Toshiro muffled her with his hand and said, "I know, Yoshika, I know… It doesn't matter if it sparked out of selfishness of selflessness, I'm just damn glad that you wanted and that you did save me."

"Oh Toshiwo…" she started sobbing.

"Now, now…" He kissed her on the lips. "I believe there's something we could do to cheer you up even more, right?" He grabbed her right buttock.

"Oh my… Oh yes, we can…" She whispered into his ear.

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