"LEAVE ME ALONE ALREADY!"
"Honolulu!"
Honolulu, who's wearing black hoodie and blue shorts, slammed a double door and stormed out of Eagle Union Dorm with tears welling on her eyes. Behind her, St. Louis rubbed her wrist that Honolulu just flicked because she's trying to catch her. The woman sighed while she frowned deeply, her effort to calm Honolulu has backfired greatly. St. Louis looked back and saw Helena, Phoenix, Cleveland, Ranger and Lexington. All of them has varying expressions ranging from concern to understanding, St. Louis sighed before she shook her head. Maybe Honolulu needs some time to herself, to clear her mind and cool herself down from her outburst. It's been a long day, and she's sure the KANSEN has a lot in her mind right now.
"…I think its best if we let her be for a bit" St. Louis said to the ship girls.
"Yeah…I never seen Honolulu being that angry before" Cleveland said to St. Louis while she frowned.
"It's frustration, in my opinion. And our attempt to console her backfired greatly…" Helena said out loud while she looked down as she frowned.
"Oh dear…Well, I think Lou is right, we need to leave her alone for now. I'm sure Honolulu just need some time to sort her own feelings" Lexington said out loud while she smiled slightly.
"I'll be waiting for her in the common room" St. Louis said to the girls as she walked away from the entrance.
"Me too" Helena said out loud as she followed St. Louis.
"…Let's go everyone" Cleveland said out loud.
.
"Fuck! You're such a noob!"
"Don't give me that horse shite! You're playing as Bloodhound, where's the fucking scan?!"
"I'll play however I like it!"
"Then you should've pick Octane from the start!"
"HEEELLLPPP!"
"You can't aim for shit!"
"No thanks to your inexistent scan you fucking disgrace! We got ambushed due to your incompetence!"
"HEY! WHERE ARE THEY?! ANYONE SEE THEM?!"
"You played as Lifeline, why don't you revive me first huh?"
"How can I do that when I'm on the fucking floor, you fag?!"
"Sheesh, your mom did a better job last night"
"Don't avoid the subject you cunt! Wait, you have golden shield! Revive yourself already!"
"Shit!"
"AAAAHHHHH NNOOOOOO!"
"Squad eliminated! Look what you've done, you're useless fucking support. I'll report you"
"For what?! Being competent while one of my squadmate is a selfish prick who doesn't know how to play!? Oi! Where are you going?! We're not done yet you bloody bitch! AARRRGGGH!"
He's looking forward to gaming ever since his release from prison, he's a bit rusty but he remembered the gameplay well. So, when he met an incompetent teammate and selfish person to boot? William is fucking pissed to the core that he almost slammed his phone against the wall. The man sighed hard as he closed the game, grabbed his jacket, stored his phone alongside wallet on his pocket, grabbed his revolver for self-defense, gulped down the tea that Belfast served him few minutes ago and then exited his personal room. Maybe he needs some fresh air, and also touch some grass. William descended the stairs of the administration building and exited through the double door, it's around eight o'clock at night and majority of the ship girls are already retreated to their respective dorms. Well except for Carabiniere and Zara, who lived only couple rooms down from him…William took out a package of cigar, he took one out, put it on his mouth and light it up with lighter. He sucked deeply, inhaling the toxic smoke down his lungs and slowly exhaled it. Got to admit, it did calm him down, though he really shouldn't get used to this.
"…Well, at least it's quite chilly, and the stars are beautiful" William muttered as he felt the soft blowing winds against his face as he gazed up to the night sky.
…It's been several weeks since he's put in charge of this base, a division that focused on fighting the Sirens and consisted of KANSENs. William have never worked with KANSENs before his imprisonment, but he had heard of them as women with otherworldly beauty and the personification of a ship. He wasn't sure on how they come to be, heck, he doesn't even know whether they are people equipped with ship like rigging or they are literally a ship but taking a human form and gaining consciousness. But one thing for sure though, these girls are as human as he is and should be treated as one. They laugh, they cry, they felt happiness, they get angry and they definitely got personality. William have been trying his utmost to win these girls over, not as man, but as their commander. He needs to do his duty first and foremost, whether any relationship could form during his time here, well, he'll roll with it when it did happen. Though, the girls have been quite receptive of him, some did outright see him as a man. William might be a bumbling daft on occasions, but being dense like a black hole is not one of them. He noticed how some of the girls starring at him with interests, how some of them acting a bit coy and borderline flirty with their teasing. He'd like to return them, but he got priorities at the moment so he did entertain them, but he didn't counterattack them…yet.
That being said, not every girl is as accepting as the others, there are some KANSENs here that are being careful with him or could be down rude on occasions. Example being? Well, there's Admiral Hipper, she seems like the type to always woke up on the wrong side of the bed. William's interaction with her could be boiled down to 'good mood equals to her being rude, bad mood equals to her yelling at him feistily'. She is what the Sakura manga tropes called tsundere and honestly, she could be a pain to talk to but William could see that she is a good woman underneath all that. Then there's Nelson, well she is not rude per say, but she is strict as hell. Not to mention, she straight up declared that she has high expectations on him as commander, she didn't care that he comes from non-navy branch, when he leads them then he will do his best and she won't tolerate anything less. Another tsundere on his list, though compared to Hipper who's cranky most of the time, Nelson is a mellower in her interaction with him. She is so easy to tease, but William haven't gone in deep with pushing her buttons, he did make some rebuttal that caused her cheeks to redden lovely though.
And he was thinking about the third one when the said woman crossed his line of sight, a red-haired girl styled in twin tails who is passing in front of him while she's starring at the pavement that she walked on. That girl's name is Honolulu…though William won't exactly put her in the tsundere category, more like the shy one but armed with figurative daggers. Compared to Nelson and Hipper who are confident, Honolulu is a lot more reserved than those two. She doesn't seem to talk much and she is quite reluctant to talk to him, she also always put on guarded attitude whenever he spoke to her directly. William had to admit, his eye did wander to her ample boobs a couple of times, can't help it when it's that big, she must have sensed it and put on AT-Field between them because she saw him as someone who's lusting after her…is that why she hates interacting with him? Makes sense, but William couldn't help but internally wince from the mental pain with being associated as a horn dog. Regardless of all that, it seems Honolulu got a lot on her mind, plus she's frowning as she walked.
"Honolulu" William called her name.
"Eh? C-Commander?" Honolulu said to herself as she turned her head towards him.
"Where are you going?" William asked Honolulu while he smiled a bit.
"Just to Shiranui's shop, I have something I need to buy" Honolulu said to William while she frowned and rubbed her right wrist.
"…You come from the left, where Shiranui's shop is. Why would you go on the opposite direction?" William asked Honolulu while he cocked his eyebrows, she is a terrible liar.
"…Dammit" Honolulu muttered to herself; she could think of better lie than that!
"…Honolulu, is something wrong?" William asked Honolulu as he approached her.
"…Nothing" Honolulu said to William as she looked away from him.
"I am your commander, if you have problems then that's my problem as well" William said to Honolulu while he folded his arms.
"…Nothing is wrong commander, you're assuming things" Honolulu said to William while she frowned.
"I'd like to think that my assumption regarding these kinds of things is usually on point. You're displaying signs of a troubled person" William said to Honolulu.
"…Urgh, fine, I admit. Yes, I have problems and I'd like to be alone, satisfied?" Honolulu said to William while she frowned.
"Well, why don't we work on it?" William asked Honolulu.
"Wha? Work on what? My problems? No, it's nothing big, I just need time to think about it" Honolulu said to William.
"Two head's better than one. Come on, follow me" William said to Honolulu as he offered his right hand.
"Where are you taking me?" Honolulu eyed William's hand with careful gaze.
"Just a drive to the city? You said that you want to think about it right? A change in the atmosphere would do wonders" William said to Honolulu as he lowered his hand, perhaps it's too fast to ask her to hold his hand.
"…Fine" Honolulu reluctantly agreed as she pouted.
…That went better than William expected, if he wants to be honest. He half predicted that she will tell him to screw off, but it's good that she is being cooperative despite being reluctant. William led Honolulu to their base's motor pool where they stored their land-based vehicle, the man approached the Manjuu behind the counter and requested for the car key to an SUV they have. After retrieving the key, he beckoned Honolulu to get in the car and she get into the passenger seat, riding shotgun. William naturally gets into the driver seat; he plunged the key and started the engine. After warming it up for around a minute, he drove out of the motor pool then the base. Both of them crossed the bridge that connected their base to Valencia, and just like that they entered the metropolis. Honolulu found herself starring at the scenery from behind her window, it's her first time going out to the city when it's night time, she easily found the vibes to be different. The traffic is the same as during daytime but the atmosphere is different, it felt refreshing…
"…First time being here during night?" William asked Honolulu while he smiled.
"…Yeah" Honolulu said to William.
"Feels different, isn't it? The changes that can happen to a scenery with different lightning and time of day shouldn't be underestimated, no wonder movie directors are adamant in shooting their scene at specific time so they can get the best shot" William said to Honolulu while he smiled.
"Do you always talk this much?" Honolulu asked William before her eyes widened.
"A-Ah, sorry, kind of blabbering-" William said to Honolulu after he winced, that cut quite deep.
"N-No! I'm sorry, I don't mean it that way…It's just that, you're more talkative compared to when you're on duty" Honolulu said to William while she frowned.
"Oh, is that so…Well, I'm not exactly the quiet type" William said to Honolulu, he was glad that she didn't mean what she said.
"…I heard" Honolulu muttered to herself.
"…Now that I think about it, this is the first time we talked to each other personally, right?" William asked Honolulu while he smiled a bit.
"Right…" Honolulu said to William as she clasped her hands above her lap.
"…Hey, want to stop on the convenience store?" William asked Honolulu, he might need to change his approach for a bit.
"Huh? What for?" Honolulu asked William while she cocked her eyebrows.
"Snacks of course! Don't worry, it's my treat" William said to Honolulu while he grinned.
"I-If you say so" Honolulu said to William reluctantly.
They stopped at a convenience store by the roadside just outside the city limits, both William and Honolulu get out of the car then entered the store. Honolulu stared around before she walked down one aisle that hold potato chips, she scanned the aisle until she saw her favorite brand, Pringles being displayed in neat row. The woman contemplated to herself on what flavor does she want, the original or the one with more spice to it? After briefly weighing the choices she has, Honolulu chose the original one and take the tube filled with the stuff. She walked to another aisle to see wafers, biscuits and even bread. Oh, is that Oreo? Honolulu was gravitated towards it before she holds herself, she kind of don't want William to see her teeth black due to eating them. Maybe she should pick something else, like the Good Time biscuits, that sounds better and shouldn't blacken her teeth.
"There you are" William said to Honolulu as he approached her.
"Commander" Honolulu said to William without tearing her gaze from the products in front of her.
"Good Time huh? What flavor is your favorite?" William asked Honolulu while he smiled slightly.
"The double choco chips" Honolulu said to William as she picked the packaging.
"Mine's original, but double choco chips is great as well" William said to Honolulu.
"Yeah, I think I'll get this one" Honolulu said to William while she smiled a bit.
"…Ooh, Pocky" William said out loud as he looked at the products.
"You like them?" Honolulu asked William.
"Yup, good snacks for any occasion. It wasn't filling, but it'll satisfy your mouth" William said to Honolulu,
"Isn't that the point of snacks?" Honolulu said to William while she cocked her eyebrows.
"Huh? You never stuffed yourself full with snacks?" William asked Honolulu.
"…No?" Honolulu said to William while she narrowed her gaze.
"Oh…" William said to Honolulu before he looked at the floor as his cheeks reddened slightly.
"What's wrong?" Honolulu asked William as she looked concerned.
"Nothing, just feeling that I might be a starving pig back then…" William said to Honolulu while he frowned.
How can William tell her that during high school, he once gorged three packs of Oreos in one sitting because he was feeling hungry and he's too lazy to get out of his room?! Diana, William's mother, was so confused on why would William had a hard time finishing dinner until he confessed on what he did. Needless to say, she facepalmed and told him to never do that again, with any snacks. He wasn't aware of the thing called 'sugar rush' back then and he found out the hard way, he can't sleep for the whole night and his body crashed during school time which resulted in him sleeping in the library and missing afternoon classes…William crouched and stared at something he hasn't seen since before his imprisonment two years ago, an enticing purple rectangular packaging that would always perk him up.
"Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate! I love these things!" William said out loud while he grinned.
"Ah, you love that?" Honolulu asked William as she stared at the package that he holds.
"Oh very, I always liked the chocolate's smoothness in my mouth and the taste is perfect for my taste buds. Have you ever tried it?" William asked Honolulu.
"No, I usually take Silver Queen or Toblerone" Honolulu said to William while she smiled slightly.
"You have to try it then, I'll let you taste it later" William said to Honolulu while he smiled.
"Alright…I think we have enough for food" Honolulu said to William at the snack they are holding.
"Time to get our drinks then" William said to Honolulu as he approached the refrigerator row.
"Um, what would you pick, commander?" Honolulu asked William.
"Fanta Orange, you?" William said to Honolulu.
"Coca Cola" Honolulu said to William.
"Okay, hand me those, you pick them up" William said to Honolulu.
The woman nodded her head, gave the Pringles and Good Time to William while she picked up a Fanta and a Coca Cola. After confirming that they got everything they want, both of them head for the register and placed the items on the aisle. The cashier working on the register immediately scanned their items, but she couldn't help sneak a few glances at both of them. Honolulu looked young enough to be considered a late teenager around eighteen years old, while William clearly has the face of a man on his mid-twenties. Are they brother and sister? They have the awkwardness of one, from a glance. And both of them dressed casually…But what if she's wrong? What if these two are on compensated date or something? Those kind of couples often comes to this place, for obvious reason! The cashier scans the items while she kept an eye on William, she is waiting for him to grab the condoms on the aisle next to the register…But he didn't do it, the man paid for the snacks and left with Honolulu. The cashier smiled wryly that her assumption is wrong, and silently ask for forgiveness for judging them.
"Thank you for your patronage!"
Both William and Honolulu went outside, she saw several young men loitering on the parking space…They are checking her figure out, because even when she wears a hoodie, her breast is big enough that the shape is pretty noticeable even beneath the thick cloth. Not to mention, she only wore short pants so her smooth legs are exposed for the world to see. The men talked in hushed voices, but they are clearly talking about her. What if she is alone right now? Would those men approach her? What would she do if they get forceful? She doesn't want to harm people, but she doesn't want to get assaulted either and those men look to be the type who would toy around with women. Honolulu felt very uncomfortable with their stares that she hid behind William, her fingers tugging on his jacket and caused him to look at Honolulu with questioning gaze. He saw her looking on the ground with a deep frown yet unsure or fearful face? Huh? Why would she make that face? William scanned around and noticed the group of men starring at her shamelessly, completely ignoring his presence…
Ah…Now it makes sense. William wrapped his left arm around Honolulu's shoulder and pulled her close to him, the action caused her eyes to widened slightly in surprise as she looked at him. William smiled reassuringly before they reached their SUV, he pretended to fumble with the car key inside his jacket's inner pocket before he purposely dropped key. The man bended down to pick it up, showing his back toward the men and purposely shown them the chrome painted Colt Phyton Magnum Revolver he put on his rear waist between his pants. William picked the car key, used the remote to unlock the door and let Honolulu entered the car first. William walked to the driver side while he glanced toward the men, all of them are dispersing from the area while keeping an eye on him as well. William smirked victoriously, he then entered the driver side, started the engine, drive out of there and into the outskirt of Valencia…He waited for a bit before he glanced at Honolulu.
"Are you okay?" William asked Honolulu.
"I am now…" Honolulu said to William.
"You don't like being stared by men; I can see that now" William said to Honolulu.
"People only ever paid attention to me because of my big breast, it's nothing new" Honolulu said to William while she frowned.
"Is that so" William said to Honolulu.
"I bet you too, didn't you?" Honolulu asked William.
"Believe it or not, I don't. Sure, I did glance at your breast unconsciously a couple of times, but I never lingers my gaze" William said to Honolulu truthfully.
"See, you wouldn't even look my way if it wasn't for my breast" Honolulu said to William while she glanced outside as she frowned.
"…I didn't because I know nothing about you, Honolulu. We are fellow member of ALASUC at best and strangers at worst, that can be changed by getting to know one another" William said to Honolulu while he frowned a bit.
"Why would you want to know someone who doesn't have anything going for them?" Honolulu asked William while she frowned.
"Because I want to" William said to Honolulu.
"…Why would you even bother with a mediocre girl like me then?" Honolulu asked William as she glanced towards him.
"Mediocre or not, you're still the member of ALASUC. As your commander, I am to know those under my command so I can lead them well" William said to Honolulu.
Honolulu went silent as she honestly has no comeback for that one, it makes sense for him to know who he is commanding so he know what to do with them. But hearing that he did this basically out of obligation kind of saddened her, she thought he's doing this out of the goodness of his heart. Honolulu noticed how he basically tell the men ogling her to fuck off with his little stunt on the parking lot, he could've just told her to ignore them, but he goes extra far to assure her by showing that he cares for her comfort and safety. If he did that just for obligation, Honolulu kind of wonder how far would he go if he actually cares for her deeply? Her mind briefly wandered toward Admiral Helena McAllen, William's ex-girlfriend. He will definitely go lengths for her, and he won't settle for anything less…William drove them to a small plateau that overlooks Valencia, he stopped by the road side and got out of the car. Honolulu naturally followed suit, and her eyes widened at the urban night view of the metropolis below her. She has never cared to look at Valencia when it's night time, but seeing one now and especially from above like this really felt refreshing.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" William asked Honolulu.
"I guess…" Honolulu said to William.
"Hard to believe that this island used to be a storage, it then grew into a small town before Azur Lane took over and developed it into full fledged city under their direct jurisdiction" William said to Honolulu while he smiled.
"You sure know a lot" Honolulu said to William.
"Flight from HQ to here feels pretty boring, so I had some time to study on the place I am going" William said to Honolulu.
"Huh, you're an honor student or something?" Honolulu asked William.
"Ha! I wish! I might be one if I didn't spend my high school being a lazy bloke who only cares about games and anime!" William said to Honolulu while he grinned.
"…Why though? You did it on purpose despite the chance to?" Honolulu asked William in disbelieved tone while she cocked her eyebrows.
"To be honest, I get a feel that academic has never been my forte, Honolulu. I did enough to get me pass on above average, but I was trying to be a soldier back then so I focused my effort somewhere else" William said to Honolulu as he walked to the car and grabbed his Fanta and Honolulu's Coca Cola.
"How fortunate of you, knowing what you're good at so early in your life" Honolulu said to William while she frowned as she took the Coca Cola that William offered.
"…I wasn't even sure if I made the cut. My father's whole family line are soldiers, I was just trying to continue the tradition to be honest. I wasn't even sure that I could be a good soldier…" William said to Honolulu before he opened his bottle and drank some soda.
"What made you do it anyway if you're not sure about it?" Honolulu asked William.
"I just gave it a go; I have my worries but I got to try nonetheless. Whether I pass or not? That's up to later" William said to Honolulu while he smiled a bit.
"And you passed" Honolulu said to William.
"I am…I'm sure you will find something you're good at if you are willing to explore yourself. No one know themselves fully, Honolulu" William said to Honolulu who's drinking her cola.
"…But what am I even good at? I excel at nothing; my personality is bland as well" Honolulu said to William while she frowned.
"Well, you can do everything, don't you?" William asked Honolulu.
"…I guess I am, I could do anything, but that's it. I never blew someone away from my skills or anything" Honolulu said to William while she frowned.
"That's what we call Jack of All Trades, Honolulu. You could do everything, but master at nothing…But its better than master of one. You are flexible, you can be whatever you want to be. You might not be the best at it, but it is something over nothing" William said to Honolulu while he smiled.
Honolulu widened her eyes and she stared at the city as she tried to recount everything that has happened to her. She could do combat as a ship girl, though she didn't have any flashy moves or quirks. She can cook and bake, though not as delicious as the other master chefs on the base. She can do administrative work, but she does it at normal pace. She can do anything, but not at the level of an expert…Yeah, William's words do ring some truth to it. Honolulu is too focused on the fact that she doesn't have a specialty that she failed to realized that being able to do everything is a specialty itself, but is that really the case? She glanced down at her chest while she frowned. Her breast is the first thing everyone would notice about her, so in a sense it is her special trait. But she is frustrated that it's the only qualities whenever someone thought of Honolulu, she's sure the other girls would immediately mention her big chest as the first thing they remember whenever someone mentioned her name.
"It doesn't rid the fact that my breast are the first thing people would remember about me" Honolulu said to William while she frowned.
"And that is a bad thing?" William asked Honolulu.
"Of course! I never want people to recognize me just because of my big boobs!" Honolulu said to William in louder voice.
"And have you ever asked other people on what their real impression of you? Have you ever thought that it's all in your head?" William asked Honolulu while he folded his arms.
"…I can see them starring at my chest every time, how is that not the proof I needed?" Honolulu asked William while she frowned deeply.
"Want to know my first impression of you?" William asked Honolulu.
"Save it, I already know what you think since all you do is stare at-" Honolulu said to William while she scowled.
"You're a shy girl who's insecure about herself, you spout off mean words to cover your insecurities despite not intending to" William said to Honolulu in serious tone.
"W-What?!" Honolulu said out loud as her eyes widened.
"Am I wrong?" William asked Honolulu.
"…Not exactly…Urgh fine, yes, you're right…I am born like this, okay? I can't say what's on my mind most of the time without sounding rude or something!" Honolulu tried to deny it but he hit the ball out of the park with this one.
"See? Who said that the first thing anyone noticed is your breast? The first time you threw lingua daggers at me, I immediately realized that you indeed have prickly personality" William said to Honolulu while he smiled slightly.
William first met Honolulu when he went looking for Brooklyn to discuss about a deal for raw materials with a private company, he went to Eagle Union Dorms and asked around for her. That's when he met Honolulu, who were talking with Brooklyn on the rear garden. The moment William laid eyes on them; Honolulu immediately went closer to Brooklyn while she guarded her chest area by hiding them with her jacket. William greeted her and she replied rather reluctantly to him with choices of words that would wound anyone with sensitive feelings, just from that William knew that Honolulu is a shy girl with thorns around her and he should tread carefully so he won't set her off. He was proven right with time, the more he saw her the more prevalent that she is quite insecure about something…he just doesn't know what it is until today.
"Then why do you stay silent?" Honolulu asked William.
"About what? You really want me to call you out right there and then?" William asked Honolulu while he cocked his eyebrows.
"…On the second thought, forget that question" Honolulu said to William as she averted her gaze.
"…Listen, the most important thing in this world have never been what makes you special, it's the effort you make to overcome your hurdles. You can be very talented in something but if you don't have the resolve to do anything? Well, that talent is wasted. But if you try to do something despite not being skilled at them? No matter the end result, you at least put an effort to accomplish something. One genuine effort of ordinary person is worth thousands of a talented person with no motivation to do anything" William said to Honolulu while he smiled.
"But what if that talented person has motivation to do something? Am I useless then?" Honolulu asked William while she frowned.
"Not in the slightest. You gave it your effort, that alone is better than doing nothing…You stared so high up to the sky that you forgot the ground you're standing on at the moment, Honolulu. Appreciate what you could do, focus on your own efforts. If you compared yourself to your betters, there won't be an end to it. If you compared yourself to someone worse, there might be an instance where you could grow complacent or arrogant. So, focus on what you can do, don't be bothered by expectations. People has their highs and lows; you need to power through all that by giving your all. Once you put everything you got? Try to accept your current limit, then improve yourself bit by bit at your own pace…That way, you will never grow complacent yet stay humble in your progress at something" William explained to Honolulu before he stared at the city below them.
"…That sounded quite specific, who do you hear that from?" Honolulu asked William while she smiled a bit.
"My late father, the wisest man I ever known. He imparted many wisdoms to me and thanks to him, I become the man who I am today" William said to Honolulu while he grinned slightly.
"…I think he's right, you as well…I need to focus on myself more, to find what I could do best" Honolulu said to William while she smiled a bit.
"Great. So, what's the issue you're having back then? Is it something relatable with what we discuss before?" William asked Honolulu.
"…To be honest, yeah it does…I…was having a difficult time, coming to terms that I'm the least useful during the commission that we completed yesterday…" Honolulu said to William while she stared at the ground.
"Ah, I see. Concerning kills of Siren mass produced ships huh? For that escort mission?" William said to Honolulu while he rubbed his clean shaved chin.
"Yup…Then, there's also the stares from the men that I had to endure for few days. Some even try to hit on me, they're a bit forceful too. I don't know what I would've done if St. Louis didn't stop them…" Honolulu said to William while she frowned.
"I just knew about this, why haven't any of you report it?" William asked Honolulu in low tone as his gaze narrowed.
"Because I made them to not say anything…I don't want to be a burden, or cause unnecessary problems" Honolulu said to William while she frowned and rubbed her right arm.
"No Honolulu, you report something like that. That situation could get bad real fast, and I hate to think something could happen to you due to my negligence" William said to Honolulu while he scowled.
"Commander?" Honolulu asked William in unsure tone.
"I should've realized that sailors would be quite pent up especially for long journey, and I'm throwing women at them…Oh god I'm so fucking stupid for not putting anything to protect you ladies!" William said out loud as his eye widened and he facepalmed.
"B-But, no one did anything in the end!" Honolulu said to William.
"There's still nothing to hold them responsible if they did anything, and it's purely on me for not realizing that…That's it, any further agreement for naval escort will have some new rules be in place, something I should've think on sooner!" William said to Honolulu in serious tone.
Honolulu was left speechless for a bit, turns out he did care for all of them to that extent, even her who is technically a stranger to him. Maybe that's just his nature as a leader, or maybe that's his nature as a man. She didn't care which is it, but the fact that he immediately realized that there's a slightest possible chance that he put them on unnecessary danger and he immediately act upon it to make sure it won't happen again? That alone, earned him a good mark from Honolulu who is quite presumptuous against the opposite sex. William resolved to immediately revised the standardized deal they have the next morning, Hood and Brooklyn should be able to help him revise it in just couple of hours. He didn't realize at first that this could be a problem, he put too much confidence that the ship girls will be able to handle themselves since they're super human. He failed to realize that physical strength alone won't deter horny men, he failed to realize that not all of the girls are mentally fortitude so they could cave in to a harassment or…William shook his head, he doesn't want to go there.
"Commander, you are very kind" Honolulu said to William while she smiled widely.
"Eh…" William said to Honolulu as his eye widened.
"…Hm? Is something wrong?" Honolulu asked William when she found him stunned.
"Nothing, I just found how beautiful you are when you smiled like that" William said to Honolulu while he smiled, she really does look mesmerizing when she put on a big smile like that.
"Huh? D-Don't tease me!" Honolulu said to William while her cheeks reddened.
"Hahahaha. But in all seriousness, you need to remember what I just said before. You participate in that commission, that is enough to consider you as useful in my book. You might don't have the highest kill count among the team, but you did participate in combat to defend the ships you escorted. You are far from useless as long as you put in the effort, remember that" William said to Honolulu while he smiled.
"…Thank you, I feel better about it now…But, regarding those men…" Honolulu said to William.
"I will revise our terms and agreement so if they try anything, they're not going to get away even if they swim to Point Nemo or something. And, I will never ever send you out on commission by yourself, you will always have a friend to rely on if some men try to make a pass at you" William said to Honolulu in serious tone.
"Hah…I feel stupid for keeping quiet about it…" Honolulu said to William after she sighed.
"It's fine, just don't keep something like this to yourself next time. I couldn't help if I didn't know, and if you have problems? I prefer to hear it from you directly compared to being told by others, I will listen to your worries too so don't hesitate. Got it?" William asked Honolulu while he smiled.
"…Yeah, got it" Honolulu said to William while she smiled a bit.
"Good" William said to Honolulu while he smiled.
"Just one more thing…Did you do this because you're my commander? Or because you're just a man who want to help me for no reason?" Honolulu asked William.
"…I'll be honest, I did this primarily because you're my subordinate who faced hardship and I'd like to get rid of it so you can do your duty effectively…But, I would be lying if I say that I won't want to help if I'm not in my current position. Even if I'm a civilian, I would still try to help you" William said to Honolulu.
"Even if we are a pair of strangers?" Honolulu asked William while she smiled slightly.
"Yeah. Do you even need a reason to help a stranger? Well, not saying that there aren't some that try to take advantage of other's kindness. But there are some issues that you could immediately jump into without having to fear to be taken advantage of" William said to Honolulu.
"…Alright, I think I got a hang of what kind of man you are by now, commander" Honolulu said to William as she walked to the edge of the plateau that's bordered by low fences.
"Oh really?" Williama asked Honolulu while he smiled a bit.
"Mhm" Honolulu said to William.
"…Well then, we've been here for quite a bit. Want to go back home?" William asked Honolulu.
"Um, can we stay for a bit longer? I want to enjoy the scenery more" Honolulu asked William while she pouted.
"Sure, I'll be sitting on the car. Take as long as you want" William said to Honolulu while he smiled.
William head back to the driver seat and sit there with the car door opened, he checked his phone where there's a direct message from Hornet who asked him whether he saw Honolulu or not. William smiled as he turned on his phone camera and snapped a picture of Honolulu looking mesmerized at the cityscape with the moonlight shining down on her face. He sent the picture to Hornet who thanked him for being there for her and the fact that the girls are waiting for her on the dorm's common room, he should take her there immediately when they return. William reopened APEX on his phone and played it in low volume alongside off mic, he played only one round, one freaking round where he basically git gutted the entire ranked match and he got disconnected just before the finishing kill. That promptly get him and his entire team killed, the man couldn't help but to groaned loudly in annoyance and having the urge to break something just so he won't roared out loud in anger…William glanced at Honolulu who's still gazing at Valencia, it's been around twenty minutes since he proposed to go home. What was it that captivates Honolulu so much? William got off from his seat and walked towards the ship girl, he stood beside her and stared at the general direction she's been looking at.
"You're quite taken by the city, Honolulu?" William asked Honolulu.
"Oh, yes, it's just a new experience for me…and I was sorting a few things out inside my mind" Honolulu said to William.
"I see. It's getting quite late though, want to head back now?" William asked Honolulu while he smiled a bit.
"…Wait, I want to take a picture of the city" Honolulu said to William as she took out her phone.
"How about I took one with you in it?" William suggested to Honolulu while he smiled.
"Eh? Me? N-No, I-I'm not good with photos" Honolulu said to William while she averted her gaze.
"I'll direct you, believe it or not I'm a good photographer" William said to Honolulu while he grinned.
"…If you say so…" Honolulu said to William as she handed him her phone.
William put Honolulu on the screen, the woman is awkwardly standing there while looking unsure on how to pose. William started to give her direction, he told her to put her hands on the fences, he told her to tilt her head to the left just enough to get her face on the lens. The moonlight shined upon her face and coupled with the cityscape background managed to enhanced her already beautiful face, then Wiliam told her to think of her happiest memory before he snapped the picture when he saw her smile. William looked at the phone screen with a satisfied smile before he handed the phone back to Honolulu, she checked the photo and she widened her eyes in disbelief. This beautiful woman is her?! She looked between the phone and William repeatedly in confusion, how did he managed to get this picture?!
"How?" Honolulu asked William in disbelieved tone.
"Let's just say I've seen a lot of examples. And, you're a beautiful woman in the first place so it's not that hard to get a good photo with right direction" William said to Honolulu while he smiled for a bit.
"…Thanks for taking this, commander" Honolulu said to William while she smiled a bit.
"You're welcome. Now, come on, let's go home" William said to Honolulu before he heard stomach rumbling sounds.
"Huh?" Honolulu stared at William while she cocked her eyebrows.
"…Whoops, turns out I'm hungry…" William said to Honolulu while he cringed.
"…We can stop somewhere along the way" Honolulu said to William.
"Eh don't worry, we do have snacks" William said to Honolulu while he smiled.
"A-Actually, I'm getting kind of hungry as well…Can we stop somewhere for a bit?" Honolulu asked William while she averted her gaze.
"Alright alright, let's get to a drive in" William said to Honolulu while he smiled.
Both of them get into the car, drove back to Valencia and found a nearby McDonnald restaurant. William and Honolulu ordered on what they want to eat, received their order and drive back to their base. William grabbed one of the burgers he ordered and started chomping on it, he could do it so easily because the SUV is an automatic so he doesn't really need two hands to drive it. William could see their base in the distance, he better finish the food he has now, don't want to get caught by Belfast that he's eating fast food since…well, he ate some yesterday and he did it again just now. She'll go on a long speech about healthy eating habits and nutritional value, she means well but sometimes he really don't want to get lectured like that because he freaking know what he's doing…William glanced to the left and saw Honolulu munching on her own burger before she hummed a bit, well it is full of additives but at least its delicious and fine to eat once in a while. Honolulu grabbed a pair of French fries and popped them into her mouth, then she sipped on the soda before she ate her burger again…Eating fast food from drive in while going on a night drive is actually quite fun, she wouldn't have known this if she pushed her commander away when he offered to help her.
"Hey, commander..." Honolulu said to William.
"Yeah?" William asked Honolulu after he swallowed his burger.
"Thanks for everything you've done tonight. Even for someone who's basically a stranger to you, you've done so much for me" Honolulu said to William.
"Anytime. Also, you're no longer a stranger to me. You're my friend now, and friends help each other" William said to Honolulu while he smiled.
"I-I know that much; I have friends too you know" Honolulu said to William while she pouted.
"One who you made worried about you, so you better apologize to them when you're back, okay?" William said to Honolulu while he smiled wryly.
"How did you…nevermind, you're right" Honolulu said to William as her eyes widened before something clicked inside her mind, one of them must've asked William regarding her.
"Also, grab the snacks we bought and share them. That should help with defusing the situation" William said to Honolulu.
"Are you sure? Some of these are yours" Honolulu asked William while she tilted her head.
"It's fine, I have enough with just the Fanta" William said to Honolulu while he smiled a bit.
Honolulu didn't argue further, both of them finished their food just in time they entered ALASUC Base. William drive straight to Eagle Union dorm and stopped just before the porch, Honolulu got out of the car to find St. Louis, Helena, Cleveland, Phoenix, Ranger, Hornet and Lexington are already waiting for her. St. Louis, Helena and Phoenix didn't even hesitate to approach Honolulu then gave her a one big warm hug which Honolulu returned shyly while she smiled softly. William only smiled at the scene before him and he drove off the dorm after honking at them once, he'll let the girls sort the rest by themselves for he did his job…William parked the car inside the motor pool but he remained on the driver seat with one question lingers on his mind, did he really help her because of his job or was it his personal desire to help her? Honestly, William don't know which one is it. Was the answer he gave to Honolulu back then good enough? Regardless of his reasoning though, he just glad that he acted upon it…Imagine if he stayed silent when he saw Honolulu before, he wouldn't know about what he discovered just by talking to her for a bit…
"…I really shouldn't ignore their problems, even when they say nothing about it" William muttered to himself as he disembarked from the car.
"You really shouldn't, master. A good leader is the one who know their subordinates well, and the one their subordinates could look up to without obligation for they have earned their respect" A woman said to William
"That's pretty wise sentiment, Belfast…Wait, Belfast?!" William said to the woman before he turned his head toward her while his eye bulged in surprise.
"Your one and only, master" Belfast said to William while she curtsied.
"W-What are you doing here? I thought you're back on Royal Navy dorm?" William asked Belfast while he smiled nervously as he tried to shut the car's door, but Belfast held the door in place with her superhuman strength.
"I was wondering on where you go since you didn't inform anyone, I have to ask around to know that you are helping Ms. Honolulu" Belfast said to William while she smiled.
"Y-Yeah, that I did and I brought her outside for a bit" William said to Belfast while he smiled nervously.
"I can see that, especially with those McDonnald's packaging on the passenger seat" Belfast said to William while she smiled.
"Ah that one? Honolulu is getting a bit hungry so I drove to the drive in" William said to Belfast while he grinned.
"I see, so the both of you ate while on the road" Belfast said to William.
"Um-" William said to Belfast.
"Oh? Are you about to retort? Are you insinuating that Ms. Honolulu, who wasn't known for her appetite, managed to finish three burgers, two fries and two medium sodas? Oh my dear master, how can you make a maiden like her eat so much outside her stomach capacity? What a cruel man you are, trying to fatten the KANSENs for your own depraved-" Belfast said to William while she looked at him disapprovingly.
"ALRIGHT! Alright, I admit! I also ate some, okay?!" William said to Belfast while he scowled while his cheeks reddened.
"Ufufufufufu, why yes, I already know that. What a troublesome master, ignoring his maid's advice regarding his health" Belfast giggled victoriously before she said to William while she smirked.
"…Nothing gets past you, really" William said to Belfast with half closed eye.
"My, thank you for the compliment~. Now, let's get back to your room where I have prepared a fresh pot of tea…and some lecture for snacks" Belfast said to William while she smirked.
"Hah…" William only sighed in defeated manner as he walked to the administration building in front of Belfast.
.
"Honolulu? Are you in there?" Helena asked Honolulu as she knocked on her door.
"Y-Yeah, I am. What is it?" Honolulu asked Helena from behind the door.
"Um, it's time to head out for our commission" Helena said to Honolulu.
"Okay, give me a minute" Honolulu said to Helena.
Honolulu stared at the backpack that's been filled with supply and change of clothes, she closed it and shouldered the bag. Honolulu then approached her study; she grabbed a picture frame before she stared at the picture in it. It's the one that William took a few days ago, the one where she stood behind the railings of a plateau that overlooked Valencia during night. Every time she stared at it, her commander's words always repeated on her head, reminding her on what she learned that night. The woman smiled widely before she put the picture back down, she walked to the door and exited her room. Helena is waiting for her just outside the door, the woman widened her eyes however when she saw Honolulu smiling. Looks like she is in good mood, which if she has to be honest, was quite rare to happen. But ever since that day she stormed out of the dorm though, she has been smiling a bit more and Helena quickly found that she liked this Honolulu better.
"Let's get going" Honolulu said to Helena while she smiled.
"Let's…By the way, did something happen that night where you went out with Commander Blaze?" Helena asked Honolulu as they walked down the corridor.
"Oh, y-yeah" Honolulu said to Helena while she smiled slightly.
"Hmm, well, I don't know what it is, but it's good that you're smiling a bit more since then" Helena said to Honolulu while she smiled.
Honolulu only smiled and nodded her head in reply. Sure, that single outing didn't immediately change her, Honolulu is still someone who's insecure about herself and quite shy when it comes to interaction with other people especially men. But it was the moment that allow her to bit by bit changed herself, to be someone who has a bit more faith in herself, to be someone who can be a bit more confident in her physical figure, to be someone who can speak her mind a bit more often and to be someone who can do her duty with everything she has. In the event where she feels losing confidence? She can remind herself that her sisters, friends and her commander have faith in her to get back up and not give up. She won't ever forget the lesson she received that night, and she will never will. She doesn't know it yet, but her relationship with her commander would escalates in the future, where they become even closer with one another, as something more than friends.
I had this in mind for quite some time, but I haven't been able to put it in text form until now. Here it is dear readers, a short story focused on Honolulu herself. I always thought that Honolulu is actually a sweet girl who just happened to have low self esteem and a bit of complex with her figure, even before I read her secretary quest. She is also the 'reluctant' tsundere type instead of explosive one like Hipper or the haughty one like Nelson, that's why you never heard her yell unless she got spooked or surprised. I really found her attitude to be different than your typical tsundere and I love her for that, not to mention when the dere part shown she is just so cute! Any of you read her valentine lines? Damn! I am getting filled with sugar just from reading them!
Well, here's the introduction to William's relationship with Honolulu. She will have more chapters featured down the line, like festival date, hanging out on the beach, other daily life activities such as cooking, shopping, relaxing with one another, tutoring and of course! The one and only activities I'm sure many would like to see…The steamy *insert lenny's face* citadel penetration…When will it comes out? I don't know, but it will happen! Unless I perish first due to unfortunate circumstances in the real world, I will make it happen for I have a dream dammit! Anyway, thank you for the follows, favorites and reviews my dear readers! I've done two Eagle Union KANSENs already, maybe I should switch now to give the other girls spotlight as well.
Until next time then!
- Dasmara