Part 22: Nakajima
IJN Zuikaku
Ooarai, Ibaraki
(The Hives: Walk Idiot Walk)
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"Hnnngh!"
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"Hrgh. Come on…"
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CLUNK!
"Ow! God…Dammit!"
Nakajima Reira pulled herself out from the engine compartment of her car, shaking the pain out of her hand. In the process of loosening the timing belt, her wrench had slipped, causing her to inadvertently punch one of the pulley wheels. The Mechanic looked at her injured hand, finding a bleeding, red welt on her last two knuckles. "Well, that's gonna leave a mark…" She wrapped the bottom of her shirt around her hand and glanced up at the large clock on the wall, dismayed at the time it read. "Really? I've been here that long?"
Nakajima had arrived at the garage at precisely 7:30 that morning, shrugging off the drizzling rain as she unlocked the doors. It was now after lunchtime, her drenched jacket was bone dry, and she wasn't nearly finished with the work she had wanted to do. Which likely wasn't helped by how distracted she was. Not even her portable radio helped put her mind at ease.
Her mounting frustration doubled by the pain in her fist, Reira paced away from her car and to the nearby workbench, where a sheet of paper was being held in place by a can of soda. She gingerly picked up the can and took a drink, while racking her brain in an attempt to finish writing.
After Hachimiya Dahlia had seemingly vanished from the carrier, and multiple texts and calls had gone unanswered over the last two days, Nakajima thought it best to go full hopeless sap and write a letter. This, now the third attempt, had so far been the best written, but she still wasn't confident in the wording or message. Dropping her pen after scribbling a few more words, Nakajima rested her head in her good hand, muttering to herself.
"You fucking idiot… coming onto her like that… there goes another friend, thinking you're some kind of creeper…"
The sound of footfalls made Reira turn her head, before scrambling to hide the letter and grab a nearby aid kit.
"Nakajima-san." The Mechanic turned again to find the Student Council PR Manager Kawashima Momo, of all people, pacing towards her. "Somehow, I knew I would find you in here."
"Oh. Hi, Kawashima." Reira quickly rummaged through the first aid kit, producing a Quik Cool ice pack and a packet of ointment.
"Did something happen?" Momo asked.
"Nothing major. My-my wrench slipped. It happens." Nakajima used her shirt to clean most of the blood off of her hand. "Wait… What are you doing here? N-not to be rude, or anything."
Kawashima glanced at the row of tanks behind her. "Well, since the holiday season is upon us, there isn't much in the way of Public Relations duties at the moment. I thought I'd wander the garage, stretch my legs. And Koyama and Kadotani have left me to 'hold down the fort', as the President put it."
"Where have they run off to?" Nakajima queried, grateful for the distraction.
"Koyama is visiting family on Okinawa. Kadotani is on vacation in Singapore. Hoping to see a volcanic eruption, I'd bet."
"She is the chaotic enough type. What about you?"
Momo eyed Reira's car. "Nowhere to go. Not that I could go anywhere. Similar to you, I'd imagine." The PR girl's eyes widened after a moment. "Sorry, that came out wrong."
"Ah, don't worry. I don't have anywhere to go, either." The Mechanic vigorously shook the ice pack, mixing the chemicals inside and activating it. Wincing when the frozen plastic touched her swollen hand, the cold quickly began numbing the pain. So much so that she almost missed Kawashima's next question.
"Other than your accident, how go the repairs?"
"Eh. Could be better. I'm working on replacing the timing belt." She glanced down at her hand, now able to see a row of parallel cuts along the swollen spot. "Car and I decided to trade skin." She added with a chuckle.
"How could things go better? You're a master mechanic, or so you've claimed." The older girl teased.
"If I wasn't so distracted. I just… have alot on my mind." Nakajima eyed the haphazardly-hidden letter, then studied her Loader friend for a moment. "Kawashima? I… hate to impose, but… can I ask you something? And… can it be kept secret?"
Momo playfully rolled her eyes. "Any more of you girls start asking me that, I'm going to start charging." She smiled, sitting down on the stool next to the Leopon Commander. "Sure. Ask away."
Nakajima looked down at the grease and oil stains on the concrete floor, trying to form her jumbled thoughts into coherent words.
"Sorry. I… know people have asked similarly of you in the past. It's just that… I don't need the merciless teasing I'll get from my friends if I tell them."
Kawashima patiently waited for the troubled girl to continue. The Mechanic sucked in a breath.
"So… as you know. A few of us… overindulged at the party the other night. Myself included." Momo closed her eyes and remained silent. "I know, I know. Ogin promised to keep an eye on everybody's intake, and it didn't work. Just try not to get mad at her. After the year we've had, I'd say we earned it. Anyway…" Nakajima rested her head in her hand and let out a heavy sigh. "That night, I had a one night stand with somebody, and now I… I just can't stop thinking about it. Like, she's never done something like that, so… did I go too far?" The words began tumbling out, with Reira slipping into her breathless manner. "She hasn't answered her phone, and there's so much I want… or need… to say, so I wrote a goddamn letter." She held up the crumpled and oily paper. "How pathetic is that? Then there's how I feel about the whole thing. I've had a few relationships in my time, but they were usually short lived, or became friends-with-benefits types of deals. I've never gotten this attached to anybody, and-"
"It was Hachimiya, wasn't it?"
"-and I… what?" The Mechanic froze. "H-how did you know?" Kawashima shrugged.
"You left with her. Plus, with how much you were making eyes at her during the party?" Nakajima cringed sheepishly.
"You saw that?"
"Anyone paying attention did." Momo said. "I didn't know Dahlia swung that way."
"She… doesn't. Didn't. Doe… I…"
"What, did you seduce her, or something?"
Reira's eyes shot around the room, looking anywhere but at Kawashima. "Wel-Ye-No-I… Yes."
The PR Manager raised a brow as the Mechanic attempted to defend herself.
"B-b-b-but nothing was forced. It just kinda… happened. Sure, I might've been ogling a little bit, but c'mon! Cut me some slack."
Kawashima glanced at the floor and cleared her throat, quickly thinking of a way to get to the point. "So… what do you want to ask me?"
Reira hesitated. "I just… don't know what to do. I really like Dahlia, and we've been friends for years now, but I'm afraid I just ruined that. I hope she isn't mad at me…"
"Well, did you say as much to her?"
"I didn't get a chance. She left in a bit of a hurry the next morning. Our… conversation was very short."
"You're on the right path." Kawashima began. "Dahlia seems like an understanding person, so I'd say a conversation is the only way to fix this."
"Yeah… I figured as much. Would you… happen to know where she is today?"
"I know she isn't here." Momo said after a moment. "I can't say where she is, or why, but I know she's not on the carrier."
Nakajima shrugged. "Ah well. Thought I'd ask. Thanks anyway, Kawashima."
"Don't mention it. Seriously, don't." The PR girl eyed the car again. "You need some help?"
After a few beats, Reira shook her head, gesturing to the letter. "No, I need a break. I'm just gonna finish this, then go grab something for lunch."
"Want some company?"
The Mechanic smiled, allowing Kawashima to look over the letter she'd written.
A/N: Meanwhile, at Ooarai, more emotional turmoil!
In the patchwork quilt of chaos that is my Google Docs account, I've given so much attention to Dahlia's perspective that I nearly neglected the other player in the identity crisis issue
It takes two to tango, after all
And once again, Kawashima swoops in to the rescue. I loved Ascendant Fiction's recent character analysis video of Kawashima, and she does have a wonderful character arc. I feel that under her sharp and irritable exterior, she would be a great friend, especially one that the people around her could lean on for help, be it educational or emotional. I figure that, given that Ooarai isn't in immediate danger of closure, she's let her armor down a bit
I do also like what RhinoSwirl has done with her, and the intense rivalry between her and Maho. Seriously, go read Dein Weg ist Mein Weg. Chapter 48 is up! Momo-chan has something nefarious in the works
So this might end up being the first of a few chapters that act as a small buffer before tackling the Kay-Katyusha conflict. I won't go Walking Dead Season 7, I promise! There's just a few more characters and locations we might check in on before returning to the Prison
As always, thank you for reading. Special welcome to new followers vmoneywashere and Gungrave Company. Welcome to the show!
Any and all feedback is welcome. All the love this series has gotten has been mindblowing for me
See you all in the next one!