Asuma would be setting the table, placing down the dinner plates prepared by his wife Noa while she had some last minute cleaning done. They were in a bit of a hurry as the Shinshi family would soon be arriving to have dinner with them, mainly in an attempt to re-strengthen the bond between the families after some time. While they were preparing for them to arrive, Akio would be laying in his bed upstairs looking at the ceiling. He didn't want his parents to force him to get along with Satomi, though he knew he had no choice, he could only delay the inevitable for so long. He got off his bed and would get down on his knees, going in to retrieve a walkie talkie from under the bed. Turning it on, he would speak into it.
"Taira, come in, Taira!" The reception would be fuzzy, but a few seconds later he would get a response.
"Yeah Akio? What's up?" Taira responded from his own, his voice was just clear enough to make out.
"Yeah so I got good news and I got bad news. Good news is, I'm finally going to apologize to Satomi like you wanted me to. Bad news is, I think she snitched on me to her parents and now my Mom and Dad are making me make up with her."
"Dang, I guess it was a matter of time wasn't it? You probably should have done it a lot sooner."
"Well yeah I know that now. I don't wanna give some phony apology just cause Mom and Dad said so."
"I'm not exactly sure how I can help you out, even if I could I'm a little busy at the moment."
"Do you have any advice? Anything I should watch out for?"
Taira snickered, "Now you're sounding like you're going on a date with her!"
Akio grew frustrated, "Shut up man! This is serious! They could be here any minute!"
"As far as I know, I think it's best if you just kept it casual and civil. Girls like talking about their day and stuff right?"
"Maybe, I don't know..."
The sound of the doorbell could be heard, along with the front door opening as the parents would be greeting each other. "Ah! Mr. and Mrs. Shinshi! Welcome! Come in, come in!" his father said from the floor below.
"Akio! The guests are here! Come on down now! Don't keep them waiting!" His mother said.
"Dang, gotta go Taira." Akio said.
"Good luck Akio, may you be blessed with good fortune." Akio turned off the walkie talkie, slipping it back under his bed and leaving his room. He went downstairs toward the kitchen, where he'd see the guests all sitting at the dinner table, Mikiyasu Shinshi, Tamiko Shinshi, and their daughter Satomi.
"There you are Akio! Go ahead and say hello!" Noa said, nudging him toward the table.
"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Shinshi... Hello... Satomi." Akio said, though his change in tone when greeting Satomi would elicit a glare from her. He sat down at the table near his parents, sitting opposite from where Satomi was sitting.
"Why Hello Akio! We're so happy to see you again! My haven't you grown up?" Tamiko said, breaking the ice at lightning speeds, "I remember when you were just a little old thing in your mothers arms! I know you probably don't remember those days but I sure do! I even took the time to babysit you when your Mother and Father couldn't, I guess that would make me your auntie wouldn't it? Though you don't have to call me that, but I also really wouldn't mind it!"
"Ahaha! It's finally nice to get together again isn't it?" Shinshi said in an attempt to change the subject before his wife continued on any further. "So, Asuma, how's your job been treating you as of late? I bet they don't give you a second to breathe, do they?"
"Oh don't worry about me, it's not that bad. Least nothing I can't handle on my own, I'm sure it's the same with your job right?" He replied. The two would delve into a discussion regarding their place of work, before the women joined in to discuss how life has been for them overall. While they were talking, Akio and Satomi would silently eat dinner, occasionally glancing at each other but not for more than just a second. They did their best to seem inconspicuous to let the adults continue talking, anything to delay the eventual "make up" between the two that inspired the entire visit.
"And then I went 'Sure! Why not? I can take care of them!' and little did I know I guess I just have a knack for watching over kids. The small ones definitely can be a hassle, but nothing gets past this girl!" Noa said, then turning to her son. "That's why you've got the best Mom in the world! Right Akio?"
Akio, not too focused on the conversation, would respond "I guess..."
" You guess?" Noa said in confusion.
"Wait- I mean, no way Mom you're the best, really! Sorry—I wasn't paying attention..." He replied sheepishly.
She gracefully accepted the compliment despite his previous comment, "Aw, you're so sweet!"
Satomi, taking notice of Akio's slip up, chuckled, though Tamiko would then take notice of her reaction. "Satomi!"
"Y-yes mother?" She cut the act immediately.
"Why don't you and Akio tell us about school? Us adults have just been going on and on about our boring old lives, and we forgot to give you two the chance to talk about yours!"
"Uh well... I mean, these past couple of days weren't anything special really! The teachers were very nice and me and the girls found a spot where we'd talk about our day as per usual at lunch time! Nothing more nothing less honestly."
"And how has labor operating and maintenance class been for you? You and Akio share the class with each other right? I bet it's lots of fun!"
"I've already told you guys this but it's a shame it's filled with just boys— and rude ones at that." She said, masking what she said by clearing her throat.
"I agree, though I was surprised to see a girl like Satomi to be in it." Akio said. Satomi rested her elbow on the table, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Yeah? What's wrong with that?" Noa added.
Akio quickly cleared up their concerns "There's nothing wrong with girls being interested in labors! I just thought that it was strange for someone like... Y'know, her to be into it is all! Like, you did say the Anchor was unflattering."
Satomi replied, "Okay and? The labor looks objectively weird, I don't see your point."
"Lots of labors look weird, how are you going to work with labors and not like the weird looking ones?"
"That's why actually good looking labors exist you-" She held herself back from insulting him in front of both their parents. "...Just need to understand that."
"Good looking labors? What? Like the—the Pluto?"
"I bet you were about to say the Midi, weren't you?"
"No I wasn't...!"
"Yes you were!"
"Alright kids, calm down." Noa said out loud. "Clearly, there is still some bad blood between you two, and we can't have that!" She would turn to Akio, "Akio, what's the matter? Why are you acting this way?"
"I just don't like how she talks about labors despite being in a class about labors, not every labor has to look pretty or cute or whatever."
"That's-!" Satomi would be interrupted by her father.
"Satomi, let him finish." He said.
"It's like she's one of those people who only would want a labor to flaunt it around, not really liking labors." Akio said, folding his arms.
"Alright, Satomi, it's your turn to speak." Noa said, turning to her.
"Listen, Mr. and Mrs. Shinohara, I don't want to get into a fight with your son! My only issue is that he can't seem to keep his comments to himself, then he gets mad when I actually don't just sit down and take it. If I really wanted to go there, I could say his remark could have potential misogynistic undertones; though as Mrs. Shinohara here is indeed his mother and one of the most well renowned labors pilots I can chalk it up to just immaturity. As for your remarks about my views on labors, there is nothing wrong with having a preference. Do you think just because I like labors means I should like all of them?"
Akio would respond unprompted , "That's the thing though, you called the Anchor unflattering before you even used it. A labors functionality should always be valued more than how it looks! If you're going into the world of using labors, you'd save your comments regarding it overall until after you've used it. I just don't trust people who would value aesthetics over use or whatever."
Noa smacked her hands together, regaining the attention of the two kids. "Okay okay, instead of arguing and bickering, how about we take the time to understand each other's point of view? Akio, Satomi clearly is just someone who's appreciation of labors is furthered through aesthetics, the original Ingram was designed with that in mind. Satomi, Akio is just a very passionate boy who has an appreciation for labors overall, he just is a little disgruntled when someone doesn't appreciate a labor for what it is rather than how it looks. In the end, I don't think anyone here is in the wrong. These are just conflicting worldviews that started an argument, which in turn could have been avoided with proper communication. Don't you agree?"
Seeing Noa trying to diffuse the situation made the two sigh.
"Yes..."
"Yes ma'am..."
"See? That wasn't so hard! How about we both apologize to solidify the end of this spat?" She said. There would be silence for a few moments, both kids not wanting to be the first to apologize. Tamiko, maintaining a smile on her face, nudged Satomi from under the table.
"...I'm sorry... Akio..." She said reluctantly.
"...I'm sorry Satomi." Akio said in response.
The adults would clap and congratulate the two for "making up." Satisfied with Noa's help in solving everything, the Shinshi family would get ready to depart for the night.
"Thanks for having us over, the dinner was delicious." Shinshi said.
"No problem! I put my heart and soul into cooking!" Noa replied.
Asuma jokingly interjected, "Hey I helped out too! Don't forget to mention that!"
"And he was my little assistant." Noa said.
Tamiko began to step out of the doorway, bowing. "We're thankful you were able to help us out here, Noa!"
Noa smiled, "No worries! Consider it me paying you back for all the help you've given us!"
"Don't be afraid to invite us over again!" Shinshi said.
Before Satomi left with her parents, she would clarify something to Akio. "Shinohara, just cause our parents made us make up doesn't mean we're friends now, I hope you know that."
"Good, I didn't want to be your friend anyway, later." He replied.
While she left through the door, the two would slyly exchange rude gestures as their parents would say goodbye. Noa and Asuma would tidy up the dinner table, Akio himself retreating back to his bedroom. "Looks like he went back up without saying anything." Asuma said.
Noa took a few steps toward the stairs, "Do you think I should go talk to him?"
"I'd wait a bit first, he's probably still up and arms about the whole spat. Maybe tomorrow we could try and reach out to him after he cools off a little."
"That sounds good... You know I try my best to curate an environment for him to grow and make the right decisions. I want him to be honest, not to internalize his feelings... Just so he doesn't do or say anything that'd-"
"You don't want him to be like how I was." Asuma said, clearly able to interpret her concern.
Noa quickly realized what she had been saying, immediately falling back on her statement. "I wasn't—I didn't mean-"
"No, you're right, I agree." He leaned onto the kitchen counter, "A lot of the things I try to do for him and tell him is partly to make sure he grows up with a proper upbringing. I could never forgive myself if I gave my father hell for the way he neglected me, yet develop the exact same malice with my own son."
"If it makes you feel any better, I think you've been doing a great job."
"Tch, you always say that."
"I mean it though! Carrying a big company on your back like that while looking out for Akio and I whenever you can, that's already more than enough."
"Even now I can't get over your passion and energy, I really do envy that about you. Honestly, I don't know where I'd be without it."
"Well, it doesn't matter where you'd be without it, cause you're here right now and right here with me." She lightly would embrace him.
"I wouldn't wanna be anywhere else." The two would then share a kiss.
The homeroom class would all be sitting and listening into the history lesson in their fourth period. While Akio favored history over other subjects, for him it wouldn't make the class go by any faster. His ennui left him taking notice of Shoji Kawamura, who'd quickly cloud his mind, distracting him from the lesson. He would think to himself, "What's with this guy's deal? It's not like I said anything wrong. At least, I don't think I did?" He shook his head, pretending to focus on the lesson. "Or... Maybe I was just being too friendly, I gotta start playing it cool."
The teacher then would call on him, "Shinohara!"
"Y-Yes?"
"Now that I have named all of them, is it alright if you could name the four ambassadors to Rome?"
"Uh... Julian Nakaura... Mansho Ito... Miguel Chijiwa..." He would rack his brain trying to remember the last one.
"Well?"
"I... can't remember, sorry."
"The answer is Martin Hara, let's try and keep up next time alright?"
"Yes sir."
As his fourth and fifth period passed by, he'd get up from his seat and collect his things.
"Ready to head up to the rooftop?" Taira said, having his bag slung over his shoulder. "...Not yet, I might try and talk to that guy again." He responded, eyeing Kawamura. "You sure? He doesn't seem like the kind of guy to make friends or anything."
"Alright then, let's just wait and see what he does at lunch time then."
Akio and Taira would then quietly trail Kawamura, staying at a distance from him without drawing attention to themselves. They blended in with the students all around them, carefully observing what he'd be doing next. They'd eventually watch him come to a stop around the courtyard, sitting down and doing nothing. Akio and Taira hid behind a nearby bush.
"Is that all he does during lunch time? No wonder he's so cold." Akio said.
"Just wait a second, look at that!" Taira said, pointing out a few other students approaching Kawamura. They stood around him, one even sat down with him on the bench as well. They
all began to converse amongst themselves about random topics, some eliciting laughter from Kawamura and the others around him.
Seeing the display of openness had further confused Akio, "That guy's not a loner at all! Mochizuki was right!"
"Maybe he does have it out for you..."
"I don't understand why though? I never even met him up until now!" Akio stood up from the bushes, "I'm gonna go try again."
"Hey! Akio, wait!"
"What is it?"
"You sure you want to mess with him again? You might make him hate you even more."
"Well I'm gonna go talk to him so he doesn't have to hate me, I'm pretty sure there's just some kind of misunderstanding here. I don't think it's a bad thing to want to resolve it."
"I guess I can't fault you there..."
Akio walked toward Kawamura's group as they were in the middle of their discussion, he took a deep inhale and tried to talk to Kawamura directly. "Heeeyy...!" He said, putting on a big smile. The rest of the group would grow silent, all of them giving him strange looks due to him interrupting the conversation. "You're Shoji Kawamura right? I just wanted to say my bad if we got off on the wrong foot at some point."
"...Who are you?" One of Kawamura's friends asked.
"I'm Akio Shinohara, Kawamura and I have the same home room and-"
"I've already got friends, Shinohara." Kawamura said, cutting him off.
Akio's tone dropped, "I... See that..."
"In that case, you can go now."
"...Okay..." Akio put his hands in his pockets, turning around and walking back over to Taira. The conversation picked back up where it left off, as if he had not even interrupted it in the first place.
"...Ah, that was rough, sorry man..." Taira said as Akio walked past him.
"I don't feel like eating today, see you next period."
All the members of Mr. Hayashi's group would be sitting on the sidelines of the "movement area" given to the Anchor for use, the Anchor itself standing out in the field with a new attachment on it's shoulder. "Today's usage of the Anchor will be a fun one, I'm sure you all
will be excited to know that we'll be making use of external features and attachments." It resembled some kind of cannon, though not the kind of cannon that could fire shells or ammunition like one would think. "Your objective is to hit the targets that I set up using the paint rounds loaded into the cannon of the Anchor." Mr. Hayashi pointed towards several targets hung up on a rack in the distance, "Shinshi, how about you go first today?"
"Alright." She took out her MDC from her pocket, leaving the group to go climb inside of the Anchor. She'd strap in, putting on the helmet and inserting the card into the machine. The operating system started up, though it looked as if a new monitor was placed into the cockpit.
"If you haven't noticed yet, there should be a new screen in the cockpit. It's a visualizer that'll help you understand the trajectory of the paint bullet you'll be firing. The cannon is low power, meaning the round won't shoot directly forward, so do your best to fire at an arc." Mr. Hayashi said over the microphone.
"Loud and clear." Satomi eye'd the target and the trajectory of the round on the monitor. Just as her teacher described, the curve of the trajectory changed as she raised and lowered the cannon. She would move the stick forward and backward trying to get the right angle to fire the round, the pulling on the button causing the cannon to make a loud popping sound, a ball of paint shooting from the cannon and flying up into the air. The paint would then come back down, going splat up against the target.
"Nice one!" Mochizuki said.
"Way to go!" Sakamoto cheered.
"Good job, Shinshi! Try hitting a second one!" Mr. Hayashi said.
Akio sat in contempt next to Taira, his mind still on what happened at lunch time. Taking notice of this, Taira tried to help take his mind off it. "Satomi seems to be pretty good when it comes to piloting huh?"
"Yeah." Akio responded.
"It's nice you two at least got around to apologizing, unfortunate your Mom and Dad made you, but still."
Akio sighed, "At this point I don't really care, that argument was stupid anyways."
"...Huh, it seems like you moved on from that now huh?"
"I still don't like her, but I guess I can say it wasn't worth making a big deal out of everything she said. I don't think it's a big deal—just that it shouldn't have gotten as bad as it did, y'know?"
"It's a start, maybe after class you could formally make up?" Taira teased.
"Hey! Let's not get too crazy now!
"Kobayashi! You're up!" Mr. Hayashi said.
"Oh! On my way!"