The sun had long passed over the horizon and the night was fully settled in, the Shinshi family had just finished eating dinner and were beginning to wind down. Satomi would be helping her mother wash the dishes, though she carried a somber countenance as she cleaned off the plates. Once they finished she made her way through the home and up the stairs, though she'd be intercepted by her younger brother.
"Um... Satomi...?" He asked nervously.
She stopped at the top of the steps, holding on to the railing. "What is it Takehiko?"
He lowered his head, looking toward the ground. "I need help..."
"With what?"
"I've got a... A math assignment that needs to be done by tomorrow."
"But you had the entire break to do it? Why are you waiting until the last minute?"
"I know! Just help me this one time and I'll never ask you again I promise." He clasped his hands together, begging.
"Go ask Sachiko then." She walked a few steps down the hall before she felt a tug on her shirt.
"She's in the bath right now! And I don't want to ask her, she'll be mean about it!"
Satomi groaned, "Okay fine fine, this better not take long."
The two relocated to the bedroom where Takehiko and Sachiko sleep, one side being delegated to the brother and the other the sister. Takehiko would be sitting at his desk while Satomi looked over him while he worked. A portion of the work was already done, yet if the answers were correct or not hadn't been verified yet. They started from the beginning and corrected any potential mistakes he made, then moved on to finish up the rest of the work.
"No wonder you're getting the wrong answer, when a number is multiplied by zero the product is zero. It'll only become the same number if the number is multiplied by one."
"That part kind of confused me, if zero isn't anything then..."
"It's not a hard concept to grasp; multiplication revolves around a number being added to itself over and over again, that's why they say x times x. You're adding the same number several times over. So when I say three times seven, you're adding three to itself seven times over. In this case, you're multiplying eight times zero, what's eight zero times over?"
"...Ohhhh, I guess I forgot."
"Don't forget next time."
After completing the work Satomi exited the room and went into the hallway, encountering her younger sister Sachiko. She'd be fresh out of the bathroom, "Your turn Satomi, don't make Mother and Father wait too long."
"Yes, I know." she said, still having a glum look on her face.
She entered the bathroom, getting the necessities required for cleaning herself ready. She'd rinse herself off and then move on to the actual bath, something that ended up putting her in a pensive mood rather than the therapeutic experience a bath was usually meant to be. It was a solitary location that left her to her own thoughts, and for the majority of the break she still couldn't shake the way she's been feeling ever since it began. She sunk deeper in the water to take her mind off things for a while. After the bath she changed into her sleepwear, now finally going to her room. She went to sit down at her desk and turned the lamp on, the light from it illuminating the room so it wasn't completely dark. The light would draw her attention to wrapping paper that was still sitting near the corner of her room, it being there so long due to her neglecting to pick up and dispose of it. She looked back at her desk and pulled a book from one of the shelves, the book entitled "Artificial Life" written by Professor Furuyanagi.
"The flexibility of a labor's basic specifications, which balances the commonality of the central control system with the diversity of structure and function of each model isn't unlike the microscopic universality of DNA and cells with the diversity of forms and ecology of each species. It can be said that they have very similar characteristics to the living things in the natural world with which they coexist. As a result, the extremely wide variety of machines that have been produced and the evolution that has been achieved in just ten years since their introduction is often compared to the Cambrian explosion of life."
The book was fairly large and she only recently began reading through it, she placed a bookmark on the page she left off on and placed the book back onto it's spot on the shelf. She looked at the clock on her desk to check the time, seeing that it was close to her bed time. Satomi would turn her lamp off and get up from her desk, then pull the cover back on her bed to lie down. Some time would pass by while she lay in bed, but she wouldn't fall asleep. Just closing her eyes and hoping she'd drift off wouldn't work, and she tossed and turned to see if maybe the position she slept in would change anything. She could tell that nearly an hour had passed since she got in bed, and she was still awake, eyes open looking at the wall. Something was occupying her mind, preventing her well needed repose before the school year started up again. By this point it was clear that she needed to do something, to figure out how to prevent these thoughts from clouding her mind any further. Satomi was about to do something she never expected herself to do. She got out of bed and left her room, quietly going down the hallway to the door that led to the master bedroom. She turned the knob, opening the door as quietly as can be, the light from the hallway creeping into the bedroom revealing both of her parents asleep next to one another.
"...Father?" She said quietly, not wanting to rudely awake him or her mother. She stepped into the bedroom, approaching the bed from her Father's side. She lightly tugged on him, "Father...?" The light tugging would cause him to shift positions in bed before sitting upwards and rubbing his eyes. Shinshi's eyes were narrow as he squinted, half awake trying to get a grasp at what was going on.
"Satomi...?" He looked at his wife and then back at his daughter. "What are you doing up so late? Is something wrong?" He too would speak in a suppressed tone, wanting to avoid waking up his wife.
"I can't sleep, I need someone to talk to."
"Alright, just wait outside and give me a minute." Satomi would do as he told and waited outside of the bedroom, Shinshi quietly opening and closing the door behind him shortly after. He and Satomi would go down the hallway and stop at one of the doors, "Let's go to your room to avoid waking anyone up okay?" Inside, he'd grab Satomi's desk chair and sat down, Satomi herself sitting down on her bed facing him. "So, what's been keeping you up?"
"...It's just that the entire break I felt like I haven't been able to relax, like I haven't been working hard enough."
"I mean, so long as you make sure you study-"
"It's not about that! My grades are fine, I'm talking about... You know when you feel like you're responsible for something when you're not? And when something goes wrong and you aren't exactly to blame but you blame yourself because you feel like you could've done something?"
"Well... Satomi I..."
She shook her head, laying back down and burying her face deep into her pillow, "Ugh, never mind, forget it. I'm sorry for dragging you out of bed late at night, this is something I should've figured out on my own."
"Satomi—wait, just listen to me." Shinshi moved from the chair to Satomi's bed, sitting down next to her as her face was still deep in the pillow. "I understand that you're going through something right now, and I'd be more than happy to help you through it." He looked up at her desk, spying the spine of a book she was reading earlier that night. "You're a smart girl, and the fact that you're a strong willed and self sufficient woman says a lot. Even more importantly, you coming to me for help tells me that you know when you can't do something on your own. A lot of people are afraid of asking for help, and they get into more trouble because of it. ...You mentioned earlier that you feel like you have to take responsibility for something... Something that you may not even be to blame for? Could this be about a person?"
He paused waiting for Satomi to respond, but she'd remain quiet.
"...If it was a person, then maybe I could relate in a way. Working the kind of job I used to work; there were a lot of times where things would go wrong, and while I did put my best foot forward to correct things, they wouldn't go as planned. While no one would exactly point the finger at me, sometimes I felt like I was dragging the team down and not doing my part. Especially when I was switched out of that position entirely. It wasn't as if I was incapable of doing my job either, it was just uncommon for things to work out the way I intended."
Satomi lifted her face from her pillow, now resting her chin on it. "...What if that person ends up getting hurt? Or they get put in a bad mood?"
"It isn't like you wanted that to happen right? Or you realistically could have stopped it?"
"I don't know if I could've... Feels like I should've, though..."
"If you were unable to do anything then, then it's okay. You just do the next best thing; do the best you can for now and the future. If someone is going through hard times, the best thing you can do is be there for them. Choosing to act, to say something, to do something shows that you do care about this person. Don't feel burdened by things you could not do, focus on what you can do." Shinshi eyed the wrapping paper in the corner of the room, "I think something deep inside of you shared that same sentiment, I never recalled you having an affinity for model kits."
"It's just something I felt like I had to do..."
"Then you're already on the path you need to take! Just remember that if you feel like you can't do something, just do what you can anyway. It doesn't have to be perfect, the effort in what you do will be proof enough."
"...Thank you, father... Again, I'm sorry to keep you up late at night like this..."
"Satomi, you're my daughter and I love you. If you need help or you want to talk about anything, it's my duty to be there for you. I work hard every day so you, your siblings, and your mother can live safe and happy lives. Don't be afraid if you feel like you're unable to do something on your own, I'll be there to make sure you won't be alone in your struggles."
Satomi abruptly gave Shinshi a tight hug, "...Thank you father...!" she said as her voice was quavering.
"You're welcome, Satomi."
The night would come to pass and it would be the first day the students would return to school, the group finally getting together again for the first time after the break. They would all congregate outside of the school, it being a silent accumulation of each member to the group rather than a reunion filled with greetings like other friend groups. That is until the last member to arrive, Kota Sakamoto, would appear wearing a flower crown on his head.
Mochizuki would be the first to point it out, "What's with the new look?"
"What new look? We're still wearing the winter uniforms right?"
"Your head, genius." Satomi remarked.
"Oooooh, the flower crown? It's from my girlfriend!"
"Since when did you get a girlfriend!?" Mochizuki shot back in surprise.
"Over the winter break!"
"With how many people there are in the world I guess it was only a matter of time before he'd find someone..." Satomi said.
"Sakamoto somehow got a girl before I did... The world is a cruel place isn't it?" Mochizuki said.
Satomi walked up to Sakamoto, "What even is this mystery girl's name anyway huh?"
"Her name is Minamoto!" He replied happily.
"Minamoto...? Really...?"
"I feel like I'm starting to sense a pattern in your social life..." Taira responded. "Well, I spent my break all the way out in Osaka to see some family."
"Ah, I never expected you to be a country boy!" said Mochizuki.
"If you listen close enough, you can hear the Kansai in his accent..." Akio silently replied.
Mochizuki leaned up against the wall, "My Dad and I took us out to this labor show. It wasn't a big fancy one like they usually have here, it was more of a personally owned labor show where people showed off their custom labors."
"That's pretty cool! At least there you'll see labors you'd never imagine you'd see in the real world." Akio said.
"There was one where they put four extra legs on a Crabman and called it the Octoman."
"Ah... Now I wish I could've gone too!"
"Hey, if you're free next break we could arrange something!"
"Maybe, I didn't do much on my break, but I did go out to see my grandad for the first time in forever."
"So you met the old Mr. Shinohara huh? I bet he had a giant mansion filled with maids and butlers!"
"While that would be cool, it wasn't a big house. Just a small traditional home out in the countryside somewhere."
"Maybe he had a secret underground home where he works on labors!" Taira joked.
"Imagine if he had some kind of super labor hidden in a grain silo!" Sakamoto added.
"Why would he need a super labor anyway?" Satomi asked.
"I don't know, maybe it'd just be cool to have!"
"Can't argue with that, If I were the President I'd do the same thing..." Mochizuki said.
The kids would go on with their day, the classes settling them back in after the break and gearing up for the second semester. It wouldn't take long for all of them to adjust back to school life, each of their classes passing by one after another. After lunch they'd all arrive back at the workshop again, it being a long time since they had last been there. The desks were lined up as they normally were, and the Anchor stood before all the students and their teacher Mr. Hayashi. After they all took their seats, he would begin talking to the students.
"Welcome back all you wonderful children! I hope you all had a wonderful winter break, because class is now back in session! Apologies for the stunt that was pulled the last time we were here, I hope you can forgive me for diverging from the original plan. Unfortunately, I'm afraid it may not be the last time we'll be butting heads with Soratani's group like that."
"You mean we're going to be fighting in the Anchors again?" Satomi said.
"It'll be a long while from now, but once the field day rolls around we'll be showing off the entire school what you can do. That includes the combat between the two Anchors."
"So this whole ordeal isn't over yet..." Taira said.
"Afraid not, and of course we have two issues. One is that Anchors aren't battle ready, the other is that we may not be battle ready."
Akio stood up, "Mr. Hayashi, it's alright, I just wasn't performing at my best."
"If I'm honest Shinohara, that battle purely came down to chance, a coin flip even."
"What do you mean?"
"With no time to prepare, jerry-rigged safety precautions, and an environment that generally isn't the best for labor combat, you can't exactly put the blame on the results we got on anyone." He rose from his desk, walking over in front of it. "We'll still cover the basic curriculum, however we're going to have to make time to prepare for the field day as well."
"How are we going to prepare for a combat drill?" Mochizuki asked.
"To be honest, I don't know, in some parts of these I'm just as lost as you all are. But, we'll find a way, somehow."
"But you're our teacher!" Satomi said.
"Listen, I wasn't a big fan of this whole combat thing, but it's not something I have a lot of control over at the moment. But, as your teacher and the overseer of your education in all things laborers, I'll have to do my best to prepare you all for when that time comes. I guess that means there's another issue as well."
"Another issue...?"
"Soratani was a labor pilot in section two, I was just her backup. She's a lot more qualified than I am when it comes to combat, unlike me she has actual experience."
"That'll put a damper on things." Taira said.
"Let me handle the combat, they may have the experience of Ms. Soratani but I still have my Mom! She already teaches at another camp so it shouldn't be too much of an issue!" Akio said, getting up from his seat.
"You have a point, but it'll have to translate into using a training labor not originally meant for combat. No matter how much I'd try to upgrade the things to handle it, its core design will always be a labor made to prioritize safety and ease of use... But, you kids are unpredictable, you've done things I've never imagined a class of even the most unruly rascals could do. So if you're able to tap into whatever kinda lunacy you pulled all those months ago, maybe this won't be so bad."
"Yeah... We got this! We just weren't ready last time! This time we'll have months to prepare!" Mochizuki said.
"We've got brain, brawn, and experience on our side, we just play our cards right and we'll have a chance." Taira said, then turned to Akio. "You're in right?"
Akio nodded to Taira, "Totally!" having a determined look on his face. "This time, it'll be different."