In the early morning before the sun could rise over the horizon, Asuma was getting himself dressed after a good night's sleep in his hotel room. He had just finished meeting and intermingling with other corporate suits in Nagoya, discussing a possible future involving collaborations and joint ventures in regards to labor development. The event was hosted in Nagoya, most likely in an attempt to add a more "casual" and "fun" backdrop to make it feel more inviting. He would pack all his things and proceed to exit his room and down the hallway of the hotel, then descend down to the base floor to check out in the lobby. Once there, he'd be recognized by one of the event goers,
"Ah, Mr. Shinohara! I didn't expect you'd be leaving so soon. There was actually a luncheon planned later today if you weren't aware!" He said.
"I'm aware, there's just something important I have to attend to."
"You always seem to be in a hurry to get things done, first the conference now this. Some of the others have jokingly referred to you as "The man of efficiency."
"Well you have to be efficient if you're acting as the brain of the company, sit in one place too long and you'll get burned up."
The man let out a hearty laugh, "Sometimes you remind me of your old man! Straight to the point kind of guy huh?"
Asuma rolled his eyes, looking off into the distance to masquerade his reaction to the comment. "You can really only run this company a certain kind of way, I've always been no nonsense regardless."
"That reminds me, you were also pretty cold with Bronco's Japanese division. You sure you'd want to leave that kind of impression with them? After all, a partnership with them greatly benefits the industry as a whole."
"I'm... still on the fence about them. I still haven't forgotten what happened all those years back."
"You mean the terrorist's assault on the international shipping plant? I mean, I understand the circumstances you went through, but it still hasn't been proven they have any direct involvement in the incident."
"To me it just doesn't feel like a group of terrorists could realistically pull off what they did, it felt far too organized. Even worse was how easy it was for them to breach security there. I'm not sure if the Earth Defense Force is capable of a coordinated infiltration at that magnitude, that along with simply taking the plant over and directing sales instead of destroying the property like they always do."
"Well, in the world we live in now, labors could end up just being another form of currency. There's a chance they probably just wanted to fund their organization, not expecting management from the very top would intercept when things got suspicious. Don't you admit that part was a little sloppy?"
"It was sloppy, it's how I knew something was up. Unfortunately, I couldn't do much in that situation. Thinking back on it now reinforces that I at least made the right choice with my wife, she was my knight in shining armor.."
"Still, ten years later and no one's been able to come up with anything definite. It wouldn't hurt to look past it just for the benefit of it, in the end I'm sure they mean no harm."
"We'll see, I don't particularly have any plans yet. Maybe I'll change my mind once I get back to Tokyo."
"..Ah, one more thing! Just curious since you're the famous Mr. Shinohara and all, but what's that important thing that's keeping you from staying with us longer?"
"If you want to know then I'll tell you." Asuma turned around, "My son's field day is today."
Noontime, the sun hang directly above all the students outside for the planned field day that day. There would be a few hundred students outside all at once, located at the largest field of Mori Junior High. Most of them would be dawning their gym uniforms, preparing to begin the relay race at the starting line. Parents would also be present at the event, of course to cheer on their children as they actively participated. One of these parents would be Noa, sitting out at the sidelines with most of the other adults. She was waiting to see her son out on the field whilst also waiting for her husband to arrive to the event too, doing a lot more waiting than she previously had anticipated. As she looked around while waiting she'd recognize a man standing not too far from where she was, making her get up to get a better look. Once she got a good look at the main's strong jawline, bad posture, and slicked back hair, she was caught by surprised.
"Mr. Goto?"
"Ah, Mrs. Shinohara, I had a feeling I'd run into you here." He responded nonchalantly, waving his fan back and forth.
"What are you doing here? Don't tell me you've got a kid too!"
"I've waited too late for something like that, as for why I'm here? You can put that on my curiosity. The labor combat duel here is something your son and his friend's wouldn't stop talking about, and it isn't like I'm doing anything important these days. Course, who wouldn't want to see how well your son does out there in a labor too."
"I didn't expect there to be an actual labor combat trial, but if it's part of the curriculum then I guess it's fine... Hey... You're not here to do scouting for Ms. Shinobu are you? The answer's no if you planned on asking." Noa said while folding her arms.
"You think I'm some kind of military recruiter?"
"I've seen my fair share of recruiters, Akio isn't going to be going into the police or the military. Not while I'm around, that's for sure!"
"The boy's still only thirteen, I don't believe the second section is that desperate for new pilots."
"Just in case you add him to some kind of list."
"If only it was that comprehensive." The participants would finish their loop around the track, the students in the winner's homeroom class cheering after their well earned victory. Some of the parents could be heard cheering as well, but Akio would be nowhere in sight. "So, your husband out at his job?"
Noa groaned, "He's out on a business trip. He said he'd be here by now but I haven't seen him at all today."
"He'll show up eventually, for all we know he could be pulling up to the school right now."
"You're only saying that to make me feel better."
"Did it work?"
"...A little, but I'm still a little annoyed."
A woman suddenly and hastily approached the two, "Noa! Mr. Goto!"
"Ah! Good afternoon Tamiko!" Noa said, giving her a hug.
"Afternoon Mrs. Shinshi." Goto said.
"How is my younger sister-in-arms doing today?"
"Oh I'm doing great! Thank you for asking! I'm just waiting until my son and my husband show up really! They sure do know how to keep a girl waiting, how have you been?"
"I've been doing fine myself! Honestly we're in the same boat here, my husband couldn't make it because of work so I'm left to cheer for Satomi all on my own."
"We can't rely on our husbands too often can we?" Noa said in a joking manner.
"Unfortunately not!" Tamiko and Noa would laugh with each other, Goto clocking out of the conversation to take a look at the lineup of participants for the next event.
"Isn't that your daughter over there?" Goto said, pointing his thumb at a girl with pigtails.
"YoumeanmylittlepreciousrayofsunshineSatomi!?" Tamiko pushed her way past Goto to get a better view of the event, several students lined up shoulder to shoulder holding jump ropes. One of them was indeed Satomi, adorned in her gym clothes and holding onto the two ends of her jump rope. "DO YOUR BEST HONEY! MOMMA'S CHEERING FOR YOU! BLOW THEM OUT OF THE WATER FOR SURE!" Satomi would pretend to not see her out of embarrassment.
The group were busy doing a last minute check on the Anchor, which had been outfitted with protective padding on it's arms and legs. The door to the workshop would open up, and an exhausted-looking Satomi would walk in.
"Welcome back! How was the contest?" Mochizuki asked.
"Second place, not bad but not good. Either way it was hard to focus with Mother there." She responded. "Mr. Hayashi, there's a shower in this building right?"
He would respond from the shoulder of the Anchor. "It's a small one, but if you've got the change of clothes then it should work. Look for a windowless door near the restroom."
"I'll take anything I can." She left out of the main room through another door.
"So, Shinohara, you feeling ready for the challenge?" Mr. Hayashi asked.
"My mom told me some pretty motivational stuff; but when I'm actually here sitting in the cockpit like this, I can't help but feel nervous. She said it was all decided in the moment, and I'd have the most control, but wouldn't it equally be the same for Kawamura? I don't know."
"You should trust yourself more, I'd say you've proven your worth a long time ago by now. I'll tell you this right now, that kid's got nothing on you. He may be a great pilot, but you're something even better."
"A fantastic pilot?"
"No—I mean- Yes, you are a fantastic pilot, but that's not what I'm talking about. You're a great learner, a child prodigy. You learn quick and you adapt quicker. I know we're at that point where you need to put in your A-game, but that doesn't mean your learning stops here. In this upcoming battle you will continue to learn and continue to adapt. Either way, you will come out of this battle gaining something, and you'll be even better than before."
"I know I shouldn't say it, but if I don't beat him, what does that mean for me?"
"What does it mean for you?"
"Like, if I didn't beat him then, and I don't beat him now, have I learned anything at all?"
"Winning a battle is only one of the factors in showing progress in your skill, how you carry yourself out there is all you need to worry about. Even if you lose, if you put on a fantastic performance, then it's proof enough."
"I'll... I'll do my best then." He nodded at his teacher, who nodded back and gave him a thumbs up.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I'll go check on the other team-"
"Uh, one more thing." Akio said quickly.
"Yeah?"
"I forgot to mention this, but there's this person who said that they were glad to spend time with you."
"Really? Do I know them?"
"Someone named Yuriko."
His teacher paused for a moment, a look of bewilderment washing over his face. "Er- Sorry, you said Yuriko?"
"That's what I was told."
"Yuriko... How did you know about her?"
"Someone just told me is all I guess, or maybe it was her...? I don't know."
"Ah... She... She was... A person, in my life. We did a lot together but that was years ago, we haven't seen each other in such a long time."
"Well, if you wanted closure or anything then..."
"Thanks for telling me that then, I'll see you all in a bit." He hopped down the shoulder of the Anchor and landed on the floor. Right as he left out of the workshop Satomi would walk back through the door, now dressed in her regular school uniform.
"Hey Satomi, enjoyed your shower?" Akio said.
"Felt like I was washing up in a milk carton, my hair still needs to dry too.." She said as she caressed locks of her hair. "You're not planning on subbing out are you?"
"Course not. At first I wasn't sure, but now I'm more ready than ever."
"A lot of confidence coming from you, you better give it your all out there."
"Going off the talk with Mr. Hayashi, I'll give it my all and a little more." He shot a look of determination at Satomi, which told her everything she needed to know. Her normally stern and cold expression softened into a slight smile.
"Shinohara, let's test out the arm and manipulator one last time." Mochizuki said.
"Just want to make sure there's no stress or delay!" Taira added, holding a stopwatch and a clipboard.
"Got it!" Akio started up the Anchor, resting his hands on the control sticks.
"Right arm! Extend!" Mochizuki shouted, having Akio extend out the right arm of the Anchor. He shouted again, "Manipulator! Rotate!'' The next call out had Akio spin the manipulator of the Anchor at it's maximum RPM. "Stop!" At the exact moment he made his command, Akio stopped the manipulator from spinning.
"Good so far..." Taira said, recording the times.
"Left arm! Extend! ... Manipulator! Rotate! ...Stop!" Mochizuki continued his call outs until each movable part of the Anchor was timed. Taira compared the reaction times to previously recorded times on the clipboard.
"Some of these are just as quick if not more than preceding entries, we're all good!"
"We got this in the bag!" Sakamoto said, tossing something up to Akio in the cockpit.
"Huh? What's this?" Akio asked, catching some kind of snack in a plastic wrapper.
"It's an energy bar! My Dad says it's important to keep your energy up when you're about to do something difficult!"
"Thanks, I'll try and wolf it down before we're called out."
The door to the workshop opened up, their teacher returning from meeting with the other group. "Alright everyone, it's go time! Everyone wants to see what we can do!" He waved his hand in the air, beckoning Akio to begin walking toward the exit. He took a big bite out of the energy bar before putting on the headgear, pushing down on the pedals of the Anchor causing it to walk forward. The shutter would begin to rise and allow the Anchor to pass through into the open field, it's size dwarfing all the people around watching the machines approach their destination. Everyone around could feel the tremendous weight of the machines as they shook the ground with each step, marveling at the sight of their fellow peers able to flawlessly control them. Mr. Hayashi stood before the both of them, Ms. Soratani standing off to his side while he held his megaphone.
"What you see here is the culmination of several months of Mori Junior High's Labor Operation and Maintenance program. These two being our most promising operators, and they're here to demonstrate their full capabilities here and now. If you didn't know already, this will be done in the form of a labor combat duel. The rules are simple; whoever is able to knock the other pilot's labor off balance and down them is the winner, and there will be no striking at the cockpit. With that being said, the two operators Shoji Kawamura and Akio Shinohara, will now bow."
The two labors would tilt forward, representing a "bowing" motion before leaning back up.
"Now you may begin!" Midori and Hayashi stepped off the field, giving the two Anchors enough room to commence their battle.
"Everyone's watching now, this is it..." Akio said to himself, getting the Anchor in a battle-ready position.
Both Anchors were at a standoff, everyone waiting anxiously to see who'd make the first move. For the amount of people at the event, it was nearly dead silence if not for a few whispers in the crowd. A single sweat droplet moved down Akio's brow, him planning a method of attack in that short moment. Then, when the moment was right, both of them pressed down on the pedals of their respective Anchors, leading them to charge at one another. Akio thought about faking him out and going for the take down his mother had taught him, but something inside of him made him continue his pursuit. They then came into contact with each other, catching one another on their manipulators. The entire crowd gasped at the offensive moves used by the opposing labors. Akio and Kawamura's eyes narrowed, Akio jerking back the right control stick and pushing down on the pedal, then pushing forward on the left control stick. The resulting motion having the Anchor push it's arm forward while throwing Kawamura off of him, allowing him to reposition at an angle for an attack at his right side. Kawamura gave him a side eye, pushing down on both pedals and pulling back on both of the control sticks. Kawamura's anchor stepped back, holding it's arms at it's side anticipating Akio's oncoming attack. With both arms, Akio pushed forward and attempted to grab Kawamura's right arm. This would be in vain, as with lightning quick speeds he grabbed the left arm of Akio's Anchor. Suddenly Kawamura's Anchor began to keel over, all while pulling on Akio's Anchor. The combined weight of the Anchor along with the pulling strength easily pulled down both of them, but Kawamura planned for this fall. He shifted the weight around at the last possible moment, sticking his Anchor's right leg out before moving his left leg, a motion that nearly switched their positions.
"Kawamuras got him in a tight spot." Mochizuki said.
"He's using the machine's autobalancing function to his advantage, turning it off before turning it back on again allowing him to freely throw his weight around without the machine correcting it. That way he has extra 'strength' available to him. That along with it's pull strength is something the Anchor can't manage to win a tug of war with."
Taira adjusted his glasses, "Turning off the autobalancer and nearly making your labor fall over on it's own is a risky play."
"Kawamura is full of surprises, let's just hope Akio has a plan for this." Mochizuki responded.
Before Akio could hit the ground he pushed at the control stick and rotated his Anchor, stopping himself from being down using it's right arm. The position was awkward yet Akio needed to find his way out of it, Kawamura still had a hold on his left arm. He floored the pedal, making the Anchor kick the other machine's leg at full force. The blow warded off Kawamura, who feared the Anchor's leg could buckle and allow Akio to pull him down. Akio quickly had the Anchor back on it's feet and closed the distance between him and Kawamura. He rushed at the opposing Anchor, wrapping it's arms around it's body to restrain it's movement.
"What the heck is he thinking!? He can't win with a move like that!" said Satomi.
"He's probably got a trick up his sleeve.. Maybe.." Mochizuki did his best to make sense of Akio's line of thinking, but ultimately was unsure.
Akio tightened his Anchor's grasp on the opposing machine; an attack that at first confused Kawamura, but he adapted to from remembering what Akio did to escape that very same grapple hold. He used the torque of the Anchor's body easily break from Akio's grasp, too easily. At the very moment Akio sensed pushback from Kawamura, he deliberately let go of his opponent. There was a short window of time where Kawamura's Anchor's center of mass was thrown all over the place, allowing Akio to rush in with a shoulder bash. In response Kawamura pushed the pedals in opposing directions and flung the arms as hard in the air as he could using the sticks, his Anchor stumbling back wildly and keeling over. However, using this wild technique, he was able to avoid being knocked down.
"The hell!?" Satomi shouted.
"It even surprised you too? That kid is a master at controlling the weight of his machine." Mr. Hayashi said.
Akio grit his teeth and charged at Kawamura again, holding the Anchor's arms in front of it and rushing into Kawamura. It was a decision made out of frustration, and definitely wasn't a pretty sight to see. Kawamura was barely able to block and redirect the charge, attempting to throw Akio's Anchor toward the ground. Akio nearly fell over as a result, instinctively dodging out of the way when Kawamura went in for another push. The battle had everyone on the edge of their seats, both pilots showing an impressive display in control and footwork. Akio felt as if he was at his wits end, taking control of the situation is a lot easier said than done. In the corner of his eye he'd see the crowd observing the battle, watching intently as it progressed. In the sea of faces all directed at him and Kawamura, he'd spy not just his mother, but his father as well. His mother clenched her fist while also clinging tightly to his father's arm. His father had a stoic expression on his face, eyebrows pointed down and eyes beaming directly at Akio. No words could be exchanged in that moment, but Akio felt as if his father was trying to tell him to "Finish it." Akio shook his head and would let his inner instincts take over—no longer thinking about what ifs, just doing it. He rushed at Kawamura again, who fully expected another full on assault from Akio, and swung the right arm of his Anchor. Akio nimbly ducked under the attack yet Kawamura anticipated that as well, going in to deliver a low kick with the left leg of the Anchor. Akio pushed the control sticks forward as fast as he possibly could, taking hold of the left leg of the Anchor. He pressed down hard on the pedal, out stretching and firmly planting the right leg of his Anchor and leaned forward to prevent himself from falling. He pulled Kawamura's Anchor at full force by it's leg, and for a moment he was able to stay upright with just one leg while tilted over. However, ironically enough, Akio turned off his autobalancer and swayed to the right—the weight offsetting Kawamura's balance and pulling him to the ground. The Anchor fell to the ground with a loud boom, the crowd cheering after processing what had just happened.
"AND WE HAVE A WINNER! SHINOHARA FROM THE CLASS OF YOURS TRULY, MR. HAYASHI!" Mr. Hayashi yelled through the megaphone.
"He actually pulled it off...!" Satomi said.
"WAY TO GO SHINOHARA!" Mochizuki said, throwing his fist in the air.
Akio was still taken aback by his victory, he didn't know what to expect. Nonetheless, he was still relieved that he came out on top in the end. He saw the other Anchor on the ground, and as an act of kindness, would help the other Anchor up. The two of them stood together as everyone clapped and cheered, and would conclude that field day. Afterwards the Anchor was returned back to the workshop, Akio being covered in praise the moment he dismounted from the labor by his classmates.
"Great job man!"
"You really showed him!"
"Dude you were awesome out there!"
"You gotta join Section Two with moves like that!"
Akio was flattered by their kind words, "To be honest, part of me thought I was gonna fumble that haha..."
While they were all preoccupied in their discussion about the battle, someone would enter the workshop unexpectedly, it being Kawamura. Once everyone noticed him, they'd all remain silent until he would speak up.
"I'm here to congratulate you Shinohara. You did well out there."
"Huh..? Uh, Thanks... I didn't expect you to show up to personally congratulate me." Akio replied as Kawamura approached them.
"I just want to show good sportsmanship."
"No offense, but you've kinda been a jerk to us so this really comes as a surprise."
"To be honest, I thought you guys were jerks too."
"Hey! What makes you think we're jerks in this situation huh!?" Satomi interjected.
"Well, I didn't know what to think at first, rich kids in wealthy families tend to be jerks so I held my tongue. Then on the second day of school I overheard you talking about 'rep,' and I thought you were just another one of them. Then that incident with the Boxer and the paint cannon made me think you were trying to play super heroes at the possible expense of the school's infrastructure. A few people already tried to tag along with me once they heard my Mom works a high ranking position in Schaft Japan, I turned them all down since I wasn't interested in letting them displace my actual friends."
Akio's face loosened up, "That's... Surprisingly sound..."
"I told you all that rep talk was stupid." Taira said, turning away.
"I guess this just was a case of getting off on the wrong foot then." Akio held out his hand, "I know I said all that junk but I'm not as shallow as you think I am."
Kawamura took his hand and shook it, "Well, I guess now we could probably start catching up."
"Alright! First you're gonna tell me how you got so good at piloting..."
That night Midori would be in her apartment preparing herself some tea, when there'd be a knock at her door. She poured herself a cup and paced toward the door, opening it to reveal Hayashi on the other side.
"Got no place to crash?" Midori said.
"I had a place in mind..." Hayashi responded, leaving Midori to sigh.
The two sat on the couch watching TV together as they drank tea, Midori wearing her yukata after she just took her shower.
"You think that woman from the labor show all those years back would appreciate you staying over at my place like this?" Midori asked.
Hayashi took a sip of the tea, "I haven't spoken to her in a long time so it doesn't matter, it was a fling and nothing was official anyway."
"If you say so." Midori would also take a sip as well.
"...You know, one of my students, Shinohara, actually mentioned her."
"Really now?"
"Yeah, said that she enjoyed her time with me or something like that. Guess if I ever needed closure, well, there you go."
"Aww isn't that sweet, too bad it had to end though."
"Yeah... I still wonder what happened to her... Wherever she is, I hope she's doing well."