"...Calling all students… Convene in the Gym."
"I repeat. Calling all students, convene in the Gym."
Hearing the professional yet distinct voice of Momo Kawashima through the school's intercom, Miho slowly opens her eyes from her unexpected respite. Her eyes staring blankly at the vinyl ceiling tiles, her sudden fatigue clouding her thoughts.
"Not again…"
"Miho?" The voice of Saori then draws the attention of the deprived Miho. "Are you okay?" She asks.
Hana then joins in, sharing the same sentiment with Saori.
"Are you alright, Nishizumi-san?"
Now acknowledging the presence of her two friends, Miho tries her best to face them, and so she slowly tries to sit up straight much to her friends' dismay.
"Just lie down, Miho." Saori suggests in a worrisome manner to her pushy friend. "We're not in a hurry here." She then assures her.
"If you're fine with it, I can bring your bag here so you can return home early, Nishizumi-san." Hana then suggests. Taking away Miho's attention from Saori as the recovering girl begins to lie down in her bed, trying to hide the majority of her body with the blanket.
All Miho can do is stare at Hana and nod her head. "Thank you, Isuzu-san…"
Though Hana appreciates Miho's answer, there's a thought in her head wondering about Miho's sudden lethargy that ultimately causes her to question it to the girl directly. "Nishizumi-san… is it okay for you to tell us what happened?"
Miho's eyes begin to widen while her head jerks aback. Hesitation begins to creep in as opening up isn't something she's used with, and so with a sharp turn of her head away from them, she apologizes while feeling agitated. "I… I'm sorry, I don't want to be an inconvenience to you two…"
Hana in return acknowledges Miho's apologies, but apparently, Saori doesn't catch that same sentiment from her black-haired friend.
"Is it the Student Council? What did the President tell you?!" Saori probes, trying to spill the information from Miho, more so that she's already at the edge of her bed and close to Miho's.
"I-I…."
"Takebe-san, I don't think it's right for us to asks her about tha-"
"No…" Miho interjects. Still being hesitant about the situation but nonetheless her words has enough conviction to assure Hana. "It's fine… Isuzu-san."
Resting her back against the rather-stiff pillow as she sees the stale ceiling, Miho takes a deep breath, and again, and again. Eventually she calms herself down and finally opens up to them.
"She… The President told me personally that Sensha-dō [1] is getting back to the electives this year…"
"Sensha-dō…? [1] Is that the traditional martial art reserved for girls?" Hana asks in return.
"But… what does that have to do with you?" Saori still queries.
Now needing to clarify, Miho attempts to open her mouth and answer them, but there's a sudden stream of realizations that cause her to feel more daunted, yet Miho tries her best to steel her resolve as she continues albeit now clenching the bed sheet.
"The one where you used tanks as a means of play…" Miho answers. "And… they told me to take up Sensha-dō as my mandatory elective this year…"
"Heeh?! Why?"
She tries to form the words to say. "Um… Well…"
"Is this some sort of harassment?!" Saori frankly assumes. "No wait! That doesn't make any sense…"
"Aha! I got it!" She exclaims like it's an eureka moment.
Saori's rather quick response surprises the two, with Hana thinking she's a genius while Miho thinking she already has an idea about the situation with Sensha-dō [1] since her surname is a dead giveaway.
"She… Takebe-san knows…?"
"You must be stuck in a love triangle with someone that the Student Council was jealous of you!" Saori reckons.
"She doesn't know…"
Giving a disbelief sigh, Miho corrects her besotted friend. "It's not like that, Takebe-san…"
"Then if they're asking you to take Sensha-dō… does that make you secretly an onna-musha and part of a secret mission?" Hana then takes her turn and guesses. Unlike Saori's wacky fantasies, her conjecture is bearable, but it still spirals Miho down the road of bewilderment as their answers are way off, very off.
"Not you too, Isuzu-san…"
"Do you go to places like our Johannesburg to fight off some delinquents? How about extorting money from biker gangs? Oh! Did you also go on rampages across the neighborhood too?"
"Not really…" Miho dismisses.
"So if we're both wrong… what is it?"
"Uhm, eto…"
Miho begins to contemplate. Make a lie to keep them around or let them know about her past. Weighing her decisions as they anticipate her explanation. And with enough persuasion to herself, she accepts her fate and opens up to them.
"You see… My family has a long history with Sensha-dō…" Miho begins.
"They taught me all about Sensha-dō when I was young." She pauses. "And even then… I don't really have nice memories with it…"
"That's why… I came to this school so I can avoid it…" Feeling down even more, Miho begins to wrap herself with the blanket she's in, slowly but surely hiding her face from them to avoid their confrontation with her.
"Then don't force yourself!" Saori suggests. This causes Miho to stop from what she's doing with her blanket and reverses it as she looks at Saori with confusion.
"But-"
"You came here just to avoid it, right?"
"-Y-yes..."
"Then tell them that!"
Hana also joins in. "She's right, Nishizumi-san."
"If the thought of turning them down alone bothers you, we wouldn't mind coming along with you." She offers with a gentle and reassuring smile.
"Yeah! With our girl power, we can tell that shorty President to back off!" Saori concurs in enthusiasm.
Seeing their compassion for her compels Miho to fall for their assurances. In that moment, words can't describe her sense of relief and she suddenly burst out her happiness. Her closed shell begins to break as she sees the genuine bond with Hana and Saori.
And as a result, this causes Miho to smile sincerely at them.
"Thank you, Takebe-san, Isuzu-san. I really needed that."
Seeing Miho's cute smile again and feeling her gratitude to them, they can't help themselves but smile alongside their friend.
"Hehe, no problem, Miporin!"
"That's what friends are for, Nishizumi-san."
"Hehe… you two are just too sweet for me." Miho remarks, causing the three of them to laugh it off as she finally calms down as the thoughts of being alone begin to dissipate from her mind.
And as their laughter in unison starts to louden in the clinic, the curtain that surrounds them is getting pushed by their resident clinic nurse.
"Sounds like you're fine now, Nishizumi-chan." The nurses claim. "From the way you girls are laughing, I take that your friend has recovered?"
"Ah! Ye-yes…Nurse-san…" Miho answers sheepishly, feeling guilty for causing a commotion.
"Nurse Yorokobi." She greets herself with a small nod and a smile as a result of her healthy recovery. "That's great to hear, Nishizumi-chan."
"But don't forget to fix the beds before going to the gym, it's your first day, after all."
And just like that, their short-haired, brown-haired, cool-as-ice nurse leaves them be and goes back to her office. Her footsteps get dampen by the sound of the intercom resounding again.
"Calling all students, please convene in the Gym."
"That's Kawashima-san." Hana points out.
"Oh yeah." Miho finally realizes it. "Why are we gathering today at the gym?"
"I actually don't even know either, any idea, Han-chan?"
"I don't think it was discussed by our Homeroom teacher either, Saori-san."
"Well… let's better get going then, Miporin!"
"Eh…?"
"...Eh?"
Miho looks around their enclosed gymnasium. Surprised to see the lights in perfect condition, the walls well-maintained, and wooden cedar-made floor clean. She doesn't expect how preserve the building is, but it's to be expected as it's the only building fit for physical education indoors.
While she continues to look around in complete bewilderment, she forgets that she's among the sea of students waiting for the annual orientation, but even if some of them expect the program, others don't. And so, they drown the atmosphere with their chatter.
Miho also joins in with the chaotic affair. Interrupting the silence of their trio. "So… what exactly are we waiting for?"
"They even sent the Student Council members to guard us…" Saori mumbles to her dismay, but her distress goes unnoticed as Hana answers Miho's question instead.
"I heard that they're showing something, like how they usually do."Hana answers.
As Miho is satisfied with Hana's answer, she continues to look around still in awe. But the moment she pivots her head towards in front of her, she notices a familiar person from a bit of a distance.
She squints her eyes and focuses on that familiar person. With only his back showing, all she can do is discern his appearance. His messy black hair and distinct posture that borders between intentional slouching or just hidden discipline. And so, with these features on the table, she immediately recognizes the boy as she utters his moniker.
"Is that… neighbor-san?"
And while she recognizes him, all she can remember at the moment are the embarrassing encounters she makes as his neighbor. So even if she wants to call him out, that will embarrass her more regardless.
Yet unbeknownst to her, he's the one who carried her earlier.
But all this immodest self-reflection comes to a complete stop alongside the chatter 'em masses. One voice alone from the stage causes all eyes to gaze upon the emcee for today's orientation.
"Silence." Momo says in a right blend of loudness that is not too harsh and not too inaudible from the corner of the room. It's just the right amount that makes everyone impressed by Kawashima's PR skills.
"That's better." She remarks. "As part of our annual club orientation, we'll present this year's selections for your mandatory club."
"As usually, clubs will act as your elective extracurricular subject. They each have their own perks and benefits for students like you, and so, picking the right club is important."
"And as expected from our sudden influx of students, we've decided to increase your selections." Momo further comments. "In addition to that, we picked an elective that will serve as today's highlight."
"So be quiet and choose carefully!"
And just like that, Momo and the rest of her team starts walking away from center stage as the white screen descends from the ceiling. With a loud clicking sound signaling deployment, the gym lights turn off and the old projector starts working.
Shining now into the white screen as the clubs are now being presented with their own respective promotions. It varies from a slideshow to a demonstration to even a short-film. From the usual cultural club like calligraphy, and incense ceremony, to sport clubs like archery and ninjutsu. But there are clubs that stand out from the rest, these include the introvert's paradise, the hikikomori club and the boys' favorite, the Hohei-dō club.
The quality of these promotions can vary, some easily attract their audience like intended while the others are less successful with yawns and side comments. But nonetheless, the orientation goes smoothly as the student council wanted.
With the final video being intense and action-packed to hook its future combatants for Ōarai's Hohei-dō, particularly the boys, no one in the room can assume that the highlight next can top that promotion.
So they wait for anticipation.
The student council now makes their preparation for the highlight. They go back on the stage but remain at the side of the screen. Yuzu then goes to the podium, opens the microphone, and narrates the following message.
"Our final video and highlight for today's orientation is from the directive of the Ministry of Education, I hope you will pay attention to it." Yuzu announces.
On cue to that, the projector starts flashing the highlight's title card. Written in bold strokes of ink and captures the traditionalistic atmosphere through its kanji on a scroll with its bars embolden with wood.
"Is that… oh no…"
"Today's final presentation is about the-"
"Introduction to Sensha-dō."
The screen flashes to a beautiful landscape of Japan. With Mt. Fuji in the background while the foreground is divided by the cherry trees sending down their sakura petals to the camera. It ends with the camera focusing on the sea of petals on the ground.
"Sensha-dō. The art that captivates the hearts of millions across Japan."
The petals start to clatter and vibrate violently before the caterpillar track appears from the side and consumes the shot. It stops once it covers the entire shot and a girl in her traditional wear exits the vehicle.
"Especially young maidens." The shot then goes higher and higher till they can see today's subject. A female girl wearing a white robe and scarlet red trouser-skirt, like a shinto shrine maiden and as beautiful and elegant as a miko.
"The art that tames the barbarism of tanks." The miko-like girl withdraws her hand and then–
"And turn them into the vase of our expression."
–extends her hand out as the sudden movement of the tank causes fallen petals to fly once again like rain, creating a spectacular view as if the trees are the ones showering the girl with the petals instead.
"An art that captures the virtues every aspiring one needs." The scene starts to shift from the girl dancing along the raining sakuras to different angles of the tank going back and forth as Yuzu continues to narrate it.
"Humility. Goodness. Discipline."
"One takes the beauty of humbleness as you take control the mechanical oni. Humility."
"One becomes good in nature when morals are gained through practices and camaraderie. Goodness."
"And one becomes a hard-working student, a healthy person, and a powerful individual through recognizing control. Discipline."
"Combine them, and you got Sensha-dō." The screen changes shots with such contrast. Instead of the peaceful countryside-esque look, it's now on a battlefield with tanks dueling featuring the original girl and some others.
"From the coldest point of Fuji to the roughest alps in Honshu. From the northernmost border of Karafuto to the most isolated islands in Okinawa. Your practice can go from places to places, in the sand dunes of Tottori to even night battles in downtown Osaka. No matter the location, Sensha-dō will always take place."
"So steel your resolve like the armor of Tanks." It then shows multiple tanks from different countries and in different eras, different crew in different uniforms.
"Move forward like the clank of caterpillar treads." Shows a parade of tanks on the street.
"And ignite your passion like a cannon boom!" And finally, shows a tank firing its mighty 8.8 cannon, causing a shockwave of exhilaration that shocks the students as a result.
"And so, become a part of something bigger."
"Be a humbling member."
"Befit the goodness of a person."
"Become a Sensha-dō practitioner."
"Come forth, future Sensha-dō crew!"
The video ends with a loud and extravagant confetti bomb from the stage. Now showing the format of the selective card as the presentation earlier completely pulls the expectations out of all the students in the room. Their spines still get the chills from the cannon booming and their reaction is overall a positive tone.
It manages to completely capture the attention of everyone. Seeing their successful stunt, the student council takes center stage and continues to ride the trance of the masses.
"That video was under the directive of the MEXT for the upcoming tournament. And such, alongside them encouraging all highschools to strengthen our Sensha-dō club, they also made some changes." Momo explains.
"And as such!" Anzu finally speaks after being quiet for a long time during the orientation "We revived our club again!"
The sudden announcement from the president causes a furor to the students. Opinions forming and whispers going spontaneous. But the news isn't over yet as Anzu continues. "So that's why, if you want to join Sensha-dō, we'll give you more benefits compared to others~"
"Vice President."
"Hai! We upped the usual 20 meal tickets to 50. We increased the 30 to 70 anti-detention tickets, and added 40 exception tickets to your ordinary 10! And plus! This gives you two times more credit for both academics and sports!"
"But wait! There's more, President, if you would."
"Hai! Before we end today's orientation I would like to inform you of something important that the directive gave us, a little secret between us here, hehe." Anzu publicly confides.
Her charms as the president shines through in that moment, easily managing to grab their attention.
"It has been stated that we're under the period of cultural integration, and thus, they will now allow boys to join Sensha-dō!"
And that's the tipping point. The catalyst that bombards the gymnasium with reactions that their gossips start filling the building with noises. As a result, the student council takes this time to dismiss them all to end the ride of excitement and surprises.
"You're all dismissed, don't forget to get your elective cards on your way out!" Anzu dismisses.
And they dismiss. All students are now exiting the gym as it clogs for a while before it eases up eventually. Now walking on the cement path that leads to the exits, both Eirian and Haruto continue their conversation on that one particulartopic.
"Sensha-dō being mixed…" Haruto reiterates. "Now that's something I didn't expect…"
"Surprised as well?" Eirian asks while looking at his friend who's hand is on his chin, thinking, really thinking about the announcement.
"Yeah! I mean, who wouldn't think that an all-feminine sport would become a mixed one overnight!"
"Whatever they're thinking, it surely made an impression on all of us." Eirian comments. "But if I remember correctly, isn't Sensha-dō originally a mixed martial art?"
"I don't think so… it did?"
"I'm pretty sure all martial arts started as mixed at some point…"
"Huh… So why did they change it then?"
"Well, the answer is simple." All of a sudden, the treasurer interjects. "Good seeing you two in good health, Kisetsu and Haiiro-san."
What surprises the two is Kojiro as he comes out of seemingly nowhere. But as his hands are heaving with selective cards, it's a no brainer why he's there at the gate alongside a few student council members.
"They were meant to prepare us for War. Quite noxious for the origin for a sport, isn't it?"
"Wasn't Sensha-dō formed during the Second World War?"
"Before, actually." Kojiro rectifies. "But we didn't get the message as we were invested with the Navy and the introduction of the nation-wide Sentoki-dō, so that's why they decided to pour their attention to girls instead."
"You really are the school's model student for us boys, huh?" Haruto jokingly remarks.
"Duty knows no family, Kisetsu-san." Kojiro quotes in return while giving them both their selective cards. "And also, are you two going home?"
"I have a shift in an hour after this." / "I'm planning to get some food before I go home."
"Delightful! May I accompany you both then on your way home?" Kojiro claps himself as enthusiastically as he can, but he kinda forgets that he's carrying the others' selective cards…
And to the surprise of the students, they just stare at Kojiro as he stands there, like a statue as he processes his mistake in silence.
"Looks like you dropped your card-"
"Shut up, Kisetsu-san."
Eventually, Kojiro joins the duo.
"I can't believe you just gave your task to the other members, Koji…" Haruto comments in disbelief as he is now walking home with Kojiro beside them.
"It's a one-time thing, and besides, I'll be going back later." Kojiro assures him. "By the way, how's the business going?"
"The konbini is doing alright." Haruto answers back. "Not many customers but it can still afloat."
"Wait, you know about his konbini?" Eirian immediately interjects with a question to Kojiro.
"Yeah. I started my first year here with Haruto." Kojiro responds. "You may not know it, but we were in the same class."
"Before he changed for that girl…" Haruto snickers with his eyes rolling to add a layer for his expressive derision. "You should've seen him before his transforma-"
"Ugh!" Kojiro shuts Haruto's mouth. His voice panics as he elaborates his excuse to Eirian. "Don't believe every word he said, Haiiro-san! Trust me!"
"Ooookkaayyyyy..." He answers in reluctance yet this still makes the model student rejoice in happiness as he comes all buddy-buddy with him.
With his hand attempting to ensnare his neck, Eirian's quick reflex allows him to avoid his many advances while Haruto takes the time to recover before pointing Eirian's pet peeves to the oblivious yet still determined Koji(ro).
"Oh yeah… Koji. He doesn't like any physical interaction…"
"Really?"
"Yup…"
"Not even a pat on the back?"
"I allow it sometimes, but don't get your hopes up." Eirian interjects before continuing his walk again.
"Is he a germaphobe?"
"I don't think he'll be here at Zuikaku if he's one, Koji…"
Eventually as the sun starts to settle and the sky begins to change hue. Haruto bids his farewell to the two upon reaching a fork on the road that separates their way home. Being cordial to their friend, they also wave their hands as they start going their own respective ways.
And that leaves the student council's treasurer and their prized target. Walking side by side as they listen at the cars revving over the distance and the streetlights now buzzing in a melodious tone the moment they light up the dimming streets.
"How long have you been friends with Haru, Haiiro-san?"
"Since I got here. I met him when I was tending Chuda-san at his konbini."
"Chuda Lisbeth? Must be his regular customer then." Kojiro points out. "Don't tell me he immediately pulled out his first aid kit, did he?"
"Yeah, why about it?"
"Haha… you'll know it once you take a look at his life."
"I see…" Eirian begins to wonder something, but his thoughts immediately get cut-off short with Kojiro's offering.
"Let's hang out for a bit. Wanna chill at the bench for a while?"
With his hands gesturing at the alleyway that leads outside, Eirian can't refuse his offer and so he accepts it with a nod. Eventually escaping the commercial district as they arrive at the esplanade roadway.
On their left are benches and cement-paved walks, and on their right is the long road with the accompanying town beside it. Eirian takes his seat on one of the benches while Kojiro takes out his wallet and tries to buy a pair of sodas at the vending machine near them.
Eventually, he accompanies Eirian as he sits on the wooden bench. Giving him the other soda as they stare at the blue ocean in front of them. Admiring the view for a moment before Eirian opens up, taking the initiative.
"Arigatou, Tsujihara-san." Eirian begins. "And, aren't you busy with the student council for today?"
"I'm always busy with the council's work."
"Is it harsh like they say?"
"That's why I'm in the student council. We always expect the worst since the campus is our responsibility." He laughs it off. "But we're nowhere close compared to the naval's council and obviously we can't compete against the town's chamber."
"And all of them are students?"
"Of course. Zuikaku is a town of students after all, so it must be led by students like us." Kojiro states. "But unlike their strict policies, we accept voluntary work."
"Haha… I don't think I'm cut out for that stressful position." Eirian nervously chuckles. "No thanks."
"That's unfortunate, but I think there's something you can do with us." Kojiro asserts. Opening the lid of his soda before taking a sip from it.
He can feel his anxiety growing, but with the sudden refreshment cooling his throat, it eases the butterflies in his stomach. He knows that the person they're recruiting has qualities that befits a professional, and so, he treks the uncharted territory of attempting to recruit him.
Remember, he's a treasurer, not a recruiter or a charmer like Kawashima or Kadotani.
"Haiiro-san, your papers said that you had experience of being a mechanic. Would you mind elaborating on that?"
"Oh… sure." Eirian complies, surprising Kojiro. "I've been acting as my father's assistant ever since I was young. He's a nutcrack when it comes to cars."
"Honestly he doesn't like cars… he's more of a ship type of guy… but we don't talk about that one…"
"I see… so that's how you learned then?"
"More or less, yeah." He affirms. "What about it?"
"Well, we are in need of a qualified mechanic for the Sensha-dō club." Kojiro states. "And we acknowledge your potential to be one of them."
"I knew this was about to come. But why Tsujihara?"
"Oh… so you're recruiting me?"
As Eirian assumes the way their conversation is going, Kojiro rewards him in a once of a lifetime moment as he bows his head, like someone pleading or confessing their love, but this one is former.
"Hai! We wanted you in our club, so please consider it!" Kojiro entreats. "We can negotiate your perks if you accept it!"
Even if his guts is right and he properly follows the methods and techniques, he still lacks the amp to interest the experienced Ace. He can take the offer but he needs to assure himself that he can still watch the Nishizumi, but there's something on his mind that he needs to know before answering the treasurer's offer.
"I can't tell what they're planning here, but…"
"Before I answer it, I want you to tell me something first, Tsujihara." He requests in a weighty timbre. "Did you approach Nishizumi about Sensha-dō earlier?"
"How did you know?"
"She's a Nishizumi. It doesn't take a gifted hobbyist to know where she's from."
"Then there's no point in hiding then." Kojiro sighs. "Yes. We did. We assumed that she's the younger Nishizumi." He finally confides, confirming Eirian's suspicion.
"But we didn't expect to hear that she passed out earlier; we only heard that from Nurse Yorokobi after the orientation…" He continues, but unexpectedly his tone shows guilt.
"We assumed it must be because of the heat, but Nurse Yorokobi can't confirm it. Why did you ask?"
"I'm her neighbor."
"So I heard… I'm sorry if the topic upsets you, we should've been more considerate in approaching her earlier..."
"It's fine. We don't talk that much anyway and she's more shy than we both thought." Eirian assures him.
"I see… and, about the offer? What do you say, Haiiro-san?" He finally asks. Eirian looks at him for a moment before sipping his soda and answers his offering.
"I appreciate the offer." Eirian starts. "But I don't think my skills are set up for Sensha-dō, let alone for any Sōkōbajutsu out there."
"I only learned how to fix cars, not tank engines." He forthright declares, showing no emotion other than his expressive conviction that his no part in any way affiliates himself in Sensha-dō. In his disguise that is.
"Even if you're not good with tanks, there are still some things you can help us with. An extra hand, if you will." Kojiro still presses on. "We have vehicles, their engines, and etc. We really need someone with the skills like you."
"But I can't do two clubs." Eirian retorts. "Also, isn't it far better for the Automobile club to handle that job description instead?"
"They're quite busy fixing the others, especially the transport vehicles from our Hohei-dō club. Asking them more would just strain their relationship with the student council."
"Then what about third-parties? Freelancing mechanics, local shopkeepers, other students?"
"We don't have the necessary funds to hire them with it, though while the Ministry gave us the funds, it's barely enough to keep us afloat."
"And the students?"
"Our curriculum here doesn't offer mechanical engineering, and those we have interests are already in their own respective clubs, mainly the automobile club."
"So that leaves me no choice then…" Eirian takes a deep sigh. Taking another sip to his soda before confronting him again. "And what if I refuse?"
Anticipating that possibility of an answer, Kojiro lowers his head till Eirian can't see his face and answers his hypothetical question. "Then we respect your decision."
Anticipating the possibility, Kojiro just smiles at Eirian and expresses his answer to his hypothetical question. "Then we respect your decision, Haiiro-san."
"But unfortunately, I have to get back now." He states to him the next before standing up and takes their both empty soda cans. "I know you're still uncertain about joining our club since it seems like we're forcing you and Nishizumi-san."
"But believe me, Haiiro-san. We deemed your skills and current position as an opportunity for us to allow your talents to grow in Sensha-dō."
"And what about Nishizumi?"
"You said it to yourself, it doesn't take a gifted hobbyist to know her surname." Kojiro can't help but chuckle at that question in particular, seemingly it amuses him due to the fact how Eirian knows that she's a Nishizumi which concludes to him that he's a sort of a fan to her.
And just like that, Kojiro bids a farewell to him. Leaving Eirian alone on the bench as Eirian watches him disappear from the distance. Finally alone again, Eirian just looks back at the ocean in front of him with the sun now resting on the ocean while thoughts start pouring down in his mind.
With no-one on site, he decides to make a call, but the moment he realizes that he lost his phone, he notices a store in the distance.
Getting a new phone is an easy task, maintaining an anonymous call without Ōarai tracking him down is a different matter. The moment he goes back to his bench, he starts working on his phone.
Opening the back plate, adding additional components in it, and reprogramming the feature phone the next, Eirian completes improvising his phone to make a certain call to someone outside Ōarai's coverage and knowledge, and inside a room at Lunenburg's Schulfuhrer's chancellery a call has made.
His red telephone starts to ring aloud and vibrate violently. It catches his attention as he pauses his 'work' and answers the call. Raising the handset and placing it to his cheek, the Schulfuhrer speaks.
"This is Miamoto speaking. Is this the take out I ordered?"
"It's me."
"Wittmann? That's odd, I thought you don't like making calls?."
"I still don't. But I'm here to report something about you personally."
"Ooohhh." Rommel becomes intrigued. "Do tell, do tell."
After a considerable amount of explanation, Eirian now waits for Rommel to reply back, wanting to hear his opinion about their operation getting complicated with the situation developing.
"First of all… can you stop being technical at everything…" Rommel pleads. "I don't need your narration of what time you woke up and the exact hour of you encountering the young Nishizumi earlier…"
"But it's important to know the big picture." Eirian replies in a flat tone, thinking his way of reporting is the absolute technique, not leaving any details, big or small it may be.
"Then just summarize it!" Rommel exclaims.
But Rommel eventually calms down and continues. " I get it, the Schulintelligenz might gave you the outdated information, but that's the reason I stepped up and personally crafted your identify there."
"You might not like it, but it can give you the leverage to be flexible in this situation." He explains the next. "So, are you planning to join Sensha-dō?"
"Unless the Nishizumi is joining, I won't. And plus, I suspect that she's still experiencing some form of a traumatic disorder so it's hard for them to push her into joining."
"Knowing her past, this just confirms her hesitation to join." Rommel points out. "But since she's a Nishizumi, I advise you to be careful around her with it."
"Growing sympathy against the ones who cut their ties from us?" Eirian retorts. "Having no support from them makes Leopold's bet a difficult operation."
"We're not here to make more enemies, Wittmann." Rommel sternly reminds him. "And besides, even if we're enemies to the Nishizumis, we still need to acknowledge them as they acknowledge us."
"Even if we're gonna bring down their reign?"
"They already have been defeated before, remember?" Rommel sniggers. "But it's their culture to have honor even if they're losing, and I find that romantic."
"When did you become romantic all of a sudden?"
"Ever since you left and stopped being a thorn on my back." Rommel then chortles, going back to his usual gleeful personality much to Eirian's dismay and annoyance as the Ace can hear Rommel playing some video game in the background.
"You still never change."
"Good to hear your enthusiasm! And by the way, do you know where the young Nishizumi is exactly?"
Hearing him ask that, Eirian can't help but look up at the sky above him, with the clouds in different shapes and sizes slowly moving and the sky again changing hue from orange to a nightshade, all he can think of a response about her whereabouts is nothing but a single negative answer.
So, he answers back.
"No, I got sidetracked with some people here."
"Well, it doesn't matter, you're still her neighbor at the end of the day."
"Neighbor huh…"
He closes his eyes and soon she opens hers.
Looking up at the ceiling in complete dissociation with reality. Her ears still ringing with the buzzing sound before images in her mind start causing her a sudden outburst of shock and physical recoil.
The smell of the dirt and mud dirtying her clothes as she runs towards the river, the sight of the sinking tank as it submerges slowly under the heavy current, and the feel of her hands hurting the moment she attempts to open the hatch. These are the thoughts of Miho at that time, a never-ending cycle of nightmares that hunts her even to this day.
All she can do is curl into a ball, her arms trapping her knees together while her head buries itself to the gap between her knees and chest. Being in a position that tries to compose herself, she still thinks of them as she utters it in a complete murmur.
"What if I just refuse it…"
"But… I don't want to disappoint both Takebe-san and Isuzu-san…"
"I don't know what I will do if they leave me…"
"Anyone… just tell me what should I do…"
"Takebe-san…"
"Isuzu-san…"
"Neighbor-san…"
She closes her eyes, still dwelling in her thoughts and suppressing her issues in isolation. Feeling pitiful and pathetic as she can't do anything much about it but ride it till it passes…
She feels alone just the way she used to be…
But now, she has a neighbor.
"Nishi…zumi?"
Hearing his voice all of a sudden, Miho raises her head and sees Eirian beside him. Her eyes widen as she can fully see the expression of a concerned Haiiro. She starts to feel emotional but she quickly hides that by rubbing her face with her unsnared hands.
"Nei-neighbor-san?! Y-you're back…"
"Yeah, I did. Had to accompany Kisetsu earlier."
"Is he the one that works in a konbini?"
"That's the one." Eirian concurs. "And why are you here outside of your room? Didn't have the key to get inside?"
"N-no…" Miho answers.
"I-I was just refreshing up here… ye-yeah! I'm just chilling here, hehe…"
"She's not really good at this lying stuff, huh…"
"If you say so…" Eirian retorts in reluctance to acknowledge her excuse. "Anyhow, have you already eaten dinner?"
"Y-yes…"
Her stomach then grumbles, causing Miho to blush immensely with scarlet red from her embarrassment that is enough to make Eirian have pity for her lifestyle. But as the damage has been done and her gig is up, she still lies about it.
"Th-that's not mine…" She lies, horribly.
Eirian sighs.
"Wait here."
With a nod to confirm Miho's compliance. Eirian goes to his room and does something for his neighbor. All Miho can do at that moment is to sit it out and wait for him, minutes pass and her patience is rewarded by a steamy hot meal.
"Here." Eirian says to her the moment he exits his room, handing her a plate of microwaved food. "I suppose you wouldn't mind a konbini meal, right?"
"I-it's alright, n-neighbor-san!" Miho assures him, immediately accepting the offering. "I… t-thank you…"
"You seemed pretty down for your first day, huh." Eirian comments as he joins her on the floor, sitting beside her but there's a visible gap between them to not scare her altogether. "Are you sure you have the keys for your room?"
"H-hai! I do have the keys… it's just that…"
Miho pauses.
"I don't feel like entering inside yet…"
"Well…" Eirian also pauses, trying to think of something. "How about we talk it out on the balcony."
"Huh?" Miho expresses her surprise before taking aback from his sudden offer. "N-n-no need to help me, n-neighbor-san!"
"I can handle myself, I promise!" She attempts to reassure him, but Eirian doesn't take any of that poor excuse of hers, after all, she sucks at lying.
"Look, your friends told me earlier if there's homework, I'll refer it to you, so take this opportunity for us to talk this out." Eirian explains. "And besides, you have something more than your excuse, Nishizumi."
"B-but I am not being a nuisance to you, right?"
"I'm your neighbor, stupid." Eirian flatly replies. "At this point, with the walls between us thinned, might as well consider us both as roommates."
And as Eirian says that, he notices Miho blushing.
"He… neighbor-san heard my Boko marathon session?!"
"Gah! This is so embarrassing, Miho!"
She can't help it, she just hides her face out of embarrassment as Eirian is utterly confused at her sudden reaction, but even if he's confused, he still tries to clarify his statement with a panicky voice.
"W-w-wait! I didn't mean it like that!" Eirian exclaims. "I mean like we're in the same year and class so I assumed that we can work together to survive this school-year!"
Seeing his surprise, Miho just looks at him for a second before she starts to giggle. A mixture of relief and amusement as the Nishizumi manages to calm down and her thoughts earlier seemingly dissipates.
"Hehe, I get it, neighbor-san."
"Good!" Eirian replies with a hint of red across his face.
"That was really embarrassing… verfluche dich Nishizumi!"
"T-then, I'll take up your offer then, neighbor-san." Miho then finally complies as she smiles at Eirian before standing up and attempting to enter her room now. "I'll be there in around 10 minutes!"
"Sounds like a plan, see ya then." Eirian then waves his hand, bidding her a momentarily farewell as Miho does the same as well.
The door of her room closes, leaving Eirian alone in the hallway as he just looks up at the ceiling and processes what just happened between the two of them. "You gotta be kidding me… me getting flushed up by a Nishizumi?"
"This isn't good. If she continues to attack me like that…"
"It's alright, Schwartz… this is just a part of the act."
"I'll just have to go with the flow and hopefully don't embarrass myself again…."
"But for now… wait for her on the balcony."
Eirian finally decides to stand up and goes back to his room. Taking his 10 minutes of respite to prepare himself. Changing his clothes, planting a microchip in his pocket, and taking out two sodas from his fridge and his notes before arriving at his balcony after exactly 9 minutes and 59 seconds.
"Microphone, check. Sodas, check. The notes from earlier, double check. My breath, triple check."
"And now, we wait for the Nishizumi…"
And he doesn't have to wait any longer.
The sliding door opens and Miho exits from it. The night breeze gently greets her auburn hair as it sways from front to back the moment she steps out. Her skin shines just as like the moon up in the sky, and her pair of light brown eyes radiating with anticipation as she looks at Eirian beside her.
With nothing but her pajamas underneath a jacket, she apologies for her late arrival with a sincere yet quick bow.
"I-I'm sorry for being late! D-did I make you wait, ne-neighbor-san?"
"No, you didn't." Eirian assures her. "And… could you refer to me as more than just your neighbor?"
"H-hai! H-Haiiro…san." Miho complies with reluctance and hesitation, she admits to herself that it's a bit rude to not call him by his surname but she's belittling herself to the status of their relationship, even if it's cordial.
"I… goumen… I didn't mean to upset you…"
"It's nothing. You're shy, I get that." Eirian compromises before throwing her a bottle of ramune and his notes.
Miho in return catches the soda and his notes, but her clumsiness almost causes her to drop the cold beverage but with her balancing and catching skills, she manages to grab it right before it lands on the ground. With an embarrassing giggle, she starts to thank him before taking a sip out of the marble-lid soda while keeping the notes to herself.
With the coldness of the drink and the sweet lemon flavor it has, Miho expresses delight as she finishes her sip. "That was delicious, thank you again, Haiiro-san!"
"No problem." Eirian replies. "And how are you feeling? Was the food alright?"
"O-oh! Ye-yeah..." Miho's shyness starts to appear again. "T-the food was g-great, w-where did you buy it?"
"From the Shiki konbini."
"Shiki konbini…? Is that Kisetsu-san's store?"
"Yeah. How did you know that?"
"W-well…" Miho begins, feeling a little embarrassed about telling it but still continues. "I remembered his profile description from our class list."
"Oh really? I never noticed that…" Eirian retorts as he tries to remember it.
"Huh… she's right… Does that mean she also remembers my details on that list?..."
"What about me then, do you remember my details?" Eirian then jokingly asks.
"H-hai!" Miho confidently answers. "Your birthday is April 22nd."
"Correct."
"And your height is 5'7"."
"True."
"You also like cats."
"Yes."
"And you had some experience in being a mechanic…"
As Miho is about to finish that sentence, she just stops from talking. Her transition from being confident to complete quiet puzzles Eirian, and even if he has an idea behind it, he still pursues to query it.
"Nishizumi?"
"Haiiro-san…" Miho pauses before confronting him about something. Her hands fidgeting out of anxiety, she doesn't want to ask for it, but she feels like she needs to confess it, sooner or later.
"What should I do?"
"About what?"
"The st-... some people wanted me to join Sensha-dō earlier this morning…" She pauses, "I wanted to refuse it, but they insisted that I should join it as my mandatory elective…"
"Were they determined to let you join it?"
"Hai… Even my friends are considering joining it… I think it's because of the highlight earlier…"
"That's something… Did you tell them that you don't want to join?"
"I did before the orientation… but I don't think they would change since the advertisement clearly charms them to join…"
"They would." Eirian flatly replies.
"They would?" Miho looks at him in confusion. "But… they really seemed to like the idea of joining Sensha-dō though."
"They're your friends, Nishizumi." Eirian points out. "They did so much to you earlier, they skipped classes and watched over you. They're the friends that will understand you, don't worry about it."
"But… aren't I asking too much…?"
"Yes." Eirian answers yet again in an unamused and flatly tone. "But they stuck with you until the end earlier, wouldn't that be enough to trust them that they'll be there for you?"
"Yeah… I'm sorry if I sound like I'm doubting them…" Miho apologizes. "I just don't like Sensha-dō that much…"
"A Nishizumi… disliking Sensha-dō?"
"Why then?"
Miho doesn't look at him, her throat begins to fixate on her to not speak about her past as the scars of her last Sensha-dō starts to hunt her mind yet again. And so she begins to hesitate as she refuses to say the words subconsciously, but Eirian instantly notices this, her expression suddenly changing to someone who refuses to speak up as her hand closes into her chest.
"I see… a psychological trauma it seems."
"You don't need to tell me." Eirian states, trying to calm her down. "You don't need to take Sensha-dō if you don't want to. Seeing your reaction, there is enough evidence that you dislike it."
"H-Hai… goumen…"
"Don't worry, we're the same here." Eirian suddenly points out, "they also asked me out in considering joining the club."
"They did…? D-did they ask that because of you being a mechanic?"
"Yeah, I suspected it to happen really, but Sensha-dō isn't like that before, so I feel conflicted about joining as a male mechanic."
"But Sensha-dō does allow boys as support even before, Haiiro-san…" Miho clarifies.
"I fixed cars, not tanks though."
"Do the benefits not entice you either?"
"They're forcing it too much, even I know that. They're really trying to set this club up as their foremost priority."
"It's… very strange, isn't it?"
"Yeah, talk about asking us to join as their saviors or something." Eirian casually comments, taking a sip to his soda while at it. "Don't worry, I'm not planning to join it anytime soon."
"I see…" Somehow, this calms her down.
"So Haiiro-san also got invited by them…"
"Don't worry about it, your friends will listen to you tomorrow. Just follow your guts and you'll be alright." Eirian then tries to assure her, this causes Miho to feel more calm so much that it finally brings back the normality that Eirian is hoping for.
"Ye-yes. I hope so too, Haiiro-san." Miho puts up a faint smile, "And I think we should call it for now, I don't really want to take anymore of your time since you helped me so much for tonight."
"Alright then." Eirian complies. "Just don't forget that they're your friends, they'll always be there for you."
Hearing his assurances finally makes Miho give in and completes her smile, feeling reassured that she can rely on someone like him, but that exact thought causes her to question it the moment she's about to enter her room.
"Haiiro-san?"
"Yes?"
"Why are you helping me?"
"Well, that's easy." Eirian begins as he starts looking at the moon under the night sky above them. "I feel like it's my duty as your neighbor to help you… but don't expect me to spoil you though, haha."
Miho in return starts to giggle from his statement, certainly her neighbor is an interesting fellow that amuses the girl. Her laugh exhibits the same feeling as earlier, a sense of relief from his no malice intention and genuine amusement because of his (cheesiest) statements.
"Haha, yeah, I guess so." Miho replies. "Have a good night then, Haiiro-san!"
"Likewise, Nishizumi."
With both of them giving a farewell to each other, Miho is the first to enter her room before Eirian follows suit, but before he opens his sliding door, he takes a moment to look back at her empty balcony, processing their conversation while taking out the small chip from pocket.
It has an inaudible beep and a faint flash, it's a recorder chip and Eirian ends its service by pressing its only button. The recording ends and he now takes it back in his pocket and continues to take one final sip on his soda.
"A Nishizumi that doesn't like Sensha-dō?"
"And a school about to kickstart their Sensha-dō club again."
"What kinda plan are they going with this…"
But thinking about it won't help him tonight, and so he finishes his drink and enters his dorm again, ending today's evening with much anticipation for tomorrow's gamble.
Hoping that Miho will take the bait, all he can do is wait for it to happen. And it won't take too long for his gamble to take action.
It's now the next day and the students are now waiting for their class to start. With different lives happening to each student, Eirian is nothing but an observer as he watches them do their own things, including Miho who's now confronting her friends.
"She seems very down, it must be hard to tell them."
"So, what's your elective then?" Lisbeth opens up to both him and Haruto.
From her view, she can see Haruto's selection card having a checkmark on one of the boxes, while for Eirian, she can't really see it.
"I picked the Hakuaisha." Haruto answers.
"But isn't that society an unofficial one?" Elena remarks.
"That won't do, Har! You need to pick a mandatory elective!" Lisbeth states, but her attention then goes to Eirian as the guy in question just looks at Miho confronting her friends about her elective.
"Did you give her a piece of your mind yesterday, Eiry?" - Lisbeth asks, catching Eirian's attention altogether to her.
"Huh?"
"Your neighbor… Her passing out yesterday is quite a buzz in our classroom, you knew that, right?" - Elena reiterates.
"Yes. And don't worry, we talked about it…" Eirian assures them.
"How about you two then?" Eirian asks them. "What electives did you pick?"
"Well, Lena here really wanted to try Sensha-dō, so we both picked that." Lisbeth answers.
"For the benefits?" Haruto assumes.
"Definitely." Lisbeth concurs. "But Lena here just wants to continue her practice with Sensha-dō since she's a practitioner back in the day."
"You're part of Sensha-dō?" Eirian can't help but ask.
"Yup! And I'm good at it as well." Elena boostfully claims.
"Geez, you don't need to flex on us…" Eirian flatly replies as he finds her boastful attitude a bit annoying for his taste.
"Ну, ты не слишком груб?" Elena curses.
"What did you say?"
"I said that you're just jealous." Elena coldly replies.
"Sure…" Eirian replies in reluctance but eventually notices that Lisbeth goes all quiet as she stares intently at his selection card. "Wanna see it?"
Lisbeth just nods her head before Eirian finally gives her his selection card.
"Since I'm living alone, I plan to join this one specifically." Eirian narrates as they look at his card.
"Is this…?"
"The Gourmet Creation Club?" Kojiro reiterates loudly in the student council room. "This doesn't make any sense! I followed your advice down to a tee!"
"Koji, I don't think you're reaallly good with the words." Anzu points out, still bringing her usual charisma to calm her treasurer down. "It's fine. We can just try other methods and invite them over again."
"Then I'll leave it to you, President…"
"Glad to hear! Momo~"
"Yes, Prez!"
"Make an announcement. I want to talk to them both, personally."
"I'll take care of it immediately."
"Uhm… are you sure we really needed to manipulate them both, president?" Yuzu raises her concern.
"We have no choice, we need to have them both." Momo answers. "Without them… I don't think we can even join the upcoming tournament…"
"And we can't let that happen." Anzu assures them. "But don't worry, he'll comply for sure because he'll have to."
"How so, miss president?" Kojiro asks.
"Because he can't say no if I'm involved, or rather, if she's involved."
The bell tolls for the second time, lunch time is in session as the students take their respite from the classes. As groups form and friends gather, Eirian can't help but also be one of these groups.
Luckily he can observe his target, but unfortunately, she's behind him.
"Well, it's true that I've never heard of men doing Sensha-dō." - Lisbeth begins. "It does seem kinda mismatched."
"You wouldn't know that unless you saw them in the background." Elena retorts. "They can be handy sometimes."
"Handy?" Haruto asks from across the table while sitting beside Eirian. "Boys are allowed?"
"To some extent." Elena answers. "They can be suppliers, fuelers, mechanics, дворники, and etc. Unless we're talking about other forms, boys aren't allowed to man those soft tanks in Sensha-dō."
"Wdhat doews dat mwean?" Lisbeth then asks while chewing on her food.
"Some forms of Sōkōbajutsu are still mixed, especially the racing ones that we often send to participate in western tournaments." Elena answers. "And stop talking when your mouth is full!"
"Hm… does this mean that Sensha-dō is dying?" Eirian then asks after a moment of silence in his seat.
"Oh… uhm, I don't really know…" Elena answers in an iffy manner. "We're far less advanced compared to the others, so I guess that's the sign that it needs some changes."
"I see then…"
"I can see why Leopold is so adamant of changing their policies here…"
But his thoughts yet again get disrupted by the sudden announcement through the intercoms.
"Attention, this is an important announcement."
"Students from Class I, 2-A. Nishizumi Miho and Haiiro Eirian from the General Course, please come to the Council's room. Immediately."
"I repeat."
"Class II-A. Nishizumi Miho and Haiiro Eirian. Come to the Student Council immediately."
The announcement continues in the background as the group of Eirian and Miho goes into complete silence. Words can't express to Eirian's friends as they look at him with bad resolution.
"Again? What exactly did you do this time?" Haruto asks in a disappointing voice.
"Yeah, what did you do to Miho?" Lisbeth joins in, sharing the same expression with Haruto while Elena at the background looks at Eirian with a revulsion look on her face.
"Извращенец…"
"I didn't do anything, I swear!" Eirian pleads.
While appealing to his friends that he does no harm to the girl, the girl in question just suddenly tugs his shirt from behind, and the moment Eirian turns his head around, he only sees an anxious Miho murmuring.
"What do we do…?"
"Sounds like we'll have to face them."
After a couple of minutes, the gang arrives at Anzu's office, only to see the disappointment on the student council's faces the moment they arrive. Anzu staring directly at her monitor from her chair, Momo reading some sort of paper from her clipboard, Yuzu twiddling her fingers, and Kojiro just sitting in the background with both of her feet twitching involuntarily.
As the group of students settle in with the atmosphere they're in, Momo finally looks at them and shows them both the selection cards of Miho and Eirian.
"Care to explain yourselves?"
With Miho choosing calligraphy and Eirian picking out the gourmet creation club. Their electives don't suit the student council, and so the latter once-mechanic and the former practitioner are facing questioning from them directly.
"I told you both the other day to take Sensha-dō, so why did you two refuse our offers?" Anzu interjects.
"Even if we have Yokova-san and that girl from Class 2-B. We still need your skills." Momo points out. And just like that Momo starts to bow, not even afraid to let her reputation as the fiery member of the council get the best of her, yet her offer is still refused.
"You can't be that selfish!" Saori replies.
"She's right. You can't push the impossible to them both." Hana concurs.
"Both of them decided to not take Sensha-dō, can't you just acknowledge their decision!" Lisbeth also interjects with her opinion.
"You can't exercise your authority that intervenes with the students' autonomy!" Elena points out.
"You guys have no shame?!" Haruto exclaims.
"Shame..? I don't mind bowing my head till it reaches the floor…" Anzu casually replies. " If anything, it would be more shameful if you two won't be able to stay at this school much longer."
"I can't believe this… are you threatening them?" Hana asks in return.
"The President has always been serious." Momo assures them. "We're doing the best we can for the sake of our school."
"And just forced both of them to join your club?" Lisbeth points out, getting angrier and angrier by the minute.
"Well… how about w-" But before Yuzu can say anything about the situation. Kojiro stops her halfway as the place is too heated for a mediation.
"I know how you feel, but let's just trust the President on this one."
"I hope they will reconsider their plans…"
"Well… it did affect both of them." Kojiro points out.
With the situation getting all heated and their friends bickering against the student council continues, Miho can't help but feel depressed and powerless at how the situation is turning into. And tragically, her thoughts go out of control the moment she watches both of her closest friends defending her.
"Takebe-san… Isuzu-san…"
"They are here to defend me even though they want to join Sensha-dō…"
Her thoughts spiraling, her chest tightening, her trauma is about to attack as she might pass out from the situation she's in. All she can do at that moment is hold her friends' hand and wish.
"Please make it stop…"
"I don't want to…"
"Join…"
"Sensha-dō…"
"Agai-"
Then Eirian shouts loudly.
"Enough!"
The whole room goes silent. Eirian feeling frustrated with all the bickering and arguments and noticing Miho's downed and depressed state, he takes his chances and attempts to end all of them.
"You guys said that you can handle it with Yokova with the club. So if one of us transferred to your club right now, that means the other one won't take it, right?" He answers directly to Anzu personally.
"Of course, we can work with that." Anzu confirms with a nod, though shocked, she answers it with her usual demeanor.
"Then I'm transferring myself to Sensha-dō!"
"..."
"What?!"
This causes a mixed reaction from the group behind him, especially to Miho.
"H-Haiiro-san! Are you really gonna join Sensha-dō?" Miho raises her concern, getting a worried tone out of her voice.
"I was assured by Kojiro yesterday that they have transport vehicles I can manage," Eirian assures her. "Engines are still engines, wires are still wires, I can learn from it."
"You… you can't be serious, Eiry?" Lisbeth asks the next, still surprised to see him switching clubs easily.
"Don't be dumb!" Haruto exclaims, rushing to his side. "Now's not the time to be a hero, what happens if you get surrounded by girls without me?!"
"Eh?"
"That won't do!" Haruto thuds the desk of Anzu. "President Kadotani! I'll join Sensha-dō as well!"
"I like your spirit, Kisetsu-kun." Anzu smiles. "And Momo, let's secure their cards after we dismissed Nishizumi-chan and her friends."
"Just like that?" Miho asks.
"The President is always compassionate." Momo interjects. "But since Haiiro-san has complied with our offers, we don't need your cooperation anymore."
"No..." Miho bluntly refuses.
"Miporin?"
"Nishizumi-san?"
"Haiiro-san! Don't you think this is unfair to you?" Miho asserts. "You're doing this just for me and it doesn't make it right even if you're my neighbor!"
She starts approaching him before stopping right in front of him.
"I want to be a good neighbor for once and let me take your position because I'm joining the Sensha-dō club!"
"What?! I thought you were scared of joining?!" Eirian objects.
Miho realizes what she said and takes a moment to stop herself from speaking, composing herself a little bit before explaining her reasons to him. "I… I want to repay you with your constant consideration for me during these past few days, and plus… I have experience with Sensha-dō, so I can adjust easily with it…"
"Hehe, sounds like both of you are willing to cover each other's backs. So how about this?" Anzu begins, catching both the attention of Miho and Eirian. "How about you two join and we'll up the benefits to everyone in the room."
"That ain't gonna wor-" Eirian immediately gets a shush from Haruto as he puts his hand to his mouth.
"How many are we talking about?!"
"We can up that to 100 meal tickets, 120 anti-late cards, and 90 exception cards, and we'll also grant you the right to join with our affairs here at school."
"Does that mean we're also a part of the Student Council?" Elena asks.
"We can grant you temporary recognition as representatives of our SC's sport department." Momo answers.
"That's… a lot of benefits…" Lisbeth points out while Haruto transfixes from the sudden increase.
"I always put my best foot forward when it comes to delivering satisfaction to my fellow students, hehe~" Anzu comments with a bright smile on her face. "So, will you two insist on joining us now?"
In the end, it seems like Anzu's gamble takes a win and Eirian loses.
Noticing a now determined look from Miho that encourages him to say yes alongside her, Eirian can't help but smile and give a little bit of respect to his target in front of her.
"Hate to say this… but I got played dirty…
"Fine, we'll take your offer, President."
Hearing their final confirmation, the student council can't help but express their gratitude while the others share a mixed reaction, and while the others are celebrating for this exciting development, both Miho and Eirian just look at each other and heave a sigh in unison, one out of relief and the other in disbelief.
And so, to treat their new recruits, Anzu gives an order to Yuzu to guide them to one of the best restaurants for desserts in downtown Zuikaku. With a special coupon from the council, the gang now stays at this impressive looking restaurant and eats their delicious ice creams.
"Phew!" Haruto lets out an exhaustive stretch. "Who would've wondered that turned out to be alright."
"You didn't even do anything, you even sided with them, Har…" Lisbeth comments in abhorrence while suddenly takes a scoop out of Haruto's ice cream.
"Well, let's be thankful that we got additional benefits with the club." Elena points out as she hides her chocolate-mint ice cream from the ice cream-craving Chuda.
"But that was really inconsiderate of you, Kisetsu-san." Hana also joins in, scolding him in the process.
"Ehhh… it wouldn't really matter if I'm there for him, right?" Haruto points out. "And plus, weren't you two yesterday probing Miho to join Sensha-dō?"
"Eh?!" Saori gasps. " Where did you hear that from?!"
"From Lisbeth."
"Liz! You can't spread our secret like that!" Saori pouts before scolding her friend across the table.
"Haha, it's just too juicy, goumen-goumen!" She apologies in a cheerful manner.
"Yet we still haven't asked their opinions about it though." Elena speaks out, causing them to look at Miho who quietly stares at her ice cream.
"Hu-huh?!" Miho looks at them in confusion as she almost drops her spoon.
"You know you don't need to force yourself, Miho." Lisbeth begins. "You can still say no since Eiry has you covered."
"I'll be fine, don't worry, Chuda-san" Miho replies, assuring her. "I… was happy when you all defended me there."
"I never experienced something like that before, so… thank you so much!" She finally smiles at them. "Sensha-dō has always been a part of my family's culture, so I expected this to happen at one point or another…"
Seeing Miho down yet again, Saori brings up the worst possible topic a friend can do. "T-then tell me, Miporin, when did you become close to your neighbor?"
"Eh…" Miho jolts her head backwards upon getting a surprise from Saori's sudden inquiry.. "Haiiro-san's?"
"Takebe-san, we shouldn't ask about their relationship."
"Saori's right! What is it all about?! I want to hear all the details!" Lisbeth is all for it as she concurs with Saori's idea.
"Come on guys, I'm still here you know!" Haruto starts complaining.
"You can always accompany him outside, though." Elena flatly points out, gesturing to Eirian outside the restaurant.
"And missed this opportunity?! Of course not!" Haruto protests. "And plus, he's talking with someone so I wouldn't want to interrupt him."
"Ah huh…" Elena can't help but look at the lonely figure at the side of the road outside. "Haiiro huh… what makes you so special with the student council?"
Outside, Eirian is talking to someone on the phone. "And that's the gist of it…" he reports in a defeated manner.
"Sounds like you'll be staying much longer then.:
"Yup, at least we're going somewhere now." Eirian continues. "Managed to talk with her yesterday and now it seems like we're acquaintances."
"Don't you mean friends?"
"I don't believe so…"
"Well, that's a start for you… better start increasing your friend points with her then."
"Don't treat this like playing the Sims…"
"Haha, sorry, it's just unusual for you to stand up for her."
"It's supposed to be a gamble, it sure backfires when I least expected it…"
"How unfortunate." He teases him.
"Genug. Bis Dann, Rommel."
"Occuparsi~" And with that, Rommel ends the call and the door behind Eirian rings aloud.
"Did you finish your call with someone?" Miho asks.
"Yes. It went smoother than I anticipated." Eirian then looks back at Miho and takes the offer from her, getting a black forest-flavored ice cream as a result.
"What brings you here?"
"Oh… Well… I-I… want to t-thank you for h-helping me out e-earlier…" Miho then bows her head, flustered and embarrassed but wanting to say it personally to him.
"Well, you did say you were just repaying your debt, so I guess we're now equals right?"
"Hehe, hai!"
As Miho acknowledges his comment, she notices his hand extending, and looking at it, it seems like he's offering her a handshake out of the blue.
"May I hope we found our ways in Sensha-dō then, Nishizumi."
She takes a moment to understand what he says to her, and with a smile on her face, she happily accepts his handshake.
"Hai! Let's find our ways in Sensha-dō, Haiiro-san!"
"How about we head back, don't want to misinterpret our actions behind their backs, right?" Eirian points out as Miho can't help but giggle at his comment, and soon they both enter the building together as they head back to their friends and continue their celebration.
And while the day is exhausting to say the least, it's nothing but the first and start of their long week ahead of them as they become the members of Sensha-dō. And immediately, their first club starts right… tomorrow.
Yes, the next day.
Indeed, there's no rest for the enthusiasts, and for those who solely want to reap the benefits… but even still, a group of less than 30 students accept the offering as they now gather in front of the conspicuous warehouse building within the campus ground.
"We're quite fewer than I expected…" Lisbeth points out as she observes her surroundings.
"Never did Sensha-dō catch the attention of many since it's too dangerous to begin with." - Elena starts.
"And it sounds like Hohei-dō is still popular with the boys." Eirian continues as he sees the half of the boys' population flocking at the building over the distance.
"Well, they do have an impressive streak of activities." Haruto remarks before approaching him closely and whispers something out of excitement. "Did you notice that we're the only boys here?"
He continues to allure him. "We got some new faces, looks like they're the freshmen if I'm not mistaken. Then we got those cutesy cosplayers from the history buffs. And finally, the athletes from the decommissioned volleyball club!"
"This is the best thing we could've signed for, Eirian!"
"Don't be stupid, they'll kick you out for that!"
"Not unless we start with the Student Council!"
"That's not the point!"
But before Haruto pursues his wildest imaginations, the voice of the student council in front of them catches their attention altogether.
"Good morning, everyone. We'll be starting our club's first activity." Momo announces.
"Does anyone have any questions?"
And though one of them starts to raise their hand, Momo still presses onward, even if she can see that someone's hand.
"Good! Treasurer, the gates!"
As Momo calls out his name, the door inside the warehouse starts to open from the inside, pushing its double door outward as sunlight starts crawling in the dark room. A storage room with a litter of crates and a broken vehicle lies in decommission and dilapidation.
"What's that?" One of the freshmen asks.
"I think that's what they call a tank? It looks… very old."
"It looks ugly…"
"It's German…"
"I feel like this one has some culture behind it."
"By 'culture', you meant 'rust', right?"
And while they look at the sole vehicle at the storage bay, Miho can't help but inspect the tank carefully. Her affinity with German machinery puts her in a good position for a thorough check up.
"The armor looks fine and the threads are repairable…" Miho begins, touching the tank's exterior and feeling it with her hand. "It's not too rusty so this makes it bearable."
Miho then looks at students behind him and confirms her findings.
"We can operate this tank."
The students express themselves with excitement as they rejoice with the vehicle while some aren't keen to it, nonetheless the atmosphere seems to return as the others start checking the rest of the storage bay.
While this is happening, Eirian can't help himself but look at Miho from afar, her expression is in total opposition from what he saw two days before. "Did she bounce back?" "Was it all a ruse?", "How did she do that?"
"With all of these questions… I need to sort them out eventually."
"Why are you here?"
"What are you aiming for?"
"When will you show me your true nature?"
"Was this just a part of your apparent-looking lie?"
Author's Note:
And that's the final part of our first Log!
I apologize for the last update but with this we'll be starting the long yet exciting Ace Und Panzer series!
So expect new things over the horizon!
Unfortunately, doesn't allow videos so I can't show you guys the soundtrack for AuP.
Nonetheless, I wouldn't mind sharing the name of AuP's first opening soundtrack!
It's name is "容姿端麗な嘘 / Youshi Tanrei Na Uso" made by Oral Cigarettes!
Check it out or try look at my chapter on Wattpad so you can see the video (and special pictures)