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This is the translation of the first Full Metal Panic novel, Fighting boy meets girl.
This is a Spanish to English translation, the source novel being the one translated in Spanish
by Menudo-Fansub. I would like to thank them for allowing me to take the novel and translate it,
especially to Kapia (a wonderful girl, who also helps me translating the hard parts, and recently
she accepted to be the second corrector) and Captain_spiff, the ones who translated and
corrected the Spanish novel.
My thanks also go to Hotaru, my corrector, for helping me with my English, pointing out the
mistakes and offering alternatives, UltimateKane (who accepted this novel to appear on his blog).
For those wondering, I don’t have a blog and I don’t intend to make one soon (or ever, for that
matter), I’m not the type to start writing… things on the internet, that’s why I needed someone
else’s blog to host these files.
This being a third-language-translation, it might not be 100% accurate, but I tried to make it
as good and accurate as I could. Also, please forgive the eventual errors, both me and Hotaru are
quite busy and tired, so there might be some mishaps; we try our best however to avoid that, and
hopefully we will improve in the future.
dasvik
Contact list:
Menudo-Fansub: www.menudo-fansub.com
Kapia: kapia117@gmail.com
UltimateKane’s blog: http://ultimatekane99.livejournal.com/
Hotaru: Sakuro1985@aol.com
dasvik: dasvik10@yahoo.com
Peeping Tom, stray child, or stalker? For beautiful Kaname
and transfer student Sousuke, this is only the beginning.
A spiral of nonsensical letters appears.
As Kaname stares, a hidden seal within her breaks.
Kaname makes him lower his weapon. She slowly approaches
Sousuke and embraces him. "Sagara, let’s go home together"
FULL METAL PANIC
Table of contents
Prologue
1. School Assignment
2. Underwater Scene
3. Bad Trip
4. Field of Giants
5. Black Technology
Epilogue
Afterword
Prologue
Armed with a clipboard and a fruit flavored CalorieMate, Sousuke entered into the
extremely gigantic hangar of the giant submarine to work on the report his mission.
1
Landing Zone
Most of the weaponry of the ship – Arm Slaves, helicopters transportation, VTOL fighters
and other – was aligned there. Sousuke fixed his eyes on one that was being repaired.
"Hey, Sousuke!" resounded a powerful voice.
Sousuke turned and faced his colleague, Sgt. Kurz Weber.
A blonde man with blue eyes, small chin and big eyes, Kurz was as handsome as a movie
star. His perfectly arranged long hair added a touch of androgynous charm. When he smiled,
the hearts of women beat faster.
However, as soon as he opened his mouth...
"Why the long face? Constipation? Hemorrhoids?"
No dignity. No class.
"I am in perfect health," Sousuke answered distracted while biting a mouthful of his
CalorieMate.
"You are too clumsy, you know?" Kurz looked at the AS that was being repaired. Its armor
was entirely removed. "Wow, they opened it completely, huh?"
"Apparently, they are conducting a detailed inspection of the structural system."
"Well, you strained it to the maximum. That’s to say, you caught a helicopter! Weren’t you
scared?"
"No. It wasn’t a thing that exceeds the expectations of an M9."
The AS models both Sousuke and Kurz used was named M9 Gernsback. It was of the
latest generation, it wasn’t widely used in military circles military yet. Compared to the previous
models of Arm Slaves, the M9 had an extraordinary power and agility.
"I suppose so, but the M9 is the only machine that could remain unscathed from that feat."
concluded Kurz, while taking a seat on an empty box of ammunition. He watched the line of
M9s in the hangar.
The Arm Slaves had been invented in the mid-80. At that time, the US President, Ronald
Reagan, strongly supported the development of a robot that accompanied the proposed
strategic defense project 'Star Wars'.
'The next great progress in resolving local disputes.'
'A great technical challenge!'
'A contribution that will save work from the forces of infantry!'
Thanks to a suspicious rhetoric, the AS became a reality only a few years later. Weapons
of humanoid form that were once thought as an impossible joke, now running at speeds of
more than 97 kilometers per hour, employing numerous weapons and equal to a tank in terms
of strength.
The specialists were amazed; still, the military men could hardly take a step or two with
the biped robots before falling.
What kind of genius had been the mastermind of this project? What group of experts
would have it done?
'It’s the implemented technology of the visitors!' affirmed the fanatics of the UFO, which
temporarily increased the sales of its magazines and books.
But eventually, people looked at the AS in the same way they look at a cruise missile or
invisible fighter planes: as a weapon of high technology.
Ten years later, the AS technology continued to have an explosive progress. It got to the
point where it was dangerous to approach them without caution, even in an attack helicopter.
A thought came to Kurz while still watching.
"Hey, Sousuke, that girl you brought..."
"Is she alive?"
"Yes, but she was drugged."
"Narcotics?"
"Cannabis-drugs or something like that, we still do not know exactly what, but we believe
that its origin is the research center of the KGB. I do not know what kind of experiments are
doing there, but they are quite cruel."
"Will she recover?"
"I don’t know. Although this is the case, probably take a long time."
Sousuke did not know what to say. Although senior officers seemed to know what sort of
guinea pig was the girl, they did not share that information with Sousuke and Kurz. It really was
part of the protocol; front-line fighters were rarely given all the details.
The man who died in the jeep was a spy from Mithril’s Intelligence Department. Saving
the girl was not part of his original mission, which was to gather information about the research
center of the KGB. However, he had remorse of conscience and put his life at risk to rescue the
experimental subject.
But despite the death of the spy, Mithril managed to get their hands on a CD with highly
confidential information thanks to Sousuke and others.
Breaking the silence, Sergeant Major Melissa Mao came quickly into the hangar.
"There you are."
Around twenty-five years old, Mao was an American woman of Chinese descent. Her
short black hair framed her beautiful face without masking her true wild nature. Like Sousuke
and Kurz, Mao was a skillful AS operator. The three of them were often grouped together as a
team, and Mao was always the leader.
"You have done a good job with those extra hours," said Mao.
Sousuke growled and nodded.
"What is it, girl?" Kurz said.
"Remove that smile off your face, mister. You always look like your joking around here."
"Do you know who are you talking about? I am Kurz Weber, the extraordinary model. This
beautiful face appeared in the pages of Esquire, you know?"
"Ah, of course, I think I saw that. Was not it a farce like that movie of Charlie Sheen, 'Hot
Shots!'?"
"Shut up, bitch."
Quickly, like a cat, Mao reached and caught Kurz by the cheek. Kurz left out a small shout.
"What did you called me?" she demanded.
"I said you are the smartest, prettiest, most dependable-"
"That’s what I thought", she said, cutting him off and releasing his cheek.
Calm and nibbling his food, Sousuke observed the whole scene.
Mao noticed when he swallowed.
"Are those things good?"
He nodded, smiling.
"They have the perfect sweetness."
"Good. Sousuke, the Lieutenant Commander wants to see you."
"Roger."
"You too, Don Juan."
"Argh! I thought we were free!"
"Regard this as a revocation," said Mao, laughing. "I on the other hand, am free. If you
need me, I will be in the bathroom." She laughed as she was leaving.
"If that bitch knew what was good for her" commented Kurz, "she'd be clawing her name
into my back."
While Mao went, Kurz lifted his finger behind her back.
"What kind of sign is that?" Sousuke questioned.
Knock, knock!
Enter.
Sousuke and Kurz entered into the small room full of documents, shelves and a tall man
dressed in a green combat uniform, Lt. Commander Kalinin. Although Kalinin was wearing a
long gray hair, his beard and mustache were well cut.
"We are reporting as ordered, sir," Sousuke said, waving firmly.
"Yes, here we are," said Kurz making a greeting loose.
Indifferent to the greeting Kurz, Lieutenant Commander Kalinin raised his look of the
documents he was reading.
"It is a mission," Lieutenant Commander talked straight. He launched one folder to
Sousuke and Kurz. "Take a look."
"Yes, sir," said Sousuke.
"Good," said Kurz, joking.
The documents in the folder appeared to be a personal story, including a black and white
photo of a smiling Asian girl. She would be about twelve years old in that picture, a girl nestled
with a woman, presumably their mother. It was a pretty girl, with beautiful skin and defined
characteristics.
Kurz whistled.
"I bet that when she grows up, she will be a beauty."
"In fact, the photo is of four years ago," said the Lieutenant-Commander. "Now she is 16."
"And where is a current photo?"
"We do not have one."
Already accustomed to the way Kurz acted, Sousuke didn’t pay attention, focusing instead
on reading the autobiographical information of the girl.
According to the report, her name was Kaname Chidori and she lived in Tokyo, Japan.
Kaname was a student in one of the abundant schools of Tokyo. Her father was a High
Commissioner of the United Nations. She had a sister of eleven years, who lived with her
father in New York City. Her mother had died three years ago.
There was additional information: height, blood type, medical history and a lot more, the
report did not spare in details.
A sentence suddenly caught Sousuke’s attention: ’The probability of being a Whispered:
88% (according to the Statistical Law of Miller).’
Sousuke knew that the word that had been censored with black marker was the real
reason why Kurz and he had been assigned to this mission.
"And what has happened to her?" asked Kurz.
"Nothing," responded Kalinin. "Yet."
"Huh?" Kurz said confused.
Slightly turning in his noisy chair, the Lieutenant Commander looked at a world map that
was hanging on the wall. It was updated with the latest national borders: the completely divided
Soviet block, the division of the southern and northern Chinese territories, and the scribble of
lines that formed the Middle East.
"All you both need to know is that there are a number of enemy agencies, including the
KGB, who would want to kidnap Kaname Chidori."
"Why?" asked Kurz.
"That," Kalinin said resolute, "is something that you gentlemen do not need to know."
"Oh, I see."
Everything seemed too vague to Kurz. This girl, Kaname Chidori, was only a potential
target.
"What exactly is our mission?" pressed Sousuke.
"Protect the girl, of course. I assign you to this mission because both of you speak
Japanese fluently."
"I guess that makes sense."
Kurz's father was a correspondent for a newspaper, and consequently, Kurz had lived in
the district of Edogawa, Tokyo until he turned fourteen. Therefore, he spoke the language like a
pro.
"I have already informed Sergeant Major Mao. The three of you will be in charge of this
matter."
That seemed a lot of work to Kurz.
"Just the three of us?"
"There isn’t any more available personnel. It is already decided."
"It will be difficult," said Kurz.
"That’s why you’re here."
Sousuke, Kurz and Mao were more than just AS pilots; they were highly trained soldiers
capable of parachuting, reconnaissance, fighting and much more. They were members of a
team chosen from many candidates. And for them, an AS was only one of the tools they could
use.
"After Mao's insistence, I have decided to give you Class B equipment."
The two soldiers were amazed.
"Are we taking an Arm Slave?" asked Sousuke.
"Yes."
"But that is at the heart of a great city!" Kurz protested.
"That’s why you will only operate in ECS invisible mode," reasoned Kalinin.
Although the technology was created for the Arm Slaves, many modern weapons used
some form of ECS (Electromagnetic Camouflage System). Using hologram technology, the
stealth-art equipment could hide very large objects from radar and infrared rays. Mithril’s ECS
systems were so advanced that could override the waves of visible light.
In other words, it made things invisible.
It required a lot of energy, so invisibility was not practical (or even possible) during
combat, but it wasn’t any problem when the vehicle was standing still or hiding.
"You will take an M9 with you. The armament will be minimal, so take two packages of
external condensers."
"Understood," Kurz said.
"It is imperative that this mission be kept highly confidential."
"Excuse me?" Kurz frowned.
"If the Japanese government gets involved," Kalinin continued, "it will become a disaster.
So we must protect Kaname without letting her or anyone else know. But even so you should
be alert when the problems will appear."
"That sounds very..." Kurz struggled to find the right words.
"…difficult," Sousuke concluded. Protecting someone without their knowledge or
permission was more than absurd.
"Depending on how you operate, it should not be so difficult. This girl, Kaname Chidori,
spends most of her time in a mixed public school. Our younger soldier has the same age as
her and is also Japanese."
"Ohoho!" Kurz’s face brightened and turned around to see Sousuke, who blinked several
times upon being under scrutiny.
"You’re not saying-"
"We’re falsifying documents of the transferred student as we speak."
And it was Kalinin who signed the recommendation.
"What is all this?" Sousuke asked, looking fixedly at the collection of objects scattered on
the table. He took some of the objects and frowned: a toothbrush, hair gel, a CD player, several
CDs of Hiroshi Itsuki and SMAP, several amulets of the temple of Narita-san, a Game Boy, a
Mister Junko watch, cigarettes, energy drinks, fashion magazines and other miscellaneous
objects of different nature.
Melissa Mao smiled.
“I took a tour of the ship and got all the things that a typical Japanese student might have.”
“I see.”
A little confused, Sousuke grabbed a small square of vinyl that contained a circle that
appeared to be of rubber.
"That is a condom," said Mao.
"I know. But I do not understand why a student might need one."
"Don't be silly, you rascal!"
"In fact, I used it many times," said Sousuke. "It can store a whole liter of liquid."
Melissa Mao was astonished.
"Yes, if you have lost your water bottle in the jungle, these things can save your life,"
Sousuke honestly concluded.
"Yes?" Sergeant Major Mao put on blank eyes.
Pressing a remote control, Kurz passed in front of Sousuke, near a LCD screen.
"Look at this. These are students of Japanese school, pay attention."
When Kurz pressed the play button, the image of a classroom of generic appearance
filled the screen. It seemed that it was late, and there were only two students in the class.
Despite having a lot of space to stay in, they were standing in the corner, very close together.
"I always thought of you as my friend from childhood," the young man admitted, letting the
words come out slowly, "until now. I can’t believe it took me so long to realize what I feel for
you."
"Oh, Tohru!" said the girl, hugging the boy.
While the young man was approaching to kiss her, the door of the class was opened.
Surprised, the couple in the corner saw another student standing at the door.
"Naomi!" Tohru said.
"How could you?" Naomi demanded, and she ran crying.
The boy started to chase after her, but the girl in the corner pulled on his sleeve and told
him to let her go.
Kurz pressed the pause button.
"Why was she running?" asked Sousuke. "Is the girl in the corner her enemy?"
Kurz blinked surprised by Sousuke’s lack of social sense.
"Unless...Naomi now knows a secret that could get her killed. She runs to survive. It's a
ready girl!”
"Something like that," said Kurz, putting on blank eyes.
While the Tuatha de Danna rested half-submerged in the sea as a vigilant hippo, the
hatch of the covered take-off deck opened with a noise, revealing the track on which Arm
Slaves, helicopter gunships and VTOL aircrafts were launched.
A transport helicopter with seven rotors rested in the covered take-off, waiting for
permission to leave. The shipment was full of all kinds of equipment, including an M9 Arm
Slave.
After putting his small kit bag behind his seat, Sousuke tied the safety belt. He made one
final review to make sure he had not forgotten anything of vital importance, such as the forged
student card that he kept in his chest pocket.
Mao, who sat beside him, looked at the card for identification.
"You put your real name there?"
"Affirmative. I do not exist in Japanese archives, but if a problem occurs, I can always
change the name."
"Oh, well."
"It’s not a problem. Now let's go."
The helicopter began preparing for takeoff.
"Are you nervous? After all, this is your first day of school," said Kurz from the back seat.
"I will give my best," responded Sousuke.
"Tessa seemed worried," Mao said, referring to the captain of submarine.
"I am not surprised. It is an important mission," said Sousuke, causing a simultaneous
sigh from Mao and Kurz.
Before they could continue the conversation, the pilot of the helicopter
reported that it was time to leave.
(Perhaps the security is better than I imagined) thought Sousuke, while he and Miss.
Kagurazaka walked through an empty corridor.
At first, when asked to register his suit-case, Sousuke thought that his mission had
already failed. Once his guns were confiscated, he resigned into following the teacher to the
basement, where he assumed they will interrogate and beat him.
But then, when all students were registered, he realized that it was a routine.
(Wait a minute, does that mean that many students bring small weapons and explosives
to class?)
Sousuke looked around, but saw nothing to affirm or refute the idea.
If all students were armed, that would make his work as bodyguard even more
complicated. That meant it was possible that anyone, even the volleyball team that came
walking down the hallway, could be carrying machine guns.
Sousuke didn’t worry too much, because Kurz Weber was in a M9 Gernsback,
camouflaged in a grove behind the school. If Sousuke called him with his miniature radio on his
watch, the M9 would be there in about ten seconds.
"Urzu-6, what is your status?" Sousuke whispered in his watch.
"Tired and hungry," said Kurz on Sousuke’s hidden radio. "I need a beer."
Miss. Kagurazaka continued to guide Sousuke down the corridor. She was an educated
woman around twenty-five years old. She had short hair and wore a gray suit with a skirt set.
"Ma’am," said Sousuke, "about the weapons..."
"We will return them to you at the end of the classes," she interrupted him.
"That is not a problem. The problem is that it is loaded. It is extremely dangerous, so
please do not touch the trigger under any circumstances."
"Huh? Oh, okay."
"It's loaded with splat-type bullets that have a high probability of killing. So even if it
accidentally shoots, there will be many deaths. Handle it carefully, please."
"I understand. Do not worry."
It was obvious that she didn’t understand. Disobeying his instructions, Sousuke worried.
From their desks inside the noisy class, Kaname and Kyouko watched how Miss
Kagurazaka guided Sousuke Sagara to the classroom.
Kaname and Kyouko had a little conversation without words, through facial expressions
and gestures.
(Look, there he is!)
(The guy obsessed with weapons!)
"Shut up!" shouted the teacher, hitting the board with the book of assistances. "Take your
seats and keep quiet. It's time to get to know your new classmate."
Obediently, most students calmed down.
"Good. Mr. Sagara, please introduce yourself."
"Yes ma'am!" Sousuke took a step forward. "I'm Sergeant Sousuke Sagara," he shouted.
Almost immediately, he paled realising his own stupidity.
"Surgeon So Gay Soggy Log" called one of the jokers from the back of the room.
"Sir John Soaks a Saw Lulag?"
"Sergeant? Like an army sergeant?"
"Silence! Leave him the opportunity to speak," harshly-ordered the teacher, hitting the
board again with the book. "And you, Mr. Sagara, it's not the time for jokes."
"Sorry."
Before this, Sousuke had not been so nervous on a mission. The pressure was intense.
Letting out that word could have caused the mission to fail.
Sweating heavily, he started again.
"I am Sousuke Sagara. Ignore the 'Sergeant' part. That's all."
"That's all?"
"Yes ma'am. That's all."
Miss Kagurazaka turned towards the class.
"Do you have any questions?"
"Where are you from, Sagara?"
"I have lived in many parts; Afghanistan, Lebanon, Cambodia and Iraq, but I haven’t
stayed in one place for a long time."
The class was silent.
"Wow. It seems that Mr. Sagara has traveled quite a lot," concluded Miss Kagurazaka. "If I
am not mistaken, you were transferred from the United States, right?"
"So it is," Sousuke said, asserting what his false transfer papers said, which showed a
previous address in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Although Sousuke never had been there, he
knew people who were.
One of the students raised his hand, but did not wait until the teacher gave him the word.
"Do you have a hobby?"
"All-scale weapons!" someone said from the bottom of the class, and the whole class
broke into laughing.
"I like fishing and reading," Sousuke said honestly.
When Sousuke had free time at Mithril’s Pacific West base, he threw the fishing line in the
water and read some good weapons manuals. Even when it rained, he sat out with an
umbrella, immersed in his small world.
"What do you read?" inquired one of the students.
Sousuke's eyes shone brightly.
Mainly, technical articles and magazines such as Jane’s Battleships, Soldier of Fortune
and Monthly Arm Slave. Also, I read the Japanese AS Fan magazine, which contains a
surprisingly high level of information. At last, I have been captivated by a series of the Naval
Institute Editorials…
Sousuke realized he had already lost one hundred per cent of his audience. He dropped
his head.
"It doesn’t matter. Please forget it."
There was no need to ask: no one remembered because no one was listening. One of the
girls in the front raised her hand.
"Um, which are your favorite singers?"
That was hard, Sousuke rarely listened to music. He growled while trying to recall the CDs
that Sergeant Major Mao had given him before the start of the mission.
"Ah, yes. Hiroshi Itsuki and SMAP."
"What a strange type," exclaimed Kaname while untying the tie of her uniform. "That’s to
say, nothing of what he says makes sense. Nor do I think that he is trying to be funny, I think
that indeed something is wrong in his head, is a freak."
While Kaname removed her blouse to place it on the hanger, she dropped the baseball
cap which had been supported against her locker.
"Shit! Did you see him in the class? He hasn’t stopped looking in all directions. And
among classes, he walked slowly by the corridor. How strange."
"Really?" asked Kyouko, who was in the process of removing her skirt. "I didn't notice."
"How strange. Seriously, just seeing him puts me in a bad mood."
"So don’t look at him."
"I-I’m n-not doing that" Kaname protested while she adjusted her bra. "Why would I look at
such a freak? But this is the worst thing, the worst! I caught him looking at me a couple of
times. He acted as if it was an accident and looked elsewhere, but it was horrifying. Horrifying!"
"Many guys look at you, Kana. You are very pretty, you know." commented Kyouko
with a little envy. She pulled up her socks and reached for her orange softball pants.
"Thank you, but it was not anything like that. It seemed as if he was up to something."
"You know, Kana, you have been talking about Sagara the whole time."
"Really?"
Walking in strides, Sousuke crossed the school, stopping in front of the Athletics Club's
wing. Examining the building, he saw that there were six windows in a row at the second floor.
He found the stairs.
He went up.
"Absolutely!"
Kyouko knew Kaname very well, she knew that Kana was quite popular in spite of having
a dangerous tongue and being too sincere. Generally she was very friendly, so much that she
was practically forced to be the student council vice president.
For Kaname to criticize someone who didn't know, and to do it behind the back of that
person, well, this is very suspecious.
"For someone who does not interest you, you do speak a lot of Sagara."
"Do not be ridiculous! That’s not it. Haha. Hahaha!"
As her lifetime friend, Kyouko understood Kaname laughter would be translated as: 'I don't
know if he interests me, but I do not want to talk about it.'
"Come on, we're going."
When they finished changing their uniforms, Kaname and Kyouko were ready to leave the
changing room, where there were still several girls at different levels of nudity, but as they were
about to arrive at the door, it violently opened.
The eighteen girls who were changing turned their eyes to the student in the door:
Sousuke.
There were eighteen simultaneous screams.
"Eeeeeeek!" The shouts resounded in the windows.
Sousuke was standing there, foolishly, looking very surprised.
Wasting a golden opportunity, he barely looked at the girls in their underwear inside. He
knew that women in few clothes were merely a distraction in his mission.
Walking forward, he grabbed Kaname and threw her to the ground. Somehow, by the time
they reached the ground, he pulled out a pistol from the base of his ankle.
"All of you, to the ground. Get down!" he cried while turning as fast as lightning toward the
open door.
He waited with the gun pointing toward the door.
While, of course, nothing happened.
Keeping Kaname to the ground, he continued aiming the gun. He looked around the room
and didn't see anyone that looked dangerous.
In fact, after watching again, there were eighteen girls gathered around him with
murderous eyes.
Ten minutes later, the chaos was over.
"I never suspected that you would do something like this," said Miss. Kagurazaka,
inspecting the .38 caliber gun.
"I apologize for the incident," Sousuke replied obediently. He was beaten-up; his uniform
was ripped, his face scratched, and his wrists were handcuffed to the back of the chair in which
he was seated. (With his own handcuffs, found by the girls on his belt).
He never liked interrogations.
"I will confiscate this."
"Please-"
"Sorry, I will make no exceptions!"
"Please empty the weapon. They are hollow point bullets, very dangerous."
"Oh, for the love of..." the voice of Miss. Kagurazaka was slowly extinguished. Then she
raised it. "Miss. Chidori, I leave him in your custody."
"What?"
"I have a meeting of teachers. We are planning the school trip. Without doubt, he is the
one responsible for all this disaster, so I will discuss with the other girls and decide how to deal
with it, ok?"
It was unclear whether the teacher trusted Kaname or she was simply an irresponsible
person. In any case, she was gone. Sousuke, who saw Miss. Kagurazaka as Cambodians saw
the Peacekeeping Forces of the UN, was discouraged seeing that she left.
Under the intense looks of so many angry youths, Sousuke had a good idea of what was
waiting for him.
"The Treaty of Geneva agreed that-"
"The what?"
"Forget it."
Kaname had no reason to know about those things, she probably thought that Geneva
was the capital of Brazil.
"So, Sagara, what were you thinking? Being a pervert is one thing, but you would have be
a mentally retarded person to enter the room like a military commando! Are you missing a
screw?"
"'Screw? You mean I'm smart?" (How can I be retarded and intelligent at the same time?
What does this contradiction mean?)
Sousuke realized that it did not matter. Every second seemed like an eternity.
"Look at this, freak!" Kaname rolled-up her sleeves. "See? Look what happened to my
elbows because of you. How will you solve it?"
Sousuke pondered the damage. The skin was not torn but it was a little red. The wounds
Sousuke suffered during the commotion were much worse, but nobody seemed to care.
Finally he spoke:
"It should heal quickly."
"How cruel!"
"Freak!"
"The injuries of a young girl last a lifetime!"
"How do you justify what you did?"
"Apologize to Kana."
Sousuke felt like a tank caught in crossfire. So far it seemed they weren't appreciating his
actions.
"Sorry for treating you violently," said Sousuke. "But please understand it was not my
intention to cause harm to you or your friends."
"So, what was your intention?"
"I am sorry to tell you but that information is classified."
"What do you mean by 'classified'? Tell me!"
"No, I'm sorry..."
Brushing her hair off her face, Kaname said:
"Tell us why you came here."
Thinking fast, Sousuke replied:
"I wanted to join the club."
None of the girls knew how to respond to that.
"I was a member of a club like this in my previous school. I was very proud of my
participation and that's why I had hoped to join. I trust my physical strength and I think you’ll
only benefit if you accept me. So what do you say?"
Internally, Sousuke praised himself for having been able to express his request.
"Look Sagara," started an angry Kaname, "this is, well, it's the Girl’s Softball Club."
Sousuke processed the information.
"So... boys can't join?"
"Absolutely not!"
"I think the circumstances prevent an exception from being made, don't you think?"
At once, the girls picked up Sousuke, and launched him down the stairs, along with the
chair.
"Certainly, it appears that Sergeant Sagara has complicated this mission" said the girl in
the captain's seat, who according to her appearance, would be around fifteen years.
The girl had large gray eyes and her braided ashen blond hair was hanging on her left
shoulder. She wore informal clothes: an elegant brown suit that was two or three sizes bigger
than her.
Despite this, a captain's badge shone on her neck, and although awards and decorations
that are common for most captains weren't there, the girl, Teletha Testarossa (aka Tessa) was
the captain of the Tuatha de Danaan.
Only a handful of people knew the reasons.
One of them, Lieutenant Commander Kalinin, remained standing at her side in the
submarine's command center, which was almost the size of a small theater. It was the Tuatha
de Danaan's brain, it unified the ship with its combat equipment.
"This might be an important learning experience for him." said Kalinin.
The young captain was still looking at Melissa Mao's most recent report, detailing
Sousuke's adventures in a technical language.
"Firearms confiscated. Assaulted by a group of civilians, including the target. Returned to
the safe-house in a considerable state of handicap; handcuffed to a chair."
"Nothing that he can't handle, Captain."
"It is true, Mr. Sagara is a sergeant of the highest level. Even so, I am glad for having
Miss. Mao and Mr. Weber-"
Tessa made a break to watch the clocks; one for GMT (Greenwich Medium Time) and
one for JST (Japan Standard Time) on the screen.
"Lieutenant Commander? How long do you believe the three will be in Tokyo?"
"They may be for several weeks, until we locate and suppress the threat source, Captain."
Despite his age, Kalinin replied with an immense respect.
"So, everything depends on the progress of our mission," concluded Tessa, while studying
the map on the screen. "If all goes according to plan, won't need to protect Kaname Chidori."
"Just like the rest of the Whispered candidates."
"At least for now."
"Yes, unfortunately."
Kalinin excused himself, then waved and left.
Two cars stopped on a lonely bridge crossing a frozen river. Apparently, the noise in the
surrounding area had also been frozen, because there was a sepulchral silence.
Three men were standing in the middle of the bridge; an Asian man in an elegant
Italian suit and two Russians, both in KGB uniforms.
"Too quiet," the Asian grumbled, getting his hair slicked-back. He had a big scar on his
forehead: an incredibly straight line, similar to a cut or to the entrance of a bullet. It was as if he
had a third eye.
"Stop whining, you were the one who chose this place as the meeting point," said the
more burly of the two men of the KGB, a colonel, according to the decorations on his shoulder.
"I was referring to the activity between your ears. I can hear the moths flap!"
The colossal captain who was at the side of the colonel took a step forward.
"What did you say?"
The colonel contained him.
The Asian laughed.
"At least the colonel acts as a decent person."
"It's not our fault," protested the angry colonel. "The Whispered test subject was stolen,
and there is a high possibility that they also have the list of candidates. Without a test subject,
we can't carry out our investigation. It's as simple as that."
The colonel sounded irritated, and rightly so. The investigation they were talking about
was being carried out without the consent of the central committee of the party. If they detected
that their unauthorized activities were a failure, he would most certain be sent to a labor camp.
"So, Gauron, have you finished investigating the objective of the enemies?"
"More or less. Take a look," said the man with the scar, passing a photograph to the
colonel. "I have improved the image quality of that photo you gave me."
In the photo, the profile of an AS could be vaguely seen.
"It's using ECS, that is why the contour looks blurry as if it merged itself with the
surroundings. It seems to be carrying a backpack, perhaps leading very important people to the
top of the mountain."
The AS was very skillfully made, very similar to a human. Impressed, the colonel raised
an eyebrow.
"What is that? I'm not familiar with this model."
"It's an AS belonging to Mithril," Gauron replied cheerfully, "it’s too advanced to worry
about."
"Mithril?"
"It is a secret mercenary organization. They are about ten years ahead the rest of the
world; elite soldiers, the best of the best. You’ve never heard of them?"
Mithril was an enigmatic force, perpetually present in the shadows of international
conflicts. They attacked bases of insurgent groups and destroyed drugs-manufacturing
factories. Allegedly they had destroyed training camps and have prevented terrorists from
smuggling nuclear weapons.
Mithril's mission was to extinguish the flames of regional conflicts. Consequently, they had
no affiliation.
"Why would they interfere with my project?," asked the colonel.
"Probably because it's dangerous. If it were successful, it would incline the balance of
power in the world."
"So I suspect that we will not be able to capture another Whispered candidate so easily."
Having a whispered girl in custody was absolutely essential for the success of the project.
Now that they had lost her, they would have to find another.
"I may kidnap one, but it will take time, is more problematic than killing it," said Gauron.
"Does this mean an increase of your fees?" growled the colonel.
Smiling, Gauron said:
"I am a businessman, not a communist."
"Very funny, you yellow monkey!" shouted the captain. "You are not indispensable! Don't
you think it would be better to thank the colonel because he continued to hire you?"
"I appreciate your patronage," said Gauron.
"The Chinese do not fulfill what they promise!" growled the captain.
"What a brilliant comment, but I am not Chinese." corrected Gauron.
"It's no difference, you are all the same! Wait until we send you to the coal mines in the
Urals and then your yellow smiling face will be all black! Filthy pig!"
"You, sir, are too annoying."
With the skill and speed of a dealer, Gauron pulled out a pistol from his coat. It was a
move so smooth and simple that it seemed as if he had drawn his mobile phone.
The red point of the peephole laser shown on the captain's forehead.
One shot shattered the silence of the night. Blood, skull fragments and bits of brain dirtied
the snow. The captain's body, with only half of his head, fell to the ground with a soft thud.
"Where were we? Oh, yes! Discussing the terms of the abduction." Gauron kept his gun
raised with indifference. He looked at the documents the colonel had given him before.
"Ah, well. This is it," Gauron said. "Is there something wrong, Colonel?"
"That was one of my men..."
"The truth is that you only brought him to intimidate me, right?" Gauron said cruelly. "At
least you will not have to make baby-sitting anymore. Now, let's talk business."
Without being able to say a word, the colonel left the madman to take control of the
conversation.
Looking at the documents, Gauron counted fifteen separate folders with personal
information of the fifteen Whispered candidates. Judging only by the photos, the boys and girls
were of different nationalities and races, but all were about the same age; between 15 and 19
years old.
"Now, which one do you want to get? I know, it’s already decided, you want-" Gauron
quickly pulled out a photo, "this here! Hey, she is a beauty!"
Gauron showed the colonel the picture of Kaname Chidori.
Eating french fries from the fast food restaurant that was under the Departmental Store,
Kaname and her friends were talking cheerfully.
Contact list:
Menudo-Fansub: www.menudo-fansub.com
Kapia: kapia117@gmail.com
UltimateKane’s blog: http://ultimatekane99.livejournal.com/
Hotaru: Sakuro1985@aol.com
dasvik: dasvik10@yahoo.com
Hello everyone!
This is the second chapter of FMP Fighting boy meets girl. I had hoped to release it much
sooner, but in the end I wasn’t able to. I have found a new corrector – besides Hotaru –
David, who also works on the… style-part of the text, so I hope the translations are more
accurate and closer to the original from now on.
Well, I think that’s about it, just wanted to introduce him. Enjoy the second-chapter
action with Sousuke and Chidori.
dasvik
2: UNDERWATER SCENE
As everyone would expect from him, Sousuke continued to monitor the situation from the
opposite corner of the restaurant. He nervously scouted all parties while pretending to read a
copy of three days ago of Tokyo Sports.
Sousuke didn't like how the man sitting across the table, behind Kaname, looked. He was
about twenty-five years old, was of medium constitution and had his eyes hidden under a gray
beret. The man had a black briefcase at his feet and he was continuously looking at his watch.
(What could it be in the briefcase?) Sousuke wondered.
He recalled that he had seen one in an anti-terrorist team catalog. If he was right, this
particular model had a pistol or a machine gun included, that could be fired at the touch of a
switch.
After finishing his burger, the man stood up with the tray in his hands.
(Here we go...), Sousuke thought, as he prepared for action.
But the man simply deposited the hamburger wrapping in the trash, put the tray on top of
the garbage can, and left.
(So I was wrong. Unless...)
Sousuke saw the man's briefcase on the floor, just where he had left it.
(What if...? Damn!)
It was not unusual for some terrorists to make a massacre only to eliminate a specific
target. But wasn’t Kaname supposed to be hijacked? Maybe the situation had changed. In any
case, Sousuke did not have time to think about that.
He ran through the narrow restaurant, lifting tables and throwing food on the floor. He
grabbed the briefcase, which certainly was heavy enough to contain a bomb.
However, this did not go unnoticed.
"Sagara?" Kaname said distrustfully.
"Get down!" he yelled, pushing some customers as he ran out of the fast-food restaurant
with the mysterious briefcase.
(And now, where can I get rid of this?)
Sousuke had inspected the surrounding area, during the night; the commercial district
was crowded. He saw a parking lot across the street, maybe there won’t be anybody there.
"Move aside!" shouted Sousuke running down the street, while angry drivers horned from
both sides.
Sousuke turned just in time to see a truck slamming on its brakes. It couldn’t stop in time
and sent Sousuke flying. He fell on some bikes stored at the side of the road.
(Failure… is not an option...)
Rising as fast as his dizzy head allowed him to, Sousuke was in the process of
remembering how to walk when the suspicious man from the fast-food restaurant approached
him.
"Hey, are you okay?" asked the man, taking the case from Sousuke. He opened it. "Oh,
thanks! I do not know what I would have done if I would have lost my manuscript!" The man
gave Sousuke a pat on the back and then left.
The small group of people, including the truck driver, Kaname, her friends and some
other pedestrians, were standing staring at Sousuke. Some were worried, others confused or
surprised, but they all seemed to be expecting some sort of explanation.
"What the hell are you doing, Sagara?" asked Kyouko.
"I thought it was a bomb," obediently answered Sousuke before collapsing on the street.
"At this rate, you'll be dead before the end of the week!" Kurz laughed while he bandaged
Sousuke’s head. "You are probably more dangerous than any terrorist! Try to relax a little."
"I’m trying to," said Sousuke.
The fiasco at the restaurant that afternoon was the best example in four days of his failed
efforts as well as the catastrophic and harmful results that ensued.
No matter how much he tried, Sousuke couldn’t stop overreacting – acting violently,
crashing everything, destroying public property, disrupting classes – and Eri Kagurazaka and
Kaname were never allowed to forget these things. He was never without energy or without
new bruises.
Even in the most difficult battle conditions, Sousuke never had received so much damage
in so little time. He fell down the stairs, through windows, he got hit by some books that fell in
the library and injured his chest while dodging a gypsum statue in art class, among other
things.
(This is not going well), he thought, unsure of how to resolve the problem. How ironic, he
was able to survive so many years in intense battles only to be beaten at school!
"You can’t continue at this rate," decided Kurz. "Tomorrow we change positions. Mao and
I will watch the school."
"And what if the enemy enters the school?"
"I doubt that will happen. I even wonder if Kaname is really the target."
"Thinking that way is dangerous," Sousuke could not avoid frowning at Kurz’s unworried
attitude. "You should always take into account all the possibilities-"
"Only if you want to be hit by a truck," interrupted Kurz. "Have you ever heard the
saying: 'to fight against windmills'?"
Sousuke’s expression indicated that he had never heard about that.
"Mm. It is as if a sumo wrestler fights against his own loincloth."
"Loincloth?"
"You do not know that expression? Are you really Japanese?" Kurz finished placing the
bandages and returned to the window. "There is something I do not understand."
"About loincloth?"
Kurz remained speechless.
"About Kaname. She looks so... normal. I mean, she's pretty, but she's no model. And her
personal story is very common, at least compared with ours."
"You may be right."
If Sousuke learned something from this mission, that would be the disturbing difference
between others of his age and him.
"Then why is the KGB after her? It's like the girl we saved last week. She was just a
normal schoolgirl before they kidnapped her. What could those devils gain by kidnapping and
drugging these girls?"
"I have the same information as you," Sousuke said.
"Yea, there must be more than the Lieutenant Commander says."
April 23, 2121 hours (Western Pacific Standard Time)
Khabarovsk, Soviet Union
KGB Building
"When will you begin?" asked the KGB colonel. It had been three days since his reunion
with Gauron.
"Soon, very soon," replied Gauron from the other end of the phone.
The colonel listened to background noise. Gauron – a terrorist of unknown origins – called
him from the Soviet Embassy in Tokyo. According to the official reports of the Embassy,
Gauron rarely left the building and hardly talked to other people.
"I am making arrangements at this time. We must ensure everything is in place before
approaching the target."
"Arrangements? What kind of arrangements need to be done?"
"Don't be so impatient."
"What?"
"There is no way Mithril will allow us to simply enter her house and take her away with
us."
"You mean that they are protecting Kanumu?" The colonel fought to say the name
correctly.
Laughing, Gauron said:
"So it seems. If I’m not careful, they will discover my presence."
"I don’t care!" cried the colonel. "If necessary, kill anyone who stands in your way!"
"I am sorry to say that that is impossible."
"Why?"
"They have an AS on ECS invisible mode that watches her apartment at all times."
"And nobody has noticed? That's impossible. Such equipme-"
"I told you," Gauron interrupted antagonistically, "their equipment is about ten years
ahead of the rest of the world. Also, they probably have some of their best soldiers on this
mission. If we act like a bunch of rookies, we will be the laughingstock."
The colonel stammered.
"Don’t worry, I have a plan," Gauron said and hung up. "You just worry about staying
away from the gulag1."
1
Russian forced labor camps
April 24, 1438 hours (Japan Standard Time)
Jindai School, Tokyo, Japan
Second Year, Classroom Four
"The laboratory is in ruins!" shouted the colonel on the phone. "Who would have
imagined a missile attack? All the data is gone. We have lost all information on the
Whispered."
Gauron's voice was indifferent:
"Sorry to hear that."
"Resuming our research is impossible, so we no longer need the girl."
"Oh, I see. What a pity."
"Yes, you must cancel her abduction, there is no way we can afford to pay you under
these circumstances." The image of Gauron killing a man in cold blood passed through the
colonel's mind.
"I understand," said Gauron calmly, perhaps too calmly.
"Are you serious?" asked the colonel.
"Of course."
"You seem very calm, considering that your source of income is gone."
"I have many jobs," Gauron replied. "I will turn to someone else who is also interested,
perhaps I will give him a souvenir."
"A souvenir?"
Something produced a metallic sound upon colliding against the phone.
"You know what this is, Colonel? It is a DVD that I found. Sounds good, eh? It has all kind
of fascinating figures on it."
"The research data? How-"
"Professional secret, colleague. Be sure to write to me from the gulag the KGB send you
to. Until then, Colonel."
Click.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The colonel looked towards the door. Before he could say anything, armed soldiers
entered the room.
"Colonel Smirnoff?" asked a young lieutenant. His unofficial job has attracted the
attention of party leaders. He was accused of exploiting national resources for personal affairs,
resulting in a substantial loss for the nation.
"Wait, that's not-"
"Save the explanations for the road to Lubyanka. This way, please."
Lubyanka. The Russians knew the true meaning of this word and feared it greatly.
Lubyanka meant intense interrogation and a life in the forced labor camps. Plain and simple,
the fate of Colonel Smirnoff was sealed: a world composed solely of agony awaited him.
The colonel bent his head over while the soldiers escorted him out.
Deservedly, Sousuke took the day off, spending the rest of it in the apartment.
That Sunday, when Kaname left her house at noon, Kurz followed her in the AS, and
Sousuke monitored her apartment.
Throughout the day not a single suspicious person appeared. At one time, a middle-aged
woman with a child rang the bell of Kaname's apartment, but they proved to be harmless.
After 8 p.m., Kaname returned home safe.
"20.06, The Angel is home. Nothing unusual," Sousuke said into the microphone.
A second later, Kurz entered through the door of the apartment full of energy.
"Heeeere is Kurzie! Haha. What's up, Sergeant Grumpy?"
When Kurz talked, Sousuke could feel the smell of beer in his breath. Without taking his
eyes off the surveillance screen, Sousuke asked him:
"Kurz, are you drinking during a mission?"
Kurz shyly laughed.
"What could I do? I only wanted to take one, but Kyouko continued insisting."
"Kyouko, Kaname's friend?"
"Yes. When I saw Kaname, Kyouko, Yuka and Shiori, I told them I was lost.
'Thank you! You saved me! The Japanese girls are so nice!' And pretty too, haha!"
What Kurz lacked in subtlety, he made it up for with his confidence.
God, please let them pound some sense into him! Groaned Mao through her intercom.
She had returned the AS to its trailer.
"It's not my fault they are so lovely!" protested Kurz. "Besides, I was happy to see some
other girls besides a bitch whose name I won't mention."
"Kurz, this work is classified. You wouldn't want to get too much involved," Sousuke
reminded him.
"Are you stupid? Closing in makes it easier to observe. It's obvious."
"If you get involved, your emotions could cloud your judgment. To stay rational and
objective-"
"Yes, in theory!" interrupted Kurz. "In times of danger, you have to use your head
though, relax a little."
"But..."
"Am I wrong?"
Sousuke looked fixedly at Kurz, incapable of saying 'Yes' or 'No'. He wasn't even sure
what argument he was trying to refute.
"Aah, those girls talked a lot while eating," began Kurz. "'There is a new transfer student
in the class, he is very strange, is he not, Kana?' 'A strange one, Kana' 'Tell us about the new
student, Kana'. I cannot believe they didn't want to talk about more important things... like
me.
Suddenly, Sousuke's look changed.
"What did they say about me?"
"Oh, I see. You want to know?" Kurz gloated.
"No, not really. But it is part of the mission, so you should tell me."
"I don't think so. First, say: 'Please sir, tell me more.'"
To Sousuke it didn't seem funny.
"Okay, okay. You don't have to be so childish..." Seeing something suspicious, Kurz
quickly became sober.
He approached the surveillance screen.
"21:21: Suspicious individual on the side of the balcony. Beginning investigation,"
Sousuke reported.
The screen showed the balcony of Kaname's apartment, thanks to a camera hidden on
the roof of the adjacent building. In the left part of the image, a masked man dressed in black
climbed the drainpipe of the building.
"Is he so stupid as to go up there alone?" Sousuke commented while attaching a silencer
onto a 9mm.
"I don't know. There might be others around. I will check the cars in the surrounding
area," said Kurz, taking a sniper rifle with a night vision scope.
"Here is Urzu 2" Mao said through the wireless. "Subdue the criminal. Urzu 6, go with the
rifle on the roof of the building where the camera is situated."
"Urzu 6, understood."
"Urzu 7, act directly. I will be in the parking lot, monitoring."
"Roger. Give me two minutes."
Carrying the abseiling equipment on his shoulder, Sousuke went out the door at full
speed.
One hundred and twenty seconds later, he was on the roof of the building where Kaname
Chidori's apartment was. He secured the rope to the grill and tied it to his waist. Kurz's voice
echoed over the headphone.
"Here is Urzu 6. I am in position, next to the camera. No sign of accomplices. He is
working alone."
"Don't let your guard down, especially your six."
"Who do you think you're talking to, idiot?"
Mao stopped the discussion.
"Perfect synchronization, Urzu 7: Kaname is in the shower. Try to take care of this before
she comes out."
"Urzu 7, understood."
"Don't kill him."
"I know."
And so, Sousuke climbed down from the roof. Apart from the soft sound of the rope
slipping between his hands, everything was done in silence. After bouncing a couple of times
against the wall, he stood just above the stalker.
The intruder was so focused climbing the balcony's railing, that he didn't notice Sousuke.
Jumping once more against the wall, Sousuke turned around cleverly in the air and fell on
the man's back in the balcony.
"Don't move," Sousuke pressed his gun against the head of the intruder. "You've lost. Do
not make any sound."
Shaking violently, the man nodded.
"Good, you value your life."
Keeping the man to the ground, Sousuke searched him for weapons. He found none, only
a wallet. Sousuke opened it.
Inside, there was a student card.
Jindai School, Year 2, Class 4, # 10. Shinji Kazama.
This kid was in Sousuke's class.
"Urzu 6 to Urzu 7."
"What is it?"
"Sousuke, look at what he's holding."
Sousuke saw what appeared to be several small pieces of cloth.
"Panties," smiled Kurz. "White as snow. End of transmission."
Sousuke looked up and saw Kurz laughing and picking up his equipment.
"God," muttered Mao while withdrawing with the camouflaged M9.
"What were you doing?" asked a confused Sousuke. He removed the intruder's mask.
The boy behind the mask – thin, pale, with a childish appearance – was shaking with
fear.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I won't do it again!"
"Sssh!" Sousuke told him to shut up, pressing the gun against the boy.
Calmer, the boy said:
"Sorry. Please do not arrest me."
"I'm not a policeman," clarified Sousuke, "but I want an explanation."
"Are you not going to arrest me?"
"Relax." Sousuke helped the kid to get up.
"Thanks. Hey, you're in my class. Sagara, right?"
"You must be mistaken."
"I can't be! You-"
Sousuke armed the gun.
"I said 'You must be mistaken.'"
Nodding desperately, the boy apologized.
"Now, Kazama, right? What are you doing here?"
Holding the underwear, Shinji Kazama said:
"As you can see, I'm stealing underwear, it seems we had the same idea."
"No, I just passed through here," Sousuke lied.
"Oh. Good."
Although he was confused, Shinji didn't insist.
"Why would you want to steal the underwear of Miss Chidori?"
"They are not for me," whispered Shinji. "Murano and the others-"
"Murano?" asked Sousuke.
Shinji Kazama explained the situation.
Each school has its delinquents, and Murano was the leader of those from Jindai High. He
and his henchmen knew Shinji was in the Photography Club so they broke in and stole some
negatives. They were to be returned in exchange for Kaname's underwear.
"So are you being blackmailed?" asked Sousuke.
"More or less," Kazama sighed." But these guys are not really that pervert. They just
wanted to see if I had the guts to steal the underwear of the school's most popular girl."
Those guys' complicated plans never stopped looking immensely ridiculous in Sousuke's
eyes.
"I see. Didn't you think this could anger Miss Chidori?"
"Well, yes," Kazama admitted guilty. "But I want to get those negatives back."
"What's on them?"
"Arm-Slaves. Of all kinds, but mostly from the United States, Japan and self-defense
models."
"Really?" Suddenly, Sousuke felt interested.
"Yes, I traveled through all the Japan's bases to take those photos. It was a lot of work.
AS technology is one of your hobbies, is it not, Sagara?"
"I wouldn't call it exactly a hobby..."
"I even took a picture of a Navy M6 in Okinawa."
The M6 fought for the first time in the early 90's, prominently in the Gulf War. Once the
people saw it on the news, it became quite popular equipment.
"Was it the A2 series?"
"Yes. It had a shield with reactive armor and all the extras."
"Really? How did it move?"
"The operators at the base said the balance was not the best" answered Shinji. "That
makes sense, because its control system is the Rockwell MSO-II, right? The feedback
architecture has a lot of issues, so when the bilateral angle exceeds 3.5 degrees it becomes
vulnerable to attack even by hand guns."
Sousuke nodded, recognizing all the terms.
"Basically, it is best suited either for a well planned ambush or a suicide mission. I read
somewhere that the newest model, the M9, still can't be used everywhere."
While Shinji didn't stop talking gibberish about techniques, the two young men were
sitting in the balcony with their legs crossed. The dialogue between the two military fanboys
quickly buried any memory of the failed underwear robbery.
"Your knowledge is impressive. You do not sound like a civilian," Sousuke praised him.
"I still have a lot to learn," Shinji said modestly. "You also know quite a lot, Sagara."
"Thanks, but-"
With a woosh, the balcony curtain opened, interrupting Sousuke's answer.
Sousuke's and Shinji's eyes opened wide in surprise.
Kaname was in front of them, stunned, full of fear and anger, or a combination of both.
Her towel barely concealed her well-proportioned chest and covered even less of her legs.
Holding the towel strongly, Kaname demanded to know what was happening.
While Sousuke and Shinji struggled to explain, Sousuke realized he had been playing with
her underwear without realizing it.
His eyes traveled from the cotton cloth to Kaname and back.
"Chidori!" he said. "What a coincidence!"
Without saying anything, Kaname went back into her apartment.
Shinji and Sousuke breathed a sigh of relief.
And then she returned... with a metal softball bat in her hand.
Once they had seated all the noisy students, the stewardess sighed with relief. In fact,
there were only about eight passengers who were not part of the school trip. And once those
passengers boarded the plane, they were surprised by the students' energy.
Visions of future headaches passed through the stewardess' mind. She grimaced.
"Hello?" said a passenger while entering. "Can you show me where my seat is?"
He showed her his ticket.
"Of course, please follow me," she said, forcing a smile.
"I can't say I envy you, you have to babysit all these students."
"It is not so bad," she said.
"Just make sure they don't make me crazy, I would probably throw them through the
window at 8000 meters."
A little confused, she mumbled.
"If we kill them all, we would have a quiet trip, right?"
"Sir, this is not-"
"I'm just kidding," he explained seriously. "Ah, there it is."
The man smiled as he slipped into his seat, but it was not a pleasant smile.
April 28, 0958 hours (Japan Standard Time)
Flying over Tokyo, Japan
JAL flight 903