fmp como ch01b [b-t], Light Novel, Full Metal Panic, 3. Continuing On My Own
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Full Metal Panic!
Continuing On My Own
Story: Shouji Gatou
Illustrations: Douji Shiki
Chapter One, Part B
July 17, 2005
Sousuke was mostly silent on the way home from school, only making half-hearted responses to Kaname's
gossip.
(What did he and Hayashimizu talk about?)
Kaname thought, but kept her questions to herself for some reason. Something about the atmosphere coming
from Sousuke told her to.
"...and you know? Shiori's boyfriend just all of the sudden said, 'I wanna break up'."
"Is that so?"
"Isn't that weird? And they seemed so lovey-dovey recently, too. I've even met him several times, but he
seemed like such a serious person. But Shiori was already steaming mad. She just didn't understand, and ended up
calling my place at three in the morning."
"Yeah."
"So, I thought that it would be better if I just knew the reason, so when I called her boyfriend to hear what he
had to say, god, it was so funny. It seems that there was some kind of misunderstanding, and while they were at the
movies during all of this, Ono D, who was with them, was... hey."
"Is that so?"
"Oh, nevermind."
They got off the train, which was packed with people because of the evening rush; and after they had walked a
little while from the station, Kaname got fed up, stopped where she was and groaned.
"What's wrong with you? You're acting strange. Well, you always act strange, but..."
As he drew closer to the exasperated Kaname, Sousuke eventually blinked his eyes as if he had finally heard
her voice.
"Sorry."
"Mm. Is it because you're sad about your job in the student council ending?"
"No, it's not really that... I've just been thinking a little."
"About what?"
When she asked him this, Sousuke's lips knotted up as he started to say something- but in the end, he just
shook his head.
"It's nothing."
"It's not nothing, is it?"
"I'll tell you later."
"? Strange..."
The two of them began to walk again.
The nighttime shopping district was bleak, and the people on their way home were naturally walking fast.
How long had it been before they could walk home side-by-side like this? In the beginning, Sousuke had kept
his distance and it had felt like he was following behind her. Gradually- really, one day at a time, that distance had
slowly narrowed, and before anyone knew it, it had become natural for them to walk next to each other. And when had
it become so that their sleeves sometimes touched?
Suddenly, Sousuke opened his mouth and said, "Chidori."
"What is it now?"
"Let's hold hands."
Kaname doubted what she had just heard.
"Huh... hands... what did you say?"
"I said let's hold hands."
What's he doing? I don't understand at all. Earlier he wouldn't say a word, and now this all of the sudden?
Something's definitely strange. And-
"Do you not want to?"
"N... no, it's not that I don't want to..."
"Then it's okay."
Sousuke reached out with his right hand and softly took her left hand. Cautiously at first, then tightly. They
had held hands many times before during emergencies, but never like this before.
"~~~uh..."
Her ears grew hot.
Kaname felt awkward, and unthinkingly buried her face in her scarf.
"I... I don't understand. Why all of the sudden..."
"I don't understand, either," Sousuke said, pulling Kaname's hand because of her stilted way of walking.
"This is kinda strange..."
"Strange? I guess so. It is strange."
Neither of them said anything else after that.
There was a small yakitori shop
on the outskirts of the shopping district. As they passed by it, they could
hear a song coming from inside. "Yagiri no Watashi"
It wasn't the right mood, but for some reason it left a strong
impression.
It was like they were engulfed in a sense of security.
His hand was large and warm. Yet at the same time, some kind of helpless feeling threw itself upon her. She
didn't know why.
The time after that passed before they knew it.
The two of them left the shopping district, getting closer to the apartments where they lived. The two
buildings were separated by the main road. It was the same old scenery, but somehow even that looked different to her.
Normally, this is where they would break up and go to their own apartments, but- unlocking hands would be
extremely lonely.
"Umm... do you want to get something to eat?"
Even as she said it, she was surprised at herself. With this kind of atmosphere, wouldn't saying something like
that be, well, dangerous?
Sousuke also seemed surprised.
"...would that be okay?"
"Uh... well, yeah. A kind of... end of everything wrap party, for today."
"Wrap party?"
"Yeah. That kind of thing... is alright, I think."
Sousuke gave a little nod, and after tightening his grip on her hand, they walked in the direction of Kaname's
apartment.
They said nothing as they went up the elevator.
Because something might happen.
It was scary. But exciting.
It felt as if her world had shrunk. She could hear her heart pounding in her chest. She could feel the palm of
his hand gradually becoming sweatier.
They walked down the common corridor.
And arrived in front of her place.
She floundered around with her keys so that she wouldn't have to let go of his hand.
"S-sorry."
"It's okay. Maybe we should let go for a minute."
"Y-yeah."
She put the key in the hole, and opened the door.
They stepped into the entranceway. After slowly taking off their shoes, they once again joined hands, and
getting close together, turned towards the living room.
Then at that moment- Sousuke moved.
He grabbed Kaname's shoulder and forcibly pulled her towards him, hidden behind his back, and withdrew his
pistol from behind his hip. His entire body froze and tensed for a reason completely different from before.
"Huh..."
Finally, she realized why. In the middle of the darkness, a young man was sitting on her sofa.
He was wearing an all-black suit.
And he had flowing, silver hair.
The young man- Leonard Testarossa, looked as if he had grown tired of waiting, and stretched a little.
"Welcome home, Miss Kaname Chidori."
His own carelessness- Sousuke couldn't think of anything but that.
How on earth did the silver-haired man leisurely sitting in Kaname's living room manage to sneak in?
Sousuke had set up numerous security systems and traps in order to sense, or possibly repulse, anyone who
trespassed into Kaname's apartment. That meant that this guy had gotten past all of those.
No.
There wasn't a feeling of any kind of trouble like having to get past anything. This guy had a feeling more
like, "I was inconvenienced because I had to turn the key". Sousuke was overcome by such skill.
And, this guy.
Sousuke already knew this young man.
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