fmp odbd ch03a, Light Novel, Full Metal Panic, 1. The End of Day by Day
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Full Metal Panic!
The End of Day by Day
Chapter Three, Part A
April 04, 2004
3 : Black and White
October 20th, 0810 Hours (Japan Standard Time)
Choufu-shi, Tokyo, Japan
Jindai High School
"Morning, Kyouko!" Kaname said as soon as she saw Kyouko at Sengawa
Station, clapping her on the back.
"Morning. You seem cheerful this morning, Kaname," Kyouko mumbled
sleepily through a yawn.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Did something good happen?"
"No, not really... or did it? There wouldn’t be anything that
interesting, would there? Heh heh."
"? You're acting strange."
Kaname and Kyouko walked out to the street crowded with other students
commuting to school.
Unfortunately, it was raining today, and the air was chilly. As she stood
next to Kyouko and pulled out her umbrella, Kaname felt a little uneasy.
Because her friend was so much shorter than her, the top of Kyouko's umbrella
was right in her line of sight.
"Yesterday was a mess. Sagara hasn't changed at all," Kyouko said after
they had walked for a bit. Kaname nodded.
"I know. He hasn't gotten better at all. No matter how many times I tell
him, I'm just wasting my breath. I'm starting to wish that I could send an
electric shock to his head with some kind of remote control, so that every time
he does something careless, I could punish him. Who knows? It might be
effective-"
"Ha ha ha. But since he's not a dog... by the way, what happened after I
left?"
"Hm? W... we went home. What about it?" Kaname pretended. She somehow
felt too shy to talk about how she went out of her way to invite him over and
give him a haircut.
Come to think of it, hadn't that been rather bold? She normally wouldn't
go that far to be nice to any of her other male friends... if everyone in class
found out, wouldn't they be curiously cold to her again...?
(...oh well)
When she met up with Sousuke, she would instruct him to make up a story
about cutting it himself, and that would settle it. It wouldn't be a problem...
"Well, you seem to be in a good mood-"
"Who is?"
"You are."
"Heh? I-it's just your imagination. Uh wa ha ha ha..."
"Ah. You're acting suspicious."
That was as far as that conversation went. They moved on to other topics,
and during the climax of their talk about the Japan Series, the two passed
through the main gate of the school. They then changed into their indoor shoes
and went to class.
Kaname laid her bag on her desk and looked around the room.
Sousuke wasn't there.
(I guess he hasn't come yet...)
She glanced at her watch. It was 8:27. Class was about to start.
(What is he doing?)
She wanted to know what everyone's reaction would be when they saw him.
While she was talking with some of her fellow classmates, the school bell
chimed. Bustling around, the students took their seats.
Sousuke's seat was still empty.
(Late again? Really, he's such an idiot. It's almost time for his make-
ups, too...)
Feeling a little disappointed, Kaname opened her book.
Sousuke didn't show up that period, or the next.
He never showed up.
*****
October 20th, 1719 Hours (Western Pacific Standard Time)
Merida Island Base
Tessa was looking over some documents in her office on base when the
intercom on her desk buzzed. It was the secretary in the next room.
"Yes?"
"Madame Captain, Sergeant Sagara has arrived."
Since his direct superior, Lieutenant Commander Kalinin, wasn't on base,
he had come here to report back. The Lieutenant Commander was still at the
Operations Headquarters in Sydney. He had remained there to discuss equipment-
related issues with the engineers from Ross & Humbleton.
"...let him in."
"Yes Ma'am."
She put down the receiver and temporarily turned off the holo-screen
projector displaying the documents she had been looking over. They were the
test plans for a new submarine communications system- a VME bus receiver, and
were still highly confidential. Sousuke Sagara was not qualified to read them.
She felt depressed.
The one who had given him the order to return to base had been none other
than herself. It reflected the intentions of the Admiral and the Operations
Department, so it couldn't be avoided, but it appeared as if she had split
Sousuke and Kaname apart herself. Since it was a fact that she was jealous of
their relationship, she felt all the more guilty for it.
If only Kalinin had come back... she thought to herself, and then was
disappointed in her own weakness. She had been the one to issue the order, but
she wanted to hide in the shadow of her subordinate. Wasn't that enough to
disqualify her as a captain?
But how could she look at him when she saw him?
She had been thinking about that ever since she had returned from Sydney,
but no good idea had come to her.
"Excuse me," Sousuke said as he entered the room. He walked up straight
in front of her desk and saluted her. She returned the salute, and he quickly
put his right hand down and stood at attention.
"Good work. At ease."
"Yes, Ma'am," he said, and quickly stood at ease.
Sousuke's attitude towards his superiors was always like this, but she
sensed he was being more polite than necessary today. It was as if he had just
first come in contact with a commissioned officer, she thought... or was she
just thinking too much...?
They were both silent for a while.
A long, long silence.
Sousuke was not looking at Tessa. He stared straight at the large map
behind her, bending back.
Even though they were well acquainted with each other. Even though they
were the same age.
The very act of being overly polite seemed to be his silent protest.
"Have you come to talk about being separated from Kaname...?" she said,
breaking the silence.
"...yes," he answered vaguely, adding, "Would you please explain?" while
still looking at the map.
Tessa clinched her fists with all of her strength, and began the beyond-
painful explanation.
"...it was the decision of my superiors as well as myself. Now that the
Tokyo Department of Intelligence is prepared, there is no longer any reason for
you to remain with Kaname."
"I don't believe so. The protection of the Department of Intelligence
alone is insufficient."
"That's not true. It seems that you are underestimating the importance of
your position. But more importantly, I would be ignoring my responsibility as
your commanding officer by allowing you to stick with a mission that is neither
effective nor certain. You should be focusing on your other work."
"What work is that?"
If there's a mission more important that guarding Kaname, I want to hear
it right away... was the look that he was giving her.
"The Arbalest," Tessa replied, and Sousuke's mouth remained tightly shut.
"I want you to give your undivided attention to taking care of that
machine. The Arbalest won't accept any other pilot except you."
"..."
"In the Shun On incident, your brain waves were recorded into the Lambda
Driver. Actually, 'imprinted' would be more accurate... the entire system had
been clean up until then, and the first time you used it, the Arbalest matched
up with you and reorganized itself. The instant you piloted it, the quasi-nerve
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