The members of the safe-cracking team all shouted, “Let’s do it!” in response.
3: Two Captains24 December, 2052 Hours (Japan Standard Time)In front of the vault, Pacific Chrysalis
The safecracking looked like it would take some time, so on Mao’s suggestion, Kaname decided to go back to her schoolmates. Sousuke hurried to accompany her.
“It’s fine,” Kaname told him stiffly. “I can get back by myself.”
“No,” he insisted. “I’ll walk you.”
Just then, Kaname realized that Tessa, who’d been sulking over Mao’s patronizing treatment, was now glancing over at her. She couldn’t explain why, but it made her feel guilty. The treatment she got from Sousuke really did feel special, by comparison. He was biased in her favor, and that wasn’t fair at all. With that feeling nagging at her, she repeated, “I said it’s fine.”
“No, I’ll walk you.”
Sousuke refused to give in, so Kaname decided to give up on arguing and just start walking. Sousuke quietly accompanied her. The two walked away from the vault, then headed for the elevator that would return them to the upper deck.
I’m a pretty awful person, Kaname found herself thinking. Just an hour ago, she’d been saying all sorts of unfair things to Kyoko. “I don’t care about that jerk,” and, “He doesn’t really like me at all.” But now that she was seeing the bigger picture, she was realizing that she was the real jerk in this situation. And yet, she hadn’t apologized even once. She’d been attacking him every step of the way, and she’d even behaved cruelly to Tessa.
She had been angry and sarcastic, and even though Tessa was in a much more difficult position than she was, Kaname had actually been jealous of her. I really don’t get it, she thought in bewilderment. Why am I always like this?
“Maybe I’m just spoiled...” Kaname muttered to herself. That could be it. It could also be that today’s a special day. Or maybe I just don’t feel right when he’s not with me...
Still, she rationalized. I can’t let things stay like this forever. Isn’t that what I learned on that rainy day two months ago? Besides, I’m not sixteen anymore. With all that in mind, Kaname decided to speak up.
“Hey,” she said.
“Yes?” Sousuke inquired.
“Mm... nothing,” Kaname mumbled, chickening out.
“I see.”
Another long silence followed. They stopped in front of the elevator, pressed the call button to go up... and once more, Kaname forced herself to speak. “Hey,” she tried again.
“Yes?”
“Everything’s kind of turned into a mess, but...”
“Yeah.”
“I think I was... happy that you came, Sousuke,” she managed, then gently took his sleeve. She wasn’t yet ready to hold his hand.
A longer silence followed.
“Is... that weird?” Kaname asked. “Coming out of nowhere?”
“No... I don’t think it’s weird.” This time, it was Sousuke’s turn to stumble over his words. “I’m glad to hear it.”
“R-Really?”
“Yeah... hmm?” Sousuke cast a glance at the corner that joined the elevator hall to the corridor.
“What is it?” Kaname wanted to know.
“Nothing... Not an issue.”
Kaname tilted her head at him.
“It’s all right, I think,” Sousuke said reassuringly.
The elevator door opened with a ding. Once they were inside, Kaname got a second wind. “Um, say. You want to hit up the observation deck?” she asked, in an energetic voice. “There’s no hurry to get back to the others, right?” She held her finger over the topmost button, then waited to see his reaction.
“It’s true that there likely won’t be any more violence tonight, so it’s probably not an issue...” Sousuke pondered for a moment. “It will be cold outside, though.”
“That’s okay,” Kaname told him. “We won’t stay out too long.”
“I see. Wait just one minute.” Sousuke flipped his radio on and started a conversation with someone. It was all code names and jargon, and Kaname had no idea what any of it meant. At last, he said, “Uruz-7, roger. Thank you.” Then he shut off his radio and said to her, “Let’s go.”
Kaname broke out in a smile.
Corporal Yang of the SRT and Private Wu of the PRT walked along towards the crew quarters block, dragging Captain Harris along with them. It was a bare-bones corridor that went on and on. Since the area wasn’t used by passengers, it was full of exposed pipes and girders. There were no high-class furnishings to be found here, not even carpet.
“So, Corporal,” Wu was saying, “I told this little girl, ‘Listen, just because it’s Christmas, doesn’t mean you can go wandering around town at this hour. You never know what kind of scum might try to pick you up.’”
“Right,” Corporal Yang agreed.
“And, well... she was just eleven or twelve years old, you know? And she grins at me like Master Sergeant Mao...”
“She’s a lieutenant now, actually.”
“...And she pulls this huge revolver out of her bag. It’s a .38-caliber, five-inch barrel. She says, ‘Get lost, soldier boy. You’re getting in the way of my business.’”
“Wow...”
“It was an awful town,” Wu grumbled. “Makes a man doubt the existence of God. The only decent hospital was in my base, too.”
Yang and Wu were sharing Christmas memories.
“C’mon, Wu, don’t you have any more cheerful stories? This is just depressing... Hey, Captain. Can’t you walk any faster?” Yang said leisurely to Harris, who was moving sluggishly along, hands cuffed behind him, dragging his right leg.
“I got shot in the leg, remember? You could have at least prepared a stretcher!” Harris, still worked up about the shooting, snapped back at him.
“Listen to this needy old codger...” Wu put in. “Why’d we get stuck with this guy, Corporal?”
“No idea.” Yang sighed. “Darn it. I wish I was on Kurz’s team.”
“They get to go to a party full of teenage girls...”
While Wu and Yang were grumbling to each other, the masked Kurz Weber was standing on stage in the ballroom, singing passionately into
