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"Hibino Kafka failed." Putting down the wooden sword β a bokken β on the ground of the training room when you heard someone spoke from the door. You hum as you turn around, seeing Hoshina leaning on the door frame, his arms cross over his chest and he is wearing his black shirt that he often wear during training.
The black shirt completely hugged his body... Rather too tightly.
"Well, it's already a given." You muttered, stretching your head from side to side as you tore your gaze off of him. "He did get a zero on the aptitude test and he ranked the lowest on the fitness test." Now doing a side stretch, eyeing yourself on the mirror as you do so and you caught him glancing on your form and the clothes you're wearing.
You were just wearing a high-waisted leggings that makes you move freely, especially when you're trying to do some splits. And for the top, it was a breathable tank top, there was a tube underneath the top. Your hair is tied up in a high ponytail, some strands framing your face and there was few trails of sweat that drip down your cheeks.
"But he has potential, don't you think?" Hoshina went towards the bench, he has his training blades behind him that is tuck in his sheath that's neatly sitting on his back. "I guess so." You muttered lowly, picking up your bokken after you had finished stretching and began taking small steps in approaching where he is.
"Also, he is one funny guy!" A laugh had escaped his voice box when he said that, remembering the times he had laugh yesterday because of the said guy. "Is that why you took him in?" Hoshina's laugh died down, brushing his bangs up as he stared at you, an amuse smirk plastered on his face.
"So you already knew, huh." You just nodded at him, taking a sit next to where he is still standing. He unsheathing his training blades and twisting his wrist as he stared at the dull blades. "Yeah, Ashiro already gave me the summary of your guys' meeting about the cadets." He just let out a hum at your words.
"We need a guy like him on our unit." He hold his blade just like he normally do it, he had them backhanded as the blades was facing out. "He helped the other examinees by locating the Yojus' weak spots." Hibino Kafka did helped the other cadets during the exam, he know their weaknesses because of his past experience in the cleaning company that cleans the messes of the Defense Force.
"Anyway," he flipped his blade and had the pointy tip be pointed at you. "Since we're both in our training attire and is equipped with our training gears..." You already knew what he would say so you flash him a smile, staring at your wooden sword before picking it up and looked back at him.
"Want to have a spar with me?" He hum, waiting for you to accept his invitation. Standing up from your sitting position, you grip the handle of the bokken and let it rest on your shoulders. "Sure!" You beam at him, you already knew how the battle would go and the result was already layed out flat for you.
"Please go easy on me, Hoshina."
. . .
Striding down the hallway of the Third Division Unit's base, your feet felt heavy as they landed on the cold, hard floor. Each step seemed to carry the weight of the problem you're carrying on your back. Your hands were clenched into tight fists, nails digging into your palms with intensity. A shaky sigh escaped your lips, and your brows furrowed in a deep frown, reflecting the storm of emotions swirling inside of you. Your breathing was uneven, chest rising and falling rapidly as you fought to maintain control.
You just got back from the Ariake Maritime Base, where the First Division Unit stays and it is technically their territorial. You had came across with the captain of that Unit, the two of you got into a fight, nothing seriously, just words thrown at one another. And it was completely one-sided, seeing how he reacted dramatically at how you pointed out how self-absorbed he is. He also brought the topic of you rejecting him for being his Vice Captain, and when he asked you again earlier, you rejected him. Even though he already had a Vice Captain.
But that's not the reason you were furious right now, it's not just the First Division captain that you had met during your short visit to their base. There's a person you tried to avoid, but he was the one who asked your presence in the base where he operates.
Where your dear, sweet father, Shinomiya Isao operates.
"I called you here to talk about your younger sister." He must have heard about the incident of what happened during the selection examination of the Third Division Unit. You stayed quiet as you met his intense gaze, that seemed to pierce through you.
You notice how he let a deep sigh, you could practically see the disappointment he had when he breathed. Biting the inside of your cheeks to hold back yourself from saying anything that would surely offend him.
"She wouldn't have gotten any injuri if she trained harder." You could taste metal in your mouth, by how hard you're chewing on the inside of your cheeksz you have draw blood from it. Your nails pressing harder on your skin as he shakes his head before opening his mouth once again, "She should've known that by now. That she have to be perfect." His emerald eyes pierced through you, he had a chagrined expression plastered on his face.
"Because her older sister couldn't be perfect."
You close your eyes shut, taking a deep breath as you try to suppress yourself from saying anything. "I've trained her day and night in your position." Your chest feels heavy because of the weight his words had in you. "I didn't think that she would take after you." Your eyes fluttered opened at his last words, there was nothing but void in your emerald eyes.
Oh how you want to poke your own eyes because it shares the same colors as his.
"She's perfect." You put an emphasis on the term 'perfect'. "Even Captain Ashiro Mina acknowledged her strenght. Kikoru obtained 46% of combat power, something admirable to someone who hadn't joined the Defense Force yet." With every words that left your mouth, you could see his frown deepen even further. You slowly let go of your hold, your nails left cresent shapes on your skin.
"If it's not for her, there were have been casualties."
Shinomiya Isao was quiet, he was just staring at you with the same chagrin look on his face. He wasn't pleased at how you had answered him, and you weren't pleased with him either.
"Captain Ashiro Mina." He mumbled, his grave voice sending shiver down your spine, not the good one. "You wouldn't have to address her like that if you're in the same position as her." And there you go again, going back to the topic you've been avoiding.
"Why not become the Captain of the Second Division Unit?" He just openly disregard your words about your yonguer sister, which made you fume even more. "Just like how your mother used to beβ"
"No." You said firmly, brows furrowing at his words. "How many times do I have to tell you that I don't want that position." Even a simple platoon leader that Ashiro had been asking you to take, you didn't accept it. You had no proper reason for that, it's just that you don't want to.
"I would be proud of you, even if it's the littiest, if you take that position." You quirk a brow at his words, finding amusement at that. A laugh almost escaped your voice box when those words left his mouth. "I don't give a damn if you're not proud of me." Tilting your head to the side as you stare at him. "I've grown accustomed at your hurtful words ever since I was a child. And after mom's death." Pushing your hair back, you already wanted to leave his office.
A scoff left his lips as a scowl formed on his face. "You're nothing but a disappointment." You're used to it by now, always hearing it from him and how you felt the negative energy radiating from him.
"Well, I guess I'll just have to live with the crushing weight of not meeting your towering standards. Thanks for the reminder of how insignificant I am in your grand scheme of things." You just flash him a sarcastic smile, finding the shock look that replaced his scowl amusing. He was about to open his mouth and say something to you, probably another one that you've been hearing for the past 10 years.
"Anyway, I'll be off now. Chief Shinomiya."
. . .
"Why didn't you come to the ceremony?" Kikoru approached you when she saw you wondering around the hallway of the base. You hid your hand from her field of view, not wanting her to see how blood had gushes out from how hard you're digging your nails into your skin. "I was suddenly asked to go to the Ariake Maritime Base." You flash her a smile and stared at the other cadets that managed to passed and be an official soldier of the unit.
"I heard from Captain Ashiro that you're task for the oath." Immediately changing the topic, you don't want to let her know what you did at the First Division Unit base, she might also ask you about your father. Kikoru eyed you for a moment, noticing how you suddenly changed the flow of the conversation when she was planning to ask you a question about your sudden visit.
Your younger sister nodded at you before her eyes caught a vision of Hibino Kafka with Ichikawa Reno. You followed her gaze and saw the two, conversing to one another. "Are you surprised to see him?" Nudging her by her shoulders, seeing how intently she is looking at the older male.
Kikoru's brows furrowed at your words and blush coating her cheeks. "Why would I? He's irrelevant, hmp." She crossed her arms over her chest and turned her head away from you. A chuckle escape your lips at her behaviour and just nodded at her.
The three of them: Hibino, Ichikawa and her, you saw how they interact during the selection exam, as well as during the fitness exam. You wonder how they did met, and Hibino doesn't seem to know about her existence, he was shocked upon learning her name and her achievements.
"Kikoru!" An amuse hum left your lips when you heard Hibino called your younger sister by her first name. "Kikoru, huh?" You mumbler, a teasing tone in your voice. "Irrelevant, hm?" Leaning down on her ears for the others not to hear.
"I'll leave you to it." You gave her back a pat and nodded at Hibino. Ichikawa followed behind him suit, seeing the three of them muttered something to themselves. Probably about Hibino being a cadet in training rather than an official soldier.
But it wasn't that, it was about the explosion that happened on the exam.
. . .
Your eyes darted to each and every one of the exam passers. Standing next to Hoshina on top of the wall, overseeing their first practice after passing. It was a hot, sunny day, you looked up into the clear blue sky and shielded your eyes with your hands when you felt the sun's intense glare.
"For their first practice, they sure had a lot of improvements already." Muttering underneath your breath as Hoshina stands closely next to you. He always stands at least only two to three feet away from you, and you never question his behaviour sincr you've known each other since your first day. "And there are lots of competitions happening." Hoshina stated, finding it funny and amusing how everyone was competitive with one another.
"Ichikawa Reno progressed 10%." Your eyes widen in surprise, he was just 8% during the examination and for his first training after passing the exam, it was such a jump. "He truly does have a potential." Placing a hand on your chin as you observed him.
Hoshina move closely next to you, feeling his presence you didn't bother to look at him as another one of the soldier went on to the shooting range. "He caught your eyes?" He inquire, a hum leaving his lips as he glance at you.
Okonogi frown at his behaviour, sensing something from him but she couldn't point her finger at it. She just watch closely at the proximity between the two of you, and you seem to not care of how close he was being and him continually move closer and lessening the space between the two of you, taking your fixate attention on the soldiers for granted.
A sigh left her lips, somehow understanding it now.
"He's grown a lot by such a short time." Hoshina whispered, you felt his breath fan the back of your ears. You glance at him through your peripheral vision before you take a whole step, liking lunging your leg to the side, and moving yourself away from him. He stood there, not knowing how to react as Okonogi snorted at his reaction.
"Eh?" He repeated that four more times, with his head moving from side to side and his hands making weird gestures. Blinking for a few times before composing his self and focus his attention on to the soldiers.
"Furuhashi Iharu also made quite the jump. From 14% to 20%." Nodding your head in contentment at their progress, finding it interesting at how they used their teammates progress as their motivation to surpass them.
But it seems like how they tried to keep up with one another, there's a certain someone who keeps progressing dramatically and keep reaching new heights with her skills.
"Shinomiya Kikoru. 55%." Okonogi stated, staring at her tablet in her hands, eyes staring at the readings and information of each soldiers. "That's a great improvement too." She once again spoke, staring at your reaction and all she saw was a small smile on your face.
A hum left your lips, taking in the progress that thecomic relief of Hoshina had made so far. "From 0.01% to a whole 1%." Okonogi read loudly for the both of you to hear. And as per usual, when he heard that information, Hoshina clutch his stomach and laugh loudly. Not caring when the other soldiers heard him laugh all the way on the ground.
"He looks so proud about it!" He walks closer to you, placing his arm over your shoulder and using you as a pillar to stabilise himself. He was still laughing and you just sigh at his behaviour. The two of you then watch at how he runs after Kikoru, boasting about his improvement in which the small blonde tried her best to keep herself away from him.
"Hibino Kafka." Finally, after getting back his composure, Hoshina place a hand on his hips, his arm over your shoulder stayed. "Yes, Vice Captain Hoshina?" He happily looked up, if you squint your eyes, you could see tears of joy forming on the edges of his eyes.
"You'll never be a full officer at this rate." After laughing so hard when he heard the readings, he was now being cold and acting nonchalantly. "You'll be fired in three months." Oh, how cruel of you, Vice Captain Hoshina.
Hibino become stiff when he had heard that, he understands what Hoshina was trying to imply. He just nodded at him, you could see Ichikawa approach his senior, as if saying something that seem to be comforting or consoling the older guy.
"All right! Practice is over!" Hoshina clapped his hands twice, gathering their attention to him. "Ten rounds around the perimeter and we will now call it a day!" You could see how all of them slump their shoulders and complain leaving their lips, glancing at Hoshina and saw how he smiled at that.
"You complained, now it's fifteen!" You kinda feel bad, but he was like that to you too when you first joined, even though he knew that Ashiro took a liking to you and wants you to take a high position in her Unit. "Get going!" He removed his grip on you and pointed them to go on and move.
Watching as everyone started jogging, you could hear them complains from up there, but didn't bother to say anything and just observe everyone. Okonogi decided to walk in front of the two of you, leaning her body forward as she watch all of them trying to surpass one another, seeing who will be the fastest to go finish. And there's Hibino who was at the very back and Ichikawa who was motivating him. A smiled formed on your lips seeing the new recruits.
"I'm sure they'll achieve even bigger heights from now."
β‘οΈΰΌ,'; ALSEPHINA'S NOTE:
Also, sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes. I write this late at night and didn't do any proof reading. I'm too lazy to proofread after writing for hours, but if I have some spare time, I might fix the mistakes. Thank you for understanding!
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