Work Text:
During Hoshina's early days; one year in the Defense Force, first year in the Third Division
Hoshina is more than familiar with working hard. He’s done it his whole life—training and becoming one of the best with the blade. As the second son of the Hoshina Clan, there is a heavy weight of expectation on his shoulders. Most especially now that he’s joined the Defense Force albeit the opinions and discouragements from others that he shouldn’t.
Why? To him, it’s fun—it’s one of the best feelings in the world. Thus, his need to prove to others that he can succeed with this talent is strong. The invitation from Captain Ashiro Mina of the Third Division is the first stepping stone to his career.
Honestly, she didn’t lie when she said that she’ll work Hoshina to the bone. She’s especially tough on him during training because she knows that he has what it takes—she’s seen first hand how devoted he is to become stronger—and she plans to keep him by her side, of course. If she’s not overseeing his training, she keeps tabs on him through her platoon leaders. Ebina, for the most part, enjoys seeing Hoshina struggle as he adjusts to the ways of the Third Division.
He takes part of the daily exercises alongside his fellow officers. Although his output for firearms is low compared to most, he makes up during the other physical exercises like sparring using various martial arts and the blades. He’d be one of, if not, the first among the officers in their training. And no one looked down on him.
If he were to hear anyone saying anything about his low firearms output, he’d shut them up by having the highest spar wins or finishing his laps first. He’d be one of the people with the highest kill or assist counts when a kaiju alert rings. Eventually, he earned the respect of his peers.
He’s proud of how far he’s come. It may not be much to some, but things were beginning to look up for him.
Nearly a year after his transfer, a new batch of recruits came into his division. New blood—which means fresh faces and new challenges. But Hoshina didn’t allow himself to fall behind. He doesn’t slack off his training. He consistently stayed on his routine, if anything. This batch of new recruits is different, though—all thanks to Captain Ashiro—because there is a higher percentage of women compared to previous years.
That’s when he meets her—[name].
It was nothing out of the ordinary. Since he’s technically a senior officer—by one year—there wasn’t a chance for them to meet until a few days after the Certificate Ceremony of the new recruits. They briefly met in the dining hall during lunch time. One of Hoshina’s friends was very eager to meet the recruits, thus he met [name] and some of her friends. He’d see her around the base from time to time, exchanging curt nods, and she’d mostly be spending time with her own peers.
It wasn’t until months later when they interacted again. In a way that Hoshina never expected.
Another successful day of training ends—or so Hoshina thinks.
He had just finished his laps for the day. Ebina had made them do 12 rounds, which is standard for their division. They’re lucky, honestly, because Hoshina heard that other divisions are stricter and harsher. He finishes first, as per usual, and he goes on to satisfy his thirst. Other officers trail after him once they’re done with their laps, and soon they’re dismissed for the day and allowed to rest or have dinner.
Hoshina keeps his hands in his pockets as he watches his fellow officers leave the training grounds. Quietly, he’s about to follow, but then someone’s figure enters his peripheral vision. He looks towards the person and quickly realises it’s someone else running along the track.
Did he get left behind? Hoshina lets his curiosity get the best of him and stays put, observing from where he stands. Or did he get extra laps from platoon leader Ebina? He stills, brain processing, until he notices that it’s not a man—but [name], one of the new recruits this year. There’s no mistaking her high bun, which has become slightly loose—probably from all the laps platoon leader made us do.
He was going to leave it at that and call it a day, but his curiosity only increases when [name] doesn’t stop at the end point of the track. She continues running another lap, her pace slowing as she does. Hoshina doesn’t hesitate to get back into the track and run after her, easily getting a comfortable distance behind her because of his quick pacing and strides.
It doesn’t take him long to realise, however, that [name] is not only running but also crying. Huh? He hears the signs before he sees it: sniffles and ragged breathing. Oh. Must be why her pace is slow. She lifts her arm to wipe her face but sniffles some more. Suddenly Hoshina doesn’t think approaching her is the right decision. It’ll be awkward for them both. He slows down his pace instead and simply jogs with a bigger distance between them. He doesn’t know what to say, how to comfort, so he gives her space instead and leaves the track after they reach the end point.
[Name] still doesn’t leave the track. Hoshina wants to avoid being seen as a stalker, so he leaves her alone.
He meets platoon leader Ebina upon leaving the training grounds. “Ah, platoon leader.” He greets the man formally. He’s unsure if he should explain himself or not.
“Hoshina?” Ebina quirks a brow at the officer. “Didn’t you finish your laps first? Why are you still here?”
Hoshina tries to stay nonchalant. “I was, but I stayed behind a bit to do another round.” He chooses his next words wisely. “I gotta ask, did you make some others stay behind?”
“What for?”
“I dunno.” He shrugs, formality leaving the scene. “To do some extra laps, maybe. There’s someone in there training as if it’s their last day.”
Ebina makes a face of recognition. He seems to understand what—who—Hoshina is talking about. “Officer [surname], you mean? I suppose you saw her just now.”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t make anyone do extra laps today, but [surname] insisted she’ll do her best.” He crosses his arms thoughtfully. “I didn’t think she meant doing more laps than I instructed. Hm…”
Hoshina decides to keep the information of her crying to himself, presuming it’s best to do.
Eight months later
Everything was normal between Hoshina and [name] despite the former knowing that the latter had cried during training. They still acknowledged each other in passing in the hallways of the Third Division, still made small talk if their mutual friends were together in a group, still worked professionally if their platoons collaborated. Honestly, Hoshina is unsure if [name] even realised that he knows what she did all those months ago.
Maybe she doesn’t care? Hoshina concludes as he enters the sparring room.
Today, he’s doing physical training with his and a few other platoons. He somehow easily spots [name] comically chatting away with her friends before the session starts. Instead of approaching her, he finds himself a spot and a partner and focuses on the task at hand.
Platoon leader Ebina gives a few words of encouragement to the officers before signalling them to start the training session. Hoshina spars with his partner, efficiently using the martial arts he’s been taught to take him down. It doesn’t take long for his partner to accept defeat. After him, a handful of officers line up to spar with him.
Of course, Hoshina accepts the challenge. Even though he’s knowledgeable with martial arts, he still finds himself lacking in executing them perfectly. He knows there is still room for improvement. Thus, he happily allows his peers to have one round with him. Some were quite difficult to take down.
By the time that Ebina calls for a short break, Hoshina is sweating so bad he needs a shower. However, he has second thoughts upon seeing the sparring partners next to him.
[Name] is clearly losing to her partner, her torso and the side of her face on the floor while her wrists are pinned behind her. It’s a tough position especially with her leaner built compared to her sparring partner. “Argh, okay!” She admits loudly. “I lose!”
Her wrists are set free, and she quickly takes the chance to roll on her back. Her chest heaves heavily as she tries to regain her breath.
Her sparring partner sighs with their hands on their hips. “That’s your fourth lost now, [surname].”
“I know.” She sighs, making a face that Hoshina could not understand straight away. “Can we—”
“Lunch time!” A few other officers approach and invite them for lunch at the dining hall.
Hoshina checks the clock on the wall to confirm that it is that time of the day already. He hears [name] politely declining the invitation from her friends, letting them leave her by herself on the floor. She’s still flushed from the sparring session, all sweaty and red on the face, exhausted but still wanting to do more.
Hoshina takes a tentative step to [name]’s direction, second guessing himself when he sees her cover her eyes with her forearm. As if she was planning to go to sleep. But he’s quite surprised to catch a single tear roll down her face. It went almost unnoticed if he wasn’t observing her form.
He looks around to gauge his surroundings and figure out his next course of action. Even though he does want to take a break, he knows he can still get a bit more sparring done before heading for lunch. He still wants to push himself despite needing to shower and eat. There’s currently less than half of what they started with at the beginning of the training session. So, he doesn’t see why he shouldn’t help a fellow officer.
“Want another round?” He musters the courage to ask as he steps closer to her, careful to not be too much in her personal space.
“Huh?” Her response is confused but immediate. She removes her forearm away and looks up at him in contemplation.
“I still wanna train some more,” he admits, shrugging his shoulders. “But lots of them left, and you’re the only one without a sparring partner now.”
She swipes a hand across her face and nods, determined. “Yeah, okay.” She sniffles and gradually stands up to her full height.
Like this, Hoshina can see the exhaustion on her face. She may try to look positive, but there’s no denying the way her eyes are dim with disappointment. Anyone close enough can see that she’s pushing herself to her limits. Albeit her good posture, he can tell there’s tension on her shoulders and the way she carries herself.
They stand in front of each other momentarily, stances still as they observed the other. Perhaps it’s mercy on Hoshina’s part that he advances first, aiming to jab at her side to get the advantage. If I finish this quickly, maybe she’ll have enough losses for the day. But he’s wrong because [name] manages to dodge and land the first hit instead. She steadily avoids any hits, but at the same time fails to really land a blow that’ll take her opponent down.
Hoshina takes note of her fighting style as he moves, already planning on what to say afterwards to be of help to her. The tear he saw just earlier meant something. And if he can lend a helping hand then he will.
Their spar ends with [name] being pinned down once again. Hoshina waits for a few seconds to see if she’ll move or not and lets her go when she fails to get out of his grip. “Good job,” he comments, genuine, getting up with a heavy sigh.
“Thanks…” Barely there, she responds and stays down.
He stares at her defeated form, waiting for her to rise to her feet so he can speak to her properly. But she stays down, as if giving up. “You gonna stay here ‘till lunch ends or what?” He asks instead.
“Huh? Oh.” She weakly sits up and swipes a hand down her face once more. “I can barely move right now, as you can see.” She dryly laughs at her own words and keeps her gaze on the floor.
Hoshina doesn’t want to wait forever to speak what’s on his mind. He crosses his arms and wills himself to be honest. “If it makes ‘ya feel any better, I think you’re good on your feet.” He can’t make eye contact because of her position so he settles on eyeing the top spot of her head. “I see ‘er workin’ hard, so keep that up.”
Finally, she lifts her gaze up towards him. Her eyes are glassy, but she blinks and tries to not let any drops escape. “I appreciate your kind words, Hoshina-san.”
“I mean it,” he continues, pretending her tears don’t exist. “I know what it’s like to put the effort but still feel disappointed with the results. So…”
She nods and chews on her bottom lip.
“’Ya going for lunch?” He scratches the back of his head and observes her eyes. “Or wanna go again?” He offers his hand towards her.
To Hoshina’s surprise, again, she smiles and takes up his offer. “I’d like that, Hoshina-san.”
He grins in amusement and pulls her up. He doesn’t understand how someone can smile so easily after being on the verge of tears.
Seven months later
“This is Hoshina, we’ve neutralised the yoju in zones E, F, G.”
His earpiece buzzes back almost immediately. “Good. Assigned platoons are still neutralising some yoju in zones B and C,” an operator from the Control Room updates.
Hoshina is currently standing on top of a rooftop while observing the area that he and his peers had just cleared. He’s passive, shoulders squared, hands on his hips, blades sheathed. As much as he wanted to do more, there’s only so much they were assigned to by their platoon leader. Divide and conquer; it’s exactly how the Third Division works—one platoon is assigned to handle the honju while the rest neutralise the yoju with it and in all the zones of the area.
Ebina, as if sensing Hsohina’s thoughts, jumps from another rooftop and approaches the younger officer. “Nice assist on the yoju, Hoshina.” He nods curtly, the kind words a total opposite from his seemingly scary expression. “You think you’re ready to handle a platoon of your own?”
A smile comes up to his face at the question. “That’s very kind of you to say, platoon leader.” He doesn’t forget his professional tone, especially since there are other people on comms who can hear them. “It’d be an honour to lead my own.”
Buzz. “Suwa platoon. The honju has been neutralised, but some yoju are still lingering.”
Sensing that this operation is about to end, Hoshina visibly relaxes. This line of work is known to be unpredictable, so he’s grateful for each successful operation. Especially one without many casualties. They have not heard any problems so far from the Control Room.
“Uh, never mind what I just said!” Platoon leader Suwa’s voice changes over comms. “More yoju have appeared! Requesting back up!”
Hoshina tenses and looks at Ebina, waiting for his orders—because he’s ready to jump and dash to offer his assistance. His blades can handle more kaiju flesh. Instead of a verbal command, Ebina nods at his officer as a signal. Hoshina takes a second to understand, then he’s off to the general direction of where the Suwa platoon would be in.
“Hoshina from Ebina platoon is on his way,” Ebina says over comms. “Anyone else coming? How bad is the situation, Suwa?”
Hoshina knows that platoon leader Suwa is more than capable of handling yoju. But, after handling a honju with only one platoon for assists, he may be close to overheating at some point soon. This operation has deployed all their platoons, and Captain Ashiro didn’t come along, letting her platoon leaders take the lead as she does her other duties. So, Hoshina can’t help but feel like he should step up among his peers.
If he’s really serious in fighting beside Captain Ashiro.
“My platoon is still standing, but I’m close to overheating and my rookies are rattled—Oi, careful, [surname]!”
“This is Hoshina from Ebina platoon.” The blade specialist keeps calm albeit the quickening of his heart rate. Did he just say [surname]? “I’m on my way to zone B. Please hold on ‘till then.” He picks up his pace while keeping a careful eye on his path to avoid slipping. The last thing he wants is messing this up and causing more trouble for his division.
Updates from the Control Room buzzes in his ear, something about a few officers capable of traveling and assisting are also on their way. But Hoshina barely registers that in his mind as he approaches zone B. The sight of the lizard-type yoju on top of a building only fuels him to make use of his speed to overcome it.
“Hoshina!” Suwa calls when he spots the blade specialist. But it falls on deaf ears. He watches, from the ground, with his rifle lowered, as the other cuts down the kaiju in search for its core. “Aim for the neck!”
As instructed, Hoshina does go for the neck next. It takes him two moves to expose the yoju’s core and neutralise it.
His arrival is not overlooked by the Suwa platoon, and two more senior officers come to their aid. Upon seeing backup, they start to pick up themselves and resume neutralising the extra yoju with newfound vigour. The Control Room relays this through the comms, and soon enough all the yoju in the area are neutralised.
“Hey, thanks for that.” Suwa approaches Hoshina on the ground and gives him an appreciative fist bump. “I’d normally be able to handle this sort of thing, but…” He scratches his head and aims his gaze on the rookies not too far away in the area.
“Not a problem at all, sir.” Hoshina doesn’t take the credit being given to him. He diverts his attention to the rookies instead. “I know what it’s like to be rattled by sudden kaiju emergence. Just doing my job.” He tries to look for a certain officer, but he can’t find her on low ground.
Suwa nods, “’Course.” He doesn’t notice Hoshina’s lack of concentration on their conversation. “I heard Ebina over comms earlier. You wanting your own platoon?”
“Uh—”
“This is [surname] from Suwa platoon! Can we please have medical assistance?”
The attention of both men is taken by the new voice over comms. Suwa is the first to move from his spot and try to find his officer in the area. “Tch. That [surname], I told her to be careful…”
Hoshina follows after Suwa’s lead and quickly spots the mentioned officer. She’s down on her knees in front of two other officers, who are clearly injured with the way they hold their arms and wince when [name] tries to prod and help them. Hoshina recognises the two as part of [name]’s rookie group. But he’s relieved that none of them are critically injured.
“Oi.” Suwa tries to get their attention.
Since [name]’s back is turned to them, they don’t see the face she’s making now. However, her friends are trying to smile amidst their situation and comfort her. “W-Why are you the one crying, [surname]? We’re the ones obviously hurt!”
Hah?
“E-Exactlyy!” [Name] hiccups. “You-You shouldn’t have shot those yoju down f-for me!” She wails in between her words.
Hoshina could not find the right words to say, too stunned. Is she seriously crying again?
However, this seems like a normal occurrence already for Suwa. He simply adjusts the rifle in his arms and sighs, side glancing towards Hoshina. “Sorry you had to see my platoon like this.”
“Uh, no, it’s not your fault, sir,” Hoshina reassures the other.
Another sigh comes from Suwa as he watches [name] try to hug her friends, ending up comically hurting them more and getting reprimanded immediately. “She’s a good officer, [surname], but very sensitive to others’ emotions,” he briefly explains to Hoshina.
To which he nods in understanding. “I can see that, sir.” He’s unsure of what else to say.
They’re reminded to head back, so Suwa finally calls for his platoon to rendezvous. Hoshina, too, follows protocols and prepares for his quick report to Ebina later.
As he’s moving and thinking, he can’t help but wonder yet again about [name]. Seriously, how much tears does that woman have?
Three months later
[Name] is no longer considered a rookie officer, at least in Hoshina’s perspective. He’s seen her growth the past year and a half that she’s been in the Third Division—from a reserved, unsure rookie into a reliable, resilient officer among her peers. He remembers seeing her push herself during exercises and drills, doing extra work and sometimes sacrificing her meals or sleep. She doesn’t hesitate like she used to when it comes to sparring, making use of her built and agility to overpower others. Her knowledge of kaiju and the ways to take them down with her weapon is also nothing to joke about.
Not to mention the power she draws upon donning the combat suit. She’s reached the thirties—and Hoshina, with his close to the mid-fifties—is almost threatened. Yet, Hoshina admits to himself that he’s proud. He’s gotten to know her better, after all, and he knows [name] is reaping all the good things from her efforts and hard work.
He, too, has been officially made a platoon leader alongside his other officers.
“Hoshina and Ikaruga platoon has intercepted the yoju in zones D, E, F.”
“Copy that!” Control Room responds quickly. “Ebina and Suwa platoon are still fighting the honju in zone A.”
Hoshina leads his platoon well to neutralise the lizard-type kaiju. Alongside him, Ikaruga, an officer who’s been around the same time as him, is also leading his own platoon. They both work together to take down the miniature kaiju, making sure none escape so that there is less damage in the area.
Everything goes well, but of course Hoshina has learned to not put his guard down until they’re back in the base. He sheathes his blades, but his body is still tense from all the slicing of kaiju flesh and cores. Still, he grounds himself and doesn’t allow his exhaustion to show. It’s one of the many operations wherein Captain Ashiro is leading, thus he does not want to disappoint.
“Report, Hoshina platoon.”
“All yoju have been neutralised, Captain.” His eyes observe the area as he stands on one of the tall buildings. “Currently making sure we’ve got ‘em all. No major injuries from anyone, either.”
Captain Ashiro responds accordingly and asks for the status of other platoons. She allowed the other platoons to handle the honju and yoju because she had to neutralise the daikaiju herself.
“Suwa platoon. We’ve got a few minor injuries here and one of my members just overheated.”
“Medics are on their way.”
Hoshina looks towards the general direction of zone A upon hearing the report. Overheated? He knows just about everyone in the division, and he has his suspicions on who could have overheated. No confirmation is given through comms, however.
Thus, he has to find out himself.
He tries to make an excuse to see the Suwa platoon, yet his advances are hindered by his platoon members. They approach and request for a quick assessment of their performance today, eager to learn more and improve. Hoshina, having no choice as their leader, says a few things. Just as he’s about to make his escape once they’ve reached the base, he was called to the Control Room by the Captain.
He holds back his sigh and goes on his merry way, avoiding any small talk from the officers and rookies. He’s surprised he hasn’t run into any of his other platoon leaders, but he supposes that they have their fair share of business to attend to. He finally meets with Captain Ashiro in the Control Room, and they discuss about their neutralising strategy today. Ebina, too, arrives as one of the long-standing leaders in the division.
While they discuss, Hoshina manages to squeeze in a question regarding Ebina and Suwa’s platoon. “How’s the platoon holdin’ up without me?” It may have sounded like a joke, yet none figure out his real motive for asking.
“You think we couldn’t handle ourselves without you?” Ebina rolls his eyes. “We took down the honju just fine! Suwa and I work well together.”
“Indeed.” The Captain agrees.
“But Suwa said his platoon suffered with some injuries. And one of them even overheated, no?”
Ebina sighs. “Not my platoon!” He defends himself. “But, gotta admit [surname] was a big help. Captain, what do you think about giving her a personalised weapon?”
Hoshina drowned the rest of the conversation. As much as he wants to contribute to the topic, he has other priorities now that he’s confirmed [name] was the one who overheated earlier. He stays for a few more minutes then wraps the discussion quickly before heading out. He feels their eyes on him as he hurries to leave but doesn’t bother looking back.
He reaches the medical ward and spots a nurse leaving one of the rooms. He recomposes himself and stops right in front of her. “It wouldn’t be officer [surname] in there, by any chance?”
“Oh, uh, yes.” The nurse is hesitant, unable to hold longer eye contact with the platoon leader in front of her. As if she was hiding something.
“Anything wrong?” His eyebrows furrow at the thought.
She shakes her head. “N-Not really, sir, but she just asked for some privacy at the moment.”
He lets out a relieved breath, pleased that it wasn’t anything serious. “Well, we’re quite acquainted. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind me dropping by for a few minutes.”
The nurse opens her mouth to say something back but stops. She instead nods her head and scurries off, as if she doesn’t want to witness whatever happens next.
Hoshina hasn’t even cleaned himself up from all the kaiju slaying—his tactical jacket the only thing making him look semi-presentable at the moment. Though, he has other things to worry about besides his appearance. He knocks on the door and doesn’t even wait for a response before opening—
“Wait—”
Too late. He makes eye contact with [name], who is slightly red on the face and glassy eyed. Are you friggin’ kidding me?
She quickly pulls on the curtains to save face, or at least whatever is left of it. “Please leave, Hoshina!”
Yet, for some reason, Hoshina decides he wants to be a menace now. “Is that how you address a platoon leader?” He closes the door and makes sure its locked. He stays on his spot with crossed arms, having no plans of leaving.
“Please leave, Hoshina, sir!”
He rolls his eyes at the seemingly smart retort. “I don’t wanna leave, though. I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything.”
She sniffs, hiccups, and makes a noise to show her annoyance. “S-Seriously, Hoshina!” Agitation resounds in the room as she repeats herself. “I’m not—I’m not in the mood to play your games.”
“Hey, now.” He takes a few steps closer to the bed but doesn’t make any moves of pulling the curtain back. He can slightly see her silhouetted form because of the artificial lights; she’s sitting hunched on the bed while hugging a pillow to her torso. “I can be serious, too.”
“Why’d you have to come?”
The question hints to Hoshina that [name] has somehow calmed down, has somehow decided that him being here isn’t that bad. This makes him smile. “To check who’s suit overheated.”
“You worry about others now?”
“Hey, ‘course I get worried about others, too.” He can’t help but be annoyed at the implication that he’s not concerned about his fellow officers. “Today was difficult. Ikaruga almost got swarmed today, and my blades almost gave up on me.”
[Name] doesn’t respond to that.
Hoshina can see her rubbing her eyes based on the silhouette. He spots the box of tissues on the side table and picks it up, carefully passing it on to the other without pulling the curtain back. “Here.”
She takes it without a second thought. “Thanks.” Then she proceeds to wipe around her eyes and nose area. “Can you leave?” There’s no hint of crying in her voice as she asks, this time more softly than earlier.
“What for?” Hoshina huffs, grabbing the chair reserved for guests and sitting on it. “’Ya ain’t getting rid of me that easily.”
“Not—” she groans and slams her hands on the pillow on her lap. “I-I need to blow my nose, you idiot!”
“I’ll cover my ears, then.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously.” He does as he says he will. “Covered. I’ll give ‘ya 10 seconds.”
“What—”
“One, two, three…” He starts to count, watching her silhouette as a signal for when to stop. She does blow her nose, and he finds it hilarious that he’s just behind the curtain barely hearing anything. “Eight, nine, ten. Done.”
She throws her used tissues on the other side of the bed, where Hoshina assumes a bin is placed. “How long do you plan to stay here for?”
“Hm…” Hoshina pretends to think. “’Till you tell me what happened earlier?”
“What’s there to know about?” She immediately says, a little too quick and sharp than intended. “I overdid it, so I overheated. End of story.”
He hums, believing the explanation to be true. “Okay, next question: why were you crying just now?”
“None of your business.”
“I will seriously give you more laps to do for misconduct, officer [surname].”
Silence follows. Hoshina is only pushing because he can’t assume any reasons for [name]’s tears. He’s seen her cry in the past, but this is the first time he’s seen her cry after going overboard during a mission. This is also the first time he’s confronted her about it.
Realising he’ll keep his word and not leave, she sighs heavily and leans on her stacked pillows properly. “I was just… frustrated. It’s not the first time I’ve been disappointed with myself.”
He’d agree, but that’d entail he’s seen her cry more than once.
“That’s all I can say, really.”
There’s tension in the air which Hoshina couldn’t figure out. He’s torn between staying to see her face or leaving to clean up. As much as he does want to stay and offer a few more comical or encouraging words, he knows [name] prefers to be by herself for now.
“Hoshina?”
“I hear ‘ya.” He stands up from the chair but doesn’t leave yet. “Care for what I have to say before I go?”
To his surprise, she nods. “I’m listening.”
“I’ve seen what ‘er capable of, so I know. I understand the standards we set for ourselves. But in case no one’s told ‘ya, I’m proud of how far you’ve come, officer.” His words are not planned but he hopes he got his point across.
He turns and makes way to the exit, not expecting a response.
“W-Wait.”
But, to his surprise, he stops in his tracks. He peers over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of [name] peeking behind the curtain. Only half of her face is seen, though he can make the sincerity in her eyes.
“Thank you, sir.”
He couldn’t help but smile.
Five months later
“Number six: eightfold slasher!”
The honju roars in pain before falling on the ground, causing dust and debris to scatter, and silence follows for a good few seconds. Hoshina sheathes his blades once he’s sure the honju won’t suddenly revive, now having the time to regulate his breathing. Being assigned to handling honju with his platoon is never an easy task.
Today is one of those days wherein Captain Ashiro decided that she wants to see how far Hoshina has grown. Of course, he’s always up for a challenge—and he’s keen to prove his worth—thus him and his platoon alone were to neutralise the honju while everyone else did damage control on the yoju and helped evacuating the civilians.
It was no easy feat, but nothing he can’t handle.
However, the mission had him use too many moves. He hesitated more than once which caused for the honju to attack and do a number of injuries on him.
“Good job, Hoshina.” Captain Ashiro’s voice buzzes through the comms.
“All platoons are close to cleaning up the yoju in zones D to H, Captain,” the new head of Operations, Okonogi, updates. “All civilians safely evacuated, and no casualties have been reported.”
The update distracts Hoshina from his own injuries. He carefully holds on to his abdomen and looks up at the sky which was beginning to be filled with clouds. He sighs and shifts his gaze on the dead kaiju he neutralised, already replaying the scene in his mind so he can improve his moves for the next one.
“Uh, Platoon leader Hoshina?” Okonogi’s voice is almost too small in Hoshina’s ear.
“Yes, Okonogi, m’dear?” The lack of other voices or noise hints that they’re using a private channel just for the two of them.
“I thought it’d be best to inform you that an officer has asked of your whereabouts.”
“Oh?” He turns away from the kaiju in front of him and changes course. “Who wants to see me?”
As he tries to figure out who, he sees an officer from the distance running towards his direction. He immediately recognises her form, a smile making its way to his face. “Thanks for the heads up, m’dear.” He clicks on his comms and leaves the private channel, making a mental note to talk to Okonogi later about it.
“Hoshina!” Soon, the figure begins to have a clearer image. There’s no mistaking the updo and her voice as she calls him, almost as if—
“Hah?” Hoshina focuses on [name]’s face and slowly walks in an attempt to meet her halfway. But his legs don’t listen to him, awfully slow. There’s no doubt about it. As they approach each other, his suspicions are confirmed. “The hell ‘ya cryin’ for?” His Kansai accent thickens slightly as he questions the officer, his usual smile dropping.
Tears pool in [name]’s eyes as she stops in front of Hoshina. She’s a mess of sniffles and huffs, holding her knees to steady herself and calm down. “Hoshina…” She says his name with a poor attempt of a chuckle.
He has half the mind to joke or tell her to run laps once they’re back at the base, but instead his heart squeezes in his chest at the sight of her tears on full display. He’s seeing them for real this time—not from behind, not hidden by her arm, not behind a curtain—but right in front of him. He slowly lifts his hand to put on her shoulder, guiding her to stand tall and face him.
“Hey, look at me.”
She does, face all flushed and tear stains on her cheek, eyes slightly red, and a visible cut on her forehead. Yet the one thing out of place is her smile, relieved and unable to be stopped at the sight of him.
“Answer me, officer. Why’re ‘ya cryin’?” Even after all this time, the reasons for her tears are not always clear. This time, he’s even more confused.
The question reminds her of her place, of her position. “I-I’m just happy you’re alive, sir.”
Her honesty shocks the platoon leader. Oh. He visibly relaxes, the smile returning to his face. “I’m alive,” he confirms. “So, no more cryin’, yeah?”
“Mm…” She hums just as fresh tears come again. She hastily wipes them away with her hands and arms, not caring at all for anyone else who’s in the area or in the Control Room.
Well, she’s never tried to hide her tears before.
They eventually leave and return to their base, going their separate ways. [Name] is surrounded by her platoon and being comically reprimanded by her peers for suddenly disappearing on them like she did. It turns out that she had requested to know of Hoshina’s condition from Okonogi and quickly ran to his zone upon learning that he was hurt.
Meanwhile, Hoshina acts casual as he reports to Captain Ashiro and Head of Operations. His injuries should have been easily hidden by his smile and quips, but Okonogi is quick to report the fractures and internal bleeding she detected earlier while she was looking over everyone’s conditions.
“Why’d ‘ya hafta throw me under the bridge?” Hoshina complains as Captain Ashiro stares at him in disappointment. “’M fine! I can check and patch myself up just fine!”
Okonogi, still unused to interacting with Hoshina, holds her clipboard against her torso nervously. “W-We’re sure you can, platoon leader Hoshina, but it’d be best to still have you professionally checked.”
He stops his comical complaining upon remembering something. “Oh, which reminds me, dear.” He holds his chin thoughtfully. “You were the one who told officer [surname] of my location and condition?”
“Yes.” Okonogi looks at him while hoping he won’t get mad. “Her platoon already finished the yoju in their area, so she requested if she could ask how you were. Oh, but I told her through a private channel! I didn’t want to worry everyone else.”
Captain Ashiro turns to Okonogi. “Good call, Okonogi.”
“But—” Hoshina stops himself from saying any more, realising his complains and such will not matter.
“Sorry, platoon leader,” Okonogi apologises. “Did I, er, overstep?”
“Hm? Nah.” Hoshina dismisses the thought quickly. “Was just surprised she came running.” He crosses his arms and clears his throat. “Anyway—”
“Don’t think you can escape, Hoshina.” Captain Ashiro then says, her gaze firm on her platoon leader. “You’re heading to the medical ward now.”
Hoshina flinches at the assertive but eerie tone. “Yes, Captain.”
He does not even think of disobeying. He knows his Captain will catch wind of it, one way or another. Thus, he heads down to the medical ward. On his way there, he replays everything that happened; beginning from when they were deployed right until he parted with [name] on the field.
He makes quick note of the moves he should have used to neutralise the honju quicker, keeping them in a compartment in his mind to revisit later. Then he thinks of [name]—piecing together the scenes like a movie. Honestly, his injuries aren’t that bad. It could’ve been worse, but perhaps his stubbornness didn’t allow him to weaken.
And [name]—she was worried, he could tell.
Who the hell even runs just to check up on someone else from another zone? He almost says his thoughts out loud as he finally arrives at his destination and looks for a nurse. He’s quiet as he’s being assessed, remembering [name]’s face and the tears she had shed while running towards him. No one’s cried for me before.
He couldn’t say much earlier because of his confusion. All he wanted to know was the reason for her tears. And to find out that it’s because of him is shocking. He remembers the way his heart ached, moved by her reaction, at a loss for words. Yet amidst all that confusion earlier, one thought prevailed: I don’t wanna see her cry because of me.
The nurse tells him to stay in the ward for the night. As much as Hoshina doesn’t want to stay, his fear of his Captain is strong. That, and the need to be alone with his thoughts. There is a lot of self-reflection to be done.
He sighs once he’s cleaned up, deciding to maybe get some sleep. Might as well now that he’s here. “Darn. Should’ve brought some paperwork with me.” He clicks his tongue at the realisation. Not that there’s much paperwork to do, but he doesn’t want to stay here and do nothing.
Besides, where will all this thinking take him?
A knock shakes him from his thoughts. One person immediately comes to mind. “Come in.”
Just as he expected, [name] enters with her lips in a frown and eyes downcast. Least she ain’t cryin’. She’s out of her combat suit and instead in the standard uniform. She stands by Hoshina’s bed and observes him. “Sir,” she says, sniffling.
His injuries are covered up by the patient gown he was given earlier, so he shouldn’t look that pitiful. “C’mon now,” he sighs, trying to smile to lighten the atmosphere. “You make it seem like I was close to dying or somethin’. But I’m here and alive, yeah?”
“Sorry, sir.” She sighs and rubs her arms.
“Well, now you’ve seen me.” He shrugs his shoulders casually, as if this was no big deal. And it truly isn’t. “So, I gotta ask for you to leave.”
“H-Huh?”
“’Ya heard me.” He doesn’t want to repeat it.
Her expression changes from sad to confused in a split moment. “May I ask why, sir?”
“’Cuz ‘er either looking sad or cryin’ when ‘ya see me.”
“T-That’s because—”
“I don’t wanna see ‘ya cry because of me.” He lays it all out, plain and simple.
“Sorry, sir.” She apologises again, bowing her head. “I’ll try not to.”
The tension is thick. Hoshina doesn’t want to say anything he’ll regret, and he most certainly doesn’t want the medical ward to be the place where he gets answers. No, not on his watch.
“But I gotta ask this now. Why was I the reason for ‘er cryin’?”
[Name] looks at him with wide eyes, “Huh?” She didn’t really expect for him to ask again. She had already told him her answer on the field earlier today.
“Why cry ‘cause of me?” He repeats. “Think of the answer. The next time we meet, I wanna hear it.”
She puts her hands behind her—a habit Hoshina knows she does when she’s nervous and contemplating on something. “Okay, sir.”
If he’s right—and he usually is—then he should have a proper answer for her the next time they meet, too.
Bonus!
For all of Hoshina’s perceptiveness and wit, he didn’t see this coming. Liking someone? Especially someone so compassionate that they cry often? This wasn’t the plan when he joined the Defense Force, when he accepted Ashiro’s offer of coming to the Third Division. Not even close.
Yet he realised he’s taken too long to come to this conclusion. It was simple curiosity at first, then indifference, then exasperation—of her tears. He saw [name] as a simple rookie officer, then someone he saw potential in, then someone he can rely on. It’s cliché to even think of how he views his friendship with her—how he wants it to turn out.
He reminisces the progress of their friendship for the last two years as he stands on the top of Tachikawa’s base which overlooked the training grounds and one side of the city. He didn’t expect anything, really, because he knows this line of work is dangerous. But he got friendly with his officers, with her, anyway. She was a simple officer who was his friends friend, and he didn’t expect them to become close as they spent time together training and sharing meals.
He began to enjoy her company and her humour. He admired the way she didn’t give up, how she pushed herself and earned the respect of her peers and junior officers. He noticed her mannerisms, the things which make her tick, the errands she likes to do on her days off. He saw the way she fought and defended against the kaiju, the way she led others and took initiative if no senior officer was around, and the overflowing compassion she has to the point she’d cry out of sadness or joy in public.
Honestly, he should’ve sussed it out when he wondered about her during missions.
Man. He crosses his arms and sighs, enjoying the breeze which flutters the hair against his forehead. I really should’ve known.
The single entrance of the rooftop is loud enough to announce someone else’s arrival. Hoshina squares his shoulders, uncrossing his arms quickly and turns his body to confirm who it is.
“Hoshina, sir.” [Name] is all tense and formal as she approaches the platoon leader. There are no signs of tears or sadness on her features this time.
“At ease, [name].” He allows her name to roll off his tongue casually. It’s rare for him to do so, but he thinks this situation calls for a more friendly and—dare he think—intimate approach. “It’s just you and me today. I’ll allow it.”
“R-Really?” Her eyes widen. “You mean it?”
He snickers, somewhat, already liking the way the conversation is going. “Yeah, I do.”
She visibly relaxes, a soft smile adoring her features as she steps closer to him but still leaving space between them. “I was pleasantly surprised when Ikaruga said you were looking for me. You look well enough for another battle.”
“With the paperwork I’ve missed?” He chuckles. “Yeah, I think so.”
“So, why’d you call for me?” She’s the first to dive into importance, making him smile. “Surely it’s not just to show that you’ve recovered.”
He nods. “That, and the answer to my question from last time.”
She wrings her hands behind her back, letting silence to come between them. “You were wondering why I cried, and I said it’s because of you.” She starts, eyes darting away before settling into his squinted eyes again. “That’s true. I was crying during the mission because I… I was scared you got hurt. I came to you and was so, so relieved to see you still in one piece.”
“And in the medical ward?”
“I didn’t cry,” she protests with furrowed brows.
He tilts his body comically. “You almost did.” Then he crosses his arms again. “Is that all there is to it?”
“Well…” She shakes her head. He can tell she’s doing her best to look at him straight in the eyes. “I was scared, worried, because I care. For you. And I don’t mean as friends, Soshiro.”
Like some teenage boy talking to his crush, Hoshina feels something in his chest yet again.
“I-I like you.”
She beat me to it. His smile can mean so many things right now. And there’s something within him that just… finds peace, relief. Knowing that he isn’t the only one feeling, well, things.
He tries to look cool, but he can’t help making the gap between them smaller in hopes of setting the scene—to make up for all the normalcy right now. “Glad we’re on the same page.”
“Eh?” She tilts her head slightly to look up at him now that they’re physically closer. “Do you mean that, Soshiro?”
“I like you, too, [name].” He confirms, knowing she won’t believe it until he says it straight to her face. “I have, for a while now.”
Her eyes suddenly become glassy, and Hoshina is quick to take her face in his hands. He’s gentle, tentative, waiting for her to pull away—say something, anything to indicate she didn’t want this. But he finds none. His thumbs carefully swipe under her eyes. “I knew you’d cry.”
She bites her bottom lip to prevent herself from wailing. Her hands come up to hold the back of Hoshina’s hands, grounding herself to this moment. “Sorry I’m such a crybaby.”
“I wouldn’t say I don’t like it.” He sighs before letting her face go, only for him to grab hold of her hands between them. “Shows ‘er compassionate, empathetic. And I like that ‘bout ‘ya.”
Her eyes seem to glow at the compliment. “But you don’t always understand, do you?” She asks.
“I don’t,” he confirms. “But I’ll try to, for ‘ya.”
She musters the courage to pull their joint hands down to her lips, kissing his knuckles softly. “That means a lot to me.”
“’s long as ‘ya don’t cry because of me,” he’s quick to say, the amused grin back on his face. “Or else ‘ya might start to think I do it on purpose.”
She laughs—the sound music to his ears—and reprimands him half-heartedly.
This. His snaggle tooth shows as he laughs with her. I can definitely get used to.