Chapter Text
“And with this the inauguration for the 47th class of operators has been completed. You’re all dismissed. New recruits please follow your assigned mentors.”
Everybody saluted when the operations leader Kogami was leaving the stage after the captain.
The person behind her exhaled in relief.
“Don’t say you’re glad you’re not a mentor this year, Hanamoto-senpai.”
Konomi Okonogi turned around and despite being one and a half heads shorter met full of confidence her mentor’s gaze.
“No I have earned my peace for this year. Who would have thought that I’m getting the last year’s genius. Trying to stop her from starting new sideprojects was more tiring than training somebody from scratch. I swear I have no idea when you’re sleeping.”
She chuckled over this well known complain.
“Starting this week I’m officially recognized as a fully trained operator which I have to thank you and your guidance, Hanamoto-senpai. I will do my best not to slow down and I am looking forward to working with you as equals.”
She bowed with earnest respect for him.
She really had to thank him for a lot, helping her find a place inbetween the operators. Compared to other new recruits her training focus had been less on knowledge and skills and more into getting settled in the team. Every new operator might have an assigned senpai to shadow but it didn’t mean that every mentor needed to take good care of their newbie. And standing out in a good or a bad way was frowned upon in the operation room. It especially didn’t help that the operations leader from the third division didn’t like her or her dad.
“Err, Okonogi-san, please don’t be so formal. We’re not to far away in age and it makes it weird if we are working on the same level.”
Following the others around she tried to catch a glimpse of the new and old faces.
As a recrute from the last year she was standing more to the front but thanks to her size and the tall guy infront, the assembly had been like an audio book for her.
“Did you notice who came in later? I think it had to be two people.”
Some guys in coats squeezed past them.
“One of Ebina’s younger guys is standing over there,” Hanamoto nodded to the side where some platoon leaders mingled with a few of their members and operators, “he hasn’t been attending at the start.”
She could only gauged the blond back of the the member opposite to Ebina which was known to her. Suprisingly platoon leader Ebina was looking roughly into their direction.
But there is no way that he could have heard them.
“Isn’t that Itakura? Do you think the other member from the duo is also there?”
“I hope not, but you know how they say ‘misfortunes never come singly’.”
Hanamoto buried his hands in his coat, while following all of their colleagues.
“Do you think the chief will let us go late to lunch since we’re behind on the regular checks?”
“I hope not. I am already starving.”
“You’re so little, how do you eat so much?”
“That’s a sign that my body is preparing for a growth spurt.”
To her left a voice got louder and was calling for somebody.
What an idiot calling ‘hey you’ in a room full of people.
“You’re preparing for that for the last year.”
“Good things take time.”
Then a hand clasped her upper left arm and pulled her backwards out of the crowd. Instantly Hanamoto redirected following her and her kidnapper.
“Hey, I was talking to you.”
Surprised she looked up to a defense force officer with famours purpleish hair and eyes closed to slits.
The second member of the trouble duo in platoon Ebina - Hoshina Soushiro.
Why am I in trouble?
“You’re the voice from tuesday! Your reaction time was impeccable”, she pushed his hand away from her, “but you were off so fast!”
In her stead Hanamoto answered, “she was already off helping another operator with his group. Despite being a newer member Okonogi-san is a pillar in the operation room.”
Surprised about this high praise she looked up to her mentor.
He wasn’t the type to say something he didn’t mean, but most off the time he limited himself to comments regarding her working to much and stressing him out by that. And on tuesday he, therefore also his mentee had been assigned to Ebina platton. The infamous duo had charged into battle way ahead of their members, making it a competition who could kill more kaijus. So nothing to unexpected or difficult. Therefore she could spontaneously support her seating neighbour, who had panicked after some of his members had been heavily wounded.
Moving her attention back, she addressed troop member Hoshina.
“Thank you for your acknowledgement, Hoshina-san. For us it would help if you could kindl-“
“Ah, so you’re the little genius in our ranks. Very pleased to have made your aquantaince. We should definitely keep in touch, Okonogi-chan!”
He definitly had no interest in how he could make their lifes easier. And what did he mean with ‘little genius’? He was the new prodigy everybody was talking about! There was even a group chat with his training sightings for anybody wanting to see him in action. And when did I allow him to call me ‘-chan’? We are not that close! In fact that’s maybe their first time meeting in person, he should properly introduce himself, that idiot! Since she had started directly in the third division she might even outrank him and be addressed as an older member despite being younger!
“Hoshina, stop flirting with the girl.”
All three looked surprised to platoon leader Ebina, who had joined their group.
“Excuse us, if he still has energy I will put it to good use.”
Ebina-san you’re not making it better!
“Follow me.”
Both of the soldiers left the group but in regards to Hoshina not without turning around waving and shouting a ‘hear ya soon, Okonogi-chan!’.
In this moment she noticed that the corridor hat emptied and the remaigning members had been monitoring their group closely.
That happens when you have impressive colleagues like them. Heavens, can I please vanish from the face of this earth?!
But the show wasn’t completely over. Several of the operators had listened in due to noticing Hoshina with his good looks. Immeadiately they started speculating how he could possibly know her. And had she really introduced herself as a prodigy? Nevermind, he was really as handsome as people were telling.
Okonogi frowned.
His face might be good, but his demenour isn’t. She had worked so hard to integrate herself. Konomi stay strong, you will. Not. Be. Swayed. No matter how good looking he might be. Go and look at some of his tapes and pause in the right movements.
But Hanamoto-senpai had a different plan.
“Okonogi-san,your expression troubles me, let’s risk it and go directly for lunch.”
A few months later in preparation for the quarterly special training they received their assignments for the next day.
Only one team for her to take care of, what a breeze - this would be a walk in the park. If they were halfway capable and willing to listen they could make it into the top teams without any doubt.
She had been looking forward to the mail all day and when it came she wondered if by the members of her group, she could cauge what the grouping method had been. But already with the first name her trail of thoughts was interrupted.
“Hoshina-squad? Really he is going to be troop leader?”
Hanamoto was glancing at her screen.
“Look’s like you already know whom you need to pay attention to?”
“Really, with all the lectures by Ebina-san he was selected as a troop leader? Do you think they might want to promote him for real?”
“Don’t read too much into it. But if you want”, he was pointing at the other names on the list, “Hoshina-troop consists out of rookies and sole wolf members. Maybe they just thought if he can work independent, he can deal with his own kind.”
“That’s okay but why punish me?”
All the other schedules from the last months came to her mind.
Whenever Hoshina-san and her had the same shift, she was bound to have him in her rooster. Even in training analysis she had him indepentend from her shifts. Additionally, he would come in with coffee and go through every detail colleagues might have mentioned and what she thought of this. One meeting a week was at least one hour until he was satisfied. If he wanted to practice with instant feedback she was in for a complete noon.
“Say, Hanamoto-san, am I the only one under the impression that I barely work with other teams? I think I can feel my brain’s plasticity shrinking.”
But he only cackled.
“Finally you know how I felt. But it’s not that bad. Nevertheless, thank you for covering for us!”
That arouse her suspicion.
“Covering, huh? I thought he is popular? Especially with the female staff.”
“Yes he is, but also hard to handle when he’s starting to work indepentend from his group or reacts on the situation without alignment. You’re the one that is keeping up with his shenanigans and …”
“And?”
“And he is known for his high standarts. You’re keeping up with that”, lowering his voice he leaned in like a conspirator, “if they are going to promote him, what seems quite possible to me, I bet he will take you with him. That is your sponsor against operations leader Kogami.”
“No way this is going to happen!”
“Shh.”
Instinctively she covered her mouth with her hands. Her voice had been way louder than intended.
“Trust me, Okonogi-san, you won’t be sitting in the backrows for ever. And if Hoshina is smart, what again seem quite likely to me, he will acknowledge your work.”
Okonogi leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms.
It never hurt to have people on your side or at least convinced that you’re capable. But she didn’t want to play political games or be brought into someone’s game. She just wasn’t the type for and her sleep wasn’t worth that.
“And if you ask me –“
Instantly her attention switched back to her neighbour.
“… personal affection plays also an important role.”
“I have no personal affection for him! I am professional and treat everybody the same way!”
“So how is your picture collection of him coming alone?”
Checkmate. This is known?
Now it was time for her to lean in and look like a conspirator.
“How do you know about that? I’m not doing anything illegal.”
Since Hanamoto started laughing, her face must have been quite amussing or he got aware how he could blackmail her with that information.
“Hey there in the backseats! Anything fun to share with the group?”
The operations leader was paing attention to them. So both answered synchronized.
“No, sir!”
“Then keep quite and don’t disrupt the team. You’ll be responsible for the suit maintenance today.“
“Yes, sir!”
Both of them hid their faces behind the screens and lost contact with each other. Then a chat field with Hanamoto opened ‘Your secret is safe with me’ answered by a thumbs up emoti by her.
This was not the right time nor the right place to correct him. She clearly wasn’t one of the Hoshina fans. It was her job to keep an eye on him if he was crossing her way so often. And yes she had often tried and failed into finding a bad angle from him. Instead the tapes had shown a young man who put a lot of effort in his work and skills. Even at the gun, where his output was way left behind his sword work, he never necklegted practice sessions. So overall it was hard not to feel supportive of someone that was trying so hard. Of course that made him an asset to the Japanese nation, that’s why she was taking care of him!