<< Previous Chapter
>> Next Chapter
^^ Index





First things first, it'd be better to make sure that Sumire and Kanna aren't trying to--



Oh. OH, I see what you're trying to do to me, game. You're trying to make me commit to one girl or the other.



We'll see about THAT.



[Ogami]

Um... it's Ogami...


[Sumire]

... what is it you want?


----
[Ogami]

A girlfriend, world peace, a way to escape this dead-end job, and an end to all poverty. In no particular order.


[Sumire]

Oh, Ensign, I can CERTAINLY solve one of those issues.


[Ogami]

Really? You can end all poverty?


[Sumire]

... that was actually intended to be a clever nod to the first item on the list, Ensign.


[Ogami]

... oh.


[Sumire]

...


[Ogami]

...


[Sumire]

I believe this is where you should be adopting an expression of joyed disbelief and saying something along the lines of--


[Ogami]

Jesus H. Christopher, WHAT?


[Sumire]

I suppose that will do. In actuality, I can help you leave this job... in a body bag.


[Ogami]

... oh.


[Sumire]

Ensign, thank you SO much for ruining my joke by being a step too slow to react correctly to my setup. If you came here to cheer me up, you--

----

[Ogami]

Er... I just wanted to check on you a bit.


----
[Sumire]

Oh, now you wish to sit in here and laugh at my righteous indignation, or mock my utter inability to confess my undying love constant bickering with Kanna-san!?


[Ogami]

... can't you just let me in already?

----

[Sumire]

..... please come in, it's unlocked.



----


----
[Ogami]

We have, like, half an hour to walk two flights of stairs down to the Command Room. It takes less than five minutes.


[Sumire]

Not counting getting intercepted by Sakura, Iris, or Kohran?


[Ogami]

Hurtling down the steps ten at a time and kicking off the walls to change direction tends to discourage people from getting in my way.


[Sumire]

Yes, but it tends to break peoples' noses if they are too slow to move out of the way, for instance that one time your feet slammed into my face about a month ago.


[Ogami]

So THAT'S why you went missing for a whole two weeks.


[Sumire]

For heaven's sake, could you make an EFFORT to try and remember these things!?


[Ogami]

It would certainly explain why the theater was a lot quieter during that time.

----

[Ogami]

........



----


[Ogami]

Well... I was kind of worried about you, Sumire-kun.




[Ogami]

Yeah... you got into a fight right after THAT performance, right? I thought that you'd gotten pretty horribly beaten up, but...


[Sumire]

So that's... why you came up here?


[Ogami]

Yup. ... Sumire-kun, are you alright?




----
[Sumire]

... even though I am perfectly capable of destroying hordes of demonic robots with a sweep of my naginata and plunging myself into mortal danger on a regular basis.


[Ogami]

But... you went up against Kanna.


[Sumire]

... alright, I'll grant you that.

----

[Ogami]

Isn't it natural for me to be worrying? Ah... that's right...




[Ogami]

It's about time. I'll be heading to the Command Room ahead of you.


----
[Sumire]

Didn't you just say that...?


[Ogami]

Look, I'm either going to leave your room without incident, walk you down there myself (and incur the physically intimidating wrath of Kanna), or invite you out to lunch in the city (and fuck over Japan). I don't have much choice other than to cut my losses and back out of here.


[Sumire]

Wha--


[Ogami]

Trust me on this, this is how I'm wired.


[Sumire]

Whatever you say, Ensign.

----


----


Alone. All alone.



... and now to even out the scales a little bit so that the imbalance won't lead to Ogami's more-premature-than-usual death.



[Ogami]

Um... it's Ogami...


[Kanna]

... what do you want?


----
[Ogami]

To live.


[Kanna]

Oh, I think we could arrange that.

----

[Ogami]

Er... I just wanted to check on you a bit.


[Kanna]

C'mon in, it's unlocked.



----


[Ogami]

........


Ogami's mind blanked. He'd racked his brain (or rather, what few brain cells he had left) for what to say to Sumire and Kanna when he went to check on them, but everything he'd prepared for Kanna was just... gone. Zero, zip, nada-- Ogami realized that he was going to be walkking into this situation completely and utterly blind, flying on the seat of his pants.

This is normally where the story's protagonist improvises, and rolls a twenty on his bullshit roll. Ogami, however, had long since lost his figurative dice between the cushions of the couch of insanity. Thus, he did what any normal human would never dream of doing.



[Ogami]

Well... I was kind of worried about you, Kanna.


... he began repeating himself.



[Ogami]

Yeah... you got into a fight right after THAT performance, right? I thought that you'd gotten pretty horribly beaten up, but...




[Ogami]

Aah. ... are you alright, Kanna?


----
[Kanna]

I can break people in half using only my fingers, I am basically one gigantic muscle--


[Ogami]

-- with breasts--


[Kanna]

-- and I can do almost superhuman feats on a regular basis, an' usually before breakfast.


[Ogami]

Sounds about right.


[Kanna]

... and you're asking me if I'm alright, after having scuffled with a tiny slip of a girl who's probably less than half my weight.


[Ogami]

I... yes.


[Ogami]

(OhgodI'mfuckedI'mfuckedI'mfuckedI'mfucked)

[Kanna]

...

----



----
[Ogami]

What.


[Kanna]

Hey, it's a futile gesture, but that doesn't mean that I can't appreciate it!

----

[Ogami]

Isn't it natural for me to be worrying? Ah... that's right...




[Ogami]

It's about time. I'll be heading to the Command Room ahead of you.




Somehow... SOMEHOW... Ogami had gotten away with regurgitating the same excuses, almost word for word, and without getting found out or horribly decimated in the process.



As he now felt like ass, Ogami decided to start meandering aimlessly through the halls, completely ashamed of himself.



[Ogami]

Hey, Yuri-kun. What're you doing in a place like this?




[Yuri]

I'm thinking of buying new clothes, but I'm kind of lost as to which to choose.




[Ogami]

Clothes that would suit you, huh...


----
[Yuri]

Oh, and you can't answer "wear nothing at all."


[Ogami]

... good god, have I become THAT predictable?


[Yuri]

After living at this theater for a while, you start becoming good at making sure that you don't leave yourself wide open.

----



[Ogami]

I think showy clothes would fit you well, Yuri-kun.


[Yuri]

You think so too? Clothes that are a bit showy are better than plainer clothes, aren't they!
As expected of you, Ogami-san! You understand my tastes!!


----
[Ogami]

It's kind of obvious, given that you're the only one of the three girls that dresses up this much. I mean, you've got gloves, a scarf thing, a hat--


[Yuri]

It's a chapeau.


[Ogami]

That's exactly what I'm talking about.

----


----

----


[Ogami]

Aah, I'll look forward to it.


----
[Ogami]

I, uh, I GUESS I will. I mean, you kind of decided that without any input from me, so I--

----

[Yuri]

Right, I've got to hurry and get this form down to the mailbox. See you later!


----
[i][Ogami]

... am just talking to myself again, aren't I.

----

NEXT TIME: The daytime phase isn't particularly long!


<< Previous Chapter
>> Next Chapter
^^ Index