FullMetal*Panic!

The library was practically empty.

There was good reason for that, or course. At Jindai High, only the nerdiest of the nerds would stay inside on a day like this.

It was break time. The sun was shining down in all its glory, sharing the azure sky with large puffy white clouds. The scene was idyllic. Students wandered about… stood in groups chatting happily… or busied themselves in impromptu games of soccer and badminton.

Of course, there were always exceptions. Throughout the dusty pages of history, there have always been people whose lives reside outside of the envelope of normalcy, and those whose own special needs or necessities lead them down a path different from the one that most individuals trod upon.

“Kaname.” Sousuke came to a halt, his arms full of books. He had a number of make-up assignments to work on, thanks to the prolonged absence stemming from yet another mission. He had no choice but to use this time for research and writing. “Why are you here?” He felt somewhat relieved. It had left him tied in knots, wondering what Kaname might be doing when he was secluded in the building.

The blue-haired girl was sitting at the end of a long polished would table, a small publication open in front of her. Pencil in hand, she had been biting her lip before the young soldier stepped into her light.

“Great!” Kaname made a face, her eyes narrowing. “I’m here because it was the one place I could be alone.” She put emphasis on that last word. Furthermore, by dint of body language, an observant onlooker might guess that the one person she wanted most to avoid was the one who just found her. “Is it part of your mission to make my life miserable?”

“Negative,” Sousuke replied calmly, looking around the room to make certain that no one might be listening in. He also began running through numerous possibilities. Was Kaname there because she was hiding from a threatening student? Might her circulatory problem be reaching significant proportions? Or, as an excellent student, was she showing admirable diligence and dedication? “At least, I have never been briefed on that specific issue.” He coked his head. “Are you miserable?”

“Yes,” Kaname sighed, and then rested her head in her hands. “No. Not really, I guess.” She sighed again. “I don’t know. Sometimes I feel that way.” She ran her fingers over the thin booklet she had in front of her. Putting the pencil eraser in her mouth, she met Sousuke’s eyes with her own. “You sthill get pwetty badth sometimeth….” Her speech was a bit distorted, but she got her message across.

“I see,” Sousuke said. He fidgeted a moment, and then stopped. Fidgeting was an indication of distraction or neurological disorder. Neither was particular useful in an operative or bodyguard. “Was it the fact that I mistook the superintendent for an intruder?”

“No,” Kaname shook her head, spinning the pencil adeptly on her finger. “Although that was pretty bad.

“Are you still angry about your science project.” Sousuke thought back to the time in the student laboratory, one week prior. “It was smoking. I thought that was a sign that someone had introduced a deadly reagent…I couldn‘t take any chances….” It was an honest mistake. Of course, from his point of view, just about every disaster had some sort of honest mistake or misinterpretation at the core.

“No,” Kaname shook her head. Running a hand through her hair, she let out a long breath. “My hair isn’t stiff anymore. And, it almost has its normal color again.” She shivered, recalling the first moment she had looked in a mirror after that notable mishap. At least she had fared better than the substitute laboratory instructor, who now sported a fancy wig over her cue-ball dome.

“This is true,” Sousuke confirmed, standing a bit stiffer and taller. The librarian had walked into view. While not a military professional, the elderly woman was indeed a master at her craft. “Was it the accidental announcement?” He looked up at the intercom system overhead. Many of the rooms had a similar device. The source of most messages… the main office… had a transmitting microphone. That item was usually left in the ‘off’ position. By chance, one of the office staff had left the switch turned to ‘on’ just before Sousuke ran into Kaname there. She was carrying papers for a Student Council memo. He was leaving the Principal’s office.

“No, not that either.” Kaname tensed. The pencil snapped in two. “Not really. But… I thought I told you never to bring that up again….” Her eyes flashed. “Ever!” That had been an embarrassment of legendary proportion. When greeted by Sousuke that day, she had said ‘I’m not in any mood to deal with you now, Sousuke. I’m terribly backed up.’ The choice of words had been innocent enough. She had meant ‘busy.’ But, Sousuke had interpreted it to mean ‘constipated.’

“Sorry!” Sousuke walked over to a pedestal desk, reached across an old dusty Rolodex, and pulled a pencil out of a small stand. “I stand instructed!” He stiffened up again, after rolling the pencil to Kaname. He had been loudly and physically instructed that day, too. He had not helped Kaname by saying ‘How long has it been a problem? It could be a sign of a serious medical condition. Given your recent mood, it could be IBS. Irritable Bowel Syndrome.’ Before being clobbered to within an inch of his life, he had gone on to mention other possible causes, including improper chewing of food; insufficient intake of dietary fiber; dehydration from inadequate fluid intake; an injured anal sphincter; foreign bodies; and tumors. He never got a chance to suggest possible remedies.

“Sousuke….” Kaname closed her eyes and pursed her lips before speaking again. “You may be good at following orders in combat or something….” She slammed her hand down hard, wrinkling the page she was turned to. “But you are never… and I mean never… instructed.” She sighed again and slumped in her chair. She had been forced to deal with a lot of catty comments and stupid jokes after that one incident. She had lost count at how many times someone said something like ‘What crawled up your ass and died;’ offered her chocolate flavored laxative; or quipped ‘It’s probably IBS. Irritable Body Syndrome.’ “It’s none of those things, and it’s all of those things. It’s everything.” She paused, fighting back tears. “It’s you.”

Sousuke stood quietly, not certain what he was feeling. He had long since grown to care about Kaname Chidori, to a degree he didn’t understand, or subconsciously did not want to admit. It was his duty to protect her. But, she had taught him that there was more to life than duty and obligation.

“Ahhh-hh-h….” Kaname wiped away a tear. “Who’s the one that should be sorry? It’s not all your fault. It’s a lot of things.” But, truth be told, a lot of those ‘a lot of things’ involved Sgt. Sousuke Sagara, soldier of Mithril. “Sometimes I just want to get away from it all. You know. Being Whispered. Having to deal with gangsters and crazy police women. Keeping up my image at school.” She turned to a fresh page in her booklet. “I just wanted to find a quiet place and get my mind off of things. I just wanted to finish some of these crossword puzzles.”

“Kaname?” Sousuke felt as if an invisible personal barrier had come down. He walked over to look down at the book. “Crossword puzzles?” He couldn’t remember seeing anyone involved in that kind of activity before.

“Huh?” Kaname made a face. “Are you a moron, or something?” Her features softened as she thought for the umpteenth time how the young man’s life had been so tragically different than anyone else’s she knew of. “Geee-ee-ez… OK… let me explain….” She pointed to the printed page. She had already filled in a portion of that puzzle. “A crossword is a word puzzle that normally takes the form of a square grid like this one… see all of the black and white squares.”

“Is it like a code cypher?” Sousuke grimaced when Kaname stomped on his toes.

“Baka!” Kaname shook her fist at him. “I’m doing a favor, explaining this to you. So keep quiet!” She shook her head. “Sheesh. Big idiot.” She held the book up close to his face. “The goal is to fill the white squares with letters, forming words or phrases, by solving clues that help you figure out the answers.”

“….” Sousuke thought about telling Kaname that some books used to keep codes or crack codes utilized a similar format. He wisely chose to keep that to himself. “This puzzle is unfinished. Did you find it too difficult? Could you use assistance?”

“I just didn’t have time to finish it before,” Kaname grumped. She couldn’t blame Sousuke for that. He had interrupted her work on a different puzzle. “But….” She looked up at his face. He truly looked earnest. As much as she might hate the situations that she found herself in thanks to the maladaptive military misfit, it always made her feel cheerful when he made heartfelt offers to help her. She found herself smiling. “I suppose I wouldn’t mind some help….” Yes. Sousuke Sagara certainly was sweet, in his crazy messed-up way.

“Very good!” Sousuke stood at attention, bringing his heels together. “After school… if there is time… we can visit my apartment….” That had Kaname blushing. “If I receive permission, I can connect to Da Danaan. Should she have time available, Captain Testarossa is very bright….”

“Why thank you Sousuke. I….” The last sentence took a while to register. “What? Tessa?” She stood up. In a fluid motion too fast to follow, she slammed Sousuke’s face into the table top. “Jerk.” She was not going to ask Tessa for help with anything, much less a stupid crossword puzzle. The nerve of that messy-haired miscreant!

“Kaname. That hurt.” Sousuke checked to see if his nose was broken. He stood at attention again when the librarian shushed them. “I do not understand….” He tasted a slight trace of blood. No matter. “If it is a matter of timeliness… I would be willing to help….”

“You?” Kaname forced herself to calm down. “You help me with a crossword? The thought of Classical Japanese gets you all sweaty. You don’t have much better luck with everything else. Although… your English is good….” Well, this might actually be another chance to criticize Sousuke’s scholastic ineptitude, and get him to increase his efforts at studying. That is, in as much as his ‘job’ ever allowed him to focus on his schoolwork. “OK. Let’s do this.” She glanced at her watch. “We have time before break ends.”

“So…” Sousuke stared at the page. “To operate this manual….”

“Watch,” Kaname said, pulling out a chare and having Sousuke sit. “Squares in which answers begin are usually numbered. That’s very important, since the clues refer to those numbers… and to a direction.” She ran her finger over a clue, and then over a space on the puzzle she had previously filled in. “See here."4-across.’ And over here, I filled in sideways, starting at block number ‘4’.”

“Understood!” Sousuke had begun to sweat. He knew this wasn’t anything terribly important; but, just the same, he felt as if he were being critiqued by one of his superiors.

“Sous-kaaa-aa-ay… you don’t have to get all uptight and everything….” Kaname frowned when sweat drops made expanding circles on her page, distorting some of her lead marks. “This is just a game. You know.” She reached inside her purse… took out a tissue… gave it to Sousuke… and pointed at his forehead. As he began dabbing, she said “Mmm-mm-m… let’s see… 25-across…word with up or back….” She began tapping on her cheek as she thought through various possibilities.

“Uhhh-hh-h… back up….” Sousuke coughed. He saw Kaname curve her fingers into claws. “No… those are both parts of the clue… they cannot go together….” He was sweating again, this time for a different reason. “Ah! That is it! ‘Blow’.”

“Blow?” Kaname gripped the table edge. “Blow! How would I guess you might want to blow something up or blow something back!?” Kaname hung her head. “Honestly… I don’t know why I bother trying….” That was fate speaking to her. Right? It was a particularly cruel joke. There were few things in the school or school ground that Sousuke hadn’t managed to blow up. Yet. “S…E…T… the word is ‘set’.” Kaname wrote in the word.

“That would appear to work, too.” Sousuke eyed the page. “There was space for only three letters. You did not….” He let it drop. Oblivious as he might be, he realized that it would not be good to accuse Kaname of insufficient instruction at that moment.

“I didn’t tell you that?” Kaname put her hands on her hips. “Let’s not get started on the subject of not telling people everything! OK, mister ‘I’m not a Sergeant’.” Again she fought to keep her temper in check. “24-across. Give false hopes. Six letters.” She frowned. “’Sousuke’ won’t fit. Hmmmpppfff! But ‘Sagara’ will.”

Sousuke just stared at the book. That couldn’t possibly be correct, could it? How could someone know about him?! He tense up and opened his mouth.

“It’s just a joke, Sousuke.” Kaname said, dead pan. “Don’t go getting all worked up about conspiracies and stupid otaku stuff like that.” She licked her lips. “L… E… A… D… O…N. ‘Lead on’.”

“I have a question.” Sousuke rubbed his chin. “There would seem to be many possibilities. How do you know which one is correct?”

“Wow.” Kaname blinked rapidly. “You actually asked a smart question.” She smiled at him. “Well… you don’t always know at the beginning, unless the clue is very specific. Sometimes you need letters from other words… like over here….” She pointed to a completed segment of the grid. “And… if you get stuck… the answers are in the back….”

“So. There are answers. That would allow cheating, which would seem to defeat the challenge.” He looked Kaname in the eyes. “Do you….oooppphhh….” He tumbled over backwards, chair and all, Kaname’s shoeprint on his face. He stayed down there for a moment, when the librarian shushed even louder this time.

“I do NOT cheat!” Kaname practically growled. To be honest, she did peak every now and then. But, usually not. “I don’t have to! This isn’t like gym class, where you used a flash bang during the track meet.”

“Uhhh-hh-h….” Sousuke still lay flat on his back.

“Or the swim meet, where you put a CO2 cartridges in that boys swim trunks!” Kaname began feeling hot-headed again.

“Uhhh-hh-h….” Sousuke righted his chair and sat back down, sliding up to the table.

“And who could possibly forget the soccer game?!” Kaname rubbed her eyes. This was supposed to be relaxing her! “You put trip wires in front of your goal!”

“Uhhh-hh-h….” Sousuke shrugged. He didn’t feel too poorly about that, remembering the way that the transformed Rugby Team he had trained treated the opposing team. At least he didn’t plant the anti-personnel mines he had originally chosen for the job. That was a sign of good judgment, was it not? “How about this one… 19-across…useless… five letters….”

“There’s an ‘E,’” Kaname observed. “That makes me think Tessa.” She frowned. She really didn’t dislike the other girl. In fact, she felt a slight bond, seeing the Whispered nature they shared, and the incidents they went through together. But, for some reason, she felt a need to tarnish the smarty-pants Captain’s halo just a bit in front of Sousuke. “But…the ‘E’ is in a different spot.”

“So… dud and dummy would also fail to meet muster,” Sousuke said, getting caught up in the challenge.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Kaname said instead of getting angry. “Oh… you meant weapons… you weren’t talking about you….” She grinned. “I… N…E…P…T. ‘Inept’. Maybe it’s about you after all.” Maybe that would teach him to leave military answers out of this.

“….” Sousuke just sat speechless again. Kaname didn’t indicate she was joking again. Should he assume she was? It was dangerous for a Specialist to ever make assumptions. But, a good filed operative had to be able to adapt to any situation!

“Next one,” Kaname said in a singsong voice, having scored a point on her quiet companion. He was in her world now, and she would keep things that way, at least until it was time for class. “5-down. Fledgling fliers goal." She bit her lip, deep in thought. “Let me see,”

“D… E… C… K….” Sousuke reached for the pencil. “As in carrier deck. Unfortunately, some new pilots end up in the ocean during their first approach to a moving ship.”

“Idiot!” Kaname slapped Sousuke’s hand away, while pulling the pencil tight against her chest. “I doubt that the cruciverbalist was a military maniac like you!” She saw the look on his face. “Cruciverbalist. A person that creates crossword puzzles.” She actually did learn things from checking the answers, sometimes“S… O…L…O. ‘Solo’.” She rushed to add “Amateur pilots need to solo too, mister!”

“I am aware of that fact,” Sousuke said calmly. That only seemed to make the blue-haired girl angrier. What had he done wrong this time? Was she disappointed, that he did not get the answer himself. He would try harder! “Next mission… ouch….” She had pinched him. “10-down. Some sea birds. Five letters. Hmmm.” He nodded his head. “’Lunch. L…U…. owww-ww-w….” Kaname had smacked him with the book.

“Terns!” Kaname stomped her foot, her breath coming in short gasps. “The answer is ‘Terns’! Big stupid head.” She waved apologetically to the octogenerian librarian. “Where the hell do you get ‘lunch,’ she added in a stage whisper. “Moron.”

“Survival training,” Sousuke said succinctly. He saw no need to embellish. The meaning should be obvious.

“Oh. Of course. Stupid me. Survival training.” Kaname placed both hands on the table, and leaned over to be nearly nose-to-nose with the mercenary. “I think we have had enough military stuff. Do. You. Read. Me.” She held her breath. She had given him the perfect opening to chastise her own choice of words. Hearing nothing, she continued. “42-down. It has five pillars. Mmm-mm-m. Let me think. Famous ancient buildings….”

“Islam,” Sousuke answered. “I… S… L… A… M.” He nodded his head. “I do not truly practice that faith. But, I was raised around it.”

“Oh.” Kaname’s eyebrows rose. “Maybe you have some use after all.” She thought about checking the back of the book just to be sure. She fingered the final pages.

“I will not think less of you, should you doubt me….” Sousuke saw her eyes soften a bit. “…Feel free to cheat if you feel a need to.” He ducked when those eyes went suddenly dark and she threw a textbook someone had left out. “5-across. Ready for a fight. Four letters.”

“U… B… E… T!” Kaname clenched her fists. She closed her eyes and counted to ten. Peace. Quiet. Relaxation. That was why she was there, wasn’t it? “Spar. It’s probably ‘spar’.” Getting the answer helped take the edge off of her mood. Another victory for Kaname Chidori! Not wanting to give Sousuke time to give a martial alternative to that clue, she moved on swiftly. “25-down. Stable part. Five letters.” Her emotions flip-flopped again. She’d let Sousuke answer that one. It was easy. He could probably use some confidence.

“Give me a moment.” Sousuke sat I thought. “Ah! I suppose that will be the answer. Wings. On any given aircraft, the wings must be stable.”

“No!” Kaname spoke louder than she had intended. “No. Stall. S…T… A… L… L.”

“Kaname?” Sousuke looked puzzled. “That does not make any sense at all. If an aircraft goes into a stall, that is hardly stable.”

“Ooo-oo-h….” Kaname was standing again, shaking a finger at Sousuke, ignoring the protestations of the elderly woman. “Baka. Baka baka baka. A stall. Part of a stable. The stable where people walk in a bull or horse or other animals. You don’t see airplanes going into a stall… well… you know what I mean!!!”

“You seem upset, Kaname.” Yes. Sousuke Sagara, master of observation.

“I… am… not… upset….” Kaname trembled. “I am not upset, Sousuke. Focus on the book, not me.” She almost felt like snorting bin bull-like fashion. “68-across. It hangs off the roof. Hmm. Three letters, not four, so it can’t be eave.”

“Spy,” Sousuke offered. The answer made sense.

“…” Kaname bit her tongue to keep from shouting again. “No. Bat. B… A… T.” She flexed the fingers on one hand. “As in ‘I really wish I had a bat right now.” If Sousuke brought up the issue of bat-sports implement versus bat-furry flying mammal, she’d hit him with something. Anything. Everything! “Oh. This one is apropos. 64-across. Hospital division.” She laced her fingers together and cracked her knuckles.”

Sousuke merely blinked. That was a joke of sorts. But, there was also an implicit threat. Girls in general were a very difficult subject to understand. Kaname Chidori seemed to be more difficult than most. But, he would not give up. He was not one to terminate a mission prior to completion or receipt of a withdrawal order.

“Unit,” Kaname said, writing in the word. “Now we’re talking. This is a tough one. Most people won’t know the answer. 59-down. Swiss chard. Great clue.”

“I agree,” Sousuke said affable. “Most people would probably find this challenging.” He felt empowered. He was not most people. He was a Specialist. “The chard… a thick-backed and knife-like sword… is the national weapon of the Afghans. So… a Swiss chard….”

“Sousuke….” Kaname tried to keep her voice down.

“No. Feder will not fit. It would be incorrect anyway, since that was a flat-bladed weapon, about three feet in length.” Sousuke rubbed his chin, ticking things off on his fingers.

“Sousuke….” Kaname was reaching the end of her rope again. How many times did she have to tell Sousuke not to go otaku on her?

“Hmmm. ‘XIII’ would fit. But, the type XIII Swiss sword was a great sword. A chard equivalent should be a short sword, something like the Baselard. But-“ He was interrupted.

“SOUSUKE!” Kaname felt her temples throbbing in time with her galloping heart. “I give up. I should just give up. I should just wrap a big bow around me… walk out into the street… and start shouting. ‘Whispered girl. Free to a good home. Mobsters and terrorists welcome’.” She folded her arms across her chest. “It would have to be easier than this!”

Sousuke went silent again. This time, he did have the good graces to feel sheepish. Moreover, he began questioning himself. In Mithril, there had been opportunities to see how he was different than everyone else. But, that had been mostly through a comparison of age and skill levels. Now… here… in the civilized world… he continued to realize just how different he was from most people his own age.

“Beet. The correct answer was beet.” By coincidence, Kaname’s face was as red as a beet. As red as the borscht that Lt. Kalinin sometimes made Sousuke. “Unlike traditional beets, chard roots are inedible. Swiss chard is prized for its large leaves and crunchy stalks. The two main types found in most supermarkets are the red chard and the green.” She stood tall, one hand on her hip and one pointing skyward, as if she had just given some important speech. “Now. Kaname Chidori is nothing if not forgiving. Forgiving… generous… kind….” She looked to see if he was nodding along. He wasn’t, the big knuckle-head. She counted backwards from twenty. “OK. Can you promise me one thing.”

“Kaname?” Sousuke placed his hands on the table, slowly spreading the fingers apart.

“If there is no clear military context, can you please think about things that are not military? You can do that, can’t you?” She would have gotten down on her hands and need right there and then, if that would make him answer ‘yes’ and mean it. She was tough. She was a fighter. She had gotten through things in her life that would have broken most girls. But, Sgt. Sousuke Sagara was getting to her.

“I will do my best,” Sousuke promised. “I will pay strict attention to context. I will act as if my very life depended on it. In fact-“ He was cut-off.

“’Yes’ would have sufficed,” Kaname said. “But… thank you….” She tried to smile. It was hard to. “Back to work. I mean fun. I mean, it should be fun. 32-across. It’s fit for a pig. Three letters. That’s an easy one. Even a walking disaster like you should be able to get this one. It’s obviously one of those words that makes it easier to complete the rest of the puzzle, or one needed to make the words fit together right.” She gave a gracious wave of her hand. “Begin. You should be able to handle a pig, right Sousuke.” Her need to make a denigrating joke was her own undoing.

“Handle. I understand. It is not a problem.” Sousuke made an intense face. “'Spear' will not fit. 'Knife' will not fit. 'Glock' will not fit.” With each word, Kaname’s face clouded over, like a clear sky progressing to a raging storm. “Yes. Three spaces. '9 mm'.” Soon after finishing, he felt his head bounce off the table again.

“Idiot!” Kaname had Sousuke by the hair, slamming his head down and pulling it back up. “Moron.” She repeated the maneuver. “Total jerk! You promised! And crossword puzzles use letters, not numbers. In the spaces. As part of the answer, I mean. Unless it's spelled out... ooo-oo-oh...” She was really fuming now. “It’s sty. You know… pig sty. Who would think 9mm? I mean… come on… why would you think of a pistol?!”

“Simple,” Sousuke said, checking to see if any of his teeth were loose. Mithril had good dentists. “A submachine gun would be overkill. A rifle would be more suited to longer range. Explosives would present a potential danger to both the hunted and hunted.”

“Why did I ask?” Kaname placed her face against the cool surface of the table. That was better. Flat. Cool. Unmoving. Standing, she had begun to feel wobbly. “Why do I ever ask? Please. Just give me a straight answer. Why did you think of killing a pig? What did the pig ever do to you?”

“You said I could handle it.” Sousuke looked nonplussed. “So… hearing that… I assumed it would be my adversary….” He scratched his head. “It was an honest mistake.”

“Honestly,” Kaname drawled, feeling exhausted. “Everything with you is a mistake.”

“Would you have me give up, then?” Sousuke pointed at the puzzle book. “In the past… when it came to you… I have never given up….”

“Well….” Kaname looked deep into Sousuke’s eyes. What he said was true. Big trouble or not, he was always well-meaning. That muddle headed misfit would do anything for her, including dying. That fact alone frightened her past the edge of her wits, sometimes. And, deep inside, she knew that he would die for her, not for his duty. She felt a sudden warmth spread through her body. “One more chance. Just one.” She held up one finger and waggled it.

“Affirmative,” Sousuke said, sitting up straight.

“Mmmm….” Kaname didn’t choose a clue yet. She simply sat there, snagged on the cusp of thought and caught on the horns of a dilemma. She was used to Sousuke failing. She had grown thicker skinned as a result. She had to, simply to remain sane! But, she was forced to admit that she wanted him to succeed. Not in military matters. He rarely lost there. No. She wanted him to win in every day… normal… boy and girl things.

“Are you waiting for me to make the selection?” Sousuke leaned forward some. He made a face when pain shot up his back momentarily. “I do not mind. Unless you think that my choice may be part of the problem.”

“It’s alright. How about this one.” Without glancing down, Kaname thrust out her finger, tapping a certain line. “43-across….” She swallowed hard when she read the clue. Oh. That might prove interesting. Comical, even. But, it could also leave her more frustrated than before. Should she read the clue she chose, or a different one? There was no way for Sousuke to know otherwise. Whatever. Throw caution to the wind. Avoiding that question would only show she was afraid of something. “Beautiful. Six letters.”

“Beautiful….” Sousuke hunched over, preparing to it his all, as if the fate of the world depended on this decision. ‘Not military… not military… not military.’ His thoughts grew louder and louder in his mind, like a large army marching ever closer. “Six letters… beautiful….” He froze. For some reason, he recalled a day in the past, back when he had trapped women in cages and came close to losing a bet that would have left him in a very compromising situation. Kaname. Her mother’s kimono. A fountain at sunset. “Uhhh-hh-h….”

“I know that look,” Kaname asserted. “You came up with an answer. It’s probably something weird!”

“No….” Sousuke swallowed hard. “It’s not weird. Uhhh….”

“Then it’s something dangerous!” Kaname looked like she had been carved from alabaster.

“Negative….” Sousuke went stiffer by the moment. “It’s nothing dangerous. Uhhh….”

“Something military?” Kaname’s eyes narrowed. Then, those eyes went impossibly wide. “It’s not… you weren’t thinking….” She looked away. “T-….” She couldn’t bring herself to finish the name. She crossed her fingers without realizing what she was doing.

“No… not T-… not that.” Sousuke actually realized that the word was ‘Tessa.’ His strict need for honesty almost had him answering ‘I do think she is attractive.’ Luckily, he had never actually applied ‘beautiful’ to the other Whispered girl. There had never really been reason to.

“What, then?” Kaname felt very anxious for some reason. He better not say something stupid like ‘plain bread!’

“I… it….” Sousuke Sagara. Seasoned Arm Slave pilot. A veteran of countless battles, skirmishes, and firefights. A young man who had faced death on too many occasions to count. He couldn’t bring himself to day the word. So, he did the only other thing open to him. He wrote the word in.

“OK. Let me see.” Kaname read what Sousuke had written. She turned pink. Her face opened up like a blossoming flower. “Oh. Yes. Thank you. Good answer.”

Suddenly, like an abrupt sea-change, the blue-haired girl through out one opinion in favor of a newer one. It was fun to do crossword puzzles with Sousuke. It was something she might look forward to doing again. It had everything to do with what the scar-faced soldier had written:

K… A… N… A… M…E.

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