Chapter 1 : Stand By
Part 2
The next day in the Destroyer Dorm.
Note :
[1] : Kagerou's introduction line.
[2] : Shiranui's introduction line.
[3] : There should've been a 'yoroshiku' in that line, which means something like 'Please', but here, she didn't use it, so it's more like a demand than a request.
The next day in the Destroyer Dorm.
Kagero was in her room, standing in front of a mirror.
There’s always a mirror in the shipgirls' living room. Moreover, it's a full-length mirror. It's also the same for the destroyers; they always checked their attire and hair to make sure they weren't dressed sloppily. Furthermore, by looking at their appearances, it strengthened their self-awareness of being shipgirls.
Kagerou also never missed checking her attire. In the first place, the mirror was attached directly to the door, so she would have to look at herself when going in and out either way. Even now, she was checking the necktie on her chest and the ribbons on her hair.
“Hmmm, I wonder if it’s crooked a bit?”
She pulled the ribbon-shaped necktie to the right. Having done that, the length became uneven, so she tilted it to the left. The length was adjusted, but now she felt the shape was crooked.
“It's difficult. I'm going to do it like this, and then like that...... I think I'll just redo it again.”
The appearance in the mirror is reversed, so it’s kinda different when she did it. The more she tried, the more she felt like she was getting it wrong.
Kagerou turned around.
“Hey, Satsuki. Please have a look at this.”
“Nnn….?”
Satsuki who was in the same room mumbled while rubbing her eyes.
“What is this about?”
"The necktie y’know, the necktie. Is it bent? Should I get a new one? But the new ones are too stiff to fit into my clothes aren’t they? Also, can you check the ribbon on my head? And my skirt, is it wrinkled?”
Satsuki glanced at her and then said, ”It’s fine."
"Is there a weird crease in my shirt? Is it okay?"
“I’m sure it’s okay.”
"The dorm ironing is really bad, you know? The flat-iron doesn't get hot at all. While I know that shipgirls' outfit is special and washing them is tricky since you can't do it like usual, at least replacing the iron with a new one would be nice, don’t you think? Should I make a request, I wonder?”
“Perhaps.”
"Also the number of washing machines! We're always waiting for our turn, so they should increase it. Yesterday, I asked a girl to let me use one because I was in a hurry, but the girl who was using it wouldn't listen to me! I yelled at her, then she got angry, and we almost had a fight! I don't know why so many destroyers are so obstinate."
“I wonder why, eh?”
"On a second thought, I'll buy a new necktie, I think. Is the store open yet?"
“No.”
Kagerou felt like scratching her head.
“Ah, geez, Yoko Base is missing the essential point! This would be demoralizing. My socks look kind of ragged, my gloves are overused, and my, uhh, skirt, my skirt! Is it wrinkled? Is there any dust on it?"
“I wonder if it’s okay.”
“Hey, Satsuki!” Kagerou raised her voice. “Take a look at it seriously.”
“ ... Well, Kagerou, you see,” Satsuki said while stifling a yawn, “do you know what time it is?”
Kagerou looked up at the clock on the wall and returned her gaze.
“It doesn't matter what time it is.”
Satsuki shouted out, "It's five o'clock, five o'clock! In the morning! A time when no one would complain if I keep sleeping! Why are you even waking me up?!"
She swung her arms around. Kagerou watched her with a puzzled expression.
"Why? Because I want you to check out my clothes.”
"Isn’t there a mirror?! Do it yourself!"
"I might overlook something, that’s why I need Satsuki's help."
"Can’t you do it all by yourself?"
"I just want to be sure. I mean," Kagerou said without hiding her cheerful mood, “Shiranui is coming.”
Her partner at Kure, Shiranui, will arrive today. That's why Kagerou woke up early.
Yesterday, after being told by Atago, Kagerou leaped into joy. At the dinner table, she told everyone about it with sparkling eyes, and even though they were taken aback, she didn't realize it. She spent the night in an elated mood, and greeted the morning.
It had been a long time since she had seen Shiranui, so she couldn’t show her anything unsightly. Thus she pulled Satsuki out of bed and asked her to check her outfit.
The reason why Satsuki was in a bad mood was because it was early in the morning and today was a holiday.
Kagerou spun around in front of the full-length mirror.
"What do you think? Does it look good?"
“I’m sleepy.”
"You see, in the 19th Destroyer Division in Kure, there is a girl named Isonami, who looks timid but is very hardworking and dresses well. I'm sure she'll be able to get her clothes properly in one go.”
"Hmm. That's amazing."
"Shiranui is used to seeing girls like that, so I can't cut corners either.”
“Uh-huh.”
Satsuki continued to make appropriate responses, but to Kagerou, it went in one ear out the other. The girl right now would have made an impassioned speech even if the other party was a cat.
After that, Kagerou continued to check the mess of her clothes, millimeter by millimeter.
After much fiddling, she took her hands away.
"That's about right. It's not too shabby, isn’t it?"
Satsuki wasn’t listening. She was leaning back on the bed, slumped over.
Kagero looked up at the clock on the wall again. It was almost six o'clock. There’s still some time before Shiranui arrived.
However, her excitement was quite high. If she didn’t do something, it’s not likely to subside.
“Alright, I’m going for a run.”
“ … Eh?”
Even Satsuki opened her eyes.
"After all the clothes I've checked?"
"If I don't do a lap around, I’ll feel uncomfortable."
"Why did you wear that for, then?”
“It’ll be okay!”
Kagerou forced Satsuki to stand.
"How is it? I'm doing fine, aren't I?"
"It’s the same since you’re going for a run."
"Tell me what you think.”
"Don't worry. Kagerou is always cool and cute. I'm sure this destroyer girl Shiranui will understand."
“Thanks.”
After saying she was going for a run, Kagerou rushed into the hallway. When she’s about to run, she stopped and opened back the door and poked her head into the room.
"Satsuki's also cute too!"
After she told her that, she started running, even though she was in the hallway.
And then in the afternoon.
Today was the 14th Destroyer Division's day off, and unless there was an Abyssal Fleet raid, it’s free to do anything. They could do whatever they wanted for the whole day.
The members of the 14th Destroyer Division have a strong sense of individuality and often act independently on their days off. They slept in their rooms, read books, went shopping in Yokosuka City, and so on. They were supposed to tell where they were going in case of emergencies, but basically there were no restrictions on them.
However, today was a different story. Even though it was a holiday, Kagerou had called everyone.
"Okay, everyone, line up, line up!"
The shipgirls of the 14th Destroyer Division lined up side by side in a reluctant manner.
Kagerou informed them, "Listen. We have a new friend coming today. Everyone should welcome her."
"...... I heard so much about it yesterday.”
Akebono replied in a very boring way. Everyone already knew since Kagerou had informed them about it at the dinner table.
Everyone was interested at first, but when Kagerou continued to talk so much, they got tired and looked at her as if to say, ‘Just get it over with’. Akebono was the first shipgirl who blatantly disliked it.
"Are you going to continue it today?"
"But Shiranui is coming!"
“And then?”
"That’s why I ask you all to help me receive her.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s Shiranui!”
Kagerou declared. Akebono had a look in her face as if saying ‘How absurd.’
"Can I go home?”
"No. Because I want to introduce my precious friends in Yokosuka to her as soon as possible."
Akebono kept her mouth shut. Instead, Ushio said, “Kagerou-san... Why are your clothes wrinkled? Was there a sortie?”
"Oh, this, it’s because I took a little run.”
"Why are you running?”
"It’s fine. I fixed my clothes properly after running.”
Kagerou puffed up her chest with pride. Aside from Ushio, Satsuki, who was standing next to her, was dejected. When she was about to sleep again, she was woken up and was made to check her clothes again. Kagerou's clothes were more disheveled than in the morning, because Satsuki, who was sleepy, only gave her a half-hearted answer.
Kagerou raised and lowered her heels, keeping both feet together. Her eyes stared at the front gate.
Her heart was throbbing. She would finally be able to see her partner whom she hadn't spoken to since leaving Kure except via letters. She couldn’t help but look forward to it.
I wonder if she will come soon? What should I say to her when I see her? There are so many things I want to say and ask her, like if she's been lonely, or saying she has become more beautiful than before, or how is the situation at Kure.
But still, the usual mood would be best.
A small figure walked through the main gate.
“... She has come!”
She endured to not rush over to meet her. She continued to wait for her to come closer.
Eventually, when she could make out the shape of her face, Kagerou couldn't resist rushing over.
“Shiranui!”
She jumped at her vigorously.
She hugged her with all of her strength. The feel of Shiranui was the same as when they parted in Kure.
"’We’ve finally met’[1]...... though it’s not as much as that, but anyway, I finally met you again!”
There was no reply. Kagerou was puzzled.
“Shiranui? What’s wrong?”
“Kagerou....”
Shiranui said silently.
"Have you gained some weight?"
"I’m not! What is this out of the blue? Even though we haven't met for a long time.”
Kagerou pouted. Shiranui said without changing her tone, "I felt a little heavier."
"I told you I haven’t! ...... Well, Yoko Base meal is surprisingly good, so maybe that's why.”
"In just a few months you’ve become like this, you must’ve been feeling pretty fulfilled now, haven’t you.”
Shiranui lifted the edge of her mouth just a little bit.
"More importantly," Shiranui then straightened her back and saluted after she parted from Kagerou.
“Destroyer Shiranui, assigned to Yokosuka Naval Base for the time being. Please give me your guidance and encouragement.”[2]
“ …. Ah, geez.”
Kagerou hugged Shiranui once more.
"You're still as serious as ever."
"The truth is, that line should’ve been what I said to the commander; consider this a service that I told that to Kagerou."
“Really, that’s just like you.”
She finally pulled away from Shiranui. She tugged on her hand.
"Well then, here. I'll introduce you to everyone."
“Everyone?”
"They are my precious friends. Everyone is cute, cool, and very reliable, you know."
Kagerou pulled Shiranui to the front of the destroyer shipgirls.
Then she pressed and raised her voice, “Okay, everyone, pay attention. This one here is the destroyer Shiranui. She’s the 2nd ship of the Kagerou-class and my partner at Kure. Now, say hello."
Shiranui stared at each member of the 14th Destroyer Division in turn and then said, "I’m the destroyer Shiranui. Your guidance and encouragement......"[3]
The shipgirls were startled. Kagerou hurriedly pulled Shiranui along with her.
"Wait, what's with that expression? What are you trying to do with that threatening tone?”
“Shiranui is doing it like usual.”
"You’re not a carnivore, you know.”
Kagerou made a face as if nothing had happened and decided to introduce Shiranui herself.
"Well, Shiranui is like this. Her looks are a bit scary, but that's her charm point. Her hobby is hollowing out the Abyssal Fleet's guts. Hahaha.”
After she laughed at her own line, she began to introduce the 14th Destroyer Division.
"This girl is Nagatsuki. She's been improving her shooting skills a lot lately, and she's getting more dignified. This girl here is Satsuki. She’s the most energetic and toughest. She's really fun to be with."
Nagatsuki said, "Pleased to meet you for the first time," and Satsuki said “Nice to meet you.”
"This girl is Ushio. Although a destroyer, but she's big brea-...... uh, a diligent person. Despite her looks, her heart is strong. I think her spirit is second to none."
Ushio avoided eye contact, "I'm Ushio,” and bowed her head.
"You already know Arare, right? She has become better at shelling than when she was in Kure. She also doesn’t miss when doing torpedo attacks anymore. It's so much easier just to have a girl like her around."
Arare offered her hand in silence. Shiranui shook her hand while saying "It has been a while.”
Then Kageoru pointed to the last person.
"This girl is Akebono. She may look grumpy, but that's just the way she is. On the inside, she has a very strong sense of duty and is a reliable girl. She's the cornerstone of the 14th Destroyer Division."
Kagero laughed while putting her hand on Akebono's shoulder.
The most important thing was that Akebono bent her mouth into a へ shape and looked at the shipgirl in front of her unreservedly.
Shiranui didn't say anything either. There seemed to be no particular emotion.
Kagero clapped her hands.
"That concludes our introductions. Be good friends, be good friends."
There was a slightly dampened atmosphere, but of course Kagerou was oblivious to it.
"I'm sorry, everyone, for gathering you here on your day off. I really wanted to introduce you to Shiranui. I wanted to let her know that everyone is reliable and skilled.”
She bowed repeatedly after informing them.
"I'm going to go with Shiranui to the commander's office, so you guys are free to go. I'll see you guys later!"
She told them. Then she patted Shiranui on the shoulder and headed to the naval base office building with a skipping gait.
The rest of the 14th Destroyer Division remained standing near the main gate.
They could have disbanded, but they stayed. It wasn't that there was nothing else to do, but rather that they wanted to move on after someone else left or talked, but since they all had the same idea, they ended up standing around.
For a while, they were silently checking on each other, but eventually someone said something.
"...... What's with all that frivolity?”
It was Akebono who was talking in a discouraged tone.
“Shiranui this Shiranui that, so annoying, that leader.”
"But she was complimenting us," Nagatsuki said. "It made me a little happy."
“Oh? Didn’t she say something about me being grumpy or something?”
‘It's not wrong though,’ everyone thought, but no one said it out loud.
"Isn't that a bit extreme even for an acquaintance from Kure?"
“But it's good that we can get along, isn’t it?” Now it’s Satsuki. “I heard you two were together in Kure's Destroyer Division?”
Arare nodded after being asked.
"The 18th Destroyer Division...... I was there too. Those two were really good."
"Oh, I get that feeling."
Satsuki agreed. Akebono was still sullen.
"That Shiranui, she has a really nasty look. Kagerou is really good at enduring it, huh?"
“Well, yeah.”
"I thought I’d be killed, you know? I don't know what's going through her mind."
Ushio softly chided her, "Akebono-chan, don't say it like that."
"Isn’t it like that? She looks like she had something hidden beneath that appearance. You can't trust that kind of person.”
“Akebono-chan.”
Akebono turned away a bit because of Ushio's slightly strengthened words.
"I get it...... But you understand what I’m trying to say, right?"
Satsuki interjected, "......Akebono, you seem to be somewhat harsh toward Shiranui. Is it because Kagerou doesn’t pay any attention to you?”
“Huh!? D-don’t say stupid things!”
"I mean, usually you don’t talk about Kagerou this much."
"It’s…… It’s just because I’m worried about the future if the leader is like that!”
The momentum was as if she was going to spit. Everyone kept their heads away. She went on to say more.
"Kagero is our destroyer leader. As a leader, she needs to command us. But that doesn't mean she has to keep her mentality like when she was in Kure Base, right? This is Yoko Base, you know? Yokosuka Naval Base! Yokosuka has its own style. This is a matter of discipline, not emotion.”
"I see, discipline is important, isn’t it?"
Satsuki folded her arms and nodded her head while agreeing with ‘Yeah, yeah.’ Akebono was breathing raggedly since she spoke everything in one breath.
“Y-yes, that’s right.”
“Akebono, you really care about Kagerou, aren’t you?”
"Why did the topic become like that? I'm talking about if our leader is like that, it’ll be worrying!”
“Then, you hate her?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Didn't you say something like that back when we were training?”
“I didn't say that! No, I did say it......... probably, but I didn't mean such...... It doesn't matter either way! Enough with this talk!”
Akebono's face reddened as she yelled at Satsuki, trying to end the conversation.
"It's true that I do feel a little lonely."
Nagatsuki said with a bit of emotion.
Akebono looked at her.
"Are you going to ignore what I said earlier?”
"I thought we'd continue fighting together like this forever. You didn't think there would be another destroyer coming from elsewhere, did you? At least I didn't."
Everyone nodded, except Akebono who was being stubborn.
Originally, their Destroyer Division was created by collecting a bunch of destroyer shipgirls who were treated as baggage and eccentric in Yokosuka. It was thanks to Kagerou that a sense of unity was born between them and they came to be recognized. They all understood that.
Therefore they couldn't help feeling restless at the appearance of the destroyer shipgirl who knew the old Kagerou.
“Though we shared the same room, I don't know what's going to happen to me. I don't want to get kicked out,” said Satsuki.
"I can understand how Akebono feels."
"Hmm. Well, there you have it."
Akebono turned her mouth into a へ shape.
"Though we had a talk about decommissioning the other day, I’m surprised that it has suddenly become like this."
"We'll have to get used to it, now that it's settled. We've already violated the order once. We can't complain again.”
Akebono was not happy with Nagatsuki's line, but kept her mouth shut.
There was an atmosphere of ‘It can’t be helped,’ from everyone even if they weren’t convinced.
“Um, but...:”
Ushio was puzzled.
"The six of us are already full, aren't we? Then where does Shiranui-san belong......?"
The remaining four stared at Ushio in unison.
There’s always a mirror in the shipgirls' living room. Moreover, it's a full-length mirror. It's also the same for the destroyers; they always checked their attire and hair to make sure they weren't dressed sloppily. Furthermore, by looking at their appearances, it strengthened their self-awareness of being shipgirls.
Kagerou also never missed checking her attire. In the first place, the mirror was attached directly to the door, so she would have to look at herself when going in and out either way. Even now, she was checking the necktie on her chest and the ribbons on her hair.
“Hmmm, I wonder if it’s crooked a bit?”
She pulled the ribbon-shaped necktie to the right. Having done that, the length became uneven, so she tilted it to the left. The length was adjusted, but now she felt the shape was crooked.
“It's difficult. I'm going to do it like this, and then like that...... I think I'll just redo it again.”
The appearance in the mirror is reversed, so it’s kinda different when she did it. The more she tried, the more she felt like she was getting it wrong.
Kagerou turned around.
“Hey, Satsuki. Please have a look at this.”
“Nnn….?”
Satsuki who was in the same room mumbled while rubbing her eyes.
“What is this about?”
"The necktie y’know, the necktie. Is it bent? Should I get a new one? But the new ones are too stiff to fit into my clothes aren’t they? Also, can you check the ribbon on my head? And my skirt, is it wrinkled?”
Satsuki glanced at her and then said, ”It’s fine."
"Is there a weird crease in my shirt? Is it okay?"
“I’m sure it’s okay.”
"The dorm ironing is really bad, you know? The flat-iron doesn't get hot at all. While I know that shipgirls' outfit is special and washing them is tricky since you can't do it like usual, at least replacing the iron with a new one would be nice, don’t you think? Should I make a request, I wonder?”
“Perhaps.”
"Also the number of washing machines! We're always waiting for our turn, so they should increase it. Yesterday, I asked a girl to let me use one because I was in a hurry, but the girl who was using it wouldn't listen to me! I yelled at her, then she got angry, and we almost had a fight! I don't know why so many destroyers are so obstinate."
“I wonder why, eh?”
"On a second thought, I'll buy a new necktie, I think. Is the store open yet?"
“No.”
Kagerou felt like scratching her head.
“Ah, geez, Yoko Base is missing the essential point! This would be demoralizing. My socks look kind of ragged, my gloves are overused, and my, uhh, skirt, my skirt! Is it wrinkled? Is there any dust on it?"
“I wonder if it’s okay.”
“Hey, Satsuki!” Kagerou raised her voice. “Take a look at it seriously.”
“ ... Well, Kagerou, you see,” Satsuki said while stifling a yawn, “do you know what time it is?”
Kagerou looked up at the clock on the wall and returned her gaze.
“It doesn't matter what time it is.”
Satsuki shouted out, "It's five o'clock, five o'clock! In the morning! A time when no one would complain if I keep sleeping! Why are you even waking me up?!"
She swung her arms around. Kagerou watched her with a puzzled expression.
"Why? Because I want you to check out my clothes.”
"Isn’t there a mirror?! Do it yourself!"
"I might overlook something, that’s why I need Satsuki's help."
"Can’t you do it all by yourself?"
"I just want to be sure. I mean," Kagerou said without hiding her cheerful mood, “Shiranui is coming.”
Her partner at Kure, Shiranui, will arrive today. That's why Kagerou woke up early.
Yesterday, after being told by Atago, Kagerou leaped into joy. At the dinner table, she told everyone about it with sparkling eyes, and even though they were taken aback, she didn't realize it. She spent the night in an elated mood, and greeted the morning.
It had been a long time since she had seen Shiranui, so she couldn’t show her anything unsightly. Thus she pulled Satsuki out of bed and asked her to check her outfit.
The reason why Satsuki was in a bad mood was because it was early in the morning and today was a holiday.
Kagerou spun around in front of the full-length mirror.
"What do you think? Does it look good?"
“I’m sleepy.”
"You see, in the 19th Destroyer Division in Kure, there is a girl named Isonami, who looks timid but is very hardworking and dresses well. I'm sure she'll be able to get her clothes properly in one go.”
"Hmm. That's amazing."
"Shiranui is used to seeing girls like that, so I can't cut corners either.”
“Uh-huh.”
Satsuki continued to make appropriate responses, but to Kagerou, it went in one ear out the other. The girl right now would have made an impassioned speech even if the other party was a cat.
After that, Kagerou continued to check the mess of her clothes, millimeter by millimeter.
After much fiddling, she took her hands away.
"That's about right. It's not too shabby, isn’t it?"
Satsuki wasn’t listening. She was leaning back on the bed, slumped over.
Kagero looked up at the clock on the wall again. It was almost six o'clock. There’s still some time before Shiranui arrived.
However, her excitement was quite high. If she didn’t do something, it’s not likely to subside.
“Alright, I’m going for a run.”
“ … Eh?”
Even Satsuki opened her eyes.
"After all the clothes I've checked?"
"If I don't do a lap around, I’ll feel uncomfortable."
"Why did you wear that for, then?”
“It’ll be okay!”
Kagerou forced Satsuki to stand.
"How is it? I'm doing fine, aren't I?"
"It’s the same since you’re going for a run."
"Tell me what you think.”
"Don't worry. Kagerou is always cool and cute. I'm sure this destroyer girl Shiranui will understand."
“Thanks.”
After saying she was going for a run, Kagerou rushed into the hallway. When she’s about to run, she stopped and opened back the door and poked her head into the room.
"Satsuki's also cute too!"
After she told her that, she started running, even though she was in the hallway.
And then in the afternoon.
Today was the 14th Destroyer Division's day off, and unless there was an Abyssal Fleet raid, it’s free to do anything. They could do whatever they wanted for the whole day.
The members of the 14th Destroyer Division have a strong sense of individuality and often act independently on their days off. They slept in their rooms, read books, went shopping in Yokosuka City, and so on. They were supposed to tell where they were going in case of emergencies, but basically there were no restrictions on them.
However, today was a different story. Even though it was a holiday, Kagerou had called everyone.
"Okay, everyone, line up, line up!"
The shipgirls of the 14th Destroyer Division lined up side by side in a reluctant manner.
Kagerou informed them, "Listen. We have a new friend coming today. Everyone should welcome her."
"...... I heard so much about it yesterday.”
Akebono replied in a very boring way. Everyone already knew since Kagerou had informed them about it at the dinner table.
Everyone was interested at first, but when Kagerou continued to talk so much, they got tired and looked at her as if to say, ‘Just get it over with’. Akebono was the first shipgirl who blatantly disliked it.
"Are you going to continue it today?"
"But Shiranui is coming!"
“And then?”
"That’s why I ask you all to help me receive her.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s Shiranui!”
Kagerou declared. Akebono had a look in her face as if saying ‘How absurd.’
"Can I go home?”
"No. Because I want to introduce my precious friends in Yokosuka to her as soon as possible."
Akebono kept her mouth shut. Instead, Ushio said, “Kagerou-san... Why are your clothes wrinkled? Was there a sortie?”
"Oh, this, it’s because I took a little run.”
"Why are you running?”
"It’s fine. I fixed my clothes properly after running.”
Kagerou puffed up her chest with pride. Aside from Ushio, Satsuki, who was standing next to her, was dejected. When she was about to sleep again, she was woken up and was made to check her clothes again. Kagerou's clothes were more disheveled than in the morning, because Satsuki, who was sleepy, only gave her a half-hearted answer.
Kagerou raised and lowered her heels, keeping both feet together. Her eyes stared at the front gate.
Her heart was throbbing. She would finally be able to see her partner whom she hadn't spoken to since leaving Kure except via letters. She couldn’t help but look forward to it.
I wonder if she will come soon? What should I say to her when I see her? There are so many things I want to say and ask her, like if she's been lonely, or saying she has become more beautiful than before, or how is the situation at Kure.
But still, the usual mood would be best.
A small figure walked through the main gate.
“... She has come!”
She endured to not rush over to meet her. She continued to wait for her to come closer.
Eventually, when she could make out the shape of her face, Kagerou couldn't resist rushing over.
“Shiranui!”
She jumped at her vigorously.
She hugged her with all of her strength. The feel of Shiranui was the same as when they parted in Kure.
"’We’ve finally met’[1]...... though it’s not as much as that, but anyway, I finally met you again!”
There was no reply. Kagerou was puzzled.
“Shiranui? What’s wrong?”
“Kagerou....”
Shiranui said silently.
"Have you gained some weight?"
"I’m not! What is this out of the blue? Even though we haven't met for a long time.”
Kagerou pouted. Shiranui said without changing her tone, "I felt a little heavier."
"I told you I haven’t! ...... Well, Yoko Base meal is surprisingly good, so maybe that's why.”
"In just a few months you’ve become like this, you must’ve been feeling pretty fulfilled now, haven’t you.”
Shiranui lifted the edge of her mouth just a little bit.
"More importantly," Shiranui then straightened her back and saluted after she parted from Kagerou.
“Destroyer Shiranui, assigned to Yokosuka Naval Base for the time being. Please give me your guidance and encouragement.”[2]
“ …. Ah, geez.”
Kagerou hugged Shiranui once more.
"You're still as serious as ever."
"The truth is, that line should’ve been what I said to the commander; consider this a service that I told that to Kagerou."
“Really, that’s just like you.”
She finally pulled away from Shiranui. She tugged on her hand.
"Well then, here. I'll introduce you to everyone."
“Everyone?”
"They are my precious friends. Everyone is cute, cool, and very reliable, you know."
Kagerou pulled Shiranui to the front of the destroyer shipgirls.
Then she pressed and raised her voice, “Okay, everyone, pay attention. This one here is the destroyer Shiranui. She’s the 2nd ship of the Kagerou-class and my partner at Kure. Now, say hello."
Shiranui stared at each member of the 14th Destroyer Division in turn and then said, "I’m the destroyer Shiranui. Your guidance and encouragement......"[3]
The shipgirls were startled. Kagerou hurriedly pulled Shiranui along with her.
"Wait, what's with that expression? What are you trying to do with that threatening tone?”
“Shiranui is doing it like usual.”
"You’re not a carnivore, you know.”
Kagerou made a face as if nothing had happened and decided to introduce Shiranui herself.
"Well, Shiranui is like this. Her looks are a bit scary, but that's her charm point. Her hobby is hollowing out the Abyssal Fleet's guts. Hahaha.”
After she laughed at her own line, she began to introduce the 14th Destroyer Division.
"This girl is Nagatsuki. She's been improving her shooting skills a lot lately, and she's getting more dignified. This girl here is Satsuki. She’s the most energetic and toughest. She's really fun to be with."
Nagatsuki said, "Pleased to meet you for the first time," and Satsuki said “Nice to meet you.”
"This girl is Ushio. Although a destroyer, but she's big brea-...... uh, a diligent person. Despite her looks, her heart is strong. I think her spirit is second to none."
Ushio avoided eye contact, "I'm Ushio,” and bowed her head.
"You already know Arare, right? She has become better at shelling than when she was in Kure. She also doesn’t miss when doing torpedo attacks anymore. It's so much easier just to have a girl like her around."
Arare offered her hand in silence. Shiranui shook her hand while saying "It has been a while.”
Then Kageoru pointed to the last person.
"This girl is Akebono. She may look grumpy, but that's just the way she is. On the inside, she has a very strong sense of duty and is a reliable girl. She's the cornerstone of the 14th Destroyer Division."
Kagero laughed while putting her hand on Akebono's shoulder.
The most important thing was that Akebono bent her mouth into a へ shape and looked at the shipgirl in front of her unreservedly.
Shiranui didn't say anything either. There seemed to be no particular emotion.
Kagero clapped her hands.
"That concludes our introductions. Be good friends, be good friends."
There was a slightly dampened atmosphere, but of course Kagerou was oblivious to it.
"I'm sorry, everyone, for gathering you here on your day off. I really wanted to introduce you to Shiranui. I wanted to let her know that everyone is reliable and skilled.”
She bowed repeatedly after informing them.
"I'm going to go with Shiranui to the commander's office, so you guys are free to go. I'll see you guys later!"
She told them. Then she patted Shiranui on the shoulder and headed to the naval base office building with a skipping gait.
The rest of the 14th Destroyer Division remained standing near the main gate.
They could have disbanded, but they stayed. It wasn't that there was nothing else to do, but rather that they wanted to move on after someone else left or talked, but since they all had the same idea, they ended up standing around.
For a while, they were silently checking on each other, but eventually someone said something.
"...... What's with all that frivolity?”
It was Akebono who was talking in a discouraged tone.
“Shiranui this Shiranui that, so annoying, that leader.”
"But she was complimenting us," Nagatsuki said. "It made me a little happy."
“Oh? Didn’t she say something about me being grumpy or something?”
‘It's not wrong though,’ everyone thought, but no one said it out loud.
"Isn't that a bit extreme even for an acquaintance from Kure?"
“But it's good that we can get along, isn’t it?” Now it’s Satsuki. “I heard you two were together in Kure's Destroyer Division?”
Arare nodded after being asked.
"The 18th Destroyer Division...... I was there too. Those two were really good."
"Oh, I get that feeling."
Satsuki agreed. Akebono was still sullen.
"That Shiranui, she has a really nasty look. Kagerou is really good at enduring it, huh?"
“Well, yeah.”
"I thought I’d be killed, you know? I don't know what's going through her mind."
Ushio softly chided her, "Akebono-chan, don't say it like that."
"Isn’t it like that? She looks like she had something hidden beneath that appearance. You can't trust that kind of person.”
“Akebono-chan.”
Akebono turned away a bit because of Ushio's slightly strengthened words.
"I get it...... But you understand what I’m trying to say, right?"
Satsuki interjected, "......Akebono, you seem to be somewhat harsh toward Shiranui. Is it because Kagerou doesn’t pay any attention to you?”
“Huh!? D-don’t say stupid things!”
"I mean, usually you don’t talk about Kagerou this much."
"It’s…… It’s just because I’m worried about the future if the leader is like that!”
The momentum was as if she was going to spit. Everyone kept their heads away. She went on to say more.
"Kagero is our destroyer leader. As a leader, she needs to command us. But that doesn't mean she has to keep her mentality like when she was in Kure Base, right? This is Yoko Base, you know? Yokosuka Naval Base! Yokosuka has its own style. This is a matter of discipline, not emotion.”
"I see, discipline is important, isn’t it?"
Satsuki folded her arms and nodded her head while agreeing with ‘Yeah, yeah.’ Akebono was breathing raggedly since she spoke everything in one breath.
“Y-yes, that’s right.”
“Akebono, you really care about Kagerou, aren’t you?”
"Why did the topic become like that? I'm talking about if our leader is like that, it’ll be worrying!”
“Then, you hate her?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Didn't you say something like that back when we were training?”
“I didn't say that! No, I did say it......... probably, but I didn't mean such...... It doesn't matter either way! Enough with this talk!”
Akebono's face reddened as she yelled at Satsuki, trying to end the conversation.
"It's true that I do feel a little lonely."
Nagatsuki said with a bit of emotion.
Akebono looked at her.
"Are you going to ignore what I said earlier?”
"I thought we'd continue fighting together like this forever. You didn't think there would be another destroyer coming from elsewhere, did you? At least I didn't."
Everyone nodded, except Akebono who was being stubborn.
Originally, their Destroyer Division was created by collecting a bunch of destroyer shipgirls who were treated as baggage and eccentric in Yokosuka. It was thanks to Kagerou that a sense of unity was born between them and they came to be recognized. They all understood that.
Therefore they couldn't help feeling restless at the appearance of the destroyer shipgirl who knew the old Kagerou.
“Though we shared the same room, I don't know what's going to happen to me. I don't want to get kicked out,” said Satsuki.
"I can understand how Akebono feels."
"Hmm. Well, there you have it."
Akebono turned her mouth into a へ shape.
"Though we had a talk about decommissioning the other day, I’m surprised that it has suddenly become like this."
"We'll have to get used to it, now that it's settled. We've already violated the order once. We can't complain again.”
Akebono was not happy with Nagatsuki's line, but kept her mouth shut.
There was an atmosphere of ‘It can’t be helped,’ from everyone even if they weren’t convinced.
“Um, but...:”
Ushio was puzzled.
"The six of us are already full, aren't we? Then where does Shiranui-san belong......?"
The remaining four stared at Ushio in unison.
Note :
[1] : Kagerou's introduction line.
[2] : Shiranui's introduction line.
[3] : There should've been a 'yoroshiku' in that line, which means something like 'Please', but here, she didn't use it, so it's more like a demand than a request.
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