From: Sagara Sousuke (Sagara at moessecurity.biz)
To: Chidori Kaname (browneyedgirl174 at mailmailmail.jp)
CC:
Subject: Re: You better still be alive!
Kaname-
Yes, I am still alive. The task was completed quickly and efficiently. No one was seriously injured, and we suffered very little collateral damage.
After the mission, I had an interesting conversation with the captain. They had Takamori and Noumen questioned and were able to fill in some holes in my understanding. Apparently, Noumen had appointments with Takamori regularly due to the regular senior business. He found the mask in Takamori's room and used it to steal your gym shorts and take your clothes when we were in the pool. He was also planning to employ it at the march, but obviously he never had the opportunity. Takamori was actually the one who was outside of your apartment that night, and he was the one outside of the dugout. He either took the mask out of the trash at the march or else found a new one to use at the dance.
Unfortunately, the captain was not able to inform me about more important matters. I still don not know why Takamori would want to follow you around or terrorize you. I also don not know what organization he is with or how he obtained such dangerous technology. I assure you, Mithril is investigating this and will uncover it shortly. Please be at ease.
Providing there are no problems with debriefing, I should return to Tokyo within 48 hours. I would like to inquire if you have any interest in seeking mutual nourishment.
-SS
From: Chidori Kaname (browneyedgirl174 at mailmailmail.jp)
To: Sagara Sousuke (Sagara at moessecurity.biz)
CC:
Subject: Re: Re: You better still be alive!
Sousuke!
I can't believe I almost went to the dance with that creep. Naoko and Danko are really great for each other. You have to come back soon, or you're going to miss graduation. I'm going to give the best speech the school has ever heard, so you better be there.
Dinner sounds great.
-Kaname
The thing about love is it has all of these hidden benefits that they never tell you about. Everyone goes on and on about how distracting it is, how all-encompassing, how literally expensive. Yes, that's all true. However, I would argue that being in love also makes for much more efficient work. Consider the executive that gets through all of the day's budgets and reports an hour early so he can run home to his wife. Or what about the workers that are willing to take on more work and extra hours, raising their standards exponentially in hopes of getting a promotion so they can finally afford that house in the suburbs?
Or, take for example the young military specialist, who dispatches of three venom types in record time without any injuries or serious damages to issued equipment, because, frankly, he doesn't feel like hanging out on some freaky enemy occupied island, and he'd much rather be at his girl's apartment learning about anatomy.
Despite this being the truth, I just didn't feel I could write that in my report. Mardukas had thrust the forms into my hands, excited and enthused, anxious to know what new methods I had developed to suddenly be so darn good at my work. I sat in the barracks, just hours after returning, tapping my pen against my clip board. I just didn't think it was a great idea to write "operations were wildly successful because I, Urzu 7, have fallen swiftly, awkwardly, but inevitably in love."
In retrospect, maybe I should have written that. One thing I absolutely learned from the whole ordeal is that everything can be viewed through an entirely different lens than I had been looking through before. All my life I had chosen my words so carefully, been so cautious about what I said, consciously and subconsciously. Maybe it's better to just say "hey, want to go out to dinner?" I'd really like to be able to say that. Maybe it's better to hold the girl you love and tell her so… rather than wait until the most inopportune moment and write it on her hand. Maybe it would be better to look my superior officer in the eye and say "look buddy, I disposed of those vermin so quickly because for the first time in as long as I can remember I actually felt like I had something to live for."
But then, change always occurs so slowly. I'll need time to acclimate. I'll need time before I can come to terms with what this all means for me, what this entails for the way I live my life. I'll need time before I can confront all of this with Mithril, let them know that I basically broke every single rule in the body-guard handbook.
I imagine the body-guard handbook would look something like this:
1.) Never have warm-blooded thoughts about your charge, including when they are participating in athletics.
2.) Never let jealousy interfere with your operations.
3.) Never announce to a philosophy class that you are in love with your charge.
4.) Actually, just don't fall in love with your charge.
5.) Never throw paper air-planes at your charge.
6.) Never cuddle with your charge on her balcony.
7.) Never hold your charge's hand.
8.) Never skinny-dip with your charge.
9.) Never ask your charge on a date.
10.) Never wear pink so your charge will like you.
11.) Never dance with your charge.
12.) Absolutely no grinding.
13.) Never get choked up when your charge wipes blood from your hands.
14.) Never tell your charge that you love her.
15.) Never kiss your charge.
Yes, it has certainly been an interesting introduction to my life of star-struck misdemeanors. How terrible is it that even as I'm sitting here, I find myself thinking of more rules I intend on breaking?
1.) Never disobey orders for your charge.
2.) Absolutely no making out.
3.) Never spend exorbitant amounts of money on your charge.
4.) Never commit a kidnapping/blackmail to stay close to your charge.
Ah... hahaha... but that is another story entirely.
End
n.
2. To arrive at a place, situation, or condition as a result of a course of action.
5. Something toward which one strives; a goal.