After lunch, I read the report that was sent to us this morning.
"An abnormal Wo-class?"
"Eh? What does that mean?" (Shigure)
According to the report, several fleets have encountered a Wo-class Elite that exhibits an unusual behavior and seemingly anomalous capabilities. Fleets from both Yokosuka and Sasebo have encountered it a few times in the last couple of months and most recently, Brunei Anchorage have encountered it wandering the Philipine Seas. When it was first encountered, the Wo-class approached the Yokosuka Carrier Fleet who were returning from a sortie. Kaga engaged the Wo-class, only for it to retreat without putting up a fight. Reportedly, Kaga mentioned an odd sense of familiarity with the Wo-class. She said the Wo-class felt like someone she knew. Furthermore, it was shorter than the usual Wo-class she had ever fought.
The second encounter was when one of its anomalous capabilities were observed. Musashi's fleet encountered it while on a sortie. It was alone. Fearing it might interfere with the mission later, Musashi gave the order to engage. Heavy damage was dealt to the Wo-class. However, before the killing blow was dealt, it evolved into a flagship variant and once again escaped.
This sounds familiar... Is this the same one we encountered a few months back? That one also evolved just before Shioi and the others managed to sink it.
When on a patrol, the patrol fleet from Sasebo encountered and engaged it in battle. The girls involved, though sustaining medium to heavy damage from the engagement, reported that it was acting weirdly, as if it didn't want to fight. At one point, it even tried to rip the module off its head. Like before, it ran away without sinking any of the girls. Like with Kaga, they too felt a sense of familiarity while fighting it.
It was later seen a few days later, resting on a rock formation near the Nansei Islands. Since they were on a tight schedule, the fleet deemed that it was not a threat and did not engage it. It was spotted again a few days later, this time attacking other Abyssals. Eh?
Shigure titled her head,
"Abyssals attacking friendlies? That's weird..." (Shigure)
Last week, it was spotted by Gambier Bay's fleet during a routine culling sortie. While on recon, Gambier Bay's aircraft spotted it summoning a small fleet of Destroyer I-class to fight another fleet of Abyssals.
"This is worrying."
"Yes. Only a Water Demon or Princess level can do that." (Shigure)
If a Wo-class can do that, it might actually be turning into a high-ranking Abyssal. But this is unheard of. Abyssals can't evolve. This is the first time we encountered one that is able to. Moreover, it's behavior is indeed strange. Abyssals don't retreat, let alone refuse to fight. They will fight until they body falls apart or the other party has sunk.
"For the time being, it is still roaming around the Philipine Seas. So Brunei Anchorage is observing it. It hasn't not attacked any areas with civilization, instead, it is attacking other Abyssal fleets. If it's helping us, that would be great."
"Like Hoppou-chan?" (Shigure)
"Nah. Hoppou-chan is non-aggressive. She just chose to stay out of the battle in exchange for toys and snacks. She won't even bother helping us. It's good enough that she ordered the Abyssals under her command not to attack humans."
The other Northern Princesses are aggressive and will not hesitate to try and destroy us. Hoppou-chan is the only odd Abyssal we ever met. Until now, that is.
"What are we going to do?" (Shigure)
"As long as the guys at Brunei are keeping a close eye on it, and as long HQ doesn't deem it a threat, we shouldn't need to worry about it."
Though, I need to be careful in case my girls ever encounter it. For now, I will treat it as an Aircraft Princess and come up with some strategies.
There was a knock on the door,
"Admiral. It's Samidare." (Samidare)
"Come on in."
The doorknob rattled, as if she was having trouble turning it. After a bit, the door clicked open and the Destroyer finally got in.
Oh no!
"Admiral, I brought some tea." (Samidare)
Samidare's hand shook as she carried the tray with two cups of hot tea and some cakes. Who sent the clumsy one on this kind of errand?!
"Samidare, just stay there. Don't move."
"I will get it." (Shigure)
"Really. I'm not that clum-SIIII?!"(Samidare)
As if right on cue, as soon as Shigure moved in to get the tray from her younger sister, Samidare tripped over nothing and the tray went flying.
"Look out!"
The ceramic teacups hit the ground, unscathed, but not before spilling its hot contents were all over Shigure. Even the cakes landed on her.
This is bad! She's going to get burnt!
"Waahh! I'm sorry!" (Samidare)
"Not good. Quick. Take your shirt off!"
"Eh? Wha-?" (Shigure)
I rushed over to Shigure and took off her top.
"Are you alright? Did it scald you?"
Her skin looks alright. No redness anywhere.
"I-I'm alright. Erm..." (Shigure)
Shigure covered her chest with her hands.
Ah. Oops.
"N-no. This is not what it looks likes."
I averted my eyes.
"I know. But still... This is embarrassing..." (Shigure)
This is awkward...
"I'm a shipgirl. It will take more than some hot tea to burn me. That's why, you don't have to worry." (Shigure)
"Nonsense. You are a girl first and foremost. Of course I would worry about you."
I brushed off the bits of cake stuck to her hair.
"Admiral..." (Shigure)
"Go and take a shower. I will clean up here."
"...Yes... Sorry for making you worry... and thank you..." (Shigure)
"Don't mention it. As long as you are okay."
I pet her head,
"Go on."
The bathroom closed behind Shigure. I can't believe I just stripped her like that.
I went over to Samidare, who is somehow, still lying face down on the floor.
"Are you okay, Samidare?"
"Ow... I hit my nose." (Samidare)
Samidare sat up as she rubbed her nose.
"Ah! Is Shigure alright?" (Samidare)
"Shigure's fine. She is in the bath now."
"Ugh... I'm really sorry. I messed up again..." (Samidare)
I gave her a headpat,
"It's alright. It's part of your charm."
"Ugh... Even though Mio-san made that cake... Ah. I will clean up the floor." (Samidare)
Cleaning up should be fine for her.
"I will take you up on that offer."
Wait. Mio? Sub-Lieutenant Ogami made that cake?
I picked up the plates and cups and placed them on my desk. It's a good thing they didn't shatter. Samidare wiped the floor with some napkins. To get rid of the stickiness, she used some wet tissues. Once she is done, she left the office, with the tray of plates and cups. Phew. It's always a mess whenever she is tasked to handle food stuff. She can do other things perfectly fine. She is just clumsy.
Too clumsy.
I head to my room to grab a change of clothes for Shigure. As a frequent visitor, she has a few of her uniforms stashed in my wardrobe. I grabbed a set and went to the dressing room.
I can hear the sound of running water from behind the bathroom door.
...
No. Cut it out, Keita! You already have a girlfriend.
I placed the new set of clothes in the basket,
"Shigure? Your new clothes are in the basket."
"Ah. Yes. Thank you, Admiral." (Shigure)
I left the dressing room and closed the door behind me. Alright. Back to work.
I continued to finish up the reports left on my desk. I had already graded the trainees' mission plans and performance so what's left are the usual day-to-day reports. Since it's a Sunday, there isn't much paperwork to do. Patrols and expedition are the norm, so I have to wait till the end of the day when those are done to fill in their respective portions in my report.
Still, I'm surprised only Hashimoto failed. The rest of the trainees passed. There was a little scare with Ogami-san, when she screamed her lungs out and nearly cried after the camera fairy did a sudden close-up on a Submarine Ka-class. I thought she too would have failed but in the end, she managed to lead the Destroyer Squadron to victory.
My dressing room door clicked open,
"Admiral, thank you for the bath." (Shigure)
"You're welcome. But... Shigure, why are you wearing that? I placed a new set of clothes in the basket for you."
Fresh out of the shower, Shigure came out wearing only a white shirt. My shirt. She must have fished that out from the laundry basket. The shirt is a little baggy for her. Her hands are completely hidden in the sleeves. Around her chest area, I think I can make out two little buttons sticking out from underneath the fabric. Is she wearing anything under that?!
"It was there. So I just..." (Shigure)
Shigure's eyes are unfocused. She brought the sleeves up to her face. I can hear sniffing it!
"Smell good~ So warm~" (Shigure)
"Erm... Shigure, are you okay?"
Zuihou also did the same thing a few times before. But Shigure doing it feels... weird. It feels wrong.
Shigure just stood there, sniffing my shirt.
Okay. This is getting too awkward.
"Shigure. Hey."
I walked up to her and gave her a little shake.
She looks like she is in a trance...
"Shigure. Oi."
She is ignoring me. She is completely engrossed with sniffing my shirt.
I pulled on the sleeves to separate them from her nose. She is... resisting quite a bit...
"Grr..." (Shigure)
Is she growling?
She's not budging...
What should I do? This is the first time I see her behaving like this...
Hmm... Maybe this might work?
I started petting her head. Her hair is still a little damp. I will dry it for her later. Can't have her catching a cold in this weather.
"Hnn..." (Shigure)
Looks like she is responding.
I rubbed her cheek.
"Mmnn~" (Shigure)
Shigure pushed and rubbed her face against my hand. She looks so relaxed. Looks like it's working. I begin to pull on the sleeves gently. She isn't resisting. I kept on pulling until the sleeves are no longer on her face.
"Shigure? Command to Shigure."
"Hm? You called, Admiral?" (Shigure)
Shigure blinked a few times and stared at me.
"Mn... Why are you...? Eh?! AHH! What am I wearing?!" (Shigure)
Shigure covered her chest with one hand and pulled on the hem of the shirt with the other. Yeah. She is back.
She quickly crouched down and hugged her knees,
"Admiral, why am I wearing this?" (Shigure)
"That's my line. You suddenly came out of the bathroom wearing my shirt. You didn't respond no matter how many times I called you."
"Uughh..." (Shigure)
"Are you alright? Are you sick?"
I kneeled in front of her.
Her face is red from the embarrassment. Her forehead is... I can't tell if the heat I'm feeling is from the embarrassment or is she having a fever. Probably the former.
But something is definitely wrong with her.
"I... I don't think so... Ah." (Shigure)
Oi oi. Don't start smelling my shirt again. Her face looks so relaxed.
"Admiral's smell... Warm..." (Shigure)
"Come on. Stop it."
The door suddenly slammed opened. What now?!
"Commander! Let's play Mari-Ka! Eh? Shigure?" (Tokitsukaze)
Another doggy has appeared.
"Hey. Tokitsukaze-chan. You can't do that. Sor- Ah." (Nekokami-san)
Nekokami is here too. Didn't she go home for the weekend? There is still a lot of time before the trainees have to return to base. Hm? Why is she blushing? And why did she just covered Tokitsukaze's eyes?
Hey! Fubu-chan, I can't see!" (Tokitsukaze)
"A-Ahahaha... Come on, Tokitsukaze-chan. Admiral is busy right now. Let's find someone else to join. H-have fun." (Nekokami)
Huh? What is she...?
I looked at Shigure. Wait! No!
"Hold on! It's not what you-"
Nekokami-san quickly closed the door.
"...think..."
Ah shit. I'm going to have to explain myself later. But first,
"Can you stand?"
"Ah. Ye-yeah." (Shigure)
Shigure took my hand and I helped her up. Unlike before, she is acting normal now. Maybe Tokitsukaze's sudden appearance knocked some sense back into her.
"For now, please change out of that shirt and put on your own clothes. I will dry your hair."
She gave a silent nod, before entering the dressing room. After a short while, she came out, fully dressed and with a towel and her hair accessories.
I sat on the sofa with Shigure and begin drying her hair.
"Are you tired?"
She shook her head,
"I'm fine." (Shigure)
"Really? Alright."
I want to probe further. Her behavior earlier was a little worrying. But something tells me I should leave it as it is.
Once her hair is dried, I braided her hair.
"Done."
Thank you, Admiral." (Shigure)
Shigure clipped her favorite hair ornament back and stood up,
"Let's get back to work." (Shigure)
"Nah. Let's rest a little more. It's not like there is anything else important to do. Besides, the daily report can only be completed once the expedition team and patrol team are back."
"But-" (Shigure)
"It's alright. Come here."
I tapped my lap. Shigure eyes seem to focus on my lap, before gleaming. She rests her head on my lap and let me stroke her hair.
"Mnn~" (Shigure)
"We haven't done something like this in a while, haven't we?"
"Unn... It can be helped. Admiral was so busy. There were so many things to do."
I continued to pet Shigure's head until there was another knock on my door. Now what?
"Shigure~ You here?" (Shiratsuyu)
Oh. It's just Shiratsuyu.
"Shiratsuyu, what is it?" (Shigure)
"Ah. There she is." (Murasame)
"Admiral-san is here too poi!" (Yuudachi)
Yuudachi and Murasame too.
Shigure got up from my lap and sat back up as her sisters approached. That's weird. Yuudachi always jumps at me whenever she has the chance. She isn't doing that now. Instead, she sat next to Shigure with a concerned look.
"Are you alright? Tokitsuskaze said you were having a stomachache." (Shiratsuyu)
That's how she saw it? Oh well. That works.
"Eh? Ah. Erm... I'm fine. It wasn't a stomachache." (Shigure)
"Really? You didn't eat anything bad off the ground, right?" (Yuudachi)
"She is not like you, Yuudachi. Anyway, I'm glad you're all right, Shigure." (Murasame)
Oh. So they were worried about their sister.
"Are you done with your work?" (Shiratsuyu)
"We still hav-" (Shigure)
"Only the daily report left."
"Oh. That one can only be completed in the evening once everyone is back." (Murasame)
"So, you are free now, right?" (Yuudachi)
"Erm... I guess so." (Shigure)
"Then, let's play together!" (Yuudachi)
"Ehh? But..." (Shigure)
Shigure glanced at me while tugging at the hem of my shirt. Does she want to hang out with her sisters or stay with me?
What should I choose?
If she is holding on to me, that would mean...
"Sorry. I still need Shigure to do something for me."
She is trying to hide it, but I can see her smiling a little and her eyes are gleaming a bit. I picked the right answer.
"Aw. Yuudachi wanted to play with Shigure poi." (Yuudachi)
The other doggy hugged Shigure.
"Sorry, Yuudachi." (Shigure)
"I see. That's too bad. We were thinking of playing Mari-ka." (Murasame)
"Ahaha. You're gonna have to find someone else."
"Come on. Yuudachi. Let's go. We will keep a spot open for you, Shigure. Once you're done, you can join us." (Shiratsuyu)
"See you later." (Murasame)
The elder sister pulled Yuudachi away from my secretary and the trio left the office. The two of us are alone again.
"Are you sure you don't want to join them?"
Shigure shook her head a little,
"It's fine. I want to stay with Admiral a little longer. Can I?" (Shigure)
"Of course you can. Let's continue where we left off."
I gently placed Shigure's head on my lap and continued stroking her hair and cheek.
Hm? What is that?
I heard a little tap on the window, followed many more little taps. Soon, I can hear the sound of rain hitting against the window.
"It's raining..." (Shigure)
"Yeah."
The weather forecast didn't say anything about rain today. Moreover, the sun is still up.
"But, what a pleasant rain." (Shigure)
She is right. The sound of rain is nice.
"It is."
I continued petting Shigure until she fell asleep. Seeing her peacefully sleeping makes me want to take a nap as well.
Yeah. I will just... close my eyes for a bit as well.
Looks like it's another peaceful day at the Naval District.