A week after recovering from my cold, I finally caught up on the backlog of work and returned to my usual routine. Gotta hand it to Roboco—her nursing skills pulled through. She's a klutz, but she steps up when it counts.
Right now, I'm hunched over my laptop, piecing together a proposal for a new event. Problem is, I can't focus. Why? Well…
…Staaaare…
(They're staring so hard it's freaking me out.)
For a while now, two pairs of eyes have been boring into me from the side of my desk, peeking just over the edge. It's distracting as hell. If they've got something to say, just say it already!
"Staaaare…"
(They're literally saying "stare" out loud now?! What do they want?!)
Who even does that? I can't concentrate like this. Time to call them out.
"Hey, Russhia, Kanata, what's with the staring contest?" I asked, turning to the culprits: Uruha Russhia, the green-haired, bun-sporting necromancer, and Amane Kanata, the angelic girl with a shuriken-like halo.
"Oh, you finally noticed us!" Russhia chirped, scurrying over.
"Jeez, Reiji-kun, I was worried you'd ignore us forever!" Kanata added, joining her with a grin.
Of course I noticed. They're not exactly subtle.
"So, what's up? You're not just here to mess with my work, right?" I said, narrowing my eyes.
"No way, Reiji-san! I'd never do that—I don't want you to hate me!" Russhia pouted.
"Yeah, we're here to talk about tonight's sleepover!" Kanata said excitedly.
Sleepover… right, ever since Roboco moved in temporarily, the Holomems have been taking turns crashing at my place (see last chapter). So, it's these two tonight? That's a rare combo.
"Interesting pair," I remarked. "I figured you'd show up with someone like Marine, Russhia."
"Well, Marine had plans, so she gave us these Gunpla kits and bailed," Russhia explained, holding up a box.
"That's why we're here to build them with you, Reiji-kun!" Kanata added, showing hers.
Marine gave them Gunpla? That's new. Let's see… Kanata's got an MG Wing Gundam Zero EW Ver.Ka, and Russhia's holding an MG Gundam Deathscythe Hell EW. They kinda fit their vibes—angel and necromancer—but also… not quite?
MG Wing Gundam Zero EW Ver.Ka
MG Gundam Deathscythe Hell EW
From Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz, these are the iconic machines of Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell. Wing Zero's signature angel-like wing binders and twin buster rifle make it a fan favorite. The Ver.Ka version even transforms into Neo Bird mode, a feature not in the original. It was super rare for a while, but reprints made it easier to snag—I got one recently myself.
Deathscythe Hell, true to its name, looks like a grim reaper with its beam scythe and stealthy Hyper Jammer system, letting it slip into enemy lines unnoticed. Though, in the show, it was more about brute-force melee than stealth.
Fun fact: early kits had "Custom" in their names, but that's been dropped. I'll explain why later.
"Nice picks," I said. "Wing Zero's been reissued, but Deathscythe Hell's still tough to find. Where'd Marine get these?"
"Really? Marine said they were perfect for us!" Russhia beamed.
Perfect? Sure, angel and reaper vibes match, but… something's off. What's that nagging feeling?
Gundam Wing… Endless Waltz… Glory of the Losers… Losers… Oh. Oh.
Meanwhile, Elsewhere
"So, Marine, why'd you give Russhia and Kanata those Gunpla?" Mio asked.
"Well, those Gundams are from Glory of the Losers, right? I thought it'd be a fun way for them to embrace being the 'losers' of Hololive's chest department!" Marine giggled.
As expected, Marine's gift came with her signature mischievous twist.
Later, Sasaki Residence
After work, I brought Russhia and Kanata home, washed up, and got ready to build. The two were starry-eyed, gawking at the tools lining my newly upgraded living room—courtesy of Roboco's remodel. The setup's been a game-changer, and I owe her one. (Roboco's out on a shoot today, by the way.)
"So cool! There's so many tools I've never seen!" Russhia squealed.
"This'll make our Gunpla epic! I can't wait!" Kanata added.
Glad they're hyped. "Alright, let's get to it," I said.
"Wait, you're building too, Reiji-san?" Russhia asked.
"Yup, I grabbed a Wing Zero recently, so I'll join you," I said.
"Sweet! We're matching, Reiji-kun!" Kanata cheered.
"…That's not fair, Kanata," Russhia mumbled, her voice darkening. "I wanted to match with Reiji-san too…"
Oh no. Russhia's yandere mode kicked in. I've been through this before—last time, she nearly locked me in a closet. Gotta defuse this fast.
"Sorry, Russhia, I don't have a Deathscythe on hand, and I've been itching to build Wing Zero. Next time, we'll build matching kits, promise," I said, patting her head.
"Mm… /// Okay, but you better keep that promise!" she said, melting into a happy puppy-like grin.
"…Hmph," Kanata huffed, puffing out her cheeks.
Now Kanata's sulking?! What am I supposed to do here?
Hours Later
We got to work on our Gundams, starting with a dry assembly to plan our customizations. Dry assembly means building the kit loosely first, then disassembling it for painting and seam-line fixes. It's a bit tedious, but it makes painting and final assembly smoother.
"…Huh?" Kanata paused, tilting her head.
"What's up? Missing a part?" I asked.
"No, it's just… I didn't expect Wing Zero to have a shield," she said.
"Oh, right. The Ver.Ka added a shield for Neo Bird mode," I explained. "By the way, you called it 'Wing Zero Custom,' didn't you?"
"Yeah, don't you? I thought these were custom versions," Kanata said.
"Same here!" Russhia chimed in. "Aren't they customized from the TV versions?"
"…What?" I blinked.
"What?" they echoed.
Oh, they totally misunderstood. Time for a quick lesson.
"Look, these aren't 'custom' versions in the sense of being modified from the TV series," I said. "They're the same machines, just redesigned for Endless Waltz."
"What?!" Russhia gasped.
"So what are they, then?" Kanata asked.
"They're the same Gundams as the TV versions, just with different designs," I explained.
"Ehhh?!" they both yelped.
Yup, total misconception. Not surprising if you're not deep into the lore.