Summoning Our Country - NHS Kai

Chapter 5.5: The Three Weeks Since

Note: This is rose. Check back on Chapter 5 for I will have updated it to include the map. Also, moving forward, this will be the last half (0.5) chapter in a while as the Louria arc develops. It will return once it is done. Have a rose ✿

As of April 25, 2022, this chapter has been revised

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Cent. Calendar 10/05/1639 (DD/MM/YYYY), Ministry of Defense, Tokyo, Japan, 21:30

It was getting late at night in the Ministry of Defense in Tokyo, Japan. The air in the main building was hectic at best and depressing at the worst–a scene that reflected the entirety of Japan's woes in the three weeks since appearing in Asherah. In one of the rooms of the highest echelons of the ministry toiled away Okada Masako, Minister of Defense. Checking reports and approving and denying papers and such, her eyes were still glued onto her computer screen as the distant wails of sirens continued to play outside. Due to rotating electrical blackouts and general restrictions imposed on electricity usage, an effort to curb the consumption of now extremely precious non-renewables, the only objects in her office that still consume electricity were her computer and her telephone. While opening the window to let more air in would have been a bad choice before the transfer, the lack of cars, given that unnecessary road travel was prohibited, meant that the air was cleaner.

As she finished the reply to an email, she heard a pattern of knocks on her door, a sequence that she immediately recognized.

"You don't have to knock on my door, Matsumoto-kun."

The door creaked as it slowly opened, revealing the figure of one Matsumoto Akira, a man in his late 20s and secretary of Okada.

"I still think it's down to respect, Minister."

Matsumoto responded with poise as he closed the door behind him.

"Should I take that as a compliment, then?"

Okada retorted without looking away from her screen, still finishing her reply to another email. As Matsumoto drew closer to her desk, she finally let her eyes off her screen to entertain the presence of her secretary, looking up at his fair face and young, innocent eyes. Wishing to wrap up his work and head home for the night, Matsumoto raised his hand, which was holding an envelope, and said, "Here's the report." Just as he was about to leave it on the desk and leave, Okada cried out.

"Wait."

He looked back at Okada with a face that said, "Yes?"

"Come over here."

Matsumoto hesitated, not knowing what the command meant. Seeing his confusion, Okada distanced herself away from the table on her office chair, and then beckoned to him with her extended arms.

"Here."

Finally understanding what she meant, Matsumoto navigated around the desk towards Okada's side.

"Turn around."

Doing as she says, he turned about-face towards the wall with his back facing Okada. Just as he was about to ask her about what she was going to do, he felt the mellow, all-encompassing touch of a person's arms locking onto his entire waist, along with the sensation of warm breaths intermittently blowing against his back. Aware of what was going on but still holding doubts, Matsumoto spoke up.

"Minister Okada?"

Silence. At least for a good ten seconds. In that time, his back muscles, originally tense and shivering from the sudden physical contact, had loosened and relaxed to accommodate the tight lock of the minister's slender arms.