もののけ | monster | soshiro hoshina (Kaiju No. 8)

にじゅうよん | twenty four

もののけ | kaiju | monster

24

Soshiro

I STOOD THERE, FACE TO FACE WITH THE LIEUTENANT. She sat behind the expansive, polished wooden desk, the surface cluttered with various documents and files. Her fingers methodically sifted through the papers, her expression as unreadable as ever. The room was heavy with the scent of varnish and paper, the only sound being the occasional rustle of the documents she handled.

Ashiro stood beside me, she had told me beforehand that she would do most of the talking. I felt a wave of discomfort wash over me, my eyes darting around the room, desperate to avoid her piercing gaze.

The memory of what happened earlier was still fresh, the harsh words we exchanged still ringing in my ears. As much as I wished I could be anywhere else, I knew I had to be here. Ashiro had been furious with me earlier, and I needed to be on my best behavior.

My cheek still throbbed with pain, the swelling obvious to anyone who looked. The medical staff had treated it with a topical analgesic and anti-inflammatory dressing to reduce the swelling and numb the pain. They told me I was lucky I hadn't lost any teeth from the impact.

As they conversed, their voices began to fade into the background. Exhaustion crept over me, but I fought to stay alert. My gaze inadvertently fell on the Lieutenant's wrist, noticing a bandage wrapped around it.

It dawned on me that we had both hurt each other, not just emotionally but also physically.

Guilt creeped at me, conflicting with the anger and confusion I felt.

Why did I feel guilty? She had struck me, leaving my cheek swollen and painful. Yet, there was a part of me that regretted the force I had used against her. I still didn't understand what had driven me to hold her so tightly, to the point of causing harm.

Ashiro glanced at me, a silent warning in her eyes to pay attention. "Of course, Lieutenant. Hoshina and I will handle the briefings."

I forced myself to focus, nodding in agreement. "Yes, Lieutenant. We'll make sure everything is in order."

Man... today's not my day.

Mina

I could see Hoshina was not paying attention, his eyes distant, lost in thought. I really wanted to knock some sense into him. I know they both had unresolved issues, and their history together was clouding his judgment. The Lieutenant, however, was maintaining her professionalism as if nothing had happened earlier. I wouldn't be surprised; they called her a living person without a heart for a reason.

The Lieutenant handed me a stack of documents, reports on general affairs within the Defense Force, meant for distribution to the other division captains as well. The pile was daunting, a mountain of white paper that represented hours of work. I mentally sighed, considering giving some of the workload to Hoshina. After all, he did pissed me off earlier. Maybe this could be his another punishment. Then again, the punishment I already meted out might have been too much. No, he needed to be disciplined, especially considering the bandage around the Lieutenant's wrist.