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ₛᵢᵣₑₙ ｡✧∘˚˳°
You look up at the cloudy, dark sky, savoring the bittersweet flavor of the cocoa pancake you made at home. Leaning against the van's door, you watch the fight unfold from your vantage point.
"Yesh, they made one helluva mess!" Kafka comments, munching on his burger and peering through binoculars to observe the Third Unit's subjugation efforts in Yokohama City.
Perched on the rooftop of the van, you scan the scene, feeling disappointed and tired from the constant lookout. "This one's gonna be overtime for sure," Kafka says.
You glance at the boss as he calls out, "All right, let's get to it!" Everyone agrees, climbing down from their positions. You finish your food and follow Kafka towards the crowd giving the Third Unit a standing ovation.
Your eyes linger on the familiar faces in the crowd, faces that wouldn't remember you. A pang of sadness hits, and you quickly avert your gaze. A man with a bowl cut notices you, momentarily puzzled by the sight of a girl in cleanup duty, but he quickly dismisses the thought and continues following the captain down the road.
"Umiha, maybe you should try joining the recruitment in Nichi-Tokyo this year. I know you've always wanted to, but you held back because of me, right?" Kafka says.
You look down at your feet as you walk beside him. "Then who is going to clean up your mess at home?" you tease.
"Hey, hey, I can do it all alone. Don't underestimate me," he pouts, reacting to your playful jab. You chuckle in amusement.
Smiling, you reply, "It's fine, big brother. At least I can still be with you for the time being. We never know, we might even get eaten by kaijus." Your smile hides a lie, "You're the only relative I have left."
"Ha.. I'm sorry for dragging you into this. I should be fulfilling my promise to Mina, standing by her side by now and you working as officer," he sighed, his voice heavy with regret. "But look at me, cleaning up their mess. It's embarrassing, honestly."
You can feel the weight of his disappointment, a palpable sorrow that tugs at your heart. At 32, he has already surpassed the age limit of 30 for joining the Defense Force, and the hopelessness of his situation hangs in the air.
As you both arrive at the site, the colossal body of a fallen kaiju sprawls across the ground. The cleanup team is already hard at work, and the manager moves briskly, assigning crew members to various parts of the scene to tackle the monumental task. The smell of kaiju blood and debris fills the air as you prepare to join in the effort, the enormity of the situation settling over you both like a heavy shroud.
Assigned to the intestines, you had no complaints. You were used to the disgusting job, and with steady hands, you carefully cut through the slippery, foul-smelling organs. Around you, the sounds of others trying to suppress their gags and retching could be heard, a chorus of discomfort.
