The Fallen War

Episode 11: The Impossible Task of Winning Over Josh Fale

Maiku Muki had planned battles, led operations, and outsmarted countless enemies in war games. But when it came to getting Josh Fale to notice her as more than just a combat partner, she might as well have been speaking an alien language. She *knew* she had a reputation for being cold and tough, but seriously—*how* was he this dense?

Josh was, as usual, completely oblivious to her efforts. He was currently standing in the training hall, his focus entirely on dismantling his weapon for maintenance. It was like Maiku didn’t exist in his world, and it was driving her mad.

"Hey, Josh!" she called out, sauntering up to him with a smile she hoped wasn’t too obvious. "What are you working on?"

Josh didn’t even glance up. "Just routine stuff," he replied in his usual calm, distant tone, too absorbed in his task to notice the subtle shift in Maiku’s behavior.

"Right… routine stuff," Maiku echoed, awkwardly shifting her weight. She clenched her fists, mentally preparing for her next move. Time to be direct. "I was thinking maybe after this, we could hang out. You know… just us."

Josh finally looked up, blinking in confusion. "Hang out? What for?"

Maiku almost choked. *What for!?* Was he really this clueless? She shot him a look, her patience starting to wear thin. "Because it’d be fun?" she said, forcing the words through gritted teeth.

Josh stared blankly at her for a moment before shrugging. "Sounds like a waste of time. I still need to run some battle simulations with Faye later."

Maiku’s eye twitched, her calm façade cracking. "*A waste of time?* Are you serious?" She could feel her temper rising, but before she could lose it completely, Faye walked in, her eyes bright with mischief.

"Oh? Hanging out with Maiku?" Faye piped up, grinning as she walked over. "What’s the occasion, Maiku? You suddenly love wasting time?"

Faye was clearly loving every second of Maiku’s frustration. She knew exactly what was going on and was thrilled that her dense brother wasn’t catching on. Josh’s obliviousness meant Maiku had no chance of stealing him away. Not that Faye would ever admit that aloud.

Josh, however, remained oblivious to both of them. He gave Faye a casual nod. "I don’t know. She asked, but it doesn’t seem productive."

*Productive.* Maiku felt like tearing her hair out. She had faced down enemies with bloodlust in their eyes, but none of them had tested her patience like Josh was right now. She shot Faye a desperate look, only to see Faye smirking.

"I see," Faye said sweetly. "Well, Maiku, you’ve got your work cut out for you. My brother’s a bit of a brick wall when it comes to romance."

Maiku turned red at the word "romance," glaring daggers at Faye. "I *wasn't* talking about romance," she muttered, though she knew both of them were aware of her true intentions.

Faye raised an eyebrow, her smirk widening. "Sure you weren’t."

---

Later that day, after being brutally turned down by Josh *again* (and being called "inefficient" in the process), Maiku found herself in Faye’s room, pacing back and forth like a caged animal.

"How is he so *stupid*?" Maiku hissed, throwing her hands up in frustration. "I’ve been practically throwing myself at him, and all he does is talk about combat strategy!"

Faye was lounging on her bed, looking far too amused by the situation. "He’s smart in battle but dumb everywhere else," she said with a shrug. "You should’ve figured that out by now."

"Yeah, but—*this* dumb?" Maiku’s face was turning red from embarrassment and rage. She sat down next to Faye, burying her face in her hands. "I swear, I’m about to give up. This is impossible."

Faye patted her shoulder, trying—and failing—not to laugh. "To be fair, you did slap me once. Maybe he’s still holding a grudge."

Maiku winced, guilt creeping up on her. "It was one time! And I didn’t mean it. I apologized… eventually."

Faye grinned wickedly. "Yeah, *eventually*. But Josh doesn’t forget stuff like that. It’s probably why he’s brushing you off without even knowing he’s doing it."

Maiku groaned, sinking lower into the bed. "He’s not brushing me off. He’s *crushing* me. Brutally. Every time I try to talk to him, he says something so painfully blunt it makes me want to scream."

"Well, that’s Josh for you," Faye said, laughing. "He’s too focused on protecting me to care about anyone else. I’m not exactly in a rush to change that."

Maiku glared at her. "Of course you’re not."

---

The next morning, Maiku tried *again*. She decided to change tactics, opting for something simpler. She figured maybe if she made him a snack or something, he’d appreciate the effort. After all, what guy didn’t like food?

She approached Josh during training break, carrying a plate of freshly made sandwiches.

"Hey, Josh, I made these for you," she said, holding the plate out to him with what she hoped was a winning smile.

Josh glanced at the plate, then at Maiku. "Why?" he asked bluntly.

Maiku blinked. "Because… I thought you might be hungry?"

Josh looked at the plate again, then shrugged. "I’m good. I have my rations."

Maiku’s smile faltered. "Rations? Really? You’d rather eat… those?"

Josh nodded, completely serious. "They’re efficient."

*Efficient.* Maiku could feel herself slipping into madness. *Who in their right mind chooses rations over fresh sandwiches!?*

Faye, watching from a distance, had to duck behind a pillar to stifle her laughter. This was going even worse than she’d hoped, and she couldn’t get enough of it.

"I *hate* him," Maiku muttered under her breath as she walked away, leaving Josh to his beloved rations.

---

The final straw came that evening. Maiku, determined to make *some* kind of progress, tried talking to Josh again—this time in private. She found him sitting outside, looking up at the sky.

"Josh," she began, her voice soft. "Can we… talk?"

Josh nodded, still staring up at the stars. "Sure."

Maiku hesitated, trying to find the right words. "I… I feel like I’ve been trying to get closer to you, but you keep pushing me away."

Josh glanced at her, his expression unreadable. "Pushing you away? I’ve been letting you spar with me and train with Faye. I haven’t pushed you away."

Maiku groaned internally. He was so literal, it was infuriating.

"No, I mean… closer in a different way," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Josh’s brow furrowed. "Different how?"

*Here it is,* Maiku thought. *This is your chance. Just say it.*

But before she could, Josh stood up, brushing the dust off his pants. "If you want to challenge me in some new combat scenario, just say the word. I’m up for it."

Maiku’s heart sank. "That’s… not what I meant."

Josh looked at her for a moment before nodding. "Oh. Then whatever it is, I’m not interested. I have more important things to focus on. Like keeping Faye safe."

And with that, he walked away, leaving Maiku standing there, crushed.

*Brutal. Absolutely brutal.*

Back in Faye’s room, Maiku flopped onto the bed, groaning. "He’s *impossible*."

Faye chuckled, clearly enjoying every second of Maiku’s misery. "I told you."

Maiku shot her a glare. "I thought he was smart."

Faye shrugged. "He is. Just… not about that."

Maiku covered her face with a pillow. "I will make him mine."