Albatross Sky ~Self-Defense Force Love Story~ [Episode 6] Regret makes a man, misery makes a man, sadness makes a man. And it is a formidable enemy that truly makes you a great man. ①

[Episode 6] Regret makes a man, misery makes a man, sadness makes a man. And it is a formidable enemy that truly makes you a great man. German Imperial Army Air Service Cavalry Captain Manfred von Richthofen ①

It really makes my chest ache...

The taste of love, discovered for the first time in my mid-twenties. The day after returning from the approximately two-month-long RIMPAC.

After finishing my routine early morning training and taking a shower, I lie on my bed and lose myself in thought.

Hanging in front of me, which I stare at intently, is a heart-shaped pendant top. It is a new release for this spring from the famous brand Stephanie.

It is a pendant Toshio bought for me at a jewelry shop in Ala Moana that we visited during our last off-duty time at RIMPAC. I had adamantly refused, saying I couldn't accept such an expensive gift when I hadn't yet reciprocated his feelings, but...

"No way! It's too expensive!"
"But you liked it, didn't you?"
"It's certainly very cute, but I have no reason to have you buy it for me."
"A reason? It's a slightly early birthday present for the girl I like."
"My birthday is in January! It's July now!"
"I know. You're a Capricorn, Type A girl, right? Well, my birthday is next month, so let me give it to Yuuhi as a present for me."
"I don't understand what you mean!"
"So you really won't listen to me..."

And so, when he brought up my disobedience of orders during the exercise, I had no choice but to accept it.

Ignoring the tax-free procedures, Toshio put the newly bought pendant on me right there on the spot.

"Th-thank you..."

That gift from him lifted my depressed spirits all at once. Since it was right after I had realized my feelings of love, I couldn't sleep that night, feeling as if I were floating in heaven.

Knowing that a pendant given by a man can mean "I want to bind her to me," my face softens naturally, but the moment I think of him, my chest begins to ache. It seems that the massive secretion of a substance called dopamine caused by love is the reason for this pain.

Ever since we met, he has always cherished me. But I, at this age, am just bewildered by the love I've felt for the first time. I didn't even know how to respond to him.

Besides.

"With me, he can aim much, much higher. I can't leave him to someone like you."

Amy's words still cross my mind. As long as I couldn't digest those words within myself, I hesitated to take his hand.

What can I do right now...

I think while swinging the pendant slightly. I wanted to see his smile, I thought. That innocent, childlike smile.

Yeah... after all, this is the only thing I can do, isn't it.

Yuuhi gripped the pendant tightly, sat up, and picked up her smartphone from the bedside.

*

"Sorry for calling you out on your day off."
"What are you talking about? If it's a call from Yuuhi, I'd fly in from anywhere in the world."

A cafe in a quiet residential area. Toshio ordered a cappuccino from the waitress and sat down.

"You look cute, Yuuhi. That pendant really suits you."

Noticing the gift around her neck, he smiled happily and leaned forward.

"Oh, u-um. Thank you..."

Yuuhi gently touched the pendant and looked down so he wouldn't see her blushing face. She was about to get lost in the sweet mood, but when she came to her senses, she looked up quickly.

"U-um, listen. About that consultation... please let me train with you, Toshio. Please!"

She said it all in one breath and gave a small bow.

"Training? The morning ones?"

She could tell he was confused by the sudden request. That was only natural.

"Yeah."
"What's wrong? So suddenly."

Yuuhi gripped her hands on her lap and stared at Toshio.

"I... I want to become stronger. I want to fly by your side with my head held high. I want everyone around us to acknowledge that Idea is Gaia's wingman. That's why... I want to acquire what I'm lacking."

These were her true, honest feelings. First, she had to become stronger herself. Both to live up to his feelings and to come to terms with things within herself.

Toshio stared at Yuuhi for a while, but when the cappuccino arrived, he took a sip and set the cup down.

"...Yuuhi, you're already strong enough. I know that better than anyone."

As he spoke in a gentle tone, Yuuhi shook her head vigorously.

"I'm not strong! I realized that at RIMPAC. Even among women, there are those who are far above me."

Amy, who had slaughtered the fierce warriors of various air forces one after another during those air exercises. Her ability to ride the ferocious Raptor as if it were an extension of her own limbs was the real deal. And through her, a fellow woman, she was made to realize—painfully—her own current standing, which she had only vaguely imagined, and her own lack of ability.

Because she had become able to keep up with Toshio's maneuvers, she had mistakenly thought she had become strong too. Her arrogance was extreme.

But.

"Until now, I thought I had been doing my best in my own way. But from here on, I don't know what else to do. I'm sorry. I have no choice but to rely on you, Toshio."

Even though she had said such high-and-mighty things, she felt pathetic and ashamed that she had to ask Toshio for help at this late stage. If she could, she would have wanted to manage on her own, but everything beyond this point was an unknown world.

"It's alright, Yuuhi. There's no need to apologize."

Toshio smiles softly.

"We aren't fighting individual battles. We are protecting the country as an organization. What's important in an organization is that we all trust each other, help each other, and rely on each other while working toward a single goal. In short, it's team building."

As he speaks with a gentle smile, tears well up in her eyes, and she bites her tongue slightly.

"Thank you for relying on me. Of course, I'll gladly cooperate. However, there is one thing I must tell you."

His face suddenly turns stern. It is the face of a superior officer.

"The morning training is something I impose on myself to maintain my skills, so if you can't keep up, Yuuhi, I won't be able to lend you a hand. It might sound cold, but if you're okay with that..."

She doesn't think it's cold at all. If anything, this is exactly why she can trust him.

"I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm counting on you."

At Yuuhi's reply, Toshio nods, saying, "Good."

"Alright. Then... excuse me, miss, could I have some paper and a pen?"

The waitress he called out to brings him a notepad and pen, her cheeks flushed. Though she feels a bit annoyed by a glimpse of his former playboy self, she corrects herself, thinking it's wrong to feel that way as she watches him write with a serious expression.

"I think it'll be tough if we start right away, so let's begin in two weeks. Until then, make sure you can do this warm-up menu."

Her eyes widen at the menu he wrote out while saying that. It is hardly what one would call a warm-up.

"Understood. I'm counting on you."

She bows her head so he won't notice her agitation.

She had never thought the menu she was working on was easy. She had even been told by those around her that she was pushing herself too hard. Yet, even to Yuuhi, this content is quite intense. Is he really doing this menu every single morning?

"Yeah, let's do our best together."

He leans forward and pats her head.

She has no choice but to do it. Having made up her mind, Yuuhi nods firmly at him.

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