“I’m sorry I won’t be able to keep you company,” Yuuhei said on their walk back to the barracks, “but I think you know the first place I’m going.”
Eiji laughed. “Extreme North,” he said.
The rain was heavy, but the two of them walked without any cover, half out of habit of the hardships of the Front, and half with the carefree elation of their newly granted leave. Their hair was instantly soaked, and the large wet drops drummed against the metal plating of their armor.
“You know, the Remnant Line can get from Ajanum to Seikaigiwa in just three hours.”
“Really? I know it’s fast, but I thought it was further than that.”
“It’s damn far,” Yuuhei tilted his head to the side, cracking his neck. “But the Remnant Line trains are the fastest thing there is, by a long shot. Plus,” he grinned, “There aren’t many stops between here and there, so they don’t have to keep slowing down.”
“Hmm.” Eiji nodded, “I guess in that direction you really do start getting into the middle of nowhere.”
Yuuhei was still grinning. “You know what the first stop from here is, don’t you, Eiji?”
“Huh?” Eiji had stopped listening, watching the sky on the horizon darken with the thickening of the cloud cover. “It looks like a thunderstorm.”
“Hey, Daitokai,” Yuuhei nudged him in the ribs with his elbow. “I said, do you know what the very first stop is, between here and Xian Zeii?”
Eiji scratched his head. “Heading back that way, huh… oh, of course, that’s Hansilla.”
“Exactly,” Yuuhei nudged him again. “Han-sil-la.” He smirked.
“What do you—”
“Oh, come on. Where is your head?”
“I can’t stop thinking, what do you think the Kolsivites are planning? What was Forward General Saitou talking about?”
Yuuhei shrugged, “You know I want to know just as bad as you do. But what can we do? Like he said, now is our time to ourselves, and we’ll find out soon enough anyway.”
“Yeah…” Eiji said, his eyes lingering on the gathering darkness. “I suppose that’s true. But, what he said. I get the feeling that it could be the kind of situation where something important is bound to be lost no matter what. It’s unsettling.” He was silent for a moment, then shook his head, turning to Yuuhei. “Anyway. What’s in Hansilla?”
“Come on, Eiji. Your woman! Your woman is in Hansilla.”
Eiji’s eyes widened. “Yuuhei, I told you…”
Yuuhei shook his head. “Listen. I’m trekking up to Xian Zeii and from there toward Roppukyu without even knowing for sure if Eiko’s still there. Last letter I got from her was two weeks ago. And I’ve never even been there before. I’m going to have to hunt her down and figure out where the hell I am all at the same time. All you have to do is get of a train in a familiar city so far from the gunfire that you can’t even hear it, and walk to a coffee shop. Do you know how dumb I would think you were, for the rest of your life, if you let this chance slide by?”
“Don’t twist my arm about this.”
“You’re getting on the train with me. And you can either get off at Hansilla or you can come with me all the way to Roppukyu, and risk getting killed by a stray artillery shell while I look for Eiko.”
Eiji groaned.
“Anyway,” Yuuhei went on, “the fare’s less than half as much if you get off at Hansilla.”
“Fine,” Eiji sighed. “Really, what else am I going to do? Sit around here? Or go back to Shijima and wander the streets like a stray dog? Let me get a shower first, though, and change out of my armor.”
Yuuhei laughed, slapping Eiji on the shoulder. “Perfect!” he said, “I’m going to the bathhouse before we go, myself. Why don’t you meet me there?”
“All right,” Eiji said, resigned. “I’ll be there in an hour.”
