9 - The Efficiency Of A Hug

The following day, in the Heisei’s camp, the group, inside one of the camps, was scrambling their brains staring at the map of Prague.

“So how do we go in?”

“Guns blazing.” Zawadski said. “We go in there together, we wipe out everything we see, and we make our way towards the castle.”

“Not happening.” Sakuto said. “If we all rush the castle, we will all get killed by that evil bitch.”

“Jian, are the two ladies from the resistance joining us?” Yuuka asked.

“They’re both dead. They got into a fight and wounded each other to death, apparently.” Jian said. “I propose we use separation tactics like we did before.”

“You think we’ll have the chance to utilize them?” Ichigo said. “To be honest, they sound like a much more dangerous faction than Otto Richter’s. There’s a level to this.”

“That’s why we’ll utilize separation tactics.” Jian said. “We’ll support each other on the battlefield. We’ll create unfair scenarios for them.”

“The separation was only relevant for one fight during the war.” Zawadski said. “Considering the fact that these enemies are going to be significantly more powerful; than the mercs Otto Richter threw at us, we might not be in condition to hop from one fight to another, and assist the castle raid.”

“I thought I made it clear. I’m going to the castle alone.” Sakuto said. “I’d like to think that no matter how dysfunctional their family was, the Thomas lady knew what she was talking about.”

“She was referring to the death of Elena Thomas.” Jian explained. “And after considering that Elena Thomas was a supremely powerful soulful, it is best that we leave Sakuto to do it.”

“He fights best when he’s unbothered and unrestricted.” Ichika added. “We will clear the way to the castle and handle any of that evil bitch’s subordinates, while Sakuto heads for the head of the operation.”

“One problem, we don’t know their manpower.” Yuuka said.

“Well, if we get overwhelmed too badly, there is nothing we can do about it.” Zawadski shrugged. “We can’t let Sakuto engage in combat with anything. He needs to be in top condition when fighting the evil bitch.”

“Looks like our only option is to pray we have enough manpower.” Ichika said. “And if one of us goes down, we’re all fucked.”

“Well, there’s at least one of their soldiers we are familiar with.” Zawadski said. “He’s the second objective, after all.”

Everyone looked at Ausra, who was about to speak up for the first time during the meeting. Her eyes still looked sore from the crying.

“I’ll deal with him.” She said, determined. “I’ll knock his lights out and wait for Sakuto’s plan to work.”

“You’re so sure-”

“Yes.” Ausra said. “He might be stronger than me, but we’re relatively evenly matched...I hope. I can fight him. And besides, Ichika gave me something yesterday. I’m sorry we kept it a secret, but...”

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small hexagon-shaped crystal.

“A soul crystal?!” Sakuto gasped, instantly recognizing the object. “How the hell did you get this thing?” He asked Ichika.

“I grabbed whatever I saw when we raided the house they kept you inside.” Ichika said. “I held onto them in case one of us needed them, but...”

“How are you gonna use them without Fedor’s help? He needed to manage this stuff, right? He had a whole computer set up, with a bunch of wires and medical equipment...”

“That’s to monitor the readings.” Zawadski said. “I remember him telling me about that stuff. The soul crystal would still work, but...yeah. It’ll work a little more unpredictably. We won’t be able to control any of the processes inside.”

“Right.” Sakuto said. “So Ausra, your plan is to stick him with a soul crystal and put him to sleep? What if he gets out before I’m done? What if the crystal doesn’t react to him?”

“I don’t know.” Ausra said. “But I much rather do that than to, you know...have to fight him...”

“Hey, whatever works, works.” Zawadski said. “Anyways, we still didn’t answer the question. How do we go in?”

“We enter the city, we announce our presence.” Jian said. “We locate and fight off the armed forces. And we deliver Sakuto to the castle.”

“I suggest division of labor!” Yuuka said. “Me and Kouhai will deliver Sakyuto to the castle. Our kits work best for that purpose, especially Kouhai’s.”

“I’ll take care of Oskar.” Ausra said.

“Me and Captain Jian will fight as a united force.” Ichigo said. “Ichika, are you okay with fighting alone?”

“Same deal as Sakuto.” Ichika said. “I’m at my strongest when I don’t have to worry about accidentally freezing one of you to death.”

“In that case, everything’s settled. We move out as soon as we get the command from Kaito.” Zawadski said. “The raid is set to go!”

They’d love to cheer, but it wasn’t the best gesture considering the severity of the situation and how difficult it was for some of the members to digest recent events. But they all had incredible determination within them. They dispersed, some of them went to train, others to rest or to plan further.

“Ichigo, follow me for a second.” Sakuto said, slightly catching Ichigo off guard. “Gotta talk to you.”

“Sure...” Ichigo said, a little alert. He followed him, and they both faced off against one another, and a few of the other Heisei members carefully looked at them, some ready to intervene in case anything broke out between them. The history between the two was rather...unfortunate.

“You really trust me to take care of the evil bitch?” Sakuto asked. “I thought the day would never come.”

“You are our only chance, whether you like it or not.” Ichigo said. “I have to-”

“Ichigo, I know what type of person you are.” Sakuto said. “I killed your boss, you assisted in getting my brother killed. But you were a good guy following orders, you had your own reason.”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“...?”

“I want to leave it in the past.” Sakuto said, extending his hand, offering Ichigo a handshake. “I want to save my friend. This is your chance to redeem yourself, and my way of saying ‘sorry I killed your psychopathic employer, which I don’t regret’.”

“You have a...way with words.” Ichigo said, slightly annoyed by that comment. But he also understood the situation. “I have a difficult situation myself, but yeah...I have to just keep going.”

He accepted the handshake.

“I’m sorry for him. You know I was following orders, I’m happy that the man who ended his life is dead by your own hands.” Ichigo said. “It must be difficult to process his passing, even now.”

“It’s manageable.” Sakuto said.

“Would Kouta spit in my face after seeing this?”

“Nah, he’d understand. Besides, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that this guy’s involvement in his death wasn’t as critical as that piece of shit Otto’s.”

“Whatever. I rather save up all of my hatred against one single thing.”

The two gave each other nods, confirming the elimination of the dislike and tension between them. And they walked away.

“See, I told you this would happen!” Zawadski whispered to Yuuka as they watched.

“Aww, it’s the power of friendship! w” Yuuka cheered.

...

It was night at the camp, and one person wasn’t awake. Jian wandered through the area, seeking answers for questions she knew she never had the answers to. She wandered around, and walked by Sakuto’s tent. Inside, she saw Sakuto and Ichika sleeping together, cuddled up under the sheets.

It made her think. Some time later, she decided to wander into the tent Ichigo was sleeping in.

“Wake up.” she almost commanded, and a second later, she changed her tone a bit realizing the rudeness of her words. “P-please.”

“Huh?” Ichigo said, waking up, and jumping up a little. “Huh? Captain?! Is anything wrong?”

“Keep quiet.” Jian said, trying to correct herself again. She stepped deeper into the tent, almost standing on the sheets Ichigo was laying in, and Ichigo crawled back a little. “I mean, do not make too much noise. Uhh...okay?”

“Right...” Ichigo said.

“I need to ask you a question.” Jian said, towering over him. “You are knowledgeable on...uhh...”

“What?” Ichigo asked, unable to understand what Jian was trying to convey. “The hell? Why is she blushing?! I’ve never seen her...like this...”

“How do you make a person feel better?” Jian asked. “What is the correct method? You are knowledgeable, right?”

“I’m...grateful that you think I’m emotionally mature, but...well, you just...” Ichigo said. “Every person has their own buttons you can push to make them feel better, I guess? I...I really can’t answer a question like that instantly.”

“So what’s the course of action?” Jian asked.

“Well, you can talk to them, first of all.” Ichigo suggested. “Getting someone to talk-”

“No, not that option.” Jian said, blushing a little more. “That did not work. What are some other options?”

“Well, uhm...you could spend time with them. Sometimes it’s good for the person that is going through trouble to just...have someone next to them.” Ichigo explained. “Especially if it’s someone that is close to you or looks up to you.”

“Right, I will do that.” Jian nodded. “Anything else?”

“Well, physical contact helps in some cases.” Ichigo said. “Like a...a hug, or even holding someone.”

“A hug?” Jian asked. “What is the best way to do that? Where do I need to put my arms or my...uhm...body?”

“You...don’t know?” Ichigo asked. “S-sorry, I didn’t mean it in a bad way, I just...there’s some things that feel like skills but come as natural instructions, you know? It’s kinda weird...”

“You think hugs are a form of natural instruction?” Jian asked.

“Well, maybe. They help people help other people feel better.” Ichigo said. “If they weren’t designed to be that way, why can humans hug each other so perfectly? It’s like our bodies are designed to do that.”

“How does it work?” Jian asked. “Can you show me?”

“Uhh...you want me to, uhh...e-e-embrace you?” Ichigo asked. “What the fuck is going on, am I even awake?!”

“I understand.” Jian said, taking a step back. “I’m sorry for bothering you.”

“No, it’s not that I-” Ichigo said, stopping himself from saying stupid stuff. “It just feels a little awkward, you know? There’s...some differences when it's just two people or two friends, and it’s uhh...”

“I can count how many times I have been hugged. When it happened to me, I spaced out and I couldn’t process much information or analyze it.” Jian said. “My family did not enjoy my company. That is probably why I am alien to these phenomena.”

“I...I understand.” Ichigo said. “I could try it, but...I would prefer it if I was dressed up more appropriately.”

“Do hugs feel better when the other person is less dressed?” Jian asked. “Does the feeling rely on arousal?”

“I...” Ichigo took a deep breath. “Why are you so interested in this...?”

“Because there is a person that I believe I should help feel better.” Jian said. “I couldn’t do it with talking, and I assumed that physical touch might work better.”

“Making someone...feel better isn’t just a simple thing.” Ichigo said. “It’s...it’s a deep, gentle process where you have to consider the person’s feelings. You have to tell them what they need to hear and do what they need to...be done to them...I guess, I kinda worded it weirdly.”

“I saw Sakuto Hitori and Ichika Hanasaki hug each other while they were asleep.” Jian said. “Is that...what they were doing?”

“Oh, well it might be different for those two.” Ichigo said. “They’re in a relationship, so they’re more used to that or comfortable with that, but overall, embracing someone is a pretty valid strategy.”

“They’re both unhinged, and it makes them a perfect pair.”

“I understand.” Jian said, turning around. “I know what I must do now.”

“Yeah, uh...good luck!” Ichigo said, completely unaware of what else he could have possibly said in that situation.

“What the hell was that about?”

Jian made her way towards Ausra’s tent.

“There’s so much I don’t know about.”

“But I like my comrades. And I have to look after them as the captain.”

“Something inside me tells me that I should have persisted in getting him to hug me, probably so that I could learn the exact feeling of that. But he said that there are differences.”

Ausra wasn’t quite asleep, her eyes were teary and she rolled around as soon as she saw the captain enter her tent.

“C-captain?” Ausra wondered, also crawling back and covering herself up. She didn’t have too much clothing on either, well, no one really does when they’re sleeping, Jian unfortunately hadn’t yet adapted to that fact.

“Stand up.” Jian commanded. She corrected her statement a little. “P-please.”

“But-”

“It’s okay. This is a different kind of...uh...yes.” Jian said. “What was I supposed to say here?!”

“O-okay...” Ausra said, shyly standing up. The moonlight that crept into the tent gently caressed her skin. Jian approached her and hugged her. Ausra was shocked, she didn’t know how to respond.

“I-”

Jian kept the embrace going.

“She doesn’t feel good yet. I need to do this more. Maybe I don’t have the knowledge about feelings like Yuuka or Ichigo do. But, I want to try my hardest.”

“I...It’s going to be okay.” Jian said, holding Ausra a little tighter. “It is difficult but it will be okay.”

“Did I get it right? I don’t remember what Yuuka told me, I kept spacing out...”

Ausra started sobbing.

“I’m...I’m sorry if that offended you or made you sad.” Jian said, ashamed. “I will leave if you-”

“No...please stay...” Ausra said, sobbing into Jian’s uniform. “I want to cry...”