Reunions Over Hot Chocolate
"Lieutenant Mandel!?"
Lucia beamed with joy, starting to raise her hand in greeting, but her gaze darted between the hot chocolate in her grip and Adolf. She wanted to throw both arms up in welcome, but that drink was precious to her too. Instead, she hurried over with a radiant smile.
"It's been a while, senpai!"
"It's been a while for me too, Lucia."
Roland tilted his head from the side. She looked young, probably still a trainee. Why's the kid using formal speech? But his friend's face was lit up so brightly that he decided there was no need to poke at it now. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets.
Kelun approached slowly and said, "We've been officially commissioned now."
"Congratulations. The uniforms suit you well."
Adolf felt a fresh wave of emotion looking at their outfits. Roland, for no good reason, pursed his lips from behind. What's with proxy uniforms? Made of some special material that lets them wear just that in this weather without issue? Looks like the management bureau has plenty of cold-weather gear, so why skimp on the regular army?
Lucia glanced aside, turning her head toward the red-haired Roland next to Adolf. Her round brown eyes sized him up before she broke into a bright grin, making Roland's face flush beet red.
What the—
Lucia giggled out loud and asked, "Are you... senpai's friend?"
"Yeah, my friend Roland Garfield."
Adolf introduced him with a grin at Roland. Roland cooled his face in the chilly wind and said to Kelun and Lucia, "Just like you heard, I'm his friend. Regular army sergeant. Kinda intimidating hanging around proxies like this."
Roland voiced his honest impression.
"I'm Lucia Beloche. So nice to meet you! I had no idea Lieutenant Mandel had friends!"
"Ugh. What're you saying..."
Kelun let out a rare weird noise and tugged Lucia's cheek.
"Ow! What're you doing?!"
Kelun subtly checked Adolf's reaction, but Adolf just tilted his head with a why are you doing that? look. Right, senpai's always been like this. Relieved by Adolf's unflappable pace, Kelun let go of her cheek.
"Why'd you suddenly yank my cheek?!"
Lucia had meant no harm—just imagined Adolf, so quiet and saintly, all alone. She grumbled, hopping mad behind him, but Kelun ignored her and extended a hand to Roland.
"Pleased to meet you. Kelun Phrase."
Quick on the uptake, sharper than Adolf, Roland thought, shaking his hand.
"Uh—yeah. Nice to meet you too."
Roland scratched his cheek after the handshake. Types like Lucia were intimidating in a whole different way from Bell.
Kelun asked Adolf casually, "So, what brings you here?"
"On leave. Came to hang out with Roland."
"Snowing just right too. You're lucky, senpai."
"Oh, is that what it is?"
Adolf laughed out loud, and Roland tossed in casually, "Anyway, Adolf's transferring here, so we'll see each other plenty from now on."
"What?!"
Lucia's eyes sparkled as she leaned in. Roland took a step back at the sight, and Adolf glanced at him before continuing.
"Uh, yeah, pretty much. Assigned to Lumen Guard's combat response unit."
"Oh, I'm in combat response too. Was worried it'd just be me and Captain Bell, but this is great."
Kelun showed his brightest smile yet. He didn't dislike Bell, but knowing her past better than most made it hard to get too chummy. With Adolf mediating, though? That'd be fun.
"Tch—I'll be all alone in the science tech department."
"What d'you mean alone? Stein likes you a ton. Mr. Popular, connections everywhere."
Kelun teased without holding back, and Adolf chuckled. So the lonely combat response unit will have three now. It put him at ease. Even in science tech, they'd cross paths plenty, and joint missions happened too.
But Adolf checked Roland's reaction again. After a couple glances, Roland met his eyes with a surprised smirk. Sometimes he seems too innocently dumb, but his friend was just gauging his feelings about them parting. Roland hated that as a friend.
"That's awesome. Right, Adolf?"
Roland forced a grin, not wanting Adolf to worry about him.
"Valhalla Disk's peaceful as can be anyway. Just a barrier running vertical farm turbines. Occasional sector cleanup at most."
"Yeah?"
Adolf smiled awkwardly, and Roland added, "Realistically, it's overkill to station multiple proxies here. You've got that sense of duty as one anyway, right?"
Roland nailed him perfectly. Adolf felt a bit flustered but grateful his friend knew him so well.
"Anyway, it's cold. Seeing that makes me wanna drink too. Let's hit a cafe."
Roland pointed at the hot chocolates in Lucia and Kelun's hands. Lucia nodded eagerly.
"Cafe! Right next door! I can have another one!"
Kelun shot her a look. "Another?"
She'd even left her wrist terminal at home—couldn't pay anyway. Kelun looked exasperated. Lucia just gazed at him innocently.
"Hehe—can't I just once more? It's limited edition. Gotta drink while I can..."
"Fine, fine. I'll get it."
Kelun sighed in near-resignation. Listening to her chatter, the four headed to the nearby cafe.
The cafe was modest. Simple decor, basic menu. No whipped cream, no syrups. Just choices in roast level.
The three guys ordered straight-up hot black coffee, classic.
"Talk about no frills."
Roland muttered, eyeing his cup with regret.
"Cafes used to top with vanilla cream and cinnamon."
"Yeah, that was a thing. Just a few years back."
Kelun replied curtly.
"Right? Feels like decades ago, but nope—just years."
"Mind-blowing. I think that all the time. Humans adapt, sure."
Adolf sipped his coffee quietly, staring out the window. They click surprisingly well.
Roland bantered casually, then paused abruptly.
"Ah, sorry. Slipped into informal without thinking."
Kelun lifted his cup nonchalantly.
"No worries. Makes sense for senpai's friend to treat us casual. Go ahead."
"Uh, really okay?"
Roland looked flustered. He'd figured proxies would get awkward post-commission, especially on the battlefield.
Kelun read his hesitation and replied maturely.
"Wherever we meet, treat us casual as senpai's friend. Otherwise, we'd feel awkward around him."
"Yeah—totally!"
Lucia chimed in cheerfully between sips of hot chocolate.
"Uh, yeah. Thanks."
Surprisingly decent folks, Roland thought, glancing at Adolf. Then he voiced it.
"But why formal with them?"
"Huh?"
"You're casual with me, so why not your juniors?"
Adolf's eyes widened like it just hit him. He set down his cup, propped his chin, and looked serious. Is this worth brooding over? Roland wondered if he'd started something, but Adolf spoke.
"You're... different."
"What?"
"Even if you're younger. Formal feels right with you. I like it. Wanna respect you."
"So you don't wanna respect me?"
Roland squinted in disbelief, and Adolf added earnestly.
"You're the first I got close to. First. Back then, I thought casual fit you."
An odd vibe hung in the air—Roland and even Kelun puzzled. They knew Adolf's quirks, but still. One thing clear: he respected and cared for everyone.
Roland got the gist and changed topics. "Yeah, no point digging deeper. We'll just keep it like this from now on."
"Right."
Adolf smiled. As they swapped stories, Lucia suddenly thought amid the lively group, Wish senpai Bell was here too...
In the warm vibe, she spoke up. "Wish Captain Bell was here..."
The cafe air seemed to chill for a moment. Kelun lifted then set down his cup.
"Captain's not in a spot for that right now."
"Yeah. Kinda disappointing..."
Lucia pouted. Adolf turned serious.
"Something happen?"
"Ah, you might know, senpai. There was an incident recently."
"Incident...?"
Adolf frowned, and Kelun looked briefly startled before waving it off.
"No, not Captain Bell. Second Lieutenant Ri Siarin from science tech—a proxy—died recently."
A heavy air settled. Lucia bowed her head. Adolf felt uneasy.
"The recon platoon ambush outside the barrier, right? Triggered emergency standby."
"Yeah, whole combat force on alert like war broke out."
Roland grimaced, downing his coffee.
"Yes. Captain took the investigation and rescue mission for Second Lieutenant Siarin. Went on leave after."
The mood grew heavier. Roland recalled Bell. Still stings thinking about then. For her to be hit that hard by a fellow proxy...
"Tragic, sure. But leave? Unexpected."
"Yeah. Thought she'd push through like always..."
Kelun trailed off, hesitating before grimacing slightly.
"Captain's usually stoic, and as someone who's been through it, figured it'd roll off her."
"Been through what?"
Adolf asked. Kelun flinched uncharacteristically and sipped his coffee.
"...Yeah."
Adolf decided not to pry. The Bell he knew was subtly considerate. Maybe hurting under the surface. His coffee tasted even more bitter.
Kelun watched his senpai quietly. Still looking out for others. Lucia fretted too much, but meeting Adolf as training officer was lucky for him.
Kelun mulled, lips twitching. Since they'd serve together in combat response—not just Bell's pain, but his own sore memory—maybe share it with Adolf.
"You know the Nantigar bloody suppression long ago."
Kelun started cautiously. Lucia ducked her head behind her cup, gauging reactions.
Fraction-6's Nantigar. Decades back, first bunker pointed at by media, inaugural barrier. Now farthest retreated after total war civil strife.
"I'm from Nantigar."
Kelun added heavily. Adolf and Roland held their breath, faces grave, hanging on his words.
"Saw proxies quash the civil war myself. Captain Bell was there too."
Adolf winced unconsciously. Not in his memory—like carved out with a knife. Assigned elsewhere then, but hearing tales stirred senses... absent for him.
