Bad timing.

If he excluded the Valkyries, and a certain troublesome someone, Shizuru would be the woman Sam wanted the most. If it's a matter of a potential long-term partner then she would be at the top of the list.

By dating her not only would he have better coverup for what he does to the weapons, but he would also secure someone to be with when the war comes to an end, if it ever does.

Sam wasn't such an idiot that he would think that his playtime with the Valkyries would go on forever. At some point, the weapons would get collected to make use of their secondary function as artificial wombs. He could already see them being handed over to the wealthy and powerful, and once that happened, he would definitely lose access to. 

"Um… well…" coughing a little to clear his throat, Sam paused for a few seconds before giving his answer. "I will be in your care from now on, I guess."

Hearing that, Shizuru's eyes slowly widened.

"Really?" She asked. "Are you sure you're okay with that?"

"Well, I would be an idiot if I didn't accept." Feeling a bit embarrassed he looked away and scratched the tip of his nose.

"I can't believe it..." The Asian girl's small frame seemed to rise slightly as if all the excitement she felt caused her to float. "To think just asking would be enough!"

"You say that as if asking is easy..." Sam replied.

".... Does this mean we are a couple now?" She asked.

"Well, yeah. Starting now, I guess."

Sitting back on the bench, Shizuru giggled a little, amused by his answer. Clearly in a good mood, her smile was more radiant than usual, her profile all the more beautiful. Sam felt his heart skip a beat.

The feeling he had moments earlier vanished, leaving him convinced that his relationship with the Valkyries wouldn't be a problem. Even if her appearance wasn't on par with the perfect walking weapons, in Sam's heart, Shizuru was now on the same level as them.

As he watched her humming to herself, the girl suddenly turned to him looking a bit confused.

"What do you think couples usually do, besides, you know…"

"Even if you ask me…"

Everything happened so abruptly that they didn't really know what to do.

"We can't go on dates here. Guess those romance novels won't be of any help to us." She heaved a sigh.

"Well, we can-

Before he could say any more Sam noticed his phone vibrating. He took it out and moments after checking the notifications, his mood took a swing for the worse in less than a second.

"Is something wrong?" Seeing the change in his expression, Shizuru felt the need to ask..

"Yeah, it's nothing important," Sam said, his annoyed expression betraying him. "Still, I have to take care of it."

The timing couldn't have been worse. He had just obtained a girlfriend yet for some reason that message had to arrive now.

"... I see… Well, we can always contin-"

Before she could finish the sentence, Shizuru realized that her mouth was suddenly sealed, causing her whole body to freeze.

Sam's movements took her by surprise allowing him to steal a kiss before she could react. After a few seconds, he finally backed away leaving the girl stunned by what he had just done.

"C'mon..." Sam said, turning away to hide his expression. "I will walk you back first."

"... um…"

Saying nothing, the two of them got up and headed back to the dorms. Though the sudden message ruined his mood, the kiss helped improve it a little. With his new girlfriend walking shyly by his side, Sam could only think

'That... wasn't so bad…'

~◇~

Today, the 25th of July 2035, was the best day in Sam Sanderson's life. He discovered a way to have fun with the Valkyries, got to enjoy making out with one of them, and started dating the woman he had his eyes on.

All he had to do was go back to his room for the night and it would've been perfect. He just needed to place his head on the pillow and fall asleep; that way the day would've been complete.

Sadly, that message had to arrive and mess it all.

It was a summoning from the base's Commander, and while he had reasons to fear it, Sam had a hunch about the reason behind it which served to drag his mood into the ground.

Once he walked Shizuru back, he went to the administration building and made his way to the Commander's office. Standing at the door for a couple of minutes, he fought the urge to just leave and forget about the whole thing.

Sadly a certain part of him prevailed and he heaved a sigh before knocking on the door. When no answer came he twisted the knob and just walked inside.

"Ugh…"

The stench of alcohol hit him the moment he stepped in. It was so unbearable that he ran straight to the window and flung it open. Once he got some of the cold night air to circulate through the office, Sam turned his sights to the desk where a mountain of whiskey bottles were stacked, along with some vodka here and there.

As if woken up by the cold night breeze, something emerged from between the alcohol bottles, causing them the scatter across the floor.

The long silky hair was a mess, but that did little to diminish its allure. Her figure was tall and slender, stacked with an ample bosom that pressed against the fitting white shirt. Blood-red irises turned to gaze at him through the barely open eyes.

If it was anyone beside him, they would have had their heart stolen by the ethereal beauty sitting on the masterfully crafted chair. Fortunately, Sam had long since developed a resistance against the bewitching sight. It would be a lie to say his heart wasn't moved a little, but knowing what was about to come, he couldn't help but heave a long sigh.

"Doctaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!" The woman cried as she threw herself into his arms the moment she realized who he was. "He left me, Doctor! He actually left me!"

"Yeah yeah, that's horrible, I can't believe it happened."

Sam's voice was monotone, lacking the slightest emotion. Even though he was being hugged by a weeping gorgeous woman, his heart was as calm as a monk meditating at the top of a mountain.

Alice Schneider. The Colonel in charge of the forty sixth Human Resistance base, located at the far end of the frontier around what was once known as South Africa. She was a woman of unparalleled beauty competing even with the Valkyries themselves. The success she had achieved in a short amount of time was record-breaking earning her the reputation of the iron maiden who would stop at nothing to achieve her goal.

That woman was now crying her eyes out on Sam's chest, and with this happening more times than he cared to count, he no longer felt anything when placed in such a position.

"He said… he said that he found someone else!!!"

Sam listened to the same story once more. Her fiancé had broken their engagement, again. He attributed his decision to the fact that she was always away for work. No longer able to put up with it, he decided to find a woman who wouldn't prioritize her career over him.

This was the fifth time something similar happened. Being responsible for a military base meant that Alice had to be present at all times, and with the forty sixth base being the farthest from any human settlement, it meant the time she got to spend with her now ex-fiancé was far too limited.

It was the curse of success, and being a woman who had just reached her thirties, Alice felt it more than anyone else. Her desperate search for a marriage partner always seems to end with failure, and each time that happens, Sam is forced to comfort her after she drowns herself in alcohol trying to ease the pain of being left alone.

'I wonder how she would react if I told her I got a girlfriend.' Sam thought as he gently patted her silky white hair. 'It would be really funny if she killed herself because of that.'