56 Ch 56: Delays and karaoke, and occasionally enjoying singing
Author Notes: "I'm happy to see Captain Moore becoming a character who is loved and cared for by everyone (With whose perspective is this?)"
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In the parking lot in front of the station, a military vehicle is parked. Seated on the driver's seat, Moore leans his upper body against the backrest, a cigarette burning halfway in his mouth, emitting a purplish smoke.
He checks the time on the wristwatch wrapped around his left wrist as it approaches the appointed meeting time. Just as he thinks it's almost time, he notices familiar silhouettes in the corner of the front windshield, albeit from a distance. He flicks the cigarette into the ashtray placed in the bottle holder and steps out of the driver's seat, walking towards the approaching figures.
"Commander~!"
"Sensei~!"
They wave their hands - the two of them, his subordinates, Anis and Neon, whom he hadn't seen for about two weeks, run towards him. Moore lightly touches each of their heads with his fists.
"Coming back late from your assignment, aren't you?"
"But Commander said it's okay to have fun and take our time!"
"That's right, that's right!"
"I did say that, but for two weeks... and going all the way to the Outer Rim. I didn't hear about that in advance. It was an after-the-fact report, wasn't it?"
Exercising extraterritorial rights - or rather, what kind of judgment is it to venture all the way into lawless areas where Ark's control is lacking? Moore, clad in combat gear like his subordinates, crosses his arms, slightly exuding a sense of anger. Both Anis and Neon wear apologetic smiles.
"Well, if you're safe, that's fine. It's not like I had to come all the way to pick you up."
Moore, the one who was delayed in returning - although that expression isn't accurate since it's during his vacation - seems to curb his anger as their superior and commander. He prompts the two to get into the car and sits in the driver's seat a bit ahead of them.
"And what about the Commander?"
"We talked on chat, but I'm dealing with something similar. I couldn't find any relevant information even in the public record archive."
He takes out a soft pack, pulls out a cigarette, and Anis, who sits in the passenger seat, promptly offers him a lighter.
"Oh, do you have it?"
"Nope. I bought it."
Anis presses a button, generating a purple discharge from the electronic lighter's electrode. Moore brings the tip of the cigarette close to the discharge to light it.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"Sensei, next time, let me light your cigarette. My lighter uses oil just like yours. Moreover, if you turn up the firepower to the maximum, it's like a small flamethrower—"
"...Lower the firepower, the cigarette will burn out before I even get to smoke it. And where did you find this?"
"In the Outer Rim?"
"...Selling such dangerous items..."
Moore starts the car's engine, pondering whether they sell these items for self-defense purposes.
"Shall we head straight back to the outpost? If you have any business or shopping to do, I can accompany you."
"Well, you see, Commander... Can you hang out with us for a bit?"
Anis wears a twisted smile, as if she has thought of something not entirely wholesome. Moore senses an ominous feeling, but he can't back out now after agreeing to accompany them.
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"Yeah!! I've been so stressed out! Come on, Commander, join us and let off some steam!!"
"Wow!! I've been waiting for you to say that, Anis!!"
Why am I here? Moore wonders, his legs crossed as he sits on the couch, tilting his glass.
Following Anis's navigation from the passenger seat, they arrived at one of the karaoke chain stores sponsored by Tetra Line. After checking in, he found himself watching Neon, who was reserving the next song, and Anis, singing passionately with a microphone in hand, all while sipping his soft drink.
"Come on, Commander, lighten up! You're next after Neon, Yeah!"
"Yes, Sensei! Please make a reservation!"
"Well, I... "
During the instrumental break, Anis points at Moore while holding the microphone, and Neon hands him a touchscreen panel. He intends to refuse, not wanting to sing, but Anis, clutching maracas, adds a festive touch to her singing.
....What should I do?
He stares at the touchscreen panel handed to him. Moore doesn't dislike music, but he is entirely unfamiliar with recent hit charts or songs released by popular groups. Anis is passionately singing a song that used to be popular a while ago, but Moore wonders what Neon has reserved.
Moore checks the next song title listed in the reservation. Considering it's Neon, it could be a military song—however, he recognizes the name of the group; he might have heard of the song before.
Really, what should I do?
Certainly, he can't break the flow with a cheesy military march or a tacky victory song. Moore possesses the ability to discern such matters as well.
After Anis finishes the last chorus, Neon shakes the maracas to hype the atmosphere. Although he claps along, Moore is preoccupied. He retrieves his mobile device from the chest pocket of his camouflage-patterned digital camo jacket and opens a video-sharing site, searching for songs he might be able to sing.
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"It's my turn next!"
"Neon, it's 'Encounter'!!"
"'Encounter'!!"
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The others two cheer, but Moore can't join in their excitement. While Neon's reserved song begins playing through the speakers, Anis, sitting next to him, notices him searching for a song he can sing. She smirks, her eyes fixed on him, while casually sipping her chilled sparkling water.
"It's alright, Commander. Even if you're tone-deaf, I won't laugh."
He should have at least one weakness, despite his exceptional basic physical abilities, combat skills, and physical fitness, surpassing the average soldier. Anis, with a mocking tone, leaves her maracas on the table and starts supporting Neon, who begins singing.
On the other hand, Moore struggles. Every song is unfamiliar to him. He recognizes a few tracks that Anis often plays in the commander's office for entertainment, but he doesn't have the confidence to sing them.
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...What if I choose something not from recent times?
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Inspired by a sudden idea, he opens a search page on the internet.
He decides to go for an older song. Regardless of whether it's available in the karaoke machine, he tries to find a song he can manage to sing.
As he scrolls through a list of famous songs from the past, a mild headache shoots through his skull, causing him to furrow his brows. Amidst this, he gazes at one entry on the list.
...I can sing this.
For some reason, he feels certain. Moore picks up the touchscreen panel and uses the stylus to search for the spelling of the song's title. Only one English cover of the song appears in the search results.
Apparently, no one has sung this song in the past year. Regardless, he's confident he can manage it. He reserves the song, setting it to play after Neon's turn.
"Oh! You reserved a song!"
"...Whether you'll like it or not is another matter."
While Anis peers into the touchscreen panel to confirm the song's title, Moore lets out a sigh.
Eventually, after Neon finishes her song and the echoes of her voice fade, Anis vigorously shakes her maracas, and Neon applauds politely. She bashfully bows before handing him the microphone. Reluctantly, he accepts it.
"Master, fight! Have faith in your firepower!"
"Do your best, Commander!"
While Neon supports Moore enthusiastically, Anis, delighted to witness an unusual sight, aims her smartphone's lens at him. She seems determined to capture the moment on video.
"...Don't laugh even if I'm terrible, okay?"
That might be impossible, Anis implies with a wicked smile.
Automatically, the room's lights dim, and the intro starts playing through the speakers. On the screen displaying the lyrics embedded in the wall, the song title and the likely group's name appear. It's something neither Anis nor Neon recognizes.
Nevertheless, what surprises both of them is the gentle melody of the intro, contrasting their expectations of Moore, who they thought preferred more intense rock songs.
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...A ballad?
...How unexpected.
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Amidst Anis filming the scene and Neon, who has maracas in hand, both watching in bewilderment, Moore's inhale before he starts singing reverberates through the microphone.
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"Whoaa...!"
"Oh my gosh, speaking so tenderly in my ear~~~...!"
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As Moore starts singing, he consciously tries to raise his normally low voice slightly, and inadvertently, Anis and Neon's ears turn red at the combination of his voice and the lyrics. It's to the point where his voice might crack.
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"Wa-wait?! Those lyrics with that voice?! That's cheating!!"
"Is it a proposal!? Is it a song for a proposal!?"
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Both Anis and Neon seem to be experiencing a strange sensation, almost as if they might start stomping their feet or wriggling in place.
Suddenly, as he sits down, Moore watches Anis and Neon's reactions with a sense of wonder.
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"Commander! Sing it again, please! Pretty please!"
"...No, I won't. How many times do you expect me to respond to an encore?"
While they are moving inside the elevator, with Anis pleading from the passenger seat, Moore, with a face like he's chewing on a bitter bug, continues smoking his cigarette.
He never anticipated singing the same song three times in a row. Well, he sang it passably, but neither Anis nor Neon seemed to agree, giving completely opposite evaluations.
"...I suppose this is what they mean by 'feeling pleased with one's ears.'"
"...You're exaggerating."
It's not that intense. Moore shrugs at Neon's sigh-laden words while lightly tapping the ash from his cigarette into the ashtray placed in the bottle holder.
The estimated arrival time to their destination, visible through the front windshield, is just a few minutes away.
With the engine idling, Moore, still holding his cigarette, sighs deeply as he gazes at Anis and Neon.
"...Fine. If you won't sing, I'll content myself with the recorded video."
"...Anis, please send me the video later. I want to listen to it before going to sleep."
"...Could you delete it? It's embarrassing, you know..."
"Huh? No way."
It's blunt, but it might be the only way to say it. If Moore is met with such an emphatic rejection from Anis, he has no choice but to give up.
...Well, if they liked it, that's good.
Just as he decides to view it positively, the elevator reaches the forward operating base.
As the closed doors open, he shifts the gear lever to the "D" position and gently presses the accelerator.
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...Meanwhile, in the dorms, Anis, who had returned after a long while, sits in the dining hall, wearing earphones in both ears, indulging herself in the video she filmed. She displays a sloppy smile as she watches it repeatedly. This scene is noticed by Rapi, who stumbles upon it and, unaware of the situation, wearinga disgusted face, but that's a different story.
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When Anis and Neon appeared, the author breathed a sigh of relief. With just Moore and Rapi, it would have been... well, quite challenging, you know? (I can't find the words)
I'll avoid mentioning the group name and song title, but... here's a hint: they are a Japanese rock band. They are currently thriving and even performing live tours overseas.
