Boy Meets Girl
That man, Commander Jinguuji, reminded her of a comedian, and Zuikaku wasn't exactly sure where that came from.
Was it because of the happy-go-lucky air around him as soon as he appeared? She didn't think so. If any, she's more at ease because of it.
Or maybe it's the smile he presented to everybody. She had never seen someone of rank smiling that wide, so unsophisticated yet innocuous.
Or, as implausible and outrageous as it might seem, perhaps it's the Kansai accent? As he introduced himself, why did she find it so amusing, as if someone had tickled her? This was not even the first time she heard people talking like that—could she be the one being ridiculous here?
When she noticed Shoukaku keeping a straight face as the Commander spoke, the answer became clear to her.
She's the one being ridiculous.
"Ah, and you are Shoukaku's sister, huh? Zuikaku, is it? Looking great, I see. Your smile is as big as mine. "
The now wide-eyed Zuikaku realized she had been smiling—maybe even grinning—and in her surprise and haste to straighten her own face, she bit her lower lip by accident. The Commander looked on as the carrier whined and withdrew the hand he was extending—The handshake can wait.
"Ah...Uh...Sorry, Commander...I, I didn't know. Sorry for being disrespectful."
"...Actually, I'm curious why you would feel the need to apologize; nothing is wrong with you smiling. Heck, I smile pretty much all the time. Besides, I'm from Osaka. We are rather fond of honest fellows," he said and laughed in such an animated manner that the officers escorting him looked at each other and shook their heads while Shoukaku stole a glance and smiled knowingly. Zuikaku had no choice but to weakly laugh along so she could better bear the embarrassment.
"...uh, I, I'll be in your care, Commander," she eventually managed after the laughter ended.
"Likewise. And with an amusing start such as this, I'm sure we will get along well."
The Commander laughed again after that, and Zuikaku could only wonder,
Am I the comedian all along?