This Wonderful World

It could be because they had never met in her previous life, but Tirpitz found that her world felt so tedious without Bismarck around. As much as she hated to admit it, the reunion must have made her soft.

While she stood by the sea, frowning at the horizon, a peculiar voice distracted her from her thoughts. It was the voice of a struggling child.

Turning slightly, she could see the owner of the voice—Nagato's little sister, Mutsu. She was pushing a cart filled with books.

Tirpitz had never talked much with the two sisters— or anyone else in the base—but right now, she could admire how hardworking the little girl was.

Before she could have the chance to go back to look at the sea, Mutsu had already noticed her and waved.

"Aah! It's Tirpitz-san! Hello!"

Seeing that, Tirpitz had no choice but to wave back, and as she did, she noticed Mutsu approaching.

She didn't know why, but she felt like offering to help.

"...You...do you need help?"

Mutsu seemed to be unusually happy at the offer.

"Oooh! Sure! It's heavier than I thought!"

Tirpitz thought she would've to push the cart all the way to the dorms, but Mutsu told her she was going to the pier—the very place where she had been standing before, waiting for Bismarck.

"Thanks, Tirpitz-san!" She bowed when they had reached their destination. 

Tirpitz responded with a little nod. She figured she could leave the girl alone. There's no need to disturb her reading experience with her brooding presence.

But before she could even excuse herself, Mutsu called out, "oh! Oh! Are you waiting for someone too? If so, come read with me!"

Tirpitz blinked; that was unexpected.

"I...I am," she replied. Mutsu wasn't subtle—she could see the expectant gleam in the little girl's eyes. Her words died in her throat before she could say them.

Heaving a long sigh, Tirpitz sat beside her, noticing Mutsu picking blindly from the cart. It was a picture encyclopedia on animals—the kind that children would read.

Tirpitz smiled a little at how wide-eyed Mutsu was as she stared at the cover. Such childlike innocence was something she had never had; it was touching to see.

"Oooh! So, this is what it looks like. Tirpitz-san! Have you ever seen this fish before?"

Tirpitz looked at the page; it was about some kind of shark. Of course, she had never seen one in person. Her history wouldn't allow it.

"No...I haven't," she replied; Mutsu seemed a touch too surprised to hear that, but she went back to being cheerful quickly.

"Really...Well, me neither!" she giggled and began leafing through the pages again, her curiosity far from sated.

"So...um, who gave you the books?" Much to her surprise, Tirpitz found herself more than willing to keep the conversation going, all while keeping a cursory glance at the pages—after all, Mutsu invited her to read along.

"These books are from granny! She said I could find the answers to my questions in them!"

"Frau Kommandantin is indeed very kind," Tirpitz concurred.

"She is! Look, Tirpitz-san! A tiger! I've only heard about them before! Looks scary..."

Tirpitz chuckled. She had never seen one, too, but the picture was very well-done; it looked like it could pounce out the pages anytime. But still...

"It's only a picture," she pointed out.

"Ooh, still, it is scary. But also, so cool..." Mutsu's gaze lingered a little longer on the tiger before she turned to Tirpitz and noticed her pensive countenance.

"Something wrong, Tirpitz-san? Want to change books?"

"Ah...no. I...I'm just curious why you asked me to join you. I'm not someone...who can be a good company."

"Aah. It's just because you seemed lonely, you know?" Mutsu replied as her attention returned to the book. "So, I thought, why not ask you to see the world too."

See the world. Something her past self was unable to do, something she had always wanted to do.

"See the world...hm? I think...I would like that."

***

Tirpitz wasn't sure how long had passed, but Mutsu was seemingly intent on reading all the cart's contents; never once did she lose her enthusiasm. Perhaps it was infectious, as she didn't have difficulty keeping up.

"Isn't the world wonderful? There is sooo much to learn!" Mutsu chirped as she returned the books to the cart with Tirpitz's help. She had been a little disappointed to find out that they had run out of books, but even that didn't last.

Tirpitz had never smiled much before, yet that remark was more than worthy of one.

It's a wonderful world, indeed.