<h4>Chapter 14: One day, one year ago</h4>


    "Ma''am! Why do I have to buddy up with a guy like him?!"


    The small rocking boat was already unpleasant, and her shrill voice was making my headache worse.


    There were three of us on deck.


    Me, Siesta, and Charlie, who''d been pestering and wailing like a little kid for a while now.


    We were crossing the ocean, on our way to aplish a certain objective...but we seemed to have hit a snag right off the bat.


    "I''d rather throw myself into the sea right this minute than work with Kimizuka as a partner!"


    She''s really running me down...but I''m used to it. I''ve literally never seen this girl in a good mood. "It''s just a temporary maneuver, Charlie," I said.


    Meanwhile, Siesta (or Ma''am, ording to Charlie) spoke as coolly as ever. "You''ve been on several simr maneuvers before, remember?"


    "Yeah, and I hated it every time!" "Is that right?"


    "Yes!"


    "I had no idea."


    As the rough sea rocked the boat, Siesta took a sip of her ck tea with a gentle tip of the cup. I was detecting a hint of mockery in the gesture.


    "Until he showed up, I was your partner, Ma''am." Charlie shot me a sharp re.


    Ooh, scary. I''m afraid.


    "Partners? She only assigned you jobs every so often, right?" I shot back. "Ngh..." Charlie looked down, embarrassed. "B-but still. I...was Ma''am''s


    first apprentice..." To show her respect, Charlie even used "Ma''am" in ce of Siesta''s name.


    Charlotte Arisaka Anderson was about my age, a girl with roots in both America and Japan.


    Charlie''s parents were in the army, and she''d been given a strict upbringing. She''d spent time in a variety of organizations, and even as young


    as she was, she''d alreadypleted multiple military missions. One of those had involvedbat with SPES, and she''d joined our team frequently, on Siesta''s request.


    Her position could have been "security," "spy," or "soldier."


    However, if you asked her, "Siesta''s apprentice" was the one that fit best. "Yes. You''re right, Charlie. You''ve saved me many times. Thank you for


    all you''ve done." "Ma''am...!" "Come here."


    Charlie ran up to Siesta''s knees and nuzzled against her like a puppy.


    Siesta stroked her blond hair gently,bing it with her fingers.


    "Heh-heh." Charlie looked bashful and contented. Gradually, her eyes turned toward me. "...Heh!"


    "Uh, I''m not jealous."


    Why was she looking so smug? What was wrong with her?


    "Well, it would certainly make my life easier if you two would get along a little better," Siesta murmured, smiling wryly, after she''d stroked Charlie''s head for a while.


    "Oh! That''s right!" Charlie sprang up from Siesta''sp. "I still haven''t agreed to work with Kimizuka!"


    Apparently, Siesta''s fingers on her hair had made her forget all about it. "Don''t give Siesta too much trouble, Charlie," I said. "We don''t have


    much time left."


    "...I''d appreciate it if you didn''t call me by my nickname."


    She cares about that now?


    I swear, she''s a total kid beneath that grown-up exterior. Does she resent me that much for taking Siesta from her? ...I mean, not that she''s actually mine or anything, but still.


    "Listen to me. Neither of you is perfect." Siesta admonished us, getting the situation under control again. "That''s why you need to work together andpensate for your individual weaknesses."


    "My weaknesses...? I can''t think of anything in particr." "Are you stupid, Kimi?"


    There it was: the line Siesta said all the time when I did something wrong. "You can''t eat green peas, and you have a harder time waking up on winter


    mornings than I do. You always make a face when you take medicine, and you try to avoid roads that have pigeons or crows on them even if it means taking the long way around. Can you still say you have no weaknesses?"


    "...I don''t think I''ve ever told you anything about any of that."


    "I don''t need you to tell me to know that much. We''re together enough."


    Oh yeah? Well, stop there, all right? Charlie''s getting grumpy.


    "So? What does this have to do with role division?"


    "Yes. You''re clever, but if you got in a fight with a water flea, you''d probably lose. You''repletely unsuited tobat."


    "...I am, huh?"


    Getting a bad feeling, I nced over at Charlie. She was watching me and snickering.


    "Meanwhile, Charlie..." "Yes?!"


    "You have solid skills in battle, but you''re not the brightest bulb." "What?!"


    "Pfft! Snrk, snrk."


    "—I heard thatugh, Kimizuka! You justughed at me, didn''t you?! I''ll kill you! I will shoot you dead right now!"


    "No fighting. You''re better than that." "Ow!"


    "Wah!"


    Siesta karate-chopped each of us on the head. Dammit, I''m not the bad guy here.


    "I want you to get through this maneuver by working together."


    "This maneuver" was the recovery of arade who was being held prisoner on a certain ind that was effectively under the control of SPES. Failure was definitely not an option.


    "But, Ma''am, that means you''ll be by yourself..." Charlie''s worry was only natural.


    If she and I buddied up, Siesta would be forced to act on her own.


    "Don''t underestimate me, please," Siesta replied. "I''m ten times the fighter


    you are, Charlie. I''m also a hundred times smarter than my assistant. There''s no call for you to worry about me."


    I got the feeling my evaluation had been unfairly low, but whatever. During this maneuver, I''d make it clear just how smart I was. She''d have to revise her opinion then.


    Maybe it was because I was making stupid ns instead of doing something more worthwhile.


    "That being the case, I want the two of you to get along with each other.


    Now, and from now on."


    That was the day the ace detective died.