V.Vizard! 18

"Vance, I want to go with you."

Homei... I really don't know how to answer you on that one.

"You've always been busy on Friday night and Saturday. I don't ever see you during those periods. What could you possibly be doing? I want to go to that TAT place you keep talking about!"

Can I even bring Homei into the TATA?... I really don't know. Maybe I should ask Dekon- He doesn't have a cell!...

... Ranko!... No. If I had her number, Homei would flip out.

Xavier! Yes, Xavier! Surely he'd be able to clarify this and hopefully not let her go!

"Uhm... Let me call someone first, to see if you're allowed. Is that fine, Homei?"

Homei's pouting her face.

I can't stress how cute she is when she does that, the Han purple straight hair with that serious expression, and the locking of her elbows and her back straightened, hips facing back- I... shouldn't indulge too far into this. It's seriously eroding my senses of what's cute and not.

I dialed Xavier's number. On normal circumstances, I would have no such reason to dial his number. But, as the Assistant Chief Engineer, it's apparently a requirement to be able to contact everyone on the team, so I have his number. Putting it on loudspeaker to dissuade her, the phone ringed patiently for a while before Xavier picked it up.

"Hey, Xavier?"

"What?"

"Is it uhm... Is it fine if I bring a 15 year old girl to the TATA this Friday?"

"Well, yeah. Definitely. We're not exactly secretive or anything. Anyone can go in so long as they know the passcode. "

That wasn't an answer I was expecting!!!

"Yay! So, I can go, Vance?"

Homei has that sparkle in her eyes now. She used to be so doll-like. In fact, she still is. But, looking at me like this... It's like a biological weapon...

"... Yes, Homei. You can come."

"YAY!!! I GET TO GO WITH VANCE~!"

Well, Homei sure seems a lot livelier than usual. That's a good thing, I guess. But, from the reactions of those three idiots that constantly tease her, she seems to be 'just the way she is' to them, so... Is she, trying to get my favour with her cuteness?

... Whatever she did, I think it's taking its intended effect...

And so, Homei's going to the TATA with me this Friday and Saturday.

*** ***

Oh, it's those three bozos again.

"It's the terrorist!"

" "Geh!!" "

"That's rude! Sheesh."

They're as rude as ever. I only remember that guy's name Penne, I don't remember the other two.

"So, Penne, is it?"

"W- wh- what, you haven't had enough fun humiliating me?"

Humiliating? Why would confessing be a humiliating thing?

"What do you mean, humiliating? Confessing to the girl you like is a great show of both courage and passion. Especially if you're adamant about it."

Penne's blushing. Ahh, they're at that age where they have an inner conflict between the childish side which thinks girls are gross, and the manly side which desires girls.

"Well, don't fret over it too much. It's only embarrassing because you're still half a child, and you're not willing to accept failure. Once you grow up, you'd actually want to confess to the girls you like."

" "Eww!!!" "

The other two boys just recoiled in revolt, but Penne's just standing still, pondering over what I said. If he's truly developed a passionate love for Homei, he would easily understand what I'm trying to imply.

They're such boys.

"Thanks, arch-nemesis! I feel... I feel like I will be able to win Homei's heart someday!"

Wait, did he just call me arch-nemesis?

"I'm the arch-nemesis now!?"

"Yeah! You're the one Homei likes and gets all lovey-dovey over! I want her to get lovey-dovey with me too!"

Homei DOES change when she's next to me! It's really as if she's trying to entice me with her emotions or something! Although that makes me feel special and really happy about it, it also saddens me how dishonest she is.

"Yuck!" "That's disgusting, Penne!"

... He has resolve, I'll give him that.

I don't think it would be easy to win her favour when he's only known her for like what, more than a year? I've known her for all her life. If I may, I'm good enough to be her father. Maybe she would call me Uncle Vance or Dad or even- Why am I thinking that far? It's impossible! I have got to stop these delusional impulses!

But, should this Penne boy actually succeed... I can consider Ariel as a marriage candidate without being hounded by Homei that badly, and I can take my time to decide my soul mate. That's... not bad of an offer.

"Well, good luck with that, actually. In fact, please do. I support you on that."

"Ugh... Curse you and your kindness, arch-nemesis! Is THAT what you use to win Homei with?"

What? Win her over with kindness?

No, I don't think I won her over with kindness. If that was a possibility, she would open up to Butch, not me.

"All the best to you, Penne."

I'd just walk away, and pretend none of this happened...

"Penne, you traitor!" "It's like I don't even know you anymore!"

Ignore everything. Just... Walk.

*** ***

"Hey, Xavier, is it really fine to allow Homei into the TATA?"

Taking the chance that Palchou's heading to the toilet, I sneaked a conversation with Xavier.

"It's perfectly fine. In fact, if she becomes a future v.vitch, we can give her a basic tour of the place."

... How have I never even considered this possibility!!! This is backfiring horrendously.

"You look like crap. Surely it's not that bad to bring her to the TATA."

"I can only hope you're right, Xavier. I can only hope."

God knows what she would do, how she would react. I have to pray I don't meet Ranko for those two days.