Kenji's hand paused for a moment as he looked up.
A petite shipgirl wearing a spotless white apron stood behind the serving counter. Her soft silver hair fell smoothly down her back, and a swan-shaped hair ornament rested on her head. Pale violet eyes, like morning mist, shyly peeked at him.
Right now, she was staring at Kenji with timid uncertainty, fingers unconsciously curling at the hem of her apron, a faint blush blooming across her cheeks.
"U... um... you are Commander Kenji, right? I am the C-class destroyer... Cygnet..."
Her voice was so soft it was almost mumbling to itself, her gaze flickering as if she did not dare look straight into Kenji's eyes.
Kenji gave her a gentle smile. "Yes. Hello, Cygnet."
"Ah... you actually know my name?"
Cygnet blinked in surprise. The ladle in her hand nearly slipped from her fingers, and she scrambled to catch it, her cheeks turning an even deeper red.
Kenji only smiled without answering.
How could he not remember this famously shy Royal destroyer?
In the game, Cygnet was always like this, timid and stammering, yet unexpectedly capable in battle.
And her figure was, frankly, absurdly good.
There was a certain carrier, little Sara, who would definitely be grinding her teeth in jealousy if she saw this.
If Saratoga ever found out he was thinking of her like that behind her back, she would absolutely grab her staff and whack him over the head.
"C... Commander..."
Noticing Kenji's gaze, Cygnet grew flustered. Her fingers twisted the hem of her apron tighter and tighter.
"W... would you like some fish and chips? That is the dish I am best at..."
Kenji stepped closer to the counter, watching the shy shipgirl with a warm, steady look.
Feeling the weight of his gaze, Cygnet's blush spread, coloring the tips of her ears as well.
Just then, a clear ripple of desire washed over her senses, making her entire body jolt.
It was completely different from the human leaders she had encountered in the past, the ones who were chased out after a single meeting.
Those people's desires were always tangled with disgust, seeing shipgirls as monsters and weapons, tools to be exploited for power and profit.
What she felt from Kenji now, however, was pure fondness and wanting, so clean and direct that her heartbeat began to quicken of its own accord.
"I heard you came from a black hole?"
Cygnet gathered her courage and lifted her head, only to immediately drop it again the moment their eyes met.
"And that you can make supplies appear out of nowhere... is that true?"
"It is."
Kenji noticed how her pale violet eyes brightened slightly at his confirmation.
"That is incredible... it is just like magic," Cygnet whispered, a note of awe in her voice.
Then, as if suddenly remembering her duties, she hurriedly began serving his food, piling braised beef, corn, and bread onto his tray.
Her motions were a little clumsy from nervousness, yet also very careful, loading the tray until it was completely full.
"T... this one is my treat... you are new here, so Commander Kenji has to eat properly..."
As she spoke, she snuck on two extra portions of her signature fish and chips.
"And um... if you ever need someone to taste-test new dishes, could you come find me? I will... I will do my best!"
"Of course."
Kenji agreed with a smile, watching her face light up with delight at his answer.
Then he deliberately leaned in just a little closer and lowered his voice. "You being so kind to me really moves me, Cygnet. It makes me feel like we have already known each other for a long time..."
"I... I did not..."
Cygnet backed away in a panic, only to bump into the counter behind her.
Her entire face turned scarlet. She fumbled to steady a few nearly toppled bottles of seasoning, her voice barely louder than a mosquito.
"P... please do not joke like that, Commander Kenji... this is clearly the first time we have met..."
"I am being very serious," Kenji chuckled softly, his eyes drifting briefly over her reddened ears. "If I could see such a cute Cygnet every day, I would consider that a pleasure."
Around them, the shipgirls eating breakfast had already begun whispering among themselves, sneaking glances at this peculiar little scene.
Feeling the attention, Cygnet looked as if she wished she could crawl into her own apron and disappear.
"I j... just remembered there are more ingredients I need to prep!"
She spun around in a fluster, almost tripping over her own apron ties, and in the end practically fled into the kitchen like a startled rabbit.
Watching her retreat in a panic, Kenji could not help the slight upward curve of his lips.
He picked up his tray and walked toward the windows, where Javelin was already sitting with her chin propped in her hands, looking at him with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.
"Commander Kenji, you were so mean just now," Javelin laughed in a low voice. "You scared Cygnet so badly she looked like she was about to cry."
Kenji sat down across from her and deliberately lowered his voice. "Then what if I told you that I find you very cute too?"
"Eh?!"
Javelin choked at once and hurriedly clapped a hand over her mouth as she coughed.
She snatched up her milk glass in a panic, only then realizing that her hand was trembling a little.
"I... I think we should meet Laffey!" Javelin blurted out, rushing to change the subject, her fingers unconsciously twirling a strand of purple hair. "She is my best friend, always napping in the garden. Commander Kenji, do you want to go meet her together?"
"Of course."
Kenji agreed without hesitation.
The seventh Benson-class destroyer, a special existence famed as both the "Solomon's Warrior" and the "Sleepy Angel" was one of the most coveted starter choices for many Commanders.
Not only did she possess remarkable potential for retrofit, but if she obtained a more powerful Type II set of rigging, she could even evolve into a sea-born legend on the battlefield.
He had been considering how to arrange his schedule for the day, so this unexpected chance could not have come at a better time.
...
At nine in the morning, the base garden was calm and pleasant. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, sprinkling the paths with shifting patches of light and shadow.
Javelin stood, puzzled, in front of an empty bench. A few discarded juice bottles lay scattered around it.
"That is strange... Laffey usually naps right here..."
Kenji's gaze swept across the thick rose bushes nearby, and the corner of his mouth curved slightly.
He took out a bottle of specially brewed fruit wine and twisted the cap off in one smooth motion.
A sweet fruity scent mixed with a faint hint of alcohol immediately spread through the air.
"It seems Laffey is not here today," he said, intentionally raising his voice. "In that case, we can drink this ourselves. We will not save any for her."
"Really? I want to try some too," Javelin chimed in at once, catching on immediately.
The moment the words left her mouth, the rose bushes suddenly shook violently.
A small, pale hand shot out like lightning and snatched the bottle with unerring accuracy.
Laffey emerged from the flowers, upper body leaning out, sleepy eyes half open but locked with perfect clarity on her target.
"Laffey is here... give the drink to Laffey..."
...
Far out among the offshore reefs, red and white kimonos snapped in the sea breeze.
Kaga stared toward the faint outline of the distant base on the horizon, a slight frown creasing her brows.
"Akagi, is it not too soon to initiate the plan now? This new base is weakly defended and has very few shipgirls. Even if we take it, the gains will be very limited."