SG Vol. 1 pt. 31

The presidential address answered absolute shit.

All that bastard talked about was how regretful the loss of life today is, how they need to do better and “will” do better, blah fucking blah. Same shit, different day.

There were no answers.

Worst of all, now I have Shitger asking me every now and then if I have any ideas why they tried attacking us, and he’s even been making me listen to his own shit theories.

And now it’s time for another episode of Shitger’s Shit.

Shitger asks, “So… what if—"

“No,” I answer.

“B-but you didn’t even—”

“No.”

“Listen, I swear that this one makes se—”

“Make me say ‘no’ one more time, Shitger. One more time.”

He shuts up again, thankfully.

I can’t believe I’m going to have to deal with this for days.

…

It ends up being every bit as horrible as I thought it would be.

After just two days of being next to Shitger, I’m tired of this brat and wish that I would have just died during the battle.

Well, alright. I don’t actually wish I was fucking dead since then I would never get to see Naomi again, but I sure fucking wish something would have happened to prevent me from having to deal with Shitger.

At least they’re finally letting in visitors today now that things have slowed down.

Speaking of visitors…

“First Lieutenant,” Valkyrie says, saluting me from the foot of my bed before looking over at Shitger and saying, “Shitger.”

“Come on! Still calling me that after what happened? I can understand the sir calling me that, but you’re still saying it, too?” Shitger asks her.

“I had him nice and shut up. Thanks for giving him a reason to talk,” I groan to Valkyrie.

The rest of the bratty cadets are here, too.

“What happened?” Muscles asks me.

“Go bother Shitger,” I answer.

I’m not going to deal with a bunch of annoying brats asking me questions. I’m their instructor, not their friend. They don’t need to worry about me. Besides, I’m fine.

I just… can’t really move my left leg too much yet and my abdomen still hurts like a bitch.

“Are – are you alright?” Filly asks Shitger.

“Me? Of course I am! Don’t worry about me,” Shitger answers with an annoyingly proud smile on his face and his free hand on the back of his head.

“Your arm! Are – a-are you sure?”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m fine. Promise.”

The fact that he reminds me of myself pisses me off the most.

“Did you hear about what happened?” Muscles asks me.

“I thought I told you to go bother him?” I ask back before sighing and saying, “No.”

“Oh? He hasn’t bragged yet?” Valkyrie asks. “Shitger protected all of us.”

“How so?”

“A Forager-class was still alive once we left the bunker. Crippled, but alive. It charged at us, and playing the hero, he picked up a gun and shot it.”

“C-come on, I wasn’t a hero. I was just doing what I was supposed to do!” Shitger cuts in.

“Too bad your aim wasn’t better. You might have been able to kill it before it broke your arm.”

Seriously?

This fucking annoying brat known as Shitger actually took on a Forager-class on his own, after all the shit that happened, with zero combat experience, up close?

“S-sir?” Shitger asks after noticing me staring at him.

This fucking brat.

Damn it. I hate being wrong, and now I know I got him the most wrong out of everybody.

He’s going to be an amazing pilot someday.

“You failed to kill a crippled Forager-class before it could reach you? You apparently need to run an extra lap and practice more in the range,” I tell him.

But, he wouldn’t have been hurt in the first place – he wouldn’t have had to fight a Forager-class in the first place had I done a better job.

I shouldn’t have let that Titan-class distract me. I should have confirmed every kill before… no, I did the right thing to redirect my attention. That Titan-class could have destroyed more of the base if I didn’t distract it for as long as I could. Damn it.

Shitger says, “Sorry, si—”

“Shut up, Shitger. How many times do I have to tell you to keep your mouth shut? Be proud of yourself for doing a damn good fucking job, and next time, I’m going to make sure you do even better,” I scold him.

Annoying brat.

“Sir, yes, sir!” Shitger says, a stupid smile on his face.

I shouldn’t have said anything.

Damn bra—

“Papa!” Naomi shouts. “Are you in here, papa?!”

“Shh. You’re going to annoy everybody,” Kate tells her. “He’s over there. Just hold my hand.”

“You found him? You found papa?”

I look at the cadets. They’re all looking over at Naomi and Kate.

“Isn’t she adorable?” Breeder says.

“I want a girl just like her!” Worm says.

“She is pretty cute. Her dad must be here,” Valkyrie joins in.

“Cute,” Samurai finally breaks her silence since arriving.

“Yeah. Lucky dad,” Muscles says, and I don’t appreciate him looking at my daughter. I don’t appreciate any man looking at my daughter.

Kate waves at me while leading Naomi over.

The cadets all look at me now.

Ah.

Fuck.

They keep looking between Naomi and me.

“You’re all dismissed. Go away. Now,” I order them.

They don’t listen.

“You’re all running an extra five laps around the field if you don’t get out of here,” I try threatening them.

No response.

“An extra fifty laps.”

Filly steps back, but then when she sees how close Naomi is now, she stays.

Even glaring at her isn’t working to scare her off.

“Papa! I hear you!” Naomi shouts. “It smells really bad in here!”

“Hey, be careful,” Kate tells Naomi as she tries rushing toward me.

Now, Kate being Kate, doesn’t have a tight enough grip on Naomi’s hand which means she’s able to get free and run straight at me.

“Papa!” Naomi whines out right before crashing straight into Valkyrie. “Oof.”

“Are you alright?” Valkyrie asks, gently holding Naomi by her shoulders and looking her over.

“Yeah! Thanks. Do you know where my papa is?”

With an internal sigh, I say, “Right here.”

Naomi turns her head to lock onto my voice with a huge smile on her face.

“Your papa is right here,” Valkyrie says, helping Naomi to the side of my bed while Kate stands by and frowns.

Poor Valkyrie doesn’t know that she just got herself placed firmly onto Kate’s shit list.

Holding my hand out to take Naomi from Valkyrie, Naomi instantly grabs onto my hand and clumsily climbs up onto the bed.

Her bony knee presses right into where my leg was gashed by shrapnel, making me cringe from pain. It takes all of my fucking endurance to not groan in pain right now.

I need to position her before she kills me.

To do that, I scoot over on the bed and then help her sit down next to me. Now she doesn’t have to climb on top of me.

“Are you okay, papa?” Naomi asks. “This is the place for hurt people, isn’t it? Are you hurt? I’ll kiss you better if you tell me where you’re hurt!”

I don’t even have to look at the cadets to know that they’re all grinning and trying not to either laugh or go “aww.”

I know because I’m the same way.

“I’m fine, angel,” I answer and then immediately shoot a glare at my cadets. I may not be able to sweat at them or say anything mean, but I can still shout at them with my eyes.

“Sure don’t look it,” Kate says with her arms crossed over her chest, standing next to the bed now. “What happened to you?”

“Don’t worry about it. Is Mom alright?”

“Yeah, she’s fine. Doesn’t know you’re hurt yet. Been telling her that you’re just busy.”

“Thanks.”

“But seriously, how’d you fuck up this time? You look like shit.”

“Hey, language.”

“Seriously? You’re going to get on my case about—”

“Do you really think this is the time or place?”

Kate sighs and rolls her eyes. “Whatever. At least you’re alive.”

“Papa, are you really alright? Promise?” Naomi asks me.

“I got hurt, but I’ll be fine soon. Promise,” I answer.

“Your dad is awesome!” Shitger says from the side, making me glare at him.

Too bad my glare doesn’t shut him up.

“He protected all of us!” Shitger continues. “I heard he fought all by himself to protect us and you.”

“Duh! Papa is the best. He’s even more awesome than you think!” Naomi replies with a pout. “You don’t need to tell me my papa is awesome!”

Damn it, Naomi, you’re too perfect.