I Have an Urgent Matter
Sunlight streaming through the window woke me.
The pleasant, well-rested feeling was quickly followed by a creeping sense of unease.
This was... without a doubt...
...I overslept?!
As I hurried to get ready, thinking Lugh would be waiting at the training grounds, a memory from a few days ago resurfaced.
I'd like to request a day off.
A day off?
Yes.
...Silence followed.
Is there... a reason?
That...
I can't say.
But for that one day, I'd very much like to take my leave.
Requesting permission to do so, Captain.
...Right, she's off today.
Realizing I had no plans, I took my time changing clothes.
On an unexpected day off, I wandered with no destination in mind...
Lavistar's smash-hit tokusatsu series, Stellar Rangers!
The latest installment, Stellar Rangers: Friends! When Will You Rise? has its first-ever NOA performance today! Right here!
Ah! You there, congratulations!
We're giving a free ticket to the 1,975th passerby through the plaza.
That's a really specific number...
Don't people usually pick a nice round number?
Ahaha, I don't know either. I'm just a part-timer here!
Anyway, that's not the point. The point is, it's free! Free entry!
If you're not busy, why not stop by? You'll be hooked!
With nothing else to do, I took the ticket and entered the venue.
When I found my assigned seat...
Hmm?
Camera lens, check. Tripod, check.
Aperture at f/1.8... perfect.
Glad I came early. This is the best seat in the house.
From here, I can get the perfect shot.
Lugh?
Yes?
...Ah.
Captain...?
For someone as reserved as Lugh, the embarrassment was clear.
We stared at each other in awkward silence...
Overflowing Stellar Power! Stellar Rangers, assemble!
Even if the end of the world comes, we'll give it our all!
All together! Staaar Chaaange!
Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—the performance began just then.
Lugh hunched slightly, sneaking glances my way as she cautiously began snapping photos.
After the show ended, I was all but dragged to a cafe by Lugh.
...
...
......
......
I took a sip of coffee to quench my thirst, when...
Captain.
I will devote my body and soul to you.
*Cough?!* *Cough Cough...!*
What—?! *Cough!*
I should have explained first. My apologies.
I simply ask that you keep today's encounter a secret.
I'm not asking for nothing in return.
If you tell me to walk into fire, I will. If you tell me to dive into the sea, I will.
If you require it, even my body and soul—
No, no! That's really not necessary!
Then name your terms. I'll comply with anything.
...What?
You'll... keep it secret anyway?
Because you asked, Lugh.
...Is that so?
...
Is it... something you need to hide that badly?
If it became known that the deputy leader of the Orbital Search Team attended a children's tokusatsu show, wouldn't it harm the team's reputation?
It's the debut performance of a new series. I'll take that day off and—
...Hey, don't you think it's a little odd to be playing with toys?
Huh? Who're you talking about?
My boyfriend.
It's his hobby, so I'm trying to be understanding, but...
Stellar Rangers, was it? He's got piles of that stuff.
Yes... that is a bit...
off-putting.
...!
...it off-putting?
Hmm?
You don't find it off-putting?
Someone like me... an expressionless woman...
Just a beanpole without the capacity to feel any pain...
Going to watch shows meant for children... You don't find it off-putting?
No, not at all.
...
You don't need a reasons to like something.
I'd prefer to say "interested" rather than "like."
…And you're saying that's a relief?
You know. To see that you also have something you enjoy. Lugh.
It's like finally seeing the human side of you.
My "human side"...
Is that so?
Ah! I didn't mean it like that...!
I know what you meant.
Thank you, Captain.
I'm truly glad it was you I ran into today, and not someone else.
And... again, I'd prefer you think of it as being interested than liking.
O-okay...
We ended up talking for a while at the cafe.
...How did I get into Stellar Rangers?
You mean how I became aware about it... I see.
Even when the predicted chance of disaster is low, protocol requires a site check.
Even a five percent forecast gets assigned to someone.
That day, I was assigned to a theater screening Stellar Rangers.
Because of the low probability, the film went ahead, and I took a seat in the back to monitor—just in case.
My first impression was that it was childish and silly.
A predictable plot for kids, cliche lines... I found it boring.
If it's to protect someone!
I'll rise again! No matter how many times it takes!
Then came surprisingly intense action for a children's show.
The Rangers fought on, battered and bleeding, to protect people until the very end...
That was my first encounter with Stellar Rangers.
...So that's how you came to like it.
No. That's how I became aware of it.
I don't like Stellar Rangers. I'm merely interested in it.
The hallmark is the high-risk stunts and unarmed combat performed by the actors themselves.
The tense battles fought wearing nothing but a mask...
Stories where they rise again and again to protect others, no matter how many times they fall...
When new merch comes out, I buy it. When the new video comes out, I rewatch it more than ten times.
...You're saying that's liking it?
No. It's completely different.
Real fans can hear a one-second audio clip from an episode and name it immediately.
That's the bar for liking something?!
Anyway...
What did you think?
...The familiar silence followed, once again.
...Mind elaborating a bit more?
How was today's performance, Captain?
I couldn't watch closely, being distracted by Lugh taking photos, but...
...I think it was fun.
Is that so? I'm glad.
I've never had anyone to talk about Stellar Rangers until now...
If you enjoyed it too, I think we'll have plenty to discuss.
These days, the special effects have advanced so much that the battles are on a far grander scale...
And so Lugh passionately shared her thoughts on the Stellar Rangers show...
Talking until the cafe closed, we promised to continue another time.
It was a day I learned many things I hadn't known about Lugh.