Bonus Short Stories
Side: Clan
When Clan was left to her own devices, her room and her laboratory would get messier and messier. That was why Koutarou took it upon himself to clean up after her—a habit he’d picked up in past Forthorthe. Back then, Clan was so dedicated to her research that he thought it was the least he could do to help her.
“Say, Clan...”
“Hmm? What is it?”
Today, Clan was analyzing data she’d collected from their most recent battle. She thought a better understanding of the enemy’s weapons and defenses would help defeat them in the future. Koutarou moved around her and kept out of her way, talking to her as he tidied up the place.
“It’s been a while since I started cleaning for you, right?”
“So it has.”
“But now we’re back in the present, safe and sound, right?”
“So we are.”
“So don’t you think it’s time to get a cleaning robot or something instead of making me do this?”
In the past, Koutarou had cleaned for Clan out of necessity. He’d continued out of habit after they returned home, but the more he thought about it, the more certain he became that Clan didn’t really need his help. Earth already had robotic vacuums and the like, so surely Forthorthe had advanced housekeeping robots that would be even neater and more thorough than Koutarou was.
Clan didn’t answer him, however. All Koutarou heard in reply was the sound of her chair squeaking.
“Hmm?”
Puzzled by this, Koutarou looked over to Clan and found her staring at him wide-eyed.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“That’s... um...”
Clan cast her glance downward to avoid eye contact. She had almost reflexively insisted that nothing was wrong, but she swallowed back those words as she stared at the vacuum tube radio on her desk. She then mustered her courage.
“Veltlion, does this mean... you don’t like cleaning for me?” she asked, her eyes fixed on Koutarou.
Clan was clearly flustered, but now Koutarou was too.
“I-It’s not like I hate it or anything... I was just thinking that it would be more convenient for you. A robot would do a better job and wouldn’t distract you...”
While Clan was asking about cleaning, it certainly sounded like there was greater meaning to her question. Koutarou tread lightly and chose his words carefully so as to avoid any misunderstandings, but just speaking was hard. His throat was bone dry.
“Think about everything we’ve been through together,” Clan said. “It’s not like you being here is a distraction or anything. In fact... I don’t think I could focus if...”
“I see...”
“So if you think my room should be cleaner... then... you should come more often. That way, um...”
Clan’s throat was parched too. She normally felt calm and safe around Koutarou, but she was in a tizzy right now trying to convey her feelings to him.
“...Then I guess things are fine the way they are...”
“...Y-Yes, I... I think so too...”
With that, a silence fell over the room. Both Clan and Koutarou blushed furiously as each other’s words spun through their heads. They’d had a meeting of hearts, though in an extremely roundabout way. It was honestly a relief to both of them, but it made them extremely self-conscious at the same time.
Koutarou was the first to break under the silence. Picking up a photo frame lying atop a stack of documents, he called out to Clan.
“B-By the way, Clan, where should I put this?”
“That digital frame holds pictures and videos of my family...”
“I see.”
“Why don’t we... take a look at it together?”
“Yeah... Sure, let’s do that.”
They then sat down together to look through photos and recordings of Clan’s family. Despite the plentiful silence and awkward moments, it was surprisingly enjoyable.
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