Side: Nana
Nana was once known as a genius magical girl. Her teenage years had been filled with fighting; deadly battles against Darkness Rainbow had been her life. But today, Nana was consulting with Koutarou about a new worry.
“The other day, I was invited to a colleague’s wedding,” she said.
“So she’s quite a bit older than you, huh?” Koutarou asked.
“Yes, I believe she’ll be 28 this year. After retiring from active duty, she’s settling in with her boyfriend, who was honorably discharged before her due to injury.”
“So what’s up? Isn’t this all good news?”
“It is... except that she told me she’ll be waiting for my turn next year.”
“You’re basically on an honorable discharge yourself, so I think it’d be great if you got married too.”
Nana was doing well now with artificial limbs and organs, but that hadn’t been the case until recently. Rainbow Heart still regarded her as retired due to combat injury.
“It just doesn’t feel real, you know?” Nana muttered.
“You mean you can’t imagine getting married?” Koutarou asked.
“I guess so. I just can’t imagine happily living with a man.”
Nana’s whole life had been centered on her work, so she didn’t know what to think of being asked to fall in love and get married. She’d never had any romantic feelings for men when she was younger, and even as they aged, she couldn’t see her comrades-in-arms as anything more. For Nana, settling down with one of them was nearly unthinkable.
“Not to mention... I have a complex of sorts,” she confessed.
“A complex?” Koutarou asked curiously.
“I hate to admit it, but... I pretty much look like a child, don’t I?”
“That’s not true. I’d say you’re more of a child on the inside.”
“Come on!”
“Sorry.”
“Anyway... don’t you think it’s problematic if someone falls for my appearance?”
“Don’t ask me. That’s a tricky question.”
If Koutarou agreed, he’d be saying that Nana looked like a child. And if he disagreed, it’d be like saying he liked her childish appearance. Koutarou couldn’t say either, so all he could do was sip his tea and laugh it off.
Nana looked up at him silently, her cheeks puffed out in a pout. She was somewhat unhappy that he was enjoying himself. She took a sip of her own tea and got back to the subject at hand. Understandably, it was a big deal to her.
“I was wondering if anybody would see me for who I am inside...”
Nana was a former genius magical girl. She had a childish appearance and almost half of her body was mechanical. She worried that no one could see past that and love her for who she was.
“I think it’s who you are inside that’s the problem, though.”
“There you go again! You are so insensitive!”
Nana had yet to realize that somebody right next to her saw her that way. Or how comfortable it was to be with him. Or why she’d really come to him in the first place. It would still be some time yet before she put it all together.
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