Blast From The Past (Part 5)

Posted on Tue Nov 28th, 2023 @ 6:17am by Captain Taiga Aisaka & Captain Kagami Izumi & Captain Minori Kushieda & Captain Yusaka Kitamura & Lieutenant Commander Ryuuji Takasu

1,434 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Christmas Time
Location: San Fracisco 2379

[September 2379 - San Francisco]

From the second year at the Academy, Cadets can either stay in the dorms or rent a house or apartment together. Many of them opted for the latter as it did provide spaces for freshman to stay in the dorms every year. This was no different this year, and Taiga, Ryuuji, Minori, Kagami and Yusaka had all moved into a house in the center of town.

The house was fully furnished and theyn were glad to have their own little place.

"What are you doing?" Taiga asked as she found Ryuuji on his hands and knee's in the kitchen with a bucket of water and cloth.

"Cleaning. This place is so dirty!" he replied as he scrubbed at the skirting board that ran around the room, adament to get it squeaky clean and shiny. "I mean look at it! There's stains down here, and I can't be defeated by stains!"

"Did anyone ever tell you that you're sometimes a bit weird?" Taiga sighed as she moved over to the refrigerator and took out a bottle of orange juice. She poured herself a glass and then hopped onto the kitchen table, kicking her legs as she watched him clean.

"Yeah, but I like places to be clean!" Ryuuji replied as he continued to scrub. Strangely, Taiga found herself watching him work. Somehow it seemed right to be watching him. She kinda liked how he looked down there doing hard work.

"Hey guys!" Minori said as she burst into the room. "Oh, cleaning are we?"

"He is. I'm... supervising..." Taiga said.

Minori smirked. "Sounds like you'll make captain with that sort of talk one day."

"Like that would ever happen!" Taiga laughed as she took a sip of her orange juice. "I doubt I would ever make Lieutenant, never mind Captain!"

"Stranger things have happened..." Minori said as she winked at Taiga and then indicated to Ryuuji with her eyes before leaving the room.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Taiga muttered to herself.

She ignored Minori's comment as she hopped down off the table and left the room, leaving Ryuuji to continue with his cleaning.

[August 2379 - San Francisco]

Taiga sat in the lounge of their house flicking through one of their many textbooks that they had been provided. She had been using a highlighter to make out parts that were important to the upcoming essay she was going to be writing shortly. She had got a few tips from Kagami, and she was actually enjoying the second year. Now that the basic officer training was finished, they were all now diving deep into their own departments.

The door of the lounge opened and Ryuuji walked in carrying a cup of tea. He placed it down in front of Taiga.
"Here..." he said simply with a smile before taking a seat on the other sofa. "Hows it going?" he asked.

"Not too bad," Taiga replied with a smile. "I'm starting to understand most of this now." She told him as she turned the page in the book. "I'm actually starting to enjoy this module on phaser technology. The engineering side is a little complicated, but overall its not that bad."

"Maybe you could have Minori go over some of that stuff with you..." Ryuuji replied with a smile as he took a sip of his own tea. "She's on the Engineering course, she knows her stuff."

"Yeah, speaking of which. How are you and Minori?" she asked.

"Fine I guess..." Ryuuji smiled. "We're still close friends."

"Is that all? Wasn't the idea for you to build up the courage to ask her out?" Taiga asked as she closed the book. She picked up the cup of tea and took a quick sip. The tea was very good, and it had a nice taste to it. Secretly Taiga liked how Ryuuji made tea, he always seemed to know how she liked it and how it helped her when it came to her studies.

"Well, I'm still working on it." Ryuuji said with a smile, averting his gaze.

"You should hurry up, she isn't going to wait forever you know!" Taiga said in response. "She's popular and pretty, she probably has a line of boys who want to date her! If you're serious then man up and get on with it!"

Ryuuji looked down at his feet. "I know..."

"Look. You should come up with some sort of plan. Find the right moment to ask her out. Find something romantic and make it extra special." Taiga said as she stood up. She grabbed her book with one hand and the tea with the other. "I'm turning in early, think about what I said! Remember she's not going to wait forever!"

With that said Taiga strode out of the lounge heading up the stairs to her bedroom.

Ryuuji sat there in silence staring at the wall. After a few moments he decided to take a step outside onto the balcony and get some fresh air. The cool fresh San Francisco air was nice to breathe in. He leant on the railings and watched over the bay. He could see the Golden Gate bridge in the far distance, and the lights coming from the Academy.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Minori's voice asked from behind him. It looked like she had just got home, she was still wearing her cadet uniform and was standing in the door.

"Whats a penny?"

Minori shrugged. "I think its some form of old currency. Apparently its an old saying to find out whats on someones mind?" Minori said as she approached him and joined him at the railing.

"Ah..."

"So, whats up Ryuuji?" Minori asked. She leant against the railing. "You're thinking about Taiga aren't you?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, you two are close. It kind of makes me jealous. You're always together, you cook and clean for her. You practically look after her, a bit like a dad..." Minori said as she gazed into his eyes for a brief moment. "Whats up with that?"

"Its nothing." Ryuuji replied quickly. "We help each other thats all. There's nothing more there than that."

"Ryuuji, there's many things that you are. But a lier is not one of them." Minori said her voice had changed to a more serious and straight to the point tone. "You're a good man Ryuuji. You're kind, caring and loyal. You're smart and well mannered, and you're also a damn fine Starfleet Cadet. But you're not being honest with yourself."

"What do you mean?" Ryuuji asked in response. He turned to look at her. He could see her eyes, for the first time he saw that she was deadly serious and the look she was giving him was looking right through him. He could sense that she wasn't beating around the bush right now, and deep down he knew what she was getting at.

"You know what I mean. Tell me. You have a crush on someone don't you?" Minori asked.

Ryuuji nodded.

"I knew it..." Minori said. "Let me guess, you originally had a huge crush on me? But I'm guessing thats changed now hasn't it?"

It felt like Ryuuji had been hit by a starship when Minori said that. 'How did she even know?!' he thought to himself as he looked at her. He no longer blushed, and he no longer looked at her with the eyes he did nearly a year ago. He saw her as a close friend, someone who he could trust and could confide in. He wasn't sure why, but the feelings he had for her had changed. They were now less romantic intentions and more of a close friendship with her. "Was it that obvious?"

Minori turned and looked up at the stars above them. "Yeah." she said. "It really was. I worked it out a long time ago. I knew what Taiga has been doing for a long time now. Making chances for you to be alone with me. Trying to create opportunities for you. I saw it from the very start. But I realised a long time ago, that the feelings you may have had for me have now changed."

Ryuuji stood there staring at Minori. He wasn't quite sure what to say.

"How about this." Minori said. "Lets remain friends."

"Friends.... oh..." Ryuuji said. It didn't feel as painful as he thought, in fact it was almost like a sort of relief. After what seemed like an eternity he looked up and smiled at Minori. "Friends."

To be continued...

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