"If you're interested, would you like to go on a date with me tomorrow?"
I took the two theater tickets I had received from Gomuji and invited Rodri on a date.
"…"
"How about it?"
The reason I invited Rodri wasn't because I had any particular feelings for him.
It was simply because I didn't have many other people to invite.
If Senior Allen returns to his hometown, most of my acquaintances aren't available.
I have no way of getting in touch with the people at the medical headquarters who worked with me in Marshdale.
Since I don't know anyone in the capital, the only people I know now are the members of Garback Platoon.
"Hmm… well, that's fine. The theater, huh? So that's where we're going?"
"Yes, if it's open."
"Hey, hey, you guys. A date in such a time of crisis? Look at you two lovebirds."
It seemed like Rodri didn't have any particular plans, and he agreed right away.
He didn't seem particularly embarrassed either. He just gave an annoyed look in response to Senior Allen's teasing.
"Even if you call it a date, it's with Touri, so…"
"Oh, are you dissatisfied?"
"No, well, um… I guess it's a date."
I felt that Rodri was carefully choosing his words with a lot of consideration for me.
He apparently likes older women (according to Senior Allen). In that sense, I'm probably not his type.
That's why I can invite him without hesitation. It's nice and easy knowing that there are no strange expectations.
"Hey, Rodri, that's a rude reaction to a girl asking you out."
"No, it's just that Touri is… well, I have a younger sister who's surprisingly similar to her."
"Your sister?"
"Yeah. She doesn't really look like Touri, but their vibe, tone, and way of speaking are the same. So when I talk to her, it starts feeling like I'm talking to my sister."
I see. That explains why I found it oddly easy to talk to Rodri.
He was probably used to dealing with people like me, who are a bit quiet and bad at talking.
"What did your sister call you, Rodri?"
"She used to call me 'Brother Rod.' She's a cute girl. Though, she can be prickly at times."
"I see. 'Hey, Brother Rod', is your sister like this?"
"Stop it. Seriously, stop it. You really resemble her."
This was a fun thing to ask. This might be a good way to tease Rodri in the future.
"By the way, how old is your sister?"
"She's about 12 this year, I think."
"Then it'll be in three years."
As I was thinking about such trivial things, Senior Allen suddenly got a serious expression on his face.
"What do you mean, three years?"
"It seems that the country is preparing to draft and mobilize both men and women. Apparently, infantry will still be made up of men, but women will increasingly be forced into factory work for weapons and ammunition. The recruitment of female soldiers for roles like medics, nurses, and logistics positions will rise."
"…"
"Conscription begins at the age of 15. To protect your sister, we'll have to end the war within three years, Rodri."
"Yeah…"
Rodri quietly muttered, almost to himself.
***
"Then, shall we go shopping today to prepare for tomorrow's date?"
"Prepare? What exactly are we preparing for?"
"Well, that's obvious. We're getting practical items we can bring for the upcoming long-term mission. I definitely want to get some spare clothes and rain gear."
After parting with Senior Allen, I decided to go shopping in the town with Rodri.
"That's supposed to prepare us for the date?"
"If we go shopping tomorrow, I'll end up with a lot of stuff to carry during our date, right? I want to buy the essentials today so I can walk around light tomorrow."
"Oh, I see."
It's the capital, after all.
There's a limit to the amount I can carry, but I still want to obtain whatever I can for now.
"So shopping together isn't part of the date?"
"Well, that's just a matter of wording. You don't need to think too deeply about it. Wouldn't it be convenient to say it was a date when your comrades ask what you did on your last day off?"
"Ah…"
By the way, there's no deeper meaning behind using the word "date."
I mean, the main reason is that it gives both of us something to brag about to our comrades.
With that, we won't be treated like children in the new unit.
"By the way, Rodri. Have you ever been on a date with a woman?"
"…I guess there's no need to put on airs with you. No, I haven't.
"I see. Make sure you gain some experience then."
"Hm. I've taken my sister out a few times, and it feels like it might be the same atmosphere as that."
Well, I think it will be like that too.
It definitely won't turn into anything romantic.
"Alright, whatever. Let's just make some fun memories while we can."
"Yes, that sounds great."
That's fine by me.
…There's no guarantee that we'll return alive from the next mission.
At the very least, I want to create as many happy memories as I can before I die.
That's probably my main goal for this "date."
***
"Oh, this… Isn't this the liquor Platoon Leader Garback liked?"
"Looks like it."
Yesterday, only a few shops were open, but today, more shops were starting to reopen.
Somehow, rumors were spreading in the town that military personnel with a lot of money were coming to the city to enjoy themselves.
Merchants began reopening shops to make some quick cash.
"Can you drink this, Rodri?"
"I don't know. But it might be useful as a good luck charm, right? In an emergency, I can throw out the contents to store piss in."
"That's true."
Rodri seemed to want to buy that strong liquor in order to follow in Platoon Leader Garback's footsteps.
During the retreat to Marshdale, soldiers who didn't have bottles would collect urine in unsanitary iron helmets to drink from.
In that sense, it's definitely a good idea to have a bottle. Though, I think it should be filled with water.
"Shop owner, how much is this?"
"Sorry, it's a bit expensive. Since it's wartime, the price is double the regular price."
"Whoa, that's expensive!"
"…You have a strong business sense."
The price presented by the shop was an amount that no ordinary person would be able to afford.
Taking into account the fact that the brand Platoon Leader Garback liked is already expensive, it's a huge amount.
It seemed like the shop owners assumed that since the soldiers had a lot of money, they would try to rip them off. Many stores had marked their prices up like this.
On the other hand,
"Hey, you soldiers over there! If you're going to buy alcohol, buy it from us, we're having a half-off sale on everything!"
"Oh?"
"How could we do something so unscrupulous to the soldiers who are fighting for us? Come on, come on!"
"Hey! That's business interference! I'm going to report you to the merchant council!"
"Shut up, I'm free to sell it for whatever price I want! What the hell are you doing to a soldier risking his life for us!"
Perhaps as a token of their appreciation, some stores even offered us larger discounts than usual.
This is probably a matter of differences in mindset.
"This is the same liquor, right? Here, I'll even throw in some water for mixing it. It's pretty strong, so don't drink it straight if you're not used to alcohol, okay?"
"O-Oh. Thank you, I really appreciate it!"
The shop owner even gave us a small bottle of water for free.
In times like this, a person's character really shows.
Even though it must have been a loss for them, they still sold their valuable goods at a discount, and I couldn't help but feel grateful.
"Enough already! It's bad manners to steal customers!"
"It's bad manners to rip off soldiers!"
"You're just trying to get rid of your stock before you close up shop! Stop acting like you're the good guy!"
We bowed to the store owner and left.
Little by little, the city is coming back to life.
Maybe we can look forward to tomorrow's theater performance.
Since I had received the tickets, I really hope they don't cancel it.
***
We continued shopping after that.
"I think I've bought pretty much everything I need. I'm glad we could get some hardtack."
"Since it's canned, it can be stored well. Even if we end up in a situation like before, we'll have calories to rely on."
"Hey, little guy, you bought a lot of clothes. Are you really going to use all of them?"
"Yes, there are times during missions when it can't be helped. Like when my underwear gets stained with blood and I have to throw it away."
"Oh… sorry about that."
We spent the whole day gathering supplies. It was almost evening before we knew it.
A few shops in the shopping district had started closing up. It's about time to call it a day.
"…Oh, that toy store is still open. Let's make that our last stop."
"Alright, sure."
Rodri suggested we visit the toy shop as the last stop.
It seemed like he wanted to buy a gift for his family.
"…Since it's the capital, I should send something nice to my siblings."
He planned to send what money he hadn't spent today or tomorrow to his family.
If the orphanage hadn't been burned down, I might have bought something to send to them as well.
When we entered the store, I saw a wide array of toys that would delight any child.
It was a general merchandise shop, not just selling toys but also instruments, paints, and various other items.
"…How about this one? My little brother would probably like it."
"Even though it's a toy, do you really want to send a gun? Isn't it a bad omen?"
"Well, I guess you're right."
Rodri picked up one of the toy rifles, looking a bit conflicted.
It was true that a boy would probably be happy with it, but personally, I didn't want to see a child excited about something like a gun.
"How about a doll for your sister?"
"A doll, huh? To be honest, I don't know anything about dolls."
"Then let me choose one for her."
"Oh, I'll leave it to you then."
I recommended a doll since I knew Rodri has a younger sister.
Since there's little entertainment in this world, a little girl can play with a for hours on end.
I'm sure she would be very happy if he gave her a well-made doll from the capital.
"If she's around 12 years old, this might be good."
As I thought back to my time in the orphanage, I searched for a doll that had often been fought over.
Animal-themed dolls were especially popular in the orphanage. They would always disappear from the doll storage. Where could the teddy bears be?
Those were so fluffy and felt so nice to the touch, I thought they would make a great gift—
"…"
"What's wrong, Shorty?"
I suddenly picked up one of the dolls that caught my eye.
It was a fox doll with a slightly strange, smiling face.
"Do you like that one? Its face looks kind of creepy."
"Yes. This doll is probably not a popular item."
"Then why are you picking it up?"
"This was always the leftover doll at the orphanage. This fox is a doll that I used to practice my tricks."
I was very familiar with this fox doll.
In the peaceful orphanage, whenever I played with dolls, I always chose this fox.
I didn't choose any other dolls because I'd be looked down on if I monopolized a popular doll.
Once I got used to it, I found it quite charming. Before I went off to war, it became my favorite doll, and I always kept it by my side.
I never thought I would meet this fox doll again in a place like this.
"Hmm, I see… Hey, store owner, how much for that fox?"
"Huh, Rodri?"
"Will this be enough?"
"Pleasure doing business."
Perhaps noticing my sentimentality, Rodri immediately purchased the doll.
I didn't even have time to say anything.
"Here you go, Shorty. Take it."
"Um, ah, but…"
"If it means that much to you, it'll make a great good luck charm. Having it will calm you down, so take good care of it."
Rodri dropped the fox doll into my shopping bag.
…I was going to buy it myself, but I didn't expect to receive it as a gift.
"Thank you so much, Rodri."
"Don't worry about it. Senior Gray definitely would have done the same thing"
"…That's true."
Lately, it really feels like Rodri has been following in Senior Gray's footsteps.
I think for Rodri, Senior Gray is his ideal of what it means to be a cool, respectable man.
Whenever I mention that he's starting to resemble him, he tries to act indifferent, but he looks pleased nonetheless.
"I'll take good care of it."
"Ah."
As I held the doll Rodri gave me, I looked him in the eye and said my thanks.
***
The fox doll that Rodri bought for me at that time…
This doll is still a precious treasure to me, and I keep it close to me.
Although it was only for two days, the peaceful and joyful time I spent with Rodri during this leave has become a treasure that will last my entire life.
As one of the few happy memories from the war, I've never forgotten this day once, even until today.
"Rodri, have you decided on a gift?"
"Yeah, I guess I'll send my sister the fox doll too."
Looking back, it was a very, very short period of time, but…
"Well then, let's head back for today. It's getting late."
"…"
It was an irreplaceable break where Rodri and I were able to have fun and play in a way that was appropriate for our age.
If there were no war, and I had met Rodri as a friend in a peaceful world…
Would we have been able to spend such a peaceful childhood as if it were natural?
***
"Ah, Touri? Sorry, I've got something I need to do."
"Oh, I see. So, Rodri, you're going to…?"
"No, it's just… Senior Gray would definitely do this too…"
By the way, after we finished shopping, I parted ways with Rodri halfway.
"I guess you're a boy, after all…"
"I mean, it's a rare opportunity, so…"
It seems that after this, he went to a shady shop by himself.