The Drowned Panthers continued:

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As Erika closed out of the flashback, she looked to her commander. Despite Maho looking down at her desk, Erika could tell that they both remembered the entire incident. Erika, still blushing, stuttered, "W-well I wonder where Peter is now."

"Brrr...It's cold..." Saori muttered as she rubbed her cold hands together. In her right hand she held an umbrella to protect from the rain.

"Don't worry, we just have to find Peter first." To her right, Peter's gunner walked alongside her, his Wehrmacht uniform covered by a green camo colored poncho. "Then we can go back. Do you know where he is?"

"I thought you would. You're his gunner."

"Well, he did tell us to go home without him, so..." The gunner looked straight forward, down the water logged street. "Oh well. I think he wanted to talk to that Koume girl."

"Wait, really!? Maybe he's...hehehe." Saori giggled.

"No, I don't think it's like that. Peter's too shy to be like that."

"But it's perfect! It's cold and raining, perfect for a confession scene!" Saori said with expertise. The gunner of the Panther said nothing. "By the way, did I ever ask your name?"

"[Nein.] My name isn't very important, however."

Saori pouted. "Suit yourself, gunner."

"Exactly."

"Huh?" Saori raised an eyebrow, perplexed.

"Everyone just calls me Gunner in the tank. Even Peter. But it simplifies things, and we've been doing it for years." Then the two stayed quiet for some time, walking down the street of the Kuromorimine urban area looking for the 16 year old soldier. "Ah, there he is."

"Really? Where-" Saori suddenly gasped loudly at what she was seeing. Right ahead, underneath the bus stop canopy, was Peter and Koume, still holding hands and blushing. "Oh my god oh my god oh my god-This is totally a romantic scene, hey-MMpH!"

Peter's gunner grabbed Saori around the neck and stuffed her face into his torso, muffling her romantic fueled squealing. "Shush. Peter's having his moment, I think." The gunner, still stoic on the surface, was smiling broadly deep down. Huh...I didn't think he'd muster up any sort of courage to do anything like that...Nice.

Peter's blush faded as he got used to holding Koume's hand. He's held plenty of hands before, girls included, but there was something oddly different. Perhaps it was because of his similarities with Koume? Well, he didn't get to formulate an answer before he looked up and saw his gunner right across the street, and a very muffled and excited Saori, watching as he and Koume held hands. And immediately his blush returned.

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