Our Bonds (A Kantai Collection Fanfic) (Remastered)

Chapter 24: Truth and Reconciliation

How? How did she know about the cairn and that incident? Did Shouhou tell her? No. That can't be right. The girls involved that day all helped to keep it a secret from the two of them. It doesn't make sense to tell Zuihou about this at such a time. Shouhou is definitely involved somehow, she wouldn't send that LINE message otherwise.

"Why did you say that?"

Please. Don't ask me anymore.

"That's not important. Admiral, your answer? " (Zuihou)

What should I do? Maybe it's best I continue acting dumb. That's right. There is no need to tell her. She just needs to remain clueless, cute and innocent for me. Besides, she wants me to tell her that it's a lie. I'm giving her what she wants.

"Non-"

I can see the pained expression on Zuihou's face being covered in tears,

Is this all right? How much longer can I keep this under the carpet? The revelation will hurt her but who is to say continuing this lie of mine won't? She is already this close to finding the truth. Lying will just force her to look for the answers herself and once she does...

Either way, our relationship will never be the same again. But continuing the lie only for her to find out the truth herself is more damaging.

If she doesn't hate me now, she will loathe me even more when she discovers the truth.

I don't want that.

"Admiral, your answer?" (Zuihou)

Her hands clutched her chest.

"That's..."

I need to tell her. I have to tell her.

"Yes. Weeks before you found you in the Northern Salmon Sea area, there was another Zuihou who sunk at that very same spot. I'm... sorry."

"No. That... can't be..." (Zuihou)

Zuihou clutched her head and fell to her knees.

"Zuihou!"

I quickly rushed to her side. She is trembling and her breathing is getting more and more ragged,

"Shouhou was right. Now it makes sense... The many model planes in my room that I don't remember buying or receiving... That metallic Type 97 on the shelf... All of them did not belong to me in the first place. The pained expression you make sometimes when you look at me... That worried look I always see when I go for sorties... I must have reminded you of the other Zuihou. Heh... Haha... You weren't looking at me after all." (Zuihou)

"That's not true."

I reached a hand towards her.

"LIAR!" (Zuihou)

She slapped my hand away. Zuihou stood up and staggered backwards. Her hands clutching her chest as tears continued to flow down her cheeks,

"Shouhou, Admiral... You are all liars. All these years... Admiral... IS A LIAR!!" (Zuihou)

Zuihou dashed out of the room, leaving me by my lonesome.

My hand stings but more than that...

My chest hurts really bad. It's getting harder to breathe.

"Zuihou..."

I expected something like this to happen but to think it hurts this bad.

But what about Zuihou? How is she feeling right now? Her pain must be more than mine.

"What a joke. She completely hates me now... That is normal."

My vision is getting blurry.

Once again, I failed to make her happy. Why am I so pathetic? This sucks.