Chapter Text
Q. What do Border Agents do on their days off when they’re not on duty and there’s no school?
A. Polishing their skills in solo rank battles...
Souya didn't ask for any of this- and by this he means troublesome kouhai who constantly pester him for rank battles.
"Kazama-san!" says Tachikawa cheerfully, slinging an arm around Souya's shoulders (Souya does not stumble). "Guess what day it is! I hope you didn't forget!"
"It's Tuesday," replies Souya, with the weariness of someone who is asked this question every Tuesday.
"Right! Rank battle time!" And Tachikawa begins to steer Souya towards the rank battle rooms, without even considering that Souya might be otherwise occupied.
He isn't, of course; he sets aside a three-hour timeslot every Tuesday for this, and Tachikawa unfailingly ambushes him at the beginning of those three hours every week. He could set a clock by Tachikawa's ambushes. It's the principle of the thing, though- Tachikawa doesn't need to know this.
It doesn't really matter. They've done this for long enough that by this point all his protests are pretty much token, if there are any at all. Despite himself, Souya finds himself smiling as the transfer process completes. He's always liked a challenge, anyway.
(two days later)
"Kazama-san! Do you want to have a mock battle?" He takes it back. He takes it all back.
It's Tachikawa. Again. Souya briefly considers using Chameleon to escape, but the sword-happy idiot would probably take this as initiation of a mock battle, right here in the corridor, and Souya would really like to not be yelled at by the brass for property destruction again.
"It's Thursday, not Tuesday," says Souya, exasperated. "Did you not even learn the days of the week in school?" Tachikawa, as Souya has learned, is mortally inflicted with selective hearing; he doesn't even know why he bothers.
"Yeah, but everyone's busy and there's no-one else." Tachikawa's voice edges on whining. "Just one round?"
Oh, he knows this tactic. If he gives in, one round will turn into five will turn into ten, which will turn into Tachikawa camping in the training centre until his appetite for fighting is sated, which is never.
"…No," says Souya.
Tachikawa's eyes turn pleading. It's a ridiculous look on a grown man.
Still, Souya gives in a little. "If you defeat thirty trion soldiers by the next time you ask me, then we'll have five rounds."
"It's a deal!" Tachikawa races away before Souya can say anything else.
Souya frowns. There's only a couple Neighbour materialisations per day, and he's pretty sure Tachikawa Unit is only on duty once in the next few days. Aren't they?
Four days later, someone knocks on the door of Kazama Unit's room.
Souya, engrossed in paperwork, doesn't lift his gaze to check who it is. This, as he comes to realise, was a mistake. "Come in."
Tachikawa steps in. "Kazama-san, I-"
Souya glances up towards the fluorescent lights, praying for strength. "It's Monday. We're having a rank battle tomorrow! You were only on defense duty once since Thursday!"
"You can't go back on a deal," says Tachikawa, reproachful.
Souya's phone dings, saving Souya from having to respond. He recognises it as the notification tone for when a general message is posted in the Border forums by the brass, so he opens it, welcoming the distraction.
Defense Duty
☆GenManagerMShinoda 16:07 04/01/20XX
In the light of recent complaints, please be reminded that only units scheduled for defense duty should be in the field. Thank you.
Souya slowly massages the bridge of his nose.
"So, about that mock battle," says Tachikawa, grinning.