Carm ran down to the cargo dropoff area, Urgently looking for the twin turret 7TP he ordered.
Naturally, the cargo area for the Ōarai schoolship was the size of a multi-story building, after all, thousands of people's worth of goods were deposited here.
Whether it be food, furniture, new cars, basically anything you could think of.
He found the 7TP sitting nicely between someone's new Toyota Supra, and another crate with a Jetski or some other watercraft inside.
Since tanks were considered similarly to any other vehicle, it wasn't that much or a surprise.
"Come on!" He yelled after getting into the drivers seat, throwing open the armor panel.
He flipped the buttons and levers required to make it start, luckily, it came with an instruction manual, which was printed in Japanese.
Better than trying to read Polish when you're not a native.
The engine fired up, the exhaust sputtering out smoke.
"Go Go GO!" Carm shouted.
The 7TP drove out of the cargo area as fast as it could,
Primo Victoria thundered in his ears as the tank roared through the delivery bay,
"THROUGH THE GATES OF HELL!"
—————————
A few minutes later
Ōarai schoolship top deck
Ankō street
The 7TP rounded a corner at a violent speed.
The little Polish tank was only about as big as a car,
Not really intimidating for a tank
But it was what Yukari liked so who cares?
The 7TP drove down the road.
Carm tried to figure out where he'd come from,
The Akiyama's house should be near here,
Carm was worried that Yukari would think that he rejected her, and promptly payed for the opposite
Would she ignore him if she saw him?
The thoughts clawed at his mind.
————————
He found her walking alone on the sidewalk,
She seemed to notice the engine noise, and turned around.
She knew so much about the tank that she could tell what it was just by the engine sound.
Quite a feat of dedication.
"WAIT UP!!" Carm shouted over the 7TP's engine
She seemed stunned to see him, and perhaps the vehicle as well,
It was her favorite, after all
"Wait!!" He continued to yell, waving his hand out of the drivers hatch like a crazed madman
He stopped the 7TP just on the side of the road, parallel parking it between two other vehicles, quite conveniently
Yukari's face was still red with tear stains.
Carm immediately climbed out,
Yukari looked at him as he did.
"I-I, uh-l Yukari started, but was promptly cut off.
"I am so, so unbelievably sorry,
I said what I hadn't meant......" Carm said
"If you don't want to be friends anymore... I completely understand....." he said
Yukari just stood there for a second, moving closer slightly....
She hugged him gently,
"I shouldn't have just, decided to do that, so randomly..... "
She inhaled again,
"Hey, uh... I got a place I would like us to go visit, since the sun is setting, I think you'll like it....." Carm said
"Uh, okay....." she simply responded.....
————————
After starting up the 7TP, Yukari stuck her head out of one of the top hatches,
She saw how deadly tanks could be, still haunted the entirety of her nightmares
But something convinced her to stay, something warm.
Something really odd........
They were going in the direction of a tank store,
Yukari thought for split second that it might be where they were going
And they drove right by....
They passed a few more blocks, going by a bakery and one of those gas stations
And then they reached their destination....
Yukari gasped.
It was a dandelion field,
And dandelions were her favorite.
The Tanks engine stopped upon rolling into the field,
She got out, attempting to try and make out what exactly she was seeing
"Ow! Frick! This thing was made for short people... ugh....." Carm said as he tried to exit.
—————————
She was completely awestruck....
The birds flying,
The sun glowing on the horizon, the dandelions gently blowing in the breeze.
"Pretty picturesque ain't it?" Carm said
Yukari just stared back, seeing him looking at the sunset as well,
"Do you forgive me?" He said
Tears started dripping from her eyes,
She threw her arms around him,
"Yes I do!" She cried, unloading all of the sadness she had in her at once, promptly crystallizing into happiness
Carm was suffocating
"Thank you so... ow..... much!" Carm yelled
In the happiness of the moment, she raised up her head and kissed him on the cheek.
And then Carm realized just a few seconds after it happened.
"Did you just...." Carm started
"Oh! I'm sorry! Please don't—"
Carm breathed in through his nose really hard,
"It's fine....
...Ulp!"
Yukari then kissed him flat on the lips.
"Thank you so much for this!" She hugged him extra hard
"Aheheheh..... You're always welcome" Carm said
"I think I like actually, legitimately, fell in love with you...... I don't.... I don't think this is a friendship thing anymore." Yukari said
"Yeah?" Carm said
"Well shoot.... Sure glad I'm not the only one who thinks that...." He said.
———————————
As they rode back to her house to go drop her off to her parents, they decided to take the scenic route, in the 7TP, just because
They arrived at her parents house at 8 PM
She said her goodbyes and gave him another kiss, on the cheek.
Because of course she did.
Carm felt like he'd won a war.
The war for....
...Her?
Yeah... the war for her, to stop her descent into madness.
Now, without further ado,
it was time to begin preparing tomorrow,
After all, Kuromorimine's head is one the chopping block next.....
——End of Episode 17——
Sorry for anyone who probably almost cringed to death in that scene, I have to develop the characters in some way. On a reassurance note however, the battle against Kuromorimine begins next chapter! Where the boys can finally give the kraut-fakers the royal butt kicking they so greatly deserve.
So until then, enjoy some Sabaton, It is the best band after all.