Static and Silence

A man has a lot of options, yet his life decisions are rarely ideal. Without much consideration, the majority of guys will most likely just pick a route that allows them to eat, screw, sleep, and survive.

However, some men will decide to sign a contract because they wish to change things. However, their decisions are no longer their own once that contract is signed. They will be the ones making such choices. They join something that is greater than themselves. They spend months training, becoming more familiar with every part of their Type 91 rifle than their own body.

They are then forced to fight far from their homes and relatives. They might live or they might not.

What's causing him to fight? For what reason is he dying?

What the hell is the point?

Don't listen to my rambling. If you would want, listen to my narrative. That day was the start of it all.

As usual, I slept soundly in the morning. The chirping of birds outside my window was the only sound audible. After six months of deployment in the Arid Expanse, I needed a tranquil slumber, and a little lovely sounds like that couldn't disturb it. Almost every night, the air would ring with gunfire loud enough to burst your eardrums, or I would be attacked by the horrible nightmares of past missions, so I never had a single fucking restful minute of sleep there.

However, the sound of the blasting alarm violently broke my peaceful, beautiful sleep.

Beep, beep, beep.

I was getting really annoyed by the continuous loudness. Out of impulse, I reached beneath the pillow and pulled out my Minato P9 handgun, aiming it toward the clock.

Sh*t. I repeated it.

When something wakes me up in the middle of the night, I still have those old aggressive reflexes. I constantly lock my room because of this. When my sister stormed in months ago, I shot her before I was completely conscious because I believed she was an insurgency attempting to murder me. The bullet narrowly missed her skull, thank God. I had to write a report and visit the hospital for a psychological evaluation as a result of the entire situation.

I dropped the pistol on the nightstand, ejected the magazine, and turned on the safety. I surveyed my surroundings: my room in Senka prefecture, back at my family's home. It was basic, with a computer to my right, an LED TV in front of my bed, and a tall bookcase above it filled with my collections of comics and magazines.

Posters for video games and anime adorned the walls. Numerous figures were also present, primarily of the Bishoujo type.

By the way, the majority weren't mine. They belonged to my sister. Later, I'll explain how they got into my room.

I sat for a while before picking up the broken alarm clock and throwing it in the trash can. I made my way to the restroom to take a shower and clean my teeth. When I looked at my mirror, I saw a face with rather long jet-black hair, which was the typical hue of a Yamato man, purple eyes, and skin that was somewhat tanned from my stay in "The Sandbox."

Later, dressed in my typical civilian attire—blue trousers and a basic grey t-shirt—I sat in the living room. As I flipped through the channels, I noticed a news report.

Yesterday, a C-5 Behemoth transport plane belonging to the Yamato Air Self-Defense Force lost communication over the Northern Azure Ocean. From Kyoma to Veridia, OSA, the plane was transporting vital supplies. The disappearance's cause is still a mystery. As the Prime Minister—

"Haru-kun! From the kitchen, my mother yelled out, "Breakfast is ready!"

"All right, Okaa-san!" After turning off the television, I made my way to the dining room. Along with my older sister, I still reside at my parents' home. Families of special forces members are required to reside in the YDF facility. Since I joined the same SF unit as my father, I was permitted to remain in his former residence.

I should give a brief introduction before this narration goes nowhere. I am Haru Shinozaki, my family's only son and second child. The most prestigious and covert Special Forces outfit in this nation is the Yamato Special Operations Group, where I serve as a sniper and second lieutenant. The codename I choose to identify myself is 'Arc' because to its confidentiality. To be honest, I chose it at random because I enjoy fantasy and magic JRPGs. They also claimed that my aim is magical or something.

While my mother, Akemi Shinozaki, was making breakfast, I sat in an empty chair. She is the world's greatest mother. She wore her long, smooth black hair in a ponytail. She sat down with her own scrambled eggs after setting a plate in front of me.

"Come on, let's get started."

We all exclaimed, "Itadakimasu!" before we began to eat.

"So…" my mom started. "How was your last deployment?"

I gazed at my plate. "...I don't want to talk about it." When someone inquires about my missions, I detest it. They're classified, and I hate to think about the times I had to shoot someone in the head again.

"Do you really want to continue this work, Haru-kun?" Her violet eyes were gentle and maternal as she gazed at me. "Your father would understand if you decided to quit."

"No, it's not because of him," I said, looking out the window at the Sakura tree. In addition, dad prepared me from an early age to become a true warrior and the next member of the Shinozaki family. I must also come to my own conclusions.

I felt my iCom vibrate at that moment. I looked at the screen.

From: Tanaka-san
Get to the meeting room as soon as possible!

Hey, I'm back for the first time today! Why is a mission already in place? Whatever. I quickly finished my breakfast and stuffed the damned phone back in my pocket. I've developed the practice of finishing meals in ten minutes or less when I'm pressed for time.

My mother tilted her head, seeing my hurry. "Why are you eating so fast, Haru-kun?"

I swallowed my last bite and remarked, "The Colonel's calling me to HQ," "I don't know why."

I hurried back to my room to retrieve my revolver and black leather jacket. I gathered my belongings and hurried to the front door.

"Ittekimasu!" I exclaimed.

"Itterasai!" she said, smiling sweetly.