"Hmmph! That stuck-up 1stCarDiv bitch, when I get my Kai Ni, she'd better watch out, 'cause I'll be the best in the base!"
Zuikaku was complaining to the quiet Shigure, who was meekly following behind the Shoukaku-Class carrier as she was stomping around vehemently, trying to let off steam by gaining some distance from the source of her annoyance.
Although Zuikaku was venting her frustration, it was clear to Shigure that she was accommodating towards her, slowing her pace to allow the destroyer to keep up as Shigure took smaller steps than her.
Not that they were going anywhere in particular, Zuikaku simply taking a hike around the mostly-empty barracks to let off some steam.
"So, what do you think, does she need to take it down a notch? I can't stand the way she criticizes me every time, and points out my flaws! UURRRGGHHH!"
Zuikaku got triggered again, pulling at her twin tails again in exasperation, Shigure wondering if her hair was supposed to be as short as Kaga's, and the only reason her hair became so long was that she kept on pulling at her hair so much whenever she got triggered or got too frustrated at anything, so much so that she stretched them out permanently.
But she gave her advice based on her earlier observations,
"I believe that the both of you aren't communicating well enough, and that this causes the conflict that exists between you two."
Zuikaku paused, and looked back towards Shigure with a befuddled expression that convinced Shigure, that she had to clarify herself.
"U-Um, it's just that, it seems that you're putting too much focus into your feud with Kaga-san, and if this continues, you might risk your life in order to prove a point.
And I do believe that while Kaga-san is tolerant of your attitude, I do believe that she doesn't want you to go that far just to prove that you're better than her."
Zuikaku seemed more confused than anything at this, and disputed,
"Yeah, but if I risk my life and I do prove that I'm better than her, isn't that a win-win?"
"Yes, but how many times can you escape death?"
"I'm a lucky ship!"
"High luck doesn't guarantee your survival. Trust me, I would know."
Shigure was stung upon hearing Zuikaku say something as thoughtless as that, and perhaps it was something that Zuikaku liked to boast about, but Shigure wasn't having any of that as she personally didn't like anyone talking as though they naturally had an immunity to death.
Zuikaku looked at Shigure upon hearing that, and Shigure could see that the Shoukaku-Class carrier was suddenly hit with the weight of her own words as she cringed upon realizing who she was talking to, backtracking as best she could while unable to meet Shigure's eyes.
"Well, I just want to show that we're better than her. I can't stand the fact that she does everything so…"
Her face contorted comically, as her arms formed claws and she held them up at an angle to claw at her imaginary foe, obviously frustrated at Kaga's ability to back up her status as an unforgiving senior and an inhumane screech escaping her clenched teeth.
"She does everything so… so… so perfectly!"
Shigure sweat dropped as Zuikaku raged on.
"Every time I mess up a shot, she makes a snide remark about my form every, single, time, and as I turn back to shoot back a retort about her shooting stance, there she is, letting loose a perfect shot, and I'm too awestruck to even criticize her form!"
"But don't you think that instead of criticizing it, you should instead learn from it, since you admire it so much?"
"B-But, that would mean that I'd have to ask her to teach me her ways!"
"Isn't that the point?"
"Eh?"
Zuikaku's expression was now straight out dumbfounded, uncomprehending of the wisdom hidden in the destroyer's words.
Shigure explained sagely, her index finger raised in order to get the carrier's attention and to illustrate her point.
"You see, you must learn from the best, which is currently Kaga, otherwise you'll forever be stuck in this back-and-forth relationship, where you're not performing to Kaga's standards.
Right now, the both of you are painfully aware of that, and she's stuck with making cold but observant remarks, probably until the end of time, since you're too prideful to explicitly ask her to teach you, and she keeps a respectful distance.
Answer me this, Zuikaku-san, have you ever heard even one of Kaga's remarks, that explicitly attacked you as a person, instead of criticizing your form, release or conduct?"
Zuikaku started, raising her right index finger her mouth opened up to retort, before her mind stopped, racing to find one, even one incriminating comment in her memory drives, that she could use to prove Shigure wrong.
After a solid 15 seconds perfectly mimicking the stillness of a statue, when Shigure started to look a little uncomfortable while wondering if she had broken the carrier, before Zuikaku slowly twitched her finger and slowly lowered it in defeat.
She couldn't find it.
Shigure could see that the Shoukaku-Class carrier had truly tried, but no matter how hard she tried to protest, Kaga-san's comments had likely all been beneficial in some way to help her improve her shooting form of to point out a flaw, without direct physical intervention to help her or attacking Zuikaku directly.
Shigure dropped her finger to let her hand hang by her side, closing in and asking.
"Is it truly such a repulsive idea, to ask your self-proclaimed rival for lessons to help improve yourself?"
Zuikaku sighed, replying meekly.
"Not entirely… It's just…"
Shigure leaned in closer to give her full attention, as she noticed Zuikaku looking uncomfortable, her cheeks colouring.
"I'm embarrassed…"
Shigure had to mentally replay that last part, and manually amplify it to hear what she said.
And when she heard it, she drew back, observing Zuikaku who was looking as if she wanted to be anywhere other than here, but it was hidden well behind her façade of toughness.
As to the reason why…
Zuikaku had feelings for Kaga.
She mentally took a step back, and reviewed everything about the situation.
From what she learnt from Junyou when she spoke of the modern world, the tsun part of tsundere meant to be initially cold to who you liked, or at least try to hide your feelings.
Check.
The reason of the whole rivalry thing was likely to get Kaga's attention, the target of her affection.
Check.
Embarrassment at taking the initiative, and getting closer with her crush via a one-to-one training session?
Check.
She noticed several features on Zuikaku's body as well, her contracted pupils and slightly colored cheeks along with a few stray beads of sweat to indicate heightened heartbeat, and her body posture awkwardly held up to indicate a false image of bravado, likely concealing something.
She wasn't an expert on body reading by any means, but Zuikaku wasn't a hard ship girl to read.
Not that she'd ever say that to her face.
But she was going to point out the elephant in the room.
"Do you like her, Zuikaku-san?"
Bingo.
Zuikaku sputtered, and her face was flushed as she bolted forward, and held her palm to Shigure's mouth to silence her, fiercely whispering.
"Shh! How do you know that?! You haven't even known us for a day yet!"
Shigure slowly held her arms up to pry Zuikaku's hand from her mouth, and conspiratorially whispered:
"It's not difficult. But, please explain, why do you repress your feelings and treat your senior, who might be cold but ultimately means well, with such disdain and refuse her training because of the very feelings that you're repressing?
It's a self-perpetuating cycle."
Zuikaku was stunned, suddenly looking very afraid of the very sharp and observant destroyer before her.
But she swallowed the lump in her throat as she silently pulled Shigure into a corridor not often used for navigating the building, and closed her eyes to take a few deep breaths.
The stale air that permeated the corridor, only made bearable by the air-conditioner at the end or the corridor pumping in fresh air to create a current of air, and she slowly opened her eyes to find Shigure looking intently up at her, every bit interested in hearing her explanation out.
Zuikaku looked away, as she looked around to make sure that there wasn't anyone nearby to overhear them, Shigure wondering why she was so adamant about keeping these feelings secret.
And now Zuikaku was looking into her eyes, trying to ascertain as to whether she was trustworthy enough to share this secret with, Shigure trying her best to look as nonthreatening as possible to convince the Shoukaku-Class carrier.
And the carrier's head finally drooped upon the entire thing being exposed by the newcomer destroyer, giving as she muttered.
"Sigh, I'll tell you what I want you to know, but I promise,"
She held Shigure by her shoulders, and pulled her in close to whisper in her ear, in a sickly sweet sing-song voice that promised only pain if her secret were ever to be revealed.
"If anyone hears of this, and this spreads throughout the base, I'll know who to find.
And when I do, being used for target practice will be the most lenient of your punishments, do you hear me?"
Shigure could only nod her head vigorously, already convinced that this was one secret that she would take to the grave with her.
Zuikaku looked convinced of the destroyer's sincerity, and let her arms drop to her sides to try to describe her problem.
"W-Well, it's like, all throughout my time here, Kaga-san has always been the very picture of a perfect carrier. Being calm and collected, never missing a crucial shot, and the shots that aren't so important, and… sigh… the rest of the shots, too."
Zuikaku raised her hand to scratch at the back of her head, suddenly looking rather embarrassed now that she was getting into describing her emotions, her face reddening again.
"As to how I feel about her, i-it's like, I do admire her unflappable demeanor, and I like how she's, like… hmm… cool?"
Her eyebrow was cocked when she was at a loss for words as to how to describe a positive trait about the stoic carrier.
"I really don't know what about her attracts me, but the mere fact that she's in the 1st Carrier Division, and the fact that she's so damn smug about it, just pisses me off and makes me want to show her the greatness of the 5th Carrier Division. But to do that, I had to suppress my feelings for her, and face her like I would a true rival."
Zuikaku now looked rather conflicted, her emotions now surfacing and interfering with her disdain concerning the 1st Carrier Division.
"But now that you mention it, as to why the feelings that I'm suppressing are now interfering with my decision to ask Kaga-san for advice,"
Zuikaku sighed again as she released Shigure, looking down at her shoes as though they were the most interesting thing in the world as she admitted.
"Yeah, I guess it's true. I've always hoped that if time passes, these feelings would go away. But no, the feeling's persisted, and right now, the advice that you've given is sound. But the question is how I'm going to make peace with these feelings without letting Kaga-san know about these feelings, because I'm definitely not ready for that yet."
Shigure lowered her head, brooding over the question, before raising her head to answer the carrier.
"Well, you can try to explain that you're uncomfortable with taking lessons from her, but that's not going to stop you from asking. She'll understand if you're flustered around her, but your dedication and your humility is likely to impress her, and she'll likely accept. As to how you're to make peace with your feelings, I'm sorry, but you'll have to figure that out on your own."
Zuikaku seemed a little dejected at that last sentence, but her face suddenly brightened up, trying to look on the bright side as she remarked,
"Ahh, it's alright! You've helped me enough, and I've got something to work with now! Thanks!"
Zuikaku gave Shigure a vibrant smile upon having accepted the Shiratsuyu-Class's well-meaning advice, Shigure unable to suppress the smile that also graced her face in response to the Shoukaku-Class's genuine smile as they both looked at each other, able to enjoy each other's company as ship girls who were able to connect with each other on some level.