The Defense Force base was always loud — alarms, drills, shouting officers — but somehow everyone fell quiet whenever Captain Soshiro Hoshina looked at you.

You were the newest female member of the First Division, sharp-eyed, fast, and stubborn enough to keep up with even the strongest officers. You didn’t notice it at first, but everyone else did:

Hoshina liked you. A lot.

Whenever you entered the training yard, his gaze followed you. Whenever you spoke, he listened too quickly. Whenever a Kaiju threat was reported, he always said the same line:

“She’s with me.”

Kafka teased him. “Captain, you’re staring again.”

Hoshino denied it every time, cheeks slightly red. “I’m just… assessing her combat skills.”

But then you’d smile at him — that small, innocent smile — and the tough captain would break formation for half a second, losing the cold, controlled attitude he always carried.

One evening, after a mission, you were cleaning your weapon when you noticed him watching you from the hallway.

“Captain? Do you need something?”

He turned away too fast. “…Just making sure you didn’t get hurt.”

You stepped closer. “I can take care of myself.”

“I know.” His voice softened — something no one ever heard from him. “That’s why it scares me more.”

Behind the glass windows, the rest of the squad watched like it was a drama episode.

Kafka whispered, “He’s down BAD.”

And he was.

But Hoshina didn’t care — not when it came to you. You weren’t just a teammate.

You were the one person who could make the strongest captain falter… and the only one he secretly wanted to protect more than anything.