#flexible reader

Not battle screams. Not training screams. The kind of screams that came from the south training field—the one reserved for private drills. The one where the new recruit had been sent to practice.

Hoshina pushed off the wall. His hand found his tanto on instinct. "What the hell was that?"

Kafka stopped chasing Iharu. Iharu stopped running. Reno actually looked up from his tablet.

The screaming continued. High-pitched. Terrified.

Hoshina ran.

The south training field was empty except for one figure. The new recruit—Name, he remembered, transferred from the Second Division—was standing in the middle of the field. They were looking down at something.

No. Someone.

A young soldier was on the ground, scrambling backward on his hands, his face pale as milk. His mouth was open. His eyes were wide. He looked like he'd seen a kaiju crawl out of his worst nightmare.

"What happened?" Hoshina demanded.

The soldier pointed at Name. His hand was shaking. "They—they—"

Name turned. Their expression was innocent. Confused. The face of someone who had absolutely no idea why a grown man was having a breakdown on their training field.

"Vice Captain," they said. "I was just practicing."

"Practicing what?"

"Flexibility."

Hoshina looked at the soldier. Then at Name. Then back at the soldier.

"Explain," he said.

The soldier took a deep breath. "I came to check on them. They were... they were just standing there. And then they turned around, and their legs were—" He made a vague gesture. "Their legs were behind their head."

Hoshina blinked.

Name tilted their head. "It was a warm-up stretch."

"A warm-up—" The soldier made a sound like a dying animal. "That's not a warm-up stretch. That's a horror movie. I thought their spine was broken. I thought they were dead."

"They're clearly not dead."

"I didn't know that!"

Hoshina looked at Name. They were standing normally now—legs where legs should be, arms where arms should be. They looked perfectly ordinary. Perfectly human.

And yet.

"Show me," he said.

Name blinked. "Vice Captain?"

"Show me what you did."

Name hesitated. Then they shrugged, bent down, and lifted their legs behind their head.

It happened in one fluid motion. Like they were made of water instead of bones and joints. Their spine curved. Their torso folded. Their feet rested neatly on either side of their ears.

Hoshina stared.

The soldier started whimpering again.

"Interesting," Hoshina said. His voice was remarkably steady, considering the circumstances.

Name unfolded. Just as fluid. Just as casual.

"Interesting?" the soldier shrieked. "That's not interesting. That's impossible. That's—" He stopped. His face went white again. "Oh no. Oh no, no, no."

"What?" Hoshina asked.

"They turned their head."

Hoshina looked at Name. They were now looking at him over their shoulder. Except their shoulders were facing the other way.

"What the hell," Hoshina said.

Name looked mildly concerned. "Is something wrong?"

"Your neck."

"What about it?"

"It's turned too far."

"No it isn't." They demonstrated. Another few degrees. "See? Perfectly normal range of motion."

Hoshina had seen a lot of things in his career. Kaiju. Blood. Kafka trying to cook. But this—this was something new.

He laughed.

Not a polite chuckle. Not a controlled smirk. A full, surprised, genuine laugh that echoed across the training field.

"Vice Captain?" Name looked confused. The soldier looked horrified. Hoshina couldn't stop laughing.

"You're—" He gasped for breath. "You're like a human pretzel. A terrifying, bendy human pretzel."

"I don't understand."

"That's the point." He wiped his eyes. "That's the whole point."

The soldier was still on the ground. Hoshina reached down and hauled him to his feet.

"Get back to the main field," he said. "And don't tell anyone what you saw."

"Vice Captain, I have to tell someone. I have to—"

"You have to forget. Forget you saw anything. That's an order."

The soldier nodded weakly and stumbled away.

Hoshina turned back to Name. They were watching him with those innocent eyes.

"Do you do that often?" he asked.

"Stretch?"

"Terrify new recruits."

Name thought about it. "Sometimes. I don't mean to."

"Doesn't matter if you mean to. The effect is the same."

They tilted their head. The other way. Hoshina's eye twitched.

"Are you scared, Vice Captain?"

"Absolutely not."

"You're breathing faster."

"That's because I was running."

"Your heart rate is elevated."

"You can hear my heart rate?"

"No. But I can see your pulse in your neck."

Hoshina touched his neck. His pulse was, in fact, elevated.

"You're very observant," he said.

"Thank you."

"That wasn't a compliment."

"I'll take it anyway."

Hoshina looked at them. They looked at him. Somewhere in the distance, the screaming had started again—probably the soldier telling someone else what he'd seen.

"Come with me," Hoshina said. "I need to introduce you to the rest of the division. Properly."

"Because I scared someone?"

"Because if you're going to terrify my soldiers, I want to watch."

Name's expression shifted. A small smile. Sharp. Knowing.

"You're strange, Vice Captain."

"So I've been told."

The introduction went exactly as Hoshina expected.

The Third Division gathered in the main training hall. Kafka, Iharu, Reno, Kikoru, a handful of other officers. They looked at Name with curiosity. Name looked at them with that same innocent expression.

Hoshina stood to the side. Watching. Waiting.

"This is Name," he said. "They're the new transfer from the Second Division. Sniper specialist. They'll be working with our long-range teams."

Name waved. Friendly. Open.

"Hi! I'm excited to work with all of you."

Kafka smiled. "Welcome to the Third! We're a little chaotic, but we take care of our own."

"I've heard. I'm not too worried. I've handled worse."

"What kind of worse?"

Name's eyes flickered to Hoshina. A question. He nodded.

"I'm a little... flexible," they said.

Iharu perked up. "Flexible? Like, you can touch your toes?"

"That's one way to put it."

"Show us!"

Name tilted their head. Hoshina knew that look. That look meant trouble.

"Are you sure?" Name asked.

"Yeah! We're all friends here."

Name looked at Hoshina. He shrugged. If they were going to do this, they were going to do it right.

Name bent backward. Their hands touched the floor. Then their feet. Then their head appeared between their legs.

"I'm not sure that's possible," Iharu said.

Name folded further. Their spine made a sound like cracking knuckles. Their legs went over their shoulders. Their torso twisted until they were looking at Iharu from upside down.

Iharu screamed.

It was a high, undignified sound that made Kafka jump and Reno drop his tablet. Kikoru's eyes went wide. The other officers scrambled backward.

"I think I'm scared of them," Kafka whispered.

"I think we all are," Reno replied.

Name unfolded. Smiled. "That was just the warm-up."

"The warm-up?" Iharu shrieked. "What does the main event look like?"

Name considered this. "I can fit in a suitcase. Not comfortably. But I can."

"Why would you ever need to fit in a suitcase?"

"Surprise attacks." They said it so casually. Like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Hoshina started laughing again. The kind of laughter that made his shoulders shake and his eyes water.

"Vice Captain," Kafka said, "are you okay?"

"I'm perfect," Hoshina said. "I've never been better."

Kikoru stepped forward. She had the expression of someone who had seen too much and was trying to process it.

"Can you control it?" she asked. "Or does it just... happen?"

"I can control it," Name said. "Mostly. Sometimes I forget I'm not supposed to turn my head that far. But I'm getting better."

"Getting better?"

"I used to do it more often. Scared a lot of people in the Second Division."

"I can imagine," Kikoru muttered.

Mina arrived at some point. She stood in the doorway, arms crossed, watching the chaos with her usual unreadable expression.

"Name," she said. "I've heard about you."

Name's smile didn't waver. "Captain Ashiro. I've heard about you too."

"I hope it was good."

"It was. You're the strongest captain in the Defense Force. You've never lost a squad. And you once killed a kaiju with a broken blade."

Mina's eyebrow twitched. "That last part is classified."

"I know. But I did my research."

"Did you now."

"Thoroughly."

Mina looked at Name. Name looked at Mina. Something passed between them—recognition, maybe, or the beginning of respect.

"Vice Captain Hoshina," Mina said, not looking away from Name. "Make sure they don't traumatize the division."

"Too late," Hoshina said.

"Then make sure they don't traumatize them again."

"That I can do."

Mina walked away. The rest of the division slowly drifted back to their training. But the energy had changed.

People kept looking at Name. Kept watching them. Kept waiting for the next impossible thing.

Name didn't disappoint.

They stretched in the corner—a casual, casual stretch that involved their entire body folding in half. A passing officer tripped. Another one dropped their water bottle.

Hoshina watched it all with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"You're enjoying this," Name said, walking over to him.

"Immensely."

"You're supposed to be in charge."

"I'm the Vice Captain. My job is to enjoy the chaos, not prevent it."

"That seems irresponsible."

"It's efficient."

Name looked at him. Really looked. Their head tilted—just a normal tilt, thankfully—and their eyes narrowed.

"You weren't scared," they said.

"Of what?"

"Of me. When you first saw me. Everyone else is scared. Even Captain Ashiro was a little unsettled. But you just laughed."

Hoshina thought about it. The first time he'd seen them—those legs behind their head, that impossible turn of their neck. His heart had jumped. His instincts had screamed. But underneath the shock, underneath the surprise, there was something else.

"Life is short," he said. "And kaiju are everywhere. Why waste time being scared of something that makes you laugh?"

Name was quiet for a moment.

"That's the first time I've heard someone say that."

"Is it?"

"Yeah. Usually people are just... scared. Or disturbed. Or both. No one ever laughs."

"Then they're missing out."

Name smiled. A real smile. Not the sharp one. Not the knowing one. Just... genuine.

"Thank you," they said.

"For what?"

"For laughing. For not treating me like a monster."

Hoshina looked at them. The human pretzel. The terror of the Second Division. The person who had almost made Iharu cry.

"You're not a monster," he said. "You're just... bendy."

Name laughed. It was a nice laugh. Warm.

"Can I ask you something?" they said.

"Go ahead."

"Do you think the rest of the division will ever get used to me?"

Hoshina looked at the training field. Kafka was eyeing Name from a safe distance. Iharu was still pale. Reno was making notes on his tablet—probably cataloging everything for future reference.

"Eventually," he said. "Give it a few weeks."

"And if not?"

"Then they'll just have to learn to live with being terrified."

Name smiled. That sharp smile. The one that made Hoshina's instincts tingle.

"I like you, Vice Captain."

"Don't get attached. I'm just here for the chaos."

"You're not just here for the chaos."

Hoshina looked at them. They were watching him with that same knowing expression.

"What makes you say that?"

"Because you were the first one to laugh. And you didn't stop. Even when I turned my head too far."

Hoshina's jaw tightened. "That's just how I am."

"Is it?"

"Yes."

"I don't believe you."

"You don't have to."

They stood in silence. The training grounds hummed with distant activity. Someone shouted. Someone laughed. Someone dropped something heavy.

"I'm going to prove it," Name said.

"Prove what?"

"That you're not as tough as you pretend."

Hoshina snorted. "Good luck with that."

"I don't need luck. I'm very patient."

"You're also very bendy. That doesn't help."

"You'd be surprised."

They walked away. Their steps were light. Confident. The kind of steps that knew they'd already won.

Hoshina watched them go. His heart was doing something strange. His pulse was elevated again.

He didn't think about it.

He definitely didn't think about it.

The next few weeks were chaos.

Name became a fixture. A beloved, terrifying fixture. They brought snacks to briefings. They remembered everyone's names. They were kind and gentle and patient.

And they also folded their body into impossible shapes at random moments.

A new recruit walked into the training room. Name was lying on the floor with their legs bent backwards over their head. The recruit screamed and ran.

Another time, an officer was looking for a missing file. Name reached into the cabinet—except their arm bent in a way that arms shouldn't bend. The officer almost fainted.

Kafka started avoiding Name entirely. Reno started taking bets on who would scream next. Iharu developed a system of looking away whenever Name stretched.

Kikoru was the only one who didn't react. She just watched Name with a sort of horrified fascination.

"You're ruining my reputation," she said one day.

"How?" Name asked.

"I'm supposed to be the intimidating one. But now everyone's scared of you."

"I'm not trying to be intimidating."

"Doesn't matter. The effect is the same."

Name considered this. "I could teach you some of my stretches."

"I don't want to be bendy. I want to be respected."

"You can be both."

Kikoru made a face. "That's not how it works."

"That's exactly how it works."

Hoshina watched it all. The chaos. The fear. The growing acceptance.

He watched Name the most.

The way they moved. The way they smiled. The way they could terrify a room and then immediately charm it with a kind word.

He was fascinated. More than fascinated.

He was in trouble.

The breaking point came during a joint exercise.

Name was assigned to the sniper position. The rest of the squad was on the ground. Hoshina was coordinating. Everything was going smoothly.

Then Name's position was compromised.

A kaiju—small, fast, unexpected—flanked the sniper nest. The rest of the squad was too far. Hoshina was too far. Name was alone.

He watched the screen. Watched the kaiju approach. Watched Name's figure remain completely still.

"Name, evac. Now."

"Can't."

"Why not?"

"Because I have a shot."

"You're compromised."

"Not yet."

The kaiju got closer. Hoshina's grip on his tanto was white-knuckled.

"Name—"

"I said I have a shot." Their voice was calm. Infuriatingly calm. "Trust me."

He heard the kaiju roar. Heard the crunch of its footsteps. And then—silence.

"Target neutralized," Name said.

Hoshina stared at the screen. The kaiju was on the ground. Still. Dead. Name was already moving.

"How?" he asked.

"They looked at me. Their eye was soft. Easy target."

"You used yourself as bait."

"I used myself as a target. There's a difference."

Hoshina found them in the corridor. Their uniform was torn. Their shoulder was bleeding. They were smiling.

"You're insane," he said.

"Thank you."

"It wasn't a compliment."

"I'll take it anyway."

He grabbed their arm. Pulled them into the medical bay. Didn't let go until a medic arrived.

"Don't do that again," he said.

"Do what?"

"Use yourself as bait."

"It worked."

"You could have died."

"I didn't."

"I don't care." His voice was sharp. Sharper than he intended. "I don't care if it worked. I don't care if you were fine. I don't care if you've done this a hundred times before. You don't get to be reckless. Not when—"

He stopped.

Name was watching him. Their expression was soft.

"Not when what, Vice Captain?"

He didn't answer.

They stepped closer. Their shoulder was still bleeding. Their uniform was still torn. But their eyes were clear and sharp.

"Not when you'll be the one watching," they finished. "Right? Not when you'll be the one waiting for me to come back."

Hoshina's jaw tightened. "That's not—"

"It is, though. Isn't it?"

He looked at them. The human pretzel. The terror of the Third Division. The person who had made him laugh when everyone else was scared.

"Yeah," he admitted. "That's it."

Name smiled. A genuine smile. Warm and real.

"You know," they said. "You're the first person who ever worried about me. The first person who ever cared if I came back."

"I'm not special."

"You are to me."

Hoshina's heart stopped. Then started again. Faster this time.

"Name—"

"I know. I know. You're the Vice Captain. I'm a subordinate. It's complicated."

"It's not complicated," he said. "It's impossible."

"Then why are you still here?"

He didn't have an answer for that.

So he kissed them. In the medical bay. In front of the medic. In front of everyone.

Name kissed him back.

The Third Division found out exactly three hours later.

Kafka saw them walking together. Hands intertwined. Shoulders brushing. He made a sound like a dying animal.

Iharu fainted. Reno started filming. Kikoru looked like she was considering a new career.

"Vice Captain," Kafka said. "What is this?"

"This is a person. Name. They're on the team."

"That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?"

Kafka pointed at their joined hands. "That!"

"Training exercise," Name said.

"What kind of training exercise involves holding hands?"

"The kind that trains emotional bonds. Trust. Intimacy."

"That's not—"

"It's a new technique. Very effective. Isn't that right, Vice Captain?"

Hoshina smirked. "Extremely effective."

Kafka looked between them. His face went through several expressions. Confusion. Realization. Horror.

"I need to sit down," he said.

"Good luck," Name said. "You'll get used to it. Eventually."

"I don't think I will."

"That's what they all say."

Hoshina laughed. That laugh. The one that made Name's heart skip.

"Come on, Pretzel," he said. "Let's go traumatize someone else."

"The new recruits are practicing in the east field."

"Perfect."

They walked away. Hands still intertwined. Shoulders still brushing.

The Third Division watched them go.

"I can't believe this," Kafka muttered.

"I can," Reno said. "They're weird enough for each other."

"Are you defending this?"

"I'm not defending anything. I'm observing."

"You're writing it down, aren't you?"

Reno didn't answer. He was too busy writing it down.

Mina watched from her office window. Name was laughing at something Hoshina said. Hoshina was looking at them like they were the only person in the world.

She smiled. Just a little. Just enough.

"Good for them," she murmured.

She went back to her paperwork. The chaos would continue. It always did. But this time, it was a good kind of chaos.