Infinite Stratos - Volume 1, page 13
"Then, see you later, Ichika."
For some reason, it seems like she emphasized on the 'see you later' part. Am I thinking too much? It seems like I'm thinking too much...no, it definitely happened.
"...Ichika, what did she mean by that?"
After Houki walked out of the control room, it looked like Rin got in a bad mood--she tried to force a smile in order to hide it--and as she asked me, the voice she made was lower by two keys.
"Hm? Nothing, just that Houki's the one who usually showers first, but since I'm all sweaty now, I asked her if we could switch the bathing order--"
"Sho-Show-Shower? 'Usually'? Ic-Ichika, what sort of relationship do you have with that girl?"
"What relationship...didn't I say it before? We're childhood friends."
"Si-Sin-Since when are the terms 'childhood friends' and 'bathing order' related?"
Oh yeah, I haven't told her yet.
"I'm living in the same room as Houki."
"...What?"
"It's not like 'that'. My entrance was rather unexpected, and it seems like they couldn't get a room ready for me at the time. So I'm now living in a standard two people-room--"
"Do-Does that mean that you're living in the same room as that girl?"
"Hm? Sort of? But really, it's a good thing that it's Houki. If I had to live in the same room with someone I don't know at all, I would be too nervous to sleep."
"..."
"Hm? What's with you?"
"...if it's a childhood friend, it is..."
"?"
As Rin lowered her head, I couldn't hear her clearly, so I pulled my ears closer. I can't see her expression due to the angle.
"I'M JUST SAYING, IF IT'S A CHILDHOOD FRIEND, ITS OKAY, RIGHT!?"
"WAH!"
She forcefully lifted her head high, and I stepped back in shock. Had I been closer to her, I would have been headbutted by her.
"I got it, I got it! I see, I see, I understand it clearly."
For some reason, Rin was expressing that she understood something, as she continued to nod. What now? What did she understand?
"Ichika!"
"Ye-yes!"
"Don't forget that you have two childhood friends."
"I won't forget even if you don't remind me..."
"Then, see you later!"
After saying that, Rin dashed out of the control zone.
Will today's fluency award be presented to the 'see you later' part? It's only April!? Speaking of which, did she accumulate quite the experience? Rin? You do know that 'not doing what you promised' has many implications on trust issues, right?
"Ugh..."
Whether they're girls' thoughts, or even childhood friends thoughts, I don't really understand them at all.
◇
"As I just said, let me change rooms with you!"
"Wha-what kind of a joke is this? Why should I listen to you?"
We were outside my room right now, and it was past 8pm. Right after I finished dinner, and was pouring some tea, Rin suddenly barged into our room, and things ended up like this.
--No, these two are completely at loggerheads.
"No, but Shinonono-san must hate living with a guy, right? Since you have to consider other people's feelings, you probably can't relax at all. I'm not bothered by it, so I'm saying that we should switch rooms."
"I-I never said that I hated living together with a guy...besides, this is both Ichika's and my problem, so I don't want anyone else interfering!"
"Relax, I'm his childhood friend anyway!"
"What kind of reason is that?"
So far, the situation hasn't shown any progress; or better put, they can't seem to reach a common agreement. Rin has always had a 'do as I please' personality, and Houki's a lot more stubborn than normal people. No matter what, I can't see them settling this peacefully. Even when it's the 21st century, humans are still humans; old habits die hard.
Speaking of which, am I seeing things? It seems Rin brought her luggage bag over.
"Rin."
"Yes?"
"Is that your luggage bag?"
"Yup. All I need is a Boston bag and I'm ready to go."
She's as quick as ever. Among girls, Houki already has very little luggage, but Rin has so little luggage that it's an exaggeration. I once joked that she seemed capable of moving out anytime, and she got quite pissed off, so I never mentioned it again.
On a side note, when Cecilia brought me to see her room, for a moment, I thought that I had entered a high-class hotel. The bed, dressing table, table, even the chairs; all the furniture and decoration were specially ordered, even the wallpaper and lights--I only dare to say it now, but that was somewhat scary.
That was the first time I had ever seen a bed with a canopy over it. And the girl who's living with Cecilia looked really pitiful; almost all the space got taken by Cecilia! Hey, England's representative candidate, you should live more modestly, you know?
"Anyway, I'll also be living here from today onwards."
"Wha-what kind of a joke is that? Get out! This is my room!"
"It's also 'Ichika's room' right? Then there's no problem!"
After that, Rin turned to me as if she wanted me to agree with her. Houki also looked like she wanted me to agree with--getting Rin out--as she looked at me; or more accurately, glared at me.
"Please, don't get me involved..."
It hurts, I need a light painkiller pill here!
"Anyway, I won't switch rooms! You're the one who should get out, so get back to your own room!"
"Oh yeah, do you remember our promise, Ichika?"
"Don-don't you dare ignore me! Okay, if that's the case, I'll use violence..."
Completely agitated, Houki grabbed the shinai beside her bed, ready to be used anytime.
"Ah, you idiot--"
I couldn't stop her in time. Houki lost all her cool as she swung the blade at the completely defenseless Rin.
*BAM!*
Such a loud sound. No, wait, now's not the time to sit by and watch the show!
"Are you alright, Rin?"
"Of course I am. Right now, I'm--a representative candidate after all."
Looking closely, the attack I thought that hit her head was blocked by the IS part deployed on her right arm.
"...!"
More shocked than anyone was Houki. Even if the IS deployment is fast, the one doing that is the pilot--a flesh and blood human. In other words, the deployment can't possibly surpass human reflex.
And that attack wasn't at a level where a normal human could react at such an important moment. In other words, this proves a simple yet clear fact, Rin is strong.
"Speaking of which, had it not been me, that would have been very dangerous, you know?"
"Ugh..."
Maybe pointing out that she lost control in her anger was more effective than anything else. Houki looked full of guilt as she turned to look away.
"Fine, nevermind!"
Rin didn't mind as she removed the IS part. The right arm that was covered by the cool armor flashed and reverted back to its original state.
"Wha, that..."
How awkward. Houki remains silent as she's affected by the abnormal out-of-character moment she showed, and Rin's looking excited as she waits for my reply.
--Hm? Now that she mentioned it, she did say something about some promise or something.
"Rin, as for that promise."
"Wha. Mm, you should...remember that, right?"
She suddenly lowered her head as she continued to peek up at me, looking rather embarrassed. Is it just me?
"Let me see, you mean that one? If Rin's cooking skills improve, everyday, she'll cook sweet-and-sour pork--"
"Yup, that's right. That's the one!"
"--For me to eat, right?"
I remember that we seemed to have made that promise when we were in elementary school. Really, so amazing! I must have a good memory if I can recall that much into the past! Seems like my brain cells are seriously working; I'll have to reward it.
"...What?"
"Isn't it about the promise that Rin will treat me to eat, once she learns to cook"
Anyway, it's free, so there's nothing better than that.
"But I'm really impressed with my own memory--"
*PA!*
"...Wha?"
I suddenly got slapped. As it happened so suddenly, I couldn't understand what's going on. I blinked my eyes, and my gaze met Houki's. She was giving me a vague look as well.
"Wha, that..."
I slowly, really slowly, turned my face back to where it was facing, and see Rin. However, the thing I see is a scene I don't want to see the most.
"..."
Her shoulders were trembling, and she was glaring at me with hatred. Her eyes were watery, and her lips looked like she was about to cry anytime soon, as they remained sealed up.
"Oh, hey, Rin..."
"YOU'RE THE WORST! YOU CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER THE PROMISE YOU MADE TO A GIRL! YOU'RE A SHAME AMONGST MEN! GET BITTEN BY A DOG AND DIE!!!"
Right after it, Rin moved really fast; she grabbed the luggage on the floor as if she was snatching something, and charged out of the room, almost as if she had kicked the door.
*BAM!!* After hearing the noise of the door being slammed, I finally pulled myself together.
"...It's over, I made her angry."
It was completely my fault...I guess? Even so, I'm infuriated that she said that I'm the worst amongst guys. I don't remember making such a promise with her, that I had to get scolded to such an extent.
--No wait, she was crying...that's right, she was definitely crying.
"Ichika."
"Ah? What is it, Houki?"
"Get kicked by a horse and die."
GACK, WHY IS HOUKI ANGRY NOW? And my face's starting to hurt now. I hope the swelling subsides before tommorrow...
If it doesn't, I'll definitely face my classmates interrogation squad. No matter how many times I have experienced it, I can't get used to it. Speaking of which, why are the girls' topics so distant? To be honest, I can't catch up at all.
"Sigh..."
Anyway, let's sleep for today. Though it's not even 9, I can't do anything even if I'm awake. Besides, Houki's angry as well, nothing good will come of me being awake.
The situation should improve tomorrow morning...probably not. As the saying goes, girls' feelings last 3 times longer than guys'.
Sigh, why are the people of the opposite gender around me...I'll omit this part, please read the above text.
--The next morning, there was a large poster pasted on the students corridor.
The topic is Class Representative Tournament Schedule.
And my preliminary opponent is--Rin from class 2.
Chapter 4: Showdown! The Class League Match
May.
It's been several weeks since what happened that time, and Rin's mood hasn't improved, it has worsened.
Not only did she avoid me, she would deliberately turn her head away whenever we occasionally met in the canteen. Her firepower is all deployed in the 'I am really angry' department. Unfortunately, this anti-air firepower wasn't used on the Yamato-class battleships during World War 2...well, I don't know, but that's a pity.
"Ichika, the inter-class battle will be next week. The arena will undergo a settings adjustment, so today will be the last day for a practical battle."
After school, while seeing the sky gradually turning orange, I started to head towards the 3rd arena for my special training.
Like usual, the members were me, Houki and Cecilia. Thanks to the tense situation in my class simmering, the number of times I got surrounded by questions and stares has drastically decreased.
Even so, the fact that the raging topic is about me being in this school hasn't changed one bit. The stands on that day should be packed!
Let's cut at this part first. The 2nd years who sold the seats in the stands as 'reserved seats' were punished by Chifuyu-nee a few days ago. It seems the mastermind was confined in her dorm for 3 days. What in the world did they do?
"At least the IS control has gotten somewhat decent, so this time--"
"Because I've been training him as well! It would be strange had he not reached this standard."
"Since when is mid-range useful! First, Ichika's IS doesn't have any ranged weapons."
Houki's words were more forceful now, maybe because she got interrupted.
Truth be told, she's right. My Byakushiki IS doesn't have any ranged weapons, only the Yukihira Nigata.
Usually, every IS should have its own signature weapons, but only this 'prototype armament' wouldn't be enough, so there are also side arms. For example, Cecilia's initial IS weapons are the Blue Tears, while the gun and close-ranged sword are the side arms. Something like that.
And for this sort of side arms, the ISes have something like an 'equalizer'. Though the number of armaments a suit can equip differs due to the specs, an ordinary IS can have at least two...that should be the case.
The reason why I said 'that should be the case' is because my IS doesn't seem to be like that. The number of equalizers I have is zero. And since I can't change my initial weapon, the weapons I have only include a close-ranged sword.
"If we're talking about credit, what about Shinonono-san's kendo training? It's useless to train without the IS."
"Wha-what are you saying? Haven't you heard the saying 'the essence of kendo is the 'insight'? The 'insight' refers to everything that is in front of the eyes--"
"Ichika-san, we'll start learning from the 'no recoil spinning attack' we worked on yesterday!"
"Hey, you--listen to me, Ichika!"
"I told you, I'm listening!"
Speaking of which, why are you venting your anger on me?
After sensing that something's wrong, I touched the sensor of the A control zone door of the 3rd arena. Through fingerprint and pulse identification, I got clearance, and the door opened with a 'whoosh'. No matter how many times I hear it, the release of compressed air still feels loud to me.
"I've been waiting for a long time, Ichika."
To think that the one waiting for me here is actually Rin. She folded her arms, looking rather cocky and fearless as she smiles. She definitely looked angry yesterday, so how much has her mood changed...ah, I can feel Houki and Cecilia frowning behind me. Don't look at me, it's not my fault!
"Why are you here—"
"Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to enter this place!"
Houki got interrupted again. Give it up, it's that kind of a day.
With an 'ah?', Rin gave a taunting smile as she said with self-righteousness.
"I'm authorized, I'm related to Ichika! So there's no problem."
Well, sort of, but isn't that a bit weird, Houki—
"Oh? Then I should ask what sort of relationship do you have..."
"I guess the saying 'the wicked strikes first' refers to people like you!"
Woah, even Cecilia's mad. But Houki's twitching lips are even more terrifying. Even if I'm not the one at fault, this silent rage puts a lot of pressure on me. Those with weak hearts, please take note, there's a humanoid weapon nearby.
"...Are you thinking of something rude, Ichika?"
"No, nothing. I'm just giving a chopper knife alert."
"You, you bastard—!!"
Rin interrupts me and Houki.
"It's my turn to take the stage, I'm the main character now, all supporting characters can just move aside!"
"Su-Supporting character—?"
"Okay okay. We won't be able to move on like this, so I'll explain later...Ichika, have you properly reflected?"
"Huh? About what?"
"About what, you say! You should feel regret about making me mad, or thinking how to 'make up with me', right?"
"Even if you say that...you're the one who has been hiding from me, right?"
"You...don't tell me you would really ignore a girl when the girl says 'don't bother me'?"
"Yup."
Isn't that obvious? If the girl doesn't want others to bother her, isn't it better to ignore her?
"Is there anything wrong?"
"Is there an...AHH, DAMN IT!!"
Rin shouted agitatedly as she scratched her head irritatedly. If you mess up your hair, it's not my fault!
"HURRY UP AND APOLOGIZE!"
Sorry, but I can't just agree to this one-sided request. It's not that I'm hesitating over that, but I just can't admit guilt in a case where I can't accept it.
"Why should I? I did remember the promise, right?"
"I don't believe it! Are you still talking about that? You were wrong about the meaning, the important thing is the meaning'!"
"Meaning (Imiga)?" That Okinawa dish made from pork? That's pig ears (Mimiga).
"You're thinking something rude again, right?"
Wah, found out again. As expected of the childhood friend that came after Houki, she has gotten used to observing me already!
"How infuriating. So you won't apologize no matter what?"
"That's why I said, I'll apologize when you give me a proper explanation!"
"It-It's because I didn't want to explain it clearly that I came all the way here!"
So what is it? I don't understand what she means at all.
But since I expressed it, I can't just back away like that. A man can't take back his own words like that so easily; a declaration without action is just sophistry or a lie. And sincerity is the result of continuing to take action. This is what a man has to prove.
"So be it! In the class rep battle next week, the loser will have to listen to what the winner commands, is that alright?"
"Okay, if I win, you'll have to explain it clearly."
Fight fire with fire, an eye for an eye, this is a deal that doesn't allow any backing out. As a guy, how can I step back after I've agreed? I won't be that shameless.
"Ex-Explain it..."
For some reason, Rin started to blush as she pointed at me. Why? Is it really embarrassing to say why you're angry?"
"What's the matter? You can back off if you want."
Good thing I said that cordially, but it seems to have the reverse effect on Rin.
"Who would back off? You better practice how you'll apologize to me?"
"Why? You idiot!"
