Infinite Stratos, Volume 7, page 13
As it echoed through the halls, girls popped their heads out of classrooms. Noticing them, she mumbled a quick “A-Anyway!” and ran off before she could attract any more attention.
“What was that about?”
Left behind, I set off for the counselor’s office myself, still carrying the bag.
◇
I... I said it... Kanzashi ran through the halls, her face red up to the tips of her ears. Ichika, who had changed my life. Ichika, who saved me. Ichika, who made me strong. I can’t stop thinking about him. Not after yesterday.
This was the first time she’d ever been in love, and she didn’t know what to do. Her head was spinning like a top. I... I’m not a weirdo, right? I didn’t do anything weird, did I? She ran through her memories.
“......Ah.”
She thought back to the second time they’d met, when she slapped him hard across the face. Looking back on it, it was a fatal mistake. I... I need to apologize to him for that...
When she did, he’d probably just go ‘Oh, no big deal’ or something. But still. Still. She wouldn’t feel right if she didn’t.
But I really don’t want to go right back to him after I just did that... That was a once-in-a-lifetime love confession. She absolutely couldn’t look him in the eye again so soon after. And...
She hadn’t actually said she wanted to go out with him. She’d just said what she was thinking. So there was no reason for him to have any reply to it. Plus, all the other girls called him ‘the granite blockhead, Orimura Ichika.’ Still... I told him I couldn’t stop thinking about him... The red glow of her face only deepened as her frustration with herself grew.
“Wait...” Something wasn’t quite right. She recalled their conversation.
“So, that’s what it takes to get your interest?”
“Y-Yeah... It is...”
“Huh.”
She stopped dead in her tracks, suddenly realizing something. Let’s look at this one more time, from the start.
We were talking about anime.
↓
“So, that’s what it takes to get your interest?”
↓
“Y-Yeah... It is...”
↓
“Huh.”
Waaaaaait. Could he have heard it more as...
“Y-Yeah... These are the kind of shows I’m interested in...”
He could have. He must have. Kanzashi screamed silently. She wanted to crawl in a hole and die. Instead, she took off running again.
◇
“Sigh...”
Meanwhile, in the student council meeting room of St. Marianne’s Junior Academy for Girls. Ran, clad in a mostly-black uniform, let out her seventeenth sigh of the day. She was in the president’s seat, but rather than sitting tall and imperious, she was slumped forward over the desk.
“What’s wrong, Prez?”
“Why do you look so down? C’mon, today’s the school festival.”
The other members, her friends, were clustered around her in concern, as she rasped out a reply as if her soul had floated away from her body.
“The person I invited...”
“Ooh! Who is it? Who’d you invite? Your boyfriend?!”
“It’s complicated...”
“Anyway, what happened?”
“He’s going to be late...” Ran sighed.
“That’s okay, though. Just means you have to wait a little longer.”
“It’s not like he’s standing you up or anything.”
“Yeah, but...”
“How late, anyway?”
“Two hours...” Meaning, there’s no way he could make the morning session.
“He can just come during the afternoon. It lasts ‘til three, that’s plenty of time.”
“It’s too bad it ends that early. I wish it was longer, and we could go until the evening and have a bonfire and stuff.”
“There’s no way they’d let us do that. The rules are way too strict here.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” Ran sighed again. Twenty, now. Already resigned but still somehow hoping, Ran looked back at the text from Ichika.
[Soz. I’m gonna be a little late, school rules. I’ll be there around noon, prob.]
I wanted to show him around all morning... On the other hand, noon had its own appeal. Everyone would be gathered on the terrace for lunch. There was no doubt that she’d be enjoying the meal bathed in envious stares. And just like that, the rumors will start to go around that he’s my boyfriend... Just as she was exulting, her phone began to vibrate again.
“A text— Ah!” She barely caught herself before she could yell ‘It’s from Ichika!’ Ran had kept who she had invited a closely-guarded secret, even from her friends. I wonder what it is? Will he be here early? Excitedly, she pressed the button to open it.
[Soz again. The debriefing’s starting back up after lunch. I’m gonna be another two hours or so late.]
“Eh...?”
Ran froze in shock for a moment. Wh... What’s a debriefing? And... And he’s going to be even later... The worst part was the ‘two hours.’ If he was planning on noon and now he was going to be two hours later than that, she’d only have an hour to show him around. And it would be the last hour, the one where everyone was more focused on cleaning up than anything else.
Tears began to well up in Ran’s eyes as she looked at her phone. Ichika, you... You... She jerked upright and yelled out, “YOU IDIOOOOOOT!”
◇
“Oh... Man...”
I’d sprinted all the way from the station to the gates of St. Marianne’s. It was 2 o’ clock on the dot. Pulling my phone out, I quickly dialed Ran. Ring... Ring...
Huh? She’s not picking up... That was weird. I looked down to make sure I had the right number, and yep, it said Gotanda Ran right there.
Ah. As I made my way through the gate and toward a statue of the saint herself, I saw Ran sitting on a bench under it.
“Hey, Ran! Hey!”
Hearing me, she looked up—
—And frowned.
“Huh?” As I made my way toward her, she stood up and walked away. “Wait, c’mon, Ran! What’s wrong?!”
I started after her, but was blocked by a woman in a nun’s habit.
“Do you have an invitation?”
“Of course. Um...” I fished through my pockets. I’d been sprinting all the way from IS Academy, so it had gotten pretty crumpled in my pants pocket.
She glanced back and forth suspiciously between me and the invitation. After two minutes of silent interrogation, she relented, “Very well.”
Taking my invitation back from the nun, I ran off after Ran.
“No running in the school!”
“S-Sorry!” The nun shouted back at me as I sped off. I slowed it down to a power walk that was nearly a jog. “Jeez...”
But St. Marianne’s during its school festival was a sea of girls in black blazers. I’d completely lost sight of Ran. They’re all staring at me, aren’t they... Clumps of three or four began to coalesce around me, keeping their distance. I feel like an animal at the zoo...
It reminded me of when I’d started at IS Academy. Stares. Stares. A driving rain of stares. So this is what it means to be in the hot seat... I sighed. Now what was I supposed to do?
“Hey, check him out!”
“Wow, yeah. I wonder if he’s here alone.”
“He looks familiar for some reason.”
“Ah! It’s him! That’s Orimura Ichika! We saw him on TV!”
“Seriously? No way! What’s he doing here?!”
“Someone must have invited him. But he’s alone now.”
“We should go talk to him.”
“Ahh! He’s coming this way!”
The girls’ whispering was reaching a fever pitch. Nervously, I approached the nearest group of girls and asked, “Um, do you have a second?”
“Of course! What is it?!” they answered in unison. What the heck was going on here?
“Um... Do you know Gotanda Ran from the junior school? I think she’s the student council president.”
“Of course! We do!”
“Do you know where I can find her? She isn’t answering her phone.”
“Beats me.”
Well, that was expected. Instead, I asked them to show me to the student council’s meeting room.
“H-How about we show you around instead?”
“Eh?”
I could feel a stare begin to burn a hole through me. Huh? Is someone looking at me? It didn’t feel like girlish curiosity. It felt like their eyes were drilling holes in the back of my head. Could that be... I had an idea of who it might be, and I spoke up loudly to make sure they could hear.
“Oh, that’s a good idea. I can’t find the person who invited me, so I’m just going to have to spend the afternoon with you instead!”
“Really?!” The smiles of the three girls suddenly brightened. Ugh... I felt like a total dick.
“AHHHHH!” I could hear footsteps from behind as a girl came running. It was Ran. “I-Ichika! Sorry to keep you waiting! C’mon, let’s go! We don’t have much time!”
She grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the trio. Yep, it had definitely been her watching. No, stalking, really. I put my hands together, miming an apology to the other girls.
Ran walked quickly, dragging me away. We were in the school building now, but I was still getting the silent treatment.
“Hey, Ran. Heeeeey.”
“.........”
“Are you mad I was late? I’m sorry.”
“It’s not that, I just...” I’d hoped she was finally opening up, but she just mumbled while scowling.
As for the school festival, well, St. Marianne’s was a girls’ school just like IS Academy, and the students were doing a lot of the same things. But compared to the state-of-the-art IS Academy, this school feels like it has a history. The windows were tall, like those in a church, letting in beams of sunlight. The floor and walls were a calm, stolid beige.
“Wow, Gotanda has her boyfriend with her.”
“That must be nice. I’m jealous.”
“I always thought she was too much of a stick in the mud for that.”
I could hear pieces of conversations as we passed the other girls. They must really like to talk about that kind of thing.
“Oh, there’s a takoyaki stand. Want some, Ran? My treat.”
“...Crêpes.”
“Eh?”
“I’d like a crêpe.”
“Ohh. Let’s find somewhere that has ’em, then.” I might have just been imagining things, but it seemed like Ran’s mood was brightening the more attention she attracted. “By the way, can you let go of my hand now.”
“No!”
“Huh, why?”
“Because you still haven’t shown any contrition for being late!”
“Listen, I had to—”
“Men shouldn’t make excuses!” Ugh, that was pretty harsh. “So this is to make you think about what you did wrong.”
As she spoke, she let go of my hand, only to wrap her arm around mine. Huh? Why did I have to be contrite, anyway? I couldn’t figure it out.
“Anyway, let’s go.”
She was suddenly stiff and formal, kicking her leg up with each step like a tin soldier on the march.
“Ran.”
“Y-Yeps?!”
“Aren’t you overdoing it?”
“I-I am not!”
Really. You sure?
“Oh well. Let’s find some crêpes.”
“Y-Yes!”
She was finally back to herself, and her smile shone like the sun. For the next hour, until the end of the festival, we walked arm-in-arm.
◇
“I’m terribly sorry, sir. But our dress code bans such... Gauche attire.”
“...Eh?” On the top floor of the Teresia, I was turned away by a middle-aged maître d’. “Uh, umm, what should I do then?”
“Ah, yes. You could return wearing a suit or a tuxedo.”
“I don’t even own one of those...”
This was... Bad. Really bad. The ticket wasn’t enough to get me in. I wished the Mayuzumi sisters had actually told me about that.
“Perhaps you could purchase one at the menswear shop on the third floor.”
“Um... What’s the cheapest one they have?”
“I believe... In the range of 100,000 yen.”
Gah. That was definitely out of a high schooler’s budget. I wondered what was going to happen with Houki. Women probably needed to be wearing an evening gown to get in, too.
“What seems to be the problem?”
I heard an unexpected voice from behind me. Turning to see who it was, I found a woman in just such a formal dress.
“Ahh, Miss Meusel.” The waiter turned to her and bowed.
She was quite tall, with flowing blonde hair. A real beauty, with ample breasts, a thin waist, and alluring hips. She wore a violet dress like she was born with it. The very picture of sophisticated charm.
“Is there some kind of problem?”
“I was simply explaining the dress code—and how he fails to meet it—to the young man.”
“Oh, come on. Why don’t you let the poor thing in?”
“I’m terribly sorry, but even at your request...”
“Well, well. I suppose there’s no other choice.” The woman, Meusel, tapped a finger on her chin, and turned to me. “Let’s go, then.”
“Huh? Go where?”
“Shopping. I’ll buy you an outfit.”
“Really?! I can’t impose like that!”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. I enjoy spoiling younger men.”
That was, uh, definitely an interesting hobby. As I was thinking, she linked arms with me.
“Which floor was the menswear shop, again?”
“The third floor.”
“Thank you.”
Eh? Is this real life?
“Um...”
She giggled. I wanted to say something, but before I could, she started walking. It was like being caught up in a sudden storm.
“Why, it looks perfect on you!”
“Th-Thanks.”
I was nervous trying on a real tuxedo for the first time in a shop full of expensive suits. Wait. Isn’t this crazy expensive? I tried to get a peek at the price tag, but Meusel stopped me. I was pretty sure I saw five zeroes, though.
“I... I really can’t accept this, you know.”
“You’re still worried about the price? How adorable.”
“I mean, I’m sure you’re just trying to be nice, but... Why?“
“Oh? Do I need a reason to help someone?”
I melted before her bewitching smile.
“Umm...”
Ugh. My heart was pounding.
“I suppose, if you need a reason. It’s for the satisfaction?”
“Satisfaction?”
“Yes. Satisfaction. If I help a young man who’s down on his luck, he’ll be grateful. That’s satisfying. If nothing else, it flatters my vanity and my ego. You know?” She winked, and I could tell she was joking.
She must have actually just wanted to help me. I couldn’t tell if I was more impressed with her grace or her cleavage, but something about her definitely made me like her. So this must be what they mean when they call a lady a fox. The more I thought about it, the more my pulse raced.
“Oh my. Your tie’s all crooked.”
I reached down to fix it, but before I could, she had stretched out her own hand.
“Th-Thanks.”
“Now see? Isn’t that better? Now you just need—”
“Miss Meusel. Your order.”
“Excellent timing.”
Thinking back, I had noticed she was on the phone talking to someone before I went into the dressing room. And now, a florist wearing an apron arrived in the shop. I could tell it was a florist because they had a bouquet of roses in their hands.
“Thank you. Send the bill to the usual place.”
“Of course. We look forward to your next order.” The florist bowed and left. Taking the bouquet, Meusel sniffed it and nodded. “They’re perfect. Here you go.”
“Eh?”
She handed it to me. It must have been at least 20 roses, and it was heavier than I expected.
“Your date must be waiting for you, right? Be a gentleman. Bring her flowers to apologize.”
“Ahh...”
“Anyway, you should get going. It isn’t right to keep a girl waiting. The world moves twice as fast for women, you know.”
“Uh, can you give me your number or something? So I can pay you back?” For a fifth time, I asked, not wanting to take the tuxedo and the flowers for free. But she simply smiled and waved me away, as if telling me to hurry up. What should I... I looked at the clock as I worried. Oh crap! I’m almost an hour late! “S-Sorry! I’ll get going! Thank you so much!”
“I will accept your gratitude, though.”
“Can I at least have your first name?”
She grinned and answered, “Squall. Squall Meusel.”
Squall, huh. I should remember that name.
“Thanks again! Goodbye!”
“Yes. Perhaps we’ll meet again, Orimura Ichika.”
I walked to the elevator as fast as I could without wrinkling my tuxedo. Wait...
“Did I tell her my name?”
While I was trying to remember, the elevator’s bell chimed as I reached the top floor. I had to hurry up and find Houki!
◇
Houki sat, nervously, at a window seat with a panoramic view of the night sky. The reason for her anxiety was her clothing.
“I’m sorry, Miss, but our dress code requires an evening gown.”
With that, the maître d’ had supplied one. This was the reality of a female-dominated society. Men were simply cleared out of the lobby, told to come back after shopping, but for women, the restaurant would supply something proper.
I wonder if I look right in it... She was wrapped in a pure white gown, elegant and refined. The last time she’d worn something like this was during the production of Cinderella at the school festival. Then, she’d been so focused on winning the right to room with Ichika that she didn’t have time to worry about how light and flimsy Western eveningwear was.
For me, it’s kimono all the way. They were simply the most functional clothing in the world. At least in her mind. While she was lost in thought, a voice came from behind her, “Sorry, Houki. I’m late.”
