Infinite Stratos - Volume 7, page 14
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"Un..."
Her consciousness still blurry, Tatenashi slowly blinked twice.
The white ceiling's dyed orange.
"O-Onee-chan..."
Tatenashi turned to the voice who called her.
Kanzashi was probably waiting for Tatenashi to recover, and stood up from the chair
"Are you, awake...?"
"Yes... This is...?"
Tatenashi still wasn't fully awake, and she asked Kanzashi in a somewhat dazed tone.
"The school's, medical office..."
"Not the infirmary...owowoww."
Her mind still blank, Tatenashi tried to stand up, but the moment she was about to do that, she was stopped by her pain and a panicking Kanzashi.
"You still can't move, yet...it's not fatal...but, your wounds aren't light..."
"Okay..."
After that, Tatenashi and Kanzashi continued to remain silent for a while.
--It had been a long time since the sisters had had such a conversation.
Both of them were thinking that.
The older sister who was always mindful of her younger sister's thoughts.
And the younger sister who feared the older sister.
However, those things felt like lies, and both of them naturally became silent.
(It's really thanks to Ichika...)
Tatenashi remembered about asking Ichika to pair up with Kanzashi.
Thinking about it, it was really strange.
(Why did I ask him in the first place...)
At that time, she didn't really realize something, but she just believed it.
That it'd be okay to leave it to him.
(Did I...)
Gradually, Tatenashi started to blush.
(Want to flirt around with him...)
Suddenly realizing that she started to blush, Tatenashi hurriedly turned to the window to avoid letting her younger sister detect it.
"Onee-chan..."
"Wha-What is it?"
"What happened...? Your face, it's red...?"
Not good. It seemed her agitation was about to show.
"Most likely due to the sunset..."
"Really...?"
Silence took place after that.
After about ten minutes, Kanzashi hesitated, and finally decided to say.
"We, erm, y'know...onee-chan..."
"Mn?"
"I'm sorry...for all this time..."
"Don't worry about that."
"Bu-But..."
She labeled others randomly, created a wall on her own, and kept running.
Facing herself like this, Kanzashi couldn't help but be so ashamed that she couldn't forgive herself.
"I'm...one useless imouto..."
"That's not true."
Tatenashi endured her pain and got up, hugging Kanzashi, who was about to cry out.
"You're my precious imouto. A very strong one, my younger sister—"
Kanzashi's head continued to be patted, and unable to take it any further, she teared up.
"Onee-chan...onee-chan..."
"Nn."
In the medical office with only two people, the sisters finally broke their frozen bond, and their souls finally interacted.
Only the sunset remained, watching over both of them silently.
◆
"Hmm..."
Why did it end up like this?
"My turn. Yosh, 2 Fives."
"I'll put 2 Sevens then."
"Nuah! I wanted to put Seven!"
"Then, I'll pass."
"My turn? Then, I'll put two Aces."
Right now, Houki, Cecilia, Rin, Charl and Laura are playing Daihinmin[7D 14] in my room.
'As punishment for not pairing up with us, you must listen to one request from us'—just like that, the five of them requested this at the same time.
And my response was that I couldn't do that for 5 people, and so the winner will take it! Just like that, the victor would be decided by Daihinmin.
"I say, can't you settle this another day? A lot of things happened today. You must be really tired already, right? And you're all injured—WAU!"
A pillow got thrown over, and the one who threw that was Rin. It seemed that she threw that with her injured right hand as she let out a strange moan and squatted down. What's she pulling now?
"This little thing isn't much of an injury at all!"
"That's right! I hope you don't underestimate the Representative Cadets."
"Mn. Besides, there are things girls can't back away from."
"There's no one in our squad who'll waste time saying such nonsense about being treated as casualties with just this damage."
"Speaking of which! If you think that you are fine, be gentler to me! Get me juice! And snacks!"
Ahh, Rin revived.
But everyone's energetic, and I'm the one who was really injured.
"I-Ichika, if you're bored, please rub my shoulders..."
"Huh? Ahh, okay. I'm fine with it."
I answered Rin by nodding my head, and then went behind her back.
"Are your shoulders okay? Huh, uwah! Your cards are weak."
"Sh-Shut up! I'm starting a Grand Reversal. Just shut up and rub my shoulders!"
"Yes yes."
I really can't deal with her.
Thinking that as I was about to rub her shoulders, Charl's cry pierced into my ear.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHH!!! ICHIKA, YOU CAN'T! THE WINNER'S NOT DECIDED YET! YOU'RE REALLY SNEAKY, RIN!"
"THAT'S RIGHT! CHARLOTTE'S RIGHT! THIS IS FOR THE WINNER..."
"HUUH, SHUT UP! DON'T GET BETWEEN ME AND ICHIKA!"
"Stop joking around. Is your throat itching to be pierced through?"
In this ruckus, the 5 of them gradually had less cards.
Now, it's finally Charl's turn.
"Then...this!"
She showed 4 Eights...which means, that...!
"A REVOLUTION! NO—IT'S THE FRENCH REVOLUTION!"
"""ICCCHHHHIIKKKKAAAAA!!!!!!!!!"""
Everyone got really angry. Huh?
The intense poker card battle lasted late into midnight.
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"..."
IS Academy, Underground Special Area—
In this place, of which only a handful amongst the teachers were aware of, Maya was analyzing the unmanned machines that were taken.
"How about you take a rest?"
"Ahh... Orimura-sensei."
Chifuyu walked into the room and threw a can of drink at Maya.
Tasting the Royal Milktea that was passed to her, Maya showed the investigation results on the screen.
"Please look. As expected, they're the upgraded versions of the unmanned machine that appeared before. I'm certain of it."
"And the cores?"
"According to the records before, they're still unregistered."
"...How many did you retrieve?"
"Two of them. The other cores were completely wrecked in battle...what do we do?"
After pondering for a while, Chifuyu answered simply.
"We'll report to the government that all the cores were destroyed."
"Bu-But, that'll mean—"
"Think about it. The IS cores are things any country would desire. If we hand them over, there'll be a lot of unnecessary conflicts."
Chifuyu sounded confident, but according to what she said, it'd mean that the Academy would be exposed to danger.
"..."
Seeing Maya remain silent, Chifuyu continued to remain optimistic.
"Hey hey. Who do you think I am? I was called the world's strongest before."
"Yes..."
"One Academy or two, I'll protect them."
Chifuyu curled her lips up slightly.
"—With my life on the line."
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"...Fua, ngh...In the end, they couldn't settle the score. We were forced to stop since we disturbed others. Well, I don't really mind."
It'd been an entire night since the unmanned machines attacked, and I went to the sink in my room.
"Owowowow..."
My joints and bones hurt after just a little movement.
After that battle, I was treated, and found that I had 17 bruises, a scratched right shoulder, and two broken ribs.
(My body still hurts, but it's not so bad that I have to stay in the hospital. I need to go out today too.)
First, a trip to Ran's Saint Marianne's Academy for the School Festival, and then the dinner with Houki at the hotel.
Well, I need to check the transfer time.
*KOK* *KOK*.
"Hm?"
On hearing the knock on the door, I answered as I left the basin.
"Who's that—?"
"Yees, it's me!"
It's Yamada-sensei. She does feel really happy today. Is it because the breakfast was nice today?
They would switch menus everyday. The egg with natto set meal today was really good. Though Cecilia was staring at it with a look of complete disbelief when she saw that...it was really good.
"Orimura-kun!"
"Yes."
"You're going to be investigated!"
"...What?"
Erm, did I just hear that someone will be investigating me?
"The investigation will begin in 20 minutes. Please come over to the Student Counselling Room."
"Huh, well...I need to go out now."
"Huh? No way. We can't write a report if we don't understand the cause of this event. All personal IS pilots who were involved in the battle have to turn up, you know?"
"Then...how long will it take?"
"Yes! It's about 2 hours."
What? Two...hours?
"On a side note, what'll happen if I refuse?"
"Erm, you'll be kept under detention."
"By who?"
"The Government's IS branch."
Uwa—
"After that, you may end up having Orimura-sensei's personal counselling, you know?"
Personal counselling. Well...it's called counselling, but it's basically just training the students physically until they're completely worn out.
On a side note, those students who went out of the school on their own seemed to be saying that 'It's like hell on Earth' when they came back.
I don't want it. Definitely no way will I want it.
"Then, Orimura-kun, please don't be late."
"Ah—...yes..."
Having finished settling her stuff, Yamada-sensei took small steps and went away, *tatata*.
What do I do now...
(Anyway, better send a mail to Ran first.)
Will she be angry? I guess. Got to apologize to her first.
"Haa..."
After sighing, *KOK* *KOK*, another knocking on the door could be heard.
"Yamada-sensei?"
"E-Erm...!"
On opening the door, I found Kanzashi standing in front of me there.
"Hm? What's the matter?"
"We-Well..."
"Ahh, do you have to come along with me for the investigations?"
"Y-Yes..."
It's really unbelievable to see Kanzashi calm down like this and think. Just when I thought of this, she suddenly glared at me. I think she said that she hated to be looked at by guys like that?
"I'll put on my clothes. Please hold on."
"A-Alright...I'll wait..."
Kanzashi nodded her head hard. She really looked completely different from when we first met.
Of course, it's for the better.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Then, let's go."
"Nn..."
I got out from the room and walked with Kanzashi side by side.
On a side note, it's now 9am.
"But it was really bad yesterday. Kanzashi, is your body okay?"
"I'm okay...I-Ichi-Ichika...how about you?"
It felt like she was a little awkward with calling my name. I don't think my name was something that hard to pronounce.
"I'm fine. No problem."
Let's leave it as that. In fact, I can still walk.
"How's Tatenashi-san?"
As she was sent to the Medical Office, Kanzashi followed her, so she should know.
"O-Onee-chan's...she-she needs to be monitored in the Medical Office for a while..."
In other words, she needs to be hospitalized, right? Well, I need to bring some visit gifts. What should I get?
"What does Tatenashi-san like?"
"Huh? Erm...Shogi[7D 15], I guess..."
"How refined."
However, she can't play Shogi alone. It'll cause disturbances in the patient's room. Better not get that.
While thinking about all this, Kanzashi raised her volume slightly.
"Are-Are you worried, about onee-chan's situation?"
"Hn? No, I'm just wondering about what kind of gift I should buy for her—"
"A, gift...?"
"Yup. It's a lonely life in a hospital, isn't it?"
"Ah...I see..."
Kanzashi looked like she heaved a sigh of relief.
(What's wrong? This Kanzashi.)
"A kendama."[7D 16]
"Huh?"
"It's better to give her a kendama. Onee-chan always liked to play with that."
Really? Well that was totally unexpected.
"And...hmm, how about I give her a knitting set?"
"Onee-chan, she's bad with..knitting."
"Huh!? That person has things she can't do...?"
Now that's really completely unexpected.
I really can't imagine seeing Tatenashi-san failing at blocks.
"Didn't you say it before... there are no flawless heroes, not in this world..."
"Well, I did say that."
Humans. We are incomplete, useless, weak, fleeting...that's why, we need to be stronger.
Become stronger, until we can smile.
Become stronger, until we can make anyone smile.
"I'll...bring books over..."
"I see. Then I'll bring a kendama along—no, wait. This is a good chance. I'll bring a knitting set over to train her."
Actually, I just want to see Tatenashi-san flustered.
"Ichika..."
"Hn?"
"You're so evil..."
"Isn't this good? It'll be a little payback. She always messes around with me, you know."
"Fufu..."
Perhaps imagining how Tatenashi-san would tease me, Kanzashi gave an intriguing smile.
Walking with Kanzashi side by side, I smiled too.
Passing through the corridor that's somewhat empty due to the holidays, an inexplicable sense of solemnness seized me.
"Er-m...hey."
"?"
"Th-Thi-This is..."
Saying that, Kanzashi took out the carrier bag she'd been holding ever since she had been to my room.
"What's wrong?"
"Lo-Look...inside..."
"Oh."
After she said that, I peeked into the carrier bag.
There were a lot of anime DVDs inside, magical girls anime, robot anime, teenage love anime, and—hero anime.
"Oh, there're things I've seen before."
"Wh-Which ones?"
"Mn, this—you're too close!"
Kanzashi peered over to look, perhaps to hurry up and know the titles I watched.
At that moment, my face got stuck close to Kanzashi, and I hurriedly backed away.
"!! So-Sorry..."
"Ah, no...that's not something worth apologizing for."
Recently, Kanzashi's face felt like it had a gentle presence as compared to the first time we met. To be honest, it's cuter now.
"We-Well...if possible, I hope you...can look at it."
"Oh. I see a lot of interesting anime. I'll be taking them then."
While rummaging through the bag to arrange the items that were out of place, I asked something I was curious about.
"You like?"
"Huh..."
A somewhat shocked voice could be heard.
I couldn't see Kanzashi's face as I was arranging the stuff inside the bag.
"Y-Yes...I like..."
"Is that so—"
"..."
"Okay, that's all for the arranging. Besides, I did mess it up."
"..."
"Kanzashi? What's wrong?"
Kanzashi blushed as she looked down.
She was pinching her skirt hard.
"Erm, that..."
"Yes?"
Suu...haa...Kanzashi took a deep breath, and then lifted her head up.
"I...I LOVE (YOU)...!!!"[7D 17]
She suddenly shouted.
That voice echoed throughout the corridor. The girls who heard that all went 'What What What' as they came out of their rooms.
"Then, I'll be heading off...!"
With the people of the same gender looking at her, Kanzashi ran away.
"Er...m...?"
I got left behind. Anyway, let's go to the counselling room with the bag.
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(I-I said it out...!)
Running down the corridor at full sprint, Kanzashi's ears got completely red.
--Ichika, who changed me.
--Ichika, who helped me.
--Ichika, who made me stronger.
I like that Ichika.
--I fell for him.
"..."
Either way, she really didn't understand much about crushes.
Her head was spinning inside like a Shepherd Dog.
(I-I-I'm not weird, right...? I didn't do anything weird, right...?)
She searched through her memory.
"Ah..."
The second time they met, she gave Ichika a vicious slap.
Looking at it now, that would have been a really fatal failure, on the same level as death.
(Ah-Ahh, I have to...apologize.)
Though she thought that, Ichika would definitely think 'Huh? You don't have to worry about that'.
But this is this, and that is that. To Kanzashi, she couldn't let it go if she didn't apologize.
(Bu-But, if I go back now...I'll definitely, be unable to say anything...)
Since this was the first time she confessed in her life, when she meets him again, she couldn't do it easily even if it wasn't much.
(An-And...)
She never said that she wanted to go out with him. She just said what she thought, so of course she wouldn't get a response.
Either way, he's that infamous 'Blockhead amongst Blockheads' Orimura Ichika.
(Bu-But, I did say...properly, that I liked him...)
*KAAAA!* Kanzashi's face got even redder as she continued to run down the corridor.
"—Huuh!?"
Why did she feel that the atmosphere felt weird?
She recalled the confession.
