Infinite Stratos, Volume 2, page 2
“I’m not really looking for that kind of thing right now.”
“What are you, some kind of dried-up old man? No wonder Ling—”
“Huh? What about Rin?”
“Oh, nothing. Anyway, my man, you really need to hook up. With someone. Anyone.”
What was he after? How’d we even get onto this topic?
“Women are always all over you, too. Why is that? Are you trying to be some kind of heartthrob? Gimme a goddamn break!”
“What’re you so mad about?”
“I am not mad!”
Oh, he was mad. Dan was definitely the kind of guy who’d insist he was sober when he was drunk. I guess, maybe. Not like he’d ever drank.
“Dan.”
Oh, Ran was back. For some reason, it felt like the temperature in the room had suddenly dropped.
“Y-Y-Yeah? Wh-What’s up?”
Dan was shaking. Was he cold?
Curious, I glance over to Ran. Our gazes met, just for a split-second, and in that moment I saw nothing but death in her eyes.
‘Stay out of this!’ her eyes screamed.
Never mind being able to take down anyone with the touch of a fingertip, it felt like she could do it with just a gaze.
“Anyway, I’ll be going now.”
Ran stormed out of the room, after having regained control of herself.
“.........”
Dan sat stock still, as if frozen in place. Well, it was warm out today. If I left him, he’d thaw eventually.
“Anyway, we can’t let lunch get cold.”
The stewed squash was too sweet, as usual, but the curry with chili peppers was delicious. How did they draw out the flavor like this? I’d have to ask sometime, I would love to let Chifuyu try it.
“Why’re... After...”
“Mm?”
“Why are all the girls after you, anyway? Is it your face? That heartthrob face? How about you keep the throb part and you let me have their hearts!”
—What is he even going on about?
“Quiet down, Dan!”
“Yes, grandpa. I’m sorry.”
Gen’s scolding had barely left his mouth before, in one swift motion, Dan was kneeling on his chair in a slight bow. He was definitely brought up well. Or maybe ‘trained’ was more like it? With the right training, even the King of the Jungle would jump through hoops of flame.
“Let’s go one-on-one later, Ichika.”
“Sure, I guess. What game?”
“Air hockey.”
Why would he pick something in which he’d lost to me the last 10 times? Was he trying to put his back up against the wall? Gotta hand it to him.
“I’ve gotten a lot better since middle school, Ichika!”
It was as if a dragon coiled before a curtain of flames, ready to take flight. My left hand curled into a trembling fist in anticipation of our bout.
◇
“Ugh, my hands feel tired.”
The dragon was only an illusion. After today, I was up to 16 wins in a row. More than half of ‘my’ points were Dan’s own goals, too.
“.........”
It was after six. I was back at my dorm, lying in my bed. With my hands still shaking a little bit from the workout, I looked over at the other bed. Up until last week, Houki would have been there, but now she was in a separate room. It kind of felt like this room was too big for just one person.
“Hmm.”
—Why’d Houki come out with that all of a sudden?
I recalled the day she changed rooms. Just when I thought she was coming back, she made a sudden declaration and bolted like a rabbit, almost like the calm after a storm.
—That tournament is this month, isn’t it?
I checked the calendar on the wall.
The grade-separated tournament... Just as the name implied, they were individual tournaments held within each school year. It seemed like they would take a whole week. There was a plain and simple reason why it would take that long, though. Participation was mandatory.
Each grade had around 120 students. A tournament with that big of a bracket was a lot of work to put on. The first years hadn’t had much time to train so they’d mostly be rated on natural talent, while the second years would be scored on progress, and the third years on combat effectiveness. It was serious business for the third years, especially. Never mind scouts from IS-related industries, the crowd would also be full of international VIPs. The anxiety over just what sort of school I’d gotten myself into was beginning to overflow.
—Anyway, I’ve gotta do my best. Can’t embarrass Chifuyu, can I?
Last month’s class league match was canceled due to the attack, and a general gag order was issued. Cecilia, Rin, and I, who’d fought directly, even had to sign paperwork. What was up with that? It wasn’t something I could figure out, but I still couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Idly, I lifted up the right hand that’d spent all afternoon gripping a paddle, and dangled it in front of my face. Pulling my sleeve back revealed a gauntlet that seemed to be attached directly to my skin. This was the IS Byakushiki’s standby mode. You’d never believe that a mechanized weapon with such amazing power would have such an inoffensive-looking standby mode. Or maybe it was just sleeping? Was it conscious enough to ‘sleep’?
It was the thing that told me, then, that I was fighting a drone. I was too caught up in the moment then, and to be fair it did cross my mind, but the more I looked back the more I thought that Byakushiki had confirmed it for me. I couldn’t be exactly sure, but I was pretty confident. There was no sense in worrying about it.
—Ah, I may as well get dinner.
I hopped out of bed. The momentum carried me to my door, and I already had my hand on the knob when I heard a knock.
“You there, Ichika?”
“Yeah.”
I open my door, and it pulled back with a click to reveal Rin.
“Don’t just yank it open like that! You scared me!”
It was Huang Lingyin, my second childhood friend, and the sole pilot of the IS Kouryuu—I mean, Shenlong. She was always in my class growing up, until she returned to China two years ago. She was an energetic girl with twintails. Other than that, her breasts are ti—let’s not think about that now. Lately, I’d noticed that when I started thinking about something, sometimes people could tell exactly what was going through my head.
“What are you staring at?”
“Oh, nothing in particular.”
That was an honest answer, but for some reason I could still hear her mumble “Not that I mind...” Oh well.
“Anyway, I was just about to go to dinner. What did you need?”
“Huh, great timing. I was just about to ask if you wanted to go eat. If you see a stray dog in the rain, it’s only kind to bring it in, right?”
—So I’m a dog now?
“Thanks. Let’s hit up the cafeteria, then.”
“Yeah.”
I walked alongside Rin. It was a good time for dinner, and doors were opening up all around.
“.........”
With so many underdressed girls around, I never had anywhere safe to look. They were in shorts and tank tops, with nothing underneath. I kind of wish they’d pay a little more attention to where the opposite sex might be looking.
“Oh, It’s Orimura. Hey!”
“Eh?! Orimura?!”
A relaxed-looking girl was waving her hand at me. Her name was... Uh, let’s go with Miss Casual. No matter what time of day it was, when she was in the dorm she always wore baggy pajamas. When I thought of her, I always remembered her wobbling down the hall while she tried to work a hand down her too-long sleeve to push her huge nightcap back up.
“Hey, Orimu!”
“Am I stuck with that nickname?”
“You sure are. Anyway, come eat dinner with me and Kanarin!”
Miss Casual, who had to be nearly a foot shorter than me, had latched on as usual. Where did I recognize this from? Oh, right. It was like when a small dog wanted attention, so it would walk up to you on its hind legs.
“Sorry, Ichika’s already eating with me.”
“Oh, it’s Ling-Ling! Finally worked yourself up to it?”
“Stop calling me that!”
Rin’s voice trembled with repressed trauma, but Miss Casual was completely oblivious. Trying to make it sink in is like spitting into the wind. Actually, ever since elementary school, Rin had been teased about her name by the other boys in our class. Because she was Chinese, too, they always teased her with things like “Ling-Ling’s a panda’s name! Go eat some bamboo!” And I ended up getting the scolding of my life when I fought four of them.
“Calm down, Rin. Wouldn’t it be fun if we went as four?”
“I’m not sure about four, but... Okay.”
Hm? Was she just being superstitious? Wait, no, I had to be really sure I didn’t let that slip out of my mouth. She’d snap back with something like “Chinese aren’t all superstitious like that! Who the hell made up that stereotype, anyway?!” And once Rin was mad, it was almost impossible to calm her down. The class league match last month definitely proved that to me again.
“Where did, uh, Kanarin go, anyway?”
“Oh, wow. She must have taken off.”
The girl who, perhaps embarrassed at her skimpy outfit, had been covering herself with her arms had disappeared further down the hall.
“Hey, wait up!”
Miss Casual pattered off after her. Slowly.
“.........”
“What?”
“Popular with the girls, I see.”
“Huh? Why do you think that? It’s just because there are no other guys around.”
“Hmph. I guess.”
With a face more sour than her words called for, Rin strolled off toward the cafeteria.
—Hey, wait! Hold up!
◇
“Did you hear?”
“I did!”
“Hear what?”
“About Orimura.”
“Is this a good thing or a bad thing?”
“A really, really good thing.”
“Tell me!”
“Calm down. You can’t tell any boys about this, okay? This is just between us. I hear that at the grade-separated tournament—”
The cafeteria packed full of adolescent girls was as deafening as ever. Rin and I noticed a clump of a dozen or so at the back of the room.
“Huh. There’s a pretty big crowd over at that table.”
“Are they playing cards? Or maybe fortune telling.”
Whatever it was, they was even more enthusiastic than usual, and a tumult soon arose. What was going on?
“Ehh?! Really?”
“Really!”
“No way! What are we gonna do?”
It seemed like it must have be something really interesting, as their high-pitched chatter washed over me like a tidal wave. Ah well, as long as they were enjoying themselves. “People don’t age if they’re smiling.” I told myself every day that I was going to have to deal with real life soon enough, and for now I should just keep a grin on my face.
“Ichika.”
“Yeah.”
For dinner I was having herb-grilled chicken, stewed potatoes and vegetables, a savory omelet, and red miso soup with spinach. The bonito really helped bring out the flavor. Rin’s dinner was mostly the same, but with a refreshing bowl of white miso soup. She paused while lifting it to her mouth, and spoke.
“You’re thinking like an old man again, aren’t you?”
—Well, excuse me.
“No, really, I can tell. You always squint your eyes when you do that. What’s up? Feeling nostalgic about something?”
“Knock it off.”
Why was she staring at me like that? Jeez.
“Don’t point at people with your chopsticks. It’s rude.”
“I don’t think it’s that big of a deal.”
“That isn’t the problem. You need to fix your bad habits. Didn’t Chifuyu used to get mad at you for that?”
“Ugh, just quit bothering me about it.”
Rin had never quite been comfortable around my sister. A look of worry flitted over her face.
“Ichika, you’re always such a—”
“Hm?”
“Oh... Nothing.”
Hmm? Rin seemed like she was about to say something before holding it back. Whatever she’d choked back down, it slid down her throat alongside the rice.
“.........”
“.........”
The conversation had gotten awkward, and we turned back to our plates. Funnily enough, even if we weren’t talking, just chewing our food didn’t make the meal last very long.
“I’m going to go get some tea. Are you okay with green?”
“Sure. Thanks.”
Even if she was getting some for herself too, the consideration felt good. On the other hand, she’d been a bit snippy, and it seemed like she was in a bad mood.
Did I offend her? I guess I needed to clear things up. I hacked through the dense jungle of my own mind in search of a topic.
—Oh, I know, we can talk about the Gotandas.
She’d probably like to catch up with the third member of our middle school trio.
“Look, it’s Orimura!”
“No way! Where?!”
“Hey, let’s ask him if the rumor—Oof!”
The group of girls from before had noticed me, and rolled forward like an avalanche. Anyway, what? What rumor? She caught herself, but I definitely just heard her mention one.
“Oh, nothing. Nothing at all!”
She tried to laugh it off.
“You idiot! I told you it was a secret!”
“Well, I mean, he would know.”
One of the group stood as if to block me, and in her shadow two voices whispered back and forth.
“What rumor?”
“Oh, who knows?”
“You know how rumors are, wait 365 days and there’ll be a new one.”
—Isn’t that a bit long? That’s a whole year!
“C’mon, Miyo, get it right! It’s supposed to be 49 days!”
That wasn’t right either. But more importantly...
“Are you trying to hide something?”
“Us?”
“Hide something?”
“Of course not!”
They landed the combo and ducked back away. It couldn’t have taken more than two seconds. I still wasn’t quite sure what was going on, so all I could do was stand there slack-jawed.
“What are you getting yourself into now?”
Rin was back. In her hands were two drinks, from which warm steam rose invitingly.
“Why are you treating me like a troublemaker?”
“Wait, you think you aren’t one?”
—Hmm...
“The tea’s good.”
“You’re changing the subject.”
How rude! What was she basing that on?
“Mmm, tea after a meal really calms you down.”
“I... guess.”
After letting dinner settle a little more, I brought up the Gotandas like I’d thought of. Surely Rin missed them, too. Really, we probably should have gone together today.
“By the way...”
I started talking about my day. At first Rin nodded along, but when the conversation turned to Ran her expression clouded.
“Wait... she’s applying to IS Academy?”
“Seems like it.”
“Mmhm.”
For some reason, Rin didn’t get along with Ran. Was it because their names were similar? Like, if I met someone named Itsuka, I don’t know if I’d be able to get along with him.
“So, after she gets here, I’ll be helping her out.”
“Uhuh... Wait, what?!”
Rin pounded the table as she stood up. Why was she so angry?
“You need to stop making promises like that! What kind of idiot makes promises he’ll never keep?!”
Wow, she seemed furious. Now that I thought of it, she was angry about promises last month, too.
“I mean, I guess you’re right. Sorry, Rin.”
“I don’t want you to apologize, I just want you to follow thro—”
“Ah—”
“Ah.”
“What do you mean— Ah...”
What a scene. The three ‘Ah’s... The first was me, the second was Houki, and the third was Rin.
“.........”
Yes, Houki. That Houki. I’d run into her as she’d come for dinner. Judging by the time, she was trying to avoid me by coming late, but it looked like I’d hung out too long. Self-consciously, she avoided making eye contact.
“H-Hey, Houki.”
“Oh, you’re here, Ichika?”
“.........”
“.........”
And we were out of things to say. It’d been like this last month when she changed rooms, when she was trying to hide something. At first, I tried to make conversation even as she avoided me, but getting nothing but blunt replies like ‘yeah’ and ‘oh?’ eventually wore me out.
“Wait, did something happen with you guys?”
“No! Nothing at all!”
Ugh. I wanted to casually blow it it off, but Houki answered at the same time. Even I couldn’t come up with a good way to play this down. But could anyone, really?
—No, wait, I think I have an idea. Hmm, this might be serious.
“Well, that makes it really obvious. Did you two plan that?”
“Of course we didn’t.”
I answered Rin’s scornful glare with a quick excuse. Houki, her feelings seemingly hurt, turned her eyes and quickly walked away.
“Hey, wai—”
As I watched her swaying ponytail, I had a strange feeling, like something inside me was being pulled away, too. I wasn’t even sure why.
“Anyway, I’m going to head back to my room.”
“Huh? Oh, okay. Thanks for inviting me.”
“C’mon, though. Why don’t you ask me sometimes, too?”
“Hm?”
“Oh, nothing. See you around.”
Rin, trailing her twintails behind her, walked off in the opposite direction from Houki. Maybe I should get something that would flutter like that. A cape, maybe? On second thought... That would be a bit much.
