Infinite Stratos, Volume 6, page 4
“So-Sorry! I didn’t mean that one! It was a different one! A different one!”
“Okay...”
Both blushing, they looked at each other for a moment before staring at their feet. The next time Ichika raised his eyes, by chance, he noticed what looked like a familiar face in the lingerie shop.
“Huh?”
“What’s wrong? Ichika?”
“I just... Hey, Ran!” he called out, figuring it had to be her. Ran tensed up with a start at the sudden yell.
“I-Ichika?!”
She quickly hid the underwear she was looking at behind her back, before freezing up, not knowing what to do. Did he see me?! I was just picking out panties, did he see me?! This was the first time they’d seen each other in a long time, too. She blushed a deep crimson, and wished she could crawl in a hole and die.
What do I do? I mean, after I put this back... Ran stealthily slipped the black-and-white striped panties from behind her back onto the shelf. With the clearance sale, they were a great find at three for 1,000 yen, but she still didn’t want to be spotted by her crush carrying them.
Hey, wait... Who’s that girl with him? She’s— She wasn’t Ling, and she wasn’t Houki. She was no one Ran knew. She’s a beautiful blonde, too. She looks like a model. Rin anxiously compared Charl’s hair to her own auburn locks. The Gotandas both had natural auburn hair without bleaching, but for a girl in love, it was still anxiety-driving. After realizing how she felt about Ichika, Ran had often been tempted to dye hers a flat black. Anyway, he said hi, so I guess I should go see what’s up. The aura of the girl next to him—Charlotte—made her hesitant, though.
I can do this! It’s okay! I can be forward even if I am the younger one! Five little Rans cheered her on inside her head. Yeah! My idiot brother already cost me the chance to go to the school festival. This is the least I could ask for. I guess...
She’d found out that Ichika had dressed—and worked—as a butler through the back channels that only teen girls seem to have. Once for getting the ticket. Once more when she saw the photos. She’d smacked Dan twice for this already, but this is the innocent heart of a girl in love we’re talking about. Twice was nowhere near enough.
I’ll be fine! It’s Ichika’s birthday this month! I’ll see him there too! Ran had actually planned on shopping for a present today, but then she got distracted by clothing and things for herself—especially the panties. Her mind was under brutal occupation by the self-consciousness of being seen doing something embarrassing, but her heart was doing its best to liberate territory.
Yeah! I’ll be fine! With hands clenched and a formal stride, Ran approached Ichika. She looked every inch the student council president of St. Marianne’s Junior Academy for Girls.
“Hello, Ichika.” Her smile gleamed with every ounce of girlish purity she could muster.
“Hey. You alone today?”
“Ah, yes. I was just browsing.”
“I see. Sorry about before. You wanted to come to the festival, didn’t you? Especially since you’ll be attending next year.”
“Well, yes. So it would be wonderful if you’d think of me the next time you have tickets.”
As their friendly banter started up, Charlotte was the one left feeling like a third wheel.
Especially since Ichika being friends with girls from outside the academy wasn’t exactly pleasing.
“Um, Ichika...”
“Ah! I’m sorry! Let me introduce you!”
She picked the perfect timing, and Ichika broke off from his conversation. The little bit of consideration from Ichika made her feel a lot better.
Woooow, she’s gorgeous when she smiles! I can’t let her beat me! Do your best, Ran!
She must be younger. Ichika’s always extra-extra-thoughtful and considerate with younger people. I wish he’d be that way with me, too...
“This is Charl. She’s a classmate, and a French National Cadet.”
“Charlotte Dunois. Pleased to meet you.”
“I’m Gotanda Ran. P-Pleased to meet you.”
Charlotte took the upper hand, at least metaphorically, in the handshake. Ran’s mind clouded over, feeling the silky delicacy of her skin.
“Hey, remember my friend Dan from the festival? She’s his little sister.”
“Yes.”
“I see.”
“I’ve heard she’ll be enrolling in IS Academy next year. So she’s going to be one of our underclassmen.”
“Yes! Yes I will! It would be wonderful if you’d show me the ropes!” She swiftly bowed 90 degrees, then straightened up, her blood rushing to her head.
“Oh. Speaking of tickets. Ran, do you have your phone with you?”
“Y-Yeps!” Ugh, I totally screwed that up! I’m so embarrassed... Pairing the phones, Ichika sent the ticket data over. “Huh, what’s—”
“A VIP ticket to the Cannonball Fast next month. You wanted to see it, right?”
“Oh. Yes! Of course!”
“Just like the festival, I only get one to give out. So I don’t have enough for your friends too.”
“No, that’s okay! It’s fine! All my friends will be perfectly happy to just watch it on TV!”
“I see.”
After the transfer completed, Ichika put his phone away. A few seconds later, Ran put hers back in her purse.
Ugh, I should have peeled off the stickers already. He must think I’m such a little kid... For Ichika, it just seemed cute, but for Ran, who wanted to be seen as a potential lover, that still would be a failure. I... I need to make up for that... But how? Charlotte’s beautiful, I have no chance...
‘That’s not true!’
‘Go for it!’
Ran could have sworn she heard voices cheering her on, and it was enough to make her speak up one more time, “Um, why don’t we look around together?”
“Sure.”
A casual OK. The sudden anticlimax deflated Ran so much that she nearly crumbled to the floor, before Charlotte swiftly caught her.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“Y-Yeps...”
She’s incredible! Like some knight in shining armor! She’s so cool and so cute and so beautiful, it’s so unfair! There is no God! Ugh!
“All right, let’s look around then.”
At Ichika’s nonchalant call, Charlotte and Ran nodded to each other before fanning out beside him.
◆
“One, two! One, two!”
“There you are!”
“Target lock! Firing!”
Third IS Arena. Even on a day off, students eager to improve their standing were there practicing in their IS from dawn to dusk.
“Haah... Phew...”
On one side of the arena, Cecilia was catching her breath. Over and over, she’d commanded her bits to fire while in a high-speed roll, envisioning the laser bending in her mind. But not once had she succeeded in BT Flexible Fire, and the exhaustion was beginning to show on her face.
Once again, she focused, lifting the BT rifle Starlight Mk.III to her shoulder. Envisioning a pool of water, she fired above the target balloon.
Bend!
But rather than her vision, the laser pierced straightforward until it hit the backstop and dissipated.
“That’s enough for today...” Sighing, she stowed her rifle. It evaporated from her right hand, transforming into sparkles of light.
As she returned to the waiting room, her face grew more and more glum, showing only frustration and exhaustion.
“Blue Tears, standby mode.”
Cecilia, bathed in light, was carried slowly to the ground by the PIC as her IS faded. I need a warm shower. Maybe that will cheer me up. Upon reaching the locker room and opening the door, an unexpected face awaited her inside.
“Oh? Cecilia? What’s up, getting some practice in?”
“Ling... Yes, that sort of thing.”
For some reason, Cecilia felt the need to feign a smile for her regular practice partner. Not just for appearances, but as a matter of pride.
Whether she recognized it for the recognition of an equal it was or not, Ling moved on to the next topic. “I’m going to be trying to deploy my new gear. I was going to use the sixth arena, but it was booked full.”
“New gear? I suppose you mean your high-mobility package?”
“That’s the one. Just you watch, Cecilia. I’ll put up all the fight you can handle.”
“Perhaps. I’m quite looking forward to it.”
The challenge from a rival was enough to stoke Cecilia’s passion. It may even have been enough to take away her mental exhaustion. Ling had always been sharp at figuring out what made people tick.
“See you later!”
“Indeed. Farewell for now.”
As Ling waved, Cecilia smiled—an honest smile, this time—back, and they parted. I will not lose! Not to anyone at this Academy! Refreshed, Cecilia entered the locker room with a spring in her step.
◆
“So, does anything catch your eye?”
“Hmm...”
Looking over the display of watches, I hummed. I didn’t know how to choose between them, so I couldn’t tell what was good and what was bad. Honestly, even if you’d asked me to choose by design, nothing really stood out. But Charl wants to get me one as a birthday present, so I want to seem happy about what I pick.
“This one is especially popular. What do you think?”
“Oh, that? It’s not really...”
“I see.” Even the watch salesman was having trouble nailing me down. Dammit, I needed to do something.
“Oh, Ran, do you have a watch?”
“Me? Well...”
“Hm?”
“I don’t... I normally just check the time on my phone.”
“See, I’m not the only one.”
I nodded along as Charl placed both hands on her hips and began to jokingly scold, “Come on, both of you. Especially you, Ran. Girls should be more on top of fashion than that.”
“Really? I see.”
Looking at it, Charl was already taking Ran under her wing. Ran, meanwhile, was looking up to her. It seemed seniority had already been established.
“But it’s hard to buy a watch on an allowance...”
“Oh, right. As national cadets, we’re considered public officials, so we receive a stipend.”
“Oh really?” To be honest, I was extremely jealous of this fact.
“Yes, we do. You’re not a cadet yet, are you, Ichika?”
“Well, uh, it’s still hung up in red tape at the International IS Agency.”
“Mm-hm. It’s been a while, hasn’t it.”
“It sure has.”
It was already September, and still no progress. This was the trouble with being the only boy in the world who could pilot an IS. And probably, though I wasn’t sure, Tabane’s involvement in Byakushiki’s creation was also an obstacle. They seemed very insistent on making sure that Japan didn’t have a lock on the latest technology. It was really a pain.
“Anyway, if we keep this up we’ll never pick out a watch.” Charl brought things back on topic. She must have felt sorry for the poor salesman.
“I guess. Hmm...”
“What if I pick the one I think would look best on you?”
“Oh, that sounds great. You have good fashion sense.”
“Really, you think so? Thanks. All right, I’ll come up with something!”
“.........” As much as that lit Charl up, Ran seemed frustrated for some reason. What’s up with her?
When Charl realized Ran’s mood, she called out to her, “Why don’t you give me a hand, too, Ran? You don’t get the chance to do this very often.”
“Eh? Oh, yes!”
“Don’t worry about the price, either.”
“Okay!”
“Hey, hold it. I can’t have you spending too much.”
“Oh? And what’s it to you? After all, you’re the recipient.”
“No, well, maybe, but... Don’t you kind of get a little worried whenever you put on something expensive?”
“Something a high school student can buy with a part-time job, then. Will that be fine?”
“Well, uhh... Just remember I need to get something similar for your birthday in return, Charl.”
“Me? Oh, thank you!”
“And on your birthday too, of course, Ran.”
“Really? Thanks so much!”
With that, Charl and Ran spent 20 or so minutes choosing me a watch. Eventually, they returned with their selection.
“How about this?” It was an alloy that glimmered like white gold. “I think it suits you better than silver. See, it matches the gauntlet on your right hand.”
Listening to her, I pulled my right sleeve up. Under it was a white gauntlet, the IS Byakushiki in standby mode.
“You’re right. They match.”
“I think it’ll look good on you! Really good!”
“Yeah. Thanks for helping, Ran.”
“Oh, no problem! It was a piece of cake!”
That must have struck something in Ran’s mind, as her stomach began to rumble. She blushed. That’s right, it was noon. Time for lunch.
“Hahaha. Let’s go get something to eat after this.”
“Yeah... Thanks...”
Even her ears were red. It was adorable, and I patted her head. Meanwhile, Charl was having the salesman wrap the watch.
“Charl, what do you want for lunch?”
“Not sure, how about you?”
“Ran? Anything in particular? My treat.”
“No, that’s fine! I’ll cover mine!”
“You don’t have to. How about that terrace cafe across the way?”
“It seems pretty expensive.”
“I told you, I’d treat. Or have you been there before?”
“Just for drinks...”
“Then it’s decided. We’ll get lunch there.”
“Okay. Thank you!” Ran was fidgeting her fingers together while looking down, blushing in visible discomfort. She must have really been embarrassed by her stomach rumbling earlier. I felt like it was mean of me to remind her of it.
“Anyway, let’s get going.”
“Sure.”
Charl took the bagged watch and led us toward the cafe. I and then Ran followed her inside.
“Wow, this place is really fancy. On a warm day like today, it’s the perfect choice.”
Charl smiled as the wind seemed to pat her hair. At times like these, she really seemed like a young noblewoman. My heart skipped a beat.
“Welcome!”
“Can I ask about today’s specials?”
“Of course. Today’s special is spaghetti in crab cream sauce. Dessert is a pear tart.”
“Three of those, please.”
“Very well.” Having taken our order, the waiter left for the kitchen. I noticed Charl and Ran looking at me intently.
“W-What?”
“You seem really accustomed to this kind of thing.”
“Well, just, uh. I don’t eat out at restaurants often, but Chifuyu always told me that I should at least learn how to order smoothly.”
“Mm-hm.”
“Do you come to this kind of place often, Ichika?”
“Nah, like I said, I don’t eat out much, except for at your place.”
“Ours is nothing like this...”
“C’mon. There’s no reason to be embarrassed. The lunches at Gotanda’s are delicious.”
“Just calling it that embarrasses me.”
The thought processes of a teenaged girl were hard to understand. Personally, I would have been proud of it.
“Anyway, ah...” As she looked at Charl, Ran’s mouth moved as if she were trying to say something. Whatever it was, it seemed like she was having a hard time getting it out.
“Yes?”
“Ichika and Charlotte, are you two going out?”
“What?!”
“Hey, where’d that come from?”
“Just... You get along so well together...”
“Well, I mean, we did team up that one time. Right, Charl?”
“Mm. I guess...” Charl was shocked by the sudden question, and she blushed red. Something had definitely gotten into Ran today. I wonder what?
“...That’s good. At least they’re not dating...”
“Huh?”
“Oh, nothing!”
As we spoke, the waiter had already returned with our lunch. He carried three plates to our table. They looked amazing. With a “My apologies for the wait.” he placed them in front of us. Each plate of the spaghetti in crab cream sauce had a claw perched on top of it, as if to beckon to us. The smell of crab in the cream sauce was mouthwatering. I wanted to dig right in.
“I’ll return later with your desserts.” The waiter left again. Each of us took up our fork and spoon and prepared to dine.
“Let’s eat.”
“Yes, let’s eat.”
“T-Thank you!”
Me, then Charl, then Ran, put our hands together, and began our meal.
“This is great!”
“Yeah. The sign said they’re using fresh pasta.”
“It’s delicious.”
The lunch special included free refills of iced herbal tea, and it was the perfect match. For a while, we stopped talking to eat, and simply kept our forks moving. This really is delicious. I wonder what they season it with.
“Mm? Hey, Ran, hold on a second.”
“Huh?”
I picked up a napkin and wiped her face.
“......?!”
“You had some sauce on you.”
“You could have just told me! I could have wiped it off myself.”
“Oh, right. Sorry.”
“Ah, er, I mean, it’s not like I mind... Thank you.”
Ran turned a beet red. Perhaps I wasn’t delicate enough about it. I should learn from this.
◆
Oh, oh wow... Ran softly held a hand to her chest, as if to hold back her pounding heart, as she replayed what just happened in her mind. I-I-Ichika just wiped my mouth! She may have felt it through a napkin, but the tender sensation of his gentle fingers still throbbed through her mouth—through her lips.
It’s okay, right? I was sure to put on my lipstick today, so I’m fine, aren’t I? Ran asked everyone and no one in her head over and over. Thoughts of the pasta she’d been enjoying 120% until now were completely driven from her mind. Half in a panic, she simply cycled her fork like a machine.
