Infinite Stratos, Volume 3, page 8
“Now, lie back and let us sniff you!”
“This is gonna be fun!”
Step by step, the girls closed in, Their eyes gleaming with a strange light.
“N-NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
◆
“Ugh, that was terrible...”
Cecilia, thoroughly worked over, stumbled out into the hallway without a moment to catch her breath. But now I can go to Ichika’s room— The mere thought made the exhaustion and the frustration fall from her shoulders. In no more than 10 seconds, her clothes were fixed. I should clear my throat, too. Mhm! Her bliss was mirrored by the spring in her step, as she nearly skipped down the hall to her destination. But...
“.........”
“.........”
Two girls stood by the door to the room.
“Ling? And Houki? What on earth are—”
“Ssh!” Ling hushed Cecilia swiftly. As she stood in confusion by the door, she heard voices from inside.
“We haven’t done it in so long. Are you nervous?”
“Of course not, you idiot— Mm! B-Be a little bit gentler...”
“Okay. How about... here?”
“Ah! Wait, no, not—”
“It’ll feel good soon. It’s been so long since the last time we did this.”
“Ahhn!”
“Whatever could they...” Cecilia’s lips trembled as she forced them into a smile and asked. But she was answered with only silence.
“.........”
Ling and Houki had empty stares. The stares of those who were completely drained.
“Now I’m going to—”
“Wait, Ichika.”
Their voices cut off as the trio pressed their ears to the door in eager curiosity...
Bam!
“BWAH!” The door slammed open. The moment it was pushed, three teenage girls shouted in unison.
“What are you fools doing?”
“Aha... Hahaha....”
“Good evening, Ms. Orimura...”
“Good night, Ms. Orimura!”
They sped off like hares, but were caught almost immediately; Ling and Houki by the napes of their necks, Cecilia by a well-placed stomp on the hem of her yukata. They were no match for Chifuyu in IS combat, and even less so on foot.
“Eavesdropping is a nasty habit, but you have good timing. Step inside.”
“EHH?”
Their ears perked up at the unexpected invitation.
“Oh, but first, call the other two—Bodewig and Dunois.”
“Y-Yes, ma’am.” Ling and Houki, now set loose, scrambled to find them. Cecilia, meanwhile, adjusted her collar as she entered the room.
“Oh, hey, Cecilia. I was wondering when you’d get here. Let’s get started!”
Ichika patted the bed as he invited Cecilia in. Cecilia, shocked by the nonchalant and direct invitation, blushed.
“Er, um, your sister is here, so I’m not sure—”
“Huh? Nah, it’s fine. I’m all warmed up already, let’s get going.”
“I, er, I mean, the atmosphere isn’t quite...”
“Huh...?”
Ichika, not understanding what Cecilia couldn’t bring herself to say, simply made a strange face and patted the bed again. Nervously, she glanced over at Chifuyu, who silently stared back as if to say ‘Don’t mind me, go right ahead.’ Well, I certainly have to mind you at least a little bit! Still, this was getting nowhere. And since Chifuyu had called for Charlotte and Laura, things would be even worse if she waited. Ugh... I suppose a girl needs determination! Screaming in her heart, she laid down, half out of desperation. The pounding of her heart almost tore open her chest. She squeezed her eyes shut as her mind swirled between anticipation and fear.
“.........”
But, nothing happened. Surprised, she opened her left eye just to peek, and Ichika spoke.
“Cecilia, I can’t do this unless you lie on your front.”
“Eh? Eh? O-On my front?”
“Yeah.”
“I-I see...” Cecilia was momentarily put off as that certainly wasn’t what she’d read about, but soon she understood that perhaps that was how they did it in Japan.
“Anyway, here I go.”
“Yes! Oh, yes!”
She was too far gone to consider her response, let alone be embarrassed by it. Waiting for the sensation of a hand on her back, Cecilia’s heart pounded faster and faster toward its limits. And then—
“All right...”
Poooooooooke.
“Oww! Ichika! What are you— Ah!”
“What do you mean, ‘what?’ It’s shiatsu.”
“Shiatsu?”
“Yeah. For your back.”
“M-My back...” Cecilia blankly echoed Ichika’s words. “Ah, Ichika? Of all things, was this why you invited me to your room?”
“Yeah. I thought I’d give you a massage. And you’re in one of the suites, right? I didn’t think you could relax there, so I invited you here.”
A crow cried out. Deep in her heart, Cecilia wept.
“How awkward...”
“Eh? What’s wrong? Does it hurt that badly?”
“Extremely. As if I’m dying.”
“Oh, whoops. I’m sorry. I’ll be gentler.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore...”
Cecilia let out a deep, deep sigh, deeper than the darkest night. Alongside it, her face twisted into a blend of exhaustion and despair and resignation and self-mockery, as if her soul was trying to fight its way out of her body. Still, as the massage began, its comfort and the chance to talk with Ichika restored her spirits.
“Is that about right?”
“Yes... It feels good...”
Ichika’s thumbs worked the pressure points alongside her spine.
“Your back is so stiff, though. What have you been doing to yourself?”
“Mm. I’m a bit of a violinist. Ah, wait— That hurts a little.”
“Oh, sorry. I should try something other than shiatsu there, then.”
She felt his thumbs withdraw, to be replaced by the weight of the heel of his palm. The weight of the spread-out, rather than focused, massage relaxed her. Soon, it became pleasantly invigorating, and she unthinkingly let out a moan of pleasure.
“Ahh— Ichika, you’re quite good at this...”
“Well, I always used to give my sister massages.”
“And with the girls...”
Her voice, though condemning, was quiet enough for Ichika not to hear. Perhaps, because of the pleasant sensation of the massage, it carried no real anger. If anything, it was the typical teasing of a close friend, hoping to be indulged.
“All right, now I’m going to work your spine directly.”
“Yes... Go ahead...”
Her good mood and the comfort of the massage soon put Cecilia half to sleep. She relaxed, daydreaming.
“Is there anywhere you want me to work harder?”
“Why, wherever you feel needs it.”
“All right. I’ll try here first.”
Ichika pressed, firmly but gently, with the palm of his hands. He didn’t just press down, but also inward from Cecilia’s sides—in a pattern which not only relaxed her muscles, but carried her off to sleep. As he’d said himself, “A good massage makes you tired. It’s great if you can drift off during it, it’ll just carry your exhaustion away.” And he wasn’t wrong. A painful ‘massage’ may as well have just been torture. A real massage was as much about relaxation as working out knots. It invigorates the body and the soul.
Mmm... I’m really sleepy... The longer she let her thoughts drift, the better she felt. At the same time, she noticed the smell of a man—Ichika—in bed alongside her, and her heart silently leapt. He smells nice... Already half-asleep, she was about to let herself be carried off to Dreamland on that sweet scent. When suddenly—
Squeeeeeeze!
“......?!?!?!”
Cecilia was yanked back to reality by a sudden pinch on her butt. I-I-I-Ichika?! Even for a massage, that’s going too far! Clutching her right hand to her pounding chest, she hesitantly turns around, and...
Chifuyu had wholeheartedly grabbed onto Cecilia’s butt. Her face was that of a successful prankster, but without one shred of innocent glee. Her grin was that of a panther. “I can’t believe you’re wearing panties like that at your age. And black ones, too?”
“Ah... Eeeeeek!”
As Chifuyu grabbed Cecilia’s butt from below, her yukata flipped up, revealing her hips and also the underwear in question. They were special date night panties, woven together from scant patches of lace. Each side was tied together with cord, for easier removal.
“.........” Ichika blushed deeply and turned away. It was obvious that he’d seen them. Cecilia, realizing this, was beyond embarrassed, and just wanted to find somewhere to hide.
“Ms. Orimura! Let go of me!” As she flushed bright red and shouted, Chifuyu unexpectedly did just that.
“Well, well. Only fifteen, and already trying for harlotry right under the nose of your teacher?”
“Ha-Harlotry?!”
“I was just kidding. You four out there— Feel free to come in.”
Rattle, shuffle.
“..................”
After a few seconds of silence, the door opened slowly. Standing outside were Houki, Ling, Charlotte, and Laura. Each was wearing one of the resort’s yukata.
“Enough massaging for now, Ichika. Everyone, find a place to sit down.”
The four, waved in by Chifuyu, nervously entered. As instructed, they each found a place to sit—not that the options of bed or chair were that varied.
“Phew. I sure have worked up a sweat massaging two people in a row.”
“It’s because you don’t know when to back off. You need to be more efficient,” jeered Chifuyu.
“I’d feel like I was wasting the other person’s time, then.”
“You’re too honest for your own good.”
“It wouldn’t kill you to praise me for once, would it?”
“Who knows? Maybe it would.”
The girls took in the scene as they followed the repartee. It soon became obvious that both Cecilia and Chifuyu had, when overheard, simply been massaged.
“Aha... Hahaha....”
“Well, I guess that makes sense.” Houki sighed out her tension, while Ling tried to seem in control.
“.........”
Meanwhile, Charlotte and Laura, who both seemed to have more detailed imaginings of what had been going on, were both bright red and looking down at the floor.
“Go take another bath. I don’t want your sweat stinking up the room.”
“Mmm. Fine.” Ichika, nodding at Chifuyu’s suggestion, took a towel and left the room. His last comment was “Just relax. Well... If you can.”
“.........”
And, just as he’d said, five girls remained sitting in nervous silence.
“What is this, a funeral? A wake? What happened to all that enthusiasm?” Chifuyu was the first to shatter the still air.
“Well, um...”
“We’ve never...”
“I don’t think we’ve ever talked with you like this.”
“Okay, okay, fine. Drinks are on me. Shinonono, what do you want?”
Houki’s shoulders trembled as she was singled out. Unable to answer, she squirmed in her seat. Chifuyu stood, opened the resort minibar, and pulled out five cold drinks.
“Here. There’s one ramune, one orange juice, one sports drink, one coffee, and one black tea. Trade ‘em around until everyone’s happy.”
As she spoke, she handed them out in order to Houki, Charlotte, Ling, Laura, and Cecilia, who were each satisfied and felt no need to trade.
“T-Thank you very much.” Words of gratitude passed each pair of lips in one direction, shortly followed by cold drinks in the opposite. As each girl swallowed, Chifuyu broke out into a grin.
“So you drank it?”
“Er, yes?”
“Well, of course we did...”
“Did you put something in them?!”
“Have some gratitude. Plus, I wanted to make sure we were all in this together.” As she spoke, she pulled forth something else from the minibar: a can of beer with a shining star logo. Chifuyu pulled the tab, causing foam and droplets to fizz forth. Pressing the can to her lips, she chugged the contents down.
“.........”
As the others gasped, she sat down on the bed, self-satisfied.
“Hmm. It’d taste better with Ichika’s cooking, but I’m just gonna have to wait, aren’t I?”
The girls stared, not recognizing the person in front of them as the strict, by-the-book Ms. Orimura. Laura, especially, had been blinking in shock, as if she couldn’t believe her eyes.
“What’s with the faces? I’m human, aren’t I? Can’t a girl have a drink? Or did you expect me to crack open a can of 10W-40?”
“Well, it’s not...”
“Not like that, we just...”
“Just were thinking...”
“Thinking, aren’t you technically at work right now?”
Laura’s jaw was still hanging slack in shock. Rather than let out words, her mouth furiously chugged in coffee.
“C’mon, don’t be so cold. Besides, I thought I gave you a little something to keep everyone’s mouths shut.” Chifuyu looked around at the drinks in everyone’s hands as she grinned. The girls gasped as they finally realized what she meant. “Anyway, enough small talk. Let me get to the point.”
She motioned for Laura to get her another beer, which she cracked open, then continued.
“What do you like about him, anyway?”
Everyone knew exactly who ‘him’ referred to. It had to be Ichika.
“I’m just annoyed that he’s fallen behind on his practice,” Houki answered as she tipped her ramune back.
“We always end up together, whether I like it or not,” Rin muttered as she fiddled with the cap of her sports drink.
“As class representative, I want to make sure he’s actually doing his best.” Completely the opposite from before, Cecilia replied forcefully.
“I see. I guess I should tell him that.”
As soon as the words left Chifuyu’s mouth, the three startled, then leaned in.
“YOU DON’T HAVE TO!”
Chifuyu laughed off their reaction, and tipped her own beer back.
“I... Well, he’s kind, and...” Charl, shyly and quietly, yet still firmly, gave her own answer.
“Oh? But he’s kind to everyone.”
“Well, yeah... Sometimes that bothers me.” Even as she pretended to laugh it off, she fanned her burning cheeks. The three others stared silently at her, as if jealous or resentful.
“And what about you?” Chifuyu spoke to Laura, who’d been silent the whole time. Seemingly unprepared, she jerked to attention, trying to form words.
“I suppose... Because he’s strong...”
“But he’s weak.”
A blunt rebuttal. Chifuyu spoke matter-of-factly, but Laura, for once, argued with her.
“He’s strong. Stronger than me, at least.”
“If you say so,” Chifuyu began, as she finished her second beer. “Anyway, whether he’s strong or not. He’s certainly useful. He can clean, cook, and even give massages. Right, Alcott?”
Cecilia answered with a blushing nod.
“Anyway, I know just the kind of girl he’s looking for. Wanna find out?”
The girls looked up at her in shock.
Nervously, Laura asked, “Will... Will you tell us?”
“Hahaha, of course not!”
The girls sighed internally.
“If you wanna be a woman, you’ve gotta learn to come and take it. Gotta step it up, kids.” Chifuyu brought her third beer to her mouth, and broke out in a heartfelt grin.
Chapter III: The Thin Red Line
The second day of our field trip, from morning to night, we were to be in our IS testing equipment and gathering data.
“Everyone’s finally here... Finally.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Surprisingly, it was Laura drawing Chifuyu’s ire. It seems like she’d overslept for once, and arrived five minutes late.
“Why don’t you give us an explanation of the IS core network?”
“Yes, ma’am. IS cores are equipped with mesh networking facilities to share information. These were developed for communication across long distances in outer space, but are now used as the open and private channels over which pilots can converse. Recent research has also isolated automatic ‘sharing’ between the cores, used to further evolve their capabilities. The developer, Professor Shinonono, viewed this as part of their natural evolution and allowed it to proceed unchecked, a process which is still incomplete and thus poorly understood.”
“You earn your marks, I see. I’ll forgive you for being late this time.”
Laura sighed in relief, and it looked like she was patting her own chest. I couldn’t blame her. I was sure she learned exactly what it meant to be on Chifuyu’s bad side in Germany.
“Anyway, let’s split into groups and begin equipment testing. If you have your own IS, focus on its custom parts. Hop to it.”
The class echoed with a single ‘yes, ma’am.’ Seeing every first year student lined up really drove home how many of us there were. Oh, by the way, the beach we were using was enclosed on all four sides by cliffs. It was like a secret beach—like a dome, or like the school arenas. To get out to the open ocean, we’d have to dip down into an underwater tunnel. It was the kind of place you’d shoot a movie. But the IS here, and their equipment, were what we’d come here to test. Of course, since we’d be piloting, everyone was in their IS suit. Being at the sea just made them seem even more like swimsuits.
“Shinonono. If you could come over here for a moment.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Houki, carrying gear for the Uchigane, walked over toward Chifuyu.
“Starting today, you’ve got your own pers—”
“Chiiiiiichaaaaan!”
As an engine roared, a human form swooped close through clouds of sand. Wow, she’s fast. It seemed like she was piloting an IS, but the real problem was who she was.
“Tabane...”
And so it was. Shinonono Tabane, the genius, had chosen to barge in uninvited on our class trip.
