Infinite Stratos, Volume 7, page 8
“I... Mm... I will...”
“Eh?” I was a bit confused by Kanzashi agreeing with that. I’d expected her to silently ignore me, or go ‘I don’t want to...’ or something.
“Well... I’m fine with Miss Casual, so... Maybe I’ll ask Mayuzumi, too.”
“You know her?”
“Yeah, kind of. I’ve run into her a lot at the newspaper club.”
“I... I see...”
Hm? Was I just imagining things, or did she look a bit frustrated for a moment?
“.........”
“.........”
Huh. I didn’t even notice at first that we’d fallen silent. Etoise was gone, her excitement gone with her, and we were left alone in the pits.
“Um...” There was nothing really to say.
“A-A-Ah...” Kanzashi clenched her hands as she stood in front of me. “Th... Thanks!”
“...Huh?”
“Um... Tha... Thanks... For saving me...”
She must have been embarrassed at speaking up so loudly, as she stepped back and turned away. As she held her hands together in front of her chest, she fidgeted her fingers.
“Wait, that’s it? I mean, why wouldn’t I save you?”
“.........”
She stared at me, intently. Why?
“You... You were so cool...”
“Eh?”
“N-Nothing...”
“Mm? Okay.” I snuck a glance outside, and dusk had already fallen. It was pitch-black. I’d dematerialized my IS over ten minutes ago, and I was starting to get cold. “Let’s head back. We may catch a cold if we stay here much longer.”
“Yeah...” Kanzashi nodded, but continued to stay where she stood.
“What is it, Kanzashi?”
“You don’t have to....”
“Huh?”
I thought she was just being shy, but looking closer, she was blushing.
“You don’t have to be so formal...” After quietly murmuring that, she turned and left, almost as if running away. As I watched her disappear through the window in the door, I scratched my head.
Not that formal, huh. So we’re getting a bit closer, at least?
◇
I... I said it... In her own room in the first year dorms, Kanzashi’s heart pounded as she enjoyed a warm shower. Even just being called by her first name was a big thing for a Sarashiki. She ran a finger along her lips. As she did, they parted in a series of sounds.
“I... Chi... Ka...”
Her face bright red and her heart pounding as if it would split apart, her hands moved downward, softly, toward her chest. They didn’t find anything particularly large, but they did find softness, with love beginning to blossom within.
“Honne’s so lucky...”
They were the same age, but Honne was a solid two cup sizes larger. And of course, her big sister Utsuho was particularly fortunate. Even Kanzashi’s own sister—
“......!”
A chill suddenly ran over her as she thought of Tatenashi. No matter how much love uplifted her, her own issues with her family made her shrink back down.
Tatenashi... Someone to look up to. Someone to strive after, even if she could never reach that goal. Sarashiki Kanzashi. A kind sister. A gifted person. A strong person. A charming person. Absolutely perfect, in every way. I’ll never be able to match up to her... Kanzashi had realized that, how long ago?
A person she’d never catch up to. A person she’d never be able to look in the eye. A person whose name it was painful to share.
The water of the shower washed over her. As she gazed down, the drops dripped down from her face like tears, but then... But then she looked up.
“I’m fine... Tatenashi... I’m fine, as long as...”
As long as she had Ichika. As long as she had Ichika, she wouldn’t let it grind her down. She’d found her hero, her man with the gleaming smile.
“Orimura... Ichika...”
Again, she spoke his name. Her heart trembling in a mix of joy and worry, Kanzashi felt a strong will well up in her. Maybe, just maybe. Maybe it was what people called ‘courage.’
◇
“Thank you very much!”
After practice, Houki closed with the same words she’d use at kendo club.
“Aww, c’mon. You don’t have to be so formal.”
Houki’s coach and tag team partner Tatenashi languidly wafted to the ground, happily fluttering her hands as usual.
“A swordswoman must maintain her dignity at all times.”
“A swordswoman, huh.” Houki’s tense grimace was met with Tatenashi’s wry grin.
“Anyway. Why don’t we get dinner together tonight? I’ll show you around the second year dorms.”
“Huh? No, I—”
“All right, it’s a date! Let’s go!”
“Hey! Hey, wait! I was going to—”
“Oh, come on.”
“Fine...” Houki sighed as Tatenashi winked at her. For some reason, Houki just couldn’t say no to her. The same as when she was asked to team up. Houki had always had Tatenashi pegged as someone who wasn’t afraid to pull the seniority card if she was told ‘no,’ but the more she thought about it the stranger it seemed. Ah well, it’s not like I really have a problem with it...
Tatenashi took her hand and led her toward the locker room. Houki didn’t have a problem with that, either. She remembered, a long time ago, having a big sister who would lead her around like that.
Shinonono Tabane... Someone who Houki could never stand up to, no matter how hard she tried. When she was little, she relied on her. Was proud of it. But as she grew up, she felt the gap between them widen. Began to understand that Tabane was not just a different person, but a different kind of person. One with wildly different potential. Still, though, her earlier fondness remained. Until that happened.
“Houki.”
“Y-Yes?”
“What’s wrong? Hurry up and get changed.”
“Oh right! Okay!”
“Were you thinking about something? You had a really scary frown on your face.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. C’mon, girls need to smile!” Tatenashi suddenly leapt toward Houki, her hands moving wildly. “Coochie-coochie-coo!”
“Bwah! A-Ahahahah! S-Stop! Hahaha!”
“If you keep frowning like that it’s gonna give you wrinkles! You don’t want to look like an old lady, do you?”
“I— Ahahahaha! I know! So stop it... Hahahaha!” It was only after another two minutes of forced laughing that the tickling ended, and Houki was left gasping for breath. “Ahh... Haa... Haa...”
“You and Laura are so adorable when you’re getting tickled— Anyway...”
“What?” Having finally caught her breath, Houki replied while opening her locker.
“You kind of keep your distance from your sister Tabane, don’t you.”
“.........”
Well, she didn’t hate her. She’d been realizing that lately. Especially since they met again. Since all those memories welled up. Since she was able to let out everything that had been eating at her. And—
I’m the one that hurt her...
Houki had come to realize that it was her own fault. Not Tabane’s. Hers. What had happened was all because of her own lack of self-control. Not wanting to think about it drove her to keep Tabane at a distance. She hadn’t even wanted to enter IS Academy, but the government had leaned on her until it was inevitable. And the reason was, of course, that she was Tabane’s little sister.
“I don’t dislike her, it’s just...”
“I see. Well, that’s good. You need to be able to rely on family.” Her softly murmured ‘Not like I’m one to talk...’ went unheard by Houki. “Anyway, let’s shower.”
“What? No, I was just going to when I got back to my room.”
“C’mon, the boys won’t like you if you smell like sweat.” Houki blushed, realizing exactly which boy this might be. “The showers should be empty by now, anyway. We’ll have them all to ourselves!”
“Y-You don’t need to drag me! I can walk by myself!” Houki protested, but Tatenashi simply smiled back and wrapped her arm around Houki’s.
“Ahh, this feels good.”
Tatenashi let out a sigh of relaxation as the water washed over her. She and Houki were in neighboring stalls under the row of shower heads. The stalls had low partitions, letting the girls using them carry on lively conversations. What partitions there were, stretching from the chest down to the thighs, were made of frosted glass, leaving the silhouette of the occupant clearly visible. This, and the teasing from the other girls about her bust size, was why Houki preferred to shower at home.
“Do you prefer baths, Houki?” Tatenashi asked, breaking the silence.
“Um... About what you were saying before...”
“What? You mean, about your sister?”
Houki swallowed nervously while nodding and said, “I... Don’t dislike her. And I’m grateful to her for giving me my IS.”
“Mm-hm.”
“But... I’m not really sure.”
“What do you mean?”
“How I should feel about her.”
“Well...” Tatenashi stepped out of the stream and leaned against the partition, her breasts bulging against it. “Is it because you’re afraid?”
Houki didn’t reply. Her silence may as well have been the word ‘yes.’ Tatenashi continued, “I’m the same way.”
“Eh?”
“And I’m sure Tabane is too.”
She didn’t understand. And that’s why she was afraid. But understanding took courage. Just asking what needed to be asked and saying what needed to be said could hurt yourself, or hurt the other person. Getting over that took courage.
“It’ll be okay.”
“W-What will?”
“Don’t worry. I’m sure you’re very important to her, too.”
“.........”
“So don’t be afraid.”
Tatenashi offered her kind advice with a peaceful smile.
◇
The next day, in the second hangar.
“Oh, hey, Mayuzumi! Thanks for showing up.”
“I told you, I don’t come cheap. You owe me an exclusive interv—no, wait, how about a date?”
“What?!”
“A date with Orimura. Now that’s something to be proud of.”
“C’mon, gimme a break...”
To complete Kanzashi’s personal IS, we were going to need to lean on the talents of Kaoruko Mayuzumi, the second year ground crew ace.
“Oooh, oooh, ooh, me! I want a date with Orimu, too.”
Miss Casual, Nohotoke Honne. She was still a first year, but her skills were more than enough to be a full member rather than a pledge.
“And, hmm. Let’s see what it will take to get Kyouko and Fi involved.” As she spoke, Kaoru pulled out her phone and began gathering her team.
“Sure. I want a photo with Orimura. And a date on school grounds, okay? It’ll be my treat.”
Me, of course. But honestly, I was kind of happy to be that much of a draw.
“Seriously?” I could hear a voice from the other end of the line. It must have been Kyouko.
“I mean, I’ll see what I can do.”
“All right! Yeah! I’ll do it! I’ll definitely do it! But you’d better bring your best camera, Zucchin!”
Zucchin? Must be Kaoru...
“Yes, yes. And Fi?”
“Mmmm-hm. I would like one of ze, how do you say, ‘massage’ I have heard so much about.”
“That work for you, Orimura?”
“Yeah, I guess. I’ve been giving plenty at clubs, that should be fine.”
“All right! It’s a deal, then! Meet me in the second hangar! Last one here has to buy the drinks!”
With everything settled, Kaoru hung up. Me, Kanzashi, Kaoru, and Miss Casual were already here, so that last bit must have been directed at Kyouko and Fi.
“All right, let’s get this done!” She smiled. Half an hour later, I was already of half a mind to just quit.
“Orimura, can you get me those cables? All of them.”
“When you’re done, could I have the big wrench and the sonic cutter?”
“Mm. We ‘ave not enough of ze projection display. Bring me ze ell-say-day. Of them, eight. And un générateur.”
“O-Okay!”
They were running me ragged. Getting Kanzashi’s Uchigane Nishiki in working order on time was taking the combined effort of an entire second year ground crew. Hardware-wise, it involved the boosters, thrusters, armor, armament, internal weaponry... Almost everything. The data from all of it needed to be gone over with a fine-toothed comb, with any missing parts modified or custom-built. Kanzashi had to keep the IS deployed the whole time so everything could be tested as it was completed.
And there were a mountain of problems with the software, too. It was a port of the Uchigane’s, but we still needed to set up and install the multi-lock-on system, optimize the thrust unit control system, and test the energy bypass operating system in a sandbox; and then there’s adjusting and testing the shield barrier control. At the center of it all was the pilot, Kanzashi, who with Miss Casual’s help had been running through hardware and software testing, data compilation, and feedback adjustment at an almost inhuman pace.
The most shocking thing was the Uchigane Nishiki’s control interface. Of course, it had voice control, vision tracking, and gestures, but along with those there was an array of eight projection keyboards: one upper and one lower for each hand and each foot. They were set up to sandwich around her hands, letting her press down to type on one or raise a finger to type on the other. Honestly, even with the IS holding her up, being able to type with her feet was incredible. Oh, and the keyboards weren’t a normal QWERTY layout. They were customized by Kanzashi herself.
That’s almost like what Tabane does... She said ‘it takes too long to type with a normal layout.’ How could she even come up with these things? Really, though.
The image of Kanzashi floating in midair, her hands and feet enveloped in balls of light, was almost like a wizard in a fantasy game.
“It’s beautiful...”
“......?”
Kanzashi looked over, as if wondering what I was talking about.
“Oh, nothing.” I coughed in embarrassment, only then realizing I’d said it out loud.
“C’mon, Orimura! Quit slacking off and get me that laser arm!”
“I need the data scanner, too! Chop chop!”
“Mm. Ze ultrasonic scope, if you please.”
I dashed off to the equipment room, heavy gear in tow, sweating like a pig from the weight.
“Orimura, fix my hairband.”
“Orimura! Drinks! I need a drink!”
“Yay! Snacks, too!”
Hey, wait... Was I imagining it, or were they starting to ask me for things which had nothing to do with the IS?
“Oh, right, I’m out of shampoo. Can you pick me up some? An herbal scent, please.”
“Orimura, can you bring this book back to the library for me?”
“Ah, could you see what is ze special tonight.”
“GAH! None of this has anything to do with the IS! Not one bit!”
“Oh, you figured it out.”
“You’re a smart one, aren’t you.”
“Oh! It’s a joke!”
This was exhausting. Physically, and now mentally.
“Phew...” I let out a deep, deep sigh. It felt almost like my soul floated away with it.
“Pff...”
As she looked at me, Kanzashi did her best to stifle a laugh. Her face showed only the faintest smile, yet to me, it shone brighter than any diamond.
◇
“All right, I think that’s the last of the basics. Sarashiki, everything feels right, right?”
“I’ll be fine...”
After 9 o’clock, the night before the tag team tournament, the light at the end of the tunnel finally appeared. Kaoruko nodded happily at Kanzashi’s reply.
“How’s the fire control? Are we punting on the multi-lock-on system?”
“Yes... I’ll... I’ll use the standard lock-on system...”
Kyouko, who planned to specialize in weapons development after graduation, was especially concerned with this. Uchigane Nishiki was equipped with high-performance guided missiles. Six micro-missile pods, to be specific, each equipped with eight tubes. It was planned to be able to fire all forty-eight at once, but with the multi-lock-on system still incomplete, its accuracy and firepower wouldn’t measure up to spec. Still, just getting it to where it was in under a week wouldn’t have happened without Kaoruko, Kyouko, Fi, and Miss Casual helping out. And—
Kanzashi snuck a glance over at Ichika. He was putting the power tools away now that work was over. He’d spent the whole week doing the heavy lifting by himself. Orimura... Her eyes started to light up as she watched him.
“Mm?” As Kaoruko watched, a lightbulb flipped on over her head. “Anyway! Looks like we’re done here.”
“Huh? C’mon, Kaoru. If we don’t bring the tools back they’re gonna be mad.”
“It’s fine. You can take care of it.”
“Just me? I mean, I can, but...”
“Why, that’s a good boy.”
“All right. Do your best, Orimu.”
Fi and Honne high-fived.
“Um—” Kanzashi, even though she was unsure what to say, spoke up, trying to thank the others. “Th... Thank you... There... There’s no way I could have done this by myself... Thank you so much...”
She bowed deeply. The other five smiled kindly.
“Don’t even worry about it. We’re all friends, right?”
“You know, it was fun. I don’t get to work on Japanese IS often enough.”
“Mm-hm. Perhaps something sweet in return.”
“Cake for me!”
The happy voices rising up around her were enough to bring Kanzashi nearly to tears. What had she been struggling all alone for, for so long? Why, when the world was filled with such light?
“All right, let’s head out then!”
“All right!”
“Thanks for finishing the rest, Orimura.”
