Chapter I: A Maiden’s Heart is a Rainmaker

“Sorry to bother you about it.”

“Oh, no problem.”

Ichika and Charlotte walked the halls of the school after class let out, bathed in the vermillion rays of the sunset. Each carried a bundle of printouts detailing their upcoming class trip, later that month, to the seashore campus.

“Are you sure you should, though? Weren’t you supposed to go into town with Cecilia today?”

“Nah, it’s fine. You gave me an excuse not to get dragged along.”

“Eh?”

“Well, y’know. Even if it’s running deliveries, I’d rather spend the time with you.” Ichika’s cheeks burned faintly as he spoke. Their red tinge was from more than just the setting sun.

“Ichika...”

“Charlotte...”

In the empty hallway, their eyes reflected only each other. They needed no words. Two shadows, enveloped in orange, moved closer, then overlapped...

“Wha—” She shook her head, trying to gather her senses.

The place: her own room in the first-year dorms at IS Academy. The time: half past six in the morning.

“.........” Charlotte sat for a moment in confusion, blinking once, then again, before grasping the situation. “It was a dream...”

She let loose a deep, deep sigh, from seemingly 20,000 leagues down in her soul. If I only could have had ten more seconds... She sorrowfully cast her mind to the lingering memories. Even as the details faded, she only wanted to cling harder to what remained. Like rewatching a favorite video, she replayed the scene in her head.

“.........” Her cheeks lit up red. As her consciousness returned, her dream seemed more and more embarrassing. In the hall? Seriously, me? Still, it was a dream in both senses of the word. She held a hand to her chest, feeling her heart pound.

What am I thinking... After last month’s tournament, Charles Dunois—now revealed as Charlotte Dunois—moved to a room separate from Ichika’s. Still, a couple times a week, she awoke from similar dreams, hoping to cast her gaze over and lock eyes with Ichika in the other bed.

“Huh?” The other bed was empty. Not just empty, but unused.

“Ah well.” What mattered to her more was what happened next in the dream. If she fell back right away, perhaps it would continue. Clutching onto that faint hope, Charlotte closed her eyes again. If it’s just a dream, I wouldn’t mind it being a bit dirtier—

“What am I thinking...” Charlotte buried her head under her blanket to hide her blush, and tried to stop her pulse racing.

◇

Chirp, chirp...

“Mm...”

The sun beat down from outside my window as if demanding to be let inside. Sparrows sang, encouraging me to wake up. Just a little bit longer... Nothing feels better than hitting ‘snooze.’ There was no way anyone on earth didn’t enjoy it. Well, maybe there could be.

As I moved my hand, I felt something soft. Huh...? I moved it again and was met with the same soft sensation. What is this feeling? I don’t remember having something smooth and soft like this in my bed. Whatever it was, my curiosity wasn’t enough to beat out my desire for a satisfying snooze. Ahh, this is great. I brushed by the soft object once more.

“Mm...”

Wait. That voice isn’t mine. And it doesn’t seem to be male—not that I want it to be. A thought raced through the back of my mind. The light bulb in my head turned on with an audible click. I tore the blankets off with a whoosh. And under them was...

“L-Laura?!” The German National Cadet, Laura Bodewig.

The day she’d arrived last month, she declared war. After that, a lot happened, and... things transpired even further from there. But, that wasn’t the problem right now. The problem right now was that she wasn’t wearing a single thing. She was completely naked. The only things on her body were the patch over her left eye, and her dormant IS—a black garter around her left thigh. Her long silver hair covered her hips.

“Mmm... What? Is it morning already?”

“Cover up, you idiot!”

“That’s a funny thing to say. Why should a married couple have anything to hide?”

“That may be true, but... Wait, that doesn’t even apply here! Put some clothes on!” Ignoring my confusion, Laura lazily rubbed her eye and stood up with her usual expression. Incredible... she turned down a snooze. She must be inhuman. This isn’t the kind of situation to be even thinking about that sort of thing, though. As I worked over the situation in my mind, Laura opened her mouth first.

“I’d heard this was how one normally woke people up in Japan. Especially one’s betrothed.”

“Who gave you that crazy idea?”

“It worked, didn’t it?”

“Huh?”

“You woke up.”

“Well, of course I did...” The only people alive that wouldn’t wake were the dead, or the brain dead. Meaning, no one, since neither of those were alive.

No answer. Seems to be a corpse.

Really, if you were talking to a corpse, there was something wrong with you to begin with. The corpse needed a grave, and you needed medical help.

“It’s still a while before we can get breakfast, though.” As she wrapped herself in a sheet, her hair fell from its knot. Struck by the rays of the sun, it glimmered like silver. I had to admit it was beautiful.

Still, I’m getting tired of this. She’s been pulling this kind of thing since the tournament last month... At this point, it was unusual when she didn’t sit down next to me in the cafeteria, and she’d walked in on me in the bath—while I was changing into my IS suit one time, too. Yeah... if I didn’t deal with this now it would just keep escalating.

“.........” Ugh, was there some kind of way to make her back off a bit?

“What? Don’t stare at me like that. It’s embarrassing.” A liar stood before me. Yet the way her cheeks flushed and her gaze wavered when she lied was a little... no, a lot cute. Dammit! Dammit, dammit, dammit— Wait, I have an idea!

“Laura.”

“What?”

“I prefer modest women.”

“Oh, really?” Her eye widened, as if slightly shocked. Then she nodded twice, as if digesting what I’d said.

Oh, it worked! Good job, me. “Here’s your reward.” Why, thank you! I am my noble master.

“That’s just your taste, though?”

“Eh?”

“I’m myself.” An eye steeled with determination drilled into me. The hand held over her chest as if pointing where her heart was served only to reinforce it.

“.........” Wow. How incredibly self-confident... If I were a girl, I’d have fallen for her right there. Just kidding.

“Didn’t you say—” Eh? What did I say? Dammit, I’d already forgotten. “You told me I could do whatever I wanted. No fair changing your mind.”

Well, now that I thought of it, I probably did say that, but c’mon. I wasn’t really prepared for it to go this far. Besides, all the confidence she’d had fell away, and her almost pleading look up at me was a bit too appealing. This was that gap moe thing, wasn’t it? Not that I really knew much about that. It made even the hand pointing at her chest seem more like an effort to cover up.

“You seem quite excited about this, for someone who was telling me to cover up.”

“Wha— No, wait, no, it’s not like that!”

“Then, would you like to see? You’re certainly a morning would, not a wouldn’t.”

“Argh! Just hold on a minute!” As Laura began to part the sheets, I panicked. I tried to pull them back over her but she flipped me over onto the bed with a loud thunk. The time was shortly after six in the morning. I’m sorry, neighbors to the side, above, and below.

“Damn you!”

Somehow I’d managed to get the upper hand for a second against Laura as she struggled to keep a hold of the sheets. At least I’d thought so, but somehow being on top just made it easier for her to sweep my legs out from under me. Ugh, she was using her military training. There was no way I could deal with that. Flipped over, I slid down on to the floor headfirst. My neck bent at a 90-degree angle. Ouch.

“You need more practice with your technique.” Man, she sounded exactly like Chifuyu. Seems like she’d learned well—she even had the cold gaze down pat. “But, um... If you want more practice with your technique, if you know what I mean, I can’t say I’d be opposed to helping out.”

Huh? Why were her cheeks so red? What was ‘technique’ even supposed to—oh.

“You idiot! Women aren’t supposed to say things like that!”

“Oh? Did you want to say it yourself? Go right ahead.”

“That’s not what my problem is! Don’t you have any contrition about what you did to me last month?!”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, um... W-When... When you kissed me...” Ugh. Just saying it made the memories come flooding back, and not just my face but my whole body heated up. I couldn’t bear to remember the hell which unfolded afterward. To sum it up very briefly: last month, Laura had stolen a kiss from me. Not just a kiss, but... “That was my first...”

It sounds lame, I know, but it’s true. That sudden encounter was my first kiss. It was so shocking that I don’t even remember what it tasted like. All right, who in back said “probably like lemons?”

“Really.”

“‘Really?’” That blunt reply just pissed me off again, but she continued to speak as I tried to lash out.

“It was my first kiss, too. Um... I’m a little bit glad.”

Her cheeks flushed red as she spoke, and despite myself, I was at a loss for words. Think about it, self. Right in front of you is a cute (very cute, if we’re just talking looks) girl, blushing. Were you going to argue with her? There was no real man on earth that would do that. Probably.

“.........”

“.........”

Um... What was with this silence? Our shared awkwardness was just driving us to think more about each other. Time to change the subject.

“Wha—” As I started to rise, Laura pressed me back down. Her reaction was smooth and swift, and left me wondering where her slender arms got so much strength.

“Ugh, I just don’t know what to do about you. I want to know! Why are you so good at stirring up women’s passions?!”

W-What was she talking about? For me, this was a race against time. Laura, her face reddened by the rays of the rising sun, was already pushing me down toward the bed.

◆

Behind the dorm, there was an empty space often used for impromptu get-togethers. There, every day, Houki practiced with live steel.

“Phew...” Her morning practice swings completed, she pulled a towel from her bag to dry her sweat. It glimmered, reflecting the morning sun, like a dusting of jewels. Her healthy skin was enveloped by a white gi and indigo hakama. She even wore tabi and sandals on her feet.

To be quite serious for a moment, footwork was absolutely vital to fencing. The combination of tabi and sandals made it well-suited for toe tip stomps, braces, and tensings so that you could consider it ‘designed for combat.’ As a sport, kendo may be conducted barefoot for no obstruction at all, but this was surely the closest footwear to it. However, with everything going on, she’d barely ever made it to kendo club. Still, though, she made sure to keep practicing and not lose her edge.

It’s already July... Lately, the morning sun had burned down fiercely. It felt as if a haze of heat filled the air. Exercising felt good, but being covered in sweat didn’t. I should take a shower. Her roommate was probably still sound asleep, dreaming. Even though it was a longer walk, Houki set out for the clubroom showers, not wanting to wake her up. July. It’s July. Ichika had better not have forgotten. Early summer held a special meaning for Houki.

“You’re up early again today. Good morning.”

“Good morning.” The teacher in charge of the clubrooms usually opened them early for morning practice.

Ms. Sakakibara, turning 29 this year, was prim and polite, and certainly wasn’t a bad-looking individual. Yet, she had no luck with men. She kept falling for guys who even other guys say they “couldn’t really get along with.” A few times a year she could be spotted barcrawling after getting dumped. This was the last year of her 20s, though. Lately, her parents had been trying to set her up with men from out in the country, but no matter how many first dates she went on, her reaction was always the same.

“Well, he’s nice. But he’s not really my type.” Yeah, that was it. She didn’t want a safe, quiet life. That’s why she was attracted to strange men. She, herself, had begun to realize that she needed passion in her life. She didn’t want to marry someone just to be done with it. That was Sakakibara Natsuki in a nutshell.

“I’m taking a shower.”

“No rush. Remember to make sure you turn the water off when you’re done.”

“Okay.” Ms. Sakakibara grinned at Houki’s energetic response. She was beautiful. But, as mentioned...

Hmm. Houki entered the locker room attached to the showers. As usual, there was no one there but herself. A given, with how early it was. Even the morning practice rush wouldn’t start for another thirty minutes. The truth of the matter was, Houki deliberately made sure to avoid that rush. The reason was...

“.........” As Houki let her gi slide off, her breasts swayed, barely held in by her bra. Her breasts, far fuller than those of most girls her age, attracted almost as much attention from other girls as from boys. When she’d changed with other students doing morning practice before, the entire locker room stared directly at them. A line of girls had trailed her from the locker room to the shower, as if she were the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Even with individual shower stalls, she couldn’t relax feeling their eyes on her. And then, it got even worse. One girl whispered “watermelons,” and as if they were hypnotized, the entire rest of the room started listing round fruits. Burning bright red from embarrassment and anger, Houki had fled the showers.

Ugh, they’ve gotten even bigger... Big breasts weren’t all they were cracked up to be, at least not for Houki. They made her back hurt. They kept getting in the way. It was hard to find bras that fit, and then it was hard to find blouses that fit. They ended up inescapably drawing everyone’s attention.

I wish I could do something about them... Houki let out a sigh. Yet if she complained about it to Ling, she’d be chased to the ends of the earth. It was terrifying. Feminine pride was higher than Everest and deeper than the Mariana Trench, yet somehow more delicate than the traditional novelties of Ohgiya in Kyoto. It was also a hazardous material—one of the most hazardous. “Warning - Highly Explosive.” The strictest handling was necessary.

On the other hand. If Ichika likes them big, I guess it’s okay... She thought back to last month, when she had taken Ichika’s arm to compete with Cecilia. It was far bolder than anything she’d normally do, but the expression on Ichika’s face as he noticed her as a woman had overjoyed her. Competing with Cecilia or not, the realization that her breasts were pressing into Ichika’s arm had been intensely embarrassing. But... If it made him notice me... That was enough to make it all worth it. No matter how well-trained she was with a blade, she was still a blossoming teenage girl. She couldn’t help but be hung up on her crush. And then there was this month’s seashore trip, the timing was perfect.

The educational point of the trip was to let students use IS over a wide-ranging area, but this was IS Academy, and 99% of those students were girls. So of course they’d take that into consideration. The first day was entirely unstructured—meaning, she’d be able to swim and play as much as she liked. There weren’t even any inconvenient restrictions, like having to wear school swimsuits! It would be absolute freedom. It’s the best chance I’ll ever have! As the only boy there, Ichika would be the center of an intense battle, but Houki had a trick up her sleeve.

“I’ve got it! First step, have him go shopping with me this weekend!” Houki didn’t even notice her own fists clenching as her voice echoed through the empty showers.

◆

All right. She’d showered off the sweat, she’d dried her wet hair, she’d put on the freshly-cleaned summer uniform she had laid out, she’d triple-checked her hair, and she’d cleared her throat five times, just to be sure. Only after that did Houki knock on Ichika’s door. Knock, knock.

“A-Are you there, Ichika? I thought it’d be nice to get breakfast together, we haven’t in a while.” No answer. “Ichika? Are you still asleep? If you don’t get up, you’ll miss breakfast.”

Still no answer. Houki, a little bit frustrated, grabbed the doorknob. Click. Huh? He didn’t have it locked? That boy is just too trusting.

“Ichika, I’m coming in. Are you up and dres— Guh.”

“Huh?”

Snap. Houki’s expression, her movement, her entire body froze. As she opened the door and stepped into the room, she discovered a naked Laura, lying on top of Ichika and moving in for a kiss. And for some reason, he wasn’t showing any signs of resistance. That was all Houki needed to explode in rage.

“Ichika! Wh-What are you doing, you—” Houki’s blade rang as it leapt from its sheath in a breath; this was the result of her daily training. But for Ichika, on the receiving end, it was terrifying.

“W-Wait! Houki! This isn’t what it looks like!”

“Then what is it?! Ugh, stand still and let me cut you!”

“Agh! Knock it off, you moron!”

“Who are you calling a moron, you idiot?!” Houki, clearly disinclined to listen, raised her katana over her head, preparing to cut through both mount and rider. Its dull gleam was unmistakably that of live steel, and if it found its mark there would be nothing the doctors could do. “This is your punishment!”

The blade whistled through the air, and Ichika sweated like a condemned man. Yet, it stopped a split-second before making contact. That is, it was stopped.

“I can’t have you killing my wife.”

“Ugh, damn you!” Laura had materialized only the right arm of her IS armor. Using its AIC, she’d stopped Houki’s blade dead. Houki’s anger only grew as an unseen force stopped her every effort.

As an aside, Ichika was Laura’s bride. Normally, he’d be her groom, but someone had told Laura that “Japan has a custom of, when taken with a fancy for someone, declaring you’d make them your bride.” Ichika swore to himself that if he ever found who gave her that idea, he’d strangle them.

“Phew, that was close... Huh? Laura, you took your eyepatch off?” Ichika, finally noticing Laura’s golden right eye, was a bit surprised. The color-changed eye was a focus of Laura’s resentment for her past—that was why she fought, and lost, last month’s tournament with it covered. Embedded with special nanomachines which enhance the function of her IS hypersensor, it raised her visual acuity. Even without her IS deployed, it gave her accurate aim at targets up to two kilometers away.

“I didn’t like that eye very much before, but I think I do now.”

“I see. That’s good.” Ichika nodded in encouragement, happy that she’d become more positive about her own body. Seeing his expression, Laura’s face glowed a faint pink.

“It’s because you think it’s pretty.” Between blushing Laura, afraid to make eye contact and Ichika, whose pulse must be pounding, Houki was the only one who wasn’t enjoying herself.

“Tch...”

“Tch?”

“CHESTOOOOOOO!” Houki’s shout and pure animal rage was enough to force its way through Laura’s AIC. The blade began to fall again.

“Gwah!” With a resounding thump, the blankets and the bed itself were sliced clean in two. Only 15, and yet still such talent with a blade. A master swordsman who saw this would surely have tried to recruit her to his school.

“Ichika! Give up and die!”

“What are you even talking about?!”

“How impolite of you to try to lay a hand on someone else’s bride!”

Three lines of thought, never to cross. The chaos continued until Ms. Yamada, their RA, came running to find out what the commotion was.

◇

A different time, a different scene. I was in the dining hall in the first-year dorms. Given escape from that hell, I was settling down to a late breakfast. Next to me was Laura; across from me was Houki. I’d chosen a menu of natto and grilled fish. Laura had bread, corn chowder, and chicken salad. Houki had a boiled spinach salad with stewed fish. Mmm, each looked great. As I stirred my natto, I glanced around.

“Want some?” Laura had noticed my gaze, and asked if I wanted to share some of her food before gently holding a slice of bread between her teeth. Hm? Why did she put it in her— Wait, whoa!

“Mmm... What’s wrong? Go ahead.”

“You idiot! There’s no way he could eat like that! It’s basically just kissing—” Houki ran out of words and banged the table with her fist. “You should at least calm down at breakfast.”

Laura’s mouth twitched into a terrifying grin.

“Hmm... And was that jealousy I heard?”

“What?!”

“You envy me because you can’t do this, don’t you.”

“Wh-What do you mean, can’t— Ichika!” Houki gargled miso soup in her mouth as she turned toward me. I didn’t want it to be ‘feeding by mouth,’ but it seemed like she was going to insist. Um, when was I going to get to eat my own breakfast?

“...! ......!!” Hurry up, she seemed to prompt. Her eyes spoke as loudly as her mouth could have. I’d rather they hadn’t spoken with the steely glare of a sniper ace, though.

“Oh, by the way, Ichika told me something this morning.” Laura paused for a bite of chicken salad. After swallowing, she continued. “He says he prefers modest women.”

“......!!!” Houki reacted to Laura’s nonchalance with a start, like a dove hit by a peashooter. Swallowing the miso soup in her mouth, she settled back in her chair. Afterward, she continued eating breakfast with a serene expression. The term ‘modest’ must have had an impact, as even her bites of rice were smaller than usual.

Looking at Houki like this, she is quite pretty. Her daily training had left her with a firm posture, and not an ounce of excess fat on her arms or legs. The way she held her chopsticks was especially beautiful, with a grace like that of a concert pianist.

“Whoa! I’m gonna be late!” An unexpected voice broke the silence. Its source rushed into the dining hall, grabbing the closest meal tray she could find.

“Hey, Charlotte.”

“Oh, Ichika. Good morning.”

I had another open seat next to me, so I waved her over. It was rare for Charlotte to be this late to breakfast. Her flustered state made it obvious. It was true, though. If she didn’t rush through her meal, she would be late.

“What’s up? You’re usually always on time. Did you oversleep?”

“Yeah, I, uh, did.”

“Wow, even you oversleep?”

“Well, uh... More, I fell back asleep.” Maybe because she was trying to cram down a meal, Charlotte had a harder time answering clearly than usual. But was it just my imagination, or was she shying away from me?

“Charlotte.”

“Mm?”

“Are you trying to avoid me?”

“O-Of course not! Why would I do that?” Her words said one thing, but I could definitely tell she was on guard. Up until last month, we’d roomed together for nearly a month, so I could definitely sense when she was trying to change the subject. It’d just make her feel worse if I pressed her on it, so I’ll back off. Besides...

I stared closely at Charlotte, who was eating faster than usual. My one-on-one training on how to use chopsticks had clearly paid off. Why, she could pick the bones out of grilled fish before she’d even had breakfast! Well, when she was having breakfast.

“I-Ichika? You keep looking at me, is something wrong? Do I have bed head?”

“Nah. It’s just an interesting change of pace to see you in girl’s clothes after you were in guy’s clothes all last month.”

“I-Interesting?”

“Yeah. I think you look cute in them.”

“But I was in guy’s clothes in the dream...” Charlotte, apparently not very used to compliments, glowed red.

“Hm? What dream?”

“Oh, it’s nothing! Nothing at all!” She waved it off and turned back to her meal. As for myself, having finished with my meal, perhaps it was time for a tea—

“Oww!” Suddenly, my foot was stomped on and my cheek was pinched.

“For someone who prefers modest women, you’re quite the playboy. Remember, you’re my bride.”

“You should compliment me, too.”

Said Laura and Houki, in that order. This was hell. Did I have to spam the B button to escape? I’d really prefer not to be boiled alive.

“Um...” Think of something, self. All right, that’s a good idea. “You’d both be beautiful if you calmed down.”

Smash! A double-foot stomp. That positively ached.

“DON’T TREAT ME LIKE HER!” came in stereo. Wow, terrifying. Each of them were fixated on me with a deadly glare. What was this all about... Did they hate to be compared to each other that much? Why couldn’t they both just get along?

Ding-dong. Listen, the bell has started ringing already, and it’s because you two can’t deal with each other. Wait... The bell?

“Wah! Hurry up, the bell is ringing!”

Wait, what? I was the only one standing up from the table. Houki, Laura, and even Charlotte were already out the door in a mad dash. Dammit, wait for me! “Don’t leave me behind! Today’s Chifuyu—er, Ms. Orimura’s turn to do homeroom!”

Being late would be suicide.

“I don’t want to die.”

“Same.”

“Sorry, Ichika.”

Grr. So it was like that, huh?! If we were going to hang, wouldn’t it better to hang together?! I’d have answered ‘no’ in an instant if the shoe was on the other foot. It was best to keep to a low-sodium, low-martyrdom diet. Just as the thought raced through my head, I made it to the lobby. It sucked having to change from slippers into shoes every time we left, and vice-versa. Hm, the girls were already gone.

“Hey, Ichika.” Wait, no. Someone gripped my hand as soon as I’d gotten my slippers on. And who was it but Charlotte? She waited for me. What a great person! She was willing to die beside me! “Ichika, let’s fly.”

“Huh?” I’d no sooner asked than a halo of light spread from Charlotte’s back and condensed down. Charlotte had materialized just part of her Rafale Revive Custom II—only her leg thrusters and back wings were there. “Wha—”

She pulled me along with a tight grip. The first period bell was about to ring, and the halls were empty. Using the IS’s flight capability, we leapt up the stairs in the blink of an eye. But, um... She probably shouldn’t fly in a miniskirt. Everyone could see her cute aqua blue panties.

“Made it!”

“Well done.”

Really? The bell hadn’t even rung and the demon teacher was already there waiting for us. Class 1-A instructor Orimura Chifuyu. My sister, and a former IS world champion. Incidentally, not just a champion, but the first champion ever, and the best scorer on melee combat to boot. Even unarmed, she was as fierce as a demon. I snuck a quick glance over at Charlotte’s face. It was the first time I’d seen it pale.

“This is an educational institution established to develop IS pilots. For that reason, it’s subject to no national authority, and operates completely apart from outside influence. But—” Smack! Her attendance clipboard rang as loud as ever. “Unapproved deployment of IS indoors is forbidden. Understood?”

“Understood... Sorry...” The classmates were stunned into silence at overachieving Charlotte having broken a rule. Oh, and Houki and Laura had snuck into the classroom and to their seats while Chifuyu was raging at Charlotte and I. Guess I shouldn’t be surprised that they didn’t bother to help.

“Dunois. Orimura. Stay after class and clean. Next time, you’ll be writing apologies from in-school suspension.”

“Yes, ma’am...” Drained of energy, we slunk to our seats. There were no upsides to ruining a demon’s morning.

Ding-dong. The bell, cheerily immersed in its own little world, rang for homeroom.

“Today is standard instruction. You may be at IS Academy, but you’re still high schoolers. I’d better not see any failing grades.”

We didn’t have much class time for it, but of course IS Academy covered all the standard subjects, too. Even if there weren’t midterms, we did have finals. A failing grade would get me sent to summer school. That, of all things, I wanted to avoid.

“Also, remember that the field trip is next week. Be sure not to forget anything. You’ll be spending three days away from school. Be sure not to let the freedom distract you too much.”

Ah, right. At the beginning of July was our field trip—our seashore trip. Out of the three days, the first was completely free-form. Since it was at the sea, these teen girls were sure to go wild. They’d been hyping themselves up since last week.

Meanwhile, I didn’t even really want to go buy swimming trunks. Then again, when I told Cecilia and Rin that, they kept up a machine-gun hail of complaints until I finally broke down and said I would. Hmm, guess I’ll have to get that out of the way this weekend. It’s been a long time since I’ve swam in the sea. I’m looking forward to it a little.

“That concludes homeroom. Stay focused today, and study well.”

“Ms. Orimura? Is Ms. Yamada out sick today?” Takatsuki Shizune, one of the more observant students in class, had raised her hand and asked a question. I’d been a bit curious as well, but I’d just assumed she’d slept in.

“Ms. Yamada has taken the day to inspect the site of the field trip, so I’m handling her job for today.”

“Wait, Yamster got to go to the beach early? Lucky!”

“No fair! She should have at least taken me along!”

“She’s probably swimming right now. I know she is.”

As expected of teenage girls, give them something to talk about and they could go on forever. Chifuyu continued to speak, with an annoyed look on her face.

“Don’t gossip like that. It’s annoying. Ms. Yamada is doing her job, not playing around.”

The class echoed with what seemed like a single “Okay.” Always such impressive teamwork.

◇

After class, Charlotte and I cleaned the classroom together, illuminated by the setting sun. There were no other students—IS Academy didn’t normally have students clean. Dedicated janitorial staff kept the place sparkling from floor to ceiling. It seems like our temporary guardians had insisted that, rather than cleaning, our time was better spent practicing with IS. So cleaning the classrooms was reserved as a light punishment, was what we were supposed to be feeling, but...

“Hmm, this is kind of fun.”

“Eh?”

“It really is. Cleaning is. Especially when it’s the classroom we’re in every day.”

“Really? You’re so silly, Ichika.” Eh? Really? I thought Charlotte would agree. I was a little bit shocked. Still, not really caring for it but helping out anyway was definitely a very Charlotte thing to do.

“Oomph.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard. I’ll move the desks.” But, uh. It was Kishizato’s desk, packed completely full of papers. She called it her “full armor desk” herself, which, ummmmm.

“Nah, I’m fine. I have my own IS, right? I should at least be as strong as everyone else.” As Charlotte spoke, she lost her footing from the weight. I immediately leapt to support her.

“Be careful! C’mon, you don’t want to get yourself hurt. Let me move it.”

“Okay... Thanks.” I’d held her up from behind, so it was almost like I was embracing her. Her gaze began to waver. She was probably having a hard time dealing with a guy holding her.

“Sorry. I’ll let go.”

“Ah...” Huh? Somehow, her voice echoed with regret. Why? “I... I don’t mind...”

“Eh?”

“Oh, nothing.”

“Huh? Okay.”

Charlotte’s been acting strange all day, ever since first thing in the morning.

◆

Wow, my heart’s beating so fast... I look okay, right? I’m not making any weird faces? Even though the punishment of cleaning the classroom wasn’t what she wished would bring them together, the pounding in Charlotte’s chest was growing louder and louder. The orange rays of sunset illuminating the classroom mixed with her memories of that morning’s dream, and her ears burned bright red. The heat from her cheeks was almost painful, and there was no trace of the usually cool and collected girl who shared the same skin. What do I do... I should say something, right? But I have no idea what to talk about...

“Hey, by the way.”

“Yweah?!”

The surprise of the unexpected prompt from Ichika was enough to make Charlotte’s voice betray her. Realizing how strange she sounded, she pressed a hand to her mouth as soon as the sound left her lips.

“What’s wrong? You sound funny.”

“Oh, it’s nothing! Nothing at all, okay? I was just thinking about something.”

“Mmhm.”

Ichika lifted a desk, any suspicion seemingly abated. As soon as they were all put back, the two would be done cleaning, Charlotte wistfully realized.

“You know, I’ve been wondering something since last month, and I thought this would be a good time to ask.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Well, you said to call you Charlotte when we were alone together, right? I thought that meant you were going to keep being a boy, but the next morning you were a girl. Did something come up after that?”

“Er, well, uh...” For Charlotte, a bit conflicted herself, responding was painful. Even if she would have freely answered any other day, today, she was nothing but mumbles.

“Oh, uh. If you don’t want to tell me you don’t have to. I was just curious.”

“You were curious?”

“Well, of course I was.”

“I... I guess.” Charlotte mumbled, looking for something more to say. She looked back and forth between Ichika and the windows over and over, before finally working up the courage to speak. Charlotte, blushing intensely, looked straight at Ichika as she continued to speak.

“Well, I wanted to be seen as a girl— I wanted you to look at me as a girl. But it would be weird to only be one when we were alone together. Like I was running away from something. So... It’s kinda your fault?”

“Oh, really? Sorry.”

“It’s not something you have to apologize for...” Charlotte flounced toward the window. Even in the orange glow of sunset, her blush was visible.

“But, you know. I do look at you as a girl.”

“Eh? But—” The unexpected response sent Charlotte’s heart aflutter—but her young passions flowed around, not over, the granite blockhead Orimura Ichika.

“I mean, you’re not a guy.”

A cawing crow flew behind Charlotte. Well, it didn’t, but its call pierced the awkward silence. Ugh... Ichika... Ichika, you... By the time Charlotte got control of herself, she was already stamping her feet, and the red of her face was now purely from frustration. But she couldn’t find the words—there were no words to say why. There was nothing she could do. She almost suspected that Ichika did this intentionally.

But really, if he did it’d be less of a problem. It was because he was such a blockhead that he kept accidentally sending her emotions boiling over. Even that morning, him offhandedly calling her cute nearly sent her heart springing from her mouth. Well, it made me happy... But... But what she really wanted was for him to only say that kind of thing around her. The understanding of how unlikely that was and the unavoidable yearning for it to happen tore at her young heart.

“I’ve been thinking, though. Now that my name for you is your real name, should I come up with a new nickname?”

“Eh? Are you sure?”

“I mean, if you don’t mind.” Charlotte energetically nodded. “Y-Yeah. It’s fine. Sounds like a good idea.”

Her anticipation and excitement brought her voice up a half-octave. Even as she struggled to hide her reaction, a flower garden bloomed in her heart. Oh my God, what do I do? What’s with him? I don’t know if I’m ready for this... But, he likes me, he really likes me. Right? Right?! The storm brewing in her heart began to leak into her voice. She cleared her throat to hide it while waiting intently for his answer.

“Makes sense to me. What about Charl? It rolls off the tongue well, and it’s nice and intimate.”

“Charl...? Yeah! That’s good. No, it’s great!”

“Oh? I’m glad you like it so much.”

“Y-Yeah, kinda. Charl. Charl, huh.” Charlotte giggled. Picture a team of four SD Charlottes dancing in the flower garden in her heart. With ‘Please Stand By’ text over the top, if possible.

“Anyway, Charl— can you do me a favor?”

“Huh? What?”

While Charlotte was still enveloped in bliss, Ichika thrust out his hand toward her. An almost visible question mark popped up over her head as he approached with a serious face and asked the fateful question.

“Will you go out with me?”

“Ehh...?!” Charlotte heard a sound like the heavens tearing apart.

◇

“Great weather today, huh?”

The weekend. Sunday. The weather was beautifully clear. I was out on the town with a girl, getting ready for the class trip next week. Specifically, I was out with...

“.........” For some reason, Charlotte—Charl—had a sullen look. She’d been like this all morning. I didn’t get what she meant by “I heard a sound which shattered my dreams.” She may have been in a mood, she may have just been drained, but either way there were storm clouds gathering in her expression.

Oh, and today, she was wearing a short-sleeved white blouse perfect for the weather. Under it was a light gray tank top, the same color as her skirt. The skirt was tiered, and cut short to show off the beautiful lines of her legs 120%— yeah, it was cute. It was stunning, in complete contrast to her expression, and fashionable as well.

“What’s wrong, Charl? Not feeling well today?” I turned toward her with a worried look, only to have my face pushed back away.

“.........” Silently, too. Yet her expression was shouting condemnation.

“Charl, uh...”

“Ichika.”

“Huh?”

“Men who play with girls’ emotions should be kicked to death by a horse.”

Wow, that was pretty harsh all of a sudden. But I couldn’t disagree. Not just girls. You shouldn’t do that to anyone. It was just cruel. Only a real stinker would do that.

“Yeah, they should all be dead.”

“Look in a mirror sometime.”

Huh, did I have bed head? I didn’t want to look like a loser.

“So... You just wanted to go out shopping, huh. Now that I think of it, you did the same thing last month, didn’t you, Ichika. Siiiigh...”

Again, that sudden 20,000-league sigh. What was she so mad about? Was going out shopping with me really such a drag?

“Listen, I’m sorry. But you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, okay? I don’t mind if you go back and just take the day off. It’s important to take care of yourself.”

“.........”

Her silence was overpowering. Ugh, it was like being strangled with a silk thread. Incredibly awkward. Because it was so awkward, I hunted for whatever blame I could take.

“Um... Why don’t I get you a parfait at the place by the station to thank you for coming along?”

“Just a parfait?”

“How about some cake, too? And something to drink.”

“Mmm. Oh, and—” She suddenly held out her hand. Hm? Did she want to shake hands? Nah, couldn’t be. For a moment, it seemed like she was glaring at me. Umm... Think. Think. “You can hold my hand.”

“Oh, just that? Sure.”

Now that I thought of it, she was a foreigner in a strange city. She’d have a tough time if we got separated. Almost everyone has Sunday off, so the area near the station was pretty crowded. Holding hands so we didn’t get separated was the kind of clever idea I was used to from her. I should try to learn from her example.

“.........” Huh? Why was she so quiet all of a sudden? Her face was redder than before, and she didn’t want to make eye contact. Did she have a cold?

“Are you okay?”

“Wha— What do you mean?!”

“C’mon, Charl. Are you sure you don’t need to just go rest?”

“N-No! I’m fine! Absolutely fine! Let’s go!” She suddenly started walking, pulling me toward the station. Holding her hand, I couldn’t help but think about how delicate it was. Its warmth made my heart beat faster.

◆

As Ichika and Charlotte walked toward the station, two unseen figures watched from the shadows. When the crossing sign turned green, and Ichika and Charlotte disappeared into the crowd, the two emerged into sight. One was an energetic girl with two braids, and the other was an elegant blonde. In other words, they were Ling and Cecilia.

“Hold it...”

“What is it?”

“Were they... holding hands?”

“They certainly were...” As they recounted the obvious, Cecilia, still grinning, gripped her drink bottle. With a sploosh, the cap popped off.

“I knew it. I wasn’t seeing things. I wasn’t daydreaming. I knew it— I’m going to kill him.” Ling’s clenched fist, already enveloped in IS armor, was ready for combat. Her impact cannon was two seconds away from firing. Such is the terrifying passion of a teenage girl.

“It seems as though they’re having fun. I suppose I should join in.”

“......?!”

A sudden voice from behind shocked the two. Standing there was a figure they’d never forget after their defeat last month—Laura.

“When did you get here?!”

“Don’t be so standoffish. I have no intention of harming you.”

“Why should I believe you?! If you want a rematch, we’re ready!” Memories of their two-on-one defeat only strengthened Ling and Cecilia’s doubts. Laura, though, continued calmly.

“If you could kindly forgive me for that.” Laura’s nonchalance robbed the duo of words for a moment. Soon enough, though, they found them.

“Seriously, you want us to forgive that?”

“The nerve, to even ask such a thing!”

“Oh well. I’ll just go after Ichika, then. See you.” As Laura paced off, Ling and Cecilia momentarily stopped in their tracks.

“Ho-Hold up!”

“Indeed! Whatever are you going to do when you catch up to him?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Ask to join in. That’s all.” The casual answer made them recoil. They weren’t sure whether to hate or envy such a straightforward response.

“Wait. Just wait. The most important thing to do when faced with an unknown force is to gather intelligence, right?”

“You have a point. What’s your plan, then?”

“First we trail them, to find out exactly what’s going on between them.”

“Makes sense. I’m in.”

And thus, for absurd reasons, the stalker trio was formed.

◇

“This should be the place with the swimsuits.” We were on the second floor of the shopping mall by the station. Everything came together here: trains, the subway, buses, and taxis. You could get to here from anywhere in the city, and you could get to anywhere in the city from here.

The mall, called Resonance, linked the station itself with the surrounding below-street-level retailers. In the resulting complex, you could eat your fill of western, Chinese, and Japanese food while browsing everything from no-frills casual wear to the most famous global brands. There was entertainment for everyone from children to the elderly, too. In other words, if you couldn’t find it there, you couldn’t find it anywhere in the city. It was kinda—no, it was really amazing. Oh, and it seemed kind of weird to call it ‘by the station’ when it wrapped completely around the station. But it started out that way, so I guess there was no changing it now. In middle school, Dan and Rin and I spent plenty of afternoons here. Coming back was kind of nostalgic.

“Were you going to get a swimsuit too, Charl?”

“Well... Ichika, did you want to see me in a swimsuit?”

Hm? That was a weird question. Shouldn’t she be more worried about whether she was going to swim? Sometimes I didn’t get why she said things.

“I guess. You should take advantage of the chance to go swimming. It’s been a long time since I have, so I’m looking forward to it.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I won’t have the chance that often, so I guess I’ll get a new one.” Charl nodded repeatedly as her grip tightened. She must have been as excited as I was at the chance to swim in the sea. You really need the sea and watermelons and fireworks to make it summer. Yeah.

“The men’s and women’s are in different departments, should we split up?”

“Ah...” Charles sighed regretfully as she let go of my hand. Even after, she kept looking at me with the expression of a child who wanted something but didn’t know how to ask for it.

“Um, what’s up?”

“Ah, er. Oh, it’s nothing.”

“Oh? Then, let’s meet back up here in thirty minutes.”

“Got it.” With a deep nod, she headed towards the women’s department. A rainbow of different colors were on display, and just looking at them made me feel like I was in the tropics.

“Can’t get distracted. I need to pick out something for myself.”

Luckily, I’d managed to work up a decent war chest doing part-time jobs in middle school. And since I lived at the IS Academy dorms, meals and utilities were covered. Ah, IS Academy, run directly by the Japanese government. Such a wonderful place.

Anyway, though, it’d been a long time since I’d picked out a swimsuit. There were a lot of things in some truly outrageous colors, but I went for something in a basic navy blue. This’ll do the trick. I still have around ten minutes left, but I guess I’ll head back to the meeting place, anyway. I set off for where Charl and I had split up. When I arrived, though, I was surprised to find her there waiting for me.

“Huh? That was quick. Are you done already?”

“Ah, um. I wanted you to help me pick.”

“Oh? Well, let’s go look then.” With that in my mind, I set foot in the women’s swimsuit department. But... Honestly, there were so many more colors and styles here. I was a bit hesitant, not even knowing where to start.

Um... Well, I guess Charl wanted me to, so I should just deal with it. It being Sunday, there were women all around. They, likewise, seemed to immediately notice a man entering the department.

“You, there.”

“Hm?” I glanced around, but didn’t see anyone else she could mean but Charl and myself.

“You, the boy. Can you put this swimsuit back on the rack for me?” She didn’t even know my name, yet she was ordering me around. In the 10 years since the introduction of IS, misandry had spread throughout the world. Every country was run by women. A man couldn’t even walk down the street without having someone he didn’t know ordering him around. But I—

“Why me? Do it yourself. Get in the habit of just ordering people around, and sooner or later your brain’s gonna leak out your ears.”

I absolutely hated that. I didn’t mind if it was someone I knew, but if I’d never met you? Not even listening. And if I did listen, of course I wasn’t gonna do it.

“Oh, so that’s how you’re going to be? You need to learn your place.” With that, she called for security. See, misandry. All she had to do was accuse me of getting violent, and no jury in the country would acquit me. What a world.

“Isn’t that enough? He’s here with me.” Charl spoke up just in time. At least, since they were both women, things wouldn’t get any further out of hand.

“Oh, is he your man? You need to train him better.”

Oh, I see how it is. Men are just dogs. Really, though, only a few women were this arrogant. Most still thought men had a place in society. Though, all too often, that place was doing work for women.

“Ugh, this is why I can’t stand men.” Grumbling to herself, the woman stalked off. I guess something else had just set her off. A stress-ridden society wasn’t good for anyone.

“Sorry, Ichika. I didn’t mean to drag you into that.”

“Mm? Oh, don’t worry about it. Thanks for covering for me, you really saved my skin.”

“Of course I would. Anyway, let me show you what I’m thinking of.”

“Sure.” As soon as I answered, Charl pulled me along. In my confusion, I didn’t notice that she had pulled me straight into the changing room. Wait... What?

“Well, you won’t really be able to tell without seeing me in it, right?”

Er, um, I mean, that was true, but still. Now that I thought of it, I remembered the big sign by the seasonal display saying that women could try on swimsuits. It seemed like that was in demand. Apparently, after they were tried on an employee took them to be cleaned. How luxurious. The tentacles of the matriarchy had spread even to here.

“Hold on a second, I’ll get changed.”

“Okay, I’ll step out for a second and—”

“No!”

She could tell me ‘no,’ but...

“It’s okay. I won’t take long.” As she spoke, Charl suddenly pulled off her top.

“Wha—” Flustered, I spun away from her. I was alone with Charl in the tiny changing cubicle. The sounds from just behind me of clothing being pulled off made my heart pound, whether I wanted it to or not. And in a space this tight, I couldn’t help but immediately notice that smell only girls had. Ugh, no! I need to stay calm!

“Er, Charl?”

“What?”

“Um...” I wanted to ask how this ended up happening, but not wanting to be so direct, I was at a loss for words.

“Mm...” I heard the swoosh of something light landing on fabric. Could that have been—could that have been anything but the sound of her panties sliding off? What do I do? What is she doing?!

◆

Ugh, they’re really out for blood... What am I going to do? Charlotte had realized that the trio were trailing her. All IS were equipped with a special data infrastructure called the ‘Core Network.’ Since IS were developed for use in space exploration, they could precisely locate each other even at interplanetary ranges. Of course, this required both IS’ operators to authorize the sharing of location data, but, even without doing so, their approximate location could be derived. However, a stealth mode was available in order to evade detection. All three of the trio had activated stealth mode on their IS, which was precisely how Charlotte knew they were there. Each had stealth mode active, meaning none of them wanted to be detected, which meant they were trailing her. Laura’s military training meant she was unlikely to slip up and be seen in the act, but Charlotte was more than perceptive enough to recognize that she was there, too.

Mmm... Too bad they’re probably not gonna give up and go home. Whatever else was going on, she had gone out together with Ichika—rather, they were on a date. Whether Ichika agreed with this interpretation was irrelevant; Charlotte certainly believed it from the bottom of her heart. This was the determination of a blooming maiden. In her heart and in her mind, she was giving this 120%. Pulling him into a changing room was probably going a bit too far... Her face burned as she sensed his form behind her. It seemed he wasn’t quite sure how to react, either, as he’d been staring at the ceiling for some time.

Ugh... He probably thinks I’m a weirdo now... They were together in a changing room without even a screen between them, and she’d stripped completely naked. It had to be embarrassing for him, too. She tightly gripped her pendant—the IS Revive’s standby form, a small cross. But he’s a Dreadnought-class blockhead anyway, and I had no other choice... Ugh, let’s just get this over with! Charlotte, her face red, stepped out of her panties. Tossing them on top of her other clothes, she slid the swimsuit over her naked body. It should be pointed out that there was no official record of the Royal Navy’s Dreadnought, commissioned in 1906, being a blockhead. It wasn’t even a person, in fact. So, pardon her.

“You can turn around now.”

“Okay...”

Even though she had pulled him into the changing room to show him the swimsuit, as Charlotte felt Ichika’s gaze on her, her heart pounded. Twining her fingers together to conceal her nervousness, she awaited Ichika’s opinion with bated breath.

Ichika himself, though, was triply flustered—by being pulled into a changing room, by being changed next to, and by seeing her in the swimsuit. All he could do was blush. He isn’t saying anything... Doesn’t he like the design? Now that I think of it, it’s a bit risqué... The swimsuit in question was not quite a one-piece and not quite a two-piece, with a strip of cloth running down her back between a bikini top and bottom. Its color was a summery bright yellow, and its front made every effort to show off her cleavage.

“If you don’t like it, there’s another one I was—”

“N-No! I think it looks good! It’ll be fine, Charl!” Ichika had been on edge since she’d begun to change, and the tension made him blurt it all out at once.

They may not have been particularly romantic words, but Charlotte, who was just as nervous as he was, took them as the sweetest praise.

“Okay, this one it is.”

“Sure. I’ll head out, then.” Ichika darted to open the door to the dressing room before Charl could pull him back.

“Eh?”

“Ehh?”

“Ehhhhhh?”

Somehow, of all the people in the world who could have been standing in front if it, there was none other than his class’s vice homeroom teacher, Ms. Maya Yamada. And, from behind her, Chifuyu poked her head around to see what the commotion was.

“What on earth are you doing?!”

A moment later, Ms. Yamada let out a panicked shriek.

◇

“I understand that he was helping you choose a swimsuit, but you mustn’t go into the changing room together. It’s bad for your development.”

“Sorry, ma’am...” Charlotte bower her head.

Man, this really sucked. Charl has been getting in so much trouble lately, and it was always my fault. Forgive me, Charl.

“What are Ms. Yamada and you doing here, Chifu—uh, Ms. Orimura?” Changing the subject to distract them. Good job, me.

“We came to get swimsuits, too. Oh, and we’re not at school, so you can call me by name.”

I... kinda wasn’t quite sure about that. Putting aside Ms. Yamada, Chifuyu may have been acting casual, but she was still in her suit. If I called her ‘big sis Chifuyu’ in front of other people, she’d probably get mad again. Oh, and—

“Isn’t it about time you show yourselves?”

I thought I heard the sound of a nervous hiccup. No, it must have been my imagination.

“Why, we were just about to.”

“Yeah. We were just waiting for the right timing.” Two figures stepped out from behind a pillar. It was Rin and Cecilia.

“I’ve been wondering for a while what you’re doing sneaking around like that.”

“Sometimes girls don’t want boys to know what they’re shopping for.”

“Indeed! Ichika, your lack of delicacy never fails to leave me speechless.”

Whew, I don’t know why, but they definitely seem mad. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked that.

“Let’s just finish this up and get back to campus,” Chifuyu half-sighed. It looked like she was holding a swimsuit. She and Ms. Yamada had probably both narrowed it down already.

“Ah, hold on. I forgot, there was something else I wanted. I, er, don’t really remember where it was, so Huang and Alcott, could you come with me? Dunois, too.”

Huh? What was up with Ms. Yamada? The look in her eyes as she pulled the other three students away was as if she’d just had a Eureka moment. This left just me and Chifuyu there, and a few dozen seconds of awkward silence passed.

“Ugh, sometimes she tries too hard.”

“Eh?”

“Sigh... Complaining won’t solve it, I guess, Ichika.”

“What is it, Ms. Orimura?” I was so unused to her calling me by my given name that I wasn’t quite sure how to react. Looking at my strained expression, Chifuyu gave me a wry grin.

“We’re not at school. Just call me Chifuyu. We’re brother and sister, right?”

“Got it.”

I guess blood was thicker than water. What was Ms. Yamada so worried about, anyway?

“Anyway, Ichika. Which swimsuit do you think looks better?”

As she spoke, she held up the hanger in her hands, and I saw two swimsuits on it. One was a sporty but sexy black outfit with mesh panels. The other was a pure white, without a single nod to form over function. Of course, both were bikinis, which would show a lot of skin. Hmm... Yeah, the black one. That was when it struck me. If she went with the black one, she’d probably attract a bunch of weirdos. No, not probably— a 100% chance. The white one was plenty sexy too, but at least it’d be less likely to attract catcalls.

“The white one...” I thought I’d managed to make it seem like I was telling the truth, but Chifuyu just gave me another wry grin.

“The black one, you said?”

“No, the white—”

“Don’t lie to me. I saw your eyes jump straight to the black one. You’ve always stared at things you’re interested in. It makes it really easy to tell what you’re thinking.”

Ugh... She saw right through me.

“You worry way too much about me. Do I really seem like the kind of girl who would let a beach bum pick her up?”

“Well, no, not really, but... You know, Chifuyu, are you ever going to get a boyfriend? I’ve never heard you talk about one.”

“Probably, when I don’t have my hands full with a little brother anymore.”

I didn’t really have a good answer to that. I’d had a part-time job in middle school, but almost all of—really, 99% of my money came from Chifuyu. One time, I tried insisting that I should shop for myself, but she’d told me “Why don’t you spend that money on a girl you like, instead?” I didn’t even have one of those.

“And what about you?”

“Me? What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean. When are you finding a girlfriend? You’re positively swimming in girls at school. Are there just so many that you can’t pick one?”

“Swimming in them...” I used to think that was literal, when I was a little kid. Too bad it wasn’t. If it was, I would’ve already had swim trunks and I could’ve avoided this whole mess.

“Hey, what about Laura? It wouldn’t always be easy, but once she fell for you, I don’t think she’ll ever change her mind. And she’s not that bad of a looker, either,” she continued.

“Well, um...”

“Plus, you’ve already kissed, right?”

Ugh. Did she have to remind me? How was I even supposed to respond to that? Maybe it was because of my frustration that her wry smile from before turned upward into a heartfelt grin.

“You could do worse, you know?”

“It’s not that, I just don’t really know if...”

“I see. What about her looks? Is she your type?”

“Well, hmm. I guess she’s kind of cute.”

“What was that?”

“Laura’s cu— What are you making me say?!”

“You’re the one who said it.” Well, she was right. It’s not like she didn’t lead me into it, but it was my fault for taking the bait. “Anyway, you should deal with your own problems before worrying about me. I’m not old enough that I need my little brother matchmaking for me.”

“Okay, okay, I get it. I won’t worry about weird things. Is that okay?”

“Yeah. That’s fine.” With a final grin, Chifuyu left to pay for her purchases. I stood still for a little while, too flustered to decide whether to follow her or wait for Ms. Yamada to come back.

◆

Rewinding time a few minutes. Ling, Cecilia, and Laura had started off in hot pursuit, but they slowly began to realize that, no matter how seriously Charlotte was taking the excursion, Ichika wasn’t.

“He’s just being himself again... The granite blockhead, Orimura Ichika.”

Laura decided to call off the pursuit, worried that they were more likely to be caught than to find anything. Separating from Ling and Cecilia, she made her way to the rainbow array of swimsuits. There, behind a wall of beachwear, she could stay without any worry of being seen.

Hmm. Now that I think of it, I should pick one up for myself. Recalling her school-issued swimsuit, though, Laura changed her mind. By the way, IS Academy swimsuits were the old school indigo-blue ones, long past endangered and now approaching extinct in the wild. They even had the name patches. Whatever. If I can swim in it, it’ll be fine. It’s perfectly functional. No need for a second one. Laura coldly eyed the line of swimsuits, yet in the next moment, her pale flesh flushed a deep red.

“Laura’s cute.” Suddenly, she heard Ichika’s voice speak those words. She’d realized he was talking with Chifuyu, but not habitually being an eavesdropper, she’d tuned out their conversation until they caught her off guard.

“.........” The sudden words painted her face crimson as the pounding of her heart slammed into top gear. She couldn’t stop the pounding sound from her chest.

“You should appreciate me more,” she’d said over and over to Ichika, but he never had, so of course she’d never heard him call her cute. To hear it suddenly out of the blue was such a shock that even the German ice queen, Laura, would naturally be sent aflutter.

C-Cute? I... I’m cute? Her gaze darted back and forth in a panic before she clutched a hand to her chest and closed her eyes. Even using a focusing technique she almost never had to resort to, it took Laura try after try to open up the proper IS private channel.

◆

At the same time, at a military base in Germany. The IS-equipped special forces flight Schwarze Hase—Black Rabbit—was conducting drills. Of the ten IS in the entire country, three were assigned to this unit. That alone stood as proof of its elite status, both in name and operationally. Just like the eyepatched black rabbit in its insignia, every member, including its leader Laura, had an eye implanted with IS-assist nanomachines. The eyepatch may once have been intended as a limiter for Laura, but now, it was a measure to protect their enhanced vision and a sign of loyalty to their commander.

“What’s the hold-up? You’re thirty-seven seconds late! Hurry it up!” The source of this roar was the executive officer, one Klarissa Harfouch. Aged 22, and the oldest of its members, she often acted as a strict but supportive older sister figure to the teens around her. Suddenly, her personal IS Schwarzer Zweig—a.k.a. Black Branch—received a private channel transmission which may as well have been a coded SOS.

“Roger. This is Lt. Klarissa Harfouch.”

“I-It’s me...” Even though identifying by name and rank was technically mandatory, the waver in the voice on the other end kept Klarissa from responding with anything sharper than a questioning look.

“Commander Laura Bodewig. Is there some problem?”

“Yeah... A very, very big problem...”

Impressed with the gravity of the situation by Laura’s condition, Klarissa quickly hand-signaled the rest of the flight to stop and gather.

“Shall we deploy?”

“No, I don’t need the entire flight. This isn’t a military problem.”

“Then...?”

“Klarissa. I, ah. I... I’m apparently ‘cute.’”

“Yes... And?” Klarissa’s flat, martial tone suddenly rose half an octave. Her staccato operational delivery in the face of unknown danger drifted off into dumbfoundedness.

“Ichika... Ichika said so...”

That was enough for Klarissa to regain her bearings.

“Orimura’s little brother, right? The one you said you had a thing for?”

“Well... What do I do, Klarissa? What should I do in this kind of situation?”

“Well. I need more information. Did he say it to you directly?”

“No, he doesn’t seem to realize I’m here.”

“That’s the best thing that could happen.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Praise for someone who isn’t there has to be true.”

“I see!” Laura’s voice, which had been shaking like a leaf, steadied and smoothed out like a flower opening. At the same time as this conversation was occurring, Klarissa was holding up notes to the gathered squadmates.

[COMMANDER’S CRUSH NOTICED HER] The crowd of a dozen or so girls let out an “Oooooh!” in unison.

By the way, at first Laura hadn’t gotten along well with the others at all, but after the VT incident the prior month, she’d told Klarissa there was ‘a guy she liked’ and that cleared it all up. To give a small piece of that conversation...

“What?! The Commander’s interested in a guy?!”

“I was convinced she was head-over-heels for Orimura!”

“True, true. I thought so myself. But then she came to me—Laura, of all people—And asked, ‘how do I get a guy’s attention?’”

“Woooooow!”

“So I didn’t pull any punches, I gave her the truth! In Japan, when you’re into someone, you tell them you’ll make them your bride!”

“Wow, XO! You know all about Japan!”

“Of course I do. I didn’t read all that shoujo manga for nothing.”

“Wow!”

“You’re awesome! You know everything!”

“But Laura being cute is even better.”

“Yeah! Agreed! Oh, why couldn’t we get along with her this well when she was here?”

“Hey, they cook red rice in Japan at times like this, right?”

“I believe so. I think it’s to show that there are things thicker than blood.”

“Wow, Japan is amazing!”

“I wish I lived there.”

“All right. That concludes training for today. Report to the mess hall for some red rice!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

....Was around how it went. As was typical of teenage (and a few 20-something) girls, it didn’t take much to put them at odds, but it also didn’t take much to patch things up between them.

“Anyway, er, right now I’m in the swimwear department, and...”

“Swimwear, huh? You have that beach trip coming up, don’t you. What’d you pick out?”

“Ah? I was just going to wear my school—”

“What kind of fool are you?!”

“......?!”

“Okay, sure, IS Academy uses a traditional school swimsuit. There’s nothing wrong with that, at least, I don’t think so. A fair number of guys have a fetish for it, at least. But it’s—”

“I-It’s what?” Laura swallowed nervously.

“It’s not sexy at all!”

“Wha—”

“You may not have the curves to draw attention, but if you try to fall back on cliches like that you’ll never catch his eye, either!”

“What do I do, then?”

“Heh. Leave it to me. I have a plan.” Klarissa’s voice rang with enthusiasm, as her eyes gleamed.