Chapter III: Open Your Heart
Chapter III: Open Your Heart
A week had passed since Ichika had met Kanzashi.
“Hey. Team up with me.”
“Not happening...”
Every day it happened, and rumors were flying hot and heavy that Ichika was after her.
“Hey, did you hear?”
“Orimura’s hot for Sarashiki in Class D.”
“No way! Really? Why?!”
“No idea. But it seems like he’s got his heart set on her as his tag team partner.”
“Not any of the others?”
“Well...”
For Cecilia Alcott:
“Ichika... I’ll make you regret not choosing me. Ohohoho!” The Starlight Mk. III and her four bits fired at once. With her new mastery of flexible fire, each scored a direct hit.
“Tremble! I, Cecilia Alcott, will play your requiem with my Blue Tears!”
For Huang Lingyin:
“Give me the package data to replace Shenlong’s right shoulder unit with a scatter impact cannon and left shoulder unit with a piercing impact cannon. After that, I want Souten Gagetsu in blade mode, and the arm-mounted impact cannon removed and replaced with a Voltech chain. Can you do it in three days? ...What? You can’t? I know you can! Now get it done!”
After firing off an order to the Chinese supply specialist, she let off a full-power blast from her Longpao cannon. The satisfyingly-large explosion blew a gigantic hole in the ground of the arena.
“Just you wait, Ichika... I’ll have you begging to cry, but I won’t let you!” Rin’s eyes burned with a fighter’s passion as she clenched her fists.
For Charlotte Dunois:
She took a deep breath. Some 200 meters above Central Tower, she looked straight down at the earth. There were 57 targets set up surrounding the tower. Each was a live-fire drone.
“Let’s go, Revive!”
Charlotte suddenly dove. In each of her hands was a .57-caliber Desert Fox heavy machine gun. Alternately slowing, then accelerating, she shot down target after target.
Click. Her ammo spent, she cast away her guns and called forth a pair of assault blades. Maintaining her speed, she swept down toward the earth, slicing through target after target as she dove. Fwoooosh!
A moment before hitting the ground, she spun about-face and fired her leg-mounted thrusters. At the same time, she crossed her blades and flung them, scoring a direct hit on the final target.
“You’ve made yourself a powerful enemy, Ichika.”
A smile. The smile of an angel, but chilled to absolute zero.
For Laura Bodewig:
Skrrtch. Skrrrtch. Laura sat planted on the locker room bench, sharpening her knife. Pausing, she lifted it to inspect the edge. It was honed as smooth as a mirror, sharp enough to cut at the slightest brush.
“Phew...”
As she saw her own face in the blade’s reflection, Laura smiled. Rejected by mein Lehrerin. Rejected by Ichika. What am I doing? At this rate... A dark flame welled up in her heart. I’ll show you. I’ll carve true terror into you, Ichika! The thrown knife pierced a photo of Ichika she’d hung up in the back of her locker.
“I’ll win! I’ll win, and I’ll make Ichika mine and mine alone!” Laura rose, her hands clenched into fists. Her eyes shone with determination. Just you watch, Ichika! She glared at the photo in her locker. Wait— The knife had pierced directly through Ichika’s forehead in the photo.
“WAHHHH!”
A photo with only one copy. Laura, who had forgotten that she had bought the negative too, went pale as she cradled it in her hands. There... There’s only one of these in the whole world, and... She had paid 20,000 yen just for priority bidding in Mayuzumi Kaoruko’s photo auction. And she had loved this shot so much she bought it and the negative.
She had really messed up.
But it was too late to change things. She’d burned the negative to prevent it falling into enemy hands, too. So this really was the only copy in the world of a photo she loved more than anything. And now it had a big hole cut in it.
“Tape... If I tape it together, maybe it’ll still be okay...” Panicked, Laura searched through her locker, but all she found was MREs and a spare IS suit and knives and knives and knives and more knives.
“Ah...” Yanking her head back out of the locker, she shrieked. “Medic! Medic!!!”
Were there tears welling up in her eyes, or was it only our imagination? Anyway, it was clear that Ichika had attracted some level of hostility recently from the girls with personal IS.
Which brings us to the last leading lady, Shinonono Houki:
“Gotcha, Houki!”
“Wha— What are you doing, Sarashiki?!” Houki had been practicing iai at the kendo club after school when Tatenashi suddenly snuck up on her.
“Call me Tatenashi, please.”
“Okay, Tatenashi. What is it? I’m practicing.”
“Wow. Iai with a real sword? You’re serious.”
“I suppose. I do come from a family which fought its way through the Sengoku era.”
“Oh, I see. That’s good. Team up with me, then!”
“What?!”
“Please! I don’t have anyone else to team up with!”
“Ahh...”
Tatenashi clasped her hands together. Houki wavered, unable to reject such a seemingly-honest plea out of hand.
“Please?”
“Well, uh, I don’t mind, but...”
“Oh? Thanks! You’re such a nice girl.” Tatenashi’s expression instantly changed from worry to glee.
Ugh...Did she just trick me? As Houki began to wonder whether this was some sort of game, Tatenashi took her hand and began to lead her away.
“All right, let’s go! C’mon!”
“Go... Go where?”
“The exam room. I want to see your biometrics.”
“Whaa?”
“They’re important, you know! Your IS may be auto-adjusting, but if it isn’t working off the latest data, well, that’s no good!”
“...I see.” Tatenashi’s explanation sounded reasonable enough, and before Houki knew it, they were at the exam room’s door.
“Open sesame!” Tatenashi joked as she pressed the button to open it. The vacuum-powered door slid to the side with a hiss. “All right, I’ll run everything, you just have to stand in the scanning field.”
“Okay.”
Pulling up a console, Tatenashi prepared the scan. Meanwhile, Houki wiped off her sweat with the towel slung over her neck.
“All right, everything’s set up. Are you ready, Houki?”
“I’m ready.”
“All right, then, let’s get started.” With a quick clatter of typing, the ring scanner at Houki’s feet floated into the air, bathing her in green laser light.
“Hmm. That’s interesting.”
“Is something the matter?”
“You have really big breasts. They might even be a little bit bigger than mine.”
“W-Where are you pointing that thing?!”
“Ahahah. Sorry, sorry.”
“Be serious for once! Jeez...” For once, Tatenashi listened, and around two teasingless minutes later, the exam was complete.
“All right, I’ll send the data over to Akatsubaki. It should handle most of the process itself, but you’ll still have to tweak it a little... Oh, and I’ll give you a few pointers on piloting in the run-up to the tournament, if you don’t mind.”
“Oh, sure. Not like I have any reason to turn it down.”
“Fufu~ You’re so cute when you’re cooperative, Houki.”
“Stop teasing me! Anyway, if you’ll excuse me.”
“Oh, of course.”
Houki felt conflicted as she left the exam room. Why... Why didn’t I really mind her saying things like that? Normally—with anyone else—she would have reacted. But from Tatenashi, it was acceptable. A bit confused, but not displeased, Houki made her way to the showers in high spirits.
◇
“Hm...”
Tatenashi was left alone in the exam room. Bringing up a second display, the expression on her face turned deadly serious as she compared two sets of data.
I wonder how this happened... On the left display were Houki’s biometrics at her time of admission into IS Academy. Her physical statistics were, even then, at a uniformly high level, but a key indicator—her IS compatibility—was only a C.
Tatenashi turned her eyes to the display on the right. It showed the biometrics which were just measured. And there, her IS compatibility reading was an S.
Compatibility’s always been mostly an inborn thing. Sure, some people have been able to bring it up a little bit with a lot of practice, but... But going from C to S in this short a time frame was unheard of. Not just by Tatenashi personally. There wasn’t a single case study of such a thing happening, at least not one that had made its way out to the public. And S-rank compatibility is, like, Brynhildr or Valkyrja-tier... In compatibility terms, Houki was easily top five in the world. That was impossible. It was impossible... But there it was, right in front of her.
It must be because of... It must have something to do with the once-in-a-generation genius inventor Shinonono Tabane. Hitting on that idea, Tatenashi was convinced that it was the key.
She cast one more silent, intense stare at the display, her eyes shining with a gleam appropriate for the head of the Sarashiki family.
◇
“Let’s go get lunch at the dining hall, Kanzashi.”
My sources had tipped me off that the school store was out of buns today, so as soon as the bell rang after fourth period I made a mad dash for classroom 1-D, and earnestly took Kanzashi’s hand in mine.
“It’ll be my treat.”
“You don’t have to...”
Kanzashi shrank back in visible unease, like a nervous little rabbit. But I couldn’t push this off any longer. The deadline for entries was today at five. All right... I kinda... No, I insistently pulled her along with me.
“Eeeeeek?!”
Sweeping Kanzashi off her feet, I lifted her up into my arms. Almost like a princess carry.
“You’re light, Kanzashi.”
“Stop bothering me... Put me down...”
“Anyway, hang on tight!”
“......?!?!?!”
Ignoring her objections, I raced off toward the dining hall, paying no attention to the shrieks of dismay rising up from the other girls. Making it down to the first floor and through the lobby, I opened the door to the large dining hall which was the third wing of the school building.
“Made it!”
The slam of the opening door and my shout drew stares from within.
“Let me go...!”
Smack! Smack! Smack! She batted me over the head over and over, and eventually started kicking, getting her legs up high enough to catch me straight in the jaw.
“Hey, c’mon! Cool it!”
“Hmph... Hmph!”
“I can see your panties.”
“......?!” Realizing what she was doing, Kanzashi slowed down, then stopped. Through her clenched lips she whispered, “I won’t...
Letting her down, I kept her hand in mine so she couldn’t get away while I approached the counter.
“Today’s special is the fried chicken meal. That sound good?”
“.........”
“How about the jumbo curry cutlet?”
“I don’t like meat...”
Well, at least I got a response out of her. Maybe this was going to work.
“How about the shellfish rice bowl, then?”
“U... Udo...”
“Mm?”
She flitted her eyes over me for a moment as she whispered, “I want udon...”
“Got it! With egg?”
She shook her head from side to side and mumbled, “Maybe... Maybe the tempura...”
“Tempura, huh? Good choice. They make it great here.”
“Mm... It’s tasty...”
“All right! Then let’s pay, pick up the food, and find a table!”
“Um... There... There’s one open... In back...”
“Oh, you’re right... Sharp eyes, huh.”
“I... I’m just normal...”
As I found this unexpected talent of hers, our meals were placed on the counter, and I continued to try and extend our rather surprising conversation, “So, if your vision’s so good, why do you wear glasses?”
“These are a display for my phone...”
“Huh.”
“Projection displays... Are expensive...”
“Oh? Anyway, let’s go sit down.”
Kanzashi silently swallowed nervously, then nodded and followed behind me.
I don’t know if I emphasized it enough before, but the dining hall is pretty damn big. So the back was a long way away. There were a fair number of empty seats on the way, but the weather was nice today, so the ones with a view of the shore were packed.
Huh, great weather we’ve been having lately. Kanzashi and I sat down across from each other at the open table.
“Let’s eat.”
“Let... Let’s eat...”
I had gotten the fried chicken special. The tartar sauce here was amazing, it made it even better. A smile rose to my face.
Meanwhile, Kanzashi pushed the tempura on top of her bowl of udon down into the broth with her chopsticks. She was watching something—the bubbles which occasionally floated up to the surface—with a pure, almost childlike glee.
“Oh, you like soaking your tempura? Better be careful. If Laura catches you doing that, it’s boss battle time.”
“No... I just dunk it...”
Well, I’d never heard of that one before. Sorry. Anyway, we mostly focused on our lunches.
“You know, this chicken’s great. Fresh out of the fryer. Wanna try some?”
“Eh...?” Surprised, she looked up. As she did, I picked up a piece of chicken and brought it to her mouth.
She stared blankly for a moment, then looked at my face for a fleeting moment before turning away. I wasn’t quite sure, but it almost looked like she was blushing.
“Is... Is that how...”
“Mm?”
“Is that how... How you normally pick up girls?”
“Huh?”
Wait, didn’t I just pick her up a few minutes ago? It’s not complex, you just get one arm under the knees and one supporting the upper back so they don’t slip and fall. Why did she think fried chicken had anything to do with it?
“Not really sure what you mean by that, but c’mon, try it. Or wait, sorry, I forgot you said you don’t like meat.”
“I... I’m fine with poultry...”
“Oh, that’s good. Anyway, say ‘ahh.’”
“A-Ahh...” Gingerly, she bit into the chicken. I guess the piece was a bit large for her, as she left around half of it on my chopsticks. As I watched her chew, I popped the remaining half into my own mouth.
“See? Tasty, isn’t it?”
“......?!?!?!” Caught off guard just as she swallowed, Kanzashi pounded on her chest while grasping for her glass of water.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“......!” Even before she fully caught her breath, Kanzashi was glaring at me. She was angry about something.
“Hey, Kanzashi.”
“.........”
“That tempura looks great. Can I try some?” I saw a piece she’d already taken a bite of and wondered if she’d share a bit of it.
“N-No!” A forceful rejection, as she picked up her bowl and moved it further away from me.
“Oh, sorry. Didn’t know you liked it that much.”
“I... I won’t let you have any.”
C’mon, it was just tempura. What’s up with that?
Suddenly, Kanzashi reached over to the shaker of red pepper flakes on the table and dumped it on my rice.
“Hey, wait! What are you doing?!”
She quickly turned away at a 90-degree angle, as if to say that she wasn’t eating with me anymore.
Slurp, slurp, slurp. Wordlessly, she ate her udon.
“C’mon, what was that for?” Looking at my now-crimson rice, I swallowed nervously. Was this my own Golgotha? Not even kidding. “It’s not inedible... It’s not inedible...”
So... I had to eat it.
“It’s not inedible! It’s not!”
Snatching up my bowl of rice, I lifted a bite to my mouth. The sound of clapping arose from nearby tables at my foolhardy bravery, but—
“SPICYYYYYY!” I could feel my lips literally puffing up like a cartoon. My tongue felt like it was on fire—no, like it was splitting in half, and not my water nor my miso soup nor the tartar sauce could even begin to dull the pain. “Kanzashi... That wasn’t very ni—”
As I huffed and puffed, she turned her eyes over toward me, and from her pursed lips spoke, “Live by the sword, die by the sword.”
Harsh words, with a chill echo. But for a moment, just a moment, she smiled.
◇
“...Therefore, we can say that melee combat is centered around three concepts: weight, speed, and flow—”
It was fifth period. Kanzashi sat in the back of Class 1-D, listlessly following the lecture. Even though she was more letting the words flow by her than listening, she had no problems absorbing the lesson. When called upon, she could read it back word-for-word, almost like a recording. But that wasn’t what she was focused on. She was focused on what had happened at lunch. In the dining hall, with Ichika.
Her memory flashed back. To when he had fed her, then eaten the part that was left. He... He didn’t even just feed me... It was an... An indirect kiss, too... Yet even though she had watched him closely, there’d been no sign that he was thinking anything creepy. Instinctively, she felt that it had to have been, that she had to have missed a tell. But all she could remember written on his face was pure enthusiasm and happiness.
She hid her sudden blush behind her textbook. But then, after that... He, he wanted something I’d already had a bit of too... As a feeling not unlike excited humiliation filled her heart, steam nearly rose from her head.
“Arrrgh...”
She didn’t get it.
She didn’t get it...
She didn’t get it......
She didn’t get Ichika. Didn’t get what he was doing. And didn’t get what was going on in her own heart. What... What should I even do? What’s wrong with me today? Kanzashi fidgeted, sinking deeper the more she thought about it.
I... I’ve never felt like this before... I don’t know what to do... Her thoughts wandered to his smile... She gave herself a hard pinch on the thigh as she tried to hold back a sigh.
“If you don’t know what to do, why not just give it a try?”
Eh? She could hear Ichika’s voice. Without realizing it, she looked up and glanced around.
“Team up with me, Kanzashi.”
I don’t want to...
“Why?” I... I don’t know... I don’t like situations I’m not familiar with...
“But if you don’t try them, you’ll never get familiar with them, right?”
Yeah... But...
“There’s nothing to be afraid of. Just leave it to me.”
Ahh... It was like a line from the anime she watched so much of. But somehow, this reassured her.
“See? Team up with me, Kanzashi.”
“O-Okay!”
Suddenly filled with resolve, she took the hand her vision of him was holding out as she stood up. Huh...? It was then that she noticed. The orange glow of the late afternoon sun. The empty classroom. And Ichika, who remained even as her imagined world faded.
Huh? Wait, what’s going on? As she stood befuddled, Ichika leapt for joy.
“All right! So you will team up with me? Really? That’s great! Gotta run over to the faculty room and get that application in, then! Let’s gooooo!”
Still gripping her hand, Ichika ran from the room. It was only feeling his pull that Kanzashi realized it was really happening, and her ears turned bright red as she wanted to scream in embarrassment.
I... I must have daydreamed all through fifth period... And then sixth period... And then Orimura showed up, and I thought he was part of the daydream, and I...
She did it without even thinking! By the time she realized, they were already at the door to the faculty room.
“All right, let’s go in.”
“W-Wa—”
She couldn’t even finish the single word before Ichika dragged her inside. Even as she signed the forms, she was so focused on Ichika’s hand around hers that she couldn’t make sense of what was going on.
“All right! Let’s hurry up and get started in the hangars!”
“Er, um...”
“You’re gonna have an IS on, so you should just wear your IS suit full-time. I’ll go get changed too, let’s meet up there.”
“Um...”
He ran off so fast that her words couldn’t catch up with him, then stopped mid-stride, craning his head backward toward her and saying, “Oh, right! Which hangar was it?”
“The... Second arena...!”
“Got it. See you there!”
As Kanzashi watched him leave, she realized her right hand was still held out. Why...? As she thought to herself, she embarrassedly pulled it back to her waist.
She quietly thought over the past few minutes. How she couldn’t even finish her ‘wait’ at the door. But did she just not manage to say it? Or did she really not even want to say it? She shook her head from side to side. But she couldn’t answer that question with a ‘no.’
In the hallway, bathed in the soft orange sunlight, Kanzashi’s heart throbbed for the first time in her life.
◇
“All right! Why don’t you show me your IS to start?”
I was in the second hangar with Kanzashi. This was a tournament for students with their own IS, so the competition was gonna be pretty serious. Everyone else must have realized it too, as the hangars were packed with other students making their own tweaks.
“Hey, can you share those startup analytics from the other day?”
“You’re trying to trim gear weight, aren’t you. Sure you’ll get it done before the tournament?”
“Hey, wait! This hypersensor’s calibration is all wrong! Who was just messing with it?!”
The hangars were a happening place right now, and while most of the girls there were happily trucking along, there were a fair number who were at the end of their rope too. Both groups, though, were hard at work on their IS.
“Huh, this is the first time I’ve ever seen the upperclasswomens’ IS.”
“That’s... Forte Safire in second year... Her IS is the Gold Blood... Past her is Daryl Casey in third year and her Hellhound ver. 2.5...”
I was a bit surprised at how smoothly Kanzashi listed them. How unhesitant and precise she was suddenly being.
“And in the back... It’s...”
“Ugh... Cecilia...”
Cecilia, British National Cadet, pilot of the azure Blue Tears.
“Indeed. I’d like to increase my booster output to increase my turning performance.”
“Doesn’t sound like a bad idea... But won’t it make it harder to control? You’re losing stability there too.”
“I simply couldn’t care less. The upcoming matches are too important to worry about such trifling things.”
“You should take it out for a spin before you commit. Remember, you can always tone them back down if it gets too peaky.”
“I suppose.”
A group of older girls, probably from the ground crews, were advising Cecilia on her planned changes. When she noticed I was watching, she turned to look at me. With a “Hmph!” she spun back around.
After I turned her down as a teammate, she was apparently holding it against me. Look, I’m sorry, but... But she didn’t need to get that mad. And Rin kicked me every time we crossed paths. Laura was ignoring me. And Charl... Charl was being more stiff and formal than I’d ever seen her.
Really, they didn’t need to get that mad. It stung.
“...We should get started too...”
“Oh, yeah. You’re right. Let’s do our best.” As I nodded, Kanzashi hesitantly thrust out her right hand. Around her middle finger was a ring set with a crystal.
“Come... Uchigane Nishiki...” She was bathed in light as she floated into the air and armor wrapped around her.
“Wow.”
I’d heard it was an upgraded successor to the Uchigane, but it looked completely different. The skirt armor had been changed to split independent wings for increased mobility, making it more of an agile fighter than the tank that the Uchigane was.
Its arm armor had also been slimmed down for mobility in unarmed combat. The shoulder-mounted shield had been replaced with a wing thruster, and it now mounted small auxiliary jet boosters front and back. From a distance, it definitely looked more like the Byakushiki. All it visibly had in common with its predecessor was its hypersensor design.
“Wait, I thought it wasn’t completed yet?”
Kanzashi kneeled her IS, then dematerialized it, shaking her head and replied, “The weapons... Aren’t finished... Plus... Without metrics... It’ll be useless in a real fight...”
“Oh. Anyway, what’s it supposed to be equipped with?”
“High-performance guided missiles with a multi-lock-on system... The particle cannon isn’t complete yet, either...”
“A particle cannon?! You can use data from Byakushiki for that!”
The construction of the cannon was probably different, but at least the output management and control data should be useful. I pulled up Byakushiki’s console and began to scan through its data.
“Hmm... This part is for Yukihira Nigata...”
“.........”
“Oh, there it is.”
“......!”
As I looked up, I locked eyes with Kanzashi for a second before she turned away.
“C’mon, you can’t read over the data looking that way.” Taking her hand, I pulled her toward the projection screen. “So? Think that’ll help?”
“.........”
“Mm?”
“You’re... Close... Could you stand back a little?”
“Ah, sorry,” I said as I let go of her hand.
She silently rubbed it where we’d touched as she looked at the display again. As she stared intently, she ran a finger along the relevant lines.
“This... The output is too high... It burns a lot of energy...”
“Oh, is it? I kinda figured so, but...”
“You should adjust it... It’s wasting too much like this...”
“Sure. Anyway, I’m gonna take a look at Byakushiki. If you have any questions, just ask.”
“I think I’ll be fine, but...”
“Mm. Thanks again!”
Kanzashi had turned back to her own IS, and her usually-emotionless face showed intent fixation.
“Okay, then...”
“Orimu! Kans!”
I could hear the patter of feet running toward us... And it could only be one person calling us that.
“Honne...”
Miss Casual, Nohotoke Honne. The student council secretary. A classmate of mine, from a family who worked for the Sarashikis. She was usually recognizable by her sleepy expression and slow-as-molasses pace. Huh. Kanzashi must know her well.
“I came to help!” Her long sleeves swept around her arms as she waved. A cuff hit a second-year, who fixed her with a glare. But that was Miss Casual. That was just how she was.
“Kans! Let me help with setting up your IS!”
“Stop... Don’t mess with it... Ahh...”
It seemed like Kanzashi didn’t quite know how to deal with her childhood friend of the same age.
“Honne... My sister must have sent you...”
“Whaaat? No way. I’m your maid, so of course I want to help you out.”
“.........”
“Nohotoke Honne, here for you Monday through Thursday!” It sounded like the kind of catchphrase you’d hear in an old TV commercial.
“Wait, what about Friday and Saturday and Sunday?” I asked.
“C’mon. I need a weekend too.”
“Three days is a pretty long weekend.”
Apparently she was always like this. A maid should have a bit more of a work ethic, in my opinion.
“Anyway, what can I do to help? Some system optimization? Or maybe help with your fire control system?”
“I need to do the fire control system myself... Same for the stability control... You can...”
“Tweak the shield energy output, right? Got it.”
“Listen... Why don’t you check over the armor...”
“All right, got it!”
Defanged by Miss Casual, Kanzashi sighed and slumped her shoulders.
“What are you looking at...”
“Oh, uh, nothing.”
“I don’t like it when guys stare...”
“Oh, right. Sorry.”
We ended up getting so involved working on our IS that we lost track of time. I spent most of it just looking things up in the manual, but Kanzashi—with the occasional bit of advice—really made leaps and bounds, and ended up reducing her energy consumption by nearly 15% in that session alone. It was amazing.
“Man, this is hard work— Oof!”
General tweaks could be done from the console, but digging down to the bare metal literally needed to be done by opening up the armor and getting my hands dirty. Even taking advantage of robotic arms, it was still a lot of effort.
“Orimu, I know it’s something Tabane made, but you’re still leaning too much on that. IS need a loooot of fine-tuning.” Ugh. The day had finally come when Miss Casual cut to the point of things. “IS have an amazing capacity to evolve with the pilot... But you can’t just rely on that.”
“I know.”
“Anyway... Ah...” Kanzashi fidgeted. Was something wrong? “Er... Um...”
“Hm?”
Her fingers knotted together, and she wavered while her gaze wandered.
“Do you need to use the bathroom?”
“......!” Kanzashi turned bright red as she looked up at me. Clang!
“Oww!”
“Mistress, I’ve punished the rude man.”
C’mon, Miss Casual! That was a wrench! That hurts!
“Orimu, you don’t have a shred of delicacy, do you?”
“Ugh...”
“Even if she does have to go, it’s proper manners not to mention it.” I really, really didn’t want to hear about manners from her of all people. “I’d heard that boys with older sisters don’t really know how to act around other women, but you take it way too far. Weirdo.”
“T-That’s not true!” At least, I thought it wasn’t.
“That’s enough, Honne...”
“Yes, mistress.”
“Stop calling me ‘mistress’...”
“Okay, Kans!”
“I don’t really like that one either...”
“Really?”
Now a bit calmer, Kanzashi looked at me again and asked, “Could... Could you help me with my flight test?”
“Wait, it was just that? Sure.”
“Th... Thanks...” She made a prim, polite bow. I was taken a bit aback, since I didn’t even expect it to be something she thought she’d have to ask for.
“So, uh. Which arena did you want to use?”
“For my flight test... The sixth arena.”
The sixth arena. The place where we’d done the high-speed training for Cannonball Fast. What made it different from the other arenas was its completely open roof, with basically a direct course to Central Tower.
“All right, let’s go for it!”
“Yes...”
“See you! I’ll be running the data scanner in the control room.” Miss Casual waved, her drooping sleeves flapping around her arms. They struck another girl, earning her, again, a glare.
◇
“Thruster output... Check...”
In the pits of the sixth arena, Kanzashi opened up the console of her Uchigane Nishiki and ran over the meters. With Honne’s help today, she’d made a lot of progress. And Honne, just like her sister Utsuho, would likely join the ground crews next year. She had plenty of talent.
And... The data from Ichika’s Byakushiki had also been a great help. Since it was from the same development team as her Uchigane Nishiki, it had ended up being even more useful than she expected.
And maybe, just maybe, Ichika himself had been the most helpful of all. What... What am I even thinking... She rubbed her cheeks to hide the blush that was developing. At the same time, she opened a private channel with Ichika.
“So? Feeling up to it?”
“Y-Yeah...”
“All right, I’ll head up first. Meet me at the top of the tower.”
“Okay...”
Kanzashi sat down in the anti-gravity catapult, locking her feet into the footrests. Projected in front of her was the word ‘Ready.’ The instant it changed to ‘Go,’ she accelerated to her limits, rocketing into the skies above the sixth arena.
Avionics... Green... Hypersensor link... Activate... With a staccato series of beeps, the hypersensor locked on to Byakushiki. Zooming in, she could see Ichika’s face, and her heart skipped a beat.
Calm down... Focus... Focus... While keeping the output of the thruster on her back, she accelerated further. Attitude control thrusters... All green... Deploying shield barrier under acceleration... Kanzashi opened the Uchigane Nishiki’s console while proceeding on her test run. She didn’t expect deploying the shield to cause any problems, but as it formed around her, her IS thudded to a halt.
Confused, she opened up an array of displays and scanned over her status readouts.
Mutual interference during deployment... PIC reaction... It seemed like there was a problem in her arm-mounted shield generators, so Kanzashi stopped the deployment for a moment, and tapped away on a pair of projection keyboards while continuing to ascend.
Adjusting deployment point... Moving away from overlap with PIC... Adjusting gravity head six centimeters forward... Also adjusting leg thruster balance... Reignition at negative four...
She wound her way up the twists and turns of IS Academy’s Central Tower with short bursts from her thrusters. At the same time, she continued working a keyboard with each hand, and managed to fully activate her flight system by the time she made her way to Ichika.
“Yo.” Ichika raised a hand. Unsure whether this was a good or bad reaction, Kanzashi gulped while nodding. “How’s your IS holding up?”
“Fine...”
“Oh? That’s good, at least.”
His smile was so bright that she tried to find somewhere else to look.
“A-Anyway... Let’s go back...”
Not knowing what she’d do if she spent much more time up here alone with him, Kanzashi started her dive back to earth before waiting for a response.
“Wow, you’re fast. I don’t even think Cecilia’s Blue Tears can beat that.”
“I... I guess... It matches the data I have on her...” Kanzashi answered, her pulse rising.
She sped up, almost running away from Ichika. Huh? Ichika, following, noticed something was wrong. Her Uchigane Nishiki’s boosters coughed, letting out jets of flame. That’s not right. At the moment he reopened the voice channel to ask what was wrong, the Uchigane Nishiki’s left leg booster exploded.
“......?!” With a sudden jolt and one booster gone, Kanzashi swung directly for the tower wall.
“Kanzashi!”
The anti-gravity isn’t working?! Why?! Her displays read only one word, over and over: [ERROR]. With all avionics down, the Uchigane Nishiki swooped toward the wall.
“......!!”
Reflexively, she closed her eyes. As she did, the sound of a shout pierced through her, “KANZASHI!”
Firing Ignition Boost, Ichika wedged himself between her and the wall. Ah... Cradling Kanzashi in his arms, Ichika made impact.
“Ugh...!”
His IS’ life support systems were active, and the collision wasn’t fatal, but still, Ichika’s face twisted in pain.
“O-Orimura...”
“Eheheheh... Are you okay? That really hurt...” As he spoke, he managed a weak grin—to Kanzashi, the grin of a wounded hero. Ichika was only trying to lighten the mood, but she was starstruck.
“I— Ah— You...”
“Are you okay, Kanzashi?”
“Eh? Ah, yeah...”
“Good. That’s good.” Ichika, still cringing in pain, peeled away from the wall with his eyes closed. The crater that their impact had left told the whole story.
Still cradled by Ichika, Kanzashi realized that her heart was pounding so hard it ached. This was the first time she’d been so close to a boy. And she didn’t even mind it. It was only then that she wondered whether it was because it was Ichika.
“Y-You there! What just happened?! There’s a hole in the tower!” popped in someone via the voice channel.
“Er... Yes. It was, uhh, an IS training accident. I’m Orimura Ichika, Class 1-A.”
“Sarashiki Kanzashi... Class 1-D...”
“What?! Are you okay?! You’re not hurt, are you?!”
The excited speaker was Etoise Franci, a math teacher. Canadian, by the way, and age 25. Single and looking. Her hobby is growing bonsai.
“Seems like we’re okay. We’re headed back to the pits, we’ll report in again when we make it.”
“O-Okay. Be careful out there.”
Closing off the connection, Ichika slowly descended, Kanzashi still in his arms.
“Don’t want you to run into another system error. I’ll carry you down.”
“O-Okay...” With a nervous swallow and a small nod, Kanzashi fell silent. The vivid red light of the setting sun concealed the color of her cheeks.
◇
“Ahh... Do I really have to write this one up? I mean, of course I do, but...” Back in the pits, after explaining to the teacher what had happened and getting a quick checkup, I was handed ten or so blank pages to fill out a report. “Whew. I’m not even good at this...”
Kanzashi quietly looked on like she had something to say about that.
“What’s up?”
“I... I, um, I’m sorry...”
“C’mon, don’t worry about it. A breakdown isn’t your fault.”
“Mm...” Kanzashi wrung her hands as I spoke.
Well. That must have been a big shock for her, having the IS she tweaked herself break down like that. I was just really glad neither of us got seriously hurt. And learning her limits would really help Kanzashi’s development in the future.
“Hey.”
“W-What?”
“I’m not going to lie. You really should ask the ground crews for help.”
“.........”
“We’ve only got a week left. I know where you’re coming from, but more than anything, I want you to stay safe.”
“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.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“...Do your best, Sarashiki.” Kaoruko winked at Kanzashi, and whispered something in her ear. Whatever it was made her face turn bright red.
Kanzashi began to sweat in nervousness. If... If I do this right... Still looking down, she raised her eyes, watching Ichika. His breath was ragged as he lugged a piece of machinery. What do I do? Maybe... Maybe I should offer to help... She lowered her IS and stepped out of its armor.
“Um...”
“Huh? Oh, don’t worry about it. Just get Uchigane Nishiki put away so it’s ready for tomorrow.”
“B-But...”
“It’s okay. When you’re done, just head back. It’s getting pretty late, you wouldn’t want to miss out on the baths, right?”
“W-Wait!” Her voice came out louder than Ichika expected.
“What?”
Kanzashi, being Kanzashi, found herself too embarrassed by her own outburst to say anything more, and instead started work on her IS. Not a word was uttered as the clink and clatter of their final cleanup filled the hangar. In this wide, wide space, she was alone with Ichika.
What do I do? What do I do... At a complete loss, Kanzashi kept working. She disconnected the maintenance apparatus, and returned the Uchigane Nishiki to standby mode. Of course, she didn’t forget to activate its automatic optimization routines first.
She took a quick glance over at Ichika. The tools were heavy, but he was working hard at putting them away—too hard to even notice that he was alone with her.
I... I guess he’s used to being around girls... She wasn’t in any of the cliques, but she had still heard the rumors. About how friendly he was with each of the first years who had their own IS.
Someone like me can’t really... Kanzashi imagined the faces of the others in her mind. Each one of them was overflowing with girlish charm. Dejected, she pressed a hand to her chest to hold back the pain in her heart.
She could feel her heart fall. If she could be... If she could just be a little cuter than she was...
“Kanzashi.”
“Wha?!” As she slumped, Ichika clapped a hand on her shoulder. Kanzashi, startled, straightened up. “...W-What?
“I’m done. How about you?”
“Uhh... I still...”
The sprawl of tools and equipment was gone, now. She must have been lost in thought for some time.
“Let’s head back.”
“O-Okay...”
Still nervous, she stroked the ring on her right hand that was Uchigane Nishiki as she walked alongside Ichika toward the door. Her pulse was pounding. Echoing in her ears, loud enough to give her a headache.
“Let’s get changed. I have to use locker Room B in the third arena. You?”
“I, ah... 2-A...”
“Oh. We can walk part of the way together, then.”
“Ye... Yeah...”
Kanzashi and Ichika walked through the halls together. Outside the windows, it was already pitch-black.
“Looks like we just squeaked it in.”
“Yeah... Thanks to all the help we got...”
With nothing left to say about that, they fell silent once more, Kanzashi so nervous she couldn’t decide what to say and Ichika assuming she welcomed the respite.
“All right, here I am.”
“Yeah...”
Ichika waved and walked off. For a moment, she watched him leave, then, a moment before he was out of sight, she turned and fled for her locker room like she was trying to escape from something.
I’m such a weirdo... The closer Ichika got, the harder a time she had talking to him. Even though, when they first met, she didn’t have any problem saying whatever she wanted.
I... I...
Liked him, just maybe.
Just the thought springing to her mind made her heart leap.
I can’t... I can’t keep thinking about that... Suddenly finding herself in front of her locker, Kanzashi clasped her hands to her chest to hold back its aching.
◇
“Phew...” I’d just gotten out of the shower, and was laying on my bed, drying my hair with a towel. “I can’t believe we pulled that off...”
At first, I’d despaired over whether we had any chance at all, but thanks to Mayuzumi and the others we’d pulled it together. And, of course, thanks to one other person...
Knock, knock.
“Come in.”
I stood up, hearing the knock on my door. It clicked open, and that person made her appearance.
“Ciao!”
“Tatenashi.”
Suddenly having a bad feeling about this, I scanned the hallway behind her. Good. No one saw her come here.
“Can I come in?”
“Uh, yeah...”
“Very well, then.”
She walked with her usual graceful stride to the middle of my room, then dove headfirst into my bed. Man. She was like a little kid sometimes.
“Heyyyy, Ichika!”
“I know, I know.”
“Gimme a massage?”
She kicked up her legs in anticipation. C’mon, I can see your panties when you do that...
“Jeez...”
Well, this was Sarashiki Tatenashi. I couldn’t argue with her. If I tried, she’d just want something even worse. Like a massage in the shower... Not even joking. Reluctantly, and I mean that in every sense of the word, I placed my hands on Tatenashi.
“By the way, Tatenashi, who are you teaming up with tomorrow?”
While my hands wandered looking for tense muscles, I asked something I’d been wondering for a while.
“Huh? I thought they announced the teams.”
“I’ve been in the hangars all week, so I haven’t had a chance to look. Hey, wait... Your legs are so stiff. Did you run a marathon or something?”
“C’mon, I had some very important things to say during the assembly. Weren’t you paying attention?”
“Ahahaha, it can’t possibly be that.”
“Ichika, you shouldn’t tell lies you’re not confident in.”
“Ugh...”
“Anyway, then. My partner is Houki.”
“Houki, huh... Wait, Houki?!”
That wasn’t a name I was expecting. If it’d been me asking, I feel like she would have answered with ‘I’d rather enter solo!’ but I guess Tatenashi was a different story.
Oh, right. Tatenashi must have been concerned for Houki. And her estrangement from her own big sister. Maybe it reminded Tatenashi of her own relationship with Kanzashi. Even if it didn’t, though, she couldn’t have wanted Houki to be left out.
“Ichika, you get along well with your sister, don’t you.”
“Where’d that come from all of a sudden?”
“Well, she’s always so strict with you.”
“And that’s supposed to mean that we get along well?”
“You don’t get it, do you? I guess you don’t. It’s because you’re that important to her, because you’re that special to her, that she’s so strict with you. So that you don’t die.” Tatenashi said it matter-of-factly, but it struck me from out of nowhere, and it took me a second for it to sink in.
Me? Fight and die? The memories came rushing back. Orimura Madoka. The girl who looked identical to Chifuyu. The one who attacked me. The weapon gripped in her hand. The raw malice she exuded.
My right hand began to shake involuntarily. Softly, so Tatenashi wouldn’t notice, I steadied it with my left. Trying to get it to calm down. As if scolding it. As if praying it would stop. I couldn’t focus on anything else.
“I mean, if a war starts or anything.” Tatenashi’s normal grin returned, and she kicked her legs as if swimming. The spell of fear that had entranced me melted away like mist in the morning sun. “Ichika, massage my butt.”
“C’mon, I told you! Get Utsuho or Miss Casual to do that!”
Her hips, while ample, were beautifully sculpted. As I sunk my palms into their softness, I felt a nosebleed coming on.
“No. You’re better at it.”
“Ah, umm...”
I was a little bit pleased by the praise.
“Don’t even think about it. Just do it.” Tatenashi grinned, happy as a clam. I swallowed nervously. Sometimes, a man has to do what a man has to do.
“Is it finally happening?!”
Silently, I gave myself a ‘dude, it’s not like that.’
“Ichika?”
“Yes?”
“Should I take off my panties?”
“ARGH! W-Why?!”
“I wanted to see the expression on your face when I asked that.”
With a Cheshire grin, Tatenashi pounced on me, poking at my cheeks.
◇
Kanzashi had taken over her dorm’s kitchen, and the gas oven was burning red-hot. She sat before it in a chair, nervously waiting for its contents to finish baking. I wonder if Orimura will try these... She’d made green tea cupcakes, one of the few recipes she was familiar with.
She looked up at the clock on the wall. It was already after ten. Ichika might already be asleep. That worry dragging her down, she looked over at the oven again, hoping the cupcakes were done. Beep!
“Ah...!”
They were finished baking! Her expression suddenly brightened, and putting oven mitts on her hands, she pulled them out. The air was filled with the sweet smell of baked goods, and with the rich smell of green tea.
Hmm... Looks like they came out good... As she watched the steam rise off the piping-hot cupcakes, her mouth opened in anticipation. She opened a bag she’d had ready and carefully placed them within before tying it with a ribbon.
Now, if I can just get him to try one... He’d be happy. And if he was happy, her heart would leap. I have to hurry, before they get cold... Clutching the bag of three cupcakes in her hand, she left the kitchen.
“Ehehe...” As she walked quickly through the halls, a smile rose to her face.
This was fun. Giving something to someone you like was fun. A little bit embarrassing, but also something to be proud of. I want to be with him... That was all she could think of, and her pace quickened to a jog as she walked on. Just around the next corner was his room.
“Ahh... Haa...”
She stopped for a moment, to steady her breath. I should... Walk the rest of the way... She didn’t want him to see her out of breath. Ready, she rounded the corner. Click.
“Eh...?”
Ichika’s door was open. Quickly, reflexively, she ducked back around the corner.
“Mmm, that was fun.”
“......!”
That voice was unmistakable. It was her sister Tatenashi. Why... Why is she here? Hidden behind the wall, she watched the interplay at Ichika’s door.
“C’mon, gimme a break...”
“But it’s fun!”
Tatenashi took Ichika’s arm. As Kanzashi watched, her breath stopped. They... They look so happy together... Her heart ached like a railroad spike was being driven into it. Unconsciously, she began to squeeze the cupcakes.
“Anyway, how’d it go? Did you manage to finish Kanzashi’s IS?”
What?
“Yeah, somehow.”
What was going on here? As she strained her ears to hear their conversation, warning bells went off in Kanzashi’s heart. She shouldn’t hear this. She absolutely shouldn’t hear this.
“So, was the data from my IS useful?”
Huh?! Kanzashi pressed herself against the wall, clamping her hands over her mouth to keep herself from shouting, then slumped to the floor. The... The data sample Orimura brought... I thought it was from Byakushiki... But it was from my sister’s IS!
Kanzashi’s world crumbled around her. Ichika may not have meant anything wrong by it. But... But she had her pride. I... I thought I had finally done it... Finally finished Uchigane Nishiki on my own two feet... But... Thought that she had maybe finally caught up with her sister.
“Ahh... No....”
It was a lie. It was all a lie. Ichika’s tenderness. The joy of completing Uchigane Nishiki. All of it. It was all just a game her sister was playing.
A vision of Tatenashi welled up in her mind.
“Ahh...!”
Classical beauty. Uncommon genius. Superhuman physique. Bewitching charisma.
“Ahhhhh...”
It was terrifying.
Terrifying. Terrifying. Terrifying.
Terrifying. Terrifying. Terrifying. Terrifying. Terrifying. Terrifying. Terrifying. Terrifying. Terrifying. Terrifying. Terrifying. Terrifying. Terrifying. Terrifying. Terrifying. Terrifying. Terrifying. Terrifying. Terrifying. Terrifying. Terrifying. Terrifying. Terrifying. Terrifying. Terrifying. Terrifying. Terrifying. Terrifying. Terrifying.
“N-Nooooo....”
“Kanzashi.”
The vision whispered in her ear. No matter how hard she jammed her hands over her ears and clamped her eyes shut, it wouldn’t disappear, wouldn’t be quiet.
“You don’t have to do anything. I’ll take care of it for you.”
Sweet, sweet poison. Kanzashi could feel it spreading through her veins. Dragging her down into the darkness of despair.
“N-No... No...”
“So you can just stay—”
Useless.
“......!” Her heart couldn’t take any more. Her body couldn’t take any more. Kanzashi ran. Ran, ran, ran, blindly, until she found herself back in her own room. As she gasped for air, a single crystal-clear tear ran down her cheek and fell to the floor.
“Ahh...” She rubbed her eyes, trying to clear its brethren away. But more and more welled up, and despairing, she crawled into her bed and hid under her blanket.
“I... I can...”
“You can stay nice and useless.”
The cruel words of the vision pierced her chest, and her tears burst forth as if a dam had burst.
“Waaaah...” Crying, sobbing, her heart quaked. “Waaaaah... Waaaaaaah...”
Alone, miserable enough to die, Kanzashi sobbed.