Naja

Naja

 

“What is that…?”

Washu, who had just arrived at the Jurai Imperial Academy, was hiding behind a large pillar. Akara Naja, a woman three years her senior, had come to greet her. But she was not alone. She was leading a crowd of people prepared for the full-blown pageantry of a reception for some head of state: a brass band, a garrison of students in full dress uniform, children with small pennants, and thousands of banners that read “Welcome, Hakubi Washu-sama.”

Of course, she had received a similar, if not flashier, send-off when she left home. What was decidedly different was that this grand welcome party was clearly out of place. They stood out terribly, and people gave them a wide berth.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. There’s no way I’m going out there!” Washu was seriously considering turning around on the spot, buying a ticket home, and heading back to Kanamitsu.

 

“Hey, Naja, you here to welcome a new student?” A man, apparently a student, strode decisively out from the throng of rubberneckers to speak to Naja.

“Yes, and she’s supposed to be the greatest genius to come here since the Academy’s founding. But she sure is late.”

“Say, Naja… I think you ought to know…”

“There she is!!” Naja spotted Washu behind the pillar, trying to sneak away, and sprinted to catch her. “Hey! Why are you running away?!” Still holding her banner, she raced after Washu.

I don’t blame her, thought every single person present.

“Stop!!” Naja called after Washu and then yelled back to the crowd, “What are you all doing? After her!”

 

Washu lost the game of tag. She possessed superior legs and endurance, but her opponent was more familiar with the local geography. Besides, this was Naja, a student in the Department of Philosophy. Since Washu wasn’t using her powers, she had no chance against such a large-scale mobilization.

Naja seemed to be quite notorious at the Academy, and Washu spotted many people pointing and whispering wherever they went. Furthermore, the attention-grabbing chase at the airport was featured in the extra edition of the student news­paper, which Washu held by the time they boarded the bus for the Department of Philosophy. Even so soon after her arrival, Washu had already become a celebrity.

“Naja-san, I wanted to say…” Washu’s hands trembled slightly.

“Ha ha, call me Naja. The greatest genius in the Academy’s history is already the center of attention! I’m impressed,” Naja laughed and patted Washu’s shoulders.

“Thanks to you.”

“What I did was nothing. Everyone is curious about the ­genius, of course.”

Does this woman not get sarcasm? Was she happy-go-lucky or clueless? It left Washu at a loss for words.

“In any case, it took thirty-three minutes, thirty-five seconds to pin you down… I wouldn’t expect anything less from a genius. I expected to take you down right at the thirty-three minute, thirty-three second mark… Like I said, a genius!” Naja nodded, impressed, as she looked over the paper.

What?! But I was honestly trying to outrun them… Washu stared at Naja in consternation. Naja’s words truly shocked her.

“By the way, Miss Genius…”

“A genius, by two seconds? Please don’t call me that. I…”

“So I can call you Washu-chan?”

“Wait, I just met you, and…”

“Washu-chan, do you have a boyfriend?” Naja pressed on, ignoring Washu’s objections.

“Huh? Uh…what I’m saying is…”

“You don’t, do you, Washu-chan? Do you? Do you?”

Overwhelmed, Washu was taken aback. “I don’t…” That, and a sigh, were all she could muster.

“So, you’re single!”

“You sound rather happy…”

“Huh? Well, I mean… I don’t have a boyfriend either. We’re two of a kind, right, Washu-chan?” The endearment “Washu-chan” seemed to have stuck. “I just know we’ll get along. Let’s be friends. ♥ I know the Academy like my own backyard, Washu-chan, so you can ask me anything.”

“Have you been here long?”

“I was born here.” Naja meant that she had been born at the Academy. Although the planet technically belonged to the Academy, the campus did not cover the whole world. Naturally, there were operation and maintenance facilities, as well as the institutions necessary for the employees, students, and professors and their families to live comfortably. All those elements, taken together, could be referred to as the Academy.

The Academy also had many systems in place to offer different educational models. Most attendees stayed at dormitories or apartments close to their departments, but some built houses on small, isolated islands and attended online correspondence courses. Some even studied while cruising around the planet in camper vans or on a boat.

Of course, with that many students, not all of them were well-off. Some slept in their department buildings in sleeping bags and worked for their tuition money. Intercontinental wars between dueling departments were fairly common, so a problem-solving organization—a sort of student council cum federation—was established with representatives from each department.

It was no exaggeration to say that the Academy had all the problems common to entire planets. It was just that most people there worked diligently in the pursuit of knowledge. That was the biggest difference between the Academy and other worlds.

 

“Here we are.” After disembarking from the bus and walking for five minutes, Washu and Naja stopped in front of a large house. It was a spacious residence, befitting a plutocrat. The neighborhood seemed to be an affluent residential district, lined with palatial mansions, but this one was particularly magnificent.

“This is impressive. Is this your house, Naja-san?”

“…” Naja returned a piercing stare with dead eyes.

“Um… Naja-san?”

“Yup, nice joke. Very funny,” Naja said with a stiff smile, patting her on the shoulder. “Nobody invites a new student to their own house straight off the ship.”

“Is this the school?”

“Yeah, right!” Just as Naja shouted in delight, the large gates slowly opened. Beyond them were an elderly man and rows of maids lined up in an orderly manner on either side of the stone pavement leading to the mansion.

“We’ve been waiting for you, Hakubi Washu-sama. Welcome.” The man reverently bowed his head. Behind him were gardens gorgeously lit up in the night.

Washu pointed towards the house with an obvious silent question: was this really her house? Naja enthusiastically nodded and said, “It’s gotten late, so we’ll do the administrative paperwork tomorrow. The day’s events seem to have shocked—err—tired you out.”

“Okay…”

“I’ll come get you at eight o’clock in the morning. Good night!” Naja cheerfully waved, ignoring Washu’s attempt to talk, and briskly walked off.

“She’s as boisterous as the fishies back home, all by herself,” Washu mused.

The elderly butler courteously reintroduced himself, exuding benevolence. “Welcome, Hakubi-sama. My name is Hirata, and I am charged with managing this mansion. Pleased to make your acquaintance. This house has a staff of a hundred and fifty, each hand-picked, myself included. Please let us know if you need anything.”

“Is this…really my house? Maybe dozens of other students live here, too…?”

“No, per Ikuma-sama’s instructions, this house was prepared for Hakubi-sama to reside alone.”

“The Professor?”

“Yes. Now, allow us to show you inside. This way.”

The mansion was just as luxurious as any of the ones she had been invited to for the farewell parties on Kanamitsu, her home world. Every room was stocked with the finest, from the furnishings to the necessities.

“I could fit plenty of research equipment in this bedroom.” Washu looked around, dumbfounded, at the needlessly large room. It seemed as big as the entire kindergarten building back home.

“Hakubi-sama, students in the Department of Philosophy receive personal laboratories. This is strictly your private space. Of course, it’s up to you how you use it.”

“My personal lab?”

“Yes. It depends on your research topic, and I cannot give you definitive information, as some people do not consider having more than the necessary space to be a good thing. But lab size ranges from a large trailer, for example, to… look, that satellite you can see in the sky is the personal research facility of a professor in the Department of Philosophy.” He pointed at the white dot floating through the heavens.

“I feel extremely out of place…” Washu muttered, looking up at the sky from the bedroom terrace.

“Don’t be silly. Considering your accomplishments even ­before your matriculation, it’s only natural to have these things supplied for you.”

“I haven’t done anything that impressive.”

“Shank…wouldn’t agree with you.”

“…!!” Washu’s expression contorted, not because she remembered being in mortal danger, but because the butler’s words reminded her of the man she had once known.

“I apologize… I’ve said too much.”

“It’s all right. I understand what it means to come here and the importance others place on what I seek…”

“The preparations for dinner should be complete. With plenty of food, creature comforts, and sleep, people can do anything.”

“Eat some grub, take a bath, and go to bed. I used to say that a lot to the kiddos. You’re right… They all had so much energy. Let’s go, then.”

“Yes, Hakubi-sama. This way.”

“Oh, yeah, could you not call me that? Nobody calls me by my last name. Naja-san was such an icebreaker. Just call me Washu.”

“All right, Washu-sama.”

After the butler left the room, she flung herself onto the bed, as she always had in her room at the orphanage. The Imperial Academy was indeed amazing, and full of surprises. Well… I guess that means what I study is worth it. Washu touched the luminescent paper in her bag. The multicolored light reminded her of her future. So many things could happen.

 

Clack clack…

The fork and knife in Washu’s hands trembled and clattered against the edge of the plate. The butler and maids looked anxiously at Washu and the deep furrow in her brow.

“Washu-sama, I apologize. Is there anything not to your satisfaction?”

“Argh… This is such a waste!!” Washu exclaimed.

“Excuse me?”

“Look, I’m not a galasha*! There’s no way I could eat this much food!” Washu stood up in front of a table that could easily seat a hundred, covered in plates of food. Furthermore, she was the only one eating, while ten maids served her. As thick-skinned as she was, Washu could not bear it. She did not want to. “Gather around everyone who’s not busy right now. Let’s all eat together.”

“With all due respect, we serve you. We cannot…”

“I don’t like such stiff formalities. Besides, I didn’t hire you. This is all Jurai’s goodwill,” Washu declared to shut the butler down.

“But you are worth this effort.”

“I’ll make that decision myself. For better or worse…this lifestyle is too extravagant for me right now. It’s easy to get used to luxury, but getting used to going without is no simple matter. I don’t want to grow insensitive to the hardships of life, for the sake of my future in the Academy.”

“If you insist…”

“I’m sorry. Besides, meals are more enjoyable when shared.”

At her prompt, the party started. The maids close to each other in age became fast friends and engaged in lively conversations about their personal backgrounds and romantic entanglements. Hirata, the solemn butler, seemed uncomfortable with such boisterous chatter.

“W-Washu-sama! Please, leave that to us!” he implored Washu, who had started serving food and bussing the table, just as she used to at the orphanage back home.

“Ha ha! I couldn’t resist. Force of habit.” After being so discomfited yesterday, Washu had found her usual stride again.

 

“Thank you for the meal.”

“Washu-sama! We’ll do the cleanup.” After the party, Washu started clearing the table, and the butler hastily stepped in to stop her.

“It’ll be faster if everyone chips in. Could you separate out the greasy plates and bring them over?” Washu headed for the kitchen with an armful of dishes. Since she had experience ­managing groups of people, especially young children, she led skillfully the team and got the job done astonishingly fast.

“Her speed and finesse at cleaning up show her practiced hand, but her timing and harmony in leading others is brilliant. There’s no other way to put it,” murmured the senior maid, who was the butler’s second-in-command. She sounded impressed.

“True. But we were placed here so that she could focus on her studies. We should be the ones attending to the daily chores.”

“She took care of children on her home world. This is probably what daily life looked like for her.”

The butler could only sigh deeply.

“All right! We’re done. Good job, everyone.” Washu looked around, satisfied. “Now it’s time for a bath…”

“I’ll have someone lead the way.” Obviously, the butler could not take her. “Could somebody please show Washu-sama to the bath?”

“Oh, allow me.” A young maid stepped forward. “This way!”

Her name was Sobo Mei. She was the youngest of the maids and two years younger than Washu. Originally from Jurai, she became a maid to pay for her living expenses while studying at the Academy. Back then, quite a lot of money was required to attend, and if one was not born into wealth, it was impossible to raise the funds. But the Academy’s other function was to cultivate talent, and as such, there was a scholarship system. Students like Washu, who were accepted into the Department of Philosophy, the ­highest seat of learning, were exempted from all expenses—from tuition to living costs. However, this privilege was limited to a small percentage of people. And while most were exempt from tuition, they still had to cover their own living expenses.

Selection for this group was the result of a number of exams, but even passing difficult tests did not guarantee acceptance into an applicant’s desired department. Aptitude tests often led to entry into departments that weren’t the prospective student’s first choice.

“To get into another department, you have to pass the transfer exam that takes place every few years or pay your own way…” It was clear that Mei did not have much in terms of funds. “That’s why I took the maid exam. A lot of people take this route. It covers your living expenses, and you get a salary.”

“Wow! Good for you. Mei-san, which department do you want to get into?”

“I…want to be an Imperial Tutor.”

“Imperial Tutor?”

“Yes, I want to teach the princes and princesses of the Juraian Imperial Family.” Mei blushed and continued. “A member of Jurai’s nobility was a lecturer at the school I went to…”

“Juraian nobility?! As a lecturer?”

“On Jurai, they teach at a limited number of schools, but my school was the alma mater… And often, they come to the alma mater of their Imperial Tutor, to repay the favor, as it were. I was very indebted. Such an openhearted, friendly teacher… And with their recent marriage, and the birth of a baby, I wanted to repay the favor…even a little bit…”

“I see… And did you like this person, by any chance?” Washu asked a bit cheekily.

“Y-yes!”

“Oh, well, you owned it. So, tell me more. Did your heart skip a beat?”

“Yes…she was very dignified, and very pretty, like you, Washu-sama.”

“What? She’s a woman?”

“Yes?” Noticing Washu’s reaction, Mei looked quizzical.

“Oh…I’m sorry, that must be hard.”

“Yes… Oh!” Mei finally realized what Washu was thinking and blushed. “No! I’m straight, and I’m not inclined that way.”

In this day and age, gender reaffirmation surgeries were commonplace. However, Washu had assumed Mei was attracted to members of the same sex.

“I’m sorry. I assumed you were talking about a man, so my thoughts went in that direction.”

“Jeez! But…I heard that people with that sexual orientation were not included in this particular maid application pool.”

“Why? I wouldn’t mind,” said Washu.

“They said there are still laws outlawing same-sex…intercourse where you’re from, on Kanamitsu.”

“There are…?”

“Some of those laws do remain in the regional books in your homeland, although they’re from thousands of years ago,” Mei chuckled. Washu smiled with her.

“Good grief. So, they’ve neglected to remove them from the books… It’s so gracious of the administrators to have looked into all these details. They’ve really left nothing wanting. It doesn’t matter to me, since I’m not inclined that way anyway.”

“Oh, then you should be careful of Naja. One of my friends reminds me of her.”

Well, she was overly familiar… Washu thought. She could not help but laugh that Mei was such a gossip.

“What’s the matter…?”

“Nothing. All right, I understand. I’ll be careful not to get pinned down.”

“Ah, here’s the entrance to the grand bathroom.” Past gateposts without doors was an open garden.

“There’s a bath here?” Although Washu expected extravagance by now, the garden was still astounding.

“No, this is the dressing room.” Mei’s answer exceeded Washu’s expectations. The enormous disparity between her previous life and the present was blunting her ability to think.

Trees and buildings cleverly concealed the dressing room. Beyond that… “Is this a pool?” Washu asked, staring.

“No, this is the bath.”

“Just had to ask.”

There were many large bodies of water, surrounded by stands of colorful tropical trees, a winding water slide a dozen meters tall, and various recreational attractions; the vista was such that Washu could only see it as a water park.

“This is for your personal use, so it’s up to you whether you want to use it as a pool.”

“I feel like I’m going to go crazy. Heh heh heh…”

“W-Washu-sama?” Mei reflexively stepped backwards upon hearing Washu’s low, creepy laughter.

“All the female employees shall use this place! All right?”

“What?”

“Everyone uses it. Got that?!”

“Y-yes, ma’am!” Mei answered joyfully. “I wanted to try it, just once.”

“I figured as much.”

“But…are you sure?”

“I would look stupid going down that big slide all by myself.”

“You think so? Maybe objectively, but I wouldn’t mind. It looks fun,” Mei declared. She obviously wanted to give it a try.

“If you’re not busy with your work, do you want to slide down a couple times right now?”

“What?! Are you sure?” Mei was almost shedding tears of joy.

“Heh, go ahead.”

Thanks to Mei’s infectious glee, Washu was going down the slide with her less than an hour later. After several dozen rides, Washu returned to her bedroom exhausted, too tired to change into the pajamas laid out for her. She stripped to her underwear and fell into bed. “Mei has so much energy…” she mumbled and then drifted off into a deep slumber.

 

The next morning, Mei, full of energy again, woke Washu up. Once she finished breakfast with the entire staff, and made herself presentable, the time when she had promised to meet Naja arrived. But, even once eight o’clock had come and gone, Naja did not show up.

“She’s very busy and is notorious for being hard to get a hold of. After she was chosen as your guide, she got incessant inquiries into your whereabouts, even before your arrival.”

“Oh yeah?” Washu sipped her tea on the terrace as she listened to the maids, squinted at the warm sunshine, and looked up at the clear blue sky. “All right, I’ve made up my mind.”

“About what, ma’am?”

“It’s a twenty-minute walk from here to the campus, right? I’m going to go for a walk.”

“But Naja-sama…”

“Please let her know when she gets here.” Washu put on the sandals that rested on the terrace and walked off beyond the grounds, paying no heed to the maids’ calls.

The Academy’s Department of Philosophy was located in a temperate region with four distinct seasons, and spring was in full swing. It was the opposite of Kanamitsu, which had just been entering early autumn. Whereas fall tended to be melancholic, the fresh spring green and glorious weather beckoned Washu with the sparkle of new life, and she took a bit of a detour.

Half an hour later, she was in the leafy shade where she could see the Department of Philosophy. Strictly speaking, she was hiding. There was nothing that indicated the campus boundaries, as there were no walls or fences, just a row of large trees that stretched for miles. There were no buildings, save for a campus building about a kilometer away. Judging by the treetops peeking above the horizon, there was apparently a hill beyond the building.

In any case…what is that? Washu sighed internally. In front of an especially large tree that seemed to serve as a gate, two large robots stood like gatekeepers, holding a giant banner that read, “Welcome, Washu-chan!” in huge letters. At the robots’ feet were a fife and drum band consisting of several hundred members, a group of elementary students with pennants, and a throng of rubberneckers and journalists. A totally strange vibe surrounded them, much worse than yesterday’s scene at the airport.

They aren’t going to catch me this time. Unfortunately, even if she tried a detour, Naja would spot her at once. Washu started to rack her brains. She tried to anticipate the muscle movements, lines of sight, and behavior of the thousand-plus people present, to calculate their blind spots, in order to reach the campus without being seen. But there were uncertain variables in all the simulations.

The most troublesome humans were children. Washu had a bad feeling about one boy, standing with an air of boredom next to his father, whom she watched carefully. There’s nothing worse than a bored child. Conveniently, the boy turned to his father to complain about his boredom, which positioned him in a shadow near Washu.

Good! If only I could get past that kid… Now!!

“Oh, I know that lady!” In the next moment, with exquisite timing, the boy outwitted Washu… although, of course, he had no such intent.

“A scholar is no match for a savant,” said some writer, somewhere. A child’s whim had easily thwarted all of Washu’s intellectual powers and insight. At the boy’s words, every single gaze turned to focus on Washu. Running was futile.

“I’m sorry! Please, let me through!” she shouted impulsively, even though she knew it was pointless.

“Naja’s not here because she went to go get you.” Washu recognized the man. He was the student who had spoken to Naja yesterday. “You didn’t see her on the way here?”

They had just missed each other because Washu took the long route. Naja had not returned yet; if she had, she would have leapt out of the crowd.

“Go on, while you can.” He pointed towards the building.

“Huh?”

“We understand how embarrassing all this is for you. Hurry.” Everyone nodded at his words.

“Th-thanks.” Washu bowed deeply and started running. It was about a kilometer to the closest building. There was no cover, just an open field, like a park. If Naja returned, she would spot Washu instantly. Running at a desperate speed, Washu quickly broke the Academy record for women’s
sprinting.

“Heh!” A smile appeared on Washu’s lips as she panted. She was internally fearful that Naja would discover her at any moment, but she also felt triumphant. She would not owe anything to anyone. That was what made her Washu. In that sense, she had an Imperial Academy philosopher’s attitude already.

Washu kept running.

 

“Oh?” Hiding behind the building, Washu finally felt comfortable. The sights before her captivated her. A large grove of Powder Snow trees, transplanted from the Jurai home world, bloomed in full resplendent glory.

As Washu had surmised, she was on a hillock overlooking a gentle slope. Low buildings (most were single-story) spread for several kilometers down to the ocean, like terraced fields. Each building’s roof served as the garden of the building above it, full of colorful flowers, providing a contrast to the white Powder Snow blossoms. Jurai was second to none when it came to horticulture.

A man came up to talk to her as she walked around and peeked about. “Hey, you. This place is for authorized personnel only.” The arrogant, overbearing stranger spoke with his chest puffed up, despite his compact, stocky build. Washu thought for a moment that he was a professor, but he had a student’s badge on his uniform. She intuitively understood that he was a type seen often at the send-off parties on Kanamitsu: people who looked down on others.

However, considering the treatment she had received at the Academy, perhaps it was natural that philosophy students considered themselves more elite than necessary.

“Excuse me, where is the office?”

“The office?”

“I need to fill out the admission paperwork…”

The man burst out laughing. “New student? Do you have any idea where you are? Only the chosen among the most elite in the entire galaxy can enter here. It’s not a place for a child like you. Perhaps you’re mistaking it for the Department of Ancient Literature the next town over.” The man looked at her with the utmost contempt.

Since he did not recognize her, he must not have seen yesterday’s news.

“Look out!!” called a voice. The next moment, the man standing in front of Washu received a flying kick from the voice’s source. He screamed like a squashed frog as he plunged headfirst into the bushes.

“Do you hate me, Washu-chan?!” Naja stood in front of her.

She stared reproachfully at Washu, like a ghost in daylight. She did not check on the man she had just kicked to the ground, so she knew exactly what she was doing.

“Huh?”

“I stayed up all night to prepare the commemoration for your first arrival!” Naja professed, tears brimming in her eyes.

“It’s a nuisance.” Washu’s counterattack landed perfectly, and Naja froze. If I don’t say this now, who knows what she’ll do to me in the future. Washu stared at her with resolute eyes. Any weakness would mean defeat.

“Washu-chan, you meanie…!” It seemed that Washu had won.

The battered man crawled out from the bushes. “What was that for?! Urk… Naja!! I mean, Naja-kun…” He added the honorific reluctantly. He was covered in scratches, and purple veins bulged from his bright red temples.

“I’m sorry, Clay.” Despite Naja’s apology, she glared fiercely at the man she called Clay. Her sadness at Washu’s rejection of the welcome ceremony that she had spent so much effort preparing was transformed into anger. In other words, she was looking for a target to vent her anger at, and it was more than enough to dampen Clay’s momentum.

“Oh, so she’s your acquaintance… But there’s a problem. Most of this area is off limits to those not in the program.” Reevaluating the situation, Clay directed his wrath towards Washu.

“Let’s go, Washu-chan!” Ignoring Clay, Naja tried to lead Washu away.

“Hey, didn’t you hear what I said?!”

“What?!”

“I mean, that student there should not be…” Clay’s voice grew weaker as Naja’s presence overwhelmed him.

“If you’re a man, speak up!!” Naja barked.

“Well, I mean, uh…” His face twitched in humiliation.

“Naja-kun, what’s going on here?” Ikuma, the dean of the Department of Philosophy, just happened to be passing by. Any observer would have assumed the three were fighting, so his alarm was justified. “Hm…? You are…” Ikuma’s eyebrow twitched at Washu, who was standing next to Naja.

“Oh, Professor. I was just asking Naja-kun what she was thinking, bringing in an outsider.” Clay’s attitude upon seeing Ikuma became courteous, nearly servile. It was a complete 360 from his earlier arrogance. “Could you back me up, Professor?”

“Is that you, Washu-kun?!” Ignoring Clay, Ikuma approached Washu.

“Nice to meet you, Professor.”

“Yes, this is the first time we’ve met in person. Dear me, I didn’t recognize you. You’re so much more beautiful than the images.”

“Please. I don’t know how to thank you for the luxurious residence you’ve prepared for me.”

“Ha ha ha… Don’t worry about it. That only represents a fraction of the patent proceeds from our collaborative research. Just rewards.”

“Collaborative research?! P-Professor, you know her…?” Clay interrupted, with an incredulous expression. That was only ­natural. Not even other professors—let alone regular students—managed to co-author Professor Ikuma’s research. Merely being his research assistant was an extreme honor.

“Oh, you’re still here? Might as well introduce you… This is Hakubi Washu-kun. She is going to start this semester. She’ll be eighteen this year. She’ll beat Naja-kun’s record as the youngest student to be admitted into the department.”

“Professor, she was qualified four years ago after fulfilling all core coursework,” Naja interjected.

“F-four years…!” Clay’s face twitched so hard.

“Ah, yes, quite right. As you know, Clay-kun, you cannot be admitted until you’re eighteen. That’ll bring an end to any more records.”

Naja gazed with satisfaction at Clay, who could not even laugh, and only twitched instead.

“Do you think he learned his lesson?” Ikuma whispered to Naja, who responded by flashing a victory sign with her fingers.

“Professor, we still have to fill out some paperwork.” Turning into the model philosophy student, Naja saluted and headed for the campus with Washu.

“Oh, Washu-kun—I’m sure they’ll tell you at the office, but they determined that you’ll be placed in Class 6 with Naja-kun.” Ikuma added. He then promptly walked off in the opposite direction.

Clay, left behind, dejectedly sank down to the ground. He was in Class 9. A girl of eighteen, fresh into the Academy, three classes above me. How could that be…? He remained rooted on the spot for three hours before he could resolve his identity crisis. That was the first encounter between Washu and Clay.

 

As soon as Naja entered the building with Washu, she burst out laughing. “Ha ha ha! Did you see that stupid look on Clay’s face, Washu-chan?”

“Um, er…”

“I guess you don’t know him. Be careful, he’s the worst in the department…”

“Before that, Naja-san, I’m sorry I broke your record of being the youngest…” Washu apologized sincerely. She had a gut feeling that she should.

“It’s all right, I’m not studying to set records…” Naja seemed indifferent, but suddenly her face clouded over. “It’s just that…”

“What’s wrong?” Washu became anxious that she had done something wrong after all.

“There aren’t any young men…”

“Huh?”

“You know, incoming students here are generally married… Other departments call us ‘the nursing home!’” Naja turned her mouth down at the corners for emphasis, clenching her hands into fists.

“Is that so?”

“Is that all you have to say, Washu-chan? This is a serious problem for mature women!!”

“Y-yes, I suppose… Ha ha ha…” Washu burst out laughing at Naja’s serious look.

Naja laughed, too. “There are a lot of weirdos, but they’re all good people. Just be careful with Clay. His particular brand of weird is something else.”

“Pot, meet kettle…” Washu muttered under her breath, reflecting on Naja’s actions today and yesterday.

“Did you say something?”

“No, nothing.”

“Okay. Once the paperwork is done, let’s continue with the welcome party.”

“I-I thought I refused that?!”

“That was the reception for the welcome party.”

“Huh?”

“The real party’s yet to begin.” They climbed the stairs, and beyond, Washu saw a garden transformed into a festival venue capable of holding thousands of people.

“I’m leaving.”

“No!” Naja caught Washu and smiled, whispering into her ear. “This time, you won’t get away. ♥”

 

A few weeks passed. The curriculum was a lot more relaxed than Washu had imagined… Or, rather, there were no compulsory elements. Paradoxically, that made things extremely difficult. Lazy procrastinators never managed to advance and were expelled once they exceeded the number of years they were allowed to spend on their degree.

Nobody forced anyone to do anything, but nobody helped, either. Washu was grateful to have so much time to adjust to all the changes. She also had time to think about her mother and the fishies back home.

 

“Going out today, ma’am?” The butler addressed Washu as she prepared breakfast and a box lunch in the kitchen. It was a little after 4:00 AM and still dark outside.

“I told you, you didn’t need to get up.”

“Washu-sama, I’ve said many times that we…”

“I know. You were hired for this, right?”

“If the meals prepared by the maids are not to your liking, I will switch the staff.” The butler seemed genuinely puzzled, peering at the food she was packing.

“I love the meals they make. I do. But let me cook for myself sometimes. I like rummaging about in the dark kitchen, dimly lit by the lights in the pantry.”

“Is that so?”

“It’s no problem at all. It was my mother’s policy to have the children see that someone had to make meals for them three times a day. She wanted them to know the effort it takes to make a meal and how disrespectful it is to waste it. Of course, we were all taught from a young age to cook for ourselves.” Washu remembered the kind director of the orphanage and smiled.

“She sounds like a wonderful lady.”

“And my mother always used to say, ‘If you can make yourself a good meal, you can manage to live anywhere.’”

“Food is the foundation of all creatures, great and small.”

“And it would make her invincible if she were good in bed,” Naja suddenly piped up from behind her.

“Naja-san! I thought you went home last night…”

“Mei-chan found me on the way out. We were remodeling the slide in the hot springs pool. I tried it myself on the second run and got too much momentum and flew into the shrubbery. I knocked myself out until just now. Ha ha ha!”

The butler sighed. Currently, Washu’s hot springs pool…or rather, the bathhouse…was expanding underground and had transformed into an amusement park many times larger than the previous incarnation. It was all Naja’s fault. “Please don’t remodel the house as you please.”

“Now, now, everyone’s benefiting from it.” Naja was quite indifferent to the butler’s protests. She felt not one iota of guilt.

“You mean Mei and the neighborhood kids,” pointed out Washu.

“Aren’t you used to dealing with children? There were some cute kids who insisted they were going to marry you when they grow up.”

“You deal with them on a whole different level. There aren’t many people who can play with children as equals.”

Indeed, Naja even played airsoft games with the children in the bathroom. Most of the battles took the form of Naja versus the children, but sometimes, the children were split into two groups, with Naja and Washu leading the teams.

“You seem to have a lot of fun yourself,” Naja retorted.

“What about Mei?” Washu asked, sighing. She was almost done, and she decided to cut off the pointless conversation by asking about the most pressing issue.

“What? Well…you know…” Naja stammered as the topic swung to Mei.

“You said you tried it yourself on the second run.”

“I let her noble sacrifice go to waste.”

“You made her your guinea pig?!” Washu glared at Naja.

“But, but…! She said, ‘Oh, Naja-sama, you finished it!’ She didn’t even give me a chance to stop her… And it was quite an epic fail. I put her back in her room.”

“Good grief. You have to make sure it’s not dangerous for the kiddos.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll do that now.” Naja watched as Washu slung her bag over her shoulder. “Are you going somewhere?”

“Yes, for a bit of a hike.”

“I know a good place…”

“Please just make the bathroom safe for the kids.” Washu prevented Naja from following her.

“Just trying to let you know…”

“Next time. See you later.” Without telling them her destination, Washu bolted from the kitchen and through the mist-covered yard. A wisp of wind, the last trace of winter, nipped at her cheeks.

 

In the past few weeks, Naja had introduced Washu to a variety of people in different places, but most of them occupied special niches. In any society, there were two sides, the light and the dark… The Academy was no exception. Philosophers had special status. They often needed access to things beyond Academy law. Naja was introducing her to people who would help her avoid the problems latent in venturing into the underbelly of society, or help her along the way, which would be necessary in her life here.

“Why are all her friends such intense people?” Washu wondered, exhausted. A diet full of rich foods became tiresome no matter how good those foods were, and it was human nature to crave something lighter. She’d decided to go out by herself to search for normal places. Also, there was one place she was curious about. She had seen it from the bus as Naja showed her around.

“There it is!”

Further out in the suburbs from the residential area where Washu lived was an abandoned farm, with an old observatory on top of the hill. It was the object of Washu’s fascination. Now that interstellar space travel was commonplace, practically nobody was in the habit of making celestial observations from a planet’s surface. If anyone did, they were not academics but hobbyists. Or perhaps someone studying ancient techniques in the pursuit of archaeology or historical anthropology.

“Or maybe someone who’s an antique collector,” Washu mused, as she circled the building with curiosity. The outer wall was old and decrepit.

“Excuse me, may I help you?” An elderly woman timidly called out to her.

Washu noticed that the door to the observatory was open and realized that was the old woman’s home. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know that anyone lived here.”

Relieved at Washu’s courteous demeanor, the woman’s expression softened slightly. “It’s all right. It’s natural not to realize when it’s in such disrepair.”

Washu felt that something was amiss, though she could not pinpoint it.

“But I don’t get many visitors. Are you interested in old things?”

“Yes… Does this observatory belong to you?”

“It belonged to my late husband. He liked everything old, ­especially this observatory. I don’t really know the details, but he found it on a planet somewhere and had it relocated.”

“Um, my name is Hakubi Washu. I hope you don’t mind my request, but could I please use this observatory?”

“Hakubi Washu-san… Aren’t you the youngest student ever admitted into the Department of Philosophy?”

“Yes…” Washu, blushing from embarrassment, nodded. It seemed she was famous even out here. “I don’t have the money right now, but could I possibly trade you my house for it?” Washu had received patent fees from Ikuma, but she had spent them almost completely on equipment and material costs. The next bank transfer was in three months. That was why she offered an exchange instead.

“But your house is… Well, come this way.” Beckoning to Washu, the woman started walking through the wicket and down the hedged path.

“Wow!!” Washu inadvertently raised her voice. Beyond the wicket was a vantage point with a full view of the residential area where she lived and the Department of Philosophy campus.

“The largest house over there is yours, isn’t it?” The old woman pointed at the residence. Looking down upon it, Washu realized for the first time that it was more unlike the surrounding houses than the street-level view had led her to believe. The old woman chuckled. “Your house would be worth more, even if you traded it for the whole farm.”

“Well, I’m the one who wants the trade…”

“Why are you so interested in this observatory…?”

Washu gazed fondly up at the observatory and touched its wall. “It’s very similar to what I had back home. That’s where I used to live.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes!”

“Heh, our new philosopher has strange interests.”

“I thought I was normal… Is it strange…?”

“You have a wide breadth of interests. Heh heh…” The woman laughed when she saw Washu pout with discontent. For a moment, her kind laughter reminded Washu of her mother back home. “But I’m sorry…”

“It’s all right,” said Washu. “Is it very important to you?”

“That’s not what I…” the old woman hesitated. “No, I suppose it isn’t.”

“At any rate, the mechanical parts are quite rusted.” Washu commented, judging by the machinery she could see from the window.

“Since my husband passed away, there haven’t been any technicians who could handle its maintenance.”

“Will you allow me to do it?”

“But…”

“It’ll double as part of my studies.”

The old woman held back at first, but gave in to Washu’s insistence, and entrusted the observatory to her care.

From that day onward, Washu visited every day for interior maintenance. As the one-month mark approached…

“Are you really going to give me this farm, Nana?!”

“Yes.”

“Thank you so much!” Washu was ecstatic.

“Hold on… There’s something I want you to know.” The old woman looked confused. “I didn’t really want to say this…”

She proceeded to relate that a part of the land was mortgaged for a debt, and if she could not pay by the due date, the land would be taken as collateral. The real estate broker knew that she was unable to pay and had extended the date on purpose to ­mortgage the rest of the land as interest, trying to take it all. To the woman, this was not just her home but also a precious place containing all her memories of her late husband. She did not want to sell to anyone, but it pained her to let the land go to waste. She had asked a different local real estate agent to look for a good buyer, but there hadn’t been any market demand.

“I wish you had told me sooner…”

“I’m very happy with your offer. I’ve been turning you down because I didn’t want to get you involved in this mess. I’m sorry…”

“Don’t give up, Nana. It’ll be fine! I’ll protect this land.”

“Washu-san…”

“Don’t worry.” There was still time before the due date. Washu considered selling her own property to use the money to pay back the loan. But nobody came to buy her house.

“Washu-sama’s property is first-rate, even around here, and given the house’s high quality…not everybody could afford it.” The man who answered her inquiries when she went to investigate was rather blunt.

“Then we could lower the price…”

“N-no!” He raised his voice, almost upset.

“Why not? If I, as owner…”

“Well…there might be a buyer at a lower price point. But…this is awkward to say…it would prompt a drop in real estate prices. It would decrease the value of other properties… I assure you, we’re taking the appropriate steps, and we’re making calls to a variety of people. Please be patient.”

Washu left the office with some doubts, and soon, the due date was a few days away. Growing tired of waiting, Washu was about to march back over to the office when Naja appeared, tears streaming down her face. Without any preamble, she abruptly stormed in, knocking down the butler. “Wasn’t I your friend, Washu-chan?!”

Washu was so flabbergasted that she inadvertently said, “No.”

“!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Naja froze as if time had stopped.

After a moment of silence, Washu finally opened her mouth to say, “I’m joking, Naja-san.”

“Washu-chan, you’re so mean…” Naja said faintly, squatting and tracing curlicues on the floor with her finger.

“Well, when you burst in here like that, anyone would’ve been taken aback. It was a reflex…”

“Was I that fierce…?”

“Yes.” Washu showed Naja the footage from the security camera.

After a moment of silence, Naja accepted Washu’s claim. “I did look scary… Oh, what did I come here for?”

“Well, I heard, ‘Wasn’t I your friend?!’”

“Wasn’t I your friend… Yes, that’s it!!” Naja clapped her hands as she remembered her business. “After you said, ‘Of course you’re my friend,’ I was supposed to say, ‘Why didn’t you tell me you were selling your house?!’”

“Are you saying it’s my fault you forgot what you came here for?”

“Enough with the comedy! Anyway, about the real estate broker…”

“There’s a place I really wanted.”

“I know. That farm in the suburbs, right? Why didn’t you come talk to me about it right away?”

“So that’s how this leads to the topic of our friendship.”

“Yes!! You’re so cold.”

A subdued response…that was the method she had found worked best to deal with Naja.

“Washu-chan, you meanie… Anyway, this house isn’t going to sell, no matter how long you wait. Not until that farm gets foreclosed.”

“What do you mean?”

“Washu-chan, you’re such an easy mark…” According to Naja, the farm’s mortgage holder, and the real estate broker in charge of all property sales for the area where Washu lived, shared a parent company. Drawing up the paperwork delayed the sale of Washu’s house so that she would miss the due date. Similar tricks were used so a buyer would not be found for the farm. “That real estate broker wants to raze the whole farm to build a high-end residential zone.”

The area where Washu lived, which had increased in status due to the Department of Philosophy’s presence, was quite popular. But residential construction was restricted for habitat protection, with limited areas for expansion. The old woman’s farm, though in the suburbs, was close to the city, with scenic views, and thus qualified as prime real estate. It was small for a farm, but if rezoned into a residential district, it would be converted into several hundred residential parcels.

“But what could be done about it now?” Washu asked. “Do we even have any choice but to go through the local real estate broker?”

“Maybe not on other planets. But this is the Jurai Imperial Academy.” Naja proudly patted Washu’s shoulder. “I’ll show you just what kind of presence the Department of Philosophy has in the Academy.”

“What do you mean?” Washu felt uneasy at Naja’s cryptic reply.

“It’s not a big deal, Washu-kun.”

“P-Professor Ikuma?!”

Ikuma was standing in the doorway of the living room. “I did knock… May I come in?”

“Of course. I apologize for not hearing you…” Naja’s grimace did not escape Washu’s notice. “What brings you here today?”

“Same as Naja-kun. I heard that you offered to trade this house for that farm. I found out before Naja-kun…but her youth and vigor beat me here.”

So that’s why Naja-san came running in like that, thought Washu.

“Professor, you meanie!”

“I understand that you want Washu-kun to see that she can depend on you.” Ikuma smiled meaningfully at Naja.

“Professor!!”

“Sorry, sorry.” Ikuma scratched his forehead and turned to Washu. “Washu-kun, the Department of Philosophy is indeed special, but what’s more important is that this is the Imperial Academy, a school.”

“Oh!”

“That real estate broker was appointed by Jurai. He ought to act solely in the students’ interests.”

“I see what you mean!” Washu shouted, standing up. Finally, she’d found a breakthrough in the situation.

Behind her, Naja was tracing curlicues on the ground with her finger. “I wanted to say those things,” she muttered in a tiny voice.

 

A few hours later, Professor Ikuma revoked the real estate broker’s control over the area around Washu’s mansion.

“Thank you for doing this for me…” Washu said.

“Don’t worry about it,” Professor Ikuma replied. “Their antics were getting to be too much. In fact, there have been many student complaints. This was a good opportunity.”

“Some rich idiots raising the prices of land, making it too expensive for students to live… It defeats the whole purpose of the place,” Naja declared. “You know what was hilarious, when we looked into their business affairs? Clay was the substantive manager of the parent company.”

“Well, being a miser is his style,” Professor Ikuma said.

“If only he would turn his passion for money toward his research.”

“Ha ha. Naja-kun, greed and avarice are Clay’s driving forces. Without them, he would no longer be himself.”

Washu, listening to their chatting, shivered. I can understand how Nana could think we’re all weird. She felt that their standards and values were different from hers.

“Leave this matter to us,” Professor Ikuma urged her. “Go share the news with the woman at the farm.”

“I will. Thank you, Professor Ikuma.” Washu ran off towards the farm at a speed that far surpassed the Academy women’s track-and-field sprint record.

Ikuma watched and smiled. “May she never lose that golden heart.”

Beside him, Naja traced curlicues on the ground with her finger and muttered in a tiny whisper, “Argh, he did it to me again.”

“Perhaps it’s not so easy with you around, Naja-kun,” Professor Ikuma said.

“I wanted to say those things!” Naja protested. “Professor, I hate you.”

 

Washu opened the door to the observatory and gave the old woman the news. Then she made a proposal. “It would be lonely to live here by myself. Won’t you live here with me?”

 

And so, Washu bought the farm and started living with the old woman, its former owner. The butler and the maids followed.

“Why…?” Washu asked, surprised.

“We aren’t servants of the house,” the butler explained. “We were hired to help your studies proceed smoothly, as part of your scholarship.” Dressed as if they had run away under cover of night were one hundred and fifty maids, all lined up.

“Yoo-hoo, Washu-chan!” Naja turned up uninvited, solely because she had fallen in love with the observatory. Washu put the dilapidated farm back together and acquired livestock to start it working once again. The once-desolate farm now teemed with life.

“I never imagined I would be doing this at my age,” remarked the butler, laughing as he led a cow. The maids also seemed to be pleased. Washu dove onto her bed, looking at the stars from the windows of the observatory. Feeling a sense of relief for the first time since she came to the Academy, she fell into a deep sleep…