Hi guys, long time no see. Sorry for the hiatus period, I was too busy at school, finishing my exams and taking my projects. At least I have finished them all, so... yeah, I have extra time now.
Re-reading my work here, I noticed a terrible mistake I have made. The "old" Chapter 11 was uploaded in the wrong order - it should be Chapter 12 (it would probably explain the email about an update in my story a few days ago). So, in order to say apologise, I would update twice today, one for the correct Chapter 11, and the other for Chapter 12.
Hopefully, I can finish Chapter 13 tomorrow - it would be the awaited match between our protagonist and Cecilia.
Fuck me side way, ain't it? Just the time I opened the door and a girl cam striking down on my arse.
I jumped to the side, not even paying any attention to who she might be. It would not be a criminal though, because if she was, alarms would have been raised, or there would be some stench of blood in the air. Because there was none of them, so it was probably safe to assume that she was a student here, and she was agitated for some reason… And did Ichika say something about his roommate?
Anyhow, I decided to dodge and tried my best to calm her down. It would be too messy if I took her down here and now – not to mention that it was only the first day here… After all, it would be very impolite to send a student here to a lengthy stay in the hospital. So, a drop and roll it would be, non-lethal and soft counter-attack, or a "judo flip" for the ones not being in the business.
Or at least, that was my plan. I made a crucial mistake here. The speed, the power, and the determination of the strange girl were underestimated. She was hell-bent on pushing me away to get close to Ichika – for whatever reason it was. Seeing me standing in front of her, she simply raised her wooden blade up in the air and slashed it straight down.
While I was able to keep my head out of the main attack path, one that could split my skull open, my shoulder was not so lucky. A heavy thud had already slammed on it and knocked me down to the ground.
Pain flared up on my shoulder, blinding my eyes for a very brief moment. I felt nothing then, nothing but pain and numbness. Fuck! Just the first day and I had already had to fight! Why did the fuck the first night have to show a brash, prone to action, and potentially a tsundere here? Why could they not simply sit down and discuss like grown-ups?
My brain was slowly clearing itself up. Luckily, there was no follow-up strike, allowing me to recover fast enough. And with the pain being suppressed, my brain was quickly re-booting, drawing out counter-attack plans.
Oh, right, those girls could not sit down and talk with men – something about dirtying themselves with filthy males. Thank you very much feminazi.
On another note, I was still relatively intact. It was just a sore spot, a bit of bump, nothing else, no permanent damage or anything like broken bones. Fairly lucky for someone hit me with a hard wooden blade.
Still, it hurt like fuck! Growling, I slowly dragged myself back to standing on two feet. It was an unsung rule for the Vietnamese People's Army – one must either die on his two feet, or with a gun in his hand. We were just too spiteful to be captured alive and/or conscious. Anyhow, with my standing posture and with my wit recovering, I was able to observe her carefully… She spotted typical Japanese facial feature, with light skin tone, small nose, and a pair of brown eyes. Her black smooth long hair was tied into a ponytail behind her. Her clothes were the most interesting – or rather, the second most – as it was strongly resembled a traditional Japanese set of domestic suit. Something people used to sleep in, to be precise.
The most interesting feature was her… impressive pair of assets. They were hidden behind the suit, but it was not that hard to notice the budge there. And from the tone, they would be both big and strong in the same time, squeezing them would be lovely to say the least. Still, my personal preference was to hand-size ones, much more enjoyable and intimated.
But there was one problem though, the girl looked highly familiar somehow. I was pretty sure that she was also a girl in Class 1-1, and she was also the girl that disappearing with Ichika during break time. But now, upclose, something else was also there, something nagging at the back of my mind, telling that she was more than what she seemed.
Behind her, the spectators had already gathered around, or more like poking their heads out of the door frames. The braver ones were already standing on the hallway, showing their curves behind half-hidden under thin pajamas suits. Quite a sight to watch, really. I would have enjoy watching them if the situations were not so dire here. Besides, they were also staring at my body, and if I stared back, it would be impolite… probably.
Anyhow, let's go back to the big-bust girl, who was now glancing nervously at you. She had good reasons to do so, my face must not be highly pleasant then.
"Miss, please, explain clearly, and fast, why did you attack me?"
"It... It's just a mistake!"
"So, hitting other with a wooden sword, almost bashing their skulls and breaking their teeth, is a simple mistake? So I guess my past can be described with the phrase "a lot of slips", heh?"
"Hu... hah?"
I just cracked my knuckles and flexed my feet. If bad came to worse, I would have to fight against her, and this time, I would not be holding back:
"I'm still waiting for your answer here, you know."
"I... I thought you were Ich... Orimura-kun! He... he peeked me after I got out of the shower!"
That gave me a pause, forcing me to blink once, then twice. To be fair, she had a wonderful body figure, boys would love to take a peek on her. In fact, I did not even know if I should curse, praise or reprimand Ichika anymore. Even I would want to see her in own her glory, let alone a hormonal dude like the Japanese pilot. Then, it was not like I could speak it out loud. The girls here would tear me into pieces the moment I spoke it. Sure, my martial art skills allowed me to hold the line, but as the Man of Steel had said, quantity had its own quality. They could simply rush over me and trample me under their feet the moment I dropped some unsavory lines.
So, just kept it civil and between me and her then…
"So, you mistakenly attack me because of what may have been an accident?"
She just nodded, confirming my suspicion – after all, the whole event was too cliché for a harem anime, after all.
"ICHIKA! Get your arse out of here! If you not come out in ten seconds, I will come in and drag you out!"
I yelled at the half-opened door leading into my room, knowing too well that the dude was hiding behind it. There was nothing at first, clearly, because the dude would still be scared by his roommate. But it was not like I even cared about it, I had already curled my hand, readying it for a punch. My mind started counted backwards from ten, and when the timer reached zero, everyone would be able to find out which one was stronger, my fist or the door.
But alas, that plan failed. The Japanese male pilot seemed to know that it was better not to further piss off two deadly teenagers standing outside his door. Still, he was still afraid, which explained why color drained off his face when he noticed the very pissed off girl and the boy who was cracking his knuckles.
At least the boy was sane and responsible enough to be calm and collected. Emphasis was on the word "enough" though… Being the highest ranked representative here, I was the one who spoke up, with a loud and booming voice. I hoped it was deep and rich enough though, badass men had deep and rich tone…
"OK, first thing first. Who are you lady?"
"Shinonono, Houki Shinonono."
That sparked an alarm in my mind, and I had to keep my face as unchanging as possible. She was sharing the same family name with that genius after all.
Huh? She shares the same last name with that bloody genius? This bores some... serious implications. With Ichika has already referred her as his childhood friend... You have some gut feeling that some more sinister hands are at play - and let's face it, this is Earth and mankind, there is always at least one more sinister hand somewhere in the equation.
Still, this is something you will log in in your notes for personal investigation. It is likely that High Command has already known about this, but sending them some notes about this does not hurt anyone.
"And, mate, Ichika Orimura?"
"Hai... Yes?"
"OK, tell me what the hell just happen back there?"
"He... He sneaks on me when I get out of the bathroom!"
"It is just an accident!"
"But..."
"Ichika, describe the situation."
You cut off the rant in the formation of the girl, there is simply no time to be wasted here. Girls, more often than not, the over dramatise the events to a ridiculously level. Seriously, what is wrong with just pointing out the problems, the roots, and then the solution and work? Probably that is why many news anchors are female whenever a "major event" is coming up on the news headlines.
"Well... After dinner, I just take my suitcases and walk into my room, 1025, I did knock before hand but because there is no answer, I just walk in. I heard some kind of water running in the bathroom, meaning there is someone else here already and she is just busy taking a shower. So I rest on the seemingly brand new bed. A few moment later, she... came out... naked... and she tried to hit me with the sword without listening to me."
To be fair, if you were her, there would be a new dead body on the ground already. But still, you have to stick up to your second-in-command here. He will be your wing man soon enough, and keeping him happy is quite important.
"So, you are both in wrong here. Ichika, you fail to properly inform your roommate about your presence, Shinonono-san, you have already over-reacted. Please, keep calm and talk things out. This is high school, not some children playground."
"But... but..."
"Now, being in the wrong, what should you two do?"
"... I'm sorry Houki-san, for watching you... naked..."
"Shinonono-san? I believe it is your turn."
"I'm sorry, Ichikia-kun, for... over-reacting and trying to hit you."
"Do both sides accept the apology of the other?"
You send them the meanest glare you can, telling them that they should say yes, or else. You have been tired and drained enough already, dealing with a few high strung teenagers (even though you are one) is not something high on your to-do list.
"Yes..."
"Yes."
"Good. Please, go back to your room and talk things out. And, Shinonono-san, you are forgetting one thing."
"Heh? I have done..."
CRACK!
This time, you crank your neck and slightly move your right feet back while angling you body, looking ready for a fight. Of course you have yet to picked up a stance, but it will not take long for you to do so while doing immediately might be seen as... aggressive and warmongering. You have already reached the quota of fighting in a peaceful environment already...
"Hmmh?"
She seems to realise something...
"I wholeheartedly apologise for my brash accidental attack on you earlier. I hope you can forgive my mistake..."
Well, she does know her mistake, she bows (which is quite a big thing in Japanese) and her voice is filled with sincerity. And after all, she realises her mistake and attempts to fix it, which is good enough for you. You have no intention to prolong the... discussion here.
"Apology accepted. But please, be more... calm and mature next time."
"I will remember that."
"Good. Now, as I was thinking, can you two please get into your dorm and sort things out? We are grown-ups, not some chimpee chummy kids from the kindergarten."
The two teenagers go back to their room after that. Ichika seems a bit... depressed though, but then, he just has someone takes the hit because of him, it should be quite understandable.
On the bright side, the problem has been solved peacefully and successfully. No one dies or gets hurt. Of course you are attacked, but other than some stingy feeling, you have nothing else on your body. Compared with what you have already been through, it is practically heaven...
"Girls, there is nothing else to see here. Please come back to your room."
Then, once you are finally alone in your room... You wonder why you haven't thought of smuggling alcohol into the school here. It would be tremendously helpful if things like this keep happening.
Tuesday passes away with relative ease. You wake up at five (as usual) and despite the insanely comfortable bed, you are still able to get out and start a morning run. It is... a pity that the terrain in the Academy is quite temperate, meaning that there is no uphill, downhill or jungle, there is only plain road. You prefer some nice challenges though.
It means that you just have to increase the distance and the time you run. Ninety minuets and twelve kilometres (no load) of non-stop running, your T-shirt is completely soaked in sweat, and you smell terrible. Thanks goodness that you have a hot shower in your room. Even though you can take some cold water, you still prefer having hot water, even in the summer. Combined with the cool (and cold - for you at least) weather of Japan, the morning begins very good.
Your breakfast is hefty, as tradition required by men. Bread, bacon, eggs, butter, jam, sausage, cereal and milk, the energy input here is probably enough to off-set the amount you just burnt in the morning run.
It is... strange that there are not many students waking up this early. Even though it is already past seven, nearly seven and a half. Still, when you are sipping coffee, more girls start to pouring in. Enjoying the chaos and the harmony with hot coffee is... extremely enjoyable. At least the drink is more enjoyable than the dirt water in the military. Seriously, why does military-issued coffee always taste horribly? Lowest bidder contractor?
Kanzashi appears with her sister, with the former being a bit sleepy (but then, she always looks slightly sleepy somehow). The older notices you straight away, as in notices you noticing her and her sister. She... subtly nudges her sister to your table and leave you two to talk. At least nothing more embarrassing happens after that. The two of you just idly chat about the first "real" day at school. Schoolwork, homework and project. She also agrees to accompany you to the appointment of IS maintenance, saying she wants more details and inspiration for her suit. It is... something you can agree on. The GAT-X105 "Flying Dragon" is a general suit, capable of completing various missions and tasks with appropriate load outs. Last you heard, this 2.5th-gen suit will be mass produced soon in many country. Well, being put up as a contender at least.
Knowing the stereotype politicians, they will watch your upcoming duel on Friday and decide further. Great.
Today is also the day when you first try out your position as Class Rep. So far, the work is limit to requesting the class to bow the teacher before and after the lesson, building up the roster for "cleaning duty" and other miscellaneous tasks. Thanks to your previous experience with Vietnam high school, you are able to finish it, even if "just barely" on the roster part. The girls seem put off for having to stay behind class and arrive early to clean up. But you are able to convince them with the clause of school charter as well as the promise for a "quick" roster.
The day is pretty... decent with double Math, Geography, History, IS Tactical Deployment (you refuse call it IS Theory) and English. Pretty much a "full day", but with lengthy break and lunch, the day is not that bad despite double Math being the first classes. However, all class is just "the basic", in terms of tests, you can probably gloss over them in 10 minutes and earn full mark on this part.
After school is the appointment with the school's student specialists. They are a bit... miffed about having to work on the second day at school. But when they realise who the "customer" is, as well as the suit is turned on, they are not that... iffy any more. A full armour-on IS suit is something pretty
You have absolutely no idea what they are working on, so you do ask the team leader for some brief lessons. As it turns out, while the theory principle (why they work) is still complicated, the functioning of the suit is not that hard to understand, once you have broken it down into smaller pieces. Due to this appointment is just a simple maintenance run, the team leader gives you some lessons on how the suit works.
It is... interesting to hear it from someone who has spending time study here. She does not use any kind of sophisticated words or phrases, they are all down-to-earth, even some of them are borderline cursing. But then, as long as she gets the point across, you are not really concerned... Not that much, Kanzashi looks a bit miffed though.
You are able to learn the gist for IS Theory of the first three months in just fifteen minutes. Well, not the official version, but it will help you in class anyway. Most of which is basically Physics, or Mechanic, applied with some very delicate features. Niche skills, but not that hard to understand, to practice and to repeat. With the Brunhilde planning to speed up the IS Theory lessons, knowing these soon enough will help you a lot.
Then, the problems start to appear, but in a good sense. Due to your low usage in the last year, you have no idea that the hardware has yet to be fully optimised. A "good" and "normal" IS suit will have the efficiency about 90%, yours is currently at 75%. The wiring and transmission can also be improved to reduce waste.
You actively join the work alongside Kanzashi at this point. It is... fun to say the least. There is not much of a pressure going on, the students of third year constantly instruct you on how to work and how to fix it. With pure instinct as well as the ability to learn fast, you further cement the knowledge that the team leader tells you. You have to convert into your own styles and you need quite a lot of extra notes, of course, but it is the whole point of learning isn't it.
The work has to be carried out over the dinner, but it really pays off. You are completely drained afterward, but looking at the net gain, it is totally worth the price. The energy capacity is increased by 20 points, allowing more equipment to attached, shield point rises by 35, not much, but for a soldier, a gain is always a gain. In addition, all movement has been made smoother and more efficient, the targeting system is cosmetically edited to increase ergonomics. The factory-made program is a bit plain and not that user-friendly.
With the Blue Tears acting as a sniper, a small increase in shield can help you to survive just one more shot, even if barely. Better movement allows more intense and faster combat. Aiming program allows you to automatically acquire target easier - you can also switch it off and manually lock down on the target, faster in terms of total time, but less likely to hit. In reality and in combination, all of them to the difference between victory and defeat. Of course, you have no drive to lose... Even if you have sympathy to her. You may not regret your actions and she is still responsible for hers, but at least she has a justifiable reasons for why she is just as our past justifies why you are like you are.
It is a pity that you are a soldier. You will still pull the trigger if you sympathise with your target.
You dose off on the bed admist the tiredness of the day.