Author's Note: Obligatory I don't own any of the characters/IP of Infinite Stratos obviously. Also, I don't really like Infinite Stratos personally. The reason I made a fanfic of it is because I wanted to make add my own twist on the most blatant case of harem abuse in an anime. I'm also trying to gauge where my writing skill is so feel free to critique and tell me if I got any Infinite Stratos plot points incorrect. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!
Ichika was in a bind and he knew it.
Chifuyu is gonna kill me.
He walked slowly to class but quickly enough to be there on time. He thought about excuses but there were none he could come up with. Everyone else had found the assignment easy and most had finished by the first day. Out of everyone, he was the only that seemed to have any difficulty. Students all spoke of their carefree weekends. Rin, Houki, and the others had even gone to see Ichika asking if he was free for the day. He was too embarrassed to tell them that he was still working on the assignment. He even became sleepless trying to come up with ideas.
Unfortunately, he was at his desk watching his classmates turning theirs in. He chose to sink in his chair instead hoping that no one notices that he had nothing to turn in. This was in vain, however, since he sat at the front of the class and because his teacher was his sister. How this was even allowed he didn't know. Chifuyu asked him to turn in his paper. "I already did Orimura sensei" he lied.
"Really? So, you don't mind if I check?" Chifuyu began reading aloud the names of those who turned it in. His bad luck was so extensive it was almost impressive. Every single student aside from him had turned it in. Ichika wanted nothing more than to be enveloped into the floor or maybe become a figure in the window, like stained glass. Chifuyu was waiting for him to respond.
"I-I didn't finish."
She looked like was about to strangle him, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DIDN'T FINISH!? ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS WRITE ABOUT WHY YOU WANT TO BE AN IS PILOT AND HOW YOUR EXPERIENCE HERE HELPS WITH THAT! IT'S THE EASIEST ASSIGNMENT IN THE WORLD!"
For a tall teen, Ichika was becoming smaller by the second. "I know. I just don't know what to write about."
She hit him hard with a book. He fell out of his desk clutching his head in pain, "OW!" He wondered if the shape of the book had been imprinted into his brain. Chifuyu grabbed his collar and pulled him back to his desk, "You're finishing that assignment and it will be twice as long." She began teaching as he sat there slumped and red-faced.
As Ichika went to lunch all the girls tried cheering him up and giving him ideas. They all even fought to be the one to help him with it but after a while of nonsensical back and forth, he told them to forget it and that he'd do it himself.
Back in his room, Ichika tried to come up with ideas but he couldn't and the next day, he found himself at his desk and at the mercy of Chifuyu once again. She asked him about his progress, and he answered truthfully. He was hit again with the book. This happened for a few more days until finally, Chifuyu snapped.
"Why do you want to be an IS pilot?" She was determined to get him to finish.
"I don't know," he was getting tired of this.
She sighed. She was getting frustrated, "What are your goals? What do you want in life?"
"I…I don't know."
How did I miss this? I need to fix this before he becomes an unmotivated loser.
"Well, what do you like? Or do in your free time?"
"What?" He was confused. How would his sister not know what he likes?
"We understand what you like then we explain how that's related to being an IS pilot or your goals."
Ichika thought for a moment thinking that the answer would come quickly. One second passed and then two and by three he realized a dreadful truth, no answer was coming. What did he like? What did he like to do? He thought about the last time he had partaken in any hobby. He couldn't remember. He couldn't recall a single thing that he had ever found enjoyment in. He wasn't in a club and the only other thing he could recall was shopping or eating desserts with one or all of the girls.
"…I don't know."
"What? There's gotta be something you like!"
He was too lost in thought to respond.
I like things right? I have a personality, don't I?
Ichika was becoming far more paranoid about his existence.
What does this mean?
Chifuyu was losing her mind. "Do you even want to be an IS pilot?!" she asked.
Ichika looked at her now. He thought about everything that happened since he entered school. He tried to find the things that made him happy or accomplished. What had done? Well, he lost to Cecelia, saved Laura, met Rin and Houki, and helped Charlotte. Then he almost died to Silverio Gospel and Phantom Task twice. Ichika thought about how he had almost died several times by that point. It was obviously not the experience of a typical student but the fact that it did happen concerned him quite a bit. The question, however, still loomed on him. Did he even want to be an IS pilot?
"No," he answered.
"What?"
"No."
"What do you mean no! Why did you come here then?"
The words of everyone around him echoed in his head.
"It would be such a waste of talent", "What a gift you have", "You're so lucky".
Ichika's head began spinning.
Everyone told me to. They said I would do great…Did I ever think about if I wanted to? No one asked me what I wanted. Not even I asked what I wanted.
"Because everyone said it would be a waste. To be able to and to not do it," he said.
Chifuyu was taken aback. She didn't actually expect him to say "no".
It does explain why he couldn't do the assignment.
"W…well then I guess I have to fail you for this assignment then." There were murmurs around the classroom. One did not simply get away with failing to turn in an assignment with Orimura sensei. More importantly, however, it was unheard of to say "no" to being an IS pilot.
Chifuyu yelled at them to be quiet and continued class.
On his way back to his room, students kept eyeing him. The great Orimura has finally met her match. He felt a little bad for her. It must've been pretty embarrassing to have the brother of the prodigious Chifuyu Orimura saying that he didn't want to be here. He was exhausted. His brain hurt but found relief when his eyes meet the familiar sight of his door. As he walked into his room all he heard was a sweet voice, "Welcome home! Do you want dinner? A bath? Or…," Tatenashi gave him a sly smile, "me?" She posed pushing her chest out and slightly pulling her skirt up.
Ichika had become so exhausted that it took him two minutes to understand what he was looking at. Tatenashi waited for Ichika to become so embarrassed he resembled a tomato but he took so long to respond that she eventually began turning red.
"Bath," he said grabbing his towel, soap, and fresh clothes. Tatenashi stood there watching him.
Is he actually asking me to draw him a bath? I mean…I wouldn't mind but-
She was confused as to what game he was playing. Her eyes followed him until he lumbered off to the bathroom locking the door behind him.
Oh, so he's actually just taking a bath then?... That was weird.
She decided that he needed time alone and left the room thinking about how she could improve her teasing strats.
Ichika slumped in the bath allowing the hot water to massage his bruises. He counted them daily to see if there was a new one. Nope, still twenty-four. Each bruise had a story. Most were from the girls but three were from Phantom Task. He had gotten so used to bruising that he could now fake having no injuries. He thought the medical attention was wasted on him. No use healing a wound today that will be made tomorrow.
Thoughts on the day's events circulated in his mind. He didn't know what to make of it all. He let the bath cleanse him of his stress and thoughts.
After putting on some fresh clothes, Ichika went straight to bed encasing his newly washed body within his blanket. He let out a small groan as the mattress and pillow pushed against his many bruises but even still, he was too comfortable. He began to doze off with the last remnants of the day flickering in his head.
Why did his sister not know his goals or interests? Why didn't he? What did he like to do? Did he ever have hobbies? Why was he here?
He didn't know the answer to any of these questions but he did now know one thing. He did not want to be an IS pilot.