Chapter 19:
It was just another lunchtime break at Toshiko. Friends were eating with each other, some multitasking, talking, eating, and reading their textbooks at the same time. Midterms were just around the corner, happening the week before the system scan.
Rei was deeply engrossed in her physics textbook, putting rice in her mouth without looking away from the paragraphs. Haruhi, Kiri, and Reika were talking as per usual, but they couldn't stop giving Rei nervous glances.
"Uh, Rei?" Haruhi began. "Are you going to take a break from studying anytime soon? You've been like that for the past two and a half weeks…"
"You haven't said much this whole time." Reika added. Her eyes met with Rei's. Reika- Rei noticed- had had this glint in her eyes for some time now. Reika never said anything to her, though, except to talk more and worry less about grades. Rei, of course, never listened to any of them.
"Geez, Rei-chan, stop studying and do something fun a change." Kiri exhaled with her wrist supporting her chin.
"Eh? But I have to. I missed so much when I was sick." Rei fiddled with the metal mechanical pencil she was holding.
"That may be true, but you definitely should be ahead at this rate." Reasoned Reika.
"Actually no," Rei shook her head. As Rei fiddled and twirled the pencil, the top of it started to deform. It happened slowly, but as Rei rubbed her forehead with the other hand, the other grasped a pencil that was seemingly twisting itself and bending at the top and middle.
"Rei!" Haruhi gasped. "Your pencil's bending again!"
"Huh?" Oh, that's great." Rei looked to her pencil. She held it up to her eyes to observe the damage. "That was the last pencil from the set you got me. Sorry, Haruhi." She shook her head. "I'll have to go buy more pencils afterschool today. I'll go throw this away." She stood up and walked to the trash.
"How many?" Kiri breathed.
"I don't know," Reika responded. "That's happened to every single pencil she's been using lately. They've all snapped, bent, or twisted. Why's that happening? Does that have to do with her vector change?"
When Rei got back, she picked up her water bottle and went out of the room.
人
There was something about her that had changed. The way she walked seemed more dignified without Rei purposefully trying. Even though she was on her way to the nearest water fountain, she would attract sideways glances. Rei had a more serious air about her, which isolated her even more. But, slowly but surely she was silently regarding as the school's ace.
Rei sighed again as she approached the fountain and filled her bottle. I'm so anxious with all the make-up work and the next test coming soon. I'm not going to do well if I don't remain calm. But I'm clearly not doing a good job at maintaining my stress level if all my pencils have been breaking. It takes a lot to keep other things I touch from deforming…I can't believe I have to focus on the objects I touch so they don't get deformed now.
As she capped her bottle her feet felt light. She didn't look down right away, looking puzzled, but as her feet began to float behind her she quickly realized what was going on.
"Ah!" Without thinking first she changed the vectors around her, crashing to the ground on her stomach.
I should've thought that out more thoroughly…Rei rubbed her smarting head. Great, I try reflecting on my problems and I get a stomach flop on the concrete ground. Gravity, where have you been the past two weeks…I'll ask Accelerator-sensei…I don't know whether to be happy I have been defying the laws of physics or sad that I can never go back to taking gravity for granted again.
人
"Rei, there's a red splotch on your forehead. Did you fall?" Like usual, Haruhi looked concerned.
"You could say that." She sat down. "Now, back to studying…"
"God damn it, Rei…" Kiri growled.
人
"Yeah, that happens when you're inexperienced." Accelerator sipped on his coke. He was in the apartment with Rei. Yoshi was gone getting last-minute grocery deals and Yomi was out for Anti Skill. Last Order's eyes were fixated on the TV screen. All three were sitting on the same sofa. Last Order near one armchair and Rei near the other. Accelerator exhaled and put the drink on the table. He crossed both arms as an upside rest for his head. "I got used to it pretty fast."
"Eh," Rei said, ignoring the part where he called her inexperienced (again), "It's not gonna go away?"
Accelerator took another sip. "Nope. Deal with it."
"I guess I have no say in the matter…." Rei looked down at her hands. "Ne, Accelerator-sensei…"
"What?"
Rei looked at him, opened her mouth, closed it, and looked down again.
Accelerator shifted his glance to her. "Well? Spit it out."
"It's just that…" She swallowed, not looking up to him. "My system scan is coming up soon…"
"Yeah, and?"
"Well…I haven't really trained with others."
"Nothing we can do about that." Another sip.
"But…"
"Get to the point already! Jeez, you were always a direct brat."
"Fine then!" Rei clenched her fists and shut her eyes. "Please practice-fight with me!"