Happy 2020 everybody! Here we go!
Here's chapter 4 of Change My Mind.
The morning had come and following breakfast, every student made their way to their respective class. Chifuyu was standing at the head desk looking to make an announcement.
"As you know, the field of the Infinite Stratos is growing everyday with new advancements and discoveries being made. To help you students, we're trying something new for the first-year students as a trial run. Additional teachers have been hired to help us keep up to date and assist you all in your studies." Chifuyu announced. "You are to give our new staff the utmost respect he deserves. Am I clear?" Chifuyu ordered.
"Yes ma'am!" The entire class answered. The class then realized Chifuyu said the H word. 'He', as in a male.
To everyone's surprise It was a man who walked into the room. He had short white hair, black square glasses that covered a small portion of, and a lab coat that looked like it would usually be worn by scientists. Most of the class was silent as he made his way over to the main desk while Chifuyu stepped to the side. No one seemed to know who he was, except for one student.
Why was he here? Jayden pinched himself to wake up. Nope. He was still here.
The girls were yelling and squealing with the arrival of another man at the academy. It seemed like the girls weren't going to stop anytime soon. Ms. Orimura banged her fist, leaving a sizable dent in the wall. The volume of the class immediately dropped to silent. Now the new professor could speak.
"Thank you, Ms. Orimura." He addressed the class. "Good morning everyone. My name is Gelimer Brighton, please hold your applause to the end."
Nobody was clapping. The man resumed his introduction.
"I look forward to teaching you all. For the few of you who don't know who I am, let me tell you a little about myself."
For the next minute or so, Gelimer talked highly about himself in his introduction for the next minute without pausing for a breath. His speech border on overdramatic at times, like he was acting in a one-man stage show for which nobody bought a ticket. Chifuyu waved her hand in a 'get on with it' motion.
"Now then, before we begin if anyone has any questions for me, I'll-"
"What are you doinghere!?" Jayden interrupted.
Gelimer raised an eyebrow recognizing the test subject who was now his student. "I'm here to teach you all about the history of the Infinite Stratos in regular intervals. In simple terms, I'm your teacher. Wait!" He gasped. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to learn about the IS."
"Indeed, you are." Gelimer raised a hand to his chin, as though he was in deep thought. "Well what do you know, we're all exactly where we should be. Any more questions?"
A girl in the back raised her hand. "Professor! Can you use an IS like Ichika and Jayden?"
"I'm afraid I can't operate an Infinite Stratos unit." He placed a hand over his heart. "How unfortunate that one such as I who has dedicated so much to the IS. It's a problem I've investigated, but I haven't found any answers. But anyway, we've got time for a bunch more questions. I'm eager to learn about all my students so ask away." He chose a girl who sat next to Ichika.
"I've heard you're the best researcher in America." Gelimer looked extremely satisfied. "but is it true that you're not as good as Tabane Shinonono?"
Gelimer's face twitched as he heard the taboo word. "Oh, would you look at that? It appears we're out of time. We have to get a move on for the lesson today." He flipped over the teacher's textbook, avoiding the question like an amateur.
Chifuyu let out a sigh. For better or worse it seemed like the Gelimer could keep things under control now. She took her leave, exiting without a word.
Now that she was gone, Gelimer relaxed his posture. Who could work naturally when being watched like a hawk? "Now, let's see what we're covering today." Gelimer began opening lesson plan that the school provided. "All right today will be discussing the types of the Infinite Stratos." He began pulling up pictures on the monitor behind him.
"Currently there are 467 cores that have been distributed and shared around the worlds governments and corporations. The types of IS are split into two categories.
The screen now showed two photos of IS. On the left was a plain IS, like the ones used in the school for the training purposes. On the right was an IS colored green with a long sniper rifle and more modifications made to it.
Gelimer pointed at the left photo. "The first type is the training IS. These are mass production models were given by the Japanese government to train students at IS Academy. The ones used at IS Academy are known as the Uchigane and it's a mass production model. Every country has their own mass production model of IS but we'll cover that another time. One thing to remember is that these types of models run on special batteries so they can be used in mass due to the limited amount of cores in the world, so they won't be as powerful as the next IS type we're about to go over."
The class was awestruck as he taught. His teaching was easy to understand, even for a beginner. Despite his eccentrics at times, he was a pretty good teacher.
"Now the second type of IS is the personal IS unit." He showcased the fancier photo of the IS on his right. "These are special IS units that bond and change to fit the user's specifications. They can be harder to use in their default settings but once they're formatted to the user it can become like an extension of the user itself. These types of IS are powered by an IS core which gives them greater power outputs compared to standard models." Gelimer paused to let the class soak in the information, reaching into his pocket, pulling out a green ring. "A personal IS usually takes the form of accessory when not in use." He held up the ring for the class to see. The class gawked the piece of jewelry.
"Mr. Brighton, is that a real IS?" One student asked.
"My, you're quite observant. Yes everyone, this is a real IS unit in its closed form. Come up and take a look if you wish." He placed the ring on the desk as students got up for a closer view of the ring. It was a shiny silver band that was to be worn on the ring finger. The girls stared and commented on the ring.
"We're this close to a personal IS Unit."
"Careful not to get too close or you could activate it."
"It's such a cute ring."
"It would make really good jewelry."
"Yeah, it would look great on any girl."
Gelimer's face wore a cheeky grin as he thought up a mischievous plan.
"Now would the owner of this ring like to come claim it?" All the students looked around, trying to figure out who it was Gelimer was talking about. Jayden kept his head looking at his desk, avoiding all eye contact anyone
"Oh? If the owner doesn't come get it, I may just give it to someone." Gelimer teased further.
Resigning himself to his fate; Jayden got up, grabbed his ring, and hurried back to his desk.
"No way, he's a guy and he has his own IS!?"
"It looks really good on you."
"Jayden-kun has his own IS!?"
"I'm so jealous."
"He looks like a little maiden, getting ready to be married off to his true love."
Jayden tried to hide his blushing face as the girls unleashed a barrage of comments about the form of his IS. Why did Gelimer have to make the standby form of his IS a piece of girl's jewelry!? Through his sleeves he glared at Gelimer. And why did it look like he wasn't done ruining Jayden's life just yet?
"Oh, and girls, just because he has a ring doesn't mean he's taken." Gelimer winked at Jayden.
The girls squealed like over-excited fans at a boyband concert. Somewhere in Jayden's brain, his ego took a devastating blow. This wasn't how he wanted to get a girlfriend.
The professor laughed at Jayden's misfortune. "Well as fun as this has been, I need start making my way over to class 1-2 now. Just need to take attendance. Gelimer looked over the class roster making down everyone until he got to a certain name. "What do we have here?" He took a good look at Houki. "Ah, you wouldn't happen to be Houki Shinonono would you?
Houki didn't comment.
Once again, the class was in an uproar.
"Is she really related to Tabane Shinonono?!"
"That's right everyone. Your classmate Houki, is the younger sister of Tabane Shinonono." Gelimer confirmed.
"Hold on, Isn't Ms. Shinonono the most brilliant researcher in the whole wide world?" Cecilia exclaimed.
Gelimer winced, his smile was starting to look painful. "Well… I'm sure it depends on who you ask."
The whole class started bombing Houki with questions about her sister, the genius and creator of the IS.
Houki slammed her fists on her desk. "I have nothing to do with her." Her outburst made a few people jump up in surprise. She immediately sat back down, her eyesight looking at her desk. "I'm not professor Shinonono. We're just sisters, that's all."
Gelimer smirked. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised you got into his school Ms. Shinonono. With a name like you could get anywhere regardless of your lack of skill." Before Houki could inquire what Gelimer meant, he went to collect his things. "I'll be going over what I talked about with you all to the rest of the first-year classes. Thank you for your time and I'll see you all again in a few days."
By the end of the first class, some of the class loved him while others wished he'd never set foot in the Academy.
/-/
After Gelimer's lesson, Chifuyu was back to teaching the class of 1-1. The lesson was finished which left one more issue for the head teacher of class 1-1 to resolve.
"Two weeks from now, you will all be asked to choose your class representative to compete in the inter class tournament. A class representative not only competes in the tournament, but also attends student council meetings, and committee meetings. Think of it as your class leader okay?" Chifuyu explained. "I will now take nominations for the position."
"Sensei!" A girl from the second to last row raised her hand. "I'd like to nominate Orimura-kun."
"That's a great idea!" Another girl spoke out.
Ichika panicked hearing his name nominated. "W-wait a minute here. I don't want to do this."
"Those who are nominated by others can't decline." Chifuyu said. Ichika's name was put on the board.
"Who the heck designed these rules?"
Jayden just kept his head down through all this. As much of an honor that it sounded like to be class rep, it was too much work for his taste. The only thing a person got out of it was the title and thanks from their peers. If he stayed quiet in back, maybe everyone would forget about him.
"Ms. Orimura, I'm nominating Sylvan-kun to be our class rep." Another girl called out.
The plan had failed.
"Yeah, he's a guy too, so I can see him leading us."
"What! I can't be our class rep. I don't want this!" Jayden held his arms in an x.
"Those who are nominated by others can't decline." Chifuyu repeated and put Jayden's name underneath Ichika's. Both boys were now locked into nomination.
"Are there anymore nominations?" Chifuyu asked. "If not, we'll begin the vote immediately."
Both guys were in panic. Ichika was trying to comprehend how he got to this point, while Jayden was considering what to say to throw the election. Meanwhile girls were gossiping over who they planned to vote for.
The sound of a fist slamming on a desk got everyone's attention. "I do not approve of this! This type of selection is utterly unacceptable!" It was Cecilia Alcott. She stood up to address her opinions on the matter. "Our representative should be chosen based upon their skills, experience, and leadership. Not by a popularity contest. Most of all, it would be shameful to have a boy as our class representative."
Ichika remembered this girl from yesterday, the same one who had an attitude about being better than everyone else and loved to brag about herself. She was starting to get on his nerves.
"There's no way a male can possibly handle the responsibility and stress that comes with leadership. You can't possibly expect that I, Cecilia Alcott should have to deal with that sort of humiliation for an entire year, do you? We need a class rep who knows how lead and can manage our class."
"And let me guess, you should be the class rep?" Jayden spoke out.
Cecilia smirked. "Why naturally, I'm a representative cadet for the great country of England. What man could possibly even compare to myself?"
"Hey! You'll find us men are more capable than you think we are." Ichika challenged. He stood up, looking the English woman in the eyes.
Cecilia scoffed at Ichika's remark. "Oh really? So then, you must have finished reading the required manuals that neither of you had done so yesterday."
The boys silence told her everything.
"The fact that neither of you have done so explain a lot. Then neither one of you are qualified for the position. As the Cadet representative of England, I'll make sure to do the job that neither of you Japanese nor Americans are capable of."
"Well your country isn't all that great either. Isn't it true that your country has the world's worst cuisine?" Ichika pointed out.
"You have the audacity to insult my country!? We English have many delicious dishes. But that doesn't change the fact that neither you nor the little boy can hold a candle to an elite such as I. If we came to blows you would be crying blue tears for mercy."
"You think you're that great just because you have an IS unit, don't you?"
"Of course, I do. I worked for my unit, being the best choice out of the other possible cadets. You two are being given IS units for the sake of gathering data because you're both male. There's a clear gap between you both and I."
Jayden was getting sick of Cecilia's gloating and her taunts. He clenched his fist "Is that so? Well then…. I…. I" Jayden's rage was reaching its max. In that moment, a plan came to Jayden's mind. A way to take down Cecilia and get out of being the class representative. "I CHALLENGE YOU TO A FIGHT!" Jayden pointed a finger at Cecilia.
Everyone in the room was silent.
"You challenge me to a duel? My, you Americans are hilarious." Cecilia laughed with a hand clutching her side to stabilize herself. Soon her laughter ceased, and Jayden was still pointing at her. "You're actually serious? I was attempting to be civil but if must use force then so be it. I'll happily take you on in a duel!"
"I'll fight as well. It'll be much easier than debating." Ichika joined in. "I'm getting sick of hearing boast about how great you are. Why don't you prove it instead running your mouth off?" Jayden was relieved that Ichika felt the same as he did about this girl.
"It looks like it's settled then." Chifuyu smirked at the display she just witnessed. This would be a much more interesting way to decide the class rep. "As all nominees have agreed, the election will be settled in an IS battle. Due to the number of combatants, the match will be a battle royal. Everyone for themselves and the last one standing will be declared the class representative. Do you all accept these conditions?"
Cecilia clicked her tongue. This battle royal would certainly turn into a two versus one against her. One of her opponents had a personal IS unit and the other was the brother of the famed Chifuyu Orimura. She didn't want to admit it but together, there was a chance she could lose.
"Why don't you go run to mommy and daddy Drillhead? I'm sure they'll let tell you your number one and make you feel special." Jayden taunted.
"How dare you… I will make sure you know your place when I'm done with you."
"Then it looks like we all in." Ichika said. "You'll see what happens when you get too big for your britches Cecilia."
Jayden and Ichika glared at Cecilia who in turn glared back.
Cecilia in return, glared right back. "So be it. It doesn't matter whether you team up not. Two ants can't defeat a dinosaur no matter how much they wish it." Jayden clenched his fist; he wouldn't let her make a fool out of him.
It's not perfect but it's the best chance we've got. With two against one, we might be able to beat down Cecilia. Then once she's gone, I can take a dive and hand the position over to Ichika. If Jayden's plan worked out, Cecilia would be eating humble pie and the duty of class rep would be Ichika's problem.
"Very well then. The match will be set for-"
"I NONIMATE HOUKI SHINONONO FOR CLASS REPRESENTATIVE."
Everyone blanked for a moment.
A girl sitting in the back, on the right side of Jayden had yelled out another nomination at the last second. She had long black hair tied in a ponytail and appeared to be of Japanese descent. Her face blushed as everyone was now staring at her.
"Oh? Care to elaborate on why Shinonono should be class rep Ms. Tani?" Chifuyu asked.
"Well…" She hesitated to speak. "Shinonono is the younger sister of the famous Tabane Shinonono. That means she must know a lot about the IS like her sister. With her being so knowledgeable, she must be really smart and can pilot an IS well enough to lead our class."
Houki didn't say anything, she refused to give any comments relating to her sister.
Chifuyu began writing Houki's name on the board. Houki panicked, Chifuyu was taking her nomination seriously.
"Hold on, I don't-"
"Those who are nominated by others can't decline." Ichika and Jayden hopelessly repeated. The fourth name was now added to the board.
"I'll ask one more time, are there any other nominations?" Chifuyu asked.
Jayden was starting to sweat. With four people a battle royal wouldn't happen. "I nominate-"
"Those who were nominated can't recommend anyone else." Chifuyu commanded.
Seriously! Who designed these rules?
The class remained silent.
"Very well at this time nominations for class rep are closed." Chifuyu announced. "With an even number of nominations, the tournament structure will be changed from a battle royal to a standard tournament."
"What!" Jayden panicked. Teaming up wasn't an option when the battles were one versus one.
Cecilia couldn't help but laugh. "What's the matter? Thinking of running away now that you have to fight alone?"
"I'm not going anywhere." Ichika replied. His resolve to fight Cecilia stood firm. As a man he couldn't just back down from the challenge.
Jayden was looking worried; all his opponents were big named competitors or had family legacies to live up to. He had none of those.
Houki was staring at Ichika. Concerned that this would be a fight he may not be able to win.
"It looks like that's settled. The tournament will be staged this Friday at Arena 3. Orimura, Alcott, Sylvan, Shinonono. I expect you all to be ready by then." Chifuyu stated.
The tournament for the title of class 1-1's representative was now set.
/-/
Noodle after soupy noodle went down Jayden's throat as he furiously slurped them down.
"You're going to get a stomach-ache if you keep eating like that Jayden." Ichika commented out as he took a bit of his chicken. The gang were trying to eat their meals, some more peacefully than others.
"I can't help it." Jayden swallowed what was left in his mouth. "I'm going to have to fight Cecilia, and she'll mop the arena with me! And probably you guys to! Why aren't you guys panicking?"
"I'm nervous to Jayden but I can't find a solution if I'm scared. In times like this you have to keep calm" Ichika said.
"What were you even thinking challenging Cecilia to an IS battle? Houki scolded. Even she had been dragged into their squabble.
"I was thinking about knocking her down a peg or two. And that if me and Ichika teamed up, we could beat her." Jayden groaned as he remembered how his plan was now in shambles. Why did someone have to nominate Houki?
"Don't look at me. I didn't want to get involved in the first place." Houki commented.
"Well whats done is done." Ichika pointed out. "All we can do now is practice and fight in the class rep battle this Friday. Although at this rate, were going to lose really badly."
"How are you going to fight though Ichika? You don't even have an IS?" Without an IS, Ichika would have to forfeit by default.
"Chifuyu-nee told me the Japanese government was having an IS unit delivered here for me to use. They want me to gather data. Luckily it should be here before the tournament starts."
Houki sat there and watched as the two boys talked. Every time Ichika was with Jayden it was like she didn't exist. She decided it was time for a direct approach. "You two are idiots. It's your own fault for getting provoked back there. You've got the whole school talking about your battle"
By now rumors were circulating around the school about the class rep battle. In a matter of hours, everyone would know about it through the grape vine. In IS Academy, they say that rumors traveled faster than a speeding IS.
"Mind if we sit with you guys." The group was approached by Honne and two of her friends had arrived, carrying their lunches with them. None of the guys minded. Houki looked like she wanted to object but remained silent as the girls joined the table, placing their lunches down.
"Is that really all you girls are going to eat?" Ichika compared their lunch size to his own, it was quite the difference in calories. "It doesn't look very filling."
"We eat a lot of snacks to get by!" Honne replied cheerfully. Then noted to Jayden scarfing down his noodles. "But do you guys always eat a lot?"
"Sometimes." Ichika looked over at Jayden who now gulping down the last of his soup. "Jayden's just really hungry."
"So Ichika, I heard you and Houki are roommates. Is it really true?" One of the Honne's friends asked.
"Yeah it's true. Although we are childhood friends so it's easy to get along with Houki." Ichika smiled at Houki who's face had gone was turning red. She was looking really happy to. "It's a lot better than living with a random girl. We've had to set up a few rules so we can live together but I think it can work out."
"You two are childhood friends!" Honne smiled. "That's so nice."
"Speaking of roommates, what about you Jayden? Do you have a roommate?" Ichika asked.
"Well… me and Honne are sharing a room." Jayden answered.
Honne happily nodded along. "That's right. He even tried sleeping with me."
Jayden almost choked on his soup.
"Don't say it like that! It was just an accident."
Houki and Honne's friends glared at Jayden. Ichika put a hand on his shoulder, understanding what he was going through. Being a male student in an all-girls school lead to too many misunderstandings.
"Say, you guys are the ones talked about in the school rumors, right? The boys who can pilot an IS?"
Everyone turned to see another female student standing at their table. Based on her uniform, she looked to be a third-year student.
"That would be us." Ichika confirmed.
"And I've heard you three are going to be fighting in a tournament with a representative cadet, is that right?"
They nodded.
"So, it is true. But you boys don't have the experience needed. I'm a Third-Year student, so how about I teach you everything you need to know." She sat on the edge of the table stroking the bottom of Ichika's throat while giving him a wink. "About the IS that is."
Ichika really did need a coach if he wanted to stand a chance. Before he could answer, Houki cut him off.
"That will be enough, I'll be the one to train him."
"Oh? But you're only a first-year student. Do you think you can do better than me? A third-year student. And besides, you're in that tournament as well so why would you want to help your enemy?"
"I don't care about the tournament." Houki seemed hesitant to say what she was going to say next. "And because… I'm the sister of Tabane Shinonono."
"Shinonono! As in the Tabane Shinonono!"
"That's right!" Honne and her friends confirmed. "The great class 1-1 has the sister of Tabane Shinonono, and not only that. We have the little brother of Chifuyu Orimura, the grand champion of the first Mondo Grosso. And we have Jayden…" Unlike the others, he didn't a sibling nor a fancy title to use. "He's a guy" was what they ended up saying.
"O-oh… I see… I guess there's no use for me then." With that she walked away and went back to her group of friends.
Jayden watched as his potential coach walked away. "Maybe we should have kept her around?"
"We don't need her." Houki got up. "I'll be the one to train you Ichika."
"But are you and Orimu in the same tournament, what If you have to fight him?" Honne asked.
"I don't have any interest in the class rep position. Ichika, you're coming with me to the kendo dojo right now. I want to see how much you've improved." Against Ichika's protests, Houki took his arm and led him to the Academy's kendo club room.
"I'm doomed. I don't know anyone who can help me, and I've only got three days to prepare." Jayden let his head hit the table.
"What about the new professor?" One of Honne's friends mentioned. "In class, it looked like you each knew one another. Maybe he can help you."
"Gelimer!" Jayden remembered. Back in America he was head of an IS research facility but here he was a teacher. Say what you wanted about his ego, but the guy could be pretty crafty. Maybe he could do something about IS rep battle. "Thanks for the idea, I have to go find Gelimer." Jayden sped off to look for his professor now turned teacher.
"The guys are full of energy." One of Honne's friend commented.
"They must be really eager to try to win..." The other one replied. "What do you think Honne?"
…
…
…
"Honne?"
The two girls realized their long-sleeved sleepy friend had also left. They wondered where she ran off to as they returned to their meals.
/-/
In the kendo dojo of IS Academy, Houki and Ichika we're getting ready to begin their special training. They each stood a short distance from each other donned in kendo safety gear to protect the body. Each of them held a wooden sword in a battle stance. Ichika wondered how long it had been since he last wore a kendo outfit.
"Are you all set Ichika?" Houki asked, snapping Ichika out of his memories.
"Yeah, I'm ready when you are."
"Then let's do this!" Houki stuck her sword with a yell forcing Ichika to block. The two wooden blades clashed as their owners struggled to overpower the other. "Nicely done Ichika."
"I won't be beaten so easily." Ichika pressed forward, leaning himself in to get a better angle. He threw another strike as Houki, hitting her shoulder guard to send her om the ground. The first point was Ichika's.
"Sorry about that Houki. Are you hurt?" He offered her a hand to get up, but Houki immediately smacked it away.
"You idiot! What are you thinking showing your enemy sympathy in the middle of a match?" Houki got up and returned to her starting position. "Until the enemy is defeated, you need to always keep your guard up."
Ichika readied himself for another round. He wasn't showing kindness because he thought she was weak. It was just the kind of person he was. To always help someone in need.
Houki attacked relentlessly forcing Ichika on the defense.
Clash Clash Clash Clash
All Ichika could do was block as he stepped back after each block to prepare himself.
On Houki's next attack, halfway into her swing, she switched from a vertical swing to a horizonal one, catching Ichika off guard as her sword connected to Ichika's protective gear. The next point was hers.
The two set themselves up to their starting positions and began for the match point. Like before Houki lead with relentless aggression. It was than Ichika realized that he forgot one important fact. Houki was a national kendo champion. It was stupid of him to think about holding back considering her skill level compared to his own. Ichika was now kneeling back while Houki pushed forward, gaining ground quickly on Ichika. Realizing there was no way to win, Ichika resorted to his last option.
"I give up!"
A few girls peaked through the door, watching as the kendo match finished.
"Oh my, Orimura-san almost had it."
"Shinonono-san's really strong."
"Or maybe it's that Orimura-kun is weak. Shinonono really dominated him in that fight."
"I don't know, Orimura being dominated has a nice ring to it."
Houki removed her protective headgear wiping some of her sweat off her forehead. "Ichika. Explain yourself. In the six years since last saw you, how have you managed to grow weaker? What club were you in during middle school?"
"The go-straight-home club. Perfect attendance for three years in a row." He neglected to mention that he had to work part time jobs on the side to help with finances for him and his sister.
"Unacceptable. We're going to redo your training from the beginning." Houki ordered. "You have more problems besides the IS. I'll make sure to train you every day, no matter how long it takes Ichika."
"Shouldn't we be focusing more on the IS stuff?" Ichika asked.
"As a man, aren't you embarrassed to lose to a woman, not just in an IS but a kendo match as well?"
"Well yeah, I'm not happy about it."
"Then you don't have the time to sit around. Wait, don't tell me you're taking it easy because you enjoy being surrounded by women?"
"I wouldn't call being treated like a zoo animal, 'enjoyment.' Not to mention I'm forced to live with a girl so-"Ichika covered his mouth but it was too late. The damage was done.
Ichika raised his wooden sword just in time to block Houki's swing.
"So, you don't like living with me? Is that it!" Houki growled. Her sword was getting closer and closer to Ichika's head.
"Houki put the sword down! You don't want to become a murderer, do you?" Ichika pleaded so he wouldn't get his skull cracked into pieces.
Houki ceased her assault. "You've really gotten weak Ichika. I wanted to see your current state and as you are now, you leave a lot to be desired. We'll train again tomorrow to help you build up your strength and we'll keep doing that every day. Once you build up your strength, we can begin the IS training." Houki left for the locker room leaving Ichika on the floor, panting from surviving death.
"Damn it, a man losing that badly is just wrong. But wow Houki you've really gotten strong." Ichika picked himself up, managing to stand. The way he was right now, Ichika couldn't protect or save anyone. He couldn't let things stay that way. "Better start training again." He picked up his wooden sword and begun to practice his attack swings.
/=/
"Finally, it's done. They say the first day is the hardest, but I don't think I'll get use to this" Gelimer spoke aloud. He slid against the wall leaning against it for support. Teaching wasn't hard, just very repetitive when you had to go over the same thing four time, once for each class.
Suddenly the door slammed open; "Gelimer!"
"Jayden?" Gelimer composed himself, getting back on his feet. "Hello there Jayden."
"Don't 'hello there Jayden' me. You've got some explaining to do, like why you're here at IS Academy."
Gelimer opened his mouth.
"And no rhetorical answers!"
The man rolled his eyes. "I applied for a teaching position at IS Academy. While they usually only hire veteran pilots or test candidates, it appears my reputation managed to help me secure a position, Lucky me huh?"
"Really? You gave up your position as head of America's IS research facility to become a teacher?" No one would just give up that power without a good reason. "What are you really doing here?"
"Sorry, you asked your question, now it's my turn. Who's your friend?" He motioned for Jayden to turn around."
Jayden did so, almost jumping in surprise.
"Honne!?"
"Yoho!" Honne waved a sleeve covered hand. "You left in a hurry, so I followed you."
"How did you even-"
"Ah, you must be a friend of Jayden's." Gelimer cut him off, greeting the sleepy looking girl. "His father will be happy to hear he made a friend. Personally, I thought he'd be alone for about half the year. Good on you little guy." The man chuckled as he took pulled out a chair and took a seat. "A boy and a girl together, I wonder if you're only friends?"
"She's just my roommate." Jayden replied.
"Oh, I'm sure she is." Gelimer winked.
"Stop winking."
The man laughed. "But enough about that, let's talk about something else. Like the class representative battle your class is having."
People were right. News did travel faster than an IS at this school.
"Yeah." Jayden admitted. "In a few days I'll have to fight against some of my classmates, including this one annoying girl who's a cadet representative. If I fight her, she's going to pound me into the ground." He shivered imaging himself broken and beaten as Cecilia stood over him. That was a future he couldn't let become reality.
"Then you've come to the right guy." He motioned for Jayden and Honne to take a seat. "So, tell me Jayden what do you want to do about this?"
"I need to find a way out of this battle. Currently I'm thinking breaking a bone or two should do the trick."
Gelimer stared at him, clicking his tongue. "Ok, I was hoping for something along the lines of how you can win. I'm not sure why you're immediately jumping to trying to run away instead."
"Because everyone is going to kick my ass!" Jayden closed his eyes imagining it. "Cecilia's a cadet with a personal IS and loads of experience. Ichika is the younger brother of one of the greatest IS pilots ever, and Houki is the younger sister of Tabane Shinonono, the greatest IS researcher ever!"
Gelimer reached out to Jayden's mouth, clamping down on his lips.
"Now Jayden. That last one is only speculation. Do you understand?"
The boy quickly nodded, prompting Gelimer to release his lips.
"So, I need you to get me out of the fight. Make up a reason to get me out of this. You're a teacher now so you've got some authority here."
"No."
"What do you mean no!? Back in America you said you wouldn't make me fight."
"Half true. I said I wouldn't force you to fight terrorists or anything too dangerous. You'll be fighting in a controlled arena and unless Cecilia is planning to blow up the school, you won't be facing any terrorists. Not to mention there's another you have to fight."
"And that's because….?"
"Data." Gelimer said.
"Data?" Jayden seemed confused and yet it looked like Honne understood.
"As the owner of a personal IS pilot it's your job to gather data for me so I can improve my IS. As the pilot continues to fight inside the IS, the IS can grow, and in some cases, it's said to evolve. Pilots with a high IS rating can speed up the growth rate of an IS. Not to mention they test out the weapons on there is to make sure they work properly and figure out how they can be improved. That ring on your finger isn't just for you to accessorize with."
Jayden looked down at his ring. The closed form of his IS. Albeit girly, it was Jayden's very own personal unit. It gave him a feeling of encouragement just looking at it.
"By fighting in that IS, I'll be able to gather data on its weapons and learn what needs to be improved or removed.' Gelimer explained. "You'll be inside an IS, so you won't get hurt. And if it looks like you're in peril, I'll step in and have the match stopped." Gelimer reassured him. "So, what do you say, want to fight or do I have to put an ad in the school paper for a new test pilot?"
Before Jayden could answer, Honne sleeved covered hands grabbed Jayden's hand. "Don't just give up, you have your IS so you have to at least try."
With both wanting him to fight, how could he refuse? "All right, I'll do it. I'll fight seriously." The boy gave in.
"Excellent. Who knows? With that attitude, you just might win it all."
"Do your best Jaydee!" Honne cheered.
Jayden groaned, letting his head fall into his hands. "Hey Gelimer? Be honest. Do I even have a chance against Cecilia and the others?"
"I'd say your chances are somewhere between slim and none." Gelimer bluntly spoke. "And truth be told, your opponents are older, more experienced, smarter, stronger, more focused-"
"Does this list have an end?"
"Eventually, but I'll cut it short. The point though, is that you have something that she doesn't, and that is me and my IS!" He pointed a finger at himself to reaffirm his statement.
"So, it's finally ready then?" Jayden hadn't had a chance to investigate his IS yet since he got it.
"90 percent." Gelimer admitted.
"90 percent?" Jayden stared at Gelimer.
"Hey, don't look at me like that. I've been working double time to get it finished. The only thing I need to finish are the weapons, which I should be able to implement them in a few days' time. But defiantly before your IS battle. Everything other than that is ready to go. The armor is ready, and Edel Gleam can take to the sky."
Jayden seemed confused. "Edel Gleam?"
"Your IS… D-did you not know the name of your IS!?"
"I prefer to call it Nova Union."
"That sounds like a better name." Honne agreed.
"Its name is… bah it doesn't matter." He figured it would be a waste of time to argue over the name. "Tell you what, you call it your nickname and I'll call it by its official name." Gelimer rubbed his temples on his forehead. "Kids these days don't appreciate hard work I tell yah. Now all you must do is suck less. To do that, you need someone to teach you. Since I'll be busy getting accommodated to the school and teaching lessons, it falls to you to find someone."
"Where am I going to find an IS tutor?" He considered looking for that third year girl he met earlier. If only he'd gotten her name.
"Ooh ooh!" Honne bounced up and down, raising her hand excitedly. "I can teach Jaydee!"
Jayden did a double take. "Come again?"
"There you go. Tutor found." Gelimer pointed out. "Congratulations, you're now Jayden's IS tutor." Gelimer used his famous technique of hiring someone he just met.
But still, Honne? With her attitude and that sleepy look on her face, you wouldn't think she was an IS student if not for the Academy uniform she as wearing. Then again, she was an IS student, so she had to at least know the basics about the Infinite Stratos to get into the school.
"May you teach him well Ms.…. eh…." He snapped his fingers trying to recall her name.
"Honne"
"Honne! Of course. He's not very good or experienced but please take care of him." Gelimer gave Honne the go-ahead to do as she pleased.
"Come on Jaydee. Let's go book a time slot to use the arena to . And afterwards you can buy me snacks!" Honne pulled Jayden along despite the boy's protests, all while Gelimer waved them goodbye.
Once they were gone, the new professor turned towards the window. The sun was beginning to set over the ocean as the rays glistened over the water.
"Please train hard Jayden, I need a strong lab rat to gather data if I'm going to create the greatest IS unit there ever was."
/-/
In the arena scheduled for the class rep tournament. Cecilia steadied her breathing as she took aim in her IS with her laser rifle. A multitude of targets appeared on the other side of the arena from where she flew.
She fired just enough rounds from her laser rifle, one for each target. When she was finished, each target had a hole located dead center. Her aim was as impeccable as ever. She twirled her rifle at her side, having it end in the sideways positioned. It was the way how she liked to present herself.
"That should be enough practice for today." Cecilia dematerialized her IS into it stand-by form and returned to the locker room to get dressed.
Cecilia envisioned how the tournament would go with herself as the winner of it all. She could see it now. Both Ichika and Jayden groveling at her feet when she defeated them in combat. Oh, how they would plead and beg for forgiveness. They'd be crying blue tears by the end of the tournament. All the while she'd smirk as the boys fully realized how foolish it was to challenge them. And once she finished gloating, she would-
Achoo!
"Who's there!?" Cecilia looked around for the owner of that sneeze.
From behind the row of lockers came another female student peaked her head out, wiping her nose on her sleeve.
"What are you doing here?"
The girl came out from behind the lockers. She was wearing the standard IS uniform with short sleeves and a long skirt. She nervously fidgeted with her ponytail, unsure of what to say.
"Wait a second… don't tell me. You're a pervert here to gawk at me aren't you!" Cecilia covered her body despite the fact she was already fully clothed.
"No! That's not why I'm here. I mean you do have a beautiful body and honestly, I'm a little jealous of your breast size…"
"I knew it!"
"But that's not why I'm here." She cried out. She fiddled about with her thumbs trying to think of how to say what she wanted without making this worse. All the while, Cecilia noticed this girl looked familiar.
"Hold on, I remember you. You're one of my classmates. Yua Tani was it?"
She gave a nod.
"What brings you here to see me? Come on out with it."
"I wanted to thank you!" Yua blurted out. "For standing up to those guys."
Cecilia raised an eyebrow.
Yua took a deep breath. "I'm really not fond of men and I didn't want them leading our class. They were going to make us look like idiots. Then when I saw you call them out, I felt inspired seeing you stand up to them. So, I really wanted you to become our class rep."
She could understand why someone would look up to a girl like herself, but there was one thing that seemed off though. "You say that, but I find that hard to believe. You recommend Shinonono for class president if I recall. If you wanted me to win, why nominate her?"
"I only did that to help you. With four people in the running, I thought Ms. Orimura would change the battle to a tournament structure. And even if she didn't, it wouldn't make much difference for you. You're a cadet representative with a personal IS, making you the strongest in our class. You can beat anyone but if it was a battle royal, I thought those nasty guys would team up and use a dirty tactic to win."
"That is true. It wouldn't make much difference if I faced them at the same time or one by one. But why did you do that?"
Yua's body tensed up, as though recalling something painful. "Because men don't belong here." She answered.
Cecilia's lips grew into a smile. Finally, someone was making sense. "You don't know how joyful I am to hear someone else say those words. It's as though every student here loses their senses when around one of those boys." Of all the men she knew, they were worthless and greedy monsters. Only interested in stealing her family's fortune, or like be just like her father who would always go along with her mother's whims. A useless man like her father is what Cecilia wanted to avoid at all costs.
"I've noticed. While most girls aren't used to men in this era, they shouldn't be giving those men their fancies just because they're different. They don't deserve it." Yua said. "Not all girls are like that. A few girls around here agree with you and I that the men don't belong."
"Don't worry Yua. I, Cecilia Alcott will show them how the world works and where they truly belong." Cecilia could already hear them groveling at her feet. "Rest assured Yua, the class rep tournament will end with me as the winner, I'll promise you that. Then those men will know their place" Cecilia was sure enough in her victory to make that promise. Saying her goodbye's, Cecilia left to go to her room to retire for the night.
Yua leaned against the wall of lockers, her eyes closed as she sat down, hugging her body as she began to shake. Memories of men in her life flashed before her eyes as she clutched herself. "Show those men that they don't belong anywhere in our world Ms. Alcott."
/-/
Time passed and soon the day of the class rep tournament had arrived. In favor of lessons, the students who were not competing sat amongst the stadium's bleachers for a front row view. The event had gained so much popularity that other teachers allowed their students to watch claiming it teach them more to see an IS battle up close rather than read about it in a book. Bleachers were packed as everyone waited for the battles to get underway.
Ichika and Houki were waiting in the stadium's hanger while Jayden and Cecilia were donning their IS suits in the changing areas
"Say Houki?"
"What is it?"
"Looking back, you put me through some tough training." Ichika recalled the push-ups, sit-ups, kendo training, and more that Houki put him through.
"Yes, and you did well."
"Thank you. So then…. What happened to the part where you teach me the basics of the IS?"
Houki turned her face away from Ichika. "Well you didn't have an IS. So, it couldn't be helped."
"But there's still those IS theories and other things you could have taught me, right?"
Houki didn't have an answer. Before Ichika could inquire further, someone called out to them.
"Ichika, Houki!" Jayden called out, heading over to them, wearing his two pieces IS suit. "Sorry it took me so long, I had trouble getting this thing on." He pulled at his suit, showcasing how tight it was.
Ichika and Jayden both wore a two piece IS suit that left their mid-rifts exposed. Ichika's was a dark blue while Jayden's was a dark green.
Houki's IS suit was a standard school suit. It was a darker shade of blue compared to Ichika's. To be honest, it looked like a school swimsuit if you removed some of the material around the arms. It clung her body quite well, especially with how big her chest was.
"What's the point of these things?" Ichika pulled his elastic suit, letting it snap back into place as he let go. "They can really stretch. Are they supposed to help us with the IS?"
Houki rolled her eyes. "The IS suits are meant to help the pilot control the IS. It helps sending signals from the body to the IS to allow a faster response time. The material is thin to prevent anything from getting in the way as the signals travel through the body to the Infinite Stratos. The difference compared to normal clothes isn't by much, but every little bit can help when controlling an IS at high speeds."
The two boys stood there, dumbfounded that Houki answered with clarity and made it easy to understand.
"You knew all that about IS Suits and didn't teach me any of it?" Ichika looked at Houki.
Once again, Houki turned away.
Meanwhile Jayden was having trouble adverting his eyes from Houki. More specifically, her IS suit. The way how it clung to her skin was very distracting.
"And just where do you think you're looking?" She covered her chest and gave Jayden a death glare. Even Ichika wasn't looking happy with Jayden's behavior towards his childhood friend.
"I have…. No idea what you're talking about." Jayden turned away from both of them
"My, you all actually showed up. And here I was thinking you'd all run and hide." A new voice spoke, owned by England's representative cadet.
"Cecilia Alcott" Houki said with distain in her voice.
Cecilia folded her arms; from her attitude it was easy to see she was looking down on her competition.
"Don't look so smug. We've all been practicing for this." Ichika held his ground. "None of us are going to go down without a fight."
Cecilia laughed like an old noble woman. "You honestly believe a few days of practice will make any difference?"
"Well, there's always a chance." Jayden pointed out. Technically 0.1% was still a chance.
"Glad to see you're all in one place." Gelimer appeared, putting a halt to their conservation. There was a pleasant grin on his face as he straightened his white lab coat.
"Gelimer!"
"Mr. Brighton!"
"Professor!"
"All correct. You can call me whatever you like, I'm not too picky about my name. And thank you for all gathering, it saves me the trouble of hunting you down. And good on you all for showing up. Now then, I'll go over the rules of the class rep tournament."
Everyone listened for instructions.
"Here's how this will work. In a moment that screen up there will shuffle your faces around and whoever you're next to is your opponent. You win and move on, lose and your out. Last one standing will win the position of class rep of class 1-1. As for your battles we'll go by standard rules. Reduce the shield energy of your opponent to zero and you win." Gelimer paused to take a breath. "And just to make sure you all try your hardest, quitting isn't an option. Doing so will result in a punishment" He eyed Jayden as he said the last part. "Any questions."
Houki was the only one who raised her hand. "Sensei, what do we do if one of us doesn't have an IS to use?" Herself and Ichika were the only two who didn't have a personal IS unit.
"Mr. Orimura, your IS that the government provided for you is here and almost ready. Ms. Yamada is seeing to it. As for you Ms. Shinonono, I've taken the liberty to prepare a training IS for you to use. No need to thank me, just doing my job." He gave Houki a smile. Jayden seemed confused. Was Gelimer acting pleasant to a Shinonono?
No one had any further questions.
"Good. And what great timing, it looks like the pairings are about to be determined." Gelimer pointed out. The screen displayed all the names of the combatants. Suddenly the names began shuffling about. Everyone watched as the names randomly changed places, each student keeping an eye on their position. Shortly, they began to slow down until they came to a complete stop.
Houki Shinonono vs Cecilia Alcott
Ichika Orimura vs Jaydan Sylvan
Jayden breathed a sigh of relief. He managed to avoid Cecilia, at least for now.
Ichika peered down at Jayden
Cecilia folded her arms in disappointment. "While I was hoping to out both boys, I can settle for one.".
Houki didn't seem to care about the pairings at all.
"Don't worry Ms. Shinonono. I won't make this take too much time." Cecilia's earrings began to glow and in a flash of light her IS materialized around her. The English girl now stood in the exo-suit of her personal IS unit. Cecilia smiled as she literally looked down on her competition and took off to the arena.
"So that's her IS." Ichika had to admit, it was a powerful looking machine and it may be his future opponent. He watched as she flew out the exit of the hanger into the arena.
"Ichika and Jayden, you two go to the control room to watch the match with Ms. Orimura." Gelimer pointed the boys towards a door. "Come along, Shinonono. Let's not keep everyone waiting." He walked deeper into the hangar prompting Houki to follow.
"Good luck Houki." Ichika called out.
"Kick her butt!" Jayden gave a thumbs up.
The two guys gave their words of encouragement before they made their way to the control room. Unknown to them, Houki was smiling from their words, her cheeks turned a light shade of red. This was a battle she couldn't lose.
/-/
Houki and Cecilia met near the middle of the arena, flying about 50 feet up in the air. They hovered over their designated starting positions, staring down one another waiting for the match to begin.
The machine Cecilia was piloting was known as Blue Tears. It was a bright blue machine with four rear fin armors on the back of it. It almost looked as royal as a knight that would serve its king. Cecilia looked to be wielding a large long gun that appeared to be a seven-caliber unique laser gun as its choice of weapon.
Houki wobbled a bit but managed to stabilize herself and hold her position. Her IS unit was the Academy standard training unit known as a uchigane. A 2nd generation frame that focused on defense and was easy for beginners to use. Its color scheme was grey with heavy armor around the legs and shoulder, almost resembling the look of a samurai.
"Ms. Shinonono, I don't have any feelings of ill-will towards you, but I must become the class rep. However, since the outcome of our battle is already decided, I'll offer you a chance to surrender. I won't think any less of you for it."
"I won't surrender!" Houki stood her ground. Or rather, hovered over it.
Cecilia seemed confused. A personal IS against a standard training model was more akin to a slaughter rather than a battle. "Do you really believe that your uchigane can match the power of my Blue Tears? It's obvious that I'm going to win no matter what. So, save yourself the humiliation and surrender now."
Houki didn't give an answer. All she did was hold out her blade as she would in a kendo match. She had to do as much damage to her as she could to reduce the strain on Ichika.
3…
2…
1…
The buzzer rung for the match to start.
Cecilia started quick on the draw, aiming her rifle and firing at Houki before the Japanese girl had a chance to react.
Houki was flown back several feet from the impact. Her shield energy decreased from the blast as Cecilia fired twice more with each shot connecting.
"Using a close-range weapon to challenge me? What a joke." Cecilia taunted, ceasing her fire to allow Houki to recover. She didn't want the battle to be too one-sided lest she get bored. Once Houki stabilized herself, she flew headed for Cecilia in a zig-zag pattern to try to evade Cecilia's riffle shots. With her only weapon being a Katana, Houki had to get in close if she wanted to inflict any damage.
Cecilia reacted by taking aim and firing once again at Houki. Despite Houki's flying pattern she was able to land most of her attacks at her enemy. She was used to hitting moving targets as a representative cadet. As Houki flew towards Cecilia, she slowed her speed by half to give herself enough time to dodge the lasers from Cecilia's starlight rifle. Not being able to get any closer without taking fire, Houki was forced to back off.
"Dang it! I need a way to get close to her!" Houki thought for a moment to consider her options, then stopped thinking as she had to dodge another laser. Cecilia wouldn't give her any time to think.
Cecilia smiled as kept Houki in the scope of her rifle. She felt like this was too easy, probably because it was. The uchigane had no ranged weaponry and was a defensive type of IS. If there was distance between herself and Houki, there was no threat of retaliation.
The match continued like this for some time with Houki getting shot by Cecilia as all she could do was dodge. Her training IS lacked the speed to close the distance quick enough to retaliate before Cecilia could shoot her.
A shot, and another, and another, and another, and another headed Houki's way.
"Just surrender Ms. Shinonono, it's clear you can't win this." Cecilia taunted. Once she had Houki in her scope Cecilia unleashed another rally of lasers at the Japanese girl.
All Houki could do was dodge once again. Not being fast enough, some of the blasts hit their mark as her shield energy was reduced to about 25% percent. If this kept up, the match would be over in less than a minute. She had to do something.
The laser hit Houki's sword, but her shield energy didn't deplete. Houki realized this and she came up with a plan. There was no guarantee it would work but it was better than nothing.
She flew forward heading straight for Cecilia at the highest speed her IS could muster. Cecilia smirked. There was no way she could miss a target moving in a straight line. Aiming her rifle, she fired at Houki's shoulder.
Clang
The blast had hit but according to the numbers on Cecilia's holo-screen, Houki's shield energy was still the same.
"What!"
The flat end of her katana had taken the laser Cecilia fired and hadn't shown any sign of damage. Whatever the katana was made of, it was surprisingly sturdy.
Houki held her katana in front of herself as she headed for the now shocked Cecilia. She blocked Cecilia's laser shots one by one as she closed the distance. The hyper sensors of the IS improved the senses of the pilot, allowing Houki to react fast enough to counter the lasers that came her way. Soon the two girls were within swinging distance of one another.
"AHHH!"
Houki yelled a battle cry as her katana struck Cecilia dead on, it cut into Cecilia's shield as her shield energy began to drop. Cecilia flew back from the impact, batted away from the force of the swing. Her shield energy took a hit, but to Cecilia her pride and ego took more damage. Houki now had a smirk on her face, she had managed to land a hit on Cecilia.
Cecilia's eye twitched as anger washed across her face. If her perfect victory was now impossible, she would take her anger out on this peasant. It was time for the special weapons of Blue Tears.
On the wings of Cecilia's IS, four bit like drones flew came flying out at Houki, each one from a different angle.
"What the hell are those things?" Houki got into a defensive position keeping her sword close as the drones circled about her. Whatever they were, Houki knew it couldn't be good.
The drones surrounded Houki as their tips began to glow. They then unleashed a barrage of lasers upon Houki. Houki couldn't escape as Cecilia flew straight back all while keeping her eyes on her drones controlling them to attack whichever direction her enemy's weapon wasn't facing. Houki tried to block them all but stopping one blast only gave room for multiple to connect on her. Any attempt to attack them missed as they were too small and fast. It like a grizzly bear trying to swat away a swarm of hornets.
She tried flying away, but those drones had a higher top speed than her training IS, allowing them to easily catch up. No matter how she tried to block or dodge, Houki didn't have the speed or attack power necessary to handle Cecilia's bits.
Watching her target squirm, Cecilia decided enough was enough. It was time for the finale. The bits began to move in a circular pattern around Houki wherever she flew. Once they were in position, Cecilia unleashed everything she had onto Houki, her bits and her starlight rifle all at once. The blasts of the barrage from Cecilia's drone bits and starlight rifle forced Houki to fall to the ground after blasting her too many times.
CRASH
Houki collided with the ground, the force dragged her across ground until she ran out of momentum. She laid there looking over the info on her unit. Her IS had a little shield energy remaining but not much. Just one more hit would deplete the last of her shield energy. Her sword had been thrown about when she fell, it laid somewhere across the arena floor.
Above her, Cecilia was in position, ready to fire at Houki.
She knew it was over.
"Just a few hits." Houki told herself.
That was the best she could do against Cecilia. She wanted to do more, to make it easier for Ichika but the end, she barley did anything. Houki knelt on the ground, accepting her fate.
Cecilia took aim at the dead center of Houki's IS. With her target locked on she pulled the trigger. The laser fired straight at Houki. The numbers representing her shield energy depleted until it reached zero.
The buzzer rang, indicating the match was over.
Thank you all for reading chapter 4. It was my first-time writing a battle, so I hoped you all liked it. Next time we conclude the class rep tournament, who's going to face Cecilia, and will they be able to win the end?
Thank you for all for those who reviewed, and favorited/followed my story. It gives me the drive to improve my writing. Look forward to the next chapter everybody.
Keep your sense of wonder everybody.
Omake
Another class was finished in class 1-1. According to the schedule, it was time for the next subject, Physical Education. The class where the muscles were exercised instead than the brain.
"We'll be holding our PE classes inside the IS arena. Everyone be there in 15 minutes. Don't be late or there will be punishment." Chifuyu explained. "By the way. Make sure you remember your IS suit. If you forget your IS suit, you'll wear your PE school swimsuit instead. And if you even forget that I'll make you attend the class in your underwear."
"What?!" The whole class screamed.
Every student imagined the humiliation of being in their undies in front of their fellow classman. It was like the nightmare where you were in school in your underwear, only real. Humiliation or Chifuyu's punishment. No one could decide which was worse.
"But my uniform's all the way in my dorm room!"
"I think I left mine in the dryer."
"I haven't even unpacked it yet!"
"Are you serious Ms. Orimura?" Cecilia called out. She was sure her IS suit was in her assigned locker… pretty sure at least. "You can't do this!"
While everyone panicked, Ichika was the only one who seemed calm. "That's got to be a scare tactic to intimidate freshman. I mean, come on! It's got to be a joke, right?"
"Last year Ms. Yamada taught PE in her underwear twice." Chifuyu said. Next to her, Ms. Yamada was turning bright red just from recalling the event. "PE starts in 10 minutes."
"EVERYONE FOR THEMSELVES."
Every student bolted from their desk to grab or find their IS suit. Or at the very least, their school swimsuit. They pushed and shoved to make sure they had as much time as possible. From the sides Chifuyu watched the chaos unfold as her class scrambled to make it out the door.
"Ms. Orimura. Did you really have to tell them that?" Yamada had repressed those memories long ago. Even though she was a teacher, no one could take her seriously when she was teaching almost naked.
"Just think of it as insurance to make sure none of them forget their uniform in the future."
As an IS pilot you always had to be ready at a moment's notice when duty called. Once the room was empty, the two teachers made their way to the female locker room to get chanced.
"Do you think everyone will be at the stadium in their IS uniform Ms. Orimura?"
"500 yen says that at least three of them show up in a swimsuit or underwear."
"Make it 1,000 and you're on."
Ah, the days when you forgot your gym clothes for PE class in school and had to wear clothes provided by the school. Good times. Plus, even teachers have to have fun once in a while right?