Ah, another chapter of Change My Mind. I hope everyone is keeping healthy in these tough times. Here is Chapter 6. Enjoy!
The first weekend of the semester had arrived and for the students of IS Academy that meant one thing. The monorails were open for student use.
The monorail system connected the mainland to IS Academy and was the only way students were allowed to enter and leave the Academy. For student use it was open on weekends for students who wanted to go to the mainland to have fun or go shopping. Many students were happy to pick up things they needed or to see what the mainland had to offer. One girl though was smiling for a different reason.
"You're in a good mood today." Ichika remarked.
Ichika and Houki sat together on the monorail, the latter was grinning ear to ear. Dressed in the cutest casual clothes she had, she looked to be going all out. It was a rare sight to see her smiling this much.
"Why wouldn't I be? I've been waiting for this for so long." Her mind was on cloud nine as Ichika, the boy she liked, had finally asked her out. She had dreamed of this for so long.
"Really? " Ichika figured it was because she needed some supplies like toothpaste or clothes.
"So, what did you have planned?" Houki asked.
"I was thinking we check out the shops in the main district at the town and buy what we need. They have a lot of stores so we should be able to grab everything in one place."
Shopping together huh? Houki figured it wasn't a bad start. "And then…?"
"Once were finished, we head back to the Academy."
Houki took a second to comprehend the date. Shopping and going home. That was it!?
"What do you mean head back to the academy?" Houki That can't be all you have planned."
"Well…." Ichika scratched the back of his head. "What else would we do?"
"How about eating, walking through the park, seeing a movie? You could pick almost anything for us to do and it would be okay." Houki scolded.
"I didn't think you wanted to do more. We can get something to eat afterwards if you want." Ichika offered. "There's bound to be plenty of restaurants in the area when we get there."
Houki sighed with disappointment. Did Ichika really plan nothing for their date? Typically most guys would've planned a whole days of activities. She turned her back to him, looking at him with the reflection of the window in front of her. She knew this Ichika but still she expected a little more.
"We can find something more to do once we finish getting what we need." The boy offered.
Houki turned halfway towards Ichika. "You mean it?"
Ichika gave her his reassuring smile. "I promise and my word is my bond. Whatever you want to do Houki."
"All right, I'll hold you to that." She remember how Ichika use to say that when they were kids. Whenever he made a promise, he always made sure to keep it. Thinking about it, Houki realized she could still make this work,
If Ichika couldn't plan a date, then it would be up to her to do it for him. Not to mention having control of the date meant she got to decide what romantic things they would do. Houki's face was back to grinning as she considered all the things, she and Ichika could do today. She looked so happy, looked like her wish was going to come true after all.
It was good to see Houki back to smiling which must mean she was feeling better. Although, Ichika wondered why she was so happy about shopping for stuff? Maybe it was a girl thing. After all, he couldn't imagine why anyone would be that critical about planning a simple shopping trip.
/-/
The monorail was connected to the edge of the mainland meaning students had to take a short shuttle ride to reach the town. One short ride later and the students were now disembarking from the bus. Houki took a deep breath to prepare herself as she walked off. Her date had officially begun.
"So-"
"Hey Ichika! Houki!" A male voice called out to them from behind. Given it was male and Ichika was there, it could only belong to one other person.
"Oh Jayden, I didn't realize you were on the same bus as us." Ichika said.
"Me neither, you two going shopping together?"
"Yeah, we're picking up some stuff and maybe doing something else if Houki feels like it. What about you, shopping alone?"
"Not exactly." Jayden motioned to the bus where Honne and her friends Yuzu and Sayuka. Those three had a habit of staying together. They made their way over, joining the gang.
"Yoho!" Honne greeted. She was wearing some casual clothes albeit the sleeves were still longer than her arms in length.
"Thanks for waiting." Sayuka, the black haired one greeted.
"We met up on the monorail and they all invited me to go with them." Jayden said.
"I can't believe you guys are going out dressed like that. Yuzu, the dark red haired one said. "No cover or anything to hide yourself.
"What are you talking about? Is there something I need we need to hide?" Ichika checked his face, pretty sure he remembered to wash himself this morning.
They all talked for a while, telling one another their plans and what they hoped to buy and do while here. As everyone talked, Houki just stood there and smiled. All the while tapping her foot, waiting impatiently for everyone to break off and go their own ways.
"Maybe you guys can come with us!" Ichika offered.
Houki barley managed to stop herself from screaming. A date was between two people, no more and no less.
The next thing they knew, the ground beneath them begun to shake.
"What's going on?" Honne and her friends grabbed one another for support.
"Is this an earthquake?" Jayden asked.
The rumbling was getting louder, as though it was heading their way. Shizune squinted, looking behind everyone. Once she confirmed her suspicions, she pointed behind everyone. "No. Much worse."
Running the student's way was a large of group of people. Well less running and more like stampeding as anyone in their way quickly moved out of it. Not to mention it seemed the entire crowd was female.
"It's a bunch of girls all wanting to see you I knew it! You boys are just too rare to be ignored." Shizune patted herself on the back for an accurate prediction.
"I thought you were kidding!" Ichika began backing away from the incoming mob. "They can't be after us, right? It's probably the release date of a new phone or some other technology. Right….?"
"Oh man this is great!" Jayden on the other hand was star struck. His wish he held since middle school was granted, he was popular with the ladies! And all those girls wanted him!
"There they are!" One girl from the crowd shouted.
"If the tall one is Ichika, than the shorter one must be Jayden!"
"Excuse me, may I ask you a few quick questions?"
"Do you have time for an interview?"
"SIGN MY PURSE!"
"SIGN MY AUTOGRAPH BOOK!"
"NO! SIGN MY BODY!"
"CAN I HAVE SOME OF YOUR HAIR!?"
And now it was less great.
"Yeah those aren't your average fangirls." Yuzu pointed out. "They're the type who will steal your hair, clothes, etc and put them in a shrine dedicated to you."
"Not to mention those reporters can be ruthless." Shizune added. "They'll dig into the depths of your psyche for a story to print on tabloids. Then the whole world judges you and creates all sorts of conspiracy theories."
Never before had Jayden's smile vanished so quickly.
"How many of them are there!" Houki couldn't even begin to count though it seemed Honne was giving it a shot. She wagged her sleeved finger as she counted
"Eleven…. Twelve…. Thirteen…. A lot. Let's go with a lot." Honne concluded.
"You guys should run." Shizune warned.
Heeding her advice, Jayden and Ichika turned and booked it, running to get as far away from that mob of girls as they could. Houki followed along, running to stay with Ichika.
On the sides, the trio of girls watched as the horde of fangirls and reporters rushed past to catch up.
"I wonder how all those girls figured out Jaydee and Orimu were here?" No one had an answer, but they didn't think on it much. It was shopping time after all.
From the back of the bus, a girl looked out the window as women ran by. Yua Tani smirked, satisfied with her handiwork. She felt good inside, watching as the boys were forced to run away with their tails between their legs. It was amazing what you could do with one tweet about where some guys were.
/-/
You could say many guys dreamed of having a swarm of girls want them. To many this would be a dream. To three teens running, it was a living nightmare.
Anywhere they ran, the mob followed hot on their trails. About a hundred voices called out listing the boys praise or desires the girls wanted them to fulfill. Throughout the town wherever they went that mob was right on their tail. Jayden checked behind him to see how far apart they were. The distance between wasn't changing as they kept their pace through the town. Still this couldn't go on forever.
"We have to lose them somehow, any ideas?"
"Maybe we can split up?" Ichika proposed.
"Are you stupid?" Houki criticized. "it'll only split up the mob and they'll still be chasing you guys." Not to mention she wanted herself and Ichika to stay together. "Here's what we'll do. The next alleyway we find, we run through it, we can go one at a time, but this big crowd can't squeeze through without getting stuck."
It was a pretty good idea, taking advantage of the mobs' large numbers to slow them down.
Houki pulled ahead of the guys to lead the way. "So, we head through the next small alleyway we find, got it?"
Before the guys could respond, Ichika and Jayden were suddenly pulled into an alleyway . Next thing they knew, a hand was clamped over their mouths. They struggled to yell and escape, but their cries were muffled.
The one responsible struggled to keep them down. "Shhhh! I'm trying to help you hide. Be quiet or they'll find us." Hearing that this person was trying to help them, they ceased their actions to stay quiet.
All three of them waited in silence as the mob ran past, screaming their wants and desires for the boys to fulfill. It was like watching a horde of bulls run past, only it looked more terrifying. Once the last girl had ran past, they all sighed in relief. Their mysterious savior removed their hands from their mouths. Both guys turned towards whoever did this. Their eyes widened.
"Cecilia?!"
Standing before them was Cecilia Alcott, the same girl who never missed an opportunity to boast her skills, had just saved them from a fate worse than death. She stood there looking down on them with her arms folded.
"What were you idiots thinking?" Cecilia scolded. "Going out in public with no disguise or any sort of cover? Honestly It's like you were asking to get swarmed!"
"Nice to see you to Cecilia." Jayden rolled his eyes. Why did he have to run into her?
"Is that anyway to thank someone who saved you from a mob of fans?"
Ichika placed a hand on Jayden's shoulder, trying to relax him. "What brings you here Cecilia?"
"Oh…. I was out shopping, and I just happened to be passing by when I saw you running for your lives, so I waited here to save you." It was sort of a half-truth. She was keeping tabs on Ichika, followed him to the mainland in secret, and predicted their running path to wait in the ally to ambush- err… save them. But she didn't have to tell them that.
"Thank you for your help Cecilia." Ichika smiled, showing his appreciation.
Cecilia turned away, only so they wouldn't see her blushing face. It was the face she thought about all last night, was he truly different from the other men in this world. That's what she had come here to discover. "Well…. It's only natural that the elite should help the lower class." She coughed into her arm to change the subject. "Now then, what do you boys plan to do to avoid getting spotted out in public?"
The guys looked at one another, hoping the other had an answer.
Cecilia groaned. "Looks like I don't have a choice. Both of you follow me and keep your heads down."
"And why should we follow you Blondie?" Jayden glared at her. He hadn't forgotten everything she said and did over the time they've known each other. There must have been an endgame for Cecilia if she was going to help them after everything she did and said.
"Fine then, enjoy being hunted like animals." Cecilia turned to leave; she knew he'd change his tune any second now.
"She did help us just now, so she probably knows what she's doing. I think we can give her a chance" Ichika said.
Jayden hated to admit it but he didn't have any better ideas. "Fine. But if she starts preaching about how she's an elite again, I'm out of here."
Cecilia led the boys into a clothing store, all the while managing to avoid enough detection to not trigger a repeat of what happened. It seemed like a cheap clothing store mainly selling fashion accessories at reasonable prices, the kind you'd find at the edge of an outlet.
By the time they were done, the boys were now sporting a cap, ascot, and sunglasses to hide their faces. Cecilia had managed to coordinate the colors to go with what the guys were currently wearing. Cecilia placed her hands on her hips, seemingly quite pleased with her work. "With this, you should be able to walk around town without anyone realizing who you are. Try to keep a low profile though"
"You're pretty good at pulling these accessories off, especially on the spot." Ichika looked over his stylish new headwear.
Cecilia puffed out her chest with pride. "This isn't my first time having to hide myself from over excited fans." Flipping her hair, she continued. "I'm a representative cadet for England, making me somewhat of a local celebrity in my country. Usually I have to dress up a bit if I want to go into a public area."
"So even celebrities have it rough." Jayden considered as he scratched his neck. The scarf was kind of itchy but at least he could shop in peace now. "Thank you for the help Cecilia, but I have something I need to buy that's on the opposite side of town, so I'll catch you guys later."
"Take care." Ichika waved him goodbye and began to set off on his own way until Cecilia grabbed his sleeve. "Do you need something?"
Cecilia fiddled with her earrings bashfully, "Yes… I was hoping I could ask for your assistance." Now that the other boy left on his own, this was the perfect opportunity to be with Ichika and find out more about him. "This is my first time in Japan and I'm not familiar with the layout here. I was hoping you could show me around." It was another lie, but it gave her an excuse to be with Ichika. She figured this would be the first test to see what he was like.
"I guess I can do that." Ichika wasn't completely fond of Cecilia, her attitude left a sour taste in his mouth. Most guys would decline and go on their way.
There lied the problem, Ichika wasn't like most guys. He was the kind of person to always return the favor to those that helped him. And Cecilia had hidden him from that mob and dressed him to make sure it stayed that way. He figured escorting her for a little while was the least, he could do.
"Excellent, let us be on our way Ichika."
"Just a second, I should give Houki a call, she'll want to meet up with us-?!"
"NO!"
Cecilia coughed into her fist following her outburst.
"I mean… that wouldn't be a good idea. Fans can be quite persistent and they're probably still after you. If Houki is with us, she may unknowingly be followed, and lead more fans to you." Cecilia sweated as she told her lie.
"I guess that makes sense. But I promised Houki we'd go shopping together."
"I'm sure we can invite her later once the mob of fans disperses. I'm sure Ms. Shinonono will understand.
/-/
A few minutes earlier
"So, we head through the next small alleyway we find, got it?"
Houki got no response.
"We'll go through the next alleyway to lose them, you guys ready?" Houki repeated
She still got no reply.
Looking behind her, all Houki saw was the mob of fangirls and reporters chasing after her. Houki cursed her luck. All she wanted was the attention of one person. Instead, she had the attention of about 100.
Wait… if Ichika and Jayden weren't behind her…. Where were they? If they weren't here than that meant…
"Those bozos ditched me!" Houki realized in anger. She balled her hands into fists as she ran. "Just wait till I get my hands on them…" Oh the things she'd do the next time she saw them.
/-/
"You just stepped on me didn't you! My shoes got dirty because of you!" A woman lifted her foot to showcase the minor scuff mark that was made a few seconds ago.
"I-I'm sorry! I'll pay for it so…" He apologized. Bowing his head to show his sincerity.
"Of course, you should."
From the corner of her eye, Cecilia watched the whole thing play out. A woman telling off a man for his mistake. He would probably end up paying a bill for a minor mistake. Quite common in today's day society, and nothing Cecilia hadn't already seen before.
"Is something the matter?" Ichika asked, he looked where Cecilia was looking only by now the incident being settled much more quietly between the man and woman.
"It's nothing." Cecilia moved ahead with Ichika following her.
"So where did you want to go first?"
Cecilia took out a piece of paper with a list of names. "The first place is a clothing store, Juneberry Boutique. I'm in the market for some new outfits, and the place was highly recommended to me by a trusted friend, so I want to go there first."
"She's the spitting image of a noble woman." Ichika thought. "Going through shops just by their names."
A few minutes later, they found their destination. Inside the clothing store, it seemed quite fancy with items lined up on display standees.
"Welcome to Juneberry Boutique." An employee right at the door welcomed them. He was dressed in a professional uniform to compliment his look. "Is there anything I may help you with today?"
Cecilia spoke first. "Yes, I'm here to find some new clothes to wear when I go out in public, could you show me some of your best outfits.
He nodded and led Cecilia further into the store leaving Ichika on his own. He checked out the line of clothing they had and while the designs looked nice, it seemed they were sold a high price due to the brand recognition. Seriously, who would pay so much money just to have a name or logo somewhere on their clothes?
A half hour later, after Cecilia was done trying on and looking at clothes, she was at the front counter with the employee ringing up the total.
"And the total amount comes to…"
The final total appeared on the machine.
If Ichika had a beverage in his mouth, he'd have spit it all over the counter. How could such a few amounts of clothes add up to an amount with so many number? And Cecilia was charging it to a card like it was nothing.
"Is something the matter Ichika? Don't worry about the price, I can afford it."
Ichika was sure he could afford it to. If he ate nothing but cup noodles a month he'd have enough left over.
After some thanks for purchases and offers of a rewards program, Cecilia and Ichika left the store.
"Are you sure you're okay carrying those?" Cecilia watches and Ichika carried the bags of clothes with relative ease.
"I don't mind. A guy should always carry the bags for a woman after all."
Cecilia smiled; it seemed this guy knew his place so that was a good sign. She'd have to reward him for his services later. "My aren't you quite the gentleman. I'll be sure to reward when were finished."
"Reward?" Ichika didn't recall doing anything worthwhile.
"For your services."
"Oh. You don't have to do that. I'm just happy to help."
Cecilia smirked. Happy to help he said. That's what they all say at first until they end. She the routine by now. He knew that she had large sums of money. It would only be a matter of time till he asked for his due. Although how much did he know about her when they fought? Did he lose on purpose to get in her good graces? Did he-
"-Ilia?"
"Huh?"
"Are you okay Cecilia? You spaced out for a moment."
"Umm… it was nothing. Let's be on our way to the next store."
They continued their shopping store after store, with Cecilia doing most of the buying as Ichika carried her things, amazed at all the things she could afford. When you were rich there was little you couldn't afford. All the while, Cecilia noticed Ichika always took a few seconds to walk up to a person and converse with them. Somehow, he always knew they had a problem. A woman who was lost in the shopping district or a boy who dropped his coins. Whether it be obvious or unclear, Ichika could always tell if someone was in need. Cecilia wondered how he could tell, and why didn't he want anything for his actions?
It was natural to be rewarded for one's deeds, it's what Cecilia had done and what many she knew had expected of her. Payback anyone who helps you so you're no longer in debt. A principle her mother had taught her. If you repaid all debts, no one could hold them over your head. So why was Ichika not collecting what he should be owed? Better yet, why was he being nice to all these people who he obviously didn't know?
This day wouldn't be over until she knew. Looks like their shopping trip together would last a bit longer.
/-/
Jayden followed the map on his phone, just another few blocks in front of him was his destination. The local game store. And they had the latest version of 'Infinite Stratos, Battle Arena 3' in stock. Sure, he could've bought the game online for a digital copy. But only a true fan buys a physical copy. And once he got there, it'd be in his hands.
"What's your name cutie?"
Jayden groaned, thinking someone was talking to him, he tried to find the one who said that to tell them he was a guy . Given his girlish long light brown hair, it wouldn't be the first time someone told him that. Thankfully it wasn't aimed at him, but it came from the alleyway nearest to him. Curiosity over taking him, Jayden took a peak in the alleyway to see two boys and a girl.
Based on what he could tell, the guys looked to be int heir late teens with one wearing a beanie and the other in a hoodie. The girl featured short dark green hair and slightly tanned skin. She seemed to be a foreigner. Also, the path behind her was locked with a gate so the only way she could leave was through those guys.
"We just want to know you a little better. Nothing wrong with that is there?" The one in the hoodie asked.
"I'd rather not." She declined.
"I'm sure we can be…. Really good friends." The one in the beanie said.
She didn't want to answer him. As they stepped forward, she backed away uncomfortably until her back hit the gate.
Anyone with eyes could tell she didn't want to be there. Jayden looked for help but no one else seemed to notice or care what was happening. Who would want to get involved in a problem that wasn't there's? The smart thing to do would be to walk away and pretend he saw nothing.
To bad Jayden wasn't that smart.
"There you are!"
Jayden casually said, entering the alley. Everyone shared a look wondering who the heck was he. Jayden squeezed through the guys to get to the girl.
"I thought I lost you. Come on, we have to go or were going to be late for the thing." Jayden walked in-between the guys and grabbed the girl's hand.
"I think you have me mistaken for someone else." She quietly responded, pulling her hand back.
"No… you're DEFINETLY her." Jayden gave a way too obvious wink, praying she could figure out what he was do.
He had a simple plan. Pretend to be someone she knew and give her a reason to leave. Jayden had seen a similar stunt play out on TV. If it worked on TV, it could probably work in real life. Thankfully she seemed to catch on as her eyes widened in realization.
"Oh! Yes! Let us go to the movie." Her voice sounded so stiff, but it would do. She gave him her hand and nodded back at him.
The two punks refused to move out of their way.
"And just how do you know her?" One of them asked.
Jayden said the first thing that came to mind.
"I'm her boyfriend."
"Bullshit."
"Bullshit."
"We're just acquaintances."
Everyone doubted it.
Hurtful and obvious. And the girl could've at least lied about it. Jayden's pride took a major hit.
"Look I don't think she wants to be with so, so why don't we all leave and –"
The guy in the beanie had enough of this.
"Get lost little girl." He shoved Jayden to the side like he was weightless, sending Jayden falling to the ground after he hit the wall. "Now, how about you, my friend, and I go get some drinks, we can a nice time so what do you say?" He took her wrist in his hand flashing his best smile that total didn't look creepy.
Jayden rubbed his sore shoulder. If he ran away now, he would look and feel like a total loser. But there was no way he could out muscle those guys who were taller and older than him which left… Jayden glanced at the ring on his finger. He wasn't supposed to use his IS except without authorization or unless it was an emergency. This sort of counted as one.
"You don't know who I am do you?" Jayden stood back up, dusting any potential dirt off himself.
"Some nosy brat that doesn't his place?" The one who punched him laughed with the other guy joining in on the laughter.
Jayden ripped off his head accessories in a dramatic fashion because you've got to make an impact to leave an impression. The ring on Jayden's finger glowed and in a flash his Nova Union had partially deployed on right arm. The two guys stopped and stared at his arm. It was defiantly the arm of an IS.
"Wait, you can't be! Are you Jayden Sylvan!?"
"One of the guys who can pilot an Infinite Stratos machine." He didn't want to believe that kid had a weapon like that on him.
Any bravado the guys had formed had now vanished into thin air. The guy in the beanie let go of her hand and backed away.
Jayden smirked and gave a thumbs up with his partially deployed arm. He moved in putting himself between the two guys and the to keep them away from her.
"Ah so you DO know who I am.
He took a step forward prompting the punks to respond by stepping back. Oh, how the tides had changed.
"Now why don't we all just go our separate ways all right?" He held up his IS arm as a warning.
The guy in the beanie clenched his fist.
"You stupid brat, you think-"
Before he could do anything the second guy put a hand on his shoulder. He gave his partner a look saying this wasn't worth it. Reluctantly, he was forced to agree.
"You cocky brat, if it weren't for the IS, you'd be in a world of hurt, you hear me!"
The two teen punks walked away, giving Jayden a very rude one fingered gesture till they were out of sight. Now that they were gone Jayden returned his arm to normal.
"Are you okay, did they hurt you or anything?" He asked.
"No, I'm all right. They just wouldn't take no for an answer. Are you really Jayden Sylvan?
"Yup. That's me. Male pilot of the Infinite Stratos." A girl knew who he was. His face just wouldn't stop smiling. Though the girl didn't share his smile.
"You shouldn't be using your IS to hurt people." She scolded.
"I wasn't going to hurt them; just scare them off. Honestly I'm glad they didn't call my bluff." Even if it was in self-defense, using an IS against regular people looked bad on him. "I just didn't want things to turn into a brawl."
"You could've achieved the same result by finding an adult or a police officer."
It seemed like her intention was to scold him but the way she spoke so quietly made it hard to tell if that was the case. She did succeed in making Jayden feel guilty.
"I just wanted to help… You looked like you were in trouble and…"
The green haired girl sighed.
"I can't fault you on that and you did manage to help me. Thank you for your help."
"Oh! Uh….You're welcome…. Sorry I never got your name."
"My name is Vishnu. Vishnu Isa Galaxy." She quietly introduced herself with a bow.
"Nice to meet you."
They remained standing there. neither one knowing how to proceed from here. Jayden was taking a good luck at Vishnu.
That darker skin tone defiantly hinted she wasn't from Japan, and her dark green hair made her look pretty exotic to the young boy. Not to mention she was well endowed in the chest area, bigger than Cecilia but smaller than Houki. And her legs, they looked so smooth and that tan skin color only highlighted them.
"Is there a problem?" Her face started to fluster from his staring.
Jayden blurted out the first thing on his mind.
"You have nice knees!"
Vishnu stared down at herself. Immediately crossing her legs to cover as much of her knees as possible. Jayden wasn't sure what after dropping that bombshell.
Speaking of bombs, tt was like the aftermath of one going off. Silence hung in the air like a thick cloud. Eventually someone had to break the silence.
"Okay umm…. Look. I'm thankful for your help but I think I should go." She gave a polite bow of thanks and ran past him.
"Wait!"
He watched as she ran off out of the alley, and just like that she was out of sight. His jaw dropped as his hand remained out, praying she would come back.
"Come back…"
She didn't.
His head drooped in disappointment. Jayden had acted all cool and blew it in the end thanks to his stupid hormones. He figured only him could make a girl run away even after saving her like that. Still he was heroic back there. Jayden saved a girl and creeped her into running away, that evens out in the end, right?
/-/
On the outskirts of a town in some small motel, Irene rolled about in her bed, doing minor things to pass the time. At this point she was about to die of boredom and ready to accept death.
After her failed mission where it was deemed, she lost to a nobody pilot and a child, her higher ups decided it would be best for her to lay low and stick to supporting roles. Not that they didn't trust her abilities, but because they couldn't trust her skills.
Now the terrorist was forced to wait on stand-by in Japan until she received her orders. Her latest home base was quite the marvel. A dingy motel room complete with peeling paint corners and a TV that got 10 channels at best. The owner had spared every expense they could to meet the requirements of what a person would consider a 'livable' room.
Still, it was a low-profile place that didn't ask for identification and didn't ask any questions.
She checked her burner phone once again, counting down the seconds on the screen.
"Three….Two….One…"
Right on cue, the phone rang to life.
"Hello?"
"I take it you're Irene?"
The voice on the other end sounded female, belonging to a girl most likely teen.
"That's correct. I take it you're the person I'm supposed to work with?" Irene asked.
"That would be right. Judging by your file, you must be Irene. I read your file so no need to introduce yourself." The voice said. "As for who I am, you can call me boss. Starting now, that's what I am to you."
Irene scoffed.
"Were supposed to be working on this together. It's a joint mission"
"You say joint, I say I'm in charge."
"There's no way I'm taking orders from some stupid brat who sounds like they're still in school."
"Well I have to be in school for this to work. If you don't like then we can ask the higher ups all about this mission, I'm sure they'll be thrilled to discuss the terms of our work with you and I. Tell me, how disappointed did they look when you came back empty handed?"
Irene grinded her teeth.
"Never mind."
"Never mind… what?"
"Never mind boss." Irene choked out that last bit.
"Good. Now after your last blunder you were shelved for a while to let to the heat on your die down. Oh, by the way, I read the mission report and it gave me a great laugh. It was almost magical how you screwed up such a simple kidnapping. In the end, someone had to be sent to save your pathetic ass."
Every time someone brought up that memory, Irene wanted to murder someone. She didn't care who, anyone to satisfy her anger.
"If that bitch hadn't shown up when she did, the child and the IS would've been mine."
"Oh, you simple, simple woman." The girl on the other end of the phone taunted. "One little problem and everything goes up in smoke."
There was nothing wrong with Irene. Her physical or combat abilities were fine, and she was smart to handle think of ways to deal with situations. If a problem arose, she could think of a way to solve it.
A single way.
Once Irene thought of an answer, she tended to stick with it to the end, for better or worse. That stubborn thinking would create issues if plan A failed. There was never a plan B or beyond to work with.
"Our leaders thought it would be best if you were moved to a supportive role rather than doing the action yourself. Now, you're going to be helping me keep tabs on the IS units at IS Academy, me from the inside and you from the outside. So just think of me as your new boss that you report to. Kay?"
Irene's head fell back onto her pillow. Now she was taking orders from someone almost half her age. Oh, how far had she had fallen.
"I'll also be trying to get in close with those who have personal IS units. I made friends with a few of those girls, but I'm looking to get chummy with the guys, one of which you should be familiar with."
Irene pictured that stupid boy's face. "Jayden." Her voice sounded full of venom.
"Good, you remember him. I need you to Tell me a little about him, anything that'll help me break the ice with the munchkin."
"The brat loves video games, and he's got a thing for older women." Irene answered.
"Wow…Are you describing Jayden or every prepubescent boy in the world? Give something more specific that I can actually use. You can do that right?"
The phone in Irene's hand was on the verge of breaking into tiny pieces.
"Talk to him about the IS. Weaponry, pilots, aerial maneuvers, etc. The kid loves to talk about it. He's a huge IS fanboy. Talk to him about space, he's like a mini encyclopedia about planets, stars, and all that junk, And I wasn't speaking lightly about his lust for older women. That perv would always try to sneak peeks at my curves when he thought I wasn't looking. Just play off his advances and show a little skin. He'll defiantly remember you."
It sounded like she was writing all that down.
"I'll make sure to put it for good use. I think for done for now. There are some things I need looking into, but… I don't want you screwing up just yet. So, keep a low profile and wait for further orders. Toodles."
The phone buzzed an empty tone. Hanging up the phone, Irene buried her head in her pillow. Demoted from field agent to child guidebook and information gatherer. When she had joined this organization, she wanted to make a difference, not to do menial tasks assigned to grunts.
After mentally telling herself things would work out sooner or later, she no longer felt the urge to rip her pillow in two. All she had to do was complete some assignments and surely, she'd be back in the field.
For now, all she could do was play the waiting game, a game Irene hated to play.
/-/
"Do you always shop this much when you go out?" Ichika hefted up the bags in his arms to make sure he didn't drop any of them.
The two had made quite the haul in only a few hours. Through all their shopping, Ichika had managed to pick up everything he needed along the way. Why was he still with Cecilia? Someone had to carry her bags, and he couldn't refuce. He walked along with a half dozen bags on his arms. Cecilia on the other hand walked alongside Ichika, seemingly looking at his eyes and following wherever his gaze went. Eventually Ichika took notice of it.
"Something up Cecilia? Do I have something on my face."
"You don't. It's nothing but I've noticed that you look around at people often while we've been walking. Are you looking for someone?"
"Oh that. I just tend to notice when people look like they need some help. It must seem annoying doesn't it?"
Cecilia shook her head. "Not at all. That just means you're quite perceptive of small details. It's amazing how you're able to discern that just by looking. That's quite laudable if I do say so myself."
KYAAAAHHH!
A sudden yell drew everyone's attention.
At the corner of the sidewalk were two male punks. One with a beanie, and the other with a hoodie They stood near an elderly lady on the ground who was clutching her leg. She seemed to be in pain.
"Oh, shit man, this is bad. You bumped into that woman." The one in the hoodie said.
"Like I care that granny has nothing to do with the IS. Let's just pretend we never saw her." The punk in the beanie replied. The two began to walk away, acting as though nothing was wrong.
Cecilia shook her head, another display of men vs women only this time the men were the aggressive ones. It was rare but still possible, men acting like they were superior to keep their ego's inflated. Cecilia knew the best thing to do would be to walk away and let the matter settle itself.
"Hey! Hold it right there."
Ichika seemed to think otherwise.
He got their attention, running over to the lady to make sure she was okay.
"What do you want?" One of the guys asked.
"You made her fall down, shouldn't you be the ones helping her?"
The one in the beanie shook his head. "Oh perfect. Another guy wanting to be a white knight to get in good with girls." The beanie punk rolled his eyes. "First the brat and now you. Look man, she isn't involved with an IS and she's just an old lady so it's no big deal."
Ichika gritted his teeth. Hearing them talk like that made his blood boil. "Just an old lady? This has nothing to do with the IS or gender. It's about human decency."
"Then where's our decency. Women have been telling us what to do and we have suck it up and do whatever they say. Heck, even you're just some slave to a woman. You talk big but aren't you just being used to carry that woman's stuff?" He pointed to Cecilia whom was helping the elderly lady to her feet. "Tell me you aren't doing it for money or because she made you."
"Yeah, you're practically eating out of hand." The other punk joined his friend. "What? When she tells you to jump, do you say, 'How High?'."
"I'm not doing for any gain."
"Sure, you aren't, and I'm emperor of Japan."
She knew this wasn't her problem, but she couldn't help listening in. Hearing them talk about Ichika like that, and they way they acted as they were owed due to society. Cecilia felt… she felt…
She felt pissed.
"ENOUGH OF YOUR BANTER!"
Cecilia's command made all of them cease talking.
"He is a classmate of mine, not my servant! And he always volunteers to help. That isn't something to be ridiculed for."
"Classmate?" The punk in a beanie spit at the ground. "No matter how you look at it, you two obviously look like-"
"Did you not hear me when I said I wasn't interested in your prattle?" Cecilia wasn't having any of his talk. The glare in her eyes made a chill run down the punk's spine. "It is true that there are some men who feel inferior to women and I can't fault them for that. However, that doesn't mean men should be subject to abuse like that. And do you really let such notions affect the way you live your life?"
"Well…. He's just-"
Cecilia still didn't care what he said.
"You've built anger from how you've been treated; I understand. But venting your repressed anger onto others like that isn't right. It makes you no better than the woman who you let take advantage of you. If you don't like how things are then make a change. Low lives like you are nothing but preposterous." She pointed at them, concluding her words on the matter.
Clap clap clap
A whole crowd had gathered about, applauding Cecilia for her words, both men and women. Everyone was surprised by the crowd that had gathered.
"Tch. Let's get out of here."
"Y-yeah."
With the situation getting better, the two punks used the chance to scurry off while everyone was focused on Cecilia. Everyone except for one man.
"Hey, get back here!" Ichika prepare to give chase until the older lady placed a hand on his shoulder.
"It's all right boy, let them go. I doubt they'll be barking up trouble any time soon."
Ichika and Cecilia helped her to a bench to let her recover and made sure she didn't have any injuries from the fall.
"Thank you for your help young man." She praised.
"I'm just glad I was there to help." Ichika accepted it.
The woman then looked at Cecilia. "And you to young lady."
"M-Me!?" Cecilia started to blush; she wasn't used to this kind of praise. She received praise for her skills and performance but never like this.
"Thank you again for your help." She got up, ready to depart. "And by the way, you two make a great couple."
"Couple!?" Ichika and Cecilia looked at each other than turned away.
Ichika blushed, thinking how that woman could get the wrong idea. Cecilia wouldn't have minded if it was true.
After all that, the two decided to head to the park to take a rest. Ichika leaned back onto the bench at the park. sighing in relief for the break he was getting. A rest in the park was a good time for him to recuperate. Never had a wooden bench felt so comfy.
He spent the whole day shopping with Cecilia though general stores, clothing stores, antiques, etc. Ichika also managed to buy what he needed along the way. Though he was the one carrying everything, not that he minded it too much.
"Here. You look like you could use this." She held out to him a canned beverage obtained from a nearby vending machine. Ichika happily accepted it to quench his thirst. Cecilia took a seat next to him, checking him out while she had the chance.
A whole day with him and Cecilia still couldn't figure him out. Ichika did something for people and asked for nothing in return. Even getting involved in other problems when it had nothing to do with him. Stopping his attack right when he was about to win a battle.
She knew the results of Ichika's actions, but why did he do it? She decided it was time to stop beating around the bush and get a direct answer.
"Why do you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Everything! You go up to people you don't even know to make sure they're okay. And if you do help them, you don't ask for anything back. Not to mention you're always looking around to see if something is wrong. Why do you do it? What's your end goal?"
"Does it really matter?"
"YES!"
"Well… to be honest, I just like helping people."
A simple answer cause that was all there was to it. And yet Cecilia still seemed confused.
"So you do it because it makes you feel good? Like a dopamine effect?"
"Well…. Sort of. When I see someone, who looks to be in need, I just want to help them get out of their pinch. If there's anything I can do of course. I pay it forward and then a lot of people are happy." Ichika leaned back onto the bench. "Chifuyu-nee raised me to be like that, and I just can't turn away when I see someone in trouble."
"Even if someone offered a reward?"
"I mean if they really want to repay me, I don't mind. But I don't expect getting anything out of what I do when I do it."
Helping for the sake of others, and not expecting anything in return. It was unlike anyone Cecilia had ever met before. When people only befriended you just to get close to your money or for favors, it felt odd to be with someone who had no ulterior motives.
"Would you even help me?"
"Of course. I would help anyone who needed it."
Cecilia could feel her heartbeat faster than usual. A person who helped others just for the sake of others. She didn't understand it, and yet just hearing it made Ichika shine in her eyes.
"I wish I could be like that."
"I think you kind of are Cecilia. Back then, you stood up for me and called out those guys on their behavior. I didn't think you do anything like that, but you did. It really surprised me." Ichika complimented. "It was so cool of you to. How do I put this…? I feel like I have a better view of you now."
"Ichika…" Cecilia placed a hand over her chest. It looked like her had made its decision. She got up and walked ahead a few paced, this was no time to sit around, she had an image to maintain. She moved in front of Ichika with the sun shining on her and the wind gently blowing at her side. "Well have you just noticed it now? About how wonderful I really am."
Ichika tried to respond but no words came out. Cecilia was breathtaking, like a portrait come to life. The way her hair blew in the wind, her posture with her hand against her cheek. Ichika was stunned by her beauty and couldn't fathom an answer.
Cecilia smiled. Now she was completely sure. This was her prince charming and she was going to make him hers.
"Ichika Orimura, you are my prince." She whispered quietly.
"Hmm? Did you say something?"
"Err….I said… Come. Let's go the next store!" She declared.
"What! we're still going?" Ichika didn't get an answer as Cecilia pulled him towards the next store.
"Of course, we have six more shops I want to check out before the sun sets." She grabbed Ichika who had just managed to pick up all the shopping bags and pulled him along to continue the shopping spree.
/-/
"I think my feet are trying to kill me."
"You can still feel your feet?"
Both boys had managed to get on the same monorail back to the academy, each one sat collapsed on their seat. All the running, shopping, and encounters left them exhausted. Once Ichika and Cecilia had finished shopping, she took it on herself to decide what to take to the Academy and what to send back home to England.
"I can't believe girls do this for fun." Jayden wondered how women could take pleasure in this.
"Yeah, but a lot of them look extremely happy." Ichika saw that every girl in the mono-rail cart had at least one bag full of goods. "They must love to shop. Especially Cecilia"
"Cecilia!? How do you….Wait! Did you go shopping with her?"
Ichika gave a nod.
Ichika nodded. "When she's not acting all stuck-up, she's nice and kind of pretty."
"Pretty?"
Ichika flinched.
"Please don't tell her I said that."
Jayden only smirked and made a zipping motion to his lips. Ichika sighed in relief
"So how was your day? It doesn't look like you bought much." Ichika noticed that Jayden only had one small bag in his lap.
Jayden waved his hand signaling so-so. "Got chased by a mob, saved a girl, humiliated myself in front of said girl, and purchased a video game. Can't complain too much."
Ichika only nodded in response. The monorail pulled into the station where students got off one by one. Soon the guys got off and slogged along, rest sounded really good right now. As they walked in the crowd, Jayden's eyes dozed upon the backs of the heads of female students. All the blonds, brunettes, the one dark green, some light shades of brown… wait what?
Jayden had to be sure if it was her or not. He ran forward, pushing his way through the crowd, apologizing to anyone along the way. He made his way till he got behind her.
"Vishnu?"
She turned around and it was her face. Realizing he found her, she booked it.
"Wait. Hold on! I'm sorry!"
Every call and apology asking Vishnu to stop only made her run faster. Jayden tried to keep up but couldn't get to full speed due to exhaustion. The chase kept on till she ran past a corner. He tried to find again, but he couldn't spot that dark green hair in a sea of female students. He threw his head down in defeat, maybe it was just his imagination.
"Everything okay Jayden? You just ran off." Ichika caught up to him. "You just took off for some reason."
"It's…Forget it. It's nothing." She couldn't blame her for running away. Why did he have to compliment her legs? He felt so stupid. Ichika patted his shoulder to comfort him.
"I know what you mean, I feel like I forgot something today."
"Don't you mean someone?"
A murderous aura appeared behind the boys. They slowly turned their heads and there was Houki, who looked ready to rip someone in two.
"H-Houki!" Ichika gulped. "How was your day?"
Houki's right eye started to twitch.
"Oh, it started great. I was promised to go out with someone today. Then, we got chased by a mob all throughout town. And next thing I know, I'm ditched by everyone and ended up being chased for half the day. And when I eventually got caught no one would let me go until I answered every question I could about you two! My whole day was wasted thanks to that mob of fangirls and reporters. By the way, thank you for not looking for me after you ditched me!"
"Houki, I swear I wanted to find you, but I got held up shopping with Cecilia-"
Jayden winced.
Houki was flabbergasted.
"Cecilia! You went shopping with Cecilia!"
"Yes…" Ichika regrettably admitted.
"First you break your promise, than you go hang out with someone like her!?" Houki cracked her knuckles, getting ready to put them to good use.
"It was only a shopping trip for us, I didn't think it meant so much to you."
"Just…. A shopping trip?"
Ichika nodded.
"That's all it was?"
"That's all it was." Ichika confirmed. "What else would it have been?"
Houki's knee connected dead on with Ichika's gut, knocking the wind out of him and dropping him to the ground. Ichika clutched his stomach trying to get air back in to his stomach.
"YOU BIG IDIOT!"
Houki stormed off, ranting about broken promises and all that. Once she was gone, Jayden knelt over beside Ichika who was trying to fix himself.
"Are you okay man?"
Ichika shook his head, clutching his stomach.
"Yeah that looked like a mean kick... but on the plus side, you took it like a champ." He tried putting a positive spin on it.
Wheeze cough wheeze
"Yeah you messed up big time, but you didn't deserve to get hit." Jayden answered.
Cough cough hack wheeze cough wheeze…. Cough hack
"Wait you promised? Huh…. Maybe you deserved it a little, but she went too far. By the way, do you need help getting back to your room?
Ichika wheezed and coughed some more.
"You're right, that is a stupid question."
Hack cough cough?
"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."
Hack cough cough?
I've been hurt a lot physically, so I'm pretty good at understanding pain. I guess I just learned how to speak the language at some point. Now let's get you to your room." Jayden placed Ichika's hand over his shoulder, using the leverage to help Ichika walk.
Think of this chapter like an intermission before the next arc begins, getting the players all set up and some character interactions for growth. Next, we enter the Rin arc, all hail the power of the Chinese Girl!
I also wanted to give Cecilia a legit reason for liking Ichika besides, "He beat me so he must be strong and now I love him." So, I hope I fulfilled that. And our first archtype breaker girl got her debut into IS fanfiction.
Thank you for reading and keep your sense of wonder.
Omake
"She's probably pushing herself to her utmost limit, like working out or participating in a triathlon."
"No, no. I'm sure she goes to private meetings where the outcomes can impact the entire world."
"That's not good enough. I'm sure she's fighting against evil organizations that threaten our very way of life."
A small crowd in the lunch area had gathered around a table and were in a heated discussion.
"What are you guys talking about?" Ichika came over to see what the chatter was about. Jayden popped out from the crowd to explain.
"We're talking about Ms. Orimura. See, we're wondering what she does on her days off. Someone like her has to be doing something amazing and awesome but we can't agree what that is."
Ichika could feel his sweat drop, it was quite a serious image they had of his sister.
"We only know her as someone who's strict and cool when at work." Jayden's eyes flashed in brilliance. "But you're her brother Ichika. So, you must see her when she isn't working. Tell us what she's like. Come on tell us!"
"Well when she's not at work. She seems like a regular person. Just relaxing and being lazy." Ichika answered but it didn't look everyone was accepting it. "If you don't believe me, then see for yourself." He pointed behind everyone to where Chifuyu just happened to be.
There she was, the feared demon instructor of IS Academy, only instead of her business suit, she was dressed in a t-shirt and shorts. To top it off, she was wearing regular slippers. Chifuyu gave a yawn and took a seat at a table, pulling out a newspaper to read it.
"C-Chifuyu?"
The girls rubbed their eyes to make sure what they were seeing wasn't an optical illusion. Their strong and strict teacher was dressed like a college student waking up on a lazy Saturday.
Like broken glass, their image of Chifuyu Orimura had shattered.
Ichika knew this would happen. "I hate to burst your bubble, but that's what Chifuyu-nee looks like on her time off. Believe it or not, she may be an instructor from hell but at home she's quite messy. She'll give a half-hearted reply when talking, throw her clothes around, fetch things with her feet, and drink beer all day long. I'm the one that has to end up washing her panties and cleaning the house for her."
"No way…."
"It can't be!"
"Ms. Orimura….?
With every flaw the pieces cracked into even more pieces. People were covering their eyes and ears to reject the truth of their idol, Chifuyu Orimura.
Of everyone though, Jayden looked the most horrified. The woman who he'd come to see as a goddess among woman, whose videos he'd watched countless times was… No, she couldn't be like this. Denial was now his only weapon. "This can't be…. Chifuyu is the strongest there is! There's no way she's like this. It must be a lie or an act! The Chifuyu I've seen would never do those things."
"I'm sorry for destroying your image of her, but my sister is ordinary like everyone else." Ichika apologized.
"No, that can't be. Chifuyu is well above ordinary and I'll prove it!" Jayden scooped up a handful of some girl's breakfast. Before anyone could ask what, he was doing, he took aim at his teacher. "Hey Ms. Orimura, think fast!"
Winding up like an amateur baseball pitcher, Jayden took aim and threw the handful of scrambled eggs at Ms. Orimura, who had put down her paper to address him. It was too late to stop him and now everyone was watching the projectile soar.
Jayden smirked as he watched his work fly, imaging what she would do. Would she catch it in her fist in an instant or move to the side to dodge at the last second and showcase her skill. Or maybe she would-
SPLAT!
Get hit in the face with food…
Dribbles of egg laid splattered across Ms. Orimura's face as it dripped down onto her shirt. Everyone in the room was stunned.
Ms. Orimura stood up, wiped the food that was face and inspected the little bit that remained on her finger. Once confirmed it was indeed scrambled egg, she made her over to the one responsible for doing this.
Never had Jayden wished he could time travel 10 seconds to undo a mistake until now.
Everyone who was around Jayden scrambled to get away from the soon to be dead man. Jayden wanted nothing more than to do the same, but he was frozen with fear.
"Mr. Sylvan. Care to tell me what you just did?"
"I-IT-t-t-th-threw an e-egg at you ma'am!" He willed his body to move but no matter what he did, Ms. Orimura's gaze kept him in place.
"And why did you do this?"
Jayden gulped down all the saliva he gathered in his mouth.
"Well people were starting to think you were normal and average and I wanted to show them great you were."
"Oh? And you thought the best way to do that was to throw food at your teacher?"
"I only wanted to show everyone how great you were! That you would catch it midair or dodge it and everyone would see how cool you are. Please forgive me!"
"Is that so?"
Chifuyu gave a dark smile while cracking her knuckles. "Then how about I show you what I'm like on the weekend, and you can tell everyone all about it when were finished." She finished by cracking her neck to loosen up her joints.
Without any time for an answer, Chifuyu grabbed his wrist with an iron grip and dragged him along to their special one on one time. The boy reached for help with his free hand, but no one came to his aid. The will to help Jayden was outmatched by the fear of Chifuyu.
"Oh, and Orimura." She paused to address her younger brother. "Refrain from speaking that way about your teachers."
"Y-Yes Ma'am!"
Every girl stared as the Chifuyu dressed in casual clothes took him away to presumably never be seen again. Jayden cried out his last pleas for mercy and forgives. Those pleas fell on death ears as Chifuyu dragged him off to who knows where for their special lesson. The lesson to the students was clear though.
No matter what her outfit or location, Chifuyu was still the demon instructor of IS Academy.
Even teachers relax on their time off, that doesn't mean they're any less vicious than usual.