Happy 2021!
With the student's vs teacher battle over, it was time to move on to the second exercise. Chifuyu clapped twice to draw everyone's attention.
"For the second part of today's exercises we'll be having you all walk in the Infinite Stratos. We have six standards units for use."
On the other side of the IS arena were the six IS units along with Gelimer. While Maya was fighting the cadet representatives, he must have been busy moving them into place with a vehicle used to transport them.
"The ones who have their own personal units are Orimura, Sylvan, Dunois, Alcott, Huang, and Bodewig. We'll be dividing the classes into groups of seven with the personal machine users acting as the leaders, got it? Now form your groups."
The moment Chifuyu finished, the two classes of girls rushed over to the guys.
"Orimura please pick me!"
"Let me learn from the best. Also, I'm single."
"Dunois, let me see you piloting skills."
"Hey, hey! Please let me join your group to."
"Sylvan, please teach me what I don't know yet."
Meanwhile the three female personal IS users were standing all by their lonesome.
Chifuyu slapped her palm against her face. Honestly, she blamed herself for not having seen this outcome coming.
"These idiot brats… EVERYONE SORT OUT ACCORDING TO YOUR SEAT NUMBERS! IF YOU DON'T SORT YOURSELVES FAST, YOU'LL ALL BE RUNNING 100 LAPS AROUND THE ISLAND WITH AN IS UNIT STRAPPED ON YOUR ON YOUR BACK!"
That got a fire under the girl's butts. In less than 30 seconds they were organized into neat rows heading towards the IS units.
With the groups organized they talked amongst themselves with their leaders. While every group was talking and asking questions, there was one which was completely silent. Laura's group had a tense atmosphere hanging around them. The cold stare she gave to the other student combined with that attitude that looked she'd refuse to help anyone made those students lower their heads and stay quiet.
At the other side of the arena were the six IS units the teachers mentioned. Three of them were Uchigane's and the other three were Revives like the one Ms. Yamada used. Standing by them was Gelimer wearing his track suit to greet everyone.
"Please listen up. The boy's groups will use the Uchiganes and the girl's groups will use the Revives. Each type is the same so no need to fight over them." Maya announced
Ms. Yamada seem two times as- no five times more reliable now. That mock battle really improved her confidence. She wasn't stuttering at all even. Everyone's eyes were on her now that the class 1-1 teaching assistant started taking charge. Although… that wasn't the only reason.
Jiggle Jiggle
See, Maya Yamada had a habit of adjusting her glasses often. Every time she did this, her elbows would brush against the sides of her breasts, making those watermelons jiggle. And boy could they jiggle. Heck, even just moving would make the boulders stuffed in that tight IS suit wobble here and there. It was strong enough to draw the gazes of Jayden, Ichika, and even Gelimer.
Jiggle Jiggle
"…"
*CRACK*
"OW!"
Ichika winced in pain as his foot was stepped on. The culprit? A girl in Ichika's group named Houki Shinonono.
"What was that for?"
"You know what you did."
Houki looked pretty ticked off. Ichika knew he shouldn't have been staring but his eyes were drawn to the teaching assistant's bosom like they had their own gravitational pull. Ever since he and Houki were no longer roommates, they hadn't spoken properly to each other for about a week.
"The personal pilots will now demonstrate the activation of a standard unit." Maya instructed.
The personal IS pilots placed a hand on the IS unit in front of them and with a bit of concentration they shined and hummed to life. Not all of them were activating though.
"Mr. Sylvan? Is everything okay?" Maya asked.
"Something's wrong with this unit. It's not moving" No matter how much Jayden focused, the training IS wouldn't respond.
"Sylvan, stop screwing around and activate it." Chifuyu ordered. He was fumbling around, trying all sorts of hand positions on the IS in hopes one would be the secret correct way to get it to activate. "Damn it Sylvan, I know you can activate your personal IS. Haven't you ever activated another IS unit?"
"No."
"Pardon?"
"I've never tried to activate another IS besides my own. Never had a reason to." Whenever he needed to use an IS for whatever reason he'd always turn to Edel Gleam.
"It's the same thing. Now hurry it up!" Chifuyu demanded.
Students began to mumble with one another about the display in front of them. Seconds turned into a minute so Gelimer intervened.
"Don't blame Jayden for this Ms. Orimura. Well… technically it is his fault, but he can't help-"
"If you know something spit it out."
The male teacher looked like he was about to say something but decided against it at the last thought. Instead, he whispered into Chifuyu's ear.
No one heard what he said but whatever it was made Ms. Orimura raise an eyebrow. She dragged Mr. Brighton by his ear a short distance away to, returning a moment later. This time she wasn't dragging him along.
"Dunois. Activate Sylvan's IS unit." Chifuyu ordered. The blond boy did as ordered, and in seconds the Uchigane was activated.
"Leaders, please help your group get in and out of the IS suit. We've already got the settings and mode set for you. Familiarize yourself on how to move the IS this morning okay?" Maya called out.
Ichika had all the girls in his group gather around so he'd only have to explain it once. "Okay everyone when you activate the IS the first thing you want to do is give yourself a moment to adjust and connect with the IS. It may feel weird for a moment such as when the IS gives you 360-degree vision but you'll quickly…. Umm…"
His eyes were glancing over whenever Ms. Yamada walked by. It was just a moment but Houki could follow his eyesight to the green haired teacher until it stopped.
"That idiot. He sent me a letter and he's already staring at another woman? Stupid Yamada and her stupid boobs… Although…"
Houki looked down at her own breasts. What was it about these things that drove men wild? "Does that imbecile only care about big boobs? Well if Ichika prefers bigger breasts, mine are pretty big." She tried replicating what Maya did, brushing her arms against them. Her imagination took hold, Ichika staring at no one but her as she…
Houki shook her head. "Snap out of it Houki. You're not like this. You have pride dang it!"
"Houki?"
Ichika broke Houki out of her train of thought.
"Is something the matter Houki?" Ichika asked. "I'm explaining how to get into the suit."
"What? Y-yeah, I'm fine. In fact, I'll go first."
She ignored Ichika's protest and climbed into the suit. Even when Ichika offered advice, it didn't look like Houki was listening. It wasn't her first time getting into an IS suit so she didn't need it anyway. She climbed up inserting herself properly to let the unit attach to her
"Looks like you got in just fine. Try activating the suit and walk with it."
Now in the suit she began walking with no trouble whatsoever. Ichika stayed along side her just to be safe. She walked a bit faster making Ichika somewhat jog to keep pace with her. He knew he had to try something to rectify the bond with his childhood friend.
"Hey Houki?"
"What is it?"
"Did you have any plans for lunch?"
Houki almost tripped but managed to keep herself from falling. "No, not really."
"I see. How about we go have lunch together on the roof? It's a really good spot to eat."
First the letter and now a lunch date! Who was this man and what had he done with Ichika? This was more attention from him she's gotten today than in months. Absence really did make the heart grow fonder. Now she just had to play it cool.
"Sure."
Nailed it.
"Great. I'll meet you there."
It took everything Houki had to not add a pep in her step inside the IS suit.
While Ichika's group was doing fine, another group was having some difficulties.
"When you link with the IS unit, you just gotta… you know, get into the groove of it and go along with it. Then it'll start moving to whatever your movements are. Does that make sense?" Jayden wasn't sure how to phrase the feeling of wearing an IS unit properly. Once you were in it, things just seemed to click.
The girls in Jayden's group didn't look to confident.
"Are you sure you know what you're talking about?"
"Of course, I do!"
"But you couldn't even activate this IS. What kind of pilot can't even activate a standard training unit?" Yua Tani raised an eyebrow at him.
"I mean… Yua's not completely wrong." Another girl said.
"T-That was just a bad IS, Maybe it's faulty or something."
"There are no bad IS units. Only bad pilots."
The boy gritted his teeth. Who was she to call him that? Okay he wasn't a great pilot, but he was at least above the level of 'bad'. He glanced over at Charles group who seemed to be having no issues whatsoever. Already the new guy was doing better than him!
"Is there an issue? I've noticed your group is falling behind the others Sylvan." Maya Yamada had come over to check on their lack of progress.
"My group doesn't seem to want to listen to me." Jayden said. "Especially her."
"I'm just saying maybe someone more qualified should be leading our group. Like you Ms. Yamada." Yua suggested
"No. Despite his activation issues, for this assignment Jayden is your group leader. He knows how to pilot an IS and I know he can answer your questions should you have any. Follow his advice and complete the assignment."
Jayden's respect for Maya increased by ten-fold just now. Still it was reassuring to have her here, at least Yua couldn't argue back against a teacher. Now if only Maya could do something about those two big distractions. He had to look away lest he fall victim.
"By the way Sylvan, don't think I haven't noticed you not making eye contact with me."
Busted!
"Don't you know you're supposed to look someone in their eyes when they're speaking with you?" She folded her arms, making her chest jiggled as they brushed them.
"Well… umm…" He once again adverted his gaze from Ms. Yamada.
"See! You're doing It right now. Why won't you look me in the eyes when you're talking?"
"It's because he was staring at your boobs." Yua pointed out.
"Yeah, you're showing off you're boobs in that outfit."
"M-My breasts!" Now it was Maya's turn to go red. She knew that outfit was a bit tight on her but… She folded her arms over her chest in a poor attempt to conceal them. "Sylvan… W-Were you looking at them?"
His lack of an answer spoke for him.
"I understand that things like this can't be helped given your age and position, and it's perfectly natural for a boy. But when you consider the things like the difference between our ages and circumstances…"
He could hear the girls snickering behind him. Oh god he did not want to be having this kind of talk. With Ms. Yamada of all people! Could it get any worse?
"You both see to be having a nice discussion."
Now Gelimer was here. Jayden regretted asking.
"Mr. Brighton?"
"I've noticed Bodewig's group is extremely slow. They could use your help." Gelimer suggested.
Y-Yes! R-Right away!" She scurried off to leave while the male teacher gave a nod for his student. Looks like she wanted to abort that conservation just as much as he did.
"And Sylvan, speed it up. You're group is the next slowest. Take control of your group and get to work. You're the leader here. Not them." He encouraged.
Was… Was he actually helping?
"R-Right!" Jayden stood as tall as his short height could.
"Now show them. I'm going to look at Dunois's group." He left leaving Jayden with his team. He slapped his cheeks to get himself focused. It was time to salvage the most he could from this disaster of a morning. Though the feeling of doubt from his inability to activate the IS remained.
/-/
"Is everything all right? You seem upset Jayden." Charles stood behind Jayden in the male locker room as the latter just stared at his locker with no response.
Since Jayden couldn't activate the standard training unit, his group had to put it away for him. As for Charles, with his gentleman image the girls figured the work was beneath a guy like Charles and did it for him. Ichika had neither of those excuses.
There was quite a difference between how each of the three guys were treated.
"I couldn't even activate a training unit. A training unit man!"
"Don't be so hard on yourself. No one thinks any less of you."
"Tell that to my group." Jayden mumbled. Sure, they managed to finish in the end, but they were one of the last to do so. Not to mention they barley listened.
"Man those IS suits are heavy." Ichika wiped some sweat off his forehead as he approached the other guys. His group decided returning the IS unit was a 'mans' job, so he got to do it all by his lonesome.
"I-It's not as bad as you think it is. Being able to use even a single IS unit is a major accomplishment." Charles tried to reassure.
"Yeah… sure."
Ichika wasn't sure if he walked in on something or not.
"We should hurry and get changed; we've only got so much time for lunch here." Ichika told them as he begun removing his shirt. Jayden gave a slight disheartened nod as he starting disrobing as well.
"About that…" Charles had his eyes closed with a bead of sweat running down his face. "I'm going to go get changed in another men's bathroom.
"Why? You can just change here Charles, none of us mind." Ichika said.
"Thanks for understanding. I'll see you later!" The blond gentleman grabbed his uniform and ran out the door before another word could be said.
Ichika never would've figured Charles as the shy type. He wondered if it had to do with how he was raised. "Wonder if Charles is self-conscious about his body?"
Jayden only mumbled some words that may have sounded like a yes.
So much for the unity they'd built an hour ago. Charles was one shy guy and Jayden looked completely demoralized. Since they were the only male students in the academy they had to stick together. Ichika wanted to help but he promised to have lunch with Houki… A smile formed on his face. Maybe there was a way to kill three birds with one stone.
/-/
"What's going on?"
"Hmm?"
It was lunchtime and like they agreed, Ichika and Houki were on the school roof.
You couldn't have asked for more perfect weather than this to be eating outside on the school roof. The sun was shining, and the wind chill was just right for a person to relax without a worry. The seasonal flowers were even beginning to bloom. It was the perfect lunch date Houki envisioned. Just her and Ichika.
And Jayden.
And Cecilia.
And Vishnu
And… you get the point.
"Houki, is something the matter?" Ichika asked.
Houki glanced aside to look at Honne, Rin, and Vishnu, who looked to also be joining them for lunch. Why did so many people have to tag along? "It's nothing." Houki clenched her fist as she took her seat.
The group was arranged in a big circle for everyone to eat, the only odd one out being Vishnu who positioned herself behind Jayden to stay somewhat out of sight.
"You okay over there Ms. Galaxy?" Cecilia asked.
Her therapist had recommended trying to be more social so here she was. "I-I'm fine Ms. Alcott." The Thailand rep managed to speak. "Let u-us eat together."
"Since we're having lunch, the more the merrier right?" Ichika said. It was the perfect plan. He could eat with Houki, cheer up Jayden, and hopefully have Charles bond with everyone. What could possibly go wrong?
"Um. Is it really okay for me to join you all here? I don't wish to be a bother." Charles felt it was a bit crowded with the amount of people here.
"Nonsense. Like I said, we guys have to stick together. And if there's something you don't know feel free to ask me. Except for IS stuff that is."
"Thanks, Ichika. You're a really sweet guy."
"D-Don't mind it." That pure look on Charles's face combined with the tone of voice was somehow making Ichika blush. Just what kind of effect did Charles have on people?
Houki looked like she wanted to say more but dropped it. She took out a bento box wrapped in a cloth. It looked like it was made in the IS Academy kitchen for student use. A fully functional kitchen for multiple students to use at once, just what you'd expect from a school like IS Academy.
"The big news is that class 1-1 got some new students today. What are they like?" Rin asked.
"They're both representative cadets with their own IS units. One of the transfer students slapped Orimu in the face." Honne said.
"What!" Rin looked ready to knock Charles's lights out.
"No not him, the other one. The short girl with silver hair."
Rin did recall seeing someone with those attributes back in the joint practice session.
"What you do this time Ichika?"
"Nothing!"
"Don't tell me. She's your third childhood friend and you forgot about her?" Rin accused.
"Well she definitely knew who you were. You're positive you've never met her Ichika dear?" Cecilia asked.
"I'm positive." He'd never been to Germany before. Although now that he thought about it, Chifuyu-nee went to teach in Germany for a year a long time ago. A possible connection?
"After she slapped Ichika, Houki called her out on it. It looked like they were going to have a full-on brawl till Ms. Orimura put a stop to it." Charles said.
"Enough about that though. Lets start eating before our food gets cold." Among them it seemed Houki, Cecilia, Rin, and Vishnu had personally made lunches while the guys and Honne had store bought lunches.
"Here Ichika. You can have some of my lunch. I guarantee it's way better than the school food." Rin opened her bento box containing her trademark sweet and sour pork. The chicken looked bright and moist with its aroma filling the small area around it smelt heavenly. "Woke up bright and early to make it so take a bite."
Cough Cough
Cecilia coughed not so subtlety into her arm.
"Ichika dear. I to happened to wake up bright and early this morning. And I prepared this. "Cecilia opened her basket. Inside was a stack of neatly arranged sandwiches. "I do hope you'll have one."
"Wow! You made all those Cecilia?" Ichika sounded impressed.
"Of course. Naturally I strive to go beyond in everything I do.
Rin seemed a bit skeptical. Those sandwiches looked good. Too good. The kind of good for food you'd see in a chain restaurant food commercial where it was faked to look appetizing. Rin had been cooking for so long that she was able to pick up these things.
A pleasant aroma came from Vishnu's meal. It was a bowl of noodles covered in a chicken soup broth with some meatballs added in for extra protein.
"That smells good Vishnu. I didn't know you could cook." Ichika said.
Her face flustered from him compliment. She still wasn't used to getting compliments from others. Still she'd practiced how to respond accordingly. "My grandmother taught me." Nailed it.
"Grandma huh? My mom taught me to cook, and I sort of taught my cousin how to cook." Rin mentioned.
"My sister tried teaching me how to cook. But… it didn't go so well." Honne rubbed her sleeved arm recalling the incident. In her defense, only four of those fires were her fault.
"Yeah… Sure…" Jayden didn't seem the least bit interested. Heck, he hadn't even opened his boxed school-bought lunch.
"Is everything okay Jayden?" Vishnu looked concerned. "You've been awfully quiet lately."
"Are you still upset about not being able to activate a training IS?" Charles guessed. He'd hit the nail straight on the head.
"I don't know what happened. When I call to summon Edel Gleam it like, comes out. But with that training unit I couldn't make anything happen."
"Nothing happened?" Vishnu closed her eyes and thought for a moment. "Jayden, what's your IS compatibility level?"
"D…" He felt even worse just saying it outloud.
"That could be why. Men typically have an IS rating of E, which stands for no compatibility at all. Your rating at D is high enough to activate IS units Jayden, but maybe it's more like a D- which means some IS units won't be compatabille at you."
No one was sure how Vishnu had put that together with only a handful of information.
"I-I mean… It's just a theory I made up… I'm probably wrong."
Charles pondered it for a moment. "Even if it's a theory. That would explain Jayden's issue with the IS."
"So I'm just barley better than a regular man…"
Honne placed a hand on Jayden's shoulder. "Jaydee, it's okay that you couldn't activate that IS. It doesn't matter to anyone."
"Well it matters to me! It's humiliating."
"All you can do is try harder and get better for next time."
"Well how am I supposed to do that? It's been monthes and my compatibility rank is still the same as ever! Nothing works."
Ichika wasn't sure what to say next. His friend was really taking this hard.
"Did you even plan on using another IS unit?" Cecilia asked.
"What?"
"You've only used one unit since you've arrived. Is there another unit you're going to use?"
"Well… no-"
"Than what's the problem?" She raised an eye.
"I can't even activate a training unit! That's the problem."
Everyone in this school could use an IS unit, and yet even with a personal unit Jayden couldn't. All he wanted was to do was crawl in a hole and die.
"If that's how you feel than go find another place to cry." Cecilia sounded like she had no empathy what-so ever.
"Ms. Alcott! How can you say that?." Vishnu said.
Cecilia ignored her and continued. "I'm trying to eat in peace and that's not possible with your moping. You've screwed up and blamed yourself, what more do you want?"
Jayden wasn't sure what to say.
"If you can't do it now, than work to fix it. That's all there is to it."
"Easy for you to say. You're Ms. Perfect Representative Cadet." Jayden rolled his eyes.
Now Rin was joining in.
"It's not that big a deal in the long run. People will forget about it in a few days. You're the only one keeps bringing it up."
"But…"
"Where's the boy who helped defeat that rogue IS unit? Cause he's certainly not here right now."
"We-"
Cecilia shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose that was a fluke. A fortunate stroke of luck that gave you a chance to shine."
"I didn'-"
"Just be thankful you had an elite like me to save you back then. There was no chance you'd survive without me."
"LET ME SPEAK DANG IT!"
His shout brought everyone to a standstill.
"That wasn't luck that beat that unmanned IS. It was my skill! And I didn't need some so-called elite to help me. I would've taken him down without you."
"For your information I am and elite. And it's the job of the elite to look out for those who are weaker.
"Weaker? Do you know who you're talking to. Or did you forget the last time we fought?"
"I don't but you apparently did. You and I have never fought before."
"What? No I'm sure we did. At the class rep tournament."
"We didn't fight."
"Than who did I-"
"Orimu." Honne answered.
"And who did Ceci-"
"Ichika."
"Oh yeah…" The memories came flooding back to Jayden of that class rep tournament. "Just you wait drill head. In the upcoming tournament I'll take down Ichika and then you'll be the next one I beat down."
"The only chance you have of facing me is if we're paired up at the start." Cecilia scoffed.
Sparks of lightning cackled between their eyes as they entered a stare down.
Jayden broke his lightning bound concentration to glance at Houki. He still hadn't found a good chance to ask her about her sister. It'd been a week since he decided on trying to get in touch with Tabane about why he one only a few other men could use the IS while the rest if his gender couldn't. And after today he needed to know now more than ever.
"Oh no… they're fighting again." Vishnu worried.
Ichika just smiled. Call him crazy, but to him it looked like Cecilia was to shock Jayden out of his slump. Cecilia seemed different from when he'd first met her. The old Cecilia would've never said words like those or just laughed and went on her way. Jayden and Cecilia, they really were friends. Even if neither would admit it to the other. At least, that was Ichika's guess.
"Ahem! That's enough nonsense. Let's hurry up and eat! Lunchtime's not long enough for us to continue wasting time like this." Houki sounded serious.
"I'll be right back guys, I have to go get my lunch." Ichika was about to get up until Houki stopped him.
"…"
Houki silently passed her bento over.
"For me?" Ichika accepted the bento box, he figured this was a sign that Houki wasn't mad at him anymore. "Wow, this friend chicken looks amazing. I'd say this is a work of art."
She happily took the compliment.
"But if I eat this, what are you gonna eat Houki?"
"I'm not hungry because… I'm on a diet!" She hastily said.
"Diet?"
"Is there a problem with that?" Houki said.
"Really? You don't look fat to me." Jayden's eyes scanned up and down Houki's body.
Houki instinctively covered her body.
Vishnu touched the tips of her fingers together. "Just because a girl says she wants to diet doesn't mean she's getting fat."
"Indeed. You're really showing your lack of delicacy Jayden." Cecilia added.
"I'm just saying she doesn't look like she needs to diet. If she's heavy, it's probably cause most of the weight is in her b- GWAH!"
Houki slammed her hand over Jayden's mouth. "Talk about my breasts and I'll rip your mouth off got it?"
He immediately nodded before Houki decided to make good on that threat.
"I'll try your fried chicken now Houki." Ichika said to try to get some pressure off his friend.
Houki felt time slow down as she watched Ichika stuff the fried chicken in his mouth.
"Man this is good!" Ichika praised. "I bet you put a lot of effort into making this. Let me see, I taste ginger, soy sauce, and-… ah it's on the tip of my tongue."
"Grated garlic" Houki answered. "I also added some grated radish to improve the taste."
"Wow. That's a great idea. Maybe I'll try that next time I cook. Still it's really delicious. You gotta have some Houki! Here."
"Wh-what?
"Come on just one bite? You've really gotta have some. Come here, don't be shy."
Her willpower couldn't resist. She opened her mouth to accept Ichika's offer.
"How is it?"
"So good…" Houki wasn't just talking about the friend chicken. Her face looked to be in pure bliss.
Everyone was staring in disbelief at what just occurred. Rin even slapped herself across the face to make sure she wasn't having a nightmare. Sadly, this was reality.
"I see you're doing the Japanese thing where couple feed each other. You two sure are close!" The moment Charles finished; his face showed a smile that looked easy to understand. The kind of smile only a rich blond prince could have.
"THEY ARE NOT A COUPLE!" Cecilia shouted. She shrunk back after her outburst.
Vishnu's hands were covering her eyes to shield her sight from the display. "Mr. Orimura… you can't just go feeding girls like that. It's… not appropriate."
"Then why don't we all exchange pieces of our meals with one another? There's no problem if we feed each other, right?" Charles suggested.
Everyone seemed to agree to that, some a little more reluctant than others.
"Without further ado!" Rin snatched up a piece of chicken from the meal Houki made before anyone could object. All she had to do was find something wrong. She swished and chewed the chicken to inspect it. There was just one problem.
"It's good… Too good."
The way the flavors meshed with another and the moist texture from the chicken, this was a top rate home cooked meal. It could even compete against Rin's traditional sweet & sour chicken. There was no flaw to be found.
"It's not bad. Not bad at all."
"Heh." Coincidently, Houki had a smirk across her face.
"A-hem! Would you be so kind as to try one of my sandwiches Ichika dear?"
"Um…Sure."
Ichika took a bite off her sandwich. Everything felt woozy three seconds later. It was a BLT sandwich so why did it taste so sweet? All Ichika could taste was the unknown sweetness and… vanilla extract? Like, an entire bottle of vanilla extract was added. When using liquid flavoring you only add a few drops. Not an entire bottle!
Jayden wasn't sure what was wrong with Ichika. He seemed a bit woozy since he ate that sandwich. Honestly the sandwiches looked pretty good appearance wise. He grabbed a vegetable sandwich from the bag and took a bite. As fast as that bite was taken, he ran towards the nearest trashcan and spat it out.
"Cecilia what the heck did put in these things?" He scratched at his tongue trying to get any taste off his tastebuds.
"Honestly Jayden, that kind of overreaction only shows how immature you are." Cecilia shook her head. "You'll go to any length to try to damage my perfect pride, won't you?"
"I've never cooked before in my life but I'm pretty I could cook better than you!" Now that Jayden thought about it, did a sandwich even count as cooking?
"Why you… Ichika dear. Tell this ruffian how much you enjoyed my creations!"
"Ichika. Tell this blow hard her so called cooking belongs in the trash can!"
Both pairs of eyes were awaiting him to cast the decision in their favor. Cecilia's food really was that bad but…
"I…I kind of liked it." He couldn't bring himself to admit the truth to her.
"Is that so? Than please, have some more!"
Cecilia's eyes sparked as she placed the basket in front of Ichika while Jayden was scratching his head wondering what was wrong with Ichika's taste buds.
"All right, time for a real cook to show you how its done. Try my sweet and sour next. In fact, I'll personally show ya how good it is." Rin declared.
The Chinese girl paused. She'd made plenty of Sweet and Sour chicken before but Ichika hadn't eaten it in so long. 99% sure she was that she made it right but that pesky 1% was haunting her. And worse, she would be the one feeding him! She picked out a piece of sweet & sour, it moved left and right in the chopsticks as her hand couldn't stay still.
"Really, okay. Hit me."
"Let me k-know what you think." Rin gulped.
She could feel her piece get taken off the chopsticks followed by the sound of chewing and swallowing.
"H-How is it?" Rin asked.
"It's amazing Lingyin!"
Only one of her friends called her by her real name… Her eyes bolted open to the sight of Jayden eating the food she'd spent all morning preparing for Ichika.
"I can see why Ichika brags about your cooking so much. This is the best Chinese food I've ever had!" Jayden praised.
Operation 'Feeding Ichika' was a resounding failure. All she could do was take the compliment and sit defeated.
"I believe it's my turn next." Charles mentioned. "Vishnu, may I try your meal?"
The green haired girlshut her eyes tight. Now she didn't feel as confident in her cooking as she use to but the other girls already shared their cooking so…
"P-P-Please enjoy!"
With his fork, Charles took some noodles and a meatball that had been well soaked in the broth. "It's quite delicious. Your grandmother really taught you well."
Vishnu gulped. 'Positive reinforcement! Must. Respond. Accordingly.'
"T-Thank you."
'Perfect!'
Charles wasn't sure how his simple compliment made her look like she was on cloud nine, but to each their own.
Stare….
Honne was not so subtly eyeing Vishnu's handmade meal, her mouth beginning to leak drool as she eyed the dish.
"You want some to?"
Honne rapidly nodded.
"Try some of mine next!"
"Anyone else want some noodles?"
"Please take a sandwich. I've made plenty for everyone."
Houki unenthusiastically sighed as she watched food get traded around like at a kindergarten lunchroom. It wasn't the lunch date she'd had in mind but hey, Ichika got to taste her cooking and even feed her! It was still a win. Not to mention…
Houki slipped her hand into her pocket to feel the love letter.
There was a secret satisfaction knowing Ichika already had his eyes set on her. Even if the lunch date was a bust, there was still the secret meeting with her at the end of the day. She clutched the love letter in her skirt pocket, just touching it filled Houki with joy.
/-/
"Now who can tell me what's used to power an Infinite Stratos unit? Jayden?" Gelimer asked. He was in charge of class 1-1 for the last period of the day.
"Uh. An IS core?"
"Correct. IS units are powered by their core to access all their functions such as flight or materializing weapons. It can take a large amount of power to fuel the IS But tell me. What happens if an IS doesn't have a core to power it? Ichika?"
"Then it doesn't activate?"
"That's right."
Without a core, an IS suit is basically a large chunk of metal. Only with a power source could the IS suit come to life for a pilot to use.
"Then every IS needs a core to activate?" One student asked.
"Normally yes. But tell me, how do you explain how the test units in IS Academy activate without cores?"
Those who already knew the answer didn't look phased while those who never thought about it till now looked like their minds had been blown There was no way IS Academy had enough cores for all the training units in the school.
"As you're all aware there are only 467 IS cores in the world. Yet there are well more IS units in the world that exceed that number."
"But every IS needs a core to activate. That's basic knowledge." Ichika called out.
"That's the most common answer. However, what do you do if you need to power a unit, but you don't have an IS core available?"
"Um…"
"Can anyone tell me an alternative way to power an IS? Anyone?" Gelimer asked
"The IS battery." Cecilia answered out loud. "IS units can store energy that allows them to be powered for later use. While not as powerful as a core, it allows an IS unit to be used for a shorter time period."
"Cecilia is right. Without an IS core, standard units have to rely on stored energy in to order to operate. Units can be charged to obtain the power needed for use "
"Like charging a cell phone's battery?" Jayden asked.
Gelimer nodded his head. "Good analogy. Think of it as taking energy from another source to power itself. That's why the training units are charged and maintained in the hangar to make sure they're ready and needed. A non-powered IS core unit that isn't fully charged can become extremely fatal. Keep that in mind."
Gelimer paused it let it sink in.
"Without a core an IS loses a lot of key features such as the ability to maintain more than one weapon slot or access to a closed form. If the IS battery runs out of power, the IS unit will cease to activate even if it still had shield energy remaining. Remember all of this about the IS battery everyone. It will maybe… probably… very likely… definitely be on your next test."
Student's pencils began to dance across their pages.
Gelimer glanced over at the clock, there was a little over two minutes left before classes were done for the day . "And speaking of tests… before I let you all go; I have your latest test scores everyone." The man took out a stack of papers from a folder. "Based on these scores I can tell some of you really hit the textbooks, and some of you should really start hitting those textbooks. They exist for a reason boys and girls."
The class looked to be divided between confident and nervous. The students at this academy had to work hard if they wanted to make the grade.
"When you get your test, you may leave. However, I need everyone who scored below a 60 to please remain after class. I'd to speak with them for a few minutes."
His words didn't help anyone who was already worried. Down each aisle Mr. Brighton returned the graded tests to their owners. Sighed of relief escaped students mouths as they read their grade in red marker at the corner of the page. Even Jayden felt the pressure blast away when he saw he just barely made the cut at 62.
"You've got to be kidding…"
In the back of the room Yua's hands shook with the paper in her grasp. A 34 written in bold red marker on the corner along with red marks graffitiing the paper. One by one students exited the room leaving only Yua and Gelimer.
"Where are the others?" Yua asked.
"There are no others. I wanted to speak with you in private." Gelimer took out some more papers from the folder. It was more tests. Yua's tests to be precise. "Up till now your grades have been not so good."
Every paper was decorated with red slashes and X's. Each one with more than the last.
"Based on these scores, you're in a downward spiral. Midterms are coming in a month and a half. If this pattern of scores continues, you may be eligible for flunking the year."
Yua mentally groaned. Not like she wanted this to happen. She expected this to happen given her streak of poor scores. She always tried her hardest, but it never seemed to be enough. It didn't make her feel any better with the male professor breaking the news to her.
"Something has to be done about this."
"I'll study more."
"Is that all?"
"What more do you want?"
"It's not that I don't believe you, but it would be better if there were some actions to go along with your words."
Yua's eye twitched. Of course, he didn't believe her.
"I was thinking you should study with a tutor to help you understand the material."
Did he think she was stupid? "I don't need a tutor." Yua snapped.
"Your test scores say otherwise."
Yua would've crushed the side of her desk if her grip was strong enough. Unfortunately, he had her on that part.
"I've taken the liberty of getting a teacher to tutor you. She's the teacher from class 1-3, Olivia Sedgwick. You'll be meeting with her five days a week after class in the library until your grades average is in a better spot. No need to thank me."
She wouldn't.
"Do you have any questions?"
"No. Is that all?"
"That is everything. All I'm asking is for some more effort. Everyone wants to see you…"
Yua slammed the door behind her.
"Succeed…'
On her way back to her room, Yua was doing her best to hold her emotions in check before she lost it. Did he think she was so stupid that she needed help to do what everyone else already could? Even the other males managed to pass the test apparently. Or maybe he was just playing favorites for his own gender.
"Excuse me. Yua?"
Yua was stopped by another girl. Based on her uniform she was a second-year student and someone who she'd never met before.
"What do you want?" Yua asked.
"I just wanted to see how you're doing. Say hi and all that. Hi."
"Horrible and pleasantries have now been exchanged. Do you want something cause I'm not in a good mood."
"I'll cut to the chase then. What do you think of men?"
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me. What do you think of men?" She asked again.
Yua rolled her eyes. "I see men as fellow people who live amongst us on our planet as-"
"Men don't belong in this world, do they?" She cut Yua's practically rehearsed answer.
Like she'd just heard the voices of goddesses enter her ear.
"No… They don't."
"You don't like men very, much do you?"
"Very much? Try not at all."
"You and me both. Some of us have seen the way you act. The scowls, refusal to look them in the eyes, the lack of respect you give. You know how to keep yourself looking proper while treating them how they deserve in your own way Yua."
"W-Who are you?" Yua's disgust was replaced with curiosity.
"Where are my manners? My name is Linda, pleasure to meet you Yua." She gave a very enthusiastic handshake like she was about to rip Yua's arm off. "This was a woman's school, at least before they came here. IS Academy, one of the greatest high schools in the world. Practically a paradise for any girl lucky or skilled enough to get here."
"It was one of the biggest reasons I wanted to go to this school, to get away from men. I had to do unspeakable things to be able to go here." Yua shuddered. "Then they happened to come the same year I did." It was like winning the lottery, but in reverse.
"At best you can say men have a place in this world. But it's below us women."
All the troubles Yua had the last five minutes seemed to disappear like magic. Another woman who shared the same views she did and wasn't afraid to speak about them.
"Oh god, I never knew how much I wanted to meet someone like you until right now. I swear there are girls who felt the same way but would never admit it."
"I know what you mean. They think we're like the silently minority but I'm sure we're a majority. We just need to show the others that there are others who share our views and they'll come out. And I think I have a way to do just that."
"What do you mean?"
"Me and a few others who have the same feelings came up with a way to show the guys they're… unwanted here. And I'll need your help to pull this off."
Yua's lips widened into a smile. "What did you have in mind?"
/-/
Houki clutched the love letter in her hands, her heart missing so many beats each time she read it on her way to the boy's locker room. Those who passed by Houki would see a rare sight, a smile on her face. Reaching her destination Houki took a seat on one of the male locker room benches. All that was left to do was wait.
…
…
…
Each second felt like it was its own minute, then each minute its own hour. Houki squirmed in her seat, only now realizing she had no idea what to say when Ichika got here. She'd dreamed of this day for so long, but that dream always ended after the confession and kiss. What did she do next after all that?
"Maybe I'm not as ready for this as I thought." Houki gulped.
She tensed up hearing the sound of the door open. She took some quick breathes to remain calm. This was it, all she wanted was for Ichika to say those words.
"Hey Houki. You in here?"
That voice wasn't Ichika's.
"J-Jayden!" Houki froze, her eyes rapidly switching between the letter in her hands and the boy from her class. Now that she thought about it, the letter never had a name from the sender. "W-Why are you here?"
"I had to follow you around to talk to you alobe. It's really important to me."
"Don't tell me you were the one who wrote the letter?" If this was a nightmare, Houki wanted to wake up right now.
"Letter? What letter?"
A wave of relief washed over Houki.
"Anyway, I need to talk with you about something. Do you have a few seconds?" Jayden asked.
"No. Now leave"
"Please? It won't take long."
"I don't have time for this. Get out of here."
"Pretty please?"
"For the last time no! Now leave before-"
"Sorry to keep you waiting my dear."
A new voice spoke out and Houki recognized it to. That wave of relief Houki felt was washed out by a new wave of dread.
Rorentsuine Laurent Di Fillney had arrived, flaunting her boyish charm. In her arms was a bouquet of red roses wrapped in a paper veil. "Apologies for the delay, I wanted to make sure I had ten roses for my darling ten out of…. Ten…" She paused for a brief moment seeing there was more than one girl here who wasn't Houki Shinonono. She was small with long brown hair and an adorable face that reminded her of a child. Still, that confident smile of her face didn't waiver, it wasn't her first time going for two girls at once.
"I knew fate couldn't keep you and I apart. You've managed to grow even lovelier than the last time we met Ms. Shinonono." She offered out the bouquet making Houki accept the flowers.
"Rorentsuine why are you-"
"Please. Call me Rolan."
"Rolan…" Houki rolled her eyes. "What are you doing… Oh no… No no no no no… The letter!"
"I'm glad you got it. I just know you felt something in your heart when reading it."
Oh her heart was feeling something right now. Houki did to the letter what she felt was a good metaphor for the current state of her heart. Crumpled up, stomped on, and kicked away to be never seen from again.
"Uhhhh…"
If this was a mid-budget comedy anime, a question mark would be appearing over Jayden's head right about now. He didn't know who this white-haired girl was, how she managed to get that many roses, how she managed to be born so good looking, or why Houki looked like she'd be okay if the world exploded right now.
"And who do we have here?" Rolan took a single rose from the bouquet, placing it in Jayden's hands. "I never thought I'd meet a cute fairy like yourself."
"Fairy?"
She flashed him a smile, kneeling down so she was looking up at him. Her cou de grace was the kiss she placed on the top of his right hand, holding it in her own. "Tell me your name little one."
"Uh… I'm Jayden?"
Jayden? Must be foreign.
"That's an exotic name. It suits you. My name is Rorentsuine Laurent di Fillney. But you can call me Rolan. Now what brings a cute girl like yourself all the way here?"
"Actually… I'm a guy." He should've been angry for another case of mistaken gender, but that rage was overtaken by his confusion of 'what the heck is going on?'.
Rolan blinked.
"Pardon?"
"I'm Jayden Sylvan. One of three guys who can pilot an IS. I go to this school. Am I ringing any bells?"
Out of the entire female student base, they were supposed to be two males among them. She never paid the guys much attention. "Huh, so you are…"
She snatched the rose out Jayden's hand, returning it to Houki's bouquet.
"That explains why you're here. You want to claim Houki's heart don't you?" Rolan deduced.
"What?"
"What?"
"Don't try to deny it. I can tell just by looking you've got a thing for Houki. Sorry but her heart has already been taken."
"No it isn't!" Houki quickly added.
"I'm not here for Houki, well I am but not for her heart. It's kind of a funny story when you think about it. You see-"
"ENOUGH!"
Houki's shout echoed throughout the locker room.
"Rolan, are you only here to try to seduce me?"
The white-haired girl only winked to answer.
Houki pinched the tip of her nose, Her patience levels were just about to reach zero. "And what do you want with me Jayden?"
Maybe now wasn't the greatest time to ask her. But he'd been waiting long enough to get alone with Houki. This was probably the closest he was going to get to being alone with her and after today's humiliation he needed to know anything he could about his issues with the IS. It was time to bite the bullet.
"I need to talk with your sister about the IS."
The Japanese girl froze.
"Your sister Tabane Shinonono. I need to ask her about why I can use an IS."
The mention of that name brought back bad memories to Houki. Her fists clenched as her body began to shake.
"I just need to know why I can barely use an IS while others can't." Jayden explained. "And maybe your sister knows why. She is a genius and creator of the IS. You're her younger sister, so I'm sure she'll do it if you ask. Please?"
If one listened very closely, they could hear the sound of Houki's patience snapping in two. Her eyes were completely shut tight.
"So that's what you want… You're just like everyone else. You only want to be with me to get closer to my sister. Do you know what its like to only be known because you're related to someone talented?"
"I just…"
"Shut it!" She cut him off. "My answer is no."
"I can't accept that. Your only one I know who can get in contact with Tabane. You have to help me."
"Shut up…"
"You're her sister. Please Houki!"
"Shut up…"
"Please! I have to know why I can use an IS and you're the only one I know who can get me to your sister. You have to let me talk to Ta-"
SMACK
Houki's palm struck Jayden's cheek with force that could've been registered on the Richter Scale.
"I am NOT a gateway to get to Tabane! I have nothing to do with her nor do I want to. For the last time, I'm not contacting my sister for you!"
Houki seemed to be on the verge of blowing a gasket. Jayden and Rolan took a step or two back just to be on the safe side. She was beyond frustrated at the two jerks in front of her.
"I wanted certain things to happen today and I thought they were going to. My dreams were going to be reality. Until you both crushed it into nothing but dust."
Rolan shook her head. "Don't just wait for someone or something to turn a dream into reality. If you want something to happen, make it happen." She reached over to try to wrap her arm around Houki's waste only to have it caught in Houki's iron-like grip.
"Rolan. Read. My. Lips. I don't like you. In fact, I think I hate you now."
Houki released her grip on her arm. Rolan had the to rub the area she was grabbed to soothe it, and yet she was still smirking.
"Jayden. Don't ever talk to me again."
Jayden couldn't even give back a response. Fed up with all of this Houki stormed out of the locker room. The others not saying anything else until the stomps of her footsteps couldn't be heard.
"You've got a lot to learn about approaching girl's little boy. But I'll give you some props for trying to get a girl way out of your league." Rolan advised.
"I wasn't trying to romance her! I was asking for her help and it blew up in my face." Jayden sighed. His only chance to find out why he could use an IS had just told him to never talk to her."Gah! What the heck did I do wrong?"
"You were pushing when you should've backed off."
Jayden had stopped pulling out his long hair to hear her out.
"It was obvious that she didn't like talking about her sister. But you were so focused on yourself that you didn't realize it. She reached her breaking point and now you've got a red temporary tattoo on your face." She motioned to the cheek Houki had struck.
Jayden felt like Rolan. just shot him through the heart. She did have a point about his way of asking Houki for a favor.
"Well… it's not like you did any better." He tried to counter. "I'm pretty sure Houki hates you now."
"For now." Rolan corrected. "I know how to win girls over in the end. Done it before and I'll do it again. Houki is incredibly fierce and prideful. You need to know what you're going to say if you want to date a prize like her."
"I'm not trying to da- Wait. Prize?"
She nodded. "A girl like her is one of a kind. And I intend to make her my 100th girlfriend. The perfect prize to celebrate the occasion."
"Houki isn't a pr- Hold on. 100? Girlfriends?" Jayden was stunned. "Your exaggerating, right? Right?"
The look on her face showed she wasn't.
This girl had a way of outdoing herself by making his jaw drop further and further.
"You have 100 girlfriends?!"
"99 Currently." Rolan answered with a bow.
"H-How? There's no way you have that many girlfriends. And you're really into girls? As in loving other girls?"
"Is there a problem with that?" She raised an eyebrow.
His face paled. "No no! Not at all."
"Really? Cause it sounded like…"
"I wasn't I swear! There's nothing wrong with a girl liking another girl. Or love between two boys. Or… Um…"
She broke out into laughter as Jayden flustered. "Relax man. I'm just messing with ya. You don't look like the kind to be against LGBT and the world thanks you for that." She wiped a tear from her eye before resting her hands behind her head. "Real shame you weren't born a girl. Maybe I'd make you number 100."
"I… don't think we get along like that."
"Your loss. But let me give you some advice. Learn how to talk to girls. Your life will go way smoother once you do."
Honestly, she wasn't wrong.
/-/
"Let me say it again. Welcome to IS Academy Charles."
"Thank you very much Ichika."
It was nighttime now and both guys had returned to the room they were going to share. To celebrate, Ichika made a pot of Japanese tea for them to enjoy.
"Japanese tea is a bit different from black tea. It's different, but it still tastes good." Charles took another sip.
"I'm glad ya like it. There's plenty of other Japanese snacks and beverages I'm sure you'll enjoy."
"Thank you for the hospitality. Next time let me treat you to food from my home country. I'll make it just for you." His smile was once again making Ichika's face go red.
"Sounds good. I'll look forward to it."
Ichika knew that Charles was a guy, and yet his gentle smile was making his heart skip some beats. Maybe it was because Charles was raised well?
"Anyway, I've heard that you have special IS training after school. Is that true?" Charles asked.
"Yeah it is. I started a lot later compared to everyone else. So, I have to train hard to make up for it." Compared to other girls and representative cadets who begun studying the IS years prior, Ichika had only begun when he first arrived at the school. It was a long way to go to catch up.
"May I join to? I really want to thank you and I have my own personal IS unit so I should be able to help out."
"Oh that'll be great! Thanks for doing that Charles, I appreciate it."
"Mn, just leave it to me." A smile emerged on his face hidden by the Japanese tea. It was the perfect opportunity to get to see Ichika's personal IS unit up close. So far everything was proceeding smoothly.
As the guys spent the night relaxing with each other's company, a knocking came from the door. Ichika got up to answer it. In front of him was Houki Shinonono, her arms folded under her bust while her face was slightly red.
"What's up Houki. Do you need something?" Ichika asked.
She just stood there, remaining silent. All the confidence she'd built up a minute prior was leaking out. Was it too late to turn back?
"Houki?"
As much as she hated to admit, Rolan had a good point. Ichika was ever going to take initiative, so she would have to be the one to make the first move. After a deep breath she gathered enough courage to speak.
"Ichika." She stared him straight in the eyes. It was now or never. "In regard to the individual tournament in two weeks I have a proposition!" She poked her finger in between his eyes. "I-If I win the tournament… If I do… you have to go out with me!"
"W-what?"
Having done what, she'd set out to do Houki bolted. Her ponytail bouncing as she dashed down the halls. Rules be damned she needed to get out of there before Ichika even had a chance to get a word in.
"Who was it?" Charles asked.
"Just Houki. I think she wanted something from me." Ichika shrugged. It was getting late and he'd have time to think on it tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Houki was patting herself on the back. She'd taken the initiative to ask Ichika out. Just like the promise she'd made to him before… with the kendo tournament… Houki shook her head, ridding the memory from her thoughts. What mattered now was winning the upcoming tournament.
As she ran back to her room what Houki failed to notice was three girls who were around the corner that coincidently happened to overhear everything she'd said to Ichika. Those people happening to be Honne, Sayuka, and Yuzu.
"Did you girls hear that?" Yuzu asked. The other girls nodded along. "This news is…"
"Really big!" They cheered in unison.
Don't ya just hate when your big secrets are secretly eavesdropped by bystanders? Now the things are coming together, a really good way to kick off the new year. Let's make this one way better than 2020.
Thanks for reading and remember to keep your sense of wonder.
Reviewing Reviewers
AzureDominion – I'm glad you like it, they're usually my favorite parts to write.
B123- It's always a pleasure reading your review. Some things have been changed to keep a little unique but I do intend to follow the story line, at least for now.
Kaanoo – Thanks for the kind words and I hope you start feeling better soon.
Snake551g – At times I do feel I focus on one of the guys too much over the other. I wanted to make both males feel like fleshed out characters and work together for the story.
Curse of Kings – Maybe Jayden will get more of a backbone someday… just not today.
Omake
"Pardon me for a moment, I must use the restroom. Help yourself to any of my sandwiches, there's plenty to go around." Cecilia offered, placing her basket of assorted sandwiches in the center of the group.
All eyes were on the center decoration Cecilia placed. Truth be told the sandwiches looked bright, colorful, and they did have a pleasant aroma to them. However, considering Ichika's face when he put it in his mouth though, everyone was hesitant to try one. Everyone except…
"Honne what are you doing!" Jayden cried.
Wrapped in Honne's long sleeve was a BLT sandwich from the basket. "Eating."
Ichika had a sour look on his face. Since Cecilia wasn't here, he could speak freely without hurting her feelings. "You really shouldn't eat those. They don't taste good and I'm pretty sure there are things in there that aren't supposed to be eaten."
"Yeah, it's too dangerous." Rin seconded.
Honne's face pouted. Though it made her look more cute than angry. "You guys are so mean. Just because Cece made one bad sandwich doesn't mean they all bad. She looked like she worked really hard to make them. You can't judge her just cause of one mistake."
Everyone had a guilty look on their faces for assuming the worst about Cecilia's cooking.
With no more distractions, Honne chomped down on a BLT sandwich Cecilia had made. Everyone watched with bated breath as she munched and munched.
"See. It's tastes…" Honne dropped onto the grass.
"I KNEW IT!" Rin pointed at Honne's corpse… I mean body.
"Wait wait wait!" Jayden stopped everyone before they could run off for a nurse. "This is Honne we're talking about. She can fall asleep anywhere at any time."
He wasn't exaggerating. That was a very Honne thing she did.
"Let's just review first. First she took a sandwich." Jayden grabbed a ham and cheese between two pieces of bread. "Than she took a bite of it." The boy did as he said. "And then… she…"
"JAYDEN!" Ichika's jaw dropped as his friend laid KO'd on the grass.
"Wait what's going on? I spaced out for a while." Vishnu stared at the two bodies.
"Oh I can answer that." Rin volunteered. Taking another piece of food from the basket.
"Rin? What are you doing?" Ichika worried.
"Showing Vishnu what happened. First, they took a bite of a Cecilia's sandwich like so…" Five seconds after swallowing, Rin fell apart on the ground lying motionless.
"NOT AGAIN!"
"Ohh now I get it. Thank you, Ms. Huang." Vishnu clapped her hands together.
Ichika's eye twitched as he attempted to comprehend what just happened. Three of his friends willingly ate Cecilia's food despite everything they'd seen. What… what the heck was going on.
"Hey guys I'm back." Houki returned from getting a green tea bottle at the cafeteria. "Sorry I took so… what hap-"
"STOP! DO. NOT. ASK." Ichika pleaded. If no one asked, maybe the cycle would break.
Houki knelt beside Vishnu. "What happened?" She whispered.
Ichika's slammed his palm into his face.
"It's simple really." Vishnu said, picking up a PB&J from the basket. "He took a sandwich from the basket and fed it to someone else. Like so."
"Wait what?"
Caught off guard, Charles never had a chance as the common delight turned abomination was jammed into his mouth. He felt his spirit leave him as the food went down his throat. Shortly after, down went the blond Frenchman.
"Ohhh! So, let me get this straight. He put the sandwich in someone else's mouth?" Houki asked.
"Wait a second… Stupid me. That wasn't what happened. First he took a bite and then…." Vishnu mused. She took a bite of Cecilia's cooking for brain fuel it jogged her memory. And once it was jogged, she did what came next.
The number of causalities increased to five.
Ichika's mouth was open but no sound was leaving in. In a span of less than three minutes all of his friends fell victim to the same trap laid by Cecilia. Was this magic or did Cecilia's food have the ability to lower IQ?
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"
Ichika clamped his hands over his mouth but it was too late. He'd spoken the cursed words.
"Haven't you realized it you idiot?" Houki insulted. "Fine. I'll show you."
"Please don't."
"First they took a sandwich…"
"Andthentheyateitandfellunconsciouspleasedon'teatitplease!" Ichika tried to finish.
"Good. So do you understand."
Ichika sighed in relief. Crisis adverted. Until Houki began munching on the snack in her hand.
"WHY!?"
She looked down at her hand, eyes widening realizing what she'd done. "I… I don't know." Her strength immediately gave out only for Ichika to catch her in time. He gently placed her on the grass.
Whatever this…. Thing was. It had claimed another.
"Did you all enjoy my delicious sandwiches?"
Cecilia had returned. It was as though time had slowed down when Cecilia's eves looked over her fallen friends, the sandwiches in their hands, then to Ichika. Meanwhile Ichika looked like he'd just been caught in the act of committing murder.
"What…"
No no no…
"Happened…"
No no no no no
"Here…?"
Nononononononononononononononono!
As if by magic, Ichika's hand reluctantly grabbed some food from Cecilia's basket. Like some magic force drew his hand to the basket which had claimed so many of his friends. Despite his efforts to resist he couldn't as though an evil auth- puppet master was controlling his body.
"You see…. First they… chose a sandwich… then they… took a bite." He wept as the sandwich assaulted his tastebuds. This one tasted like Cecilia added an entire bottle of food coloring in an attempt to add flavor to it. Gods did it sting in his mouth. "And then they…"
You know what comes next.
"Ichika?" Cecilia picked up her basket, drawing the connection. "Don't tell me…. They enjoyed it that much!" Stars were in her eyes with the widest smile you'd ever seen on her face. This was the fruits of her labor, sending all her friends into unconscious bliss with her delightful creations. "Well I guess this should've been expected when someone of my caliber crafts exquisite food." She let out an ojou-sama laugh to further pat herself on the back.
Once finished she eyed the remaining creations she forged in her basket. Boy did they look delicious. Naturally she felt entitled to a treat for all her effort she put in for her friends. She licked her lips as her hands hovered over a tasty meal to enjoy.
/-/
Eight students were resting inside the school's infirmary. Just that alone ignited the spark of rumors between students for what had gone down on the school's roof. The most popular answer was tied between a love brawl and assassin ninjas.
Gelimer Brighton walked across the aisle as the students laid in a row of beds. According the medical report, there were no traces of poisons or drugs used to place them all in this coma. Their bodies also showed no signs of physical struggle or injury.
He turned to the only evidence found at the supposed scene of the crime. A basket half full of sandwiches. The other half were in a garbage can somewhere and they each had one bite taken out of them, no more and no less.
"Mr. Brighton." It came from Chifuyu, she'd arrived to check in on her brother and the other student's condition. She breathed a heavy of sigh relief seeing they were all going to be okay.
"Ms. Orimura. Good to see you."
"So. What do you think happened?"
"Well…. I have a theory." He grabbed a sandwich from the basket. "It appears they first took a sandwich…"
You know what comes next.