[We interrupt this channel with tonight top news. Trillionaire , Jpop idol , Oscar winner Actor Ichika Orimura is the first male to be able to pilot an IS]

"Fuck "

A handome male figure with an unexplainable handsomeness said while eating chips.

(Scene Change)

"Everyone is present, I see. Well, then. Time to start the short homeroom period..."

Yamada Maya, Vice homeroom teacher, smiled in front of the blackboard.

"Okay, everyone. Let's get along during the next year."

"..."

There was an pin drop silence in the classroom, and not a response was uttered.

"O-Okay. Please introduce yourselves. Um... The same sequence as the class roster, please."

I felt sorry for our flustered vice homeroom teacher, and figured I was the reason. You see the reason was simple: All my classmates were girls. It was the day of the opening ceremony. The beginning of a new life. That was great. Honestly, it was. The problem was, really, that I was the only man in the classroom.

-- This is gonna be troublesome

I wasn't imagining it; everyone was looking at me like a damm vulture, like he looks at a animal for die so that it can put his claws on him. The seat I'd been assigned was part of the problem. It sat in the front-middle of the room. Whether you wanted to or not, you drew attention like hell there.

I looked over towards the window.

"..."

I saw my childhood friend, Shinonono Houki, was gazing out the window. She was also red like tomato after seeing my face.

--"Wonder what happened to her" ?

"...ra."

"Orimura Ichika."

"Yes."

I looked at the teacher and she blushed like crazy.

--"why is she blushing?"

Ichika our handsome protagonist thought while looking at his teacher. All other 29 female students and the vice homeroom teacher were anticipating something while being excited.

--Why isn't our homeroom teacher here. I hadn't seen her yet. That just raised the question of what was she up to?

"Um... I'm sorry if I startled you... A-Are you upset? Are you... I'm sorry.

Really sorry. But... We started the introductions at A and now we're at O...Like Orimura... So... I'm sorry, all right? Can you introduce yourself? Or...N-Not?"

Yamada Maya, my vice homeroom teacher, was apologizing profusely to me. Her strangely large glasses were moving back and forth, and I was afraid they would fall down; that was all I could bring myself to pay attention to. Was she really older than I was? I wouldn't have doubted someone who told me she was my own age.

"Oh, it's all right. Don't apologize I'll introduce myself. Please calm down, Ms. Yamada."

"R-Really? Really, really? P-Promise me. Promise me!"

I could see the enthusiasm in her eyes as she looked up and took my hand.

I was the center of everyone's attention again. All the girls were were glarring daggers in yamada sensei direction like some were even muttering

"That bitch!!"

"How dare she!!"

All those gazes I had felt upon my back were now aimed squarely in front of me. Even Houki was now looking directly at me, insted of away.

" I'm Orimura Ichika. I am Actor , Jpop Idol and Businessman, I am from Tokyo and I hope we can get along these next few years ,"

I said, smiling lightly

The gazes continued . They were clearly looking more horny. I could see it written on their faces that they craved more info. Well, there wasn't much to say.

Just as my inteoduction was over our homeroom teacher entered

--What was Chifuyu doing there?

"Oh, Ms. Orimura. Is the meeting already over?"

"Yes, Yamada. Sorry that you had to greet the class," she replied,

"D-Don't worry, I'm the vice homeroom teacher. I can do this!"

Her teary voice had disappeared, and vice homeroom teacher Yamada Maya was looking at the homeroom teacher warmly.

"Everyone, my name is Orimura Chifuyu. It's my job to turn you greenhorns into useful pilots in a year. Listen to what I say, and remember it. If you can't do something, I'll help you until you can. My job is training you from the age of fifteen to sixteen. Hate me all you want, but listen to what Isay. Got it?"

Chifuyu expected gasps in the classroom, shrill cries of happiness but instead she got silence pin drop silence.

All the girls were looking at ichika with pink hearts in thier eyes.

"I wanna do jumping jacks on his thing !!! "

"A tear just fell down my legs !!! "

I got weirded by those comments

--Are the girls here that horny..?

said by our chad ichika

"Every year we get all these fools. It's impressive, really. Or are they assigning me all the fools?"

Chifuyu said disgusted by the girls comments

"Hahh! Ichika sama ! Abuse me!"

"But be nice sometimes!"

"Spank me so I don't get spoiled!"

I got even more weirded out by my classmates horniness.

"So? Are you going to introduce yourself properly?"

The edge in her voice... Edge, as in the sense of strictness. That was how she spoke with me.

"But, Chifuyu nee, I—"

Bam! Why did she hit me?!

Ichika was beyong enraged

--What was wrong with my introduction?!.

"That's Ms. Orimura to you."

"Yes Ms. Orimura."

Ichika said glaring at his sister

That exchange did not bode well.

"Really? Miss Orimura is Ichika sama sister?"

"Do you think that has something to do with him being the only man in the world who can pilot an IS?"

"Ahh, that must be nice... I wish I could be her..."

Let's forget these girls for a moments .I need to get something out of the way.

--I will take my revenge , my dear sister!

Ichika thought angrily

I felt a cold glare from the chaotic classroom. I looked around; Houki had turned back from looking out the window and was staring at me.

—Why is she so angry now? What did I do?

I decided I'd ask her later.

The bell rang.

"Okay, the short homeroom is over. You'll have to learn all the IS fundamentals in half a month. After that, training begins. Basic movements will take you another two weeks. Got that? Sound off if you do, and even if you don't. I want to hear you."

Wow, what a tyrannical teacher. She was a demon in my sister's skin. No,a demon would have been more flexible; they're not human, after all. The human in front of me was so nasty.Orimura Chifuyu was the former Japanese firstgen IS pilot. She was unbeaten in official competitions. One day, she retired and disappeared— or rather, she became a teacher

"Sit down, fool."

—This Bitch!!!

"Oh..."

—How Boooooooriiiinnnggg...

"..."

The first period was "Basics of IS Theory," and when it ended, we had break. However, the weird atmosphere in the classroom made it hard to do

anything. The IS Academy had regular classes right off the bat so they could

drill IS knowledge into us until we almost passed out. Need an orientation?

"Look at the map," they said.

I wasn't sure if there even was a resolution to my situation. Again, everyone was a girl, and it wasn't just my class. The whole school was like that. And since the news that I was the only man who could pilot an IS went around the world, there was a huge uproar in the world people were divded onto supporting me to go to the Is academy or being only an Internet celebrity. Outside, the hallway was packed with second- and third-year students. Nobody really talked to me, though. Their wet fantasies hero was in front of them they were all blushing and muttering strange things.

The girls in my class were the same. They all wanted to talk to me but beacuse of the fear of bad impression they did not, Were afraid their friends would talk to me. By the way, this was the only IS Academy in the world. There were a lot of other schools that had classes to prepare their students for it, though. And everyone in them was female.

The girls clearly weren't used to seeing a man, and to add salt to the wound the most handsome man was in front of them some were even fainted by blood leaking through thier nose , anyway men were in a bad state in the world,It was soon going to be 10 years after the IS was unveiled to the world.

That was when everything changed. All the other war machines were just hunks of steel to an IS. It toppled the established military balance. Since a Japanese citizen had invented it, the Japanese then had a monopoly on IS technology. Foreign nations, in their fear, made the IS Usage Treaty, also called the Alaska Pact. This meant the release of all IS information, formed a supranational body for research and training, and outlawed military usage.

So, now the number of IS pilots of a country represented how much military power it had, in cases of emergency self-defense and so on. And the pilots were all girls... So all the countries immediately started giving girls preferential treatment.

The concept that "girls = powerful" had spread and conquered the world.

Now, after 10 years, women held all the power over men.

The Entire reason I Became a celebrity was this reason , because it was women dominated world so if thier is a man with very handsome features the females will go nuts and that is what happeneing in front of me.

If that man appeared to challenge that, well, that would blow out thier mind, wouldn't it? And that supposed man was also a celebrity icing on the top.

So there we were. I looked over at the girl next to me, and she blushed and looked away. I could tell she still wanted me to talk to her. When you think about it, they were all sexually gazing me, so that made it harder for me to talk to them as well.

—Someone save me from this...

Can I have a word with you?"

"Hm?"

Someone was talking to me. Had she won the knockout tournament among the girls regarding who got to talk to me? No, there was sudden unrest in the class. One of the girls had decided to make a move on her own.

"Houki?"

"..."

My childhood friend from six years back was standing in front of me; Shinonono Houki. I used to take lessons at her family's dojo. She wore a ponytail like she always had. The ponytail was long, going below the shoulder, and she'd bound it with a white ribbon. Probably white because her father was a priest— they ran both a dojo and a shrine. She was of average height for a girl, but because of years of training with a sword, she seemed taller than she was. She always looked like she was in a bad mood, but that was genetic, or so I was told. I figured chances weren't all that low that she hated me, though. Like, I wasn't imagining it that she glared at me when I called her by her first name. Houki always looked kind of like a sword herself in my mind, but the years since I'd seen her had only made hersharper and harder, it seemed.

"Can we talk in the hallway?"

I guess she didn't want to talk in the classroom. Nonetheless, I was glad to get a chance to escape.

"Get going."

"..."

Houki strode away into the hallway. The girls there opened a path for . We were out in the hallway, but at about fourmeters in every direction were more girls. They were all listening to us. I could feel it. It was no different than talking in the classroom, if you asked me. I lit up my cigar ans started smoking while looking at the scenery

"So, by the way..."

"Yeah?"

I remembered something, and talked first. Houki hadn't talked to me after dragging me out into the hallway. Pretty wild.

"I heard you won the national kendo tournament last year. Congrats."

"..."

Houki turned red like tomato after I said that. Was she upset? Why the hell would she be? I was complimenting her.

"H-How do you know that?"

"I read it in the newspapers..."

"Why are you looking at the papers?!"

I gave her a weid look she realized and stopped being hyper, What was Houki talking about? I didn't get it. Let me read the damn newspapers. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention it, but she always talked a bit like a man, or a samurai.

"Oh, also."

"Y-Yes?!"

"..."

"No, never mind..

Houki looked uncomfortable now. Maybe she was trying to glare less? Atthe same time she looked worked up, though. She was weird.

"It's been a while. Six years, right? But I knew it was you right away,Houki."

"Really..."

"You've got your hair the same."

Ichika spoked in a sexy voice and houki blushed even more

"I-I'm surprised you remember."

"Hey, I wouldn't forget my childhood friend."

"..."

Whoops. Glaring at me again. What did I do

now?

Ichika signed

Ding-dong. Break had ended.

The bell rang to signal the beginning of the second period. The cordon of girls around me and Houki disintegrated. It looked like little spiders scattering into every which direction. IS pilots were so swift in how they moved.

"Let's head back."

"I-I know we have to."

Houki averted her eyes and walked away at the same brisk pace.

My childhood friend had no intention of waiting for me, it seemed. Six years change people, don't they? As if. She'd always been like that.

Stubbornness, daily training, steady progress... Those words suited Houki

better than most boys, and had all the way since elementary school.

Personally, I'd love it if she could be a bit more spontaneous, but...

"..."

She glared at me again.

--What?

She looked away blushing

Just before my sister could hit me i dodged and seated on my own place. She looked annoyed Haa 1 for 1 Bitch!!! and lunch came.

"Thus, using an IS unit requires the approval of the country, and any violation thereof is a criminal offense," Ms. Yamada recited from the textbook.

She'd lost me a while before that.

"..."

There were five books on her table. She was leafing through the top one, rattling down vocab I didn't know.

—Is it just me? Anybody else? You guys understand this shit? Active something, wide area-whatever... What's all that mean? Are we supposed to remember that?

I looked at the girl next to me... She was nodding as she took notes. I guess they'd had prep lessons before coming to the IS Academy.

IS pilots were the main line of national defense, so our school was rearing the best of the best. Only the very finest students passed the entrance exams.

I don' t wanna do anything... There was no way... I am gonna study. I hung my head, feeling bored, and looked at the girls taking notes around me.

"C-Can I help you?"

Like I figured, she was nervous and surprised. She was also expecting more to come from me, and smiled.

"Oh, never mind. It's nothing. Sorry."

Ichika unintentionally gave his sexy smile which made the girl blushed.

"O-Okay..."

She seemed to be disappointed and relieved at the same time, and returned to taking notes.

"Orimura, is there anything you don't understand?"

Ms. Yamada had, apparently, noticed me talking to the girl next to me.

"Um..."

I flipped the pages of my textbook.

For others it seemed like he was just flipping through book but Ichika had already memorized the entire book in in that couple of seconds

"Please ask if there's anything you don't understand. I'm your teacher, after all!"

Ms. Yamada proudly proclaimed, posturing upright.

—Well, looks like I have pop her bubble.

"No, Teach!"

"Oh..." she replied sadly

"I understand everything."

I decided to be upfront with it. People were pretty shocked of it.

"Um... E-Everything?"

Ms. Yamada looked confused and startled. The respectable teacher act had disappeared.

"U-Um... Is anybody else having problems understanding it besides Orimura?"

Everyone raised their hand. Fools if you don't have the basics down, you'll have even more problems later.

"Orimura, did you read the entire textbooks I gave you before you entered here?" asked my sister Chifuyu, from the corner of the classroom.

—Okay, let's be honest here.

"Yeah I did."

--I lied

Everyone was even more shocked now

My sister asked me an difficult queation just to test me and to find an reason to hit me, too bad I answerd it correctly and now she only glared which I returned with a blank stare. She was worse than the drill serge. A human being in the shape of a demon, being human made her all the more cruel. She knew the best ways to make others suffer.

"The IS eclipses traditional weapons with maeuverability and power.Using that kind of power without understanding it invites disaster; it's imperative you understand what you're doing. Remember what the books say, even if you don't get it, and act accordingly. That's what rules are all about."

Yeah, sure. Just so we're clear, I wasn't in that situation because I wanted to be. One day, Some women in black suits showed up and left me with an application form for the IS Academy, whatever the hell that was about. They talked about protecting me or something, but does that really mean throwing me into a school full of horny teenage girls? I wanted them to protect me from that instead—

especially from my sister, Chifuyu

"U-Um... Orimura. If you need help, I'll help you the things you don't understand after school, okay? All right?"

Ms. Yamada came up to me defensively. She was smaller than me, so she had to look up.

"Okay. I'll come visit you after school."

I took my seat again. Chifuyu also returned to the corner of the classroom.

"I-I'll be alone with a student after school...

who is also very handsome and popular Oh, no! Th-This is bad, Orimura. I go along with everything when I'm pressured... And I've never been with a man before..."

"I-I'll be alone with a student after school...

who is also very handsome and popular

Oh, no! Th-This is bad, going to be okay? IS pilots couldn't handle men at all, could they? The gazes of the other girls were painful. If their looks could physically harm me, I would have turned into Swiss cheese.

"B-But you're also Ms. Orimura's brother..."

"Um... Ms. Yamada, please continue the lesson."

"O-Okay!"

Eventually, my sister called Ms. Yamada back from her reverie. Ms.Yamada rushed back to the front, stumbled, and fell

"Uhh... Ouchies."

—What an insecure klutz we have as a teacher.

I felt like our classes were going to be a bit of a problem.

"Do you have a moment?"

"Huh?"

I thought the class atmosphere was going to be awkward again during the break after second period, but instead a girl had come up to talk to me. I reacted lazily, She has natural blonde hair. She looked at me with clear blue eyes, the kind that only white people had. Her hair was curly, and she gave off the impression of someone of high birth who had already found her place in society.Due to the IS, women received much better treatment than men in the world; to say it was favorable would be an understatement. Women just had all the power, and men were brought to be slaves, and for manual labor. It wasn't rare to see men in town being made to do things by random women they ran into. The girl in front of me was just like that. She had her hands on her hips, strangely blushing, demonstrating to me who she thought was in charge. The IS Academy had to allow foreign nationals to enter unconditionally, so seeing foreign girls wasn't rare. Perhaps only half my class was actually Japanese, if even that many.

"Are you listening? What is your answer?"

"Oh,I'm listening. What do you want?" I answered.

"Goodness! What sort of response is that? Don't you believe you should address me in a way that reflects the honor I bestow upon talking to you?"

she replied, having raised her voice.

"..."

Man, I hated their type. They could use the IS, and were a country's military strength. IS pilots had all the power, and IS pilots were always girls. That didn't give them the right to lord it over us, did it? It was basically violence against men.

"Sorry, but that name's not ringing any bells."

I had no clue. She had probably introduced herself at some point, but I didn't bother remember it. I'd been too mad that Chifuyu was my homeroom teacher. The girl in front of me was shocked by this. Well, maybe she

should've just told me her stupid name. She narrowed her eyes and continued to belittle me.

"You don't know me? Me, Cecilia Alcott? I'm the British National Cadet,

I had no clue. She had probably introduced herself at some point, but I didn't bother remember it. I'd been too mad that Chifuyu was my homeroom teacher. The girl in front of me was shocked by this. Well, maybe she

should've just told me her stupid name. She narrowed her eyes and continued to belittle me.

Oh, so her name was Cecilia. Interesting.

"Hey, can I ask a question?"

"Hmph. Enlightening the rabble is part of the duties of nobility. Go on,then"

"Didn't your family took a loan from me? and havent paid it yet"

"Dammmmmmmmm !!!!!"

Some of the girls in the classroom who had been listening were whispering 'damm' now.

"A... A... A..."

"Ah?"

"Are you really asking that?!"

She glared at me menacingly. In a manga, the artist would have drawn her rage veins.

"Yeah. It was 700 million euros loan ."

I repield sternly while folding my hands

She got red by embarrasment

"..."

Cecilia's rage calmed down. She put a finger on her temple and began to mumble.

"Unbelievable. Utterly unbelievable. The island nations of the far east are truly a land of savages. Don't you knowmy status, This is common knowledge, you plebeian. Have you no television?"

This whoree!!!!.

"What?" I asked.

"I am a National Cadet, An elite student picked as their country's IS pilot. You should be able to understand as much from the word itself."

"so."

I suppose it was easy to make fun of her.

" The elite!"

Back to business for her. Truly, the elite National Cadet. She pointed her finger at me. It was so close that it almost touched my nose.

"Ordinarily it would be a miracle if someone exceptional, like myself, would share a class with you. Appreciate your luck. I recommend being a little more aware of it."

"I say elite people are not debted now do they?"

The entire class laughed at her

"Are you making fun of me?"

—You're the one who initiated it in the first place...

"I'm stunned that you were able to enter this school despite knowing nothing about the IS. I heard that you are the only man able to pilot the IS, so I expected a little more knowledge from you... But I was disappointed."

"It's best not to expect anything from me."

"Hmph. On the other hand, I am a person of vast magnanimity. I will treat you properly."

How very... "magnanimous" of you. Never met anyone half as good in my 15 years on this Earth.

"If you don't understand something about the IS, well... Cry to me that you need help and I might just help you. I am, after all, the elite of the elite who managed to beat a teacher during the entrance exam. The only one."

—The only one...? Wait a sec.

"Entrance exam? Like, the one where you move the IS and fight and stuff?"

"There is no other is there?

"Hm... Pretty sure I beat the teacher, too."

"You what?"

I really had. Well, she'd come barging in, I'd dodged her, and she had knocked herself out flying into a wall. Nothing more.Still, what I'd said was apparently a shock for Cecilia. Her eyes opened in shock.

"I-I was told that I was the only one..."

"The only girl, right? There is a slight distinction."

Gotcha!

I could swear I heard something... weird. It sounded like icicles fracturing.

"S-So... I'm not the only one?"

"Beats me."

"You? You beat a teacher?!"

"Apparently, anyway."

"Apparently?! What does that mean?!"

she protested.

"Hey, calm down. All right?"

"H-How am I supposed to calm d—"

Ding-dong.

The beginning of third period interrupted our discussion. It was a blessing,frankly.

"I shall return! Don't run away from me! Got it?"

—maybe she is on her period, some bitch...

But I didn't say that out loud because I didn't want her to be even more annoying at me.

"I will explain the different aspects of the equipment you'll be using in training now."

Unlike the first and second period, my sister Chifuyu led the class instead of Ms. Yamada. But Ms. Yamada was still around carrying a notebook, itseemed.

"Oh, but first we need to select a representative for the class league match the week after next,"

Chifuyu said, offhandedly.

—Class league match? Representative?

"The class representative is just that. They won't just participate in the league match, but also on the student council, as well as committee meetings. They're the class president. The class league match determines the various levels in competence between the different classes. Right now there won't be much difference, but competition engenders improvement. It's only going to take place once, then the ranking is fixed."

The girls began to talk among themselves. I had no idea what was going on, and just sat there. I figured we were talking, ostensibly, about electing a class rep. It was probably kind of a pain in the butt. Bless the one who endedup with this chore.

"Well then, I suggest Ichika sama."

—Hm? Did my class have more than one Orimura? How funny.

"Yeah, I agree."

—Wow. I don't care who turns into the class rep, as long as it isn't me.

"Then the first candidate will be Orimura Ichika. Any others? No self recommendation."

—Oh, wow. There was apparently another dude called Orimura Ichika.

"Me?!"

I stood up. Everyone stared. I knew without turning around that everyone was looking at me, hoping I would solve all their troubles.

"Orimura, sit down. You're disturbing class. Any others? If not, then we don't even have to vote on this."

"Hold on! I'm not going to do—"

"No self-disapproval. If they recommend you, you can't refuse it.

Get ready to do your job."

"No, I—"

I was trying to argue against this development when I was cut off by a shrill voice.

"Please wait! I cannot agree to this!"

Cecilia had slammed her table and stood up. Bless my popularity. Getting along with people was important.

"What is this farce of an election? Do you want to disgrace this class by having a male representative? I, Cecilia Alcott, will not abide this humiliation for an entire year!"

— Huh This blonde bitch !

"If ability is what counts for class representative, then I should be the natural choice. I will not accept this Far Eastern monkey as my representative just because he's a rarity. I came to this island nation to study the IS and train, not to participate in a circus sham!"

--I SWEAR TO GOD IF I WAS A WOMAN I WOULD BEAT THE SHIT OUT THAT BLONDE WESTERN PIECE OF SHIT!!!!!!

"The most able fighter should be the class representative, and that is clearly me!"

Her rage did not subside; if anything, she was getting more and more worked up. I didn't want to be the rep, but this bitch was piss me off.

"Besides, having to live in this pre-modern country is already seriously offensive to me, and—"

—The hell?

"And what are you so proud of in Britain? You've had the world's worst food for years," I blurted out.

"Wha--"

"And for you kind information IS birth place was japan and don't your british ass still take order from states. Oh I forgot you steal everything thing don't you so the thought of IS made originally in japan was got over your dumb bitchass mind, And your whore ass believes it was made in the kingdom of thieves don't you."

"Wha—"

--My savage reply made everyone in the class shocked the dumb bitch was more redder than the colour red hah sucks to be you!!!

My sister was also glaring at me but did nothing.

I looked back, and saw dumbbitch red with rage. Wow. I am scared. ha!.

"Y-You! How dare you insult my motherland!"

Ichika just smugly smiled

"I challenge you to a duel!"

Cecilia slammed her hand on the table. I wondered if she would throw a tantrum at me Anyway

"Listen if you crave so much for the postion you can have it, Besides why should I waste my energy fighting a worthless women like you".

All the fans girls of Ichika were cheering him with board in which Ichika sama is great alcott is alcunt written. Cecilia looked like she would cry at any moment by Ichika bullying her

"You must be a coward since youvare refusing my challenge."

"Think whatever you want to think you dumb cunt"

Cecilia was now furious by the amount of insults thrown at her

"Since thier is no middle ground between you two, We will decide who the class representative is by a match".

Chifuyu said sternly while looking at both of them.

"Orimura sensei no offense but why should I fight for the postion which I do not desire,That is completely unreasonable".

Chifuyu continued glaring her brother at his response but ichika remained unfathed soon everyone beside them where sweatdropping buckets.

Ichika sighs

"Fine. You're on."

"Just so you know, if you lose, I will make you my maid... No, my slave."

"Oh, you'll see. I'm not going to go easy on you."

"All right. Perfect. This will be your chance to witness the abilities of the British National Cadet, Cecilia Alcott!"

I'd gone with the flow and now I had to battle her, apparently. As a Chad , I didn't think it was quite right for me to use all my strength against a girl,though.

"What kind of handicap do you think is okay?" I asked.

"Oh, are you already begging?"

"No, I just want to know how much of a handicap you want."

Suddenly, the entire class started laughing.

"I-Ichika sama, are you serious?"

"Men aren't stronger than women anymore. That was ages ago."

"Ichika sama, maybe you can use an IS, but you're living in the past."

They were all laughing. Well, I guess they don't know me well men are weaker than women. Physical strength was useless. Maybe not all girls could pilot an IS, but the only ones with the potential for it were girls. Men couldn't pilot them on principle. If a war erupted on gender lines, then the male

military wouldn't last three days. Maybe not even three hours. The IS outclassed all forms of conventional weaponry.

"Okay, no handicap then."

"Yes, yes. Of course. If anything, it should be I who gives you a handicap. Fufu. A man, stronger than a woman? Japanese men have a sense of humor!"

she responded smugly; her rage had all but evaporated.

"Hey, Ichika sama. It's not too late. You can still ask Cecilia to give you a handicap,"

said a friendly girl from behind me.

However, I could see she was suppressing a smile. She was messing with me, which furthered my annoyance.

"Why would I need a handicap?"

"You're not taking a National Cadet seriously enough... Or maybe you don't know."

"..."

Ichika just smugly smiled

Well, I'd never seen an IS battle in person. All I'd seen was some old footage from when my sister Chifuyu had fought.

"Looks like we have a conclusion. The battle will be next Monday. Third arena, after school. Orimura, Alcott: make your preparations until then. We will begin the lesson now."

Chifuyu clapped her hands once to end the discussion.

I said nothing and sat down. I wasn't sure what to feel about the situation. I mean they don't know me.

Ichika just smirked to himself.

"Ugh..."

I had basically collapsed over my desk after school.

"I am so bored?"

The general situation with the girls didn't change after school. They came over, even from other classes, and talked among

themselves in hushed voices.

—Gimme a break already...

It'd been hell during lunch break already. The whole crowd of girls had followed me to the cafeteria like a bunch of stalkers and in the cafeteria nobody had sat next to me, of course—

"Oh, Orimura. You're still in the classroom. Good."

"Huh?"

I looked up and saw my vice homeroom teacher, Ms. Yamada, with a textbook in hand. Not that it matters, but she really looked so small. In reality, she was probably of average height.

"Um... We have a room for you in the dorms now,"

she said, while handing me a piece of paper with my room number on it and a key. All students of the IS Academy lived in the dorms. It was more out of obligation than anything else. Supposedly, the reason for it was to be quick in response to protect the future IS pilots. I mean, the national defense was on the line. Other countries were probably trying to recruit students away from the academy, too. Actually, I knew that they were, all the time.

"I thought I didn't have one yet? They told me I'd be commuting from home for a week."

"Well, things have changed. We've made certain arrangements with the room allocations to make this possible."

Then she leaned close to my ear and said,

"Orimura, did the government tell you that?"

The government was, of course, the Japanese government. After all, I wasthe only male IS pilot; they wanted to keep me safe and under surveillance or something. But because of the support of my fans they can't do shit to me after all some of my fans world wide even killed themselves for saving myself, Well I do feel bad about them. At one point, my name which was limited to certain amount of population was now worldwide. The media, ambassadors, and eventually even genetic research institutes, all showed up on my doorstep wanting to research me, or something. As if I would have agreed to this shit.

"After all the chaos, they wanted to put you in to the dorm as fast as possible. In a month or so you will have your own room, but for the time being, you will have to share one."

"Ms. Yamada You're breathing into my ear."

Why was she still whispering, anyway? Everyone in the classroom was giving us curious looks.

"Oh, I... Um... I didn't do that on purpose!"

"I know that, but Anyway, since I won't be going home again, can I leave early and gather my belongings so I can move?"

"Oh, that won't be—"

"I took care of it. Thank me later,"

Chifuyu butted in.

"I only got you the bare necessities for life: a change of clothes and your phone charger."

While Ms. Yamada and I were engaged in this conversation, the girls out in the corridor started whispering.

"Thank God Ichika sama is staying dorms"

Chifuyu was irritated for some reason but that made me happy

"It says on the paper when you can go there. Dinner is from six to seven in the first year cafeteria. Every room has a shower, but we have a large bath as well. The different grades have different times for the bath... But, you can't use it for the time being, Orimura."

"Why not? Who doesn't like a good bath?"

I inquired.

"Are you stupid? Or do you want to bathe together with girls your age?"

"No I wanted to bath at a seperate time"

"What? You're not interested in girls? Th-That's not good either..."

" Yamada sensei, I am a perfectly heterosexual male"

"I-I see"

While Ms. Yamada and I were engaged in conversation again, the girls out in the corridor started whispering again.

"Thank God Ichika sama likes females"

"Thank kami!!"

"Well looks like I don't need to have the sex change operation after all."

--I will ignore the last one

"Um, we have a meeting now, so... You have to go to the dorms afterwards, Orimura. Don't loaf around on the way."

It was, like, 50 meters to the dorms. There was no way to loaf around somewhere. I mean, there were club rooms, the IS arena, IS maintenance facilities, development facilities and other buildings on campus, but that had nothing to do with me yet. Eventually I'd have to check it all out, but I just wanted to get some rest, and to be free of the girls looking at me all the time.

"Hmm..."

Chifuyu looked after Ms. Yamada as she left the room and followed her. What a day. There was still a lot of talking in the classroom, but I decided that enough was enough and went to find my dorm room. Anything was better than staying there.

"Hmm... Should be here. Room 1025."

I checked the room number again and used the key. It was unlocked.

Ka-chick.

The first thing I saw was a large bed. Two of them, actually. They looked pretty comfortable, certainly not better than the one I have. I put my belongings down and jumped onto the bed;

"Is someone there?"

I heard a voice from another room. I figured there was a door between us. The voice was kind of unclear. I remembered that they'd told me there was a shower.

"Oh, you must be living here now, too. Let's get along together, shall we?"

"Sorry that I'm looking like this. I was in the shower. I'm Shinonono... Houki..."

Out of the shower room came my childhood friend Houki, with whom I was just barely reunited. She had been using the shower, directly adjacent from the beds, and she was coming out of it. Houki apparently thought that.