Infinite Stratos Volume 4

  Chapter I: Welcome to Summer!

  It was August. And it was miserably, impossibly hot. I’d never liked summers in this country. Really, I’d always hated them. It wasn’t even my country, anyway. I was here, first brought by my parents, and then later sent by my homeland.

  Huang Lingyin. That was my name. I am a national cadet, the pilot of the IS ‘Shenlong.’ And, currently, I am a first year student at IS Academy.

  “Uggghh, it’s soooo hot...” IS Academy began its summer vacation in August, later than most other schools, so around half of its students had returned home for the break. I’d thought about doing so too, but...

  “.........”

  But I didn’t. It’s not like I’d have been able to see my family even if I did, and it’s not like I wanted to spend all vacation training at some base. Plus, I had one other reason. He’s still there, I bet. Ugh. Why do I always have to take the first step? Is he ever gonna grow a spine? Frustration welled up in me as I stalked through the (not even air-conditioned!) halls of the dorm. You know what? I should just wait him out. I made a quick U-turn—only to come face-to-face with exactly who was frustrating me.

  “Oh, hey, Rin! What’s up?”

  “I-Ichika?! What are you doing here?! I thought you were in your room!”

  “Nah, I forgot to turn in my report. Hey, what’s that you’re holding?”

  “Oh, those? Nothing!”

  Reflexively, I hid the tickets in my hand behind my back. Ugh... I just completely blew it. I could’ve just said something like “Oh, you noticed? Well actually...” and tried to pass it off. I totally could’ve!

  “......?”

  Bleh, now he was giving me that ‘what’s your problem?’ look of his. I cleared my throat.

  “Pretty hot today, isn’t it.”

  “Mm? You think so? It’s a bit cool for the time of year.”

  “No, it’s hot! Summers here are always so hot!”

  “Oh, right, you never did like warm weather.”

  Uh. Hmm. I was a little bit happy that he remembered that from when we were little. Jeez, why was I so happy about that when he kept forgetting the important things?

  “Anyway, if it’s bothering you that much, wanna hang out in my room? I can put the air on.”

  Hm? Was this finally my chance?

  “Y-Yeah, I guess. If you insist. You’ve got something for me to drink, right?”

  “Sure. Barley tea’s okay?”

  “If it’s cold, I’ll take it.”

  I came up alongside Ichika as I spoke. The dorms were quiet, and it felt like we were alone. I really hope I don’t smell all sweaty. The thought suddenly sprung to my mind, and I took a half-step away from Ichika.

  No, I was fine. Well... I thought I was fine, but honestly, in this weather, anyone would sweat a little, so there was no point worrying about it. Yeah, no point worrying!

  “C’mon, Rin!”

  “Wh-What?!”

  Ichika pushed his face up toward mine. Wait, too close, too close! I reflexively pushed it away.

  “I’ve been trying to get your attention, but you were spaced out.”

  “Really? Oh! Sorry about that! I-I was just thinking about something!”

  “Thinking about something? Huh.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Oh, nothing. Anyway, if there’s someone you can talk about it with, you should. It’s not good to keep things bottled up.

  “Hmph. You don’t need to tell me that.”

  Ugh. My heart was pounding. Why’d he have to be like this? He’d started growing again, and he was a pilot now, and... He wasn’t really that lame little kid anymore... My mind racing, I fell silent, and soon he began to stare at my face again.

  “Rin?”

  “What do you want?!”

  “What do you mean? We’re here. Let’s go in.”

  “I-I noticed, you know.”

  I followed Ichika into his room. It wasn’t the first time I’d been there, but this time, I just couldn’t relax. Ugh... C’mon, what’s wrong with me? This was bad. The second I sat down on his bed, I could feel how bad it was.

  He smells so good... And it was his room, so everything smelled like him. I needed to get a hold of myself, and I couldn’t. Ugggghhhhh... I wanted to swing my legs back and forth and work off some of the nervous energy, but I didn’t want him to see me doing it, so I settled for a quiet sway.

  After a little bit, I noticed a book placed on the table. A book... Or really, a photo album.

  “You still take photos?”

  “Mm? Kinda. The past few years, Chifuyu hasn’t been around, so... Yeah. The one with you, and me, and her is probably the last one. Do you remember that? Back in middle school, right before you moved?”

  “Kinda.” That was a lie. It wasn’t just a vague memory. I still remembered it like it was yesterday. “I don’t get it. It was Chifuyu’s idea, right? To take family photos every few months? It doesn’t seem like something she’d be into at all.”

  “I guess. Most of them aren’t just us. She said it was important to remember everyone else who was around us, too. —Oh, here, here’s some tea. It’s nice and cold.”

  “Thanks.”

  As I sipped, I casually felt for my wallet in my shirt pocket. Good... It’s still there.

  “Can I take a look?”

  “Sure, fine. I just went through and sorted it.”

  Trying my hardest to pretend that I was just curious since I saw it out, I flipped through the album. This was the first time I’d really paid attention to it, I think. The first page was, as expected, a picture of Ichika and Chifuyu. How old were they then? Chifuyu was in a middle school uniform, and Ichika was so tiny.

  “That’s from when I was in first grade.”

  “Oh, is it the first one?”

  “I guess. I haven’t seen any older ones.”

  It seemed like he was about to add “...for some reason,” and I agreed. Chifuyu cared so much about him, so why was their first photo already in elementary school?

  Ah. Did all the older ones have their parents? I didn’t really know when his parents had disappeared, though I’d heard it was from before he really knew what was happening around him...

  “Well, that’s enough of that.”

  Ichika turned the page.

  He looks so shy. Little Ichika really didn’t like having his picture taken, it seemed. It was adorable, and looking at it cheered me up a little.

  Lately we hardly ever get to spend any time alone together like this. Ah... Alone... Together... Ugh, I shouldn’t have thought about that... My heart is starting to— By the time I noticed, it was too late. My face was beginning to flush, and I could feel my cheeks burn.

  “Hmm, I think this one’s from second grade. We went picking grapes on a field trip.”

  Suddenly. So, so suddenly. He sat down next to me. My heart leapt into my throat as the creak of the bed echoed. Eh? Uh, ah... I, I hope I don’t smell bad... But... We’re on his bed... We’re sitting next to each other, on his bed... When I watched cartoons as a little kid, the theme song for the one with a team of girls had a line about ‘my brain short-circuiting’ that I just didn’t understand. It was some seriously bittersweet nostalgia remembering when I was naive enough to think that just sounded dumb. And how come it could short out that easily, anyway? That sounded like a defective part. Whose fault was that soldering job?

  “Rin.”

  “Fwah?!”

  Where did that sound even come from in me? Ugh, it must have sounded so lame. I can’t believe I just did that...

  “Wanna?”

  Eh?

  Ehh?

  EHHH?

  Wait, wait, whaaa
aaat. I needed a who-what-when-where-why-how. Gimme a moment, here. Really? Ichika is actually— That was really, really to the point... What kind of sadist makes a girl answer a question like that? Was he teasing me because he liked me? Wait, was that it? Did he like me? Did Ichika really like me?

  “Not interested?”

  “Um, er, I-I need a second.”

  “Sure.”

  What the hell was going on here? My heart was pounding like it was about to explode. My face was so hot it hurt, and I could feel the sweat pouring off me. Ugh, I really, really shouldn’t have thought about that... Just thinking about the sweat was putting me in a panic.

  Ugh, I should have showered before I came... No, wait. If I’d done that, it would have been because I was expecting something to happen. Something like this. Right?

  “You don’t have to hold back.”

  Eek! Ichika’s voice had drawn even closer, and I involuntarily leapt a few centimeters. Ba-dum, Ba-dum. My heart was pounding. Ceaselessly. Intensely, like a downpour.

  “Ichi... ka...”

  I nervously looked up at Ichika, and he was staring directly at me. Oh no... I can’t... Hold back...

  “Well?”

  “Yes...... Oh, yes...”

  “Mm.”

  He nodded, and reached out his hand to me, and...

  “All right, I’ll pour you another glass.”

  “...Huh?”

  What was that?

  “Another... glass?”

  “Of barley tea.”

  “Barley tea?”

  “You said you wanted some, right?”

  “I did?”

  After a few seconds of blankly repeating back what he said, Ichika’s words broke my trance—and my heart.

  “Oh, did you think I meant something else?”

  “What? No! Absolutely not! No way, you creep!”

  Smack! The staccato sound of an open-palm slap filled the room.

  ◆

  “Owww, that hurt.”

  “Hmph!”

  Ten minutes later, Ichika was still rubbing his cheek where I slapped him. It must have really hurt, since his lips were still curled from the pain as if they’d stayed where I pushed them to. Serves you right! He deserved it for leading me on like that. And you know it! That was just— It was...

  “.........”

  If he had kissed me then... No, no, no, no, no! No way! He would never have done that! Ichika? We all know how he is. He’s gonna be a complete blockhead until the day he dies. Probably afterward, too. Thinking about it that way made me squirm in embarrassment at how I’d misread him. My face turned a painful red again, for an entirely different reason. Ugh... Maybe I should slap him again... With that idea rolling around the back of my head, I took another peek at his face.

  “.........”

  Well, I may have been wrong about how he felt, but I wasn’t wrong about how I felt. That’s why just thinking about how he wasn’t even trying to tease me made me even angrier. We’ve known each other how long, and he still can’t figure it out?

  He was even like that when we saw each other for the first time in over a year. When I was training in China as a national cadet, and saw the news stories about ‘the boy who could pilot an IS,’ just seeing Ichika’s face for the first time in over a year made my heart flutter; even though it was only on TV. Then, because I was the right age and already had experience living in Japan, I was sent back to study at IS Academy. I was happy I’d see him again—happy, and looking forward to what might happen. When we were little, I’d always told him I’d cook for him every day... Meaning, we’d live together, maybe even get married. In middle school I never really had the opportunity to show off with a meal, but now...

  Well, it was a nice thought. His response? “Wow, free food? For me? You’re awesome, Rin!” Close, so close, but oh-so-dismayingly off the mark. Sigh... I could feel the exhausted weight of dejection settling on my shoulders, but before I let it drag me down I was going to make one last push.

  Anyway! Today will be different, I know it! From my pocket, I pulled out two slips of paper. Calm down, Lingyin. It’ll be fine. You practiced this.

  “Ichika.”

  “Hm?”

  “Aren’t you gonna go anywhere for summer vacation?”

  “Huh, now that you mention it that sounds nice.”

  All right! It’s working!

  “So you didn’t have anything set up? Jeez. Looks like I’ll have to bail you out.”

  “And let me guess, I’m gonna have to pay you back.”

  “Nothing, this time,” was what I wanted to say, but I cut myself off. I always wanted something, and being nice just this once would make him suspicious. He might even figure out that I like him.

  “Well, duh. Everyone knows you’ve gotta pay to play, jeez.”

  I ended up putting it the same way I usually did. Thinking back, I’d always gotten Ichika to pay me back. I think it started the first time he came to my parents’ restaurant for dinner. I was overjoyed, and I wanted him to keep coming back so I told him it was free.

  Even back then he had told me, “No, no, that’s no good. After all, they say there’s no such thing as a free lunch, and besides, your dad’s cooking is great. So, please, let me pay.”

  I ended up giving in and taking his money. I didn’t really think the food at my place was that amazing, but I guess it was just because I had it every day. It made me happy to hear him happy about it though.

  Of course, my parents knew exactly what I was up to... That was miserable... Mmm. Thinking about my time with my family made my heart ache. That was another reason I didn’t go back to China this summer. I don’t want to think about that right now... It was better to forget about that for the time being. Otherwise, Ichika would notice the one thing he was really good at noticing—when someone was feeling down.

  “Mm.”

  “What are those?”

  Ichika was staring at the tickets I’d pulled out. That was a bite... time to set the hook.

  “Didn’t you hear about it? They’re for the water park that just opened up this month. And I should mention, they’re already pre-sold out. If you want to go there and try your luck, you might get in, but only after you stand in line a couple hours.”

  “Really.”

  Ugh. He was sooooooo dense. Didn’t he realize just how hard these were to get my hands on?

  “So, when are we going?” he asked.

  “W-We?”

  “That’s what you’re here for, right?”

  “Well, yeah, but...” Perfect! I had had no idea how I was going to get him to come along with me, but it looks like I didn’t even have to work at it! No, wait... I needed to calm down. I’d learned, over and over, that the most important time for caution was when victory was in your grasp. “Well. I don’t think there’s anyone else who’d drag you along. You should be grateful.”

  I slapped him gently on the cheek with the tickets. I was talking a big game, but I felt like my chest is about to explode.

  “So, how much?”

  “2,500 yen.”

  “Isn’t that kinda high?”

  “You don’t have to buy it if you don’t want to. I’ve got other offers.”

  That wasn’t a lie. I just didn’t want to take them. After all, the only reason I’d bothered was to set up something with him.

  “Okay, fine. Sold. When are we going?”

  “Tomorrow, Saturday.”

  “That’s not a lot of notice.”

  He certainly had a talent for stating the obvious. Sorry, I didn’t have any choice! A friend had to bail and I bought them out!

  “Oh well, I don’t really mind. You okay with it?”

  “Oh, yeah! Absolutely!”

  Whoops, that wasn’t good. That sounded way too desperate. He could probably read me like a book.

  “Where should we meet up? We’ve gotta be in uniform on campus, so maybe somewhere else?”

  “Yeah! Good point! Why don’t we m
eet outside the gate?”

  Perfect! That was so perfectly date-like! Which made sense, since it was a date. Mentally, I pumped my fist. My new competition lately may have beat me out the gate, but now I was pulling into the lead!

  “Okay, what time? Definitely in the morning, right?”

  “Yeah, call it ten?”

  “Sure.”

  All right! I did it! With another imagined fist pump, I finished off the second glass of barley tea in one gulp. Setting it down on the table with a rap, I stood up— Nailed it.

  “What’s with that face you’re making?”

  “How rude! Anyway, don’t be late!”

  Half-slamming the door shut behind me, I set back off down the hall. Out here, it was safe to fist pump for real. I did it! I did it, I did it! I still couldn’t yell like I wanted to, but I had to at least let it out physically. Gotta get back to my room and get ready!

  Half-skipping, I made my way back home. Even though it was summer, I didn’t notice the heat. For just this one day, I didn’t mind that our rooms were so far apart. It was as if my legs had sprung wings. Seriously. I may have passed by a few other students—or maybe I just imagined it.

  “I’m baaaack!”

  As the door clattered open, my roommate, who was relaxing in bed, went wide-eyed. A half a beat later, the potato chip she’d just put in her mouth crunched.

  “Welcome back...”

  Blonde-haired, blue-eyed Tina Hamilton blinked at me from over a fashion magazine as if she wasn’t sure quite what she was looking at.

  “Hehehe.”

  “Ling, are you okay? Are you finally crazy from the heat?”

  “Sure am!”

  Who cared if Tina was trying to make conversation? I dove into my bed, with unhideable glee, and gave my blankets a big squeeze.

  “...Are you trying to strangle your blankets?”

  “Sure am!”

  “You’re just trying to get me to stop bothering you, aren’t you.”

  “Sure am!”

  I sure was. Hahahahaha.

  “Sigh. Okay.”

  Tina resignedly turned back to her magazine while reaching toward her bag of chips. Who cared? Ahahahaha! Why can’t it be tomorrow already?! I couldn’t just lay there and wait, though. I needed to get ready.