Infinite Stratos - Volume 4 Read online

  Okiura

  Front cover & insert

  Back cover & insert

  Page 044

  Page 061

  Page 105

  Page 141

  Page 161

  Page 181

  Page 195

  Page 211

  Page 231

  Page 245

  Page 261

  CHOCO

  Chapter 1: Welcome in the Summer

  It's August. Such hot weather must be unreal. From long ago, I've hated this country's summers. I've detested them.

  I'm not this country's citizen to begin with. I'm here at first due to circumstances regarding my parents, then later due to circumstances regarding my native country.

  Huang Lingyin is my name.

  The exclusive pilot of the IS ShenLong and a representative cadet.

  And now I'm a first-year student attending the IS Academy.

  "So...hot..."

  It's August, and the IS Academy enters the late summer vacation. Because of this, roughly half of the students that came from all throughout the world returned home. I also truly thought about returning to my country, but––

  "..............."

  But, it's better to forget it.

  Even if I return home, my parents won't be there together; and I don't want to receive the annoying training of the military. Besides, there is another reason why I don't want to return.

  (That guy, he should still be here. Good grief; why should I invite him. He really is the same guy from before.)

  Walking down the dormitory corridor (geez, why is there no air conditioner!), I gradually became angrier.

  ––Oh yeah, I'll just have to let that guy come invite me. Thinking that, I made a U-Turn –– and at that moment, I unexpectedly ran into him.

  "Oh, if it isn't Rin? What´s up?"

  "I-I-Ichika!? W-Why are you here, weren't you in your room?"

  "Ah, it's because I forgot to turn in my report... Hm? What are you holding?"

  "N-Nothing!"

  Reflexively, I hid the ticket that I was holding in my hand, behind my back.

  ......Ah, not good!

  "Hum, you noticed? Actually––"

  Even though I could obviously go on like this! Even though I could've said it!

  "......?"

  Gu...... he's giving me a "what's she doing" face......

  Aah, ahem ahem!

  "T-Today sure was hot."

  "Hm? Is it? I feel like it's still cool."

  "It's very hot. This country's summers have always been like this."

  "Ah, so you´ve still got something against hot weather."

  Uuuuhh...

  He, remembering the past, made me a little happy.

  ––Ah, no no! He's forgotten the important promise!

  "Well, whatever. If that's the case, then do you wanna come to my room? There's an AC."

  Hm? Perhaps this is a chance......?

  "W-Well, is that so. Then let's go to your room. And give me a drink?"

  "Yeah, yeah. Is barley tea[4A 1] OK?"

  "If it's cold, then anything is fine."

  As I said that, I walked side by side with Ichika.

  It's quiet in the dorms now, giving a bit of a "Just the two of us in the world" feeling.

  (Come to think of it, I don't smell of sweat, do I......?)

  Suddenly bothered by such a thing, I took half a step away from Ichika.

  Don't worry. Don't worry...... Even though I was thinking that, because of this heat, I can't help but sweat a bit. ––Yes, I can't help it!

  "Rin, hey."

  "!? W-What!?"

  Without hesitation, Ichika brought his face near me. ––Woah, too close, too close! I reflexively forced that face away.

  "......Say, even though I called you a lot of times, you didn't respond!"

  "H-Hmm? O-Oh! Sorry about that! I was thinking about something."

  "Rin was thinking about something? Hmm."

  "W-What......"

  "Ah, nothing in particular. Well, it's that, if you can consult with someone, do it as much as possible. If you take it upon yourself alone, nothing good will become of it."

  "H-Hum...... I know already......"

  Ah, not good...... My heart's beating very fast. What, idiot. My height has alas grown over a long period of time, I've become an IS pilot, and moreover...... I'm improving my manners and whatnot......

  As I was thinking about those things, Ichika once again began to stare at my face like someone that has been silenced.

  "Rin?"

  "W-What is it!"

  "What do you mean? We've arrived to my room. Let's go in."

  "I-I know, stupid."

  As I said this, I entered the room behind Ichika. I've been here many times before, and yet my heart was beating nonstop?

  (Ah...... Uu...... What, still......)

  Shit. After entering the room and sitting on the bed, it immediately turned bad.

  (Ichika......smelled good......)

  And given that this is Ichika's room, naturally, that "good smell" feels even stronger.

  Ahhh, not good, I'm not calming down.

  (Aa...... Uu......)

  I wanted to wriggle my legs about, but I didn't want to be seen moving like that by Ichika, so in the end I shook my body restlessly.

  After a while, I noticed a book that was placed on the table.

  But rather than a book, it was a photo album.

  "Ahh, you still keep commemorative photos?"

  "Hm? I guess. But these last few years was because Chifuyu-nee wasn't at home. ––Ah. This one we took of the three of us with you, Rin, was the last one. Do you remember it? It was during the 2nd year of Middle School, just before you moved out."

  "I do somehow or another."

  ––That's a lie.

  It wasn't "somehow or another". I firmly remember it.

  "But, I don't quite get it. Wasn't this something Chifuyu-san started? She would occasionally take photos. Even though it's quite splendid, I can't see her as the fixated type."

  "Hm, well. Perhaps, photos that weren't just of the two of us were essential. She already said that we should properly remember those who were with us in the past. ––Here, it's tea. It has been cooled."

  "Thanks."

  As I drank the barley tea that I received, I casually checked my wallet from the surface of my uniform. ......Hm, all right. It's still there.

  "Can I see this?"

  "Ah, OK. I just finished sorting it out."

  I, while trying my best to pretend that, "I only paid attention to it because it was opened nearby," turn the pages of the album. Come to think of it, it was actually my first time seeing this.

  The first page was indeed a photo of Ichika and Chifuyu-san. I wonder how old these pictures were. Chifuyu-nee was wearing her middle school uniform, and Ichika was much smaller than he is right now.

  "That one was in the first year of elementary school."

  "Heh? This one was the very first?"

  "Hm, it seems so. I think that there were no photos before this one."

  Looking at Ichika who seemed to not know the reason, I also thought about it. Why would Chifuyu-san, who loves her brother so much, have only the pictures of Ichika from the first grade on?

  --Ah.

  (Perhaps, in the pictures before this one, both of their parents were also photographed......)

  I don't know the details about Ichika's parents' disappearance. But I heard that when Ichika became aware of his surroundings, they weren't there anymore.

  "Well, the things of the past are fine, I guess."

  While saying that, Ichika turns to the next page.

  (Ah, a shy fa
ce.)

  As I thought, when even Ichika looks at the photos of when he was young, he would also get embarrassed, it would seem.

  This kind of situation is kinda cute, so I naturally got a happy feeling.

  (Recently, there hasn't been an event in which the two of us would be alone like this.)

  --Ah.

  (T-The two of us alone......? Uh, crap......crap...... My heart's started to beat fast......)

  When I noticed, it was too late. My face became flaring red, and the heat rose.

  "Umm, is this in the second grade? If I remember correctly, this should be when I went grape picking during an excursion."

  Suddenly.

  Suddenly, Ichika sat next to me.

  After my heart jumped with shock, an oddly loud sound was heard from the bed.

  (Huh, ah, uh......? U-Umm, there shouldn't be any sweat scent, right? I mean, the bed......the meaning of sitting side by side on a bed is in other words, umm......umm......)

  I awfully miss the me that heard the phrase 'keep your train of thought short' from an old song that one time, and immediately thought, 'Huh? How can it be like that. Isn't that foolish.' --What, can a train of thought simply be made short like that? Isn't that low quality rubbish. The one who made this, show yourself.

  "Rin."

  "Fueey!?"

  ---Where did that voice come from, the one just now? Isn't that unattractive. The worst......

  "Do you want it?"

  --.

  Huh? Huh? Huh? What, what is it, what's the situation? I want an explanation of the circumstances.

  What was that, wait a moment. Huh? Ichika--huh?

  (What's with the 'want'......what's with this staggering straightforwardness......)

  I mean, he's making me answer; how sadistic he is. Does he want to bully the girl he likes? --Huh, likes? Likes? Ichika, likes me?

  "You don't need it?"

  "Huh, ah, well, ple--please wait a bit."

  "Oh."

  No way, what's with this development!? How'd this happen!?

  Furthermore, my heart is pounding greatly, and seems like it could explode at any time.

  My face has become hot to the extent that it already hurts, and suddenly, sweat came spurting out.

  (Uuh! Not good, not good, not gooood, I say......!)

  I panicked at the smell of the sweat that I suddenly felt.

  Uh...... As I thought, taking a shower before coming here would have been good.

  (--But if I'm thinking like that......it's like I was expecting something from the start. Something like, something like this...... Right?)

  "You don't have to be so reserved."

  Whaaaat!?

  I sensed Ichika's voice even more closely than a moment ago, and my body hopped several centimeters.

  *Thump Thump*

  *Thump Thump*

  My heart can't stop beating.

  Unsatisfied, like a downpour.

  "Ichi...ka......"

  I timidly look at Ichika and, straight...he was merely looking straight at me.

  Not good.

  This will, draw......me......in.........

  "So, what do you want to do?"

  "I......want........."

  "Hm"

  Ichika nodded, reached his hand towards me, and then--

  "So I'll pour you another cup."

  "--Huh?"

  What did he say?

  "Another......cup......?"

  "What I said, the barley tea."

  "Barley tea......"

  "Rin, you said that you wanted it."

  "I said that I wanted it......"

  After a few seconds of me parroting him, I thought my heart would stop from Ichika's words.

  "Hm? Ah, could it be that you misunderstood it for something else--"

  "Hm, wha!? What, could possibly-- Y-Y-You idioooooot!!"

  *Smack*

  A dry sound of a slap magnificently reverberates.

  ◆

  "That huurts........."

  "Hum!!"

  Up to ten minutes had passed after that, yet Ichika was still rubbing the cheek that I had slapped.

  Somehow, it seems that it was pain befitting of the situation. Ichika's mouth is deformed in pain like the shock still remains.

  (You deserved it, idiot!)

  Saying such a thing, letting people misunderstand......of course there would be a consequence!

  (Yeah, that--)

  That......

  "............"

  If, like that, I had been kissed......

  (No, no, no! NO! That kind of thing won't happen! Because that Ichika, "that" Ichika, that guy's dead brain surely won't change until he dies.)

  After thinking this, the me who misunderstood was embarrassed to death.

  My own cheeks were different than the warm feeling before, becoming pain.

  (Wuuu.....should I give him another...)

  Having thought this on impulse, I glanced at Ichika.

  "......"

  Even though it was a misunderstanding, the throbbing in my chest wasn't fake. For this reason, this kind of misunderstanding without any harm causes even more anger.

  (Although we've been friends all these years, this guy's thickheadness is still surprising...)

  Also, it was the same when we reunited.

  When I had just become a representative contender student, I heard in the news that there was a guy that was able to pilot IS. I was more shaken by Ichika, whom I hadn't see for a year, even if it was only on the screen.

  After that, because of my age and my past time spent living in Japan, I got accepted at IS academy. Once that happened, I returned to this country.

  In short, I was very happy when I reunited with Ichika, but at the same time, I was very anxious.

  In the past, when I said: "You'll have to eat my cooking every day", the meaning of that was, like, having the intention of getting married.

  In middle school the opportunity wasn't very good, so I wasn't able show a high level of cooking abilities, but if there was another meeting right now---

  (Actually, he was thinking like that...)

  In the end, he interpreted it like "Feeding me for free, Rin is really a good person"...again fooling me completely, really. Haa...

  My stiffened shoulders start to feel the exhaustion, so I force myself to relax my mood.

  (Anyways! The me today is different from usual! Hm!)

  I searched in my wallet, and held the two tickets. Calm down, calm down......No worries, I've practiced so much, it should be alright.

  "Ichika."

  "Hmm?"

  "You, are you going anywhere during the summer vacation?" (¡)

  "Hmm...Now that you mention it, I think I would like to go somewhere."

  ......not bad, not bad, everything is going as expected.

  "That's too bad, so let me give you a convenient solution."

  "Convenient solutions coming from Rin... in the end, it's gonna cost."

  Again, it's about costs...I restrained myself before I said it. If it has always cost money but now it's free, there would definitively be a misunderstanding. By the way, that......the fact that I love Ichika might also get exposed.

  "Of course! Say, who would even think that amusement parks don't cost money? How dumb are you, really!"

  In the end, again, I recovered with the previous voice tone. I just thought that in the past I always collected money from Ichika like this. After all, in the very beginning my opportunity was when Ichika came to my family's Chinese restaurant to eat dinner.

  At that time I was really happy, and thought about letting him come for free. In the end he said: "No, no, it cannot be free, don't we say that there aren't free meals on earth? And after all, uncle's cooking is too good. That's why, let me pay." After that, I accepted his meals' fees.

  My family's cooking is good for sure, and even I've always known, being said by someone else...hm, I was very happy.

  (But that day my real thoughts were
instantly known by my parents......huuuu...)

  - - - - -.

  Every time I remember the moments with my parents, my heart hurts badly. This is also the reason why I can't return to my mother country.

  (Don't think about these things right now...)

  For now it's better to forget the pain in my heart. Or else that wood-headed Ichika, who is abnormally sensitive to the bad mood of others, will immediately sense it.

  "Hum."

  "That is?"

  Ichika is constantly looking at the tickets I took out...he took the bait.

  "You don't know, do you? It's the newly built 'water world'. Oh, let me say that first, tickets for this month are already gone. To buy a ticket for a day without being lined up for two hours is impossible."

  "Is that so?"

  Anger. He really is insensitive. He doesn't know how much effort I put into buying these.

  "So, when will we go?"

  "G-go?"

  "? Isn't it because of that you came here?"

  "You're right."

  Waah, success! The most difficult thing was how to invite him, to make it so simply. ---Oh, calm down, calm down, even though the victory is in my reach I need to control myself, didn't I learn this in my training.

  "Well, after all, only I would invite you, so be thankful for my good heart."

  I said this while knocking Ichika's face with the tickets.

  (Even though it's like this, my heart is beating as if it will break.)

  "How much does it cost?"

  "2500 yen." [4A 2]

  "...not expensive?"

  "If you don't want it, it doesn't matter. After all, if Ichika doesn't want it, there are others who would."

  Though there could be others who would buy it, to be honest I don't want to sell it to anybody if it isn't Ichika. Because it was for the sake of inviting Ichika that I prepared them, so it is obvious that I wouldn't do that.

  "Well, OK. I'll buy it. When's the date."

  "This Saturday."

  "It's really sudden."

  To Ichika, it's a very common reply.

  (It can't be helped; it is because my friends don't want them so I got them.)