044. Academy (2)
044. Academy (2)
The Academy.
An educational institution under the Allied Forces that trains soldiers, including commanders, and my own alma mater.
Well, even calling it my alma mater didn't exactly fill me with nostalgia.
It had only been a few months since graduation, and a lot of things had happened near the end that made me lose any fondness for the place.
Truthfully, even before that, academy life itself had been brutally intense.
It was a love-hate relationship in many ways.
So, I'd thought I would never have reason to come back here—
"......We really came. The Academy."
Rinne muttered.
Just as she said, we were standing right in front of the main gate of the Academy campus.
For reference, we both wore Academy uniforms to make the school-life experience more immersive.
I wore the cadets' black uniform.
Rinne wore the white uniform reserved for partner biodroids.
"It suits you quite well."
"What does?"
"The Academy uniform."
"......Pervert."
I had no idea what mental leap had led her to 'pervert.' A mystery.
Anyway, dressed like that, we entered through the gate at 8:50, just before the start of first period.
Maybe it was because there were so many biodroids around wearing the same uniform. Rinne, who had looked anxious until now, finally seemed to relax as she looked around the campus interior.
Then she spoke.
"It's not as military as I expected. They don't even control entry."
"It could hardly be otherwise."
As I'd mentioned before, the Academy was an institution that trained soldiers, but 'soldier' didn't necessarily mean only commanders like me.
Strictly speaking, the number of personnel who ended up as commanders was quite small.
It would be a terrible waste to convert Academy-trained talent into commanders, whose lives were as expendable as flies.
Most graduates decided on career paths in the military bureaucracy that managed those commanders, rather than becoming commanders themselves.
And since that military bureaucracy essentially constituted the government, paradoxically, the Academy had an atmosphere more like a specialized university training administrative officials than a boot camp churning out soldiers.
In short, it barely felt military at all. The atmosphere was peaceful and relaxed.
Look over there. Two students were openly dating.
And over there, people were spreading out mats and lounging around in broad daylight... Rinne was watching that scene with what looked like envy.
That was only natural.
Because the otaku media she loved always featured a beautiful school life.
For Rinne, who had been deprived of the chance to enjoy that school life, there must have always been a longing for it in a corner of her heart.
So.
"Shall we go straight into a class?"
"A... a class?"
Rinne flinched in surprise.
"We're going into an actual class?"
"Of course we are."
And a class wasn't all. I planned to eat at the cafeteria and tour various facilities too.
Doing that—letting her experience firsthand 'what real Academy life is like'—was the objective of today's infiltration operation.
"Ah, even so...... what if we get caught? Won't that be a disaster?"
Rinne was already fidgeting excitedly as she said it.
I let out a small, dry chuckle.
"Don't worry. In a large lecture, if you just blend in casually, nobody will know. Even if we do get caught, well, it won't be that big of a problem."
"Really? You're sure?"
I was sure.
In reality, people in large lectures were mostly strangers to each other, and even if I were caught, I couldn't possibly fall any further out of favor with the military bureaucracy.
At worst, I figured I'd just get cursed out as usual and kicked out.
"......Alright."
Rinne pressed close behind my back and whispered.
"I'll trust only you, Oppa."
How commendable of her.
***
And so, for one day, Rinne and I experienced Academy life.
Up until we entered the first lecture hall, Rinne had been tense all over.
She still hadn't shaken off the fear of being caught, and beyond that, she seemed awed by experiencing a 'school class' for the first time in her life.
However, that awe came to an end before the first period was even over.
Because, as large lectures tended to be, it was unbearably boring.
"Guuuaaah....... I want to go home......."
"If you're feeling that way, then you're getting a proper taste of school life."
After that, from second period onward, we were able to participate without much tension.
Then, during lunch hour, we ate at the cafeteria together.
In the afternoon, instead of attending more classes we'd already had enough of, we roamed around the various facilities.
The nurse's office, for instance.
The gym storage shed, for instance.
Or the rooftop, for instance.
We focused mostly on places that seemed like they belonged in an otaku novel, looking around and trying things to our hearts' content.
During that time, Rinne listened intently to my stories, her eyes sparkling like a diligent junior being introduced to school facilities by a senior she admired.
And I, for my part, prattled on about my own school days like a pathetic senior who loved showing off in front of juniors.
As we spent the day like that, as senior and junior, how should I put it.
I suddenly started to have a strange illusion.
—What if I hadn't actually graduated yet?
—What if I had been enjoying my youth all along with a partner biodroid named Rinne?
—In other words, what if this moment right now, snooping around the Academy, was reality, and the past few months of life spent in Krädel were just a dream?
Of course, I couldn't remain lost in such absurd fantasies forever.
Because the end of the school day was approaching.
Not being students here, we had to leave before it got too late.
"Is there anywhere you want to look around one last time?"
I asked as we descended the stairs from the rooftop.
Rinne didn't ponder my question for very long.
As if she had decided on her destination beforehand, she answered lightly.
"The library."
"The library?"
"Yeah. I want to see what kind of books the Academy has, and what the library looks like."
I thought it was a good idea.
So, I began to guide Rinne to the library.
And in the process, I unconsciously took Rinne's hand.
......It was a mistake.
I prided myself on having gotten fairly close with Rinne lately, but initiating physical contact myself was still off-limits.
Rinne especially hated it when I was the one initiating physical contact.
Even though she'd step on me or poke me, if I so much as laid a fingertip on her, she'd recoil and snap at me, calling me 'pervert' or 'creepy.'
Even so, I'd taken her hand because, as I said earlier, I'd started seeing Rinne as a junior I needed to help.
Of course, that was nothing more than my own illusion.
I'd done something rash based on an illusion, so now there was no choice but to be scolded.
That was what I thought.
But for some reason.
"......."
"......."
Rinne didn't particularly chastise me.
She didn't even smile mischievously and pull an excessive prank.
With her face faintly flushed, she quietly and demurely followed along behind me.
And before long, we arrived at the library without having exchanged a single word.
"Here we are."
I said, naturally letting go of her hand.
Even then, Rinne was acting a little strange. It was as if she wasn't taking in her surroundings at all.
She just stared blankly and excitedly at the hand I'd been holding.
But that was only for a moment.
Suddenly looking straight ahead, Rinne's eyes widened.
"......Whoa."
The sight spread out before her eyes.
The Central Library, the Academy's pride.
Its scale was enormous. It had an open structure connected through the third floor, and the library continued all the way up to the seventh.
It seemed Rinne instantly forgot the subtle mood from just moments ago in the face of the overwhelming view.
Just as I was thinking that was a relief, Rinne quietly spoke.
"I should write it here before we go."
"Here?"
"Yeah. Somehow, I feel like I can write it here. The fourth narrative."
Saying that, Rinne took a seat at a communal table.
I sat down across from her. Sitting there, I decided to pretend to read a book while observing Rinne.
Watching Rinne write was extremely amusing. Every so often, she'd get immersed in her own writing and smile or frown.
Every one of those expressions looked so earnest, expressive, and serious—completely unlike the usual Rinne...... that I kept finding myself staring.
But maybe I had been staring too openly.
Rinne tore a piece of the manuscript paper she'd been writing on, scribbled something, and handed it to me.
[Why do you keep staring?]
Hmm.
I wrote a reply with an ownerless pen that was rolling around on the communal table.
[Why the note all of a sudden?]
[It's a nuisance to the people around us if we chatter loudly in a library!]
Yet she'd been chattering just fine earlier.
To me, looking at her incredulously, Rinne handed over one more note.
[And if we sit face-to-face chatting, people might think we're going out.]
This seemed to be the real reason.
I was about to write back that she didn't need to worry about that, but before I could, Rinne snatched the note back from me.
Then, writing on the back of it, she sent this.
[Anyway, why do you keep staring? Answer.]
If I wrote, 'Because the sight of you writing is so cute...' I'd probably get chewed out.
I decided to play dumb.
[I wasn't staring, though?]
Of course, Rinne didn't accept that.
[You were.]
[I wasn't.]
[I said you were staring.]
[Wasn't staring. End of story.]
How many rounds of meaningless back-and-forth had there been?
Each time, Rinne's expression gradually soured. From annoyance to irritation. From irritation to anger.
And then, why was it?
After anger came 'smugness.'
Or maybe it looked like 'amusement.' As if a perfect plan to subdue me had occurred to her, Rinne smirked.
Having done that, Rinne didn't send any more notes. Far from it, she didn't even look my way anymore.
What was she planning?
My puzzlement was brief.
A sound came from under the table.
A soft swishing sound, as if she were taking off her indoor shoes.
Immediately after, something small climbed onto my leg.
......It was Rinne's tiny foot, encased in knee socks.
Maybe because she'd been wearing indoor shoes, or simply because Rinne's body temperature ran high—her foot was warm enough to be called a heater.
Her warm foot rubbed gently against my thigh.
Without anyone knowing, under the desk.
[What are you doing?]
I sent a letter of protest.
But Rinne replied with an innocent face, as if she had no idea what I meant.
[What?]
[Your foot.]
[What about my foot?]
[Move it.]
[Huh? What do you want me to move, and how? I have ab~solutely no idea what you're talking about☆]
Rinne playing dumb just as I had done.
All the while, her foot was softly stroking my thigh.
And not just that.
It started subtly creeping toward a place between my legs that it definitely shouldn't be invading.
......Not overtly.
It would edge toward it, pull away, then edge in again before retreating—the so-called hit-and-run tactic.
Seeing her employ that tactic without anyone having taught her, maybe she didn't lack talent as a soldier after all.
......Whatever the case, I couldn't just sit there and be toyed with by this girl.
I tried to stand up from my seat and move to a position where Rinne couldn't stretch her foot.
I truly tried to—— Teok.
Rinne used her other foot to hook the bottom part of the chair, preventing me from getting up.
A brief struggle of strength ensued.
Me, trying somehow to pull the chair free, and Rinne, trying somehow to keep me pinned.
Of course, the victor was Rinne.
It was only natural. Even if she wasn't military-grade, she was a biodroid. There was no way I could overpower her with strength.
Once I finally gave up trying to escape, Rinne began mocking me through notes.
[Oppa, you're supreme~ly lame~]
Even while doing that, Rinne continued her foot-play under the desk.
Seuk-seuk. Seuk-seuk-seuk.
[So damn weak~]
Seueuk-seueuk. Kkuk-kkuk.
[A scrawny weakling who got totally wrecked by a tiny girl that doesn't even come up to your chest~★]
Kkuk-kkuk-kkuk-kkuk——
[Pissed off? Pissed off?]
Kok. Kok. Kok-kok-kok.
[But what're you gonna do if you're pissed off? What the hell can you do about it, Oppa?]
Seueueuk.
[Lolololololololol your face is hilarious]
Kkugit-kkugit.
After an ordeal of humiliation that seemed liable to drive me insane, Rinne sent another note.
[So, why were you staring?]
Having exhausted my energy, I confessed honestly without even thinking of deception.
[Because you looked cute while writing.]
——Umjjil.
Rinne trembled, her whole body giving a jolt.
And that wasn't all; her face even flushed bright red.
Not just a little warm. So completely red that there was no boundary between her hair and her face.
After being frozen in that state for a moment, Rinne started scribbling something on a note.
Then, a moment later, she drew lines through it, crossing it out, and wrote another message underneath to hand over.
[=I'm= cute=? =For=real=?=
What nonsense. I'm writing now, so don't disturb me.]
......Hmm.
I could clearly see the part she crossed out.
I decided to pretend not to notice. It seemed she finally had the urge to write properly.
I didn't write any reply.
Eventually, Rinne wrote out the fourth narrative on the manuscript paper and handed it to me.
I slowly read through it, and then finally handed her a reply.
[It's gotten much better.]
I didn't just mean it had improved in terms of realism.
Realism aside, the aspect I'd been most worried about—the 'feel'—had improved.
From something written by someone who had never experienced school life, to something written by someone who had experienced it, however clumsily.
She had clearly grown, taking a definite step forward.
I put those impressions into a note and passed it to her.
Rinne smiled bashfully.
She seemed to start writing another note, but then erased it all, and then—
She leaned across the desk and whispered into my ear.
"Thank you."
With that one gentle word, Rinne's single day of school life came to an end.