Chapter 10
Chapter 10
I Hate It
Time is relative.
Not in the complicated sense of relativity physics, but in a psychological way. The kind where time feels different for a rookie soldier and a veteran nearing discharge.
When someone is busy or doing unfamiliar work, time moves quickly. When something unwanted is approaching, time flows mercilessly.
For me this week, time is exactly like that. Unforgiving.
I woke up in the morning and rested my hand against the wall for a moment. Like every morning, I still didn’t feel any urge to kill myself.
“Deep, did you sleep well? How’s your body?”
A slight vibration came from the smartwatch.
“Heavy.”
My body feels heavy.
I never stopped running every morning. This fragile body didn’t seem capable of surviving any other form of exercise. Even running alone pushes me to my limits every day.
What bothers me more is the date. That merciless time.
“Eilly.”
“Yeah?”
“Today is Friday, right?”
“Yep! It’s the day of your important promise, isn’t it?”
It’s not that important.
I sighed without meaning to.
Ever since that incident, Ran had been sending me every bit of information she could find about Aron Dyke’s piloting skills. It felt like support, which made it slightly less stressful.
If Ian hadn’t kicked that table back then.
No, even if he hadn’t, something like this would’ve happened eventually. In fact, the argument with Aron would’ve dragged on and made things even more exhausting.
Can that even be called an argument? It was just me getting one-sidedly cornered.
While I was changing clothes, the smartwatch buzzed again.
“Deep.”
“Yes?”
“Just in case… you’re not being forced into this, are you?”
My hands paused mid-motion, then continued.
Forced into it.
“Maybe.”
I closed my eyes and opened them again, and I had ended up in this world. I survived by wandering through filth and garbage. By pure chance, I passed an entrance qualification test and started living like a human again.
I went through unwanted exams, unwanted encounters. I faced unwanted provocations and was constantly exposed to unwanted attention.
Where did the coercion begin? Who can I trust? Does someone trustworthy even exist?
“No, that’s not okay!”
My body froze again.
“You have to say when you hate something clearly! Only you know how you feel! Things that are obvious to others might not be obvious to you!”
“It’s easy to say… but it’s hard for me.”
I see.
There’s no need to trust people blindly. For someone like me, that has to be a long-term goal. Right now, I need something much simpler.
“Then I’ll do it for you!”
Eilly shouted.
“If you hate something, tell me! Or let’s make a signal! I’ll say it for you!”
“But other people will get annoyed.”
“They’re the ones making you feel annoyed!”
A gyaru mechanic really is kind to an otaku.
Eilly is on my side.
“Then… I’ll try to be brave.”
That alone made me feel a little relieved.
For the first time since coming here, I smiled slightly.
Monday had an afternoon lecture. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday were full schedules. Most were theoretical classes, and even students with strong academic drive would feel exhausted.
But most of them were waiting for Friday morning’s class.
“You’re all familiar faces. I’m Zeke. I don’t know if your faces look relaxed because it’s Friday or because of the class itself.”
Simulation duels.
Actual Titan combat is difficult due to repair costs and the need for proper facilities. Reserving and preparing a battlefield takes time.
To solve that, they use simulation duels.
Most students seemed in a good mood. There wasn’t a pilot who disliked controlling Titans.
For pilots, preferring real combat over theory is natural.
Professor Zeke looked around and nodded.
“Most of you have used simulation devices before. You used them during the entrance qualification exam. I was there as well, if you remember.”
Many students nodded. The princess didn’t move. For someone deployed to the battlefield at sixteen, this was probably a meaningless formality.
“Though it looks like a simple device, it’s actually cutting-edge technology. Only the Empire possesses simulation systems this perfect.”
There was no pride in Zeke’s voice. It sounded more like something he was obligated to say.
“If you input your Titan profile stored in your smartwatch, you can operate that configuration. It would be good to try the custom builds you made in the Titan Modification Theory class. Any questions—”
“I have a question!”
A red-haired male student raised his hand. The others shot him annoyed glances.
“If we take too long, the other students will kill you, so go ahead.”
“From your perspective, which student stood out the most during the entrance exam?”
The atmosphere changed instantly. All eyes turned to Zeke. Everyone was curious about the top-ranked student, and about who had caught the professor’s attention.
Zeke thought for a moment, then answered quietly.
“A lowborn.”
“Student Deep?!”
“That was from a previous cohort.”
“I meant from our batch!”
“Then it’s Deep.”
Oh.
A wave of voices rose at once, and all eyes turned toward me. I immediately turned my gaze toward the window.
Only one gaze didn’t move away from me.
That person raised his hand.
“I have a question!”
Aron Dyke.
“Go ahead.”
“Can we choose our duel opponents?”
“You want Deep?”
“Yes.”
The room didn’t react much. Most students already knew what had happened in the cafeteria. Some even looked at me with pity.
Zeke nodded.
“Do as you like. It’s not my concern. I’ll just adjust the list.”
“Understood.”
As Zeke edited the documents, I tried to lower my head and sigh—but suddenly my shoulder moved forward.
A hand passed through the space where my shoulder had been.
“Huh?”
The red-haired student from earlier stood behind me, awkwardly smiling.
“I heard Aron Dyke’s left side is his weak point. Aim there.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m Rvan! Like you, I also didn’t have a personal Titan and got a standard academy unit. So I feel some connection. I’m rooting for you.”
“I… see.”
I don’t really care.
“I want you to win. Show them people like us can do it!”
As I made an awkward expression, Rvan pumped his fist and left as his name was called.
Everyone boarded their simulation units as their names were called. The princess beside me stared into space, uninterested in everything.
Come to think of it.
“P-Princess.”
“Hmm?”
She turned slightly, surprised I spoke to her first.
“Aren’t you… worried at all about me fighting Aron?”
Not even a little.
She shrugged as if it was obvious.
“He’s neither stronger than me nor capable of surprising me.”
“But he’s your fiancé.”
“In the Empire, arranged engagements without love are common. My marriage is insignificant compared to the Empire.”
I see.
Meanwhile, on his side, he seemed extremely bothered that I was sitting next to her.
Before I could say anything, she was called and left.
Only Aron and I remained.
Zeke called us immediately.
“Deep student. Aron student. Take your simulation units.”
“Yes.”
“Understood.”
One thing was clear.
Whatever I did here to Aron, the princess wouldn’t care at all.
“Can Aron student operate alone?”
“Yes.”
“Then go in first. I’ll assist Deep student.”
Aron climbed into his unit.
Zeke leaned in and pushed me toward mine, whispering.
“Don’t use the high-mobility build. Your body can’t handle it yet. I heard you created six profiles. Show me.”
I already had a new Titan profile prepared specifically for simulation use.
“I… already chose.”
As I activated the hologram, Zeke frowned.
“That’s an exploit.”
“Yes.”
“You’re fully abusing the simulation system for a one-time win. Trash strategy.”
Thunk.
He closed the hatch.
“But I respect it.”
The screen lit up. The battlefield appeared. No enemy yet.
Beep. Connection check. Match starting.
“Hey, lowborn!”
“I don’t like you.”
“What?”
I don’t want to hear it.
“I hate your attention. I hate your gaze. I hate your provocations. And I hate the pity you show when I stutter.”
“No, that’s just concern—”
“So I’ll say it clearly, with everything I have.”
I pushed both sticks and pedals forward.
“Deep.”
The force pulled my body back.
“Dive.”