The Two Protagonists

The two Dracores moved slowly along the outer edge of the training grounds before slipping into the maintenance hangar.

Steam poured from every joint while the mechs’ bodies trembled with delicate aftershocks, announcing that the battle had only just ended.

The echoes of combat were slowly fading, and the internal vibrations were settling one by one.

The observation room fell quiet in sync with their movements.

Beyond the glass, I drew in a long breath and stared intently inside.

Any moment now, those two would step out.

Shirakawa Iori.

And Minase Haruka.

The pair I had believed to be the true protagonists of this world while watching the original anime.

Soon the mech’s abdomen split open and the internal capsule slid forward.

Iori was the first to emerge.

The moment I saw her, an involuntary sigh of admiration escaped me.

It wasn’t simply because she was beautiful.

The character I had only ever seen on screen had stepped straight into reality.

Restrained emotion, movements without a single wasted motion, and that signature cool expression that refused to crumble even after long hours of training.

Her long, straight black hair clung to the sweat-soaked suit, and droplets that had run down her neck pooled near her collarbone before sliding slowly downward.

…So that’s Shirakawa Iori.

While I was still lost in admiration, the next person to exit the capsule was a girl with short brown hair.

It was Minase Haruka.

She hopped out with a bright, playful smile that made no attempt to hide her energetic mischief, as if she had just dashed out of the schoolyard after class rather than finishing a grueling battle.

Haruka immediately stuck close to Iori, who had emerged first, and whined in a cute voice.

While Haruka waved her arms and grumbled, Iori never once turned her head. She simply walked on in silence.

Her steps were neat yet brisk, and the distance between her and the trailing Haruka gradually widened.

Even that silence and indifference seemed like a familiar scene between them. As if such exchanges and that gap were simply part of their everyday routine.

Haruka shouted as she hurried after her, but Iori still refused to look back.

Her pace did slow just a fraction, however, and the subtle shift in the air behind her proved that she had heard every word.

Whether anyone was listening or not, Haruka had an instinctive talent for brightening any space she occupied.

Her lively gestures, bouncy way of speaking, and the laughter that spilled out so naturally revealed a personality completely opposite to Iori’s.

The two continued down the corridor outside the observation room until the sound of automatic doors opening made them pause.

Haruka peeked inside first.

At first her expression suggested she would simply glance over and keep walking.

But the moment her eyes landed on me, they widened into perfect circles.

Haruka froze for a second, took a few steps back while waving her hands in the air, then seemed to realize something and rushed forward again.

Her short brown hair bounced like springs on her shoulders. She wiped her face with the towel draped over her suit and marched straight up to me.

Her eyes sparkled with pure curiosity, and words poured from her in a bright, ringing voice. Completely without hesitation—exactly like Haruka.

She knows my sister?

Well, the Academy ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠doesn’t have that many students. It would be stranger if she didn’t.

The moment she finished speaking, the questions came rapid-fire.

Faced with the barrage of words, I could only smile awkwardly. Beside her, Iori was quietly observing me.

Her gaze didn’t speak, yet it was crystal clear.

Observation.

It wasn’t wariness.

Rather, it was interest… or perhaps the cool curiosity of someone examining a rare specimen right before their eyes.

She neither approached nor spoke to me. She simply held a data pad in one hand and silently scanned me from head to toe.

As if comparing the real thing to the data she had already recorded.

I never expected to meet them like this.

Honestly, I had known we would meet eventually.

From the moment I fell into this world, I had naturally assumed I would become entangled with the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠main characters of that anime.

But Luna—that unpredictable girl—had thrown every timetable into chaos.

Haruka’s face suddenly pushed closer, slipping into the gap in my thoughts.

She had stretched her neck forward until her face was inches from mine. Her soft breath brushed against my skin.

A completely unguarded distance with zero calculation. An innocent advance that didn’t even recognize itself as seduction. We were so close I could see my own reflection in her eyes.

I turned my head awkwardly, but Haruka refused to back off.

If anything, her eyes sparkled even brighter and the corners of her mouth lifted higher.

She really is the protagonist, huh.

Even though her entire body was drenched in sweat, she smelled strangely pleasant.

Is that peach?

At that moment, Iori, who had been standing quietly, reached out and gently tugged Haruka’s cheek. It wasn’t forceful—just a habitual, familiar motion.

Haruka twisted and clutched her cheek, but her complaint quickly melted into laughter.

Iori let out a small sigh and turned her gaze back to me.

Her eyes were still sharp, quietly piercing.

Though her tone was blunt, there was clear consideration behind it.

She hadn’t done anything wrong herself, yet she apologized on Haruka’s behalf.

The gesture felt strangely familiar.

Of course it did. It was a scene I had seen countless times in the anime.

Iori always played the role of quietly applying the brakes and apologizing whenever Haruka was about to cause trouble, all while pretending to be indifferent.

…So even in reality, that doesn’t change.

Maybe that was why.

I smiled without thinking.

Iori frowned slightly and tilted her head.

I thought for a moment before answering honestly.

At those words, Iori stared at me in silence. For the briefest moment, the sharpness in her eyes seemed to soften.

Then she lowered her gaze slightly and murmured.

Her words trailed off awkwardly, but embarrassment and a sense of responsibility were tangled together inside them.

I laughed again at her answer, and this time Iori turned away as if flustered.

The tips of her ears looked just a little red.

That was when Luna, who had been silently watching our exchange, finally spoke.

At the sudden question, Iori blinked and glanced at Haruka. Haruka immediately threw both hands into the air with a radiant smile, as if she had been waiting for it.

Iori let out a small sigh and looked away. It was the expression of someone who had seen this a thousand times.

Luna watched them, then the corner of her mouth curved upward.

A mischievous spark danced in her eyes, and her voice was softer than ever.

She tilted her head slowly, studying Haruka with clear interest.

It was a short, light suggestion, yet it carried a piercing sincerity. Haruka’s eyes widened in surprise and she took a step back.

Haruka waved her hands frantically and retreated half a step.

Her face was clearly flustered, yet that bright smile of hers never disappeared.

She scratched her head with flushed cheeks, her gaze instinctively drifting toward Iori as if asking for help.

Iori stepped forward silently. Her expression remained calm, her tone as neat and composed as ever.

Short and decisive. There was no emotion in her voice, yet a clear line had been drawn.

Luna didn’t flinch. Instead, her smile deepened as she blinked slowly.

Iori fell silent for a moment.

She couldn’t deny it. Luna’s words were true. However—

A calm yet unmistakable declaration of boundaries.

Luna tapped her chin, then burst into laughter.

The moment those words left her lips, a strange silence fell between them.

Like the afterglow of plasma cutting across the battlefield beyond the glass, crackling tension flickered between their eyes.

In an instant, the atmosphere changed.

It was like the frozen frame right before a battle scene in the anime.

Sharper than words—piercing gazes.

Greed hidden behind a smiling face, and the stoic resolve that met it head-on.

The temperature in the room plummeted.

…Seeing it in person is actually kind of scary.

Two beautiful women staring directly at each other, exchanging looks sharper than any blade.

When I watched it in the anime it had simply been an exciting event. Facing it in reality was overwhelming.

The tension was so thick that even breathing too loudly felt like it might trigger an explosion. It was not a scene one could comfortably spectate.

That was when Instructor Kyoko, who had been quietly watching, finally stepped forward.

With her arms crossed, she strode into the observation room and spoke in a firm voice.

She looked back and forth between Luna and Iori, then continued.

After listening to Kyoko, Luna flashed a relaxed smile as if she had just been handed the winning card. She glanced at Iori with a look of subtle satisfaction and quiet provocation.

Iori met that gaze head-on, narrowing her eyes with clear displeasure. In her silent glare, an unmistakable trace of emotion flickered.

Instructor Kyoko clapped her hands once, cutting the conversation short. Her voice was lighter and clearer than before.

The moment the order was given, the tension in the room shattered like glass.

The immediate strain lifted, yet somewhere beneath the surface, sharp currents still swirled.

Unresolved emotions seemed to sink to the floor and linger there, floating silently.

If we stayed like this, they would clash again.

I sighed and walked over to Luna, grabbing her wrist.

Luna stared at Iori a moment longer, then shifted her gaze to my hand on her wrist. Without another word she let me lead her, murmuring softly.

She wasn’t exactly obeying meekly, nor was she being dragged against her will.

It was the calculated retreat of a fox who knew exactly when to back off. Luna smiled quietly and walked beside me.

After that, I was dragged around by Luna for quite a while before ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I could finally return her to my father.

Father seemed surprised that I had let Luna pull me around for so long. Or maybe he had simply underestimated her.

Anyway, I thought we would just exchange brief greetings and be done, but unexpectedly Father grabbed my shoulder.

—Since you’re already here, let’s run a few tests before you leave.

Perhaps that had been his true purpose all along. Luna might have simply been an accidental addition.

It started with feedback value checks, followed by detailed neural pattern scans, and even an item called “Neural Response Chart During Synchronization” that I had never heard of.

Being hauled around by Luna had been exhausting, but this was a completely different kind of fatigue.

The mechanical beeps, cold sensors, flashing graphs and numbers in front of my eyes. It drained me far more than actual combat.

By the time it finally ended, afternoon classes had long since finished.

Fatigue crashed over me all at once.

I trudged slowly along the outer edge of the Academy, then stopped and looked up at the sky.

The once-clear heavens had turned a deep red.

At this point, I figured Yuzuki had probably gone home alone. Since she hadn’t contacted me, she was likely already on the train.

Still, I couldn’t call it a waste. I had unintentionally met every important person I needed to meet.

I had entered this world without seeing the story’s ending, but now that even Luna had appeared, it felt like the tale was finally about to begin in earnest.

As I thought that, a question suddenly rose in my mind.

In this world, what exactly had Yuzuki and I been?

One thing was certain: I had never heard the names Yuuto or Yuzuki, nor had I ever seen them on screen.

Still, with Yuzuki’s distinctive appearance, even if she had been a side character I should have remembered her at least vaguely.

So were we simply nameless extras?

While I was pondering that, my phone vibrated in my pocket.

I took it out, wondering who it could be, and saw an unexpected name.

It was Yuzuki.

I let out a short breath and broke into a half-run. The main gate wasn’t that far, but my heart suddenly felt ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠anxious.

When I arrived, Yuzuki was really there.

A silhouette standing in the shadow of the main gate. Familiar twin tails swayed in the breeze.

I approached carefully. Yuzuki lowered her phone slightly and spoke.

Her tone was short and grumpy, but her voice was less sharp than I had expected.

Maybe… she’s starting to feel a little better?

The moment that thought crossed my mind, Yuzuki took half a step away without even turning her head.

I let out a quiet sigh.

Right. Of course not yet.

I shrugged and followed after her.