Transfer to Dracore Academy
The transfer to Dracore Academy went off without a hitch. Father—Hideo—had taken care of nearly all the administrative paperwork, which made things infinitely smoother.
Given the unprecedented case of the first male pilot, he had shouldered a mountain of documents and reports on my behalf. In the end, it secured my enrollment.
Surprisingly, the government had responded positively. From a national standpoint, the emergence of a male pilot seemed to be something worth welcoming with open arms.
By the time I finished changing into my uniform and stepped out, Yuzuki was already at the front door, slipping on her shoes and preparing to leave.
The girl who usually lounged around in baggy T-shirts and hoodies had traded them today for a crisp, tailored uniform.
The deep navy fabric hugged her waist with precise elegance, while glossy buttons marched neatly along the curve of her chest.
Her short skirt rode daringly low over black stockings. It was proper, yet that very propriety somehow radiated an alluring sensuality.
This wasn’t the Yuzuki I knew. She seemed cooler, more composed. And strangely, that unfamiliarity made my pulse quicken.
To be honest, she looked stunning.
So stunning I couldn’t stop staring.
Seeing the outfit from the anime brought to life in reality doubled the impact.
“What? Staring like that is creepy, you know.”
Yuzuki frowned while adjusting her uniform in the entryway mirror.
Was my gaze really that unpleasant? Or was she still unhappy about us attending the academy together?
Either way, she couldn’t defy Father’s decision. He had been dead serious about it.
I hid a wry smile and offered an honest compliment.
“The uniform looks really good on you.”
“...What?”
“It suits you. You’re pretty.”
Yuzuki froze for a second, then widened her eyes.
“Since when do you compliment me like that, Brother? Are you crazy? It’s embarrassing. Stop it.”
Her voice trembled slightly at the end. A faint blush crept along the side of her face.
She was right—recalling Yuuito’s memories, it seemed he had never praised her this directly before.
Was the compliment so unfamiliar that it embarrassed her?
But that had been Yuuito. I was different.
How could I not say she looked beautiful when she really did?
“...Don’t stare so hard. You look like a total pervert right now.”
Yuzuki turned her head sharply, still standing in front of the mirror as she smoothed down her skirt hem.
“Seriously… the design might be cute, but the functionality sucks. The skirt’s so short that people’s eyes are glued to me every time I wear it. I’m dying of embarrassment. What kind of uniform is this…?”
Well, it is an anime design, little sister. What did you expect?
Even though Yuzuki was grumbling, her tone carried a subtle note of pride. She pretended not to care, but the way she fussed over it proved she wasn’t entirely displeased by the compliment.
As if trying to erase that feeling, she opened the front door without another word and stepped out first. I quickly buttoned my shirt and followed her.
We left the house together. The streets were quieter than usual, still damp with morning dew. Sunlight fell indifferently around us, but neither of us spoke.
Then Yuzuki suddenly blurted out,
“This is seriously ridiculous. I can’t believe… I’m actually going to the academy with you, Brother. I still can’t wrap my head around it.”
I shrugged and deliberately slowed my pace to match hers.
“It’s because of Father’s research.”
“...Then why dump it all on me? Research is research, but I have my own life.”
“You agreed to it at first, didn’t you? Or am I wrong?”
“That’s… true, but…!”
Her footsteps grew increasingly forceful. When she clamped her mouth shut, her face twisted into an expression of clear regret.
What she muttered next sounded almost childishly plaintive.
“...I didn’t think it would turn out like this. How could you and I end up perfectly compatible? If I’d known, I never would’ve done it in the first place.”
I chuckled softly.
“Yeah. Besides, we synced up amazingly. I didn’t realize it, but a Synchronization Rate over eighty percent is apparently an incredible record.”
“Shut up. Don’t talk to me about that. It’s already ridiculous enough. Why did it have to be you?”
Grumbling, Yuzuki sped up as if trying to escape.
But she was still just a girl, so catching up wasn’t difficult at all.
Bickering like any other close siblings, we made our way to the subway.
Dracore Academy was far from home. It had to be—training with Dracores required isolation from the city center.
That meant changing trains three times, and even then we ended up near the last stop.
We traveled in silence the whole way. Yuzuki kept her earbuds in, staring out the window, while I stayed hidden among the passengers and stole glances at her quiet profile. The hem of her skirt spread naturally over her lap, and the silhouette beneath her stockings showed subtly through.
Maybe she noticed my gaze, because Yuzuki pressed her legs together and turned slightly away. Then she glared at me.
“What have you been staring at this whole time?”
I deliberately played it off with a cheeky grin.
“What are you talking about? I was just looking outside.”
“Ha. Sure…”
Even after that brief exchange, the awkward atmosphere refused to ease.
It was when the train stopped at the second transfer station that Yuzuki suddenly pulled out her earbuds. She glanced at me and murmured in a low voice,
“Before we reach the academy, let me say one thing.”
I turned to face her. Her expression was unexpectedly serious. There wasn’t a trace of playfulness in her eyes.
“If you so much as flirt with any of the girls at school… I’ll kill you.”
The finality in her tone made it sound like a genuine threat.
“They’re all my friends, so don’t even think about messing with them. If you do anything weird and rumors start spreading, I won’t let that slide either. Got it?”
At Yuzuki’s warning I let out a small laugh but nodded anyway.
Honestly, even this warning felt cute. Right now she looked genuinely anxious.
On the other hand, I found myself looking forward to who might be at the academy.
If they’re Yuzuki’s friends, does that mean some of the girls I know from the story are there too?
I didn’t know exactly what point in the timeline this was. So I had no idea who might be present, but if I was going to be here anyway, I hoped the main cast would be around.
Of course I could have asked Yuzuki, but that would probably earn me strange looks and questions about how I knew their names. For now, I’d just have to wait and see.
Before long we reached the final station.
After surfacing aboveground, we walked for quite a while longer. The school sat atop a hill. The iron gates were heavy, and surveillance drones drifted slowly along the top of the walls.
Several students had already gathered in small groups near the main gate. Sensing an unfamiliar presence, a few of them turned their heads.
Why is a young man here?
They didn’t say it out loud, but the question was clear in the women’s eyes.
One by one, others caught the mood and began staring as well. Quite intensely, in fact.
“Ah… this is exactly why I didn’t want to come with you…”
Oddly enough, it seemed Yuzuki felt more burdened by the stares than I did.
She dragged a hand down her face, lost in thought for a moment, then suddenly grabbed my wrist.
“Hey. Run.”
“...Huh?”
“Everyone’s staring. You really want to stroll in casually? Idiot.”
“I don’t really mind.”
“Well I do! It’s mortifying, so shut up and just run!”
Her voice carried a forced edge. Panic was written all over her face, but the more embarrassed she got, the more she lashed out.
I had grown somewhat used to my little sister’s personality by now, so I simply shrugged.
Thus I let Yuzuki drag me along by the wrist. Since I knew nothing about the school layout, I had no choice but to follow her lead.
Running ahead of me, her twin-tailed hair and fluttering skirt hem made for quite a charming sight.
This really feels like the world from the anime. How often do you see someone sprinting like this in real life?
We headed straight for the administrative office first. As a transfer student, I still had remaining procedures to complete.
Yuzuki silently escorted me all the way to the office entrance. Then she turned to me and muttered with a pout,
“I brought you this far, so you can handle the rest yourself. Think you can manage?”
“Probably. Thanks for guiding me.”
“You’d better be grateful. Who do you think made me run first thing in the morning?”
Pretty sure you were the one who started running because you were embarrassed. Isn’t it unfair to blame me?
Still, as her older brother, I decided to let it slide with generous leniency.
“Anyway, I’ll see you in class. I’ll let the others know about you.”
With those final words, Yuzuki turned on her heel without waiting and headed toward her classroom.
Her retreating figure showed neither reluctance nor concern. It was as if she were saying her part here was done.
Left alone in front of the door, I took an awkward breath and stepped into the administrative office.
The moment the door opened, it was exactly as I expected.
Everyone inside was female.
The staff members, the people at the desks, even the assistant brewing coffee—every single one was a woman. It felt less like a faculty office and more like walking into a girls’ high school clubroom.
Was it really necessary to staff the entire administrative office with women? I wondered, but I quickly understood.
This was the academy that trained Dracore pilots.
From what I’d heard, most of the administrative positions were filled by retired pilots.
It was exactly the kind of setting you’d expect from an anime…
Anyway, this was the world I lived in now. I simply had to adapt.
Enduring the gathered stares, I slowly approached the counter.
At that moment, a woman waiting behind the desk met my eyes with a gentle smile.
She was an administrative staff member with neat bobbed hair and a slightly languid aura.
“Um… you must be Yuuito Nakamura, correct?”
She carefully confirmed my name, gave a small nod, and smiled.
“You’re transferring in today, right? The documents were submitted in advance, so only a few simple procedures remain.”
She handed me a slim touchpad and added with a friendly expression,
“This is for basic student information verification. We just need your signature and a biometric scan. Since there are security clearance levels related to Dracores, I apologize for the inconvenience.”
“Understood.”
I took the touchpad and followed the staff member’s instructions.
After several steps of the process,
the employee paused, then cautiously spoke up.
“Um… Nakamura. May I ask you something?”
I looked up. She was smiling, but her eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“Can you… really pilot a Dracore?”
She chose her words carefully before continuing with a slight smile.
“There have been countless attempts to create male pilots until now. They all failed during my active years… Back then, everyone concluded it was due to physiological differences.”
I looked down at the touchpad and gave a wry smile.
“...I don’t know the details myself, but at least, it does move.”
“So it really can move. That’s truly astonishing. I’ll be rooting for you. Please take good care of us from now on, Nakamura.”
Then, as if remembering something, she tilted her head slightly and asked carefully,
“Oh, by the way… what is your relationship with Yuzuki? You share the same surname, and it looked like you arrived together this morning.”
I hesitated for a moment, then answered honestly.
“...She’s my sister. My biological younger sister.”
Her eyes widened, then she broke into an impressed smile.
“Ehh—! Oh my goodness, really? I see! Yuzuki is one of our academy’s model students. She’s always quiet, speaks beautifully, maintains excellent grades… and above all, she’s deeply trusted among her peers. She’s such a calm and polite girl.”
“....Pardon?”
I was so stunned I couldn’t think of a reply.
Had I heard that correctly?
Yuzuki was what?
Polite? Speaks beautifully? Deeply trusted?
The profile that emerged was one hundred and eighty degrees from the Yuzuki I knew.
The Yuzuki I knew had a sharp tongue, was stubborn, and constantly radiated irritation—an annoying little sister.
Who is this person they’re talking about?
I didn’t say it aloud, but inside I was genuinely bewildered.
To think that here she was known as a refined young lady who spoke politely, earned everyone’s trust, and excelled academically.
I swallowed an awkward cough.
“I… I see…”
“Yes! To think you’re the older brother of such an outstanding girl—I have high expectations! I look forward to great things from you.”
All I could do was nod.
...Does she seriously live a double life?
Muttering to myself, I found myself genuinely curious about this other side of Yuzuki for the first time.