The Instructor's Gaze
The classroom door opened not long after Yuzuki spoke, just as she had predicted.
Click—
A neatly buttoned uniform, a sleek silhouette reminiscent of a military pilot suit.
The woman who stepped inside carried an aura that was nothing short of commanding.
She radiated the overwhelming presence that made the phrase older-sister type come to mind instantly.
Hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, restrained eyes, and a posture so perfectly straight it allowed not a single strand of imperfection. With her smoothly defined jawline and a figure that was appropriately glamorous, she wasn’t simply an instructor—she was a considerable beauty.
Is everyone in this world beautiful?
Standing out among the younger girls, her mature allure felt like eye candy in more ways than one.
The moment she entered, the students naturally straightened in their seats. Yuzuki leaned slightly toward me and whispered.
“Amagi Kyoko. She’s our practical combat instructor. If your attitude in class is bad, you’re really going to die.”
Amagi Kyoko took her place at the front of the lectern. Arms crossed, her gaze shot straight toward me. Just once. That was enough. The sharpness of that look made cold sweat instinctively form on the back of my neck.
But then she smiled.
“Good. Everyone’s seated properly without a single person missing.”
Her voice was cheerful and refreshing, yet it carried a subtle pressure. Even though her tone sounded like she was joking, the students were visibly tense.
The gap between her casual speech and overwhelming presence only strengthened her character.
Amagi Kyoko tapped her fingers lightly on the lectern as she continued.
“Since today is a special day, let’s start by introducing our new arrival. You there—Nakamura. Come up here, will you?”
My heart gave a small thump.
I rose carefully from my chair and walked to the front under everyone’s watchful eyes. The instructor stood directly ahead, my classmates lined up on both sides. No one said a word, but they were clearly observing me.
When I reached the lectern, Amagi Kyoko gave a slight nod.
“Alright. This is Nakamura Yuuito. Starting today, he’s officially a member of Class 1-A. And the especially important thing to remember is…”
She gestured me to her side and gave me a light tap.
“He’s a boy.”
For a moment, a wave of hushed gasps rippled through the classroom. It was a fact everyone already knew, but hearing it confirmed from the instructor’s mouth gave it a new sense of reality.
She smiled with easy confidence and added,
“That said, there won’t be any special treatment just because he’s male. He’ll attend the same classes, receive the same training, and get rolled around just like the rest of you. Understood?”
I nodded.
Then Amagi Kyoko delivered one final remark.
“Instead… I’ll be expecting something from you. I’m quite curious to see how long you can last compared to the girls.”
That smile of hers somehow created a strange tension.
I couldn’t quite grasp the exact meaning behind her words, but I understood clearly enough that the days ahead would be anything but ordinary.
She patted my back twice and laughed lightly.
“That’s it, you can go back now. And oh~ As expected of a boy, your body is quite firm, isn’t it? Definitely different from the girls.”
It sounded like a casual joke, but beneath it lay clear observation and genuine interest.
I gave an awkward smile, nodded, and quietly returned to my seat.
Once she confirmed I was seated, Amagi Kyoko turned back toward the lectern.
She paused for a beat before continuing.
“Originally, we were going to begin practical training today with mock combat… but since a new transfer student joined us today, we should show a little consideration, shouldn’t we?”
A subtle silence fell over the classroom. Reactions that clearly took me into account spread through the room.
“So today, we’ll focus mainly on simple coupling practice.”
Her tone was light, yet it carried an underlying firmness.
“As you all know, a Dracore is a weapon that begins with sensation. As I’ve explained several times before, the foundation of piloting ultimately comes down to feeling. If you can’t feel it properly, you won’t be able to react. Today, we’ll be checking that foundation.”
At that moment, someone raised their hand.
“Will our partners be fixed?”
Amagi Kyoko smiled brightly.
“Partners? Nothing’s been decided yet. I was thinking we’d form them randomly today.”
At those words, the classroom began to quietly stir.
Expectations, tension, and light teasing whispers broke out here and there.
I glanced quietly at Yuzuki. She had her chin propped on her desk, eyebrows slightly furrowed, glaring at me in return.
…The meaning in her eyes was obvious.
Tell me. What did Father say? That was what she was clearly demanding.
Only then did I raise my hand briefly. Amagi Kyoko looked in my direction.
“Um, there’s something I need to say.”
She nodded, signaling me to speak.
“This transfer was requested by the research lab, and my current synchronization data is being built on the premise of coupling with Yuzuki. For the time being… it seems we’ll need to keep our partner fixed.”
The classroom fell silent for a moment. Amagi Kyoko glanced at Yuzuki with an interested look, then nodded at me again.
“Is that so? If the research team gave those instructions… well, alright. We’ll follow the directive.”
She tapped her fingers on the lectern and smiled.
“Everyone else will be paired randomly. Nakamura Yuuito and Nakamura Yuzuki will be fixed partners. That’s all.”
She brushed her hands lightly as if dusting them off and continued.
“Then everyone prepare and head to the training grounds. Change into your pilot suits in the locker room. No one is to be late.”
As soon as the instructor finished speaking, the entire class stood up and began moving.
I followed Yuzuki down the corridor toward the training area and into the locker room.
Since the academy had never had a male pilot before, there was naturally no men’s changing room. For now, we had no choice but to share the space.
Yuzuki stopped in front of the locker room door and turned to look at me.
“For now… Oppa, wait out here until all the girls in our class have finished changing. Got it?”
I nodded silently.
Yuzuki entered the locker room without another word. Once the door closed, the sounds of the girls’ chatter, zippers being pulled, and light laughter began to drift out from inside.
I leaned my back against the wall beside the door and swallowed quietly.
Every single sound that reached my ears stimulated my imagination. The rustle of someone undressing, the rubbery texture of the suit clinging to skin, the soft whisper of fabric…
…Calm down. It’s just the sound of them changing. Nothing’s happening.
My mind knew that, but my body grew tense. In fact, it only made things more complicated. This was a little too direct.
After some time had passed, the door opened and the girls who had finished changing began coming out in small groups.
In that instant, I nearly lost my sense of reality again.
As I had seen before, the pilot suits were full-body designs, but the material was the problem.
The skin-tight fabric that revealed every curve of the body. It felt like nothing more than a thin membrane stretched over bare skin. Seeing it right in front of me made my heartbeat quicken for no reason.
I hadn’t realized it when watching through a screen, but facing a whole crowd of girls in pilot suits up close like this left me with no idea where to look.
I thought seeing Yuzuki in her suit once would make it manageable, but the sheer number of them created an overwhelming effect in an entirely different way.
What surprised me even more was that none of the girls seemed embarrassed at all.
Even though they must have felt my gaze, they carried themselves with a bold attitude that seemed to say, If you want to look, go ahead.
Was this the mental fortitude that came from military-style education?
This was unexpected in many ways. I had imagined the girls would be shy.
Instead, when our eyes met, some even gave me playful smiles as they passed by, proudly showing off their figures. While I admired them, I thought to myself,
They’re all bolder than I expected.
Maybe I had underestimated them.
Eventually, Yuzuki poked her face out from the gap in the locker room door.
“You can come in now. Everyone’s gone.”
I nodded and cautiously stepped inside the locker room.
The space where more than ten girls had just been changing their clothes.
The floor still carried a lingering dampness and scent. Towels left draped over benches, stray pieces of clothing, and half-open lockers.
Being alone in such a space strangely stimulated my senses. It felt like I had secretly intruded into the girls’ territory.
I took out the suit I had brought with me. It was the male pilot suit I had worn during my father’s experiment last time.
Thanks to having worn it once before, putting it on this time didn’t take very long.
After carefully checking in the mirror to make sure nothing was worn incorrectly, I stepped out of the locker room in the suit.
What greeted me was a scene I had not expected at all.
Right in the middle of the corridor.
All the girls who had already left were waiting for me.
And every single one of them was looking at me.
For a moment, my brain nearly shut down.
Wait, what kind of situation is this now?
“Whoa… First time seeing a guy in a pilot suit.”
“It’s real. The vibe is completely different.”
“Doesn’t he look really solid? Wow… those muscle lines are no joke.”
Each comment felt like it was crawling across my skin.
The girls were watching me from somewhere between admiration and pure surprise.
Curious eyes, focused gazes, unrestrained reactions.
I froze in place as if nailed to the floor. This had gone beyond awkward—it was almost terrifying.
I take back everything I said about this being a flower garden.
I smiled awkwardly.
The girls had neither shame nor shyness. Instead, they were bold and direct.
Beneath those gazes was not embarrassment, but raw, honest curiosity toward something worth observing.
It was only natural—the suits clearly revealed the girls’ figures. And conversely, the same applied to men.
Muscle lines, pelvic structure, thighs. An unfamiliar, striking silhouette. From the girls’ perspective, I was apparently a spectacle worth watching.
One of them looked me up and down with an expression that suggested she might whistle. Another leaned over and whispered something to the person beside her.
One by one, those indifferent gazes pierced through me. From head to toe.
Observation, evaluation, admiration, and teasing. I wasn’t even naked, yet I somehow felt more exposed than if I were.
“…Let’s go quickly. Everyone’s late because they were waiting for you, Oppa.”
At Yuzuki’s words, I barely regained my senses and began walking after her in silence.
Even as we moved down the corridor, the gazes followed. The tickling sensation on my back, even a single bead of sweat rolling down my shoulder—everything felt unusually sensitive.
I tried to keep a poker face as I walked, and we finally arrived at the entrance to the training grounds.
Beyond the heavy doors that swung open with a solid thud, a vast white space revealed itself.
The walls were lined with various Dracore modules for synchronization testing. Sunlight filtered down through translucent glass in the ceiling. Even though it was indoors, the air felt fresh, and the floor had a special coating that looked comfortable enough to walk on barefoot.
Most notably, in the center of the space stood circular cockpits arranged like simulator capsules, one for each student.
“Hey~ Pay attention!”
Instructor Amagi Kyoko, who had arrived ahead of us, clapped her hands once to gather everyone’s focus.
“We’re only looking at coupling today, right? Alright, each pair, head inside.”
Hearing that, I looked at Yuzuki sitting beside me. The word partner somehow felt strangely embarrassing. But regardless, my partner right now was her.
Yuzuki glanced around once, then quietly let out a breath. Soon after, perhaps conscious of the surrounding stares, she tilted her head slightly toward me, gave a bright smile, and spoke in a gentle voice.
“Oppa. Let’s go together.”
With that single sentence, I could feel the eyes around us focus on us once again. As if they were eagerly anticipating what a male-female coupling would look like.