Warfare Augmented Intelligent Frame Unit

Chapter 23 - KAWAII

Chapter 23 – KAWAII

The sharp hum of a beam rifle echoed across the firing range, each shot sending a ripple through the air. It had been forty-five intense minutes of practice, and now Fei Xian, clad in the sleek, bright orange armor of her Frame Unit mode, was executing near-perfect shots. Her beam rifle fired with deadly precision, scoring hits on eighty to ninety percent of the targets. The plywood bullseyes were now peppered with smoldering, charred holes, evidence of her growing accuracy.

"Good job, Fei," Myrrh called out from behind the protective barrier, her voice calm yet encouraging. "Remember, always aim a little below your target to counter the recoil. You're getting better with every shot. Let's wrap it up for today."

With a soft shimmer, Fei Xian's Frame Unit dissolved into a shower of sparkling particles, leaving her back in her familiar humanoid form. She turned, catching Myrrh's gaze, and was immediately embraced in a warm hug.

"Thank you for that wonderful tip, Miss Myrrh," Fei said, her face lighting up with a grateful smile. "I know it'll be a game-changer for the upcoming shooting drills."

"Happy to help! You're the one who got me through advanced calculus, so I guess we're even now," Myrrh replied, flashing a grin of her own.

The two girls shared a moment, their eyes locking in a silent understanding before they both let out a soft laugh, breaking the tension.

Meanwhile, Neil and I sat quietly on the bench nearby, observing them with faint smiles. As we both deactivated our hologram displays in unison, Neil stretched his arms toward the sky, a relaxed expression settling over his face as he looked at me with a lazy grin.

"Phew, my arms are stiff from keeping an eye on the Bios." Neil stretched and let out a relieved sigh before extending his fist toward me. "Thanks for the assist, Zaft. Time to call it a day."

"Yeah, no problem. See you tomorrow," I replied, meeting his fist with a quick bump. As he turned away, I absentmindedly touched my cheek, still sore from the earlier incident.

Neil quickly caught up with Fei, and I watched as the two of them fell into easy conversation, their smiles reflecting how well they meshed. A pang of envy twisted in my chest—watching how natural and effortless their bond was always stirred something in me. Honestly, they were perfect together. Sometimes, I wished they'd just get married already, if only so I wouldn't have to keep enduring how sweet they were to each other. Their closeness was almost an eyesore.

"Hey, Zaft." A soft, familiar voice pulled me from my thoughts. I turned and found Myrrh standing nearby, her deep blue eyes tinged with guilt.

Startled, I reflexively stepped back into a defensive karate stance, bringing my arms up to guard my face. "W-What is it, you brute?" I stammered, a bit too loudly.

Myrrh cringed, raising her hands in a surrendering gesture. "That's a bit of an overreaction, don't you think?" she said with a grimace. "I'm sorry for earlier, okay? I didn't mean to hurt you."

"That terrifying pitcher-like throw would kill me one day." The tension drained from me, and I lowered my arms, once again gingerly touching my still-throbbing cheek.

"I just wanted to check which is harder: my morpher or your face." Without hesitation, Myrrh leaned in closer, inspecting the spot where the flying morpher had struck. Her face was only inches from mine, her expression softening with concern. "Are you hurt? Should I get you a cold compress or something?"

"N-No, it's fine." I stammered, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks as I took a nervous step back, suddenly overwhelmed by her proximity.

Myrrh's face flushed pink, her expression shifting to a pout. "I'm trying to make amends here, so just stay still," she huffed, her irritation barely masking the embarrassment in her voice.