3rd POV
The early spring days at the IS Academy began to blend together—routine classes, maintenance checks, mock battles, and after-school hangouts with the usual crew. With the second-year curriculum kicking into full swing, the students of Class 2-1 had settled into their rhythm.
Well—most of them.
"Goddamnit, she really has a thick skull." Haruto muttered under his breath, slumped on a bench near the training fields with a towel over his shoulders and a half-drunk sports drink in one hand.
Just meters away stood Rei Kuroshima, arms crossed, eyes locked on him with that same expression she always had right before making the request.
"Spar with me."
He didn't even look up this time.
"Rei. For the fourth time this week, no. It's Thursday. That means it's my 'not-being-annoyed-by-you' day."
"Then how about Friday?"
"God help me," he muttered.
The routine repeated. Every few days, Rei would show up out of nowhere—cafeteria, hallway, rooftop, once even in front of the dorms—always asking for a spar.
Sometimes he'd oblige.
Sometimes he'd win, just barely.
Sometimes, he'd visibly hold back, letting her claim victory to "shut her up," as he claimed later.
Other times, he flat-out said no and walked away, arms behind his head like a lazy cat. The only consistent thing?
Laura's reaction.
One afternoon in the cafeteria...
"She's staring again," Charlotte said casually, sipping her juice.
"Let her stare. Maybe she'll finally develop telepathy and get the damn hint," Haruto grumbled, poking at his lunch.
At the far side of the room, Rei was seated, eyes subtly—or not-so-subtly—watching him.
Laura, seated next to Haruto, narrowed her eye at Rei.
"She's wasting her time."
Haruto blinked.
"That sounded a bit venomous."
"That was venomous," Rin chimed in, amused. "She's been hovering a lot lately."
"More than hovering," Cecilia added, delicately cutting into her food. "Practically orbiting him."
Charlotte chuckled, glancing toward Rei.
"And I think we all noticed how Laura's been less than amused."
"Understatement of the month," Haruto muttered.
Laura didn't deny it. She just stabbed a piece of broccoli a little too forcefully.
"You should just tell her off."
"Already tried that. Multiple times. Politely, rudely, sarcastically, with a side of caffeine withdrawal. She keeps coming back."
Houki, flipping through notes nearby, commented dryly.
"You did sort of provoke her when you told her she didn't have real-world sync experience. That probably triggered something."
Haruto groaned, laying his head on the table.
"Great. I insulted a prideful machine user. That always ends well."
YOU ARE READING
A Vengeful Retribution
Fanfiction(OC X Infinite Stratos) I guess you know where this is going. 2nd Male IS Pilot thing. Meet Yap. Growing up in South East Asia wasn't easy for a young boi like him. Compared to kids in other countries, he has seen what a kid doesn't; Bloodshed, assa...
