I Became the Academy's Pink Airhead - Chapter 16
In the evening when all train operations except night routes had ended.
At the information desk set up at <Mimir Technical High School>’s ether train station.
Rina, the 2nd year student in charge of information there, gave a polite greeting to the dwarf crew members heading home.
“Good work!”
“Thank you, Rina. You worked hard too.”
They hurriedly returned home without even glancing at the still noisy street scene. The festival stalls and special attractions had little to do with their duties.
“Another busy day…”
“Let’s go home quickly.”
“Tomorrow will be busy too…”
Rina remained seated and buried her face on the desk installed at the counter.
Thunk―
The heat that had built up on her face from the tight-fitting uniform and heavy makeup seemed to be shielded by the coolness of the desk.
“Phew.”
The silence of the lobby where only the information staff remained.
The sunlight coming through the windows tinted orange.
The shadows of the pillars erected on the platform stretched far into the distance.
“…”
Rina was quietly lying there enjoying a very brief rest.
Today, she had worked hard according to her assigned duties.
Even in her own eyes, she had been cute and kind today.
She must have given visitors a good first impression of <Mimir Technical High School>.
Rina felt very proud of that fact.
“…I should head to the central auditorium now.”
The student council president had ordered all students to attend the large-scale announcement tonight. As an ordinary student who had just become a 2nd year, she didn’t know what it was about. But she had to listen since it was the seniors’ orders anyway.
“Oof…”
Rina got up from her seat without any doubts, intending to return to the dormitory to change into her uniform and attend the announcement.
“Ow―?!”
Wobble―
Pain in her calves.
From standing for a long time in unfamiliar heels.
The moment she tried to leave the information desk, she nearly lost her balance and fell.
“Ouch ouch… Did I work too hard… What’s going on…”
Rina massaged her calves where a stinging pain was rising, took off her heels and held them together in one hand.
The coldness of the floor felt through her stockings on the soles of her feet.
Due to fatigue beyond discomfort, she walked straight to the locker room where her sneakers were.
Tak tak
As Rina walked barefoot through the quiet station hallway, she could hear the voices of excited visitors.
-A self-moving mechanical device… amazing!
-Try this! It’s delicious!
“Hehe… They must be having fun.”
This year’s new student welcome event will be enjoyable. Because last year’s memories were also enjoyable like this…
‘Memories…’
Rina stopped in her tracks.
And tilting her head, she muttered:
‘Huh… Why can’t I remember last year’s welcome event…?’
Last year, she surely helped the seniors organize documents. Set up attractions to entertain visitors. And raised the school’s honor…
“…”
Ah.
‘I just worked.’
Due to the coldness felt from the soles of her feet and due to the facial heat gradually cooling down. Somehow her mood seemed to sink coldly.
Silence.
The laughter of students from other schools heard from outside.
-Hahaha!
-Woah!
“…”
Even though it was clearly a [New Student Welcome Event], Rina had never once been welcomed by her seniors. When she came to her senses, she had just become an ordinary 2nd year student working again.
Somehow…
…it felt empty.
“I’ll be late.”
Rina rubbed her eyes that were closing from fatigue, and suddenly shook off the emptiness welling up in her chest. And she was about to move her tired feet towards the locker room.
At that moment.
Amidst the gentle laughter heard from the street, the sound of cheers rapidly growing louder could be heard.
-Wooooah~
-Wooooah―!!
-What’s that? Amazing!!
-Something’s falling down!
-Let’s follow it―!!
“…?”
‘There shouldn’t be any scheduled events on the first night besides the announcement, right?’
With pure curiosity, Rina walked towards the window.
“…!”
And what she saw was.
Colorful and beautiful fireworks in various colors dyeing the station windows like stained glass.
Whoooo―
Bang!
Beyond the gentle veil of darkness cast between the evening glow.
Stars made of gunpowder and fireworks that suddenly appeared. Were blessing the new beginnings of the students gathered here.
Rina’s eyes gradually widened.
-Wooooah―!
Nostalgic stars full of gunpowder scent filling the sky. And lively parade music playing from speakers installed here and there.
The sound of music echoes.
Numerous students run towards the fireworks in the sky while laughing.
The fireworks and the city were dancing and singing along to the music.
This city was now a stage where a performance was unfolding.
Whoosh―
Bang!
Among the fireworks bursting out once again, a conductor could be seen.
Conducting this stage of hot stars was a huge airship floating leisurely in the sky.
[<Mimir Technical High School> new students―! And all 2nd year students working hard everywhere―! Congratulations on your admission―☆]
[We sincerely congratulate you on your admission~ The student council president has specially brought gifts―☆ Be careful not to get hit on the head! Be careful again―☆]
A city where numerous rectangular buildings are gathered.
Weaving between them, distributing flowers and candy.
Colorful fireworks rising into the sky dye the gray buildings.
Transforming them into numerous gift boxes for the girls gathered here.
-Wooooooah!
-Waaaaa!
The numerous girls gathered on the streets. Like children following the Pied Piper in an old tale.
With pure curiosity, they run towards the stage played by the airship.
Thump
Thump
In the eyes where the sky’s fireworks are pouring in.
The page of memories that had started moving beyond a year’s time.
Began to sparkle like a galaxy containing stars.
Thump
Thump
“Woah…!”
Rina ran out towards the street, forgetting even to change her shoes.
* * *
The student council room of <Mimir Technical High School> was in chaos.
An unprecedented confusion had occurred at the crucial time when all students were supposed to gather in the main auditorium to declare independence from the <United Student Council> and all-out war against the alliance of <Public Bana Boarding School> and <Svart Technical High School>.
Dozens of 3rd year student council executives were holding onto phones connected to their respective districts.
“So I’m telling you to investigate who on earth opened that!!”
[W-Well… We couldn’t find any signs of forced entry…]
Beyond the flustered voice, numerous voices blend together.
-Senior! Thank you! You’ve been hiding this to show us all along?
-Wooah! Look! Look over there!
-Senior! Let’s go play together―!!
[W-Wait!! Kids, that’s not…!]
Click…
“…”
To grasp the situation on site. Even when frantically picking up the receiver, proper communication is impossible or cut off due to being swept up in the festival fervor.
This wasn’t happening in just one or two districts.
“Lost connection with <Mechanical Engineering Department>. I’m sorry.”
“Could it be Maya, the head of <Facilities Engineering Department>…?”
“No, we just confirmed she’s still staying in her office.”
“Then who on earth…!”
“We need to find those ‘moderates’ who agreed with Maya’s opinion…!”
“It could be spies sent by <Svart Technical High School>…!”
“Those elves, surely not…?!”
Murmur murmur
The confusion of the student council executives grows as much as the chaos shaking the city.
Whoosh―
Bang!
“…”
“…”
The executives’ hearts were also unsettled by the light and sound of the fireworks twinkling outside the window.
A city fallen into chaos, intoxicated by the simultaneously exploding fireworks and music.
Moreover, even students from other schools were swept up everywhere on the streets, so the disciplinary committee students were just running around in confusion, unable to find the culprits.
The dark sky where the sunset had disappeared.
The resolution ceremony that was supposed to start around dusk was supposed to have begun by now. But it was being delayed for hours amidst the chaos.
-Thank you!
-I’m glad I came to this school!
-This is really the best!!
-Senior, come play with us too~
-W-Wait a moment, kids…!
Moreover, juniors and outside students who took this situation itself as some kind of performance were dragging in 3rd year seniors, coloring this situation even more into a crucible of chaos.
The hardline 3rd years who had secretly prepared things among themselves for the success of the surprise resolution ceremony. That was now backfiring in this unexpected situation.
To begin with, the situation of the airship leisurely floating in the sky being hijacked was also unexpected. It was impossible to carry out a resolution ceremony with all students participating in this situation.
In a situation where they absolutely couldn’t see an answer, the 3rd year executives muttered in dejected voices.
“…”
“What should we do?”
And from the central seat in the student council room, the seat where only the student council president could sit.
The voice of a female student with a resolute expression rang out.
“It’s probably Maya’s doing. And that troublemaker 1st year must be involved too. I don’t know who else they instigated, but. We need to reunite the students before we get intervened by the <United Student Council>.”
“President Skadi…!”
“Let’s organize the situation first. Gather personnel from <Mechanical Engineering Department> to identify the airship’s possible flight paths, then the disciplinary committee on top of buildings that can directly reach its altitude…”
We can delay the announcement time.
<Mimir Technical High School> has always moved with one will. Even if momentary chaos strikes, we will unite again.
With such resolve, just as the executives were about to stand up. an unfamiliar student who had somehow entered the student council room spoke in a leisurely voice.
“Yes~ Yes~ That’s enough.”
“…?!”
“When?!”
“Hnng―cha!”
A small female student stretching her short limbs as she stood up.
She was wearing the black coat of the <United Student Council> over her shoulders. And with a lollipop in her mouth, she looked around with a bored expression.
The executives of <Mimir Technical High School>’s student council looked at that student in shock.
“Y-You…!”
“The secretary of the <United Student Council>…!”
“Yes, yes~ I am the cutie Bell of the <United Student Council>”
“Weren’t you all busy with the kidnapping incidents in the western region…?”
“Yes, yes~ The boss went paw! And solved it in an instant~”
Bell boasted, showing off the black uniform of the <United Student Council> heavily modified with red lace and ribbons. Her black hair tied in side tails swayed gently whenever she shook her head.
Student Council President Skadi looked at that appearance with displeasure and said:
“Even for the <United Student Council>, this seems like excessive rudeness. This is our territory. We never gave permission to enter freely.”
“My my… No need to get angry. The boss told me to hurry and have a ‘talk’. Being the ‘strongest in the academy city’, we can’t make you run with sweat on your feet~”
“…What? Pr-President Brunhilde herself…?!”
“Hm? You didn’t know? Anyway, if you wait a little, the boss will come to mediate…”
Bell said with a chilling smile.
Somehow, that smile contained the composure of an overwhelming victor.
“Could you not act up about going to war when you can’t even stop one of us from barging in?”
* * *
On the deck of the airship leisurely flying.
The grounds of <Mimir Technical High School> seen from up there were full of festival frenzy.
-Wooooah―!
The sight of numerous students pouring out onto the streets, singing and dancing under the fireworks exploding.
I opened my mouth to say one last thing.
“Now then―☆ Everyone… Hm? Oh my… It seems all the speaker connections have been cut off―☆”
“Hahaha! It seems the disciplinary committee comrades have done it!”
Kara, who had been gripping the airship’s controls, burst into hearty laughter as if it was someone else’s business. Behind us, Alvit and Rota were sitting with their heads in their hands.
“We really did it.”
“We got excited and did it.”
“That’s right―☆ It was fun―☆”
“Yes, quite… more than expected.”
“Just doing it recklessly without thinking… It feels refreshing.”
“But we won’t do it twice…”
A meeting of mischievous kids. The faintly heard cheers. The excitement and cheers of a new start. Numerous searchlights turned on to find us.
The sight of all those things tangled between light and sound.
It was completely opposite to the controlled appearance <Mimir Technical High School> had shown during the day.
But that chaos, free of all stubbornness and control, was somehow lovely… a sight you couldn’t take your eyes off.
As we were chatting, Kara suddenly spoke to us in a solemn voice.
“Thank you.”
“Hm?”
“Huh?”
“Actually, even while saying it myself. I knew that ‘revolution’ was a forced concept that even I couldn’t define precisely. Thank you sincerely for following along.”
Kara took off the goggles she had been wearing while piloting the airship, and smiled brightly at us. There wasn’t a hint of regret in that smile.
“From now on, those who remember today’s scene will think of ‘specialness’ before ‘naturalness’. The revolution has truly been completed.”
The Kara in the game boasted while laughing grandly, but the Kara here declared success in a calm voice.
“And I’ll probably be expelled and become a wanted person. But I’ll testify that I did all this alone, so don’t worry.”
“…Kara.”
“…You.”
Alvit and Rota made apologetic expressions at the resolve of the person they had found annoying until just now. But I could barely hold back a laugh from bursting out.
‘What should I do… Should I tell her Maya will cover for her so it’s fine?’
Hmm.
I should just keep it hidden.
Amidst the subtle silence that fell, I stood up and said:
“Then now that the girls’ ball is over―☆ Shall we make our exit☆”
“Huh, understood.”
Kara took out a small ether conductor cube from her chest, then used her summoning skill [Revolutionary Comrade].
“Comrade, I hope you’ll operate the airship safely until the end!”
The conductor cube grew to about the size of a human head. Thin mechanical arms and legs sprouted from its sides. Then it sat in the pilot seat and began carrying out Kara’s orders.
Beep!
And Kara approached me.
“Excuse me, senior comrade.”
“Ahaha what’s that―☆”
She carefully picked me up in a princess carry.
There was still a slight smell from her, but I pretended not to notice so as not to embarrass my junior.
“Here you go.”
“Ugh… This is a bit scary.”
At the same time, Alvit picked up Rota.
Kara reached out and opened the airship’s emergency escape port with all her might.
Whoosh―!!
Wheeee―
Towards the howling wind and.
The building passing right in front of us.
Alvit and Kara leapt off, wrapping themselves in ether.
Whoosh―!
The wind strikes our faces.
“Wooooah―☆”
“Uwaaaaah!!”
My voice because it was fun and Rota’s voice because she was scared.
Thump!
With a light rebound, we successfully landed on the roof of the building that had come close.
I immediately ran forward with all my might.
“Now―☆ Let’s run―!!”
“Whoa?! Senior!! Wait for us!!”
“Hehehe…!! Hahahaha!!”
“Huff…! Wh-Why are we suddenly running!?”
Thump
Thump
Like mischievous children who succeeded in their prank.
Through the laughter and dazzling lights echoing from the streets.
Carrying the sound of pounding hearts, they ran across the dark rooftops.
* * *
And in the darkness of the street.
Amidst the chaos, only one person could see the rascals’ dash.
“Lara?”
Why.
‘Why are you there…?’
Why.
‘Why with ‘those guys’…?’
Why.
Why…
Why… are you…
Smiling there…?
On a night where countless lights and sounds rush in.
In a silver-white sky, a dark star began to rise.