NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9 – Smells like Lavender
Chapter 9 – Smells like Lavender
Classes had ended for the day, so after chatting with my new friends, Neil and Fei, I headed to the locker room to change. I slipped back into my school’s gray uniform, feeling its familiar fabric settle on my shoulders.
After grabbing my bag, I started walking through the quiet corridors. As I passed by the large windows, my eyes were drawn to the expansive shooting range outside. I watched as student WAIFUs and their support units participated in an advanced shooting competition, their mechs firing precise laser beams at popping plywood targets. The support students stood by as spotters, shouting commands and giving directions to guide their WAIFU partners.
The sight amused me, so I decided to head down to the lower floors for a closer look. Just as I approached the stairs, I heard someone calling my name, loudly and urgently.
"Zaft!"
I turned around and saw Myrrh rushing toward me, clearly in a state of disarray. Her uniform was a mess, her skirt hung loosely, and she’d even forgotten to put on one of her thigh-high socks. She looked flustered and out of breath.
"Now what?" I asked, a bit puzzled.
"Huff, puff…" Myrrh bent over, gasping for breath before glaring at me with a cute pout. "Jeez, you sure are quick to slip away as soon as classes end, aren’t you?"
"And you…" I grinned, glancing at her disheveled appearance. "You seem to be in the middle of changing. What's going on?"
"I just… I just wanted to thank you." Myrrh’s expression softened as a blush crept across her cheeks, making her look even more adorable. "You were amazing back there, and your quick thinking with the system and your street smarts helped me score the highest on that test."
I wasn’t sure if it was really “street smarts” that made me activate the second laser sword. Honestly, I just tapped it out of curiosity. But I wasn’t going to pass up any praise, especially from Myrrh Alicent. Being complimented by a beautiful woman definitely does wonders for the soul.
"R-right," I replied, trying to play it cool. "You were amazing too. You’re the one who nailed all those balloons with your perfect aim and slashing skills."
For a moment, Myrrh looked surprised, her eyes wide. Then her face turned bright red, like a tomato. She quickly stood up straight, crossing her arms and turning away with a huff.
"I-It was nothing!" she stammered, clearly flustered. "Of course, I’d pop all those balloons easily! That test wasn’t even hard!" And just like that, Myrrh’s prickly attitude made its return.
“It was just a basic skill,” we both said at the same time. Myrrh and I glanced at each other before breaking into laughter.
"Anyway…" Myrrh shifted her mood again, her expression softening into a calm, happy smile as she extended her fist toward me. “Thanks for giving it your best.”
“No problem,” I replied, meeting her fist with my own.
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By the time I finally made it back to the dormitory, it was four in the afternoon. The long day of practical exams had left me feeling exhausted and hungry. I quickly heated some water in my electric kettle and poured it over my cup of instant ramen, the familiar scent of the noodles filling the small room.
While waiting for them to cook, I flopped onto my bed and let out a deep sigh. The memory of being praised by both my professor and Myrrh lingered in my mind, filling me with a warm sense of pride. The rush of dopamine lifted my spirits, and I found myself raising a clenched fist in the air.
“I guess today was a pretty good day,” I muttered to myself, a small smile creeping onto my face. “This is the first time I’ve ever aced an academic test.”
Back in high school’s special curriculum, I had never come close to acing anything. I was always the weakest among the strongest. Sure, I was smart, but there were others who were way smarter. Maybe being at the bottom of that pack made me a bit of a troublemaker back then.
As for Myrrh, I don’t think she was ever an honor student. Her academics were pretty average, and the only thing that kept her motivated was her reputation and her involvement in extracurriculars. She worked as a peace officer in the student council and was also part of the taekwondo and judo clubs—probably because she loved using her moves to take me down every chance she got.
Thinking of Myrrh, I suddenly remembered the pink handkerchief she returned to me earlier this morning. I sat up and rummaged through my bag until I found it.
“There it is,” I said with a grin, pulling out the familiar handkerchief. Lying back down on my bed, I held it up close to examine it.
The fabric felt as soft as I remembered, but now it was even smoother, freshly washed. A delicate lavender scent wafted from it, even from a meter away. I brought it closer to my nose, inhaling deeply until the handkerchief touched my face. The fragrant smell was almost intoxicating.
“It really does smell like lavender,” I muttered to myself, my heart unexpectedly skipping a beat. The scent stirred something inside me, a strange feeling I couldn’t quite understand. Maybe it was because this handkerchief had once been full of Myrrh’s snot?
“Yuck,” I quickly said, pulling the handkerchief away and tossing it to the other side of the bed. But then, I glanced at it again. Myrrh had said she’d washed it repeatedly, so any germs had to be long gone by now.
Honestly, I didn’t know what I was thinking or saying at this point. With a sigh, I decided to focus on my cup ramen and move on from the weird thoughts.
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The next day, our schedule started with WEEB 101. Our instructor for the day was Professor Chaldeas, a man who looked like your stereotypical otaku in his thirties. He had a scruffy, uneven shave, messy black spiky hair, and a tall, thin frame with pale skin. His tired, half-closed eyes made him seem perpetually bored, and his disinterest was obvious as he stood at the front of the room.
To make the class even more uninspiring, Professor Chaldeas simply read the lesson straight from the textbook in a droning voice.
"Uh… since this is WEEB 101, I’ll be teaching you about the system we use to enhance the battle capabilities of Frame Units," Professor Chaldeas began, his voice as lifeless as his appearance. "WEEB stands for Weaponry Enhancement Engineering Bios. It’s an operating system developed by Treenity Innovations and was prepared for military use in Xyraxis about twenty years ago, when the first Cosmic Beasts attacked Earth."
He set his textbook down, finally making use of the hologram projector to display diagrams. The glowing images flickered into view as he continued, still sounding somewhat disconnected from the material.
“WEEB is a system-based interface that levels up as you’re granted clearances. Right now, you all have clearance to use weapons up to Level 3. Next week, we’ll be upgrading your clearances to Level 4, and you’ll unlock… what was it you’ll unlock at Level 4 again?”
The professor squinted at the textbook, fumbling with the hologram controls as the room fell into an awkward silence. The seconds dragged on, with no one daring to speak. I could feel the boredom setting in, and soon the long stretch of dead air became unbearable. I fought to keep my eyes open, but eventually, my body betrayed me.
"Yaaaaawn," I sighed, trying to stifle the sound.
Before I could finish, Myrrh, the ever-watchful, whispered sharply beside me, "Hey, it’s rude to yawn in the middle of a discussion."
Rolling my eyes, I shot back quietly, "Oh, so I should be like Mister Discreet over there." I nodded toward one of our classmates sitting in front of us, who was dozing off with his head tilted to one side, completely zoned out.
Right in front of us, Neil Orbeus was fast asleep on his desk, completely out like a baby. His partner, Fei Xian, was still technically awake, but just barely. Her head swayed back and forth as if she were on the verge of passing out. Her eyes were open, but it was obvious she was pretending to pay attention while her consciousness slowly slipped away.
Suddenly, the bell rang from the top floor of the campus, signaling the end of the day’s class.
“Wah!” Neil jerked awake, startled by the loud sound.
“Eeek!” Fei shrieked too, startled not only by the bell but also by Neil’s sudden movement. She clutched her chest, clearly rattled.
“These two really are made for each other,” Myrrh muttered with a smile that seemed both amused and exasperated.
Meanwhile, Professor Chaldeas had already started packing up his books and gadgets, moving at his usual sluggish pace. He looked up at us briefly and said, "Uh… please read chapters 2 to 4. That’ll be our topic next week. Have a good weekend." His voice was as lifeless as ever as he shuffled out of the room like a zombie.
Around me, the students began gathering their things, most of them yawning and stretching, trying to shake off the drowsiness brought on by such a dull class. Conversations sprang up as they turned to their partners, excitedly discussing weekend plans.
I, too, started packing up, relieved that it was finally Friday. Thankfully, we didn’t have any practical exams to exhaust us today. I couldn’t believe I’d already survived my first week at Orbital Tech. Now, I was free from the academic grind—at least until Monday—and ready to enjoy the weekend ahead.
Since it was Friday, I suddenly remembered a certain unpaid debt from earlier in the week. My mind drifted back to the first day, and I knew exactly who still owed me.
I glanced over at my partner, Myrrh, who was happily humming a tune while packing up her things, completely oblivious to the cold stare I was giving her. She continued her carefree song, unaware of the storm brewing right next to her.
"Hey, Myrrh," I called out, my voice flat and serious.
"Yes?" she responded, still cheerful as ever.
"Do you remember that tea time we had last time?" I paused for effect, narrowing my eyes. "Pay up."
My tone was icy, and it caught her off guard. Myrrh forced a smile, clearly trying to dodge the tension. "Always straight to the point, aren’t you?" She let out a small chuckle before quickly adding, "How about I treat you to a meal tonight instead?"