As I filled my stomach with the hotdog and apple pie set meal I ordered, Charl suddenly posed a question after finishing off her vanilla shake.
「Which school are you planning on entering after graduating junior high anyway, Kota?」
「Eh?」
Charl inquired as she checked out her nails.
She must have asked without thinking. It was now August, and we were already in our third year of junior high. It was a topic that was brought up frequently even among my classmates.
I wanted to respect Charl’s will. That’s why I didn’t plan on forcing her to come to the UN Academy with me. At least, that’s what I’d decided inwardly.
However, Charl’s question shook my resolve. I’d already decided previously, but somewhere deep inside, I really did want to have Charl attend the Academy with me.
After all, I wanted to hone my skills together with Charl just like before and ask for her help in protecting Rio. That’s because I considered her my best friend and wholeheartedly trusted her.
However, I simply couldn’t allow myself to succumb to my own selfish wishes precisely because I considered her a true friend. I shouldn’t allow myself to control her decision, especially since it was about such a major matter that would highly influence her life.
That’s why I simply answered her question without any other hidden implications.
「I’m planning on going to the UN Academy」I responded. Charl tried to sip more of her practically empty drink for a bit and blurted out「Okay. I guess I’m coming to the Academy too」nonchalantly.
「……E-Eh?」
「Oh c’mon. I said I’m coming to the Academy too, okay?」
「B-But why? Didn’t you wanna enter the Defense Institute?」
「Why do you know that? Did I mention it before?」
Charl removed her lips from the straw and tilted her head.
Dammit. This was the first time we’ve talked about this sort of topic. I tried not to mention anything remotely related to the topic previously because I didn’t want to influence her decision, but I messed up just now.
「Uh, err, not really. I just……」
I took a big bite out of my apple pie as I tried to gloss over the matter.
「……? Oh well. I simply didn’t have anyone who’d tag along with me to the Academy before. Well, I basically don’t have any close friends, so that can’t be helped.」
「That’s not true you know?」
Charl laughed cheerfully after hearing my quip.
I see. I ended up going to the Defense Institute in my first life, and in that timeline, I haven’t even met Charl yet at this point.
Even though we’ve only met each other for a few weeks, we seemed to get along pretty well, and I said I was going to the Academy so…… she ended up changing her mind?
I-It was that simple……?
No, Charl was simply this kind of person in the first place.
But the application deadline was just around the corner. Will her academics be up to snuff?
When I pointed this out to her, I ended up eating a forehead flick. Ouch.
「So, you’re implying that I look dumb huh? Do you wanna get hit that badly, Kota?」
Oh yeah. Regardless of her usual behavior, Charl’s academic performance was actually pretty high. Though she really didn’t look the part of a straight-A student.
Rather than sitting in front of a desk with a pen, having a blast with an electric guitar suited her way more. But it was true that she was surprisingly smart.
But was she really okay with this?
Did Charl really not have any intention of going to the Defense Institute?
I had memories of my first life and was now in the middle of living my second.
But this was just Charl’s first crack at it…… No, that’s not right. You’re actually supposed to only live once.
It’s true that life at the Defense Institute was pretty hard. Even the usually chill Charl suffered plenty from the actions of those spiteful schoolmates of ours to the point that it made her sick to her stomach.
However, the time we spent at the Defense Institute still proved pretty meaningful in the end, and it even resulted in our friendship.
And so, I had misgivings about whether or not something like this was really okay.
Also, if we did end up going to the same school, I’d probably covet it even more. I’d have expectations about it.
–My good friend’s superb piloting skills.
That’s why I asked once more. 「Are you really okay with this?」
Charl shrugged in response.
「Why do you even have to ask something like that, Kota? It’s up to me to decide whether or not I’m fine with going to the Academy. I’ll go if I want to, and I won’t if I don’t feel like it. And it just so happens that I feel like going, so that’s that.」
Yeah. This was just the kind of person Charlotte Lewis was.
Straightforward and marches to her own beat. When she says she’d do something, she really will do it, and you’d never be able to force her into doing something she didn’t want to do.
And since Charl herself decided on going to the Academy, it wasn’t my place to tell her what to do.
If I ever ended up requiring her help after all, I can just ask her.
I’m sure Charl wouldn’t hesitate to lend a hand. That’s just the kind of person she was.
However, I didn’t have to consider such things right now. I’d just have to make a decision when the time comes.
「……That’s just like you, Charl.」
When she heard my words, Charl said「You sound like you already know me so well, mister」, and laughed once more.
***
TL Notes:
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Uchuu Kaizoku Translations 