Drone Plan

While strolling through the shopping district, I split off from Tamiya to buy clothes separately. After all, girls need to shop for innerwear too. Even though Star Color looks like a girl, that doesn't mean he has the nerve to waltz in there and browse.

Star Color bought a cheap black windbreaker and some plain casual wear, then swung by the supermarket for a few things. After finishing up, he found Tamiya hadn't arrived at the meeting spot yet, so he stood outside quietly, holding three bags.

A few guys came up to hit on him along the way, but Star Color brushed them off with his innocent act.

"Haah~"

"What's wrong?"

Tamiya Emi appeared behind Star Color, having caught his sigh.

"Nothing."

"Come on, let's go eat at the cafeteria."

"Mm."

At the cafeteria, Star Color tried the school's mountain vegetable set meal this time. Aside from being bland and tasteless, there wasn't much wrong with it. The mountain veggies were fresh, and there was white rice too. He pulled out the [Spicy★Miso] he'd bought from the supermarket.

Once they got out into society, they'd realize how absurdly expensive vegetables actually were—being able to freely enjoy healthy green veggies was a rare blessing.

Tamiya also got a mountain vegetable set meal, but given her appetite from lunch, that clearly wouldn't cut it, so she added a meat dish too.

"Huh? Star Color, you're eating that little?"

"The burger at lunch was too filling, and my appetite isn't that big anyway. I'm easy to take care of~."

Tamiya's face flushed slightly.

"Honestly, don't say weird things."

"Sorry, sorry, I'm a bit spacey sometimes."

Tamiya tried the mountain vegetable set meal and found it bland too.

"There's soy sauce~."

"Eh, what did you buy that for?"

"Well, cooking in the dorm~ It's a bit of a hassle, but it saves a lot of points. The dorm kitchen has a fridge, and there's no extra charges for electricity, water, or gas, so cooking yourself is the best value."

"Can I come mooch off you sometime?"

"Of course, Tamiya. But I'll need to cook more rice and add extra meat~."

Star Color smiled warmly at Tamiya Emi. The distance between them had vanished, and they'd smoothly become friends.

After dinner, the two parted ways at the dorm.

Star Color stored the groceries in the fridge, then picked up his NOKIA phone and saw a reply.

The plan was set for 9 PM. This school kept students on campus even during winter and summer breaks, so he'd thoroughly studied the map from the orientation guide. Using a small drone for multiple high-altitude reconnaissance runs, he'd scouted the area and grasped the security patrol patterns. Finally, he'd mapped out a perfect drone flight path, with the landing point being a hidden, desolate spot no one knew about.

Star Color planned to skip class tomorrow morning. The first day was just teacher introductions and study guidelines—nothing worth listening to. Better to do something useful for himself.

The school's leave system required getting a medical certificate from the health office. Then you had to take a photo with the school-issued phone and send it to your homeroom teacher, along with a written leave request. Only after the teacher approved it would it count as a legitimate absence. What a hassle. He could just cut class or skip outright, since the orientation booklet made it clear the penalties were about the same as a regular high school.

But skipping or ditching was too conspicuous. Star Color thought it over and decided against it. He didn't want to leave a bad impression on everyone as a troublemaker on day one.

After putting away his purchases, Star Color left the dorm, heading for the health office.

Only one floor of the teaching building was still brightly lit. Were these teachers working overtime? Star Color was curious. With a closed-campus system, places like the counseling room and health office definitely needed overtime. Tough luck—who actually liked working overtime?

Arriving at the health office, Star Color habitually knocked politely.

"Come in."

He slid open the door—a 'sliding door' object.

Before him stood a woman with wavy chestnut hair. Her figure was well-proportioned, with flesh in all the right places, not that skinny, immature look. She exuded a mature, encompassing presence—at least in the chest area...

Star Color shook his head. What was he even thinking?

The teacher in front of him seemed in a bad mood. Though she wore a mature smile, veins bulged on her forehead, giving her a bit of a demonic aura.

"You know? In class 1-A, Otonashi-kun, it's almost my quitting time now. I've packed up, looking forward to going for a drink, and you show up at this hour to bother me."

"?"

Aren't you a teacher? And the health office teacher at that! How did someone with this work ethic even get hired? Star Color screamed internally.

He noticed two beer cans under the bed and twitched.

This woman—she was drinking on the job, dodging the health office's surveillance cameras. Was this still a teacher? The students' health was in her hands!

"More importantly... teacher... are you drinking during work hours?"

"What's wrong with drinking? Teachers have huge stress, you know! I have to prep for health class, teach lessons, sometimes give tests, manage the health office, and take responsibility for all the students' well-being! Teaching is exhausting—what's wrong with a little drink?"

Just as Star Color was about to speak.

She pressed a finger to his lips, startling him into jumping back like a frightened deer.

"My surname is Hoshinomiya, given name Chie. I'm the health office and health class teacher, and also the homeroom teacher for class B."

"I noticed you when I was looking over the new students' physical exam forms. A cute-looking boy is a perfect score—after all, trap-type boys are rare. I've kept an eye on a few kids who suit my tastes."

"Could it be... that Hoshinomiya-sensei is what they call a... pervert?"

Star Color blushed, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning slightly to the side.

"Careful, or I'll sue you for harassment."

Hoshinomiya rapped Star Color on the head with the back of her hand, then dropped another bombshell.

"Wait until you graduate high school, then I'll consider making a move on you."

Star Color clutched his throbbing head and shot back.

"You actually dared to say that... ow ow ow."

"Did you just come to say hi? So then~ what's up?"

Finally getting to the point, Star Color rubbed his head, thinking to himself.

"I want a medical certificate."

"Oh?"

Hoshinomiya stood up from her chair and circled Star Color, scrutinizing him closely.

"So cute... ah, no, little Star-chan doesn't look sick at all."

"Don't just start calling me by a nickname, and what the hell is 'little Star-chan'?!"

"Star Color is such a mouthful. Isn't the nickname 'little Star-chan' cute?"

"Not at all."

"Ara, are you shy? So then? Is it a fever or a cold?"

"Neither."

Star Color shook his head.

"Eh? Then what's wrong with you?"

"Umm, does a headache count?"

"Nope. Want me to prescribe you some medicine? If it's not serious enough, I won't give you a certificate."

"Then how many points would it take to get one?"

Star Color kept a blank expression as he stared at her.

"Eh? Hahaha, little Star-chan is really interesting. Trying to bribe your teacher with points."

"Didn't they say anything can be bought with points?"

"That's right, everything can indeed be bought. You're the first student to ever buy a medical certificate from me."

She bent down and whispered into Star Color's ear.

"This is teacher's first time~."

The warm breath poured into his ear, and Star Color instinctively tilted his head away.

Hoshinomiya was clearly displeased with his reflex.

"What's that supposed to mean? I'm very popular with the boys, you know! Many kids can't enjoy Hoshinomiya-sensei's ear whispers, this heavenly reward. If it weren't for your cuteness, I wouldn't have done it."

"Then I should thank you?"

Star Color covered his ears, the corner of his mouth twitching wildly.

"So how many points to get me one?"

"Ten thousand points!"

"Huh?"

"Ten thousand points, no haggling."

"..."

After paying ten thousand points, Hoshinomiya quickly issued a medical certificate.

"Then come again next time, little Star-chan."

"You... sigh."

Star Color slammed the door shut hard.

That idiot teacher had fleeced him for ten thousand points, and he'd been stupid enough to hand them over.

Star Color was full of regret now, but unfortunately, there was no cure for regret in this world.

"Whatever, I'll just win more tomorrow."

He checked the time; it was about that hour.

He walked toward a sparsely populated area, crossed the lawn, pushed through waist-high grass, and kept an eye out for the cold-blooded creatures stirring in the spring.

Unbidden, a poem by Akutagawa Ryunosuke from Kappa came to mind.

[Among coconut flowers and emerald bamboo, the Buddha has fallen asleep.]

[Accompanied by the withered fruit without flowers along the roadside.]

[God has died, and we wish to rest.]

[Even if it is, right before the curtain of the play.]

Arriving at a desolate place with no lamplight, only a lawn, the other side of the tall wall was the sea. An endless sea that could not be seen to its limits, just like his own life—empty of everything.

Star Color laughed, a laugh different from his usual pretense of being well-behaved and carrying a weak demeanor.

At this moment, his laughter was utterly manic. The sound of drones tearing through the night sky rang out above his head.

The forced-landing drones and the frenzied man thus intertwined in the darkness, weaving an unforeseeable future.