Editing Apocalypse Witch:Volume5 Chapter1 (section)

===Part 1===

“Senpai, you have a really low life experiences score, don’t you?”

Utagai Karuta was being attacked by a 12-year-old first thing in the morning.

The attacker was Natalena Blast, a Sub Category Regulation 1 with wavy blonde hair cut to shoulder length. Her white short-sleeve blouse didn’t look so crisp because she made sure to wash and iron it with care; this was simply her first time wearing it. This was Karuta’s first time wearing the summer uniform too since the first ship had been sunk so soon, but it was different for her. Her entire summer uniform gave off an aura of innocence. She, however, thought she was all grown up now that she was wearing a summer uniform for the first time, so mentioning that aura was sure to have her puffing out her cheeks even more.

She was more than a head shorter than Karuta and she was currently grabbing bite-sized pieces of French toast from a square plastic container and tossing them into her mouth.

“Munch, munch. I mean, you’re supposed to be this incredible upperclassman who’s been with Grimnoah since the first ship, but, well, you barely know any of the school’s tricks. If you want people to look up to you as an upperclassman, you need to enjoy your school life more. And you need to teach me more tricks for getting by at school.”

“I never asked you to call me ‘senpai’ all the time. And what’s with this rule breaking first thing in the morning, Natalena? If you’re going to eat snacks, don’t do it in the middle of the hallway where the teachers are bound to catch you.”

“Call me ''Jane Ignition'' here. And anything you cook yourself in the dorm kitchen and bring with you doesn’t count as a snack. Besides, French toast made from the bread crusts I cut off my sandwiches is a valuable source of carbs.”

Come to think of it, Second Grimnoah ensured the students were free to buy lunch at the cafeteria, buy it at the school store, or bring their own. So if it was handmade, even a donut, biscuit, or bagel might just barely dodge the label of “snack”. And as long as you didn’t do it during class, there was no actual restriction on when you could eat your lunch.

Natalena licked off her honey and sugar covered fingers.

“Yum. The fact that I have to explain to you how to abuse these kinds of loopholes is why you aren’t much of an upperclassman.”

“Well, sorry. So what are you doing here anyway? The Subcategory building is over there.”

“I’m visiting the Main Category library to, um, get some reference material.”

“….”

“Um, Senpai? The fact that self-study isn’t bound by the school year framework is another of those loopholes I was talking about. And I know you’re excited since today is a Port Day, but, uh, you’re the one who can’t afford the blow to your reputation if you get a bad score on the upcoming exams.”

This capable underclassman was on another level entirely from Utagai Karuta.

“(Hm, I see. From now on, I’ll call her Self Conscious Girl.)”

“I can hear you, Not Nearly Self Conscious Enough Senpai.”

With that parting comment, she walked off.

Unlike that perfect Subcategory Regulation 1 who never stopped studying even when she didn’t have class or homework, undisciplined Karuta held his sleepy head and walked straight to his classroom. He found a room so steady it was hard to believe it was on a ship.

The classroom was a mixture of information before morning homeroom. The boys and girls had gathered into a few different groups where they chatted freely. Several were instead focused on their phones or tablets. The paper weekly manga magazines didn’t always show up on the school store’s shelves on the usual release day, so the students had a tendency to buy the digital version they could read on their phones.

“Sup, Karuta. Hirosuke went ahead and bought the digital version even though it’s a Port Day, so watch out for spoilers.”

“This week’s Red Pan is so good. I-it’s the kind of once-in-a-lifetime chapter where anything I could tell you would spoil it for you.”

If Utagai Karuta was going to join a group, it was usually with his awful friends Yamane Deiri and Nekoumi Hirosuke. Seeing the disaster that was those two honestly helped soothe the wounds inflicted by Self Conscious Girl that morning.

The Port Day people kept mentioning referred to a day when Second Grimnoah, a modified triple hull cruise ship, stopped at a port to resupply or receive maintenance. The ship contained more than enough facilities for anything they might want to do, but leaving the ship still brought a sense of freedom.

The Japanese might have trouble picturing what the Southeast Asian equatorial region looks like, but there were plenty of cities rivaling Tokyo or Osaka in size. A chance to visit those cities was exciting.

“(Don’t you two sneak out every night for some low-altitude flying so the ship’s radar won’t notice you?)”

“(It’s not the same thing, Karuta-chan.)”

His childhood friend and fellow worlds strongest Amaashi Marika was also in his class, but similar circumstances did not mean they were always together.

In fact…

“Hey, hey. Welcome to Marika-san’s spot the difference game. So can either of you tell what’s different about me from yesterday? Well, Imi? How about it, Tayori? Heh heh. Ha ha ha. C’mon, c’mon, make a guess!”

“Are you kidding me, Marika!? I’d have to be blind to miss those super long shoujo manga eyelashes! What are you, the Fuji TV logo? Argh, I’m so jealous!!”

“Oh? You got the latest Serene Silent product, didn’t you? All the girls were glued to their screens yesterday trying for that jelly mascara, but of course it was you won the purchase lottery. You have all the luck.”

Those youthful people, whose skin seemed covered in a water-resistant coating, excitedly made plans to all try it out together later. The popular girls were also busy making their own plans for the Port Day.

Their conversations had a different feel to them.

It was like they existed in a bright and sunny zone.

Unlike Karuta’s type who were constantly fighting over who got to be in the secluded corners of the large classroom, the girl’s group formed by the triangle of Marika, Imi, and Tayori were like the yolk of a fried egg. They were the school protagonists. More than just being popular girls, they were the central figures, where it wouldn’t even seem like an egg dish anymore if they were removed. Those were Amaashi Marika’s original specs. Girls who could look cute doing the things she did were so rare Karuta doubted there were even 5 of them in all of Japan.

“Anyway, my friends, wasn’t yesterday’s homework a nightmare? Quantity-wise, I mean.”

“Yeah, so gross!”

“Marika, you’re only agreeing out of habit, aren’t you? I bet you were actually glued to your tablet all day yesterday.”

The summer uniform’s short-sleeved blouse was thin enough that it was pretty bad for Karuta’s heart when curvy Marika stretched her arms and pushed out her chest. He didn’t have any kind of clairvoyance, but he still had a tunnel view right up his childhood friend’s short sleeve to her armpit.

Hashizaki Tayori, who looked like the gyaru type but acted more like the big sister type, seemed bothered by it, but Matsuda Imi was completely unguarded. She had even chosen a bright colored bra, so its striped pattern showed right through her blouse on this pleasant morning. That was probably the top half of a matching set.

Marika seemed to notice Karuta watching from a short distance away while she sat on a desk instead of in a chair.

The girl with her twintails dyed strawberry blonde winked at him and jokingly blew him a kiss.

“I’d say Amaashi scores pretty high,” said Yamane Deiri. “Getting her as a childhood friend is like getting seeded in the tournament of life, Karuta-chan. How the hell are you stuck in the pill bug zone in the corner of the class with us? Port Day’s are the perfect time for a date. Have you completely given up on enjoying your youth?”

“Karuta-kun can never make it in the sunlight! Because he used up his entire life’s allotment of luck getting seeded with such a cute girl as a neighbor. Don’t worry. He’s the kind of guy who gets chosen as a starting member of the team but then gets booed for getting last place in the tournament.”

He was really unsure how to even begin responding to his depressing friends’ discussion, but he found it curious they considered that being seeded. They were so bitter it was unusual for them to compliment Marika who was such an obvious winner at life.

Then again…

“(Of course, she’s 5 years too young to be in my strike zone. Look, I won’t insist on her becoming a schoolteacher, so can she at least grow into a college girl while still being basically the same?)”

“(It’s a shame, really. She has a lot going for her, but no one taller than 145cm is on my menu. She’s bamboo, not the delicious bamboo shoots. Forcing myself to eat that would only make me sick.)”

Or could they only make such a rational assessment because they weren’t interested in her? Karuta updated his opinion of them. By downgrading them to “utterly hopeless”, of course.

Then he felt something on his cheek.

He found Crystal Girl Aine was crawling out from his side. She had grabbed at his cheek with her small fingers and pulled in the process.

“Less than 145cm! A masterpiece of god’s creation!!” shouted Nekoumi Hirosuke with arms spread wide, but Aine ignored that and puffed out her cheeks while grumbling something.

She appeared to be upset.

“Mhh.”

“What is it, Aine? Can you explain it to me?”

“Sacri-sama, have you failed to grasp the situation from Miss Marika’s extremely unnatural eye contact and lip movements? She is asking to see your homework because she forgot to do hers.”

Aine’s warning proved accurate.

Marika must have checked the wall clock and concluded their homeroom teacher would arrive soon. This would be her last chance to copy his homework before morning homeroom. The curly twintails girl, who was willing to throw kisses in an exaggerated and theatrical fashion, approached him. Imi and Tayori sighed and watched her go. Karuta really wished they would prove their friendship by stopping her.

It turned out Marika didn’t care whose seat she sat in.

She dragged over a nearby chair and sat down. She gave off a sweet scent that wasn’t quite shampoo or deodorant. It may have been that makeup her group was talking about.

She leaned forward and grinned, moving her face in real close like a snake eyeing its prey.

“Hey, hey, Karuta. My good buddy, Karuta-kuuuun☆”

“Yeah, yeah. Here’s yesterday’s homework.”

“Eh? You’re being awfully dry today, my withered childhood friend. Don’t hand it over before I’ve even asked for it. Can you read minds now?”

“Why do you look so upset when I gave you what you wanted?”

“The process is important with these things. I mean…”

She childishly pouted her lips and placed one hand at the center of her chest. She wasn’t quite holding her chest. Her slender fingers were toying with the buttons of her thin short-sleeved blouse.

A nice snapping sound came from her fingers.

She winked up at him and pulled the blouse down over her shoulder.

And she whispered in his ear.

“(I was even thinking I could negotiate by giving my thirsty childhood friend the opportunity of a lifetime if he let me copy his homework.)”

The boy’s heart leaped in his chest.

He could feel the tension racing below his skin like electricity.

She had him completely outclassed when it came to things like this.

“Pff.”

The popular girl held her sides.

She nearly started rolling on the floor in laughter and tears formed in her eyes.

“Ah ha ha!! By which I mean I was going to let you give me a shoulder massage. Now, what did you think I meant? …Huh?”

Had she really not noticed until now?

Unbuttoning her blouse to show off her shoulder had also shown off quite a bit of her cleavage. Not to mention he could see her colorful bra strap.

The gloomy bastards who preferred the corners of the classroom hung their heads.

“(G-getting to massage a girl that clueless about what she’s showing off sounds like one hell of a reward to me. Do you think Amaashi-san has a bratty little sister who’s basically that but smaller?)”

“(Why couldn’t she be just a few years older? Her sexiness is wasted on a classmate. Could you maybe introduce me to her mom!?)”

The conversation was taking a turn Marika had not at all expected, so she crossed her arms and held her own body. She covered her exposed shoulder and hid her cleavage. And she pouted her lips and looked up at Karuta.

When she spoke, she made it sound like a joke, but there was also a slight flush in her cheeks.

“Karuta, you perv. Stop staring at my bra.”

“How is it fair to get mad at me for looking at something you showed me? Is this a new kind of scam, Marika?”

She always slept in the nude, but having her decorative bra strap seen when she didn’t expect it got to her. He honestly couldn’t figure out where her threshold for embarrassment was located.

Then he felt something on his cheek again.

The small crystal girl was as expressionless as ever.

“Mhh.”

“Again, what is this about?”