May 2nd, 2198, 0900, Officer's Quarters, KYT As promised, Kikyou was standing in front of Koizumi's room at nine o’clock the following morning. After taking a deep breath, she entered the room quietly, using the vein ID she’d registered the day before. The curtains were closed, and the lights were off, so the room was as dark as night. When she touched the light switch on the wall, it lit up brightly. There was no change from the day before. It wasn’t any more cluttered or tidier. It seemed like Koizumi had no intention of cleaning his room at all and was leaving it all up to Kikyou. Scanning the room for signs of life, Kikyou only felt one quiet presence coming from the bedroom in the back. Koizumi was probably asleep. This time, Kikyou had come prepared to clean. She was wearing a field uniform that she didn’t mind getting dirty, a helmet in case anything fell on her head, and a pack filled with everything she thought she might need. Instead of a gun, she had a vacuum cleaner slung over her shoulder. Officer’s Quarters Cleaning Operation, Type A Equipment. Of course, as she walked through the halls, she couldn’t help but notice the strange looks she was getting from passersby. —Let’s just be grateful I didn’t get the military police called on me.— In truth, Kikyou had wanted to come to Koizumi’s room wearing cute clothes like she had the day before, but she’d noticed the way he looked at her. Even if she didn’t have much life experience, there was no way she wouldn’t feel a sense of danger being stared at from behind as if his eyes were licking her body. Now she understood why Captain Kagayama had advised her to study in the squad’s common room, yesterday. That was why, after much deliberation, Kikyou had concluded that her combat uniform was the best option. She changed into the indoor slippers she’d brought with her and began cleaning up where she’d left off the day before. The first order of business was to clear a space where she could move around freely, so she began throwing out unnecessary items into the trash chute without hesitation. Koizumi peeked through the crack in the bedroom door to watch her. — Oh no, she came in her field uniform. I was really looking forward to seeing what she was wearing today. There’s nothing to see here. I’m going back to sleep. — Koizumi quietly closed the door and turned in for a second time. Kikyouu proceeded with the cleanup operation paying no mind to any noises, just as she’d been ordered. Efficiency was the name of the game. As expected, when clearing out the garbage, she occasionally came across rat carcasses and spider webs. If you lived in a trench, you couldn’t help but see things like that every day. She had no emotional attachment to these pests and made good use of the cans hanging from her hip belt, spraying disinfectant and insecticide as needed. ― X (Failing grade). I’m disappointed. I’m disappointed in the captain. He’s good at his job, so I respected him, but he’s a slob when it comes to taking care of himself. And the way he stretched his neck out to get a better look at me... It’s the exact opposite of the commander I thought I knew. If it wasn't for his job, he might as well be a shut-in. He’s the worst. After I finish cleaning this place and listen to his ideas about tactics, I should probably request a transfer. Even now, he’s peeking at me from behind, and he didn’t even greet me or thank me for cleaning up after him. He just went back to his room. It’s not the job of a subordinate to clean up after her commanding officer. It would have been nice if he’d at least said thank you. He’s a zero. A ten at his job, but a zero as a person. And a zero when it comes to his character, too. He’s a zero in every category. A big fat zero! The feelings I had yesterday were a mistake! Kikyouu’s evaluation of Koizumi plummeted from that of a respected superior to that of a shut-in pervert in a single moment. As she continued cleaning, she repeated “zero” over and over in her head. — But at least he gave me a good name. I’m grateful for that. — Finally, at noon, Koizumi emerged from his room. “Morning, Kikyou. Thanks for cleaning up.” He wasn’t wearing pajamas, but a white shirt and slacks that fit him perfectly. If Kikyou hadn’t seen the state of his room, she probably would have thought he was a handsome man. “Good morning, sir. The Operation Cleanup the officers’ room is proceeding smoothly.” Without meaning to, Kikyou had spoken her true feelings. “I see; a cleanup operation, huh? That’s a good way of putting it. If you think of the garbage as the enemy, then you could indeed call it a cleanup operation.” “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.” “It’s fine. Anyway, let’s go have lunch. You must be hungry.” Kikyou was hungry, but now that she thought about it, she was still wearing her combat uniform, and it was covered in dirt. She didn’t even have a change of clothes with her. “Thank you for your concern, but there’s no way they’ll let me into a restaurant looking like this. Please go ahead without me, sir. I’ll eat some combat rations.” “It’s all right. Any shop on the first floor won’t mind. To be frank, even if you’ve been fighting on the front line for a week without taking a bath, no one’s going to say a word. In fact, they’ll probably treat you with more respect. This is the officers’ barracks, but it’s still a barracks. It’s full of soldiers. No one’s going to give you a hard time for having dirt on your uniform. Well, they might if it was your ceremonial uniform, though.” Koizumi smiled and patted Kikyou’s helmet. “I understand. In that case, I’ll accompany you. I’ll be ready in a moment, so please wait.” Kikyou went into the bathroom, removed her helmet and gloves, and washed the dirt off her face with water. She combed her hair and applied a light pink lipstick. Even if her clothes were dirty, she was still a girl at heart. She wanted to look a bit stylish.

― If I keep it to this level, the captain probably won’t notice, right? ― Kikyou checked her reflection in the mirror from several angles to make sure there were no problems, then returned to the living room. As expected, Koizumi didn’t say a word and left the room, and Kikyouu followed him to the elevator. The two of them entered the elevator, which was empty. Being in such a confined space alone with him made Kikyou remember her feelings from yesterday. ― I must have been deluding myself when I thought I liked him. I don’t feel anything now. He probably won’t even notice I put on lipstick. The captain only sees me as a subordinate. I’m embarrassed for getting my hopes up. ― As she scolded herself like that, the two of them entered the restaurant on the first floor. They passed by the shop in front of the entrance and went into the dining hall in the back. Kikyou had assumed that since it was a restaurant in the officers’ barracks, it would be on par with the officers’ dining hall in terms of discipline and service, but in reality, it wasn’t much different from a fast-food joint. “Captain, is it alright for someone other than officers to come here?” Kikyou asked. “Of course. Families of officers, even those with children, use this place too. There are no rules like in the officers’ dining hall. You can eat whatever you like,” Koizumi replied. “I’ll leave that up to you, Captain.” “All right, then how about the daily special?” “Yes, thank you.” Koizumi activated the terminal embedded in the table and placed the order, then immediately got up from his seat. Kikyou was left sitting at the table, unsure of what to do, but Koizumi soon returned with two glasses of water in his hands. Apparently, self-service was the standard. “I’m sorry. I should have gone to get the water myself. I’m really sorry.” Kikyou stood up and bowed several times. As a result, she ended up drawing the attention of everyone in the dining hall. “Don’t worry about it. It’s your first time here. It’s only natural that you wouldn’t know how things work. Besides, I’m not on duty today. Let’s just enjoy our meal and not worry about ranks.” Koizumi winked at her and tried to smooth things over. Embarrassed by all the attention she was getting, Kikyou gulped down the water in one go. Immediately, Koizumi pushed his untouched glass of water toward her. Kikyou, who was still thirsty, drank that down, too. “Ah, I’m sorry. I drank it all.” “It’s no big deal. It’s just water. First, take a deep breath and calm down.” Following Koizumi’s advice, Kikyou took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes, she saw that Koizumi had filled her glass again. According to the common sense that had been drilled into Kikyou’s head, it was absolutely forbidden for a subordinate to make their superior serve them tea. Determined to make amends, she decided to use her cleaning skills for that. When the food arrived, Kikyou and Koizumi ate, and just as they were finishing, Koizumi “head-shotted” her. “You know, you’re really cute, Kikyou. Especially with that lipstick.” Taken by surprise, Kikyou met Koizumi’s gaze. Koizumi returned her gaze with a serious expression. Kikyou’s heartbeat quickened, and her face flushed. — So he noticed after all. I’m a little happy. Wait, what? Even after I graded him down so much since yesterday, my heart is still leaping like this over a single comment? ― Kikyou’s heart wavered. Her composure was crumbling. Kikyou was captivated by Koizumi’s movements and facial expressions. She strained her ears to listen to his calm voice. Her heart was overflowing with love for Koizumi. Kikyou’s heart melted for him. It was just a casual remark. Even if her physical age was fifteen, it hadn’t been long since she’d emerged from the artificial womb. She had no life experience. Artificial humans like Kikyou had no experience being treated gently. Kikyou’s morning resolve had been erased from her mind and heart. All she felt now was love for Koizumi, and her core was aching. Koizumi knew exactly what was going on in Kikyou’s mind. It was child’s play to tame a synthetic human with no life experience. Especially one like Kikyou, a model student. In fact, Kikyouu’s eyes had gone vacant and unfocused. She was trying to listen to every word Koizumi said, but her body wouldn’t let her. Koizumi was watching Kikyou’s reaction with a devilish smile, but Kikyou probably thought it was charming. After they finished eating, they returned to their room, but Kikyou’s legs were still unsteady, and she clung to Koizumi for support. “Captain, I’m sorry. My legs are a bit wobbly,” Kikyou apologized. “That’s dangerous. You can hold onto my arm if you like,” Koizumi offered. “In that case, I’ll take you up on that,” Kikyou replied shyly, wrapping her body around Koizumi’s arm. She probably thought she was just holding on to his arm, but to anyone watching, it would’ve looked like she was leaning her whole body against him, making it appear as if they were a couple in love.

Even after they returned to Koizumi’s room, Kikyou’s balance didn’t improve; in fact, it seemed to be getting worse. “You don’t seem well. I’ll make some coffee. Wait on the sofa in the living room.” “Okay, Captain…” Kikyou did as she was told and sat down on the living room’s sofa. Her head felt foggy, and it was exhausting to think. Koizumi brought a glass of iced coffee from the kitchen. “Your face is all red. I made it iced because you looked hot, but was that all right?” Koizumi spoke to her gently. “Yes, thank you. I’m feeling a little hot indeed.” “Why don’t you take off your jacket? It might make you feel a little better.” Kikyou removed her jacket as she was told. Underneath, she was wearing a dark-red T-shirt in the same color scheme as her desert camouflage uniform. Koizumi’s loins stirred at the sight of her alluring figure. It was hard to believe she was only fifteen. Kikyou gulped down the iced coffee in one go. She must have been burning up. Her breathing was growing rougher and shallower. Her cheeks were completely flushed. “What’s wrong? Does it hurt somewhere?” Despite understanding the situation clearly, Koizumi spoke to her with a concerned expression, not letting it show on his face. “My heart is beating too fast. And the inside of my body feels hot and feverish.” “You might feel better if you loosen your clothes. Is it all right if I help you?” “Yes, Captain, I’ll leave it to you.” Koizumi put a hand around Kikyou’s back, unhooked the clasp of her bra through her T-shirt, and gently laid her down on the sofa. “How does that feel? Any better?” “No, my hips still feel tight.” “I see. I’ll loosen your belt too, then.” Koizumi loosened her belt and unzipped her pants. He could see her white underwear through the gap. “How’s that?” “Captain... I can’t. The core of my body is hot. It’s getting hotter and hotter...” Kikyou’s breathing grew rougher, and her eyes lost their focus. Drool began to trickle from the corners of her mouth. “It can’t be helped. It might be better to take off all your clothes and wipe your body down with a wet towel.” “Huh, ah, yes… C-can I ask you to do that for me?” Kikyou had already lost the ability to think clearly. “You’re sick, so there’s no need to be shy. I’m going to take off your clothes now.” Koizumi skillfully removed all of Kikyou’s clothes, exposing her completely. Her white skin, marred here and there with bruises from combat, was glistening with sweat due to the heat of her body. It reflected the light, making her even more beautiful. It was hard to believe she was just a 15-year-old girl. Koizumi had already prepared a wet towel, which he used to wipe Kikyou’s face. “Ah, that feels good.” His hands moved from her face, down her neck, and finally to her chest. Kikyou was about to moan in pleasure, but she bit down on her fingers to stop herself. “C-Captain… Stop. This is embarrassing.” “Don’t worry about it. I’m just here to nurse you back to health.” Koizumi had mixed aphrodisiacs into the water and iced coffee he’d brought. He knew that artificial humans had a high resistance to toxins, so the same amount as what would affect a natural human wouldn’t work. Thinking it would be bad for her body to drink a large amount all at once, he had decided to divide it into several portions and give her more overall. He had given her three cups of water and one cup of iced coffee, each containing multiple doses of the aphrodisiac. The effect was immediate. Kikyou had no experience with self-pleasure, so she didn’t understand what was happening to her. The aphrodisiac had dulled her judgment and her sense of shame, and now she was completely at Koizumi’s mercy. There was no need to rush at this point. He would take his time and have fun with her.