So right now, without permission through the net from the person in view, there is a function to prevent field of view screenshot of other people. —Of course, using strange methods to go around that limitations like Kuroyukihime is another thing altogether.
For Haruyuki and Takumu, their Neuro Linker knowledge and tricks were not of that level, so obtaining Noumi's facial picture could only be possible with waiting for a chance like a commemorative photo session. Haruyuki moved his eyes through the photo that was fully displayed in his view, and from the tags that float up and disappear one after another, eventually found the name tag «1st year A class, Noumi Seiji».
Noumi's true face— could only be said to have the features of a boy with a lot of youth remaining.
Round cut hair with light brown color, hanging down in length from the forehead. The eyes and nose were cute like a girl's, but the smile that floated on the lips, had a wild flavor fitting for a proper kendo club member.
"Are you... a Burst Linker...?"
He whispered that, but of course Noumi in the still photo did not reply.
Haruyuki carved the features of the very mysterious first year student in his brain, cleared the photo, then got down from his bed. He was thinking of going to Shinjuku or Shibuya area in the afternoon for «Duels», but changed that plan, and changed into his uniform to go to school. If Takumu and Noumi are going to train in their club, something might happen.
In the kitchen, he put some ham and cheese in the stock up bread and ate it, left his mother that seem to be still sleeping a short message, then Haruyuki softly opened the door and went outside. Looking up at the bright blue sky above the high rise apartment made sparks twinkle in his view.
Going to school during days off, might be the first time since entering that school, after he thought about it.
He changed his shoes at the entrance, and glanced at the clock. His preparation and trip seem to have taken a lot of time, as it was already 12:15 pm noon. He was thinking of sending an email to check if Takumu was still here, but changed his mind after thinking that it was faster to go check directly.
The school on Sunday afternoon, was surprisingly quiet.
It was not that there was no one here. He could hear the sounds from soft baseball and track club in the grounds, and if he went to the cafeteria, he would find culture club students there.
But, the inside of the school building with lights turned off was dimly lit, and it was quiet all around, which gave Haruyuki a doubt that he was lost at a different place somewhere else.
Without really understanding why, he held his breath and walked in the first floor hallway, entering the sports building. He went pass beside the gym with basketball shoes scraping the floor sounds, and headed towards the martial arts arena—
"...Shieaaa!"
That sharp psyche sound that entered his ears made him stop suddenly.
It was mixed in a few other people's sounds, but within the sounds that repeated with similar tempo, he accurately picked out Noumi's high and sharp sound that he heard from the other day.
Haruyuki became more stealthy, and left the hallway to go down to the gravel courtyard, then went forward a few meters towards the martial arts arena wall, and peeked into the window there.
It seemed like the whole club training had already ended, so there were only a few members remaining in the wide wooden floor arena. There all seemed to be first year students that must had been ordered by upperclassmen to remain training, as they swung their shinai while lined up. From Haruyuki's position, he could only see their backs, but near the right edge, one person with slender build and brown color mature style hair, was without a doubt Noumi Seiji.
Even looking with Haruyuki's eyes, he could see that compared to the other first years, Noumi's swings were overwhelmingly sharper, with actual ability behind it.
Haruyuki bit his lips and wondered why Noumi used acceleration ability to win matches when he had such degree of ability. Or did he have some sort of nonnegotiable circumstances? As Takumu's thought and conclusion?
At the time that Haruyuki leaked out a small breath, just Noumi suddenly stopped moving.
As Haruyuki shrunk his head while wondering if he had been found out for peeking, but it seemed that was not the case. While still with his back to Haruyuki, Noumi walked towards the wall, and started putting away his shinai.
"Hey Noumi, you haven't finished the number of swings."
While continuing to practice swinging, one first year student said that. With no reply to that, Noumi picked up his sports bag, and walked towards the arena exit as if he had already finished training. The club member that voiced the warning clicked his tongue, and the person beside him called out "It's different for Regular-sama".
Even hearing the blatant sarcasm, Noumi did not change his walking pace. If he left the arena while wearing his uniform, then Noumi would turn towards the side that Haruyuki was hiding at, so he hurried left the window side and went to hide behind a plant nearby.
Noumi did not seem to notice Haruyuki, walked towards the hallway and went straight ahead, then he disappeared behind the stairs heading below the gym. Underground, was an even more out of the way location for Haruyuki in the school, which was a heated pool.
Does he want to go swimming now?, amazed, Haruyuki had that thought, but soon canceled that speculation. There should be shower rooms beside the pool. After sweating plenty from training, he might be going there before changing out of kendo uniform.
—Shower Room.
"...!"
Haruyuki took a sharp breath.
From look of the situation, the remaining first years should be continuing to practice swinging for a while. And in the surroundings, he could not see any other sports club students. That means Noumi Seiji, for a few minutes, would be completely alone.
Is this a chance? Why was Noumi able to refuse to be shown on the matching list, and why did he ignore other Brust Linkers going to the same school, isn't this a golden opportunity to ask him those?
Of course, he might feign ignorance. But for Noumi, he had already used «Physical Burst» command in front of Haruyuki and Takumu that he should have known were Burst Linkers. It seemed like he was purposely showing it to Takumu during a match. That, if he thought about it, was like an urge for contact— wasn't it?
Even though he still had doubts, Haruyuki chased after Noumi while checking the surroundings.
Right after entering the gym, the stairs going down were set against the side of the wall, and Haruyuki sneaked down it. Umesato middle school's swimming class is an elective course, and Haruyuki had no incentive to select that, so this is without hyperbole the first time he went down those stairs.
After taking a peek ahead of the left turn corner, he could no longer see Noumi's shape in the short corridor. On the left wall, he could see divided entrances for the shower plus changing rooms. He glanced at the ceiling to check, but the familiar black dome social camera did not exist. From this passage to the interior of the shower room, is beyond camera range.
After hesitating behind the cleaning equipment left at the corner for ten more seconds, Haruyuki made his decision and headed towards the shower room.
Looking on the wall at the entrances, he could see the relatively fresh markings, left side pink for female use, and right side blue for male use were indicated. After checking the direction of the steps, of course he went to the right side, and after a few steps he listened for sounds. Of course, if there were other students inside other than Noumi, then he would have to sadly retreat, but he could not hear any sounds of talking. He noticed that his palms had became wet with sweat, and wiped them on his pants.
—There's no particular need to be scared.
I am also a male student of this school. Then no one could blame me for going ahead. Just that, I want to ask about Noumi's intentions with only the two of us.
After whipping himself once more, Haruyuki stiffly walked ahead, and succeeded in invading the shower r
oom.
The space was a lot wider than his expectations, with lockers lined up on the right wall. A long table was set in the center, and above it was left a school regulation sports bag. Many shower booths were set at the left wall in a line.The booths use smoke colored plastic panels to obscure view, and from one booth deep inside, he could hear water sound and see steam coming out of it. Other than that, no one else was there.
...Too late?
Haruyuki gave out a small sigh. While he was having a lot of doubts, Noumi had entered a booth. Truly, he did not have the guts to assault someone during a shower.
I should probably leave, while thinking that, he tried to back away— at that time.
On top of the long table, inside the half open sports bag, something flashed with reflection of light.
He could only see a part of it, but it had smooth curves, without a doubt was a Neuro Linker.
Normally, for security conscious people, they would put this device that could said to be another brain at a place out of sight. Maybe wearing it during showering, or at least put it in a locked locker. But, inside school, and furthermore was careless while alone, went without the turning of the mechanical key on a locker.
If this was the case, then the Neuro Linker might not even be powered off? If it was powered off, then starting it would require brain check, so nothing much could be done, but while it was left on standby state, if he connect to that, then he could directly search the memory area.
That's right, in January this year, that «Red King» Scarlet Rain connected to Haruyuki's mother's Neuro Linker, and left a fake email with this exact same method.
Of course, this is not allowed by moral or school rules. If the teachers found out that he secretly connected to another student's Neuro Linker, then being reprimanded would be the least of it.
However— even for the social camera net that usually do surveillance on the country's people, it did not cover the school toilet and shower room. And then, without video evidence, it is the school policy to ignore violation of school rules. Just like how Haruyuki was totally ignored while he was thoroughly beaten up and threatened by his classmates while outside of camera view range. Also, with direct connection to peek at the physical memory, not only could he find out whether Noumi was a Burst Linker, there is a high possibility that he could find the truth of why he did not appear on the matching list.
—Then, with about two seconds of thinking, Haruyuki made his decision.
While listening to the continuing echo of water sound in the shower booth, he held his breath and went near the bag, pulling it open slightly. Inside, on top of a neatly folded jersey, was a pale purple Neuro Linker. The indicator light blinked light blue, showing it was in standby mode.
He quickly connected the plug pulled from his pocket to his own Neuro Linker, then caught the other plug that was swinging in the air, and held it towards inside of the bag—
...No, wait.
This color. Purplish satin silver. As familiar as his own Neuro Linker, was not Noumi's.
While his thoughts stopped, Haruyuki froze while holding the plug, and in his ear came the creaking sound shower faucet being turned. The sound of water cut off.
In front of his face that was raised in a daze, the swing type panel door opened with a creak.
With a large towel from head to shoulders, Kurashima Chiyuri who came out, collided with Haruyuki's view, and four eyes opened wide.
This time, his frozen thought processes exploded with a boom, and for Haruyuki —what little saving grace for him in this situation— the focus of his eyes did not have the leisure to move downwards, and just continued to stare at Chiyuri's face. It was the same for the other party, who had frozen while in the posture of drying her hair.
Eventually Haruyuki regained enough control to somehow move his mouth, and whispered in a sound that was almost not a voice.
"Chiyu... you, why in the boy's..."
At the same time, Chiyuri also blinked once and said.
"Haru. What are you doing in the girl's shower?"
—Say what?
And then, at that moment Haruyuki finally noticed that the basic color of the space surrounding them was not blue, but pink instead. The slip resistant floor, the slick wall and ceiling, and also the table in front of him, were all greyish pink colored.
...But, that is, there's no way!!
Haruyuki opened his eyes wide as he screamed inside his chest.
For sure, I went into the passage with the male marking. That display was not a wall panel, but a direct marking on the wall, so someone switching them as a prank was not possible. Or was it forcefully painted over with some kind of paint? No, there was not enough time for such large scale effort.
While Haruyuki was turning his thinking gears at full speed on various things, Chiyuri finally seem to have realized her current appearance.
As she glanced down at her body, her eyes became round, and the skin up to her ears became blood red. She covered as much of herself as she could with both hands, and raised her head again, taking a deep breath—
The loudest scream or burst of anger was going to be released, but right before that.
From the outside passage, the sounds of a few female students chatting as they approached were heard.
Instantly, Haruyuki belatedly realized that this situation could not be explained with just a mistake or a joke.
This, is a truly dangerous situation. If it was exposed to the school authorities, there would be suspension, or expulsion, no, before that— this incident might even involve the police.
Chiyuri might have arrived at that realization at the same time, and from her beet red face, all the blood left it at once. As the two looked at each other with tense faces, the female students' sounds were getting louder and louder.
Suddenly Chiyuri's extended right hand caught Haruyuki's necktie that was on his chest, and pushed him with the power of peremptory force into the shower booth she used a moment earlier. Chiyuri also entered inside, pushing Haruyuki against the wall with her back, and put her towel on top of the smoke colored door.
She took hold of the shower nozzle, set the touch panel temperature control all the way to the max of 60 degrees C, and turned the faucet fully open. The spray of water that come out fiercely hit the right side wall. With the bursting hot water, the booth was soon covered with pure white steam.
"...Don't say a word, stay still!"
Right after hearing Chiyuri's whisper, in the shower room on the other side of one panel, he felt the presence of at least three girls entering.
"Ah gee, all sticky with sweat!"
"Yeah, I want to wear summer uniform already."
"I should at least change the Linker pad to mesh."
Probably, they were track and field club members like Chiyuri. With the voices, sounds of zippers being pulled down continued.
However Haruyuki of course did not have the room to imagine the outside scene, as he pressed his face against the wall, closed his eyes tight, and continued to stay quiet.
With about 90% of his brain taken over by panic, the remain 10% continued to think of the reason why it had become like this.
No matter what, he could not have mistaken the male and female use shower room markings. And since it was impossible to physically change the markings. Then, there was only one trick left.
Electronic markings in his view.
Overwriting his view with the Neuro Linker. With some kind of preset, to change the shower room markings from male to female, and female to male kind of fake picture was filled in with a program that was put in him. With that realization, he arrived, too late, at the thought of the markings that he saw a few minutes ago, the color tones were relatively fresh in the dim hallway. It was like it was giving off its own light.
It was still a mystery where and when that program got into his Neuro Linker, but the person who sent it was probably that guy.
Noumi Seiji.
Everything was Noumi's tr
ap. That guy knew that Haruyuki was peeking at the kendo arena. Then he was lead to the shower room, where he invaded the female side due to reading the markings wrong, and therefore was plunged into this dangerous area. To fully remove Haruyuki, that is the Burst Linker «Silver Crow» from this Umesato middle school.
A fearfully vivid, ruthless, and relentless method.
Just like, the time that Kuroyukihime removed a student named Araya, or even beyond that.
"Ah, Chii? Are you still in there?"
Sudden, right on the other side of the swing door, a girl's voice called out.
Chiyuri's reply that was right beside his ear, Haruyuki listen while cowering in fear.
"Yeah, I was also covered with sweat."
"Isn't that right, since it's before the district qualifications, the teacher is over enthusiastic."
With a T-shirt, white shirt, and a blazer on top while in the high temperature steam, Haruyuki's whole body was already covered with sweat, so he could not feel the heat at all. Instead, his teeth were almost chattering due to the cold on his skin.
If right now, the female student playfully opened the partition, then not only Haruyuki, Chiyuri would also be in trouble. Even though she was the first peeking victim, she would also be punished the same as Haruyuki.
"Hey Chii, isn't the water too hot? There is way too much steam."
"Ah, it feels better when hot. It also promotes blood flow."
"Oh no, don't talk like my grandma."
She and the other students laughed with "Ahahaha". Chiyuri also laughed, but passing through her back that was in close contact with him, he could feel her muscular body tremble slightly.
...Sorry. Sorry. Forgive me. I was an idiot. If I didn't try something like fishing for the Neuro Linker in the bag, then something like this wouldn't have happened!
While screaming that in his heart, he ground his inner teeth to the limit— at that time.
A *creak* kind of door swing sound, made Haruyuki's body jerked in surprise.
However that was, the sound of a girl entering the booth beside. Then two more door open and close sounds came after, and shower water sounds all started.
Accel World: Dusk Robber Page 7