[Code Geass] Irregular 23

Chapter 23 – 22. Zero

Karen followed Lelouch. Lelouch led Karen to a large building that Karen had never been to before. The ceiling was high like a ballroom, and in the center was a circular staircase leading to the balcony on the second floor. The size of the chandelier hanging from the ceiling was unusual.

“There was a place like this in school.”
“It’s a clubhouse exclusively for the student council. It’s built large enough to hold proms.”

Karen was convinced. Even so, the private Ashford Academy is prestigious. Many of the students attending were children of famous families in the political and business world, including himself. Did you say you were playing with each other? This was what one might call a small social circle. And it would be safe to say that this was the biggest reason why Ashford Academy was called a prestigious school.

“You mean you won’t be disturbed here?”
“That’s it.”

Karen and Lelouch looked at each other. Silence enveloped the hall, but it wasn’t like that inside the two of them. Because they couldn’t know what would happen in this place depending on what sound came out of the other person.

It was then.

“Found!”
“Hmm?”
“Hot?”

Startled by the sudden woman’s voice, the two looked at the balcony on the second floor where the voice was heard. A brown-haired schoolgirl. She was Shirley.

“There! It was here! Look! Is this right?”

Shirley was putting her hand up as if she had picked up something. From a place obscured by the railing of the balcony, a girl with dark green curls braided forward and wearing glasses appeared brightly. It was the student council executive, Nina Einstein.

“That’s right! My experimental data!”
“Are you sure you found it? Ugh… The waist…”

I could hear Rival’s voice from the balcony on the other side. It seemed that Shirley and Reval were here to help Nina. While Lelouch and Karen were confused, the automatic door in the back of the hall opened and the student council president, Mirei Ashford, appeared, wearing an apron, dragging a tray with various foods on top. Lelouch was out of his mind. Why are these people here right now?
Karen was also dazed. What? Could it be that you were aiming? Isn’t that what I was thinking? But I’ve found a place where I won’t be disturbed…

“Did you find that one? This one is finished, so shall we start?”

The student council president, Mirei, dragged the tray with a friendly tone and got closer. Ribal exclaimed when he saw the food on the tray the president had brought from the balcony on the second floor.

“Oh! Awesome!”
“As expected, Mirei-senpai!”

Mirei smiled triumphantly at Rival and Shirley’s exclamation. She also seemed a bit shy.

Hehe~ You can stand up a little more~”

Lelouch, who had lost his mind at the sudden situation, came to his senses and asked Mirei.

“Hey… What is it? This is…”

In response to Lelouch’s question, while Mirei was putting food on her table, she turned around and looked at Lelouch and Karen, she said.

“Didn’t you know she brought you? She’s going to put Karen in the student council. Because her grandfather asked her?”

Mirei Ashford. It was a beauty with blonde hair that reached her shoulders and cat-like eyes. She has cat-like eyes, but the reason she looks playful rather than sharp is probably because of her aura around her. She was, and as you can see, a very playful person.
She was the granddaughter of the chairman of Ashford Academy, and was also one of the few people who knew that Lelouch was from the Britannian royal family. Because Lelouch was living in the clubhouse exclusively for the student council, thanks to Ashford’s consideration. The fake identity of Lamperji was also the identity that the chairman personally saved.

“Are you the chairman?”
“Yeah! He said that because he’s weak, regular club activities would be difficult… Ah! I’m Mirei, the student council president! Please take care of me?”

In the middle of explaining to Lelouch, Mirei hurriedly introduced herself, thinking of Karen, who was staring at their conversation. Karen, who was confused about what the situation was, came to her senses at Mirei’s greeting.

“Now…Please take care of me.”

As she bowed her head in greeting, other student council members came down from the balcony on the second floor and began to greet her.

“I’m Rebal! I’m the secretary of the student council! If you don’t know anything, ask me anything.”
“Shirley. I’m wearing both legs in the swimming team, but please take good care of me?”
“I…I’m Nina…”

Rival was lively, Shirley felt like something was holding her back, and Nina seemed to cover up the day a lot. Karen was greeted bewildered. Then, she wheezes and an electric wheelchair approaches.
What you hear is the sound of a bird chirping.

“Um… Shirley sister? I’m sorry, but this is on the table…”

It was Lelouch’s younger sister, Nanari. She came towards Shirley, placing cookies and cupcakes on top of her wheelchair-bound legs.
Shirley was delighted.

“Thanks me?”
“Nanari, you too…”

Lelouch felt sorry and absurd that even Nanari, who was physically ill, was helping with something she didn’t know what it was. Nanari should be treated with respect.

Karen looked at Nana-ri, who seemed uncomfortable with her leg, and made an uneasy expression. It was because Nana-ri looked so thin and thin, and no matter how she looked at it, she didn’t look like she was old enough to enter high school. Seeing Karen’s expression, she explained to Mirei.

“I’m Lelouch’s younger sister.”

Nanari took it over naturally and introduced herself.

“I’m in middle school, so I’m not a student council member, but…”
“It doesn’t matter? You can think of it as an associate member.”

At Nanari’s shy words, Ribal sided with Nanari. Nanari had a relieved face.

“Karen, please take good care of me.”
“…Please take good care of me.”

Seeing Nanari close her eyes and say hello to herself, Karen smiled at her mother. In Karen’s opinion, Nanari’s cuteness was beyond common sense. The word “Like a baby bird” Is used in such a case! Karen thought so.

Although she didn’t intend it that way, she threw a banquet for Karen, who was brought by Lelouch. Ribal even brought champagne secretly, but Shirley, who has the motto of ‘students like students’, makes it impossible to open champagne.

“Lelouch! Pass!”

When Shirley was about to take the champagne away, Rival threw the champagne at Lelouch. When Lelouch, who unconsciously received the champagne, was flustered, Shirley attacked Lelouch this time.

“Uh…What!”
“Lelouch! Come here!”

Toss and turn. Lelouch was helplessly pushed and fell to the floor as Shirley tried to take the champagne. Still, I held it up to protect the champagne, but due to the constant shaking, the gas inside reached a critical point and the lid of the champagne popped! And flew into Karen’s face.

‘Yes!’

A champagne cap suddenly flew off and Karen unconsciously forgot her concept that she was a sickly young lady and removed it with her lightning-like fingers. But she couldn’t help but be hit with the champagne that was sprayed after it.

“Ah…”

Rebal’s embarrassing exclamation came out at the sudden catastrophe. She was unable to open her mouth because it happened so suddenly, but Nanari, who could not see her eyes, had no way of knowing what was going on.

“Why is that?”

ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡ

The washing machine ran vigorously. She is washing clothes including Karen’s school uniform, which was showered with champagne. Catch a cold! Karen, who was usually acting as a sickly young lady, was grabbed by the frightened President Mirei and headed to her bathroom. Since it was where Lelouch usually lived with Nanari, there was nothing missing in the clubhouse. Karen let out a laugh. The resistance hideout in Shinjukugeto was worse than this. It should be said that she suddenly realized the difference between Japan and Britannia. I couldn’t stop the sage time from rushing in.

“This is why Britannia…Really…”

Bathed in hot water gushing from her bathroom shower, Karen now blames Britannia for the situation. She was right Because all of the student council members were Britannians. She knew deep down that it was a ridiculous leap, but the inferiority complex of losing her country to their people made her forget the fact.

Then there was a knock on the bathroom door.

[Lelouch. I brought a change of clothes.]
“It’s okay. The curtains are closed.”

It sounded like you could come in. The shower booth in the bathroom was not visible because the shower curtain was drawn, but the silhouette of the person inside could be seen when looking from the outside. Karen didn’t know that.

Shhh.

She was startled when the automatic door opened and Lelouch entered the bathroom with a change of clothes. It was because Karen’s silhouette on her bathroom curtain was much more alluring than expected.

Lelouch looked up at the ceiling so as not to see her silhouette and began to spit unnecessary words.

“I’m sorry. They’re too rowdy.”
“No. Sometimes, this kind of comfortable pleasure isn’t bad.”

Karen accepted her words, and Lelouch asked as he put her clothes in the basket.

“Will it be okay to change into my clothes for now?”
“I don’t care about things like that. It’s fast? Did you go all the way to the boys’ dormitory?”
“Because I live here.”
“Huh?”

Karen was a little surprised by Lelouch’s words. Living in this big mansion? It was a rule for male students to live in a male dormitory or commute from their own homes. Lelouch leaned on her bedside table and continued her words, as if he had grasped Karen’s curiosity.

“Living in the dormitory is difficult for Nanari. I am living here with the director’s favor.”

Right. Nanari. I felt that if I was taking care of a family member who was blind and unable to walk, it was only natural that I would receive such preferential treatment. Karen mumbled inwardly. She thought of the cute Nanari and nodded her head.

“Okay?”
“Yes. Then.”
“For a moment.”

When Lelouch finished her story and was about to leave the bathroom, Karen hurriedly called Lelouch and stopped him. Through her curtains, she could see that Lelouch’s footsteps had stopped. Karen reached her hand out of her curtain.

“Can you bring me a wallet?”

As Karen had requested, a pink coin purse was visible on her bedside table. Without much thought, Lelouch approached Karen with her purse in her hand. Karen’s hand, which had slipped out of her curtain before she knew it, went into the shower and was gone.
I can’t help it. Lelouch turned her head away from her Karen as much as possible and put only his hand inside her curtains. Aiming for that moment, Karen’s hand grabbed Lelouch’s wrist.

“What?”

In Lelouch’s opinion, the grip holding his own wrist was not something a sickly young lady would be able to produce. Lelouch, who knew Karen’s identity, thought that Karen had now revealed her true color.

“Are you more active than you thought?”
“That day. Were you in Shinjuku?”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t pretend you don’t know.”

Karen’s voice was firm. Seeing her joke, Lelouch flinched. She seemed to be buying more of her suspicions than she thought. It was a tone that was almost confirmed.

“Why did you say Shinjuku?”
“Is there any reason not to call it Shinjuku?”
“Don’t answer questions with questions.”

Karen was adamant. Slowly, she snatched his wrist, and Karen took her coin purse, which had fallen into the bathroom shower.

“The answer is yes or no. I don’t want to hear anything out of the ordinary.”

As she manipulated her coin purse in a way that only she knew, a small blade protruded from the corner of her coin purse. She was willing to take care of it if the need arises. Lelouch, unaware that Karen in the shower booth is pulling out her knife, is now ready to come… And is waiting for something inside. It was then.

[Darleung]

The phone on the inside of the bathroom rang. Karen swallowed the silence. What? What’s going on?
Unlike the nervous Karen, Lelouch asked Karen leisurely.

“If you don’t take it, someone else might come? Is that okay?”

Lelouch leisurely answered the phone.

“Yes. Ashford Academy Student Council. Yes? No… I am.”

‘Keugh’

Lelouch’s flustered voice made even Karen nervous. Suddenly, Lelouch started talking.

“Is this your phone?”
“What?”
“You say you’ll know when you get it?”

The hand on the other side of the hand he was holding appeared through the curtains, along with the receiver. Karen was troubled. Both of her hands were holding Lelouch’s wrist and sword. What to put down Karen put down her knife.

“Hello.”

The receiver was silent for a while. As Karen was about to shout what she was doing, a voice that Karen could never have expected came through the receiver.

[Looks like you were safe. Q-1]

Karen is surprised. This voice.

She was the unidentified voice that commanded them in Shinjuku. Q-1 was his designated call sign.