Chapter 9 – Zero Gravity

Translator: Lucia Rose
Editor: Nine Knights

Inside the zero-gravity field, Claude’s golden-brown hair floated upwards. His meticulous uniform also mirrored his movements, and everything about him seemed to visibly soften.

“This feels completely different from anything I had ever done before. I feel so liberated.” Livy’s voice was filled with wonder as he allowed the absence of gravity to buoy his spirits.

“As much as the Pure-Hued Lady is unbridled, when you let go of the societal conventions and inertia that bind your mind, you, too, can become completely free.” Claude let go of Livy’s wrist and gently pushed the latter forward. This force lightly carried the young man, and he flew towards the ceilings.

The sequence of his motions resembled that of noteworthy scenes from movies; it was almost symbolic of the slow and gentle progress his life had undergone ever since he had started training in Zone Z.

As the seconds ticked by, Livy was slowly lifted backwards while Claude continued to trace his movements with his eyes. As he was moving farther and farther away from the major general, he found himself subconsciously reaching out to grab onto Claude’s hand. However, his back had already touched the top of the ceiling. On the other hand, Claude remained floating on the ground. The two were separated by an entire space. However, such a concept seemed foreign in that room because there was no distinction between the land and sky. Due to the absence of gravity that kept things in place, the lines seemed to blur and fade away.

It was a limitless room.

While Livy remained in a state of dazed wonderment, he realized just how much of his worldly inhibitions were akin to gravity, “I can feel it now. Thanks.” Livy flashed Claude a smile. He did not expect Claude would use this method to give him a hint on how to fly the Pure-Hued Lady.

Claude pushed himself up from the floor, and then pulled Livy down towards him, “Now, you can get some rest.”

Livy rubbed his nose ruefully, “Sadly, there’s no pretty girl to keep me company.”

“Then, how about me?”

Claude deliberately blew a breath toward Livy’s ear, and Livy unexpectedly slouched his shoulders.

“You’re so cute.”

“You’re so perverted!”

※※※

The next day, everyone was surprised by Livy’s performance. His movements had eased up and become more fluid; he was like a fish swimming through the waters. All of his maneuvers inside the Pure-Hued Lady flowed out effortlessly.

Even Major Miller, who was analyzing his data, couldn’t help but massage his eyelids in disbelief, “Did I just witness a miracle?”

Not only did they feel that their eyes were playing tricks on them, for the past few hours, they also couldn’t even believe their ears.

Their stunned expressions continued on, especially when Livy had said; “Oh, my God! This system is fantastic! I can’t believe it can go backwards like this!” and even; “Haha! This is so funny; the big rotation can even be like this!”

The biggest surprise was when the young technical sergeant proclaimed; “I love this directional system!”

While Livy’s excited voice vibrated from the communicator, Miller couldn’t help but furrow his brows, “Why is he still so noisy?”

Claude leaned over and whispered in Miller’s ear, “Why are your fingers shaking?”

The numbers they generated that day were so unprecedented that the entirety of Zone Z was immersed in euphoria.

By lunchtime, everyone was still basking in their good moods, and Livy even managed to gobble up his steak in earnest.

Seeing his good appetite, Miller pushed the bowl of vegetable salad which the young man left alone in his direction, “How many times have I told you to eat your vegetables? All this fiber is good for your brain and helps you develop good judgment.”

Livy smacked his lips and pushed the salad away. He then leaned over and took off Miller’s glasses.

“What are you doing?!”

“How good you look without your glasses!” Livy smirked at him in a juvenile fashion reminiscent of a schoolyard bully.

While wearing the roguish expression on his face, he reached out and hooked the other party’s chin, “If you sit in front of me every day at lunch without your glasses like this, then I promise to finish up everything, including the vegetables.”

Miller’s white cheeks flushed bright red, and he could feel bouts of anger rising up inside of him, “Why, you—”

Livy’s amused laughter reverberated throughout the premises. He craned his neck to give a loud smack directly on Miller’s cheek.¹[99]: Lucia, I kid you not! Livy is sooo gay for Miller, hehe.
[Lucia]: Haha, let the ship sail to Infinity and Beyond! (≧ω≦)人(≧ω≦)

The second that the wet exchange ended, the entire restaurant went dead silent. Such a somber mood was only broken by the sight of Miller swinging a plate dangerously close to Livy’s face, “I’ll kill you—kill you—!”

Several of their colleagues who were sitting next to him quickly pulled him back down, “Don’t be impulsive, Major!”

“If you kill him, he won’t be able to train tomorrow!” Another added.

The mushroom and onion juice dripped down along Livy’s jaw, and he stuck out a tongue to lick it. He then opened his mouth to state in faux helplessness, “Why are all good-looking people so ill-tempered?”

The commotion during lunch eventually settled down, and just as usual, Livy slept half of the afternoon away.

※※※

During dinner time, he asked Sharon out to the restaurant called ‘Dawn and Light’. It was the same one Claude had taken him to in his first days at K11.

As they settled in the establishment, Sharon was transfixed by the starry skies over their heads. Thanks to the hologram of the stars, she spent a lot of time just gazing up. After finally getting her fill of the brilliant scenery, she glanced back at Livy and said, “Only an S-class pilot like you can afford to spend money in a place like this.”

“……S-class pilot? What do you mean? I’m just a junior fighter pilot. When did I rise to that level?” Livy stuttered out and waved his hand dismissively at her statement.

Although Livy didn’t have an aristocratic temperament like Claude, he never treated the woman he was dating poorly. He wanted to be the perfect gentleman and did not mind spending lavishly. Therefore, he ordered the same dishes that Claude had ordered when he brought Livy to that restaurant for the first time.

“I can see that you have good taste.” Sharon smiled and clinked glass with Livy’s.

After she took a light sip of her cabernet sauvignon, she turned her eyes towards Livy and spoke once more, “Perhaps we military affairs officers are better informed than you. Your performance in the simulation system today was so perfect that Major General Sien has applied for you to become an S-class pilot. Within a week, you should be able to advance or, at the least, become a second lieutenant.”

Livy’s eyes widened, and he gave Sharon a confused look. Never in his life did he think he would get the chance to advance to the rank of second lieutenant.

An S-class pilot status meant that Livy would have the qualifications to fly a space fighter. Moreover, all the pilots in the Gaze Space Station were S-class pilots.

A small smile unconsciously crept upon Livy’s lips. Just as Livy thought that his night couldn’t get any better, a sudden shadow swept over their table, “However, do not become too complacent. You still haven’t learned how to fly properly yet.”

‘That voice… Why can’t I escape meeting him no matter where I go?’ Livy thought with gritted teeth.

Unlike him who remained seated, Sharon was already standing at attention, “Major General Sien!”

She greeted the major general with reverence. In response, Claude showed her his elegant smile, which Livy knew was absolutely fake.

“No need to be polite. It’s really rare to see Warrant Officer Sharon wearing such lively colors; it suits you.”

Livy felt quite unpleasant in his presence, so unpleasant in fact that he couldn’t hold himself back from intentionally stomping on Claude’s toes.

Sharon’s face was already flushed when she spoke up again, “I didn’t expect to meet the Major General in this place.”

According to the rumors Livy had heard these past several days, Claude was the ideal man of all the ladies in K11 Air Base. It didn’t matter if they were married or single; it didn’t even matter if they were adults or still teenagers. Major General Claude Sien was the ultimate heartthrob.

Livy stared longingly at Claude’s big toe, and a sinister smile broke out across his lips as he imagined throwing the dinner knife he was holding onto his feet, too.

However, he was distracted from his thoughts of torturing Claude’s feet when he heard Sharon’s laughter. It seemed as though she had found something Claude casually said extremely funny. It was quickly becoming apparent that the once formal atmosphere between the two of them had long ago faded away.

The major general was standing next to their table and was now completely engrossed in talking and laughing with Sharon. The situation made Livy feel so small, like he didn’t even exist anymore.

“Claude, you didn’t come here to eat alone, did you?” Livy asked.

He pretended like he was worried he was leaving his friend out in the cold and hoped that the major general understood his silent meaning; ‘You’re stealing my thunder, get out of here!’

“Oh, that’s right. I’m alone.” Claude answered simply.

“In that case, why doesn’t Major General Sien sit with us?” Sharon pulled out the chair next to her and invited Claude to sit down with them.

Livy really wanted to pull out his teeth at that moment.

He really wanted to kick himself for giving up that table for two earlier simply because he wanted a bigger and more comfortable seating arrangement for himself and Sharon. He should have known the universe was subtly telling him that a bigger place was a bad idea.

The rest of the dinner tasted like wax to Livy, and he had a feeling that Claude would not give him the opportunity to enjoy the evening with Sharon either.

“Sharon, I may have to go back to bed early. You know I have training tomorrow. But, I’m sure Major General Sien won’t let you get bored.” Livy got up gracefully to say goodbye to Sharon.

However, despite his seemingly cordial attitude, he did not bother to mask his annoyance and vexation at Claude and once again stepped hard on Claude’s foot as he prepared to leave his seat.

Sharon stared up at him apologetically, “I’m sorry, I had so much fun chatting that I forgot the time.”

However, before he completely left their table, Livy said his parting words to the lady with a bright smile, “It’s not the time you forgot; it’s me.”

Sharon was frozen in place at Livy’s cold attitude. Although she realized what she did was wrong, she was still not used to such bluntness and had never been put in such an awkward situation before. She found herself dumbfounded and at a loss for words. Instead of responding, she could only stare at Livy in silence.

“Straightforwardness is indeed part of Second Lieutenant Livy Van Perle’s personality.” Claude cradled his chin in his hand as he spoke. His words confirmed what Sharon had earlier said — that Livy was going to be promoted soon.

“Well said.” Livy folded the napkin in his hand and left with perfect equanimity.

He did not look back once and kept his reserved composure until he reached his dormitory.

However, upon arriving at his quarters, Livy turned on the lights and spat out, “Lilith, you listen to me carefully; Never mention Claude Sien’s name in front of me again! And do NOT, NEVER. EVER. Let him into my room!”

He collapsed onto his bed and spread out his limbs in a wide arc. He then rolled over and punched at his mattresses, “Why—why is it that I haven’t been with a woman for almost a month! I’m going crazy… going crazy!”

After a few seconds of lying there in silence, he finally took off his yuppie suit and threw it on the floor, “It’s not like I’m as attractive as Claude in this suit, anyway!”

Livy peeled himself off his bed and decided to take a cold shower. However, the shower failed to improve his mood, and as he walked out, still feeling crestfallen with a towel wrapped around his waist, the scene that he was met with made him ready to curse the world into oblivion.

“Claude Sien?! Why did you come in here?! No, it should be; how did you get in here?!” Livy was just about to fling an offensive finger in Claude’s direction when the bath towel wrapped around his waist almost fell off. So instead, his hands became busy with stopping an unwanted lewd display of his bits. He lifted the towel up and covered his precious place.

For his part, Claude remained unfazed and continued to leisurely look at Livy as he made himself comfortable on the sofa while drinking black tea.

Livy really regretted not throwing away all the tea powder earlier.

Claude’s eyes swept over Livy’s bath towel, before responding: “Lilith let me in.”

For a moment, silence filled the space between them before Claude spoke up once more, “I thought that maybe you were mad at me, so I came here to apologize.”

“If you really are sincerely apologizing, then, in the future, don’t run around hitting on my girlfriends or turning on any d*mn radio when I’m with women!” Livy took a bottle of water out of the fridge, sat down next to Claude in a haughty way, and gulped it down with a ‘gulu gulu’³This is a Chinese onomatopoeia: 咕噜咕噜 (gū lu gū lu)..

Livy’s calves were long and slender. As he took his seat, his leg muscles flexed in a contorted and explosive manner that showed off their power and sturdiness. Livy indeed had an athletic build, and his limbs were perfectly molded, long and slender with beautiful lines.

With a self-deprecating smile, Claude turned his head away from Livy. Noticing this, the latter gave him a suspicious look, “What are you laughing at? Are you mocking me for not having your charms?”

“No.” Claude kept his head lowered and focused on sipping his black tea.

“Then, what are you laughing at?”

“You don’t want to know.”

“I want to know… now.” Perhaps, aside from training, Livy’s life was now on the verge of becoming akin to stagnant water, so his only joy in life had been reduced to bickering with Claude. After saying this, however, his eyes slowly began to close, and in a matter of seconds, he drifted off to sleep.

It was in this moment of peaceful stillness that Claude finally breathed out the answer to Livy’s question, “You’re sexy.”

By this time, however, Livy was completely passed out. He was like a machine that had come to a screeching halt once the fuel had run dry.

Suddenly, when Claude leaned forward to set down his teacup, Livy’s limp body fell sideways and landed on Claude’s back with a soft thud.

Claude paused for two whole seconds, but, after the initial shock wore off, he couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. He was just about to get up when he chanced a glance upon Livy’s shapely legs. Like a man bewitched, he reached out to cover Livy’s calves, and slowly moved it upward. His hands were about to brush the secret place beneath the bath towel when he suddenly jerked his hand back.

Claude closed his eyes and sighed, “I must be crazy…”

Livy, however, was still sleeping soundly on his back. Claude carefully maneuvered the young pilot and slowly pivoted his body sideways. Only when Livy’s head had landed on his shoulder and was about to slip off did he reach forward to gently support Livy’s body.

At this point, the towel had completely untangled. Just as it was about to hit the floor, Claude held it back up.

Livy’s defenseless form was still sleeping and was deeply unaware of his accidental exposure of the family jewels, but contrary to his usual teasing demeanor, Claude’s face was no longer smiling.

After covering up Livy’s body on the couch, he stood there in silence for a long time.

※※※

The next day, Livy’s simulation training included a shooting system, which only further drained his attention and energy. Therefore, when the pilot’s compartment was opened, the image of his sleeping form while still sitting on his seat was revealed to all the researchers of Zone Z.

On the other hand, Claude was unusually focused. Instead of going to Livy, he quietly sat in front of his computer and vigorously tapped away. Miller glanced in his direction and commented, “You’re weird today.”

“How so?”

“I’m surprised you didn’t go and tease Livy.”

“Do I tease him a lot?”

“What do you think? He’s asleep and you’re not even sending him back to his dorm?”

“I need to adjust the underlying system’s functions.” Claude’s tone was completely professional; it was monotonous and didn’t even crack.

The rest of the day progressed smoothly, and when the data research room was empty and stood still without a soul in sight, Claude finally leaned his head against the back of his chair and let out a long sigh; “D*mn it!”

[Editor’s Note]:
Livy, don’t delay; uninstall Lilith! I also had fun pulling out euphemisms for men’s genitals, hehe.

[Translator’s Note]: 
Nine, I love your edits so much, haha! (*≧▽≦)ﾉｼ)) I sense Lilith is a double agent for Claude! (｀∀´)Ψ

• 1
  [99]: Lucia, I kid you not! Livy is sooo gay for Miller, hehe.
  [Lucia]: Haha, let the ship sail to Infinity and Beyond! (≧ω≦)人(≧ω≦)
• 2
  Image by 지원 이 from Pixabay
• 3
  This is a Chinese onomatopoeia: 咕噜咕噜 (gū lu gū lu).