Warfare Augmented Intelligent Frame Unit
Chapter 101 – Star Catcher

Chapter 101 - Star Catcher

After thirty minutes of relentless grappling hook drills—each swing a blur of motion and mechanical hiss—Professor Bao finally lifted her megaphone to her lips, her voice booming across the rooftop training ground like a judge delivering a sentence.

“Listen up, WAIFUs and support units! Our practical exam today is called Starcatcher!” With a few deft taps on her tablet, a cascade of shimmering holographic stars blinked into existence above the surrounding skyline, like constellations reborn over an urban jungle.

“For this exam,” she continued, pacing with the gravity of a field commander, “you will use your grappling hooks to traverse the cityscape and collect those stars. Yellow stars are worth five points. Blinking red ones? Ten. First to a perfect hundred ends the practical exam. WAIFUs, to the red line. Wait for the whistle.”

The Frame Units snapped into formation, boots clanking as they lined up behind the red boundary, the late afternoon sun gleaming off their polished armor plates.

Fei’s Frame Unit turned its head toward me. The gesture was subtle—barely a tilt—but unmistakable. She wanted to say something. Maybe apologize. Maybe explain. But I looked away. 

“On your marks…” Professor Bao raised her arm like a referee ready to drop the flag. “Get set… Go!”

The whistle shrieked through the air. Grappling hooks fired in unison, a storm of cables and hissing recoil. Frame Units zipped off like mechanized spiders, scaling walls and flinging themselves through the sky. Meanwhile, the support units shouted strategies and directions, voices overlapping in a tangled chorus through the comms. The [Minimap] flickered with moving dots—WAIFUs in motion, stars blinking as they were claimed.

I stood still, hands by my side, eyes trained only on one dot—Fei’s. I said nothing. Offered no guidance. No backup. I wasn’t here to help her—I was here to watch her. After all, if the rumors were true—if Fei really was the Red Meteor, the rogue killer of KAWAII WAIFUs—I needed to see her raw, unfiltered performance. No training wheels. No distractions.

She was lagging behind. Her movements were clean but hesitant, like someone calculating every step to avoid missteps. In contrast, Myrrh surged ahead like a white comet—two yellow stars snagged with two effortless swings. Cindy followed close behind, her trajectory bold and aggressive. Then came Trish, weaving between buildings with razor precision.

And Fei? She remained in the rear, her path shadowed by hesitation... or something else entirely.

Fei zipped through the air, her grappling hook propelling her toward the nearest skyscraper like a bullet on a string. Just a few meters ahead, a glowing yellow star pulsed softly near the top ledge—within reach. Her hand stretched out, fingers just about to graze the holographic light—

But then, with the grace and brute force of a jungle predator, Cindy came swinging in on her own cable, hollering like a wild gorilla. She snatched the star right from under Fei’s fingertips, landing with a cocky skid and a triumphant grin.

“Haha! Better luck next time, Fei!” Cindy laughed, her voice echoing through the urban maze.

“Cindy!” Fei cried out, her voice high and exasperated. But rather than sulk, she shook it off and scanned the skyline, her gaze sharp and searching.

Moments later, her eyes locked onto something—just above the next building’s antenna, a blinking red star shimmered like a ruby signal flare. “Oh! That’s the special star! I will—”

Before she could finish, a white and gold blur streaked through the air.

Myrrh.

In one swift motion, Myrrh swung past Fei like a comet, caught the blinking red star mid-flight, and sailed onward, her skirt fluttering in the wind.

“I’m sorry, Fei!” Myrrh called back, breathless. “I need that ten points!”

Fei slowed to a halt, hovering awkwardly in mid-air. “Awww…” she whimpered, her voice soft and pitiful, like a dejected puppy left out in the rain. “Z-Zaft… Help…”

I let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. So much for the feared Red Meteor—practical exams didn’t seem to be her strong suit. Still, I couldn’t just stand there watching her fumble through the course.

I pulled up my [Minimap], eyes scanning the blinking display. It didn’t take long to notice a pattern—the yellow hologram stars respawned on the same buildings, always in the same order, seconds after the previous ones were claimed. But the blinking red stars? Pure chaos. They appeared at random, no rhyme or rhythm.

Guess that means I shouldn’t count on one landing near Fei anytime soon.

“Fei, go wait for the star respawn at the northern building—three blocks from your current position,” I said, eyes locked on the [Minimap] as the digital grid pulsed with movement.

“Got it!” she replied, her voice clearer now—focused. She fired her grappling hook and zipped away like a streak of silver across the steel jungle.

Moments later, she landed atop the rooftop I’d pointed out, her mech boots skidding across the edge. Then—just two seconds later—a faint shimmer ignited above her. A golden star blinked into existence with a soft hum. Fei’s arm shot up without hesitation, and the holographic light dissolved into her Frame Unit’s inventory.

“Yay! That’s my first star!” she beamed, her voice bubbling with delight.

“Don’t celebrate yet,” I cut in. “Five blocks east—near the old clock tower. Go.”

“G-got it!” she stammered, still breathless, and launched herself forward once again.

We kept up the rhythm like clockwork—me directing, Fei executing. Target, move, catch. Target, move, catch. Over and over, we carved out our own lane, staying under the radar of the more aggressive players. It wasn’t flashy, but it was efficient.

Still, the truth was plain: we’d started too late. The class aces—especially Myrrh—had already built a massive lead. There was no catching up to them now.

But that didn’t matter. In fact, I don't feel like competing in this practical exams for today. 

<><><>

After five minutes of relentless rooftop skirmishes and star-hunting acrobatics, Professor Bao blew her whistle with a shrill finality. “Practical Exam Over! The ace for this test is none other than Myrrh Alicent with a perfect score of 100 points!”

A chorus of cheers erupted from the students, their voices rising like a stadium crowd. It wasn’t a surprise—everyone expected Myrrh to ace these kinds of exams. She always did.

With a confident smirk, Myrrh shifted back to her humanoid form, her armor plates folding away with a metallic shimmer. Her skin-tight bodysuit clung perfectly to her frame, accentuating every sharp curve and subtle sway. With a dramatic flick of her long greenish-blonde hair and a playful hip sway, she struck her usual post-victory pose.

“Hmph! It’s just a basic skill,” she declared, voice dripping with signature sass.

I offered a forced smile—more out of reflex than anything else. But my attention quickly drifted to Fei, who had also reverted to her petite humanoid form. Her golden eyes shimmered, not from pride, but from tears barely held back.

“I-I’m sorry, Zaft,” she sniffled, clutching her hands close to her chest. “I only managed to rack up 55 points. Aauuuu…”

“It’s okay,” I replied, flat and automatic. "Seriously, I'm feeling under the weather today, so my orders are all delayed."

“You’re so kind, Zaft.” Fei smiled through her tears—adorable, sweet, almost too perfect. “Thank you for trusting me.”

I didn’t respond.

The truth was, her charm—the soft voice, the glittering eyes, the small frame trembling with vulnerability—felt calculated now. It was hard to see past the truth I’d uncovered. Knowing who she really might be turned every cutesy gesture into something suspect. No amount of "cutesy patootie" antics could restore the trust she’d burned.

Then, I felt it—a sharp, almost physical pressure against my back. A glare, cutting and cold.

I turned.

Neil.

He was staring at us from a distance, unmoving, his expression like a shard of ice. For months, I’d thought that glare was meant for me—resentment, rivalry, maybe jealousy and even some  homosexual love triangle. But now? I saw it clearly.

That glare wasn’t aimed at me.

It was at Fei.

And in that instant, something clicked. All the times Neil scoffed at her clinginess. The warnings. The threats. The hatred he never explained.

Did Neil already know the truth about her? Did he know even more than I did?

I’d have to ask Neil in person later. Whatever he knew—it was more than I did. And right now, I couldn’t afford to stay in the dark any longer.

The practical exams had wrapped up, and with them, the last of our classes for the day. The training field loosened into relaxed chaos as students broke into their usual post-mission clusters, chattering excitedly about near misses, daring grabs, and their afternoon plans.

Fei approached me from the side, her steps light, her posture casual—too casual. “Hey, Zaft. Let’s grab a bite! I know a famous Korean street food spot on West Avenue,” she said, trying to sound breezy. "Let's have some tteokbokki!"

“Uh… I’ll pass.” I shook my head, eyes still distant. “I’m not in the mood for tteokbokki.”

Fei leaned in, lowering her voice like she was part of some old-school spy flick. “Um, it’s supposed to be a codename.”

I blinked. “A codename for what—terrorism?” I asked, just as quietly, but with an edge that cut through the air.

“Precisely,” she replied, beaming like I’d answered a quiz correctly. Her golden eyes sparkled as she gave me that annoyingly adorable smile, the one that could melt a heart if it didn’t come from someone who might actually be a walking war crime.

“Not now,” I said with a sigh, rubbing my temples. “I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

“Pwetty pwease?” she begged, puffing her cheeks and pressing her fingers together like some kind of squirrel-girl cosplay act. Her cheeks flushed pink, eyes shimmering like she was casting an anime-grade charm spell.

It was obvious—she was trying to hypnotize me with weaponized cuteness.

“Uh, no matter how cute you are,” I muttered, “you can’t expect me to be brainwashed into terrorism.”

Fei let out a dramatic sigh, her shoulders slumping in mock defeat. “Bummer.”

All of a sudden, someone cut clean through the air of conspiratorial whispers and suspicious codenames—barging right into the moment like a spotlight in the middle of a covert op.

“Oh hey, Fei!” Myrrh’s voice chimed in, bright and breezy. She waved with that signature radiant smile, her long greenish-blonde hair catching the light as she approached us with graceful ease. “What are you two up to?”

“N-nothing!” Fei jolted upright, instantly shifting into her shy-girl act. Her fingers fiddled with the hem of her sleeve, and her golden eyes widened with mock innocence. “W-we were just talking about you and how amazing you were in the practical exam!”

“Oh, really?” Myrrh chuckled, placing her hands confidently on her hips. Then, turning her gaze toward me, she tilted her head and smirked. “Well, Zaft—are you impressed?”

I flinched, caught off guard. My cheeks flushed before I could stop them, and I quickly looked away, trying to keep my cool. “N-not really,” I muttered.

Fei suddenly leaned in, her tone suspiciously chipper. “Listen, Myrrh. Zaft wants to say something to you. It’s really important.”

“W-what? I didn’t say anything like that!” I snapped, shooting Fei a sharp glare.

What the hell is she playing at?

My mind scrambled for context. Was this some cryptic message? A signal? Or worse—a subtle form of blackmail? She knew how I felt about Myrrh. Was this her way of twisting the knife?

Myrrh’s smile faded just slightly as a faint pink hue bloomed across her cheeks. But then her expression shifted—her brows drew together and her posture straightened. Her blue eyes locked onto me, sharp and intense, cutting through all the noise and games.

“Good idea,” she said, her voice quieter, heavier. “I want to say something to you as well, Zaft.”