Chapter 8.2. Is the School Director My Former Boss And Now My Subordinate?

I contacted Mina with my smartphone to let her know I had finished what I needed to do. 
However, I’m still not used to operating a smartphone, so I fumbled a bit.
I was in Japan when I was in elementary school, and back then, I didn’t even have a smartphone. 
On the battlefield, smartphones or anything delicate quickly became unusable, so I only used bulky and heavy communication equipment.
Mina replied, so we decided to meet up.
“Done studying already?”
“It was just killing time, so it’s fine. But wow, you finished the enrollment procedures really quickly.”
“It seems like someone from headquarters handled those procedures.”
“I see. Well, Yuu-kun, you were originally from the military. Oh, wait? Come to think of it, Yuu-kun, you’ve been in the military for a few years, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Does that mean… Could it be that you’re of a higher rank than me, a private?”
“In terms of rank, I’m above you, Mina.”
Uh, she noticed another troublesome thing. 
Actually, it’s not just a minor issue.
In this school, first-year students are privates, second-year students are corporals, and third-year students are sergeants. 
They’re promoted one rank higher than regular soldiers. 
And because of the ranks, even during their studies, they’re treated as regular military personnel and paid accordingly.
“I apologize. Um, Yuu-kun, what’s your rank? What should I call you?”
Realizing that my rank was higher, Mina hurriedly used honorific language, but she still couldn’t drop the familiarity she had as childhood friends.
“Well, ranks don’t really matter. Once we’re out of school grounds, we’re just childhood friends.”
“Calling us just childhood friends makes me feel a bit uneasy. But Yuu-kun, does that mean our relationship is something special…?”
With a fidgety expression, Mina looked up at me.
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“I see… Well, that’s okay then!”
Just as we exited the school gate, I smoothly avoided telling her my rank by saying something vague.
For some reason, Mina seemed to be in a good mood, so I thought it was a nice move on my part.
“It’s still early for lunch, but I’m feeling a bit hungry since we got up early.”
“Well, there’s a crepe shop on the way home, so let’s stop there!”
In response to her lively voice, I couldn’t help but smile at Mina’s innocent face.
“Hey, you there.”
In the midst of such a fluffy atmosphere, a disgruntled voice suddenly cut in, and both I and Mina didn’t immediately realize that the voice was directed at us.
“Hey! Don’t ignore me!”
Just as I was about to be grabbed from behind, I instinctively kicked upwards.
“Oh… still a greenhorn who hasn’t even finished the entrance ceremony dares to confront upperclassmen. Quite gutsy.”
With an audible crack, the male student, veins bulging on his forehead, raised his swatted right hand while rubbing it.
“Mina, who’s this? This person.”
“Suo Daikiku-kun. We’re just classmates, nothing more.”
From the bouncy mood earlier, Mina’s tone had changed to annoyance, indicating that they weren’t friends of any sort.
“Addressing me so informally, and calling me Mina by my first name… Hey, brat. I don’t know how it was in your middle school, but this is the military. It’s a rigid hierarchical society. You better use polite language with your superiors.”
With a menacing voice, Suo Daikiku leaned in uncomfortably close to me.
He must have identified me as a new first-year student by the color of the line on the chest pocket of my uniform jacket, which differs by year.
But still, this senior seems to be quite enthusiastic.
Maybe he’s happy to have new juniors now that he’s in the second year.
“I see. But since we’re outside the school, the rank difference only applies within the academy, Suo-san.”
I calmly conveyed, as if reminding myself.
What I said is also the official stance of the military.
The strict hierarchy in the military aims to prevent confusion in the chain of command.
It doesn’t apply outside military duties.
In fact, even in the military, many people consider rank differences irrelevant in private life, and it’s common to see officers and ordinary soldiers of similar ages socializing as friends.
I didn’t have any close friends of similar age, and my rank was too high to have such casual friends anyway.