"Hello, sorry I'm late~" The door slid open, and Reina appeared with Bronya walking quietly right behind her.
Mei, Kiana, and Yuna immediately let go of their tight embrace and looked toward the sound.
"Reina!" Kiana cheered. Her expression instantly turned bright and happy the moment she saw her.
"I brought something for you three." Reina raised both of her hands, and a large food basket suddenly materialized right on top of her palms. A delicious, warm aroma immediately drifted out of the basket and filled the entire hospital room.
"Woah! What kind of food is that? It smells amazing!" Kiana suddenly disappeared from her spot near the bed and reappeared right in front of Reina.
She stared at the basket with sparkling eyes, practically drooling.
"I have enough for everyone, so you don't need to worry about missing out, Kiana." Reina gently pushed Kiana's head away with her free hand and walked over to the side of the hospital bed.
"Are you feeling okay now, Yuna?" Reina asked with a soft smile.
"Yes, I feel great!" Yuna answered enthusiastically. "I feel like my usual self, but I also have so much energy, and my body feels incredibly light!"
"I see, that is good. You will probably get discharged soon, and then everyone can be together again~" Reina replied warmly.
After that, Reina set the basket down and opened the lid. She started pulling out a huge variety of snacks, sweet desserts, and a warm, healthy meal specifically made so Yuna could eat comfortably while recovering.
"Mmm, delicious~ I could never get enough of your cooking, Reina!" Kiana said in pure bliss as she happily ate the soft pudding.
"Mhm~" Yuna had the exact same expression on her face. Since she had been stuck in the medical bay, most of the food she tasted was just bland, flavorless soup.
"I see I still need to put in more effort so I can catch up to your cooking, Reina," Mei murmured. Meanwhile, her eyes burned with competitive fire. She had been learning how to cook from Reina for months now, yet she still hadn't managed to reach this level of flavor.
"Your cooking is already really good though, Mei! This morning, your food already had its own unique taste compared to Reina's, so you don't need to feel bad about it," Kiana reassured her, speaking right in the middle of munching on her dessert.
"Kiana, don't talk while you are still eating," Mei scolded gently.
"Fufufu," Reina giggled. Seeing them interact like this, she realized just how much she had missed Kiana's lively behavior.
She then turned toward Bronya, who was just quietly watching them. The small girl hadn't eaten or picked anything up yet.
Reina reached back into the basket. When she pulled her hand out, a chocolate ice cream cone magically appeared in her grasp.
"Here, Bronya. Don't just stare, you should eat too. I made this one specifically for you," Reina said softly, offering the treat.
"For the Bronya?" she asked, looking at the ice cream for a long moment. She actually really loved ice cream, and since this one was her favorite sweet chocolate flavor, she couldn't bring herself to reject it.
Slowly, Bronya raised her hand and took the ice cream cone from Reina. The moment she took her first lick, her eyes widened in surprise. Suddenly, she started eating it like a little hungry rabbit, rapidly licking and biting into the cold treat without caring about anything else around her.
Time passed smoothly as the group continued to eat and chat. For the next hour, the usually quiet and boring medical room was filled with warm laughter, cheerful stories, and the delicious smell of Reina's cooking.
It felt just like their normal days back at home.
Suddenly, the door to the room slid open and a short girl wearing a custom white and red nun outfit stepped into the room, holding a medical clipboard in her hands. It was Theresa Apocalypse, the principal of the academy.
"Yuna, the doctors just finished looking over your charts. You are completely healthy, so you can be discharged—"
Theresa stopped mid-sentence. She froze in the doorway, staring in disbelief at the massive basket of food, the empty pudding cups, and the girls having a full picnic right on top of the hospital bed.
"What are you all doing in here?!" Theresa crossed her arms, trying her best to put on a strict, mature expression. "This is a sterile medical bay, not a cafeteria! You cannot just bring unauthorized outside food into a patient's room!"
"But Principal, Yuna said the hospital food here tastes like warm water," Kiana complained, casually pointing her spoon at Theresa. "Reina made this for us so Yuna could actually eat something good."
"That does not matter! It is against the rules!" Theresa scolded, tapping her foot on the floor. However, her nose twitched as the sweet aroma of chocolate and fresh pastries drifted toward her. She subconsciously swallowed hard, her eyes darting toward the leftover desserts in Reina's basket.
Reina noticed the principal staring at the food. With a knowing smile, she casually pulled a small, beautifully wrapped sweet cake out of the basket.
"I made a little extra," Reina offered, holding it out. "Would the hard-working principal like to take a break and join us?"
"The Bronya highly recommends the desserts," Bronya chimed in, taking another rapid bite of her chocolate ice cream.
Theresa's face instantly flushed red. She wanted to yell at them to clean it up, but she also knew how weirdly powerful Reina was—and more importantly, the cake looked absolutely delicious.
"A-Ahem!" Theresa coughed into her fist, trying to maintain her dignity. "Well... since you already brought it inside, it would be a waste to throw it away. I will confiscate that cake just to make sure it's in a safe place."
"Also, you don't need to worry about the room staying sterile, Theresa," Reina said.
She closed her eyes for a brief moment. When she opened them again, a smooth, invisible surge of pure mana flowed out from her body, instantly enveloping the entire medical bay.
Most of the others didn't feel a single thing. Because they were only used to sensing Honkai energy, Reina's pure mana was almost completely undetectable.
But Kiana was different. Having been by Reina's side the longest, Kiana suddenly felt a gentle, familiar warmth brush right past her skin. She quickly glanced around, noticing the strange but comforting energy filling the air.
Reina simply raised her hand and snapped her fingers.
With a sharp click, a gentle, glowing wave swept across the entire room. In a single second, any stray crumbs on the bed sheets vanished.
The dust in the corners of the floor disappeared completely, and the empty pudding cups neatly stacked themselves away. Even the air inside the room suddenly smelled incredibly fresh and clean, like a crisp morning breeze.
Theresa's eyes widened in shock. She quickly looked around the perfectly spotless room, realizing it was now even cleaner than when the professional hospital staff had sterilized it earlier.
Kiana and Mei looked around in awe, while Yuna just watched the magic happen in pure amazement.
"See? Perfectly clean," Reina smiled, pushing the wrapped sweet cake forward a little more.
Theresa opened and closed her mouth a few times, completely unable to find a single rule to complain about anymore. Finally, she quickly snatched the cake from Reina's hand.
"W-Well... as long as it's sanitary," Theresa muttered, hiding her completely red face as she looked away.
~~~
~~~
~~~
After they finished their happy lunch, Yuna was finally cleared to leave the medical bay. Before letting her go, Theresa gave her a strict warning to take things easy and rest up before she took the St. Freya Academy entrance exam next month.
Theresa also pulled Reina aside for a moment, quietly telling her to keep a close eye on Yuna. Even though Theresa was still a little suspicious of Reina and her mysterious abilities, she at least trusted Reina's immense power enough to stop Yuna if she ever lost control again.
Soon, the group headed back to the dorms together. While Kiana, Mei, Reina, and Yuna walked down the academy paths side-by-side, Bronya quietly floated alongside them.
Yuna kept looking around at all the buildings and scenery with bright, curious eyes, since this was technically her first time getting to move around freely since she arrived.
They wanted to show her around the academy properly, but it was getting late, so they all agreed to start exploring tomorrow instead.
When they arrived at their temporary dorm, they found out that Himeko still hadn't returned from her duties, so it was just the five of them settling into the quiet room.
While they were relaxing in the living room, they realized Yuna didn't actually have any normal, everyday clothes to wear.
Even though Reina could easily just create a whole wardrobe for her using her power, she chose not to. They all agreed it would be way more fun if everyone went out to the city to go shopping together tomorrow.
Later that evening, the front door of the dorm opened with a soft click.
"I'm home..." Himeko muttered. Her voice was completely drained of energy.
Before she could even take off her coat, the exhausted teacher just collapsed, laying face-down on the floor right in the entryway.
All she wanted to do was drag herself to the kitchen, eat a cheap cup of noodles, and drink alcohol until she passed out. That was her usual, slightly pathetic routine after a long day of work.
But before she can do that she can hear someone walked up to her. Himeko lazily opened one eye and saw a pair of legs standing right in front of her. She tilted her head up slightly. Reina was standing there, looking down at her with a warm, gentle smile.
"Welcome back," Reina said softly. "You must be tired. Here, I made this for you."
Reina reached down and held out a glass.
Because Himeko was still laying flat on the floor, she couldn't actually see what was inside it. Since she knew the only drinks that usually existed in her place were just tap water and alcohol, she naturally assumed Reina was just handing her a plain glass of water.
Himeko groaned and waved her hand dismissively. "I don't want water... just bring me some alcohol instead..."
"No alcohol tonight," Reina replied smoothly, completely rejecting the request.
Instead of walking away, Reina reached down and gently grabbed Himeko's shoulders, helping the tired woman sit up.
Once Himeko was sitting comfortably against the wall, Reina gracefully crouched down in front of her and offered the glass once again.
Now that she was actually sitting up, Himeko could see inside the glass. It wasn't water at all. The glass was filled with a beautiful, deep red liquid.
It was a perfectly mixed non-alcoholic sangria punch, made with rich grape juice and fizzy sparkling water, packed to the brim with fresh orange slices and mixed berries.
"This is a non-alcoholic sangria punch. Knowing your usual drinking habits, I thought you might like this, so I made it just for you," Reina said with a gentle smile.
"I know what this is... I just didn't expect to see one here," Himeko replied, her voice still raspy and tired. She slowly accepted the glass and took a careful sip.
As the cold liquid hit her tongue, her eyes widened slightly in surprise. The rich, sweet taste of grape juice and crushed berries mixed perfectly with the crisp fizz of the sparkling water.
It was incredibly refreshing. The bright, citrusy aftertaste from the orange slices instantly washed away the dry, bitter feeling in her mouth.
As she slowly finished the glass, a soothing wave of comfort spread through her chest, melting away a good chunk of her daily exhaustion.
Seeing her finish the drink, Reina gently took the empty glass from her hand.
Moving with practiced, gentle care, Reina carefully pulled Himeko up, helping her stand properly. She then reached around and smoothly slid Himeko's thick work coat off her shoulders to hang it up by the door.
"Would you like to take a warm bath first, or do you want to eat?" Reina asked in a sweet, welcoming tone.
Himeko was completely shocked. For years, she was so used to coming back to a cold, empty dorm room and taking care of herself.
Being pampered and welcomed home like this felt like a crazy dream. Too stunned to even process it properly, she unconsciously muttered, "Eat..."
Reina's smile grew even brighter. She gently guided the dazed teacher into the dining room and helped her sit down.
Waiting right there on the table was a steaming, delicious-smelling bowl of "Noodles of Hope." At first glance, it looked just like Himeko's usual cheap cup noodles topped with thick slices of fried luncheon meat and a perfect sunny-side-up egg.
But the rich, savory aroma immediately told Himeko otherwise. Reina hadn't used a cheap flavor packet as she had actually made the noodles and the warm, comforting broth entirely from scratch.
"Enjoy the food. I'll go prepare some warm water so you can take a bath," Reina said gently. After that, she left the dining room, leaving Himeko alone to enjoy her meal while she went to get the bathroom ready.
Left completely alone, Himeko just stared at the steaming bowl of ramen in front of her. She unconsciously drooled a little, desperately wanting to dig in and eat it as fast as possible.
She glanced back toward the hallway where Reina had gone. Once she was sure Reina wasn't watching, Himeko quickly picked up her spoon and took a slow sip of the hot broth first.
"Oh my god..." Her eyes widened instantly at the amazing taste. Himeko really didn't expect Reina's cooking to be this incredible.
Between coming home to a warm welcome, getting a fancy mocktail, and now eating a perfectly made homemade meal, being taken care of like this felt dangerously good.
"Now I understand why Kiana and Mei are so obsessed with her..." Himeko muttered to herself before happily stuffing some noodles into her mouth.
~~~
~~~
~~~
Time passed smoothly, and late night finally arrived. Downstairs, Reina went through the house making sure everything was fine.
She checked the locks on the front door, made sure the kitchen gas was turned off, and finally switched off the living room lights.
With her chores done for the day, Reina quietly walked upstairs to head back to her own room.
Reina quietly walked upstairs and opened the door to her bedroom.
Inside, she saw Kiana and Mei standing right in the middle of the room. The two girls were casually talking to each other, having just arrived themselves.
"Have you two been waiting long?" Reina asked as she stepped inside.
"Nope, we just got here too!" Kiana replied cheerfully. She tilted her head, giving Reina a playful look. "So, why did you ask us to come up here? Do you want to sleep together tonight? Because if you do, I'm definitely not going to refuse!"
Mei shifted nervously on her feet. She was also really curious about why she was suddenly invited into Reina's room. So far, Mei had never actually slept in the same bed with Reina because she was always way too embarrassed to even try.
Instead of answering them, Reina just smiled warmly. She closed the distance between them, reached out, and pulled both of them into a deep, affectionate hug.
The sudden action completely surprised them. Kiana was confused for a quick second, but true to her personality, she didn't hesitate at all. She happily wrapped her arms around Reina and hugged her back, burying her face into Reina's shoulder to take in her familiar, comforting scent.
Meanwhile, Mei just stood there frozen in the embrace, her entire face burning bright red as she completely melted in embarrassment.
Even though Kiana was really enjoying the sudden affection, she couldn't help but feel a little curious.
"I'm definitely not complaining," Kiana mumbled happily against Reina's shoulder. "But why did you call us up here just for a hug?"
"Y-Yes..." Mei stuttered, her voice quiet since she was still so embarrassed. "Did something happen, Reina?"
"Nothing," Reina replied softly, keeping them close. "I just really missed you two."
Kiana pulled back just a little bit, looking completely confused. "Missed us? But we've been together almost the entire day, except for that little bit this morning when we went to visit Yuna."
Instead of answering and trying to explain the years she spent away from them, Reina simply turned her head. Since Kiana was hugging her left side, Reina leaned in and gently pressed a kiss against Kiana's right cheek.
"Ahaha! Wait, that tickles!" Kiana laughed, squirming just a tiny bit.
Reina just smiled. Lifting her left hand, she gently nudged the side of Kiana's head, guiding the white-haired girl to look directly at her.
Before Kiana could ask any more questions, Reina leaned in and pressed a soft, sweet kiss right onto her lips.
Mei gasped. Her eyes widened in pure shock at what was happening right next to her.
Her face instantly burned bright red, and she quickly slapped both of her hands over her eyes to hide.
But she just couldn't help herself as she slowly separated her fingers, leaving a small gap so she could shyly peek at the kiss.
What started as a soft, sweet kiss quickly turned into something much deeper.
Reina leaned in closer, deepening the kiss with a passionate warmth that completely overwhelmed Kiana. Kiana's eyes fluttered shut, and her face flushed a deep, bright red as she happily melted into it, eagerly wrapping her arms tighter around Reina's neck.
When Reina finally pulled away to let them catch their breath, a thin, silver line of saliva briefly connected their lips before snapping.
Kiana just stand there completely in a daze, panting softly with a huge, goofy smile on her red face. Her brain was completely short-circuited from how intense the kiss was.
With Kiana happily leaning against her left side, Reina slowly turned her head toward the right.
She looked directly at Mei, who was still frozen beside her. Mei was still covering her completely flushed face with her hands, but Reina could clearly see her eyes peeking right through the gaps in her trembling fingers.
Reina gently smiled and reached her right hand toward Mei. Slowly and carefully, she grabbed Mei's trembling wrists and gently pulled her hands away from her flushed face.
"R-Reina... wait, I..." Mei stuttered, her voice incredibly quiet, she couldn't even look at Reina in the eyes her gaze nervously darting away toward the floor.
"It's okay," Reina whispered in a soft, comforting tone. She gently brushed a strand of purple hair behind Mei's ear, letting her hand rest warmly on Mei's cheek.
Unlike the sudden, passionate kiss she just gave Kiana, Reina took her time. She leaned in incredibly slowly, giving Mei plenty of time to step back if she wanted to. But Mei didn't move away.
Instead, she nervously closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling as she waited.
Their lips finally met in a soft, sweet kiss. Mei's shoulders tensed up for a quick second, completely overwhelmed by the direct affection.
But feeling Reina's familiar, gentle warmth pressing against her, she slowly began to relax. Her shy hesitation melted away, and she timidly reached her hands up to grip the front of Reina's shirt, kissing her back with a tender sweetness.
When Reina finally pulled back, Mei let out a shaky little breath.
Her face was practically burning from embarrassment. Unable to handle the intense situation anymore, Mei immediately leaned forward and buried her bright red face right into Reina's shoulder, totally refusing to look up.
Reina just giggled softly. With Kiana still leaning against her left side and Mei hiding on her right, Reina happily wrapped her arms around both of them, pulling them back into a warm, comfortable cuddle right there in the middle of the room.