"Just a coincidence?"
Ei couldn't help murmuring the words aloud as she looked at Miko standing before her.
She didn't entirely buy it. She had never entirely bought it.
Of course, she understood that Miko had simply come to relay the information she'd gathered from Liyue. As for what the truth of the matter actually was — Miko herself almost certainly didn't know.
So what was she supposed to do with this? Simply pretend nothing had happened?
Ei's brow furrowed. For a moment, she genuinely didn't know how to proceed.
But if Kaito had called it a coincidence, then his intent was probably exactly that — let it go. Treat it as though nothing had happened at all. Whether it was truly a coincidence or not.
Still...
What could any of this possibly have to do with Makoto?
No matter how she turned it over in her mind, Ei couldn't shake the feeling that this was somehow connected to Makoto's return. The threads felt too close together to be unrelated.
What the connection was, though — that she didn't yet know.
"Honestly, I'm curious myself whether what that girl said is true. But as for whether Kiana is really..."
"Enough. I understand." Ei cut Miko off before she could finish.
She had already made her decision. For now, she would act as though nothing had happened — exactly as before.
"Then I'll take my leave?"
Reading Ei's expression, Miko could tell she was still turning things over in her head. So she offered her exit gracefully.
Whatever else needed to be thought through, she'd leave Ei to think it through. Besides, Acheron was still waiting outside for her.
"Mm." Ei gave a small nod.
Miko had completed the task she'd been given. There was no reason for her to linger any further.
With that, Miko took her leave of Tenshukaku and stepped back outside.
"That was fast."
The moment she emerged, Acheron — who had been walking toward her — looked faintly surprised.
She couldn't help it. Miko had come out way too quickly. Acheron had mentally settled in for a proper wait, and yet here Miko was, stepping back out almost before she'd even gone in. It was not what she'd expected.
"It was just a quick update — about the Kiana situation. Nothing that needed much time."
Seeing Acheron's surprise, Miko offered a brief explanation.
Right, though...
Would Acheron know anything about Kiana? And even if she did — would she say?
The thought surfaced, and Miko turned it over for a moment, weighing whether or not it was worth asking.
She had a feeling Acheron probably didn't know, or if she did know, she wouldn't say. But still — it cost nothing to try. And there was always the small chance of a pleasant surprise.
Might as well.
"Speaking of which — do you know much about Kiana, Mei?"
"Not particularly." The response came quickly, without hesitation. Acheron answered as though she hadn't given it a second thought.
She knew exactly what Miko was angling for — she was trying to probe her for information about Kiana. Which made the answer simple: she didn't particularly know.
"Fair enough. You all feel like you come from completely different corners of the world."
The moment she heard that answer, Miko knew there was no point in pressing further. She let the question go.
Still, she couldn't help finding it a little strange — Kaito's various girlfriends. Each one of them. When she thought about how they might all come from entirely different places, though, it started to make a kind of sense.
After all, she was fairly sure that Acheron and Wendy likewise knew very little about her — and likely had no particular interest in finding out.
"That is accurate," Acheron said, giving a small nod.
If one thought of them each as separate entities in their own right, then yes — they truly did come from places that were worlds apart. Quite literally, in some cases.
"Well." Miko gave a helpless little look, then glanced around at their surroundings. "In that case — let's grab breakfast together. I haven't eaten a thing since I woke up this morning."
As she spoke, she continued scanning the area, as though already mentally working out where they ought to go.
"I've already eaten," Acheron replied, declining the invitation without fanfare.
She had half a mind to add that she had, in fact, just said this very thing — but she settled for simply repeating the relevant fact.
"We agreed just now that I had something to tell you, didn't we?" Miko said, of course remembering perfectly well that Acheron had already eaten.
But if Acheron wanted to eat again, Miko was more than happy to treat her. That wasn't the point, though. The point was what she was about to say.
She already had a feeling Acheron wouldn't react much. But she still wanted to try. If by some miracle Acheron looked genuinely surprised, that would be rather entertaining.
"I remember," Acheron said, with another small nod.
"You really are something else, Mei."
Miko let out a soft, helpless laugh. Looking at Acheron like this, she was becoming even less confident that anything she said would draw a reaction. If Acheron was already this unreadable before the reveal, she'd almost certainly be the same during it.
"Something else? Why?" Acheron tilted her head slightly, appearing genuinely uncertain what Miko meant by that.
"Alright, alright — enough, Mei. Come have breakfast with me. I'm absolutely starving."
Miko gave another rueful smile and cut the conversation short, steering them toward food first.
She was still quietly debating where to go, though. The thing she needed to say wasn't something she could just blurt out anywhere — she needed somewhere private.
Where would work...?
She turned the options over rapidly in her mind, but nothing immediately stood out.
Actually...
Let's just go back to the shrine.
After a moment's thought, that was the answer she landed on. Anywhere else, and she'd never quite feel at ease enough to say it. Only at the shrine could she speak freely.
"I've been waiting all along," Acheron said.
"Then follow me." This time it was Miko who gave the nod.
At this point, nothing Acheron said could surprise her anymore.
---
Grand Narukami Shrine.
"So you came back to the shrine for breakfast. I'd assumed we'd be eating somewhere out in the city," Acheron remarked, once Miko had led her into one of the shrine's inner rooms and they had settled in.
"Ah, well — what I need to tell you is important, Mei. I can hardly say it somewhere public."
Miko explained as she looked across at Acheron, seated opposite her, and then continued: "Mei — you know where Kaito is right now, don't you?"
"In Liyue," Acheron answered without missing a beat.
By now, having heard Miko's preamble in full, she had already worked out exactly what was coming. She simply couldn't let on that she knew.
If Miko wanted to tell her — then she would simply be an audience.
____
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