The dormitory side wasn't peaceful either.
Kiana sat alone on her bed, her white hair spilling over her shoulders, holding her ankles. Her sky-blue eyes looked a bit dazed.
"What's wrong? Not happy?"
Bronya glanced at the door. It was a four-person room, Fu Hua was out, and another girl had gone to another room to find the "big sister."
Kiana didn't answer. Bronya, not wanting to pry, didn't press further.
After all, this was the place where Natasha, the delinquent senpai, was. She figured she could relax a bit. Sleep!
That was her reward for getting into the top ten!
She hadn't gotten first place and the money, but being able to relax was still nice.
Just then, Fu Hua returned to the dorm, she still hadn't figured out how to contact Theresa without alerting Rin.
Seeing Kiana's expression, she asked softly, "What's wrong? Can't fit in?"
Compared to Mei's charisma, Kiana wasn't exactly popular.
The same went for Bronya, but Bronya didn't seem to care at all. She was already asleep.
Kiana listened to the noise from the next room. "Fu Hua, while you were out, I suddenly remembered something."
Shiraha was… in a state of isolation.
She had Bronya, Fu Hua, Yuna, and Mei. On the other side, Shiraha didn't know a single person.
Fu Hua asked curiously, "What is it?"
Kiana didn't answer, she just got out of bed. Damn, she'd forgotten about Shiraha!
"Talk later, I've got something to do. Might not come back tonight."
Kaslanas were always quick to act.
Fu Hua reached out to stop her, but Kiana wasn't about to run out barefoot.
As Kiana was putting on her shoes, Fu Hua suddenly remembered and said, "Shiraha's not in the dorms, he left."
Probably. Fu Hua wasn't sure.
But according to Otto's fantasies about childhood sweethearts, when one side was lonely, the other would inevitably show up, maybe even climb over a wall.
Fu Hua didn't really get it, Otto was just a hopeless romantic.
What was that saying, a romantic virgin?
Kiana paused. "Which way?"
"Looks like it's toward the faculty housing."
Kiana's nearly-new, unstarted brain quickly processed the info. Shiraha didn't know anyone in the Americas, if the direction wasn't off campus, it had to be Dr. Tesla's place.
Even if he wasn't there, she could tell the doctors and have them check the surveillance.
Okay, logic sound.
She ran out of the dorm without looking back.
Bronya, holding her black rabbit, popped her head out of the covers and watched Kiana's retreating figure.
She sighed. "So full of youthful energy!"
Fu Hua: ?
Bronya curled up contentedly, she was small. She figured this was worth reporting to Grey Serpent: Shiraha and Kiana seem to have made a breakthrough in their relationship.
Fu Hua glanced at Bronya, then back at Kiana's vanishing figure, thoughtful.
"Bronya, I'm heading out too. Might not come back tonight."
There was actually a very simple way to avoid Rin's awareness.
…Just go far enough.
A Herrscher's range wasn't infinite, the Herrscher of Binding's domain was only 100 kilometers. Even the Herrscher of Fire's terrifying destructive power took a week to spread across Australia.
Bronya popped her head out again. ?
"Are you going to find Shiraha too?"
Shiraha was that popular? He didn't seem to have many people to talk to at school.
Fu Hua blinked. "Do I have to find Shiraha just because I'm going out?"
Of course not, but in the Americas, going out alone at night without being afraid of homeless people?
Bronya was about to press further, but they weren't that close, she held back her curiosity.
What Fu Hua did was none of her business. As a mercenary, she shouldn't meddle in other people's affairs, curiosity killed the cat, and it'd kill Bronya too.
She burrowed back under the covers.
Fu Hua also left the dorm. Bronya stayed under for a moment, then couldn't hold back, she nimbly got out of bed.
"In the middle of the night, in the Americas…" She took a deep breath. "Since my life's somewhat stable now, according to Maxime, I've earned the right to be a little kind."
She threw on a coat, tucked the black rabbit under her arm, and walked out too.
Soon, at the faculty housing...
Einstein opened the door again, looking at Kiana on the doorstep. The girl had come out in a hurry, her hair was loose, not tied up. Einstein was silent for a moment.
"You don't like the dorm either?"
Kiana blinked. "No... I just figured Shiraha was alone, so I came to keep him company."
A person couldn't stay idle, or be left alone, no matter how strong they were inside, they'd feel a little lonely.
That's what Kiana believed.
Einstein gave a soft "oh," stepped aside to let Kiana in, then asked, "What about Mei?"
Kiana chose her words carefully. "She has her own clique, a lot of friends."
She didn't like how much Mei valued those other friends, but she wasn't about to say anything.
After all, Mei was nice to everyone, the kind of big sister you couldn't help but like.
Einstein nodded again.
She really should talk to Ryoma Raiden.
At the very least, adopt Shiraha as a son, he was such an obedient kid, and Ryoma wouldn't be losing anything.
"Shiraha should be in his room by now. Go find him, I'll get a room ready for you."
Kiana added, "I can do it myself, you go rest, Doctor."
Einstein shook her head. The rooms were already prepared, but the kid had come all this way, she needed to find her friend.
"Kids don't have to be that well-behaved…" She paused. "At least, not that well-behaved."
Kiana nodded, she didn't see anything wrong with that.
After a knock, Shiraha opened the door, his mind blank.
"You came too?" He quickly calmed down. "Was there something wrong with the dorm?"
Kiana smiled openly. "Actually, it was pretty good, Fu Hua and Bronya were in my room. It was the other clique that felt a bit isolated."
She said it without embarrassment, neither she, nor Fu Hua, nor even the seemingly distant Bronya, would deliberately isolate anyone.
Shiraha blinked. "Then why are you here?"
"I don't know!" Kiana answered honestly.
Shiraha paused, then stepped aside to let her in.
Outside, Einstein peeked into Shiraha's room, sharing a knowing glance with Tesla, who was gaming on the couch. Both had the same thought:
Little Shiraha might be saved.
It might be too early to worry about that, but in a Honkai world, exceptional males were rarer than females, and self-love was beyond the knowledge of Anti-Entropy's old guard.
Once someone had a genuine mental illness in this world, it was really hard to treat.
"No stars in your room?"
They were already familiar, Kiana didn't stand on ceremony, sitting cross-legged on the bed. She even reached out to take the little fox on the nightstand.
But the fox avoided her.
Shiraha shook his head. "Never mind the room decor, aren't you scared running out here in the middle of the night?"
"This isn't the Far East, and it's not—"
Before he could finish, Kiana had already pulled a handgun from her pocket and set it aside. She smiled, showing her teeth, looking almost innocent.
Shiraha didn't know what to say. After a moment of silence, he let out a helpless laugh.
Though he preferred older women, compared to mature stories, it was clearly the prologue of a fairy tale that felt more purely clean.
He changed the subject. "Since you're here anyway, are you tired, Kiana?"
"A little." Kiana nodded, oblivious to the mood. "But the doctor hasn't finished getting the room ready."
Getting the room ready? Shiraha blinked, hadn't the doctor said the rooms were already prepared?
He looked up, brushing the bangs from his forehead. "We've got some time to kill then. Want to hear a story, or do some more studying?"
Shiraha crawled to the head of the bed. Even in the guest room, the bedside table was full of books, though, presumably knowing the kids were coming, there were a few children's books too, colorful and bright, tucked among the serious tomes like kids sneaking into a crowd of adults.
Compared to studying, Kiana would definitely rather hear a story or play some games, and Shiraha could do either.
He never killed the mood. Since the doctor had given him a chance to build affection, he'd take it.
Only Elysia was expressionless, she watched the scene, then finally forced a wry smile. What else could she say?
Kiana was so pure, her actions and thoughts so clean, she was even less annoying than Sirin.
"For example~" Shiraha put on a mysterious tone. "How about a fairy tale from the Americas?"
Kiana pursed her lips. "What's so good about fairy tales? They're just stories to fool kids."
Even as she said that, she still obediently scooted closer.
She loved fairy tales, the gentle tone, like a mother's embrace, and any story with a happy ending.
The curtains weren't drawn; the moonlight was soft. Even though the moon didn't shine on its own, neither of them cared.
"Fairy tales are always so beautiful~" Shiraha opened the first page. "Every time I open the first page and see the prince, princess, or knight in the story, I know they're going to have a happy ending."
His finger moved slowly across the page, from left to right.
"Sometimes when I read fairy tales, I wonder and hope, that my princess… or my knight…"
"They'll suddenly appear when I'm all alone, carrying sunlight, breaking through the cage, and reaching out to me."
Kiana pressed her lips together and nodded, that was something to look forward to.
She didn't seem to catch Shiraha's deeper meaning.
Shiraha didn't push it. Compared to teasing or winning over other kids, Kiana, so simple and pure, was more relaxing for him.
This was one of the few things, aside from numbers and mechanics, that could ease his mind.
Einstein arrived at the door just in time to find Kiana sitting cross-legged beside Shiraha, holding her ankle, listening intently to a story, one Einstein only needed to hear two sentences of to know what it was.
Knock, knock, knock.
She tapped on the already open door.
Kiana snapped out of it. "Thanks for your trouble, Doctor!"
"Not at all, but it's getting late. Kids should be in bed."
She didn't want to interrupt, but it was late, both Shiraha and Kiana were clearly tired.
Kiana hopped off the bed, said her polite goodnights, and ran out, still full of energy despite how sleepy she looked.
She hadn't even taken her gun!
Tesla came over too, waiting until Kiana was back in her room before asking Shiraha, "Do you still think you and your senpai are the best together?"
Shiraha paused, pressed his lips together, and smiled brightly. "Yeah, Nee-chan and I are definitely the best."
Beside him, Elysia's tone was wistful. "What about Kiana?"
Shiraha's expression didn't change. After Tesla shook her head in mild disappointment and left, closing the door behind her, Shiraha let out a breath, then flopped backward onto the bed with satisfaction.
"Li~ttle~ Shiraha~"
"Kiana and I haven't known each other that long, don't be jealous, Nee-chan~"
Rin blinked, Elysia gets jealous of kids too?
Shiraha didn't think he was that young anymore. He tried to pull his Nee-chan closer, nuzzling her cheek like an adult. "Alright, alright, time to sleep, Nee-chan."
Finally, time to sleep. The first day in the Americas had been quite a ride.
Elysia's starry eyes sparkled, she had a good idea who was the most dangerous among them.
But Kiana was so pure and straightforward that she couldn't find fault with her…
Shiraha closed his eyes, leaning against his Nee-chan, nearly murmuring, "Nee-chan, I trust Kiana. I won't say why, you can see it yourself."
Elysia didn't respond.
Shiraha paused, then added, "But with Nee-chan and me, 'trust' isn't even the right word."
He emphasized, "I think it's a given."
As for Rin, she could wait. By now, everyone was used to Shiraha and Elysia's closeness, this wouldn't hurt anything. At least not much.
Meanwhile...
Bronya had only one thought: Maxime was right!
Don't go around being kind for no reason. Stick to the job.
She obediently raised her hands. "I—I can be your informant inside World Serpent."
Her voice trembled. "Please don't kill me?"
Bronya: (⋟﹏⋞)
Why is a first-year middle school student a spy for Schicksal?!