The atmosphere at breakfast was a little strange.
Einstein wasn't blind, she could see the slightly nervous look on Shiraha's face, and the golden eyes of the girl who should've been Kiana. She was quiet for a moment.
She called softly, "Shiraha."
Shiraha responded immediately. "I'm here!"
Einstein got straight to the point. "Would you ever help someone hurt Kiana?"
Shiraha blinked, then quickly shook his head. "No, I can promise that. I'll always stand by Kiana."
Really? It looked like he was already helping Sirin at Kiana's expense.
Einstein paused. "If…"
"No ifs!" Shiraha cut her off, rarely impolite. He put down his chopsticks, sat up straight, and said seriously,
"I'm sure of it, I'll always be on my friends' side. If they're not on the right side of the law, then I'll go with them to apologize."
Einstein didn't know what to say. Tesla glanced over, then looked at Welt.
Welt wasn't looking at her, his gaze was fixed on Sirin, who was staring at the fried egg in her bowl like it was something she didn't quite understand. Had Sirin really never eaten a fried egg before?
Just then, Sirin's pupils slowly returned to normal, like a tide receding, leaving behind only moist sky-blue.
But she didn't have that pure, genuinely innocent look.
"What are you two planning to do after breakfast?"
Welt changed the subject.
Shiraha blinked, then looked at Sirin. She smiled innocently, she didn't know either.
"Probably just stay nearby."
Shiraha didn't want to keep moving around, the delinquent senpai needed to be able to find them easily.
Missing each other wouldn't be a disaster, but it would be a hassle.
Tesla really wanted to laugh out loud and say, "Let me take you for some intense street fighting!" But after breakfast, she just brought out her box. "If you want to play, there are cartridges here. The internet's fast too, up to you two."
She patted Shiraha's shoulder. "Don't bully little Kiana, okay?"
After the door closed, Sirin leaned by the window with her arms crossed. "They noticed, didn't they?"
It seemed like everyone cared about Kiana, which stung. But because of Shiraha, even Welt was willing to tolerate her.
Shiraha looked a little nervous. "It's probably because you eat too slowly."
Sirin: ….
You didn't spare Kiana either.
But Shiraha's nervousness didn't last long. He rummaged through the game cartridges and said casually, "Kiana's easy to get along with."
Sirin didn't deny it. She was more interested in the games than in talking about Kiana, she'd never played one before.
The only game she'd ever touched was a brief session of Sirin's Revenge: Honkai Rising back in 2000.
Soon, Shiraha found a perfect two-player casual platformer: Fireboy and Watergirl.
There were probably better games out there, but Sirin's gaming skills were probably terrible, she hadn't fallen that far yet.
"See? You're not listening to me again." Shiraha fiddled with the console, cables, and controllers. "Is it the same with you and Kiana? She talks, you don't listen?"
Sirin's expression shifted, it was true. No matter how lazy Kiana was, she was definitely awake by now.
But Sirin didn't care, she rarely asked for permission.
Luckily, Shiraha was looking down and didn't see her face.
He turned on the TV, the theme music for Fireboy and Watergirl chimed cheerfully.
"Kiana's actually really kind. When I'm alone at school, she's always the one who comes to play with me... besides my Nee-chan."
Sirin pressed, "What about Bronya?"
Shiraha thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I don't really know her, we've only met a few times."
Sirin pressed her lips together, her fangs barely showing. Her lips weren't smiling, but she seemed just a little happier.
Shiraha set everything up. "Fireboy and Watergirl is simple, good for testing our teamwork."
It really had nothing to do with teamwork.
He continued talking about Kiana. "Kiana loves this game, she likes simple ones where you can see results quickly."
It wasn't hard. Even if you got stuck with a friend, a little thought usually got you through.
Sirin didn't reply. She focused on moving her little Watergirl up the steps, when Shiraha stepped off the pressure plate, the platform flipped instantly.
Her Watergirl fell off the ledge, plop, vanishing in a puff of blue smoke over the lava.
She turned and glared. Shiraha said matter-of-factly, "That's what Kiana did to me!"
"Then do it to her!"
"She's not here, and you're her friend, so I have to do it to you."
Sirin started grinding her teeth.
After that, as long as no one sabotaged, the game was easy. Sirin really enjoyed this kind of cooperative two-player game, even when it got repetitive, she played all the way to the end.
At the final level, just before winning, Sirin stepped off the pressure plate and watched Fireboy fall into the water.
She smirked, her golden eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Remember, get Kiana back right before the final level."
Shiraha blinked, the controller wasn't in his hands. He and his Nee-chan swapped turns per level.
Elysia took a deep breath, her cheeks flushed red, whether from anger or excitement, like a rose.
Shiraha asked softly, "Sirin.... when you're out, can Kiana see what's happening?"
Sirin: ….
She paused, a little guilty. She still hadn't said a single word to Kiana.
Shiraha nodded knowingly. "No wonder, no wonder you and Kiana aren't as close as me and my Nee-chan."
You and your senpai are way too close!
As Shiraha looked for another cartridge, he paused. "Sirin, how do you and Kiana communicate?"
Sirin didn't answer. She didn't communicate, she took over without giving a reason.
Shiraha guessed, "Do you keep a little notebook?"
Sirin could read, she'd had proper schooling from the Honkai god.
Sirin still didn't answer. Shiraha gave a soft "oh" and found a small notebook and pen on the nightstand.
Doctors' houses always had those lying around.
It wasn't that they had many, it was just that the place was messy.
Sirin cut in. "We talk sometimes, you don't need to overthink it."
She didn't come out that often anyway. She figured that since she took up so little time, she didn't need permission.
Shiraha paused. "It'll happen more often in the future."
"Kiana's grades aren't great, but I can cover for her."
"Then Sirin will come out, and become that purple-haired girl."
It was time to rely on his good reputation again.
Shiraha held Sirin's shoulders, his smile bright. "Trust me, this will become the most important way you and Kiana communicate."
At least start somewhere, with any excuse.
Shiraha guessed Sirin had never talked to Kiana.
A lie held together by silence would eventually break.
Shiraha… didn't count. Everyone knew the Omnipotent One never lied.
Sirin wanted to refuse, but Shiraha was already talking about the future. She'd trust him just this once.
Clumsily, she held the pen. "Mm, what should I say to her?"
Sirin looked at Shiraha, her gaze curious. "How did you and your senpai communicate when you first met?"
With Nee-chan? Shiraha glanced at her, lost in thought. Elysia fell into recollection too. After a moment, Shiraha's lips twitched.
"My situation was a bit different, but if you really want to learn, just write: 'We were meant to be partners from the start.'"
Sirin: ….
That was way too embarrassing.
Elysia shook her head. She leaned in from behind, wrapped her arms around Shiraha, and reached over to hold the pen.
Sirin blinked, she couldn't see Elysia, but she saw the pen move on its own.
Elysia's handwriting was fairly neat, after all, as a fairy with an image to maintain, she'd probably practiced.
She only wrote the opening.
Hi~
Sirin blinked and added: "Kiana, I'll call you that for now."
"So cold." Elysia muttered.
Shiraha shifted uncomfortably. Sirin was now curled up in a corner with the notebook, clearly not letting him see the rest.
"Sigh.... from what I can see, Sirin doesn't seem to want to destroy the world anymore."
Elysia said casually, knowing no one else could hear her.
Shiraha nodded. As long as Sirin felt warmth, she generally lost the urge to destroy the world.
For example, in the final lesson, when good and evil were almost fused, the warmth from Himeko had made the Herrscher of Void hesitate, only for her to lash out like a child rejecting her feelings and destroy the last hope.
"But Rin's problem isn't solved yet." Elysia continued, then paused. "Hey, Little Shiraha, what if we just had an honest talk? Kiana, you, me, Sirin, Rin, Sakura."
"Six people, three Herrschers, no one needs to be left out. Everyone has a painful past."
Shiraha was tempted. While Kiana was still young and Sirin was ready to change, maybe this was the chance to help Kiana accept everything.
He pressed his lips together. "Let me talk to Kiana first when she comes back."
"I can't just make decisions for her because she's always been good to me."
Even if he put emotions aside and thought logically, no one in this Honkai world was more important than Kiana.
Oh and his Nee-chan too.
The situation between Sirin and Kiana was different from him and Elysia, it was a whole tangled mess.
Elysia was about to say something, but Shiraha looked up and nuzzled her cheek. "Nee-chan, I know I've said this before, but I'll say it again."
"Since I've decided to save the world, being right about the little things doesn't matter as much anymore."
For example, Elysia's current awkward position. But that was fine, Shiraha didn't care.
The Omnipotent One could handle it all.
He wanted everyone's expectations, everyone's gaze, everyone's burdens on him.
Because Shiraha truly knew the story, he knew how to answer everyone's hopes.
From the corner of the room came the sound of grinding teeth. Kiana's fingers were clenched tight, her toes curling into her slippers, she was furious.
"What's with that condescending tone?!"
She slammed the notebook on the ground, then looked at Shiraha, who seemed to be held by someone, and asked directly, "Shiraha, does your imaginary friend take over your body too?"
Shiraha blinked. "In a way."
Most of the time, his Nee-chan could pull him into doing some pretty awkward things.
Hearing that, Kiana's chest was still heaving. "No way, Shiraha, help me figure out what to say to make her feel as bad as I do right now."
With Shiraha as an example, Kiana wasn't too afraid of the imaginary friend thing, at least hers had some basis.
It's just a big villain. Dad had already beaten her once, and Mom had even been willing to give Sirin a hug.
Shiraha was quiet for a moment, then laughed. "Didn't Sirin already talk to you about it? Why are you still this angry?"
Hearing that, Kiana, who had been calming down, flared up again. "She should've said it before! What kind of apology is that, 'sorry for using your body without asking'?"
Was that polite?
What if, in the future, Kiana got a boyfriend and Sirin used her body first before apologizing, was she supposed to just say "it's fine"?
That didn't make sense.
Shiraha chuckled and quickly came over. Kiana was curled up in the corner, still clutching the notebook.
From the creased corners of the paper, it was clear she was genuinely upset. Shiraha's smile softened. "I'll try to help separate you and Sirin."
Kiana pouted. "First figure out how to make your imaginary friend tangible so we can actually touch her."
Shiraha clutched his chest. Elysia's lips twitched too.
Kiana bumped her shoulder against his. "You don't have to put so much pressure on yourself. My situation isn't urgent. Sometimes I run around in that space, can't tell north from south, and I catch glimpses of Sirin."
She paused. "I feel like I'm starting to understand something."
Sirin didn't seem to be pushing her away.
That was already better than Mei rubbing her hands together just to generate a little static.
Shiraha was about to say congratulations, but—
"Have you been lonely during this time?"
Kiana blinked, then quickly shook her head. "No, it's like I'm in a maze with fragments everywhere. Sometimes I even catch glimpses of… my mother."
She clearly didn't want to dwell on it. "Anyway, shouldn't we go join the group?"
"The doctors already got us excused."
Kiana stuffed the notebook into her pocket, took Shiraha's hand, and pulled him up. "Being alone was pretty boring, now I know what your school life is like."
"Let's play a game!"
"How come she couldn't even beat the last level?" Kiana laughed when she saw the screen. "Even a simple game like Fireboy and Watergirl, she couldn't figure it out?"
.
.
.
.
Read up to 50 chapters ahead and support me on Patreon: [email protected]/Lost_moon.
And don't forget to vote with your Power Stones! Your support motivates me to keep writing and bringing you more chapters.