Splat!
The red-strapped geta, glistening with moisture, flew from the window and landed on the ground. Its tip plunged fiercely into the soft earth, the heel kicking up into the sunset.
From the soaked wooden sandal, one could still see streams of droplets trickling down.
A strange silence fell over the air.
Kiana and Yae Sakura looked at the red-strapped geta, then looked up at the third-floor classroom.
There was an inexplicable meaning in each other's eyes.
"..."
"..."
Drip~
A small raindrop fell from the sky, landing on a strand of Yae Sakura's hair, then on the tip of Kiana's nose.
It broke the silence.
"Is it raining?"
Yae Sakura looked up at the sky, only to see the evening clouds ablaze in splendid, dazzling color.
Kiana's nose twitched. She vigorously wiped away the small droplet that had landed on its tip.
Chong Chong couldn't help but jump back, spitting "Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey," while rubbing her nose relentlessly.
"Ugh, damn it! That dog Ye Feng!"
Kiana was no ignorant, innocent maiden, but a battle-hardened virgin.
Without a moment's thought, she could instantly identify the source of the droplet.
Having been under Ye Feng's influence, Yae Sakura had also learned a great deal.
Seeing Kiana's reaction now, her pupils couldn't help but widen.
The arrival of this droplet was as shocking as the Trisolarans' arrival was to the people of Earth...
Even though Yae Sakura was Ye Feng's "blade," a doll who followed his every command, she had never touched this taboo at such close range.
The Miko touched her own pink hair, then stared blankly at her palm.
"Kiana... why do you like this kind of thing?"
"HAH!!"
Yae Sakura's pure and thoughtless question dealt a critical blow to Chong Chong.
"Who likes this kind of thing!"
Kiana stretched her neck, her face flushed red, a vein popping on her forehead. "You Miko! You're usually so quiet and gentle, why do you like to spout such nonsense!"
Yae Sakura tilted her head, looking at Kiana in confusion. "I've passed by several times and seen you kneeling in front of my benefactor... enjoying..."
"AAAAAH!"
Kiana clutched her head with both hands, like the figure in The Scream. "Slander! That's slander! When have I ever enjoyed it! It was clearly a punishment! How could this young lady possibly do that willingly!"
Kiana looked half-crazed. Yae Sakura opened her mouth, but stopped herself from saying, "But I saw you eating it very happily."
Even a Warring States Miko from 500 years ago could read the room. Yes.
She thought for a moment, then organized her words. "It seems my benefactor is up there. Kiana, are you going to look for him?"
"Why would I look for him? I—"
Kiana's gaze drifted away. "I'm just taking a walk here, just strolling around. I'm not looking for anyone."
"Is that so? I happen to have nothing to do as well. Shall we walk together?"
Yae Sakura still felt a little bad for having provoked Kiana just now and wanted to make up for it.
But Kiana wanted no part of it.
Her lower abdomen had been flashing this whole time.
It had been like this for days. Whether outside or in here, the Honeysuckle Pattern on Kiana was glowing.
With her body in this state... she didn't even dare to go find Mei, so how could she possibly hang out with Yae Sakura?
Moreover, the droplet that had just landed on her nose and the red-strapped geta that had been thrown out had stimulated Chong Chong even more...
"No need. I'm done with my walk. I'm going to the library to read now. Goodbye."
Kiana walked away awkwardly.
Yae Sakura tilted her head, watching her retreating back, and couldn't help but raise a finger and point in the opposite direction. "Kiana, the library is this way."
"!!"
---o---
...
The night had deepened.
The dim meeting room was dyed the color of the rain.
Mobius had come out of the classroom and had been waiting here for over five hours.
At some point, the weather had turned into a light drizzle.
She wore a white lab coat, her green hair tied into a single tail. She sat here with nothing to do, listening to the sound of the falling raindrops.
The room was furnished with only a long, rectangular table, like one in an office.
There was only one figure; besides Mobius, there was no one else.
After the one-hour bet and Elysia's defeat, Mobius had also left the scene.
She had forgotten why she left. Perhaps she found it boring, or perhaps the storm brewing in there had frightened even her.
Or maybe she simply didn't want to be there...
No matter how she thought about it, she couldn't find an answer.
The sound of the rain brought her thoughts back.
The rainy sky was a bit similar to the countryside where she had stayed with Ye Feng before.
No, it was more like they shared some kind of archetype.
The smells, the sounds, the soft places... their origins were the same.
This place, which felt like another world, had something in common with certain things.
She found herself secretly resentful over such a trivial matter.
Just as she was a bystander watching the rain now, she had been a complete bystander in the classroom before.
She had thought Ye Feng might reach out his hand to her... but he hadn't.
"..."
Mobius raised her head, staring blankly at the raindrops falling from the sky.
She liked the town when it was soaked by the rain.
Of course, she was also in a good mood when she saw the town bathed in sunlight on a fine day, but this was a different kind of liking.
She liked the gloomy, rainy sky.
The town, shrouded in mist in the rain, had a faint smell of earth. A dim fog rose.
It was weather suited for a snake.
"The rain is about to stop."
Mobius withdrew her gaze, standing silently by the window.
'Over there... it should be over by now.'
Mobius turned and walked out of the monotonous room that had been steeped in the color of rain.
Tap, tap, tap.
Footsteps echoed in the empty, dark corridor of the school building. Although Mobius was petite, her swaying body, twisting and turning in high heels, was exceptionally enchanting.
She arrived at the classroom door.
White light shone from the crack in the door.
There was no sound now, as tranquil as a snow-covered lake in autumn or winter.
Screech—
Mobius slid the door open.
She had prepared herself to be hit by a wave of smells, but what greeted her was the faint fragrance of flowers?
The floor and ceiling were as clean as new, as if they had never been touched by any "wind or rain."
And that pure and flawless Miss Pink Elf was standing quietly by the window.
Elysia was wearing a white one-piece dress, her pink hair cascading down her back like a waterfall.
Like Mobius before her, she was looking up at the night sky, where a light rain was falling.
"...?"
Sensing the movement behind her, Elysia turned around gracefully.
"Ah, Mobius, you're here," Elysia said, waving at her with a smile.
"Elysia, you..."
"Hmm? That expression on your face, Mobius, could you be worried about me? I'm so happy. However, a stubborn flower will never lose its color in a storm, and a shining will is sure to bloom its true self even in the direst of straits."
Mobius stared blankly at Elysia. Her lips moved, and then she couldn't help but say, "No. Elysia, you've gotten fat."
"Eh?"
Mobius's gaze fell on her lower abdomen. It was bulging, looking as if she had grown a small paunch.