"Mei…"
Kiana repeated the name under her breath, her gaze passing through Su Yu and landing on a single point in empty space.
In this world, the Raiden Mei who cooked so well had become a top-tier scholar named Mei.
Kiana raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise in her tone—
but the astonishment vanished in an instant, replaced by that familiar distance, the kind of detachment that looked like she could slip away at any moment.
"Good."
She lowered her head and gave a faint, self-mocking smile.
"In this world, she doesn't have to carry those heavy things. She gets to live like an ordinary person…"
"That's enough."
"Yeah. Pretty unbelievable." Su Yu leaned back, fingers interlaced behind his head, sounding casual. "Kevin went through a lot to chase Mei. Who would've thought that deadpan face used to be such a romance-brain."
Kiana didn't laugh.
She pressed her lips together, then took a step back, leaning against the wall about 1.3 meters away from Su Yu.
A slightly more generous "safe distance"—the one she'd only just earned.
She folded her arms, fingers unconsciously picking at her sleeve cuff: a textbook defensive posture.
"If she's doing well…"
"Then I have even less reason to disturb her."
Her voice was cold—thin ice, trying to seal every possible ripple of emotion underneath.
"You know this, Su Yu."
"I'm the vessel of the Herrscher of the Void."
"I'm someone who brings misfortune."
She lifted her head. Her eyes were calm—so calm they were almost dead.
No tears. No hysteria.
Just stating what she believed was an unchangeable fact.
"Wherever I am, disaster follows."
"I don't want… anyone else to suffer because I showed up."
Her refusal was clean, decisive.
Like a wild animal used to licking its wounds alone—instinctively resisting any light that might warm her… or burn her.
Even if it was the "variant" of the most important person she'd ever had, she would rather keep her distance than risk even a sliver of harm.
Su Yu looked at the way she shut herself off and sighed inwardly.
This kind of deep-rooted self-loathing wouldn't dissolve from a few comforting sentences.
She'd grown used to shouldering every fault.
Used to punishing herself with loneliness—
even treating that punishment as part of "atonement."
And if he pushed too warmly now, she would only retreat farther.
"Alright." Su Yu straightened up, dropping the earlier casualness and switching to a more businesslike tone. "If you don't want to see her, that's fine."
He pulled out his phone and brought up an e-ticket, holding it where Kiana could see.
"But since you don't want to go meet her, I've got a small favor to ask. Think of it as an exchange."
"Kevin booked tickets for Eden's concert a while back."
What he didn't say was: Kevin bought them the day Su Yu "picked up" Kiana.
"It was supposed to be their date," Su Yu continued, "but he got cocky and bought an extra one, insisting I go as some kind of witness."
"And honestly—I'm terrible in that kind of setting."
"Being wedged between them as a third-wheel, and then having to listen to Mei the academic talk quantum mechanics…"
"That's torture."
He looked at Kiana. There wasn't too much expectation in his eyes—just a calm, evenly weighted request that kept a respectful distance.
"So… could you come with me?"
"Just help me out."
"If we go as two people, at least I'll have someone to talk to. I won't look that stupid."
"…"Kiana looked at Su Yu.
She wasn't dumb—she could tell it was also an excuse.
But it wasn't a heavy excuse.
It wasn't the suffocating kind of "I'm doing this for your own good."
It felt more like equal, reciprocal help.
He needed a companion—and she… maybe really did need to get out and breathe.
And besides, she'd been staying in Su Yu's home, eating and drinking on his dime, even making him help her with the game…
Kiana pressed her lips together. The balance inside her shifted a little.
She didn't like owing people.
If this could count as "repaying" him…
then maybe—just maybe—it was acceptable.
"…Just going as company?" she finally asked. Her voice was still stiff, and she still didn't look at him directly—her eyes fixed on the bookshelf instead.
"Yeah." Su Yu nodded. "Just company."
"VIP box. No crowd, no ID checks, nobody paying attention to you."
"You just sit, listen to songs, and help me split the emotional damage of Kevin's couple-dogfood attacks."
Kiana went quiet for a few seconds.
Then she lowered her arms and gave a small nod.
"Fine."
Her tone was light, like she'd agreed to something trivial.
"Not like I have anywhere else to go."
"And since you need help…"
"I'll reluctantly go with you this one time."
After speaking, she turned and walked toward the bedroom, leaving Su Yu with the slightly thin outline of her back.
"I'm going to change."
Kiana left the range. The 'free movement trial' started counting down.
Su Yu exhaled softly.
At least she agreed.
That was enough.
He picked up his phone and messaged Kevin.
[Su Yu: Keep the ticket. I'm bringing a friend.][Su Yu: Also, the VIP box you mentioned last time is still available, right? Fewer people is better—quiet. And clean up that eternally unchanged tracksuit a bit.]
Kevin replied instantly with a simple [OK] gesture, plus: [Mei is coming too. See you then.]
Su Yu put the phone away and looked out at the darkening sky beyond the window.
Distance, detachment—fine.
As long as she could take one step outside, even if it was only to look at that bright world from far away—
it was a beginning.
At least she would know:
that world wasn't an unreachable dream.
The next day.
Su Yu brought Kiana to the outside of the Dome venue.
The lighting in the VIP corridor was much softer than the plaza outside, blocking most of the noise. All that remained was a faint, far-off vibration from the soundcheck.
Su Yu walked ahead, not fast.
He could sense the nearly silent footsteps behind him, always keeping a delicate distance—not far, not close: about 1.5 meters.
Whenever staff with badges hurried by, those footsteps would suddenly quicken, and that flash of white would slide sideways—using Su Yu's body as cover to block curious glances.
She had forced herself to step out of her territory.
But she was still ready to retreat into her shell at any moment.
"Su Yu!"
A familiar call came from up ahead.
Kevin was there in simple casual wear, still the same cold, blank face—
but the figure beside him made the air behind Su Yu instantly tighten.
Mei held Kevin's arm. She wore a well-tailored deep-purple trench coat, her long hair loosely pinned up, a polite smile on her face.
It was a completely different presence from Raiden Mei—
less the gentle "household warmth," more the poise and composure of a top scholar.
That confidence didn't cling to anyone.
It rose from her bones.
Kevin's eyes passed over Su Yu and landed on the white figure only half-visible behind him.
He raised an eyebrow, giving Su Yu a questioning look.
"So this is the… cat you picked up that day?"
Su Yu gave a small nod: confirmed.
"Yep."
Then Su Yu felt the hem of his clothing suddenly grow heavy.
Kiana didn't shrink away like she usually did. Instead, as if reaching for a support point, she instinctively grabbed the edge of his coat.
Hard.
She leaned out just half her head, eyes locked onto Mei's face.
That face…
was too similar.
The brows, the eyes, even the way the corners of her eyes curved when she smiled—overlapping with the name in memory.
But—
the eyes were different.
When her Mei looked at Kiana, there was endless tenderness and indulgence, like she wanted to place the whole world in Kiana's hands, afraid she'd suffer even a little.
This woman's eyes had kindness too—
but more of it was courteous observation.
A rational light, like an invisible wall clearly dividing the boundary of strangers.
She wasn't Mei.
That recognition made Kiana's heart shudder—
and what followed wasn't only pain.
It was relief, almost.
Mixed with a loss she couldn't put into words.
Not Mei is good.
The relief: she didn't have to face the Mei she believed she'd hurt.
The loss: that familiar soul was still separated by an entire world.
"Aren't you going to introduce this shy little one?" Mei's voice cut through Kiana's spiraling thoughts.
She didn't seem offended by Kiana's hiding. Instead she smiled at Su Yu, the tone carrying a kind of elder-like patience.
"Oh—this is Kiana." Su Yu smiled and shifted slightly, discreetly patting the back of Kiana's hand where it gripped his coat, as if passing her a little courage. "My… friend. She had time today, so I brought her out to get some air."
Friend.
Hearing that word made Kiana's fingers loosen a fraction.
Not a burden. Not trouble.
A friend.
Mei nodded and stepped forward, extending her right hand.
"Hello, Kiana. I'm Mei."
Her movement was natural, open, without hesitation—like she didn't mind the cold, rejecting aura rolling off Kiana.
Kiana stared at the hand offered to her.
Long fingers, clean. No calluses from holding a blade.
Only the faint marks from holding a pen.
She froze for a long moment, breathing a little fast.
Finally, under Su Yu's encouraging gaze, she hesitantly reached out.
"I'm… Kiana."
Her voice was dry, like she hadn't spoken in a long time.
"Hello…"
The instant their fingertips touched, Kiana yanked her hand back like she'd been shocked, and ducked behind Su Yu again.
"Mei, have you gotten too serious from being a scholar?" Kevin cut in, breaking the stiffness.
He looked at his girlfriend, helpless.
"Look—you scared the kid."
"Shut up, you talk too much." Mei rolled her eyes and bumped her elbow lightly into Kevin's side.
"And I wonder who it was—practicing smiling at the rearview mirror for half the ride because he was nervous."
"Cough… I was checking for veggies stuck in my teeth," Kevin said with a perfectly straight face, lying without blinking.
Watching the two of them bicker and tease each other like nobody else existed—
that easy, intimate warmth flowed like a current, slowly softening the hard ice inside Kiana's chest.
No Honkai.
No missions.
No separation by death.
Just ordinary life.
Just laughter and petty complaints.
Kiana stared at them, stunned.
Her heart rattled violently in her chest—
like something cracked open—
or like something began to grow again.
Slowly, she let go of Su Yu's coat hem. The tension in her shoulders collapsed.
And the corners of her lips lifted into an extremely faint, extremely shallow smile.
This world's Mei was happy.
Loved by someone.
Doing work she enjoyed.
Able to complain and laugh freely with her partner.
She didn't have to pick up a blade to protect anyone.
Didn't have to sacrifice herself to save the world.
"…That's good."
In a voice only she could hear, Kiana whispered.
It wasn't jealousy.
It wasn't regret.
It was a blessing—pure, uncomplicated—
for the most important person in her life,
crossing worlds and fate.
....
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