Kiana poked her head out from the doorway to the rooftop. Seeing that Hua Yi was indeed there, she couldn't help but ask, "Hua Yi, what are you doing up here?"
"Taking in the view. Did you need something?"
Hua Yi hadn't eavesdropped on the conversation between Murata Himeko and Kiana. Beyond respecting their privacy, he didn't believe Himeko would tell Kiana anything truly vital it would likely be nothing more than a few details regarding the Honkai eruption.
"Um... isn't school about to go on break soon?"
The high school holiday schedule in the Far East differed from what Hua Yi was used to. There were spring, summer, and winter breaks, totaling three per year. More holidays meant that each semester wasn't particularly long. Just as Kiana said, the break was almost here.
"Yes."
"So do you have any plans for the holidays?"
The obvious look of hesitation on Kiana's face made Hua Yi raise an eyebrow. "No plans. Why?"
"I was thinking of having Mei stay here during the break. We're all friends anyway, and if we live together, it'll be much easier to go out and have fun."
So this girl still hasn't given up on Mei!
Hua Yi's relaxed expression instantly hardened. He highly doubted Raiden Mei would agree to stay in the same room as him; clearly, Kiana was plotting to share a bed with her.
"This is a boys' dormitory for Tachikawa Academy, after all. You staying here is already a violation of the rules. Given Raiden Mei's personality, she wouldn't want to do something so improper."
"That's why you have to help me convince her!"
Seeing that Hua Yi didn't agree with her, Kiana stomped her foot in frustration. In truth, she didn't have any ulterior motives toward Raiden Mei. Since Aunt Himeko... well, Himeko had already left, so it was fine to call her "Aunt" now.
Since she had mentioned that a Honkai eruption had occurred on the outskirts of Nagazora, it meant the city was no longer safe. Kiana intended to keep both Hua Yi and Raiden Mei by her side; that way, if an outbreak really hit the city, she could protect them both.
Facing Hua Yi's lack of cooperation was giving Kiana a massive headache.
Currently, there had only been one minor eruption in the outskirts, so it was impossible to say for certain if another would follow. This was why Nagazora was merely maintaining an alert status and hadn't evacuated the citizens yet. Kiana couldn't say anything alarmist to scare Hua Yi; she was just worried.
In Hua Yi's eyes, while he maintained his "vigilance" toward Kiana, her current expression and behavior told him she wasn't eyeing Raiden Mei's beauty, but was weighed down by other concerns.
Probably because of the Honkai eruption I triggered earlier?
Though he hadn't listened in on their talk, Hua Yi had guessed the gist of it.
"I'll talk to Mei. She probably won't refuse, considering her family situation... I gave you the rough details on that before."
Hua Yi's attitude changed so quickly that Kiana couldn't quite process it. She stood there stunned for a moment before tilting her head in confusion. "Why did you suddenly change your tune?"
"Because you looked so troubled."
Kiana's eyes lit up at those words. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind. In the future, whenever I want to ask Hua Yi for a favor, can I just look troubled to increase my chances of success? Wait, what was my face doing just now?
She had completely forgotten!
If she couldn't figure it out, she wouldn't bother trying no need to waste innocent brain cells. Kiana shrugged it off with a carefree air, but then her eyes fell upon the watch on her wrist, and she hesitated.
She didn't know if she should tell Hua Yi about the Honkai. If she did, it might terrify him. If the Honkai never appeared in Nagazora again, she would look like a fool making groundless claims. But if she didn't say anything and an outbreak actually happened, many things would be impossible to explain later.
Hua Yi noticed her small movements and saw the watch. Seeing that the girl had no intention of hiding its existence, it was only right for him to ask about the new accessory.
"Is that the gift from Theresa?"
"Yeah, it's a bit of a special watch."
"Special? Like the kind that lets you transform into a Sailor Moon?"
"As if it's that exaggerated! It just monitors certain... special things. Whatever. Hua Yi, you have to promise me: if one day I grab you and tell you to run, to leave Nagazora, you absolutely cannot refuse, okay?"
Monitoring special things? Likely Honkai energy density. Theresa giving this to Kiana as a gift was quite appropriate. It seemed St. Freya Academy hadn't carelessly overlooked this eruption and was starting to take action. Kiana was worried about him? That was heartening.
Thoughts swirled in Hua Yi's mind, but his face remained a mask of calm.
"So, Kiana, even you have things you're afraid of."
"This lady isn't afraid of anything!"
Seeing Kiana standing before him with her hands on her hips and her head held high in a grand declaration, Hua Yi's lips curled into a smirk.
"In that case, there's no need to run. Even if something truly happens, we leave only after the problem is solved. There is a massive difference between a strong person who resolves a crisis and a weakling who flees from it."
"Do you even understand? This lady is worried... I mean, I'm just afraid you'll hold me back!"
"Don't worry. When the time comes, I won't be the one holding anyone back."
Kiana felt like Hua Yi was deliberately being difficult, and she was genuinely annoyed. If he was using reverse psychology on her, she had to admit it worked.
Still, her father had been able to take her all over the world to fight the Honkai when she was just a child. Now that she had grown up, surely it wasn't too much to expect herself to face the Honkai while protecting Hua Yi and Raiden Mei?
Hmph, when that day comes, I'll make sure this guy knows exactly who the dead weight is.
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