"…From the way you sound, you actually feel guilty?"
Hearing Ji Ran's words, Kiana suddenly burst out laughing.
"Don't overthink it. Yeah, we ran into danger right after coming to this world, but I've faced this kind of danger before…"
She paused, recalling the pressure from Honkai beasts.
"…A few times?"
"…Never mind, that's not important."
"In any case, we're teammates. If teammates worry too much about small things like this, it's easy to grow distant over nothing."
Before Ji Ran could respond, Kiana stood up and said softly:
"I'm done washing. I'll go change."
"As usual—"
"Don't peek—do you really think I even have the strength to turn around right now?"
Ji Ran replied irritably.
"Call me when you're done."
"Okay~"
A Few Minutes Later
After both of them changed into fresh clothes, Ji Ran thought for a moment—
then kept two sets of women's clothes and handed the rest to Kiana.
"…How many sets did you even buy?!"
"How much did this cost?!"
After storing them, Kiana looked at him strangely.
"What exactly did you do before coming here? You're this rich?"
"Relax, it's from the system."
"Otherwise, where would I get this kind of money?"
Ji Ran then laid out supplies:
Dry rationsCanned foodDrinking waterFirst aid kitRopeSwiss army knifeMetal bat
"To avoid you being helpless if I pass out again…"
"Take one set."
"Hurry up. Once you're done, we need to move."
Kiana looked at the pile of items—
and for some reason, Ji Ran reminded her of a certain blue robotic cat from Eastern comics.
Unsolved Mystery #1:
How much stuff did Ji Ran actually stuff into his storage before coming here?
Just as Ji Ran was about to say something—
Kiana suddenly covered his mouth and pulled him behind a tree.
"Koro, are you sure it's here?"
From outside the forest, Seryu's voice could be heard.
Ji Ran finally understood—
his weakened state dulled his senses—
but Kiana had heard footsteps earlier.
And thanks to her survival instincts—
they had gone deeper into the forest instead of staying near the edge.
Otherwise—
they would've already been surrounded.
But—
it was only a matter of time before they were found.
Kiana felt her anxiety growing.
Ji Ran was in this state because of her.
If they were discovered—
even if she could fight—
Ji Ran probably wouldn't survive.
"…Think."
"There has to be a way…"
"…Wait."
"Why am I thinking about fighting?"
She glanced toward the outside—
toward Seryu.
"…Forget it."
"There's no time."
"I'll just try this!"
Having made up her mind—
Kiana turned toward Ji Ran.
She hesitated for less than a second—
then made a bold decision.
"…Wait."
"…What are you doing…?"
Ji Ran suddenly felt something was off.
The next moment—
with swift movements—
Kiana unbuttoned part of her clothes—
—and pushed Ji Ran to the ground.
Then—
she kissed him.