Chapter 116: Himeko: It's normal for young people to be impulsive, but do be careful.
March 7th was attempting to project an air of deep mystery.
"Good morning, Senior March."
The moment she heard that dry, analytical tone, March 7th knew. Today, Rekka was on the Path of Erudition.
"Hmph… wait! Why am I in your bed?!" Her eyes snapped open, the realization hitting her like a freight train.
"We can check the surveillance footage," Rekka replied, his voice devoid of any surprise. He lifted the quilt, swung his legs out of bed, and walked over to the desk to power on his terminal.
March 7th scrambled up, a tangle of limbs, and scurried over to the screen. She leaned in close, her breath catching in her throat with a nervous hiss.
The monitor flickered to life, displaying grainy, black-and-white footage from the previous night. The timestamp jumped forward to midnight. The door to Rekka's room slid open without a sound, and a figure clad in fuzzy pink pajamas padded inside. The intruder moved with an unnerving familiarity, lifting the corner of the quilt and slipping into Rekka's bed.
The entire process was smooth, fluid, and executed without a shred of hesitation.
March 7th stared at the screen, a furious blush instantly blooming across her face and spreading all the way to the tips of her ears.
"I was clearly sleeping in my own room last night! I swear!" she yelped.
"I know it wasn't you." Rekka leaned back in his chair, turning to look at her with an unnervingly calm expression. "It was the other you."
March 7th clapped both hands over her face and sank to the floor in a crouch of pure mortification. 'What do I do! This is so embarrassing!'
"You even kicked the covers off," Rekka added conversationally. "I almost froze awake."
"Ahhh! You are not allowed to tell anyone that I slept with you last night! Do you hear me?!"
"Don't worry," Rekka said, making a zipping motion across his lips. "My lips are sealed."
"We heard everything."
Stelle's head poked into the room from the doorway, her silver hair catching the light.
"I heard it too! Damn it, to think it happened so fast…" a deeper voice grumbled from the hall.
"Ah… me too."
"Sorry, little March," Himeko's warm voice cut in. "We didn't mean to eavesdrop on your… bonding time."
March 7th froze as if she'd been struck by lightning. "What is going on?"
'Why is everyone at the door?'
"You… when did you all get here?!" she shrieked.
"Probably from the moment you said, 'You are not allowed to tell anyone that I slept with you last night'?" Stelle replied, stepping fully into the room with her hands on her hips. "Sleeping is just sleeping. What's there to hide? I've slept with Rekka before, too."
"Don't use such misleading phrasing, hey!" March 7th wailed.
The sudden chaos seemed to have no effect on Rekka, whose Erudition-fueled mind remained as calm and orderly as ever.
Himeko stepped forward and gently patted March 7th on the shoulder, her expression one of gentle, motherly concern. "Little March, I know you and Rekka are close, but you still need to be careful and not go overboard."
March 7th's mind went blank. 'What 'be careful'? What 'go overboard'?'
"We really didn't do anything!"
"Mhm," Stelle added, nodding sagely as she patted March 7th's other shoulder. "And if Rekka bullies you, you must tell everyone."
"No! It's really not what you think!" March 7th's voice cracked with desperation. She pointed a trembling finger at Rekka, then back at herself. "I don't even remember how I ended up in his bed!"
"I understand, I understand," Himeko soothed, though her smile held a hint of amusement that only made things worse. "Young people, you know, there are always moments when you can't help yourselves. But little March, in the future, just tell us in advance. That way, we don't panic when we can't find you in the morning and then hear you screaming, thinking something terrible has happened."
"What do you understand, Sister Himeko!" March 7th was on the verge of tears. "I really didn't do anything! You have to believe me!"
Stelle rubbed her chin, her golden eyes sparkling with a clear, naive stupidity. "I believe you," she said, nodding vigorously. "You must have wanted to go check out the magical items in Rekka's pockets in the middle of the night, right?"
March 7th just stared at her, speechless.
Sensing the conversation was spiraling into utter nonsense, Rekka simply played the surveillance footage again for the assembled crew.
They all watched as the pajama-clad March, whom Rekka referred to as 'Long Night Moon,' familiarly lifted the quilt and slipped into bed. The movement was as natural as if she were entering her own room.
Stelle stared at the screen without blinking. "Her movements are so practiced. Does the other March do this often?"
"I… sigh, you, I…" March 7th sputtered, unable to form a coherent sentence.
"Alright, alright, let's not give little March a hard time," Himeko finally intervened, her voice cutting through the teasing. "Since it's a misunderstanding, it's fine now that it's all been explained."
'Sister Himeko!' Tears of gratitude welled up in March 7th's eyes.
"By the way," Himeko added, her gaze sweeping around the room, "are there jellyfish in Rekka's room?"
"I don't keep jellyfish."
"Then what's up with this red one?"
Rekka glanced over at the object of her curiosity. "Oh, that's a Memory Spirit. It should be March's. I remember last night, she told me she wanted a new form. I told her to just talk to the other March. Memory Spirits are summons used by Memokeepers of the Path of Remembrance. You can think of it that way."
A single, red, jellyfish-like creature floated in the air. Its translucent body pulsed slowly, its bell expanding and contracting as the tentacles at its edge drifted softly, emitting a faint crimson glow.
"Memory Spirit? A summon?" March 7th tentatively extended a finger. "This thing looks squishy. It won't sting, right?"
The jellyfish seemed to notice her approach. Instead of dodging, it actively drifted closer, its soft bell gently brushing against her fingertip. The sensation was cool and slick, like touching gelatin.
"Oh my, it's quite friendly!" March 7th's eyes lit up, the previous embarrassment completely forgotten. She opened her palm, and the red jellyfish obediently settled into it, looking like a blob of wobbly, crimson jelly.
Suddenly, seven or eight more jellyfish popped into existence around her.
"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey! That's a bit too many!"
Stelle was already crouched on the floor, poking a different jellyfish that had floated near her. She poked it, and it drifted to the left. It slowly floated back. She poked it again, and it floated away again. She seemed to be enjoying this simple game immensely.
"So these Memory Spirits are the other me's ability?" March 7th looked left and right, counting about a dozen of them now, all floating aimlessly around the train car. "This is too many…"
"Not at all. This is actually a small number," Rekka corrected. "Memory Spirits are manifestations of Remembrance. You can command them to scout, interfere, or even directly attack an enemy's mind."
A look of sudden realization dawned on March 7th's face. "Am I this strong now?"
"Yes. A summoner, able to continuously release Memory Spirits to attack, scout, and interfere. It's a very functional Path."
March 7th tried to command the jellyfish to line up. To her surprise, they were obedient, wobbling into a messy but recognizable line. However, when she tried to make them turn in a circle, a few turned the wrong way and bumped into their neighbors.
"Take it slow," Rekka advised. "You just awakened this ability. It's impressive enough that you can summon them at all. Just practice more, and you'll get the hang of it."
March 7th nodded and carefully commanded the jellyfish to disperse. This time, it went much smoother. The swarm of red spirits floated away in all directions. Some drifted to the window, others to the ceiling, and a few floated toward…
"Don't float under Stelle's skirt!"
Rekka left the room, but a single red jellyfish followed him. It slowly circled above his head before landing gently on his shoulder. Its soft bell pressed against his neck, cool and refreshing.
He turned his head to look at it. "Are you here to watch me, or to protect me?"
The jellyfish rested on his shoulder, its tentacles swaying gently. A moment later, it emitted a voice—Long Night Moon's voice, tinged with a hint of possessiveness.
"Of course, I'm here to watch you, my dear."
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