Himeko: If I've Lost My Charm, It Must Be the Seniors' Fault! (Continued)

The reason why Liu Bai hasn't told Kiana about his existence all these years is quite simple— Kiana is bald.

This girl doesn't seem like the type to keep her mouth shut at all.

If I hadn't said it today, the entire St. Freya would know about Liu Bai in less than a month...

Well, if you're unlucky, maybe half a month will be enough.

"Well... in some ways he's more reliable than me."

As Himeko opened a can of beer and took a big gulp.

"Phew... A beer after get off work is so refreshing."

Liu Bai doesn't interfere much with Himeko's drinking anymore. After all, she's a grown woman in her twenties, and it wouldn't be good to keep controlling her all the time.

But this looks so sloppy...

Just as Liu Bai was feeling sentimental, Kiana suddenly grabbed the tablet and looked at it curiously.

"... Put me down, Kiana."

Kiana is probably the first person to dare to grab his possession so suddenly and rudely.

... A wonderful first increase.

"Huh? It's so smart?"

Kiana was slightly startled.

"... I can tell from your surprised expression that you sleep in class quite often."

Liu Bai had substituted for Himeko's classes quite a few times in the past two years, yet Kiana seemed to have no recollection of his lectures at all.

"Hehehe~~"

"Hehehe, you're kidding me!"

"Whoa! Himeko- sensei, how come this AI can swear?"

Kiana went from looking around aimlessly to tapping and striking things here and there.

"You said it yourself, this is artificial intelligence, what's wrong with saying a few words to you?"

Himeko laughed heartily.

It's quite rare to see Liu Bai looking so disheveled... Should we take a picture?

"But it's really annoying to be insulted by artificial intelligence..."

After looking around and not finding anything new or interesting, Kiana tossed Liu Bai aside.

Classic three-minute enthusiasm... but thankfully Kiana didn't have any dangerous thoughts like opening it up out of curiosity.

—Okay, even if you have that thought, the only danger is the tablet, what does it have to do with Liu Bai?

"But speaking of which, it's quite interesting. Himeko- sensei, where did you buy it?"

Do I look like someone you could buy?

Liu Bai tapped Kiana on the head in annoyance.

"You can still hit me?"

Kiana pushed Liu Bai aside, revealing a sullen expression.

"Alright, alright, Kiana, stop being so distracted. I invited you here for tutoring, not to treat you to a meal." Himeko laughed as she cheerfully got up and went inside.

"Hmm..."

Kiana sat down sullenly, and Liu Bai didn't say anything more, immediately starting to play the PowerPoint presentation on the tablet.

After Himeko had some free time, she started looking for clothes. With the seasons changing soon, Himeko naturally wanted to find some warm clothes.

Then... Himeko discovered a huge pile of winning underwear that had been gathering dust in her closet for years.

"..."

Why did I bring these things back with me back then?

Looking at the pile of various "winning" lingerie, Himeko's expression became somewhat unnatural.

Three years ago, when she returned to headquarters, Himeko took the opportunity to go back to her dormitory to pack her luggage.

There was a jumble of things, and Himeko didn't have time to pick them out one by one, so she basically brought all the clothes back at once and stuffed them into the wardrobe here.

If Himeko hadn't been looking for clothes herself, she might not have discovered these things.

Oh well, I'll just leave it there.

Himeko sighed, looked away, and continued searching for warm clothes.

"Where did Liu Bai put those clothes...?"

Himeko wasn't really familiar with her own wardrobe, and Liu Bai helped her organize her clothes... Spending so much time with Liu Bai had drastically reduced her self-care abilities.

Back then, I was able to manage myself perfectly well in a foreign country all by myself.

Then...

Then...

Then...

Himeko, as if possessed, placed her hand on the decisive underwear beside her, contemplating her past and present...

To be honest, Liu Bai has been reminiscing about how wonderful she was back then, from time to time, over the years.

What about being young, energetic, vibrant, good-tempered, and having a good figure...? Isn't she young, energetic, vibrant, good-tempered, and having a good figure now?

Himeko really didn't believe it. How could a person regress as they get older?

Especially her figure! Himeko can confidently say that all the weight she's gained over the years has gone... well, at least 80% of it has gone in the right places!

"But speaking of which, are these 'winning underwear' still wearable...?"

These winning underwear have been gathering dust for almost six or seven years, and they always feel a bit strange to wear.

Fortunately, I wasn't interested in these things back then, so they were mostly unopened. Plus, Liu Bai preserved them well, so they could even be considered brand new in appearance.

Even so, Himeko was still somewhat hesitant.

She always felt that "as long as I put on these clothes, I'll be a leftover woman just like my predecessors."

Hey... this is not good, is it?

Doesn't this mean that wearing it means you've already lost?

No, no, no... How can victory or defeat be decided by a piece of clothing?

But then again, what's the point of wearing it?

Himeko silently withdrew her hand.

I can't possibly wear these shameless underwear out in public; in the end, they'll only be shown to that guy Liu Bai.

It's just a waste of that guy's money. He might even see it and then mock her with things like, "Himeko, you never used to wear this kind of underwear."

So, which one do you choose, rose red or black lace?

Pulling your hand back doesn't mean your eyes have moved away.

These two things are placed at the very top.

Whether Liu Bai sees it or not is irrelevant; the most important thing is to prove myself... yes, prove myself, and make that guy Liu Bai realize his mistake.

Let that guy know just how good his partner really is!

Then?

She's much stronger now than she was back then!

"I remember my seniors saying something like 'Men all like the dark'?"

To put it another way, doesn't this outfit really accentuate the charm of a mature woman?

While it's debatable whether she's considered a mature woman at 23, her figure is definitely up to par.

Although rose red is similar to my hair color, the tone is too monotonous and might affect the overall impression.

After much deliberation, Himeko decisively picked up the black lace lingerie and began to change.

Hmm... it seems a little small?

Himeko encountered unimaginable difficulties with her chest.

Although the high-end products from their predecessors always take into account their versatility, Himeko's development is probably even better than the designers imagined.

"It seems like it might be able to... uh, fit in?"

Boom--!

"..."

It turns out that you shouldn't force yourself to wear clothes that don't fit.

Otherwise, the consequences would be too embarrassing to face others.

"According to the plot of romance novels, Liu Bai might appear at the door in a little while, right?"

Then her bra slipped down, and she quickly covered it, revealing a shy expression.

Okay, maybe Liu Bai is the kind of male protagonist in a romance novel, but he probably won't be the female protagonist.

Himeko had been adjusting her bra for half a minute, sighed silently.

And that guy might even be the protagonist of a harem novel—just think about all the women in his and Fu Hua's stories.

Fu Hua, Mei, Mobius... Three characters appear in one story. If there were a few more stories, wouldn't that be outrageous?

Thinking about it, Liu Bai realized it really was a harem romance comedy, and he might not even qualify as a supporting female character.

Himeko sighed with a hint of melancholy.

"After retiring from Anti-Entropy, I'll just go home and write light novels..." Himeko muttered as she put away her underwear.

To be honest, I have the idea, but I lack the courage.

Himeko's situation is somewhat similar to that of Mobius back then.

At the age of eighteen, Mobius had everything he could want and was also bold enough. He never stopped trying to seduce Liu Bai, both openly and secretly.

Even so, Mobius never dared to directly talk to Liu Bai about dating or marriage back then.

It was only later that Mobius became increasingly regretful, and coupled with factors such as loneliness and nostalgia, she ended up burying her husband's name.

It's just that we're too familiar with each other. Although we have our own thoughts and are quite bold, we all chicken out when it comes to changing our relationship.

Yes, she's brave, but this thing is similar to Honkai. The more familiar she is with Liu Bai, the higher the level of bravery required.

Well, of course, Mobius at thirty was already in a state of going all out.

The reason Mobius entered this state is quite simple—if I don't show my power soon, the duck I've been waiting for for over a decade will fall into the hands of these little vixens! Forget about being reserved, just die already!

However, Himeko, who is only twenty-three years old, has no such awareness at all and is even hesitant about whether to go on the racetrack.

"... Let's change to another one."

Himeko inwardly mocked her own fantasy with disappointment as she picked up another unopened set of underwear.

As the saying goes, the first step is always the hardest. Once you've put on the first piece, there's no harm in trying on all the others.

And it's okay if she can't fit into it; doesn't that mean she's developed well over the years?

These lingerie were all gifts from different seniors, and they come in different sizes. If Himeko is lucky, she might actually find one that fits her.

Theoretically speaking, it would be easier to just buy a new set than to try them all out one by one... but doing so would definitely require bringing Liu Bai along.

Out of a girl's slight sense of shame, Himeko was reluctant to take Liu Bai to choose the final lingerie.

Even setting aside the factor of shame, wouldn't the most useful thing about the winning lingerie be as a surprise?

"Did you all understand?"

Liu Bai looked at Kiana was already a little dizzy, and asked.