"Host, have you gone a bit overboard? For someone with Kaslana blood, even if those scratches were left untreated, they wouldn't be a problem."
The system gave its rational and objective assessment.
However, Bai Ge shook his head.
They really were minor injuries that would be fine even if left alone for a Kaslana, but he simply couldn't turn a blind eye to them. Healing quickly didn't mean they didn't hurt.
On the contrary, for someone like Kiana, whose physical senses were especially strong and sensitive, the pain she felt when injured would be a little greater than that of ordinary people.
Besides, a girl running around every night hunting Honkai Beasts was starting to resemble the Sky Ranger.
"Considering your actions lately, Host, it seems you care about Kiana Kaslana more than usual."
System, what are you trying to say?
"This system means that you spoil her too much."
Oh? So what's wrong with that?
Looking at the virtual screen only he could see, Bai Ge raised an eyebrow and asked, "This is the ultimate, invincible, insanely adorable Kiana. Is there anything wrong with me, her Captain, spoiling her rotten? Of course not~"
Thinking of all the trials this girl would have to face in the future, Bai Ge felt that every bit of extra pampering now was worth it.
Fine. You're the host, so you're right.
Meanwhile, Kiana finally accepted Bai Ge's kindness obediently. Looking at her properly treated minor injuries, she felt secretly delighted.
For Kiana, who had traveled alone from Europe to the Far East when she was twelve, although someone had secretly been watching over her journey, she had still experienced more hardships and dangers than most people.
She had met kind people and malicious people alike. She had accepted the kindness of others, and she had also fallen into difficult situations because of bad people's malice.
So although this girl looked silly and not particularly bright, this little white-haired fluffball actually had a sharp and accurate sense for judging whether people were good or bad.
And what she felt from Bai Ge was nothing but simple concern and goodwill. Thus, although they had not known each other for long, Kiana had already sincerely regarded Bai Ge as one of her good friends.
"Grrrumble—"
"...Ahem!"
At that moment, Bai Ge's stomach growled too. He hadn't exactly been idle lately.
After school, he had been running all over Changkong City, trying to find a way to infiltrate the ME Corp branch, while also pushing himself through brutal physical training.
His energy expenditure had been considerable.
"Is Bai Ge hungry too? Then you can have some... Uh, sorry. I ate it all."
Kiana looked at the empty lunchbox in her hands. She had licked it so clean that not even a grain of rice remained, and she scratched her head awkwardly in embarrassment.
"It's fine. I have Mei!"
"Huh?"
"Hehe! I thought I was the one protecting Mei by pretending to be her boyfriend, but it turns out I'm the one benefiting. Every day, I get to eat a delicious lunch Mei made with her own hands."
"It's not that exaggerated..."
Mei blushed and took out two lunchboxes.
When she opened them, Kiana's eyes lit up at the food inside: sweet pepper curry with tempura, several pieces of delicious fried chicken, and miso soup with tomatoes and kelp.
The food's flavor went without saying, and even its arrangement was exquisitely beautiful. It was obvious that a great deal of care had gone into it.
Kiana swallowed hard and stared at Bai Ge with overwhelming envy, practically drooling.
"Wow! Mei's loving-wife lunchbox! I want some too!"
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Raiden Mei's Black-Stocking Lap Pillow
"K-Kiana, what do you mean, loving-wife lunchbox? You can't say things like that carelessly."
Kiana's words made Mei's little face flush. As a pure-hearted maiden, she was practically steaming.
Meanwhile, Bai Ge had already taken the carefully prepared lunchbox from the cooking lady and begun wolfing it down.
Mei's cooking was forever top-tier in Honkai Impact, guaranteed top two and competing for first. Back then, even Kevin, the leader of World Serpent, had personally recruited her to improve the meals for World Serpent and the Elysian Realm.
This food, filled with the girl's feelings, was far tastier than takeout or anything Bai Ge could cook himself.
"Bai Ge, Bai Ge, can I have a piece of fried chicken? Just one piece! Please, please!"
Kiana lay across Bai Ge's lap, looking up at him with watery eyes and putting on a pitiful expression as she begged to be fed. It was as if a tail were wagging behind her.
"...Kiana, where did the dignity of a great Kaslana family warrior go?"
"Hmph! My lousy dad used to say that the Kaslana family never yields! Unless all three meals are provided!"
"Wow, your family is really weird. Fine, just one piece."
In the end, he gave this girl one piece. Afterward, Bai Ge immediately picked up the pace of his eating. Even he was unwilling to share too much of such a delicious lunch.
So, after Kiana finished gnawing on that chicken drumstick and wanted another piece, Bai Ge declared that a mere grasshopper had no chance of getting a second piece of fried chicken from him.
Kiana's face instantly crumpled into that of a grumpy little cat.
"Pfft~"
Raiden Mei watched the scene gently.
Especially when Bai Ge ate the lunchbox she had made herself, the satisfied and blissful expression on his face somehow made Mei herself feel deeply satisfied as well.
She had learned to cook so that she could live independently after her father was imprisoned. When Mei was the only one eating, no matter how well she cooked, she had never felt anything special.
But ever since she had begun preparing lunches for Bai Ge, Mei discovered that she seemed to like cooking more and more.
"Ahh, I'm full. Satisfied."
"As long as you like it, Bai Ge. By the way, are there any dishes you like? I'll make them for you next time."
"Really? That would be too much trouble... Could I have Divine Shenzhou cuisine? Mapo tofu, Dongpo pork, boiled beef, things like that."
"That all sounds so delicious! Mei, Mei, I want some too!"
"Mm, got it. Divine Shenzhou cuisine. Once I learn it tonight, I'll make it for both of you."
Looking at the two white-haired fluffballs before her, both crying for food, Raiden Mei felt her heart pound fiercely. A sense of mission rose within her.
She immediately resolved to level her cooking skills to the max.
(Mei: "I shall enter the kitchen and trade it for a full meal for you!")
There was still a long while before lunch break ended.
"Yawn~" x2
Bai Ge and Kiana, full and content, yawned in perfect sync. Clearly, neither of them had gotten enough sleep after running all over Changkong City last night.
Bai Ge's case was more like a habit, though. Before he had transmigrated, he always had a nap at noon while attending school. Over time, he had become sleepy whenever noon came around.
"I'm so sleepy. I'll take a quick nap. Wake me when class is about to start. Ah~ The sunlight is nice, but it would be even better with a pillow."
Bai Ge's eyes were unfocused. At that moment, he dearly missed the pillows on his ship. Big-pillow Li... He really, really wanted to sleep against Sushang's chest.
"Me too. Yesterday I took out three or four Chariot-class ones, and one that rode a horse. I'm exhausted, exhausted. And Bai Ge is right, if there were a pillow... Huh?"
The drowsy Kiana suddenly froze, then stared intently at Mei's long legs clad in black stockings with a lewd gaze that was rude even for another girl.
"Kiana, why are you suddenly staring at my legs?" Mei covered them shyly.
But this grasshopper had already pounced on her, burying her face between those long black-stockinged legs and rubbing against them greedily.
"Isn't there already a ready-made, top-tier pillow right here? I want Mei's lap pillow!"
"Huh?! A-a lap pillow?"
"Hehe, I saw it in manga from the Far East. Please, please, Mei!"
Faced with the coquettish assault of the ultimate, invincible, insanely adorable Kiana, Mei's heart softened. Just as she was about to agree with a helpless smile—
"Honestly, I can't do anything with you. Bai-Bai Ge?"
"Stare~~" (•_•)
The boy was staring at her expressionlessly.
Although he said nothing, how could Mei fail to understand what he meant?
I want one too! Kiana, you really are a genius. But since you can have Mei's lap pillow, then as her "boyfriend," someone in a more advantageous position, it's only reasonable for me to receive the same treatment, right?
"O-okay, then. But you two can't do anything weird, especially you, Kiana."
Mei shyly agreed to the pair's unreasonable request, though she still gave a special warning to a certain white-haired fluffball.
"How could I~? This young lady would never do anything weird to Mei. I just want to..."
"Alright, sleep time. Mei's right leg is mine, and Kiana gets the left."
"Okay. Waaah, so this is a lap pillow? Mei's lap pillow is so comfortable~ Zzzzzz~"
"Agreed. Good afternoon. Zzzzzz~"
(They fell asleep way too fast, didn't they?)
Mei looked at the two of them, already asleep with their heads resting on her thighs, and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
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