However, after taking only two steps, he felt a sudden tug at his lower back, as though something had grabbed the hem of his clothes.
He turned around and saw the white-haired girl lowering her head, pinching his shirt hem between her thumb and forefinger. She seemed to be using a great deal of strength, veins standing out on the back of her hand.
"..."
"Kiana?" Ishiu softly called her name.
"Ishiu... I, I don't want you to..."
Kiana's voice carried a sob. Her words came out in broken fragments, then abruptly stopped halfway through, because she had no standing to ask Ishiu to stay.
She was only Ishiu's friend. Now that Ishiu was going home, it was perfectly normal. He had always wanted to go back himself, so no matter how one looked at it, she had neither the right nor the reason to make him stay.
But... Kiana simply did not want Ishiu to leave. She knew it was only her selfishness. She was afraid of loneliness, afraid of being alone. She had already grown used to living with Ishiu.
She was used to someone waking her up every morning, stealing her blanket whenever she wanted to sleep in, and preparing steaming-hot meals for her—though she had to wash the dishes. He would laugh and fool around with her too, teasing and bickering with her.
She was used to Ishiu taking the clothes she changed out of and washing them for her. She had been a little embarrassed at first, but after a few times, even if Ishiu did not wash them for her, she would shamelessly toss her dirty clothes into his pile.
She was used to getting spending money from Ishiu every day, then, after blowing it all on snacks because of her cravings, shamelessly pestering Ishiu again until he helplessly gave her another allowance.
No matter when it was, the house had always been full of laughter.
She had nearly forgotten her purpose. Over the past month, she had gone out to work with Ishiu every day, then spent the afternoons playing all over the place with him, or following the sites where Honkai outbreaks occurred to resolve incidents. As for finding Siegfried... what was that again?
That kind of life had been wonderful. It had made her forget... that such a wonderful life would not last forever. It would eventually come to an end, but Kiana had never imagined that end would come so soon.
"You little brat..." The more Kiana thought about it, the sadder she became. In the end, she could no longer hold it in. Large tears fell from her eyes one after another, splashing onto the ground and scattering tiny droplets.
"I don't want to leave you either..."
We Will Always Be Friends (2/5)
"Kiana..." Ishiu looked at the girl before him with a complicated expression. Seeing her lower her head as tears fell drop by drop, his heart clenched as well.
He sighed, spread his arms, and pulled the girl into an embrace.
Kiana wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face against his neck. She cried miserably, like a lost child who could not find her way home.
"Waaah... Ishiu... waaah... I... I..."
"Kiana, it's okay. It's okay. We'll definitely meet again someday, I promise." Ishiu held Kiana around the waist with one arm while gently patting her back with the other. His voice was as soft as spring rain as he did his best to soothe her.
He would not say that he was not going back, nor could he. Kiana was important, but there were also people in Siberia waiting for him to return. All he could do was promise Kiana that, if he had the chance, he would definitely come back to see her, no matter where she was.
Only after quite a while did Kiana slowly calm down. Her sobbing gradually ceased, but she still lay in Ishiu's arms, unwilling to leave.
With her face buried against his neck, she almost greedily drank in his scent, feeling that warmth with her body. Her embrace grew tighter and tighter.
Ishiu said nothing. He knew Kiana was not in a good mood right now, and all he could do was lend her his shoulder.
The air suddenly became very quiet. As the two embraced, they could hear each other breathing. Kiana's breath brushed against Ishiu's neck, making it itch, and he could not help twisting his neck slightly.
Creak—
Just then, the door to the neighboring apartment opened, and a middle-aged woman carrying a bag of trash stepped out.
"Ah... sorry, excuse me." When the woman saw Ishiu and Kiana embracing in the hallway, she awkwardly hurried back inside and closed the door behind her.
"..."
Although she had gone back inside, her interruption had ruined the atmosphere between Ishiu and Kiana.
Kiana silently withdrew her arms, pulled away from Ishiu, and took two steps back.
Her pretty face was as red as a boiled crab, nearly red enough to drip blood. Recalling how she had cried and made a scene just now, Kiana wanted to jump straight from the third floor. It was far too embarrassing!
"Kiana, are you... okay?" Ishiu scratched his cheek, feeling a little awkward too.
"I-I'm fine. What could possibly be wrong with me..." Kiana vigorously rubbed her face and wiped her eyes as well. "You little brat, you didn't hear anything, and you didn't see anything, got it?!"
She planted her hands on her hips and bared her teeth at Ishiu, trying to look fierce. But with the tear tracks on her face and her reddened eyes, she only looked more comical.
Ishiu grinned and stepped forward, taking a handkerchief from his pocket. He gently wiped Kiana's face clean, removing the tear stains.
"Kiana, we will always be friends."
He said it seriously and raised his fist toward Kiana.
"Who wants to be friends with a little brat like you forever..." Kiana's face reddened even more. She was still putting on a tough front, but her body honestly raised a fist and lightly bumped it against Ishiu's.
"All right, I'm going to see Mei. We can talk again when I get back."
"Go on, then. But be careful when you tell her. And don't you dare make Mei cry, or I'll beat you up."
"Mm... I'll do my best." Ishiu's mouth twitched as he gave a helpless, wry smile. He waved, then turned and left.
This time, Kiana did not grab him again. She merely watched as he walked down the stairs step by step, then leaned over the railing and watched him gradually go farther away until he disappeared from her sight.
"Ishiu..."
After leaving the apartment building, Ishiu was still not in a very good mood. Especially when he thought about having to say goodbye to Miss Mei soon, he felt even worse.
"Sigh... Since when did I become such a sentimental person..." Ishiu sighed as he walked through the night that was gradually darkening toward Raiden Mei's home.
Raiden Mei truly deserved her status as a wealthy young lady. Her home could only be described as magnificent. Although Raiden Ryoma had been sent to prison over economic fraud and most of his funds had been frozen, thankfully, the house was in Raiden Mei's name and was unrelated to his own assets, so she could still live there.
It was a three-story villa with a courtyard spanning several hundred square meters. In this neighborhood, it was worth a fortune.
Ishiu walked up to the gate and pressed the doorbell.
"Hello?" Raiden Mei's voice soon came through the speaker by the gate. After Raiden Ryoma's incident, she had dismissed the servants and butler, so she was now living alone.
"Mei, it's me," Ishiu said into the intercom.
"Ishiu? Why are you here?" Raiden Mei's voice held surprise. Clearly, she had not expected Ishiu to come looking for her at this time, especially when they had only parted not long ago.
"I... have something I want to tell you."
"Mm, all right. Wait there for a moment. I'll come right over."
Before long, Raiden Mei came out of the villa.
She seemed to have just finished some intense exercise. Her face was flushed, her breathing was slightly labored, and sweat glistened on her cheeks.
Raiden Mei opened the gate, and Ishiu walked inside.
"Why didn't you text me before coming? If I'd known you were coming, I would've prepared something." Raiden Mei closed the gate and spoke with slight reproach.
"I forgot." Ishiu gave an embarrassed laugh. His mind had been full of thoughts at the time; how could he have had the energy to text Raiden Mei?
"By the way, why are you drenched in sweat? Were you exercising?" Ishiu asked curiously.
"Mm, something like that. I was practicing swordsmanship." Raiden Mei brushed back the hair beside her ear. Her sweat had dampened it slightly. "All right, enough about that. Come inside first."
As she spoke, she naturally took Ishiu's hand and led him into the villa.
Raiden Mei's hand was warm and slightly damp, probably from sweating. There was a faint scent of sweat on her body, yet surprisingly, it was not unpleasant. Instead, mixed with her own fragrance, it formed a scent with a different kind of allure.
Face-Washing Is Seriously Too Much to Handle! (3/5)
"Ah, sorry. I'm all sweaty. That must've made you uncomfortable, right?" Raiden Mei seemed to realize it as well. She quickly released Ishiu's hand and rubbed her fingers together somewhat awkwardly.
"Not at all. Mei has a really nice scent. It wasn't uncomfortable at all." Ishiu smiled and shook his head. If he could, he even wanted to smell it a little longer.
"Ishiu, you're teasing me again." Raiden Mei puffed out her cheeks and poked Ishiu's forehead with a girlish air, chiding him.
"Why does no one believe me when I tell the truth?" Ishiu spread his hands with an innocent expression.
"Hmph, such a sweet talker. You probably fool little girls all the time, don't you?" Raiden Mei huffed, pretending to be dissatisfied.
"Not at all. I've only ever said things like that to you, Mei." Ishiu put on a serious face. He looked so convincing that no one would have guessed he was lying, making Raiden Mei's face turn even redder.
"Ishiu, sit here for a while. I'll go take a shower and change clothes." Raiden Mei was still wearing a tracksuit, a loose blue-and-white outfit that did nothing to hide her beauty.
"Mm, okay." Ishiu nodded and sat down on the sofa. After Raiden Mei brought him some snacks and water, she went into the bathroom to shower.
Suddenly, Ishiu felt something was strange. Why was he waiting for another girl to finish showering?
Last time it had been Kiana, and this time it was Mei. Well, this was awkward...
Shaking his head, Ishiu cast those random thoughts out of his mind. Miss Mei treated him so well—how could he have such strange thoughts about her?
What a sin.
Raiden Mei showered rather quickly. More accurately, she had only rinsed off. Perhaps because she did not want Ishiu waiting too long, she had not even washed her hair. She simply took a quick shower and came out of the bathroom after ten minutes.
Fresh from the shower, Miss Mei had changed into casual clothes. Since she was indoors, someone as well-off as Raiden Mei naturally kept the air conditioning on, making the room as warm as spring. So she was not wearing much, only an ordinary shirt and skirt.
"Sorry, Ishiu, I kept you waiting." Raiden Mei was as polite as ever. She first apologized to Ishiu, then sat beside him and asked curiously, "By the way, you said earlier that you had something to tell me. What is it?"
"It's not anything major. It's just... um, I'm leaving." Since he had already said it once before, it was not as difficult to say a second time.
"Leaving?" Raiden Mei reacted much like Kiana. She froze for a moment, then asked in confusion, "Where are you going?"
Ishiu took a deep breath and briefly explained how Cocolia had found him and wanted to take him back to Siberia.
"So... that's how it is?" After hearing him out, Raiden Mei was not as emotionally expressive as Kiana, but sadness and loneliness still appeared on her beautiful face.
"Don't worry, Mei. I'll definitely come back someday. And we can keep in touch by phone too." Ishiu hurriedly said, afraid that Miss Mei would be upset.
"Sigh..." Raiden Mei let out a deep sigh. Unlike Kiana, she would not hide her feelings. As for Ishiu leaving, she was happy for him, yet sad that she would no longer be able to see him every day.
"Ishiu, once you're back, you have to take good care of yourself. You're still growing. If you get bored, call me. We can video call too..."
Raiden Mei truly had the domestic prowess of a perfect homemaker. Her reaction was completely different from Kiana's clingy one. Once she learned Ishiu was leaving, she took his hand and launched into a string of "nagging."
Ishiu: "..."
Well, wasn't something wrong here?
Hadn't he come to say goodbye?
Why did this somehow feel like a mother worried about her son going away on a long journey, giving him endless instructions?
Though it felt a little strange, Ishiu knew Raiden Mei genuinely cared about him. Besides, Miss Mei was so pretty, and her voice was so pleasant and soft. Listening to her nag was practically an enjoyment!
Ishiu listened until the very end. Raiden Mei grew more and more reluctant to part with him. She bit her lower lip, held Ishiu's hand, and said in a low voice, "Ishiu, before you leave, I want to hear you call me big sister one more time. Can you do that?"
"Big Sister Mei." Ishiu answered much more readily this time. Mei treated him so well, so calling her big sister was only natural.
But what he had not expected was that the moment the words left his mouth, the emotional Miss Mei pulled him into her arms. Her palm pressed against his head as she gently stroked him.
"Ishiu, you have to come back and see me, okay? Or when I have time, I'll come see you too. You absolutely mustn't forget me."
At that moment, however, Ishiu did not hear a single word Miss Mei was saying, because his mind had been completely seized by the two enormous masses before his eyes. As everyone knew, girls did not wear bras after taking a shower, so...
Ishiu got to truly experience a face wash.
And unlike Cocolia, since Cocolia was his mother, Ishiu did not have any other thoughts. But Raiden Mei was different. Although she usually gave off the impression of a perfect homemaker, she was only two years older than Ishiu. The age gap between them was actually not that large.
Not to mention that Ishiu's mental age was that of an adult in his twenties.
Who the hell could withstand this?
However, Ishiu did not get the chance to suffocate this time, because Raiden Mei quickly realized that this behavior was rather inappropriate. Moreover, the hot breath Ishiu exhaled against her chest made her feel as though she had been electrocuted, leaving her weak and tingly all over, almost robbing her of strength.
She hurriedly pushed Ishiu away from her chest, then somewhat flusteredly straightened her clothes. Her heartbeat sped up, and Raiden Mei inexplicably began to feel hot.
"...Ahem, well, it's getting late, Mei. I should head back first."
Seeing how awkward the atmosphere had become, Ishiu stood up and prepared to leave.
"...Human, stay."
"Huh?"
Ishiu stopped and turned back toward Raiden Mei in confusion. "Mei, what did you just say?"
"I didn't say anything." Raiden Mei looked up at Ishiu with a still-flushed face and asked in puzzlement.
Ishiu frowned. Had he misheard? But that was not right. He had clearly heard Miss Mei's voice. Yet that voice had been far colder than the Mei who was always gentle as water.
Bronya Arrives! (4/5)
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