I'm Not a Flame-Chaser

"Hmm? You mean Seele wouldn't agree to something like this? Hahaha..."

"Seele" laughed unrestrainedly, tears welling in her eyes. She lowered her head and gently breathed warm, moist air into Lin's ear, suppressing all his struggles. She whispered softly, "Do you think I could do those things to you without her permission? This body ultimately belongs to Seele. If she doesn't want to, there's nothing I can do. So, she's the one who lied to you."

Lin's mind went blank.

A series of scenes flashed through his mind: Seele's pure and innocent smile, her shy whispers, her apology to him...

Behind each beautiful scene, however, a pair of sinister eyes are always watching him.

In fact, it was Seele first told him she was the soul, while "Seele" was the one who objected...

Why did I forget?

With this question in mind, Lin bit her lip.

Kiana, lost in thought, sipped her drink slowly. People around her greeted her from time to time, and she responded with a smile. After the Herrscher of Domination incident, she earned the respect of the Anti-Entropy people and changed their perceptions. Now she was no longer the fearsome Herrscher of the Void, but a comrade-in-arms who fought alongside them.

Her mind was preoccupied with something else entirely.

The girl's azure eyes sparkled, reflecting the silhouettes of two people standing by the window.

A black-haired man in an evening suit rested his hand on the back of a cute girl in a cheongsam, gazing at the moon in a daze, seemingly reminiscing about something.

Quiet and peaceful, they reflected each other in the moonlight.

Seele told Kiana the truth, which made Kiana feel very guilty towards Seele. Her appearance disrupted everything. If it weren't for her, Lin would have recognized Seele and wouldn't have been troubled by Seele's identity.

Now, Lin is probably reminiscing about 50,000 years ago, when nothing had changed for them. Perhaps one day they stood before the bright moonlight, talking about an enviable future.

I shouldn't bother them...

Kiana was conflicted. She really wanted to ruin the atmosphere between the two, but she knew very well that this emotion came from her ambiguous feelings for Lin. It was just her own selfishness. They hadn't done anything. They had just put their hands together. They hadn't done anything out of line. Why shouldn't she let her old comrade reminisce about the past?

But after thinking it over, she still walked behind the two of them, mustered up her courage, and stepped forward—

"Smack."

Lin Wushen's pupils suddenly focused, his body trembled violently, and the wine in his glass spilled out, landing on his trousers.

"Lin, what happened to you? How could you be so careless?" Kiana was startled, and then subconsciously grabbed a tissue to help Lin wipe it, but stopped awkwardly when she saw where the wine had spilled.

This wine is really... By the way, did it spill over there? Something doesn't seem to add up.

Lin just stood there, stunned, seemingly not quite having recovered yet.

Seele took a deep breath, her face flushed, and turned to Kiana with a smile.

"Let me take Brother Lin to clean it up."

Kiana was stunned. "Huh? It's me again..."

"Kiana, you're the star of the day, you can't be absent." Seele tugged at the sleeve of the dazed Lin and walked towards the hall door, turning back to wave to Kiana.

The silver-haired girl could only respond with a smile.

As for Seele, we can rest assured.

No one noticed that the girl with the inner highlights was rapidly alternating between azure and crimson in her eyes, as if she were communicating with someone. After reaching the door, azure finally took over her entire eye color. The girl nodded to Kiana and closed the door.

Then, he licked the corner of his mouth.

"Brother Lin, there's no time to stay asleep any longer, you need to wake up quickly~ Otherwise, Seele has no idea what might happen~"

She whispered in the same shy, girlish tone as always, but her eyes held an incredibly strange look.

Lost in his own consciousness, the man's empty eyes failed to respond in the slightest.

The Coral's "Twist": Chapter Twenty-Nine - The Real Aftermath

In the early morning after a noisy night, birds perched listlessly on branches, their calls languid. A layer of frost fell on the eaves, and people gradually got up to clean up the mess from the previous night.

Although there were quite a few minors, the gatherings often turned into drinking parties, especially when a certain Herrscher, who didn't care about making trouble, carried a bottle of alcohol around and poured drinks for everyone, causing most people to get drunk and by the time they rested, the place was a mess and there wasn't a single person who could stand up straight.

After the major crisis, a complete relaxation allows everyone to unwind and work more efficiently.

... Not everyone's string was loosened. Some people's string was pulled and stretched, straightened with a vacuum tube, and pinched with tweezers, until it finally became completely soft and could not be straightened.

My hair had never been styled before, and today it was messy and slightly oily for the first time. It creaked and groaned in the gaps between my bones like an antique steam pump. I put half of my body on the windowsill and got goosebumps in the cool morning breeze before I felt a little more alive.

Lin blinked vaguely, and after seeing the birds chirping at him from the branches, he finally felt a sense of relief, as if he had returned to reality.

The body on her back wasn't too heavy, her delicate skin pressed against his spine, her arms wrapped around his neck and her head buried in his shoulder, as if she really liked the scent of his body.

"..." Lin's gaze gradually hardened as he stared coldly out the window.

He woke up in the middle of the night for the first time, his head resting on his soft belly, with something in his mouth. When he spat it out and saw what the saliva-covered thing was, he got up without hesitation and jumped out of the window.

Then he was grabbed by the ankle in mid-air and thrown to the ground.

Then, crimson and azure pupils appeared alternately. Lin wandered from one end of the room to the other in a daze until the sky began to lighten. He tried to run away with his remaining consciousness, but he was grabbed from behind and ended up like this.

Lin turned his head and glanced at the chaotic room. His torn cheongsam lay at his feet, and there were deep marks from delicate fingers stabbing into the edge of the windowsill where he was lying.

The culprit was fast asleep on his back, and whether it was Seele or "Seele" could be determined by whether or not it had long hair.

... The reason was that he didn't notice his hair had grown longer. It took Lin a long time to figure out where he went wrong last night.

To be honest, he had already thought about the outcome the moment he was attacked last night. As a mature man, he couldn't panic and scream like a little girl after something happened. However, after waking up, in addition to adjusting his mindset, he also had to seriously think about some things.

For example, could the Peashooter use the Peashooter Fist the moment it ascends and transforms into a fiery meteor under quantum mechanics?

Lin mechanically put Seele on the bed, covered her with a blanket, got dressed, and walked out of the room, feeling dizzy and unsteady as he walked through the Anti-Entropy base.

His eyes were vacant, but his mind was racing.

No... what should I be thinking about...?

People passing by were still rubbing their hangover heads and talking about last night's party. Their voices, though not loud, sounded like thunder to Lin, shaking his nerves.

What are they saying?

No one had ever seen Lin without a helmet and in disheveled clothes before. They watched in astonishment as this bewildered man wandered aimlessly down the corridor.

Lin noticed the gazes of the others at that moment.

Why... are they all looking at him?

... Could it be that we've been discovered?

Lin's heart clenched suddenly. He looked around in shock at the passersby, a gesture that made him even more conspicuous, which in turn made him even more terrified of being stared at.

In his eyes, those people became mocking figures, pointing at him and whispering amongst themselves.

"It must be him, huh? He's shameless."

"Spending the night in Seele's room."

"I heard it wasn't with Kiana..."

"He left so eagerly shortly after the party started..."

"The noise in Seele's room never stopped."

"Scumbag."

"Boom!"

Everyone stared at the man who suddenly rushed out with strange expressions. His figure disappeared at the end of the corridor in an instant. They looked at each other, feeling confused, wondering what was wrong with Lin.

Lin, a being who had no human emotions or feelings before the age of eighteen, could not even be considered fully human before meeting Kevin.

After joining the Firemoth and meeting Elysia and Mobius, his fragmented emotions were gradually filled, and after meeting one person after another, he was able to truly feel the emotions in his heart.

If... it's just Lin's unrealistic imagination, but he has indeed seriously considered it: if the Honkai ended one day, or even if there had never been Honkai in the first place, would he be with Elysia or Mobius...?

But there are no "what ifs." Even if he had vague feelings for someone back then, he had to stop at a certain point under the immense pressure of the Honkai relationship.

And now...

Lin felt that he probably wouldn't have the face to see them again.

He walked quickly down the corridor, his expression beyond just gloomy. He felt completely blank, unable to think of anything. He wished someone would knock him unconscious so he could sleep until he could think normally again.

"Forest?"

The person Lin least wanted to see has appeared.

Kiana, dressed in casual clothes, with a hair tie in her mouth and her long hair held in her right hand, appeared in front of Lin. She stared at Lin blankly and asked, "Where did you go last night? Seele didn't come back either."

Lin broke out in a cold sweat.

He slowly said to the girl's puzzled look, "I... I'm going to rest. I don't like parties."

This is the best answer: only talk about your own situation, never mention Seele's matter, implying that you have no idea what happened to the other person, and that Lin's personality is indeed not suitable for a party.

As soon as the words left his mouth, Lin felt a heavy sense of guilt. Lying to Kiana subconsciously meant that Lin knew Kiana would feel terrible if she found out.

Given Kiana's naive and simple-minded nature, she would probably believe him directly...

"But I went to your room last night and you weren't there. And it was Seele took you out, so why didn't she come back? Also... you didn't change your pants; you were still wearing the same ones from last night."

"..."

The surroundings became quiet.

Kiana and Lin's eyes sharpened simultaneously.

Has she been discovered? No, it should only be suspicion. Without solid evidence, all speculation is just empty talk. Kiana knows this, which is why she didn't directly express her suspicions, so as not to let Lin refute her.

Lin's mind raced, and he quickly devised a speech. He took a deep breath and began to speak—

P. S.: Due to adjusting my sleep schedule, there is only one chapter.

Coral's "Reversal": Chapter Thirty is No Different

Lin thought of a foolproof lie and was about to speak it when he saw the silver-haired girl staring at him with bright, clear eyes, as if she could see right through him.

"..."

Lin slowly shut his mouth and stared at her without saying a word.

Kiana's beautiful eyes flickered, and she asked in a voice so soft she could barely hear herself:

"Lin, do you like me?"

"Or was it because you didn't want to disappoint me that you did that?"

"..."

"..."

The man stared silently at the silver-haired girl for a long time, until disappointment appeared in her eyes, and she turned away.

"When I was eighteen, I joined the Moth of Fire. Before I could even be formally assigned to a team, I participated in the Second Honkai War Suppression and defeated the first Emperor-class Honkai Beast."

"..."

Kiana was stunned by the words coming from the man. She turned around and saw Lin calmly recounting his life experience. "After the Second Honkai War ended, I officially joined the Squad Five. It was at that time that I met two girls."

Lin and Kiana sat on the grass by the lake. Both the weather and the lake were unusually calm today. The slightly chilly weather prompted Lin to drape his coat over Kiana's shoulders before leaving the house.

The two stood side by side on the quiet, secluded lawn, talking about Lin's past.

"For a long time after joining the Fire Moth, I didn't want to associate with others. The only person I was somewhat familiar with was the head of the Equipment Department. However, because I defeated the Emperor-class Honkai Beast, I received a lot of attention. At that time, there were many rumors about me in the Fire Moth, such as that I was the Helmet Monster."

"... That's definitely your style."

"All members of the Moth of Fire need to undergo regular physical examinations to confirm their Honkai Energy resistance and adaptability. The laboratory director in charge of my physical examination was the biologist Mobius, who was also the subject of many rumors at the time. She was around thirty years old and had an unusual moral outlook. According to my aesthetic standards, she was my ideal type."

...ah?

Kiana heard the term "ideal type" from Lin for the first time. Before that, she had always thought that Lin had no sensitivity to factors such as appearance and personality, and that he treated all women the same.

And... he was thirty years old, more than ten years older than Lin at the time...

"On the day the medical report was due, it was supposed to be delivered by Mobius's assistant, but someone intercepted it and delivered it to me instead. She was interested in all things interesting, so both Mobius and I were her targets."

"Her name is Elysia."

Kiana now understood what Lin meant.

These two women were probably the girls who had the greatest influence on him.