In Terra, a Hunter and a Bad Woman

After waiting a while, Hoshiguma came out freshly cleaned, wearing a loose shirt and too lazy to button it up, striding out openly.

She looked at Maria, whose expression was still calm. After hesitating for a moment, she gave a helpless, bitter smile.

"Honestly, I never thought things would turn out like this..."

"Hm?"

"Ch'en may be sharp-tongued, old-fashioned, and not especially good at cooking, but she really is a good girl... Do you have feelings for her?"

"...I don't understand what you mean."

Maria tilted her head, looking somewhat puzzled.

When Hoshiguma openly sat down beside her, Maria even deliberately made a little room for her.

After listening to Little Regret's explanation, Maria had also realized that she probably wasn't suited to overly intimate contact with others. She would have to be more careful about that in the future.

But Hoshiguma interpreted it in an entirely different way.

Does she think she shouldn't interact too much with me because she's with Ch'en?

The corners of Hoshiguma's mouth lifted helplessly, and she sighed.

Though it was a little strange, this Maria might actually be a pretty good match.

"So... Maria, how did you win over Old Ch'en?"

"Win her over?"

"Old Ch'en hasn't said anything, but I've worked with her for so long. How could I not know what she's thinking?"

Smiling, Hoshiguma opened a can of beer for herself.

"She looks unwilling, but she's actually accepted you to some extent... I've never dated anyone either. I really don't understand this stuff."

Hoshiguma drained the beer in one go, then awkwardly scratched her head, her face full of helplessness.

She had just asked Old Ch'en what was going on, but no matter how she questioned her, Old Ch'en seemed to have gone stupid, crouching alone in the corner of the bathroom.

That appearance left Hoshiguma with no way to begin.

After struggling with it for a long time, she had no choice but to admit one thing.

She had come back at the wrong time.

"Forget it. Just pretend I didn't come back tonight. I'll pack my things and leave... I'll come back in two or three days. Remember to... Tch, forget it. Old Ch'en should know where to draw the line."

"Draw the line?"

"It's an expression. It means consciously limiting how far you go when doing something... I think that's what it means. I'm not from Yan either, so I'm not especially familiar with this stuff... Tch, come to think of it, this is my home."

Scratching her head, Hoshiguma turned and left.

Maria was left standing there alone, her face full of confusion.

"Win her over? Draw the line?"

"Ah... what am I even doing?"

Crouched in the bathroom, Ch'en's heart was a mess of conflicting emotions.

Honestly, she had no idea what was going on anymore.

Today, she had only wanted to come visit her companion, hadn't she?

Then she had run into an attack by Reunion Movement members on the way.

She had thought it was merely an unusual little incident, only to discover that there was much more hidden beneath it.

After finally arriving at Hoshiguma's home, she had run into Maria too, and had almost...

Ah...

Ch'en increasingly felt that something was wrong with her head.

"Could it be... the influence of this?"

After hesitating for a while, Ch'en silently raised her arm.

On the hidden inner side of it, a tiny patch of black clung to her skin.

It was so small that, without looking carefully, many people would probably mistake it for a mole.

But Ch'en knew perfectly well.

This was... this world's terminal illness.

A sign of Oripathy...

No way...

Shaking her head, Ch'en knew she was overthinking things.

After all, Oripathy didn't affect everyone's brain. Generally speaking, ordinary people didn't even live long enough for Oripathy to reach their brains.

Her condition was a little better, but she knew her mind was clear... she was still herself.

Someone infected with Oripathy, yet undisclosed, still swaggering around in public view.

Sometimes, Ch'en wondered whether she truly had the right to treat the Oripathy patients they arrested that way... Lungmen enforced extremely strict Oripathy control regulations. Normally, those infected with Oripathy weren't even allowed too much contact with ordinary people.

It made Ch'en unable to stop doubting whether her actions were truly justified.

After all, she was also infected with Oripathy... Yet because of her identity and various other reasons, she still enjoyed privileges ordinary people didn't have, while excluding other Oripathy patients.

Someone like her...

"How ridiculous..."

Ch'en sighed and silently leaned against the side.

Her wandering gaze unconsciously fell on her personal weapon beside the bathroom.

Chixiao.

It was an exceptionally unique Originium weapon forged by Raythean Industries. It possessed an air of mystery, and could even be said to be a weapon with its own consciousness.

It decided who its master would be, and whether it would allow itself to be drawn... At least so far, Ch'en had never completely drawn it even once.

As a weapon forged from Originium, the power it could unleash was astonishing. Even the small amounts it occasionally released were enough for Ch'en to perfectly wield her Originium Arts and accomplish things ordinary people wouldn't even dare imagine.

But that didn't come without a price.

After prolonged exposure to such highly concentrated Originium, Ch'en's body had inevitably been affected.

Ch'en had originally thought everything was under control, but only a few days ago had she discovered that she had already contracted Oripathy.

In this world, Oripathy was, in a sense, even more terrifying than a terminal illness.

At the very least, she knew that with Oripathy, it was no longer likely that she could continue serving as the head of the Lungmen Guard Department Special Operations Group.

That left Ch'en at a loss.

After all, the reason she worked so hard now was, on one hand, because she wanted to do something with her own strength. On the other, she wanted to prove her abilities to her uncle, Wei Yenwu, proving that she was no longer that child who couldn't do anything.

But...

"I still haven't done anything right."

Ch'en looked at her pale hand, her eyes half-closed.

After sulking there for a while longer, and feeling the water gradually grow colder, Ch'en stopped lingering inside and turned to stand up.

After wiping the beads of sweat from her body in front of the mirror, she turned her head.

But... to her astonishment, her clothes had somehow been taken away.

"Was that Hoshiguma?"

Whenever she had come to Hoshiguma's home before, she would bathe too. Every time, Hoshiguma would take both their clothes out and toss them into the washing machine, while Ch'en temporarily wore something else.

If it were only Hoshiguma, that kind of thing would be nothing.

After all, they were old acquaintances. They knew each other's measurements, weight, and height perfectly well.

But the problem was...

"Maria is here too..."

A flush spread across Ch'en's skin.

She didn't know what was wrong with her. Somehow, she viewed Maria differently from everyone else.

After hesitating for a long time, she carefully approached the door.

"Hoshiguma? Hoshiguma?"

Crouching by the bathroom door, she softly called for her companion, hoping for an answer.

She was completely naked right now!

"What is it?"

A muffled voice came from outside the door. Though it seemed strange, Ch'en had no time to think too much about it.

"Um... do you have any spare clothes?"

"Spare clothes?"

"Yes, anything is fine. Lend me a set..."

"...I understand."

Footsteps sounded outside the door.

Before long, the footsteps slowly returned.

"I'll leave the clothes outside the door."

"Thanks. I'll treat you to dinner next time."

"...Mm."

Ch'en let out a long breath and finally relaxed.

After waiting a little longer, she cautiously opened the door a crack.

Through the gap, she could see a neatly folded white formal shirt and black trousers outside the door... The collar of the formal shirt had beautiful lace trim, decorated with an emerald like a mirror.

"Strange. Hoshiguma buys clothes like this?"

In Ch'en's memory, Hoshiguma always chose whatever was comfortable for everyday clothes. This kind of outfit didn't seem like something she would own.

It was more like...

"Is something wrong?"

On the other side of the wall, outside Ch'en's line of sight, Maria was crouching curiously nearby. Looking at the little girl who had stiffened all over, she wore a puzzled expression.

"Don't know how to wear this kind of clothes?"

"...No, that's not it... You..."

"If you don't know how, I can help you."

"Ah! Don't open the door! Don't..."

Inside the bathroom, Ch'en's face flushed red as she frantically tried to stop Maria from entering.

But unfortunately, compared to Maria, Ch'en's impressive strength was like a child's roughhousing.

Maria barely felt any resistance before opening the door.

Ch'en shyly tried to cover her body with her hands, but Maria forcefully pulled them apart.

"This outfit is actually pretty easy to put on... and it's comfortable, so don't worry."

"Ugh..."

Inside the bathroom, the innocent Ch'en was forcibly dressed up like a Doll by Maria.

Having just finished packing her personal belongings, Hoshiguma helplessly shook her head, then continued on her way.