Is This Really Me?

"Grant me a new life..."

"Hm? Did you remember something?"

"Before I came here, I heard a voice. They said, [I have come to help you. Your intense emotions awakened me, and I shall grant you a new life.]"

From her description, Lin Yu guessed that Firefly had "awakened" some being, who had sent her here. He suspected that by "a new life," they most likely meant they had resolved her [Entropy Loss Syndrome].

Lin Yu shared his guess, and the girl nodded in agreement. She had already guessed as much after noticing the changes in her body.

But there was one thing she didn't mention. The voice had also said, [Live on here... I will appear again when the time is right. Then you will escape your tragic fate.] Now that she was in unfamiliar surroundings, she couldn't let her guard down.

Though she had gauged his strength when she took his hand earlier and found him very weak-she could even say he had no strength at all-she still had to remain vigilant. It was a habit she had developed as a battle-hardened Glamoth veteran.

Although she could feel that her body was much better than before, she hadn't completely recovered yet.

If they appeared again when the time was right, could I escape this tragic fate? What exactly is my fate? And how can I escape it?

Seeing the hint of sadness on Firefly's face, Lin Yu couldn't help feeling puzzled. Shouldn't she be happy to be rid of Entropy Loss Syndrome? Why was she sad instead?

The girl didn't notice Lin Yu's confusion. Instead, she summoned her transformation device again and gave it another try. The device flashed and turned into a glowing, translucent green longsword.

"Well, although I can't transform directly, at least I can still use its weapon mode."

Lin Yu was a little envious as he looked at the glowing longsword. After all, what guy could resist a glowing longsword?

While Lin Yu was still admiring it, the girl put the sword away and stood up. "Sorry for the trouble. Can you tell me your name?"

"Ah!... Oh." Only after all this did Lin Yu remember that he had forgotten to introduce himself! "My name is Lin Yu."

"Okay, I'll remember it. Sorry for the inconvenience."

Lin Yu waved a hand. "It was no inconvenience. I just got a scare and lost a mug, that's all."

"Is that so? If I get the chance later, I'll pay you back! Can you tell me where I can find a spaceship to take me back to the Glamoth Star System?"

"Huh? A spaceship? Back to Glamoth?" Lin Yu was baffled, but then he figured it out. Firefly probably thought she was still in the Honkai: Star Rail universe.

"Um, if you don't mind me asking, why do you want to go back? If I remember correctly, the Glamoth Empire has already fallen. And for you, it shouldn't be a place you'd look back on fondly, right?"

The girl looked a little surprised. "I didn't expect you to know so much, but I don't mind telling you. I want to go back there and look for that voice..." She paused, then continued, "And to search for my fate!"

This was awkward. Lin Yu didn't know how to explain it to her. He hadn't expected Firefly to say that, but on second thought, that defiance of fate was exactly what Firefly was really like in his heart, and it was why he liked the character.

"Um, I'll be honest with you. There isn't actually a star system called Glamoth here."

The girl frowned slightly at his answer, clearly unconvinced.

Seeing this, Lin Yu didn't waste his breath. He had known all along that she wouldn't believe him, so he decided to show her proof.

He pulled his phone from his pants pocket, opened the game, and grabbed a mirror as well.

He handed her the phone and motioned for her to take a look.

The girl took the phone in confusion, and her expression turned to shock when she saw what was on it. Lin Yu then handed her the mirror as well.

The girl looked at the phone, then at the mirror. "Is this me?"

"Yes."

"Is this really me?"

"That's you! It's just the version of you in the game."

The girl was speechless. Looking at the other... herself on the screen, she found her feelings hard to describe. She noticed the name field on the information sheet and read it aloud without thinking. "Firefly... Is that really my name?"

The girl sounded as though she were asking him, but also as though she were speaking to herself.

"Yeah, that really is your name."

"But it's up to you whether you want to start using it early."

"Firefly... It's a lovely name."

"Then you mean..."

Firefly didn't speak, but simply nodded in agreement.

Afterward, the two sat back down on the couch, and Lin Yu began explaining everything about her in the game. Firefly didn't say a word throughout, seemingly accepting what had happened, though a trace of complicated emotion could still be seen in her eyes.

When he finished, neither of them spoke, and the room fell quiet.

At that moment, an ill-timed sound rang out.

Gurgle~

The sound came from Firefly. Lin Yu looked toward her and saw that the grave expression she had worn moments ago had given way to flushed cheeks and an awkward look. There was none of a Glamoth veteran's imposing bearing left; she looked every bit like a young girl.

Lin Yu checked the time and saw that it was already one in the morning. After everything that had happened, he was a little hungry too. "Um, do you want something to eat? I'm hungry, so I was just about to make something."

"Can I have some?"

"Of course! You're here, after all. It would be rude for me to eat by myself. Besides, let's put those things aside for now and have something to eat for a change of mood."

Firefly seemed persuaded and nodded obediently.

"Oh! Right, come with me."

Firefly followed Lin Yu to his room. She watched him rummage through his things, unsure what he was trying to do.

After searching for a while, Lin Yu handed Firefly a set of clothes.

"Here, put these on. You can't keep wearing that blanket. Make do with my clothes for now."

Firefly took the clothes, lowered her head, and murmured her agreement. Lin Yu stepped out of the room so she could change.

"Just come out and wait when you're changed." With that, he left the room and headed for the kitchen.

After cleaning up the remains of the mug, Lin Yu opened the fridge and found that all the ingredients were gone, leaving only two lonely eggs. "Oh no, I've been so busy rushing to finish my drafts these past few days that I forgot to restock."

He searched the kitchen for a long time but found only some Master Kong instant noodles left over from before.

Firefly came out after changing. Since Lin Yu was relatively tall at 179 centimeters, the clothes were rather loose on Firefly, who was around 167 centimeters tall.

But the look was just right. The loose, cream-colored long top hid Firefly's perfect figure while revealing just enough to give a tantalizing glimpse. Paired with a pair of black shorts, it gave her the look of a girlfriend at home.

Lin Yu looked her over and gave her a thumbs-up to show how good she looked!

"Firefly, have a seat. I'll have it ready in no time."

With that, Lin Yu rolled up his sleeves and began making their late-night snack. Since his ingredients were limited, he planned to make some simple egg noodles. Firefly sat obediently in her seat and waited quietly.

As she waited, the distinctive aroma of instant noodles rose and drifted to Firefly's nose. "That smells so good..." She had never smelled anything like it before.

While Firefly was still lost in the aroma, Lin Yu came over carrying two bowls of noodles. He set one in front of her and said a little awkwardly, "Sorry, this is all I had left at home, so we'll have to make do."

Firefly shook her head. To her, the food before her smelled delicious already. At the very least, compared with the ready-made meals she used to eat with her squad, it was a rare treat.

Lin Yu sat down and handed her a pair of chopsticks. "Try it and see if you like it."

Firefly took the chopsticks and examined them carefully. She had never seen anything like them and didn't know how to use them, so she quietly watched Lin Yu's hand movements and began imitating him.

In the end, though, she still couldn't get the hang of it. She simply tried lifting the noodles with the chopsticks, but each time they slipped off before reaching her mouth. Frustrated, she pouted.

Lin Yu couldn't help finding the sight a little funny. A dignified Glamoth veteran who couldn't use chopsticks? If word got out, people would probably laugh at her.

He got up, went to the kitchen, and found a fork. He handed it to Firefly, who was still locked in a battle of wits with the chopsticks. "Here, use this if you're not used to chopsticks."

Firefly took the fork he offered and said softly, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Lin Yu sat back down and began enjoying his meal.

Firefly finally managed to lift some noodles into her mouth. The moment she tasted them, her eyes lit up. She could say it was the most delicious thing she had ever eaten! As she kept eating, she even found herself getting a little hooked.

Neither of them spoke as they ate, simply enjoying the food.