Just as Bai You was about to go look for Woyanisha above the shell, a soft, gentle voice suddenly came from behind her.
"Hm?"
A warm breath suddenly brushed lightly against her forehead.
Bai You froze.
The cave's faint blue light flickered gently, and an almost inaudible breath suddenly joined the soft rustling of the lake water by her ear.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively whirled around.
The next instant, a pair of clear, warm, sky-blue eyes unexpectedly filled her vision.
They were incredibly close, just a few centimeters apart, their noses almost touching.
At some unknown point, Varesa had silently appeared inside the shell, standing right in front of her.
Her features were gentle as she gazed wide-eyed at Bai You.
Bai You could clearly see her long, curling eyelashes and her own reflection in Varesa's eyes. A gentle scent of crisp lake water mixed with a faint floral fragrance lingered around her nose.
Bai You's mind went completely blank!
Varesa tilted her head slightly. In the quiet cave, her gaze rested on Bai You's face without blinking, full of pure curiosity and a hint of inquiry.
Bai You's cheeks instantly burned hot, and the tips of her ears turned faintly red.
Too close.
The cave was already quiet and cramped. With the two of them so close, even the air around them grew warm and intimate, and the gentle rippling of the lake sounded distinctly loud.
Her whole body stiffened, and she instinctively shrank back, pressing her back firmly against the shell's inner wall.
But the little water spirit in front of her didn't move an inch. She simply watched Bai You's embarrassed panic, a hint of amusement hidden in her eyes.
"Little girl, have you recovered? Can you give me a proper answer to my question now? And what's your name?"
Varesa finally spoke softly, her voice still carrying the ethereal, melodious quality it had after singing.
Bai You's throat tightened. She stammered for a long time, her brain rapidly shutting down, unable to find the right words.
All she could stammer out was, "I... my name is Bai You. I really don't know how I got here, and about your tail, I didn't mean to..."
Varesa frowned slightly, her aqua-blue eyes studying her closely. She remembered that Bai You's initial answer had been much the same, and it didn't seem like there was anything wrong with it.
Looking at the girl gazing at her expectantly, Varesa blinked and replied:
"It's okay, it's okay. I thought my tail had caught on the edge of the shell at the time, and it wasn't hurt or anything. Don't worry about it."
Then she gently asked, "So you woke up in the water inside the shell in this cave?"
Bai You nodded vigorously. When she looked up, her eyes held nothing but bewilderment.
Varesa gazed at her quietly for a long time, as if thinking about something.
I only moved here a little while ago. Could it be that I don't know everything about this cave yet?
Oh, never mind. This harmless-looking girl seems a little, well, something. She's so soft and adorable.
She probably won't be like that other girl. At first, I thought she liked my singing and was a loyal fan of mine.
I gave her tickets before every concert, but she sold them for several times their original price, using my kindness as a way to make money.
At the thought, she felt a strange sense of loss.
The cave was silent.
Varesa lowered her head slightly and looked at the adorable girl in front of her. Blinking, she asked curiously,
"Then what about your home? And your family and friends?"
Hearing Varesa's question,
Bai You could only shake her head helplessly and answer, "I don't have a home, or any family or friends."
"Sorry, I shouldn't have brought that up. If you don't mind, you can stay with me for now."
Varesa spoke gently as she looked at the drenched girl in front of her.
Varesa's gentleness was far purer and more healing than the game's story had shown.
It was the first time Bai You had experienced it so directly, and it made a much stronger impression than seeing it in the game.
She looked at Varesa, who was a tiny bit taller than her, then looked down at herself.
Bai You awkwardly thanked her in a quiet voice. "Th... thank you... big sister." Her soft, sweet voice echoed gently through the cave.
When Varesa heard that soft, sweet, slightly awkward call, she nearly melted at the sweetness of being called "big sister."
She lowered her gaze to Bai You's petite figure, to the tiny drops of water still dripping from her hair, unable to hide the delight in her eyes.
Could it be? Have I really found a treasure this time?!
From now on, could there really be a cute girl who'll always be with me, who can build snowmen with me in the snow, blow bubbles with me in the water, and listen to me sing by my side?
Wait, she doesn't seem able to keep blowing bubbles in the water. That's a bit of a shame. I'll see if I can teach her, even if she can only do it for a few dozen seconds.
But that's still much better than that aloof Odette. She's always practicing her dancing like a blockhead. All of a sudden, Odette doesn't seem so appealing anymore.
Thinking of all those wonderful fantasies about her future life, Varesa couldn't help laughing out loud.
Bai You looked at Varesa grinning foolishly in front of her, pursed her lips, and couldn't help grumbling inwardly:
She was a little, well, something in the story, so how is she even more something in person? I couldn't have run into a fake, could I? Some fish pretending to be her... she's cute even when she's being all something, though.
Seemingly noticing Bai You's expression, Varesa coughed twice and instantly returned to normal.
Suddenly remembering that Bai You's clothes were still wet and that she wasn't like herself, she put on an aloof air and said,
"Come with me. I'll take you to change. Even though you took a pill, you can still catch a cold in wet clothes."
Bai You nodded with a dazed, adorable look.
Seeing that look, Varesa's desire to trick her into coming home with her reached its peak.
Varesa firmly suppressed the thought.
She stepped toward a wooden storage chest on the other side of the shell, her light footsteps making no sound on its smooth surface.
Bai You followed close behind her.
Varesa walked up to the small wooden chest, which looked like it was used for storage.
She opened it and took out several neatly folded garments.
"These are all my clothes. You're a little shorter than me, so they might be a tiny bit big. You'll have to make do with them for now."
Varesa took out a pale cyan dress and handed it to Bai You. "There's a screen over there. You can change behind it."
Bai You took the dress, thanked her, and walked toward the screen.
Bai You looked at the dress in her hands, then thought about what she was wearing.
"We're doomed, we're doomed. World, hurry up and end." Bai You felt that her future was filled with endless darkness (light).
Just as Bai You was halfway there, Varesa suddenly remembered something. She looked back at Bai You and called out to stop her.