As they walked out of the mall, the night breeze was perfect. It carried a slight chill—not cold, just incredibly comfortable.
The streetlights flickered on one by one along the road, casting a gentle, welcoming glow on their path home.
The distant hum of traffic drifted through the air, while the light footsteps of late-night pedestrians occasionally passed them by.
Kiana walked beside Shu, hugging a Homu plushie in her arms. Her steps were so light and bouncy she looked as though she were skipping.
"Wow... it's been so long since I've lived a day like this~" Pulling Shu's hand up with hers, she reached for the sky in a massive, satisfying stretch.
Shu turned his head, looking at the girl who was still practically overflowing with energy even after playing all day.
Kiana stretched her body freely and continued to reflect. "When we were fighting the Honkai, there were monsters and enemies everywhere. It felt like every step we took was leading us straight into danger..."
She paused, taking a deep breath.
"But it's different now."
She swept her gaze around, as if embracing the bustling, prosperous world around her.
"Now we can just take our time and stroll around aimlessly. We have the free time to look up at the moon. We can eat whatever we want, play whatever we want—this is what living is actually supposed to be!"
Shu watched her.
She had long since taken off the hat she used to conceal her identity. Standing there, bathed in the moonlight, she truly embodied her namesake.
Kiana—the Goddess of Moonlight.
She was truly beautiful.
However... he suddenly remembered something.
He silently pulled out his phone and pulled up the record of their daily expenses.
"Shu? What are you doing?" Noticing his movements, Kiana immediately leaned over in curiosity.
Shu's eye twitched at the number displayed on the screen. He turned the phone toward Kiana.
Kiana naturally lowered her head to look.
[Today's Total Expenses: ¥5,287]
Kiana blinked. She rubbed her eyes hard, and finally, her mouth dropped open in a perfect 'O' shape.
"How much?!"
"Five thousand two hundred and eighty-seven," Shu repeated.
Kiana's previously joyous, bouncing ahoge instantly stiffened.
"Th-that much?" Faced with the impending reality of a "massive debt," Kiana's voice noticeably shrank.
"Yep," Shu nodded, his face deadly serious.
Truthfully, even he was surprised they had spent that much.
He knew Kiana had actively avoided luxury expenses that would wipe zeroes off a bank balance with a single glance. Aside from buying her a few outfits, their biggest expense was food.
And Kiana hadn't even picked out any expensive clothes—Shu was the one who picked them out for her...
Shu strongly suspected they had fallen victim to some hidden "price assassins."
But Kiana wasn't thinking that deeply. She looked down at the Homu plushie in her arms, then at the shopping bags Shu was carrying, her small face flushing red.
"Umm... well..." Kiana's voice had completely dwindled away into a mosquito-like squeak. "I... I didn't do it on purpose..."
Shu just stared at her blankly, his unwavering gaze practically interrogating the little money-sink beside him.
Kiana's face grew redder and redder. If one of her hands wasn't occupied with holding Shu's, she probably would have started nervously twiddling her fingers by now.
"I thought... it wouldn't be that much... but..."
She looked up at Shu with big, pitiful puppy-dog eyes.
"Shu, are you out of money? How about... I go get a part-time job?" she asked cautiously.
Shu froze for a second. Then, dropping his deadpan act, he shook his head resolutely.
"Absolutely not necessary."
"Then what was with that look on your face..."
"I was just doing the math to see exactly how much we spent." He thought for a moment before adding, "I figure I can still afford to feed you for a few more months."
If Kiana spent like this every day, he really would only be able to afford keeping her around for a few months.
Kiana lowered her head, looking a little guilty.
"Umm... I'm sorry..."
Shu looked at her downcast head and that drooping ahoge. He stayed silent for a second before a smile broke out on his face.
"It's fine."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"But we spent so much—"
"It's just a once-in-a-while thing, right?" Shu reasoned. "It's not like you do this every day."
"Right, right, right! I definitely won't do this anymore!" Kiana nodded hastily. "Hey Shu, Shu, let me tell you something."
"Hmm?"
"Actually, before the Great Honkai Eruption, I used to make my own money too!
"Back at Chiba Academy, I used to go out and work part-time a lot. Convenience stores, restaurants, handing out flyers—I've actually done it all."
Shu blinked. While he did know that Kiana used to work part-time to line her own wallet, this Kiana was still a little different from the one in his memories.
"Aren't you the eldest daughter of the Kaslana family?" For instance, this Kiana was a bona fide aristocratic young lady, not the helpless little girl Siegfried had dragged along while fleeing Schicksal.
Kiana was taken aback for a moment before bursting into laughter.
"What 'young lady'?! Anyone from the Kaslana family has to go out on their own once they come of age!"
Shu slowly tilted his head, his eyes full of questions.
Seeing his confusion, Kiana began to explain.
"Hehehe, to be a true Kaslana means you have to run away from the family and embrace your own life!"
"...Why exactly do you have to run away from the family?" Shu genuinely didn't understand this time. "Don't tell me... your elders are also really..."
"Oh, no, it's not that! Everyone in the family is great. We just all want to leave and live on our own.
"Because staying in the family means inheriting the family business. Most of the time, the one who runs away the slowest is the one who gets stuck staying behind to be the Family Head.
"But honestly, who among the Kaslanas actually wants to be the Head? So everyone books it as early as possible, terrified of being the last one left. Because if you're the last one, you really won't be able to escape!"
A distinctly wise gleam flashed in Kiana's eyes.
She could still vividly remember how, during that time, the Kaslanas would unleash the greatest malice and suspicion of their entire lives upon one another. Everyone was constantly calculating when the others would make their grand escape, keeping track of exactly how many people were left in the house...
Actually, why even delay? Besides family and good friends, there was nothing else for them at the estate. What were they sticking around for?
Wealth and glory?
Besides...
Kiana recalled how her old man used to duel her at the dinner table over a single chicken drumstick, and how he never hesitated to use his size to bully her. With that memory, even her very last shred of nostalgic attachment vanished completely.
Not only did her stupid dad steal her drumsticks, but he also practically shoved his and her mom's lovey-dovey PDA in her face every single day!
She couldn't stay in that house anymore! She had to run—she had to!
Damn this toxic household!
Shu fell silent for a second.
"So... being the Family Head is a miserable chore?"
"A miserable chore! It is absolutely a miserable chore!"
Kiana nodded vigorously, her face pale with lingering dread. "Think about it! You have to manage all the family's resources, and you have to worry about feeding and housing so many people! One problem today, another problem tomorrow—it's annoying to death!
"So, everyone who can run, runs. Whoever runs the slowest is the unlucky sap."