"Do you choose to believe his words?"
Kevin handed a small, exquisite bell to Elysia, who was standing on a stool on her tiptoes, decorating the venue.
Contrary to her previous worry, she was happily setting up the hall as usual, as if she no longer cared about Lin situation at all and only wanted to have a grand time at the upcoming banquet.
"Mmu..." Elysia hung the bell slightly above the doorframe, then tapped her thin lips. "But we don't really have any other choice but to believe him, do we?"
"..." True enough.
Due to his constitution, there wasn't much Kevin could help with. He stood there aimlessly, watching a group of people decorate the small venue beautifully. They didn't use the ballroom; Lin had said that venue was too large and unnecessary, so they used Vil-V Spiral Workshop instead.
"There are some troublesome names on the guest list..." Kevin looked around. Vil-V was busy directing her clockwork dolls to move clutter elsewhere; she wasn't the type to sit idle either. "We don't know when or in what form the next Honkai eruption will appear. Is it really appropriate to be fooling around like this?"
"Kevin, you need to give yourself a break once in a while. Look, even Lin has learned how. How can you still be acting like the old Lin?"
"He is not Lin."
"My, you're becoming more and more like Mei. Would it make you happier if I said that?"
"But..."
"No 'buts'. Just like when you first joined the MOTH."
Kevin felt a bit helpless. Whenever he thought of the people who were about to attend the banquet, he couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.
...
"Captain Ellie, your adjutant Lin has successfully completed the mission!"
"Good! Member Lin, you've done well. Please return to the ranks!"
Kosma watched wordlessly as these two buffoons mockingly saluted and stood at attention. He began to wonder if Lin had been infected by Elysia to become like this.
"Kosma, what did you buy?" Dystopia leaned in with a giggle, curiously asking the brooding Kosma.
During this shopping trip, Lin and Dystopia had picked out almost everyone's gifts, but Dystopia had noticed Kosma quietly checking out at a separate register. Such a secretive act naturally made her want to ask.
"Uh..."
Kosma face stiffened. Just as he was about to turn toward Lin to strike up a conversation and change the subject, he realized Lin had already gone inside with Elysia. He felt a bitterness in his heart; when it came to diverting topics, he couldn't even match Kevin, let alone a master of language like Elysia.
However, the gift had to be given eventually. There was no one else around, so why not now...?
With that thought, Kosma gritted his teeth and took the un-packaged hair clip out of his pocket.
"A gift. For you."
His words were always concise, but this time it was more because he didn't know what else to say. This childhood friend of his had been willing to join the MOTH with him, yet since joining, he rarely saw her, focusing instead on emulating Kevin and executing missions. This left him feeling quite guilty.
His outstretched hand was trembling, and he didn't dare look into Dystopia eyes. For anyone else, it might be nothing, but Dystopia was...
"Oh~ A hair clip. It really has Kosma style."
However, Dystopia simply smiled and took the clip. After examining the cute bear hair clip in her hand, she pinned it to her bangs in the most prominent spot.
"Uh... actually..." Kosma gaze drifted. "You don't actually have to wear it..."
"Hmm? Aren't hair clips meant to be worn?"
"Ah, yeah... I suppose so."
Seeing Kosma in this state, Dystopia couldn't help but laugh. Her hand, hidden behind her back, now brought something out and placed it in Kosma hand.
"Here. A return gift."
Kosma stared blankly at the beautifully wrapped gift box. Dystopia, who loved giving gifts, certainly hadn't omitted the details like he had. The box, which matched his hair color, was clearly wrapped with care. But he remembered that none of the gifts bought that day had been wrapped yet...
"I get one too?"
"Of course! You weren't going to buy yourself a gift, were you?" Dystopia teased him.
Kosma unwrapped the package. Inside was a harmonica.
"This harmonica uses a pearwood comb. Because they weren't treated perfectly, they tended to swell, so production was stopped many years ago. But I thought the pattern on it suited you."
Kosma fingers brushed over the harmonica; the texture and feel traveled from his fingertips straight to his heart.
"...Thank you?"
"Just that? Say a bit more."
"Eh? No..." Kosma scratched his cheek awkwardly, a bashful smile appearing on his still childish face. "I'm very happy... It's just that I don't actually know how to play, and I have a poor ear for music. I just really like them. Receiving such a valuable gift makes me a bit... overwhelmed."
In fact, many people knew Kosma liked harmonicas. He would often hide in small rooms and blow comical notes. But as he said, he knew nothing about playing, and many who heard him simply laughed it off, thinking he would soon give up.
Only Dystopia, his childhood friend who had been with him since before joining the MOTH, knew he had liked harmonicas for a long time—he just rarely played them then and didn't have one of his own.
Dystopia herself, however, was quite skilled at the harmonica; her melodies had been praised by many who heard them.
"I guess I'll have to practice seriously now." Kosma held the harmonica like a prized possession.
Dystopia also smiled. "Heh heh, you only just realized that? You should have practiced long ago."
"Guh... laugh while you can. You'll be crying when I surpass you."
"Haha, alright then. When the time comes, we'll find someone to judge. Just don't cry like you did when you first joined the squad..."
The two joked without any barriers, as if they had returned to their childhood.
"By the way, Kosma, what made you think of buying me a gift? You used to never remember me." At this, Dystopia puffed out her cheeks in a cute, feigned anger. "It's so heart-breaking."
Kosma smile stiffened, and he waved his hand with feigned composure. "Ah... I just picked it up on a whim. I only realized I hadn't put it back when I got to the register. I didn't buy it for you specifically."
"Oh? Really?"
"Really! How could I specifically buy a bear hair clip! I'm going to be a hero like Captain Kevin!"
"Hehe... you really haven't changed, Kosma." Dystopia smiled softly. "But... this is fine... Kosma, you just need to be yourself..."
Click.
The sound of a button being pressed made the two fall silent. They turned their heads to the side.
Elysia, covering her mouth and nearly dying from laughter, was almost rolling on the floor. Beside her, Lin was laughing so hard he lacked the strength to stand and was leaning against the wall.
Noticing they had been spotted, Lin stopped laughing, straightened his clothes, and pressed a button on a megaphone in his hand.
"How could I specifically buy a bear hair clip! I'm going to be a hero like Captain Kevin!"
"How could I specifically buy a bear hair clip! I'm going to be a hero like Captain Kevin!"
"How could I specifically buy a bear hair..."
Seeing Kosma face had turned completely pale, Lin pressed the next button.
"But... this is fine... Kosma, you just need to be yourself..."
Immediately, half of Dystopia face turned red. One pale, one red—the rapid change in their expressions made Elysia laugh until she nearly choked.
That night, the entire MOTH headquarters heard the high-powered megaphone continuously broadcasting Kosma righteous declaration. As for Dystopia part? A girl's shy confession is best left to the two of them alone~