Hua Yi focused his mind on searching for cameras along the streets. Kiana, meanwhile, continued to act like a Salted Fish. Well, not entirely besides being a Salted Fish, she was also following the combat drills her father had taught her.
She hoped to improve herself enough to defeat her violent aunt, Theresa. However, every time she recalled that woman's unreasonable brute force, Kiana felt discouraged, and it didn't take long for her to regress back into a Salted Fish.
"Is that aunt of mine even human, or is she a Honkai Beast in human skin? How can she be so terrifying? Even my father probably doesn't possess that level of strength, right?"
As Kiana sighed, feeling as though she might be forever under Theresa's thumb, Raiden Mei, who usually attended classes at Chiba Academy, took the initiative to visit the dormitory where Hua Yi lived after school.
Mei was somewhat concerned because Hua Yi had left abruptly in the middle of their time together yesterday after receiving a text message. Furthermore, since it was usually Hua Yi who sought her out, she decided to be the proactive one this time.
She had known for a long time that Tachikawa Academy had only one male student, and he was likely the sole resident of the dormitory building. Therefore, Mei didn't feel particularly shy about visiting Hua Yi's room.
By now, Hua Yi had received Raiden Mei's text and knew she was coming. He was already on his way downstairs. However, Kiana, who lived on the first floor, reacted even faster. Hearing someone enter the building, she assumed her violent aunt had returned and prepared herself for a fight, only to find someone else entirely.
It was a girl with the poise of a refined young lady. Compared to the violent Aunt Theresa, she radiated a gentle, water-like aura that was completely different.
To Kiana, whose young heart had been traumatized by Theresa's "lesson" yesterday, this was a true beauty. She was instantly smitten.
By the time Hua Yi reached the ground floor, he was greeted by the sight of a troubled Raiden Mei being cornered by Kiana, who was clumsily trying to make small talk to close the distance between them.
Perhaps due to the series of events that had already occurred with Hua Yi, Kiana hadn't exactly fallen in love at first sight at least, she hadn't confessed on the spot but her attitude was so aggressive that Mei looked utterly overwhelmed.
Seeing this, Hua Yi pulled Kiana away and introduced her.
"This is Kiana. She's a bit impulsive. She lost her bank card recently and ended up in a bind, so I took it upon myself to let her stay in this dormitory."
"Don't talk about me like that! I have my good points too!"
In front of Raiden Mei, Kiana seemed to become very concerned about her image. She immediately began searching for weak excuses to overturn Hua Yi's definition of her as "impulsive."
As Kiana put on her performance, Raiden Mei's initial discomfort gradually shifted into a smile. She had actually felt a bit dejected moments ago, assuming Kiana was Hua Yi's girlfriend since they were living together.
Although the current male-to-female ratio meant that a talented boy like Hua Yi having a harem wouldn't be an issue, the thought that he was hiding things from her had made Mei feel a bit sad. It turned out she had been overthinking.
Kiana had only arrived in Nagazora and met Hua Yi the day before yesterday. Yesterday, her relative had visited merely to arrange her living situation, not to take her away.
Having learned the general situation from Hua Yi, Mei looked at Kiana with a sense of shared empathy. While she didn't know the details of the girl's family, their situations were similar—both were living in environments lacking family affection.
"Are you enrolling in Chiba Academy next semester? I'm a student there as well."
"Eh? Really? That's great!"
Mei's words brought a look of unshielded joy to Kiana's face. Originally, she had planned to come up with all sorts of excuses to avoid going to such a boring place as a school. After all, Hua Yi attended Tachikawa Academy, not Chiba Academy. If she had to go to school, she felt she should go to Tachikawa Academy as well.
But if Raiden Mei was there, she didn't feel so resistant to the idea.
With Hua Yi acting as the bridge, Mei accepted Kiana's presence. Reflecting on the girl's immediate warmth toward her, Mei quickly guessed her feelings.
She must be longing for friendship, Mei thought. Compared to the opposite sex, being with a friend of the same gender was more relaxing. Best friends could talk about anything, whereas she might become more reserved as her relationship with Hua Yi grew closer.
Hua Yi, however, saw even further than Mei. Combining what he knew of Kiana's childhood, he realized that Kiana's feelings for Raiden Mei weren't exactly "yuri" in the traditional sense, but rather a manifestation of her longing for family.
Kiana had been raised solely by Siegfried; she had received a father's love but lacked a mother's.
She was likely looking to find that maternal warmth from Mei and indeed, Raiden Mei was a girl who radiated a motherly aura. Kiana certainly had a sharp eye.
Hua Yi, who had been contemplating the philosophical question of who was cuckolding whom among the three of them, let out a quiet sigh of relief. He had almost abandoned his search for street cameras to focus on how to fix Kiana's sexual orientation.
Kiana spoke excitedly with Raiden Mei, and Mei responded with a gentle smile. Though the scene was harmonious, it wasn't long before a loud growl from Kiana's stomach made the atmosphere turn awkward.
Kiana felt her image had been ruined once again in front of the gentle Mei and hung her head in shame. Mei didn't know what to say to ease the tension, so Hua Yi stepped in as the mediator once more.
"Since everyone is hungry, let's go out and have dinner together."
Naturally, no one objected. Hua Yi's dorm didn't have a kitchen; the fridge was something he had bought later. Thanks to the fact that the dorm had no power limits, he could actually run it.
They ended up back at that familiar restaurant. Upon seeing the place, Kiana finally remembered something she had previously ignored. She looked at Hua Yi, then at Raiden Mei, and finally spoke up.
"Are you his girlfriend?"
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