Honkai Impact 3rd, a simulator of lifelong regret!

Page 221

Ironically, when there is no hope, suffering becomes the only theme, and the waiting time is infinitely prolonged, almost eternal. Every point in time is excessively fragile. One's spirit either becomes worn down and numb over time, reduced to a plaything of others, and suffers a miserable fate, or it is completely enraged and detonated, turning itself into a raging fire that burns everything.

Raiden Mei is not the latter. Perhaps she is not a completely obedient and docile child by nature. Under the sudden disaster, all her edges have disappeared. Everything she once entrusted to her so-called friends was broken by others kicking her when she was down, leaving only a submissive self.

He endured the bullying, the mistreatment, the shopkeeper's provocation, and the seemingly endless suffering.

The girl is still enduring, enduring fear and unease, suppressing all her emotions, leaving only a seemingly docile inner self.

Those who are accustomed to suffering tragedy and humiliation, and who have no hope in their lives, cannot even understand hope itself. Just as someone who has never seen the light cannot comprehend the moment they see it.

Even though a contract had been made, even though they had agreed to meet again tomorrow, even though they deeply believed in the boy's gentleness and the truthfulness of his words.

My restless and uneasy heart, which had already sunk into the mud, remained unsettled until the moment of our actual meeting arrived.

This is not due to a base character, an inability to even trust others; it is simply because one's sincerity has been shattered too many times, and trust has been trampled upon too many times, to the point that one has developed an instinctive tendency to avoid and protect oneself.

It seems that as long as you think about everything in the worst possible way and don't have any expectations, then the betrayal of others won't hurt so much.

However, a glimmer still flickered in her dim eyes, and her body, which seemed as stiff and lifeless as a statue, was tightly gripped by her soft hands, refusing to let go.

Should we really abandon the entire beginning just because we're afraid of the ending?

If that's the case, then there won't even be any excitement left, right?

Even though we only met for a day.

The girl was still willing to offer her trust once more, willing to rekindle the stagnant waters she had stirred up, and willing to extend an invitation to the boy.

No matter what happens, no matter what else is going on, once a decision has been made, we must wait until the very last moment, even if it's dark, even if it's raining, even if Jiangcheng might be hindered by any other problems.

and so……

No further thought is needed.

Let's keep waiting.

As the soft footsteps approached from afar, as if caressing her earlobe through a veil, and even the rustling of flowers and grass being rubbed was clearly audible, the girl subconsciously raised her head, and a familiar figure came into view.

He wasn't as tall as the heroes or strongmen in the story, nor did he have a prince's white horse. He had no crown, no sword, just ordinary school clothes, and was an ordinary person by any measure.

The specific appearance is still not clear.

Perhaps it was because the afternoon sunlight was rather blurry.

It's not as intense as midday, nor as bright as morning.

The leaves have gradually drooped, revealing an orange-like color that is difficult to penetrate even on the branches of a lush tree. The barrier formed by the leaves divides the light into countless spots, which, whether bright or dark, light or faint, fall on the person who is not far away. If you raise your hand slightly to shield yourself from the sunlight, it will cast a shadow instead.

The blurry figure gently pushed aside the willow branches. A strand of black hair was swept by the green leaves, then pressed back to the forehead by the force of nature. The dark pupils, now as deep as the starry night, proved its unique identity.

—Jiangcheng.

The last thing the girl saw was her right hand held horizontally beside her face like a pistol, her head tilted, the corners of her mouth turned up, and her voice a playful, questioning tone.

Good afternoon. I'm not late, am I?

……

what……

this time……

It really is true!

……

The stagnant heart was stirred up, as if countless stones had been thrown into it, and the ocean, which was about to be completely filled with mud and sand, was now churning up huge waves. The dark clouds were torn apart by the boy's palm, revealing the brilliance of the sun.

Perhaps it was just a ray of sunlight piercing a weak spot in the clouds, or perhaps it was just a pebble thrown out of nowhere that stirred up waves in a numb heart.

Even as the sun sets, the bullying and cold stares of others will still accompany you, and the world will still hate you.

never mind.

already……

There's no need to think about it so much.

There's no need to worry about Lian Jiangcheng's eyes changing color so strangely.

At this moment, what could possibly be the answer I could give, the words I could say to the boy's eyes, to the boy's face?

"—Of course I wasn't late."

Slender fingers gently pressed against her full chest, stiffly separating from her lips that were glued together, uttering soft whispers. Meeting those blue eyes was a deep purple that seemed to be illuminated by that beam of light.

"Please come with Mei."

"Mei will do her best to introduce this school to you."

"Jiang Chengjun, you can rest assured that we will absolutely not miss any place."

……

"Then I would be disrespectful."

Jiang Cheng, as always, gave his affirmation. Once upon a time, facing Wilvi and Alicia, the instincts etched on this body flowed smoothly, using actions called thoughtfulness and gentleness to apply a hot towel to the wounds.

The biggest conflict between people lies in communication. If someone is willing to listen to the suffering of others and do their best to help, then even if it is limited to words, it is enough to make despair subside and give a glimmer of hope.

in case……

He wasn't that absent-minded.

The moment the girl turned around, Jiang Cheng gently pressed his right hand against his forehead. A wisp of spring breeze, seemingly from nowhere, lifted a corner of his black, tousled hair. In the shadows dispelled by the sunlight, what surrounded his eyelids was unmistakably black—dark circles symbolizing poor sleep quality and fatigue.

I didn't sleep well at all yesterday.

Velvi, Alicia...

I can't forget them at all, not even in my dreams. No matter how I try to ignore them, I can't. It's as if they are calling out to me nonstop right now.

More than one person, more than one time, could even feel the unease deep in their heart, as if something irreversible was about to happen.

baffling……

Is it still due to withdrawal symptoms?

It seems the promise to keep Raiden Mei company is going to fall through. Being just a chat partner probably isn't much of a deal anyway.

The boy took a deep breath, drawing a small amount of Honkai energy from the Starry Sea Harmony, no more than his own limit, barely managing to restore some of his mental energy after staying up all night. He caught up with the girl before she turned around to ask him anything.

……

"This is the secondary campus, which is usually only opened when foreign missions come here."

"This is the experimental zone..."

Raiden Mei stood with her back to the blazing morning sun. Her long, dark, almost purple hair, which had been soaked in the morning sun for a long time, was still graceful and reserved, even when a wisp of hair was gently blown by a breeze from who-knows-where. Her standard school skirt even looked like a perfect match for her outfit.

At least the allure of that purple dress swaying gently in the breeze, revealing a glimpse of her fair and plump thighs when lifted slightly, is enough to surpass the undisguised and shameless seduction techniques used to target others.

This is by no means a seduction or enticement. No matter how gentle and graceful a Yamato Nadeshiko may be, she will still show her youth in the lively spring when the season is just right.

No one is taciturn and prefers to stay in the corner from the beginning. The misunderstanding of the Thunder Queen's decisive and efficient nature is inevitably mixed with a bit of truth.

The deep purple eyes no longer held only sorrow; the depths that once reflected no light could now reflect the boy so close to her, his face, his figure... as if etched in a mirror, as if on a canvas, with meticulous detail.

Even though a faint tint of black eyeshadow indicated a lack of sleep the previous night, it didn't stop the usually well-behaved girl from using her slender fingers as a guide on the lawn where she shouldn't be walking.

Once upon a time, she practiced flower arranging and swordsmanship, her delicate fingers belonging to a noble young lady. After personally doing laundry and cooking, and trying to make bento boxes for the first time, she has once again embarked on a brand new, unconventional activity.

Unlike before, when she suddenly fell into the abyss and was rejected by everyone, forcing her to study, this time it was the girl's own choice.

……

Her steps were no longer restrained; she no longer needed to bow her head or bend over to avoid everyone's gaze. Everything seemed to have naturally returned to what it once was, and the Thunder Queen, who once dominated the academy, could once again stride forward.

It seems that she realized that the people around her would not be ridiculed or bullied even if she stood up straight and her face was seen.

There's no need to keep everything bottled up inside anymore, because the boy beside you is someone you can confide in, someone who will never discourage you.

Of all things in the world, time is always so excessive, slowing down drastically in times of suffering, yet quietly fluctuating in times of joy and happiness.

The sun, which she had always longed for but which always moved slowly, set before the girl even realized it. Before she could even tell how much time had passed, the crimson clouds that symbolized the sunset had already filled the sky.

Despite his long-suppressed spirit not yet being weary and still yearning for communication, the boy had already sent out a notice of termination ahead of time.

"It's getting late, I need to go back and finish my homework."

See you tomorrow, Mei.

……

152. Raiden Mei: I can't cause trouble for Jiangcheng.

Catching up on homework.

It's truly a classic excuse.

For students, this is an almost essential reason.

At least in China, exams and studying are considered more important than life itself.

—If Raiden Mei hadn't known that there was practically no homework at Chiba Academy, she might have really reduced her IQ to zero and believed it.

Don't you want to continue...?

what……

Too……