Honkai Impact 3rd, a simulator of lifelong regret!

"Does the school teach cattle and horses?"

Jiang Cheng waved his hands in front of the setting sun, turned his head, and the twilight light spread across his profile like raindrops on an umbrella. His deep blue eyes held no memory, no lingering recollection of even a single shadow of a classmate from the same school.

Those passersby who are never even mentioned are nothing more than trash who act as villains to bully others, even if they are included as a whole. Wasting even a second on them or having any emotion in your heart is a losing proposition.

Those people will only face death, because unless she takes Raiden Mei away now, the Third Great Collapse will inevitably occur in Changkong City, and those brainless people will inevitably die from their own bullying.

"Anyone in the world has the right to hate a prisoner's daughter, except as a classmate or a former friend. People who run away at the first sign of trouble or even kick someone when they're down don't deserve to be called fair-weather friends; they're just a bunch of flies."

"Isn't it a good thing that they don't flock to you? Because flies only flock to garbage, and beautiful flowers are things they hate."

"This whole thing is absurd, so don't try to put yourself in the criminal's shoes. You need to know that you are absolutely innocent."

"Please never wallow in self-pity, think you are not good enough for anything, or think that doing something you need to do will make others unhappy. Feelings are never something that can be squandered."

"Everyone can doubt Raiden Mei, but Raiden Mei herself absolutely cannot."

"At least……"

"I am willing to offer my trust until the very last moment."

……

Lonely and insecure, persecuted by countless people, the former Thunder Queen has become a withdrawn girl. The last words she heard today were Jiang Cheng's fingertips on her chest, his words filled with an unwavering determination that could not be questioned.

All the words stuck in his throat.

No matter what emotions they had, they couldn't express even a fraction of them.

The seemingly casual gestures and the unspoken words, devoid of any promises, seemed to possess the most wondrous magic in the world.

Always, always.

Until she watched the sunset and the boy walk away, until she walked alone to her dwelling, until she covered herself with the blanket but couldn't fall asleep, until the second day arrived, until the third day arrived, the aftereffects of that sentence were so powerful that they could haunt the girl's dreams to this point.

She didn't even know how she explained the school facilities to the boy. It should have been very important, the core of everything, but she couldn't even remember a single thing about it, as if it had vanished like a bubble in the wind.

Because there was no falsehood in that tone, no lies in those eyes, it was truly like a dream, an unconditional belief, an emotion from the heart, and each word of that firmness seemed to be nailed.

Even as she stood here again to introduce the last two areas to the boy, there were still unspoken emotions hidden beneath her lips.

in case……

May this dream last a little longer.

It would be even better if you could watch over me more often.

As time went by, with Jiang Cheng's wholehearted help, the boy's isolation gradually eased. As long as someone is willing, even the worst disease can be alleviated before it becomes a terminal illness.

It's nothing more than a stress response to being bullied, hurt, betrayed, and hated by everyone. Everything has been taken away, leaving only emptiness inside. This kind of psychological problem can be repaired and filled.

--Really?

……

The serene young man was reflected in her deep purple eyes, no different from the carefree boy she had met at first—his right fist pressed against his face, he sat quietly on the lawn resting. Perhaps only the posture of him, who had been unexpectedly brought into her life by the wind, flowers and leaves, had changed to being shrouded in twilight, as if he were draped in a light veil of sunset glow.

Sunsets are often associated with a solitary beauty, and in the reading comprehension section of the neighboring country, they are even frequently used as an important topic. Raiden Mei couldn't understand this at first, nor did she know why a mere natural phenomenon could be associated with the end of an era by countless people over thousands of years.

If it's just a few people, then it can naturally be categorized under probability theory. Given such a large foundation, the occurrence of anything is not surprising.

My father was imprisoned, and those who used to surround me left overnight. My former friends were instantly replaced by ugly faces.

One second they're praising and encouraging themselves, the next they're badmouthing others because of some new information.

The world changes so fast that it doesn't even give anyone time to prepare. Jiang Cheng's unexpected intrusion was also strange. He had already assumed that no one would care about him and that everyone would only hurt him, but someone still peeled back a corner of the forest and reached out to him.

It seems like I'm the only one who's been left behind, the only one who can't keep up with the changes in the world, and that I should also receive these things.

If you can't keep up, you're bound to get hurt.

Raiden Mei is no longer too shocked by strange things. The only thing that puzzled her was the feeling of the sunset conveying the ending. Everyone's thoughts and ideas remained miraculously unified.

Until the girl saw Jiang Cheng bathed in the sunset, his slightly drooping eyebrows, the corner of his mouth that was being gently bitten without his noticing, and his dark eyes that seemed to be looking into something deeper, the back of his school uniform fluttering in the wind, seemed to symbolize that his soul had already flown away.

Perhaps they are thinking of friends, perhaps they are thinking of old acquaintances, or perhaps they are saddened by something... In any case, no matter who they are looking at at this moment, those eyes are definitely not looking at them.

Even when they were face to face, Raiden Mei could still feel that she wasn't being watched by Jiang Cheng, or at least not being looked at with all her heart.

Jiangcheng...

Who exactly are they looking at?

……

Even if you ask, you can't get any information. After cautiously asking, you are told that the results are unimportant. If you want to offer help, the only response you get is a perfunctory answer like "I didn't sleep well yesterday." This matter is completely unfamiliar and an unknown that you can't step into.

This is something that even friends cannot see or be told; all safety is gone, leaving only the fear brought by the unfamiliar and the unknown.

—You shouldn't let your mind wander.

The girl bit her lip lightly, her hands clasped together, disobeying and defiantly harming herself, denying the activity of her own thoughts.

For the past few weeks, Jiang Cheng had been by her side, a friend she could never have since her father went to prison.

Whether it's strolling around campus together or chatting, these are things that the girl no longer deserves to have since that disaster.

Why would an outstanding student who has been at this school for several weeks, who can overcome the strict threshold of the elite school with his own grades, and who has no trace of his past before coming to the school, need a former rich girl as a guide?

In novels and comics, those who achieve the same starting line as others who rely on their family background usually look down on the rich who are otherwise incompetent, except for being born into wealth.

Because they ridicule the resources they possess, mock the effort they haven't put in, and despise the pampered bodies they've had from the start.

She couldn't even make a bento box herself; her hands, which had only been taught swordsmanship, didn't even know how much salt to add or how long to cook it.

Arrogance, disdain... A capable person would never hesitate to kick a former rich girl when she's down, much less offer her help.

Trampling on those who were originally high and mighty is the cheapest pleasure that everyone can obtain, and it is something that is impossible to have in most cases.

Being able to become friends is already the greatest gift, and in just a few weeks, we have indeed become friends with a fairly good relationship.

This is already enough to pray to heaven with both hands raised; to ask for anything more would be excessive.

No matter how you put it.

No matter how you think about it.

No matter how well you plan or how cleverly you speak, it's meaningless to deceive yourself by using seemingly reasonable, compliant, and legitimate behaviors.

When I saw the boy bathed in the sunset, lost in thought over the beautiful scenery, and an unknown figure reflected in his deep blue eyes.

—The sadness that goes unnoticed is still an inevitable manifestation.

They had clearly agreed to spend time together, setting aside time in advance to walk around campus together, but the boy's feelings were invaded by someone else. Even seeing flowers while walking along the road would trigger memories of the past.

She had already tried her best to endure everything, even changing her clothes immediately after being splashed with water, all for the sake of spending this little bit of time with Jiang Cheng every day. But even this little bit was being taken away from her?

I dare not make any demands. Just being able to stay together is enough to make me happy. But even this small desire is being taken away by someone else?

that person……

Who on earth is it?

Unconsciously, she bit her rosy lips, and before she knew it, streaks of blood were flowing down her lower lip. Then, a sudden, electric shock-like sensation shot into her chest, and she could only watch as the girl, too afraid to even approach, realized the situation.

The girl's slender fingertips gently touched her lips, a place that was once unadorned, but was now covered in blood with a metallic scent.

The rosy tip of the tongue gently licked over, filling the air with the filthy, metallic smell of rust, while a burning, churning desire called greed surged through the blood.

Unable to suppress or stop, covering a budding seed with more soil can only delay its growth; one day it will break through the soil and sprout.

Feelings never disappear; they only shift or fade. We pass the time with other things until we can gradually forget them, a self-deceptive form of neglect.

This is a very luxurious act, because bitter things need to be digested with beauty and sweetness, and loss can only be forgotten with hugs and care.

Since there are indeed some people in this world who can do such extravagant things, countless people would be willing to give their love if they were willing.

As for Raiden Mei... even before the disaster occurred, the girl, who was known as the Queen of Lightning, was never wealthy.

Her deep purple eyes could only look at the boy. Even as countless petals danced in the air and the dazzling sun shone brightly, the only protagonist in her pupils, the only person clearly captured and recorded as her focus, was only...

—Jiangcheng.

I can't think about these messy things, I can't cause trouble for Jiang Cheng. He... also has his own life, and he should have things that belong to him.

We've only known each other for a few days, so it's not appropriate to have any improper thoughts about each other.

She lightly brushed her fingertips across her pink lips, which were already bleeding, forgetting even to take out her handkerchief, hastily erasing the evidence of her disheveled and jealous state.

An electric shock-like pain, starting from the edges of my toes, and the sourness of lemons on the soles of my feet, all converged together like a chaotic painting, reaching all the way to my heart.

All of this could only be ignored, suppressed, and she had to close her eyes and pretend it didn't exist as she moved forward—Raiden Mei continued to present her usual demeanor to the boy, introducing the school that had already come to an end.

The result of the brief busyness caused by trivial matters is that everything is like trying to fill a basket with water, resulting in nothing. After everything is over, what you face is something that was never truly ignored, but simply thrown aside, allowing it to grow and interfere with your heart at will, becoming more and more intense, like a towering wave after countless tumblings and rollings, which will never stop until it has exhausted its kinetic energy while crashing against the shore.

If the time to escape is long enough, if the dream can last forever, then perhaps a sleepless night is not an unacceptable choice.

Escaping is never a bad thing. When faced with an insurmountable and cruel reality, immersing oneself in dreams or one's own paradise is also a good choice.

Most people who think escapism is a bad thing are simply luxurious enough to possess the power to fight against the cruelty of reality, have friends, have family, or are themselves strong individuals with unwavering will.

There are truly many ordinary people in the world. Many people do not have the ability to determine their own destiny, are not that strong, do not have the will to not give up even after hitting a wall, and will be defeated when they encounter setbacks.

Entering a sleepless night and comforting oneself in falsehood is better than constantly engaging in internal conflict and harming an incompatible self for the sake of following the crowd.

As long as I can stay in my dream, forget the past, forget the future, and immerse myself in the present... I'll live each day just for this one moment.

However, all of this was as fleeting as a dream. In the afterglow of the setting sun, the girl's outstretched finger pointed to the last building.

Like the traditional Budokan, it has no special decorations added. It is a pure Yamato building. The lightweight wood, which was specially selected by the Imperial Family, can achieve the best protection and early warning effect in areas prone to earthquakes. Even the plaque is written with large characters on white cloth with a brush, allowing the ink to float freely in the air.

“That was a kendo dojo that my father donated, but it’s no longer in use.”

"And then...and then..."

……

154. Coward, you don't even dare to talk to him?

……

In the first instant, Raiden Mei didn't even realize that she had finished speaking. She subconsciously looked at the park beside her until she could no longer find any new buildings in her eyes, until everything in her field of vision was a product that she had already walked through, had already set foot in, and had already explained.

It was as if the first day had been relived. The girl, lost in happiness, forgot about time and continued her journey, playing around as if on her own. It wasn't until the red glow of the setting sun shone on her arms that she belatedly realized how much time had passed.