Honkai Impact 3rd, a simulator of lifelong regret!

Effort itself is not a panacea. Just like for a rich person, the best choice is to be a good-for-nothing. If they want to do business and prove themselves, they might be the fastest way to squander their fortune.

Unfortunately, the girl at that time felt ashamed and embarrassed to say these words. It seemed that she subconsciously took her instinctive behavior as proof of shamelessness, and continued to deny herself and feel sorry for herself.

Even the sudden, violent pounding of her heart, her biting her lips still damp with suspicious liquid, worried that she might leave her for such a ridiculous reason, or that her impression of her might worsen.

Even though he had already proven to Wilvi that he would never and absolutely never leave, he still subjected her to some brutal physical punishment after she regained her strength. He forcibly put a soft whip in her hand that would not harm her body but would cause her a lot of pain, and she was told not to hold back.

The girl takes this matter very seriously, and it's something she can only be extremely serious about when it comes to her own safety.

It can only be said that she truly lives up to her reputation as Velvi. She uses this method to alleviate her excessive negative emotions, subconsciously deny her own feelings, and incidentally, she can also gradually train herself into a pervert that only she can satisfy in exchange for adding new insurance to that absolute and never-ending promise.

As for Raiden Mei...

The boy silently watched the girl out of the corner of his eye, then, just in time, a gentle breeze blew through the open window, causing the warm-colored tassels to flutter.

Her soft purple hair swayed gently, and her appearance, which defies description with any word other than cute, revealed a calm expression as she focused on reading.

The evening sunlight and warm breeze illuminate a graceful young woman savoring a dessert. Her long, flowing black hair sways gently in the sunlight, and the dappled colors of the sun give the scene an aged feel, as if it were about to become an eternal moment etched into a painting. Even if the world is destroyed and time comes to an end, this scene will remain unchanged.

Until a movement broke the silence, drawing the boy's focused gaze, and following the shop's set menu, he completed the half-finished product himself.

Spread these colors on soft, warm bread. The food made with buckwheat, rice buckwheat, and winged buckwheat is exquisite enough to be outlined with crisp and soft white chocolate and then sprinkled with blood-red icing to enhance the beauty.

The only pause was at the very last step of putting the food into her mouth—her raised, deep purple eyes proved that the girl had noticed her gaze.

"Eh……"

"You like it..."

"It's nothing, I was just thinking how cute Mei is."

……

Do you like this dessert?

The thought should have been forming in a very short time before it was uttered, but the girl couldn't even say it; it was stuck in her throat.

There wasn't even a chance to respond; a straight ball, something that had never happened before, at least not in Jiangcheng, had already been hurled at them.

Ignoring the girl's face that flushed instantly, and even the silver spoon in his hand that slammed onto the table, Jiang Cheng, who had already been turned into a pervert by Alicia, still had some room to be ruthless.

—I still don't have enough goodwill.

Ultimately, they can't be considered true friends.

The fear of revealing one's vulnerable side to someone important actually represents the inability to do everything for that person, and the willingness to show everything about oneself, even in a vulnerable state.

It is precisely because they cannot wholeheartedly believe that the other person has the will to support them no matter when or where that they fear showing a pathetic side in front of them, and whether they will be disliked or resented.

As expected, the time they've known each other is still rather short, unlike Kiana who has known each other for several years from the beginning. Isn't half a month enough?

Let's try to find a solution.

They are at least very important friends; even including those in the simulation, they are among the only four people in the world who would take him out to eat.

Velvi, Alicia, Mebius... Even though he had already become a high-ranking member, he didn't have anyone else to guide him simply because he didn't want to.

As someone with immense power, every word and action, even the slightest hint of interest, is enough to make countless people speculate. The "sugar-coated bullets" are never just simple gifts; rather, they find what the person likes most and subtly present it to them in a way that is irresistible, so that by the time the person notices, they are already deeply involved.

But does this really make any sense?

A walk that is merely a way to be flattered is more like a dinner party in essence.

Hmm... The best way to ensure Raiden Mei's dignity is to prevent the girl from having to talk about it or encountering bullying.

Perhaps we can make use of Vilvie's wisdom. That girl's talent isn't some locked-door wisdom; even if it's just a little bit, it's still at an amazing level. She could even piece together a Gundam from a pile of scrap metal.

Perhaps we could create a drone with a few weapons, modeled after Velvet, to monitor Raiden Mei. Each time she might encounter someone who could harm her, the drone could preemptively kill or prevent them.

Forcing Raiden Mei to talk about her past problems is the most foolish thing to do; it would be better to erase the matter from the beginning.

In any case, Raiden Mei's problem manifests itself in the way that she chooses to hide the fact that she has been bullied and is not telling others about it.

Why not just leave it as is? Just like the best assassination method is to kill everyone, making it impossible for any witnesses to exist.

I feel like my current behavior is somewhat in line with preconceived notions. Korean time travelers love making money, Japanese time travelers love romance, and Chinese time travelers love killing entire families.

I don't know who spread the rumor, but they said they'd kill his whole family.

Jiang Cheng's fingertips gently tapped the edge of the table, adjusting the power emanating from the Star Sea Harmony. While retracting the barrier that had been projected dozens of kilometers away, he also emitted a crisp sound that was insignificant enough to convey his thoughts to the person so close to him.

"Um……"

"Looking at the time, our dessert shop trip is almost over. Mei, where should we go next? As an expert, do you have any recommendations?"

……

170. Mei, you shameless bastard!

Perhaps they were too attached to this moment of gentleness, for even the midday sun seemed soft and gentle, unlike before when they treated the world with any intensity. It simply brushed against their bodies with a gentle breeze, dispelling the chill. The girl who first heard the words was even somewhat reluctant.

Even the time spent together under the shade of trees, with the breeze bending the grass and creating gentle ripples on the lake, cannot fully compare in terms of the ambiance of a dessert shop specifically designed for lovers' dates.

It wasn't about hiding in the shadows and escaping alone; knowing that there was still something to face, this moment felt like stepping into another world, like truly saying goodbye to all sadness and despair.

has it ended?

that's true……

This is only the second stop.

You can't possibly spend the whole day in a dessert shop.

The girl's face still glowed with the color of the afterglow of the setting sun, and even her delicate earlobes, hidden by her hair, were the same color. Her skin, like that of a white jade fairy, seemed not to exist in this world, but instead added a touch of vitality, giving her the feeling of someone who walks in the world.

The blush that had just been praised as cute hadn't faded yet, and the small compliment from the expert after the lesson brought a whole new sense of happiness to her.

"Hmm... experts or whatever, but I do know a scenic road here, and there's also a photo booth at the destination."

"If you'd like, we might be able to take some photos together as a memento."

"—Then what are we waiting for?"

……

Jiang Cheng stood up, stopped tapping his fingers on the table, and stretched his body, which was slightly warm from the candlelight. Xinghai Xielu, who was hiding in the blind spot and responsible for keeping an eye on the safety of the two of them, was also completely withdrawn.

The Divine Key, which had just undergone an act that could be described as torture and punishment, remained as ordinary as ever, still reflecting the light of the dark night sky.

"Since it's a scenic spot that Mei mentioned... I'd like to know what kind of scenery Mei, as an expert, would describe."

"It should be just as good as Tokyo Skytree and Senso-ji Temple, two place names I once heard about in a novel."

Eh……

Has Jiang Cheng read that novel too?

Sakura and the little monster embark on a grand escape into the sunlight.

Aside from the ending, it's a fantastic novel from beginning to end.

Raiden Mei's unconscious thought process only lasted a moment, before her body had already instinctively responded to the boy.

"Ok."

……

After finishing the last serving, Jiang Cheng and Raiden Mei left the dessert shop and stood on the somewhat empty street once again.

This time, perhaps because I had a clear goal and the whole journey was about that goal, my pace was no longer as sluggish as before.

The girl carefully stepped across the pool of water left by last night's rain with her long, slender legs, maintaining the demeanor of a well-bred young lady, without splashing a single drop of water, yet allowing the calm surface of the water to reflect a purple glow.

The exquisite handbag—a gift from her father before he went to prison—was carefully held in her hands as if it were a treasure. Although what the girl cared about was no longer the gift from her father, but rather the new gift preserved within the old one.

Between the rising and falling skirts and feet, spring, which is always reserved, suddenly reveals itself. The sound of dew dripping from the eaves fades away in an instant, and the long street in the sunlight seems to be stretched very far away in slow motion.

There's not much to describe about the scenery along the way; at least for Jiangcheng, it's not even as appealing as the school environment.

The atmosphere of a prestigious academy, its leisurely schedule, and the courses and timetables that he had never even dared to dream of before were a completely new and exciting experience for him.

The scenery along the way is breathtaking for the average person, enough to make them stop and linger. They might marvel at the ripples created by cherry blossoms falling on the lake in spring, or be awestruck by the Tyndall effect of the dark sunlight piercing through the water and spreading out in the endless ripples. Those with a bit of culture might even be able to utter a few lines of ancient poetry to express their feelings.

Unfortunately, Jiang Cheng has already traveled all over the world twice. As a teenager, he had a complete self, but it was a rather unpleasant and immature journey. As an adult, after dying once, his emotions were bound, but it was a very beautiful and mature journey.

It was a journey composed of countless things: summer, the sea, the sky, clouds, breeze, mountains, forests, fireworks, sunset, starry sky... I thought it had resolved all regrets and left no sadness behind.

Although it turned out to be an arrogant idea, the fact that such a thought could arise given so many regrets and knowing exactly how much emptiness existed between him and the girl is itself an acknowledgment of the journey.

The impact of the beautiful scenery is even more intense when it happens twice in a row, once at normal times and once after everything has been destroyed.

If he weren't a product of another planet, he probably wouldn't be amazed by any scenery anymore, not to mention the special factor of emotions.

……

The scenery along the way was ultimately just an extra, not even enough to slow down the pace. It could only serve as a topic of conversation, although most of the time Jiang Cheng was the one providing the relevant introductions, using Wilvi's wisdom to provide a tool for communication when he was with another girl.

It might sound a little strange, but using one girl's things to communicate with another girl, and even spending time together one-on-one.

Anyway, it's just a simulation. Vilvie has been dead for 50,000 years. What remains in Paradise is merely a memory, ultimately just a shadow of the past.

The two people entered the audio equipment store one after the other. The photo booth machine was placed in the middle of the store, which was a very common practice in the last century. Most stores would put an entertainment device in their stores.

Even now, many large shopping malls or entertainment centers still provide photo booth machines for high school students to use.

As an activity that has almost never faded, it is, in a sense, associated with youth, just as diamonds are associated with marriage.

Things that seem meaningless can become more precious than gold once they are connected with something meaningful.

The interior design remains outdated, unchanged by the times, and once the curtains are drawn, it becomes a place shrouded in darkness.

While part of the reason is that this street was originally designed specifically for nostalgic elderly people, otherwise, even if the existing facilities are sufficient and therefore will not be increased, just as a light bulb factory with too high a quality will go bankrupt, it does not mean that the shape of the light bulb will not change.

Jiang Cheng was in a dark cubicle. He could feel the girl standing next to him so close that he didn't even need to turn around or reach out. It was like the feeling of thunder on a rainy day.

Perhaps when the girl named Raiden Mei was known as the Queen of Thunder, she was as sharp as thunder. Now, all that remains is the despair and gloom of someone who has been hiding in the dark clouds for too long.

Having already had contact with Alicia that went far beyond what ordinary lovers should have, the girl's body fragrance during this close contact was not enough to make Jiang Cheng panic. Even if he might feel a little mentally disturbed, because it was the first time he had been so close to a girl of similar age in reality, his body's instincts had already adapted automatically, and he was even calm. His threshold, which had been raised too high, could no longer express any stimulation.

After all, what matters more than all this mess is how you pose in a cubicle that can fit two people to create a lasting photo. Perhaps because it was designed for interaction between friends or even lovers, the area for activities is deliberately made very small, enough to create different poses. But no matter what you do, there will always be some friction between your clothes.