Honkai Impact 3rd, a simulator of lifelong regret!

That's incredibly rude.

Raiden Mei could only keep her head down, burying her face in her chest—so large it could even cover her entire face. Her heart pounded erratically. She bit her upper lip, the soft, rosy flesh pressing closer to the boy beside her, as if trying to use the warmth to dispel the coldness in her body.

Despite attempting to rely on the Herrscher body of a Star Herrscher, even the body possesses an ocean-like coolness, which is akin to turning on an air conditioner in the dead of winter, but not for heating, but for the most basic cooling.

Perhaps it wasn't so foolish after all, because after only a moment's hesitation, the boy responded as he wished, tightening his grip on the girl's hand that was holding her fingertips, unlike before when only one of them was simply holding on.

It is no longer a one-sided desire. Although it is only about holding hands, it is the first time that the boy has responded through physical contact.

Her pearly teeth gently bit her rosy lips, a gesture that had become almost a habit for the young girl. However, her subconscious act of raising her head brought this self-torturing tenderness to a standstill—the boy so close was clearly reflected in her deep purple eyes. He moved closer step by step, seemingly unaware of his own movements, and at that moment, even his breathing could be clearly detected.

The girl leaned over, willing to become a complete pervert, actively following the boy's breath. Her warm breath gently touched his flushed earlobe, creating a chemical reaction with his delicate skin.

In an instant, even her slender, elegant swan-like neck turned red, yet she continued her pursuit, secretly gazing at the boy's profile. His pupils, even under the blazing sun, remained dazzling, otherworldly.

Even if it's just a thought in my mind, the moment I realized I was being held, it was as if sunshine had suddenly arrived, dispelling all the coldness.

The sun, which was already so close, seemingly within reach, yet still so warm, was touched for the first time.

Body……

It does seem less cold now.

……

Located in the heart of the old town, this amusement park, a part of countless childhood memories, has been well-maintained and, apart from its age, is not very dirty. You can even see the Ferris wheel that occupies half the sky.

Thanks to the differences in the world, most technologies were completed 50,000 years ago, and even products from a few decades ago are quite robust.

Emphasizing the midday sun, the Ferris wheel, which almost occupies half of the sun, slowly turns, reflecting the blazing sunlight. Its huge shadow is cast on the ground, making it look like there are two Ferris wheels when you look ahead.

The fountain square is bustling with people, and you can see middle-aged and elderly people with their children everywhere. The quiet streets are the only ones with a bit of life here. Thanks to the combination of nostalgia and entertainment, it meets the needs of both adults and children. At the right time, it seems particularly grand.

The musical fountain, illuminated by fireworks, was bathed in golden light, and the colorful balloons in the children's hands rivaled the vibrant neon lights of the night.

"Want some ice cream?" Jiang Cheng held the girl's small hand and breathed warm air into her delicate white earlobe. "Icy and refreshing, sweet and sour."

"If the dizziness isn't caused by a cold, then a little bit of something stimulating might be very effective. I've tried it myself!"

"Right here... just the beginning of spring?" Raiden Mei seemed a little hesitant, looking around and realizing that aside from the obvious summer pleasures of eating ice cream, even her clothes looked a bit out of place. Everyone else was still wearing cotton-padded clothes, or at least several thick layers.

Eating ice cream at this time, or having a cold drink when everyone else is still drinking hot water, doesn't that seem a bit too unconventional?

Even though the boy had always acted differently and was too lazy to integrate into the crowd like a normal Far Easterner, the influence of his long-term life here had not yet made him immediately revert to his old ways.

"Or," he asked to himself.

They seemed completely oblivious to or unaware of that hesitation.

"..."

"want."

The girl's final answer was an unwavering nod, without any hesitation or room for thought, simply looking directly into those eyes.

Compared to the gazes of others, the boy's question was the one that absolutely could not be denied; even if everyone else disliked him, he absolutely could not be disliked by Jiang Cheng.

That's right... Jiang Cheng turned to chase after the moving ice cream truck, but stopped before he could even take a step—the girl was holding his hand very tightly, as if he were clinging to the last straw on the edge of a cliff. For the first time, he couldn't even pull his hand out; instead, it seemed to trigger a stress response as it was buried in his chest.

Originally, she was just caught in a pincer movement when she was being restrained. Although it was indeed very soft, the range of motion was about the same as that of Alicia and Velvi. Now, the thing to do was not to enjoy that softness and size.

The boy tried to pull his hand away a few times, until the movement gradually increased to the point that it even caused his chest to heave. Only then did Raiden Mei release his hand as if she had belatedly realized something.

Although this movement, which should have been very fast, was performed with a sense of reluctance, as if there was glue stuck between the fingertips, making it difficult to tear them apart.

At least I've managed to free my hands.

It's simpler than Vilvi.

If it were either Velvi or Alicia, the person buying ice cream right now would definitely not be herself.

……

Although the mobile ice cream stand had gone a little further due to the earlier delay, it only took the vehicle a few extra steps to catch up.

The shop owner across the street had a strange look on his face. He couldn't believe that anyone would buy ice cream in this season. He had completely forgotten that he was also a strange ice cream seller.

Jiang Cheng, however, seemed rather indifferent. He selected a few of the most expensive items (excluding the mid-range and high-end models) from the transparent glass before turning and leaving.

The system automatically gave me a large sum of money after I transmigrated here. It wasn't enough to squander it, but it was enough to indulge in a little luxury in my daily life.

In the gaps between the crowd, Raiden Mei sat obediently on a bench, her hands folded on her knees. The wind blew her clothes and hair. As if sensing his gaze, she turned her head slightly and smiled faintly, looking like an official high-quality girl figure from some anime.

Pedestrians on the roadside gathered in small groups to chat, some looking annoyed and arguing with each other, others looking loving and wanting to stick together. Even middle-aged and elderly people could show youthful vitality.

"Mei, here you go." Jiang Cheng handed over the ice cream in his hand. It was a dairy product that he had specially prepared to eat with a spoon. It was not too cold, so it could provide just the right amount of stimulation and replenish some sugar.

Although the two had just left the top dessert shop on the next street, and everything else might be a little lacking, the sweetness would never be missing.

But since the girl is so sweet, and she was able to do such sweet things just now, choosing the sugar option is definitely the right thing to do when you don't know the answer.

“I just saw that there are quite a few amusement facilities here. Where do you think it would be best to start? Should we start with the easy ones and then move on to the difficult ones, or should we do something different?”

"I recommend haunted houses. I'm very curious about what kind of things these haunted houses from the last century can create using classic, non-technological products."

"I'm very curious."

……

The distance between us had narrowed, and it felt like reading a mystery novel that was never being updated. The boy struck a pose that I found intriguing.

The blinking, deep blue eyes were, in some ways, even more captivating than those purple eyes. At least when looking at them, the purple eyes could never be as clear as the purple eyes, which reflected the viewer's own vision while also possessing a certain turbidity and mystery, like the seemingly clear surface of the ocean concealing abysses.

Actually, it's just that the haunted house is the only attraction that gets overlooked during both of Alicia's trips—because the fairies in the park don't like horror, cruelty, or scary things, so they haven't been to any of the rides.

When possible, Jiang Cheng still hopes to choose some new things, not because he is too picky or his threshold has been raised, or because he has seen good things and can no longer appreciate bad or mediocre things.

It's simply because the raised threshold makes it difficult to respond to things for which we've already seen countless better outcomes.

Just as someone who has climbed a high mountain cannot feel joy when lying on a dirt slope, someone who has experienced beauty cannot easily return to suffering.

what……

The first step should be to go to the roller coaster.

Starting with a frightening and stimulating opening, followed by a soothing activity like a carousel, can achieve a special state known as the suspension bridge reaction.

That's what they say online and in books. After considering everything, didn't they expect the problem to arise in the very first step?

Fantasy is just fantasy. After spending more than half a month together, it was almost the first time that Raiden Mei had expressed her needs. Those pupils were so close that they seemed to be right next to her face, as if every breath she took could touch her cheek. What could Raiden Mei do when Jiang Cheng had made such a request?

I was very curious. She had already come up with this, and her serious expression instantly closed the distance between them. Even the energy-saving, lazy detective couldn't deny it. What could a mere insecure and useless girl possibly do?

The girl, who couldn't refuse—at least not any of the boy's requests—made a slight tremor of her lips before nodding her head without hesitation.

"Then... our first step will be to go to the haunted house."

"But Jiang Cheng-jun wouldn't want to see me get scared, would he?"

……

181. Is it too fast to develop feelings for someone?

"Jiangcheng-jun~"

"You didn't do this on purpose to see me get scared, did you?"

Raiden Mei's slightly puffed-up cheeks resembled those of a pufferfish, making one want to poke them and see if a large burst of air would suddenly escape.

Despite his seemingly complaining tone, the boy had no doubt that even if he said he wanted to deliberately see Mei's frightened expression, the girl wouldn't be dissatisfied at all. In fact, she might even go to some particularly frightening places later to make sure he would be scared and scream.

If we consider only the perspective of someone with an inferiority complex, or someone similar to Wilvi, they would probably be jumping for joy right now.

By expressing his demands and desires, he gave the girl room to ingratiate herself.

This is despite it not conforming to his usual behavioral logic.

It doesn't matter.

Using behavior as a guideline or a principle is not about adhering to it; it's simply a habit of living, just like opening your eyes before getting out of bed, folding your blankets first, always using your left foot to find your slippers when getting out of bed, and always filling your toothbrush before using your right hand to brush your left teeth first.

It's such an ordinary, default habit, it carries no weight whatsoever, and even if it's rewritten, there won't be any problems.

Moreover, even so-called persistence doesn't necessarily mean sticking to something to the very end. At least for ordinary people, nothing is so luxurious that it requires paying a price of all unpleasantness.

……

"Yes."

Without hesitation, his dark eyes accepted the lighthearted remark, which seemed like a joke to ease the tension. The smile that had remained in his body from learning from a certain girl, a skill he had once acquired through imitation, resurfaced on his lips.

That included purity and goodwill; it outlined a genuine and gentle act of help that was neither false nor illusory.

If I were to speak truthfully, I should say now—I didn't think that way; I'm just genuinely a bit interested in haunted houses.

But people don't need to live so transparently. If they present themselves perfectly and spare no effort, they will lose the opportunity to let others get to know them.

Compared to an absolutely smooth stone, straw with some chips, some roughness, and some broken pieces is obviously easier to hold.

"I really hope that Mei-san, who always looks so serious, can have a different expression on her face, not a gloomy or self-conscious expression."

“Fright, joy... I think whatever it is, it suits you better than being gloomy.”

……

"Eh……"

Seemingly, she hadn't expected such a response at all, and didn't think that the usually serious boy would give up his principles, implying that his words were just to ease his own tension.

The girl was momentarily stunned, her slender fingertips instinctively covering her mouth, only revealing her rosy lips through a tiny gap.

Until that slightly mischievous voice, which had appeared in my memory less than three times in all my recollections, clearly came to my ears.

Jiang Cheng extended his fingertips and gently pressed them against his chin, his thoughts seemingly stereotypical like those in an anime, yet revealing a hint of lightness.

"Although it wouldn't be in line with my persona if I didn't give a long speech right now, since you've agreed, let's express it with actions first."

"You know, haunted houses are a kind of scare too, and at certain times they might even have a more exhilarating effect than a cool ice cream!"

……

what……

because……