Honkai Impact 3rd, a simulator of lifelong regret!

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211. Raiden Mei decides to open the box.

Yes……

I can still go find Jiang Cheng.

……

The persistent, seemingly destructive voice that had been swirling within me disappeared, and the feeling that my spirit and thoughts were about to crumble and break down stopped in an instant.

It wasn't completely unharmed; I could still faintly smell the burning, almost-rotten odor, and shaking my head made me feel something about to break off.

Everything simply stopped, and things didn't get any worse. It was as if we suddenly saw a rope leading to the light, and once again, we grabbed onto the lifeline that was supporting us just before we were about to fall off a cliff.

The persistent dimness in the pupils disappeared, and although the light did not return and the erosion stopped at this moment, it still retained the last glimmer of light.

—Because my relationship with the boy wasn't that fragile.

—Because I also know how to find the boy.

The connection with the boy wasn't so short-lived that they could only chat on LINE, or meet because they were both students at school. The girl knew the coordinates written on her student ID, the boy's personal dormitory in Jiangcheng, and the only room he lived in.

Even if it's just one person's spying or unreasonable probing, it's still a way to find the boy and the connection and bond between them.

The most terrifying thing in the world is never that two people have a bad relationship, but that two people have no relationship at all.

As long as there is a relationship, there will always be opportunities to get along.

Even if you feel disgusted, at least it's within the sight of others.

This behavior will certainly provoke anger from others. Opening the box offline is simply the worst thing in the world. It is not a valid reason to do something as trivial as chatting on a mobile phone.

The girl knew better than anyone else in the world how despicable it was to secretly record someone's address and then sneak in without invitation; just thinking about it sent chills down her spine.

There was nothing she could do, nothing she could choose, and even the girl couldn't understand why she was trembling all over over such a small matter.

A lifeline may not want to be grasped, carrying a person's entire future, but if someone is still thinking so much when it comes to life and death, then they are truly beyond help.

Teenagers aren't some kind of monster. If we find a good way to make amends, even negative feelings can be corrected.

……

'Ah. '

A soft laugh drifted through the tranquil environment.

"I'm looking for Jiang Cheng."

Raiden Mei seemed oblivious, still talking to herself, her slender fingers stroking her chest to soothe her emotions, trying to make herself accept it. Compared to the fear and trembling all over her body, going to find the boy late at night without any demands was a more acceptable thing.

'Are you sure?'

A question still lingered in my mind; the voice of that unknown person speaking from the depths of my heart, like a question and answer to itself, had not ceased.

It seemed to be a noble voice from beyond the heavens, its thick tone and arrogance like that of an actor in a play, playing the leading role of a queen, haughty and aloof, with only that utter doubt and denial so obvious.

Do you really think a stranger who suddenly appears in your life is someone you can trust?

'He spent all your money, everything you had on you.'

……

—This was my own initiative.

The girl's eyebrows drooped slightly, her pearly white teeth gently biting her rosy lips; her overly cautious manner made everything seem even more intimate.

It wasn't out of any guilt, or because I was truly swayed by the inner voice, but simply because I instinctively chose to bow my head, even to my own inner voice.

'You're not actually expecting a gift from him, are you?'

'You're getting sillier and sillier. You actually expect someone who lets a girl pay for everything so readily to prepare an expensive gift?'

'I don't believe you couldn't see it. I don't believe you have absolutely no ability to read other people's emotions. You've really taken all that beating for nothing.'

Jiang Cheng showed no embarrassment or awkwardness whatsoever, as if he was already used to having others pay for him.

'What kind of person would get used to this kind of thing?'

'What kind of person can be so complacent?'

……

—I don't care.

—I'm going to find Jiang Cheng.

Raiden Mei simply continued with her actions, managing her emotions, comforting her heart, and accepting everything, seemingly having completely accepted the voice within her as her instinctive fear.

Even if you pay, even if you keep paying, no amount of money matters compared to the warmth and hope you receive.

Compared to the inexplicable, inner obsession with money, what truly disturbs the mind is one's own shamelessness.

in fact……

There's nothing wrong with going to the teenagers' dormitory.

You might even see some strange things...

For example, tissues in the trash can, sketchbooks under the bed, models next to the shop window, or even some unhealthy and strange things.

In light novels, when this stage arrives, the awkwardness between the two characters quickly increases their affection, and there are often some playful or teasing moments.

As for misunderstandings between the two parties, they might be seen as perverts who open boxes offline, but all they need to do is find a suitable reason to resolve it.

Certainly possible.

big deal...

……

'what……'

'I see.'

In a daze, the girl seemed to feel waves rising deep within her heart, like countless thunderclaps flashing, and the raging waves crashing down, accompanied by an extremely dark sky.

It was as if the gloomy sky, the raging winds and torrential rain were the real core, and the churning seawater was merely ripples stirred up by the wind.

Too complex, too wondrous, it's like a washing machine shaking wildly; the only thing that can be discerned is clear anger.

There was no pretense or mystification; it was like a newborn puppy that barks when it's unhappy, openly displaying all its emotions without any hesitation.

strangeness……

Raiden Mei's lips, which she had been biting lightly, unconsciously relaxed, and the thing that had been pushing her emotions to the extreme disappeared.

Moreover, it's not just that some kind of impetus disappears; it's as if the emotion itself vanishes in an instant, detached from the body.

The girl blinked gently, and the feeling of looking at the phone vanished in an instant; the water in the same container had been taken away by someone else.

An abnormal, stagnant calm returned once more, giving rise to a period of rationality and sagehood—it's not like one's mind would break down to this extent just because a message went unanswered. No matter how scared one is, one shouldn't be so easily alarmed by the slightest disturbance.

Actually, you could apologize to the boy tomorrow. You could just say that you broke the phone. It's only one night, so nothing is likely to happen. The more you care, the more likely problems are to arise.

Just like insecure people who always like to test relationships, unable to find confidence in themselves that the other person will love them, the result is often that their own testing wears down the other person's patience, and even the love from the heart disappears completely.

Lacking confidence to begin with, they lack a sense of security. Instead of trying to please others or improve themselves, they interfere with and test others.

Even if you are disliked or hated, there's nothing to blame.

……

Raiden Mei had only slightly regained some clarity of mind, having been pulled out of the confusion of the first person and entered the indifference of the third person, a stable, peaceful, and at least healthier state of mind, as if she had entered a state of sagehood and had already formed the best solution in her mind.

Although this peace lasted only a very short time, almost in the blink of an eye, the suddenly vanished emotions returned to the body once again.

In an instant, he went from being an observer to being involved, and his words of judgment about himself suddenly became heavy.

Frustration, confusion, unease... even the fear of being abandoned can instantly engulf all reason like a void black hole.

The idea of ​​apologizing to the boy tomorrow was shrouded in a self-righteous, detached aura, because if the boy cared even a little, the price he would have to pay would be beyond his means. Nothing is more terrifying than the unknown.

……

'disappear……'

'He's gone...'

Just as I expected.

'Then go find him, go find him quickly.'

The inner voice of denial vanished. The previous dissuasion, dissatisfaction with the boy, and mudslinging all seemed to have undergone a complete 360-degree reversal in an instant, leaving only support and impatient urging.

……

Did I convince myself?

Raiden Mei felt a strange sense of unease, as if the voice from within her own heart contained an inexplicable and overwhelming malice.

There was some sarcasm, some ridicule, some dissatisfaction, and one could even hear anger in it, the anger of a volcano about to erupt, while the outer mountains seemed calm and uneventful.

Now that she had convinced herself, there were no obstacles on her way to the youth dormitory. She took her first step, her full thighs arching back, until a strange sense of familiarity came from above her head.

Jiangcheng...

Jiangcheng?

Is it an illusion?

Raiden Mei subconsciously raised her head, witnessing the almost completely dark sky, her fingertips unconsciously wrinkling the leather as she gripped her empty wallet.

Her deep purple eyes, filled with misty vapor, reflected the brilliance emanating from the endless sky—a scene so vivid it seemed to be painted by a god, a sight that could be seen from anywhere on this planet.

In the endless, deep night, falling stars trail pink tails, releasing light and heat across the bombarded, pristine sky. The endless, dim twilight seems to be divided by the power of a fairy tale, with the clouds in two, using the still-falling meteor as a dividing line, painting the purest and most flawless colors on the sky as a canvas.

The brightness it brought in that instant was even more dazzling than daytime, illuminating even the shadows in the alleyways, yet it couldn't change the dimness in the girl's purple pupils in the slightest.

what……

what……