Honkai Impact 3rd: The Girl Who Chases the Flame

"You're the one who should let go of my messy hair! How dare she hang up on me!"

"Calm down, Dr. Tesla, smashing this phone won't do you any good."

…………

Kosmo

This is a well-known coffee shop in the area; besides coffee, the only main dishes are noodles.

The owner is a stunning beauty, which attracts many male customers. Many people speculate that the owner is not very good at cooking, which is why the menu only includes noodles.

But the coffee she makes is delicious, and she makes different flavors of coffee every day depending on her mood.

Moreover, the timing of her shop opening is uncertain.

Everyone says that the shop owner is actually a rich man's daughter who is not short of money at all, and opening the shop is just a hobby.

But when lucky customers arrived at her shop, they watched her skillful movements as she brewed coffee, as adept as a seasoned barista with decades of experience.

The shop owner would chat with these customers in a great mood. She was very knowledgeable and could talk about all sorts of things, from various industries to history and geography.

Young male customers often use this as a topic of conversation, showing it off to their friends. Female customers also enjoy drinking completely different specialty drinks with their friends while discussing current trends with the owner.

As dusk approached

"..."

There were no customers in the shop. Today was a local traditional festival, and residents were rushing to the city center to watch the parade.

It's unlikely that anyone would want to try their luck at this store at this time.

The shop owner has long black hair, and her emerald green eyes give her a somewhat magical look. She wears a golden snake-shaped earring on her right ear.

She is indeed a rare beauty, and those who have been fortunate enough to see her all praise her for it.

"Ring ring..."

The wind chimes at the entrance rang, followed by a lively, almost excessive, voice.

"Senior, senior! This is it! Wow, how lucky, it's open again today! The owner is a real beauty, the coffee is delicious, and she's really good at chatting with people!"

Carol walked in with great interest.

The shop owner looked up and smiled.

Although she had received many compliments, this was the first time she had received such direct and straightforward praise.

She knew this girl; she had visited the place by chance a few days ago and chatted with her for an afternoon.

She didn't dislike this kind of lively girl, and...

Actually, they had met this morning, but Carol didn't know it.

"I'm sorry, manager, my junior has caused you trouble because of the loud noise."

Adam followed him in, and his first reaction was not to sit down, but to apologize.

"Hey, senior, you really don't trust me at all, do you?"

Carol clearly had a strong opinion about this.

“Miss Carol is very lively and adds a lot of energy to my shop. How could she possibly cause any trouble?”

The store manager smiled, gestured for the two to sit down, then hung up the "Closed" sign at the door and closed the door.

"Huh? Are you closing down? Have I caused you trouble, sister?"

Carol scratched her head sheepishly.

"How could this be..."

The shop owner smiled again.

"But I already have guests... why bother entertaining another group?"

This is completely illogical for someone who owns a shop, but it sounds so natural coming from her mouth.

What would you two like to drink?

"Of course it's the owner's special blend!"

"Special selection?"

Adam paused for a moment.

"The store manager will make a special cup of coffee according to her own mood, and it is said that everyone's coffee is different."

Carol chuckled.

"Okay, then I'll have the shop manager's special blend. Thank you."

Adam nodded. He wasn't particularly concerned about these things, but he always felt that the store manager was looking at him strangely.

just like……

It's like looking at another person through him.

"Okay, two special drinks."

The shop manager still had that smile on her face. She made coffee for the two of them and didn't rush to close up shop. Instead, she sat at the bar and chatted with them.

.........

"You know what? Actually, that person..."

"Ah, I know..."

"Yesterday in Asia..."

"Huh? I know that..."

……

Perhaps because the store manager was really good at and enjoyed chatting with people, it wasn't until two hours later that Adam realized it was getting late.

He hurriedly prepared to get up and say goodbye, pulling the reluctant Carol and the shopkeeper along as they parted.

"that……"

Before leaving, Adam couldn't help but ask,

Have we met somewhere before?

"Who knows? Maybe we've seen each other on the street once... Fate is a wonderful thing."

The store manager smiled slightly but did not explain.

She watched as Adam led Carol out of the coffee shop, without ever trying to stop him or introducing himself.

Perhaps, this is just her personal habit.

Adam thought to himself, but in the end he didn't ask the shopkeeper's name. Carol wanted to ask, but forgot halfway through.

.........

The store manager took off his glasses, let his hair down, took out bubble wrap from the locker, and sat alone at the bar, popping it together, lost in thought.

This was a habit of an acquaintance of hers from many years ago, and she inherited it, along with her appearance.

And at some point, she began to resemble the person she once admired, able to understand others' feelings and effortlessly build relationships with them.

It's not about deliberately imitating; it's just that when a child truly grows up, some people will live like their parents because that's the person they admire most, the ideal version of themselves.

Only when you accept the past, overcome the pain, and begin to look forward to the future can you honestly accept the most beautiful memories hidden deep within your heart, memories that are accompanied by pain.

Perhaps it's out of longing, or perhaps it's just a faint thought in my heart, but I always hope that they can leave something behind here.

That's how she became the "she" she is today.

Meludina Carl von Linnaeus stood up, exchanged a glance with the person at the door, and gave a slight smile.

"Ring ring..."

"If you don't mind, how about we open for business one more time?"

Raiden Mei sat down at the bar, a knowing smile appearing on her face.

"Although, I don't have any horns for you to touch."

"If it's Mei, I might reluctantly give her a hug as payment for the coffee, okay?"

Melutina smiled.

"Really? But I heard someone say that I'm already at the age where people call me 'Auntie'."

Raiden Mei rested her chin on her hand, revealing a malicious smile.

"That's Dr. Tesla exaggerating."

Melutina had no intention of admitting it. She took two glasses from the refrigerator, poured in red wine,

"Now, it's time for adults."

"I don't usually drink, but..."

Raiden Mei raised her glass and clinked it against the person opposite her.

"If it's you, I'll make an exception. It's been so long, I'm so happy to see you."

"Me too, it's been a long time, Mei, you look even more beautiful."

Meltina looked at Raiden Mei, who was both familiar and unfamiliar to her, and smiled from the bottom of her heart.

"By the way, could you please pass something on to me?"

"I?"

"Yes, it's a sword called 'Trial of Divine Fire'."

Melutina smiled.

"Give it to your teammate; he's a perfect match for this sword."

…………

P.S. At the request of readers, I wrote a heartwarming epilogue about the post-collapse story. (。ˇεˇ。)