"The Himeko-sensei of this world must also be a gentle person, right?" Kiana☆ propped her chin on her hand, her eyes filled with anticipation for this world's Himeko. Even her tone softened.
"Mhm, Himeko is indeed gentle." Fu Lin nodded, but his tone suddenly shifted. "But if she offers you coffee, it's best not to accept it."
Afraid Kiana☆ might be too soft-hearted to refuse, he quickly added, "If you can avoid it, do. And if you really can't… call me."
"Why?" Kiana☆ blinked, tilting her head in confusion. "Don't tell me the coffee made by this world's Himeko-sensei tastes that bad?"
Fu Lin recalled the last time that deep brown liquid had assaulted his taste buds, and he couldn't help but shiver, his tone carrying the trauma of someone who'd barely survived.
"How should I put it... It's about on par with the food I cook."
Hearing that, Mei☆ lightly tapped her chin with her finger, frowning thoughtfully as if analyzing a plan.
"Then... it must be pretty terrible."
After all, Fu Lin's cooking had long been an unspoken horror among their group.
So, they started chatting about how to politely refuse without hurting anyone's feelings.
While listening to their conversation, Fu Lin's thoughts began to drift,
'I can't wait to see Welt's face when he sees me tomorrow. Always-composed... what kind of expression will he make, I wonder? Heh heh heh heh...'
Thinking about it, Fu Lin's lips curled into a mischievous smile.
He suddenly remembered something and scratched his cheek with a finger, muttering inwardly, 'I wonder if that Luocha fellow actually read the letter I sent to Welt.'
"What's making you smile like that, Fu Lin?" Elysia was the first to notice his little smirk. She leaned over, tilting her head curiously. "Are you thinking about something fun~?"
Fu Lin coughed lightly.
"It's nothing. You'll find out tomorrow."
Fu Shi caught that sly grin he couldn't quite hide and grabbed his cheeks, pulling them apart teasingly.
"You're not planning to prank Welt, are you?!"
Fu Lin winced in pain, quickly batting her hands away as he rubbed his reddened cheeks.
"Fu Shi, are you reading my mind?"
"Read your mind, my foot!" Fu Shi rolled her eyes, though not truly annoyed. She just arched a brow and said, "With how obvious your face is, you might as well write your thoughts on your forehead."
At that, Mei☆ hesitated slightly.
"Pranking Welt? That doesn't sound very appropriate… he's an old man by now."
Kiana☆ sighed helplessly, though she didn't try to stop him. She simply warned, "Fu Lin, don't go too far."
"Relax, I know my limits." Fu Lin's eyes gleamed with mischief as he rubbed his cheek. "At most, I'll just make him recall his 'lost youthful days.' Nothing too harsh."
Fu Shi leaned closer, her tone filled with curiosity.
"What exactly are you planning? Give me a hint."
"Nope~" Fu Lin deliberately drew out the word and lightly tapped her forehead. "You'll just have to watch tomorrow."
"But I'll say this now, if Welt starts chasing me, you all better hold him back."
"Why should we?" Fu Shi swatted his hand away but couldn't help asking, "At least tell us what you're doing, or I'm not helping."
"It's gonna be fun, trust me!"
Fu Lin patted his chest in reassurance but refused to say another word, his grin impossible to hide,
Tomorrow was destined to be a day Welt would find... hard to accept.
....
By the window of the Astral Express, Welt furrowed his brows slightly, absently rubbing the bridge of his nose, as if something was bothering him.
Himeko approached, carrying two steaming cups of coffee. She handed one to him with a teasing smile.
"We'll be seeing March and the others soon. Why do you look so troubled?"
Welt accepted the cup instinctively. Feeling the warmth through his fingertips, he frowned faintly and said, with a hint of unease he didn't even notice himself, "I don't know why, but I have this strange feeling... like there's some kind of 'surprise' waiting for me in Luofu."
Himeko rested one arm on the window frame, tapping the rim of her cup thoughtfully before chuckling.
"Maybe March secretly prepared something for us. She mentioned that Fu Lin and Fu Shi are in Luofu too."
"Fu Lin... and the Herrscher of Sentience..."
Welt nodded slightly, then took a small sip of his coffee, and immediately froze.
That all-too-familiar, indescribably bitter taste slid down his throat, making him frown instinctively.
The odd sense of foreboding from earlier was instantly drowned out by the taste assaulting his tongue.
Suppressing his discomfort, he set the cup down, fingers slightly stiff, and glanced at Himeko with helpless resignation.
....
The next day, Kiana☆ and the others followed March 7th to the port of the Starskiff Haven.
As soon as they arrived, they spotted Himeko and Welt standing not far away. March waved excitedly.
"Himeko! Uncle Yang! We're here!"
"March, finally." Himeko smiled and waved, her gaze sweeping over the group before lingering briefly on Kiana☆. "Hmm~ aren't you going to introduce your friends?"
"Of course! Though you already know Fu Shi!" March hopped between them, wrapping her arms around Kiana☆ and Sirin's shoulders, her eyes curving into crescents.
"This is Kiana☆, and this is Sirin, Fu Lin's little sister. This is Raiden Mei☆, she's amazing at cooking! And this pink-haired beauty like me is Elysia!"
Welt's gaze landed on Sirin. Adjusting his glasses, his fingers tightened slightly around his cane as he asked, voice tinged with uncertainty, "The Second Herrscher?"
Sirin crossed her arms instantly, her expression full of disdain and a hint of provocation.
"Hmph. What, seeing me makes you nervous☆?"
The air tensed for a moment. March tugged on Stelle's sleeve and whispered, "Uh-oh... this atmosphere feels weird. Are Uncle Yang and Sirin gonna fight?"
Welt sighed softly, his tone complicated. After a pause, he looked carefully at Sirin, as though confirming something.
"You... seem different from before."
Sirin just snorted. She had no intention of chatting with Welt, turning her head away from his hesitant gaze.
Meanwhile, Himeko's eyes lingered on the group before settling on Kiana☆, finding a warm look in her eyes.
Kiana☆'s cheeks flushed slightly. She scratched her head shyly and murmured, "Himeko."
Welt turned his gaze from Sirin to Kiana☆ and Mei☆, his tone gentle and nostalgic.
"Kiana☆, Mei☆... it's been a while." Mei☆ nodded slightlu.
"Teacher Yang, it's been a while."
"Yeah! After you left, Dr. Tesla's been complaining about you non-stop!" Kiana☆ leaned forward with a grin, mimicking Tesla's voice with exaggerated drama, "'That Joachim guy disappeared again! Does he even remember where home is? Just wait till he gets back, I'll give him a piece of my mind!'"
"Uh..." Welt froze for a second, pushing his glasses awkwardly. His mouth twitched, and though his tone carried helpless amusement, there was a touch of fondness hidden beneath.
"She hasn't changed... fiery as ever. Good. That puts me at ease."
Just as the group shared a warm laugh, before they could even see, they heard him first, a drawn-out, teasing voice drifted from afar.