"Sp-sp-spend the night... in my room?!"
Before Kiana could even process what Bronya meant, she was suddenly hit by the duck's ultimate assist—er, wing-woman move.
Caught completely off guard, a massive blush instantly spread across the girl's snow-white cheeks.
"Huh? Sleep in Kiana's room?"
Lynelle was also stunned for a moment.
After all, her original plan was simply to seize the chance to stay the night here, then sneak into Kiana's room in the dead of night to check if there were any issues with the girl's memories.
But this bold suggestion from Bronya... was truly outside Lynelle's expectations.
While staying directly in Kiana's room would certainly make Lynelle's plan much easier and reduce the risk of being discovered, she had to consider the intel Welt had previously shared with her...
Would she end up getting 'eaten' by Kiana herself?
"This, isn't this a bit too..."
However, to Lynelle's surprise, before she could even voice an objection, Kiana beside her was already about to short-circuit and steam over.
Honestly, this whole situation could be entirely credited to the multiple specific 'super-effective' traits Lynelle possessed against Kiana.
After all, for the Kiana of her student days, when it came to people she liked, the normal state was wanting to stick to them like glue, just like she usually did with Mei.
But the problem was, Kiana's feelings towards Lynelle were just too complicated.
The sense of closeness brought by the Cecilia Stigma, combined with her yearning for a 'mother' figure, created a complicated sense of distance in Kiana's fondness for Lynelle.
Meanwhile, whenever Sirin herself faced Lynelle, she often took on the 'bottom' role.
Her one attempt at forcefully kissing Lynette was missing from Kiana's memories due to her own memory issues.
All these factors combined somehow made the current Kiana become the increasingly flustered one—though it did make this Paramecium cuter than usual.
'You idiot Kiana! I give you an opportunity and you don't even know how to use it!'
Seeing Kiana's utterly embarrassed state, Bronya couldn't help but slander this paramecium a hundred times in her heart.
She's all smooth and cheeky when pestering or teasing Mei, but put her in front of Lynelle and she turns into a total coward.
"Ah? It really does seem a bit inappropriate, doesn't it? Kiana looks so troubled... Maybe I should just make do on the living room sofa tonight. It's plenty big enough for two people anyway."
Seeing Kiana's state, Lynelle immediately felt much more at ease.
Pfft. She'd been worried earlier that Kiana might not be able to resist pulling her straight into some 'QQ space' mode, but now it seemed... that worry was completely unnecessary.
Well then... she could safely agree with Bronya's proposal. After all, a Kiana this 'bottom' was a rare sight. Lynelle wanted to tease her a little more.
"N-no, I'm not troubled! I'm just a bit nervous about sharing a bed with Lynelle, that's all... It's fine, really! Lynelle should just rest in my room!"
Just as expected, the moment Kiana heard Lynelle considering sleeping outside, she immediately cast aside her useless shyness, mustered her courage, and tried to persuade Lynelle to stay.
"But... my sleeping posture might not be the best... I hope you won't mind, Lynelle."
"Don't worry, I'm the same. As long as neither of us makes fun of the other, it'll be fine."
Watching Kiana appear so thoroughly 'bottom,' Lynelle relaxed and laughed.
Witnessing this scene from within Lynelle's system, the customer service rep Kiana-chan also started laughing with a 'knowing' tone.
--+--
In reality, when Lynelle finally entered Kiana's room, she realized that, in a way, Bronya hadn't been wrong.
Perhaps due to a certain Paramecium's inherently lively nature, or maybe because Kiana still harbored dreams of sharing a bed with Mei when rooms were assigned, Kiana's room did indeed contain a very large double bed.
It was even spacious enough to sleep three girls of Lynelle and Kiana's age comfortably.
So in theory, Lynelle and Kiana could maintain a 'safe distance.'
But as everyone knows, something being theoretically possible doesn't mean it works in practice.
After witnessing the once-in-a-century 'Kiana-bottom' state, Lynelle, her confidence swelling like a pufferfish, actually started taking the initiative.
After all, if she missed this golden opportunity to tease Kiana now, what if they became more familiar later and Kiana turned 'top' like Sirin?
The memory of that near-kiss forced by Sirin was still vivid. This time, Lynelle decisively learned her lesson and decided to 'strike first' while she had the chance.
And so, just as Kiana stood there blushing slightly, unsure what to do, a pair of pale, slender arms actively snaked around Kiana's slim waist, which didn't have an ounce of spare fat.
Then, Lynelle closed the distance and hugged her.
"Eeek... mmm..."
Kiana's body stiffened almost violently for a moment before slowly relaxing.
"Hehe, I had a feeling before that hugging Miss Kiana would be really comfortable... Trying it today, I was absolutely right~"
"Ly-Lynelle... why so sudden...?"
"Is Kiana shy? Hmm... Actually, I'm really shy too~ But just thinking about being able to hold the cute Kiana as I fall asleep... well, the excitement definitely wins out in the end~"
"Gulp... M-me too..."
As much as she didn't want to admit it, the moment Lynelle hugged her, an exceptionally intoxicating sense of security instantly filled Kiana's heart.
So much so that, even though her words were still hesitantly questioning whether to refuse, her body automatically snuggled closer into Lynelle's chest, finding the most comfortable position, letting the girl's faint, pleasant scent envelop her senses.
In a daze, Kiana felt as if she wasn't in the dormitory, but in some narrow prison cell, huddling together with Lynelle for warmth.
In the blink of an eye, she felt as if she had returned to a time long past, curled up in her mother's embrace, basking in maternal affection.
Kiana didn't know if these scenes were dreams from her half-asleep state or midnight fantasies. But one thing was certain: the moment Lynelle held her, her previously somewhat restless heart immediately calmed down, and she sank deeply into sleep.
"Huh? Kiana?"
Before she could enjoy the softness of Kiana's body for long, Lynelle noticed that the once-embarrassed, hitched breathing of the girl pressed against her chest had now become steady and even.
"She fell asleep already? Hmm... Could she have been that tired?"
"Ah well... Since Kiana's already asleep..."
Feeling a bit regretful, Lynelle had to stop her mischievous hand that had been wandering around Kiana's waist. Instead, she focused on controlling the Herrscher of Corruption authority within her core.
"Let me see now... just what is wrong with your memories..."
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.