Although Kiana loved food, she wasn't actually a big eater.
Even after starving for a whole day, she only finished a standard meal along with a small dessert. After eating her fill, she felt completely satisfied—and immediately wanted to slump back into her seat.
Unfortunately—
There was no backrest.
Kiana nearly fell flat on her back.
At the critical moment, she grabbed Hikari Aoi's arm to steady herself.
Luckily—
Hikari Aoi wasn't an ordinary person.
Otherwise, that sudden yank wouldn't have saved her—it would've dragged him down with her.
Letting out a small sigh of relief, Kiana realized she'd just done something pretty stupid.
Then she remembered—
The guy beside her wasn't just the one who treated her to a meal.
He was also—
Her "creditor."
Her attitude instantly became much more obedient.
Though—
Her eyes kept drifting toward him, secretly observing his expression.
"Finished eating? Then let's go."
After paying the bill, Hikari Aoi stood up.
Kiana hesitated—
Then obediently followed behind him.
Once they stepped out onto the street, she moved closer and asked in a low, uncertain voice:
"Where are you taking me?"
Hikari Aoi had expected her to bounce back into her usual energetic self after eating.
Instead—
She seemed weaker.
He stopped walking, turned around, and looked her up and down with interest.
"Why don't you guess?"
"…You're not taking me to the police station, are you?"
"Because I broke into your dorm, you're going to have me arrested? Was that just my last meal before execution?"
"The police don't execute people immediately after arrest. There's a process."
Hikari Aoi paused deliberately—
Watching her tense up.
Just as she was about to protest, he continued:
"You've got quite the imagination. I'm not taking you to the police."
"Sure, you did cause some damage earlier, but it's within what I can handle. That 'one hundred million' compensation was just a joke."
"So—do you want me to take you home? Or should we part ways here?"
Hikari Aoi didn't fully understand Kiana's situation.
From what he remembered—
She would eventually transfer to St. Freya Academy, and then the Third Honkai would occur.
As for the details—
He didn't know much.
After all, this world had originally been a game, not a novel. The official manga was slow and inconsistent—constantly retconning things.
There was no way he could remember everything.
"I… I don't have a home here."
Kiana's voice grew even softer.
Hikari Aoi frowned slightly.
At this moment—
The pitiful look on her face made it impossible for him to keep teasing her.
His earlier behavior hadn't come from malice—
But because—
In his heart—
Kiana was special.
If it had been anyone else trespassing—
He would've simply kicked them out.
Not spent this much time with them.
Put simply—
Because it was Kiana—
He wanted to tease her.
Hikari Aoi thought back to what he knew about her.
Her current identity—
Wasn't something to casually talk about.
Her mother, Cecilia—once the strongest S-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal—was already gone.
Her father, Siegfried—
After the Second Honkai—
Was in a bad state.
The exact details—
Hikari Aoi didn't know.
After all—
Siegfried wasn't a Valkyrie.
And her true identity—
Was an even greater tragedy.
Hikari Aoi let out a quiet breath—
Then reached out and gently patted her head.
In the past—
In the game—
He had done this countless times.
Back then—
He was touching a screen.
At first, there had been haptic feedback.
Later—
Even that disappeared.
But now—
He could feel it.
The warmth of her hair.
The softness of her white strands.
And beneath it—
Something not completely hidden:
Confusion.
Unease.
Kiana had traveled all the way here alone.
She wasn't as carefree and energetic as she appeared.
Her clumsy behavior—
Wasn't true stupidity.
She simply didn't like thinking too much.
Otherwise—
There was no way a girl who had lost contact with her only guardian—
Could survive on her own this long.
Or travel all the way to Nagazora.
Even if—
Schicksal had been secretly guiding things.
Hikari Aoi didn't believe her journey was entirely her own choice.
Someone had been pushing things behind the scenes.
Yes—
That someone.
Otto Apocalypse.
If he got too involved with Kiana now—
There was a chance Otto would notice him.
That could create unpredictable risks in the future.
But—
Should he really cut ties—
Just because of that possibility?
If that were the case—
Then he shouldn't have approached Raiden Mei either.
After all—
Her father, Raiden Ryoma, was connected to Anti-Entropy.
Hesitating.
Doing nothing.
Hiding in the shadows like a nobody—
Waiting until he became strong enough—
Only then stepping out?
That kind of path—
Would mean watching countless tragedies unfold.
Missing countless moments.
And more importantly—
No matter how much a normal person trained—
They could never reach that level of strength.
Hikari Aoi's power came from Friendship Supply.
And to gain Friendship Points—
He had to interact with these girls.
From the very beginning—
He had no other path.
And—
He had already chosen it.
"If you don't have a place to stay…"
"…would you like to stay with me for now?"
"There are plenty of empty rooms in my dorm building."
Hikari Aoi looked at her—
Smiling gently.
In his own mind—
He probably looked heroic.
Resolute.
Someone who had made a decision—
To face unknown risks.
But—
From Kiana's perspective—
It looked completely different.
She wrinkled her nose—
And stared at him suspiciously.
"…Are you plotting something shady?"