Chapter 218: Don't Look
"Stelle, stop sleeping. What's been wrong with you these past few days? Why are you so depressed?"
Himeko rapped her knuckles gently on Stelle's door before letting herself in, her voice a soft mixture of concern and chiding. She found the gray-haired girl burrowed under a mountain of blankets, a motionless lump on the bed.
"It's nothing… I just got lost on the journey of life." Stelle poked her head out from under the covers, her golden eyes half-lidded as she blinked owlishly at Himeko.
A helpless sigh escaped Himeko's lips. "So, Stelle," she said, her tone tinged with amusement, "have you found your way home yet?"
"Ah—I've found it…"
Reflecting on the decadent, do-nothing lifestyle she had embraced for the past few days, Stelle finally resigned herself to the truth. She had transmigrated. And not just any transmigration—it was the currently trendy 'isekai via cosplay' variety.
The realization had dawned on her after she'd attended a convention. One moment she was posing for photos, and the next, she'd woken up here, her appearance a perfect match for the Honkai: Star Rail protagonist she was dressed as—right down to the name. Her first thought was that she'd been dropped directly into the game's universe.
Panic had set in immediately. How was she supposed to fight an Emanator, let alone an Aeon? She was just a regular person!
Later, she discovered she wasn't on the Astral Express, and this world had no Aeons to speak of. While a wave of relief washed over her, it was followed by a faint pang of disappointment.
The real confusion began when she ventured outside. Her adoptive mother was Himeko. Welt Yang lived next door. And Mr. Yang had adopted two children—March 7th and Dan Heng—who also happened to be her closest friends. Stelle's mind had short-circuited. Was this Honkai: Star Rail or some bizarre parallel world?
It took her three full days of hiding under the covers to accept reality. Since the heavens had seen fit to make her Stelle, she might as well make the best of it. She would simply continue her Trailblazing journey in this world.
Step one: leave the comforting warmth of her blankets.
"That's good to hear. March 7th and Dan Heng have been very worried about you. They're waiting outside, so hurry up and get ready to see them." Himeko patted Stelle's head, her smile warm. With a final encouraging look, she closed the door and left.
"March 7th, Dan Heng, you're here." After finally emerging from her room, Stelle spotted the two of them sitting on the living room sofa, engrossed in the television.
"Stelle, you're finally up!" March 7th bounced to her feet and skipped over, her pink-and-blue eyes wide. "You haven't left the house in days! I thought you were planning to hibernate. And it's not even winter yet."
"Humans don't hibernate, March, even in winter. Don't just assume Stelle is a cold-blooded animal," Dan Heng corrected as he also stood, his calm gaze settling on Stelle. "Have you been feeling unwell?"
"Dan Heng, so you actually see me as a human!" Stelle exclaimed, a little too surprised. 'I thought that as a Trailblazer, I'd be some kind of Stellaron-infused being in this world, too. Turns out I'm just a person.'
It made sense, she supposed. A world without Aeons wouldn't have Stellarons, either.
March 7th gave her a complicated look. "Did you really think you were an animal that could hibernate?"
"Not really," Stelle said, stroking her chin thoughtfully. "I just feel like my identity should be a bit more special. I mean, as a novel protagonist, if you don't have one or two hidden backstories, three or four arch-enemies, five or six close friends, and seven or eight lackeys, you'd be too embarrassed to even call yourself a protagonist."
"Stelle, were you always this narcissistic, thinking of yourself as a protagonist?" March 7th tilted her head. "Then what about me and Dan Heng? Are we two of your five or six close friends? Wait, that's not right… we're still missing at least three. Where are you planning to find them?" She started counting on her fingers, looking at Stelle with genuine curiosity.
"Please don't include me in your bizarre character settings," Dan Heng interjected, his tone flat.
Stelle completely ignored his weak verbal protest. "Hmm… I don't have any leads yet. But to be a protagonist's friend, you need to meet at least one of three criteria: be exceptionally strong, have a unique identity, or be really good-looking." She nodded to herself, as if finalizing the rules.
"Mhm~ You're right!" March 7th nodded enthusiastically. "Looks like Dan Heng and I meet all three criteria. We're destined to be your friends, Stelle!"
"March, do you and Dan Heng have unique backstories?" Stelle asked, a flicker of genuine puzzlement in her eyes. 'Weren't they just orphans adopted by Mr. Yang in this world? Could they have hidden identities, just like in the game?'
"If that's the case," she mused aloud, "then who's actually the protagonist here?"
"No… not at all!" March 7th's voice was a little too quick, a little too high. "But, you know, in novels, orphans usually have some kind of special backstory. Maybe one day my or Dan Heng's biological parents will show up and ask us to inherit their billion-dollar fortune, haha."
Something was off. March 7th's reaction was all wrong.
Stelle's gaze sharpened, and she stared at her friend, her eyes searching for whatever she was trying to hide.
Under that focused, unblinking stare, a bead of cold sweat trickled down March 7th's temple.
'Why is she so sharp all of a sudden?'March began to panic, screaming internally.'Himeko, I can't hold out much longer! Get in here, quick!'
She shot a desperate, pleading look toward Dan Heng, only to find, to her utter dismay, that he had already turned his head away, his eyes fixed on a particularly interesting spot on the wall. He was clearly leaving her to her fate.
Fortunately, as if she had finally heard the frantic plea, Himeko walked back into the living room carrying a tray.
"I had a feeling you hadn't left yet, so I brewed some coffee. Want a taste?"
The moment Himeko's words registered, the color drained from March 7th's face. She waved her hands frantically, her voice a strangled squeak as she rushed to refuse.
For a terrifying second, she couldn't decide which was the greater threat: Stelle's piercing interrogation or Himeko's coffee.
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