After Otto left, Kiana pushed herself up from the ground with her hands, instantly back to full health. She curiously poked the large bump on Ryn's head, making Ryn suck in a sharp breath from the pain.
"Stop poking, I'm going to die if you keep poking."
"Ryn, you've got a head full of bumps just like that... that Great Buddha statue! I thought I'd only see this kind of thing in anime."
"That's because we're in a 2D world." Ryn slapped away Kiana's mischievous little hand, then pulled out his phone to have Cortana check if the money was still there. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw it was. Then he saw a text message from Amber, and Ryn's little heart skipped a beat.
"Insufficient funds, energy shortage, Honkai outbreak. The Bishop told me to think of a way to punish you, so I've rejected your proposal for the A-rank Valkyrie battlesuit. Go build it yourself."
"???"
Ryn replied to Amber with three question marks, but it was obvious Amber wouldn't pay him any mind. After all, stealing so much money from Schicksal's head housekeeper, it was a mercy she hadn't sent a Valkyrie squad to kill him.
"Kiana, oh Kiana, we're going to be broke! It's not going to be easy to grab money from Schicksal anymore." He gently kneaded Kiana's little face; the soft, doughy texture was irresistible.
"Who told you to be so greedy? You got caught, didn't you..."
"Weren't you the one who thought it would be fun to prank Otto and added those few items? Otherwise, the amount wouldn't have been so high."
"Forget it... if the money from Schicksal is gone, it's gone. It's not like we can't spend all the money we have now, right?" Kiana felt a little guilty, mainly because she found that making Otto uncomfortable made her happy. As for money, Kiana herself was indifferent. She was only responsible for spending it, and besides, they earned a lot from selling games, more than they could spend.
"That's true, but who would complain about having too much money? It's really satisfying to watch the bank balance displayed by Cortana keep rising. Forget it... if we're short on money in the future, we'll just have Cortana rob the national treasuries of other countries. Let's wait. We'll continue having fun when Kika wakes up."
A dozen or so minutes later.
Kika woke up in a daze, her head still a bit fuzzy. Kiana's Iron Mountain Back-fist had sent her flying, and she'd hit her head.
"Here, red bean rice cake soup... I'm sorry. Please don't sneak attack me next time, I just reacted instinctively..." Kiana placed the red bean rice cake soup in Kika's hands, then bowed in apology. This was something she learned from the locals: there's nothing a bow can't solve, and if there is, just bow again.
Kika took a sip of the red bean rice cake soup, then pouted and said, "It's too sweet, it tastes awful. Stupid Kiana... Forget it, it's not the first time you've knocked me out anyway. I forgive you!"
Hearing Kika forgive her, Kiana's face lit up with a happy smile. Then, holding Ryn's hand with one hand and Kika's with the other, she started running excitedly.
"Let's go, let's go, there are still so many places we haven't seen at the Summer Festival! Let's have fun today!"
"You jerk, don't pull me! I haven't finished my red bean rice cake soup!"
————————
Time flew by quickly. The trio ate their way through all the food stalls. Every time, Kika would protest that she wouldn't eat, but her hands would naturally accept the food. However, as happy as Kiana and Ryn were eating, Kika was just as miserable. Because her stomach was still that of a normal person, she couldn't eat that much and could only watch the two of them feast.
Soon, it was time for the fireworks display. The three of them went to the beach and waited for the fireworks to begin. The beach was already crowded with people, all there to see the fireworks.
During the fireworks festival, there would be many fireworks displays. The colorful fireworks looked incredibly beautiful in the summer night sky. The fireworks were not only large and vibrant, but also came in many special shapes like hearts or other intricately designed forms.
Ryn and Kiana sat shoulder to shoulder, whispering to each other. Mushoku "Fatty" Kika was too full to move, so she took out her sofa and lay there.
Before long, the fireworks display began. One after another, huge, magnificent fireworks shot into the sky, then bloomed into beautiful patterns, dotting the hot summer with splendid flowers.
Fireworks are fleeting, but bonds are forever. Fireworks are beautiful, but their existence is a mere bubble, gone in a flash. Human emotions, though invisible and intangible, will always exist as long as they are present, and will not disappear with the passage of time. (They will only be transferred to a new object.)
People's gatherings and partings are as brief as fireworks. Fireworks shine brightly for a moment and then vanish; they are the most ephemeral. Encounters between people are just as fleeting.
So never neglect the person who is willing to watch fireworks with you, the person who stays by your side.
As the fireworks display was about to come to an end, Ryn and Kiana silently turned to look at each other, their gazes filled with tenderness.
Ryn caressed Kiana's face, and Kiana closed her eyes, enjoying the moment.
Suddenly, she opened her eyes, but her gaze was somewhat dim. She grabbed the hand Ryn was using to stroke her face, her voice a bit hoarse.
"Ryn... if... if I become someone who is no longer me... will you leave me?"
Ryn was stunned. What was happening? Wasn't this supposed to be the exciting moment to confess? Why did she look like she was about to die?
"Stupid Kiana..." Ryn pinched her cheek, then leaned in and kissed her. Kiana's eyes widened, but then she slowly closed them, wrapping her arms around Ryn and starting to savor his taste.
This was their first kiss, both of their first kisses.
Nearby, Kika covered her face with her hands, but her fingers were wide apart as she secretly watched them kiss. Damn it, that damn Kiana, she really just tricked me into being a third wheel, bullying me, a single dog!
After a long while, their lips parted. A glistening thread of saliva stretched between them, sparkling under the light of the fireworks.
"Kiana... I will never leave you. We will be together forever and ever. I'm a clumsy person and don't know how to please girls. I can only stay by your side, laugh with you, cry with you...
Kiana, do you know? When I first came to this world, I was very excited because I thought I might save the world like a novel protagonist. But in reality, I was more afraid, filled with confusion and fear of the unknown... But when I opened my eyes and saw you, I realized that I wasn't so confused and afraid anymore, because at that moment, I had already obtained the greatest treasure in the world.
If... if you become someone who is no longer you, then I will be even less likely to leave you. I will help you find yourself again. You won't become anyone else. You are unique. You are you. You are Kiana Kaslana."
Looking into Ryn's sincere eyes, Kiana's heart beat even more fiercely than when they had kissed. But she felt something surging in her mind... her consciousness gradually became a bit blurry...
But none of that mattered anymore... Kiana grabbed Ryn's face and kissed him too.
"Then you have to promise to find me..."
This time, the kiss didn't last long. Kiana suddenly pushed Ryn away and ran off, leaving him touching his lips and wiping away blood. What happened now... why did she suddenly bite me... Ryn was completely baffled.
Equally baffled was Mushoku Kika. Strange... I clearly remember Kiana having blue eyes. Why were the eyes of the person who just ran past golden...