Just as Bronya was showing Seele around St. Freya Academy, on the other side, in a corner of St. Freya Academy's courtyard, Van stared at the delicious dishes in his lunchbox, which Raiden Mei had carefully prepared for him, but he wasn't in the mood to enjoy them.
Because compared to the delicious lunch, what was happening right in front of him now clearly mattered more to him.
Thinking of this, Van instinctively raised his head and looked not far from him.
There... a certain white-haired bunhead was holding her lunchbox and wolfing down food, her face occasionally showing a satisfied expression.
Although yesterday, due to a series of coincidences, he had basically had a brief lunch encounter with Kiana, even so, Van still felt somewhat off.
No matter whether it was from Raiden Mei's conflicted expression, or the powerful aura emanating from Kiana, all of it indicated that she had most likely already recovered her memory.
But the appearance the girl in front of him showed was no different from usual. Still just as loud and carefree, still just as thoughtless...
You could say, if it weren't for his senses being sharp enough, he might've still mistaken this girl for the past version of her who'd get pulled out of class for sleeping and made to write reflection essays.
Logically, with Kiana acting like this, Van should be relieved.
After all, Kiana didn't show any signs of displeasure or resentment after regaining her memories, or feeling deceived.
Let alone acting like Mobius, who wanted to trick him into her lab every other day.
But then again, what's unknown is always the scariest.
Until Kiana clearly expressed her attitude, her needs, Van's heart would always remain uneasy.
He kept worrying whether the current situation was actually just the calm before the storm.
Of course, another possibility also existed. That Kiana was currently at the edge of fully regaining her memories, just one trigger away.
But very quickly, Van denied that idea himself.
After all, believing in that would be no better than believing he could build a army among these wildly different girls.
———
On the other side, as if she'd sensed Van's gaze, Kiana turned her head and, with her mouth stuffed full of food, mumbled, "Van, what are you looking at me for? Is there something on my face? Also... are you sure you don't wanna try the sweet and sour ribs Mei made? They're super super tasty!!!"
After hearing what Kiana said, Van appeared calm on the surface like a seasoned veteran, but in reality, the heart hanging inside him had just died a little.
Because the moment Kiana was able to call out his name, it meant she was no longer affected by the "Curse of Forgetting."
Which also, from another angle, meant she had already remembered the past.
On the side, Raiden Mei looked at Kiana with a complicated expression. 'Kiana clearly knows about me and Van... so why can she still act this carefree? Or maybe...'
Thinking back to the promise the three of them once shared, Raiden Mei's heart grew even more unsettled.
At the same time, Himeko also felt incredibly awkward inside.
She took small sips from her canned beer, her eyes drifting between Kiana and Van. After all, not long ago, Kiana was just that little girl she used to catch writing reflection essays.
But now, with her memories returning, that little girl had instantly become the hero who once led the world across the Apocalypse.
That enormous shift made it hard for Himeko to adjust her mindset.
And the most ridiculous thing was... it was highly likely that in the near future, she might even have to compete with her most beloved student for a man?
———
Compared to the other three, Ivana's expression looked much calmer.
At this moment, she seemed like an emotionless eating machine, pretending like she didn't see anything.
Of course, that didn't mean she had changed her nature. Those who knew her well understood, this was all just an act.
Upholding her professional standards as a joyful onlooker, she didn't let a single extra expression slip.
But as time passed, Ivana knew she would eventually lose control. Because the scene before her was simply too exciting.
Raiden Mei's inner turmoil, Himeko's restlessness, Van's feeling of sitting on pins and needles, and then there was Kiana, who seemed carefree but possibly deeply calculating...
She couldn't wait to see the moment when this paper-thin veil was finally pierced.
Crunch!
Ivana bit through the crispy egg roll in her mouth, thinking,
"Come~ Let the love triangle get even more intense!"
———
"I'm full! As expected of Mei's love-filled bento~"
Feeling satisfied, Kiana closed her lunchbox, and just as she was about to take a sip of water, she noticed everyone around her staring at her.
Faced with everyone's gazes, Kiana touched her face in confusion. "Is there rice stuck on my face?"
Her words made everyone freeze for a moment.
Then after a pause, Himeko put down her beer can and hesitated as she began, "Kiana... right now, are you actually...?"
"Huh? Himeko wants to ask about my memory, right?"
Kiana wiped her mouth with a napkin and said casually, "Yup, just like everyone guessed, I remembered some things... Honkai, Herrschers, that final battle, and..."
Saying this, Kiana turned to look at Van, and her gaze suddenly became somewhat unreadable.
"That idiot who secretly sacrificed himself to create a new world..."
———
Kiana's subtle expression almost made Ivana laugh out loud from excitement.
'Here it comes, here it comes! The drama is about to begin!'
She already imagined Van being surrounded and attacked by all these women.
Thinking of that, Ivana couldn't help but pop a bottle of champagne in her mind in celebration.
'Finally! Finally it's time for my favorite 'women fighting over a man' scene!'
———
As Kiana looked at him, a sense of dread instantly rose in Van's heart. Because he was all too familiar with that look in Kiana's eyes.
Every time she made up her mind to do something, that's exactly the look she had.
"After all this, I've come to understand one thing."
Kiana held her lunchbox, looking seriously at Van. "The emotional connection between people has its limits..."
Van's heart thumped. 'Why does that line sound so familiar? Is the next one going to be "I'm done being human" or something?'
"So!" Kiana suddenly raised her voice, startling Ivana out of her daydream, "If single-line connections aren't stable enough, then why don't we just connect multiple lines instead!"
Ivana, '????'
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