In the end, only after Yuki and Momo both tried to talk her down did Lala finally give up on the idea of sitting with him.
Under Mafuyu Kirisu's arrangement, Momo and Nana were seated together, while Lala was placed next to a female classmate.
It was worth noting that seating in the class was generally organized as boy-boy or girl-girl; Yuki was the only exception, seated next to a girl. After getting the seats sorted, Mafuyu left the classroom, handing things over to the teacher for the next period. Before she departed, she shot Yuki one last look—clearly, she had her eye on him now.
Yuki let out a helpless sigh. Somehow, he had been silently branded as some kind of playboy. It felt like a real injustice.
Once the teacher arrived, the class settled into a normal lesson. Yuki kept an eye on the three sisters. Aside from Nana, both Lala and Momo paid fairly good attention.
Nana, on the other hand, just wasn't the studious type. That didn't mean she wasn't smart—far from it. All three sisters were highly intelligent.
They had been created using Sephie's genetic material. Besides inheriting her beauty, additional adjustments had been made based on Tearju's research, raising their potential to a level beyond even the gods. Without any outside help, the three sisters could reach power surpassing that of divine beings.
Tearju hadn't done anything overly complicated. Over the years, she had continuously studied materials Yuki provided—data related to transcendence. Through countless experiments, she had achieved real results.
After refining her methods, she successfully produced Lala and her sisters. Their success validated her designs. Eventually, even Eve and a few others underwent the same adjustments, raising their potential to a transcendent level.
With such immense latent ability, learning Earth's basic school material was effortless for the three sisters. Whenever a teacher called on them, they could answer fluently, leaving the other students stunned. After watching for a bit and confirming there were no issues, Yuki turned his attention to the group chat.
The chat was lively as usual—even more so since March had joined. Looking through the recent messages, most were from March, sharing scenic photos of the planets she had visited since Yuki left the Honkai: Star Rail world, along with pictures of people she had met along the way. From what Yuki could see, March had already traveled to five planets in the time he had been away.
March: "I've reached Star Level now! Come on, praise me~ (wink)"
Raiden Ei: "That was fast! You haven't been in the group long, and you're already improving so quickly. Kinda jealous."
Huaizhu: "Jealous +1. March, you're way too fast."
Artemis: "So jealous I could eat a lemon!!! (frustrated)"
Seitenshi: "Keep it up, March. I'll be waiting for you at the Super-Universe Level~ (smile)"
March: "Uh… that's still a long way off. You're stronger than my cheap dad at this point!"
Saeko: "Hehe, at your current level, March, there aren't many people in your world who can threaten you. And if you run into someone you can't beat, just call for backup. You've got us."
Galacta: "Exactly. I've got tons of points, so I can show up anytime. And I can try some good food from other worlds while I'm at it. (drooling)"
Akane Nishino: "Galacta, let's be real—you just want to taste exotic dishes from other worlds, don't you?"
Marika: "Haha, Nishino, don't call her out like that~"
March: "Hehe, you guys are the best! But don't worry—if I run into trouble, I'll bother this guy. @Yuki"
Saeko: "Oh? You'll bother Yuki? Seems like something interesting happened while we weren't looking."
Seitenshi: "Yeah, it does~ (smirk)"
March: "Ahh, it's nothing, really~ (blush)"
Yuki: "What's there to be shy about? You're already this strong. Aside from the Aeons, who could even beat you? (rolls eyes)"
Huaizhu: "Oh! Yuki appeared!"
Marika: "Welcome, group leader! Have you eaten yet?"
Lilis: "My lord! Lilis sends her regards! (excited)"
March: "But what if one of the Aeons actually steps in?! Aren't you going to take responsibility or something?! (pout)"
Saeko: "Oho~ 'Take responsibility,' huh?"
Seitenshi: "Ooh la la~"
Galacta: "I smell drama."
Huaizhu: "Waiting for tea +1"
Athena: "(eating melon)"
Marika: "March dear, care to spill the details for your big sis?"
March: "Ahhh, don't stir things up, you guys!"
Back in the Honkai: Star Rail world, March was sitting on the sofa in the parlor car, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. Thinking back to what had happened in the bathroom with Yuki that day made her feel restless and warm.
Yuki: "Aeons? What's there to be afraid of? Isn't Aha around? Let them handle it."
March: "Aha? That guy is totally unreliable! He's always bragging—says he's seen the end of the universe, claims he's bros with HooH, and stuff like that. I get the feeling all he's good for is blowing hot air and backstabbing. Not reliable at all!"
The moment Aha came up, March launched into a passionate rant. Yuki couldn't help but chuckle when he heard that. It was perfectly in character for Aha.
If that guy actually spoke plainly, that would be strange. Still, the bragging didn't really matter—Aha was bound by the rules Yuki had set and couldn't harm or scheme against the Express crew.
While Aha wasn't exceptionally strong, neither HooH nor IX, the top-tier Aeons—were likely to step in easily. Aha was more than enough to deter the other Aeons. So March's worries were completely unnecessary. The real reason she brought it up was to test how much Yuki cared about her. Seeing right through her, Yuki sent another message.
Yuki: "Alright. If you ever run into real trouble, I'll step in even if you don't ask. Don't worry, silly girl. (helpless)"
March: "Hehe, that's more like it~ (satisfied)"
Sitting on the sofa in the parlor car, a sweet smile spread across March's face as she read Yuki's reply. She reached up and touched a necklace around her neck—a crystal pendant shaped like a star. Yuki had given it to her before he left. Though he hadn't explained what it was for, March knew it was a gift from him—a charm to protect her.
The fact that Yuki had given her something like this told her she held a special place in his heart, a thought that filled the girl with warmth. "Hehe, I bet I'm the only one who got something like this! That nasty woman Kafka definitely doesn't have one."
March was certain Yuki had given it only to her—that Kafka had received nothing. Meanwhile, on the other side of the universe, Kafka and Silver Wolf were aboard a ship, heading to their next mission. Out of nowhere, Kafka sneezed.
"Ah-choo!"
"You catch a cold or something?" Silver Wolf looked over with a puzzled expression.
Kafka waved a hand dismissively. "Maybe someone's thinking of me."
"Thinking of you? Sure. Half the universe wants to catch you and turn you in for credits."
Kafka just smiled faintly, not bothering to respond. It was clear the two of them were talking about two very different things.
"Since when did you start wearing a necklace? I never noticed." Silver Wolf's eyes caught a beautiful necklace around Kafka's neck, and she tilted her head curiously.
"Someone gave it to me." Kafka smiled, her tone teasing as she glanced at Silver Wolf. "If you like it, Silver Wolf, I could ask him if he has another one."
"Nah. Something tells me getting something like that would come with a price."