His Nee-chan might truly be a bit of a deviant, but Shiraha was definitely still just a kid.
Back to business. On the other side, Grey Serpent was slightly surprised. "You've been to school before?"
That didn't add up, wasn't Bronya supposed to have been learning assassination techniques ever since Maxime took her in?
School?
Of course, Maxime was a good person, he probably genuinely wanted her to study.
But his health was failing, and he didn't have enough savings. Before he could hope for Bronya to become something better, he had to teach her how to survive.
Bronya spoke softly. "No. But I skimmed through the materials you gave me yesterday, it wasn't hard."
It really wasn't, just elementary-level stuff. Most of Bronya's time was spent flipping through pages.
She wasn't about to get tripped up by arithmetic or fractions. Middle-school material was a little trickier, but still a one-pass for her.
Grey Serpent was quiet for a moment. Bronya's learning ability was impressive, an unexpected bonus. Even for an outsourced member, the more capable, the better.
"Good talent." Grey Serpent never held back praise.
Bronya cut to the chase. "What about the collaboration? Did I pass?"
"I'll arrange a proper identity for you. You'll have a long-term assignment."
On August 18, 2010, Bronya officially joined World Serpent as an off-the-books operative.
She'd still need some training in emotional masking, of course.
But someone like her was necessary, because with Rin around, Shiraha had almost completely cut ties with World Serpent.
Clearly, Shiraha was level-headed, he wasn't about to risk letting Rin into the Elysian Realm just because of his relationships with the sisters there.
Bronya was quiet for a moment, then asked abruptly, "Does this count as being hired?"
"Of course."
Bronya spoke again. "Can I get an advance on two months' pay?"
She was short on money, desperately. Hacking was still beyond her.
Grey Serpent: ….
"We have treatments for Honkai erosion here."
Divine City Pharmaceuticals' rise was built on Honkai serum research.
Though the main goal was still the Stigmata Project, the serum research was a convenient front for squeezing funds out of Schicksal.
Two days later, Bronya saw the boy again, this time in a photograph. She was already in the Far East, at World Serpent's branch office.
Her uncle was at headquarters, where there were supposedly excellent Honkai scientists who treated their own people well.
…
On the other side, Shiraha dozed on the plane. He hadn't slept well lately, he wasn't sure what his Nee-chan was plotting, but when it didn't affect major plans, her mischievous side was especially pronounced.
Siegfried sat by the window, the old man clearly wanted to enjoy the view himself, with no intention of letting Shiraha take the seat.
"I wonder how much homework we've missed."
Mei muttered. Kiana turned to her with similar concern. "I wonder if my spot at work got taken."
It was the best-paying position she'd managed to keep after years of drifting around.
Back at school, Miyuki had been showing up frequently, even though Shiraha and Kiana were gone.
The once-lively club had grown quiet. Every day, it was just Yuna, and even Rin-nee hadn't been coming.
When Shiraha returned to school, Yuna was alone, packing up. The groups that used to gather were now scattered.
Mei stood at the door for a moment.
"Yuna long time no see."
Shiraha wasn't surprised. In a normal school setting, groups of more than ten were rare, they'd always split up unless it was a group activity.
Yuna's usually blank eyes lit up, but then her expression wavered, and her joy didn't seem to last.
Mei walked over quickly. "Yuna, you've worked hard these past few days!"
She hadn't actually worked hard, after Monday, when visitors realized no one else was around, she'd had a pretty relaxing week.
She'd gotten a taste of Shiraha's normal school life.
"It's nothing… it's just—" Yuna hesitated.
Mei frowned. "No one's talking to you?"
The young lady, who always seemed to be at the center of things, didn't actually understand social dynamics all that well. After all, she didn't really have any true friends.
Yuna hesitated for a long time. "Mei, it's not a big deal, but I think…"
She paused, gathering her words. Watching Shiraha and Kiana quietly return to their seats with faint smiles, she mustered her courage. "Mei.... you should be careful around Miyuki."
Mei: ?
Careful of her? Why?
Romance topics were a bit much for kids, but once she'd started, the courage came. Yuna let it all out.
"Yesterday, Miyuki came. She told me she has someone she likes."
Mei's eyes lit up with gossip, then she froze. Wait—no!
Before she could react, Yuna added, "She didn't say who, but on Monday, she showed up with a bouquet."
Mei's mouth dropped open. Who?
How old was Miyuki again?
If Mei remembered right, she was also in first year of middle school. Wasn't she embarrassed?
She looked beside her, Shiraha was already back at his seat, head down on the desk.
But maybe she didn't need to warn him. At lunch, Miyuki showed up.
The cute girl stood at the door, clutching a bright bouquet, her expression clearly excited. Red roses, carefully wrapped, with a ribbon tied neatly around the stems.
Shiraha blinked. Elysia blinked too.
"I really envy you sometimes, young and free, doing whatever you want."
Elysia feigned melancholy. "No one ever gave me flowers when I was little."
Mei stood up, her small frame scanning the room. The only boy in the class connected to Miyuki was Shiraha.
"Miyuki, we're still young. This is a bit inappropriate."
Mei forced a smile.
Miyuki stood at the door, pressing her lips together, her smile bright.
"It's fine, I just want to say thank you. I won't be too forward!"
Miyuki had always been bold. No matter what others said, she believed you should never hold back your feelings.
She hugged the bouquet tightly and darted past Mei.
At that moment, the most panicked person was Fu Hua.
Shiraha couldn't date, especially not an ordinary girl who couldn't handle a little teasing.
"S-sorry."
Fu Hua somehow appeared in Miyuki's path, lightly tapping her elbow. The tightly held bouquet fell to the ground.
Sorry, little girl, your pure feelings might be precious, but Shiraha can't date someone who can't take a hit.
A crimson feather was about to fall when Fu Hua caught a glimpse of the card among the petals, two names: Kiana and Shiraha.
Fu Hua: ….
She felt a little out of touch with the times.
But Mei grabbed Miyuki's shoulder again, her cheeks flushed, practically shouting that Shiraha was her future husband.
"Sorry, Mei-senpai, but I think some things have to be said out loud."
Mei huffed. "But you've barely known him! I won't allow it."
Mei's refusal made sense, he was her little brother. And Kiana had her own deep connection with him too.
Miyuki didn't argue further.
She bent down to pick up the bouquet.
But when she looked around, it was gone.
Petals, stems, ribbon, card, all vanished. The floor was empty, save for a few scattered rose petals.
She panicked, but the floor was bare.
Then,
A hand reached out to her.
Shiraha turned his own card face-down. He'd almost forgotten that Miyuki, in the original story, was not only bold and low-DPS, but also a bit fickle.
But he remembered his image.
"Red roses symbolize love, passionate, romantic, and full of fire."
Shiraha said softly. While Miyuki was still searching, he'd somehow crouched in front of her.
He held the bouquet neatly, his smile bright, the kind that made people feel at ease.
"Though roses can be used to say thank you too, at our age, it's still a little inappropriate."
He straightened the bouquet, his smile radiant. "How about waiting a few years, Miyuki?"
She was about to speak, but Shiraha offered the bouquet back to her.
The boy smiled brightly. Just then, Kiana, who'd been on the sidelines, came over and rested her head on Shiraha's shoulder, backlit by the sun.
Miyuki blinked, somehow, Shiraha and Kiana together always gave her a sense of comfort.
Shiraha's tone was gentle. "Right now, whether it's Miyuki, Mei-nee, Kiana, or me, none of us are ready to take on a lifelong commitment."
"Uncle Siegfried taught me that kids' tender hearts love to make promises they can't yet keep."
Shiraha refused decisively. Miyuki's DPS was too low, and her ceiling too limited, she'd been shot dead by a gun in the original story, and even as a zombie, a single bullet had taken her out.
Miyuki didn't respond, she just stared at the bouquet, then at Shiraha and Kiana, who seemed to have noticed the card.
She suddenly felt that this scene....
Was perfect.
She didn't need to be in the middle. She didn't need the bouquet to mean anything more.
"Yeah!" She nodded firmly. The bold girl's smile was radiant.
Maybe.... she should go pick some cherry blossoms for Shiraha and Kiana. The goddess of cherry blossoms would surely bless them.
She accepted the bouquet.
Just then, Kiana spoke up. "Speaking of which, Miyuki, you don't have much to do after school, right?"
Miyuki nodded. That was true, the Far East had a strong culture of tutoring. Students tutored each other, or went to their homeroom teachers, or signed up for outside academies.
Her grades were decent, though, she was the type who studied hard at school. Not that she had many friends there anyway.
Kiana reached out. "How about coming to work with me after school? If your grades slip… we also have a study group."
"Can I join?"
Kiana answered without hesitation. "Of course!"
Though the study group was organized by Raiden Mei, Kiana wasn't too fond of chuunibyou Mei, she preferred the gentle ones, like Shiraha.
She stood beside him. Miyuki looked at Shiraha too. He chuckled. "My grades are pretty good, if there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me."
"Yeah!" Miyuki nodded firmly again, looking at the two standing side by side, hugging the bouquet tightly.
After it was all over, the one who sighed in relief first was Fu Hua.
Then Kiana.
She muttered quietly, "If it were for me, that'd be one thing, but I feel like she's thanking Sirin."
Shiraha glanced at her.
Kiana looked at the clock, class was about to start, and Miyuki was long gone. She let out a long breath, then grinned and bumped Shiraha.
"How does it feel to be confessed to?"
"Actually, it was you on the card. I saw it."
Well, there was Shiraha too, to be precise, it was Shiraha and "Sirin." Quite the imaginative girl, wasn't she?
Huh?
Kiana was stunned for a moment, then she seriously considered it, and shook her head like a rattle. "No way, Miyuki and I wouldn't get along. She's way too passionate."
Shiraha's lips twitched. "I was joking. Even if she confessed, it'd be to Sirin, but Sirin definitely can't accept."
The bell rang, class was about to start, but they still had a few seconds. Kiana asked curiously, "Why—oh, right, Sirin's a girl too."
Girls didn't usually accept confessions from girls.
Not that many people were gay, anyway.
As Shiraha headed back to his seat, he casually dropped, "Sirin and I have a promise, and it seems to mean a lot to her."
What did that mean?
It meant that Sirin's heart was already largely occupied by Shiraha, though the way he'd done it was a little unconventional.
But Shiraha was proud of that. If he could shape the world the way he wanted with just a few moves, he'd gladly give himself to it.
Just then, the teacher walked in, followed by a girl with twin drills.
"Everyone, settle down. We have a new student today, her grades are excellent, so you can learn from her."
"Bronya, come up and introduce yourself."
The girl stepped forward, her gaze calm as she swept across the room, pausing briefly on one direction before withdrawing.
"Bronya Zaychik."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it was clear.
She needed a role that let her stay close to Shiraha without the Herrscher of Corruption noticing anything off. She paused, wrote her name on the board, and then, in front of everyone....
"Shiraha, please take care of me."
Elysia: ?