After breakfast, those who had to get to school headed out, and those with classes to teach followed suit.
Soon, only Raiden Ei and Yae Sakura were left in the dorm.
"Ei, would you like so tea?"
Even when staying at ho, Yae Sakura couldn't bring herself to sit idle. After ticulously cleaning the house from top to bottom, she had brewed two fresh cups of tea.
"Thank you." Ei took the cup from her and sat down on the sofa to watch TV.
A particularly lodramatic romance drama was airing. On screen, the lead actors were clutching each other in the pouring rain, wailing at the top of their lungs. The lines were so sappy they gave Ei literal goosebumps.
"Human emotions in this world... they are truly difficult to comprehend sotis," Ei muttered with a helpless sigh.
It seed that romance dramas in a world governed by Honkai were even more detached from reality than those in the real world.
"Is that so?" Sakura sat upright on the sofa, clutching her teacup, her gaze soft yet focused on the screen. "I actually think being able to express one's emotions so recklessly is a form of happiness."
Hearing this, Ei turned to look at her, her gaze turning complicated.
Was she serious?
Ei was about to make a quip about how the dialogue in these shows was pure fantasy, but then she caught a glimpse of the deep, inexplicable longing hidden in the depths of Sakura's teal eyes. The words died in her throat, and she fell silent.
She desperately wanted to tell her right then and there: in just two or three days, she might actually et an AI version of Kallen in the virtual world.
"Yae Sakura."
"Yes?"
"Are you thinking about Kallen?"
The hand holding the teacup stiffened slightly. After a mont of silence, Sakura gave a faint nod, the light in her eyes dimming a fraction. "Every waking mont."
"In that case..." Ei paused to gather her thoughts, then continued with a serious tone. "I believe... one day in the future, you might actually see her again."
"What?"
Sakura turned her head in shock, her eyes widening.
"In my world, there exists sothing called the Irminsul. Although my understanding of it is still lacking, I know it stores the mories and knowledge of all of Teyvat. The data and souls of those who have passed seem to sleep within it."
As Sakura listened, the light in her eyes grew brighter. Her gaze toward Ei was now filled with an indescribable mix of excitent and hope.
"Therefore, I believe that in this world—which is inextricably linked to ours—sothing similar might exist."
Ei looked at Sakura and said softly, "So, the person you care about... in the future, there may be a chance to et her again."
"I see." Sakura nodded, her spirit visibly lifting. "The World Tree... sothing like that exists in our world too?"
She whispered Ei's words back to herself, her excitent and anticipation becoming difficult to suppress.
"Yes."
Ei nodded, imdiately thinking of the Stigma System. Perhaps the Stigma System was simply the way the World Tree and the Ley Lines manifested in this particular world.
"Can you tell more about this?" Sakura asked softly, her gaze earnest.
"Of course."
Ei nodded and was just about to delve into the details of the World Tree when the dormitory door was slamd open!
"I'm back!!"
Kiana swaggered in, tossed her schoolbag onto the sofa, and plopped down right next to Ei.
"I'm exhausted! School is so draining~!"
While complaining, she grinned and imdiately reached out, hugging Ei's arm tightly against her chest.
"..."
Ei looked at her, feeling her arm being pulled into a pair of soft "marshmallows." Her expression remained neutral, though her eyes betrayed a hint of confusion.
"Kiana, isn't it still class ti?"
Despite the question, Ei was secretly enjoying herself. Kiana seed to have completely cast her in the role of an "alternate world i," so this imdiate, intimate physical contact was actually pretty great.
"Ah... that... well..." Kiana blinked, her eyes darting around shiftily. "It's, uh... it's because I did so well! Yeah! The teacher let out early!"
"Is that so."
Ei looked at Kiana with a touch of resignation. Only Kiana could co up with such a la excuse.
"Hehe~"
Kiana gave a guilty little laugh before noticing the teacups on the table. "Are you guys having tea? Is there more? I want a cup too!"
"Mhm."
Yae Sakura picked up the teapot and poured a cup for her. Kiana took just one sip before her cute face crinkled up. "So bitter!"
"Then... I'll go prepare so sweets." Sakura stood up quietly, choosing not to press further about the World Tree for now, and headed toward the kitchen.
"Kiana, skipping class is wrong," Ei said softly once Sakura was gone. "Besides, you have your make-up exams in a few days."
"I know... but I feel like with my skills, a little make-up exam is a piece of cake!" Kiana nodded, her face radiating absolute confidence.
Ei felt another wave of helplessness wash over her. "Kiana, sotis overconfidence can turn into arrogance."
"I get it, I get it..." Kiana nodded, though her expression turned a bit dejected. "It's just, I really want to learn... but when the teacher starts talking, I get so sleepy... I can't process a single word."
"In that case..." Ei's eyes lowered slightly as she listened. "It's possible your thod of learning is flawed. Or perhaps the teaching style at this academy isn't efficient enough."
Or, more likely, you've treated i as your external brain for so long that you've forgotten how to use your own.
"Exactly! I an, I'm actually really smart!" Kiana nodded vigorously, as if she had finally found a valid excuse.
However, a mont later, Kiana's expression turned resentful and pouty. "But Hiko actually called a 'bimbo' this morning! Where do I lack in the brains departnt?! And I'm definitely not lacking elsewhere!"
"..."
A spark of inspiration hit Ei. Her gaze drifted toward Kiana's chest. After a mont of silent calculation, she said seriously, "Within this dormitory, your bust size is indeed not small."
"Right? Right?!" Kiana bead with pride, nodding emphatically. "I'm huge!"
"No. Compared to i or Hiko, you aren't actually that big."
"But! But at least I'm bigger than Bronya or the Class Monitor!" Kiana got defensive again, puffing out her chest in an attempt to prove her point.
But then, her eyes landed on Ei's own "assets," and her smile took on a suspiciously "Paracium-like" quality.
"Hehe~ Besides, we won't know who's bigger unless we take a closer look!"
Good grief... I was thinking about taking advantage of you, but you're actually trying to flip the script and take advantage of ?
Ei felt a pang of amusent. Still, she figured if things kept going this way... well, it wasn't exactly a bad thing.
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