"I don't need all this stuff."
That afternoon, Seele stood beside a mountain of daily necessities Theresa had ordered. Her cheeks were pulled tight, making her look for all the world like a bristling little kitten.
Watching her, Theresa and the others could tell Seele just didn't want to feel like she owed them too much.
"It's alright, just take them. You're going to need these over the next seven days," Theresa said, her blue eyes crinkling with a look of earnest sincerity.
She felt like she'd finally figured Seele out. On the surface, the girl was cold and prickly, but underneath all those thorns, she was actually quite kind and attentive.
"I'm still not convinced it'll only be seven days." Seele looked at the pile of random items, her voice tinged with disbelief. "And even if it is, buying this much… do you guys just have more Credits than you know what to do with?"
"Seele…" Bronya stepped forward, holding a neatly folded pair of pajamas printed with a HOWO pattern. "These are new. No one has worn them."
"..." Seele looked down at the pajamas in Bronya's hands. As her gaze fell on the HOWO design, a spark of longing flickered in her eyes.
Her DNA was screaming!
Her instincts were telling her that she absolutely adored things this cute.
"Fine, I guess I'll take them," Seele said, her face still a mask of reluctance as she reached out and snatched the adorable pajamas, clutching them tight. "Thanks."
Hearing that little thank-you, Bronya's eyes lit up instantly. "Mhm!"
After that, Seele sat in the living room and began going through the items one by one, inspecting them with curiosity.
Toothbrush, towel, comb.
She gave those a quick glance before setting them aside, clearly familiar with them. However, when she picked up a skincare product and popped the cap for a sniff, her brow furrowed.
"What is this? It slls weird."
"It is for your skin." Bronya walked over and took the bottle. She squeezed out a bit of the thick, milky liquid, rubbed it between her small palms, and then reached for Seele's hand.
Seele flinched slightly, wanting to pull away. But when she saw the pure, serious look in Bronya's eyes, she went quiet and stayed still, letting Bronya take her hand and gently massage the cream into her skin.
The others took in the scene. Kiana, however, couldn't help but feel a bit huffy.
"Hey, you…"
"Kiana…" Bronya turned, giving her a soft shake of the head. There wasn't a hint of anger toward Seele in her silver-gray eyes.
Kiana let out a frustrated grunt and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm going to go find Ei!"
With that, she turned on her heel and stomped out the door.
"Kiana…" Raiden i watched her go with a helpless sigh. She turned back to Seele with an apologetic look. "Sorry, Seele… Kiana is just a little…"
"..."
Seele didn't say a word. She simply withdrew her hand and turned to Hiko with a calm expression. "Anyway, enough small talk. Where's my room?"
A few monts later.
Seele stood in the bedroom with a blank face, watching as Bronya directed Project Bunny to place a single bed—complete with Homu-patterned sheets—right next to Bronya's own bed.
"Is this seriously the only room left?" Seele asked, looking at Hiko with a complicated expression.
"Yeah, sorry. The dorm only has so many rooms, and Bronya's is the only one with enough space for another bed."
Hiko nodded, looking perfectly apologetic. In reality, she was totally playing favorites for Bronya. She knew how much Seele ant to the girl, so she was happy to help.
'Well, don't mind if I do~'
Inside, Seele was actually feeling quite smug. Even though she looked like Seele now, her inner self was still the sa person she'd been back when she was Raiden Ei.
"Seele, Bronya will not disturb your sleep," Bronya said softly and earnestly.
"I… that's not what I ant." Seele sighed, eventually giving a helpless nod. "But let's get one thing straight, kid—don't go confusing with that friend of yours."
"Bronya understands."
Despite her words, the look Bronya gave Seele remained incredibly tender.
"Tsk, what a pain."
Seele looked around the room, feeling a bit restless with nothing to do.
"So, what exactly do you need from ? What do I have to do to get back before the seven days are up?"
"I'm afraid we don't know yet. We have to wait for the Research Division to finish their analysis," Theresa said, a shadow of sadness and complexity crossing her face. "Ei…"
A heavy silence settled over the room.
To them, Ei's departure had been far too sudden. They hadn't even had a chance to say goodbye, and they had no idea what she might face once she returned to her own side.
"I'll go start on dinner. It's almost ti anyway," Raiden i said, trying to break the gloomy atmosphere.
"Mhm… I'll help too."
Yae Sakura, who had been quiet until now, nodded and followed i out.
"I'll go track down that idiot Kiana."
"I'll lend a hand in the kitchen."
Hiko and Fu Hua followed suit, heading out of the room. Soon, only Theresa, Seele, and Bronya were left.
"Seele… there's sothing I want to talk to you about."
Theresa walked to the door, closed it, and returned to Seele's side. She gently took Seele's hand and led her toward the bed.
"What is it?" Seele's brow knit slightly. Her tone was still detached, as if she couldn't care less.
"It's about Bronya, and the Cocolia of our world."
At this, Theresa glanced at Bronya, her eyes asking for permission. Bronya went quiet for a mont, then gave a slight nod, her gaze dimming.
"Why so mysterious…?"
Seele muttered, looking impatient, but in her heart, she already knew exactly what Theresa wanted to say.
This was actually perfect… she could use this to shift her attitude toward Bronya.
'Right… I'll use this body to help Bronya settle so of her regrets.'
"Seele, the Cocolia in our world isn't a Great Guardian. She is one of the many leaders of a massive organization…"
Theresa began to softly recount the story of Cocolia.
Seele listened in silence, her brow furrowed with a spark of genuine curiosity. Once Theresa finished explaining Cocolia's background, she moved on to the orphanage Cocolia had founded and protected…
-- --
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