Honkai Impact: My Power Grows When Valkyries Fall For Me — Chapter 17

Chapter 17: School Festival (Part 2)

After sampling the black tea Lucian had so carefully brewed, Raiden Mei and her friends chatted amongst themselves as they made their way toward the cafe’s exit.

As she drew level with Lucian, Mei’s steps slowed, her gaze lingering on him. This junior had left a deep impression on her today—from his striking appearance and composed demeanor to his surprising expertise with tea. Everything about him was intriguing.

Just as she was about to pass, Mei stopped, positioning herself directly in front of him.

“Thank you for your hospitality, Lucian,” she said, her voice carrying a note of sincere appreciation. She had only intended to accompany her friends for a casual stroll through the festival, never expecting such a pleasant and memorable detour. In a cafe run by students, Lucian’s professionalism stood out, elevating her opinion of him even further.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it, Senior Raiden,” Lucian replied with a calm nod.

Mei inclined her head in return, her gaze then shifting to the girl standing beside him.

“Kiana, that maid outfit looks very cute on you.”

Kiana, who had been silently watching the exchange between Mei and Lucian, froze for a second. Praise from her beloved senior was the last thing she expected.

“Huh? R-Really?” A faint blush bloomed across her cheeks as she subconsciously tugged at the hem of her skirt. “Actually… I still feel a little shy wearing it…”

The smile gracing Mei’s lips deepened. “Well then, I won’t disturb your work any longer. Goodbye.”

With another graceful nod to them both, she turned and left with her waiting friends, her posture impeccable.

It wasn’t until the elegant purple figure had vanished around the corner that Kiana finally let out a long sigh of relief, slumping against the wall as if all her strength had abandoned her.

“Lost in thought?” Lucian’s voice drifted over, a hint of amusement hidden beneath his even tone.

“Not at all!” Kiana protested, pushing herself off the wall. “It’s just… it’s been a while since I managed to talk to Senior Mei. There’s always such a huge crowd around her…”

Lucian simply nodded, letting the subject drop with a soft sigh of his own. The school festival was reaching its zenith, and the corridor was a cacophony of excited noise. From the classroom next door, which was running a haunted house, came a series of sharp, theatrical screams. Further down the hall, several girls were belting out a song for an indoor karaoke event, their pitch surprisingly good.

The sheer liveliness of St. Freya Academy was on full display, and even Lucian found himself getting swept up in the infectious atmosphere.

“Hey,” Kiana suddenly nudged him with her elbow, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Do you think… Senior Mei has a particularly good impression of you?”

Lucian turned his head to meet her curious gaze. “What makes you say that?”

Kiana began ticking off points on her fingers. “She specifically stopped to thank you, she praised your tea, and also…” She paused, her voice growing even quieter, “…the way she looked at you was different from how she looks at other people.”

For a fraction of a second, the placid mask on Lucian’s face wavered before settling back into place. “You’re overthinking it. Senior Raiden is polite to everyone.”

“R-Really?” Kiana blinked, not entirely convinced. She felt certain that beyond mere politeness, there had been a flicker of genuine curiosity in Mei’s eyes whenever they rested on Lucian.

“Mm-hmm,” Lucian hummed in affirmation, his gaze turning back toward the bustling corridor.

Kiana pouted but didn’t press the issue. As she studied Lucian’s calm profile, her eyes were drawn to his, and she suddenly remembered another question that had been nagging at her.

“Lucian, you haven’t worn your sunglasses at all today. Are your eyes okay?”

He clearly hadn’t expected her to notice such a small detail. He turned back to her, a flicker of surprise in his expression. “They’re fine.” He rubbed his eyes gently. “They just can’t handle strong light; it’s not that they can’t see light at all.”

“Oh…” Kiana nodded, only partially understanding. She still felt there was something incredibly special about his eyes, particularly his right one. She hadn’t paid close enough attention before, but… was Lucian heterochromatic? She had to admit, she’d never scrutinized anyone’s eyes so carefully before. But Lucian’s were different; they made it difficult to look away, even stirring an odd impulse to lean in for a closer look.

“What’s wrong?” Lucian asked, noticing her fidgeting.

“N-Nothing!” Kiana’s voice came out a pitch higher than usual. “It’s just… I’m a bit hungry!”

“Then after we finish work today, I’ll take you to get something to eat.”

“Huh? Really?” Kiana’s eyes instantly lit up, all her stray thoughts vanishing as they were replaced by the glorious anticipation of food.

“Yeah. How about that Chinese restaurant not far from the school?”

“Hmm… I want Twice-Cooked Pork and Sweet and Sour Pork!”

“Alright,” Lucian chuckled. “I’ll take you to eat them in a bit.”

————

As dusk deepened, the clamor of the school festival finally settled. The first day had come to a close. The festival was scheduled to continue for the entire next day, but their homeroom teacher had already given Lucian and Kiana the day off.

On the first day alone, Class 1-B’s revenue had been overwhelmingly dominant, doubling that of the class in second place. They had already secured their victory, so there was no need for them to work tomorrow, leaving a chance for their other classmates to shine.

Lucian and Kiana walked side-by-side along the tree-lined path leading to the school gate. Kiana, having changed back into her comfortable school uniform, had a light, bouncy step and an unconcealed look of delight on her face. She was happy—this was the first time Lucian had ever invited her out for a meal.

Exiting the school, they turned onto a relatively quiet commercial street. In the twilight, the warm yellow light spilling from the glass windows of the Chinese restaurant made its sign stand out.

As they pushed the door open, a wave of warm, fragrant air washed over them—a comforting mixture of spices and steaming rice. The interior wasn’t large, but it was impeccably clean and tidy. Several tables were occupied by customers chatting in low voices, creating a harmonious and welcoming atmosphere.

“Welcome!” The proprietress, who appeared to be from Shenzhou, greeted them warmly. When she saw the two students in their St. Freya Academy uniforms, her smile grew even kinder. “Just the two of you? This way, please.”

She led them to a small table for two by the window.

The moment they sat down, Kiana snatched up the menu, her eyes darting across the pictures. “I’ll have the Twice-Cooked Pork, the Sweet and Sour Pork, and, hmm… a bowl of rice! Lucian, what do you want?”

Watching Kiana’s rapid-fire ordering, Lucian smiled helplessly. Without even glancing at the menu, he simply added to the approaching proprietress, “And one order of Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes, please.”

“Coming right up!” the proprietress chirped, jotting down their order before turning to the kitchen.

The food arrived quickly. The moment the dishes were set on the table, Kiana immediately entered ‘predator mode’, eagerly grabbing her chopsticks and diving in.

Lucian, however, didn’t start eating right away. He simply held his chopsticks and watched Kiana, his expression distant as he stared into space. He was busy contemplating how he could get closer to Mei without arousing her suspicion or making her resistant.

But Kiana completely misinterpreted his daze.

‘That’s right,’she thought, a mischievous grin tugging at her lips.’Lucian transferred from North America… maybe he doesn’t know how to use chopsticks very well?’

Now it was finally her turn to show off.

She expertly plucked a piece of glistening Sweet and Sour Pork with her chopsticks and placed it in Lucian’s bowl.

“It’s okay, Lucian. If you can’t use chopsticks, this lady will help you out,” she declared proudly. “After all, they’re pretty hard to learn. It took me a few months to get good at them, too.”

Lucian remained silent.

He paused for two seconds. Then, under Kiana’s expectant gaze, he picked up his own chopsticks with practiced ease, lifted a piece of Sweet and Sour Pork from the plate, and gently placed it in her bowl.

“Huh? You actually know how to use them?”

“Yeah…”

‘After all,’he thought dryly,’I might not be from North America, but I really am from Shenzhou.’

————

Time slipped by, and evening deepened into night.

After finishing their meal and seeing Kiana home, Lucian strolled alone on his way back to his own apartment. The night was quiet. Most of the shops along the street had closed, with only the steady glow of convenience stores and a few late-night izakayas piercing the darkness.

He walked at a leisurely pace, carrying a bag with his school uniform inside, replaying the day’s events in his mind. A faint, burning sensation throbbed behind his eyes—not painful, but a clear reminder that he had overused them today.

As he turned a street corner, the familiar outline of his apartment building appeared in the night. Lucian’s footsteps faltered.

There, caught in the halo of a lone streetlight near the entrance, a tall figure was leaning against the wall.

It was Siegfried.

He looked as though he had been waiting for some time. The moment he spotted Lucian, he straightened up and started walking toward him.

“Hey, kid. Back from your date?”

Lucian’s expression remained unchanged as he walked up and stopped in front of the man. “Mr. Siegfried. Is there something you need this late?”

“Can’t I just come see my daughter’s future boyfriend without needing a reason?” Siegfried raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over Lucian’s face. It paused for a moment, lingering on his completely uncovered eyes. “Why aren’t you wearing those pretentious sunglasses today?”

“I need to adapt occasionally,” Lucian answered calmly, sidestepping the ‘boyfriend’ comment. He then added, as if it were a casual afterthought, “Kiana has returned home safely.”

“I know. I watched you take her to the building entrance. At least you have some sense, kid.” Siegfried’s casual tone was a stark contrast to his eyes, which bored into Lucian with sharp scrutiny. “But, lingering at her door for almost five minutes… what were you two talking about?”

Lucian’s expression didn’t shift. “Kiana was saying she wants to eat Chocolate Croissants tomorrow.”

The answer seemed to catch Siegfried off guard. He blinked, momentarily taken aback, before letting out a scoff. “That girl… all she ever thinks about is food.”

His amusement quickly faded, however, and his expression grew serious. “I originally had several things to talk to you about tonight,” he said, his voice lowering. “But I was busy. I caught an assassin in your apartment.”

He took a step closer, his shadow falling over Lucian.

“It seems you’ve caught Anti-Entropy’s attention.”