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ArabicHonkai Impact: My Power Grows When Valkyries Fall For Me — Chapter 4
Chapter 4: Kiana’s Distress
Time seemed to melt away, and the afternoon classes soon drew to a hasty close. At three o’clock, the final bell signaled dismissal for the students of Senba Academy.
Normally, this was the time for after-school club activities, a staple of student life in the Far East. But as a newly transferred student, Lucian was naturally exempt from participating just yet. He leisurely tidied up his desk while his classmates chattered and gathered in their usual small groups, some heading toward club rooms and others making for the school gate.
Just as he was finishing, a familiar figure reappeared in the classroom doorway. Kiana, who had already packed up and left moments before, had returned for some reason.
“Hey, Lucian,” she called out, a hopeful energy in her voice. “Want to go grab a bite to eat? My treat.”
Lucian looked up, a flicker of surprise crossing his features. He offered a small, helpless smile and shook his head. “I have some plans today. Maybe another time, Kiana.”
“Hmm… alright then,” she said, her disappointment fleeting. Her expression brightened with a new idea. “Let’s add each other on Homu Chat, then?”
“Sure, okay.”
At three in the afternoon, the streets of the Far East were still sparsely populated. Walking along the pavement, Lucian reviewed the day’s gains in his mind.
Aside from getting to know Kiana and significantly boosting her favorability toward him, there didn’t seem to be much else…
He had originally intended to get acquainted with Raiden Mei as well, but approaching her during her current ‘young lady’phase was proving to be quite difficult for a normal classmate.’Sigh… Looks like I’ll have to plan this out more carefully,’ he thought.
Lucian let out a soft sigh, adjusted the sunglasses resting on his nose, and turned into a convenience store by the roadside. He bought a bottle of cold water and leaned against the vending machine by the entrance, his gaze sweeping over the street as he took a moment to rest.
Just then, a flash of purple caught his attention.
It was Raiden Mei.
She stood under a bus stop sign across the street, still dressed in her Senba Academy uniform. Her long, deep purple hair swayed gently in the afternoon breeze, a starkly beautiful sight against the mundane cityscape.
Even from this distance, Lucian could sense the unique aura that clung to her—an air of elegance and detachment, tinged with a hint of weariness that was almost impossible to notice.
Mei was looking down at her phone, seemingly waiting for someone. Her brows were drawn together in a slight furrow, her fingers unconsciously scrolling across the screen.
Lucian hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided against walking over to strike up a conversation. The Raiden Mei of this moment was the heiress of ME Corp, surrounded by an invisible barrier. Approaching her now, without a proper reason, might only create a poor first impression.
Besides…
Lucian’s gaze shifted to the far end of the street. A sleek, black luxury sedan was slowly approaching. It pulled up smoothly in front of Mei, and a driver in a crisp suit got out to open the rear door for her. Mei put away her phone, gave the driver a brief, polite nod, and slipped inside.
The sedan drove away as smoothly as it had arrived, disappearing around the corner at the end of the street.
‘Mei…’Lucian thought, his expression somber.’Right now, you probably have no idea what lies dormant within you.’
He unscrewed the bottle cap and took a long sip of water. The cool liquid slid down his throat, doing little to clear the chaotic tangle of his thoughts.
According to the ‘plot’ as he knew it, before the Third Honkai Eruption, Raiden Ryoma would be falsely accused and imprisoned. ME Corp would fall into the hands of others, and Mei would become the target of vicious school bullying.
And then, that world-altering catastrophe would descend upon Changkong City.
Lucian’s grip tightened on the water bottle. He didn’t know how much he could truly change. He was far too weak, just an ordinary person with slightly above-average Honkai Energy resistance.
His phone vibrated in his pocket. Lucian pulled it out—it was a message from Kiana.
[My Idiot Deskmate: Are you home yet?]
The corner of Lucian’s mouth lifted into an unconscious smile.
[Lucian: Not yet. Buying some water at a convenience store.]
[Lucian: [Picture]]
He sent a quick snapshot of the store’s interior.
[My Idiot Deskmate: Oh! The sandwiches at that place are really good! Just a little expensive…]
[Lucian: Noted. I’ll bring you one next time.]
[My Idiot Deskmate: I wasn’t hinting for you to buy me one! (╯‵□′)╯]
Lucian couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh, earning a curious glance from a passerby. He quickly composed himself and typed back a reply.
[Lucian: Yes, yes, I know. I just felt like buying it. Anyway, I should head back now.]
[My Idiot Deskmate: Okay, see you tomorrow!]
[Lucian: See you tomorrow.]
Putting his phone away, Lucian found that his mood had inexplicably improved.
He went back inside, bought a simple bento box for dinner, and carried the plastic bag out of the convenience store, heading towards the small apartment he was renting.
In the deepening night of Changkong City, Kiana sat hunched over in her small rented room, slurping instant noodles while scrolling through her Homu Chat feed.
Her friend list had a new addition. The profile picture was a simple photo of the sky that Lucian had casually taken.
Kiana opened their chat window. She hesitated for a long time, her thumb hovering over the keyboard. She typed a line, then deleted it. Typed another, and deleted that one, too.
In the end, she gave up and sent a simple sticker.
[My Idiot Deskmate: (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧]
A few seconds later, a reply came.
[Lucian: Not asleep yet?]
[My Idiot Deskmate: Can’t sleep, so much homework!]
[Lucian: Need help?]
[My Idiot Deskmate: Can you even do it? The math homework is super hard!]
[Lucian: Send it over.]
Kiana quickly took a photo of the problems and sent it. Within minutes, Lucian sent back a new picture showing detailed, step-by-step solutions for every question.
[My Idiot Deskmate: Wow, you’re amazing.]
[Lucian: It was nothing. Go to bed early, don’t be late tomorrow.]
[My Idiot Deskmate: Got it, goodnight.]
[Lucian: Goodnight.]
Putting down her phone, Kiana rested her head on the desk. She stared at the math homework she had just finished copying from the picture Lucian sent, her mind drifting.
‘Lucian is really a strange person.”Even though we just met, he cares about me so much… Does he treat everyone like this…?’
Outside the window, the night was deep and quiet. Kiana gazed at the pen in her hand, but her thoughts were consumed by the black-haired boy. His appearance at Senba Academy felt, no matter how she looked at it, far too unusual.
It was as if he was there for a specific purpose…
She patted her cheeks, trying to force herself to stop thinking about him, but the image of his gentle smile refused to fade from her mind.
Kiana flopped onto her bed with a groan, buried her face in the pillow, and kicked her legs a few times in frustration.
“Ugh…” The girl let out an annoyed mumble, rolling over to stare at the unlit ceiling light.
Faint moonlight filtered through the thin curtains, casting pale patches of light on the floor. The small lamp on her desk was still on, illuminating the messy room.
The night in Changkong City was never truly silent. In the distance, she could hear the faint rumble of a passing train, the chime of the automatic doors at the convenience store downstairs opening and closing, and the muffled noise of a TV program from some unknown neighbor’s apartment.
But in Kiana’s world, all those sounds gradually faded away. All that remained was the sound of her own gradually quickening heartbeat and the images replaying in her mind—
The silhouette of the black-haired boy standing against the light on the rooftop.
The slight, knowing upturn of his lips when he looked at her.
‘No! Why is the atmosphere turning all ambiguous all of a sudden!’
“Damn it… I’m not thinking about it anymore!”
Kiana abruptly sat up, ruffling her messy silver hair in agitation. She jumped off the bed and walked to the window, pulling it open.
The night breeze, still carrying a hint of the day’s warmth, brushed against her cheeks, slightly calming her restless emotions. In the apartment building across the street, a few scattered windows still had their lights on. In one of them, she could see a faint figure moving about.
‘…Where does he live?’
The moment the thought surfaced, Kiana shook her head vigorously, as if to physically cast it out.
“What am I even thinking! Sleep, sleep!”
She slammed the window shut, marched back to her bed, and lay back down, placing her phone on the pillow beside her head. Tugging the blanket up to her chin, she squeezed her eyes shut and willed herself to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.