English
Indonesia
Chinese (Simp)
Japanese
Korean
Spanish
Portuguese
French
German
ArabicHonkai Impact: My Power Grows When Valkyries Fall For Me — Chapter 5
Chapter 5: A Sandwich and a Bowl of Ramen
The next day, Lucian slipped into the classroom just as the final bell was about to ring. Most of the seats were already filled, a low hum of chatter filling the air. He had just settled into his chair when a frantic clatter of footsteps echoed from the hallway, resulting in the classroom door sliding open with a bang.
“Huff… huff… I’m not late, am I!”
Kiana burst into the room, chest heaving as she gasped for air. A few strands of her white hair were sticking up in wild disarray, and the knot of her school uniform tie was hopelessly askew. The moment her cerulean eyes landed on Lucian, however, they lit up with relief.
“Morning, Lucian!”
“Morning,” Lucian replied, his gaze softening as he watched her fumble with her collar, trying in vain to straighten it. He couldn’t help but ask, “Did you remember to eat breakfast?”
“Ah… well…” Kiana’s hands froze, and she scratched the back of her head with a sheepish grin. The answer was written all over her face.
With a soft sigh, Lucian reached into his backpack and pulled out a small paper bag. “Here. A sandwich and some milk. I bought them from that convenience store you were talking about.”
Kiana froze, her eyes wide as she stared at the offering. A flicker of memory seemed to cross her features, and a sudden, fierce blush crept up her neck and dusted her cheeks. “Y-You actually bought it!”
“It was on my way,” Lucian said, gently pushing the bag across the gap between their desks until it rested on hers. “Hurry up and eat. Class is about to start.”
“Thank you…” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the rustle of the bag.
Lucian offered a small smile before turning his gaze to the world outside. The weather was beautiful today, with brilliant sunlight streaming through the large classroom windows, painting the wooden desks in warm, golden strokes.
As Kiana unwrapped her sandwich and took a grateful bite, she found herself watching Lucian’s profile. He was still gazing out the window, his attention seemingly lost in the clear blue sky. The morning light caught in the strands of his dark, slightly disheveled hair, tracing a soft, gentle silhouette against the bright backdrop.
‘Why is he so good to me…’
She couldn’t figure it out. The strange flutter in her chest from yesterday had vanished when she woke up, but now, sitting here beside him, it had returned with a vengeance.
It was only the second day she had known him.
“What are you looking at?” Lucian’s voice, calm and quiet, suddenly cut through her thoughts. He had turned his head, his purple eyes meeting hers.
Kiana flinched, hastily averting her gaze. “Nothing!”
——————
The morning classes passed in a blur. When the lunch bell finally rang, the classroom erupted into life. Kiana, who had been dozing for the better part of the last period, was jolted awake by the sudden noise.
She stretched her arms high above her head with a groan, and then, as if struck by a brilliant idea, she spun around in her chair. Planting her hands firmly on Lucian’s desk, she leaned in with a conspiratorial grin.
“Lucian, let me treat you to lunch! A new ramen shop just opened on the street behind the school, and I heard it’s amazing!”
Lucian, who had been methodically packing his textbooks, looked up at her eager face. A flicker of amusement touched his eyes.
“Sure,” he nodded. “I’m hungry, too.”
“Then let’s go, quickly! I heard the line gets super long during the lunch rush!”
She snatched her backpack from the hook on her desk, moving with such haste that she nearly sent her chair toppling over. Lucian’s hand shot out, steadying it with a practiced ease. He shook his head, a helpless smile playing on his lips. “Slow down. We have plenty of time.”
The two of them walked out of the main school building side by side. The midday sun was surprisingly strong, its rays filtering through the leaves of the campus trees to cast dappled, dancing shadows on the pavement below. Kiana walked half a step ahead, her energetic chatter filling the comfortable silence between them.
“By the way, Lucian, why did you transfer here?”
“My family’s work,” Lucian answered, his voice smooth and practiced. “I just came along with them.”
“Oh…” Kiana nodded, accepting the explanation. It sounded perfectly reasonable, yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was slightly off. There was a quality to Lucian that set him apart from the other students at Senba Academy—a quiet calm, a gentle nature that was somehow veiled, as if she were seeing him through a thin layer of mist.
The ramen shop was every bit as popular as Kiana had claimed. The small, cozy space was packed to the brim with students and office workers from nearby buildings. They had to wait for more than ten minutes before a corner booth for two finally opened up.
Both of them ordered the house special, Tonkotsu Ramen, though Kiana enthusiastically opted for a large portion while Lucian settled for a small.
“Are you sure you don’t want to add extra Chashu pork? I heard the pork here is super delicious!” Kiana insisted, her menu still open.
“No, thank you. This is enough,” Lucian said politely. He took off his customary sunglasses, folded them neatly, and placed them on the table beside him.
Kiana found her gaze drawn to his face. Without the dark lenses, she could see the faint shadows his long eyelashes cast beneath his eyes. His purple irises seemed even deeper, more captivating, yet they also held a trace of weariness she hadn’t noticed before.
“Are your eyes… really that sensitive to light?” she finally asked, voicing the question that had been on her mind since yesterday. “Do you have to wear them indoors, too?”
Lucian nodded. “Yes. Strong light makes my eyes tear up. It’s a bit of a nuisance.” He paused, a faint, self-deprecating smile touching his lips. “But you get used to it.”
“But… isn’t it inconvenient? What about at night, or on cloudy days?”
“I can take them off when it’s dark or the light is dim,” Lucian explained. He seemed to sense her curiosity and added, “Actually, these sunglasses are custom-made. The lenses automatically adjust their tint based on the ambient light, but their outward appearance is always black.”
“That’s so advanced!” Kiana blinked, her eyes wide with surprise. She leaned forward slightly, her gaze fixed on the sleek black frame resting on the table.
“It’s just a functional lens, nothing particularly special.”
“Can I try them on?” The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them.
Lucian looked up, meeting her eager, sparkling eyes. A soft, helpless smile spread across his face. “Go ahead. They’re not exactly a state secret.”
“Yes!”
Kiana carefully picked up the sunglasses. They were lighter than she expected, with a matte black frame that felt smooth and cool to the touch. After examining the details for a moment, she put them on.
Instantly, the world shifted to a comfortable, darker tone. The bright lights of the ramen shop were muted, but her vision wasn’t hindered in the slightest. It was as if the world’s white balance and exposure had been perfectly adjusted just for her.
“It’s true,” she said, a note of wonder in her voice. “I can see everything clearly, but the light is so much softer.”
She turned her head, subconsciously looking in Lucian’s direction. Through the lenses, the boy’s silhouette seemed to soften. The piercing depth of his purple eyes was lessened, replaced by a gentle, hazy quality that made her heart skip a beat.
“Is it fun?” he asked, a hint of amusement in his tone.
“It’s fun!”
Just as they were chatting, two steaming, fragrant bowls of ramen were placed before them. The rich, savory aroma of pork bone broth filled the air, and Kiana’s eyes immediately lit up.
“Yay, time to eat!”
She reluctantly took off the sunglasses, placing them back on the table before quickly entering what could only be described as ‘full-on eating mode’.
——————
The afternoon classes were uneventful. Kiana fought a valiant but ultimately losing battle against drowsiness, finally succumbing and falling asleep at her desk.
She didn’t stir until the final dismissal bell jolted her awake. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she realized that Lucian, her deskmate, was already unhurriedly packing his bag. The realization that school was over made her perk up instantly.
“Eh? Is it over already?”
“Yes,” Lucian replied, his voice laced with gentle amusement. “Someone was sleeping so soundly they couldn’t be woken up.”
A faint blush colored Kiana’s cheeks. She rubbed her eyes and began to haphazardly stuff her textbooks into her backpack. “I wasn’t sleeping soundly at all! I was just… resting my eyes!”
Lucian chuckled softly, choosing not to expose her flimsy excuse. He neatly placed the last of his books into his shoulder bag, zipped it shut, and stood up.
“Do you have any plans for today?” he asked casually, his gaze drifting to the window where the sky was beginning to bleed into shades of orange and red.
“Uh… go home and do homework?” Kiana also stood, stretching her arms to work out the stiffness in her shoulders. In truth, she was planning to head to the commercial district to look for a part-time job, or maybe hit the arcade for a bit. But she couldn’t very well tell Lucian that. In her mind, he was a model student who actually enjoyed studying.
“Is that so.” Lucian nodded, slipping his sunglasses back on. That familiar, gentle smile returned to his face—the one that was kind, yet held a hint of distance. “Then I’ll be going first. See you tomorrow, Kiana.”
“Ah… see you tomorrow.”
Kiana watched as Lucian turned and walked out of the classroom with an unhurried gait, his back quickly disappearing around the doorframe.
She stood alone in the now-quiet room, a sudden, inexplicable feeling of emptiness washing over her.
‘That guy… he’s so nice to people, but it feels like there’s a wall between you and him…’
Shaking her head to clear the thought, Kiana slung her backpack over her shoulder. She was a little short on cash, and a part-time job was a necessity. With a renewed sense of purpose, she headed for the commercial district to start her search.