Kiana's surprised cheer made Shu lean back slightly, and then he began to stare at her with his eyes.
Kiana usually said such words to Mei. When she said such coquettish words to him, it was always when she had done something wrong.
So now that Kiana suddenly said such a thing, it was hard for Shu not to suspect that she had done something wrong, even though her words were obviously thanking him for preparing snacks for her.
No... Kiana really would thank others like this for such things, right... would she?
Suddenly, Shu realized that his perception of Kiana was not so accurate anymore. But this was not the kind of unfamiliar inaccuracy, but a kind of... a kind of...
A kind of understanding that was too deep, a contact that was too profound, which made it difficult for Shu to describe Kiana in a short sentence.
For example, now, it seemed very normal for Kiana to say those words to him. At least in his subconscious, it was very normal. Kiana would say such things because he had given her small snacks.
And it was not very likely that Kiana would say such things just because someone had given her snacks... you know, even when Bronya shared snacks with Kiana, she wouldn't get such a response.
This at least had to be as familiar as Mei, right? After all, Shu had only seen Kiana act so coquettishly to Mei... maybe to Cecilia too?
...Sigh, is it possible that I'm also...
No, no, no, how could this be possible? Kiana and I have only known each other for... about five months, right? Not to mention Cecilia and Kiana, Kiana and Mei have known each other for several years, right?
Such a bond is a sufficiently deep bond. Kiana and I are far from that level.
But I knew Kiana earlier than Bronya... this was a blind spot that Shu suddenly discovered.
Then according to his previous theory, the "bond" between him and Kiana was even deeper than the "bond" between Kiana and Bronya?
Really? Me? Me and Kiana?
At this moment, Shu suddenly felt like he was dreaming. He glanced at Kiana, who was squatting in front of his bedside table and rummaging through the snacks. He still felt a sense of unreality.
He was really standing very, very high now, a height that his former self could never have imagined.
So many people needed him, and he had deep friendships and bonds with so many people. And these people were all "big shots"... this was a situation that he had never even dared to dream of before!
It was probably because of today's "Creation Mountain." Shu's thinking, which had become rigid in the past few months, had really become as active as it was at the beginning under the stimulation of this game.
At that time, he had just transmigrated, and his mind was full of the excitement of facing a new environment. So even his thinking became active and jumpy. Even when facing zombies, what he felt was the tension brought by the adrenaline rush, not the fear of facing death.
This stimulation reached its peak the moment he saw Kiana, completely shattering his stagnant state of mind and stirring up a huge wave.
What was he thinking at that time? When he had just arrived in this world... what was he thinking?
He was going to start a brand new life that was completely different from before!
Shu could feel his heart beating, and his brain felt a little swollen. It was a wonderful feeling that came from excitement.
His life was indeed different. Extraordinary abilities, magical adventures, unprecedented technology, unheard-of enemies... uh, this could actually be omitted.
This was the life he had dreamed of... but he was not prepared for anything. He was still in the excitement of entering a new life when he was knocked out by a blow from a Honkai beast.
Then it was a constant struggle... sinking, sinking, sinking... floating...
Returning to the present, Shu suddenly realized that he had walked a long, long way. From Nagazora City to Sapphire City, and now to ARC City, as well as De Pascal, the Tower of Babylon, Sicily... he had almost completed half of the goal of "traveling around the world."
"The world is so big, I want to see it." For most people, this was a luxury, but he had done it!
Shu was even a little proud of this.
And these friends around him... he had taken the initiative to get to know them. He hadn't waited for someone to pick him up and integrate him into their social circle. He had taken the initiative to get to know them!
Hiss... it seems that in essence, I was still picked up by Kiana and then integrated into her circle of friends?
Then... then I knew Joyce, right? I knew Joyce first, right? And... uh... ethics?
Shu thought about it very seriously and suddenly realized that Kiana really had a lot of friends.
"...Pfft." Suddenly, Shu couldn't help but laugh, which made Kiana, who was treasure hunting, raise her head.
"What's wrong, what's wrong?" Her mouth was stuffed full, and her eyes were as bright as the moon that could not be seen in this underground space.
"Nothing," Shu smiled and shook his head, then pointed to another place in his room. "There are also snacks you hid there."
"Eh? So I was the one who hid them?" Kiana exclaimed, but her eyes honestly looked in the direction Shu was pointing. "I thought they were all yours."
"Do I look like someone who would hide snacks?" Shu asked in return. Kiana tilted her head and thought for a moment before running over, then nodded.
Shu was stunned. "I've hidden snacks before?"
"Didn't you when you were a child... ah, no, no, no!" Kiana said subconsciously, but halfway through, she suddenly realized that she had let something slip and hurriedly and flusteredly changed her words.
Shu was not the kind of person who could be fooled by a change of words. He looked at Kiana with a black line on his face and asked faintly, "How much did you watch..."
"Uh..." Shu's death stare made Kiana look away guiltily. She pouted and didn't even dare to speak loudly. "Just... just a little bit... a little bit..."
Looking at the two fingers Kiana held out, Shu always felt that there seemed to be a universe between those two slender fingers.
Alright, she definitely watched more than a little. But forget it, he had watched Kiana for a full few years before... although that wasn't this "Kiana," he really shouldn't be bothered by this kind of thing.
"Hey, hey, hey! By the way, what were you laughing about just now?" Seeing Shu's expression relax, Kiana quickly pursued her victory and awkwardly changed the topic.