121. The Girl's Labels to Everyone
Two weeks later, early morning.
The jarring electronic alarm clock rang. The girl struggled slightly in bed. With her eyes closed, her arm groped for the charging, slightly vibrating cube on the bedside table, guided by muscle memory. A swipe of her finger on the screen, and the world instantly fell into a reassuring silence.
A few more minutes passed before consciousness truly emerged from the quagmire of confusion. Kiana struggled to open her eyelids. The hazy morning light filtered through the gaps in the curtains, illuminating the room.
"It's morning..." she mumbled.
Her gaze slowly swept over the room she had been living in for two weeks. The simple furnishings, the warm-toned walls, and the potted plant Kevin had insisted on giving her yesterday—supposedly easy to care for—all exuded a homely, peaceful atmosphere.
She had clearly… clearly resolved to leave.
She had lost too much, knowing all too well the preciousness of a moment of warmth, and therefore, she was even more terrified—terrified that she would bring misfortune to those around her. She should leave, immediately, right now, before tragedy strikes.
But when she actually left, she always couldn't help but come back for one last look, and then she was always discovered and invited back.
The words of refusal swirled on her tongue, but were always ultimately suppressed by that indescribable longing and a sliver of hope.
Just… stay one more night?
And so, night after night piled up, until her clothes were hung in the guest room where she had originally been staying, and her toiletries brazenly occupied a corner of the bathroom, placed alongside those of the other four.
As for the Honkai energy erosion on her body… it seemed to have truly stabilized?
That agonizing pain and sense of loss, like a leech, had completely disappeared after that bowl of instant noodles from the convenience store. Everything was getting better. She wasn't without doubt about this; her gaze had fallen on Xiling more than once, that white-haired youth who was always smiling. But in the end, she didn't ask.
She dared not ask; perhaps asking would shatter this illusory peace. She chose to bury her doubts deep within her heart.
Let it be… a miracle.
Kiana took a deep breath, threw back the covers, and got out of bed. She walked to the door, grasped the doorknob, paused for a second, and then gently turned it.
The hallway was quiet. She walked towards the bathroom; the door was ajar, and she could hear running water inside. She pushed the door open.
A familiar figure stood in front of the sink, facing the mirror, vigorously rubbing his face with cold water in his hands. He looked tired, with faint dark circles under his eyes; clearly, he had stayed up late again last night.
Facing this person, Kiana uttered the homonym of the name she had once avoided.
"Good morning, Xiling."
Xiling forced a sleepy smile:
"Good morning to you, too, Sirin."
Yes.
Kiana didn't tell the other person her real name. No, that wasn't her real name after all, was it? That belonged to Kiana Kaslana, not her.
And in these past two weeks, she'd actually... gotten used to it.
Sirin... Sirin, is it, anyway, there's still Xiling here.
Kiana stopped thinking about it, picked up her toothbrush and cup, and silently stood on the other side of the sink to wash up. The cold water stimulated her skin, making her more awake. Through the mirror, she glanced at Xiling beside her out of the corner of her eye.
This person named Xiling... how should she describe him? Kiana brushed her teeth, sketching an image in her mind.
Normally, He's practically a carefree big boy—sprawled on the sofa playing games until late at night, fighting with Kevin for the last piece of fried chicken...
But once... something happens.
He acted incredibly reassuringly, like the instant noodles they handed her that night—a warmth that seemed to soothe the restlessness in her soul.
Just then, someone else entered the bathroom.
As Kiana's thoughts drifted, the bathroom door opened again.
A yawn sounded, and Kevin, still heavy with sleepiness, walked in, his eyelids drooping.
"Good morning, both Sirins (Sirin and Xiling sounded similar)," he mumbled.
"Good morning, Kevin," Kiana replied, her mouth full of toothpaste, her words indistinct.
Kevin, in Kiana's eyes, was a rather sunny boy. For some reason, Kiana always felt… a kind of inexplicable similarity between them.
Was it just her imagination? Probably.
"I'm done. You two take your time." With that, Xiling left.
No sooner had he left than Lemuen walked in. A gentle smile graced her face.
"Good morning, you two."
"Good morning, Sister Lemuen."
"Good morning, Lemuen."
Kevin and Kiana, brushing their teeth, turned around almost simultaneously and called out to Lemuen.
In Kiana's eyes, Lemuen was a very gentle older sister, though she occasionally had some whimsical ideas.
"I'm done, Kevin, Sister Lemuen, take your time." Kiana quickly washed her face, dried it, and left the bathroom.
Then she saw the Tarnished in the dining room, who had already placed breakfast on the table.
The Tarnished greeted Kiana with a wave.
"It's almost time to eat."
"Okay, thank you, Tarnished."
In Kiana's eyes, the Tarnished was an incredibly skilled chef; his food was truly delicious, even comparable to that of her former best friend.
Kiana's gaze swept across the dining room. Xiling was already seated at the table, and the sounds of Kevin's footsteps after washing up and Lemuen's soft voice drifted from the hallway.
She silently labeled her four roommates in her mind.
Xiling: Always smiling, calls himself a detective (but he doesn't seem to take on any cases).
Kevin: A deliveryman (his delivery range seems a bit too wide, and his agility is excessive).
Lemuen: A gentle and reliable pharmaceutical company researcher (she's a bit strong and likes racing).
The Tarnished: An extremely talented chef (he reads strange books every day that she can't understand).
These four ordinary city dwellers, whose interactions always felt slightly awkward, seemed to be living their lives normally, accepting a girl who called herself Sirin.
And her identity here was: a 19-year-old high school girl who came to this bustling city alone to make her way in the world.
By the way, this label was given to her by Xiling.
"Speaking of which, Sirin, what do you do going out so late every night?" Xiling asked curiously.
"Do you expect me to tell you I'm investigating why there are so many Honkai Beasts in this city?" Kiana mumbled, stuffing a fried egg into her mouth.
"It's work."
"Recently, there have been frequent Honkai incidents in the city. I suggest you go out less at night," Kevin reminded her while eating.
"Don't worry, my area is still quite safe," Kiana replied with a smile.
Quickly emptying her bowl, Kiana stood up and said to everyone, "I'm finished eating. You guys continue eating. I have something to do."
After washing the dishes, Kiana changed her shoes at the door. Once she was done, she opened the door and waved to everyone.
"Well, I'm going out now."
"Take care on the road," everyone waved back to Kiana.
Kiana moved swiftly through the alleyways when an invisible figure appeared beside her.
"Where do you plan to start your investigation today, Kiana?"
"None of your business, Fu Hua." Kiana's voice was icy.
Fu Hua sighed.
"At least my insights did help you, didn't they?"
Kiana didn't reply, continuing to run in silence.
Fu Hua didn't seem to mind and continued, "Remember the person we met that night?"
Fu Hua's words brought back memories of the events of a few nights ago.
While investigating the company, Heliopolis Life Sciences, she discovered another group investigating the same company. During a Honkai Eruption disaster, she had encountered one of them—a person encased in armor.
This person was powerful, easily eliminating the Honkai Beasts from the disaster area. Afterwards, they discovered her but didn't attack; instead, they gave her a friendly nod.
"Why are you talking about this?" Kiana asked Fu Hua.
"Perhaps you two could exchange information."
"...We'll see when we meet."
The two were completely unaware that a tiny machine was following them at a distance, transmitting images to a projector in front of Lemuen.
"You want to talk to me? Perhaps we can cooperate directly." Lemuen gently tapped her cheek, smiling as she looked at the girl on the screen.
"Why do we feel like we're some kind of behind-the-scenes villains?" Xiling, who was preparing to leave, shook his head and sighed.
Kevin, also preparing to leave and strolling through the city, nodded seriously.
"You know, it really does feel that way."
"It's all because you guys insisted on keeping it from her." The Tarnished rolled his eyes.
Xiling opened the door, turned back, and smiled, saying, "After all, she's the one this world needs. She needs to grow, and we, the passersby, are at most her temporary protectors."