Stay the night?!
Kiana, who had been ready to leave, froze in surprise. Hidden behind those simple words, she could see the true meaning—Mei's invitation meant their relationship had taken a significant step forward.
If this were a romance game, Mei's affection level for her would have just increased by one star, and the system would be announcing—
[Ding! Raiden Mei's affection has reached four stars! New map unlocked: Raiden Mei's bedroom!]
Cough. Just her imagination.
Still, staying over meant she could have dinner with Mei, spend more time close to her, and maybe raise that affection level even higher.
Tempting. Far too tempting!
"…Next time," Kiana said, forcing herself to refuse. It wasn't that she didn't want to stay—she desperately wanted to.
This kind of opportunity was rare, and it could open all sorts of new "routes." If she were shameless enough, she could even end up sharing a bed with Mei tonight.
But…
Better not.
"Are you worried you don't have a change of clothes? It's alright—you can wear mine," Mei said gently.
Ah! Was this heaven?!
She could even wear Mei's clothes?!
Kiana screamed internally like a prairie dog, on the verge of tears from excitement.
If Mei kept talking like that, Kiana's heart might actually burst. She really wanted to wear Mei's clothes and then sleep beside her!
Feeling her resolve begin to waver, Kiana quickly pushed herself up with her less-injured hand.
"I really want to stay with you, but I can't today. I already have plans with someone else."
"…Someone else?"
Plans with someone else at this hour?
Did Kiana have other friends besides her?
Of course—Kiana was pretty and kind, unlike Mei, who spent most of her time at the shrine. It was normal for her to have other friends.
Then why… did it sting a little inside? Was she jealous? Jealous that Kiana had friends she didn't know?
"Mhm." Kiana nodded quickly. "I don't want to break my promise, so next time, okay? Next time I'll stay over."
"Should I walk you back, then?" Mei asked.
She didn't even know where Kiana lived.
Thinking about it, Mei realized how little she actually knew about Kiana's life outside the shrine. She cared so much less about Kiana than Kiana did about her. What right did she have to feel possessive like this?
Kiana shook her head rapidly. "No need! My hand doesn't hurt anymore. You just rest here at the shrine, don't worry about me."
"…Alright," Mei said softly, lowering her eyes, her tone subdued. "Be careful on your way."
Her quiet demeanor made Kiana a bit uneasy. She assumed Mei was still upset about her father, not realizing Mei's heart was heavy for another reason.
On impulse, Kiana decided, "I'll take the day off from the convenience store tomorrow. I'll come visit you again."
Mei blinked, then smiled gently, reassuringly. "Alright. I'll be waiting for you at the shrine."
"I'm heading back, then. See you tomorrow, Mei!"
As Kiana dashed off like a gust of wind, Mei pressed her lips together, watching her disappear.
She couldn't help it. She did care.
Kiana left the shrine, following the road back to her temporary home in the city.
It wasn't too far—just over a half-hour walk.
She passed through busy streets, and the further she went, the older the buildings became. She was heading toward the old district.
"Kiana-sis!"
A small voice called out from under a streetlamp. A little kid jumped excitedly when he saw her.
"Over here!"
The Zaohua Street district had nearly a hundred years of history. Located at the edge of the city, it was the oldest neighborhood—and now, the slums of Nagazora City. Most residents were elderly, disabled, or otherwise struggling to make ends meet.
"So? Did those guys show up?" Kiana asked as she walked over, half complaining. "You don't even know what I turned down for you today! Ugh, if those jerks don't show, I'm giving you a good few knocks on the head!"
The little boy's face turned pale with fear at Kiana's words. He held his head and backed away. "It was Kiana-sis who told me to watch out for those bad guys!"
"So, did they show up?"
The boy nodded repeatedly and whispered, "I checked by the river. The news Hayuki heard was real—they're down there catching fish right now!"
"All of them?"
Kiana clenched her fist. Her shoulder was still a bit sore, but she had more than enough strength to handle a few street thugs.
"Yeah! Me and Maple counted a bunch of times!" The boy raised both hands, showing six fingers. "Six of them! We didn't count wrong!"
"Good."
Kiana patted his shoulder with approval. "You really are a smart kid, Yoshi. Wait here for good news, alright? I'll go teach those idiots who think they can collect protection money in Zaohua Street a lesson."
"I wanna go! I wanna come with you! I wanna see Kiana-sis beat up the bad guys!"
Kiana snorted. "Don't even think about it. Go home and eat your dinner. You'd just get in my way with those little arms and legs of yours."
"I knew it! Kiana-sis never keeps her promises!" Yoshi put his hands on his hips with a smug, knowing look.
"Then you'd better hurry home before your mom starts searching the whole street for you," Kiana shot back.
"But Hayuki and Maple are still watching those bad guys by the river! You let them watch but not me…"
"Hayuki and Maple are still by the river?"
Kiana's expression changed instantly.
"Mhm! Don't worry, Kiana-sis, we're not dumb. They're hiding really well—no one's gonna notice them!"
"We just wanna see Kiana-sis beat up the bad guys! When I grow up, I'm gonna be just like you—beat up anyone who bullies people!" Yoshi said proudly, throwing a few mock punches in the air.
"Tch." Kiana lightly flicked his forehead, then grabbed him by the collar. "You little brats sure know how to cause trouble."
The river Yoshi mentioned wasn't far from Zaohua Street—a wide river, four or five meters across, filled with fish and shrimp.
Many of the residents of Zaohua Street used to fish there to make ends meet. But six months ago, a gang of thugs moved into the area. Those lazy, good-for-nothing scoundrels took over the river, using massive drag nets to catch and sell the fish. Anyone who tried to fish upstream was violently chased away.
They used their numbers and strength to bully others, waving around knives and acting like they owned the place. Before long, they weren't satisfied with just the river—they started extorting "protection money" from the residents of Zaohua Street. Three months ago, Kiana had wiped them out in one clean sweep.
After all, when she first crossed into this world, Kiana was a nobody—a person without an identity or home. The elderly Granny Zaohua had taken pity on her and given her a small room, giving her a place to stay in this world.
She wouldn't claim to be a saint, but she was someone who repaid kindness and lived by her principles.
She couldn't fix everything—but within her own strength, she'd never hesitate to act.