"Clatter."
The door was pushed open, letting in a sliver of light.
As far as the eye could see, there was no place to step, only the clanking sound of empty, crumpled beer cans. The pitch-black room was permeated with the pungent smell of alcohol, which immediately stung the nerves of the brain upon entering the nasal cavity.
"Clang." Another can, chugged in one go, was thrown onto the floor. The light that Lin hadn't completely blocked fell near the hand of the person sitting at the small table. She seemed completely unaware that someone had arrived.
Or perhaps... she simply didn't care.
Lin glanced at her back, then squatted down to pick up a can, scanning the packaging.
Alcohol content 4.3%. Not high, but definitely beer.
She wasn't known for holding her liquor well, and her drinking capacity was the type where the thunder was louder than the rain. Compared to her bold, refreshing chugging of beer, others' deeper recollection of her was likely her pulling people aside and forcing drinks on them, only to be the first one to get drunk and act wildly.
But now, this person had likely drunk more alcohol than she had in the past month, yet she was so quiet, a tranquility akin to deep sleep.
"Lin? Or Dystopia?" She eventually reacted to the light near her hand, but she didn't turn to look in the direction of the light. Instead, she reached into the deeper darkness ahead... and pulled out another can of beer.
"It's me."
"Hehe... A rare visitor."
"Tsk."
The red-haired woman, hair disheveled, opened the beer and drank it all in one go. She turned her head slightly, revealing weary eyes between the mess of hair, and saw the complete figure of Lin standing at the doorway.
This sight brought some comfort to her otherwise exhausted face.
"It seems you're recovering quite well. Are you alright?"
"...No, there's still a bit."
"That's unfortunate. Since I've known you, I've rarely seen you healthy, always dealing with various injuries and illnesses." Himeko smiled, took out another can of beer, and placed her beautiful fingernail on the ring tab. "So, what brings you to me? The Fifth Squad only has two injured members now, and there shouldn't be any missions, right?"
"I just... came to see you."
"..."
Himeko was slightly surprised, which was evident from her halted finger movement. However, she quickly chuckled softly and patted the spot next to her.
Lin walked over openly and sat on the other side of the small table.
"Drink with me."
"Okay."
Neither Lin nor Himeko said much more. Himeko knew that when Lin said he came to see her, he meant just that. He wouldn't bring up any specific topics because he wasn't sure which one might touch a nerve.
And Lin knew that Himeko asking him to drink meant she would say what she wanted to say shortly. All he needed to do was listen.
The two drank the cold beer silently, one can after another, until all the remaining beer had turned into empty cans on the floor.
Himeko tossed the empty can, resting her pale face, which was marred by an unhealthy flush of red, on one hand. She spoke leisurely: "Did you... see the gift she gave you?"
Lin, who had just put down his can, nodded glumly: "Yes."
"What was it?"
"A holster."
It was then Himeko noticed that the holster on Lin waist had been replaced with a new one. The matte leather had a rich texture, showing that the person who selected it was thoughtful.
"...I see, that's good."
"Dystopia sent it, didn't she?"
"..." Himeko fingers stiffened for a moment. Her languid pupils looked at Lin. "How do you know?"
"Because Seele doesn't understand me."
Many people's impressions of Lin stopped at his frequent missions, his unapproachable attitude, and his unchanging helmet, as if his life contained nothing else.
But those who truly knew Lin would notice that he actually had some ordinary hobbies, such as reading novels and maintaining his handgun, and he didn't hide these activities from others.
Dystopia occasionally mentioned wanting to give gifts to others, so she frequently observed and inquired about the hobbies and habits of those around her, recording them for future gift selection. It wouldn't be hard for her to discover these small interests of Lin.
As for Seele...
As the phantom from that day said, he and Seele didn't truly understand each other. She was only pursuing a blind impression. If she were to send a gift, it would likely be a new handgun, not a holster, because she wouldn't understand the significance of the seemingly obsolete handgun to Lin.
Dystopia realized this, which is why she chose to have Seele deliver the gift, allowing Seele to earn Lin favor.
"Doesn't understand... yes..." Himeko laughed self-deprecatingly. "I don't understand you either."
"..."
"By the way, do you know what I asked Hua what she wanted to do after the Honkai ends?"
"Mhm."
"I also asked Seele that question, during the time you were gone."
Himeko covered her face, as if trying to shield her eyes and stop her breath.
"She smiled and said..."
"She didn't know."
...
Meanwhile, on the internal network of the Fire Moth, after two months of silence, members who had completed most of their work began to become active.
The topic of discussion in one thread was a popular subject from a few years ago.
The true face beneath a certain someone's helmet.
"That Helmet Man has been seen walking around the gym and outside his room a lot since he returned, and he hasn't been wearing his helmet, just bandages wrapped around his face."
"Speaking of which, wasn't there a betting pool a few years ago? What was the final result of that pool?"
"Oh, the person who started that pool eventually withdrew it. I heard that everyone who chose the correct answer had already been sacrificed, so the funds were all returned. But the correct answer was never announced."
"Seriously... Hey, I heard the Helmet Man took off his helmet during the Sixth Eruption, and some people saw him, right?"
"It seems that way. Can anyone who saw him reply to the post? What does he look like? Is it true that there's nothing under the helmet?"
"Hmm... Even if we saw him, we can't be sure it was him, right? After all, his symbol is the helmet. Without the helmet, no one can link him to the Helmet Man."
"Who said that? I saw him today with just the bandages wrapped around him, but I recognized him instantly. That aura can't be faked. But... I don't know if it's my imagination, his features beneath the bandages... are kind of handsome."
"Haha, you must be joking."
"I'm not lying! If you don't believe me, come to the headquarters and see for yourself. And he seems different from before. Last time, someone mistook his back and greeted him, and he actually responded! You know, he used to just walk away without even looking."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, you're not going to say he's transformed from a cold-hearted Helmet Man into a masked pretty boy, are you? Besides, no one changes that quickly. He supposedly wouldn't let anyone get close before, so how about we start a new betting pool? We can bet on whether he'll get into a relationship with someone."
"Fine by me. I'll bet he won't first."
"You rascal."