[Thanks to this, many plans that were once abandoned due to danger have been brought up again - they need to be able to fight against that terrifying force, so the slight price paid is inevitable and necessary]
[…Anyway, they are not the ones who have to pay the price]
[But this leads to another problem - the scientific research team headed by Dr. Mebius and Dr. Mei suddenly gained a lot of say, and even had the ability to influence the topic, which is undoubtedly something some people don't want to see]
[Someone needs to conduct those dangerous experiments - but that person cannot be him; super-powerful weapons are developed - but they must be in his hands; there can be a person in charge - but that person must be him; it is okay to pay - but the reward must be far greater than the payment... They have always held on to this idea, pulling each other at the meeting of the Fire Moth]
[And now, a few people have suddenly intervened in this delicately balanced power table, and because of their importance, it is not convenient to kick them out... This makes some people very annoyed]
[After thinking for a long time, they decided to use "outside the rules" means, and thus contacted - Poison Pupa]
[Since it's not convenient to kick you out directly, then you can just die suddenly without any complaints, right? ——What a neat and simple method. It's not the first time I've used it anyway, so it doesn't matter.]
[They need a "fire-chasing moth" that is stable enough, well-behaved enough, and can be perfectly held in their hands, so occasional pruning is necessary.]
[After all, only in this way can they better and more attentively deal with the Honkai, right? —That’s what they said]
[It was also at this moment that the blade of the poison pupa was aimed so clearly at someone at the Fire Moth conference table for the first time.]
----------
"Sakura? Sakura? Are you thinking about something?"
"Ah...I'm sorry, Alicia."
Sakura shook herself off, took off her headphones, and spoke apologetically.
"Hehe~ I don't mind~ After all, isn't it cute when Sakura is in a daze~?"
Alicia sat down next to Sakura, her similar long pink hair swaying behind her. Their equally beautiful faces were close to each other, and the two looked like sisters.
"Is Ying thinking about something? Let me guess... is it Wang? Or... is it me?"
"Alicia..."
"Hehe~ It's me after all~"
"No, that wasn't an answer..."
"That's Nozomi? Ah~ As expected, you two have a really good relationship~"
"...Alishia, stop teasing me."
Sakura sighed, not wanting to dwell too much on this topic with Alicia...mainly because she couldn't argue with her.
"Well, Sakura looked very distressed, so...are you feeling a little better now?"
Alicia said briskly.
"……well enough."
"Eh~ Is that so? Sakura is in trouble, right? Does she need the help of the lovely and charming Alicia? You know, Ali is very popular~"
"........."
Sakura was silent, closed her eyes, and seemed to be thinking about something.
Finally, she sighed and seemed to have made up her mind.
"In fact..."
Then, her attitude became a little awkward, as if she was shy.
"Oh? Oh yeah?"
Alicia's eyes curved into crescents, and she leaned close to Sakura's ear and whispered as if she understood.
"It's still something you want to see, right~?"
"……Um."
Sakura nodded slightly, then took out a small bag full of candies from the backpack beside her.
It was a small pink bag that matched the cherry blossoms very well. There were some cherry blossom patterns on it. The style was unique, but it looked a bit rough. It didn't seem to be a purchased product from an assembly line. It looked a bit like a handmade product, and the work of an unskilled novice.
...Hmm? Manual? Unskilled? Newbie?
Giving something you made yourself to someone you love...ah~how romantic~
Alicia felt like she was about to jump up with the joy in her heart.
Ai Lishiya once thought that her reunion would cause a gap in the relationship between Xiwang and Ying, but after talking with Ying, she found that this problem did not exist at all. Instead, the most critical issue was how to make the two of them willing to take that step.
But now... Sakura actually took the initiative to attack? Wang Ye is really too much to let a girl take the initiative~ But don't let Sakura down when the time comes~
"So~what can I do for you, Sakura?"
"...I hope you can help me deliver it."
Sakura looked away slightly.
"But for something like this, it would be better to hand it over to the other party in person, right?"
"........."
Ying didn't say anything, but just turned her head away and handed the small bag in her hand towards Alicia.
"Hehe~ As expected, Sakura is very cute~?"
Seeing Sakura's look, Alicia stopped chasing her, took the small bag from Sakura's hand and put it away carefully.
"Thank you."
Sakura said in a weak voice.
"Then~ Sakura, can you agree to a small request of mine?"
"Please say."
"Sakura will have to talk to Nozomi afterwards~"
"……Can."
"Also~ I want to hear what songs Sakura usually listens to~"
“These are two requests, right?”
"Please~ I'm curious~?"
Alicia shook Sakura's arm, and then quickly held down Sakura's other hand that was about to cut the song.
"Don't change the song! Sakura always changes the song secretly, and Detective Ai Li always finds out!"
"……All right."
"Yeah~?"
Sakura paused, and Alicia celebrated her small victory.
Then, Alicia slowly approached Sakura, tilted her head slightly, put her ear on her neck, and listened carefully to the song that Sakura subconsciously turned down the volume.
"........."
Although Sakura really wanted to remind Alicia that the distance was too close, she didn't say it in the end and just waited silently.
"Hmm~ I heard it~ The song in it, um... um?"
Alicia felt that there was something wrong with the melody that came into her ears.
Not sure, listen again carefully.
"........."
With her eyelids slightly lowered, Alicia concentrated on appreciating it for five seconds... Well, in less than five seconds, her expression became a little strange. She straightened her back quickly, stood up from Sakura's side, and took a half step back to the side as if she was frightened.
"Is it actually... this style of music?"
"Any questions?"
Sakura wondered.
"Ah... um... of course not. After all, everyone has their own preferences. I just felt that... uh... you might not get along well with a friend of mine... I... I'll go first~ I'll go deliver your gift~"
Alicia was unusually embarrassed, then turned around quickly and left quickly.
"........."
Ying silently watched her leaving back, with a hint of loss flashing in her pupils.
He subconsciously raised his hand and gently touched the cherry blossom pendant hidden under his clothes, remaining silent.
In the end, she just put her headphones back on and played her favorite music.
There probably won’t be anyone willing to accept it anymore.
Someone's figure flashed through Sakura's mind. The figure gradually tilted, and finally leaned to the side. She closed her eyes and immersed herself in her own world.
………………The other side………………
"Bang Bang~ Wang, I'm here to play with you~"
Alicia imitated the sound of knocking on the door and shouted outside Xiwang's room. Then she took out the small bag that Ying gave her and looked through it in her hand.
Hmm...what would Sakura give me~ If it was just candy, didn't they often give it to each other? Or was there something else hidden in it~ Hmm...like a small confession note~ After all, this was the only thing that could make Sakura too shy to come over, right?
Alicia thought so, but although she was very curious, she did not open the bag directly to look. After all, this was a little secret between the two of them. She couldn't see it first.
"……see?"
But after waiting for a long time, Alicia didn't see Xi Wang coming to open the door. She called out again uncertainly and knocked on the door again.
But still no one responded.
That's not right. He should be in the room at this time. I didn't see him when I passed by the training room, and he wasn't with Sakura... Could he have secretly gone to that place?
As Alicia was thinking this, she quietly put her ear to the door, as if she wanted to listen to any sound inside and confirm if there was anyone inside.
Then, Alicia heard the faint sounds of struggle and Xi Wang's painful gasps.
"see?!"
At first, Alicia was a little unsure, but after listening carefully, she found that it was indeed Xiwang's voice. This made Alicia a little anxious. She grabbed the door handle, twisted it hard to break the door lock, and broke into the house.
"...Alicia?"
Xi Wang raised his head slightly, looked at the person who broke in with blurred vision, and asked in a somewhat weak voice.
"I'm sorry for making you look embarrassed."
"........."
Alicia looked at Xi Wang, who had locked herself in a corner, exhausted and mentally a little abnormal, and was stunned and speechless.
"you……"
"Sorry... could you... could you hold that for me?"
Xi Wang interrupted Alicia's words and pointed at the candy box on the table in the distance, causing the chains that bound his hands to clank.
Only at this moment did Alicia notice that the direction he was facing, the direction he had been trying to move but was trapped by the chains, was exactly the candy box placed in the distance.
"........."
Alicia silently put the candy box in front of him, and Xiwang took it slowly with trembling arms.
Obviously, he was trying hard to control his frenzy and impatience in front of Alicia, but after getting the candy box, he couldn't help becoming anxious again. He quickly rolled out a handful of candies from the box, without carefully counting how many there were. He just stuffed them into his mouth, chewed them casually and swallowed them. Then he looked a little more relaxed.
"…………"x2
Silence permeated between the two.
"……what is that?"
"sugar."
"Just sugar?"
“Just sugar.”
Xi Wang responded softly, casually putting the candy box aside, while groping for the key from the corner next to him and unlocking the chains that bound him.
"…I'm sorry Alicia, I can't go out with you today."
After putting the chain away and being silent for a while, Xi Wang spoke while relaxing his wrist.
"Ah? Ah... No, I should be the one saying sorry. After all, I broke in without permission and broke your door... I will compensate you~ So please forgive me~"
Alicia seemed to have recovered a little, and her tone and expression returned to their original cheerful state.
