LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 4: Dinner
Tick-tock.
As the minute hand ticked past twelve again, it was already nine o'clock in the evening. Night had finally fallen into slumber. While the city center was still under attack by Honkai beasts, the suburbs were deathly silent. Even those living nearby found it difficult to reach the central district. It wasn't just the cost of living that separated them, but a deeper divide of the heart.
This world was never fair.
"Let's eat." Ren pushed the chopsticks and rice bowl towards Kiana. The meal was simple – two meat dishes, a vegetable, and soup – a spread usually reserved for guests.
The aroma of rice drifted into Kiana's nostrils, stimulating her saliva glands. She hadn't had a proper meal in a long time.
Back at St. Freya High School, she always loved mooching off of Mei's cooking, even though Mei would always give her a helpless look while quietly preparing her portion.
But she had done that…
How long had it been since she last ate Mei's cooking?
She dared not recall, because every time she did, that crimson stain would mercilessly intrude upon her memories.
Lost in thought, Kiana stared blankly ahead. When she finally snapped back to reality, she noticed that Ren and his mother hadn't touched their chopsticks, silently waiting for her.
"My mother's just worried that her cooking won't suit your taste. She only eats after the guest has started." Ren explained, but quickly added, realizing the implication, "I almost forgot, you're a girl at a stranger's house, of course you wouldn't be comfortable eating right away."
Picking up his chopsticks, Ren took a bite from each dish before giving Kiana a reassuring smile. "Better?"
"That's not what I meant…" Realizing that her spacing out had been misinterpreted, Kiana shook her head repeatedly, picked up her bowl, and started eating without hesitation.
Although Ren's mother had put in a lot of effort, the food wasn't particularly delicious.
The rice was a bit hard, the stir-fry slightly burnt. Kiana ate quickly, tears mixing with the rice, making it taste salty. But she didn't care.
How long had it been since she had a full meal?
Monster, demon, damned Herrscher…
Their curses never ceased.
Running, hiding, pain…
Like a stray dog, afraid to reveal her location.
"There's no need to cry even if it doesn't taste good," Ren said jokingly, offering a faded handkerchief.
Blushing, Kiana took the handkerchief and wiped her face. The tear-soaked rice wasn't tasty, but it seemed she had finished the entire pot.
"Not enough?"
"No, no, it's plenty! I just, uh… have a slightly large appetite…"
"Slightly?"
"..." Kiana felt awkward. Eating four bowls of rice wasn't exactly typical for a girl her age.
Ren's mother chuckled softly, watching their interaction, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes crinkling with amusement. Noticing her gaze, Kiana felt even more embarrassed.
Thankfully, the awkward moment passed quickly. After the meal, Ren and his mother went to the kitchen to clean up. Kiana offered to help, but Ren insisted she was a guest and shouldn't bother.
Left alone, Kiana idly surveyed her surroundings. Her eyes fell on a few pieces of paper stuck in the gap of the chair. Carefully pulling them out, she realized they were the medical reports that had scattered earlier.
"What's this?"
It was a medical record.
Ren's medical record.
Kiana wasn't highly educated and struggled to decipher the doctor's handwriting. But the printed information showed the report had been issued just that afternoon.
So that's why Ren, who lived in the suburbs, had been in the eastern district. He'd been at the hospital for a check-up.
"The doctor's handwriting is so messy. I think even I write better than that."
After scrutinizing the report for a while, Kiana, a self-proclaimed poor student, even felt a sense of superiority. But as she deciphered the content, the smile on her face gradually disappeared.
Time remaining: one year. Initial treatment cost: 500,000 yuan. [500,000 yuan is a significant sum, roughly equivalent to $70,000 USD.]
"..."
"Huh? What are you looking at?" Ren's sudden voice startled Kiana, nearly causing her to drop the report. She caught it just in time, feigning confusion. "This handwriting is so messy, I can't even read it. Is this your medical record?"
"Yes, I wasn't feeling well today, so I went to the hospital for a check-up. Thankfully, it's nothing serious." Setting down a large medicine box, Ren took the report from Kiana and placed it at the very bottom. "Let me bandage your arm. The bleeding wouldn't stop earlier…"
"Eh? How did it stop?"
Rolling up her sleeve, Kiana presented her fair forearm to Ren. The bandages were no longer stained with blood.
Unwinding the bandages, Ren saw that the gash on Kiana's arm had indeed stopped bleeding.
After Sirin's brief appearance, the overflowing Honkai energy within Kiana had diminished significantly, and the wound, initially corroded by Honkai energy, was slowly healing thanks to her robust Kaslana physique.
But what exactly had happened during that time?
"Ren, do you know about Valkyries?"
"Of course! They're the world's strongest warriors, protecting human civilization. Legend says they can easily kill Deadwalkers and drive Honkai beasts away from our homes… Wait, are you saying… you're a Valkyrie?" Surprise filled Ren's eyes, his expression incredulous.
Meeting Ren's intense gaze, Kiana playfully winked, tacitly confirming his guess.
"Oh my god, no wonder you could kill such a huge Honkai beast! No wonder your wound healed so quickly even though it was bleeding so much earlier!" Overwhelmed with excitement, Ren unconsciously grasped Kiana's hand, as if trying to understand the healing process. But he was just an ordinary person; he wouldn't be able to see anything.
Looking at the excited Ren, Kiana hesitated, but finally voiced the question that had been lingering in her mind. "Earlier, when I lost control… you weren't hurt?"
"No…" Meeting Kiana's scrutinizing gaze, Ren stammered, but under her persistent questioning, he slowly pulled down his collar.
Dark bruises spread across his neck, the veins a stark purplish-blue where they had been tightly choked.
"J-just a small injury," Ren tried to brush it off, but Kiana suddenly embraced him.
"I'm sorry…"
"I'm sorry…"