Honkai: Starting to Wander with Kiana

A wave of hostility surged around the girl, hitting her like a tide. For the first time, she was faced with such overwhelming malice. Having always lived in a sheltered environment, she was at a loss for what to do. All she could manage was to endure it silently.

During this time, she realized the world wasn't as wonderful as she had imagined.

She learned to become more sensitive to the emotions and atmosphere of those around her, yet she still maintained her dignity as a young lady, refusing to compromise her principles. However, her personality grew colder over time.

Society's judgment, family troubles, school bullying... countless forms of malice overwhelmed her, nearly suffocating her...

But in the endless darkness... a ray of light pierced through, illuminating her entirely and telling her, "You're not alone."

It was then that the girl rediscovered something she had almost forgotten...

"You dare talk bad about Mei? Try saying that again!" Kiana swung her baseball bat, knocking down a guy who had been badmouthing Mei behind her back. She shouted angrily.

Immediately, a group of people surrounded Kiana. The guy on the ground pointed at her face and sneered, "Huh? Who the hell are you? What's it to you if we badmouth her?"

"It's everything to me! Mei is my friend!"

"Hah, be careful! You might get dragged down with her!"

Kiana raised her bat to strike again, but Mei grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"Kiana... it's fine. I don't care. Don't fight them," Mei said softly.

"It's not fine! I'll make them apologize!" Kiana shouted, trying to charge forward, but Mei held her back tightly.

"Tch. Let's get out of here. No point messing with a monster like her."

"So scary~" the bullies mocked as they left, sneering at Kiana's rage and Mei's silent restraint.

"Don't let me see you again! Next time Mei's not around, I'll beat you so hard you won't be able to take care of yourselves!" Kiana yelled after them, still fuming. Whether they heard her or not, Kiana was determined to bash their heads in if they dared show up again.

As the group disappeared, Mei let go of Kiana. Her expression was weary as she said, "Let it go, Kiana... I'm used to it."

"How can you just let it go?! If Ryn hadn't told me about the incident with Me Corp and warned me you might be bullied, I wouldn't have known how bad it had gotten! If I hadn't come looking for you today, I'd never have believed it!"

Kiana was furious. She thought Mei had been focusing on her studies all this time. She had no idea how much Mei had been silently enduring. If Ryn hadn't reminded her that Mei was the daughter of the Me Corporation, she might have remained oblivious to Mei's suffering.

"Don't you care about the case with Me Corp?" Mei asked hesitantly. She was afraid Kiana's concern might waver like a fragile illusion, but she couldn't help asking.

Kiana took Mei's hand and smiled. "Of course I care! But Mei is Mei, and that has nothing to do with what happened at Me Corp!"

"Kiana..." Mei whispered, touched by her words.

"Come on, let's go. What kind of teacher doesn't step in to stop this? A teacher who turns a blind eye doesn't deserve to teach," Kiana grumbled, pulling Mei along. She couldn't understand why the teacher hadn't intervened when Mei's desk had been so thoroughly vandalized.

"Ah... but where can we even go? The teachers have tried to help..." Mei said, letting herself be dragged along. To her, the school was still better than the outside world.

Me Corp's products were everywhere; one in ten electronic parts was made by them. After the scandal involving Me Corp, any problem with electronics was blamed on the company—and by extension, on Mei. At school, it was cold indifference. Outside, it turned to outright violence...

The teachers had tried to stop the bullying, but they were powerless against the silent mistreatment. They had moved Mei's desk multiple times, but each time it would end up covered in hateful graffiti. They couldn't identify the culprit because, in truth, everyone was complicit.

Kiana looked into Mei's eyes and made a heartfelt invitation. "Come stay at my house. Ryn said your home was sealed off. From now on, you can live with us!"

"I already have somewhere to stay... the housekeeper took me in," Mei said hesitantly.

"I don't care! I'm inviting you, so how could you refuse? Ryn even prepared a whole feast to welcome you!" Kiana insisted.

"Won't it be too much trouble?" Mei was still reluctant, worried she might bring society's malice to Kiana and Ryn.

Kiana quickly realized what was bothering Mei. She patted her developing chest and said confidently, "Don't worry. If anyone dares insult me, I'll bash their heads in. And Ryn? He doesn't even need to lift a finger. He'll just have Cortana clean out their bank accounts—it hurts them more than a beating."

Mei fell silent. Though she still didn't know who Cortana was, she felt as though she'd stepped into a den of thieves.

Kiana's house wasn't far from Chiba Academy. Yet even in such a short distance, Kiana overheard people loudly gossiping about Mei. Some even looked ready to throw things at her. However, Kiana's baseball bat was a clear deterrent, and they ultimately backed off, resorting only to whispers.

As they approached the house, both Kiana and Mei looked distressed. Seeing Ryn waiting at the door, Kiana couldn't hold back her tears. She felt utterly wronged, as if cheated out of the gratitude she deserved.

Ryn embraced Kiana as she rushed into his arms. Gently wiping away her tears, he rested his forehead against hers and asked softly, "What's wrong, Kiana? Who upset you?"

"I... I don't understand... Why has the world suddenly changed like this? Everyone used to laugh and have fun, but today they were so cruel to Mei and me. They even tried to throw things at us... But neither Mei nor I did anything wrong, did we?!"

Kiana's teary eyes were filled with confusion. Her faith in humanity wavered. Were these people still worth protecting? And if they were, was it fair to those who were innocent?

Ryn was quiet. He wanted to tell her that human nature was just like this, but he knew it would be too cruel for Kiana to hear.

"This world has never been perfect... That's why we must make it the way we want it to be. Kiana, remember what Siegfried taught you? No matter how the world changes, I will protect the people I love. So don't worry about what others think. Focus only on the people who love you and the ones you love. As for those who hate you... leave them to me."

After comforting Kiana, Ryn turned to Mei, who had been listening thoughtfully nearby.

Ryn held out his hand to her.

"Welcome to our home, Mei. Make yourself comfortable here—we'll take care of everything."

"Thank you..." Mei said, taking his hand.