Chapter 19

Upon learning that Mei had a boyfriend named Bai Ge, the "grass-blade bug" (Kiana) appeared very dejected.

However, this naturally lively white-haired dumpling quickly regained her spirits.

Kiana stood before Bai Ge with her hands on her hips, speaking with a scrutinizing gaze.

"I didn't expect Mei to already have a boyfriend, sigh~ alright, but Bai Ge, right? Since you're Mei's boyfriend, why aren't you protecting her properly?"

To actually let her own girlfriend suffer from school bullying—Kiana felt this boyfriend was unqualified.

"Kiana, it's not what you think. Bai Ge has been protecting me, it's just that we, uh..."

Mei wanted to explain to Kiana that she and Bai Ge were only in a fake relationship, and that she had actually received a lot of help and comfort from the young man.

But for a moment, she didn't know how to organize her words; after all, the fake relationship was a confidential matter.

Although Mei was very grateful to Kiana for stepping up to help her today, it was clear that Bai Ge still held a massive lead in her current favorability.

This girl who had suffered betrayal had not yet fully trusted anyone other than Bai Ge.

(Bai Ge: "Buggy, you're late. Mei is already mine~")

This round was indeed snatched by Bai Ge first. After all, according to the original plot, after Raiden Mei was saved by Kiana while deep in despair, her favorability toward the "grass-blade bug" would have soared so high that even her orientation would have been swayed.

But at this moment, Bai Ge had become the person she trusted most, and Mei was a devoted girl by nature; coupled with the environment of school bullying, these factors combined.

It made the current Mei have no guard against Bai Ge, while her guard against others increased significantly, and the "grass-blade bug" was no exception.

However, although she hesitated and didn't know how to explain.

Bai Ge said it cleanly and concisely.

"Alright, alright. Actually, Mei and I are in a fake relationship. It's a pity I was late when I transferred here. Mei was in a worse state then than she is now, but to protect her as much as possible, we entered this current relationship."

"Eh? Is, is that so?" Kiana blinked her naive eyes and tilted her head.

"Mm, that's exactly it." Bai Ge nodded with one hand on his waist, looking certain.

"Uh, alright then. It seems this young lady misunderstood. So Bai Ge, you're a good person. From now on, I'll protect Mei too. Hmph, with this young lady around, no one better think about coming to cause trouble."

"That's great. With Kiana around, it's equivalent to having the strength of a hundred people."

"That's right! Hehe, Bai Ge, you really get it~"

After being praised, Kiana immediately showed a smug expression, and her favorability toward Bai Mouren increased by a conservative estimate of ten percent.

Bai Ge: 'Easily handled~ Just a Kiana from the early stages. She hasn't turned into a firefly or the Finality bug yet; as long as you pet her against the grain, it's completely effortless.'

As for why he told Kiana about the fake relationship so bluntly, it was of course because he knew this girl definitely wouldn't go around blabbing.

If it were someone else, Bai Ge might have hidden it, but there was no need to hide it from the "grass-blade bug."

This girl, who was clumsy and silly but kind and brave, could be treated with an open heart.

"But Kiana, is this really okay? If you get too close to us, no, to me, everyone will ostracize you too," Mei worried.

Although she longed for more warmth and really wanted to be good friends with Kiana, Mei, being kind, didn't want others to be ostracized because of her.

Kiana nonchalantly indicated it didn't matter.

"It's fine. Besides, this young lady doesn't want to be friends with these guys who take pleasure in bullying others. When it comes down to it, the reason I came to school is just to, cough cough, nothing, nothing."

"............"

Bai Ge was a little worried about whether his judgment just now was correct. Would this girl really not accidentally let something slip?

As for Kiana's purpose for coming to school, Bai Ge was of course perfectly clear: wasn't it to investigate Honkai energy and find her old man, Siegfried Kaslana?

In any case, two of the three members of the trio were now gathered; only a certain "Bronya" remained.

Bai Ge was very much looking forward to Bronya's appearance; he couldn't wait to see what a living "Bronya" looked like!

……………………

After that.

Ever since the three of them successfully became good friends, and with Bai Ge and Kiana's company, Mei's situation improved significantly.

Basically, no one dared to look for trouble head-on anymore.

However, it was only natural that all three of them were isolated, but for Bai Ge and Kiana, this was just a trivial matter; the two of them didn't care at all.

Perhaps it was even thanks to this environment that the relationship between the three of them grew closer very quickly.

……………………

The rooftop of Senba Academy had almost become the trio's small base. Every day at noon, Kiana would run over from the first-year side, and the three of them would eat together.

Bai Ge looked around intentionally or unintentionally, thinking that in the future, a wormhole would appear in this place.

"Kiana, you're eating so fast."

"Can't help it, I'm hungry."

In a few bites, she finished the bread she had bought. Bai Ge and Mei hadn't even opened their lunch boxes yet, and this "grass-blade bug" had already finished her lunch.

Yet she still looked starving, lying there staring at Bai Ge and Mei with expectation.

Recently, the concentration of Honkai energy in Nagazora City had been getting higher and higher. She often went out at night to subjugate Honkai beasts and zombies. Although the Kaslana family all had superhuman constitutions, the energy consumed was far beyond that of normal people.

Moreover, on the way to Nagazora City, Kiana had lost Siegfried's black card, so her food budget was severely insufficient. With just those two or three pieces of bread, it was probably digested the moment she swallowed it.

"Alright, alright. Don't look at me so pitifully. I'll give it to you, eat."

"Hehehe, Bai Ge, you're so good!"

Happily taking Bai Ge's lunch box, the girl was resurrected on the spot, transforming into a "rice-eating machine," and began to shovel food into her mouth.

"Eh~ I really can't do anything with you."

Bai Ge couldn't help but laugh as he ruffled Kiana's hair. The feel of that white hair was truly top-tier; it hit his "sweet spot" perfectly.

Can't help it, white hair is a special attack against people from the Middle Kingdom.

"............"

Mei, who was next to them, had a subtle expression. Kiana was clearly a girl, but the way the two of them were... she always felt that her fake boyfriend was petting a cat.

Bai Ge first used his own lunch as bait to attract Kiana the cat's attention, and then, while she was obsessed with eating, he immediately started petting her to his heart's content!

11th update! Added an update!

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