Cherry Blossoms Bloom, Mei's Birthday

 The sun gradually slanted westward as the fishing boat Lin Wei was on returned to the harbor, surrounded by seagulls.

The sunset at sea was always incredibly brilliant, gradually dimming amidst the dazzling sky. The sea breeze also grew cooler with each gust, losing the comfortable warmth of the midday sun, urging those who had gone out to sea to return to port quickly.

Lin Wei looked back at the golden light on the horizon and couldn't help but sigh.

"Returning at this time is just right."

If he could, he would be really reluctant to give up this peaceful life.

"Thanks, Captain!"

Lin Wei paid the fare and said goodbye to the boat owner.

"You're welcome! Come again next time!"

The boat owner chuckled, not bothering to count the money, just pocketing it.

"Thanks to you, today's harvest is much bigger than my usual outings! And all big fish too!"

As he spoke, the boat owner suddenly felt a bit strange: Wait a minute, the fishing nets on the boat are all dry?

Then how did I catch so many fish in the hold?

Unable to figure it out, the boat owner simply stopped thinking about it. Anyway, the harvest couldn't lie, so why bother thinking so much?

Lin Wei smiled politely, made some small talk, then bid farewell and left, hailing a taxi towards the city.

Lin Wei leaned back in the seat, closing his eyes and resting.

Yae Sakura also seemed to have seen enough, losing her initial fascination with the sea and the city. She was quiet now, enjoying this moment of tranquility together with him.

"Sakura, if I had come five hundred years earlier, I'm afraid I would have stayed in Yae Village with you, unconcerned with worldly affairs."

Since returning from the sea, Lin Wei had been unable to piece together the chaotic fragments of thoughts in his mind into a satisfactory mental picture, and couldn't help but feel a bit anxious.

When he realized he might be unconsciously overthinking things, he simply let out a breath, stopping himself from being troubled by those currently unverifiable guesses, and started to change the subject.

"Just wondering if Ms. Yae back then would have welcomed me?"

"…I would have been truly honored."

Lin Wei asked casually, but Yae Sakura answered seriously.

"If that were truly the case, I'm afraid Mr. Lin Wei, this celestial being, wouldn't be able to endure that dilapidated little village, nor those customs, which seem rather barbaric now, wouldn't you?"

Hearing Yae Sakura's self-deprecating tone, Lin Wei couldn't help but smile.

"How could that be? The land that could birth Ms. Yae Sakura, how could it be a poor and desolate place?"

"…Are you really just trying to tease me, Lin Wei-kun?"

Yae Sakura couldn't handle it, and couldn't help but sigh, surrendering.

"If you had really come to me five hundred years ago, you'd probably have died by my blade… Five hundred years bring great changes, how can you compare the present to the past?"

"Sakura, have some faith in me, okay? And have some faith in yourself too~"

Lin Wei smiled even wider.

He didn't know why, even facing an uncertain future, but as long as he heard Yae Sakura's voice, felt Pandora's presence, he would have no fear of the future. Because it was proof that he had once triumphed.

He'd once had nothing, been at his wit's end, and yet had made it to today. So what big deal could today's matters be?

"But as an apology, Sakura, I'll take you somewhere."

Their mental conversation concluded, Lin Wei opened his eyes and said to the taxi driver,

"Driver, turn around ahead, to Gardens by the Bay."

"Alright!"

The driver naturally had no objections. It was all about earning money, so what difference did the destination make?

"Lin Wei-kun?"

Yae Sakura asked, a little puzzled.

Lin Wei turned his head to look outside the car window, watching the dense greenery along the road rapidly receding.

"I remember when we first met in the Stigmata Space, you said the cherry blossoms in Shinano were beautiful, and you regretted not being able to take me to see them."

"Just dreams and sleep-talk…"

Yae Sakura was taken aback, a bit nostalgic, a bit bashful, and also a bit emotional, a bit touched.

"It's remarkable that Lin Wei-kun still remembers."

"How could I forget? I promised to take you to see them in this world."

Lin Wei said seriously,

"Sakura, spring has arrived. I'll take you to see the cherry blossoms."

"Enjoying cherry blossoms under the night sky, Ms. Yae shouldn't mind, right?"

"..."

A soft, silent sigh.

"How could I?"

… … … … … …

Japan • St. Freya High • Valkyrie Dormitory.

"Bang! Bang!"

Fireworks exploded one after another, colorful ribbons fluttering in the air.

Kiana stacked two or three chairs together, wobbling precariously on top, but she didn't care at all, just excitedly waving her arms at the girl who had just entered the door, shouting loudly,

"Mei! Mei! Happy Birthday!"

As soon as Mei entered the dormitory, she was taken aback by this scene, then couldn't help but exclaim,

"Kiana, be careful!"

"What did you say? Oh no!"

The dormitory was too noisy. Kiana didn't hear what Mei had said clearly. In that brief moment of distraction, she lost her balance. After a clattering wobble, she screamed, and fell to the ground with a thud.

"Ouch…"

Face-planted on the floor, the white-haired dumpling, resembling an uprooted onion, struggled to get up. She was a little dazed from the fall. Who am I, where am I?

"Kiana-classmate, I told you to be careful."

Fu Hua walked over calmly, lecturing her seriously.

Just now, with swift reflexes, she had caught the flying chairs mid-air, one in each hand, and put them back in place, preventing property damage.

"Mind your own business!"

Kiana glared at her like a cat whose fur had been ruffled. She didn't know why, but every time she heard Fu Hua's voice, she felt an inexplicable surge of anger.

Maybe this is what a natural enemy is, Kiana thought.

If I can't beat you, I'll avoid you. If I don't provoke you, I'll be fine, right?

Big road ahead, Class Monitor, let's each walk our own way!

But this poker-faced person actually had the nerve to keep approaching her. This was really infuriating!

"Hey! I didn't invite you to Mei's birthday party!"

Kiana said angrily, as if wanting to vent all the awkwardness and embarrassment from falling onto the Class Monitor.

"Kiana, are you okay?"

Mei rushed over with a worried look on her face, grabbed Kiana's hand and started checking her over. After confirming that she wasn't injured, she breathed a sigh of relief, then gently scolded her for being reckless and careless.

Kiana, no longer bristling, became meek and obedient, smiling apologetically, nodding repeatedly.

Fu Hua tactfully retreated from this little world of two.

"Class Monitor Fu Hua, please don't mind her, Kiana she…"

Mei wanted to explain for Kiana, but didn't know how to phrase it.

"It's okay, Mei-classmate. I really didn't receive an invitation, just saw that you seemed very busy here, so I came to lend a hand out of the obligation of mutual help between classmates."

Fu Hua replied with a smile that didn't show any offense, then looked around, thought for a moment, and said,

"Mm… now it seems, you don't need me anymore, then I'll take my leave. Mei-classmate, happy birthday, have fun."

Offering her blessings, Fu Hua turned to leave without hesitation.

Seeing this, Mei quickly stepped forward, grabbing Fu Hua's hand.

"Class Monitor, stay too! Kiana was just being playful, please don't mind her. After all, we're all classmates, and live together, so why would we need an invitation?"

Fu Hua looked at Kiana, who had a "if you dare leave, you're dead" expression, then at Mei, who was inviting her sincerely, hesitated slightly, and then sighed "helplessly."

"Your hospitality is overwhelming, very well…"

Mei's smile brightened.

Seeing that Fu Hua was still tactful, Kiana gave her a somewhat satisfied look, then ran back to her room mysteriously, a puzzled Mei watching, and a moment later came out holding a large bouquet of pink flowers. She excitedly placed them into the large vase in the center of the table, and said with satisfaction.

"Mei, Mei, I remember you said that when you were little, your family's courtyard was full of cherry blossoms, and they'd bloom every year on your birthday, so I thought, we can't miss it this year!"

"Kiana…"

Mei was deeply touched by this gift, though simple but heartfelt, and at the same time puzzled. So many cherry blossoms, where did they come from?

"Bang!"

The dormitory door was kicked open forcefully. A small white-haired dumpling stood at the door, staring at Kiana, who looked embarrassed, with piercing eyes.

"Kiana! You're damaging public property again!"

"Headmistress? What's wrong with Kiana again?"

Mei felt a headache coming on. She secretly thought, her premonition is right again, isn't it?

"Ask me? You ask her!"

Sure enough, Theresa strode in, pointing a finger at Kiana, saying indignantly,

"There are only those two cherry blossom trees in the school grounds, only planted a few years ago, still babies! I was still thinking of going to admire them when they bloomed, but today I went to see, and they've been completely stripped bare by this girl!"

The more Theresa spoke, the angrier she became. She wanted to slam the table, but was afraid of breaking it and having to buy a new one herself, so she simply gave up, just glaring at the large bouquet of fragrant cherry blossoms, her nose almost crooked.

"Now the trees are bare, nothing left at all!"

Seeing that things were about to get chaotic, Fu Hua interjected in time.

"Headmistress, where is Major Himeko? I haven't seen her?"

"Oh, that dynamite freak? She's drunk and sleeping at my place."

Theresa's attention was immediately diverted, saying somewhat helplessly.

"Today isn't these kid's birthday? Himeko thinks it's not appropriate for her to be there as an elder, so she hid at my place."

Speaking of this, Theresa seemed to finally remember that it was inappropriate to disrupt the party today. She glared fiercely at Kiana,

"I'll deal with you later!"

After saying so, she glanced at the cherry blossoms on the table with some sorrow, went out, planning to return to her office to read comics alone.

Mei felt her head was spinning. Her mood had been on such a rollercoaster in this short period, so full of ups and downs and twists and turns, making all her previous birthdays seem so bland in comparison.

"Kiana!"

"Mei… are you angry? Sorry…"

Kiana saw Mei's complicated and conflicted expression, and couldn't help but feel uneasy.

"..."

Mei saw Kiana's nervous face, and couldn't help but burst out laughing, and the slight displeasure just now vanished like smoke.

"No, I love them."

She really couldn't get angry at Kiana…

Throughout, Bronya sat quietly in a corner of the dining table, quietly drinking milk with a straw, quietly watching this lively scene, as always not participating, just quietly appreciating their boisterous fun.

"Bronya-classmate."

As if worried about her being left out, Fu Hua took the initiative to greet her.

"Is something wrong, Class Monitor?"

Bronya looked up at Fu Hua, asking with some confusion.

"Ah, it's nothing, just saw you don't look well, seem to have low energy. Is something troubling you recently?"

Although Bronya looked like an expressionless mechanical girl, she was actually much more perceptive than her two other companions.

But no matter what, Fu Hua could handle it with ease.

"Sorry, just from practicing martial arts since young, I'm more sensitive to these aspects. I didn't mean to pry into your privacy."

"It's okay, Class Monitor."

Bronya didn't doubt Fu Hua.

"Maybe it's because Bronya has been playing games too late these past few days, and lacking sleep."

"Oh, is that so."

Fu Hua nodded, not asking further.

"You should still rest early. It's good to have plenty of energy."

Bronya nodded, thanking her with a blank expression and an indifferent tone.

"Mm, thank you for your concern, Class Monitor."

Fu Hua nodded in response, and then turned to leave. Beneath her calm and composed exterior, her heart was pondering.

Bronya does seem strange, but it doesn't seem like there's any conspiracy…

Earlier, Otto had messaged her, telling her to pay attention to Bronya's unusual movements, but had explained nothing. Why, what he had discovered, what abnormalities and hidden dangers there were, she knew nothing.

Fu Hua could only search for clues herself.

That guy Otto was annoying, but he never did anything without a reason.

But then again, based on Fu Hua's interactions with and understanding of these kids over the past year, she really didn't think Bronya would do anything conspiratorial or harmful.

Under the cover of her glasses, Fu Hua used her peripheral vision to scan the people in the room. Kiana and some close friends were singing happy birthday to Mei, Bronya, although not singing along, was also using Project Bunny to play the accompaniment.

…It's better to observe more carefully, Fu Hua thought to herself. She wouldn't neglect her duties.

But if she could, she really didn't want to break this warm and beautiful scene in front of her.

… … … … … …

"Sakura, how do you feel?"

Walking and enjoying the sea of flowers formed by hundreds of cherry blossom trees, admiring various artistic performances in the rain of falling petals with other tourists who came to appreciate the cherry blossoms, and seriously asking the price of snacks and souvenirs from the stalls, as if participating in a happy festival celebration.

"Mm, I like it very much, thank you, Lin Wei-kun."

Yae Sakura's voice was gentle and filled with emotion. Whether she was thanking Lin Wei for taking her to see the cherry blossoms, or thanking him for keeping her in his heart, was hard to say.

Lin Wei smiled, continuing to stroll, alone, but not feeling lonely.

"Beep beep beep…"

But there were always some clueless people who wanted to spoil the mood.

Lin Wei pulled out his phone, it was a call from Tesla.

"Hey, Lin Wei, got a question for you."

Tesla was never polite, getting straight to the point,

"You rescued a girl named Yuno in Nagazora City back then, and handed her over to Fu Hua, right?"

Lin Wei stopped walking, his eyes narrowing slightly,

"Yes. Did something happen?"

"That's just fantastic!"

Tesla's tone dripped with sarcasm.

"I heard some news, a Valkyrie named Yuno from Schicksal HQ was temporarily dispatched to Southeast Asia."

"You better be careful, might be aiming for you!"