Poor Raiden Mei
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I was drinking a cup of tea prepared by Luna when I saw that news. Something is wrong here. The news only stated that the man, Raiden Ryoma, was charged with embezzling the funds. That's it. And they are just saying the president was guilty for it with different approaches. There aren't any facts and proof about the man doing such a crime.
"Something wrong, Master?" I heard Luna asking me from my side.
"Oh… it's nothing. I just thought something about this sounds fishy," I answered.
"Do you want me to investigate, Master?" Luna asked.
"You can?"
"I can, Master," she nodded. Wow, just wow. I didn't know that I got a super maid. I guess she has connections to investigate those.
"Please," I nodded.
"I will get it done tomorrow evening, Master," she gave me a curt bow.
Now, I wonder how Raiden Mei is dealing with this. Well, it is not my place to worry about her. She'll do just fine.
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Tomorrow morning at school,
She is not doing fine. The dark circles under her eyes indicate that she is not taking the news well. And… she looks lonely now. All the friends usually around her are now nowhere to be seen. I guess all of her supposed friends abandoned her after hearing the news.
But that does not end there. Most of the people in the class are talking about the recent news while looking at the girl.
"Look at her. How dare a daughter of a criminal come to the class like nothing happened?" a girl gossips to her friend.
"Heh, as expected of the spawn of a criminal. She is so shameless," one of the boys said while chuckling.
I am hearing many more like this coming from the people who were surrounding her with flattery and praises. I forgot some Japanese citizens like to shame and outcast the family of criminals.
Poor Raiden Mei, her face is covered by hairs and her eyes are looking toward the ground all these times. She took in all the insults and sneers without raising her head.
"I guess that is also the reason why Urien-kun doesn't like to talk with her. He must have known about this even before all of us," a random student said, making all the heads turn toward me, including Raiden Mei's.
I can't do anything but sigh when the attention shifts toward me. "Sigh, no. Just no. The reason why I am not talking to her is my personal issue. I do not hate her. Not then, not now," I answered the crowd.
"But she is the daughter of the —," one of the classmates tried to argue. I guessed it right. They really intended to outcast her from the class.
"The child will not be punished for the parent's sins. Moreover, we can't really tell if Raiden Ryoma is actually guilty of the embezzlement. There isn't any proof that the man had used up the funds. The media just talk about whatever they want because they want views. So, if you want to ask me to do whatever you guys are doing to the poor girl, I am sorry but I am not interested," I replied to them with an unamused expression.
I was never a fan of such things. In my previous life, most of the MANTIS soldiers were treated like that because of the side-effects of the experiment they had gone through. The side-effect I got was trouble breathing. Just that. No, my lungs stopped working.
Well, there was that thing in my previous life. "If something fuckery happened, go straight to Dr. MEI. She'll try to solve it for you if she feels like it." She made a machinery lung for me to breathe just in 30 minutes while I was put into a freezer before being sent to the warzone. I didn't know she could design a machine.
The entire class went silent after hearing my reply. I guess kids will be kids. They just do whatever they want without thinking.
Fortunately, the teacher arrived to break the awkward silence. But… the way he was acting while teaching us, he was pretending as if Raiden Mei doesn't exist in this room. Even teachers… Aren't the teachers supposed to help the students when they are in trouble? Not only this teacher, the one who came after this man also acted like she didn't exist. This is just… wrong.
The bell rang and it was time for lunch. Just like always, I stand up and prepare to go up to the roof. But then I noticed. Raiden Mei is sitting at her seat, not moving an inch. No students are surrounding her like the other days. Then I saw she was rubbing her stomach. And from the look of it, she didn't have breakfast this morning. And she also didn't bring her lunchbox.
Sigh, me and my bleeding heart. Even if she is not MEI, I can't bear to watch someone who looks like her suffering like this. I walked straight toward her seat. I noticed a few eyes following me when they noticed where I was going.
"Follow me," I told Raiden Mei after arriving in front of her seat. I didn't wait for her to reply as I immediately turned around and walked out of the room. As soon as she noticed I was out of the classroom, she quickly stood up and followed me from behind. But she is keeping a certain distance from me.
"Isn't the door to the roof supposed to be locked?" she asked after noticing where we were going. Of course, I didn't reply to her. I pulled out an extra key from my pocket and opened it. I got this key after brib… no, call it giving some gifts to the principal. It put some dent in my budget but I don't want to use the roof illegally.
With Raiden Mei following me, I can't sit on the floor. So, I walked toward a bench. Yes, this school has a bench on the roof just like the one from my previous life.
I sat on the bench and gestured to her to sit beside me. While she wasn't sure what to do, I opened my case to proceed to take out the lunch box. Yes, I put my lunch box in a freaking case. I don't want to try my luck after KEVIN ate all of my lunch.
I saw two lunch boxes inside the case. Oh, that is the reason it felt heavier. But why two though? Did Luna already know about this? Meh. I was going to give her my lunch while I drink the canned coffee from the case. I guess I can also eat lunch.
"Here," I passed an extra lunch box to the girl sitting beside me.
"This is…?" she exclaimed.
"Thank you," she thanked me.
"You are welcome," I answered while unpacking my lunch box. Today's lunch includes rice, cherry tomatoes, tamagoyaki, karaage, steamed broccoli, and finally a potato salad.
The two of us eat silently without bothering to talk. I was not bothered to start a conversation and she was eating lunch with gusto. As I had thought, she didn't have her breakfast before leaving for school.
Both of us finished after 5 to 10 minutes. "Why?" she asked while wrapping back the lunch box.
"I just felt like it," I answered.
"I thought you hated me," she whispered.
"Didn't you hear what I said in the classroom? I don't hate you. I don't want to talk with you because of my personal reasons," I answered.
"But you are talking to me now. You even shared your lunch box with me," she added.
"Yes, I did," I nodded. I pulled out two canned coffees and gave one to her to which she gently took it.
"Why didn't you eat your breakfast before coming to school?" I asked, starting another conversation.
"... I don't know how to cook," she whispered.
"Understandable," I nodded. I guess she was used to eating the food prepared by the maids.
"I… I was thinking about learning how to cook," she looks up at the sky while saying it.
"You should," I answered. "But do you even have the budget for it?" I added.
"Ye-yes. I have some savings which can last about a year if I use it sparingly," she answered without hiding anything. She is too naive. Why would she answer how much money she has on her?
"Well then, let's head back," I stood up and proceeded to leave the place.
"Can… Can I talk to you again?" I heard the voice of Raiden Mei from behind.
"Sigh, sure. Just come up to the roof during lunch," I answered and walked back to the class. I am going to regret this, aren't I?
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Author's Note;
Sorry for not updating yesterday. I was visiting my relative's place and I was not in the mood for writing. As an apology, I got this Omake here. Is this canon? Who knows!
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Omake 01: Elysian Realm
*Slash*
Mei, in her Herrscher of Thunder form, slashed the Templar-Class Honkai Beast in front of her with her katana. That was the last Honkai Beast of this floor. She chose「Setsuna」 on the previous floor. And she is on this floor after choosing「Altruism」.
A gentle breeze blew past her after she gave the final blow to the Honkai Beast. Mei heard a faint sound of footsteps coming her way. But she cannot see the owner of the footsteps even after looking around.
"I was surprised when Ellie told me that a Herrscher is taking the trial," she heard a familiar voice coming from behind.
She immediately snapped her head to the place where the voice came. There, she saw a man, white hair and purple eyes standing. He is wearing a black combat suit with purple lines on them. His face contains no expression and his eyes are cold.
As for Mei, she couldn't believe her eyes. "Why is he here?!" She screamed inwardly.
Without minding the expression on her face, the man introduced himself. "My name is Urien. A simple man bearing the Signet of Altruism. Now then, Successor—," just before he finished his introduction, he was caught off guard by a red missile.
"*Sob* *Sob* Urien, I am sorry! I am sorry! I am sorry! I am sorry! I am sorry! I am sorry! I am sorry! I am…," she kept on repeating that like a broken cassette while hugging the man tightly as if she was afraid of him going to disappear from her sight.
As for the man, he was dumbfounded. Some had come here to take the trials. But this is the first time a girl suddenly cried and hugged him. Since he doesn't know what to do, he just patted the back of the girl.
After a while, the girl stopped crying and released him from the grip. "Are you okay now?" he asked to which he got a nod from the girl as an answer.
"I am very sorry. You looked like an adult version of my late friend," she apologized.
"Let's continue. My name is Urien. A simple man bearing the Signet of Altruism. Now then, Successor, I guess you are prepared to pay the price since you are here to take the trials," the man, or, Urien asked the girl in front of him.
"I am," she answered without hesitation. Tears from her face are now no longer there. The way she is acting now doesn't look like a girl who cried just a few moments ago.
"Very well. Take this Signet. I hope you will be able to use it well," the man disappeared after saying that.
"Don't worry, I will. So that I don't have to watch my friends sacrificing themselves for the sake of the world," Mei replied while gracefully taking the Signet. This is not the oath. This is not the promise. This is the road she chose and she will see it to the end.