[Seele's One-Day Adventure] Side Story Part 2
"Uh…hehehehe,"
Kiana stuck out her tongue playfully, trying to weasel her way out.
How could she have imagined someone being so troublesome? Couldn't they just say what they wanted to say directly?
Why did they have to be so roundabout in their refusal? It was Seele who invited her out to eat. Who would have thought that 'Seele' suddenly wouldn't want to eat with her?
Whose fault was this?
"Kiana, your understanding skills are top-notch!" Luo Mo said, giving her a thumbs-up.
He seemed to think it was funny that Kiana was having trouble figuring out what Seele meant.
He even went on to say that dealing with Veliona was a job best suited for Kiana and Seele, because they were a perfect match for each other.
Kiana scratched her head, looking at her boss with a confused frown.
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" she asked.
Mei sighed, shaking her head at Luo Mo.
She knew Kiana was right – she was on her side, but she had to admit that Luo Mo's joke was kind of funny.
[Huh? Are there really people who can't even understand this? I'm really…]
Veliona whispered in Seele's mind, sounding anxious and a little helpless.
[Humph…but, as you can see, I still succeeded, didn't I?]
[As expected of me!]
"Wait, my other self...are you really that against me hanging out with my friends?" Seele asked, her voice a little unsure.
[No…how could I…I just don't want you to go out too often…the food outside isn't healthy, yes, that's it!]
"…My other self, please be honest."
Seele sighed helplessly, speaking seriously.
[....]
[Fine, fine, what kind of answer do you want to hear?] Veliona's voice held a hint of indulgence.
"I'll make more time to care for you in the future. I didn't know…you were so bored in there? Just watching me and all…"
Seele spoke softly, but her words weren't insincere, they were genuine.
The consciousness inside seemed to relax, relieved that… she hadn't discovered her true intentions yet.
...
Veliona, feeling somewhat defeated, chose to return to the base. Although her plans for the kids hadn't been successful,
Kiana seemed to have been persuaded by her efforts.
It was just that her talk about being understanding… it left a strange, prickly feeling in her heart.
Veliona sighed, hoping this matter was finally settled.
But as she opened the door to the base, a grey-haired loli with a troubled expression walked towards her, her furrowed brows suggesting she was grappling with an important, indecisive matter.
Veliona was, of course, very familiar with her. After all, she was the most difficult opponent to contend with in their fight for Seele, and also the one Seele constantly talked about.
"Oh no, it's OnEe cHaN."
"That OneE ChAN is always so sharp, it won't be easy to fool her."
A bead of sweat formed on her forehead. This was far more difficult than the previous two times she had managed to slip past.
She felt a certain pressure.
Being recognized… she didn't care about that, but she didn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble for Seele.
However, she still wasn't confident. So…
"I'll just pretend to be admiring the scenery here and sneak past…."
She pressed herself against the wall, her head slightly bowed, silently preparing to slip by. It was the best option.
Any conversation would increase the chance of being discovered!
"Seele." The clear voice held a hint of confusion. Why wasn't Seele greeting her?
Did she not see her? Bronya was puzzled.
"...It's still not going to work, is it?"
Veliona sighed helplessly.
Of course, Bronya might miss someone, but how could she possibly miss such a cute Seele?
That was her Seele!
The world's most adorable Seele!
"Good afternoon, OnEe-chan...Bronya Onee-chan," Veliona said, trying to sound casual.
Her first sentence instantly made Bronya suspicious.
She stared at Veliona, silent, thinking something over in her head.
This Seele...something felt off.
Remembering some of Seele's words, could it be...?
Maybe she should test her.
"Wh-what's wrong, Bronya Onee-chan?" Veliona asked, trying to sound innocent.
"Seele is acting strange today," Bronya said, her voice serious.
"Is-is she? Maybe she didn't get enough rest last night," Veliona mumbled, scrambling for an excuse.
"Seele clearly made a promise with Bronya..." Bronya stated, her grey eyes calm and steady, as if reciting a fact.
"To count a hundred heavy-armed bunnies every day, then sleep soundly."
"...Count what? Does counting that stuff actually work?" Veliona muttered to herself, looking at Bronya.
But the important thing was to play along, to clear any suspicion about Seele.
So, without thinking, she puffed out her chest and said confidently, "Y-yesterday I counted three hundred and still couldn't fall asleep. Maybe the method doesn't work."
"You're lying," Bronya said, her lips pursed, the answer becoming clearer in her mind.
"Huh?" Veliona was confused.
"Bronya has never made that kind of promise with Seele. Bronya just made it up."
"What?!"
"And counting heavy-armed bunnies doesn't help with sleep."
Bronya calmly refuted her own previous statement, stepping closer to the suspicious Seele.
Veliona retreated towards the corner, her face flustered, her breathing ragged.
"You're not the real Seele. You are…"
"Seele was just going along with Bronya Onee-chan words, just a joke~."
"Hehe, Bronya Onee-chan is really something~."
Veliona forced a smile at Bronya, stubbornly continuing.
She still refused to accept the fact that she had been exposed.
"Sin Mal, how did you get here?"
Bronya looked back in surprise.
"What!"
"Get lost, you bastard! If you don't want to be thrown down the stairs again, stay away from Seele…"
Veliona's eyes flashed with fury upon hearing that name. She turned towards the back, her crimson hook claws appearing.
Then, a gentle breeze blew past, and looking at the empty corridor,
Veliona realized she had been tricked again.
Of course, why would Sin Mal be here.
She retracted her claws and her fierce expression, hoping the other hadn't seen, and offered a flimsy explanation.
"….Ehehe, Bronya Onee-chan, actually, I'm learning how to play the villain because I need to read stories to the kids."
"Do you think I'm convincing?"
Bronya remained silent. Her interactions with Sin Mal had confirmed her identity, but she wasn't giving up yet…
"Bronya remembers Seele saying she snores when she sleeps,"
"So today Bronya brought Seele some calming tea."
Hearing this question, Veliona finally perked up. Finally, a question she knew the answer to!
She confidently boasted, her chest held high.
"Humph, you can't trick me this time. I've been watching Seele sleep the whole time,"
"She never snores. She just occasionally mumbles cute things in her sleep."
".."
".."
The atmosphere seemed to freeze in that moment. Veliona's expression froze in place.
Her answer had come out too smoothly. She had only considered the answer she knew this time, without thinking about anything else…
So, after she finished speaking, she realized she had said something she shouldn't have.
And her answer undoubtedly confirmed that she wasn't Seele. At the same time—
It also made the person involved blush.
Bronya blinked, hearing a secret she didn't even know about.
------
"..."
"Why don't you come out? I won't stop you this time, my other self…"
Seele's face was flushed, her hands clasped together. Facing the gazes of everyone, she looked a little flustered, steam practically rising from her head.
Her heart pounded, feeling like her blood was about to evaporate. She didn't know where to look, feeling like every direction held mocking eyes.
What did my other self do? Why did she…say those things…
Did I really talk in my sleep?
Seele felt like she was going to die of embarrassment.
It was a shame there were no cracks in the ground, otherwise, she would definitely dive in…even if Bronya Big Sis called, she wouldn't come out!
[…]
[Suddenly, I'm not so angry anymore. It's actually pretty good in here, Seele, go for it!!]
Veliona encouraged her. The social death wasn't just for Seele, it was for her too.
Damn it, she actually wrote about being tricked three times!!
Was she that stupid?
Veliona couldn't help but wonder, feeling incredulous, and also dismissing the urge to rush out that she had just had.
…Unless Seele agreed to let her kill them all, otherwise, she, Veliona, couldn't stay in this world.
"Seele…"
"Br...Bronya, O-Onee-chan …" Seele stammered, responding in a flustered way.
"Don't worry, Seele, I haven't noticed you snoring these past few days…it must be a rare occurrence!"
Bronya tried to comfort her.
That was the result of her sneaking off to play games after sleeping with Seele.
At least during those times, Seele's sleep posture was very steady, quiet and peaceful.
There was absolutely no sign of it.
[Humph—, she has! Sometimes when Seele is stressed, like during the time she was making new friends, she always sleeps restlessly]
[After all, who knows Seele better, you or me?]
The Veliona inside retorted.
"Don't, don't say it…uh…I, I, I, I didn't!"
Seele couldn't help but cover her face with her hands, steam rising continuously from her head. She was clearly so embarrassed that she was on the verge of losing consciousness.
"Hmm?" Bronya was confused, tilting her head, looking at the embarrassed Seele.
[…Maybe I shouldn't have said anything?]
-----
Regarding the words she had been tricked into saying,
Veliona angrily pressed Bronya against the wall, her crimson eyes staring at Bronya's dazed expression. She growled in a low voice.
"Forget everything you just heard, do you hear me!"
"What!?"
Bronya looked up at Seele's face, which was close to hers, still not recovered from the situation.
Veliona spoke quickly, her voice sharp and urgent, emphasizing repeatedly.
"Forget everything! Delete it from your mind! Clear it! Don't leave any memories behind!"
"Even if you say it like that…"
At this point, it was Duck who hesitated, her eyes shifting away, unable to look at the furious Seele in front of her.
It's, it's so embarrassing! This pose!
And to forget everything…
"You have to forget even if you can't! No room for negotiation!"
Veliona, abandoning her usual imitation of Seele, spoke forcefully.
"Are you talking about the heavy-armed bunnies, or the villain act, or staring at Seele's sleeping face…"
Bronya asked weakly.
"AAAAAH!!!"
"Don't repeat it! Don't say it out loud!"
Veliona looked at Bronya, who was beneath her, and became even angrier.
Those…those were all her dark history, for crying out loud!
"Forget everything! Forget it completely!"
She just kept repeating and emphasizing her words, her eyes fixed on Bronya's, where she saw avoidance and retreat.
Damn it! Why couldn't she just give a clear answer?
And the emotional tension between the two of them undoubtedly ignored the surrounding environment.
With a click from the side, two iron doors slid open gracefully, and Dr. Einstein slowly walked out.
She was still saying, "Bronya, I forgot to tell you something..."
"..."
After coming out, she glanced at the scene.
Seele was pressing Bronya against the wall, looking like two girls were hugging, both of their faces were flushed with an indescribable blush.
This scene made her instantly understand what was happening.
So…
She gently flipped her hair, gracefully turned around, and said softly.
"Excuse me, I'm interrupting you two, please continue."
Then, she naturally returned to the door, not forgetting to close it gently, preventing others from interrupting their conversation.
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[No, you came at the right time!]
[Bronya·Playing Dumb (Upper), Seele·Embarrassed (Middle), Einstein·Door God (Lower)]
[Einstein is always so understanding]
[Another masterpiece added to the world—"Excuse me, you two continue"]
With Einstein's departure, the atmosphere here became even more strange. The two of them fell silent for a moment, the pink atmosphere between them was strangely awkward.
"It's turned into a strange misunderstanding, hasn't it?!"
Veliona felt even more frantic in her heart, her face dark, clearly in a bad mood.
She unconsciously took a step back, separating herself from Bronya.
Bronya hung her head, her face still flushed, wondering what she was thinking.
-----
"Seele, awesome! And Bronya too!"
Elysia licked her lips, letting out a sound of admiration, her eyes shining with excitement.
Hmm…and Dr. Einstein and Dr. Tesla too, they're all such interesting people!
This world is just too good!
It perfectly suits her tastes.
"Elysia?"
"Hmm? My dear Eden?"
Elysia turned around in time, seeing her friend Eden's charming smile.
"….Want to try that move too?"
Eden said with a hint of intoxication, her eyes twinkling playfully.
If she wasn't a little drunk now, and hadn't seen the look of fondness in Elysia's eyes, she would never have said something like that.
"Oh? Really? My dear Eden,"
Elysia suddenly excitedly hugged Eden, then looked at her with anticipation, grabbing her hand and saying,
"Come on—, over here, over here, closer to the wall. Oops, I meant a little closer, not Eden!"
"Too close, like this…aren't we too close? Eden…are you doing this on purpose?"
Whew~ Eden exhaled, the aroma of fine wine blowing onto Elysia's face.
"If you want it to be, then it is, my dear Elysia~"
"Hmm~ o(￣▽￣)o, you understand me so well!"
As Elysia slowly moved closer to Eden's body, pressing her against the wall, the heat between them spread.
Closer and closer, until their hair of different colors intertwined, their eyes locked on each other's faces.
Strangely, it was not the intoxicated Eden who was more into it, but Elysia, who was pressing against her.
"You two…be careful, don't do this kind of thing in the lobby! Klein, cover your eyes—"
Mobius watched the whole thing, dissatisfied.
"Ugh—"
Klein obediently covered her eyes, but the gap between her fingers was large, her vision was completely unaffected, and she carefully watched, then looked up at the doctor.
She didn't understand why such a simple scene was forbidden.
Was there something special about it?
-----
Veliona walked back, desperately thinking about everything that had just happened.
Her mind was in a whirlwind, thinking about all the bleak futures.
How could she explain it to Seele…
"What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?"
"Being found out by Big Sis is one thing, but being seen by others in such a strange situation…"
"If Seele finds out, she'll definitely be angry!"
"What do I do? How do I explain it to her?"
Just as she was anxious and worried, a figure with red twintails appeared in front of her. It was Tesla!
She was testing her new armor, intently observing the new parameters and information.
Veliona didn't see the figure in front of her at all, still thinking about the series of events that had happened today.
"AAAAAH, this is so annoying!!!"
So, the two of them collided head-on. Tesla stumbled and fell to the ground.
Her fiery temper immediately erupted.
"Hey, watch where you're going!"
"Huh?"
Veliona's face darkened even more. She was already in a bad mood, and the other person was so rude.
"Hey, isn't this Seele? I was just about to look for you."
"You're just in time, help me test my new combat mecha—Tesla-3027. This one is something I've carefully…"
Before she could finish,
Under the furious Veliona, the brand-new red mecha that Tesla had carefully crafted,
In just a few seconds, was greeted by chains and claws. In a matter of moments, it was reduced to scrap metal.
Tesla hadn't even reacted before she had to immerse herself in the sadness of the mecha wreckage. Her smug expression was still frozen on her face.
It was truly a pity!
"Oh my, what a cute toy."
Veliona smiled sickly, her figure bathed in crimson blood.
Her scarlet pupils had a hint of Honkai corruption, her lips slightly parted, but the words she spoke were so hurtful.
"It's just a little fragile, breaks with a single touch."
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Thanks to the mecha, all the pain she had just felt was released.
"Wuwuwu…my Tesla-3027…" Her voice was tinged with a sob, filled with sadness.
Dr. Tesla was left standing there, clutching the wreckage and sobbing. That was the armor she had spent countless days and nights completing.
How could…how could it be so easily destroyed by Seele?
Tesla was unwilling to accept it.
But the facts were right in front of her, leaving no room for argument.
Veliona continued to walk home in sorrow, only now with someone just as pitiful as her.
At that moment, a blue-haired beauty emerged from behind the door. She looked at the red wreckage on the ground.
"Is that Dr. Tesla's new mecha?"
"I never thought you could split a mecha's body in two. It's a very deconstructive beauty."
Einstein was truly Einstein, speaking with such a serious tone, yet making perfect sense. She even explained Tesla's creation with scientific principles.
If…it wasn't for the smile that wouldn't leave her lips.
Tesla gritted her teeth, the other person wasn't even helping, and she was even mocking her.
It was just too infuriating!
"Mop-head!!"
"This is my latest mecha, Tesla-3027! It's completely turned into scrap metal…"
Tesla lamented with tears in her eyes.
Then she couldn't help but ask, "That girl, is she usually this fierce?"
"Perhaps everyone has a side unknown to others."
Einstein replied calmly.
[Yandere Veliona is so cute, she only cares about Seele]
[Dr. Lobster Head's lifelong enemy: Two women with scythes]
[As expected of the comedic duo, this time Einstein, who has separated from Tesla, is performing normally, and Tesla is also performing normally!]
[Such a fast scrap rate]
[Einstein, who understands everything…still doesn't forget to prank Tesla, it's truly touching—!]
-----
"Dr. Lo…Lobster Head?"
Tesla's glasses almost fell off. She looked at Veliona's address for her, even more furious.
"Do I have to be the one who becomes the comedic character?"
Tesla couldn't help but ask a soul-searching question to everyone present.
"Hmm…" Einstein pondered for a moment, turning to Tesla with expectant eyes, and said softly,
"You can be."
"….Mop-head!"
Tesla's voice echoed through the Anti-Entropy base, reaching half the base.
As for the words that followed, they were supposedly from an unknown civilization, and none of those present could understand them.
It made one marvel that Dr. Tesla, while diligently conducting her experiments, had also mastered such a niche language.
-----
Veliona returned to her room, unusually dejected this time. She paced slowly around the room.
"I messed everything up."
"No matter what I do, it backfires. Everything is different from what I expected…"
"I even said those things to Big Sis, and then took it out on Dr. Lobster Head's mecha…"
"What am I even doing…"
She sat on the bed, her mind wandering, thinking about this and that.
She was worried about Seele's changing opinion of her. After all, in just one day of being together, she had messed up Seele's life completely. It was really disheartening.
Clearly…clearly, she didn't want to change Seele's life.
At most, at most, she just wanted to get rid of some unimportant people, but things turned out like this…
"Seele must be disappointed in me."
"Sigh…"
She couldn't help but feel discouraged and dejected.
Suddenly, she noticed something. There was a note on the table, seemingly left for her.
She picked it up curiously, intending to carefully read what was written on it.
"Open the drawer…"
She was a little puzzled, but decided to follow the note's instructions. She opened the drawer below and looked inside.
There, a delicious cake lay quietly, waiting to be discovered. Next to it was a letter.
"This, this is! The cake Seele packed back yesterday!"
She was surprised, as if it was something she hadn't expected. Then, she picked up the paper.
"And a letter…this paper is torn from Seele's diary."
"She was writing this yesterday?"
Veliona couldn't understand, but a warm feeling flowed through her body.
It turned out…she still cared about her.
"To Seele(other me):"
"Hehe, surprised, aren't you?"
"This is the first time I've communicated with you through a letter, isn't it? Although we've always lived in the same body, familiar with each other's every thought…but because of this, it's even harder for us to speak about certain things in a way that we can open up."
"So, I want to say this to you formally in this way, thank you!"
"Thank you for taking care of me all this time, thank you for tolerating my weakness, my fear, my hesitation."
"Because of you, I can muster the courage to come this far. You are the most indispensable, irreplaceable person to me!"
"PS: This cake is really delicious, I wanted to share it with you the moment I took the first bite."
[Whoa—, is this Seele? Scary as hell]
[Whether it's Veliona or Bronya, they're all firmly in her grasp, too scary!]
[This is—the art of language!]
[According to a nameless Herrscher of Sentience, she cried herself to sleep after watching this episode as a child]
[Herrscher of Sentience: Fake, it's absolutely fake, how could there be such a person in the world? More importantly! Why didn't I meet her!]
"..."
Veliona looked at the contents of the letter, feeling a little embarrassed, a little touched, but even more eager to continue reading word by word.
Those warm words flowed through her heart, softening her tough exterior bit by bit.
When she read the last words, she couldn't help but pick up the cake with both hands, holding a fork in one hand and savoring it carefully.
Under the moonlight, she lowered her eyes, her scarlet eyes filled with emotion. Her black hair concealed her charming face, and a blush gradually spread across her cheeks.
Even her ears were tinged with a touch of shyness. Beneath her crimson armor, her white skin revealed a hint of allure.
She couldn't help but repeat the words aloud, struggling to play the role of a strong protector.
"Seele…idiot, idiot!"
"What's this, making me worry for so long, and it turns out I was just panicking!"
"What's going on, do you think a piece of cake can buy me off? Naive!"
"...At least you should add an ice cream scoop."
"But in this weather, the ice cream scoop will melt if you bring it back."
She said with a touch of distress, but the corners of her mouth slightly rose, changing the subject, revealing her true thoughts.
"We should just go eat together."
"After all, you invited me, so I'll accept."
"Idiot, you're really…an idiot!"
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...
Day Three,
"Seele should be fine today,"
Veliona paced anxiously in her room, a bead of nervous sweat trickling down her cheek. She had left in such a hurry that she forgot to tell the other one.
Seele…should probably…maybe be able to handle it?
"Although I have a bad feeling about this,"
"....Damn it, I can't help but worry when she's alone."
"I should go see what's going on."
Then she turned on the TV and watched every scene Seele was experiencing outside.
What she did…wasn't that bad, right?
Outside, Seele was walking leisurely, and saw a child approaching, holding a red orb in their hand.
"Seele Onee-Chan! I figured it out, I know what you want to teach us!"
"Just like Little Red Riding Hood, she can change her fate through her own efforts—"
"I will also! Turn the tide!"
As the last words faded, the tomato in the child's hand burst with a squeeze, red juice splattering everywhere, making Seele instinctively raise her hand to shield herself.
"Eh?"
Seele looked at the child blankly, not understanding what they were saying.
But soon, her friend from another direction—Kiana—also ran over excitedly, shouting to Seele.
"Seele, I finally found it! I found a really authentic Sichuan restaurant in Salt Lake City!"
"Let's go there today! Let's eat the super spicy kind with chili peppers and pickled peppers!"
Kiana said happily, she had also learned to be understanding like Seele!
But she didn't notice that Seele's face suddenly darkened, her lips slightly parted.
"Eh?!"
She, she, she can't eat spicy food, why did Kiana suddenly invite her to eat Sichuan food?
On the other side, Dr. Tesla, clutching her red armor, rushed over, looking at the other person with displeasure.
Yesterday, she had mocked her armor for being too fragile, but she had stayed up all night to finally repair it and take it a step further.
"Humph, let's continue yesterday's battle, Seele!"
She said with a fighting spirit.
"My Tesla-3028 will definitely complete its revenge on you!"
"Eh?!?!"
Seele was even more confused. Her originally clear eyes were now a little bewildered, completely unaware of what was happening.
On the other side, Bronya, who was walking over, was preoccupied, at least she didn't come rushing over to greet Seele like the previous few people.
Seele let out a sigh of relief, and also felt reassured—at least there was one person who was normal.
"Bronya Onee-chan, good morning."
"….Good morning."
Bronya's eyes darted around, her face flushed. She glanced at Seele and quickly looked away.
This made Seele curious.
"Bronya Onee-chan, are you feeling unwell? Your face is a little red…are you running a fever?"
Seele asked with concern, looking at Bronya's flushed face.
Then she walked over slowly, wanting to check her sister's forehead temperature.
—If she really had a fever, that wouldn't be good!
Unexpectedly, Bronya slowly moved back, avoiding Seele's hand, her face even redder.
—This was unprecedented behavior.
"No, it's just…"
Bronya's speech was no longer her usual calm self, but rather hesitant and awkward.
"Sorry, Seele, Bronya doesn't want to forget what happened yesterday."
"Because that's also Bronya's precious memory."
After Bronya made this statement, she quickly ran away, leaving Seele standing there in a daze. She couldn't help but wonder in her heart.
…What did my other self…do?
Why, why has the world suddenly become unrecognizable to me?!
Veliona in the consciousness space shut off the TV with a sigh, no longer checking the outside world.
She silently cut off her connection to the outside.
"What the hell happened?!"
In the scene, Seele left with one last question, countless question marks popping up above her little head, and then the screen went black.
Seele's Day of Adventure—Series of…Today I Still Can't Figure Out What My Other Self Is Thinking,
Officially over.
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