A/N:
It might feel a little off as the formatting got messed up when I synced it with the mobile app. Why does it do that I don't know
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Today was the day I had to introduce Kevin to Mei. Su and I were just waiting for Kevin to show up.
"Su, has he ever acted like this before?" I asked, glancing at him.
He shook his head. "Not that I've seen. Usually, it's the other way around—girls trying to talk to him. He's never been the one nervous about making the first move."
That made sense, but it still baffled me. Why did girls keep trying when he clearly wasn't interested? Shouldn't they have given up after the fifth rejection?
Almost exactly five minutes later, Kevin finally appeared.
"You're late, y'know," I said, crossing my arms.
"I know. I was just... uh..." He struggled to come up with an excuse.
I sighed. "Doesn't matter. Let's go. Remember, it's just an introduction, not a confession. Take your time, get to know her first. If you rush, she'll just say no—especially to you, Kevin." With Kevin and Su standing in front of her, Mei looked at me, clearly confused.
I gave her a reassuring smile. "Mei-chan, this is Kevin and Su. Don't worry, they're harmless. Just... no scaring her off, alright?" I shot a look at Kevin.
He frowned. "Hey, why are you looking at me like that?"
Su chuckled. "Because you tend to get a bit... enthusiastic. Remember how Thor reacts when you're too much?"
I ignored Kevin's grumbling and turned to Mei. "The tall guy with gray hair is Su. He works as an assistant at his parents' hospital but wants to be a doctor someday. The one with white hair is Kevin—he's training to be an athlete."
Su offered a polite nod. "Nice to meet you, Mei."
Kevin gave a casual wave. "Yo, I'm Kevin. Thor's told us about you—we wanted to meet you."
Mei hesitated before mumbling, "Nice to meet you too." She turned to me, eyebrows raised. "Is this why you wanted me to meet up at lunch? To introduce your friends? You just transferred here last week."
I smiled. "Yep, guilty. Now that introductions are out of the way, let's grab some lunch."
Together, we left the school grounds—lunch breaks allowed it as long as we made it back on time.
As we walked to a nearby café, I leaned toward Mei and whispered, "They're good guys, really. Su's especially worth knowing—he might be able to get you some research papers in the future, considering he plans to be a doctor."
She nodded, seeming more at ease. Once inside the café, we ordered food and found a spot to sit.
"So, Su," I started, keeping my tone casual, "you start your official training at your parents' hospital next week, right?"
Su nodded, catching on to my attempt to lighten the mood. "Yeah, I start on the 2nd next month. It's two years of training, then a few more specializing in Honkai irradiation research. Honestly, it's pretty daunting. We're trying to find a treatment—or even a cure—but there's still a long way to go." He sighed, a hint of frustration slipping through.
I noticed Mei glancing at Su, curiosity in her eyes, but she didn't speak up. I nudged the conversation forward. "Su, you mentioned you'd be doing research, right?"
He looked at me, a bit confused. "Yeah?"
"Why not share some of your findings with me—and maybe Mei here too?" I added, giving Mei a reassuring smile. She looked surprised.
"Mei, your idea about nanobots could really complement his work. Think about it."
She seemed to mull it over, then spoke up cautiously. "Nanobots could help mitigate Honkai irradiation, but they'd need to interact with or even control Honkai energy. That's... complicated."
Su seemed intrigued.
"It's an interesting concept. We'd need to test some ideas, but it's worth exploring. Let me know when you're ready to try something out."
I could see Mei relaxing, more engaged in the discussion. Now seemed like a good time to queue Kevin in.
"Oh yeah, Su," Kevin chimed in, catching on to the flow, "do you know if there's any sports science stuff at the hospital? Might help me improve my times."
Su thought for a moment. "Yeah, we have some material on sports physiology and injury prevention. I can check it out for you."
Kevin grinned. "That'd be great. Working together makes things a lot easier than trying to figure it all out alone."
"Exactly," I agreed. "Let's keep helping each other out. Su, don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything too. Same goes for you, Mei."
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Time moved quickly as our little group found a rhythm. Mei and I continued working on the nanobot project in the lab most afternoons. Even though I knew most of the technical aspects from my Earth, I focused on guiding Mei rather than taking over in a way, curious to see how Mei's ideas would evolve.
At first, Mei was still a bit stiff around Su and Kevin when they joined us after school for Kevin and later on for Su after he did his helping at the hospital, but as the days passed, that changed. One afternoon, after finishing a shift at his parents' hospital, Su stopped by the lab. Mei was studying the data from our latest test run when she spoke up, almost without thinking.
"Su, you're familiar with Honkai energy diagnostics, right?" Mei asked, still tapping at the monitor.
Su looked over, surprised that she addressed him so directly. "Yeah, I've been reading up on it. Honkai energy is tricky to measure because of how unstable it is, even on technology and not just humans and animals."
Mei glanced at him, intrigued. "I've been thinking about integrating a diagnostic function into the nanobots—something that can monitor Honkai energy levels in real time. Could that work?"
Su considered it. "Maybe. Honkai energy data shows a lot of variance based on the host's condition.
You'd need a sensor that adjusts dynamically, or it'll just corrupt when in contact with Honkai without adjusting itself."
I didn't say anything, just watched how the conversation flowed. It was good to see Mei taking the initiative, and Su's practical insights were already helping shape the concept. It was better this way as otherwise I'd just be making what Monika called a 'Devouring Mist' instead of something for medical purposes.
Su had started coming by regularly on his free weekdays, offering his medical expertise before his formal training began. He'd get busier soon, so I wanted to make sure he felt invested in the project before then so during his research he thinks of ways to incorporate these nanobots.
As for Kevin, he wasn't really into the technical stuff, he did try to get into it, but Mei's explanation proved to be too complicated for him, and I must admit she wasn't the best at it. Even Su at the time was confused and he knew the project in and out at this point. However, Kevin's common sense had a way of cutting through their more 'ambitious' ideas.
One evening, as Mei and Su debated how to stabilize the sensor output, Kevin leaned back, clearly bored. "What are guys even talking about," he interrupted, stretching his arms. "You guys are talking like you've already built the damn thing. How about just making what you set out to make originally rather than try to make whatever that is."
He points at the board titled new features that was completely filled "This is a nanobot right? Do you really think you can fit all of those into that tiny little thing."
Mei frowned, but after a moment, she nodded. "You're right. It makes more sense to get a simple model working first. Then, we can work on different variants in future."
Su chuckled. "Can't argue with that. Sometimes, simple is better."
I gave Kevin a small nod of approval. His 'Simpleness' kept them from getting bogged down in overthinking. Even though he wasn't the academic type, his grounded logic kept the project moving instead of stagnating.
There were some days I came back after teaching Eden some more runes and seeing only saw Kevin and Mei in the lab, Kevin's doing pretty well if him actually helping Mei with a few tests goes, how did he get Mei this comfortable with him? No idea.
A few days ago he somehow managed to get her to come out with us for the night for some classic pool and bowling instead of sitting in the lab the whole night, He's gotta have some form of Talk no Jutsu or something. Yes they do have Naruto here and its not the same as the one in my world that was made almost a century ago but is only a decade old and looks so much better than ours, but I digress.
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It was also only a few days later when Kevin and Su walked into the lab with a someone new in tow.
She has long, thick, pink hair styled in a low ponytail with her bangs down. She also seemed to be of the energetic type if the perpetual smile on her face was any give away.
Mei also seemed to notice it her too and stopped what she was doing looking to me for answers. "Don't look at me, ask them I've never seen her before." However she's the first person I've seen that has that much Honkai energy within them and isn't corrupted, curious indeed, just who is this girl Kevin?
"Thor, Mei, I've got someone here that I'd like you to meet, they just flew in a few days ago from Shenzou." He gestures to me and then to Mei "Elysia this is one of my friends Thorald, just call him Thor, he prefers it. " That I do "And this girl over here is Mei the other friend of mine I told you about."
"Wait, seriously you have a 'Girl Friend' that isn't a girlfriend." She then went to Mei blasting questions at her. "Hey, when did you and Kevin meet? How did it go, he's a lot to get used to after all, a cute girl like you, do you like him?"
Mei was at first startled then blushed at the final question. "Uhh, Thor i-introduced u-us."
"Ooh, you do, tell me all the details, how'd he seduce you?" She points at Kevin who was also flustered "See he also likes you, when did you get together, who confessed to who?"
I can't tell if what she just did was good or bad for them? I decide to interject and pull her away from Mei. "Elysia. come now how do you think Mei-Chan will be able to answer your questions when she's a statue." I smiled
"Hehe, oh you're right. Nice to meet you Thorald, or Thor as you prefer. I'm Elysia, Mei said you introduced them right?!"
"Yep, Nice to meet you too. Now how about we talk about those details." Mei went from blushing to frowning and then glaring at Kevin while he groaned.
"Ooh, tell me, tell me!"
Smirking I whisper to her "How about I tell you about the time they forgot me and Su were in the lab?" We talk about their first meeting, their awkward interactions, their antics during that time, quietly in the corner while Kevin, Su and Mei stand their in a somewhat tense atmosphere.
Su felt the most out of place at that time and thought of heading over to Thor and Elysia, but was held back by Kevin. "Where do you, thinking your going? Your meant to help me here."
Su being the good friend that he is "Thor, Elysia! What're you talking about?" Shakes himself free and runs away.
"Traitor!"
Mei meanwhile was contemplating whether to leave or face Kevin here and now. I should leave.
Kevin faces Mei "Ha...ha So Mei, about th- Huh? where'd she go?"
I call out to him "She just left a minute ago while you were standing there doing nothing"
Elysia chimes in "Kevin you can't a girl waiting like that, especially for something like that."
"Hey now Ellie, you don't get to say that to poor Kevin over there Afterall you caused it by exposing the two of them." How did she forget that of all things, and then to act as if she didn't cause it? Oh right I know, its a women thing after all.
"Ignore them Kevin, Mei just left because she was embarrassed to talk to you here Infront of us. Just talk to her when you two are alone about it.
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Afterwards we talked a little with Elysia apologising to Kevin for spilling that little secret crush of his. Even if she personally believed it better for them of which I do agree, It was getting near painful to watch him tiptoeing around her like it was a minefield.
Elysia herself on the other hand was an 'interesting' individual to say the least. Holding Honkai energy within her body of that quantity alone was suspicious enough, if we had to compare her amount of Honkai energy to what Eden's managed to gather over the past few weeks with the help of runes would be massive. In terms of mana if Eden had 1,000 MP Elysia had a million. She's either some MOTH experimental soldier, or just naturally cracked. Honestly, I'm not sure which one's worse.
She was also controlling it very well as leaking that much Honkai energy would corrupt the city many times over than what I felt in Kanazawa. Well I shouldn't really be concerned with here I got her contact info anyway so I can always talk to them about it anytime anyway cause I doubt she didn't notice my lack of Honkai energy in my body at all.
All in due time, I should focus on Eden's training and guiding Mei and Su for now.
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A/N:
That was the most Cringe and Awkward thing to write as compared to IRL this stuff is so bad to try to write and feels forced always. I'll probably relegate their romance to the background outside of maybe the scene where they actually get together on Mei's birthday or maybe before I still don't know which.
Also, yes it took me two weeks to write as I died each time I tried to read it and write that scene, as I rewrote it like 6-7 times and compared to the first this is at least somewhat better.
This is now just full AU as I'm just gonna mix and match what I know and think from lore as Mihoyo is just yap and bloat.
P.S: I might just make 10K word chapters so I can kind skip to Third Eruption in the next chapter rather than spread it over the next 4-5 chapters at this length of 2-4K so it might take a little while to upload.