Honkai Star Rail: Starting With Marrying Acheron

As Firefly's face turned red, the small hand clasped in Lin Shuang's palm was quickly retracted. She then switched the handle to her retracted palm and placed it in front of her abdomen, looking as if she didn't know what to do.

The other hand that had offered the handle was raised to her forehead, pretending to adjust her bangs, as if trying to divert attention or feign nonchalance.

"Ah, I'm sorry... I misunderstood."

"It's okay. After all, you might not have had the experience of playing games like this before. Everyone has a first time. Why don't we high-five again?"

Lin Shuang didn't withdraw her hand immediately but continued holding Firefly's, ensuring she wouldn't feel too embarrassed. More than anything, Firefly already looked shy enough that Lin Shuang found it amusing rather than awkward.

Rather, she thought the firefly-like girl was adorable, making her want to pull her into an embrace and ruffle her hair.

But she still gave Firefly a way out so she wouldn't completely turn into a flustered mess.

Firefly was naturally shy. So much so that she didn't know where to place her hands.

It wasn't as if Firefly didn't know about high-fives, but for some reason, her brain seemed to short-circuit.

When she saw Lin Shuang raising her hand, her first reaction wasn't to high-five but to marvel at how pretty Lin Shuang's hand was. And before she knew it, her own hand had reached out.

Realizing her mistake, she hastily pulled back, her shyness reaching the point of frustration.

Fortunately, Lin Shuang's calm demeanor and effortless way of giving her an exit helped her regain composure.

Though Firefly's face was still red, she raised her hand again and lightly patted Lin Shuang's palm.

Snap—

The sound wasn't loud, but it reached both their ears clearly.

Firefly didn't dare meet Lin Shuang's eyes, yet she couldn't suppress the smile tugging at her lips. A soft giggle escaped her.

"Thank you~"

Lin Shuang stretched her fingers with a smile, looking relaxed.

As the two continued gaming together, their fingers grew sore from the repeated motions.

"Let's take a break."

"Mm."

Firefly nodded, exhaling deeply before stretching like Lin Shuang.

She glanced at the game screen, now displaying the cleared level animation. Today had been an unexpectedly fun experience, something she had never had before.

Someone like Silver Wolf preferred challenging games, but those never really piqued Firefly's interest.

"By the way, are you heading back today? Or are you staying over?"

Lin Shuang checked the time. It was already late at night—at least on The Blue. She wasn't sure about Firefly's recent sleeping habits, but at their level, going a few days without rest wasn't an issue.

"Oh, um... Is that okay? I've never had a sleepover before."

Firefly fidgeted with her fingers, looking at Lin Shuang with both embarrassment and anticipation.

She had never experienced staying over at a friend's place. It had been a small fantasy of hers, but with her condition, even if she had a friend to stay with, she wouldn't have been allowed to sleep in a normal bed.

Although her physical state had improved recently, as a Stellaron Hunter, her chances were slim.

Silver Wolf was out of the question. Kafka was gentle but too distant for her to get close to. Blade and Elio? Not worth mentioning.

"Of course, it's okay."

Lin Shuang blinked at Firefly and smiled.

With that, she stood up and headed toward the bedroom.

"I'll grab you a set of pajamas. You should take a bath first."

"A bath?"

Firefly froze at the word.

Seeing her dazed expression, Lin Shuang also paused for a moment. What was with that questioning tone…?

Firefly seemed to catch on and scratched her cheek with an awkward smile.

"Sam has an internal cleaning system. I almost never left the mech before, so I never had the experience of taking it off just to wash myself."

Lin Shuang raised an eyebrow. Sam even had a function like that?

"Then before…?"

Firefly nodded.

"Yeah, when I wore Sam every day, it would automatically cleanse my body."

"I see. That's actually pretty convenient."

Lin Shuang touched her chin, thinking that the SAM mech was far more versatile than she'd imagined. Now she kind of wanted one.

"I'll just get you some pajamas then."

Since Sam took care of personal hygiene, there was no need for Firefly to shower. But she still needed to change.

When Lin Shuang returned with the pajamas, she handed them to Firefly.

"I'm going to wash up. You can change into these."

Firefly hesitated, holding the pajamas tightly before looking up at Lin Shuang with a hopeful expression.

"Since it's a rare opportunity… can I try it too?"

"Try what? Taking a bath?"

Lin Shuang chuckled. A bath wasn't anything special.

Sam's cleansing function didn't sound particularly unique either.

But Firefly was clearly someone who found joy in discovering new things. And if it was something within reach, she wouldn't pass up the chance.

"Yes! Let's bathe together! Lin Shuang smells so nice—what do you use?"

Firefly, clutching her pajamas, approached Lin Shuang with excitement. She didn't look like someone preparing for a bath but more like a child about to enter an amusement park.

"…"

Hearing that, Lin Shuang felt an unexpected pang of sadness.

Something so simple could bring Firefly such excitement. What kind of miserable life had she endured while fighting against the Swarm?

The Republic of Galmoth was truly irresponsible. Deliberately creating Entropy Loss Disease just to torment people…

Lin Shuang couldn't hold back anymore. She reached out and patted Firefly's head.

There was no way she could refuse such a small request.

"I don't use perfume. These are just the scents from my toiletries. If you're curious, come try them out."

Saying that, Lin Shuang took Firefly's hand and led her toward the bathroom.

Although Firefly still seemed a little flustered from Lin Shuang's sudden touch, she quickly became distracted by her answer.

"Really? Are there different scents? Ah, but Sam's cleaning routine removes all traces of fragrance. What a shame."

"It's not a rare luxury. If it disappears, you can always use it again."

Lin Shuang glanced at Firefly and found her genuinely looking regretful.

It was amusing, yet it made Lin Shuang's gaze soften even more.