Honkai Impact 3rd - The Interference

Chapter 83 - Threads Of Fate

"Listen, I understand the ins and outs of this trip, but..."

As they waited for the train to arrive, a certain agent's eyes twitched while clutching a bag of clothes she'd need in a few days. She glanced at the boy beside her, who smiled nervously.

"Why do I have to come along?"

Wan chuckled, lightly rubbing his cheeks. "I just felt it would be better to have you with us, Mizunoki-san."

"I mentioned I was busy," Mizunoki responded, clearly unenthusiastic about the idea of using her work time for a holiday.

"Aww, come on, lighten up!" Hana chimed in from behind, bringing a smile to Mizunoki's face with a playful flick of her fingers. "Let's turn that frown upside down!"

Mizunoki's smile, aided by Hana, quickly faded, replaced by a frown once again.

A drop of sweat trickled down Wan and Hana's foreheads as Hana nudged Wan, whispering into his ear, "Talk about moody."

"Hana!" Wan exclaimed, surprised.

Just then, the others arrived, closing the distance between them all.

Kiana, Mei, Bronya, Himeko, Fu Hua, and Theresa were all decked out in their holiday attire, clearly eager for the fun that awaited them.

"Beach, here we come!" Kiana exclaimed loudly in the middle of the station, drawing stares from passersby.

"Kiana-chan! You shouldn't shout things like that in public!" Mei interjected, a hint of embarrassment in her tone.

Kiana, with an air of nonchalance, shrugged off Mei's admonition, her nose held high in pride. "Worry not, my dear comrades! I have meticulously selected the crème de la crème of swimsuits for our aquatic escapades!" With a mischievous glint in her eye, she directed her gaze toward Wan. "Prepare yourself, Wan-senpai!"

Wan, perplexed by the sudden attention, tilted his head in confusion. "Prepare for what, exactly?"

Before he could receive an answer, Mizunoki swooped in, swiftly pulling Wan away while shooting Kiana an exasperated look. "Please excuse us, Kiana. Wan doesn't need to be subjected to your... unique brand of enthusiasm."

But Kiana was undeterred, a grin spreading across her face. "Oh, but Shinobu-san, you're just jealous that you didn't think to snag a swimsuit as fabulous as mine!" She twirled dramatically, causing heads to turn as passersby caught sight of her flamboyant beach attire.

Mei, attempting to diffuse the situation, chimed in with a gentle reprimand. "Kiana-chan, please remember that shouting such things in public isn't exactly—"

Before Mei could finish her sentence, Kiana interrupted with an exaggerated gasp. "Oh, but Mei-senpai, where's the fun in being subtle? We're about to embark on the ultimate beach adventure, after all!"

As the group continued their banter, Wan glanced at Mizunoki with a bemused expression. "Is it always this chaotic when Valkyries go on vacation?"

Mizunoki simply sighed, resigned to the fact that with Kiana around, chaos was an inevitable part of the journey. "You have no idea, Wan. You have no idea."

As the youngsters continued their argument, Himeko remained silent, her gaze fixed on something in the distance, her eyes narrowing in concentration.

Fu Hua, noticing Himeko's distraction, approached her with curiosity. "What's on your mind, Himeko?"

Himeko's eyes widened slightly as she turned to Fu Hua. "What was that?"

"You seemed lost in thought for a moment there. Is everything okay?"