Honkai Impact 3rd, a simulator of lifelong regret!

It's hard to judge anything, and it's hard to find the real reason, yet at the same time you feel it, a sentence inexplicably appears in your mind, a sentence you don't even know when or where you heard or saw.

I see you.

I see your life.

It's okay.

The answer to love is the desire to be seen. It is this shared trauma that allows us to see each other.

A few days later, as the day circled on the calendar finally arrived, another banquet was held in a completely different city.

Is that even possible? .jpg

There are pictures here, which can be viewed after the updated version

There are pictures here, which can be viewed after the updated version

19. The girl wants you to open the gift yourself.

This year's birthday banquet was even more lavish, reaching an extremely luxurious level the following year, a level of extravagance and attendance that even top-tier businessmen and politicians could not match.

Alicia was like a goddess descended from heaven; even the most brilliant minds couldn't help but look up to her in awe.

They've even extended their reach to your birthday party.

[Although nothing was done to you, the one traveling with the girl—it's more likely that your outward identity is actually Alicia's brother, and that they have been thoroughly immersed in beauty and virtue.]

In this sense, the girl truly deserves that flawless name: eternally pure, a paradise that brings beauty to the world.

This little touch alone is enough to make your birthday party more like Alicia's annual celebration.

So beautiful, so exquisite, it's as if the world has gained another festival, a festival worthy of countless people gathering to celebrate.

It lacks all the stubborn ills of conventional holidays, and there is no formalism or backstabbing among people.

A celebration brought together for one person, for pure beauty.

[If only that weren't your birthday.]

[If only you weren't the apparent master.]

【if……】

As you gaze at the birthday party—which, aside from the symbolic gestures, is practically devoid of any birthday atmosphere—and your thoughts drift away, a shy and self-conscious voice interrupts your reverie.

……

Happy birthday, Jiang Cheng!

……

……

There's no need to look back, no need to see that person's specific appearance, not even the timbre of their voice, because that person is undoubtedly...

A cute girl in khaki came into view.

—It's Vilvi.

"Feel sorry……"

"I'm a little late this time."

The girl's unique silver-pink eyes were filled with a mixture of indescribable emotions as she gazed at the boy with shyness and bashfulness.

"Don't worry, I knew you would come, so it's never too late no matter when you come."

"I won't mind if you're late."

Jiang Cheng extended his index finger, correcting the error in his words. The slight upturn of his lips and his bright, innocent eyes testified to the truthfulness of his words.

It's not just mushy talk, nor is it insincere words used to gain favor.

In reality.

Vilvi is one of only four people in the world who care about, or at least pay some attention to, their own birthdays.

The remaining three, in order, are Dad, Mom, and Alicia.

Vilvi was the first, and to put it somewhat simplistically, this young girl cared about her birthday even more than her own parents.

Although Alicia does give birthday gifts, she actually spends less time with her parents than with her parents, who can only talk to her remotely.

"Well... here's your birthday present. Happy birthday and have a wonderful day."

The girl lowered her head, searched her clothes for a moment, and then, as usual, handed her gift to him personally, rather than to the host of the banquet.

"Thank you for your concern."

"Thank you so much for the birthday present."

Jiang Cheng bowed slightly, offering his gratitude.

She was one of only two girls who would personally deliver gifts to him.

But when he looked at the gift box that had transformed from a somewhat immature box covered in light gauze and with an obvious design into a dark gold gear inlay that resembled steampunk and had a strong personal atmosphere and feel, he was amazed.

Some inappropriate, even contrary to normal birthday party etiquette, words rang in my ears.

"Jiang Cheng, please open the box."

……

"Eh?"

At first glance, Jiang Cheng didn't even realize what Wilvi had said.

Until my eyes met those silver-gray eyes.

This has never happened before.

Because all the previous gifts were sorted together with Alicia after returning home, and then opened by myself, the only gift I could open directly after receiving it was the one from the girl who had always accompanied me on my travels.

It's not because of any etiquette factors or regulations.

The gifts given by others are more like admission tickets; the real focus is on Alicia herself.

No one cares about the boy, the nominal protagonist, and they don't even bother to offer a blessing.

It seems he's unwilling to waste even a little time with Alicia; perhaps by not giving his blessing, he could at least say a few more words to that girl.

All the gifts would just be piled up in the storage place. Even handing a gift over in person was a major time-consuming event for them, and they might miss a moment to talk to Alicia because of it.

At first, some people might have been concerned about saving face and chose to hand it over in person, but after this has happened several times, no one does that anymore.

As for Velvi, who seems to be the only exception and should be treated the same as Alicia...

Unwrapping the gift in front of her was incredibly exciting.

The girl would never do something so terrible, unless the gift contained some kind of prank like a spring-loaded fist.

The mere fact that her gift was opened in front of her was unbearable for a girl with an extremely low self-esteem, high sensitivity, and a strong sense of self-loathing.

This was incredibly exciting for Vilvi.

It has reached a point where it needs to be prohibited.

To an unacceptable degree.

No matter what expression you make, it's inappropriate. No matter how subtle the change, even just licking your lips, it's likely to be endlessly pondered and interpreted by that clever mind, ultimately leading only to self-loathing and self-dislike.

The key is that the girl doesn't like to talk about things, and she tends to keep them to herself, which leads to some self-righteous misunderstandings festering inside her.

But this time was different.

This is the only gift I've received.

The girl hoped the boy would start it on the spot.

Even when Jiang Cheng raised his head and looked intently into those weak and evasive silver-gray starry eyes, he couldn't detect the slightest hint of retreat.

All the escapism, all the fear, all the negative factors were suppressed.

It's completely unimaginable what kind of thoughts the girl was holding.

……

"This is the gift."

"I hope you can open it yourself."

"Right here, right at your birthday party."

With a shy look in her eyes, Vervier struggled to overcome the urge to lower her head and looked directly at him. Her eyes were bright and clear, filled with fear yet unwavering determination—a collection of seemingly unrelated qualities that appeared together at that moment.

……

……

what……

"of course."

There are pictures here, which can be viewed after the updated version

Silent me.jpg

There are pictures here, which can be viewed after the updated version

20. Velvi: Please... leave Alicia!

Jiang Cheng's lips curled into a smile, his expression revealing not anger or disdain, but rather a surge of pride.

—Because this means that the girl has taken the first step.

It's not as simple as just opening the gift box.

It's not just about being able to face your innermost thoughts directly anymore.

This means that Wilvi can now even ask for help, she can speak up, and this idea can no longer be buried and suppressed in her heart.

The only thing that's a little puzzling is the estrangement that should have been worn away within two years.