Seeing Kiana's bewildered state, Himeko knew expecting the girl to figure out her own feelings anytime soon was impossible. But they had time now. As long as the two continued spending time together, they'd eventually realize their feelings for each other.
Thinking this, Himeko couldn't help but feel a bit wistful. Teenagers falling in love were just so complicated. Look at her – single for thirty years and perfectly content, right?
"Right, did you come find me for something specific earlier?" She hadn't noticed before, but thinking back, Kiana clearly had something on her mind when she came looking for her. Judging by Kiana's behavior now, it was probably related to Ren.
"Actually..." With the restlessness gone, Kiana seemed much better, but the words still felt stuck in her throat.
She wanted to talk to Himeko about Mei. But after Himeko's guidance helped her realize her agitation stemmed from her feelings for Ren, she strangely didn't want to bring Mei up anymore.
"Hm?" Himeko noticed her hesitation and offered a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, it's just us here. You can tell your teacher anything."
"Actually... I saw Mei this afternoon."
"Mei? Didn't she go to..." Himeko remembered meeting Mei briefly on Coral Island and learning her destination was World Serpent. But realizing Kiana probably didn't know yet, Himeko quickly shut her mouth to keep the secret.
However, her fleeting expression didn't escape Kiana's eyes. Himeko's heart jumped, and she was about to explain when she heard Kiana shake her head slightly, her voice tinged with disappointment. "So, Himeko, you knew Mei was back already too."
"Kiana, really, Mei just didn't want you to worry."
"I know."
"She told you?"
"Mhm. She joined World Serpent to protect me. I just didn't expect... she and Ren have been in contact this whole time..."
"Actually, I..." Himeko looked awkward, about to defend herself, when she suddenly realized something was off. "Wait, you're saying Ren has been in contact with Mei all along?"
"Yeah. They both joined The Obsidian Concord before and have been secretly investigating World Serpent. I only found Mei this time because Ren was meeting her secretly, and I happened to stumble upon them."
"..." Why does this sound kind of weird?
Himeko pressed her temples, trying to sort out the logic. She continued, "So, the reason you came to find me was?"
"I..." Kiana paused for a moment before hesitantly saying, "When I saw Ren and Mei together, I don't know why, but I felt really agitated. Like... empty."
She held nothing back, even telling Himeko about the Herrscher of the Void's recent activity.
After hearing Kiana's account, Himeko's previously relaxed mood tensed up again. "You're saying the Herrscher personality becoming active means the crack in your heart is widening?"
No one understood the threat of the Herrscher of the Void better than Himeko. She had even sacrificed her own life to help Kiana recover back then.
"Your unease stems from Ren and Mei..." Himeko mused, then asked tentatively, "You're not... jealous of the two of them, are you?"
"Jealous? Why? They're both my friends."
Okay, good.
Himeko's tense heart relaxed slightly. She had been afraid Kiana would fall into the typical drama trope of misunderstanding the relationship between her partner and best friend, becoming suspicious and paranoid.
But if it wasn't a misunderstanding, then there had to be a deeper reason. Connecting this to Kiana's previous lack of awareness regarding her feelings for Ren, Himeko thought she might have figured it out.
"Kiana, do you think you like Ren?"
"Didn't we just ask that?"
"Then..." Himeko probed cautiously, "Do you... like Mei?"
Kiana, still puzzled by Himeko repeating the question, froze. Her brain suddenly stalled. She fell silent, mentally running through the criteria Himeko had laid out earlier, and came to a startling realization.
"If... if we go by that standard... then I think I like Mei too?"
The panicked look in the girl's eyes actually brought Himeko a sense of relief. Because she knew Kiana wasn't really in love with two people simultaneously. It was her lack of understanding of 'love' itself that created this confusing illusion.
In other words, Kiana's unease and agitation weren't caused by Mei, but by her own confusion about her feelings for Ren.
She didn't know she liked Ren, so she could only instinctively follow her gut feelings. But as their relationship grew closer, this vague instinct wasn't enough to support the emotional expression the girl needed.
It was like an inflating balloon. The feelings inside grew stronger and stronger, but there was no outlet for release. As the balloon got bigger, it would inevitably surpass a certain limit. And once past that limit, it could burst at any moment.
As the 'owner' of the balloon, Kiana could only watch helplessly as this potential explosion inflated, naturally leading to feelings of anxiety and fear.
And these negative emotions, reflected in the mental realm, manifested as the 'crack in her heart' the Herrscher of the Void mentioned.
Furthermore, Himeko knew Kiana had always been strong-willed. Especially after her recent growth, she had become quite capable of suppressing her negative emotions.
But ironically, that very strength had led to the current situation.
Based on what Kiana said, the girl had definitely mistaken her feelings for Ren as negative emotions and buried them deep down. If life had continued smoothly, maybe it would have been fine. But Mei's arrival completely shattered the balance.
After all, during their three years living together at St. Freya, their relationship had also been incredibly close. Judging purely by outward appearances, it might seem to fit the definition of 'like'. But in reality, the two types of 'like' were fundamentally different.
The problem was, Kiana clearly couldn't distinguish between them. That's why Mei's appearance triggered an unconscious cognitive dissonance, ultimately causing the 'balloon' to burst.
"Good thing we caught this in time." Himeko felt a wave of retroactive fear. If Kiana hadn't come to her tonight, if she had just treated it as a normal relationship problem... the consequences could have been disastrous.
Best case scenario: long-term internal turmoil. Worst case: Kiana instantly turning into a yandere.
But now that she knew the root of the problem, she just needed to apply the right treatment. The immediate priority was to help Kiana understand her own feelings.
Himeko could think of only two methods. The first was simple and direct: have Ren and Kiana get married tomorrow. Once the relationship advanced, time would solve everything.
The second method was much more complex. Himeko thought for a moment and decided to ask some questions first.
"Kiana, do you... understand Ren?"