Surveying the scene of his new home, Ming Yu shrugged helplessly, having no choice but to accept it.
Since his original residence was severely damaged during the night of the Anti-Entropy invasion and was no longer usable, Ming Yu had to find a new place to live.
And under Theresa's arrangement, Ming Yu arrived at his current house.
The mottled, ivy-covered walls, the rusty iron gate, and the freely growing weeds in the corners all indicated that this place had not been used for a long time. Coupled with its location far from the central area of St. Freya, the Principal's attitude couldn't be more obvious.
If Ming Yu's status wasn't considered somewhat important, Theresa would probably have just had him move out of St. Freya altogether.
If Theresa had originally held some expectations for Ming Yu, then after he accepted the Overseer's goodwill and revealed his determination to leave the Far East Branch, Theresa no longer had the patience to win him over.
All that remained was to handle things officially.
The only advantage here was probably the ample space. The nearest resident was hundreds of meters away, which gave Ming Yu the illusion of living as a hermit in the mountains.
But Ming Yu knew in his heart that this was just a form of exclusion from Theresa. She couldn't make him leave the Far East Branch, but she could use this method to show her attitude towards him.
"She's just like a little kid giving someone the silent treatment."
A smile touched his lips. Although Ming Yu felt a bit wistful, there was no resentment. This was a problem that had started on his end, after all.
Ming Yu had already worn his indifference to the Far East Branch on his sleeve; it was impossible for Theresa to still give him her most attentive care. The world didn't revolve around him!
If Ming Yu could just flex his muscles and have Theresa pour out her heart and bow down to him, it could only be because he was daydreaming. To be able to hold the positions of Principal and Branch Chief, Theresa relied on more than just Otto's support.
However, the only thing that bothered Ming Yu a little was that no one came to help him tidy up his new home today. It was clearly a Saturday, yet none of the trio—Kiana, Mei, and Bronya—came, and even Higokumaru was absent.
He touched his nose, feeling a strange pang of bitterness in his heart. It wasn't that he was narcissistic; the girls had helped him move last time, but this time he was all alone.
Being disliked by Theresa was one thing; Ming Yu could frankly accept responsibility for that. But being distanced by even Kiana and the others made him feel quite upset.
Blinking his somewhat moist eyes, Ming Yu greeted the school staff who were moving his packed luggage into the house with a smile on his face, thanking them as he did.
Unpacking his luggage, Ming Yu first took out the damaged Sakura Fubuki, feeling thankful that the battle that day hadn't affected his living quarters too much. Even though it was no longer usable, this spirit blade still held extraordinary significance for Ming Yu.
Slowly drawing the spirit blade, he examined the less than ten centimeters of blade that remained, and his brows couldn't help but furrow.
He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but Ming Yu felt that the body of the Sakura Fubuki was becoming more and more transparent.
With a long sigh, Ming Yu sheathed the Sakura Fubuki, carefully tied it with a red cord, and then placed it on the sword rack in his bedroom.
Unlike the historical traces outside, the interior had clearly just undergone a professional cleaning, which should have been Theresa's arrangement. Since she had already placed Ming Yu here, she wasn't so petty as to give him a house that needed major repairs.
Rolling up his sleeves, Ming Yu began to place his items in suitable, accessible places. Although he estimated that he wouldn't have much time to stay here later, this was, after all, the only place he could barely call "home," so it was certainly worth putting more effort into.
By the time Ming Yu had finished arranging all his items, the sun had already begun to set in the west.
Surveying the drastically changed interior, Ming Yu let out a long sigh of relief. It was worth spending almost a whole afternoon; the house indeed looked much more pleasant.
Wiping the fine sweat from his forehead, Ming Yu suddenly remembered that he hadn't prepared any ingredients. This time, Theresa hadn't arranged things to that extent. Besides food, some commonly used small items with short shelf lives also needed to be repurchased, as he would have to stay here for a few more days.
The inspection of the battleship Nemesis and the Lunar Abyss armor would not take a short amount of time, and Ming Yu didn't think Otto had much trust in him. Since the Far East Branch wanted to conduct an inspection, Ming Yu was happy to let someone else take over, even if he would ultimately have to use the Key of Corruption to inspect it again himself.
Hurriedly grabbing some change and heading out the door, Ming Yu unexpectedly found someone on the other side of the road.
Seeing the four girls slowly walking towards him, Ming Yu was surprised. "What are you guys doing here?"
"Hehe, today's your moving day, this young lady didn't forget!"
Tilting her head up slightly, a mysterious pride flashed across Kiana's face.
But when she noticed the exterior walls of the house, the girl's brow couldn't help but furrow in displeasure. "How old is this house? What is Theresa thinking?"
"It has nothing to do with the Principal. I asked for this myself. It's more secluded and has more space. Don't judge it by the outside; the inside is very nice."
Seeing the dissatisfaction on the girls' faces, Ming Yu gently shook his head, not revealing the inside story between him and the Far East Branch.
"Is that so?" A hint of doubt flashed across Mei's face, but she didn't press the matter, immediately switching to a mysterious expression. "Does Ming Yu remember what day it is today?"
"Today?" Looking at the mysterious smiles on the three girls' faces—even Bronya's eyes were slightly curved—Ming Yu couldn't help but hesitate. "Although it's a housewarming today, that's not really a reason worth celebrating."
Although moving into a new home is considered a happy occasion anywhere, considering Ming Yu's situation of being forced to change residences after his old one was demolished, he felt no joy in his heart.
"Hmph, hmph! I told you so. A guy like Ming Yu would never remember that kind of day."
Snorting proudly, Kiana said with a smug look.
"Today is Big Bro Yu's birthday."
Pushing Ming Yu into the house, Higokumaru said with a joyful face, as if she were the one whose birthday it was.
"Big Bro Yu, happy birthday!"
Twirling lightly in front of Ming Yu, the pink-haired girl congratulated him with a smile, handing him a small, cherry-pink box tied with a ribbon.
A birthday?
So that's what they were preparing, and why they didn't show up in the afternoon.
Noticing the gift boxes in the girls' hands, the small bit of frustration from earlier instantly turned into immense gratitude, and a warm current of affection surged into Ming Yu's heart.
However, the remaining shred of reason told Ming Yu that his birthday was not on this day. If one had to say, this day should be...
"Haha, you didn't expect this, did you? I got your school admission documents from Auntie Himeko to find this out! But I didn't expect your birthday to be such a coincidence, right on March 28th."
Her face was full of pride as Kiana spoke in a surprised tone. But towards the end, her voice couldn't help but carry a hint of sadness.
March 28th, the day the Third Honkai Eruption broke out, and also the day Ming Yu came to this world.
Had he really been here for a full year already?
His eyes grew moist, but a smile appeared on Ming Yu's face as he looked at the girls. From having nothing at the beginning, he now had many things worth protecting.
"Here, this is my gift and Mei's. Also, happy birthday."
Kiana turned her head to hide her expression while speaking in a low voice, quickly stuffing two small boxes into Ming Yu's hands.
"Ming Yu, happy 18th birthday!"
Placing the large box she had been carrying on the table and opening it to reveal a three-layered fruitcake inside, Mei said to Ming Yu with a smile.
"Big Brother Yu, happy birthday!"
Handing a rectangular gift box to Ming Yu, Bronya also offered her congratulations.
"Thank you, thank you all~"
Hugging the gift boxes, Ming Yu's voice trembled slightly.
"Alright, hurry up and make a wish! I can't wait to try this cake. This young lady put in a lot of effort too!"
Lighting the eighteen candles one by one, Kiana rubbed her hands together, her eyes fixed on the birthday cake. Her blue eyes shone with an unusually bright light, and unseemly drool was already running down the corner of her mouth.
"Kiana the idiot just stayed out of the kitchen and didn't cause trouble. It was all Bronya, Big Sis Mei, and Higokumaru's work."
As soon as she heard Kiana's lie, Bronya immediately revealed the truth.
But for Kiana, staying away from the kitchen was probably the greatest help she could provide.
A smile couldn't help but appear on Ming Yu's lips, and his heart was filled with joy. His slightly narrowed black eyes slowly swept over each of the girls' faces.
In the candlelight, the girls' faces were also tinged with the color of happiness.
Gently closing his eyes, Ming Yu silently made a wish in his heart.
His eyes snapped open, and Ming Yu quickly blew out the eighteen candles, a smile of relief on his face. "Alright, we can eat the cake now."
"What did Big Bro Yu wish for?"
Watching Ming Yu cut the cake, Higokumaru's beautiful eyes were full of joy as she giggled.
"World peace."
Lifting his eyes slightly to look at the pink-haired girl, Ming Yu said in a low voice.
"Tsk! What a vague wish. But, wishes don't come true if you say them out loud!"
Kiana sighed, her eyes glued to the cake under Ming Yu's knife.
"You have to achieve your own wishes yourself. I've never counted on any ethereal gods."
Briefly explaining himself, Ming Yu cast a reassuring glance at Higokumaru, signaling that she didn't need to blame herself for this.
"Now, it's cake time!"
Dividing the cake into even portions and placing a slice on each of the girls' plates, Ming Yu announced loudly with an excited face.
The next moment, laughter and cheerful voices filled the quiet little house.
[End of Volume 2]