Before finding Raiden Mei, Evan had actually made a trip to Senba Academy's administration building. He located the records office and sifted through the student files.
Searching the student dormitories for Raiden Mei without any information would have been impractical. It was a shame he missed the chance to see what life was like inside a girls' dorm... ah, no, Evan had no such superfluous thoughts during his mission. Since Senba Academy had a large number of students and time was limited, he had gone straight to the records office to find Mei's dorm location. He hadn't expected to run into her on the way.
While looking through the files, Evan also confirmed that, besides Mei, neither Kiana nor Bronya were currently students at Senba Academy. Their whereabouts were unknown. For now, Raiden Mei was the only one he could contact.
"Sorry," Evan said. "I didn't mean to bring up painful memories."
His apology made Mei, who had lowered her head and was waiting for him to drop the act and leave in disgust, look up in surprise. After silently observing his genuinely apologetic expression for a moment, she smiled. This smile held much more emotion than her previous, polite one.
"It's okay. Aren't you going to just turn and leave? As you can see, I don't have much value myself."
"Value? What I see is a girl grieving under the moonlight. From what you said before, and the emotions you let slip, I can roughly guess how you're feeling. If I were to just turn and leave without a second thought, the value of my own life would probably drop significantly."
Evan had once been a player who spent a great deal of time and money on the game. The Valkyries were, of course, the main attraction. Seeing a living, breathing Raiden Mei sitting alone in a remote corner of Senba Academy, seeing the sorrow she subtly revealed, how could he possibly just turn and walk away?
"That's not something you should normally say to a girl you've just met, but... I am actually quite happy to hear it. So, I won't tell the school's security department that you snuck in."
Mei's smile was now filled with even more feeling, no longer blending into the gentle yet cold moonlight.
"Huh? You were originally planning to turn me in?" Evan looked shocked.
Was this the Raiden Mei he knew? The Mei-senpai from the game would, even at initial affection levels, only zap the Captain with a mere hundred thousand volts for copping a feel, just enough to log him off. At full affection, she was the very picture of a virtuous wife. What was with this playfully dark side?
Seeing Evan's surprise, Mei seemed to feel she had betrayed his trust and looked a bit embarrassed.
"Well, it's not that dramatic. I was just thinking of asking the security department to tighten up the school's patrols so boys couldn't get in so easily. But then I thought about it, and there are so few boys now, the probability of another one sneaking into an all-girls school like you is practically zero. So please, rest assured, I won't tattle."
"Well, thank you very much for that."
Evan was only joking, of course. Hearing her explanation, he put on a solemn expression and thanked her, which made the girl giggle. Mei quickly realized he was deliberately trying to cheer her up.
How long had it been since someone had spoken to her, comforted her, or even tried to make her laugh?
Mei's gaze drifted for a moment. She looked at the boy before her, who, from the moment he appeared, had deliberately maintained a distance that was neither too far nor uncomfortably close. He was incredibly considerate. She pursed her lips.
"If you were trying to make me happy, you've succeeded. But other than a 'thank you,' I have nothing to give you."
Months ago, right after her family's downfall, Mei would have worried that he was approaching her with ulterior motives, just like her former classmates who wanted to profit from her status as the former young lady of ME Corp.
Now, she still worried, but for a fundamentally different reason. Now, she worried that he was overestimating her. She had lost almost everything. She was no longer the young lady of ME Corp. Money, power, and even her father's love were all gone. The current Raiden Mei had next to nothing; she couldn't think of anything of value she could offer.
If it was something she still possessed, she would gladly give it. Having endured a year of loneliness, she truly longed for someone to talk to. Even if he might be like her old "friends," just maintaining this conversation was enough.
"Besides a 'thank you,' I also received a beautiful girl's smile. I'd say that's a bountiful harvest," Evan said. "But it's getting late, and the temperature is not as warm as it was during the day. You're not wearing very thick clothes; you'll catch a cold sitting out here. Why don't you head back to your dorm for now? I should probably be heading back too."
Evan didn't know what was going through her mind. Although in his heart, Raiden Mei was far from a stranger he had just met, he still maintained the proper etiquette for a first encounter, adhering to the principle of not overstepping. He had spent a considerable amount of time in the records office, and it was now deep into the night. It wasn't an appropriate time for a long chat.
At first, hearing his words, Mei's eyes dimmed. She thought he had realized she was no longer the young lady of ME Corp and had lost his patience. But then, sensing the concern in his voice, a flicker of hope returned.
"Will you... come again? You said before that an all-girls school is a sacred place in a boy's eyes."
She didn't even dare to directly ask him to talk with her again next time.
A sacred place... Evan felt his earlier comment might have given her a bad impression. Strangely, however, he couldn't detect any trace of disgust in her eyes. Though slightly confused, he answered according to his own plan.
"Will you be sitting here again tomorrow?"
"...Yes!"
"Then I'll see you tomorrow evening. It's the weekend anyway, so I have plenty of time."
Evan told a small lie. He had to go to his ME Corp internship again tomorrow. Rushing over in the evening would be a bit hectic.
Did Mei notice? Perhaps. After all, he had mentioned his internship in his introduction. But the girl didn't say anything, only nodding emphatically.