Hallo~ It's me, ya guy. Sorry for the long delay, I don't want to be mean to y'all. I just had to work a little more on this one chapter since it is Himeko and, well... I think you'll get it when you read it. Anyway, enjoy the story~

A Bouquet of Rainbow Roses

"Aw, come on, you weren't interested in reading it not so long ago," The red-haired lady whined, but the other girls stared at her with stars in their eyes.

"What's wrong, Himeko? Maybe you think there's something in the book you'd rather not share with us?~" Now it was Theresa's turn to put the smug face while teasing her friend.

Rolling her eyes and sighing, Himeko returned to the group, sitting in the middle of them as Theresa gladly gave her the place. Flipping through the pages, she quickly found her name at the top of a page in bigger letters than the rest, her entry for this journal. Captain's thoughts on her. Holding a confident smile on her face, she briefly turned to the others around her.

"Heh, let's see if Captain can make me get all flustered like you sweet girls…" She was past the age of falling for any pretty face or kind words. "Even if Captain has his charm…"

I never told you about how I met Himeko, did I, Journal…? To be honest, it was pretty much a standard thing. I got called to the academy director's office after graduation and she gave me a notification of my pre-selection to the new airship Hyperion. Chase dissed me as usual for being a huge nerd and we bid farewell for now. Then, the next day I got a call at five in the morning, telling me to get ready and meet an official at the Far East Branch HQ at six. When the director said they were going to contact me soon, I didn't expect to be that soon.

I barely had time to have breakfast as the trip was quite long and I had to take my things out of the academy dormitory. So here I go, running around carrying three bags and hoping that my face is at least presentable. I was told that the official would be Major Murata, a veteran from Squad V. I felt a little nervous- okay, very nervous- but I made it in time nonetheless. I was about to meet someone who had been through numerous missions, a true fighter against Honkai.

And then, the first of many surprises that were to come. I was at the meeting point when a red-haired beauty came my way. At first, I got confused, looking around to see if there was someone else here, but it was no mistake. She pointed at me and asked me to come with the wave of a finger. Well, as much as I would like to talk to her, I had more urgent matters right now, I thought at the time. Mistakes were made…

"Eh? Captain didn't know you were you, Auntie Himeko?" Kiana asked, peering over the redhead's shoulder, who had to hold her fist back to not hit Kiana in the head.

"They only inform things such as officials' names after graduation, Kiana, for security measures" Theresa explained.

"Well, it was fun to tease Captain in that situation~," Himeko said and resumed reading.

At first, I thought wow, she's insistent. Then, I realized she might be an assistant of sorts to Major Murata. I can't believe I asked her if she was here to guide me instead of Major…

"How did that go again, Himeko? You never told me in detail" The small nun asked.

"Well…" The redhead laughed softly. "I played along and escorted him to St. Freya, and we even tossed some casual chat around. I fixed his hair and all before the Executive Officer came around, addressing me by name and patent. ~sigh~ That surprised face was priceless"

"Of course I know Major Murata. She is me~" she said. I think I never felt so embarrassed in my entire life. Why would she not present herself from the start?! And why does she look so- umm, nevermind. The point is, from that moment on it was a surprise after another, from the Principal of St. Freya Academy to the Valkyrie Squad I would be in charge of. Guess it wasn't a standard meeting after all...

"It is safe to say you left quite the first impression on Captain, Himeko-sensei" Fu Hua said, fixing her glasses.

"I'd rather leave a strong impression than pass unnoticed, dear~" Himeko answered back. "Oh, this one looks interesting"

I must say, this is not exactly how I expected my role as a captain to be. I mean, sure, we do perform every task you'd expect from the crew of an airship such as Hyperion. It's… everything else. Taking care of the girls, for example. There is no line describing this as one of my obligations as captain, yet I can't help but do it anyway. And not only me, but all the staff of St. Freya and a good part of the Far East HQ also do that. It's not bad, I just find it curious. Perhaps it is a reflection of Principal Theresa's lead. Though, if I had to be honest, I'm taking care of one more person aside from my Valkyrie squad…

Major Murata… umm, Himeko is a curious person, to say the least. I honestly didn't expect someone like her to be a veteran Valkyrie, neither a teacher at school, maybe because she likes to tease and joke. Or is it just with me because I'm new here?

Last week Theresa asked me to drop by her apartment to make sure she would wake up in time for class. She's the teacher. And the girls are living with her. I don't know, she totally broke my expectations, and does it again almost daily. But… I guess that's what makes her so interesting…

"Hey, when do we get to the embarrassing moments? Captain is just rambling" Kiana said, looking over Himeko's shoulder and pushing her down a bit.

"Jokes on you, Kiana, this girl here won't play the fool so easily~" Himeko flaunted her impeccable image.

Uh, note to self, Journal, never let Himeko have more than six beers at any time.

"Oh, shoot…"

I don't know if Theresa knew about it and left me alone or simply reacted quicker than me because before I noticed, I was "trapped" in the Principal's office with a heavily inebriated Himeko, whining about not getting paid enough, not having quality vacations in a while, and mostly about Kiana single-handedly sinking the average grade of the class. That week, in particular, was kinda harsh for students and teachers alike, so to celebrate the hard work done, Theresa and Himeko decided to make a mini party with only the two of them. I happened to be passing by and got dragged into it.

I gotta say, Journal, Himeko is… difficult to deal with when she's beyond a few drinks. Like, not the obnoxious kind of person. She is, for the lack of a better word, a lot more invasive. Or is it just me? I didn't ask Theresa. There was this time I heard Kiana mentioning something about Himeko ending in her bed, but I thought it was better to not ask. Anyway, Theresa was gone and now I had to deal with Himeko while she kept complaining. And drinking. And somehow the talk went to relationships. In case you didn't know, Journal, that's not exactly a part of my life that I... excel at, and it seems she had similar problems. She murmured something about not finding a good guy and work taking her youth away, but before I knew it, we got into a... most uncomfortable position. ~sigh~ She had to ask if I found her pretty, didn't she…?

"Eeeh?! You really made a move on Captain, Aunt Himeko?" The white-haired girl asked, clinging to the woman's shoulders.

"Ahem- while I wish for your happiness and it is not exactly prohibited, Himeko, I must say that relationships between officials are… looked down upon," The little nun said in a patronizing tone, but the snickers slipping through didn't help much.

"Oi, you all, what do you take me for? I was just joking with Captain" Himeko said, a little indignant.

"Just joking, huh…" Fu Hua repeated to herself.

"The Bronya does not detect the source of comedy in that, Himeko-sensei"

"You sure have a… interesting idea of fun, sensei" Mei added with a slightly awkward smile.

"Don't worry, dear, you'll get it in time~" She quickly ruffled Bronya's hair and resumed to read.

However, this wasn't what stuck to me that night. After some time I got a call from Theresa, asking me to "please deliver Himeko to her apartment safely". Looking at the now snoozing woman resting on the desk, I couldn't possibly refuse. Trying to wake her up was fairly harder than helping her walk, and at some point, I had to carry her on my back. She teased me some more but it was her mumbling when she fell asleep again that got my attention. She was calling for her mom and dad.

Himeko stopped reading. She went back a few lines and read them again, a second, a third, a fourth time. Suddenly, she got much more invested in reading this.

That got me thinking, you know, Journal? I'm not one to pry into others' businesses but the way she sounded, and later on, the look on her face… Something didn't seem quite right, but I didn't know what. She showed up the next day as cheerful as always, albeit the complaints of a little hangover. I didn't even know how to address this. So for the next days, I tried to watch her with more attention. I'm not an expert in these things but I thought I would feel if something was not okay.

Because of that, I got to appreciate Himeko a lot more as a person. Not that I didn't before, Journal! But, umm, how to put it? Himeko is… so much more than her first impressions. How to better describe her...? Her role in St. Freya is of a teacher, but she does more than her obligations, looking after the girls, not only from my squad, which she's pretty close to. You may think she's just a party goer- something her apartment severely points towards- but she's pretty responsible. And knowledgeable too. rather, she can be. We were talking the other day and she told me about how she studied aerospace engineering before joining Schicksal. Once again, paint me impressed. However, I felt that she looked a bit sad after mentioning that. Could it have something to do with her parents…?

. . . . .

Journal… I… where do I even begin with this?

The last mission was… a complete disaster. Well, not really, everyone returned alive but- ~sigh~ Himeko, she… she's in critical condition, Journal. And there's nothing much I can do about it. It was supposed to be a simple mission, albeit crucial and quite dangerous, but that's every mission, honestly. Investigate the leads on that legend of Shenzou, The Nine Realms, confirm if it was indeed the place, and search for the lost stigmata. It shouldn't be much of a trouble. Everything went off rails so suddenly…

Before I had time to stop and collect my thoughts, Theresa and I were already returning with the girls. Himeko was suffering an accelerated process of zombification and all we could do was stall it, while she fought alone. I've never felt... so useless before. I couldn't help Himeko, and honestly, I couldn't cheer up the girls either. Kiana looked so down… I wanted to assure her, tell her Himeko was strong and everything would be fine, but how can I say that when I don't believe it myself?

I stood a good amount of hours outside the medical bay, occasionally glancing at her through the glass. She looked to be going through so much pain… Theresa told me to go rest, and that she would keep an eye on her, but I just couldn't. After a while of sitting in silence, Theresa explained to me why this mission was so crucial. Himeko didn't have a great honkai adaptability and her artificial stigmata were not perfect. It reduced her lifespan, and it only aggravated the honkai infection. Having a natural stigma would provide advancement in research and better stigmata, perhaps even giving back Himeko the years that were stolen. Yet, here we are now. Damn it…

Why- it wasn't supposed to be like- am I at fault-

"Eh? What is this?..." Himeko looked closer at the book, trying to make sense of it. Some words were blurry, and she noticed the paper on this page was slightly wrinkled. "Captain…" She said softly, almost in a whisper. She could almost hear the cries as she traced the blurry spots. The tears didn't damage the journal much, however, and every other page was pretty much intact.

"Himeko… are you alright?" The white-haired nun asked, placing a hand on top of Himeko's and breaking her friend from her deep thoughts.

"Uh, yeah. Let's… let's keep reading" She said, flipping to the next page.

Aaah, Journal, thank heavens Himeko is okay! Man, it was so hard without her around. Not only because I was worried mad about her, but also I had to keep an eye on Kiana and the others at school. At last, a cure came and managed to get Himeko back into shape in no time. But still, I have been thinking about something for all this time, Journal. Is she really okay? With all this, I mean, because Himeko didn't show any signs of slowing down or any changes in her behavior. I wonder… what's going through that red-haired head?

. . . . .

I get it now, Journal. That weird feeling I got when I saw Himeko out of the hospital, smiling and drinking as if nothing had happened. Unsurprisingly, she told me after a few too many drinks. About her mother, who passed away when she was a kid. About her father and why she joined Schicksal. About her Valkyrie Squad and how things ended. All this time, Himeko had been alone, hanging on by herself. Seeing the ones she cared about the most leaving her, I… I cannot imagine how hard it was for her. How hard it is still. And despite all that, she keeps smiling.

You know, Journal, knowing all this about Himeko, I think her smile looks even prettier. She's a strong woman, probably stronger than I could ever hope to be, because, against all odds, she keeps looking ahead with a positive attitude. More than that, the way she takes care of Kiana, Bronya, Mei, and all of the other girls, she sees hope for the future in them, and she's doing what she can to lead them in the right direction.

Yet, I bet she still feels lonely, and maybe tired, carrying all that weight and responsibility on her shoulders. She probably won't show the others that side of her. Perhaps the only reason why I even noticed was that I paid more attention. It is very subtle, but it is there, a faint hint of sorrow whenever she talks about the future, a distant look here and there. Even her whining about still being single. It's not like everyone else is oblivious to her backstory, but Himeko always makes sure to diminish the worries about her. And by chance, I happened to be dragged along to a bar that night and got to hear it all from her.

Well, I won't count on chances again, Journal. I have decided. Even if I can't do much to help her situation, I'll be there for Himeko, somehow. That way, at least she won't have to feel lonely anymore.

The red-haired lady stopped briefly her reading as a faint memory came to her mind. It was a little hazy, probably an effect of all the booze circling her bloodstream, but one thing about it was very clear. A presence, someone by her side. She ran her mouth about her life in ways that she usually didn't, even when heavily drunk, but that night was different. Or was it the person next to her?

She opened her heart and poured all her problems, as she would pour wine in a crystal cup, and that person took everything in. She read the last sentence again, and another time, and another. Himeko then realized just how much closer she and Captain were now, compared to before that night. No hidden meanings here, they were legit closer, to the point she regarded him as a dear friend, now that she thought about it.

And she hardly found herself alone too. If she wasn't teaching or training the class, she was with Theresa and the girls. And if they weren't around… well, there he was, always holding a gentle smile, even when she got into a mood for teasing the young man.

I try to be as helpful as I can and be there for her if she's looking a little down. That includes knocking on her dorm sometimes, keeping her company when she's on a drinking binge, and eventually carrying her safely back home. By now, Theresa just needs to give me a look. And I really don't mind. Again, this is the least I can do for her. I don't want to see that look on Himeko's face again, Journal. She was sound asleep, but her face looked so troubled… It's easy to forget about these things because of how she is around everyone.

I don't like to brag, especially in this case, but I'm happy that I got to see that other side of her, you know. Behind the confident and flirtatious woman that has a liking to provoke me, there's someone more fragile that is just tired of being alone. And so, I'll be there if she needs company.

Like any night after a date, which most of the time can't be considered a success. Himeko would come back home with a rather displeased face, sometimes grumbling some nasty things towards whoever got on her bad side. Then, the usual process of emptying her "emergency stock" of drinks, be it beer, wine, or something stronger. And through all this, there I am. Sometimes she describes in full detail the events of said date, making it clear why "that shallow playboy was a walking trash of a person", how "she wasn't just another pretty girl to chalk on his scoreboard", and how "out of his league she was, you spineless coward". Her words, not mine.

While making sure that she was away from harm and somewhat hydrated, I got to see yet another side of Himeko. If you saw her at first, Journal, you would think she's one of these types of girls that don't take things seriously and just roll along with their entire lives, but that couldn't be further from the truth. All Himeko wants is someone to share her life with. Like, in a meaningful way. So I understand her frustration. Most people would make assumptions by her looks and the way she goes around, but she actually wants something serious in that matter. It's not like she's the one to blame for being good looking. Scratch that, Himeko is, for all intents and purposes, a beautiful woman.

That's why no one passes the first date test with her. If you're aiming for the external appearance only, you'll be rejected. And you'll miss the best part of Himeko: who she is, above how she looks. In a sense, I feel a little proud, you know, Journal? I… get to see that more soft, delicate side of her. It's almost like a secret between us, and I can't help but feel special for it. I know, it is silly and I'm making things up when there is clearly no way I-

"Eh…?" Himeko and the others tried to look closer. The words were blurred or totally redacted in black strips. Whatever was at the end of that paragraph, Captain didn't want to share, not even with his precious Journal.

Today is Valentine's Day, Journal. A day I never paid much attention to while in school. Perhaps I should have because right now I… I'm all alone! Hahaha… Now, seriously, I don't care much about being by myself, I have a lot of stuff to do with my duties alone (even if the girls make that way easier) and I'm not dying to meet someone soon but… Well, seeing other couples walking around, hand in hand, laughing and being generally happy with each other, it does make you wonder…

Since St. Freya is close to a girls-only school, it was pretty interesting to watch the girls exchanging chocolates and other small gifts. Perhaps it was only to celebrate the date, perhaps it was something deeper. I dodged all the questions related to romance that got thrown at me, as I really didn't know much better than these girls. Also, I think it wouldn't do much good to my image being surrounded by high school girls… there are enough rumors over why I visit the dorms so frequently.

Anyway, today I did something, Journal. At first, it sounded like a good idea and I didn't bother thinking this through. I may not be as skilled as Mei or Rita in the kitchen, but even I should be able to come up with some basic homemade chocolate for Valentine's. It wasn't that hard, all things considered. It didn't have a superb taste nor an exotic visual, but I felt happy with that big chocolate heart. And so, I set to deliver it, properly wrapped with a ribbon and everything. What was I thinking, Journal?...

The moment I set my eyes on Himeko, I immediately turned around and left. She was standing there, using a beautiful, long dress, red as her hair. Of course, she had a date for Valentine's Day. Why wouldn't she? Not only that, the moment I realized what I was about to do, all that boldness from before left me. What would she think of me giving that to her? I didn't want to make things weird between us, even if there isn't really- I'm silly for thinking I could ever- It stings a little, but it is the truth.

More redacted words dotted the end of the page, making the girls more confused. Himeko, however, felt something else. Her mind wandered to another memory lane, this one much more clear.

. . . . .

After yet another date ending in disappointment, the redhead planned to get mildly wasted at the bar. She didn't feel like making the effort to save the rest of this night. But as she made her way to the bar, thinking of what whiskey she would go with tonight, her amber eyes spotted a familiar person sitting there idly, the red short hair contrasting with the white uniform.

Captain greeted her as she sat next to him in silence. As usual, he didn't ask for alcohol. He asked her how her date went in that caring manner of his. These few words were like a signal for her, sighing out loud and commencing her rants, to which the young man paid undivided attention.

Around the fourth glass, she noticed something laying on the counter under his hat. The red color picked her eyes and she decided to investigate. Doing so prompted Captain to try and reach for it, but she was faster. Since he reacted like this, it had to be something worthy of a tease. And then Himeko found herself staring at the heart-shaped wrap with a dark brown ribbon on it. A sly smile adorned her face as she held a smug look towards the poor young man.

"Hmm, is this what I think it is, Captain?~"

She waved the gift in front of him, her voice having that smooth, mild alluring tone she always used to tease him. And Captain silently avoided looking at it, completely embarrassed.

"The night is almost over, though. I wonder who is the lucky girl… are you not going to give it to her?~" She teased him further.

Captain shifted a little in his seat, then quietly answered.

"... She just received it…"

It was almost a whisper but Himeko heard it clearly. Once again, she found herself staring at the simple gift for a while. She wasn't dumb to think things like "no way" or "it can't be me", even more considering how Captain was shifting uneasily in his stool. Examining it closer, she could see it was hand-made, or at least the wrapping was since it had minor wrinkles here and there. The ribbon also wasn't the most graceful thing, and it was glued with tape. All in all, an amateur job, but nicely done at it.

Still silent, Himeko carefully unwrapped the gift, taking a piece of the dark chocolate and putting it in her mouth. Meanwhile, Captain watched from the corner of his eyes, his head hanging low a bit. Himeko waited a bit, letting the chocolate melt in her mouth. Again, it didn't taste wonderful but it was pretty nice. A bit too bitter at the end, though. Did he use full cocoa in this? She then drank some of the whisky, savoring it as the flavors mixed in her mouth.

"... Sorry if it doesn't taste the best. I've never tried chocolate before" Captain apologized.

"No…" She said calmly. "This whisky, in particular, is soft, creamy, and fruity. This dark chocolate with a strong flavor and taste of cocoa… gives the perfect contrast~" The redhead said, going for another bite of the chocolate, followed by another sip. She moaned lightly in delight, closing her eyes and smiling softly at the delicious taste filling her mouth and soul.

"Is… is that so?" Captain finally looked at her, apparently looking relieved. But when their eyes met, he returned to his flustered self. "I-I'm glad you liked it, Himeko"

"I loved it, Captain. That was very sweet of you, ironically~" She said with a gentle smile crossing her face. Himeko was legit happier than before, and that wasn't the same "happiness" of when she got over a few too many drinks.

"But, are you not forgetting something?"

"Eh? I am?"

"Hai. What do you say when you give a gift like this to someone on this specific day?"

Captain's face got a degree closer to match his hair color.

"A-ah, t-that… umm, well, ha… happy Valentine's Day, Himeko"

She smiled at him again, but not that smug teasing smile- well, not only that smile- and ruffled his hair as she would do to a kid.

"Thank you very much, Captain. You saved this girl's night~"

. . . . .

The redhead now recalled the memory with newfound fondness. Seeing Captain's side made it much more special.

Aaah, Journal, I still can't believe that worked. I mean, I didn't exactly follow my plan, but the end goal was reached. And Himeko looked so happy. I would do anything to keep her smiling like that… heh, here I go again, Journal. I don't know what I'm thinking. She's so strong and doesn't let others talk her down of her dreams. I feel like Himeko is on a whole other level, you know? Maybe… maybe I should stop thinking about it. I just can't help but-

As she looked at the next page, Himeko noticed one was missing. The only sign of its existence was the tiny bits of ripped paper stuck on the crevice of the book. Her eyes then wandered to the next entry.

I have been reading that book of flowers again, Journal. I wanted to find one that suited Himeko, but I just couldn't decide on picking one. That's when I came across the Rose. Quite obvious, now that I think of it, but just like Himeko, there is more to this flower than just the go-to choice of gifts to your beloved one. Roses can have more meanings, depending on the color.

The Red Rose is a flower of love and deep emotions, obviously. Pink Rose means admiration, joy, and gratitude. The Yellow Rose stands for friendship and caring. White roses symbolize innocence and purity. Purple roses represent enchantment and love at first sight… coincidence? Blue roses can mean mystery, or something desired but unattainable…

And the flower can be used for other things aside from gifts to your special someone and decoration. Medicine, cosmetics, and even food. There is so much more to this flower beyond its beautiful appearance. That's why I find them to fit so well with Himeko.

She is cheerful, cares deeply about her students, is a great friend, and under the playful and flirty layer, she just wants to find someone and not be alone. But she won't accept anyone, so just like the real flower, you have to be careful. Otherwise, prepare to meet some thorns. That's why, for Himeko, I'm setting this little Rainbow of Roses…

"Himeko? Are you okay?" Asked the little nun next to the redhead. At some point, Himeko got so absorbed into reading that she forgot about the other girls sitting with her.

"Eh? Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you… huh?" She slowly brought a finger to her cheeks, just in time to catch a droplet that rolled from the corner of her eyes.

Himeko looked at her hand for a moment, then at the book sitting on her lap. Sighing and with a soft smile, she rubbed away the tears that wanted to roll free.

"Aaah… I lost. That Captain, you have no business being this sweet and lovable~" She said softly, getting up and closing the journal in one hand.

"I know, right? I'll have a Teri-chat with Captain about all that smooth-talking" The nun followed, crossing her arms and puffing her cheeks in fake annoyance.

"I think we're missing the point…" Fu Hua said.

"Yeah, why did Captain only write about me in a truly embarrassing moment?"

"You're still hung up on that, aren't you?" Mei said softly.

"Even if Subject Captain didn't write about it, Kiana Idiotka would surely find other means to embarrass herself"

"That's it, Bratnya!"

Before Mei could get in between, Kiana leaped over Bronya. Being a trained soldier, the Russian loli was more than ready to counter, but the famous Kaslana strength was something to be recognized. They ended rolling over the bed and falling on the floor as they struggled and Mei chided them. While Fu Hua suggested a better approach for the headlock Bronya was holding Kiana on and Theresa threatened to go get Judah, Himeko gave one more glance at the book in her hand.

"I need to keep an eye on you from now on, Captain~" She whispered to herself. "Okay, that's enough fooling around. Kiana, don't you have homework to do?"

The white-haired girl froze in place, almost getting free of the headlock. Her face showed that she truly forgot about it.

"Uuh, Mei-senpai, about that help…"

"Rest assured, Kiana. I'll make sure we compensate for the time lost" Fu Hua said, fixing her glasses.

"No no, I think that's worse…"

"Oh yeah, Captain is still not here," The little nun noticed.

"Hmm, maybe he went to the city, then?" The redhead guessed.

"Statement: that would be troublesome for the Bronya since she intended to assign a task to Subject Captain. The Bronya's grinding night relies on it"

"Oi, why do you get to play games when I have to study the entire day?"

"Answer: Subject Kiana keeps leaving homework to the last minute. Also, Kiana is a big Idiotka"

That comment sparked another pounce from Kiana, but this time she limited herself to pushing heads with Bronya.

"Look here, Bratnya, I may be a little dumb, but…" Her anger receded a little to give some time for her to think. Bronya, of course, wouldn't miss that opportunity.

"But...? The Bronya invites you to go on" There was the equivalent of a smug smile crossing The Bronya's face.

"I may be a little dumb… but… umm… s-senpai, back me up here!" She turned to Mei, who couldn't help but hold a gentle smile. The type of smile you give when you are trying to be kind to someone, to prevent feelings from being hurt. However, Mei didn't manage to conceive that as well as she planned.

"Y-yeah, you can do it too if you work hard, Kiana-chan…"

"No way, you too, senpai?" The young Kaslana whined.

"Then, instead of complaining about it, why don't you try to do your homework before the last day mark?" Himeko said, getting into Teacher Mode.

"Oh, speaking of work. Himeko, is that report I asked you about last weekend ready? We're doing the meeting tomorrow" Theresa turned to her redhaired friend, who cringed at the question.

"Uh, about that-"

"Ara, what do we have here?" A new voice coming from the doorway caught the attention of the girls. Himeko instinctively hid the journal, still in her hand, behind her back.

"Rita?" They said in unison.

End of Chapter

Tada! So? How did it go? Again, it took me a while to get this chapter in particular done because it was for Himeko. At first, I didn't feel like it had the same vibe as the others, so I kept going back and rewriting. I guess it is pretty clear which valkyrie is my favorite, right? It was never intended to be a self insert, this fic. I base myself solely on Captain's interactions from the events, but looking back, I can't tell how much of me bleeded into the character. Sorry if that breaks the imersion... Anyway, I hope y'all readers enjoyed it. Writing Honkai fics is my newfound passion, and now that I'm playing Genshin too, well, perhaps in the future? Who knows? Welp, that's about it, leave a review if you feel like, it is much appreciated. Thanks for reading, until next chapter. Jyanee~~