Fate’s Slave - Shadow Slave X Honkai Star Rail

Staring up at the dark sky, Sunny frowned. He rolled over in his makeshift sleeping bag — one that he had created using seaweed. It wasn't very comfortable, but it was better than sleeping on a bench.

…Actually, it was a little itchy.

Laying on his stomach, he stared at the girl who sat at the edge of rock formation they were on. She looked out at the sea, her long long straight hair fluttering in the wind.

"Hey, Hanabi, what day is it today?"

Hanabi turned around, a plastic smile on her face. Sunny found it eerie, especially when it was obvious that she wasn't ever happy. He suspected that it was her Flaw, forcing her to feel a superficial sense of joy.

She looked in his direction, but not directly at him. She wasn't able to see in the dark like he could, after all.

"It's February fourteenth… Valentine's Day."

She spoke monotonously, probably only adding on the last part just to answer his question thoroughly.

Of course, he had no idea what a Valentine's Day was.

"What's that?"

She paused for a moment, before answering.

"It's a day when people give chocolate to the people they like."

She turned back towards the Dark Sea, ending their conversation.

Tilting his head in cruriosity, Sunny looked towards the sack that held their food. Specifically, it was meat they had harvested from Carapace Scavengers — Awakened Beasts.

Looking between Hanabi and the sack of food, Sunny stealthily slipped out of his sleeping bag, grabbing the sack of meat as he walked behind a large outcrop of rocks. Now that he was right next to the sea and out of sight, he got to work.

Summoning the Light Devourer, he silently sent an apology to Blade as he started to surgically cut the pieces of meat. The Transcendent odachi barely required any force to cut apart the crab flesh.

He started a fire, which he realized might have alerted Hanabi to what he was doing. Hoping that she didn't turn around — noticing the light — he methodically cooked the meat.

After a few minutes, he looked into the Dark Sea. A smile appeared on his face, impressed by his ingenious.

***

"Hanabi! Look at this!"

She turned around, squinting her eyes in an attempt to penetrate the darkness. Sunny smugly grinned, a skewer of roasted meat in his hands.

"…I don't see anything."

Sunny blinked. He sighed, realizing that she didn't have the same eye for greatness that he had.

"I made seasoned meat! There wasn't any chocolate, so I made you the next best thing. No… something better!"

He held out the skewer for Hanabi to take. She stared at it hesitantly, before taking it from his hands. As she took a bite out of it, Sunny waited for her compliments on his culinary talent.

Suddenly, her face scrunched up.

"It's too salty."

'Huh?'

He had gotten a normal amount of salt from the Dark Sea. There wasn't any reason for it to be excessively salty. Were her taste buds defective?

She looked up at him for a second, before looking back at the skewer.

"I don't think getting salt from here would be a good idea. The water… it isn't normal."

Sunny resisted the urge to facepalm. Why hadn't he thought about that.

Hanabi took another bite, startling him.

"Uh… you don't have to eat it anymore."

She chewed the salty crab meat for a few seconds, swallowed it, then tilted her head.

"But you have it to me because you like me. Of course I'll eat it."

'…What?'

It seemed like she had gotten everything wrong. Sunny would never do anything for free, so he wanted something in return! Instead, she had gotten it into her head that he liked her. What an idiot!

He crossed his arms, turning his heated face away.

"Yeah. Sure. Whatever you say."

He ignored the mocking glare of his shadow. That moody companion of his was really starting to get on his nerves.

Suddenly, Hanabi raised a hand to her mouth, a laugh escaping her. Sunny glared at her, as she was obviously laughing at his embarrassment.

His glare disappeared when her hand moved. It was a smile. Not an artificial, forced raising of the lips, but a genuine expression of happiness.

It must have been contagious, as Sunny felt the corners of his mouth curl upwards.

He decided, he liked it when Hanabi smiled.