Chapter Text
Work, work, work . That was on Lumine’s mind right now. Much to Xiao’s dismay, this was one of the many days, and the many more after that she would wake up on her own. Up bright and early, with a smile of determination. Up she goes, breaking free from his comforting hold and onto her two feet. Gotta go to work!
The common cutesy shenanigans were kept to the minimum, as Lumine rushed towards the bathroom to freshen up. Poor Xiao was left on the bed, staring at the empty space beside him. She was much faster than he anticipated. Rising upright from the bed, the tired man yawned and stretched his upper body. His eyes wandered around the bedroom, as his mind took a little time to adjust to the morning light. They eventually settled on staring at the closed door.
Out of curiosity, Xiao silently counted the amount of time she took inside. ‘10, 20, 30… 50?’
Not long after, the blonde woman burst out from the bathroom, seemingly with less confidence. She scurried to their shared wardrobe with a hint of worry. Her work clothes, fresh underclothes and other accessories were hurriedly pulled out and placed aside, likely for a quicker change later. It was then that an odd series of events occurred.
Lumine darted out into the living room for a brief moment, and then returned back into the bedroom while biting her lip. She looked back out again, as if trying to confirm something on her mind. Throughout the whole thing, Xiao was observing her while still sitting on the bed. Those subtle expressions and actions did not escape from his sight.
“Lumine? Is something wrong?” he asked with concern.
“D-Did… I mixed up the timings?” Lumine mumbled with deep distress. She took large steps to the drawer near the bed, opening them up one by one seemingly to find something – like a piece of paper, a piece of information, anything . It slowly became ever so uneasy when she found out that was nothing.
“Lumine. Calm down.” It was then she felt a gradual hold around her shoulders.
“Stop.” A word spoken. A firm suggestion from a voice of reason. Lumine sharply inhaled, snapping her own mind back to reality. She was able to completely stop her actions. Xiao slowly turned her around to face him. His grip loosened, turning into the familiar warm and gentle feeling she always seeks for.
“Breathe.” Xiao suggested again, and Lumine took it to heart. Like they practiced, she took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, and then let it out. She felt much better and was very thankful to the man in front of her right now.
There was a soft mutter of ‘Sorry’ from her. Soft sniffs of post emotional anxiety were let out. Xiao chooses to stay silent for now. He leaned in close to give her a kiss on her head.
What an already eventful morning.
After successfully calming down from that panic episode, Xiao decided to try and help her, “What was the reporting time that you remembered?” Lumine hummed as she rested her emotionally tired body against his, with her head resting on his shoulder. Xiao, almost on instinct, wrapped his arms around her slender body. The comfort cuddle seemed to help her jog her memory.
Lumine softly replied to the question, “I remembered it was around 8 a.m…”
“You are correct. It is 8a.m.” Xiao affirmed, rewarding her with another kiss. “And it is only 6 15a.m at the moment.”
A muffled ‘Oh’ could be heard from the embarrassed young lady, who was shutting her eyes and scolding herself internally. “Lumine.” Xiao called out. Lumine loosened the hug so he could stare into his beautiful amber eyes.
A small smile on his face, lacking the tease or smuggery. A pure honest smile.
“早安。” (Good morning.)
Lumine laughed happily. A reminder of her small little ‘pact’: to practice the liyue language with Xiao.
“早安，魈。” (Good morning, Xiao)
Xiao chuckled softly in response.
What an eventful morning indeed.
The couple decided to have a simple breakfast for the morning. Together, they made up a couple of sandwiches; two slices of bread with lettuce, cheese, and ham in between. It was simple and quick, but deliciously made with love and care. They ate on the couch, leaning onto each other for comfort as they ate. Xiao turned on the television with the morning news, helpfully distracting her from the ticking time clock hanging above.
A dreamily escaped from her lips as she silently thanked him a million times over.
Lumine was about to help clean up the table, but Xiao insisted that she should head into their bedroom to prepare for work. “It would be more efficient this way.” He claimed.
As she shakily agreed as it would help put her mind at ease with one less chore done. While she was away, her lover went ahead to pack extra sandwiches for her. She thought it was so sweet of him.
In front of the mirror of her dressing table, Lumine’s golden eyes stared at the reflection. Her blonde was neatly combed back and her face now bright and refreshed. She was now in her work clothes that the boss of the restaurant graciously provided. Red and black short sleeved uniform, with neat clean dark blue pants. It was finished with a custom name tag pinned onto it. She was prepared to put on the finishing touches. However, upon remembering her anxious state a few moments before, she could not help but reflect on herself…
Before moving in with Xiao, people often depended on her to do things. Wangshu Inn, where she worked as a waitress, was a wonderful place with people she cared for deeply. However, it was filled with favours. Deliver this, cook that, deal with these; the list just goes on forever. It made her feel more like an assistant and thus it eventually created a horrible habit in her. Lumine found herself struggling to say ‘NO’ to those seeking services. Even if they mention that she has a choice in the matter, she could not turn it away.
Anxiety stirred within her during those days. Endless doubt plagued her mind, forming worrying questions here, there, and everywhere. What if I mess up? What if I could not complete this in time? What if…? Lumine did not remember having any of these thoughts during her time in her home city, Mondstat. It was truly overwhelming.
Even now, the people still do – but her mind set has changed, or at least… Lumine thinks so. It was still so hard for her to say no as this time it did not come from a place of work. They came from genuine pleas for help, mostly from the childless elderly who could no longer do certain chores by themselves anymore. Combine that with her friends’ and now her actual full-time job; her mind struggles to hold on. Her memory gets affected negatively at times. It blurred between requests, social meetups, and job events.
But… She met an anchor. A pillar of support that would be there in need. Someone who she loves with all her heart and soul. That person walked into the room, observing her with the utmost care.
“Do you need help, Lumine?” He asked gently.
Lumine closed her eyes and shook her head silently. When she opened them, they turned their focus onto Xiao’s reflection.
“You have already done so much for me. How could I ask for more?” She said softly.
Xiao looked at her with a neutral expression, and his arms crossed. He hummed, thinking for a response. His amber eyes then seem to glint a little, his gaze softening with sympathy.
“You would have done the same for me at my lowest points. So, yes. Please ask for more.”
He was right. She would. But knowing who he was before they were dating, every thoughtful act from him made her feel joy. Lumine felt her heart soar and ache at the same time. Sometimes it was hard for her to accept such offerings. However, since he had indulged her…
“Th-Then, W-Would you mind staying here while I put up my makeup?” Lumine asked hesitantly.
She would usually do this kind of touch ups alone for some privacy. (Also, Xiao’s presence can be distracting at times, but no one should know that-) But today, Lumine wants him beside her at all times. He makes her feel comfortable and safe, which was very much appreciated.
“Is that all?” Xiao asked as he brought a stool over and sat down beside her.
Lumine gave a firm nod, then gave him a small thankful smile.
Xiao postured his back upright, leaning slightly forward and crossed his arms across his chest. His mind cleared and eyes were focused, preparing to observe her every move. She felt a little warm under his carefully intense gaze, having trouble deciding if she was feeling embarrassed or happy. Perhaps it was both. Lumine always wondered if he ever noticed the makeup that she puts on, maybe at this close proximity he would.
She began by taking out the necessary tools from the drawer of the dressing table for her planned makeup job. Those were a moisturizer, some hair clips, several other bottle-like objects of various sizes, a set of brushes of different lengths, and finally a simple small rectangular box. With her careful hands, she delicately opened the box to reveal rows of rows of various shades of colours. These colours are nature and sunrise themed, with many subtle warm and cool colours. The shades of amber and yellow seemed to be most, as the circles had considerable dents. A light pull was made near the front of the box, revealing another row of dullish peach colours.
Xiao was quite overwhelmed by the tools presented on the table. He was very unfamiliar with modern makeup ideals and philosophy. There was nothing he could apply from his past experiences on to decipher this. Before the poor man could even digest their appearance and the implication of their use, Lumine took some of the hair clips to pin her blond flinch to the side, and then picked up the bottle moisturizer.
The confused man could only look at her dumbfoundedly as she quickly squeezed out a sizable blob of semi-solid solution on her palm and went ham on rubbing her face. Rub, rub, rub as she went, spreading the solution from her cheeks to her forehead. All the while, Lumine kept a neutral blank expression. His eyes widened with shock as he watched. Much to his horror, all the cream she applied were slowly dissolving and disappearing?
“Do you need wet face cloth to clean it off…?” He asked softly.
“Nope.” Lumine replied plainly, and immediately moved on to the next step.
She picked up a transparent rectangular shaped bottle with many labels. It was filled with liquid that had a similar shade to her skin. A casual twist and turn popped the cap out, and she gently tilted the bottle towards her other hand. A thicker liquid seeped out of the opening, taking a little more time to get the desired amount of it onto her palm. Once she got what she wanted, Lumine placed down the bottle and used her free hand to apply bit by bit across her cheeks.
Xiao, again, was confused by the point of this. He squinted his eyes and compared the details of her face before and after using his incredible memory. But he just could not see much of a difference. As she was busy applying the liquid on her face, he helped screw back the cap onto the mysterious bottle. Out of curiosity, he kept in his hands to observe the many interesting labels. They were all written in English, which to him, was harder to read and understand. The only familiar word on it was ‘Foundation’.
Before Xiao could even decipher the meaning behind the words, he heard another soft pop from Lumine’s hands. She had already moved on to the next step. Uncapping a smaller bottler than the previous, she squeezed out smaller blobs of cream onto her fingertips. A gentler force was applied this time as her hands softly rubbed the areas below her eyes. The cream was also applied to her forehead and the bridge of her nose as well.
This time, the inexperienced man noticed a slight difference in her face. Lumine looks a little more… awake? Refreshed? He could not find a reason why it was the case though.
Once that step was done, the smaller bottle was swiftly put aside.
As Lumine reaches for a bigger brush, her eyes curiously shift focus to her lover’s face. With the help of the mirror, she saw the absolute confusion on him. Slightly raised eyebrows, tight lipped, and subtlety pouting. It was adorable.
She giggled softly and then turned her focus back on the makeup tools. Applying them was serious business for her. A fun kind of business.
The side section of the makeup box contains powder-like substances that were light peachy in colour. Holding the brush in one hand, she pressed the bristles onto the substance and firmly dusted them across her cheeks. Her skin seemed to shine a little in the sunlight now, which the onlooker watched in mild awe.
Lumine considered adding one more makeup on her cheeks. She carefully observed her face in the mirror, checking all angles and seeing if blushes would make her look better today. In the end, she ultimately decided against it.
Thinking back on the past few minutes, she was thankful that Xiao kept quiet throughout the whole process. It was almost as if he was not there, simulating the times where she was applying these makeups alone in the room. It was so peaceful.
“I’m almost done, Xiao.” She said, letting him know there were just a few more touch-ups she has to do. Xiao silently nodded and continued to watch with keen interest.
Lumine picked up an odd-looking pencil with a black tip. Xiao could not fully observe its details from his position, but he saw brandings and a questioningly shaped bud at the back end of it. He leaned forward just a smudge, curiously watching her do her work. Her hands smoothly drew a fine black line around the outer edge of her eyelashes. With elegance and grace, she did it in one single stroke.
Xiao carefully decipher the difference between her two eyes. It took a lot of his brain power to understand what was going on. The only fact he could give up was that he had been staring at one of her golden irises more than the other. It was so weird to him. He eventually settled on a conclusion that that pencil is definitely not used for writing on paper.
Once the other eye was done, Lumine carefully took away the hairpins and placed them aside. Her flinch flowed freely down to their original position, and everything seemed right. Xiao guessed that Lumine was at her final step, and he was right. She was packing the rest of the makeup ‘equipment’ while at the same time, finding the last piece of the puzzle.
It was her favourite lipstick. She pulled off the cap and twisted the tube to bring it out to reveal the contents. It was peach in colour, subtlety matching her skin tone perfectly. As she carefully puts on the lipstick, Xiao leaned back to get a better view of her entire face. His mind was calculating, processing, looking at the difference between her pre-make up and her post-make up face. It came up blank. He still thinks she is still beautiful.
With a final stroke, her lipstick application was done. Lumine would usually press her lips onto a piece of paper to filter out the excess. However, her golden eyes gazed at Xiao’s intrigued expression in the mirror. His eyes widened a little at the conclusion, and seemed very trying his best to keep his face neutral. Ah, maybe he was keeping himself from swooning. How adorable, she thought. It was at that moment, she thought of a mischievous idea.
“Xiao, I want to test something. Come closer.” She said with a giggle.
Xiao, without knowing any better, shifted closer and closer. Once he reached the correct distance, Lumine gave him a surprise kiss on his cheek. Much to his embarrassment, it left a very pretty kiss mark on him, formed by the excess lipstick. “Lumine…” He groaned. She just laughed in response.
She feels so much better than before now. Like a rising phoenix, Lumine stood up with a refreshed mind and soul; ready to tackle her whatever obstacle that comes- “Wait... what is the time now?”
Xiao looked out to the morning skies, eyeing at the clouds and the position of the shadows. “It’s time to move out. I will bring you there.” He said nonchalantly. It was probably for the best that he did not say the exact time. If he did, Lumine might worry an unhealthy amount again. She followed him in blissful ignorance, watching his hands grabbing the black riding jacket and sunglasses before leaving the room. Soon, they were out of the house with everything they needed in hand.
The prized motorbike sits idly near the gate with two bike helmets hanging on its handles. It was always positioned this way for quick and easy access. Lumine helped open the gate while Xiao pushed the motorbike out onto the road. A purring noise echoed in the air as its engines began to roar into life. The duo hopped onto it with ease and wore their helmets.
“Hold on tight.” He spoke, but her arms were already around his waist before he even finished his words. Leaning onto his back, she giggled softly. “No need to keep reminding me. I’ll do it anyway.”
Xiao sighed. “I know, but I’ll still remind you always.”
…And off they went deep into Liyue harbour, towards their destination.
Liyue harbour seemed to be a quiet, peaceful city by the sea. The new growing generation thinks so too. Clean air, large spaces to roam, amazing buildings big and small, wonderful wild and plant life thrived all around. Liyue harbour has been connected with nations across all the land and sea due its unique placement on the world map. The brilliant shine from this piece of land could be seen from miles.
However, the previous generation who are taking care of the new young people were familiar with the darkness that resides in its history. The older generation, consisting mostly of the elderly, remembered the streets of burning wood, spilling blood of lost loved ones and broken mess of structures. But they could not tell what exactly happened to the children. They were too young to understand the complexity of the wars; why they had to fight, why someone had to fall for one to rise. Instead, the people who experienced the calamity decided to explain them as inspiring folktales for the people of the future to learn from.
A popular folktale among the young ones depicts 5 mighty yakshas. They each held unique elemental powers: Pyro, Cryo, Hydro, Geo and Anemo. Each of the yakshas voluntarily signed the contract with Rex Lapis to protect Liyue from the forces of Evil. All of them swore an oath that prevented Liyue from falling into darkness, even if it cost them their lives.
However, Evil never fades. Their wraith lingers on the mortal plane, sinking deep into the soil of the earth. For each demon they slay, for each spirit they exorcise; it was to be absorbed into the Yaksha’s body as ‘karma’. As time passes, their karmic debt ever so slowly acclimates within them.
Their mentality was tested to the absolute limit. Madness and suffering consumed their flesh and soul. Eventually, they could no longer hold onto their sanity. One attacked the other, another fell into despair then banished themself, yet another joined the wrong side. All fell… except for one. The Anemo Yaksha, Alatus.
The tales claimed he had found a sliver of hope to hold on and continues to fight on, staying ever vigilant even today.
Moving around the city was a wonderful feeling. From seeing the sights of the mixture of nature and man-made structures passing by, to feeling the gentle cool breeze from the sea. However, in her current situation, the journey was really short. Not only because the Wanmin restoration was just a few blocks away from home, but Xiao was a driver that likes to go really fast. Brrr and Vroom as it goes, zooming past the stores and passing through the traffic lights that were just about to red. The speed at which he goes on it always causes an uncomfortable sensation of her heart diving down towards her stomach. She held on for dear life every single time, leaning onto him as close as she possibly could. Somewhere in her mind, Lumine swears Xiao was doing this on purpose.
The motorbike veers and slows as it makes the turn around the corner. It then brakes hard with a screech, making the last final stretches of distance towards an open spot. It finally stops. Upon arriving just opposite from their destination, Lumine could finally breathe again. She makes a gentle smack on Xiao’s back, huffing and pouting. “I have makeup on, you know!”
Wordlessly, he steps off the motorbike and takes off his helmet. She soon follows, but Xiao offers to take hers off. Lumine, thinking it was some kind of mini apology, stands with her arms crossed and waits. The man very slowly and ceremoniously unhooks the strap and lifts the helmet. His golden eyes took one hard look at her facial features. With the signature nonchalant look, he said, “You still look great.” At the same time, he helped smooth out the puffiness of her blonde hair from the rough journey. Lumine stood in embarrassed silence as she quietly enjoyed the soft loving touches from his fingers. She really just can’t even with this specimen of a man.
Unfortunately, Lumine does not really get to enjoy it for long as she feels a sea of curious gazes directly shining upon her. Apparently, the ungodly noise of the motorbike caused a lot of people to be highly alerted on their arrival, no thanks to a certain ‘must go fast’ man. And also apparently, Xiao does not drive around Liyue often if these many people are low key stunned by the sight of his motorbike. And also, also apparently, Xiao does not often stand around helmetless. At this moment, everyone's gazes are now solely on him?!
“Who is he?”
“Oh my.”
“What an old bike…”
“Wow, he looks hot.”
That last comment made Lumine winced as she instinctively stood one step closer to him. She looked up to Xiao who was looking at her with confusion. “What? Your work is right there.” Lumine is losing her mind right now. Did he really completely ignore everything around him? “Are you waiting for me to escort you there?” His watchful gaze was always on her, as if she was the only one in his world and there will be nothing that can break this illusion. Lumine was absolutely speechless, unable to break away from his loving eyes.
“D’aww.”
“What a gentleman.”
“Wow, his voice sounds hot.”
Lumine agrees but that’s not the point! She really has to get out of here now. “Yingggg, you are finally here!” Luckily, a familiar friendly voice called out to her from the restaurant. The sight of a perky young woman entering the rather awkward scene caused all the passersby to realise that they had something to do other than being busybodies. Oh, Thank the archons… Lumine thought. If they continue this stare stranglehold, she swore she would faint on the spot. Xiao took that cue as a sign to leave, already moving his body to hop onto his vehicle and putting on the helmet. “See you.” He whispered as drove off quickly before she even got to respond. Such a man.
Driving off towards the horizon at a much slower speed, occasionally looking back at her. The visor was lifted, so that he could see parts of his face and eyes. Signs of slight worry but complete trusts could be felt even from such a distance. It warms her heart dearly. A slight shining light of the rising sun poured onto his figure and his motorbike. In her own illusion, Xiao was looking like a handsome prince on his trusted, mighty horse from the fairytales of old. A dreamy sigh escaped from her lips.
The new person who entered the scene, Xiangling giggled at the sight of Lumine’s maiden in love gaze at the disappearing figure. “What are you doing standing here? You are going to be late for work!” She lightly scolded me with a cheeky smile. Oh yes, work. That was her original purpose here. Oh wait…. “U-Um, yes!” Taking a sharp deep breath and then releasing it, Lumine woke up herself from the dreamlike-state and became a proper human again.
..
..
The current owner of the humble restaurant, Xiangling was kind enough to give Lumine a few minutes to have a breather. It was something she really appreciated as her thoughts were still in a slight mess in the morning. Moving on from the past was a hard thing to do, but it had to be done eventually.
Her important contribution to the business was ensuring the customers are happy with their food and feel comfy in the restaurant. Xiangling, along with a few assistants, would be making all the delicious food within her ability for them. All she had to do was show them to their seats, note down any custom orders for their food and then bring the food to them. On occasion, she would help a bit in the kitchen as well if need be.
A flurry of steps from hungry people, young and old could be heard near the entrance of the restaurant. Lumine set her mind entirely into focus mode. I got this! She shouted internally. Off she went, serving the customers the best she could. A new customer entered. An elderly lady with a curious expression on her as she walked into the restaurant. With a smile, she greeted, “早安！欢迎到万民堂!” The customer was at first surprised with the warm greeting, but soon returned the gesture with a small smile.
The hours were long. The loop keeps on going as long as the sun still shines.
Greeting more people with a smile… writing the orders down with a notepad… having small chatters with them… giving recommendations to those who are new. There was one time she struggled a bit with the heavy lifting of vegetables, but luckily, she had help. The nervousness was eventually gone. Everything is fine! She was also happy that the speaking practice with Xiao made her more confident when talking with the locals. She did not stumble with the sentences as much and was able to progress what was being spoken quicker than ever.
The number of customers dwindled out bit by bit… soon there was none. It seemed that there was a period where the tables and chairs would be empty.
“Hey everyone! It is time for our break!” Xiangling shouted with glee as she walked out from the kitchen with hands filled with plates of wonderful smelling food. Oh yes, it was break time. The waiters, waitresses and assistants gathered around a large table. As they picked their seats, the smiling owner placed down the food for them to eat. Bowls of rice, chopsticks, and empty cups were passed around among the anticipated hungry workers. The cups were then filled with hot green tea straight from the freshly boiled kettle.
Lumine sat down and marvelled at the sight in front of her. Plates of spicy meat and vegetables, bowls of stew and soup. The air was filled with happiness. She can tell everyone loved working with Xiangling. As the hot cup of tea was cooling down, all of them grabbed what they want to fill up their bowl to eat. Lumine took her time savoring the combination of flavour in her mouth. The meat compliments the rice, and the soup helps to clean it all down smoothly. Minutes of chewing go by. Small chatters were made here and there but it was mostly quiet. When she looked up, she realised… all of them were staring at her, with a mischievous smug?!
“So…” Xiangling opened with a statement. Her smile grew wider as she leaned towards her friend. “We have been curious… who is the handsome man that was with you?”
Lumine swallowed down the food in her mouth hard. Her face turned red from embarrassment and only a word came out of her mouth. “H-Huh?” Her coworkers giggled at her reaction.
“I mean the both of you were making quite a scene over there.” Xiangling continued with a cheeky smile. “You two seem really close!” A female coworker quipped from her left side. “It was like a romance scene from those dramas I watched.” A male coworker said as an observation from her right side.
“I-I mean…” Oh right… They don’t know about Xiao . Lumine realised. It was not as if she was trying to keep him a secret. The conversation about her love life was not one she would just… tell anyone. But she came to know a lot of people in Liyue, and she guessed it was only natural that they wanted to know more. “He is…”
“Oh oh, let us guess, it will be more fun!” Another coworker cut in with glee. “Might as well.” The other commented with a shrug.
Lumine giggled as the embarrassment fading away. She will indulge them for a bit. “Go ahead!”
“A crush who is a childhood friend?” “Hehe, No.”
“Your recently matched date?” “Nope.”
“Long lost friend?” “Hmmm, No.”
“Husband then!” “N-No! Not… yet at least.”
“D’aww.” “O-Oh shush.”
At the sight of that adorable response, a potential answer entered Xiangling's thoughts. It was the definitive answer, the only answer. With an excited clap of her hands, she made another guess, "Your boyfriend then?"
Lumine shook her head. “No.” All of them were confused. This time, she smiled at their reactions. Her hands intertwined with one another another before her mind was lost in a whelm of memories. They found out about Xiao’s existence. It was not like she was keeping it a secret anyways. Though, It would not hurt to explain the situation before it gets out of hand, right? "It's a long story..." Golden eyes stare off into the distance as she puts her thoughts together. “Our first meeting was on the balcony of Wangshu Inn….”
When the little pieces formed into a solid image, Lumine's mouth spilled out words after words.
It was years ago, back when I was working in the Wangshu Inn. In the early afternoon, I was passing by the inn’s counter with empty hands free of tasks. I attempted to go into the kitchen to see if the chef needed help. However, I was stopped by my boss… who had one simple request.
“Help me bring this plate of almond tofu to the balcony upstairs.”
I had not been to the balcony before. I had no reason to. But now I do, and as I walked up the stairs… I had a weird feeling in my chest. A heavy pressure on my shoulders. Something was going to happen.
When I reached the balcony, it was empty.. except for the wonderful view of the mountains beyond, the lake across me and the field of flowers down below. Distracted by the view, I could not have sensed anything else was happening around me. I remembered the faint breeze blowing across my hair. It was then, he spoke, “To the blind not everything may not be as it appears.” A stern and blunt voice , with the mildest hint of curiosity.
“It was not the greatest first impression, I say, not like those story books and we had many troubles understanding each other. Quoting from a fellow bystander, it was the slowest of slow burns.” Lumine giggled at the memory of her boss explaining her pain watching them dancing around the question. “When we finally got together as a couple, we agreed that conventional statuses do not really describe how we... felt towards each other."
She spoke slowly and gently, as if she was uttering out sacred words. "It is a love that cannot be simplified or described with words. 'Boyfriend' and 'Girlfriend' don't really represent the bond between me and him. It is... more special... i think?" A small nervous laugh escaped her lips. "We settled on a term that we both think is agreeable for now, 'Lovers'..."
Lumine's eyes finally turned back to look at her listeners. All of them were speechless, awestruck even. It was like a wonderful fairytale had been sung beautifully from a young maiden in love. It captivated them and they wanted to know more. Xiangling clapped her hands together and admired Lumine like she was a star shining in her eyes. "I don’t mind hearing more about you two! " She said. The rest silently nodded.
Lumine blinked in surprise. She asked nervously, as all eyes were now focused on her. "D-Do I really have to? It is not interesting, I am sure." All of them immediately disagreed verbally under their breaths. Her female co-worker, Shun, next to her nudged her side playfully, "You seem to have the most interesting life right now compared to us." She winked with a smile.
Lumine shook her head in mock dismay. "Oh woe is me, I guess." She jokingly complained. Though she eventually gave in with their anticipated looks, damn her for enjoying sharing her experiences with the people around her. A soft sigh escaped her lips, "Yes, yes I will tell you more another time, but all of you have to share more about yourselves in return okay?" Her co-workers agreed collectively and re-adjusted their sitting postures. Food was back in their thoughts as everyone took a stab at the delicious plate of pork laying idly in the middle of the table. It was going to be alright from now on, right? Lumine thought.
After the lunch break was over, the day went by. It felt better than ever before. The group of restaurant employees grew closer and tighter, almost forming into a small supportive club. Lumine was glad the people around her were so friendly and understanding. More and more customers rolled in after the break, much more orders were to be fulfilled and sooner than she knew it… It had reached into the dark of night.
When it was time to end her shift, Lumine refreshed herself before starting to walk her way back towards her house. She wonders how Xiao is doing back at home… and if he is willing to be gratefully cuddled for what he had done for her today.