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On the lantern rite day.
The eleventh of harbingers finally has his free time so he thought to take a night stroll at Yaoguang Shoal to loosen up his stiff body. When he arrives there, he found a very familiar appearance sitting alone at one of the big rocks, a girl with blonde hair with flower accessory tuck on her hair, and wearing a white dress. Who else if it's not the famous traveler, the savior of Liyue, and the Honorary Knight in Monstadt, Lumine. But he doesn’t see her fairy companion so he approached her silently tries to surprise her but failed when he accidentally kicks a pebble. Lumine whipped her head with a reflected gesture she pointing her sword to his throat.
He holds his breath, his ocean blue eyes meet with her golden eyes. "Oh, it's just you Childe."
Then she put down her sword. He still shocked by what happens a moment ago. His deep blue ocean eyes look down at the girl who gives unusual vibes, her golden eyes not as bright as usual, and there’s a trace of tear at the corner of her eyes that made his heart clench.
Did she just cry?
Why?
He is curious about the reason why Lumine cries and in many scenarios that might be the reason she’s crying playing in his own thought, while he drowns in its golden honey eyes look at him with a confused look. “Childe?” her voice snapped him back and finally his gaze met her, a soft smile on her face greets him. "What are you doing? Sit here." She pats a place beside her. He nodded and took a seat beside her. Few minutes passed with no one say a word, then he breaks the silence, “What are you doing here alone, girlie?”
“Taking a break after doing some commission.”
"Not gonna take a part in the festival, girlie?" He asked.
She shook her head, "No, because it’s so crowded and draining my energy too much."
"So that's why you were here?"
She nodded. "How about you, Childe? You're not going?"
"No, I just been free from my works, so I thought it will be nice to take a stroll in a quiet place than have to join the crowd and here I am found you sitting here alone." He looked at the girl beside him. A night sea breeze gently blown her hair softly, she looks endearing and breathtaking that made him can’t take his eyes off of her.
She felt an intense gaze from him then she closed her eyes, “You will make a hole on my head if you keep staring at me, Childe.” a soft smile appears on her beautiful face. He just smiles back at her, “I’m sorry but I couldn’t resist because my comrade looks gorgeous.” He’s not lying.
Her eyes widened then she looks at him and found his smile so tender and sincere than before, and she can’t help but feel embarrassed with a thin pink color spread slowly through her cheeks.
Cute.
An embarrassed look from her really adorable and he was lying if he said he’s not enjoying the sight of her getting embarrassed because of him, but still the trace of tear at the corner of her eyes still pissed him off. He swears if he found someone who makes her sad then he will tell his substitute to chase down the person who dares to make her sad or even vanishing them from Teyvat.
"Say girlie, did someone bother you?"
She frowns couldn’t get what he means, “No?”
“Then, why are you crying?”
She flinches and looked away, “I’m not crying!” she tucked her hair behind her ears seems a bit nervous. Well, of course, she’s been found out crying by her enemies. She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes trying to figures out what will he do but what she got was something Lumine never imagined, he leaned closer with his glove hand rubbing her eyes where there’s a tear remains. He looks at her with an utterly soft gaze and a bit—worry. She holds her breath when realized how close they are. Once again, a pink color creeping out from her cheeks to her ears.
“If you don’t want to talk about it, then fine I’m not going to force you.” He gave her a soft smile before stood up from his seat, pat her head then he stretches his hand towards her with a grin on his face, “Will you accompany me tonight, pretty girl?”
She blinks once, twice before her lips turned curved upwards and taking his hands, “Well, if you insist, pretty boy.” She stood and her golden eyes staring at him with a grin on her face, Childe stunned for a moment then burst in laughter, “You never fail to impress me, ojou-chan.” After that, they start strolling and rambling whatever they found interesting.
“Ah, by the way, ojou-chan, where is your little pixie?”
“Ah, Paimon is with Xiangling now, she told her that she will make a new recipe so instead of me Paimon will be a taster.”
He chuckled, “Typical her, I see.” Well, he knows her little pixie companion loves food so much and in the midst of their walk Childe abruptly stopped his walk that makes Lumine frown, “What’s wrong?” and she found him pick something from the ground. “A starconch?”
Her question brought an idea to him, “Wanna have a competition, girlie?”
She raised her eyebrows looking at him suspiciously, “What kind of competition?”
“A competition to collect the most starconches.”
“What will I get if I win?”
He grins, “The loser will do everything that the winner wishes. How does it sound?”
She nodded, “Sure, don’t cry if you lose, okay?” then she turned around and start to find any starconch nearby.
He chuckled, “Not gonna, ojou-chan~” and so they start gathering starconch.
“I...” Childe turned his head to her, but only her back in the sight. “I miss my brother.” He didn’t reply because he knew about her missing brother from the information he got.
“And It’s not lied when I said I’m taking a break from commissions but the real one is...” she silences for a minute before continuing, “I don’t think I could enjoy the festival while my brother is somewhere in Teyvat.”
Childe understands what she feels when you lost your only family yet you enjoying the festival itself, not fair. If he in her shoes, he will also refuse to enjoy the festival by himself. But... He stands up with his arm full of starconches. “Let’s count how many starconches we have gathered.”
She turned her head to him, then her honey golden eyes swift to starconches in his arm, “...Sure.” She’s not really sure if she really going to win in their little competition but she kinda knows what will he ask her. When they were done counting, as expected Lumine lose from this game. Childe looks at her with a proud expression, a smug on his face annoyed her so she rolled her eyes.
“Since I’m the winner, you have to follow what I wish.” She looks at him from the corner of her eyes and his wish isn’t something she expecting to be. “Let’s go to the festival together.”
“Huh? I think you’re going to—”
“I’m going to ask you for a battle? Well, yes, I want that but from what you said before, I think your brother doesn’t want you not to having fun on this kind of day.”
She’s not answering because she knows how Aether wants her to have fun, wants her to be more egoist but she can’t. She bites her lower lip then sighs, “...okay.”
Once again Childe gave her a soft smile, “Now, let’s go, shall we?” with his hand held out to her and when she took his hand, she could feel her heart pounding and it strange, she never experienced this kind of feelings. What's this?
When they arrived in the harbor, Paimon and Xiangling are the first ones they see and when she saw him with her best friend, she rushed to them. “What is it? Why you with Mr. Money Bags?” she looked at her with confusion and disbelief expressions.
“Well, we accidentally meet at Yaoguang Shoal and a lot of things happened.” Lumine’s answer makes Paimon grew more suspicious of him.
“Don’t look at me like that and I heard from ojou-chan you’re being a taster new receipts of the daughter of Wanmin Restaurants, but what are you doing here?” Childe asked.
“Well, the owner told us to release the Xiao Lanterns.”
“Then let’s go together, come on, ojou-chan.”
On their walks, Xiangling and Lumine walk side by side behind Paimon and Childe. “Say Lumine, since when you have a cool boyfriend?” Xiangling whispering in her ears. She jolted and her face feels hot. “NO!” Childe and Paimon turned their heads towards them, they look confused when they saw Lumine’s face so red.
Paimon floats to her, “Lumi, are you sick?”
She shook her head, “I’m fine,” she reassuring her and then whipped her head to face the daughter of Wanmin Restaurant who giggling, Lumine puffed her cheeks.
“Now now, let’s find a place to release the Xiao Lanterns, shall we?” Xiangling said with her hugging one of Lumine’s hands, Paimon and Childe following them from behind. They found a good place right on time to release it.
“Let’s releasing our lanterns too, Lumi,” Paimon said excitingly, Lumine nodded and they start releasing their own lanterns.
“What’s your wish, girlie?” Childe asked.
She looks at him and smiles, “Well, that’s not my wish but my brother's wish and I wish his wish come true, and what’s your wish, Childe?”
He looks to the sky full of the floating lanterns then swift his gaze to her with his index fingers on his lips, “Secret.”
She chuckled, “Whatever it is as long as it’s good ones, I wish they come true.”
He nodded, “Yeah, I hope so.”
I wish you are always happy.
I wish you will always smile so brightly.