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With the Windblume Festival nearing its end. Sucrose, Timaeus, and Aether went out to buy some presents for their friends, specifically, the people they cherish the most.
Timaeus had to fetch some flowers in the wild to experiment on something. He says he'll be offering it to his parents.
On the other hand, Aether and Paimon were bickering what to buy and who to give it to. Aether wanted to get some Adventuring Tools in order to help him find his sister while Paimon wanted to get tons of Sticky Honey Roast for 'supplies' for their next venture.
But what about Sucrose? What present does she have in mind and who will she give it to?
She was silently observing the shops. Same old products. Over here, they were offering more food and ingredients. While on the other side of the streets were more on jewelry and artifacts. Nothing really caught her attention yet.
"Ah.. Miss Sucrose, good day.. Would you like some flowers? They are freshly picked." A young girl approached her with a bunch of Sweet Flowers on her arms in which made her bow her head repeatedly before looking down at her, flashing a polite smile.
"Sure! How much for these, Miss Flora?" She carefully brings her wallet out, hastily searching for the mora. Flora chuckles softly as she shook her head, handing over the flowers.
"Ah.. No! I insist, Miss Sucrose. Take these as my token of appreciation for helping me research on the new species of flowers and besides... Someone said it was indeed your favorite flower."
Sucrose was a blushing mess after hearing such a statement from this florist, imagining it was from Him, but instead of dwelling over this foreign sensation she was feeling deep inside, a wide smile appeared on her face proceeding to grab the flowers from Flora before saying her 'thank yous' and going all the way back to her house where she had her small laboratory, preparing a present for this special someone.
After spending hours extracting the Sweet Flowers and crafting her own mini box to place these small candies from the Flowers' nectars. She also tried tying all the stem together to make a small bracelet for this person, her Windblume present for this person in which she was oh so excited to give.
All those extracting and crafting were extremely easy for her since she has always been used to working and trying new things simultaneously due to her line of work. But there is one thing she didn't know what to do.
How do I write a letter?
It's not like she's clueless about the Alphabet. In fact, she appreciates their local language even ancient texts. It has always been part of her daily researching adventures.
But enough of that.
Here goes nothing.
She just has to tell this person what she feels. Maybe.. a simple I like you will do? Or maybe this person might find this too straightforward. Yet she spends another hour of thinking about what to write to this person.
After all, those brainstorming and crafting and nerve-wracking writing, she asked Aether if he could join her and give this person her Windblume present and off they go to Dragonspine, searching for him.
----
"Sucrose! There you are. Congratulations! Did you give your prese-"
"Y-yes! I gave him.. the gift... If you excuse me, Traveller."
Aether wonders why she seemed to be holding something back, he noticed her voice seemed to be low and shaky but before he could ask what's wrong. Sucrose turns her back on him, carelessly walking away from him making her almost fall on her face but Aether managed to catch her. But Sucrose was just looking down and her legs were somehow trembling which made her go on her knees.
"Sucrose, are you okay..? Paimon's noticed that you seem to be avoiding something."
It took a little while before Sucrose could even look up to them with the fakest smile they could see from this person.
"I.. I think..."
----
Aether and Paimon left Sucrose when they were near the area where he usually does his research and sketches, to give them some alone time.
Sucrose gulped in nervousness and was gripping her chest where she can feel her heartbeat so fast. But she shook her head and tries to maintain her normal act around this person.
Step by step, she walks slowly towards the entrance to his small laboratory and she plans to give this present directly to him so it would be more sincere in her part and just to let him know how she sees him. Not just as her senior, her coach, her teacher, her role model. But as the person she likes.
The letter she wrote was just a simple "You're my windblume, Albedo. -Sucrose" And she thinks it's just the perfect confession. Simple and understandable and also expressive.
Right when she was about to call his name out. She heard laughter just from the other side of his laboratory. A familiar one, no, actually it belonged to two different voices but really familiar.
Sucrose peeks through the shelf near to the area she heard the laughter only to see Him with Her.
Turns out, it was Albedo and Mona. Albedo seemed to be laughing because of Mona's endless complaints about the things she encountered back when it was her first time being in Monstadt. Mona was sitting across Albedo with her arms crossed, complaining how expensive the rent was when she was the one who took care of the seal and all random things.
Sucrose focused her gaze on her teacher. Albedo seemed to be sketching something while smiling in the most subtle manner.
----
"I think it was the most beautiful smile he did. It was subtle.. but his eyes seemed different.. I... I.. think.."
Sucrose was having a hard time finishing her sentence. She felt her cheeks getting wet. Was it the rain? Ah. No. It was her tears.
"I was just his student. His junior. His... assistant. Nothing more. That moment I knew... I'd get rejected even before confessing."