Work Text:
Dealing with customer complaints about her fireworks can sometimes be inevitable, especially if there was anything lacking on the instructions or materials. What upsets her was how foul-mouthed this customer was. But considering the way he dressed up, she could only assume it's someone from Fatui. The guy had a weird dark red opera mask covering his face and his outfit seemed to indicate how he was a warrior from a powerful nation.
Of course, everything must be settled in a calm and peaceful manner. She doesn't want her customers to be stressed. That's why, she was trying to calm the fellow down by reaching out to his shoulder to give it a small pat. Not until he slapped her hand away before she could even touch him.
"You should just quit this business, Naganohara. You're way too stupid for this." The masked fellow threw away the firework she made right in front of her before walking away as if nothing happened. "Oh and by the way, here's your mora. Do better next time, kid." Throwing a bag of mora beside the broken firework.
Yoimiya wasn't exactly having the best day today.
---
But she knew how to hide the gloominess she was feeling from the majority of her friends and customers, making it look like she was just having a normal day, perhaps just constipated or just ate something with milk on it. Not a big deal at all, right?
Yoimiya was always the expert one when it comes to tricking (and giving treats) to youngsters, especially young kids. To her, kids are the hardest to please but with a trick or two, they'll eventually get over their complaints and have fun with you. So maybe, just maybe, practicing this skill of hers against herself wasn't a bad idea after all nobody will notice
It's not a big deal. Just relax and keep it off your mind, Yoimiya. Nobody will notice this trick of yours for sure.
---
Her, Ayaka, Sayu, Traveler and Thoma were just having a nice hotpot competition over Komore Teahouse. The room was indeed lively and full of small burping noises. Ayaka finally gave up on the game and called it quits when her face started to grow red from the spiciness of the 'not-so-hot' soup. The Traveler and Thoma laughing heartily on Paimon's attempt to chomp the remaining food, competing with the young ninja who also had her mouth full.
Meanwhile, Yoimiya could only chuckle a little and flash a small smile on her friends. Smiling the sadness away.
"Uhm..! Hey, guys! I have to excuse myself for a while.. Uh.. I.. gotta go to the bathroom!! I must have eaten something with dairy on it!"
Making up excuses to run away and maybe cry her tears out when she's all by herself where no one will judge her for what she feels. Not looking back on the loud group and ran all the way to the teahouse's balcony.
Her tears were starting to fall down but made sure to keep on wiping them away from her cheeks not until she saw Kozue, the assistant, focus on the visitors and strangers who might go inside the house uninvited.
---
And finally, when Yoimiya was all by herself. She made sure to lean against the small pine tree and watch the sun slowly setting before her eyes. She didn't want to cry just yet. Not until she's all alone in their tiny little home and cry herself to sleep. .
She was just enjoying her moment of solitude with the way the sun was embracing the distant sea, the hues of orange slowly becoming darker and soon enough, the skies were full of shining stars. She somehow finds comfort in such a glorious sight.
After this little moment she had, she was going back in there and interact with her friends like nothing big happened today. She will try her best to mask her true feelings away and instead put a smile on her friends' faces. She'll laugh and joke around them like all this heaviness she was feeling wasn't existing in the first place. After all, nobody will notice because she didn't want them to.
"Yoimiya, is everything alright?"
Except for him.
In the end, she could not hide everything away from the fixer and when she thought she was doing good in her small pretend game.
"...."
"Let me guess... some rude customer you had to deal with again?"
Yup. She could not hide anything from him, especially from the guy who knew her for years now. Why did she even forget in the first place?
He knew exactly what to do for his best friend so there was no reason for her to hide her true emotions.