Chapter Text
It was a particularly hot summer day in Liyue and cicadas were screeching in the field relentlessly. The hallways flooded with students going for lunch in the air-conditioned cafeteria as the last period had just ended school wide.
In Class 3A, a certain greenhead was minding his own business, transcribing scores for the light music club. His school uniform was creaseless and still crisp from ironing despite the sweltering heat. He had on a prefect’s tie and a pair of sizeable black, round glasses that sat comfortably on his sharp nose bridge. The green-hued locks of his flowed in the warm breeze that passed through occasionally.
The class was now quiet; everyone had apparently sought quick refuge in the cafeteria.
He sighed contently, taking out a lunch bento he had prepared this morning. Perfect. It was filled to the brim with egg rolls, karaage chicken and rice topped with seasoning. He could really use the peace to finish up the scores and eat before heading off for club activities. A quiet growl escaped his stomach as he opened his mouth for a long-awaited bite.
“Xiao!” A chirpy voice came from the back door of the classroom.
“What are you doing here?” Xiao’s tone was flatter than expected - he was trying his hardest to hide the ounce of joy he felt knowing that she was here to visit him.
“Oh, am I interrupting something?” The blonde girl peeked over his shoulder, eyeing his food and scores. Someone was definitely hungry.
“Nope.” He replied.
She dangled a plastic bag containing a box of almond tofu in front of him.
“Look at what I got! I managed to get the last box of almond tofu for you!” Now that he looked at her closely, she did look slightly dishevelled. Did she run all the way to the cafeteria and crowd to get him this?
“Oh. Thanks.” He gave her a small smile, unknowingly making her heart beat a tad bit faster. It made his day that his favourite person has gotten him his favourite dish.
She took the seat in front of Xiao, turning around and placing her own bento on his table. It looked way tastier than his - golden tempura shrimp balls with mapo tofu decorating the side of salmon-flavoured rice. Lumine's classmates had once mistook this for store-bought premium bento, being shocked when she revealed that it was homemade by her.
"Do you want to try some?" Noticing his hungry stare at her bento, she picked up a shrimp ball with her chopsticks and held it out to him. Xiao frowned slightly to hide his embarrassment - he didn't expect her to realise. Was he really that obvious?
“Try it! I made it this morning!” Her voice lingered in his ear like a sweet melody. She had always seen as an insecurity because it made her sound more boyish than most girls. It was a little husky and mellow, and it was something that Xiao found to be exceptionally attractive.
“I can feed myself, you know.”
“Humor me, please?”
The musician begrudgingly leaned forward to savour her cooking, devouring the entire shrimp ball in one bite.
Cute. His tsundere side is showing. Lumine thought.
"How is it?"
"It's... good..." He said in between chews. It really was, especially because it was cooked by her. She chuckled in response, saying nothing more. Both of them didn't mind the quietude of the surroundings.
It had always been like this ever since they were kids. Lumine would be the bright, cheery one, living up to her name and Xiao would be quiet and composed. She'd protect Xiao from bullies who picked on him for his scrawniness in elementary school and cook for him. In return, he would show his gratefulness by playing songs for her and tutoring her on schoolwork at his parent’s teahouse. It’s probably his more introverted hobbies that earned him his first pair of glasses at 10.
After so much time spent together, it was... Hmmm.. Only natural that their emotions for one another bloomed into something more mature and deeper.
Lumine was the first to notice her growing feelings for him.
The fleeting, rare smiles that ignited sparks in her heart when she got him his almond tofu with extra osmanthus syrup. Maybe it was the warm embraces and head pats Xiao would indulge her with when she was down and out about her grades or a failed dish. Or the way Xiao would push his glasses up or rub his temples albeit in frustration when she couldn’t get the homework theories. How about the times where he would unassumingly twirl her blonde locks when he thought she was asleep after being exhausted out from work? Or maybe when he would try to cook for her, only to end up with a burnt dish.
And oh, how Lumine loved the freshness of qingxin that lingered around him, mixed with the pleasant mustiness of the tea assaulting her every time she was in his proximity.
It was truly all the small things she picked up on that made her want to love him. A loving side that was only shown to her and no one else... With the right context in her mind, everything felt right to her.
She couldn’t help it when a cauldron’s worth of envy bubbled within her every time, she saw girls flocking to him for tutoring, despite telling herself that Xiao would never date people like them. To her relief, Xiao would coldly shoot them down, subconsciously dissipating that horrible feeling she felt away too.
Lumine barely felt envy or jealousy, but Xiao made her feel things she never felt before.
And she let herself fall.
Beyond the present and towards tomorrow, she would never regret falling, even if Xiao wouldn't be there to catch her at the end of the day.
Lumine fished a flyer out, showing it to Xiao. He carefully eyed the words and looked up. Her focus was flitting about, and he could recognize some hesitation in them. Nevertheless, she spoke up first.
"Well, there's a summer festival this weekend near the Liyue shrine..." Lumine fidgeted in her seat, a tint of pink dusted her cheeks. Her gaze slanted to the side before looking straight at her bento - she was too shy to look him in the eye.
"We can go together if you'd like." He completed her sentence, eliciting a sparkle in her eyes. Deep down, they both knew that this was probably going to be their last event together.
Xiao had been offered a prestigious music scholarship to Inazuma’s Watatsumi University, accommodations and school fees paid for, not to mention, getting a monthly allowance on top of it all. Despite Lumine being heartbroken when she found out, she still encouraged him to pursue it. She had seen his talent first-hand many a time and this was bigger than her - bigger than them. For now, she’d keep her feelings for him aside, hoping so selfishly he wouldn’t find anyone in Inazuma.
The music prodigy didn’t say much. Common sense yanked at his conscience, turmoil simmering in his mind. On one hand, accepting the scholarship would be a great burden lifted off his parent’s shoulders. But on the other, his heart strings tugged him back, going for this meant leaving the girl he loved behind.
He had started to notice a slight change in her attitude toward him for some time. The way her touch lingered on his hands when she taught him how to finely chop onions quickly planted seeds of curiosity within him. Does this mean that she also noticed the way he looked at her or maybe twirling her hair while she napped after studying together? There was no way Lumine would fall for someone as quiet and gloomy as him… Right? He was just there as her best friend. To comfort her when she’s sad, to celebrate the good times with her and enjoy the companionship.
It was that one particular embrace that made him think how wrong he was.
It was the end of their first high school year. Xiao had been observing Lumine for the past week or so.
“Xiao~ Can I get a hug?” Lumine called out, dragging the last syllable of his name out in a whiny tone. Was it a bad grade? Or did she have a bad day? He couldn't tell, not that the context mattered. Xiao sighed in defeat, opening his arms for Lumine. It usually ended like this; a hug, then back to whatever they were doing.
This time however, Lumine had taken one of his hands and nuzzled her soft cheek against his slightly rough guitar-worn fingers. Her eyelids fluttered closed, her lips slowly curving up to form a smile. Delicate fingers gently traced his veins on the back of his band, trailing toward his forearm. Xiao felt his heart swell at the sight, her being so soft and dare he say… loving, toward him. The overwhelming urge to pull her in for a kiss to her forehead, maybe her soft, tempting lips, was nipping at him. He tenderly thumbed her cheek. Would he allow himself to indulge her more? Would she allow it?
Xiao felt himself tumbling down a steep slope. She had been in front of him all along, loving him. Was he really so foolish for not noticing all her actions to be acts of love for him?
He slowly inched forward, tilting he face up, lips brushing slightly against hers. Her eyes, half-lidded, locked with his, yearning strong in them. The warmth of his breath tickled Lumine’s lips, which parted eagerly. Xiao was teasing her, a quiet game of pushing and pulling, daring her to lean forward and seal everything with a long-awaited kiss, before…
“I’M HOME!” Lumine’s mom yelled, dropping the keys into the bowl at the front door. The two lovebirds split apart instantly, akin to Musou no Hitachi cutting through Musoujin Gorge. Lumine rushed to the kitchen while Xiao packed up to leave for home.
Her mom gave a mischievous grin. She definitely saw what was up - and it was about damn time they got a little chummy.
“She definitely likes you.” Lumine’s mom whispered to Xiao while he put on his shoes. A tint of pink colored his cheeks as he gave her a small smile and a nod before leaving. His heart was set ablaze and this, made it hard to sleep that night.
“Oh- I gotta go for cooking masterclass!” Lumine gobbled her food and dashed out of the classroom. Sometimes it felt normal, as though their flirty moments had never happened.
“See you on Friday, Xiao~!” She yelled, running down the hallway.
Masterclasses? For cooking? Lumine was taking them?
Nevertheless, Xiao put aside his thoughts and chuckled to himself, savoring every bite of the almond tofu she had gotten him. He almost felt a little too sad at the last bite. The already-sweet dish always tasted sweeter when she bought it for him.