Chapter Text
The bell rang.
“Kaedehara Kazuha?” The history teacher, who’s name was Zhongli, called.
“What is it, sir?”
“Could you give Scaramouche this letter? I assume he’s skipping at home again.”
“Yes sir.”
Scaramouche. He was quite infamous, though many girls were fond of him. But under that layer of selfishness, rudeness and impoliteness.. Kazuha felt as though Scaramouche wasn’t as bad as he seemed, but it also seemed like it was just him.
“Ugh, you have to spend 5 minutes of your afternoon to go to that jerk’s place?” Heizou moaned.
“I’m telling you, I don’t like that guy,” Shinobu added, hand intertwined with Heizou’s.
“Yeah, Kazuha.. I’m not normally one to judge, but he seems like trouble.” Ayaka added.
“It’d only a few minutes over at his place,” Kazuha laughed, “what am I going to do, die?”
“Possibly..”
“That is an option..”
“Guys, guys I’ll be fine,” Kazuha chuckled, “I’ll only be there for a few minutes.”
Or so Kazuha thought..
It didn’t take long to get to Scaramouche’s house, but the house he lived in.. looked so… how to put it.. nice? He expected him to live in something.. less neater. As he walked to the door, he heard talking: a high pitched voice and a voice belonging to Scaramouche. Kazuha couldn’t help but eavesdrop.
“Kuni, where are you getting these cuts on your arms and wrists from..”
“I just happen to be clumsy at times.”
Kazuha could tell that was a blatant lie. Why was she calling Scaramouche Kuni?
“Really..?”
Seemed like the girl didn’t buy it. Who was she anyway?
Kazuha rang the doorbell.
“Kuni, go to your room. Someone’s at the door.”
A girl in green answered the door. She seemed… pretty young. 9 at oldest. “How can I help you?” She beamed.
“Uh, I have a letter from the school.. for him, ma’am.”
“Why don’t you come in for a drink?” The girl in green said, “my name is Nahida. You look sweaty.”
Kazuha WAS a little hot from waiting…
“If it wouldn’t be any trouble..”
“Of course not! Come in, come in.”
Nahida lead Kazuha to the kitchen table, smiling brightly. She seemed very friendly, but her name rang a bell. On times where he had been to Sumeru, he heard of a god of wisdom with a similar name.
“The letter is for his guardian to read too.”
“Is that so?”
Nahida opened the letter, took a quick read, and sighed.
So she was his guardian.. strange.
“Here’s some iced water,” she politely said, “I’ll be right back.”
She left the letter on the table, open.
Not even upside down in Kazuha’s point of view. He decided to look away, he didn’t want to poke his nose in other peoples business again. But even from the corner of his eyes, he could see something in the letter about skipping class too much to go to the rooftop. The rooftop.. the highest place in the school. To be honest, Kazuha thought the rooftop was amazing. He wanted to eat lunch there, but he and his friends never ate there because the last time they went Heizou almost fainted/threw up seeing how high they were. And to be perfectly honest again, Kazuha wanted to know Scaramouche more. Scaramouche looked like he could use a friend.
Nahida came down with Scaramouche, holding his hand.
“What is it you wanted me to read?” Scaramouche groaned, “Wait, what is he doing here?” Scaramouche drew his gaze to Kazuha.
“I invited him in for water,” Nahida chirped, “is he a friend of yours?”
“No.. just a classmate.”
“Here’s the letter.”
Scaramouche read it, scoffed, and threw it in the trash.
Kazuha could tell by the pile in the bin that this wasn’t the first time.
It was then in the awkward silence did Kazuha realize how much his phone was buzzing.
“Ah.. apologies,” he said, taking his phone out his pocket- oh no! He forgot he’d made plans with Heizou, Shinobu and Ayaka.
“S-sorry, I need to get going,” Kazuha quickly bowed, “thank you for your hospitality!” He left the house in a rush.
“Kazuhaaaaaaa!” Heizou whisper-screamed, “what took you so long?! Weren’t you gonna be like, a few seconds?!”
Kazuha finally arrived at the cafe, in a sweat.
“Don’t tell me, what did that asshole Scaramouche do?!”
“W-what, no, no, he didn’t do anything!” Kazuha reassured Shinobu, “he just happens to be living with a nice girl, Nahida, and she invited me in for a drink.”
Ayaka started choking.
Shinobu stared in shock.
“Kazuha, you’re joking..” Heizou said, in disbelief.
“W-what is it?” Kazuha worriedly asked.
“That’s the freaking dendro archon?!”
There was an awkward silence.
“I don’t understand..” Shinobu pondered, “why would a punk like him be living with a gentle soul like her?”
“Well, it’s not really our business…” Ayaka quickly replied.
“I don’t think he’s that bad, you know,” Kazuha added.
His three friends gasped at him.
“Alright, alright, I get the message.. but I’m thinking about eating lunch with his tommorow-.”
“Let us come with you, I don’t trust that guy!” Heizou announced, as the others agreed.
“-at the rooftop.”
“Actually, no thanks.. I’ll literally lose my lunch.”
Shinobu cleared her throat as the others laughed, “Just be safe, okay?”
“Haha, I will.”