like breathing was easy

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/43704832.

Rating: Mature
Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Category: M/M
Fandom: 原神 | Genshin Impact (Video Game)
Relationship: Venti/Xiao | Alatus (Genshin Impact)
Character: First Gen - Character, Xingqiu (Genshin Impact), Chongyun (Genshin
Impact), Hu Tao (Genshin Impact), Xiangling (Genshin Impact), Zhongli
(Genshin Impact), Ganyu (Genshin Impact), Keqing (Genshin Impact),
Mona (Genshin Impact), Scaramouche (Genshin Impact), Kaedehara
Kazuha, Albedo (Genshin Impact), Eula (Genshin Impact), Yanfei
(Genshin Impact)
Additional Tags: Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Alternate Universe - College/University,
music major venti, Photography Student Xiao, venti has a harem,
Xiaoven is interacting in 3.4 am I dreaming, Rereading this piece and at
the same time sharing it with you, Too bad Cynonari wasn't a thing yet
when this was written so they're not here :(, There are tons of ships
here - Ganqing - Xingyun - Xiangtao - Albether - Eunfei - etc, Brief
Scaramona but Kazuscara endgame, Fluff and Angst, Emotional
Hurt/Comfort, Domestic Fluff, and they were ROOMMATES, Ganyu
Qiqi Xiao siblings, Idiots in Love, they're so obvious it hurts
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2022-12-19 Updated: 2023-08-14 Words: 68,023 Chapters:
5/10

like breathing was easy

by wooliguns

Summary

Venti and Xiao have been best friends for as long as they can remember, have done
multiple things together, like—uh, shop and pay their bills, jest around, study in the quiet of
the night, and overall just what best friends (that also happen to live together) can offer to
one another. Fun, isn’t it? Yeah, not anymore for Venti.

Not when he breathes the same air as his crush, not when he is best friends with someone
he deems is so perfectly imperfect that it somehow hurts when he gets reminded of that
fact. Venti knew he had to resort to pettiness just to get noticed, to garner a reaction from
Xiao, perhaps, to make sure he really is the only one who feels this way.

Slews of love letters addressed to Barbatos being sent to their shared dorm changes the
atmosphere between them, and all the sudden, nothing is quite the same anymore—
everything they do starts to have some meaning in them, and if a little push is what they
might need in order to get their shit together, then… a house party led by Scaramouche
shouldn’t hurt, should it?
Notes

Title taken from the song Angels by The xx.

Like Breathing Was Easy was first published on the 20th of March in 2021 under the
pseudonym holyventi, so if you’re reading this today, you might stumble upon older ships
that were popular during the first few months of Genshin Impact’s release date. As it was,
this was probably one of the older fics in the fandom as well, please excuse the silliness of
some of its contents…

I would make a reference myself, but I wouldn’t want to spoil anything to new readers, so
I’ll refrain. This is solely to archive the story and nothing more. For any questions, you may
visit my Twitter account.

Without further ado, I hope you enjoy it, and advanced happy lantern rite
 and with words unspoken; a silent devotion

LIKE

BREATHING

WAS EASY

holyventi

He held his breath and closed his eyes. “Forgive me for what I’m about to do,” he mumbled as he
slipped the note into the mailbox, and then he was off to uni, just like everyone else.

CHAPTER ONE

Venti

Venti proceeds to wipe at the blotch of ketchup that gathered and dried at the base of his fiddle,
tutting as he does so, annoyed that he spilled some on it earlier when he was blissfully enjoying his
burger.

Too much enjoyment, apparently, that the leaking of the contents completely went past his nose,
mushing the wrapper from beneath. Some even dropped on his shoes! His poor white converse
sneakers…

Venti wants to scream so bad, lips quivering in irritation as he works on removing the awful, greasy
splotch—already dreading the idea of needing to wash them and putting extra effort upon removing
the damn thing—but he won’t. He sniffs instead, rubbing at his shin as he takes a break from his
frantic wiping, before returning to his packet of wet wipes that he always brings around with him
wherever he may go (just because), chucking the used one over to the trash can beside the bench
where he’s sitting.

Xingqiu in his usual sophisticated get-up (a collared white shirt with gold embroidery and navy-
blue pressed pants), what with his aristocratic background and all, his block mate slash friend,
watches him as he does just that, seemingly wanting to laugh or to coo at him, whichever is going
on inside his frisky little head with a big ass brain, Venti doesn’t bother thinking about it anymore.

He needs to tidy up his beloved Diaochan; he can’t afford even just a mere scratch to form
anywhere across her. She’s his baby. Once he got his fiddle spotless, Venti carefully puts her back
in her case and zips her up, throwing the rest of his garbage in the bin too, including the burger
wrappers and tissues.

Xingqiu finally sits beside him on the bench, cradling his harmonica as he waits for Venti to finish
arranging his other stuff in his bag, probably.

“Venti?” Xingqiu quips later, his voice a little hushed, save for the fidgeting noise he’s producing
with the instrument in his hand. They just got off their last subject for today, and are now lounging
at the Freedom Park inside the campus, courtesy of Venti himself who rushed all the way from
their lecture hall to their canteen and bought the biggest burger there is, and now they’re here, full
and satisfied.
“Yeah?” he responds, taking a sip of his plain milk tea. Plain because he hates pearls with every
fiber of his being, like, call him dramatic, but he just doesn’t enjoy the effort in chewing them for a
lot longer than one should, he finds that absurd and an abomination to human jaws; when he can
just easily down the refreshing iced milk tea, savor its taste, why bother with humongous pearls
that completely break the moment for him just by simply existing, and giving him a hard time
chewing and swallowing instantly? Ugh, Venti can go on forever about his stance against those
pearls, but maybe for another time. He redirects his attention to Xingqiu.

Said friend, who’s seated to his right, seems like he’s contemplating whether or not he will
continue to convey whatever it is that’s bugging him to Venti, and that causes Venti to raise an
eyebrow in puzzlement. It is so not like Xingqiu to come off pensive like he is now.

Xingqiu clears his throat after a blunt moment, conceivably getting the message that Venti’s
waiting for him to go on, and so he mumbles out in a timid tone, which, that didn’t happen
before. Xingqiu? Timid? Yeah, right. “Have you...ever been in love, Venti?”

Eh?

Venti almost chokes on his beverage, his favorite beverage, no less. “What?” he splutters,
astonished by the question that he was not prepared to hear from his friend, his cheeks heating up
in quick strides. And he blinks a few times at Xingqiu, silently urging the boy to elaborate
on that with the wave of his hand.

Sighing, Xingqiu calmly explains, “Fallen in love, Venti. You know, be head over heels for
someone? Like, be so whipped for them that you forget who you are. From being composed and
chill, you’re suddenly stumbling over your words and feel yourself blushing at...certain images in
your head that you imagine you would do to the person you’re whipped for.”

Venti feels his face go warmer at the last bits of Xingqiu’s statements, almost imagining himself
and... He taps his cheeks, restricting himself from going down that route, whatever that route may
be, regarding his friend the most serious look he can convene. “Well, I... I’m not so sure, Xingqiu.
Maybe?” He sniffs again, because archons forbid the shift in weather gave him some slack, putting
his drink down beside him, careful not to place it near his exposed thigh.

Blowing off the strand of hair that’s fallen over his eye, Xingqiu puts a hand under his chin, and he
surmises with a flourish, “Lately, I’ve been feeling those things for someone, you see.”

“Wait, hold on. Why are you telling me all these again? Don’t tell me—” Eyes widening, Venti
points a denunciatory finger at his friend, backing up a little. And that earns him a lighthearted
chuckle from Xingqiu, the boy shaking his head at him.

“Not for you, silly. I can’t see myself ever falling in love with you!” Xingqiu declares as he laughs,
and Venti huffs. Ouch. “Though I must say you’re also pretty cute, don’t get me wrong. But it’s—
it’s not you.”

“Fine. Good,” Venti murmurs, closing his eyes as he turns his head away, his thoughts once again
trailing back to... He mentally groans, no, stop it, brain.

“So, yeah, lately, I’ve been feeling this sort of thing where... when you’re with this special
someone, you’d feel as if your throat is stuck with something, your heart feels like it’s clogging
your entire system for how big it’s growing, and like, you’re afraid it might implode, you know?”

“And kill you in the process?” Venti supplies, lips pursed.

Xingqiu snaps his fingers, as if Venti’s just solved global warming. “Exactly, yeah! Something like
that.”

At that, it’s as though Venti can feel his own eyes glinting with mischief, he folds his arms against
his chest, then he fixes Xingqiu with a look of tell me more. “Okay, what else?” Maybe he’ll humor
him for a bit.

The dark blue-haired boy, seemingly in deep thought, hums in consideration and it looks like he’s
in for more; however, as soon as he opens his mouth to say his next words, it’s now accompanied
with a faint blush creeping on each his cheeks and his tawny eyes gleaming with something akin to
wistfulness, “And, I suppose, when you see the person that you have the fattest crush on, your day
just becomes a thousand times better, you know? Just like that, you’re feeling sunny again, only
because you saw them smile, or laugh, even when you were just having the worst week of your
life.”

Huh, much like Venti’s own experiences with…

Venti eventually harrumphs, reaching over to pinch Xingqiu’s left cheek to cut him off. “Alright,
Xingqiu, enough. I’m just kidding!” Xingqiu guffaws at him and slaps his hand, but Venti is too
carefree to mind; he simply picks his drink back up and takes another huge sip. “I totally get what
you’re saying. Who are you talking about anyway? Who are you in love with?” He cuts to the
chase and raises an eyebrow at Xingqiu, anticipating.

At the questions dumped on him at one fell swoop, Xingqiu visibly freezes, and then he blushes as
he sets his eyes on the ground before them. Venti lets him think it over first, in exchange of looking
at the setting of his surroundings at large.

Overhead, the sun is about to set, and students around the campus are slowly dispersing the area,
chatting about mundane things, doubtlessly, and friends dragging other friends to outdoor food
stalls and some situating themselves on a couple of benches down from where Xingqiu and Venti
have chosen to sit.

Venti patiently sticks around for Xingqiu, kicking at a stray pebble and watching it roll around the
grass until it halts, and that’s when Xingqiu opens his mouth to speak, “Uh, just someone I know.
For quite a while now... Or—okay, we’ve been friends since our elementary days, practically grew
up together and all that.”

“Oh? How come I haven’t met them?” Venti muses, then he gives Xingqiu a pointed look. “And
you haven’t told them that you’re in love with them?”

“Yeah, pretty much, and I don’t know, maybe you’ve met them. Maybe you haven’t. But we all go
here, in this same college.”

“Mmmkay. What do they look like? Maybe if you described them, it’ll match one of the few
people I know!” Venti grins.

Xingqiu snorts just as he mutters flatly, “Few is an understatement, Venti. In fact, it’s a straight up
lie. You know everyone in this goddamn school.”

Venti points a finger at him with a sage nod. “Ha, true. Fair enough. But that’s beside the point,”
he argues, “Now, spill.”

“Well, he’s—” Xingqiu hesitates for a moment, looking like he’s thinking carefully about what
he’ll say next, “I should say, he’s quite charming, and... and quiet.” Venti nods, humming as
Xingqiu carries on, “Sensible, funny, and he has this really cool pastel blue hair, and has an
awesome fashion sense.”

“Hmm, he does sound like a catch,” Venti settles with, leaning his back against the bench, “Well,
why don’t you just tell him? He’s kind too, isn’t he? Maybe he’ll understand and maybe even
return your feelings.” Venti nudges Xingqiu with that, and he can see the way Xingqiu’s cheeks are
coloring a nice shade of pink. Venti wants to giggle at it, but perhaps he’ll spare the loverboy the
teasing. Just this once.

“Uh, but—I’m not sure about that last part. About him returning my feelings, I mean.”

“Oh?” Venti tilts his head, slightly aghast. Like he can’t help it. Venti may not be into Xingqiu, but
he’s known the boy long enough to decide within himself that Xingqiu is in fact lovable and just as
charming. Not only that Xingqiu is one of the smartest people in their college, but he’s also one of
the few faces Venti knows is drop dead gorgeous. Mind, but Venti has eyes. And ears, obviously.
He’s seen and heard all those girls and boys gossiping about Xingqiu and admitting they like him.
So, whoever this person might be that Xingqiu is talking about, it’s likely that they’d be returning
Xingqiu’s feelings... right? And Xingqiu mentioned they’ve been friends since their elementary
days, so maybe, just maybe?

And why is Venti even mulling over about this? He has no right to it; he can’t even confess his own
fucking feelings to his own crush of almost four years! Shameful, that, but he’s not here to cry
about it.

Xingqiu looks away. “He tends to focus his attention on other things, Venti. Such as his
academics, for one, or when he discovers a new hobby, or when something entirely new catches
his interest. He just... I don’t think he’s capable of loving someone, most especially not me, his
best friend.” Venti, upon hearing that word, tenses on his place by the bench, but he doesn’t dare
let Xingqiu notice it—his sudden aversion. “I just think that he’s the kind of person who doesn’t
have time for love or relationships and all.”

Venti clicks his tongue, humming in dismay. “How would you know, you haven’t even asked
him,” he points out, almost mumbling.

“I suppose you’re right,” Xingqiu concedes after a short second pause. “What do you think I should
do then?”

Venti is about to say that he doesn’t really know either, considering even he can’t help himself
with that sort of thing, when suddenly there’s a camera flicker sounding, and then a flash goes off.

He squints up, and he’s greeted by a grinning Ganyu with a light pink headband atop her head
holding a DSLR camera with careful hands, looking cozy with her matching salmon pink sweater
and faded blue denim pants, the one who presumably took the shot of him and Xingqiu just now,
and a Xiao with his black cap and olive green hoodie together with a pair of dark denim pants, with
his arms crossed against his chest, black gym bag slung on one shoulder, his own camera—his
most cared for α7R III 35 mm full-frame camera with autofocus, as he’d once reiterated with a
grumpy snit—draped around his neck with a thick black and yellow strap, looking down at them
on the park bench.

So, the siblings have arrived. “Hi, Venti!” Ganyu beams, and Venti can’t help but return her grin,
hopping off the bench to come and give her a hug. She giggles in his ear, and Venti gets a whiff of
her perfume before they part. “Hey, Xingqiu,” she also greets the other boy.

“Hey,” Xingqiu responds, a smile lacing his voice.

“Heya, Xiao,” Venti acknowledges Xiao with a small wave of his hand, to which Xiao counters
with his one hand whipping up fleetly, before it’s returning to its previous position against his
chest, slipping through his other arm. Venti grins. “You guys heading home?”

“Just about to!” Ganyu trills. “We were supposed to anyway, but Xiao-ge here insisted that we—”

“Yu,” Xiao interrupts, clearing his throat and not letting his sister finish. Ganyu falters, and she
snaps her mouth shut. But she quickly recovers, releasing her natural velvety chuckles. “You
coming, Venti?” Xiao nods in his direction.

He perks up, completely brushing off how Xiao must be hiding something with the way he stopped
Ganyu from continuing with what she was about to say. Must not be that important. “Ah, yes! I’m
also done with today’s lecture, so I’m okay to go. And not to mention I’m tired,” Venti grumbles,
slumping his shoulders for exaggeration.

Xiao rolls his eyes, and he huffs as he turns on his heel. But then he whips his head around to look
back over his shoulder, assessing Xingqiu, ”How about you? Are you going to take the subway?”

“Oh, no, I’m fine. My chauffeur shall be here in a minute.”

“Okay, we’ll be leaving then,” Xiao tells him, and then he’s starting to walk the other way.

Ganyu waits for Venti to grab his bag and violin, before the two of them face Xingqiu and say their
goodbye, to which the boy smiles politely and waves back as well, standing up with his backpack
and harmonica, heading to the other side of the park. Venti doesn’t miss the way his friend ducks
his head as he walks, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. Venti is sure it concerns their
conversation just now, about him falling in love with his best friend, much like Venti is with his
own best friend... pfft. If he’s being honest, Venti wouldn’t really know what to advise the guy, as
he is just as bad with his own feelings. Even still, he makes a mental note to himself to get back to
that topic with Xingqiu, perhaps one of these days.

“Oh! What happened to your shoes, Venti?” Ganyu suddenly asks around a gasp, noticing Venti’s
white converse that’s stained a faint orange because of the ketchup from earlier.

Venti sighs forlornly, eyes flicking down to his messed-up kicks. “When I was eating a burger, I
didn’t notice the ketchup dripping. Some even got to Diaochan.”

“Poor Diaochan,” Ganyu coos, and Venti titters, poking at her side and making her yelp.

“Klutz,” Xiao comments idly, and that has Venti gaping, putting his attention to the guy who’s
walking a few steps ahead of them with his hand in his pocket, the other tapping away on his
phone.

“Hey, I heard that!” He grouses, stomping his foot, making Ganyu giggle at their small bickering,
which is a constant and quite the norm in their years of friendship. She’s just gotten used to it, as it
is, being Xiao’s younger sister who often hangs out with them and therefore has possibly seen it
all. From the way Xiao would bask in the times at teasing Venti, to the way that Venti would
scowl and make some biting motions at him, to which the former would dismiss with his tongue
sticking out, resulting in Venti whining—pretty much the kind of dynamic the pair of them make.

Whether or not she thinks her brother is being mean to his best friend, Ganyu doesn’t really show
any concern as one could’ve. That’s because she knows her brother like the back of her hand, and
she’s perfectly aware of the fact that he wouldn’t do anything that would purposefully hurt
someone’s feelings, unless they cross him, that is. So, this thing with Xiao and Venti, it’s nothing
but healthy banter, and Venti is very much receptive to the matter himself.

“Good,” Xiao utters out then, as usual in his faultlessly collected self, the ever plainspoken and
tranquil amongst their bunch. Venti has no other options but to pout and sulk with zero
comebacks. As always. He swears to whoever archon is out there watching this unfold, he’ll get
back at him one way or another, someday!

Or will he ever? He frowns at the thought.

They reach the subway station after a while, and it’s Xiao who puts credits on their beep cards by
the counter, quick to pull his wallet out. Venti initially wanted to pay for himself, but Xiao told
him “it’s fine, don’t worry about it,” and that gets him to shush down as he busies himself with the
strings of his red hoodie, willing himself not to get so stuffy on the cheeks. It doesn’t mean
anything, he berates himself, because it shouldn’t. It’s no big deal, his best friend is just cool
enough and thoughtful like that. Always has been.

They get to their stop and Ganyu is the first to step off the tube. Venti follows after her, hyper-
aware of the hand that’s pressing softly against the small of his back, just barely now, and then
Xiao being the last one to get out.

They do this some days, going home together, just when their schedules align with one another.
They all attend the same uni, Venti, Xiao and Ganyu, but they are taking different courses. Or
well, Venti differs from the two of them, anyway. Because while he studies music, the siblings
study photography, and it’s their second year now, so far, hence the reason Venti knows almost
everyone in their college, in reference to Xingqiu’s commentary earlier.

Yes, he knows almost everyone, possibly, save for the new transfers and outcasts. Venti is even
close with a couple of his teachers, and some staffs and owners at nearby restaurants and taverns of
their campus, like Zhongli for one, who grades mostly of his recitals, and Diluc, owner of Angel’s
Share, their go-to whenever they wished to get smashed after a rather unavoidable hell week.

“Will you be having dinner with us, Ganyu?” Xiao asks as soon as the three of them reach their
dormitory, fishing his own set of keys out to unlock his and Venti’s door.

Ah, yes, so they live together, him and Xiao, just recently they decided to share a dorm, both
agreeing that they’d save more by doing so.

It’s only been three months since they did, and though at first Venti had been hesitant, because hey,
he’s like, in a bit of a gay episode with his best friend of almost four years here, hello? He had
dwelled on then; would he really be able to be in the same space as him for too long without
inexplicably combusting? Because that could happen to him, and Venti would be doomed for the
rest of his life.

And like, come on now, who wouldn’t be gay for their best friend, if said best friend is a walking
angel in disguise themselves, handsome and reserved, soft-spoken and hardworking, passionate
with what they’ve committed themselves on doing? Like, dude. Anyone—and by anyone, Venti
means exactly just that—who has exceptional taste and set their standards high would fall in love
with one Xiao Alatus, it’s just pure, indisputable gospel. Which brings Venti to the utter solidity of
that decree; almost everyone in their college is head over heels for Xiao, and again, that includes
Venti.

Truth be told, Venti can’t remember exactly when he started harboring romantic feelings for his
best friend, whom, by the way he used to just kick in the nutsack whenever they’d get into heated
arguments that he couldn’t win so he’d resort to violence (but the real thing only occurred once,
and he apologized to Xiao profusely that same day, refusing to leave his side until he was fully
forgiven), but one thing is for sure, he’s hopelessly, irreparably in love with him now.

Like he’d just sob about it sometimes actually. To reiterate, there was this one time he’d been alone
in bed, after having a mild misunderstanding with the guy, resulting in them being under a non-
speaking term, and Venti being foolishly in love with him felt the most devastated and empty.

Or just when Venti’s feeling ‘touch-starved’ or horny some days, and instead of trying to date
someone to fill his needs, in the end he’d still turn his back on the idea, even if it only crossed his
mind, because then his heart would tell him that he’d really rather if it’s Xiao that’s touching him,
and no one else. And all these, no one knows but himself.

And perhaps, he prefers that it stays that way. Because really, the last thing that Venti would want
is to make things awkward for the both of them, or much worse drive his best friend away should
Xiao turn out to be not feeling the same way. Thus, despite he knows it’s been years since he’s had
an irrevocable crush on Xiao and that it’s only growing each day as they stick to their inseparable
duo, his affections for his best friend drowning him, suffocating him, he never once given any
hints, never showed Xiao he would like to be something more with him whatsoever, none.

So, there’s that, Venti has just resorted into pining, ha-ha, as pitiful as that sounds, but it is what it
is. Yes, call him whatever you want. A coward, a pathetic loser, someone who can’t for the life of
them brave through something so simple, see if he cares. He has his ways to suppress his
emotions, that’s just how he is, and considering it’s been going on for far too long, he’s just gotten
accustomed to it. The part where he’d settle to love someone from afar…

Besides, he’s happy with how things are for him and Xiao—this way, with Xiao being oblivious to
his unfathomable crush towards him, they can live in the other’s vicinity with no boundaries or
malice dividing them, no tension surrounding the air between them to make them keep their hands
to themselves. No awkwardness, no need for tiptoeing around each other, and Venti can wake up
every day without having the need to see his best friend giving him incessant sympathetic looks
should he one day find out that Venti has long since fallen in too deep for him after all, and he just
so happened to be rather inadequate at grasping the notion or concept of the entire thing.

This is fine, Venti is purely content with this. Or if you think he isn’t, shut up, you do.

“Nah, I’m good. I’ll have dinner with my roommates,” Ganyu answers, and then Xiao is nodding
and unlocking their door, Ganyu going the opposite way. “Night, Venti!”

Venti hops forward to give Ganyu a peck on the cheek. “Night, Ganyu!”

“Just Venti?” Xiao muses. “I’ve been nothing but a good brother to you, and you only say
goodnight to this little gremlin over here?” Well, that much is true, Xiao is probably the best and
the worst brother to ever have—best, because he treats his sisters like they held the moon and the
stars for him, and worst, because he gets really freaking overprotective towards them that he’d go
such lengths to watch over them—and Venti can never argue with that, but still.

“That’s because she loves me more.” Venti sticks his tongue out at Xiao, and that earns him a
pinch to the side from the guy. Ganyu chuckles heartily, before she’s closing the door to her own
room with her two other roommates, leaving him and Xiao to it.

“Ack!” Venti can’t help squealing, and then Xiao is laughing at him. “You suck.”

“I know.”
“Ugh, a proud sucker you are.” Venti slips beneath Xiao’s arm that’s serving as a barricade
between him and the door, making Xiao click his tongue, but Venti ignores him in favor of heading
straight to their fridge and grabbing himself some milk to pour in a glass.

He hears the door slam shut. “This is why you’re getting dirt on your things,” calls Xiao, referring
to the incident concerning his shoes and violin. “You always move so clumsily.”

“Yeah, well, that’s none of your business,” Venti clips, though he doesn’t put any heat to it, just
easily taking the piss on the dude.

Xiao follows after him, gym bag already discarded somewhere. He shakes his head at Venti, now
standing by the kitchen entryway, one hand on hip. He scrutinizes Venti with a mildly disappointed
facial expression, and Venti knows it’s purely to tease and shame him. Venti still ignores him as he
climbs over the kitchen counter and sits, letting his legs dangle while he gulps down his milk.
“Ahhh, that’s good,” he exhales after finishing the whole thing, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

Xiao makes a face at him, as if to imply that he’s being gross and sloppy, but Venti doesn’t give
him the satisfaction by brushing the bustle off.

“If you’re gonna use our detergent bar for that mess of a shoe, make sure to put it back in its
designated container,” Xiao tells him, and Venti rolls his eyes. Yeah, Xiao gets like that, and
Venti’s well aware of it; the fact that he’s a neat freak and painstakingly organized. Sometimes it
makes Venti wonder just why in the world did Xiao, who’s a complete proper college student,
straight-As and shit, always smelling nice and cleans up good, even considered taking Venti in and
asking him to live with him, when he knows just how messy and raunchy Venti is?

“Fine. What do we have for dinner?”

“My sister isn’t eating with us, so don’t expect me to cook for you, you big baby.” Xiao turns
around and leaves him to go to his room, and Venti blows out a sigh.

“K.” Venti hops off the counter then, and he disposes of his glass on the sink.

Dragging himself to his room, he takes a peek at the fore room and spots Xiao’s gym bag lying on
the floor. Huh. It’s just then that Xiao emerges from his room with nothing but his raven boxers
snuggled tightly on him, exposing his upper half and that goddamn full sleeve tattoo he has that
crawls over the small piece of his back… something Venti would die to run his palms all
over. Fuck, stupid brain. He swiftly backs off the way and lets Xiao pass, watching as the guy pads
along and picks his gym bag up effortlessly, off to return it to his room.

Venti turns away to get his ass to his own sanctuary, about to snap his mouth shut from just
momentarily hanging open, but Xiao beats him to it by tipping up his chin.

“Is that saliva I see dripping there?” He teases around a smirk, and Venti forces it in himself with
all that he’s got not to blush furiously having been caught off-guard like that. The bastard knows
exactly how fit he is and it pisses Venti off to no end.

“Fuck off.”

Xiao merely laughs at him as he goes, and once again Venti is getting a glimpse of his deliciously
flexing back. Honestly, fuck Xiao and his cunning build.

When Venti gets inside his room, he makes sure to slam his door so hard the entire dormitory
shakes with it.
They have dinner by ordering in at the end, and this time it’s Venti who pays for them. It’s just a
couple boxes of Liyuean food anyway, he has his own savings to use for that. They eat in
remarkable silence, both hungry due to academic stress, amiably, each sat on either end of their
brown beaten sofa. Xiao, who is now in his gray hoodie and trackies, is the first to finish, and
when he does, he throws his box into their trash bin in the kitchen and announces that he’ll head
downstairs to check their mail. Venti lets him go without a word, proceeding to flick his gaze to
their TV that’s running a segment of this new series he’s discovered on Netflix, Alice in
Borderland.

Xiao comes back a few minutes later, and the first thing he says is, “You’ve got a letter.”

Venti whips his head around to regard him, and he cocks a brow. “Oh? What does it say? Open it,”
he orders through muffled chewing.

Xiao does, and he stays where he is by the door in favor of ripping the envelope open. Venti pauses
the show to watch Xiao carefully as he whips a piece of paper out of the thing, turning it over to
read it, “Dear Venti, I saw you today, and as always, you look pretty… Huh.” Xiao stops there, and
he shoots Venti a look. “It’s a love letter.”

“Is it, now?” Venti brightens at this, and he leans forward to make a show of putting all his
attention on Xiao. “Who would send me a love letter in this day and age? Ohh~” He giggles, he
can’t help it.

Xiao furrows his brows, and he zeroes his focus on the letter once again. Venti waits for him to
read more of the letter aloud, but the guy doesn’t, instead he bursts in mocking laughter, clutching
his stomach in the process. “Holy shit, this is so funny.”

Venti can feel himself frowning now. “What’s so funny? Give me that! At least someone likes me
enough to write me a love letter!” He jumps to his feet and charges towards Xiao who is doubled
over in laughter. He snatches the paper off his hand and that has Xiao stopping from cackling,
wiping at his nonexistent tears.

“Nothing, just that I find it hilarious is all.”

Xiao leaves him alone after that, walking towards their bedroom doors that are nestled against each
other, and Venti is unable to tear his gaze away from the guy’s retreating back, even as he’s
clutching on the love letter with his left hand. Xiao doesn’t say anything anymore other than shake
his head with a smug smile, opening the door to his room presumably to call it a night.

When he closes the door behind him soundly, Venti sighs from where he’s rooted to his spot.
“Prick…” he mumbles as he sniffles, holding back a sneeze. This day sucks.

“Out of the way!” Venti hollers, barely hearing himself over the loud classical music that’s blaring
in his ears with his earbuds in, sliding down the bridge with his roller skates, a couple of passersby
moving ‘out of the way’ like he’d demanded for his rushing down figure.

The stupid him decided just this morning that it’d be fun to wear them again to go to uni, reasoning
with himself that he hasn’t used them in ages, so now here he is, an utter catastrophe thundering
through mills of pedestrians and battling humps along the roads, barely keeping himself upright
while he balances Diaochan on his right, his backpack stuffed with frivolous shit, and his phone
with the wires of his earphones swaying with his movements.

So far, he’s earned himself a few curses here and there from random people—that he almost
toppled over on the streets as he speeds through them—but Venti can’t really care less; he
effortlessly brooms past their denouncements, and giggles in delight when he flees their side and
grabby hands.

Xiao left their dorm long before Venti woke up, Ganyu is a naturally early riser herself too, and so
it’s just him today, kicking his legs and rolling over scattered dusts as he makes his way to their
campus building, hopefully in time even just once in his life, ugh. With the construct itself coming
into view, Venti prepares himself to halt, but of course he’s gone rusty over the months he hasn’t
used these though, so what happens next is him slamming harshly over someone as they both roll
over the ground.

“Ow, what the actual fuck.”

There’s someone else laughing hysterically in the background, Venti can hear them now that his
earbuds had apparently slipped out of his ears due to the vigorous impact. He winces at the surging
pain that’s coursing through his butt as he tries to push himself up. “Sorry,” he says sheepishly to
whoever this girl that he’s dragged with him caused by his failed attempt at a brake, grabbing onto
the helmet atop his head to make sure it’s securely intact.

“You asshole! You think this is funny? How about giving us a hand?” The girl, Mona as it turns
out, scowls at the person who’s still having the best time at the state they’re in.

“Why would I? I’m not your slave, weirdo. Besides, once is enough.”

Mona groans. “Just as I fucking thought! You’d be an insufferable nuisance,” she says through
gritted teeth, a grimace on her face. Venti helps her up to her feet, careful not to shake his fiddle
any more than it already did just now, crap. “And you, Barbatos! What the hell do you think
you’re doing?”

“I’m sorry, Mona.” He grins impishly, dusting himself up (relieved at how he didn’t get a scratch
or summat, phew) and her as well, but she whacks his hand away, making him flinch in
embarrassment.

“Hey, I think I know you.” The guy (Venti finally acknowledges as he looks at their direction,
drinking in their outfit that consists of some simple jet-black band shirt and black skinny jeans,
footwear a pair of black and purple Vans), whose eyes are the dark kind of violet, and short hair the
same shade as their eyes, steps forward and regards Venti with a knowing look and sense of
familiarity.

“Me? How?” Venti points at himself, startled just a tad.

The guy nods. “Yeah. You’re that kid from the music hall the other day, the one who got kicked
out for coming in drunk?” There’s a glint in their eyes, and for some reason, Venti can’t help
feeling a bit mortified that this person has seen him ridicule himself in front of an audience.

Regardless, Venti recalls the incident in his head, and ah, okay, it’s all coming back to him now.
That was when Diluc served him a cider before attending his recital, since he’d been a nervous
wreck on that day, and Zhongli kicked him out for coming in hammered to his wits. It was a
miracle that the man did not end up expelling him, really. It only further proved how much Zhongli
adores him, and though he won’t dare tell a soul about it (except maybe for Xiao), he takes pride in
that. And of course, Venti will never bring that up with the old chap, otherwise he might just get
into real trouble this time. “Ah, hehe, yep, that’s me,” Venti confirms as he chuckles, unbuckling
his helmet and removing it.
“Cool. That was sick what you did back there! You have a great voice, by the way.”

“Why, thank you.” Venti preens, blinking back at the boy who’s nodding in approval, smiling
broadly.

“So, I guess there’s no need for introduction, huh,” Mona suddenly deadpans beside them, making
them both remember that she’s actually there.

“How did you know this hag?” The boy, who’s still a mystery to Venti for he doesn’t know their
name yet, flicks a thumb at Mona, who’s rapidly seething at the insult.

“Who are you calling a hag?” She bites, just as Venti does the same with his lip to refrain from
letting his laughter spill.

The boy crosses his arms against his chest. “Who else? I look young, this music enthusiast here
looks like my fifteen-year-old cousin, so?”

“Heeey,” Venti drawls in protest, not really taking offense, but he feels it’s only necessary to gripe
at the shot, yet the boy just winks at him.

“You are seriously a cunt, aren’t you,” Mona then tells them with venom lacing her tone.

“Mhmm, but where’s the thank you?” Thank you? What’s the thank you for? With that last
comeback, Venti doesn’t miss the part where Mona blushes furiously, her all-too-natural sassiness
silenced just like that, then again, Venti can also see how she’s fuming mad, and the next thing is
that she’s grabbing Venti’s arm and pulling him along.

“Whoa!” Venti breathes out, legs wobbling over his roller skates that he’s still clad with.

“Let’s go, Venti, let’s leave this jerk by himself!”

Venti holds onto Mona’s arm, balancing himself. “Eh? Where are we going?”

“Elsewhere! Or just anywhere far from here, away from this moron!” She exclaims, indignant and
sullen.

“W-wait! Mona, I need to be in my class!” Venti interjects, but Mona is too tenacious for
him, firm, so he has no choice other than capitulating, while she ushers him somewhere, wheels
reeling against the concrete, both of them leaving the innominate boy behind their tracks.

“I know, but help me out here,” she hisses at him, “I wanna escape from that guy!”

Venti suspends into sighing loudly, shoulders sagging and letting Mona drag him by the loop.
“Fine, but you owe me for this.”

“Fine.” And so, they find themselves later inside a coffee shop that’s two blocks away from their
uni, and Mona treats Venti to a White Chocolate Mocha grande, while she settles with a cold foam
iced espresso, saying she needs it strong to ease her nerves from getting all clacked because of that
boy. “I swear to fucking gods that punk had been following me around all week, and just to what?
To be a fucking piece of shit and pester me, of course!” She fans herself after that initial outburst,
and Venti has to fight the urge to giggle. It’s just so goofy to see Mona like this—the usually chill
adult in their clique, getting worked up by some emo-looking kid.

Venti grins nonetheless, enjoying the atmosphere and the freshly-brewed coffee aroma that’s
lingering in the air-conditioned shop, swaying his legs under their table as he lets his roller skates
rasp the marble floors underneath. He hasn’t taken his elbow and knee pads off, feeling lazy to
comply, thinking about simply dumping them in his locker maybe later.

“Who was that anyway? Is he like, your suitor or something?” He casually inquires, a bit curious.
Just a fair amount, feasibly. Upon studying his friend who’s chewing on her lower lip in wonder,
Venti decides to come off a little frisky just because, and he leans in to whisper, “Or is he
your boyfriend?”

At that, Mona whips her head around to snap at him, “Don’t...even fucking say that. Venti, that’s
disgusting. Have you completely lost your mind? Who would fall for a douchebag like that?”

Putting his daffodil hat on to replace his helmet, Venti shrugs noncommittally as he murmurs, “I
don’t know... You?”

Mona groans again, placing her cup of coffee down where she’s been taking some occasional swigs
from. “Ugh! He may look like some—some freakin’ child star straight out of fucking Disney or
some shit, but hell to the fucking no! I would never go for someone like that! Over my dead body.”
She huffs, and makes a show of pure disenchant, feigning gagging and shivering to her bones.

Venti this time finally giggles, pausing from sipping on his drink. “How did you two know each
other then? And why is he following you around like you said?”

“Right.” Heaving a loud, long suffering sigh, Mona tells him, “It was when I was out alone in a
nightclub. I wanted to release some stress, alright. I had a bad week last week! Redundant, gross
—” Venti snorts, and Mona glares, “Anyway, so, I got drunk, obviously. I didn’t think I’d be so
drunk though that I’d pass out on the street beside the club!”

“Geez, Mona.” Venti shakes his head at that, as if he’s one to talk. Didn’t that boy from earlier
literally expose him regarding his drunk mishaps at the concert hall?

She rolls her eyes, and then sighs. She flatly drawls, “Long story short, that guy found me lying on
the ground, too fucked to function. I think I remember a small bit actually… I was telling him to go
away, but he wouldn’t. I don’t know how he managed to bring me back to his place, what with his
short build, but that’s what happened and I… When I woke up, I was in… in his fucking clothes.”
Venti’s eyebrows raise at knowing that last shard, and he leans over the table all the sudden, taking
interest in whatever she’s saying. “So, I looked around the place, totally confused and lost. I was
on a bed, his bed probably, and—and I stepped out of his room, I was dying to piss. Looking
around his place, I didn’t see him anywhere but I saw some polaroid shots sprawled over a table,
and a steaming mug of—something. I knew he must be around there somewhere, but I didn’t wait
around to find out.”

“Uh-oh. What did you do?”

“I snuck out.”

“Oof.”

“Yeah, and now he’s bugging me about it, the little fucker!” Mona whines, rubbing at her temples
deliriously. She slams her hands on the table, making Venti jump. “I didn’t even think he’d be
going here too! I thought he’d just be some random bloke, but hell no—I didn’t expect to see him
in our school!”

“Welp. What a nice first encounter nonetheless. I’d say, it was nice of him to take your drunk ass
home. Sweet, even.” Venti smirks at her.
“Ah, shut up,” Mona scoffs, shaking her head and looking away. Venti breaks into a grin as he
helps himself with another large sip off his beverage.

“Do I really look old, Venti?”

“Huh?” He blinks a few times.

“He called me a hag just now.”

“Oh...” His mouth forms a small o. Venti stays silent after that, and then sips on his drink once
more, choosing not to answer. Mona, if he didn’t know her better, he’d mistake her for someone
who’s just about bawling her eyes out right there and then. Alas, Venti knows her and she’s not the
type to cry about such a frivolous case. Her lips start to wobble though, and Venti watches
animatedly as her eyes start to spark up in rage, as if fire is going to catch in there, her ears about to
blow off some steam too.

But before she can even growl and yap at Venti, the entrance to the shop dings open and in comes
Xiao, with Ganyu striding right behind him, blabbering about gods-know-what to her brother,
cutting the moment for Mona, who seemingly was about to yank Venti’s jumper strap. Talk about
being saved by the bell.

Abruptly, Ganyu stops talking when her eyes land on them. “Oh, Venti’s here! And Mona!”

“Hiiii,” Venti drags the word out, loud and beaming, solely so he can escape from Mona’s
scorching gaze. He bolts up from his chair, and Ganyu meets him halfway for a hug.

“You dorks always act as if you never see each other every day,” Xiao drones, making Venti
acknowledge his presence; he sees that he’s just in a plain, oversized white t-shirt that’s showing
slivers of his ink, with his black Sony headphones hooked around his neck, a black and gray pair of
cargo pants and his white Adidas sneakers.

Venti glares, despite how he’s entirely aware of his heart doing multiple backflips as of the
moment, just by the mere sight of his best friend looking like a freaking hot mess. Screw him.
“Yeah, well, that’s just how much we love each other. Sue us!”

Ganyu giggles at Venti’s remark. “Right,” she agrees, and Mona blows raspberries at the ruckus.

“What are you doing here? Didn’t you say you have practice today?” Xiao goes straight to the
point, making Venti freeze, caught red-handed.

“Ah, about that—” Venti sighs when he sees that Xiao is eying him with a stern look of
disapproval. “See, Mona here, she has a boy—” Mona elbows him on the side to shut him up. She,
who’s suddenly standing next to him.

“I dragged him here, Xiao. I’m being stalked by some creep,” she rushes to say at one fell swoop.

“A kind and gentleman creep, wouldn’t you say?” Someone pipes up behind them.

“You—” Mona grates between her teeth. Here we go again. “How did you—!”

“Instinct.” The boy winks, and then he’s facing Xiao. “Hey, man.”

Xiao and the boy step in for a one-arm hug as they pat each other on the back, once. “Hey, Scara,”
Venti hears Xiao’s curt greeting, voice husky and low, his usually raspy voice that Venti hears in
the early mornings when it’s just the two of them having breakfast, and that—that totally didn’t
send chills to Venti’s skin, making his heart pound. Nope, not a chance.

“Wait, so. You two know each other?” Venti points between the two of them, blinking in
confusion. Distractions, distractions.

“Yeah, we’re block mates,” the boy easily answers, and then he’s thrusting a hand forward,
“Scaramouche, by the way. Didn’t get the chance to introduce myself properly, thanks to a certain
hag.” He chuckles.

And that’s when Mona finally explodes. “I’m not a hag! I’m only fucking twenty-two, you
dumbfuck!”

Scaramouche, after shaking Venti’s hand, retracts it as he puts a finger under his chin, musing,
“Oh? I thought you’d be at least twenty, or younger… But I guess I’m right with my first verdict
then.” He scoffs around a grin.

“That what?” Mona raves. Venti can see it now; her hands are balled into fists underneath her.

And it’s as if all of them are watching the scene unfold in slow motion, dramatic and calculated;
Scaramouche opens his mouth to speak. “That...you’re...a...hag,” are what leave his lips, echoing
excruciatingly sluggish in Venti’s ears, every syllable dragging and serving as a grater in his
eardrums. He and Xiao immediately lock gazes, on cue, Mona to their side puffing her beet red
cheeks, like a ticking time bomb she is, ready to combust at any moment. Ganyu backs away a
little, clearly aware of the fact that Mona gets really violent when enraged and crossed like this.

A beat passes, and Venti and Xiao stand in between Mona and Scaramouche; Mona with her cat
claws reaches forward to grab the opportunity to murder Scaramouche in broad daylight, whereas
Scaramouche who remains unfazed opts to continuously laugh and tease her some more. “I’m
gonna fucking kill you!” She roars, completely livid with her hair sticking in various directions
from pulling them in anger.

Venti can feel the ache in his arm when Mona accidentally rattles his exposed flesh right there
(since he’s only wearing his white and yellow striped shirt that’s donning short sleeves, tucked in
his blue denim overalls—just his casual cottagecore fashion), from trying his best to shield
Scaramouche from Mona and separate them, to save the poor guy from getting obliterated. At this
moment, Xiao is up in Venti’s space, and Venti can smell his perfume all over him for how flushed
they’re standing together to act as dividers.

“Hey, you,” Xiao whispers, and Venti almost misses it, if it isn’t for them standing too close to
each other. He looks up at Xiao, whose eyes are already transfixed to check the time on his wrist
watch. “I think you should get back to campus.”

“You’re right. But will you be okay if I leave you with these two?”

“Yeah, I can manage,” Xiao nods dismissively. “Just go.”

“Okay,” Venti says, quiet and grateful. Slowly now, Venti slips out of the scene, slightly wincing
as he struggles to get away from Mona’s outstretched arms, and even as he steps out of the coffee
shop to meet with the bustling streets to go back to uni, he swears he can still hear Mona’s shouting
and yelling. And then there’s Scaramouche, letting out strings of easy laughter, bright and full.

Everyday is definitely never dull in this school.

Venti arrives late to his practice, and when he steps a foot in there, his professor, Zhongli, with the
man’s brows knitted together, eyes shut tightly, asks him, arms crossing against his chest, “Where
have you been?”

Ducking his head as he scrambles to get in position, right on the spot where he’s supposed to be,
Venti murmurs apologetically, “I was caught up with something. Mona, you probably know her
from Astrological Education department, was being stalked by someone, as per her, and they—”

Zhongli grunts, waving a hand dismissively. “Never mind I asked, just—take out Diaochan and
play your piece, if you may.”

“Right! Of course!” Venti springs into action and opens his fiddle’s case, taking Diaochan out
carefully, clutching her by the neck. He whips out his bow as well, and he juts his chin out as he
faces sideways to situate Diaochan properly. He holds her horizontally (parallel with the floor) and
angles her to the left of a straight forward position. He places his violin on his left collarbone, and
lets her rest on the left side of his jaw right on his chin rest.

Taking a sharp breath, Venti begins his chosen piece for this particular practice, In the Palace -
Lamentoso, and while he performs in front of a few students in the concert hall, everyone around
him seems to have quieted down, listening attentively, some of them sighing around a smile and
hugging themselves to the tune. Venti watches them, whenever he would open one eye to take a
peek, and he can’t help feeling buzzed and motivated carrying on. Even Zhongli looks like he’s
being played a lullaby, swaying nonchalantly to the sound of it. The sound of Venti’s piece.

In the middle of his performance, Venti falters, eyes glinting where his cheeks burn hot, because
right there—he can see Xiao and Ganyu slipping inside the two-door entrance of the music hall,
gliding past scattered listeners to get to the front row and near the stage.

Zhongli clears his throat, and Venti hurries to get back in touch with the deed.

When he’s done, people inside the concert hall applaud him, including Ganyu who’s giving him a
cheeky thumbs-up, hopping up and down from where she stands beside her older brother, and Xiao
with his arms folded over his chest, who has his head lowered as he keeps his eyes close, a barely-
there smile formed across his lips and, well, having known his best friend for quite some time,
Venti knows exactly just what that smile means—he’s proud of him. Venti’s insides flutter at the
sentiment, and Zhongli bids him goodbye after a few more runs through his other pieces.

With a flourish, the teacher tells him to come in on time.

Venti scratches the back of his head in pure shame, nodding with a promise that even his
incompetent ass doesn’t know can keep.

“Ah, I’m knackered, dead, exhausted, the lot,” Venti complains, as soon as they get inside their
dorm. Xiao closes the door behind them, while Venti aims straight to their sofa to sprawl his body
across it. He feels like he’s been assaulted by jetlag, and they didn’t even travel by plane to get
back here.

Xiao is toeing his shoes off by the door, Venti sees him at his peripherals—the way he’s picking
them up and placing them over the shoe rack. Venti’s on the other hand, his brown loafers that he
used as replacement for his roller skates just this afternoon were left haphazardly by the carpet,
hoods pointing vertically to one another. He doesn’t care, he’ll take care of them later. Perhaps. He
squeezes his eyes shut and grumbles against the couch cushion, kicking his legs as he whines some
more.
“Quit it, you drama queen,” Xiao chastises, tugging one of his legs to stop it from flapping around.
Venti rolls over to face him and huffs, though he can feel his face losing its touch as it slowly
numbs by being held by Xiao like that. Gods, is he hopeless.

“A bunch of shit happened to me today, okay? I’m allowed to be the least bit dramatic about it!”
He claims with a loud tch.

“The least bit part is an understatement, goof. Also, you’ve got another one,” Xiao mumbles, and
the next thing is that he’s waving a light green envelope in Venti’s face.

“Eh?” Venti perks, sitting up straight. He narrows his gaze at the letter and catches sight of his
name scribbled in cursive letters across it. He turns his head away and stands up, moving past Xiao
and to their shared bathroom. “I’ve got no time for that.”

“Really? Didn’t you just gush over receiving one yesterday?” Xiao accosts.

“Yeah, and you just laughed at me, remember?”

Not letting his best friend counter that anymore, Venti closes the door behind him when he steps
inside the bathroom, and he quickly strips off his clothes, placing them over the sink. He draws the
shower curtains and climbs in the tub, turning the faucet on. He stands below the spray and lets his
limbs relax, keeping himself upright as he plants a hand on the wall before him.

Showers after a long day of college are always the best.

After a while, Xiao knocks on the door. “What do I do with this, Venti?” He’s clearly still
pertaining to the letter.

“I don’t know!” Venti calls. “Read it, maybe?”

There’s no response after that, and even after Venti’s done showering, drying himself with his blue
towel, Xiao still hasn’t said anything. He emerges from the bathroom feeling rejuvenated, and he
can’t help grinning as he heads to his room to change into something comfortable. He goes for
some simple blue green tie-dyed shirt and his red pair of shorts, slipping on his slippers to go back
to the fore room where he finds Xiao sitting on the sofa.

Venti catches him focusing on the love letter.

“I wonder who the sender is,” Venti can’t help wondering aloud, and that has Xiao’s attention, the
guy looking up, and—he sizes Venti up with creasing brows. “What?” Venti questions as he puts a
hand on his hip.

Xiao looks like he’s about to say something when Venti juts his chin, Venti can tell from the way
the guy is parting his lips. But Xiao settles with zipping them instead.

That is, until he does, standing up from the sofa. “I don’t know, Venti, but whoever they are, they
sure are fucking creepy.” He plants the paper on Venti’s chest (ouch) when he reaches him by the
hallway, and he breezes past him, causing Venti to squawk at his retreating form. What in the
world is his problem?

Venti chases after Xiao, and he stops short on his tracks when the guy slams his bedroom door to
his face. “Hey! What made you say that? Don’t you think they’re being sweet? Xiao!” Venti bangs
on his door.

Xiao from inside tells him otherwise, “Nah! Sending you letters for two consecutive days, and they
know your exact address and room number? What kind of fucking stalker behavior?”

“I mean, yeah! They’re an admirer of mine, shouldn’t they know some things and facts about me?”
He says as a matter-of-factly, still banging on Xiao’s door, but with slight urgency now.

“Yeah, sure! But your address, Venti? Seriously?”

Venti snaps his mouth shut, and hums under his breath. Xiao probably has a point.

When Venti’s about to knock on the door again, perhaps to reason because there’s no way in hell
he’s backing out and letting Xiao win a debacle between them, he freezes when said door abruptly
swings opens, and his best friend is appearing with nothing on, aside from a pair of boxers, again,
hair of teal highlights rumpled, canary eyes piercing and ablaze. He grips the door frame and the
doorknob, leaning forward with his face poking out in between, the guy’s nose almost brushing
against Venti’s.

Venti’s breath catches on his throat at their close proximity, right now, and the gaze that his best
friend is fixing him with isn’t helping his case either, as it is substantially intense that Venti is
afraid he might melt underneath it.

His best friend that he has romantic feelings for, fucking hell.

No words are being exchanged in this moment, just the sound of their breathing lingering in the
air… and, what the fuck is going on?

Having caught himself, Venti retreats one foot as he takes a step back, blinking rapidly and looking
down in haste, feeling his cheeks go warm. Absolutely warm.

After a beat of silence, it’s Xiao who fills the unforeseen tranquility of the area, seemingly
unperturbed that they just had a stare-off back there. “All I’m saying, Venti, is that you should be
more careful.”

Right, of course. Determined to cut the tension that had risen just now, Venti finds the means to
pull a smirk just to spite, and he peers up to face Xiao and picks on him, “Oh? Is this Xiao, my best
friend, worrying about me?”

Xiao doesn’t reply for a moment, as if pondering. And Venti wants to fake-cough on his fist, to
dispel the awkwardness in the secluded adjacent they’ve been standing on perhaps, but Xiao is
already scoffing as he mutters, “I’ve always cared about you, idiot.”

Well, that didn’t fucking succor at all. Venti’s heart literally flutters in his chest, and he keeps
himself from letting out a purr. His hard gaze softens little by little, Venti can feel it. “I— Xiao—”

“I mean, look at you, Venti. Look how small you are, and gullible. You’re an easy target for these
kinds of things.”

Oh. Venti with his lips twitching at the corner, pouts. He pouts, and in a fleeting second, he’s
completely back at glaring at Xiao. “I almost hugged you for admitting that you care about me,
you know. Now I just wanna take that back from my mind.” He turns on his heels and walks away,
leaving Xiao behind who has dissolved into fits of laughter.

Another minute passes before Xiao is joining him at the living room, already wearing a gray
sweater, and flopping down on the sofa next to his sulking form.

Xiao turns to him as soon as he’s seated, and he smacks him across the head and grabs his face to
squish his cheeks. “Stop fucking pouting like a pufferfish, Ven-tiii,” he grits around a giddy smile.

Venti with his arms folded against his chest, closes his eyes, refusing to drink in Xiao’s stupidly
handsome face, not like this at least. Not in this way, where he’s mocking Venti and just over all
being a little shit. “Make me!” Venti hoots, feeling dignified albeit his voice comes out muffled
due to Xiao’s claw that’s yet to let go of his face.

In lieu of Xiao getting noticeably quiet, Venti pries an eye open to look at what’s gotten into him,
and there he sees Xiao—who looks like he’s just snapped out of it, releasing Venti’s face all the
sudden and rising from the couch. “Whatever, I need to get an early night in,” he promptly
announces.

Just like that?

Venti’s eyes widen in shock, and he sputters. “Excuse me? Hey, Xiao! We haven’t even taken our
supper!” He calls after him, yawping. “Oi, get back here!”

“Need to be awake before sunrise! Lock up after yourself!” And the door slams.

“Sure, sure! Fine!” Venti huffs, kicking at the carpeted ground, and then he lets himself lean back
on the couch, putting his feet up over the coffee table. His gaze flicks up to stare at the aging
ceiling, hands coming up to his stomach as he entwines his fingers above it. He narrows his eyes at
the forming crack on one corner of the wall and exhales, rather shivering a bit.

Did Xiao really almost kiss him just now? Was that what was supposed to happen?
 and everyday, i am learning about you; the things that no one else sees

CHAPTER TWO

Venti

Venti is having a crisis.

And his first course of action, obviously, is to turn that crisis into chaos.

“Move, people!” He thunders as soon as he gets to the topmost floor of the campus building,
rushing past loitering students who sent him hoots and disgruntled scowls on his way there. Venti
chuckles—mirthful and resolute due to downing two cups of coffee this morning—as he charges
through yet another cluster of students huddling on a corner, making them gasp and turn their
heads to see who ‘assaulted’ their peace. Venti winks as if proudly, pleased with his shenanigans.

He just clocked out of their school library a few minutes ago, telling the head librarian, Miss Lisa,
that he really, really badly needs to go to his first class. As kind hearted as she is, Miss Lisa had let
him go easily, no further questions needed.

It’s where Venti works as an assistant of sorts, another decent source of income that he’d recently
grabbed when the opportunity arose. A sweet hundred mora per hour. Not bad for a sideline, he’d
say. The job is pretty simple; he needs only to pick up stray books that students accidentally leave
behind and put them back in their designated shelves, help students find what they need from
certain aisles, stand behind a desk and list down borrowed books from students of all departments,
and he’s good to go. It’s a nice addition to his other mills of rackets, like this one where he’s
serving ice cream cones to customers at Cat’s Tail, and another where he’s cashiering at a
convenience store a few blocks away from their dorm. All of that, Venti has to tend to in separate
days and hours in order to continue paying for his college tuition, here, and of course to feed
himself and pay his share of bills with Xiao.

It’s what Venti has thought of out of all the ideas that went through his head the moment Xiao had
asked to be roommates—sidelining being his only option, one of the major things he set his mind
to as he is in desperate need to keep earning just so he can also graduate after the next few years
together with his other classmates, and be rewarded by his teachers with a diploma and certificate.
Just about everyone’s dream when one’s in college. Venti believes he can manage, as long as he
doesn’t let himself stay out of focus, which happens from time to time, most especially when he’s
direly needed in some of his classes.

Like now. It should be another hour before he’s supposed to leave the library, but since
Ningguang, his Jazz tutor, had asked that he show his face in her class, Venti had up and left with
no more protests.

Then again, Venti needs to pee, so instead of heading straight to Ningguang’s class where he can
greet her with a high-pitched I’m homeee, honey like he always does that often puts a smile on her
face, he ran all the way from the library and to the top floor because the other gents loo he’s passed
by are full, unfortunately, and he supposes that this is the only floor where students didn’t so much
as lurk, seeing as it’s the most secluded area in the building.

Well, it turns out he’s wrong. As he steps foot inside the washroom, he finds every stall is
occupied. He sighs, scratching his nape in annoyance. “Excuse me, excuse me, yep, coming
through,” he chants as he pushes through the crowded area, about a couple of other boys with him
in here, going over to the sinks to put his violin and bag down with a huff. He looks at himself in
the mirror out of things to do, and feels relieved that his appearance is still the same from when he
first left their dorm. His twin-braids are still perfectly tied despite the rounds he’d made in the
library and all the running he did just now, bumping into multiple bodies just to squeeze through.

Venti turns around and pushes in between two boys talking to one another, careless with his actions
as he stands in front of one of the cubicles. He can hear the person’s mutterings from the inside,
making him narrow his eyes.

Venti opts for knocking on the door. “Hey, hurry up!” He calls. “I’m running late for my first class
and I need to pee!”

“Hold your horses, geez!” answers the person. There’s the sound of the flusher that follows that,
and then the cubicle is jiggling open. A boy that’s the same height as Venti with an icy-blue hair
matching their eyes that are cat-like, emerges from it. Venti blows raspberries in mild irritation,
puffing his cheeks out as he makes a sidestep to slip in through the opening adjacent, but he stops
when the boy addresses him. “Oh, it’s you. Xiao’s roommate, right?”

Venti blinks at that, startled. “Yeah…? How did you know?”

The boy, Venti finally acknowledges further, is wearing a white hooded jacket with blue strings
and blue buttons as designs, his pants a pair of dark denim, shoes a pair of Jordans. Who is this guy,
and why does Venti feel like he’s kind of familiar?

“Oh, because he talks about—”

“Chongyun! Are you done there? We’re going to be late! Let’s go!”

So, Chongyun (is probably their name), this icy cat boy, whips around to direct his attention to the
person who shouted. And he clicks his tongue, a hand coming to the back of his head. “Coming!”
He calls after the person, and then looks at Venti on a whim. “Sorry, mate, gotta go.” And he’s
gone.

Okay, weird. What was he about to say? And why does that dude know Xiao? Ah, there’s no time
to think about that! Venti rolls his eyes at himself.

Brushing off what’s just transpired, he makes a move and finally steps in the alcove to release what
he’s been holding for the past twenty minutes or so. Ugh, finally. He knows he could’ve just used
the urinals outside, but Venti has learned over the years that using those would only ensue
mayhem, what with faucets around here are infamous for breaking so damn easily, and Venti has
watched tons of shitty horror movies to prove that he’s right on that front. Plus, this is a university,
boys are known to be rambunctious and unkempt much like he is; Venti wasn’t born to touch no
unhygienic toilet flappers, no, no, no. He may be gross himself at times, but sheesh, Archons, spare
him from virtually touching a random person’s dick please.

Tucking himself in and stepping at the flusher (because again, Venti isn’t touching those things,
ever), Venti makes a run for it as soon as he’s yanked his stuff from the sink, and once he reaches
Ningguang’s class, he’s relieved to learn she hasn’t made it herself. Thank heavens for that. A
couple of students who are already there greet him, and Venti nods at their direction, grinning.
Venti finds himself a seat, deciding for the last row, and as soon as he flops himself on a chair, he
whips his phone out to shoot Xiao a message.

But it looks like Xiao beat him to it first.

[from: xiao bestieee ♂️ ]

xiao: venti

xiao: barbatos

xiao: did u make it in time? u have jazz today right

xiao: also

xiao: did u feed cecilia before u left the dorm

Venti purses his lips as he types a reply, resting his elbows over the desk.

venti: yes to both, xiaooo

venti: u in class rn? :)

Xiao is quick to respond.

xiao: okay, good

xiao: yes i am

venti: good !!!

xiao: btw i already took care of our bills yesterday. last time i told u to do it u forgot

venti: ahhhhh i said i was sorry !! i got busy

xiao: fine. did u feed cecilia before u left this morning?

venti: as a matter of fact, i did !!

xiao: good

xiao: thanks

venti: np. i love her as much as u do u know

xiao: as u should, she’s our pet

venti: true

Their conversation goes on like that for another minute or so, Xiao checking up on him, and him
checking up on Xiao. Talking about some things regarding their shared dorm, whether they left any
electricity behind open, or if Venti returned the detergent back in its rightful place just like Xiao
had instructed, the lot.

xiao: class is starting talk to u later

venti: okay !! bye xiao have fun in class !!

xiao: u too
Does he find it strange that Xiao repeated the Cecilia question? Maybe. Venti almost laughs
though, finding it absurd. It’s just so typical of Xiao.

“I swear to the gods, why don’t you two just date already?!”

“What—ah?” Venti whips around, and sees it’s Hu Tao, who looks like she’s been reading his and
Xiao’s conversation this whole time with the way she’s looking over his shoulder, hands on each
her hip. “Oh. Hu Tao, I didn’t see you there,” Venti drones, blinking up at her.

Huffing, Hu Tao flips her flowing brunette hair that’s pulled into two pigtails and takes a seat next
to him, dumping her things on the desk before her. “Course you didn’t see me, you’re too busy
flirting with your boyfriend. Too preoccupied.”

Eyes widening, Venti looks down on his phone screen, praying to said gods that his cheeks aren’t
that red. “He’s not my boyfriend,” he mutters.

“ Yet~ ” Hu Tao sings, and there’s a mischievous lilt to her voice, making Venti snort.

“Why do you say that as if it’s for certain?” He quips, resting his chin on his palm as he positions
his body towards her so they’re half facing.

“Because it is! Simple,” she grouses, leaning in to narrow her gaze at Venti, a determined look
flashing across her scarlet bearing, her naturally starry eyes gleaming with something else.
Resolution, confidence. Venti’s eyebrows slowly knit as they engage in a stare-off.

A few seconds in, Hu Tao begins puffing her cheeks, none of them daring to blink.

That’s until Venti gives up and shakes his head. They burst into laughter. And that’s just Hu Tao
and Venti for you—they’re like twins, the pair of them. Where they can smoothly prank others,
they can never pull the same pranks on each other, because they’re on the same level, they’ve
agreed upon long ago. Both raunchy and jolly, them. So when it’s the two of them that are engaged
in a conversation, they take the other seriously, no room for fooling around, otherwise it would
backfire on them.

“But seriously, Xiao doesn’t like me. We’re just friends, you know. We’ve been friends forever.”
Venti shakes his head as he leans back on the chair, returning his attention on his phone.

Hu Tao beside him clicks her tongue, and she slams a hand on the desk, making him wince at the
echoing sound. “Which I don’t understand, Barbatos! You guys are always all over each other!
Listen here, mate,” she kicks at Venti’s shoe to get his attention. “Look at me!” With a bit of force,
he does, squinting. “I see the way you look at him, yeah?” She whispers as she smirks knowingly,
but then turns serious in a snap, “And I also see the way he looks at you. Believe me when I say
that that snob of a boy would literally kill for you.”

Venti hums, and he thinks back to their times together, him and Xiao. Was there any point in their
friendship that they really did look like they’re something more?

“Meh. You’re tripping,” Venti finally says after a moment of contemplation. Because there’s just
no way, Venti deems, that they’ve ever acted like they’re a couple. Venti can’t see it, can’t recall
anything at all.

But then Hu Tao is fixing him a look, as if to imply that she’s tired of his bullshit. “Really? Then
can you explain to me that one time you went missing, and the bastard searched almost the entire
city just to find you?”
Huh? Did he now?

Wait, yeah, maybe Venti remembers that. Did Xiao really search the whole city at that time?

Hu Tao sighs, rolling her eyes. “He called me that time. He called Xiangling, he called Mona.
Everyone! Y’all are such pain in our asses! I was in the middle of a wonderful dream too but the
little rascal woke me,” she whimpers, “my poor, beautiful dream…”

“He did?” Venti blinks, and he can feel it. The way his cheeks are numbing, his palms going cold.
Venti had absolutely no idea.

“He did! It was around what? Three in the fucking morning, Venti! Where did you go anyway?”

“Um. He… found me in a park.” That’s right, Venti went to a park that night, and it was raining.
Xiao had been there for him, holding an umbrella and wearing some beaten up jacket, his other
hand carrying a raincoat that he later on handed to Venti for him to wear. Xiao, that night, had
looked kind of rugged with his hair serving as a mop of mess atop his head, as if he’d run all night.

They walked home together after Xiao located his whereabouts, and it was only then that Venti
realized how Xiao accidentally wore mismatched slippers once they got back to their dorm,
probably because… he’d been in a hurry to get to where Venti was…?

“Oh, goodness. A park! I remember it was pouring cats and dogs that night,” Hu Tao grumbles,
tutting, shaking her head.

“It was,” Venti confirms with a nod, head a bit hazy from such memory. “It still…didn’t mean
anything though,” he tells her softly, “Xiao was just nice like that. He may not show it outright,
but… he is.” Right?

“Oh, hush it, Venti! That was him being sweet to you! Y’all had a fight that time too, am I
correct?”

“Uh… yeah, we did.” They did. And it was a petty one.

“See?” She exclaims as if to say I knew it! “And how about that one time that you told me you
were lagging behind in one of your classes and you stayed up all night with him. I mean, wow.
Who would do that for someone?” She muses, eyes widening as she laces her tone with sarcasm.
“I’d do that for someone if they and I were dating. But doing that, let’s say, for Xingqiu? No
fucking way.” She laughs hysterically, making Venti wince.

He takes a moment to think back to it. It was the night when he wouldn’t sleep, refusing it really,
because he wanted to finish a project that was due first thing in the morning, and Xiao—he stayed
up late with him, that much is true. He even made them coffee to keep them both awake, and when
Venti eventually fell asleep over his coursework, Xiao was there to wake him up and help him
make it back to his room, flicking the lights off after tucking him to bed.

Venti sighs. “But that was just him being nice as well, Hu Tao,” he insists, dipping his chin just in
case she yells at him again out of frustration. Because it’s true! Xiao would probably do that for
anyone! …Not just Venti.

At that, Hu Tao fixes him a look…the look of what the fuck? Are you fucking kidding me? And
Venti just wants to hide his face at this point, feeling his cheeks warm, his heart beating frantically
in his chest for whatever reason.

“And that time you fucked up your recital, Venti? How will you explain that? Everyone laughed at
you, but Xiao was there, clapping by himself! A man in love, I’m tellin’ ya.”

Venti covers his face with both hands. “He was being a supportive friend!” He whines, leaning
away from Hu Tao’s judgmental demeanor. “Those instances were just Xiao being Xiao, okay?
He’d do that for his other friends too!”

“As if! I remember that one time I was asking him to let me borrow one of his portfolios because I
needed it for science, right, and he wouldn’t budge, Venti! He wouldn’t hand over the goddamn
thing! And he knew I desperately needed it at the time because I wanted it for reference. And,
mind you, but I’m a hundred percent sure if you were in my position, he wouldn’t even ask why
you were borrowing it, he’ll just let you take it and go. No questions.”

“That’s because you’re you, Hu Tao,” Venti says solemnly, peeking through the slits of his
fingers, staring back at her. “We both know you misplace things all the time, maybe that’s why he
didn’t want you to borrow it… And Xiao is a decent guy, he’s well-organized and responsible.
Losing his things would be the last thing he’d want.”

“But—”

“And let me guess, you tried to borrow his personal portfolio?” Venti points a finger at her, cutting
her off.

“Personal portfolio,” she murmurs, putting a fist over her quivering lips. “I guess, yeah. The black
one.”

“So yes?”

“Yes…?”

“And for ‘science’, you say?”

“Uh, yes, Venti.” Hu Tao rolls her eyes.

“You were gonna prank him.” Venti folds his arms over his chest, eying her suspiciously.

“No? I wasn’t!” She exclaims.

“You ain’t fooling me,” Venti sighs. “Besides, good luck with that. He wouldn’t let me see it
either.” Fact.

“Wait, what? Really?” Hu Tao splutters, aghast.

“Really.”

“Strange…”

“What is?” Venti’s left eyebrow shoots up.

“Oh, you know… I thought you guys share everything,” she says in awe as the information sinks,
but it sounds more as if she’s sympathetic on his behalf, making Venti’s heart drop to his stomach.

“No, we don’t,” he utters. “But it’s not a big deal! I totally understand anyway. Xiao is a reserved
person, again, you and I both know that. There’s still a fine line between sharing personal stuff and
sharing just the random stuff in our dorm. He wouldn’t even let me in his room… Not once.”

“Seriously? Not even a peek?” Hu Tao’s eyes are wide, and she’s gawking at Venti like she can’t
believe what she’s hearing, which, that’s probably why.

Venti shakes his head. “I tried entering his room one time, but he was quick to block my way.”

Hu Tao doesn’t say anything for a while after that, seemingly letting everything drill inside her
head. Venti finds it in himself that he can’t blame her, seeing as Xiao and him seem really close
and inseparable from other people’s perspectives. It’s only then that she starts speaking again, a
tone of indignation in her voice, “Ah, but still. I’m quite positive about this.”

“About what?” Venti asks, yawning. Where is Ningguang? He rushed his way here and she’s the
one who’s late for her own class? Amazing.

“About you two sharing the same feelings!” Hu Tao bursts.

“Ugh, this again.” Venti slumps his head on his desk. “Look, bestie. Say whatever you want to say,
think whatever you want to think. All I know is Xiao is just amiable enough to treat me as if I’m
his little brother.”

Hu Tao squawks at him, snorting hard. “Bestie! Gross! That’s fucking incest!”

Venti bursts into fits of giggles, cheeks warm, swatting her arm, to which she returns just as
affectionately making him laugh harder.

Ningguang stepped in late, so in the end they only had a few runs of a Jazz music listening session,
and she advised that they should start learning the piano, saxophone and trombone, which… Venti
has had the urge to mewl about, because honestly.

Good on her, however. She spared them the clarinet and the trumpets, so at least in that Venti was
able to breathe a sigh of relief. Frankly speaking, it’s been a miracle that Venti can still follow
through, considering he’s juggling three other more instruments in his list of ‘to master’. And that
includes the guitar, the violin, and the ukulele, being he’s long mastered playing the flute and the
lyre since he was a kid. Truth be told, he’s already getting the hang of the ukulele, and the guitar is
already kind of a given when it comes to musicians such as himself, but adding the keyboards, the
sax and the trombone on top of those? Really? He’s going to need to stay behind for hours if that’s
the case, borrow the stuff and practice them, for he owns none of them.

Venti drops heavily on the ground, knackered and maybe a little bit too dramatic what with the
turn of events, as he crosses his legs over the grassy field, setting Diaochan aside, and then his bag
to serve as a pillow behind him on the tree bark.

He’d grabbed himself some ham and cheese sandwiches from the cafeteria just now, and two huge
boxes of strawberry milk, deciding these would do. He rips one of the packets and starts munching
on his meal, poking a straw on his drink and taking a large sip. It’s finally their lunch break after
two more subjects following Ningguang’s, where he sat with Xingqiu in one of their shared
lectures, and now he’s here again, alone, like always. Two more bites off his sandwich, Venti pulls
out Diaochan as swiftly as he can while he chews on his food aggressively, setting her over his
collar horizontally, and then he looks down at the music sheet he lay on the grass in front of him,
pinned down by his textbooks, so he could start practicing during his free time.

Besides, it shouldn’t be for another two hours before his next class.

He plays with his fiddle for a while, loving the parky breeze that’s fanning his face and hair, twin-
braids swaying with the wind. The air is cold yet crisp on his skin, and he prefers it that way
sometimes, just like today. He’s wearing his favorite windbreaker, see, the cerulean one that
matches the ends of his ombre, and his black and titian joggers together with his azure kicks. It’s
one of his casual attire that he finds the most comfortable especially if he has to work during the
morning as an assistant for Miss Lisa; he’s established long ago that he can move freely with them.
Baggy clothes are his go-to, they’re just the best, regardless of his lithe form.

By the time Venti gets to the second verse, eyes flicking up to examine his surroundings, that’s
when he spots Albedo who’s slovenly approaching his perched posture by the grass. Venti almost
stops playing to properly greet him, but Albedo shakes his head at him and gestures with his hands.
“Don’t. Please, continue.”

He nods, mildly bewildered, but he resumes playing nevertheless.

Albedo chooses to sit beside him, pulling out a sketchpad and a charcoal pencil. He lifts them up in
front of him, sidling a little to face Venti properly, and then he starts working silently. Venti
supposes his friend is illustrating him, so he carries on with his piece, a Billie Eilish song he’s
heard over the radio that one time—or, okay maybe five or more so times that the tune has
ingrained itself in his brain—that he’d thought of covering.

When Venti finally finishes, with his wrist flicking with his body movement right at the end, he
opens his eyes to the sight of Albedo in pure contentment, eyelashes casted downward, some of his
blonde fringe falling softly to the sides of his face, one who’s still sketching on his pad, peering up
to assess him, only to focus his attention back on the paper again. Venti holds his breath as he
lowers his fiddle over his lap, careful not to break the placid moment for Albedo, still clutching on
his bow and blinking back at the art student. “You’re going to submit that?”

“No. Just that… I miss drawing you.”

“Oh.” Albedo doesn’t follow up the conversation, so it’s Venti that talks again. “You know…
those glasses suit you. I never knew you wore glasses.” Venti smiles despite the other isn’t
looking.

At the mention of his glasses, which is new to Venti—the fact that he wears them—Albedo perks
up to regard him, and he puts down his sketchpad and pencil. “I just got them.”

“Why? You’re having trouble seeing better?” Venti muses as he leans forward, staring into
Albedo’s aquamarine eyes. Albedo blinks back at him, their noses almost brushing at the close
proximity. Venti doesn’t know with himself either, but he enjoys flirting with Albedo sometimes.
The guy is just so pretty, easy on the eyes. And though Venti doesn’t have feelings for him, like, at
all, it’s still fun to be near him and poke fun at the kind of personality he possesses, which is
mellow and usually negligent. Never flustered.

A beat passes in between them, and it’s Albedo who breaks eye-contact first. “Well…not really.”
Venti doesn’t know whether his visions are messing with him or not, ironically so considering the
topic at hand, but he thinks what he’s witnessing right now is Albedo…blushing? That’s new. He
watches Albedo swallow before the guy parts his lips to speak. “I have this, uh, person I’m trying
to impress, I suppose.”

Oh. “Oh…” Venti feels a smirk slowly creep on his lips at having learned that, blood pumping as
he gets excited, giddy from within, for some reason. “You have a crush,” he states, and Albedo
isn’t blushing anymore, but the art student shrugs and nods anyway, affirming Venti’s claim.

“You could say that. But I’d say I’m leaning more towards being infatuated with them. Just that,”
mumbles Albedo, returning to his sketchpad.
“I see… Well, care to tell me who this lucky person is then?”

“Why would you say they’re lucky?” Albedo inquires, resuming sketching Venti’s hair on the wide
paper. Venti sees it now, his facial expression on Albedo’s drawing that’s looking quite…serene.
Free. Peaceful. As if he’s not struggling between three part time jobs and uni, and that he barely
gets full eight hour of sleep, on top of pining for his best friend that wouldn’t even let him in on
everything aside from their usual friendly candor, which he deems is passing as a problem in his
book. Because shouldn’t they be telling each other everything?

Well… putting that into consideration, Venti supposes he also has his own secrets to protect, like
his affections for Xiao for one. His undying, only growing crush on him.

Right so, never mind then, because there’s no way he’ll ever confess that. He’s not ready yet at
least, like, he doesn’t think he can fathom seeing Xiao walk away from him if he ever told him.
Venti frowns at the possibility of it…

Sniffling, Venti surmises to himself, it really is simply amazing how drawings and pictures alike
can effortlessly fabricate moments and situations. He’s not okay, him, but in Albedo’s illustration
of him, he looks like he doesn’t have any troubles at all. It’s nice, but also saddening. Regardless,
he’ll accept it.

“I just know so,” he finally responds after a minute of silence, “that anyone you’d fancy would be
lucky. You’re gorgeous, you know that, right? And you’re intelligent too. Kind, supportive, and
not to mention your hair is perfect.” Venti puts a hand on his chest, and he adds rather dramatically,
“I can only wish I was the one you have a crush on to be honest.”

Albedo chuckles, and there it is again. The faint blush on his cheeks. To be fair, everything that
Venti said about him is true and Venti means every single one. “Too bad then, Venti. Because
there’s no way I would let myself fall for you, no matter how attractive you are.”

“A-and why is that?” Venti stammers, a bit shaken. He tilts his head in question, choosing to
ignore how his own face is flushing hotly with how boldly Albedo just admitted that he finds him
attractive.

Albedo flicks his gaze back at him, a small smile on his lips. “Your heart already belongs to
someone else,” he says rather calmly, and that—that has Venti blushing harder, and he looks down
at his lap, tearing his gaze away from Albedo’s observant one, making the guy release more eerie
laughter. Is Venti really that obvious?

“What do you…mean?” Venti asks, hesitant. This—this genuinely frustrates him, because
sometimes he finds it difficult to talk to people who acquire an honest psyche, he can’t seem to
reason with them, or perhaps brush off their claims against or about him. They usually get shit
straight and accurate. Unlike with Hu Tao this morning, at least Venti can smoothly sway her. But
with Albedo? It’s going to be a hardship.

Sighing softly, Albedo repositions himself on the grass where they’re sitting and rolls his shoulders
by a notch. “You know, Venti, anyone who’s vigilant enough would figure it out from a mile
away, just with the way you treat Xiao as if he’s your entire world.”

Venti’s heart is in his mouth the second he hears Xiao’s name leave Albedo’s lips, and he stiffens,
embarrassingly so. Then again, he’s not here to strip himself bare, so, “W-what do you mean?
Xiao?” He forces a laugh. “Who says I like that dumbass? He may be hot and all, handsome as hell
and the asshole knows it too, but no way! No!”
With a smile gracing his lips, Albedo merely shrugs as he closes his eyes. “Sure, Venti,” he jests.

Venti pouts. “I’m telling the truth!” He hisses in protest, annoyed more than anything, though he
can still feel the warmth that’s coating his entire face in this moment. And he was about to say
more, that’s until Albedo opens his eyes and his gaze follows a trail that Venti has the need to look
over to see what’s caught his attention.

It’s Aether, the psychology student from the other building, the one who has a twin sister, Lumine.
What is he doing here? Beaming at the sight of him, Venti just about raises his hand to wave the
boy over, but Albedo clears his throat, loudly.

Venti stares at him, baffled. Ah, so the rosy cheeks are back.

Hold on a minute. Venti returns his attention to the direction where Aether is walking by, dressed
in a cream colored jumper and beige trousers, a brown leather bag slung around him. He’s carrying
a red binder and a ruler. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Could it be…?

“Hmm, you know, I’ve read this one quote somewhere. They say that if you stare too long into the
abyss, the abyss might just stare back at you.” Venti smirks and he faces Albedo. “Is that what
you’re doing right now, sir?”

Albedo purely smiles. “Wise words from such a wise young man.”

“Hehe!” Venti knows he must look so smug right now, but that’s what he feels anyway. Albedo
likes Aether!

“But I also read a quote somewhere.”

“And?” Venti grins.

“They say that if you stare too long, you might miss what’s right in front of you.” It’s Albedo’s turn
to look rather smug, and Venti’s puzzled at that, until Albedo points in a certain direction. Venti
follows his line of pointing and there he sees Xiao in all his glory, coming towards them, taking
huge steps as if he’s in a rush.

As much as he’d like to witness more; the way that the wind is blowing Xiao’s hair softly while he
ascends forward, the way his camouflage coat is being swayed by the breeze so gently together
with his silver necklace, making him look like some…some god, or a model in a runway, Venti
comes off surprised to learn that he has less time in his hands. And even as he scrambles to fix
himself up before Xiao can even reach them by the tree, he finds it isn’t enough, because then Xiao
is grabbing his stuff from the grass and carrying them for him, and the next thing is that Xiao is
pulling him up to his feet.

“Hi, Xiao—”

“No time to talk, we need to hurry back,” comes Xiao’s brief reply, not letting him finish his initial
greeting.

“W-what? Where?” Venti falters, his hand clasped tightly by Xiao’s own, and he swears to the
gods that he can barely function properly right this instance, but of course he has to suppress his
feelings and do his best to act as if he’s fucking okay even if internally he’s just about melting. He
has to pretend that this isn’t affecting him, that he doesn’t feel like screaming at the top of his
lungs, not one bit. Fuck. Xiao is holding his hand.
“Albedo, hey.”

“Hey, Xiao,” Albedo greets back, not even sparing them a glance, solely carrying on illustrating
Venti, still. Then again, Xiao didn’t pay him a glance either because he’s scuttling to go
somewhere.

And so they’re leaving—him and Xiao—stepping away from the tree and heading for the back
gates of the campus. Venti lets himself be dragged by the guy, head spinning at the fact that Xiao
is still holding his hand and pulling him as he hauls up his things for him, including Diaochan that
he didn’t even bother putting back in her case. Where are they even going?

“Xiao, where are we going?” He asks then and his voice comes out as a whine, but Xiao only
grunts, doesn’t answer him. Venti sighs, but his cheeks are so fucking warm, clumps of sweat
threatening to form across his palm. Please don’t, please don’t, he begs for mercy in his head.
They’re getting curious looks from students across the area, some whispering to one another,
mostly girls, mystified bearing fixated to their clasped hands. Venti tries his best to ignore them,
aware that they’re all probably envious of him for… for having this—to be held by Xiao like this.

Whatever. As if it happens often anyway.

In a couple of minutes, they eventually stop walking, and Xiao as it turns out has brought him to a
restaurant, just down a bridge from their uni. Are they eating here? Venti has no idea. All he knows
is that even though they stopped walking, Xiao’s hand is still wrapped around his, but not as tight
anymore, rather gentler now. Venti swallows, chooses not to mention it to Xiao. He may… or may
not be enjoying it too much.

Shit, he’s so whipped he wants to cry.

“Now, don’t make it obvious, okay?” Xiao suddenly utters next to him.

“What do you mean?” Venti’s brows knit in confusion, because what even is going on?

“Just—follow my lead.”

They enter the restaurant together, and that’s when Xiao lets go of his hand, the lost touch
rendering Venti’s hand cold. They settle on a table for four with long, rectangular benches nearby
the window. As soon as they sit, Xiao puts down all of Venti’s stuff on the same spot beside him,
and goes for his own bag to whip some things out. It’s one of his mills of cap collections, a navy
blue Adidas with the brand name embroidered at the front, and a color black disposable facemask.
He hands them both to Venti. “Why are you giving me these? And why are we here, Xiao—”

“Sshh!” Xiao is quick to cover his mouth, arm coming around Venti’s head, Xiao pulling him flush
against his body. Venti freezes in a snap, heartbeats racing in his chest getting a whiff of Xiao’s
wondrous scent, his clearly expensive perfume clogging Venti’s nose in a fairly addicting fashion.

He blinks up to look at his best friend, who’s literally hugging him right now, resulting in his ears
going triply hot, and—he notices how Xiao is looking overhead, so Venti follows his line of sight.
He can’t see a thing. Eyes narrowing, Venti’s first thought is to lick at Xiao’s palm that’s covering
his mouth so the guy frees him, but even after a few licks, Xiao still wouldn’t, though Venti
must’ve felt him tense on his spot at the first lick. Either that or Venti had just imagined it.

“Mmmpff!” Venti wiggles his head, trying to make some muffled noises through Xiao’s insistent
fingers, causing Xiao to look down and fix him a glare.

“Quit moving, dum-dum! We’re acting like spies! Here,” Xiao tilts his hold on Venti’s head to
make him face a certain direction. “Look over there, but don’t make it obvious that you’re
looking!” He hisses.

Venti blinks, and there he finally notices Ganyu, alone on a table for two. Huh. But then a few
moments later, the entrance of the restaurant opens, and in comes a girl with a really short lilac
hair, wearing a white blouse with no sleeves, exposing her porcelain smooth looking arms, and a
pair of high-waist brown slacks to partner it with, flaxen high-heels, and carrying a black sleek
handbag. This girl is radiating luxury that Venti momentarily gets moonstruck, demented in a good
sense.

But then he hears Xiao murmur behind him, stealing his attention just like that, “She cut her hair.”
Who’s she? Venti wonders, unable to talk due to Xiao still covering his mouth. As if he’s read
Venti’s mind, Xiao whispers to him, “I’m letting go, but you better keep it down and wear those.”
Venti nods quickly, eager to be freed, and thus Xiao releases him.

He instantaneously scowls at him, and then returns his attention to where Ganyu is now being
greeted by the short-haired girl. “What is your sister doing here, and who’s with her?”

“That’s the newly transferred student from our department. Keqing, I think, is her name.”

“You think?” Venti makes a face at him. Xiao scowls at him in response, grabbing the cap and the
facemask off the table and dumping them in his hands. Venti sighs, rolling his eyes in
exasperation. Begrudgingly, he wears the cap atop his head and then the facemask. Xiao does the
same, wearing a black facemask himself since he’s already wearing a black beanie. Venti rests his
elbows over the table and leans forward, then he looks over at Ganyu and the girl, Keqing’s table
once again. “So why are we stalking them?”

Xiao hums under his breath. “I have a feeling that Ganyu likes her.”

Venti looks at him without moving his head too much. “How come?”

“I just feel it. I’m her brother, it’s pure instinct.”

Venti slumps his shoulders and exhales. “Goodness, Xiao.”

“Just—” Xiao fully faces him, and Venti can’t help noticing the prettiness of one Xiao Alatus
sitting this close to him, despite the fact that he can only see his daffodil eyes and half of his
pointed nose. That perfectly carved nose. Archons do have their favorites, don’t they? “Just
behave, Venti. We’re here to observe them, yeah?”

Venti puckers his lips, just because he knows Xiao won’t see. “Fine.”

Sinking back on the soft bench, Venti watches as Ganyu and the short-haired girl talk to each other
over cups of coffee, with the Keqing girl doing hand gestures while Ganyu simply sits there,
listening intently, she seems. After a while, Venti catches the way Ganyu’s cheeks are flushing a
nice shade of salmon, the way she ducks her head as she smiles and laughs, fluttering her eyelashes
whenever she’s looking at Keqing’s direction, and—damn, she does like this girl, Venti realizes.
And by the looks of it, she likes this girl a lot. Venti’s known Ganyu for three whole years, but this
is the first time he’s seen her act like this… act like some enamored high school girl with a
hopeless crush, painstakingly smitten and stupid.

Venti shakes his head as he tears his gaze away from their table, opting to check up on Xiao beside
him just to see the look on his face perhaps, while they’re both witnessing this. And there, he finds
Xiao staring so strenuously at the two ladies, focused, quiet. Venti can’t tell exactly whether or not
Xiao is cross about the case in hand, but the fact that he’s not coming up to them to sabotage their
‘date’ just yet, if that’s what it’s called anyway, is, frankly, very unlike Xiao.

Venti has thought about this time and time again, Xiao is overprotective of his younger sisters—
Ganyu and Qiqi—to him, they’re all he’s got, they’re his world, his pride and joy, especially that
their parents are not around anymore. Of course, being the eldest, Xiao took up the role of a mother
and a father to care for them, sustain their needs, et cetera.

Although their parents left a large sum of money for them to use for college, Qiqi’s middle school
tuition by period who’s staying with their aunt back in their hometown, and their parents’ monthly
pension going to Xiao and his sisters’ bank accounts, still, Xiao is the one who’s taking up other
uproars that is in line with his course that’s Photography, just for added income. So I could buy
them some presents on their birthdays, or when holidays rolled around, he told Venti once upon
time, when Venti had asked why he still needed to hustle despite their middle class position in
terms of wealth.

That’s why, seeing Xiao this way—just watching this unfold right before his eyes, with him not
doing anything about it—is making Venti’s hair stand on end. It’s just…very unlike Xiao, again, to
stay calm like this, having seen his sister getting cozy with another person.

As time passes, finally Ganyu and Keqing stand to leave the restaurant. Venti breathes out once he
takes the facemask off and Xiao next to him does the same.

None of them talk for a good five minutes.

“Um…Xiao?”

“Hm?”

“I need to be in my fourth class.”

Xiao nods. “Alright, let me walk you back.”

Venti regards him, and Xiao is already facing him too. “That’s okay. You might need to be
somewhere else anyway, I can manage.”

“Nah, just finished my last class for today, and I don’t have any appointments,” Xiao claims,
standing up and gathering his things, including the facemask that Venti discarded, shoving them
inside his gym bag. Venti watches him, doesn’t know what he’s waiting for exactly.

And until he mentions what he supposes is the obvious, “You’re not taking your cap?”

Xiao tilts his head sideways as he stares Venti down, as if examining him. Venti stays where he is,
peering up at Xiao who’s slowly and surely melting him by the second with the way he’s
scrutinizing him, attention undivided and all.

The guy purses his lips, turning away. “Keep it.”

“Eh? But—” This is one of your cap collections…

“No buts. Come on, it’s been an hour since we got here. Can’t have you coming in late for your
class again.” Xiao starts towards the exit of the restaurant, always has been bad at taking no for an
answer, therefore Venti has no choice but to get his stuff and follow as well.
“Are you sure it’s okay to walk me back?” Venti asks once more as soon as they hit the streets,
putting Diaochan back in her case.

“Yes, I told you, I’m done with school for the day. No shoots too.”

“Lucky you then,” Venti says around a frown, moping.

They’re quiet as they make the short walk back to the campus, hands dangerously close to each
other, Venti is very much aware of, and as they get nearer to the building, there goes those
whisperings again—more students seeing them together and walking side by side like this, eying
them peculiarly. Venti chances a glimpse at Xiao, just to see how he’s reacting to all of this, with
people gossiping about them, and—Venti finds that he isn’t even the least bit fazed, just gazing
overhead, close-lipped. The ever undaunted Xiao. It’s really no surprise that Venti is all his. All his
for the taking.

As soon as they stop in front of the gates, Xiao faces him with his hands in his pockets. “Here you
are.”

“Thanks,” Venti tells him. And he waits for Xiao to head the other way around, to leave and go
home, but the latter doesn’t move. Not yet.

“I saw…another letter today, by the way, when I passed by the ground floor.”

“Hm?”

“From your secret admirer,” clarifies Xiao.

Venti’s mouth forms an o. “What did they say this time?”

Xiao doesn’t talk for a while, rather chooses to look up ahead. Venti stays patient, looking around
him in turn.

“They’re complimenting your recital performance the other day,” Xiao finally says.

Venti perks up, and he beams, can’t help it. “Oh? They must’ve attended then. Oh, wait—they
were there!” Xiao stares at him, lips pursed, but Venti can’t really read him. He just never truly
knows what goes in his head most of the time, so he merely brushes it off as he goes on, “I wonder
who they are, and what they look like…” Venti puts a hand under his chin, feigning nonchalance
as he marvels.

Xiao cuts his mock-thinking short when he announces, “I’m heading home,” already turning on his
heels to head a different path.

“Oh, Xiao, wait!” Venti rushes to say.

Xiao stops mid-step, and he whips his head back to assess Venti carefully. “What?”

Venti breaks into a grin, nodding. He’s just happy that Xiao walked him back here is all. “Nothing.
Take care! See you later at home.”

Xiao nods his head once. “Yeah, you too.”

And…there goes Xiao.

He still has time, Venti found out about it when he checked the time on his watch, so the moment
he steps into the gates of their uni, he doesn’t so much as quicken his pace to get to his fourth class
with Beidou. Instead he takes his time to stroll along the campus, clutching on the strap of his bag
as he carries Diaochan with ease. He happens upon a few familiar faces while he does, nodding at
the lot of them when they smile his way, some others giving him looks of wonderment, and Venti
supposes those are one of the scattered students outside just now, when he and Xiao held hands to
go to that damn restaurant to spy on his sister. Venti decides to avoid worrying about them,
because hey, if Xiao can do it, so can he.

He heads for the loo before anything else and checks himself in the mirror, fixing his tangerine
colored shirt and fastening his shoelaces. He leaves the washroom soon after he’s washed his
hands with soap, and then turns a corner to see a couple of mingling students by the hallway,
seemingly busy with something.

Until it hits him; it’s probably about the clubs and organizations that are about to be held this
month, considering this time of the year.

Come to think of it, Venti hasn’t joined any club at all in his entire stay here; not because he’s not
interested per se because he really is—or, he could be anyway. But perhaps because he never had
the chance to actually look more into it. Should he join one this year? He’s not so sure. Then again,
Venti carries on with an amused fluttering feeling in his gut as he surveys what goes around him,
excitement coursing through his veins having seen it all play out; students of various departments
hand out fliers and pamphlets to other students, asking them to join specific clubs and offering
some freebies.

It’s bustling and crowded here. No wonder Xiao decided to go home early.

As he trudges towards the lockers at the corner of the corridor, deciding to leave his bag in there
and take out his binder to bring it with him together with his violin to Beidou’s class, a call from
Xingqiu startles him into a halt. Venti turns around and there’s his friend charging towards him
with a big smile on his face, white pearls flashing blindingly. Venti mirrors that with an equally
large grin of his own, and then Xingqiu is crashing into him for a bear hug. Venti releases
chuckles, wrapping his arms around Xingqiu and embracing him tightly, knows how this boy gets a
lot clingy some days. And this day is definitely one of them.

“Ventiii!” Xingqiu drawls, loud and dragged, and then he’s stepping away from the hug and
shoving a paper towards Venti. “Care to join our club this school year?”

Venti blinks down at the paper and it takes him a second to realize that they’re after all fliers too.
“What club is that?”

As if on cue, Hu Tao comes bounding to where they are, and then she’s slinging an arm around
Venti, bumping their hips together. “Come on, Barbatos~ You didn’t join any last year, might as
well go for it this year! Eh, what’s our club called again?” She addresses Xiangling, who’s
suddenly popping up out of nowhere, just right behind them.

“Community service and social justice club!” She chimes in proudly, clapping her hands. “What do
you say, huh, Venti?”

The three of them wear identical smiles across their faces, all attention directed at Venti and, Venti
is just there, feeling bombarded and confused. “What…do you guys even do there?” He dares to
ask, left eye squinting just to spite. Yeah, no, he’s not joining no matter what. Community service
doesn’t sound right in his ears.

Regardless if he’s joining or not, Xingqiu explains it to him and he listens. “It’s as simple as being
eager to make a change on our campus, Venti. Or you know, our neighborhood, our city, or maybe
even the whole of Teyvat!” He snickers, and Venti has to suppress his own laughter at the silliness
of it.

“It’s a club that focuses mainly on serving others, pretty much,” Hu Tao supplies, shrugging.

“Right…” Venti drones, nodding slowly. Then he pries Hu Tao’s arm off of him as he proceeds to
go to his locker that is just a few steps away now. “I’ll mull it over, you guys,” he tells them, which
earns him whines of disappointment from none other than his three friends. Venti chuckles as he
calls behind his shoulder, “ Maybe . Maybe I’ll think about it.”

“Aww, Venti, come on!” Xiangling pleads, skipping towards him and pulling his arm. “Just this
year, bro!”

Venti blows out a sigh. “But you guys know that I’m already cooped up with multiple jobs. I mean,
hello? Look at me. I’m barely nineteen and I had to jump places just to earn money for rent and
tuition, not to mention my piled up assignments, coursework and recitals. Joining a club would
only double my gig, and it won’t even pay me, so.” He purses his lips and shrugs.

Due to his little upheaval, his friends quiet down, and they all look at him with a frown. Venti rolls
his eyes at that, shaking his head. “You’re… you have a point,” Hu Tao ends up muttering,
sounding defeated, and Venti responds with a hum of acknowledgment, unlocking his locker and
dumping his bag in there, unzipping it and pulling out his binder. He slams the thing shut and turns
the lock, facing all three of them again.

“Have fun though, I’m sure you’ll gather more students to join you,” Venti says, grinning at them.
“Anyway! Gotta go, Beidou is expecting me.”

“Bye, Venti,” Xingqiu mumbles sadly, deprecated. Venti reaches out to pinch his cheek, making
the boy break into a soft smile, hazel eyes gentle.

“See you.”

“See you, Barbatos,” Hu Tao and Xiangling chorus and then Venti is stepping back with a wink
sent their way. He slips out their little huddle with a wave of his hand and makes for the stairs on
his right. Beidou’s class should be on the third floor, so Venti climbs up the steps hoping not to trip
on his way there.

Too soon to hope, apparently. Because as soon as he reaches the third flight of stairs, Venti bumps
with another body, sending them back a couple of inches due to the sudden jolt. He grimaces,
rubbing at his elbow.

“Hey, I’m so sorry,” the person says, quicker to recover than Venti, who’s already in front of him,
offering their hands to keep him upright. Venti takes one of those offered hands and looks up to
meet this person’s eyes. And, wow, he is met with a pair of scarlet eyes—being the first things that
he notices that look shockingly nice, and even framed by long eyelashes and, momentarily, Venti is
enticed. Genuinely, he’s mesmerized. “Um. Are you okay?” The stranger suddenly asks, kindly so,
snapping Venti out of it.

He hastily straightens up and lets go of the boy’s hand. “Yes, I’m fine! I’m sorry, I didn’t see you
going down.” He finally looks at the boy properly. They’re donning a semi-long stylish platinum
hair that’s gathered and tied at the back, leaving some short strands to fall softly on either side of
their oval face, with a tiny amount of red dyed streak accentuating the top part of their head. This
kid looks simple yet elegant in just some crimson hooded sweater and dark pants, Venti deems,
and—it dawns on him that this guy must be a transfer student, because he’s positively sure that this
is the first time he’s seen them around.

“Same here, I didn’t see you going up.” The boy smiles, a faint blush on their pale cheeks. Must be
easily flustered, thinks Venti.

“Ah, I should be the one apologizing.” Venti laughs, waving them off. “Venti, by the way, and you
are? I’ve never seen you around, this is the first time I bumped into you—and in a literal way too!”

The boy laughs with him, though his voice is much softer than Venti’s—much like Albedo’s or
Aether’s, respectively, and Venti finds the sound of it lulling. “I’m Kazuha. Nice to meet you…”
he trails off, before he adds as an afterthought, “finally.”

“Finally?” Venti cocks a brow in question.

“Yeah, I— You see, I know you.” The boy, Kazuha, dips his head in a bashful sense, though Venti
can still make out of the blush that’s blooming on his cheeks. Venti smiles, amused more than
anything.

“Ohhh~ Am I really that popular?” He jokes cheekily, putting a hand on his hip.

Kazuha flicks his gaze back up to lock with Venti’s and Venti can see the corner of his lips quirk
up. “You are, actually. Everyone in my class knows you.”

“They do? Hm, probably because I’m known for being a peril around these parts,” Venti drawls,
humming. “What department?”

“Photography.”

“Ah, same with my best friend!” Venti beams.

“Did you mean Alatus?”

“Yeah, him! Wow, you do know me.” Venti giggles.

“Well, that’s because of him, actually.”

Venti gapes at the boy. “Excuse me?”

“We have a few lectures together, him and I, and he’s mentioned your name a few times.”

Slowly, Venti nods in understanding. “Ahh, I see.” Mentioned him for what though? He wonders.

Kazuha smiles at him. “I’ve seen you play too. Your violin,” he gestures to Venti’s fiddle that’s
clutched in his hand, “You’re really good, and your chosen tracks never miss.”

Venti feels himself warm on the cheeks, flattery eating at him being complimented like this. He
can’t help it, he practically preens, just like he always does when someone is being
accommodating to him. “Why, thank you, Kazuha!” He chirps, amused.

“No worries. I plan on dropping by again, maybe next week if you have another one,” Kazuha
offers, now smiling with his eyes crinkling close. That’s a good look on him, Venti laments.

“Of course! Take the first row seat next time, so I can easily spot you amongst the crowd!” Venti
grins.
“Sure.” Kazuha grins back.

Venti catches a glimpse of the time on his watch after a moment, and then he’s gliding past Kazuha
to get to his class. “Anyway, I’ll see you when I see you, Kazuha~ Need to go!” He’s waving at the
boy as he’s jogging backwards, grinning big. And Venti sees the way Kazuha is waving back at
him, blinking softly with nothing but a smile still lingering on his lips. What a pleasant young lad.

Beidou made them mess around with the drum set during her class and Venti chose to rift through
the electric guitar, while the rest of them took turns using the bass and microphone, Beidou
sending out instructions in the area. Boring, he’d say.

He also bumped into Zhongli when he was on his way to the subway, one who was with his,
presumably, husband with the way they were holding onto each other’s hands, domestically, some
ginger-haired man who’s just as tall and towering as him. And Venti almost made a run for it, not
wanting to be seen by the teacher, but Zhongli is way too fucking perceptive though, so obviously
he flagged Venti down and had a talk with him regarding, well, music.

Pretty much, it wasn’t that eventful, but Venti feels like his body is shutting down on its own and
thus the moment he touches home, he’s a heaving maelstrom of sorts, kicking the door open and
calling through the flat. “I’m home!” Venti chokes on a sob, eyes widening at the suddenness once
he realizes his voice didn’t even come out the least bit enthusiastic, resulting in him whimpering
his frustration.

He sees Xiao crouching by the window, murmuring to himself as he feeds Cecilia, their pet
goldfish. He doesn’t acknowledge Venti’s presence, not even a glance at the doorway, no response
whatsoever. Venti rolls his eyes as he toes his shoes off, pushing them aside with his socked foot,
and proceeds to collapse face-first on the sofa. As usual, he flaps his legs on it while he buries his
nose on the cushions just because. It’s as if this has become a routine for him nowadays, to be this
melodramatic, just when he feels tired, sleepy, and hungry after a long day outside.

It’s only a matter of time before Xiao is finally lending him his attention, tapping on his leg and
making him scoot. Venti only whines though, voice muffled against the pillow that’s stuffing his
face, “No… leave me be. I’m in pain, I’m dying, can’t you see? I have an early lecture tomorrow
and I just wanna take a rest…here…even just for a minute.”

Xiao doesn’t say anything and lets him at once, leaving him to sulk on his own in favor of heading
to their kitchen. In a minute or so, Venti hears the stove being flicked on, and then the next thing is
Xiao preparing them some dinner. Nice… Cool.

By the time Xiao comes back with two plates of food and two cans of soda, Venti is still lying on
his front across the sofa, almost drooling in his half-asleep state. He feels Xiao’s foot kick at his
leg. “It’s been more than a minute. Move your ass and eat.”

Grumbling mild protests, Venti eventually obeys and sits up, not wasting any more time and
grabbing one of the plates laid out on the coffee table. He finds that his best friend has cooked
them some eggs, stir fry veggies and bacon, and Venti can’t help regarding him with a smile,
grateful. “Xiao…” he coos in awe.

“Stop looking at me and take a bite,” Xiao berates, picking up his own plate and flopping on the
other end of the sofa. Venti only pouts as if to say fine and then starts consuming half of his
serving. He snags the can of coke in the middle of chewing and downs one-fourth of it, before he
resumes with another bite of the red Jeuyun Chili.
“Exhausting day?”

“Yeah. I swear to the gods, Zhongli despises me.” He forks at the mushroom in despair as soon as
he says that, making Xiao look over to his direction.

“Why?”

“I ran into him just now. He said he wants me to pass my minor subjects and at the same time
enhance my knowledge with the keyboards.” He sighs heavily, biting on the inside of his cheek,
sidling his head to give Xiao a desperate look. Or, well, he hopes he’s not looking too desperate
here. “I already play almost every instrument there is, Xiao… Violin, the flute, the guitar! And
now he wants me to fucking broaden my skill with the piano. Xiao… I’m not superhuman, you
know? Why does Zhongli hate me so much?”

“Maybe he just wants you to excel in everything. That means he cares about your future that
much.”

“I don’t care, I literally don’t care. This is making my head hurt!”

Sighing, Xiao stands up from the sofa and takes his empty plate with him.

“As if you have a choice,” he calls from the kitchen, then he comes back later with some kind of
green box. “Old man didn’t pass you for nothing. You almost failed last semester, remember?”

Venti gapes at the guy. “You— I… I guess you have a point,” he muses aloud, before he’s back on
kicking at the carpet and slumping his shoulders. “But still!”

Xiao shoves something sweet into his mouth to cut his whining, and Venti blinks a few times at
that. “What—is this?” He chomps on it and there’s an audible click that resounds. He snaps his
head up and looks at Xiao in awe. “Aww, Xiao… You got me some Pocky?” He coos.

Xiao scoffs, but there’s a quirk to the corner of his mouth that’s indicating he’s finding Venti
amusing. “Who says I got you some Pocky? These are mine. I just wanted to shut you up.” But of
course, that’s what he’d say. Such quintessential. Venti huffs, and he stays like that, half of the
stick hanging from his mouth. Xiao stares at him, one eyebrow raised. “What are you doing now?”

Venti doesn’t reply, continues to stay where he is, unmoving and stubborn. Although there are
some things that are running through his head at this particular moment, something that goes along
do the Pocky thing with me, Xiao, come on, do it.

So, yes. Yes, he’s a flirt, alright, he’s aware of his raging wretchedness here, but no, he doesn’t
care if it’s bordering on being uncalled for, especially knowing that this is his best friend. Just his
best friend that he’d been meaning to kiss for such a long time now, no big deal, no matter if it’s
just a short, playful peck. He’ll take whatever he can get, he thinks, thank you very much.

Finally, he hears Xiao suspending into sighing, but Venti feigns ignorance and stays put. Just when
the sofa dips with Xiao’s weight, Venti knows that he’s scooting closer now, and that has him
closing his eyes with a mirthful smile painting his tightly closed lips. Maybe Xiao will do it after
all.

But that’s until there’s an abrupt lack of movement. Venti dares to peek with one eye to see what
the commotion is about and, wait, holy shit—Xiao is crowding in his space. Already? He might
need a fucking ambulance after this, because fuck it, Venti can’t breathe. He can’t move, he can’t
make a sound. It was supposed to be a joke!
Hold on—Xiao is leaning in, he’s leaning in and Venti doesn’t think he can survive this—

“Now, you’re moving, huh?” Xiao deadpans just as they’re face to face, their noses touching.

“I… I…” Venti can’t form a fucking sentence, and there goes the Pocky landing over his lap.

Xiao’s lips twitch up, and he’s suddenly smirking. “Coward,” he murmurs softly, affectionately?—
so quietly that Venti almost misses it. And then Xiao is rising up from the couch with a shake of
his head, taking Venti’s used plate with him as he moves to the kitchen, leaving Venti baffled and
wrecked.

Venti, who’s out of breath. Him, who’s hot in the cheeks, heart beating madly in his chest, and with
a freaking hard-on.

Venti feels like crying.

Oh, Venti really, really wants to cry now.

Later that night, Xiao advises that he locks up their dorm and begs, will you please stop sulking?
But Venti is still too overwhelmed about what happened to answer him with any ounce of
coherence, so with a grunt and a forced nod, Venti succumbs into more pouting episodes as he
carries on pretending he’s interested in whatever shitty TV program is playing. He just wants to be
alone.
 take me back to the light, i know you were way too bright for me; i’m
hopeless, broken

CHAPTER THREE

Venti

Venti tries his best to stand as still as he can, hoping Albedo would capture completely what he’d
like to convey in his art. Although it’s hard and sometimes Venti wants to sneeze or yawn, he won’t
let it get the best of him. That’s until he catches the little quirk that’s forming at the corner of
Albedo’s lips. Venti sighs, dropping the book he’s been balancing atop his head for the better part
of ten or so minutes, kneeling down on the grass. “Oh, so that’s how it is. Still-life, my ass. Didn’t
see the day you’d ever be an asshole to me, Albedo,” he mutters flatly.

Albedo, the good natured fool he is, chuckles heartily, and he drops the act too, together with his
sketchpad and pencil, and ah, there, Venti can see it now. The sketchpad remains devoid of
contents. “I’m sorry, you looked so eager to do it, I couldn’t help but play along,” admits Albedo,
aquatic blue eyes shimmering under the sunlight, almost bordering on translucent, glittery. This
pain-in-Venti’s ass sumptuous varmint.

“I hate you, hope you know that,” Venti tells him benignly with a purse of his lips, despite the fact
that he can never hate Albedo even if the guy one day chooses to step on his face and spit on his
shoe.

Albedo only smiles, looking quite triumphant (the git!) that he’d victimized Venti, and then he’s
pulling his hair up in a ponytail before he’s setting up his tools to actually draw something this
time. Venti scurries closer to him, a bit enthralled by his friend’s natural beauty, because frankly,
all of Venti’s friends are just—attractive beings he’d say, he’s blessed like that—though his focus
is on the scattered sketches of papers amongst a huge slipshod pile. Amazed by his friend’s fruit of
hard work throughout the years and perhaps his inborn talent, Venti brightens when he sees one of
Klee, Albedo’s younger step sister, and Venti can’t help grinning. He loves Klee to bits. He takes
that one illustration of her and admires it—admires the way Albedo had transmitted his skills so
seamlessly, making Klee look so charming and festive and alive in his very own brand of artistic.

Albedo seems to notice and he shoots Venti a whimsical look. “She just turned eleven,” he
discloses out of nowhere, and Venti at that positively glows.

But then his nose scrunches up and he coos in a melodramatic clamor, frowning. “Aww, why
didn’t you tell me before? I could’ve bought her something! Or—gave her a gift for her birthday!”

Albedo shrugs, tranquil as he gathers his other sketches to deposit them in a clear book one by one.
“I didn’t think about it at the time. Sorry,” he utters guilelessly.

Venti watches Albedo snoop at his wrist watch and sigh, before he’s hunching his shoulders.
“Well… I suppose that’s valid. But next time she celebrates it, do inform me please. Or!” He
whirls to take his phone out and unlocks it, an idea leaping out his mind. “Here, I’ll save it on my
calendar! When is it again?”

“Twenty-seventh,” Albedo answers, and Venti promptly types it out, setting an alarm for it.

Shoving his phone back in the pocket of his beige cardigan, Venti blasts out with, “I’ll get her
something!”

“It’s okay, Venti, you don’t have to.” Albedo is fixing him a look, concern written all over his
cerulean eyes, to which Venti effectively brushes off. Albedo has such convincing puppy eyes that
Venti sometimes finds it a challenge to deny him, but not this time.

“I want to,” Venti instead says indignantly, “and besides, I’m receiving my salary this week, so!
I’m already feeling guilty that I missed your sister’s birthday, let me do this for her at least.”

Albedo sighs softly, and he yields. “Fine. Do as you please.”

Venti grins, feeling accomplished. “Surely will!” He leans back on the grass and tilts his head up,
letting the sunbeams wash over his lying figure, his cheeks and exposed collarbones alleviating
circumduction by its warmth.

They’re at the campus park, their go-to allocation, and though Venti kind of regrets wearing thick
layers of clothing now seeing as it’s sunny after all, he can’t find it in himself to prevail being upset
about it. The art student is with him once again, just like last time and he had his reasons for that.
Albedo had told him he was supposed to go to his next lecture but discerning he is close with his
professor, he’d been informed beforehand that the aforementioned wouldn’t be able to make it, so
that earns him his free time. He decided to join Venti here—Venti who’s practicing the ukulele
that he borrowed from the music hall, because yes, being broke is one of his misfortunes in life,
morosely.

Ah, but he doesn’t mind it much anymore, he’s way too blithe when it comes to those kinds of
matters whether he prefers it or not. Flicking his gaze toward the direction of the school gates,
Venti learns of Xingqiu’s presence walking with another boy, making him bolt right up from his
indolent position. Albedo looks on as well, alerted by Venti’s own fluxes. “Hey!” He calls for
Xingqiu, waving madly.

Xingqiu without delay hears him and thus he spins on his heel, breaking into a grin when he
realizes it’s Venti, and then he’s trudging towards them by the tree, seemingly tugging at the boy
he’s with to come along. “Barbatos!” He accosts as soon as he reaches them, and Venti jumps to
his feet.

“Well, well, who do we have here?” Venti simpers, hip-checking Xingqiu, making the boy laugh.
“Why did you come from the outside?”

“We had our lunch down the street,” Xingqiu responds easily, and then he’s toiling at the other
guy’s hand. “By the way, this is dear Chongyun, my best friend. Chongyun, meet Venti and
Albedo.”

Chongyun? Hold up. Venti bats his lashes at the boy, and he’s unable to stop himself, he points as
he cries out, “The kid from the topmost loos!”

Chongyun, whose eyes shift back and forth between Venti and Albedo, and then to Xingqiu, smiles
sheepishly. “Uh. Yes, I guess we’ve met…”

“You have?” Xingqiu broods, looking shocked himself, a hand on his hip. “How? And why was I
not informed? Strange.”

“What’s so strange about it?” Venti levers a brow. “Also, it was pure coincidence. I was in a hurry
to use the toilets and Chongyun was taking his sweet time,” Venti teases, smirking again.

Xingqiu clears his throat. “Well… I wonder why that is.”

“Nothing! I was having a hard time zipping up my fly!” Chongyun blurts, and everyone squelches,
including Albedo who returns to his stuff to proceed organizing his sketches in a book.

“I see,” Xingqiu intones, blowing out a sigh. Venti bites at the inside of his cheek, knows exactly
that this Chongyun guy is the person that Xingqiu is in love with—the one he mentioned to Venti
some days ago.

“A-anyway, it’s nice to finally meet you properly. Again, I’m Chongyun, and you’re Venti, I
know, because Xiao has spoken about you,” Chongyun says in one breath, offering a hand to
Venti.

Awestruck by a smidge, Venti must say he’s… flattered once more. He feels as if this is a déjà vu
of some sorts. First—that Kazuha boy saying that Xiao cites him, and now this new face,
Chongyun, is saying the same. Xiao, his beloved Xiao, talks about him occasionally, maybe even
casually, with people Venti didn’t know is what he’s getting out of this. Taking Chongyun’s
offered hand, Venti cinches it and shakes it firmly before they’re letting go. “Nice to meet you too,
Chongyun.”

“That’s a surprise,” Albedo utters all the sudden, “I thought Venti knows everyone in this school.”

“Hehe! As it appears, I don’t,” Venti says stiffly, scratching at his nape.

“I thought so too,” Xingqiu concurs.

After introducing Chongyun to Albedo as well, the two boys join them by the grass, elatedly,
Xingqiu holding up a book he declared he’s been binging and Chongyun situating his camera over
his lap with utmost care. They sit close to each other, and Venti can’t help observing them bonding
like that.

He becomes abundantly interested and watches the way Xingqiu would howl at everything
Chongyun is saying, and Chongyun would do all these bizarre effects that make Xingqiu starry
eyed and afflicted. Venti feels rather reclusive all the sudden, witnessing them being like this—be
this sanguine. He sees himself on Xingqiu; ever since the boy toted his feelings that one time they
hung out just the two of them, Xingqiu’s words never vacated Venti’s mind beginning on that day.

“Fallen in love, Venti. You know, be head over heels for someone? Like, be so whipped for them
that you forget who you are. From being composed and chill, you’re suddenly stumbling over your
words and feel yourself blushing at…certain images in your head that you imagine you would do to
the person you’re whipped for.”

Oh, only if you knew, Xingqiu.

“Lately, I’ve been feeling those things for someone, you see.”

Yeah, me too, Venti had wanted to say, for a long time now, actually.

“Lately, I’ve been feeling this sort of thing where… when you’re with this special someone, you’d
feel as if your throat is stuck with something, your heart feels like it’s clogging your entire system
for how big it’s growing, and like, you’re afraid it might implode, you know?”

Venti knows. He knows.

“And, I suppose, when you see the person that you have the fattest crush on, your day just becomes
a thousand times better, you know? Just like that, you’re feeling sunny again, only because you
saw them smile, or laugh, even when you were just having the worst week of your life.”
Why can Venti relate so much? Venti wants to laugh at the thought—at the inkling—albeit with an
ache in his heart.

It’s not easy what he’s funneling with him, see. The longing, the pining, all that. It’s not easy to fall
in love with someone you know you can’t have. And to be in the same leeway as them, to be
breathing under the same roof and scrutinize what they did every single day, examine them looking
so beautiful yet handsome, acting so cool and unbothered, smelling so nice and divine… It’s
tedious. It’s so painful and at the same time intimidating. Because what if—what if one of these
days, Venti just…breaks? What does he do from there? This is indeed a delicate matter for him, to
be moving in the same space as Xiao all the time.

What if one day he spouted, and then Xiao finds out? One miss, he dies. He only has one chance
here, only one life. There’s no such thing as ‘replay’, no such thing as an ‘undo’ button, no room
for ‘resets’ or ‘round two’. Venti only ever has one attempt and should he fail that once, it’s all
over for him. He’d be done for.

Venti looks away right after noticing Chongyun wipe something off the curvature of Xingqiu’s
cheek, making the boy flush, and he smiles to himself. Maybe he’ll mess with them just because
he’s a jealous urchin. Heh. Clearing his throat, Venti manages to steal their attention, except for
Albedo who’s zealously tapping away on his phone now, sitting to his left.

“So, Chongyun,” he kicks off with, and Chongyun smiles at him, seemingly all-ears. “From which
department are you again? I mean, not that I’m completely ignoring the fact that you’re carrying a
camera with you, but, I don’t want to just assume.”

“Oh, no worries. But yes, I’m studying Photography.”

“Explains why you know Xiao,” Venti states the obvious, heart lightly squeezing with the name
itself leaving his own mouth.

“Yeah, we have a few classes together. He’s our top student. Professor Baizhu absolutely adores
him,” Chongyun proudly feeds, grinning. “I actually look up to him, the guy is just… he’s great at
what he’s doing.”

Venti lets out a laugh. “Why am I not surprised? He can be a bit of, let’s put it this way—
perfectionist. I should know, I’ve been his best friend for almost four years.” Seriously, Venti, has
it developed into a stipulation to stack upon brandishing your role in Xiao’s life to any person
you’ve come to meet the first time? Has this become your personality now? Whatever. This isn’t
supposed to be about him, this is supposed to be about them. “But how about you and Xingqiu?
How long have you known each other?”

Chongyun and Xingqiu look at each other at the same time, and Venti doesn’t miss the sunder
wherein it’s Xingqiu who tears his gaze away from staring at Chongyun first, a faint rose looming
across his freckled cheeks. “Since we were in elementary school,” says Chongyun, a hand thrusted
up in front of him, counting with his fingers as he adds, “yeah, I’m sure it’s around those times…”

Venti bites on his lip just when he recognizes the fidgeting that Xingqiu is spurting over the
bracelet he’s wearing, which Venti has already acknowledged earlier being the exact replica of the
one Chongyun is wearing. How provocative, cute. They have matching accessories. Venti can only
wish he and Xiao have those as well, but he doubts Xiao would commensurate that. He sighs in
anguish. “That’s pretty long, even longer than Xiao and I.”

Chongyun puts a fist over his mouth, and he nods. “I suppose.”

Venti points a finger at either of them. “And I’m guessing you two share some of your classes
together? You and Xingqiu?”

“Yup!” Chongyun affirms with a dazzling smile.

Venti smirks knowingly, chancing a glance at Xingqiu who’s cowering even further, head dipping
down now as if he’d much rather be buried alive by the soil they’re all sitting on.

Everyone’s just moping over everyone around here, huh? Fine, Venti decides he’ll spare his friend
his life, let them figure things out on their own. It’s what warrants their omission. People need to
learn, much like himself.

After all, Venti is just as bad and he knows it well, the shameless him, so he really is not one to
dissert. And that proves it even more when he happens upon Xiao who’s passing by the other end
portion of the campus’ Freedom Park, in his trademark jet-black hooded jacket and bunched up
trackies to match, showing slivers of his pale shins and those multi-color Vans high tops, mixture
of neon green, purple, blue and yellow. Gods, how Venti loves it when he wears riggings like that,
they emphasize how skilled he is, how artistic and clever. How good his piquancy is in fashion and
how much he forebodes himself as a whole. He’s not one to get audacious; he has to look his best
all the time, and even if he’s not trying at all, rest-assured, he knows just fine how he should pack
himself superbly at the right moments. And perhaps, that’s one of the many proprieties Venti is in
too deep for him.

Another deduction, too, as to why he’s being followed by a gaggle of girls right about now. Well,
as if Venti hasn’t adapted to such a recurring backdrop at this point in their friendship.

Venti raises an arm, and he waves at Xiao vigorously, who’s already glancing at their direction by
the grass, under the tree. Xiao is hefting up a tripod in one hand, and Venti can see that he’s
brought his DSLR camera too, which has him assuming, perchance, that Xiao is photographing
someone, or something. Xiao waves back at him, and a couple of girls that are following behind
him probably noticed hence they also squinted over at Venti, but Venti may as well be the
heedless. Because then Xiao is turning a corner and climbing up the staircase, leaving Venti to
stare longingly at his retreating back, just like he frequently does.

“So smitten.” He hears Xingqiu comment, and Venti has to tune himself out from scowling, caught
red-handed, shooting the boy with his best smug facial enunciation.

“ Ha-ha, look who’s talking.”

Xingqiu instantaneously stills, face beet red, the lone tomato that he is, because then Chongyun is
blinking back at him in question—bafflement, head tilting a tad. Venti makes a show of opening
his mouth as if overhanging upon saying more, and that’s all it takes for Xingqiu to grab onto
Chongyun’s hand and pull the boy up to his feet, hurriedly bidding their farewell to both him and
Albedo. Venti clicks his tongue, heavy-lidded and complacent at what he’s done.

“Wait, Xingqiu—we’re leaving? Already? I thought we still have a few more minutes to spare?”
Chongyun inquires, sadness in his tone with a touch of perplexity. Poor sod.

“We are! You see, it crossed my mind that I still have to drop by the library after all!” Xingqiu, the
great prankster he is (only) after Venti and Hu Tao (that is), dumps a segue right on top of his
crush’s head, and then they’re both circumventing the scene just like that.

Albedo snorts a laugh, always the hyperacute in any situation. “He was so oblivious…” he
mumbles in hilarity.
“Awfully so,” agrees Venti, folding his arms over his chest.

Venti goes dwelling by himself; Xiao, apparently, really does have a consultation today, doing a
shoot set with some colleagues, so when Venti had asked through text whether or not they’ll be
going home together, Xiao had told him he could go ahead without him, stating that very
discernment. Venti is completely fine with it. He just badly wants to head home and go to bed, call
it a day and prepare himself for tomorrow’s agenda.

Because guess what? Tomorrow is a Saturday, meaning no college, no coursework, no recitals, no

nothing, and he only has to tend to Cat’s Tail before he’s free of anything remotely tiring. Maybe
he can even hang out with some of his friends, or perhaps binge watch something on the telly, put
his feet up on the coffee table and just be his couch potato person this coming weekend. Just the
thought itself is already riveting a smile upon his face, his mood smoothly skyrocketing and
suddenly he feels giddy with it.

Thus, as he pushes the door open to their dorm, Venti expressly wiggles his ass in joy, dropping his
keys in the bowl and kicking his converse shoes off with a delighted puff of breath, putting them
on the shoe rack straight away, even just this once. If Xiao was here, he would’ve been so proud.
Would probably even treat Venti to some Chicken-Mushroom Skewers.

Venti allows himself to lounge, he has the flat to himself besides, so why the hell not?

Their shared dorm is a lot spacious than the norm, thanks to Xiao’s reserved trait that required
personal amplitude, and frankly, capability—AKA he was born with a silver spoon, so he is
capable enough of paying should the landlord disclose that the mora is needed on-hand; and Xiao
took care of it, conveniently on Venti’s part. Yep, Xiao was the one who single-handedly favored
this place, who also paid for its vital down payment, deemed it as a perfect location of sorts, seeing
as here, he could also dorm next to his sister. He made sure that there would be two separate dorms
facing each other’s front doors, sufficient to his rights.

The dorm itself houses two detached bedrooms, one for Xiao, one for Venti, a living area, a
kitchen, and lastly a bathroom that they share. The walls are painted white, though some spots
have gone yellow due to age, and some corners had cracks. The ceilings aren’t as steep, just the
average, and they have both white and yellow lights, for some reason, though the yellow light
rarely gets passed down… Well, only when Venti felt like taking a selfie perhaps and wanted the
yellow light that made his nose pointier and his cheekbones more prominent. Xiao sometimes
badgers him about it, being a professional photographer himself, but Venti would only roll his eyes
and tell him to screw off, to which the guy would laugh at, breezing past him to leave him alone.
And then of course, Venti would resume minding his business (like why did even Xiao exist just to
annoy him?) and then flood either Hu Tao or Xingqiu’s SMS with those selfies he took. They’ll
either coo at them or tell him he looked dumb, and Venti would bask in each and every one of
them.

Padding towards the kitchen, taking his precious time (there’s absolutely no reason to rush now),
Venti pulls open the fridge with his biggest shit-eating grin only to be met by the sight of it almost
running out of stuff, and he sighs, already mentally reprimanding himself he should probably hit
the market to fill it back up. He thinks about Xiao, considers his say on the matter, but knowing
he’s jam-packed in the meantime, what with he’s got a shoot set on his hands, maybe… maybe
Venti should just deal with the matter on his own. It’s as simple as getting them some food and
ingredients anyway, right? No biggie. He’ll do it tomorrow, or on Sunday, whichever fits.

For now, Venti heats up two slices of frozen mushroom pizza and demolishes them the fastest way
he can. Then he’s chugging down two glasses of water off the dispenser and he’s done, burping
loudly, making sure it echoes around the empty apartment.

Venti enters his room and dozes, but that’s after he’s checked his phone one last time to see if Xiao
texted. He didn’t. Venti succumbs to sleep, he needs to be early for work tomorrow.

As it turns out, Xiao came home around twelve midnight. He didn’t eat, already had his late dinner
back at the set, and went straight to bed; he informed Venti the following morning, which was
earlier today.

Right now Venti is in his Cat’s Tail uniform, the usual pale blue collared shirt and black slacks, a
yellow plaid apron tied around his waist, his hair pushed up with a hairnet and the store’s signature
pink hat with a pair of cat ears. He’s been here since 8 AM, despite the store itself opening around
9:30 AM, because of course he’s compulsory for tidying up and mounting the shop by systemizing
the unfastidious areas.

It’s pleasant really, this ice cream shop, with that being one of the few reasons that Venti had
thrived to get in. It has a sky-blue and white motif going on, with beige and pink cat paws, and tri-
color kittens painted adorably on immaculately white walls, pastel blue round tables scattered
around the place, stools the same color as those tables.

Some bar-style chairs are crowding the countertops, together with children’s high-chairs, and
single and double booths are at some corners to complete the inner compass of the shop.

The set-up of tables outside on the other hand, have yellow and white umbrellas to block the
sunlight, all barricaded by white wooden fences, and the two-door entrance of the shop itself was
painted a bright hot pink. Rumor has it that it was due to the daughter of the owners, Diona, that
this commercial turned out this way. Childlike.

This place used to be a tavern before, see, filled with rowdy men and midnight workers, dropping
by to drink their troubles and struggles in life away. But that was until Mr. Draff, the owner,
impregnated his wife and bam, a cute baby girl was born. They renovated the whole place from
that point on and turned it into an ice cream parlor instead, accredited that it would be healthier for
the newborn to be surrounded by a cool, happy place, considering they lived at the top of the
lounge itself.

“Kaeya, have you seen Fischl? She was supposed to help me set up the toppings,” Venti calls over
the till, addressing Kaeya, one of his co-workers here, roommate of Diluc, the bar owner at
Angel’s Share. They knew each other through Diluc that Venti had been friends with out of visiting
too much over at his bar, then Kaeya told Venti about Cat’s Tail where he works, and now they’re
working together as all-around servers here after Venti decided to apply.

A head of sun-kissed skin pokes out of the walk-in fridge after a while, and then there’s that
gracious beam of one Kaeya, one that Venti loves being presented with, because Kaeya is such a
fun, easy-going lad, as if he’d never had to endure any hardships in life at all, and Venti is indebted
to have him around. Such positive radiating vibes brightening up the room and making Venti
giggle at the right times whenever they’d hang out, what more could he ask for?

Kaeya is, all things considered regarding his relationship with Diluc who’s a man of few words
himself too (just like Xiao), always knows how to dispel any bad semblance in the air, it seems.
Despite his own obstacles of how to make things surpassing between him and his sworn brother,
who never saw him as one and therefore never treated him as one either—for such odd acumen
unknown to Venti. As far as Venti’s concerned, after all, Diluc did use to see Kaeya as his brother,
but that was when they were at tenderfoot. As they grew older, things just didn’t prevail. “She’s in
here with me, let me get her!” Kaeya answers, and Venti nods his way.

“Barbatos, yo!” Fischl slips out the walk-in fridge and ambles over to where Venti is sorting out
some toppings for the soft serve. She’s carrying a gallon of what looks like a butterscotch flavored
ice cream, and she affixes it over the dispenser in front of the counter next to the cash register,
dipping a scooper in to let it sit. She’s quick to her feet and starts giving Venti a hand, being one
who doesn’t need to be told again.

Noelle, their other co-worker, is dealing with the syrup pumps and beverage gallipot at one corner
behind the counter, wiping at the machines and soon after mopping the floors off stains, neat as a
pin until they’re squeaky clean. She’s great at her job like that, and everyone who’s been working
alongside her knows it too, and that incorporates Mr. Draff himself.

They open the shop at exactly 9:30 in the morning, and fleetly enough, two to three customers step
in to order themselves some starters, Venti busily thumping away at the register with Fischl and
Noelle manning the soft serve dispensers. Kaeya on the other hand is buzzing some tables,
carrying a bottle sprayer and a couple of clean towels, greeting anyone who will walk in the shop
politely with a sensational smile. And it goes like that for another two hours, like the usual when
Venti has a schedule here, and eventually it’s their break time.

Fifteen minutes break. Venti tends to sit around for that, still wiping at some tables while doing so
and still beaming at entering customers, two of those customers being Xiangling and Hu Tao,
whose eyes quickly dart around the place at large just so they can seek him out. Once they have,
they wave and grin at him—or at least, Xiangling does. “Barbatos!” She calls over the mellow
music.

“Hey! What brings you two here?” He asks, standing up from one of the double booths. Xiangling
bounds over to him to give him a peck on the cheek, then it’s Hu Tao’s turn to do the same.
They’re wearing identical shirts, black round neck tees (save for Xiangling who’s also wearing a
blue jacket over it), then mini denim shorts for Hu Tao, while Xiangling is wearing a pair of gray
leggings. Are they on a date?

“We were just talking about what to eat, and Hu said she’s craving something sweet, so Cat’s Tail
it is,” Xiangling delivers with a grin. Hu Tao beside her nods her head shrewdly, hands clasped
behind her.

“Okay! What would you like then?” Venti quips, already coming up towards the counter to
perhaps get them whatever it is they want. Hu Tao and Xiangling follow after him, stopping short
in front of the soft serve dispensers, and smiling up at Fischl and Noelle who are behind those.
Venti stands near his two co-workers.

“Hey, Amy, Noelle,” Xiangling approaches, looking over the glass and over the mills of assorted
flavors. She hums, licking her lips. “I’d like some… Neapolitan, please!”

“Coming!” Noelle trills, accessible and efficient, and she asks, “In a glass? Is this for dine-in?”

“Yup,” Xiangling confirms, nodding with a smile.

Hu Tao takes a bit of time, pensive, before she’s settling with, “I think, I’ll have Moose tracks in a
sugar cone. Thank you.”

Venti grins, piping in. “Would you care for some toppings?”

“Marshmallows for me, and a cherry,” says Xiangling quickly, just as Hu Tao mumbles out, “Nah,
I’m good,” already turning away to look for a table, conceivably, leaving Xiangling to it—to wait
for their order and pay.

Ah, Venti thinks he knows that lack of enthusiasm, coming from the, jointly, rowdiest person he
knows…

After tending to the two ladies, Venti watches as they situate themselves in a booth that Hu Tao
picked, and he doesn’t miss how Xiangling had tried to pull Hu Tao’s arm to make her sit next to
her, only that Hu Tao solely shook her head, stubbornly, and still sat opposite her, making
Xiangling frown, unable to put up a fight. Hmm. Venti chooses to let them be and ignore the
niggling thought that’s making its way inside his head.

One that is suggesting they’re in some type of…war. Or perhaps misunderstanding, he’s not quite
certain. But knowing his friends, Hu Tao who has an easy-go-lucky temperament, and Xiangling as
this ball of sunshine as well as raging anarchy, Venti still has it in him to give it his benefit of the
doubt. Surely, they’re not actually fighting…?

But then Venti can see it now as it slowly unfolds—them—looking like they’re arguing over
something, hands gesturing rashly in the air, Hu Tao opening and closing her mouth as if she is
being derided by Xiangling; Xiangling who’s frowning up at her through teary eyes and dipping
her chin in distraught. And perhaps that’s been the end of that, just when Xiangling has ceased into
submission, because the next thing that Venti knows is the two of them have started coddling each
other, Hu Tao rising from her seat and sliding in the booth next to Xiangling, resting her forehead
against her shoulder, making the other girl hold on to her arm as if her life depends on it.

Truthfully, Venti doesn’t know much about their relationship—if they even have one to start with,
like a romantic one, but Venti is sure there’s something going on between them. He’s taken notice
of it long ago, but he never simulated that there really might be. Only now, he supposes, after
seeing them like this.

Maybe one day, he’ll ask. Or he’ll let them come clean to him on their own terms, either way is
fine.

“We’re back on the clock,” Kaeya suddenly trumpets from behind him, and Venti turns his head to
look at him, nodding.

“Alright.”

“Barbatos, thank you, we’re off,” Hu Tao announces, and Venti looks up to shoot them a smile.
Xiangling is still donning watery eyes, sniffing against her fist, and Hu Tao is holding her around
the waist, ushering her towards the exit of the shop.

“Okay, take care now! And for the love of gods, stop fighting!” Venti calls back after them.

“You don’t get to decide that! We’ll have our lovers’ quarrel if we want to,” Xiangling answers
through her tears, yelling over the background music.

Venti drinks in the fact that Hu Tao is blushing for the first time ever —ever since they’ve become
familiar with one another.

“Guess they had some misunderstanding, huh?” Fischl ruminates, popping from behind him. Venti
looks over his shoulder to check on the till. He sees Kaeya standing behind it, and Noelle is
serving two new customers that came in.

“Yeah, seems like it,” Venti responds, sighing. “No idea about what though. And this is the only
time I’ve actually seen them fighting.”

Fischl puts both hands on her hips. “Young love,” she exhales dreamily, making Venti snort.

“You talk like an old person sometimes, it’s weird.”

She doesn’t take any offense from that, it’s plain as day, to which Venti has expected; instead she
shrugs and proceeds to wipe at the counter and fix the alignment of the tissue and straw dispensers.
“Yeah, well. At least I don’t look like one,” she retorts, laughing. Venti hums his assent, busily
wiping at some glasses before him. “How’s Xiao, by the way?”

Venti falters at the mention of his best friend, only if for a short second, and then he’s releasing a
breath. “Oh, he’s fine. Doing a photoshoot at the moment.”

“I see. Then again, how are things with him?” Fischl proceeds to ask, and Venti has to keep himself
from choking on his spit for how hard his heart has lurched in his chest. Hngg. He swears he needs
to practice being composed inside and out whenever Xiao is being mentioned in conversations.
Although this one in particular isn’t the casual one he’d hope for, still, he needs to get his shit
together.

“What are you talking about? We’re cool. We’re both busy in terms of academics, we still share
the bills back at our place, the usual,” he croons, humming under his breath to appear unperturbed.

Fischl hums too, but her version made her sound doubtful. Something Venti pointedly evades.
“Okay, then. If you say so, Venti,” she then settles with, and that’s where the subject of Xiao ends,
to which Venti is most thankful for. “We’re receiving our salary tomorrow, by the way, Mr. Draff
told me. Have you gotten your card?”

“I have, I’m all set.” Venti grins, because he is. Gods, he waited long enough to get this stupid
debit card, there’s no way in hell he’d pass on the chance to receive his salary now.

“Good!” Fischl huffs, and they both grin witlessly, creepily in sync. So Venti isn’t the only one
excited about their paycheck then. “I’m buying myself a fucking bird!”

Around 5 PM is when Ganyu arrives at the shop to fetch Venti. They’d texted and planned ahead,
Ganyu saying she needs his company to go to the mall and perhaps see a film with her. Venti
grants her invitation, so after Venti clocks out of Cat’s Tail, they leave for the mall that’s a train
away from where he works, changing from his work attire to his packed outfit specifically for this
errand. Fischl, Noelle, and Kaeya say their goodbye to them, wishing them safe travels, and Venti
tips his hat at that, waving goodbye as well.

“See you all next week!” He chirps.

Kaeya flashes a blinding smile his way. “Take care, Barbatos!”

He hooks arms with Ganyu as they walk to the subway. “So, what are we watching?”

She trills, putting a finger under her cheek as she tilts her head. “I haven’t really decided on that
yet… but maybe we can just choose once we get there. Anything will do anyway.” She smiles at
him.

Venti nods, enthusiastic. “I’m on board with that!”

They ride the tube and step out after passing by three more stations. The mall is just the average
kind, which they both prefer. They only have to go to the cinemas after all, and buy a new dress for
Ganyu, and maybe a new bucket hat for Venti? Or—right, a belated present for Klee!

But what would Klee like though? Venti ponders this as they stroll toward the entrance of the mall.
Immediately, they get engulfed by the air-conditioning of the massive facility, and Venti’s
thoughts screech into a halt as a result.

The first thing they do is walk in and out of one department store after another, to look for a violet,
flowy dress. Ganyu withdraws cash from hers, Xiao and Qiqi’s bank account after a while,
explaining rather unnecessarily just in case she might need more. Venti helps her out with her
shopping bags after she’s done; turns out she also took a couple of shirts and tank tops off aisles
and racks, so indeed she needed the extra mora. Venti giggles when she offers to buy him some
pretzels and churros, and then after that they’re dropping by the cinemas to watch what’s newest on
the list.

They settled for some psychological horror film under A24, and just as expected of the production
company, it was a phenomenal movie. Though a whole lot spooky of course, alarming, and
throughout it, Venti and Ganyu held onto each other and tried to hide behind their palms,
screaming and gasping at the latter parts of the film when shit started going down. Heck, even
right from the moment Charlie’s head snapped off her neck during that emergency car ride with her
older brother, Venti had shrieked like a shaken loon. And Ganyu had laughed at his cowardly ass,
making him smack her arm, eliciting a bright bark of laughter from her. As expected, people in the
cinema chastised them for being too noisy, hissing a loud ssshhhh at them, to which they
embarrassingly hid themselves by sinking down in their seats, choosing to keep quiet. But that was
also after they grinned evilly at each other, skittish.

It was a really enjoyable jiff for Ganyu and Venti, in the end, and as they emerge from the movie
house, Venti still hugging the popcorn in his right arm, they almost didn’t notice Mona sitting
alone on a table inside a congested restaurant nestled between two other more eateries, the one in
front of the cinema where they came from, because they were too busy recalling all the best scenes
of what they’d just watched.

Venti beams when they see that it really is her, and he sifts to approach her, already taking a step,
but Ganyu snags his hand. Venti looks at her in question. As it is, her eyes are hard yet a little
wavering, looking straight ahead. Venti follows her line of sight, and—

“What is she doing here?” Ganyu is whispering next to him.

It’s Keqing, the short-haired girl from last time, Ganyu’s— acquaintance? Is that how he should
address the girl?

Venti looks at Ganyu once again, and he can feel her tensing. Why would she even be petrified like
this? They can very well just walk up to Keqing and say hi, right? No harm in that.

“Maybe it’s pure coincidence,” Venti offers absently, but then he’s noticing the way Ganyu is
pursing her lips, her cheeks flushed red, the way she’s clutching her shopping bags tightly
bordering on iron grip… Wait, why is she acting this way? Help him, Venti is immensely lost here.
Quickly, Venti glances back to the direction of where Keqing is, and from there he watches like a
hawk, the part where she’s entering the same restaurant where Mona is, and—Venti holds his
breath the moment he sees Keqing approach Mona and tries to kiss her on the cheek only that
Mona angles her face away to avoid it, and then sags down in her seat with a pained facial
expression. What the hell is going on?

“L-let’s go, Venti—” Ganyu chokes out, her voice cracking at the end, and then she’s all the
sudden pulling Venti’s arm again, dragging them both out of there.

“Ganyu, what’s—what’s wrong? What was that?” Venti manages to ask, heaving madly at how
fast they fled the scene. They find themselves standing behind a post, and Ganyu is looking down
on the ground, hands balled into fists.

“So, it is Mona,” she mutters monotonously, out of breath too.

“Mona? I don’t understand, Ganyu…” Venti whispers, being wary. He doesn’t want to put more
weight into the situation, whatever this is.

“I’ll…tell you about it later, just… please, let’s go home.”

Nodding, Venti doesn’t hesitate to escort Ganyu out of the mall, not even caring if he hasn’t bought
a gift for Klee just yet before they’re leaving. He supposes he can delay, there’s still tomorrow for
that. Meanwhile, he’s holding Ganyu closely and they ride the tube back to the dormitory, next to
each other with no words being exchanged between them, and as soon as they land, Ganyu asks
that Venti accommodate her back to his room, just anywhere that isn’t hers so she can tell him
about everything. He complies easily, hopeful upon lending her some time of his day—to listen, to
be a shoulder to lean on—and therefore they’re entering his and Xiao’s dorm with no further ado.

“We’re home,” Venti says into the room, for no one in particular, as soon as they step in. He isn’t
expecting anyone to answer, so when Xiao perks up from where he’s feeding Cecilia, Venti feels a
little astounded.

“Oh, you’re together.”

Venti stares back at him (getting a mild whiplash at the sight of his best friend looking so cozy in a
gray sweater and joggers, a silver necklace around his neck and his black piercings decorating each
his ears—and just fuck, why does Xiao have to look this dapper and Venti can’t even do anything
about it? Can’t do anything to him?), and then tightens his hold onto Ganyu’s hand before letting it
go. “Hey, yeah, we went to the mall to watch a movie,” Venti tells Xiao as curtly as he can.

“Ah, what did you guys watch?” Xiao asks conversationally, stalking towards them as he shoves
his hands in the pockets of his joggers. Venti notes he’s wearing some black socks and his hair
looks softer than usual, no hair treatments whatsoever.

“Hereditary,” Ganyu answers, much too quickly for Venti’s liking. Her voice is floundering, and
that can’t be good. This is Xiao after all, the most perceptive one. He might figure them out.

However, “Ah, that horror film,” Xiao only muses, tilting his head up as he probably tries to recall.
“How was it—”

“No time for chit-chats,” Venti cuts in, shoving at Ganyu’s back half-heartedly. “Ganyu, in my
room, go,” he tells her gently, and Ganyu nods, smiling sheepishly at her brother.

“Sorry, ge, Venti and I need to discuss something,” she relays, and Venti can almost hear the
despondent tone in her voice.

“Huh? About what?” Xiao presses, seemingly confused. Venti feels for him, because he’s just as
baffled at whatever is happening with Ganyu and that Keqing girl, really, and…Mona, he
presumes. He never saw that one coming.

“Just—girl talk!” Venti warbles for the both of them, flashing Xiao his best fake grin. Please,
Xiao, just drop it.
Not wasting any more time, Venti springs into action and starts to walk towards his room, but of
course, of course, Xiao won’t leave him alone, he captures Venti’s forearm and pulls him back into
the hamper. “What’s going on, Venti?” He shoots, amber eyes blazing with eagerness to know.

And Venti ignores how his heart has lodged in his throat, facing Xiao properly to dismiss him,
“Just, you know, a Venti-Ganyu type of thing. Stop butting in, Xiao, she’ll tell you when she’s
ready. Private matters, girl talk. Capiche?”

Xiao stares at him speechlessly. Until he sighs. “Fine.” And then he’s seizing Venti’s arm. Venti
nods at him, grateful. “Just… call me if you guys need anything,” he adds, voice soft. Too soft.
Ahhh, this is why Venti loves him so damn much, he’s so caring for his loved ones. Venti can’t
breathe.

He composes himself quickly, nodding. “Sure. Thanks for understanding, Xiao.”

After that was said, Venti leaves the hallway to get to his own room where Ganyu is already sitting
on his bed, head bent down, shopping bags by the floor right beside her feet. He shuts his door
behind him and he swears he catches a glimpse of Xiao’s concerned summate from across the
living room. Gosh, he’s such a worrywart… As much as Venti would like to fill him in about
Ganyu’s burdens and qualms, sadly, even Venti is puzzled at this moment. He still hasn’t an iota as
to why Ganyu is looking so… heartbroken like this. Which bruises Venti to no end, of course. But
he’d like to try and mend her fretting at least, and for now, all he can lend her are his ears and
attention—to listen to what she has to say, so he is.

Venti gathers his stuff and scattered papers over his desk, dumps them inside the last drawer, then
he shuts his laptop’s lid and flops down on his revolving computer chair. He swivels it around to
face Ganyu; she who’s already looking up at him, eyes red. Shit, she’s crying.

“Ganyu—”

“That—what we saw just now. Keqing, she told me she had someone… she didn’t say they are
actually together, but they did sleep with each other a lot, but never got into a real relationship.”

“Oh.” So, Mona and Keqing are… fuck buddies?

Ganyu sniffs. “I didn’t expect this, fuck,” she swears, and Venti is hearing about it for the first
time. “She could’ve just told me!”

“What’s… what’s up with you and Keqing anyway?” Venti asks, quietly. Carefully. He’s being
gentle about this with her, okay?

“Keqing and I are—” she pauses as she focuses her gaze on Venti. “We’ve been having sex.”

Venti’s mouth forms an O, and not just the small one but rather the big one, because holy shit. This
is a huge deal after all. “Wow,” he exhales.

Ganyu rolls her eyes, directing them up the ceiling—perhaps to keep her tears from sliding down
her cheeks. “Yeah, we’ve been doing it behind everyone’s back. Then again, I didn’t expect that
I’d just be one of her fuck buddies too—like Mona, apparently. I thought what we had was… was
us slowly stepping in for a proper relationship. Shit, I’m so fucking dumb!”

Venti frowns at this. “Hey, Ganyu, it’s not your fault. Hey.” He shoots up from the revolving chair
to sit beside her on the bed, the surface dipping with his weight, and that has Ganyu leaning against
him instantly, finally letting her tears fall. “Sshh, stop blaming yourself,” Venti tries his best to
soothe, rubbing on her arm that’s draped around her.
“I know I shouldn’t be expecting things from her—I shouldn’t be expecting anything in return,
because we’ve made it clear that there will be no strings attached, but… but it still hurts, seeing her
meeting another girl like that. Today, when I saw her—I asked her to come with me at the mall
before I asked you, Venti. And she…declined my invitation, lied about doing something regarding
school and—” she chokes on a sob, “—I have never felt so betrayed before. And the thing is, she
didn’t even owe me anything. She didn’t owe me honesty, we’re not dating.”

Venti listens to Ganyu weep, and all he can do is be there for her. “I’m… I don’t know what to say,
love…” he murmurs in the end, heart aching seeing her so downtrodden like this.

“That’s fine, Venti… you don’t have to say anything. I’m simply thankful you’re here with me
right now.” She sniffles again, making Venti tighten his hold around her lithe, curled up form,
seemingly cowering from the world, hiding her sorrows but to no avail.

It takes a bit of time before Ganyu’s sobs fully subside, and as she straightens up a little, wiping at
her cheeks, she continues with her story. “This is why Keqing cut her hair short. She’s mentioned
about getting hurt and wanting to change her appearance as part of the moving on process.”

“So, it’s Mona that hurt her,” Venti mutters, pursing his lips.

“Pretty much. From what we just saw anyway, that’s what I’m getting out of it. Keqing used to
have really long and lively hair, and to think that she’d…cut it that short for someone…” Ganyu
trails off, until she sighs forlornly, “That can only mean she loved this person, maybe even a lot.
And it had to be Mona, our friend, of all people. Crap.”

Venti grimaces at the notion, looking down at his hands. They’ve all been friends with Mona for a
year already and she’s awesome. One of the most awesome people in their circle of friends, in fact.
Venti doesn’t think he can just put their friendship on—what exactly? On hold? All because of…
this. Like, Venti doesn’t roll like that, damn. Everyone means something to him, his friends,
Ganyu, Xiao—and that includes Mona. He treasures every single one of them. But then…

“Whatever it is you’re thinking about doing, don’t do it,” Ganyu suddenly tells him, voice firm,
making Venti flick his attention back to her. “You don’t have to start avoiding Mona because of
me, you know. And… I’m not doing the same either.” She shakes her head. “They must have a
good reason or perhaps explanation for what we had to witness. I’ll ask as soon as I bump into
Keqing on Monday.”

Cautiously, Venti nods at her, holding her gaze. “Alright, Ganyu. I hope… everything goes well.”

“Me too,” Ganyu whispers, turning away. She stands up from the bed, gathering her shopping bags
one by one. “Venti, um… thank you. For listening, and for not making me feel bad about… hiding
this stuff from you. Or anyone for that matter.”

“Mhmm… I’m guessing even Xiao doesn’t know?”

Ganyu shakes her head. “I didn’t want to tell him. Not yet, at least. Not until it was official between
me and—that girl.”

“I see. I understand, Ganyu…” He does, he really does. He’s memorized Xiao like his damn recital
piece. Xiao would definitely reject the idea the second he hears it (his sister? Engaging in a ‘friends
with benefits, no strings attached companionship’? Hell no), so Venti isn’t exactly expecting her to
just out herself to her overly concerned, caring brother. Respectively, not in a million years.

Ganyu stands near the door, wrapping her palm around the doorknob. Venti catches her taking a
deep breath. “Please, don’t let him see me like this,” she pleads, gingerly so, but just enough for
Venti to hear.

“Of course,” Venti jumps off his bed and pads to where she is. He bursts out his door and
immediately looks for Xiao who’s right by the sofa, cleaning up some of his camera equipment.

He looks up. “So you did need something.”

Venti shakes his head. “Yeah. We need your—um, we need a pair of socks.” Socks? Really,
Barbatos?

Xiao cocks a brow. “Mine?”

“Yes, yours.” Venti nods.

Sighing, Xiao rises from the couch and disappears into his room, letting the door click shut behind
him. He didn’t even ask what for… Oh well. Venti makes a run for it and beckons for Ganyu to
step out of his room. “Coast is clear,” he hoots. Ganyu hurries and makes for the front door, and
then she slips out just like that. Venti turns back around just in time to see Xiao coming out of his
room and appearing by the hallway. “You took too long, Ganyu already left. I let her borrow my
own pair of socks instead.”

“Ah,” Xiao parts his lips, and then nods. “Okay.”

Shrugging in defeat, Venti walks past Xiao to go back to his own room again, but that’s after he’s
witnessed Xiao tossing the ball of socks into the air, shaking his head with an innocent smile.
Venti allows himself to simper, albeit sadly. Maybe one day, Xiao, she’ll let you in on the matter.
But for now, let her handle it on her own.

Venti stops on his tracks as soon as he closes his door, and he shivers slightly, realizing something.

No wonder Scaramouche found Mona that night, drunk to her jest. It all makes sense now.

True to his words, Venti came back to the mall and procured a gift for Klee. Since she’s turned
eleven, he supposes she doesn’t want toys anymore for her age, so in the end he got her some
clothes and a new headwear. He and Klee both love wearing them, he knows this for a fact, he’s
been with her a couple of times, and in all those times, he saw her wear a hundred different hats, so
he thought maybe she’d like to add another one to her hat wardrobe. It’s just a simple Totoro
themed hat, a great blending of gray and indigo, very adorable looking. He can already imagine her
blonde hair looking pretty from beneath it, making him break into a wide sunny grin.

After that, Venti drops by the grocery store on the ground floor, pushes idly on a cart while he
wheels through various aisles, throwing stuff into it, those he surmises they’d be needing for the
next few weeks, some things he’d also like to try, like noodles with flavors he’s only learned of
today. Yes, he just got his salary from Cat’s Tail, so hurray for him.

“Excuse me,” he murmurs just as he turns a corner to get to a row where there should be cereals
and biscuits.

“Oh, go ahead, sorry,” the person apologizes and Venti brushes them off, but that’s until he
glances their way. “Venti?”

“Scaramouche.” Venti blinks back at him. Oh, speaking of the devil. “Out for groceries, too?” He
asks, gripping on the cart handle.
“Yeah,” Scaramouche answers with a nod of his head. Venti looks down at his hands and there he
sees him holding a basket full of…soap?

Feeling a smile threatening to form across his lips, Venti gestures with his hand to it, “I take it
you’re doing your laundry once you get home?” He chuckles, putting a hand on his mouth. Shit, he
must look like he’s being rude making fun of someone he barely knows. And he doesn’t even know
why he finds this humorous at all, but alas, he does, and with the smug look that Scaramouche is
giving him, Venti can’t help dissolving into laughter, more boisterously than before.

“Yeah, and?” Scaramouche puts a hand on his hip, as if to say got a problem?

Venti shakes his head. “Nothing, nothing. Just that, I never depicted you up for someone who
would do their laundry by their hands,” he teases, smirking up at him.

And if Venti thought he’d see Scaramouche come off insulted, instead the boy merely shrugs,
cocking a brow. “I find it relaxing,” he admits smoothly, solemnly, and—Venti can respect that.

“That’s quite cool, actually,” Venti concedes, nodding his head in approval. “Good on you.
Anyway, I need to get back with… uhh.” He motions to the cart he’s pushing and filling up, and
then he’s carting onward not waiting for a reply, searching the aisle for something sweet (yet not
too sugary) type of cereals. Then suddenly, Scaramouche is bounding up beside him, humming
under his breath. “Need anything?” Venti quips, raising an eyebrow as he reaches for a box of
Honey Stars.

Scaramouche releases a breath behind him, clicking his tongue. “Well… I just finished getting
everything I need, so I thought that maybe I could be your companion?” He fixes Venti a look,
leaning in to see how Venti would react to it.

“Ah.” Venti smiles. “Sure, be my guest.”

Frankly, Venti is surprised to see someone like Scaramouche in a place like this, judging from the
way he’d bullied Mona and made fun of her the first time they met—that one incident—he didn’t
think he’d be the domestic kind. And that was Venti’s bad, he thought Scaramouche would be that
kind of person, the one who would not care about something like hand-washing his own discarded
clothes and shop in a cheap grocery store, and he thought that maybe the likes of Scaramouche
would be the irresponsible one. But can you really blame Venti? Just look at Scaramouche now
with his Off The Wall shirt and cargo shorts, and black high tops, a black snapback pushed over his
head. Who would’ve thought? He looks like some… rich spoiled kid who would rather spend his
entire day skating in a park, smack someone over the head with his skateboard and collapse to the
ground in hysterics whilst he pointed at their sorry faces. Fuck, Venti is so judgmental in this
moment, isn’t he? He can only laugh at the fact however, because hey, it’s Scaramouche.

Maybe he’d trusted Mona too much—with all the things she said about him. Although thinking
about what Mona had relayed last time as well, the part where she’d told him that Scaramouche
took her home—possibly even took care of her, made her sleep on his bed despite they were perfect
strangers—that goes to show just how tame Scaramouche can be, how responsible he is and who
could be, even, a good candidate for boyfriend material. Venti flushes at the idea, chancing a
glance at Scaramouche who’s simply walking next to him, unaware of his own racing thoughts.

“You’re too quiet,” Venti suddenly blurts, making Scaramouche turn to him.

“Oh, am I? I mean, I usually am anyway. There’s not much to say.”

“I suppose so.”
They fall silent. Venti proceeds to another alley and Scaramouche follows along. They’re by the
kitchenware, and Venti scrunches his nose at it—he doesn’t need anything here. So he pushes the
cart forward to perhaps go to where the condiments are. Oh, and he needs some boxes of milk!

Their little detour goes on like that for the next few minutes; just Venti grabbing some stuff,
Scaramouche walking alongside him, sometimes throwing in suggestions when Venti asks for
some.

“Did you just transfer to our college?”

Scaramouche regards him. “No? If you’re pertaining to the fact that we only just met, I’d say it’s
because I didn’t like hanging around with other people. Well, except for Xiao and a few guys, but
other than that—I always go straight home.”

“Oh, I guess that explains it,” Venti drones, then grabs a bottle of pepper from the rack. “And, this
is your second year too.”

“Uh-huh. Photography isn’t really my thing, but all my colleagues have become successful with it,
so I thought I’d try it myself—besides, I’ve been told I’m quite alright with photographing,
capturing moments and all that.”

“Might I ask who told you that?”

Scaramouche hums. “Rosalyne and Arlecchino, my childhood friends. My dad said so too, and…”
He trails off, tutting as he ponders for a bit. Then he snaps his fingers, “Oh, right. And Xiao.”

“You’re close with Xiao, aren’t you?” Venti concludes, trying to pry, nudging Scaramouche’s side
with his elbow.

“Kind of,” Scaramouche responds off-handedly, and then eyes Venti, licking his lips before he
adds, “Why? You love him?”

Venti stops on his tracks, abruptly. Thoroughly abruptly. And he stares at Scaramouche, fully
aware of how he’s gawking at this point, mouth gaping. He doesn’t know what to say to that aside
from, “Are you dumb?”

Blinking rapidly as his first retaliation, Scaramouche melts into a laughing hyena afterwards,
clutching on his belly as he bends down a little. “Fuck, I’m sorry—the look on your face.
Priceless.”

Irked, Venti scrambles to get away from him, feeling his cheeks warm up too quickly. Way too
fucking quickly like it always does wherever Xiao is involved.

“Hey, wait up!” He hears Scaramouche call, still laughing at his misery, but Venti ignores it in
favor of trying to calm his nerves, pushing his cart faster than normal. When Venti takes a drift,
turning a corner, a body slams against the end of his cart and topples backward a little.

“What the?” An annoyed grunt.

“Sorry!” Venti winces, dipping his head in shame to avoid looking at the person he ran over. Shit.

“Tch. Clumsy as always.”

“Venti, hey! I said I was sorry… whoa.” Scaramouche stops chasing after him just as he reaches
his side. “Well, would you look at that? It’s Xiao!” He laughs brightly.
Xiao. Venti looks up so fast his neck almost snaps, and yes, it’s Xiao indeed. He feels his cheeks
burning again, in swiffer strides this time, his palms sweating from around the cart handles he’s
been clinging to. Xiao is looking at him, and then at Scaramouche, and back to him. “You two
have been grocery shopping together?” He asks, tone sounding a bit adrift, making Venti’s skin
crawl.

It’s only then that he notices the other two people that Xiao is with, one of them being Kazuha, the
other one Aether. Of course, Xiao and him have their own sets of friends—then again, Venti is also
familiar with Xiao’s friends just as they know him back. And that’s why Aether waves at him
anyway, beaming adorably. “Barbatos, hi.”

“Hi, Aether,” Venti finally finds his voice, willing himself to get back to his senses. He addresses
Xiao next, because it’s Xiao and he’s here, “And yeah, you could say that, although I just
happened upon Scaramouche. We didn’t… we didn’t go together.”

“True. I don’t even know his number,” Scaramouche laments, and that probably triggered
something in his head because he’s suddenly pulling out his phone and handing it over to Venti.
“So then, type it in!”

Blowing out a sigh, Venti does, and for some reason he can feel Xiao’s eyes boring into his skull
the longer he holds Scaramouche’s iPhone. After he’s done saving his number, he returns
Scaramouche’s phone to him so he can put his attention back to Xiao.

Xiao is tapping away on his phone too, he deems, so Venti takes that time to acknowledge
Kazuha’s presence, the boy merely smiling at him in a shy manner, eyes shifting back and forth,
cheeks dusted pink, while he engages in a conversation with Aether in front of him. Xiao’s phone
rings, Venti watches as he accepts a call, turning his back on everyone around him.

This is the moment in which Venti drinks in Xiao’s outfit, out of things to do. Because he’s always
loved taking note of everyone’s grasp on fashion, it seems, especially if it’s Xiao’s. Today he’s
wearing a seaweed green varsity jacket with the letter A embroidered at the right breast span of
fabric, which stands for Alatus, obviously, and a simple raven V-neck shirt from underneath, then a
pair of black ripped skinny jeans. Lastly his trademark Adidas sneakers, but right now they’re the
color sage to match his jacket. He’s not wearing a cap, but his longer strands of teal hair are
missing at the sides of his face, for he’s tied it in a ponytail. So pretty much, Xiao is once again a
hot mess in Venti’s eyes, ever the merciless, fit art student that Venti would declare, rather proudly,
is to die for.

He sighs, shoulders slumping. Oh, to have a hot best friend. Venti is suffering, alright? He is!

“You’re drooling, Venti.”

“No, I’m not,” Venti protests, lighthearted.

There’s a pinch on his cheek and it’s from Scaramouche’s gentle fingers. Venti bites on the inside
of his cheek to make him let go, but of course the git wouldn’t. “You’re so cute, you know? I think
I’m beginning to like you.”

Caught off-guard by the sudden confession (or was this guy messing with him? Which is it?), Venti
shoots him a look, eyes wide. “What—”

Someone clears their throat. “So, Venti.”

“Eh?”
Oh, Xiao is talking to him. Venti feels a little dizzy. “Why are you buying so many?”

Why is he buying so… Venti looks down on the cart with piles of stuff he’s gathered just now, and
—

“B-because I thought we needed this many,” he stumbles out, blinking dazedly back up at Xiao.

“No, we don’t,” he clips, tone dead. Xiao moves towards him as he shoves his phone in the pocket
of his jacket, nudging Venti’s side to make him scoot, and then he removes Venti’s hands off the
cart handle, wheeling it away. “You’re wasting money and resources. You know damn well some
of these will be rotten after a week.”

Venti blinks, unable to function properly as he watches Xiao’s back withdraw. Venti’s first instinct
is, of course, to run after him so he does, leaving the others behind. Never mind that Scaramouche
just confessed his crush on Venti. It’s probably just a joke anyway, right?

“Xiao, wait up! I’m sorry!” He manages to catch up to Xiao, and just when Xiao is putting some of
the things he took earlier back to their places in an aisle, Venti is heaving, catching his breath. “I
wasn’t thinking, I’m sorry,” he repeats another apology, pouting up at Xiao.

“What were you even thinking?” Xiao is scolding him, shaking his head as he puts back two
bottles of oyster sauce back on the rack. And it isn’t even the right rack. Xiao clicks his tongue,
clearly displeased. “Too much. Too much sauces.”

Venti can feel his lips wobbling in dismay, feeling like an utter failure. He sees Xiao grabbing the
bag with Klee’s present. “That’s a gift,” he quickly supplies before Xiao can shoot a question.

“For?” He does so anyway.

“For Klee.”

Xiao lets go of the bag and proceeds to cart down the aisle. Aether, Scaramouche, and Kazuha
walk from behind them, and Venti can feel their gazes boring into his and Xiao’s backs, also
catching the way Scaramouche is eyeing Kazuha, very briefly so. Hm. “What are you doing here,
Xiao? I thought you got an appointment…” Venti mumbles, head ducked.

“Just finished,” replies Xiao coarsely.

“I see.” Venti sticks to his right side and he peers up at him while he’s busily putting back more
stuff into random shelves. “Look, Xiao, I’m sorry, okay? I just thought we’d need to fill up our
fridge and cupboards again.”

Xiao stops pushing the cart and faces Venti with a sigh. Venti waits for him to reprimand him
again, but in the end, Xiao reaches a hand to pat his head twice and tells him, voice soft, “Fine,”
and then he’s redeeming his hand, fairly quickly, to proceed their stroll down the alley.

Venti breaks into a wide grin and releases the breath he didn’t even realize he’s been holding, his
heart soaring in happiness at the cute little moment they just shared. Damn it, maybe Xiao loves
him too. Wishful thinking, Barbatos! He runs after his best friend once more, and by means of
pretending he’s still feeling guilty for what he’s done, he goes back to sulking and pouting, just
because.

“Stop doing that, Venti, you look ugly.”

“E-eh?” Now, what’s the big idea? He splutters, scowling up at Xiao. “No, you!”
Xiao scoffs, grabbing a box of strawberry milk off a fridge. “You.”

“No, you.” Venti huffs.

Xiao’s arm comes around his head and Venti chokes on air with the way the guy is head-locking
him, mussing his hair and pinching his cheek. “Xiaooo!” He shrieks in protest, trying to free
himself but to no avail. Xiao releases him. “You’re such a jerk!”

The guy laughs at him, and Venti can’t even find it in himself to feel offended about it, if what
he’s presented with is that smile—that very rare smile that Xiao only ever gives to him. So, in the
end he resigns to purely counterfeiting that he’s miffed at him, folding his arms over his chest, to
which Xiao has rolled his eyes for.

After they paid for their groceries by the register, Scaramouche leaves with Kazuha and Aether,
but that’s after Scaramouche whispers to Venti that he’ll text him later tonight. Venti can only nod,
cheeks hot from Scaramouche’s breath fanning his earlobe. He sees Xiao eyeing them too, while
he deals with their grocery bags, which only made the matter worse, but Venti thought he did fine
anyway, dismissing Scaramouche with a two-finger salute. Dude bro pal Scaramouche, so long!
You may be a snack yourself, but I only have eyes for Xiao, please and thank you!

Before leaving the mall entirely, Xiao treats Venti to some fries and float first and foremost, taking
pity on him probably, for how he’d tried his best to run their errands just to come out a failure, yet
still, Venti walks out the mall a happy boy beside his best friend, munching on his fries like they’re
the most delicious meal in the planet.

Xiao stares at the letter in his hand, eyes set hard, jaws clenching from where Venti can see them,
their grocery bags lying around their feet on the ground. “That’s it, Venti. We’re calling the cops.”

Venti opens his mouth to argue, but no words come out of it, no sound, no nothing. Xiao snatches
the bags off the ground and whittles past him to scamper up the stairs to their dorm. Venti shuts his
lips and dashes up the steps as well, and as soon as they barge through the door, that’s the only
time Venti musters up the courage to speak. “What for, Xiao?”

Xiao slams the door shut as soon as Venti steps away from it. “If these letters don’t stop coming,
I’d have no choice but to report whoever this person is to the police. Track them down, the lot.”

“Eh? Aren’t you taking it a bit too seriously?” Venti squawks at him. That’s just absurd!

Xiao deplores. “Are you hearing yourself right now? This is some creepy asshole stalking you!
They deserve to be jailed.”

“But they’re harmless though, aren’t they?” Venti tries to reason, coming up to Xiao to take the
paper from his hand, but Xiao is quick to snatch his arm away. And being mere inches taller than
Venti, it’s a piece of cake for him to keep the paper out of Venti’s reach, even more so when he
starts to tiptoe, suddenly making him a head taller.

As much as Venti finds that painfully (undeniably) exquisite, he needs to focus on the task at hand
and grab on the freaking love letter, so he ignores their height difference for now—as well as
Xiao’s enticing scent that’s rendering him slightly unfocused from how delectable he smells, damn
him—and thrusts his arm up in the air. But Xiao is very persistent, despite Venti’s best efforts that
he just can’t seem to tick him off.

As he’s busily trying to get a hold of the paper, it completely goes past his head the fact that he and
Xiao are practically nose to nose now after all, just when Xiao has angled his head downward to fix
him a glare. And it’s as if the time stops when their gazes lock, Venti’s breath hitching against his
throat, his lips parting little by little, that he finally acknowledges it.

Venti blinks once, watching intently the way Xiao’s cheeks are slowly but surely blooming as if
it’s magically happening before Venti’s eyes, the time slowing down around them, the way the
hollows of Xiao’s cheeks are getting dusted of the most beautiful shade of…pink. Because their
faces are down to one centimeter away from each other.

Venti’s breathless—and he realizes he’s only seen them today, on this day. That enthralling color
of silk flowers on Xiao’s face. Only at this moment.

They’ve been best friends forever, and this is the only time that he’s seen Xiao— this stone cold
Xiao, never dates Xiao, too good to be real Xiao —blush so openly like this.

In a heartbeat, as if a bucket of iced cold water has been dumped over their heads, they jump apart.

And it’s Xiao who clears his throat, coughing into his fist to diffuse the lingering awkwardness
they’ve cornered themselves in, respectively. Venti on the other hand is looking down on the
ground, biting hard on his lower lip where he lets himself taste metal. What just happened? He asks
himself.

“You…” Xiao trails off, and gods, even his voice sounds hoarse. Xiao clears his throat again. “You
need to set your priorities straight, Venti… This isn’t good. Receiving these letters is just trouble
waiting to happen.”

Feeling his blood rushing up to his head, Venti perks and gives him a hard look. And just like that,
their little moment back there has vanished, replaced by this; Venti’s snappiness and Xiao’s
authoritative demeanor. Just like how it always goes when they’re arguing over something—as
best of friends.

“Can you not, Xiao? Stay out of my business,” he bites, furrowing his brows. And that must’ve
triggered something in Xiao’s head because he doesn’t respond as efficiently with a comeback.

Until he does, scoffing out a sardonic laugh making Venti falter for a second for how sour it came
out. “Ah… I think I know now.”

“What?” Venti rasps, staggering. “What did you know?”

Shaking his head, Xiao crumples the paper in his hand and lets it drop to the ground right beside
his shoe. Venti watches it fall. He doesn’t make a move to go fetch it. “You’re loving the attention,
aren’t you?”

And, what?

“I beg your pardon? Xiao…?”

“You like it. The way someone out there is begging to be closer to you. That someone keeps on
sending you these… This crap.” Xiao steps on the paper, and Venti forces himself not to appear as
disgraced as he is.

Instead, Venti laughs testily, and he surmises with a pinch of venom on his tongue, “Now, that’s
just bullshit.”

“Bullshit? I’m right though, yeah?” Xiao tips his chin up, cocking an eyebrow at him, his eyes cold
and daunting.
This Xiao—this is what Venti’s never hoped for to be faced with, ever. He gets competitive, he
gets…ruthless. Callous.

“I’m not, Xiao,” Venti mutters, suddenly feeling small in front of this Xiao, heart beating madly in
his chest as if wanting to break out of his ribcage. He hates fighting with Xiao, it’s the worst. He
might cry… he might cry. He doesn’t like what’s happening here.

“Liar.”

That’s…

Instantly, Venti’s gaze hardens, and he directs it at Xiao who’s looking back at him without an
ounce of regret in his blazing golden eyes. Venti wants to charge towards him, wants to tackle him
to the ground and kick him in the groin for being such a prick. Maybe throw in a punch too. “Why,
Xiao? Huh? Why? Are you fucking jealous?!”

He sees Xiao scruple, losing his stance if only by a blunt second before he’s pulling up a smirk,
gaze dark and stinging. “In your dreams, Barbatos.” Wow…wow.

Venti at this point is just swallowing down the sobs that are threatening to escape from his mouth,
because fuck no. Fuck if he just lets himself cave in. He’s not backing down—he refuses to give
Xiao the satisfaction. Not tonight!

And so he exclaims, “Fine!” And he starts pacing so as to avoid losing his balance, “Fine! Okay,
let’s say I like the attention, so fucking what?” He stops and faces Xiao. “So what?”

“So fucking what?!” Xiao detonates, eyes widening, appearing scandalized. “Are you fucking
kidding me right now?! You’re putting our lives at risk, Venti, that’s fucking what!”

“Boo-fucking-hoo! Exaggeration, Xiao!” Venti covers his ears just to spite, pacing back and forth
again, shaking his head as he does. Stupid Xiao with his stupid liability. Involving the police just
because of some…some dumb love letters? Seriously?

Groaning, exasperated as he is, Xiao yells in irritation, “Venti, they know about our fucking dorm
number and you’re not even a little bit fazed by that?!”

“I’m not? Oh, gods… Xiao! They’re not doing anything remotely bad, are they?! They’re only
sending harmless love letters! Check yourself! Cops?! Really?!”

“Fuck that! They know everything you’re doing, they compliment every little detail about you!
Aren’t you even the least bit concerned for yourself?! And—and the way they write, it’s as if they
know you!”

“So if they do?! I could’ve been hanging out with them every day, unknowingly! That’s why they
know so much about me! Wouldn’t that suggest that perhaps they’re just one of our friends?!”

“Like who?! Albedo? Scaramouche? Who knows you that well?!”

“I don’t fucking know!” Venti shrills, pulling at his hair in frustration.

Xiao chokes on a sarcastic laugh. “Fuck’s sake, Venti! No one knows you better than I do!”

Wait, what?

“What—what makes you say that?” Venti pauses with the screaming and shouting as he heaves,
backtracking a little. Xiao is staring back at him, and he sees the way the guy is snapping his
mouth shut. Venti doesn’t know why he suddenly feels like throwing up—regardless, he finds
himself having some trouble breathing because that’s unfair what Xiao just said to him. Taking a
sharp breath, Venti fails to find his footing and he’s unable to drive his tears away at this point, he
feels them bubbling up from the inseams of his eyes, blurring his visions. “You… you don’t know
me, Xiao,” comes his quiet reply, his feet dragging across the floor as if they have a mind of their
own.

“Venti—wait, that came out wrong, I’m sorry, I didn’t m—” Xiao gets cut off when Venti slams
the door. Xiao is probably going to apologize, but Venti is already out of the dorm, and even
though he doesn’t know where his shoes are going to take him, he gallops. He hears Xiao calling
his name, desperately, but Venti can’t fully register the sound of his voice through the loud beating
noise that’s coming from his heart, ringing through his ears and making it hard for him to focus on
the road ahead of him.

He thinks he’ll spend the night somewhere else. Until then, he’s not letting Xiao hear a word from
him.
 forget what i said, it’s not what i meant, and i can’t take it back; i can’t
unpack the baggage you left
Chapter Notes

THAT TRAILER... OH ME OH MY

CHAPTER FOUR

Xiao

He did run after Venti that night, but the love of his life was fast on his feet, hasty, unfortunately.
Or maybe it’s his small frame that could fit in the most obscure, narrowest spaces that it’d been
quite difficult for Xiao to find him. Then again, Xiao had memorized Venti’s inflection, his smell,
heck, his shadow… he could’ve probably heard his high-pitched sweet voice or smelled his unique
Venti scent if only he was still within his vicinity. Yet, he came out at disposal unsuccessfully.

That night, Xiao had to resort to bugging other people—again—calling up everyone, before he was
giving up. Gave up after two hours of patrolling around the city, grips fastened on his phone and
dialing numerous numbers of people they both have come to know over the course of three years,
looking at his surroundings, hoping to catch Venti, perchance, crying somewhere. He made him
cry, and it wasn’t because of Xiao’s relentless teasing this time, but something unkind…
perniciously upsetting. Xiao could not forgive himself.

“Hello, Xingqiu? Is Venti there?”

“No. Why, Xiao? Did you guys get into a feud again?” The tone on Xingqiu’s voice reminded
Xiao of when his mother would balk at him for coming home with a new splinter due to his
skateboarding hobby and slipping tendencies. It was a tone of disappointment, albeit with a touch
of fondness. He suddenly missed her. Xiao didn’t answer Xingqiu’s query and stayed quiet, guilty.
There was a sigh on the other line. “I’ll tell you if he decides to come here.”

“Thank you.”

He tried to call Xiangling next, but she wasn’t answering as if she already knew and was
intentionally ignoring Xiao’s calls. Not that Xiao could blame her… he’d dialed her number ten
times in a row. Xiao almost broke his knuckles wanting to punch a wall next to him out of
grievance. Who else to reach? Who else had Venti in their contacts?

Then he looked back to that time at the grocery…with Scaramouche getting Venti’s number; his
guts recoiled just by the mere idea of Venti running to him for comfort. Would Venti? Xiao didn’t
have a clue, but with his pride down the drain, Xiao called the guy. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Did Venti contact you?”

“Huh? Why would he? He doesn’t have my number… yet.” There was mirth lacing his tone, and
Xiao almost growled at him. But it wasn’t Xiao’s place, so instead he swallowed down the curses
that were threatening to slip past his tongue.
“I see. If… if he ever does though, tonight, inform me right away.”

“And why should I?” Scaramouche sounded amused.

Through gritted teeth, Xiao tacked on, “Just do it, Scara.”

“Fine, fine. Anything else, Your Highness?”

“Just… in case that he asks for your assistance and crashed at your place—”

“Wait, what? Why? Did something happen?”

“Nothing! As I was saying, make sure that you make him sleep on a soft bed, at least. He’ll need
it.”

Silence. “Sure, Xiao.”

“Thanks.” The line clicked dead. He shut his eyes and left it at that.

He was in panic, he was cloaked with hopelessness. He had been set to tell him how he really felt
for him too, making that the entire reason why he acted the way he did, irrationally, solely so he
could be forgiven. Fuck, Xiao knew it himself—the letters weren’t that deep, not a huge deal. In
fact, they were merely a bunch of scribbles that don’t even make sense, don’t hit home, perhaps?
He doubts Venti would just instantly fall in love with someone he hasn’t even met, or has no balls
to tell him those things in person…

You mean like yourself, Xiao?

He’s such a cockblocker.

This—this is exactly why he doesn’t deserve Venti. At all. Why can’t he just be happy for Venti?
Every time someone tries to get closer to his best friend, he tends to get jittery and have this sense
of urge to push them away. When someone so much as implies they’re interested in Venti, why is it
that Xiao always has the need to… to sabotage it—them—their chances on his best friend?
Disguising himself as worried, that he was a lone concerned friend… just so he could get things to
move according to the way he wants them to.

Xiao, he’s… he’s the worst when it comes to Venti than he is to his own sister. Fact.

And perhaps, the other thing is that Xiao has known Venti for a long, long time now, and he’s
receptive to the truth that Venti isn’t one to just let anyone in, unless they meant to offer him
platonic friendships. Venti is like that—he befriends everyone and anyone, but never once does he
let anyone into his heart for something that can be counted as de facto. It makes Xiao wonder
sometimes, is Venti even capable of loving romantically? Is he able to fall in love and surrender
himself in romance? But at the deeper corners of his brain, Xiao lamented conceivably, that Venti
is simply reserving himself for someone who is actually worthy of his heart. That heart that’s the
size of the sun, golden and pure. Warm. So warm sometimes that Xiao gets burned by it, unable to
seek it out by hand. It blinds him even more so, for how brightly it shines.

It’s like that to love Venti from afar. Xiao can only love him from a distance, afraid that if he got
closer, he would perish. So no wonder Xiao never did, had limited himself from coddling Venti
despite that’s what he’d like to do… every waking moment of his life.

And so maybe that explains their constant banters and quarrels. See, Xiao doesn’t know how to
carry himself around Venti most of the time, doesn’t know how to handle his feelings for the boy
that he’d rely on blustering him, lightheartedly. Or joke around him, take the piss and pick on him.

It’s not fair to do such things, but Xiao doesn’t know how else he would have to go about his
flooding affections for his best friend.

Why in the world did he even ask Venti to live with him in the first place? When truth of the matter
is, he can’t function like any normal human being for the life of him when he’s in the same room as
Venti. Ah, but who is Xiao kidding? Aether almost asked Venti to share a dorm with him a couple
of months ago, Xiao had overheard Aether and Lumine discussing it over lunch break, and that—
that had rendered Xiao terrified, like a complete tosser that he is.

He got up and left his seat, contacted Venti, and asked that they meet up at the gates of the uni.
And Venti had been there, right on the clock, and the way he’d looked that day… disarming. Xiao
was weak. Immensely, for him. He could’ve asked nicely on his behalf, but instead he’d blurted
out, “Ganyu said she wants us to board together, the three of us.” Xiao knew Venti would never say
no, but despite that assumption, still, Xiao was floored to see the result of his invitation. Because
immediately after, Venti’s eyes had lit up like a child receiving a gift on Christmas, and therefore
words got trapped in Xiao’s throat, he couldn’t have explained himself further. It was me, Venti. I
wanted to dorm with you, that’s the truth.

But… that’s just how it is. That’s what it’s like to love Venti. It’s easy, yet so hard. He’s so close,
yet so far away.

Xiao had none against the boy, he was but a mere speck amongst the sunbeams he generated; a fly
on his great, massive high walls; a mud amidst his expansion of lands. Venti, to Xiao, is
unreachable.

Earlier this morning when Xiao stepped out of his room, he found Venti lying on their sofa, still
wearing his yesterday’s clothes when they bumped into each other at the grocery, still clad with his
red converse shoes, drooling in his sleep. He was slumped on his front, one hand touching the
carpet, the other squished against his side, and—he looked rather peaceful yet stormy in a way that
Xiao’s heart ached seeing him like that. Couldn’t do anything about it.

Aside from… put some blanket over his figure of sole halcyon, placid. Harmonious.

Reluctant, Xiao had been, he almost leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on top of Venti’s head,
then maybe card his fingers through his dark loose hair. But Xiao is never the sponge. He’s never
the instigator, so he prioritized self-control over his selfish needs. Wants. He wants Venti so bad,
but he’s awfully daunted that that would ruin things between them. Their friendship is so beautiful
and refined, it means a lot to him that he can’t bring himself to decimate it.

Upon leaving the dorm, Xiao with his all-white Fujifilm Instax in hand, stopped by the living room
after preparing for college to check on Venti one last time. He was still heedless to the world, so
Xiao used that moment to—to embezzle another private moment from him, as it may be. Although
it took everything in Xiao, his conscience nagging at his senses and his heart throbbing in his chest,
Xiao braved through and allowed himself to be greedy just this once, then he took a snap. It
developed straight away, Xiao taking the picture and peering down at it with a gracious
downtrodden. It was of Venti’s slumbering face, hair askew, lips parted—elegant in a way that left
a square jab to Xiao’s chest. He looked rather otherworldly.

An addition to Xiao’s Venti Portfolio. Xiao slipped out of the dorm after that, heart heavy and
excessive of woe.
Xiao types in Venti’s birth date and his phone instantly unlocks. He lets passengers through as he
grips securely using one hand around the handle bar attached to the roof of the train. He quick-dials
his aunt’s number and meekly waits for her to pick up. Once she does, Xiao greets her in his
practiced polite resonance, asking about how she’s been these past months—he hasn’t gone out of
his way for a stopover, too engaged with his duties both in school and his part time job at the
shutter studio. He hasn’t seen his youngest sister in a while, and though that dampens his spirits at
times, Xiao knows a day will arrive wherein he’d see her again. In the meantime, this is his
selected passage to check up on her. To call in and ask for Qiqi to be put on the line.

“Gege?”

“So… how’s my favorite meimei?” He coos around a smile, heart emptying of any pieces of
burden only if in this rundown midge of juncture, just by purely hearing Qiqi’s delicate voice.

“Gege! Qiqi is doing good! How is Xiao?” She drones in question, voice minuscule and supple as
usual, inquisitive, his bright little Qiqi.

Smiling and heaving out a pleasant sigh, Xiao suffices her up about how he’s been, only the good
parts of course, doesn’t want his little sister worrying one bit. He permits how he misses her and
that he’ll come see her one of these days, and that he’ll score her her favorite drink. There’s
something about coconuts and milk that Qiqi is bewitched with, always has been, and Xiao and
Ganyu have just gone acclimatized to it. Especially when their parents…relinquished apropos of an
aeronautical collision, Qiqi would always ask for coconut milk as if it pacified her at times of rigor;
when she’s missing them. And Xiao, beyond question, would do everything and anything just to
bear her truce, to bring her nothing but serenity in her heart. Whenever Xiao would remember their
moments as a whole family, he’d sometimes tear up—it still hurts. And being the strongest
amongst them, him, Qiqi and Ganyu, Xiao can only imagine how dire and distressing it must be for
his two younger sisters.

“I’ll call you again next week, okay, meimei?” Xiao promises.

“Okay, gege! Qiqi will wait for you,” she says lovingly, voice sweet and feeble. Xiao grins, tightly,
feeling his heart careening up his throat. He longs for her, and this is making him feel… nostalgic.

They end the call before Xiao’s destination comes to view, and he locks his phone after catching a
glimpse of the time on its screen, 7:10 AM, it reads, then shoves it in his windbreaker’s pocket.

He steps out of the tube, mentally cursing in his head how he should hurry up with the savings so
he can buy himself a motorcycle, for all he knows. He’s always wanted one for himself, so it’d be
easier to go to and fro certain destinations. Or maybe a four-wheeled vehicle, Xiao really hasn’t
decided yet, though he’s already got himself some funds daily increasing in a separate bank
account that he opened last year. Only Ganyu knows of it, he never told Venti this, mainly
because… he wants to surprise him.

Xiao frowns at the thought of his best friend protruding once again as he walks along the bustling
morning street, heading for the campus. He’s reminded of last night’s event, his own words drilling
in assertion through his muddled head. The way he’d blasted at Venti saying he knew him better
than anyone as if Xiao really did. He doesn’t know Venti at all, he never knows what goes in that
boy’s head, he never knew anything past the dishes he likes, his favorite color, how he looks like
in the afternoons, how he whines when he’s tired, how he likes to take his tea, his midnight coffee,
how he would exert extra care for Diaochan, how—

These are the gist of things he knows about Venti, but beyond that, Xiao is utterly rattled. He
doesn’t know what Venti likes in a person, if he prefers them neat, tall, pale in complexion, dark,
talented… Xiao knows nothing about those kinds of things befitting Venti’s taste in people—how
Venti loves in the way that he would. What must be his love language is, how he would gush
about someone rather than something, Xiao has absolutely no clue.

Because Venti is a whole ice mountain in the middle of an ocean, and Xiao has only seen the tip of
this iceberg that is him.

There are things that Xiao would like to know about Venti, not as his best friend, but rather more
than that. What does Venti look like when he’s feeling…things anyway? When he’s being
pleasured? Will Xiao ever really know? Whoever would though, they are one lucky bastard, and
Xiao would definitely make their lives a living hell for it.

But of course, he’s joking. He is… pft.

Then again, knowing more about Venti as something more than just being his best mate will
probably never happen to Xiao, because he will not lose whatever it is that they have now (he
abolishes the idea), something he reminds himself every so often, what he apprizes with his entire
soul, being not one to let things batter like torpedo around him. He just…has to be more
responsible, know his limitations and master self-restraint. He owes Venti that.

He sits in History class where his professor is retelling the history of photography, how it started,
where it originated, what went on in the past that made people interested in the wonders of it. But
Xiao, mostly, is tuning out everything the teacher is saying, can’t sit still, eyes darting around the
place oftentimes lingering by the windows to his right.

He keeps looking down under his desk, peering over his phone as he worries about…Venti. Today
is about Venti in Xiao’s book, it seems. Has Venti woken up? Should Xiao text him and check up
on him? Surely, Venti would realize that Xiao tended to him this morning once he woke up, right?
See the blanket that Xiao had draped over his body… He sighs, tapping his fingers over the
platform just to redeem his hand and proceed to bite on his fingernails next—

Shit.

Unlocking his phone once more, Xiao finds that Venti has never opened their conversation. All the
last texts were from him when he’d flooded Venti with texts of where are you?, i’m sorry, please
come back. Fuck, Xiao really did fuck up big time, didn’t he? Great, now he’s getting frustrated.
Why did he say those things to Venti in the first place? He’s such a sodding bastard! Stupid! He
puts a hand on his head, fingers spreading out to rub at his temples. You could’ve handled it in a
better, calmer way, but no, you chose to run your mouth! Now look at what you’ve done, Xiao!

“Xiao.”

“Huh?” Xiao glances over his left where Bennett is hissing at him. He blinks.

“Professor called your name.”

Xiao averts his gaze from Bennett to his professor who is staring at him expectantly. Xiao looks
around him and sees that everyone is also focusing their attention on him, the room all quiet. He
clears his throat. “My apologies. What was the question?”

Smiling patiently, the teacher repeated his question, “I said, what’s the most important control
being a photographer?”

Tch. Releasing a breath, Xiao recites what comes to mind, “The most important control is, of
course, the creative photographer’s vision. He or she—they choose the vantage point and the exact
moment of exposure. The photographer perceives the essential qualities of the subject and
interprets it according to their judgment, taste, and involvement.” The professor nods his head,
beckoning for Xiao to continue, so he does, “An effective photograph can disseminate information
about humanity and nature, record the visible world, and extend human knowledge and
understanding. Thus, for all these reasons, photography has aptly been called the most important
invention since the printing press.”

He flicks his gaze back to his phone hidden under his desk after that, only to see that Venti still
hasn’t replied at all, but of course why would he? Xiao aggrieved him. He can hear his professor
commending him in the background, Razor and Bennett whispering to each other beside him, but
Xiao is too skittish to care. There’s a tap on his shoulder; with effort, Xiao turns his head to see
who did it with a slight shake of his head, mouthing what now?

It’s Beatrice, his block mate, together with Atsuko and Chuyi two rows down and they’re giving
him appreciative smiles and thumbs-up, causing Xiao to click his tongue in the subtlest way he
can, vexed off. Nevertheless, he nods at them in acknowledgment before he’s returning to his
phone. He’s become accustomed to their ruckuses at this point, in his second year in this university,
the way they would follow him around sometimes, volunteering to help him out with anything, he
just has to say the word. It’s bothersome to say the least, and kind of invading, but Xiao knows how
to compromise with people like them now, unlike when he first enrolled here.

Xiao, let’s just say, receives gifts from heaps of students in this college, to which he’ll never
understand since they are in their last step to adulthood only after a few years—he remembers
getting the same treatment back when he was in high school, where he’d garner confession after
love declaration from his school mates (in the cafeteria when he was peacefully having his lunch,
finding love letters and chocolates intentionally left on his desk, group of teenagers stopping him
from his merry way just so they could unveil their affections for him), but never did he expect it
would still happen in his college life. He’s not even the jock type, he’s always been reclusive, aloof
amongst a crowd of outgoing individuals.

So when he feels for his desk now, knocking on something with his knuckles that later on clatters
to the ground, a box of sweets, Xiao only sighs and bends down to yank it over. He stands up from
his chair when the teacher leaves the room, and he stalks to where Razor and Bennett are chatting
and dumps the box of Ferrero Rocher on one of their tables.

“Another one today?” Bennett glimmers, taking the box and tossing it in the air then catches it, just
as Razor squints up at him, an innocent look on his face. Xiao doesn’t even need to say anything,
just grunts loudly as he turns on his heel, heading for the exit. “Hey, Xiao, where ya goin’?”

“Out.”

He puts his hands in his pockets as he strolls along the muffled hallways, acquitted by frolicking
students, his other hand clasped around his phone in there, eyeing the place, although with no
definite drive to linger about. He has to know whether or not Venti has arrived at uni by this time
without having to leave him another batch of texts. Xiao has embarrassed himself enough, and just
with the barest logic of Venti having to learn how he got bombarded by Xiao’s messages is eating
at Xiao in the most inconvenient way.

Even without last night’s incident, Xiao has always done this; stepping out of class and jumping
from one building to another, passing by Venti’s department just to check up on him. He’s a creep
like that, as the case may be, so…sue him. He just can’t seem to keep to himself on most days,
always curious about what Venti must be doing at this minute, at this hour, in this moment. Xiao
always wants to know. Surely, he could simply text and ask, but Xiao prefers seeing with his eyes,
and most often than not, he’d get his heart reeling up to his mouth.

Because Venti hangs out with Albedo too much—which, he must’ve thought of the devil too much
as well, because right there, he spots the blonde art student with his usual schooled apparel, cream
jumper with a frost button-up collared shirt from underneath, a pair of glasses with silver frames,
half braided hair tied at the back, and pastel tawny proper pressed pants. He is indeed a view, Xiao
will admit, no wonder he feels as if Venti flirts with him from time to time.

Given he knows that notion, still, there’s something about the way Venti acts around the fine arts
student that gives away the basis that Xiao shouldn’t worry at all. Venti doesn’t fancy Albedo, is
the thing. Then again, Albedo is hard to read. Does Albedo like Venti? That…Xiao has no
doctrines of, but he often feels jealous either way.

He ducks his head, opting to avoid any conversation to spark as he passes by the corridor where
Albedo is putting stuff into his locker. Thankfully, Albedo isn’t the cacophonous, nosey type of
person, so he doesn’t stop Xiao in his tracks; he merely nods his way to acknowledge his presence,
to which Xiao appreciates and returns, and then they’re heading their separate paths.

Xiao hurries to get out of the building, and he takes that time to pull out his phone once more just to
check. No texts from Venti, still didn’t bother to open their convo, none. He sighs, dreading. Venti
must really hate him now… Xiao suddenly can’t breathe, fuck. Why is it so hard to love someone
he can never have?

[to: my heart]

xiao: venti, i’m so sorry, i’m so fucking stupid i shouldn’t have said that

xiao: venti, come back here please, let’s talk

xiao: venti, where are you? answer me pls

xiao: venti, pick up pls pls i’m sorry

xiao: i’m gonna come get u just pls tell me where u r

xiao: at least reply saying you’re okay? please?

xiao: i’m worried about you

xiao: i didn’t mean anything i said… i’m sorry

xiao: venti

xiao: pls

xiao: just

xiao: reply

xiao: just once venti..

(delivered)
Right, that’s already pretty fucking self-explanatory, isn’t it? Xiao can’t have him, and that in itself
is rendering him brainsick.

Fuck, why.

And hold up, why is he rushing to get to Venti’s building anyway? He doesn’t even know what
he’ll tell him once he gets there. They are currently not on good terms. Venti will definitely just
push him away, and knowing that boy, Xiao is a hundred and one percent sure he wouldn’t hold
back, wouldn’t care if there are people watching them, he’ll yell at Xiao’s bloody face and maybe
even call him a jerk or a scumbag, which—that’s exactly what he’d been that night. Shit, it would
be a deadass wrong move to see him right now.

Xiao squints up at their own building again, raising a hand to block the rays of sun beating down
his forehead. He thinks about Ganyu. She’s always been a bridge between them whenever they’re
in an altercation, even right from the beginning of their pact—when he’d tease Venti until the boy
cried, and Venti would pounce at him to bite his ear, making Xiao groan in soreness, then Ganyu
would pry Venti off of him and lull him down. Xiao with his ear throbbing would still be the one to
get scolded by her own freaking younger sister then. Unbelievable.

With a puff of breath, Xiao turns back around and jogs inside the facility. He must go fetch said
younger sister before anything else.

“Xiao?”

He whips around. “Huh?” It’s Albedo. Oh, so he hails for Xiao after all. “Yeah?”

“Have you seen Venti? I didn’t see him at the park this morning.”

“Oh. Uh—” he coughs into his fist, seeing Albedo walking towards him with easy strides. “Then,
maybe he’s just late. We both know how he is,” he lies.

Albedo puts a hand under his chin, nodding. “Ah… okay.”

“Sorry, why did you ask?” Xiao wants to know.

“Well, he texted me just now. I replied, but he didn’t text back anymore. It’s been half an hour.”

So, Venti was awake, and he texted Albedo, but never bothered reading Xiao’s texts. Xiao’s heart
drops to his stomach. That’s okay, Xiao, he tells himself, you know exactly why he didn’t. You
brought this upon yourself.

“What did he say?” Xiao prompts, refraining his voice from coming off too strained. He’s hurting,
of course he is. Then again, he doesn’t have the right to be.

“He said he wants to meet up. Probably to endow the gift he bought for my sister,” supplies
Albedo.

“Ah, the gift he bought yesterday, yeah, I… saw that. Uh, it’s Klee’s birthday?”

“Last week, yes.” Albedo nods as he confirms. Due to Xiao’s sudden silence, Albedo must’ve
noticed, so he explains, “Venti found out about it late, and he felt bad about not being able to greet
Klee exactly on her special day. The gift is a belated present purely for compensation.”

Oh. “I… I know that—don’t worry,” Xiao says, nodding. He didn’t know that. He thought Venti
was being sweet to Albedo, specifically. But when is Venti not sweet? If anything, Xiao is the one
to dismiss Venti’s advances when he’s being bashfully coy at him.

Albedo’s left eyebrow raises. “Of course you would know that… Why did I even bother
explaining…” He drawls, sounding mildly suspicious, resulting in Xiao stiffening on his spot.

This guy… He’s probably caught on to Xiao for a while now, basing from the way he would
elaborate on the significance of the present and sparing Xiao’s efforts for white lies.

Clearing his throat, Xiao nods at Albedo. “Right, so. I gotta go, man. I need to see my sister.” He
swiftly turns around, and if he thought Albedo would stop him, he’s mistaken. Albedo lets him, to
which Xiao feels relief from. He dashes up the staircase to get to the third floor, where he knows
Ganyu would be.

He feels another wave of relief when he sees she’s still in her classroom. Xiao opts to call on her
the moment he stops at the doorway. However, seeing the look on her face as she gazes out the
window has him pausing promptly. There’s something about the way his sister is glowering down
the aperture as if she’s lost in a trance, eyes empty, hooded, shoulders slumped over her. Is there
something bothering her?

“Yu,” he hollers at her tentatively, curious how she would reciprocate.

As if disrupted, Ganyu jumps and she cranes her head around to look for the source of who called
her by her nickname. When she finds it’s Xiao, from her empty, cold gaze, her purple gold eyes
snap back to being in their usual glamor. “Ge. What are you doing here? Early break?” she broods,
hopping off the desk where she had been a lotus gawking at the campus outside at large.

Xiao with his frons knitted, nonplussed, jars his head. “No. Venti’s mad at me,” he dumps on her
faster than she could reach him as if it’s crumbs at this point, being that they’ve talked about Venti
far too many times to count using the combination of their hands. And whenever they’re in a
scuffle, Ganyu would serve as their perpetuator. She’s used to it by now.

Immediately, her face contorts into something akin to being uptight, and she stops in front of Xiao,
hands coming up to straighten the hems of his shirt. “What? Why? Is that what we heard last night?
You two had a fight?”

Shit. Xiao completely forgot about the dorm acquiring too thin walls, and he cringes at the thought.
They shrilled and hooted at each other so loudly last night, exchanged words that cut, and mostly it
was him who pushed Venti to the edge. Did… did Ganyu hear him say those things to Venti too?

Fuck’s sake, Venti! No one knows you better than I do!

Crap.

He swallows. “Yeah, we might have.”

She puts a hand on her face, running her palm across it. “Again… and?”

Xiao dips his chin down in contempt. “He ran off, like last time,” he murmurs.

Ganyu sighs. “What do you… want to do now? I suppose you need me to talk to him for you.” It’s
not a question, just a factual statement.

Xiao nods, still. “Perhaps. But I’m hoping you could come with me too, check if he’s already in
class.” She cocks a brow at him, ordering that he elaborate further, so he does. “He came home, I
don’t know what time to be precise, but he was there this morning when I got out of bed. I already
checked my phone countless times since my first subject and he never once replied to my recent
texts, didn’t care to open our conversation either. But—” he cuts himself off.

“But?”

“I bumped into Albedo just now before coming here, and he said Venti texted him almost an hour
ago.” He blows a sigh, looking down on the ground.

“Wow, ge. You really did piss him off, huh,” she muses. “It’s not like Venti to leave you
unanswered for a stretch of time even if you guys fought. You know that.”

Come to think of it… she’s pretty damn spot on.

Guts recoiling, he reaches out and holds Ganyu’s hand. “Help gege, Yuyu,” he pleads. As much as
this odd act makes him cringe, he’s in dire need of her help. How pathetic is he at this moment?
Begging for his younger sister’s assistance to console his own fucking best friend? He can’t even
fucking resolve his own dilemma?

Breaking into a soft smile, Ganyu simply nods, and she puts her other hand over Xiao’s and
squeezes lovingly. “Of course, ge. Let me grab my things.”

Xiao blinks. “Done with your first subject?”

“Yup!” she chirps, hurdling inside the classroom. Xiao looks around the place and indeed, it
belatedly dawns on him that they are done here, so then—what is Ganyu still doing here, stalling?
“Let’s go!” Ganyu says once she’s slung her bag over her shoulder, cutting through his pondering,
and she hooks her arm around his, the two of them leaving for the music department where Venti
should be. Could be.

Might be.

Xiao memorized Venti’s schedule and classes. No one knows this besides himself, too embarrassed
to tell even his sister.

[All Notes]

Art Appreciation - 6:20

Creative and Performing in Musical Arts (Recitals) - 8:20

Philosophy - 10:20

Music Composition (Recitals) - 11:20

Music Conducting (Jazz) - 2:30

Music Literature - 4:30

Linguistics - 5:30

PE - 9:15 on Tuesdays

CWTS - TBA

Foreign Language (French) - 10:00 on Thursdays

If he wants to catch up on Venti right now, he should be in his CPMA with Zhongli, presumably.

So they head to the music hall which is at the center of the campus, along the mezzanine where a
balcony railing is attached to two staircases. He ambles up the steps with Ganyu hot on her heels
following behind him, and as soon as they get to the two-door, he beckons for her to slip inside and
investigate. She doesn’t need to be told twice, she pushes for the entrance and pokes her head in.
Xiao waits with bated breath.

After a few moments, Ganyu steps away from the entrance door and lets it shut mutely. “He’s not
here.”

Xiao exhales. “Alright. Let’s try someplace else. Maybe he’s just late.”

She nods and then they’re descending the stairs.

After a while, they end up at the park. No Venti. They keep on walking and searching, making
rounds in the campus, Ganyu suddenly heaving next to him for how swiftly he’s moving his legs,
apparently. “You’re walking too fast, ge.” Xiao had no idea.

“I’m sorry,” he apologizes as he stops for air himself. He’s sweating now, he can feel the top of his
head protruding beads of cold wilts, damping his hair. He runs a hand through it, grimacing at the
wet state of his palm.

“Don’t worry, we’ll find him,” Ganyu tries for reassurance, then again, Xiao is feeling too
contrived to even believe that.

“I’m just… I’m worried about him. What if I fucked everything up?”

“You guys always get into fights, ge, but Venti always comes home to you,” Ganyu points out.
And it does nothing to ease Xiao’s nerves. Not unless he sees Venti again. Right this instance. And
Venti would smile and wave at him…like he always does.

“Hopefully, Yu, but… I just want to see for myself that he’s alright, that he went to uni and that I
didn’t hurt him too much to skip today’s classes. I’m worried he might hate me. Like, what if he
—” he pauses as realization hits him hard, making his eyes widen and fear to consume his entirety.

“What if what? What is it, ge?” Ganyu asks, concern in her tone, tugging his arm.

Xiao faces her head-on. “What if he’d been so mad at me that he… he decides to leave the dorm?
Find someone else to live with?” Xiao frowns, deeply, hand coming up to pinch at his lower lip.
And he eyes Ganyu seriously. “Yu, I wouldn’t know what to do then, if that ever happens.”

“What…happened anyway?” Ganyu whispers. With the way she asked so carefully, disarmingly,
Xiao had no choice but to tell her everything. By the time he’s done, Ganyu gazes at him sadly.
“Gege… you might’ve actually messed up badly.”

If Xiao was feeling so down just now, the little surge of hope that was still with him suddenly
plummets and he watches in agony as it flushes down the drain.

He chokes on air, coughing. Ganyu tries to keep him upright, but Xiao needs to—he needs to
crouch down…for now…and gather himself. He feels for his phone that’s creating a bulge in the
pocket of his jeans, fishing it out. He unlocks it hastily, tapping on his and Venti’s convo and—he
swallows the bile that’s rising dangerously quickly up his throat.

‘Read 8:41 AM’

His thumbs move on their own like they know exactly what Xiao wants to convey, ‘ im so in love
with you, venti’ , but his brain doesn’t let his heart take over, so Xiao doesn’t actually end up
sending that. He takes a sharp breath and stands up.

His heart beats erratically in his chest, he can feel it trying to break out from his ribcage. That was
close. He clutches his phone tightly and resumes walking. Ganyu jogs after him.

They pass the ground floor where the lockers are located, including Venti’s own that Xiao has
apprehended long before, sometimes catching him dropping his things in there. Xiao tears his gaze
away from it, unperturbed, willing to find the owner of that very locker.

One glance at the Freedom Park where benches are scattered, Xiao thought he saw slivers of twin-
braids with turquoise ombre at their ends and he double-takes, belly filling with wriggling wings of
butterflies.

He blinks, and there he is, Venti. He’s with—

Kazuha?

Xiao almost drops his phone, but he manages to prevent it from happening as he observes Venti
from where he and Ganyu linger by the shaded areas of the open facility. Venti’s eyes are set
steadily on the ground, brows furrowed, back hunched, a forlorn look on his face. He’s feeling the
same distraught that Xiao is having at this moment, he’s come to realize. Closing his eyes, only if
for a moment, Xiao puts a hand on his chest and grips. Just because.

Just because it aches to know that at a time like this, where Venti needs someone to lean on, it
wasn’t him who was giving him that comfort the boy needed the most. Instead it’s someone else.
Xiao allows himself a bitter smile, refusing to open his eyes just yet, afraid that if he took another
look at the scene before him, he would just…shatter. Even more so than he is now.

Then again, Xiao has to face this reality, so he blinks his eyes open to see Venti again, head
propped up on Kazuha’s right shoulder, a frown formed on his lips, hands clasped over his lap.

“So… he came to school, after all. He’s fine.” Xiao keeps quiet. Ganyu wraps a hand on his arm,
pulling him gently. “He’s okay. Let’s head back, ge…” she silently urges.

With a last heave of sigh, Xiao complies. “Alright.”

He’s back in class with no lesson to attend to, hence he is sitting over his desk, unused Instax lying
over his lap, fidgeting with its flicker button but hyper-aware of the mannerism so as to avoid
accidentally putting too much pressure on it.

His eyes are fixed towards the doorway, as if waiting for something. Or someone.

The moment Kazuha comes in, Xiao hops off his desk and stalks forward, heart racing furiously.
“Where were you?” he shoots, and he instantly curses himself in his head at how bold he’s being
right this second, because what the actual fuck is he even on? This guy doesn’t owe him shit!

Blinking, Kazuha directs him a look of utter confusion. “Oh, Xiao. Well… I was… out?”

Gripping on his camera, Xiao folds his arms over his chest, switching weights from one foot to
another. Fuck, he can’t keep still. “Out where?” You know exactly where, Xiao. Stop acting a fool.

“At the—”
“Yo, Xiao!”

“What?!” he growls on a whim, unexpectedly. His glare is still directed at Kazuha, whose frons
furrow little by little, the guy’s gaze setting slowly. Xiao tatters his eyes away from the crimson-
eyed bloke and turns around with a sneer. He finds Bennett scratching at the back of his head.
Razor stands frozen next to him and they’re both looking at Xiao as if afraid to talk, otherwise
they’d be eaten alive.

“What’s… with the crankiness?” Bennett laughs awkwardly. “Err… Hu Tao is looking for you,
bro.”

With tension leaving his body, Xiao sighs, rolling his eyes. Why now? Can’t they see he’s in the
middle of something here?

“Alatus, my liege!” Hu Tao comes barging in their classroom with a flourish, shit-eating grin
plastered across her face, carrying a bunch of print-outs in her arms as she channels a catwalk
along the center aisle. Gods… what is she doing here?

“Boss Hu Tao!” Some of Xiao’s block mates greet her. “How are you, Hu Tao?”

“Yo! Hey!” Hu Tao giggles ravingly. “Aiya! I’m great, my compadres!”

Xiao sits back down over his desk, placing his Instax beside him as he crosses his arms over his
chest. “What’s up? If you’re gonna borrow anything from me, save it.” He purses his lips as he
regards Hu Tao with the most pompousness he can muster, making it clear for her she’s never
outsmarting Xiao. Ever.

“Yo, whoa, relax, matey! Xiao, Xiao, Xiao,” she drawls, throwing an arm around Xiao, leaning in
to hug him sideways. Xiao huffs. Hu Tao chuckles smugly, before stepping away from hugging
him and thrusting a pamphlet towards him. “Here, lookie! I’m here to ask if you’d like to join our
club!” She grins big at him, eyes sparkling in pure mixture of mischief and enticement.

“I don’t even wanna ask what club. No.”

“Aww, come on, Xiao! Don’t be Mr. Grumpy now! This is why Barbatos put Grumpy The Cat as
your picture in his contacts.” She snickers, fingers tapping over her lips.

Xiao rolls his eyes, because that’s true, actually. “Go annoy someone else.”

Hu Tao scoffs, folding her arms over her chest too, some of the fliers she’s holding flying around
and slowly landing on the ground. “Snob! I can only count on Venti then, as always!” She pouts,
jutting her lower lip for emphasis, making exaggerated puppy eyes at Xiao.

Fuck this, she really is Venti’s twin. Xiao detests it.

But what he detests more is the way he literally felt his ears perk up. “What do you mean?” And
she turns from dramatic to self-approving in a heartbeat. Xiao swears, if it’s only lawfully legal to
hurt a girl, he would’ve smacked Hu Tao with a spear by now. “You’re lying,” he deadpans.

“Not so!” She grins maniacally, and Xiao can only give her a fuck off now or I’m committing
homicide look.

“Venti’s a busy person, he wouldn’t join school clubs,” he says as a matter-of-factly, jostling a
palm on her face to make her quit that smug face she’s giving him.
She wiggles away, stomping a foot on the ground. “Ugh! Sometimes I hate how you know him so
well!” She complains, then tries to boot Xiao’s leg, only that Xiao dodges her loafer perfectly.

Xiao scoffs a laugh. “Course, dumbass. He’s my best—”

“Oh, don’t even give me that utter bullcrap, Alatus,” she cuts in haste, thrusting a polished finger
at his face, making Xiao lean away to put a distance between it and his nose.

“What utter bullcrap?” He dares asking, getting the slight urge to slap himself for sounding like a
whiny toddler, brows creased in annoyance.

She growls at him. “Best friend bullshit, Alatus! You love the boy! Don’t you fucking dare lie to
me! I’m so fucking tired of y’all’s lying ass—” and she goes into rambling that Xiao tunes her out.

He looks around him in exchange and learns how everyone is looking at him. He grabs Hu Tao
and locks an arm around her head, covering her mouth. “Keep it down, you punk!”

Hu Tao licks his palm and Xiao vaults away, letting go with his tongue sticking out. “Fucking—
gross,” he wipes his palm against his pants, and then across the desk beside him. She laughs
hysterically. “ You—! You need anything else, Hu Tao?” he snaps.

“No. Bye! Hope your lunch tastes like drenched socks!” And she’s off. Xiao can hear her voice
echoing across the hallways, advertising their stupid club. Xiao clicks his tongue, shaking his head.
But he can feel a goofy smile threatening to form across his lips. At least there’s Hu Tao to lighten
his stormy mood. To distract.

Xiao is about to step out of the classroom when their professor stops him. It’s Baizhu, his
Photojournalism prof, their last subject of the day. “Yes, sir?” he asks, adjusting his bag over his
shoulder and dusting his jeans as he walks back toward the podium.

“I have a proposal for you,” says the teacher with a proud smile, motioning for Xiao to come over.
“As the top student in my class, Xiao, I have a huge favor to ask.”

Nodding with respect, Xiao approaches the teacher. “What is it, sir?”

The man puts a hand on his shoulder as soon as he stops in front of him, and without ado he relays
an important message regarding a photoshoot session; he asks Xiao to do a set with one of his
closest colleagues, a supermodel in this case. And Xiao happens to know this public figure as well.
He reflects for a bit, eyes momentarily flicking at the ground. “It will be a good opportunity for
you, Xiao. What say you? Pretty good pay, right?”

Xiao eyes his professor, and…well.

Despite Xiao isn’t exactly on board with it, knowing himself when it comes to handling photoshoot
sets, where he reigns as he prefers it, where he makes the calls, coming up with concepts himself,
directing poses for those who model for him (most especially if it’s portraits), and knowing this is
a supermodel he’d be dealing with, in the end, he accepts the job.

The pay is grand, and Xiao needs a ride. He can already imagine himself driving a Yamaha YZF-
R6, that versatile bike he’d always dreamed to have, in color black, shiny and sleek. He’d wear a
black helmet to match and buy an extra one for…

His thoughts get cut off when Baizhu sends him his gratitude. “You’re the only student of mine I
trust who is capable of pulling this one off, without this coming out to the press, that is.”
Xiao clears his throat. “It’s an honor, sir.”

“Mhm. Off you go then, kid. Take care on your way home.”

“You too, professor. Thank you.”

He looks down at his beaten Adidas shoes, one of the few white pairs he owns, and frowns,
contemplating shooting Venti a text. He shifts his gaze from there to glare at the screen of his
iPhone, thumb hovering over the keypad. What will he even say? He squeezes his eyes shut,
tightly, and takes a deep breath, mentally preparing himself to make the first move—

“Hey, Xiao!” He puts his phone back in the pocket of his jacket to face whoever called his name.
It’s Chongyun… with Xingqiu. “Waiting for Venti?” Xingqiu asks, beaming.

“No.” He answered too quickly. What the fuck.

Xingqiu tilts his head, confusion morphing across his face. “Oh… But isn’t he waiting for you? Or
are you two still not okay?”

He is? Xiao feels his tummy flutter with…something. Fireworks?

“I… don’t know. Where did you see him?” He asks warily, pretending he isn’t feeling giddy about
this, because as a matter of fact he is. He is. He is. He is.

Is it really possible to miss someone you see everyday? Someone you just saw this morning, twice?
Someone’s face that you see every time you scroll through your private gallery on your phone…

“Yeah, I think it was you he’s been waiting around for! We just saw him at the gates, looks like
he’s waiting for someone, and we figured that maybe it was you,” Chongyun explains, doing hand
gestures. Xingqiu next to him is nodding, despite holding up a tiny book and scanning it intently.

Xiao bites the inside of his cheek. “Okay. Thanks for, uh, telling me.”

“Sure!” Chongyun winks at him, this guy, and then the two of them are strolling past him to head
somewhere inside the building. It’s almost six in the evening though, where would they go?
Campus is almost bereft of students and teachers. Xiao purses his lips, it’s really none of his
business.

With his mind all set to make things right with the one who owns his heart, Xiao pulls it together
and begins the short detour toward the front gates, with the knowledge that his sister has already
gone home so he only has to worry for himself and… Venti.

Upon reaching the exit, Xiao briefly halts to check if Xingqiu and Chongyun were right about
really seeing him.

True to their words, it is Venti undeniably, alone to himself, head rousing, eyes seemingly
surveying the place at large, ducking from time to time to glance at his phone. Xiao holds his
breath, allows himself to drink in Venti in such a fleeting, immovable moment.

He’s in a maroon midriff for his top, a pair of high-waist denim pants folded by the hem, exposing
his ankles, an oversized gray knitted cardigan and a black choker around his neck. His large teal
backpack has been discarded on the ground beside him, Xiao noting the part he’s also wearing his
favorite white converse sneakers, the one that’s still donning that faint orange spot from weeks
ago, the boy failing to remove it completely. Xiao can’t help smiling at the memory of when he’d
overheard Venti complaining in the middle of the night, alone in their shared bathroom, washing
his shoes while he sang an Ariana Grande hit song in dismay.

Venti’s taste in fashion is… as much as it is far from what Xiao would wear himself, he finds it
endearing and cute. All the time, in fact. He’s never questioned Venti about it, never teased him
regarding it—he wants him to stay confident and true to himself, supports him when it comes to
these types of things. Because Venti is never the spineless, gutless individual that Xiao has come to
know. He’s the exact opposite of shy; he’s the kind of person to be comfortable in his own skin,
and that is one of the million things Xiao loves about him. Admires about Venti.

With the corner of his lips quirked in a faint smile, Xiao gets to moving, and he stops where Venti
is ridiculously fixated on his phone that isn’t even unlocked.

“Been waiting?”

The boy gasps, surprised. “Xiao—you scared me!” Venti’s hand balls into fist, curving against his
chest, and Xiao has to give it his all not to burst into laughter just at the sight alone.

Instead, he bites the inside of his cheek, nodding at his best friend in a serious amenity. “Why are
you here by yourself?”

As if caught, Venti’s gaze transposes, averting from left to right, pointedly looking anywhere but at
Xiao’s direction. “Nothing,” he claims, putting his phone away and stuffing it in the pocket of his
knitted cardigan. Xiao catches a sliver of revealing collarbones, and it is due to Venti’s shirt riding
down. He scouts away so as to prevent himself from having the urge to reach out and—just touch.
Get a feel of it. It wouldn’t be right.

He hums in retaliation, ignoring how Venti’s cheeks are dusted with a radiant glow of rosy pink—
beautiful, just like he is —and asks, “You waiting for someone?”

Venti looks at him this time, alarmed, affronted, and he seems like he wants to yap and yell at
Xiao. He does not. “N-no…?”

“Okay.” Xiao starts in the direction of the subway knowing Venti will follow him, like he usually
does.

“Eh—Xiao?” And so hears Venti call, and damn it, Xiao can’t help but smile. Just as he thought.
He’d predicted this.

Pursing his lips so as not to give himself away, the fact that he’s feeling so elated to see Venti
again, to be talking to him like this again as if last night never happened, he turns around. “Yes,
Venti? Are you coming or not?”

He watches, transfixed, the part where Venti’s eyes gleam like they commonly do. A child
receiving an ice cream, a toy, meeting Santa for the first time, the lot; the boy smiles at Xiao,
making his ears burn at the charm of it all, his poor heart lurching in his mouth. He is so fucked for
life. So fucked indeed. “I’m coming!”

“Hurry up then,” he intones. Xiao spins back around, aiming towards the path that leads to the
subway, all the while as he carries his heart that swells, seemingly growing ten times larger in his
ribcage, threatening to explode and kill him in the process.

Venti, without a doubt, is going to be the death of him.

And that’s okay. It’s not like he didn’t see that coming. It’s as simple as the inevitable.
They stay quiet on their way to the station, save for the occasional times Venti would smile at him,
journeying side by side. None of them mention the fight they had anymore.

Xiao paid for their ride, and for once, Venti neither said a word nor interjected. He purely followed
Xiao’s lead and stepped into the tube quietly. As they stand there, Xiao can’t help inspecting the
state of his best friend… He doesn’t know exactly what he’s looking for here, per se, but he finds
his gaze examining the guy’s body parts anyway. Perhaps, he’s looking for any sign or indication
that Venti had committed something out of the ordinary the night he bolted off.

Did he get scratches? Wounds? Did he… did he have sex with anyone in the last twenty-four
hours?

With bated breath, Xiao wills himself to calm as soon as he’s done scanning the visible parts of
Venti’s body, such as his neck, the underside of his jaws and some parts of his arms. No hickeys,
no bruises… Oh, Alatus, you selfish jerk.

The walk back to the dormitory is just as relatively quiet as when they were barely getting in the
train, the both of them choosing not to talk, even Venti who always has a lot to say with that pretty
little mouth, which is strange in itself, but obviously, Xiao is in no way holding him against it.

And even as they stop in front of the entrance of the commercial, Xiao buzzing the landlord to
unlock the gate for them. Venti is merely hovering from behind him, head shunned. Xiao blows off
a sigh, quietly he does, has no intention to create any kind of audible sound himself.

Passing by the mailbox, Xiao makes for it to check because this has always been his job to do so, a
routine of his, but Venti shakes his head at him, pulling at the hem of his windbreaker. Catching
Venti’s drift and what that refusal means, Xiao nods, wordlessly. They proceed to use the lifts
instead, overlooking the significance of stairs.

Once they make it to their dorm, outside their door, Xiao jams it open with the use of his key; he
turns the doorknob and pushes the door wide open, stepping in first.

That’s when Venti starts with, voice monotonous, “I’m sorry.”

Xiao freezes on the second step, and he feels himself crumpling, because no… No… He should be
the one saying those words to Venti. “What,” he exhales, about to face Venti—

But two arms snake around his waist all the sudden, senses filling with such an angelic, peculiar
scent that he’s memorized to be reeking purely from his best friend, and—that’s Venti, he’s
hugging Xiao from behind, fingers entwining over the higher cleave of Xiao’s stomach.

Xiao’s heart is in his mouth. He can’t move. He doesn’t intend to move either.

“I’m sorry for how I acted, Xiao… You’re right, receiving those letters did put our lives at risk. I’m
just a dumbass. After all, I’m gullible like you said. And I—I didn’t like the attention at all, just so
you know… I was bluffing to spite you, I’m sorry.” Xiao can almost hear the pout in his cadence,
that trademark only-Venti-can-pull pout that Xiao has seen so many times in their years of
friendship, together with the puppy-like eyes the boy makes, the one that never fails to reduce Xiao
into a puddle of goo.

He feels blood rush up his head and his cheeks are suddenly tepid. He feels fuzzy. Dizzy. His hand
moves on its own, coming over to clasp Venti’s own resting right above his gut. “Venti… I… I’m
sorry too,” he tells him gently, honestly, continuing with the things he’d tell him over and over if
that’s what it takes to be forgiven. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that. That was a dick move,
an irrational way of handling things. I got carried away and that was my bad… You didn’t deserve
it. None of it, at all.”

He feels the way Venti is hugging him tighter, his cheek resting against the small of Xiao’s back,
angling to mush his face into the fabric of Xiao’s jacket. “Xiao… I shouldn’t have run away like
that too…” He whimpers.

“Where did you… go?” Please don’t say Scaramouche, please don’t say Scaramouche, please
don’t say Scaramouche.

“Xiangling’s.” Venti sniffles.

“Oh.”

“Yeah, then I left at around five, went back here. I was so tired so I passed out on our sofa.”

He was at Xiangling’s… he didn’t go anywhere else. “Well, I… I’m glad you were safe at least…”

“Yeah. Xiangling was so nice to me. She cooked me a meal and let me rest on her bed while she
laid out an extra mattress for herself.”

“We’re blessed to have great friends.”

“Yeah.” They enter the dorm after a while, Venti letting go of Xiao. As if in sync, they both
padded straight to their individual bedrooms, just like that. As though Xiao’s head isn’t spinning—
mind racing with thoughts… As if his skin isn’t tingly from getting snuggled by Venti just now.
“Calling it a night, Xiao?”

Xiao stops at his door and he chances a glance toward Venti standing a few steps away from him,
the way that he’s smiling earnestly making Xiao’s chest constrict. “Yes.”

“Good night then.”

“Good night, Venti.”

[from: +1 (800) 5567-7829 ]

unsaved: Good evening. This is Eula, friend of your professor, Mr. Baizhu! :) sliding
into your inbox regarding the photoshoot. Hope we can get along, Xiao! Xiao, I
reckon? He told me so much things about you, and your remarkable skills. I’m excited
to meet you and work with you! xx

xiao: hello, yes it’s xiao :) thank u for the message and for trusting. it’s an honor to be
part of the team. looking forward to work with u as well.

unsaved: Oh, I didn’t think you would reply that fast!

xiao: i’m still awake. just about to sleep

unsaved: Wait, this is great. Uh, what do you say about meeting up before the shoot?
This week perhaps? Coffee?

xiao: pardon me, what for?

 xiao: i’m sorry i mean i just won’t know what i’d say i’m not gonna be the lead
photographer, am i?

unsaved: Nonsense! Meet me before the shoot, so we can warm up to each other! xx
Zhu told me he’ll put you at the center of this project, not sure if he already informed
you so this week, coffees, yes? It’s a date!

xiao: a date? im not following up… uh, i also need to sleep now. i will talk to my prof
tomorrow morning, perhaps we can continue this later

unsaved: I don’t take no for an answer, Xiao! I will see you this week for coffees
to help me ease my nerves! After all, it’s a sultry photo set! I need to get to know the
person who would take nude pictures of me

xiao: im sorry, what? nude? no one said anything about a nude set??? im truly sorry,
but im gonna have to pull out the team. i’ll talk to mr. baizhu tomorrow

unsaved: That’s too bad okay then

Xiao locks his phone and leaves it on his bed, slightly pissed at misinformation. Or lack thereof.
Baizhu didn’t say anything about photographing a supermodel with no clothes on.

It’s not like Xiao can’t do it, because he can probably do anything with a camera, to make a subject
look either natural or be in a cinematic backdrop, or how he’d like a landscape to appear in a photo
despite its nature, but Xiao—he is not going to do something he’s never agreed to do.

He walks to his closet and changes into something comfortable, discarded clothes piled up in a
hamper at one corner of the wall, stepping out of the room to brush his teeth and wash his face.

The living room is dark, the only source of light being Venti’s doorframe, the bottom part having
some lighting coming from his room, and Xiao takes it that he’s still awake as well.

He licks his lips, habitually, and goes back to his room to prepare himself for bed. Like clockwork,
Xiao pulls out one of his portfolios and turns the pages, seeing Venti’s smiling face on one page,
after another one where he’s laughing, sleeping, eating, walking from afar… Xiao smiles. And he
grabs the new one he took this morning that he’d slipped in his binder, puts it in a random page in
his ‘Venti Portfolio’ and shuts it.

He flicks the lights off, and in a matter of minutes, he’s dead to the world.

And if he tries to listen to whatever sound is being protruded in the other room, whether Venti is
playing his fiddle or not, or singing a song unknown to Xiao, no one has to know. Just Xiao and his
soaring heart.

“How is he?” Scaramouche asks the moment Xiao lets go of the tripod, looking at the shots he’s
taken so far, humming in discontentment.

Xiao takes a bit of time before it fully registers in him that Scaramouche is pertaining to Venti. He
cocks a brow as he eyes Scaramouche with a flick of his wrist. “Didn’t he give you his number?
Why not ask him?” Then he turns back to the DSLR and the subject in front. They’re in class, but
they were only instructed to capture some photos of any objects that will be laid in front.

“Gods, Xiao… You’re radiating jealousy. Will you chill out?” Scaramouche drones, mildly
sarcastic, albeit with a hint of frustration.

“Shut up.” He angles the tripod and adjusts its height.

Scaramouche next to him sighs. “Look, Venti and I are just friends.”

Xiao laughs, putting no humor in his tone just to spite. “I know. Venti has high standards.”

“Ouch.” Xiao scoffs, although there’s a little smile on his lips. He peers through the lens and flicks
the shutter. “But I do like him,” Scaramouche continues, nonchalant and thoughtful. “Like, truth is,
I have a crush on him… There, I said it.”

Letting go of the camera that’s attached to the tripod, Xiao straightens up and finally regards
Scaramouche—with a death glare, since he’s clearly asking for it. “Back… off… my best friend.”

Scaramouche guffaws, raising both hands. “Oh, come on, Xiao, you know I never play with
someone’s feelings! I’ll be good to him, I swear! In fact, I will give him the entire world and the
universe itself.” He smirks.

Xiao shakes his head, huffing as he returns to what he’s doing, but that’s after he flips his friend
off. “Fuck you, Scara. Anyone but Venti, okay? Get that through your thick skull.”

Scaramouche chuckles, and he shoves Xiao’s arm, making Xiao hit him back with a chop.
“Fucking fine, you sore loser, jealous fuck! You’re always so fucking bossy, aren’t you? Get a
sodding grip. Asshole.” He mock-spits at the ground.

Xiao laughs at his exasperation, kicking his leg and flicking him on the forehead. Scaramouche
yelps in pain, cupping his forehead as he gawks at Xiao, trying to kick him back, but Xiao merely
dodges his shoe (rather effortlessly).

“What did you like about him anyway?” he asks once they stop goofing around, out of things to
say. But oh, Xiao, you know exactly what Scaramouche likes about him. Anyone would fall in love
with Venti in a snap. Just look at you and your Venti Shrine in your room—no wonder you never
let him in there. Shame.

Scaramouche hums in thought, a finger on his chin “Well, for one… Venti is… he has a pure heart.
Aside from his obvious good looks and pretty eyes, I mean. He’s special like that.”

Xiao’s heart is in his mouth. He brushes it off and smirks at Scaramouche. “Sap. Also, corny.”

Scaramouche smirks back at him, the little fucker, and he points a finger at Xiao. “You agree with
me though, yeah? You ain’t slick, man.”

Xiao, for the last time, kicks Scaramouche on the shin, but it’s lighthearted, making the boy laugh
out loud. “Yeah, right. Now fuck off, I’m working, can’t you fucking take a hint?”

Scaramouche shakes his head, waves a hand on Xiao’s face dismissively. “Fine, fine.”

Break time rolls around at noon and Xiao still hasn’t happened upon Baizhu. He wasn’t in the
teachers lounge when Xiao came by to check, not on the fourth floor where he usually sees him
during breaks. Sending Baizhu a text isn’t in Xiao’s option either, because he would much rather
speak with him in person if he’s going to turn down an important proposal. He’d have the privilege
to explain himself better and make the man see how sincere he is once he drops an apology
alongside a rejection.
Clicking his tongue, Xiao makes for the counter and grabs himself an apple as he’s not that
hungry, already grabbed a bite at the cafe near Angel’s Share this morning. He’s fully aware how
he still needs to finish his edits on his laptop too, so perhaps he needs to hurry back, but before that
—a visit at the Freedom Park wouldn’t be so bad, would it? For… research purposes. Yup. Not
because of Venti, definitely not. So he makes the long walk across the hallways, passing by a
couple of people who nod his way out of familiarity and greet him good morning along the way,
returning their courtesies.

Accustomed to his best friend’s usual whereabouts, it doesn’t take much from Xiao, and eventually
he spots Venti sitting alone on a bench, holding a ukulele in one hand, the other gripping a pair of
chopsticks. He’d brought with him a packed lunch, and the black and red bento box was planted on
a spread out furoshiki beside him, the one Xiao saw earlier before sunrise that Venti was filling up
with tiny cuts of fish, meat, katsu, sausages, pickled vegetables like carrots and broccolis, some
tamagoyaki, and star-shaped watermelon slices as side dish.

It's not like Venti to settle with a lunchbox like this, but Xiao supposes he’s saving money this
way, by going out of his way to make it, considering they only just took care of groceries, therefore
they’re prepared for weeks of supply. Might as well utilize what they have in the kitchen.

He smiles at the idea as it bubbles in his head, maybe he should learn from Venti.

It takes a moment for Xiao to realize that Venti is being approached, only then when Venti is
interrupted mid-bite, looking up to flash a grin at someone, scooting to make way for that person to
sit next to him.

“That’s Kazuha, right? Another cutie from our department. And Venti. Wow… Never thought I’d
see this pairing.” A hand lands on his shoulder, and Xiao scowls almost instantly. Fucking
Scaramouche and his quick-witted gob.

“If you’re here to throw punches at me, just leave.”

Scaramouche sighs, dreamy and repulsive, and Xiao almost elbows him on the chest to breeze past
him (because there’s no way in hell now that he can go over to where Venti is… Someone’s
already beat him to it), but Scaramouche suddenly grins, wolfish and confident, and the guy yells
over the crowded park, cupping his mouth for that added volume, thus to make emphasis, “Listen
up! Party at my house this weekend! Everyone listening to this is invited!”

Attentively, Xiao watches the way Kazuha and Venti drop what they’re doing, which is looking
through Kazuha’s phone, all the while as Venti covers his mouth, giggling at whatever funny thing
Kazuha was showing him. They perk at the source of noise.

Venti and Xiao’s gazes lock from a far away distance, Xiao’s guts fluttering with something hot,
much like his cheeks that are suddenly immune to the frigid temperature of today, people around
them clamoring in celebration, applauding Scaramouche and saying they’re definitely coming.

“Hey, Venti!” Scaramouche calls.

Venti and Xiao’s eye-contact cuts short, Venti’s gaze averting. “Yes?”

“You better be there!”

Xiao witnesses the way Venti splutters and flushes, doesn’t know what to do with his hands. But at
last the boy nods. “O-okay! As long as Xiao is coming too?” And the thing is, he sounded so
hopeful…
“So, Xiao?” Scaramouche pokes him.

Through gritted teeth, Xiao mutters, “Fine.”

Venti beams, Xiao catches him doing so, and it’s beautiful… it’s beautiful, he’s pretty, he’s Xiao’s
home. Always.

“Alright!” Scaramouche claps, “I’ll see you all this Saturday! Bring your own booze, don’t be an
underdog or I’m kicking you out myself!”
 all the lights couldn’t put out the dark, running through my heart; lights up
and they know who you are
Chapter Notes

initially had no intention in updating this anymore but i get emails all the time. alas,

CHAPTER FIVE

Venti

Everything is back to normal.

The sun is treacherous, the sky is cobalt, the grasses are lush, and he and Xiao are back to their
customary shenanigans, two of which are their accessible banters and common routines. Venti
couldn’t be more thrilled if he’s being impartial, amused upon as to how uncomplicated it’s been
after what had gone down, but at the same time peeved, because yes, even the usual teasing is
back.

Xiao would chortle at him, again, whenever he’d catch him tripping on his feet going up the stairs,
make fun of him when he’d accidentally fall asleep on the sofa with his jaw hanging, dropping
something into his mouth to stir him awake, and reprimand him about feeding Cecilia, despite that
sodding goldfish was literally Xiao’s idea.

Luckily for him, Venti is fond of that fish, so no matter what, he’d tend to her. Hmpf. And… Venti
supposes, he also incurs Xiao on the part that he’d concerned himself with a blanket over Venti’s
snoozing figure, the day after he went home and passed out on the sofa. He found it really sweet
and cordial that he can’t deny Xiao of his wee bit favors like taking care of his damn pet.

Today is a Friday, their last day of school for the week, and for whatever induction, P.E. had been
moved, so as much as Venti would like to weasel into the music hall and commit mayhem with the
drum sets or purely dolt around with Xingqiu and now, Chongyun as well (because those two have
been joined at the hips these days, another piece of discernment for Venti to shoot Xingqiu these
smug, brazen looks every time he’d pass them along the hallways and classrooms), Venti can’t,
regrettably.

They’re at the park as of the moment, given Liben, their P.E. instructor is making them frolic and
roll around the grass, conclude some squats, run laps, and execute jumping jacks like a bunch of
middle schoolers. He alleges, it’s good for their bodies and mind, to shake their spirits and exercise
their limbs, every once in a while, he’d reiterated. Psh. As if Venti isn’t drilled enough with having
so much baggage to tote, while also balancing school work and keeping up with deadlines. Yeah,
yeah, he’s complained about this before, but damn it, it’s utterly unavoidable with the way he’s
hustling like a father feeding his five kids. And by gods, Venti doesn’t even know why he has
Physical Education, when it isn’t corresponding to what he’s here for which is music, but he
supposes whatever it takes to finish college… It’s in his wildest endeavors to become a music
therapist after he graduates, to save people out of their misery. Hah. Or maybe even a singer-
songwriter if he’s got what it takes, Venti hasn’t made an appraisal yet. But those two options are
at the top of his list.

Mid-jog, Venti mauls at his phone buzzing insistently against the side of his waistband where he
slipped it earlier so it doesn’t vault out of his joggers’ pocket while he skips and runs, and he sighs
knowing exactly who it is. He omits it, continues to finish a lap firsthand before he’s taking a
break on a bench and staggering on it, hailing Hu Tao down who looks like she’s about to pass out
on the grass. “Hu Tao!”

“Oi! Nani?” she calls back, tone of voice exhausted from running, yet still hinted of impishness.

“Can I?” Venti motions for the bottle of water she’s lugging, and then gesturing with his hand that
he yearns some. Hu Tao blows a sigh and jogs to where he is, chucking the bottle to his direction.
“Thanks!“

Venti unscrews the cap and quickly takes a huge swash. And then with an exhale, he’s wiping his
mouth with his palm and extracting his phone, unlocking it.

[from: scaramouche]

scaramouche: hi crush
scaramouche: it’s me ❤️ your future husband
venti: scaramouche what do u need?
scaramouche: if i said you? will u hand yourself over?? HAHAHA
venti: shut up! u don’t like me !!! stop messing with me !!!

Ever since the night they jostled into each other at the grocery and Scaramouche asked for his
number, the boy has never laid off texting him, sending him whatever driftless things he thought
of, always orating about how bored he is, saying he wants to permit class early, wants to vigor
home, or saying he likes Venti. He’s trying to flirt with Venti, pretty much. Which Venti is not
buying of course, at all.

scaramouche: VENTI
venti: .
scaramouche: help me
venti: what is it now
scaramouche: I’M BORED IN CLASS
venti: bye scaramouche
scaramouche: rude ☹️

There’s just no way that Scaramouche has a crush on him now, right? He’s bluffing, so Venti’s
never ventured off entertaining his advances, though at the same time he doesn’t mind and finds it
comical, sometimes.

scaramouche: venti, will you teach me

venti: teach u what exactly? :o
scaramouche: how to…
venti: how?
scaramouche: how to be so cute
venti: DFHFDGDSDS BYE

Scaramouche is just a friend, will remain a friend, nothing more. Although… as if Venti would
actually… consider the guy, even if say, he wasn’t really jesting.
Venti stares at the bottle of drink in his hand, his mind suddenly depleting of thoughts of
Scaramouche, getting reintegrated by his mulling over a certain someone. Will he ever get over
Xiao?

His eyes dawdle back to his phone, pulling up his and Xiao’s conversation, and he scrolls down to
four days ago, rereading the string of texts that Xiao sent him. He bites his lip, recalling that
obscurity in his head, the part where he did his best not to answer him when he called, when he
ignored any and all kind of reaching out coming from Xiao, how it took every ounce of his sanity
not to call him back, when he had to hook his phone and shove it away as his last resort just so he
wouldn’t have to weep any longer, seeing Xiao’s sad messages popping up his notifications and
imploring that he came home.

Home. Does Xiao also see him as home? Because that’s how Venti sees him… always.

When a message from Scaramouche came through that night, Venti had thought it’d be about the
boy badgering him and he had to set loose a shaky breath in order to repress himself. But upon
peering over it, he learned it was about the guy atoning to come get him—Venti, at first perceived
himself dumbfounded, because how did this person know Venti ran off in the first place?

Until it hit him, Xiao’s watchful gaze flashing before his eyes. Of course, Xiao was there when he
registered his number in Scaramouche’s iPhone, so Venti figured that Xiao probably contacted
Scaramouche to come fetch him. How… thoughtful. Then again, Venti couldn’t take seeing any of
them and—but oh, who was Venti fooling? Of course he wouldn’t go with Scaramouche even if it
meant he wouldn’t have a shelter to occupy for the duration of the entire night, because…

Because he loves Xiao.

Running to Scaramouche, who Venti barely knew, who also just told him he likes Venti just a few
hours from then, a boy—because hey, Venti is only ever attracted to boys—for help didn’t sit well
with Venti, seeing as he’s in love with someone else, that his love is existing for another person,
that his heart already belongs to his best friend. He’s reserving himself for someone, solely, despite
not knowing, not so sure if he’ll ever even meet them halfway. Any risk taken, any obstacle
forgone, for Xiao.

Venti is pathetic like that and he’s come to terms with it a long time ago. But of course, Venti had
considered that maybe Scaramouche was just being kind, though yet he was adamant to stay loyal
to only one person no matter what it takes. Funny, no? Meeting up with Scaramouche that night
would make Venti feel like he was cheating on Xiao and they’re not even dating. Venti had choked
on his tears, laughing to himself at the mere thought. So Venti’s next course of action was to call
up Xiangling, advise that she ignored Xiao’s calls if he ever did, and spend the night at her place,
which was the safest ploy he had in store.

“Barbatos! You coming?”

Venti and his thoughts get interrupted when Hu Tao yawps at him, and he ganders, locking eye-
contact with her from where she stands, which is nearby the shaded parts of the facility, indicating
that P.E. is bygone forasmuch as she’s already with the others and they’re all piling up to go up the
stairs. Venti sighs, seizing his phone and the bottle in his other hand, his body slowly cataloging
how warm his hair and cheeks have become, his shirt dampened by sweat. He plays at a sob,
feeling sticky to his skin, and he bolts up from the bench he’s been sitting on.

“Be right there!” He hollers back, hating how the sun is beating down on him.

He ambles over to their group and bumps shoulders with Hu Tao when he gets there, Hu Tao
sending a weighty spank right on his bum, making him yelp and widen his eyes. She grins, starry-
eyed. Venti shakes his head, a smile painted across his face, feeling lighthearted. And just like that,
he’s completely forgotten all the reminiscing he just did back there only if for this passing moment.

“Do you hear that?”

“Hear what?” He blinks at Xingqiu, who is snapping his book shut and standing up from his chair.
They’re in their shared class, Philosophy—Venti already dressed back to his day’s attire from
wearing his P.E. uniform that was drenched by his sweats and reeking of grass trail and mud—and
they only have a few minutes left before dismissal, and Venti has to wait for an hour for his next
lecture, music-related this time which delights him.

“Someone is yelling somewhere,” Xingqiu contests, flopping back down, and then he’s looking at
Venti with his wide copper eyes. “Should we go check what’s going on outside?”

Venti, before choosing to parry that, looks around the classroom; everyone is actually also peering
out the door as if searching for the source of noise, of people screaming (at each other?) and Venti
thinks it’s fine if they step out for a bit, considering their professor is absent up front. They’re not
even doing anything anymore, already done with their short quiz. “Let’s go,” Venti puts forth, and
he and Xingqiu are rising from their chairs and making a beeline for the door.

Some of their block mates also do the same, making Venti wonder all the sudden, what must really
be going on on the floor above them? There seems to be some people fighting. Quarreling?

They dash up the staircase, Xingqiu grabbing on his hooded jacket making Venti sink back a bit,
whipping his head around to face his friend who’s smiling sheepishly at him. Venti sticks an arm
out and grabs at Xingqiu’s hand and pulls, so they can go up together. Other students are doing the
same now, so it’s almost like there’s a stampede in here. Everyone in this forsaken university is
prattling and inquisitorial, apparently.

The moment they get to the floor just right above their own, Venti screeches into a halt, after he
identifies that sliver of, unmistakably, Ganyu’s hair. Wait, really?

He pushes through a cluster of students who are crowding the area in one swift movement, leaving
Xingqiu behind his tracks, and there he witnesses the way Ganyu is shoving at Keqing’s chest as
she cries out, “You liar! I hate you!”

Venti is quick with his flow when his eyes land on Mona next, who looks like she’s about having a
panic attack, and he steps in between the other two, prying Ganyu off Keqing who’s only bowing
her head in shame and effectively showing signs that she’s from A to Z unguarded, not fighting
back at all.

“I’m so sorry, Yuyu,” she whispers, shoulders sagged, anguish evident in her voice, exhaustion and
defeat.

Ganyu is in tears, Venti is getting slapped with the sight of her cheeks that are full-blown cardinal,
fuming, her lips wobbling. “Ganyu,” he breathes out, the sound of worry lacing his tone. He hears
it ringing in his head, heart pounding loudly and hard against his chest. “What’s happening? What
did she do? Talk to me, please.”

Ganyu doesn’t vindicate, but she lets herself be pulled away from Keqing, at least, heaving madly.
“I don’t want to see your face ever again!” she shrieks again, and Keqing behind them winces at its
ear-shattering pitch, eyes suddenly shut tight, forehead contorted in sheer distraught. Venti
grimaces as well, and he backs them up, pulling at Ganyu’s extremity to make her jaunt the other
way, far from Keqing.

Just when Venti thought it’d be over from there, Ganyu suddenly retrieves her hand, swiftly,
releasing from Venti’s grip, and she’s soldiering towards Keqing once more. Confused, Venti
looks back to the commotion and it suddenly makes sense. Mona is in Keqing’s space, culling for
comfort and that must’ve provoked Ganyu. Oh archons, she’s even worse than Venti after all when
it comes to covetousness. Then again, Venti doesn’t know how women handle their emotions, he’s
never been with one nor does he plan on ever getting a girlfriend himself, considering he’s
loudly and proudly gay. Since he was fourteen, really.

“Ganyu!”

Mid-swank, Ganyu freezes, so does Venti, because they’ve both memorized that voice.

Swamp of students start to make way for Xiao, with his brotherly persona oozing, and (Gods, does
Xiao really have to look like a model each time? Shit, no time for this) the sight of him has Venti’s
heart careening up his throat. This is bad.

“G-gege?” Ganyu squeaks, tired eyes wide, cheeks smothered with tears.

Keqing and Mona also glance up to see Xiao pushing through the scene, and Mona and Venti make
eye-contact. Mona looks like she just wants to depart out of there, so Venti thinks of a plan the
nimblest way he can.

And, ah. Here goes nothing. Venti hauls his phone and dials a specific number, waits for his call to
be picked up. “Oh, so now you’re calling me after leaving me on read? I see how it is.”

“Scaramouche, this is an emergency.” Venti heeds back at Mona and he’s abstinent upon noticing
how Xiao is already there, taking Ganyu’s hand and inspecting the state she’s in. They’re
exchanging words to each other, Venti can see Ganyu looking distressed, making hand gestures.
And then Xiao’s head is turning to glare at Keqing, and at Mona. Holy shit. Venti needs to hurry.
“Will you please come here to the fourth floor? South wing building? Hurry!”

“Wait, what? Why?”

“We need your help.” Venti pauses, sighs. “Well, Mona needs your help,” he clarifies.

“My help? That hag? Why me?” Scaramouche sounds as if he’s scandalized, incredulous, and
Venti can’t really blame him. Mona stood him up the last time he helped her, so…

“Just please do it… for—for me?” Venti can feel himself squinting at his own words, but then
Scaramouche on the other line is suspending into sighing.

“Fine. Anything for you.” And then the call clicks dead. Venti releases a breath, shoving his phone
in the front pocket of his overalls.

Venti launches himself into the spectacle almost immediately after that, wanting to tend to both
Mona and Keqing, because—everyone is literally watching this and Venti can’t have any of it
continuing any longer. Xiao seems to share the same sentiment, if ushering Ganyu out of there is
any proof of that.

“Let’s go, people are watching, and they’re only getting bigger in number,” Venti tells both Mona
and Keqing. They nod, Keqing teary-eyed and regretful, Mona appearing stressed out, already
starting to turn around and rumble off.
Venti takes that time beholding through heaps of people still scattered around to search for
Xingqiu, and he finds he’s with Chongyun now, the two of them looking at Venti with solicitude in
their eyes. Chongyun thrusts a hand and waves, encouraging Venti to get Mona and Keqing to a
safer place to talk things out.

“I… need some air,” Mona says after they get to a more secluded niche near the lockers. Keqing
purses her lips, dark gaze downcast, some of her lilac fringe falling softly over her amethyst eyes.
Venti watches her, his heart aching at her crestfallen disposition.

“I’m sorry, Mona,” she whispers after a while.

Mona shakes her head, waving at her dismissively. “It’s all good. We tried.”

Sighing, Keqing agrees with her, hugging herself, “Yeah, I suppose, we did.”

“What—um, sorry, not that I’m butting in, but… what exactly happened back there? Why did
Ganyu react the way she did?” Venti asks, finally finding his footing being one who is not keen on
intervening in stuff such as this. Sure, he’ll do whatever he can to cease serious fights between
friends, but learning what sparked the bout is not something he concerns himself with, most times.
Only when given to him by hand. Or word of mouth, respectively.

Keqing, at this, glances at Mona as if asking for her permission to spill. Mona only releases a puff,
and she steps up to the plate and fills Venti in, “Well, Keqing and I—we kind of had this thing
between us. We used to sleep together.” Upon hearing this straight out of Mona, Venti begins
feeling himself weakening. So, Ganyu is right about her theory then, and… Venti thinks he already
knows why Ganyu got mad just now. “But that was a long time ago… I met Keqing when she
didn’t go to our college. She very recently enrolled here, probably because…” she trails off.

“Yes, because of you, Mona,” Keqing admits, emanating. “But that was then, you already know
that.”

Mona nods, firm, crossing her arms against her chest in all seriousness. “Yeah. We already
discussed that we wanted to go our separate ways and stop whatever it was that we had—”

“We had our own reasons,” Keqing cuts in.

Mona nods again in agreement. “And then, she met Ganyu.”

Keqing sighs, rather loudly. “Oh gods, Ganyu. She’s perfect.” And she addresses Venti as she says
that, making him unconsciously bite on his lip, hearing those. “We… we came here together,
Mona and I, so we can out ourselves to Ganyu, you see… We came to tell her everything, the
truth.”

“About our past,” Mona pipes in, clicking her tongue, and then she shoots Keqing a glare. “This
woman here chose to hide it from her. Little did she know that words spread like wildfire around
here. So before she knows it, Ganyu is suddenly confronting her, because apparently, Ganyu saw
us meeting up at a restaurant—”

Venti cuts her off by putting a hand on her shoulder. “Mona, we were there, actually.”

“Huh?” Keqing startles, confused.

“Ganyu and I, we saw the two of you meet up at a restaurant,” Venti elaborates to them, pursing
his lips.
“And?” Keqing asks, alarmed, “What else did she see?”

Venti blows off a sigh. “You walked up to Mona and tried to kiss her.”

“Well, shit…” Mona hisses, glowering at the ground. “No wonder Ganyu’s so mad. I thought it’d
go well, knowing Ganyu. She always seems so chill.”

Come to think of it, Venti thought Ganyu would take it lightly as well, given how their own
conversation went back then; she looked like she had accepted it at the time. She cried, that much
is true, but she picked herself back up, Venti witnessed it with his own two eyes. But he guesses
now, Ganyu is just great at masking her pain.

“I’m sorry about what happened today,” Venti finds himself saying, out of things to offer. “Ganyu
might have just… lost her sense of control. She’s not usually like that, I think we can all agree on
that.”

Keqing nods at that, covering her mouth with her hand, seemingly thinking. “I’ll try to talk to her
again. Until she forgives me,” she finally says after a while.

“Yes, please. We really hurt Ganyu and I never wanted that,” Mona mutters out, a sonancy of
worry.

“I can talk to her perhaps, I’ll try my best. Whatever help I can give,” Venti chimes in, putting a
hand on Mona’s shoulder for reassurance. She nods at him, grateful, sanguine, and Keqing, she
stares at Venti in a way that tells him she’s truly in awe, and Venti can respect that. Even though
Venti doesn’t know Keqing remarkably, or—well, he really doesn’t, not at all—and that he only
hears stuff about her from both Ganyu, and now Mona and a bit from Keqing herself, Venti can tell
she’s genuinely enamored with Ganyu, and that she’s willing to make things right with her, as well
as the clear evidence of how she’s sorry about hiding the truth from Ganyu all this time.

And haltingly, Venti realizes as much… Keqing didn’t owe Ganyu a thing to begin with—they
aren’t officially bound. But, Ganyu, she’s… not someone to take lightly either, she’s one in a
million, a once in a lifetime feat. She’s not just a girl that one can best up off the ground and then
later on strew away; she’s one of a kind, so it must’ve been painless for Keqing to get the knack of
loving her, perhaps, that now she’s furnishing off signs that she can’t afford bereaving her. Just by
the way she’s trembling like this, pacing and can’t keep still. Even Mona is displaying the same
temperament, with the way she’s biting her nails and exempting a sigh every three seconds.

Venti’s phone suddenly fizzes, and it vibrates against his chest. He pulls it out from his front
pocket, and it’s Scaramouche, he’s calling. Oh, geez. He totally forgot about him.

“Hello? Sorry, Scaramouche, I completely forgot. We kind of handled the situation already,” Venti
rattles as soon as he accepts the call.

“Is that so? Where are you now? Where is she?”

“We’re by the lockers on the second floor.”

“Okay, I’ll be there.”

Venti ends the call, and then he’s turning to Mona. “Um, Mona.”

Her head perks up. “Yeah?”

“I might’ve contacted someone earlier for help, while we were, um… in the middle of all that.”
“And?” she prompts, raising a brow.

“Well, you looked like you needed an escape, so I asked my friend to come over to get you
accompanied out there,” Venti relays sheepishly.

“Who?” Mona asks, nose scrunched up.

“You remember Scaramouche, right?”

“Scara…who now?”

“Me,” Scaramouche says rather breezily. He’s coming towards them, and Mona, from being
completely slackened just now, is suddenly riveting her walls up, gaping at Scaramouche
ludicrously.

“Oh, fuck no,” she grates out. Keqing beside them looks a bit lost, although she seems diverted,
staring at Mona and Scaramouche.

Scaramouche scoffs, and then he’s looking at Venti as he thumbs at Mona. “See that? This is why I
didn’t want to help. She’s an ungrateful ha—”

“Finish that word and I’ll eradicate your ass, right here, right now,” Mona cuts in, teeth gritted,
Venti seeing imaginary veins across her temples popping up.

Scaramouche rolls his eyes and he doesn’t dare finish nor follow up his remark, making Venti
snicker to his fist. “A-anyway, uh… everything has been taken care of, but maybe we can just chill
outside?” He drops this gimmick only because he knows his class is over by this time, just that all
he needs to worry about is his stuff that’s still back in that classroom.

Scaramouche kicks at the ground, shrugging impassively. “Sure. Besides, I’m already here.”

Mona hums, pursing her lips. “Fine. I could use a smoke myself.”

On hearing that, Scaramouche jerks a little and he directs his attention to Mona. “You… brought
some with you? I think the next convenience store is five blocks away.”

Mona huffs. “No need to worry, I came prepared. Let’s go.” And then she’s pivoting to head for
the exit gates. Scaramouche makes his move as well, and then Keqing who seems like she’s still
deep in thought. Poor girl.

“You guys go ahead, I just need to grab my things, I’ll join you in a bit!” Venti announces, and
then he’s jogging away, the three of them letting him.

“Be back, okay?” Scaramouche follows up after him.

“Yup!”

He returns to the classroom on the third floor to get his stuff, and then he’s off—but he doesn’t go
outside the school just yet, opting to pay a brief visit to the fourth floor where he originally
concludes Ganyu and Xiao may be. He hankers administering them, see if things have settled
down beyond doubt, for now at least. Not that he’s playing the peacemaker here, because that’s
always been Ganyu’s strong suit, not his, but given the situation at hand, it’s plain as day that she’s
the one in need right now… He can’t help but be anxious for Ganyu, she’s almost like a family to
him, but be it her as his sister-in-law, perhaps? Hey… you’re proving to be more hopeless each
time, Barbatos. And after all, he’s the first to know about her quandary, and then there’s the fact
that now even Xiao has found out, and—he couldn’t forget how heatedly he had sneered at Mona
earlier…

Venti glances at his whirring phone.

scaramouche: jeez venti your friend is ever so feisty, aint she smh
venti: what why? :0 thought u guys are getting along
scaramouche: i thought so too, but she’s really trying to kill me
venti: im sorry, but pls take care of her for now?
scaramouche: of course. anything for you, venti

Venti shakes his head, smiling to himself. This guy. He pulls up Xiao’s name and shoots him a
text.

venti: xiao? where are u?

xiao: 4th floor, ganyu’s classroom
venti: okay! im omw

He scampers up the stairs, careful not to gaff, turning to his left on his way to Ganyu’s classroom
during these hours. He ceases by the doorway, already alerting himself by the sight of Xiao and
Ganyu situated on chairs and facing each other; by this time, Ganyu has the aspects of being fully
recovered from crying, and Xiao on the other hand seems like he’s in the fashion of consoling his
sister, a hand reaching over the table that’s allotted in between them. Eyes roaming around the
place, Venti is certain that lecture is over for them as well, just a couple of students lingering
around the leeway, about five or six of them, which are all thankfully minding their own business
and not treating the siblings as if they’re a pair of endangered species what with the scene that
transpired just moments ago.

And what is Venti even doing stalling? He strolls in and that has Xiao’s head turning almost
instantly, some of his hair strands falling softly and blocking his eye, some tucked behind his ear
that’s donning a couple of black piercings in there. “Great, you’re here. Explain,” comes his initial
greeting, tapping on the seat next to him.

Although he squirms at the timbre of Xiao’s voice, Venti braves through it as he takes the seat
next to him and drops his bag on the floor, right beside their shoes. “Ganyu hasn’t told you then, I
reckon?” He blinks at Xiao, and then at Ganyu, who’s quick to scout away.

Venti scratches at his nape. Looks like he’ll be the one to do all the explaining then.

So he does, he tells Xiao about what happened the day at the mall, the reason for the commotion
earlier, as well as why Keqing brought Mona along. Ganyu gawks at him, her eyes wide. “She said
that?” She exclaims, aghast.

“Yeah, she said you’re perfect, actually. And that she’ll do whatever it takes just so you’ll forgive
her,” Venti discloses solemnly.

“Hmm. You might’ve jumped the gun too soon, Yu,” Xiao intones, resting his chin over his palm.
Well, at least he’s taking this leniently, which is a bit comparatively unanticipated. Venti didn’t
think he would—rather that he’d be livid, all things considered, being that his sister had engaged in
a friends with benefits type of companionship. So, Xiao must be open to that kind of setup then,
huh?
“I did, didn’t I? But—but where is she now? Keqing?” Ganyu mumbles, modulating derision now
for some reason.

“They’re outside the school, I’m actually about to go there. I think Mona and Scaramouche are
taking a puff of cigs,” Venti says.

Ganyu blows a breath, and she’s addressing Xiao, “Gege, I’m sorry for not telling you this sooner,
I just thought you’d get mad at me…”

Xiao blinks at her. “For what, exactly?”

“Oh, you know… for doing it with someone I’m not in a proper relationship with… You know
what I mean…”

Xiao hums under his breath, and he doesn’t say anything just yet. Venti and Ganyu wait for him to
speak again. “That’s fine by me. As long as you’re both consenting adults and know the
consequences of what you’ve put yourselves into. Besides, you’re not a kid anymore, Yu. You’re
perfectly capable of setting your priorities straight, and I… I trust that you know how to handle
these things on your own.”

“I do! I know how! Of course,” she says instantly, earnest, and that puts a smile on Venti’s lips.

“Good,” Xiao concedes. “That’s all I need to hear.”

“Looks like all there’s left now is to fix things with Keqing, talk it out, kiss and make up,” Venti
puts in, grinning.

“Yeah,” Ganyu exhales, studying her own hands.

Venti reaches out to tuck her hair behind her ear. “You got this, Ganyu. Keqing looks as if she’s
fallen for you anyway—it’d be a piece of cake.”

And that—that has Ganyu beaming at him, nodding rather enthusiastically all the sudden. “You’re
absolutely right, and—you know how I feel for her. I wouldn’t be embarrassing myself just now if
I didn’t return her affections for me.”

“Exactly.” Venti winks.

“But still,” Xiao cuts in, closing his eyes, his arms folded against his chest, “you two…dared to
hide this from me.”

Uh-oh.

“Eh—ge, I’m sorry,” splutters Ganyu, just as Venti feels his palms go clammy.

“Xiao…” Venti breathes.

Xiao snaps his eyes open. “Next time, just let me in on the matter, okay? I got so worried back
there, I thought Ganyu got into some serious fight with someone.”

“Well, it was a serious one,” Ganyu points out, unhelpfully so, which earns her a shake of the head
from her brother.

Venti watches on as the siblings start to communicate like they’re in their own little bubble, enticed
and just purely happy to be there. He’s become accustomed to how they do this contrivance from
time to time, whenever one of them slips, and the other would come for their aid. It’s beautiful,
domestic, and it makes Venti wish he had a sibling himself too. He knows for a fact that if he did,
he’d spoil the shit out of them, baby them and make it his life duty to protect them at all costs,
because that’s how he sees Xiao do it with his own younger sisters and Venti just knows he’d
aspire to be just like that.

Just then, Venti’s phone rings, and he views the screen to see the stickman with the skateboard that
he’d doodled to serve as Scaramouche’s display picture in his contacts, making him snort. He
accepts it. “Hey, sorry I’m taking a while.”

“You are, but that’s okay, of course. Although, we’re almost at our third stick. Where are you?”

Venti can hear Mona and Keqing talking amongst themselves in the background, and Venti stands
up. “Be there right now,” he tells Scaramouche and ends the call. He regards Xiao and Ganyu. “I
need to head out, Scaramouche and the others are waiting for me outside. I told them I’ll be joining
them.”

“So that was Scaramouche?” Xiao asks, and he’s giving Venti this sort of awareness that Venti
can’t seem to put his finger on. There’s just something about the way he’s eyeing Venti in this
second that makes Venti’s skin crawl, is all.

“Yeah, it is.”

“Getting closer with him, I suppose?” Xiao proceeds to jive, the corner of his mouth slightly
curved, as though amused. Is he beguiled by this?

“Kind of, I guess? Well, he bugs me a lot through text.” He rolls his eyes, because it’s the truth.

Xiao stares at him for a long, excruciating moment, until he’s nodding his head and tearing his gaze
away from locking with Venti’s own. “I see.”

Well, that was…odd.

“Yep, so! I’m off. Ganyu, I hope you resolve it with Keqing very soon! See you later, you two!”
And then Venti is leaving Ganyu’s classroom, setting out to find the other three outside the school
gates.

**

Hanging out with Scaramouche, Mona and Keqing actually elevated Venti’s mood more than he
thought it would, because for one, Scaramouche and Mona’s exchange of comebacks and insults
was actually hilarious. Then again, he deems it’s safe to assume they’re beginning to warm up to
each other.

“Come on, attend my party this weekend. Tomorrow night! Venti and Keqing will be there, right?”
Scaramouche addresses them, and before Keqing can even probably turn the offer down with the
way her frons are creasing, Scaramouche follows it up with, “And I’m sure Xiao and his sister will
also be there, so… We’re all bound to get tipsy and clingy, better look after our beaus.” He
snickers teasingly.

“Beaus?” Venti asks, incredulous. Is he referring to him and Xiao?

Scaramouche sends forth a wink his way, and Venti feels himself instantly blush. Indeed, he is
referring to him and Xiao. How much does this guy know anyway?

“So, what do you say, Mona?” He returns his attention to her, who’s crouched down with her
elbows resting over her knees, left hand with the cig.

She takes the last puff out of it, until the embers reach the filter and flicks it off the sidewalk. She
stands, dusting her skirt. “Whatever, yeah. I could use some alcohol in my system anyway,
preferably this weekend. So much shit has happened, I need my weekly booze.”

“Weekly? Nice,” Scaramouche grins, wicked and mischievous.

Mona puts a hand on her hip, cocking an eyebrow at Scaramouche as she scoffs. “But you gotta
drive me back to my place, because if you can’t tell, I’m broke as fuck right now. And I can’t bring
some hooch as well either, because again, skint as fuck-all.”

Scaramouche waves her off. “Sure, sure, no problem. I’ve got some supplies back at my place.”

“Oh! That’s great then, because I’m not bringing my own suds too,“ Venti chirps, chuckling. “I’m
just as poor as Mona here.”

Scaramouche feigns burdened, putting a hand over his forehead. “Oh, my poor sodding children.
What would you ever do without me?”

“Me, I can bring booze myself,” Keqing butts in, volunteering. “I’m… not broke,” she adds as an
afterthought. And judging from that round gold necklace around her neck and with the matching
slim Rolex watch wrapped around her delicate wrist, Venti swears he can just smell the affluence
in her, just like the first time his eyes landed on her that one time at the restaurant.

“Yeah, we figured,” answer both Scaramouche and Mona, impassive in tone, making Keqing
suffuse a dainty scarlet, recovering only later to scoff and turn away. Venti giggles at the
commotion, vastly entertained.

It lasts for a couple of minutes more before Keqing is saying she needs to get to her next class,
Mona bidding her farewell, says she’s dropping by Angel’s Share to nurse her nerves (does Mona
even attend her classes anymore at this point? Venti wonders), and Scaramouche offers to
accompany Venti back inside the campus. They split up by the lockers, because apparently,
Scaramouche is already fifteen minutes late to his fourth class, and Venti needs to dump his stuff in
his locker before he can head to the music hall to practice the sax again. It’s what he’s centralizing
these days, already had enough of the ukulele that now he thinks he’s grasped entirely, so it’s best
that he moves on to a different instrument to comprehend. He’s been watching a lot of videos about
players of the saxophone just so he can pick up some of their modus operandi with it, and perhaps
affix them himself. He’s not even consorting Diaochan with him to school anymore, has benched
her for now, deciding that it’s the best prerogative, makes it easier for him to travel by destinations.
She’s not exactly inconsequential after all, so… there is also that.

After he leaves his bag and takes only his phone, keys and wallet, Venti is off to the center of the
campus for the music hall, taking his sweet time to circuit, since this is basically his free time and
that he’s only set to use it for extra practicing sessions of his own.

He passes by the Freedom Park, seeing only a couple of students scattered around the area, some of
which he knows, most of them he only recognizes by their faces and hair, and then in a matter of
profit, he’s already climbing up the steps to the mezzanine.

A blonde girl with blue ribbon tying her hair delicately stops Venti from his tracks, and he thinks
he knows the owner of those shoes they’re wearing—is that, Lumine?

“Lumine?” Venti quips, blinking rapidly to focus his visions clearer, and—the girl spins around,
bright, golden chestnut eyes lighting up at the sight of him.

“Venti!” she chirps. Indeed, it is Lumine! But what is she doing here? At the music hall?

“Hey! How are you, Lumine? Long time no see!” Venti heralds delightedly, meeting Lumine
halfway the staircase, the two of them engulfing each other in for a bear hug. “What brings you
here?” He asks her this because Lumine is from an entirely different department; she and her twin
brother are studying Psychology, and their building is a fifteen minute walk away from the music
hall, so it sort of confuses Venti as to why he’d happen upon her here, of all places. He sees Aether
coming by every once in a while, but that’s because he’s friends with Xiao, and now that Venti
knows of Kazuha as well, it only makes sense why he would visit from time to time. Seeing
Lumine though, here, it’s news even to Venti who loiters around the campus much for his own
good.

“I was actually looking for you! So glad I saw you right away,” claims Lumine with a laugh,
making Venti’s ears buck up. She’s looking for him, specifically? “Well, we might or might not
have searched for you from your other classes too…”

“We?”

She nods. “Yes, we. But you weren’t in any of them, and so I figured that maybe you’re in the
music hall, practicing and stuff.”

“Oh… Why were you looking for me then? Can I help you with something?” He asks, tilting his
head sideways.

“Ah… about that,” she says, and she’s looking rather chagrined all the sudden, piquing Venti’s
curiosity even more. “It’s about the party that’s going to happen this… weekend, correct?”

“Scaramouche’s party, tomorrow, yes. What about it?”

As soon as he mentions this, Lumine’s gaze shifts from looking at Venti, and then to something—
or someone that’s presumably standing behind him. Venti whirls around to check but sees no one.
“It’s my brother, Aether. Aether, I told you, it’s okay! It’s just Venti and me!” She calls out.

With no more than a few seconds later, Aether pops up from behind a post and he’s looking quite
embarrassed, a hand scratching at the back of his head. “Hello, Venti,” he greets, voice timid and
diffident. He comes out from where he’s been hiding after all and stalks towards where Venti
stands next to Lumine.

“So, um—my brother and I are actually both coming to this party, we just heard of it from
Kazuha…”

Venti hums. “But I heard Kazuha can’t make it though, right?”

“Right.”

“Uhuh,” Venti nods, encouraging her to continue.

“And…my brother wants to invite a certain someone. It’s just that—”

“I’m too much of a coward to ask them myself,” finishes Aether for Lumine.

“Oh.” Venti’s eyes glaze over, and still, he doesn’t get what sort of message they’re both trying to
get across by this.
“You’re…friends with Albedo, right?” It’s Lumine who shoots this question, just as Aether dips his
chin, cheeks coral pink and—wait.

And until it clicks. Oh. Oh. Of course. “Well, I am, yes,” Venti affirms, nodding with a wide smile.

Lumine slings an arm around her twin and grins cheekily at Venti, to which Venti mirrors. “Well,
my brother here is hoping you could ask Albedo to come too, so that… you know,” she forges on,
winking knowingly at Venti.

Venti winks back. “I gotchu. Sure, pleasure would be mine~ Ehe!”

“There! That isn’t so hard now, is it, brother?” Lumine chirps, clapping as she lets go of her
brother’s shoulder. “I told you we can count on Venti! He knows everyone around here! And not
just that, he’s friends with them too!”

“Err, not everyone, Lumine,” Venti alleges, chuckling.

“Oh, psh! Anyway, you’re also coming to the party, aren’t you? My girlfriend and I shall be seeing
you there,” Lumine grins, pertaining to her long-time girlfriend, Amber.

Amongst their circle of friends (that has a lot of branches, as it is), the pair of Lumine and Amber
are the only ones actually in a proper, conclusive relationship, and despite they’ve been together for
five strong years, never once did Venti see them get into a serious broil against each other, like, not
even an argument?

They do bicker a lot, Venti has seen it a couple of times, but other than that, it’s just Lumine and
Amber and their soft lingering gazes, sweet smiles and meaningful glances; the fact that they take
good care of one another, protecting each other all the time, the dream team that they are. Venti
takes delight in their relationship if he’s being honest, even wishes to have what they have, and
just… he’s happy for them, really. They got what has come for them.

“Yeah, I’ll be there,” Venti tells her with a smile, then he turns to Aether, “And you! I didn’t know
you’re crushing on Albedo,” Venti teases, guffawing.

“Sshh! Keep it down, Venti! Someone might hear you!” Aether panics, making grabby hands at
Venti. His cheeks are so red Venti worries he might turn into a tomato.

Venti laughs. “Please, don’t worry! No one’s here at this hour! And besides, Albedo isn’t here
either, is he? He’s probably somewhere sketching. But wow, this is great news! You like my
friend!” And he likes you back, lucky you! He doesn’t say this out loud, only because he wants them
to deal with it on their own. “Anyway! I’ll definitely make him come to that party, even though
he’s not one to attend such gatherings, I’ll do whatever I can just to get him to come.” Although,
Venti bets that just by saying Aether is going to be there, will definitely do the trick.

“Okay, Venti. Um, thank you—”

“So you two can smooch!” Venti smirks playfully, making kissy noises at Aether, extending his
arms to mock making out with someone.

Lumine bursts out in giggles while Aether proceeds to burst in flames, hypothetically, making
Venti feel victorious yet at the same time bad, because Aether has always been so gracious and
kind to him, a soft baby that he is. Then again, Venti will always be Venti, and Venti takes the piss
out of anyone and everyone, therefore no one will ever be an exception. Not even Aether and his
darling face.
After that talk with the twins, Venti still dropped by the music hall despite the fact that he also
tagged along with them to the cafeteria and got themselves some snacks, making his remaining
free time more limited, and he practiced playing the saxophone just as he promised himself. It was,
well, quite festive he’d admit. Saxophones do create some soothing, melodious tunes that any other
instruments can’t effectuate, very pristine and delicate, thick but smooth. Venti finds it a whole lot
relaxing playing it, though his breath sometimes short-circuits for he’s not that skilled of a sax
player himself just yet. Still, it eased his nerves, and somehow, he can’t believe that he’s willing to
play it more from now on.

Jazz music isn’t exactly Venti’s forte because he’s more into pop and country songs, but just
imagining how he can chill at some café or fancy restaurant, using cutlery and lifting up a teacup
with his thumb and index finger, while his pinky flicks out is putting a frisky grin to his face. And
yes, don’t mind Venti, he’s just projecting some outlandish regal aristocrats from the medieval era
here.

He’s off to meet Albedo in a matter of moments from now, tapping the end of his ballpoint pen
over his desk, as he pretends to listen to what their professor is announcing as their last few
reprimanding before they can dispatch the class. Once they finish, they bid everyone goodbye and
put the lecture to an end, saying they’ll see them all next week.

Venti blows off a sigh, and then he’s fishing his phone out to text Albedo to wait for him at ‘their
tree’, because yes, apparently, it’s their tree now at this point. Venti doesn’t know exactly when or
how or what sparked this pattern, but whenever he and Albedo arrange a tryst, they tend to pride
themselves on ‘the tree’, until it’s become a recurring thing in their friendship, and until it becomes
their tree.

Venti gets at said tree first. It’s nearly six in the evening, and thus students are slowly dispersing
the campus, the Freedom Park as a whole. Venti peers over the watch around his wrist after a few
minutes, out of stuff to do. Tearing his gaze away from it, he looks up ahead and finally he’s
singling out Albedo promenading towards where he is. He waves at him, grinning. Albedo waves
back too, but less preposterous, just his usual calm demeanor presenting itself on Venti.

“Hi,” Venti says, already toying with his voice, wanting to importune the guy.

“Hi,” Albedo greets back, smiling coolly. He stops in front of Venti, and Venti can’t help checking
him out. White sweater, blue shorts, navy blue loafers and black leather bag. He’s also wearing
those glasses again and his hair is pulled up in a ponytail. His friend is once again a visual.

“So, guess what,” Venti starts off with, batting his lashes at Albedo.

“I’m not good at guessing,” Albedo intones, blinking.

“Eh? Not good at guessing, my ass! You’re such a smart guy!”

“Context, then?” Albedo prompts.

“It’s about the party that’s going to happen this weekend!” Venti cheers, clapping.

“Oh, I’m not going,” Albedo is quick to decline.

“You’re no fun,” Venti pouts. Albedo simply shrugs, not saying anything any more, so Venti has
no choice but to pull his reverse uno card. Ha ha ha! “Well, that’s too bad. I guess it’s going to be
just me, Aether, and—”

“I beg your pardon?” Albedo’s eyes widen, only if by a mite, before they’re returning to their
original size. Venti almost chokes on laughter at seeing such a deficient sight.

“Oh, you know… Aether. You probably know him already,” Venti says, feigning nonchalance and
acting as if he doesn’t know what’s up, pacing a little as he lets Albedo contemplate life itself
before his eyes. “We actually met up earlier this afternoon—him and Lumine—and they both said
they’ll be coming to Scaramouche’s house party, so—”

Venti gets cut off mid-explanation when Albedo grabs both his arms and pulls him in, causing
Venti’s eyes to go big as he waddles forward, and the next thing he knows is Albedo’s cupping his
face as they are centimeters away from facing each other, and then Albedo is tiptoeing as he leans
in—Venti closes his eyes, pursing his lips, and then he’s suddenly feeling Albedo’s lips touching a
small part of his forehead. “Thank you, Venti,” Albedo murmurs, before he’s pulling away. “I’ll be
there.”

Venti pries his eyes open and he blinks back at Albedo who’s staring at him, aquamarine eyes so
genuine and pretty. Grateful. “O-of course. We—we’ll see you there, then,” Venti stammers out
softly, nodding once. When Albedo is telling him that he needs to go home now, saying Klee is
waiting for him and Alice, his stepmum, would like to have him over for dinner, that’s the only
time that Venti’s releasing the breath he hasn’t realized he’s been holding. And wow, Albedo likes
Aether this much, it belatedly dawns on him.

Or—no, maybe even loves the boy already. But then Venti thinks back to that time that they were
under this same tree, and Albedo said he was merely ‘infatuated’ with the mystery fella… Venti
huffs, smirking to himself, feeling fond of his friend. “You’re not fooling me, Albedo,” he mutters
lovingly to no one in particular, standing alone by himself. He shakes his head, and then he’s
traipsing his way to the campus’ exit.

Upon reaching the gates, Venti is met by chocks of people and the sight of students alike creating a
huge huddle surrounding the entrance, which has him wondering what must be happening this
time, at dismissal no less. He looks around the area, hoping to see anyone familiar with him to
explain what’s going on.

There’s a girl with the pigtails AKA Hu Tao, who’s hopping over someone’s shoulder to probably
also try to look at what the commotion is all about. Venti jogs to where she is, tapping on her back.
“Ah?” She whirls around. “Oi, Barbatos! Quick, look!”

“Look where?” Venti quips, baffled.

“It’s the model, Eula!” she squeals.

Wait, really? The supermodel slash actress slash commercial model Eula? Here? At their
university?

“Seriously?”

“Yes! Ugh, come, look,” she rouses, and then she’s grabbing Venti’s wrist as they both push
through bodies of students that are being held back by a bunch of security guards, some men in
black suits, resulting in Venti and Hu Tao staying at a limited sphere.

But then at this rate, Venti can finally catch a glimpse of the celebrity herself, Eula, in the flesh.
She’s looking marvelous with a purple flowy dress and a pair of peacock high heels, some icy blue
fur shawl around her neck, her maya blue hair pulled up into a messy but elegant bun. She looks so
beautiful, and Venti is floored by the sight of her. He feels his heart rate speed up, and he knows
this is like the typical sensation of wanting to fanboy over someone who’s popular, so by any
means, Venti opts to shriek and shout, be ecstatic and yell her name, wave at her in order to get
noticed. And he’s already opening his mouth to do so; that’s until he sees Xiao, who is hailed by
one of the security guards to come forward, making a way for him. Uh, okay…? What is
happening?

Holding his breath, completely aware of doing it this time, Venti watches on as Xiao and Eula
proceed to shake hands once Xiao has managed to get to where she is, and that doesn’t stop there,
apparently, because then Eula is leaning in and pecking Xiao on the cheek, which catches Venti
off-guard—what the fuck was that about? Xiao looks like he’s just as taken aback himself, at least,
Venti sees it in his eyes, the way that he puts distance between him and the celebrity… Then
again… Venti doesn’t know why, or how come he’s feeling this way… like he’s just been punched
in the guts, his fervor coming out of his skin, but—but that’s what’s happening to him right now.

He thinks Hu Tao is calling his name and shaking his arms, but Venti is too numb and deaf
and blind to even function properly, to hear his surroundings, to feel anything at all. And he
realizes, apropos of nothing, that this…this is what it will feel like should Xiao ever decide one
day to get himself a lover… someone who isn’t Venti, because right, they’re just best friends,
aren’t they? This—this sudden ail caused by both jealousy and envy—will be what Venti will
eventually get accustomed to should Xiao suddenly change his mind about getting himself
involved with someone who isn’t him in a romantic way.

How in the world…will Venti be able to deal by then?

Him and Xiao, they’re an inseparable duo, they should never leave each other’s side if that’s the
case. But of course… one way or another, one of them—could be him, could be Xiao—will get
themselves a boy or a girl, or just someone to love and be with, be their other half. It’s not going to
be forever that they will be this way, be isolated, live with each other and be the best of friends that
they are now. They will build their own families soon enough, have children and move in with
their own spouse; they’re not getting any younger, they’re almost out of college just after two to
three more years, and then they’ll be infiltrating the real world, pursue serious jobs, meet new
people in their respective workplaces, and—move on from being roommates of each other.

That’s their endgame, right?

“Barbatos.”

Venti blinks. “Huh…”

“I’ve been calling you for like, ten minutes now, lad. Are you okay?” Hu Tao is asking.

“Oh, I… I’m sorry, I spaced.”

“That you did,” Hu Tao sighs. “Fuck. I shouldn’t have pulled you along, I didn’t even think that
shit would happen! I was just as shocked—”

“It’s fine!” Venti cuts her off, raising his palm. “It’s fine, Hu, it’s okay. I was just… a bit surprised,
that’s all.” He forces a titter. “I mean, come on, she’s a worldwide known celebrity, and oh my
gosh, she just kissed my best friend on the cheek! How cool was that? Xiao is a lucky bastard, isn’t
he?” Venti shakes his head, a hand coming up to his chest, sliding down to his stomach that
churns, then he’s suddenly bolting off the huddled group to find a corner because he needs to—and
he’s throwing up.

“Venti, oh dear archons!” Hu Tao calls, panic and concern in her voice, but Venti can hardly roster
her presence, too dizzy and weak, and he’s puking some more, his half-digested lunch piling up
before him, scattering all across the grass. Hands grab his arms to rend him up, and maybe it’s Hu
Tao, Venti can’t really tell right now for how blurry his visions have become, his ears layering up
with white noise. He wants to cry. He feels like tearing up… Venti didn’t expect this.

This is how it feels like getting jealous, huh? Or just the fact that this is how he gets jealous?
Because…Venti is pretty sure, this is the very first time he’s ever felt this way before. Xiao has
never let anyone come near him, is the thing, any girl, any guy, so Venti never had to feel jealous.
And the first time it happened, Xiao let someone near him, a woman (who’s so damn pretty even
Venti would probably bend his sexual orientation for if the opportunity arises), had the privilege to
kiss Xiao—Venti’s Xiao—on his cheek. Xiao’s first kiss on his cheek and it didn’t come from
Venti.

Venti feels constrained, he’s hurting quite a little too much. He needs to go home and fast, lock
himself up in his room and tune everything out.

So, Venti does go home, pushing past gathering people as he wipes his mouth, ignoring Hu Tao all
at once who yells after him, alone.

So perhaps, Venti might’ve exaggerated with the way he acted last night, considering he didn’t
know how to handle jealousy for that was his first time to feel it in his eighteen years of living, sue
him. Thus, Venti didn’t get the chance to investigate further about who Eula must be in Xiao’s life
or what her role may be. This is all too sudden and out of the blue—her appearance at their college,
the way her bodyguards ushered Xiao to approach her, the way she paid Xiao a visit herself? A
celebrity, who’s probably busy and better off somewhere to do what celebrities do, Venti has no
clue. He sighs, rolling his eyes at himself, remembering how he’d vomited, scared the living
daylights out of Hu Tao, and scrammed off without notice. Damn it.

He scoops up another stack of books from a nearby table and brings it over to the Non-fiction aisle,
puts each and one of them back into their designated shelves.

He’s at the school library today on a weekend, because the university never closes and Venti needs
an extra income, and he plans on staying here for the next five hours until sundown so that when
he comes back to the dormitory, he only has to worry about getting into new clothes, meet up with
Kazuha for those ice creams, go back, and then head to Scaramouche’s place, the little rascal’s
address already saved in his notepad.

When Venti came home last night, true to his initial plans, he did go straight to his room and slept
the night off, but that was after he let a bit of tears seep out of his eyes, because fuck it, he couldn’t
help it, he couldn’t suppress it no longer, what with he’d just witnessed his lifelong crush being
kissed like that. That should be me.

Truth be told, Venti was actually shocked at himself that he was able to control his tears during the
tube ride, despite they felt like they were clawing at Venti’s eyelids, begging to break out, because
Venti’s tears, they never hold back, those little pricks, they would burst out whenever, wherever,
however—so it did put a jolt to Venti’s nagging senses.

Also, who the fuck is Eula to Xiao’s life, first and foremost?

What’s her deal? Really? Going up to Xiao like that and pecking him on his beautiful cheek? Who
does she think she is? Venti huffs, swerving around to go to another long table to grab more books
to return them, because fucking kids around here don’t know basic library etiquette. Fuck them all.
“You doing okay there, Barbatos?”

“What?” Venti didn’t mean it to come out rudely, but alas, he just snapped at Miss Lisa. Shit. “I—
I mean, sorry, I didn’t hear that, Miss Lisa,” he backtracks, his grip on a book he’s holding
tightening in his hands.

Ever the polite and calm individual that she is, luckily for Venti, Miss Lisa spares him and only
smiles, that pretty smile reaching her green eyes as always, and giggles on her hand. “I asked, if
you’re doing okay in there. Because I can feel your raging aura all the way from here.“

All the way from where she is…which is back at the counter. Brilliant, just brilliant, Venti, you’ve
really done it this time.

“Oh, I—I’m okay, Miss Lisa! Just… kinda pissed that some students don’t know how to return the
books they take off of shelves, is all. Nothing big!”

“Oh! Very well then,” she chirps, “I feel you, honestly. The first time I worked here, it riled me up
too. But I got used to it after some time. I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it yourself very soon.”

Venti nods, chuckling awkwardly. “Of course, Miss Lisa!”

When the head librarian makes a show of getting back to what she’s doing, which is writing
something down on the bibliotheca book record, Venti goes back to work as well. Students still
drop by the athenaeum even during the weekends, more so if it’s a Saturday, fewer if it’s a Sunday,
and Venti’s just so done with the lot of them. Sometimes, Venti just wants to slap some signs on
the library walls that say ‘Put back your fucking borrowed books where you took it or I will swear
on this fucking signage I will rip your head off’.

Hmm, maybe that came out a bit harsh, but none of that shit matters to him right now, Venti is
livid. Again, who the hell does Eula think she is?

He’d long clocked out of the library, perhaps about three hours ago, but he didn’t go straight home
after doing so. Instead he hung around the music hall and fooled around with the drums, because he
refuses to see Xiao just yet. He whacked and smashed on the cymbals and toms, almost broke the
snare drum in the process (to which had him scared shitless, his life savings flashing before his
eyes because he can’t fucking afford that if he really does manage breaking it, crap) as he perched
himself on the stool, and that was while he listened to some Panic! At the Disco song, recalling last
night’s event and the part where he bolted off the tableau as if he was starring in some drama film.

But, see? It just felt like that. No, Venti isn’t being climactic here, but damn, he feels like he’s
gone through a terrible breakup which is downright illogical. Because never once did he ever get
himself a boyfriend before, so how can he compare what he’s grappling with to an actual breakup?

But he’d like to think he’s being accurate on that front, because his heart wrings in torment, Xiao
won’t leave his thoughts, and even though he sees him every day, a part of Venti is, still, always
missing him. His face, his smell, his gorgeous back, his round ass, his deliciously disheveled hair
in the morning, his wittiness and dripping sarcasm. Fuck.

So yes, yes, Venti almost broke the snare drum and all he wishes for is to feel okay. Is that too
much to ask?

With his shoulders slumped, Venti holds onto the handle bars inside the tube as he waits for his
stop.
It’s cold outside when he steps out of the subway, but thankfully, Venti wore one of his thousands
of hoodies, so he supposes that helps.

On his way to the dormitory that is more or less a ten minute walk from the train station, Venti as
he treads lazily whips his phone out and switches the thing on after letting it sit dead for almost
twenty-four hours, due to Hu Tao calling him nonstop after that incident last night with him
throwing up, and Xiao getting smooched, and Eula the gorgeous actress model popping out of thin
air, and fuck, shit, Venti hates this feeling. He loathes jealousy. He still can’t get over the fact that
he’s actually feeling resentment over a fudging chaste kiss… and it’s not even on the lips!

And he’s not even Xiao’s boyfriend! Not his partner in that way either. Sheesh.

One by one, texts spring in hounding his phone’s screen, making it vibrate and fizzle. Missed calls
from Hu Tao also flood his notifications, and then a couple of messages from Scaramouche and
Kazuha.

He scrolls through his inbox and learns that there was a—a new GC created? Venti taps on it, the
one in which the group name is called ‘besties headquarters’. Uh, fancy?

who tao: BARBATOS!!! are u there, mate?

who tao: bitch, answer me. twinnie???
who tao: come out, come out, wherever u are~
who tao: fuck, am so worried abt u bro reply ASAP
lumine: what happened? :o
who tao: this bitch puked on me. well, not ON me, but he threw up last night and ive
been trying to call him but bitch wouldn’t answer my calls !!!!!
xiangling: huh? why?
aether: WHAT
aether: also, who made this gc?
who tao: ME
who tao: BC THIS IS AN EMERGENCY
venti: hu tao, you’re exaggerating bestie
who tao: THERE U ARE WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT LAST NIGHT WHY
WOULNDT U ANSWER MY CALLS I STG BARBATOS
venti: im sorry !!! i wasn’t in the mood to talk :’(
lumine: what’s wrong, venti? :(
lumine: also, can i add amber to this gc?
who tao: GO BESTIE ADD THE GF. also,, twinnie, r u okay now? r u feeling well?
://
amber: oh, wow hello :3
lumine: hi baby i love you >:)<
amber: i love you too, bbygirl what’s going on here?
xingqiu: What’s up, my lieges? :D
venti: nothing, nothing’s wrong. what’s this gc for…?
who tao: mona, u tell him what u saw
who tao: MONA !!!!!!!!
venti: just tell me hu tao u’re scaring me
lumine: yeah, just spill the beans hu :o
xiangling: do it !!
who tao: fine, fine
 who tao: so idk where yall been last night but eula went to our school and she kissed
xiao
xingqiu: WAIT WHAT
aether: EULA? AS IN EULA THE MODEL EULA???
amber: WTF WHAT
who tao: I KNOW I KNOW IM SHOOK AS FUCK AS WELL
xingqiu: BUT OMG SHE KISSED XIAO?? LIKE ON THE LIPS???
venti: on his cheek, xingqiu…
xingqiu: oh
xingqiu: but WAIT IM SO LOST WHY WAS SHE AT OUT COLLEGE
who tao: that, we have no clue
who tao: but she was there and it seems like she knows xiao and xiao seemed to be
expecting her too
who tao: and then, mona… Mona where the fuck are u u should be the one telling
them !!!!
mona: OI OI OK IM HERE WHAT’S GOING ON NOW
who tao: there u are u moraless git. tell venti what u saw!
lumine: ksjdkajdlq
mona: FUCK U HU TAO
who tao: FUCK URSELF
aether: ok wait this is making my head spin…
lumine: u and me both brother
venti: does everyone just… really know how i feel about my best friend?
who tao: YES
mona: YUP
xingqiu: UHUH
xiangling: PRETTY MUCH YES
lumine: yes, venti
amber: ^
aether: yeah hehe
venti: i hate you all
who tao: u love us
lumine: we love u, venti
who tao: MONA, FUCKING TALK
mona: OK OK FUCK SHEESH. ok barbatos, idk how to tell u this, so i didn’t tell u
right away, but i saw xiao and eula in a coffee shop the other day
venti: oh
venti: um wait mona before u continue to say anything, im just gonna

Venti leaves the group chat, he couldn’t handle it. Fuck. It hurts. It hurts. And it still does when he
enters the dorm and sees Xiao talking on the phone with someone, and faintly, he hears the name
he’s been dreading to hear slip past Xiao’s tongue.

“That’s okay, Eula. We can talk more about it later. For now…” And Venti doesn’t let himself
eavesdrop some more. He toes his shoes off and leaves them at the door together with his keys,
padding across the living room and down the hallway, straight to his room. He slams the door as
compactly as he can, letting Xiao know just how cross he is. And Venti’s fully aware he’s being
unreasonable for doing so, because why should he be displeased anyway? He doesn’t have the
right to. But screw it, he is. He feels so entirely left out… for once in his life, he feels so out of
place in this dorm.

He flops on his bed head first, rolls on his back as he takes the time to scroll through his contacts,
until he sees a message pop up. Finally, he instantly projects, an escape. Because he doesn’t think
he can vacillate around much longer, in this stead.

[from: kitsune kazuha! ]

kazuha: Hi, Venti! :)

venti: hey, kazuha !!
kazuha: So, those ice creams? :D I’m actually free right now. Only if you’re up for it.
venti: of course! let me just go get changed !! i’ll meet u at cat’s tail?
kazuha: Sure! See you there :)

Venti changes into something loose-fitting, from his white hoodie to a teal one, and then a pair of
trackies that match the color of his ombre. He fastens his twin-braids and wears a pair of glasses in
the name of coming off chic, then he’s off again. He can’t be in the same room as Xiao—Xiao
who didn’t even bother acknowledging his presence when he walked in, too preoccupied with Eula
on the phone. Nice. Cool.

Awesome, the lot of them. Good for them.

Leaving his room, Venti makes for the front door and grabs his keys from the bowl again. He can
see Xiao at the corner of his eyes lounging on the sofa with his feet over the coffee table, talking
animatedly over the phone pressed to his cheek. Venti feels himself frowning, his heart stuck in his
mouth as seconds tick by, but… he doesn’t dare let it show. He focuses on wearing his slippers
instead, and then he’s turning the knob and slipping out the door.

Xiao didn’t even bother asking where he’s going.

When Venti makes it at Cat’s Tail, he finds that Kazuha, looking swank in his black knitted
sweater and red pressed shorts, has arrived earlier than him, right there, sitting alone on one of the
double booths. That has him in incredulous stupor, how long must he have been waiting, feeling
rather guilty for taking a while with his thoughts eating at him on his way here.

He approaches the all-too-familiar two-door entrance and pushes one of them open, getting greeted
by Kaeya the moment he steps a foot in. “Venti, hey!”

Venti smiles on impulse. “Hello, Kaeya.”

And Kaeya must’ve noticed the strain in his voice, Venti isn’t quite sure anymore. Though if he
did, Venti’s indebtedly gratified he didn’t utter a word about it. Instead, he asks, still flashing that
resplendent smile, “Here to dine?” Typical Kaeya.

Venti nods, still willing himself not to drop the smile he’s sporting despite it fondles on fictitious.
“Just, ice cream, with a friend.” Venti looks over to where Kazuha is busily tapping away on his
phone and signals for him. “Kazuha! I’m sorry, I’m late!”

Kazuha squints up, eyes widening for a brief moment before he’s leering and recognizing Venti,
waving a hand with a dazzling grin. “Venti!”

Venti ambles over to where the boy sits and he hops over to the stool next to him, knocking their
elbows together. “Been waiting long?” he drones teasingly.
Kazuha puts his phone away and smiles, flustered, his cheeks red. “Nah, just… I just got here
myself. What would you like to have?” A charming grin.

Venti rests his elbows over the table before them as he tips his chin up, palms cupping his face. He
hums in thought. “Hmm, I guess… a buttered pecan…? Or, no,” he taps his cheek, mulling over
the choices that flood his barred brain. Barred due to over-dwelling. Finally, he settles with,
warbling out, “Oh, of course, birthday cake! I think I need something sweet, I want that rich
buttercream frosting with cake bits. The colorful sprinkles… Mmhmm, all because I’m kinda
feeling blue right now.” He chuckles, but he’s being honest nonetheless. He just hopes Kazuha
won’t bother asking, otherwise Venti might just be unable to control himself and end up crying to
the guy about everything. Which, that would be embarrassing…

Kazuha, thank heavens for Kazuha, doesn’t seem to notice the hidden message that Venti had let
slip just now, and instead the boy crows. “You really do work here, like you said. You’ve
memorized the ingredients?”

“A bit, yeah!” Venti chimes, grinning. Yes, actually, come to think of it…Venti does memorize a
little of the ingredients put in some of the ice cream flavors here, despite the fact that he doesn’t
make them himself. And he’s not even a fan of ice cream to start with. Just that one day he found
himself doing research on ice cream flavors, checking out various lists off Google, and voila, he’s
suddenly keeping some of them in mind.

“That’s so awesome,” Kazuha comments, a tinge of blossom on his cheeks. Again? Venti doesn’t
know and he’s quick to brush it off, watching as Kazuha leaves the stool he’s sitting on, stating
firmly that ‘tonight is on him’, and then he’s going over to where Fischl and Noelle are present
behind the till to get them those ice cream in sugar cones.

Kazuha comes back later with his birthday cake and it seems like Kazuha settled with a plain
vanilla scoop with a cherry on top. Venti can’t help giggling, because would you look at that—an
ice cream that resembles Kazuha. Fascinating.

They sit side by side as they enjoy their servings, talking about school and the courses they study.
Venti lets Kazuha talk for most of their time together, feeling gloomy to even be less incoherent
this second.

Venti’s phone sibilates in his pocket and he knows it must be just Scaramouche again, so he shakes
his head with a sly smile as he whips it out, but then—

[from: xiao bestieee ♂️ ]

xiao: hey. where are you?

venti: ?
xiao: what do you mean “?“
venti: out with a friend
venti: u rlly didnt see me come in earlier did u
xiao: i did. who’s this friend?
venti: ah u did u jus didnt bother acknowledging me lol
venti: and it’s kazuha
xiao: ah ok
venti: need anything?
xiao: what time will u be coming back?
venti: why does it matter?
 xiao: it does. why are you being a pain?
venti: oh, am i now? being a pain in xiao’s arse ehehehehe
xiao: venti……
venti: FINE. IN A BIT! IM COMING HOME IN A BIT. but i won’t be staying long,
im getting myself drunk at scara’s house party later
xiao: you’re really going there?
venti: ofc. i want free drinks
xiao: k. suit yourself then

Venti leaves it at that, returning all of his attention to Kazuha, who’s taking the last bite of his
cone, making him snigger when he sees remnants of vanilla smattered on the boy’s cheek. On
instinct, Venti leans forward and pokes Kazuha’s cheek, right at the corner of his lips, and swipes
at a dollop of ice cream off it.

He grins at his friend when the boy’s scarlet eyes dart back to him, looking the least bit shaken
Venti must say, and then Venti, in the name of picking on the boy, makes a show of licking his
finger with the treat. “You made a mess,” he tells Kazuha, sticking his tongue out at him.

He watches Kazuha flutter his eyes, and just like that the air around them falters, precipitously
shifts, rendering Venti confused, because it is only now that he’s realizing Kazuha’s face getting
closer than what is necessary, a bit too close for comfort—and Venti catches it as soon as it makes
itself known; Kazuha is slowly drifting in and closing his eyes, making Venti’s heart lurch. “K-
Kazuha…? What are you…”

Immediately, he angles his face away, alarmed, cheeks heating up along with his ears. There’s
silence that soon follows.

And until Kazuha speaks, voice soft and mildly shaky. Thick. “Shit… Venti, I—I’m sorry.”

Venti swallows and dares another peek at Kazuha’s way. “Um, that’s weird…” He forces a laugh
which has him cringing the moment he hears it for himself, the part where it sounded so awkward.

Kazuha is still rutilant, looking down on his lap, and as much as it harrows Venti to see him so
disconcerted and apologetic like this, Venti really isn’t in the right mood to be coddling other
people aside from himself; he’s heartbroken, see.

He’s the one in stitches. All he wanted was an escape, a bit of space from Xiao, an alone time with
someone who isn’t his best friend for once that’s why he came here. To have fun. To chortle and
munch on something saccharine. And he hasn’t even finished half of his sherbet.

“I didn’t mean to, Venti,” Kazuha says, voice soft and barely-there.

“That’s okay, Kazuha. Might’ve just been a spur of the moment.” Kazuha almost stole his first
kiss. Venti stands. “I think… I should go.”

Kazuha’s head snaps up and he gapes at Venti, a look of dejection across his youthful face. He
doesn’t say anything aside from stand up as well, although with less conviction, and they both
leave Cat’s Tail with Fischl, Noelle, and Kaeya bidding them goodbye. Venti tells them he’ll see
them all later.

“Um… Venti?”

Venti stops sauntering. He inhales, exhales. “Hmm? Yeah, Kazuha?”

“Let me walk you back to the station, at least?” Kazuha with his hands in his pockets, standing a
few steps away from him, looks a lot hopeful and candid, devout, and Venti just—he can’t deny
this boy. Ever. He already loves being around him, he’s his dearest friend.

So he nods and smiles. “Of course.”

The boy smiles too, eyes lighting up as if just now didn’t come about. And so they begin their trek
to the nearest subway, both quiet and plainly enjoying the cool, evening air.

When Venti steps a foot inside the dorm, Xiao’s first question has been, “Had fun with your
boyfriend?” with his arms folded over his chest and disparagement in his tone, one eyebrow raised,
and that instantly puts a damper to Venti’s already sour mood. Great.

He snaps his head up and scowls. “He’s not my boyfriend!” And he watches Xiao roll his eyes,
which gets him to gritting his teeth in anger. “How about you, Xiao? Had fun with your
girlfriend?” he counters, and he motions to the cellphone that Xiao is still gripping in his hand.

It takes a while before Xiao is furrowing his brows as if he has no clue what Venti is talking
about. You can’t fool me. “What—?”

Rolling his eyes, Venti shoves past Xiao to go to his room, cutting him off with, “Never mind,
don’t answer that,” because he hates the fact that Xiao didn’t respond as quickly, like he’s guilty.
So it’s fucking true then. Fine. Fine. Venti can live with that. He can, he’ll show everyone he can.
His friends don’t need to worry about him, he’ll move on eventually. He’ll forget about Xiao.
They’ll be best friends, sure, but from now on, he’ll do whatever it takes to crush this feeling of
attraction and swimming affection that he has in store for him. Just platonic friendship now,
starting tonight.

Yes, tonight.

[from: scaramouche ]

scaramouche: sooo, is my crush coming over tonight??

venti: yes. wait for me, i’ll be there
scaramouche: ALRIGHTTTTT!!
scaramouche: see you, baby!!! take care on your way here! you know my address,
yeah??
venti: yep
scaramouche: okay!!!
venti: are u already drinking? u sure are energetic
scaramouche: HAHAH MAYBE??
venti: goodness! wait until i get there at least !!
scaramouche: HFASJFSAD JUST BE HERE! ILL BE WAITING, VENTI, MY
BELOVED SMOOCH SMOOCH SMOOCH
venti: gross, scaramouche

Venti leaves his room to brush his teeth and wash his face in the bathroom, untying his twin-braids
and letting his hair fall loose, warranting its freedom to frame his face with their smooth, wavy
curls. He smiles at himself in the mirror, tapping his cheeks to liven himself up. In the deeper
corners of his mind, he’s thankful that Xiao isn’t anywhere in the living room, so he doesn’t have
to deal with him and his stupid handsome face. For now.

He picks out a different top for this party, even if they’re basically just going to drink and get
hammered in a damn house. It doesn’t matter, Venti wants to look good, so he will.

In the end, he settles with his matching Nike baggy pants and sweats, gray in color with the
trademark check printed all over them, and his blue, orange and white varsity-style jacket, filled
with iron-on patches that he purchased online. It’s a tad chilly out after all, Venti has no problem
dressing up thick layers tonight.

He wears some white socks and a pair of white sneakers, and he’s off. “Oi, Xiao!”

“What?” answers Xiao all the way from his room.

“Are you coming to Scaramouche’s party or what? He’s asking about you!” That’s a lie,
Scaramouche never mentioned Xiao once, but somehow… Venti is hoping that he’ll be there, just
like he said he’d be.

“No. Have fun with Kazuha!”

Ah, he’s still mocking him. Alright then.

In lieu of his refusal for a decent response, he leaves the dorm and hails for a cab to Scaramouche’s
place, cursing Xiao in his head. Guess he’ll always be an ass.

The house itself is huge, to say the least. Scaramouche’s place is freaking massive. No wonder the
boy once gave Venti hints about how he’s mostly fooling around with college with the course he
applied to, saying rather off-handedly about how he just wants to try it out.

“Photography isn’t really my thing, but all my colleagues have become successful with it, so I
thought I’d try it myself—besides, I’ve been told I’m quite alright with photographing, capturing
moments and all that.”

Venti feels overwhelmed by the sight of the house in front of him all the sudden, and he’s a little
light-headed with it. It’s already buzzing, this place, with flickering strobe lights and heavy trap
music booming loudly from inside—it can be heard all across the neighborhood, even from here,
right outside where Venti stands, having just clambered out of the rental taxi. People are starting to
charge at the doors, Venti is witness to such lenitive rout and more so, horde of vehicles arrive at
the front road with students hopping out, all from their college carrying bottles of liquors and
hurdling past the wide fences, straight to a huge front lawn and then to the tall white entrance door.

There’s a heavy hand that lands on Venti’s shoulder, and Mona with her dark red lipstick, long hair
undone and flowing freely tonight, cloaked by a red, shimmery bodycon dress, is suddenly next to
him, a hand on her hip. “Yep, Barbatos. He is born with a golden spoon,” she states with a sage nod
like she just heard Venti’s thoughts from a mile away, and—suddenly it all makes sense to him,
because right, Mona has been here once when Scaramouche took her home due to being too drunk
to stand at the back of some nightclub.

“I just didn’t expect it,” Venti tries to reason, but Mona just clicks her tongue.

She looks at him then, and reaches out to pinch his chin, “Don’t be too surprised. We do have a lot
of crazy wealthy friends. Keqing herself has a mansion larger than this one over here. It just so
happened that you’ve been too hung up on Xiao, that’s why you haven’t been hanging around other
people’s pads these days… or ever.”

At the mention of Xiao, Venti’s stomach instantly drops, and if he’s feeling overwhelmed and shy
just now, Venti is suddenly raging and he wants—needs—to get absolutely hammered tonight. It’s
a must. It’s been so long since he got wasted, and that was when Diluc served him a cider, which
didn’t do much besides unleashing the boldness in him. Right now, Venti wants to be more. He
wants to party hard and be with his friends, cachinnate and dance, get sweaty and maybe cry a bit?
Whichever fits the bill.

“Don’t even mention that name to me. We’re here to get smashed, aren’t we?” Venti grouses, and
that triggers a huge grin to Mona’s features.

Morphing it into a wicked smirk, Mona nods her head. “Course, Barbatos. Think of what I told you
in that group chat earlier and get yourself absolutely bonkers in there.”

“Right! So, what are we waiting for?”

Grabbing hold of each other’s hands, Mona and Venti march towards the house, meeting some of
their friends on their way there, Xingqiu looking dapper as usual, Chongyun with his baby face,
and Hu Tao with her hair up in a high ponytail, make-up with glitters on her face, one that’s already
dancing and holding up a red cup greeting them with hugs and kisses on the cheeks; as they all get
inside, they are met with the sight of a party in full swing, mixture of neon lights swimming across
illuminated walls, strobe lights bouncing to the beat and flashing before their eyes, some rap song
playing loudly by a DJ at a stage in one corner, heavy bass reverberating around the lively abode.

Venti’s mood uplifts on a whim, and when Scaramouche sees him, the boy practically yells his
name over the music and even over the throng of party-goers dancing wildly all around the room,
bounds in his steps to get to where he is, by the bar with Mona and the others. He’s wearing some
casual clothing, the host, a matching black shirt and shorts (his usual skater boy look, really, no
fucking wonder Venti never entertained the idea that’s once crossed his mind that he might be a
rich kid) (you know what they say, never judge a book by its cover) and Venti maybe is a bit too
happy to see him.

“Baby!” Scaramouche coos as he reaches him, and Venti gets a whiff of his cologne when the boy
engulfs him in a hug. He’s holding a flute of something—champagne? Wine? Venti doesn’t have
an iota, but it seems to him that Scaramouche has already drunk a lot more than is necessary solely
by the way he’s refusing to let go of Venti. And, ah, Venti can finally detect the smell of vodka in
him.

“Baby yourself,” Venti retorts, laughing in Scaramouche’s ear. Mona pries the boy off of him, and
Venti is finally seeing the rosy glow on his pale cheeks, forehead damp and glistening with sweat.

“So glad you all came! Very well then, go help yourself with something to drink! Bar is right
behind you. There’s also another one over there,” he says, pointing somewhere across the room.
“And~ the kitchen is free for us to roam, my dad isn’t around anyway—he’s on a business trip with
his new fiance.” He cackles after that, tipsy. Venti smiles, but at the same time he felt the sad tone
in Scaramouche’s voice when he spoke of that last bit making him falter if only by a tad. He urges
himself to forget about it. For now.

“Alright! Let’s go! Actually, I already got myself some in a red cup, I don’t want to break your
precious glasses, I get crazy when I’m sloshed!” Hu Tao guffaws, grinning as she bops her head to
the bass of the music. She sashays away then, pulling Mona’s wrist to drag her somewhere amidst
the congregation.

Xingqiu and Chongyun have already disappeared into the sea of people as well, dancing amongst
them and helping themselves with something to drink perhaps, and when Venti looks back over the
front door, he spots Ganyu coming in with Lumine, Amber, and Aether.
“Hey!” Venti calls for them, waving his hand. Scaramouche is suddenly coming up beside him
with two blue cups of—rum? Venti minds for a whiff. With coke. He thanks him, then carries off a
large swig. Fuck, did he miss this.

Ganyu and the rest join him, and they huddle together, whooping between each other as they thank
Scaramouche who tells them they may snag any drink they want, declaring it’s on the house, no
pun intended. Which Venti finds a bit funny, because didn’t he announce a few days ago that
anyone who would dare come should bring their own booze?

“You’re here before us, I thought you would go with Xiao!” Ganyu is yelling at him over the
blaring song, Kendrick Lamar this time. “Why isn’t he with you? Where is he, by the way?”

Ugh. “I don’t know, Ganyu! He said he’s not coming!”

“Eh?” Ganyu looks surprised, then again, Venti can’t blame her. They’ve all been talking about
this party for like, four days now, even Xiao, so it is indeed a shocker that he didn’t show up. But
Venti can’t care any less, thinking maybe he’s with Eula again. Psh.

“Maybe he’s with his girlfriend!” Venti yells back, just to spite, and that has Ganyu’s eyes
widening in…what, exactly? Horror? Puzzle? Venti can’t register what sort of reaction she’s
sending, but again—he doesn’t care anymore. Not now, not ever. Besides, he shouldn’t care that
much… They’re not…together. And to that, Venti gulps down the entire content of the blue cup
he’s holding and taps Scaramouche’s shoulder, who whips around from talking to Aether, to face
him.

“What is it, babe?” He grins at him.

“Another one please,” Venti simply tells him, leaning closer to whisper it in his ear.

Eyes sliding back to assess him, Scaramouche nods once, and then winks, and he’s off to get Venti
another refill. He comes back in no more than three minutes with two more cups, and this time it’s
filled with vodka and lime. Good, Venti likes it strong.

He hops on a stool so he can focus better in getting himself inebriated, because indeed, he wants to
get stupid even without the ‘getting laid’ part. Perhaps. He watches Lumine and Amber at one
corner of the room dancing all over each other, Lumine leaning into Amber who’s wrapping her
arms around her narrow waist. They look rather mushy and pliable that Venti has the urge to look
away, humbled by the sight of them, because… it easily seems like a private moment and he
doesn’t fancy intervening.

He takes a large sip of the vodka lime, letting the liquor slide down his throat, its alcohol substance
eliciting warmth off his skin. He loves this feeling best, the sole reason drinking is one of his
favorite go-tos when life is becoming essentially rougher on him.

Huh… Again, he must have the qualities of a dad caring for ten children that had been abandoned
by his wife to go mingle with other men as if she was single. No, no. Venti is just a lone boy with a
broken heart.

But what’s pitiful is that, it was broken by someone unknowingly, because what the fuck did even
Xiao know? Venti never once confessed his love for him, he’s a wimp like that.

Venti laughs to himself, taking another huge gulp from his cup until he’s demolishing it in one go.
And another cup, because hey, didn’t Scaramouche bring him two?

Ganyu is lingering beside him, and she too, is nursing a drink; it’s a coupe glass of something
salmon in color—probably vodka as well, and she’s giggling at something Aether is saying.

Speaking of Aether. Venti whips his phone out. He scrolls through his messages to look for his and
Albedo’s conversation, but before that, he passes his and Xiao’s and there’s a new message from
him.

‘don’t drink too much’

‘ask scaramouche to drive u and ganyu back’

That’s all it says. Venti flouts, clicking his tongue. Yeah, sure, he mentally scoffs, bitterly
so, seems like he really isn’t coming then. Well, that’s okay. Venti can manage not seeing him for a
night. He’s got his friends here with him, what more could he ask for? And look, here comes
Xiangling with a big ass bottle of liquor, and… Keqing. See? Everyone’s here tonight! Who needs
Xiao?

Rolling his eyes, Venti sloughs off their conversation and proceeds to shoot Albedo a text asking
where he is. The art student replies after a few minutes, when Venti has downed another drink, this
time a slew of shots brought to the bar for him from Scaramouche, who cheekily grins, slipping
away with a flourish to dance with other people in the middle of the house. Venti grins back,
cheeks feverish, and then he’s raising another shot and lapping it in one go. He winces as soon as it
hits his tongue, gritting his teeth as he feels the scorching iced liquid of El Dorado rolling down his
throat. Bloody hell, it’s harder than the vodka lime from earlier.

‘I’m already here.’

Venti looks up as soon as he reads Albedo’s reply, and true to the boy’s words, indeed he’s here.

He’s wearing just a plain black shirt with some blue windbreaker over it, and some dark ripped
pants which is a first. Venti has always seen Albedo wear a variety of pastel colored attires at
school and he’s always looked refined in them, mature, cultivated, and pretty. Right now, Albedo
looks hot and sauve, and Venti is so happy for him and Aether, because look, Aether is just as
sharp tonight with his white polo shirt and maroon varsity jacket, beige chinos and those white
sneakers that he wears like a mantra. And gods, do his friends deserve each other.

“Albedo!” Venti shouts over the deluge of people, which has Aether perking up at the name. But
of course, Venti did it on purpose and he can’t help but send forth a wink Aether’s way, making
the boy squirm visibly and blush like a loon.

Upon being called, Albedo pushes through the mass to get to where he is and Venti hops off the
stool he’s been sitting on, and whoa. Everything around him is suddenly spinning. He snickers at
the fact, and he meets Albedo halfway to hug him—to which he initially wanted to come off gentle
and unhurried, but instead, he literally crashes into him, almost toppling them both down.

Wow…he’s glazed too soon. Good thing that Albedo hasn’t helped himself with an ounce of
alcohol so he’s still perfectly abstained, and thus he’s able to keep Venti upright. “Hey, you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine~” Venti feels a hiccup coming up. Already?

“You’re already drunk-pissed and I just got here.” Yeah, that.

“No? Who says I’m off my trolley? Please~” Venti laughs, because that’s so funny, isn’t it?
He’s slurring. Wishy-washy.

He feels himself getting pushed a little, suddenly hearing Ganyu’s voice to his right, “Let’s get you
to sit somewhere. Come on, Venti.”

And then the next thing he knows is he’s being flopped down on a leather couch. Sheesh, the
surface is cold. Venti lays his head on the armrest and forces his visions that are swirling to focus
and clear. He spots Xingqiu and Chongyun emerging from somewhere, and they’re coming
towards him with a glass of water. Chongyun hands it over to him, and Venti doesn’t need to be
told anything, he just downs it.

Ganyu is back with the others, and he can see that she’s with Keqing now, the two girls holding
hands. Keqing is tucking light blue hair strands behind ears, causing Ganyu to smile bashfully.
Charming. An eyeful. Ganyu is really beautiful just like her brother. They’re all such attractive
siblings. Even Qiqi, who is about to turn seven in a few months, will grow into a pretty girl.

Mona pops up a bit later after disappearing for a while and flops down on the couch next to Venti,
leaning her head on his other side. “Hey, Mona… Where’ve ya been?”

“Around,” she murmurs, and Venti almost didn’t hear it, since another rap song just blared in.

He giggles at the silliness of it, looking back at the dance floor yet again where Scaramouche is
lingering around a couple of people, with Xiangling and Hu Tao tittering to each other about
something, holding red cups each, Aether and Albedo finally hanging out a few steps away from
them, Lumine and Amber slow dancing to a Hip-hop song, and what the fuck is this? Everyone has
a partner while Venti is here, alone with Mona, who is better off dancing with someone too if
Venti’s being honest.

Huffing indignantly, Venti forces himself to stand, causing Mona to yelp next to him.

“Where are you going? Come back here, my pillow!” Mona moans, making grabby hands at him,
but Venti sets out undeterred. He marches towards a bar and grabs himself a bottle of beer, chugs it
down aggressively, uncaring whether or not some of its contents are spilling down on the front of
his shirt. Besides, beer is good after a couple of hard drinks.

Satisfied with a burp, Venti slams the bottle over the counter and wipes his mouth with his sleeve,
whirling around with a loud exhale, and then he’s howling at the people partying at the center,
everyone cheering for him. Venti guffaws and joins them, another upbeat song filling the droning
area, strobe lights changing their rhythm to be in sync with the beats, and Venti is dancing.

He’s dancing and he’s having the time of his life, bumping with mills of bodies shimmying around
him. Chongyun and Xingqiu tag along with him. “Hey, Barbatos! Are you good again?” It’s
Xingqiu.

“Of course! Don’t you know who I am? It’s me! Venti the chugging master!” He clamors, making
both Xingqiu and Chongyun burst out in laughter. “No, seriously, have you seen me finish that
whole bottle over there?” Venti points at the bar where he left said bottle, and he knows his words
are swirling sounding at this point but he doesn’t give two shits about that right now. In fact, he
wants two more shots of something. Something—and he turns to his left and catches a glimpse of
Scaramouche, the boy already coming up towards him. “Hi,” he grins.

“Hi there,” Scaramouche grins back, cheeks so pink and eyes so big, dilated. Venti giggles just as
Scaramouche thrusts up another shot glass his way. “More?”

Venti beams, can practically feel himself preening. “Of course!”

“Of course!” Scaramouche chorus back, “You’re the chugging master!”

“I’m the chugging master!” Venti sings, and then he’s swilling down the shot handed to
him. Whoo! That was awesome. He wipes at his mouth, and Scaramouche is suddenly grinding
against him, making him do the same, the boy’s arms encasing his waist, hands feeling up across
his back. And Venti loves it, loves that building up sensation of getting hot and tangled with
another body, making him sway to the song that is now a bit slower and mellower than the rest and
previous ones.

“Your boy has arrived, by the way,” he hears Scaramouche say, but Venti doesn’t know what he
means by that so he carries on dancing with him instead of answering.

Ganyu and Keqing are also dancing near them, their noses brushing against each other
until poof they’re kissing. Full-on making out, their hands cupping each other’s faces and angling
their heads for better access.

And fuck. Fuck, Venti wants to kiss someone like that too. He wants to snog someone he likes…
he loves.

Xiao comes to mind.

Nooo. He will not think about him, no… not when he’s drunk, he’ll just hurt and he’ll cry. He
shakes his head to let go of the thought. Please, please, please, not tonight.

His eyes travel around the spacious room with high walls and a balcony, and search for more pairs
of couples; his gaze zeroes in on Albedo and Aether by the other bar and it seems that they’re just
talking. Although… at least they’re clasping one another’s hands, and it’s like they’re in their own
little world just the two of them, so that’s… nice. Progress. Baby steps. Venti is so happy for them
he could cry.

So he is. He lets his tears brim at the tips, cloud his visions just a bit. Just a little bit… no big deal.
He sniffs, looking away again as he focuses entirely on Scaramouche who is staring back at him.
“You’re really pretty, Venti. Hope you know that.”

He startles at the tone in Scaramouche’s voice, especially with the way he said that. “I—um—”

The boy laughs, cutting Venti off from stammering and fish-mouthing. “Relax, I’m just
complimenting you… For real. I know you only see me as a friend, which is not a massive deal.
That’s how I see you too. But I do really like you, Venti. When I say I have a crush on you, that’s
true.”

Venti doesn’t know what to say to that, and he thinks he wants another drink. So he signals at
Scaramouche. “More?”

Smiling even as he was practically interrupted with what he’s relaying to Venti, Scaramouche nods.
“Of course, Your Majesty,” he merely teases, slipping away to grab Venti another glass of drink.
When he comes back, he offers a coupe glass over to Venti and Venti gobbles it down. It tastes like
cherry and ice cubes and rum. Scaramouche retrieves the glass from him and flags someone down
to take it away. “As I was saying…”

“Mm?” Venti hums in question, swaying dizzily to the song. Another song, still slower than the
heavy-bassed ones. He assesses Scaramouche with a nod and a lazy grin. Gods, he’s so far gone,
his surroundings getting blurrier by the second.

“I can’t keep watching you wallow yourself away by sadness and, you know, continue pining over
my friend?” There’s a sheepish laugh after that. “I say, get your shit together, the both of you, and
just tell each other how you really feel. It’s not that hard? I mean, look at me with you.” He
simpers.

After that, all Venti can do is giggle. What is Scaramouche even saying? Venti’s mind is reeling
and he’s just far gone, intoxicated, and then he’s suddenly feeling his stomach gurgling and he
feels bile coming up his throat—he forces it down. Shit. Of course, he didn’t eat anything besides
the ice cream, so too many to drink is going to result in him throwing up. Venti stalks off.
“Bathroom,” he tells Scaramouche.

He gets easily let off to roam despite the fact that he doesn’t know where the hell the bathrooms
are. The house sure is colossal. Where does he go from here?

He passes by Amber and Lumine by…the kitchen, it seems? Snogging each other over an
island, the absolute bollocking bonkers that they are. He whistles playfully at them on his way
over and Lumine flips him off without having to stop for air. Venti sniggers at the state they’re in,
fully aware how he’s practically waddling in his steps, hands feeling around the walls to preserve
balance. He’s probably going to trip if he doesn’t amble carefully.

Door after door, Venti checks them each, his head swimming with all the alcohol intakes he’s
educed ever since he arrived.

After a few more checking, finally he finds one and lets himself in. Immediately, he takes a pee.
When he’s done, he flushes the toilet and shuts the lid, taking a seat on top of it, and this—this is
when Venti lets himself breathe.

He breathes and closes his eyes. Memories of Eula and Xiao flood his senses instantly, the way
Xiao would be on his phone and mutter that woman’s name, and the fact that Xiao, his own
fucking best friend, didn’t tell him anything about getting himself a girl. Is it because she’s a well-
known celebrity? A model? So they hid their relationship to the public? But… but Venti is Xiao’s
best friend though, he could tell him anything. Absolutely anything.

Unless… he doesn’t trust Venti enough.

Well, it’s happened before. In fact, it’s still happening today. Xiao never lets him in his room,
never shows him that particular portfolio, never told him why he named his pet goldfish Cecilia
when Venti asked, and now this… this new girl coming into the picture, unintentionally ruining
everything and unwittingly making Venti’s life a living hell. On a whim.

He sniffles, and suddenly he feels it creeping: the waterworks. They trickle out in full circle,
blurring his visions and making his lips tremble. He feels utterly helpless and alone in this four-
cornered bathroom with no one else knowing about this tormenting issue, his suffering that he’s
kept to himself ever since it hit him. He feels insecure, the beauty of one Eula flashing before his
eyes, and he deems, out of spite, they deserve each other too… right? Xiao is gorgeous, Eula is
gorgeous, so—who is Venti to meddle between them?

Right. Right. Rational thinking is his best option here. Acceptance should be his goal, his course
of action. But first, he’ll bawl his eyes out, because it hurts. His chest is spasming, it aches. Crap.
Why is he so fucking woeful? He wasn’t even born on a Wednesday.

The way Xiao talked to Eula over the phone—the way Venti remembers it, his snob of a best mate
was kind and polite to her, his voice gentle and it’s as if he didn’t want to disrespect her. So that’s
how Xiao is as a boyfriend then, Venti surmises in his head, silently congratulating Eula for
winning such a great guy over.
Venti puts both hands on his numbing face, resting his elbows over his knees. Gods, he must look
like shit right now, and why… why… Tears are still streaming down his face? Seriously? Venti
wipes at them, angrily, but they still refuse to simmer away.

Xiao, I’m in love with you, I’ve been in love with you. Why was it so difficult to just admit? Now
it’s too late. He’s had his chance.

Three whole fucking years. He wasted it all away. Now be a disaster, Barbatos. You’ve become
subject to such misfortune you invoked.

“Fuck,” he hisses after a while as he feels bile rushing up his throat, which has him bolting up the
toilet seat to rush over the sink to throw up. He hiccups with tears congesting his eyes, puking
some more.

Venti supposes…he is too hammered now to think properly, because when someone bursts through
the door, he doesn’t even find it in himself to tell them to bugger off, too lightheaded and heavy-
lidded simultaneously. Instead he keeps his whimpering at bay and wipes at his mouth, turning the
faucet on to wash and drain his vomit by the sink. He tries to stand from leaning over the marble,
and when he does, he—he must be dreaming, surely, because there’s just no way he’s seeing Xiao
in the mirror staring back at him with a frown plastered across his stupidly lavish face?

“What’s going on with you? Are you—are you crying? I’ve been here for an hour searching the
place up for you. We’ve all been looking for you.”

Wait, wait, wait. Why is dream-Xiao mad?

“Huh? Me? I’m just… just here? I took a wee,” he tells dream-Xiao, because again, this is just a
dream. Venti is hallucinating because he’s drowning in his love and affection for Xiao. It’s all
about Xiao, Xiao, Xiao. Xiao in his head, Xiao in his heart, and now Xiao in his dream. Venti turns
to face him and reaches a hand to touch his cheek. Hmm. Soft. “And why am I even explaining to
you? You’re just a dream, aren’t you?” he marvels.

“You’re reeking of alcohol, Venti,” chastises dream-Xiao. Venti rolls his eyes. Sheesh, even
dream-Xiao is still such a—um. What’s that word again? Meh, Venti can’t think for shit when he’s
drunk. Ah, never mind. Never mind.

“I don’t care. You don’t care, now get out of my way, my friends are looking for me, you say~?”
He tries to push past dream-Xiao, but dream-Xiao grabs his arm, and then he’s making him cling to
his back, dream-Xiao hefting him up by holding his weight from beneath his thighs.

Venti smiles, taking a sharp breath, loving the smell of this dream-Xiao. Because wow, he smells
just like Venti’s real-life Xiao.

“I told you not to drink too much.”

“You did? I can’t r-remember~” Another hiccup.

“Doesn’t matter, I’m taking you home.”

Venti gasps, eyes widening for a short blunt moment before he’s nuzzling his face against dream-
Xiao’s neck. “Eh? Where is home? The only home I know is with Xiao~”

“Xiao, huh?” mutters dream-Xiao, amusement in his voice. They’re tramping down the hall, back
to the party, is it? Venti doesn’t know. All he knows is he’s getting a piggyback ride from dream-
Xiao and it feels nice.
He allows himself a smile. “Yeah! He’s my home. He’ll always be my home…” And then he’s
closing his eyes.

The next time Venti is opening his eyes, he’s sitting in the passenger seat of someone’s car. He
blinks slowly, eyelids heavy and dry. His gaze darts to his left as he examines his surroundings,
street lights passing by as the vehicle runs.

When he looks at the driver’s seat and catches sight of Xiao, he feels his heart spontaneously crawl
up his mouth, and his eyes start to blur once more.

“Why?” he croaks out, despite not knowing what he’s asking for. Meanwhile, Xiao keeps his focus
on the road and ignores him, quiet, one hand wrapped around the steering wheel. Venti opens his
mouth again, a tear sliding down his left cheek for some reason, “Why, Xiao? Why are you here?”

And there’s his reason. To see Xiao like this, looking fine and unbothered while Venti’s having a
serious meltdown.

Finally, Xiao releases a sigh and turns his head a little to regard Venti, before he’s muttering out, “I
just knew this would happen, so I hurried over.”

He rushed his way here…

“And whose car is this?”

“Scara’s.”

Oh… Venti blinks, another tear slipping and falling down his lap. “How about the others? Ganyu
and the rest? Why are we leaving them?”

“Everyone in that party knows how to hold their liquor, Venti, heck, even my sister who isn’t a fan
of drinking is barely tipsy. You’re the only one who drank yourself to death! How could you be so
irresponsible?” Xiao curses under his breath. His tone indicates disappointment, though it’s not
exactly harsh. But the way he’s slammed his other fist on the steering wheel has Venti’s heart
lodging up his throat nonetheless, and that causes another droplet of tear to tumble down his face.
Because it’s so fucking true what Xiao just said. Venti was the only one drunk back there, the only
one who was a jumble of mess; while everyone was having fun, cozy and loved-up, Venti was all
alone in a fucking bathroom, crying to himself and wrenching his guts out.

All because he’s so fucking gone for Xiao, he doesn’t know how to get this feeling off his chest
and it’s eating him alive.

He sucks in a shaky breath, suppressing whimpers as he takes it upon himself not to fucking break
any more than he should and sob, right here, in front of the man who has him by the leash.

Out of pure agony, he bites out with his voice an octave lower, like he can’t fucking help it, “Fuck
you, Xiao… Who are you to boss me around? Aren’t you supposed to stay out of my business? If
you didn’t know, I’m old enough and perfectly capable of taking care of myself. You shouldn’t
have come at all and…” He pauses, averts his gaze back at Xiao, whose eyebrows are firmly
furrowed, “…and just continued flirting with your new girlfriend.”

The moment the word girlfriend left his lips, Xiao groans, proving exasperated. “What in the
fucking hell are you s—”

“I’m correct though, yeah, Xiao?! You got yourself a sodding girlfriend and you hid it from me,
you selfish monk! Me? I’m your best friend, for fuck’s sake! Shouldn’t I be the first to know about
that kind of thing? Why? Why didn’t you just tell me? Am I just a nobody? A thing of the past?
I’m nothing to you anymore because there’s always been someone else! Isn’t that right?!” And
fuck, Venti doesn’t even know why he’s screaming at Xiao, all he knows is he’s so full of grief
and disdain, both disappointed and frustrated at his best friend who wouldn’t let him in on anything
anymore.

“Fuck, Venti! What are you talking about?! You’re just blowing things out of proportion!” There’s
full of aggression in his voice, provoking Venti to yell at him some more. He’s making him want to
yell some more…

Which, fine! Fine! No one messes with Venti when he’s had too much to drink.

Venti unbuckles his seatbelt with shaky hands, fuming mad. He catches a glimpse of Xiao at the
driver’s seat watching him for a moment as if judging his movements, but Venti’s too groggy and
caught up by his anger to decode any of it. “Oh, am I?! But why can’t you answer then?! Stop the
fucking car and look at me right now, tell me I’m fucking wrong—”

And Xiao does with no further ado, he takes an abrupt swerve, such a drift that leaves no room for
Venti to continue his ranting. It’s quick how he does it, Venti is unable to grasp with what little
brain cell there is left in him what is actually going on around him; Xiao who is cursing under his
breath as he unbuckles his own seatbelt, reeking royally pissed, and before Venti knows it, Xiao is
shoving him back on the passenger side, “You know sometimes, you just need to shut your damn
mouth,” and then Xiao is cupping his face while his other hand goes around his nape, pulling him
in and crashing their lips together.

And, what…is happening…here? What is this feeling?

Venti’s eyes flutter at the suddenness of it all, his body fully tensed for a brief second, but then he
feels Xiao’s lips that are soft and tender against his own, the realization little by little sinking into
him that this is real and this is happening, and eventually his body starts melting into Xiao’s arms,
eyelids sliding down until he’s kissing back.

Venti is kissing Xiao. Xiao is kissing Venti. They’re kissing, they are.

Xiao’s hand slides down Venti’s back, pressing them even closer together. His other hand remains
on Venti’s cheek, caressing it as their kiss deepens, and heads angling just a little.

When something soft and wet tugs at his bottom lip, Venti grants it entrance unthinkingly, letting
his best friend taste him however he wants.

Well, Xiao on the other hand… he tastes like cherries in sundaes. And Venti’s heart is soaring with
that surprising fact because he never expected it—and that’s okay.

If anything, it’s turned out a lot better than he’d imagined. Perfect, even. Xiao’s velvety, warm lips
that mold against his, Xiao’s muffled humming of satisfaction resonating with him.

That…that makes Venti’s insides ecstatic and he’s fizzing with it.

His arms wrap around Xiao like they belong there, and he leans into such a sensation that he’s
drowning with it, kissing the guy just as hard, just as earnestly because he’s waited for this moment
all this time and finally it’s here.

He’s not dreaming, he’s locking lips with the person he’s been pining for this whole time and it’s
the best feeling one could have.
Venti can’t breathe, he’s so full of emotions and yearning, and this time it’s in a good, exhilarating
way which makes it damn terrifying, because what if this ends? Venti doesn’t want it to end; after
this he’s just going to want to kiss Xiao over and over again.

The thought has him releasing a moan, right against their moving lips. He wants more… more.

And maybe, Xiao does too. No matter if it’s not for certain and Venti is not a psychic to really
know. Because just look at the guy—reciprocating Venti’s eagerness just as much, making the
butterflies wriggle wildly in the pit of Venti’s stomach so naturally. Isn’t that…enough proof?

Or is the way they’re making out like it’s their last day should be the proof? With Xiao nipping on
his lip and sucking on his tongue, pulling back an inch only to surge back in so he can deepen their
kiss if that’s even possible. Xiao loves him too, right? Right?

He’s fully aware how Xiao’s hands are traveling across his body the longer they do this, and idly,
he thinks Xiao is slipping them under his sweater as he palms along the small of his back. As
though… His thoughts go haywire as he shivers at the contact, momentarily, but he doesn’t stop
making himself available.

Their kiss lasts for a while, Xiao being in control for most of it…and Venti preens at the mere idea
of finally having his best friend steal and pocket his first kiss.

As they part, heaving and breathless, Venti makes sure that he opens his eyes slowly, afraid that if
he didn’t, he would just wake up from a lovely dream… but he finds that that isn’t the case. And
it’s to the sight of Xiao staring back at him that the first thing he sees, heavy-lidded and flush,
canary eyes blown dilated like when he wants something.

Venti takes the time to drink him in, the look on his face, the swelling of his lips—accomplished
by Venti from biting and suckling—the disheveled state of Xiao’s hair, and shit, this scrupulous
version of Xiao is a view and Venti’s only just picking up on it.

“Xiao…”

The aforementioned regards Venti head-on, gaze narrowing it seems, carefully, and then he snaps
his fingers at Venti’s… face?

“How many are these?” Huh? Really? After such a steamy make-out session?

Nonetheless, Venti states what he’s looking at, “Two.”

Xiao pinches Venti’s chin to examine him, looking straight into his eyes. “Are you fully awake?”

At this point, all Venti wants is to go home and be with him. He whines, “Yeah, why?”

“Buckle up,” comes Xiao’s curt command, tone low and husky, sending chills down Venti’s spine.

Choosing not to argue, Venti obeys wordlessly, and Xiao drives them out of the curb. He speeds
across the highway, passing gas stations and buildings and walls of houses, and until they reach
their own street and complex dormitory.

Venti hugs himself through the midnight breeze as they stand outside, waiting for the landlord to
ring them in, and once they are, Xiao seizes his wrist and pulls him up the stairs.

Venti’s heartbeat races, knowing for sure he’s fully sober by now after all the vomiting he’s
consummated and after that kiss they shared. He still can’t believe they actually did it, and right
now—right now they’re coming up to their dorm, and Venti is a hundred percent certain Xiao is
taking care of him further once they’re alone again. To say this isn’t exciting him would be a total
lie, because the truth of the matter is that he can’t wait. He wants it so bad.

Scrutinizing like a hawk, the way Xiao scrambles to get his keys to unlock their door, Venti
realizes amiably the fact that Xiao’s hands are jittery with it. He’s not the only one thrilled to get
his hands on the other, and he was proven correct; the moment Xiao successfully jams the door and
as soon as it clicks free, the guy is booting it and whisking Venti up to his feet, carrying him in his
arms, the suddenness causing a little squeak to come out of Venti, again.

And he clings onto Xiao, who reaches out behind them to shut the door, hauling Venti up like he
weighs nothing. When the heavy thing slams, Xiao rushes them to their sofa and flops Venti on it.

No one talks between them, just their heavy breathing and their eyes intensely locking. Xiao hovers
over him whereas Venti remains a starfish on the couch with anticipation building from within him,
gazing up wordlessly, intimately—at Xiao, who glowers from above him as if he was made of
gold, almost as if… he loves him and that he’s waited for this moment to happen as well. That it’s
not just Venti…

Xiao’s eyes, seemingly glittering under the midnight gloom, has Venti mesmerized by them; and
well, as much as he’d like to bask in the fact that those amber eyes, so fierce and so full of passion,
are staring back at him with such desire, Venti would rather they do something now, because
hey…he’s kind of waited forever.

He just wants his best friend to take him, to make him cry and hiss in a pleasurable way, and get
enthusiastic with him. …So he blinks and reaches a hand out to imply that he would like Xiao to be
closer.

Xiao, who in a heartbeat sinks down to kiss him, must’ve gotten the message, and Venti doesn’t
miss the shift in the atmosphere enveloping them—doesn’t miss the part where Xiao’s other hand
closes around his wrist like he doesn’t want him going away. Like he owns him, and… isn’t that
what Venti wants? For Xiao to own him. He wants it more than anything.

“Xiao…” he manages throughout the kiss, that of which is a bit hungrier than the last, more
persistent, passionate and with conviction, and wow, Xiao’s tongue really turns out so practiced,
huh. He’s even guiding Venti along, it seems, making Venti exhale in awe, their lips soft and
slotted, limp arm wrapped around Xiao’s neck while Xiao pins him down to their beaten sofa.

Xiao’s legs crowd on either side of his hips, weight is dipping them down, and Venti is suddenly
filled with the guy’s strong, musky scent, some of his soft hair falling to his face tickling Venti’s
cheeks, and Venti still can’t fucking believe that they’re actually here and snogging each other
senseless, after years and years of dragging a torch on Venti’s end. He’s so… he’s so happy he
couldn’t envisage the way that he normally would.

They devour one another, Xiao dipping further and suckling his bottom lip, pulling away only so he
could with a slick pop. Venti mewls at that, he purrs and he feels, enjoying Xiao trailing hungry
kisses across his jaw, tongue lapping down along his throat, latching onto his neck, and
shit, shit, Venti’s tenting in between his thighs already, isn’t he? Feeling his load pool at his guts.

Xiao stops short, but just for a moment, and in record time he removes his shirt and chucks it off
the floor. Venti watches, dazed and pliant under the low ceilings like an obedient little boy.

It isn’t until Xiao helps him out of his jacket and sweater that he follows, making the both of them
out of their tops and gods… Xiao’s body is a marvelous sight to take in. Toned and firm—and his
perfect, muscular biceps are going to be the death of Venti. It’s been Venti’s dream to run his
fingers along those impeccably carved slopes for a very long time now, hadn’t he once said. And in
this second, he’s doing exactly that, touching Xiao’s tattoos and clutching around his arm, so
tightly so he doesn’t want to let go.

“You… you look so good, Xiao,“ he whispers throughout the calmness of the room, making it
easier for him due to the dimness. The only source of light that they have at this moment is the
moonlight shining from the sliding windows, and he thinks that’s okay… It’s okay that he admitted
that, because Xiao neither laughs at him nor makes him guilty about it, just like when they were
joking around with each other. He doesn’t humiliate, or…or shame. Right now, he simply accepts
it and without a word, tilting his head to the side as he has Venti fully captivated from underneath
him.

It’s…nice.

When he hums his assent, he returns on top of Venti to plant a chaste kiss on Venti’s cheek, almost
lovingly as he murmurs back, “you’re not so bad yourself,” and that puts Venti’s heart at ease. He
is so at peace with himself that even when Xiao climbs off of him to strip all the way down, Venti
doesn’t feel alone one bit.

In retrospect, he would’ve died on the spot. Become a pile of goo and panicking over wanting the
ground to swallow him. But Xiao, who is so damn beautiful and naked in front of him, just doesn’t
let it happen for a second.

Xiao, who is so fucking drop dead gorgeous and has Venti absolutely floored by the sight of him,
is truly taking care of him that it’s nearly too wholesome to even fully comprehend. Which is
saying something. Because that is while he’s hard and so huge for Venti, impressive at length and
palatial at girth. Ridiculous, isn’t it?

Well, he has Venti choking on a sob, because that—he can only handle so much. His brain must be
malfunctioning, he can’t—

He can’t just do nothing now.

As it is, he sits up to undress. But Xiao shakes his head at him, ordering him to stay where he is.
With bated breath, Venti does as he’s told and watches Xiao disappear down the hallway, delicious
back rendering Venti speechless and horny and hot from where he is. Fuck. So this is what it’s like
to be desperate to get fucked by the one you like that you can barely breathe.

Xiao comes back later and he’s holding what Venti can make out to be a bottle. A lube, he
supposes, the probability of it putting him on such a tight spot. His ears and cheeks go warm
because indeed this really is happening. Tonight he didn’t just let Xiao steal his first kiss, but his
virginity as well, and he decides he’s so onboard with that because no one is supposed to be the
first besides Xiao.

He’s reserved himself for one guy since he hit pubescence and that’s his best friend, his crush, the
one he’s fallen deeply in love with. Sue him.

Xiao goes over to sit at the sofa, right beside Venti’s thigh, placing the bottle on the coffee table
before twisting his body around to face him. With the use of both hands, Xiao pulls Venti’s
waistband down, their gazes entwining in the process.

He’s the one who undresses Venti with such care and cautious hands…freeing his cock that leaks
of precum, making Venti feel embarrassed for himself, but Xiao, he—somehow, he doesn’t appear
too bothered by it.

…This Xiao who would make it his own hobby to tease Venti about anything and everything,
doesn’t bat an eye at being aware of Venti’s brimming thirst toward him; instead, he wraps a hand
around it, tugs, causing Venti to close his eyes in bliss—at the contact, at the smidge of friction
that was brought to it.

Xiao’s palms; they are soft to the touch, delicate and soothing, and he supposes that’s because he
was born with an artist’s hands, very admirable and much too important.

Venti’s thoughts vanish after a while, Xiao suddenly asking him, “Will you be alright, Venti?” and
why… Why does he sound so on guard? Why does his voice echo of concern as if Venti’s someone
he treasures a lot?

But he doesn’t have time to marvel further on that as fingers prod across his hole, and belatedly it
dawns on Venti that Xiao is basically asking if he’ll be fine to get filled up like this, which…
yes. Holy shit, yes please.

He nods then, “yeah,” breathing it out. And Xiao doesn’t need to be told again, he snags the lube
and squirts a dab over his palm.

With his visions clouded, Venti manages to make out of the way Xiao coats his fingers, letting go
of the bottle, two digits poking back into his hole. Venti shivers as he feels one slide in, mouth
hanging open at the cold tip and dreading if it’d hurt… Nevertheless, he basks in the unique
sensation, relaxing slowly… Until Xiao slips the next one, resulting in Venti whimpering quietly,
legs jerking just a tad.

The guy is quick to nurse him, acknowledging that reception, leaning in to whisper words of
affirmation into his ear. It’s okay, Venti, you’re okay, you’re actually doing well right now… it will
only feel a little weird at first, but you’ll get used to it in no time, yeah? allowing him to imagine a
needy Xiao back in his room probably doing this to himself sometimes, the reason he knows all of
that.

And the thing is, Venti knows it too, he’s wanked a few times by himself, he’s experimented alone
when he’d been drunk and a whining mess with a dejected heart, craving for something effusive.

Xiao concludes what he’s doing after some time, after making sure Venti wouldn’t experience too
much pain for being prepared and loose… and Venti decides that he is. Ready for the real thing,
that is, like he’s been for a while.

A kiss on the lips, along his jaws, chin and down to his throat, Venti almost squeals when the guy
grabs his legs to hook them over his shoulders, spreading him out. He gets a full view of his best
friend slicking up his own dick with the same lube, eliciting drought all over his mouth.

For a hot minute, Venti’s head goes erratic, undergoing a sense of being ripped apart clawing
inside him, around his walls and filling him up. Another pair of wet lips pressing against his own
brings him back to the now, and he realizes it’s Xiao who has just entered him.

His first instinct is to moan it out, he can’t help it. He’s sleeping with his best friend. With warmth
spreading all over him, his face most especially, Venti must say, it’s so much better this way after
all, rather than all those times he’d purely imagined them doing this because he’s pathetic and
weak like that.

One thrust into him, twice, has Venti’s head careening at the edge of the couch, and the building
sensation has him mewling, but Xiao is kind enough to kiss him through it just as he slides out,
only to pound back in, and fuck… fuck, this feels really good. So good in fact that his eyes are
rolling at the back of his head, all the while as he lets Xiao pin him submerged across the leather,
setting out on a rhythm alongside a searing kiss.

At the rate Xiao is going, Venti is pretty sure he’ll get bruises come morning, but Venti can’t give
much of a damn when the one he desires is giving his all like they’ve this a million times before,
when that isn’t the case and this is the first and only.

But maybe that’s what Venti wants—the former—to have sex with Xiao forever, and by gods, does
he hope and pray that that’s exactly what will happen after this because Venti’s afraid he’d be
greedy for more.

It hasn’t even ended and it’s happening this instance yet he wants to have another go. How stupid is
that? How doomed is Venti, really?

The answering creak of the sofa under their combined weight becomes heavenly in Venti’s ears,
oddly, that he weeps with it; the sound is something his body finds a turn-on, apparently, apart
from the consistency of Xiao’s dominance over it, clasping both of his wrists and putting them
above his head…just so the guy can lick across the inseam of his arm, bits of stubble tickling his
skin.

Unrelenting, Xiao stares down at him with medallion eyes full of yearning, gravitating onto him
slowly and nosing at his earlobe, proceeding to bite it gently while he moves… he moves… he
doesn’t stop moving and fucking into him.

Venti flutters his eyes shut, allowing himself to enjoy it, biting his lip, licking his lips. He can feel
his abdomen pooling… Far too quickly now.

Their night together goes, until they’re coming in heavy spurts, the times they never touched in
such a way revealing themselves only tonight.

Hot, white streaks splatter across Venti’s sweaty stomach, whereas Xiao’s fill leaks out in between
Venti’s ass, and Venti doesn’t think he’s ever heard someone groan so sexily like his best friend
had…

Venti yawns as time passes, lethargy gradually taking over his system. He’s not certain what comes
as an aftermath, but when he sneaks a peek in between making himself comfortable and settling in
to sleep, he thinks he catches Xiao cleaning them both up with a damp towel and covering their
bareness with a blanket, before kissing his chapped lips and bidding him a sweet, “Good night.”

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