Kaito wasn't just answerable to himself anymore — whatever he did with Miko had to take Lumine's feelings into account. The same went for anything involving Wendy or Mei.
There was no getting around it. This wasn't just himself playing with himself anymore. There were other people involved now — people who weren't him.
Still... no one knows themselves better than they do.
Lost in that train of thought, Wendy found herself letting out a quiet, bemused sigh.
Although — being with yourself and being with someone else each had their own particular advantages, didn't they?
Tap, tap, tap—
Just then, the sound of footsteps came from the staircase — someone descending from the upper floor.
She didn't even need to look. Wendy already knew whose footsteps those were.
Venti. Was he heading back to sleep?
Didn't keep drinking, huh...
Wendy turned her gaze toward the staircase, that quiet thought turning over in her mind.
"Oh — it's Wendy and Lumine. How are you two still here? Don't tell me I slept through to the next night?"
Venti came down the stairs and, upon finding the two of them still there, seemed genuinely surprised.
"That's right — it's already the second day, and you're still sleeping," Wendy replied matter-of-factly.
She was fairly certain Venti already knew how much time had passed, so she simply answered him exactly as he'd asked.
"What can I say — I was having such a good time that I got a little carried away." Venti scratched the back of his head with a slightly sheepish grin. "Heheh."
Then, after a beat, he continued: "Oh, right — where's Miko? Did she head home already? I never got to thank her for picking up the tab."
As he spoke, he glanced around the room, apparently looking for her.
Miko picked up the tab?
Wasn't it me who—
Mm...
Wait, no.
That's not right.
It was Jean or Kaeya, wasn't it...
Wendy had been half a second away from claiming she was the one who'd paid — before she suddenly remembered that no, it hadn't been her. It was Jean or Kaeya.
"She's already gone back to Liyue," Wendy said, deciding she couldn't be bothered to sort out who had actually footed the bill. She simply told him that Miko had left.
"Ah well, I'll just have to thank her properly next time we meet."
Venti gave a small nod. "In that case, I'll head off too. You two enjoy the rest of your meal."
And with that, he turned and made his way toward the entrance.
It was just at that moment that Jean came back in.
"Miss Wendy, the rooms are all arranged. Would you two like to head over now?"
Jean stepped inside, cast a brief glance at the table, and immediately addressed Wendy and Lumine.
"Are you still eating, Lumine?" Wendy asked, turning to her first. She wasn't entirely sure whether Lumine was done or not.
If she was finished, they could head straight to the rooms Jean had prepared. First thing in the morning, Wendy planned to take Lumine back to Liyue — and then return to Inazuma together with Miko.
"I'm done. Let's go."
Lumine shook her head and rose from her seat. She'd decided it was best to get some rest early — the sooner the better, so that come morning, she and Wendy could make their way back to Liyue.
"Then follow me, please."
Having heard both of them, Jean immediately moved to lead the way.
"I'll be leaving for Liyue first thing tomorrow morning, so I won't be stopping by to say goodbye," Wendy mentioned as they walked. "Just so you know."
She'd always had a habit of disappearing without a word. This time, she wanted to at least give Jean some advance notice.
However you looked at it, she was the Anemo Archon — the least she could do was let people know when she was leaving. Always vanishing without a trace was starting to feel a bit odd, even by her own standards.
"Understood, Miss Wendy."
Jean looked back over her shoulder and gave a nod. She had half-expected something like this — she simply hadn't anticipated that Lord Barbatos would actually tell her this time.
After that, they arrived at the arranged rooms, and Wendy wasted no time at all — she flopped straight down onto the bed and closed her eyes.
Just as she'd thought earlier: even with Kaito occupied with serious business on his end, she could still fall asleep without the slightest difficulty.
---
The next day.
Liyue.
"Looks like Kaito isn't awake yet."
Having brought Lumine back to the small courtyard in Liyue first thing in the morning, Wendy stood outside and surveyed the interior — not a single room had its light on.
She'd initially been about to say that neither Kaito nor Miko were awake yet, but had thought better of it at the last second. Saying it that way would be a little too on-the-nose — basically outright announcing that Kaito and Miko were sleeping in the same room. So she'd deliberately left Miko's name out of it.
Of course, she was fairly sure Lumine had already figured it out. But she still felt she ought to do this much.
As it turned out, though, Miko had already returned to her own room and wasn't sleeping with Kaito at all.
"It is still very early," Lumine replied to Wendy's observation, and turned to head toward her own room. "I'll go back to my room for a bit, then."
But just as Lumine reached her door, Miko stepped out of her own room.
"Well, well — if it isn't the two little troublemakers, finally back after running wild?"
Miko sauntered up to Wendy with the unmistakable air of a big sister scolding her younger sibling.
"Look who's up so early — didn't think you were a morning person, little fox," Wendy shot back without missing a beat, the nickname deployed with cheerful precision.
Miko...
She's not with Kaito...
Lumine blinked, genuinely surprised to see Miko emerging from a different room.
She'd assumed Miko would be with Kaito right now. But apparently not.
Almost immediately, though, another possibility occurred to her.
...Unless Kaito is in there?
She found herself staring at the room Miko had just walked out of.
It was just like how, in her own case, she and Kaito hadn't been in his room — they'd been in hers.
...That must be it.
"Of course I'm up this early — I'm counting on you, you little brat, to take me back to Inazuma."
Miko didn't seem to register the 'little fox' jab this time, or at least chose to let it slide. She had no choice — right now, she needed Wendy to ferry her home.
She could make it back on her own, yes — but with Wendy carrying her, it would be so much faster.
And more importantly, she wanted Lumine to know, right here and now, that she was leaving Liyue.
"Now?" Wendy asked, completely unsurprised — she'd already known this was coming.
"Yes, now. I need to get back quickly — otherwise Ei is going to start eating people alive."
"Shouldn't that be foxes she eats? Roasted fox meat!" Wendy cut in before Miko could finish, her voice bright with mischief.
Both of them...
They're both going back to Inazuma today?
Listening to their exchange, Lumine hadn't expected Miko and Wendy to be leaving for Inazuma today of all days. She was caught off guard.
But beyond the surprise — there was something else. A feeling she hadn't quite expected.
Something that felt... not entirely bad.
"Aren't you going to say goodbye to Kaito?" Lumine asked.
"That guy is still dead asleep. And you're here, aren't you? Just let her pass on the message when the time comes," Miko said.
Me?
Lumine hadn't seen that coming at all. She blinked, even more surprised than before.
____
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