Friend Kaito...
I really owe you one.
Listening to everything Kaito had just told him, Childe couldn't help thinking exactly that.
He was pretty sure he had more than enough to report back to Miss Mobius. Honestly, he hadn't expected to wrap things up this quickly — and now he was almost kicking himself for not getting some way to contact her directly.
The sooner he could get things moving with Mobius, the sooner he could get what he was after.
Still, now wasn't the time to dwell on that. He had to actually answer Kaito first.
"Haha, I see how it is — well then, friend Kaito, whenever you're in the mood for a bit of fun, just say the word and I'll have some recommendations ready."
"Sure, no problem." Kaito gave a small nod.
Childe seems to be in a pretty good mood...
Even from where he was standing, Kaito could clearly tell that Childe's spirits were high. The reason was easy enough to guess.
Of course, he had no intention of asking about it out loud. If he did, whatever answer he got back certainly wouldn't be the honest one — and there was no point in that.
"Are you two planning to drink your tea out here? Each of you standing around with a cup like that—"
Miko appeared just then, carrying a teapot with the tea already steeped, and made her way over to them.
"Of course not — let's head inside, Childe." Kaito glanced at Miko as she approached, smiled slightly, and gestured for Childe to follow him in.
"Standing and drinking tea doesn't seem so bad to me, actually."
He said it, but he walked into the room anyway.
Once inside, Miko poured tea for both of them. "You two have a good chat, then," she said, setting the pot down.
"Mm." Kaito nodded.
"Won't you stay for a cup, Miko?" Childe called after her as she picked up the tray to leave.
"You two enjoy it." With that, Miko slipped out of the room.
"By the way — where did Lumine get to? I didn't see her just now." Once Miko was gone, Childe brought up Lumine.
He had caught a glimpse of her earlier, but only briefly, so he figured he'd ask where she'd disappeared to. Either way, the more information he had, the better.
"She went back to her room." Kaito answered without hesitation.
Childe...
Isn't it getting a little too obvious...?
After Childe had now asked several questions in a row about him, Lumine, and Miko, Kaito couldn't help thinking it. He had no idea whether Childe himself realized it, but from where Kaito was sitting, the guy was just a little too eager to know all of this.
He knew why, of course — but that was exactly why Childe shouldn't be making it this apparent. Under normal circumstances, someone else behaving this way would have already raised red flags.
Then again, Kaito figured it was probably because the two of them knew each other well enough. That was likely why Childe's guard was down.
"Ah, I see — I was starting to think she'd gone out," Childe said, with the look of a man having a perfectly natural realization.
He was fairly certain he had everything he needed to report back. Now it was just a matter of waiting for Mobius to come to him.
Childe's probably already thinking about how to pass this along to Mobius...
Should I make another appearance sooner rather than later?
Watching Childe quietly sip his tea, Kaito found himself thinking that.
Since he hadn't given Childe any way to contact him, the initiative of when to meet next rested entirely in his own hands.
"Speaking of which, Childe — have you turned up anything so far? Regarding Mobius, I mean."
The question came out of nowhere, but Kaito brought up Mobius directly.
He already knew what Childe would say. Even so, he had to ask — after all, Childe had told him he'd keep an eye out for anything related to Mobius. It would be strange not to follow up.
"Nothing so far, honestly. She's proving to be quite elusive — hasn't shown her face at all." Childe shook his head at Kaito's question, then added: "I have heard the Qixing are looking for her as well — that much isn't just rumor, is it?"
"It isn't. They wouldn't just sit on their hands about something like this." Kaito shook his head.
"Fair enough. In Liyue, they really can't afford to."
Childe nodded along as he spoke, then continued: "So now we've got both the Fatui and the Qixing out looking for Mobius, and still nothing to show for it. She really is something else."
He even managed to look genuinely impressed as he said it. Kaito silently gave him full marks for the performance.
Not that he was going to be outdone — they were both award-worthy actors at this point.
"Don't forget Mister Zhongli — I'd imagine he's looking for her too." Kaito didn't actually think Zhongli was looking, but he threw it out there anyway, casually.
"And don't forget yourself, friend Kaito."
"Right, right — I nearly forgot about myself." Kaito laughed a little despite himself.
He was sorely tempted to add that Mobius was him, but that was obviously not something he could say out loud.
"Alright — I think that's about enough for me. I should go get some lunch. See you tonight, friend Kaito." After finishing his cup of tea, Childe stood up.
He felt like he'd learned what he'd come to learn, and it was time to go. Plus, he genuinely hadn't eaten since morning, so leaving now made sense on all fronts.
As for when Mobius would reach out — all he could do was wait.
"See you tonight then." Kaito rose as well, intending to walk him out.
"No need, friend Kaito — I can find my own way out."
Childe waved it off quickly. He couldn't quite explain why, but something about the idea of Kaito walking him to the door made him uneasy. Probably just nerves.
"Alright then. See you tonight."
Hearing that, Kaito didn't push.
Not that he was going to actually stay in the room — he wasn't about to sit there drinking tea by himself. He'd head out too, just at his own pace.
And so, under Kaito's gaze, Childe made his way out.
Not long after, Miko walked back in.
"That Fatui's Childe left already?" She settled into the seat beside Kaito the moment she stepped through the door.
"Yeah. He'd come to invite me out for a meal, but I'd already eaten, so we just talked for a bit." Kaito poured her a cup of tea and gave her a brief rundown of what had just passed.
"The Fatui are nothing good."
Miko took a small, unhurried sip. The statement was delivered lightly — though Kaito could tell she was building up to something.
"I have a feeling that Mobius who keeps circling around you is very likely to end up working with the Fatui."
Based on everything she knew about the Fatui, it struck her as entirely plausible.
That said, she also knew she had almost no read on Mobius herself — Mobius might have no interest in cooperating with the Fatui at all. But regardless, she felt she had to say something to Kaito. Better that than have him end up sold out without ever realizing it.
Miko's actually sharp...
Kaito was genuinely a little surprised that she'd pieced it together so quickly. Then again, thinking about the Fatui's usual conduct, he supposed it wasn't so hard to see why someone might jump to that conclusion. He did wonder, though, whether Childe had any idea he was being sized up the same way.
"If that's how it plays out, I'd actually quite like to see it." That was Kaito's answer.
"Why?" Miko blinked, clearly not expecting that.
"You'll find out when the time comes, Miko." A faint smile, and he left it at that — a deliberate tease.
Mostly, he just didn't want to say more. And he wasn't ready for Miko to find out so soon that Childe and Mobius were already working together.
"You — seriously, keeping things from me now?" Miko fixed him with a look, and for a moment she genuinely felt like smacking him.
Not that she could — she was well aware she couldn't win in a fight against Kaito.
And honestly, right now, she didn't even really want to hurt him.
It was just — the moment she thought about this guy and his endlessly growing list of admirers, the urge crept back.
The current situation was still tolerable, just barely. But this guy clearly wasn't done collecting.
"What's all this about keeping things from you?" Lumine walked in just then.
"Ask him yourself." Miko pointed at Kaito, who was sitting there serenely with his tea.
"Kaito, you scoundrel!"
Having heard Miko call him 'this guy' and 'that guy' so many times, Lumine picked up the same teasing energy and gave it a try herself.
____
👻🔥Seek: Walnut-chan🔥👻
🔥 New history: Samsara Game: Starting with Shirogane Kei
Let's hit these goals:
🎯 100 Powerstones = 1 extra chapter for the public!