After taking the scenic route back, we finally arrived at Xinyan's house.
Using the shadows as the cover, the two of us sneaked into the back of the house and entered through the door using the key Xinyan lent us.
Once I stepped inside the familiar interior and heard the click of the door being locked, I felt my body that was being stretched taut immediately loosen. The realization that I no longer had to be so vigilant all the time fills me with immense relief.
Unfortunately, before I could even think of relaxing, I heard a patter of footsteps closing towards us from down the hall.
"Leader! Yunyun!"
The unmistakable voice of our resident rockstar echoed throughout the back room as she immediately came barreling in, flipping a switch that drove away the darkness. Following behind her a moment after is a much quieter Yun Jin.
I would've expected those two to already be fast asleep, but judging by Xinyan still brimming with energy and the nervous look on Yun Jin's face alongside the constant fidgeting she is doing, sleep is the furthest thing in their mind.
Caught off guard, I was about to pull my hood lower when Lumine quickly stepped forward to my front and thrusted the familiar white mask to me.
Muttering a quiet thank you, Lumine patted my shoulder before approaching the two girls while I turned around and began to carefully unwrap all the fabric covering my face so as to not expose myself.
"What's wrong?" Lumine asked as she stared at the still awake girls.
Panting for dear life, Xinyan took a moment to calm her ragged breath before continuing. "How was it…? Did you find anything?"
"Of course." After a brief rustling sound, I heard the unmistakable flaps coming from the papers we took as Lumine waves it around. "This should be more than enough to put your troublemaker behind bars for a while, Yun Jin."
Once I felt the comforting weight on my face, I turned around to see Yun Jin taking the paper from Lumine's hand, carefully holding onto them for dear life before proceeding to give the blonde traveler a crushing hug, taking Lumine by surprise.
"Thank you…." With a whimper in her voice, Yun Jin hugged Lumine closer, a stray tear escaping her eyes before a steady stream of it began to pour out. "Thank you so, so much…."
"No need to thank me." Though startled by the sudden gesture, Lumine wrapped her arms around Yun Jin with a soft smile on her face. "I'm glad we could help you."
Feeling her warmth and Lumine's calming words, something inside Yun Jin broke as she no longer held herself back as her quiet sob turned into a full blown wail. Even with Yun Jin's sudden outburst, Lumine simply brushed her hair as she whispered something to her in a soothing manner.
While they were busy with each other, I stepped onto the wooden floor and approached Xinyan who was watching the two fondly.
"Is Paimon asleep?"
"Mhm." Not taking her eyes off her friend, Xinyan continued. "Slept like a baby hours ago."
"I would ask why the two of you weren't asleep by this point, but I guess it's quite obvious why." Standing next to her, I observed as the two in front of me slowly separated as Lumine discreetly pulled a handkerchief out of her inventory. "Yun Jin must be nervous as all hell, huh?"
"Yep. Couldn't sleep even if she wanted to. Not that I blame her though." She shrugged. "She doesn't know you two that well, and while I trust you to get the job done, she was worried sick that something might go wrong."
"Hmm… well for now, everything seems to be in order. Hopefully it keeps being that way."
Though things went well, I've been through enough shit here and there to not expect anything other than the bare minimum. At this point, it might be better for me to wait for the other shoe to drop, hoping against hope that it didn't turn out as bad as it possibly could.
"But really, to think that you have such faith in someone like me, I'm flattered."
"Of course I do." Xinyan replied without hesitation. "If you can deal with an army of the Abyss Order pretty much by yourself, something like this seems much easier, don't you think?"
Caught off guard by her immediate response, lacking the usual snark I was so used to at this point, it took a while for me to respond.
"Well sure, but I think it's important to keep in mind that infiltration is an entirely different thing than combat. And besides, calling them an army is a bit of an exaggeration."
"If you say so." She shrugged in response "You still get the job done though?"
"Mhm."
The two of us fell silent after that as we both stared at the tender moment unfolding in front of us, pointedly ignoring the helpless look Lumine directed at us.
"Thank you, by the way."
"Hm?"
Taking my eyes off the still sobbing Yun Jin, I turned towards Xinyan as she looked at me with a smile.
"For lending a hand. It means a lot to me, you know?" She said as she gazed fondly at her friend. "I know I said I'd stay put and keep her company, but I couldn't help but feel guilty, you know? Not being with you guys and helping her out, I mean."
Seeing her expression morphed into one of dejection, I debated on how to console her, before ultimately choosing the safest option.
By patting her in the back.
"Don't be. You simply being there to accompany her means so much more than you think." Seeing her care so much for her friend, I couldn't help but be envious, as I remembered the old days filled with nothing but loneliness. "Sometimes… sometimes that's all a person ever needs. For someone to be there when they needed them the most."
Hearing my answer, Xinyan turned towards me. "…sounds like you've experienced this kind of thing before."
"A product of unwanted circumstances and a string of bad life choices. But that's just how my life is, I guess."
With a contemplative look, Xinyan nodded before turning away, focusing her gaze on her friend that seemed calmer than before, now that she got a lot out of her system.
Suddenly, I felt myself being dragged towards the side before feeling an arm wrapping itself around my head as I felt the other atop my head, moving around wildly as it proceeded to make a mess out of my hair.
"Geez, you sure know what to say to make a girl feel better, huh?" Xinyan said, as she continued to hold me against my will.
I contemplated breaking free, but after considering it, I chose to let her have her fun this time around. "I'm glad that the bullshit that came out of my mouth was able to make you feel better in some capacity."
"Ah, there's the Yunyun that I know." With a laugh, she released her hold on me before brushing my messy hair back into place. "Seeing you being all serious like that makes me think you're a completely different person, you know?"
"I'll have you know that I am capable of taking things seriously. Most of the time, anyway."
"Sure you do. Without leader to keep you in check, there's no telling what you'd do."
"Probably spending my time doing research on the most immaculate piece of art that is Inazuman literature."
"There you go with your books again." Xinyan sighed, shaking her head in exasperation. "Have you considered investing your time on something other than reading?"
"Have you considered investing your time on something other than rock and roll?
"Point taken."
Once she finished brushing my hair back in place, Xinyan nodded in satisfaction before stepping away.
Before I could regain my bearings however, the rockstar surprised me yet again with a sudden hug.
"Thanks, Yuu." She whispered, her warm breath tickling my ears with how close her face is.
With that, she gave me one final pat in the back before quickly separating herself from me and started walking towards the other girls, leaving me standing at the landing, utterly shocked at the fact that a girl other than Lumine and members of my family gave me off all people a hug.
'This… isn't going to be a problem right?'
With that thought dominating my mind, I slowly glanced towards the blonde traveler, only to see her staring impassively at me for a bit before turning towards the other two, happily smiling and chatting as if nothing happened.
'…shit.'
Staving of the incoming headache, I excused myself before walking towards the bedroom with heavy steps.
The moment I went inside, I immediately changed into one of the clothes I bought, discarding the all black clothing to the side, careful not to make too much noise as to wake a certain fairy snoring the morning away, all while ignoring the temptation to simply collapse right next to her.
'Sleep is for the weak… sleep is for the weak….'
As I chanted those words in order to keep myself awake, I made my way down the stairs towards the living room, only to see the girls already gathered on the carpeted floor, glasses in hand as they talked while Yun Jin was reading through the documents we permanently borrowed.
Not wanting to interrupt their time, I walked past them towards the empty sofa.
"There's the man of the hour!" Xinyan exclaimed as she raised her glass high. "I'm starting to think you were going to miss our little celebration!"
"I would never." I groaned, laying my head on the edge of the sofa and stretched my legs the whole way.
"That's the spirit!" Not noticing the sarcasm in my voice, Xinyan took a large gulp of the wine Diluc gave us, letting out a satisfied noise as she pointed towards the kitchen. "Come on Yunyun, your glass is on the table. You don't want to miss out on this good stuff!"
"I'll pass. I don't drink alcohol."
"There's a first time for everything!"
"No thanks." Flipping open the book I brought with me, I ignored Xinyan's words. "Besides, if the three of you are going to drink, someone has to stay sober to keep you in check just in case."
"Boo! You're no fun!" Taking yet another gulp, Xinyan clicked her tongue at my response. "And just when I thought you've learned to let loose for once in your life."
"I'm willing to be the bigger person and let you all have your fun. Instead of berating me, you should be thankful instead."
"Hmph. Fine then! Keep being a stick in the mud! I'd rather have leader accompany me anyway!" Letting out an angry huff, Xinyan wrapped an arm around Lumine's shoulder before pulling her closer.
"Just let him be, Xinyan." Said traveler spoke, as she downed her entire glass of Dawn Winery's finest. "We have a lot more where this came from, and it'd be a waste to let a certain someone ruin our fun, don't you think?"
"You said it, leader!"
With a toast, Xinyan finished her glass while Lumine turned to the silent Yun Jin. "How about you Yun Jin? Care for another glass or two?"
Instead of replying, the opera singer merely clenched the paper in her hand tightly, nearly crumpling them altogether, as she mumbled something under her breath with a dark look on her face.
"Hmm, something tells me you need much more than just two. Xinyan!"
"Already on it!"
With that, our resident rockstar walked towards the kitchen and came back with even more glass, filled to the brim with purple-colored liquid sloshing about before setting down the tray in front of them, to which Lumine wasted no time gulping another one.
After managing to snap Yun Jin out of her fit of anger, it took no time for the other two to persuade her to take a sip despite Yun Jin's hesitance. And after two glasses, that hesitation no longer exists as she drank glass after glass, all while ranting about all the stuff she just read.
While I hoped that this would be the extent of their shenanigans, unfortunately for me things just escalated from there.
I should've expected that the rock and roll nut would, at some point in this godforsaken morning, pull out her guitar and start an impromptu jamming session.
As if the makeshift stage she made out of the table wasn't enough, she came to the conclusion that using pyrotechnics indoors, within a house that's filled to the brim with flammable material, is a very good idea.
"Xinyan! Xinyan!" Both Lumine and Yun Jin, intoxicated out of their mind, cheered for the rockstar on stage, which seemed to amplify her excitement even more as her performance became even more heated.
"Stop cheering for her!" Maintaining fine control of the silencing barrier I casted throughout the house, I opened the bottle of hydro potion I scrambled to get from my room and poured its content into a ball of anemo before redistributing it evenly throughout the house. "Can't you see she's burning the house down?!"
Not even realizing what was happening around them, the three continued being the harbinger of chaos as I desperately tried to keep the house and everyone inside in one piece.
The only silver lining amidst this fiery (literally) performance, is the fact that Xinyan's music is nothing short of stellar. I would've very much loved to enjoy myself listening to her sick riffs, if not for the fact that I'm currently being surrounded by a blazing inferno.
It took a while for the performance to finally finish. Thankfully, by that point, I've managed to stamp the spreading fire with minimal damages to the house overall. Though there are some marks left in the house, that's not really my problem at this point.
As for the culprit? The moment she finished her final song, Xinyan immediately collapsed on the table she was standing on, a loud snore can be heard as she passed out into the land of dreams.
The same goes for Yun Jin, who was currently standing yet not a trace of consciousness was seen as she leaned towards Lumine, the hand wrapping around the traveler's shoulder is the only reason she hasn't eaten the slightly singed wooden floor.
Which only leaves Lumine, arguably the spark that started this fire, barely standing and supporting Yun Jin with her wobbly legs as her body sways from side to side, staring at the silent stage.
"Fucking hell…."
Walking over towards the drunk duo, I could clearly hear Lumine's constant giggles as her free hand was still holding onto a glass, trying and failing miserably to drink some more wine, only to find that she had long run out.
"*hic* I need some more… *hic*."
"You really don't." Standing in front of her, I waved my hand around in front of her face in an attempt to catch her attention. "Hello? Princess? Are you still there?"
"Whuh…?"
It took a while, but eventually, her unfocused eyes finally came back to life.
"Oh… *hic* it's you…." She said harshly, her eyes narrowed into a glare. "Why are you *hic* …here, huh? Shouldn't you be helping your… 'dearest friend' Xinyan over there?"
'Great. Just what I needed to top all of this shitshow off.'
"Sigh. Princess…."
At that point, I felt like tearing my hair off. Dealing with this on a normal day is horrifying enough, but adding intoxication into the mix? God help me.
"It's just a hug between friends, nothing more." Taking a step forward, I was about to help stay her bumbling steps, only for her to suddenly back off.
"I don't care!" With a thud, she crashed into the wall, making her already failing legs to practically crumble. Thankfully, both she and her passenger seem to not have hit anything particularly hard.
"Are you okay—"
"Don't!" Suddenly, with surprising dexterity, she pulled out her dull-looking sword, pointing its edge straight into me. "Come any closer. Just… *hic* don't."
Not wanting to further agitate her already unstable mind, I raised my hand in surrender and took several steps back. "Okay. Okay, I'm backing off."
Although the distance between us increased, she still hasn't let her guard down as she kept glaring at me with her back against the wall, her sword aimed right between my eyes.
The stalemate lasted for a while, with me not knowing what to do and Lumine just continuing to glare at me, not saying a single thing as she did so.
Eventually though, her arms finally gave up on her as the sharp piece of metal fell off into the floor. Before it could, however, I made sure to catch it and put it somewhere where she could take it should she feel the need to. I thought about doing the opposite, but I had a feeling it wasn't such a good idea.
"Did…."
With a voice so quiet that I almost missed it, I saw her head lowered towards the floor, the light above our head reflected on the budding tears threatening to escape her golden eyes.
"Did I do something wrong?"
"…huh?"
Hearing my dumbfounded reaction, Lumine raised her head, giving me a clear view of her expression.
One colored with nothing but sadness.
"Do you not like me anymore?"
"What? What are you… you can't be serious, Lumine. Like I told you, it's not—"
"It's not just that! *hic*" Slamming her fist at the floor, she continued amidst her slurring words. "Ever since back then in Mondstadt, despite the two of us being together, I feel like *hic* there has never been an instance where you took any sort of initiative.
"And before you say anything, I get it, you're not used to it, you're too embarrassed or whatever. That's fine. But it's been what, a month? Maybe more? And what have you *hic* done in that timeframe, huh? Absolutely fuck all."
With tears streaming down her face, she continued, her words becoming more and more clear despite her condition.
"I know it's hard for you, after what you've been through. I understand, I really do. But please, Yuu. Do you know how it made me feel? How lonely it was? How futile it all felt? How anxious I was, thinking it was me being delusional?"
At that moment, I saw, for the very first time, what really lies behind the usual carefree behavior she always has. Behind her smile and her usual devil-may-care attitude, lies an insecure and equally lonely girl.
It should've been obvious, really. But in the back of my mind, even if I don't want to admit it, despite the several times she has shown me how she really felt, I always brushed it off for the simple fact that she had lived a longer life than I do.
I couldn't help but lower my head in shame, clenching my fist as I wonder how much more of an idiot I could possibly be.
"Look at me, Kamiyama Yuu."
Raising my head, I met Lumine's gaze.
Despite her cold expression, despite the harsh glare she directed towards me, her voice, so broken and sorrowful, shows just how much of it was real.
"...am I not good enough for you?"