The chirping of birds filled the air.
A group of small round sparrows hopped continuously on the flowerbed by the door. Qiqi, holding a handful of wheat in her tiny hands, quietly fed them. Picking a grain of wheat to hand to the roundest sparrow closest to her, Qiqi then scattered more wheat for the others hopping around her.
Suddenly, a burst of white light shone at the door, startling the sparrows and causing them to flutter away. Amid the sound of flapping wings, Qiqi's eyes lit up slightly. She stood up and ran toward the two figures that had appeared at the doorway.
"Hiroshi… Big Brother… Ruri… Big Sister… Welcome back," she greeted softly.
"Mm~" Hiroshi reached out to pat Qiqi, who was tugging on his clothes. He bent down and scooped her up into his arms. Nuzzling her small face, Hiroshi looked around curiously and asked, "Qiqi, where's Klee?"
Pointing towards the house with her little finger, Qiqi replied in her quiet voice, "Klee… Little Sister… was called by Acting Grand Master Jean… to write a reflection."
"Reflection?"
Hiroshi looked at Qiqi with a puzzled expression, pinching her small nose. "What did Klee get you involved in today that Jean called her to write a reflection again?"
Tilting her head slightly, Qiqi blinked and asked, "Does… Little Sister Klee… often write reflections?"
"Well," Hiroshi scratched his head with a smile, "She ends up writing them once or twice a week. Let's just think of it as part of Klee's homework."
Standing nearby, Ruri Gokou chuckled at Qiqi's blank expression. She reached out to take Qiqi from Hiroshi's arms and nuzzled her as well.
"Qiqi is the best," Ruri said with a radiant smile, pressing her forehead gently against Qiqi's. "I like you the most, Qiqi."
"Qiqi… likes… too," Qiqi murmured with a small smile, resting her head against Ruri's chest. "So warm… Qiqi likes it a lot…"
Pushing open the door to the living room, Hiroshi saw Klee hunched over the table, diligently writing her reflection. Shaking his head with a helpless smile, he walked over and sat down beside her.
"Klee, what mischief did you get up to today?" he asked, ruffling her hair.
"Brother Hiroshi~" Klee exclaimed, dropping her pen and throwing herself into his arms.
Clinging to Hiroshi, Klee pouted and began to recount her tale of woe. "This morning, I took Qiqi to make friends with Acting Grand Master Jean… And then a lot of things happened… In the end, when I said goodbye, I copied Sister Eula's way of saying farewell."
Waving her small fists indignantly, Klee continued, "But when I was running away, Dodoco actually obeyed Jean's command and brought me back!"
"So Jean caught me and told me to write a reflection!" Klee huffed. "Ugh… I'm so mad!"
Looking up at Hiroshi with big, pleading eyes, Klee asked, "So, Brother Hiroshi, can you help me write the reflection?"
"Nope~" Hiroshi replied with a chuckle, gently patting her head. "Big Brother has to make dinner, so Klee needs to finish her reflection like a good girl."
"Ugh~" Klee pouted but quickly stood up. "Fine! Klee is a good kid. Good kids admit their mistakes and write reflections."
She tilted her head in confusion and muttered, "But why does Dodoco always stop running when Jean calls? It's so strange."
Hiroshi laughed as he stood up. "Klee, remember that Dodoco and Beidou are connected to your heart."
"Huh?" Klee asked, crossing her arms in puzzlement. "What are you talking about, Brother Hiroshi? I don't understand."
Hiroshi ruffled her hair again and said with a smile, "It means you're a good kid who knows how to correct her mistakes."
Turning his gaze to Ruri Gokou, who was walking towards the bamboo grove with Qiqi, Hiroshi headed to the kitchen. "Dodoco is really a diligent little one… or maybe a big one."
Opening the refrigerator, Hiroshi noticed two small lunchboxes missing. Smiling, he began to prepare dinner for the evening.
Meanwhile, a glowing blue panel appeared beside him, revealing messages from a group chat:
Satou Kazuma: Finally free from shopping hell!
Luo Xiaohei: Tough day, huh?
Luo Xiaohei: Kazuma, aren't you heading to Megumin's hometown tomorrow?
Satou Kazuma: Hehe, yeah! Tomorrow I'll livestream my big day. I'll definitely win over Megumin's family and get their approval to marry her!
Borsalino: Oh my~ Such youthful passion. It reminds me of my younger days. Now I just sip tea and watch youngsters shine on their stages. It's a bit lonely, really.
Lumine: Mr. Kizaru, with your extended lifespan from the attribute panel, aren't you enjoying eternal vitality?
Lumine: Plus, there's the eternal life exchange in the group chat…
Hiroshi: Don't mind him. If Kizaru-san wasn't lazy anymore, how could he slack off?
Hiroshi: By the way, Kizaru-san, did you read the books I gave you?
Borsalino: I did. Now I feel even more like slacking off~
Lumine: o(╥﹏╥)o I want to slack off too… Ganyu's so scary…
Lumine: Keqing promised I wouldn't have to work overtime with Ganyu anymore, but here I am…
Hiroshi: …
Satou Kazuma: …
Keqing: Lumine, stop chatting and get back to work. Liyue needs you.
Keqing: Let's go. We've got another site to survey. Land management is no trivial matter!
Keqing: Don't worry; I'll work overtime with you tonight.
Lumine: ╮╯(\＾o\＾)/╮╯ Bye, everyone. I'll miss you.
Kamijou Touma: Scary~ Lumine went to Liyue for a ceremony and to find her brother. How did she end up as Keqing's secretary?
Riku: Simple. Lumine is a world traveler who has joined our chat group. With her experience, she's well-qualified for many jobs.
Riku: And since Lumine is Keqing's friend and we just defeated an Archon, the other Qixing would naturally want to recruit her.
Riku: They probably think Lumine enjoys wielding power, seeing how hard she works.
Riku: And so…
Borsalino: Slacking off is the best~
Hiroshi: Slacking off is the best~
Riku: Slacking off is the best~
Shuvi: Riku is slacking.
Riku: !!!
Riku: Bye. Back to world-building.
Riku: Sigh, managing a world is so tedious. I wish I could visit everyone and play instead.
Shuvi: Riku, keep going.
Shuvi: If we work hard on world-building, we can visit everyone sooner.
Riku: Right!~
Hiroshi: Kazuma, good luck with Megumin's family tomorrow.
Satou Kazuma: Thanks! I'll nail it. Just watch!
Hiroshi: Looking forward to the show. laughs
Satou Kazuma: Hmph! Victory is assured when I step in.
Venti: Kazuma, may the wind bless you.
Satou Kazuma: Oh!
Placing the knife down, Hiroshi looked at the table full of glowing dishes and nodded in satisfaction. Tapping the foreheads of Qiqi and Klee, who were leaning on the counter, he smiled and said, "Dinner's ready."
"Big Brother, Klee wants coconut milk!"
"Qiqi… wants it too."
"Got it!"