Chapter 6 A Date...
The walk back to the Kamisato Estate feels longer than normal. A few acquaintances wave at him and Ayaka when they walk past them, and Thoma waves back stiffly but forgets their faces the moment his back is turned.
He's a mess after that realization of his feelings a while earlier. He knows the right thing to do is forget about this and move on, but the photo that captured him and Ei close enough to almost kiss sits heavily in the pocket of his usual outfit, making it hard to forget about the ordeal even if he wants to.
"Thoma? You alright?"
Ayaka's voice cuts through his muddled thoughts like a blade, but also brings a tranquility to his mind like slowing water.
"I'm fine, milady. Just thinking about some things."
"I'm worried about you. You weren't acting like yourself earlier. You know you can come to me if anything happens, right?"
Of course he knows. He has heard from Aether how Ayaka was prepared to face the Shogun and save him from her grasp and only stopped her foolish act when Aether steps in. He can't even begin to imagine how he'd react if anything were to happen to her because of him. She's the first person in Inazuma to care about him, befriend him, and earn his trust, and he'll be damned if his incompetence causes her any harm.
The genuine concern directed towards him makes him want to pour out his heart to her—and he's certain she wouldn't react negatively to his irreverent little crush. But can he really burden her with this when she already has other, more important, things to worry about? It's just a little crush. It'll go away in a few days. And if not, he'll make sure it does.
"Yes, of course." Thoma sighs. "You saw that photo. The Shogun was spooked by the fireworks and leaned towards me, so I held onto her and we were so close we almost kissed. She didn't seem mad about it but it still terrifies me, y'know? That's the second time I've done a profane act towards her—well, third time if you're counting the thing during the game."
"The thing?"
"Never mind. It's nothing. Anyway, I already made a bad first impression on her. I just don't see how this," he nods his head towards the photo in his pocket. "Would help my case in any way."
Ayaka takes out her copy of the photo and scrutinizes it. Just the sight of that photo makes Thoma's face feel warm and he quickly diverts his gaze. The sharp edges of the photo in his pocket feel like they're cutting into his thigh.
"I see why you would worry," Ayaka murmurs as she slips the photo into the hidden pocket in her skirt. "But, like you said, she didn't seem disturbed by it. And I don't think the Almighty Shogun of all people would bother hiding her fury if this truly enraged her. If she doesn't like something, she'd get rid of it. If you're an obstacle in her path, she'd get rid of you. So if she truly hates what you did, she would have made it known right there and then and you wouldn't be standing here talking to me."
"...that doesn't make any sense though. If she's not mad about it then that means she's okay with it, but surely she doesn't like being in an intimate position with me!"
Though her imperturbation could also be due to the fact that she's hundreds of years old so she must have experienced such things countless times, as opposed to him who's only dated once in his whole life and didn't even make it past second stage. When a person is used to something, naturally they'd not feel bothered by it.
Plus, she's old enough to be his grand grand grand grand grandma so she probably sees him as a little kid and doesn't see that as anything other than an unfortunate accident!
"Thoma, I can't tell you what the Shogun thinks because I don't know her well enough. But from our past few encounters with her, I think it's true that she has a soft side. Our perception of her is based on her past endeavors as a ruthless despot. But if we were to take her soft side into consideration, it might not be that unlikely for her to catch feelings for a mortal."
"...You're kidding."
Ayaka glances at him, eyes dead serious. "She may be an Archon but not even Archons are immune to romantic attractions. They still have feelings. And as long as they're capable of emotions, they're capable of love."
"Even if it's with a mortal way younger than them?"
"...When you've lived for hundreds of years, I don't think age matters to you anymore when it comes to relationships."
Ayaka's words keep him awake the whole night. The next day, Thoma goes about his daily routine with tired eyes and slightly slouched shoulders. His mind is still a mess and that conversation with Ayaka only made him more confused and uncertain. He was prepared to douse that tiny flame of attraction, but now… He's not so sure anymore.
As the resident fixer who's gotten on everyone's good side, Thoma naturally receives warm sympathy when everyone notices how tired he looks. Being a fixer is part of his job. On the outside, he may be a friendly, helpful guy. But in reality, he makes sure to keep a necessary distance between himself and everyone else so he doesn't sink too deep and end up drowning in their benevolence.
Yet, his resolution is starting to waver after seeing how much everyone cares for him throughout the day. Kurisu from the International Trade Association gives him a Special Kamera that gives printed photos a golden, hazy border, saying it's to thank him for resolving the tax issue for him (though it's Aether who did it but he insists it's thanks to Thoma that Aether even bothered to help them in the first place). Karpillia from Sailing Breeze gives him a round of free Mondstadt wine, saying he looks like he needs it. Yukio gives him some oolong tea to help him stay awake, cause, according to him, Thoma looks like he's about to keel over at any moment. And Aikawa offers him a coupon for an hour of free relaxation in Aisa Bathhouse, saying how the glamour of Natlan can help him relieve his fatigue and heal his body.
All these cordial gestures are making him feel like home, which he's rarely felt since he decides to close his heart off to the people of Inazuma and hence see their hospitality as undeserved for he's only being nice to them because his job demands it.
As the day goes on, Thoma feels more and more blessed and soon he's back to his usual charming self and goes around town with zeal.
However, his good spirit sinks when Inspector Yurika stops him on his way back to the Kamisato Estate after finishing his business on Ritou.
"Long time no see, Thoma."
"Oh hi there, it's been a while. How have you been, Miss Yurika?" The charming smile Thoma always wears on his face falters for a second when he realizes he's forgotten all about the promise he made her.
"I see you're doing well after that incident. I hope a few weeks is enough for you to recover and decide on a time and place for the dinner date you promised me."
"Ah yes, my bad, it completely slipped my mind. How about tonight if you have time? You can pick the spot."
Yurika steps closer with a signature smile she'd often show when scamming foreigners desperate to apply for a Residence Permit. Thoma resists the urge to retreat as he stares into her passionate gaze, suddenly longing for the Shogun's disarming smile whenever she's with Taroumaru.
"I always have time for you," Yurika whispers as she places a hand on his chest before stepping back and winking at him. "Tonight at seven, I'll meet you at Uyuu Restaurant. Don't be late."
Her touch is featherlight and gentle, but Thoma feels nothing and it only makes him yearn for Ei's warmth even more.
He's definitely not looking forward to the dinner date, but whatever. Charming people to earn their trust and make his job easier is what he does. Just be professional and flirt with her here and there and it'll be over before he knows it. That's what he's done with the business dates he's gone on in the past anyway.
Even though he doesn't give a damn about the date, he still dresses up to make it seem like he cares before departing for the izakaya. He's already made a reservation and Erika leads him to the second floor when he arrives ten minutes prior to the agreed time.
At exactly seven, he hears footsteps up the stairs and sees Yurika coming through the sliding paper door. She seems to have put quite some effort into her appearance. Though Thoma doesn't understand much about fashion, he bets that makeup on her face took longer to put on than the fancy kimono she's donning.
The dinner date goes exactly as he has expected. With a few teasing words and flirtatious gestures, he has Yurika giggling and blushing in no time. He makes sure to not go too far, though. After all, he doesn't want her to misunderstand and think he seriously wants to pursue a relationship with her. She knows he's the charming type, so as long as he meets her expectations without crossing the line, she'll be content with the date and remain a useful connection he can take advantage of when necessary.
Things go so smoothly Thoma even has a genuine grin on his face when they leave the izakaya. But like everything that's happened in the past few weeks, misfortune always finds him when he least expects it. The moment he sets eyes on the Shogun who happens to be on the street with Aether and Paimon in tow, he remembers that he's forgotten to take a fortune slip from the Grand Narukami Shrine today.
"Hey it's Thoma! Long time no see, Thoma!" Paimon exclaims and flies over so fast her tiny body nearly collides with his face. Aether follows behind her with an apologetic smile and pulls her back by her scarf.
"Hey guys! You're back already? How's Sumeru?" Thoma asks while glancing at the Shogun in his peripherals. She's staring at him with an expression he's never seen on her face before.
"It's beautiful! But it's so hot! Paimon nearly died of thirst on our way there. But we made many new friends! There's this guy named Cyno* who's kinda mean at first but he's actually really nice once you get to know him! And then there's Collei who's always injured and makes Paimon so worried all the time and it turns out she actually knows some of our friends from Mondstadt! Like Amber, Lisa…"
"Paimon." Thankfully, Aether stops her rant. Thoma doesn't mind listening to a cute flying person talk in her adorable voice, but not when he has to give the Shogun and Yurika the silent treatment. "Sorry about that. Maybe we'll talk next time. I don't want to interrupt your...date."
The Shogun's gaze suddenly turns sharp and snaps towards Yurika.
"It's alright. We should have another hot pot game and we can talk then."
Aether nods with a small smile and returns to the Shogun, who for some reason glares at Yurika a while longer before turning heels and leaving, completely ignoring Thoma.
He isn't expecting her to be nice to him in public, and he's not surprised that she ignored him in order to keep up her appearances, but the way she did that gives off a feeling that she's...mad about something.
Perhaps Ayaka is wrong and the gravity of what he's done finally catches up to her.
"You have a crush on our Almighty Shogun, don't you?"
Thoma nearly chokes on his own spit when the most unexpected thing comes out of Yurika's mouth.
"W-W-What makes you say that?"
"Oh please, it's so obvious you're not even trying to hide it, are you?" Yurika rolls her eyes. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. I would have charged you with another dinner date but I'm not cruel enough to force you to spend time with someone you're not interested in."
"Miss Yurika, I don't know why you think I like her but I really don't. She's an Archon, how can I possibly-"
"Have you even read any popular light novels recently?" She asks instead and Thoma shakes his head. "More than fifty percent of the stories have something to do with dating the Shogun or another Archon, like Rex Lapis. For example, "Reincarnated as Sasayuri and now I'm trying my best not to die" has the protagonist falling in love with the Shogun. "Is it wrong for an Archon to date a tree?" has the Sacred Sakura as the protagonist who once had a human form and was the Shogun's lover, but they later died and turned into the Sacred Sakura. And after the Shogun made a misstep during the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual, she gained the ability to hear the thoughts of the tree and found out it has been protecting Inazuma for centuries due to its undying love for her."
"...Seriously?"
"My exact thoughts." Yurika shakes her head with a sigh. "When your Archon is as beautiful as the Raiden Shogun, it's no surprise that mortals would have a crush on her. In fact, if I were a man I'd probably fall for her as well."
"What would you do then?" Thoma asks with a spark of hopium.
Yurika chuckles bitterly. "What do you think? She's the Almighty Shogun. Of course I'd squash my feelings under my foot and move on to a mortal woman who I actually have a chance with."
That spark of hopium vanishes in a poof.
Obviously that's what average people would have done in his shoes.
And Thoma is nothing more than an average man. There's nothing special only he can do, his face isn't even the best looking in Inazuma, and there are plenty of people who can top him strength-wise. The Shogun would be out of her mind if she were to accept the feelings of a puny man like him.
Maybe it wouldn't have hurt this much if he'd squashed his feelings when he first realized it.
AN: *Cyno and Collei are characters featured in the official Genshin manga which you can read on the Webtoons website