I was the first to arrive—or so I thought. Out of habit, I walked up to the table where Diluc and I would play chess, but then a movement further down caught my eye. Kaeya waved a hand from the table in the corner, and I lightly skimmed my fingers on the tops of the tables as I made my way over.

"You're here early." I went to sit in the chair across from him, but Kaeya held out a hand to stop me.

Stepping to the side, he grabbed the back of the chair next to him and pulled it out, gesturing for me to sit there instead. "One can never be too prepared. The spot over there is for Ayaka. It would be better if you sat close by me. That way, I can see your notes."

"I take amazing notes, thank you very much. If you don't believe me, you can ask Thoma. He's the reason for my improvement." I tucked my bag under the seat and sat down, smiling as Kaeya pushed my chair back in. "Are we using my notebook or yours?"

"Ours." He sat back down and procured a hardcover spiral notebook from his bag. Kaeya held it out for me to take, and I flipped through the pages. "This is where we'll keep a record of the interviews. You'll see I've already added details for Keqing, Kokomi, and Gorou."

I skimmed through the pages, impressed by Kaeya's consistently neat handwriting and even more impressed by how much he wrote. Keqing's interview alone spanned four whole sheets filled on both sides, though Kokomi and Gorou's were recorded as the same interview. I paused on the first page of their section and pointed to the combined responses.

"They were partners," Kaeya answered my unasked question. "So I thought it would be best to interview them together—not like it was hard. Kokomi and Gorou run similar schedules, so it was much easier to find a time to speak with them rather than, say, Keqing."

I flipped back to her section. "She had a lot to say."

"For someone who claimed to not have much time, she took up more than Kokomi and Gorou combined," he sighed. "Good for us—more material to work with."

Though I was tempted to read through their responses right now, Ayaka would be here any minute now. I quickly flipped to the first empty page and folded the notebook over. Kaeya had used a pen, but I grabbed one of my pencils—not trusting myself to be nearly as neat as he was.

Kaeya waved his hand a second time, and I looked up to see Ayaka making her way toward us.

Today was an off day for me. I barely had time to stop by my room to switch out my wrinkled uniform for one that was only slightly rumpled. Ayaka wore the same clothes as me, but they looked different on her. The pleats on her skirt were crisp and even, and her open blazer revealed the neat tuck of her shirt underneath. Even Celestia Academy's emblem stitched in gold thread on the blazer's breast pocket seemed to glow on her. Not a speck of lint marred her perfect appearance. Not a hair fell out of place—impressive with those bangs.

I sat up straighter, and Kaeya slid me a curious look. He didn't say anything, only waited for Ayaka to approach before flashing a charming smile and motioning to the seat across from us.

"Ayaka, thank you for joining us today." His voice was smooth as butter.

Her head dipped politely before she lowered herself onto the chair and settled in without making a sound. "Thank you for having me, Kaeya. I must say, I wasn't expecting there to be another present during the interview."

"She's here to help keep a record," he explained. "After doing a few of these on my own, I thought it would be easier this way. Multitasking is one of my many talents, but it's more efficient that I put my full focus on the objective."

Liar. It was my idea to share the work. Kaeya barely agreed to that, and it had taken a minor threat from my end.

I cut a look at him and saw a laugh threatening to burst through his charm. Coverty, I lightly kicked his leg under the table. With stealth that rivaled my own, Kaeya instantly prevented any future jabs by placing a hand on my knee.

My body tensed at his touch, and I fought to keep my facial expression controlled despite the weight of his hand that spiked my temperature. Kaeya would be to blame if my mind went astray, so I forced my attention back to Ayaka.

"I hope you don't mind me being here. I'm Lumine, and it's nice to meet you."

Ayaka's cool eyes assessed me. For a moment, it felt like she could see through to my soul and scrutinized every part of it. Then, she blinked sharply and held out a dainty hand.

"Kamisato Ayaka. Delighted to make your acquaintance."

After quickly wiping a palm on my skirt—I couldn't tell if it was sweaty and didn't want to risk it—I reached over to accept the handshake. Her grip was surprisingly firm, and she was already letting go before I could adjust.

"I know we're all busy with finals coming up, so I'll jump straight into the interview." Kaeya sat forward, removing his hand from my knee, and I instantly missed it. "You already know from when I requested an interview that we will be focusing on the Grand Tournament. The student council wants to reach out to past participants and gather feedback for the future. First, what motivated you to participate in your second-year?"

My pencil hovered over the blank page, ready to capture her response. I watched Ayaka's expression shift from polite-neutral to polite-thoughtful. Was there ever a time when she didn't keep herself so composed and elegant? It seemed exhausting, and I was impressed.

"My goal was to demonstrate how far I had achieved a mastery in my skills and talents," Ayaka said after a moment. "Moreover, I wished to participate alongside my brother who graduated that year. The Grand Tournament served as the perfect opportunity to test ourselves against each other as well as our synergy."

Her brother. Kamisato Ayato. I also knew who he was because of Thoma's stories, but I had no idea what he looked like. For now, I imagined a man just as reserved and regal as his sister. Same white-blue hair and matching eyes. Maybe a little taller.

Kaeya asked the next question as I refocused and copied down Ayaka's last words. "How did you prepare to join the competition?"

Oh, that's a good question. I wasn't sure how it could help our investigation, but someone like Ayaka definitely would have dedicated a lot of time to various training regiments. Amber would want to know all about it, and I made a mental note to share what I was about to learn.

"Because the Grand Tournament only comes around once a year, there was an abundance of time to prepare. During school breaks, I returned to Inazuma and practiced bladework with my brother. Sometimes, I ventured into Chinju Forest and honed my endurance under the waterfalls. The waters there are frigid year-round, and those conditions strengthened my affinity for Cryo."

Did she say she trained under waterfalls? My writing hand jerked, and I silently thanked the gods for the eraser. There had to be waterfalls on this island, but I didn't think Amber would be up for that.

"Physical Combat and Vision Studies do enough to maintain my abilities while I am here," she continued. "Though, as you are already aware, I also frequent the dojo in my spare time."

Kaeya hummed lightly. "That is quite the dedication. I'm surprised you didn't claim the Champion title with your efforts."

"Becoming Champion was never my intention. At least, not last year." Ayaka shook her head. "As I said before, I participated alongside my brother. While I am quickly approaching his level, there was never a doubt in my mind that he would surpass me in ranking. Knowing this, I chose to view the Grand Tournament as an experience to learn from for next time."

Wow, talk about going above and beyond. Even though Kaeya technically didn't ask a question that time, I wrote what she said anyway.

"Speaking of next time," Kaeya leaned back. "Is there anything you wish you would have done differently either before or during the competition?"

"Hm," her brows knitted slightly, and Ayaka's gaze wandered to the ceiling before coming back down with an answer. "My focus was on my own skills, but I wish I had invested more in learning about the other competitors' abilities beforehand. This is something I can presently work toward. Kaeya, do you have any intentions of participating this year?"

"Me?" he chuffed. "Well, it's certainly crossed my mind."

"What about you, Lumine?" She looked at me quizzically. "It is uncommon for first-years to do so, but I've heard you can be quite ambitious."

I blinked, surprised. "Who told you…Thoma."

Ayaka tilted her head slightly with no elaboration, her eyes closing briefly as she smiled.

Would I participate in the Grand Tournament this year? Of course, the event itself has been on my mind, but I was more worried about what its timing signified rather than if I wanted to join. Sure, competing against other students sounded fun…actually, I would like to. Whether or not it would be a good idea was another story. I couldn't reveal those details to Ayaka, though.

"It's too early to say for now," I decided.

Kaeya cleared his throat. "And here I thought I would be the one asking questions. Mind if we move on?"

"My apologies," Ayaka pressed her lips together sheepishly. "Curiosity has its way of holding attention. Please, carry on."

"Very well. What about the Grand Tournament did you enjoy the most?"

"That's an easy one to think through. This year will be different, but I thoroughly enjoyed partnering with my brother. Not only was it more entertaining than the individual-based trials, but our teamwork triumphed some of the more challenging opponents."

"And in what area was the Grand Tournament lacking?" Kaeya paused. "Was the competition difficult for reasons other than purposefully designed? If so, what suggestions might you have for future improvements?"

That was a loaded question. Assuming Ayaka had any issue with the Grand Tournament's structure, I quickly flexed my hand to prepare for another round of writing. So far, her answers didn't have nearly as much elaboration as I saw from Keqing, and there wasn't anything that stuck out to me that could be tied back to the last Champion or the Abyss Order. We might have learned more if Ayato was also here, but there was no chance of that.

With the Academy's memory erasure in effect, I could only hope the rest of the interview revealed something of value.

"There is one instance that comes to mind. When I brought up not knowing the nature of my competitors, that was mainly due to being unaware of who was competing until the Grand Tournament had already begun," Ayaka sighed. "I do not understand why they arranged it that way. Although several students announced they would be participating beforehand, I believe hiding the identities of participants hinders sportsmanship to a degree. There is a challenge in not knowing the nature of the Grand Tournament, but not knowing your opponent is disadvantageous in unfair regard."

"What do you mean by that?" Kaeya pressed. "Did you experience any trickery?"

"Trickery? Maybe not something so extreme as that, but there was a time when my brother and I had our strategy compromised. The details…" she paused. "So much time has passed since then, and I'm afraid I cannot recall much about who we encountered."

I stopped writing for a moment and exchanged a knowing look with Kaeya. Was it really because of time, or did an outside force cause her memory loss? With how sharp Ayaka was, my bet was on the latter.

"What I can say for certain is that there was another partnership—one we didn't anticipate. After learning our opponent had a Hydro Vision, my brother and I did not need to worry much. Though my brother is also in possession of a Hydro Vision, he has an ability that enhanced our normal attacks. With my Cryo Vision included, we planned to go for a combination of freeze reactions and physical damage."

Someone with a Hydro Vision? My pencil flew across the page as I tried to keep up.

"Our strategy worked, but not for long. They…a second person joined. I am unsure if the Hydro user was partnered already or if the newcomer decided to join in at that moment, but they had a Pyro Vision. Not only was our freeze reaction compromised, but the duo fought unlike any other I'd witnessed before. They were perfectly synchronized." Ayaka frowned. "Sometimes…it seemed as though my brother and I were fighting against a single person, but that's not possible."

I didn't need to look at Kaeya a second time to know we were thinking the same thing. Nothing was impossible.

Ayaka went on. "I believe an abundance of vaporize reactions occurred. Otherwise, I would remember more than just haziness when I try to think of their appearances. Memory fog and steam—not so unusual when framed that way."

"I'm sure there was too much action to keep track of." Kaeya nodded in understanding. "Do you remember if you and your brother won that fight?"

For the first time, Ayaka's posture slumped just a little. "That was our first defeat. Unfortunately, just one upset can be enough to affect the rankings, and my brother did not become Champion."

She really cared about her brother. My heart squeezed. We had that in common, at least.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Kaeya's tone saddened convincingly. "Either the Hydro or Pyro user must have won the Champion title, right?"

"I…" Ayaka hesitated with another frown. "The…Champion."

From the frustration that clouded her eyes, I could tell Ayaka struggled to overcome whatever spell that kept her memories away. Kaeya's eye narrowed as he also watched her internal battle. Ayaka didn't seem to notice the unnatural amount of time that elapsed while we waited—too preoccupied with providing an answer.

"Oh," she gasped.

I held my pencil at the ready, leaning in eagerly.

"My apologies, can you repeat the question?"

Disappointment shuttered through me, and I tried not to let the reaction show. We should have expected this.

Kaeya flashed a reassuring smile. "I asked if you plan to partner with another student this year."

"How silly of me for faltering on something so simple. I will be competing alone, and I hope to accomplish what my brother could not." Her face brightened at that, clear of the memory fog from before. "If you do decide to enter this year, I recommend finding a partner—especially for your first time."

Kaeya's eyebrow quirked. "Something to keep in mind."

"You as well, Lumine." For the second time in the interview, Ayaka turned to me. "I'm sure it can seem daunting. Cooperation will help to alleviate that pressure."

"Partnering does have an appeal," I nodded. "I'm still thinking about whether or not I'll participate myself, but I'll keep an eye out for someone willing to work together."

"Do you have anyone in mind?" she asked.

Ayaka might have been okay with letting her brother surpass her, but I would be competing to win—in theory. My mind would likely be occupied with the bigger issue of the Abyss Order rather than securing the Champion title. If we got lucky and eliminated the threat before then…who would I want as a partner?

Securing first and second place together would be enough. After that, we could challenge each other for the grand prize. I loved a good challenge, and so did Amber.

And Childe.

And Kaeya.

And Diluc.

Archons, even Thoma was determined to overcome any challenge once he put his mind to it. Of all of them, he would be the most likely to accept second place. Would I want that? No. A true victory didn't come from a forfeit.

"It's alright if you don't have an answer right away," Ayaka said. "Choosing the right partner is an important decision that takes time, and more importantly, compatibility. Just any person won't do, and I hope you recognize that."

She watched me the same way as before, like a bird of prey searching for a weakness. I fought the urge to squirm under her gaze.

With one blink, her attention on me faded. "Oh my, have I derailed the interview a second time?"

"You don't need to worry. I'm fresh out of questions," Kaeya said. "Thank you again for taking the time out of your day to talk with us, Ayaka. Feel free to leave now if you must. I wouldn't dream of hindering that meticulous training regimen of yours."

With poise and grace, Ayaka stood and said her goodbyes before leaving our table and exiting the library. The moment she left, the tension that built up in my muscles left with her. I didn't even notice how far she put me on edge, and I took a moment to let out a long exhale.

"More taxing than you were expecting?" Kaeya propped an elbow on the table and leaned his chin on it, looking at me.

"The writing was fine." I slid the notebook over so he could see. "Ayaka was just as put together as you said she'd be, but I didn't expect to also be evaluated."

Kaeya tapped a finger on his cheek thoughtfully. "Words of advice are always good to hear, and advice is even better when you know why it's being given. Something tells me Ayaka has a lot more thoughts on the matter than she let on. Another mystery, but not one for me to solve," he winked. "Keep the notebook for next time. I don't have a date arranged yet for Sara or Beidou, but I'll keep you updated."

"Are we going to talk about what she said? A Hydro Vision and a Pyro Vision."

"Or perhaps a Hydro and Pyro wielder, sans Vision. Ayaka's guess about there being two people is likely a rationale created to cover for her memory loss, but we're better off theorizing after completing the final interviews. If you have the time, read through what I found out from Keqing as well as Kokomi and Gorou," Kaeya said, pushing out his chair to stand.

I got up with him. "What's next?"

"What's next is that I stop by Catherine's office to relay actual student council business. Of course, that gives me potential access to information on Cicin the fledgling spy. As for after…"

"After?"

His lips quirked into a smile. "After the day is done and over with, we should get started on that habit."

My confusion came and went in the blink of an eye. Kaeya was referencing what I said before leaving his room this morning. I hadn't been kidding when I said it, but that was in a moment of boldness. Now, my boldness was thrown back at me, just as effective.

Before I could recover, Kaeya leaned in to whisper, "Though, sleep is of utmost importance as of late, and I can't promise we'll get any of that with our…habit."

Archons, he was close. I would have been tempted to say something or even do something, but then I remembered where we were—the library. Other students were busy doing what was expected in a library, and I'd be blushing for a different reason if any of them took notice.

Ducking my head, I swooped down to grab my bag. Amusement danced in Kaeya's eye when I stood fully once more. Amusement and…something else that made my stomach flutter.

He stuck his hands in his pockets and began to walk away. "Come on, the dining hall is on the way for me. Any cravings for lunch?"

I caught up quickly with a budding grin. "I was thinking something sweet, but I've got that right here."

He nearly bumped into a table then, and my grin widened. We were even, for now.

remember when people thought ayato would be a genderbent ayaka? 💀

embarrassing typos: nteh, Diesbn;t jio, urroinsings