Classes resumed today, and I quickly made it to my first class out of pure excitement. Catherine made it sound like a few days of no class would be somewhat of a blessing, but it was actually a bit boring. Besides playing chess with Diluc and eating with my friends, I had been mostly holed up in my room worrying. Worrying about the Abyss. Worrying about the Geo phenomenon. Worrying about getting called out by a guard for no reason. The list goes on.
"Welcome, welcome!" Venti greeted us. "Okay, I want everyone to gather. Sit in the grass and get comfortable! There is something important I have to go over."
I scanned the group of students to see if Amber arrived yet, and I made eye contact with a sitting Huffman. He sat up straighter and patted the grass next to him, and I was quick to let a tweeting bird capture my attention—wandering to the opposite end of the group. I found a spot for myself and sat crosslegged. Amber arrived, then, with a half-eaten bread roll sticking out of her mouth. I waved at her, and she quickly plopped down beside me.
"Scho, ha wa jer theegend?" she said in between bites.
"I don't speak mouthful."
"How was your weekend?" She rolled her eyes. "You knew what I was trying to say."
I laughed. "I really didn't."
"You had your chess match with Diluc again, right?" She wiggled her eyebrows. "How did that go?"
"F-Fine," I stammered out and found that bird again.
"Looks like everyone is here!" Venti clapped his hands with a cheery grin, standing in front of us.
Amber pouted, no doubt wanting to continue the conversation about Diluc.
"As you all know, your midterms are coming up in two weeks! Scary, right? Your first set of midterms—nay—your first set of official exams at such an amazing school! You have nothing to worry about. I know each and every one of you is promising and has the right amount of wit to figure things out. Now, as for this class, the midterm normally consists of a gliding assessment down the cliffside and around the island. I like to have you weave through the trees, hang over the ocean, and do all sorts of fun stuff! Unfortunately, that won't be possible with the whole Sakoku Order going on. Trust me, I tried reasoning with the headmaster, but he wouldn't budge! Apparently, the only word that matters is Raiden's. How cumbersome."
"What will we be doing instead?" Amber asked with her hand raised.
He snapped his fingers. "Excellent question! I was just getting to that. My first thought was, 'Hey! Why don't I have my students come down and listen to me perform at the local tavern? Their attendance alone would be proof of dedication and worthy of full points!' but then, I remembered you're not even allowed to use the teleport waypoints. And so, another alternative will have to do. It has nothing to do with gliding, but my hands are tied! I'm willing to give you two options. You can either come up with your own epic story to sing to the class, or you can provide detailed feedback and analysis of my own tunes."
Venti held up two fingers with a wink.
Crickets. There were crickets.
"Why don't we take a vote?" he beamed. "All those in favor of singing for your classmates, raise your hands!"
No one moved a muscle.
Venti scratched his chin, laughing to himself. "Wonderful! I'm absolutely ecstatic to have such an eager audience. Well, I should get started! Let's see, from now until midterms I will sing one song per day. You can pick which song you wish to analyze, but your response has to be as detailed as possible. Ooh, and do not hesitate to give any praise!"
Amber whispered beside me. "Is he serious?"
"It doesn't seem like one of his usual jokes." I stared straight ahead. "We can tough it out."
Venti materialized his lyre and began to strum its strings. "This first song is about a glorious kingdom in the heavens that tasked their first heir with seeking a special item from the Kingdom of Darkness, a Genesis Pearl." He paused seemingly for dramatic effect. "You'll hear what fate decides soon enough. Ahem!"
Venti began to sing the story of the heir, and I couldn't help but be enraptured. Sparing a look at everyone else in the class, they were also deeply invested in this story. As a bard, Venti wasn't so bad. Eventually, the tale came to an end and so did our time. There was an open ending to the second heir's journey, and Venti promised us that the next song will give us answers. I was looking forward to it.
"You've got Physical Combat next, right?" Amber shouldered her bag as we left the field.
"Lunch first. I know, it's early."
"Food is food," she shrugged. "Hey, would you mind asking Childe what's up? I've seen him a couple of times recently, just walking around. The guy could pass for a dead ghost."
"Ghosts are dead by default."
"You know what I mean. Anyway, I know he doesn't want to sit with us anymore. As much as that sucks, it's whatever. I just hope he's doing okay, and I have a feeling you'll be able to get him to open up."
I hesitated. Was Childe really so unwell?
"Uh oh, I gotta go before I'm late for horticulture," Amber waved. "Thanks in advance!"
"Wait—" I reached out, but she was already taking off.
It's a good thing I had a break in between classes—there was plenty of time to think. I sat in the dining hall and idly ate a small plate of Almond Tofu. After Xiao had recommended it to me, I made sure to eat at least a side of it for dinner every day. Initially, I wasn't sure what to expect from the dish, but it was surprisingly sweet and just as silky as he described. Its nightmare-preventing qualities also seemed to be working just as Xiao said, so I'd grown to enjoy the dish quite a bit.
As my fork easily sliced through the tofu's jiggly body, I sighed. Just when I had the situation with Diluc figured out to a degree, facing Childe became my next dilemma. At this point in the school year, partner pairings in Physical Combat were established, and I would have to keep working with him. It's not that I didn't want to have him as a partner in class, I was just worried about how our dynamic would have shifted.
We wouldn't be able to casually spar and jest like we used to. He'd probably no longer open up about his strategies or give me pointers. Honestly, it was hard for me to imagine how Childe would react to us going back to normal practice again—if he even wanted to.
According to Amber, he didn't look like he was doing well, but what did 'passing for a dead ghost' even mean? Was he not eating well? I haven't seen him in the dining hall at all. Was he not getting enough sleep? Was he overexerting himself? I worried my bottom lip thinking about how he might be spiraling, but I forced myself to stop. I shouldn't care about how Childe was doing anymore. He could take care of himself, and it's not in my place to worry if he didn't.
Amber did ask me to check up on him, though. Despite me never explicitly agreeing, I could tell she meant well and didn't want to let her down. Plus, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious as to why Childe of all people was feeling so low.
I cringed at the thought of approaching him again—it would be awkward. The rest of the hour passed by much too quickly, and the next thing I knew, I was on my way to class. To see Childe. To see Childe and act completely natural. I decided that it wouldn't hurt to take a longer path. I wanted to admire a more scenic route, especially after the restoration crew put so much work into making the campus look untouched by monsters. Yes, I was very much appreciating nature and absolutely not stalling.
Eventually, I found myself approaching the fighting ring where it appeared everyone in the class had already arrived. Instructor Xiao stood off to the side by himself. Normally, he'd be beating up one of the monsters that Celestia Academy held for educational purposes, but now he only gripped his polearm with a grimace.
Childe was nowhere to be found.
Xiao assessed us. "You know the drill. Change into your activewear and start laps."
Students headed to the fitness center's dressing room, and we all quickly got into our activewear uniforms. As I changed, I thought about how Childe would be getting an earful, or possibly a punishment, from Xiao for showing up tardy. But then, after emerging back outside, I saw that Childe still hadn't shown up.
I'd heard that he would skip in the past, but he never did with our Physical Combat class. What was he doing? Warmup laps began, and with each loop around the inner perimeter of campus, I found myself searching for his familiar head of ginger hair. Even after the warmups, Childe remained absent.
"Get into your pairings," Xiao instructed once we'd all made it back. "It's time to brief you all on the nature of the midterm."
Students shuffled around to find their partners, and I found myself gravitating toward a pair—Thoma and Xinyan—so I wouldn't stick out as someone who's been left out. Thoma caught my eye right away, and he made a gesture as if to say 'where's Childe?'
I shrugged in return, not wanting to admit I wished he were here.
"Huh?" Xinyan snapped her head to either side. "Where's Red?"
Xiao raised his voice. "Do I hear talking?"
She jumped a little, slapping a hand over her mouth.
"Thought so," he grunted. "As I was saying, I don't do exams in my class. Instead, a practical demonstration of skill is enough to prove to me that you have progressed from day one. To do so, I typically prefer for pairs to face a demon on their own—one befitting for students of your level. However, with this new Sakoku Order that is not possible. And so, your opponent will be me."
Students collectively gasped.
"Within two weeks, you and your partner will devise a strategy to face me. This will be a test of partnership, of knowing your opponent, and your ability to fight. There's no need to look so appalled. I'm sure you hold an aversion to losing to me, but I will not be returning your attacks nor will I make use of my Vision. Land one blow on me—that is all. Any questions?"
Xinyan threw up her hand. "What'll you be doin' if not attackin' us?"
"Evading."
She tapped her jaw. "And what if we don't get in a hit? Do we fail?"
"Not necessarily." Xiao shook his head. "While striking me is the end goal, there are other factors that have an influence on the outcome of your grade. I said them once before, and I will not repeat them again."
"Gotcha." Her hand dropped like a stone.
No one else spoke.
"You have free reign over all training and fitness equipment," he announced. "From now until the day of the midterm, I will meet with one pairing each day. Who wishes to be today's pair?"
Students murmured to themselves, nervousness floating in the air. Because no one seemed eager to volunteer, and because there wouldn't be much for me to do without Childe here, I decided to take one for the team. I raised my hand, and a wave of relief could be felt passing through each student. Xinyan gestured an encouraging thumbs up with a cheeky grin.
Xiao looked at me, and his eyes narrowed. "Very well. Everyone else, go train."
Most of the students immediately went inside to use the fitness room's equipment, while a few others stayed back to make use of the training weapons. I bid Thoma and Xinyan a quick farewell before squaring my shoulders and walking towards Xiao. He was waiting for me, polearm in hand, and his analytical gaze never faltered.
"Where is your partner?"
"He's absent."
"For what reason?"
"I'm not sure."
"Aren't you two close?"
"I…" my throat dried up. "We were."
"For your sake, let's hope he decides to make an appearance tomorrow." Xiao's jaw ticked. "I will not tolerate unnecessary absences in my class, especially those that negatively impact the performance of others. By now, he should know better than this. Perhaps I should instill a punishment."
"No, don't." I couldn't help but jump in. "I heard that he's not feeling well. That could be it."
"I'll confirm that for myself when I see a note from the infirmary. In the meantime, how do you wish to make use of your time with me?"
I thought about my biggest concern with going up against Xiao. His fighting style was like none I'd ever seen before, so quick and ruthless. After witnessing him in action in class and during the raid, it was obvious enough that he'd be too fast to keep an eye on. His speed would be the most difficult hurdle to get over.
"How do you slow an opponent?" I asked.
His monotonous expression lifted. "Good question. Take up your sword, and allow me to make a demonstration."
good luck to everyone wishing for raiden & kokomi (& the weapon banner if ur into that)! i will be here drooling over today's bartending event characters