Yěhuā

A Xiān Kè Lái Extras Collection

By: Aviantei

[Shibuya Operation – Story Storm]

37. Aster (9)

I open my eyes to the charming of my alarm. I roll around with a groan, even though I've been fading out of sleep for the past ten minutes or so. Not even sunlight filters in under the curtains. I get up to pull them open, twilight hazing the sky above me. I grab my phone and turn on a playlist, soft music starting up the day.

"Let's get to it, then."

I have class today, but there's still a few hours. Pajama clad, I head into my living room, making a beeline for the plant Ren and I picked up last week. There's just enough light that I don't trip over my couch on the way, but I could cross this path half asleep. I test the soil, find it moist enough to not need watering, and rotate the pot a bit so it gets sunlight from all angles today. Plants will move towards light anyway, but there's nothing wrong with helping them. My plant's single leaf is as ready for the sun to rise as I am. Outside the glass door to the patio, a couple of lights glow in the windows of the early risers across from me.

Satisfied with my plant care, I cross into the kitchen, this time flicking the light switch up in the process. I set up the water heater and pull out my stash of congee for the week from the fridge, settling a bowl into the microwave. While breakfast warms, I wander back to my room to get dressed. Vibrant string instruments echo out of my phone.

The timer for the microwave goes off long before I'm done getting dressed, but I finish tucking my blouse into my skirt and clipping up my hair, daises on the pins. I can see the faint outline of brown forming at the roots of my green hair, and frown at the mirror.

Do I really want to dye it again?

I shake my head and return to the kitchen, grabbing my backpack en route. I toss it onto the island counter and retrieve my meal, the bowl hot against my fingers. The water still needs a few minutes, so I leave it. Hopping onto a stool over the counter, I settle in for breakfast.

Sweetness explodes over my tongue and comes close to burning my mouth. Delicious. None of that salty stuff in the morning for me. Blowing on my next mouthful, I dig through my bag for the schedule I drew up yesterday.

Class in the morning until ten. Lunch with Lim and Yating afterwards. There's a test coming up this week, and I need to study in my free time, plus try and get ahead on the ridiculous amount of reading in one of my biology courses. The next checkpoint for my research project is coming up, too. The heavy course load has thrown off my routine from the past three years, but it's possible to manage. I note an empty block of time and decide today's a good a day as any to hang out in the campus greenhouse. I haven't settled down there in a while.

I haven't seen Ren in person for a while, either.

I grimace midway through my next bite of congee, even though the taste is fine. I can't help it that I'm busy. He's busy, too. I stir circles with my spoon, leaving trails in the rice porridge. I'd like to drop everything, go hang out with him for a bit, but I need this research project to go well if I'm going to recover my GPA from my lackadaisical approach the last few years. I'll have to schedule in time to see Ren if we can manage it, but not now.

I glance over at my phone, face down on the counter so as not to be a distraction.

If he's awake at this hour, he'll be out for a run. If he's asleep, I don't plan to disturb him. But I can send him a text, just to wish him a good day. A little moment like that won't hurt my schedule for the day, or his.

I smile as I tap out the characters. After hitting send, I set the phone back aside and dig my test notes from my bag. Even if most of the information is in my head, it doesn't hurt to reinforce it. This is the path I chose for myself, and I don't plan to switch gears down just yet.

When I return home, my little plant's reaches for the afternoon sun, the sprout of a second leaf forming to join the first.

38. Aster (10)

I fall into my seat on the bench, my bag thunking into place beside me. Across the table, Lon Ivy, part of my research group, flicks her eyes up in acknowledgement before skimming through the rest of her notes. The Hainan weather is as hot and sticky as always from the wet season, and I tug open the collar of my tank top to let some air flow. Humidity clogs my pores and brings the smell of distant rain. Ivy finishes her page, wipes sweat from her brow, and sighs.

We share a glance but have learned well enough not to complain about the heat by now. It doesn't do any good. I pull bottles of water from my bag and toss one to her.

"Thanks," Ivy says, twisting the cap off. The cheap plastic crackles from the change in pressure. "You were running a bit later than usual. Something come up?"

There's a slight edge of irritation in her voice—she's not a fan of waiting for others—but it's nothing awful. Most of it's crankiness from the heat. We can both agree that sitting out in the nature reserve is worth it, though, a full course for the eyes of plants surrounding us.

"Sorry," I apologize, retrieving my own notes. "I got a call from a friend and almost lost track of time."

"Friend, huh?" Ivy rolls the word in her mouth like a piece of candy she's not quite sure how it got there. "You mean that grumpy guy you talk about? Tao?"

I nod and place my own research notes on the table. Next comes the dive for a pencil. "Yeah, I don't get to talk to him much since it's so busy. He's doing well, though, so I gotta keep working hard!"

Ivy picks up a spiky taraw palm leaf, rolling the stem between her fingers. Given the small size, she must've picked it for a sample. "Well, I'm glad you have someone from home to talk to," she says. Not for the first time, I'm hit with the impression she doesn't have many people close to her, but I don't pry. It's been progress enough that we can talk about anything besides research. "If you're gonna work hard, though, let's get to it. No sense in sweating our asses off out here…"

"You got it." I repress a giggle. It's funny how sometimes she's as stubborn as Ren. Neither would appreciate the comparison. Maybe it's the similarities that help me navigate her. "I started comparing the overall biome data for the smaller plants, and I noticed some changes…"

Ivy leans over the table, following my finger as I mark out changes in data. Once I'm done, she does the same with her observations, focusing on trees—her specialty to compare with my flowers. Even though she's a proper researcher and not a student like me, she still listens to my opinions as we try to build optimal layout and growth conditions. I'm lucky to have someone like her as my internship mentor.

"Not bad," Ivy concludes once we're done talking things through. "You have a good grip on these things, even if you tend to feel it out by instinct."

I flush a little, and not just from the heat—I've been trying to be more professional but, "Sorry, I've always raised plants that way, so it's hard not to follow the urge when I feel like something will work."

Ivy smiles, just a bit, only a little. "It's alright. I do most of my layouts by instinct, too." Considering she's made the beginnings of a career in this, I feel a lot better about my chances. She draws circles across her own sheet, highlighting some arrangements. "These felt right to me, but, in this field, we have to work with proof. So I ran all the other combinations to complete the data. Make sure you're doing the same, too, okay?"

"Right!" It's hard work, but she's right: if I want to be a researcher, I need to be able to show my proof. "Though I'm still getting stuck on some of these statistics formulas and uses," I admit, shuffling out my data pages. "I know I asked before, but do you think you could show me again…?"

I've lost track of the number of times I've asked. Some of the information has stuck, but I'm always using reference sheets when compiling my reports, and half the time I get lost. Ivy skims over my data pages again, then holds out her hand.

"Let me see your work pages again," she requests. I've taken to hoarding my numerous scribble pages for this purpose and pull their folder from my bag. Ivy takes a moment to appreciate the chrysanthemum pattern before opening it. After a few minutes of flipping through the pages, but she pulls a few out and sets them between us. I recognize them from the early deviation tracking. "Alright, let's start here…"

It's going to be a long afternoon in the sun.

39. Lotus (26)

"You're going back to Italy next month?" I ask over dinner. Across the table, Jeanne sips from her wine glass with an apologetic smile. I stop spinning my fork in my carbonara, forgetting about eating for the moment. The guests at the table behind me order their food loud enough to be heard, the words not registering in my ears. I take a steady breath. "I knew the period was almost up, but…"

Jeanne notices as I trail off, her red eyes glinting in the low light. She cuts another piece from her grilled salmon as she speaks, "Yes, I thought so, too, but I've been here for three months and they need me at home." She says home with such a loving familiarity. "I'm sure your own department wouldn't want you to stray away for longer than necessary, would they?"

I consider it with pursed lips. Lu would accept it, but he wouldn't like it. Even if I'm doing grunt work, he says my organization and perception have helped the department move smoother. He may sound frivolous most times, but he means it. Kuang would try to hold me as a communications agent if I did try to stay from home. And Jeanne, who worked to join her family's company since she was a girl, is in a much more needed position than I.

Jeanne smiles again after she finishes chewing. I try to resume eating, but it feels like an out to avoid speaking. "Considering the strides you've made between our companies, I'm sure they'd want you to keep moving on somewhere else," I say, making sure it sounds like a genuine compliment. Jeanne is impressive as a liaison, and I've watched her secure a number of joint work contracts while here. "Too bad you're such a hard worker."

"Oh, stop," Jeanne admonishes, but looks pleased nonetheless. I smile before it falters. Jeanne sets down her cutlery and peers at me. "You know this isn't anything personal, right, Ren? I would love to stay, but my career is important to me."

"You don't have to justify yourself." I secure a roll of pasta around my fork but don't yet go for the bite. "If I were in your position, I'd choose my career, too. You don't have to throw it away, not while you're still young." I grasp my own wine glass in my free hand and reach it towards Jeanne in a toast. "To a fine future for us both."

Jeanne blinks. She doesn't say anything about me going to Italy instead. I hadn't considered the thought. Besides my career, this is my home. She raises her glass again and clinks it to mine. "To a fine future for us both," she repeats.

We drink and resume dinner, our small talk joining the conversations that surround us.

40. Lotus (27)

Thunder rumbles outside and rain splatters against my apartment windows. I check my watch again, as if it'll make Bai any less late. I test the tea pot on the table to make sure it hasn't over-brewed. I even conceded and picked up some hibiscus tea from her old café hangout.

After all, it's been a year since we've seen each other.

I tap my finger in impatience and consider calling her. But if I do, she won't let me live it down. The weather tends to affect public transportation; there's nothing to worry about.

Bai's erratic knocking echoes against my front door.

I exhale as I push up from the couch. When I open up, Bai's swaying back and forth with a grin. She's drenched, not even bothering to carry an umbrella, though she is holding a gift bag. I should've seen this coming.

"I'll get you a towel," I greet and gesture for her to come inside.

Bai flashes me a grin. "Much appreciated!"

I dig up a towel from the bathroom and toss it over to Bai, waiting in the doorway. She drags water out of her hair, drops spilling onto the entryway carpet. Now at its natural brown color, she looks less like an eccentric kid, though her outfit still flashes pastels and mismatched styles. The color of the petals doesn't change the shape of the flower.

When done, Bai drapes the towel around her neck and retrieves her bag from the ground. "Oh, is that tea I smell? You're the best." She beams at me and makes headway to the living room, laying the towel out before drenching my couch. Bai leans over to peer into the clear teapot and the bloom inside. "Oooh, this is a new pot, right? Very nice."

I breathe out a chuckle and fall back into my own seat. "It's nice to see you again."

"And it's more than nice to see you," Bai returns. "Okay, I got your messages about your research, but I can't hear you all excited when it's just text. Go on, tell me about it."

She's not willing to waste time. I understand, so I tell her about everything I've done beside Lu's side in the past year. I've earned enough headway to take part in proper research inputs. In return, she tells me about her studies in Hainan. Even with her program done, she's been offered a position on the reserves to continue building optimal habitats. We've been moving forward on our paths, but it hasn't changed enough that we still can't chat like before.

A few hours of conversation and an empty teapot later, I stand up to stretch. Bai tugs the damp towel out from under her and folds it into a square. "Here, I'll take that," I offer, and she passes it over. "I need to grab you your graduation present anyway."

Bai flops over onto the couch to lie on her stomach, eyes following me across the room. "Ooh, Ren present. Lucky me, I got you a souvenir, too." I glace at the gift bag on the ground, but tissue paper blocks the inside view. "Heheh, it's a super surprise, you know?"

"Well, I'm sure you'll be surprised by mine, too." I'm surprised I even bought it. Well, after this week Bai will be back in Hainan for at least another year. I could always make a trip there, but I'd rather do this now. I toss the towel into the laundry, brush off my hands on my slacks, and retrieve the flowerpot from its spot by the windowsill in my bedroom.

Bai's flopped over onto her back when I return, but her humming cuts off when she catches sight of me. I set the pot down, the small collection of moss rosebuds—closed pink blooms with what appears to be moss up the stem and leaves—bouncing from the movement.

I sit so I'm not looking down on Bai so much. "They'll need a bigger pot soon, but you should be able to get away with this as your carry on," I supply.

"You know what those mean, right?" Bai sounds like she can't decide whether to tease me or ask if I'm serious.

"Like I would give you a plant without some forethought."

"What about the pretty Italian lady?"

"She went back home."

Bai's lips quirk a bit. "Italy isn't the moon."

"Hainan's closer," I say, poking at her forehead. Bai stares at my finger, then brushes it out of the way. She reaches for her gift bag, unpacks it herself, and presents a floral arrangement. The same moss rosebuds serve as the centerpieces, bloomed roses in red surrounding it. Bai flops down to her spot, her expression filled with expectation.

"Lotuses didn't fit what I was going for. Sorry," she whispers. "But no fair, Ren. I was hoping to see your face when I told you what they meant."

I snort. Lightning flashes outside. I reach out my hand again, this time stopping above Bai's head. She watches me for a bit, then wraps her fingers around mine before dropping our linked hands to the couch between us.

Bai closes her eyes, and so do I, enjoying the moment of flowers blooming in the thunder.

結束

[Author's Notes]

Goodness, so here we are. Ten weeks just flies by, doesn't it? It's been a busy ten weeks in real life, too, but I'm glad to say I have completed another [Shibuya Operation - Story Storm]! Though this was a different sort of project than what I normally do, it was still fun to work on, and I'm glad for the experience of experimenting with new formats, styles, and voices. Though I drafted this out last summer and have made some improvements to my writing since then, I'm still proud of the work I pulled together here, and I hope it was fun for you to read, too. Without much further ado, the closing section notes!

37. Aster (9) - Some time with Bai when she starts digging into work mode at the end of XKL. Her character growth is subtle in the way that she makes little changes, but they come into results. It fits her whole "little moments" philosophy. Also, that tiny symbolism plant returns.
38. Aster (10) - And, the fruits of Bai's effort: her work study in Hainan! Researching the weather was interesting for this one. Originally, I was just planning to look at what she might be working on, but CG at one point said something like "I kept wondering when the characters from Aviantei were going to show up," so this went from there. Lon Ivy is the protagonist of Aviantei. Much like Ren, her life would be very different without shamanism, so she's managed to get herself into plant research as well (if only I could stop trying to think of an extended plot in this AU with her and just work on the main story). Man, what is it with me and these plant based characters?
39. Lotus (26) - At the end of XKL, Ren met Jeanne while she was on business as a liaison between their companies. Given their relationship in canon, they would hit it off. Given that the characters wanted to take this AU a different question, their relationship here stalls out due to the continent gap and work priorities.
40. Lotus (27) - I'll be real here: XKL is a giant mess of the characters doing things differently than I'd planned. The original idea for XKL was to write a CanonxOC story that ended in a mutual breakup. Bai and Ren didn't even end up dating. I'd set up the ending so that Ren would meet Jeanne and the canon ship could be a thing, but Bai and Ren ended up trading off moss rosebuds, which stand for a confession of love. I give up on trying to plan out relationships in my stories anymore. Either way, it's a very them result, so I'm glad for the ending.

Of course, Yěhuā isn't quite over yet. That's right, there's still the bonus extras, which will go live next Saturday! I have some topics and requests lined up, but I'd love to add more. So don't hesitate to drop me your requests! Of course, the later you share your ideas, the less time there will be for me to write and include them, so don't miss your chance. I look forward to whatever ideas you may have. Now I just gotta finish this revision project real fast so I can focus on them... Please look forward to it!

-Aviantei

[COMPLETE: 03.03.2018]