Don't worry, though. After I got the picture with the Arataki Gang, Shinobu finally showed up and chewed out the guys for lazing around. None of us told the real truth—that the reason behind the holdup was because of the slime recapture. Itto let me keep the group photo, insisting that "An oni never forgets! Your faces are forever engraved into my eyeball memories." The photo is taped to my mirror for now, but I want to find a nice frame for it the next time we go to Liyue Harbor.

(We ended up taking a photo of some Mist Flowers in the greenhouse for the last element, and our assignment was a success)

Meeting the Arataki Gang has probably been the most interesting to happen since the Sakoku Order was dissolved, and I'm hoping to have more fun experiences like that.

I'm sure you have a bunch of questions about school and my friends, but there's only so much I can fit into one letter without boring you to bits. I'll write again soon with more updates, and I'm looking forward to your Mondstadt Hashbrowns (and you, of course) over winter break.

Love, Lumine

I set down the pen and reread the letter I finally finished writing for Madame Ping. It turned out to be much longer than I expected—two sheets of paper filled on both sides—yet there was still so much more I hadn't told her. I didn't write anything about the Abyss Order or my pursuit for Aether. Though I had explained the monster attack and the Sakoku Order, I focused more on the people I've met so far and my classes.

She would probably be surprised to learn that I made so many friends, and honestly, so was I. Of course, a few of them were more than friends to me now, but I couldn't bring myself to write about those details just yet. It would probably be easier to talk about them to Madame Ping in person. Besides, there was still one person I had to confess to. Just one more person to embrace my feelings for and—hopefully—join with the others.

With the letter done, I neatly folded it into thirds and reached over to grab an envelope.

I didn't have any envelopes.

Considering the fact that writing letters hadn't been something I planned for, the only stationery I had were the pen and paper I used for class. Sighing, I set the folded letter aside and hoped the mailroom would have something for me. Where there's mail, there's bound to be mailing supplies.

Clicking off my lamp, I padded over to my bed and fell into the blankets. My eyelids drooped as I thought about what I had to do tomorrow. Mail, classes, figuring out how I should approach Kaeya on sharing the same feelings—one of those three took up a much larger presence in my mind than the others. I had time, but if I learned anything from Childe's point of view, it only benefitted me to put it off.

I tried to imagine how it might go, but I had to press my face into the cool fabric of my pillowcase each time I envisioned his reaction. I'd done this three times before, but I couldn't help but feel just as flustered and nervous. Excited and eager. After dozens of potential scenarios amped up my heart rate, sleep eventually took me.

It had somehow slipped my mind to ask Childe where the mailroom was, but I had a good guess. Lunch was just beginning for me as I pushed open the doors to the dining hall, and I decided to go with something simple so I had enough time to drop off the letter before Physical Combat. With the new monsters the Arataki Gang brought in, I also didn't want to be too full to properly fight—especially if we were against real opponents.

"I'll take the Bird Egg Sushi, please. Could I also get a glass of grape juice?"

The woman across from the counter smiled apologetically. "I'll get that Bird Egg Sushi for you, but I'm afraid we've run out of clean glasses for the moment. Our cleaning staff is working hard, but there's been a great loss in the supply of our glasses since yesterday."

"Really? What happened?"

"A rowdy bunch stopped by just before we wrapped up last night," she sighed. "I don't think they were students here, but they were given the clearance to dine. One of them knocked into a shelf full of our glasses—everything shattered."

I held a hand to my mouth and gasped. "Did anyone get hurt?"

"Only their wallets," she laughed sharply before sobering. "Everyone was fine, but I doubt that group will be allowed back in the dining hall again."

Without a doubt, that had to be the Arataki Gang. It was nice knowing Shinobu talked their way into getting a nice meal, but damaging campus property would be hard to come back from. I hoped the costs weren't too much, though. Any more Lavender Melon, and the gang wouldn't be strong enough to hunt monsters.

"Here you go." She placed a plate of Bird Egg Sushi on my tray. "You can try coming back later if you get thirsty. We might have something ready for you then."

"Thanks," I grabbed my food and found my seat.

The egg was light and fluffy and my mouth as I chewed, and I took a moment to look in my bag. Yup, the letter was still there. Next, I would go to the administration building first. I was ninety-nine percent sure the mailroom would be in there somewhere, but there was still plenty of time for me to search around if I ended up being wrong.

As I reached for the second piece of sushi, someone sat beside me. I turned to look at them with surprise. Everyone normally kept to themselves or talked with their friend group at this point of the year, so who decided to join me now? My first thought was Kaeya—my heart flipped with the possibility—but that was quickly confirmed to not be true.

"Kazuha?"

I hadn't spoken to him since he'd shown me to the student council room, and that had been nearly a month ago. He was a first-year like me, so it was strange that we didn't have any classes together to meet in either.

"Good morning, Lumine," he said. "If I had known you also had lunch this hour, I would not have spent so many meals eating outside."

He had placed a single apple in front of him.

"I haven't seen you in a while. How have you been? Are your classes going alright?" Though we could easily speak informally, I realized I still didn't know much about him.

The expression he wore was just as wistful as when I'd last seen him. "They aren't anything I can't handle. I'm sure you and I are enrolled in the same courses, just at different times. If I were to name any complaints, it would be that our breaks between classes are far too short. How am I to follow the natural paces of nature while under the pressure of a ticking clock?"

"Hang on, did you say you've been eating outside?" I looked out the wide windows. At this point, all of the plants had shed their leafy personalities, and there were even rumors of snow coming in soon. "Isn't it cold?"

"I was able to bear the dropping temperatures," he shrugged. "Up until this point, that is."

"Huh," I nibbled on my sushi. "I guess I'll be seeing you around more often, then?"

"I can't make any promises to that." He bit into his apple. "I thought I might continue to roam the halls after grabbing my meal, but then you caught my eye. Rather, I noticed something about you that struck me as familiar."

I paused and stared down at myself. "Our school uniform?"

"No," he smiled like he knew a secret. "You seem lost."

"Lost?" my eyebrows rose. "I'm eating lunch. There's nothing to be lost over that."

He hummed quietly. "Is that all?"

"Well," I thought about my plans for after lunch. Surely, Kazuha wasn't able to tell that I didn't know where the mailroom was. "I need to look around the administration building for the mailroom. I should get going there now, actually."

He took another bite out of his apple and pointed to my remaining sushi. "One more bite and you'll be done. Then, we can head out together."

"You're coming with?" I ate the sushi, and he stood at the same time as me. "If the mailroom really is in the administration building, then I think I can find it on my own."

Kazuha sighed and stared out the window. "I've been in this room long enough. Taking the opportunity to stretch my legs is something I'd never turn down. Besides, it is fulfilling to serve as a guide."

"You're in the same year as me." I rolled my eyes. "I don't think guide status is something to be claimed just yet."

He tossed his apple in the air, catching it swiftly and taking another bite. "Wandering alone gets dull after some time."

"Oh. So, you're bored of exploring?"

Kazuha nodded as we neared the exit.

"Wouldn't it be better to spend your time studying?"

"I can manage."

"Are you sure one apple is enough for lunch?"

"You ask a lot of questions." He opened the door. "So curious."

"You're a curiosity." I passed through the exit and held the door's edge as Kazuha went through. "Popping out of nowhere, falling out of trees, and surviving off of fruit. Actually, I know a few people who solely lived on Lavender Melon for a while. Have you ever tried that?"

Kazuha laughed, soft and melodic. "I like my meals portable, so I can roam freely when I please. The flavor of Lavender Melon is best when roasted, but that is a practice more commonly done in Inazuma."

I bet that's how the Arataki Gang ate theirs, then. "Is that where you're from? Inazuma? I could have guessed so based on your name, but I didn't want to assume."

Kazuha finished off his apple and expertly tossed the core into a nearby bin. "I am, but I believe there are many places a person can belong in the world. Inazuma and Celestia Academy are both one of the many locations I will have resided in my life, and a new part of my identity is formed with each place I travel. How about you? Lumine…could that be from Fontaine?"

We were on the fastest path to the administration building, and a sharp breeze cut through the yard. I buttoned the top part of my jacket to prevent catching a cold. Getting sick now would ruin my future plans for exploration—a different kind than what Kazuha was used to.

"I grew up in Liyue," I answered. "As for where I'm from, I was too young to remember."

"Lumine," he said again. "Light."

"What?"

"The etymology—the meaning behind your name ties closely with illumination," Kazuha explained. "You know, it's said that our names often dictate the path that our lives take. Could it be that you are destined to light the way for others?"

"I don't know about that. I mean, you're the one showing me the way. Literally."

"You do have a point," he smiled. "Perhaps it is something else, then."

Perhaps. Maybe my name meant that I was a bright spot in people's lives? It felt a bit self-absorbed to think about myself that way. I would have to ask my friends for an honest opinion, though they could be biased. Light was normally paired with darkness, and it made me uneasy to think about that. The Abyss Order was darkness personified, and I didn't want to be associated with it in that way.

"What does your name mean?" I asked, trying to forget about bigger truths.

"What do you think it means?"

I frowned slightly, trying to think of something. My knowledge of the Inazuman language wasn't much to go off of, so I had no idea. I shrugged.

Kazuha looked to the sky. "Ten-thousand leaves."

I was ready to immediately form some meaning from his response, but that stumped me. Obviously, Kazuha didn't resemble ten-thousand leaves because he was a singular person. However, when I thought about how leaves existed in nature—whether together on a tree's branches or individually drifting away—they went with the wind, and the wind was free. From what I've seen of Kazuha so far, he certainly came off as a free-spirited person.

"It fits you," I said. "The leaves go wherever the wind takes them."

"You think I'm so frail that the wind will blow me away?"

"The leaves and the wind are one with nature, and so, it seems, are you," I finished. "Seeing that you like to spend so much time outdoors, even when it gets cold."

"I see."

We reached the administration building, and I opened the door, holding it out behind me as Kazuha confidently stepped through and made a sharp left. I let him lead us down the hall, and it was mostly empty. Just one woman passed us with a box of files in her arms.

It was Catherine.

She didn't pay any attention to us, nor did Kazuha acknowledge her. We had our business, and she had hers, but I couldn't help but turn my head and watch as she passed. She was on her way to the head secretary's office, meaning Katheryne still hadn't come back yet.

Was she gone for good? A part of me hoped Katheryne would have returned once the Sakoku Order ended, but maybe those two weren't related after all. Maybe Katheryne really did just have personal matters to attend to. Hopefully, she would be back soon. I still had questions for her.

"A bit further down," Kazuha turned right at the end of the hall. "It's the room at the end by the window."

As we neared the mailroom, I appreciated the subtle flecks of dust that hung in the air, illuminated by the sunlight flooding through the window. A large potted plant sat directly in front, adjacent to the mailroom. The door was slightly ajar.

"We have arrived at your destination. If you don't mind, I would like to linger for just a moment. I've never seen the inside before." His nose scrunched slightly. "If it's too cramped, I'll see myself out."

"Suit yourself," I said and knocked lightly on the door.

Even though it was already opened, I didn't want to startle whoever was inside by suddenly barging in.

"Come in," a familiar voice sounded, and my breath caught. "I must say, that was far too short of a break. Did you forget to take something with you?"

Wordlessly, due to shock, I pushed the door open to confirm with my eyes. A room lined with shelving compartments, stuffed and piled with envelopes and boxes, greeted me. Against the window at the far back of the room, was a low desk. Its occupier had his back turned to us as he worked, but it was undeniably him.

What was he doing here?

"Kaeya?"

Kaeya whirled around, disturbing a few sheets of paper that floated to the floor—joining in with the haphazard pile scattered at his feet. His mouth parted in shock that mirrored my own, but he only looked taken aback for a moment before his wide eye returned to normal. He stepped away from the desk, toward me, but his eye flicked to Kazuha behind me and halted.

"Lumine, I didn't expect to see you here," he smiled sweetly. "And you brought company. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Why are you working in the mailroom?" I asked.

"This is my free period—an upperclassmen privilege. Though, while others get to use this extra time to enjoy life, I have this to attend to," he sighed. "Remember that file Jean cleverly had you deliver to me? Apparently, assisting the staff somehow correlates with representing the student body."

Kazuha took a single step into the mailroom. While it might have been spacious without the clutter, all this mail definitely classified as a stuffy environment. Judging by how his face tightened, I could tell Kazuha wanted nothing to do with the space. He didn't go any further.

"Thank you for your efforts," Kazuha said.

"What business might you have here?" Kaeya asked. "With Lumine?"

That's right. The letter. I dug into my bag. "I had a good idea of which building the mailroom was in, but Kazuha knew the exact room."

"He took you all the way here?"

My fingertips brushed the stiff edge of the folded paper, and I pulled it out. "Uh huh."

"Even in this cold, unsavory weather?"

"You're telling me. He likes nature."

"That I do," Kazuha nodded. "In addition to worthwhile conversations."

"Is that all that you like?" Kaeya focused solely on Kazuha. "Nature and conversations? Don't be shy, there has to be more. I make it a point to know the interests of the students I work so dearly for."

A bolt of déjà vu ran through me. What was this familiar situation? Kaeya and Kazuha have never spoken before, at least not in front of me. Not like this. The last time I had been with Kazuha, he was purposefully getting on Childe's nerves—a bold one, he was. Getting on Kaeya's nerves wasn't something I'd ever thought possible, not with how nonchalant he was.

"Can you say you care dearly for each student equally?" Kazuha asked with an artful smile.

"There's not much anyone can gain from favoritism by the student council," Kaeya laughed. "So, I believe your question is pointless."

Kazuha moved his foot backward, stepping into the hallway. "I'm afraid you were right, Lumine. A simple apple won't do."

"Hungry for something?" Kaeya walked up and leaned an elbow on the doorframe. "You won't have much luck with that standing around here."

Kazuha didn't say anything at first. He didn't say anything for a while, actually. Instead, he was studying Kaeya's face like it was a math problem to solve or a painting in a museum.

I could agree with the painting comparison. The smooth panes of his skin, the defined curve of his jaw, the straight edge of his nose—they were sculpted to perfection. Beautiful warm tones in his skin wonderfully contrasted with his eye. An eye so alluring with its ever-present twinkle and uniquely shaped pupil. The captivating mystery of his eyepatch only added to his allure. I couldn't blame Kazuha for looking. When it came to Kaeya, I could stare at him for hours.

"There it is," Kazuha murmured. "I can see it in his eye."

Kaeya pulled back slightly, narrowing said eye.

Kazuha answered the question I didn't get to ask yet and looked at me. "Your light."

My eyes widened with his statement, and it wasn't hard to guess what Kazuha meant by that. Somehow, he'd been able to piece together Kaeya's feelings for me in a matter of seconds just as he had with Childe. Did I really light up Kaeya's eye? Was it perceptible to other people, or was Kazuha sensitive to every detail around him?

Kaeya cleared his throat and stood to his full height. "Right, then. How about you satisfy your hunger in the dining hall, and I take care of Lumine? I don't have all day, and there's still two months' worth of backlog waiting to be sorted."

Kazuha simply nodded in farewell and stepped away, disappearing into the hall. I was still mentally reeling over Kazuha's big revelation, barely even noticing when Kaeya snicked the door shut and turned to face me. With one signature smirk, I was pulled from my thoughts and once again stared at the beauty that was Kaeya Alberich.

The goal had been to send out a letter. My chest tightened at our proximity as I remembered a second, very important goal.

fun typos from the past few chapters: Proeforr, rochshet's, Hadhbornws, thring

good luck to everyone wishing on itto's banner! personally, I'm saving for kazuha (AND KLEE. PLS. KLEE OMG) in 2.8, but it's v hard to resist the temptation of shinobu 👀