𝑰 𝐒𝐋𝐄𝐏𝐓 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐌𝐘 𝐂𝐎-𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑 [𝐙𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐋𝐈 𝐗 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐄]

-𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍-

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[  I have a lot of cute modern zhongchi fanart I wanna share. This isn't mine, but this is the reference I used for their outfits in this chapter . ]

•´¯'•. . .•´¯'•

A bright and beautiful Saturday afternoon was exactly the kind of setting perfect for a date. At least what Zhongli read that it was the perfect setting for dates. He hadn't — .. Well, he hadn't been on any dates before.

Was it lame ? Someone his age and never having ever been on a date ? Perhaps to some. Actually Zhongli never thought about it until now as he waited beside the entrance gates. He glanced down at stiff red entry ticket between his fingertips. Suddenly the feeling of self-consciousness began to grow in the pit of his stomach; it was new feeling this nervous for Zhongli. He hasn't felt like this for, well, a long time.

Did he dress alright ? Zhongli glanced at his reflection from the glass barrier at the ticket booth. This morning he put on dark pants with a matching soft turtleneck, and a blue jem pendant he got from a jewelry dealer in downtown once; he wore an off white jacket over his clothes, seeing as it was November and the weather had been getting colder lately. Even now the temperature was a low 70 in the afternoon with the sun in the sky.

"Did I perhaps overdress..?"  Zhongli wondered innocently to himself. Now that he thought about it, he was always dressed nicely while Childe dressed more causally. But this was Zhongli's causal wear. Or maybe Childe would think he was trying too hard.

Or perhaps Zhongli was just overthinking things. It wouldn't be the first time he dozed off into thought, wondering and thinking back on every little this or that, curious about potential consequences and effect he caused or others did.

"I wonder if he's still coming.." Zhongli spoke to himself, though it wasn't hears over the crowd of people entering and exiting the carnival. And since Zhongli stood off to the side, he got a perfect earful of children screaming and crying over rides and lost games, or kids squealing with excitment and rushing past him, nearly bumping into Zhongli several times without even noticing.

Sigh. Children were such kinetic little things.

Zhongli pulled up the black face mask he was wearing  (to avoid being recognized) before he heard someone call out his name. To which made wearing a mask a little bit useless if Zhongli's name got shouted around. It wasn't like their was many other Zhonglis here in Japan.

"Zhongli-sensei!" That was Childe's voice calling out, and he was running over, waving his ticket in one hand, and his other hand was simply waving for Zhongli's attention— which he got. He panted slightly and leaned over to catch his breath once he approached the other.