The six pillars resurface and the gold shield reforms around the pillars, and suddenly, it feels as though the students finally comprehend what they were able to do together, as they go around hugging all their teammates in gratitude.
They hear the clapping of multiple people - Klee, Lisa, Jean and their classmates as Lisa appears in front of them, a smile on her face. "I knew you guys could do it. Well done - you finished it in the shortest time possible," giggles Lisa, as Hu Tao and Yanfei come running to their friends, having been in another team with their friends and of course, Klee.
Later in the evening, the awards ceremony occurs, and unsurprisingly, Ganyu got the award for the strongest contestant. To be completely fair, that could be attributed to her adeptal heritage, so a second award was distributed to Xingqiu for the next strongest contestant and a third to Keqing. A bunch of other awards were distributed as well - Keqing receiving the award for the strongest contestant wielding the Electro element. Overall, it was nothing short of a fun experience and receiving the awards were just a bonus on the side.
To Keqing, the awards were simply just an add - on to an otherwise unforgettable experience. However, she knew she couldn't dwell on the current events, because an event of much greater importance was coming, and soon, being only a single week away. Keqing, being the caring, best friend that she was always attentive of things the qilin said because when the qilin was incredibly happy, she got even more affectionate than usual, which... was always appreciated, of course.
Keqing already knew exactly what to get Ganyu for her birthday due to always listening and making notes throughout the year on the absolute perfect gift to get the qilin every time. She had to cement her role as the best friend in some way or another, and getting her the best gift possible was required, namely:
A kalimba.
A most mythical imported instrument from musicians over at Fontaine that quickly gained popularity in Liyue and beyond for various reasons - primarily, how cute and compact it was, easy to transport yet producing some of the most melodious sounds that people had heard, resembling that of a blend between the dulcet tones of a harp and the elegant notes of a piano. It soon captured the hearts of many, especially teenagers due to how easy it was to get the hang of, unlike most other common instruments. Whilst the average instrument took years to master, kalimbas were beautifully easy to play, and even when you messed up, it still managed to sound good.
Ganyu had mentioned how many kalimba videos she had watched, and she sent some covers to Keqing as well, and the Electro wielder could easily see how this instrument had captured gotten Ganyu's attention and she had been raving about how cool this instrument was. Keqing knew she had to get the kalimba if she wanted to fulfill Ganyu's birthday wish. And Keqing knew she'd love the present, and Ganyu's expression when she got something she liked was incredibly adorable.
She decided to order it online, and chose a beautiful acrylic one, with the most adorable cat ear attachments at the top, so it resembled a cat. If moved in a certain way, the clear acrylic would shine in the light, forming rainbows on the instrument.
Keqing could most definitely see why Ganyu had become so enamored with such a delicate instrument, and she ordered one, about 5 days before her birthday. She was quick to unpack it and slip into a gorgeously wrapped giftbox with ribbons woven in cute shapes scattered around the box, and goddamn did it look good! The lavender - haired girl was undoubtedly proud of her hard work.
Ganyu was known for not enjoying huge birthday parties for herself, as they exhausted too much of her energy. What she did enjoy, however, was going out to get treats with a friend and receiving gifts from her closest friends.
Said friend was Keqing, 100% of the time.
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At the mall
"Ahh, happy 16th, Yuyu," smiles Keqing, as she joins up with her friend. "And to you! Wait, your birthday's already over... my bad. I'm just so excited for today! Where are we going to get cake from?" responds Ganyu as the two walk. "That will be a secret, but I will say one thing - there'll be Qingxin involved in it," replies Keqing, much to Ganyu's delight. "Woohoo!" exclaims Ganyu as they step into the bustling Feiyun Slope, full of well - dressed people and multiple elegantly designed stores.
"A new café opened up recently, and I got a booking for us there, so let's go!" laughs Keqing, taking ahold of Ganyu's wrist as she hurries, leading them to the restaurant - namely Wanmin Café. "Welcome to Wanmin Café!" exclaims Keqing, gesturing at the shop in delight. "Wanmin Café? They now have a bakery?" echoes Ganyu, in awe. "Yup! Today's the grand inauguration - look, there's Xiangling!" responds Keqing, as the two head to the front of the massive crowd that has already formed. The chef was standing in front of a large, red ribbon connecting two poles with a pair of scissors in hand and her dad by her side. "Hey everyone! I'm Xiangling, with Chef Mao - my dad - from Wanmin Restaurant. We're so excited to finally open our bakery and thank you to everyone that came! Now, without further ado, let's go!" states Xiangling, as she grabs her father's hands and places them on the scissors before the two of them slice through the ribbon, allowing free access for the crowd. Keqing is speedy to get inside, Ganyu by her side as they quickly grab a table, hastily getting on the seats.
"Ke - qing! Gan - yu!" enunciates Xiangling playfully, much to the laughter of her friends. "Thanks for coming though, I'm so excited for this shop, and of course I have your reservation. I'll go inside and finish up on it," adds Xiangling, as the chef effortlessly weaves her way through the droves of people and into the kitchen. "I must admit, this is beautifully designed," murmurs Ganyu, softly touching the couch in awe of the place. "Isn't it? It's a little fancier than the usual Wanmin locations, but that is mainly because this is meant to be an elegant and welcoming bakery, you know? Things like that require design changes, I suppose," adds Keqing.
YOU ARE READING
Remembering The Glaze Lilies | Ganqing {DISCONTINUED}
FanfictionKeqing has always been a skeptic about a lot of things, but the thing she's questioned the most is love. She knows how important it is to a lot of people, but it never really strikes her until she finds herself slowly falling for her best friend, Ga...
