𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 | 𝐱𝐢𝐚𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐢

VI

Alatus had been in the bathroom for ten minutes now.

As for the young traveller, she was sitting on her bed, head on her forehead, pondering about what had just happened.

Xiao had his usual painful episodes, but this time he emerged an entirely new person from it. She thought that it may be because of shock, maybe Xiao was just out of it—but as he spent longer and longer in the bathroom, checking himself out like he was going to a gala, Lumine was beginning to doubt her reasoning.

"He sure got a lot taller. Even his jaw is more defined," his voice echoed from the bathroom. Through the mirror, Lumine saw Alatus tracing a finger along his jawline, then frowning as he pinched the fabric of his clothes. "But this outfit though. So tight."

"Can you please explain?" Lumine urged, getting up from her seat. "You've proven enough that you're not Xiao. So how are you here? And why?"

Alatus finished styling his hair with water before turning towards her. "How am I here? Well, you can say that Xiao called out to me."

"What do you mean?"

"If I'm not wrong, Xiao must be in quite a lot of pain before I arrived, right?" he asked, and Lumine nodded. "That's how I appear. Usually, when the pain he feels reaches a threshold he cannot tolerate, I come out to help him." He pointed to the back of his head. "So right now, Xiao's having a comfortable nap here, healing from whatever that was hurting him. In the meantime, I'm in control of this body."

Lumine gaped at him. "Then when does Xiao return?"

Alatus shrugged. "It depends. Why, tired of me already?"

"No, of course not—" she stopped herself and crossed her arms. "I mean, it's the first time I'm encountering this kind of situation. I haven't got used to you yet."

"That sounds kind of hurtful, but I'll let it pass."

Alatus spotted the mess of containers on the ground, and bent down to examine them. "What are these?"

Lumine squatted next to him and began to clean up. "I was teaching Xiao how to take care of his skin before you arrived."

A light gasp came from him, and Lumine felt her hands being yanked forward, clasped in between Alatus's.

His eyes sparkled as he said, "could you teach me again? I swear, that moron doesn't know how to look after himself. Especially his appearance!"

"W-What?"

Alatus gave an exasperated sigh. "You see, I'm usually stuck at the back of his mind like a fleeting consciousness. But even so, I'm aware of what goes on around Xiao—that's how I know your name, by the way—and every time I see his reflection I wish to drag him to a salon for a proper makeover. Have you seen the pimples on this face?"

Lumine blinked, flabbergasted at his response. It was so otherworldly that she had to remind herself that this was not Xiao speaking. Although they share the same appearance and voice, Alatus was a totally different person.

Yet she couldn't help but imagine. What if Xiao was like this? Expressive, playful, albeit a little eccentric—if she had seen this side of him sooner, maybe she wouldn't be so hesitant with her feelings.

And so she rounded an arm around the yaksha, pulling him close. "Well then, if you really want to learn, I'm always happy to teach! Why don't we start now?"

—

What was meant to be a short teaching session turned into a full-blown gossip party. Lumine and Alatus sat against the bed frame, and as they sipped on chamomile tea that Lumine had prepared, stories and tales spilled out of their mouths like an endless waterfall.