Let's Ditch Everything and Just Have Fun!

2. Maple Leaf on the Water

Ayaka was hesitant, but she took that offer. Kazuha brought her to Ritou to visit the Crux Ship. Beidou and the rest of the crew were stunned when he brought a young woman. The boss of the ship stopped drinking and walked to the wanderer. "Yo, Kazuha. It's rare of you to bring a guest. Who is that?"

"Shirasagi Himegimi."

Beidou almost dropped her alcohol. "THE LADY FROM KAMISATO FAMILY? Oh crap, I am not prepared for this. Everyone, go make some food and take out the drinks!"

Ayaka was bewildered by her action. "You don't need to do that. I'm fine with just looking around."

"Ha, don't be silly!" Beidou wrung her arms on Ayaka's shoulder. "Kazuha rarely brings guests, so we should give you the best accommodation."

The rest of the crew gathered around her, thus Ayaka became the main character of the party. Everyone was busy looking at her appearance, yet she did not find it awkward. Ayaka used to admiration and others compliments since people in Inazuma treated her the same way.

The food and drink came faster than they expected. Beidou took a drink and cheered. "Let's have a toast for this special meeting."

"Eh, alcohol? In the afternoon?" Ayaka was rather surprised. She was already an adult and drank her share of alcohol during a few meetings. However, it was known that drinking in the afternoon was frowned upon in Inazuma.

Beidou and Kazuha smirked at each other. They were so going to give a bad influence on her.

"Why not? Come on, let's break the rule a bit. It's not like anyone in Inazuma is watching."

Beidou's word swayed her. Ayaka's heartbeat was thumping loudly as she took a cup of drink. After contemplating for a while, she drank the alcohol in one shot. Ayaka was surprised by the distinct taste of the drink. It was very different from the sake she had in Inazuma. "What-what is this?"

"First time taste something different, young lady?" Beidou chuckled at her reaction. "The one you drink is Osmanthus wine from Liyue. This one is Dandelion wine from Mondstadt. Oi, get that fire-water away from her! She won't be able to handle it!"

This was a refreshing experience for her. Inazuma's foods and drinks were tasty, but sometimes she wanted to taste something distinct. Her eyes sparkled at the sight of a meal from a different region. "Is it okay for me to eat all of these?"

"Of course, go ahead! Try this one too, young lady! This is Mora Meat from Liyue."

Ayaka munched her food while smiling the whole time. She looked adorable eating the food with a puffy cheek. Kazuha must resist the urge to poke her cheek, knowing how improper it was.

After being stuffed to brimming with food, she wanted to move around. Staying still was going to make her sleepy. "Do you mind if I practice my dance here?" Ayaka asked the Pirate Lady. She gave her direct approval. "Not at all! We have some rock and roll or opera performances in Liyue. It will be nice to see some performance from Inazuma."

Ayaka pulled out her fan and danced. The ship crews were paying attention to the performance. Kazuha could not help to be mesmerized by her graceful movement. In the past, she was not able to master the dance. She kept making the wrong move or fell during her practice.

He knew because he always watched her. That young man only smiled at the memory.

Ayaka bowed down when her performance was over. The show ended with thunderous claps from the crewmate. Kazuha clapped his hand as well and complimented her dance. He kneeled down and kissed the back of her hand.

"As light as the wind. You moved gently like a crane. It was enchanting."

Ayaka realized he spoke using a poem. She chuckled and replied to him in the same way. "Sweeter than honey. Your praise filled my heart with warmth. It gave me delight."

Furing whispered to Beidou. "Boss, why are they talking like that?"

"Haiku and shit. Let's just go somewhere. My brain won't be able to handle this."

Beidou and the rest of the shipmates left them. Kazuha and Ayaka finally had time to speak with each other. "I never know you are such a poet."

"Having free time and spending time in nature do you wonder."

"We should exchange more haiku in the future."

Ayaka was happy to feel these new experiments. She rode a ship, tasted food from different regions and had a performance in front of new people. It was something she would never find if she remained working in her home. He loves watching that expression. While she looked away, Kazuha put a maple leaf between her hair and ear. His hand brushed against her face.

"Beautiful."

He stared directly into her eyes and gently smiled at her. Ayaka could not stop gazing at him. The smile on his face was dazzling to her eyes. Perhaps it was because of the alcohol or the breeze of the sea, but her heart was beating loudly,

"The sea is beautiful."

Ayaka was startled after hearing his words. Kazuha had a grin on his face since he had planned this the whole time. The audacity of this man had no bound. First, he took her away from her home and then teased her like that. She pushed him away while hiding her flushed cheek. "Kaedehara Kazuha, you're being too much!"

Ayaka huffed and walked away from him. Kazuha only watched her while chuckling. Perhaps it was indeed too much, but he just could not help it. He wanted to see that expression after a long time. That man was longing to see her blushing because of him.

Beidou finally got back to check the situation. She saw Ayaka watching the sea alone. The Ship Captain came closer to the weary young woman. "The atmosphere is tense. Did something happen?"

Ayaka was sighing, thinking she might overreact. "It was nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Are you sure? You will feel better if you talk about it."

Ayaka decided to trust Beidou. The older woman was not surprised to hear her story. Kazuha was a crafty man, especially when it involved his goal. Beidou just shook her head at his behaviour. That man should just come clear instead of teasing the confused girl.

"I can handle many types of suitors, but he keeps making me flustered."

"He can be a pain, right? When you face a man like him, you need to be brave and bold! That way, he will never expect it!"

Ayaka took her advice seriously. "Be brave and bold, got it."

Muzhen, who listened to the whole conversation, interfered before things escalated further. "Can somebody please stop our boss? She's teaching Miss Kamisato something weird!"