With You | Thoma x Ayaka | Genshin Impact

Rest Well

   "Thoma! I heard your mom was hospitalized yesterday!" Kiana exclaimed when she saw him in the kitchen. 

   "Oh... yeah." Thoma nodded nonchalantly.

    "If you want, you can take the day off, I'll let the other heads know about your situation." Itsuki offered, he had suggested this earlier but Thoma had declined the offer.

   "It's fine!" Thoma said but after seeing Itsuki's and Kiana's worried expressions, he added, "It really is."

    Kiana looked at Itsuki as if to say, "Uh...."

    Everyone else in the kitchen glanced over to the trio, there wasn't a single employee for the Kamisato estate that didn't know about Thoma's situation. Someone who was on a shopping errand had seen the entire thing and the rumour spread like a wildfire after that.

    "Hey, Thoma, don't try to act strong, alright? We're all here for you." a kitchen staff member spoke up.

   "Yeah! All of us care about you." another pitched in.

   "Don't worry about asking us for help!" Kiana nodded confidently.

    Ayaka, who was watching from outside of the kitchen, wore a warm smile.

    "I'm glad he has people to rely on." Ayaka thought. Her smile faded, Thoma still didn't want to go talk to his mother. He claimed that it was because there was nothing to say but Ayaka had known him long enough to know that he actually meant that he had things to say but just didn't know how to say them.

   Ayaka turned around and walked back to her office. She wanted to have Thoma talk to his mother before it was too late but she knew their complicated history and how it probably was hard for Thoma to just talk to her...

   "I don't want him to have any regrets though..." Ayaka mumbled, only after her mother and father die did she realize that she still had so many things she wanted to tell them.

   "Oh? Lady Ayaka!" Abdiel said, he was Sharar were hanging up cherry blossom decorations around the estate.

    Abdiel set his cherry blossom down and Sharar gave a small bow.

   "Has the estate always been decorated for Spring?" Ayaka questioned, she had no memory of seeing those before.

   "Young Lord told me and Abdiel to decorate it this time." Sharar explained.

   "Ah, I see." Ayaka nodded in understanding.

    There were a few moments of silence, Abdiel and Sharar glanced at each other, they both wanted to ask the same thing but they didn't know how to say it.

   "Erm, Lady Ayaka!" Abdiel finally took the initiative, "... How is Thoma doing?"

   "He's.... holding up well," Ayaka hesitated, "He doesn't seem that down but..."

   "The way I see it, he might be trying to act strong." Sharar suggested.

   "Yeah, after all, I know that he cares about his mother, even if it's just a little bit." Abdiel nodded in agreement.

   "Well, Lady Ayaka, I understand that you're worried but I think it's best for Thoma to open up to us. After all, we might not fully understand his relationship with his mother." Sharar fiddled with the cherry blossom decorations.

  "Don't worry Lady Ayaka, we'll both make sure to comfort Thoma when we need to." Abdiel assured.

   "Yes, of course, we'll do as much as we can." Sharar agreed.