Celestia Academy

93. Superstition

I deeply inhaled the salty ocean air and held steady as the ship came to a halt at the docks. Judging by the low number of students that boarded with me, everyone else must still be enjoying their winter break to the fullest.

Though I was back early, my days in Mondstadt had more than satisfied me. Besides exploring Dawn Winery and building strategies in chess, I visited the city. The first time, Diluc had taken me around all of the shops before we ended the night with him working at the tavern. The second time, we ran into Amber and Eula right as they passed through the city gates. One thing led to another, and the four of us toured the countryside—eventually finding ourselves at Starsnatch Cliff. The gliding had been fun, but the company was even better.

Everything about the island looked the same as when I had left, and it wasn't long before my feet were planted on solid ground and walking to the town square's teleport waypoint. I easily teleported back to campus, which was just as empty as I expected. Some people walked about—most of them faculty and staff.

Though a few days remained before classes resumed, I still had an agenda to fulfill. After opening my suitcase and unpacking everything inside, I pulled out the last item—a small box neatly wrapped in blue—and set off to find my target. The first objective to clear: Kaeya.

He had to be around here somewhere. Knowing his habits, it would be wise to check the tavern, but I decided to potentially save time and visit Cryo House first. I kept the box secure in both hands while trekking up the stairs until I reached Kaeya's door. With one hand, I hid the gift behind my back. With the other, I knocked and said, "Special delivery."

Silence greeted me. I rocked back onto my heels and waited. Maybe he was at the tavern, after all. It was too early to drink with the sun still shining, but since he's been all alone in these weeks...

A lock clicked. The door opened.

"So, my ears didn't deceive me after all." Kaeya looked me over with a lazy grin. "Special delivery indeed."

Ah, I forgot to strengthen my heart and mind against his easy flirts. Two sentences in, and I was already blushing.

"Not me, you womanizer. Can I come in?"

Kaeya opened the door wider, stepping aside to let me pass through. "Womanizer? Why Lumine, the only woman for my eyes is you."

"I missed you, too." I smiled briefly before putting on a frown. "Why didn't you tell me you'd be staying here all winter break? I could've come back earlier and done something fun with you. Aren't you bored of this place?"

His eye didn't meet mine, wandering around his room as though he'd never been here before. "I had plenty to busy myself with. Between retrieving a legendary sword from pirates and uncovering a secret plot that threatened the very existence of the equestrian club, it's a miracle that free time has found its way to me."

"We have an equestrian club?"

"Not anymore," he sighed. "I had to send the horses away. It was for their own good—never mind that. I assume the delivery must be whatever you've got hidden behind your back."

I revealed the small box, holding it out to him. "You're always so attentive to detail. It's yours. I picked it out when I went to Mondstadt."

Kaeya's eyebrows rose, and for once he didn't have anything to immediately quip back. I watched with a smile as he sat on his bed to carefully unwrap the gift. My smile widened the second he revealed another layer of wrapping paper.

"Really?" Kaeya tutted with a chuckle. "Paper is a finite resource."

"I thought you loved suspense."

"Only when it's the other way around. You get a pass."