Love Blooms

Chapter 2

"w-wow," you said, trying to absorb all the information. "that's a lot to process."

"i know it is," he chuckled. "but yeah... what do you think?"

on the way back, tighnari had explained a lot of sumeru's changes while you were gone. that included the eremite invasion (with very minimal detail), sumeru's now-developed akasha terminal that was in place, it made your head spin. sumeru was completely different from when you last visited a year ago. now you both were in gandharva ville, walking to tighnari's office.

"everything has changed so much," you chuckled. "it's not the same sumeru from back when we were students, even after a year it's so different."

"akademiya days..." he sighed at the memory. " that was back when you could barely hold eye contact with me, my underclassman."

"don't remind me of that," you said with a blush tinting your cheeks. "i was nervous while talking to you! your intelligence was so intimidating."

"considering we became friends shortly before graduation, you got over it, right? even now you look a lot more confident than when i last saw you."

"if you work under someone like my boss, you learn to get used to all sorts of things," you sighed, plopping yourself on one of his chairs in his office. "she's one of the scariest youkai i've ever met."

"is it common to see youkai in inazuma?"

"i mean... kind of," you said. "they're everywhere, it's just a matter of knowing where to look. some don't even look like youkai at a first glance, but "

"neat," he commented. "by the way... how long will you be here?"

"i believe i have 6 months," you said, flipping open your assignment packet. "yep! 6 months."

"that's a relief," tighnari sighed.

"how so," you asked, heartbeat picking up.

"it's just nice catching up with a friend," tighnari said. "we've been apart for some time."

"that's true," you said. "thanks for letting me stay here."

"of course! it's my pleasure," he said. "ah right, i have somewhere to be later today. sorry i can't stay and help you settle in."

"oh! that's alright" you said. "if you don't mind me asking for details, where are you going?"

"i have to go back to the wedding dinner," tighnari sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "i promised i'd be back in time."

oh now you really felt bad. "ah... i feel bad now. i'm so sorry for taking up your time tighnari. you could have gotten there earlier to spend more time with your friends."

"oh nonsense," he said. "our meeting was a complete coincidence. also, i don't want to be there while cyno and his new partner eat each others' faces in public."

he fake shuddered and gagged, but you could see a tinge of sadness in his actions. ah... i see what happened now.

"well i mean, i guess that's a good reason," you hummed. "i hope you have fun there, then."

"wait i just realized something," tighnari spun around and faced you. "you didn't get the invite?"

"what invite?"

"the invite to the wedding," tighnari said. "cyno sent you one last year while you were in inazuma."

"he did? i never got it," you said. "it might have gotten lost on the way... after all it's a pretty lengthy distance."

"well, i know for a fact he invited you. i wanted him to."

"that's thoughtful of you," you said, feeling your ears burn and tingle at his words. "but he doesn't even know me that well... so why invite me?"

"that's not true," he assured you. "he actually does remember you quite well. after all, you used to do projects with us sometimes."

"i guess," you said, remembering all the moments the three of you shared.

"hmm," tighnari pondered, then looked at your face and studied your features, making you blush and look away. "well... maybe cyno won't mind if i bring a plus one to dinner then."

"what-"

before you could even retort, tighnari whistled and called in a small bird with a large beak. it took a seat on the forest ranger's shoulder and waited while tighnari scribbled something on paper and handed it back. "to cyno, please."

then it squawk'd and took off with the note in its mouth, tighnari being met with your astonished look. "you have a duskbird?"

"yeah," he replied. "it's one of my most efficient forms of message sending. i don't use the akasha terminal."

"cool," you replied. "what did you need to send to cyno?"

"i'm inviting you as my plus one, so they'd better get a spot ready," tighnari smiled at you. "why don't we get you ready? do you have any formal attire?"

"i-i wasn't expecting to have any formal attire, but i guess i can change into my new outfit i got from my friend."

"a friend? you made friends?"

you gave him a half-hearted glare which made him laugh and walk to the door. "alright, get changed and let me know when you're done. then we'll get walking over. dinner's in 30 minutes and it's a 20 minute walk."

"okay," you said as he closed the door. you opened your bag that had all your essentials in it. your other luggage was destined to arrive a day later at the port, so you'd have to check later.

you grabbed your clothing, placing it on yourself neatly and unclipping your hydro vision from the inner pocket. after getting dressed, you attached it to your clothing and smiled at the completed outfit. ayato really does have nice taste.

"all done tighnari," you said, finishing your look by fixing your hair.

he opened the door and looked at your outfit, "wow, you look nice."

you blushed from his compliment, "thanks... did you get any word from cyno?"

"he said he'd be more than delighted for you to come," tighnari said. "so come on! let's go."

you nodded and followed him, then walked next to him on the trail while engaging in a pleasant conversation. it'll be nice to see everyone after a long time.

a/n: i want to clear up the timeline so here it is:

- y/n, y/n from duty of the general, cyno, and tighnari studied at the akademiya
- they graduate
- y/n moves to inazuma (post graduation) after pursuing a writing career and begins to work for yae publishing house
- y/n comes to visit sumeru

1 year later
- y/n from duty of the general does their crazy plan and stops the eremite invasion

1/2 a year later
-y/n comes back to sumeru (present day) and cyno's wedding happens