Look Me in the Eyes (and tell me that it's me) [Zhongchili]

Chapter 22 - Final Farewell

Ajax doesn't bother attending his graduation ceremony. It's just another expense that no one needs, so he picks his degree certificate up from the admin office one evening and carries it home, stuffed in his backpack. Then it's filed away, deep into a drawer, where he doesn't have to look at the traitorous '3' on the front of it ever again.

The job emails him back. They reject him. Need someone 'with a stronger work ethic', apparently. His work ethic is just fine, thanks. There are just better things to apply it to than trade laws that were repealed somewhere between decades to centuries ago.

Father doesn't look disappointed when Ajax tells him. In fact, he makes no expression at all, looking up from behind his newspaper to say, "I suppose you'll be signing up for the Fatui soon, then."

Ajax can't give him a concrete answer. The Fatui will be good for him. Good work, active work. It will be good for Father, too. One less mouth to feed, one more income coming in. And maybe, just maybe, Father hopes Ajax might find answers regarding Nikolai while he's there as well.

However, Pulcinella's face haunts his memory, the way he'd weaselled his way into obtaining knowledge on every facet of Ajax's life, and every time his finger hovers over the 'Submit Application' button on the online form, he can't bring himself to click it.

With the office job out of the question, and the Fatui at a loose end, Ajax is lost.

However, there's something more important than work and careers and weird birdy-nosed grandpas. It's Yoimiya's last week in Snezhnaya before she returns to Inazuma, and today they've planned one last evening out together, one last dive into the student bar, one last drink.

Or multiple drinks, if their usual antics are anything to go by.

Ajax arrives at Yoimiya's dorm block at 6 p.m., and waits outside for her to show. It's located in a quiet part of campus, tucked in a scattering of trees and out of the way of the main foot traffic. A few students mill around by the taxi rank, suitcases almost as tall as they are propped up beside them.

It truly is the end of an era.

He sends Yoimiya a text to tell her he's arrived, and it's not long before a familiar face appears through the glass doors of the foyer, greeting him with a wave. Ajax waves back and waits as she lets herself out. However, as she approaches there's a pronounced limp in her step, and she grimaces every time she bears weight on her right foot.

"Yoimiya? You good there?" Ajax races over, helping her to lean against him. "What happened? You fall down the stairs or something?"

She accepts his help but shakes her head at his question. "No, don't you worry. I did this a few days ago. Tripped on my way home, it's no big deal!"

"Looks like a big deal to me. How did you manage that just walking home?"

Yoimiya shakes her head again. "It doesn't matter now! We should be heading out, anyway. We can go wait over there. The taxis are always lining up waiting for students at this time of night!"

Something isn't right. She's avoiding the question. Something happened.

"No," says Ajax. "You're not telling me something, and I want to know what it is."

"It's..." Yoimiya glances between the building's doors and the taxi pulling up outside, like a cornered animal eyeing its escape.

"Uh-uh. You don't get to get out of this one. You can tell little old me, can't you?"

For a moment, her lips press together as though she's going to refuse, but Ajax waits, letting the silence drag, and she nods slowly. "I... Alright. But you have to promise me you won't do anything stupid."