The Idol in Teyvat High?!

'Shut Up, Hu Tao!'

The lunchroom's cheers were still ringing in Xiao's ears as the crowd slowly began to disperse. The intensity of what had just happened left him feeling rattled . Venti had just effortlessly taken down a guy twice his size, and even more startling was how casual he had been about it afterward. It was like flipping a switch.

Xiao sat back down at his table, replaying the scene over in his head. He couldn't quite make sense of it. Why had Venti gotten involved in the first place? Was it to protect him? Or was it just part of Venti's reputation, whatever that was? Either way, it was clear now why so many students gave Venti those strange looks earlier. He wasn't just popular—he was damn near feared.

As Xiao tried to settle his thoughts, a calm voice interrupted. "Wow. You handled that situation... quite well ."

Xiao looked up to see a tall boy with pale blonde hair and sharp, intelligent eyes standing beside his table. Behind him stood a girl with crimson hair, holding a small child in her arms. The boy sat down across from Xiao, while the girl leaned casually against the table. Xiao quickly recognized them as the same two who had stepped in to back him up during the commotion earlier in the lunchroom.

The child in the girl's arms, a tiny, cheerful girl with bright eyes, looked around curiously, her gaze eventually settling on Xiao. The girl gave him a big, toothy grin that seemed far too innocent for the chaos that had unfolded just moments ago.

The blonde boy spoke first, his voice calm and measured. "I'm Albedo," he said, gesturing toward the red-haired girl. "And this is Rosaria."

Rosaria gave Xiao a small nod, her expression cool but not unfriendly. "Nice to see you made it out of that mess in one piece," she added, smirking slightly.

Xiao blinked, still processing the fact that these two had jumped in to help him, even though he didn't know them at all. He had barely caught a glimpse of them during the fight, but now, with them standing right in front of him, he felt a strange sense of... gratitude?

"And this," Albedo continued, nodding to the child in Rosaria's arms, "is Klee."

Klee waved at Xiao enthusiastically, her small hand flailing in the air. "Hi!" she chirped.

Xiao blinked, still a little thrown off by their sudden appearance and realizing they were the same two who had stepped in to back him up earlier. "I'm... Xiao," he said, nodding slowly.

Albedo gave him a small, knowing smile. "We figured that out during the chaos.

Rosaria smirked. "You did pretty well back there, considering you were about to get pummeled. Venti really has a way of stepping in at the last second."

Xiao glanced down at the table, feeling the weight of the stares that had followed them. "Why does everyone look at him like that?" he finally asked, voice low.

Rosaria chuckled. "Venti's always had a reputation. People either love him or fear him. He's got a habit of stepping in when things get messy, but not.. always in the most graceful way." She glanced toward the corner where two boys—one with an arrogant smirk and the other with a perpetual scowl—were still sitting, watching the cafeteria empty out. "And when you make enemies like those two, things tend to escalate."

Xiao followed her gaze. "Who are they?"

"Childe and Scaramouche," Albedo explained, his voice calm and measured. "Two people you should avoid if you can help it."

Rosaria nodded in agreement. "Those two like to cause trouble, especially if you get in their way. Venti's crossed paths with them before."

Before Xiao could ask more, a shadow fell over the table. Venti had returned, his usual grin plastered across his face, like nothing had happened. He didn't seem the least bit fazed by the swelling bruise on his cheek or the cut on his lip.