The Windborn boy ─ Venti x reader ✔

8.

[ 2nd pov ]

All of them sat surrouned near the table still after Venti had left long ago. He managed to curse the room with silence by his simple absence. Which had you in awe on a second thought, that he balanced this much influence on the mood of this fragile situation. You were determined to find a solution and it didn't divide your attention towards something else to stop investigating the root of the matter.

You pondered what it could be...

Perhaps it was about something as old as the last days of high school. Maybe—or perhaps just simpler, like the way your friendship broke apart at one point.

"I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused." You apologized quietly but sincerely. You lowered your eyes to your hands resting on the table.

You felt bad about the incident. It made you feel worse when you stole a glance from the Arther, his golden, shiny, subtly told more of a story than his mouth would.

He sighed and smiled, to reassure you perhaps.

"Hey, it's okay, he's just not ready yet, I think. However, he did agree on you working here... it's alright." Aether pointed out, and he patted you on the shoulder. He was so positive.

"Besides, it's not like we forced him to face this. He is an adult, and so are you." his grin grew wide as he tried to cheer you up. But after all, it was helping. You had the tiniest kind of smile on your lips. A timid chuckle escaped, and Aether smirked.

"There it is!" he announced with a laugh. You nodded, trying to smile, when something in your chest still felt empty.

Kazuha smiled at the two from a bit further away. He was well aware of how it must've upset both sides. He wasn't entirely conscious of the situation. However, he knew that the consequences and actions were reasonable yet damaging for your own emotional well-being.

He kept a thin line on his lips. He didn't plan on conversing until he made up his mind with something different, to start a conversation: "Now that our new manager, Y/n, is here we should at least not make turn it to waste, right?" he asked in the round. "She came here just for us." He looked into the round and let his gaze linger on his teammates. Xiao's reaction was silent. All he gave was an approving nod, but he had nothing against it, and that counted. Apparently, he wasn't a big talker. While the blond had clearly nodded enthusiastically, it seemed like he wanted to include you too. What a nice guy.

"Sorry if I am interrupting or something.." You scratched your neck as you sounded nervous about it. You tried to hold eye contact despite your trembling tone. You tried to distract yourself from your stutters and look forward, "but how about a game like 'never have I ever'?" it was all you came up with. And a quick game without needing many recourses.

"Why not?" Xiao spoke up, jumping off the kitchen counter. As his feet landed with a light sound, you turned around to face him, surprised. He seemed rather open, that wasn't too far out of character from what you saw in interviews.

Maybe he was less stiff and stoic with friends and close people. As a good manager, you had prepared, and so you had done some research on each of them.

Aether was a blond male with golden-like eyes. He was around the others' height and was a "kind-hearted open-minded person" described by many people. Also known as the "cinnamon roll" by fans. On a further note, they all had some sort of a own nickname, that's how fandom culture worked after all.

Kazuha was a light-haired boy with a red streak and red eyes as rubies. The one who would read people like an open book, but he himself was hard to read. He was known to be one of the "mysterious cool ones" who are also "kind," many added.

Xiao was the one with dark hair and blue streaks and golden-yellowish eyes. He was the one who was the calmest by far it, and it could become scary. It's not easy to see through, silent, but actually nice. The fans describe him as grumpy but cool and a heart of gold secretly.

And as for Venti, there was really no explanation needed. You knew everything you could about him. Favorite color, fears, dreams (which he made true partly), favorite animals, his mindset, what he loved and hated, and who he had a crush on in his earliest years. If it was still the same as back then, of course.

However, the research you collected (through curiosity, of course) showed that Venti was known as the funny and silly spirit of the group. Also, a heart of gold and very caring (If you were to add things). However, these fans did miss out on the crucial parts like the way he was someone very genuine, curious, and a gentle soul, and he was very wise.

Lost in your mind you didn't realize that they were already moving to the table centered in the middle.

While deep in thought, they managed to prepare everything. Put down the glasses and the alcohol. You snapped out of it, and surprise caught you when you looked at the clock. A few minutes had passed, and you shrugged it off, trying to continue your day.

It was making you eager to get to know these people. An additional  bonus was that they seemed all very nice and charismatic. As all of you gathered at the table, you sat down.

"Should I begin since I'm new here?" You asked curiously, glancing in the round and proceeding as no one seemed to interfere: "Never have I ever felt left out so that I concentrated on figuring myself out."

Everyone took a sip, and a smirk took over. A warm feeling settled in your chest comfortably. They weren't different just because they seemed to be the peak of the music industry. You felt already better in your skin, to know that even the most popular people were once outcasts.

The game proceeded, and it was Kazuha's turn. He rocked the glass gently back and forth. The red liquid sloshed never over the edge, surprisingly. "Never have I ever spoiled someone in their favorite media."

"I mean, that's just awful. It ruins the fun," you said, remembering when you got spoiled. "By accident, yes, once or twice I was too excited, but not because I intended it."

"You're a decent person, Y/n," Kazuha commented. He obviously pointed it out to fill the silence. Seemed like he was already  figuring you out faster than you thought. He saw the gaps between your mask of  confidence and filled them. While feeling flustered, being caught off guard, you couldn't bring out a word.

"Okay, my turn!" announced Aether proudly.

"Never have I ever had the worst grade in maths." He sounded so confident while saying so, but in the next moment, you cracked up, chuckling, taking the glass in your hand.

"Maths was never really mine.. to be honest, I passed but it's not my favorite subject." After finishing the explanation, everybody besides Xiao and Aether took a sip. You were suprised, not many people in your friends circls before were good with Math's—scratch that probably Albedo, but it reminded you some people were actually great at this thing you left behind after graduation in college. 

"I don't know if I should be scared or impressed," you said in awe. The others were laughing as though it was very funny.

——✧･ﾟ: ★,｡･::･ﾟ☆
RAINEE's NOTE;
small filler chapter, sorry we need to have some comedy and entertainment with the boys 🥶 /j

also short since I'll write a class test tomorrow

aftermath edit: I have no fucking clue what I got back then its been a year, but I graduated