Stars In The Night Sky [ChiLumi]

Chapter 5

Lumine's POV

It's been a month since I last saw Childe. A lot of things happened since then. Even if I can travel back to Liyue, I'm still not ready to face him. I glanced at Thoma who was playing with Taroumaru.

'I don't know if it's just me, but Thoma do resemble Childe a little bit. I remembered the first time I saw him at the port. I was feeling down after being turned down by Childe. He didn't even see me off when I left. It feels that the line between us came back.

My thoughts were interrupted after Beidou introduced me at someone. I looked at the guy in front of me and my eyes widen a little. 'Why am I seeing Childe's face?' I thought as I observed him.

He greeted me and I greeted back, not taking away my eyes off of him. 'Well one thing that they differ is that this guy is more gentleman than him.' I shook my head before focusing on the conversation between Beidou and Thoma.

That memory made me sigh. 'Why am I suddenly thinking about him?' I thought but Thoma caught me sighing earlier. "Is there something wrong?" Thoma asked. "It's nothing, I'm just thinking." I replied. "If that's what you say so, I'll be right here if you need any help." Thoma smiled at me. I felt butterflies in my stomach. "I'll be going to the adventurer's guild for a moment to see if there are some quests available. Let's hangout again soon." I smiled at him and left the teahouse.

When I reached the adventurer's guild, I was commissioned to help a musician from Liyue to renew her travel permit. I felt that the musician Katheryne was speaking of was someone I knew, it turns out that my guess are right.

Xinyan and I made a deal Kujou Sara from the Tenryou Commission to help them on their problem in exchanged for helping Xinyan get her permit. We made our way towards where the domain was located but after defeating some monsters, we saw a shikigami who lost its memories.

To gather information about the domain, we must help the shikigami get its memories back. As we enter the domain, I didn't expect to see someone I didn't expect to see. "Childe..." I muttered his name. At the same time, Childe seems that he also didn't expect to see me in this domain.

Paimon made an excuse to cover up Childe's identity. I couldn't focus throughout the whole period we're on the domain. Either I've been thinking on how the domain works or I've been thinking about Childe pretending that nothing happened between us.

After a few days, we finally managed to finish the domain. Xinyan and I didn't have a hard time than Childe who had a rampage inside the domain. As sson as Childe left, I sneaked out leaving Paimon together with Xinyan.

"Are you fine leaving your traveling buddy?" Childe asked while I follow him as he left the domain. "Xinyan is with her. So it's fine." I replied. Childe glanced at me as I continued to follow him.

"Want to fish with me?" Childe offered."... Sure?" his question left me confused. "I heard your traveling companion tell the girl in red that you're learning how to fish." Childe stated which answers the question in my mind.

Childe headed towards the shore near Araumi. "Can I borrow your fishing rod for a moment?" Childe asked and I obliged. He showed me some fishing techniques which I easily learned since he demonstrated it well. After some time, the both of us sat down a rock as we rested after a few hours of fishing.

"So how have you been?" Childe asked. "I'm doing fine, somehow." I responded as I felt butterflies in my stomach whenever he talked to me. "Then that's a good thing." Childe smiled but I can feel the awkwardness between us.

"Since when did you arrive in Inazuma?" I asked him. Childe only looked at me before answering. "More than a week ago." Considering that he travelled all the way here, it must have been the Cryo archon's order. My heart felt pain from that thought.

"Why?" I heard childe mumbled. "Why didn't you come back?" I just looked at him, not knowing how to respond. "I'm sorry, I just don't have the courage to see you after that day." I replied. 'If I saw you, I will have a problem moving on.' I smiled sadly.

In the past days when I'm in Inazuma, that memory kept haunting me. Thoma is the one who helped me cope up. My mind lingers on the day I'm at my worst. After knowing the affiliation of the Fatui in the distribution of the delusions on Watatsumi Island, my mind became perplexed. "We are enemies..." I gritted my teeth. One simple order can make you turn against me. Childe did a good decision to refuse me.

But no matter what I do, I still can't forget you. No matter wrong doings you've done, I can forgive you. But that feeling made me weak." You've changed. You're getting weak." Scaramouche's words kept ringing on my ears. 'I fell for you at the wrong time.' I smiled.

I didn't realized that I've reached Komore teahouse. 'This habit of mine...' I cursed at myself. I was about to leave but I saw Thoma peaked at the door, scouting around the area. "Traveler! How have you been?" Thoma greeted, smiling brightly at me. I was about to greet him back but no words escaped on my mouth. Thoma noticed it and told me to enter. "I'll be your listening partner for today. Now tell me, what's bothering you?" Thoma smiled. Seeing that smile makes me want to cry but I hold it in.

"I'm bewildered of my own actions. I don't know anymore if I'm still doing the right thing. My personal feelings kept mixing on my missions. I... don't know what to do anymore." I stated. "We made things hard for you... I'm sorry." Thoma apologized. "N-no it's not that. It's just that... I just can't handle my personal conflicts well." It's just like Scaramouche said. I'm really getting weak.

"That's why I'm here for you. You don't have to shoulder it all by yourself. If you can't handle it any longer, then you can share your burdens with me. And I'll do my best to help you fix it. I'm a fixer after all." My feeling lighten up when Thoma said that. He erased all my worries with just those words. I smiled at his words and thanked before leaving the teahouse to confront the Raiden Shogun.

"It's just like what you said, we are enemies." I saw Childe flinching at my word. We can't go back at that time. The time already made its move. And the pain you inflicted can never be healed."Why have you come here?" I asked coldly.

"Orders from the Tsaritsa. I need to investigate the whereabout of the Balladeer." Childe replied. 'Balladeer? Scaramouche is still at Inazuma?' I thought. The both of us went silent. Only the waves can be heard. "For what I said before.... I'm sorry." Childe blurted out.

"I didn't mean to say it to you. It's just that I acted without thinking." I looked at him and saw him with a painful expression. "The truth is... I don't want to let you go. Even though I'm the one who told you take things step by step, I'm also the one holding you back. I'm being selfish right?" What are you saying? "But seeing you happy here in Inazuma, makes me think that I made a right decision." You' re wrong. Childe stood up "Thank you for meeting you." Before Childe leave, I retorted "YOU'RE WRONG! YOU CAN'T MAKE DECISIONS FOR ME! YOU ARE RIGHT, YOU'RE BEING SELFISH!" I snapped.

"I wished I never met you." I blurted. "Please... don't play with my feelings anymore... " I clenched my fist to hold back my tears. 'I' m afraid of being abandoned.' "Don't show me that expression. It hurts seeing you hurt than you're words." Childe hugged me. "Please let me hug you one last time." I let him do what he wants but I didn't hugged back.

"Lumine! Where are you?" "Traveler!" I heard voices from afar. "Traveler! Are you here?" I heard Thoma's voice. I looked at the direction where the voices appeared which makes Childe let go of me. "This is goodbye now, Ojou-chan. I wish for your happiness. If it's you, I know that you'll find the right one for you. A better one that deserves you." Childe patted my head like he always do.

"And if he ever breaks your heart... I'll beat him up for you." Childe kissed my forehead and smiled. A real smile. "Just know that I'll be waiting here for you. I will wait for you no matter how long it takes." And with that, Childe left.