𝐤𝐞𝐢

sunday joined the express just three days ago, and you’ve noticed how uncomfortable he seems around the other nameless. reasonably so, given the events that unfolded in penacony. they may have said that they’re willing to give him a chance, but that doesn’t mean they are immediately going to be relaxed around him. you, however, have something wrong going on with you. because you do not feel threatened by his presence. you feel that he’s changed. and you’re dead set on making everyone get along.

so, in an attempt to make sunday feel welcome, you decided to give him a nickname, and in your proactiveness you completely forgot to account for the type of person sunday is. of course he wouldn’t like being called sunny. it’s sunday. and it took him chewing you out to realize the mistake you’ve made.

you’re an idiot.

there’s no use trying to sleep. you tell yourself this as you lift the pillow off your head and push yourself up with the intention to get yourself a glass of water. it is when your bare feet make contact with the floor that you pause. you swear you just heard something, and as you stop moving and focus really hard, you realize that someone in the party car below is playing music. not just any music… it’s the piano.

you make your way to the door and when you open it and enter the stairway leading down, the sound grows less muffled, until the somber tune is clear in your ears. a couple more steps down and you pause. there, not too far from the stairs, sits sunday at the piano, seemingly absorbed in playing music.

not wanting to disturb him, you take a seat on one of the steps, leaning against the railing and watching him play. though you only get a view of his back, you can clearly imagine the kind of face he’s making right now. his entire body, from his fingertips to his head and his feet, moves with confidence you haven’t seen him display in a while. genuine confidence. and as you continue to listen and your eyelids grow heavy, you think how lovely it would be to listen to this forever.

︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶ ୨♡୧ ︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶

you wake up back in your bed. puzzled, you stand up and stretch, then look around yourself. strange. if you’re not on the stairs… was it a dream? were you dreaming of sunday? the thought makes your cheeks turn pink. no, this is to be expected. you were thinking of him while falling asleep, so of course you would also dream of him.

you make your way downstairs once you are dressed, joining the rest of the trailblazers for breakfast. the rest of your day goes as normal, and as you’re not currently on a mission, it is filled with the usual chores around the express. you skillfully avoid sunday, figuring that he probably doesn’t wanna see you anyway. as you complete your chores, however, you can’t not notice the fact that you feel like you’re being watched. every time you take a look around however, everyone seems preoccupied with their own things… including sunday, who’s always nose deep in one of his books.

you decide not to think too much of it.

nighttime arrives and you’re back in your room, back in your bed. sleep escapes you once more, and you find yourself wanting it to. you’re still unsure whether what happened last night was a dream. you’d prefer it not to be. and as you rack your brain for an answer, it comes from outside your door. you sit up and pinch yourself as hard as you can.

not a dream. you’re awake! it really happened! but then - who carried you back?

your hand hovers above the doorknob. what if it was sunday? could you face him right now if you knew it was him? sighing, you finally open the door and step out. it’s not like you’ll join him downstairs. you’ll just listen from high up on the round staircase where he won’t see you.

and that’s what you do. you take a few steps down, then sit down and lean against the cold railing. it’s the same tune as yesterday… melancholic but calming, with a hint of yearning. what does sunday yearn for, you wonder. must be a lot of things now.

you wish to get to know him.

“i was wondering if you would show up,” suddenly comes his voice, piano music uninterrupted.

you flinch, almost hitting your head in the process. “how did you know?”

“the stairs must be uncomfortable. why don’t you get down?” sunday doesn’t answer your question.

you’re petrified. did he notice you last night, too? slowly you get up, making your way downstairs with a racing heart. why do you feel like you’ve been caught with your hand in the cookie jar?

sunday’s eyes remain on the piano’s keys, even when you’re standing next to him fiddling with your thumbs. he then lets out an amused huff, and you feel even more like a deer in the headlights. at last, his fingers leave the keys to rest in his lap and his golden eyes find yours.

“i’m sorry,” you suddenly blurt out. “i didn’t mean to intrude.”

sunday raises his eyebrows. “actually, i was going to apologize too. for keeping you up.”

“you didn’t keep me up. well - well, technically you did. but not with the piano…” oh aeons, you’re digging your own grave. your words visibly confuse him. “look, i’m sorry. for calling you that nickname. i didn’t mean it out of malice, quite the opposite actually. but i should have thought about it more.”

sunday’s eyes seem to search every single pore on your face, to the point it’s starting to make you feel very exposed and very embarrassed. then, he turns to the piano once more, fingers stroking the white keys idly.

“is that why you avoided me?”

“m..maybe.”

a small smile graces his features. “you’re overthinking it.”

those words feel like a punch to the face.

he continues, “i don’t hate you for it, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

you perk up. “so can i call you sunny?”

“don’t get too ahead of yourself.”

“of course.” and you wilt again.

uncomfortable silence follows. something hangs in the air between you two, despite the cleared up misunderstanding.

so you ask, “what were you playing?”

“claire de lune, by johann debussy. i don’t suppose you know it,” he answers.

“i don’t, but ouch.”

he smiles, again, and you wonder if he enjoys watching people squirm. you chase these thoughts away. then, sunday shifts on the chair and pats down the empty space next to him. you take the cue and sit down.

“do you always follow directions like an excited puppy?” he asks, and before you can answer, his hands assume position and start playing again.

you sit next to him, and the soothing melody does nothing to slow your quickly beating heart. and when you glance next to you, you find sunday, unbearably close. so close, in fact, that you notice his long eyelashes, his unusually relaxed face, and the steady rise and fall of his chest.

Ping!

Your face brightened up as you heard your phone go off, you were glad the classroom was already full of noise so the teacher hopefully didn’t notice. 

Hey what you up to? 

Hiii!! Nothing much, just waitig for class to end tbh, wby? waiting**

In class AND on your phone? Are you trying to get into detention, my dear?Not that I should be talking, I’m doing the same.

Yk I can’t just ignore you, that’d be mean

I’d be worse if you got detention again, dummy.

You bit your lip to stop yourself from smiling. It had been what? Six months since you met this stranger online? It didn’t take more than two weeks before you became inseparable. Socials were shared soon enough, though neither of yours showed anything but pretty pictures or fit-checks. You knew he was in the same school year as you, though he was a year older because of an early birthday. But you had no idea where in the world he lived, he was more secretive about that but you did figure out that you were in the same time zone. You didn’t really mind, you liked figuring him out on your own and he didn’t mind.

Would be worth it tbh. Read 14:38 PM

Kadeh? You alright? Don’t tell me they took your phone LMAO Delivered.

“[Name], busted.” your english teacher stood in front of you, and as he said, you got busted. “I know you’d much rather be texting your boyfriend but c'mon.” he held his hand up, signaling for you to hand your phone to him.

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

“Sure, sweetheart.” he rolled his eyes at you before standing straight again. “This is three times, that means detention. Go to classroom sixteen at four o’clock, I’ll be there.” 

You let out a deep breath, of course you got busted, you jinxed it, and now you both lost your phone for the day and got detention. 

“Girl, sooner or later he will get bored of you and drop contact.” your friend said, “You know that’s what happens with all online friends.” you looked at her and tried your best not to slap her. 

She’s right, you know. One part of you thought, while the other protested. No, she isn’t. Kadeh wouldn’t do that!

You turned your head around and ignored her for the rest of the day.

“Hey teach,” you entered classroom sixteen a bit before four o’clock, walking up to your English teachers’ desk to sign off your name on the detention list. Your eyes scanned the paper for other names.

Childe. Reason: disrespectful behavior. Of course he’d say something stupid. Itto. Reason: disturbing class even after two warnings. Nothing new Chongyun. Reason: talking through my lesson with Xingqiu. Of course, the cute freshmen couple. Xingqiu. Reason: talking through my lesson with Chongyun. [Name]. Reason: texting during class. Sigh. Yoimiya. Reason: disturbing class even after two warnings. That rarely happened, she must’ve been excited over something. Kazuha. Reason: texting during class. Seemed like she wasn't the only one today. Cyno. Reason: playing cards with Kaveh during class. Tcg obsessed assholes. Kaveh. Reason: playing cards with Cyno during class.

“Sir, could I have some blank papers? I filled up my notebook during my last class.'' He handed you some and you turned around to find a seat where you’d be sitting for the next hour. You found a spot next to the window behind Yoimiya, who smiled at you. You watched the others come in, Cyno and Kaveh going straight to the back of the room, Childe sat in the row next to Yoimiya and the two started chatting away, Itto moved to the spot right besides the door, Xingqiu and Chongyun were in the front, and finally the last student entered the room. Kazuha, you didn’t share any classes with him, you were in classes one, and he was in two. Meaning you’d never gotten the chance to properly meet over the last few years. 

You knew him from walking around in the hallways, standing in line behind him in the cafeteria, small shared smiles and awkward nods as you locked eyes with him during lunch. After he signed off his name he walked to take the seat beside you. 

“So I wasn’t the only one caught texting today.” he joked as he sat down, holding out his hand, “Kaedehara Kazuha,” 

Seemed like today was the day you finally got introduced to him.

You fell down on your bed with your phone in hand. 

Kadeh? You alright? Don’t tell me they took your phone LMAO

Guess what? They did, and detention.

MINE TOO BYE AND THEN TEACH PUT ME IN DETENTION AS WELL

So you WERE trying to get into detention, huh? Pfft I didn’t realize I had made friends with a bad girl.

You just told me you got into detention as well and you’re calling me bad? Your teachers are just as bad as mine, or you’re just as bad as covering your schemes as me.

I promise you, my dear, I am not bad at covering up my secrets.

You must have a lot of them then.

How ‘bout you come find out?

You giggled at his texts, he never failed to make you do so. As you rolled off your bed to grab your homework and laptop you heard your phone buzz a couple of times, and coming back to your bed you checked your messages.

No worries tho, I’m not THAT bad.  I don’t sell drugs or guns or stuff like that I just get into detention for giving my sweet girl the attention she deserves. Which is totally worth it except when they take my phone and I CAN'T text you.

Whoops sorry was gettrng my books and laptop You not respondfing within a minure basically menas your phone got taken, and possibly got detention too. Or you’re passed out on your couch But I gotta go, well not that i wnat ot but i have math homework that i have to make otheriwse theyll assign me a tuotr and i dont want htha Fuck ym grammar oml

No need to apologize dummy But go make your homework, I won’t disappear

“[Name] your test results weren’t great. I see no other choice but to assign you a tutor to help you out ‘till the end of term.” you stared at your math teacher in defeat. You knew you weren’t great at math, but Kadeh had explained the difficult things to you since the guy was amazing at basically everything. 

“Is there really no other thing? Something that doesn’t include a tutor.”

“Yes. You paying attention.” he looked back at you before grabbing another paper from his desk. “Let’s see, it says here that Kaedehara Kazuha is available, you good with that?”

That wasn’t the worst person, he was pretty chill to you ever since you met in detention. The awkward nods and smiles now turned into small conversations and hello’s, with still the smiles. “Yeah sure, fine by me.” “Great, just go to the library after your last class and you’ll probably find him there.”

They gave me a fucking tutor. Turns out my test didn’t go as well as i thought it went.  Ughughughughguhgughugh  Why me. Read 11:32 PM

As you were about to type your next message your head and later body hit something–someone. 

“Ouch!” your hand flew up to your head and the books in your hand fell to the floor, where your phone already was. 

“I’m so sorry, please. Are you okay?” you knew that voice and you looked up to meet Kazuha’s eyes. You nodded in return, crouching to gather your books and phone.

“Though my screen protector is less fine,” you laughed as you saw it shattered, your messages with Kadeh gone blurry due to the cracks. “Are you alright?” looking at him he sat down beside you to help you with your books.

“I am, no worries. I was just texting my f–someone. Where’d your bag go?” he said, standing up with some of your books in his hands and offering you the other; which you gladly took.

“My friend's bag broke, and I just had these few books so I gave her mine. Besides, I got a spare tote in my locker.” you reached out to take the books from him, but he turned around and started walking.

“I’ll walk with you, can’t let a pretty girl carry these heavy books alone now can I?” 

You laughed at him while shaking your head, a slight blush coming to your cheeks.

“Did you hear the news already? My math teacher assigned you as my tutor.” quickly changing the subject you walked to your locker as he followed behind like a lost puppy.

“Yes, I saw the email come in. Wanna meet in the library after class?”

You agreed as you opened your locker and placed your books inside. You grabbed the spare tote bag and threw in your economy books and art supplies for your next few classes.

“Sounds good, and thank you and sorry.”

He winked and turned around to his next class.

Okayhe isn’t hat bad Excudr my grammsr my screen protecotr broke cuase i bumpedi nto him and ym stuff fell

No worries, dear. See, I told you it’d be fine. Now you have someone that can explain it to you one on one, instead of over dms.

Kazuha looked back over his shoulder to see [name] typing away on her phone, and at the same time his phone was exploding.

Yes but youre jsut better yoou know.  I meani dk him yet idk how he ‘teahces’.  What if i dontunderstandh im?  Yk i odnt like telling people i odnt understand.

It’ll be fine, dear. You just go to his lessons, pretend to understand, then afterwards you talk to me about it and I’ll explain some more if needed. Sound good?

Thnak you kadeh ilysm

I love you too, my dear.

A small smile danced over her features and she scrunched up her nose in adoration. No way that his best friend and lowkey crush, which was strange since he’d never seen her face, was this cute girl from school who he was now going to tutor.

Gotta go to my nect class, i htae economy ugh.

Goodluck sweetheart, you can do it!

Oh fuck.

“So mister Kaedeh–” you cut yourself off and giving the blonde before you a suspicious look before continueing, “Kaedehara Kazuha, how you think you’ll be able to make the math math for me?”

“By showing you how to think logically.”

You rolled your eyes and smiled before throwing your bag on the floor. As you sat down you checked your phone to check if you got a message from Kadeh or not, and when you saw none you shut your phone down.

“Let’s get started then.”

Twenty minutes later you were solving equations that gave you headaches before. Now it all seemed to make a lot of sense and with Kazuha’s help you were on a streak. He looked proudly as you moved on to the fifth one with no trouble, you raised your writing arm to your face to inspect the equation on the paper, and before Kazuha could ask if you were alright you were already writing again.

Every now and then you’d furrow your brows, pout a little, or bite on your lip as you studied the paper. When you were finished you gave Kazuha the sheet of paper with a smile and he started to correct it, explaining how to do certain things faster for example. Sometimes you’d nod, other times you’d give him a strange look to which he just laughed before explaining.

Safe to say that you walked away from the extra math lesson with a lot more knowledge and confidence, and a new friend. 

Okay okay he isnt that bad at explaining. I actually understand it now and i was on a roll, or well he said that.  After he explained soem thigns eh had me make about  fifteen questions, after he corrected them and explainedw what i did wrong and how ic an do other thigns differently so itll be faster.  I actually understnasd

I told you it wouldn’t be that bad, dear. I’m proud of you, I know you did great.

Next time im meetng him is enxt week thursday, same time.  We agreed to meet every week same time until end semester cuase thats what teach said.

Yeah, not that bad right? Just once a week cannot hurt. And he doesn’t seem like the worst type of guy.

He isn’t no, he has a calming aura, its nice to be arounf him. Hes prety too ngl Thugh some people at school spread some odd rumors aboit him  Liek that he sells weed and sht. Oh well even if eh does idc he expains math like a pro. Anyways imma head home, no driving and texting. Talk soon!! Loveyou

Drive safe, sweetheart. I love you too.

Kazuha stayed in the library for a while longer. When [name] was leaving she was already typing away on her phone, and mere seconds later his phone started exploding. Reading her texts made him sit in silence for a bit before responding. He was now certain that she was his online best friend. She told him the things he told her and it all just added up. He threw his head back as he looked at the ceiling that was painted to resemble the night sky. 

Not before long he saw Heizou, his mob of dark red hair above him. 

“What happened? Why are you slouching?”

Kazuha sighed as he sat up.

“I think my best friend may be in this school.”

“Uh yeah, hello, here I am right in front of ya, buddy.”

Kazuha looked at Heizou desperately.

“Oh shit, you mean [online name]? What? How? Why? What?!”

“I tutor this girl, [name]. This morning I bumped into her while I was texting [online name], she was busy on her phone too. I didn’t receive any messages from her when [name] and i bumped into each other, but she was typing. Then I offered to walk her to her locker and carry her books because she leaned her own to her friend, she dropped her economy books into her new bag. Later [online name] texted me she had economy class, as that she hated it.” Kazuha started at the wall as he spoke mindlessly.

“Yeah okay… But those can all just be coincidence you know.”

“Then just now when she was leaving she was typing away on her phone, and seconds later [online name] started messaging me. Then she told me how her tutor told her she was on a roll, I told [name] that! Then she said that there were some rumors about her tutor, that he sells weed. People say I sell weed! I don’t but they say it!” 

Heizou just stared at him for ten seconds before his mind came up with a master plan that goes as follows.

The next time [online name] is texting him Heizou will sneak up on [name] and look on her phone, if it’s who she thinks is Kadeh then the mission is a success, and if not then Kazuha’s heart will calm down.

And so the following day Heizou stood behind [name] with another friend of his, just ‘talking’. As Kazuha gave the sign she was typing, Heizou looked over her shoulder to see what she was writing.

Yeah! I genuenly cannot wait for summer either ughhh

Heizou and his friend bolted back to Kazuha when she sent it and he snatched the phone from his hands.

Yeah! I genuenly cannot wait for summer either ughhh

He looked Kazuha dead in the eye before giving him his phone back. 

“Go get your girl, loverboy.”

Four weeks had passed since that day. Four weeks, four Thursdays, four tutor lessons. [Name] realized that Kazuha was acting differently lately. She would catch him staring at her during those lessons, or even more often during lunch break. She would always give him her sweetest smile, and he’d return it before breaking eye contact with a small chuckle. Their friends started noticing too, there was some sort of tension with someone in the cafeteria but they couldn’t place who. 

It took another week before Kazuha decided to just go for it. He knew [name] was already in the library because her last class had been dismissed early. So when he saw her curled up on one of the couches, his heart melted. His phone vibrating in his pocket let him know she was texting him, some personalized do not disturb setting that let only her messages through. 

He grabbed his phone and sent her a quick text, ignoring the things she had said before. 

I cant reply rn, I have to tutor someone.

You tutor???@?@!! You never told me

There’s more I haven’t told you.

Like what?

Look up, sweet girl

You looked up in confusion and locked eyes with Kazuha. Your eyes widened and your mouth fell open. Looking back at your phone, then back at Kazuha tears came to your eyes. 

“Hello, my dear” he softly smiled as he took a slow step towards you, cupping your cheeks as tears were seconds away from falling. “You’re–” your bottom lip started trembling as you buried your face into his chest, one of his hands coming to hold your head as the other held your back, slowly brushing up and down. “I hate you–but I don’t. You–”

You felt his chest vibrate, letting you know he was laughing. You gripped at his shirt–which you now realized was the shirt you’d seen a thousand times before on his instagram.

“Who knew the sweetest girl in town,” he dropped his head to talk right next to your ear, “was actually my sweet girl?” He felt you trying to bury yourself even deeper into his chest. “No no, sweetheart, you need oxygen.” With that you pulled back, your big eyes staring back at him, a little bloodshot and your cheeks all red. “Not funny,” you whispered, “You don’t wanna know how much I was hoping you were actually living in my town, went to school here and I don’t know. I’d be happy if that were the case unless you were Childe.” tears came back to your eyes. “And what if it was me?” he rested his forehead against yours, looking you directly into your eyes. Blood rushed to your cheeks as you replied.

“Then I’m afraid that I won’t be able to stop myself from falling for you–Kadeh–even harder.” 

One moment you were talking and smiling, looking directly into the male's eyes. The next you were processing what was happening as his lips collided with yours.

“Even in real life you seem to have a processing time to what I say or do.” he said when he pulled back.

“Can you blame me? Look at yourself.” Kazuha swore he saw hearts in your eyes before you closed them again and pulled him back to you, lips once again meeting each other.

“No, I can’t. But you, my dear sweet girl, are even more breathtaking than I imagined you’d be.”

“Mister Kaedehara and Miss [name]! Detention!”

=====================================================

reblogs and likes are appropriated!!!🫶

look who returned to the land of the living. i got stuck in a writers block, and came out with a boyfriend whos giving me so many things i can write about. yall this man worships the ground i walk on and i didnt know princess treatment was actually a thing until i met this guy. get yourself a man or woman whos willing to do stuff like this. oh my heart has melted. so many of kazuhas sentences in this are literally things my bf said to me uuhmm please save me before i fully melt into a puddle of flesh and bone. can a man be any more perfect?!!!??!?!?