Chapter 2
thoma's heart sank. what had he done? he recalled all the services performed and did not think he had missed any.
Ayaka spoke again "thoma" she said looking at him with sad eyes "sorry for my brother" she said softly "it's just a difficult time for him" she said. "what's going on" thoma asked suddenly looking first at the figure of ayato turned away and then ayaka with a look of panic, the girl sighed and said "thoma my brother has received a proposal...of marriage" she said looking at him worried by the reaction of the blond boy
marriage
the world seemed to be falling under his feet, lord ayato was getting married...an icy pounded his veins, he shivered, he had been a fool to think that lord kamisato could reciprocate his feelings in any way, he must be happy for lord ayato. But he couldn't find the energy to do it. All those years of having feelings for ayato would never be reciprocated, and it was for the best, lord ayato deserved a better person than him.
"I see" thoma replied laconically, ayaka winced at the emotionless response of the another boy, and he could even notice a slight jerk of the lord ayato's shoulders who still turned his back to him. "Do you want me to clean up the entire estate for the event?" he asked looking at ayaka looking for an answer, the girl seemed worried, and hurried to answer "o-oh c-sure thoma" ayaka looked down and looked intently at the crumpled letter ,as if to incinerate it, in her delicate hands.
Thoma didn't know what to say it was as if the world collapsed on him but he couldn't show it to the lord kamisato, "so" he started uncertain "let me know how to help for the wedding" he said trying to sketch a weak smile, ayaka looked at him with worried eyes, she was about to say something but thoma interrupted her "then I'm leaving" he said hastily, he wanted to escape from that room especially with his presence, he nodded to ayaka and then gave a last look at the figure from the back of lord ayato. He hurried to the door, and if he had walked through it a few minutes later, he would surely have noticed the trembling of the hands of the older brother of the kamisato brothers.
Once through the door thoma ran to his room on the estate, he felt empty emptied of all emotion, the only thing left was excruciating pain that tore through his chest, his eyes filled with tears that dared not come out, he had to first go to his room to be able to let off steam. He wanted to cry, to scream, to shout at Celestia what he had done to deserve such pain.
He ran across the courtyard where he and Lumine were training before, the girl looked confused as he ran across the courtyard of the kamisato estate, "THOMAA" paimon yelled exchanging a worried look with Lumine.The blond boy ignored the shouts of his name and turned down the corridor that led to his room. He forced the sliding door open and closed it quickly. Then it broke. The tears held back began to wet his cheeks, he began to sob, the flow of tears increased he wanted to scream he wanted to remove that feeling of sharp pain that filled his chest. He slumped to the ground trying to wipe away the tears with the sleeve of his robe. He cried until there was no more water in his body, his eyes were swollen from crying, thoma felt tired, his eyelids started to feel heavy the pain in his chest had become a dull ache, after all the things that happened that day he lost consciousness and di she fell asleep thinking about him even though it hurt.
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thoma was awakened by a light knock on his door, he slowly opened his eyelids still sleepy, the light kissed the inside of his room illuminating it and creating shadows on the walls. It must have been morning given the strong sunlight from her small window overlooking the flower gardens of the kamisato estate. Thoma stretched numbly, his workout clothes, a simple black T-shirt and tracksuit bottoms, were ragged. He yawned sleepily again, rubbed his eyes exhausted from the tears of the night before. He got up from the floor where he had fallen asleep last night and walked towards the window, the smell of pollen and cherry trees hit him, thoma loved the view from his window, it reminded him of a nostalgic habit from when he lived in Mondstadt, the he only thing that changed was the landscape, if in Mondstadt the landscape was composed of mountains, vast plains, and carefree breezes that bring the scent of dandelions. Inazuma, on the other hand, was altogether different with its winding coasts, islands of red maple and cherry blossoms. He sighed nostalgically.
Only then did he remember the soft knock that woke him up minutes earlier, he hurried to the door and opened it, he found himself face to face with Lumine who almost comically widened their eyes in surprise. "o-oh thoma!" she said embarrassed, the boy smiled and replied "oh hello lumine" he said "what brings you here at this time?" he asked looking at her, she gave him a slight worried look, masked by a sweet smile "I was wondering if you would like to accompany me and paimon down to the city to run some errands" she said looking at him hopefully, thoma chuckled "sure lumine" he said "let me wash a moment and I'll be right with you" he said with an embarrassed look towards his shabby clothes, "of course" Lumine promptly replied, "see you later thoma" he said turning quickly to go and look for a certain girl with light blue hair. Thoma chuckled to himself as he closed the door behind him and started for the bathroom. After washing, he put on his usual uniform, and took his discarded spear to a corner of the room.
"THOMAA" shouted the traveler's floating friend, "hey paimon" greeted the blond boy, "the traveler is talking to his kamisato sister" Paimon whispered to thoma, who giggled back winking at paimon. "Lumine" called Thoma, seeing the girl conversing with the ayaka who had slightly reddened cheeks, Lumine turned abruptly and said "I'm coming!" then she turned to the girl with the pale blue hair to say hello. "Had a nice conversation?" Thoma asked with a harmless air, "u-uh yes" lumine answered hastily with flushed cheeks, it looked like a peach, Thoma noticed amused, "so where are we going" the boy asked as they walked among the expanses of cherry blossom trees, " um, narukami island, Inazuma city" said the girl, after a pause she added "let's see if there is any errand to do otherwise let's go visit Taroumaru in the komore tea house" she said with a big smile, Lumine knew he loved animals , even if the so-called dog in question was the owner of your house, thoma was good at it.
Arriving in Inazuma City they were greeted by the hustle and bustle of the city, the many streets and alleyways of Tenryou intersect and criss-cross, and finally gather in front of the Tenshukaku, Inazuma's undisputed center of power. There were a lot of people gathering near the merchants trying to do business and sell their wares, the streets were teeming with people going shopping, Inazuma city could almost make the port of Lyue envious. "what's our first stop traveler" thoma asked in the crowd, "detective agency Bantan sango" shouted Lumine, the voices of vendors above her.
Elbowed their way to the Batan sango detective agency, where they were greeted by a boy with cherry red hair and bright emerald eyes, characterized by two moles under them, heizou, detective of the batan sango agency, "Lumine" cheerfully greeted the boy, "what brings you here?" heizou asked curiously, "Actually Thoma and I wanted to run some errands" lumine said with a smile, "ah" heizou said "mmh, I have something for you to do" said the red-haired boy, "there is a camp of hilichurls near on the outskirts of hanamikaza" he said thoughtfully "if you would like to take care of it I would be immensely grateful" he said with a bright smile.
"perfect" Lumine replied with a determined smile, she turned to thoma and said "the sooner we hurry, the sooner we go to the tea house" with a mischievous smile she added "whoever kills the least hilirchurls pays the bill", Thoma snorted amused, "let's go" he said, then turned and saluted the detective. Arrived at the outskirts of hanamikaza Thoma started to hold his spear while the traveler drew his sword, "they should be around" said Lumine, thoma heard a rustle coming from his shoulders, he stiffened, "I think they're here... he said, whirled around and slashed at the monstrous creature in front of him, killing it in one fell swoop, lumine whistled, "nice start thoma" he said as he slashed his sword at a hilirchurls alongside her. After about fifteen minutes the area had been completely cleared. "I've beaten more than you" said Thoma breathlessly, hooking his spear behind his back, "oh, I don't think so boy" answered Lumine panting sheathing his sword, "let's make it a draw" proposed Thoma looking hopeful Lumine, the girl thought about it for a few seconds and then replied "ah, all right, just because I'm tired though" she replied giving him a little smile.
The sun was setting and the orange light was filtering through the treetops casting shadows on the grass along the paths.There was not a breath of wind, which was not normal for thoma who was used to the gentle breeze of Mondstadt, gift of the anemo archon,Barbatos, to inazuma everything was still as if time did not flow, it was as if he was stuck in a eternal place. Thoma felt suffocated by his Mondstardtian origins, a great sense of freedom had attached to him, as with every citizen of Mondstardt on the other hand, Mondstardt itself was the city of freedom as was their archon. Thoma was distracted from his nostalgic thoughts by Lumine's groan, "when we get there" the girl said impatiently, "I can't walk any more" she said pouting, Thoma chuckled slightly, she couldn't believe the traveler was putting the pouting like a child, she found it adorable, "Luminous is still a little away" Thoma replied softly, "then if you want as soon as we get back to the estate you can let ayaka-san pamper you" she said with a touch of mischief mixed with amusement. Lumine's reaction was priceless, the girl turned red to the ears, and became a stammering mess of protests. after a few minutes that Lumine recovered, a peaceful silence fell, which was broken again by Lumine, the girl gave him a hesitant look, then said "Thoma yesterday..." she broke off, Thoma sighed, the boy expected Lumine to would ask a similar thing after she saw him running almost in tears the day before, "what did the Kamisato brothers say, Paimon and I when we saw you running with eyes full of tears we were worried...I didn't know what to do" she admitted looking at him with those honey-colored pools filled with worry, the image tugged at his heart. He didn't want to worry his friends like that, especially Lumine who was like a sister to him. "ah...Lumine" Thoma whispered, "I'm so sorry you worried so much, I didn't want to worry you and paimon in that way" he admitted with a bitter chuckle, "see Lumine, I have feelings for lord ayato for quite some time" he confessed, the traveler's eyes widened in surprise, "y-you, but l-lord" she murmured, "enlighten yourself, and the news that Lord ayato was to get married devastated me" he said bitterly , the girl looked at him sadly, "oh thoma" she said approaching and squeezing him in a hug, "you must have suffered so much" she murmured, thoma nodded trembling and reciprocated the hug of lights. They remained embraced for a while when they parted lumine rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, while thoma took a few trembling breaths,
"I think we should go it's getting late" thoma mumbled, Lumine raised her face towards him and said "we don't go to the tea house anymore?" asked lumine, "no, it's almost evening ayaka-san will be worried" said thoma, the traveler nodded sympathetically, "then let's go" said the lumine, "I have to make sure that paimon didn't eat all the food from the kamisato estate" he said with raising his eyes rolling, thoma chuckled. A few minutes later they were walking their way back, filling the silence with idle chatter.