A Mystery Class
"What class is this going to be again?" Diluc asks, sitting down at the table. Kaeya glares at his brother, having answered the question more than once.
The air crisp on Diluc's skin, he smiles, sitting beside his brother and friend.
"It's a surprise; all you know is the professor's name and where to go," Kaeya says, sipping his iced coffee. The tables outside of the café have an umbrella, shielding Kaeya from the sun. Despite being in the shade, the air is warm on his tan skin and the black hand prints on either side of his neck.
"Tell me again why you're reading Diluc's emails." Jean sighs. "Those are supposed to be private." Taking a drink of her green tea, Jean almost chokes. Her eyes falling on a girl wearing a purple and black dress.
Kaeya doesn't even have to look to know what Jean's starting at. "You know you can go talk to her, right?" A smirk plays at his lips when Jean turns red.
Sighing, Diluc makes the back of Kaeya's head almost making him spill his drink. Kaeya glares at the redhead, thinking to himself that he would have to get Diluc back later.
"Y-you should get a drink before class, Diluc." Jean coughs out, trying to change the subject. Though Jean knows that Kaeya will bring it up again later.
Nodding, Diluc gets up, walking over to the door of the cafe. Inside is bustling with activity. The line isn't long, but the baristas are still scrambling to make and deliver the drinks. Diluc holds back for a moment, waiting until they didn't seem so frantic.
"I can help who's next!" The small boy behind the counter calls. But when Diluc walks up, he freezes. Mouth agape, his black and blue ombre braids swinging softly from the boy's head turning around and then stopping abruptly.
"Um. Hi." Diluc says awkwardly. The boy shales his head and then puts on what Diluc can only assume is his best smile. He's not wearing a name tag, but Diluc can't tell why that's important. "Do you guys sell boba?"
"Of course!" The boy seems to have regained his composure. "Are you looking for poping pearls or milk tea, we have a wide variety." He smiles again, before glancing around.
"Actually, a black iced coffee will do." Diluc isn't sure he can deal with all of the memories that come with his boba order. The boy nods, turning around and grabbing a cup. But when Diluc pulls out his wallet, the boy shakes his head.
"It's on the house." The boy's braids sway when he shakes his head, Diluc notices.
"Doesn't that come out of your paycheck?" Diluc asks, he's never worked at a restaurant or coffee shop, but he had heard stories from Lisa, who worked at cafes before she got her job at the college's library.
"It's fine, I don't actually work here." The boy laughs. He hands Diluc the coffee, smiling the entire time. Diluc thanks him by leaving money in the tip jar. On the way out, Diluc watches as the boy runs over to another boy with black and green hair.
Shaking his head he leaves the Cafe and rejoins his brother and childhood friend.
"You look shaken up, what happened?" Kaeya asks as Diluc sits down. Diluc can only shake his head, it was a weird experience, nothing more.
"It's nothing, just a strange boy," Diluc answers, taking a drink from the straw in his drink.
"Lemme guess. He thought you were hot and froze up?" Kaeya smiles when Diluc nods. "You owe me ten mora!"
Sighing, Jean hands Kaeya ten mora before speaking. "How can you always tell?" The breeze had picked up, causing everyone's hair to blow in the wind.
Diluc's hair would tangle, it always did. Kaeya would brush through his ponytail as soon as they were inside. Diluc thought it was too much work.
Jean also thought it was a nuisance. Her hair was shorter than the boy's, but it would still tangle like a bitch.
"He has the same uncomfortable look every time someone so much as looks at him weird. And it gets worse when they freeze up." Kaeya gives his brother a half-sympathetic look.
Jean gives a quiet 'oh' before shifting in her seat uncomfortably.
"Go to class Jean, I know you've been watching the clock," Diluc says, not so subtly excusing her from the conversation.
Jean nods, grabbing her back and running off towards the library. Study hall with her crush was simultaneously the best and worst decision ever.
"Are you going to go to your next class, Kaeya?" Diluc side-eyes Kaeya, watching him laugh softly.
"You don't always have to baby Jean and me. We can get to class on our own. This isn't high school." Kaeya is right, this isn't high school, it's so much better and so much worse at the same time.
High school sucked, all of the pity-filled stares, the small little things that made Diluc silently break down.
But college was so big and the was a lot more freedom. And of course, Kaeya and Diluc, who both hail from Mondstadt, love the freedom. But Diluc can't help but worry.
"I know, I just don't want you to fail. This place is expensive." Diluc tries to play it off, but Keaya knows. Diluc had become overly protective after that night, and Kaeya didn't mind most of the time. But sometimes it was a real pain in the ass.
"Fine, I'll go to weird literature class and you go to your weird super secret class with Professor whats-his-name." Kaeya almost sticks his tongue out at Diluc, but they haven't been that close since childhood.
"You read that email for me more than once, you know the professor's name." Taking a sip of his coffee, Diluc smiles at his brother. Kaeya could be a pain in the ass, but he is Diluc's brother. Diluc could never stay mad for long.
"You're right, I did. It's Professor Tighnari." Kaeya stands and starts to walk away, calling the next part over his shoulder. "I'd watch out, he's one of those Forest Rangers."
"Saving the environment isn't a red flag!!" Diluc calls after his brother before looking down at his phone.
Looking out for the environment wasn't a bad thing, but the Forest Rangers were a little aggressive with their protesting from what Diluc had heard. And stubborn, but that part he had heard from Kaeya.
He had heard all of it from Kaeya.
Sighing, Diluc grabs his bag and walks towards the campus.
Unlocking his phone and pulling up the email, Diluc starts looking for the correct building.
As long as Tighnari wasn't the Forrest Ranger married to the General Mahamatra. That would be bad.
From what Jean heard from Lisa, Tighnari was fucking crazy.
"DILUC!" A familiar voice pulls Diluc from his thoughts. Turning around he smiles at the only other friend he has.
"Hi, Mona. Have you eaten?"
"No, but that's not important, Dilu-" Before she can finish his name, Diluc pulls some crackers out of his bag.
Mona shoos Diluc's hands away when he turns to offer the crackers to her.
"Diluc... I was just talking with Lisa before I came to find you. She says she has a book for you to borrow." Mona pants out the words out, having ran to try and catch up with Diluc's long legs.
"Take the crackers. What's the book about?" Diluc slows his pace down, matching Mona's stride.
She takes the crackers, opening the package, and shoving one in her mouth. "I don't know, I think she just wanted to send me away. Jean was walking into the room."
Sighing through his smile, Diluc can't help but laugh. "Is Lisa catching on?"
Mona grins, shaking her head. "No. But I think Lisa likes Jean too."
"Good for them," Diluc says gently. Smiling into the soft breeze.
"Do you think they're soulmates?" Mona asks, jumping excitedly.
"Ya know, for someone without a soul mark you sure care a lot about soulmates." Eyeing his hands, the palms of which are ink black, Diluc feels his stomach clench.
A lot of people had their soul mark on their hands, Diluc reminds himself, it just meant that he was going to touch his soulmate first.
"Sorry Diluc, I know soulmates make you feel a little queasy." Taking Diluc's hand, Mona apologizes.
Diluc nods, sniffing a little bit, trying to regain his composure. "It's okay."
"What class are you on the way to anyway?" Mona asks, deciding to drop the subject for Diluc's sake.
"Some mystery class taught by Professor Tighnari." Diluc can hear Mona cringe.
"Isn't he the Forrest Watcher?" She asks. "The one married to the General Mahamatra?"
"God I hope not. From what Kaeya says, he's fucking crazy." Mona rolls her eyes but ultimately nods.
"I usually don't believe a word that comes out of Kaeya's mouth, but this time he's right." Mona sighs, looking up at Diluc as they walk. "He does one of these mystery classes every year. I took one last year, and from what the upperclassmen tell me, it's always some form of botany."
"Of course, it's going to be a class on plants. He's like the head Forrest Watcher, right? Fuck, I'm screwed." Diluc groans, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands.
"Are you even sure it's the same Tighnari? I mean the school has so many professors." Mona is trying to make Diluc feel better, and he knows it, but something about the conversation makes him think that it is in fact the same Tignari.
"Knowing my luck it has to be the same Tighnari." Diluc sighs. "On the bright side, hopefully, I can apply the information to the winery's production."
"You always look to the bright side, and that's not a bad thing. But Professor Tighnari doesn't have a bright side. Like we said, he's crazy." Mona laughs a nervous laugh, worried for her friend.
Last year, Diluc was still in high school with Jean and Kaeya, but Mona had one of the hardest years of her life when it came to school. Tighnari was ruthless when it came to grades. He was really lenient when it came to due dates, but with participation in class and getting the answers right, he was ruthless.
"Are we even sure its the same teacher?" Diluc asks, looking over to Mona. "You should be wearing sunscreen. You're starting to burn."
"Shit," Mona whispers, taking her bag off and starting to dig through it. "Depends, is this the building?"
"I think so," DIlcu answers, waiting for Mona to stand up. When she does, she offers Diuc a pained but reassuring smile. "Looks like you pulled the short straw."
They stand there in silence for a few moments before Mona notices the time. "Shit, I got to go. good luck Diluc!" She calls running to make it to her next class.
Sighing, Diluc enters the building, finding the classroom with ease.
He sits in a random chair, waiting for the class to start. Panic fills Diluc's chest when a black and green-haired person walks in front of the room. HE wears what looks to be ears and a tail, and Diluc can't tell if it looks weird or cool.
"Hello, I'm Professer Tighnari."
The others in the room go dead silent. Dulic guesses they didn't expect it to be the Tignari either.
"Alright, let me start roll call. I won't do this at the beginning of every class, so make sure to come every day that's scheduled." Tighnari starts running through the roll call, everyone either raising their hand of saying some variation of 'here'.
"Barba-" Tighnari starts on the final name before getting interrupted.
"Venti." Diluc looks over to the boy who spoke. The one from the cafe he realizes. "Sorry, it's Venti, I sent you an email?"