The night sky was a velvet canvas, studded with stars.
Silver moonlight spilled between drifting clouds like mercury flowing across the earth.
The glow of countless lanterns lit up Mondstadt's streets, pouring through alleys like rivers feeding a lake.
Even past midnight, the city still pulsed with the afterglow of the Windblume Festival.
By the window, Lumine sat curled up, staring blankly into the distance.
Fresh from her bath, she had finally shed the white dress she always wore on her travels.
That dress had its charms—it never stained, never tore, and was surprisingly comfortable.
But tonight, with no need to camp under the open sky, Lumine chose something softer.
A silky camisole clung to her frame, delicate straps slipping against pale shoulders, her golden hair damp and loose, spilling like molten light down her bare back.
The faint blush along her collarbone gave her an almost intoxicating glow.
The moon reflected in her amber eyes, as though she had stolen the starlight for herself.
"Hm ♪mm-Hmm-hmm hum ♪"
She hummed quietly to herself, a tune she'd learned from Barbara.
The melody lifted her lips into a smile she couldn't quite hold back.
Hugging her knees close, her long legs tucked neatly together, her slender arms framed the graceful curve of her figure.
The night breeze rippled through the curtains, brushing her bangs and scattering loose strands of gold.
Her lashes caught the moonlight like tiny silver fans, her eyes shimmering with a radiance that made her look less like the silly "Paimon's emergency food delivery girl" everyone knew, and more like a saint descended in the moon's glow.
It had been so long since she'd felt this happy.
Truly, deeply happy.
She thought of the years spent searching with her brother, wandering through countless worlds in pursuit of a new home.
She'd met so many people, made so many friends… and lost them all to the flow of time.
That was the curse of a long-lived traveler: every friend eventually became no more than a memory.
If not for her brother, she might never have endured the journey.
But today—someone else had joined her.
Someone who would share that endless journey.
Someone more than a friend, more than a partner.
Someone who was… herself.
Nagami wasn't just her other half. He was her.
Their bond needed no explanation, no embellishment.
They were one, their thoughts and hearts moving in tandem, perfectly in sync.
"Tell me… would anyone not know what they wanted to do?" Lumine's fingers propped her chin as she glanced back.
From the shadows, a figure emerged—graceful as a spirit, beautiful as moonlit jade.
C.C.'s green hair gleamed as she stepped lightly onto the wooden floor.
The lace of her dark dress fluttered like a temptress' wings, pale legs flashing as she walked, both alluring and strangely pure.
Her soft hands slid over Lumine's shoulders, and the weight of her chest pressed teasingly against the back of her neck.
"Of course not," C.C. said. "Though I doubt anyone would refuse whatever they themselves wanted. At least—I wouldn't."
A boy's voice followed.
From the same shadows, Nagami drifted upward, dressed in sleepwear, watching Lumine's delicate profile with a wry smile.
"I wouldn't either," he admitted with a shrug.
"…Fine, fine. I wouldn't." Lumine groaned softly, covering her face with one hand.
Her cheeks warmed with a blush, her gaze dropping shyly to the floor.
She looked almost… flustered.
She could accept "herself" doing anything, but—when it came down to it—there was still the matter of her pride.
For someone who had lived through centuries, perhaps millennia, she had never once… done this sort of thing.
Her racing heart gave her away: this would be her first time.
Nagami looked at her—at the bashful, almost girlish Lumine—and was struck dumb.
To him, she was usually the silly, cunning, sometimes shameless little sister.
Their linked minds had only deepened that impression.
But now, she was just a girl, blushing over something bold, timid yet radiant.
'So even this dumb girl can be this adorable huh?' he thought.
"I heard that!" Lumine shot him a sidelong glare, her face turning an even deeper shade of red.
Nagami grinned sheepishly.
She was still glaring… but the glow in her cheeks made her look impossibly lovely.
Similar compliments were nothing new to Lumine.
In theory, she shouldn't feel shy at all—she could even shamelessly puff out her chest and declare:
"I'm a natural-born beauty, a peerless maiden who turns heads, melts hearts, and makes flowers bloom wherever I go!"
Her heart, weathered by countless years, should have been as unshakable as stone, immune to cracks.
But when those words of praise came from another version of herself—unbidden, genuine, and straight from the heart—she was struck where her defenses were weakest.
It was a direct hit from within, a sudden rush of emotion that made her chest tighten and her heartbeat quicken.
Her usual defenses were useless.
Nagami's words, full of admiration and unfiltered emotion, kept echoing in her mind.
"You… you!" she muttered, pressing a slender hand against her chest.
The pounding there grew louder, like unseen strings in her heart had been plucked. Faint ripples spread through her emotions.
A rare, bashful expression—sweet and shy—graced Lumine's beautiful face.
"Hmph~! What's so wrong with being a little narcissistic?" she retorted with mock confidence.
Nagami only smiled, stepping behind her and slipping his arms naturally around her slim waist.
He pulled her soft body close, resting his chin on her smooth, round shoulder with a contented sigh, eyes narrowing in pure enjoyment.
Lumine could feel the warmth of his skin against hers, the heat of his breath spilling over her neck.
At the same time, she noticed the faint, unfamiliar fragrance rising between them—a delicate scent that somehow belonged to her alone.
"But you're clearly too narcissistic, you big idiot!" she snapped.
Nagami gave her a blank, dead-fish-eyed stare from behind and chuckled. "Heh~."
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[So… what did it feel like to be a boy back then?]
———————————————————————
The thought rose from Lumine's heart, and Nagami caught it immediately.
After a brief moment of awkwardness, Lumine quickly reverted to her more shameless, long-lived self.
———————————————————————
[Tsundere denial? Do you really think you can hide from me?]
[No, no, I was just trying it out! Doesn't it feel a little stylish to act tsundere?]
———————————————————————
With Nagami's influence dragging her down, Lumine's already fragile sense of dignity plummeted even further, and she began to fully let loose.
After all, there was no point in hiding emotions from yourself—no point in lying about desires, either.
"Paimon's probably asleep by now," Nagami murmured. "But even if she isn't, it doesn't matter. I've already set up a barrier."
C.C. gently brushed a strand of golden hair from Lumine's face, tucking it behind her ear to reveal the small, delicate curve beneath.
Her brilliant green-gold eyes locked with Lumine's amber gaze.
Then, slowly leaning in, her cherry blossom lips pressed against Lumine's own, sealing her first, untouched kiss.
The softness and warmth were unmistakably real—doubly so, since Nagami still held her close, surrounded by her warmth and fragrance.
Three hearts beat in sync, pounding faster and faster.
A tide of fiery emotion surged through Lumine, drowning out every corner of her mind.
She wrapped her arms around C.C.'s slender neck and then…