Archive of Our Own ^beta

If there’s one thing Scaramouche despises a lot, it’s gotta be chatty people. And the blonde student on the adjacent table, who keeps babbling about something with deep words that even his tired brain couldn’t understand, unfortunately falls into that category. She has been talking to the two boys in front of her, one who listens eagerly and the other who looks like spacing out. 

He grits his teeth in annoyance, breathing heavily through his nose before ruffling his already unruly hair. So much for studying in peace.  

Not only the students inside the library are fucking loud, Childe also fucking stood him up. 

The ginger head was supposed to meet Scaramouche an hour ago, telling him to wait inside the library for him. Scaramouche checks his phone, giving it a flat look when no message from Childe shows up. He tosses his phone on top of his book, stretching his arms afterwards.

His stomach grumbles when he slouches back in his seat. He’s been inside the library for almost two hours, studying his ass off, that he didn’t even notice the time. Despite looking like a rebellious teenager who hates studying, he’s actually quite the opposite. He actually enjoys reading medical books and watching surgery videos.

“Nerd,” Childe coughs one time during their study session in high school. Scaramouche gives him the middle finger. “At least I’m not failing in biology.”

So yeah, he likes studying. What about it? At least he’s not failing in his major unlike some others. 

His eyes dart towards his phone on the table when it lights up. He reads the message on his phone.

pain in the ass childe:

oi scara im outside of wanmin i just finished my practice

scaramouche:

wtf happened to “i’ll study with you scara” huh

you fucking better treat me food for making me wait for an hour asshole

pain in the ass childe:

yeah yeah that’s why i’m outside wanmin already i’ll treat you food

mona and yanfei are already here

Scaramouche clicks his tongue, gathering his books and notes lying on the table. He shuts his thick medical book rather loudly, grabbing the attention of the three students on the next table. 

He squints his eyes at them. “What?” He snaps.

The trio doesn’t say anything.

He stands up from his table, the chair screeching against the pristine tiles of the library. It’s a miracle Lisa isn’t around or else Scaramouche would get a fucking earful before he can step out of the library. 

His joints pop once he stands up properly, wincing when he tilts his head to the side. He should probably get some exercise soon again, instead of staying inside his room studying. It’s no wonder Yanfei often teases him as an old man when he has these popping joints. 

He still hears the blonde female babbling to her friends before Scaramouche finally walks out the library.

Upon exiting the building, Scaramouche squints his eyes at the bright sunlight hitting his face. He starts to walk towards the direction of Wanmin Restaurant, a cozy shop where most of the students, him included, spend their time. Scaramouche either spends his time in Wanmin, Komore, or Good Hunter. 

He turns to the street leading to Wanmin. As he walks there, Scaramouche takes a look around his surroundings. It’s usually the time in the afternoon where students walk around outside the university to go to the different shops nearby. 

His eyes catch a figure in front of the pedestrian lane on the other side of the road while the light is still red. The male has pale white hair with a red streak on the side. He looks like he’s asleep with his eyes closed, head lolling to the side. 

Scaramouche lets out a soft snort before looking away. What a weirdo.

As he walks nearer to Wanmin, he can already hear Yanfei’s deep voice before he turns into a corner where Wanmin is located. “Are you sure Scara’s on his way? I’m starving,” she groans. “Childe, let me bite your arm.”

“Are you out of your mind?”

“Why are you still standing there?” He asks as he approaches the three. Their eyes brighten upon seeing him, especially Yanfei who runs towards him. “You’re finally here!”

Scaramouche pushes her head away from his face. “You could have ordered something already. No need to wait for me.” He says. Yanfei clicks her tongue, “ah but as your friend, we have to wait for you, Mouchie.” 

He grimaces at the nickname.

He glares at Childe and Mona who only laugh at him. “You still owe me food, Childe.” He says as he attempts to kick Chide’s shin — who jumps away from him. He gives the purple haired male a light laugh. “I’m sorry! I swear I was going to the library but then coach suddenly announced we have practice.”

“Buy me rice buns and mint jelly and I’ll forgive you.”

Mona raises an eyebrow at him. “Did you forget to take a break again?”

Scaramouche averts his eyes. “Maybe.”

Yanfei is in the middle of talking about how she almost had an argument with her professor earlier while discussing something about the law when Scaramouche’s phone rings. 

Xiao’s caller ID appears on his screen.

“Our professor cancelled the test tomorrow,” Xiao immediately says. Scaramouche stops chewing, his grip on the rice bun loosens for a bit before clutching it tight in his hand.

“Why?” He laughs dryly, his left eye twitching in annoyance. He pinches the bridge of his nose, grimacing at the telltale sign of an incoming headache.

He can see the other three stop talking, looking at Scaramouche now. He mouths a ‘wait’. 

He hears Xiao sigh on the other line. “I don’t know. She suddenly just posted a note on the public board earlier.” He says. Scaramouche can hear the mild annoyance in his voice. He couldn’t blame the guy, their anatomy professor is a little shit. “You were the only one silent in the chat so I thought I’d let you know.”

Scaramouche frowns as he processes Xiao’s words. “Wait, what board are you talking about?”

“The public boards where they announce things, Scara.”

His face morphs into a confused expression. “Why don’t I have any idea about that?”

“Do you even go outside of your room?”

“Fuck you.” Xiao ends the call.

He groans, dropping his head on the table, rice buns completely forgotten. “What happened?” Mona asks as she hands Yanfei the half-eaten rice bun from Scaramouche’s plate. 

“Our anatomy prof cancelled the test tomorrow.”

Childe grimaces. “Isn’t that the subject you’ve been studying for the past few days?”

“Yeah. And apparently she posted a note or something on a board that I have no clue of.” 

Yanfei rests her arm on the table, looking at him. “You should really read the notice boards on your buildings and dorms, you know.”

The only notice board Scaramouche knows is the one in his dorm building, on the floor where his room is located. He had seen students post sticky notes on it from time to time but he just didn’t bother checking it. What the fuck do they even write there? He remembers thinking that when he saw one of the floor occupants post a sticky note on the board. 

“So, what are you gonna do about it?” Childe asks, stealing a rice bun from his plate. He doesn’t even look a bit shameless. Scaramouche shrugs, it came from his own mora anyway.

“Burn my anatomy books and proceed to kill my professor and then myself,” he grumbles. He looks up at Yanfei, “is there any way to kill a person legally?”

Yanfei looks at him weirdly. “You’re out of your fucking mind.”

Scaramouche plants his face on the table again, letting out a long, dreaded sigh. 

Mona just pats his head.

✧˖*°࿐

Scaramouche’s left eye twitches in annoyance.

He grips his pencil tightly in his hands to the point that it breaks, small pieces of wood dropping on the table. His left hand is clenched tightly, knuckles turning white. Yanfei watches all of this, sipping her iced Americano. She makes a face when she swallows the now-warm drink, ice completely melted. 

“What’s gotten into you?” She finally asks, putting her drink down. She rests her chin on her palm, giving her undivided attention to Scaramouche, waiting for his answer. “You look like you’re one poke away from punching something. Or someone.”

Scaramouche looks at her. “That’s because I am.”

Her eyebrows rise up in interest. “Oho? What happened? Your anatomy professor again?”

His eyes close at the mention of his professor, sighing in annoyance in the process. Yanfei snorts. “Tell me what happened.”

Scaramouche lets out a long sigh.

“Listen, Scara,” his professor started, intertwining both of her hands on the table, giving him that same almost-mocking smile. He resisted the urge to scoff, looking aside to stop himself from rolling his eyes. The audacity of her to call him “Scara.”

“Your idea is great, it’s really neat.”

Scaramouche raised an eyebrow. “But?”

She gave him an unimpressed look. His lip twitched in the slightest bit. “But it’s nothing new. I’ve seen this idea from students from last year, and the year before that. Come up with something new and… unique!”

She patted his shoulder before calling out the next student.

“That fucking hag.”

Yanfei bursts out laughing, slapping her hands against the table repeatedly. Scaramouche scowls at her. “Yanfei, shut the fuck up.”

“I-I’m sorry but—“ she wheezes. She wipes the tears from her eyes, small giggles falling out of her mouth. “Holy shit, I’m sorry.”

“Mm.” He hums, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, keep laughing.”

“She’s definitely one of those professors who make your college a living hell.” Scaramouche wholeheartedly agrees. “Even I’m surprised Xiao’s idea got rejected. He had like… one of the most unique ideas and then she just told him ‘it’s nothing new.’” He says, raising his voice trying to impersonate her. 

It definitely makes Yanfei laugh again.

“I’ve never seen Xiao so annoyed like that. That guy has like one of the thickest faces I know.” Yanfei gasps, leaning forward in interest. “Xiao’s annoyed? Holy shit, your professor must be that bad.”

She is. And she gets on Scaramouche’s nerves, a lot .

“Are you sure there’s no way I can kill people legally?” Yanfei smacks his head. Scaramouche snickers. 

“I can be your lawyer if you ever get caught in action.” She says after a while. He tilts his head, giving her a sweet smile. “Ah, but dear Yanfei, why would I even want to get caught?” He only receives an eye roll.

“You can always let your anger out in a different and legal way, you know that, right?” 

Scaramouche scoffs. “Of course I do. I was just messing with you.”

She waves her hand dismissively. “Yeah, yeah, keep doing that, mhm. Mess with my chaotic brain even more.” She rolls his eyes at him. “I have this one friend in the literature department, he said one way to let out one’s anger is to write or scribble something.” She says.

Writing? Ugh.

Yanfei squints her eyes at him. “Don’t give me that ‘ick’ face of yours. Listen to me.”

Scaramouche doesn’t. “Would that even work? I’d probably get even more annoyed thinking where to write.”

Yanfei groans, throwing her head back from what he just said before she looks back at him with a deadpan expression. “You’re making it a big deal.” She sighs. “Anyway, it doesn’t work for me. You know how I get when I’m angry. I get waaaaay too talkative.”

Scaramouche nods. “Believe me, I know.”

Of course, he knows. He’s one of the victims of Yanfei’s ranting. She gets really talkative when she’s worked up, talking non-stop until someone has to cut her ramblings. He slightly shudders, remembering the time Yanfei ranted to the three of them how much she despises civil cases, voice cracking in annoyance. 

She taps her hand on the table, catching his attention back. “Anyway, it works for some people. Apparently, it works for my friend. It might not work for me, but it might work for you.” She continues, pointing at him. 

“That’s too much work.” He complains. “You’re just lazy.” He shrugs, not denying what she says. 

Yanfei rests her cheek on her palm, looking at Scaramouche with a teasing smile. “It’s honestly way better than punching your bathroom walls.” She comments, poking her index finger on Scaramouche’s knuckles. “I am very concerned about your walls.”

“Not even about me?” He asks, raising an eyebrow. “You wound me.”

Yanfei scoffs, giving him an unimpressed look, emerald eyes looking directly at him. “You’re doing that to yourself.”

“Okay, touché.”

✧˖*°࿐

Scaramouche eyes the notice board on their floor for a brief moment as he passes by the lounge area. He walks towards the water dispenser with his white mug in his hand. It’s a gift from Mona for his birthday. 

A white mug with “have a nice day” written on it and a middle finger at the bottom. Scaramouche finds it hilarious.

He fills the mug with hot water before dumping the entire sachet of instant coffee inside. He then adds two spoons of creamer and sugar. He eyes the notice board again on the wall as he stirs his coffee.

There’s a lot of sticky notes posted on the board, colors ranging from white to an obnoxious neon yellow. Scaramouche scrunches his nose. Aside from the sticky notes, there’s also a calendar in the corners with reminders on the important dates, some posters advertising a new restaurant or shop around the area. 

He approaches the board with the mug on his hand. “In what world is this even interesting,” he mutters as he looks at the sticky notes. There are notes coming from the same person with their name written below, or some notes left anonymous.

He reads some of them.

“Can anyone recommend a place where they sell something minty?? I’m craving for some!!!” It’s written on a light pink sticky note in a bubbly handwriting. 

There’s an orange sticky note beside it, replying to the question. “Wanmin restaurant sells mint jelly! Or if you want something savory with a hint of mint flavor, they also sell minty meat rolls! Highly recommended.”

Scaramouche chuckles. “This is an advertisement already, holy shit.”

He reads another red sticky note with cursive handwriting. “To those who have seen what happened near Xinyue kiosk, chongyun would like to apologize for the ruckus he made. But tell him he did great with that singing he did with xinyan!!!!! ;) - hu tao <3”

A reply is written on a yellow sticky note, words written in capital letters. “NO NEED TO APOLOGIZE! HE DID AMAZING.”

He reads another. 

does anyone notice how eula looks at the girl she’s always with??? dude istg i literally see her eyes turn into hearts

            dude this is a public board she can see this????

            We’re literally dating. - Eula

And another.

If you’re looking for a black notebook with goldfish designs on the cover, please head to the office. Thank you. — Eula Lawrence

                Is there anything remarkable inside?

           There’s a drawing of a love umbrella with the A and Y under it. — Eula

              HOLY SHIT I THINK THAT’S YOIMIYA’S!!!

And another.

my girlfriend’s visiting this town next week and i was wondering where to take her for dinner. i need help :( should i take her to xinyue kiosk or liuli pavilion? any suggestions???

            if ur gf likes seafood then bring her to xinyue kiosk if not then go to liuli pavilion.

         wtf dude just take her to wanmin restaurant. those two are expensive as fuck. not to mention always booked. but wanmin’s affordable and have variety of food. 100/10 would recommend.

Scaramouche didn’t even notice he read almost all of the sticky notes posted on the board. Okay, maybe he found them interesting. There are some people bantering back and forth, exchanging witty remarks to one another. There’s obviously some flirting going on with the two people who write on a light and dark blue sticky notes.

He furrowed his eyebrows at a dark purple sticky note. The words written on it are so deep that Scaramouche distantly thinks of the blonde student at the library the other day.

Another red sticky note catches his attention, posted on the side, somewhat separated from the other notes. There are maple leaves drawn on it and swirly doodles accompanying it. It looks kind of cute, he thinks. But before he could even read what’s on it, he notices that his coffee is finished.

“Scaramouche? Why are you still awake?” He whips his head to the side to the source of the voice. Eula, their RA, approaches him. He offers her a small and awkward smile, raising the mug he’s holding. She eyes it for a second before looking back at him, waiting for an answer.

“Couldn’t sleep. Decided to make coffee.”

Eula raises an eyebrow. “In the middle of the night? You wouldn’t be able to sleep.”

He hums, nodding. “I’m aware.” He looks at her expectantly. “Do you need anything?” He asks, walking back towards the water dispenser. Eula sits on one of the stools. “Just a glass of water, please.”

He fills a glass with water and hands it to Eula. She mutters a small “thank you” under her breath, Scaramouche only nods in return.

“You should write something on the board sometimes.” Eula suddenly says. Scaramouche looks at her, his hands playing with the handle of his mug as he asks. “Why?”

She gives him a one shoulder shrug. “You seem interested. Or maybe not. I don’t know.” She says, putting the empty glass on the table. “Maybe you’ll find it interesting if you find yourself bored. Just… try it, I guess. It also helps when you’re stressed or just want to vent out.”

Writing, huh. That’s what Yanfei also told him. For a moment, he thinks that it was Eula who suggested it to Yanfei as Eula’s also in the literature department but he remembers that she said it’s a “he.” 

Scaramouche just nods at her. “I’ll keep that in mind.” Eula stands up, making her way to the sink when he offers to wash the glass for her. “You should go to sleep, it’s late.” He tells her.

“You, too.” She says, nodding at him as thanks. “Good night, Scaramouche.”

“Good night.” He replies as he waves a soap covered hand.

Silence fills the room once Eula walks back to her own room.

✧˖*°࿐

Scaramouche watches the pink haired woman walk around the kitchen. He’s seated on one of the couches in their studio apartment, arms crossed in front of his chest as he waits for the food to be cooked.

Miko looks at Scaramouche as she stirs the egg on the bowl. “You know, you can come here anytime you want, right?” She asks, giving him her usual smile.

“I know,” Scaramouche answers. “But I chose not to.”

Miko chuckles, pouring the egg on the pan. She takes a glance at Scaramouche before looking back at the pan, adding salt into the egg and folding it. “You’re still stubborn. Just like your sister.”

He rolls his eyes at the comment.

“Where’s she? Still at work?”

He grabs the remote, turning on the television before putting on Netflix. He scans through the different shows on screen, raising an eyebrow at a particular show displayed on ‘continue watching’. 

“Ei should be out of her shift by now,” Miko says, putting the egg roll on the plate. She waves a hand at him, ushering Scaramouche to eat.

The front door opens, keys jingling before footsteps approach the kitchen. Ei walks in, her purple eyes widening when she locks eyes with her brother. “Oh, Scara, it’s nice to see you.” She says, placing her bag on the counter. 

“You should have messaged,” Ei frowns, taking a seat on the chair next to Scaramouche. “I could have bought dango from work.”

“I wasn’t planning on coming here.” Scaramouche replies, removing the vegetables with his chopsticks. 

Miko places another plate in front of Ei before pecking her cheeks. Scaramouche scrunches his nose. “I dragged him here when I saw him shopping in Hanamizaka.” she says, sitting in front of the siblings.

Ei turns to her brother and asks, “have you been eating properly? You’re not skipping meals, are you?”

“No.” He says after he swallows his food. He does not, in fact, skip meals that much anymore. Given that Xiao cooks sometimes, especially during dinner, Scaramouche finds himself eating a proper meal. And sometimes his boyfriend drops by to bring them food. 

And it’s not only Xiao that cooks. Scaramouche does too, not just often. It’s just that the other male told him that he enjoys cooking, like a hobby so Scaramouche lets him do all the work in their little kitchen.

Ei looks at him again with skepticism. “Are you sure?”

He sighs. “Yes. My roommate cooks a lot so I’m eating properly. Sheesh.” Ei lets out a soft sigh before patting his head with a small chuckle. “Alright. I’m just making sure. I don’t want my little brother getting sick now, do we, doc?”

Scaramouche ducks his head at the word ‘doc’, puffing his cheeks to avoid the teasing looks Miko is giving him, and for her sister not to notice his blush. 

It’s when they were seated in front of the television, stomachs full from eating, when Ei suddenly speaks up. “Scara?” She calls. He only gives her a hum, eyes not looking away from the television. 

“Do you…” she trails. Scaramouche looks at her with raised eyebrows. There’s a nervous look on her face, glancing at Miko for a while before clearing her throat, continuing. “Do you have free time for the holiday? I was wondering if you want to visit Narukami with us.”

His shoulder tense. The question makes an uncomfortable feeling in Scaramouche’s stomach. Narukami, the place that he and Ei left a long time ago, when a lot of… unfortunate things happened.

When Scaramouche doesn’t answer, Ei is quick to reassure him it’s okay if he doesn’t want to. “I’m sorry for asking.”

He shakes his head, giving her a small yet tensed smile. “It’s fine.”

Ei frowns. “Scara, I’m sorry.”

“You should continue watching. I have to go back. I still have to study.” He doesn’t. But the frown Ei is giving him makes him uncomfortable. And perhaps a bit guilty. He stands up and grabs his things before he heads towards the front door.

“Thanks for the dinner, Miko.” He says, opening the door. 

“Take care!” He hears Miko say before he shuts the door behind him.

He leaves their apartment building, heading towards the nearby bus stop.

He feels frustrated. Not at Ei but at himself. It’s been years and yet he just can’t make himself go back to Narukami. No matter how many times he tries to think of going back, or even just visit, Narukami, he finds himself feeling shit.

He’s been so deep in his own thoughts that he does not even notice the small “ow,” the white haired male lets out when he bumps into him as he enters their building.

He opens the door to their unit, slamming it close before going to his own room, ignoring the look Xiao gives him. 

He punches his bedroom wall as soon as he enters.

Ignoring the throbbing pain in his knuckles, he falls onto his bed with a sigh. He stares at the ceiling, unmoving in his bed. He doesn’t notice how long he’s been staring blankly at the ceiling until he hears a knock. He’s not even sure if he actually falls asleep with his eyes open or not.

“Scara?” Xiao’s soft voice calls from outside of his room. “Can I come in?”

“Yeah.”

He hears the door open. Xiao enters and leaves the door open behind him, which Scaramouche is thankful for. He watches as Xiao turns his head to the side, looking at the wall that he just punched. 

He doesn’t give it a second glance. 

“Your knuckles are bleeding.”

“Is it?” He chuckles, raising his hand. His knuckles are indeed bleeding, skin turning red and blue, forming a bruise. “Didn’t even feel anything.”

Xiao sighs as he leans on the doorframe. “Should I grab some alcohol?”

“Alcohol used for cleaning wounds or alcohol as in beer?”

Xiao shrugs. “You choose. We have both.”

“Both it is.”

Scaramouche rises from his bed and follows him to their small living room where their game consoles are. Xiao comes back holding bottles of beer from their small refrigerator and the alcohol in his other hand. While Xiao pops open the bottles, Scaramouche sets up their console after cleaning his wound. 

He and Xiao sit there in silence as they sip their beers and play the game at the same time. “I don’t know what happened,” Xiao starts, eyes never leaving the screen as he pushes buttons on their console. “And I won’t ask you about it, but if you don’t let it out, you’re gonna end up even more frustrated.”

“Mhm.”

He puts his console down and takes a sip of his beer when his character died, muttering a soft ‘fuck.’ “Have you tried writing your rants?” He asks. Scaramouche replies ‘no.’

“You should try writing on the notice board sometimes.” Xiao says and takes another sip of his beer. “Just even doodling might let off some steam.”

“You’re like, the third person who told me to write on the board to let off some steam.” Scaramouche says, fingers pressing the console button as he tries to dodge the obstacles in the game. He sighs and puts it down when his character unfortunately gets caught. 

Xiao lets out a small laugh. “It helps. It was Aether who told me to do that; said it might help me to release some stress.” 

Scaramouche snorts, turning his head to the other male to give him a teasing grin. “You always follow whatever your boyfriend says. That’s why Lumine tells you you’re down bad.”

He scrunches his nose. “No, I don’t.”

“Yeah right.”

Scaramouche laughs at the look on Xiao’s face. The latter sighs, drinking his beer again. Scaramouche does too, almost forgetting he’s even drinking. “I think you need a partner. Go out on a date with someone,” Xiao mutters. “I’m so close to thinking you’re dating your medical books.”

He gives him a gasp, putting his hand on his chest as a mock offense. “Excuse you, I’m not that lame.”

“Remember that time you asked me to read you a chapter from your med book as a bedtime story?” Xiao hums, nodding his head at the memory. “Good times.”

Scaramouche punches his shoulder lightly. “I was drunk!”

Xiao laughs as he reloads the game. “Anyway, just think about what I said. It might be better than punching the walls. Our bathroom still has that crack from your last punch.”

✧˖*°࿐

Scaramouche slaps Childe’s prodding hand away from poking his cheek.

“Come on, Scara,” he whines, tugging his arms like a petulant child. Scaramouche is so close to punching Childe on the face, the only thing stopping him is the fact that they’re in public and if someone sees him punch this fucker, he’d probably end up in jail.

He lets out a frustrated sigh.

“I’m so close to punching you,” Scaramouche hisses. Childe sticks his tongue out and gives him a smug smile. “You can’t do that, we’re in public.”

“Then let’s go inside the building and then I’ll punch you.”

The glare he gives Childe makes him step away a bit, raising both of his hands. “Alright, fine. If you don’t want to join me in this marathon, at least do this one thing for me.”

He almost pukes at the puppy eyes Childe is giving him. “What.” He deadpans.

“Yanfei told me you’ve been irritable lately—“

“Yes, and what about it?”

Childe gives him a flat look before continuing. “As I was saying, she also told me she suggested that you write something on the board. Don’t give me that look. Yes, I know I’m the fourth person who suggested you to write because it might probably work for you.” He pauses from his ramblings. “Mona also agreed.”

He narrows his eyes, crossing his arms. “And if it works, what’s in it for me?”

Childe stays silent. “You’re gonna avoid punching your walls? And make you feel a little less shitty? Also, ask me to do anything? I’ll even clean your room.”

Scaramouche snorts. “No thanks. Our room is perfectly fine. But,” he grins. He relishes at the fact that Childe looks a bit terrified. “Ask Zhongli out on a date.”

“ What?!” Childe exclaims loudly garnering the attention of the people walking by them. They both don’t give a shit. “Are you fucking insane?!”

“Your pining is way too obvious.”

“Xiao is gonna kill me.” He shakes Scaramouche’s shoulders.

“I’ll hide your body.” Childe looks a bit offended. “Whose side are you on?”

“No one. Come on, do it. I’ll do what you guys want me to do and you’ll also like what I want you to do. We both win in the end.”

Childe shakes his head. “That does not make sense.”

Scaramouche shrugs and stands up from his seat. “Then consider your suggestion rejected.”

“Scara!” He turns his head, raising an eyebrow at him. He gives him his infamous fake smile. “Yes?”

“Alright, fine. But, you actually have to enjoy it. And then, I’ll try to ask Zhongli out on a date.”

“Deal.”

✧˖*°࿐

prayer circle to pass this sem

4:21 PM

pain in the ass childe:

guess who fucking convinced scaramouche to finally write on the board B)

yanfei:

who?

mona megistus:

someone actually convinced him? you’re kidding. 

pain in the ass childe:

uh huh, someone actually convinced him.

and that someone is me! everybody say thank you childe ajax tartaglia

yanfei:

NO WAY???????

HOW?????

mona megistus:

there’s got to be a catch, right? what is it?

scaramouche:

told him to ask zhongli out on a date

we’ll hide your body if xiao kills you.

yanfei:

HOLY FUCK ABOUT TIME

that goes to the both of you btw!!!!!!

pain in the ass childe:

scara pls stop that ur scaring me. i can actually imagine xiao holding a scalpel

i’m gonna have nightmares

mona megistus:

about time childe asked zhongli out on a date. also scaramouche might find someone to date because of that notice board

scaramouche:

thats not gonna happen

mona megistus:

who knows. i can actually see that coming

yanfei:

ooohh here comes mona’s sixth sense when it comes to dating. also ngl i can also see that coming

pain in the ass childe:

so we all agree that scara needs to date? thank god

scaramouche:

i’m leaving

also fuck you childe

✧˖*°࿐

Scaramouche stands in front of the board with a confused look.

Apparently, holding a staring contest with the notice board is more interesting than writing on the light purple sticky note he’s holding. 

“What the fuck am I supposed to write?” He mutters under his breath, shoulders slumping, eyeing the colorful notes posted on the board. He grimaces when he sees another neon orange sticky note.

It’s a good thing he wakes up early since students don’t usually have morning classes on a weekend. Given that the halls are practically empty, Scaramouche stands there in front of the board, looking like an idiot.

He ruffles his bed hair in frustration.

His frown disappears when an idea comes in mind. He reads the notes again, looking for something that would catch his eye. He can probably answer some questions related to medical field if he finds any, or maybe answer some questions looking for a recommended place to study (because he knows a lot ), or a place to dine (Wanmin, Komore, and Good Hunter of course.) Or maybe just doodle something.

Despite the ideas coming inside his mind, his eyes catch a familiar red sticky note in the bottom left of the board. Just like the previous one he saw before, it has doodles of maple leaves around but this time, he gets to actually read what’s written on the paper.

A lone maple leaf such as I, looks for tranquility in the midst of chaos, to calm one’s mind. Hence, I come to this board to inquire about a place where you would find one. I show my deepest gratitude to you who answer this.

One thing that Scaramouche notes after he finishes reading the note twice is that whoever wrote this, the dude is weird.

“Who the fuck writes like this?” It reminds him of that blonde student in the library again, although this one is not as bad as her. Damn, that girl really left a deep impression on me.

There’s no sticky note beside it, meaning no one has replied to it yet. Who would even try to reply to that, Scaramouche crinkles his nose. He’s a bit thankful that he manages to comprehend what the dude was trying to ask. Reading Miko’s novels actually paid off this time.

Uncapping his pen, he writes a quick note on his paper, biting the cap between his lips.

?? Do you even know how to write normally or flowers come out of your mouth?? No wonder no one’s replying to you, no offense. Also, there’s this small garden behind the science building. Few people go there. Maybe you’ll find your “tranquility.”

He sticks the paper beside the red one before leaving.

✧˖*°࿐

Mona, Yanfei, and Childe look at him expectantly.

He gives them a weird look. “What?”

“You finally wrote something on the board, didn’t you?” Mona asks. Scaramouche raises an eyebrow at her. “Yeah, and?”

Childe speaks this time. “Which one was yours?”

He smirks at him. “Why would you want to know? Did you ask Zhongli out yet?” The ginger haired male deflated like a balloon, shoulders slumping. “I’m finding a perfect time to ask him.”

“Weak.” They all say. Childe gives them the middle finger. 

Yanfei taps the table, grabbing their attention. “Back to the matter on hand, which one was yours?” She asks, looking at him seriously. Scaramouche would actually take her seriously if not for the slight twitch of her lips. Yeah, work hard on keeping yourself from laughing.

“Why?”

Mona says, “we just wanna know if you’re being sarcastic or not.”

He just smirks at her. “Wouldn’t you wanna know.”

“You’re such a pain in the ass.”

✧˖*°࿐

He’s ready to plop down on his bed as soon as he comes back from his last class. That was his plan. But of course, his best friend aka slash pain in the ass has to ruin it.

He enters the building with a sigh, adjusting his bag in his arms as he enters the elevator leading to the fourth floor, Childe following behind him. 

“Do you think Xiao will kill me?” Childe asks while they wait inside the elevator. There’s a scowl on Scaramouche’s face when he looks at his reflection in the mirror. Childe’s looking at him with a sheepish smile. 

Scaramouche shrugs. “I dunno. If he’s in a good mood then he’ll probably not.”

The ginger male whimpers, looking at Scaramouche. “Are you going to ask his brother for marriage or what? I thought we’re gonna study.” The purple haired male grumbles under his breath. 

“Forget studying! There’s a high possibility of your roommate killing me.”

Scaramouche gives him a groan with a matching eye roll. “He’s not gonna kill you. Xiao’s probably not yet even back.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Once they leave the elevator, they head straight towards Scaramouche’s room, passing by the notice board. It catches Childe’s attention, quickly grabbing his arm when he makes no plans to stop.

“Pause! I wanna see what you wrote.” Childe grins, scanning the board but still not letting go of Scaramouche’s arm. He grunts. “I’m gonna kill you.”

Despite his words, Scaramouche looks at the place where he left his sticky note earlier. There’s another red piece of sticky note beside it, the person probably leaving him a reply.

He leans down and squints his eyes to read the neat, cursive writing.

I show my deepest and sincere gratitude to you, stranger. I shall visit this tranquil place you speak of next time. However, I shall also tell you that I speak in utmost normality. :)

Scaramouche is stunned. 

“Is that the one you wrote? Let me read.” Childe says as he also leans down to read. “What did it say..”

Scaramouche ignores the way Childe bursts out laughing after he reads the conversation. His eyebrows twitch, the smiley face written at the end irritating him. 

The cheeky bastard. 

Childe wheezes, clutching his stomach as he bends his body forward from laughing. He rests his arm on Scaramouche’s shoulder for assistance. The purple haired male resists the urge to punch him in the gut. 

“Fuck,” he wheezes, wiping his tears from his eyes. “That was a good laugh.”

Scaramouche gives him a dry laugh. “Yeah, I can see that.”

He looks back at the red sticky note, rereading it for the second time. He can sense the cheekiness of the person just from the words, assuming that this person purposely replied to him in that way.

“They probably did that on purpose.”

They did. They definitely did.

Scaramouche punched Childe’s stomach. The latter doesn’t complain, instead he bursts out laughing as he follows him towards his room.

✧˖*°࿐

Even though his first experience writing on the board is getting a cheeky response from a stranger, Scaramouche finds himself continuing to write on the notice board. When the three visited his dorm, they only gave Scaramouche a look that said ‘ I told you so’ when they caught him writing on a sticky note.

It eventually got added into his routine. He finds himself responding to the different questions regarding academics (especially if it comes from a pre-med freshman), or asking for recommendation. He doesn’t actually post his own questions or notes, reasoning that he doesn’t have anything to say. 

Not only that, but he actually got to have someone to bicker with on the notice board.

He sees the familiar red sticky note posted on the bottom left of the board, as usual. And just like before, it’s adorned with their doodles of maple leaves. In the middle is their neatly written note in cursive.

I find myself taking a fancy stroll in a nearby park whenever I find myself burnt out by academics. It’s located at the back of the campus once you exit the gate. It is a recommended place to calm one’s mind if you ever find yourself experiencing such negative emotions.

Scaramouche lets out a snort.

It’s always fascinating for him to read the notes of this stranger. He talks way too formal, an opposite way of how he talks — which is usually filled with sarcasm, curses, and insults. Maple dude is what Scaramouche has been calling this stranger for the past few days.

He takes out his purple sticky note and pen and begins to write on the paper.

do you make it a habit to talk like a public announcer or something????? you sound like an old dude

He sticks the paper just beside the red one and leaves before anyone comes to the hall.

(He went to the said park to calm himself after he got annoyed by his anatomy professor, again .)

When Scaramouche gets back from his class, he squints his eyes at the new sticky note attached to his own. 

Do you make it a habit to speak purely in sarcasm? That’s fascinating.  

There’s not much bite to it, but Scaramouche feels the corner of his lips twitch. 

Cheeky bastard.

✧˖*°࿐

They continue at it for days, replying back and forth with Scaramouche in his usual sarcastic remarks while Maple Dude replies with formality and poetic words. Scaramouche wants to bang his head against the wall when the guy gives him a haiku as a response.

The day Scaramouche finally posted his own sticky note, it’s when he’s looking for his notebook that he lost in their small lounge. 

There’s a permanent scowl on his face the whole day that Childe and Yanfei didn’t do much teasing, too scared that they’d get a whole angry Scaramouche at their backs. Mona chided him for losing his notebook.

“I was sleep deprived.” He reasoned.

When he gets back to their dorm, he immediately checks the notice board if someone found it. To his surprise, there’s relatively a lot more response than what he expected. 

Written on a light orange sticky note (probably Yoimiya’s) says “no, i haven’t seen any notebook in the lounge area sorry!” There’s also a light blue sticky note with a frost sticker pasted on it. Probably Ayaka’s. “ No, I haven’t seen one. Maybe try looking for it at the office?” He recognizes Xiao’s handwriting written on a pastel green sticky note, “ look for it in Eula’s office. Also stop sleeping in the lounge area, dumbass. ”

He rolls his eyes at his roommate’s response.

He quickly scribbles something on Xiao’s paper, telling him he doesn’t get to talk about falling asleep anywhere when Scaramouche caught him asleep, standing up, in the laundry room one time. 

He imagines the look on Xiao’s face, probably a scowl. He just laughs.

To his surprise, Maple Dude also left him a note, attached below Xiao’s sticky note.

I found a notebook in the lounge the other day and brought it to the office. You might want to check it with Eula. Also your drawings are rather cute. They look pretty like you. :)

There’s no drawings of maple leaves this time and the handwriting looked like they rushed in writing it. Scaramouche rereads them again, cheeks flushing because of the implication that this stranger knows him and perhaps even flirting . Although he decided that he’ll get back to it later since his notebook is far more important right now. He writes a quick ‘thanks’ on a separate sticky note before marching towards the office on the end of the floor. 

The door is open when Scaramouche arrives, but their RA is nowhere to be seen. Instead, his eyes widened at the sight of a familiar pink haired female sitting in front of the table with her thick book open in front of her.

Emerald eyes lock with periwinkle.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” He asks, giving Yanfei a confused look as he enters the office. Yanfei gives him a wave with a matching grin. “Sup?”

“What are you doing here?” He repeats. As far as he knows, Yanfei doesn’t live on the same floor as him, let alone building. So seeing her inside Eula’s office is surprising. He distantly remembers the notes about a girl seen with Eula all the time.

Scaramouche gives Yanfei a long side glance which the latter immediately responds with a “What?” voice sounding almost like a whine. 

“Are you dating Eula?”

She looks taken aback, eyes widening in surprise as she leans back. Yanfei then lets out a laugh, waving her hand. “No. If you saw that note and thought it was me who’s always seen with Eula, it’s not me.” She says with a laugh. “Although, I do spend lots of time with her.” She mumbles, putting her fingers on her chin in thought.

Scaramouche hums, raising an eyebrow. Yanfei claps her hand. “Anyway! Eula’s dating Amber, I’m literally just being a third wheel with them.” He doesn’t say anything else, opting to change the topic. “Anyway, where’s Eula?”

“She went out. Bought some food.” She answers as she puts her things on the small table in front of the sofa. “She’ll be back soon, I think. You can wait.”

Scaramouche sits on the sofa, pulling out his phone to entertain himself but stops himself when Yanfei plops down beside him. The air is filled with Yanfei’s chatter and his occasional hum, listening to her speak about the laws they have discussed in class.

Eula enters the office with two plastic bags in her hands, kicking the door close with her feet behind her. “Oh, hi Scaramouche,” she greets, placing the items on the coffee table. “Do you need something?”

Yanfei, who’s leaning on Scaramouche’s side earlier, immediately grabs a piece of bread from the plastic, giving Eula a grin as thanks. Scaramouche sits up straight. “Uh, yeah. I lost my notebook.” He mutters.

Eula sits on the chair in front of the table, crossing her legs as she unwraps a piece of moonpie. “Want some?” Scaramouche shakes his head. “You have to be specific; we have many lost notebooks here.”

“It’s a red notebook with gold swirly shit in front.” 

He looks at her, eyes following when she starts to look at the small box as she rummages through the items. He lets out a sigh of relief when she takes out a small notebook. “Is it this one?”

Eula hands it to him and he immediately checks the inside of the notebook. It’s filled with his drawings and doodles, some stickers and most importantly, one of his pictures with Ei and Makoto when they were still children. He nods, clutching the notebook tightly in his hands. “Yeah, thanks.”

Eula nods.

“By any chance…” Scaramouche trails. Eula turns her head to him as she takes a small bite of her moonpie. “Do you know who found this?”

“Oh,” she mumbles, a hand covering her lips when she swallows. “No, I didn’t see the person who brought this here. The notebook was left on the table and kept because someone might look for it.”

His shoulders slump in the slightest bit. “Oh.”

Yanfei hums from her seat. She’s looking at him in interest, eyebrows raised and eyes sparkling. “You sound disappointed. I thought you’d be… more angry that someone might look into your notebook.”

Scaramouche scratches his cheek, looking away at the interrogating eyes of Yanfei. “I kind of know who found the notebook.”

“Then why ask me?”

“Because I don’t know who the person is personally. I found out that the person I’ve been bickering with on the board found it.” He answers, shrugging. “I thought I might be able to get a name.”

Yanfei and Eula share a look. “I can’t tell you who that person you’re talking with if they’re anonymous. We have to keep it kind of confidential, unless the person themselves reveals their name.” Eula says.

“I can’t just ask them their name. That’s weird.” He says, scrunching his nose. 

He hears Yanfei snicker. “Stop making that ‘ick’ face.”

He narrows his eyes at her. “I’m not making an ‘ick’ face.” He replies, making air quotes with his fingers.

“You’ll find that person eventually.” Yanfei muses, giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “And when you do, ask them out on a date. I saw their reply to you, they think you’re cute like your drawings.” She adds, wiggling her eyebrows as she nudges his side with her elbow. 

“Oh, shut up.”

He only receives a laugh.

✧˖*°࿐

Scaramouche wakes up annoyed.

He doesn’t know why, but he is annoyed.

He grabs his phone from the bedside drawer, turning off the alarm before sitting up with a glare on his face. He tosses his phone aside before grabbing his towel behind the door and heads towards the bathroom. 

He eyes the small crack on their bathroom walls while he’s washing his face. The crack was from Scaramouche’s punch during their first semester months ago, when he failed one of his tests. He felt frustrated that he punched the wall as soon as he got home, not giving a single fuck if the tiles crack or his knuckles bleed. Xiao found him with bleeding knuckles and bruises forming. 

The other male didn’t say anything as he cleaned Scaramouche’s hand. 

“Shit!” He scrambles to open the faucet, washing off the soap that comes in contact with his eyes. “Stupid. Fucking stupid, Scaramouche.” He grumbles as he wipes his face with his towel. 

He goes out of their unit after he finishes preparing for his morning class with his thermos in his hand. There’s a scowl on his face as he heads towards where the water dispenser is located. They recently ran out of coffee and Scaramouche was supposed to buy them a new pack yesterday but he forgot, so he ended up using the coffee packs to their floor’s lounge. 

He eyes the notice board as he stirs his coffee, his eyes twitching at the sight. Whoever god is looking over at Scaramouche right now must be having the time of their lives, as he grimaces at the obnoxious neon colored sticky notes posted on the board.

Oh how much Scaramouche hates those colors. 

His day has not even gone halfway yet he wants it to end already. Or him. It’s either of the two.

A deep sigh escapes from his mouth before he takes a sip of his coffee. He walks towards the board with his usual sticky note on hand, ready to just scribble something to let off some steam when he catches a look of the familiar red sticky note.

It is amusing to take a look at how this pastel paper differs from the group of neons. It is like a lone maple leaf swaying along with cherry blossoms in spring. Anyway, to those of you who read this, I hope you have a good day ahead. :)

It is indeed the only pastel colored paper among the neon colored ones, save for the one in Scaramouche’s hand. There’s a snarky remark forming inside his head, ready to be written, but perhaps it was the message that Scaramouche stops himself from writing. 

Instead, he writes something light, a teasing reply in Scaramouche’s opinion. Once he finishes writing, instead of one pastel colored sticky note, there are two, side by side. 

are you saying that you’re not like the other girls??? lmao. also, thanks for finding my notebook, bud. i really appreciate that. 

He walks back to the corner of the water dispenser only to stop in his tracks when he sees another person in front of it. It startled him for a moment for the fact that he didn’t hear anyone approaching. 

He heaves a sigh.

“Rough morning?” Scaramouche looks up from his mug to the person in front of him when they speak, his soft voice startling him for a bit. 

He shrugs, approaching the water dispenser when the other male steps aside. “You could say that.”

He watches the white haired male as he gulps down his drink, eyes looking over his figure. They’re almost the same height, albeit Scaramouche can tell that the other is slightly taller than him. The other has a white hair with a red streak on the side tied in a low ponytail. His eyes are a deep crimson, almost the color of a blood. 

Scaramouche tilts his head to the side a little, a small frown adorning his face. Have I seen this guy before?

Aside from that thought, one thing that Scaramouche notes is that this guy is handsome . And hot. 

A light chuckle snaps him out of his train of thoughts, eyes darting towards the male. His hands dip the tea bag he’s holding onto his mug. His hands are really pretty too. And big.

Wait, what?

“Although this is our first time interacting with each other, one could sense that you are rather disturbed just from the look on your face.” Scaramouche looks at the male who’s also directly looking at him. He almost flushes at the small smile the other male is giving him; it looks gentle, soft, and it tugs something on Scaramouche’s heartstrings. 

“Should I leave?” The other asks, and Scaramouche immediately shakes his head. “No. I don’t care at all.”

There’s a hint of concern hidden behind the smiling eyes the other male gives him. “If you’re sure.”

“I am sure.” Scaramouche replies, pursing his lips. 

Silence passes between them, the only noise that could be heard is the clinking of his spoon against the ceramic cup the white haired male is holding in his hand. The male speaks again, looking at Scaramouche.

“Whatever your problem is, I think it’s better to let it out instead of bottling it up.” He says, averting his gaze from Scaramouche and directs his eyes at the board. He gives Scaramouche another glance, a shy smile on his lips. “A frown definitely does not suit such a pretty face.”

His cheeks burn in embarrassment, turning his head away from the laughing male. “Shut up.”

The laugh he lets out wipes the frown on his face.

“You could write something there.” He suggests, pointing at the board with his index finger.

“I already did.”

The other male does not say anything else and instead walks towards the board, holding his cup of tea in his hands. 

Scaramouche opens his mouth, about to ask something when his eyes catch the numbers on the digital wall clock. “Shit.” He hisses. Since when did we have a wall clock here? He shakes his head, ignoring his own thoughts. He closes the lid of his thermos and starts to go out of the lounge to head to the elevator.

He looks back at the other male, who’s still looking at the notice board, and clears his throat to grab his attention. The other turns to him.

“Hey, uh,” Scaramouche trails, awkwardly pointing at the elevator’s direction with his thumb. “I gotta go.”

The other male gives him a nod accompanied with a smile as he gives him a little wave. “Sure. Good luck in your class.” He nods and heads towards the elevator. 

The look of the white haired male that he sends towards Scaramouche’s direction after reading the note written in the purple sticky note goes unnoticed.

It’s only when Scaramouche is in the middle of his class when he remembers something.

I forgot to ask their name .

✧˖*°࿐

He doesn’t encounter the white haired male again.

It has been three days since their first talk in the lounge area and after that, he never sees him again. He wonders if that male is actually living on the same floor, or perhaps even the same building. 

It’s not like he cares anyway. He’s just… wondering.

Scaramouche knows and admits that the guy is attractive. All of the things that he had seen and heard just from their brief interaction was attractive to his eyes. Kind of like a strong impression.

Although the way he talks reminds him of a certain someone. 

And that certain someone is who he’s currently writing to. 

“Why exactly are you picking fights with a stranger?” Childe asks, watching his friend incredulously as he writes something on a purple sticky note. He continues, “and in the public board, of all places.”

Scaramouche rolls his eyes at him. “I am not picking fights with whoever this is.” He puts the cap back on his pen before tossing it to Childe, who manages to catch it somehow. “Plus, you’re the one who suggested that I write on this board. I am simply doing it.” He gives him a sickeningly sweet smile. 

“You make me sick,” Childe groans. “I said you could rant on this board with your hideous handwriting instead of going on a punching spree, I still feel bad for your bathroom walls by the way, not annoy a stranger and pick fights with them.”

Scaramouche shrugs. Childe tries to calm himself.

“I’m honestly wondering how this person, what’s that name you called them again?”

“Maple Dude.”

Childe lets out an unattractive snort. “Anyway, I’m honestly wondering how this Maple Dude person hasn’t stormed to your dorm yet. Your sarcasm is way over the roof sometimes. And your handwriting is atrocious, really fitting for a doctor.”

Scaramouche halts in front of the elevator and turns to Childe. “First of all, we don’t even know each other. How’s this person gonna storm in our room? Also, they don’t particularly sound mad in their notes. I mean if they are then they’re not gonna reply to me anymore, right?”

Childe nods, agreeing with whatever he’s saying. He doesn’t tell Scaramouche that it’s probably the first time he heard him talk so much.

“Secondly, I’m glad to know your brain is working to notice my sarcasm. And lastly, my handwriting is not atrocious, you piece of shit.” Childe grunts as he’s been elbowed in his side. 

“What do you mean it’s not atrocious? I could barely read your handwriting.”

“Sounds like a ‘you’ problem.”

“You’re fucking horrible.”

They walk towards the elevator as Childe continues to tell his stories about talking to Zhongli until he falls asleep to the man’s deep voice. He’s not gonna lie, he could also probably fall asleep with his voice.

“It sounds like I’m listening to ASMR.”

Scaramouche agrees.

“Oi,” Scaramouche calls. Childe makes a face at him. “You could have at least called my name.”

“You know everyone on campus, right?”

Childe raises an eyebrow at the question. “Do I look like Lumine and Aether to you? No, Scara, I don’t know everyone on campus.”

He clicks his tongue in response. “Why’re you asking?”

“Thought you might know someone.”

Childe slides to his side, invading Scaramouche’s space as he wraps his arm around his shoulder. “Who is it? Do you like this person? Huh? Are you finally falling in love?”

Scaramouche gives him a dirty look, slapping away the arms around him. “What do you mean, finally, you fuckface.”

“Oh, those nicknames you give me makes me hard.”

He makes a disgusted look, pushing Childe away from him which only makes the ginger head laugh loudly. “Holy fuck, you should’ve seen your face.”

He sneers. “I’m gonna kill you.”

“You think I’m gonna take you seriously? With that height?”

Scaramouche punches him on his stomach.

“What the hell is going on here?” Mona asks once she sees Childe bending over, clutching his stomach with a pained smile. Yanfei follows behind her with a skip on her steps. She stops when she sees Childe.

“What the hell happened?”

Scaramouche clicks his tongue. “He’s getting on my nerves.” 

Mona and Yanfei give him confused looks. “Doesn’t he always?”

“Hey!” Childe’s protest falls on deaf ears.

They walk to a nearby table under the shade of a tree. Mona taps on top of the table before pointing at Childe’s stomach. “What happened? Is your stomach alright?”

“My abs are fine! It’s as solid as rock.”

The two females look at Scaramouche, who lets out a sigh before speaking. There's a look of amusement in Yanfei’s eyes and a deadpan expression once Scaramouche finishes retelling what happened. Mona sighs, shaking her head. “You did that to yourself, Childe.” 

“I know. It’s just funny.”

Scaramouche gives him a grin, raising his fist. “You wouldn’t find it funny if I punched your face, would you?”

“Please stop.”

Yanfei cuts in before a fight between the two could even start, no matter how amusing it is to watch the two bicker back and forth. “Anyway, who’s this person you’re trying to look for? Describe them.”

“White hair, red eyes, and pale as fuck.” Scaramouche says. He couldn’t just blurt out he has some nice soothing voice, or else he’s about to get another round of teasing. “Oh, also almost the same height as me? Probably just a bit taller.”

“Doesn’t ring a bell.”

“Who the hell is that?”

“Is that Aether?”

Scaramouche gives Yanfei a flat look. “I know Aether. And I literally just said they have red eyes.”

“Oh, your words didn’t process inside my brain.” Yanfei laughs. “Daily life of a law student with a sleep deprived brain.”

“You should probably ask your roommate about it,” Mona suggests. Scaramouche looks at her. “Aether is Xiao’s boyfriend, so maybe he could ask him if he knows that person you’re looking for.”

“Why are you looking for that person anyway?”

Scaramouche paused. Why is he looking for that person?

He’s just wondering, right? Totally not because he finds the male hot and pretty and handsome—

Definitely not. 

“I was just wondering.”

“You’re such a shitty liar, Mouchie.”

✧˖*°࿐

Scaramouche does not, in fact, ask Xiao.

He would rather swallow a whole uncooked octopus rather than asking Xiao to ask Aether about it. No thank you. 

And since Scaramouche did not ask his roommate about the hot white haired male with a nice voice, maybe he thought of that person for the next few days.

“Are you just gonna stand there or what?” Xiao’s voice snaps him back to reality, cheeks flushing at the realization that he’s thinking about the male again. He clenches the paper in his hand, looking at the board instead of spacing out.

Xiao’s holding his own paper, sticking it on the board when Scaramouche doesn’t respond. 

He sticks the paper with his response to Maple Dude’s question of where’s a good place to have some tea. He said Komore and suggested trying their sakura tea (it’s his favorite, as well as his sisters) and osmanthus tea (courtesy of Xiao.)

“You’ve been talking to that person a lot,” Xiao comments, looking at the paper he just stuck on the board. Scaramouche hums. “Do you know their name?”

“Wait, how’d you know I’m replying to this person a lot?”

“I would remember that atrocious handwriting of yours.” He replies. Scaramouche scowls (or more like pouts), crossing his arms and grumbling under his breath. “My handwriting is not that bad.”

“Who are you kidding,” Xiao scoffs, leaning a bit forward to look at the purple paper. He lets out an approving hum, “okay, maybe this one isn’t so bad like the others.”

“Shut up.”

“You still don’t know their name?” Scaramouche shakes his head. He doesn’t, it’s because they’ve never thought about it. They’re just two strangers bickering on board, and nothing else.

Except that these notes make Scaramouche’s day.

Ever since it got added to his daily routine, his day would not feel complete if he doesn’t write on the board. Also talking to that Maple Dude even though it’s just always exchanging witty remarks and suggestions, it makes his day a little better.

He doesn’t know this feeling. It’s kind of weird, having to feel a certain emotion about someone who he hasn't even seen before. But their words… it’s kind of comforting.

“Do you have any plans on meeting them?”

He gives Xiao a shrug. “I don’t know. But, I think it would be nice to see who I’ve been bickering with.”

✧˖*°࿐

prayer circle to pass this sem

3:12 PM

yanfei:

eyoo i can’t come with you guys to childe’s practice today sorry

pain in the ass childe:

it’s aight. practice is cancelled, coach said they have to clean the pool

yanfei:

ohhhh do u have any other plans???

pain in the ass childe:

nop why 

mona megistus:

holy fuck i just got out of my last class. im tired and hungry i want to eat something

yanfei:

oh cool! i’m actually heading to wangshu cafe rn hutao said they released a new menu today. wanna come with?

mona megistus:

yes please

pain in the ass childe:

im gonna join since i don’t have any better things to do lmao

hey mona i’m gonna drive us there

mona megistus:

where’s scara? is he gonna join?

scaramouche:

nah, i’m lazy to go out

yanfei:

oh you’re there i thought you’re offline

anyway, you sure ur not gonna join?

scaramouche:

yes

yanfei:

alright then

oh btw kazuha’s coming with me is that okay

scaramouche:

who’s that

mona megistus:

it’s fine

yanfei:

my friend in lit department. he’s the one who told me to write when im mad

scaramouche:

oh okay

yanfei:

oh bye our bus is here

mona megistus:

we’re gonna be there in few childe’s taking so long

scaramouche:

have fun

✧˖*°࿐

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

Scaramouche hisses upon seeing the blonde male with honey eyes sitting on one of their beanbags (it’s Xiao’s, thankfully) as soon as he enters their unit. 

Aether looks up from his laptop, fingers pausing from typing before giving him a raised eyebrow. “Uh… hello to you, too? Is that how you greet a friend?”

Scaramouche scoffs, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “We’re not friends.”

“Frenemy?”

He snorts. Unbelievable. “What are you, elementary?”

Aether only gives him a middle finger before he resumes back to typing. Xiao walks out of his room and sees him toeing off his shoes from the doorway. “Oh, you’re back.” Xiao says as he sits beside his boyfriend. “He’s staying here for a while, his roommate is uh… rather busy in their room.”

Scaramouche laughs, which earns him a scowl from Aether. “Aw, poor you.”

“Shut the fuck up,” the blonde rolls his eyes.

He had known Aether since they were in high school. They’re not exactly friends or enemies. There's been an unspoken and still ongoing rivalry between them since high school. Aether is one hell of a competitive person, and so is Scaramouche; both have beautiful and lovely faces with sharp tongues, sarcasm going through the roof. All in all, they’re pretty much rivals.

Scaramouche tilts his head back slightly, grinning at Aether. His arms are still crossed in front of his chest. “Make me.”

Xiao only rolls his eyes at what’s going on between them. He’s definitely used to it. Is he tired of it? Probably. We’ll never know. 

(He secretly likes watching them bicker because Aether looks hot when he’s mad but he’s never gonna admit that out loud.)

Aether groans, burying his face on his hands. “You’re so annoying—”

“So I’ve been told.”

The blonde glares at him for interrupting. “I’m not done talking, asshole.” He lets out a sigh, slumping down on the beanbag. “I don’t know how Kazuha put up with you.”

The grin on his face falls, replacing it with a frown. His arms uncrossed, dropping down to his sides. “Huh? Kazuha? Yanfei mentioned that name the other day.”

Aether looks confused, sitting up from his position and turning to Xiao. Scaramouche watches as they whisper along with each other. He sees Xiao shake his head from whatever Aether is saying, making the blonde gasp.

“He doesn’t know?”

“Aeth, I told you, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m asking you if Scaramouche knows who Kazuha is.”

“I don’t.” Scaramouche quipped. All he knows is he’s friends with Yanfei and he’s from the literature department. “Who’s that?”

“You don’t know you’ve been talking to Kazuha the whole time?” Aether blurts out.

Xiao and Scaramouche look at him with surprise and confusion.

“What?”

“Maple Dude?”

It’s Aether’s turn to look confused. He lets out a laugh, he looks somewhat amused, but still confused. “Maple Dude?” He repeats.

Xiao nods, “that’s what he’d been calling the person he kept on bickering with. It’s Kazuha?”

“He doesn’t know it’s Kazuha?!”

Scaramouche sighs, taking a seat in his beanbag. “Well, your friend never mentioned his name in his notes and I didn’t bother asking since he also didn’t ask for mine.” He says. Aether’s still gaping at them, mouth opening and closing but no words come out.

“You look like a fish.”

“Kazuha mentioned your name once, I think?” Aether says, ignoring the fish comment. “So I just assumed you guys know each other.”

It grabs his attention, he’s mentioned me? He gives the blonde a shrug before lying down, facing the white ceiling, pursing his lips to stop himself from smiling. “Well, now you know I don’t.”

“Have you seen him before? I’m genuinely gonna be surprised if you guys haven’t seen each other yet.” Aether speaks as he looks at Scaramouche with wide eyes. “His room is literally like, on the other side of this floor.”

Scaramouche jolts up, “he is?” He shakes his head. Of course the guy is living here, given that he’d written on the board before. But he didn’t think they’d be that close to each other.

Aether unplugs his phone from the charger, scrolling on it before calling out to Scaramouche. “Look, this is Kazuha.” He says, handing his phone to him. 

Displayed on his screen is a picture of Aether and someone beside him. The other one has a smile on his lips, with white hair with red streak on the side, his crimson eyes turning crescents as he holds a maple leaf between his index and middle finger. 

“What the fuck,” he mutters, a little breathlessly.

No way.

He hears Aether snicker. “What? He rendered you speechless with his beauty? That’s nothing new; it’s his charm.”

He ignores the words he’s saying, too focused on the information that Maple Dude is that hot guy he talked to during that morning. No wonder he feels a certain feeling towards them.

They’re the same person.

“I, uh…” he trails, clearing his throat when he feels like his voice is about to crack. “I’ve met him before.”

“Wait, really?” Xiao asks, surprise evident in his voice. “I didn’t even know he’s in this building.”

Aether laughs, grabbing his phone from Scaramouche’s lap when it falls from his hands. He didn’t even notice it fell, what the fuck. “That’s because he recently transferred there. He used to be in the other dorm, you know that one at the end of the campus? Yeah, that. Gorou’s old roommate left and now there’s available room so he transferred here. He’s still transferring his things from his old room so you probably see him less here.”

Nodding his head at Aether’s explanation, he now understands why he hasn’t seen the male yet after that morning. 

“Anyway, what do you think about Kazuha? He’s single.” Aether says, wiggling his eyebrows at him. “I think he has a crush on you.”

Xiao pinches his side. “Why are you ratting out your best friend?” 

“They’ll know it eventually! You know, he’s been spending a lot of time in that garden behind the science building. Said someone recommended it,” Aether gives Scaramouche a teasing grin, leaning forward to poke his arm. “So that someone was you.”

He rolls his eyes at him before letting out a cry when Aether pinches him. “You haven’t answered my question!”

“Which one?” Scaramouche asks exasperatedly. He lets out a tired sigh; having Aether around just exhausts him. It’s like being faced with the sun itself from how much energy the blonde has. 

“What do you think about Kazuha?”

He smirks, “I think he’s hot.” He replies, ignoring how his cheeks flush as well as the tip of his ears. “Wouldn’t mind talking to him in person.”

Aether lets out a gasp. “Scaramouche not minding social interaction? Unbelievable.”

✧˖*°࿐

He finds himself visiting the garden behind the science building again.

The library was too noisy for him to study properly so when he sees that there are many students walking around, he immediately bolts out of the door. He sees Lisa chuckle at him as he exits.

It’s been a few days since he found out that Maple Dude and the hot guy that one morning - Kazuha - are the same person. It’s also been a few days since he noticed that Kazuha hasn’t written any new notes on the notice board; their last sticky note is still posted on the board.

Scaramouche tells himself it does not affect him.

Okay, maybe a bit.

He shakes his head to clear his mind, walking towards a bit faster when he spots the familiar purple gate of the garden. The place is filled with sakura trees, its bloom decorating the path he walks on. The blue flowers on the ground sways along the wind, its petals shining under the sun.

It’s prettier during the night. Scaramouche has spent many nights just sitting in this garden when he was a freshman, watching as the blue and pink flowers glow under the moonlight. He loves listening to the flowing water coming from the fountain.

He steps on the stepping stones leading inside the garden, looking around and breathing a sigh of relief when he sees there’s no one inside except for the staff, a grandma who always gives Scaramouche a snack whenever he’s visiting, who maintains the garden. Upon seeing Scaramouche enter, she puts down her things and walks toward him.

“Ah, Scara dear, it’s nice to see you again.” She says, gently patting his head. He smiles at her. “It’s nice to see you too.”

She digs her hand in her pockets before bringing out a pack of biscuits and handing it to him. “A snack for you.”

“I’ve already eaten, gran.” He says as he tries to give it back to her but to no avail, she gives him a stern look. He only gives her a fond smile. 

“Have you eaten, gran? I’ll feel bad knowing that you haven’t eaten yet and you’re giving me your food.” She only laughs softly, patting his arm.

“You needn’t worry about me; I’ve already had my meal.” She says. “Share your food with that handsome boy sitting on your usual table, if you want.” Scaramouche cracks a smile at her words.

“Handsome boy?”

His eyes follow the direction of where she is pointing; there seated on the table is the person Scaramouche has been trying to look for for the past few days. The white haired male is looking down on the book he’s reading, hair swaying when the breeze hits his face. Sensing that someone is looking at him, he looks up from his book, eyes widening when he sees who it was.

Scaramouche hears grandma laugh, patting his shoulders as she steps away from him.

He makes his way towards the male, who’s smiling softly at him as he closes his book. “We meet again,” Kazuha says when Scaramouche is standing in front of the table.

He gives Kazuha a stiff nod, cheeks flushing in embarrassment when no words come out of his mouth. Scaramouche feels eyes looking at his face and he makes the mistake of looking at the male. He’s looking directly at Scaramouche’s eyes, the small smile never leaving his lips. 

“Are you trying to imitate a statue? You look so stiff.” Scaramouche scrunches his eyes closed, breathing heavily through his nose as he takes a seat in front of him. 

“You’re Maple Dude.”

Scaramouche purses his lips, ducking his head down as he tries to stifle his laughs. His shoulders are a giveaway though as it continues to shake. He buries his face in his hands in embarrassment.

Kazuha only laughs in amusement.

“Maple Dude? Is that the nickname you gave me?” He asks the purple haired male, who only nods. His voice comes out muffled as he speaks. “Yeah, I’m not sorry, though.”

He looks up, seeing Kazuha shake his head. He leans a bit forward, resting his chin on his hand. “I like it. It’s an honor to be given a nickname by you.” Scaramouche’s heart skipped a beat or two at hearing the bright laugh that escaped from those pink lips when he gave him an eye roll. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Scaramouche.” Kazuha then says. He gives Kazuha a small smile, nodding his head. “Same.”

Something clicks inside his head. He looks at Kazuha’s face. He never told him his name. “How’d you know my name?” He asks. The smile on Kazuha’s face falters for a bit before it goes back again.

“I’ve actually known you since last year.” He admits, ducking his head down to hide the blush on his face as he scratches his cheek. Scaramouche is dumbfounded. Since last year? As if hearing the question inside his mind, Kazuha continues.

“You gave me your umbrella when it was raining. I still have your umbrella, by the way. I also uh… saw your name in your ID and thought it was… unique.” He says, cheeks flushing, shyness evident in his voice. “I also thought you were really pretty.”

“So you had a crush on me?”

Kazuha makes a choking sound, raising his hand to cover his face. Scaramouche grins. “Oh my god,” he mutters, averting his gaze from the purple haired male. “I mean, you could say that, yeah. I still have a crush on you.”

Kazuha’s frankness makes Scaramouche's cheeks flush, covering it up with a cough. “You speak rather normally in person, very different from the way you write.”

It makes Kazuha laugh. He could definitely get used to hearing that laugh.

“If you check the back of my notes, which I don’t expect you to, I always write a little  note,” he says. Scaramouche titls his head to the side. Kazuha continues, “I am merely jesting. I don’t really talk like that, but I guess it’s kind of a good thing that my crush noticed it.”

Scaramouche makes a face, not his ‘ick’ face, no, but a look of disbelief. “You’re writing like that on purpose?!”

Kazuha shrugs. “It grabbed your attention, no?”

He groans which turns into a laugh. “You’re so annoying.”

“I’ve been told.”

Scaramouche thinks that it should feel different now that he finally talks to Kazuha again, and knowing that he’s the person he’s been bickering with, but no. He still feels that same feeling of something like tugging at his heart when he reads that one note from Kazuha.

“Would you like to grab tea with me?”

“At Komore?”

Kazuha nods. “I’ve taken a liking to their sakura tea. It’s really good. Thank you for recommending that to me.”

Scaramouche feels a bit proud. “You can always ask me if you want to try new tea.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

✧˖*°࿐

On their way back to their dorm, Kazuha blurts out something that makes Scaramouche trip on nothing.

“Aether told me you think I’m hot.”

“What?!”

He scowls, reminding himself to get back to Aether later. For now, he sets his thoughts aside to hear Kazuha’s laugh. 

When Scaramouche enters his room after bidding goodbyes at each other (and also Kazuha inviting Scaramouche to have lunch tomorrow — which he immediately agreed to), he finds a sticky note inside his bag.

Kazuha must have slipped it inside while he wasn't looking. 

Written on the paper is Kazuha’s neat handwriting of his phone number. 

Scaramouche immediately dials it.