High Impact || Genshin Impact H.S AU

Chapter 2.9

Lumine found herself in Mona’s tattered car again. They were both on the way to Keqing’s house as per usual, going to discuss the book and start planning the visual media aspect of the project. Lumine found herself admiring the view of the household, being on top of a hill that rose high above the town, where Genshin High stood brightly in the center with its large modern architecture.

Surrounding the school was other houses, apartment complexes, restaurants, and more, being made for the school. She gulped a bit.

Mona had then driven to the gate, pressing the intercom, and asking to be let in. No response. Mona asks again, pressing the button and requesting access. Lumine watches eagerly from the passenger seat, hoping for a response. No response. Mona’s eyes dart, a sense of anger starting to well up.

She jabbed the button again, intensely asking for someone to open the door, and then waited, her eyes glaring at the intercom. Lumine inched away, fearing that they won’t get a response. No response.

“AGH! What are they doing that is so important!?” Mona shouts, gripping firmly onto her wheel, beginning to honk at the gate. Lumine clasped her ears, not liking the honking sound the car made, sounding less like a car honk and more like a dying cat mewl.
Then the intercom rings, coming alive. Mona stops, leaning her head to the intercom to listen.

“Oh, apologies Mona, I was dealing with something, come on in” the condescending voice of the butler said. Lumine knew that it was understandable if the butler was busy, but then she heard in the background loud sports noise, cheering, and an announcer saying something about points. She gulped, fearing Mona’s response to it.

Mona was silent, her eyes holding a silent tension that felt close to an explosion. She gripped her steering wheel again and drove into the large courtyard, passing the grass sculptures and everything. Lumine decided to try and break the silence.

“So does Keqing like sports?” Lumine asked, hoping to find reason within what could be a potentially awful situation.

“NO,” Mona says loudly, then adding with her teeth-gritting, “But I know the butler does, big sports fan, seen him get lots of sports merch and tickets as a gift from Keqing’s family”. Lumine inhales sharply, feeling the tension rise in the car.

Eventually, the car stops as they were both parked nearby the front door. The two unbuckled and got their stuff, with Mona furiously grabbing her stuff in a battered bag and stomping her way up to the large oak door.

Mona grabbed the door knockers, slamming them into the door.

Then Lumine noticed her panic slightly, seeming to check if she made a mark. When she realized she didn’t, she let out a quick breath of relief and returned to her mad self. The butler opened the door.

“You sure did knock rather loudly, I hope you didn’t leave a mark,” the butler said, checking around the door knockers for a mark. Lumine felt her breath hitch, feeling awkward.

“I guess you didn’t,” the butler said, smiling facedly and then saying, “I hope you have a good time, Keqing and Ganyu at the pool again” then points to the gravel path leading to the pool. Mona sighed, Lumine seeing as her anger began to decrease a bit.

The two walked down the gravel path, Mona seeming defeated while Lumine was feeling stuck, unsure of what to say or how to act. She’d never been in such situations of severe class differences and mistreatment, she was always in an economic class that was simply in the middle, and that is what it felt like right now.

Her thoughts were interrupted as they had arrived at the pool, seeing Keqing and Ganyu playfully in the pool, wearing swimsuits. Mona glared, to Lumine’s knowledge, seeing her anger return a bit.

Keqing and Ganyu were tossing the beach ball back and forth, then Mona walked on up nearby the side, grabbing the beach ball mid-air and tossing it away, her mouth forming a thin smile and her eyes raging.

“Hey!” Keqing said, contorting her face to show confusion and mild unpleasantness.

“Hey?" Mona asked, pausing for a moment as confusion was replaced with terrifying anger.

"Are you serious!” Mona exclaimed, her eyes going wide.

“Yeah, I mean you took our ball away,” Keqing said, pointing to the beach ball which was in the bushes. Ganyu was starting to sense things more quickly and went to Keqing, about to whisper something but Mona interrupted.

“Ganyu no! I want her to react and figure this out on her own!” Mona said, glaring at Ganyu till she backed away kindly.

“What do you mean?” Keqing said, confused still.

“I had to press the damn intercom button THREE TIMES, trying to get into your goddamn courtyard!” Mona said, and continuing to avoid Keqing speaking, “and your butler is purposefully ignoring me, I know that intercom will buzz and play loudly inside the house but no! your butler decided to ignore me and keep on watching sports! I can still hear the goddamn sports match being played from OUTSIDE! Which BTW, why the hell didn’t you hear us buzzing, were you guys too busy in your wonderland to fucking notice me!” Mona shouted out, her face going red, her hands in fists and her eyes bring veins.

Ganyu was white as a ghost and silent, politely standing off to the side with her hands folded. Lumine watched from the pool gate entrance, scared to join the group or else she might piss off Mona.

“I-I don’t know, I doubt the butler did that, doesn’t sound like him- “Keqing said before Mona went off again.

“SERIOUSLY! You’re defending the butler, who let me tell you, this isn’t the first time this happened!” Mona loudly exclaimed, getting madder as veins were filling her neck.

Lumine knew this wasn’t random but rather a slow-building thing that Mona has been keeping internally, mad, and furious on the inside but able to keep it down.

“I’m your friend, I’ve been your friend for so many years, I've seen previous butlers come and go and yet you decide to defend one who’s been very rude to me,” Mona said, tears forming. Keqing was silent, unable to find the words. Ganyu and Lumine stood off to the side, knowing it wasn’t entirely their battle to fight.

“I-I can’t, not today,” Mona said, defeated by Keqing’s silence. She left, getting her stuff dashed out the pool, quickly whispered to Lumine, “Ganyu will drive you home” and then heading to her car. Lumine could hear the car engine roar to life, getting distant and going down the hill, while sports noises from inside the house played out.

“Ah! What the hell!” Keqing loudly exclaims, getting her towel and going inside. Ganyu went to Lumine, drying herself with a towel.

“I think it’s fair to say today’s meeting been canceled. Hopefully, Keqing will do something about the butler, meanwhile, let me take you home” Ganyu said kindly, holding a genuinely sweet smile. Lumine nodded, confused, and frozen a bit from the course of events. She went to Ganyu’s car and went back home in silence, unsure of what to say.