♡ ᵎ 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐀 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄│𝘬. 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘦

𝟎𝟗 - 𝐀𝐬𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐟𝐞!

"I don't wanna take the bus! You know how hard it is to find a bus in the evening," you said through your phone as you started to tidy up your things on the table.

It was already evening by the time your meeting and planning ended. You ended up staying a little later as the other dismissed earlier as you helped Scaramouche with the other important things like the budget and others.

Somehow, you ended up staying a little too late than you expected to. You realized that Yoimiya and almost all of the students already left. You couldn't go home because it was already evening. You didn't have a car and looking for the bus at night was such trouble. The only way you could go home is if you walked but that would be more dangerous!

Scaramouche was also nowhere to be found. You guessed that he must've already gone home as soon as you guys finished discussing the plans. 

You sighed before grabbing your bag and stepping out of the student council club room. You left unlocked thinking that the staff may have the key and they'd lock it once they realized that you guys already left so you just went out of the school grounds.

It was dark, cold, and breezy in the evening. You could hear the faint sounds of the bustling city from afar but to where you stood, there seemed to be little to no signs of liveliness at all. 

The grip on the strap of your bag tightened as you kept walking. Truth be told, you don't trust yourself to remember the parts of this city at all. After your accident, Yoimiya would always accompany you from your house to school in her car so you never really had time to pay attention to your surroundings on the way to school. At this point, it felt like you were just walking in circles and wandering to where your feet take you.

You take a turn at an intersection and your eyes saw a post of signs leading in different directions. Different names were written on the metal board such as "Inazuma City", "Liyue Harbor", "Monstadt City" and smaller ones that pointed to the same ways as the others. 

Your eyes scanned the sign in hopes of finding a way to safely and surely get home properly. As you read the list from up to down, your eyes stopped at a certain location.

"Asase Shrine Café"

Suddenly, a flashback of the said place came to mind. 

It was short and vague but it still somewhat felt very special to you. You were in what seemed like a cat café with the same person you'd always see in your memories these past couple of days. Raven-colored hair fell to his face as his indigo orbs looked at your soul with nothing but pure adoration. No signs of ill-will or annoyance in his actions and the only thing that left his lips were flowery words.

Oh, so I can remember that god dang café but I can't remember my way home? What the fuck?! 

Letting out a frustrated sigh, you decided to keep walking forward in hopes of finding another clue or familiar landmark that may help you find your way home.

Continuing to walk forward may have been a bad idea but you don't think you could turn back now. If it was cold earlier, it became freezing in the secluded part of this town that you walked at. It was most definitely suspicious and eerie, it almost made your hair rise.

You let out a small gasp as you sighted a few men in front of an alleyway. They were drinking and smoking as they were speaking of things that were probably of no good. This was enough warning for you to turn back but you just decided to continue walking because you were so sure that home was just past these men.

You took a deep breath before bravely and sneakily trying to walk past them. Your footsteps weren't audible, you held your breath and you tried to make yourself as small as to become unnoticeable but unfortunately for you, you were noticeable as a fish out of water.

"Heyyy!" one of the men slurred as they spotted you. "What's a little girl like you doin' out here?"

"Uhm, I was just walking. I need to pass now so by-" you tried to be nice enough and stay out of trouble but somehow, it seemed as if they were the ones making trouble themselves.

"Hold on! What's the hurry huh? Why don't you come with us and have a drink yeah? We know a place." he smirked. His eyes were droopy and he reeked of alcohol. The cigar in his hand was lit up and smoke was fuming out of it. These guys smelled like so much trouble.

"No, thank you! I'm really in a hurry-" you gasped as you felt his arms go around your shoulder to have you in a headlock.

"I said, let's have a drink. Yeah?" he emphasized his words, a smile on his face but a malicious intent behind his stupid and drunken façade. You heard laughter all around as your fright was a dead giveaway of you being so defenseless.

You bit your lip and shut your eyes closed. Breathe hitching, heart pounding, and tears started to form on the ends of your eyes. You wish you could scream but his friends only tolerated his actions and you were terrified of what they could do to you if you caused a scene.

Someone! Anyone! Help me-

"Get your fucking hands off her, you disgusting pig!" your eyes quickly shot wide open as you heard a loud yell from not so far away.

There he was, dark hair and dark eyes that matched the night sky. He stood tall despite the men he was up against being twice his size. They only laughed before he took the chance to grab one of your wrists. His hold on you was tight but not as tight as how his other hand clenched in a fist, punching the guy who had a hold on you in his gut strongly that the guy choked out a cough.

He pulled you closer to his figure before glaring at the men. They were ready to beat his ass and kill him but he wouldn't let them as he pulled you to run with him. You two took a turn on the side of the road and thankfully, you could see a car parked to the side. 

"Get inside!" he yelled as he went to the other side, the driver's seat, and you opened the shotgun seat. You locked the doors as you glanced at the side mirrors. You could see the men catching up from not far but thankfully he started the car and drove away as quickly as possible.

"Scaramouche..."