The Boy Who Cried Fox

Infrimary

"Venti. I'm getting worried. The teacher said he didn't attend class." Childe was getting worried. He and Venti were already eating lunch and Ei said she last saw him at 9:50.

"Yea. This is weird. I tried calling Morax several times but no answer." Venti showed him the 17 missed calls. Childe was getting even more worried.

"I'm gonna go look for him." Standing up, Childe made his way to the cafeteria doors and left. He began searching all over the school for Zhongli.

C: Shit! Where on Teyvat could he possibly be?!

He went everywhere from the bathrooms to the swimming pool and that creepy alley behind school...Wait! Childe hadn't checked the alleyway! Immediately, Childe ran there. The fastest way was using that deserted hallway. Childe literally threw himself down the stairs in his haste to find Zhongli. Throwing the back doors open, Childe saw a sight he would never forgive himself for. There, on the floor, was Zhongli's shattered phone. He picked it up and made his way deeper into the alley. Once he reached the end, Childe turned on his own phone's flashlight. The beam of light casted on many things, garbage cans, litter and...

"ZHONGLI!" Childe dashed to the bloodied body. Hair messed up, shoes broken, blood everywhere, especially his mouth and nose. Childe cradled Zhongli in hopes that he would wake up but nothing happened.

C: Please, please, please don't be dead!

Childe started to think rationally. If someone is hurt, right! The infirmary! Carrying him bridal style, Childe ran to the infirmary. He didn't care if people were staring or filming, all he cared was for Zhongli to get immediate treatment. Childe burst into the infirmary and called Barbara over.

"Oh Lord Barbatos! What happened?!" Barbara was panicking but she remained calm and directed them to a bed.

"No idea." Childe was livid. At both himself and whoever did it. Barbara went over to examine his injuries.

"He sprained both of his ankles along with a whole lot of cuts and bruises. He may need to stay here for a bit. But his nose isn't broken like last time. Most likely a blood vessel burst from the impact." Barbara reassured him as she went out to tell a teacher about Zhongli's absence. Childe stayed back and texted Venti.

TarTarTaglia: Venti. He's in the infirmary.

Barbaratatoes: Morax? Coming now

Childe gazed at the brunette. He looked so...weak. Childe took Zhongli's phone out of his pocket to see how bad it was damaged. The screen was cracked but it seemed to be working as perusal.

"Wonder who did this, huh?" He murmured. He managed to turn it on, with a few things not working. He used Zhongli's face for his Face ID, thinking how smart he was. (He isn't really that smart) He scrolled through all his apps, but nothing juicy. He hoped for some nudes at least. Until he saw his photo gallery. There were only fifty photos but they were all him and those five people he saw the last time Zhongli was in the infirmary as well as an elderly woman and several baby photos of Xiao, Ganyu and Hu Tao. And one caught his eye. It was titled 'Me, my girlfriend, her boyfriend my boyfriend'. There were four people, younger Zhongli, a female with light blue hair and teal highlights with shimmering red eyes and white flower pupils, a male with long spiky ocean blue hair that cascaded down his shoulders and half of it was tied in a ponytail and a boy with short dark hair that had tips similar to Zhongli's golden amber but a bit darker and less rich in its color. But what made him so attracted to the photo was the caption. It was taken a little over four years ago. Did they, whoever they were, beat Childe to it? Was ZHongli not single in the first place? At least he didn't have to do that stupid bet. This felt wrong. He was looking into somebody else's phone without their permission. Switching it off, Childe went back to looking at the brunette for any signs of consciousness.

"MORAX?!?!?!" Venti burst through the doors to the infirmary, worry all over his face. Ei also ran inside with the same look. Barbara returned and gave both of them a loud shush and said something about disturbing the peace of the infirmary. Both of them ignored her and stood next to the bed.

"Not again..." Ei mumbled. Childe caught on to what she said but decided not to say anything as they looked very disturbed. Venti was on the verge of tears. They sat next to Childe, too in shock to say anything to him.

"You guys are excused from all classes to look after him." Barbara informed the three of them. "Childe, Mr Draff would like to talk to you about the incident since you were the one who found him, if that's alright with you."

Childe reluctantly nodded and got up. Giving one last longing gaze at him, Childe took his leave. Many students were crowding outside the infirmary, many students began bombarding him with questions about the new student and his absence. But Childe just ignored them and made his way to Mr Draff's office.

"Childe. Please take a seat." The teacher indicated an empty seat across his desk. Childe obeyed and sat down. "Please, tell me what you know."

Taking a deep breath and swallowing the lump in his throat, Childe began to talk.

"Well...me and Venti were eating lunch together...and Zhongli wasn't there...so I went looking for him...and then I checked the alley behind the school...and I saw him...all beaten up." Childe recollected everything he knew. Mr Draff was listening intently to his tale and wrote down everything he said.

"Do you have any idea who did it?" Looking up from his notes, Mr Draff peered over his reading glasses to look at Childe properly.

"Maybe..." Childe knew what was happening.

"Please tell me." The teacher got his pen ready, waiting for Childe to answer him.

"...Pantalone...Sandrome...Pierro...Capitano...and Dottore..." Childe looked down at his lap. This felt so wrong. Burying his head in his hands, Childe dared not to look up.

"I see. You may leave." Mr Draff nodded to Childe as an indication to get the fuck out of the room, to which he was glad to do so.

"Please don't tell them I said that." Childe looked at the teacher before leaving, pleading with him. Mr Draff nodded.

"Whatever happens in this room will stay in this room. And I will make sure of it."

Now, to go back to the infirmary and check up on the sleeping beauty.

Words: 1128