“Lumine is the student council president and Childe is the school’s number one troublemaker. They cross paths more than they’d like. Especially when Childe finds out Lumine’s big secret. Highschool AU à la Kaichou wa Maid-sama.”
[part 1] [part 2]
hello sorry for the wait my brain just be straight up farting sometimes
[Fic Masterlist] // [AO3 Link]
the president and the troublemaker (part 3)
When Lumine woke up, she was back in her bed at home, with Aether taking a damp towel off her head. The morning sunlight shined in through the window.
“Did I sleep through the entire night?” Lumine asked, her voice hoarse.
Aether hummed out a ‘yes.’ “I think your body was absolutely exhausted.” He sighed sitting down next to the bed. “Sis, you have to stop overworking yourself; I worry—we all worry.”
She gave a small nod. “I know. And I’m sorry.”
“Just take the day off to relax, okay? I promise the whole world isn’t going to blow up.” He stood up. “Also, mind telling me why Childe of all people brought you back here?” he asked, eyeing Lumine’s hands.
She hadn’t even realized it; her hands were set atop a red scarf—Childe’s red scarf—and only then did she vaguely remember him wrapping it around her as he carried her home. Clutching it, she answered, “About that…he may or may not have found out I’m Outlander.”
Aether’s eyes widened. “He found out? And he didn’t tell the whole school?”
“I’m surprised as well. He actually seems…nicer ever since he found out.”
“Maybe he’s trying to mooch off your earnings. Or blackmail you.”
“See, I thought that too, but he hasn’t done any of those things.” She gripped the scarf again. “In fact, he offered to be my coach.”
“Your coach? What, he does the underground fighting too?”
Lumine shrugged. “I don’t know. Apparently he has ‘connections.’”
“Are you going to accept?”
She looked out the window. “I told him, ‘no.’”
Aether silently regarded her, looking like he wanted to say something, but then shook his head. “Well, remember to relax today. Your work has been taken care of, so just take it easy, okay?”
He left the room, and Lumine turned onto her side, eyes cast out the window. Without thinking, she brought Childe’s scarf up to her nose, breathing in. She was caught off guard as the scent of salty beach shores filled her senses.
Her face flushed and she thought, How do I even pay him back?
* * *
Lumine pushed open the door to the school’s rooftop, taking in a breath of the gentle breeze floating by. Sitting near the edge of the roof was Childe, his orange hair ruffling slightly in the wind. Lumine took a moment to observe him; he looked so serene, and suddenly Xiangling’s words intruded into her mind: He’s so handsome.
“So, Pres, did you call me up here just to stare at me, or did you actually want something?” he asked, not even turning towards her.
Lumine felt a vein pop out on her forehead, and she proceeded to stomp towards him. “I was not staring,” she argued. “Here.” She harshly held out a little paper bag which contained Childe’s red scarf.
His eyebrow raised an inch, and he took the bag. “You could have just left this in my locker, you know?”
“Why do you have to make everything I do so difficult?”
A chuckle. “I’m just teasing you, Pres. Thank you for returning it.”
She gave him a stiff nod, then sat down next to him. “I…I also wanted to say thank you. For helping me.”
Childe tilted his head, regarding her curiously.
Before he could say anything, she continued, gazing out at the city. “And thank you for not telling anyone. I don’t know why, but really—thank you for not saying anything.”
From the corner of her eye, she saw his lips turn upwards in a small smile. “Of course. Wouldn’t want anyone else enjoying our little secret, now would I?”
“This is fun to you?” she grumbled.
“Very much so.”
Lumine sighed. “Anyways, I don’t like to be indebted to people, and I couldn’t think of a way to pay you back—so please think of something.”
“In that case…,” he said almost instantaneously.
“You already have something in mind?”
He leaned towards her. “Let me be your coach.”
…
…Of course he would say that.
* * *
“And you’re sure Childe is trustworthy?” Aether asked Lumine as they walked through the bustling city of Snezhnaya, located in the next city over from their hometown of Mondstadt.
Lumine readjusted the strap of her gym bag on her shoulder. “I mean…he hasn’t said anything yet, right? And anyways,” she muttered, “I owe him for saving me.”
Aether frowned, crossing his arms. “I guess you’re right…It’s just…He’s been a constant pain in your ass for the better part of your council career, and now he just suddenly wants to be your best friend?”
“He’s not going to be my best friend. Maybe he just felt sorry that I have to do all this for the sake of money, so he’s helping us out,” Lumine tried to reason. “If he’s my coach, we’ll get better conditions and pay.”
Her twin nodded, looking around at the modern, high-rise buildings surrounding them. “Snezhnaya is really a rich city, isn’t it?”
“I guess that’s a good sign.” Lumine stopped in front of a building labeled “Zapolyarny Palace.” She glanced down at the business card Childe had given her. “I think this is it: the gym he told me to go to.”
The two of them took in the building before them: a gym with large windows through which they could see many members training intensely within. The building itself was made of sleek, silver materials, making the gym look like a glittering gem in the sunlight. Definitely an upgrade from the concrete basement of Kaeya’s establishment.
Lumine was first to climb the steps, Aether following closely behind her. She pushed open the heavy glass doors, and immediately noticed everyone inside watching her from the corner of their eyes.
“Lumi, these are some real scary looking people,” her twin whispered.
She nodded, but continued walking forward to the front desk. The receptionist looked up at her; her name tag read Ekaterina.
“How can I help you?” she asked. Her tone wasn’t friendly, but Lumine suspected that was the nicest the woman would sound.
“I was told to come here by a friend,” Lumine answered. “By, uhm, Tartaglia?”
Ekaterina looked her up and down, then stood. “Follow me.”
The three of them walked through the gym, heels clicking against the dark slate flooring. The gym was huge, all of the high-tech equipment greatly spaced out, machines Lumine hadn’t ever seen before.
The group made their way towards a boxing ring, elevated off the ground, and even from far away, Lumine could tell it was made from very expensive materials.
“Tartaglia is up ahead,” Ekaterina said, gesturing towards the boxing ring, then went back to her desk.
Currently, there were two people sparring in the ring. To her surprise, Lumine recognized them both.
“Is that…Kaeya? And Childe?” Aether asked.
Lumine didn’t even answer, finding herself speeding up to get closer and watch the fight.
She had only heard of Kaeya fighting from others in his arena, and that he was a fierce opponent due to his training in the military where he had actually been a high ranking captain. Childe, on the other hand, she had only seen in schoolyard scuffles, and never as an actual fighter in the ring. She was mesmerized by the two.
Kaeya’s moves were very sharp and sneaky, while Childe’s style was lighter and much faster—until he struck, which he did so with great force, like the sudden crashing of a powerful ocean wave. Despite the huge gap in years of experience, it seemed like Childe actually had the upper hand in the fight.
Childe threw a jab at Kaeya’s face, which the captain easily blocked. But then, Childe quickly switched his footing, twisting his body around to prep for a spinning heel kick to Kaeya’s unprotected side. As he turned, Lumine made eye contact with him for a split second.
His foot would have slammed into Kaeya’s face, but suddenly, Childe stopped short, his leg still in the air, foot hovering right by Kaeya’s face, who regarded the near hit with wide eyes. Stopping a powerful kick like that took a lot of strength, Lumine knew, and she could see it in the way the muscles were flexed in Childe’s leg.
“It was fun, captain, but it seems our guest is here,” Childe said, relaxing his leg and setting it down.
Kaeya let out a shaky laugh. “It was indeed fun. Though, it seems like I need to get back into proper shape; it’s been a while.”
Childe ducked under the ropes, sliding out onto the ground. “I look forward to that rematch then.” He picked up his water bottle and looked at Lumine. “You made it! Good job not getting lost.”
As he drank his water, Lumine couldn’t help but look him over, at his exceptionally well-toned body. Usually his long limbs were covered by their school uniforms, but now he wore a gray tank top with gray sports shorts. It didn’t help that he was practically glistening in sweat.
She cleared her throat. “So can you tell me why Kaeya is here?”
Her manager walked up to them, offering his signature smile. “Why wouldn’t I follow my dear Lumine to the next step in her career?”
“I invited him,” Childe said. “I figured you’d want to keep him around.”
He wasn’t wrong; it was nice that Kaeya was there as another familiar face. She wasn’t really sure what to expect from Childe now.
“I see you brought a guest as well,” Childe noted, his blue eyes on Aether.
Aether subtly put his hands on his hips, defensively. “I’m Aether. Her twin.”
The ginger tilted his head. “Ah, the Vice-President. How cute.”
“Okay, so you’re my coach,” Lumine said. “Now what?”
He held out his hand. “Where’s your Outlander mask?”
Lumine blinked at him, but then pulled the mask out, handing it over. He flipped it over in his hands, then chucked it behind him. Both her and Aether gasped.
“You won’t need it anymore,” Childe said.
Lumine glared at him. “What do you mean, I won’t need it anymore?”
“Are you trying to get her arrested?” Aether spat.
Childe held up his hands. “Relax. The reason I wanted you to join me is because we’re no longer going to have you fighting illegally. So no need for the mask.”
Kaeya nodded. “Yup. We’re bringing you into the world of legitimacy.”
Lumine crossed her arms. “Kaeya, you know the reason I came to you in the first place. You get me way more money, much faster, than any legitimate competition. Especially at the beginner levels.”
“And that’s why you’re here now,” Childe interjected. “Fighting here will give you even more money without having to worry about the cops busting in and arresting you one day.”
“What if people from school find out?”
“No one from our school is going to come here to Snezhaya, much less to a gym.”
Lumine and Childe stared at each other, unyielding.
“Excuse us,” Kaeya said, pulling Lumine and Aether away from Childe.
“Kaeya, you know it’s dangerous for her not to be in a disguise,” Aether hissed.
“It was dangerous when she was fighting in my arena,” Kaeya said. He put a hand on Lumine’s shoulder. “Look, Childe is trying to help you, not hurt you. He knows you need that money, and that you’re good at this. He, like the rest of us, doesn’t want to see you get arrested for just trying to help your family out.”
Lumine bit her lip. “What makes him so qualified though?” She turned towards Kaeya. “You guys are always talking about his ‘connections,’ but you haven’t really talked about who he is in this community.”
“All you have to know is that, despite you guys being close in age, he is a known professional in this field. He’s fought and won many competitions.” He sighed. “I mean you saw him earlier: he almost handed my ass to me in that little spar. And I was a captain in the military.”
Aether sighed as well. “Lumi…as much as I dislike Childe…I think they’re right. I’ve always worried about you in those illegal fights. You’ll be safer here.”
As scary as it was that she was no longer concealing her identity, a part of her relished at the freedom. And they were all right. It was safer here, down this road.
Lumine nodded before leading them back to Childe. She stood in front of him, arms crossed. “When do we start?”
* * *
[part 4 coming soon]