"Sigh~"
Shajin let out a long sigh and shook his head helplessly, his usually handsome face now filled with worry.
He walked softly to the bedside and gently pulled the blanket up over Furina, taking great care not to disturb her slumber, his movements as light as if he were afraid to wake her.
"To stand shoulder to shoulder with gods using only a mortal body… That's no small feat. Furina, you really are incredible~"
He murmured quietly, gazing at her peaceful, sleeping face.
"Mmm~ah…"
Watching Furina sleep so soundly made Shajin feel drowsy too, a heavy sleepiness creeping up on him.
He had just turned to leave when he suddenly felt a gentle tug holding him back.
Looking down, he saw Furina clutching tightly to the corner of his coat. Her brow was furrowed deeply, as though trapped in a terrible nightmare.
Her lips moved faintly as she murmured in a soft, broken voice, "Shajin… don't go…"
Shajin's mouth twitched. Internally, he groaned.
Looks like there's no hope of going back to rest tonight.
With a resigned sigh, he plopped down onto the floor and let Furina cling to his arm like a child clutching a plushie.
Time slipped by minute by minute. At some point, the soft sound of Furina's rhythmic snoring filled the quiet room.
In the peaceful stillness, Shajin's consciousness gradually drifted… until he, too, fell into a sweet dream.
...
"AHHH!!!"
At dawn, a piercing shriek shattered the morning silence, as if it were enough to rupture eardrums.
Shajin, sprawled on the cold floor, was startled awake. Still groggy, he mumbled,
"Mmm… Fufu? What's wrong?"
He slowly peeled open his heavy eyelids—only to be jolted completely awake by the sight before him.
Furina was straddling his body, her cheeks bright red like ripe apples, and it sounded faintly like something was boiling.
Shajin blinked, dumbfounded, a flurry of question marks popping up in his head.
"???"
Furina, on the other hand, looked like a frightened bunny. Her right hand trembled as she pointed first at him, then at herself, her words stammering out in a flurry.
"Y-You! You…! I… I…!"
Her signature jellyfish hairstyle was in total disarray, with a few strands playfully poking up. Combined with her flustered expression, the whole scene looked absurdly cute.
Seeing her like this, Shajin couldn't help but let out a snort of laughter. As he chuckled, he said,
"Fufu, are you wondering why we're both lying here like this?"
Furina nodded furiously like a pecking chick, letting out a stream of "Mm! Mm! Mm!!!"
Shajin spread his hands in exasperation, still lying on the floor, completely unbothered.
"Hey, don't blame me. Last night you were the one who clung to me and wouldn't let me go. Then, somewhere in the middle of the night, you rolled over in your sleep and—bam—fell right on top of me."
Hearing that, Furina looked like she had just been struck by lightning. She froze, eyes wide and mouth slightly open as though time itself had stopped.
Her face screamed disbelief, as if she were witnessing the most absurd thing imaginable.
Indeed—she had been the one to ask Shajin to stay last night.
In the middle of the night, as silence blanketed the world and dreams cradled the sleeping, Furina had drowsily felt herself fall onto something soft.
But the "thing" was so warm and cozy that her exhausted body refused to move, and she'd simply curled up and gone back to sleep.
Now, her cheeks were burning so hot it felt like they were on fire. The heat surged outward in waves.
It was mortifying! Furina wanted nothing more than to crawl into a crack in the floor and never come out again!
Just then, a sudden burst of urgent knocking came from the door.
Knock knock knock!
"Lady Furina? Are you inside? I just heard a scream from this room."
Neuvillette's voice rang out from beyond the door.
"Oh no—Neuvillette?!"
Panic surged through Furina as she scrambled to her feet in a flurry.
But as the saying goes, haste makes waste. In her frantic rush, she tripped over her own feet—her left foot catching her right—and went tumbling straight into Shajin.
Crash!
With the two colliding again in a heap, another agonized scream echoed through the room.
"AHHH!!!"
Outside, Neuvillette's brows furrowed deeply as concern and confusion flashed across his face. But worried for Furina's safety, he wasted no time and shouted,
"My apologies for the intrusion, Lady Furina."
Before his words even faded, a fierce gust of wind whooshed past—then BANG! A thunderous crash resounded as Neuvillette's right foot smashed into the door with overwhelming force.
The blow was so powerful, it looked like it might tear the entire door off its hinges.
Inside and outside the room, the three people froze in stunned silence, eyes wide with disbelief. None of them could have predicted this turn of events.
Time seemed to stand still. The world had gone quiet, save for the sound of rapid breathing and pounding heartbeats.
Neuvillette stood frozen, staring at the chaotic scene behind the door he'd just obliterated.
He opened his mouth, trying to say something—but it was like cotton had filled his throat. Not a single word would come out.
In the end, all his thoughts condensed into a single, awkward sentence:
"…Stay safe."
Then he quietly shut the door… and fled, his face red with secondhand embarrassment.
Inside, Shajin was the first to recover from the shock. He slowly sat up, staring blankly at the door as he muttered to himself,
"Stay safe? Stay safe from wha—oof!"
Before he could finish, Furina had lunged at him, face flushed with fury and tears brimming in her eyes. Her tiny fists pummeled his chest as she shouted,
"This is all your fault! You awful man!!!"
...
Later, Shajin looked across the table at Furina, who was pouting angrily as she ate a small cake.
"Fufu~ I'm sorry, alright? I was wrong~"
Furina let out a huff and turned her head away.
"Hmph! I'm not talking to you, you scoundrel!"
Shajin's eyes sparkled mischievously.
"Then how about this—Fufu, wanna come with me to catch the culprit behind the missing girl case?"
Furina spun around, eyes wide.
"You found the culprit?!"
Shajin shrugged casually.
"He wants to frame the Fatui? He'd better think twice~"
_
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