Chiori gazed thoughtfully at the key in Navia's hand.
Navia's gaze naturally drifted to Chiori's suitcase.
"Chiori, you..."
"Hmm?"
"Did you run away from home?"
Chiori retorted bluntly, "If you really want to put it that way, I 'ran away from home' long ago. I wouldn't be dragging a suitcase around today. And your thoughts always jump to conclusions. Isn't it possible I'm just going on a trip?"
Navia exclaimed in surprise, "A trip? Really?"
"Nope."
"What? I thought you were serious!"
Still, knowing Chiori's impulsive nature, it wouldn't be surprising if she suddenly decided to embark on a spur-of-the-moment journey.
She might even drag Luna along.
Navia propped her cheek on her hand, tilting her head slightly. "Then what's with the suitcase...?"
"I'm staying over."
"Staying where?"
"Here."
Navia blinked repeatedly.
Here? She followed Chiori's gaze upward to Luna's residence.
She pointed involuntarily. "You mean Lulu's house?"
"Exactly."
"You're staying overnight at Lulu's?"
"Is there a problem with that?" Chiori asked, her expression unchanging, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Staying overnight at a friend's house was indeed unremarkable.
Moreover, both were women, and Luna and Chiori were very close.
...Logically, that should be the case. But the thought of Luna and Chiori spending the night alone together inexplicably tightened Navia's chest, leaving her feeling stifled and uncomfortable.
Do I not want Lulu to be alone with Chiori? Navia wondered absently.
That's not right!
Navia took a deep breath and said, "No problem at all, of course not! I just came to hang out with her. Let's all go inside together!"
Chiori nodded.
"Are those clothes in your suitcase?" Navia asked curiously.
"You could say that, but they're actually unfinished garments... a new commission from the Hydro Archon."
A commission... Navia exclaimed in surprise, "You're going to work on clothes at Lulu's house?"
And for the Hydro Archon, no less!
"Yeah, I haven't been feeling inspired lately."
For fashion design—or any creative field, really—inspiration was an invaluable resource.
It came suddenly and vanished without a trace.
It could burst forth in abundance or remain stubbornly silent for days, not yielding a single word.
Chiori made no secret of her innate talent for fashion design and creation, nor did she hide her current predicament: she needed fresh inspiration, new stimuli.
Otherwise, no matter how she sketched or cut, she couldn't create garments that satisfied her.
"Do you think Lulu's place will provide the inspiration you need?" Navia asked, effortlessly squatting down to retrieve a tea box from the cabinet. It was a gift she had given Luna previously.
Chiori lay sprawled on the sofa without a hint of formality. A familiar scent, she thought, casually replying, "Maybe, maybe not. But either way, deviating from my usual routine can't hurt."
"Deviating from your usual routine?" Navia mused. "You make it sound like you don't often stay at Lulu's."
Chiori snorted. "Living with her? Anyone who does will regret it."
"Huh? Why? I think Lulu has a perfectly fine lifestyle."
She can clean the house, organize things, and even cook her own meals.
"It's not about her lifestyle," Chiori said.
"Then what is it?" Navia asked, lighting the stove to boil water for tea.
"Hard to say."
That answer was far too vague.
Why would living with Lulu make someone regret it?
Navia rested her hands on the back of the sofa, looking down at Chiori, who seemed completely relaxed.
Despite her words, Chiori seemed quite comfortable at Lulu's place.
"Chiori, have you ever lived with Lulu?"
"Cohabitated? No. But I've stayed over countless times. I've lost count, and I doubt I could even keep track anymore." Chiori stood up and walked to the sewing machine in the corner of the living room.
She ran her hand across the tabletop.
"This sewing machine and other tools were left here by me. I never expected her to actually use them."
Navia propped her head on her arm, feeling a little gloomy.
So, this house was filled with traces of Chiori and Luna's life together? Even if they hadn't officially cohabitated, Chiori had stayed over so many times—could that be considered a sort of semi-cohabitation?
"Oh, right," Chiori suddenly remembered something.
"What is it?"
Chiori said, "Luna can be really annoying sometimes. If you live with her, it's hard to get any alone time. That's why you'd regret it."
Like that time she suddenly clung to Chiori, insisting on burying her face in her hair to smell it.
Chiori couldn't shake her off.
Chiori adjusted the sewing machine and muttered, "Good, it's in good condition."
It seemed Luna had been taking good care of herself.
"...Hmm?"
Chiori noticed a small potted plant on the side table by the window.
Was this here the last time I visited?
"I bought that for Lulu," Navia said with a smile. "She's half Mondstadt and half Liyue, you know. When I was browsing the harbor, I happened to find a merchant from Mondstadt and bought this from him. I think it's called a Cecilia Flower."
"Later, I realized it was fake, but it was so pretty that I kept it anyway. Lulu loves it too!"
Navia's smile radiated joy. Chiori could almost picture Luna's "tail" wagging excitedly as she thanked her.
Chiori nodded. "It is quite lovely."
"Hehe, right? She says she doesn't want to search for her birth parents, but I'm still curious about what they're like."
"To raise such a troublesome daughter, they must be quite the handful themselves," Chiori said with a faint smile.
"That's possible."
But Navia suspected something else might have happened.
Of course, this was just a hunch. She had no real evidence.
Navia twirled a strand of hair between her fingers, then lifted her gaze to meet Chiori's.
"Have you asked Lulu about it, Chiori?"
"A request to stay overnight? No. But she won't refuse. After all I've done for her, if she did, she'd have to stand next time she visits Chioriya Boutique."
Were all her previous overnight stays just sudden surprises like this? Navia wondered absently.
If so, Lulu probably wouldn't mind.
Could I stay overnight too? We're partners, and we like each other—not like that, of course! But a small, brief overnight stay... surely that's alright?
Navia thought hopefully, though her confidence wavered.
Because Chiori was here.
Chiori slowly began, "If you want, you could..."
"I'll ask Lulu myself later!" Navia interrupted.
"Hmm, I don't think she'll refuse."
"Me neither."
Hearing Chiori's words gave Navia a boost of confidence.
Though deep down, she hadn't wanted Chiori to finish her sentence.
If you want, you can stay. If Chiori had said that, it would have sounded as if she were another owner of this house.
But...
Maybe I'm just overthinking things, letting my imagination run wild. Navia sighed inwardly.
The tea was ready, so Navia took out some biscuits from the cupboard. She and Chiori chatted as they waited for Luna's return.
As noon approached, Luna returned home, feeling dizzy and empty-handed.
Navia immediately turned her head. "I think I hear Lulu's footsteps."
"You..." Chiori started to say something, then trailed off.
What was she trying to say? Navia, though concerned, stood up. "I'll get the door."
Rushing to the door, Navia flung it open. "It's Lulu! See? I knew I wasn't mistaken."
"Nana?" Luna exclaimed in surprise, still clutching her keys.
Then she remembered that Navia had her own set of keys, which Luna herself had given her. It wasn't unusual for Navia to be here.
"Good afternoon, Nana."
Navia beamed. "Oh, you should say, 'I'm home, Nana!' Come on, say it!"
"What a hassle."
"What's the hassle? I just want to hear it once!" Navia's eyes sparkled as she playfully swayed Luna's hands back and forth.
Luna sighed with a faint smile. "Fine. I'm home, Nana."
Navia's smile widened with satisfaction. "Perfect! Now come on in. We were just deciding what to have for lunch!"
We?
Peering over Navia's shoulder, Luna spotted Chiori leaning against the wall.
"Ah, ChiChi's here too."
"...I told you not to call me that," Chiori said, rubbing her temples.