Chapter 263.3: Truth Or Dare? - Part 3

After entering his room, Lumine immediately saw Yomite sleeping soundly.

She approached his bed and observed him from a closer distance.

The fact that he had his back to her indicated that he was asleep.

Although there was one part she hadn't accounted for...

Where was his shirt!?

He had pants on, but his shirt was missing!

His broad back was completely bare and in a way, it was exciting.

She didn't know what compelled her to do this, but she felt like she needed to take advantage of the situation or else she wouldn't have such a chance ever again.

She slowly crept up behind him, entered his bed and reached out to touch him.

As her hand came into contact with him, however, he instantly woke up.

He looked around in confusion before looking over at the girl who lay next to him.

"Look, Barbara, it's not that I'm ignorant to your feelings or that I don't find you charming, but you're only 17 years old, right? You can't just enter my bed so suddenly. Let's discuss it tomorrow because this won't change my mind about anyt—"

When he noticed that the girl who lay next to him wasn't Barbara, but someone else, he froze.

His eyes widened as they focused on the face of the girl.

It was pretty dark but he could tell...

This wasn't Barbara...

"Lumine...? What are you doing here...?" He asked.

The blonde girl giggled softly when her name was called out.

"I...I wanted to tell you something...something that I have been wanting to say for the longest time...yet held no courage..." She trailed off.

"..."

Yomite's initial plan was to stop Barbara in her tracks and finally have a serious discussion about their weird relationship and her goal, but instead of her, Lumine joined him in bed...

"I-I want to be..."

It was hard to believe, but this was actually happening.

Lumine knew she wouldn't be able to properly articulate it...

But maybe she'd be able to convey something through her actions...

She moved a bit closer to him, so their faces were inches apart...

Then she leaned forward, shut her eyes and...

***

**

*

"Mhmhh!??"

Lumine let out a slight gasp as she felt her lips gently touching something foreign...

Something that shouldn't have been there...

Yomite's hand.

He ruthlessly blocked her attempt for a kiss.

Upon realizing he denied her kiss, her lips parted and a small whimper escaped her mouth, "Why...why did you do that...? Am I...not pretty enough...? I am aware Hu Tao and Fischl are much prettier than me...but please give me a chance! I beg you...I cannot cook well and I'm a bit clumsy, but I want to be with you..."

Lumine's eyes glazed over as she continued pleading for him to accept her.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she tried to catch his gaze.

"...Lumine, if these are your feelings then I appreciate them, however...I smell alcohol from you... Did you drink wine again?" He questioned.

"W...What!?" Lumine stuttered, trying to compose herself. "N...No..."

She wiped her tears away, and sat upright so she was no longer leaning on Yomite's arms.

"Don't lie to me...I know a dandelion wine if I smell one...after all, I love it just as much as you do... And you seem to have drank way too much at once..."

His hand found her cheek and caressed it gently.

"What are you girls doing down there? Did something bad happen for you to come up here?"

A quick check on her status showed that she was fully intoxicated, but he knew she was drunk even without that information.

"No... we're having fun...it's a game called truth or dare..."

"Truth or...ah, I get it now..so that's why you're here...but truth or dare isn't really appropriate when one is drunk..."

"...I-I...It's true that I was dared to come here...but...I swear I came of my own volition!"

Yomite heaved a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair.

"...I...I'll answer your feelings once you're sobered up. I don't mind being with you one bit, but I don't want you to regret doing something because of influence of alcohol. I'm saying it now, I enjoyed my time with you, and me saying no right now, has nothing to do with you not being pretty enough or other insecure bullshit you're calling yourself..."

He couldn't bear to hear this girl saying such things.

Lumine was wonderful, even if she was a bit introverted. That honestly even made it better.

She knew how to speak when needed, and was very gentle, even going so far as to help strangers on the streets without asking for any money in return, and all she wanted from him right now, was a simple kiss to establish a new mark in their relationship.

And so, he obliged.

He leaned towards her, grabbed a hold of her waist and left her a soft kiss on the forehead.

"Eh...eh!?"

She quickly became flustered at the affectionate gesture.

"...Now, please get some rest. Alcohol got the best of you...You're clearly out of it."

"O-Okay." She nodded and immediately rose from his bed, flushed.

Yomite heaved a sigh at her exit from the room.

It wasn't exactly the most romantic thing he'd ever done, but he was obligated to engage in it.

Rejecting her here was the correct decision.

It wouldn't sit well with him if they did something together right now, and she would avoid him the next day...

He still had his morals, and the last thing he wanted to hear was that her feelings weren't real and it was only because of alcohol.

He knew Lumine wasn't that kind of person, and that most likely the alcohol just fueled her feelings and gave her more confidence she needed to confess, but he still wanted to be careful about it.

Sorting out feelings of both Lumine and Barbara was his main goal for now.

He would also confront Barbara tomorrow.

'At this point... everyone from my party might actually become my lovers...That little rascal Paimon might have been right...except her, of course...she is out of the picture...Now that I'm back in Mondstadt, I have time for stuff. Let's finally sort everything out.'