Coffee, Tea, or Me?

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/48246043.

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: F/F
Fandom: 原神 | Genshin Impact (Video Game)
Relationship: Raiden Ei | Baal/Yae Miko
Character: Raiden Ei | Baal, Yae Miko (Genshin Impact), Kujou Sara
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops
& Cafés, Mutual Pining, Author Is Sleep Deprived, No Lesbians Die,
Fluff and Humor, Ring Pops, inspired by a taylor swift song - Freeform
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2023-06-30 Words: 9,927 Chapters: 1/1

Coffee, Tea, or Me?

by BSChocolatte

Summary

“My dear customer, we have much better drinks than dango milk.” Miko purred, injecting
her words with so much sweetness that she gagged at herself.

Her ears flushed when the woman only smiled at her genuinely.

“Really? Then I wouldn’t mind trying them out.”

“Lady Yae, I don’t think we have sweet drinks-”

She placed a finger on Katou-whatever’s lips, eyes never leaving the person in front of her.
But just for a second, she gave her employee a withering look that was enough to probably
kill ten elephants at the mere sight of it.

“We do.”

They did not.

Or, Yae Miko owns a coffee shop and a stranger came in asking for dango milk.

Notes

See the end of the work for notes

Yae Miko had a favorite.

She liked pink. She was particularly obsessed with fried tofu, and she was very specific with the
light novels she read. But it seemed as if she had never fit in with the general audience because she
never understood the reason behind how people would always fall for the typical tropes that barely
warranted her approval, and she would be aghast every time the ones she did like appealed to only
a few.

The nerve.

Ehem. Going back on topic-

She also liked taking strolls through Inazuma City. In fact, there was a time she had taken a walk
through the alleys between the worn-out buildings and discovered a spot she had been enamored
with. She then brilliantly came up with the idea to put up a shop there.

The Yae Publishing House became renowned throughout the nations and before she knew it, Miko
was set for life.

Having favorites seems to have its advantages.

Once the Yae Publishing House became what it is today after she worked her butt off, Miko
thought she could finally take a well-deserved break.

Until one of her assistants had the bright idea to bring her dango milk from the famous stall just up
the old streets of the city after Miko specifically requested for a good drink.

She tried it, she really did. If it was because the poor soul looked like a puppy when she handed it
over to Miko, or because she didn’t want to waste money, she didn’t care enough to think about it.

Dango milk was…good. It was okay. Who was she kidding- It was too sweet .

She chastised her assistant, who had apologized profusely. But she lamented the aftermath of that
encounter because everyone started giving her random drinks in hopes she would like it. Maybe it
was to get in a good word for themselves so she would approve their next works, who knows.

Maybe you’d prefer imported tea from Liyue-

Coffee from that famous stall near the market!

I’m sorry for the dango milk, but they’ve got a new drink using lavender melon and dango!

Fucking dango.

Miko wasn’t boasting- oh no, she really wasn’t- but she could make better drinks than all of them
combined. She pitied the people of Inazuma for having to drink something so meager for Miko’s
taste, only to pay such a high price for it.

How could she relax knowing that?

So she rented the space just beside the Yae Publishing House. It was nestled right in the heart of
Inazuma City - she renovated the traditional Japanese walls to make it more modern, more fit for
the youth these days, and yet, still familiar for those who longed for nostalgia.

Within a year, she was able to train the employees, advertised to the public, and caught the
attention of local media on its grand opening.

She called it Kitsune Brew.

It was named in honor of the yokai that dwelt deep in the Chinju Forest, one Miko had trekked
towards the infamous Grand Narukami Shrine. Of course, that attracted more than positive
attention.

The drinks were named after the islands and the places around Inazuma, and the most popular
drinks (which she had vigorously trained the baristas to make perfectly), had been the Grand
Narukami Latte, the Sangonomiya Mocha, and the Amakumo Peak.

The Inazumans were all over it. Once people bought their light novels from Yae Publishing House,
they would head over to the coffee shop and vigorously devour the chapter, coupled with a few
drinks and pastries.

Two birds with one stone.

Miko gave herself a pat on the back.

Finally, she could take a break.

“Excuse me, what’s the sweetest drink that you have on the menu?”

Until she met her.

It was ten in the morning, so business was slow; students were in school, and adults were at work.
Miko was lazing around until the bell chimed to signale someone’s arrival.

Today, she was supervising the trainee who was manning the counter. He was doing as well as he
could without peeing his pants on his first day, so Miko decided to leave him alone for now. She
had her laptop opened in front of her, the manuscript of one of her novice authors flashed on the
screen.

Miko was sitting just a few tables away from the conversation. She raised her head to see a woman
who was slightly taller than her, with purple hair braided until right above her knees. She was
wearing a white, formal shirt and black slacks that- goddamn, hugged her legs perfectly well. Miko
couldn’t see her face, but judging from the looks of the trainee, she must have been absolutely
breathtaking.

Well, probably not as much as she was, but she digressed.

Miko had seen many beautiful women in her lifetime, so just purposely ignoring the person at the
counter wouldn’t hurt. But just as she was about to continue working, the stranger had said
something that made her ear twitch.

“Like, something as sweet as Dango Milk?”

Her eyes snapped back to the figure at the counter, face flabbergasted. Someone was looking for
something like dango milk? To make it worse, she was looking for it here.

“Absurd.” She muttered to herself.

She watched as the trainee stuttered out suggested drinks, but nothing seemed to impress the
woman. She waved the drinks off before scanning the menu again.

“I’ve had those drinks before, I’m not a big fan. It’s fine if you don’t have ones that would suit my
taste, though.”

Miko pursed her lips. It wasn’t the first time she had lost readers and customers alike, but she’d be
damned if she was going to lose to dango milk.

Slowly, she made her way to the counter, a practiced smile on her face. The trainee- what was his
name? - Katou or whatever immediately stopped talking at the sight of her.

Her face was framed with high cheekbones. There was a mole right below her eye, and her pink
lips were jutted out into a pout. She was tall, the very definition of athletic and absolutely divine. A
blazer was draped over her arm while the other was tucked into her pocket.

She was absolutely ethereal. Miko swore nothing in the dictionary could describe her beauty. No
wonder Katou what’s-his–name was starstrucked.

The stranger laid her eyes on her, and Miko swore she almost felt her heart stop. The woman’s gaze
was calm and collected, curiosity peaking over those purple hues, as if she was contemplating why
someone who didn’t look like an employee had interrupted the conversation.

Before her jaw could drop to the floor, Miko swallowed the lump in her throat and crossed her
arms.

“My dear customer, we have much better drinks than dango milk.” Miko purred, injecting her
words with so much sweetness that she gagged at herself.

Her ears flushed when the woman only smiled at her genuinely.

“Really? Then I wouldn’t mind trying them out.”

“Lady Yae, I don’t think we have sweet drinks-”

She placed a finger on Katou-whatever’s lips, eyes never leaving the person in front of her. But just
for a second, she gave her employee a withering look that was enough to probably kill ten elephants
at the mere sight of it.

“We do. ”

They did not.

Admittedly, they really didn’t have anything as sweet as dango milk because Miko refuses to add a
sugar-induced drink that could give you diabetes the more you drink it.

“Yae? As in Yae Miko?” The stranger asked. Recognition dawned her face as she tucked a strand
of purple locks behind her ear.

“You’re the owner of Yae Publishing House. I see this belongs to you as well.”

The stranger’s eyes sparkled with interest, as if she was challenging Miko.

The audacity.

“It’s alright if you don’t have one.” The pretty stranger began, “I just haven’t been here before so I
was looking for something other than dango milk since that’s all I’ve been having lately.”

Oh my God.

She needed a doctor.

But medical needs aside, Miko also had something to prove. They could discuss aftereffects later.
“Sit yourself down and I’ll whip up something for you.” Miko drawled.

Surprise colored the woman’s features, before it quickly died down as she chuckled. She shifted
her weight from one foot to the other, tilted her head and smiled for the nth time. Miko’s heart
wouldn’t be able to survive another one.

“Oh, I see. This is an honor. Do you make all your customers’ drinks personally?”

Miko smiled sweetly at her.

“No, just you.”

She didn’t wait around to see her reaction to her words. She turned on her heel and strutted towards
the kitchen, with her head held high.

Chaos ensued in the kitchen when Miko entered. The baristas panicked and the bakers stood
straight as a rod. The familiar scent of pastries wafted in the air, while coffee was brewed on the
other side of the room. It looked like everyone was busy doing something.

“Lady Yae! What are you doing here?”

Miko waved her hand. She walked past them, inspecting the tables left and right for any sign of a
mess. They would never hear the end of it if her kitchen had any speck of dirt anywhere.

“Relax, I’m just here to make a drink for someone.”

Her statement made them stiffen all the more, which added to her entertainment.

They nodded and went back to being busy, with loud conversations turning into hushed whispers.
Miko went to her own little corner and pondered on the available ingredients to make up for her
new concoction. The fact that she had to think and move quickly put her under slight pressure.

What would taste good?

From the looks of it, the stranger was fond of something sweet, but what was overly sweet to her,
Miko didn’t know. Personally, dango milk was an absolute horror show because it dried up Miko’s
throat with how sweet it was.

Miko narrowed her eyes at that fact and wrinkled her nose in distaste. If she wanted something
sweeter, then God, someone needed to call her dentist.

Ha.

Dango. Milk.

I’ll go with a similar approach then.

She’s going to knock that woman’s socks off and she was never going to mention dango milk in
her presence ever again. With that in mind, she rolled up her sleeves, and started working while she
hummed a tune, to the horror of her employees.

The stranger looked simple. So Miko was going to make a simple drink.

“What is this?”

Miko laid the drink down at her table. Without any invitation whatsoever, she sat herself from
across her. Miko rested her chin in her palm as she looked over with interest.

It had been around thirty minutes before she had emerged from the kitchen to find the stranger on
her phone, with a piece of a half-eaten cheesecake on her table. The cheesecake Miko had ordered
was given to her while she waited.

A small price to pay for complete victory.

“Try it.” Miko insisted.

The stranger grimaced.

“You’re not going to poison me, are you? I’ve heard that the infamous Yae Miko likes to play
tricks.”

Miko pretended to be offended, putting a hand on her heart. She let out a gasp, as if her words had
pierced through her.

“You wound me, stranger-”

“My name is Ei.” She interrupted.

Finally, a pretty name for a pretty face.

Miko paused, before resuming her drama. “You wound me, Ei. I would never trick an
unsuspecting woman who had just insulted me to my face by looking for dango milk in my shop.”

Ei pursed her lips in amusement. She eyed Miko, who looked back at her innocently. It took a
couple more seconds, with them staring down each other before Ei deflated and admitted defeat.

“Okay, I’m sorry. I’ll have a taste of what you made.”

That was the deal-breaker.

Miko grinned wickedly as Ei brought the cup to her lips and took a sip.

The reaction was immediate- Ei’s eyes widened in shock and her mouth formed an ‘o.’ She didn’t
spit out the drink, so that was a good sign.

Because Miko added a lot of sugar. To her disgust.

“This is- this is really good. ”

If Miko had fox ears and a tail, she would’ve been wagging it left and right. She puffed out her
chest proudly and gave Ei a smug look.

“Better than Dango Milk?”

Ei raised a brow at the question before she snorted. She took another sip, smacking her lips as she
did so (Miko just happened to notice) and savored the taste.

“Yes. I believe so. You have my approval. Is that what you were looking for?”

Pfft! Miko? Looking for someone else’s approval? Hell, no.

But that knowing look on Ei’s face shot an electric current throughout Miko’s body and the hairs
on her arm stood up. She swallowed thickly before she rolled her eyes and pretended that
everything was absolutely chill.

“Me? Ha! Yae Miko needs no one’s approval.” She scoffed.

Ei only hummed and mirrored Miko’s action earlier; resting her chin in the palm of her hand as she
stared at her.

“Mhmm. You wouldn’t be the formidable woman I’ve heard all about if you were looking for
approval. To keep me occupied here while you invented a drink on the spot though, you’re a sly
fox.”

Oh, so she knew. Miko will take it as a compliment.

“Well, now that we got that out of the way, tell me about yourself, Ei.”

Ei looked at her petulantly before she took another sip.

“Only if you tell me more about the great Lady Yae.”

They hit it off well, after that. Miko found out that Ei worked in tech, that they were both in their
early thirties, and that her office was very close by so she hinted at the fact that she might be
visiting more often than Miko thought.

Hope bloomed in her chest at that statement. Excitement bubbled inside her at the prospect of
regularly meeting the mysterious and elusive woman, and it has been a long time since Miko had
felt like this.

To her chagrin, the bell situated near the Statue of the Omnipresent God resounded throughout the
city after a while, which jolted them out of their conversation.

“Oh dear, lunch already? Time seems to have passed by quickly while I was too focused on you.”
Miko sighed in disappointment.

Ei nodded grimly. She looked at her watch and frowned.

“Yes, unfortunately, I have to get back to my office now. My assistant will have my head if I stall
any longer.”

Miko perked up. Assistant? Seems like there was more to Ei than she thought.

Ei got up from her seat, albeit in an excruciatingly slow manner. She looked genuinely sad that it
tugged at Miko’s heartstrings.

“Lady Yae, how much should I pay for the drink?”

Oh, right, Miko hadn’t thought of it.

“It’s free.”

She could hear someone choking in the background. Miko was well-aware that her baristas were
listening in to the conversation, but did they really have to make it obvious that she rarely gave
things away for free?

Ei blinked.

“Are you sure? I’m more than willing to pay the price you’ll decide on.”
Miko resisted the urge to make a slightly perverted joke. She bit on her lower lip before she shook
her head.

“Yes, I’m sure. We’ve just opened so take it as a complimentary drink.”

Take it one step at a time, Miko told herself.

Ei didn’t protest further, but she did look conflicted. Before she could say anything else though,
Miko ushered her to the entrance to bid her farewell. But before Ei could step out of the door, she
looked back at Miko, unsure.

They stood there for a while, with people mumbling excuse me as they walked through the door. Ei
didn’t look like she wanted to leave so soon, but Miko didn’t want to assume that that was the case.

“What was the name of that drink you gave me?” Ei spoke quietly.

Miko didn’t think of one yet. She pursed her lips before an idea came to mind.

“What did you say was your favorite flower again? Oh, and tell me where you live while you’re at
it.” She asked, sweetly.

Ei mentioned no such thing. She raised a brow and crossed her arms before she answered.

“That’s classified information, Miss Yae.” Ei emphasized. “...But I can tell you that it’s near
Tenshukaku. Oh, and I like windwheel asters. My friend brought me some flowers from Monstadt
before and I find them fascinating.”

Well, that settled it- Ei was definitely filthy rich.

She was either part of one of those generational clans that ruled Inazuma through the tri-
commission, or she was just a strong, independent woman who made a name for herself. Living
uptown was a luxury, and while Miko could definitely afford to live there, she’d rather stay away
than endure the grueling remarks of the upper class about just anything.

“I see.” Miko nodded. “Then it’s called Rainbow Asters.”

There was a pause. Surprisingly, Ei threw her head back and laughed, which made Miko’s heart
skip a beat.

“I see, that’s how it is.” Ei chuckled.

She stepped closer, amethyst eyes examining Miko’s face, unashamed. Once again, she felt the
bolt of lightning go through her whole body, but she didn’t want to look eager, so she stared at Ei’s
eyes defiantly.

Her reaction only placed another teasing smile on the other woman’s lips.

“Then I’ll see you around, Yae Miko.” She said, and then stepped back.

Miko stood there in a daze, staring at Ei’s fleeting back. It wasn’t until she was fully out of sight
that Miko snapped out of it and sighed. She turned on her heel and walked towards the table she
left her things at.

Some of her employees peeked from the kitchen, while Katou stared at her oddly from the counter.

“What?” Miko demanded. “What’re you looking at?”

Katou waved his hands frantically.

“N-No! It’s- It’s just-” He stuttered, “Lady Yae, what was that drink made of?”

Miko blinked. That’s it?

“Oh. It was lavender melon and milk.” Miko shrugged.

She ran her hand through her hair and sat down, a ghostly smile on her lips.

“And a lot of sugar.”

The next time Miko met Ei was two weeks after their first encounter.

She was in her office in the Yae Publishing House, editing and critiquing her writers’ works, when
Inagi Hotomi, one of her secretaries, had timidly walked in.

“Lady Yae, there’s a bit of a problem over at Kitsune Brew.” Her voice shook.

Miko pushed her reading glasses up the brink of her nose before looking at her. She couldn’t help
but let annoyance slip in her tone.

“Are you sure this isn’t a simple problem they could solve on their own?”

What could possibly require her to go over and solve it for them? Miko couldn’t be in two places at
once. That was why she hired managers in the first place.

Hotomi hesitated and fumbled with the hem of her blouse. She couldn’t meet Miko’s gaze at all;
instead, she shuffled nervously from one foot to the other.

“My lady, we could solve it if we could but-”

Miko stared at her, unimpressed.

“There’s a customer asking for a drink that we don’t serve on our menu. We repeatedly told her
that we didn’t know what drink that was.”

That caught Miko’s attention. She had a feeling she knew where this was headed.

“-She insisted that we had served it to her once and she wouldn’t have anything else.”

“She wanted to speak to the owner, so I came here to get you.”

She sounded like she was about to cry.

Miko snorted.

Ei hadn’t completely slipped out of her mind, but when she hadn’t come back to the cafe after two
weeks, Miko had given up and busied herself in meeting deadlines and working to and fro from the
publishing house to the cafe to the point that there was no space to think about anything else.

She stared at the pile of work on her desk. She was probably going to do overtime today, so there
was absolutely no reason to stop working just for someone asking to meet with her.

But Miko never had her priorities straight anyway.

“Tell her I’ll be right there. Serve her our signature cheesecake in the meanwhile.”
-

“Really, Ei? You bothered me just for a Rainbow Aster?”

As soon as Miko opened the door, she zoned in on the woman sitting just by the window, arms
crossed and eyes closed. She was wearing a tie over her white polo today, and gods above, did she
look handsome.

Ei only peeked at her through her bangs, when Miko sat down. They leveled each other with a
stare. It wasn’t until Ei huffed that the tension in the air dissipated.

“What was I supposed to do? Your employees only stared at me like I was crazy. Did you fire the
poor boy I spoke to last time?” Ei pouted.

She pouted.

She looked absolutely childish and Miko had the urge to lean over the table and wipe that pout off
her lips, preferably with her own.

“I did no such thing. I’m not that cruel. He took the day off today because his brother got into
some shenanigan.”

Ei didn’t look like she believed her. Miko rolled her eyes. To anyone listening, they would have
thought that the two had been friends for a long time. They’d be surprised to know that Miko had
only met her once.

“So what are you doing back here?” Miko took the fork and tried to take a piece of the cheesecake,
only for Ei to smack her hand away. “You know, after radio silence.”

Miko didn’t mean for the bitterness to show through her words, but she couldn’t help it. She
thought there was a spark there, but like she had told herself last time, this wasn’t a light novel.

This wasn’t even Disney.

Ei’s demeanor instantly changed. Miko was glad she could at least read the mood.

“I told you I was going to come back.” Ei replied gently. “I was just really busy with things at the
office. My schedule was jam packed, really.”

Ei owed her no explanation, and Miko knew that. She wanted to tell her that she didn’t care if she
kept her word or not, but she would be lying. She definitely wanted to get to know her better, and
she looked forward to it, but she also couldn’t immediately shake off the feeling of disappointment
when Ei was a no-show for the past few weeks.

“I see.”

If Ei noticed her curt reply, she didn’t show it. Miko didn’t dwell on it long enough either. She was
slightly thankful that the music blasting through the speakers was loud enough to cover the
awkward silence that settled between them.

“So you want the same thing? I’ll go make it for you.” Miko said, after a few minutes of them
looking at anywhere other than at each other.

When she stood up and sashayed to the kitchen, she felt Ei watching her quietly. Miko didn’t turn
back at all, but only because she saw her employees looking at her from the kitchen window. When
she gave them a pointed look, they scrambled back to work.

Seriously, she wasn’t paying them to pry into her life.

This time it didn’t take her thirty minutes to make the Rainbow Aster. But she did add some new
ingredients just to contrast the sweetness of the drink. All the while, her employees observed her
do this.

“My lady, should we add this to the menu then?” Hotomi asked.

She blinked. That would be the logical thing to do. But for some reason, she didn’t want to.

“Not now, but if she comes back and asks for the same thing, just make it for her. Now go get me a
marker.” She ordered.

It took a moment for them to process her words. One of her baristas handed her a red marker and
Miko scribbled something below the cup. She didn’t miss the glances her employees shot at each
other, but she pretended to be unaware.

Satisfied, Miko took the drink off the counter and served it directly to Ei’s table. By the time she
had come back, the cheesecake was already gone and Ei was staring out the window. She had to
cough to get her attention.

“Oh, that was quicker than last time.” Ei commented.

“It gets easier the second time. But you might find it tasting a little different. I assure you that it’ll
turn out just as well as before. ” Miko replied.

Though unlike the first time, Miko didn’t sit down with Ei. Like the professional she is, she laid
the drink down without any words other than ‘Enjoy your drink!’

After all, she was a busy woman. She still had a few more manuscripts to go through today, and
she had to submit some of her comments to the writers. She forced those thoughts to the forefront
of her mind and she steeled herself to turn away from Ei.

“Wait- you’re not joining me?”

Miko stopped dead in her tracks. Her brows furrowed at the statement before she glanced back at
Ei, who looked genuinely puzzled. Her chest tightened at the sight and she had to clench her jaw to
keep the butterflies in her stomach from spilling out in the form of flirty words.

“I’m afraid you caught me at a busy time.” Miko answered dryly. “I taught the baristas how to
make the drink so you don’t have to worry about asking them to make it again.”

Before Miko could fully turn away, Ei had grabbed onto her white coat clumsily.

“Wait- I was hoping we could continue our conversation from before.”

The writer inside Miko wanted to scream at the new idea that could come from this scene, but the
more rational side of her contemplated on whether she should really suffer more overtime if she
decided to sit down in front of Ei right here and now.

“Or you could work here. I mean- we could work in silence together.” Ei sounded like she was
begging.

Was she begging? Miko was afraid that if she glanced at her even for a second, she would fall on
her knees and concede defeat. God, this was so silly. It was so ridiculous that she was disappointed
in herself because she found it endearing.

“ Or maybe you could contact me and we could schedule a meeting next time.” She answered.

At first, Ei looked lost. Miko shook her head and pointed at the bottom of the cup. But before she
could check what she was pointing at, Miko turned away and fast-walked out of the cafe.

If Ei won’t get the message, Miko will hit her with a spatula.

6:06p.m.

Ei: I’m bad at feelings.

6:20 p.m.

Miko: Yes, I can see that.

6:023 p.m.

Ei: >:( …Thank you for giving me your number. I forgot to get it last time.

6:025 p.m.

Miko: Oh, you had better be thankful. Use it well.

“Lady Yae!”

Hotomi burst through the door, face flushed red.

Miko gave her a deadpan stare.

She felt a sense of deja vu. It had only been a day since Miko had gone to the cafe for Ei, and she
was the only exception Miko was going to accept in order to leave her work as chief editor.

“Uh- someone is asking to speak to you. It’s the same person from last time.”

God damn it.

“I gave you my number.”

Those were Miko’s first words when she stormed in and immediately approached Ei. The
withering look on her face would have been enough to scare anyone else away, but Ei just gave her
a cheeky smile in return.

“Yes, but I wanted to see you. Also, I don’t use phones that much. Anyway, I took time off work.
Could you make me a Rainbow Aster?”

Miko tried not to be flattered by the fact that Ei took time off work for her. More importantly, how
could someone working in tech not use a phone that much?

And- and Miko wanted her to text her. She realized that maybe she needed to be more upfront with
Ei than she initially thought.

“I remember telling you that I’ve instructed my baristas to make your drink if you requested.”
Ei shrugged and clasped her hands together.

“Yes, you did say that. But it tastes much better if you made it. It wasn’t as sweet as the first time,
but the contrasting flavor added character to it.”

Miko wanted to point out the fact that Ei hadn’t even drunk anything she hadn’t made. But before
she could say anything, the expectant look on Ei’s face made her pause.

Curse your cute face. Miko clicked her tongue.

“It tastes much better if you made it.”

Maybe it was because she had been cooped up in her office since five in the morning, with nothing
but drafts and light novels for company, that a wicked idea formed in the back of her creative mind.

“ Damn right it’s better. But you know what would be better, Ei?”

Without hesitation, she walked right up to Ei. With a mischievous grin, she reached out to trace
patterns near the latter’s collar, until she wrapped her dainty fingers around her tie. The confused
look on Ei’s face morphed into that of surprise when Miko suddenly tugged the tie forward until
their faces were only inches apart.

Ei’s terrified expression made her giggle.

Miko narrowed her eyes, licked her lips and whispered words that would hopefully embed
themselves in Ei’s memory forever.

“If you tasted me instead.”

She saw the realization swirl in Ei’s eyes- the way her mouth fell open in shock and the way her
ears turned so red that she most definitely did not misinterpret any of Miko’s words.

Before Ei could snap out of it, Miko leaned back and made her way to the kitchen, a satisfied smile
on her face.

When she came back with the drink, Ei seemed to have recovered from the earlier shock. Until she
came closer and saw the faint blush on her face- that sent her into fits of laughter.

“ Miko! ”

The next time Miko met Ei, was surprisingly, not in Kitsune Brew.

“Lady Yae, she’s back.” Hotomi sounded miserable.

Miko didn’t have to look up from her papers. Ei, for some reason, came by as often as she could to
visit the cafe. She ordered the same thing, and Miko would leave her work for a bit, walk over to
the cafe, make her drink, flirt, and repeat the next day.

Her employees must’ve been tired of the back and forth and because Ei kept ordering something
outside from the menu. Worse, she expressly said she wanted Miko to make them.

Three months had passed by quickly, and it had been like that ever since. Ei would come at least
thrice a week, always around noon and always in business attire.

It was no secret- no, not even to Miko’s old patrons - that they had been shamelessly flirting with
one another, but Miko refused to take the next step before Ei did.
But she was starting to get frustrated because it has been months and Ei still had not asked her out.

With that stressful thought in mind, Miko’s head throbbed. Today she felt a little under the
weather. Her throat was dry; her skin was pale and her lips were chapped and she was feverish. She
groaned and closed her eyes.

“Tell her I can’t come.” Her voice came out hoarse and ragged.

Hotomi’s surprise was bare on her face. She nodded quickly and excused herself.

Was it because she got caught up in the rain last night?

Was it because her sales had been going down lately because of that stupid new book claiming to
have been able to grant wishes?

Was it because she was too busy handling everything on her own that she got overworked and
fatigue was finally catching up to her?

Was it because it was that time of the month?

Maybe it was all those things combined. She didn’t really take into account the consequences of
having to be the boss of separate businesses and having to solve the problems of both. While her
managers handled most of the meager tasks, she was left to deal with the paperwork and everything
else that comes with it.

One minute, she was a chief editor, and the next minute she was the manager of a cafe. Switching
personas was beyond exhausting.

She didn’t know how long she had been suspended between the state of being asleep and awake.
Miko barely heard someone knocking. But when she didn’t respond, the door opened slowly and
quietly.

“Miko? It’s me, Ei.”

Was she hallucinating? Probably not.

Did Hotomi let her in? Maybe. Usually people had to book appointments to meet with the
infamous Yae Miko, but at this point, every one of her employees were probably aware that Ei was
special.

“Miko can’t speak right now.” She replied groggily.

“Why?” The concern in Ei’s voice was prominent- and it comforted Miko.

“Because she’s dead.”

The blunt reply made Ei scoff. Miko heard the rustle of plastic which made her ear twitch. A
familiar scent filled the room which made her eyes flutter open.

“Would fried tofu revive her?”

Dear God , Miko prayed. I want her.

She lifted her head, eyes watery and lips quivering.

“Marry me.”
Ei quirked a brow, and a smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

“We could talk about marriage at a later date. But really? Just because of fried tofu?”

Miko had half a mind to lecture her about the beauty of fried tofu but she had no energy to do it.
Maybe next time.

“Lean back a bit, Miss Yae.”

She did just as told and watched as Ei organized the messy papers on her desk. She placed the plate
of fried tofu in front of her and pulled up one of the office chairs so that she could sit just right
across, as if she was mimicking their style in the coffee shop.

Ei watched her eat slowly. Honestly, Miko couldn’t even feel the embarrassment because her
emotions were chaotic and her mental fatigue made her unable to care what she looked like.

“Miko, what’s gotten you sick?”

She bristled at the question. She felt like a kid again- starting out a business with no mora to her
name and only her quick wits to get her a job that barely paid.

“I…Wait, there’s a lot. I’m actually on the brink of going insane.”

Ei nodded in understanding.

“Take your time.”

That was how Miko ended up confining to Ei about everything. All the while, she listened
patiently. Her attention to every detail made Miko feel important and she tried not to choke while
she relayed all that had happened.

Miko could barely remember anything after that. She could recall being carried home, but other
than that was a total blur.

Though when she woke up the next morning in her bed, she felt fresh and well rested. She found
meds on the nightstand and a cup of water next to it.

She checked her phone to find a message from Ei.

8:45 p.m.

Ei: Good evening, Miko. I hope you don’t mind me commissioning your writers for sequels of your
light novels. :) I also recommended them to my peers so I hope that could help raise your sales a
bit.

Oh, I also placed some meds on your nightstand. I took you home last night when you fell asleep
after eating fried tofu. Hotomi was kind enough to tell me your address, I apologize for stepping
over any boundaries.

I hope you wake up well. ^^

She blinked. Before she could properly understand the message, someone was frantically knocking
at her door. She opened it to find the manager of her publishing house, wide-eyed and clothes
wrinkled. It looked like he hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep.

“Lady Yae! Thank goodness you’re awake. Someone bought all of our light novels yesterday! The
sight caused a commotion and people left and right were talking about our books!” He exclaimed.

That shook her awake.

“What?”

Who in their right mind would buy all their light novels?

Who even had the financial capability to do such a thing in one sweep?

She doubted it would be anyone from the tri-commission.

“It was Raiden Tech!” Her manager answered. “I heard the owner had ordered the light novels to
be bought immediately and when people heard her in the square, they ran over to buy the
remaining stocks!”

Raiden Tech.

The name rang a bell. Miko processed everything before she realized that Raiden Tech was the
company that produced machines from simple blenders to advanced cars. It almost went bankrupt
five years ago just when Miko was starting out her business.

She heard that someone had built it from the ground up again and now it was a company that
imported goods to Liyue, Sumeru and Monstadt.

No wonder the Inazumans followed suit once they saw the commotion.

Although one thing struck Miko more than the general information, which filled her with weird
amusement. No one could blame her for finding it difficult to wrap her head around the whole
thing.

The owner of Raiden Tech was a fan of light novels?

“Give-Give me a second to process all this.”

It was late in the afternoon when Miko was able to piece everything together. Once she did, she left
home in a hurry and visited the coffee shop, where the line reached just outside the entrance’s
boundary.

Ei was nowhere in sight. Impatiently, she tapped her foot against the floor. It wasn’t until she saw
the familiar shade of purple around three o’clock that she got up.

“ Raiden Ei!” She exclaimed.

That turned a few heads towards her. Ei was wearing shades today, and she was dashing. However!
Miko was not going to let that distract her from the matter at hand.

When her name was called, Ei took off her sunglasses and gazed at her. Her eyes shone in the light,
and a ghost of a smile was on her face. She tilted her head when Miko walked up to her with a
frown on her lips.

“Miko, I’m happy to see you doing better-”

“You didn’t have to do that.” Miko interrupted.

Ei paused, slightly confused at what she was referring to. Miko sighed and crossed her arms.
“The light novels, Ei. Our sales are back on track, but you didn’t have to do that. Thank you- but-
you get what I mean.”

“Ah, that.”

Ei gestured for her to sit down at their usual table near the window. There wasn’t an ounce of
regret on her face. In fact, she seemed to be satisfied.

“I wanted to help out. Plus, this was the first time I’ve ever read light novels. It was…a bit difficult
to understand. Some of my employees saw my secretary bringing them into my office. That caused
quite a ruckus.”

So I’ve heard. Miko grunted.

That was the day she realized that Ei could be quite stubborn. Once she set her mind on something,
she was going to go through it. They had a lengthy conversation about what had happened, because
Miko, for the life of her, did not want Ei to butt in her business without telling her first.

On the other hand, Ei just argued that she didn’t know what else to do once she heard Miko’s
worries yesterday.

“So you decided that buying all my stocks was a good idea?” Miko stared at her, incredulously.

“Hey, in my defense, it was the simplest idea I could come up with!” Ei exclaimed.

She gaped at her. Simple idea? She knew Ei was built differently- of course she was built
differently, how else could her body take all that damn sugar in her system without much of a
damage?

Oh, dear.

They had a lot of bases to cover.

“Just- promise me you won’t do anything rash before informing me first.” Miko settled for a
compromise instead.

It didn’t take long for Ei to grunt out her agreement along with a soft apology.

“Okay, so how do I repay the great Raiden Ei?”

Miko shouldn’t have said that. Ei’s eyes twinkled like the stars in the night sky, and for a moment,
she was like a child who was just told that she could have any candy she wanted from the candy
store.

“Could you make me a Rainbow Aster?”

“...Of course.”

After six months of knowing Ei, Miko found out that her favorite drink was not the god-forsaken
dango milk.

She was also confronted with the ugly realization that she could, in fact, get jealous over small
things.
This happened when Ei couldn’t personally come to the coffee shop for the first time. In her place
was a woman, dressed in neat business attire, and one who stood up straight as a pole had come in.
She held her chin up and scanned the room with a blank expression.

To Miko’s amusement, the stranger walked with long strides towards the counter, as if she was a
soldier going to war.

“Good day.” She started out stiffly, and it made Miko contain her laughter. “My name is Sara. Ms.
Raiden ordered me to come by and buy her a drink. She called it, Rainbow Aster, I believe . ”

It was evident on her face that she found the name odd. Miko watched the scene unfold with
interest as Katou glanced back at her nervously.

“Oh, I’m sorry, ma’am! I’m afraid that drink isn’t available today.” Katou squeaked out.

Sara furrowed her brows.

“Really? But she told me that it was always available.”

Not today, Miko thought. The shipments from Monstadt and Seirai Island were delayed, so they
didn’t have the ingredients to make the requested drink. She was looking forward to telling Ei
about it and watching her order something else.

How sad.

“I-My apologies, our shipments haven’t arrived yet so we can’t make the drink. Maybe you’d like
to order something else?”

Sara blinked.

“Oh, that’s okay. I’ll settle for her favorite drink then.”

Favorite drink?

Ei never told her she had a favorite drink. Miko thought it was the Rainbow Aster or that god-
forsaken Dango Milk but apparently not. If she had thought about it longer, then it made sense Ei
had a go-to drink before she discovered Rainbow Aster.

She listened as Sara listed down specific instructions which made Katou panic slightly. As if to
make the blow to her ego worse, Sara even ordered what she claimed to be Ei’s favorite food.

Oh-ho. She really didn’t have the right to be upset.

But the realization that she didn’t know much about Ei hit her like a truck. She always seemed to
be more interested in listening rather than talking so Miko never pried.

Great , she felt slightly humiliated by the fact that she didn’t even know any of Ei’s favorite
things, her pastime or anything else when they’ve spent so much time together. The fact that the
other woman knew a lot about her didn’t help at all, and it was like rubbing salt in her wound.

She made a mental note to address this with Ei as soon as possible.

The next time Ei came by, Miko did not wait for her to sit down before popping out that question.
“What’s your favorite color?”

Ei blinked.

“Purple.”

Miko could have known that without even asking.

“What’s your favorite food?”

Ei lazily took a sip from her drink before she answered, “Sweets. Desserts. Dangos.”

Of course.

Miko frowned. “What do you do in your free time?”

Ei hummed and thought for a moment. She seemed amused by the fact that Miko was asking
questions about her.

“I stay at home and play games.”

Miko did not know that. It was an interesting fact, seeing as Ei looked like the serious type.
Imagining her playing games made her smile.

“How come you have time to come here when you run an international company?”

Ei raised a brow. “Are you kicking me out?”

“Depends on your answer.”

“...I’ll pretend you’re not serious.” Ei eyed her. “To be honest with you, I put it on my schedule.
Like, I literally have my assistant put Yae Miko on my list of things to do.”

“...”

Ei must not have realized what she just said because she continued explaining.

“Don’t get me wrong, I do it because I like organized lists, charts and the like. Also because I want
my employees to leave me alone specifically during this period. At least if they knew I got you on
schedule- wait, why are you laughing?”

It started out as snickers, until she was giggling uncontrollably. Tears formed in the corner of her
eyes as she wheezed until she was out of breath.

“ Ei. What did you call this-this list of yours?”

Ei furrowed her brows. “List of things to do- oh. ”

Miko burst out into laughter once again when she saw Ei’s face turn red. She stuttered out excuses
and explanations that Miko didn’t care about, hands frantically moving to defend herself.

“Okay-stop teasing me.” Ei scoffed. “Why did you suddenly start asking those questions?”

Miko stopped immediately. Right. She shrugged playfully and stared at her nails.
“Why have you never mentioned anything about your favorite drink? Apparently it wasn’t dango
milk.”

Although she said it teasingly, some bitterness managed to sip through her words. Ei was puzzled
by her words as she tilted her head and crossed her arms in response.

“What do you mean? I thought you already knew-”

“I’m not talking about Rainbow Asters, Ei.” Miko interrupted. “Your secretary- or whatever, Sara?
She ordered your favorite drink. Apparently, we had Almond Mocha Joy all along and you never
ordered it.”

“Oh.”

“Would you like to tell me why?”

Ei looked like she was deep in thought. Patiently, Miko tapped her finger against the tabletop and
stared at the other woman unblinkingly. It usually left people perturbed, but Ei did not look
bothered at all.

It took a few more minutes before Ei answered, and it wasn’t anything like Miko expected.

She thought Ei was going to say, Because I found a new favorite drink.

Or something more Ei-like, such as, I don’t have favorites. I like everything sweet.

What she didn’t expect was Ei to look at her with the softest gaze Miko had ever seen on her face.
She didn’t speak for so long, and Miko felt her face heat up the longer she stared. It wasn’t until
she threatened to pinch Ei’s cheeks when the latter laughed and finally replied.

“Anything you make is my favorite, Miko.”

“...”

Miko wasn’t sure if her heart was about to burst out of pure embarrassment and happiness or if it
was going to stop because God, that was so cheesy.

That was not like anything she expected Ei to say. If it came from anyone else, Miko wouldn’t
believe them at all. In fact, she would berate them so bad for trying to butter her up-

Wait, why was her face burning?

“Oh my, then what if I tried to poison you?” She joked, inwardly cursing the pink that still dusted
her cheeks.

Ei hummed. “I wouldn’t mind dying by your hands.”

Miko just made it worse. What was she supposed to say to that?

Before she could finish making up something else to say, Ei gently placed her hands on top of hers,
which made her stiffen at the unfamiliar touch. Ei leaned over the table, concern written all over
her face.

“Are you upset with me?” She spoke gently. “I... told you I’m bad at feelings. I’m oblivious most
of the time. So I would appreciate it if you tell me if I did something wrong.”
She wasn’t expecting herself to bare her true feelings in front of Ei and her whole coffee shop
today. But Miko guessed it would have been much better to do this now rather than months later.

“I’m not upset, Ei.” She answered truthfully. “However, I think we’ve never addressed this
question,” She paused, “-What are we exactly? I know I’m more than the owner of this place to
you. I know we’re friends, I know where you stand in my life, but I don’t exactly know where I
stand in yours.”

On some nights since she and Ei had met, a part of Miko was slightly smug and could have easily
answered that question with duh, we’re more than friends! However, there were also some nights
where the voice became quiet. Unsure. Confused.

More than friends. But less than lovers.

They were in a…. situationship if you will. Miko wasn’t fond of no labels. She meticulously
labeled all her things, and if she broke routine, it felt like she was out of her element. The feeling of
losing control was one of her most difficult enemies in her life.

Ei never explicitly said that they were dating. But it must have been obvious to the whole coffee
shop and publishing house that they had feelings for each other.

Ei listened intensely.

“You never told me your favorite drink. Or food. I’m not upset about that too, but I realized that I
had to find out from Sara. Not directly, mind you- I just overheard the conversation at the counter.
Oh, this reminds me, I only found out that you were the owner of Raiden Tech from my own
manager.”

Miko thought for a moment. “I just wondered if it was hard for you to tell me those things. If you
said that they were, then I wouldn’t mind until you opened up to me.”

She took in a sharp breath. “I just don’t like finding out information about you from other people. I
want to hear everything from you.”

Miko’s insecurities were showing, and she felt horribly vulnerable. After being forced to mature so
quickly by the environment that she grew up in, she closed herself off from other people.

It was why people liked to talk about her left and right- about who the real Yae Miko was. But all
the sides she had shown to the public were a part of her one way or another- but the one she was
showing Ei was the only side she kept to herself.

And right now, Ei had the privilege to see all of her.

Was this too early? Was she being dramatic? Probably both.

She noticed Ei rubbing soothing circles on the back of her hands. The action made Miko’s tense
shoulders relax and she exhaled a breath she didn’t know that she was holding.

“I like your eyes.”

Miko blinked. What?

“I like the way you get serious and all in business mode when you work. I like the way that despite
your employees being absolutely terrified of you, you still treat them well and make sure they get
what they deserve for working hard.” Ei rambled.
“Huh? Wait- what does this have anything to do-”

Ei intertwined their fingers and tugged her forward.

“I love how you present yourself. I love that while you’re far from being a noble character, you
still do a great number of good things.”

Was Miko just insulted?

“Ei-”

“There’s not much to know about me,” Ei interrupted. “You would’ve already known about me
from the tabloids. My sister died-” Her voice cracked. “-And I took over a dying company. I closed
myself off to anyone else. I’ve never-I’ve never spoken to anyone about what I like.”

Not even to Sara, She hinted. Miko stayed silent.

“I’m horrible at keeping relationships. They never last. I thought that maybe if I kept us the way
we are now, nothing would change and it would last.”

But nothing would progress. Miko mentally noted.

Ei grimaced. She must have known Miko’s unspoken words.

“I don’t know what I like now. I don’t even know what I want. But what I do know is that I like
you, Miko. And I will like whatever it is you do.”

Slowly, she raised Miko’s hands to her lips and kissed her knuckles softly. Miko’s breath hitched,
but she didn’t even have enough time to say anything when Ei continued.

“I’m sorry I haven’t asked you out. I really , really want to. I just- I wasn’t sure if you felt as
strongly as I have.”

“Okay, stop right there.”

Miko gave her an incredulous look. She snatched her hand back, disappointment written all over
her face.

“Don’t tell me that you didn’t think I did everything out of mere friendship did you?”

Ei’s sheepish look told her otherwise. Archons-

“I took time out of my busy schedule to come here and make your drink every time you come by.”
Miko emphasized. “I didn’t put Rainbow Asters on the menu because it’s a drink I make only for
you. Gods, I gave you my number- I flirted with you-”

“Friends do that!”

Miko’s mouth fell open in disbelief. Ei looked absolutely convinced that friends did that. It was…
somewhat telling about what she had gone through.

“-Okay, then I want you to know that I don’t do this for just anyone, Ei.” Miko smiled crookedly at
her.

“And while I am absolutely grateful that you opened up to me, and I to you, could you please hurry
up and ask me out? We can continue this conversation when no one is around.” She crossed her
arms, her voice sounding impatient the longer this went on.

Ei laughed. She had the nerve to laugh. Miko really was going to head over to her kitchen to get the
spatula and hit her with it.

“Okay- Okay, I’m sorry.” Despite the apology, she was smiling. Brightly, Miko observed. “I
actually prepared something for the day I asked you out.”

She bristled. “You mean to say, after that speech of yours about wanting to keep things the same
forever , you were actually planning to ask me out? Pick a side, Ei or I swear-”

Ei shut her up when she pulled something out of her coat pocket. It was a velvet red box, and Miko
immediately knew what it was. Her eyes widened in shock, and for the nth time today, her mouth
fell open and Ei had left her speechless.

Maybe Miko should have thought this through. Ei was impulsive and stubborn. And that could
have probably explained why she went from zero to one hundred real quick.

She wasn’t expecting Miko to say yes when they haven’t even gone on a date yet, was she?

“Yae Miko,” her lips curled into a beautiful smile as she said her name, “I like you a lot. Would
you like to go out with me?”

She opened the small box, and Miko, just like all the events that she had not expected that led up to
this moment, also hadn’t expected this.

Inside the ring box, was a- was a goddamn ring pop.

The ones they used to make in the nineties.

If Miko had to discuss in detail the way her face scrunched up in the ugliest and most disappointed
face possible, nobody would believe her. Because she was too pretty for her own good.

Regardless-

“A ring pop.” She said slowly. “I thought you were proposing to me. And you are- but with a ring
pop Ei.”

Ei nodded enthusiastically.

Miko wasn’t as glamorous as the media made her out to be; but she was also the kind of person
who deserved to be taken seriously. So, like, with an actual ring, maybe. Not only that, but did Ei
just say she prepared this for the day she asked her out? So she always carried around this ring box?
And most likely had a lot of spare ring pops?

“Yes. I could buy you all the diamonds I could afford, but I know you are more than capable of
doing the same. Additionally, they would be duller than you. I could make you a ring from scratch,
with all the technology in my hands. However, I know for a fact that it would take me ages to be
satisfied with what I make. So I wanted to give you something I like just as much as you.”

Aha, it was very Ei-like to give her candy rings. N ow, everything made sense.

It was oh, so very sweet of her. So it didn’t take long for Miko to say, “Yes.”

They didn’t notice the employees slacking off to watch them. They didn’t realize the loud
conversations had quieted down. They didn’t notice the way Katou had subtly changed the music
 to a cheesy Taylor Swift song.

I like shiny things but I’d marry you with paper rings.

Miko was surprised to see Ei so overjoyed that she moved quickly to wrap her arms around Miko’s
waist. The next thing she knew, she was swept off her feet and was twirled around. She yelped in
the bone-crushing hug, shivers running down her spine as the other woman buried her face into her
hair.

That was when Miko noticed the cheers. She saw people clapping their hands and the way her
manager had rolled her eyes and loudly proclaimed, “fucking finally!”

She had a slight inkling that they were hoping she would be less menacing now that she wasn’t
single.

But Miko could deal with that later.

For now, all she could see was Ei. She wrapped her arms around her broad shoulders and Ei leaned
in just a tad, leaving a ghostly peck on Miko’s forehead.

“I’m so glad that out of coffee and tea, you picked me.” Miko giggled.

Ei hummed. “Of course, you can make both of those so picking you was a win.”

She rolled her eyes, “Yes, well, don’t expect me to be your eternal servant now.”

Good for Ei, that Miko was wrapped snugly between her arms or she would have really marched
towards the kitchen to get the spatula and smack her with it.

Though those thoughts were quickly forgotten when Ei placed the purple ring pop on Miko’s ring
finger.

Yae Miko had a favorite.

Her favorite color was pink, she was an avid fan of light novels and she absolutely adored fried
tofu. She preferred tea over coffee and she loved taking strolls in the streets of Inazuma City.

Those things were publicly known, so it didn’t come as a surprise to the Inazumans when rumors
went around saying she had a favorite customer.

Some say that this mysterious woman was the reason behind the popular drink that was recently
added to the menu- the one that you can get at the price of seven thousand and one hundred
twenty-five mora.

Miko smiled to herself as she saw the sales go up.

Truly, having favorites has its advantages.

End Notes
 I only started playing Genshin Impact 7 months ago, and I haven't written anything in
nearly a year. This is my first fanfic in a long while, and also for this fandom, so it's a bit
stiff. I was supposed to post this on their birthdays but I didn't make it in time, haha.

I still hope you all enjoyed. :)

Follow me on:
Instagram: @bsc_draws
Twitter: @BscDraws

Comments and kudos are very appreciated <3

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