Chapter 1. Behold, the Teenaged 77th Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlour

I scribbled every word that came out of Mr. Diluc's mouth onto my neatly organised notebook. It was just a normal Monday. A school day. It was also another day that Hu Tao was the only one placed on the absentees list. She probably ran off somewhere to sleep in some coffin again. I was always the one who's picked by Mr. Diluc just to go after her and bring her back to school. There was once when I had to drag the entire coffin, with her still snoozing inside, all the way back to the school. That really gave me cramps. It was either Hu Tao making the coffin heavy or that she's light as a feather and the coffin was already as heavy as it was. When Hu Tao awoke from that coffin, half of the class laughed their hearts out while the other half ran out of the classroom screaming, " VAMPIIIRRREEEEE!!!!!"

I heaved a sigh as the flashback ended. Just as it did, the school bell shattered the silence in the classroom.

"Alright, the homework for today is written on the board,"Mr. Diluc said in his deep voice, picking up the stack of paper on his desk and turned to look at me," as for you, Yanfei, you already have straight As for your test, your homework is to fetch Hu Tao, whatever she's doing in that coffin of hers, and tell her to see me in my office, it's already been three weeks..." 

The class turned to me with the look of jealousy. I could see their eyes telling me that they'd rather drag Hu Tao from Mondstadt all the way to Inazuma than do the homework they had been assigned. And that's a big thing. In this school, everyone hated Hu Tao. She's always going around telling people to treasure every second of their short lives, even to the staff. Only me and Xiao aren't bothered by it. But everyone hated it and wished her dead; they would even say it loudly on purpose for Hu Tao to hear, but all she did was smile and nod. She doesn't seem at all bothered by everyone's reactions. She is the 77th director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlour after all.

That was where I was heading. The Wangsheng Funeral Parlour. I found her in a coffin by the corner of a room. She looked up and smiled,"Oh hi, Yanfei! Have you come to fetch me again?"

Her voice was really sweet, she sound really chirpy and cute... wait what? No no no, that's just her normal way of talking - what am I thinking?

I tried to hide my embarrassment as I looked at her and said,"Mr. Diluc sent me. Again. He wants you in his office." Hu Tao let out a giggle and sat up.

"It's really comfortable in here, you know? When you fall asleep, you'll be so peaceful even the dead can't beat your silence!"she grinned.

I rolled my eyes and signalled her to step out. She did as told, in a really cheerful and excited manner, which kind of creeped me, but then again, it was her usual way of doing things.

The next day, I decided to head over to the parlour and take Hu Tao to school. I don't want another order from Mr. Diluc to pick her up from a coffin this time. As far as our classmates would think to do anything to avoid homework, I'd rather do the opposite. 

I knocked on the huge round red-painted door. The door creaked open and Hu Tao's head popped out from behind it.

"Oh! Yanfei! Didn't expect to see you here,"she giggled,"let me guess, you're here to take me to school?"

I nodded silently. Her voice has always been this cute, why do I feel my face heating up like the oven at Wanmin restaurant? I shook my head, trying to knock these weird feelings out of my head and before I knew it, Hu Tao grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me along with her as she ran to school.

My head was bouncing up and down and my voice was shaking like mad as I spoke,"Hu.. Tao!! Hey - s... slow d-down!"

Hu Tao laughed,"What? You were standing there too long! If it continued, we'd be late for school!"

As we reached the bridge Hu Tao suddenly stopped, causing me to bump into her as we fell over. I groaned and slowly opened my eyes. WHAT IN THE NAME OF REX LAPIS - her face is so close... it took me five seconds to realise that her face was too close. I looked down. 

Immediately I pushed away, stood up, turned and leaned over the railings of the bridge, gagging at the water below. The fish in there are probably staring up at me right now but who cares?! I just kissed the 77th Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlour! What else is there to care about??!?

"Whoopsies..." I heard Hu Tao from behind me. How does she still sound so cheerful at a time like this? But as much as she sounded like her usual chirpy tone, I could see from the corner of my eye that her face went so red that for a moment I thought that she was a large piece of chilli. I turned and asked, my voice trembling slightly,"W-what was that for?"

"Oh! Heh-heh..."she blushed,"I just remembered that I left the homework from three weeks ago in one of the coffins at the Parlour,"she clapped her hands together and bowed,"I apologise."

She sounded so plain when she apologised, but I could tell that she meant every word she said. I sighed,"Alright. We'll go back and get your homework, I'll come up with an excuse to past Mr. Diluc. You're lucky it's me, you know-" but my words were cut off when another tight grip was felt on my wrist and again, I was being dragged all the way back. I watched my every step, not wanting to end up like just now, until we reached the Parlour.