A Different Kind of Vision
Sonoko was nowhere near as offhand with Zhongli as she had been a moment ago. She stole a discreet, appraising look at him and marveled inwardly: no wonder he's the elder of the group — the man simply has presence. He didn't look all that old, his expression wasn't the least bit severe — if anything, it was gently warm — and yet somehow he radiated a dignity and maturity she couldn't quite put her finger on.
Even Subaru Okiya had most of his attention trained on Zhongli at this point.
According to Conan, everyone from Teyvat carried a Vision. Subaru had studied the newcomers carefully the moment they arrived, and Kaveh's had been easy to find — it hung at the man's waist. That alone was enough to confirm he was one of Teyvat's people.
Zhongli's had eluded him at first. It was only when the man turned to take his seat that Subaru caught sight of it from behind, dangling against the back of his coat. The glimpse was brief, but more than long enough for him to commit the design of each Vision to memory.
To his surprise, Kaveh's and Zhongli's Visions differed not merely in color but in frame as well. If the earlier deduction held — identical frames marking members of the same department within Teyvat — then Kaveh and Zhongli ought to belong to two separate departments.
So how had the two of them ended up together? Their temperaments were worlds apart — one artistic and free-spirited, the other grave and self-contained — mismatched on sight, and nothing about them suggested friendship.
And then there was the name. Zhongli. It kept nagging at him, sounding oddly familiar, as though someone had mentioned it to him once before.
Subaru pondered for a while, until the memory surfaced of Kaeya and Tartaglia turning up unannounced at his door — and with it, the realization. He had heard the name from those two.
Kaeya had once remarked that this Mr. Zhongli had made a complete fool of Tartaglia, and yet judging from the tone the pair had adopted whenever the man came up, they seemed to hold him in genuine respect.
That was worth chewing on.
For two men from different departments to show that degree of deference toward a young man from a third, the man in question had to be extraordinary — perhaps he possessed some special background, or outstanding ability, or very possibly both.
Every sign pointed the same way: Zhongli was no ordinary figure, and he occupied a special place within the organization known as Teyvat.
"Oh, that's right — Xia Yu mentioned you're doing graduate work in engineering, Mr. Okiya. What field, if you don't mind my asking? If it's architecture or machinery or something along those lines, I'd be glad to lend a hand — and if anything ever gives you trouble in your studies, you're welcome to ask me anytime."
Ran and Sonoko, meanwhile, were having a wonderful time getting to know Xia Yu's friends. Sonoko had felt a touch too awed by Zhongli's aura to loosen up at first, but once the conversation truly got rolling, she discovered the man possessed bottomless learning — whatever subject came up, he always had an insight to contribute — and his manner was so gentle that whenever she and Ran stumbled over something unfamiliar, he explained it with endless patience. Their reserve melted away by degrees.
The talk eventually drifted to Subaru's studies, and Kaveh had seized the opening to offer whatever help he could.
At the question, Subaru drew his attention back from Zhongli and looked at Kaveh, declining with an easy smile.
"Thank you — but there's really no need. My coursework is fairly light at the moment. I can manage well enough on my own."
Then, pivoting the subject with practiced ease, he asked with an air of idle curiosity,
"You sound as though you were quite the student in your day, Mr. Kaveh. Tell me — did you have any close friends who shared your passions back in your school days?"
Given that Kaveh had once lived under the same roof as Alhaitham, the two of them had surely been close. Which meant the real question was: did he know that Alhaitham had since joined the Black Organization?
And to be clear, Subaru knew perfectly well about the connections binding Alhaitham to Kaveh and to Lisa. If even Heiji Hattori could dig up that much, the FBI hardly stood a chance of missing it.
"Friends? Oh, I have plenty of acquaintances, I suppose. But close friends — there were three. No." A shadow of something unpleasant crossed Kaveh's face, his brow knitting, and he corrected himself at once. "Two, as of now."
"Is something the matter?" Subaru's brow rose a fraction, concern artfully arranged across his features. "Did I put my foot in it just now?"
Sonoko and Ran turned to Kaveh as well, worry and curiosity mingled on their faces.
"Nothing, nothing. It's just — Alhaitham. Oh, an old friend of mine..." Kaveh flapped a hand, the very picture of unconcern. "We had a tremendous row a while back, and that was that. We've gone our separate ways."
"Ehhh?!" Sonoko and Ran cried out together.
"You two fought? But why?" Sonoko stared at him in open astonishment.
Kaveh gave a shrug, a trace of resignation crossing his face. "I suppose we simply see life differently. He thinks I indulge myself far too much — no discipline, no moderation. And I think he hasn't the faintest idea how to enjoy living — all gravity and rigidity. We argued ourselves hoarse over it, the rift grew too deep, and in the end we agreed to stop seeing each other altogether."
"Oh, but that's such a shame!" Sonoko heaved a mournful sigh.
Ran's expression had gone troubled too, and she opened her mouth as if to offer a few words of comfort —
Sensing the mood of the two girls, Xia Yu leaned in close to their ears and murmured, "Don't fret too much over those two — Kaveh's just too proud to say it straight. Yes, they clash on plenty of things, but it's never come anywhere near a true falling-out. If you ask me, they mind about each other a great deal more than they'd ever admit."