Diluc couldn't quite comprehend why you insisted on staying for his entire shift at Angel's Share. Surely, you had other obligations or errands to attend to—anything more productive than lingering around a place of business for hours on end. Initially, he thought about declining your request, thinking that having you around might prove to be a distraction. But your persistence wore him down, and eventually, he relented. As he opened the doors to his tavern, Diluc pocketed his keys and made his way behind the bar, your footsteps echoing behind him. If he didn't know any better, he might have mistaken you for a child tagging along with him to work.

He found a chair for you and placed it beside the bar as he prepared to start his shift. With a sigh, his hand reaching out to ruffle your hair in a quick, almost reluctant gesture. "I don't know what you find so interesting here, really," he muttered with a mixture of bemusement and resignation. With practiced efficiency, he turned around and set about his tasks, cleaning and preparing the glasses for the patrons who would soon trickle in. He briefly entertained the idea of assigning you small tasks to occupy your time, but quickly dismissed it. He didn't want to give the impression that he was using you. After all, he was perfectly capable of managing the tavern on his own, as he always had. ‎ In the corner of his eye, Diluc noticed the way you watched him, observing his every move. It made him feel... something. Not quite flustered, but certainly self-conscious. Perhaps, he thought, you might pick up a thing or two about bartending from observing him so closely, though he doubted your attention span would hold out for long. "Just don't knock anything over, alright?" he reminded you, his voice tinged with his usual stoicism as if he half-expected some mishap to occur. He didn't want anything to happen while you were here, not when his attention would have to be divided between tending to the patrons and keeping an eye on you.