Amon_Arcana

I limped out of the office, still feeling the dull ache in my side from the fight.

The hallway was quiet, except for the sound of activities further down. I spotted her almost immediately Ying Yue, leaning casually against a wall, her black mist swirling lazily around her. 

I stopped in my tracks, unsure if I should even bother trying to talk to her. But then again, who else was I going to talk to? Leeon? Yeah, no thanks.

"Not tired of winning yet?" I asked, leaning against the wall beside her, trying to sound casual despite the pain.

She smirked, a little amused. "Maybe. But it's more fun watching others try."

"Ah, so you enjoy the suffering of others," I said, smirking back.

She looked at me, her expression unreadable. "Not suffering. More like... inevitable disappointment."

I nodded slowly, trying to process the words. "You're a real charmer, huh?"

Ying Yue tilted her head. "Someone has to be."

A silence fell between us for a moment, but it wasn't uncomfortable. 

"Look," I started, then paused, thinking about it. "You're free tomorrow?"

Huh what did I say, I thought thinking of the harsh rejection.

Ying Yue didn't immediately respond, just regarded me with that calm, unreadable stare. I braced myself for the inevitable snark.

"Free for what?" she asked after a beat.

I scratched the back of my head. "You know, lunch? You've got a day off before the finals. Figured I'd take you somewhere... unless you're too busy plotting world domination or something."

She gave me an amused glance, clearly not buying the casual act. "You sure about that?"

"Well, you do seem to enjoy being gloomy" I replied, leaning back, trying not to wince at the ache in my side. "Why don't you try a change of pace."

Ying Yue's lips twitched as if she was about to smile, but she quickly masked it with a neutral expression. "Fine. I'll go, but don't think anything weird."

"Yeah, I wouldn't dream of it," I said, matching her dry tone. "I'll see you tomorrow then?"

She nodded, her eyes momentarily softening. "Don't get too cocky. You still have a long way to go before you're ready for me."

I smirked. "I'll try not to disappoint."

She turned to leave, and I watched her go, already looking forward to the next round in this odd little game we had started.