Her breath caught in her throat as the figure stepped fully into the sliver of light.
The shadows peeled away from his face, and recognition slammed into her.
" G .. ghost.. Ahhhh?!"
She screamed so loudly it bounced off the walls and probably reached the courtyard outside. Her eyes were wide, her whole body rigid like a rabbit cornered by a fox.
But it was Luhan, he paused mid-stride, not even flinching at her volume. His expression was unreadable, calm in a way that somehow made her more aware of how ridiculous she looked. Then, with a low, even voice, he said,
"You always scream before asking questions?"
Her mouth opened, closed, then opened again. "I thought... you.. it was dark..."
One corner of his mouth tilted upward, just barely. "Clumsy scared rabbit," he murmured, the words warm but laced with quiet amusement.
The nickname hit her like a left hook. Heat rushed to her cheeks, and she looked anywhere but at him.
He gave a short, almost soundless chuckle. a rare sound and then walked past her without another word, his face sliding back into that same serious, distant mask he wore during training.
Soon Hae stood there for several seconds, gripping the mop like it was a lifeline, her heart still pounding but for entirely different reasons now.
By the time she gathered her senses enough to turn, he was already gone, the door to the corridor swinging gently in his wake.
The next day, the sun was unrelenting, turning the academy's courtyard into a slow cooker. Soon Hae collapsed onto the shaded bench, panting, her arms trembling from the morning's endurance drills.
Fang Yu was already sprawled out like a dead starfish, his shirt sticking to his skin. Bai Cao sat upright, sipping water, looking far too composed for someone who had just gone through the same torture.
"You look like you've seen a ghost," Fang Yu said, cracking one eye open.
Soon Hae groaned. Of all phrases… "It's nothing."
Fang Yu grinned like a fox sensing prey. "Nothing? You've been blushing since warm-ups. Spill."
"I said it's nothing," she muttered, fumbling with her water bottle.
Bai Cao tilted her head. "If you don't tell him, he'll just make up something worse."
Soon Hae sighed, cursing her own loose tongue in advance. "Fine. Last night, I had to stay back to clean the hall. It was dark. And someone came in. I… I thought it was a ghost."
Fang Yu sat up instantly. "Let me guess Lu Han?"
Her silence was all the confirmation he needed.
Fang Yu's laughter exploded into the quiet courtyard, loud and unrestrained. "Oh, this is gold. Did you scream?"
Bai Cao's lips twitched like she was trying very hard not to laugh. "I can imagine the echo."
"I didn't just scream," Soon Hae admitted miserably, "I screamed his name."
Fang Yu slapped his knee. "Perfect! Absolutely perfect. And what did he do?"
Her voice dropped to a whisper. "…Called me a clumsy scared rabbit."
That was it. Fang Yu nearly rolled off the bench laughing. Even Bai Cao had to cover her mouth.
****
Later That Day, They didn't let her live it down for the rest of the morning. And to make things worse, during footwork drills, Lu Han walked by, glanced at her form, and casually said,
"Your left pivot is slow, Clumsy Rabbit."
The words hit her like another jab, though his tone was maddeningly neutral as if the nickname were just part of her name now. Fang Yu snorted so hard he choked on his water.
She tried to focus, but every time Lu Han's shadow crossed her vision, she flinched.
Coach kang, watching her with narrowing eyes, finally barked, "Soon Hae! You're late on your dodges. Stay after. Extra rounds."
Her shoulders sagged. Fang Yu whispered, "See? This is what happens when you think about rabbits instead of boxing."
Bai Cao elbowed him. "Or maybe she just needs more training."
****
By the time regular training ended, her shirt was soaked through. Everyone else filed out, but Coach kang kept her in the ring.
"You've got potential," he said bluntly, "but you're too easily thrown off. Out there, distractions get you knocked out. Today, your distraction had a name."
Her ears burned.
"So.." he tossed her a pair of gloves "ten extra shadowboxing rounds. And keep your eyes forward."
By round five, her legs felt like stone. By round ten, her arms were jelly. But somewhere in the fatigue, she found a rhythm again her mind quiet, movements cleaner.
When Coach finally dismissed her, the hall was nearly empty except for Lu Han practicing at the far end, his punches sharp and precise. She glanced once, just once and of course, he caught her.
His lips moved. She couldn't hear, but she knew exactly what he said.
"Clumsy Rabbit..."
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