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Chapter 21 - Chapter 21

Polite clapping followed. Nana responded with a dazzling smile to the crowd… then leaned into Lu Han again, whispering something no one else could hear.

From the outside, she was pure charm. But when her eyes slid over the rows and landed briefly on Soon Hae, there was something else there a tiny, satisfied curve at the corner of her mouth, gone in less than a heartbeat.

Soon Hae straightened unconsciously, jaw tight.

---

Training resumed as usual, but the atmosphere wasn't the same. The seniors' section now had Nana glued to Lu Han's side, laughing at things he didn't seem to find funny, mirroring his stretches, even handing him his water bottle like a devoted assistant.

Fang Yu kept making exaggerated gagging faces from the corner, while Bai Cao whispered reminders to "focus."

Focus. Right. Easy to say, harder to do when your brain kept replaying the image of that hug, that kiss, that look Nana had given her.

During footwork drills, Soon Hae miscounted steps twice. When they moved on to bag punches, her rhythm fell apart halfway through.

"Soon Hae!" the coach barked. "Your left guard is lower than my patience. Fix it!"

"Yes, coach!" She tried to snap back into form, but her punches felt heavy, clumsy.

And then, humiliation's cherry on top during a defensive dodge exercise, she tripped over her own feet and nearly collided with Fang Yu.

"You good, Rabbit?" Fang Yu snickered, pulling her upright.

The nickname sent a flush creeping up her neck. Great. Now everyone's using it.

After an hour of watching her fumble, the coach had enough. "You! Clumsy boxer! Since you seem to have energy to waste thinking about something other than training, you're doing double drills with the others after class."

The recruits groaned on her behalf. Soon Hae muttered an apology, though it came out more like a growl.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Lu Han glance her way. Not long enough to be called staring but enough that she felt it. His expression didn't change.

Nana noticed too. Her smile thinned just slightly before she turned back to Lu Han and resumed chatting.

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After training

When everyone else was dismissed, Soon Hae stayed behind, running laps until her legs ached and sweat stung her eyes. Bai cao tried to wait for her, but the coach waved her off.

By the time she was finally done, the courtyard was nearly empty. Only a few seniors lingered, Nana among them, sipping from a water bottle and still standing too close to Lu Han.

As Soon Hae passed them, Nana's gaze flicked to her and back again dismissive, like she wasn't worth more than a glance.

Soon Hae clenched her fists but kept walking.

Later, in the changing room, she slumped onto the bench. Her muscles throbbed, her pride felt bruised, and for reasons she didn't want to examine, Nana's arrival had unsettled her far more than she'd admit.

Out in the courtyard, Lu Han stood with his hands in his pockets, watching the doorway she had disappeared through.

"You're staring," Nana said lightly, stepping into his line of sight.

He didn't look at her. "No, I'm not."

Her smile faltered for a fraction of a second before she recovered. "Well, maybe you should. Some rabbits need… closer attention."

He didn't answer, but his jaw tightened.

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