When Jinyong arrived at the pro-bending arena, the crowd outside was already buzzing. The sound of chatter, vendors shouting, and whistles from passing spectators filled the cold evening air.
And there she was.
Asami stood near the entrance, waving with one hand, a giant bucket of popcorn in the other. Her cheeks were red from the cold, her scarf tied neatly around her neck. She looked like she'd been waiting for a while.
"There you are!" she called out as soon as he got close. "What took you so long?"
Jinyong smiled faintly. "Dinner ran late."
"Excuses," she teased, thrusting the popcorn bucket into his hands before hugging his arm and pulling him along. "Come on, it's about to start!"
He let her drag him through the crowd, the sound of the arena growing louder as they passed the ticket gate and into the tunnel. Steam hissed from vents above, and the warmth of the building hit them like a wall.
Inside, the light was blinding. The massive dome was filled with shouting fans, advertisements, and the rhythmic beat of drums that set the mood. The two found their seats close to the front, just beside the boundary line of the ring.
Asami plopped down, immediately reaching into the bucket she'd given him, stealing a handful of popcorn. Jinyong sat beside her, amused.
"What did you talk about with your father?" she asked, glancing at him between bites.
"Just business stuff," he said casually, resting his elbow on the armrest. "I had dinner with my parents too. My mother asked about you. You made quite the impression on her."
Asami smiled, tossing another kernel into her mouth. "Yeah, well, I'm impressionable."
He chuckled, shaking his head.
Then the arena lights dimmed, replaced by spotlights that swept dramatically across the ring. The crowd erupted into cheers. The announcer's voice boomed through the speakers, echoing across every wall.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to tonight's Pro-Bending match!"
The crowd roared. Asami joined in, cheering and laughing, eyes bright as she leaned forward in excitement. Jinyong watched her for a second — how alive she looked in moments like these — before turning his gaze back to the stage.
"In the red corner—Bolin, Mako, and Hasook of the Fire Ferrets! And in blue—Shen, Daku, and Mei of the Mongoose Lizards!"
Confetti burst from the sides of the stage as the teams walked out. The Fire Ferrets in red and gold, their armor gleaming. The Mongoose Lizards in sharp green, their expressions fierce.
"Hey, it's your favorite team," Jinyong said, smirking. "The one with the handsome firebender."
Asami rolled her eyes, smiling. "Jealous?"
He gave her a flat look, then reached over and flicked her forehead.
"Ow!" She laughed, swatting his hand. "I'm kidding!"
Then the horn sounded. Round one.
"And Mako opens fast! Triple burst of fire, sharp and precise!"
The Mongoose Lizards' earthbender slammed his heel down, raising a rock coin that shattered under the blast. Steam hissed as flame met stone. Daku countered immediately, sending a spread of rocks toward Hasook.
"The Lizards answer strong! They're not backing down!"
Bolin stomped, firing a volley of rocks. Mako lit them in mid-air. The attack crashed into the Lizards' line. Mei tried to block, but one flaming rock caught her in the shoulder. She stumbled, lost her footing, and fell into the water below.
"And that's the first knockout! Fire Ferrets take round one!"
The crowd roared. Asami cheered, clapping her hands together. "Yes! That's how it's done!"
Jinyong merely smiled, but didn't say anything.
Round two started.
The Mongoose Lizards moved differently this time. Tighter. Faster. Shen stomped twice, breaking the floor into pieces, giving Daku a ramp to slide forward on. Mei spun water in her hands, launching a spiral at Mako that forced him back.
"Look at that coordination from the Mongoose Lizards! They're coming back with a vengeance!"
Bolin tried to intercept, but Shen's follow-up strike caught him off guard. A chunk of rock hit Bolin's chest, throwing him backward into zone three.
"And Bolin's pushed back! The Fire Ferrets are on the ropes!"
Mako gritted his teeth and sent out a wide arc of fire, but Mei split it clean in two with a water whip. Daku used that opening, slamming his foot down again. The ground buckled, and Mako went down. The rest followed suit.
"And the Fire Ferrets go down! That evens it up, folks!"
Asami's smile faded. "Come on, Mako..."
The horn blared again. Final round.
Three on three. The crowd quieted, waiting.
"Everything comes down to this! Winner advances to the next bracket!"
Bolin fired off another volley, fast and clean. Shen blocked them with the stone slab, then rolled it forward like a boulder. Mei covered the side with freezing mist, blinding the Ferrets.
"Smart play by the Mongoose Lizards, they're forcing the close!"
Hasook tried to step up, but a surge of water slammed into his chest and threw him over the edge. Another strike, and Mako got thrown off as well. The crowd gasped.
"And Hasook's out! Bolin's the last one standing!"
Bolin tried to counter, but the Lizards were already closing in. Shen stomped hard, launching the rock slabs to Bolin's legs, sending a ripple under his feet. Bolin stumbled. Mei's whip hit his leg. He fell.
The horn screamed. The lights flashed blue.
"And that's it! The Mongoose Lizards win the match! The Fire Ferrets are out of the tournament!"
The arena exploded with cheers. Confetti cannons fired blue paper across the crowd. The announcer's voice barely rose above the noise.
"Unbelievable! The Fire Ferrets are the first loss of the tournament, and they're knocked out of the bracket!"
Asami stayed quiet for a moment, still staring at the ring. The Fire Ferrets walked off the platform, heads low.
"I can't believe they lost," she muttered.
Jinyong leaned back, glancing at her. "Guess you can't be handsome and invincible all at once."
She shot him a look. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"A little."
She grabbed a handful of popcorn and threw it at him. He caught a few pieces, missed one that bounced off his collar.
"Missed," he said.
She laughed, soft and tired. "Shut up."
He smiled back. The noise around them started to fade, the lights dimming as the next crew came in to clean the stage.
For a while, neither of them said anything. The game was over, but the night still felt young.
—
The teashop was warm and crowded, full of voices and laughter from people fresh out of the arena. Steam rose from every table, curling around lamps and the scent of roasted nuts and jasmine tea.
Jinyong and Asami sat by the window, their coats hanging on the back of their chairs, hands wrapped around small porcelain cups.
"It's getting cold tonight," Asami said, blowing lightly on her tea. "What a nice way to finish the year though. It's another six days of this."
"When are you going back to school again?" Jinyong asked. "It's your last year, right?"
"Ugh, don't remind me." She groaned and took another sip. "Late next month. Then a bunch of tests for certifications and all that. After that… graduation. Then straight to work with my dad."
"Yeah? What will you work on?"
"Oh, you know. Nothing major for now, he said." She leaned back in her seat. "When are you going to involve me in your projects again?"
"You want to do that again? The last time you were complaining about it."
"Well, yeah, because you treated me like an assistant." She rolled her eyes.
"Alright then. Let's make a project together. You'll pick what we work on."
"And you'll be my assistant this time?" she teased.
Jinyong chuckled. "Sure, if that makes you happy."
He poured himself another cup of tea. He took a sip and sighed, the warmth spreading through his chest. Then he looked at her, her green eyes, her long black hair, and then he realized he was staring for a little too long.
Asami blinked, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks. "What?" she asked. "Is there something on my face?"
"No, it's just…" Jinyong muttered. "Are we serious about this?"
Her brow furrowed. "About what?"
"Us."
She leaned back, staring at him, crossing her arms. "You think we're not serious after all these years?"
"You know what I mean."
"I don't know what you mean, Jin."
He hesitated. "Asami. Our fathers' companies."
"Oh." She exhaled, shoulders relaxing. "I thought you were implying something else." A small smile tugged at her lips. "Is there really a need to talk about that now? It's not like my dad or yours would step down anytime soon."
Jinyong hummed, tapping his cup. "I suppose so."
"What? Did something happen to your father?" Her tone shifted, a hint of worry creeping in. "Is that why you talked to him earlier today?"
"No… just a thought." He looked down at the rippling surface of his tea. "How do you think you'd feel when your parents, or I guess your father in your case, isn't the person you think he is?"
Asami frowned. "That came out of nowhere. Jin, you're worrying me."
"Just answer the question."
She paused, watching the steam fade from her cup. "I mean… it depends."
Jinyong gave a short scoff. "Like everything else, I guess."
He took another sip, silent for a long beat. His expression shifted, thoughtful, unsure, like he was holding something in.
Asami noticed. "I know that look," she muttered, reaching out to touch his hand. "You can tell me anything, you know?"
"You promise you won't throw a tantrum?" Jinyong asked quietly.
She snorted. "I'm not a child, you dork. Just say it."
He looked at her, then glanced around the room. Too many people. Too much noise.
"Not here," he said, setting his cup down. "Let's go for a ride."
—
The city lights slid across the car's windows. Jinyong kept one hand on the wheel, the other resting stiffly on his lap. Normally, Asami would be the one driving. She liked the control, the feel of the machine. But tonight, he'd insisted.
Now, she sat with her arms crossed, eyes flicking toward him every few seconds. The silence between them stretched thin.
"So," she said finally, voice sharp. "Are you going to tell me anything, or are you just going to be quiet for the rest of the night?"
Jinyong let out a long breath. "Promise me one thing first."
She frowned. "What thing?"
"Don't tell anyone. Don't confront that person. Don't say anything. Just keep it to yourself."
"What is it about first?"
"Asami." He glanced at her, serious. "Promise me. If you break your promise, I'm not going to talk to you again."
She blinked, half offended. "Well… that's mean." She sighed. "Fine."
"'Fine' is not enough," Jinyong said quietly. "Say you promise."
She held his gaze, then nodded. "Alright, jeez. I promise. Is it really that serious? So?"
Jinyong tightened his grip on the steering wheel, eyes on the road ahead. "What am I doing…" he muttered under his breath.
Then he told her.
He told her about her father. About how he'd come to his own father with a cooperation offer between the two companies, in exchange for a below table deal. How they'd agreed to a quiet partnership, one that involved an illegal weapons factory hidden from the government's eyes in his father's company's land.
He told her how her father wasn't just a businessman who sympathized with the Equalists. He was one of their suppliers. Their weapons maker.
By the time he finished, he had parked on the side of the road. The car had gone silent again, except for the low hum of the engine.
She didn't say anything for the first few minutes.
The only sound in the car was the soft rumble of the engine and the faint tick of the cooling pipes.
When Asami finally spoke, her voice was shivering. "You said to your father to accept the deal?" She didn't look at him. "Knowing full well that they're going to make weapons to hurt people?"
"The deal comes with benefits, Asami." Jinyong's tone was careful not to make her mad. "Cooperation in manufacturing. Ease of knowledge transfer. Exclusive material deals. I told my father to just be a mole. If they move or have big plans, report them to the police at once, so the police can stop them at the most effective time. That way we get the benefits while making sure the consequences of the secret cooperation aren't too severe."
Asami's fingers curled around her sleeve. "I— He likes you," she said, her voice trembling between disbelief and realization.
"Yeah. Because of that." Jinyong exhaled. "I told you, didn't I? What they're spewing isn't technically wrong. It's just the way they want to achieve their goals that I fully disagree with. He probably thought of me as a naive boy."
She looked down at her lap, eyes unfocused. "I… I don't know what to say." Her voice cracked. "Should I trust you? Should I not?"
"You promised not to ask him," Jinyong said. "I just… you said you were serious with us. I just don't want secrets as big as that."
Asami gave a small, almost bitter laugh. "Well, now I don't know anymore. You're basically saying your family will betray my dad to save your own skin after getting all the profits."
"So you side with your dad?" Jinyong asked quietly. "About being the weapons supplier?"
"Of course not," she snapped. "I just… I don't know, Jin. I don't know."
Asami went quiet again. The streetlights flicked through the car windows, one by one. Her hands were clenched on her lap, knuckles pale.
"You shouldn't have told me," she said quietly. "Now I can't stop thinking about it."
"You deserved to know," Jinyong said.
"Yeah? Or did you just want to make yourself feel better?"
He didn't answer. His eyes stayed on the road ahead even though the car wasn't moving anymore.
"You said your father's going to report him," she said. "What if he doesn't?"
"He will."
"You sound so sure."
"I know him."
She scoffed under her breath, looking out the window. "Must be nice."
The car filled with silence again. Only the sound of the engine hummed low.
Finally, she spoke. "If what you said is true, my dad's helping people who want to hurt others… then… he kept it well from me."
Jinyong turned to her. "That's why I told you."
She met his eyes. There was something fragile there, mixed with anger. "You think I can just sit with that? Pretend I don't know?"
"You promised."
She bit her lip. Looked away. "Yeah. I did."
He sighed, resting his head back against the seat. "I'm sorry, Asami."
For a long time, neither of them said anything.
When she finally spoke again, her voice was weak. "Take me home."
"Asami…"
"I'm not going to ask him about it." she affirmed. "Just… take me home."
"You can sleep at my place tonight."
"No. Take me home, Jin."
Jinyong looked at her for a moment. The light from the streetlamps brushed against her face, catching the sheen in her eyes she was trying to hide.
He sighed, turned forward, and pressed his foot on the pedal.
"Alright."
The car rolled back into motion. Neither of them spoke for the rest of the ride.