Divine Enmity (Catnipz)

XIX. Admit it.

"Oh, great, you. Now I have to deal with your clumsiness as well as your irritating presence," she muttered sarcastically, though her tone couldn't entirely hide the slight tremor of her nerves.

Of all the people left in this camp, I had to run into her.

To her surprise, the daughter of Hades extended her arm in assistance.

"Looks like the impact hit you hard on the head," she said, smiling.

Minji looked at her confusedly.

Haerin rolled her eyes, ignoring Minji's offered hand to get up, and stood up on her own, shaking the dirt off her clothes with a brisk gesture.

"I don't need your help, thanks," she replied coldly, though inside she felt a tingle of excitement at the sudden contact between them.

Minji let out an exasperated sigh and ran a hand through her hair, impatiently pushing it away from her face.

"What you need is to learn to watch where you're going," she retorted sharply, though there was something in her gaze that didn't entirely match her defiant attitude.

Haerin crossed her arms, defiant, meeting her with an equally intense gaze.

"And you should learn to control your speed when you run," she countered, raising an eyebrow challengingly.

Minji's response was a frustrated growl; her eyes sparkled with a mixture of irritation and something more difficult to define. She approached Haerin, closing the distance between them with a determination that surprised the daughter of Aphrodite.

"I train for races. You know, at least I actually win them," Minji whispered, her voice tinged with challenge as she maintained her gaze fixed on Haerin's.

Haerin arched an eyebrow, meeting the challenge with a mocking smile.

"We all have our weaknesses."

"And it seems that I am one of yours," Minji smiled smugly.

This comment caught Haerin off guard, and she had to take a deep breath to regain her composure.

"Maybe..." That response surprised Minji.

"Wow... Who would have thought? You admitting that—" she couldn't finish, as Haerin interrupted her.

"I'm not used to dealing with someone as idiotic as you, it's normal for me to struggle," she replied, her lips curving into a mischievous smile.

Minji's face twisted into a disapproving grimace, but the tension in her shoulders seemed to lessen slightly, and her brow no longer furrowed. There was a game of looks between them, charged with something more than simple hostility. Haerin could feel the electricity in the air, as if they were on the edge of something, something neither of them wanted to admit.

In the end, one of Aphrodite's powers was understanding when her courtship was working, right? But it seems that Haerin wasn't aware of that.

And neither was Minji.

"Maybe you should get used to it, princess. You might be surprised at how exciting it can be," Minji replied, her tone softer than usual, though still tinged with sarcasm.

Princess?

Haerin bit her lower lip, feeling a strange mix of excitement and nervousness. There was something in the way Minji looked at her, something that made her feel alive in a way she couldn't explain.

"Maybe you should show me then," Haerin replied, her voice barely a whisper, but loaded with challenge and something more.

Minji stared at her for a moment, her dark eyes shining with an intensity that made Haerin's heart race.