𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫:: ꜱᴇʜʏᴀʜᴀʀᴀ
━───Sucheon was both stunned and stupefied by the situation. His dark orbs stared against those bandages wrapped around the eyes of Chiye, and for some strange reason, Sucheon felt like his senses became sensitive. The feeling of those hands against his chest felt so hot.
Chiye was also a bit stunned, but not because of the closeness. In fact, the white haired seemed unbothered by the distance as she even tilted her head and leaned closer. Behind the bandages, her eyes blinked in curiosity.
"You can already sit up." A proud smile adorned her lips as she tilted her face, "How is it? Healing isn't my forte, but I did an amazing job, didn't I?"
The soft breathing hits Sucheon and the smell of sugar and mint invade his senses. The feeling of warmth surrounded him, but for some reason, the closeness was like a gust of snow blowing into Sucheon's mind, enough to cause people to shiver.
"Huh?" Hearing no response, Chiye hummed questioningly as she stared at Sucheon's eyes. "My my, the bags under your eyes are very heavy. Do you often stay up all night? Seriously, that---"
Before she could even finish her words, Chiye was quick to be away from Sucheon when he moved to push her away. The hand that's supposed to shove her away harshly lost its momentum because the target moved away, so instead of a harsh push, it became a light push.
"Go away." Sucheon said, like a snake hissing at its enemy. "You're too damn close."
An amused laughter escaped Chiye lips. She doesn't really care much about Sucheon's aggression. Instead of making a reply to Sucheon's words, she smiled and spoke of another subject. "You should try star gazing. Sometimes, the company of stars is one of the most effective ways to feel sleepy."
That's an advice from someone who can sleep anywhere and anytime during daylight but can't fall asleep at night.
Sucheon rolled his eyes, thinking: 'Instead of talking about the fight, she's here talking about sleeping advice.'
"What kind of bullshit advice is that?"
"One that can make your sleep quality better."
"I don't need it."
"I think you do."
Annoyed, Sucheon stood up. Feeling the pain that previously torment him for a short of moment no longer being there, he turned to Chiye and scoffed. "So you have two powers. Seems like you're not at all hopeless."
Chiye raised an eyebrow, a flash of confusion appearing in her eyes. She wonders what Sucheon meant by that. What does he mean by 'you're not at all hopeless'? She opened her mouth, wanting to remind Sucheon that he lost to her. However, before she could say it, Sucheon already walked past her.
"Thanks for healing me." Sucheon was a bit reluctant to say it, but he still showed a slightest bit of gratitude by saying those words. He's not at all ungrateful. In fact, he felt very satisfies by the fact that Chiye accepted his challenge and spar with him without holding herself back (or so he thought). Unwilling as he is to accept his loss, Sucheon actually learned a lot considering that Chiye often points out his mistake --- in the most teasing and irritating manner that almost drives him mad because of anger.
"You're leaving already?"
"Yeah."
Chiye frowned and followed Sucheon. "Why are you leaving already?"
"Don't follow me." Sucheon stated bluntly, his cold eyes weren't that cold anymore compared to the previous time he talk to Chiye. However, there's still an obvious distant feeling coming from his gaze. "I'm done with my training. There's no need to continue staying here. It's a waste of time."
"Did you enjoy it?"
Chiye's sudden question caught Sucheon off-guard. A pair of dark eyes staring at her in confusion, causing Chiye to smile as she elaborate.
"The fight. How was it?”
"..."
Sucheon fell silent. Either because of being stunned speechless or because he surprise, no one knows. After a moment, he scoffed. "It's a good one."
His answer caused Chiye's smile to widen, and the sight had Sucheon rolling his eyes. "Don't get so complacent. That Duke Grane..." closing his mouth, Sucheon was quick to bite on his lips, wondering why he's actually caring enough to warn Chiye. In the end, he clicked his tongue. "Tch...whatever. Just don't shame the Academy."
"You think I'll lose? Surely, you jest." Chiye have a smile on her face as she take a step closer to Sucheon. "I'm very good at crushing ants. You don't have to worry about the process, but I'll make sure to thoroughly crush it...inside and out."
Sucheon's eyebrow rose up at Chiye's arrogance. "You're insufferable."
"Thanks." Chiye said with a chuckle.
Rolling his eyes, Sucheon turned to leave. "I'm leaving. I have other things to do."
Chiye put her hands in the pockets of her coat and slightly kicked on the broken debris at her feet, and was hesitant whether to step forward to continue pestering Sucheon. Although she healed Sucheon's injuries, a fight is a tedious thing to do. It ca drain a person's mental and physical state. Even if the injuries are all healed up, the fatigue cannot be wiped away in a short amount of time, else Chiye wouldn't suggest a sleeping advice.
In the end, Chiye didn't follow and decided to leave Sucheon alone, for now. The smile in her face remained as she slowly took off her bandages, a small thin cut under her eyes could be seen. It was caused by the small rocks that Sucheon threw at her using gravity. She really didn't expect Sucheon to use the trick Subin used against Duke, and being capable of doing it in such a short amount of time proves how talented Sucheon is.
"Heh..." Looking down at the bandage on her hand, Chiye chuckled. "Fighting feels great."
For once, Chiye manage to get a taste of fighting. The adrenaline courses through her body and the excitement makes her feel more alive. Every second spent fighting Sucheon feels colorful. Like a tainted, black canvas being overwhelmed by various bright colors and instead of the darkness swallowing those vibrant hues, it was beaten down until the canvas turned colorful.
Chiye was never a fighter. She doesn't like fighting at all, because every single one of her fights is guaranteed to end with one result.
Her opponents being killed, erased from the world.
She's not a fight. She's a killer, a slayer, a sorcerer.
"I'll change." Chiye whispered to herself, gripping the bandage in her hand as she smiled. "While I'm here...
.....I'll make it worth it."
─────── · ·End of Chapter 69· · ───────
[[Author]]
:: ʟᴏʟ, ɪ ꜱᴀʏ ɪ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅɴ'ᴛ ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ᴅᴜʀɪɴɢ ᴡᴇᴇᴋᴇɴᴅꜱ ʙᴜᴛ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜꜱᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ɢʀᴀᴅᴜᴀᴛɪᴏɴ & ᴅᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴘʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴄᴇ ᴏᴄᴄᴜᴘɪᴇᴅ ᴍʏ ᴇɴᴛɪʀᴇ ᴡᴇᴇᴋᴅᴀʏꜱ, ɪ ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ ᴍᴀɴᴀɢᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴘᴏꜱᴛ ᴀ ꜱɪɴɢʟᴇ ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ. ᴀɴʏᴡᴀꜱʏꜱ, ʜᴏᴘᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ʟᴏʟ. ɪ'ᴍ ᴀᴄᴛᴜᴀʟʟʏ ᴜɴꜰᴀᴍɪʟɪᴀʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ ᴀ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴛɪᴄ ꜱᴄᴇɴᴇ🤧
ᴀʟꜱᴏ, ɪ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ꜱᴏ ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ!! ɪ ᴡᴀꜱɴ'ᴛ ᴏɴᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴀɴᴋɪɴɢ ʟɪꜱᴛ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ᴅɪᴅ ʏᴇꜱᴛᴇʀᴅᴀʏ ᴀɴᴅ ɢᴜᴇꜱꜱ ᴡʜᴀᴛ??
ᴛʜɪꜱ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪꜱ ᴀᴄᴛᴜᴀʟʟʏ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴀɴᴋ 1 ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇʟᴇᴄᴇᴇᴅ ʙᴀɴɴᴇʀ (ᴛ ᴛ) ɪ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴄʀʏɪɴɢ.