?“Are you sure this is actually helping?!” Micheal finally snapped, his patience wearing thin after three grueling weeks of “training” with Jasmine. She was currently perched on his back as he struggled through another round of push-ups, her smirk widening with every strained breath he took.

  ?

  ?“I didn’t tell you to stop,” she quipped, smacking him lightly on the head with the pen in her hand. She was enjoying this far too much.

  ?

  ?Micheal groaned but pushed on, arms trembling as he lowered himself again. As bad as Aki’s training was, Jasmine’s was somehow worse. They had done their best to keep these sessions a secret from him, but Aki’s presence was always felt, a constant reminder of why Micheal was here in the first place.

  ?

  ?“Forty-eight,” she counted, tapping the pen against her palm idly. His muscles screamed in protest as he fought to keep pace.

  ?

  ?“Forty-nine.” Sweat dripped from his brow, splattering onto the wooden floor. Every fiber of his being burned, his arms barely holding up under the pressure.

  ?

  ?“Fifty.” The moment the word left her mouth, Micheal collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath. His body ached, every inch of him drenched in sweat. Jasmine stretched lazily, looking completely at ease as she handed him a towel.

  ?

  ?“Not bad for a racist,” she teased, watching as he forced himself upright, leaning back against the wall while dabbing his face.

  ?

  ?“Ha… ha… you’re hilarious,” he muttered, voice dripping with sarcasm.

  ?

  ?“Aww, that’s so sweet. Keep working on it, and maybe you’ll come up with a compliment better than ‘I don’t feel the urge to gag in your presence.’” She flashed him a wicked grin. “Just don’t strain that tiny brain of yours.”

  ?

  ?Micheal’s face flushed. She was definitely Aki’s sister, all right. He shot her a glare, but exhaustion kept him from snapping back. Her smirk widened at his silence.

  ?

  ?“Looks like training is finally teaching you to keep that shitty mouth of yours shut,” she mused.

  ?

  ?“God… you’re insufferable,” he groaned, burying his face in the towel.

  ?

  ?A beat of silence passed before she spoke again, this time with genuine curiosity. “Hey… what element do you have, anyway?”

  ?

  ?He hesitated before answering. “Well… I managed to pull off a little fire when Aki trained me the other day. So I guess fire?”

  ?

  ?Jasmine’s eyes narrowed in contemplation. Without another word, she got up and started rummaging through the pile of books they had stacked in the corner.

  ?

  ?Micheal peered over her shoulder. “What are you looking for?”

  ?

  ?“I think I read something about elemental manipulation somewhere in here…” she muttered, flipping through the pages trying to ignore the way her heart fluttered at his proximity.

  ?

  ?He scoffed. “Even if you find something, Aki’s a dual wielder. No way I’d be able to follow in his footsteps.” remaining oblivious to the small shiver that passed through her body.

  ?

  ?Jasmine shot him an unimpressed look. “So you’re not even going to try?”

  ?

  ?Micheal shrugged. “I guess it’s worth a shot.”

  ?

  ?She smirked. “Good. Then we start by adjusting your diet.”

  ?

  ?His stomach dropped. “You’re taking away my eating privileges now?”

  ?

  ?Rolling her eyes, she sighed. “This is why no one likes you.”

  ?

  ?“Hey! I’ll have you know a lot of people love me!”

  ?

  ?“Doubt it.” She smirked at his indignation before finally stopping on a page and running her finger down the text. “Alright. Let’s try you out with Aki’s basic regime.”

  ?

  ?Turns out, ‘basic’ was a lie. Micheal managed to grasp the techniques in five minutes, but it took him another fifty to execute them properly. By the end, he was a panting, sweat-drenched mess, his arms littered with red marks from every time she smacked him for slacking off.

  ?

  ?“You…” he wheezed, sprawled out on the floor, too exhausted to move. “You are the worst thing that has ever happened to me.”

  ?

  ?Jasmine stood over him, arms crossed, a glint of pride hidden in her amused gaze. “Likewise. But hey, your flame was actually better than those pathetic little wisps you were making before. So, progress.” For a moment there was something softer in her gaze... something that drew him in. But then it was gone.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  ?

  ?"Hah....don't get used to complimenting me like that" he scoffs trying to brush off how his heart had raced a moment ago

  ?

  ?She smirks back. "Don't get used to it either"

  ?

  ?Jasmine walked toward the couch, lowering herself onto it with a quiet sigh. She studied him for a few moments, her gaze unreadable. Micheal, feeling the weight of her stare, averted his eyes, letting the silence stretch between them. Finally, she broke it, her voice softer than before.

  ?

  ?"Aki’s coming back from his meetings sometime next week… maybe he’ll actually be proud of your progress?"

  ?

  ?Micheal scoffed, his gaze fixed on a random spot on the wall. "Hah… doubt it."

  ?

  ?He didn’t want to admit it, but the thought of being acknowledged—especially in a good light—wasn’t all that bad.

  ?

  ?"He's not all that bad, y'know?" Jasmine continued. "He’s actually nice when you get to know him."

  ?

  ?Micheal didn’t have trouble believing that. He’d seen the way Aki’s sharp gaze softened whenever Jasmine entered a room, how his voice lost its edge. Compared to that, the way Aki looked at Micheal made him feel like the most repulsive creature alive.

  ?

  ?A thought crept up on him before he could push it away. The words tumbled from his lips before he had the sense to stop them. "Hey… I-I’m sorry. For the way I treated you earlier. I… I shouldn’t have said all that."

  ?

  ?Jasmine raised an eyebrow, masking her surprise behind an amused smirk. "Oh? Your poor little brain forged its first coherent thought?"

  ?

  ?Micheal sighed, his frown deepening. "I’m being serious."

  ?

  ?"That’s concerning. I didn’t know you had it in you to be honest."

  ?

  ?He rolled his eyes. "God, can you just—listen for a moment?"

  ?

  ?Something in his tone made her pause. She studied him again, this time without the teasing glint in her eye. Finally, she sighed, her smirk faltering slightly. "You realize an apology won’t suffice, right?"

  ?

  ?"I… I do." He swallowed hard. He had known that. The damage was too much to be fixed by a few mumbled words.

  ?

  ?"I… I didn’t mean it—"

  ?

  ?"Don’t lie to me, Micheal." Her voice was quiet, but firm. "You meant every word."

  ?

  ?His chest tightened. He didn’t want to admit it, but she was right. At the time, he had meant it. But now, standing here, facing her—he was beginning to realize just how unfair he had been.

  ?

  ?"I… I’m sorry," he murmured. "I really am."

  ?

  ?Jasmine’s arms remained crossed, but something in her expression shifted. She looked away, as if gathering her thoughts, before speaking again. "You were a rude, arrogant racist. You said people like me deserved to be wiped out."

  ?

  ?Another pang of guilt stabbed through his chest. He lowered his head, his jaw clenching. Was this what Alisa would have wanted? That thought alone made his anger stir again—but he swallowed it down. He couldn’t let it destroy whatever fragile thing he was building with Jasmine. The thought of losing her now… it hurt more than he cared to admit.

  ?

  ?"I know there’s no excuse for what I said," he admitted. "I know I was horrible. I know I wasn’t fair. I just… I just want to make it right. Please." He hesitated, inhaling sharply before continuing. "If there’s anything I can do to make it up to you, just… give me a chance."

  ?

  ?For a moment, neither of them spoke. Jasmine’s heart stuttered at his words, but her mind refused to forget. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. She couldn’t bring herself to look him in the eyes.

  ?

  ?"I won’t pretend I forgive you, Micheal," she whispered. "I don’t think I can."

  ?

  ?His heart dropped. He should have expected this. Still, he forced himself to nod. "I… I understand."

  ?

  ?A long silence stretched between them before she finally spoke again.

  ?

  ?"But… if you beat Aki—if you manage to land even one hit on him—I’ll consider giving you a chance."

  ?

  ?His eyes widened, snapping up to her face. His heart pounded. That was all he wanted—a chance.

  ?

  ?"I… I will," he promised, determination flaring in his chest. "I swear it. I’ll be better."

  ?

  ?Jasmine studied him for another long moment before a small, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

  ?

  ?"We’ll see about that."

  ?