Raiden Ei took off her mask and shook her slightly messy purple ponytail. Not a drop of sweat marked her forehead—she looked fresh and composed.
Her opponent, on the other hand, was drenched in sweat and visibly exhausted.
To avoid hindering her movement, Ei had tied her hair into a high ponytail, giving her the lively look of a high school athlete. There was something distinctly youthful about her, like a member of the school's sports club.
Ignoring the astonished expressions of the spectators, she turned toward the stands, searching for Lu Chen.
Lu Chen was already looking at her. Their eyes met, holding only each other in their gaze.
"Miss Raiden!"
Compared to the dumbfounded crowd, the middle-aged coach looked much calmer—after all, he'd seen this once before.
Still, his expression wasn't exactly pleasant. He'd never had a student who treated him so casually.
His face darkened, clearly about to lose his temper.
But when he finally spoke, his tone was unexpectedly soft. "Miss Raiden, as long as you can keep your techniques and form sharp, and stay in peak condition, you're free to train however you like..."
There was no choice—results spoke louder than anything in competitive sports.
With the school's fencing team on the brink of being cut, a prodigy like this suddenly showing up—well, they couldn't exactly afford to drive her away...
Raiden Ei gave him a slight nod.
...
After school, Lu Chen and Raiden Ei walked home together.
They strolled under the sunset along the quiet street. Small groups of students passed by, and a young couple chased each other playfully. The sunset painted their cheeks a soft rose.
On clear days, the sunset in this seaside city was always this breathtaking. Lu Chen noticed how their shadows stretched far ahead, merging with the rose-tinted horizon.
Raiden Ei was completely immersed in the moment and hadn't spoken a word.
Lu Chen glanced at her. Her clear eyes were fixed on the road, her expression distant—clearly preoccupied.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Hm?" When she didn't respond, Lu Chen made a second questioning sound.
"Oh." Raiden Ei finally looked at him. "I was thinking about school. About Haizhou Academy."
"School?" Lu Chen was surprised. What could be troubling her there?
"Are you worried about the competition in two weeks?" he asked.
The school team had been training intensely lately. They were determined to beat the Experimental School and earn a spot in the national competition.
The Experimental School was their long-time rival. Due to the double round-robin format, they'd already faced off once—and Haizhou Academy had been completely crushed.
Since then, the school had started considering disbanding the fencing team, which had never brought in any real results.
"It's not about the competition," she said, shaking her head. Her eyes stayed locked on Lu Chen's, now clouded by a hint of gloom.
Lu Chen stopped walking. A sudden chill ran down his spine—an eerie feeling crept over him.
A young couple passed by them. The boy seemed to have said something that angered the girl. Now they stood awkwardly at the side of the road—the girl with her arms crossed, the boy looking helpless.
Just a minute ago they were all over each other. How did it change so fast?
Lu Chen instinctively sympathized with the boy. Sometimes girls were just...impossible to read.
"That girl in our class, Zhao Xiaohan... she seems pretty interested in you?"
"Huh?" Lu Chen hadn't expected this.
"She keeps sneaking glances at you," Raiden Ei said flatly. "And I heard from someone that you confessed to her?"
"That's completely untrue..." Lu Chen felt like the sky was dumping snow on him—this was way too unjust.
"Really?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Well... not exactly."
Raiden Ei's expression turned even colder.
"Here's what happened..." Lu Chen explained quickly, "It was that idiot 'Lu Chen' who confessed, not me!"
What that impulsive version of me did has nothing to do with the current me!
Raiden Ei's expression remained stern. "Seriously?"
"Seriously! No way I'd be into someone like her!" Lu Chen said confidently. "I only like girls with slim waists and long legs—she's not even close!"
"Are my legs long enough?" Raiden Ei actually glanced down at her own legs.
"...They're long enough!" Lu Chen fixed his gaze, as if evaluating them like a serious academic paper.
The Haizhou school uniform wasn't revealing—its skirt reached the knees. But Raiden Ei was tall, and he could still see her fair, well-shaped legs.
They weren't stick-thin either. Her calves, wrapped in mid-length socks, had just the right amount of softness.
Lu Chen imagined the scene of her putting on long socks—how the elastic fabric would press into her pale thighs, forming that perfect indentation...
They must feel incredible to the touch...
As he blatantly admired her, Raiden Ei, who had been keeping a straight face, blushed. Under the setting sun, she looked as beautiful as the city itself.
"Don't..."
"Someone might be watching us..."
"Oh? Who's got the nerve?" Lu Chen glanced ahead. The bickering couple was still standing there, the guy visibly stressed.
"No one's watching. Who would be watching..."
Raiden Ei dropped her shy look and met Lu Chen's eyes.
"Zhao Xiaohan's legs are pretty cute too."
"Uh..." Lu Chen hadn't expected his attempt to change the topic to fail—Ei was still hung up on it.
"Her short legs aren't cute at all," he said bluntly. "And seriously, why are you even jealous? You know how I feel!"
When did Ei become so insecure?
"I don't know what you're thinking—I'm not a mind reader." The amethyst in her eyes reflected his face, but her expression didn't change.
"My thoughts..." Lu Chen let out a soft sigh.
How could you not know?
He stepped closer.
As they drew near, he noticed her eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings.
Lu Chen gently pulled her into his arms.
With a smile like sunlight on a winter day, he leaned in and whispered near her ear in his clear, steady voice:
"Now do you know what I'm thinking?"
Something shimmered in Raiden Ei's purple eyes, like it was about to overflow—but Lu Chen couldn't see it clearly.
What he could feel was her slender shoulders trembling slightly, and the strands of purple hair brushing against his fingertips, swaying in the breeze.
"Why are you being so silly? It's always been just the two of us..."
Raiden Ei didn't say anything more.
Bathed in the seaside city's rose-colored sunset, the two of them held each other close as the world fell into a soft, silent stillness.
Then, for some reason, Lu Chen noticed the couple at the end of the road had stopped arguing. The guy glanced his way, and then...
He suddenly pulled his girlfriend into a hug.
All the tension, the suspicion, the awkwardness—gone in an instant. The girl wrapped her arms around him, and the two embraced tightly.
The guy shot Lu Chen a thumbs-up.
It was too dark to see his face clearly, but Lu Chen knew exactly what he meant: "Bro, that move was genius!"
Lu Chen quietly returned the thumbs-up.
A wordless bond between men.