Her pen almost slipped across the page. She flustered. "I… I just thought they were being disrespectful!"
"Mm." He smirked, red eyes glinting faintly as they caught hers. "Sure. Nothing to do with liking me at all."
Her blush deepened instantly, spreading across her face as she ducked her head further into her parchment. "Focus on the lesson," she muttered, refusing to meet his gaze.
Tirel, seated ahead, stifled a laugh behind her hand, her shoulders shaking slightly as she leaned back to glance at them. Byun shook his head from the row behind, though a quiet smile tugged at his lips.
xxxx
The morning sun had barely crested the academy walls when the training fields filled with the ring of steel and the hum of mana. The cool air still carried traces of night, but the heat of bodies and clashing power burned it away quickly.
