The next day was... ordinary. Too ordinary. I was heading out for a quick bite when I felt that familiar presence behind me.

"Still here?" I turned around, raising an eyebrow. There she was, as usual, looking like she just walked out of an ice palace cold, aloof, and like the world owed her something.

"Do I need a reason?" Ying Yue's voice was as blunt as ever, cutting through the air.

I shrugged, flashing a lazy grin. "Well, you sort of just appeared out of nowhere. Again."

She didn't say anything at first, just giving me that look the one that made you feel like you'd said something ridiculous. But this time, I swore I saw a flicker of something else in her eyes. Maybe amusement? Nah, I was imagining things.

"Got nothing better to do, huh?" I asked, crossing my arms and leaning against a nearby wall. "Or are you stalking me now?"

Ying Yue scoffed, but I noticed a slight blush creeping up on her cheeks. "I'm not stalking you," she snapped. "You just happen to be where I'm going."

I raised an eyebrow. "Sure, whatever you say."

There was an awkward pause, the kind where neither of us knew exactly what to say next. That's how it always was around her this weird push and pull, like she was pulling at me in ways I couldn't explain.

"So..." I said, the words slipping out before I could stop them. "Wanna go sightseeing or something?"

She blinked at me. "Sightseeing?"

I smirked, leaning in just a bit. "Yeah. You don't seem like the type to care about anything outside your perfect little bubble. Figured I'd show you there's more to life than... whatever it is you do all the time."

For a moment, her face twitched like she was about to argue, but then her shoulders slumped. "Fine," she muttered, clearly not thrilled but willing to humor me. "Lead the way."

It wasn't like I had some grand plan. I was just taking her on a walk through the city, showing her the usual hustle and bustle. We walked in comfortable silence, the noise of the crowd blending into the background like everything was moving in slow motion.

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"So, what's so special about this place?" she asked, her voice softer than usual, though she quickly masked it with her usual cold tone.

"Nothing, really," I said, glancing over at her. "But it's nice to get away from the usual nonsense. Thought you could use a break."

She shot me a look, eyes narrowing. "I don't need breaks."

I chuckled. "Right, because you're too busy being the best at everything."

Ying Yue glared at me, but there was something in her eyes-was it frustration? Maybe something else? She looked away before I could figure it out, her walls coming back up.

We ended up by the riverbank, where a few boats drifted lazily on the water. I leaned against the railing, watching the ripples.

"You know," I said, glancing at her, "you don't act like someone who has it all together."

She raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

I smirked, watching her carefully. "You always act like you're above everything, like you're untouchable. But let's face it, you're hiding something. No one's perfect."

For just a second, her expression flickered. But then, like a switch, her walls slammed back into place. "I don't need you to understand me," she said, her voice low.

She stared at the water for a moment, her face unreadable. I was curious about what she was thinking, but I didn't press her further.

We wandered past a street vendor selling trinkets. I could feel her eyes lingering on the display, but the moment I noticed, she quickly turned away like she wasn't interested.

"Let's buy something," I nudged her playfully.

She shot me a glare. "I'm not interested in cheap souvenirs."

"Yeah, right," I teased, a grin tugging at my lips.

Her eyes narrowed, but there was a faint blush on her cheeks. "I said, I'm not interested," she repeated, though her eyes betrayed her.

I raised an eyebrow. "Sure, whatever you say, 'Shadow Lotus.'"

She stiffened at the nickname, clearly irritated. "Stop calling me that."

"Why?" I grinned, leaning closer. "Don't like it? I think it suits you. You're like a black lotus-just as stunning, if not more."

"Don't push it, Amon." She gave me a warning look, but I caught the tiniest hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

We kept walking, with her pretending to be annoyed while I kept poking fun at her. But the more time we spent together, the more it felt like she wasn't as annoyed as she let on. Maybe she even enjoyed it.

It was funny. The girl who tried so hard to be untouchable wasn't as immune to teasing as she thought.

As the day started winding down and the sun dipped lower, Ying Yue sighed and glanced at me. "I'm heading off now," she said, her tone still cool, but not as frigid as it usually was.

I raised an eyebrow, half-smiling. "Already?"

She nodded, turning to walk away. But before she disappeared into the crowd, she shot me one last glance over her shoulder.

"Thanks for wasting my time," she said, the faintest trace of something softer in her voice. Then, without another word, she melted into the crowd.

I stood there for a moment, watching where she had vanished. A small, almost smug smile tugged at my lips.