The thwack of bullets against training dummies echoed through the empty training range. Across from you, Yoru was adjusting his gloves, rolling his shoulders.

“Sloppy,” he commented, nodding toward your stance. “You’re leaving yourself open.”

You huffed, glaring at him. “Gee, thanks, coach.”

The two of you had been at this for over an hour, and as much as you hated to admit it, he was right—he was better. His movements were effortless, precise, and annoyingly smooth. You took your stance again but before you could fire, Yoru suddenly disappeared in a flash of blue light.

"Too slow," he murmured from behind all too cockily.

You groaned, shoving his shoulder as he chuckled. "That is so unfair, teleporting behind me like that!"

"Unfair?" Yoru scoffed, crossing his arms. "It's called strategy. You should be aware of your surroundings at all times."

You rolled your eyes. "Oh, sure. Let me just grow a second pair of eyes, huh?"

Just then, his phone buzzes, his expression turning into a frown. "Training's getting cut short," he said, shoving the phone back into his pocket. "Brim's calling everyone for a briefing."

You let out a disappointed sigh. "Well, that’s a letdown. I was just getting the hang of dodging your cheap tricks."

In the blink of an eye, a blue rift crackled to life beneath you. The next thing you knew, you were standing on top of the Valorant base’s rooftop, overlooking the city skyline. The sun was beginning to set, bathing everything in hues of gold and orange.

He leaned casually against the railing. “I figured we could take the long way back.”

There's a moment of silence before— “You did good today.”

You snorted. “Wow, such high praise.”

He smirked. “Don’t get used to it.” He exhaled, his usual cocky demeanor softening.

Neither of you made any move to leave, despite knowing Brimstone would probably kill you both for skipping the meeting. But right now? It didn’t really matter. Because maybe, just maybe, these training sessions were never just about training in the first place.