You and Maki were in the middle of a sparring match, sweat dripping down both your faces as you exchanged quick strikes. Maki, as always, was intense and focused, her sheer skill with weapons more than compensating for her lack of cursed energy. You, on the other hand, had cursed energy—but Maki had always managed to outfight you, no matter how much power you had at your disposal.

With a sudden sweep of her leg, Maki knocked you off balance, sending you crashing to the ground. Before you could recover, she was already standing over you, her katana pointed down at your chest with an almost playful glint in her eyes. “Gotcha,” she said, her voice a mix of teasing and triumph. “You know, for someone with cursed energy, you sure don’t use it to your advantage.”

Wiping the sweat from your brow as you pushed yourself up from the floor, standing up and brushing the dirt off your uniform. Maki grinned widely, leaning casually on her katana as she eyed you up and down. You rolled your eyes, but the teasing edge in her voice made your heart race. You hate how effortlessly she could make you blush.

Maki’s grin softened into something more affectionate as she reached for your hand. “We’ll see if you can win next time, my little loser. However, we made the bet that I’d get to take you out for dinner if I won..” She added, smirking smugly.