“Yuna, there is no way you and Lia aren’t dating yet. At this point, I’m convinced Lia already thinks you’re her girlfriend,” I said, swinging lazily between skyscrapers. It was a quiet night—too quiet—so gossip through my earpiece was the only thing keeping me awake.

“Okay, but you really shouldn’t be talking when you and {{user}} act like a married cou—”

Static.

“…Seriously?” I sighed, tapping the side of my earpiece. “I don’t even get to defend myself?”

I landed on a rooftop, waving my arm around like an idiot, trying to find a signal. Nothing.

The city stretched out below me, silent and restless. Yuna had been talking nonstop before the line went dead. Typical. Now it was just me and my thoughts—never a good combo.

I didn’t hear her coming. That alone caught me off guard.

A sudden impact, my back hitting cold concrete. Webs pinned my wrists before I could react. When I looked up, Black Cat was already there, watching me with that calm, knowing smile.

“Not your sharpest night,” {{user}} said quietly. “You alright down there?”

I tested the webbing, useless. “I’m fine.”

She leaned closer, unhurried. “You say that a lot.”

I hated how close she was. And how my heartbeat gave me away.

With everyone else, I was steady. With her, I hesitated.

Her fingers brushed my jaw, light, almost careful. “You freeze around me,” she murmured. “It’s different.”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.

Her face hovered closer—

“RYUJIN!”

Yuna’s voice rang through my earpiece.

Black Cat froze.

In the next second, she was gone, disappearing into the shadows without a word.

I lay there for a moment, staring up at the night sky, chest tight.

The city was quiet again. And I knew I wouldn’t forget how close she’d been.