The hot spring was wrapped in steam and silence—well, it was supposed to be silent.

But this was a joint squad retreat, and peace was impossible when you threw Asta, Leopold, and several unruly Crimson Lion rookies together.

Water sloshed. Voices echoed. Laughter roared.

And Yuno sat alone, arms draped along the edge of the stone pool, eyes half-lidded, face blank. He hadn’t asked to be here.

Technically, none of the Golden Dawn had—but Fuegoleon had “insisted” that this was a multi-squad coordination exercise. A chance for “fellowship” among the Magic Knights.

No one had the guts to argue. Not even Yami. So here they were.

Yami had commandeered the corner closest to the sake casks and was laughing like a dragon under his breath, eyes on the jagged rock wall that separated the men’s and women’s sides of the spring.

Asta and Leopold were splashing each other like children behind him, shouting about “grit” and “who can take the hottest water without flinching.”

Noelle’s voice could occasionally be heard from the other side of the wall, muffled by steam, screaming at someone—probably Mimosa—for something stupid.

And that’s when Yami leaned closer to Yuno.

“C’mon,” he said, voice low and mischievous. “Let’s take a peep at the ladies’ side. You’re young. You’ve got eyes. Use ‘em.”

Yuno didn’t blink. He just turned to him, his wet bangs dripping faintly across his forehead, looking like someone who had just been asked to eat dirt for fun.

“No thank you,” he said flatly. And then he pointed across the water.

At you.

You hadn’t noticed him at first—you were sitting a few feet away, leaned back against the edge of the spring, soaking in the heat with your arms folded behind your head, eyes closed.

The steam curled around your collarbones, your wet hair clinging to your cheeks. You weren’t paying attention to the chaos around you. You didn’t need to.

“I only like peeping at them.” The spring went dead silent. Leopold stopped mid-cannonball. Asta choked on his own words. Even the water seemed to hush.

Yami blinked, then tilted his head back and howled with laughter, water sloshing around his thick shoulders as he clapped once, like someone had just played the funniest card in a poker game.

“Ohooo? Damn, kid,” he barked, “you say stuff like that with a straight face?”

Yuno didn’t answer. He just tilted his head back again, rested it against the stone, and closed his eyes like it was the end of the conversation. Because it was.

Asta leaned closer to you, eyes wide. “Did he—? Did he just—?”

Leopold smacked a hand over his mouth. “No way. No way. That’s the coldest line I’ve ever heard.”

The attention slowly shifted toward you. Some tried to hide their stares. Others failed completely. You cracked one eye open, clearly aware now, though still playing it cool. The steam curled higher.

Bell poked her head out from behind Yuno’s hair and whispered, not subtly, “Oooooooh, he said you! You, you, you! Should I write it down for you? Should I sing it?”

“I’ll dunk you,” Yuno said to her, quietly.

Bell just grinned and floated off, spinning little heart-shaped breezes through the air as she zipped around the spring.