They stepped into the center of the open space, the air between them already charged with anticipation.
Yang rolled her shoulders, golden hair swaying as she grinned. "Hope you're not just a long-range type, Spear Guy."
Hyunwoo's grip tightened on his weapon, but his stance stayed loose. In his head, strategies started branching out like a web — freezing her footing, pulling her off balance with gravity dust, locking her down with ice, striking at openings she'd give him.
But for now... he stayed still.
Watch first. Learn. Copy.
Yang made the first move, charging in with a quick jab to test his guard. He blocked with the shaft, letting the force slide past rather than meeting it head-on. She pivoted, aiming a hook toward his side — he caught it on the butt of his spear, stepping back just enough to avoid her follow-up.
"Passive, huh?" Yang smirked. "That's fine. Gives me more chances to hit you."
Hyunwoo didn't reply. His eyes tracked her movement — the way she planted her foot before swinging, the small pause before each burst of speed, the rhythm of her attacks. She wasn't just relying on strength; she built momentum with each strike, a chain of hits meant to overwhelm.
He could feel the patterns settling into his mind, ready to be turned against her.
Alright... I think I've seen enough.
Yang came in again, fists blazing with Ember Celica's short bursts.
This time, Hyunwoo didn't just block.
He twisted the spear mid-guard, the icy dust chamber activating with a faint blue glow. The blade's edge shimmered with frost as he swung low — a sharp arc that forced Yang to hop back. The moment her boot touched down, the floor beneath her feet froze solid, a thin sheet of ice spreading outward.
Yang's stance wobbled for just a split second.
Got you.
Hyunwoo shifted his grip and spun the spear, activating the gravity chamber on the opposite end. The head pulsed faint purple before slamming into the ground. Yang felt the sudden pull — her movement slowed, her next step heavier than she expected.
"Oh, that's cheap," Yang said with a grin, still trying to push forward through the force.
Hyunwoo didn't smile. He simply stepped in and pressed the advantage — a thrust at her shoulder to force a guard, a sweeping kick to make her slip on the ice, then a reverse swing that carried just enough gravity weight to send her skidding back.
"You've been holding back," Yang said, regaining her footing with a stomp that cracked the ice. "Now that's more like it."
Hyunwoo steadied his stance again, dust still glowing faintly in the spear.
"I just needed to see you fight first."
Yang's eyes lit with excitement. "Then you'd better be ready, because now you're the one I'm studying."
Yang lunged again, chaining punches and feints with the confidence of someone who'd been in a hundred brawls before. Hyunwoo moved with her, letting each exchange stretch longer than it needed to.
Truth was, he could've ended this minutes ago. Her patterns were already laid out in his head, her tells memorized, her recovery windows marked like red circles on a map.
But this wasn't about ending it.
Every clash, every dodge, every parry — it was him running through a new strategy in real time, seeing where it held and where it cracked. It was also a rare chance to copy someone who was, without question, a natural at hand-to-hand combat.
Yang's style was aggressive, relentless, but there was a rhythm to it — a rhythm he was learning to play along with.
So he kept the fight alive, matching her grin with a faint smirk of his own.
When the final tap of his spear's butt against the floor signaled a pause, he straightened, rolling his shoulder.
"Not bad," he said simply.
Inside, though, he was already thinking of how much sharper his own close-quarters would be the next time he fought.
Yang swung in hard for what she thought would be the deciding hit, Ember Celica flashing in the light.
Hyunwoo caught the punch on the haft of his spear, pivoted, and in the same motion swept her legs out from under her. Before she could roll away, the spearhead stopped just an inch from her throat — cold steel and colder eyes locking her in place.
Yang let out a short breath, smirking even as she lay on the floor.
"Well... guess you got me."
He offered her a hand up, and she took it.
As she dusted herself off, Yang chuckled.
"Not bad, NOVA boy. You've got some bite."
Hyunwoo gave a faint smirk. "And you hit like a truck. I'll keep that in mind."
Inside, he was already replaying the fight — not for what he'd done wrong, but for what he could steal for later.
___
As they walked back toward Beacon, the late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the path. Ruby walked ahead, animatedly talking about the dust tests they had just tried.
"That gravity shot you pulled off was so cool!" she said, hands waving in excitement. "And the ice trick—seriously, it's like you've been using dust your whole life!"
Hyunwoo glanced at her from the side, noticing how her words tumbled out without pause. A small smirk tugged at his lips. "Careful, Ruby. If you keep talking me up like that, people might start getting the wrong idea."
Ruby nearly tripped over her own step, her cheeks turning pink. "W-What? No! I just—"
Yang laughed, slinging her hands behind her head. "Admit it, Rubes. You've been singing his praises the whole way back."
Ruby flailed her hands. "That's not true! I was just... giving feedback! Like... uh... like when I tell Weiss her glyphs are really pointy-looking!"
Weiss frowned. "That's... not feedback, Ruby."
Blake, walking with quiet steps beside them, gave a faint smile. "You're not helping your case."
Ruby groaned and buried her face in her hood. "Ughhh..."
Hyunwoo chuckled. "Well, either way—thanks for the help today. Testing dust this way gave me a few ideas for future fights... and a few things to steal from Yang's style."
Yang grinned. "You make it sound like I'm giving away trade secrets."
By the time they reached the dorm buildings, their pace slowed. They stopped where the paths split toward their respective rooms.
"Well," Hyunwoo said, shifting his spear onto his shoulder, "hope you all get enough rest. You've earned it."
Ruby peeked out of her hood. "You too, Hyunwoo! And no staying up all night thinking about strategies!"
Yang smirked. "Yeah, leave the planning for tomorrow."
Blake gave a short nod. "Goodnight."
Weiss adjusted her bag and glanced back. "Try not to overdo it next time."
Hyunwoo returned the nod with a faint smile before heading off, already turning over new strategies in his mind.
He pushed open the dorm door, the faint scent of coffee and paper greeting him.
Jiwon sat calmly on his bed, quietly flipping through a magazine, while Jisoo leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. Jaemin was sprawled on the couch, tossing a pen in the air with a grin that already spelled trouble.
Jaemin was the first to speak. "Well, well, look who's back from his secret mission. Where'd you sneak off to, oh mysterious one?"
Hyunwoo leaned his spear against the wall. "Vale."
Jisoo raised an eyebrow. "Vale? For what?"
"Dust," Hyunwoo replied as he dropped into his chair. "Picked up a few types. Tested them."
Jiwon looked up from his magazine, voice calm but curious. "Tested... with who?"
"Team RWBY."
Jaemin's grin widened instantly. "Ohhh, that's why you took so long. Hanging out with the celebrity team now?"
Hyunwoo gave him a flat look. "They had the time. And I needed moving targets."
"What'd you figure out?" Jiwon asked, ignoring Jaemin's smirk.
"Ice works well with the spear's reach. Gravity slows people down just enough to create openings, and Fire and Lightning " Hyunwoo said, leaning back slightly.
Jisoo smirked faintly. "Sounds like you enjoyed yourself."
Hyunwoo allowed a small chuckle. "Enough. Learned a few things worth keeping."
Jaemin leaned forward, eyes glinting. "And... did you learn anything from Ruby?"
Hyunwoo's eyes narrowed. "What?"
Jaemin's grin grew even wider. "Come on, you and her have been talking a lot lately. Don't tell me the little red leader isn't rubbing off on you."
Hyunwoo grabbed his towel and stood, not answering. "I'm taking a shower."
"Hey, that's not a no!" Jaemin called after him, grinning like he'd just won a bet.
Jiwon sighed quietly, returning to his magazine. "You're impossible."