The next day, after usual routine, sparring, training and spend time with Ruby, he went back to his dorm. The door creaked open, and Hyunwoo stepped inside, rolling his shoulders as if shedding the weight of the day. His hair was damp from training, and his jacket hung loosely from one arm.
Inside, the rest of Team NOVA was already settled in their own rhythms.
Jaemin was leaning against his bunk, flipping through a flyer for the upcoming dance with a grin plastered across his face. "Finally, something not about sparring, Grimm, or missions. A proper school event."
Jisoo sat cross-legged on the floor, scrolling through her Scroll with narrowed eyes. "Proper? It's a dance, Jaemin. Half of Beacon's gonna use it as an excuse to show off who looks the best in a suit or dress." She tilted her head. "Not that I mind the challenge."
Jiwon was stretched out on his bed, arms folded behind his head, smirking lazily. "Sounds like your type of battlefield, Jisoo. Meanwhile, Jaemin's already dreaming about slow songs and candlelight."
"Hey, don't knock it till you try it," Jaemin shot back, waving the flyer in his face. "It's not just about romance, you know. It's about fun. Food. Music. A night where we actually get to feel like normal students instead of... whatever it is we usually end up being."
Hyunwoo raised a brow as he set his jacket aside, his voice even. "You're all really into this, huh?"
"Of course we are," Jisoo said, finally glancing up. "Even Glynda's been reminding us to 'socialize more as students.' Might as well take the chance."
Jaemin chuckled. "What about you, Hyunwoo? Planning on showing up in some sharp suit, or you gonna 'accidentally' miss it because you're training again?"
Hyunwoo didn't answer right away. His gaze flicked toward the window, where the lights of Vale shimmered faintly in the distance. The dance loomed in everyone's minds as a celebration, but in his, it tangled with shadows of another plan moving unseen.
"...I don't know yet," he admitted finally, his tone neutral but edged with weight. "There are things I need to keep an eye on that night."
Jaemin immediately sat up, grin stretching ear to ear. "Which means yes, but you're trying to act cool about it." He pointed dramatically. "So, who's the lucky girl?"
"I didn't say I was going, and there will be no girl," Hyunwoo replied flatly, unbuttoning his jacket.
"Oh, come on," Jisoo cut in lazily, tugging one earphone out. "You've been sparring with Ruby almost every evening. Don't tell me you're blind to how obvious that looks."
Jaemin leaned forward, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Yeah, exactly! Every time I pass by the training hall, there's Ruby, swinging her scythe like a whirlwind, and there's you, standing there all serious, correcting her stance. It's like a scene straight out of a cheesy romance novel."
Hyunwoo gave him a deadpan stare. "That's called training."
"Training, sure." Jisoo smirked. "Funny how you never 'train' with Weiss, Yang, or Blake."
Jaemin gasped theatrically. "She's right! It's always Ruby! My god, Hyunwoo, you've been caught red-handed—literally. Red cape, red dress, red everything!"
Jiwon chuckled under his breath. "So are you gonna show up to the dance in a suit, or are you just gonna stand in the corner pretending you're above it all?"
Hyunwoo sat down at his desk, folding his arms. "...You three really have nothing better to do, huh?"
"Don't dodge the question," Jisoo shot back, grinning. "If Ruby asked you directly, would you say no?"
The room went quiet for a moment, all eyes fixed on him. Hyunwoo hesitated — not long, but enough for Jaemin to leap out of bed and point like he'd just won the lottery. "AHA! That's not a no! That's basically a yes! Hyunwoo has a date!"
Jisoo clapped her hands slowly, enjoying every second. "Look at him. Flustered without even realizing it. Who knew the great Hyunwoo Kim could be caught off guard by a girl with silver eyes?"
Hyunwoo rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You're all insufferable."
Jaemin bounced on his heels, relentless. "So what's the plan? If you're serious, we gotta get you a suit. Can't just walk in looking like you're about to spar with Grimm."
Jiwon stretched, smirking. "Oh yeah. Imagine him walking in with combat boots and his usual jacket. Ruby would still smile at him, though. Poor girl doesn't know what she's signing up for."
That earned a laugh from Jisoo. "Honestly, if Ruby drags him onto the dance floor, I think the shock alone might kill him. He'd rather fight a Nevermore than slow dance."
"I can dance," Hyunwoo said defensively, though his tone was dry.
Jaemin nearly fell over laughing. "Oh, this I have to see! The stoic warrior waltzing with Ruby Rose... Vale won't survive the sight."
Hyunwoo leaned back in his chair, shaking his head with a faint smile tugging at his lips. "You're all ridiculous."
"Maybe," Jiwon replied with a shrug, lying back down, "but admit it — you're at least thinking about it."
The silence that followed was answer enough.
The room went quiet again, everyone staring at Hyunwoo like predators circling prey. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms as if trying to shield himself from their stares. Finally, almost too casually, he muttered,
"...Yes, I guess."
For a second, no one moved. Then Jaemin's jaw dropped so wide it was a wonder it didn't hit the floor. "HE SAID IT! He actually said it! Hyunwoo Kim, master of deadpan, slayer of Grimm, future legend of Vale... just admitted he's going to the dance with Ruby Rose!"
Jisoo clapped her hand over her mouth, eyes glittering with triumph. "Oh my god, I didn't think you'd actually say it. I thought you'd just brood in silence forever!"
Even Jiwon, usually unbothered, sat up straighter, raising an eyebrow. "Well, damn. Didn't think you'd admit it out loud. Guess miracles do happen."
Hyunwoo rubbed his temple, exhaling through his nose. "I didn't say I was going with her. I said I'd go. That's all."
"Close enough!" Jaemin flopped dramatically onto his bed, clutching his chest like he'd just witnessed history. "Ruby Rose, if you knew what a huge deal this was, you'd faint on the spot."
Jisoo leaned forward, elbows on her knees. "So what's the plan? You actually gonna ask her properly, or are you just gonna stand there until she drags you onto the dance floor?"
"I'm not—" Hyunwoo started, but Jaemin immediately cut him off.
"Oh, you're definitely the type to freeze when it comes to that stuff. No way are you smooth. You'll probably end up saying something like, 'Do you want to spar... I mean, dance?'"
Jiwon chuckled. "That actually sounds like him."
Jisoo smirked. "It does. And Ruby would probably just smile and say yes anyway."
Hyunwoo groaned under his breath. "...I regret saying anything."
But his teammates weren't letting go. The room buzzed with laughter and teasing, Jaemin bouncing on his mattress, Jisoo already pulling up a catalog of suits on her Scroll, and Jiwon shaking his head with an amused grin. For once, the great Hyunwoo Kim had given them something to hold over his head, and they weren't about to let him live it down.
The following day, while the rest of the school buzzed with talk about the upcoming dance, Hyunwoo slipped away from the chatter of Beacon.
The sterile hum of fluorescent lights filled the air as Hyunwoo was led down the narrow hall of Vale's holding cells. Each step echoed off the cold concrete floor until he stopped at a reinforced glass partition. On the other side, Roman Torchwick lounged lazily in his chair, one leg crossed over the other, his signature hat conspicuously absent. Even in prison garb, he still wore that same sly grin, as if none of this bothered him.
Hyunwoo picked up the phone receiver. Roman glanced at it, then at him, and smirked before lazily doing the same.
"You again," Torchwick drawled. "I should start charging admission. What's the matter, sweetheart? Needed a pep talk?"
Hyunwoo didn't rise to the bait. His tone stayed calm, level. "The information you leaked about Dock 12... it checked out. Ironwood's people crushed them."
Roman's grin widened, his eyes glinting. "Told you, didn't I? When Roman Torchwick says something, you can bet your dust stash it's solid. I don't make a habit of lying to the people who can still make my life interesting."
Hyunwoo narrowed his gaze slightly. "Aren't you worried that Cinder knows it was you who leaked it?"
For a moment, Torchwick's grin faltered into a sneer, but then he gave a short, sharp laugh. "Please. She thinks I wouldn't dare. Cinder's smart, but she's also prideful. That's her weakness. She's so sure I'm too scared of her to cross her. And maybe she's right." He leaned closer to the glass, his smirk returning. "Or maybe I'm just better at playing my cards than she ever gave me credit for."
Hyunwoo studied him carefully. Roman wasn't lying — not completely. But there was something behind his eyes, a flicker of unease he tried to bury under bravado.
Torchwick tilted his head, lowering his voice. "Word of advice, kid: she's playing for stakes you can't even wrap your head around. I played along because I like to live. But you? You stick your nose in too deep, and even your little Beacon friends won't be able to pull you back out."
Hyunwoo leaned back slightly, unshaken. "That's my problem to deal with. You just worry about what happens when she realizes you're not as loyal as you pretend to be."
For the first time, Roman didn't have a ready comeback. He just smirked faintly, but it didn't reach his eyes.
The guard shifted in the corner, checking his watch impatiently, but Torchwick leaned forward before hanging up the receiver. His smirk returned, sharper this time.
"So, business talk over?" he drawled, twirling the phone cord with his finger. "Because I believe we had ourselves a little arrangement. You remember, right? My ticket out of this dump and a nice, sunny getaway in Vacuo. So... when are you going to hold up your end of the deal?"
Hyunwoo's expression didn't change, though his eyes narrowed slightly. He spoke low, deliberate. "It's not time yet. You'll know when it is. Until then, you stay put."
Torchwick raised an eyebrow, chuckling. "Stay put, huh? Not like I've got a choice. But let's not forget, kid — I'm a man of my word. I've already proven useful. And if you want me to keep being useful..." His grin sharpened. "You'd better keep your promises too."
Hyunwoo leaned closer to the glass. His tone was calm, but there was weight behind every word. "You'll get what you want. But not yet. There are still pieces missing — even your Neo, I haven't spoken to her about this. Until then, Vacuo isn't on the table."
At the mention of Neo, Torchwick's eyes flickered, the grin faltering just slightly before he covered it up with another scoff. "Hmph. Figures. She doesn't exactly warm up to strangers. But if you can get her to play nice, then maybe... maybe I'll start to believe you're serious."
Hyunwoo gave a short nod, standing as the guard rapped on the glass again. "Patience, Torchwick. That's all I ask."
Roman leaned back in his chair, the grin returning but thinner, more forced. "Patience, huh? Fine. But don't take too long, kid. Vacuo's calling my name, and I'm not exactly the waiting type."
Hyunwoo hung up without another word and walked away, his footsteps echoing down the corridor. Behind him, Torchwick tapped his fingers against the glass, that ever-present smirk still on his face — though the flicker of unease in his eyes betrayed him once again.
Far from the sterile walls of Vale's holding cells, the atmosphere in Cinder's temporary quarters was thick with silence. A single candle burned on the desk, casting long shadows against the walls. Cinder sat poised, back straight, her eyes focused on the scroll in her hand. Emerald leaned against the wall nearby, arms crossed, while Mercury lounged lazily across the bed, tossing a knife into the air and catching it with practiced ease.
The scroll beeped with the latest report. The White Fang's morale was in shambles after the failed operation at Dock 12. Paladins destroyed. Shipments intercepted. Atlas forces had made a brutal show of strength, and Torchwick? Useless, rotting in a cell.
Emerald broke the silence first. "So... another setback." Her tone carried a hint of unease. "And with Torchwick behind bars, that's one less pawn on the board."
Mercury smirked, spinning the knife between his fingers. "Eh. The guy was always more bark than bite. Never really trusted him anyway. I say let him rot."
Cinder lowered the scroll, her expression unreadable, though her amber eyes glowed faintly in the candlelight. "Perhaps." She set the scroll on the desk with care. "But Torchwick was... useful. He moved among Vale's filth and made things happen quickly. That kind of leverage is not so easily replaced."
Emerald frowned. "You don't think he... betrayed us, do you?"
Mercury raised an eyebrow, glancing at Cinder. "Wouldn't be the first time a rat tried to switch sides when the ship starts sinking."
For a moment, Cinder said nothing. She stood slowly, moving toward the window. Outside, the city lights glimmered under the night sky. Her voice was quiet, deliberate, carrying a weight that made both of her subordinates still. "If Torchwick betrayed us... then I will know. And he will regret it."
She turned, eyes narrowing, fire simmering just beneath her calm tone. "But for now, we look forward. The true game is not at the docks. Not in the streets. The stage is the Vytal Festival. That is where we strike. Where we plant fear so deep that Vale will not recover."
Emerald straightened, her doubt slipping into determination. Mercury gave a crooked grin, flicking his knife into the wall where it stuck deep.
"And when that happens?" Mercury asked casually.
Cinder's lips curved into a small, dangerous smile. "When that happens... Roman Torchwick's usefulness — or lack of it — will no longer matter."
The candle flickered, and the room sank back into silence, heavy with anticipation.
Outside the cracked window, hidden in the veil of night, Neo balanced effortlessly on the sill, parasol hooked against her shoulder. Her mismatched eyes stayed fixed, not on Cinder's hands or Mercury's lazy posture, but on the sound of Roman's name when it slipped through the air.
Roman Torchwick.
That was all that mattered.
The schemes, the threats, the talk of White Fang and Paladins — none of it meant anything to her. Neo didn't belong to Cinder, or to Salem's grand plans. She belonged at Roman's side. Always had. Always would.
If Roman played along with Cinder, then so did she. If Roman turned on Cinder, then Neo's blade would be in her back before she could even breathe. His betrayal was her betrayal, his choice her choice. That was the way of it, and there was no hesitation in her heart.
Her parasol twirled idly in her grip as she slipped back into the shadows, footsteps silent as feathers. The city stretched before her, Vale's prison rising like a scar across the skyline. Somewhere inside those walls, Roman sat alone.
Neo's lips curved into the faintest smirk, a rare flicker of emotion across her porcelain features. Whatever games he was playing, whatever deals he had whispered in the dark — she would hear it directly from him.
Tomorrow, she would visit him.
And whatever path Roman Torchwick chose... Neo would follow.
____
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