The workshop went back to normal again. No bloodstains. No cop tapes. Just the steady hum of the electrical tools in the background.
Jinyong stood behind his satomobile, wiping grease from his hands as he tightened the bolts on the back engine. The hood was open wide, the pipes exposed, a small tank socket at the side. Inside the car, Asami sat in the driver's seat, her hair tied up, sleeves rolled, face buried under the dashboard.
They were installing a nitro boost. The kind that could make the engine scream. A small pressurized system that pushed oxygen-rich gas into the combustion chamber, giving the engine a massive burst of power for a few seconds. Dangerous, unstable, but fun.
When Jinyong finished his part, he walked over. Asami was still fiddling with the wiring, eyes focused, lips tight. She didn't even look up when he leaned against the doorframe.
"Done?" Jinyong asked.
She glanced at him once, then turned back to the wires. Her face said everything, she was not in a happy mood.
"Give me that screwdriver," she said flatly, pointing at the toolbox.
He grabbed it and handed it over without a word.
A few twists later, she shut the dashboard and leaned back. The new button on the console gleamed under the workshop light. She crossed her arms and stared at him, eyes sharp.
"What?" he asked, raising a brow.
"You're not going to address it?" she said.
"Address what?"
"The elephant rhino in the room." She scoffed. "You almost died."
"I didn't," Jinyong said, shrugging. "Some of them sure did though." He opened the car door for her. "What's there to say? You were right. They marked my place for robbery. I dealt with it."
She frowned. "Well, are you okay?"
He pointed at himself. "Do I look hurt?"
"Not like that," she muttered. "You killed someone."
Jinyong let out a slow sigh. "Look, I'm fine," he said quietly. He didn't want to say he'd done it before. "Let's not talk about it, okay?"
Asami looked at him for a long second. Then she looked away. The silence between them was louder than the engine.
Asami's expression softened a little. "Fine. But…"
Jinyong tilted his head. "...But?"
"I heard something interesting." She leaned forward, resting against the steering wheel. "The papers said you know chi-blocking."
"Of course they know…" Jinyong scoffed. "So?"
"Can you… teach me or something?"
He gave her a look.
She rolled her eyes. "What? Can a girl not want to learn how to defend herself?"
"I thought your father already paid a lot of money for that."
"Yeah, but not for chi-blocking." She muttered. "Please?"
Jinyong sighed. "It's going to take years, you know?"
"So what? You're going to cut ties with me in the next five years?" she asked, chin propped on the wheel, smirking slightly.
"Well, we're dating. At least I think we are. You were never clear on that…" Jinyong said. "And everyone knows dating doesn't always last long. Especially at our age."
She raised an eyebrow, teasing. "Dating? You only took me on three dates. The rest of the time I'm basically your assistant for all these weird projects."
Jinyong shrugged. "Alright then, we're not dating. Maybe that means you'll actually finish the lessons and be decent at chi-blocking."
She rolled her eyes. "I didn't say we aren't dating. I was just subtly reminding you to take me on another."
Jinyong smirked. "I'll think about it."
She scoffed.
Chuckling from her reaction, Jinyong asked again. "You seriously want to learn chi-blocking?"
"Yes."
"Fine. Lessons every weekend. Evening. Until midnight."
"What? Until midnight?"
"You want to learn or not? You either commit or you don't."
She stared at him for a second, then sighed. "Fine. Oh, right, I heard something else too. Something about an experimental weapon."
Jinyong turned, walking to a desk. He crouched, pulled out a pistol, and placed it on top. "You mean this? The papers know about it too?"
"Well, no," Asami said, stepping closer. "I just heard it from my dad." She eyed the weapon curiously. "What is this? Looks like some kind of launcher."
"It's a firearm," Jinyong said. "Same concept as a cannon. I just made it smaller. Careful, it's loaded."
She blinked. "How dangerous?"
"How do you think I killed those thugs?" he said casually, setting it down. "One shot each. I nickname it 'The Great Equalizer.' Benders or non-benders, doesn't matter. Hit a vital spot, they drop. And unlike other weapons, this one doesn't need much training. Just aim and shoot."
"Really?" she said skeptically. "It's metal. A metalbender could crush it in seconds. And what does it even shoot?"
"Metal aerodynamic cylinders."
"Then they could stop those too."
Jinyong scoffed. "Your first point's valid. The second? Not really."
"How so?"
He picked up the pistol again and aimed it at the wall. A deafening bang tore through the air. Asami flinched, covering her ears. The projectile was invisible to the eye, but the small smoking hole in the wall told the story.
"W–What was that?" she said, voice shaky.
"The firearm," Jinyong said calmly, sliding it back under the desk. "You think a metalbender can stop something that fast? It's nearly the speed of sound. Bigger version? Faster than sound."
"Are you serious?" she whispered.
"Completely." he hummed. "There is an old concept of it ages ago, using bronze tubes, but it never developed more than that. It's a wonder why it hasn't been thought out in the first place. I guess the world is just too revolved around benders that they thought no weapon can be as effective in one-on-one combat against them as another bender's bending prowess."
She looked at him weirdly. "How many more strange and dangerous things are you going to make, Jin?"
Jinyong just chuckled. "Many more. Anyway, want to test the car?"
"Where?" she asked.
"Your… race track, maybe?" he said with a thin smile.
She raised a brow, then smirked. "You want to go to my home?"
"Well, not your home exactly."
She rolled her eyes. "I have a pool. Maybe we can… swim after testing this thing?"
"I mean, if you're suggesting it. Is your father okay with that?"
"It's easier to ask forgiveness than permission."
"For you, maybe," he scoffed. "But for me?"
"My dad likes you, you know that." She looked at her with amusement, tugging at his arm. "Come on. Let's go. I'll drive."
—
Right now, Jinyong and Asami were speeding through the Sato Estate's race track, laughter echoing through the area. The nitro boost button had been pressed, and the satomobile roared like a beast unchained and the speed went up significantly. The world outside blurred into streaks of green and gold. Neither of them could control the car anymore, but neither seemed to care. They just laughed harder, shouting over the wind like maniacs.
When the boost finally ran out, the engine returned to normal again. The car slowed back to a "normal" speed, though both their hearts were still racing. They stopped at the finish line, laughing breathlessly.
"We should do that again," Asami said between laughs, cheeks flushed.
"Definitely," Jinyong said.
Their laughter faded when they saw someone waiting near the parking area, a familiar tall figure in a business suit, arms crossed.
"Oh no. My dad's here," Asami groaned, stepping out of the car. Jinyong followed behind, straightening his jacket.
"Looks like you've done it again, young Jinyong," Hiroshi Sato said with a warm chuckle. "That was the fastest I've ever seen one of my satomobiles move. Tell me, is your father's company planning to sell racing cars now?"
"No, Mr. Hiroshi," Jinyong said politely, smiling. "That was just… a silly project of mine."
"Well, if that was one of your silly projects," Hiroshi said, amused, "I can only imagine what your serious ones look like."
Asami sighed, hands on her hips. "What are you doing here, Dad?"
"My daughter just brought her first boy home," Hiroshi said lightly. "Of course I'm going to be here."
"We were just testing his car," she said quickly, her face turning pink. "Maybe we'll go for a swim too."
"Good. Then I won't keep you long," Hiroshi said, tone shifting. "But I'd like a word with Jinyong first."
"Dad…" she started, frowning.
"It's nothing like that, dear. Just business," he said.
She looked suspicious, but before she could say anything, Jinyong rested a hand on her shoulder. "It's alright," he said softly, then turned to Hiroshi. "Lead the way, Mr. Hiroshi."
—
They walked through the garden. Flowers everywhere. The evening air smelled like jasmine and cut grass. The path was quiet. A stillness sat between them.
"It feels like yesterday she was crying on my shoulder because she fell off her bicycle," Hiroshi said, half-smiling. "They grow fast."
Jinyong shifted his weight. He listened. It felt awkward, so Hiroshi chuckled.
"Don't be nervous. I'm glad the first boy she brought home was you. My deal with your father keeps on giving, apparently."
They kept walking. Hiroshi stopped and faced him, serious now.
"But I wanted to talk about another thing," he said. "You know about my cooperation with your father, yes? The off-paper arrangements."
Jinyong hummed.
"Well, I heard about this so-called experimental weapon of yours."
"Where did you hear it, Mr. Hiroshi? Asami said it wasn't in the papers. She heard from you." Jinyong tried to sound casual.
"I have sources," Hiroshi said. "Police channels, people who owe favors. I saw a picture. I read a report from one of the thugs about how it works, it has potential. Those bender scum always want to exploit the weak. But thanks to your toy, you were not."
"My other skills helped too," Jinyong said.
Hiroshi nodded. "Ah, your chi-blocking. Lucky you found a teacher. If you'd asked, I would have sent you to one of our training facilities. No need for back-alley teachers."
Jinyong gave a wry smile. "Already learned it. But thanks for the offer."
Hiroshi cleared his throat. "Right. About your weapon. Is there any way our organization could use it? Produce it? Scale it?"
Jinyong hesitated, then answered. "Sorry, Mr. Hiroshi. It's experimental. One success doesn't mean it's ready. Tests vary. And I'm still young. My father controls assets. I can't give it away without permission. He forbade me to join anything related to your movement."
Hiroshi studied him a long second. Then he nodded like a man who understood. "As a parent, I get it. Our movement isn't safe. That's why I kept Asami out of it." He smiled, soft. "But in the future, when you're older, maybe you'll be interested. More freedom then."
Jinyong forced a smile. "Of course, Mr. Hiroshi."
Hiroshi laughed, clapped him once on the shoulder. "I hope your thing with Asami lasts. If not, things will get awkward. I won't stop you two from seeing each other. But don't take that as a blank check. Understand?"
"I do." Jinyong nodded. "I won't do anything that would harm her. I promise."
"Good," Hiroshi said. He stepped back and spread his hands. "Now go. Don't keep my daughter waiting."
—
When Jinyong got back to the pool, Asami was already there. She'd changed into a swimsuit, a modest one that covers her stomach. She sat at the edge with her legs in the water, drawing small circles with her toes. When she noticed him, she smiled faintly.
"Hey, you," she said. "What did my dad say?"
Jinyong smirked and dropped onto a lounge chair beside her. "You really want to know?"
She rolled her eyes. "Fine. Keep your secrets."
He chuckled. "Well, he told me to take care of you. Said I have his blessing, but that doesn't mean I get a free ticket."
Her brow arched. "A free ticket to what?"
"Do you really want me to say it?"
Her cheeks turned pink. "He really said that? I'm gonna talk to him later…"
She looked away, staring at the pool. "So you're not gonna come in?"
"Well, I don't have a swimsuit right now."
"Just take off your clothes and use your boxers." She scoffed. "You're a boy. You have it easy."
He shrugged, stood, and pulled off his shirt. Then his pants. Only his boxers left. Asami's eyes flicked over before she quickly looked away, biting her lip to hide the smile forming.
Without warning, Jinyong jumped in with a splash. Water flew everywhere, soaking the edge and Asami's legs.
"Jinyong!" she squealed, laughing and trying to shield herself.
He came up grinning, brushing water from his hair. "Come on, you told me to join you, but you're not even in the water."
"Maybe later," she said stubbornly.
He smirked, scooped up a handful of water, and splashed her again.
She gasped. "You did not just—"
Before he could finish laughing, she dove in, sending a wave his way. He ducked under, came back up behind her, and the splashing war began.
Laughter echoed across the pool. Water shimmered under the soft garden lights. For a while, it was just the two of them. Just Asami and Jinyong, chasing each other through the water like kids who forgot the world outside existed.