Let Me Protect You (Sahyo)

Chapter 13.2

Jihyo was genuinely, genuinely trying not to hold back. But then Sana emerged from the changing room at that training studio in just a black sports bra and shorts with some kind of netted short stocking underneath, a long kimono-style outerwear draping off her shoulders, with her fringe braided to a side in a way that Jihyo really wanted to run her fingers through.

Sana caught her open mouth stare, and smirked smugly, tipping her head back as she let a bit of the water she was drinking run down her chest. 

“Eyes up here, Park.” She sauntered over to where Jihyo was standing like a brick in the middle of the room, taking slow stupid blinks as she tried to collect herself. Sana was never intending to play this sparring session fair. Or it was, considering that Jihyo had the upper hand in skill, she should level the playing field in her own way. 

“S-so we can start with weapons first. Uh, staff?” Jihyo stuttered, and Sana could literally hear the other girl’s heartbeat from where she was cornering her against the shelf of different weapons, feeling proud at having this much of an effect on her.

Jihyo cleared her throat purposefully loudly, grabbing two staffs off the rack and tossing one into Sana's hands. Sana tested the weight of the length of wood in her hand, giving it a few spins in front of her before bending her knees slightly into position. She held it diagonally across her chest as she stared up at Jihyo from her lowered position.

“Oh, already? You learnt this in one of your prep classes for Warrior’s Time ?” Jihyo remarked, mirroring her girlfriend exactly, but with the staff a lot more centred in her grip than Sana's. She knew with experience that it was where she needed to hold it to have a steady grip but at the same time deliver less force in her attacks. It was how she would win Seulgi each time without leaving her too many bruises to remember the defeat by.

“Yeah, so this isn’t my first time holding a staff. Come on, Ji, what are you waiting for? Attack.” Sana challenged, her knuckles turning white from how hard she was holding the staff.

They both stayed still for a pause at that challenge, as if to give the other the last chance of back out. Neither do, and so it began. 

Jihyo made the first move, repeating a move she had demonstrated time and time again for her juniors back when she was training in the academy. She moved swiftly at Sana, making aborted thrusts of her staff in the air, smirking as she got the exact reaction she wanted - Sana reflexively blocking her faux-attacks. Taking advantage of the distraction, she swooped down into a crouch quickly, taking a swipe at Sana's feet and hitting precisely where she needed to have her falling onto her back.

Sana huffed as she dropped onto the ground, the staff still firmly gripped in her hand. The other girl stared at her from where she stood, throwing her staff smoothly into another hand before extending her freed hand for Sana to grab onto.

“What are you doing?” 

“Helping you up, what does it look like I’m doing.”

“Do you help your sparring partners up after barely a knockout? Thought you said this was going to be a challenge?” 

“Well no, but you’re not trained for this, and I don’t want to hurt you.” 

“Park Jihyo, you’re still holding back.” Sana leaned her head back against the slightly cushioned floor, lips curving up into a sly smile. “Didn’t you say you won’t hold back?”

With that, Sana rolled over and onto her haunches, performing that same move Jihyo used on her earlier, but with a variation that she still remembered from her stunt rehearsals. She swiped the staff in an arc on the ground around where Jihyo was standing, bringing her crashing to the floor in a loud thud. She twirled the staff in her hand with a fluidity that her stunt instructor would have been proud of, knocking the staff out of Jihyo's hand.