Warfare Augmented Intelligent Frame Unit

Chapter 102 - To Gamble Everything

Chapter 102 - To Gamble Everything

This was my very first time stepping foot onto the university's rooftop. Normally, it was off-limits—locked behind a heavy steel door with a bold red sign that screamed Authorized Personnel Only. But today, for reasons I hadn't bothered to question, it stood wide open, like an invitation.

The view was something else. From up here, I could see the entire campus sprawled below like a model diorama—buildings cast long shadows in the afternoon sun, walkways stitched between them like silver threads. Beyond the perimeter, the towering skyscrapers of the metropolis pierced the sky, their glass facades reflecting the sun like distant mirrors. Even the megamall was visible, a colorful monolith nestled in the cityscape. The breeze was cool and persistent, curling around my neck and ruffling my hair. The sunlight dipped everything in a soft orange hue, as if the whole world had been gently toasted.

"This is quite a view," I said, unable to hold back a grin. "Since when did they unlock the rooftops?"

"Just today," Myrrh answered, strolling with a light, girlish sway, her hands clasped behind her back. Her voice had a singsong quality to it, but there was a wistful edge. "I saw the student council clean this place earlier. So it's not as private as I hoped."

"Hey, you can't hoard all the awesome rooftops for yourself, you selfish woman," I said, nudging her with a teasing smirk.

"Fine. I still have the hospital rooftop anyway," she replied, flashing a mischievous grin.

We wandered slowly along the rooftop's perimeter, the soles of our shoes tapping softly against the textured concrete. Eventually, we found a quiet corner by the edge. Myrrh stepped forward and gripped the railing, leaning over to peer down at the shrinking campus below. I leaned back against the railing beside her, arms crossed, letting my eyes drift toward her.

"So... what are you planning to talk about?" I asked.

Her cheeks colored with a faint blush. She glanced at me, flustered, then quickly turned her gaze away.

"You really should learn to beat around the bush a little, you know?" she muttered, flicking her hair off her shoulder in an exaggerated motion. Then she took a breath and stood straighter.

"Ahem. Apologize."

"Huh?" I blinked, my brain filled with question marks.

"I said apologize." Myrrh's voice held its usual sass, but there was something pointed in it now, something deliberate. "If you say you're sorry about last time, I might—might—forgive you immediately."

"Last time?" I tilted my head, feigning confusion, though I had a vague idea where this was going.

Myrrh's lips puffed into a pout, her eyes narrowing with theatrical offense. "The Versus Battle Examinations. You betrayed me, remember?"

"Oh, that," I said, scoffing as a crooked smile played on my lips. "Betray you how?"

"I went out of my way to give you a handicap," she snapped, twirling a strand of her long, lime-blonde hair around her finger, a habit she only slipped into when she was annoyed but trying not to show it too much. "I didn't even use my Ultimate against you and Fei. But you—you went full war mode. Pulling out WMD series weaponry just to scrape out a win. Lucky for me, I knew the weak spots in your loadout, and boom, I turned your flashy secrets into scrap metal. All it took was a basic skill. Talk about anticlimactic."

"But I never agreed to that handicap," I said, leaning in with a teasing glint in my eyes.

Myrrh huffed, flicking her hair with exaggerated drama. "Would it kill you to admit you were wrong and say sorry—just once?"