Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Ekko didn’t need a reminder of where he came from.

“The boy from Zaun,” they called him. Piltover’s charity case, proof of their so-called “benevolence.”

He was brought as evidence that even the undercity could produce something worthwhile.

It all started when he was ten, the year topside launched its scholarship program for one lucky child from the undercity. The program was a big deal, with speeches about unity and opportunity. For most people in Zaun, it felt like just another empty promise, a shiny distraction from how they took advantage of them. But for Benzo, the pawnshop owner who had become a father figure to Ekko and recognized his potential as a young genius inventor, it was different. He pushed Ekko to apply, believing this was his chance to fully explore his potential.

It was only a matter of time before the scholarship was his. In the blink of an eye, he left the dangerous streets of the undercity behind to join Piltover Academy as one of their students. But it wasn't that simple. The opportunity had come with conditions, stipulations he hadn’t fully understood until he’d already signed on. His acceptance was as much an experiment as it was a charity case, and his performance came with the weight of representing his entire city. Every achievement wasn’t just his; it was a potential door for the next kid from the undercity who dared to dream of something more. Every misstep wasn’t just a failure of his own, it was a reflection on his people.

He’d felt the pressure every day. He’d been warned, no distractions. The academy’s rules were clear: he was to keep his head down, his grades up, and his distance from anything that could "complicate" his image. At some point, he became determined to prove it wasn’t luck or charity that got him there, it was sleepless nights perfecting equations, memorizing theories, and building inventions that left his professors in awe. Even Professor Heimerdinger, Piltover’s head of the council, considered him one of his favorite students.

Over time, he earned his place not just as a student but as Piltover Academy’s newest student council president. His serious demeanor, impeccable uniform, and sharp, determined gaze commanded respect. Ekko wasn’t just smart, he was a force to be reckoned with, a trencher who stood toe-to-toe with Piltover’s elite.

But every force meets its counterbalance.

Jinx was everything Ekko wasn’t. Chaos incarnate in the form of a teenage girl. She thrived on disorder, and rules bored her to death. She lived for the unexpected, always ready to cause trouble with her quick wit and an endless supply of smoke and paint bombs no one could figure out where she kept. If she wasn’t blowing something up, she was planning to.

And yet, for all her chaos, Jinx was a genius in her own right. She wasn’t just smart, she was terrifyingly, infuriatingly brilliant. She solved problems in seconds that left others baffled, included himself. While Ekko carefully worked through equations and theories, Jinx just saw the answers. She’d scrawl them in neon-colors across her notebook, adding doodles of monkeys, explosions, and grinning skulls before proudly presenting them to the stunned professors.

It was a new day, like any other, when Ekko, on his way to a meeting about the upcoming month’s activities, stopped in his tracks in the hallway. A large section of the wall, once decorated with a painting of one of Piltover Academy’s founding professors, was now covered in a neon-pink monkey. The culprit? There was no need to guess.

“Admiring my work, Mr. President?” came a raspy, mocking voice.

Ekko turned and met the source of his constant headaches. Jinx stood just a few steps away, a sly smirk tugging at her lips. Her long, vibrantly blue hair, tied into two braids, swayed as she leaned against a nearby locker. The uniform she wore was completely altered to her taste: tie loose, her name graffitied in neon pink on her blazer, sleeves rolled up, and a skirt that looked suspiciously high according to the academy's standards. 

“Jinx,” he said flatly, trying to hold back any frustration because he was just not in the mood. “The new term started yesterday.  Couldn’t you have waited a little before causing your usual trouble?”

“Well, no. I was bored!” she chirped, her tone entirely unapologetic. “Besides, that professor looked a bit sad, so I decided to liven him up a little.” she gestured dramatically toward the painting.

Just like him, she was from the undercity. He’d heard about her a year ago when she joined the academy. When he heard they were admitting another zaunite, he felt a surge of pride, thinking that his efforts were starting to pay off. He knew he wasn’t the first, and certainly wouldn’t be the last, but still… What he didn’t expect was a girl like Jinx, who seemed to command respect by unsettling most of the students into keeping their distance.

Nobody at the school could have guessed that he knew her from years ago: Vi’s little sister, the youngest daughter of Vander, the Hound of the Underground, and Benzo’s old friend. But most importantly, his childhood friend. The first time Ekko saw her, she was a shy little girl with short hair, peeking out from behind Vander during a brief visit to Benzo’s workshop. Benzo had told him that she had lost her biological parents in a "peaceful protest," and, having lost his own, Ekko couldn’t help but feel a deep connection to her, which later on developed into a friendship.

Back then, she wasn’t “Jinx.” She went by Powder. He could still picture her, quiet, curious, always eager to tag along with Vi and the others. Sometimes, when Benzo’s workshop wasn’t too busy, Powder would visit him and ask questions about the things Ekko was working on. They’d laugh and play together, tinkering with bits of scrap and inventing little things just for fun.

Then Ekko left, and he never had the chance to say goodbye to her, Vi, Mylo, or Claggor. It wasn’t like the undercity had been easy to leave behind, either. Benzo had warned him about the academy before Ekko left. “It’s a different world up there,” Benzo had said, his voice steady. “They’ll take what they want from you, and you’ll have to figure out how to keep hold of yourself.” He had been proud of him, though, and that had meant something. He’d wanted Ekko to succeed.

As a result, Ekko threw himself into his studies, convincing himself it was for the best, that he would return to the undercity as a new person, someone his friends, especially Powder, could be proud of. But guilt always lingered. He should’ve said something before leaving. At least warned them so they wouldn’t think he’d just disappeared. But fear crept in. As smart and capable as he was, he was scared, scared that they’d see him as someone different. Someone who didn’t belong to their world anymore. Someone who was planning to leave them behind in pursuit of his own dreams.

So, instead he’d left without a word, thinking it would be easier than confronting what he about to lose.

The only person from the undercity he still had contact with was Benzo, and that was during authorized visits to the Academy. He hadn’t visited Zaun since he left. By the time he saw that Powder had joined the academy, it felt like fate was rubbing salt in the wound. Except that her name was no longer Powder, and “Jinx” didn’t ring any bells. It wasn’t until he saw her in person, a pale girl with big blue ocean eyes and a skinny frame smirking in front of the auditorium, that the memories slammed back into him.

Big was his surprise when their first meeting in years ended with a smoke bomb going off. The sudden explosion left everyone in a cloud of confusion, and the disaster that followed made it clear just how much she had changed. He never expected this. The girl he once knew was now standing in front of him, grinning at what she had just done.

She would definitely be a problem, a fact made painfully clear in their subsequent interactions. She was confident, sharp, and unapologetically chaotic. The shy Powder he once knew seemed long gone. A hidden part of him didn’t entirely hate the new version of her, but he was the poster child of the academy and now the newly elected student council president, while she was a troublemaker. It didn’t seem like she was interested in rekindling their friendship either, especially considering how much she enjoyed annoying him, causing trouble, and leaving him to clean up the mess. A year had passed, and not once had they acknowledged their past. It was as if they had started from zero, like they had never known each other at all.

“Anyway,” she interrupted his thoughts, sidling closer, “What’s on your schedule today, Mr. President?”

“Nothing you’d care about,” he said coldly, already turning to leave.

“Careful, Mr. President!” she called after him, laughter bubbling in her voice. “Wouldn’t want you tripping over your own two left feet.”

Ekko froze mid-step, glaring down at his shoes. It wouldn’t be the first time she had pulled some ridiculous prank, tying shoelaces together to send someone sprawling. Her signature laugh echoed behind him as she noticed his immediate reaction.

“Real mature,” he muttered, sighing heavily as he resumed walking.

“Oh, don’t be so boring,” she said, skipping ahead of him and walking backward just to keep pace. “You’re no fun when you’re serious all the time, y’know? You’re gonna get wrinkles if you keep frowning like that.”

Ekko scowled but didn’t answer. It wasn’t worth the energy.

Jinx grinned wider, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Fine, ignore me. I’ll leave you alone. This time.” She twirled dramatically on her heel, then stepped closer to him, leaning in, her voice dropping to a teasing whisper by his ear. “But watch your back, Mr. President. You never know what surprises might pop up.”

Ekko stiffened, caught off guard by the proximity, but quickly changed his expression back to indifference. She pulled away with a wink, walking backwards for a few steps before turning and disappearing around the corner, her cackling fading into the distance. No matter how hard he tried to ignore her, Jinx was always there, her chaos disrupting his carefully built order.

Trying to shake off the encounter, he pushed forward, focusing on the task ahead. He continued walking until he reached the room where the council members and he would have their weekly meetings. He opened the door and saw everyone sitting, with Professor Heimerdinger at the front, as if they had been waiting for him. He realized he was late and cursed himself.

“Running late, young Ekko?” Professor Heimerdinger’s voice startled him. The professor stood with a grin. Ekko had to be thankful that he wasn’t as strict, though being late was definitely embarrassing. He wasn’t exactly known for his lack of punctuality. If anything, he used to be the first one to arrive.

“I apologize, Professor. I ran into some trouble,” Ekko replied stoically. He didn’t need to elaborate; the word “trouble” said enough.

“I see,” the professor mused. “It seems she’s taken an increased interest in meddling with you, more so than before if that wasn’t already possible.” he chuckled.

Ekko remained silent. The student council members exchanged knowing looks. Was it really that amusing? Everyone at the academy knew the two kids from the undercity didn’t get along; they were like fire and ice, with Jinx always stirring things up while he tried to keep things cool. It wasn’t that he was special; Jinx bothered everyone when she had the chance. She had made it her personal mission to mess with him from the moment they first crossed paths. And now that he’d been named president before the new term started, he could already picture how much worse things were about to get. Just as his thoughts began to spiral, the professor cleared his throat, snapping him back to reality.

“With your new role as president comes new responsibilities,” Professor Heimerdinger continued, as if he’d read his thoughts. “I suggest you keep an extra eye on her, all right, young lad?”

Ekko gave a small nod, silently acknowledging the advice. “Understood, Professor.”

“Very good,” Heimerdinger said, adjusting his glasses. “Now, if you’ll begin the meeting, I must take my leave.”

Ekko nodded, stepping to the front.

“All right, so—” he began, only to be interrupted by the distant sound of an explosion. The rest of the room froze, alarmed. Ekko glanced around at the others, a mix of worry and frustration crossing his face.

Just who else could it possibly be? he thought, unsurprised, as the room emptied in a rush.

This year was going to be hard.

Chapter Text

Jinx skipped down the hallway, humming a little tune to herself. Today was going to be interesting, she could feel it. She’d even dragged herself out of bed early, rare for her, to perfect the smoke paint bombs tucked under her bag. Totally worth the effort. The weight of the stares from the other students didn’t bother her; she was used to it. If her current self had told her younger self she’d end up in an academy full of topsiders, well, except for a certain someone, she’d have laughed and called herself nuts. But here she was, clear as day. Funny how things turned out.

She’d told Vander she’d behave. She’d really meant it when she said it, kind of. But they both knew that promises like that didn’t stick for long. The teachers here thought she was too smart to let go of, and she wasn’t their token zaunite student like a certain someone, so why not have a little fun? Besides, it wasn’t like it was new to her. Not long ago, she’d been sprinting through the undercity streets with her siblings, enforcers chasing them after a “harmless” prank. She'd thought her chomper bomb wouldn't actually explode when she tossed it to scare them off. But it did, and it gave them just enough time to escape and a whole lot of chaos in the process. Vander found out, of course. He always did. Who had decided Vander needed to know everything they were up to?

But that was the thing about being Jinx. Sometimes she jinxed herself, sometimes she jinxed everyone else. It used to bother her, how things often didn’t go her way, but now, she was okay with it… more or less. She’d left “Powder” behind a long time ago. Except Vi still couldn’t resist calling her that. It was annoying, sure, but she couldn’t bring herself to hate it. Not entirely.

It didn’t stop there though. Being infamous for messing with the enforcers had its downsides, like being ridiculously easy to recognize. Looking back, slapping her name on her chomper wasn’t her smartest idea, though she was still proud of her babies. Before she knew it, some random guy hobbled up, all limping and looking like he had a speech planned. Serious as ever, acting like he had something important to say. 

She simply stood there, trying to look as uninterested as possible, planning to complain to Vander once she got out of this. When he told her to leave the room she shared with Vi, she figured he was going to lecture her again, like always. But then he threw in that reassuring line while they were going down the stairs "Don’t worry, I’ll be waiting behind the door" and she rolled her eyes. What was she supposed to worry about? She didn’t think much of it until the reality of the situation hit her.

“You created this? The form is crude, but the engineering is… inspired” the man had said, holding her chomper in his hand.

“Well, I could say yes,” she said, not trying to brag, though she really wanted to. Her jaw nearly dropped at what she heard next.

“I’ll be direct. At Piltover Academy, we’ve been looking for more young talents from the undercity. I think you could be a great addition, if you, of course, accept. We’d cover everything, you just need to show up to class.” the man said, his voice smooth, like he was offering something too good to refuse.

Jinx raised an eyebrow, feeling the corners of her lips twitch into a smirk. Oh, this was rich. They wanted her, a kid from the undercity, in their precious, polished academy? She couldn’t help but laugh inwardly. What did they think? She’d just waltz in there like a nice little girl, sit in their neat classrooms, raise her hand, and play nice with her perfect little topsider classmates? Yeah, right. He had to be messing with her. But the serious look in his eyes, along with the exhaustion weighing him down, he looks like he hadn’t slept in days , told her he wasn’t joking about the whole proposal. Damn, maybe topside was just desperate if they actually wanted someone like her infesting their stupid academy.

“Apologies for not introducing myself sooner. My name is Viktor. Like you, I was born and spent most of my early years here until I was noticed by one of the Council members. From what I’ve observed, you possess a brilliant mind, one that could truly reach its full potential with the resources available topside, much like I did.” he continued.

Normally, Jinx could rip through a conversation with her snappy comebacks, but now she was at a loss for words. She had grown up creating, and yeah, there were times most of them wouldn’t work, but they would eventually. She didn’t need help from topsider trash.

“Well, good try, but I’m pretty happy here,” she shot back, taking a second to straighten up, her confidence bubbling up. "I’ve got everything I need right here. No need for your polished little academy or whatever you’re offering."

"I'm not trying to pressure you, simply offering it as a proposal," he said, his gaze steady. "But, of course, the choice is yours."

She suppressed a groan. Could he just leave already? Maybe she should freak him out a little, just for fun. She wasn’t about to waste her time with anything too complicated. The last thing she needed was a lecture about  "potential." She got enough of that from Vander. If he couldn’t take a hint, well, that was his problem, not hers.

“Yeah, I’ll decide. Just... don’t make me think too much.” That was a lie, of course.

She had heard of Piltover Academy, the kind of place where people like her didn’t stand a chance. Not that she’d ever wanted to go there. Who needed their fancy classrooms and having to interact with stuck-up rich topsiders? Just thinking about it gave her a headache. She was perfectly fine with the chaos and mess of the undercity. It was her home. The trash, the noise, the danger, it was fun. Topside? Yeah, that wasn’t her scene. She wouldn’t fit in there, and she didn’t want to. They’d probably think she was a freak anyway. Which, fair enough, since she thought the same about them.

"I’ll be leaving, then," he said, his tone steady. "I trust you’ll consider it, Miss Jinx. Tell your father I said farewell," he added, before turning and quietly exiting.

She stood there numbly, trying to process the entire situation. Yeah, she couldn’t tell Vander. Maybe telling Uncle Silco would do, or Vi.

On her way to the door, she bumped into Vander like he’d been trying to eavesdrop. Nosy. He wrinkled his nose and asked, “What was that about?” She shrugged, muttering, “Nothing,” and put on a blank expression before heading straight to her room. She had forgotten Vi wasn’t there, and she couldn’t hold it in any longer. So, she told Claggor, making him promise not to tell Vander. But of course, Mylo found out through Claggor, who passed it on to Vi, and soon enough, Vi told Vander. Her sister was furious that the topsiders thought they could just take her away to their little glass cage, assuming their father would share the same anger.

But unlike her sister, he actually liked the idea. As soon as he learned that his precious daughter might have the chance to attend a "prestigious academy," he was giving her one of his usual talks about how she was too smart to waste her life in a bar or whatever.

"Just give it a chance. If you don’t like it, you can always return to us," Vander ultimately said.

And that's how, a few days later, she reluctantly decided to accept the offer. She still thought it was a waste of time, that she wouldn’t fit in, but hey, at least she could have some fun with it. Mess with them a little before coming back to her beloved home.

She hugged her sister, laughing at her ugly crying. Vi had thrown a fit at first, complaining that her little sister was just going to walk right into the claws of topside’s shiny, perfect bullshit. But after a lot of yelling and some real teary-eyed sisterly bonding, Vi calmed down, sort of. She still made her promise not to let the topsiders take advantage of her, like that was even a possibility. Claggor, always sentimental, was a mess, wiping his eyes like he was losing his little sister forever. Mylo, though, had a tear or two in his eyes, but Jinx knew that bastard was probably just relieved to get rid of her for a while. She rolled her eyes internally, making a mental note to get back at his ass once she was back for vacation or whatever that academy had going on. Not like she was going to Stillwater. Not like she was going to Stillwater. That tired-looking man couldn’t have been joking with her.

As for Vander, she knew he’d have been proud of her for even considering the opportunity. He always believed she was meant for more than just the chaos of the undercity. Uncle Silco, though, was another story. He hadn’t said much about the whole thing, but his silence spoke volumes. He didn’t like the idea of her being so far from the undercity, but he wasn’t going to stop her either. He understood the game, the lies, and the corruption that lay beyond their home, though theirs wasn't perfect either. He’d seen it all. He was just letting her go because he knew this was a path she had chosen herself. It wasn’t about pride or offering comfort, it was about making sure she had the strength and skills to face whatever came next, even if it meant diving headfirst into topsider’s fancy little world.

And just like that, she was on her way to the academy, with Viktor, yeah, that was his name, tagging along. Sure, she could play the good girl, get good grades, whatever. But in the end, that wasn’t going to stop her from causing a little chaos and pulling some harmless pranks on her classmates.

Thinking back, she still remembered her first day, a year ago. She kept walking while glancing at her reflection in one of the Academy’s mirrors. If Vi could see her now, she’d be laughing her ass off. Even though she’d tried to make it more "her" style, she still thought it looked ridiculous, this clean-cut uniform that felt so wrong on her. 

Having left her room, which she had all to herself, because any piltie would probably have a panic attack if they had to share a room with someone like her. She didn't mind at all. She could decorate it however she wanted, and it’s not like she was going to respect anyone’s personal preferences if she had a roommate, of course. She was greeted by Viktor, who was waiting outside the dorms. She was a bit late since it took her a while to finish braiding her long hair, and by the time she was done, she was already missing Vi, who would usually help her when she got lazy. Anyway, that tired-eyed man had given her a little tour of the place, passing by others who looked at her like she was a circus freak.

And as if the situation wasn’t depressingly funny enough, he had informed her that she would be introduced in the auditorium. Being called a circus freak was an understatement at that point.

"I hope you don’t feel too uncomfortable. It was the same for me at first, a crippled poor boy from the undercity," he said softly. "So don’t be nervous. I’ll call your name, you walk in, smile, and that’s it." She nodded like a good girl, hiding her hands behind her back, clutching a little surprise.

What? If she was going, it might as well be a grand entrance. Non-lethal, obviously. She had made a bet with Mylo that she wouldn’t be kicked out on her first day.

Once standing behind the stage, she set her plan in motion. She casually dropped the smoke bomb just outside the stage, making sure it was placed just right. As she walked toward the stage, the smoke started to rise, and she could hear the auditorium fill with confused murmurs from some of the students. By the time she reached the podium where Viktor stood, the smoke had mostly cleared, revealing her with a proud smile. The students in the first two rows were fanning themselves, glaring at her. Viktor gave her an unimpressed look, as if he had expected nothing less. It wasn’t as grandiose as she had imagined, but then again, it could be a good way to test the waters.

As it ended, Jinx walked out, she couldn't help but notice the annoyed looks from the students. The professors barely seemed to react, though. Was she going to get some kind of freedom here as long as she stayed "innovative" or some crap? She wasn’t sure, but she wasn’t sticking around long enough to find out. If she got kicked out after a month, fine. At least she'd get to go back to Vi, her brothers, Vander, and uncle Silco, and rant about how stupid and boring topside was, and the people too, of course.

As Jinx walked down the hall looking for her first class, she saw a big crowd ahead. The noise and movement caught her eye, and she couldn’t help but wander over to see what was going on.

In just a few moments, she found herself standing beside the group, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever had everyone so gathered. What’s all this about?

Turns out, it wasn’t some weird freak show, just some guy. He had white hair and dark skin, standing a few inches taller than her. His face was all calm and collected, like he was some kind of high-and-mighty authority figure. His eyes were brown, focused, and intense, as if he wasn’t easily distracted. His posture was straight, proud, and relaxed, as though he was used to being observed. So, what, was he some kind of cult leader or just really into himself?

As if sensing her gaze, though she wasn’t the only one watching, he turned his head slightly, his eyes locking with hers. She felt a strange jolt, like a spark igniting somewhere deep inside her, but she didn’t flinch. She wasn’t about to let him see that. He paused, just for a moment, and she noticed a subtle shift in his perfectly controlled demeanor. Then, just as quickly, he snapped back into that stoic, unflinching stance, like nothing had happened.

“You must be Jinx,” he said, his voice calm and even, with no sign of surprise. "Are you looking for something?"

His crowd, or cult, or whatever they were, watched her with curiosity, their eyes flicking between her and the boy as if waiting for some kind of signal.

First of all, yeah, she just wanted to see what was going on. Second, her fucking classroom.

But she couldn't utter a word. She was too busy trying to connect the dots, to be more exact, a childhood friend who had randomly disappeared. But that childhood friend couldn't be the snooty guy standing near her, right? She just stood there like an idiot, staring. Ah, she was supposed to be the one making people uncomfortable, not the other way around. But then again, he didn't seem interested in talking, so she just smiled.

"Nothing" she muttered under her breath, a sarcastic grin creeping onto her face. She spun around and started walking away, her mind already buzzing. What the hell was that? First, she had managed to annoy the hell out of the Piltover kids with her harmless prank, and now she had looked like a fool in front of one of them and his little cult. She walked at a brisk pace, her mind racing, until she passed by a tiny creature. She remembered reading about Yord—what were they called again? Yord something? She locked eyes with it, and the little guy just froze.

"Miss Jinx, if I'm correct, your class is not this way," the creature said, looking at her curiously.

"Well, I guess I got lost," she replied.

The tiny creature introduced himself as Professor Heimerdinger, his voice full of curiosity. “I believe I’ve seen you talking with young Ekko,” he said, adjusting his goggles as he looked up at her. “He’s from the undercity, like you.”

Jinx froze for a second, her mind racing. Ekko? From the undercity? So she wasn’t crazy when she first thought he looked familiar, feeling that strange pull in her chest. 

“Ekko?” she muttered under her breath, her tone a little softer than usual, to her own annoyance for that slight show of weakness.

But the creature didn’t seem to notice. “Yes, Ekko. A brilliant student of ours, actually. One of the few from your city who made it here,” he continued, clearly proud of him. “Quite the promising individual.”

Jinx blinked, trying to shake off the unexpected rush of emotions. Why was she thinking about that kid, the one always in ragged clothes, always tinkering, always full of ideas? Back then, they’d been inseparable. Same age, scavenging scraps and making their own fun along with her siblings. He was always working on something new, always dragging her into it.

And then, one day, he was just... gone.

She remembered it so clearly, walking into Benzo’s workshop, expecting to see him hunched over some half-finished gadget, excited to take part. Instead, the space where he used to sit was empty. No tools. No scraps. Just silence.

She’d asked Benzo, of course. “Where’s Ekko?”

He didn’t look up from his workbench. “He’s… off working on something,” he muttered, his tone steady but detached, like he was choosing each word too carefully.

“Without telling me?” she pressed, her voice rising with frustration.

Benzo paused, finally glancing her way, his expression unreadable. “Some things, Powder..” he said softly as if he felt bad for her.

That was all. No real answer, just a brush-off. She kept asking, but eventually, she stopped.

Ekko never came back, and nobody ever told her why.

Now, here he was, years later, surrounded by topsiders like it was his natural habitat. Her lip twitched in something between a bitter smile and a sigh. Why was this bothering her? Why was she feeling weird about this? Forget it, she told herself, brushing it off with a shake of her head.

What if he didn't recognize her?

Or maybe he did, and he just didn’t give a damn.

Whatever. She wasn’t about to torture herself thinking about it, not here, not now, and definitely not in front of the hamster.

So she just switched to her usual sharp attitude as if she hadn’t just been hit with a wave of memories. “Right, cool,” she said, voice flat. “Ex-trencher, huh? Yeah, sure. I’ve got better things to do than talk about some boy.”

Professor Heimerdinger studied her with an almost knowing expression. “It seems you’ve gotten a bit lost. I can help guide you to your next class. Just follow me.”

“Yeah, sure,” Jinx replied, her voice dismissive. She mentally kicked herself for being a bit rude, after all, the old hamster was just trying to be nice.

She followed him down the hall, but her mind kept drifting back to Ekko. She shoved the thought down, trying to focus on where she was going. She wasn’t the type to dwell on that kind of stuff. But, if she was being honest, she was pissed off. Why the hell did he brush her off like that? Did he even recall who she was, or did he feel bad for just leaving without an explanation?

“Forget it,” she muttered under her breath. She wasn’t even that excited to attend class, but it could be a distraction. No time for that crap right now, she’d deal with him later. 

She had plenty of time.

Chapter Text

Jinx leaned back in her seat, her grin widening as she watched the chaos unfold.  The other students were giving her looks like she was the problem, but she knew better. Honestly, they should be thanking her. Most of them probably hadn’t even looked at the assignment, let alone attempted it. The teacher was going on about rescheduling and a meeting with the discipline office, but she wasn’t worried. Maybe she’d overdone it a little, but seriously, she didn’t plant anything. The stuff she was messing with just had spiraled out of control. What was the point of science if she couldn’t experiment anyway.

While the others left, she stayed behind. She didn’t know what else she was going to waste her time on. It was moments like this that made her miss her siblings. She could almost hear them laughing about the disaster she’d just caused and how the pilties couldn’t handle a lil explosion. Bored, she grabbed her notebook and started doodling her usual, signature monkey drawings to decorate her notes. She barely had time to get immersed in her work before a shadow stretched across her page. She looked up, her blue eyes locking with a pair of intense brown ones.

It had to be Ekko. Just her luck . There he was, probably all upset that she had ruined his oh-so-serious student council meeting.

"Hey again," she said with a grin. "Looks like you missed lab class. As you can see... it got a little explosive ." She emphasized the word, with the full intention of provoking him, for the second time that day. The whole point was to get under his skin, and this was round two of their usual clash. It wasn’t a daily thing, but when the mood struck, she couldn’t resist poking at him.

Unless she wasn’t creating a mess. Ekko usually tried to ignore her, and she didn’t like being ignored.

“We heard an explosion from far away. I knew it had to be you,” he said, his voice calm but sharp, his eyes narrowing in that way that always made her feel like he was analyzing every little thing about her. He didn’t look impressed, of course. He never did.

“Oh, come on,” she said with a teasing smirk. “It wasn’t that bad. Just a little bang. I’m sure you’ve heard worse, right?” she tilted her head as she remembered all the fuss she’d caused over the past year.

Ekko’s expression remained cool, but she could see the muscle in his jaw twitch, making her raise an eyebrow. “You really have a talent for making a mess, don’t you?”

So she leaned forward, her smirk growing wider. “You wouldn’t understand, Ekko.” She glanced at the monkey doodles she’d been making, tapping her fingers lightly on the desk. “I mean, you do love keeping everything timed and orders and whatever, but it must be boring as hell. No room for fun, huh?”

She inspected his face, trying to catch a flicker of anger, but Ekko was pretty good at hiding it. His expression remained steady, a little too calm for her liking.

“No, I don’t,” he said. His eyes trailed deliberately over her body, and for a split second, she wondered if he was looking for signs that she’d hurt herself. I mean, the explosion was loud, but not deadly or anything to send her to the hospital. She quickly brushed off the thought, stifling a laugh at her own stupid thoughts. Yeah, right. Like he cares. He probably just thought she had one of her little bombs stashed somewhere. Everyone knew by now that Jinx was never without a surprise or two hidden in her clothes. Before she could overthink it any further, he added, “Not when I have responsibilities to handle, while you’re always busy exploding something.”

“I promise, this time it was an accident,” she defended herself, her voice dripping with mockery. There was some truth to it, though. Sure, she liked blowing things up, but sometimes, things just happened on their own. Not for nothing, she was a Jinx.

“I find it hard to believe you,” Ekko responded, his tone unimpressed, knowing full well what she was capable of. After all, he had seen it multiple times.

Jinx’s grin widened. “Okay, fine, you don’t have to believe me. But seriously, Ekko, you’re soooo...” she stretched the word out like it was the most ridiculous thing in the world. “ Serious. ”  

“Where’s your sense of fun?” She paused, looking him up and down. “Maybe you could loosen up a little. You know, let things... explode once in a while.” she said innocently. 

Ekko could see what she was doing, trying to get under his skin like always. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” he said. “For me to lose control.” He paused, meeting her eyes. “But that’s not who I am.”

Her smile flickered for a moment, a hint of challenge in her eyes. “Yeah? Well, maybe that’s your problem.” She shrugged, then gave him one last cheeky grin. “I’ll be around, Ekko. And next time, I’ll make sure the accident is even bigger.”

With that, she pushed herself up from her desk, not breaking eye contact for a second. She strutted out of the classroom, a little bounce in her step. It was like a cycle, she’d blow something up, Ekko would swoop in all heroic to clean up the mess, they’d part ways, and then she’d do it all over again. The best part? She knew he couldn’t ignore her, no matter how hard he tried. She could practically feel the weight of the professors’ expectations on his shoulders, counting on him to keep her in check. And that? That made it even sweeter. She had him wrapped around her finger, and honestly, that was the most fun part of it all.

Having left the classroom, she made her way to the dorms, planning to skip the class. Not that she couldn’t catch up later, she actually went to most of her classes, despite what people thought. Today, though? She just wasn’t feeling it. The period was just starting, so what was the harm in missing it?

But if anything, her triumph was short-lived. The smirk faded the moment she spotted Viktor stepping out of a classroom like a ghost, his eyes locking onto hers. He stood there, arms crossed, as if he’d been expecting her to escape.

Well, fuck.

"Jinx," Viktor said in that calm, measured tone of his that somehow felt worse than someone yelling at her, because she knew he was about to give her one of those boring lectures. "You’re aware your science class professor has already contacted the discipline office, aren’t you?" He raised an eyebrow, and she simply nodded. It couldn't be helped. "Your little incident has caused quite the commotion."

She groaned internally. Every time he started, it reminded her of Vander. Same vibe, same tone, same endless patience. After she got into the academy, Viktor had somehow taken it upon himself to look after her. Not that anyone asked him to, but maybe he felt sorry for her or something, and ever since, he’d been like this weird, unofficial mentor. She knew he was busy, working on some hextech thingy with his partner Jayce, who she hadn’t even met yet, while also being assistant to Professor Heimerdinger. She had no idea how he managed to juggle all that and still somehow find time to babysit her.

Anyway, she just wanted to get through this, then head back to her dorm and collapse into bed before her next class. Maybe take a nap, or just zone out and forget the whole day. She could blame Ekko for this. His mere presence sometimes sucked the energy right out of her, but then again, that was probably on her too, for getting close to him.

“Could you actually believe me if I say it was an accident?” she said with a shrug. Her classmates hadn’t believed her, neither had the professor, and, to no one’s surprise, neither had Ekko.

Viktor sighed, “I could, but I also heard you painted over one of the paintings.” She froze, the memory of what she’d done hitting her. It had been the first thing she did that day, just because she was bored, and the painting itself had looked boring too. Her bad, she guessed. "Jinx, you can’t keep having people clean up after you," Viktor said, making sure she was paying attention.

She leaned against the wall, letting out an exaggerated sigh, already losing interest. "Yeah, yeah, I'll keep that in mind next time I accidentally revolutionize science or something," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Viktor didn’t take the bait. "I hope so, because your punishment has been decided."

Jinx’s eyebrow shot up. Now that was new. The professors usually just shrugged her off, like the messes she made were part of her charm. But two explosions in one day? Maybe they were starting to get fed up. She opened her mouth to protest, but Viktor cut her off with a look, one of those "I'm serious" stares. She crossed her arms and slouched, thinking of how to escape whatever boring task they'd throw at her.

“You’ll spend the entire week after classes in the library, organizing books that students leave out of place, cleaning, and returning the ones they bring back.” He paused, watching her eyes flicker with annoyance. “And no,” he added before she could object, “it’s not negotiable.”

She groaned audibly this time, “The library? You know, I was really hoping to do something exciting. But nope, you’ve got me stuck with books. That place is like a graveyard”

“Precisely,” Viktor said, his tone firm but not unkind. “Perhaps a quiet environment will teach you the value of…”

“Yeah, or it'll just suck the soul outta me,” she shot back before he could finish, rolling her eyes as she turned to leave, not giving Viktor the satisfaction of having the last word. Because he usually did, and she hated that.

Having decided to attend her classes instead of heading straight to her dorm, she didn’t get the luxury of escaping Viktor’s punishment, knowing she’d be caught avoiding it. Slinging her backpack over her shoulder and grumbling about his words, she reluctantly made her way toward her one-week punishment. 

She wasn’t a fan of the academy’s library. It was too quiet, too dull, not even the stress-filled air of topsiders studying for the next exams made it any better.  If she had it her way, she’d be back at her dorm, blasting loud music while studying. Somehow, that worked for her.

When she reached the library door, she didn’t hesitate to kick it open, earning glares from a few nearby students and, most annoyingly, from the librarian. The woman quickly shushed her, but Jinx ignored it, her eyes wandering around the space instead.

“Well, damn,” she muttered, taking in the sheer size of the place. “Didn’t remember it being this huge.” The last time she had seen this place was when she was dragged there for a group project last year. She had promised herself she’d never come back to this depressing place, but here she was now.

She blew a strand of blue hair out of her face and stepped inside, already feeling the weight of the silence pressing down on her. The librarian was still staring, her face twisted in that What-now? look. After all, Jinx was known for causing trouble, and a library was the last place anyone would expect her to be.

“Well, you’re not the only one who thinks I don’t belong here,” she mumbled under her breath. “I’m stuck here ‘cause I made a mess, and now I have to spend a whole week organizing books because it seems like the pilties can’t do it themselves.” She said this louder, though a part of her wished she’d just ignored Viktor and gone back to her dorm instead.

The librarian raised an eyebrow like she finally understood the situation. 

“Oh, of course. You can start by organizing the books in column C,” she said, pointing to a towering shelf that looked like it hadn’t been touched in years.

“Sure, sure. Sounds like a blast,” Jinx muttered, dragging her feet toward the column.

The shelf was a total mess. Books shoved in every direction, some upside down, others about to fall off. Dust was everywhere. What, they can't afford someone to clean up this mess? she grumbled. S eriously, how are topsiders this messy? She scratched her head. Maybe we’ve got something in common after all . She grabbed a book and slid it back into place, but her thoughts were harder to organize.

Should’ve brought some paint... splash it all over the place. She smirked at the thought, imagining the librarian’s horrified face. But then again, if that would earn her another week of punishment, maybe she should keep quiet. Her fingers moved from book to book, fixing the mess as her mind wandered. Maybe Viktor thought this punishment was perfect for her, forcing her to clean up someone else’s mess for once. She shook her head, letting out a small laugh. One down, a million more to go. Fantastic.

After making a big deal out of her progress, she stared at the first row of books, each perfectly aligned, not to her personal liking, but still feeling a bit proud of herself. But just as she was about to move on to the next row, something, or rather, someone, caught her eye. A rush of adrenaline shot through her. 

Ekko.

He sat at one of the study tables, a stack of books beside him, pencil in hand as he scribbled notes. He was so still, so in his element, it made her chest tighten. It wasn’t fair how effortless he looked, like the library was his domain and she was just trespassing. Well she clearly was. 

And who knows what got into her head, but she quickly decided to peek a little bit longer from the corner of the shelf. Her breath quickened, heart racing as she watched him. There was no way she would forgive herself if she got caught; it would be way too embarrassing. He was completely focused, his head slightly tilted to the side, a faint furrow on his brow. 

Of course he’s here , she thought bitterly. Where else would the Mr. President spend his time?

She knew she should focus on her task, but her eyes kept drifting back to him. He didn’t belong here, not really. Sure, he looked like he did; anybody knew that if there was someone that embodied this stupid academy it had to be him, but she knew better. Beneath all that calm was someone who used to run with her, laughing, tinkering, and causing chaos without a second thought. It wasn’t that she missed it, though. She didn’t. Things were different now. The last thing she needed was to get caught up in all that nonsense. Still, it was hard not to think about how easy it all used to be, no rules, no pretending to fit into this polished crap. Just doing what felt right. Or at least, what felt good in the moment. I mean, not that she exactly followed their ridiculous rules, but she was definitely holding herself back, and that? That was hard as hell.

And yet here he was, perfectly at home in a world she’d never fit into.

It shouldn't annoy her this much, but it did, more than she was willing to admit.

She shifted in place, her foot knocking into a few stacks of books she had left on the floor, which she had planned to organize later. They tumbled, one after the other, creating a loud crash that echoed across the library. Shit. No, no, no. She froze for a second, holding her breath. It felt like being a kid again, caught red-handed by Vander, that moment when she knew she was in trouble. Without thinking, she bolted to her right, hoping no one had heard, especially him.

A second passed, then another. She inched forward, eyes darting around. She peeked just enough to get a glimpse of him again.

Ekko was still writing, completely oblivious to the mess she’d caused.

Her shoulders relaxed with a sigh of relief.

Phew, totally clueless. Perfect.

She had expected him to catch on by now, considering how observant he used to be. But maybe he was too wrapped up in whatever was on his mind.

With a smirk, she turned back to her task, pretending the crash never happened. Her fingers moved swiftly, trying to make up for the noise by getting the books back in alphabetical order.  

But her mind was far from the task at hand, her thoughts still wandered to him, how he looked now, so immersed in whatever he was writing.

She couldn't help but wonder if he even realized what it was like, being stuck in this place, surrounded by all this... fake calm. He looked so different now, grown-up, polished, the perfect little academy puppet, but somehow, he still had that same familiar vibe. It irked her.

This punishment is ridiculous. I don’t belong here, and neither does he. Stupid Ekko. Stupid library. Stupid alphabetical order.

She grabbed another book, her eyes briefly flicking back to Ekko. A familiar discomfort stirred inside her, but she pushed it aside, forcing herself to focus on the books in front of her.

One mess at a time, she reminded herself. One mess at a time.

Without realizing it, time kept passing. One by one, she heard how other students packed up and left, their footsteps fading into the hallway until only the two of them remained. The librarian as well, but she didn’t count.

The silence deepened, heavy with unspoken tension. Peeking again, she saw how Ekko closed his book and slipped it into his bag. He stood, slinging it over his shoulder, and took a few steps toward the exit, but he didn’t leave immediately. 

What’s he waiting for? she thought.

Instead, he turned, his gaze landing on her. She was still by the shelves, trying to clean up for what she had caused in the morning, much to her disdain. 

“Looks like you’re almost done,” he said, his voice cutting clean through the silence. "Good night, Jinx. Take care."

Her head snapped up, eyes wide, caught in the act. She didn’t respond, her mouth opening and closing as if the words had been yanked out of her throat. Damn it. 

Ekko didn’t wait for her to respond. He turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing softly in the empty library.

Chapter Text

Math was his first subject of the day, and he'd gotten up earlier than usual to review his notes. With council activities and meetings piling up, his schedule was only growing more demanding, but he refused to fall behind. Sliding into his usual seat at the front, he unpacked his books and notebook, ready to face the day.

The silence was a rare luxury, one he didn’t take for granted. He was always the first to arrive, giving himself a moment of calm before the day began. Gradually, the classroom filled with the shuffle of chairs and the murmured exchanges of half-asleep students catching up. He tried to ignore them, finishing his last bit of studying before class began.

Yesterday had been a blur of responsibilities and chaos. Especially with Jinx crossing his path not once, not twice, but thrice, each encounter more unpredictable than the last.

Had she spent all of yesterday scheming new ways to mess with him?

As if summoned by his thoughts, Jinx walked in. She strolled in with her usual mix of confidence and indifference, her eyes scanning the room. Ekko’s jaw tensed. Math was one of the few classes they shared this year, something he had discovered with a resigned sigh when looking through the student list. Four classes. He couldn't decide if he was unlucky or if fate just liked to mess with him, the same way she did.

Ekko saw her pass by him. He thought about saying something, maybe a simple 'Good morning', but decided not to. With the chatter filling the room, she probably wouldn’t hear him anyway. Instead, he watched discreetly as she made her way to the back, like always.

The back row was the unofficial territory of troublemakers and slackers, but Jinx didn’t quite fit the latter description. She consistently aced her exams and ranked near the top of the class. 

The "troublemaker" part, though? That was a different story entirely, and impossible to deny.

He sighed, returning to his notes. The last thing he needed was to get caught in whatever mess Jinx was likely planning today. His thoughts were momentarily distracted when the professor entered the room, arriving a little later than expected. Ekko checked his watch, noting the delay. The professor greeted the class and immediately launched into the lesson, the room falling silent as he spoke.

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his mind trying to focus, but it wasn’t easy. His thoughts kept drifting back to her, to the odd tension between them that never seemed to ease. It was as if they were destined to collide, crashing into each other almost every day, only to pull apart again. He wasn’t one to zone out, especially not in math or any subject in particular. He preferred staying on top of things, keeping his head clear. As the professor wrote the exercises on the board, he replicated them in his notebook.

"Alright, who wants to take a shot at solving this one?" The professor asked, his eyes scanning the room.

A collective groan rippled through the class. The problem looked tough, the kind of problem that made you question your decision to get out of bed this early. Ekko raised his hand, as usual. He didn’t mind helping out, especially when he knew the answer.

The professor nodded toward them both. "Oh, Ekko and Jinx, considering Jinx was the first one, maybe she can be the first one to come up."

Ekko couldn’t resist glancing at her again, but this time his eyes locked with hers for a split second. Jinx’s expression was the same as always, confident, almost smug. 

She had raised her hand too, and of course, she was going to enjoy this moment.

The professor motioned for her to come up. She stood slowly, stretching out like she was preparing for a show, that trademark grin of hers adorning her face.

She loves making an entrance, doesn’t she?

As she made her way to the board, he leaned back in his seat, watching her every move. She acted like she was about to solve the easiest problem in the world, flaunting the confidence he was so used to seeing. 

So different from how she had behaved at the library.

Yesterday, he had seen her lose her cool for the first time in a while.

It was hard not to think back to yesterday in the library. Her attempt to spy on him, or whatever that was, had been painfully obvious. The way her embarrassment had been so evident when he made her realize he had caught her was still fresh in his memory.

That day, he had gone to the library, borrowed some books to study, and was immersed in his work until he heard a loud noise coming from one of the shelves. Looking over, he could have sworn the place was haunted if he hadn’t seen a long blue-haired braid disappearing around the corner of the shelf in an instant.

He immediately recognized who the braid belonged to. It would be the first time he saw her in the library. It was a little funny to think she was here, not that he didn’t think she would enjoy reading, but more that this wasn’t the type of atmosphere he imagined she would go for.

Pulling his gaze away from his notes and leaning forward to peek around the corner, he found her frantically trying to organize the books. He could see it on her face, she was flustered. 

Don’t bother

Looking back at his notes, he tried to ignore her this time. But after years at the academy, surrounded by topsiders who initially saw him like some kind of circus freak, Ekko had developed a sixth sense for being watched. And right now, he could feel her gaze on him.

A small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. She’s terrible at being subtle.

His time in the library stretched until it was almost closing time. As he got up to leave, something urged him to tease her. Maybe it was payback for messing with him twice that day, no, make it thrice.

He wasn’t the type to hold grudges, but since she had been the one to tell him to have a little fun, this... 

This would be so damn funny.

Without thinking twice, the words had already slipped out of his mouth. "Looks like you’re almost done," he said, trying hard to suppress a smirk. 

"Good night, Jinx. Take care," he added, turning away before she could say anything, heading to his room to get some rest.

She’s definitely going to hate me for this even more, isn’t she?

On his way back, he couldn’t help but smile fully, feeling a little guilty for making her feel exposed, or at least, that’s what he thought. When they were younger, one thing Powder hated was feeling defenseless, but after how much she had terrorized him this past year, it felt like a win.

“If you stare this much, she’ll think you’re creepy,” he heard a mocking voice beside him. “Although she’s facing away, but still.”

He jumped a little internally, his gaze snapping to none other than Ezreal. When had he sat down next to him? He had no idea. It was always a miracle to see him show up to class; he had more absences than attendances.

Ezreal liked to travel, so he was rarely at the academy. Ekko knew his parents were rich, well, almost everyone’s parents here were, but Ezreal didn’t care much about class. He was set for life anyway, so it didn’t matter if he had to repeat a year. Ekko couldn’t help but feel a little jealous of that.

“I’m not—” he muttered, irritated. He hadn’t even realized he had zoned out, lost in thoughts about his little encounter with a certain blue-haired menace in the library. 

He hadn’t been watching Jinx solve the problem; he’d been thinking about her. But he wasn’t staring at her. 

“Why does my business even matter to you anyway?”

He barely saw Ezreal in class, but they got along well despite their contrasting personalities. Ezreal didn’t care that he was the president, and he didn’t feel the need to keep an eye on him since Ezreal was hardly ever there.

"Don't mind me," Ezreal laughed, scratching his head. "I mean, Jinx is definitely pretty, no one can deny that." Ekko widened his eyes at that. "But she’s got her... unique way of doing things, so she tends to push people away. Not that she doesn’t do that on purpose" he added with a grin.

Ekko just side-eyed him, his attention drifting back to Jinx. She had finished solving the equation, and for a moment, he caught a glimpse of her profile, partially hidden by her side bang, as she glanced at the professor reviewing her work.

He sighed.

The girl could be a pain in the ass, no doubt. And she could be a lot of things, difficult, unpredictable, and sometimes just downright frustrating, but she was not ugly. In fact, she was never ugly. Not even close.

Even with that messy, choppy haircut she had as a kid, Ekko always thought she looked cute. Now, her features were sharper, more defined, but there was still something striking about her. The way her blue hair framed her face, or the wild spark in her eyes, he couldn’t deny it made her stand out. Not that he was paying that much attention though.

I really need to stop getting lost in my head. Focus. 

He turned his attention to Ezreal, who was looking at him with a suspicious stare, clearly not letting it slide.

"So you just decided to show up out of nowhere?" Ekko asked, trying to steer the conversation in another direction. He wasn’t the type to engage in small talk, but right now, he was irritated. And that wasn’t something that happened often.

"Yeah, for a bit," Ezreal said with a shrug. "I’m a free spirit, y’know? Staying here can get boring. I was thinking of heading to Ionia next." he was about to respond when the professor suddenly called his name.

"Ekko, if you wouldn't mind stopping your conversation with your classmate, could you please answer the next problem we have?" the professor said, pulling him out of their conversation.

Ekko paused, almost like time had frozen for a second. His gaze flicked toward Jinx, who was giving him a smirk, her eyes sparkling with amusement. Clearly enjoying his moment of distraction.

Of course she would.

As he made his way to the front, he passed Jinx on her way back to her seat. 

“Looks like you were a little distracted,” she whispered, her breath brushing against his ear just as they were close enough.

His breath hitched for a moment, but he quickly masked it with a forced scoff. “Yeah, well, not like I care about what you think,” he muttered, though the words came out flatter than he intended.

He made his way to the board, trying to shake off the feeling.

Payback , Jinx thought, a little pleased, as she noticed Ekko being caught off guard. It was rare for him, and she was savoring it. After what had happened in the library, she wasn’t sure how many moments like this it would take to feel truly avenged. 

Probably a lot more than just this one, but still, this would do... for now.

As soon as he had left the library, she dropped the last book she was holding, not caring about the librarian’s side-eye. She grabbed her backpack and stormed off toward her room, taking a different exit to avoid running into him. She made her way to her room and threw herself onto the bed.

How could she blame Viktor for this stupid punishment? 

Out of all the possible punishments, it had to be one where Mr. President was present. Still fuming, she had gone to bed, but she wasn’t about to let it slide. It was a new day, and she had woken up early to take a shower. As soon as she stepped into the bathroom, she noticed how the other girls avoided crossing her path.

Guess I gave them quite the scare, she thought, disinterested. 

She didn’t mind. Being left alone was kinda her thing anyway. After washing and drying her hair, she looked at herself in the mirror. She started braiding her hair again, preparing herself to head to math class, knowing she would have it with Ekko. She had found out the same day the list was posted. Not that it mattered. Not that she gave a damn about it. Also, it was going to take her forever to finish braiding her hair. Maybe she should've taken a shower at night.

Once she finished and walked into the classroom, she noticed almost everyone was already there, but she made sure not to look at Ekko. She tried to act nonchalant and headed for the back of the classroom. The professor hadn’t arrived yet, and by some miracle, she wasn’t late. She wasn’t in a hurry, so she passed the time decorating her notes with explosion doodles. As she settled in, she noticed the professor had entered and begun writing on the board.

"Alright, who wants to take a shot at solving this one?" The professor asked. She looked at the problem. It wasn’t hard for her. So, she raised her hand, only to notice that Ekko had raised his hand too. She shot him an annoying glance, silently hoping he could feel the disdain radiating from her.

And, as if the universe was in her favor, the professor spoke, "Oh, Ekko and Jinx, considering Jinx was the first one to raise her hand, maybe she should come up first."

With a smirk, she bounced up to the board. She didn’t even bother glancing at Ekko, but she could practically feel his frustration simmering. 

Oh, he was pissed, wasn’t he? Not the first choice. Heh. 

Her movements were fluid as she worked through the problem. When she finished, the professor nodded in approval and thanked her. 

No biggie, it wasn’t even that hard. As she walked past Ekko, who had just been called out for not paying attention, she couldn’t resist the urge to throw him a knowing look. It felt like Janna was giving her a little victory lap for the second time that day

“Looks like you were a bit distracted,” she murmured near his ear, her voice barely above a whisper to make sure no one else heard. Everyone already knew they didn’t get along, but still.

“Yeah, well, not like I care about what you think,” he shot back.

Well, I don't care either genius.

Once seated, she knew the satisfaction wouldn't last long, because Ekko never failed to solve a damn math problem. As soon as he finished, the insufferable grin on his face was enough to make her blood boil. But that wasn’t all. She thought her mind was playing tricks on her, but there it was, he flashed her a smug, mocking smile as if to say, "You really thought I couldn't do it?" Jinx clenched her fist in response.

Well, of course, she hadn’t expected him to fail. She knew him too well by now. 

That was the last thing they had to do with each other, and she spent two long, boring hours in class until it finally ended. She was thankful she didn’t have to breathe the same air as him for a while. Afterward, she headed to the cafeteria, even though it was a place she avoided. She wasn’t exactly thrilled to be around the pilties in her freetime, so she grabbed something quick and headed straight to the gardens. Alone. Just how she liked it.

And then, to her annoyance, and as part of her punishment for the week, came the library.

"It’ll be fun, I guess," she tried to convince herself, even though her brain seemed programmed to reject activities like this. She opened the door with a bit more care this time and found the librarian, who seemed to be waiting for her. Jinx ignored her presence, scanning the room instead.

No sign of Ekko.

"Is he off doing some boring council activity?" she wondered to herself, not even pretending to care about the annoyed glares from the other students.

She groaned inwardly as she started organizing and returning the books that the pilties couldn’t even bother to touch. Seriously, they could barely lift a finger, but somehow, she got stuck with this. Just a couple of days, and she would be free, she thought, almost sarcastically. If she had known this would be her punishment, maybe she would have thought twice about causing a mess… 

What was she even thinking? The library was driving her crazy. Not that she wasn’t already a little crazy, but still. She never promised to be the obedient little student. Or maybe she did, but she forgot. The sooner she got out of here, the better.

As she finished, she let out a sigh of relief. She brushed off her skirt just in case there was any dust. Backpack slung over her shoulder, she tossed a half-hearted goodbye to the librarian.

"Two more days," she muttered under her breath as she dragged her feet out of the library, tired. All she wanted was to sleep. Her mind was too restless, still buzzing from the events that had gone down earlier. As she walked down the hallway, her gaze drifting over the lockers, she wasn’t paying attention when she suddenly collided with something. No, someone.

Two strong arms gripped her, shoving her hard against the cold metal of the locker. The sharp clang of her body hitting the surface echoed down the empty hallway.

One damn year at this stupid academy and her reflexes had gone to shit. 

Stunned for a moment, she blinked, trying to shake off the disorientation. When her eyes refocused, she found herself staring up into the smirking face of one of her stupid piltie classmates. Great. She could’ve sworn she was quicker than this.

"Well, well. Didn’t think I’d run into a crazy blue-haired terrorist at this hour," he sneered. "Thought you could get away with painting that on my locker, huh?"

Jinx smirked, her mind raced back to this morning. Oh yeah. She had definitely marked his locker with a colorful little reminder. A cartoonish image of him, drawn with exaggerated features and a speech bubble saying, “I’m a spoiled, insufferable bitch.” in bold, neon pink. The message was loud and clear, and anyone who saw it would know exactly who the artist was. She could still feel the rush of satisfaction from seeing her latest masterpiece.

“Thought you would appreciate it” she raised an eyebrow. "Did you really think you could insult me and get away with it?" It had happened two days ago, when she was just minding her own business in the cafeteria. He had called her a crazy bitch, laughing it up with his little group of friends, as if she needed a reminder of who she was.

The student took a step forward, getting in her face, his anger bubbling up. “You think I won’t do something about this?” His fist balled up, and he took another step toward her. “You don’t know who you’re messing with.”

She couldn’t help but roll her eyes, a grin creeping onto her face “Am I supposed to feel something here?” she sneered, leaning in close enough to make him uneasy. “You have no idea what it’s like down in the undercity. This is kid stuff compared to the kind of crap I dealt with every single day.”

Her words hit like a slap to his ego, but before he could react, Jinx caught a flicker of movement from the corner of her eye. She didn't need to turn her head fully to recognize the familiar face, it was him. Ekko. Always showing up at the right time, or maybe just the right time for him. 

Annoyance bubbled up inside her. She could handle this on her own.

But then again, Ekko was nothing if not driven by his savior complex.

“Ashcroft” he named the student by his fancy last name. Stupid pilties and their stupid last names. “You got two choices", his voice calm but filled with authority. “You can walk away now, or I’ll make sure your little stunt gets reported. Your call.” His tone left no room for negotiation.

Well no shit, he wasn’t for nothing the student council president

Ashcroft hesitated, as if trying to protest, his posture faltering as the weight of his words sank in. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, he muttered something under his breath and took a step back, his pride still intact but barely. With one last glare at Jinx, he turned and walked away. Not like she was going to miss seeing his ugly face anyway.

Ekko watched him go for a second before his gaze flickered back to her, lingering for a moment as if uncertain. He stepped closer, his eyes softening with a hint of worry, scanning her. “Are you alright?' he asked, his voice low, almost hesitant.

When she didn’t respond, lost in her thoughts as she often was, he asked again, his words now tinged with a deeper concern. 'You’re not hurt, are you?' His hand moved instinctively toward the spot where the guy had grabbed her. But just as his fingers neared, his mind caught up with the impulse, and he pulled back quickly, as if regretting it.

She snorted, brushing him off. "Yeah, yeah. I’m fine.” she pushed herself off the locker. “He’s just a little pissy 'cause he can’t handle a little joke.”

It wasn’t even that serious. 

Ekko frowned, crossing his arms tightly across his chest, his gaze never leaving hers. "Jinx, this is serious. You could have gotten hurt."

She scoffed. Who cares, really? Not like it’s the end of the world if she takes a beating. Bruises fade. Cuts heal. Honestly, not like a piltie could even land a decent punch if they tried. And, yeah, she wasn’t exactly a fighter, but she could handle them with ease. And why the hell did Ekko even care? He had spent the whole year ignoring her, unless she was blowing something up or making trouble.

She shot him a sideways glance, annoyance bubbling up inside her. "You enjoy that, don’t you? Walking around like you’re some kind of boy savior."

Ekko, surprised by her words, opened his mouth to speak, but she interrupted him.

"What, you think I’m scared of a few punches? Please. You should know by now that this isn’t anything compared to what we deal with down there.” she said, like it was the most obvious thing, though a small detail lingered in her mind. 

After all, he hasn't even bothered to set foot in the Undercity since he left.

She wanted to kick herself for even letting that thought cross her mind. Getting caught up in her emotions wasn’t her thing, those days were long gone. But, hell, if the moment lined up and it meant getting something off her chest, why not? 

And before she could even process the words forming in her head, they slipped out "I don’t think you would remember though."

He blinked, caught off guard, her words hitting him harder than she had expected. His jaw tightened, and for a second, she thought he might fire back, but he didn’t. He just stared at her, as if he were trying to piece something together, searching for an answer, an excuse, or maybe... something else. That stupid furrow of his brow showed up again, the one he always got when he was thinking too hard about something. Typical Ekko.

"Cat bite your tongue?" she asked, her voice laced with sarcasm. "You always show up when it’s convenient for you, playing the hero.” she added, a hint of resentment creeping into her tone. 

Yeah, that's it, Jinx. Go on, let it all out. He deserves it. 

"But you couldn’t even be bothered to say goodbye when you left Zaun, huh? Just disappeared. Like you didn’t owe anyone a damn explanation. Not even me." She finished, her heart pounding in her chest, fighting the urge to look away. Her eyes locked with his, unwilling to let him escape this time.

For a long moment, silence stretched between them in those empty hallways. When Vi and the others had their own plans, it was always Ekko and her. She still remembered the feeling of excitement as Vander would take her to Benzo’s workshop, where she would play with Ekko, getting lost in their games and adventures. In a place like the undercity, where danger and struggle were constant, those moments of friendship made the world feel safer, like it was a place they could control, even if just for a little while. But now they were locked in a state that felt like it was pulling them closer and pushing them further apart all at once. The silence lasted until he finally spoke.

“I... I didn’t disappear on purpose, Jinx," he said, his words slow, almost fragile. He hesitated, struggling to find the right ones. “It wasn’t easy for me." He took a step closer, and instinctively, she stepped back. She saw it in his eyes, regret. It was there, plain as day, but she wasn’t sure what to do with it.

His usual sharpness was gone. In its place was something softer, more uncertain. “I never wanted to leave anyone behind. I never wanted to leave you behind.” She felt a flicker of something stir inside her at the mention of her.

She shook her head, feeling a lump in her throat she refused to let show.

"Well, you clearly did.” Her voice was quiet, but it carried the weight of everything she’d been holding in. She turned away. “I’m leaving. Going back to my dorm.” Her words were final, cold, and before he could say anything else, she walked away, the distance between them growing with each step.

She didn't look back.

Chapter Text

"Did something happen to you?" Viktor asked, his tone clearly concerned as he looked at Jinx with her face buried in the desk. She had barged into his classroom after classes were over, interrupting his work trying to organize something for Heimerdinger. She did this all the time. Just showing up while he was busy, but honestly, he was the only one around here she could talk to. It was kind of pathetic, but it was her own fault. She had no interest in making friends with the topsiders. Just hearing them speak from afar was enough to give her a headache. They were all just a bunch of boring, predictable people anyway.

"Nothing, just tired," she muttered, barely lifting her head.

And hell yeah, she was tired. More than just physically. 

Of all the things that could have gone wrong yesterday, losing it in front of Ekko wasn’t on her list. She had told herself after their first meeting in years that if he wanted to play dumb, fine. She could do that too. Pretend he was just some stranger, just like he did when he left without saying a word. Two could play the “we’ve never met” game. That didn’t mean she wouldn’t make him the target of her jokes or leave behind just enough trouble for him to deal with. But as much as she hated to admit it, it hurt. His stupid, careful glances. At some point, she couldn't tell if he did care about her, or if he was just sticking around 'cause he knew wherever she went, she was bound to cause a mess.

She wasn’t just hurt though, she was pissed. Pissed at him, and even more pissed at herself for letting him get to her. Like she was still that same little girl who used to cry over dumb, useless stuff like this. She had grown past that, or at least she thought she had.

That night, she had gone to her bed annoyed. Every time she thought about her words, she would let out an angry squeal, stuffing her face into her pillow like it would somehow make it stop. The fact that she was doing the most over it made her groan in frustration.

"Oh, and by the way, Progress Day is tomorrow," Viktor said, gently steering the conversation in a new direction. "I’m sure you've heard of it."

"Mmph," she murmured, her face still pressed against the desk. 

Of course she did, against her will. Her classmates hadn’t shut up about it to the point where the name was practically burned into her brain. And if it wasn’t them, she would see those stupid posters everywhere about the so-called  “Progress Day.” Progress her ass. She had been holding back the urge to graffiti them, but she wasn’t about to risk getting herself locked up in the library for another week. 

She knew it was the big day when inventors showed off their shiny new toys trying to impress everyone. Oh, and it was also supposed to celebrate the city’s independence or whatever. And knowing Viktor, he definitely had something planned. After all, he had mentioned something about a hextech thing.

"I see no other reason why you would come up to me if you're just gonna lie there," Viktor added dryly, his tone the usual deadpan humor, though it was clear he was trying to lighten the mood.

She let out a huff, lifting her head just enough to shoot Viktor a sideways glance. "I just don’t feel like going to my room" she grinned trying to act like nothing was bothering her but she knew he wouldn’t buy it. He could always see right through her act, and that’s why she hated him sometimes.  But then again, he was still good for emotional support.

Before she could continue thinking, she noticed Viktor extending a piece of paper to her. She took it in her hands. It was the Progress Day invitation. She furrowed her brow as she read.

"So, let me guess," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "You want me to sit through some boring speech."

"My partner, Jayce, will be presenting our project," he said, and Jinx cringed at herself. Well, fuck, so Viktor is actually participating. But it seemed like he didn’t mind as he continued speaking. 

"Give it a chance. Maybe it’ll lighten you up. It’s tomorrow night, but you can come earlier, there will be tents set up and souvenirs to look at," he added, glancing at her. "Considering how sour you look."

Jinx widened her eyes, almost pointing at herself. Me? 

Did she really look that pathetic?

"I’ll think about it, I guess," she said, trying to act casual.

She could already picture it: all those uptight, stiff-faced topsiders in their fancy outfits, staring at her like she was some kind of freak. She would probably end up blowing something up by accident, after all, she was a jinx. The thought made her huff. She remembered sneaking up to the rooftop with Vi, watching the fireworks every year. Vander used to say it was for Progress Day. 

Right. She had heard of that useless celebration long before. She snorted, rolling her eyes. At least this little chat had been enough to stop her from thinking about Mr. "I’m so important" President for a second. He was probably off doing whatever boring, stuck-up council stuff he did. Great. Now she was back to thinking about him again. Could her brain just not?

“Jinx,” Viktor said trying to catch her attention, his voice tinged with concern. “You don’t have to handle everything on your own. It’s okay to feel what you're feeling. We all have our burdens.” He paused, his gaze softening slightly. "When was the last time you saw your family?"

Jinx scoffed, "Yeah, I’m great at…. feeling stuff." she lied, clearly conflicted, then sighed heavily. Right, her family. Vi. Silco. Vander, Claggor, and…. stupid Mylo. 

“I haven’t seen them in a while. Doesn’t matter. I’m fine.” her voice wavered slightly, betraying her.

It was true, though. The moment she showed up, they slapped her with all their dumb rules. The student selection committee made it crystal clear, she had a reputation for being “difficult.” Well, no surprise there. She was on record for more offenses than she could count, but they still let her ass in as long as she followed the rules. "No visits to the undercity for now," they said. As if she was planning on sneaking in a nuke from her home or something. They said it all depended on her behavior. Yeah, right. She had messed up enough times to know that wasn’t gonna happen anytime soon, but she was still holding out hope that maybe, just maybe, she would get to see them when the year ended.

Also, there was the whole “authorized visits” thing, but her siblings were in almost the same situation as her, if it wasn’t for Viktor backing her up. Turns out, their reputation with the enforcers couldn’t get them past the gate. Stupid, stupid enforcers.

The last time she had seen them was the day she left. She had tried not to think about it, but now that it came up, she realized just how much she needed them.

Viktor tilted his head, watching her carefully. “I’m not here to pressure you,” he said, his voice measured, carrying that familiar calm of someone who always chose his words carefully. “I only mean to remind you, you don’t have to keep your problems to yourself.”

She looked up at him, opening her mouth to respond, disbelief flashing across her face. “So, you’re just gonna let me leave?” she simply couldn’t believe his words.

As he didn’t respond, she decided to press on.

“What if I decide I don’t give a single damn about this academy and just stay with my family?” she added quietly, narrowing her eyes as if testing his sincerity.

Viktor chuckled softly, the sound low and understated, like most of his expressions. “Whatever decision you make, I’ll respect it,” he said. “You’ve worked hard. A break wouldn’t be unwarranted,” he continued, adjusting his cane as he shifted his weight slightly. 

“Your grades are excellent, and your behavior well…” he trailed off catching her unapologetic look. 

“Let’s just say some peace and quiet might do everyone some good,” he finished simply.

She blinked at him, caught off guard. “Peace?” she repeated, like the word was some foreign concept. The idea of visiting her family felt distant, unreal, even. Like something they dangled in front of her just to yank it away with all their stupid rules and conditions. 

And of course it was a great distraction from the real kicker, Viktor basically saying she was disturbing everyone’s peace. Not like he was lying anyway.

“I’ll talk to Heimerdinger to make sure the guards let you out. Just leave early enough; it’s getting dark,” Viktor added, his tone practical. “And be back before classes start tomorrow.” He offered her one last smile before heading to the door and opening it.

Was it really this simple?

And, like most times, she wasn’t about to get all emotional about it. If she were, maybe she’d cry a river and thank him or some sappy nonsense like that. But nope, not happening. He already knew how she was. Instead, she gave him a quick, almost imperceptible nod and started to walk past him. Just as she was about to disappear, she heard his voice again.

“Oh, and Jinx,” he said calmly.

She turned to look at him instantly. 

“Consider attending Progress Day,” he added, dedicating her one last smile before closing the door.

She didn’t answer, just gave him another nod before rushing to her dorm, eager to grab her backpack and leave.

She was still in her uniform, but figured maybe Vi could lend her something to sleep in. Or, better yet, she could grab her own pajamas. Vi’s clothes always had that faint smell of sweat from all the rough, physical work she did. Jinx wrinkled her nose at the thought. Some things, like that smell, had a way of sticking around, no matter how much time had passed.

With a sudden burst of energy, she tossed everything into her bag, notes, a couple of random things she couldn’t afford to forget, and maybe something she might need later, though she wasn’t too worried about it. She bolted down the hall, her boots slapping against the floor. The guards didn’t even glance in her direction. Probably Viktor had made sure she could slip through easily. Typical Viktor, making everything way too easy. Not that she minded, though. It was actually kind of fun to sneak by without breaking a sweat.

The moment she stepped onto the streets, she had to pause, taking in the well-dressed people, and the fancy houses, nothing to what she was used to. As if being stuck in the academy wasn’t bad enough, having to walk through these streets was probably worse. She snorted, shaking her head. No time for that now. She’d have plenty of time to nitpick everything she hated about them later.

She quickly made her way to the bridge. Once she reached the elevator, she didn’t waste a second. The doors slid open and she slipped inside, quickly pressing the button for the ride down. The elevator jerked and creaked as it began its descent. She leaned against the cold metal walls, watching the sunset disappear behind her as the familiar green glow lit up the city in that way only this place could.

Yeah, I missed this, she thought, sighing as she tapped her fingers impatiently against the elevator wall.

Finally, the elevator doors slid open with a metallic groan, followed by a dull ding. Jinx practically bounced out, not stopping but throwing a glance at the familiar sights of the streets. Drunks slouched against walls, some half-passed out, others mumbling to themselves. “Nothing new,” she muttered under her breath. Jericho’s food truck? She missed that greasy, delicious food. Babette’s shady little business? Still sketchy as ever. Nothing had changed. It was almost comforting, in a twisted way. But she didn’t have time to dwell. She was so close to home.

As soon as her eyes landed on The Last Drop, she stopped dead in her tracks, a grin spreading across her face like wildfire. There it is. The worn-out sign, the same crooked windows, the noise from inside. Home, sweet home.

Without thinking, she pushed the door open with a dramatic swing. The second she stepped inside, it felt like everything clicked back into place. The air smelled the same way she remembered, the mix of loud music, laughter, and the unmistakable sound of drunkards arguing over something dumb.

People turned to stare, but she just shrugged it off. Just Jinx, nothing new. They probably thought that Vander’s daughter came back from the dead.

Her eyes scanned the place, and they landed on Vander, busy serving some clients. The second she saw him, something stirred in her chest, a flash of warmth, a fleeting feeling of... comfort, maybe? She didn’t even bother to think about what she could possibly say before she was already running toward him. Without hesitation, she leapt into his arms, startling the customers around him.

"Vander!" she shouted, laughing maniacally as she clung to him. “Did you miss me?”

Vander’s reflexes kicked in, his arms wrapping around her almost instinctively, but his face was a mix of surprise and amusement. He couldn’t help but laugh as he steadied her. "Powder!... you nearly gave the whole place a heart attack,"  he said, shaking his head with a grin. “I missed you kid.” 

She pulled away to give him a serious look. It was Jinx, not Powder. But her smile returned when she saw his happy expression. “Where’s Vi? Claggor? Mylo?”

"Vi’s downstairs, she just got back from training,” Vander said casually.

Jinx perked up at that, her lips twitching into a crooked grin. Still at it, huh? she thought, smirking to herself. 

“Claggor’s probably reading downstairs, haven’t seen him, and Mylo? Bet he’s tangled up in another one of his half-baked plans,” Vander added, shaking his head like it was just another normal day.

Jinx snorted, a sharp laugh escaping her. “Mylo being Mylo,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Nothing changed huh.”

Vander chuckled, “You know how they are.” he jerked his head toward the stairs. “Go on. They’ll be glad to see you. I’ll let Silco and Mylo know you’re here.”

Jinx hesitated for half a second before grinning widely and throwing her arms around Vander in another impulsive, excited hug. “Yeah, yeah,” she said, pulling back just as quickly.

Her eyes caught a flash of red as she ran downstairs. There it was. Vi's unmistakable hair, turned away from her as she continued training with her gauntlets on, boxing, completely oblivious to her presence. Her grin widened as she grabbed a cushion from the sofa and hurled it straight at her.

Vi yelped, spinning around and smacking her right on the cheek with her gauntlets still on.

“Hey!” she shouted, clutching her cheek and pouting dramatically. Just another reminder that she needed to work on her reflexes, because this was getting humiliating.

“P-Powder?” Vi’s voice cracked, the name spilling out before she could stop herself.  She froze, staring at her like she was some kind of ghost. Slowly, she took a step forward.

“That’s me!” Jinx said, her grin stretching wide as she still tapped her cheek. “The one and only, back by unpopular demand!”

Vi soon reached out, her fingers brushing Jinx’s cheek gently as if confirming she was real. Jinx batted her hands away, laughing. “I mean, I’ll let that ‘Powder’ thing slide this time. But if you punch me like that again, I might rethink this whole reunion thing.”

Her sister’s expression softened, shock fading into something deeper. Before she could even react, she was pulled into a bone-crushing hug, Vi held her so tightly it felt like she might never let go.

“Okay, okay, no need to get all sappy, y’know,” she mumbled, her voice muffled against Vi’s shoulder. “You're squishing me, and your gauntlets stink.”

But she didn’t push her away. She let her head rest against Vi’s neck, her arms loosely circling her sister. No words were needed, both of them knew.

“Powder!” another voice cut through the moment.

Jinx’s head snapped up. Claggor came running toward them with his usual enthusiasm.

Her smirk returned in full force. “Oh, great,” she muttered, rolling her eyes dramatically, but something inside her felt weirdly like happiness. “This dumbass.”

Almost on cue, Mylo appeared, descending the stairs with his usual cocky walk. “And dumbass number two,” she added, barely suppressing a laugh as Mylo swept her into a bear hug.

“Took you long enough,” Vi teased, stepping closer to pull Jinx out of the hug into another quick but warm one. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Jinx replied, wriggling out of Claggor’s grip with a mock glare. “Knew you all would miss me.”

Mylo snorted, leaning against the sofa. “Did I? Actually, I had fun without you blowing things up by accident.” He grinned, only to yelp when Vi elbowed him in the ribs.

Claggor laughed, shaking his head. “Don’t listen to him Pow. The second you left, he spent weeks whining about how much he missed seeing you tagging along behind us.” he grinned. "Couldn’t even look at your room without getting all sentimental."

Jinx laughed, “Yeah, well, I had to retire from that lifestyle for a bit,” she said, considering how everything she had done at the academy was practically tame compared to her past, which was saying a lot.

“You really gonna stick around this time, or what?” Mylo asked, shrugging off Claggor’s comment. “Have topsiders finally scared you off? I’d think it would be the other way around.”

She smirked. Honestly, she couldn’t believe she hadn’t been kicked out by now. She was too clever for them to want to get rid of her, or maybe they just liked having another Zaunite on the roster. Either way, she'd take it.

Before she could respond to Mylo, another voice interrupted the moment, smooth and oddly warm. “Ah, there she is.”

Jinx turned, recognizing the voice. Silco stepped into view, accompanied by Vander.

“Uncle Silco,” Jinx said, tilting her head. “Didn’t think you would care that I’m back,” she teased with a grin.

“Care? Powder, why wouldn’t I?” Silco replied smoothly, stepping closer. “Though, I prefer Jinx now. It suits you.”

She grinned mischievously, then threw her arms around him in a sudden hug. “Guess I’m giving free hugs now?” She had forgotten what it felt like to be with her family. 

“You guys don’t want to think I’ve turned all high and mighty, do you? Y’know, like those snotty, stuck-up Pilties. It spreads like a disease it seems.”

“We all change anyway,” Silco replied. “But family is family, Jinx. And you’ll always have one here, no matter how much you have changed.”

Jinx blinked, caught off guard by the sincerity in his tone. She was obviously joking. Honestly, she would rather die than become like them. She glanced at Vi, then at Claggor and Mylo, and finally Vander, and felt a sense of ease wash over her. Maybe the running had been worth it, even if she was all sweaty.

“We’ll see,” she muttered finally jokingly.

Vander gave her a small nod to catch her attention. “Good. You want me to prepare your favorite drink? And yes, Mylo, you can have some too.”

“Now we're talking!” Mylo said with a grin, already heading toward the door. Claggor laughed, following close behind, with Silco and Vander trailing after.

Vi smirked at Jinx. “Guess you’re staying.”

She hesitated for a moment before nodding, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Yeah, for today. It’s a long story,” she said, moving forward to grab her favorite drink, the one she had missed so much.

“So you just randomly decided to come back?” Vi asked, her voice tired as they both got ready to sleep. Jinx had borrowed her pajamas, her own too dirty to bother with. She was already sprawled out on the double bed while Vi climbed into hers, and the two of them lay there, just like old times, talking until they fell asleep.

“Honestly, didn’t expect to come back this soon,” she whispered, feeling Vi get up from her bed.

“Did something bad happen?” Vi’s voice was suddenly more serious, a little alarmed. “Don’t tell me they tried anything stupid.” Jinx couldn’t help but snort, she could almost feel Vi clenching her fists, ready to kick someone’s ass.

“Relax, they didn’t even dare,” Jinx said, laughing softly. “Just the thought of looking me in the eye had ‘em freaked out. Like I’m gonna give them the plague or something.” She waved her hand dismissively, brushing off the memory of that piltie guy who had pushed her by the lockers. Her combat skills were definitely a miss these days. And if that wasn’t bad enough, Ekko swooping in to “rescue” her had been so damn embarrassing. She rolled her eyes at the thought. Yeah, Ekko, the boy savior.

But when she looked over at Vi, she noticed her sister had gone quiet. Out of curiosity, Jinx pushed herself up from her bed, leaning over to rest her arms on the edge of Vi’s. She noticed that she was avoiding her eyes, looking deep in thought.

“What? You gonna get all emotional now?” she teased, making Vi’s smile just a little.

“It’s just... you know, the thought of you not needing me anymore.” She sighed. “Claggor had to tell me to stop looking out for you every time we had a new job, ‘cause you were at that fancy academy. It felt weird, not having to watch out for you.” Jinx tensed up at hearing that, remembering the times when she was always the one left behind. She was way too clumsy for her own good. And, of course, she had missed her sister being there for her. They would have to threaten to kill her before she would even say that out loud, though. Not happening.

Vi paused for a moment before glancing at her. “So... what have you been up to?”

She bit the inside of her cheek. Where could she even start? Most of the students hate her, the others fear her. Her only friend is Viktor, yeah, the same guy who showed up at the bar to recruit her. The only thing she liked about the Academy was her room. She totally decorated it herself, so no complaints there. Ekko probably wants to throw her off a cliff, but who cares. She doesn’t like him either. Honestly, though, something went down yesterday, and she looked so pathetic that Viktor actually took pity on her and decided to let her visit them. Lucky her, right?

Jinx let out a dry laugh trying to clear her thoughts “Oh, you know here, there, chasing down dead ends.” A faint, sarcastic smirk tugged at her lips as Vi looked at her, confused. “And guess what? They’re not all dead.” she added, dragging out the last words dramatically.

Maybe she was going a little overboard.

Vi shook her head, clearly still not getting it. “What are you even talking about?”

She paused, she couldn’t be bothered to hide the truth, her voice dropping to a whisper as if sharing a secret. “You remember Little Man, right?” At her sister’s confirming nod, she continued, “Well, he... he went topside,”  her voice falling flat.

Vi’s eyes widened, “You’re joking.”

“Would I lie about that?” Jinx shrugged. “He was gone 'til I showed up at that dumb academy... and suddenly, he’s one of those stuck-up topsiders." 

Vi's expression said it all, she couldn’t believe it. 

"Still alive, still sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong." Jinx continued. “Nothing makes him show up more than when I screw up. Not like I do it on purpose, but still." She huffed, crossing her arms tightly over her chest.

Vi stayed quiet, not immediately responding, which only made her roll her eyes. "What? You’re not gonna say anything?” she asked, her voice tinged with annoyance. “I mean, I get it, he was like family to you and all that blah blah blah, but I can't stand him."

Her sister looked up at her as if she'd lost her mind, and Jinx cringed at herself. Because if anyone knew how close she and Ekko had been, it was Vi.

Vi took a deep breath as if she was trying to control herself. “I know, and it sucks, Pow. He just left, didn’t he? One minute, he’s fighting alongside us, and the next, he’s gone. Can’t blame you for being pissed. I mean, who wouldn’t be?” Her face softened for a moment, her voice quieter than usual.

Jinx stared at her, eyes wide with disbelief. "Wait, that's it? No cursing him out together?" she said, her voice a mix of confusion and disappointment.

“Look,” Vi continued, “When I found out you were giving that whole topside thing a shot, I was pissed. While you were asleep I had a talk with Vander. And yeah, he was all about it being a good opportunity for you to… I don’t know…. exploit your potential. I hated hearing it. Hated it.”

Jinx stayed silent, and Vi sighed.

“And what truly pissed me off was that I eventually agreed with him,” she added, running a hand through her hair. “How you had to leave everything behind just to get a decent education, while it comes so damn easy for them.” She grimaced, frustration creeping into her voice. “And maybe it’s the same for Ekko. I don’t know what his reasons were for not saying anything before leaving, and you’re right to be disappointed, but if you talk to him—”

“I won’t” Jinx cut in sharply, shaking her head. “I want nothing to do with him.”

Her sister shot her a teasing look. 

“What?”

Still with that knowing expression on her face, Vi spoke, “I don’t buy it. You two were way too close to just let it go like that. Pretty sure there wasn’t a day you didn’t beg Vander to take you to Benzo’s shop.” She let out a laugh, watching Jinx’s expression shift to one of surprise.

She glanced away. "That was a lifetime ago," she spat. “Probably shouldn’t have opened my mouth." Without waiting for a response, she reached over and flicked off the lights, cutting off the conversation.

Well, that didn’t go how she expected.

Her old bed wasn’t as comfy as the one at the academy, not like she was complaining. Her eyes darted to the top where Vi was still sleeping, and then to the side where she had left her little smoke bomb prototypes, paint still all over them, carelessly dumped on the dresser. She had promised herself she would be on time. It was Saturday, but then again, Viktor had said today was Progress Day. 

“What are you thinking about?” Vi’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts, making her flinch.

“Nothing. When did you finally crawl out of bed anyway” she shot back, trying to play it cool. 

“You were too busy daydreaming, I guess,” Vi said, her expression turning serious. “You have to leave, right?”

Jinx felt a pang of sadness. They had stayed up late, sipping on her favorite drink, talking about what her siblings were up to. She tried not to laugh, knowing they were trying hard to avoid mentioning the messy stuff, ‘cause, you know, Silco and Vander were listening. They even played darts, and duh, she wiped the floor with everyone, still the best shot around, not that Mylo didn’t sulk about it. Then she went to sleep with Vi, secretly hoping those moments would last forever. But nope. Time didn’t care about what she wanted.

“Yeah, I promised Viktor I’d be back earlier.” She sighed, pushing her side bangs out of her face, knowing she’d be getting up later than usual. She hadn’t even bothered to undo her braids. “You know him, right? The limping guy who came to Vander’s shop to offer me a spot there?” Vi nodded.

“Well, I doubt you’ll wanna stay late,” Vi said, trying to cheer her up, but it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself.

“I swear, once the period’s over, I’ll try my hardest to convince him to let me visit you again. I’ll even try to not cause too much trouble so they let me out, and that’s saying a lot,” she laughed, making Vi chuckle too.

“Got it, we’ll be waiting, Pow-pow,” Vi said as Jinx yanked on her uniform and started tossing her stuff into her bag.

They didn’t say much as they headed upstairs where the others were waiting.

“Leaving already?” Uncle Silco said, and Jinx nodded, receiving a hug that felt heavier than it should’ve.

“Okay, okay, that’s enough,” she said, squirming out of the hug. “Yesterday I was treated like a free hugging machine,” she joked. “Besides, I’ll try not to stay gone too long, I’ll make sure of it.” She grinned, though part of her wasn’t so sure about that.

As they walked her out, Jinx shared one last hug with Vi. She had offered to walk her, but Jinx had waved it off, joking she could protect herself. Not that she wasn’t lying.

As she walked down the street, her eyes scanned the familiar sights, the ones she hadn’t seen in a while. She knew exactly where her feet were taking her.

Benzo’s shop.

Maybe she would look a little ridiculous walking in, but at least she wasn’t wasting time on second-guessing. As her gaze caught Benzo through the window, hunched over his cluttered counter, she felt that impulse. Without hesitation, she shoved the door open. The bell rang its usual cheery tune she still remembered as she stepped inside, her boots clicking against the worn wooden floor. 

“Good morning, what can I—” Benzo began, but his words faltered as he looked up. His expression shifted, a mix of surprise and knowing amusement. “Powder.”

“It’s not my name anymore, but I’ll take it,” Jinx shrugged, a flicker of awkwardness crossing her face, though she quickly masked it with a playful grin. The last time she had been here, she was almost told to get over her childhood friend, and she hadn’t come back since.

“I was just passing by… did Vander told you—” She trailed off, waiting for him to catch up.

Benzo nodded. “Yes, he did tell me about that,” he said, trying to force a smile.

Jinx smirked, the corners of her mouth twitching. 

“And you probably know I ran into someone too.” 

Benzo sighed. "I always figured you would find out, just not by you becoming a student," he said, chuckling. "Congratulations though, I always thought you were too smart to stay here."

Jinx felt a flicker of annoyance. "Yeah, well, that’s not the point," she said, trying her best not to sound too rude, which was hard, considering she usually said whatever popped into her head.

"I get it," he said, his voice apologetic. "I’m sorry for not telling you about Ekko." He noticed her eyes widen slightly. "I mean, why else would you be here?" he added, offering a half-smile.

"It doesn’t matter anyway," she muttered, her tone flat. "He pretended I didn’t even exist as soon as we saw each other."

She studied his face, watching how he opened his mouth to respond, then quickly closed it again, as though unsure of what to say.

"Have you seen him?" she snapped. "He was almost unrecognizable." At this point, she couldn't hide her frustration.

Benzo nodded slowly. "Yeah, I get to see him every month for authorized visits."

Jinx broke eye contact for a moment. No surprises there, Ekko was the golden student. They would let him have that, and nothing for the jinx. Not that she could really blame them. 

“And of course he is. People change,” Benzo said, catching her attention again, his voice trying to offer some reassurance.

Jinx suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. If she had a penny for every time someone mentioned "change," she could buy one of those fancy Piltover apartments.

"Don’t make that face," he added, noticing her expression. "It’s not a bad thing. I get it. I didn’t want you to get hurt by it." he said, recalling the last time they had talked.

Well, it did hurt anyway , Jinx thought, but she kept it to herself.

Benzo paused for a moment before adding, “But it was something Ekko told me to do.”

Jinx raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. “He did? Why?” Her voice betrayed her surprise.

Benzo let out a soft laugh, and Jinx wasn’t sure how to react. What’s so funny?

"You’ll have to figure that out yourself," he said, still chuckling. "I get why you’d be mad at him, so why not just talk things out?"

Jinx just stood there. It was almost the same thing Vi had told her. At some point, the universe would probably even tell her to do it. She looked around; it seemed like his shop was working just fine without Ekko around. He probably found himself a new assistant. With a sigh, she turned back to Benzo.

“I don’t promise anything,” she whispered, her voice soft, feeling as if she had said all the things she needed to get off her chest. “Nice seeing you again. Sorry if I interrupted.”

Benzo smiled, shaking his head. “No need to apologize. Take care, kid.” His smile faded slightly, a touch of sentimentality creeping into his voice. "And if you talk to Ekko, tell him this old man misses him."

Jinx nodded instinctively, cursing herself internally. He was being kind to her, but she wasn’t sure if she even planned to follow through with it.

She finally said her goodbyes and stormed out the door, ignoring whoever she might bump into. She crossed the bridge and was hit with the sight of Topside already plastered with banners and decorations, stands selling all sorts of junk and overpriced stuff. Viktor had said the speech would be at night, but people were already flooding in, buzzing with excitement. Way too early, she thought, her irritation bubbling up. She wasn’t ready for this. Hell, it was way too early.

Did they set this all up overnight?

"To your left!" someone yelled, and she barely dodged a biker speeding straight for her. 

Jinx groaned, her shoulders slumping. Now she would  have to walk through this happy fest, ignoring the enforcers who probably recognized her as the blue-haired girl who used to terrorize them back in the day. She clenched her fists, trying her hardest not to think about it. 

"Geez, I forgot this place was so clean," she muttered under her breath upon arriving, her eyes scanning the too-perfect, too-neat space. The halls were almost deserted, no doubt because everyone was out celebrating, while she’d be stuck here, rotting in her room. Maybe she should’ve just stayed with her family, but no turning back now. She adjusted her bag, her pace quickening toward the dorms before hearing a familiar voice. No. Two familiar voices. Without having a moment to think, she had already darted to a corner behind a locker to avoid being seen.

It was none other than Ekko and Heimerdinger. She watched them step out of the classroom, stopping right in the middle of the hall before she could make it to the dorms. The hamster seemed to be explaining something, wrapping up before leaving Ekko standing there alone.

Peeking out from behind the locker, she noticed Ekko hadn’t moved. She couldn’t see his face, but he seemed focused on some papers in his hands.

“Of course he’s all over Progress Day," she muttered to herself. The student council president, big surprise. She had heard about the students setting up their shiny little inventions in those tents. Viktor had tried to rope her into it, all nice and encouraging. But nah, that wasn’t her thing. She made stuff for one reason: to make it explode. And she sure as hell knew they wouldn’t be lining up to applaud that. They already called her a terrorist over the most senseless crap.

But back to the important stuff, Ekko looked like he was stuck there. She fought the urge to roll her eyes. She wasn’t about to stand there, waiting for him to leave. It was already bad enough that he had caught her spying. And this time, she wasn’t spying. She just didn’t want to deal with him, but, of course, she always seemed to run into him at the most inconvenient times.

Without a second thought, she decided to step out of her hiding spot and continue toward her destination, walking right past him, not caring if he noticed. She almost caught a glimpse of his side profile, still buried in those stupid papers. 

Nerd  

She was far enough away now, and that was all that mattered.

Once she reached her room, she slammed the door shut and flung her stuff onto the bed, collapsing beside it. Now came the "fun" part: wasting the next ten minutes arguing with herself over whether she should go to the speech or just forget the whole damn thing 

It was a quiet Saturday morning, and the halls that were usually buzzing with students were empty. He had gotten used to this every Progress Day, but this time was different. He had a mountain of work to do instead of spending the day in his dorm, reading or studying like he usually did.

“I’ve already contacted the organizer,” he muttered to himself, running a hand over his forehead as he tried to remember all the tasks. The weight of exhaustion pressed on him after Professor Heimerdinger had unexpectedly put him in charge of organizing the students who would be participating. A responsibility he hadn’t asked for, but one he couldn’t ignore.

At least it helped distract him a little. Yesterday, he had been left with the words stuck in his throat. The thought of Jinx crossed his mind again. Sometimes he couldn’t find the right words when he needed them most. 

He had been worried when he saw the blue-haired girl shoved up against the lockers. He knew she was more than capable of defending herself. He had seen enough. But still, it didn’t mean he would stand there watching her, or anyone, get hurt. Especially someone he had shared so much with.

Except, they weren’t close anymore. He almost cursed himself when he tried to touch her shoulder without thinking, knowing it would probably just make her uncomfortable. The touch, even though it wasn’t meant to be anything big, felt wrong, out of place. Things had changed. And that was the problem, wasn’t it? Every time he thought of how to close that gap, it just felt awkward.

She had changed. Back in the day, she would always let him know when something was bothering her. But the girl he had met a year ago wasn’t like that. She always wore that signature smirk, always ready to stir things up. Seeing her drop that facade had caught him completely off guard. She had let her vulnerability show. And somehow, it made him feel vulnerable too. 

Hell, he wasn’t even sure how to talk to her without her shutting him out. And honestly, he deserved it.

But what was done was done. He knew Powder, but Jinx? Not at all. He didn’t hate the fact that she changed, everyone did. He hated that he didn’t know how to approach her anymore. Most of their interactions had been those of a student trying to stop another from causing trouble. They hadn’t shared a proper conversation in years, not one without wanting to strangle each other. Yet, despite all that, he couldn’t shake the fascination he felt for the girl with big blue eyes. And the regret of not being able to be part of... what, exactly? 

Still, this wasn’t the moment to think about that, not when he had a mountain of work for Progress Day ahead. It would stretch well into the night. Professor Heimerdinger had given him an invitation to watch the speech, which made sense given his position. Sometimes, he wondered if he’d ever have a bigger role to play in it all. He had a little project of his own, something he hadn’t been able to finish yet. Time was always the enemy, but maybe, just maybe, it would all fall into place later.

As he adjusted his papers, preparing to head out to meet with the participants, a flash of blue caught his eye. He glanced up, pausing when he saw the familiar streak of blue hair pass by him.

Jinx

His thoughts immediately went to her as he recognized the figure. He raised his arm, his mouth opening in an automatic response, but she was already moving too quickly, as though trying to escape before he could reach her.

When had she arrived? It felt like déjà vu. He watched her disappear, hurrying toward the girls' dormitory, leaving him once again standing there, alone, as she faded into the distance.

Chapter Text

Looking at the ceiling wasn’t exactly the most thrilling way to spend the day. Jinx bit the inside of her cheek, still sprawled in bed, rotting like some forgotten fruit. She closed her eyes, pretending to focus on her designated activity.

Doing absolutely nothing.

It wasn’t hard to do, especially when she wasn’t in the mood to cause trouble. No that it wasn’t in character for her because who was she supposed to bother right now? Everyone was out there, busy with Progress Day.

Her mind flickered to Viktor’s words from the other day.

“Give it a chance. Maybe it’ll lighten you up.”

The memory made her scrunch her face. This week had been tiring, as tiring could be with making a fool out of herself. 

“It’s tomorrow night, but you can come earlier. There will be tents set up and souvenirs to look at.”

She rolled onto her side, glaring at the decorations visible through her window, accompanied by the sound of people celebrating. 

Fine. Maybe Viktor had a point. She was bored out of her mind, and Progress Day couldn’t be that bad. It wasn’t like she had anything better to do. And if it turned out to be even more boring than rotting in her bed, well, she could always come back.

With a dramatic sigh, she swung her legs off the bed, muttering, “We’ll see then.”

If she didn’t move now, she’d sink back into that mattress, and she wasn’t sure she would get out again.

Standing in front of the mirror, Jinx glanced at her reflection. 

Same old her: hair tangled in the two braids she hadn’t bothered to undo after staying over at The Last Drop yesterday, mismatched socks, and dark circles under her eyes. She didn’t care much about her looks, but maybe, just maybe, catching a few more hours of sleep might help her look less like she just came up from the dead.

Well, guess this is it, she thought, glancing down at her uniform, a white blouse, a skirt she had shortened, which surprisingly hadn’t gotten her dress-coded, and her blazer in hand. No way she was wearing that thing until the sun dipped. It wasn’t like she had a wardrobe full of clothes to choose from anyway. 

There was no turning back. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she shoved the dorm door open and headed out.

Outside, the city buzzed with so much life she almost stopped to gape in awe, almost. 

Progress Day was just an excuse for the pilties to show off. Food stands clogged the streets, obnoxiously colorful tents stretched along the sidewalks, and various inventions were proudly on display. 

At least there was something to hold her attention for a moment. Her eyes landed on one of the tents, curiosity lighting up. But the seller barely spared her a glance, their focus locked on wealthier-looking customers. Fair enough though, considering she didn’t have a single coin in her pockets.

Not like she would spend a dime on their overpriced stuff anyway.

What she couldn’t ignore, no matter how hard she tried, were the posters of the Man of Progress slapped onto every available surface. It was like he was everywhere. Hell, she even spotted a blimp floating above with his face on it.

She didn’t take Piltover for the culty type, but this? This was next level.

And with that thought, she headed further into the crowd.

As she passed through the tents, she couldn’t help but admit it, some of the inventions weren’t that bad.  She had to give them credit. She was an inventor herself after all. 

She didn’t get dragged to this hellhole for nothing, even if her creations didn’t exactly stick around long 'cause, well, they tended to explode. 

Much to her surprise, there was a lot to see. By the time she was done gawking at everything, it’d probably be night already, which was exactly what she wanted right now, figure out what Viktor’s project was. 

Jinx sighed, brushing her sidebang out of her face and glancing at a nearby stall selling clocks and stopwatches. If it was any other weekday at the academy, it’d be lunch hour and her stomach was definitely sending her the memo.

Without thinking twice, her eyes locked onto a food stand selling cotton candy. She froze, just standing there, staring like a total idiot. Those fluffy pink clouds looked so good. She groaned under her breath, kicking herself for not raiding the cafeteria earlier and stuffing her bag with snacks. 

To make things worse, she had somehow ended up behind a group of people who were definitely waiting in line. Fantastic. Now she looked extra stupid, standing there like she actually had money to spend. And of course, she had spent so long frozen that the vendor was staring at her now, silently asking with his eyes, You gonna order or what? 

She almost gulped, feeling the embarrassment creep up on her, until a voice interrupted.

“I’ll take two.”

Jinx almost flinched. That voice. Calm, measured, like he had all the time in the world. It wasn’t fair how effortlessly it carried over the noise. Her shoulders tensed as she turned, already knowing who it was.

Ekko.

Standing right there, not even looking her way, like it was perfectly normal for him to just appear out of nowhere. She had no clue how long he’d been standing next to her. Wasn’t he supposed to be off doing council president stuff? Acting like the perfect leader he thought he was?

But no. Here he was, trading a few coins for cotton candy like it was the most casual thing in the world.

Jinx folded her arms, scowling as she watched him, the sunlight unfairly golden across his face, highlighting his cheekbones in a way that only made her mood worse. He looked like he’d walked out of a topsider propaganda poster.

She hated it.

When he finally turned to her, she expected that sharp, cutting look he always gave her in the halls. But instead, his gaze was soft, almost reluctant. He looked cautious, like he was bracing himself for her to lash out.

Good. At least he knows better now. She thought.

He didn’t say anything, just extended one of the cotton candies toward her. His hand hung there, steady, as if he had all the patience in the world.

Jinx froze. Her brain short-circuited. Was this… for her?

What the hell was he playing at? Bribery? Charity? Her lips parted, ready to say something, anything to kill this ridiculous moment, but before she could, he opened his mouth first.

“It’s not poisoned,” he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. “If I wanted to mess with you, I’d be a lot less subtle.” The moment the words left his mouth, his expression shifted, alarm flashed across his face, like he instantly regretted how it had come out. His hand hovered uncertainly, as though he was debating whether to take the candy back and avoid whatever reaction she might throw at him.

But she just stood there, her face as blank as a freshly wiped chalkboard,

Ekko’s expression faltered, just barely, like her lack of reaction had thrown him off. She couldn’t tell if he was second-guessing himself or just tired of whatever game he thought they were playing. Either way, it wasn’t the composed, unshakable Ekko she was used to seeing. And that crack in his armor made her hesitate too.

Two days ago, she’d practically bitten his head off. An hour ago, she’d gone out of her way to avoid him altogether. And now, here he was, holding out candy like it could erase all the tension that clung to them.

Her fingers twitched at her sides. The cotton candy smelled way too good to ignore, but accepting it felt like… something. Something she wasn’t ready to deal with.

But her stomach had other ideas.

“Thanks,” she mumbled, so quiet it barely counted. She told herself he wouldn’t hear it. But, of course, she was wrong. She snatched the cotton candy, her fingers brushing his for a fraction of a second, so fast it shouldn’t have mattered, but it did. Not that she’d let it show. Instead, she focused on the candy, ignoring the fact that his gaze was glued to her like he had nothing better to do.

Welp, that’s all he’s gettin’ from me.

No small talk. No awkward silences, she especially hated those. They were like an open door for her brain to spiral into worse scenarios than the one she was already stuck in.

So, she did what she needed to do and walked off, like it was easy, like she hadn’t just been standing there, overthinking every second of it.

It wasn’t until Jinx was a few steps away that she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding, a messy tangle of relief and frustration. Her shoulders felt a little lighter, but not by much.

Don’t look back.

She repeated the thought to herself, biting down hard on the urge to glance over her shoulder, to see if he was still standing there, watching her go. She didn’t care. Nope. Not one bit. She definitely didn’t care.

Except, maybe she did. And that just made her want to throw something. 

Preferably at him.

But, eh, at least the cotton candy didn’t suck. So there’s that.

As she wandered, cotton candy in hand, Jinx’s mind started to drift. Her gaze landed on a tent that stood out, fancier than the others, with a tiny crowd gathered around it.

"Look at ’em," she muttered, popping a piece of cotton candy into her mouth. "Seems like the topsiders are in a race to see who can have the flashiest decorations."

Curious, she edged closer, the last bit of cotton candy disappearing as her curiosity kicked in. She wasn’t stupid, though, there was an enforcer nearby, all stiff and serious, like someone glued a stick to their spine. No way she was getting too close. Instead, she stood on her tiptoes to try and catch a glimpse of the main attraction.

It didn’t take long for her to recognize two figures. The first had to be Council Lady. The one with short hair and a face so serious, it was as if she had nothing to smile about. Jinx had seen her at the academy’s opening ceremony, looking as stuck-up and bored as ever. Now, though, she seemed to be trying, introducing some guy next to her to the crowd. 

She instantly recognized him. 

The so-called 'Man of Progress.'  

He looked exactly like he did on those posters, but she couldn’t bring herself to keep inspecting him. 

She was beyond sick of seeing his face plastered all over the city.

The Council Lady was parading him around like he was her latest prized toy, talking animatedly while he nodded along, looking like he wanted to leave. Probably regretting his life choices. Even guys like him weren’t safe from these council freaks, huh?

Her gaze flicked back to the enforcer standing stiffly near the entrance, it was a woman with blue hair. Maybe it was just her paranoia talking, but there was something strange about not feeling the need to act all defensive around them anymore. The academy uniform felt like an armor. If she’d shown up in her usual street-rat clothes, they would have raided her in an instant. But, eh, no point in stirring up trouble with them now.

Not wanting to stick around for whatever this topsider circus had in store, she decided to sit down by a fountain, watching everyone go about their day. The sounds of drunkards being arrested drifted toward her, and she couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. 

She didn’t think people would be getting that wasted this early.

Honestly, piltovans didn’t seem all that different from zaunites, just with fancier clothes, better life expectancy, and a lotta more pretentiousness .

Jinx chuckled to herself.

She had plenty of time to kill until midnight.

Jinx felt like she’d been stuck here for a decade. A whole decade, might as well throw herself a little celebration party when the sun started dipping.

Free. Almost free.

Because, well, there was still that little speech to attend. The one thing standing between her and her bed.

Even as she sat there, she dug through her bag, pulling out the invitation Viktor had given her. Speaking of Viktor… where the hell was he? She would look real stupid if she wasn’t on the list, if there even was one, of course. But most likely, there was. 

Topsiders and their fancy events.

But now that she thought about it, she had absolutely no clue where this speech was supposed to happen. Not a single clue. She’d been wandering around for hours, half the damn day, and still hadn’t found it. 

Congratulations, Jinx. You’re a certified genius.  

She wasn’t in Zaun anymore, where she could navigate every crumbling alley and hidden shortcut like it was stitched into her brain. No, this was Piltover. Piltover , for crying out loud. 

With a dramatic sigh, she shoved the paper back into her bag and got to her feet. Whatever . She’d just keep walking until she stumbled across the damn place. 

The streets were growing less and less crowded, with topsiders happily leaving with their new purchases. Lucky them. Meanwhile, she was stuck here, lost and half-dead from boredom. She sighed, her eyes scanning the thinning crowd until they locked onto something, or rather, someone.

Orange fur. Big ears. Tiny.

The hamster, oh, well, the Yordle. Same thing.

"Ah, Miss Jinx!" he called out, his fluffy face lighting. For a moment, she couldn’t help but smirk. Watching him scurry toward her with those tiny legs moving at turbo speed was almost comical. 

He finally reached her, a little out of breath but still smiling. "Viktor has instructed me to assist you. Please, follow me!"

Jinx sighed in relief. Thank Janna for that. At least Viktor hadn’t forgotten about her. If he had, she’d probably have stormed into his classroom the next day and complained nonstop until he got tired of her. Not that he wasn’t already growing sick of her. Even she would’ve gotten tired of herself by now.

"Yeah, yeah, lead the way, big guy," she chirped as the yordle turned and started walking. Oh, this was too easy. She’d been expecting to wander the whole city like a clueless tourist, bumping into walls and getting lost in back alleys. 

But nope, they were practically there already.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t as far as she thought, and soon enough, she saw a line of people waiting. 

So, the event was about to start, huh? She figured as much. The line was split, one side with people already entering, probably those with special seats. The kind of seats that people like the Council Lady would snag for themselves.

She also recognized a few faces in the line, other students who were apparently invited to the speech. Should she feel special or something? Honestly, they didn’t even bother looking at her, which wasn’t surprising. The students either hated her openly or avoided her like she was the plague.

Heimerdinger piped up, trying to make her feel a bit more welcome. “I’m glad you decided to attend. Although Viktor isn’t presenting, this is just as much his project as it is Jayce’s.”

Jayce. Oh yeah, that’s his name. Took a second to remember, but it clicked, thanks to Viktor constantly going on about him whenever she barged into the Academy’s lab just to be a nuisance. She hadn’t met him yet. He didn’t exactly hang around the Academy. No, he was off in some other lab with Viktor, doing whatever science-y stuff they did together.

Science-y stuff, yeah right

“You’re definitely one of a kind student,” Heimerdinger added with a chuckle, snapping her out of her thoughts. Jinx blinked, trying to figure out if that was a compliment or a jab. Even if it was meant as a compliment, it still felt weird. 

She wasn’t exactly used to those, unless it was his way of politely saying she was a walking disaster.

“Hope this maybe inspires you to follow his steps.”

Jinx barely had time to respond before Heimerdinger stopped looking at her and raised his hand, as if trying to get someone's attention. Being the curious mess she was, she turned around immediately to see who it was, nearly choking on her own spit when she recognized who he was calling.

Not Ekko.

Not again.

“I’m sorry I’m a bit late. Hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.” His voice sliced through the noise, and a scoff slipped from her lips before she could stop it.

It wasn’t that she was angry at him. Okay, maybe she was a little angry, but it wasn’t like he was doing it on purpose. He probably didn’t even want to be here. But that didn’t make the situation any less annoying.

She hated these damn encounters. He seemed out of breath, like he'd been running to get here at the last second, but still, somehow, he looked annoyingly perfect. 

Impressive, if she didn’t want to punch him for it.

The second his eyes found hers, she saw him straighten up even more, like he was on full alert. The familiar tension settled between them again, thick enough that she swore Heimerdinger was going to choke on it.

“No worries, my boy. Now we’re finally complete,” Heimerdinger said, blissfully unaware of the situation they were both in. “Miss Jinx, can you tell me what your seat number is? I’ll guide you since this is probably your first time here,” Heimerdinger asked. Well if that wasn’t obvious yet.

She dug through her bag, trying to ignore Ekko’s presence, but his eyes were there, pinning her in place. The weight of his stare was making it hard to focus. If the yordle wasn’t in the middle, she would’ve told him to stop staring.

J7.

"What’s yours, Young Ekko?" Heimerdinger asked, breaking her from her thoughts.

Ekko, who seemed a bit distracted, fumbled in his pocket before pulling out his crumpled paper and holding it up. She didn’t mean to be nosy, okay, maybe she did, but her eyes flicked to it anyway.

J8.

She clenched her teeth. Of course. Of course .

“I think I can go by myself,” she blurted, her voice a little sharper than she intended. Instantly, she regretted it, not that she’d admit it. Instead, she directed her frustration toward Ekko, and, of course, Viktor. 

Viktor, for handing her that cursed ticket number, and Ekko, for existing and just being himself.

Her internal turmoil buzzed beneath the surface, but she shoved it down, throwing on a half-grin to mask the annoyance. She glanced at Heimerdinger, who was watching her with an unusual curiosity, then at Ekko, who’d slipped back into his usual blank expression. 

"I don’t think it matters much, since you’ll be sitting next to each other anyway. Young Ekko can lend a hand, I’m sure," Heimerdinger said with a warm chuckle.

She didn’t bother responding, instead turning to look at Ekko, who, to her surprise, wasn’t staring at her this time.

It was definitely going to be awkward as hell.

The other students began to shift, moving to their assigned seats. Without really thinking, she started walking faster, leaving him behind. She entered the place, scanned the row numbers, found hers, and plopped down into the seat, staring straight ahead, pretending she didn’t just speed walk to escape the tension.

If she had managed to ignore his existence for the past two days, then this wouldn’t be hard. 

The auditorium for Progress Day was huge, with walls stretching high and rows of neat, uncomfortable chairs. The stage, in contrast, seemed a bit tiny, but behind it were large windows, revealing that it was already nighttime.

She clutched the crumpled paper in her hand, her eyes fixed on the stage ahead. The air buzzed with hushed conversations, topsiders murmuring about this or that while waiting for the speech to begin. She wanted to convince herself that she wasn’t bothered at all by the idea of having to sit next to him, but her fingers gripping the paper told a different story.

As she stewed in her own thoughts, she felt it, that subtle shift in the air, someone sitting down beside her. Without turning her head, she peeked out of the corner of her eye. 

But it wasn’t him. 

Just some girl with long, vibrant pink hair, dressed in the academy’s uniform. Jinx vaguely remembered seeing her around in a few classes, but hadn't cared enough to remember her name.

"Hey," the girl said, her voice tinged with nervous energy. Jinx just stared at her, wearing a blank expression on her face. 

What, did she look like some feral animal ready to pounce?  

Before she could shoot back a snarky remark, the girl added, “My seat was way in the back, so I switched with Ekko.” trying to give her a half-smile. Jinx felt herself sink a little deeper into her seat.

So he’s taking the coward’s route. What a shocker.

She only gave a slight nod, her mouth twitching open briefly in acknowledgment. No words, just the bare minimum effort. Inside, though, she wanted to kick herself for the weird, sinking feeling creeping in. No reason to feel that way, she told herself. 

This was good, actually. Perfect. She didn’t need Ekko around anyway. Besides, if he was too scared to sit next to her, that wasn’t her problem.

The two didn’t say a word, just sat there, not even bothering to glance at each other. After her awkward introduction, the girl seemed completely uninterested in speaking to her. The waiting stretched on forever, each second dragging out like an eternity. Just as Jinx was starting to seriously consider launching the crumpled paper at someone for entertainment, the overhead lights flickered and dimmed, and the spotlights flared to life, casting a harsh glow on the stage.

In seconds, Council Lady stepped into the light. 

Ah, there she was, ready to talk about Piltover’s bright future or whatever. 

Then came the name. Jayce Talis. Council Lady practically beamed as she introduced him, her voice dripping with pride. And there he was, the golden boy himself. The same face plastered across every building she’d ever seen. 

The girl beside Jinx clapped enthusiastically. With an exaggerated sigh, Jinx mimicked her, clapping half-heartedly just to blend in. She glanced over her shoulder, the lights making it easier to scan the crowd. No Ekko. Not a single familiar face in sight.

Turning her attention back to the man at the front, everything suddenly clicked.

So that’s Viktor’s friend? The Progress guy? 

Considering Viktor was the only zaunite back when he was a student, it made sense he would end up being friends with one of those stuck-up pilties. Not that she was judging, of course. She just felt a little stupid for not connecting the dots sooner.

Her brain wasn’t working right, and she totally blamed Ekko for this.

“Uh, good evening,” he began, flashing one of those typical smiles she’d seen a thousand times before. “I know many of you didn’t expect to see me here today. And believe me, I’m as shocked as you are.”

Jinx nearly snorted. Shocked? Oh, that’s rich. She’d seen him more times than she could count, whether she liked it or not.

As he kept talking, her focus wandered. Something about his parents making hammers, no one believing in him, Piltover shall prosper yada yada. Just a bunch of pretty words, but somehow, everyone around her was eating it up.

“But we’re not done yet,” he announced dramatically, just as mysterious music started playing in the background.

The curtain slowly parted, revealing a glowing gemstone in the center of the stage. The room fell into a hush as Jayce walked toward it.

Jinx watched from the side, her eyes narrowing, half amused and half annoyed. Okay, okay, she thought, I get it. Shiny rock. Big deal. But it’s also Viktor’s work, so... maybe it’s worth a second look.

Progress guy approached the gem with a reverence that was almost comical, his voice booming with conviction as he lifted it. "This," he said, turning it in his hands, "is the future of Piltover. This is hextech . A fusion of magic and science that will change the way we live, how we power our cities, and how we interact with the rest of Runeterra." The audience watched in awe, a few scattered claps breaking out before quickly fading as they realized he wasn’t done speaking. 

Yeah, yeah, you’re the hero of the day, we get it, she thought, tapping her foot impatiently. But she couldn't deny the way the gemstone seemed to draw attention. 

It was shiny, it glowed, and everyone in the room was hanging on every word he said. 

He raised the gemstone higher. "With this, we will revolutionize everything, from the smallest household to the grandest inventions. Hextech will be the beating heart of Piltover. This will make our streets safer, our machines faster, and our lives longer."

Jinx couldn’t help but smirk. Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Progress Man, she mused, watching the crowd practically eat it up. Even so, she had to acknowledge that if Viktor had been part of it, then there was a genuine intent of it.

Jayce took a deep breath, standing tall, ready for the grand finale. "This is just the beginning. The future is now, and we are the ones who will shape it." She barely had time to think before fireworks erupted, their bright colors reflecting in the grand windows. The applause from the audience erupted, echoing through the hall. Jinx, for her part, joined in with a half-hearted clap, more out of obligation than enthusiasm. Something caught her eye, though: Heimerdinger, the yordle, looking really pissed as he got up from his seat. "Well, that's weird," she muttered, but didn’t bother dwelling on it.

At least the shiny rock came with a fireworks show, as she caught a glimpse of them bursting against the windows outside.

As it finished, Jinx stayed still, watching. The others stood up to leave. Well, she had to give Viktor credit. Even though he hadn't given the speech himself, his work was enough to keep everyone's attention. 

"First time here?" the girl next to her asked, stretching and catching Jinx's attention. Oh right, this person is here too.

She had completely forgotten about her existence.

“I guess it’s obvious,” she replied, trying not to sink deeper into her seat. Here it goes, the small talk. Then a thought bubbled up. “So… you switched seats with Ekko?” 

I mean, what else was she supposed to talk about with a piltie?

Oh and she couldn’t be exaggerating when she saw how her face almost flushed the same color as her hair. Weird.

“Oh, yes. Ekko’s really nice. I just asked if I could sit closer to the stage, and he gave it to me without a second thought.” The girl grinned like she had just won a medal for it. Jinx barely managed to hold back a scoff.

“Guess he just likes handing out favors, huh?” she said dryly. Saint Ekko, the boy savior. She'd heard way too much from her classmates about his "generosity." Unlike her, Ekko actually seemed to have made friends, more than she would’ve expected. Then again, he was always like that: really sociable. The same couldn’t be said for her, though. She preferred sticking with her siblings.

“I don’t know where he went, though. Such a shame. Guess we’ll see each other in class,” the tone of her voice seemed hopeful.  

“Well, yeah, he seems like the type to disappear without saying a word,” she replied, flicking her sidebang out of her face, while the girl watched her with a confused look. “Not that I know him or anything.”

The girl laughed softly.

"Oh, I see," she said casually. "I’m Seraphine. You probably don’t know me since we don’t share many classes." Her tone was polite, almost cheerful, and Jinx confirmed her suspicion that she had seen her before. Seeing that she hadn’t said a word, the girl glanced toward the exit, where several people were already heading out.

"I should get going. I’m a little tired. But it was so nice meeting you!" she said with a warm smile, then paused as if a thought suddenly struck her. "You know what? You’re not as scary as I thought!" she added, her tone light and playful.

Jinx rolled her eyes. Scary? She hadn’t done a thing, and Miss Pinkie over there was already shaking in her boots at the thought of sitting next to her. Well, she could blame Ekko for that. He didn’t give a single damn and had let the girl, who was clearly enamored with him, sit next to the "psychotic terrorist" everyone was apparently terrified of. Such a gentleman.

Once there was no trace of her, Jinx groaned as she leaned her head back against the seat in front of her. She needed to clear her thoughts. So, basically, Ekko had ditched her. That girl with pink hair was totally swooning over him, but whatever, she couldn’t care less. If anything, she wondered what she could see in that nerd. As for Viktor, she had no clue where he had disappeared to. After all, he had been stuck with her for a year, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to pop by and congratulate him. 

She decided to stay put for a few more minutes while everyone was leaving. She hadn’t even figured out where Ekko was sitting. Not that it mattered. Obviously, nowhere near her. As the auditorium slowly emptied, she found herself staring at the stage. Maybe he was backstage.

Curious, she glanced around before slipping out of her row. But just as she was about to reach the stairs, a voice called out behind her.

“Hey, the exit’s the other way.”

She was almost startled by the soft but firm voice, as if she had been caught doing something. Well, she was planning to do just that. Slowly, she turned her head and locked eyes with what appeared to be an enforcer.

It was a young woman with blue, mid-length hair, standing there, trying to act all serious. What caught Jinx’s attention, though, was that she’d seen this woman before, she just hadn’t paid much attention. 

It was the same woman standing in front of the Council Lady’s tent.

“Really? Hadn’t noticed that before,” Jinx huffed, rolling her eyes as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. She had more important things to do than engage in more small talk, and even worse, with an enforcer.

The woman raised an eyebrow, unfazed. “You’re a student?”

Jinx eyed her uniform, tugging at her blazer and stretching it out. “Uhhh, yes?” What kind of question was that? “I’m not sure if being an enforcer means you have to go around asking dumb questions but—”

“I’m just making sure no one’s here,” the woman interrupted her, serious but without the usual superiority she was used to. “It’s just for security reasons.”

Jinx chuckled at the idea. Not like she was gonna rob this place. Those days were over, unless she wanted to get kicked back to her dumpster. She did love her dumpster, though. 

Who knows, maybe they'd send her to Stillwater and that wasn’t in her plans.

“Relax, I’m not gonna do anything. I just need to find a certain person,” Jinx shrugged nonchalantly. Not that she was lying.

“I’ve been given clear instructions that no one from the public should be here by now,” she said simply. Jinx snorted. If it wasn’t the typical enforcer superiority, it was still the same bossy vibe.

“Listen, Hat Lady,” she said as she eyed the dumb large hat perched on the woman’s head. “This is important as—”

“My name’s Caitlyn, by the way,” the woman interrupted, sounding like it was supposed to be a big reveal. Jinx blinked. Forgettable name, honestly. “Hat lady” still fits way better.

“I’d appreciate it if you made my job easier.” her tone was all polite and professional. Sure, not all topsiders were disgustingly rich, which had been a shocker. But still, the way she moved, the way she talked, everything about her screamed money . A year of dealing with her insufferable classmates had taught her how to spot them a mile away. 

Turns out even in Piltover, some people had it better than others.

“Jinx,” she said flatly, like this introduction was a waste of oxygen. It’s not like they would be running into each other again. “So, being in charge of kicking out students is your big, fancy job? Huh. I thought it’d be something more exciting.” She twirled one of her braids, making sure her boredom was impossible to miss.

For a moment, the woman looked genuinely exasperated, and Jinx couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, thoroughly entertained. Oh, had she struck a nerve? If she wasn’t trying to keep a low profile, she might have told her she wasn’t missing much. She would bet good money this one wouldn’t last five seconds in the Undercity.

“Currently, yes,” the woman responded seriously. “You see, I’m still a rookie, and I’d rather not be stuck doing trivial things, like handling a child who doesn’t want to go to sleep, but...” She stopped mid-sentence, noticing Jinx’s blank expression. “I mean, I probably shouldn’t be telling you this.” she added quickly, clearing her throat like she realized she’d said too much.  “Now, if you please...” She started to approach her.

Jinx raised her arms mockingly, as if she were about to be arrested. “Alright, alright, Hat Lady,” she said. “You don’t have to escort me out, but I hope you know I’m only doing this to make your day easier. I mean, spending hours standing behind those council freaks has gotta be the most snooze-fest gig ever.” She trailed off, watching the woman stiffen.

Right, maybe she shouldn’t push it too far. The woman was actually one of the least obnoxious enforcers Jinx had come across, so why not make it a little easier on her? Without another word, she slipped past the woman and headed toward the exit.

The cool night air hit her face as she stepped outside, and she noted that the place was practically empty. The streets were quieter now, with only a few stragglers left. A couple of enforcers were hauling some drunken idiots off the premises. Jinx’s lips curled into a grin. 

Yeah, not that different from zaunites.

She hadn’t been expecting the day to drag on like this. She could’ve sworn Progress Day felt like it lasted a lifetime. By the time she entered the academy and made her way to the girls' dormitory not a soul was in sight. 

This time, no one was going to stop her from taking the longest nap of her life.

Until she saw him. Yep, standing right there in the middle of the dorm doorway like a human roadblock.

“Jinx.”

Her name sounded weirdly serious in his voice, and she hated that she almost froze in her boots. 

Almost. 

What was he even doing here? She could tell he was trying to keep it quiet, probably worried someone would see him waiting for her. 

That would be one way to ruin your squeaky-clean reputation. The Student Council President caught sneaking around with none other than Jinx at midnight? Yeah, no one was going to let that slide. 

But anyways. If he wanted to talk so badly, maybe he shouldn’t have pulled a disappearing act at the auditorium. Not that she’d been dying for a talk or anything, but still. Now all she wanted was to crawl into bed. 

Preferably without playing twenty questions with him before.

“See the time, Ekko? You’re way too late to be annoying me when I’m about to go to sleep,” she said as she waved him off, hoping to shoo him away.

He didn’t say anything, just stood there like an idiot. She sighed, rolling her eyes dramatically before attempting to sidestep him. But as she took a few steps forward, she felt it, his hand gently closing around her wrist, pulling her back.

She let out a startled yelp, spinning around to face him, her wide eyes clashing with his. His hand was warm, almost unnervingly so, a stark contrast to her own, always cool to the touch. 

But the warmth wasn’t just physical, it was like it started to melt down the mental wall Jinx had built between them over the past few days.

What the hell was that?

Ekko seemed just as caught off guard. His grip on her wrist loosened, and his gaze dropped to where his hand rested before he let go, raising both hands in surrender, as if signaling peace in the face of her questioning glare.

And just like that, he had her full attention. Jinx tilted her head, arms crossed now, waiting for him to explain himself.

“Jinx, I just want to talk to you.” His tone was soft but firm enough to make it clear he wasn’t backing down. 

Well, Jinx had definitely gotten the memo, judging by how he was waiting for her at this hour of the night. She glanced at the doorway to the dorms and then back at him.

With a dramatic huff, she finally responded. “You know what, there’s this saying… What was it again?” She muttered, her eyes skittering everywhere but at him. The warmth of his hand on her wrist still lingered, even though it was already gone.  “Ah! Third time’s the charm? Ha, it’s not going to work with me. So, if you could just move, and let me get some sleep, that’d be great.” She gave him a quick, exaggerated shrug, stepping forward like she was already done with him.

But of course, he didn’t give up that easily. Then again, she hadn’t really expected Ekko, of all people, to back down so quickly. He stepped right in front of her, blocking her path.

Annoyed, she tried to slip past him to the left, but he shadowed her movement, moving to the left as if he was attached to her like some kind of annoying shadow. She shot him an irritated glance.

“I just don’t want things to stay like this,” he said, desperation creeping into his voice. “It’s not fair that you can vent about everything that’s been bothering you, and I don’t even get a chance to explain myself.”

Guilt flashed through her as she remembered all the times she’d tried to avoid him. But then again, he was the one who had left her, pretending like she didn’t exist, so why should she care? 

Yeah no, he had to go.

“And definitely not fair to you, either, to think I don’t care about your feelings,” he added, his gaze soft and sincere. Jinx fought the urge to scoff. She just wanted to shut him up, but somehow, his words stirred something in her she wasn’t ready to admit. 

She glanced down the hallway leading to her room, the silence stretching around her like a thick fog. Vi’s words echoed in her head, along with Benzo’s. Hell, they had both agreed that they should just talk. 

But she was never one to let her emotions spill out easily. 

Jinx could almost hear her own breath.

“You’re not going to say anything, are you?” Ekko’s voice broke through the quiet, trying to catch her gaze.

“Well, not like I owe you this,” she shot back, locking eyes with him. She watched as Ekko instantly regretted saying anything, and a tiny spark of annoyance flared in her chest. 

“I don’t even know why I bothered making your life harder. I should’ve just ignored you from the start.” She muttered to herself, surprised by the words slipping out, but it was too late. 

Ekko’s eyes widened, a mix of disbelief and curiosity.

“So, all this time, you’ve been targeting me intentionally?” he asked, more to himself than to her, like he couldn’t quite believe it, or as if he were confirming a long-held suspicion.

“Newsflash, yes,” she snarked. Like that wasn’t obvious already. “Nothing like seeing that annoyed look in your eyes every time you had to clean up after my mess.” She leaned in a little. “It was always like that, wasn’t it? You, cleaning up my messes.”

The least she expected was an annoyed glare, something that meant they were still going for each other's necks. But instead, he just smiled. What? Jinx blinked, confused. It wasn’t supposed to evoke a smile from him, and definitely not a real one, not like those fake smiles she had been used to.

“Yeah, you’d show up at the workshop sometimes, all worried because you messed up a mission, and Vi would come asking about you. I’d tell her I didn’t see you coming.” Ekko laughed lightly.

Jinx couldn’t help herself. “Yeah, and that’d never work, ‘cause Vi always found me. Oh, and convincing Mylo my bombs would work? Total waste of time. Even after you left, there were more failures than wins. Except for that one thing that got me here. Did you know that?”

Ekko’s face shifted to one of confusion, a “What did you do?” look in his eyes. Jinx didn’t want to elaborate. She wasn’t in the mood for another lecture.

“But It’s in the past anyway, we don’t know each other like that anymore” she added, brushing it off. She wasn’t about to waste time digging up their childhood memories. Ekko noticed, and the stupid radiant smile vanished from his face instantly.

“I know,” he said. “No! I mean—” he caught himself, as if she might be offended by the truth that their friendship was something from the past. Well, it was, after all. “I’m just…” He trailed off, clearly struggling to find the right words as Jinx watched, amused. It seemed like him fumbling for the right thing to say when it came to her was becoming a common occurrence. 

Ekko took a deep breath, his voice softening. “You know, back then, even when I tried to make myself look strong," he began, pausing for a moment, as if collecting his thoughts. "I wasn’t. Neither of us were. We were just kids, pretending to have it all figured out."

“And you still do that,” she interrupted, her voice low, almost a whisper.

Ekko didn’t even try to deny it. Jinx crossed her arms and gave him a reproachful look.

“No point in arguing with me, because you know I’m right,” she said, the corner of her mouth twitching into a bitter smile. She caught a glimpse of Ekko’s slight scowl.

“If you’d just let me speak!” Ekko raised his voice, only to immediately lower it, realizing he’d gotten too loud. The last thing he needed was the others overhearing them. “Yes, you’re right,” he muttered, his voice quieter now. “I was a scared kid. When Benzo found out they were offering me a spot in the academy, my first thought was I didn’t want to fail. I didn’t want to come back looking like a failure to him, to Vi, Claggor, Mylo... or you,” he admitted, his words stumbling as he nervously glanced away from her. Jinx paused, trying to digest it. 

Of all people, Ekko, the confident little guy she remembered, was scared?

“So, I kept my mouth shut and decided to leave without a trace,” he continued. “Told Benzo not to tell anyone, not even you.” He took a breath, trying to find his next words. “I wanted to make my time there count. Wanted to come back as someone he’d be proud of, someone you and the others could look up to.” He looked back at her, and for a second, there was a flicker of vulnerability in his eyes. “You’re probably the only one who can understand what it’s like, coming here and being treated like an inconvenience, looked down on. I guess I was just determined to prove them wrong. So, I worked hard to get where I am. Before I knew it, I had more responsibilities, because they started taking me seriously.”

He paused for a moment, and Jinx felt a strange shift in the air.

“I lost myself,” Ekko said, acknowledging it at last. “I guess that’s why I don’t know how to interact with you. You’re… hard to understand.” He let out a little chuckle, but it was tinged with regret. “It got me thinking we just became…”

“Strangers,” she finished for him.

“Yeah, strangers.”

Jinx let that sink in. She wasn’t sure how to respond to the sudden weight of his words. Ekko, noticing her hesitation, kept pushing forward.

“When I first saw you, I knew you’d be trouble,” he said, studying her carefully, almost like he was checking to see if the truth would hurt too much. “And, well... you were. Troublesome as hell.”

A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Yeah, she’d definitely embraced that troublemaker side of herself. It was the best feeling. Unlike Ekko, who stayed in line, always following the rules, trying to be the perfect little example for everyone.

Ekko’s expression shifted, growing more serious. “I regret a lot of things,” he said, his voice dropping almost to a whisper. "I now realize how hard it must have been to suddenly find out I was just gone, not knowing if I was alive or dead, with no answers. And that makes me feel like shit."

He sighed, his vulnerability clear. “I didn’t think about how the people I cared about, who cared about me, would feel. And I know you don’t want to hear all this because, well, you don’t like wasting your time.” It was like he hated admitting these things. 

“Look,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair in frustration, “All I want to do right now is apologize, and then just move on. Whether we’re still friends or not… Hell, I don’t even care if you go back to making my life a nightmare. Just don’t stay angry with me."

He glanced at her, his eyes filled with a weird mix of hope and anxiety, waiting for a response.

Jinx just stood there, processing. She probably just looked ridiculous to him, struggling to get a single word out.

“Don’t think I’m trying to force you to forgive me,” Ekko continued, his voice softer now, like he was trying to ease her into this. "As I mentioned before, I just wanted to make it clear that I regret leaving without saying anything." Her jaw tightened. There it was again, regret, like it was supposed to smooth over everything.

“And acting like I didn’t exist when we saw each other for the first time in years,” she added before she could stop herself. There she went again, opening her mouth just to be petty.

Ekko winced, and for a moment, she thought he wouldn’t answer. “It’s…” He paused, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s hard not to pretend like I don’t know you when you’re making a mess everywhere.” The words were defensive, automatic, but as soon as they left his mouth, he froze. “Sorry. That wasn’t… I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Sure you didn’t,” she said, folding her arms tight over her chest. Her voice sounded sharper than she intended, but she didn’t care. “It’s fine, I guess. Sometimes I go overboard,” she lied. 

Ekko raised an eyebrow unimpressed, and she hated how easily he could see through her.

“Okay, fine, all the time,” she snapped, throwing her hands up. “Happy now?”

He didn’t reply right away. Instead, he tilted his head, studying her with that usual maddening calm he’d always had.  

“Yes,” he said finally, his lips quirked in a half-smile that made her stomach twist.

“If you want us to be at peace or whatever, then fine. I’ll let it go,” she said quickly, trying to regain control of the conversation, noticing how Ekko seemed to relax, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Not wanting to let him win this one, she couldn't help but add, “You’re still an annoying, self-conceited nerd, though,” drawing Ekko’s attention back to her, making sure he wasn’t getting off that easy.

“And you’re allergic to staying calm,” he shot back, almost too quickly.

Was that supposed to be an insult? She almost laughed, it was too ridiculous to even think of a better comeback. With him so close and not saying anything, Jinx couldn’t help but notice the dark circles under his eyes, just like hers. Not that it should’ve surprised her, they were both top students and that meant little to no sleep. 

He was taller now, taller in a way that made her feel smaller without meaning to. Back then, she’d made fun of him non-stop for being shorter than her, just to see him get all worked up. Now he was almost a whole head taller. It was ridiculous.

When his gaze locked on hers, she couldn’t hold it. She looked away, pretending to adjust her blazer.

“Okay, fine,” she said at last, her voice quieter as she noticed how his eyes lit up. “You win. I won’t give you the cold shoulder anymore.” She paused, hesitating before adding, “But don’t expect me to go back to being little Powder. She’s been dead for a long time.”

“I’ve had an entire year to figure that out,” he said with a knowing smile.

“Fine,” she muttered.

“Fine,” he replied.

“So… what now?” she asked after a few seconds, her voice dripping with fake nonchalance, though she wasn’t sure he would buy it.

Ekko shoved his hands into his pockets, tilting his head as he stared at her. “I don’t know. What do you want?”

Jinx couldn’t quite come up with a response. Everyone knew how it was. She was a walking disaster, and Ekko was the golden boy who couldn’t seem to screw anything up. 

Same origin, different sides of the coin.

“You’re the class president now, right? Go be all responsible and important or whatever. I’ll keep doing whatever the hell I want. You know, the fun stuff.”

Ekko didn’t reply right away, his expression hard to read. 

He leaned back, his eyes narrowing slightly. “If that’s how you want it, fine,” he said, shaking his head as a smirk played at his lips. Then, with a grin, he added, “But don’t think I’ll just let you cause all the mischief you want.”

Jinx couldn’t help but wonder when he had started showing expressions other than that same stiff one. Not that she was complaining though. It’s not like it made him any less annoying but whatever.

Standing there, it felt like they had reached some unspoken agreement: things would go back to the way they were, just without the bad blood, at least on her part. In theory, it made perfect sense, like the ideal way to close a messy chapter.

But instead of feeling like closure, it just felt off.

“Alright then,” Jinx said suddenly, avoiding looking at him. “I’m gonna go to sleep or something.”

Ekko raised an eyebrow, clearly thrown off by her sudden awkwardness. “Uh, yeah... good idea.” 

"Okay. Goodnight then," she mumbled, wondering why she was even bothering to be polite as she turned around.

“’Night,” Ekko muttered, barely audible.

Jinx was already halfway down the hall when she felt it, the weight of his gaze, still on her. That weird, lingering feeling gnawed at her, and before she could stop herself, she called over her shoulder.

"Don’t stay up thinking about me too much, nerd."

She didn’t wait for a reply and quickened her pace. 

This was just her way of taking back some control after everything that happened. Nothing more, nothing less.

But as she strutted off, she caught it.

A sharp breath. A barely contained scoff. Then—

"You can’t be serious."

Jinx smirked to herself

For the first time in days, she thought she might actually get some real sleep.

Chapter Text

Ekko couldn’t make sense of Jinx.

Not even in the slightest.

Now that they had finally sorted things out, he should have felt relieved. 

But he didn’t. 

Something in his gut told him it wasn’t over.

Every time her last words from yesterday echoed in his mind, he had to fight the urge to scowl, forcing himself to maintain his unbothered facade.

He definitely didn’t spend the night thinking about her.

It was early morning, and he was too exhausted, too buried in council duties, to let her take up space in his thoughts.

Standing on stage in the auditorium, he kept his posture straight as Professor Heimerdinger droned on about upcoming events and activities. His own speech, the one he’d drafted the night before, had gone off without a hitch. 

Now, all he had to do was stand there, eyes forward, mind blank.

And most importantly, not look for a certain blue-haired demon in the crowd.

Unless, of course, she was up to something.

But no, they’d made up. She wouldn’t.

…Right?

Maybe he was just being paranoid.

Maybe he should focus on what Professor Heimerdinger was saying instead of drifting off.

“And remember, you have until the end of this week to sign up,” the yordle’s voice cut through his thoughts. He blinked, making an effort to pay attention for once. “You can all go to class now,” Heimerdinger concluded. Applause rippled through the room, followed by the murmur of students standing, stretching, and gathering their things.

Ekko exhaled, shifting his weight slightly as his gaze swept over the crowd. But no one caught his interest. 

There was no reason to keep looking, at least, there shouldn’t have been.

He didn’t even notice that Professor Heimerdinger had turned toward him.

"What’s on your mind now, my boy?"

The professor’s voice startled him, dragging him back to reality. Heimerdinger cleared his throat, clearly expecting an answer.

Ekko adjusted his posture, forcing a neutral tone. “Nothing, professor.”

A lie. But one that came easily.

Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that, for once, he actually had been distracted.

And he was never distracted.

“I’ll choose to believe you,” Heimerdinger said, though a hint of skepticism lingered in his tone. As they exited the auditorium, he gestured for him to follow. “Be mindful of distractions, young Ekko. I wouldn’t want to see another of my students lose their way.”

Ekko turned to look at him, caught off guard by the words. Lose their way? 

There was no chance, zero chance, of that happening. He had been through too much to fail now. But as he studied Heimerdinger’s expression, he realized there was no malice in the remark. Just a small, knowing smile, as if the professor had already seen this story play out before.

“Of course not, professor,” he replied, shaking his head as if to rid himself of the thought.

Over time, he had come to think of Heimerdinger as more than just a teacher, something closer to a mentor, maybe even the closest thing to a guiding hand he’d ever had in Piltover. They had spent hours together, discussing classwork, debating theories, and going over his responsibilities as the Academy’s council president. Somehow, without him realizing it, he had started seeking the professor out when he needed guidance.

It was strange. 

He had always assumed most topsiders saw him as nothing more than a tool, an exception, an anomaly, something to be used but never truly valued. But Heimerdinger seemed to genuinely appreciate him. And he felt the same in return.

"Well then," Heimerdinger went on, his tone cheerful, "I realize you're quite busy, but surely you've spared a moment to consider the Innovator’s Competition?"

Ekko stopped in his tracks.

The competition.

He hadn’t thought about it at all since the term started, even though, before that, it was all he had looked forward to.

The first time he had heard about it was long before he ever imagined setting foot topside. It was Benzo who had mentioned it in passing while he helped out in his shop, speaking of a yearly competition for the students, a stage where innovation thrived. Back then, the idea had filled his younger self with wonder, his mind spinning with the endless possibilities of what could be created.

But reality had settled in just as quickly. That was a world far beyond his reach, a dream meant for others, not for someone like him.

And yet, here he was.

He remembered counting down the years, eager for the moment when he’d finally be old enough to sign up.

And then, when the time finally came, reality had pulled him in another direction.

Responsibilities. Meetings. Duties.

He barely had time to breathe, let alone focus on the competition.

Heimerdinger must have noticed his hesitation because he gently urged, “Give it some thought. I have no doubt you’d make the most of the opportunity.”

Ekko exhaled. He had already gotten himself into enough trouble for not being honest, no point in doing it again.

“I’m sorry, professor. I’ve told you before, between the meetings and my grades, I just don’t think I’ll have enough time to make any real progress.”

Heimerdinger’s expression softened, though a hint of disappointment remained. “Are you certain about that, lad? From the moment you set foot here, it’s been clear, you’re an inventor at heart.”

He lowered his gaze at that, his fingers twitching slightly at his sides. Ekko knew that tone. The same knowing, patient cadence of someone who had lived long enough to understand things before they even happened.

“I know you've made a name for yourself, but what’s the point if there are hardly any things you truly enjoy?”

They stopped walking just as they reached the backstage of the auditorium, a few meters from the door leading to the academy halls. A single wall separated them from everyone else, just enough to make the moment feel isolated, suspended in time.

Ekko swallowed back the sting of disappointment beneath his carefully maintained indifference.

The professor was right.

Nothing had changed.

Before he became who he was now, he had just been an inventor, a kid who spent hours tinkering with Benzo’s scraps, building for the sheer thrill of it. He could still picture his first bicycle, one of his earliest creations. He and Powder had ridden it together, laughter echoing through the streets as they sped past, enforcers always a step too slow to catch them.

That had been another life.

If only the days could be longer.

If only time didn’t have to keep slipping away.

“I’m sure it’s on your mind,” Heimerdinger said, his voice with the kind of patience that came from knowing the answer before it was spoken. “But just remember, you wouldn’t be doing this alone.”

Ekko narrowed his eyes slightly, his jaw tightening.

Right. Of course. There was always a catch.

“To enter, you’ll need a partner. It is a duo competition, after all,” Heimerdinger said, his keen eyes studying him, searching for even the slightest spark of interest. “Hard to ignore Mr. Talis’s Progress Day presentation, wasn’t it?” He chuckled knowingly. “He and Viktor were once my pupils. They entered the competition, won, and just look at what they’ve accomplished.”

Ekko’s gaze flickered, his mind catching on a single name.

Viktor.

Viktor had worked just as hard, if not harder. But in the end, the credit had slipped away, swallowed by the piltie golden boy standing beside him. It was as if Viktor’s efforts had been erased, left in the shadows.

That’s just how it worked, wasn’t it?

Not that he had ever hoped zaunites would be seen any differently. He had come here with one goal, to succeed. To prove he was just as capable as the others.

He hadn’t come here to change their minds.

But still, he had hoped.

Hoped that, at the very least, they wouldn’t be so brazen as to erase someone’s work, to pretend it had never existed.

"I got to speak to Miss Jinx that day," Heimerdinger said suddenly, snapping Ekko’s attention back abruptly.

His head tilted up, brows slightly furrowed. “Jinx?”

Heimerdinger nodded. “She’s a bright student, though quite infamous for her character.” He laughed. “Quite the unpredictable one, if I may say so.”

Ekko’s lips twitched, just barely, but enough. A faint, knowing smile.

A smile that the professor caught, making him quickly shift to a more serious expression, but unfortunately for him, it was too late.

“She’s a bit reckless and constantly gets herself into trouble,” Heimerdinger continued, but that was old news, Ekko knew Jinx was always onto something. Then, with a pointed glance, he added, “But with a bright mind like hers, and the right person next to her” he paused, offering a deliberate wink.  “She could eventually reach her potential.”

His eyes widened slightly.

For the first time since the conversation started, he was caught completely off guard.

“And by that, you mean…” he started, voice trailing off as his eyes widened in horror.

He knew Jinx was smart, he’d always known that. But even though things between them were fine now, he couldn’t picture them lasting more than a second without clashing. 

Especially not when she had a habit of picking the fun option.

And by fun, he meant blowing things up or covering everything in neon so bright it made his eyes hurt.

Not that he ever said anything about it. After all, it was just a matter of creative differences. 

The only time he took issue was when she decided to put that “creative input” on private property.

And that used to happen quite often.

"Viktor thinks she's brilliant, and I agree," Heimerdinger said. "I told her she could follow in his footsteps, but she looked at me like I was crazy." He chuckled.

"Either way, Professor, I don’t think she’d be interested in participating," he said, trying to convince him it was a dumb idea. "Especially if her partner was me. Not that I think that—"

“Oh lad, don’t look so horrified,” Heimerdinger interrupted, as if he had noticed his discomfort.

He gulped, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

“You see,” the yordle went on, “out of all the students here, I daresay she’s the one who might understand you best, and vice versa.” 

“You two could create something great together.”

Ekko exhaled sharply through his nose. Where had Professor Heimerdinger gotten that idea? The only thing he knew about them was that he had to report on Jinx causing trouble three times a week. 

He had no idea they used to be close.

“That being said,” the professor added, raising a small finger, “I’m not here to force you. Just giving you something to consider.” his expression softened as his voice lowered. “The Academy won’t last forever, and some chances… well, once they’re gone, they don’t come back.”

Ekko wanted to brush it off, pretend it didn’t stick. But deep down, he knew the yordle was right.

He didn’t have time to dwell on it further as Heimerdinger pushed open the backstage door, revealing the bustling hallway beyond. Students moved in clusters, their voices overlapping in an endless hum. 

“And with that, I believe it’s time for you to get to your next class,” he said with a smile, as if he had successfully managed to make him consider signing up for the competition. “Think about it, my boy. I’ll see you later.”

Ekko lingered for a moment, then sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets before stepping out into the hallway.

“I don’t promise anything,” Ekko muttered as he stepped into the hallway.

Exhausted, he made his way to his next class, only to feel an arm drape over his shoulder. Startled, he spun around, coming face-to-face with the last person he expected to see this early in the morning, especially after he had been completely absent for days, probably off traveling like he had mentioned before.

Ezreal.

“Nice speech. Bit boring, though,” the blonde yawned dramatically, making Ekko shoot him a side-eye. From what little he knew of him, it was likely he hadn’t paid attention to half of it.

“What’s with that dead expression? Progress Day was two days ago, don’t tell me they had you working like a mule,” Ezreal added with a laugh as they walked.

“It’s normal when you’re given something worthwhile to do. It’s called having responsibilities,” he shot back.

Ezreal clutched his chest, pretending to be offended. “Okay, okay, don’t attack me. We share this class, so let’s be at peace.”

Ekko sighed but didn’t argue. 

He simply didn’t have the energy.

They entered the classroom, falling into their usual rhythm, him taking his usual seat at the front, Ezreal sliding into the one beside him.

As he unpacked his things, he watched the room slowly fill. He glanced at his watch, then froze.

Science class.

Same class he shared with her.

He told himself that he shouldn’t care, but he did. This was their first class together since he had apologized, and he had no idea what to expect from the blue-haired girl. 

Then again, no one ever knew what Jinx would do next.

So lost in thought, he barely noticed someone sitting behind them.

“Seraphine!” Ezreal said enthusiastically. “This seat is empty,” 

“Good morning,” came a soft, cheerful voice.

Ekko turned slightly, meeting Seraphine’s bright gaze. She offered him a warm smile, and after a brief pause, he gave her a small nod in return.

Her pink hair was tucked behind her ears, headphones resting around her neck. He caught a glimpse of her notebook doodles of musical notes lined the margins.

“How was Progress Day?” Ezreal asked, striking up a conversation with the girl. "I would've come earlier to check out the inventions, but there’s no way I could've sat through the Progress Guy’s speech."

The girl giggled. “You’re exaggerating, it wasn’t boring. In fact, I could have sat way in the back if it weren’t for Ekko, who gave me his seat.”

Ekko nearly flinched at the mention of his name.

He didn’t have to turn to know Ezreal was smirking .

“He did?” Ekko heard the blonde’s voice, almost incredulous until he chuckled. “Oh right, how could I forget? He’s just the nicest guy.”

He rolled his eyes, already feeling defensive at the sarcasm. “I just thought it’d be the right thing to do,” he muttered, but Ezreal wasn’t buying it.

"That's what every guy says," the boy teased, pointing at him as he looked at Seraphine. "Am I right or not, Sera?"

Ekko gave him an annoyed look, then glanced at Seraphine apologetically, just in case she was weirded out by his suggestion. It was a lost cause. Reasoning with Ezreal was like trying to argue with a brick wall.

There was no hidden motive behind him giving up his seat to Seraphine. 

It was just… he hadn’t thought he could sit next to Jinx after seeing the expression on her face when she realized they had matching seat numbers.

Not that he’d been a coward about it. He hadn’t even brought it up when they talked that night.

Okay, maybe he was a little bit of a coward. No, he was a big coward. But the last thing he wanted was to make her even more uncomfortable. So when Seraphine complained about being stuck at the back, he gave up his seat without a second thought. Simple as that.

But judging by the way Ezreal was grinning, he had misinterpreted everything.

He wasn’t about to take the bait, so instead, he turned his focus to the board, determined not to let anything ruin his day. Not Heimerdinger and the Innovator’s Competition talk. Not Ezreal and his teasing. Not Jinx and her antics. 

Not even Seraphine, though honestly, the girl hadn’t done anything to him.

“Are you zoning out?” he suddenly heard, a whisper brushing against his ear. His muscles tensed. Without thinking, he spun around, heart pounding, already knowing who it was by the voice, only to find himself just centimeters away from her face.

Her blue eyes gleamed mischievously, freckles scattered across her nose, and a smirk he knew all too well.

Jinx.

It was like she had expected his reaction, like she had been waiting for it. 

Ekko scoffed, mostly at himself.

It was always the same with her. She had this way of either scaring the hell out of him, leaving him completely confused, or just flat-out pissing him off, pushing him enough to rattle him, but never crossing the line. It was like a twisted game she couldn’t let go of, even now.

And the worst part? Most of the time, she would succeed.

Just what was wrong with her? 

No, what was wrong with him?

If he hadn’t been so focused on steadying his nerves, he might have noticed the slight twitch of her lips in quiet satisfaction. A brief flicker of disappointment stirred in his chest as she finally leaned back, settling into her seat.

The space between them stretched again.

Ekko had to force himself to stay focused.

Now wasn’t the time to get lost in his thoughts.

"Since when do you sit in the front?" he asked, trying to piece himself back together. It wasn’t an accusation, just an observation. After all, Jinx never sat in the front. She always chose the back, away from him.

She merely shrugged, that typical nonchalance of hers, the kind that was almost infuriating.

"Oh, y’know, just wanted to sit next to my new friend," she said with a grin, nudging her head toward the pink-haired girl beside her. The poor girl blinked, looking utterly confused. "Sera..." Jinx dragged out the name, as if trying to remember it.

"It’s Seraphine," the pink-haired girl corrected softly.

"Yup, Seraphine!" she chirped, nodding enthusiastically.

Ekko wasn’t impressed.

He knew she was lying for the sake of it.

He glanced at Ezreal, who, to his surprise, had gone completely silent, his gaze flicking between the two girls and then back at him.

Ekko thought he knew exactly what was on his mind, or maybe he didn’t, but seeing them side by side felt strange.

"And you two met... how?" the blonde asked, curiosity laced in his voice.

Ekko already knew the answer.

He wasn’t close to Seraphine, not really. He wouldn’t call anyone here a friend, just an acquaintance. But from what he knew, she was in his year and part of the Academy’s music club. Whenever they threw parties, which he barely attended because he was always busy, he knew she’d be performing, thanks to the posters plastered all over the halls. 

"We sat next to each other during' the speech," Jinx answered, her gaze locking onto him.

For a second, he saw things in a different light.

Maybe letting them sit together hadn’t been such a bad idea after all.

Even if he had done it out of cowardice.

Now, Ekko was sure they weren’t friends, just the fact that she couldn’t even remember her name made that obvious. He wasn’t dumb. But the thing was, every time he saw her, by coincidence, of course, she was always alone.

So, making a new friend wouldn’t be the worst thing for her.

“Um, not gonna lie, that’s a weird combination,” Ezreal laughed, but his smirk faltered when Jinx shot him a glare. “Okay, okay, I get it, everyone’s mad at me today,” he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

Jinx, however, had already shifted her attention to Ekko when she caught the faint chuckle that slipped from him.

He hadn’t even realized he’d made the sound, but it was enough for her to notice.

Before he could react, the professor entered the room.

Ezreal leaned in to whisper to Seraphine, not that it made any difference, since Jinx could obviously hear him.  “Blink twice if you need help.”

If there hadn’t been sudden silence in the classroom, he would have told him not to be ridiculous. But as the class proceeded, Ekko couldn’t shake the strange mix of unease and curiosity creeping over him.

Weirdly enough, things had gone smoothly .

He had been bracing himself for Jinx to pull one of her usual antics, but she had just sat there, silent, paying attention. 

No trouble. No chaos.

That was definitely... unusual.

When the bell rang, the room buzzed as students gathered their things.

A loud, exaggerated stretch was followed by an equally dramatic yawn.

He shot a glance at Ezreal, who, without a shred of shame, lazily draped his arms over the back of his chair.

“So, ladies,” the blonde smirked. “Where are you planning on going?”

Jinx rolled her eyes, while Seraphine just laughed.

Ekko let out a sigh. "Uh, class?" he deadpanned, elbowing Ezreal for asking such a dumb question. But the blonde just turned to him, staring him dead in the eye. "Not talking to you," he retorted, as if it was obvious, earning a scowl from him.

He could have responded if it weren’t for Jinx abruptly standing up, adjusting her skirt, and catching his attention.

“Well, this was fun!” she began, her signature grin spreading. “We’ve got the next period together. Wanna grab a snack before it starts?” She aimed the question at Seraphine, who looked thoroughly confused. But she wasn’t the only one. Ekko just couldn’t wrap his head around Jinx. One moment, she was barging into his space like she owned it, and the next, she wasn’t even acknowledging his presence.

The girl hesitated, glancing over at him. “Um... sure, I just wanted to talk to Ekko about something—”

“Oh, no need,” Jinx interrupted smoothly. “I’m sure he’s gonna be busy . ”

Her eyes locked onto Ekko’s then, blue and challenging, as if daring him to say otherwise.

Oh, so now I suddenly exist. He thought.

“Ya know, the student council president is never late,” she added, her tone oddly pointed. It felt like she was pressuring him, and he had no idea why. 

Something about the way she said it felt off.

But instead of questioning her, he kept his expression neutral, meeting her gaze without flinching. “Yeah, you’re right.”

He didn’t notice the brief flicker of disappointment on Seraphine’s face, too busy trying to keep his cool. Nor did he catch Jinx’s smug grin, one that practically screamed, “I win!”

Finally, just as he managed to focus, he heard, “Well then, Bye-bye, Boy Savior! Oh, and blondie over there.” Then, without hesitation, she grabbed Seraphine’s arm and yanked her along like a ragdoll.

As the door swung shut behind them, Ezreal let out a low whistle. “Well, that was weird.”

“You just noticed that now?”

"Looks like you made a new friend."

The calm voice made Jinx glance up. She had brought her notes to his office, pretending to study for an exam. But if she was being honest, she had just come for her usual non stop talking session while Viktor simply listened.

"What? Think I can’t make friends?" she laughed. "Me and Pinkie are best friends now."

Yeah, right. Even she wouldn’t believe that.

She hadn’t planned on being friends with her. The girl was nice, annoyingly so, and that alone made her feel a little ridiculous for being mad at her for no real reason.

But when she had entered the classroom, fully intending to head to the back like she always did, something caught her attention.

Ekko.

Being near her.

Jinx cringed internally. The girl was straight-up ignoring the other guy talking to her, like he wasn’t even there. Ekko wasn’t even looking at her! But nope, in her little world, it was like he was the only thing that existed.

Did liking someone really turn you into that much of a dummy without even realizing it?

She decided there was no way she was gonna sit through two whole hours of this. So, before she even knew it, she had plopped down beside the girl, nearly scaring the poor thing to death.

In her defense, the pink-haired girl said she wasn’t as scary as she had expected. 

Guess now, she would just have to live up to her words.

Much to her frustration, Ekko barely seemed to care about what she had pulled off. The only reaction she noticed was a slight flinch when she suddenly leaned in to whisper in his ear, just to startle him. It lasted only a millisecond.

But he still flinched.

She wasn’t sure why, but she chose to see it as a small victory.

But right now, something else was bothering her.

The pink-haired girl.

Honestly, she was doing the nerd a favor.

As a potential friend, she felt it was her duty to make sure he could actually focus. So, when she noticed the girl about to approach him, she stepped in.

Friends always wanted the best for their fellow friends. And having that girl all up in his business was definitely not good for him.

“Not that I don’t believe you can’t make a friend,” Viktor finally responded, dragging her back to reality. “If anything, it’s nice to hear.”

She grinned, pleased that he had swallowed her lie. In reality, they hadn’t even talked, except for when she had pulled her away. She didn’t think they had anything in common anyway.

"You seem a bit... lost in thought today," he observed.

"Not really important! You don’t have to worry about it, Viky." she replied before opening her eyes almost exaggeratedly. 

Right. 

She was forgetting; she hadn’t said anything to him about progress day.

Jinx hesitated for a second, gripping the fabric of her skirt. At some point, she had convinced herself that she wasn’t good at heart-to-heart conversations and never would be, but she had to try. "I didn’t tell you this before, but you know me, saying stuff from the heart can be a little tricky." She gestured vaguely, as if that would help get her point across. "But, uh, I wanted to say congrats on your project."

She stopped.

"Oh, right. Yours and Progress Guy's," she added, crossing her arms, feeling weirdly proud of herself for saying something real without getting embarrassed.

"Well, yes, I was concerned he might not show up," Viktor admitted, a faint chuckle escaping him. "For a moment, I thought I’d be forced to deliver the speech myself."

Jinx just raised an eyebrow; she didn’t see why that would’ve been a problem. He always had something to say, usually going against her will. He was good at it too. But she decided not to comment on that.

What had caught her attention, though, was the yordle leaving. And she wasn’t going to leave without asking.

"So… why did Fuzzball leave?" she asked.

Viktor blinked in confusion.

"You know, Councilor Heimerdinger."

That earned her a sigh.

"We always planned to introduce it on Progress Day," Viktor said, his tone measured. "Heimerdinger was always against it, saying it was too dangerous."

Jinx scoffed.

"What do pilties even know?" she said, exasperated. "They’re not exactly great at knowing what’s dangerous." She rolled her eyes, making him laugh, though not before he grew serious.

"As you know," Viktor began, "when I came to Piltover, I didn’t just want to be an assistant. I wanted to be a scientist, to change lives through science." He glanced down at his leg, a brief moment of quiet reflection.

"At the academy, I met Jayce. I’m sure you saw him during the speech."

Jinx simply answered. "Yup, I saw him." 

More than enough, honestly.

"Even though we came from different worlds, we shared the same ideals," Viktor said, his voice tinged with nostalgia. "Together, we created Hextech." He paused, as if lost in the memory. "Heimerdinger was against it." 

Jinx frowned slightly. Wasn’t Fuzzball a scientist too? Why would he be against it?

"But Jayce..." A faint, almost wistful smile flickered on his lips. "Jayce pushed forward despite everything. And for that, I am grateful." His voice softened, the weight of those memories clear in his eyes.

Jinx didn’t say anything, aside from offering a knowing smile. She knew what it was like to have that natural synergy with someone,  the kind that just clicked. At least, that’s how it was with Ekko.

"You really appreciate him, huh?"

"Of course. He’s my science partner."

"Hope you guys keep having fun with that sciency stuff then," she smirked, but judging by his expression, Viktor didn’t catch the implication.

Jinx pouted. “Sometimes you’re too slow,” she said. 'I’ll be going now, hope you go far with that Hextech thingy you have going on.'"

Viktor paused, then chuckled softly. "Thank you, Jinx. I appreciate it."

He had been staring at the same set of plans for over ten minutes.

That was longer than he meant to.

Classes had ended a while ago. By now, only the kids in extracurriculars, or the ones with nowhere better to be, were still hanging around the academy. The halls had that weird in-between quiet. Not empty, but not alive either. But his mind wasn’t on that.

It was a project he had put on hold, a mechanical device that could turn back time.

It had started as a dumb idea when he was a kid, just thoughts that consumed him. What if time wasn’t just something that passed you by? What if he could control it? 

Mistakes wouldn’t have to be permanent.

But that’s all it was, a thought. A dream with nothing to hold onto. Not until he got here. Not until he had access to the academy’s resources, the tools to actually develop it further.

And yet…

He exhaled sharply, rubbing his face.

Heimerdinger had reminded him about the Innovator’s Competition today, probably thinking he was doing him a favor. And sure, on paper, it was a good opportunity. He could enter, show them what he had, maybe even win.

But what then?

Winning meant Piltover’s eyes on him, not that it really mattered now. Being Council President already put him under a damn spotlight. Maybe they would praise him. Maybe they would steal his work and slap their own name on it. Or maybe they would decide he was too smart for his own good.

Was this something he actually wanted to share?

His fingers curled over the edges of the paper.

He wasn’t sure.

And yet, despite his indecision, he still found himself heading outside his dorm, walking through the academy’s halls.

He wasn’t planning to sign up. He was just gonna look. Maybe check who had signed up.

He was only a few steps away from the bulletin board, a cluttered mess of club sign-ups, event posters, and competition registrations, when he realized he wasn’t alone. That unmistakable tangle of blue hair, twisted into two long braids, stood in front of the board, eyes scanning it with interest.

She turned when she noticed him, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, if it isn’t my new favorite person."

Ekko shot her a questioning glare. 

"What? Scared I’ll mess something up?" Jinx smirked, tilting her head. "Relax, I’m being nice this week. Think of it as an apology, or something like that."

He could barely believe her.

"Shouldn’t you be at your dorm? Classes are over." He wasn’t in the mood to entertain her and just wanted to move the conversation along.

But instead, she snorted, grabbing a fistful of her ridiculously long braid and looping it around her arm. "Don’t tell me you suddenly care ‘bout my bedtime."

Ekko rolled his eyes.

Everything was a game to her.

And he wasn’t playing.

"I don’t even know why I bother at this point," he muttered, exhaling sharply. There was no point in arguing. There never was. She was just as insufferable as always. And from her point of view he was probably just as bad. Call it a tie.

"I just want to see."

Jinx gave him a look. Brow furrowed, head tilted, genuinely confused.

Ekko pointed to where Jinx was standing, watching as her face lit up the moment she finally connected the dots. 

He had to fight the urge to laugh. 

It was the same face she used to make as a kid whenever she figured something out.

"Oh, look who's interested in extracurriculars.” she said playfully. “And here I thought you couldn't be more of an overachiever.”

“Yes. And judging by the fact that you’re standing here, taking up space, it looks like you are too.” he shot back, watching as Jinx faltered for a split second. He almost smiled in triumph, almost, considering he’d just won this round

“I’m not—” she started, then paused, realizing there was no real way to deny it. “Y’know what? Let’s just say I’m looking ‘cause everyone wouldn’t shut up about that dumb topsider competition. What’s it called again?”

“The Distinguished Innovator’s Competition,” he supplied.

“Right. The Innovator’s Competition. Snooze-fest.” She waved a hand like she was swatting away a fly. “Dunno why anyone wants to sit through that.”

“You’ve never even participated, so how would you know it’s boring?” he asked, genuinely curious.

Jinx groaned dramatically. “Rules. Topsiders. More rules. No weapons allowed, so my bombs get a big ol’ ‘no-no.’ And even more rules.” She counted them off on her fingers. “Honestly, I couldn’t care less about the competition. Just wanted to see if I’d spot the name of someone whose name rhymes with Echo.” She smirked playfully at the end.

Ekko crossed his arms. “Disappointed? Because I wasn’t planning on participating either.”

This time, though, Jinx didn’t even blink.

“You aren’t? Then why are you here?”

Now he was the one being caught off guard.

“Why would you sit behind us? No way you actually expect me to believe you’re friends with Seraphine.” He crossed his arms, defensive, trying to steer the conversation away from her question.

“That’s not even related to what I asked!” she huffed.

“But it’s still a question, isn’t it?” he countered, triumphant, only to regret it a second later. 

He was being just as childish as she was.

Somehow, only Jinx could bring out this side of him, and it embarrassed him.

“Fine. I’ll be honest,” he admitted. “Professor Heimerdinger keeps insisting I should participate, so I just came here to look. Not because I’m planning to sign up, like I said, I’m just here to look.”

“Well, at least that makes two of us?” Jinx said, looking away, arms now crossed.

“So… you’re not planning to—” Ekko started, only to be cut off.

“Yeah, no. And even if I did try, who am I supposed to team up with? Everybody’s too scared to even look me in the eye.” She huffed, flopping her arms dramatically. 

Ekko almost had to agree. She had built herself a reputation, if something broke, exploded, or malfunctioned, he could already hear people whispering that Jinx had something to do with it. And sometimes, yeah, she actually did. But overall, she wasn’t as terrifying as people made her out to be. Dangerous? Sure. But scary? Not really. What other harm could a 5’2 girl cause?

“‘Everyone’ is an exaggeration, because at least I’m not.” He shrugged, trying to cheer her up, only to instantly regret it.

Her eyes widened, just for a second, before she covered it up with a smirk. “Aww, is this your way of asking me to team up?” she teased, tilting her head with a laugh. “Didn’t know you liked me that much.”

Ekko rolled his eyes. “Why would I—” He started, voice rising, but then noticed a few students from outdoor activities slowing their steps, watching them with curiosity. He sighed, lowering his head in surrender. “Nothing of the sort.”

But then, Heimerdinger’s words echoed in his mind. 

“You two could create something great together.”

He hesitated for a second before mumbling, almost to himself, like a kid being nudged by their parents to say something they’d rather choke on than admit.

“But now that you mention it… we wouldn’t be that bad together.”

Jinx blinked. “What was that?” She cupped a hand to her ear, leaning in with an exaggerated expression. “Didn’t quite catch that.”

Ekko exhaled sharply. “I said—” He hesitated, then shook his head. “Forget it.”

She was going to give him a headache.

This is a waste of time.

And just as he turned to head back to his dorm, Jinx darted in front of him, blocking his path with a determined look, like she wasn’t about to let him slip away that easily. Ekko just stared at her, confused.

“Oh no, I heard you just fine.” She grinned.

Ekko blinked in disbelief. “Then why even ask?!”

“I accept.” She said it plainly, without her usual teasing tone. No mockery, no sarcasm. Just a straight-up confirmation.

His stomach dropped.

Oh. She’s being serious.

For a moment, he just stood there, probably looking as dumb as ever. Jinx, of course, took advantage of that.

“Tomorrow. My room. 6:00 PM.”

If this was some kind of comedy, he would’ve fallen flat on his back.

“Are you insane?!” He nearly shouted, immediately glancing around to make sure no one had overheard. 

He always had to be mindful when talking to Jinx because he never knew what kind of wild idea she’d come up with next.

She rolled her eyes. “It’s to check on the project, you dummy.” Then, with an infuriatingly innocent look, she added, “What did you think I was suggesting?”

“I wasn’t thinking anything else, if that’s what you’re implying.” He huffed, rubbing his temples. “But in case you forgot, which I know you did, opposite sexes aren’t allowed in each other’s rooms.”

Jinx barely blinked. “Oh well. Then you can just sneak in.” 

Ekko inhaled sharply, forcing himself to stay calm before he actually lost it. She had said it so casually, like she’d just offered the most logical solution in the world.

“Do you even hear yourself?”

But Jinx simply shrugged.

He exhaled, long and slow. “The academy has private study rooms. Reserved spaces for group projects.” He watched as she waited expectantly. “I’ll book one for 6:00 PM. That’s where we’ll meet.”

For once, she didn’t argue. Just nodded, as if finally understanding the concept of not breaking school rules.

And so, Ekko finally let himself relax, just for a moment.

“Alright then. I’ll give myself the honor.” Jinx gestured toward the sign-up sheet, stepping forward to write her name first.

He moved to follow but paused when she suddenly froze.

“Right.” She blinked, patting her pockets. “I don’t have anything to write with.”

"You came all the way up here without a pen?" Ekko asked, genuinely surprised.

Jinx dropped her shoulders. "Well, it’s not like I was actually gonna sign it."

"Figures." He sighed, digging into his pocket before holding out his pen. "Here. I brought mine."

She glanced at him, then at the pen, hesitating slightly before taking it, keeping her fingers just far enough to avoid brushing against his. Like last time.

Not that it meant anything. Just an observation of his.

He stayed quiet as she leaned in to write her name, her expression unreadable. Once she was done, she turned back to him.

"Your turn."

Ekko exhaled and stepped forward as Jinx shifted aside to give him space. He wasn’t gonna be dramatic about it, like he was signing his life away. He just scribbled his name beside hers, then took a step back, eyes lingering on the inked letters.

So this was it.

He was going to partner with Jinx.

“Just like old times, huh?” He suddenly heard her say, her voice carrying a chuckle.

Ekko hesitated before allowing himself a small smile.

“Just like old times.”