"Hi Jay," Bolin greeted as I strolled into the arena while Bolin, Mako and Korra were practising. Mako was practising his fire punches, while Korra was trying to perfect her water whip. Bolin on the other hand, was trying to master getting Pabu to walk while doing a handstand. "Working hard I see," I spoke while looking at Bolin.
"Of course. First tournament of this season here we go. We are going to crush our opponents," Bolin confidently said, slamming his fist into his open palm as he said 'crush'. Mako rolled his eyes, before adding, "And you're trying to get Pabu to learn a trick rather than practice."
"Aww come on Mako, ease up. I've spent all morning training," Bolin said, placing Pabu to the side, who quickly hurried away to get some food. "Sure, it is still morning," Mako deadpanned.
"Anyways, I've brought you guys something exciting," I said, setting down three bags I was holding onto the table. The team immediately huddled around, wanting to see what exciting new things I brought them. I handed them each a gym bag, complete with their name. Opening them up, they all discovered that inside was crammed full of uniforms, towels and other items for their probending. I even threw in a uniform for Pabu into Bolin's bag.
"Wow its so awesome!" "Wow cool!" "Nice!" Bolin, Korra and Mako said respectively. While Bolin immediately ran off to put the uniform on Pabu, Korra and Mako were busy dry-fitting their uniforms. As part of the agreements, the Future Industries logo were prominently featured on the front and back, in addition to their element colours as per probending regulations. The uniforms were also carefully design with improvements upon the current iteration worn by most of the teams, but still kept within probending regulations. It would be a shame to be banned from playing due to their uniforms. "Alright, you guys have fun, I'll be going out for a while," Mako informed before walking out the door, leaving behind me, Korra, Bolin and Pabu.
"So, Korra. There they go, here we are, all alone in the gym, just you and me, two alone people. Together. Alone." Bolin started as he slid right next to Korra, his hands behind his head. How did he did it so smoothly? Sliding, not asking her out - that was pretty awkwardly phrased. Looking at his feet, I soon had my answer, for he was standing atop two earthbending discs. He must have used them as an impromptu skateboard. Not a bad use of earthbending, I'd give it to him.
"Ah, I gotta head back to the air temple to train with Tenzin. See ya!" Korra quickly said as the arena clock struck ten. In a flash, Korra was out the door, leaving behind me and a disappointed Bolin who failed to ask her out. Sighing, Bolin picked up his gym bag, before putting them aside.
"Don't give up Bolin, just give it some time," I consoled, patting Bolin on his shoulder as he bended the two earth discs he previously used back to their storage location. Even Pabu hopped onto Bolin's shoulder to comfort him.
"I have to go now, see you guys again this evening. Who are you playing against again?"
"Korra!" Ikki shouted as Korra finished her training, walking towards the courtyard where Ikki and Jinora were busy feeding the flying lemurs. Korra grabbed some fruits from the basket, and climbed a nearby ladder to refill yet another flying lemur feeding cage.
"So, how's it going with the tall, dreamy firebender boy? You've been spending a lot of time together lately," Jinora started while Ikki swooned beside her, "Ooh yes, tell us about the magical romance between you two."
"What?" Korra laughed, although it wasn't entirely convincing, before adding , "Listen to you two, I-I'm not interested in Mako or any romantic stuff." Jinora raised and eyebrow at Korra, before turning to Ikki and nodding. "Then what about the other tall dreamy Future Industries boy?" Ikki pressed, catching Korra off guard again, who nearly fell off her ladder.
"Listen to you two, I-I'm not interested in Mako or that Future Industries boy. I-I mean I don't even know his name -"
"Jay"
"Right. Jay. I'm not interested in any of them or any romantic stuff. I barely even talked to Jay," Korra desperately defended herself, while Jinora and Ikki merely looked on with cocked eyebrows. "Didn't you hug him at Aang's memorial?"
"That was because...wait how did you know about it?" Korra interrogated Jinora, pointing an accusatory finger towards her. Jinora was unfazed, though, and cooly replied, "I have my sources." Korra merely huffed and tried to make a grab for Jinora, who quickly stepped out of her reach.
"Let me teach you Korra. The best way to win a boy's heart is to brew a love potion of rainbows and sunsets that makes true lovers sprout wings and fly into a magical castle in the sky, where they get married and eat clouds with spoons and use stars as ice cubes in their moonlight punch. Forever and ever and ever!" Ikki excited spoke, before airbending herself upwards in a swirling motion out of excitement. Korra, on the other hand, was less than excited. "Love potions...sure…" Behind Korra, she hears a small laugh, before spinning around to see Pema standing on the pathway laughing at the girls.
"Oh hey Pema. Uhh...how long have you been standing there?" Korra asked, surprise that Pema was able to walk right up to her without her hearing anything, despite not being an airbender.
"Long enough. But trust me, I know what you are going through. Years ago, I was in the exact same situation, just with Tenzin," Pema said as she sat down on a nearby stone bench. Jinora, Ikki and Korra all gathered around her, sitting down on the ground as they prepared to hear her story.
"Last time, Tenzin used to like someone else when I liked him. I didn't even know if my feelings are true liking or just a crush," Pema began, only to be interrupted by Korra, who asked, "So what did you do?"
"Well, it took me sometime, but when I finally decided I liked Tenzin, I...did nothing. For the longest time, I did nothing. I was so shy and scared of rejection, but watching my soul mate spend his life with the wrong woman became too painful. So I hung my chin out there and I confessed my love to Tenzin. And the rest is history," Pema finished her story, to the swooning of all three of her listeners. "Anyways, the bottom line of the story is, don't be afraid."
With that, Pema walked off, with Jinora and Ikki in tow, leaving behind a Korra in deep thought. She and Mako spent a lot of time together, thanks to their training sessions for probending, especially since after her encounter with Amon she has scaled back her involvement in Tarrlok's task force. Mako was everything a girl wanted, as evident by his growing fanclub. Probender, handsome, cool under fire. But then there was Jay. He was different from most other guys. Calm, collected, not to mention smart. From the conversations with Asami when she visited the team during their training sessions, Jay was one of Future Industries' most valuable assets. Surely that had to be a big deal, considering Future Industries is one of Republic City's most valuable companies. Not to mention Jay sort of saved her during the undercover mission to save Bolin, and he was also the one whose arms she cried into after her encounter with Amon. There was also an air of mystery around him, which appealed to Korra's inquisitive nature and made her want to find out even more about him. Just who was he really?
"Hurry up Korra, don't you have a competition tonight?" Pema called out to the still in deep thought Korra, who quickly got off the bench and followed her.
"This is going to be the match of the final stage," Asami told me as we entered the Arena. I hummed in response, while simultaneously taking off my trench coat. After much procrastination, I finally got a trench coat of my own design made, especially now that the weather is turning colder. Snow had already begun to fall in Air Temple Island, according to Korra.
"- now we may not be together as a team for a long time, but we've never been this good. Let's go and kick some butt," Mako encouraged as he gathered his team for a team huddle. After breaking off to hoots and cheers, they all turned around to the sound of my clapping and saw me and Asami at the doorway.
"All the best guys, go and show them what real pro bending is," I said, as I hugged each and every member of the Fire Ferrets. Mako's hug was curt, and followed by a firm handshake. Bolin's on the other hand was crushing, with him lifting me off my feet. Korra's hug was strong, although not as rib-breaking as Bolin, but also lasted for longer than either of them. Soon, the three of them were out another smaller door that led to the battle area itself.
"This match goes to the Fire Ferrets for their opening match of the tournament!" the announcer shouted from his podium, while Korra, Mako and Bolin basked in the limelight and cheers from the crowd. The other team, the Red Sands Rabaroos, meanwhile walked away defeated, maybe even thankful they survived their encounter. I have never seen the Fire Ferrets play so vigorously and strongly before. Maybe it was because it was already the main tournament itself, so they are taking things very seriously. My attention turned to the announcer, who was busy announcing the next few matches in the upcoming days. His hair was swept up in a dramatic wave. I wondered how much wax or gel did he use to maintain that look.
"Jay, stop over analysing and go congratulate them!" Asami called out, having take my coat for me. Believe it or not, this wasn't the first time she said that.
"Thank you! Thank you all for believing in us!" Bolin shouted as he still continued waving at the fans even though the extendable walkway had already retracted. Meanwhile, Korra and Mako were already inside their locker room, stowing away their gear.
"Wow, we were really connecting out there in that ring," Mako remarked as he cleaned some dirt off his helmet visor.
"Yeah! You know, I feel like the two of us have been connecting really well out of the ring, too," Korra added while Mako was keeping his helmet into his locker. Hearing that, Mako spun around, to see a slightly blushing Korra. "Uh, sure I guess."
"So, I was thinking we should spend some time together," Korra pressed, even though her blush was getting stronger and she could feel her cheeks burning. Mako raised an eyebrow, before wondering, "Don't we spend lots of time together already -"
"I mean outside of the gym, and not while searching for kidnapped family members or fighting chi blockers," Korra quickly interrupted Mako as he was speaking. Mako thought for a moment, before saying, "Uhh...well I mean -"
"Look, I really like you and I think we are meant for each other!" Korra abruptly blurted out before covering her hand over her mouth, before eventually hiding her entire face with her arm while blushing heavily. Mako was taken aback by the suddenness and speed by Korra's confession. Taking a moment to gather himself, Mako gently replied, "Korra, I'm really sorry, but I don't think I feel the same way about you…"
"Forget I ever said anything …" Korra said dejectedly, and walked off towards her own locker while Mako looked on. He honestly felt bad for Korra, but at the same time there was no way he could have reciprocated her feelings. For one, he was her teammate, and he still firmly believed that relationships between teammates would cause unnecessary friction and only affect their performance.
However, there was another reason. He had slowly been developing feelings for someone else - Asami. Originally, he thought that Asami and Jay were a couple, but to his surprise, Jay clarified that they were not together and only good friends. Most of the times he and Asami were together was when the latter came to visit them during their training sessions, along with Jay. However, there have been occasions when Jay was not around, probably working late, and somehow he and Asami ended up eating dinner together. He would have invited Bolin, but the latter was out missing again, probably having fun with his fanclub. Slowly but surely, he began to develop feelings for Asami.
"Soo, Korra, I was thinking, you and me, we could get some dinner together, sort of a date situation," Bolin asked Korra as he spotted her leaning against a table, completely oblivious to the awkward silence between her and Mako. Afterall, he had missed the entire incident between Korra and Mako, due to his incessant waving and shouting to his fans.
"Oh, that's really sweet, but I don't think so. I don't feel very date-worthy," Korra dejectedly said, not even bothering to look at Bolin. This took Bolin by surprise, who immediately blurted out, "Are you kidding me? You're the smartest, funniest, toughest, buffest, talentedest, incrediblest girl in the world!"
This got Korra to chuckle a little, seeing Bolin wave his hands wildly while speaking. "You really feel that way about me?" she asked, to which Bolin nodded. "I felt that way since the moment I saw you! Trust me, I know we're gonna have so much fun together," Bolin reassured.
Casting a sideways glance towards Mako, Korra thought for a moment, before changing her mind and saying, "You know what? I could use some fun. Okay sure!" Bolin jumped a little into the air, before proclaiming, "Yes! Who's the luckiest guy in the world? Right here, Bolin!" Mako looked at the two, having caught Korra's glance, and frowned. Something was up.
"Congratulations guys!" I said, swinging the door open. I had almost hit Korra and Bolin, who were standing behind the door. Seeing the two of them ready to leave, while Mako was just silently sitting at the side on the couch, I was surprised as to why they were not celebrating their victory. I was not even on their team and yet I was much more excited compared to them. "You guys leaving so soon?" Asami asked.
"Yep, me and Korra are going on a dinner date!" Bolin happily declared, jabbing a finger towards his chest. I shook my head. That guy has infinite energy. And energy drinks weren't even a thing in this world. Looking around the room, I spotted Mako sitting on the couch, cleaning his shoes. "What's up with you?" I called out.
"Huh? Oh, just tired I guess. I've never played that hard before," Mako sighed, continuing to clean his shoes. I shrugged. Mako was completely different from Bolin when it came to personality. Plus he did play quite intensely out in the field today. Surely some physical resting and recovery would do him good.
"Alright then in that case, rest early?" I suggested, to which Mako gave a curt nod. Most people would have viewed it as dismissive, but having known Mako for some time, I knew it was just his way of speaking. Watching him continue cleaning his gear, I stifled a yawn, before realising Asami was prodding me with her elbow.
"Hey, I just realised that today I'm supposed to eat with my Dad because he is meeting some friends that just arrived in Republic City. You don't have to, but if you want you could come along," Asami told me, flipping through a small notebook that was usually stowed in her jacket pocket. A dinner, probably with some men Hiroshi's age whom I've never met before. Probably talking about business. While Asami was my closest friend and we usually spend our days together, I decided I needed some me time. Furthermore I was tired due to not having a good night's sleep the night before. So I guess it's me time spent sleeping?
"I think I'll pass this time, feeling kind of tired. See you tomorrow I guess?" I said, stifling yet another yawn. Asami nodded understandingly, handing me my coat which was hung over a chair. Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I waved goodbye to Asami and Mako, before heading down to the entrance where my car was parked. As I exited the arena building, I spotted Korra and Bolin happily skipping along the bridge that linked the arena to the mainland. Shaking my head, I got into my car and drove off. The night was mine.
Elsewhere in the city, Korra and Bolin were happily walking along the bridge, with Naga in tow. It was a cool night, and the wind from the sea only made it more chilly. Afterall, winter was coming soon in Republic City. Small blips of light scattered the horizons, each representing a ship on the distant waters. Ships like the one Korra stowed away in. It never failed to amaze Korra just how many ships there were.
On the other hand, Bolin's gaze was focused intently on Korra. Ever since he covered for her by pretending he knew her just as she was about to be booted out of the gym, Bolin took notice of her. Korra was different from most of the fangirls of Mako, or even those of his. She was one of a kind. Tough yet with childlike innocence. For better or for worse, she became his teammate and they got closer to each other. Even though his brother was adamant that teammates should not be in relationships, surely that is because things wouldn't be good if they broke up. That's a huge if. Bolin continued watching Korra stare out in child-like wonder at the ships dotting the horizons, waiting to enter the harbour, while Naga cocked her head and observed Bolin watching her owner, letting out a soft whine.
"So," Korra suddenly said, snapping her head around. This gave little warning to Bolin, who just barely managed to look in another direction and make it seem he wasn't watching Korra all these while. "What say we go get some dinner now?"
Bolin turned to look at Korra, pretending to ponder over her suggestion even though the answer was a definite yes. "Hmm, yea that sounds like a great idea!"
"So you know any good places to eat?" Korra asked, to which Bolin smiled and said, "You bet I do."
A short trip on Naga's back later, they found themselves inside Narook's Noodelry, a small little noodle house made to resemble the Southern Water Tribe. Upon seeing the styling similar to her home, Korra was nonetheless excited and thankful to Bolin for introducing her to what she called 'her newest hangout spot'. Of course, Bolin had done some research to find out the best restaurant for a Southern Water Tribe native, before realising that the name being advertised by the radio announcer before the last pro bending match was his answer. Who could blame him? No one bothers about what the announcer say right before their match.
If there was one thing I couldn't escape even after being sent to another world, that would be traffic jams. Some truck driver crashed into another truck at a junction, causing a traffic jam. The cops were quick to respond, some dropping in from airships, some coming in cars and some patrol cops zipping in via cable. They cleared the wreckage quickly enough, using their metal bending to push the wrecked vehicles out of the way. Unfortunately, one of the trucks was carrying some sticky substance, probably glue from the pungent smell, which now coated the entire junction. Even with a few waterbender policemen working on the mess, it was bound to take a few more hours before it was back the way it was.
My stomach grumbled, making itself and its needs known. I was still a quarter of an hour drive away from my house, not to mention the time taken to cook my meal. That was one drawback of the place I lived in, a lack of places to eat. I doubt my stomach, or my patience, would be able to wait until then. After all, a hungry man is an angry man. Pulling out of my lane, I made a quick detour along a street, intent on finding the nearest place to satisfy my hunger.
The first place I reached was a small noodle house called Narook's Noodelry. I almost missed it, if not for the large polar bear dog sitting outside the shop, contentedly eating a pile of fish from a basket. And from my knowledge, only one person in the entire Republic City owns a polar bear dog. So that's where Bolin and Korra went on their little date. Stepping in, the place was packed full of people, with all tables filled. Guess I was deceived by the outside appearance of the small, nondescript shopfront. Inside was decorated in a traditional water tribe style, but I couldn't tell if it was Northern or Southern. Scanning the restaurant, I soon spotted Bolin and Korra. Bolin spotted me too, pointing at me. Korra turned around not too long after. Seeing the smile on Bolin's face, I nodded at them in acknowledgement, before getting my dinner.
After nodding at them in acknowledgement once more as I left the store, so as to not disturb their date, I headed back to my car. As I walked past Naga, I gave her a pat on the head, to which she responded with a small whine. Looking at her empty basket, I could probably tell the reason why. Shaking my head, I entered my car, carefully stowing away my lunchbox that was now filled with piping hot noodle soup. Apparently the concept of takeaways wasn't introduced here yet, and the waiter had some initial trouble understanding that I wanted the noodle soup served in my lunchbox. He must have been wondering who would come to a restaurant to buy food just so they can eat it at home.
My neighbourhood was a quiet, residential, middle-class estate. It was a pilot project for modern, high-rise flats by the Republic City Government for the middle-class, and I managed to lease my unit from the housing board directly rather than some profit-focused landlord. There were a few satomobiles parked along the road by the time I reached back, but I managed to get a spot. I quickly parked and headed back to my unit.
I turned on the radio to listen to the latest updates on the news as I ate my meal. There weren't many stations still online so late at night, save for a few that all played the latest music. Latest by their standards, vintage by mine. The radio news had probably ended hours ago anyways. As I slurped on my noodles noisily, safe from any judging looks that was bound to stare at me had I been in Kwong's Cuisine. It was in a shade of green, and honestly reminded me of cold noodles I had eaten once back in my world. Apparently, it was authentic Southern Water Tribe food, as I discovered from talking to the waiter who attended to me. I was fortunate that the chef had mistakenly cooked the wrong order, allowing me to get my food quickly despite the restaurant being full house. Drinking the last of the soup from my lunchbox, I quickly washed it in the sink before taking a shower.
That night, as I slipped under my blanket for a rather early night, I wondered what the rest of my friends were doing. I guess they were considered my friends now? Asami was probably with her father, being bored to death as the old men speak. Mako would probably be in his apartment washing his clothes or eating dinner. Bolin and Korra would probably still be out having their little date late into the night. I was unsure if she would get scolded by Tenzin for returning to Air Temple Island in the middle of the night or even early in the morning. Before long, my eyelids grew heavy and I dozed off.