Blushing harder: "What?"

"You're blushing," Beila says.

"I hadn't noticed," he lies transparently, scrubbing at his cheek with the corresponding wrist. It does nothing to erase the blush.

"I'm so glad I could enlighten you," giggles Beila.

He splutters a little.

"Why're you blushing?"

"No good reason," he groans.

"Do you just have no idea?"

"Yes. That. Yes."

Beila's not fully convinced.

"...I could probably figure it out if I put my mind to it but I really don't want to because you're standing right there paying attention to me and my blushing," he mutters.

"Would it help if I turned around?"

"Not really!"

"I guess I could just leave and suffer through an itchy mystery till I see you at school again."

Dao buries his face in his hands and says, "Aaaargh."

"Sorry, I'm being pushy," laughs Beila. "I'm a pushy Avatar. I'll leave you be." She flicks her glider open.

"Thanks," says Dao, somewhat muffled on account of the hands.

"No problem." She takes a running start, bends wind under the glider wings, and flies away.

And Dao goes back inside to do his blushing in peace and quiet with no one bothering him.

Beila attends school at the start of the next school week. She is practicing maintaining ice; she has a bit of it in her water bottle and she's refreezing it whenever it tries to melt.

Dao sits beside her again, but eyes her nervously when she shows up.

"Hi."

"Hi."