THE NEXT MORNING ARRIVED WITH THE SOUND OF A SOFT KNOCK ON SIYUN'S DOOR.
KNOCK… KNOCK… KNOCK…
AYAME'S VOICE CALLED FROM OUTSIDE, SWEET AND LIGHT, "SIYUN… WAKE UP. TODAY IS THE START OF SOMETHING NEW."
HE RUBBED HIS EYES, STILL DROWSY FROM THE PREVIOUS NIGHT. THE EVENTS WITH HIS GRANDFATHER KEPT PLAYING IN HIS MIND, MAKING HIS HEART RESTLESS. HE OPENED THE DOOR TO FIND AYAME WAITING, HER USUAL GENTLE SMILE CALMING HIS UNEASY HEART.
AFTER A QUICK WASH, THEY WENT DOWN FOR BREAKFAST. A LONG TABLE WAS FILLED WITH WARM DISHES — EGGS, FRUITS, BREAD, MILK. SIYUN, STILL NOT USED TO SUCH ABUNDANCE, ATE QUIETLY. AYAME ENCOURAGED HIM TO EAT MORE, BUT HE NODDED, ONLY TAKING ENOUGH TO FILL HIS STOMACH.
SOON AFTER, SHE LED HIM TO A QUIET ROOM WHERE HIS FIRST TEACHER AWAITED. A MAN IN HIS MID-50S WITH SHARP EYES AND A STACK OF BOOKS BESIDE HIM SAT CALMLY.
"FROM TODAY ON, YOU WILL STUDY ENGLISH, COMMERCE, AND BASIC KNOWLEDGE WITH ME," THE TEACHER ANNOUNCED IN A STERN VOICE.
THE MORNING SHIFT BEGAN.
THE STUDY SESSION
THE BLACKBOARD WAS FILLED WITH WORDS AND NUMBERS.
SCRATCH… SCRATCH… SCRATCH…THE CHALK'S SOUND FILLED THE ROOM AS THE TEACHER WROTE QUICKLY.
SIYUN STRUGGLED TO KEEP UP. HE WASN'T USED TO SUCH A PACE. HIS HAND TREMBLED AS HE WROTE, HIS NOTES LOOKING MESSY.
"ENGLISH IS A TOOL. COMMERCE IS A WEAPON. KNOWLEDGE IS A SHIELD," THE TEACHER'S VOICE ECHOED.
SIYUN'S HEAD FELT HEAVY. THE LETTERS DANCED IN FRONT OF HIS EYES.
THUMP… THUMP…HIS HEART RACED WITH ANXIETY.
BUT HE BIT HIS LIPS AND PUSHED THROUGH.
"IF I GIVE UP NOW… I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO FACE THEM," HE WHISPERED UNDER HIS BREATH.
THE MORNING ENDED WITH A SHORT TEST. SIYUN MANAGED TO WRITE SOMETHING ON THE PAPER, BUT HE KNEW… HE HAD MUCH TO LEARN.
THE AFTERNOON – PHYSICAL TRAINING
AFTER LUNCH, THE ATMOSPHERE CHANGED COMPLETELY.
HIS NEXT TEACHER STOOD IN THE TRAINING HALL — A TALL, MUSCULAR MAN WITH A SHARP PRESENCE. HE WAS DRESSED IN SIMPLE BLACK TRAINING CLOTHES, HIS EYES LIKE BLADES CUTTING THROUGH SIYUN.
"STAND STRAIGHT."
SIYUN NODDED.
"YOUR BODY IS WEAK. YOUR BONES ARE LIGHT. IF YOU WISH TO SURVIVE IN THIS WORLD, YOU MUST BECOME STRONGER. LET'S BEGIN."
SFX: THUMP! THUMP!PUSH-UPS.
SIYUN'S ARMS TREMBLED AFTER ONLY A FEW. SWEAT BEGAN TO DRIP DOWN HIS FOREHEAD.
"KEEP GOING."
SFX: HUFF… HUFF… DRIP…
"MORE."
HIS ARMS BURNED. HIS CHEST FELT LIKE IT WAS ON FIRE. BUT HE PUSHED AGAINST THE FLOOR.
SFX: SWISH! BAM!MARTIAL ARTS DRILLS.
"FOCUS YOUR BREATH. AIM WITH YOUR CORE. STRIKE WITH YOUR HEART!"
THE TEACHER SWUNG A WOODEN STAFF AT HIM. SIYUN TRIED TO DODGE BUT WAS TOO SLOW.
SFX: CRACK!THE STAFF HIT HIS SHOULDER. HE GROANED IN PAIN.
"AGAIN."
SFX: STEP! STEP! STEP! WHOOSH!FOOTWORK PRACTICE.
HIS LEGS FELT HEAVY, BUT HE KEPT MOVING. THE TEACHER'S SHOUTS GUIDED HIM LIKE WHIPS.
"LEFT! RIGHT! DUCK! STRIKE!"
HIS BODY MOVED OUT OF INSTINCT, EVEN WHEN HIS MIND SCREAMED TO STOP.
HOURS FELT LIKE DAYS. SIYUN WAS COVERED IN SWEAT, HIS CHEST HEAVING.
FINALLY, THE TEACHER NODDED."YOU ARE WEAK… BUT YOUR WILL IS STRONG. THAT WILL IS WORTH MORE THAN ANY MUSCLE. COME TOMORROW. WE WILL CONTINUE."
SIYUN COLLAPSED TO HIS KNEES, BREATHING HARD.
SFX: HUFF… HUFF… DRIP… DRIP…
HIS BODY WAS ACHING, BUT INSIDE HIS HEART, SOMETHING BURNED BRIGHTER.
NIGHT – THE FINAL LESSON
AFTER DINNER, HE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER ROOM. THIS TIME, THE ATMOSPHERE WAS COLD. THE ROOM WAS SIMPLE, WITH ONLY A CHAIR AND A DIM LIGHT.
HIS NEXT TEACHER SAT THERE, A WOMAN WITH EYES THAT FELT LIKE THEY COULD PIERCE THROUGH HIS SOUL.
"SIT."
SIYUN OBEYED.
"YOU WILL LEARN THE ART OF THE FACE. NEVER LET ANYONE READ YOUR HEART. A SMILE CAN HIDE A KNIFE. A BLANK FACE CAN HIDE YOUR FEARS."
THE TRAINING WAS NOT PHYSICAL, BUT MENTAL.
"WHAT DO YOU FEEL RIGHT NOW?" SHE ASKED.
SIYUN OPENED HIS MOUTH, BUT BEFORE HE COULD ANSWER, SHE INTERRUPTED.
"NO. DON'T SAY IT. HIDE IT."
SHE HANDED HIM A MIRROR.
"LOOK AT YOUR FACE. CAN SOMEONE SEE YOUR FEAR? ERASE IT. ERASE IT UNTIL EVEN YOU CAN'T RECOGNIZE YOURSELF."
SFX: SILENCE…
MINUTES TURNED TO HOURS. SIYUN SAT, STARING AT HIS OWN REFLECTION. HIS MIND WAS FILLED WITH NOISE, BUT HIS FACE… SLOWLY, IT GREW STILL.
THE TEACHER FINALLY SMILED."GOOD. ONE DAY, THIS MASK WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE."
END OF THE DAY
WHEN HE RETURNED TO HIS ROOM, AYAME WAS WAITING OUTSIDE. SHE SAW HIS TIRED FACE AND GAVE A SOFT SMILE.
"YOU SURVIVED. I'M PROUD OF YOU."
HER WORDS FELT WARMER THAN ANYTHING ELSE THAT DAY.
SIYUN ENTERED HIS ROOM, ATE JUST ENOUGH TO FILL HIS STOMACH, AND LAID ON HIS BED. HIS BODY FELT LIKE LEAD, HIS MIND A STORM.
HE CLOSED HIS EYES.
THE TEACHERS' WORDS, THE STRIKES, THE SWEAT, THE SILENCE — ALL OF IT SWIRLED INSIDE HIM.
"THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING," HE MURMURED, HIS VOICE SHAKY.
SFX: FADE TO BLACK… HEARTBEAT… THUMP… THUMP…
AND WITH THAT, HE DRIFTED INTO A DEEP, DREAMLESS SLEEP.