[AFTER ONE WEEK OF HIS TRAINING…]
THE SUN HUNG LOW IN THE SKY, THE FOUNTAIN'S WATER CASCADING IN RHYTHMIC DROPS, DRIP… DRIP… SPLASH…, ECHOING THROUGH THE COURTYARD. SIYUN SAT AT THE EDGE OF THE MARBLE STRUCTURE, HIS ELBOWS RESTING ON HIS KNEES, HIS HEAD BENT LOW. HIS EYES HELD A WEARY SHADOW—TIRED, BURDENED, AND FILLED WITH QUIET FRUSTRATION. THE WEIGHT OF HIS LESSONS WAS BEGINNING TO CRUSH HIM.
ENGLISH, COMMERCE, HISTORY, PHYSICAL TRAINING, MARTIAL ARTS, MENTAL DISCIPLINE—ALL OF IT AT ONCE. HE FELT LIKE HIS BODY WAS GIVING IN AND HIS MIND REFUSING TO KEEP UP.
"HOW MUCH LONGER CAN I KEEP THIS UP?" HE MUTTERED UNDER HIS BREATH, THE WORDS SWALLOWED BY THE SOUND OF THE WATER.
AS THE WIND BRUSHED AGAINST HIS FACE, A SOFT, LIGHT-HEARTED VOICE INTERRUPTED HIS SILENCE.
AYAME:"THERE YOU ARE. I'VE BEEN LOOKING ALL OVER FOR YOU."
SIYUN'S SHOULDERS FLINCHED SLIGHTLY. HE DIDN'T TURN AT FIRST—HE DIDN'T WANT HER TO SEE HIS WEAKNESS. BUT HE DIDN'T NEED TO. AYAME WAS ALREADY THERE, STANDING BEHIND HIM WITH HER HANDS CLASPED BEHIND HER BACK, LEANING CURIOUSLY TO PEEK OVER HIS SHOULDER.
AYAME:"HUH? WHAT'S WITH THAT LONG FACE? DID SOMEONE DIE OR SOMETHING?"
SIYUN:"…IT'S NOTHING."
HIS VOICE WAS LOW, FORCED, AS IF HE WANTED TO BURY HIS EMOTIONS. HE KEPT HIS EYES ON THE RIPPLING WATER, TRYING TO HIDE HIS STRAIN. BUT AYAME WASN'T SOMEONE WHO COULD BE BRUSHED OFF EASILY.
SFX: TAP… TAP…
SHE WALKED AROUND, HER SHOES CLICKING LIGHTLY AGAINST THE STONE PATH, AND THEN SHE BENT DOWN SLIGHTLY TO MEET HIS EYES. HER EXPRESSION WAS CHEERFUL, BUT THERE WAS A GLINT OF GENUINE CONCERN BEHIND IT.
AYAME:"HEY… I'M NOT BUYING THAT. WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON? YOU LOOK LIKE YOU'RE ABOUT TO COLLAPSE."
SIYUN LOOKED AWAY, HIS JAW CLENCHED. HE DIDN'T WANT TO LOOK VULNERABLE. YET, HER PERSISTENCE AND THE GENTLE SINCERITY IN HER VOICE BROKE THE BARRIERS HE WAS TRYING TO HOLD.
SIYUN:"…I CAN'T KEEP UP. THE STUDIES… THEY'RE TOO MUCH. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HALF THE THINGS THEY TEACH. ENGLISH, COMMERCE, ALL THOSE WORDS—IT'S LIKE STARING AT A WALL I CAN'T BREAK THROUGH."
FOR A MOMENT, SILENCE HUNG BETWEEN THEM, THE SOUND OF THE FOUNTAIN FILLING THE GAP. AND THEN—
AYAME:"…PUFFFT—HAHAHAHAHA!"
SFX: HAHAHA… HAHAHAHAHAHA!
HER LAUGHTER EXPLODED OUT OF NOWHERE, ECHOING THROUGH THE COURTYARD. SIYUN FROZE, HIS FACE TURNING BRIGHT RED IN AN INSTANT. HE JUMPED TO HIS FEET, WAVING HIS HANDS DEFENSIVELY.
SIYUN:"WHAT THE HELL!? WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING!? I'M SERIOUS!"
AYAME:(WIPING A TEAR FROM HER EYE)"HAHA… OH GOD, YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN YOUR FACE! ALL GRUMPY AND SERIOUS LIKE SOME OLD MAN. HAHA, SIYUN, I SWEAR, YOU'RE HILARIOUS."
SIYUN FELT A DEEP EMBARRASSMENT WASH OVER HIM. HIS CHEEKS WERE BURNING, AND HE COULDN'T STAND BEING MADE FUN OF. WITHOUT THINKING, HE TURNED AROUND AND STARTED WALKING BACK TOWARD THE MANSION.
SIYUN:"FORGET IT. I SHOULD'VE NEVER SAID ANYTHING."
SFX: FAST FOOTSTEPS… TAK TAK TAK TAK…
BUT BEFORE HE COULD GET TOO FAR, AYAME RUSHED BEHIND HIM, GRABBING HIS WRIST.
SFX: GRAB!
HER HOLD WAS SURPRISINGLY FIRM, HER VOICE SUDDENLY LOSING ITS TEASING TONE.
AYAME:"HEY. WAIT. I'M SORRY. I DIDN'T MEAN TO LAUGH AT YOU LIKE THAT… I WAS JUST SURPRISED TO SEE YOU OPEN UP. YOU NEVER LET ANYONE SEE YOU LIKE THIS."
SIYUN STOPPED, HIS BACK STILL TURNED TO HER. HIS CHEST ROSE AND FELL HEAVILY, AND FOR A MOMENT, HE FELT A WARMTH IN HER WORDS—A KINDNESS HE HADN'T FELT IN YEARS.
SLOWLY, HE TURNED HIS HEAD TO THE SIDE, STILL AVOIDING DIRECT EYE CONTACT.
SIYUN:"…YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND. I'M BEHIND EVERYONE ELSE. IF I CAN'T MASTER THIS, I WON'T SURVIVE OUT THERE. I WON'T BE ABLE TO—"
HE CUT HIMSELF OFF, REALIZING HE ALMOST LET HIS TRUE INTENTIONS SLIP. HE ALMOST SPOKE ABOUT HIS REVENGE, HIS PAST, HIS BURNING DESIRE TO CRUSH THOSE WHO DESTROYED HIS FAMILY. BUT HE BIT HIS LIP, FORCING HIMSELF TO STOP.
AYAME STUDIED HIM QUIETLY FOR A FEW SECONDS, HER GRIP STILL ON HIS WRIST. THEN, A SMALL SMILE SPREAD ACROSS HER FACE.
AYAME:"…SO THAT'S WHAT'S BUGGING YOU? HA. YOU REALLY ARE STUPID SOMETIMES."
SIYUN:"…HUH?"
AYAME:"LISTEN, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING ALONE. IF YOU NEED HELP… THEN LET ME HELP YOU."
SIYUN BLINKED. HIS HEART STIRRED WITH SOMETHING HE HADN'T EXPECTED—CONFUSION, DOUBT, AND A HINT OF HOPE.
SIYUN:"…YOU? HELP ME?"
AYAME GRINNED, PLACING HER FREE HAND ON HER HIP, HER EYES SHINING WITH DETERMINATION.
AYAME:"OF COURSE! I'M WAY BETTER AT STUDYING THAN YOU, AFTER ALL. BESIDES… I CAN'T JUST SIT BY AND WATCH YOU LOOK LIKE A LOST PUPPY ALL THE TIME. IT'S TOO PITIFUL."
SIYUN:(FLUSTERED)"TCH—WHO ARE YOU CALLING PITIFUL!?"
AYAME:"YOU~!"(SHE STUCK OUT HER TONGUE, LAUGHING.)
SFX: PFFFT… HEHEHEHE!
SIYUN GROANED AND TURNED AWAY, TRYING TO HIDE HIS RED FACE. BUT AYAME STEPPED CLOSER, LEANING IN WITH A GENTLE YET SERIOUS LOOK.
AYAME:"…I MEAN IT, SIYUN. LET ME HELP YOU. YOU DON'T HAVE TO CARRY EVERYTHING BY YOURSELF. SO STOP RUNNING AWAY, OKAY?"
HER WORDS HIT HIM DEEPER THAN SHE KNEW. FOR A MOMENT, SIYUN FELT THE GHOST OF HIS CHILDHOOD—THE DAYS BEFORE HIS LIFE FELL INTO RUIN, WHEN HE STILL FELT THE WARMTH OF FAMILY, OF SOMEONE TO RELY ON. HE SWALLOWED HARD, LOOKING AT HER, HIS LIPS TREMBLING AS IF HE WANTED TO SPEAK—BUT ALL THAT CAME OUT WAS A QUIET, BARELY AUDIBLE RESPONSE.
SIYUN:"…FINE."
AYAME SMILED BRIGHTLY, RELEASING HIS WRIST. SHE CLASPED HER HANDS TOGETHER WITH A LITTLE CLAP! AND NODDED.
AYAME:"GOOD! THEN IT'S SETTLED. FROM NOW ON, I'LL BE YOUR PERSONAL TUTOR. SO NO MORE EXCUSES, GOT IT?"
SIYUN LOOKED AWAY, CLICKING HIS TONGUE.
SIYUN:"…YOU'RE ANNOYING."
AYAME:"AND YOU'RE WELCOME."
THE TWO STOOD THERE, THE FOUNTAIN'S SOUND SURROUNDING THEM, THE SUNLIGHT CATCHING IN THE WATER DROPS LIKE LITTLE FRAGMENTS OF HOPE. SIYUN DIDN'T SAY IT OUT LOUD, BUT FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE HE HAD ENTERED THIS PLACE, HIS CHEST FELT JUST A LITTLE LIGHTER.
HE DIDN'T KNOW IT YET, BUT THIS BOND—THIS SMALL CONNECTION WITH AYAME—WOULD SOON BECOME A CORNERSTONE IN THE PATH HE WAS DESTINED TO WALK. A PATH OF BLOOD, VENGEANCE, AND SHADOWS.
AND AS HE STOLE ONE LAST GLANCE AT HER BRIGHT SMILE, HE WONDERED QUIETLY—
"IF SHE KNEW THE DARKNESS INSIDE ME… WOULD SHE STILL SMILE LIKE THAT?"