THE NEXT DAY ARRIVED WITH A CRISP CHILL IN THE AIR. THE SUNLIGHT FILTERED THROUGH THE ESTATE WINDOWS, CASTING SHARP LINES OF GOLD ACROSS SIYUN'S ROOM. HE SAT QUIETLY AT THE EDGE OF HIS BED, LACING HIS SHOES, HIS MIND STILL TURNING OVER THE WORDS OF HIS GRANDFATHER FROM YESTERDAY.
"FROM NEXT WEEK, YOU WILL ENTER A NEW WORLD… A WORLD THAT WILL TEST YOU BEYOND TRAINING."
HIS CHEST FELT HEAVY BUT ALSO STRANGELY LIGHT, LIKE HE WAS CARRYING BOTH WEIGHT AND WINGS.
KNOCK—KNOCK.THE SOUND CAME FROM HIS DOOR.
AYAME: "SIYUN, ARE YOU READY? WE SHOULD LEAVE EARLY BEFORE THE CROWD GATHERS."
SIYUN STOOD, HIS VOICE QUIET BUT FIRM.SIYUN: "YES. LET'S GO."
THE JOURNEY TO THE MALL
THEY LEFT THE ESTATE IN A BLACK CAR. THE ENGINE PURRED LIKE A SLEEPING BEAST, SMOOTH AND CONTROLLED. OUTSIDE, THE CITY SPRAWLED WITH MODERN TOWERS AND SHINING GLASS. SIYUN STARED OUT THE WINDOW, HIS REFLECTION OVERLAYING THE SKYLINE.
SIYUN (THINKING):THIS PLACE… IT'S SO DIFFERENT FROM WHAT I KNEW. BUT NO MATTER HOW HIGH THESE BUILDINGS REACH, MY GOAL WON'T CHANGE.
AYAME GLANCED AT HIM, NOTICING HIS SILENCE.AYAME: "YOU'RE THINKING TOO MUCH AGAIN. IT'S JUST SHOPPING, NOT A WAR."
SIYUN: "…SOMETIMES, BOTH CAN BE THE SAME."
AYAME SMILED, LIGHTLY TEASING HIM.AYAME: "HM. THEN LET ME BE YOUR COMMANDER FOR TODAY."
SIYUN COULDN'T HELP BUT LET OUT A SMALL BREATH OF A LAUGH.
THE MALL
THE MALL WAS MASSIVE, BRIGHT CHANDELIERS ABOVE, AND FLOORS SHINING LIKE POLISHED ICE. BRANDS OF EVERY KIND STRETCHED ACROSS THE FLOORS. RICH FAMILIES WALKED ABOUT, THEIR VOICES BLENDING INTO A CONSTANT HUM.
SFX: CHATTER CHATTER…SFX: FOOTSTEPS CLACK CLACK…
AS THEY WALKED, AYAME PULLED SIYUN BY THE SLEEVE INTO A CLOTHING STORE.
AYAME: "FIRST, UNIFORMS AND DAILY WEAR. YOU'LL BE LIVING IN THE DORMS, SO YOU'LL NEED PLENTY."
THE ATTENDANTS GREETED THEM IMMEDIATELY WITH POLISHED SMILES.ATTENDANT: "WELCOME. WHAT STYLE ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?"
AYAME: "FORMAL, DURABLE, AND COMFORTABLE. HE NEEDS TO LOOK PRESENTABLE BUT NOT LIKE A MANNEQUIN."
THE ATTENDANT BOWED AND LED THEM TO RACKS OF CLOTHING. SIYUN CHANGED INTO SEVERAL OUTFITS—WHITE SHIRTS, DARK TROUSERS, BLAZERS.
WHEN HE STEPPED OUT IN ONE PARTICULAR SUIT, AYAME STARED LONGER THAN USUAL.AYAME (SOFTLY): "…YOU REALLY HAVE CHANGED."
SIYUN ADJUSTED THE COLLAR, A SMALL FROWN ON HIS FACE.SIYUN: "IT FEELS STRANGE. LIKE I'M SOMEONE ELSE."
AYAME: "NO. YOU'RE JUST BECOMING WHO YOU WERE MEANT TO BE."
ENCOUNTER
AFTER HOURS OF SHOPPING—BOOKS, BEDDING, ACCESSORIES—THEY MOVED TOWARDS THE FOOD COURT. THE SMELL OF ROASTED MEAT AND FRESHLY BAKED BREAD FILLED THE AIR. JUST THEN—
???: "AYAME! HEY, AYAME!"
AYAME TURNED SHARPLY. TWO GIRLS WERE WAVING ENERGETICALLY FROM BEHIND A CROWD. THEY RUSHED OVER, THEIR VOICES BRIGHT.
FRIEND 1: "I DIDN'T EXPECT TO SEE YOU HERE! SHOPPING, HUH?"FRIEND 2: "AND WHO'S THIS?"
AYAME STEPPED SLIGHTLY TO THE SIDE, MOTIONING TOWARDS SIYUN.AYAME: "THIS IS SIYUN. HE'S A FRIEND… AND HE'LL BE JOINING OUR SCHOOL NEXT WEEK."
SIYUN BOWED LIGHTLY, HIS EXPRESSION RESERVED.SIYUN: "IT'S A PLEASURE."
THE TWO GIRLS WHISPERED TO EACH OTHER, SMILING.FRIEND 1 (WHISPER): "HE'S KIND OF HANDSOME…"FRIEND 2 (WHISPER): "QUIET TYPE. INTERESTING."
SIYUN PRETENDED NOT TO HEAR, BUT HIS EARS BURNED.
THE LUNCH
THE GROUP MOVED TO A RESTAURANT NEARBY. THE AMBIANCE WAS RICH—WOODEN WALLS, QUIET PIANO MUSIC PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND. PLATES OF PASTA AND SALADS ARRIVED, STEAM RISING.
THE GIRLS TALKED AMONG THEMSELVES ABOUT SCHOOL, TEACHERS, UPCOMING EVENTS. THEIR LAUGHTER FILLED THE TABLE.
SFX: HAHAHAHA…
SIYUN SAT SILENTLY, LISTENING.
SIYUN (THINKING):THIS… THIS USED TO BE MY WORLD TOO. LUNCH BREAKS, FRIENDS TALKING, DREAMS AND TEASING…
MEMORIES FLASHED—THE FACES OF HIS FRIENDS BACK THEN, THEIR VOICES FAINT.BUT THOSE FACES WERE NOW GONE.
HIS HAND CURLED INTO A FIST UNDER THE TABLE.SIYUN (THINKING):I WON'T FORGET. I WON'T LET THEIR MEMORY BE ERASED. THIS NEW LIFE, THIS NEW PATH… IT'S ALL FOR THAT DAY. THE DAY I STRIKE BACK.
AFTERNOON
AFTER LUNCH, THEY PARTED WAYS WITH AYAME'S FRIENDS.FRIEND 2: "WE'LL SEE YOU SOON, SIYUN. GOOD LUCK WITH THE DORMS!"FRIEND 1: "YEAH! LET'S MEET AGAIN AT SCHOOL!"
THEIR WORDS FELT LIGHT, BUT TO SIYUN, THEY CARRIED WEIGHT. HE WATCHED THEM WALK AWAY, HIS EYES SHARPENING.
SIYUN (THINKING):SCHOOL… A PLACE TO LEARN, TO HIDE, TO GROW STRONGER. I'LL PLAY THE PART OF A STUDENT. BUT INSIDE… I'M STILL A WOUNDED CHILD WITH SHARPENING TEETH.
RETURN TO THE ESTATE
BY EVENING, THEY RETURNED TO THE ESTATE, ARMS FULL OF SHOPPING BAGS. AYAME DROPPED THEM ON THE BED, LETTING OUT A TIRED SIGH.AYAME: "TODAY WAS EXHAUSTING, WASN'T IT?"
SIYUN LOOKED AT THE BAGS—CLOTHES, BOOKS, DAILY NECESSITIES. SYMBOLS OF A NEW LIFE ABOUT TO BEGIN.
SIYUN (WHISPERING TO HIMSELF): "AFTER I GRADUATE FROM THERE… I WILL RETURN. FOR REVENGE. FOR ANSWERS. FOR EVERYTHING."
HIS EYES HARDENED, A GLIMMER OF DARK RESOLVE SHINING UNDER THE DIM LIGHT.
SFX: TICK… TOCK… (THE CLOCK ECHOED, AS IF COUNTING DOWN TO HIS DESTINY.)