Part I: Whispers After the Courtyard
The courtyard had gone quiet, but the silence was deceiving. Every student who had seen the confrontation between Kai and Riku carried it like fire on their tongues.
"It didn't even look like he tried."
"Yeah, Riku charged in—and then suddenly, it was over."
"No one's beaten Riku like that before."
By morning, Kai's name spread across the academy. Some called him a prodigy, others dismissed it as luck. Yet the truth didn't matter. What mattered was that the entire school was suddenly staring at him.
Riku's Bruised Pride
Riku skipped the dining hall that day. He couldn't stomach the stares, the half-hidden grins, the whispers that followed him. For someone who had built his reputation on flawless victories, one public stumble felt like being stripped bare.
Alone in the training hall, he replayed the moment again and again. Kai hadn't even looked serious. That was the part that burned most.
"No technique. No stance. Just… him."
Riku's fist tightened around the hilt of his practice sword until his knuckles went white.
"I'll show him. I'll show everyone."
Kai's Reluctant Spotlight
Kai, meanwhile, wanted nothing to do with the attention. He had entered Martial High for convenience, not glory. But now classmates he barely knew approached him in the halls. Some congratulated him, others challenged him, while a few stared with wary respect.
At lunch, a first-year leaned across the table.
"Senpai, what style was that? A counter technique? Modified Judo?"
Kai blinked, chopsticks halfway to his mouth. "…It was me not wanting to get hit in the face."
The boy's eyes widened, as if Kai had revealed some profound martial secret. He hurried off to scribble notes.
Kai sighed. This is getting ridiculous.
The Academy Shifts
Rumors moved faster than truth, and within days, the academy's energy had shifted. Students debated Kai's "style." Some tried imitating what they thought they saw. A few even began to idolize him, calling him a "mechanical martial artist" for his sharp, analytical movements.
Kai hated it. To him, it had been nothing but instinct mixed with logical reactions. But to the academy, it was fuel for a new rivalry: Kai versus Riku, the quiet newcomer versus the reigning star.
The ripples of a single stumble had become waves no one could ignore.
Part II: The Pressure Builds
The whispers didn't die down. If anything, they multiplied. By the end of the week, it felt like every corner of the academy buzzed with Kai's name.
"Did you hear? Riku couldn't touch him.""They say Kai has a secret master who trained him in the mountains.""No, no, I heard he studied dozens of martial manuals and created his own style.""…Or maybe he's just lucky."
Kai walked through the hallway with his shoulders hunched, ignoring the gossip. He had never liked attention, and now it felt like the entire school was pressing in.
Teachers Take Notice
In class, the teachers had begun to take note as well. During P.E., the kendo instructor watched Kai closely, scribbling something in his notebook. The judo coach stopped him after sparring and asked, "What's your base style?"
"I don't have one," Kai said, scratching his head.
The coach frowned. "Everyone has a base style. Karate, aikido, boxing, something. What do you mean, none?"
Kai shrugged. "I just… move in ways that make sense."
That answer spread even faster than the rumors. Soon, people weren't just whispering about his "victory," but about his strange approach to fighting.
Haru the Hype Machine
Of course, Haru didn't make things easier.
"Kai, my genius friend!" Haru declared one morning, leaping onto Kai's desk with arms wide like an announcer. "You've shaken the academy! You're like a wandering hero who hides his true skills until the moment of truth!"
Kai groaned, dragging him down before the teacher could throw chalk at them."Stop saying nonsense. I just… tripped him. That's it."
But Haru only grinned. "Exactly! The simplicity of genius! Do you know how many martial artists spend years perfecting forms, only to be undone by gravity? You've revolutionized combat!"
Kai shoved him away. "You're the worst."
Riku's Growing Resentment
Meanwhile, Riku could no longer walk through the halls without hearing Kai's name. Every murmur felt like a slap. His friends tried to reassure him, saying it had only been a fluke. But in Riku's ears, the word fluke sounded like poison.
He began training harder, pushing his body past limits, determined to erase the stain of that stumble. But no matter how hard he pushed, the image of Kai standing calmly while he fell replayed in his mind.
Riku swore he would wipe that look from Kai's face the next time they met.
Pressure on Kai
By Friday, the rumors took shape into something heavier: expectation.
Upperclassmen began to approach him, curious to test the "new prodigy." Clubs sent invitations, urging him to join. Some even tried to recruit him as a sparring partner.
Kai turned them all down. But the refusals only added to the mystery.
"Why won't he spar? Is he hiding more?""Maybe he doesn't want to reveal his real techniques.""He's planning for the tournament, I bet."
Kai felt cornered. He had never wanted any of this. He just wanted to walk to school, go home, eat his aunt's food, and maybe tinker with gears in peace. But now, the academy wouldn't let him stay invisible.
Cliffhanger
One afternoon, as Kai left class, a group of older students blocked his way in the courtyard. Their leader cracked his knuckles, smirking.
"So, you're the guy who beat Riku. Why don't you show us what you've got?"
The crowd hushed, waiting for Kai's answer.
Part III: The Breaking Point
The courtyard always seemed to attract trouble. Today was no exception.
A ring of students quickly formed, sensing drama before the first word was even spoken. It was like they had a sixth sense for fights, the way sharks smelled blood in the water.
Kai sighed inwardly. He really just wanted to go home and eat curry rice.
The upperclassman at the front—a tall, lean guy with a scar over his eyebrow—folded his arms. "So this is Kai. The so-called 'genius.'"
"I'm not—" Kai began.
"Save it," the boy cut him off, stepping closer. "We're not here for your excuses. You embarrassed Riku. That means you embarrassed Martial High itself. We can't let that slide."
The crowd buzzed with anticipation.
Kai's Reluctance
Kai raised his hands, palms outward. "I'm not interested in fighting. Really. It was an accident. He tripped."
The scarred boy sneered. "And we're supposed to believe that?" He jabbed a finger into Kai's chest. "Then prove it. Show us that you're nothing special."
Kai froze. Prove he was nothing? How did you even do that? Trip over your own shoelaces? Collapse mid-punch?
Haru's Ill-timed Support
And of course, Haru shoved through the circle at exactly the wrong moment.
"There he is!" Haru shouted, clapping Kai on the back so hard he stumbled forward. "My brilliant strategist, the man who beat Riku with a single move! Witness, everyone, as he redefines combat once again!"
The crowd roared with laughter and cheers, half serious, half entertained. Kai turned on Haru with murder in his eyes.
I'm going to bury you in homework notes later.
The Confrontation
Scar-Eyebrow cracked his knuckles. "Enough talk. Let's go."
The crowd parted, creating a makeshift circle. The excitement was so thick it felt like static in the air.
Kai's stomach sank. He didn't want this. But he couldn't just refuse—not with everyone watching. If he ran, the rumors would multiply tenfold.
He muttered under his breath, "Why does this always happen to me?"
The Mishap
The fight began awkwardly. Scar-Eyebrow lunged forward with a fast jab. Kai dodged instinctively, backpedaling. His heel caught on a loose stone in the courtyard. He flailed, arms pinwheeling—
—and in the process, his elbow shot backward, slamming directly into Scar-Eyebrow's nose with a sickening crack.
The boy dropped like a felled tree, clutching his face, groaning in pain.
The courtyard went silent.
Kai froze, still half-off balance, staring in disbelief.
"…That wasn't me. That was physics."
Explosion of Reactions
The silence broke into chaos.
"Did you see that?!"
"He destroyed him without even trying!"
"One elbow! Just one elbow!"
"He must've studied some secret assassination art!"
Kai threw his hands up. "No, no, no! It was an accident!"
But Haru was already hopping onto the fallen boy's back, raising Kai's arm like a referee declaring victory.
"Ladies and gentlemen, another flawless win by my genius friend, Kai the Unpredictable!"
The crowd exploded in cheers and laughter, and Kai wanted to sink into the ground and disappear forever.
Aftermath
Teachers rushed in to break up the commotion, dragging Scar-Eyebrow to the infirmary and dispersing the crowd. But the damage was done. By dinner, the story had spread to every corner of the academy.
"Kai wins again."
"Two fights, two victories."
"He's unbeatable."
Kai slumped on his futon that night, staring at the ceiling, his chest heavy.
"I never even fought," he muttered.
From the desk, Haru grinned while munching on rice crackers. "That's the beauty of it. You don't fight—you accidentally win. That's more terrifying than any martial art."
Kai groaned, dragging a pillow over his face. "I hate my life."
Cliffhanger
And yet, beneath the frustration, something sparked.
If this was the path he'd been pushed onto, then maybe—just maybe—he needed to stop stumbling blindly.
If accidents could make him a legend, what would happen if he actually trained?
His fist clenched under the pillow.
"Next time… I won't leave it to chance."