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THE EARLY MORNING AIR WAS CRISP, but y/n l/n could barely feel it through the thick layer of sweat clinging to her skin. Every muscle in her body screamed in protest as she lunged forward, only to be thwarted yet again. Across from her, Kwon stood stoic and alert, though the faint shadow under his eyes betrayed the ungodly hour. It was just past 5 AM, and Sensei Kim had been drilling them for over an hour with no discernible progress.

Y/n wiped her face with her t-shirt, frustration bubbling to the surface. "How is this even fair, sensei? You've got literal weapons in your hair!" she snapped, glaring at the little iron block dangling at the end of the woman's braid, which she wielded with the precision of a seasoned warrior, smacking the girl at least 8 times already.

Kim arched a brow, her tone dripping with condescension. "Fair?" she echoed, her voice cutting through the dim training room like a blade. "Life isn't fair. Victory doesn't wait for fairness. It waits for skill." She spun her ponytail effortlessly, smirking. "Stop whining and learn how to adapt."

Before y/n could retort, Kim was on her again, a blur of calculated movements. The y/h/c-haired girl managed to block the first swing but missed the second, which caught her ankle and sent her crashing to the ground with a thud.

She barely had time to push herself up before a firm grip yanked her to her feet. "We need to work together if we're going to beat her," Kwon said, his voice calm but firm, his hand gripping her shoulder.

Y/n shrugged him off, glaring at him. "I've got this. If you want to help, then stay out of my way."

The boy's jaw tightened, but he didn't argue. Instead, he stepped back, his gaze steady as y/n charged forward again. She dodged Kim's hair this time, narrowly avoiding a hook kick that sliced through the air near her face. y/n countered with a swing of her fist, but Da-eun caught her arm mid-punch, her grip ironclad. In one fluid motion, the sensei used her free leg to kick her student's side, sending her stumbling back before pivoting and aiming a sharp kick at Kwon.

Unlike y/n, Kwon had anticipated it and stepped back, avoiding the strike by inches. But Kim was relentless. In a blur, she flipped y/n onto the mat, the impact jarring, and spun into a roundhouse kick that caught the raven squarely in the face, knocking him down as well.

Kwon groaned faintly as he pushed himself to his feet. While the girl lay sprawled on the mat,  catching her breath, he sighed and walked over to her, reaching down and hauling her up with practiced ease. His grip was firm but impatient, dragging her upright. "Get it together," he muttered.

Y/n shot him a glare but adjusted her stance regardless. Kwon stepped into position beside her, his voice low but insistent. "You go low, I'll go high."

She didn't respond, her lips pressing into a stubborn line. Instead, she lunged forward again, feinting a low sweep before aiming a punch at Kim's chest. Kwon, true to his plan, leaped high, aiming a kick toward Kim's head.

It didn't matter. Kim's reflexes were impeccable. She caught y/m's punch with one hand and Kwon's kick with the other, twisting both of their limbs in opposite directions. In the next second, she threw them to the ground like ragdolls.

Y/N groaned as she lay on the mat, her body aching from the relentless training session.

"What was that sound, l/n? Was it... pain?" Kim's sharp tone cut through the room, dripping with mockery.

Y/n shot a glare at her, but before she could retort, Kwon let out a faint, suppressed laugh. She turned her glare to him instead, watching as he wiped the corner of his mouth to stifle his amusement. His calm composure and quiet confidence only irritated her further.

"Pain does not exist," Kwon stated flatly, echoing their training mantra. Without waiting for her to move, he grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. "Get up."

He guided her toward the edge of the mat, keeping his voice low. "Now's not the time for this attitude," he said, his tone surprisingly firm but not unkind. "Even I can't take her down alone, so unless you're ready to swallow your pride, we're not going to win. We have to work together. Like it or not."

Y/n opened her mouth to argue, but her words faltered as she noticed his hand wrap around hers. He was massaging her knuckles, his touch oddly gentle as he worked out the soreness she hadn't even realized was there.

There was something steady and unyielding in his gaze that made her pause. His touch lingered just long enough to make her realize how much tension had melted away in the moment, how much she missed being taken care of by him...

"Are you finally willing to listen?" he asked, tilting his head slightly, his brow arched as if daring her to object.

Y/n swallowed her frustration and gave a reluctant nod. "Fine."

Kwon didn't say anything else, just dropped her hand and turned back toward the center of the mat. She followed, her determination renewed.

This time, she listened to his every instruction. "Go low," he directed, and she immediately shifted her focus to sweeping Kim's legs while he aimed for higher strikes. Though their efforts still fell short of defeating their relentless sensei, they managed to hold their ground longer than before.

But y/n's grogginess betrayed her. She telegraphed her next kick, and Kim capitalized on it instantly, grabbing her leg and slamming her to the mat with effortless precision. The girl winced as the impact rattled her bones, and before she could recover, Kim stalked toward her, ready to end the match.

Kwon didn't hesitate. He darted forward, grabbing Kim by the shoulder and pulling her away from y/n. His movements were deliberate as he stepped into a one-on-one confrontation.

He held his own impressively, his blocks sharp and his counterattacks precise, but it was clear he wasn't fighting to win. He didn't once attempt a decisive strike, his defensive style keeping Kim at bay just long enough to create a standstill.

It didn't last.

Kim's speed and strength overwhelmed him, and soon he was on the ground next to y/n, both of them staring at the swirling ceiling as they caught their breath. Kim moved toward the girl again, her intent clear. But before her foot could come down, Kwon threw himself between them, taking the brunt of the attack. Kim stopped mid-strike, her foot hovering mere inches above him. The room fell silent, the tension palpable.

Kim stepped back, her expression sharp as she addressed Kwon in Korean. "너무 부드럽다, 권. 네 감정은 자산이 아니라 약점이다." ("You're too soft, Kwon. Your emotions are not an asset—they're a liability.") Her voice was cold, each word a deliberate cut.

Y/n watched, confused by the sudden shift. Kim's words were short and clipped, her tone unforgiving as she scolded Kwon. With a final glare, she turned and stormed out of the training room, leaving an oppressive silence in her wake.

Kwon exhaled slowly before pushing himself to his feet. He turned and offered a hand to the y/h/c-haired girl once again. This time, she didn't slap it away. She accepted, letting him pull her up as she tried to gauge his expression.

"You okay?" she asked quietly, watching the way his jaw clenched.

He nodded, brushing off the dust on his training clothes. "Let's get some smoothies or whatever. I'm hungry," he said simply, his voice steady despite the weight of what had just happened.

Y/n frowned, crossing her arms as she leaned against the countertop of the snack bar, watching Kwon place his order. "You didn't have to do that," she said, her tone edged with frustration once he was done. "You could've sacrificed the pawn to capture the queen."

Kwon didn't look up, but his lips twitched into a faint smile as the bartender poured their drinks. "I wouldn't be a very good..." He hesitated for a second, his gaze briefly flickering to her. "...captain if I let that happen."

Y/n narrowed her eyes at him. Both of them knew exactly what he meant, but neither said it. He wasn't being a "captain" in that moment—he was being soft on her. Kwon as a captain was worse than a dictator.

For once, though, the girl decided not to push it. She just grabbed her drink and sipped quietly, trying to shake the growing tension between them.

As they had their drinks in silence, noticed something she hadn't paid attention to before. Kwon never once attacked Sensei Kim during their sparring. His moves always fell short—his strength halved, his strikes deliberately off target. It was subtle, but now that she thought about it, it was clear. It wasn't something new either.

Her brows furrowed. He had a sore spot, but it wasn't just for Kim. It was for her too. And... apparently, a stray cat.

Y/n's mind drifted to the previous night when she and Tory had overheard Kwon talking to Kreese in hushed tones. She still hadn't recovered from the absurdity of that conversation.

"I'm just saying, Sensei, he didn't mean to do it," Kwon had insisted, his tone unusually defensive.

Kreese had rubbed his temples, visibly done with the topic. "Kwon, I don't care about your cat."

"It's not just any cat," Kwon protested, his voice rising slightly. "He's been through a lot. His girlfriend dumped him after he accidentally got another cat pregnant!"

Tory had snorted, whispering to y/n, "Sounds familiar..." which earned her nought but an elbow to the ribs.

Kwon continued, undeterred. "It wasn't his fault! It was an honest mistake. For all we know, his milk could've been spiked--"

"Kwon!" Kreese had finally barked, cutting him off. "I don't care. Get out of my sight."

Tory and y/n had barely managed to stifle their laughter as Kwon had slinked away, muttering something about the cat not deserving to be judged in Korean.

Now, standing next to him at the snack bar, y/n couldn't help but glance at him with a mix of amusement and curiosity. How could someone who acted like such a brick wall in the dojo also care so deeply about a stray cat with a questionable past?

"Are you done staring, or do you want me to get you a napkin for the drool?" Kwon said, snapping her out of her thoughts.

Y/n rolled her eyes, shoving his shoulder lightly. "You're so full of yourself."

"And you're welcome," he shot back smoothly, finishing his drink and turning toward the exit.

As the two of them walked out, they found the rest of the team gathering in the training hall. The clock had just hit 5:30, and the others were stretching and preparing for their usual morning session.

Y/n took one last minute to savor her temporary moment of peace, then glanced at Kwon. "Ready to get our asses handed to us again?"

Kwon smirked, "Always."

And with that, they joined the others, bracing for whatever fresh hell Kim had in store for them...

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