❝ I think my trainer is trying to kill me. ❞

 on edge 
chapter XX

“This is your new classmate, treat her well.” The instructor couldn’t help his slightly amused tone as he did a one-over on Yeon Young. She plastered a peaceful smile on her face as the thought of busting him slightly alleviated her anger.

“Well any questions, guys?” Many hands shot up, and the twenty-three year old nudged his head in the direction of the tallest boy in class.

“Noona! Why are you here? Did they kick you out of class because you ?”

“...” Yeon Young bit the inside of the lip as she stared blankly at the kid, the nerve of him.

“I’ll have you know that I’m good with swords, little boy.” Yeon Young sniffed, her left hand resting carefully on her hip as she eyed his snicker.

“Noona, what do you mean by little?”

He blinked innocently as he beamed at her, eye to eye. God damn this tall arrogant brat-

“Alright, alright, let’s see what you can do then, since seeing is believing.” The young trainer chuckled as Yeon Young rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time. How mundane.

“Me! Me! Tao-hyung! Choose me!” The instructor chuckled and threw a wooden sword at the tall boy who was so dead. “Okay, Jaemin. Don’t go too hard on her, alright?”

“Ready? Okay, bow at your opponent first-”

Without warning, Yeon Young rushed forward. She observed the surprised look on Jaemin’s face and couldn’t help but let the corner of her lips rise a little. Ducking down, she extended her right feet and knocked him off before he could even react.

“And that’s how you fight, little brat.” Yeon Young smiled triumphantly as she noticed the other children in class glancing at her in awe. Oh my, it seems like getting their support is easier than I thought. Step one in escaping is a success I guess.

“That’s unfair! I demand a rematch.” Jaemin pouted and poked her feet with his wooden sword.

“Life’s not always fair, Minny,” Yeon Young snickered as he grew flustered and looked around at his classmates’ faces. “How dare you call me by that name! Stupid!”

The bickering of the two immature ones got drowned out as Zitao contemplated on her fighting skillset. Was she just that good, or was it just pure luck? He doesn’t remember anyone having such agile, though rash, movements in the military academy, and she, a stranger, happened to be so good? Why did she just join now? This girl should have been recruited ages ago. Where did she learn to fight anyways?

“Hey, new girl.”

“My name is Yeon Young, thank you very much for your concern, instructor.” Zitao mimicked her sentence in a higher pitch of his own voice, and received a middle finger in return.

“Spar with me,” He picked up the wooden sword she left on the ground and threw it at her. “Ehhh? I’m too lazy. Don’t bother and start your lessons,” She smiled idly as she looked at Jaemin, “So what are we suppose to do in this session?”

Zitao guffawed at the teenage girl that had so blatantly wrote him off. His facial expression grew dark as he poked the insides of his cheeks with his tongue.

“Spar, now.”

“W-Why should I?” Once Yeon Young heard herself talk, she mentally slapped herself for stuttering. It’s not like she could help it. The aura Zitao was giving off was akin to an impetuous tiger. One that was ready to leave her with bruises adorning her body, bite marks on her face.

“If you want your life,” He shrugged and it seemed like he was back to normal again, leaving a frown off Yeon Young’s face. Zitao tried to put on a joking smile, much to her disgust. Damn you, Rahab, stop it!

Even though Zitao couldn’t see him, the other consciousness in his mind rolling his eyes was definitely palpable. Oh come on, the girl just defied you, aren’t you feeling a little angry?

I felt annoyed, but don’t intensify the feeling, god damn it!

Exactly, the gods be damned.

Rahab? Go yourself.

Zitao sighed in exasperation and he bounced back to reality, realizing he had been putting on a one-man show. He laughed meekly and shuffled his feet uncomfortably, making Yeon Young title him as the queerest person she has ever met. Even Elder Oh didn’t have such disparate mood swings.

“I was kidding. However, if you are too scared to fight, you can always say so-” In a millisecond, the wooden swords were clinking against one another, and Yeon Young applauds the guy for his skill and disses him in her head at the same time.

“Your voice is pretty whiny for a grown-up,” She laughed sardonically at the sight of his offended face, which was being reflected by his furrowed brows. The swords vibrated silently, and though it was quiet, the rest of the thirteen year olds were amazed that this lady could hold her own against their awesome instructor, who did martial arts as easily as he breathed.

Well, except that one time he hit himself with his nunchuks, but that’s beside the point.

“I don’t suppose a seventeen year old being here can actually have the gall to say that?” Yeon Young staggered a little and used a single moment to throw Zitao backwards. This was a mental fight, not a competition of power after all.

“Wait till that seventeen year old kicks your , old man.”

“O-Old man!? I’ll have you know I’m only twenty-three-”

“You talk too much,” Zitao doesn’t know how she gets the time to hold a finger to his lips to shush him and back away as quickly too. She’s certainly not normal, and that fight with Jaemin was definitely not luck-based. She's going to pay for teasing me though. 

Yeon Young resisted a smile and pursed her lips, knowing that she had the upper hand regarding the battle of wits. Well, I’m weaker than the normal set of warriors, so it's only natural to sharpen my mind to be on par, right? 

They fought for another five minutes or so, their audience still as engaged, looking on with sparkly eyes.

“Wow, noona, you don’t even need to attend class, you can just graduate and be a teacher too!” Jaemin’s friend, Jisung, a tiny guy, exclaimed excitedly.

“Stop floating her boat,” The former hissed, a little jealous that she was that good at fighting.

“Oh right,” Yeon Young suddenly realized. Amidst all the provocations, she had totally forgotten that she was supposed to be able to wield a sword with skills akin to a thirteen year old, but also keep in mind that she shouldn’t be that bad at swordplay either. Judging by the way things were now, she wouldn’t even be sitting out for training sessions, she would be sent to her rightful class, the place she didn’t want to be at the moment.

“Oh right, what?” Zitao’s sword made another satisfying clash of wood against wood as she struggled to keep her stance stable.

Yeon Young merely graced him with an unfeeling smile before loosening her grip on the sword, which drastically changed the way she could wield it. Feeling a little more amateur, she waited for Zitao’s next move so that she could pretend to be somewhat tier than he thought she was.

Zitao decided to go with an all out attack method, since the girl was pretty much a defensive type. With an arcing shot, he was stunned to find the tip of his sword slicing through the thin fabric of Yeon Young’s sleeve. Oh . Rahab, did I put too much power in that swing?

Boy, you always come to me regardless of whether I interfered or not. I’m not in a mood to entertain you. But, it’s obvious isn’t it?

Her speed suddenly depleted?

Yeah, she’s faking it. Aren’t you wounded? This girl is downplaying her skills for you. Let me take over, I’ll show her whose the best.

No thanks, Rahab.

Grumbling at Rahab’s prideful nature, Zitao turned to the more important matter at hand and eyed the girl carefully. What could she possibly gain from pretending to be an amateur? Or was it just as he first though, her placing her trust wholly on luck?

Yeon Young analyzed the male before her attentively. Did he catch on? He doesn’t even look that smart. Aish, this is entirely your fault, because you just had to show off, Lee Yeon Young. You just caused more trouble for yourself, idiot.

“Ah, I sprained my ankle!” She casually tossed the stupid stick in her hand aside and crouched down, holding on to her faked injury like her life depended on it.

Zitao immediately dropped all thoughts and dove down to her side. “Does it hurt a lot? Do you need to go the infirmary?”

I guess Sunggyu does have a point when he calls me a good cheater.

“If I take a rest, I will be fine,” She waved a hand dismissively and he just nodded worriedly. “Okay, time to start class! Have you all warmed-up?” A chorus of positive replies later, Zitao begun to show them how to do a feint, and told them to find a partner to practice with.

He jogged back to Yeon Young’s side once he approved what the kids were executing. She had let down her hair, and was propped up in a sitting position, lying comfortably against the walls of the shaded walkway.

“Should we go check your injury at the infirmary?” Zitao called out. He didn’t get a response and thought he wasn’t loud enough. Zitao was about to nudge her until he noticed her head lolling to the side slowly. Trying to refrain from chuckling, he went to her other side, where her hair wasn’t in the way, and proved that she was indeed in a deep slumber.

Oh my god, he thought in half-exasperation and half-amusement, I only left her here for ten minutes!

Zitao, what have I said about talking to god? The voice in his head sounded distasteful.

Oh well, I should go get her an ice pack.

Did you just ignore me? I hate you, kid.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:
i didn't realise i was gone for so long help yerself to this chapter. thanks for the subs and upvotes!! don't hate me for not updating (▀̿Ĺ̯▀̿ ̿) spread love 

◯ darkmoon