Beautifully Mended

22. Hopeless

"As I have said we want strong people to come from this school" Kim Sook begins to say. All of the students standing around in a square with a table and display of different weapons behind her. "The way this class is taught will be changing" She walks around now looking at each student as she speaks. "We are going to make you strong. You will fight often until only one is left. You will be tough" She walks over to the weapons now and picks up one of the katanas. "I will teach you like the Spartans" She says displaying the sword to the students.

"Spartans? So we will be using real swords?" Soo-Ri says quietly to Choi Ho a little worried more than anything.

Kim Sook walks over to her now slowly then looks at her a moment before slashing the sword in her direction. It causes Choi Ho to fall to the ground in fear and Nadet to take a step back but Soo-Ri just stands there frowning with her head held high. If she's going to survive this teacher she can't show fear at any point. "You don't want to show fear" She says and walks around the room and up to Shi Woo now. She slashes the sword at him stopping just before she cuts his neck but he doesn't flinch. She holds it like that a moment then lowers the blade. "Until now you trained with bare hands and wooden swords. You don't know the meaning of true terror or dead. From now on you will be fighting for your life and you will know the true meaning of victory. Now everyone step forward and take a sword" Yeop Jeong is the first to step forward. Slowly one by one each person collects a sword and goes back to standing where they were before. Yeop Jeong begins practicing in the middle by himself while everyone watches nervously. "As expected very well" She tells him with a smile. She begins to look around the room waiting for someone else to step forward. Hesitantly Soo-Ri steps forward now. "Really? I'm suprised you stepped forward after your shoulder" She says.

"I won't let a simple injury hold me back" Soo-Ri says and begins to practice just as Yeop Jeong had. A few times the two used these real weapons together. Never while sparing because they didn't want to hurt each other but Yeop Jeong showed Soo-Ri some moves with the blades. When she's done she bows to Kim Sook

"I'm impressed" She says as Soo-Ri walks back to where she was standing with Choi Ho. She looks around again now seeming to grow frustrated those two were the only ones to step forward. "What are you doing?! Do you not want to learn?!" 

"It's too early for students to use real swords" Shi Woo says. 

"Does that include yourself?" She asks him walking towards him now. "I heard you showed exceptional skills at the Tournament"

"Any of the students could impale someone with these but we won't hurt our friends"

"Friends? What a sweet word that I haven't heard in a while" She says in a mocking tone. "This is the last time I will say it. From now on during the classes there won't be harmless weapons and there are no friends here" She says and sighs. "You are all dismissed" 

The next day during her class everyone finally takes the hint and decides to fight with the swords. A little hesitant at first but finally everyone caves. One by one everyone fights against someone much more advanced in skill with swords compared to the rest of the students. Not someone that Soo-Ri has ever seen before meaning . Soo-Ri watches as Jenny fights him both of them using a sword. She seems to be struggling as he's much better than her. He cuts her arm with the sword and she falls to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Soo-Ri asks her and Sang Man stands between the man and Jenny.

"She's had enough" He says 

"Your skills are underdevoleped" Kim Sook says and Soo-Ri clenches her jaw checking the cut. Thankfully it isn't bad. "Class dismissed. More of you will fight tomorrow"

Soo-Ri and her friends start to leave the room but she notices Yeop Jeong staying behind so she stays behind to talk to him. "Whatever it is you want I don't care" Yeop Jeong tells her grabbing one of the swords and begins to practice on his own.