𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐖'𝐒 𝐃𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐑 | Jungwon

chapter 07

Chapter 07 : Red Flag

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This first day focused on physical strength and reaction time. Suyin had none.

Dinner was called for a few minutes ago. The boys sprinted into the dining room like hungry lions while Suyin decided to stay behind. She only ate bread this early morning, but she had lost her appetite throughout the day.

Suyin sat on the steps to the main outdoor training area, viewing the vast sky above. The sun melted the sky into a pool of warm orange, juxtaposing the newborn purple clouds. Staring into the glowing orange, only fear, doubt, and fret jumbled from the pit of her stomach.

Not knowing until the very moment, someone had sauntered up to her. Suyin's eyes spotted familiar grey silk robes beside her.

"Get up, child," Wonchul said, satisfying her guess of who it was.

Suyin tilted her head up, viewing the old man who towered over her. She obeyed and stood, awkwardly scratching her arm as he stared into her soul. Suyin begged her eyes to avert from his, but she had no power in doing so.

"Why aren't you eating with the rest?" Wonchul wondered, descending the few steps, observing the peaceful scenery of the outdoor training area.

"I'm not hungry," Suyin answered quietly, tracing her fingers across the back of her hand.

"Nonsense. You've been training all day," Wonchul said, and he glanced over his shoulder, "but you certainly need more of it."

Suyin's head fell, crestfallen as she observed at the ground. The hesitance to unveil her urge to quit had sprinkled over her face. Her lips tightened into a line, and her eyebrows twitched into a slight furrow.

What felt like a wooden stick suddenly whacked her head and she yelped, "ow!"

"Pay attention at all times," he scolded, pointing his hand fan at her. Suyin frowned, but she nodded.

The old man slid back, and he fanned himself. "Come here, child. Let me punch you," he ordered.

"WHY–" Suyin started–flabbergasted.

"Now."

Suyin rubbed her nape, and she hopped off the stairs. She arrived at her Master's front, nervous while screwing her eyes shut. She froze for a moment, expecting a punch, but she once again felt a wooden whack. Her hands flew up to her head. "OW!"

"Open your eyes! I said, pay attention at all times," Wonchul sighed, "are you deaf just like poor Timothy?"

"I thought I was getting punished!" She panicked, waving her hands.

"You are now!" Wonchul whacked her head with his fan again, tutting.

The next hour contained an endless amount of punches and shouts: "Quicker!" "Block!" "Pay attention!" "Dodge!"

The old man was oddly rapid. His punches appeared from left and right constantly. Sweat trickled down her face as if it were raining, and her clothes began to stick to her skin like sugar cane juice. As another punch shoved in her direction, Suyin grasped the fist, and she turned, leading the man to plunge to the ground.

Wonchul stumbled, but he kept his balance. He exhaled, wiping the sweat off his forehead. "Good, good. You're getting the hang of it. You've shown reasonable and decent improvement throughout your first day," Wonchul praised, earning a glint of hope from Suyin's eyes, "but it still isn't enough."

Suyin dug her teeth into her bottom lip. She huffed out an exasperated breath. "Master Wonchul, I'm your worst-case scenario–I'm a female, a peasant, I'm a weak person, and...worst of all, a Shadow Wielder," she sighed, allowing her face to fall into her hand, "I'm not cut out for this."

The two sank into a deep ocean of silence. Crickets crinkled the quiet evening, following the melody of the soft mountain winds. Wonchul walked to the girl, face as still as a rock. He lifted his fan once more, and Suyin scrunched her eyes.

Wonchul instead placed the fan beneath her chin, lifting her head. "Quit looking down, child," Wonchul advised, "the others may be more powerful than you, but that doesn't lessen your strength. You may be able to build your strength, but you can break it too if your confidence cracks. Do you hear me now, child?"

Suyin allowed his words to sink in, and she nodded.

"You all may have the title of one of our kingdom's future warriors, but that doesn't automatically make you a warrior just yet. Your actions, persistence, and other qualities determine your worthiness." Wonchul opened his fan. "Now go eat. We shall continue early in the morning tomorrow–just you and me. You need a lot more practice."

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After the mini session with Master Wonchul, Suyin wandered off to find the dining room...which took her a while after getting lost, even when Mast Wonchul gave her directions. The palace was huge nonetheless.

A pair of white doors adorned with golden accents caught her eyes, and she shuffled over to them, hoping it was the dining room. The aroma of steamed fish, fried bok choy, and fried meat flew across Suyin's face. However, when she thought she'd be the only one, she was startled to see someone else in the dining room–Jungwon. Surprisingly, he was the last one who hadn't finished eating.

Their eyes gripped on each other for a while until Jungwon set his chopsticks down—a bit harsh. His eyebrows furrowed while traveling around the table to exit, and his plate wasn't even finished yet. Arriving at the exit, his shoulder knocked against Suyin's on purpose.

Suyin clutched the edge of the door, and she whipped her head back. "I'm trying," she said, ceasing Jungwon's footsteps. "You can at least respect me."

Jungwon turned, piercing his eyes right through the girl's nerve. "What makes you think you deserve respect, Shadow Wielder?" He retorted, "do you think you can just waltz right in without any training in your life? To have the title of a warrior when you have the same abilities as our kingdom's once most infamous enemy?"

Suyin's fingers crumpled up into fists, attempting to hold her composer.

"I don't trust you," Jungwon huffed, "you're nothing more than a red flag flying right in our faces."

The boy disappeared into the night, leaving Suyin's blood to crackle like violent fireworks underneath her skin. For a moment, her confidence had betrayed her side once again. She knew he was right–she was nothing more than a feeble female Shadow Wielder. She exhaled slowly, finding the ceiling quite interesting for a while. Suyin closed her eyes, brushing her concerns away for the rest of the night.