The Yakuza's flower

Telling and knowing

Ume POV

Couple days had passed since the trip to the hot springs and I needed to get back to my training.

I showed up at the dojo at 6 PM sharp. Retsu was inside, practicing a fighting technique when I walked in.

"Hey, Sensei," I greeted him cheerfully, but he ignored me for a moment, too focused on his movements.

I pulled my necklace off and placed it in my bag.
I placed my bag in the corner of the dojo, but before I could even step away, his voice cut through the air.

"Don't put it there. There are lockers in the next room," he said as he suddenly appeared behind me.

I jumped slightly, startled by how silently he had moved. "Oh! Okay," I mumbled, grabbing my bag and making my way to the lockers.

When I returned, he was setting up a sandbag.

"Have you been training like I told you to?" he asked, his back still turned toward me.

"Yes," I answered confidently.

"Good. Let's see what you can do."

I nodded, stepping into position. Today's lesson was a kick combo, and I was determined to prove I had been practicing.

But then he pulled out the ankle weights.

"You need to work more on your strength," he said, handing them to me.

"I am... I train and train, Sensei, but—"

"Then you aren't trying hard enough, Ume." His sharp tone cut me off. "You told me you were serious about training. Show me."

I bit my lip, feeling the sting of his words. He was right. I had been slacking off lately.

We ran through the same set over and over again, my legs burning with each repetition. By the end of the session, Retsu had me practice the move on him.

And, of course, I ended up on the ground.

"Get up. Try again."

I pushed myself up, trying to adjust my stance, but I still ended up on the ground. The dojo floors were unforgiving.

"Again."

We repeated the exercise two more times.

On the final attempt, I managed to counter my fall and land on my feet.

"Done," he said simply.

Breathing heavily, I gave him a small bow.

The thing about Retsu is that he's strict and unrelenting during training, but once it's over, he's one of the kindest people I know.

"You need to work on your strength training. But other than that, you did great today." He took the ankle weights from me as I wiped sweat from my forehead.

"I'll train harder, Sensei," I promised with a small smile.

"Good. Now make sure to eat and rest." He was about to turn away but paused. His brows furrowed as he took a closer look at me. "Ume... what's wrong with your neck?"

"Huh? My neck?" I repeated, confused. I instinctively reached up and then caught a glimpse of my reflection in one of the large dojo mirrors.

Oh no.

I was wearing a tank top and hadn't realized that the hickeys Hanayama gave me was visible. My face heated up instantly.

"Um... it's nothing," I stammered, quickly covering it with my hands.