DΛЯK DΣᄂIGΉƬƧ

Flow

Eustass stood in the middle of the training yard, his body tense as he tried to hold the stance Josei had shown him. The late afternoon heat beat down on them, making the air feel thick and heavy, but Josei seemed completely unfazed. She circled around him with her usual energy, a wooden stick in her hand that she occasionally used to tap against his legs or shoulders, adjusting his posture.

"No, no, you're leaning too far forward again!" Josei huffed, stepping up behind him. She placed her hands firmly on his hips, trying to shift him into a more balanced position. "You need to stay grounded, Eustass. Keep your center of gravity low."

The moment her hands touched his hips, a rush of warmth surged through him, and his mind started to whirl. His face flushed, and he struggled to stay focused on her instructions, her touch making it difficult to concentrate.

"W-What are you doing?" he stammered, his voice a bit too high. His heart raced in his chest as she continued to adjust his stance, her hands pressing and pulling to guide him into the right position.

"Fixing your stance," Josei replied matter-of-factly, not noticing his discomfort. "If your body isn't in the right position, you're going to waste energy. And since Kokoro needs your thoughts and emotions to fuel it, you can't waste time thinking about how you're going to move or how you're going to counterattack." She stepped back, crossing her arms and eyeing his posture critically.

"Uh... right," Eustass mumbled, trying his best to steady his breathing.

Josei shook her head, clearly unimpressed with his half-hearted stance. She jabbed at him with the stick again, this time hitting his side. "Stop thinking so much! You need to act on pure instinct. That's why we're working on this—you need a stance that's natural to you, something you don't even have to think about."

"I get it, but—" Eustass started, but his words were cut off when she suddenly whacked him on the shoulder again, harder this time.

"Stand up straighter!"

"Ow!" He flinched, glaring at her. "Do you really need to hit me with that thing every time?"

"Yes," she replied with a grin, twirling the stick in her hand. "You're not listening otherwise. Besides, this is fun." She gave him another playful whack, this time on the back of his leg, making him hop forward in surprise.

Eustass groaned, rolling his eyes. "You're enjoying this way too much."

Josei just smirked, her orange pigtails bouncing as she twirled around, clearly pleased with herself. "Of course I am! It's not every day I get to knock you around without you whining about it."

He grumbled under his breath, but there was a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Despite the constant jabs and teasing, he knew she was trying to help. As much as it embarrassed him to admit it, her pushing him like this was exactly what he needed.

"Okay, okay... I'll stop thinking so much," he finally said, adjusting his posture on his own this time. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment as he tried to clear his mind. No more overthinking. Just pure instinct.

Josei stood back, nodding approvingly as she watched him settle into the stance more naturally. "That's better. See? You've got this. Now, if only you'd stop whining every time I hit you."

Eustass sighed, still feeling the sting from her earlier hits, but he couldn't help but laugh. "Maybe I'll whine less when you stop acting like a sadist."

She winked at him, twirling the stick again. "Not gonna happen."