Echoes of Legacy

"Lessons in discipline"

Mayumi's hostel room was cluttered with books, papers, and half-packed bags. It had been three months since their sword training began, and while Norio and Asahi frantically studied for the upcoming final exams, Mayumi lay sprawled on her bed, flipping through her phone without a care in the world. Her best friends were visibly stressed, eyes darting between textbooks and notes, as the reality of exams looming in three months weighed heavily on them.

"I'm going to fail," Asahi groaned, rubbing her temples as she skimmed over a particularly dense page of physics notes.

"You're not the only one," Norio muttered, furiously scribbling down a math equation that he barely understood. He glanced over at Mayumi, frowning at her laid-back demeanor. "How are you so calm, Mayumi? Aren't you even a little worried?"

Mayumi shrugged lazily, not even bothering to look up from her phone. "I'll wing it," she said with a smirk. "Besides, we have three months. That's plenty of time to study... later."

Asahi and Norio exchanged worried glances. Mayumi's carefree attitude was nothing new, but they were starting to wonder if it would catch up with her. Instead of studying, Mayumi spent her time bullying younger students and pulling pranks, showing no signs of taking the exams seriously.

One day, as they all sat in the common room, Mayumi leaned over to Asahi and Norio, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"I have an idea," she said in a low voice. "Let's pull a little prank on Sensei Watanabe."

Norio's eyes widened. "On one of the training masters? Are you insane?"

But Mayumi grinned. "Come on, it's just a little fun. He won't even see it coming."

Reluctantly, Asahi and Norio followed her lead, and they set up a simple prank-switching Sensei Watanabe's tea with vinegar. It seemed harmless enough, but things quickly spiraled out of control when Sensei Watanabe, after taking a sip, realized what had happened. His face turned red with fury, and without hesitation, he marched over to where the three stood, guilty smiles fading fast.

Before any of them could react, Sensei Watanabe slapped Mayumi across the face, the sharp sound echoing through the room.

"You think this is funny?!" he yelled, eyes blazing. "Disrespecting a master like this is beyond foolish!"

Mayumi winced but said nothing, her cheek burning from the impact. She stood tall, defiant, but she could sense the trouble she had gotten herself into. Sensei Watanabe grabbed them all by the collars and dragged them straight to Robin's office. Robin, as always, sat at his desk with an air of calm authority.

"I caught them pulling a prank," Sensei Watanabe explained, still fuming. "They think they can treat their training like a joke."

Robin's eyes darkened, and without a word, he picked up the phone, calling their parents. Within the hour, Mr. Ren, Mr. Joseph, and Mr. Hiroto arrived, their expressions a mix of frustration and disappointment.

As expected, Mr. Ren was the first to lash out. "What is wrong with you three?" he snapped, pacing back and forth. "You're here to train and study, not waste time with stupid pranks!"

Norio and Asahi lowered their heads in shame, but Mayumi, ever defiant, crossed her arms and stared blankly at the wall. Her father's scolding had no effect on her, and she didn't bother to hide her disinterest.

Joseph, however, wasn't about to let that slide. With a quick movement, he slapped Mayumi across the face, just as Sensei Watanabe had earlier. "Don't you dare ignore us, Mayumi," Joseph growled, his voice tight with anger. "This is your future on the line, and you're acting like a spoiled child."