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THE RHYTHMIC THUD OF THE AXE STRIKING THE WOOD punctuated the cool night air. y/n l/n adjusted her grip, steadying the log before swinging down again, splitting it cleanly in two. The cool night air wrapped around her, but the physical exertion kept her warm. Across the clearing, Kim Da-eun methodically swept fallen leaves from the dirt path, her movements deliberate and disciplined. The firelight from her grandfather's hut flickered nearby, casting long shadows around them.
The girl hesitated before finally speaking, her voice quiet but firm. "You lied to them."
Kim didn't look up from her work. "I don't lie." Her tone was as sharp as the axe y/n wielded.
"You told my parents I was helping someone... Someone I tutored in school." y/n turned to face her, the weight of confusion and frustration in her gaze. "The only boy I tutor is Kwon."
"I am aware." Deadpanned the older woman, her pace measured and focused.
"I didn't even know about... any of this." y/n scoffed. "Do you have any idea how hard it was to keep a straight face during that painfully long dinner? My parents think I'm doing something noble now. Something good."
Kim finally looked at her, her expression impassive. "And you are."
Y/n felt the knot in her chest tighten. "So it's true? What you told them about him?" Her voice wavered slightly, betraying the storm of emotions she tried to suppress.
"It's true." The woman confirmed, setting the broom aside and folded her arms. Her voice carried a weight that left no room for doubt. "Jae-sung's mother died when he was too young to remember her properly... Took her own life. His father—if you can call him that—turned to the bottle instead of parenting. His grandmother raised him, gave him what little stability he has left. But she's sick now, and he knows her time is running out."
Y/n blinked, the information hitting her harder than she expected. She hadn't thought much about Kwon beyond his infuriating attitude and constant jabs. But now...
"He doesn't talk about it," y/n murmured, more to herself than her sensei. "He never said a word."
"And he won't," Kim said bluntly. "That's not who he is. He's not looking for pity or a savior, y/n. He's looking for a way out, and karate is the only thing that's ever made sense to him."
Y/n picked up another log and positioned it on the stump. Her hands shook slightly, but she tightened her grip on the axe to steady herself. "I didn't know," she admitted quietly.
