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THE EARLY MORNING AIR WAS CRISP, but y/n l/n could barely feel it through the thick layer of sweat clinging to her skin. Every muscle in her body screamed in protest as she lunged forward, only to be thwarted yet again. Across from her, Kwon stood stoic and alert, though the faint shadow under his eyes betrayed the ungodly hour. It was just past 5 AM, and Sensei Kim had been drilling them for over an hour with no discernible progress.
Y/n wiped her face with her t-shirt, frustration bubbling to the surface. "How is this even fair, sensei? You've got literal weapons in your hair!" she snapped, glaring at the little iron block dangling at the end of the woman's braid, which she wielded with the precision of a seasoned warrior, smacking the girl at least 8 times already.
Kim arched a brow, her tone dripping with condescension. "Fair?" she echoed, her voice cutting through the dim training room like a blade. "Life isn't fair. Victory doesn't wait for fairness. It waits for skill." She spun her ponytail effortlessly, smirking. "Stop whining and learn how to adapt."
Before y/n could retort, Kim was on her again, a blur of calculated movements. The y/h/c-haired girl managed to block the first swing but missed the second, which caught her ankle and sent her crashing to the ground with a thud.
She barely had time to push herself up before a firm grip yanked her to her feet. "We need to work together if we're going to beat her," Kwon said, his voice calm but firm, his hand gripping her shoulder.
Y/n shrugged him off, glaring at him. "I've got this. If you want to help, then stay out of my way."
The boy's jaw tightened, but he didn't argue. Instead, he stepped back, his gaze steady as y/n charged forward again. She dodged Kim's hair this time, narrowly avoiding a hook kick that sliced through the air near her face. y/n countered with a swing of her fist, but Da-eun caught her arm mid-punch, her grip ironclad. In one fluid motion, the sensei used her free leg to kick her student's side, sending her stumbling back before pivoting and aiming a sharp kick at Kwon.
Unlike y/n, Kwon had anticipated it and stepped back, avoiding the strike by inches. But Kim was relentless. In a blur, she flipped y/n onto the mat, the impact jarring, and spun into a roundhouse kick that caught the raven squarely in the face, knocking him down as well.
Kwon groaned faintly as he pushed himself to his feet. While the girl lay sprawled on the mat, catching her breath, he sighed and walked over to her, reaching down and hauling her up with practiced ease. His grip was firm but impatient, dragging her upright. "Get it together," he muttered.
