Good morning, Nakamura-san," he said cheerfully, his grin wide as he approached her. "Can you believe this? It's already the third time this week I've had to lend a hand."
Ayane looked up from her desk, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "I-I can't help it! It's the print drivers! They glitched again and messed up my packet, preventing it from binding into a single file."
Jin chuckled softly as he began to help her organize the jumble of papers. "You seem to say the same thing every single time, don't you?"
"I…I really need to finish my work," she replied, her tone a mix of exasperation and a hint of affection. "Do you have any idea how far behind I am in my neural interface design classes? I lost a whole two days just last week trying to fix the AI assistant in my dormitory!"
Jin grinned, clearly amused. "Let me guess. You upgraded it, right?"
She bit her lip, pausing as she considered her response. "…Just a little."
His smile broadened. "You're brilliant, Nakamura-san. Just make sure you don't overwork yourself, alright?"
As they strolled down the hallway side by side, he couldn't shake off the sense of déjà vu. They typically ended up in the same classes, but their conversations had been pretty minimal. Outside of assignments, they weren't exactly buddies. Still, ever since that first week of orientation, Ayane had made it a habit to give him a little wave or a subtle nod whenever he walked into the room. That day, he had stepped in to help her with her broken bag after her faulty servo lock zapped her wrist.
Helping her felt simple yet nice—there was something about it that just made him happy.
"I heard—" Jin started hesitantly, then shifted his gaze to the floor, shrugging his shoulders. His expression turned sheepish.
"I'm not nearly as smart as you, Nakamura-san. Honestly, I find myself lost in lectures more often than not…."
A brief silence hung between them, creating a moment of reflection.
Then Ayane smiled warmly, her expression softening.
"You may not realize it, but following your passion—that's a different kind of intelligence," she acknowledged, her attention shifting forward once more as she tightened her grip on her stack of textbooks.
"And you know," she added with a thoughtful pause, "pursuing what you love… it's what truly makes life worth living."
He blinked in surprise, her words resonating deeply, more than she might have intended.
"…Thank you, Nakamura-san. I genuinely mean that."
Ayane let out a brief, cheerful laugh, tucking her bangs behind her ear.
"Just don't get too accustomed to my compliments," she teased.
"Here, let me give you a hand with those, Nakamura-san!" His voice radiated the same warmth and friendliness that had made him well-liked amongst their peers, even despite his somewhat mixed background.
As they made their way up the stairs together, he offered to lighten her load a bit, and they fell into an easy chat. His conversation flowed naturally, marked by ca refreshing honesty that stood out against the subtle rudeness and social games often played by their more privileged classmates.
After his mock sparring with Park Jimin, rumors about him started flying around everywhere, but he tried to ignore them. He laid low, focusing on his training and keeping up with his chores, finding some relaxation in the solo kata that helped him chill out. He was totally fine hanging out on his own, having meals by himself without any distractions.
Still, the gossip didn't fade. Tsurugi. His classmates, who came from families of political heavyweights and big-name executives, just couldn't see the connection between that powerful name and the quiet, unassuming guy who seemed happy just tidying up fallen leaves in the serene Zen garden.
On a crisp, sunny afternoon, with the air smelling of damp earth and pine, he was doing his breathing exercises by the old koi pond when fate decided to step in.
"So, the boy Tsurugi finally musters the courage to show himself outside the dojo," a voice cut through the serene atmosphere, sharp and dripping with arrogance.
Jin's eyes drifted open slowly, already keenly aware of the approaching footsteps. Standing before him was Kenji Tanaka, flanked by two eager companions—his usual entourage of both admirers and those who followed him out of fear. Tanaka Cybernetics, a titan in the corporate world, belonged to Kenji's family, and it was clear that he took immense pride in his status. His hair was meticulously styled, his uniform pristine, and his features twisted with an undeserved sense of superiority.
Rising to his feet, he offered a slight bow in acknowledgment. "Tanaka-san," he said, keeping his voice steady and calm. "The garden does feel especially peaceful today."
Kenji sneered, his lips curling into a distasteful expression that marred his otherwise attractive face. "Peaceful? You are the reason this academy is in chaos. This absurd story of you defeating Seoul's corporate league's pride, Park Jimin. An unidentified fatherless boy with a name he has no right to."
He stepped in closer, his gaze piercing as he "You bring shame upon the name of the Tsurugi," Kenji declared with disdain, his voice dripping with contempt. "In truth, you're nothing more than a pretender—a mere nobody pretending to be someone of significance."
The expression on 's face did not twist into one of anger, as Kenji had anticipated. Instead, there was a flicker of genuine sorrow that passed over his features. He could sense the underlying insecurity laced within Kenji's words, a profound and desperate need for validation that fueled his cruelty.
"I truly apologize if my presence disrupts you, Tanaka-san," Jin replied softly, his sincerity cutting through the tension like a knife. "I do not wish to cause trouble or dishonor any name....I am only here to learn the way of the sword, as Sensei Makoto has taught us all.."
"You don't f***ing deserve to be here!" Kenji erupted, his previously composed demeanor shattering like glass as he thrust an accusatory finger toward him. "You are not worthy of the breath you take within these hallowed halls! I challenge you to a duel, right here and right now!"
Despite the venomous words aimed at him, Jin's face retained an air of respect as he gently shook his head in refusal. "Engaging in a fight holds no purpose, Tanaka-san. A duel between us would only serve to prove something meaningless to anyone watching."
Kenji's features twisted into a mask of fury. "It would show that you are nothing but a coward... Or perhaps," his voice sank to a malicious whisper, "your mother was simply some peasant sh*t whore who clung to the Tsurugi name to make her bastard son seem important."
For a brief moment, Kenji blinked, and the grin plastered on his face faltered for an instant. In that fleeting second, he sensed a shift in the air around him, a subtle tension that hinted at something deeper lurking beneath the surface.