A few days had passed since the class project.
It was a dry afternoon, Sun high up in the sky.
Dexter was supposed to be at the Dojo today,
So he hurried out of the classroom as soon as school ended.
The only problem was that he didn't hurry to the dojo.
Rather, he was avoiding Kensei.
He returned home and shut himself in.
The doorbell rang. Dexter knew exactly what was coming but didn't come out.
His mother opened the door— it was Kensei, drenched in sweat.
It seemed he ran all the way over to Dexter's house from their school.
Dexter's mom invited him in and showed him to Dexter's "lair".
"Come on, let's go for practice"
Kensei said cheerfully.
Kensei was anything but cheerful though,
Sweating profusely, his hands gripped tight.
He was afraid that Dexter would say no and continue to avoid him.
Dexter saw through Kensei's miserable façade and agreed to go.
"I was searching for my uniform. It'll take some time, wait for me, I'll be there in a min!" Dexter affirmed.
Kensei could finally relax and smiled for real.
"Yeah! Don't keep me waiting long though".
Dexter took his uniform and joined up with Kensei who was waiting for him.
They both headed down the road to the dojo; it was a silent walk to the dojo.
None of them spoke a word, the tension weighed heavily on Kensei.
His inner world was rampant, panicking.
He couldn't think of a single thing to say.
"Master Rei can be quite strict, but he is gentle, he listens to all my problems. I don't know how many times he has helped me regain my confidence"
Kensei tried pushing a conversation forcefully.
"Oh… Is that so? Maybe I will talk about my problems then."
Dexter replied, though he didn't mean a single word of it.
In truth he was reluctant to go practice today.
They both arrived at the dojo,
It was a rather small dojo— Kensei and Dexter were the only students, after all.
The floor had a layer of dust and the smell of wood was ample in the room.
With each footstep, the wooden tiles would creak but never break.
"Ah, finally here— the two of you!"
The voice was deep and gentle.
A rather young man, around his early twenties showed himself from behind the sliding door and welcomed the students in.
"Good afternoon, Master Rei"
Kensei greeted with enthusiasm and respect.
"Good afternoon" Dexter muttered.
Rei was the owner of the dojo and the master of the two,
One would wonder how such a young man could afford to have his own dojo and run it on his own with just two students.
What was even more surprising were his exceptional skills in Kendo.
Awards decorated his Dojo shelf,
One title after another, he truly was a prodigy among prodigies.
Kensei once told Dexter how Master Rei had to quit kendo when he and his family were caught in a graveaccident.
He suffered irreversible spinal damage,
All of his family died.
All that was left were the dojo and a blunt katana which belonged to his father.
Now he is a shadow of his former self and can't strain himself like he used to.
So, he uses all the knowledge of kendo he inherited from his father to make a living.
Dexter felt it would be cruel to just lay down his worries in front of someone who had suffered so much.
In his mind he had already decided that Rei would classify Dexter's worries as childish when compared to his own suffering.
Dexter and Kensei started changing into training gear.
While Kensei and Rei talked about today's practice regimen and the school club,
Dexter moved slowly, almost unnoticed, his mind elsewhere.
"So, how's school lately?"
Dexter jolted, turning sharply.
Rei was looking at him, with a faint smile on his face.
"Nothing special."
Dexter replied, polite but distant.
"I was surprised,"
Rei continued,
" When I heard someone who had never held a bokuto pushed Kensei that far."
There was a faint glimmer of nostalgia in his eyes,
As if remembering another stubborn beginner from years ago.
"That was a fluke!" Dexter said quickly
"Kensei was holding back… a lot".
He denied all the praise Rei had bestowed on him totally unaware of the fact that Kensei did not hold back at that time.
Rei however, went along with him.
"Maybe so, but it's still impressive for a beginner. Keep practicing and you're sure to improve." Said Rei, gently.
Dexter could only nod and accept Rei's words.
They finished changing and went to the training room.
Rei clapped once, sharply, the sound echoed through the small wooden hall.
"First, I'll demonstrate the form for today's session".
Rei moved to a spot facing opposite to Dexter and Kensei,
He had a slight limp in his walk.
As he started the demonstration,
Kensei's face lit up with admiration for the graceful form of his master, moving effortlessly.
Each swing was crisp and controlled, carrying an air of experience heavier than his years.
Dexter on the other hand was not so focused, partly watching the demonstration before retiring his eyes back to the floor.
"That's how you do it, step, raise, cut and reset, your turn now."
Rei said as he walked to a wall and sat down, cross legged.
"I'll go first!",
Kensei came up to the front and volunteered enthusiastically.
Kensei performed the swings with his practiced speed.
Dexter followed,
His swings were sluggish, his grip loose, his footwork clumsy.
The floor creaked each time he retreated for another swing.
Rei's eyes narrowed as he watched patiently.
"Good, now fifty swings each. Don't hurry… precision is the key",
Rei commanded and continued watching while sitting by the wall, wearing a calm face.
The two bowed and followed his command.
They continued their repetition.
The room was filled with dull thuds caused by the bokuto cutting the air,
The rhythm only broken by Dexter's swings and movements creaking the wooden floor.
Rei noticed his poor form, misaligned grip, his stance a fraction off the balance,
But remained silent.
It was unlike the usually observant Dexter to have difficulty imitating the movements from the demonstration.
By the twentieth swing, sweat dripped down from Dexter's forehead to his eyes.
The droplets hit the smooth floorboard as Dexter continued.
On the next step, his foot slipped slightly but he caught himself, and continued the swing, masking the stumble.
As he stepped back to start another swing, he felt a sting in his ankle.
He clenched his jaw and continued to swing.
Rei's voice cut in suddenly,
"Stop for a moment, Dexter".
Kensei froze mid swing, startled, while Dexter stopped and lowered his bokuto reluctantly.
Rei walked over, kneeling to check Dexter's footing.
His hands were gentle, careful not to make the boy flinch.
"You twisted it, didn't you?" Rei said quietly.
"It's nothing"
Dexter muttered,
"I can still go on".
Rei looked at him steadily.
"Maybe. But sometimes "still able" and "pushing through" aren't the same thing."
Dexter averted his gaze.
His chest felt tight, Rei's words struck closer than he intended.
He spoke without a second thought— on impulse.
"…What if my footing always feels wrong? Even if I don't fall, I keep slipping? And no matter how much I fix it…the ground doesn't change?".
Dexter lowered his head,
Not expecting an answer to his riddle like confession.
The room went quiet,
Kensei looked confused by the metaphor but Rei understood.
His expression softened.
"You can't always change the ground,"
Rei said after a pause.
"But you can strengthen your stance. That way, even if the floor creaks or shifts, you won't collapse with it. Sometimes… that's all we can do."
Dexter stared at him.
The words sinking deeper than he expected.
Rei wasn't dismissing his struggle, nor was he comparing it to his,
He was simply…. answering.
Rei pulled out the bokuto tucked into his obi.
He held it in both of his hands by its length in front of Dexter.
"There are two edges to a sword…"
Rei stated,
"The front edge, which is used to cut and the back, blunt edge which strengthens the strikes. If not used correctly, even the blunt edge might hurt you but there is…. A third edge, which is the most important to consider while you swing your sword."
"…. a third?"
Dexter blinked in confusion.
"Yes, the third edge. The edge inside your heart. The doubts, the anger, the fear — they're sharper than any steel. If you don't learn to guide that edge, it'll cut deeper than anything outside ever could."
Dexter's grip on his bokuto tightened.
For a moment he thought of Kensei, Max, the whispers in his class, the quiet nights where he couldn't recognise what was wrong.
All those edges pressing inwards.
He felt relieved for the first time in days.
He felt the weight in his chest loosen slightly.
He nodded once, a faint whisper leaving his lips.
"…Thank you."
Rei smiled faintly and patted his shoulder.
"Now rest that ankle. We'll continue when you're ready."