Sparring Opponent: Min Jae-hoon
Today, the classroom was unusually quiet. The reason was simple. Even without anyone saying a word, everyone was looking at the same thing. The screens of the phones in their hands. A moment later, notifications rang out simultaneously.
Midterm Evaluation Sparring Opponent Notice
That single short phrase hardened the atmosphere in the classroom completely. Someone let out a small sigh the moment they checked their screen. Someone else exhaled a long breath without saying a word. Another kept their head down, unable to tear their eyes away from the phone. On desks. On laps. In palms. Their postures differed, but their expressions were similar. Expectation. Anxiety. Resignation.
Soon after, two names appeared side by side on my own phone screen.
Han Do-yoon.
Min Jae-hoon.
I didn't bother lifting my head. It wasn't as surprising as I'd thought. Maybe I'd unconsciously known it all along.
At that moment, a laugh burst out from somewhere. It was Min Jae-hoon.
The homeroom teacher said nothing afterward. No explanation about the sparring opponents, no warnings. As if the outcome had already been decided, she simply moved on to the next class. But the center of the classroom had already shifted. No one spoke of it, yet every gaze was fixed on me and Min Jae-hoon.
The moment break time began, Min Jae-hoon moved. No hesitation, no caution. This time, he didn't even try to hide his intent. He deliberately walked toward the area where the most people had gathered. His footsteps crossing between desks sounded strangely loud.
Tap. Tap.
It wasn't a nervous sound. If anything, it carried a sense of leisure.
"Hey."
His voice was low, yet strangely clear. Several students nearby naturally stopped talking. Min Jae-hoon leaned against my desk as if it had always been his spot.
"Looks like you're my opponent."
The corner of his mouth slowly curled upward.
"Guess your luck's pretty damn rotten."
A brief pause.
"Especially since expulsion's already confirmed."
His group snickered from behind. They didn't bother suppressing their laughter. It was the kind of sound meant to be heard.
I said nothing. I didn't look away, nor did I respond. The moment he saw that, Jae-hoon's expression brightened further.
"But now that I think about it," he said, tilting his head slightly, "maybe it's a good thing?"
His tone was light, as if making casual conversation. That only made it more ominous.
"Your father died in a dungeon."
In an instant, the air in the classroom visibly stiffened. Someone's hand gripping a pencil froze. Someone else swallowed their breath.
"And your mother retired after wrecking her body, right?"
He spoke as if confirming, but his face already knew the answer. Jae-hoon didn't miss my reaction. Not a single flicker of my eyes. Not even the slightest twitch of my jaw muscles.
"You," he deliberately cut himself off. A moment of silence. More gazes gathered. Then he continued slowly. "You won't even be able to go near a dungeon. Since you never awakened."
His gaze dropped to my hands. They were neither clenched nor relaxed—just ambiguous. Then to my uniform. Then to my face.
"So what," Jae-hoon shrugged. "At least you won't die in a dungeon."
He let out a very light laugh.
"Shouldn't you be thanking me? At this rate."
Laughter erupted. This time, they didn't bother hiding it at all.
"Haha, that's true."
"If you can't awaken, you can't go into dungeons."
"Safe life, huh."
Jae-hoon added, completely nonchalant within the laughter, "You can just live quietly with your mother. How nice."
His voice lowered a little.
"Delivering food to awakened people or something. I'll even buy you some fried chicken once in a while."
At that moment, my hand trembled ever so slightly. So faintly that only I could feel it.
A low hum rang inside my ears. As if submerged in water, the sound came filtered through a layer. My heart beat a beat late. My breath caught in my throat. My fist clenched on its own.
If I hit him now—
My mind calculated at lightning speed. If I struck here, everything would end. Before the midterm evaluation. In the middle of the classroom. With dozens of witnesses. The fact that an unawakened student struck an awakened one first could get me expelled regardless of my efforts.
I slowly raised my head. My eyes met Jae-hoon's. He was still smiling as he looked into mine. Not mockery, but a smile of certainty.
He won't hit me. Even if he does, he's the one who loses.
His face knew that all too well.
In that moment, my mind cleared in an odd way. The anger hadn't disappeared. If anything, it had sharpened. But I knew clearly that now wasn't the time.
I said nothing.
When Jae-hoon saw no reaction, his excitement faded slightly.
"What, you can't even talk back."
He stood up and added one last thing.
"See you at the midterm evaluation."
The corner of his mouth rose again.
"Let's see how far you can fall."
That wasn't a warning or a provocation. It was closer to a notice of the result.
Jae-hoon returned to his seat as if nothing had happened. The classroom grew noisy again shortly after, but I barely heard any of it. Those words still lingered in my ears.
I clenched my fist harder under the desk. My nails dug into my palm. It hurt. But that wasn't enough.
Just once is all I need.
That thought alone remained in my mind. I had no intention of running away anymore. This time, not to survive. But to break him for certain.
That day, the path to the training ground felt especially long. Even after leaving the school building and passing through the familiar corridors, my feet wouldn't move easily. It was the same path, yet today it seemed several times farther. With every step, the words I'd heard earlier clung to my back. They popped out like meaningless words, then tangled messily in my head. The more I tried to organize them, the more scattered they became.
Don't think about it.
The more I tried to think that, the clearer they became.
Your father died in a dungeon. Your mother retired after wrecking her body. And you'll be the guy who can't even go near a dungeon.
That thought scraped at the inside of my chest.
The moment I opened the training ground door, cold air struck my face. The lights were bright, and the magic patterns on the floor were vivid. A familiar space. Which meant I couldn't run away.
When I gripped the sword, too much strength had gone into my hand. My palm felt stiff. My fingers wouldn't spread properly.
This won't do.
My mind said so, but my body wouldn't listen.
"Hey."
Tae-geon looked at me and spoke. His expression was strange. He wasn't smiling like usual, and there was no playful air about him.
"You're pretty rough today."
He paused for a beat. I didn't answer. I didn't even know what to say. Saying I was fine would be a lie, and saying I wasn't would be too accurate.
Instead, I took my stance again. Raising the sword, shifting my feet, steadying my breath.
"Again."
Tae-geon stared at me for a moment. My hands. My shoulders. My eyes. His face looked like he wanted to say something but stopped. Then he simply nodded without a word.
Hero Step
Mana gathered in Tae-geon's lower body. The air pushed aside, distorting my sense of distance. In an instant, the space in front of me filled completely.
A slash.
This time, I didn't dodge. Instinctively twisting my body, I lowered my center of gravity. The blade grazed past my shoulder. Then I moved in. But too deep. Before the warning could even ring in my mind, my body pushed further forward.
Tae-geon's counterattack came immediately. His sword moved in a very short arc.
"Stop."
Tae-geon lowered his sword. The mana settled.
"Hey, Han Do-yoon."
He spoke in a low voice.
"Right now, you—"
He paused briefly before continuing.
"You're only looking straight ahead."
My breath came out rough. My lungs didn't feel like they were expanding properly.
"This tactic," Tae-geon tapped the floor with the tip of his sword, "requires composure. It's the kind where you stake everything on a single timing."
His gaze fixed on my face.
"What you're doing right now is just charging in."
I raised my head. My eyes burned painfully. My eyelids were heavy, and the edges of my vision trembled slightly. But I didn't look away.
"I know."
My voice was low, but it didn't shake.
"I know that too."
Tae-geon's face was clearly surprised. Gripping my sword again, I spoke. Sweat ran down my palm, but I didn't let go.
"Even so."
I caught my breath for a moment before continuing.
"This time, there's only one chance."
The midterm evaluation. One time. Min Jae-hoon. One time.
"Because it's the only opportunity."
My voice sank deeper.
"I'll do it properly. For certain."
Tae-geon was silent for a while. He scanned my face, my eyes, my posture in turn. Then he let out a short breath.
"...Right."
He nodded.
"Then you need to be more precise."
Raising his sword again, he said, "Don't let your emotions drag you along."
Tae-geon paused for a moment. Then he added in a slightly lower voice, "No. Factor even those emotions into your calculations."
I nodded.
Again. And again. Slash. Dodge. Advance. Fail. Retreat. Realign. My body was already nearing its limit. My thighs ached, and strength wouldn't enter my arms properly. But I had no intention of stopping.
This time, I wasn't thinking of knocking him down. Not breaking his balance, not disrupting his flow. This time, I moved with the intent to end it. I knew it would be difficult to bring down my opponent. But with one chance, I intended to pour everything into that single beat.
The midterm evaluation was a week away. Awakening still hadn't come. I didn't expect a miracle. But this time, I wouldn't run. This time, I wouldn't look away. This time, I would be the one to step in first. I would stake everything on that single moment.