Fierce Tiger Jayden Bior
Jayden Bior. He had been special since he was little. Even the speed at which he started speaking was different. It wasn't just that he talked early; while other kids were barely moving past babbling to stringing words together, he was already forming clear sentences with proper cause and effect.
He'd inherited his genes wholesale from his father, a famous American football player, and his body grew just as fast. His growth rate seemed years ahead of everyone else's. On top of that, he'd seemingly taken in his pro dad's knack for reading situations lock, stock, and barrel. He took after his mom, a university hospital nurse, with barely any emotional ups and downs. Hanging out with kids his age was just tiring for him. Screaming for no reason or bursting into tears over nothing? Those were just illogical noise to him.
Instead of throwing tantrums, Jayden would sit quietly, listening intently to adults' conversations or flipping through thick books. "Jayden, you don't wanna play with us?" When the teacher asked, he'd just shake his head lightly. There was no malice in the refusal. He simply couldn't blend in. The kids' world felt too small for him, and the one he saw was already a sturdy, orderly structure he'd built all on his own.
His unreadable face. A hulking kid sitting in the corner with eyes like an adult's—it gave people an odd sense of intimidation. He was never rude, but he never seemed like an easy mark to anyone. His parents couldn't help but notice how exceptional he was. They were just thrilled. His dad dreamed of him becoming a legendary football star tearing up the field, while his mom was convinced he'd be a renowned doctor saving lives. Their expectations were grand and lofty... but exactly that level. They had no idea it was a narrow frame that couldn't even hold half of their son's immense talent.
Jayden had always been especially sensitive to the wind compared to other kids. That wind lingered in rustling tree branches, in birds slicing through the air with their wings, and even in the warm embrace of his parents. Little Jayden thought, 'Is this life force?' But it didn't quite fit—it dwelled in jagged, cracked rocks too, and in the silent exhibits of museums. That was the moment Jayden grasped the concept of flow.
Thud!
"Kyaaak!"
Jayden stopped in his tracks at the sensation of something slamming into his thigh and looked down. Another dorm student lay sprawled awkwardly on the floor. She'd apparently come barreling down the hallway without looking and crashed right into him.
"Ugh, ow—my head."
The girl groaned from the stinging pain, lifting her head. Spotting the massive shadow looming over her, she sucked in a sharp breath.
"Ah, wha— Eek!"
Her face went pale in an instant as her eyes met Jayden's cold gaze boring straight down from above. Dressed in the Orben dorm uniform, Jayden looked every bit the giant black tiger. The unique pressure he exuded crushed the air in the hallway. Like prey tossed before a predator, the girl's eyes began trembling in terror.
"S-sorry... I'm sorry! I didn't mean to bump into you. I was just rushing 'cause I'm late, and I wasn't paying attention... Sorry!"
Her frantic apologies spilled out, but Jayden just stared down at her silently in response. Overwhelmed by his chilling aura, the girl froze in place like she'd taken root in the floor, not even thinking to stand.
Even as her mind flashed blank, she babbled excuses to salvage the situation. But her rambling justifications never reached Jayden's ears. For one thing, apologies weren't what he wanted.
"Move."
His low, flat voice struck her eardrums.
"Huh? What did you...?"
His eyebrow twitched faintly at her dumbstruck reply.
"How long do you plan on blocking the hallway?"
Only then did she realize she was sprawled out, blocking his path. Jayden clicked his tongue shortly, as if she were pathetic for staring up at him so blankly.
"Tch."
The rustle of his clothes brushing past was the only sound as he sidestepped her without a second glance. Just as he tried to dismiss the minor incident from his mind, a familiar, bright voice flew into his ear.
"What, is this your living room? Get up already."
Jayden turned to see an Eastern boy casually extending a hand to the girl still sitting on the floor.
"Uh, yeah. Thanks..."
She grabbed it like it was a lifeline and pulled herself up. Her legs wobbled as the tension released, but the boy steadied her with a firm grip on her arm.
"Jeez, be more careful. You gotta watch where you're going. That guy's so tall, he probably doesn't even register people at his feet as human."
The boy shot Jayden a direct look, tossing the cheeky joke his way. Once the girl hurried off with repeated thanks, an odd tension hung in the hallway between the two boys.
Jayden spat curtly at the approaching Eastern boy. "Meddling in pointless matters."
"Real nice way to put it. Well, it's your reputation to trash, not my business."
The boy shrugged and fell into step beside Jayden.
"Girl sitting alone on the floor? Kinda bugs me. Looks bad too."
Jayden glanced down at the small head that barely reached his chest. Most adults shrank back when facing him, yet this kid from far-off Korea—Seojun—showed no hesitation whatsoever. It wasn't shallow pretense or childish bravado. Jayden's instincts pierced straight to people's cores, but this little guy had no defenses or fear he could read. Seojun's drowsy eyes held no emotion. If anything, maybe a faint flicker of gladness at seeing a friend.
Every time they crossed paths, though, Jayden felt an inexplicable unease around Seojun. Like staring into a vast swamp of unknown depth.
"What're you staring at? Something on my face?"
Seojun yawned lazily, squinting up at him. Even Jayden couldn't yet gauge what lurked behind that dopey-looking facade.
"Oh, right. Club interviews next Saturday. Rupert tell you? Kinda hard to know with Orben and Durantes having zero overlapping classes."
"I heard. Seems things went according to plan."
"Yeah, Durantes and Orben share most classes anyway."
Seojun hummed a tune, hands clasped behind his back.
"Rupert said you've been pulling solo Dark Knight runs. Dial it back, man. Guess that's why they call it science."
Jayden felt the little guy's gaze on his head like it was up to no good, but he snorted.
"Herding together is just the weak's survival tactic. True strength means forging ahead silently, heedless of others' eyes..."
"Yeah, yeah. The world's meant to be lived alone, blah blah. You'll figure it out fine."
Seojun cut him off mid-sentence, sounding bored. The solemn speech fizzled out with one nonchalant reply.
"Live a little."
The tossed-out words rode the air to his ear.
"The fastest, most efficient path. A life outpacing everyone else. Not bad, I guess."
The kid glanced up at the ceiling somewhere before adding,
"Just not sure if it's the best way for you."
"Spoken like someone with leisure."
Jayden cut it short, as if there was no need to hear more.
"Half-hearted resolve achieves nothing."
"Probably."
The boy didn't argue, just letting it slide with a low rumble.
"Life's finite anyway. Wanting to leave a mark's natural instinct, maybe. Even if there's nothing at the end."
A brief silence passed between them. Jayden's eyes narrowed.
"...What are you trying to say?"
"Nothing much?"
Seojun shrugged.
"Just that taking the scenic route sometimes ain't bad."
No real agenda, just like any chance encounter. At the fork, they naturally parted ways.
"Catch ya later, Dark Knight."
The Eastern boy waved lazily as he walked off. Jayden watched his back for a moment, then resumed his steady stride.
Orben. A dorm for those who believed only unshakeable conviction in oneself could lead to transcendence. Once hailed as the academy's pinnacle of glory, it had faded into history's shadows as mystery waned from the world. Now, after over a millennium of slumber, Orben had awakened, proclaiming its name anew.
The first ten students to claim spots in the revived Orben all embodied its lofty, fierce spirit. Arrogance that dismissed others' gazes entirely. An ego convinced they were the world's center. To them, the world was merely a stage for self-proof.
You'd think such personalities wouldn't mesh, but Orben students got along surprisingly well. Their high pride meant they readily yielded space to those who met their strict standards. Confident in themselves, they respected comrades who'd passed the test with equal weight.
In a way, they might've been the tightest-knit dorm. Generous to each other beneath their clean acknowledgment, even if stingy with outsiders.
And Jayden Bior. Even within Orben, he stood alone.