*The exhaustive training with Hae-won has become part of Sungjin's routine, and the progress can be described as 'Satisfactory', even though he is still far from mastering the new style, Sungjin maintains his focus and concentration*
*Hae-won's footsteps echo in a rhythm that frightens Sungjin's nights*
Hae-won: You try too hard! *Hae-won says to Sungjin after he falls to the ground for trying to replicate Hyun-woo's move once again*
Sungjin: Isn't that the point of training? To try. *Sungjin responds as he watches his bandaged arm throb from the intense pressure of training*
Hae-won: Even after so much training and teaching, you seem to not have understood what was taught. *Hae-won stops in front of Sungjin, looking down at him*
Hae-won: Style Stealing isn't exactly a technique you can simply learn, it's more like an instinct. You observe, feel, and then incorporate it, like breathing in the other person's air. *Hae-won expresses her understanding to Sungjin, who looks at her without responding, tired and shaking, but his gaze reveals something different*
*Sungjin closes her eyes for a moment, remembering a moment in Hyun-woo's fight with Joon-ho where he performs his kick, Sungjin understands the movement of his hips, the positioning of his feet, how he pushes his kick, every little detail*
Sungjin: He uses his shoulder... not his feet. *Sungjin takes two steps back and performs the exact same kick, not with the same power, but with the same execution. A kick made by your soul*
Hae-won: You seem to be starting- *Hae-won is interrupted by the sound of the door opening and a figure in front of her against the sunlight*
*Both Sungjin and Hae-won's attention are drawn to that figure*
???: So it's you... *The figure walks with calm and determined steps, wearing an impeccable black uniform with both hands in his pockets. The young man's walk makes Sungjin alert, preparing himself for any kind of surprise*
???: The grandson of the former leader. *Sungjin is surprised by the statement but remains prepared, Hae-won just watches the young man's steps against the light coming from outside*
Sungjin: And you... Who are you?! *Sungjin asks somewhat desperately*
*The young man smiles and stops, the doors close slowly, revealing a tall young man with long white hair and a scar diagonally between his nose and mouth*
???: Someone who will just watch for now. *The young man turns his back and walks towards the door, with slow and imposing steps*
???: I will decide if you are worthy of carrying this legacy! *The figure disappears through the door*
*Sungjin is still standing there watching the door close*
Sungjin: Do you know him? *Sungjin asks as he lets out a breath*
Hae-won: For now he is just someone who has been in this life longer than you. *Hae-won answers as he walks through the laundry room looking for a cloth*
Hae-won: And one more reason for you to evolve quickly, right now he is just watching you, but if he decides to act, at the level you are at, you will be buried. *Hae-won throws this bucket of cold water on Sungjin, who, instead of getting discouraged, seems to be more motivated, keeping a confident and attentive look*
Sungjin: Let's continue- *Sungjin is interrupted by Hae-won throwing a cloth in his face*
Hae-won: That's enough for today, clean the laundry and go home, tomorrow you can go back to school. *The return to school still scares Sungjin a little, who feels a little shiver when he remembers the fight he had with WooTay*
**Some time later**
*Sungjin finished cleaning the laundry room, with the cloth already dark with so much dust and sweat, his back hurt and his eyes were heavy, but his mind was full of thoughts, remembering Hyun-woo's movements, his advance on Gyeolmu, the mysterious figure that is now watching him, all of this kept going through Sungjin's head*
*After finishing cleaning, Sungjin picks up his worn backpack and walks through the streets of the neighborhood, his path is calm only the sound of his thoughts mattered, until he passes two students who were talking to each other*
Student 1: Did you hear about the beating that bully WooTay got? *Sungjin was passing by them when he heard part of their conversation and became interested, which made him discreetly follow the two young men*
Student 2: I heard, they're saying it was a short guy with blue hair from the neighboring school. *The student's description is familiar to Sungjin*
Sungjin: Hyun-woo... *Sungjin speaks loudly, which draws the attention of the students who look back, and Sungjin pretends to be talking on the cell phone*
Student 2: I have a cousin who was at school at the time of the fight. *Sungjin's attention doubles*
Student 1: What did he say?
Student 2: He told me that the blue-haired guy looked like a machine, showing no emotion as he knocked out countless students who were in the hallways. *Sungjin looks a little surprised and scared*
Student 2: But what scared him the most was the fight against WooTay, according to him, "It was as if Zeus came to earth and fought me one on one" it seems like it was an extremely easy fight. *Sungjin gets a little scared and decides to stop listening and go home soon*
Student 2: Oh, he also said that there was a sentence written on the board, something like 'You started a war that you can't win' as if WooTay was paying for someone's actions. *Hearing the sentence, Sungjin freezes, but soon comes to his senses and goes home with yet another worry taking over his mind*
**On the other side of the city**
*Wooden doors slowly close behind WooTay who is sitting in a chair with an ice pack against his face*
Kai: You know you embarrassed us all. Your mission was simple, to apply a punishment, and besides getting beaten up, it only helped to motivate Sungjin. *Kai speaks while sitting in one of the chairs in front of WooTay*
WooTay: It wasn't a simple mission in the end... *WooTay speaks looking at the floor holding the ice pack down*
Mo: You underestimated the punishment, which caused us unnecessary exposure. *Mo who was silent speaks for the first time*
Kai: Right now we don't have any information about Shin Sungjin, but we know that he has Na Hyun-woo's protection, besides, our superiors are on top of us. *Kai pauses for a moment*
Kai: We need to suffocate Shin Sungjin before his legacy can flourish. *After Kai's speech, silence and tension reign in the room*
*WooTay squeezes the ice pack tightly and angrily, which breaks some ice cubes*
**In Sungjin's house**
*Sungjin is in front of the bathroom mirror after taking a shower, looking at himself*
Sungjin: Hyun-woo went against the Council because of me... *Sungjin looks at his casted arm with a mixture of anger and frustration*
Sungjin: If I'm going to carry on this legacy, I'm going to need to be ready! *Sungjin squeezes the cast a little with determination, but soon feels pain and stops*