*On the way to Sungjin's school, the road remains as quiet as ever, but this time Sungjin's gaze and spirit are completely different, he keeps his head high, ignoring all the whispers and stares*
*Once again Sungjin's head is not inside the classroom, everything that was said in his father's letter passes like a movie through his head. His thoughts are interrupted by the school bell, indicating break time, Sungjin takes a moment to get up, which makes him notice a person sitting in a chair far away from everyone else*
-Tell me when the next session will be
-Be a good punching bag one more time, okay?
*Some students mock the student, who just lowers his head and shakes his hand, angry but imposing*
*Sungin sees in him, the same as his past self, someone who does not have enough power to change his own life*
*The young man realizes that Sungjin is watching him, and gives a smile as if nothing had happened, which for a moment surprises Sungjin, because he does not have the same look as the other students*
*In the cafeteria, Sungjin faces a huge line, where when he gets close to it, all the students look at him strangely, some whispers are spoken but Sungjin completely ignores it and goes to get a snack. Looking at the line, Sungjin sees the same boy being pushed to the last place in line, and every new person who arrived in line passed in front of him. Seeing this, Sungjin takes his snack and throws it to him, who catches it awkwardly*
-Thanks... *The boy looks a little scared, but happy. Sungjin just smiles and, observing the young man from a distance, notices a slightly worn label on his backpack: "Choi Min-jun"*
-Look if it isn't the newbie sensation of the moment! *A second-year student says as he sees Sungjin leaving the cafeteria. Everyone's attention is drawn to those two*
*Sungjin looks at the boy, who is now standing in front of him along with a group of about 3 other students*
-You don't look like much. *The boy looks Sungjin up and down*
Sungjin: I can say the same. *Sungjin looks into the student's eyes*
-How about I show you a little? *The young man approaches Sungjin*
Sungjin: I'm not in the mood right now. *Sungjin walks through the student formation as if it were nothing, and continues walking to the hallway*
-Hm... *The young man grumbles and runs towards Sungjin, trying to punch him from behind*
*Sungjin notices out of the corner of his eye and moves to the side, making the boy miss the punch. Sungjin just goes on his way and ignores all the next attacks, discouraging the bullies who soon give up attacking him*
Min-jun: Nice... *The boy speaks quietly as he observes Sungjin's actions*
*Classes finally end and Sungjin heads to the laundry room where another day of training would begin. On the way, he thinks about what happened at school and that it would become more and more common, which on the one hand scares him, but at the same time makes him want more*
*Upon entering the laundry room, Sungjin sees Hae-won sitting in the center of the room waiting for him. She looks at him and notices that he is different*
Hae-won: Now you walk with your chin up? *Hae-won says as he stands up*
Sungjin: I'm not the same as I was last week. *Sungjin changes his posture but his gaze remains sharp and focused*
Hae-won: Good thing, because the boy from last week would have gotten beaten up without even reacting. *Hae-won steps forward in the blink of an eye, throwing a straight punch*
*Sungjin repeats a block Hae-won did in a past training session, lacking precision and technique, but much better than before*
Hae-won: You copy the form... but you still don't understand the intention. *Sungjin steps back panting as he drops his backpack in the corner*
Sungjin: That's easy to say! *Sungjin retorts*
Hae-won: Stealing a Style isn't just copying a movement, it's understanding the reason for it, it's more like stealing a soul. Until that's engraved in your mind, you'll just keep stumbling. *Hae-won explains once more*
**Outside**
*On the other side of the sidewalk, the mysterious figure watches Sungjin's training session*
-He continues to get beaten like a beginner, but his gaze seems to have changed. *The figure watches Sungjin try the same block over and over again*
-Maybe the rumors have some truth to them, and he is different. *The figure turns and disappears silently into the crowd*
*On the way home, Sungjin sees Min-jun on the other side of the sidewalk, who waves at him with a welcoming smile, Sungjin smiles back, the first sincere smile of the day.*