Chapter 01: The Fencing Association Tensions

"The sword is a symbol of power, meaning the authority to judge, enforce the law, and make responsible decisions. It is a weapon used to decide the fate of others. Therefore, the sword in the hand of Lady Justice is a double-edged sword, which symbolizes the law that can be used to punish wrongdoers and protect the innocent at the same time.

However, this power can also lead to injustice. If the sword bearer does not weigh the evidence and consider it carefully, the sword must be lower than the scales, to show that it is subject to scrutiny."

The soft voice of the female narrator from the documentary "The Sword of Justice" on the iPad continues to play, even though the person who opened it is not paying attention to it.

The small, thin frame inside the medium-sized bedroom, he was still pays attention to the favorite saber in hand. He wiped it slowly and carefully, examining the slender shape and handle that fit his hand perfectly before putting a sheath on the sword and placing it in his bag along with a new pair of gloves he had just gotten yesterday evening.

Khanin turned to close the case and stood up to his full height, taking the black backpack with the Fencing equipment inside and slinging it over his shoulder.

He had to hurry a bit today as he had a training session scheduled for the new kids at the Fencing association, so he needed to move faster than usual.

The young boy stepped out of the bedroom and, as he was about to close the door, his eyes caught sight of the neatly arranged display of his own achievements on the shelf.

Khanin's room was filled with various types of swords that he had won from innocent bet win with his friends. He looked at them with pride before closing the door and walking down the stairs with a happy mood."You have arrived late, five minutes after the agreed time. You will make adjustments next time."

Khanin's feet immediately stopped when he heard a loud noise from someone else, who turned out to be his own father, Tattanai.

"Yes sir, I'm aware of that."

Khanin shrugged his shoulders and sat down at the dining table, ignoring his father who was standing lazily in front of the stove.

He picked up his mobile phone to read a message from his close friend, Paul, who was a member of the Tex fencing club they had arranged to meet since morning. However, before he could reply, breakfast served by his father was placed in front of him.

"I already said it. If you're in the house, use our native language." Tattanai said sternly, while his expression remained unchanged as usual.

Our native language made the young man laugh inwardly. The language spoken about was probably the Emmaly language, as his father came from a small country in the SouthEast region named Emmaly.

Tattanai is from there and has strong ties to the country, but Khanin is not. He was born and raised in England.

He was unclear how his father could speak the language of "their" so fluently. The young man thinks it should be his father's language. It's worse when his father says he was born and raised here. So, his language should be English, not Emalese.

Although Khanin wanted to back out, he decided to remain indifferent and keep those words he heard from his father, as he observed the tension on his face.

"Khao Soi again." Khanin grumbled about the food in front of him instead. He used a fork to separate the noodles in the curry with prominent orange oil. He rolled the yellow noodles and furrowed his brow at his father who had just sat down across from him.

"Dad, you know that I don't like to eat Khao Soi because it stains my shirt."

The young man said of himself eating Khao Soi like his father, and the broth spilling onto his shirt... it was messy In reality, he doesn't like any kind of noodle dishes because every time Khanin eats, there is a problem with his clothes getting dirty with soup or sauce. Everyone knows and tries to avoid serving this kinda food, but it seems like his father is an exception.

His father not only never avoids things his son doesn't like but also likes to serve noodle dishes every morning.

"Just get used to it. You can eat it without staining your clothes." Tattanai replied calmly, squinting at his son's use of the utensils.

"Just practice using chopsticks until you're comfortable with them. You can eat national dishes without getting dirty." Tattanai replied calmly, watching his son use a fork to eat instead of chopsticks as he had been taught. "Practice using chopsticks with a spoon until you're comfortable with them. You won't be able to use a fork to eat everything like you're used to doing here, Nin."

"Hmm." Khanin sighed when he heard his father speak like that.

The young man knew that arguing would not be helpful.

If he argued, his father would just repeat the same things like a programmed robot. Realizing this, he took the spoon out of the cup and picked up the chopsticks next to him, clamped a few strands of noodles into his mouth, and then quickly drank some water and stood up.

"Nin, you've only eaten this much. You're not full yet."

"Hmm." Tattanai lifted his coffee cup and sipped it, pretending not to notice his son's clear dissatisfaction every time he complained.

On the child's side, seeing his father's indifferent attitude, he turned and grabbed his backpack and slung it over his shoulder.

Khanin was about to leave the dining room through the elderly person's path. However, before he could take a step, his tender heart gnawed at his mind until he finally gave in and became understanding to his father again because he couldn't bear things being sour.

If they had to avoid talking just because he didn't care about eating Khao-Soi it would sound just stupid, so he could agree to lower himself again.

"Well then...I am going ahead, Dad."

Khanin spoke softly to the broad back, looking from this angle as if Tattanai didn't care to argue with his son at all. The tall man in the blue protective clothing didn't even bother turning around to look at him with disdain.

Khanin's father just calmly placed the coffee cup down and then uttered a stern voice.

"Don't forget that we have a rehearsal tonight - don't be late."

His eyes glanced nervously around before Khanin paused in his tracks, thinking to leave quietly from this spot.

"But I am going to practice at the Association, and what else will I practice at night for, Dad? Let's discuss whether we should give me some time to have fun."

The association that Khanin referred to was the Fencing Association, and what he talked to his father about the training was the international sport of Fencing.

His grandfather dreamed of his father becoming a representative of his own country in sports, but Tanattai couldn't because of an accident when he was young. He had to give up his dream and accept job offers in other areas while moving to England and establishing himself here...

"I changed my mind. Training like that and 'our' training are not the same."

Tattanai lowered his voice, emphasizing the phrase "our" in particular.

"What are you holding on to father? I won the awards in the association, but it still doesn't satisfy you?"

"Not enough. Come and practice tonight - you have still many flaws that I needs to point out and show you." Tattanai finished speaking and lifted his coffee cup to his lips again.

The middle-aged man showed an indifferent attitude to what his son was doing, something that Khanin opposed. His orders had to be obeyed, and Khanin prohibited any refusal.

"Then it's up to you, Dad. Whatever you want I will do. Either way, I must be obedient because I am living with Asian Parents."

The childish argument of the only son echoed along with the sound of the door slamming shut.

Bang!

For several minutes, Tattanai remained motionless, his once calm eyes trembling. His gaze, which used to look outward, now rested on the bowl of Khao Soi, the food that his son had left over.

Khanin walked out of the house and still had a heavy heart from his father's words. The young man walked quickly, shuffling his feet, towards Earl's Court Station, hoping that walking would help ease the anger in his heart.

Khanin thought that his father had a demeanor more suited for a military person than a writer, with his stern and orderly manner and the heavy tone he used when training in swordplay. It made him feel as though this father of his had been trained rigorously by a knight in the middle ages.

It was not surprising that none of his friends dared to come and play at his house, as each of them feared his father.

Khanin still remembered when Paul visited his house for the first time and his father ordered him to put on his training clothes because he saw that Paul's swordplay was not good enough. His father trained him so intensely that Paul was exhausted and didn't dare to come to his house again.

In addition, he also called his father a merciless training master in the writer's circle, telling everyone about it until now.

In reality, Tattanai's main profession was as a ghostwriter, working only for famous people. Most of his work was related to the biographies of athletes, which is why he didn't have much of his own work to show.

But that's the reason why his father still has to exercise and train hard regularly, because famous athletes prefer someone who takes care of their own body, rather than hiring a thin and weak writer to write their biography.

Khanin thinks that Tattanai is one of the most talented people. If he had not had an accident, he probably would not have had to entrust all his dreams and hopes to him. His son was very overborne.

Just follow the rules of the battalion. If he was still in his home country, born in Emmaly, he would probably have become a happy national team athlete.

He guessed that his father had already reconciled with this matter. Although he lived his life like a father, raising one child to perfection till he was this grown.

Although Khanin never met his mother because she passed away when he was born, on the other hand, his father did a good job and never missed anything. Even if he was tough on him for everything, he could never deny that Tattanai was one of the best fathers.

His father loved him, like he loved his father. Although they never said "I love you" to each other, Khanin always felt the good hope that his father gave him with his sincerity.

Taking care of the house by keeping it clean and waking up to serve breakfast for everyone... um, even though it was food that he didn't really like.

Okay, it wasn't that bad with them...

Because he had always been with his father, Khanin was not far from the tree. He got almost everything that his father had and did.

His habit is to observe people's facial expressions and postures, partly because he learned it from fencing, which his father taught him.

The other party always says that this sport is not just about wielding a sword to stab or strike your opponent, but it is a sport used to train decision-making skills whether to attack or defend based on observing the postures of the opponent.

The precise speed of parrying the sword promptly is all due to having to use concentration to read the minds and read the movements of others until it becomes second nature.

It's like reading his own father's mind that no matter how hard it is, he always makes it easy for him.

Khanin thinks that all of this is a special ability.

He is good at reading the situation around him, especially people's facial expressions and the movements of living things around him, and because of this, that's why his journey to the Fencing Association this morning looked strange if more than usual...

He took two steps forward, then stopped, and then took two more steps and stopped again. He repeated this several times until he was sure that the sound of his own footsteps was followed by another sound.

'The sound of thick-soled shoes is unmistakable.'

To make sure, the young man stopped and turned around again.

Khanin pretended to bend down and tie his own shoelaces, although nothing would come out, he relied on the moment of lowering his face to peek under his legs.

As expected, a pair of combat boots appeared. The owner of the boots stood still at a visible distance.

The young boy's heart was beating rapidly as if someone was shaking him.

Khanin swallowed the thick saliva, but despite the efforts of consciousness to wake him up, he chose to get up and stand naturally.

Pretending not to notice the presence of some people walking together, he took a long pause, tried not to see anything, and hurriedly walked into the Tube as soon as the train doors opened.

It had been almost a week since Khanin began to sense something abnormal around him.

Many times he felt that someone's gaze was fixed on him, but when he looked back, he could not find anyone suspicious. However, every time his survival instinct told him that the mysterious person was getting closer and closer until he could no longer trust anyone.

'No matter what, today I must see the face of the person who has been following me.'

Khanin thought in his mind before slowly moving from the door aisle to the center of the bus.

He glanced cautiously at the reflections of people in the mirror before his eyes met with a suspicious person wearing a gray hoodie and a black cap that covered their face, standing behind him, leaning to the right side, less than three seats away.

Khanin locked eyes with that person, while the young boy on the other side read the gestures through the reflection of the Tube window. The person turned to the left and right suspiciously, and leaned toward Khanin, making him think of the old enemies who he had problem with.

The young man was searching for fragments of memory, wondering if he had ever had a problem with someone who had this kind of appearance, but his mind was blank. Khanin did not know many Asians, so he was confident that this person was not someone he knew for sure.

As soon as he thought that, the young boy closed his eyes, and Khanin took a deep breath before counting to ten, following the time he had calculated in his mind. Then...

"Hey, you kid there!"

Someone yelled loudly as Khanin bumped into him while running from the center of the bus to the door. Although he wanted to apologize, he did not have time. The only thing that mattered was the announcement from the stationmaster.

Khanin counted the steps he needed to run, then quickly jumped out of the bus in one swift motion, just as the sound of the door closing beeped.

Beep!

"Go-to-hell, you-fucking-pervert!"

Khanin turned around and spoke silently but emphasized his mouth movements clearly to the person in the gray hoodies who were fiercely huddling together in the pit.

The other party chased him but it was pointless as the train door had already closed. They were blocked from each other and the young man smiled, raising his middle finger to show a painful victory declaration to the people on the train, causing them to shuffle uncomfortably until they realized what to do. The train departed and the procession was over.

You idiot...

The young man stood and watched the train move away with joy. He quickly turned around, realizing that he would not be able to get away with traveling on the same route as before to meet someone at the next station.

The decision to change the mode of transportation to the fencing club by taking another train and walking a bit more was probably the best way out.

It's okay to waste a little time... but at least he can be confident that he will be safe from the stalker who has been lurking in his life lately for another day.

"Oh, that's why you were late."

Upon arriving at the Fencing club, it took less than a minute to be scrubbed clean by Khanin's close friend. He had to explain the reason for his lateness and told Paul everything that had happened to relay it to others.

He certainly never disappoints... in terms of eloquence.

Therefore, when he walked out of the dressing room, everyone on the team had already noticed. Even the new kid standing in front of the digital scoreboard counting the score.

"I've talked about this enough." Khanin, who was wearing a mesh mask, walked over to Paul and brushed his bangs aside, Angella turned around and saw him smile before quickly leaning away from the conversation to let him join in.

"So, you said someone was following you." Paul, the blond-haired Englishman, turned to his little friend immediately. "What are you going to do about it? Will you report it to the police, just in case those guys are trafficking in human organs or something? Why do they do that kind of thing?"

Khanin smiled when he heard his close friend's last sentence and turned to see him smile like that. It was predictable that none of this was a big deal, but Paul was the type to overreact and blurt out nonsensical things.

"You talk too much, Paul. What can Nin possibly have for the stalker? Even though he's cute, you should help us check the content of our photos, that's it. His brain is just this small."

Alex, a half-Chinese, half-Englishman holding an Epee, pretended to show his small items to his friends.

"Moreover, having a foul mouth like his - anyone can kidnap him, but it's a burden. I sympathize with those who want to kidnap him, my friend."

"Hey, calm down, friend. You must have forgotten who the captain of our team is - be careful not to get kicked mid-air with that kind of talk."...

Khanin, the team captain, raised his saber and tapped his Asian friend on the chest. When he heard this, Alex raised his hand and pretended to surrender, not taking it seriously. It was an act that made their friends and the new kid in the neighborhood laugh.

"But it's not the first time our friend has been followed like this. At least there's that other doctor ..." Alex took advantage of the moment when his friends were laughing and said loudly, looking towards the person they were teasing.

The tough-looking young man looked towards a man sitting with his hands clasped on his lap. He glanced down at them with an indifferent expression, not showing any emotions before turning his head and speaking softly. "That doctor ... always trains our team and every time that guy Nin competes he is here pronto. I think if it weren't for those scouting eyes, he would be one of the people who like Nin."

"That could be it. That doctor has never spoken to me before." Khanin commented. The young man raised his head and went to Alex to say that he had paused a little when he saw that someone else was already looking at them.

The distance was not far, so Khanin could clearly see the doctor.

The tall and well-built man had a face that made everyone think he belonged to the category of handsome men favored by God.

No matter how many times you look, you cannot deny that he is a very handsome man... even though he is Asian, his height seems to be almost ten centimeters taller than he actually is from a quick glance.

Moreover, the uniform also makes one jealous, to the point where he could be sitting normally and looks more like a celebrity posing for a photoshoot instead of sitting and watching them practice swordsmanship every day.

Khanin looked at him, considering his black hair, cut short according to the current fashion trend. Thick eyebrows pressed against an oval face with a sharp nose, ending with the most attractive organ... Their dark, paired eyes were no different from the predatory eagle's gaze, constantly staring at their prey.

Everything mentioned is under a white-gray tone dress code. The other side is always like that.

Khanin has never seen this person dress in any other tone. Usually, two out of three times, he wears a turtleneck shirt that is either black or white, alternating back and forth, like they only have a few outfits. But it cannot be denied that the dressing of the other side makes this man look like a high aristocrat, from his posture, the way he carries himself, and his various attractive gestures.

He doesn't seem like an ordinary person...

Khanin still doesn't know the purpose, he doesn't understand why this person is here, watching. Although his mouth denies it, he can't help but wonder if what Alex said might be true.

Does this man like him that much?

Oh my goodness, he is not the type of person who would appreciate anything fragrant (male-on-male) anyway.

So why bother keeping watch him if he doesn't like him?

There are many questions lingering in his mind, and they surely stimulate Khanin's curiosity greatly.

Well... one of his flaws that cannot be fixed is being one of them...

I like finding answers. If there's nothing to bother my mind, I'm not the type who thinks too much, but if I'm curious, I'll find a reasonable and logical answer.

What do you call it? It's something that Tattanai, his father, has been training him with since birth. It's a part of his body's soul... his spirit.

"I'll go talk to the doctor, ask him everything so that nothing will be left unanswered."

Without waiting for anyone to ask, Khanin turned quickly and handed his saber to his friend Paul to hold. Then he walked quickly towards the person with an aggressive posture.

Every move of Khanin was under the watchful eye of Charan. The young man shifted slightly, ready to deal with what was about to happen. When he saw that his target had been staring straight at him the whole time, he approached with a determined gaze.

A skinny cat was trying to catch a big fish in a wide water pond...

It's time... Charan, you have been waiting for this day for a long time. The young man had a lot to say and just wanted Khanin to listen.

"Are you here to see me?"

As soon as he sat down, Khanin, with his sweet voice, immediately began a conversation with a stranger in English because he didn't know what language the man spoke. He leaned forward and hugged the small stranger to comfort him, but the tall man just stared back silently without saying anything.

"..."

"Or are you a scout for another team? If so, I have to decline because I don't have any plans to continue fencing after graduation. I want to take a break for a year or two." When Khanin saw that the tall man wasn't saying anything, he took matters into his own hands and asked and declined, having done this many times with scouts.

However, the other side still sat like a statue.

"..."

"Or... the reason you followed me like this is because you... " At this point, Khanin's eyebrows furrowed automatically, he felt uncomfortable and upset that he remembered what Alex said now, but it was just a hypothesis that could be possible in this situation.

"Or do you just like me... that's why you followed me?"

It worked. The stranger turned his head to face him immediately after sitting still like a statue for so long.

Okay... let's talk, statue person. You can't just sit there quietly. Shall we talk on the phone or something?

"Hasn't Tattanai told you yet?"

However, the first thing the man chose to say was not about liking or disliking something...

Does this person... know my father?

"Tell me?"

From thinking that he would ask for clarification, he became even more suspicious. The furrowed brows on both sides of Khanin's face almost met in the middle. The young man moved towards the stranger without realizing it, causing them to be so close that they could almost hear each other's breathing.

"Um..."

The man spoke with a hoarse voice and narrowed his eyes, as if he was scrutinizing Khanin with great importance. The facial expression of the tall man indicated that they were analyzing openly.

"Tell me what." The young man asked calmly, although he almost exploded with curiosity in his head. Something was abnormal... Khanin looked at the man and knew that there was no way he could tell him the truth.

"Say that..." The man paused, intentionally increasing Khanin's curiosity.

The young man did not think about whether he could read what he saw, that it might not be true, but Khanin wanted to observe the other person's expressions. A slight tilt of the head when he saw the eyes that used to look at him with anxiety suddenly turned into a calm expression within a blink of an eye.

"When you draw your sword, you tend to shift your left shoulder unconsciously. The force behind it makes you move fast. But if you meet an opponent who is superior to you, they will read immediately that in your next move, you will either thrust or make a feint."

"..."

"A habit like that may make you lose next time... so you should improve in that area."

"..."

"Because this is something Tattanai should let you know earlier on."

"You... "

"Actually, I think... of the Fencing Association members, you still need a lot of practice."

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