Chapter 02: So Long, Don't Want to See You

You

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

'Need to practice more?'

The unfamiliar person's sentence still echoed in Khanin's ears, even though it was already days ago, while his eyes stared at the face of the person who was his father, with the cyber sword in his hand ready to strike.

Khanin stood on, his face serious and ready for training, opposite his confused inner self, while the unfamiliar person refused to back down.

Movement signals from Tattanai caused the scattered body to come back and try to focus on the upcoming situation.

The young boy dodged the shadow of the sword that came from the left before dodging again to avoid the sharp end that came from the right.

Khanin took advantage of the moment to raise his arm, hoping to hit the garden and score, but perhaps because he didn't have enough focus as everything was planned in his mind, it didn't go as he hoped.

Missed... missed it so easily.

"Nin." The score counting signal sounded loudly, followed by the sound of pulling out, a heavy-hearted and anxious expression emerged from Khanin's lips. He knew immediately what would happen next in the sequence.

"..."

"Do you realize that you have no focus?"

Tattanai spoke in a firm voice, turning to pull out the wire from the armor suit. He then took off the metal mask and stood embracing the young man with a scrutinizing gaze.

"I know that I have no focus." Khanin thought he should not make any excuse. The young man breathed out, and he was angry with himself for inadvertently allowing someone to influence his thoughts.

Why does that madman suggest that there are flaws in him? Who gave him the right to say that one member of the association should be better than the others? Especially when no one has ever dared to speak to him like that before.

"What causes you to lack focus?"

"Something pointless."

"Khanin, if that nonsense messes with your mind, it will lead to violence. Do you know what it means?" His father's use of his real name indicated an increase in the severity of the situation. The young man did not answer, but he knew exactly what Tattanai wanted to convey.

Hesitation and inaccuracy... are the paths that will never lead to victory. Only defeat awaits us if we wait around.

"You should be alone to reflect."

"Father, you said, if I tries to adjust my posture and not move my left shoulder before drawing the sword, can I defeat you?"

"Hm?" The owner of the small and cramped house blurted out without much thought, as he turned to look at his son with a suspicious gaze.

"It's...forget it." Khanin closed his eyes and rubbed his hand until he regained consciousness, realizing that he had let slip some unfinished thoughts. The young man had intended to end the conversation here, but it seemed that Tattanai's reaction was different from before.

"Say it again...the sentence you just said."

"It's...well, I said that if I tried to adjust my posture and didn't move my left shoulder before drawing my sword, what would happen...Father, what do you think?" The young man repeated the previous sentence in his mind, remaining silent and waiting for an answer from his father. Each passing moment seemed to be more suspenseful than the previous one as he anxiously waited for Tattanai's response.

"I think so." The once calm and cool gaze, now filled with contentment and satisfaction.

"..."

"Nin, I'm glad you understand your own flaws now."

Snap!

It was as if an invisible lightning bolt struck the center of Khanin's palace. The young man was unaware of his own facial expression, his eyes widening and his mouth gaping in amazement. He concluded with a smirk that matched his thoughts.

"Dad, when you speak like that, you mean that..."

"My words mean that in the past, I knew the pattern you would attack with when I draw my sword. How? Because my left shoulder moved."

"Yes."

"This is what you told me to improve, but you didn't say where to fix it, right?"

"Yes."

"So, does it mean that if I adjust my movements, I will defeat you?"

"Correct." Khanin had been soaking in hot water before, but now he stopped and listened intently to Tattanai's words. He was sure that what the doctor said was true.

"No, it's not true..." The young man frowned and looked away, resisting the words as much as he could. However, someone as smart as Tattanai could see through his behavior.

"Did someone tell you that?"

The older man asked curiously. In truth, Tattanai was not sure, but because Khanin never hid the truth from him, he could see that the boy was confused.

"No one did." The stubborn boy replied, turning his gaze away and reaching for a bottle of water nearby to drink and calm down. He tried to avoid their gaze by pretending to look elsewhere, but he knew that everything he tried to hide was becoming more apparent.

Khanin had never lied to Tattanai before.

"Then how did you know?"

"It was I..."

"Think carefully before answering me." the statement was no different from a hammer that had just hit Khanin's outer shell mask. The young boy took a deep breath, his small mouth pouted with his habitual posture that he unintentionally did at times when he was unaware.

"It's possible." Khanin muttered softly, looking at the older person for a moment before quickly hiding his feelings in his heart as usual. "But just talking doesn't make anyone great. It seems like he has been complaining more than anything else."

"Complaining? Then what did he complain about? Tell me, father." This time, Tattanai was the one who did not show any interest. The older man turned to pick up a water bottle, drank it without paying attention, and casually asked with a flat and reasonable tone because he knew the personality of this son better than anyone else.

If he showed signs of excitement, the stubborn-headed boy would feel more reluctant to resist. Therefore, sometimes... Tattanai had to apply his swordsmanship techniques in child rearing. He would stop to read the game, stay quiet and wait for the outburst.

"He said that I moved my left shoulder before drawing the sword, which made my opponent aware in advance. He also said that I need to be more careful, and that someone in the association might be better than him... Hmph, ridiculous."

The end of the sentence was like a whisper, but it was a whisper filled with disgust and emotion. Khanin's head was down, and he thought about how much that silent, stone-carved face might be hiding.

The posture that had been sullen a moment ago, with a tense face and murmurs of self-blame, was now almost entirely in Tattanai's line of sight.

The posture of Khanin made Tattanai almost entirely tense and annoyed. He heard Khanin murmuring to himself, and then Tattanai's attention was drawn to him. Khanin's father smiled before gently clearing his throat to bring Khanin back to reality and out of his reverie.

"And Nin, do you think it's true?"

The middle-aged man asked his son for his opinion, but Tattanai didn't want to lead the discussion. Although he couldn't help but feel grateful for the words of the other person, it seemed that someone had touched on a sensitive topic, causing Khanin to see his flaws more quickly.

"I don't know."

"If you don't know, then you have to prove it." Tattanai finished speaking and turned to place a water bottle down. He then reached for his mask again and put it on. He then lit the fire to tally the score for the previous set before the next match began.

"Do you remember the theory I taught you about the game?" The speaker stood up, ready to send the signal to Khanin's body to respond almost immediately.

"I will win against you, father." The metallic voice spoke earnestly through the mask. The young man moved his left hand back and held the handle of his sword tightly, while his right hand grabbed the hilt of his sword, and he focused his gaze on his opponent. Yes, on the battlefield of the competition, they would have no family ties.

The young man was confident that if his variable was the left shoulder movement, then the game theory that his father had taught him would work. Even though his opponent was his own father...

"I've heard you speak like this all along." Tattanai said with a smirk. His demeanor helped to fuel the enthusiasm of the young people even more than before.

"This time I will definitely not lose."

"Then prove it."

The atmosphere in the rehearsal room became more relaxed. Khanin no longer showed any signs of anxiety. When the young man returned, he was focused and determined in his training.

In Tattanai's eyes, the little guy looked happy and completely unaware that his left shoulder, which used to be a problem, was now moving differently from before.

Tattanai smiled at the results of the necessary training that he had observed. Khanin was stubborn but not a stubborn child, and in practice, he was meticulous and unbelievable. He hesitated at times during swordplay, but was fierce when the time came.

All of his actions were in stark contrast to the loving face of the other side, like a positive and negative pole. The wild dog covered in sheepskin, Khanin, seemed to be a wild cat with sharp claws, but still wrapped in a soft rabbit fur.

The middle-aged swordsman's eyes glanced at the young man, recalling the time when Khanin was still small and had a habit of following his father everywhere. Whatever his father said, the little boy had heard it regularly.

"Father can do it, I can do it."

Paying attention from when he was young until now..."

"What can Father do, I can do..."

The little child who used to follow his father yesterday, today has grown bigger than before.

It's a pity that there isn't much time they have left to spend together... Tattanai only hope that in the next semester, this son will be able to be happy with something simple or at least think of him when he sees food that he used to complain about not liking every day.

Because he himself probably will miss Khanin a lot...

Even though it shouldn't even be thought about.

"Engarde."

"Paet."

"Allez."

The signal from the referees sounded and both competitors immediately began to score points fiercely, in a way that no one was willing to concede to anyone.

The score counting signal continued to sound continuously until it reached a minute, during which the team that used red light to count points demonstrated superior skills by repeatedly thrusting and stabbing their opponent twice in a row, causing the victory to slip away in just a minute.

Nin, the representative of the red team, took off his metal mask and smiled towards the scoreboard before turning his body to hide his smiling face with courtesy. At the same time, he turned to respond to the friendly handshake of the competitor on the opposite side.

The young boy smiled and chatted with the green team in a fair manner, but in the next minute, the mood of the winner changed drastically back and forth, making it frightening.

The young boy gave a smile and talked with the green team in a fair manner before the emotions of the winner suddenly changed drastically to the point of being frightening.

The two-layered eyes hid in the focus points, the nerves and senses did not stop at the co-competitors. When there was a new goal that drew more attention from Khanin.

The lips, painted with a light color, suddenly curved into a charming smile, and the cute face became tense when the magnificent figure of someone appeared in the line of sight.

That man has come again...

Perhaps because today's bout was an internal competition for those who wanted to go on to compete at the city level, the club opened their doors for outside spectators to reserve seating areas as if it were the actual competition. The special round during the full moon was chaotic, but amidst the many people, Khanin's gaze stopped at someone... sharp.

The fair-skinned man with jet-black hair stood out and paired up with Nain's eyes.

The other party crossed his arms on his chest and looked down at the same position, almost like a repeated image from the day before. One thought that the other was just pretending to be still and silent, not moving and not separating, more persistent than a ghost. What happened next was... spooky, or maybe it required chanting to dispel it.

Khanin cursed another person in his heart. The young boy bowed his head and said goodbye to his co-competitor before separating from others. At first, he intended to remain indifferent, but his goal changed abruptly when he was disappointed.

The little figure removed his tight-fitting armor, stood still with his arms crossed, and faced the tall body owner with sharp, weapon-like eyes. They confronted each other, releasing a silence that was no different from a small-scale nerve war, which lasted the stage again.

"Did you come to see me?"

"..."

"Come on, don't want to answer, it's up to you."

The young man shrugged, indifferent to whether or not Khanin cared to answer. He didn't care if the other party would come or go, or what the purpose was. But the main reason he came straight here was because he had something important to discuss.

In fact, it was more of a reconciliation attempt than anything else.

"I just came to... let you know that no matter what, I'm still number one in the club."

"Even if in your eyes, my skills are inferior, in the eyes of the masses, and on the scoreboard, it's very clear that thev're worth more than the words of an ordinary person... don't you think so?" Khanin smiled only with his lips, but didn't reach his eyes.

If the sentence of the opposite party who had been storing the pain before is still very painful. This time, Khanin himself has equally fiery words. The young man stared resentfully at the unfamiliar person, intending to provoke his emotions under the mask of a smile.

"Oh, but anyway, I have to come and thank you. Thank you for helping me learn, even though it was a lesson I didn't ask for. Thank you very much..."

"But you don't have to next time."

Being talked at like this? If it were someone else, they would have probably stood up and started fighting back at this point. However, the man in front managed to maintain his calm and composure well. Excellent. Only the corners of his mouth twitched slowly when the tall figure rose to stand up.

His black eyes dropped down when their height clearly indicated the distance between them. Khanin accidentally took a step back, his hands hanging in the middle of the automatic air. At the moment when the other person stepped closer to him, almost close enough to touch, he noticed the faint fragrance... from the mysterious person's body.

"You know, besides the shoulder twitch, when you back up, you like to drag your feet..."

"You might lose points if you meet someone better than these guys."

"So what about me now..."

"Being number one now doesn't mean you will always be number one."

"I freaking hate that medics guy."

"Why are you going to hate him, Nin? Didn't you say yourself that he warned you about everything you could improve?"

Paul leaned over and whispered, sending a plate of beautiful rice to the English boy. The boy naturally turned to order fish sauce with chili from the waiter before turning to gently bump Khanin's shoulder. When he saw that he still didn't seem to be in a better mood.

It had been almost an hour, but Khanin still couldn't manage to calm his feelings. Perhaps because he knew deep down that those words were true, the anger in his chest could not be easily dismissed, even though he sat amidst the sound of laughter from his teammates. But his mood and thoughts were as cloudy as the sky with rain clouds.

If someone is to blame, it's only that stone statue.

"The doctor's words are nerve-racking."

Khanin turned to pick up a glass of water to calm his heated emotions. He was sitting in a Thai restaurant in the Soho district, a restaurant known for its strong flavor and the same restaurant that Paul had recommended or suggested he treating them in celebration of winning the competition in just three bouts.

"Okay, I didn't think you would think too much about it normally."

"But this time it's not normal."

"What do you mean?" asked the mouth, while the eyes were fixated on the various dishes that the three restaurant staff were serving to Khanin. The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became, heavier than before.

"Because my father agrees with what that doctor recommends."

It's not that Khanin doesn't accept his own mistakes and flaws, but the reason for his current annoyance is because the words of someone who dislikes him are supported by the person he trusts the most, his father.

"Is it your father? That's even better, your father is super clever." Alex sitting next to him blurted out his opinion, after sitting quietly listening for a long time.

"When your father recommended to Paul, Paul improved significantly, don't you remember? Otherwise, we wouldn't have a chance to sit here and enjoy this meal together."

"True, I agree with Alex, that doctor might be really good... I mean, having someone criticize you is not necessarily a bad thing, is it?"

At this point, his friends seemed to change their attitude and move back to his side, so he was surprised until he held his breath, suppressing all the turmoil inside before responding casually.

"Hey, you're half-Emmaly's child, right, Nin?" Someone spoke up as the food was almost half gone. Khanin withdrew his gaze from the orange-colored curry that had a strong taste and turned his attention to the question from his teammate.

"Why?"

"My friend asked me if it's true that in their country, children practice sword fighting every day, and they can already handle a sword better than a fork at the age of three."

"Oh, I heard that in that country, when they select a new king, their grandchildren have to compete in sword fighting. It's one of the tests. I saw a short video clip on YouTube many years ago."

Another person spoke up. As the noise level in the shop was quite high, Khanin was not sure whose words they were.

"No way... People from this country always make it to the finals in the Olympics. They are talented, and so are their fathers."

The latest sentence was spoken by Kevin, a blue-eyed foreigner. On the other side of the conversation, someone from another country was speaking very enthusiastically, making Khanin turn his attention to the topic.

"I don't know about others, but my father makes me practice sword fighting every day." The boy shrugged and laughed a little, thinking of his father's order to practice sword fighting as an important aspect of life that Khanin could not ignore. His dad said it is "It's in their bloodline."

As for the previous questions, Khanin couldn't answer. He was born and raised in England, and has never been to Emmaly before. If there was anything to answer, it would have to be based on the strength of his father throughout his life...

Khanin himself assumes that what his friends say is probably true.

Maybe Emmaly trains children to handle swords from birth... Swords before forks...

In fact, when it comes to intensity, his father was not the type who only focused on sword training, but there were many other areas of knowledge that Khanin was also pushed to excel in.

For example, learning to play piano, singing, social studies, economics, and there were also other languages that his friends might not expect him to learn, such as Thai, Chinese, Spanish, and Arabic.

Paul was not surprised that he studied a lot and wondered why he had no time to find a girlfriend. Let's not talk about love. Just having free time to enjoy life was rare. Khanin's life seemed to be scheduled by his father. Even though his father did not pressure him to the point of making him hate studying, his freedom and childhood were not carried out as other children should have.

Many times, Khanin asked himself questions, and many times, he asked questions to the universe.

The young man did not understand why one person had to specialize in everything, but that was because his father was not like anyone else. The answer he received was not much different from a math exam.

The questions were difficult and required a high level of understanding. Tattanai was always like that, sowing seeds, waiting, and watching until he could bloom on his own.

"I train you to be a real swordsman, but sword fighting is a finite game. The game ends within a set time frame. So what should you consider?"

The words of a father the night before came to Khanin's mind in the confusing image. He remembered that this conversation topic occurred during the third round of night practice.

"Maintain the rules and defeat the opponent within the specified time." The slim figure replied immediately with confidence.

"That's correct... if you want to defeat an opponent who is better than you within the specified time... but you still have to maintain the rules. What will you do?"

The middle-aged man paused, allowing his son to contemplate. Khanin shifted slightly, following his intuition. In his mind, he frowned when he thought about something.

"There are two ways." Khanin held his sword in a ready position. The young man stared at his father through the metal mask. Suddenly, he felt inexplicably nervous about his answer.

"Come on then." Khanin stood still for a moment because he wasn't entirely sure about what he was going to say. After a few minutes, he finally relented and expressed what was on his mind.

"The first method is to practice by reading the opponent's movements, finding weaknesses and exploiting them. The second method is to make the opponent violate the rules... then you will win."

The speaker swallowed hard, knowing the meaning behind the words he spoke.

What Khanin said is no different from those who cheat, deceive, and manipulate. However, the young boy only follows the variables given in the problem set by his father and calculates based on possibilities. If he has to compete against time...

We need to create options that will achieve our goals as quickly as possible, which also means making the opponent violate the rules in order to eliminate them from the competition.

"But in every kind of sport, you cannot do that. Intentionally breaking the rules during the game will make the player a cheater." Tattanai emphasized his words to allow young son to think accordingly.

"But outside of the game, I might be able to do that... Right?"

The young boy, quick-witted and impulsive, acted faster than his brain could process. Khanin's eyes widened in surprise at his own thoughts. This resulted in his sword thrusting at the wrong moment.

He missed... but Khanin saw under the metal mask that his father was holding back a smile.

"Yes, it's right to do it outside the game... Therefore, you must be careful and live with mindfulness. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of your actions, see the true intentions of others - what they do, who they do it for, and why. Because in life, we have no right to know who is playing outside the rules. Just a little carelessness could make you lose."

"Don't forget that in every competition, we only need one winner. You have to observe how each person plays and how they approach the game."

"And don't forget the truth that on this earth, humans are all different. It's natural that there are many people who are willing to break the rules to win because they think it's an easier way to compete without playing fair." Tattanai took a stance and prepared himself before signaling to the young boy to do the same.

Khanin understands now... his father didn't teach him to cheat, but he is teaching him to be aware. Thinking that he is better than others and not considering the situation may lead to his downfall... Tattanai is teaching him to open his mind, as he should, to the man's plea.

Despite feeling heartbroken, Khanin could not deny the truth that he had beaten his father by one point that night because he adjusted his movements and reduced the left shoulder shrug, which led to Tattanai not being able to read the game. Although mixed with conceding to an older person's request, the young boy couldn't escape the reality.

The more Khanin realized his mistakes and tried to correct them, the more his soul demanded that he adjust every time Tattanai attacked his left shoulder, even if it was just a little. Little by little, until he almost didn't move at all at the end of the game.

"What someone else says is the truth..."

But then what... he and that doctor won't see each other again after graduation. Khanin planned to leave the Fencing Club for a while.

The captain position will be given to 'Alex', his teammate, and his life will return to being carefree without any reason to meet that annoying person who talks without making sense anymore.

Forever absent.

Where in the hell...

Khanin stood still in front of his own house after separating from Paul, hoping to rest his body and mind. However, the chaos in his life never stopped. The young man with furrowed brows cursed the angel or whoever had the responsibility to write the fate of his life.

His gaze tried hard to comprehend the situation in front of him.

But even after looking through the window, he still couldn't understand... He looked past and saw a strange man.

The tall and bright figure sitting there as nothing was out of the ordinary, except for the other person sitting on the couch beside him, with a fatherly gesture of sitting and bowing his head with clasped hands, as if he was a nobleman bowing to someone of lower rank...

What the hell is going on...

To be continued.

The bell rang loudly and the two writers started arguing with each other, it was more fun than cheering for a boxing hero. NongNin said he wanted to insult the two people who were sitting behind him and shivering.

And then what happened?

Nong Nin aggressively pulled the shirt of the person in front of him, who didn't like it, so he drew his sword...

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