“Movement, balance, and range are crucial parts of sparring and training in martial arts. These things are all tied into stance. Without the correct stance, you cannot move correctly, position yourself for strikes, or use your range most effectively.” Kaito explains while walking between rows of shirtless men standing on the grass with one foot.

Sweat drenches their faces, and runs to their bodies. Barely hanging legs start to tremble, and concentration is scattered. However, no one dares to put down their legs since Kaito’s cane is ready to beat whoever dares break the stance.

“Tsuru-ashi-dachi or Crane stance is a stance used to avoid attacks and to transition into other techniques. This will also teach you to balance especially in executing a kick.” Kaito’s sharp eyes dart to the end of the row which is 2 metres from where he stands.

“Keep your back and neck straight!” He lands his cane on one of the freshmen' back in a hard whip, making him yelp. 

Kaito glides to another row at a speed almost inhumane. And smack someone's stomach with his ‘weapon’. “Tense up your lower abdomen!”

They’ve been there since the sun did not even fully rise which is almost an hour ago. A few of them failed to complete the basic stance training and not a few of them decided to quit while it was only their second training with the Kyokushin club.

Unlike the upperclassman who trained inside the dojo, the freshman needs to complete their basic stance - which also counts as an endurance test, directly under Kaito’s surveillance before officially becoming a member of the Kyokushin club.

“Anyone who touches the ground will be automatically disqualified!” Kaito states coldly with his eagle eyes roaming from one side to another. “Remember that once you learn Kyokushin karate you will never be introduced to the safety gears. You will spar bare-handed. Skin against skin. Bone against bone. Your body will be filled with bruises and bumps. If you are unlucky, you could break your bones or if your opponent gets too excited they could hit you in the head and get you passed out. So basic is important if you don’t want to get yourself cripple.” Seeing the freshman’s faces go white, Kaito grins tediously and tightens his black belt. “Well, of course, I can’t guarantee anything if your opponent is me. 2 broken ribs are considered lucky, but I’m not good in maths, though”

The frustrated freshmen can not even hide their annoyance anymore and complain out loud. 

 “What the hell? That sounds hella creepy!”

“Senpai! Isn’t it the same with bullying your juniors? What the heck is with these tortures?!”

“We’ve been doing this silly posture for two weeks? Can you really teach us martial arts?”

“This is a scam! He just pretends to be tough!”

“Who the hell is that bastard? He thinks he is a hot shot?”

Besides the audacious ones, there are also the spineless bunch who had heard about the ruthless second-year senior who never hesitated to wreck whoever dared cross an argument with him. Of course, that’s all according to the well-seasoning rumours.

“Shh! You fools! You don’t know who you are talking to?? If you are still fond of your life you better shut your trap!”

“Do you lot even know who he is?!! Once his gang makes a move you're all dead!”

At this rate, Kaito doesn’t bother to correct them anymore. He has predicted that new students will apply to his club with various backgrounds and reasons, but it’s still baffled him seeing there are quite a lot of applicants this year compared to last year when the club was just established. Some of them look half-assed, some again look weak and ready to give up, while there are many who look determined as well.

“Country bumpkins sure don't know their place. We travelled all the way here from Tokyo to learn Kyokushin from the national athlete. People would kick each other's balls for this opportunity, ya fools!”

“Stop talking cringe shit and focus on your stance.” Kaito sighs, his cane is swinging around, spanking any wrong move caught by his hawk eyes. “I don’t know what you all expect from this club. But, let me warn you this ain’t to be easy. What you learn from this club is not only about strengthening your psychic, but also mentally strong. Grit your teeth because I’ll make sure to thrash your ego so you won’t use anything I teach you just to feed your pathetic ego. If you come here to show off then fuck off! If you are here to make yourself proud after beating up the weak then I consider your presence today as a death wish.” Kaito smirks menacingly while cracking his fingers.

The crowd gulps down their saliva almost at the same time that the sound is the only one filling the eerie atmosphere.

“Stop scaring your juniors too much Kaito!” A voice came from the side of the dojo. “They will piss on their new uniform”

“I’m doing this long talk shit to buy some time because you are taking your damn sweet time, Yuu.” Kaito rolls his eyes. Although seeing Yuuta can barely walk, while his hands are full holding a big crate, he can't be mad at him anymore.

“I’m doing you a favour, damn it! You don’t know how hard it is to bring fifteen bricks alone? I need to beg my father to let me ride his motorbike. I can’t believe I’m doing this so you can show off in front of the freshmen.” After putting out the brick on the dojo porch - right in front of the freshman, Yuuta reminds him for the last time with jutting lips. “Don’t forget your promise! Vote for Hikaru-chan for two weeks! Send me the proof every day, got it?”

“Yeah yeah, Hikaru number 1 sends to 1447. I remember thanks” Kaito answers half-heartedly before he returns his attention to the freshmen again.

The bricks have been stacked into a tower that reaches Kaito’s hips. He casually presses his right palm above it and the other circling around the right wrist. He positions himself in a firm stance. Then in a blink of an eye, without even lifting his palms the bricks suddenly chopped into pieces.

A murmur of approbation ran across the crowd. 

“What the hell was that??? He smashed those bricks in a light press??”

“Was that what martial artists called inner force?”

“No dumbass! That’s Bruce lee’s one-inch punch!”

“That Jeet kune do moron! This is a Karate club!”

Brushing off his sleeves nonchalantly, Kaito ends today’s practice with his signature remark. “As the president of this club, I welcome you to the Kyokushin club! Practise hard or these bricks will become your ribs! Hohoho”

“Crazy bastard. The only thing that makes him laugh is only when he tortures his club members.” Yuuta shakes his head and regards the first-year members pitifully. “Poor innocent things, they should just join the swimming club instead.”

The nap after the hard train is the best. 

Rolling around the cold wooden porch that has been cleanly wiped by his juniors. Gentle breeze, birds singing, branches swinging, flower petals fluttering. Kaito has a light smile plastered on his lips before letting himself sink deeper into slumber until…

BAM!

An abrupt loud thud shakes the platform where Kaito lies. Sending him springs up into a sitting position while his trained reflex mechanism automatically sets his position into defense mode. 

“Who dares wake me-”

The sight he meets is not an enemy - at least not the one he thought.

“Excuse me, do you perhaps know where Sato is?” Ren asks him with googly eyes, peeking at the right, left, and even at the bottom of the dojo like he’s searching for a cat, not a big, tall human.

Kaito scoffs, /What is it? Is this how smarty making a joke?/

“Am I becoming so handsome that you can’t recognise me?” Kaito almost can’t believe he’s capable of saying something so disgusting - he should stop talking to Ren when he’s half awake. 

To cover his embarrassment, Kaito walks over to the hand-wash station to wash his face.

Ren doesn’t think too much about that. Rather than that he focuses on the change in Kaito's appearance. He cuts his bangs that usually get in his eyes and there’s something different from the way he gazes. His eyes look clearer and more relaxed. “You know? You shouldn’t sleep while wearing contact lenses or you will go blind.”

“That’s why I hate using them.” Kaito groans after splashing water on his head, drenching his hair before casually taking off his Karate uniform and using them to dry himself.

“Then just use glasses duh. There’s a lot of stylish glasses today.” Ren looks away from the shirtless sight before him.

“Nah, lame.” Retrieving his white shirt, Kaito gets dressed without being bothered by the fact he’s outdoors.”Anyway, what is Mr. don’t-get-involved-in-my-life-ever-again doing here?”

Ren rolls his eyes at the childish insult, “I’m the one who should ask what are you doing here? Don’t you hear the bell?” He sits on the dojo porch which turns out more comfortable than he imagined; cold surface and shaded by the cherry blossom tree, blocking the direct sun ray.

“Ah, this one is the honorary class president who's talking to me?” Kaito smirks while ruffling his wet hair, letting the wind brush over them and dry them. “Pardon this stupid peasant. But, what could be a respected person like you visiting my humble abode? I don’t want to insult you in any way or get nags for the second time, so you should stop trying to talk to this crude person since I’m not the type who would change myself just to make people accept me.”

If Ren could describe the level of sarcasm dripping on Kaito’s words, that would be as thick as the paddy mud in the summertime. “Are you still sulking about yesterday?”

Kaito scoffs, “Who do you think am I? A kid?”

“Dunno if you realised it or not, but the longest sentence I’ve heard from you so far is your sarcastic complaints. If you still hold a grudge against me just say so.”

Leaning to the tree while laughing dryly, Kaito retorted, “I’m not that petty.”

“Yeah?” Ren smirks back at him. “Your new hair looks nice, reminds me of the Sake bottle cap”

“HEY! At least appreciate my effort to look less intimidating!”

“You said you are not petty?” Ren snickers at Kaito’s genuinely disappointed face. No wonder he keeps ruffling his hair, Ren just realises Kaito tries so hard to be more confident in his new cut which reveals his face more.

“And you said I’m the childish one???” He hollers while kicking the pebbles. “Seriously, why are you here? This is supposed to be Ito sensei’s subject, he never makes a fuss whenever I skip his class, what’s so sudden?”

“Today the teachers have a meeting until lunch so the kids were told to self-study.” 

“That still does not explain why you are here bringing those thick-ass books.” Kaito glares at the stacked book which disturbed his sleep. Despite not being as solid as the bricks, Kaito doubts he could split those books in one press.

“You have not forgotten about Nakamura sensei’s task right? You even agreed to start today. Hah! Don’t tell me you are being wishy-washy. Has your spirit evaporated? What a disappointment!” Ren muses with a scornful tone that he knows would tick Kaito off.

Seeing a timid guy like Ren speak with so much audacity only at him, Kaito conflicted between laughing in disbelief or being infuriated. “This little…Fine! Bring it on! Let’s- wait! Why are you the one who taught me first? Why are you suddenly in control? I don’t agree with that!”

“Let's solve this with rock-scissors-paper then.” 

“Okay! Rock-scissors-paper!” Kaito throws a rock and Ren pulls a paper.

“A simple-minded person, moreover with an aggressive personality tends to use fist first before anything else,” Ren exclaims smugly at Kaito’s still disoriented phase. “Now get ready! I heard from Yuu you threatened your juniors about having hellish training. Now, let me show you my version of hell is truly mean”

Seeing Ren’s genuine joyous expression, Kaito shudders. /Is this what people called karma?/