Chapter 12:The Aggressive Equilibrium

   The morning mist at the ruins wasn’t just foggy,it was vibrating.

  Before the sun had even cleared the horizon,the air was being shredded by two different frequencies.On one side,the sharp,linear whistle of Mio’s bokken cutting the air in perfect vertical arcs,creating imaginary slices in the air which are caused by the speed of the strikes.  On the other hand,the heavy,metallic thrum and rattle of Rei’s Sam Jeol Bong or Three section staff.

  “You’re holding back,Kogaa!” Mio shouted,her voice echoing off the stone pillars.She lunged,her wooden sword a blur of high-speed displacement.

  Rei didn’t move his feet.He flicked his wrist and the Three-section staff unfolded like a living thing.The center stave stayed in his grip while the two outer sections swung in a wide,horizontal orbit.

  The strike didn’t just parry Mio,it wrapped around her blade,the chain links snapping tight to lock her weapon in place.For a second,they were frozen in a stalemate of pure physics,”Linear Tension” vs “Centripetal Lock”.

  “If I weren’t holding back,” Rei said,his voice low and steady,”Your wrist would have been gone three moves ago.”

  “Big talk for a person who adapted to a redirection style!” Mio grinned,kicking off the ground to reset the distance.

  Kenji chose that exact moment to crest the hill.He was panting,wearing a set of makeshift shin guards he’d fashioned from cardboard box and duct tape.He stopped frozen,watching a stone pillar crumble as the weighted end of Rei’s staff snapped the pillar in half.

  “Oh… oh no,” Kenji whispered,his glasses fogging up.”The probability of a peaceful morning was already low,but now… the value has reached the negatives.”

  Mio glanced at him,her predatory grin widening.”Ah, the Data Nerd is here.Good. Koga and I finished our warm-up.Now,we’re going to see how your ‘pattern recognition’ handles a pincer attack.”  Kenji looked at Rei,pleading.Rei just sighed and began folding the staff back into its compact form.”Listen to her,Kenji.She’s right about the offense.If you can’t strike,you’re just a moveable target.”

  “I.. I’ve made a terrible mistake in my career path,” Kenji whimpered,dropping his bag.

  The striking training or Kenji called it “Hellish Training” lasted for three hours,leaving Kenji more duct tape than man by the time they met Hiyori at the school gates.The atmosphere shifted instantly.The scent of woodsmoke and cedar was replaced by Yakisoba and Candy Apples.

  The school Festival was in full bloom.

  Hiyori was a whirlwind of energy, her camera clicking constantly. She dragged them through the stalls, forcing Rei to try the shooting gallery,where he accidentally broke a record by hitting every target without looking and making Mio compete in a gold-fish scooping contest.

  “Look at this!” Hiyori laughed,showing Rei a photo she took of Mio and Kenji arguing over who gets to have Dak-kkochi or Chicken Skewers.”You guys actually look like a team.”

  Rei looked at the photo.For the first time in his life,the “Still Point” in his chest felt warm.There was no friction here,No hierarchy system,no violence,just the sound of festival flutes and the smell of summer.

  As the sun sets,painting the school in deep violets and golds,the group reached the crossroads where they usually split up.

  Mio stopped, her arms crossed, looking uncharacteristically quiet. She pulled out her phone and tapped the screen aggressively.

  "Listen," she muttered, not looking at them. "Since we’re... training or whatever... It's a hassle to coordinate if I have to hunt you down. Give me your phones."

  Kenji blinked. "Are we... exchanging digital contact protocols?"

"It’s a phone number, Nerd! Don't make it weird!" Mio snapped, snatching Kenji’s phone and then holding her hand out for Rei’s.

  Rei handed it over. A few seconds later, a new contact appeared: [Mio - Rei Hunter].

  Rei looked at the screen with smoke coming out from his ears while Mio tried not to laugh.

  “Don’t call me unless it's for training,”she warned,though her ears were slightly red.”Or if you find a good cafe.See ya.”

  As she walked away,Hiyori leaned into Rei’s shoulder,watching her go.”She likes you guys,you know.”

  “She has a strange way of showing it,” Rei said,feeling the weight of the phone in his pocket.”But the feeling is… mutual.”

  Back at the Sato household,Kenji burst into Rei’s room,”Rei,you got to see this.” Kenji said,holding his screen up showing a message.”Kenji,next time knock before you go in.”

  [Mio - Rei Hunter]:Hey Data Nerd,tell your brother or whatever that the day after tomorrow is Hiyori’s birthday.Tell him and you to prepare something or else I will have to increase the intensity of the training.

  Kenji Sato:Yes ma’am pls don’t increase the training intensity.I will tell Rei right this instant.

  Rei’s eyes widened,”Hiyori’s birthday is in two days?!” Rei thought to himself.A sudden message arrived at Rei’s phone.

  [Mio - Rei Hunter]:Hey just in case your brother didn’t told ya,the day after tomorrow is Hiyori’s birthday.You and that Data Nerd gotta pick out a gift for Hiyori.Also I want to know about that three connected sticks you were using during our grand duel.

  Rei Koga:Fine… but why tell me now?

  [Mio - Rei Hunter]:I just want to see you guys suffer hahaha.

 “Well my life always surprises me” Rei murmured to himself.

Author's note:

✍️ Lore fact:

I gave Mio the contact name "Mio - Rei Hunter" as a double meaning. On the surface, it’s a joke about her "hunting" him down for training.But she also is the only one "hunting" for the truth about the "Ghost" past because she wants to make sure he’s worthy of being in Hiyori’s life.