Bounded by Secrets

"Strings and Shadows"

"Are you seriously struggling with that, Norio?" Jack said, shaking his head with amusement. "It's just basic counting. You're making it look like rocket science."

Norio glared at him, his face flushed both from exertion and irritation. "Mister Expert over there, if you think you're so good, why don't you teach me instead of laughing?"

Jack straightened, his grin widening. "Alright, challenge accepted."

He strode over and grabbed the heavy sword from Norio's hands, twirling it effortlessly as if it were no heavier than a pencil. His movements were smooth and precise, the sword an extension of his arm.

"See? It's all about balance and flow," Jack said, demonstrating a flawless swing to the right and then to the left.

Norio crossed his arms, unimpressed. "Yeah, yeah, showoff. Now *teach* me. And don't make it look so easy!"

Jack sighed, his smirk softening into a determined expression. "Fine, let's do it your way-with the counting and all."

He positioned himself, holding the sword at the ready. "One... right... two... left..." He paused after each move, glancing at Norio to ensure he was following. The slow, deliberate pacing began to throw off his rhythm, and Jack felt his movements growing clunky and unbalanced.

"Ugh, this is harder than it looks when you stop every second," Jack muttered. As he swung the sword, trying to maintain the slow pace, his foot slipped. The blade wobbled, and before he could recover, the sword nicked his neck, leaving a deep but clean cut.

"Jack!" Norio shouted, dropping his own practice weapon and rushing forward, panic written all over his face. "Are you okay?!"

Jack winced but quickly brushed it off, pressing a hand to his neck. "Relax, it's just a scratch."

A moment later, Rimmy appeared, visibly tired from her own training session. She took one look at Jack and sighed. "What did you do now?"

"Nothing serious," Jack replied casually, grinning through the sting as Rimmy applied some antiseptic to the wound. "It's Norio's fault for making me slow down. He's a terrible student."

Norio frowned. "Hey, I didn't tell you to lose your balance!"

As Rimmy finished bandaging Jack's neck, Ren entered the training grounds, his sharp eyes immediately noticing the unusual group. His presence made Norio straighten instinctively, though his reluctance to explain was evident.

Ren's gaze shifted to Jack, his expression softening into a teasing smirk. "What's this, Jack? Lately, you're too busy to spend time with me. No more meetings, no more discussions. Quite the busy life, huh?"

Jack, ever quick with a retort, grinned and crossed his arms. "What can I say, Ren? Some of us are in high demand. Unlike you, who's stuck babysitting kids."

Ren's eyes narrowed, his playful demeanor shifting into one of authority. "Enough, Jack. No more casualness during duty hours. You're not here to crack jokes."

Jack held his hands up in mock surrender, his grin unfazed. "Alright, alright, no need to get all serious. I'll behave...for now."

Ren shook his head but couldn't help the faint hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Just don't let it happen again."

As Ren turned to leave, Jack exchanged a smirk with Norio, who whispered, "I think you hit a nerve there."

Jack chuckled softly. "That's the goal, kid. That's the goal."

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As the lunch break began, Jack made his way to the locker room to cool off after his exhausting practice with Norio. The room was quiet, the faint hum of the air conditioner the only sound. He loosened his collar and opened his locker, preparing to freshen up.