"Hello. My name is Suk-chin Kang. You guys can just call me Suk-chin, though. It's nice to meet you all."
Instantly, class 2-B of Kuoh Academy went crazy.
The newest transfer student, Suk-chin Kang, raised an eyebrow.
The girls in class were losing their minds. Some were squealing, while others were whispering and giggling to each other.
He was tall, had messy black hair, and piercing silver eyes.
"A total freaking hottie!"
"In our class? We're so lucky!"
"Oh, I hope he sits next to me!"
Well, he called it whispering. But it wasn't very quiet.
While the girls were gushing, the guys didn't seem to take too kindly to his introduction.
A dark cloud seemed to form over the male populace of the class as they sized him up with hateful glares.
"What's with these extreme reactions?" He wondered aloud.
"That's enough, everyone!" The class' homeroom teacher called out loudly, getting everyone to snap out of it quickly. The instant shift back to normality only confused Suk-chin even more.
"Is it... always like this?" He asked, slightly bewildered.
The teacher only sighed. "I sincerely apologize for the aggressive first impressions. You can take the first middle seat in the fifth row over there." The teacher gestured to the convienently empty desk. "Do you have your textbooks?"
"I do." Suk-chin answered. Dear god do I ever. "The uh, student council president made sure that I had everything I needed."
The teacher nodded solemnly. "I understand. You may take your seat now."
Moving to his designated desk, the teacher didn't waste any time in beginning the class. It took some time for him to mentally catch up, but Suk-chin eventually found himself riding the rythm of the classroom.
...
The bell rang, signifying the end of class.
Suk-chin grabbed his textbook with his left hand and placed it in his bag. But before he could even stand up, his desk was surrounded.
"Hey! You said your name was Suk-chin Kang, right?"
"Why did you transfer here? Where were you before this?"
"Are you foreign?"
"You look just like a celebrity!"
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
Suk-chin had a bewildered expression on his face for a moment, before eventually shaking out of it with a sigh.
"Okay, in order..." He looked around and pointed at one of the girls. "Yes, my name is Suk-chin Kang. You can just call me by my first name, though." He pointed to another. "I used to live here a long time ago, and recently decided to move back. I was... well, in Korea before this."
Then to another. "Well, I was born in Japan, but I'm only partially japanese. I'm also korean." The next one. "Thank you?" It wasn't really a question, so he moved on quickly.
Finally, "No. I don't have a girlfriend."
At that answer, all the girls squeed, and started talking all at the same time.
It was only at that moment that it fully sunk in for him that the only people talking to him right now were girls.
What are the guys doing?
He turned his head, and saw that all the male students were huddled around at the back of the classroom. A dark aura seemed to surround them as they stared at him with hateful glares and mumbled curses at him.
The hell is wrong with this place?
Shaking his head, Suk-chin finally stood up. "It's lunch time, right? I'm going to head to the cafeteria now."
At that, the girls clamored for his attention once again. Trying to get him to sit with them.
Suk-chin was starting to get a little annoyed, but smiled anyways. "Actually, I-"
"Excuse me?" Something that absolutely nobody expected occured.
Suk-chin turned his head to see a boy approaching him. He had medium length brown hair, and brown eyes.
"Yes?" Suk-chin replied, staring at the boy carefully.
"Okay, you said your name was Suk-chin Kang, and that you moved away from Kuoh ten years ago, right?" The brown haired boy asked.
"Yes." Did he have to repeat himself again?
"Uh... my name's Issei Hyoudou. Do you... remember me?"
Suk-chin blinked, staring at Issei for a moment. "I, uh..." He trailed off, suddenly feeling confused.
"You're name is Suk-chin, right? It's nice to meet you!"
Feeling a brief flash of pain shoot through his head, Suk-chin winced slightly, trying to hide the pain as much as possible.
"Yeah... I'm pretty sure I do." He smiled weakly. "Sorry, it was a long time ago, so my memory is a little shaky."
Issei nodded. "That's alright. It's definitely been a while. Haven't seen you since..." Issei trailed off as he recalled an unpleasant memory. "It's been a while." He concluded.
Nodding, Suk-chin looked around. "Yeah... it's nice to see an at least sonewhat familiar face..."
There was a very sudden shift in the air within the classroom.
Before, the male students were glaring at him hatefully with dark auras surrounding them while the female students practically had hearts in their eyes.
But now, the girls also had ominous auras surrounding them, as they stared with evil eyes.
Not at him, however. But at the boy he was talking to.
As a wall of energy manifested by pure hatred cascaded onto them, the girls growled.
"Hyoudou..." Despite it not being directed at him, Suk-chin also reeled back from the sheer animosity that had been poured into that single world.
"DON'T YOU DARE TAINT HIM YOU MONKEY!"
Suk-chin covered his ears as the girls yelled. He could have sworn he saw the room itself shake.
As he gingerly moved his hands away from his ears, he heard the girls hurl insult after insult at Issei.
"Suk-chin, don't go anywhere near him!" One girl said.
"Yeah! He'll infect you with his vile sickness!"
"He's diseased! Deranged!"
"A rotten pig!"
"Girls, surely... you're kidding, right?" Suk-chin asked. He was standing a few steps back.
"This is no joking matter! He is a criminal that deserves to be executed painfully!" A girl said passionately, and the others nodded vigorously.
Suk-chin turned to Issei, making a 'what the fuck' gesture with his hand.
Issei sighed. "Will you freaking relax? I'm not gonna drain his pimp juice or whatever."
"Lies!"
Okay, I'm done with this.
Suk-chin clapped his hands. "Alright. I think I've spent enough time in the classroom. It's lunchtime, and I'm hungry. So I'm going to the cafeteria." Suk-chin took a step back. "I don't know what your deal with this guy is," Suk-chin gestured to Issei. "But I'm not going to go become a damn supervillain or something. I'm just... going to eat lunch. So let's relax okay?"
The girls continued to plead with him, but being fed up enough as it is, Suk-chin ignored them and left the room. Issei followed suit.
...
"You mind explaining whatever the hell that was?" Suk-chin asked dryly, muching on a sandwhich he held with one hand, the other hand in his pocket.
"Uuuuuuuuuuuh...." Issei stalled nervously, not really knowing how to break the truth.
"What, are you a felon or something? Just spit it out so I don't waste my time hanging out with a criminal."
Issei sighed. "Okay, this is going to take some explaining..."
"Okay? Why are you making it so dramatic? Just tell me."
"You see, until a few years ago, this school was an all-girls school. No guy students or teachers." Issei explained. "The change to co-ed was so recent, that the girl to guy ratio is ridiculous. Something like 7-3!"
"...So what, the girls are all isolated from guys?" Suk-chin asked, scratching his head.
When Issei nodded, Suk-chin started to at least understand the weirdness a little. "I guess that kind of explains the weirdness from the girls. But what about the guys?" Suk-chin asked. "Actually, that still doesn't answer my original question about why they react so aggressively towards you."
"Yo yo yo, Pissei! How you doing homie!"
"What up cuh!"
Suk-chin blinked in confusion when two boys sauntered up to them. One had black hair and wore glasses, while the other sported a buzzcut.
They were both staring primarily at Issei, but when their gazes caught Suk-chin, they gasped and pointed at him.
"Who the hell is this damn handsome!" They shouted.
Issei put a hand between Suk-chin and the two. "He's a new transfer student, but we used to know each other." He said. "Just trust me, I can bring him over to our side, I promise."
"You better be telling the truth, Hyoudou..." The one with glasses growled. "Otherwise, it's off with your head!"
"You know what? I think I'm just gonna go." Suk-chin said, starting to get weirded out.
"No no, please stay." The buzzcut guy said, sliding towards Suk-chin. "If Issei here claims you can be trusted, then you must first be tested." He said mysteriously.
"I think I'm good."
Issei stepped up. "No, I'm with them on this one." He said seriously. "If you follow us, you'll be able to witness the most glorious sight in human history!" His voice turned passionate.
Suk-chin rolled his eyes. "You know what? Fine. Just make it quick."
...
"So, what's with this place?" Suk-chin asked, staring as the three other boys huddled near the side wall of a small building further out on campus.
"This, my friend, is a belong used by the school's kendo club." The buzzcut guy, who's name was Matsuda- something Suk-chin learned on the way there, said. "In particular, it's their changing rooms."
Raising an eyebrow, Suk-chin tilted his head. "Okay... and why are we at a club's changing rooms?"
"Because of this!" Matsuda dramatically pointed at the wall. Upon closee inspection, a small hole could be seen.
"Oh. A hole." Suk-chin blinked. "Shouldn't you tell someone to get that fixed?"
"Of course not!" Motohama, the boy with glasses, intervened. "How could we ever allow something so marvelous to be shut away? This is hole provides a glance into pure heaven!"
When the confusion on his face didn't clear up, Issei clarified what his friend meant. "It lets us watch the girls of the kendo club change clothes."
"Ooooooooooooh." Suk-chin finally nodded in understanding. The confusion soon came back, however.
"Wait, why would you want to do that exactly?"
Issei smirked. "You see, my friend, there is one thing in this world that surpasses all!" Issei confidently declared. "And that is boobs!"
"..."
"It is for that reason that the three of us came to this school!" He continued. "For our quest for tits has only one natural conclusion! Become harem kings!"
"...What?"
"We'll become harem kings!" Issei repeated.
"I don't... know what that means. You'll be a what?"
"A harem king."
"You keep repeating it like I'm supposed to know what that means. What's a harem king? King of harems? What's a harem?"
Issei blinked. "You... don't know what a harem is?"
"I've never heard that word before in my life."
"It's the most magical thing in the world!" The three other boys shouted. "A thrall of beautiful women all craving you! Drowning in that hot pootang!"
Suk-chin grimaced. "So... a harem is just... being in a relationship with multiple girls at once?"
"Yes!"
"That sounds absolutely miserable." Suk-chin said dryly.
"Besides, if your goal is to be in a relationship with multiple girls... isn't spying on them counter intuitive?" He asked.
"Why would it be?"
"Well... for starters, you wouldn't need to peek if you had a girlfriend." Suk-chin said. "Because... well you'd have a girlfriend. Or a harem, I guess." He pointed out. "Also, I've gathered that peeking on girls changing is the reason you're reputation is so terrible."
The boys nodded in agreement at the second point.
"So how could you get a harem if everyone women hates you?"
"Shut up, damn you!" Motohama pointed at him aggressively. "You don't understand what it's like to suffer as a normal person like us!"
Suk-chin rolled his eyes. "It's also a crime. Which for most people would be the biggest reason not to peek."
"The law hasn't stopped us before, and it won't stop us now! We will not be bound by the shackles of society!" Matsuda declared loudly.
"..." Suk-chin simply did not know what to say in response to whatever was going on in front of him. That is, until he noticed something that the trio of boys hadn't yet.
"Actually, there is another flaw in your plan." Suk-chin said with a smile.
"And what would that be?"
"That you guys were too loud about it."
Suddenly, Issei and his two friends were made aware of the horde of girls surrounding them. And the dark auras of pure death and malevolence that surrounded them.
It seemed that the girls of the kendo club
Suk-chin gently put his hands up and took a step back, not wanting to get involved in the massacre that was about to occur. Yet still wanting to observe.
"So, you three are at it again..." A girl with long brown hair said menacingly, stepping forward.
"You damn perverts..." A pink haired girl growled, also stepping forward.
All three of the boys stumbled back, before eventually falling to their feet.
"No please..." Issei pleaded.
"It was his idea!" Matsuda pointed at Issei, immediately throwing his friend under the bus.
"Yeah, really! We didn't wanna do this in the first place! He practically forced us!" Motohama added on.
Luckily for Issei, it didn't seem to work. "Yeah right, you monkeys are all the same. All you ever do is talk about porn and spy on girls!"
Unluckily for Issei, that did not mean he was spared from what came next. "I think it's high time someone taught you sickos a lesson!" The three boys gulped. "Physically!" The girl emphasized, wielding a bamboo sword.
In fact, all of the girls had bamboo swords with them.
As the girls circled around the boys and closed in, they pleaded endlessly for their lives to be sparred. But their cries fell on deaf ears, for the girls of the kendo club did not care for their tears.
Suk-chin watched as the girls vented out their frustrations on Issei and his two friends.
It was quite funny.
But there was something else Suk-chin noticed.
They're just venting their anger out, but their form still isn't half bad...
After a long while, the girls seemed finally finished with their 'executions' of the boys, and finally turned to Suk-chin.
They're not gonna attack me too, right? I don't really want to beat the crap out of a bunch of school girls.
"What are you doing with them?" The brown haired girl, who Suk-chin assumed was their leader, asked him accusingly. She pointed her bamboo sword at him for good measure.
"They told me they wanted to 'test' me, whatever that means." Suk-chin rolled his eyes. "I had no idea this is what it was. I did not try to peek."
"...I believe you. We heard most of the conversation." The girl finally let up.
"That's a relief. Sorry for bothering you all." Suk-chin smiled, causing the girl who was previously threatening him to blush.
"N-no, it's okay! It's not like you actually peeked or anything, right?" She stammered.
Those three didn't peek and you still beat the life out of them.
"So... you guys practice during lunch break, too? You guys must take kendo pretty seriously." Suk-chin commented, slowly walking towards the brown haired girl.
Holding her sword over his face, he observed it intently. "Hm, I see... not bad. Not amazing, but the quality is good. I guess it makes sense for a school to only offer bamboo swords..." He mumbled under his breath.
The girl blinked in confusion and surprise, only now noticing the lack of a sword in her hand. "Huh? How did you..."
"Suk-chin, yeah? Are you interested in kendo?" The pink haired girl popped up in between them, staring at Suk-chin with a blush.
"Oh? Well, I suppose I am. I..." He trailed off for a moment. "I have some... experience with swords, and I did practice a little kendo."
"You should totally join the kendo club!" Another girl from the crowd of club members blurted out.
"Huh?" Suk-chin raised an eyebrow. "Isn't this a girl's kendo club?"
"I mean... I wouldn't mind if he joined..." Another girl said.
"Yeah... it wouldn't hurt to have one guy right?"
"I still wanted Kiba to join... but I definitely won't complain about this!"
"Okay, besides the fact that I'm pretty sure I'm straight up not allowed, there are some other logistical issues. Where would I change?" Suk-chin asked.
"You could change with us!"
"MARY!" As Suk-chin stared with wide stunned eyes, the brown haired girl shouted aggressively at the bolder club member.
I think the perversion runs deeper than just those three.
Clearing her throat, she spoke again. "I- uh, apologize for that." Her face was still quite red. "Technically, no, you cannot join the kendo club."
"However, it is possible for you to join us in training exhibitions every now and again after school. If that is acceptable."
Suk-chin let out a long sigh. While he was mildly interested, he wasn't sure he wanted to partake in the shenanigans this school's students got up to any longer than he had to.
"Fuck it, fine." He finally decided, rubbing his forehead. "Sure, I'll do it. I just come back here after school, right?"
The girl nodded. "That's right." She said, before grabbing the hand of the pink haired girl and pulling her over. "My name is Murayama, by the way. And this is Katase. We're the co-captains of the kendo club. So you'll have to listen to us during practice."
Suk-chin let out a small snort, but shrugged. "Sure. Whatever you say."
...
Yawning absentmindedly, Suk-chin walked along the hallways of Kuoh Academy. Despite the building itself being pretty big, it wasn't very difficult to traverse, and he found himself figuring out where to go much faster than he thought he would.
Alright... so far school is... pretty fucking boring. Why did I come here again?
Scratching his head, Suk-chin turned a corner, only to-
Quickly sliding out of the way, Suk-chin narrowly avoided colliding with someone who was also turning the corner at the same time.
In a short pause, the two stared at each other. It was a girl with long black hair and purple eyes.
"Well, that could have been bad." Suk-chin said simply. "See ya." And he left just like that. Not bothering to engage in further conversation.
As he walked passed, however, they accidentally brushed shoulders for a moment.
The girl, however, stared at him curiously for a moment. Just for a moment, before she too continued going on her way.
She walked past the numerous students who admired her, either quietly or vocally. All the way to a room with a plaque that read 'Student Council' on it. She opened the door, and walked inside.
Within the room, several other students were waiting for.
"Great. Now that Akeno is here, we can finally start." A girl with long crimson red hair said, sitting on a desk. "Sona, you said you had something important to call a meeting with my group too?"
A girl with short black hair and purple eyes covered by glasses nodded. "That's right. It has a little to do with your current... project as well, Rias."
The redheaded girl, Rias, tilted her head. "Is that so? Then please go on."
...
Finally, the school day had come to an end.
Suk-chin sighed as the last bell rang, granting him freedom. The original plan was to go straight home... but I ended up agreeing to spend some time at a girl's kendo club.
Picking up a sword... maybe it won't be so bad.
A hand slamming onto his desk brough him out of his thoughts. "Hm?" He turned his head.
"Hey man, what the hell!" Issei was there, an aggravated look on his still bruised face. "You totally got us caught and then ditched us when we got our asses handed to us!"
"Excuse me?" Suk-chin leaned back. "I did no such thing." He retorted. "You guys were the ones screaming at the top of your lungs about harems and not being confined by the law. You got yourself caught."
"I... really?" Issei paused his anger to think back at what happened earlier. He snapped his fingers. "Damnit! I lost myself to my own passion!"
The pervert shook his head. "Well, you still ditched us when the girls showed up!"
"Wrong again. I stayed. And watched."
"Wha- that's even worse! Why didn't you help us!"
"I mean... I guess I could have. On one hand, I don't think you guys had technically committed any crimes yet, and they did assault you..." Suk-chin grabbed his chin as he thought it over.
"On the other hand though, it was very funny."
"Those things are not equal!"
"They sound pretty close to me."
"Bastard... I should have known..." Issei mumbled silently. "Turning handsome as brought you over to the dark side!"
"You and your friends have talked about my appearance a lot, and it's starting to make me a bit uncomfortable."
"Good! Be uncomfortable!" Issei snapped. "Learn what it's like to be in the shoes of a regular guy!"
"Okay, I think this is going on for a bit too long." Suk-chin said, standing up. "I'm going to, uh... leave."
"Yeah whatever, probably gonna go have fun with all fifty girls who probably have crushes on you already." Issei grumbled, walking away.
Suk-chin rolled his eyes, packed up his stuff and left. What a weirdo. Did I really use to know that guy?
After leaving the classroom, Suk-chin made his way through the hallways, down the stairs, and out the main building.
"Suk-chin!" A pink haired girl appeared at his side. It was Katase, one of the kendo club captains. "You didn't forget about coming to practice today, right?"
"I was just headed there now." Suk-chin replied, hands in his pockets. "It's this way, right?" He pointed with his left hand. Katase nodded. "Yup! Wanna walk together?"
Shrugging, he accepted. "We're already walking in the same direction anyways."
So, they started walking.
"Um..." Staring out of the corner of his eye, he saw Katase nervously attempting to say something.
"Yes?"
"You said you had a little experience with kendo, right? How much is it? Did you do it at your old school?"
Suk-chin shook his head. "No, I didn't." He said. "It was more of a... recreational activity, you could say."
Thankfully, Katase didn't seem at all suspicious of his words. "Is that right? Hm..." The girl thought for a moment. "I don't think we have anything like that here in Kuoh. It's only thanks to the kendo club that we can practice, and we have to go to other cities to participate in tournaments."
"Really? So if you're a guy wanting to do kendo, you're just shit outta luck?"
Katase giggled. "More or less. The school doesn't have a male kendo club. Or many male clubs at all, actually. There are a few gender neutral clubs, though."
Suk-chin nodded along. "So even though the school is technically co-ed, there isn't much integration yet."
Katase nodded. "Yeah, the guys at school are all yucky anyways, so who cares?" She said absentmindedly. When she turned to Suk-chin who had an eyebrow raised, she quickly realized what she said.
Cheeks heating up, Katase stammered. "I-I mean, not all the guys, obviously!" She almost squeaked. "Just... almost all of them? Maybe ninety nine percent?"
"Who's the one percent?" Suk-chin asked amusedly.
Katase's cheeks flushed brighter, and she rapidly shook her head to calm down. "Can we just keep walking please!?"
Suk-chin let out a small laugh. Cute.
The walk to the kendo club wasn't all that long. After their conversation ended, it was only a few minutes.
But as the pair got closer, they noticed a small commotion going on around the club building.
Noticing the look on Katase's face, Suk-chin asked a question. "Do you know if something's going on?"
Katase's expression grew slightly confused. "I'm not... sure..." She said. But when they got even closer, one of the club members approached them.
"Katase! Katase!" The girl called out. "You'll never believe it!"
"What is it?" Katase replied, stepping forward to meet the girl.
"Kiba agreed to join us for practice today!"
Katase's eyes widened. "Wait, really!?" Her expression quickly went back to confusion, however. "Wait, but hasn't rejected every invitation like, ever? Why did he agree now?"
The girl shrugged. "I don't know! All I know is that he's here! Breathing the same air as me!"
Katase slowly turned to look at Suk-chin, and the girl followed her gaze.
She gasped. "That's right! Wait, now we have the two hottest guys in school at our club! This is the best day EVER! I'll go tell everyone you're here!"
As the girl ran off, Katase rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry." She apologized.
"What for?" Suk-chin asked. "It's not an issue to have more people here, is it?"
Although it might get annoying having to deal with all this shouting.
"Well, I guess..." Katase seemed hesitant, before shaking her head. "No, you're right. It's perfectly fine. Let's go."
While all of the girls wore their kendo uniforms except for Katase - who was currently getting changed, there were two people who still wore their school uniforms.
One of them was Suk-chin. The other was a blond boy who he assumed was Kiba.
Kiba sat against the wall of the clubroom, a polite smile on his face as a small horde of girls vyed for his attention.
Oh. So that's what it looks like from an outsider's perspective.
Shaking his head, Suk-chin approached the crowd.
"Sorry girls, but... wouldn't it be best if you used this time to practice?" He heard Kiba say.
Before the girls could protest, he stepped in. "I agree."
The girls turned to face him instead of Kiba. They seemed annoyed at first, but their faces quickly flushed. "That's the whole point of the club, isn't it? To practice kendo?"
"I- uh, yeah! Let's go practice kendo guys!"
"Agreed! Let's go!"
The girls scattered quickly, all going of into pairs to start sparring. Leaving only the two boys.
Suk-chin observed the blonde boy for a moment.
There was something sligtly strange about him.
"It's nice to meet you. My name's Kiba Yuuto." The boy introduced himself with a polite smile.
Suk-chin responded in kind. "Mine's Suk-chin. I heard your name a couple of times from the girls around school."
He leaned in slightly and whispered. "Between you and me, are people at this school always so loony?"
Kiba laughed lightly. "They mean well." He waved his hand. "Well, mostly."
"Right..." Suk-chin said, unconvinced. "Whatever. So, do you know what we do now? I had someone with me but they kinda ditched me. Do we just watch?" He looked around. "Everyone seems to be doing their own thing."
Kiba shrugged. "I wouldn't know myself. This is actually my first time joining the kendo club as well."
"Hm. You get asked to join clubs a lot?"
"I do." Kiba confirmed. "But I'm quite busy after school, so I often refuse. However, my schedule happened to be clear today."
"That so?" Suk-chin tilted his head. "How convienent. You have any experience with kendo yourself? Or you just came here because they asked?"
"Well, I do practice quite a bit of swordplay myself. But I don't really have any interest in kendo specifically. So I suppose I came here because they asked." Kiba answered.
Suk-chin nodded along. "Right, right... So, you have experience with a sword, but don't have any interest in kendo?"
Kiba shook his head. "No, not really. To be honest, I prefer a... real sword over playing with a wooden one."
Suk-chin's eye twitched a little, but he didn't exactly disagree. "I see. But, don't you think kendo could be useful?"
Kiba mulled it over. "Well, I guess it seems amusing. But not really. I'm only here to watch, honestly."
This motherfucker-
Suk-chin wasn't sure why, but he was quickly getting aggravated by Kiba's attitude.
"Hm. Well, have you ever practiced kendo even once?" Suk-chin asked. "These girls clearly put a lot of effort into it."
"That's true. It's admirable." Kiba nodded. "If a little cute."
A vein appeared in Suk-chin's forehead. "It's clear you don't think very highly of kendo."
"I wouldn't go that far." Kiba shook his head. "But... it's true, I don't see much use in it."
Taking a deep breath, Suk-chin calmed himself slightly before replying.
"You claim to have some experience with swords, right?" He asked. "If that's the case, why don't we spar?"
"Oh, well..." Kiba rubbed the back of his head. "Are you really sure? I don't know if..."
"What's the problem? We're the only two guys here, right?" Suk-chin pointed out. "We could just stand here and watch the whole time, or get in on the action ourselves."
Kiba seemed to think it over for some time. He was hesitant for a bit, before finally relenting.
"Alright. I suppose getting a little bit of exercise wouldn't hurt."
"Perfect." Suk-chin smiled through clenched teeth.
...
A while later, the kendo club girls were all gathered together. They sat in a large group, all watching as Suk-chin and Kiba faced each other.
The two boys were standing several feet away from each other. Both held a bokken in their hands. Kiba held his with both hands, while Suk-chin held his with only his left. His right hand was in his pocket.
"Is that really the stance you want to take?" Kiba asked him curiously.
"It is." Suk-chin said simply.
Katase, the one who would be the ref for the spar, looked between the boys nervously.
"The spar will continue until contact is made with either of you, and will be a best out of three. Is that clear?" Katase asked. Both boys nodded.
"Who do you think will win?"
"I want Kiba to win!"
"Hm... Suk-chin looks tougher than Kiba!"
"This is super hot!"
"Yeah, I don't really care who wins! I'm happy either way!"
Katase sighed at the antics of her club members. She definitely would never, ever behave so embarassingly.
"Okay then, if the both of you are ready, we can start!" She announced.
"3...2...1... Begin!"
Kiba immediately lunged forward, thrusting with his sword. Suk-chin slid out of the way, retaliating by slashing his sword in a sideways arc.
Forced to back off, Kiba quickly had to dodge again as Suk-chin swung his sword once more.
"So fast!" One of the girls shouted in surprise.
"So cool!" Another added.
Kiba lunged forward again, and this time waited for Suk-chin to attack.
When he did, Kiba moved out of the way and counterattacked. Suk-chin attempted to dodge. In a surprising burst of speed, however, Kiba fully connected his blow before Suk-chin could get out of the way.
Katase blew a whistle. "First round goes to Kiba!"
Suk-chin stood still as Kiba moved back to his original position. The girls cheered, and he felt his frustration return as he analyzed what just happened.
In that moment, he...
Suk-chin sighed. "This bastard..." He muttered lowly, looking up at the sky.
Finally making his way back to his position, he waited for Katase to call the next round.
"Begin!"
Kiba was on the offensive once again. He swung with his sword, and Suk-chin blocked it with his. Kiba repeated this a few times, but his attacks were continously blocked effortlessly.
The blonde attempted to push forward, but Suk-chin didn't budge an inch. Instead, Kiba watched as Suk-chin easily sent him flying back by swinging his sword.
Suk-chin lunged forward this time, and swung his sword low, aiming it at Kiba's legs.
Kiba moved his sword to block the hit, planning on counterattacking afterwards.
Only for Suk-chin's blade to switch directions mid-swing, and land softly on his neck.
"The second round goes to Suk-chin!"
It was Kiba's turn to be stumped. What had just happened? How was he struck in the neck?
He changed directions. But so quickly and fluidly? I didn't expect it.
Should J... turn it up?
Kiba looked around, remembering the fact that their spar was being closely watched.
"Match point!" Katase called out, getting Kiba to refocuse. "Begin!"
When Kiba attacked this time, he was noticeably faster than before. Suk-chin narrowly blocked the swing, but another was already on its way.
Kiba continued his flurry of attacks, forcing Suk-chin completely on the defensive.
Narrowing his eyes, Suk-chin attempted to attack back, but his attack was easily parried, leaving him wide open to Kiba's next blow.
Suk-chin stared as the sword closed in on him rapidly.
Leaping back, the sword hit nothing but air.
"Huh?" Kiba made a quiet sound. Looking up at where Suk-chin landed, he saw him standing still.
Eyes closed, Suk-chin held the bokken in front of him, the blunted end gently pressed against his head.
Something about him is... different now? Kiba wondered.
Not wanting to let this go on any longer, Kiba rushed forward.
But despite how fast he went, he was forced to stop as the tip of Suk-chin's sword was now an inch away from his throat.
Kiba stared down in surprise. Is he...?
Sliding back in order to evade a sword slash, Kiba was surprised to see the change in Suk-chin's demeanor.
He was calm, quiet, and focused.
But most of all, he seemed dangerous.
In this short moment, Kiba forgot about the fact that this was nothing but a spar, being watched by a crowd.
I need to end this now.
Kiba readied himself once more. I'll finish this in a single blow.
Suk-chin leaned forward.
He took a single step forward, and Kiba lunged.
"What are you kids still doing here?" A loud voice demanded.
Both Suk-chin and Kiba stopped completely. Everyone looked in the direction the voice came from.
It was one of the teachers.
"Girls? Club time ended 10 minutes ago! Everyone needs to get changed and leave immediately!"
"Aw, come on miss! It was just getting good!" One of the girls complained.
"Now!" The teacher emphasized, not caring for the girl's protest.
Despite their whining, the girls complied with the teacher's demands. Kiba seemed hesitant, but ultimately relented as well.
However, Suk-chin was not very happy. He stared at the teacher, then to Kiba, then to the wooden sword in his hands.
With a small squeeze, the sword snapped in his hand.
...
"How did your meeting with him go?" Rias Gremory, a girl with long crimson hair asked.
"Well... it was definitely interesting." Kiba admitted.
The two were inside a dimly lit room with two black sofas sitting across from each other. At the edge of the room was a desk, where Rias was sitting.
Sitting on the couch across from Kiba was a short girl with white hair. And standing besides the desk was Akeno.
"Did you provoke him like I asked?" Kiba nodded to Rias' question. "But, I feel a bit bad about saying those things."
"There will be time to apologize later." Rias responded. "Today, I just wanted to confirm my suspicions about him."
"And those are?" Kiba inquired. Rias smiled. "There is definitely something strange about that boy. I believe his likelihood of possessing a sacred gear are nigh guaranteed."
Kiba thought about it for a moment. "What are the chances his sacred gear is already unlocked?"
"The energy I sense from him is great. But much of it still feels dormant. So it would be quite the surprise for it already be active."
"I see..." Kiba trailed off.
"Is something the matter?" Rias asked. Kiba shook his head. "No. Do you plan on trying to recruit him, or letting Sona take him?"
"Well, my original plan is still to get Issei Hyoudou." Rias revealed. "However, I will be expanding the plan to include him as well."
"Do you think we should have someone watch him?" Akeno asked.
"Not for now." Rias answered. "We aren't aware of everything he can do, so I would prefer we play things slowly for now."
Standing up, Rias addressed everyone in the room. "I believe that will be all for today's meeting. If you have any contracts, please do them as scheduled. Otherwise, you are free to do as you please."
With the meeting adjourned, Kiba sat up from the couch. He nodded to the girl sitting across from him, and started making his way out.
Thankfully he didn't have any contracts to do. So as he left the occult research club building, he started heading straight home.
It was a complicated time, Kiba thought. Rias already at a lot on her plate, but now there was a new variable added to the equation.
He wondered what it would be like of both people Rias wanted joined them. He wasn't really sure what to think of either of the two boys.
Issei had practically endless unsavory rumours about his character. But Kiba had never spoken to him personally, so he couldn't be fully certain about him.
His uncertainty was still present with the other boy, Suk-chin. This one, he had met earlier today. And even sparred with.
However, that didn't help him figure out much about him. If anything, it just confused him even more.
Kiba didn't know what to think about him. But there was something strange about him. Something he just couldn't put his finger on.
Kiba was lost in thought, but as he walked, he spotted a figure leaning against a wall, bringing him back to reality.
"Finally." The figure spoke as Kiba paused. "I thought you'd never walk by."
"You..." Kiba shifted, narrowing his eyes in caution. "You were waiting for me?"
"That's right." Suk-chin said. He was wearing a tracksuit now. He was adjusting the pair of fingerless gloves he now wore as well.
"Did you have something you wanted to say-" Kiba was cut off by a foot slamming into his face, staggering him.
"Yeah, I did." Suk-chin replied, his left foot still in the air.
"...And what would that be?" Kiba asked, looking more serious than before. Despite being kicked in the face, he didn't have much visible damage.
"'I don't know what to think of him.'" Suk-chin said, surprising Kiba. "'But there's something strange about him.'" Putting his foot back down, he walked up to Kiba until they were face to face.
"'Something I just can't put my finger on.'"
"That's exactly what I was thinking about you, too." Suk-chin finished, staring Kiba down.
"It's not just you, though." He added. "That girl I almost bumped into, and the student council president too."
"There's something off about all of you. But I just can't tell what it is yet." Suk-chin revealed. "And it pisses me off."
"So you're here because..."
"Because I'm going to figure out what it is from you." Suk-chin told him.
"We don't really have to fight, do we? If it's information you want, I'd be happy to arrange a meeting with-"
Suk-chin threw another kick to his head, cutting Kiba off yet again. "I didn't ask for a meeting." He said. "And I didn't ask you if you wanted to fight, either."
"You really pissed me off before. It was annoying with all the girls watching before, right?" Suk-chin asked.
Kiba rubbed his face, and finally narrowed his eyes.
"I recommend you fight back with everything you've got." Suk-chin said.
"Unless you wanna get your ass beat, that is."
.
First chapter of the rewrite.
Feel free to ask any questions.