When Haneul spoke, Mujin suddenly tightened his grip on the chopsticks, causing them to instantly snap. With his eyes closed, he appeared to be in deep contemplation, ending it with a heavy sigh.
Mujin Daeho(INT):
"Alright alright, let's not assume that he actually suspects something, so I'll–"
When Mujin opened his eyes after contemplating in inner silence, he saw a mischievous smirk plastered on Haneul's face, leaving him feeling mentally speechless.
Haneul Yoon:
"Well, I mean, it's alright if you're not actually from here."
"Even if you weren't raised here, your blood and heart is still from Seolmara!"
"And... I can teach you how to properly use chopsticks, I promise you, you'll get the hang of it quickly!"
Mujin Daeho(INT):
"What the hell– I thought he'd do something like..."
*Sigh*
Mujin Daeho:
*Clears throat*
"Yeah... I'd like to know how to use these..."
"Things."
With a gleaming grin, Haneul moved closer to Mujin and took his hands, directing and assisting his movements as he demonstrated how to hold and use the chopsticks.
Haneul Yoon:
"First, start by holding the chopsticks like this, with your thumb and forefinger on the bottom and your middle, ring, and pinkie fingers on top."
Mujin Daeho:
"Right."
Haneul Yoon:
"Next, move your hand up and down to pick up food, and then release by opening your hand."
He lets go of his hands.
With a firm grip on the chopsticks, Mujin slowly lowered his hand, attempting to position the tips in between the mysterious meat.
Mujin Daeho:
"...Like this?"
Haneul Yoon:
"Mhm, now just grab the food."
After encountering several setbacks, he successfully managed to grasp the meat and lift it to eye level for a closer look.
Haneul Yoon:
"You got it!"
Mujin Daeho:
"Yeah."
Mujin Daeho(INT):
"Now, time to see what's so good about this meat that everyone's so worked up about."
He took a big bite out of the meat.
Haneul Yoon:
"Well? It's good, isn't it?"
Mujin Daeho(INT):
"I can't seem to figure out what all the excitement is about."
"It just tastes like chicken, but with an overpowering gameyness that leaves some confusing aftertaste in my mouth."
"In this world, the people are accustomed to consuming the meats of their animals and vegetables, which explains why they appreciate them alongside other foods."
"I, on the other hand, am having a little trouble getting used to it."
He swallowed his food and places the meat back down.
Mujin Daeho:
"It's alright..."
Haneul Yoon:
" 'Alright'? This is great!"
Mujin Daeho:
*Sigh*
"I think I'm not hungry, I guess."
"You can have it."
Mujin slides a platter of food over to Haneul, folding his arms as he watches Haneul enjoy the meal.
Haneul Yoon:
"Hm?"
"Oh, well, alright."
He watches Haneul for a second, before darting his eyes to the side and observing the scene of the large dining room. Students chatting, laughed and enjoying their food.
Mujin Daeho(INT):
"Tch, what's it gonna take for me to get some 'za from New York?"
"Or maybe some from Chicago..."
Slightly leaning on the ground, he casually surveyed his surroundings, only to spot a girl perched at a lap table in the distance. She observed him with her dazed violet eyes, a sly smirk playing on her lips.
She looked to be slender, her relaxed violet eyes appeared almost luminous, complemented by rough shoulder-length black hair adorned with vivid purple highlights and a black neck choker with strange symbols all over it. Her cunning smile gave her a serpentine allure and showed her little fangs.
The mysterious girl offered a subtle wink, rose from her seat, and strolled away, casting a final glance back at him as she exited the dining room. Mujin raised an unamused eyebrow, only to feel a nudge on his shoulder. Turning, he found Haneul with a smug smirk plastered on his face.
Haneul Yoon:
"Oh? Somebody catch your eye?"
Mujin Daeho:
"It's nothing."
"Are you done with your food? Lunch is nearly over."
Haneul Yoon:
"Oh right! I better hurry."
Haneul scarfed down his food as quickly as possible, realizing that the next class was about to start. Within just a few seconds, he had polished off the entire plate and immediately stood up from the ground, brushing off any crumbs and straighting out his sleeves.
Once the pair had returned their platters and left the dining hall, the bell began to ring, indicating the start of the next class. Amidst a crowd of students, Mujin passed by the same girl, who had been previously eyeing him, without his notice.
Leaning against the wall, she appeared to be mutterting softly to her hand as she watched Mujin walk away, her attention fixated on him as he made his way across the crowded hallways.
Cut to the large sparring circular platform outside at the field.
Under the clear, sunny sky, the group of twelve first-year students gathered outside.
Huo Hao:
"Alright! I'm getting excited for this class session! I can feel myself just burnin' up!"
Hao, a lean and muscular young man with dog ears, tall height, and a light tan complexion. His distinct features included yellow eyes with star-shaped white pupils, spiky dark red hair, and unusually sharp canines.
Haeun Ara:
"Okay okay, calm down you muscle-head."
Haeun, a cat girl of average height and a slight slender build with white-gray long hair, light blue eyes with white pupils, and small, sharp canines.
Huo Hao:
"But Ara! How can I calm down when we're about to show eachother what we've got?"
"I just can't take how long our professor is making us wait!"
Sato Ren:
"Now that you've said it, where's the professor?"
Kagetsuki Aya & Kang Daewon:
"Literally!"
"He or she's almost twelve minutes late."
Aya and Daewon, of average height, differed in physique. Aya slender, her vibrant red hair in a thick side braid, complemented by red eyes; Daewon lean, with a touch of muscle, light blue mid-length wavy hair and light blue eyes.
Chiara Ricci:
"M– m– maybe..."
"He's dead!"
Chiara, frog girl of moderate height, with wavy shoulder-length cream-colored hair adorned with braids. Her large light green eyes standing out, and her tongue slightly poking out.
Ayumi Tokiko:
"OR... he's just his taking his time coming here???"
Ayumi is a tall, lean and muscular girl with long, straight dark gray hair and bangs with eyes that are dark green with white pupils.
A vein surfaced on Wu's forehead; he adjusted his glasses and let out a sigh.
Hei'an Wu(INT):
"One more minute, and I'm gonna rip this bastards body to smithereens for wasting my time..."
Haneul Yoon(INT):
"That isn't good..."
"Wu looks like he's about to kill somebody–"
???:
"BOOO!"
Chiara Ricci & Haneul Yoon:
"EEEEKKK!!!!"
Unexpectedly, the professor materialized before them, causing a surprise among the class, except for Mujin, Wu, and Ren. With a slight bow, the professor proceeded to introduce himself.
Professor Raijiro:
"My sincerest apologies for the delay, my dear students! Allow me to introduce myself before we get started on today's exciting lesson."
"I'm Raijiro Yugen! Your professor for the time being. And as for what we'll be doing, it's something we like to call..."
A dramatic pause!
"The Combat Trials!"