The both of them took a step back from each other, their breaths heavy but measured. As the last traces of smoke dissolved into the air, the full scale of their battle was revealed. The once-lush forest clearing was burned down, embers glistening against the darkened soil where they stood.
To their side, an instructor dropped down from the treetops, landing smoothly as he hit the ground. Raising his gaze, he surveyed the destruction their fight had caused.
The instructor said in a stale tone, turning his eyes to them. "Team seven has won and will move on to the next phase...Everyone, please make your way out of the forest at this time."
The two of them turned back to each other.
"So...what are y'all going to do about Misaki...Isn't she going to be an issue?" Souta questioned in an awkward tone, completely different than his voice before.
Takeshi exhaled through his nose, tucking his hands deep into his pockets.
"Not my problem," He muttered. "If anyone comes up with a plan for her, it'll be Jin."
"I see...I'm sure he will come up with something."
Takeshi looked over to his left; his team crowded together.
"Well, uh...you should probably get going. Seems your team is waiting on you."
"Yeah...I'll catch you later, Souta..." Takeshi said in a friendly tone, walking over to his team.
"See you..."
JIn and Izumi's gaze narrowed on Takeshi as he reached them.
"That was an impressive performance by the both of you," Jin stated in approval.
"But you held back," Izumi added to the conversation, her tone almost scolding. "You could've ended it before it even started...Wait! Don't tell me...Are you going soft?!"
"Yeah, yeah...I just wanted to see if Souta had anything new." Takeshi responded in annoyance, rubbing the back of his neck as he spoke.
"I also noticed you were pulling your punches a bit." Jin chipped in once more, leaning casually against a nearby tree. "That type of hesitation would be bad if it ended up becoming a habit."
"What's up with this?!" Takeshi responded to them, confused about why they were questioning his actions. "Are we not here to train?! Why would I finish a fight before it even starts?"
Izumi began to giggle to herself as she leaned closely to Jin, whispering into his ear.
"Look how easy it is to get him flustered,"
As Jin's team walked out of the forest, an instructor called out to them.
"Well done, team seven...You all get some rest now. The next phase will be in a few days."
The eyes were on them as they walked across the field.
Jin
Izumi
Takeshi
They were all respected by the others, their combat alone standing above the rest.
"Ugh, you know...a hot bath sounds perfect right now," Izumi stated in a tired voice, stretching her arms above her head.
Izumi's eyes then flickered to Jin, her lips forming into a playful smile.
"After we wash up, what do you say we grab some food? Just the two of us?"
Izumi waited for an answer, but Jin didn't respond to her invitation.
Rather, Jin's attention was set on a familiar figure standing just a short distance away. It was Kurashi, his blank expression fixated on some unseen point in the sky.
Jin's pause in movement caused the others to stop as well, looking back at him to see what made him stop so suddenly.
Jin said to his teammates. "You guys go on ahead...I'll catch up with all of you later."
His teammates continued to the dorms, too tired to question him.
Except one
Izumi remained where she stood, her smile fading as she followed his gaze. She already knew what caught Jin's attention. Before Jin could step forward, Izumi grabbed his hand. It wasn't forceful but held firm enough to make him pause.
"Jin...why do you always do this?"
"What?"
"Every time...Every time you see someone alone...you—"
"Izumi..."
"Jin...you have to realize that some people don't want to be saved."
"You're overthinking it...I'm not trying to save him...Just want to give him a chance."
"There's no point losing yourself for someone who won't meet you in the middle."
Izumi held his gaze in for a long moment before finally letting go of his hand. Something in her expression shifted—not quite agreement, but not outright disapproval either.
"Come on, let's head back to the dorm to wash up. If we wait any longer, all the good food will be gone."
Jin sent one last glance in Kurashi's direction before following her lead. Some things weren't meant to be forced, and this was one of them.
But right now, he had other priorities, something far more important at this time.
And that is getting Izumi her favorite pork buns.
4:23 p.m. December 3, 2022
The sky darkened as the third round had come to an end, an ominous veil of clouds concealing the once clear skies.
Suddenly, a low crackle of thunder rumbled through the air, followed by the hesitant droplets of rain. As the victorious team made their way out of the forest, the skies finally unleashed their full wrath. The rain began to pummel down on everything that stood beneath it, drenching all of the weary combatants awaiting the next round. It was as though the sky had been holding in its tears, waiting for the very moment that someone in particular stepped forward.
At the edge of the forest, Kurashi stood alone, his figure a silhouette behind his conversing teammates. The black hoodie, which he wore over his uniform, slowly became saturated with water. His pitch-black hair clung to his forehead, stray strands tracing his sharp features as he watched the previous round's fighters limp out of the woods. Unlike the first two rounds, it was not blatantly clear who the winning team was, as every trainee who came out was bruised and battered. It was an obvious sign that they all put up a hard fight.
"Round four...will now commence!" The low voice of an instructor echoed through the rain.
As teams gathered at the forest edge, Kurashi stepped into the world of battle.