Cube's General Training Space.
The classroom commotion faded. After the brief but talked-about incident of the "popular girls sleeping on a guy's shoulders in class," Cube's hallways partially emptied.
Some cadets headed for their dorms, eager for rest or study, while others, driven by discipline or the need to burn off energy, went to the academy's spacious training grounds.
Theo was among the latter. Part of the reason he was there alone was Nayun's and Yeonha's hasty departure right after class.
A few minutes after the instructor dismissed them, Nayun, with a renewed energy that contrasted with her recent sleep, practically dragged Yeonha out of the room, muttering something about "girl business".
Theo didn't even get a chance to ask where they were going or if they needed anything. He just watched the two disappear down the hallway, leaving him to his own plans.
The truth was, he didn't have much to do and ended up coming to the General Training Ground more out of inertia and, primarily, because he hoped to find Hazuki.
He'd noticed some strangely distressed looks from her in his direction during class and wanted to check if everything was okay with his friend and groupmate.
The air vibrated with the sound of impacts in the multiple marked arenas, accompanied by shouts of effort from different directions – gunshots, slashes, and controlled attacks.
However, as soon as he entered the court, some people stopped him from continuing.
He stood near the entrance to one of the smaller arenas, watching the group in front of him with a heavy sigh that he tried to hide.
Five girls.
All sporting the "NOVICE" class emblem on their uniforms, a reminder they were still in the initial stages of their training at Cube.
They stood there, a hesitant semicircle, their gazes fixed on him with a mix of admiration, curiosity, and nervousness.
'What's up? Seen an uncatalogued specimen?'
The sarcastic question echoed in Theo's mind.
He had a strong urge to vocalize it, just to break the strange tension hanging in the air, but he held back. He knew his growing notoriety at Cube, fueled by his recent exploits and, undoubtedly, by his association with Nayun and Yeonha, attracted this kind of unwanted attention.
The five girls seemed to want to say something, exchanging knowing glances and nudging each other as if deciding who would have the courage to start the conversation.
For Theo, it was just a small interruption in his day, when he had nothing to do.
He crossed his arms, his expression neutral, hoping his lack of encouragement would be enough to disperse them.
It didn't work.
They remained there, a block of identical uniforms, differentiated only by their hairstyles and appearance, and, of course, their expressions.
"Sagan-sunbae... D-do you have a minute?"
"Sagan-sunbae, are you here to train?"
Another muttered.
Some seemed genuinely admired, others perhaps just curious about the "rising cadet" or "Chae Nayun's boyfriend."
There was also a touch of collective shyness that made the approach even more awkward.
Theo sighed internally again.
Train? Honestly, he didn't need to train in the conventional sense. Being, without exaggeration, the strongest being in the world at that moment, training at Cube was more of a formality, a way to keep up appearances and perhaps observe others.
He really just wanted to have a conversation with Hazuki, and who knows, maybe try to create some new skills.
He could feel the gazes of other cadets on the court, some pretending to train while watching the interaction out of the corner of their eyes.
His life at Cube was becoming an aquarium.
'Have they already created a fan club? That would be annoying to deal with.'
He thought, pushing away the unpleasant idea.
Finally, after an exchange of glances that seemed to last an eternity, one of the girls, perhaps the bravest or the one who lost the mental "rock, paper, scissors," stepped forward.
She had short hair and a round face, and her cheeks were red.
"Uhm... T-theo-sunbae?"
Her voice came out a little higher pitched than intended. The other four cringed slightly behind her, as if seeking protection.
Theo uncrossed his arms, maintaining his neutral expression.
"Yes? Can I help you with something?"
The girl swallowed hard.
"W-we just wanted to... uhm... say that we admire you so much\! What you did in the simulated combat was amazing\! And... and we also wanted to know if... maybe... you would have any tips for us, from the novice class? About... about how to improve faster?"
She finished the sentence almost breathless, her eyes wide and fixed on him, awaiting the answer as if it were a divine decree. The others nodded vigorously in agreement.
Theo blinked slowly.
Tips?
It was obvious that this was just a pretext, a flimsy excuse to start a conversation. He doubted they really expected any miraculous secret from him.
He looked at the five girls, their nervous sincerity (or perhaps just the excitement of talking to him) shining in their eyes. Part of him just wanted to politely dismiss them and get on with his training. Another part, however, recognized their effort in overcoming shyness to approach him, even if for the wrong reason.
He let out an almost imperceptible sigh.
"Train the basics until exhaustion, but never to the point of passing out."
Theo paused, then continued.
"Don't look for shortcuts or flashy techniques before mastering the fundamentals. Consistency is more important than sporadic intensity. And... find a good training partner."
He paused, his gaze sweeping the group.
"Was that all?"
The girl who spoke seemed a little surprised by the direct answer but nodded quickly.
"Y-yes! Thank you, Sunbae! T-thank you so much!"
The others mumbled hasty thanks as well, made an awkward bow, and practically fled, whispering excitedly among themselves once they were far enough away.
Theo watched them go, shaking his head slightly. At least it had been quick. Now, perhaps, he could look for Hazuki without further interruptions.
With the novice girls finally out of his way, Theo exhaled the breath he hadn't realized he was holding and began to scan the wide Training Ground, looking for the familiar figure with green hair.
It didn't take long to spot her in one of the more secluded arenas, dedicated to hand-to-hand combat and weapon handling.
He began to walk in that direction, hands in his pockets, ignoring the curious glances that still followed him.
The path led him past several active training areas.
In two of them, he saw Kim Suho and Kim Hajin, engaged in combat training.
Suho seemed to be practicing control of his swordsmanship, using his past experience to "dance" as he dodged and attacked, while Hajin focused on his precision, firing energy projectiles at moving targets.
Since they seemed focused, Theo walked straight past them, not disturbing them.
A little further on, in an individual training area, he spotted Rachel.
The princess was executing a complex sequence of movements with her rapier, the thin blade tracing silver arcs in the air. Her movements were fluid and precise, yet imbued with a cold intensity. For a brief moment, her blue eyes met Theo's as he passed.
There was a moment of silent recognition, and then, to Theo's surprise, she gave a slight, almost imperceptible, nod before returning her full attention to her training, her expression once again impassive.
Theo just continued on his way after returning the gesture.
"There she is."
Finally, he reached the arena where Hazuki was.
She was in the center of the marked space, her katana sheathed. Before her, five training dummies, humanoids made of magical energy, walked towards her, holding large swords.
Hazuki took a deep breath, holding the scabbard's hilt, her posture low and concentrated.
Then, she moved.
Her figure became a blur as she advanced, the katana hissing through the air.
She delivered a rapid series of precise vertical cuts, each strike hitting the dummies' "core" with controlled force. The targets' energy dissipated with each accurate impact, and in seconds, all five dummies dissolved into particles of light.
Hazuki stopped, the blade pointed downwards, her breathing slightly rushed, but her eyes focused, analyzing her own performance.
Theo waited for her to finish the sequence and sheath her katana before approaching the edge of the arena. He didn't want to interrupt her flow, but now that she had stopped, it was the moment.
"You were amazing, Hazuki-san."
He commented, his calm voice breaking the relative silence of that specific area of the court.
Hazuki quickly turned at the sound of his voice.
Her green eyes met Theo's, and for an instant, he saw the same shadow of distress he had noticed in the classroom pass over her face before she masked it with a small smile.
"Theo-kun."
She replied, her voice a little more subdued than usual; the joy and energy she always had in her voice when speaking with Theo were nowhere to be found.
"Didn't expect to see you here, heh."
...
Note: The next three or four chapters will be the end of the arc of the first month in the Cube, and then there will be a small time jump.