The training hall's atmosphere still buzzed after the last target fell. Jiwon twirled his staff before collapsing it back into its compact form, glancing toward Hyunwoo with a curious look.
"You..." he tilted his head, "you copied that sidestep I did earlier. Even the timing was spot on."
Jisoo walked over, spinning one of her chakrams idly. "Yeah, I saw that too. That little redirect I used with my wrist? You did it exactly. No way that was just coincidence."
Jaemin leaned on his glaive, his sharp gaze never leaving Hyunwoo. "It's like you've been training with us for years."
Hyunwoo gave a small shrug, his tone calm.
"That's my Semblance — Copy. I can mimic the movements I see... but only movements my body can actually handle. If it's too fast, too strong, or needs a weapon I don't have, I can't fully replicate it."
Jisoo blinked, intrigued. "So you're basically a walking mirror?"
"Not exactly," Hyunwoo replied. "Mirrors just reflect. I adapt. I take pieces of your style, fit them into mine, and use them where they'll be the most effective."
He looked at each of them in turn, his voice steady as if he'd already worked this out in his head long before.
"Jiwon — you own the mid-range fight. You're precise, efficient. You can control the tempo of a battle."
"Jisoo — you control space. Those chakrams force enemies to move where you want them, whether they know it or not."
"Jaemin — you're the anchor. You can take pressure and still hit back hard. You keep the rest of us from being overwhelmed."
"And you?" Jaemin asked.
Hyunwoo smirked faintly. "I'm the one who stitches it all together. I read the flow, fill the gaps, and make sure every fight ends on our terms."
The three of them exchanged a glance — the kind that said they didn't quite know what to make of him yet... but maybe they liked where this was going.
__________
The dorm lights were dim, with the soft hum of the air vents filling the quiet. Jisoo was perched cross-legged on her bed, idly flipping a chakram between her hands. Jiwon sat on the floor, staff resting across his knees, while Jaemin leaned against the wall, arms crossed.
Hyunwoo was at the desk, jotting notes in a small notebook.
Jisoo's voice broke the silence. "Alright, Copycat... if you really can copy anything, prove it."
Hyunwoo looked up, raising a brow. "Anything my body can handle. Don't forget that part."
Jisoo smirked and stood, rolling her wrist in a sharp, circular flick before sending her chakram spinning in a controlled arc across the room. It stopped just shy of Jiwon's head before returning to her palm. She then gives the weapons to him.
Without a word, Hyunwoo rose, mimicked her grip, and executed the same throw. His hand moved through the air with the exact speed and angle, his balance identical.
Jiwon chuckled. "Creepy accurate."
"Alright, my turn," he said, spinning his staff in a complex, two-bladed pattern before flipping it behind his back.
Hyunwoo followed each movement in perfect sync — his arms and shoulders adjusting as if he'd done it for years.
Jaemin tilted his head. "What about this?" He lunged forward in a sharp glaive thrust, pivoted, then stepped back with a defensive guard.
Hyunwoo mirrored it flawlessly.
"Okay, that's officially weird," Jisoo said, but her tone had softened, more curious than suspicious.
Hyunwoo shrugged. "It's all just pieces. The more I see, the more I can use. That's why I wanted to know your styles early — the sooner I understand them, the sooner I can make us work like one fighter instead of four separate ones."
There was a beat of quiet, then Jiwon cracked a small smile. "Guess having a mirror on the team isn't so bad."
Jisoo tossed her chakram into the air and caught it. "Fine, Copycat. Let's see if you can keep up in the real thing."
Hyunwoo just smirked and went back to his notebook, jotting down another strategy before the lights went out.
"Well let's take a rest, tomorrow will be the day for our first class"
____
The morning sun spilled through the tall windows of Beacon's lecture hall as students from Teams RWBY, JNPR, CDRL, and NOVA filed in. Hyunwoo took his seat near the side, Jaemin sitting just behind him, while the twins claimed spots on the other side. Ruby waved briefly from across the room before flopping into her seat beside Weiss.
At the front stood a portly man in a red jacket with a grand mustache — Professor Peter Port — who looked as though he was about to start a performance rather than a lecture.
"Good morning, students!" Port boomed, his voice echoing. "I am Professor Peter Port, and I will be your guide through the noble pursuit of becoming a Huntsman!"
What followed was a long, winding lecture about the kingdoms of Vale, Atlas, Mistral, and Vacuo — their walls standing as bastions against the darkness of the Grimm — and the sacred duty Huntsmen carried to protect humanity.
Hyunwoo listened... at first. But after ten minutes, Port's words became less a speech and more a story about himself. Something about capturing a live Beowolf "as but a sprightly lad." His tone swelled, hands gesturing dramatically as if he were on stage.
Ruby, on the other hand, was decidedly not listening. She had stacked all her textbooks, notepads, and pens in a delicate tower on one finger, balancing them with exaggerated care. She idly poked her nose, then began doodling a chubby caricature of Port in her notebook, labeling it "Professor Poop" with little stink lines.
Weiss noticed.
Her eyes narrowed like drawn blades. She leaned toward Ruby and hissed, "Could you at least pretend to take this seriously?"
Ruby shrugged, grinning sheepishly, then went back to balancing her tower.
Across the room, Hyunwoo caught the interaction, quietly exhaling through his nose. She's going to regret that...
Finally, Port posed the question: "Now then, who here believes they possess the very qualities that make a true Huntsman?"
Weiss's hand shot up instantly. "I do, sir."
"Splendid!" Port said with theatrical delight. "Then, Miss Schnee, you will prove it to the class!"
He gestured toward a heavy iron cage at the far end of the room, draped in cloth. The metal rattled faintly, the low growl of something inside vibrating through the air.
Weiss straightened her posture and walked to the front, each step measured. Ruby tried to give her a thumbs-up, but Weiss ignored her.
From his seat, Hyunwoo tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing. They're really letting students fight Grimm on the first day? Guess Beacon doesn't believe in easing in.
Port's voice rose again, grand as ever. "Face the creature within! Show us that the Schnee name is worthy of the Huntsman's legacy!"
Port whipped away the cloth, revealing a Boarbatusk in the cage. The beast slammed against the bars, snorting, its tusks scraping metal.
"Stand ready, Miss Schnee," Port announced, unlocking the gate.
The Grimm charged the moment it was free. Weiss sidestepped gracefully, rapier flashing in a precise strike — only to bounce harmlessly off its armor.
Weiss narrowed her eyes and circled, looking for an opening.
"Go for the stomach! It's unarmored!" Ruby's voice rang out from the seats.
Weiss's head snapped toward her. "Stop telling me what to do!"
Hyunwoo, seated between Jaemin and Jiwon, raised an eyebrow. "...That's rude." His tone was flat, but his eyes stayed on the fight.
"Think you can do better?" Jaemin asked quietly.
Hyunwoo's lips curved in the faintest smirk. "I can do much better."
On the floor, Weiss tried another approach, peppering the Grimm with feints, but the Boarbatusk suddenly caught Myrtenaster in its tusks. With a violent twist, it flung the rapier across the room.
Ruby half-rose from her seat. "Weiss! Use your glyphs to—"
"I said stop!" Weiss snapped, cutting her off again.
The Grimm barreled toward her, tusks aimed for the kill. A glyph bloomed under Weiss's boots, slamming into place like a shield. The creature bounced back just enough for her to dash for her weapon. In one smooth motion, she retrieved Myrtenaster, pivoted, and drove it deep into the Grimm's exposed stomach — the exact weakness Ruby had pointed out earlier.
The Boarbatusk screeched, dissolved into black mist, and Weiss flicked her weapon clean.
"Magnificent!" Port declared, clapping loudly.
Weiss gave a short bow, ignoring Ruby's hesitant smile from the stands.
She take a last glares and turns away, walking hurriedly to the exit past her teammates.
Jaune Arc watching her leave wonder
"Sheesh, what's with her?"
The remaining members of Team RWBY glance at each other, silently wondering the same thing.
⸻
Weiss is still storming off, but Ruby turns a corner and manages to caught up to her halfway down the hall.
"Weiss! Wait—"
Weiss spun around, her voice already sharp. "What?"
Ruby took a step back but held her ground. "What's wrong with you? You've been—"
"What's wrong with me?" Weiss cut in. "What's wrong with you? You're supposed to be a leader, and all you've been so far is a liability."
Ruby blinked. "I—what did I even do?"
"That's the problem. You've done nothing," Weiss said, her tone icy. "In the forest, you acted like a child, and nothing's changed. A leader needs skill, composure, and experience. You have... none of that."
Ruby's voice wavered. "I thought you wanted us to work as a team."
"I do," Weiss said coldly. "Just not one led by you." She turned away, her last words hitting like a blade to the gut.
"Ozpin made a mistake."
Ruby froze as Weiss walked away, her fists clenching uselessly.
⸻
Hyunwoo watched from down the hall, leaning against the wall. Team Nova was gathering near the stairwell.
"You guys go ahead. I'll catch up later."
Jaemin shot him a grin.
"Ohhh, going to play hero for our little leader? Careful, she might end up crying on your shoulder."
Hyunwoo's mouth tugged into a small smirk, eyes calm.
"Just planning to remind her she's worth more than she thinks."
Jaemin gave a low whistle, shaking his head.
"Man, you'd better not botch this."
______
Just as he walk out he see Ruby appeared from around the corner, head down.
Hyunwoo fell into step beside her. "You look like someone just told you Crescent Rose is getting recalled for 'safety concerns.'"
Ruby let out a short, bitter laugh. "Feels worse than that."
The silent after that really felt like forever before Ruby opened her mouth.
She hesitated, then looked at him. "...Hey. Is it true? Did Ozpin make a mistake choosing me as leader?"
Hyunwoo glanced at her, his expression unreadable. "Why do you think I'd say that?"
Ruby swallowed. "Because Weiss just did. And I... I'm starting to think she's right."
Hyunwoo looked at her, before smiling .
"I was watching you back there. The way you handled the Nevermore with Yang, Weiss, and Blake—it was impressive. Your commands, your plan... really sharp. You kept everyone in sync. And last movement. Honestly, that was pretty cool."
Ruby blushed slightly, a shy smile playing on her lips. "Thanks. I was worried I was just winging it."
"Wing it? You barely gave that Grimm a chance. If you keep leading like that, people might start calling you 'Commander Ruby.'"
She laugh at your comments
"Commander Ruby? Sounds like a fancy title. Should I start practicing my serious face?"
"Definitely. But you might have to make it intimidating. Otherwise, you'll just end up making people laugh."
They both chuckled, the tension from earlier easing a bit.
"Thanks for this. It really helped."
"Anytime. Just don't get too used to it — I'm not going to be your personal cheerleader."
Ruby giggled and waved goodbye as she walked off toward the dorms.
He looked at her back for a second before finally moved to his dorm.
However, he met another person instead.
Hyunwoo slowed his pace when he saw Ozpin standing near the corner. No hat, no exaggerated posture — just the calm presence of Beacon's headmaster.
"I saw how you spoke to Miss Rose," Ozpin said simply.
Hyunwoo shrugged. "She needed to hear it. She's a good leader. That's more than enough for me."
Ozpin nodded and make a small smile. Nostalgic expression pressed on his face.
"Your father, Hyun Kim, was the same. He had a way of steadying people when they needed it most."
Hyunwoo looked away, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "...Guess some things run in the family."
Ozpin's voice was quiet, but firm. "Then keep it running, Mr. Kim. Beacon needs leaders who can see beyond their own team."
With that, Ozpin turned and walked off, leaving Hyunwoo alone in the corridor — the faint echo of his father's name still hanging in the air.