Hyunwoo lowered his spear, eyes narrowing as he watched the others engage their targets.
Ruby and Weiss moved alongside Yang and Blake, their attacks sharp and synchronized, weaving through the Nevermore's deadly strikes with practiced grace.
Pyrrha and Jaune fought side by side with Nora and Ren, a flurry of hammer strikes and precise shots keeping their Death Stalker on the defensive.
Hyunwoo muttered under his breath, almost to himself,
"They should be able to do it... just like the original timeline."
The Grimm roars and clashing weapons faded as the fight continued beyond his immediate sight.
He took a deep breath, tightening his grip on his spear.
"Time to head back," he said quietly.
⸻
The scene shifts seamlessly to the team announcement area, where Ozpin and Glynda await the students.
The main hall buzzed with anticipation, the air thick with whispers and the occasional squeak of boots against the polished floor. New students stood in neat rows, weapons slung over shoulders, faces still flushed from the chaos of the initiation.
Ozpin stepped forward, coffee mug in hand, his calm presence instantly quieting the crowd. Glynda stood beside him, tablet in hand, her eyes scanning the list of names with her usual precision.
Ozpin's voice carried effortlessly through the hall — no PA system this time, just his steady, deliberate tone.
"You have all faced the Emerald Forest and returned. Some of you in one piece... others perhaps a little worse for wear."
A few chuckles rippled through the crowd — Nora's especially loud one earning her a sharp glance from Glynda.
"As you know, you are now bound to the partners you chose... or in some cases, the partners that chose you."
He glanced at Glynda, who gave the smallest nod before reading from her scroll.
"Ruby Rose... Weiss Schnee... Blake Belladonna... Yang Xiao Long... you four will form Team RWBY. Led by Ruby Rose."
The hall murmured — some surprised, some impressed — as Ruby's face turned red with both pride and panic.
One by one, other teams were called.
"Jaune Arc... Pyrrha Nikos... Lie Ren... Nora Valkyrie... you will form Team JNPR. Led by Jaune Arc."
Jaune blinked like he'd been hit in the head. Pyrrha smiled politely. Nora practically bounced out of her spot.
Then Glynda's voice sharpened ever so slightly, announcing the next group.
"Hyunwoo Kim... Jaemin Park... Jisoo Lee... Jiwon Lee..."
Hyunwoo straightened subtly, his gaze flicking to the twins and Jaemin. He caught Jaemin's smirk, the kind that said 'Well, this should be interesting.'
Ozpin took over, his tone holding a faint weight of familiarity when he spoke Hyunwoo's name.
"...You four will form Team Nova. A bright spark in the dark. Led by... Hyunwoo Kim."
The word Nova hung in the air like an ember ready to ignite. The twins exchanged a quick glance; Jaemin rested his tonfas against his shoulder with a faint grin.
Hyunwoo didn't react outwardly, but his mind was already turning — a leader, just like his father had been. And in this world, he wasn't going to waste that chance.
The students began to disperse after the final team was called, voices filling the hall as they moved toward their dorms. Glynda closed her scroll with a crisp motion, but her eyes lingered on Hyunwoo as he walked with his new teammates.
Ozpin took a slow sip of his coffee, eyes following the same figure.
"...Hyunwoo Kim."
She said the name slowly, as though tasting it.
"..... I assume it's no coincidence?"
Ozpin's smile was faint, as unreadable as ever.
"No coincidence at all. He's Hyun Kim's son."
Glynda's brow arched, the name stirring recognition.
"The Huntsman who cleared the Western Frontier incident... alone, months ago."
"And paid the price for it."
A beat of silence passed before Glynda spoke again.
"That was the same region Summer Rose's team was sent to... wasn't it?"
Ozpin glanced at her over the rim of his mug.
"Some missions are never officially linked, Glynda, but the fact they both disappeared at the same place,…"
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"So you think his father knew something."
He nod a bit
"I think his father died keeping something away from Salem's reach. Whether the boy knows it or not... his path may lead him to the same truth."
They watched Hyunwoo disappear through the corridor with Jaemin and the twins in tow, their footsteps fading into the hum of the Academy.
Ozpin said
"If he's anything like his father, Team Nova's spark may burn bright enough to illuminate secrets better left in the dark."
____
The hallways of Beacon were alive with chatter, footsteps, and the occasional burst of laughter from newly formed teams. Team Nova moved steadily toward their dorm, Jaemin lounging in his stride, the twins in quiet conversation, and Hyunwoo walking just ahead, hands tucked in his pockets.
Ruby, walking with Weiss, Yang, and Blake in the next hallway over, spotted him. Without hesitation, she skipped over, her cape fluttering behind her like a small banner.
"Hyunwoo!"
She jogged to match his pace, her silver eyes bright. "Congrats on being made team leader! That's... wow, really cool."
Hyunwoo gave a small smile, glancing her way.
"Thanks. And congrats to you too, leader of Team RWBY. Sounds like you've got your hands full already."
Ruby chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck.
"Yeah, it's... a little overwhelming, but I think I can handle it. You too, right?"
"I'll manage. As long as Jaemin doesn't try to run the team from the back."
From behind, Jaemin's voice rang out, dripping with mock offense.
"I heard that."
Ruby giggled.
"See? You already sound like a leader. Calm... but also kinda scary if you need to be."
Hyunwoo smirked.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
They walked a few more steps before Ruby offered her hand, palm up.
"Well... good luck, Captain Nova."
Hyunwoo raised an eyebrow but clasped her hand firmly.
"Good luck, Captain RWBY."
Ruby grinned, then skipped back toward Yang, leaving Hyunwoo to continue with his team.
The twins exchanged a look but said nothing, while Jaemin muttered,
"Guess we're stuck with him."
Hyunwoo smirked without looking back.
"Guess so."
The dorm door clicked shut behind them. The place wasn't much — four beds, four desks, a single tall window letting in a square of afternoon light. Not home, but enough.
Jaemin dumped his bag on the bed nearest the window. "Called it," he said with a grin. "Perfect sunlight for naps. And for charging my scroll."
Jisoo dropped her own pack with a light thud, her collapsible twin chakrams clinking faintly as she set them on the desk. She pulled one open with a practiced flick, its polished edge catching the light. "You're welcome to your naps, Jaemin. I'll take the top bunk for the view."
Jiwon knelt by the last bed and laid down a long, segmented staff, its metal joints glinting where the shaft could split into twin short swords. His movements were deliberate, quiet, every item lined up neatly.
Hyunwoo, setting his spear in the corner, glanced at their gear. "Alright. Weapons off the floor when not in use. Last thing I need is someone tripping into a blade."
Jaemin shrugged, unstrapping his bladed tonfas from his pack. The dark steel shafts were reinforced for blocking and powered by Dust cartridges near the handles.
"Relax. I'm not careless — I just like easy access. Also, you haven't seen me move seriously yet. My Semblance lets me shift momentum mid-strike. Means if I miss, I can snap right back into position before you even blink."
Jisoo smirked as she hooked her chakrams onto a magnetic belt.
"Mine's better. Burst Step — short-range acceleration in any direction. Can cross a room before someone's eyes even track me." She tossed one chakram up and caught it without looking. "Perfect for cutting people off or flanking."
Jiwon said nothing at first, just finished stowing a neat stack of folded clothes. Then, calmly: "Echo Sense. I can feel the vibrations of movement through surfaces within twenty meters. Doesn't matter if I can't see you — I'll know where you are."
Jaemin gave a low whistle. "Great. So basically, I've got the speedster and the radar as teammates."
Hyunwoo folded his arms. "And all three of you together? That's going to be a nightmare for anyone we fight. Good. We start working that synergy tomorrow."
Jisoo leaned back on her elbows. "So what's the order, boss?"
"Morning conditioning — build stamina first. Afternoon, weapon transition drills. Evening, short sparring matches. We'll rotate so everyone gets time fighting together and apart."
Jiwon nodded once. "I'll call timing and point out openings. Efficiency first."
Jaemin rolled his shoulders. "And I'll see how fast I can make you regret charging me."
Jisoo grinned, tossing a pillow at him. "We'll see who regrets what."
Hyunwoo let a faint smile slip. "Team Nova — let's make the name mean something."
The room fell into a quiet rhythm — not quite friendship yet, but far from strangers.
______
The next morning
The training hall was alive with the faint hum of moving targets, the mechanical whir echoing off the reinforced walls. Team NOVA stood in the center, weapons in hand, the floor lights casting long shadows beneath their feet.
Jiwon rested a long staff across his shoulders, its smooth metal surface catching the light. With a flick, the staff split into two long, curved blades, each one perfectly balanced for swift transitions between defense and offense. His stance was grounded, precise — every motion economical.
Jisoo rolled her wrists, the rings of her twin chakrams spinning idly. The polished edges glimmered, and the faint whistle they made as they turned was almost hypnotic. She tossed one into the air and caught it without looking, smirking at the satisfying weight in her grip.
Jaemin stood with his collapsible bladed tonfas in hand, already locked into a short glaive. He gave it a slow spin, his body relaxed but coiled like a spring.
Hyunwoo, standing a step apart, scanned them all. Every shift in weight, every angle of attack — he was already mapping it out in his head.
His Semblance pulsed faintly. Copy.
He mirrored Jiwon's opening stance, staff in hand. His form wasn't as tight — his arms lacked Jiwon's refined precision — but the movement stuck. Then Jisoo's graceful chakram spin — he traced the motion, but the centrifugal force tugged harder at his grip than expected, nearly throwing him off balance. Finally, Jaemin's glaive arc — he followed it well enough, but lacked the raw follow-through.
'Okay... I can match the motion, but not the raw force or speed,' Hyunwoo thought. That was fine. His past life as a writer taught him something valuable — knowing the limits of his characters, even if the character was now himself, made it easier to build a winning plan.
The targets descended from above.
Jiwon dashed first, his staff sweeping out before snapping into twin blades, slicing a target clean in half before spinning back into a guard. Jisoo leapt high, her chakrams spinning like silver storms before she hurled one, the ring cutting clean through two targets before snapping back to her grip. Jaemin met a cluster head-on, glaive spinning in a controlled yet vicious blur.
Hyunwoo stepped in where the gaps opened. He wasn't trying to be them — just borrowing their best tools. A Jiwon sidestep here to slip past a strike, a Jisoo wrist flick to redirect an incoming hit, a Jaemin sweep to keep enemies from surrounding them.
Each move was filtered through what his body could actually pull off, stitched together into something uniquely his.
The fight ended with the floor littered in sparking debris.
Hyunwoo exhaled, replaying the fight in his head. 'Jiwon owns the mid-range, Jisoo controls space with unpredictable angles, Jaemin is the anchor. If I funnel threats toward their ideal zones... we'll cut fights in half.'
He didn't tell them his plan. Not yet. Strategy like this was better proven in battle.