The streetlights flickered every now and then.
The corridor to the main gate kept returning from the darkness.
Max stood there, motionless.
The leaves rustled with the light wind that blew past him.
For a moment, he wondered if the ring had only echoed in his head.
"What the hell am I even doing? Stalking those two… it's so stupid."
Max turned his back and slowly stepped away from the gate.
He glanced back.
The thin wooden gates stayed still, showing no signs of opening.
He turned forward and resumed walking.
"If this is your idea of a prank, at least hide in time."
Max's feet froze in place, his lips pursed as he forced them open to answer back.
"Not everything is a joke, y'know?"
Max turned quickly.
"Move. I want to talk to the master… Kensei."
Kensei slowly closed the door behind him and leaned against the adjacent wall.
"As if. He has no business talking to a golden boy."
Kensei said, tapping his knuckles on the wall.
"I'm just here to talk. What's your problem?!"
Max clenched his fists and raised his voice.
"I don't have a problem but you'll have one if master Rei comes out…"
Kensei said, pointing his thumb to the closed doors.
"Then just move aside, what he does to me is my problem!"
Max's strides grew faster with each step he took toward the dojo.
Kensei moved in front of the door.
Max tried pushing Kensei out of the way and barge in.
Kensei halted him, anchoring himself with his left leg extended back.
The two grappled and shoved each other—more noise than technique.
…Creak.
Light spilled from the half-opened gate into the dark street.
As the gate opened completely, a silhouette became visible to the two… it was Rei.
"What exactly are we doing here? I don't remember opening a judo club…"
Rei exhaled, looking down at the two boys tangled at his feet.
The two, still at it, didn't notice the troubled master standing before them.
Rei tapped the wall, twice with his bokuto— just enough for the boys to hear.
"Now Kensei, where are your manners? That's not how you treat a visitor."
Rei flicked Kensei's forehead.
Kensei covered his forehead with both hands and stood silent, peeking at Max through his fingers.
Max, still seated down at the ground looked up at the strict yet gentle man before him.
His legs felt light—almost too light to stand.
He felt his head getting cleared of the worries he had for the day.
Rei then turned towards Max.
He paused for a moment, looking at the street lamp in the distance as if weighing among two options in his mind.
He closed his eyes and smiled faintly.
"So, what is it that you seek? This dojo isn't really famous. You wouldn't come here just because you knew about it, am I right?"
Rei's voice flowed through Max's head, like a river.
No hesitation or confusion emerged in his mind as he spoke.
"Uh…well, I'd like to learn from you!"
A single thought crossed his mind at the moment.
"Maybe he'll understand me…"
All Max could see was the back of his eyelids as he stood there, head lowered, hands clenched.
"Hmm— learn what exactly? I can only teach you kendo… if that's fine with you."
Max opened his eyes, lifting his head as Rei spoke.
"But—"
"I don't have any money to offer"
Max blurted out, "I won't cause any trouble so please, let me come here."
Max's hands shook as he caught his breath.
"Woah! Calm down, I never said that I would charge you. BUT, there's a condition for everyone who wishes to train in this dojo of mine."
Rei's eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze fixed on Max— or rather his eyes, searching through their depth.
"You have two options, defeat my best student or touch me just once while sparring. Which one would you prefer?"
Rei smiled faintly as he laid down the condition.
A cold shiver ran down Max's back. He felt his heart sinking ever so lightly.
He took a quick glance at Kensei.
His attention went to the calluses on his palm and his slightly chiselled arms.
"He's in the kendo club. There's no way I could beat him…"
"Ok, got it. If that's how it is, let me spar with you."
Max pointed at Rei, his eyes looking directly into Rei's.
Rei's eyes widened.
The dull haze in boy's gaze was replaced—by something faint, almost ember-like, burning beneath it.
"Huh?! Are you in your right mind?"
Kensei tilted forward as he spoke.
"Kensei… he's made his decision." Rei barred Kensei with his arm,
"Ok. If that's what you want, go inside and change. Kensei, show him the way."
Kensei looked at Max, his brows lifted and scrunched, eyes wide.
"Follow me."
Kensei led him inside. The wooden floor creaked as Max set foot inside the dojo.
The smell of dust and ply hung in the air.
"Here, change and come to the hall."
Kensei threw the white kendogi and hakama at Max and left.
Max looked at the uniform for a while, the weight of the cloth felt heavier than usual.
He clenched his fist and began changing into the uniform
He adjusted the collars and sleeve before heading outside to the hall.
Dexter and Kensei sat by the wall while Rei stood in the centre, two bokuto strapped to his waist.
"Here, we'll spar with these."
He drew one and handed it to Max.
Max held the bokuto along its blunt edge and ran his finger through the tapered edge.
He then looked at Dexter.
He noticed an hourglass beside him.
"Oh yeah, the sparring can't go on forever, so I decided that there will be a time limit."
Rei laughed lightly, putting one of his hands behind his head as he spoke.
"The moment the clock is turned over for the eleventh time, the sparring will be over."
Max gripped his bokuto with both of his hands, the edge sat misaligned along the length.
"Let's start. As promised, if you so much as touch my hair, I'd let you train here."
The two took their stances, Kensei stood by the side and raised his hand.
"Friendly spar, Max vs Master Rei, spar ends on first touch by Max. START!"
He quickly lowered his hands.
Max burst forward, jumping at Rei.
"Oh, you must keep your foot grounded at all times."
Rei slipped through Max as he stood there in place, tapping his waist lightly with his bokuto.
"POINT." Kensei shouted.
"How long do you intend to show your back to me? Remember this well, never lose sight of your opponent."
Rei rushed in to tap him again while Max still looked away.
Max quickly glanced back and crouched.
He retracted his arm backward to strike Rei, only to find him standing at an unreachable distance.
"Your hands are disagreeing with you."
Rei said lightly from a distance.
Max looked at his grip and corrected the misalignment frantically as he took deep breaths.
Max shifted his gaze from the bokuto to Rei.
The two of them stood in place for several seconds, the silence in the room growing louder by the second.
Max finally shifted his foot and moved in an arc, approaching from Rei's right side.
Rei followed him, limped slowly in an arc away from Max.
Max then rushed at Rei.
Rei took a defensive stance bending backward.
Max lifted his arms to his back as if to prepare for a strike.
Rei prepared for the strike but there was too much of a distance between them.
Rei then realized. His eyes sharpened.
A flicker of recognition crossed his face.
He raised his bokuto in front of his face and straightened his stance.
His left leg took a moment longer to reach the wooden floor.
Max then swung his arms forward with full force, letting go of his bokuto.
The bokuto flew toward Rei.
Rei blocked the bokuto but got destabilized as a result, before he could correct his stance, he found Max on his right.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!", Kensei shouted.
"I only have to touch him, right? Then anything goes… right? Master?"
He extended his arm in an attempt to touch Rei's waist.
Rei pivoted around his grounded foot and struck Max lightly on his hands, recovering the distance between them.
"Sure, I never said anything about Kendo rules, but you'll have to touch me."
Rei said, his eyes fixed on Max, who was still rubbing his hand.
"Even that didn't work, what next?"
Max gasped for air, staring at Rei's bokuto.
He picked up the bokuto and glanced at Dexter, his eyes slightly drooped.
Dexter turned the hourglass.
"6!", Kensei shouted again.
"Fine! If that's how it is, then I'll throw whatever I've left at him!"
He rushed toward Rei again.
Rei blocked the strike and slid past him, tapping his shoulder lightly.
"Going back to the basics huh?"
Rei turned to look back only to find Max charging for another strike from the left.
Rei blocked again and tried to gain distance but Max chased him around the hall.
"9!"
Max continued his relentless chase.
He stopped abruptly and stood in place for a moment.
His breath was erratic, limbs shaking, ears ringing.
"Out of breath already! The opponent won't wait for you to recover!"
Rei charged toward Max, tapping him three times while he stood frozen.
"At least defend yourself…" Rei said.
"10!"
Max took a deep breath and pulled his arms backward for another strike.
He then rushed toward Rei again as he shouted.
Rei prepared for the strike but lowered his bokuto slightly.
As Max charged toward Rei, his foot slipped on one of the many sweat droplets scattered across the floor.
He fell face first, the bokuto flying from his hand, spinning.
Rei moved out of the way of the flying bokuto but the handle touched his sleeve lightly as it passed him.
He closed his eyes as he stood before the fallen Max and smiled.
"11! Sparring session over! Winner, Master Rei."
Kensei declared as he and Dexter rushed in to the centre of the hall where Max fell.
"Hey! You okay?" Kensei asked as he reached his hand toward Max.
Max's fingers twitched against the wooden floor.
Kensei heard the sound of faint snivelling.
"So, this is it…" Max said, tears flowing down through his cheeks and onto the floor.
"Well, you did try your best, but it is what it is."
Kensei helped Max sit back up on the floor.
Rei walked toward Max and sat down before him.
"What are you talking about? He did touch me."
"Huh?", Kensei and Max were confused.
He raised his right arm and pointed at his sleeve.
A faint red mark stained the fabric.
Max's face lit up.
"Then that means…"
"Yes, you are one of us now."
Rei said as he approached Max and placed his hand on Max's head.
"Isn't that a relief? Dexter, Kensei…"
"Guess so…" Dexter murmured.
"Relief?"
Max's eyes demanded for an explanation.
"You see, there's a tournament in 4 months but it requires a team of 5 people including the master."
Rei paused for a moment and looked at Dexter and Kensei.
"Our team had a missing cog. Now that we have you, we can focus on training without having to look for another person."
"5? But there are only four of us…"
Max asked in a low voice.
"You know Riley from our class, right? He's a member of the Kendo club and agreed to participate with us."
Kensei looked proud while explaining as if talking to a soldier in his army.
"Now that I've accepted you, I'll train you until the day of the tournament. Try your best to keep up. That's it for today."
Rei said to Max as he stepped outside the dojo.
"Roger sir!"
Max stood in place as he declared his resolve.
Dexter, Kensei and Max then sat there discussing future training and schedules.
As they spoke about drills and schedules,
Max found himself glancing at Rei's sleeve in the distance as he walked away.
The faint red mark was already fading from the fabric.
He clenched his fist quietly.
"Next time, it wouldn't be an accident."