Inside an Incomplete Novel

Mun-Hee closed her book with a slam on the table and said, "So that's it for today's academic session class; now it's time to move towards training sessions; you guys have had enough rest in the break of two weeks."

"Yes, ma'am," everyone responded in unison.

"Excellent, now you are free to do whatever you wish for in the recess," she said as she left the classroom.

"Why are you so quiet, Sun-Jung?" Ji-Ho asked Sun, while I and Stella paid attention to their conversation.

"I guess I'm not in the mood to talk," he said.

"Not in the mood to talk?" "You have moods?", she asked in an amusing tone, but her joke wasn't funny at all.

"Well, whatever, guys, let's move; this is recess!" she announced.

"Ok, let's go," I replied as I stood up and moved towards the exit of the classroom while the rest of them started following me.

"Can I join too?" inquired Ruby, who was waiting outside the door.

Stella responded, "Of course," and joined her.

Everyone exited the room and headed towards the café. Stella asked Ruby about her plans for the weekend as they walked towards the café.

They chatted about their favourite coffee flavours and looked forward to catching up over some pastries.

"Hey, you guys heard about the party?" asked Ji-Ho as we took our place in a quick-service restaurant.

"What party?" asked Sun.

"Apparently, there's a gathering happening at the 9th Heaven Bar," responded Moon. "Do you want to check it out?"

"That's great and all, but we cannot leave the island until our education is complete, no?" asked Sun.

"No moron, we can go during the breaks; we are not tied by anything here," Ji-Ho said. People opt to stay because the majority of students can't afford to return home.

"We have two options for returning: either by helicopter or by sea, but boats would take a long time."

"That's true," Ruby chimed in. "Plus, the weather can be unpredictable, so it's not always a reliable option."

"So, are you guys interested in checking out the party?" asked Ji-Ho.

"I'm in," said Ruby.

"I guess I'll go too," said Stella.

Sun looked hesitant. "I don't know. I don't want to get into trouble."

"Come on, Sun, don't be such a buzzkill," said Ji-Ho. "It'll be fun."

Sun sighed. "Fine, I'll go."

"Great!" said Ji-Ho. "We'll meet up later at night tomorrow."

"No one asked me," I said, pointing at myself.

"Well, I was asked, right?" "It's the same thing," Ruby replied.

"Yup," Ji-Ho and Stella commented in unison at her statement.

"Is that so?" I chuckled at their exchange.

Ruby went to the library as we headed to our training fields after we finished our meal. Apparently, not all sections would conduct training sessions at the same time; instead, each part was given a distinct time.

As usual, we changed into our training gear, warmed up by running on the perimeters of the ground, and stood in formation in front of Mun-Hee, who would be assigning tasks to us.

"I have noticed that most of you people don't know anything about martial arts, so except the top-ten cadets, everyone would follow my lead, while you guys can either sit separately or spar or do anything you want."

With that, every student except the top 10 got alert as we moved aside; apparently, Sun-Jung was not in the top 10, and he had to stay in that group despite being a veteran of martial arts.

"So let us start with the basics of the chosen martial art. This would typically involve learning proper stances, basic strikes, and blocks. They may also begin with simple conditioning exercises to build up strength, flexibility, and endurance.

Mun-Hee took a basic martial arts stance, and everyone followed her actions. She began with the breath and stability training as the remaining people left the training grounds while me, Stella, and Ji-Ho spectated them.

As Mun-Hee led the group through the basics of martial arts, the cadets who were not in the top ten paid close attention to her every move.

She explained the importance of proper stances, basic strikes, and blocks, as well as the need for conditioning exercises to build strength, flexibility, and endurance.

The cadets started with breathing exercises, focusing on inhaling and exhaling deeply and evenly.

They then moved on to basic stances such as the horse stance and front stance. Mun-Hee walked around the group, correcting their posture and stance, making sure everyone was in the correct position.

Once the cadets had mastered the stances, they moved on to basic strikes such as the jab, cross, hook, and uppercut. Mun-Hee demonstrated each move, and the cadets followed her lead.

She corrected their form, making sure they were striking with proper technique and power.

After the basic strikes were covered, Mun-Hee moved on to teaching the cadets the basic blocks, including the high block, low block, and middle block.

The cadets practised each block, focusing on proper technique and form.

As the training progressed, some cadets began to spar with each other, putting their newly learned techniques into practice.

Others chose to continue practising their basic techniques, while some decided to take a break and rest.

The session continued for a long while; we stayed on the training grounds for approximately four hours, all while we did nothing and learned nothing.

"In addition to physical training, you would also need to learn about the philosophy and principles behind the martial art they are studying." This could include things like the history and origins of the martial art, as well as the core values and beliefs that it represents," and with that, Mun-Hee ended her training.

"Now everyone disperse."

As we dispersed from the training grounds, Ji-Ho turned to me and Stella. "Hey, did you guys hear about the strange occurrences happening in the forest behind the academy?" she asked.

Stella and I looked at each other, both of us shaking our heads. "No, and where do you get the news from? We just had a conversation about parties, right?" Stella asked, her curiosity piqued.

"I just heard from some of the other students; what gives?"

"Sigh...continue"

"Ok, so they've been hearing strange noises and seeing strange shadows moving around in the trees. Some people have even claimed to have seen a figure lurking in the darkness," Ji-Ho explained.

"That sounds creepy," I said.

"I know, right?" "I was thinking we could check it out tonight to see if there's really something there or if it's just some kind of prank," Ji-Ho suggested.

At that moment, Sun-Jung caught up to us after changing back into academy clothes and joined the conversation without saying anything.

"I don't know; I feel like we should focus on our training." "We only have a few months left until graduation," Stella replied.

"But come on, Stel, we deserve a break." Plus, it's not like we are going to have fun," Ji-Ho replied.

"Oh, we will be having fun in the bar," Sun-Jung added.

"Shut up," Ji-Ho said with darting eyes.

"Okay".

Stella hesitated for a moment before nodding her head. "Fine, but we'll need to be careful. We don't know what we're dealing with."

"Awesome! " "Meet us at the edge of the forest after dinner then," Ji-Ho exclaimed, giving Sun-Jung a sideways glance.

I separated from the group and headed back to my dorms.

With a soft click, I entered the dorm apartment and was greeted with another messy apartment, with boxes of pizza on the table as Remi sat in Ruby's lap and they watched a show on TV without a care for their surroundings.

"Ruby, at least wear some clothes; you are in front of a child," I said, as Ruby was only wearing my oversized shirt and nothing else.

"What? "She is a girl, and you have seen me naked, so why does it matter? Now go eat something, and if you prepare something good, make one for us too."

Ruby made no move to cover herself up. Meanwhile, Remi was completely engrossed in the TV show and didn't seem to notice.

"I'll make something for all of us," I said, feeling a twinge of annoyance at the mess in the room. "But can you at least clean up a little? This place is a disaster."

Remi looked up at me with a pout and asked, "Do I have to help clean?"

"No, honey, I'll do it," Ruby said as she stood up, arranging her hair in a ponytail.

'Looks like it's going to be another night of cooking," I thought to myself as I entered the kitchen.

As I started chopping up some vegetables, Remi came over and sat on the kitchen counter, watching me intently. "Whatcha makin'?" she asked.

"Just some stir-fry," I replied, smiling at her.

"Cool, can I help?" she asked, her eyes brightening.

"Sure thing," I said, handing her a wooden spoon. "You can stir the vegetables while I prepare the sauce."

Remi happily stirred the vegetables while I mixed up the sauce, adding just the right amount of soy sauce and spices. After a few minutes of cooking, the stir-fry was ready, and we all sat down to eat.