The forest was quiet when they arrived.
Linda looked around the tall trees that surrounded them, their leaves dangling softly as the wind passed.
Mr Kwon dropped his bag on the ground and turn to Linda with a stern gaze, "This is where your real training begins."
He opened the bag and brought out two black guns. They looked real and heavy,
Linda's breath caught, those had to be fake, no way would they let students handle real guns. She couldn't hold in her curiosity and decided to ask..."Are those..,.."
"Fake," he said calmly. "But they are built to
feel real. Same weight. Same aim. Same trigger control."
He handed one to Linda.
The metal felt heavy in her palm.
"First rule," Mr Kwon said, walking around her. "Your mind moves before your body. If your mind is weak, your body will follow."
He placed a wooden target against a tree.
"Stand properly. Like this" he demonstrated.
Linda adjusted her feet the way he showed her. Her hands shook slightly.
"Now, Focus and breathe. Do not rush."
She raised the gun. Her arms felt stiff.
"Not like that," he corrected, stepping behind her.
He adjusted her elbow and then her shoulder.
"Don't be stiff. You're fighting the gun. Let it sit in your hands."
She inhaled slowly. Before pulling the trigger.
Click.
The bullet missed the target completely, hitting the tree beside it.
Linda lowered the gun, embarrassed.
Again," Mr Kwon command.
She tried again, and again, she keep missing.
After she have missed severally, her chest started burning. Sweat ran down her face.
She remembered her father's voice.
Be strong enough to defend yourself.
She raised the gun again as she murmured, be focused.
Click.
The bullet struck the edge of the target.
Her eyes widened.
She quickly turned to Mr kwon and Mr Kwon nodded slightly. "Better." He said smiling.
They trained for hours.
Linda ran between the trees until her chest felt too tight, she dropped to the ground panting.
Stand! he commanded, again Linda fired. Over and over. Her shirt stuck to her back, as sweat slid down her neck. Her hands were starting to shake, but she kept holding the gun.
Mr Kwon continue to instruct,
Sometimes he said nothing at all and only watched her.
Her arms were heavy now. Her breathing was rough and uneven. She wanted to stop, just for a moment, but Mr kwon didn't permit her.
She lifted the gun and fired again.
Then her grip loosened and the gun almost fell from her hands, he only looked at her and command.
"Again."
By afternoon, Linda's body was exhausted, and dirty. Her breathing was heavy. But something inside her felt… awake.
They rested by a fallen tree. " Take" Mr Kwon said, handing her water.
"You did well today. We continue from here next week"
-----
Veronica walked into Williams' ward, her steps soft, her posture elegant as always.
Williams was asleep on the bed while Mr Adam sat beside him, working silently on his laptop.
"Good afternoon, sir," she greeted politely. As she entered.
Mr Adam only nodded.
She turned to Williams and moved closer.
"Will… I'm here. Wake up," she said, tapping his hand lightly.
Williams stirred and opened his eyes.
"Veronica… you're here," he said, pushing himself up slowly.
She leaned in and kissed him on the lips before sitting beside him.
"How are you feeling?" she asked.
"I'm fine," Williams replied, though his voice sounded weak.
He watched her for a moment, before saying, "I called you several times this morning. You didn't pick. What happened?"
Veronica took his hand and place it in her's.
"I was very busy. I'm sorry, baby. That's why I came now." She said sweetly.
"Ha Yun said he told you I was rushed here last night." He said studied her expression.
"I… I was with friends this morning,"
Williams lowered his head. He said nothing.
After a quiet moment, he looked at her again.
"Will you stay with me tonight?" he asked, his eyes hopeful.
Veronica stood up slowly, as she said.
"No, Will. You know I don't like hospitals. If I stay here, I'll be sick by tomorrow morning."
She paused. "Besides, I already promised my friends I'd sleep over with them."
Mr Adam felt irritation rise in his chest but said nothing. He kept working on his laptop.
Veronica checked her watch.
"I have to go now. I'll come and see you tomorrow morning."
With that she leaned down, pecked Williams' lips, then gave Mr Adam a small wave before leaving the room.
Williams watched the door after she left, the silence pressing in around him.
-----
By the time Linda got home, evening had already settled in. Her body ached and her skin itched, and the smell of sweat clung to her clothes and hair.
She closed the door behind her and stood before moving slowly to her room.
Getting to her room, she pull off her jacket. She wince in pains as the fabric brushing against sore skin.
Taking a deep breath, she entered Into the bathroom, then turned on the tap and waited as the tub filled with hot water.
Steam rose around her while she undressed carefully. When she finally stepped into the water, a sharp hiss escaped her lips as the heat touched the wounds on her body.
She gripped the edge of the tub until the pain eased, then lowered herself slowly, resting her back against the smooth surface and letting her shoulders sink.
Her head fell back, her eyes closing as the quiet wrapped around her.
She stayed there longer than she meant to, letting the warmth loosen the tension in her muscles, letting the day stress slip away from her.
By the time she finally stepped out of the bathtub,the day was always dark.
She wrapped herself in a towel, and changed into her nightwear. Too tired to eat, she lay down, and within moments, sleep quietly pulled her into its embrace.
When she finally opened her eyes, the room was bright with daylight. For a second she just lay there, thinking about how she could dragged her tired body to school.
Then,she reached for her phone.
The moment she saw the time, her breath caught.
"2:00 PM."
She exclaimed.
She stared at the screen, then at the window, then back at the screen again.
"No way…" she whispered. "How could I sleep like that?"
She pushed herself off the bed, her body still heavy, and checked the phone again as if it might change its mind.
That was when she noticed the missed calls.
Alex and Ha Rin, have been calling her.
She unlocked the phone, already pressing Alex's name when a knock sounded at the door.
Startled, she dropped the phone onto the bed and walked out of her room.
When she opened the door...
She froze.