Chapter 653: The First Student
Chapter 653: The First Student
After hearing the knock of a fist against the iron, Kiernan walked to the iron gate and opened it.
At the other side, there was a boy, dressed in Montrael Middle School uniform, and he had a backpack slung over his shoulder.
He had slightly overgrown brown hair, going over his ears, cascading down his nape, and onto his shoulders.
It looked like there was some skin acne on his cheeks, and his eyes were hidden behind a pair of wire-framed glasses.
“A nerd,” people would think of him as such, and he was the furthest thing from an athletic person. It was unclear whether he had ever thrown a punch before.
“Y-You’re Kiernan Hunter, aren’t you?”
The boy asked nervously while holding the strap of his backpack, and it seemed like it took all of his courage to even approach Kiernan.
“That is me. What is your name?”
Kiernan asked.
“Jock Song…”
He said, looking down at his shoes, and it looked like he didn’t know how to keep an eye contact while speaking with someone.
Almost like there was an invisible force always pushing his head down whenever he was trying to look into someone’s eyes.
“You were following me all the way from the school, weren’t you? What is it that you want?”
Kiernan asked.
“…I like to learn.”
Jock said, letting out an audible gulp, his voice betraying his nervousness.
“Excellent. Come on in.”
Kiernan beamed with a smile, let him inside, and then closed the iron gate behind him.
Looking around the yard, Jock thought it was rather neat and tidy. In that moment, his eyes behind the glasses landed on Aoi.
She was really pretty, he thought, and since he was already bad at talking, he didn’t even dare to look at her.
“Aoi, why don’t you get the two of us some tea, and we can chat for a while?”
Kiernan said.
“Sure thing~”
With a smile, Aoi headed back inside, and Kiernan got a knee-high table from the storage closet and a few chairs.
He placed them in the yard, and he sat down alongside Jock, waiting for the tea under the evening sky.
“Umm…”
Jock nervously opened his mouth, but then Kiernan raised his hand to stop him from talking any further.
“Let’s wait for the tea. It is better to discuss this over a warm cup of tea.”
Kiernan said, crossed his legs, and enjoyed the view of the sunset and the wind that was coming from the ocean.
A short while later, Aoi returned with a tea set for two. She poured one drink for Kiernan and another for Jock.
She then warmly smiled at Jock and headed back inside the dojo.
“W-Who is she?”
Jock asked.
It was obvious to him that she was a foreigner. He hadn’t seen many girls that were anywhere close to her beauty.
“That’s Aoi. She is my fiancee. While I am teaching, she does some caretaking duties over in here and helps with some of the administrative tasks as well.”
Kiernan said.
“Oh…”
Jock said and started sipping on the tea. It was fine, he thought. He wasn’t the biggest fan of teas and such.
He liked sodas, juice, and other sugary drinks better.
“…You want to learn martial arts. Why?”
Kiernan asked.
“Eh… For the fun of it, I guess. I just wanted to join the Zero Star dojo, as I can’t afford anything else. I don’t want my parents to know this, so…”
Jock said, seeming like he was hiding something and was not entirely truthful.
“If that is your reason, you may leave through the gate. I don’t want to teach people who are in this with half a heart.”
Kiernan said coldly.
“Ah…?”
Jock looked surprised, but then he stirred the tea with a spoon and said.
“I am not stupid, you know. I know you don’t have any students. I know you need students. You came to my school as an act of desperation to somehow get a few students.
“No one would choose your dojo if you joined the recruitment festival, so this was the only way you could think of.
“You need me to join so you can show everyone that you know what you’re doing. If you’re able to make me… a loser… into a formidable fighter, you can make anyone.”
Jock said.
The former nervousness had seemed to disappear from him, and his back slightly straightened into a proper posture.
There was no more stuttering. However, he still failed to keep eye contact.
“You’re correct, Jock. However, if I go bankrupt because of no students, that is fine. I’d rather go bankrupt than teach those who don’t value what I am about to teach them.”
Kiernan said with a serious tone.
“…I am sorry. I lied about my reason for joining.”
Jock lowered his head and said with an ashamed look.
“…Is that so?”
Kiernan sipped on the tea and motioned for him to continue talking.
“In a week’s time, there will be an event over in my school. Boy and girl, tag team competition. It’s a martial arts competition between students of my class.
“The teams were decided randomly. A boy, and girl of my class was chosen to compete together in the tag team competition.
“…My partner is the class president, Cleo. I know she doesn’t expect much from me. I just don’t want to disappoint her, you know, so I thought you could show me a few moves.”
Jock said with a deep sigh.
“That doesn’t really boost my confidence about teaching you. I have a week to teach you. I honestly don’t know what you expect me to teach you in that time.
“After that one week, whether you do good or not, will you just stop training martial arts again?”
Kiernan asked.
“…I don’t know.”
Jock said.
If he had said, “I will,” or something of that nature, Kiernan would’ve just told him to leave, as he could tell that he wouldn’t have meant it.
However, him saying, “I don’t know,” was an answer that he preferred much better.
“Fine. A week it is. I want you to come here after every school day, and you’ll be here until the sun disappears from the sky. Is that understood?”
Kiernan asked.
“…Yes, master.”
Jock put his hands on his knees and bowed his head.