The next world.

Kael thought his day couldn't possibly get worse. He'd barely survived the chaos with Koko, and now he just wanted some peace and quiet. But peace wasn't exactly in the cards for him at this academy.

"KAEL, YOU COWARD!"

The voice was loud enough to shake the heavens. Kael froze mid-step, slowly turning to see Takeru Sachi charging toward him like a tiger on the hunt.

"…Oh no," Kael muttered under his breath.

Takeru, as usual, was impossible to ignore. Her uniform hugged her athletic frame in a way that drew stares from passersby—though she didn't seem to notice or care. Her tall, toned build was complemented by her long purple ponytail that swayed behind her like a whip. The black tiger marks running down her arm only added to her intimidating aura, like she was ready to pounce at any moment.

"Don't you 'oh no' me!" Takeru barked, stomping up to him. Her freckled face was set in a fierce scowl, but her golden eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief.

"Uh, good afternoon?" Kael offered weakly, taking a step back.

"Good afternoon my butt!" she snapped, jabbing a finger into his chest. "You've been dodging me since the morning! What's the matter? Scared I'll kick your pretty little behind?"

Kael sighed. "Takeru, I'm not dodging you. I just don't want to die."

Before Takeru could respond, Xolotl and Ren appeared out of nowhere, grinning like two kids who'd just discovered a secret candy stash.

"Oh, this is going to be fun," Xolotl said, rubbing his hands together.

"Kael versus Takeru? This is the kind of drama I live for," Ren added, already pulling out his notebook.

Trailing behind them was Haneul Seo, her notebook clutched tightly to her chest. Her shy demeanor made her seem almost invisible compared to the loud chaos around her, but her big, expressive eyes betrayed her feelings. She glanced nervously between Kael and Takeru, her cheeks already dusted with pink.

"M-Maybe we should all calm down?" Haneul suggested softly, though her voice was barely audible over Takeru's ranting.

In the Sparring Ring

"Let's settle this once and for all!" Takeru declared, throwing off her blazer.

The crowd gasped as Takeru revealed her snug tank top underneath, the fabric clinging to her toned abs and emphasizing her curves. Her shorts, which were slightly shorter than regulation length, showcased her powerful thighs and firm, round butt that seemed to flex with every step she took.

Kael blinked, his brain short-circuiting. "Is this even allowed?"

"You better not be staring, you perv!" Takeru growled, cracking her knuckles.

"I wasn't—!" Kael began, but his face betrayed him, turning beet red.

Ren and Xolotl were dying in the background.

"Man, this is too good," Xolotl said, wiping away a tear.

"I'm writing this into my fanfic," Ren declared, his pen flying across the page.

Meanwhile, Haneul stood off to the side, her notebook clutched tightly to her chest. She couldn't help but notice how Kael's gaze lingered on Takeru, and her stomach twisted with an unfamiliar feeling.

"Kael probably didn't mean to stare," she thought, biting her lip. "But still…"

Her blush deepened as she imagined herself in Takeru's place, her shy personality clashing with the bold image in her mind.

The Match Begins

Takeru wasted no time, charging at Kael with all the grace and ferocity of a tiger. Her movements were sharp and precise, her strikes aimed to overwhelm him. Kael dodged her punches, but her sheer speed left him scrambling.As the sparring match continued, Kael found himself struggling to keep up with Takeru's relentless speed and power. Each time he managed to dodge one of her punches, another strike came almost immediately, pushing him back.

Takeru's golden eyes gleamed with intensity as she pressed on, her muscles rippling under her snug tank top. Kael's attention, despite his best efforts to stay focused, occasionally faltered as he inadvertently noticed how her chest rose and fell with each breath. The movement of her body as she swung her fists—powerful and controlled—was hard to ignore. Her toned abs and athletic frame were hard to miss in the heat of battle.

Kael snapped his attention back to her eyes, but the image of her chest, bouncing slightly with each movement, lingered in his mind. He cursed inwardly, trying to fight off the distraction.

"Stop staring, you perv!" Takeru yelled again, her voice sharp and cutting as she landed another strike, grazing Kael's cheek.

Kael's face was redder than ever. "I swear, I wasn't—!" he tried to explain, but it was clear from his flustered state that he wasn't convincing anyone.

Takeru's eyes narrowed. "Next time, I'll aim for your face," she growled, a fierce smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.

Meanwhile, in the background, Ren and Xolotl were laughing uncontrollably, completely oblivious to the tension mounting between Kael and Takeru.

"Man, Kael, you're not even trying to hide it anymore," Xolotl teased. "You sure you're not enjoying this a little too much?"

Ren, scribbling in his notebook, added, "Don't worry, Kael. You'll have plenty of material for your daydreams later."

"Stop running and fight me, you coward!" Takeru yelled, lunging forward.

Kael sidestepped, but the momentum carried Takeru forward—and straight into him.

The two tumbled to the ground, a cloud of dust rising around them. When the dust settled, Takeru was sprawled on top of Kael, her chest pressing against his as she pinned him down.

Kael's face was so red it could have powered a small city. "This… is not what it looks like!"

"Oh, it's exactly what it looks like," Ren quipped, snapping a picture with his Ether-infused camera.

"Kael, you lucky dog," Xolotl said, giving him a thumbs-up.

Takeru, realizing their position, turned bright red. "YOU IDIOT!" she roared, grabbing Kael by the collar and shaking him violently.

"It was an accident!" Kael protested, flailing helplessly.

As she stood up, Takeru's shorts rode up slightly, revealing even more of her firm, sculpted butt. Kael tried not to look, but his eyes betrayed him for a split second.

"STOP LOOKING!" Takeru yelled, kicking him in the side.

"I wasn't looking!" Kael groaned, clutching his ribs.

In the background, Haneul's face was hidden behind her notebook, but her blush was impossible to miss. She glanced at Kael, then at Takeru, and back at Kael.

"Why does she get to be so close to him?" Haneul thought, her heart racing.

The sparring match reached its climax. Kael, now thoroughly winded, tried to maintain his balance. Takeru, her muscles flexing with every movement, had her eyes locked on him as she prepared for a final strike.

Just as she lunged forward, Kael's foot caught on the uneven ground. The world seemed to slow as he stumbled, his body crashing toward Takeru at an alarming speed. Before either of them could react, their faces collided with an unexpected force, their lips meeting in a brief, accidental kiss.

Kael's eyes went wide in shock as he found himself face-to-face with Takeru. Her breath was hot against his skin, and for a moment, the chaos around them faded into silence.

"W-WHAT?" Takeru gasped, her face turning the deepest shade of red as she quickly pushed Kael away, her hands trembling with embarrassment.

Kael, equally flustered, scrambled to his feet, his heart racing in his chest. "I didn't—! That wasn't—! I mean, I didn't mean to—!"

"Don't even think about it!" Takeru growled, her face burning. "This is your fault, idiot!" She swung a punch toward him in retaliation, but Kael, still stunned, barely managed to dodge.

From the sidelines, Xolotl and Ren burst into laughter, nearly falling over from the hilarity of the situation.

"This is gold!" Xolotl yelled, wiping away a tear. "A kiss and a fight in one go? You've got to be kidding me."

Ren, furiously scribbling in his notebook, murmured, "This is definitely going in my next story."

Kael's embarrassment grew to an almost unbearable level, his face the color of a ripe tomato. "This is NOT what I signed up for!" he muttered, trying to regain his composure.

Haneul, who had been silently observing the whole ordeal, felt her chest tighten. She could barely keep her eyes off Kael, and the thought of him and Takeru so close made her feel an unfamiliar pang in her heart. She bit her lip, her grip on her notebook tightening as she struggled to process the mix of emotions swirling inside her.

Takeru, still red in the face, turned away with a huff. "This is so stupid," she muttered to herself, but even as she said it, there was a hint of a smile at the corner of her lips. "Kael… you might just be more interesting than I thought."

As the group began to walk back to the dorms, Kael couldn't escape the chaotic thoughts racing through his mind. Between the sparring match, the unintentional kiss, and the teasing from his friends, he was starting to feel like he was in way over his head.

After the Match

By the time the sparring match ended, Kael was a bruised mess, and Takeru looked as smug as ever.

"Next time, you're going down for real," Takeru said, crossing her arms.

Kael groaned, too exhausted to respond.

As the group walked back to the dorms, Xolotl and Ren continued to tease Kael mercilessly.

"So, how was it being pinned by Takeru?" Xolotl asked, grinning.

"Bet it was the highlight of your day," Ren added, his notebook now filled with detailed sketches of the match.

"Shut up," Kael muttered, his face still red.

Haneul walked quietly beside them, her thoughts a whirlwind of emotions. She couldn't help but glance at Kael, her cheeks still warm.

"I need to be braver," she thought, clutching her notebook tightly. "Next time… I'll talk to him properly."

Meanwhile, Takeru marched ahead of the group, her ponytail swaying with each confident step. Despite her earlier outburst, she couldn't deny that sparring with Kael had been fun.

"Maybe he's not so bad," she muttered to herself, a small smirk tugging at her lips.