The twins were escorted to their assigned class. As soon as they entered the class, whispers began to fill the room.
"Hey, isn't that the kid that beat Elen Barstork?" some of the kids said before the teacher calmed them down as the twins introduced themselves and sat in their seats.
The teacher, a stern-looking man with a neatly trimmed beard, cleared his throat and introduced himself as Master Han. "Class, these are our two new students, Jung Baek-Hyun and Jung Bon-Hwa. I trust you will all treat them with respect." He shot a pointed look at a few of the students who were still whispering.
Hyun and Hwa took their seats in the back, a strategic choice to observe their new classmates. They could feel the eyes of their peers on them, a mix of curiosity and thinly veiled resentment. The reputation of their victory against Elen had clearly preceded them.
During the lecture on the history of the Northern Fist style, Hyun's mind wandered. He wasn't paying attention to the teacher's words. Instead, he was subtly observing the new students around him. He could sense their martial arts cores and how strong they were. He could also sense their attitude toward his brother and him. He wasn't paying attention when a male student behind him spoke.
"So, you're the new students everyone is talking about," a voice whispered from behind them.
The twins turned around to see a boy with sharp eyes and an arrogant smirk. He was flanked by two other students, who looked at the twins with open disdain.
"And who are you?" Hwa asked, his voice deceptively sweet.
"I am Shin Gyeong-Ho," the boy replied, puffing out his chest. "Elen is a close friend of mine. I just want to warn you that you made a big mistake by embarrassing him. No one gets away with disrespecting the Barstork family."
Hwa's sweet demeanor dropped immediately. He glared at Shin Gyeong-Ho. "We don't get into fights without a reason. He was being a bully. We won't stand for it."
Shin Gyeong-Ho let out a mocking laugh. "So, you're some kind of heroes for the weak? Don't make me laugh. This is the martial arts academy, not a playground. The weak get picked on. That's how it works."
Hyun leaned in, a dangerous glint in his golden eyes. "We disagree. Maybe you need a lesson in respect."
"Is that a challenge?" Shin Gyeong-Ho sneered. "Unlike Elen, I won't lose to a couple of poor brats."
Just as the tension in the classroom was about to snap, the bell rang, signaling the end of class. As the students began to leave, Shin Gyeong-Ho stepped closer to the twins.
"I'll be waiting for you at the training grounds tomorrow," he whispered, his eyes filled with malice. "We'll see how tough you are when there are no teachers to save you." He then turned and left with his two friends following him.
The twins just looked at each other and smiled. They were ready for another challenge. What they didn't know was that this challenge would lead them to a mysterious martial arts master.