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❃𝓦𝓱𝔂 𝓭𝓸 𝓘 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓪 𝓰𝓾𝓽 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰
𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝔂 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓪𝓵𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓪𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓗𝓾𝓪𝓷❃

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Detention was terrible, but what was even worse was having to make up for the missed training afterward. Akira felt bad about keeping Huan behind so late, knowing it was cutting into their evening.

"Sorry for keeping you here this late," Akira apologized, biting his lip. The digital clock was ticking closer to dinner time, and Huan was busy monitoring how well Akira performed while he moved.

Huan glanced up from his tablet, offering a reassuring smile. "It's fine," he said, his tone casual as he reviewed the data. "We should get going soon though. It's almost dinner time."

Akira nodded, relieved. But before they could leave, Huan started to remove the wires attached to Akira's chest. As Huan's hands brushed against his skin, Akira couldn't help the warmth creeping up his neck and flooding his cheeks. He was blushing so hard he felt like his face might catch on fire.

"Wow, you're really sweaty," Huan commented, frowning slightly as he detached the last of the electrodes.

Akira's face turned an even deeper shade of red. "Uh, yeah..." he mumbled, desperately trying to downplay his embarrassment.

Huan looked at him, puzzled. "Are you sure you're okay? You look like you might have a fever."

Akira quickly shook his head, waving off the concern. "No, no, I'm fine. Really." Inside, though, he knew exactly why he was so flustered-it wasn't the workout, but being in such close proximity to Huan, especially with him touching his bare skin. It felt to good.

Huan raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. "Alright, if you say so. Let's get out of here before we miss dinner entirely."

As he gently peeled the last of the wires off Akira's chest, he paused, noticing something strange on Akira's fingers-a thin, healed cut running across two of them. His brow furrowed, and he reached for Akira's hand, holding it up to inspect the mark more closely.

"What's this?" Huan asked softly, his concern evident.

Akira tensed slightly before answering, "Oh, that? It's from when I made the talisman during all that drama with Chen Zixin."

Huan's face went still, and the playful air between them vanished. He became quiet, and Akira felt a knot tighten in his chest. Something was wrong.

Huan stared down at the cut, his grip on Akira's hand tightening a bit. "That... that was because of me," he said quietly. "If I hadn't run into Chen Zixin back then, none of this would have happened."

Akira blinked, confused at first, then panicked as he noticed Huan's eyes welling up. Before he could react, a tear rolled down Huan's cheek, and the sight made Akira panic even more. He didn't know what to do, but he couldn't stand seeing Huan like this.

"Huan, no." Akira blurted, "This wasn't your fault, Chen Zixin was being a complete jerk-that's on him, not you."

Huan shook his head slightly, his voice barely a whisper. "But if I hadn't been so careless... you wouldn't have gotten hurt neither would have Adi or..."

Akira felt his pulse quicken. He wasn't used to this-seeing Huan so vulnerable-and it scared him. "Stop," he said, his tone firm but gentle. "You didn't cause any of this. Chen Zixin was looking for a fight, and he would've found a reason, with or without you. I did what I had to because I wanted to, not because of anything you did."

Huan looked at him with the tears still glistening in his eyes. "But I feel like I keep dragging people into trouble..."

"No," Akira said, his voice softening, "you don't." And that was as far as he can go with comforting him. He felt a bit guilty.

For a moment, they just stood there, Huan's tear-streaked face so close to Akira's that he could feel the warmth of his breath. Huan exhaled shakily, trying to pull himself together.

"I just hate the thought of anyone getting hurt because of me," Huan murmured.

Akira reached up, gently brushing the tear from Huan's cheek with his thumb. "I know. But it's not your fault. You don't have to carry that burden." He withdrew his hand.

Huan finally smiled-a small, grateful one, but it was enough to make Akira's heart leap again. "Thanks..."

Akira felt like he was about to burst. The butterflies in his stomach seemed to have multiplied tenfold, and he fought the urge to just roll around on the floor in a fit of happiness. If this moment lasted any longer, he might actually turn into a butterfly himself. Being close to Huan, sharing something so personal-it was overwhelming, but in the best way possible.

Huan rubbed his eye with the sleeve of his jacket, his voice soft as he said, "Okay, let's go. But, seriously, you need a shower."

Akira blushed harder, feeling embarrassed but also charmed by Huan's teasing. "Yeah, yeah..." he mumbled, tugging at his Nagagi, suddenly very aware of how sweaty and disheveled he must look.

The two of them made their way out of the monitary training hall, Akira still stealing quick glances at Huan, who seemed back to his usual self.

When they finally reached the cafeteria, Akira spotted their friends at a table near the back, Ella's wheelchair standing out amongst the crowd. As they approached, Akira noticed Eddie sitting next to Jake, who looked unusually tense, his eyes glued to a screen in his hands. Several other Tech students around the cafeteria were also holding their tablets, all seemingly focused on the same thing.

"What are you guys watching?" Huan asked as he slid into a seat next to Jimin and Jiamei.

Akira followed suit, sitting beside him. His curiosity piqued, he leaned in to catch a glimpse of the tablet Jake was holding. The headline on the screen was in English. He squinted, something about a Yin creature attack on a space station.

Jake sighed heavily before responding. "A Yin creature attacked the Helio-Harvesters at base 3006, Sun-project B-12."

Akira blinked, a bit lost. "Helio-Harvesters?" he asked, glancing at Huan.

Huan turned toward him, expression serious but patient. "They're massive rings of solar panels that orbit around the sun. They absorb and harvest solar energy for Earth. Essentially, they're the largest energy source we have."

Jake jumped in, still looking grim. "They're vital. Losing even one of those harvesters would cripple the entire energy grid. We'd be talking about blackouts on a global scale. The destruction could devastate human civilization."

Akira's eyes widened, processing the severity of what was happening. "So... if these are damaged, what else happens?"

Ella spoke up, her voice laced with concern. "If the Yin creatures destroy enough of them, not only will it cut off our primary source of energy, but the debris could eventually reach Earth's atmosphere. Imagine that-massive solar panels crashing down onto cities, wiping out entire populations."

Akira pursed his lips, not entirely sure how to respond to the sheer magnitude of it all.

"But don't worry," Huan said reassuringly, his tone light, "The SSE will handle it."

"They already did," Ella chimed in with a grin, holding up her tablet. "Thank God nobody got hurt."

Eddie nodded, his face visibly relieved. "Yeah, my dad works there, and he saw the whole thing go down."

Huan took the tablet from Ella and pressed play on the video. Akira leaned in for a closer look and froze the moment he saw the figure on screen. His uncle, Akimitsu.

In the clip, Akimitsu appeared like a flash of red. His long, flowing hair streamed behind him in the zero-gravity environment, and his grey eyes-so much like Akira's-burned with fierce determination. He wore a sleeveless red shirt that clung to every defined muscle of his body, with detached flowy sleeves that fluttered with his movements, showing off his shoulders. Gold bangles adorned his arms and wrists, catching the light, while his baggy hakama swayed with every movement. At his ankles, more gold bangles clinked with his every movement-Akimitsu always did have a flair for the dramatic. He wore bangles but no shoes or sandal...

But it wasn't just Akimitsu's appearance that caught Akira's attention, that's how he dresses everyday. It was what he was fighting.

The Xiangliu-larger and far more grotesque than anything Akira had seen before-thrashed in the void of space. Its nine human-like heads writhed, each twisted in agony, while its serpent body bristled with fur, every scale protruding with coarse tufts. The sheer ugliness of it was almost too much to look at, let alone fight.

It lunged toward a nearby space base, its heads snapping at the air, but Akimitsu moved with lightning speed. He delivered a flying kick right at serpent's chest that sent the creature spiraling backward, disorienting it momentarily. The heads screeched in unison, furious at being knocked off balance, and quickly refocused their attention on Akimitsu, slithering toward him with fury.

Akimitsu, clasped his hands together. In a flash, giant golden arms materialized behind him, blooming outward like the petals of a lotus flower, each one radiating a bright, divine light. The Xiangliu recoiled at the sight of it, hissing angrily at the blinding brilliance.

With a swift gesture, the golden arms thrust forward, pushing back the creature just as it lunged at him, its fangs bared. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through space, and the Xiangliu recoiled, clearly in pain from the sheer force of the attack.

Huan paused the video just as the Xiangliu prepared another strike, turning to Akira with curiosity. "That's your uncle?"

Akira sighed deeply, slumping a little in his seat. "Yeah... that's Uncle Akimitsu."

"Your Shūshu is amazing," Jiamei commented, her voice filled with genuine admiration.

Akira blinked at her, confused for a second before remembering that he understood Mandarin. "Oh-yeah, he is..." he mumbled I hate being multilingual, still uncomfortable with the constant praise his family received.

Ella snatched her tablet back, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "No! Akimitsu Fujisawa is more than amazing!" she declared, her blue eyes practically sparkling. "He mastered all three arts of conserving energy!" Her enthusiasm felt contagious as she fawned over Akira's uncle.

The three arts of energy conservation were an incredibly prestigious feat to master. First, there was Kanji-spirits, a skill you had to be born with, predominantly used in East Asia-Japan and Korea being the main hubs. Then came the cultivation of the golden core, an ancient practice most common in China, Mongolia, and other Southeast Asian regions. Finally, there was the art of Chakra, primarily mastered in South Asia, particularly India, but also found in Southeast Asia.

It was rare enough for someone to master even two of these disciplines, but mastering all three? That was practically legendary, and Akimitsu had done it with the kind of finesse that set him apart from anyone else.

Ella squealed with delight, pulling up more images on her tablet. "EeeeeeeEEE! He's even in Cyber Vogue!" she said, showing pictures of Akimitsu in elaborate fashion shoots, draped in luxurious fabrics. "He's so multi-talented!"

Jake rolled his eyes, crossing his arms with a mock scoff. "I could pose in front of a camera too, you know," he muttered.

Ella shot him a look, unimpressed by his dismissive attitude, before turning her attention back to Akira. "You don't plan on joining any entertainment companies, do you?" she asked.

Akira pursed his lips, feeling the familiar pressure building inside him. One of the many burdens of being part of a prestigious family was that you were more than just a person-you were a living symbol, a relic of ancient history for the world to admire. It wasn't so different from how the British royal family was viewed: special because of their bloodline, a fascination for ordinary people to gawk at.

Entertainment companies had a long history of signing contracts with descendants of these old families, turning them into celebrities. It was a mutually beneficial deal-fame and wealth for the individual, and money and influence for the company.

Akira wasn't sure if that was the life he wanted, though. The idea of being paraded around, admired for something as intangible as his bloodline, made him uneasy. It was too much pressure, too many expectations to live up to. He can't even handle the ones from his family without feeling like a disappointment. How was he supposed to handle it from millions of people who he particularly didn't even know.

"I heard Kangjeon Jin-woo already signed a contract," Jimin said thoughtfully, pulling Akira from his thoughts. "But Young Master Zhao is too traditional to go that route."

"No doubt," Huan chimed in with a teasing smirk. "Young Master Fujisawa is probably too traditional as well, huh?" His eyes twinkled with playful amusement as he nudged Akira lightly.

Akira's face turned a deep shade of red as he fumbled for words. "Y-yeah..." he mumbled, flustered beyond measure.

He stood up wanting to get away, stretching slightly as he decided to grab some dinner. "I'm gonna get my tray," he said.

Eddie and Jake exchanged looks before standing up as well. "We'll come with you," Eddie said, while Jake cracked his neck like he'd been sitting in the same spot for too long. They walked a few steps ahead of Akira, chatting about the latest tech updates, their voices blending with the ambient noise of the cafeteria.

Before walking off, Akira turned to Huan. "You coming?"

Huan shook his head, offering a faint smile. "I'm not hungry right now. I'll stay here."

Akira hesitated, wondering if Huan was okay, but quickly brushed it off. "Alright," he said with a nod and then headed towards the food counter. He didn't want to leave Huan alone, but he figured Huan would say something if there was a problem.

Eddie and Jake reached the front of the line ahead of him, already teasing each other about what to get. Akira lagged behind, but just as he passed by one of the side tables, he caught a quiet conversation between the Chen cousins.

"You really think it's him?" Zixin's smug voice floated through the air.

Xian, with his usual eerie smile nodded. "I know it's him."

Akira kept walking, pretending not to hear, but the words stuck in his mind. What were they talking about? Who were they talking about? He didn't like Zixin or Xian much, mostly because they always seemed to be wrapped up in schemes and petty rivalries, but this conversation made his curiosity flare. Could they be talking about... Huan?

He shook the thought off almost immediately. No way. What would Huan have to do with them? Still, a part of him couldn't help but wonder. Something about the way they said it bothered him, but it wasn't worth getting involved in their nonsense.

Eddie glanced back, noticing Akira lagging. "Hey, you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Akira lied, as he reached for his tray, though his mind still churned with questions.

Why do I have gut feeling that they are talking about Huan...

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Word Meaning:

Shūshu: Uncle (from frther's side)