Chapter 14: Swords, Sass, and Side Dishes
(From the "Totally Normal Lunch" Chronicles of Song Jae Gu)
When I got to class, I was expecting a normal day. Maybe some staring. Maybe a few whispers.
What I wasn't ready for… was a fan club.
I stepped in, and boom—twenty pairs of eyes locked on me like I was some rare Pokémon that had just wandered into their tall grass. Half of them were already halfway through their "catch" animation, and I hadn't even taken my seat yet.
You have to understand—this was not a normal school.
The girls here? Top class. As in "would beat up a gang before breakfast" kind of top class. The academy only accepted the best, and being the best meant knowing how to punch someone into the stratosphere and get straight A's.
Also, fun fact: martial arts were mandatory.
Yeah, you heard me. Mandatory.
So imagine a school where every girl is a combat prodigy, has a pride the size of Mount Halla, and trains like she's prepping for the Mortal Kombat finals. Now throw one handsome transfer student into that mix—me—and you get chaos wrapped in ponytails and black belts.
The novelty of a guy—especially one not related to them—was enough to stir the pot. And unfortunately, I looked good. Like, model who also lifts good.
So the questions came in rapid fire:
"Do you have a training schedule?"
"What's your favorite martial art?"
"Do you like music?"
"What kind of movies?"
"Can I touch your biceps?"
...Yeah. That happened.
And I let them.
They touched my body.
Muscles, arms, shoulders—anything they could get their hands on without me spontaneously combusting. For them, it was biology class. For me? A fever dream.
Twenty girls. Top of the food chain. Hanging on my every word like I was the last piece of kimchi at a dorm party.
Honestly, I didn't mind. It was a surreal kind of paradise. But I knew better than to let it get to my head. The novelty would wear off. Eventually, I'd just be "that guy," and things would settle.
Hopefully.
When the break bell rang, I escaped like a ninja on a timer and made my way to the boxing club. I wanted to find the trio—those three girls who actually seemed normal. Less sparkles, more substance.
But the universe wasn't done with me yet.
As I walked past the main stairwell, a figure slipped right into my path. Like, actual cartoon banana peel kind of slip. Reflex kicked in, and I caught her just before she hit the ground.
"Sorry," she said softly, brushing herself off. "I got lost in thought."
She looked up, and I blinked.
She was… different.
Two neat pigtails of dark turquoise hair framed her face, and she wore frameless glasses that made her look more librarian than fighter. Pink eyes, soft features, and a voice that could calm a tiger.
Lee Go Seul. From my class.
She was quiet. Gentle. Almost too gentle to be in this school of Valkyries. But I could tell—beneath that softness was something solid. Her posture, the way she balanced on her feet, and the black weapon bag on her back—it all screamed "dangerous but polite."
She was a weapon specialist, probably one of the best. Kendo, Bojutsu, fencing—you name it, they taught it here.
And Go Seul didn't walk around like she wanted attention.
She walked like she was already ten steps ahead.
"No problem," I said with a nod, starting to walk away.
But then—she called out.
Note to self: If I survive five months of this school without getting hospitalized or married, I deserve a medal.
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I don't ask for much. Just a quiet lunch. Maybe some rice balls. Maybe not being the only guy in a school full of combat maniacs.
But nope.
The moment I stepped into our unofficial lunch hideout—aka, the ring where friendships and food coexist—I was met with the usual:
Moon Young, Dal Dal, and that ever-present sense that something ridiculous was about to happen.
"Jae Gu, what took you so long?" Moon asked, raising one elegant brow as I walked in.
She was standing like always—tall, poised, and built like the final boss of a fashion-forward fighting game. At 5 cm taller than me, she was the tallest girl of our age I'd ever met, and she wore that fact like a badge of honor.
I just shrugged.
"I walked at normal speed."
I stepped in and hugged her—habit now. Physical contact had stopped being weird a long time ago with these three. With Moon, it always felt like leaning into calm strength.
Then came Dal Dal.
Or rather, she zoomed toward me.
"What about glasses over there? Is she with you?" she asked, nodding toward the doorway where Lee Go stood quietly, hands folded behind her back like an honorable samurai student waiting for class to begin.
Dal Dal had that look. The I'm-smiling-but-secretly-interrogating-you look. It was cute and terrifying. Especially when she was holding a bento box she probably prepared with love and possible war crimes.
I gave her a brief smile.
"She's a classmate. Challenged me to a fight, so I'm going to do that before we eat."
"Really?" Moon muttered, her voice half amusement, half disbelief. "Did you not tell her that you beat the Queen?"
Dal Dal, never one to waste a dramatic moment, gasped slightly.
"Wait, you're going to fight with weapons?"
I nodded.
"Yeah. Swords."
Cue dramatic music. Or it would've played if our lives weren't already 24/7 drama.
"Are you sure about this?" Moon asked, crossing her arms and towering over me like a protective Valkyrie with a soft spot for sarcasm.
"You could get hurt," Dal Dal added, her tone serious now. "Even a stray hit from a skilled fighter with a weapon is way worse than a punch."
It was true. Out in the streets, we weren't afraid of people swinging makeshift sticks and calling it kung fu. But here? These girls trained like Olympians. Or worse—anime protagonists.
Meanwhile, Queen was silent.
She didn't speak. Didn't warn. Just stood there with arms folded and the expression of someone who had bet their entire reputation on one card—and that card was me.
He's going to win, her eyes said. He beat me. He can handle this.
It wasn't arrogance. It was belief. Unshakable and absolute.
Which, honestly, scared me more than anything.
Because it meant I couldn't lose. Not because of pride. But because they believed in me so much, I'd feel worse about disappointing them than getting sliced open.
"Relax," I said, glancing at the three of them. "We'll stop if it gets dangerous."
Lee Go nodded from the corner of the room, her posture straight, expression unreadable.
I could see it in her eyes too. She wasn't here to injure me. This wasn't a street brawl. It was a test. A challenge between two martial artists who wanted to understand each other through motion, rhythm, and impact.
Still, that didn't stop Dal Dal from stepping in front of me like a shield made of bubblegum fury.
"If she so much as grazes your pretty face, I'm calling off the match myself."
I blinked. "...Pretty?"
She blinked back. "Shut up and dodge faster."
Moon just rolled her eyes and sat down with the grace of a queen in waiting, while Queen—actual queen—leaned against the ropes with the calm of someone who already knew the outcome.
I took off my blazer and cracked my neck.
Time to find out just how sharp things could get.
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The moment Lee Go unzipped her case and laid out the weapons, I knew this wasn't going to be a casual spar.
Two smooth mokgum—Korean wooden swords—lay neatly beside two full-length real swords, shining with the kind of polish you'd expect from someone who worshipped their blades like pets.
Dal Dal let out a low whistle.
"Uh... Why do you have real swords at school?"
Lee Go looked up, expression calm, serene even.
"Practice weapons are for practice. Real ones are for goals."
Yeah. This girl was dangerous.
Not dangerous in the "she'll ruin your reputation online" kind of way.
More like the "you blink wrong and she'll fillet your liver" kind.
I smiled despite myself.
She reminded me of Tenten from back home—the kind of girl who didn't need superpowers to scare you, just a ten-step weapons routine and the eyes of someone who had watched a lot of Jet Li movies.
The ring was cleared. The mats wiped down. Moon crossed her arms, Queen leaned on the ropes, and Dal Dal pulled out her phone like she was about to record the next viral video.
All three of them watched me with varying levels of interest, concern, and mild jealousy.
Lee Go bowed respectfully.
I bowed back.
We both picked up the wooden swords. Hers was shorter, more like a dao. Mine—a simple straight wooden jian. Balanced. Light.
"Ready?" she asked.
"Always."
Then she moved—and wow, I had to say, it was beautiful.
Lee Go didn't walk. She glided forward with a twirl of her sword, opening with a diagonal slash that had real weight behind it despite the wood.
I stepped to the side, just a quarter step—enough to let the tip of her sword brush past my sleeve.
Another spin. A sweeping strike aimed low at my knees.
I hopped back, letting the wooden blade slap the mat with a satisfying thwack.
She was testing my reactions.
I gave her what she wanted: a counter feint with my own blade, drawing her into a step-forward thrust.
She took the bait—and I slid under her guard.
My free hand wrapped around her waist, and she barely had time to grunt before I spun her, sword flying from her grip, and—
Thud.
She was on the mat. My legs locked around her waist in a rear naked choke, her breathing shallow, but calm.
She tapped out with the practiced ease of someone who had drilled this before.
It was over in one minute and forty-seven seconds.
Silence.
Dal Dal's jaw dropped.
Moon Young blinked. "Did you even move?"
Queen just smiled.
"Well," I said, releasing the hold and standing up. "You're better than I expected."
Lee Go took my hand and let me pull her to her feet. She was flushed—but not embarrassed.
"So are you," she replied, bowing slightly again. "You didn't even use full strength, did you?"
I didn't answer that.
Because honestly? I didn't need to.
She wasn't Queen-level, but she was close. If I had let the fight go on longer—just to test things—I might've had a few bruises to show for it.
And that spin kick she tried halfway through? It would've broken ribs if I hadn't pivoted perfectly.
"You're a monster," Moon muttered, shaking her head.
"She's dangerous," Dal Dal added, glancing warily at Lee Go. "Like... really dangerous."
But that wasn't what they were actually saying.
They'd seen it too.
Lee Go was almost at their level.
And if she kept growing like this... she might surpass them.
I wasn't worried. I liked the idea of all of us growing stronger together.
But Moon and Dal Dal? They were fighters, yes—but they were also girls who had fought to be the best in a world that treated power like currency.
And now, here was a "junior" who could sweep them off their feet, literally, in a few months.
"Let's eat," I said, breaking the tension. "I'm starving."
Lee Go nodded, still winded but smiling.
"Thanks for the match. You showed me how much more I need to train."
I smiled back.
"You're already better than most. But if you want... I'll spar with you again. Anytime."
The girls stared at me. All three. Moon squinted. Dal Dal pouted. Queen narrowed her eyes like she just noticed something important.
Uh-oh.
What had I just signed up for?