The training session flew by and Himari, unnerved by the sudden change in vibe, tried to start small talk.
"So..." Himari began hesitantly as they moved through their stretching routine, "you two seem to know each other pretty well for a teacher and student."
Tim and Riku both tensed, but for different reasons than Himari suspected.
"We just share some common interests," Tim replied carefully, not wanting to give away their complicated dynamic.
"Like what? Staring contests?" Himari asked with a nervous laugh, clearly trying to lighten the thick atmosphere. "Because the way you two keep looking at each other is kind of intense."
Riku felt her cheeks burn. "Tim-sensei is just... a very dedicated teacher."
"Uh-huh," Himari said, not buying it for a second. "And is this 'dedication' why you volunteered to come train with him at a martial arts dojo? Because that's not exactly normal student-teacher behavior."
"I needed the exercise," Riku mumbled, shooting Tim a look that clearly said 'help me out here.'
"Himari, you've been coming here with us for a few days and we don't know anything about you," Riku deflected.
Himari's expression shifted, becoming more guarded. "Not much to know, really. I'm just... trying to get my life together. Sometimes you need to hit things to clear your head, you know?"
Tim noticed the way she avoided eye contact when she said it. There was definitely more to Himari's story than she was letting on.
"What do you do when you're not here?" Tim asked, genuinely curious about the small blonde girl who'd called him a pervert at the pharmacy.
"Part-time jobs mostly. Convenience store, some restaurant work." She shrugged. "Living the dream, basically."
The bitter edge to her voice suggested otherwise. Riku picked up on it too, her competitive streak with Tim momentarily forgotten.
"No family?" Riku asked softly.
"It's complicated," Himari replied, echoing Tim's earlier words. "Let's just say I'm better off on my own right now."
The dojo fell into an uncomfortable silence, broken only by the sound of Yui cracking her knuckles ominously.
"Enough therapy session," Yui announced. "Partner drills. Himari with fatty, Riku you're stuck with me."
As they shifted positions, Tim caught Himari's eye. "If you ever need someone to talk to..."
She gave him a small, grateful smile. "Thanks, but I'm good at keeping my problems to myself."
"No, Himari, that's not right," Tim said as he tried jumping on a tall box and fell on his ass with a loud thud. After picking himself up and dusting off his bruised ego, he continued, "After training I am taking you two for noodles. My treat. Sect members take care of each other."
The word 'sect' hung in the air like a dropped bomb.
Not only did Riku's ears perk up, her eyes going wide with alarm, but Himari's head snapped toward Tim with sudden sharp interest. Even Yui, who had been busy arranging training equipment, went completely still.
"Sect?" Himari repeated slowly, her voice taking on a different quality entirely. "That's an... interesting choice of words for a martial arts group."
Tim felt his stomach drop as he realized his slip. He'd been thinking about Lia's responsibilities to her junior disciples when the word just came out naturally. Now three pairs of eyes were staring at him with varying degrees of suspicion and curiosity.
"I just meant... you know... our little training group," Tim stammered, trying to backpedal. "Like a... martial arts family thing?"
Yui set down the practice weapons she'd been holding and walked over slowly, her usual playful demeanor replaced by something much more serious.
"Tim-sensei," she said quietly, "where exactly did you hear that term used in that context?"
Tim sighed. "Okay, you caught me. Riku and I really love reading webnovels about cultivation. It's how we got talking and why we decided to try martial arts." Tim jumped into a silly kung fu pose. "I am Sect Master Tim!"
Riku caught on immediately, giggling and striking her own exaggerated pose. "And I'm the rebellious disciple who's always getting into trouble!"
The tension in the room deflated slightly as their explanation seemed believable enough. Himari rolled her eyes. "You two are such nerds. Though I guess that explains why you both seem so into this whole training thing."
Yui relaxed visibly, though she still looked somewhat suspicious. "Webnovels, huh? I guess that makes sense. You certainly seem to know more about cultivation theory than most beginners."
"We've read... a lot," Tim said, exchanging a meaningful glance with Riku. "Probably too much, honestly."
"Ah, can I join your sect?" Himari said. She jumped into a pose. "I can be snake style Himari!" she said as she shot a hand forward like a snake striking. The air cracked.
That was far too good, he thought, but everyone seemed to have their own secrets here. Before anyone could mention the strike, Tim said, "Welcome to our sect. Enforcement Elder Yui, would you like to join our sect?"
Yui paused, considering the offer with an amused smirk. "Enforcement Elder, huh? I like the sound of that." She cracked her knuckles. "Fine, I'll join your little 'sect,' but that means I get to make the rules for training."
"Deal," Tim said quickly, relieved that the cover story was holding.
Himari's strike had been unnaturally precise though. Tim made a mental note to watch her more carefully. Something about the way she moved reminded him of the cultivators back in the other world.
"So what's our sect called?" Himari asked, still grinning from being included.
Riku bounced on her toes. "Ooh, ooh! The Soaring Phoenix Fist Sect! Like the dojo!"
"That's Master Kurokawa's technique name," Yui pointed out. "We can't just steal it."
"How about the Meteor Shower Sect?" Tim suggested, earning strange looks from all three girls.
"Why meteor shower?" Himari asked, tilting her head.
"Because... that's when we all decided to start training seriously?" Tim improvised. "After seeing how beautiful and powerful nature could be that night."
Riku nodded enthusiastically, picking up his thread. "Yeah! It was like a sign from the heavens that we needed to better ourselves!"
"You two really are nerds," Himari laughed. "But I like it. The Meteor Shower Sect it is."
Yui clapped her hands together. "Alright, Meteor Shower Sect, time for actual training. Enforcement Elder Yui demands fifty push-ups from everyone!"
As they dropped into position, Tim caught Riku's eye and mouthed "good save." She stuck her tongue out at him playfully, the earlier tension temporarily forgotten in the face of their new group dynamic.
But Tim couldn't shake the feeling that Himari's "snake strike" had been far too advanced for someone with no martial arts background. And the way she'd perked up at the word "sect" suggested she might know more than she was letting on.
For now though, he focused on not collapsing during push-ups while Yui counted with sadistic glee.
The training passed quickly with the new sect dynamic being joked about, especially Tim being the grand elder because he was so much older than them.
"Grand Elder Tim is looking a bit winded," Riku teased as he struggled through his third set of burpees. "Maybe we need to elect a younger leader."
"Respect your elders, Junior Disciple Riku," Tim panted back, wiping sweat from his forehead. "I have the wisdom of... many years."
"All of thirty whole years," Himari giggled. "Truly ancient."
Yui cracked her whip—when had she gotten a whip?—and grinned wickedly. "As Enforcement Elder, I decree that anyone who disrespects the Grand Elder gets extra mountain climbers!"
"Wait, why do you get to be Enforcement Elder?" Riku protested.
"Because I'm the one with the whip," Yui replied matter-of-factly. "And I already torture—I mean, train you all anyway."
Tim couldn't help but laugh despite his exhaustion. The ridiculous sect roleplay was actually making the brutal training session more bearable. Plus, it gave them perfect cover for using cultivation terminology without raising suspicion.
"Enforcement Elder Yui is too powerful," Himari said dramatically, clutching her chest. "We must unite against the tyranny!"
"Mutiny in the ranks already?" Tim shook his head. "This sect is doomed."
As they moved through their cool-down stretches, the playful banter continued. Tim found himself genuinely enjoying the group dynamic, even if two of them had no idea about the very real cultivation happening in other worlds.
"Same time tomorrow, Meteor Shower Sect?" Yui asked as they gathered their things.
"No," Tim said. "Mandatory sect meal at noodle store."
Yui looked toward the dojo master, who gave a subtle nod of approval from his corner where he'd been silently observing their training.
They walked to the noodle store with the three girls calling Tim "master" in exaggerated reverent tones, bowing dramatically every few steps and drawing stares from passersby.
"Master Tim, your wisdom guides us!" Riku declared loudly as they entered the small restaurant.
"Master, please choose our seats!" Himari added, clasping her hands together in mock prayer.
"You three are embarrassing," Tim muttered, though he was trying not to laugh as the elderly shop owner looked at them with bewildered amusement.
They squeezed into a booth, with Tim somehow ending up in the middle while the girls flanked him on both sides. When their bowls arrived, Riku picked up her chopsticks with a mischievous grin.
"A master shouldn't have to feed himself," she announced, scooping up noodles from Tim's bowl. "Allow this humble disciple to serve you."
"Riku, that's—" Tim started to protest, but she was already holding the chopsticks near his mouth with an innocent expression that didn't fool him for a second.
"Open wide, Master Tim," she said sweetly, while Himari and Yui burst into giggles.
Tim sighed in defeat and opened his mouth, letting her feed him the noodles while trying to ignore how this looked to anyone watching. The girl was absolutely shameless, using their fake sect dynamic as an excuse to mess with him even more.
"This is ridiculous," he mumbled around a mouthful of ramen.
"All part of sect bonding, Master," Riku replied with that infuriating smirk, already preparing another bite.
Lia received a message in the cultivation world from Varek: "It's okay, you can feed me noodles when we eat together."