The Art Of Sword

After setting up the hot pot and the ingredients. Grace and Grimm are responsible for the cooking while Sunz sits there watching. After a few minutes, another person knocks on their room and says they are here to deliver a blanket. Sunz goes out to open the door, the voice sounds familiar to him. And to Sunz's surprise, it was Jihu delivering the blanket.

Sunz: Did the hotel run out of staff? Why are you being the errand boy?

Jihu: I try looking for you but to no avail. So I went to ask Sogae and I met her carrying this blanket. She ask “Are you looking for Sunz”, I said “Yes” and she told me to take this blanket to the room where you currently staying at.

Jihu takes a peek through Sunz’s shoulder and sees that Grace and Grimm are both in the room, but they don’t know that it was Jihu delivering the blanket.

Jihu frantically said “Well I guess you must be tired so I’ll let you rest and we can talk tomorrow.”, waiting for Sunz to take the blanket.

Sunz smirked “Oh no buddy I know what you see and you ain’t running away.” Then he whispers, “I know you have a relationship with class rep and this is not my business, but issue needs to be resolved here and now!

Jihu pauses for a moment and sighs: You’re not the type to call out but when you do it means serious. So fine! I’ll try my best. Ok!

Sunz: You won’t regret it! I hope…

Sunz takes the blanket from Jihu’s hand and throws it in the corner of the room. Grace and Grimm don’t bat an eye.

Sunz steps away from the door and said to Grimm and Grace: Do you guys mind if we invite another person?

Grimm see that it was Jihu who Sunz invited “Sure! Come in the more the merrier.” And he nudges Grace “Right!”

Grace didn’t expect that Sunz would invite Jihu so she was at a loss for words. Until Grimm nudges her a bit, making her return to reality and she mutters “S...Sure he can join”

The four then sit around the hot pot in a square shape with Grimm and Sunz sitting between Grace and Jihu. While waiting for the food to cook, the atmosphere around the room was tense, no one talk to each other. So Grimm decided to break the ice “Are any of you able to drink alcohol?”

No one answered, maybe the three of them just waiting for one more person to respond.

Grimm points at both Grace and Jihu “You two if you have something lingering in your mind then let's resolve it here and now.”

Grace starts to panic “There is nothing lingering between us… and don’t worry I can drink.” Then she tries to take a beer can near Grimm. As soon as Grace’s hand touched the can, Grimm stop her and raise his voice “I won’t let the alcohol do the talking.”

After all that mess Jihu starts talking “I’m sorry! I’m sorry for ignoring you for the last 10 years. I was just following what my grandpa said from 10 years ago, even when I grow older he said that the reason was, a conflict between the two clans.”

The room suddenly gets a bit colder. Grace starts to tear up, look at Jihu with a smile, and said “Here I thought that after all those years you hated me, to the point that you asked your grandpa to kick my family out of the clan.”

Jihu is surprised by Grace's statement. “Wait kick your family out of the clan?” Grace answered, “That's what my parents told me.”

Jihu starts to think about the reason why his grandpa kicks Grace’s family out of the clan (Wait there has to be another factor for that event to happen. Grandpa always said this to me “Members that break the rule or try to destroy our clan from the inside will face death as their punishment. Jihu! I know you’re a kind soul, but there will come a time that you need to carry out the judgment.")

Grace: I don’t know how you are feeling but it's great to finally get that off my chest and now I know that you don’t hate me.

Jihu: Hate you I could never, as a matter of fact, me and everyone in the clan admired you, even Grandpa said that you have the potential to pass Jun. But now that everything has been resolved, I can talk with you just like before.

Grace: Thank you Mr.Grimm for helping us resolve this conflict.

Grimm “Don’t mention it but for now, you should wipe your tears and turn off your ability or the room might become a cryogenic chamber.” Then he points at Sunz wrapping himself inside the blanket in the corner like a caterpillar.

Grace: Oh sorry whenever we get emotional the ability just activates on its own.

After a few minutes, the room temperature becomes normal, and Sunz gets out of the blanket but his body is still cold, Grace and Jihu now can talk with each other like normal.

Grimm gives everyone a can of bear and said: Today all three of us get into the next round, and you two finally resolve your conflict. So I say this call for a celebration.

Everyone agrees, cracks open their beer, clinks their cans, and says “CHEERS”.

After the hot pot party, everyone sits around talking and drinking. But Grimm makes sure that everyone drinks accordingly, at most two cans. And to Grimm's surprise, he did not think that Grace's body would be that weak to alcohol. After everyone finishes their first can, Sunz and Jihu decide to stop due to the fact that they both drink before and today they just drink it for celebration.

But Grace is different, it looks like she had never tasted alcohol before, and after the first can she was under the influent of it. So she decided to drink another but only halfway through the can her body go limp, drop the can on the floor but Grimm was quick enough to catch it alongside Grace’s body. Grimm then tells Jihu to help Grace and get on the bed.

Jihu agrees and he helps Grace stand up and guides her to the bed. Maybe because of the alcohol started affecting Grace’s system. Out of nowhere she suddenly flirts with Jihu.

Grace(Drunk) asks Jihu: Do you have a girlfriend yet, Jihu? If not can I become your... girlfriend?

Jihu awkwardly laughs: As a matter of fact I’m dating one right one. So please don’t take it personally.

Grace(Drunk): Aww… are you afraid of dating someone older than you, who is also your childhood friend.

Jihu starts sweating nervously: Grace don’t let the alcohol take control, please.

After Jihu's last sentence, Grace pulls him onto the bed and hugs him like a teddy bear. Jihu tries to escape but Grace’s strength was better than his and she falls asleep which makes his escape impossible.

Grimm: You kid acting pretty bold when there is alcohol in your system.

Sunz said to Grimm: Let’s them have their moment. I have other things that I want to discuss with you. Do you mind if we continue this conversation outside on the balcony?

Grimm “Sure!”, then Grimm and Sunz stand up and walk out to the balcony. Before closing the door between the room and the balcony Sunz said to Jihu “Don’t do anything freaky ok. You're still underage remember that.” And shut the door.

Stepping onto the balcony the temperature is way colder than inside with some occasional light breeze.

Grimm: Seoul is still lively at this hour. So what do you want to discuss?

Sunz: I want to discuss more about San. The more information I know the more I can help.

Grimm: So what information do you want?

Sunz: Does she has a hero name?

Grimm: After some mission, she accumulated her own fan base and the people start calling her “Ember Witch”. How does knowing her nickname help you?

Sunz pulls out his phone and types the keyword “Ember Witch” on the internet, it shows up many results of the hero “Ember Witch”.

Sunz show Grimm his phone and said: It does help, looks at all this information.

Grimm: Now that you have the information of our past, that means I don’t need to tell you anymore of my story.

Sunz: What I have is just an overview of what happened. But you have the more detailed information. And this is a rabbit hole that I can jump in, with all this information our rescue plan will be much easier.

Grimm: You still thinking of helping me, “sigh” At first I thought you were kidding and did not expect you to be this invested.

Sunz: After this tournament, I need to find other objectives and yours is on top of my list.

Grimm: Ok then “Mr.Ambitious” what plan do you have?

Sunz: The key to our plan is the villain.

Grimm chuckles “Villain you say!” then he pats Sunz on the back and goes inside. Before going in he said, “We’ll discuss this another time.”

After returning to the room they see that Jihu has fallen asleep and Grace is still hugging him like a teddy bear.

Grimm: Let’s just go to sleep, we still have a long week ahead of us so rest up.

Grimm shut the light. Then he and Sunz pick their own corner and just lay there and sleep.