章 37: Professor Gemstone has to choose... part 4 (37)
Kai! What did you do this time!
Ezera stared open mouthed, at the spectacle which offered itself to him and the rest of his class.
Onyx slapped away Kai's hand, gritting his teeth in obvious anger.
"You! Why did you do that?"
Kai's grin seemed to widen.
"Me? I did nothing."
Why was this boy acting like a bully! Ezera had taught him better!
More than a year and half ago, Ezera had met Kai along with the rest of his students. The first year high schooler used to look at him with a grudging distrust, much like Onyx did in the present. He was known for his strength, but also for his tendency toward delinquency.
The ascension from bad to worse had gone spectacularly, it had been very memorable. Ezera's usual approach had been like oil in the pan in regard to the young man. It had ended with Ezera thrown down a river and hospitalized for a week afterward.
Kai's supposed delinquency had only been due to his hot temper, and his wish to prove himself constantly. His parents failing to realize that, had totally given up on his case before sending him to Ezera's school. Their relationship had only started to get better when Kai had no other choice but to ask for Ezera's help for a kendo competition. And even that had taken time to go from better to fine, especially since it had found a way to fall back down to disastrous in between.
In fewer words, Ezera had taken his time to know Kai, and knew the boy wouldn't take offense against people who were weaker or younger than he was. Kai wasn't a bully, and he had proven it to Ezera and to himself during the course of that first year, if not to his parents and brother.
So why on earth are you behaving like this, punk!
Kai was making him lie!
But Ezera didn't intervene immediately. Rather, he watched carefully. He knew which of his kids did things without thinking and without reasons. Kai wasn't one of them. It was his job to understand how their minds worked. And he would get through to what was happening in Kai's head now.
"Don't you lie!" Onyx yelled, patting around for his wooden sword without breaking eye contact with Kai. "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you? Do you wish for a fight?"
Kai raised an eyebrow, the perfect picture of confusion were it not for that big large smirk in the middle of his face.
"Well... If you want one, I see no problem to a spar. But I'm a bit worried for the gap between our capabilities-"
Onyx let out an outraged cry. Dereck was about to separate them just to be safe when Ezera shook his head at him.
"Why not?" the man mouthed.
"No way," Onyx gritted his teeth. "You just want to ridicule me."
"I'm not sure what you mean," Kai didn't miss a beat. "Aren't we all here to learn?" He swung his own wooden sword across his shoulder.
Ezera remembered Dereck had been trying to teach them how to 'feel the intent' by making them practice forms in harmony with the wind, whatever that meant. Ezera was glad he never took up the sword, this sounded way too complicated.
Unfortunately, being a good teacher was also way too complicated. And overrated.
He sighed.
"Hey, Kai!"
Both boys turned toward him. Kai couldn't quite hide the tick in his eyebrow when he heard the annoyance in Ezera's tone.
"Uh, yeah? What?"
Ezera looked at him disapprovingly.
"If you want to spar, you should do it when there's more space. Maybe later?"
"We won't fight!" Onyx protested.
Ezera analysed his posture. He hadn't stood up yet. He seemed almost paralyzed by his rage. His gaze moved from the prince to his student. Kai was in a taunting position, putting all his weight in provocation. For what end goal? Kai's eyes were calm and focused, even though his features showed nothing else but said provocation, arrogance and playfulness – not the nice kind.
If Kai was clear-headed...
"You heard the highness, professor," Kai threw the words at him carelessly. "I'm almost disappointed. I wish I could have had a fight with an honored prince, you must be very skilled for having followed an elitist teaching since young-"
"Shut up!"
"Ah, sorry," Kai winced openly. "By the way, what are you still doing on the ground?" His eyes did something strange, but Ezera couldn't get a good look from profile. "You like it there?"
Instantly, Onyx stood up, throwing away his sword and left, like a bomb just waiting to blow up.
"Ah, wait! Your highness!" Dereck called out after him, only to sigh resignatedly. "What in the world..."
Both teachers looked at each other.
"Go escort him back," Ezera offered, "I can take care of this bunch for now."
Dereck smiled gratefully.
"Thanks, Professor."
He ran off after the prince.
In the meantime, Ezera stood up, ruffling up Ming's hair on his way to the middle of the meadow. All his students had already been disturbed from their activities because of the commotion, they exchanged curious and nervous glances, wondering what had happened. Ezera cheerfully clapped his hands together, the sound echoing loudly around him.
"Well, well, well! That was interesting! Kai, perhaps you should look around you some more next time, so as not to knock off anyone else," he smiled down at the boy, but the brief glare he sent him was enough message. "Now! Let's all calm down from our emotions, it's time out. You have the choice between hide-and-seek and makeshift soccer. What will it be?"
A few of the kids groaned in exagerated misery, but overall they quickly picked soccer. Sandra had no problem making them a makeshift ball and soon, they started playing with a warning from Ezera to go lightly.
As soon as all the children were adequately busy running among themselves, Ezera gestured for Kai to come closer, back to the tree he was resting against earlier.
"Come on," he told Ming, "you can go play with the others, I need to speak with him."
Ming reluctantly left his side, disappearing in the trees, and Ezera redirected all of his attention to Kai, who bore it without so much as a flinch.
"Tell me, Kai. What were you thinking?" He asked seriously, not beating around the bush.
Kai shook his head.
"You shouldn't worry about it too much, professor."
Ezera frowned at the dismissal.
"Of course I worry. You're my student, and now he is too. You have to get along, even just a bit."
Kai smiled.
"But that's the problem, professor. We don't get along. And it's not fault for trying on our part."
Ezera suddenly realized that Kai wasn't talking about his relationship with Onyx, but rather Onyx' refusal to integrate well with the entire class.
He sighed. He'd been wanting to help the boy, but between everything that had happened, he hadn't found a way to fix it yet, or just perhaps be more present.
"And that's how you decided you wanted to go about it?" he let go in a defeated voice. "You should have told me if it was so urgent. I'd have found a solution."
But Kai was shaking his head again. He looked confident in his choice of action.
"But professor, that wouldn't be fair to you. Aren't you very busy these days?"
Ezera was taken aback. Had he been so transparent?
"You clearly have a lot on your plate, we don't want to burden you with something like this. We can do something about it ourselves!"
Ezera frowned.
"Kai, the lot of you could never be a burden!"
"That's not what I meant," for once, Kai was looking more solemn, staring straight in Ezera's eyes. "Ultimately it's something that concerns us. Trust me! I have a plan," he grinned mischievously.
However, the teacher wasn't fully convinced.
"But..."
Kai pointed at himself with his thump.
"Professor," he called again. "We know you worry a lot. And we're really grateful for all you're doing. But you know, sometimes we can handle ourselves."
Ezera felt like the air had been punched out of his lungs. He opened his mouth to answer, but nothing would come out.
Kai waited for a long moment. Seeing that Ezera wasn't going to add anything, he smile confidently, with bright eyes.
"Let me deal with Onyx. You'll see."
With that, the boy scrambled off to play with the others.
Or was it the young man?
Ezera let himself deflate against the tree, his eyes lost between the forest and the universe.
Had he been underestimating those kids?
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