“Close your eyes. I’m going to stick some sparkly parts under your eyes.”
“Okay.”
“NoName, you’re so cute! I’ll make some dumpling hair for you after this.”
“Do whatever you want.”
In the Academy Classroom, the lights were off, and the bright spring sunlight streamed in through the window.
While Yuna was climbing on a chair to tie my hair, Haru carefully stuck heart-shaped and star-shaped stickers that she bought from Daiso one by one.
“Done!”
My friends suddenly shoved a hand mirror in front of my face.
Two dumpling-shaped puffs made from my hair were sticking out.
It felt a bit awkward, but I could feel their effort.
“Thank you. Yuna, come here, I’ll put sunscreen on you too.”
“Ugh, that sounds annoying. Fine!”
“Guys, the Sports Day is starting soon! Hurry up and come out!”
“We’ll be right there, teacher!”
We quickly exited the dark hallway and dashed down the Central Stairs.
Fluffy cotton candy-like clouds were floating in the sky.
The vast artificial turf Sports Field of the Academy was packed with students.
We took our place at the very back of the 3rd Grade A Class line, following our teacher.
“Alright, let’s start the Sephiron Academy Sports Day! A team with a loud cheer will get 50 points, so let’s hear it from the Blue Team and the White Team!”
“Waaaaaah!”
The kids were chirping so loud that they were about to lose their voices.
The Sports Day that I couldn’t participate in last May due to a health check was finally starting.
“But are we the Blue Team or the White Team?”
“Our class is the White Team.”
“NoName should have focused in class!”
While the Sports Day involved competition between the Blue Team and White Team, it also consisted of class competitions within the same grade.
It wasn’t complicated; we just had to do our best in each match assigned to us.
“Please welcome the classmates participating in each event with bright smiles. Remember that the protagonists of today’s Sports Day are you all, and have a great time.”
After Principal Gu On-yu’s solemn welcoming speech, we returned to a shady booth.
We carelessly kicked off our shoes beside the mat and searched for a decent place to lie down.
I decided on Yuna, who had a portable fan.
“I’ll lie here.”
“Welcome! Can you blow some wind my way?”
“Yeah, just a little.”
“You know, NoName should have definitely come last year… it was really, really fun.”
Yuna said with a hint of regret.
“Right! If NoName had been there, our class could have won.”
“Where’s Ji-hye?”
“She’s meditating alone in the classroom. We have to go for the martial arts duel later.”
“Wow, champions are different.”
Due to the nature of the Sports Day, kids who excelled were at an advantage by participating in multiple events.
The reason I was resting with my eyes closed was that today’s schedule was demanding.
“What events are you participating in, Na-me?”
“Hey, I just signed up for everything. I’m individually participating in martial arts, trampoline, and the relay.”
“Whoa, that’s quite a lot. With the tug-of-war and tunnel run for the whole class, that’s five events.”
“Let’s give NoName a massage. We have to win this year!”
“[Attention, all 3rd Grade martial arts participants, please gather at the left sandpit.]”
The announcement echoed throughout the grassy field.
Martial arts, everything done with the body without using weapons.
Typically, martial arts are associated with subduing an opponent using aura.
However, in a Sports Day meant for fun, it would be a disaster if anyone got hurt.
Thus, martial arts dueling among younger elementary students is conducted differently.
“To win, you have to either knock your opponent down or push them out of the ring. You can’t pull or push by grabbing their clothes, and choking or twisting limbs is also disqualified. The match lasts for 2 minutes. Everyone understood the rules?”
“Yes!”
“Then let’s draw the first matches for the 1st and 2nd grades. The first match… Park Riya vs. Hwang Jun-woo! Both players come forward.”
At the teacher’s command, cute kids marched in with determined strides.
While the referee circled barriers around the participants’ bodies, homeroom teachers and older students cheered enthusiastically.
“NoName, that 1st grader looks taller than you.”
Ji-hye whispered next to me.
I think the average height for 1st graders was 125. They definitely looked about 10cm taller than me.
“Ma Ji-hye, if you keep building up bad karma like this, you’ll meet me starting from the Round of 16.”
“Eek, I don’t want that!”
Ji-hye had once caused a massive upset by defeating a 3rd grader and winning the championship during a Sports Day two years ago.
While I wanted to fight her soon, Ji-hye shook her head desperately.
“NoName should be a natural!”
“Why go that far?”
A match that was a mix of wrestling or judo was swirling around.
Seven-year-old kids were doing their best to push the 2nd-grade seniors away, struggling to control their immature auras.
However, a year of experience at this age makes a huge difference.
So the talented kids experienced overwhelming defeat against their seniors for the first time and left the ring sniffling.
“Oh dear, this year the 1st graders have been wiped out. Now, let’s quickly draw the first matches for the Round of 16; let’s see… tambourine, tambourine, clang clang clang.”
The referee took a thin wooden stick out of a cylindrical container.
“NoName?”
Suddenly, there was a loud murmur around.
I reluctantly rolled up my sleeves and climbed barefoot onto the sandpit.
In the meantime, the participants all knelt down in a reverent pose, whispering with clasped hands, hoping they wouldn’t be chosen.
‘Am I some monster that eats people?’
“The opponent you will face is 2nd grade C Class, Kim Ye-ji!”
“Waaaaaah!”
“Why me of all people!”
As the joy and sorrow were split, a girl was selected as the offering.
“Ah, hello, NoName senior. It’s an honor to face you…”
Kim Ye-ji bowed at a 90-degree angle, shyly greeting me.
Hearing her call me “senior” felt new.
Since she was in 2nd grade, she wasn’t officially learning martial arts yet.
However, she must have watched the Academy Competition last year.
Since she had likely seen my performance, she shrank back, looking nervous.
“Don’t be nervous. I’ll go easy on you.”
“Lies…”
“Hmm?”
“Ah, it’s nothing!”
Her eyes shook uncontrollably.
What was she going to do if she lost her will to fight even before we began?
I glared at her and gave a stern piece of advice.
“If you don’t challenge yourself, you can’t gain anything. The moment you stop trying, your growth stops too. Do you really want to waste your talent like this?”
The friend who was a head taller than me shook her head.
After all, it’s almost impossible to change someone’s mind with just a few words.
All I have to do is hope that someday, in the future, when she faces difficulties, she’ll remember my words.
“Let’s start the match!”
*
Kim Ye-ji’s face twisted in fear.
NoName was a symbol of dread among all Academy students.
Even the older, towering 6th graders looked up to her like a goddess, let alone the younger students.
Moreover, the Academy Competition where NoName participated got a 15+ rating on V-tube for its violent nature.
She could easily smash faces and crush bodies.
Though she was the smallest one among the three grades, she was not someone to be taken lightly.
“I won’t counterattack for one minute, so just do whatever you can. I’m giving you a chance.”
NoName stood with her arms crossed, her body rigid.
‘A trap?’
Well, even if it was a trap, she had no reason not to spring at me.
Ye-ji bent her knees, lowered her stance, and closed the distance.
“Haah!”
She gathered aura from behind and extended both palms at an angle towards NoName’s abdomen.
“Please!”
As a pure 2nd grader, she was using her family’s secret technique right from the start.
Since knocking me down was likely impossible, she intended to at least aim for a ring-out.
But NoName easily sidestepped and avoided it.
“Ahh!”
She almost got knocked out, but NoName caught her clothes, pulling her back into the ring.
“You can’t lose your balance. Plus, your approach is too predictable. To make it work, you need to either move your feet faster or get really close to your opponent.”
“I’m sorry!”
“Try again.”
Realizing that NoName genuinely intended to help her, Ye-ji unleashed another series of attacks.
Even when she tried to use her size advantage to push me, she couldn’t grip so much as a hem.
She swung her fists wildly but only hit thin air.
“Is that all you’ve got?”
NoName was still standing in the same stance.
Her feet, deeply rooted like an ancient tree, were planted firmly in the sand.
Fueled by frustration, Ye-ji felt tears pooling and her nose stuffed up.
The gap in their abilities was immense.
She couldn’t even understand why her attacks weren’t landing—it was an overwhelming difference.
Biting her lips tightly, she tried to hold back her tears.
“You did well. That was really impressive.”
“What do you mean? Not a single hit landed!”
Ye-ji yelled back, furious at NoName’s attempt at comfort.
The competitive urge of children at this age is on another level.
Seeing Ye-ji angry made NoName momentarily speechless.
Then she unfolded her arms and surrounded herself with aura.
“Whoever taught you that is good. If you know how to use it perfectly, it’ll work on anyone, regardless of who they are. Want to see?”
NoName placed her left hand delicately over her right.
It was exactly the same technique Ye-ji had used.
As if to teach the girl, NoName slowly positioned her hand on her side and summoned her aura through her entire body.
“…!”
The following process unfolded in an instant, impossible to describe with words.
Sand sunk into her left foot,
while sand from around her right foot shot up high, creating shade.
With just two steps.
As Ye-ji blinked, NoName’s hands were suddenly at her belly button.
The air between them compressed to its limit, creating strong thrusting power.
Phaang!
Ye-ji’s body flew, soaring over the edge of the ring, all the way to the sandbank.
*
“CoughCough! Ugh… spit!”
Ye-ji, dazed, couldn’t get up.
She spat out sand from her mouth, recalling what just happened.
NoName extended a hand to help her back on her feet.
“Doesn’t hurt, does it? I didn’t touch you.”
“Uhhh… No. Just my butt a little.”
“I exaggerated a bit to show you, but you saw the sand shoot up, right? That’s how you need to put pressure on your legs. Just because this is an arm technique doesn’t mean legs aren’t important.”
“Ah!”
Realization dawned on Ye-ji, her demeanor suddenly polite as she returned to her spot.
“NoName Victory!”
The first match of the 2nd-grade martial arts duel ended with NoName’s win.
NoName made a V sign for the cheering kids.
“Waaaaah! NoName! NoName!”
“Milky white NoName!”
“Copy Ninja NoName!”
3rd Grade A Class and the White Team seniors and juniors broke into applause.
“Ji-hye, let’s meet in the finals. The sooner, the better.”
“Eek!”
*
Ma Ji-hye had been training in self-defense under Ma Hyung-sa since she awakened her aura at five years old.
If there were a hundred kids learning martial arts at that age, she was the only one who had blossomed like Ji-hye.
Since she was in 1st grade, having defeated a 3rd grader in the finals at the Sports Day was just the beginning.
Ji-hye pushed aside formidable students from class A and earned her representative qualification, even taking down the Altair Academy.
A martial arts genius, a flawless warrior, her only flaw was her shy personality, which vanished completely when it came to combat.
And now, Ma Ji-hye faced her final ordeal.
“Phew, NoName, I’m ready. Considering the level of the kids in front of me, I’m going to have a tough time.”
“I really like that spirit. I’ll give it my all too, Ji-hye.”
“No, don’t take this seriously! I’m just—”
There was no time to make excuses.
Woong—
NoName unleashed her golden aura out of her body.
Her extended grip lifted Ji-hye off the ground and into the air.
“External manifestation is against the rules! How am I supposed to win against you, NoName!”
“A elephant can’t beat a human using just their bare body.”
“Waaaah! Isn’t that the opposite!”
Thud—
Ji-hye’s body fell into a soft pile of sand.
It was a frustratingly anticlimactic conclusion for the final round of the martial arts duel.
