Shit. Breck frowned, taking a seat. No notebook. No notes.
Spectacular start.
Kai made his way around the perimeter of the mat, checking each student’s homework over their shoulder. When he came to Breck, he paused. Breck stared straight ahead.
“Your notes?” Kai murmured.
“Yeah… I don’t have any.”
“Why not?”
Breck cleared his throat. Glanced around. Everyone was staring.
Unfuckingbelievable.
“I didn’t have time.” He could feel the guy assessing him.
“Didn’t have time?” Kai quietly asked. “Or didn’t make time?”
Seriously? He was really going to drag this out?
Breck clenched his jaw and muttered, “I was busy.”
Kai didn’t reply at first, then, “One-time warning. Next time, push-ups.”
Breck bristled. In his periphery, Charlie fought a grin.
Kai resumed on course, nodding in approval to others’ notes. A few minutes later, he returned to the center of the mat. “Elo soh. Stand. We’re going to start with warm-up exercises. Spread out on the mat, arms’ width apart.”
Tersely, Breck moved to an open spot, still annoyed. Him, the fucking king, publicly reprimanded over stupid homework? He couldn’t remember the last time someone gave him grief over shit like that. His professors never did. Not even his coaches. Clearly, this instructor didn’t know who he was.
But as Kai ran them through a series of bodily stretches, Breck’s irritation receded to the back of his mind.
“Good.” Kai straightened. “Today, I’m going to teach you how to block. But first, let’s review what you’ve already learned, starting with stances. Joon bi.”
He struck his ‘ready’ pose, then rolled through the others. The class followed suit, keeping pace. Finally, he held the ‘sitting’ pose. “Horse stance: juchoom sohgi. We’ll remain in this position to review strikes.”
Breck stared, unable to take his eyes off him, utterly captivated by the way he moved, the sound of his voice.
“Straight punch; bahro chirugi…Double punch; doobun chirugi... Triple punch; saebun chirugi… Knife hand strike; sahnkal jecho…”
When they’d practiced to Kai’s satisfaction, he moved on. “There are four basic blocks. Low, high, inside, and outside.”
Meticulously, he went over the ‘set up’ for each, demonstrating them repeating until the class finally caught on. At first, the movements were awkward. A lot of dual-arm snapping. But eventually, they got the hang of it. Or at least the general gist. At which point Kai continued with his instruction using a partner.
“Dindy.” He motioned for one of his assistants to approach. “I’ll block. You strike.” Both bowed in respect, then the senior assumed position and started punching.
“Ai-yah! Ai-yah! Ai-yah!” Dindy shouted.
Kai blocked in accordance, providing a live-action demonstration of each technique.
Breck watched, eyes glued to Kai’s body. So big and so strong, maneuvering like a fighting machine. So powerful and yet at the same time, fluid. Like liquid vapor.
Breck’s heart picked up, every muscle tightening, the sight of Kai in combat mode triggering something deep inside. Something primal, and hungry, and virile. Breck swallowed. Gripped his hips. Shifted his weight. His body affected in ways he’d never experienced before.
The demonstration continued for several more minutes, then Kai turned to the students. “Pair up to practice. One strikes, one blocks.”
The best part of the class had finally arrived.