“Do you think he’ll be available?” I asked Lola after a moment of thought, the weight of curiosity still pressing on me.

She checked her trusty tablet, her fingers gliding over the surface with ease, and nodded. “Yes, the ceremony is over.”

“Let’s call him, then...” I said, barely finishing my sentence before Jerry, the best AI to ever exist, already patched through the call.

It didn’t take long before Kai’s serene face appeared on the holo-screen. “Ah, good.” He smiled, kind of knowing smile. “Thank you for reaching out. I shall host a tea in room forty-six. Please, join us—excellent tea, like the morning dew, is best enjoyed in company.”

“Uhm… okay. Us?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. Who else is part of this little tea party?

Kai’s expression didn’t change, but there was something enigmatic about the way his eyes twinkled. “Like the first bloom in spring, it’s a surprise—unexpected, yet inevitable.” And just like that, with a graceful nod, he ended the call before I could ask any more questions.

I just want to go home and play Rimelion now. But I can’t… Soon.

Soon.

Now this Kai…

“What the heck am I getting into?” I muttered mostly to myself, but Lola answered anyway.

“The room is not that far away,” she said, but her tone had shifted—softer, almost melancholic.

Is she… mad at me? I frowned and moved to sit next to her. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, Lady,” she said quickly, turning her head away.

“Come on, I can tell something’s bothering you.” I tried to offer a reassuring smile, but in the back of my mind, I still felt embarrassed about my earlier… mishap. No more flirting! She’s cute, but stay focused, Charlie.

Focused.

Lola let out a soft sigh, her eyes drifting upward, and a loving smile played on her lips. “I really enjoyed being a VIP assistant. This day was absolutely the best one in all my career.”

I blinked, taken aback by her unexpected answer. “That’s… not a bad thing, right? You’ve been amazing today. Honestly, I don’t know what I would’ve done without you. Probably something dumb. Let’s be real.”

She giggled, the sound light and genuine, but it didn’t quite chase away the lingering sadness in her expression. “It’s just… I don’t want it to end. Tomorrow, it’s back to regular life. No VIPs, no exciting events, just… normal assignments.”

Ah.

That hit harder than I expected. I shuffled closer a bit, glancing at her. “Lola, you’ve been more than just an assistant today. You kept everything running smoothly, dealt with my nonsense, and somehow kept smiling through all of it. You’re not going back to ‘just normal.’ If anything, you’re ready for something bigger.”

She blinked at me, clearly not expecting that. “You… really think so?”

“Yes. I’m dirty poor, as you probably know. Riker owes me…” I waved my hand dismissively, as if brushing away a cloud of annoying gnats. “I still have that thousand gold debt in Rimelion to the original Charlie… And… Sorry. Not important. This is about you.” I nodded, trying to steer myself back on track. “What I mean is that I could ask Riker for some better role in his company? Maybe threaten him a bit?”

Lola’s face turned a shade paler, her expression frozen somewhere between sheer terror and abject horror, as though I’d just suggested she walk through the streets in nothing but her shoes. “No-Nope! Please, not! Mister Riker… He’s… I mean… I-I-I want it, but… not like… He would…”

Her stammering was so painfully awkward that I had to fight the urge to just pull her into a reassuring hug right then and there.

Instead, I forced myself to keep my tone light. “Look, Lola. You’re an amazing assistant. I’ll make sure he treats you right, okay? And if not, well, I’ll come and personally smack some sense into him. Deal?”

She blinked at me, the tension in her shoulders easing just a bit as a giggle slipped out. “Deal.”

“Alright then,” I said, pushing myself off the bed and giving my limbs a quick stretch. “Let’s go see what Kai wants. Probably something cryptic involving tea leaves and destiny, but hey, free tea.”

She stood up too, a faint smile lingering on her lips, the earlier anxiety fading away. “Yes, Lady. Let’s.”

As we stepped out of the room and into the corridor, I couldn’t help but feel a strange mixture of anticipation and amusement at what lay ahead.

Instead of Rimelion, I’ll go… Unexpected, yet inevitable.

Stupid Kai.

When we reached the room, it wasn’t what I was expecting at all. One moment I was standing in a futuristic hallway with polished steel walls and glowing holo-screens blasting ads, and the next, I stepped into what looked like a scene pulled straight out of an ancient Chinese drama.

I paused, blinked, and even took a step back into the hallway, just to make sure I hadn’t accidentally triggered some bizarre portal. Bandits were enough. Nope—still modern tech out here.

Back in.

The tea room looked like a movie set painstakingly crafted by someone who obsessed over every tiny detail. Ornate wooden screens carved with intricate patterns sectioned off the space. Red silk drapes hung from the ceiling.

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“Okay…” I said, as I noticed low wooden tables surrounded by cushioned floor mats embroidered with golden dragons. “This is... creepy?”

“Ah, our guests! Miss Charlie, and Miss Lola, I presume?” Kai greeted us, his voice calm and respectful, his hands folded in front of him as he gave a courteous bow. “This was used in previous convention, and mister Riker allowed me to stay here in the oasis of calmness.”

He was still dressed in the same traditional Chinese attire from earlier, his calm demeanor making it seem like he hadn’t just fought a brutal duel with me.

I returned the bow, albeit a little awkwardly, and glanced around the room again, taking in the serene atmosphere. “Where’s the us part?” I asked, scanning the room. “I thought there’d be a Riker here, but nothing’s blinding me.”

Kai let out a polite laugh, the kind that didn’t quite reach his eyes but still felt oddly comforting. He gestured for us to enter further. “No, not Mister Riker. Ian, your friend.”

What?

I froze mid-step, blinking as though that might somehow clear away the unexpected name I’d just heard. “Ian…? I mean, of all the people you could invite, Ian wasn’t exactly on my list of likely candidates.”

I’m a terrible friend, I sometimes forget he exists…

Just as I processed the name, the door to a backroom slid open, and out walked Ian, his expression sharp and bitter, like he’d been stewing in vinegar since I last saw him. “Of course not,” he said, eyes narrowing as they locked onto me. “Why would you ever expect me?”

“Bèn Dàn,” Kai said, his tone calm, yet with the weight that made the air feel heavier. It wasn’t annoyed, but it carried an authority. “You let anger cloud your vision, like mud stirred in a clear pond. A sword guided by rage cuts not the enemy, but oneself.”

Ian’s jaw tightened, his hands clenching briefly before he exhaled and lowered himself onto the mat. “Yes, Master,” he muttered, though the flicker of defiance in his eyes was far from extinguished. Whatever this dynamic was, it was tense, charged.

Not exactly the cozy tea party I had in mind.

Kai’s serene smile returned, undisturbed by Ian’s obvious frustration. He turned toward us with a graceful gesture, motioning for us to sit. “Please, join us.”

“It’s okay,” Lola whispered from her spot near the door, clearly uncomfortable with the tension in the room. Her hand clutched her tablet like it was a shield against the awkward energy.

“Please, miss,” Kai said gently, his voice soothing. “Join us for tea. Guests, like blossoms on a branch, bring beauty when gathered together.”

I raised an eyebrow at Lola but gave her an encouraging nod. She hesitated for a moment, then finally moved to sit beside me, placing her tablet carefully on the table like it might explode if handled improperly.

I lowered myself onto the mat, the cushion beneath me surprisingly soft, but my attention was elsewhere—on Ian, who sat rigid, still glaring at me as if I’d ruined his life. I shifted slightly, uncomfortable under his stare.

What the hell is going on? Did I do something?

I mean, sure, I’ve annoyed Ian plenty of times before, but this level of hostility? Feels… personal.

More personal than usual.

Kai poured tea with precise, practiced movements, the quiet clinking of porcelain somehow amplifying the tension. Steam rose from the delicate cups, carrying the faint scent of herbs and flowers. It should’ve been calming, but sitting across from Ian felt more like being in the crosshairs of a sniper.

I accepted the cup Kai offered, fingers brushing the warm surface as I glanced at Ian again. “So,” I said, trying for something casual, “is this the part where someone explains why it feels like I walked into a dramatic martial arts movie mid-climax?”

Without answering, Kai took a long, deliberate inhale of his tea and closed eyes to enjoy it.

Fine, two can play this game.

So I joined him, and felt the scent of jasmine mingling with something more herbal—mint, maybe.

Waiting.

He nodded, as if the aroma had confirmed some ancient truth. “Yes,” he said with that same serene air. “I carry the wisdom of our forefathers and their sword style, like a river carries the memory of the mountain’s path. Ian has joined my school and shows brilliant talent, yet his mind drifts—like a leaf caught in a restless wind. It’s—”

“Master…” Ian interrupted, grumbling, his posture stiffening under the weight of Kai’s scrutiny.

Kai’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly, his voice losing its gentle edge and gaining the weight of a barman-induced command. “Bèn Dàn, only an old woman schemes behind others’ backs. In our school, we face danger head-on, like the eagle that flies into the storm, not away from it.”

Ian clenched his jaw, muttering something under his breath that I didn’t catch, but it didn’t matter. I wasn’t about to sit here and let him brood in silence while I played the part of the villain in his internal melodrama.

“Am I the danger?” I asked, my tone sharp but controlled as I leveled a steady gaze at him. “Since I changed my gender, I somehow… threaten you?”

Lola gasped audibly, nearly spilling her tea. “You did—what?”

Her eyes widened, blinking rapidly as if processing a math equation she wasn’t prepared for. Then, as if recalling something, her entire face turned crimson, and she raised her cup to her face like a makeshift shield, clearly wanting to disappear behind it.

Ian’s reaction was entirely different.

He scoffed, a bitter sound that grated on my nerves. “It’s not about that,” he said, his voice dripping with derision. “You’ve always been a problem, even before you… changed. You waltz in, act like you’re better than everyone, and somehow, people just… follow you.”

He gestured vaguely, as if trying to articulate something intangible. “Even now, look at this—Riker’s hyping you up, Kai’s praising you, and I’m supposed to sit here and pretend that’s fine?”

I placed my cup down carefully; the porcelain clinking softly against the lacquered table. “Let me get this straight, my friend,” I said, my voice steady but full of sarcasm. “You’re mad because people like me? That’s the big issue here? Not my skills, not my decisions, just the fact that, somehow, I’m better at something?”

Ian’s jaw worked silently for a moment, clearly trying to find a retort, but Kai cut in before he could speak.

“Bèn Dàn, envy is a flame that burns the hand that holds it.” Kai’s voice was calm, but there was a finality to it, like the closing of a book. “Miss Charlie did not choose this path lightly. Like the bamboo, she bends but does not break. You would do well to learn from her strength, not resent it.”

Ian scowled but said nothing, his frustration simmering beneath the surface.

I blinked, surprised by his outburst.

This wasn’t just about the tournament or some petty rivalry. There was something deeper—something that had clearly been festering for a long time. I shifted my gaze to Kai, who remained perfectly calm, sipping his tea as though we were discussing if the whiskey glass was half full or empty.

Meanwhile, Lola, still red-faced and clutching her cup like a lifeline, whispered to me, “I… didn’t know that about you. Sorry…” She looked like she wanted to sink into the floor.

“It’s okay,” I whispered, giving her a reassuring smile before turning back to Ian, my expression hardening. “Come on, Ian. Let’s talk about this. What’s the problem?”

“Problem? You are the problem!” he snapped, his voice rising before he caught himself glancing at Kai out of respect. He lowered his tone but didn’t lose the edge. “How long have you known her?” He pointed at Lola, his finger practically trembling with frustration. “Since this morning?”

Neither of us responded, and he scoffed, a bitter sound that echoed in the quiet room. “Thought so. You always get everything handed to you—everything—without ever putting in real work.”

“You, Ian, have no idea.” I couldn’t hold my emotions. “None. Just because you didn’t see me struggle doesn’t mean I didn’t. I’ve worked my ass off to get where I am.”

His eyes narrowed, lips pressing into a thin line. “Oh really? And what about now? You just show up here, and suddenly everyone’s bending over backwards for you. Riker. Kai. Even her.” He gestured to Lola, who flinched slightly. “You don’t even have to try. People just... flock to you. That’s why I took the quest from Irwen.”

“You did what?!”