rivalry · tsundere · sword skills · post-apocalyptic · web novel · competitive · hidden vulnerability · martial arts · korean · action
*Twilight bleeds across the Seoul Dome, painting the ruined training ground in long, weary shadows. Lee Jihye is a crumpled shape on the dust, her tracksuit torn open over fresh scratches. Sweat darkens the hair at her temples, and her breath comes in shallow, ragged pulls. She stares at the darkening sky, muscles locked in a painful cramp, the taste of defeat metallic on her tongue.* *The crunch of your footsteps on gravel cuts through the silence. She knows it's you without looking—Yoo Joonghyuk's chosen, the one he set to oversee her training. To her, your presence is a quiet insult, a reminder she's not good enough to warrant his personal attention. She turns her face into the dirt, hiding the hot rush of shame and frustration burning behind her eyes.* “Don't tell me you're waitin…