Tower of god:Skybender

Returning to my private room after another exhausting day of training, I flopped onto the bed, feeling every muscle in my body protest. The ice bath I'd just taken had done little to revive me; my mind was still buzzing from the relentless training I had undergone to master my new role as a Wave Fisher. It felt like a lot to juggle, and the pressure weighed heavily on my shoulders.

I was just about to close my eyes and lose myself in thoughts of the future when a series of knocks interrupted my brief moment of peace. I groaned, rolling off the bed and trudging over to the door.

"Who is it?" I called, peering through the peephole.

"It's us! Open up!" came a cheerful voice from the other side, accompanied by some light laughter. The voices were unmistakable—Hatz, Khun, Bam, and Shibisu. I only knew them by name; we'd crossed paths in passing, but I hadn't really gotten to know them. Still, I was curious about what they wanted.

With a reluctant sigh, I opened the door. "What's going on?" I asked, feigning a casual demeanor, but my curiosity piqued.

Hatz stood at the forefront, practically bouncing with excitement. "We need your help with something!"

"What kind of help?" I replied, raising an eyebrow. I was slightly wary of their enthusiasm.

Shibisu stepped forward, his usual cocky grin in place, albeit tinged with a hint of nervousness. "We need some friend signatures for our Scout assignment. It's for our project, and we thought you'd want to join in."

My brow furrowed in confusion. "What about Anaak? Didn't you guys get teamed up with her?"

"Teams were disbanded after the Crown Game," Khun interjected smoothly, folding his arms and regarding me with a serious expression. "It's all about forming new alliances now."

"Yeah! Besides," shibusu chimed in, "we're all friends now, right? What's a little signature between friends?"

"Just like that, huh?" I said, letting a small smile slip as I crossed my arms. "You're all so quick to label this as friendship."

"We can work together, you know," Bam added, his voice soft yet earnest. "We're in the Tower together. It's better to stick together."

I thought about their words, and for a moment, I hesitated. The camaraderie in their voices was compelling. "Alright, I'll help," I said, stepping aside to let them in. "But only if you promise not to drag me into anything too crazy."

"Deal!" Hatz exclaimed, his desperation practically oozing over.

Moments later, the five of us were crammed into Bam and Khun's room, the atmosphere thick with tension. Shibisu and Hatz had explained that their homework for the Scout position was to become friends with ten people, and the absurdity of it all made me chuckle. I'd heard that Khun was hard to get along with, but seeing it in action was another story entirely.

"Are you seriously trying to be my friend?" Khun asked Shibisu, raising an eyebrow.

"Not at all!" Shibisu shot back, his grin faltering. "I'm just doing this because Rak told me you're someone who loves making friends."

"Right," Khun replied, crossing his arms. "As if I'd want to help you."

Hatz, trying to take charge of the situation, pointed out, "Look, we might have some history with Anaak, but she's not part of our lives anymore. The teams were disbanded after the Crown Game. We don't owe her anything."

"I don't see how that absolves you of your past," Khun countered, eyeing Hatz with suspicion. "Throwing away someone who was once your teammate isn't exactly honorable."

"Honor?" Hatz scoffed. "I follow my own code, not some dusty old ideas of honor. Besides, your whole style screams narrow-minded. What's with the getup, anyway?"

"Excuse me?" Khun shot back, glaring at Hatz. "At least I don't look like I walked out of a swordsmith's reject pile!"

"Guys, maybe we should—" Shibisu attempted to intervene, but the air was crackling with animosity.

"Let's just start with introductions," I suggested, trying to ease the tension. "I'm Kael. I just became a Wave Fisher."

"Yeah, congratulations," Shibisu said with a forced smile. "Now we can really get into the spirit of friendship!"

"Wonderful," Khun muttered, rolling his eyes. "I'm Khun Aguero Agnis, son of one of the Ten Great Families." He straightened up, his pride swelling. "Unlike everyone here, I'm a noble."

Hatz cut in before Khun could continue. "We don't care about your family history, just who you are as a person. Quit dressing up your character like it's a holiday."

"Excuse me?" Khun's irritation was palpable. "You think you can just come in here and dictate how I present myself?"

Shibisu stepped between them, trying to diffuse the situation. "Guys, let's keep this civil. Hatz, it's your turn to introduce yourself."

"Fine!" Hatz exclaimed, his enthusiasm undeterred. "I'm Hatz, an 18-year-old boy, son of a swordsmith. Growing up around swords gave me a deep appreciation for the art of swordsmanship."

"That's great and all," Khun said, suppressing a laugh. "But it sounds like you're spouting some old fairy tales. What's next, your family practicing hara-kiri together?"

Hatz's eyes flared with indignation. "Hara-kiri is noble! It's the ultimate display of manliness!"

"Manliness? What, like ordering a large pizza?" Khun retorted.

Hatz was momentarily taken aback. "Hey, my family threatened hara-kiri if I didn't prove myself manly!" He glanced at Shibisu, who looked utterly bewildered. "It's true!"

Shibisu shook his head in disbelief. "Seriously? That's how your family operates?"

"Better than being a noble who hides behind pretty clothes!" Hatz snapped back, but then it dawned on him. "Wait, you mean people talk about Khun's earrings?"

"Of course they do," I chimed in, trying to keep the mood light. "Back home, everyone wore them. Even the animals had earrings."

"Yeah, right," Shibisu said, his voice dripping with skepticism.

"Trust me, it's a trend," I insisted. "I had a pet rat with diamond earrings. You'd have loved him."

"That's just ridiculous!" Shibisu exclaimed, facepalming as he struggled to comprehend.

Meanwhile, Khun and Hatz were locked in a staring contest, each refusing to back down. The tension between them was almost tangible, and I could sense that Shibisu was exasperated.

"Great, so much for making friends," he mumbled, glancing between the two of them.

With the energy in the room reaching a boiling point, I felt compelled to step in. "Look, we're all Regulars trying to survive in the Tower, right? We can't keep fighting like this. Let's focus on helping each other instead."

Khun and Hatz exchanged wary glances, both seeming to consider my words. "Fine," Khun relented, though I could tell he wasn't fully on board. "But only if he stops trying to be a wise guy."

"I'll only tone it down if you stop being so uptight," Hatz shot back, though his tone was lighter now.

"Alright, let's try to keep this friendly," Shibisu urged, relief flooding his voice. "We can work through our differences."

With that, we managed to break the tension, though I could tell it was a fragile peace. As the laughter and chatter resumed, I felt grateful to be part of this bizarre yet somehow comforting group. It was chaotic, but there was a warmth in the room that made it feel like we were, if not friends yet, at least moving in that direction.