Chapter 42 - M.D.B 42: How Humble! (2/2)
”You sneaky bastard! I actually fell for that!” Colleen raised her voice, slapping Saint's head gently, and then she added, still nervous: ”Still, it should be forbidden. And what if SHIELD notice that I've learned Zanzoken, they'll realize that you've lied to them!”
”Don't worry about it so much. Even if they know, I can always just say that it's my own technique that I've invented.”
”Would they believe you?”
”Does it matter? All that matter is that I would have an excuse!”
”…”
Colleen stared at Saint in silence, and then said: ”Saint, you should change your manners. If you don't, you'll end up being killed by someone….”
”Hahaha, I can sense Ki Colleen. For now, I'm not seeing people I can't beat. Once I do, I'll make sure to be very polite. But for now, they could just try, and see who would get killed!”
”…How humble!”
”Thank you, I know I'm great, you really don't have to praise me.”
”…”
Because of Coulson's visit, Saint already had the closed sign on the door. Therefore, with so much time wasted, he just decided to have the day off, so he let Lorna and Peter go, and then went and brought a slab of glass.
He went with Colleen to the Dojo, fixing her window personally. Later, he began teaching her about the principles of Zanzoken. After hesitating for most of the noon, Colleen finally decided to begin learning. This wasn't just because she was so lured by the power of this technique; it was also because she saw how trivial it seemed to Saint… It didn't seem like he was teaching her a secret that's several millennia old…
She spent the whole after noon mainly grasping the foundation and theoretical basis of the technique, just to understand that she still had a long way to go before beginning to practice it. For now, she had to further master Ki Cultivation and Release, while only simulating the technique through image training.
After dinner, Saint did not go to the quiet room as usual. Instead, he stayed at Colleen's dojo, helping her practice for the whole night. This wasn't only for her sake though; he was also doing this for himself. Training revolved around physicality and calmness; Saint wasn't going to let go of such a chance to accompany Colleen, not after the ”breakthroughs” their relationship had made.
Colleen was less knowledgeable than Saint in Martial Arts. She was the one who really benefited from these sessions, as his methods of cultivating Ki were improving her level at a pace she had never even dreamed of. As the two practiced, her only response to Saint's ”slippery” hands and eager eyes were a few glances. Needless to say, if he was anyone else, he would have to face the sharp edge of her Katana!
Although the relationship between the two did not change in name, but after what happened on the previous night, the intimacy between them has undoubtedly improved dramatically. Once the relationship between a man and a woman crosses a certain line, it becomes rather hard for them to come back. They already held hands, each other's wastes, embraced each other, touched…. cough!
By midnight, Saint finished teaching everything there was to be learned about the Zanzoken. Although he did not want to leave, he found himself forced out of the Dojo by Colleen. He returned to the restaurant in dismay, greeted the awaiting Lorna as he walked through the door, and went to wash his teeth and sleep.