Loving You Untimely

Chapter 2 : Childhood II

Ji Ren's POV

Just another normal, boring day.

"Ji Ren, you come with me," Dad said after finishing our breakfast one morning.

"To where are we going, dad?" I asked.

"To the river,"

"What are we gonna do there?"

"I will teach you how to swim and how to hold your breath longer under water," he explained then walk past me, I immediately followed him.

Guess I'm going to learn some new ninja moves again? I grimaced as I sigh.

"Why, dad? Are you thinking of letting me join a swimming contest?" I smirked only to gain a blank look from him, he even wrinkled his forehead.

"S-Suwiming what?"

"It's wimming contest, dad,"

"What is that thing?" he asked, my lips hanged open in disbelief.

Sometimes I could really not understand my own father. I don't know why he doesn't know a lot words while he is very good at teaching. I couldn't understand why he seemed like he just came from the ancient time. Hehehe. But whatever, even if he's like that, he's still my dad. I love him as much as he loves me.

And because I have no other choice, I just silently followed him as he walked in front of me. Luckily, last night I have done reading the textbook I borrowed from a friend of mine.

We started the lesson immediately when we reached the river. First, he showed me how to swim correctly and proper breathing. I didn't get it on the first try. I still failed to do it on the second try but on the third attempt, I finally got it right. He then taught me how to hold my breath under water as long as possible. That's when I started to feel how hard it is. I couldn't hold my breath longer because I easily run out of air so I needed to come up.

"Try it again!"

"Dad, I'm really tired, I can't do it anymore. I really give up!" I said panting after the thirtieth try. I don't even understand why I have to count the number of attempt I did.

Huhuhu! I badly wanted to cry! Just kidding, I am not a crybaby because man shouldn't cry—that's what dad said.

Dad stood up then looked at me wearing his usual emotionless face. Hay! If he wasn't my father, I would surely be scared to talk to him like my other playmates. Some of the kids said that he's like a robot because he doesn't show some expression. I am even thinking and wondering why I never heard him laugh or even just see him smile.

"You should not give up just like that. You have to try it until you learn how to do it rightly because you will face things harder than this in the future. You will have to face those hardships one day without my guidance," he lectured.

What is he talking about this time? He's acting like a poet again. Because of how deep his sentences are, my innocent mind couldn't understand it at all. I just sighed because of tiredness and gasping.

"But, dad! I've been trying to stay under water over and over again but I couldn't really do it because I easily run out of air," I said literally out of air.

"You have to try it again, repeatedly, until you learn how to do it correctly, Ji Ren," he said full of authority, seems like he doesn't plan to let me take a break.

Damn!

"Dad! I feel like I'm going to die soon because of what you're making me do," his expression changed because of what I've said.

"Ji Ren, what do you mean?" He went near me immediately. "Is someone threatening your life?" He asked again.

"Yes," I answered.

I was startled when he suddenly unsheathed his sword as he looked around. I didn't even notice that he was carrying that all the way. "Who? Is he here? Tell me," dad asked seriously more than ever, I just gave out a laugh looking at him.

"Dad, what's your trip?"

"Trip?"

"I was just joking around," I said laughing, he then sheathed his sword back.

He sighed then looked at me with those serious eyes. "A threat about your life is never a joke, Ji Ren," he said in a serious tone.

"I'm sorry, dad."

"If you could do what I'm asking you to do, I will let you go to the school you wanted," I looked at him with surprise because of what he said, I can't hide the excitement growing in me.

"Really, dad?" I asked in disbelief.

"But if you fail, you need to practice swordsmanship every morning and you will have to improve your cultivation and you will follow everything that I will say," he added.

"Call!"

"What kol?"

"Dad, I said that I'm accepting your challenge! If I could do it right, you will let me enroll in a real school!"

"Goodluck."

If he's not my dad, I would really think that he had some mental problem. I know that he is different because of his actions but dad is very important to me. Though sometimes I couldn't really get him. There are too many questions in my mind that I can't get any answer of.

I again tried doing what he taught me multiple times but I really find it hard because I can't hold my breath long under water. But because of his condition I really tried harder, very hard, until I'm doing it right amd learned his lesson that day. I've always dream of studying in a real school that's why I can't let this opportunity go.

You can do it, Ji Ren!

It was never easy but I did it! I was able to hold my breath under water that on that very day. That means, I won against him! My training continued for another days. Every morning, we'll go to the river after breakfast then he will train me. He's been teaching me many things that I couldn't understand. I felt like he's preparing me for something I don't know. He's always saying that I need to learn those things to protect myself on the right time. When is that right time anyway? After almost two weeks, I can finally hold my breath under water correctly and longer, for thirty minutes. Unbelievable, right?

"Ji Ren, catch it!" I immediately catched the sword thrown by dad.

We haven't been to the river for some days because I already did his lesson correctly. I also enrolled myself already with the help of my friend's mother, who was a teacher. I passed the test to be a first year high school. I am so happy because I can finally have a normal life. I thought I would forever be trained by dad as my teacher—which is I don't care really but still, I need a normal environment.

"Sword? What is this for?" I asked, wrinkling my forehead.

"You're already twleve years old, you should start learning to use sword," he stated.

"What?"

"I'll train you how to use a real sword,"

"What?"

"I said, I will train you on how to use a real swor—"

"Dad, I heard you loud and clear! What I mean is, why do I have to train using a real sword in swordsmanship if I already have my wooden sword, the one that you gave me when I was little!" I said.

"You're not a kid anymore, and one more thing, you can't protect yourself if you're just going to use a wooden sword," he reasoned, I just rolled my eyes.

Here we go again.

"But dad, why do I need to learn swordsmanship with a real sword if I can just buy a gun when I grow up?"

"Gun? What kind of weapon is that?"

"Hayst! I don't know about you, dad!" my father is really giving me a headache.

"Just get ready," he said.

"Where did you get this sword, anyway? I thought you only have one sword?" I asked as I get myself ready.

"I forged it."

"You forged it?"

"Mm."

"Awesome! You're really awesome, dad."

I am already twelve years old. I have learned many things from him. I could also finally study because he gave me permission to enroll but I really can't understand why I can't seem to see any progress on my father. He usually looks like a robot because he doesn't wear expressions and he even talk in monotone. He does things that would leave me dumbfounded. Just like how he used to forged this iron sword that he gave me, I didn't even know when he did it.

What kind of person my dad really is? I shook my head as I smile to myself.

I learned how to shoot an arrow correctly. I am also a scholar because I joined the archery club. My life is already normal but why isn't my dad normal? I once asked him to go to my school to accompany me get the results of my exam but he didn't agree because he needs to practice his swordsmanship. I sometimes feel like he's preparing for some battle because he trains so often.

Is there a terrorist attack that's going to happen in China and my dad is the secret weapon? I really don't know but that thought just came out my mind sometimes.

"Let's train, Ji Ren," after he said that he charged to me without warning. Fortunately, I was fast so I immediately avoided him.

"Seriously, dad! Don't take it seriously!" I complaint.

"If you want to learn, you have to make it realistic," he said as he rushed at me, leaving me with no choice but to dogde from his attacks.

"Dad! It's sunday and I have school tomorrow, can you let me pass today?" I asked while defending myself and avoiding his attacks.

"Whatever you are saying I do not understand it," he attacked me again so I avoided it.

"Dad, I haven't even been able to prepare yet, and you're attacking me," I just said while avoiding his sword.

"In the real situation your opponent will not wait for you to prepare! Your enemy will attack you when you're not ready,"

"Hayst! I don't know anymore, dad!"

Dad was quick and I'll admit it was hard to keep up with him. Even avoiding his attacks was a very difficult thing for me to do. I knew he was taking care not to hurt me so I still managed to avoid it. It's one of the things I admire about dad — and I wonder too. He moves very fast and he has a strangely great strength. So that sometimes I think we might be aliens? Or is he?

Why is my dad so different?

Because I was challenged by dad's skills, I persevered to practice using a real sword whenever I was not in school. It’s not as easy as I thought because I’ve injured myself so many times because of training. But in spite of everything, I did not give up and neither did my father until I was well skilled. This is one of the things I learned from dad, not to give up even when you are tired.