The first clash was quiet.
No shouting, no dramatic opening. Just the scrape of boots against stone and the low rasp of two people breathing steady, watching each other for the first real opening.
Jin moved first, a tight, controlled cut aimed at Haneul's shoulder, testing rather than committing.
Haneul stepped aside without much effort, pole snapping up in a loose parry that barely shifted his balance at all.
Jin adjusted mid motion, angling low toward the ribs instead.
Haneul folded away from it, smooth, unhurried, already resetting before Jin had even finished the follow through.
They separated, circling once, and Jin felt the first flicker of genuine surprise. He'd expected competence. He hadn't expected this much of it.
"You've gotten better," Jin said.
"You say that like you're surprised."
"A little," Jin admitted. "In a good way."
