Eira’s heart raced with excitement as she bounded up the steps to Master Kim’s Taekwondo Academy. Today was the day she had been dreaming of for months – the Red-Black Grading Test. The crisp morning air filled her lungs as she adjusted her pristine white uniform, her fingers tracing the familiar creases she had meticulously ironed the night before.

As she pushed open the heavy wooden doors of the dojo, the familiar scent of polished wood and sweat greeted her. The usually bustling training area was eerily quiet, with only a handful of students milling about. Eira’s brow furrowed in confusion as she scanned the room for her instructor.

“Eira! Over here!” Gladys’s cheerful voice cut through the silence. Eira’s best friend was already seated on one of the benches lining the wall, her legs swinging back and forth with nervous energy.

“Hey, Gladys,” Eira replied, her voice tinged with uncertainty. “Where is everyone? Shouldn’t there be more people here for the test?”

Gladys shrugged, her usual goofy grin replaced by a look of concern. “I’m not sure. Master Kim hasn’t said anything yet. But don’t worry, I’m sure everything’s fine!”

Eira nodded, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling settling in her stomach. She took a seat next to Gladys, her fingers absently tracing the patterns on her uniform. The minutes ticked by slowly, each second amplifying the tension in the air.

Finally, Master Kim emerged from his office, his face unreadable as he surveyed the small group of students. Eira straightened her posture, ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice.

“Good morning, everyone,” Master Kim began, his voice carrying across the dojo. “I know you’re all eager to begin the Red-Black Grading Test, but there’s been a change of plans.”

Eira’s heart skipped a beat. A change of plans? What could that mean?

Master Kim continued, his eyes scanning the group. “After careful consideration, I’ve decided that only one student will be taking the test today.” He paused, and Eira felt her breath catch in her throat. “Min-joon, please step forward.”

The world seemed to tilt on its axis as Eira watched Min-joon, a tall boy two years her senior, step forward with a mixture of surprise and pride on his face. The words echoed in her ears, but she couldn’t quite process their meaning.

“But… but what about me?” Eira’s voice came out as a whisper, barely audible even to herself.

Master Kim’s gaze fell on her, and for a moment, Eira thought she saw a flicker of regret in his eyes. “Eira, I’m sorry, but I don’t believe you’re ready for this test yet. You need more time to refine your techniques and build your mental fortitude.”

The words hit Eira like a physical blow. Not ready? But she had been training for months, pushing herself harder than ever before. How could he not see that?

“I… I don’t understand,” Eira stammered, her voice trembling. “I’ve been practicing every day. I thought I was doing well.”

Master Kim’s expression softened slightly. “You have made progress, Eira, but the Red-Black belt is about more than just physical skill. It requires a level of mental discipline that I don’t believe you’ve achieved yet.”

Eira felt her cheeks burn with a mixture of shame and frustration. She could feel the eyes of her classmates on her, their pitying glances only adding to her humiliation.

“I’ll work harder,” she blurted out, desperation creeping into her voice. “I can prove to you that I’m ready. Just give me a chance!”

Master Kim shook his head firmly. “My decision is final, Eira. You’ll have another opportunity in three months. Use this time to focus on your weaknesses and come back stronger.”

With that, he turned his attention to Min-joon, beginning to explain the test procedures. Eira sat frozen in place, the world around her fading into a dull buzz. She barely registered Gladys’s comforting hand on her shoulder or the sympathetic murmurs of her classmates.

As Min-joon began his test, executing each move with precision and grace, Eira felt a surge of emotions threatening to overwhelm her. Anger, disappointment, and a crushing sense of inadequacy swirled within her, making it hard to breathe.

“Eira?” Gladys’s gentle voice broke through the fog of her thoughts. “Do you want to go outside for a bit?”

Nodding numbly, Eira allowed Gladys to lead her out of the dojo and into the small garden behind the building. The cool morning air did little to soothe the turmoil in her mind.

“I don’t get it,” Eira said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’ve been working so hard. How could Master Kim think I’m not ready?”

Gladys squeezed her hand reassuringly. “Maybe he just wants to make sure you’re absolutely perfect before you take the test. You know how strict he can be.”

Eira shook her head, frustration building in her chest. “But I’ve seen Min-joon train. He’s good, but I’m just as good as he is! It’s not fair!”

“I know it doesn’t feel fair right now,” Gladys said softly, “but maybe there’s a reason we can’t see yet. You’re amazing at taekwondo, Eira. This doesn’t change that.”

But Eira barely heard her friend’s words of encouragement. All she could think about was the disappointment in Master Kim’s eyes, the pity in her classmates’ faces. Had she been fooling herself all this time, thinking she was better than she actually was?

“I should go,” Eira mumbled, pulling away from Gladys. “I… I need to be alone for a while.”

“Are you sure?” Gladys asked, concern evident in her voice. “We could go get ice cream or something. It might make you feel better.”

Eira shook her head, forcing a weak smile. “Thanks, but not today. I’ll see you later, okay?”

As she walked away from the dojo, each step felt heavier than the last. The streets of their small town, usually so comforting in their familiarity, now seemed to mock her with their cheerful normalcy. How could the world go on as if nothing had happened when her dreams had just been shattered?

Eira found herself at the small park near her house, collapsing onto a swing with a heavy sigh. As she gently rocked back and forth, her mind replayed every moment of her training over the past few months. Had she not practiced hard enough? Had she missed some crucial element that Master Kim was looking for?

The more she thought about it, the more her initial shock and disappointment gave way to a simmering anger. She had given everything to her training, sacrificing time with friends and family, pushing through exhaustion and pain. How dare Master Kim dismiss all of that effort with a few careless words?

“I’ll show him,” Eira muttered, her hands tightening on the swing’s chains. “I’ll train harder than ever before. I’ll become so good that he’ll have no choice but to let me take the test.”

But even as the words left her mouth, a small voice in the back of her mind whispered doubts. What if she wasn’t good enough? What if, no matter how hard she tried, she would never measure up to Master Kim’s standards?

As the sun climbed higher in the sky, Eira remained on the swing, lost in her thoughts. The excitement and anticipation she had felt that morning seemed like a distant memory, replaced by a heavy weight of uncertainty and self-doubt.

When she finally made her way home, her parents immediately sensed something was wrong. They tried to comfort her, offering words of encouragement and support, but Eira found it hard to explain the depth of her disappointment.

That night, as she lay in bed staring at the ceiling, Eira’s mind raced with conflicting emotions. Part of her wanted to march back into the dojo tomorrow and demand another chance. Another part wanted to quit taekwondo altogether, to avoid ever feeling this kind of rejection again.

But as she drifted off into an uneasy sleep, one thought crystallized in her mind: she wasn’t going to give up. No matter what it took, she would prove to Master Kim, to her classmates, and most importantly, to herself, that she was worthy of the Red-Black belt.

Tomorrow, she decided, she would start training harder than ever before. She would face her doubts head-on and come out stronger on the other side. And in three months, when the next grading test came around, she would be ready.

With that resolution, Eira finally fell into a fitful sleep, her dreams filled with swirling images of taekwondo forms and the elusive Red-Black belt that seemed just out of reach.