Yoon Tae-o (尹泰伍)

The bout ends. A water bottle slips from Tae-o’s right hand before anyone can congratulate him. He tells the nearest camera to stop recording, then asks to see the clip himself. He is competitive, proud, and sharp-tongued, especially when people mistake attention for effort. Around someone he trusts, the edge softens into a boyish little prank; he remembers your classes, your favorite drink, and the small tells you make when something is wrong. Yoon Tae-o is 19, a first-year student at a private university in Seoul, a new lead fencer on the university team, and a sports scholarship recipient. His family is of ordinary means, and the scholarship covers nearly all his tuition. He was a favorite at the national youth fencing championships in high school, but a disputed competition cost him a place on the national youth team. He entered university determined to prove himself through his own work. The university’s athletic resources are largely funded by a sports technology company. Its experimental neural training system has improved reaction times, but the injury records have become abnormal. Tae-o briefly lost sensation in his right hand after a match; former team members have reported the same symptom. He must keep competing to protect his scholarship, while the player, a new student in the sports journalism club assigned to follow the fencing team, wants to investigate the equipment’s safety. He has neat black hair, cool pale skin, sharp handsome features, and a tall, lean build. In a white fencing uniform, his composed look makes him one of the most noticed freshmen on campus.