But the mood in the room shifted when the head instructor, Master Vance, called for a brief sparring exhibition.
"Alright, folks! To show you the culmination of our training, our star student, Julian, is going to do some light, controlled sparring with a few of our brave parents!" Vance announced through a crackling microphone. "Don't worry, moms and dads, he's a professional. Who wants to go first?"
A few of the more outgoing parents volunteered. A burly high school football coach, a fitness-enthusiast mother, and a local police officer stepped up.
Julian, relishing the spotlight, bounded into the center of the ring. He was wearing his black belt and a sleeveless top that showed off his athletic build.
The first match was against the football coach. The man was big and strong, but Julian used his speed to embarrass him. Instead of light, controlled touch-sparring as promised, Julian danced around, tapping the man's headgear repeatedly with lightning-fast jabs, making the larger man stumble and look foolish. When the coach rushed in out of frustration, Julian executed a slick judo trip, sending the man crashing heavily onto the mat.
The crowd laughed nervously, clapping. Julian smirked, soaking in the applause.
Next was the police officer. He fared a bit better, keeping his guard up, but Julian quickly grew bored. He threw a rapid series of high kicks, the last of which slapped loudly against the side of the officer’s headgear—much harder than necessary for a friendly exhibition. The officer stumbled back, ears ringing, and waved his hands to signal he was done.
Arthur frowned. His posture, usually slouched and relaxed, straightened a fraction of an inch. He recognized what Julian was doing. It wasn't martial arts; it was a feeding frenzy. The kid was using untrained civilians to stroke his own ego, and the instructors were letting it happen.
"Who's next?" Julian called out, his breathing barely elevated. He scanned the crowd, his eyes landing on the section where Arthur and Lily were sitting.
Julian’s gaze locked onto Arthur. He had always seen Arthur sitting in the corner, typing on his laptop, looking like the ultimate pushover. To a predator looking for an easy mark to show off his dominance, Arthur was the perfect target.
"How about you?" Julian pointed a padded glove straight at Arthur. "Lily’s dad, right? Come on out here. Let's see what you've got."
Arthur instinctively held up a hand, shaking his head with a polite, self-deprecating smile. "No thank you. I'm just here to watch my daughter."