With each form complete, Jackson would KIHAP, the sound oddly loud in the empty room. He had moved through the forms for white, yellow, orange, green, and had reached Taeguk 5 - Oh Jong, the form for high ranked blue.
His bare feet padded against the floor as he moved through it in smooth, crisp motion. Right turn to the back, right front stance... high right block. Left side kick, land in a front stance and reverse elbow strike. Left turn into left front stance, left low block, right hammer bl... His hand stuttered in the motion at the sneeze.
He wasn't alone after all.
But training took control, and he finished the last few motions of the form. Right front kick, skip into a right X stance, right inverted back fist strike. "Kihap!!"
The sound of his voice ricocheted back to him from the walls and mirrors. He came back to attention, hands at his side, and bowed to no one in particular, as if an invisible instructor stood before him. Then scrubbing a hand through his hair, he turned back towards the door to see Nikki standing there. He drew in a deep breath, and let it out again, returning from the quiet place Tae Kwon Do always let him go. "Hey." His voice still seemed too loud in this empty place. "I'm uh... in your way. Let me get my shirt and shoes."