Around a year ago...
Naoki Miyamoto.
A remarkable student.
A lazy one though.
Standing at 5'6", a skinny, blonde goober had finally slithered out of his bed. His silky hair that went down to the level of his jaw smothered his face as he groggily took a couple steps toward his mirror. His vision blurry and full of eye boogers. He took a quick evaluation of himself:
"man... I look like shit"
"FEEL like shit..."
"and if I really wanted to risk a whiff, probably smell like it too..."
He looked at his digital clock, swearing he had something to do today
12:42 PM
"...
hm...
what could it be though..."
He opened his dorm's door-
only to be greeted by a 6'2" 28 year old sweaty, muscle bound, tank top sporting chad, wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap.
"huh...." muttered Naoki aloud.
"(oh yeah... I had class)" he thought to himself as he realized the deep shit he just got himself into.
"uh"
He thought quickly on his feet as he was prompted with a speech check.
"what's up big bro" Naoki shot out as he pointed finger guns at the superior.
"You suck at this" replied the Superior
"(Speech check failed I suppose.)" thought Naoki to himself.
"You're late" continued the adult. "Six hours late actually. Got anything to say for yourself?"
"..."
Light bulb activated
"ah" started the goober
"12 huh? So that's why I woke up in the middle of the night!"
Naoki shot out a convincing grin.
The adult was unamused. "Listen- guy" started the adult.
"I'm your buddy and all. But you gotta work with me. Hell, not just me, the entire school, you know? I know you want to fool around all day, I get that. I mean come on, I was a Sixteen year old dipshit once upon a time. But you can't just laze about for the rest of your life, y'know?"
"Strong start but ok" replied Naoki in an aloof tone.
"And I'm not just nagging your ear off for the sake of pleasure. You think I want to be doing that? It's taxing for the both of us. You hate it, I hate it, let's not repeat this everyday."
Naoki rolled his eyes. "Ok, I get it" replied the juvenile
"I really don't think you do" responded the adult.
Naoki's face expressed mild annoyance whilst the adult's face was one of concern.
The adult took off his sunglasses, knelt down put a hand on the kid's shoulder and stared directly into the kid's eyes
"Listen guy, all's I'm saying is that you need to be motivated. Do something with your life. And I'm not insulting you here. Shit man, if anything, its pretty limited in our circumstance here but, you gotta get motivated. Preferably something for the better, but hey, your life is your life after all. The reason I'm telling you this is because the very moment you stop improving yourself in life- you're dead. I've seen it happen right in front of my eyes. My best friend back then was the best out of all of us. He was like a brother to all of us. So good in his abilities that he didn't have to train. Fair enough one would think, right? 6 months later-"
The adult clapped his hands together
"Split in half while we were on a mission. We were only 17."
Naoki glared.
"Naota... I think you're taking this too seriously. We train enough as is. I'll be fine. Let me enjoy myself. Not like we do much here anyway besides learn and train y'know."
Naota cut the kid off. "Yes, you're training. But just the bare minimum."
Naoki scoffed and responded with a "Oh come on."
"Naoki... It doesn't just have to be for the Academy. I know we're limited in what we can do in the outside world, but even small gestures are appreciated."
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Naoki squinted. "Where are you going with this."
"You can not only improve yourself, but the rest of the world. Other people's feelings and positivity."
"Don't we already do enough by saving their ungrateful asses?" blurted the kid out.
Naota chuckled as he stood back up. "Come on kid."
"What," responded Naoki in an almost frustrated manner
"I'm not asking you to save the world over and over again. I mean, we already do that, but nobody knows that we do. I understand your point of view and yes, its a good thing we do that, but I'm saying you should do the little things in society. The small acts of kindness that people can appreciate. Tipping a cashier, donating a couple bucks to a charity, helping an elderly person carry some groceries back to their car, etc. Any small bit of positivity can make a difference. A tiny one, I know. But its still something. I know you students are limited when it comes to socializing out in the streets. Only a couple hours on a single weekend with a fake identity limits the time and enjoyment you guys have- I get that. And I'm not asking you to dedicate your entire time to doing all these goods things, I'm just saying that doing a couple good deeds will help out. It's good for society, and it's good for the soul. "
Naota gave a warm smile.
Naoki squinted with a wry face. "Bullshit."
"...what?" Naota responded.
Naoki continued. "You, spreading your vile and naïve false hopes. Ignorant to all the cruelty in the world. It doesn't matter if we help another person out, they're still going to be assholes the next day. Everyone is miserable. And any hope of clinging on to the notion of a peaceful or positive world is fucking stupid. I don't understand how you're 12 years older than me, and yet, you're still this childish. To be a nice guy. Letting people trample over you while you sing to the choir and praise them for their assholish behavior. Virtue signaling and flaunting you're ideology. I don't understand how stupid a person can be."
The room is stiff. Naota's face morphed from a warm smile, to a confused face, then to a squinted flabbergasted expression. Like he just realized his cat could talk. And despite it being able to talk, it was still speaking complete nonsense.
"Excuse you? Kid."
Naota latched onto Naoki's head, brought him face to face, clashing their heads together as he stared into his soul.
"I say this as a brother, and I love you, but don't say something so fucking stupid to my face ever again."
Naota let go of Naoki's head before continuing.
"What's wrong with you? I'm just saying to do small bit of good here and there. That's literally all I'm saying."
Naota exaggerated his already confused expression. "Seriously, the hell dude."
A long awkward pause was held between the two of them.
"Alright, bad response, my bad." Admits Naota. "But, look kid. I understand where you're coming from. But that's not the way you should look at things. I know the world is a cruel place, I know, we can't change everyone, and I know its all yadda yadda you and I already know this. I've lost people before and no doubt you have as well. But looking through such a cynical scope just makes life miserable. Just be a little motivated or happy for something is all I'm saying. Or at least try to be positive. I mean think about it this way, would you rather have a waiter that's always frowning and just kind of an asshole, or would you rather have a pretty cheery guy to serve you."
Before Naoki opened his mouth, Naota cut him off.
"And don't be a smartass about this now."
Naoki rolled his eyes and responded with "cheery guy I guess..."
"Exactly! Hell, its the same way with people. You think a people are going to have fun with some mopey loser? Of course not. They're going to have fun with someone who lives a little. And I'm not saying that you aren't like that already, I mean come on, we both know you're a shitter already. If anything, I'm surprised by the amount of things you actually take seriously."
Naoki, unsure if that was an insult or a compliment responded with a mild "uh... thanks dude."
But before Naoki would get cut off by the older brother again, he responded with "Look dude, I already know that."
Naota gave a confused look and then prompted with a "Then what was that all for?"
Naoki shrugged and said "I guess I messed up. Blowing up on you like that wasn't cool-"
Naota cut Naoki off.
"-Yeah, it really wasn't."
Naoki ignored the cut off and continued.
"But I just don't like it when someone's acting all preachy y'know? It's annoying."
Naota shook his head in a "so-so" expression, understanding where Naoki's coming from.
Naota responded.
"It doesn't hurt to be a good dude and make someone else's day better. Just by being kind and spreading positivity makes everything a little less stressful. And if there's an asshole that shrugs away your kindness? Screw them. You shouldn't let some random asshole make your day worse. He's the one with a stick up his ass after all. He's having a bad day? Alright sure, we all have those. But again, it's not like we're going to let their problems ruin our mood. Improving social bonds is how we grow as people. And as such, being a cool dude is how one grows. That's what the Buddha would say. Now of course, I'm not saying to become this infinite ray of positivity, that's impossible. But being a cool dude is more than enough. Do you get what I'm saying?"
Naoki made a cheesy grin.
"In one ear, out the other~."
Naota gave a teasing punch to Naoki's arm.
It was meant to be a light punch but it ended up dislocating Naoki's arm off the shoulder joint.
After resetting Naoki's arm back in place, they gave each other a bro hug and started their day working out.
As they walked out Naoki's dorm, Naota gave one last lecture.
"No but seriously, if you feel like that, we can-"
Naoki cut Naota off.
"Naota, I'm not apathetic or depressed. I'm just lazy."
Naota squinted and gave the "dude" stare. A disappointed look that isn't too serious, but at the same time, it's the look you give your friend when you're signaling them to get a bit serious.
.
.
.
Though they trained for the majority of the day, the true effectiveness of such regimens would soon be tested in a couple hours. Superhuman or not, mundane or otherwise,
Death would always haunt students as a glaring possibility.