“100 more pushups!” The feat master yelled at them. He was a stone of a man with a bald shiny head. He stood there without his shirt and yelled at all of them for slacking off. His body had more than a dozen scars and his back had a huge tattoo that read “NO MERCY!”.
“You, Tatsu. Take it easy. Stop at 50.” he instructed.
“No chief Baldwin, I can do it! AAGHH.” She yelled. Her cast was only off a week ago, and she could not be happier.
“100? I can do two hundred! HAHAH.” Tumes laughed as he finished his first set of one hundred.
“Wanna do two hundred?” Yuri asked Stu after finishing his set.
“I bet I can do more than you.” Stu laughed.
“You’re on.”
“Ada, Faster!” Baldwin yelled.
“YES CHIEF BALDWIN.” She yelled back.
“75,76,77…” she counted.
The Feats class was entirely different from the other two classes. Mainly because Feats master Baldwin made them do mostly just physical exercises. He promised them that It was to prepare their body for Internal channeling.
“All right. That’s enough! Take a 30 second break and line up!” Baldwin instructed.
Unlike most times, the front yard was not packed with second and third years. Yuri reckoned that they were inside getting ready to leave tomorrow.
“All right, focus up.” Baldwin said as he pushed forward a chalkboard placed over a stand. “This is an average human body.” Baldwin pointed at the bad drawing on the board.
“Looks like a dick.” Tatsu said. Everyone agreed and joined in on the laughter.
“Silence!” Baldwin ordered, “Anyway, this is where you store your Gia.” He pointed to the left chest. “It’s between your chest and stomach. That is where you materialize and customize your Gia. So, what do you need in order to control this region?”
“Your breathing?” Ada guessed.
“Exactly. You need extreme mastery over your breathing and lung control. An extraordinary Valor has a perfect balance between his Feats and Forms. It is necessary for you to find your balance and utilize it in the best way possible.” Baldwin explained. “Now, Mr Tumes come over here, right next to me.”
Tumes followed. “Also, take off your shirt.”
Yuri couldn’t help but think that Tumes’s abs were staring right at him. They looked way bigger and more defined than the last time he saw them properly. He sure did miss them.
“Eyes up here guys,” Tumes said to Yuri and Stu who were drooling over his physique.
“This.” Baldwin used his stick to point out the region between Tumes’s stomach and left chest. “This is where we regulate our Gia, but the biggest problem is that it is fragile,” he said.
“Fragile? I don’t think it’s-” Tumes was cut off by a huge right hook from Master Baldwin. The blow made him lift into the air. His face was in a lot of pain, he was on the verge of yelling out.
“Even the most excellent of bodies will have this weakness. So what is the solution?” Baldwin asked them.
“You strengthen it?” Yuri asked.
“Yes, but it is no easy task. Ordinary core exercises will be useful to some extent but I have better ideas.” He pushed the chalkboard aside and revealed a basket containing boxing gloves.
“You can’t be serious.” Stu said.
“It’s a bit unorthodox but the results are proven.” Baldwin replied.
“Proven how?” Ada asked.
“Well, the first and second years look strong, don’t they?” He answered with a grin. “Now, pair up in groups and get to work. Start off slow. Find the right amount of pain without breaking your opponent’s rib.”
Yuri and Tumes paired up. They stood opposite each other with their gloves and stared at each other.
“Give me your best.” Tumes raised his left arm, revealing his left chest, which was still red from the previous hit.
Yuri punched with all his might. Tumes looked satisfied. “All right, You’re stronger than you look.”
“Don’t hold back.” Yuri said to him, a bit nervous.
Tumes tightened his form and went to punching. The shock from the blow felt like death. Yuri wasn’t sure if Tumes' arm went through the other side. Nevertheless, he clenched his teeth and convinced himself that it didn’t hurt.
They spent the rest of the evening going at it with each other. In the end, both of them were more tired than the other. They wanted to keep going on but they were broken up by Master Baldwin. “This is not over. You’ll be the first to fall!” Tumes yelled after they separated.
“Yeah, right. We’ll see.” Yuri hid his pain with a laugh and joined Stu. They took off their shirts to treat their bodies to ice packets.
“What the fuck happened to you?” Yuri asked Stu as he took off his shirt. His chest looked blood red.
“048. That’s what happened. Sizaxian strength is scary.” Stu said. “You don’t look bad yourself,” he said to Yuri.
Yuri moved closer to Stu and whispered, “Hey, do you know if she’s coming to the party?”
“Who?” Stu asked.
“Ada. Who else?”
“I don’t know. Why not just ask her yourself?” Stu buttoned his new white shirt.
“I could but…” he blushed.
“Hey Tatsu,” Stu called out. She turned her attention towards them.
“Yeah?”
“You guys coming to the party tonight?” he asked.
“Oh yeah, definitely.” she answered.
“See?” Stu said to Yuri. “Now you know. Thank me later.”
“What party?” Baldwin popped up like a grim reaper behind them.
“Huh, party?” Stu faltered and tried to come up with something. “I meant the combine study tonight at the Aori hall,” he finally said.
“Good for you kids,” Baldwin walked off after that.
“Close call.” Yuri commented, still struggling to put on his black T-shirt with both his arms.
“Yeah, fortunately, I am smart.”
“I’m smarter than you.” Yuri said with a smile.
“Yeah right, you’re the guy who’s too afraid to ask out the girl he likes. It’s funny.” Stu said.
“What? I am not afraid. Besides, what does that have to do with smartness?”
“Being brave is a part of being smart. Also, if you are not scared then ask her out tonight. You might not get a better opportunity.”
The four of them waited eagerly at the dorm for the signal. It was getting dark and there were no second years in their dorm.
“They must be setting things up.” Yuri said.
“Yeah. It’s going to start soon.” 048 nervously polished his armor with a towel and kept staring out the window. “There it is.” 048 pointed to the window. There was a hand with a thumb sticking out the window.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“All clear.” The voice behind the window said. “Lock the door and climb out carefully.”
Yuri switched off all the lights and Tumes locked the doors. One by one, they climbed out the open window. The other side was a portion of the forest where they trained before. The second year, Branson, led the way.
“It’s sick. The party’s barely started and it’s this noisy.” Branson laughed. He was in no position to comment. It was obvious from his walking and overly expressive voice that he was pretty drunk.
The party was held at the heart of the forest. There were speakers hung on the trees and lights tied on the branches. Snacks and drinks were placed on tables throughout the place. It was too flashy and too noisy for them to get adjusted to. Yuri caught a glimpse of Ada and Tatsu hanging out with Nanako. He signaled Stu.
“Go ahead. Shoot your shot.” Stu gently pushed him forward.
Before making any progress, he was grabbed by a third-year girl and forced onto the dance floor.
“Hey, pretty boy. Dance with me.” She took his arms and started biting them. Her eyes looked dilated and her lips were quivering.
“What’s happening?” Yuri asked himself.
“Relax.” She shushed him and placed her index finger on his lips. She leaned forward and kissed him. He suddenly pushed her off and glanced at Ada. She was staring at him but she immediately looked down when he looked back.
Out of nowhere, he was pushed to the ground by a set of arms. “That’s my fucking girlfriend, what do you think you’re doing?” A beefy guy with a mustache came forward to punch him.
“Whoa. She was the one who kissed him.” Tumes said as he blocked the oncoming fist. “He was just standing there.”
“Yeah dude, relax.” Branson said, drinking another bottle of beer.
The guy backed off and they were left alone. Stu helped him to the ground and handed him a cola. “Not a good start,” he said.
“Definitely not.”
“Check that out.” 048 said as he walked towards the dart board. A bunch of second and third-years looked seriously absorbed in the game. 048 joined in.
Yuri and Stu decided to watch a brawl between Tumes and a third year down in a small ditch. The third was stronger and faster but Tumes was way more muscular. His punches were on a whole different level too.
“Why are they fighting?” Tatsu asked the two of them.
“They were bored,” Stu replied, half-heartedly watching the fight.
“Seems fun.” Tatsu commented. “I should join in.”
“You’ll get yourself killed,” Yuri said.
“Why? Because I’m a girl?” Tatsu asked, throwing away the can in her hands. Ada picked it up and joined them.
“No, because you’re weak.” Yuri replied. Tatsu released an annoyed grunt and shrugged it off. They continued to observe the fight.
“Hey.” Yuri moved back from the group and got closer to Ada.
“Hey. Nice party, isn’t it?” She asked him, forcing a smile. She was holding a transparent cup with what appeared to be cool blue on the inside.
“Yeah, It’s great. Listen, I wanted to talk to you about something.” He said to her, “Mind if we go somewhere private?”
“Yeah, sure.” She said nervously.
They walked to a part of the forest where the music wasn’t very loud. It wasn’t very bright either, but it did the job. They walked next to one another through the thick line of trees while awkwardly glancing at each other. It was freezing, their hands trembled and touched each other for a second. The mist ahead of them prohibited them from completely seeing everything.
“So, what do you want to talk about?” Ada asked, her voice soft and shaky. They stopped and faced each other. Yuri decided to defeat his demons. He summoned enough courage to get the words out,
“Ada, You’re the most beautiful guy-, I mean girl who I’ve ever met.” He said, partially regretting his jumpy confession. “I really really like you. I want us to be together.” He cringed at his words and almost closed his eyes.
“Yuri…” she said, looking down. “You’re a great guy too. but…” she stopped.
“But?”
“I can’t. I cannot afford to be occupied in a relationship right now. It’s complicated. I’m sorry.” She walked back without looking back. Yuri stood in the forest, alone, his mind was strangely empty. He couldn’t bring himself to move, or even think. It was hard to describe the situation for him.
It’s all right, he finally told himself. She must have her reasons.
Yuri bitterly walked out of the forest, towards the party again. He tried to put on a positive face to hide his gloominess. The party was livelier than it was before, but somehow, it seemed to irritate him. The loud noise and the flashing lights threw him off. He was eventually grabbed by a hand.
“How’d it go?” Stu asked. He had joined 048 in his match of darts.
“Not good. She doesn’t want a relationship.” Yuri said, picking up one of the beer cans and opening it.
“I’m sorry man,” Stu patted him on his shoulder.
“At least, Now I know.” Yuri said to Stu, and himself.
“Exactly. You’ll be saving yourself more time. Don’t worry.” Stu snatched the can from his hands and handed him a dart. “Just forget about it.” he said.
Yuri smiled and threw the dart to the board. It hit one of the circles closest to the center. The dart was plucked out by 048’s gigantic arm.
“Check this out!” Branson yelled excitedly. He was crouching on the ground and watching a sword clash between two students. The three of them decided to join in on the fun. But as they got closer, they realized that it was not just any student, It was Tumes dueling with a second-year. Their movements were too fast for normal eyes to keep up. The swift slashing and swinging of swords appeared like blurs to their drunken eyes. All they did know was that both of them were not backing down. The duel attracted a small crowd, chattering groups of second and third-years huddled around them.
“What is he doing?” Ada asked.
“Having fun, I guess.” Stu answered.
“Hey.” Nanako said to him from one of the corners where the drinks were placed. “Want a drink?” she asked.
“Sure,” Yuri replied. He was looking for an excuse to get out of the situation anyway. Nanako handed him a cola bottle and clinked it with hers.
“Cheers.”
“Yeah.” He chugged it down.
“What’s the matter?” she asked. “You look a little down.”
“It’s nothing,” he replied. He sat on one of the chairs next to her wheelchair. She stared at him as if to say Really? That's very convincing.
“I asked Ada out,” he admitted. “It didn’t go very well.” He satisfied his sadness by sipping down on the cola. It seemed to help.
“Oh, you poor thing.” She said, using her arms to pat him affectionately. “It’s okay. We all have to go through a rejection once in our lives.”
“You mean you’ve asked out someone before?” He asked.
Jin Penson, the first second year Yuri met before arriving at the island, approached them slowly. “Hey Nan, Yuri, we are going to light the fireworks. Care to join?”.
“Maybe later.” Nanako replied.
“Yeah.” Yuri smiled warmly.
They went back to their conversation.
“To answer your question, Yeah, I did ask a guy out in my first year.” Nanako said, refilling her cup. “It was Shizo. You must know him,”
He had seen him before. Shizo was one of the tallest guys in the entire academy. His blond hair and perfect teeth always struck him as attractive to everyone. Yuri stared at the group of second years and found him, standing out like a needle in a haystack.
“What happened?” Yuri asked her.
“He rejected me. FYI, I had both my legs during that time.” she said casually. “It’s stupid anyway. His personality was never as good as his looks. I was just physically attracted.”
“But Ada has a really good personality too. I’m sure I have a good personality too, Don’t I?” He asked, throwing the bottle to the nearest waste bin.
“Yeah, you’re pretty cute.” She laughed.
“Then why doesn;t she want to date me?” he whined. The alcohol started hitting him and he realized it,
“Look, she must be focused on something else entirely right now. The timing just may not be right.” She grabbed his face and told him. “You need to get through. You will find someone.”
Her eyes never looked so blue to him before. Her messy hair was dancing to the lights behind them. He wanted to kiss her but he was sure it was just the alcohol taking over. Instead, he replied with a simple, “Thank you, you’re right.”
“Good.” she kissed him on the lips as soon as she said that. “You’ll be fine.” Yuri blushed and continued to stare at her vividly.
“Knock that off,” She giggled and gently slapped his face. “We should go see the fireworks.”
Yuri rolled her wheelchair over to the crowd. There were stacks of fireworks carefully unpacked and protected by a few students. Jin was the one standing in the center of the group, crouching on the floor and lighting up the fireworks. She got up from the ground with a jump. The firework behind her rocketed into the air.
“I SAY AORI, YOU SAY GO!” she yelled.
“AORI!”
“GO! All of them chanted. It was timed perfectly, the firework exploded in the starry sky. Yuri stared at the greenness that covered them like a blanket, it was beautiful.
Jin lit another one. “AORI!”
“GO!”
This one was blue, different in design but equally impressive.
Stu and 048 cut through the crowd and found their way to Yuri. They smiled at each other.
“Hey, won’t the Sizaxians be disturbed if we keep this going?” Yuri asked 048, almost yelling to make his sound audible.
“I don’t know, they must be asleep.” 048 said.
“I hope they don’t complain about this to Master Cora,” Axel joined in. He was not wearing the janitor’s uniform for once. He was in a gray shirt and sweatpants. His hair was all over the place, unlike his usual.
“When did you get here?” Yuri asked, surprised.
“What do you mean? I was always here.” Axel said with a smirk. He turned to Stu. “Good news, I got a call from your brother.”
“Hor? What did he say?”
“Your father talked with the council and reduced my term to just one more month.” Axel’s face was happier than Yuri had ever seen. “Which means, I’ll be leaving next month.”
“Finally!” 048 congratulated him.
“You got what you wanted.” Nanako said, offering a kind smile.
“That’s great.” Yuri told him.
“I know.”
They spent the rest of the night sitting on the ground and watching the fireworks. It wasn’t the best day for Yuri but it sure was eventful for him. He had forgotten all about Ada when he just laid there, staring at the sky, and feeling lucky about his friends.