The day after the Eastside clash, Ridgeview was buzzing with new rumors. Some kids were inspired — whispering that Gray's "gang" had protected the school. Others were terrified, convinced Crusher himself would appear any day.
But for Gray, there was something… stranger.
Riku was missing.
"Where's my loyal sidekick-slash-human-shield?" Gray muttered, checking the cafeteria, the library, even the rooftop. "It's like he vanished into thin air."
Nobody knew where Riku had gone. Mina shrugged, but her eyes hinted at suspicion. "Maybe he finally realized following you around isn't worth it."
Gray clutched his chest dramatically. "Et tu, Riku? Betrayed by my roundest companion?"
But deep down, he felt uneasy.
Father's Sharp Eyes
At home, Gray got no comfort either. His dad, Kenta, had been watching the news of school fights spreading across the city. He wasn't impressed.
"Gray."
The man's voice was calm but heavy. He stood in the living room in his work clothes, arms crossed. Gray flinched instantly — his father rarely used that tone unless he meant business.
"I heard about Eastside," Kenta said. "I heard you were in the middle of it."
Gray tried to laugh it off. "Ahaha, you know how rumors are, Dad! Sometimes people think I'm cool, but really I'm just allergic to exercise and—"
"Sit."
Gray sat.
"You can't keep stumbling through fights on dumb luck," Kenta continued. "If you want to survive what's coming — if you want to protect your friends — you need strength. Real strength."
Gray winced. "But Dad… you've seen me. I'm built for naps, not push-ups."
Kenta's expression softened, just a little. "Strength isn't about muscles. It's about will. And you have more of that than you realize. You just need discipline to match it."
Gray slumped. "…I knew that word was coming."
Day One: Disaster Training
The next morning, Kenta dragged Gray out to the backyard before sunrise. Mina, curious after hearing Gray's complaints, tagged along to watch.
"Warm-up jog. Five laps around the block," Kenta ordered.
Gray groaned. "Dad, I'm allergic to cardio."
"Move."
He moved. Sort of. By lap two, he collapsed into the grass, gasping dramatically. "Tell my story… Mina… make it sound heroic…"
Mina pinched her nose. "Pathetic."
Kenta sighed. "Then push-ups. Start with twenty."
Gray attempted one. His arms trembled. His face pressed into the dirt. "…I think the Earth is hugging me back."
Mina actually laughed — a rare, genuine giggle. "This is painful to watch. And somehow entertaining."
Kenta's eyes gleamed with approval. "Good. You need people to see you fail. That's how you'll learn to stand back up."
Small Sparks
Over the week, Gray's training became a routine:
Jogging until he collapsed into puddles.
Push-ups that ended with him face-first in the dirt.
Sit-ups where Mina had to hold his feet, only for him to complain, "Why is gravity my greatest enemy?"
Kenta teaching him basic stances, punches, and footwork — which Gray turned into accidental slapstick comedy.
But something odd started happening.
Little by little, Gray began lasting longer. His punches stopped looking like flailing windmills. His legs didn't give out after the first ten steps. He even managed to block one of Kenta's strikes, though it sent him tumbling across the yard.
Mina noticed first.
"You're… not completely hopeless anymore," she admitted one evening as Gray staggered back inside, drenched in sweat.
Gray grinned weakly. "Best… compliment… ever."
The Shadow of Riku
Even as Gray pushed himself, he couldn't shake the emptiness left by Riku's absence. His goofy friend wasn't there to cheer him on, to bumble into accidents, or to share instant noodles after training.
One night, lying in bed, Gray thought to himself: Riku wouldn't ditch me, right? He's probably… just on some family trip. Yeah. That's it.
But far away, in the misty mountains beyond the city, Riku knelt before an elderly martial artist, sweat pouring from his brow as he struggled through grueling stances and strikes. His laughter was gone, replaced by silent determination.
"Your friend fights with chaos," the old master said, watching Riku's trembling form. "But you… you will be his anchor. Train harder. For when the storm comes, Ridgeview will need you."
And Riku, exhausted but resolute, nodded.
Chapter End: The Beginning of Strength
Back at Ridgeview, Gray collapsed into bed again, muscles aching, face still dirty from falling into grass. But for the first time, instead of whining, he whispered to himself:
"…I'll get stronger. Even if it kills me. 'Cause if I don't, everyone's done for."
Outside his window, the city buzzed with tension. Eastside's shadow loomed closer every day.
And somewhere in the mountains, Riku's fists struck stone, echoing like thunder.