I watched the students sparring with each other—it was pretty entertaining, since you could really see their skill level and how they were gradually improving.
Obviously, I was at the karate dojo. After leaving Kawasaki's house, I headed home, got ready, and then came here.
Since Kawasaki hadn't been showing up, I focused more on self-training with the practice dummies. Part of training is repeating movements until you perfect them, after all.
And without Kawasaki, I didn't have anyone to train with.
The other students avoided me ever since I injured her, and as for Tanaka and Watanabe—the only ones close to my level—they decided it was best to keep their distance and just focus on themselves.
If you want to improve, you have to understand that losing teaches you what mistakes to avoid and what actions to change in order to grow.
But if you shut yourself inside a bubble where you think you're already the best and refuse to lose, someone else will come along and pop that bubble with ease.
There will always be someone stronger and more skilled than you, which is why you have to keep pushing yourself to improve every single day.
Great words, though I actually heard them yesterday on a TV show. Still, they ring true.
I'm not someone who cares much about strangers or people outside my circle, but I respect those who put in real effort. That mindset came with time.
As a kid, I naively thought training just meant exercising so you could throw good punches.
I was clueless—basically the punching bag for my classmates for quite a while. I had to get up every time I was knocked down. At least that's what my father always told me to do.
Thanks to that, I know firsthand what it means to fight for something—sweating, enduring pain, training until your body feels heavy. Those things just come with it. Of course, it also had to do with my mentality and my stubborn refusal to lose.
Every time I got beaten down, I promised myself that next time, I'd be the one looking down on the other guy.
Pretty childish thinking for someone with my mental age, I know. But still, at thirteen, there wasn't much else I could do.
A nice little tale of self-improvement, or maybe just the story of a stubborn idiot who was secretly a masochist?
Anyway, to me, both Watanabe and Tanaka—despite their potential—are wasting it by hiding inside their bubble. That bubble has only gotten bigger this past week.
With Kawasaki gone, I didn't have a sparring partner, so the spotlight shifted to the two of them whenever they fought.
That's why their egos have been inflating—they think they're the best, but they're just stuck in a status quo they're comfortable with.
Not that I'm in any position to criticize.
If that's how they want to do things, good for them. Except, those days end tomorrow when Kawasaki comes back.
Even now, Tanaka's acting like Sensei's assistant, thanks to Kawasaki's absence. They considered me for the role, but since I hadn't been here long, it was better to give that spot to someone with more experience and seniority.
Today, for example, Sensei had to leave halfway through class to deal with something, so Tanaka took charge, with Watanabe right behind him.
You could say both of them have stepped into bigger roles since Kawasaki stopped coming.
Once the students finished their matches, Tanaka and Watanabe went up against each other, showing off a solid level of skill.
Because of that, the other students cheered for them and looked up to them. It's a nice feeling, really—reminds me of when Taishi once called me Aniki.
After their match, Tanaka came out on top. Their previous encounters had ended the same way, so you could say Tanaka is better than Watanabe in some sense.
"Hey, Tanaka, want to face me?" I approached him.
"I'm a bit tired, maybe another time," he replied calmly, though I could still hear a hint of displeasure in his voice.
I got similar answers throughout the week whenever I suggested a light sparring session.
With Kawasaki absent, the best I could do was just watch the matches. Watching without being able to join in—what a dilemma.
Not that I'm the type who loves fighting, but it's part of learning. Maybe there's a small part of me that's a bit combative…
I kept watching until Tanaka wrapped up the class. The students began to leave as the two of them started putting the equipment away.
Well, time to go.
I headed to the locker room to change back into my usual clothes.
Just as I was about to leave, Tanaka and Watanabe came over, chatting cheerfully.
I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm considerate enough to tell them so it doesn't catch them by surprise. I'm actually a pretty nice guy… Even I don't believe that.
"By the way, Kawasaki's doing better. She'll be back tomorrow."
"Huh!?"
I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to see that look of confusion on his face.
"What do you mean?" Tanaka asked, a little shaken.
"It was just a minor injury. She was bound to recover eventually, and she told me herself she'll be back tomorrow."
It was only a matter of time.
"She should take a few more days to recover," Watanabe chimed in.
"She's eager to return, and unless she gets hurt again, I don't see any reason for her to stay away."
Their expressions shifted slightly. They tried to look calm, but it was obvious they weren't hiding their annoyance well.
Having a girl outperform you is already a tough blow. Add the fact that a new student comes in, beats you, and steals the spotlight—well, you can imagine what that does to their egos.
I walked past them, placing a hand on each of their shoulders.
"See you tomorrow," I said in a friendly tone.
Even though I admitted they both had potential and were good, that doesn't necessarily mean I had to like them.
With that, I left the locker room and headed home.
Although… maybe it was just me, or maybe I saw it right, but when I glanced back, they definitely had a hint of irritation on their faces.
…
Today's school day went by as usual. I had lunch with Yumiko, and she reminded me again that I had to go with her to the mall tomorrow. Not like I had forgotten, or ever would. Honestly, only an idiot would.
Since I was free of my responsibility with Kawasaki, I could head straight home after class.
Once home, I greeted Rumi, then went to my room to catch up on some video games until it was time to go to the academy.
The day went by normally.
Except, about half an hour before I was supposed to leave, I got a message on my phone. Apparently, Sensei had something to take care of, so class was canceled. The message came from Tanaka, though.
I guess Sensei contacted him to spread the word to all the students.
Oh well, that leaves me free for the rest of the day.
So I kept playing, cursing the difficulty of my game. Since tomorrow's Saturday, I can stay up late playing tonight.
…
"I could really use something to drink."
Leaving my character in the save room, I went to grab a can of Max Coffee from the kitchen. But when I opened the fridge, I was hit with the surprise that there wasn't a single can left.
"That's strange, I'm pretty sure I bought several not too long ago."
What if I've been sleepwalking and drinking them at night?
No way—this morning I checked and there were still more than six cans.
While scanning the place, thinking maybe I had moved them without realizing it, I noticed a note on the table.
"Onii-chan, I'm having a sleepover with my friends tonight, so I took all the Max Coffee. I'll be back early tomorrow, don't worry, I already told Mom and she agreed. By the way, don't forget they're on a business trip, so don't get yourself into trouble. —Rumi"
I sighed after reading the note.
Looks like I have no choice but to head out to the store. Is this what they call the responsibility of being an older brother?
Well, it's either stay here without my favorite drink or go out and buy some.
It'll be a distraction anyway, and maybe I'll grab something to eat. More sweets to fuel me through an all-nighter?
After grabbing my wallet and keys, I went to the nearest store. And just my luck—Max Coffee was sold out. Which left me no choice but to walk to another store farther from home, only to find it was sold out there too.
Rumi-chan, the least you could've done was leave one can for your big brother...
True to my stubborn nature, I decided to keep walking to yet another convenience store. Silently praying to every higher power of every religion, I begged that my overly sweet, unhealthy-if-overconsumed drink would finally be waiting for me there.
Still, as I was internally lamenting my little sister's utter lack of consideration for her kind and thoughtful older brother, a familiar voice caught my attention.