Dakota's Pov
March 3rd
There was something oddly comforting about the sound of everyone waking up so early in the morning. This didn't happen until recently, but I was awake before my alarm again.
Studying used to feel like a chore, it was something I had to do because everyone else was doing it, like when a new gacha game releases a limited banner and suddenly your entire friend group becomes whale economists. But lately… it felt different.
I actually wanted to study.
Which was weird. Extremely weird. If past me saw this version of me, he would've called me a sellout who abandoned nighttime anime binges and gaming grinds that lasted until sunrise.
Austin: "Morning," he yawned as he sat up in his bed like a zombie. His hair looked like a bird's nest after a tornado.
"You're up early," I said.
Austin: "You've been saying that a lot recently," he groaned. "It hurts my pride."
"You have pride?"
Austin: "You're not a man if you don't."
I slung my bag over my shoulder, stretched, and stepped out into the hallway. Morning sun spilled in through the long window at the end, glimmering over floating petals. The Academy grounds were covered with soft pink like someone overshot the budget on a romantic anime.
The sakura trees had bloomed.
I stopped walking.
There was something magical about the sight, the soft rain of petals drifting down, catching sunlight in a way that made everything look lighter, gentler. Even students hurrying across the courtyard seemed quieter.
I stood there longer than I meant to.
Spring had arrived.
And for the first time in a long time, I wanted to move with it.
March 10th
I'd started going to the training halls, which is where students train after classes. The training halls smelled like sweat, wooden floors, and the faint scent of disinfectant used to wipe up after someone's spirit breaks. A lovely combination.
Yuji: "Dakota, your stance is off," he said flatly, tapping my knee with the blunt end of his wooden sword. "You'll get punished in real combat like this."
"You've been saying that for the past hour."
Yuji: "And you've been wrong for the past hour."
He wasn't wrong, but still. Rude.
I adjusted my stance. Shinatsu, sparring on the other side of the room, gave me a glance that somehow communicated, Your footwork is still sloppy. She didn't say it out loud, but her stare stabbed deep enough. Lately, she's seemed extra exhausted. Wonder what she's up to.
Erika, meanwhile, was practicing a form that looked like a ribbon dance dipped in murder. She moved lightly, fluidly, slicing the air with an elegance that made even Sylvie pause mid-swing just to watch.
Esmarie cheered from the side, having finished her reps early: "Erikaaa! You look so cool! Sylvie too! You're both princess knights of death!"
Sylvie nearly tripped, and Erika laughed.
Remi: "Haha. What does that even mean?"
Esmarie: "I don't know but it sounds cool, right?"
Sylvie looked like she was imagining herself as whatever Esmarie called her.
Remi looked happy. She always did make the air feel brighter. It hurt a little, in that weird, lingering way, but I'd decided my feelings weren't going to control my life. And I wasn't going to jeopardize my friendship with Austin. So instead of running away like a character avoiding a confession scene, I smiled back when she waved.
She smiled wider.
And that was enough.
April 2nd
News exploded all over Shioto that the strongest Hunter had 3 disciples, each becoming a Hunter a year earlier than students at the academy. Erika and I were shocked, she came running over as soon as she heard the news. As expected, Chifuyu is moving forward without stopping. I can't let him get too far ahead of me. Because if I let that happen, I may never catch up. I know Chifuyu got trained by the strongest Hunter, but I wonder who's stronger between him and Erika. That girl is genuinely something else. Everybody calling her the star of Hunter Academy is not an exaggeration.
"Odd Jobs, huh? That doesn't sound too bad."
Erika: "Are we joining? Of course we're joining, right?!"
"Oh yeah. We still have over a year until we graduate though. It's gonna feel like forever."
Austin: "Odd Jobs has a nice ring to it. Hope you guys have room for yours truly."
"You wanna join?"
Austin: "Heck yeah, I do. Sounds like a total blast."
If Austin joins, that means Remi joins. If we can see each other every day even after graduating, that would be nice. Though I think it would be better for my heart to only see her in small doses. In any case, still being with these guys after graduation wouldn't be bad at all.
Chifuyu, we'll see you soon.
April 13th
Esmarie: "Dakota! Over here!" Shewaved me over during lunch. She had a bento twice the size of her face and the energy of three people trapped in one body. "Try this," she said, offering me a piece of karaage. "Erika and Sylvie helped me cook it!"
Erika nodded: "It was mostly Esmarie."
Sylvie nodded too: "Erika helped out a lot too."
Esmarie: "…All three of us cooked," she finally declared diplomatically.
It tasted amazing.
"You guys could sell this," I said. "Probably make more money than Austin could betting."
Austin: "HEY," Austin shouted from across the cafeteria, "I HEARD THAT."
"How?"
Austin: "I have selective super hearing for slander."
He jogged over, Remi behind him. "Guys, we're doing a movie night tonight," Remi said. "Who's in?"
Erika: "I'm in!"
Sylvie: "Same!"
Esmarie: "Oh! Yes!"
"Sure."
Sota: "Okay."
Shinatsu: "…Fine."
Marlon: "Will there be popcorn?"
Yuji: "Yeah, if you bring your own."
I looked at the faces of the people around me. My friends. All different, all weird, all people I somehow ended up caring about.
Life used to feel small. Narrow. Like I was walking down a hallway where all the doors were locked.
Now it felt wide.
And warm.
April 23rd
Training got harder. Days got longer. Emelio sensei yelled more, but continuing to impart his wisdom of the blade. Yuji pushed my limits. Erika and Sylvie encouraged me. Shinatsu gave me some pointers too. Remi and I found ourselves struggling together.
And somewhere along the line… I began to love it.
I wanted more.
More strength.
More progress.
More days like this.
I'd always thought growth was something people pretended to enjoy. But it turned out getting better at something, really better, felt amazing.
For the first time, I wanted to improve for myself.
And that felt… good.
May 7th
The world was getting warmer. The sunlight lasted longer. The sakura petals were beginning to thin, replaced by greener leaves and thicker training schedules.
Today was cardio day.
I hated cardio day.
Emelio sensei stood at the starting line with a smile that could only be described as the prelude to suffering.
Emelio: "Students! Today we run until you understand the meaning of despair!"
"Sensei, do you understand the meaning of despair?" someone asked.
Emelio: "Oh, far too well."
And with that, he blew the whistle.
We ran. And ran. And ran more. I think my stamina is my worst attribute. Yuji ran like he was hunting something. Shinatsu ran like gravity had been turned off. Erika ran like wind made human. Sylvie ran with grace. Remi stayed in the middle of the pack, making sure to conserve her stamina.
I ran like a man fighting for the right to keep breathing.
Remi: "You're getting faster, Dakota!" She called as she passed me.
"Thanks—I—appreciate—that—" She was already too far away to hear me wheeze.
We kept running. I didn't die. A victory.
Afterward, I collapsed on the grass with everyone else. Erika and Sylvie drank water even though it looked like they didn't need one sip.
I stared up at the sky.
Blue. Endless. Peaceful.
Shinatsu: "Nice work today."
"…Thanks."
She nodded once, sharply. That meant she was proud.
I smiled a little.
Maybe this was proof I was changing.
May 28th
The sakura petals were mostly gone now. Training had become part of who I was. I woke up wanting to improve. I went to bed excited for the next day. I didn't feel like I was running from anything anymore, not from my insecurities, not from heartbreak, not from old dreams that used to drag me down.
I sat on the dorm rooftop as evening crept in because we haven't gotten a rooftop scene yet.
The sky was orange fading to pink, clouds glowing like soft lanterns.
Footsteps approached. Austin sat beside me, handing me a soda can: "Thinking about something?"
"Maybe."
Austin: "The future?"
"Something like that."
Austin: "Give me a little more than that."
I stared at the sky.
"…I want to get stronger."
Austin: "Not a bad goal."
"And I want… to be someone worth being proud of."
Austin: "To yourself?"
"Yeah."
Austin smiled: "Then you're already halfway there."
"Only halfway?"
Austin: "Hey, progress is progress."
We laughed.
The breeze carried the faint scent of early summer.
June 8th
The heat arrived. Finals are coming up again.
Summer training hit like a truck filled with bricks. Everyone was sweating five minutes into drills. Yuji adjusted nothing because apparently he didn't believe in overheating. Shinatsu tied her hair up higher. Erika glistened like she was in an idol commercial. Sylvie looked elegant even while dying inside. I imagined Marlon saying, "I thrive in heat," and then nearly passing out. And that Esmarie's soul probably left her body by now.
But me?
Even with sweat sticking to my neck and my arms aching and my legs burning… I felt alive.
I wanted more.
Wanted to see how far I could go if I kept pushing.
Wanted to see who I could become.
Not for Remi. Not for Chifuyu. Not for the expectations of others.
Just for me.
A whole school year has passed.
If the old me saw this version of me sweating, stronger, happier, surrounded by people I can call friends, he wouldn't call me a sellout.
He'd be proud.
I closed my eyes, letting the sun touch my face.
"Tomorrow, I'm going to be stronger than I was today."
However, tomorrow had other plans for a certain individual. Plans that would change the course of their life.