Ari woke at 5:00 AM to darkness and silence.
A cold air had crept into his room. The cold air of yesterdays persistent drizzle
His body felt better, much better. The stretching and yoga from the previous night had worked with a therapeutic charm.
He wasn't as sore as before, he'd likely make it a habit to have that sort of body healing exercises after every game. But still his body had this sorta.... background ache.
Ari lay in bed for a moment, staring at the white ceiling, though now it looked gray because of the darkness. So very slowly..... his full awareness came back to him. Then Ari rose up.
[SLEEP DURATION: 8 HOURS, 14 MINUTES]
[SLEEP QUALITY: YOU SLEEP EXTREMELY EARLY TO WAKE UP AT MIDNIGHT.... ]
[AND IT WORKS FOR YOU]
"Good morning to you too," Ari muttered as he sat up. First thing Ari did was search for his phone.
He checked it for messages from Haruto yet. Probably still asleep, which was the sensible thing to be at 5:00 in the morning.
The bathroom mirror greeted him with harsh pale light. Also honesty. Ari stood there, shirtless. Still a bit groggy.
His hands went under his pyjamas as he raised up the top so it was under his chin, revealing both the chest and the stomach.
He was extremely slender.
Yes He looked worse before when he had a bit more fat and was a lot more...droopy. but even now he looked like a corpse.
You could see each wave on a wave of his ribs. How they went down and finally went out of view to become his pylorus.
Sharp waist bone marking the width of his hip. His under eye was swollen and the skin there was dark as always.
*fuuck....I look terrible* Regardless he flashed his TONGUE out and shook it wildly at his own reflection.
He raised his pyjama up to reveal some red dots on his skin. Also the tons of genetic black birth marks on his neck and frail forearms.
Those red dots were Patches of acne. Hormonal sideffects....
[YOU ARE STILL UNDERGOING PUBERTY TORU ARI]
Ari scoffed finally letting his pyjama fall back down as he smacked his lips at his own reflection.
"Tell me something I don't know."
[YOU'RE WASTING YOUR GENETICS]
[6'6" WITH GOOD BONE STRUCTURE]
Had the GEAR finally lost patience with him, Ari thought smirking in his mind. He lowered his head looking up through lashes and checking out his thick black hair that was a pure mess of curls.
[CARRYING BARELY 76 KILOGRAMS]
[YOU LOOK WASTED]
[BARELY ATHLETIC]
[LIKE A TALL 16 YEAR OLD CRACK HEAD]
"Well, that's the optimism that motivates me."
[YOU GOING TO CRY?]
Ari stopped playing with his hair. "I couldn't really care that much how I look... Much less how you tell me," his hands squeezed the sink before he left the bathroom annoyed. "You're just a magical voice in my head anyway."
[YOUR BODY IS AN IMPORTANT TOOL]
[THE GEAR SAYS IT IS A POORLY MAINTAINED ONE]
Ari sighed and accepted the assessment. The acne, the thinness, the general aesthetic, those things were mostly beyond his immediate control. Genetics, hormones, time. But basketball?....Basketball...
That was something he could actually influence. Something he could cultivate.
He checked his phone again: 5:47AM. Friday. He pulled up his class schedule. A two-hour history class from 7:00 to 9:00 AM.
Then his phone rang. Haruto's name flashed on the screen.
"Hello?"
"Ari!" Haruto's voice was surprisingly awake, cheerful even. "Good morning! Are you going to history class?"
Ari's mind went blank for a fraction of a second.
"Good morning", he returned the greeting but hadn't answered the question yet.
Because he was processing the implications of a yes or a no. History class. Two hours. Sitting in a room full of classmates who probably saw the social media posts or maybe posted it themselves. Classmates who knew about yesterday's performance, who thought he was a fraud.
"No," Ari answered finally. "I haven't gotten my uniform from the tailor yet and I don't want", he paused to scratch his ear. "And I don't really want to wear the generic one the school gave."
There was a short silence in the other line. Before
"Ari-kuuuun!" Haruto's voice cracked into distress. "You can't abandon me! I can't survive all that hate from our classmates alone! We're the co-most-hated! We need to stick together!"
Despite himself, Ari felt a tickle run down his spine. Poor Haruto, walking into that classroom alone, facing the judgment without his partner in humiliation. Why that would be brutal.
"Then don't go to class."
"That's..." Haruto paused. "That's actually a good idea. Why didn't I think of that?"
"Because you're more responsible than me."
"Fair point." The line paused a bit before. "I'm coming to your room then. We can hang out before tryouts."
"NO." The word came out more forcefully than intended. "No, you can't come here. It's... dirty. Not in a state for visitors."
"I don't mind mess—"
"Haruto, I really can't have anyone in my room right now. It is genuinely bad."
The truth was simpler: Ari still hadn't unpacked. His suitcase sat in the corner, clothes spilling out, everything in chaos. The room looked like a disaster zone. HE looked like a disaster zone. His social anxiety couldn't handle someone witnessing this level of disorganization.
"Alright, alright." Haruto relented, though he didn't quite believe the excuse. "We'll meet outside then. Nine-forty, when the bus comes?"
"Nine-forty."
Ari ended the call and collapsed backward onto his bed. Sweet relief flooded through him. *Crisis averted*
[YOU'RE A BAD INFLUENCE ON HARUTO]
[MAKING YOUR FRIEND SKIP CLASS]
[SHAME ON YOU HOST]
[AND ON THE SECOND DAY OF SCHOOL]
"Class isn't my priority right now. Basketball is."
[YOUR SCHOLARSHIP MIGHT DISAGREE]
[BUT THE GEAR AGREES WITH THIS]
To pass time, Ari thought about curry rice. The easiest belly filling thing for a lone boy living in a dorm house, hostel or whatever. And this particular lone boy could cook, well enough that he wasn't helpless. His mother certainly saw to that.
He had little reason to when he was at home. A few times for some hours Ari would be the only one in his house. He guessed.....the fact that his parents trusted him that much was a sign? A sign of his maturity.
Yes, he remembered this: chopping vegetables, measuring rice, stirring the pot. The smell filled the room...more like an apartment. Steamy and tongue rattling.
Then the system interface appeared, and Ari's brief moment of peace evaporated.
[DAILY QUESTS AVAILABLE]
He groaned immediately, knowing whatever appeared would be another hell he had to endure to get more skill points.
[QUEST 1: CALORIC INTAKE]
[CONSUME 10,000 CALORIES TODAY]
[REWARD: 10 SKILL POINTS]
[QUEST 2: STRENGTH TRAINING]
[SPEND 30 MINUTES IN THE GYM WORKING OUT]
[REWARD: 10 SKILL POINTS]
[QUEST 3: EXPLOSIVE SPEED]
[SPRINT TOP SPEED FOR 40 YARDS]
[REPETITIONS: 10]
[REWARD: 10 SKILL POINTS]
Ari stared at them.... Meh sure, they weren't too difficult.....
......ahh... But Quest 1... Quest 1
"Ten thousand calories?!" His voice cracked. "That's what you want me....ME to eat?!"
[YOUR BODY REQUIRES SIGNIFICANT FUEL]
[YOU ARE UNDERWEIGHT]
[YOUR NICKNAME KS LITERALLY TWIG BOY. THAT IS WHAT THEY CALL HIM]
[TRAINING DEMANDS ENERGY]
[10,000 CALORIES WILL SUPPORT GROWTH]
Ari paused. Dropping the bowl he wanted to use for his rice on a wooden table. Then his hands rested on the table as if to process this .....this ridiculous Quest the system just gave him.
"There is no way I can eat that much. My stomach isn't even big enough to take that amount of abuse."
[DRAMATIC]
"I'm serious!", AriToru was serious indeed. He gestured frantically with his large hands. "And I don't even know how to make food that calorie-dense. I don't have enough money to order from the cafeteria."
[THE GEAR DOES NOT ADJUST QUESTS]
[ACCEPT OR DECLINE PALE BOY]
[YOUR CHOICE]
Ari paced his small room. His mind was active. Looking for a way to go around this. The other two quests were achievable. Together they'd give him twenty skill points. That was good enough....right.
But thirty points total if he could somehow complete all three...
He stopped pacing. Looked at the ingredients his mother had packed. Looked at his reflection in the window—pale, thin, ribs visible through his shirt.
Then....
Then He ....... Ari dropped to the floor and started doing push-ups.
One two
One two
One....two
[WHAT ARE YOU DOING]
"If I'm going to eat like a sumo wrestler," Ari grunted, "I might as well tire myself out first." His hands bent as he did another push up. "Work up an appetite you know."
He managed twenty push-ups before his arms trembled and gave out. He collapsed, catching his breath on the rug. His arms felt sore already.
[PATHETIC]
[TWENTY PUSH-UPS]
[A CHILD COULD OUTPERFORM YOU]
"Spare me that bullshit," Ari gasped massaging his triceps.
He stood, moved to his ingredient stockpile, and surveyed what he had to work with.
Lets see.....Lots of protein—beef, tofu, eggs, fish. Rice. Vegetables. His mother had packed enough to last several weeks. Well...now that insane amount of food would come in handy.
His fists clenched and he gave out an exhale. He was building his determination to get those darn 10 skill points.
"System", He said louder, "Tell me what to make. And how to make it."
[RECIPE GUIDANCE ACTIVATED]
[BREAKFAST: ULTRA-DENSE PROTEIN MEAL]
[EGG FRIED RICE: 4 CUPS COOKED RICE, 6 EGGS]
[BEEF CURRY: 500G BEEF, HEAVY CURRY SAUCE, ADDITIONAL 4 EGGS]
[LIGHTLY COOKED NAMERO: 300G FISH, LIGHTLY COOKED]
[ESTIMATED CALORIES = 4,200]
Ari looked at the quantities the system was showing him Then at his stomach. Then back at the orange blue translucent message, then to his stomach again.
He coughed. "Yeah there's no way all that will fit inside me."
[YOUR STOMACH WILL EXPAND]
[YOUR BODY IS ADAPTABLE TORU ARI]
[START COOKING]
"I don't even—I've never made portions this large. What if I mess it up? What if—"
[COOKING IS CHEMISTRY]
[FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS PRECISELY]
[YOU'RE INTELLIGENT ENOUGH]
For a brief moment, Ari thought about refusing. Just doing the other two quests. Accepting the smaller reward.
But his pride... Him, refuse a quest?
"Fine," he said, pulling out the largest pot his mother gave him. "Time to cook like a madman. System, tell me what to do."
[STEP 1: PREPARE RICE]
[4 CUPS UNCOOKED RICE]
[WATER RATIO: 1:1.5]
[COOK TIME: 20 MINUTES]
Ari measured the rice veeery carefully, his large tendrils were steady despite the absurdity of what he was attempting.
[STEP 2: PREPARE BEEF]
[CUT INTO SMALLER PIECES]
"Wait", Ari paused while holding the knife. "Why smaller pieces?"
[FASTER TO COOK AND EASIER TO DIGEST]
Therefore Ari fell into rhythm: slice slice, cube, set aside.
slice slice, cube, set aside
The beef piled up on his cutting board. It literally piled up.
"Ugh...this is so ridiculous."
[STEP 3: CURRY SAUCE]
[HEAVY ON OIL AND SPICES]
[CALORIC DENSITY]
[DO NOT SKIMP]
The sauce came together in his second pot rich, dark, smelling incredible. Ari added the beef, let it simmer, stirring occasionally. It was so thick he actively had to apply more power to the wooden stirer spoon. So much MEAT.
[STEP 4: EGGS]
[SCRAMBLE 6 FOR FRIED RICE]
[BOIL 4 FOR CURRY]
[PROTEIN IS PRIORITY]
[NOW THR NAMERO]
By the time everything finished cooking, Ari's small room smelled like a restaurant. He plated the food, Plates plural, because one wasn't enough.
The egg fried rice was fluffy and golden, studded with vegetables. The beef curry was thick and aromatic, the meat tender, the hard-boiled eggs adding texture. The namoro fish was soft more brown.
It looked incredible. Smelled divine. And there was so much of it.
Ari sat down at his small table, he was holding the fork and the knife like twin blades of a samurai.
Then he began Eating.
The first ten minutes were pleasant. The food was genuinely good...he'd cooked well. The flavors balanced, the textures varied enough to stay interesting.
The next ten minutes became challenging. His stomach started feeling full, sending signals that perhaps he'd had enough.
Ari ignored those signals and kept EATING.
Just dumping everything in his mouth.
By minute twenty-five, he was forcing it down. Each bite was a battle in itself. He drank water between mouthfuls, trying to help the food settle, make room for more.
Minute thirty: he finished. The plates were clean. His stomach was distended, pressing against his shirt, uncomfortable but not painful.
He sat back, breathing carefully through his nose, hands on his belly. "I did it."
"I_", Burp."_I did it".
[QUEST COMPLETE: CALORIC INTAKE]
[4200 CALORIES CONSUMED]
[CALORIC INTAKE: 4,200/10,000]
[42% COMPLETE]
"I feel like I'm going to die," Ari groaned.
[YOU WON'T]
[YOUR METABOLISM IS EXTREMELY FAST]
[BY 9:40 YOU WILL BE MOBILE]
The time was 8:40 AM. Ari laid motionless on his bed, wondering if he'd made a terrible mistake.
9:40 AM arrived, and the system had been correct.
Ari felt full *still definitely full* but he could move again. He'd visited the bathroom once, his body processed such a large amount of food extremely quickly.
So this was....*Fast Metabolism*
His stomach had settled to a manageable discomfort rather than the bloated agony of an hour ago.
He dressed carefully: tracksuit pants, an all-black t-shirt with cobweb designs printed across the chest and the Yoshimura jacket hung around his shoulders rather than worn properly. His black hair fell across his forehead in its usual messy arrangement. With those Dark Big feline eyes finally awake.
He left his room and locked the door.