The rest of the night passed in a blur of punches, ragged breathing, and accumulating pain. I lost count after the first few hundred.
My arms burned, my knuckles were numb, and every muscle screamed at me to stop, but Tenzin showed not even a trace of compassion.
—Don't think too much. Your body needs to memorize it.
By the time I finally returned home, the sky was already beginning to lighten. I collapsed onto my bed just minutes before the alarm rang.
I got up clumsily, took a cold shower to clear my head, and got ready for school as if nothing extraordinary had happened the night before.
As I walked, my body felt heavy but different. It was as if something inside me was still moving, a constant current that refused to fade.
"How much longer…?"
The System hadn't appeared since the last mission. "If I'm not mistaken, there are still a few weeks left before the mission deadline closes. What kind of rewards will come next? Considering everything so far, I can't help but feel a mix of anticipation and nervousness. Whatever they give me…"
I was so lost in my thoughts that I almost tripped over someone sitting right in the middle of the sidewalk.
—Hey— I said, stopping abruptly.
It was Aoi Iwagami. She was sitting on the ground with her back against a wall, calmly eating a stuffed bread.
—What are you doing there? Classes are about to start.
She looked at me with her mouth full and, without a shred of embarrassment, shouted back with her mouth still stuffed.
—Because I got locked out of my house and I can't get in!
I blinked.
—Ah… sorry. I didn't know.
I turned to continue on my way.
—Wait!— she called from behind.
I stopped.
—Since I'm already out, come eat with me. If I go alone, I'll get bored.
—No thanks, I'm already late— I replied immediately.
—Perfect— she said with a smile as she stood up.
Before I could react, she grabbed my arm and dragged me along with her. I tried to pull free several times, but Aoi was surprisingly strong.
—It'll just be eating!
That "just eating" turned into the entire day.
We ended up skipping classes, went to the movies, ate at a small place near the station, and then spent hours at an internet café playing video games—things I hadn't touched since I was a kid.
At some point, I stopped resisting. Aoi talked nonstop, laughed loudly, and acted as if she had known me my whole life.
As evening fell and the sun began to set, while we were walking, I decided to ask her.
—Hey, how did you lose your keys?— I said, now more at ease.
Aoi stopped moving. The silence was immediate and heavy. She looked down, squeezing the empty drink container in her hand, and didn't answer.
There was no need to press further. The way she avoided the question told me everything.
—You… ran away from home?— I asked carefully.
She didn't look up. She neither denied nor confirmed it.
—Aoi…
At that moment, a boy ran past us, nearly colliding with us. Seconds later, a woman burst out of a nearby shop, shouting.
—Hey! That kid robbed my store!
Aoi reacted before I did. She grabbed my arm tightly.
—Let's go!
We chased him into an old residential area, filled with rundown apartments and narrow streets.
The boy kept looking back until he tripped and fell to the ground, money flying everywhere and scattering across the pavement.
Aoi arrived first and grabbed him by the shirt, lifting him up with ease.
—You'd better brace yourself, because I'm going to drag you back to that shop with a beating,— she said with a dangerous smile.
—P-please… I need the money for my grandmother!