The courtyard felt smaller.
Too small.
Kaito stood in the center, facing the second-year who called him out.
The guy was bigger.
Wider shoulders.
More confident.
More experienced.
Kaito's hands trembled slightly.
Not from weakness.
From reality.
This wasn't training.
This was a real fight.
The Pressure
"Fight already!" someone shouted.
Students gathered quickly.
A circle formed.
Takumi, Hiroki, Keisuke, and Shun stood at the edge.
None of them stepped in.
Hiroki crossed his arms.
"Don't interfere."
Shun nodded.
"He needs this."
James stood behind them, silent.
Watching.
The First Move
The second-year smirked.
"So you're the guy acting tough now?"
Kaito swallowed.
"I'm not trying to—"
"Shut up."
The guy rushed forward.
FAST.
Faster than Kaito expected.
A punch flew straight toward his face.
Kaito panicked—
He blocked.
Barely.
The impact slammed into his arms.
"Ghk—!"
Pain shot through his forearms.
Too heavy.
Too strong.
Before he could recover—
Another punch.
Then another.
Kaito stepped back clumsily.
His rhythm broke instantly.
Training vs Reality
In training, everything was controlled.
Measured.
Predictable.
But here—
There was no pause.
No warning.
No mercy.
The second-year grabbed Kaito's collar.
Pulled him forward—
And slammed a knee into his stomach.
"UGH—!"
Kaito's breath vanished.
His body folded.
The crowd reacted.
"Damn…"
"He's getting destroyed…"
The Fall
Kaito hit the ground.
Hard.
His vision blurred.
His chest burned.
His ears rang.
From the outside—
It looked like he didn't belong there.
Like he never should've stepped in.
Voices
"…Get up."
Kaito blinked.
Takumi's voice.
"…Don't rush."
Hiroki's voice.
"…Watch his movement."
Keisuke.
"…Breathe, idiot!"
Shun.
Kaito clenched his teeth.
Right.
Training.
Think.
Not panic.
Second Round
The second-year cracked his neck.
"Pathetic."
He walked forward again.
This time—
Kaito didn't rush.
Didn't panic.
The punch came again.
Kaito moved.
Small step.
Side.
Guard tight.
The punch grazed past him.
Not perfect.
But—
He didn't get hit clean.
Hiroki smirked slightly.
"There it is."
First Counter
The second-year frowned.
"Oh? Lucky."
He swung again.
Kaito blocked—
Then remembered something.
Step.
Twist.
Hit.
His fist shot forward—
Not strong.
Not fast.
But accurate.
It landed lightly on the opponent's chest.
A small sound.
Tap.
The crowd went quiet.
"…He hit him."
Kaito froze.
He actually landed something.
Reality Hits Back
The second-year's expression changed.
"...You think that did something?"
Before Kaito could react—
BAM.
A clean punch landed on his cheek.
His head snapped sideways.
Pain exploded.
He fell again.
Harder this time.
Almost Broken
Kaito lay on the ground.
Everything hurt.
His body screamed.
His mind screamed louder.
I can't win…
I'm not ready…
I'm still weak…
The second-year walked closer.
"Stay down."
Silence.
The Choice
Kaito's fingers twitched.
Slowly—
He pushed himself up.
Shaking.
Unstable.
But standing.
"I'm… not done."
The courtyard froze.
Takumi nodded slightly.
"…Good."
A Small Awakening
The second-year rushed again.
This time—
Kaito focused.
Not on fear.
Not on winning.
Just on one thing.
Movement.
The punch came.
Kaito stepped.
Pivot.
Cleaner than before.
Then—
He remembered Takumi's words.
Power comes from form.
Kaito twisted his body—
And threw a punch.
Technique Born
It wasn't perfect.
It wasn't strong.
But it had structure.
It had intention.
His first real technique.
"Basic Counter Strike."
THUD.
The punch landed.
This time—
The second-year stepped back slightly.
Not hurt.
But surprised.
"…Huh."
End of the Fight
The second-year exhaled.
Then smirked.
"Alright… that's enough."
Kaito blinked.
"…What?"
"You're still weak," he said. "But you've got guts."
He turned around.
"Next time, I won't go easy."
Then he walked away.
Just like that.
The fight ended.
Aftermath
Kaito collapsed to his knees.
Breathing hard.
Sweat dripping.
Body shaking.
He didn't win.
He didn't lose completely either.
He survived.
Acknowledgment
Takumi walked over.
"…You did better than expected."
Hiroki grinned.
"You didn't cry. That's improvement."
Shun laughed.
"You even landed a hit! Legendary!"
Keisuke nodded.
"You adapted mid-fight. That matters."
James stood in front of Kaito.
"…Now you understand."
Kaito looked up.
"…Yeah."
Training…
Was nothing like real fighting.
Final Moment
From the second floor—
Someone was watching.
Ren Ishikawa.
Arms crossed.
Eyes calm.
"…He stood back up."
A small pause.
"…Interesting."
Then he turned and walked away.
Kaito sat there, bruised and exhausted.
But inside—
Something had changed.
Not confidence.
Not strength.
Something smaller.
But real.
He had taken his first step.