It was always said that to be the best, one had to be capable of enduring the worst.
Jackson was one of the many fighters who had taken refuge in martial arts to bury his fears and weaknesses. Because of that, at fifteen years old, he probably became the best fighter in his category.
He had won everything—from official tournaments to illegal competitions, which were his favorites.
But due to his most recent problems, he was thinking about retiring completely from his daily training. All of this, which once fueled his passion, had brought him more bad than good.
His master even recommended it, not in those exact words, but he advised him to start fighting for something that truly mattered to him, and only then did Jackson realize that all this time he had been trapped in a meaningless bubble.
He hadn't noticed that because he lost his parents at such a young age, he focused so much on fighting that it became most of what he had in life.
Now that he was in another city, Jackson opened his eyes. He asked himself many questions he had never considered before, and he wondered if maybe it was time to leave fighting behind.
All that rage that consumed him as a child after losing his parents had been soothed thanks to Karate. From that, he found his way into martial arts and learned things that others took decades to understand.
Even so, the negative fame he carried made him see the path of peace after his last official tournament, where his opponents were afraid of him.
"The Crusher… what an unpleasant nickname…" Jackson was sitting in the passenger seat of a car heading to West Valley High, where he would study from now on.
An older man with long hair beside him—whose healthy appearance in his sixties stood out—glanced at his young nephew, who was trying hard to keep a low profile. "Are you afraid someone will recognize you here?"
"Martial arts have been in decline, even more in this country. There are only a few dojos around here—I checked thoroughly." Jackson looked up at his uncle Terry, who had recommended he study here.
"I'm sure no one cares who you are. Normal kids your age spend their time playing video games or doing extracurricular activities." Terry had changed a lot from who he once was, and because of that, he respected Jackson's decision to stay away from competitions indefinitely.
Both he and Jackson had gone through difficult times and dedicated all their time to combat sports, where, ironically, neither made good decisions.
Now that Jackson had changed his mindset, he needed a place where martial arts weren't well known.
But recently, after researching this place that brought back many memories, Terry learned that the famous tournament his former student once won still existed.
"Find yourself a new girlfriend—someone who can see your good side. Living here is a good decision for you. I'll come visit when I'm back from my business trip." Terry smiled lightly, then handed him a wallet with cards and some cash.
Jackson took it with a calm expression. He wasn't a child who couldn't take care of himself, and it wasn't surprising that he would live here alone in a new place. Most of the time, Terry was away on business, so Jackson was usually taken to tournaments by an assistant appointed by his uncle.
He was used to being alone—with his own mind and his own inner demons, which until recently were the ones making decisions for him in the tournaments.
"Well, see you later, Uncle." Jackson got out of the car, said goodbye, and walked along the outskirts of the school, trying to get familiar with the area before classes started.
"I left some vehicles at home. Use them however you like, just be careful—and don't forget to use protection." Terry drove away without looking back. He didn't want to stay in that place any longer.
Both he and his nephew had their own demons, each with their own problems—some more serious than others. He hoped that somehow, Jackson would be the one to change his circumstances.
"He's still on about that?" Jackson muttered as he walked across the grounds of the school he would attend from now on.
He didn't know if he would go to college, but he at least wanted to spend some time studying, socializing more, and hopefully finding some meaning in his life.
"Hi!"
Jackson, who had been wandering aimlessly for too long, heard a friendly greeting, and when he turned around, he found himself looking into the eyes of a girl.
"Are you touring the school?"
"Yes, just now…" Jackson, who lately only talked to his master, uncle, and a few distant friends, felt a bit nervous. After all, conversations with other people had become uncomfortable.
But his discomfort didn't matter to the girl calling him, and she said, "I'm Devon. I'm here helping the new students who are visiting the school before classes begin. Do you want me to show you around?"
"I wouldn't mind, but why are you doing this?" Jackson thought no one besides authorized staff would be here.
Devon gave a small smile and said, "It's like an extracurricular activity… well, sort of. The debate club I joined recently opened this activity to help guide new students and recruit new members."
"Isn't it boring?" Jackson wouldn't waste time on things like this.
"Well, it is, but if we do it, they gift us any new books we choose. And since I don't feel like spending money on books I'm interested in, I think it's a fair trade for helping with this."
Jackson smiled. This was the first time in a long while that someone didn't look at him and judge him instantly. It felt good not to be the center of people's negativity.
"By the way, you haven't told me your name or what grade you'll be entering." Devon walked with Jackson toward the direction he had been going.
"I'm Jackson. I'll be starting my first year of high school when vacation ends. Honestly, I hope I can adapt. I hope I don't fall behind."
"It sucks starting over, but you look like you're from a wealthy family, so that should be the least of your problems." Devon glanced at Jackson with a hint of envy, then pushed the thought away.
With a calm expression, Jackson asked, "So, will you tell me about the school?"
"Well, if that's what you want… West Valley High School is one of the biggest high schools in San Fernando Valley, California. The mascot is the cougar, and the colors are orange and blue, which I hate, but that doesn't matter."
Jackson listened with interest to everything Devon told him and soon realized that this girl was nothing like others. She spoke clearly, had a bad temper, but was pleasant in her own way.
She reminded him a bit of Mia. To him, it was sad how things ended in New York…
But he wasn't a fairy godmother to fix people's lives, and he didn't want the burden of hurting others because of him.
"What other sports are there?"
"Soccer, although at our age getting into contact sports is boring, so I recommend the debate club—you release more adrenaline there than in any fight." Devon was confident in her words and hoped to recruit Jackson for the club.
"Does it help you if I join with your invitation?"
"Yes, I get points."
"Then, where do I sign?"