In this era where no word can better describe the social form than reality itself, helping each other is both a science and an art. There are often more things involved in the decision to help or not than simply making the choice to do it.
"If I help you, you think I pity you and you get angry… If I don't, you'll think I'm too arrogant and that I don't consider you enough, someone without feelings." Jackson murmured as he slowly walked along the edge of the street.
Jackson eventually chose a random place to eat; there was no need to think about it as if he were choosing a place to eat with his girlfriend.
Unlike all the young people his age, Jackson didn't want to think about girls when his relationship with Mia was still unresolved. Being or pretending to protect someone else was a feeling he didn't want to experience without having closed his past.
He was also realistic; there were few girls interested in falling in love with someone as unique as Jackson.
Besides, if for some reason what happened in New York were to leak, few girls his age would be prepared for something like that, and Jackson wanted zero drama in this new city.
Although it wasn't impossible, he had other plans.
"Good morning…" Jackson opened the door of a small café and decided to sit near the television to at least watch something entertaining while he had lunch.
In recent days, Jackson had felt a bit distracted, and the things he had been doing were very routine. Since it was summer vacation, he didn't want to leave the city because classes were close to resuming.
He knew that if he hung out with Ryan things would get out of control, so for now he avoided visiting him.
Besides, he generally didn't go out partying while in New York, since his uncle worked and he was always training. That was the deal he made with his uncle so he wouldn't make decisions for him.
"Welcome, here's the menu, I'll be back in a moment!" said a young waitress as she handed Jackson the menu.
On the menu Jackson saw many dishes and thought carefully about what he wanted. At the same time, he listened to the background news playing on the establishment's television.
"While in China children train martial arts from a young age, in the United States youth interest falls in front of video games."
"In a brief report broadcast this morning by several national news channels, a curiosity that caught the attention of sports analysts was highlighted: the contrast between the disciplined martial arts training in China and the decline of interest in these practices among American youth."
"In cities like Shaolin, Henan, or in sports academies in Beijing and Guangdong, thousands of children begin their martial arts training at the age of 4 or 5. Their routines include stretching, strength exercises, traditional kung-fu practice, and precision training designed to develop discipline, coordination, and endurance. For many, these schools represent not only a sport, but a way of life that fosters commitment and physical culture from childhood."
"In comparison, the report notes that in the United States the number of youth registrations in disciplines such as karate, taekwondo, or jiu-jitsu has shown a slight decline in recent years. Experts attribute this trend to the rise of video games, digital entertainment, and sedentary lifestyles, which increasingly take up more time in teenagers' routines."
"Although the UFC and other professional leagues have boosted interest in combat sports at the adult level, analysts highlight that the main challenge is inspiring the new generations again."
"Martial arts teach discipline, self-control, and physical health. The challenge is reconnecting young people with those values in a world dominated by screens."
"Sounds bad…" Jackson muttered as he thought more than he perceived.
"It's not as bad as you say, kid. Even if millions train, we have the champions of the most important professional fighting leagues."
"That's true."
"You're right, Mr. Smith, but video games are becoming more and more popular among young people." The waitress approached Jackson and smiled kindly: "Have you already thought about what to order?"
Jackson smiled quietly, tapped the menu with his hands and said, "A chicken baguette and a cup of coffee, please."
The waitress nodded and said, "I'll bring it to you as soon as possible, I'll be back in a minute."
Jackson nodded in response. After the waitress left, he thought: "The best martial arts competitions are abroad, maybe that's also the problem."
There was no legal competition that surpassed the illegal ones, at least not within reach of everyone who trained martial arts.
For an ordinary person, training to be better is a waste of time. If you dedicate your attention to martial arts it's to reach the UFC, boxing, or jiu-jitsu competitions, but few can afford to dream.
Most of them turn to illegal fights and that's where they realize they're not as good as they thought.
Jackson had met many boys his age like that—arrogant, conceited, and confident—but in the end, they all fell at his hands.
One of them was the reason Jackson moved to another city.
But the real reason young people aren't interested is simply because there is no need.
The comforts around everyone were so many that adults forgot their obligation to guide young people in these aspects and educate them to understand that the rewards they would obtain are more than just knowing how to defend themselves.
Discipline, education, and culture—something they sadly didn't have.
Jackson could have been just another one if it weren't for his obsession with martial arts after he lost his parents.
"It doesn't matter if they learn or not, the system will defend them as adults." Jackson murmured, earning looks of disgust from the older people in the place.
That was his fame: earning enemies.
Many even came to hate him extremely, attending each of his fights hoping he would be knocked out and erase the undefeated streak he had.
But that was impossible, since Jackson was either disqualified or simply won the match.
He had never lost before; defeat did not exist in his history.
"[In more recent news, the Sekai Taikai tournament will open its doors in the coming years, where the best martial artists from their respective countries will participate for supremacy in the world of contact sports!
The previous tournament was won by China, who has remained undefeated in the championship since a young man from the West joined a martial arts school and brought them the trophies of two championships.]"
"You see, that boy must be American, look closely." An old man who had forgotten that the boy represented China openly mocked Jackson.
Jackson, on the other hand, was surprised. He didn't expect to hear so many things about martial arts on television, at least not here, since tournaments like those were not broadcast in the West.
"That doesn't mean anything, they've been better in that aspect for a long time anyway."
"It's what I always say, if there were a war without weapons, the Chinese and Russians would beat us badly. Nowadays in our country, if they're not asexual, you see men kissing each other in public, disgusting." A man with a military cap said these words while drinking his cup of coffee.
"Maybe the Chinese are better at fighting in general, but it's impossible for a fight to be exhibited that way. But it's still a shame; my daughter says she's a lesbian, I don't know anymore if young people believe in Jesus." A man in his fifties responded to the man who had just expressed his comments.
The elders had some reason; Jackson didn't understand how, day by day, people were becoming weaker. Not only that, their mindset of always staying strong weakened as time passed.
In ancient times, every man had an athletic body since their teenage years and focused on staying in good shape. Nowadays, good habits were disappearing, which was leading them into an era of downfall.
"Here is your chicken baguette and your cup of coffee. Call me if you need more coffee." The waitress pulled Jackson out of his thoughts.
"Thank you very much." Jackson said as his cellphone received a message.
The food didn't taste good to him, even if it was delicious. Jackson thought only about things that put him in a bad mood.
After finishing his lunch, Jackson didn't want to stay in that place any longer and prepared to go shopping before returning home. He hadn't gone out to buy anything since he moved, so he wanted to fill all the empty inventories since he wouldn't be able to do it when classes resumed.
Returning by the closest path home, he made a stop at a supermarket to buy some things he urgently needed. The art of buying had to be logical and very balanced, at least if you had a short budget.
If it was food for a week or even several, canned food was a good option, since both Jackson and his sensei usually cooked it quickly and without any problem. After that, a few packages of rice, soup, and many canned goods that wouldn't spoil even if months passed without touching them on the shelves.
"I should get some ice cream, let's give ourselves luxuries we didn't consider before." Jackson had already filled one cart with things and returned for another. The second round of shopping was his favorite because he could buy anything he wanted.
These were the small luxuries he could afford with the credit card his uncle had prepared for him, so he bought some boxes of chocolate, 90% cocoa, and many boxes of ice cream, dried fruits, and of course chips.
"Hey, idiot, I told you to stop following me!" shouted a female voice that caught Jackson's attention.
"Is a girl being harassed?" Jackson hesitated for a few seconds before moving his cart toward where he had heard the voice to see what it was about.