Before I could even instinctively turn around, I already knew who was shouting at me. I felt a strong slap on my back followed by a tight grip on my shoulder. I lowered my head, knowing exactly who it was.
— Good morning, Kaito! You left very early last night, I couldn't even say goodbye.
"Takeru Tomizawa, a classmate of mine since preschool, son of the owner of the company where my parents work, and a bastard as long as I can remember. Because of him, I've been harassed relentlessly all these years." I swallowed as usual and looked at him.
—Hello, Tomizawa… Sorry, I wasn't feeling very well yesterday— I said with the most forced smile possible.
—That's really a shame. Some friends and I were waiting for you. Well, if you want to make it up to me today, come to the usual place during recess. You already know what food I like— Tomizawa said as he let go of me without even looking and continued on his way.
I sighed with relief and exhaustion. Still, I continued on my way. When I entered my classroom, everything was as usual: student noise and the teacher still hadn't arrived. I crossed the classroom toward my seat, the second-to-last one in the back row.
I sat down and, taking advantage of the teacher's absence, leaned back, trying to recover some sleep from the previous night.
While I stared out the window, I got lost in my thoughts. "Myths and legends… do they really exist? Both fantastic animals and gods. How did they manage to make humanity live ignoring those facts? However, if legends about them still exist, it means they didn't manage to hide completely." While I continued thinking, I felt another strong hit on my head.
—Sorry, it was an accident. The book slipped.
Seeing that it was Tomizawa again, I simply ignored him once more.
—It's fine, no problem, don't worry.
Once again, I lowered my gaze, and Tomizawa just kept chatting in the background. Classes continued normally after that, until recess.
At recess time, I headed as usual to that meeting point, the back of one of the school buildings, with several trash containers and where the sun never reached during class hours. Even though I spent so much time in that place, I don't have a single pleasant memory of it.
Even knowing this, I headed there, to meet Tomizawa and his friends.
"I almost forgot. He'd be extremely angry if I forgot to bring him food, though he'll be angry anyway. It'll just be one less excuse." I turned back, now heading toward the cafeteria. On the way, I ran into an elderly woman, a bit short and wearing restaurant clothes, carrying two visibly heavy bags.
—Excuse me, are you alright?— I spoke to the woman as I crouched to her height.
—Hohoho, I'm fine, young man. I've come to bring food to my son, Pig.
"Pig?! What kind of mother would call her son that?" I smiled a little at what she said.
—Please, allow me to help you— Taking one of the bags, I almost dropped it due to the weight. "Is this really just food? Is she feeding her son's entire class?"
—Are you alright, young man?— the woman looked at me clearly worried.
—N… no, don't worry, I'm fine— she smiled kindly at me, and together we walked in search of her son.
After walking for a while between classrooms, the mother recognized her son in the middle of a crowd. When I saw him, I understood why the bags were so heavy.
Pig was a guy for whom the word big fell short. He was bulky and clearly very strong. When Pig saw his mother, he pushed everyone around him aside, and they scattered, already used to the situation.
—Mom!— Pig shouted as he threw himself at his mother like a child.
The mother pushed her son away with a strong hit to his head.
—Yamada! What have I told you about being so loud in public?!— she said as she saw her son holding his head in pain.
—Sorry, mom… I got excited seeing you.
—You're shameless. If it weren't for this young man, your mother would've carried your food alone again.
The mother pointed at me, and I felt I should introduce myself.
—Nice to meet you, my name is Takeshi Kaito. I'm a third-year high school student— I bowed and stayed like that, waiting for a response.
—Thank you very much! My name is Yamada Pig. You must be incredibly strong to have carried my mother's bags, definitely worthy of a superior— he said with a big smile.
"His name really is Pig?!" I straightened up and asked him.
—Superior?
—Yes, I'm a second-year high school student.
—But you're huge!
—Hahaha, yeah, but I'm not very good at classes.
—Yamada! You need to eat quickly, I left the restaurant alone again because of you.
Both of them made space in the classroom and invited me to sit with them, which I accepted out of politeness. "I hope I can get out of this quickly. Tomizawa must already be angry waiting for me." While thinking this, I swallowed hard at the sight of the amount of food Yamada had.
—You're going to eat all that?— I asked, perplexed.
—Of course! If I don't eat this, I'll never be as strong as you and my mother… oh right, you must be hungry too, here!— Yamada said as he handed me a chicken leg bigger than my own forearm.
I took the chicken leg and stared at it, unsure how I would eat that much. "Strong, me? Just for carrying some bags?" While thinking this, the mother whispered in my ear.
—Thank you very much.
—Oh, why?— I said, openly confused.
—My Pig has never shared his food with anyone. You must have made a very good impression on him. Besides, you're the only one who hasn't treated him differently because of how he is. All the other youths around him either fear him or try to take advantage of him. That's why it puts me at ease knowing he has such a good friend like you. So, thank you very much— the mother finished speaking and continued watching her son eat.
"Me, his friend…" I thought, feeling a bit happy as I began to eat.
Without realizing it, I spent the entire recess with Yamada and his mother, and for the rest of the classes, Tomizawa didn't bother me anymore, until it was time to go home.
—Hey, Kaito!
Once again, I felt Tomizawa's arm over my shoulders.
—Hey, we waited for you the whole recess behind the school building. What happened? Why didn't you come?— he said while squeezing my shoulder tightly.
—I… I forgot. I'm sorry.
—Ohhh, really?... Fine. My friends wanted us all to have fun together. They'll give you one last chance. Tonight, in the alley near the noodle restaurant.
Tomizawa stopped walking beside me, stood in front of me, and spoke in a low voice.
—Don't you dare skip again, or I'll make sure your filthy family never sets foot in a company again.
After saying that, he started to walk away, and just when I thought it was over, he spoke again.
—Oh, I almost forgot. I'd love to play with you tonight too, but I have to go on a trip for family business. Still, my friends will take care of you while I'm gone, so don't disobey them, okay
— he said as he walked away, leaving me behind.
Standing there, powerless in the face of a clear threat, once again I could only sigh and go home.
When I arrived home, I was greeted only by the indifferent silence of my sister in the living room with the television on. Used to this, I tried to go up to my room.
—Kaito!
I stopped, surprised, and returned to the living room.
—What's wrong…?
—Yesterday we found you lying next to a homeless man. Can't you even make it home? Do you know how embarrassing it was to carry you all the way back? If you're going to keep being a nuisance, at least pass out somewhere another person can bring you from.
"She brought me home?... That's right, this morning I didn't even think about how I got to my bed."
—You're right, I'm sorry— After that, I just went up to my room, where I found Tenzin in the same position as in the morning.
—Why didn't you tell me it was my sister who brought me home?
—First of all, why would you expect me to know where you live? All the houses around here look almost the same— Tenzin said, somewhat annoyed by the question.
—That's true, but then how did you get to my house?
—I followed the girl who carried you and went in through the window.
—How did no one see you?!
—That girl just left you lying in front of the door.
I fell silent at the response and the indifference with which I was treated.
—Anyway, I don't have time for this. I have to go out.
—Where?! Weren't you going to train when you got back?
—Yes, we'll do that when I return.
—You still don't understand that every moment you waste only brings you closer to death!
—I know… but if I don't go out today, my parents won't be able to continue with their lives either.
Tenzin fell silent, seemingly understanding the situation.
—I have to go, so please understand.
—No matter what I say, you'll go anyway. So I want you to remember this: spiritual energy is when your consciousness and desires manifest in reality through spiritual energy. Understand what you want, and you'll be able to use it, at least a little.
—How am I supposed to use such a philosophical explanation?
—If you can't do it, I don't even think it's worth teaching you anything.
With just those words, all I could do was head toward the meeting, already knowing what the routine would be.