Ryu looked at his status in confusion…
His abilities, they’ve skyrocketed to unreal proportions.
Now most of them were in the double digits.
‘Ive even gotten a new skill called hand to hand combat too?’ The Overcome skill was now granting him abilities that aren’t purely for the sake of improving his physique…
Combat skills were rather abstract, but now he possesed it.
However something else was bothering him greatly…
‘My height, age and physicality…
They’re just a bunch of question marks…’ He looked at his panel in confusion.
Was this some sort of glitch?
He couldn’t dwell on it for now.
He then turns to Hiroki…
“I’m sorry for eating your lunch, I couldn’t control myself…” Ryu admitted.
He didn’t know what else to say.
Hiroki stared for a moment, before sighing: “It’s no problem…
You look like shit by the way.” Hiroki laughed.
“I feel like it too…” Ryu said, before rising to his feet.
As he did so, he felt exhaustion throughout his body still, as well as the hunger: ‘Something…
Something’s wrong with me…
My hunger isn’t quelling…’
Not only that, he could feel his muscles spasming in protest from the earlier accumulated onslaught: ‘What else could I expect?’ He silently chided himself, adding: “Hiroki…
I think I’m gonna ditch class for the day,I need to rest…”
Hiroki nodded: “If you’re still thinkin’ about class after what you just went through…
I’d be wondering if I really was a prodigy.”
However, Ryu didn’t respond…
Hiroki then raised a brown, before turning towards the youth: “Hmm…
He’s fast asleep…” Hiroki realized: “Welp…
I might as well stay nearby…”
.
.
.
Ryu slowly opened his eyes once more…
The first thing he noticed was that the sky had begun changing colors.
The second was Hiroki sitting nearby, leaning against a tree with his arms folded.
“You’re awake.”
Ryu blinked a few times before slowly sitting up.
His entire body still felt exhausted, but the overwhelming hunger from before had dulled somewhat.
“…Hiroki.”
“Hm?”
“Thanks.”
Hiroki looked at him for a moment before waving his hand dismissively, blushing: “I-It’s fine…
You would’ve probably collapsed somewhere else if I hadn’t stayed.”
Ryu gave a small, tired smile.
“Still…
Thanks.”
He slowly pushed himself onto his feet, his legs wobbling slightly: “I should probably head home.”
Hiroki nodded, but before Ryu could leave, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small card: “Here.”
Ryu caught it.
He looked down at it curiously.
“…What’s this?”
“My boxing gym.”
Ryu looked back at Hiroki.
Hiroki scratched the back of his head before continuing: “You’ve got talent.
Don’t waste it.
Come by sometime.
You can learn properly there.”
Ryu glanced down at the card again: ‘A boxing gym, huh…’
He slipped it into his pocket: “…I’ll think about it.”
“You should.” Hiroki gave him a confident grin, continuing: “You can get a lot stronger there.”
Ryu nodded before turning around: “See ya, Hiroki.” Giving his farewells for the day.
“Yeah.” Was all Hiroki could say.
Ryu eventually disappeared from sight.
Hiroki remained where he was, staring in the direction Ryu had gone.
His expression gradually became serious: ‘…I’ve been slacking.’
He looked down at his own hands.
Watching Ryu improve right in front of him had stirred something that he hadn’t felt in a while.
Motivation…
‘That guy was barely able to fight me when we first met.’
And that wasn’t even the most ridiculous part: ‘If I keep slacking off, he’s going to catch up.’ Hiroki felt that was a guarantee…
However, a grin slowly appeared on his face…
“Well…”
Hiroki clenched his fist, staring at his calloused knuckles: “Looks like I’ve gotten some well needed motivation again.”
.
.
.
By the time Ryu reached home, his steps had become noticeably slower.
His head felt strangely light.
‘Why am I…
so dizzy…?’ He placed a hand against the wall for support…
His body felt, weirdly weak.
Not injured.
Not exactly sickly either…
Just…
Empty…
‘Maybe…
I’m still hungry…?
That was the only explanation he could think of.
Ryu quickly made his way toward the kitchen and began opening cupboards.
“A-Anything…”
He grabbed whatever food he could find.
It didn’t matter what it was.
He ate.
Then found something else.
He ate that too.
His body seemed to accept everything he gave it without complaint.
‘This hunger…
is *Huff*….
getting, ridiculous…’
Ryu continued eating until he finally felt his body settle down.
Only then did he realize how tired he truly was.
He leaned against the kitchen counter, staring blankly ahead.
‘Something’s definitely happening to my body.’
He didn’t know what.
But whatever Overcome was doing…
It was changing him.
And apparently, it needed a lot of fuel to do it.
…
The Next Day~
Ryu didn’t come to school.
Hiroki noticed almost immediately.
He glanced toward the classroom door.
‘He’s late.’
A few minutes passed.
Then ten.
Still nothing.
Hiroki frowned.
“Hey.”
One of his friends looked over: “What’s up?”
“By any chance…
Did you see the new kid today?” Hiroki asked.
“Ryu?”
“Yeah.” Hiroki confirmed.
His friend shrugged: ‘Nah.
Haven’t seen him.”
Hiroki’s expression darkened slightly: ‘…Don’t tell me.’
He remembered Ryu’s condition when he left yesterday…
The way he was practically fighting to stand upwards.
The way he’d looked completely exhausted: ‘Maybe I shouldn’t have let him go home alone.’
Hiroki shook the thought away: ‘No…
He’s probably just still resting.’
But Ryu didn’t come the following day either.
Or the day after that.
Then another.
Before Hiroki knew it, an entire week had passed.
Two weeks.
Hiroki sat in class, staring blankly at his desk: ‘…I might’ve seriously messed up.’
The thought had been bothering him for days: ‘I should’ve made sure he got home safely.’
For all he knew, Ryu could’ve collapsed somewhere on the way home.
Worse…
‘What if I actually killed him?’
Hiroki’s expression became increasingly grim.
His friends had noticed too.
“Hey, Hiroki.”
“Hm?”
“Why do you keep asking about that new kid?”
Hiroki didn’t answer.
He’d been asking about Ryu every single day…
For two weeks straight…
Then-
“Wait.” Another student suddenly looked toward the doorway…
“Isn’t that him?”
Hiroki’s head snapped up: “What?”
He immediately stood up, asking: “Where!?”
His friends stared at him, with one saying: “Uh…
outside.”
Hiroki was already moving.
…
He rushed out of the classroom and into the hallway, looking around frantically.
‘Where is he!?’
Until, he eventually spotted him…
Ryu…!
Standing further down the corridor.
Hiroki found himself stopping…
“…”
Something was different…
Very different…
Ryu looked a bit taller.
Maybe around 174 or 175 centimeters now…
More importantly, the skinny frame Hiroki remembered was gone.
Ryu’s body had filled out considerably over those 2 weeks he’d disappear in.
He no longer looked like some fragile twig that could be blown away by the wind.
He looked, healthier…
No…
Stronger.
Like an ordinary high-school student his age.
And yet there was something else about him.
Something Hiroki couldn’t quite put his finger on…
Ryu noticed him staring: “Oh.”
He smiled, greeting: “Uh…
What’s up, Hiroki?”
Hiroki stared at him: “Long time no see.”
His eyes moved over Ryu’s body.
Then back to his face…
Realizing that he didn’t even look the same as he did those weeks ago either.
He changed in every aspect…
“…What happened to you?” Hiroki couldn’t help but ask this very question.
This wasn’t the same guy he had caught three weeks ago.
Ryu’s smile became slightly awkward: “Haha…
That’s a pretty long story.”
Hiroki’s eyes narrowed: “Then tell me.” He said with a level of adamance: “All I have is time…”
Ryu sighed: “Ah…
Alright.” He then glanced toward the cafeteria: “…Let’s just talk over lunch.”
Hiroki quickly nodded: “…Fine.”
…
Neither of them knew it yet, but those two weeks Ryu had spent away from school, had changed far more than just his appearance…
.
.
.
End