1 #1 Average
"Mom! I am going out, to play with Ren from the school." A small boy with a neat medium length black hair and with very bright green eyes said with an innocent smile, walking towards the front door with a bag over his shoulder.
"Hm? When will you come back? And why do you have that bag with you?" His mother with long black hair and sharp black eyes asked while suspiciously observing the boy.
"That? I am just taking some bottled water and the necessary equipment to play soccer! I will back before dinner!" The boy replied with a slightly confused expression.
"Hmm...Alright, make sure to stay out of the trouble! Break a leg, Yu-chan!" His mom said with a bright smile after inspecting him for the last time.
"Sure! See you later, mom!" Having his permission, boy burst to the outside while waving his hand behind at his mother.
"...This kid..." His mother was also waving until he finally disappeared a block further, she just muttered lowly with a faint smile while shaking her head before closing the door.
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The boy was called Yuichi Iwamura and he was just your average 9 years old boy going attending elementary school.
'Today is Saturday and the bright sunny Saturday at that.' Yuichi thought while looking up and shielding his eyes with his hands from the sunrays.
Yuichi's family was living on the edge of Tokyo so public transport wasn't problem here. However, instead of walking towards his friend's house, Yuichi actually went towards the bus station where he waited for the specific bus.
'...I feel really bad for lying to my mother but I know better not to tell her about "that"' Yuichi thought while waiting for the bus to arrive.
When the bus Yuichi was waiting for finally arrived, he boarded the bus and rode around 15 minutes before getting off the bus.
'This should be the place...' Yuichi thought while looking at an old building that looked to be built purely out of wood.
He was hesitating for a few seconds while listening to the birds' singing before finally taking a step forward and entering the building.
"Ah!" Yuichi's expression brightened once he saw a bald old man sitting in a cross-legged position with his eyes closed in front of a wall filled with paintings.
"Hm?" The bald old man just hummed, hearing Yuichi's arrival but he never opened his eyes to confirm if it's truly him.
"Shishō!" Yuichi said loud and clear while bowing down.
"Mm...You found me, what about your parents?" Old man nodded his head and asked without opening his eyes.
"I-..." Yuichi had his voice filled with hesitation and old man sensed it, opening his right eye, giving Yuichi a sharp look.
"I haven't told them...yet." Yuichi admitted while looking down in shame.
"And are you planning to? In a close future, that is." The old man asked while once again closing his right eye.
"Um...I was planning to do that...in the right situation." Yuichi said with an awkward smile while scratching the back of his head.
"I told you where to find me that day because I felt like you are someone worth teaching but since your parents don't know about you being here...it means that you were lying to them. Tell me, how can I just train someone who lied to their own relatives right into their eyes?" The old man asked with a completely calm tone, not letting to see in his face or tone what are his real thoughts.
"..." Yuichi looked down in shame after hearing his words but after a few seconds of silence, he raised his head with his green eyes shining brighter than ever due to the sunrays falling on his face through the old windows.
"Yes, I lied to my mother about going here but it was for her good, I knew that she wouldn't let me learn any martial arts. I am aware that I shouldn't have done that but- but I don't regret it." Yuichi said with a clear voice and strong expression.
"Oh? Well, if you don't regret it then I guess everything is fine..." The old man said while getting up and opening his eyes, revealing his sharp pitch-black eyes.
"Huh?" Yuichi was surprised by the old man's carefree reply.
"What? I am not a moralist, look at where I am living. It was just a little test to let me see something" The old man said in mysterious way that Yuichi didn't understand but he couldn't care any less about that right now since this old man is willing to train him.
"Anyway, tell me the reason why you want to learn martial arts." The old man folded his arms and demanded with a stern expression.
"Hmm...To beat up anyone who wants to beat me up?" Yuichi thought for a few seconds before replying with a bright smile and closed eyes.
"?...Haha, you are lucky that I am no traditionalist or no one would want to teach someone like you. However I like your answer, it is simple yet truthful, much better than saying "for protection"" The old man was slightly surprised by his answer before he started laughing.
"!!! Thank you, Shishō!" Yuichi bowed down once again while clenching his fist in anticipation.
"No need for such formalities, for now, take off your shirt, I want to check your body's condition to know what kind of training to give you" The old man waved his hand before crouching down in front of him.
"Eh? Right...in a second." Yuichi was caught off guard by his demand but he still did as the old man asked him.
'To think I will be able to train under this mysterious old man...' Yuichi thought with excitement running inside his veins, he also began to recall the moment he met this old man by complete coincidence. This old man wasn't actually someone who he met only a few times, he knew him already for a few years however he never knew about his strength until the day he saw him taking down a few thieves who wanted to rub him.
This old man actually owned a small restaurant near his house where he often acted as the main chef.
After the old man was done inspecting Yuichi's body, he got up and walked back to the wall filled with paintings with a thoughtful expression.
"Yuichi...Tell me, are you working out with your own weight a bit?" The old man asked.
"Yeah, I am doing some push-ups, squats, and sit-ups, however, I do most of them because of the sports" Yuichi explained with a small nod.
"Because of the 'sports'? How many sports do you play?" The old man asked with an interested expression.
"Hmm...Not many, I like to play soccer, basketball, tennis, and badminton. Of course, I also like to play volleyball and many others but I don't really have the height for them and I am not that good at them as those first 4 I named." Yuichi said, knowing that he also didn't have the height for basketball yet but at least he was much better at it than at volleyball.
"Alright, stop right there, kid." The old man said while gesturing him to stop with his hand.
'This kid is obviously very athletic and he should be also very flexible and fast. He doesn't have much of the muscle mass but that's completely fine...overall, his potential on the physical side is very good.' The old man thought before deciding what to do.
"Alright, kid! Keep your shirt off and change into shorts, also take off your socks" The old man said and Yuichi followed as he said.
The old man started training Yuichi for a few hours but the entire session was only about stretches and the right ways how to train with one's own weight. Despite such light training, Yuichi's body felt all sore.
When it was time for him to finally leave, he said goodbye to the old man and went to the bus stop.
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"Mom! I am at home! Yuichi said while closing the front door behind him.
"We are in the kitchen!" Yuichi heard his mother's voice so he decided to go to the kitchen where he saw his father sitting at the table, reading a book.
"Dad!" Yuichi greeted with a faint smile.
"Yuichi..." His father replied in the same manner as him. His father had short brown hair and faint green eyes, therefore it was visible from who Yuichi got his eyes.
"Did you just returned from work?" Yuichi asked while washing his hands in the kitchen.
"*sigh* How many times I have told you not to wash your hands in the kitchen...The bathroom isn't here for nothing." Yuichi's mother muttered with a helpless smile.
"Yeah, I am pretty tired so no games of shogi for today. What were you doing outside?" His father replied with an apologetic smile before asking with a curious expression.
"Ah, I was...um, playing soccer with Ren. And it's alright, I am pretty tired myself, I will be in my room before the dinner will be ready." Yuichi replied with a bit hesitant but he still covered it pretty well before speeding off to his room.
"...That kid, he was never exhausted enough to refuse a game or two of shogi." Yuichi's father muttered with a thoughtful expression before shrugging his shoulders and returning his attention to the book in his hands.
