A few days have passed. Yesterday, the doctor examined me and said I could go home the next day. My condition is fine, all the wounds have healed. I asked if I could return to training. His answer was a firm no—at least another month. A month without training? No way. I've already spent who knows how long stuck in this hospital room. I feel perfectly fine. And if all the wounds have healed, what could possibly go wrong?
Today is discharge day. I am beyond happy about it. I had my last meal in the hospital cafeteria. The usual menu was served — an omelet and some special salad leaves. I asked the cooks what they were, and one of them just said, "Eat it, it's healthy." I took his word for it. Smiling, I packed my things, said goodbye to my attending doctor whom I met in the corridor, and headed for the exit.
It was raining outside, and I didn't have a jacket or an umbrella, but it didn't bother me much. I stood at the entrance for a while, just admiring the beautiful landscape. The trees swaying in the wind, the road slowly being washed by the heavy autumn rain.What a wonderful feeling — freedom.
It's early morning now. Old Kojo's gym is still closed for general visitors. Kojo himself will only come here from home in a couple of hours. I need to find something to do, kill some time. Go to school? Boring. Alright, I'll go drop my stuff off at home. Funny thing — Aunt Tomo moved in with Kojo and let me stay alone in her house on the hill. I wonder, would she get in trouble if someone found out a 17-year-old is living alone? I'd rather not find out.
I hobbled back to my house. This old paper house looked exactly as I remembered it before the hospital. Inside and out. I had been away for a long time, and the place was a mess. Clothes scattered everywhere, an unmade bed, dirty dishes lying around.
Ugh... Who knew I'd be coming back so late. I should tidy up a bit, it'll help pass the time until the gym opens. I also need to change clothes, the ones I arrived in are all soaked.
Time passed. I cleaned myself up and tidied the apartment as best as I could, making it somewhat presentable. Looking at the clock, I realized only half an hour had passed. I sighed desperately, left the house, and sat on a bench nearby. The rain had stopped, and only the damp, cool air reminded me that it had ever been there.
I feel like an outcast. Cut off from society. But it's not about this place. In Tokyo, I felt the same, only instead of colorful forest landscapes, the scenery was a dark, empty apartment. Most of the time I just lay on my bed listening to music, thinking about nothing. Just killing time after school. That was before Lia appeared in my life. My crimson flower. I had a school friend, Ian. He had a friend, Satoyo, and she had a best friend — Lya. During breaks from studying, Ian and I would hang out, do nothing in particular, play some console games at his place. He often brought Satoyo along. One day, Satoyo invited her classmate and school friend, Lia, to join us. The moment I saw her sky-blue eyes, I instantly knew I had fallen in love. She was so calm, cheerful, and graceful. I was head over heels for her. I'm quite a shy teenager, not very good at talking to girls, but I was drawn to her like a magnet. There was something so beautiful and attractive about her. We started talking, first as a group with Ian and Satoyo, but later we began hanging out just the two of us. After some time, she confessed that she loved me, and I returned her feelings. We were inseparable. Every day she would wake me up before class, making sure I wasn't late. I, in turn, waited for her after classes and walked her home. I remember clearly — she loved ice skating. It was there, at the skating rink, where we had our first kiss.
Sigh... Why am I even remembering this? What's the point? I returned to reality. The clock showed noon. Coach Namura had probably already opened the gym. I quickly put on my sportswear, threw on a windbreaker, and headed there.
"Oh! Our brave warrior has graced us with his return," the coach exclaimed joyfully. He was definitely glad to see me back. He shook my hand, patted me on the shoulder, and returned to his usual thoughtful beard scratching.
"Kid. Did the doctors already allow you to train?"
"Yes," I lied.
"Well, alright. Don't you dare lie to me. There are scarier things in the world than Killy, remember that." He thoughtfully wagged his finger."For starters, warm up. You haven't trained in a while. No sparring today. You need to get back in shape. Begin... I think with 10 laps around the gym."
10 laps? Why not 100 right away?
"MOVE IT!"
I returned to training. The doctor's concerns seemed unnecessary. I felt great; my body wasn't too tired from Kojo's torturous drills.
After the warm-up, the coach ordered me to practice every strike he had taught me, one by one. Indeed, even a short break of less than a month can throw an athlete off track. I felt clumsy, like my hands had turned from deadly weapons into fly swatters. That won't do. I focused harder, perfecting strike after strike until I could perform them flawlessly and mechanically.
I was starting to get worn out, but the coach didn't stop me. At some point, the coach opened the gym for general visitors. Soon, adults and teenagers began appearing, taking up the equipment.After a while, Kojo's son, Cosmo, approached us. The same guy who almost killed me, according to his own words.
"Issao, hello. I'm sorry about what happened to you. But I'm glad you pulled through."
I looked at the coach, he nodded to me. We had already learned to understand each other without words. With my gaze, I asked for a break. He gave the okay with a nod, and I sat on a nearby bench.
"Thanks. You see, you're not the only one who wanted to kill me."
He smirked. "Oh, come on. You've proven to everyone that it's not so easy."True. And I hope luck stays with me, at least for now.
"Your father saved my life. Found me bleeding out in the forest. That's the second time he's gotten me out of trouble."
"Yeah? He didn't tell me. Only said his top student got hurt fighting some psycho. Who was the maniac you fought? Our town's usually peaceful."
"It's a long story. In short, I've got problems with my ex."
"Oof... You dumped her and now she's sending psychos after you? All the way from Tokyo? Damn."
"No, it's the other way around, she dumped me and... Listen, let's not talk about it."He nodded silently.
"How about a sparring session? A light one this time. I'll help you get back on your feet after the hospital. I remember after my back surgery, it took me a while to regain form. So, what do you say?"
"We should ask your old man. He said no sparring today."
We approached Kojo. He told Cosmo to hold back and keep it light. After some grumbling, he gave the green light.
We stepped onto a small ring in the far corner of the gym.
"We'll do rounds. Round 1 — two minutes. Work only with your legs. Half strength. Practice your kicks."
The sparring began. Despite our last match, where I almost managed to defeat Cosmo, now he was calm, and following his father's orders, he held back from using his full strength. But even so, his kicks were impressive. Fast and painful. I used the strikes I had practiced. Training with a live opponent is the most important part of learning martial arts. Only in sparring can you apply theory in practice, and quickly see and correct your mistakes.Cosmo kindly played along and allowed me to sharpen my skills on him.
After several rounds, practicing different stances, I noticed a small crowd of spectators gathering near our secluded ring. Athletes who came to lift weights were chanting "Cosmo" in unison. I have to admit, I was surprised. This guy is really good and apparently a famous fighter. I should come watch one of his matches sometime.
After a few more rounds, we were both exhausted. After the grappling round, Kojo stopped the sparring and announced the end of today's training. I headed to the locker room, washed up, and changed.
This time, I decided to wait for Cosmo. Soon, the dark-haired tall guy with a short haircut appeared at the gym entrance.
"Hey. Which way are you heading?"Cosmo pointed across the street from the gym.
"Wanna walk for a bit? There's something I'd like to discuss with you."
"Go ahead, kid," he said in a cocky tone.
"You're not much older than me. Your father said you're a first-year university student."
"Still older though, huh."
"Whatever you say. Anyway, you're kind of a champion, right? I'd like to see one of your fights sometime."
"New fans are always welcome, Issao. If Dad sends me to the tournament this year, he'll probably send you too. You'll see it then."
"Great. And one more question..."
"Go ahead, kid."Say "kid" one more time and I'll flatten you into the ground.
"Have you ever beaten an armed opponent? Maybe in a street fight?"
"Ah. Yeah, it happened. Back in school, upperclassmen from a biker gang used to mess with us."A biker gang? Damn, I've only seen that in movies."They attacked with bats. In such cases, it's simple. If there are multiple opponents, you run. If it's one, you go for grappling. On the ground, there's not much they can do with a big bat."Well, that's the same logic I used when fighting Killy.
"What if they attack with a knife?"
He suddenly stopped, looked me in the eyes, and with complete seriousness said:"A knife is a dangerous weapon... Well, you've probably realized that yourself. Blocking is hard, avoiding injury is almost impossible. I can't give you much advice, but you should ask my dad. He told me he once defeated two armed robbers with knives''
"You say what? If that's true, Coach Namura really is a beast of a man."
We reached the turn where I had to go my own way, and the sky had already darkened. Time to head home.
"Thanks for the chat, Cosmo. And for today's practice. My house is in the other direction."
"Well… next time, don't expect an easy spar. I still haven't paid you back for that first fight, where you bit my hand. Boy, you're not the weakest I've seen, but I'll stomp you into the ground…Good luck and have a good night, Isao. See ya."
He patted me on the shoulder in his usual calm manner and walked off.
I stood there for a moment, a little stunned. He threatened me again… but I thought we'd finally found some common ground. Ehh…