After school ended, they headed straight to the MMA gym. Shizen was determined to make the most out of the time he had left. The gym's atmosphere was charged with energy, full of people working hard to achieve their goals.
Shizen looks around the gym, his eyes scanning for the coach. He didn't want to waste time, so he approached one of the gym members and asked, "Excuse me, do you know where the coach is?"
The gym member pointed towards a tall man in a black shirt on the other side of the gym. "He's over there," they said, gesturing in the coach's direction.
Shizen followed the gym member's gesture and made his way to the other side of the gym. His eyes fixed on the tall man in the black shirt, his heart filled with determination and anticipation.
As he approached, the coach recognized Shizen's presence. The coach looked at him, sizing him up, before breaking into a small smile. "You here to train?" he asked, his voice gruff yet friendly.
Kinya spoke up on Shizen's behalf, answering the coach's question. "Yeah, he has a lot to do," she said, giving the coach a small smile.
The coach raised an eyebrow, curious about Kinya's statement. "What do you mean by that?" he asked, his gaze shifting between Kinya and Shizen.
Juyo spoke up, filling in the coach about Shizen's situation. "He has to defeat a guy who's way stronger than he is, and he only has a week to prepare. He has some experience in taekwondo, though," he explained, his voice calm and confident.
The coach nodded, taking in the information. "I see," he said, his expression thoughtful. "That's quite a challenge." He looked at Shizen, sizing him up again. "Taekwondo, huh? That's a good start. But a week isn't a lot of time to learn everything."
Shizen spoke up, determined. "I just need to learn the basics," he said, his voice firm. "Like the calf kick. I just want to make sure I have some solid offense and defense for the fight."
The coach nodded, getting down to business. "Alright, we have to get started," he said, a hint of urgency in his voice. "There's no time to waste. I'll teach you the basics, and you'll need to listen and learn quickly."
The coach began by demonstrating the calf kick, which he explained was a powerful and fast attack that could catch opponents off guard. He showed Shizen the proper position, from footwork to hip rotation and knee driving. They practiced the move over and over, correcting any mistakes and emphasizing the importance of timing and balance.
Next, they moved on to basic punches and footwork. The coach stressed the importance of staying light on the feet, keeping the hands up to protect the face, and throwing powerful shots. He drilled Shizen on how to throw proper jabs, crosses, and hooks, correcting his form and technique each time.
The coach trained Shizen diligently, covering everything from striking to grappling. By the end of the session, they were both exhausted, the coach no less than Shizen. The coach looked at him, sweat dripping down his forehead.
The coach looked at the clock, realizing how much time had passed. "It's already 11 pm," he noted, wiping the sweat from his brow. "We should call it a day. You need to rest and let what you've learned sink in. Come back tomorrow at the same time."
As they headed out of the gym, Shizen was blissfully unaware that Kinya had been filming the entire training session. She had captured every move, every correction, and every moment of exhaustion.
"Hey, Shizen," Kinya began, a sly grin on her face, "can I upload that video of you training?" She held up her phone, the recording of his training session still playing on the screen.
Juyo chimed in, suggesting a caption for the video. "I think we should call it 'The Man Who Trained to Fight in a Week'. It sounds catchy and will definitely get people's attention."
Kinya and Shizen both nodded, agreeing with Juyo's caption suggestion. "Yeah, that sounds good," Shizen said, a hint of excitement in his voice. "Let's see what people think of my training video."
After uploading the video of Shizen's training, Kinya and Juyo went their separate ways, both excited to see how the public would react to the footage. Shizen, on the other hand, made his way back to the hospital to see his mother.
After spending some time with his mother at the hospital, Shizen headed back home. He was exhausted from the day's events, but he couldn't help the feeling of anticipation growing within him. He had the next day off from school, which meant another day of training at the MMA gym. Excited, but weary, Shizen collapsed into bed and drifted off to sleep.
As soon as Shizen woke up, he picked up his phone and opened it. What he saw immediately woke him up fully. He couldn't believe the number of views and shares on the training video. His heart raced as he scrolled through the comments. People were talking about him.
Scrolling through the comments, Shizen noticed several comments about his determination and dedication. People were genuinely inspired by his one-week training journey. One commenter even wrote, "Respect to this dude for pushing through the training to prepare for the fight." Another wrote, "This guy is a true inspiration. I feel motivated just watching this." Shizen couldn't help but smile.
As Shizen continued scrolling, he noticed a significant increase in the number of followers he had on the site. People were intrigued by his story and wanted to see how the fight would play out. Some commenters even left comments asking when the fight was scheduled, clearly invested in the outcome.
After checking his phone, Shizen put it away and started preparing for school. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips, a feeling of pride swelling inside of him. He couldn't wait to see Kinya and Juyo in person and share the news about the positive reactions to his training video.
As soon as Shizen saw Kinya and Juyo, he eagerly approached them, a wide grin on his face. "You guys, you won't believe the response I've been getting on my training video!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with excitement.
Kinya and Juyo could immediately sense his excitement. Their interest piqued, they eagerly listened to what Shizen had to say. "Come on, what kind of responses are we talking about here?" Juyo asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
"People are loving it!" Shizen said, his eyes glowing. "They're saying I'm inspirational and that they can't wait to see how the fight goes. My follower count has gone way up, too. It's all really positive stuff."
Kinya smiled, clearly pleased by the news. "That's amazing, Shizen. It looks like people are really invested in your journey. I'm glad the video is generating such positive responses."
Shizen informed Kinya and Juyo that he had arranged to train alone at the MMA gym in the afternoon. He explained that he wanted to make the most of the time he had left and felt that training alone would allow him to focus more intently on his technique.
Kinya nodded in understanding, while Juyo gave Shizen a thumbs up. "That sounds like a good plan," Kinya said. "Alone time can be really beneficial for some people when it comes to training. You'll be able to get more specific attention from the coach too."
"Yeah, and you know how you respond to training better than anyone else," Juyo added. "It makes sense to train alone if you think it'll help you improve more quickly for the fight."
During class, Juyo discreetly glanced at Shizen. He could sense the excitement and enthusiasm radiating off of him. It was clear that Shizen was looking forward to his solo training session later in the day.
As Kinya and Juyo headed their separate ways after school, Shizen made his way to the MMA gym. The familiar surroundings of the gym energized him, reminding him of the intensity of the training he had endured the day before.
The coach, seeing Shizen enter, smiled and beckoned him over. "Hey, welcome back," the coach said, his voice gruff. "You're here for solo training today, right?" Shizen nodded, his determination clear in his eyes. "Yes, coach. I want to make the most of the time I have left before the fight."
The coach nodded, acknowledging Shizen's dedication. "Alright, let's get started then. You'll be training alone today, which means we can focus on the specific areas you need improvement in."
The coach began by assessing Shizen's current skills and identifying the aspects of his training that still needed improvement. He provided concise feedback on each move, making sure Shizen understood the corrections that needed to be made.
The coach noticed that Shizen's footwork was a bit off, and he often left his chin exposed when throwing punches. These were the two areas that the coach focused on during solo training. He worked with Shizen to refine his footwork, emphasizing proper positioning and weight distribution. Also, the coach demonstrated the importance of keeping his chin tucked in and using his guard effectively to protect himself. The coach went over these corrections again and again, emphasizing the need to integrate them into Shizen's natural striking patterns.
As Shizen continued his solo training, Teki approached him with a curious expression. "Hey, what are you doing here?" Teki inquired, his eyes following Shizen's movements.