HYPNO BOY
Episode 1: MEMORIES
The morning sun filtered through old curtains, casting narrow stripes of gold across the wooden floor of a forgotten house, it was quiet too quiet for a place once filled with the warmth of laughter and the comforting voice of an old man.
Hiroshi Hiroto stood in front of a dusty mirror, adjusting his school uniform with mechanical movements. His reflection stared back: short bob-cut hair, glasses sitting crooked on the bridge of his nose, and eyes that looked far older than seventeen, he closes them shot. He pressed his lips into a straight line, trying not to frown, but his face defaulted to melancholy, he had long since given up trying to look cheerful.
He reached for his satchel, slung it over his shoulder, and stepped out into the world that had never welcomed him.
---
The Streets of Kuroshima Town was busier than ever, as Hiroshi walked through the streets of his neighborhood, people turned to look, a few glanced with curiosity, others with thinly veiled pity or worse disgust.
He could hear them whispering behind his back, though he didn't turn to face them,
"He looks like a grown man trapped in a kid's body", someone murmured.
"That bob cut... who even wears their hair like that?" another said with a snicker,
"Isn't that the cursed child?", another spoke,
The words didn't hurt, not anymore. They were just part of the background noise of his existence, Hiroshi kept walking, eyes fixed ahead, but deep in his chest, something stirred, a flicker of emotion buried under layers of silence.
Then it came the memory he once chose to forget but never could, not once.....
FLASHBACK – Years Ago
Rain pelted the roof of a small house as thunder growled overhead, a younger Hiroshi around eight years old stood trembling in the hallway, soaked to the bone, his father loomed over him, anger flashing in his eyes like lightning,
"You were born cursed!", his father shouted at him, "Your mother died the day you came into this world, What does that make you, huh?"
Hiroshi didn't answer, he couldn't, his throat was too tight, his heart pounding too loud, his self esteem lowered to the point it hurt him,
Behind his father, his older siblings stood smirking, never missing a chance to mock him,
"Don't talk to him, he'll curse you too", one of them whispered,
And then she came, his stepmother, the heartless woman his father chose to remarry, with cold eyes and venom in her voice she spoke to him,
"You're not mine, you're a burden to this family, know your place you silly servant boy",
'Servant boy' That's what they called him, That's what he became.
Outside his so called home wasnt better, he was constantly bullied, beaten up by older kids who disliked him and they called him names,
'Freak, weirdo, cursed Boy' was tje names her earned, no one wanted him, no one would go near him.
But there was one Light,
the Only Light he had,
There was one exception for him.
In a small garden behind the house, Hiroshi would sit with his grandfather, a gentle old man with silver hair and a laugh like wind chimes, his hands were rough from work, but soft when they ruffled Hiroshi's hair,
"Don't listen to them", he'd say, handing him warm dumplings wrapped in cloth, "You're not cursed my boy, you're special, the world just doesn't know it yet",
In those moments, the world felt right, he belonged, he felt wanted and loved!!!
But life could be unfair, cause unfortunately, the light didn't last,
---
Hiroshi was happily skipping to his grandpa's housem the only place he was over welcomed, the only place he felt himself, he brought dumplings for both of them to share, it wasnt much but was enough, but sadly,
Hiroshi found him that same morning, collapsed in the garden. Cold. Lifeless,
"Grandpa! Common get up please, see I brought your favorite, please say something....anything", tears gathered in his eyes, he sobbed softly as he squeezed his grandfather's hand, but it was already late.
At the funeral, no one cried, no one stayed long, except Hiroshi.
Hours passed, the cemetery emptied, Still, he sat beside the grave with teary eyes, refusing to leave.
And then... they decided to leave him, behind, his father, his stepmother, his siblings Gone, they decided move abroad without him, calling him a burden.
They left the house and Hiroshi, with nothing.
That's when he knew that he truly had no one left in his lonely world.
---
Back to the Present~
The memory faded like fog in his mind, replaced by the cold air of reality, Hiroshi continued his journey to his new school
Lots of people passed by now, talking and laughing, barely noticing him or pretending not to,
He walked inside, silent as ever.
But deep beneath that silence, something else had awakened, a power he holds within, something only Him can control.
The sound of claps and cheers faded behind Hiroshi as he walked past the street performer, a magicin, pulling off fake tricks but it seems to be working, it wowed people we were watching it,
Thats when—Hiroshi remembers something, he could never forget, ever,
FLASHBACK – The Encounter with The Magician~
*SWOOSH* SWOOSH*
*WOOSH* *WOOSH*
The world around him twisted. Reality blurred, that immerse memory came back as he could see himself no longer on the street.
He stood on a rooftop under a swirling dark sky, wind roared past him as his coat flapped violently, Before him was —The Magician.
A tall figure in a flowing black and gold cloak, eyes glowing unnaturally bright beneath the shadow of his top hat, one could tell a creepy smile was on his lips under his black facemask,
He uses his magic to conjugate what he called SPELLZ, human like figures bound to obey his command,
Hiroshi wasn't weak, his moves were powerful as he uses it to lift heavy rocks, bashing each and every one of them,
"Impressive moves my Boy," The Magician said, his voice smooth, creeked and theatrical, "You dispatched my SPELLZ so effortlessly, like slicing paper",
The SPELLZ—shadowy, humanoid beings with glowing marks lay crumpled around them, fading into sparkles of broken magic dusts,
Hiroshi's expression didn't change,
"I don't know who you are", Hiroshi said coldly, "but your tricks are boring",
The Magician gave a slow clap,
"Oh, but I am not just a trickster. I hold real power, power that can reshape this world, but I feel I need more",
He stepped forward, cape billowing,
"Join me, my Boy, with your hypnotic abilities and my magic powers, we can rule this pathetic world, Mold it into something worthy, something extraordinary, that will worship us"
Hiroshi didn't even blink,
"Why would I conquer something so... pathetic?", His voice was calm, Sharp. "I'd rather not, I dont need you to convince me, its pointless",
The Magician's face twitched, only for a second,
Then he smiled behind his mask, sinister and cold, "Wrong choice, kid",
With a flick of his fingers, the air split open,
"SPELLZ! rise again by My Command and take out My new Enemy", he ordered,
From the cracks of the sky, new creatures emerged larger, faster, pulsing with unstable energy,
The Magician tipped his hat,
"We'll meet again someday, and next time... I won't hold back",
He vanished into a burst of magic like smoke, his laughter echoing through the void,
Hiroshi stood there, surrounded but unafraid, he again defeats them, leaving them in a dust like manner. . . . .
BACK TO PRESENT~
VROOOOOM!!!! A car sped past, snapping Hiroshi out of it,
His face remained blank, but his eyes were still shot closed behind the glasses he wore,
The past was not gone.
It followed him.
And something deep inside him whispered..
Hiroshi stood still,
He looked at his palm, curling his fingers slightly,
This power.....
Even now, he could feel it humming beneath his skin, dangerous, wild but under his control, still he remebered one last time how he gained such ability. . . .
FLASHBACK~ The First Time
Young Hiroshi sat cross-legged in the attic of his grandfather's house, stacks of strange books around him, in front of him was a chest, he opens it and he found something deep within, lying like a cursed relic, was the Book of Hypnotism, it was locked with a padlock but he found a pin and opened the lock,
His small fingers turned the pages, eyes scanning symbols and phrases with unblinking focus, it interest him and he doesnt stop looking through the mind blowing wonders of it.
Weeks passed,
Days bled into nights,
Until finally, he understood it
And he wanted to test it himself.
Hiroshi went outside, strolled far from his grandfather's place and found a chained dog, it barked wildly, snarling at anyone who passed, Hiroshi approached slowly, adjusting his glasses
The barking grew louder, aggressive,
He stopped just within reach, heart pounding, slowly, he took off his glasses.
Their eyes locked, Hiroshi consetrated with all his might and mind, all of a sudden,
His irises shimmered with a mysterious glow as he spoke softly, rhythmically,
"Be...Calm"
In an instant, the dog stopped barking, its body relaxed, the tension melted away,
Hiroshi's lips curled into a smile, a soft, innocent one but right there his smile became mysterious, the one he would make his thing,
"It worked",
But then—
"HEY!",
A man stormed out from a gate nearby, which turn out to be the dog's owner,
"The hell are you doing, you little freak?!", he yelled while shoving Hiroshi backward,
Hiroshi hit the wall hard,
The man bent down to comfort his dog, then he faced him, "Weirdos like you should get lost, go, scram it!!!!",
Something snapped in him,
Hiroshi stood slowly, his face darkening,
He whispered something under his breath, as his eyes glowed facing the dog,
The dog's ears twitched,
Suddenly, it growled, not at Hiroshi, but at its owner.
CHOMP, CHOMP,
The man screamed out loud as the dog bit his leg,
Neighbors came rushing, Shouts, Confusion and Chaos all mixed together,
Hiroshi's eyes widened as he snapped out of it, "What have I done…?"
He ran, far away from there.
Turning a corner too fast, Hiroshi bumped straight into three older teens,
The bullies who always troubled him,
"Watch it, weirdo", one sneered
"You got money for bumpin' into people?",
The other snickered, "With bob-cut like that, you look forty, what are you, cursed or something?",
Old Hiroshi would've backed down, weak and scared,
But not this time,
Not now,
He didn't say a word.
He simply looked up,
The lead bully raised a hand ready to shove him again,
But Hiroshi's glasses came off,
His eyes glowed,
"Slap yourself",
SMACK!
The bully's hand struck his own cheek, then again and again,
His friends screamed and ran down the alley,
"W-Witch!!!!! He's truly cursed!!!!",
The bully collapsed, dazed on the ground,
Once again, Hiroshi ran away to his grandfather's place, thinking what he had done.
Panting, Hiroshi slammed the door shut behind him and locked it.
His heart raced, he dropped his bag and slid to the floor, shaking,
His grandpa's old photo sat on the wall above him, calm and wise.
Hiroshi whispered to himself:
"I didn't mean to…"
But deep inside… something thrilled him that made him lose it,
The power was real, too real,
And it was only growing stronger, he had to learn control before it leads him astray. . . . .
BACK TO PRESENT~
Outside the School Gates,
Students rushed past as the bell rang.
Hiroshi slowly stepped forward, the memory fading,
He adjusted his glasses again, The glow in his eyes vanished, and he shot eyes
"I've changed", he muttered to himself,
"I have control now",
He told himself in a calm state.
The School loomed ahead, modern, sleek, and full of noise and life. Students rushed past, gossiping, laughing, blending into the blur of ordinary.
But Hiroshi Hiroto was not ordinary,
He paused at the entrance,
The sun cast a soft glow on his face, and slowly… he smiled.
It wasn't wide.
It wasn't forced.
It was subtle, quietly powerful, like a smile that hid a thousand secrets, that was his signature look.
He knew, the kind of power he held within,
He knew when to use it,
Not for attention and not for fun,
Only when needed… and when the world least expected it.
KANZAKI HIGHSCHOOL, the new school he was to be attending,
Hiroshi took one step in,
And as the wind brushed against his uniform, he whispered to himself—
"Maybe... this is the beginning of something I never expected". . . . . . .