Fresno continued its bustling rhythm. Under the ordinary days, sunlight reflected off the high-rises by the sea, everything orderly and commerce thriving.
The city center had been fully planned years ago, and any 'novelty' now was just tearing down and rebuilding within limited space.
During the evening rush hour, the honking of cars stuck in traffic was incessant. In an ordinary second-floor cafe by the street, Olivia sat at a table in a simple striped shirt and jeans, exuding a slightly mature, icy beauty. She was waiting for someone.
The flow of people and vehicles spread in all directions, and the distant sky at the city's edge had already darkened into a deep blue. After quite some time, Olivia finally spotted the familiar figure below.
'For someone who stirs up storms elsewhere, he doesn't look any different in a crowd.' She thought, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
Like a sudden glint of sunlight breaking through icy peaks, her momentary thaw drew the gazes of other patrons under the same roof.
"Is this for me? So polite."
The seat opposite her was taken with practiced ease. Logan picked up the iced drink on the table and took a sip through the straw.
After school, he had squeezed onto a bus to the city center. Weaving through crowds below had left him genuinely thirsty.
"Even though I kindly bought it, could you at least say thank you?" Olivia crossed her long legs, shifting her posture.
"Mhm, it's delicious."
Olivia sighed and let it go, silently sipping her coffee.
"So, what's up?"
Evening light crept up the glass, and street lamps slowly flickered on.
The senior across from him grew even more striking in her maturity. Their relationship had long transcended simple school ties, so formalities were unnecessary.
Logan studied her and ventured, "Let me guess... is it still about your 'training progress'?"
"You… what do you mean, 'that bit' of training progress?" At the mention, Olivia's composure cracked slightly. Her face flushed with embarrassment before she scowled, "Of course, there's something else."
Her inner chunnibyo fantasies clashed starkly with her outward appearance, making her thoughts painfully transparent.
Logan's eyelids drooped, he was used to it, "Right, right, my bad for guessing wrong."
Today's meetup had been arranged by Olivia a while back… basically right after Logan returned from the Ninja World.
The two had helped each other out plenty, forging a genuine bond. They usually lived their own lives, but Logan's return to his old 'profession' couldn't be hidden from those in the know.
Back then, Logan had taught Olivia how to refine Chakra. Though he hadn't made her formally apprentice under him, in her earnest mind, he was practically half a master.
The trials depicted in the manga had manifested in reality. Olivia, captivated and deeply concerned, had rushed back from her university in New York to check on Logan, out of both duty and affection.
Of course, eagerly reporting her Chakra training progress, tended to like a precious child, was merely a side note.
At the wooden table, Olivia methodically worked through the two parts of her agenda.
As for distribution ratio between them, well...
"Thanks for your concern..." The noise of the street became a muted backdrop. Logan fought to stay awake, nearly dozing off.
It's can't be helped, he's a hardworking high school senior now, and he had just finished several practice tests today.
Choosing his words carefully, mostly to avoid setting her off, he said, "I'm doing pretty well. As for your training..."
Olivia immediately perked up, leaning in.
'Girls really do have such distinct scents...' Logan subtly retreated, keeping his expression neutral, "You're doing great, making clear progress. Stay humble, keep it up!"
Olivia mulled over the words, searching for hidden meaning, "It feels like you're just brushing me off."
"Not at all. I'm being completely fair and objective," Logan retorted instantly.
Olivia grew increasingly dissatisfied, glaring, "That's the same as saying nothing!"
"Hey, I just memorized an ancient text today, 'Rome wasn't built in a day'..."
He wasn't wrong. It wasn't his fault. Given the time frame and Olivia's training conditions, how much could her Chakra have improved? At best, it was like one drop of water turning into another, maybe the latter was slightly bigger when it rained.
Meanwhile, Logan had returned at full power. Their paths were entirely different. It was hard to even come up with a professional assessment for Olivia's progress.
As mentioned before, the best she could hope for in her lifetime was performing a Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique, and even that might not hit anything. For modern people, Chakra training was more about fitness.
After barely managing to steer the conversation and placate Olivia, Logan checked the time and waved a hand, "If there's nothing else, let's call it a day."
He's even shooing me away now.
This was how it usually ended. Olivia knew her training had limits. Her tone cold, she shot him a resentful look, "Fine. This noob won't waste the great Sage Hattori's precious time."
But as she stood to leave, she noticed Logan wasn't moving, "You're not coming?"
Logan waved her off, "Sage Hattori is very busy."
"..."
Under her cold stare, Logan relented slightly, "I've got another meeting later."
"Later?" Olivia was astonished, "With who?"
He hadn't planned to say, but under her pestering, Logan put on a solemn face, "With the underworld. Very dangerous. Noobs with no Chakra should stay far away."
Instead of being intimidated, her eyes lit up.
Seeing this, Logan's heart sank, 'This isn't good.'
Sure enough, Olivia's beautiful eyes gleamed with realization as she coldly criticized him for not inviting her to spectate.
Tonight, after braving the crowded bus, Logan wasn't just meeting Olivia, he'd also arranged to see Damian, who had repeatedly invited him for tea.
Damian, the big boss of the Blue Gang, was a smooth operator. He often sent texts, nothing major, just maintaining a good relationship with the 'hidden expert'.
A couple of days ago, he'd sent his usual holiday greetings, something along the lines of 'Miss you, come for tea!'.
This time, Logan had agreed.
Why meet with the gangster? Logan was a good student, and in peaceful times, there was no need to associate with those operating in gray areas.
But objective facts were ever-evolving. Guided by the Marxist principles from his politics textbook, he pressed forward.
At Ginza, he could only window-shop. Sumika had moved into an apartment, and there were car loans...
Well, a guy's got to eat.
Logan's mindset was calm. He wasn't planning anything, just catching up with an old friend who happened to oversee a few blocks and a few hundred men. Who knew what the other might bring up or ask for?
'This'll be the last time.' He told himself, 'Wait, I think I've said that before... during the autumn trip to Nappa? I can't remember. Whatever.'
Besides, he'd been grinding practice tests lately. His teachers kept emphasizing the importance of taking breaks to refresh the mind before exams.
A black sedan pulled up downstairs. A suited man stepped out, gesturing for his two subordinates to stay put.
Logan watched. So did Olivia, her excitement barely contained. Knowing Logan's exploits, she was eager to see the show, no questions asked.