"Do you believe in gravity?"
That's one question.
"Is gravity something that holds us down, or do we just invent it and then force ourselves to obey it?"
A strange question.
"It's kind of like asking if you believe in gods."
Why though?
"Do gods exist because we do, or do we make gods exist?"
There's no clear answer to any of it.
"Maybe I'm just overly skeptical… But I believe that people place too much hope in something that doesn't really exist, and then it has no choice but to come into being to satisfy that hope."
"So gravity might be real, gods might be real, or neither of them might be real at all."
"That's why I've stopped believing."
"What the hell are you talking about??"
Kai looked at Tyler with a completely confused face as Tyler sat on top of him in a very graceful posture.
"I'm monologuing to myself to give this world some depth and make it feel deep…"
"This world sucks ass, it's built like garbage. Now can you get off me already?" Kai complained.
Tyler sighed and stood up. Kai immediately brushed off the dust and checked on Pandora on his shoulder.
"Pi?"
"Good, you're not hurt."
Then Kai turned to look at Tyler.
"Why did you suddenly start spouting nonsense like that?"
"Kai, I used to believe in God… Well, not exactly, but my ex-wife did, so I had to go along with it. Now I don't just want to stop believing — I genuinely hate those people with a passion."
"And what does that have to do with today's training?? You're supposed to be training me, not giving me your religious hot takes!"
Tyler glanced at me, his face dead serious.
"Yeah, you're right. I just wanted to vent."
"Fuck's sake."
"Alright, no need to beat you up anymore. I think I've roughly figured out how to train you."
"Nice."
Tyler walked over, touched Kai's shoulder and squeezed it a few times.
"What are you doing?"
"Kai, your body is pretty thick — very, very suited to being a Tank. The problem is the way you fight is pure recklessness. A tank is supposed to protect others, not go solo."
"But I don't even want to be a tank?"
"Your fighting technique is completely copied from me. I can be proud of that, but it's not good for you because it doesn't suit you."
"Dude, you're the one who taught me how to fight."
"The reason it doesn't fit is because you still rely way too much on your main weapon. A real badass uses anything as a weapon — they'd punch a kid to death and push an old lady into the sea."
"Have you actually pushed old ladies and beaten up kids before?"
"I don't hit women or children. Old ladies aren't children and kids aren't women."
Fine, I'll accept that logic — WHAT A LOAD OF BULLSHIT!!
"So Kai, I suggest you become… a tank support instead."
"Support?"
"Yeah. Your skills are really good at locking down enemies," Tyler said with a confident smile.
"Hmmm." Kai thought for a moment.
Then decided.
"Too lazy. I'll just learn your fighting style. I still prefer your reckless, no-worries way of fighting."
"Okay!" Tyler raised his hand in agreement.
So what the hell was all that earlier talk for?? What a waste of a chapter and time!!
"Alright, how many minutes have we been talking?" Tyler looked around and walked closer to Kai.
"Who knows?"
"Whatever, probably enough already."
Tyler took Kai's hand, lifted it up and examined it.
…The cut still hadn't healed even though the bleeding had stopped.
"Hey, your recovery ability still isn't working?"
"Go ask that damn earring. It acts up whenever it feels like it," Kai grumbled, clearly not taking the wound seriously at all.
Sigh… I already told you not to rely on that weird recovery power.
Tyler stared at the cut, growing more suspicious.
"Alright, that's enough training for today. Teacher will take you to the hospital."
"Hell no!" Kai refused flat-out.
"Reason?"
"I just got out of the hospital and now you want me to go back? Plus it's just a small wound??"
And also no money left, of course.
"Teacher will pay the bill."
"Would it be weird if I called you Dad?"
"Go ahead."
"…I was kidding, don't take it seriously—"
"Call. Me. Dad."
"…Dad."
"Perfect." The man broke into a huge grin like he was at a party.
This guy… Turns out he's always trying to make me see him as my dad even though I already have one.
…In a way, this feels kinda like NTR… Wait, could it be?!
"Teacher, I still have my biological dad back in the countryside. Please don't think about stealing me away from him!"
"Is that a challenge?"
THIS GUY IS LITERALLY AN NTR VILLAIN!! HE WANTS TO MAKE MY (yet-to-meet) BIOLOGICAL DAD SUFFER!!
Imagining a chaotic fight between Teacher Tyler and my bio-dad battling over their "son" made Kai shudder.
Truly classic NTR scenario… father-son edition… Hope there's no yaoi involved.
"By the way, Teacher, I want someone to move into my dorm room."
"Whoa, calm down. Teacher hasn't even met my daughter-in-law yet?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?! It's a guy. I just took him in as my little brother and we're gonna live together."
"In that case, dream on."
"Why not?"
Both of them stopped at the crosswalk because a pregnant mother was leading… about 136 kids of different skin colors and races across the street.
"The dorm doesn't allow outsiders to stay in student-only rooms. And from what you said, that kid probably isn't a student, right? What's his name?"
"Reito, 14 years old, adventurer."
"Reito… Oh, the rookie mage who's been getting attention lately for his strong skills and high potential. Wasn't he in the same hospital room as you?"
Tyler rubbed his chin and looked at Kai with clear refusal.
"He's an adventurer. With that kind of power he can earn stable money. Why do you have to let him freeload in your room?" Tyler glared at Kai.
"But…" Kai shrank back a little, stepping away because he was scared of getting scolded.
"I've already accepted him as my little brother. That means… Teacher Tyler now has another son?"
Tyler froze, staring at Kai.
"…You think I'd accept some random kid I don't even know as my son?"
"You just did that with me earlier."
"You're a special case."
"Special doesn't make it better. If you don't want to see him as a son, that's fine, but I'm not abandoning him."
Hearing that, Tyler frowned and rubbed his temple.
"You really want him to live with you?"
"Yeah, is that okay?" Kai blinked with big, sparkling shoujo-style eyes.
"…Ugh, fine. Teacher has a way to let him stay with you even if he's an outsider."
"Nice! What is it?"
"Enroll him in the school first so he can officially become a student later. He's only 14, so wait one more year."
"Bending the rules?"
"Bending? No, Teacher just left a few loopholes that only Teacher knows about."
"…?"
Kai glanced at Tyler — right at the moment the whole diverse group of kids finally finished crossing.
"…What did you mean just now? 'Left a few loopholes'?"
Tyler put both hands behind his head and flashed a smug grin.
"Teacher is the one who wrote the school rules. The dorm rules, the cafeteria rules — all of them."
"…"
All this time he was just messing with me. Tyler could change the rules whenever he wants, but he chose not to — just to make things difficult for me.