The humming of the aircraft began to slow as the captain's voice echoed softly through the intercom:
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are beginning our descent into Tokyo. Please fasten your seatbelts..."
Ashan blinked awake, head slightly sore from the long flight. He rubbed the fatigue from his eyes and glanced outside, the golden hue of morning stretching across the skyline, Tokyo's towers glinting beneath them. His stomach flipped with anticipation. He was finally here.
He turned to his right. Adam sat silently, arms folded, the plane barely big enough for his frame. Throughout the flight, they had talked on and off. Adam was reserved, but chill. Ashan still couldn't believe the beast sitting next to him was the same guy in the grainy fight video Jerry had sent weeks ago. The guy looked like something drawn out of a manga: insanely wide shoulders, thick veined forearms, and a dense, granite-carved chest that strained even under a loose hoodie.
And this monster had beaten Jerry?
Ashan gulped slightly. He kept his thoughts to himself, but even now, his fingers twitched with nerves. What the hell had I signed up for?
The wheels finally kissed the runway, and after a smooth deceleration, they taxied to their gate.
They moved through Haneda's sleek terminal. Everything was pristine: marble floors, modern signage, polite announcements in Japanese and English. Ashan's suitcase bumped gently behind him as he followed Adam through customs and baggage claim.
Just outside the arrival gate, he spotted a familiar figure.
"Yo!" Jerry grinned wide, both hands in his pockets, hoodie hanging loose over his huge lean frame. He looked a little rough from the training videos Ashan had seen, his jaw had a yellowing bruise, and his knuckles were scabbed.
Ashan raised his hand. "Jerry!"
But Jerry's eyes flicked past him, then widened.
"Yo... no way," Jerry muttered.
Adam nodded, the corner of his mouth twitching into a small grin. "What's up, Jerry."
"You serious right now? You were on his flight?"
"Yeah. The kid sat next to me."
Jerry glanced between them, genuinely amused. "Ashan, you sat next to Adam Dudley for 14 hours and didn't even know?"
Ashan blinked. "Well I figured it out eventually."
Adam chuckled.
"Dude," Jerry said, rubbing his face, "He's the guy who whooped my ass at the last exhibition. You didn't recognize him?"
Ashan looked embarrassed. "Well not at first, I don't really know any of the fighters yet. Or anything about the... Kengan thing, "
Jerry patted Ashan's shoulder. "He's raw. But promising. We're still molding him."
Adam shook his head, amused.
They walked together toward the taxi area. The sun had risen now, Tokyo was alive with a pulsing energy Ashan had never felt before. It was faster here.
At the curb, Jerry waved down a black taxi. "We're heading to Hotel Shinagawa Tower. Not too far."
Adam raised an eyebrow. "That where you're staying?"
"Yeah, Kengan Management booked it for the next two weeks."
Adam scratched his jaw, then nodded. "Cool. I'll check in there too."
Ashan raised an eyebrow. "You're not booked anywhere?"
"I was gonna figure it out later. But since we're all here, might as well roll together."
They piled into the taxi, Adam barely fitting in the back seat. Ashan sat squished between the door and Jerry, who had to twist sideways to fit beside Adam.
When they finally arrived, the hotel was towering, sleek glass and steel that rose like a monolith. A concierge took Adam's info as he made a same-day reservation, while Jerry collected two room keys.
Ashan followed, dragging his suitcase behind him. "Wait, two keys?"
"Yeah," Jerry said. "You're bunking with me."
"Huh?"
"There were limited rooms left. Sorry, bro. You'll live."
Ashan sighed. It wasn't terrible news, just surprising. "Do I at least get the bed?"
Jerry smirked. "We'll play rock-paper-scissors. Or we can wrestle for it."
Adam chuckled. "I'll referee."
They entered the elevator, the weight of everything just beginning to settle on Ashan. He was in Japan. Staying with a Kengan fighter. And sharing a hotel with one of the most terrifying-looking men he'd ever seen.
The path ahead wasn't just a challenge anymore, it was real. And Ashan knew deep down, the training, the sparring, the sacrifices... they had only just begun.
[A/N: Hello everyone! I'll be doing my best to release a chapter every day from now! Enjoy the reading]
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