We were in the changing room. I opened the locker with my name on it and pulled out a black jacket with the name Tsubasa imprinted on it. And bland black pants.
I stared at it for a moment. "Couldn't they have come up with a cooler design?" I mumbled under my breath.
"They're pretty cool," a voice rang out to my left.
I turned and saw Chao Jin in his own training uniform. Not this guy, I thought.
He extended his hand. "I heard you helped me when I was… in my dumb state," he said.
I forced a smile. "Sure did," I replied.
"Well, I really appreciate it. You can call me Jin,"
I gave him a confused look. First names already?
"You can call me Zane," I said.
He started walking away, then turned back like some mysterious, cool guy. "Nice to meet you, Zane. Maybe we can be friends someday."
I laughed awkwardly. "Yeah… one day," I said, though he was already too far to hear.
At the field behind the school, machines were scattered everywhere, each with a line of students waiting to be tested.
I picked a random line, trying not to stare too obviously at the girl's assets. Their… enhanced curves made it hard not to notice. I shook my head. "Focus, Zane. Focus on not looking like a pervert."
When my turn came, I approached a punching machine.
"Name, please," a man in uniform asked.
"Kabuchi Zane," I said, stretching my arms.
"Punch as hard as you can."
I clenched my fist, readied myself… BAM!
The machine ticked: 100… 200… 300… 640.
"How'd I do?" I asked, face lit with excitement.
"Average," the man said, barely glancing up.
My spark of excitement fizzled. Blank, emotionless face restored.
Next was the distance throw. I swung my arm, WHOOSH!
The ball flew, a screen flashed: 20 meters.
"How did I do?" I asked.
"Average. NEXT!"
Four more tests—jumping, grip, reflexes—each ended with the same verdict: Average.
Figures, I thought. Left behind, as usual.
Finally, it was time for the stamina test. My eyes scanned the track. There he was: Kagetsu, white sports headband, muscles flexing with each stride. On his left was the pink-haired cat cosplayer, moving like she had springs for legs. On his right, Yuuma, looking like he stepped out of a magazine.
The timer was set for ten minutes. Run as many laps as you can.
SREEE!
The whistle blew. The three of them took off like rockets. The cat girl surged ahead, agile and graceful. Yuuma was a little behind. Kagetsu lagged, gasping.
By the third lap, the timer showed six minutes left. Kagetsu clenched his fists, a grin forming. He flexed his legs, pushing beyond his limits, overtaking both in a blur.
The two leaders' smirks vanished. Their muscles tensed, veins popping, faces straining—but Kagetsu had already pulled ahead.
The timer buzzed. Yuuma and the cat girl finished seven laps. Kagetsu had done eight. He collapsed, twisting on the ground, gasping for breath.
The cat girl tossed him a water bottle. "Purr. Good job."
"Euhh," he rasped, sounding older than his age.
I stepped up, shaking off the nerves. Ness—the man-bun guy—was on my left. A girl with half-white, half-black curly hair was on my right.
"Ready… set… go!"
We sprinted. I tried keeping up, but by the first turn, my legs felt like lead. Left behind… of course. Still the same worthless guy as before.
Then it hit me. The reason. It was my mindset. I'd been conditioned to expect failure. To think about not losing instead of winning.
I clenched my fists. Not this time.
I started picking up speed. The gap shrank rapidly. I'm not the same guy from before. I won't waste this second chance.
Side by side with Ness and the girl, the wind whipped past my face. Seven minutes remained. My lungs burned, my legs screamed, but I didn't care. I'll win!
By the seventh lap, I could see the finish line. I pushed harder than I ever had. Every stride felt like I was leaving my past self behind.
The timer buzzed. I'd completed eight laps. Ness and the girl? Seven.
I threw my arms up. "YEAH!"
Breathing heavily, I stumbled toward the sidelines. My muscles were shaking. Sweat poured down my face, dripping into my eyes. But the sense of accomplishment… It was addictive.
"Hey, good job bro," Kagetsu muttered, sitting beside me, still catching his breath.
I smirked. "Training really did help."
He grinned faintly. "We got this on locks."
I couldn't help but smile. Beginner? I'm already winning at something I always thought I'd fail at.