Dakota and Erika Part 1

Dakota's Pov

May 15th, 2023

Yo, Dakota here. I bet you guys thought me, Chifuyu, and Erika would be the main trio. Sorry if we disappointed you, but you're truly is at last taking the spotlight.

We're going back in time after Chifuyu's trial. Me and Erika are transferring to the Hunter Academy. Buy before that, we need to catch up to the students who are about to be third years. What that means for us is a summer break full of harsh training. Chifuyu's training is no doubt harder, but it's him we're talking about. I'm sure he'll be fine. Me on the other hand.

I deeply regret my decision.

It's been about a month and out of those 60 days, I threw up around maybe 40. This is what happens when you neglect exercise all your life and suddenly have to work out like your life depends on it. Which it will if I become a Hunter. 

Erika's a freaking monster. I don't know how she's already able to keep up with the training. The only saving grace so far is that I'm not alone. Our teacher is not going easy on us. Apparently, she's a friend of Shoyo's, used to be his underclassman. He asked her a favor to do this. And I say she's apparently his friend because it definitely does not seem like it. She talks crap about him at any mention of his name. She's shorter than Erika, but 100x stronger and fiercer. Like an evil twin, but with not as long hair. 

"Oi slacker! Pick up the pace!"

"Yes ma'am!"

She's gonna kill me.

***

July 1st, 2023

I'm seeing steady progress. Now, I only vomit once a week. That's just in working out though. My swordsmanship, if you can even call it that is as sloppy as it was when I started. I could be at animexpo right now, I wonder if Chifuyu went. No, of course he didn't. I can't give up. I'm gonna become a famous pro gaming streamer Hunter, right?

July 23rd, 2023

I believe in been making some noticeable improvement. But our short stuff teacher keeps making the training increasingly harder. Sure that's the obvious way to do it, but the jumps are absurd. I'm gonna vent my months of frustration to Erika.

"Who does this pipsqueak think she is? I guess with her height, she has to have double the ego. Where does she even get her monstrous strength from? Is she a gorilla? Must be a gorilla. Has to be! I'm giving her a piece of my mind when I see her."

"Uh…. Dakota."

Uh oh.

She's right behind me, isn't she?

I slowly turn my head around like a clock hand ticking and see the beast making the scariest face I've ever seen.

"Hey Tsukihi Sensei! What's this? You're shoulders seem awfully soar."

I quickly get maneuver around her and give a fake massage. I proceed to pinch her too hard which earns me a knuckle straight to my face and punishment by harsher training for the rest of the month.

Despite how hard this has been, I've genuinely been giving it my all. Can't say I've done that for anything in my life besides video games. For the first time, I actually feel proud of myself. Even if I'm not making much improvement. My body is growing muscles I never thought I'd see on myself. And the 8 hours of sleep I've consistently been getting waking up at 6 a.m make me feel surprisingly great in the morning, even if I'm sore. I'm seeing improvement in myself.

August 12th, 2023

"Erika, you pass with flying colors."

"Yes!"

"You did it!"

"Dakota, you fail."

"Huh?"

"You're swordsmanship is still lacking at a fundamental level. I can't allow you to transfer to the Hunter Academy."