the note was by an old man

The morning air was crisp, and the sun had barely risen when I arrived at the training ground, expecting another day of being tortured by Master Shinza. But instead of hearing his usual nagging, his voice calling me a brat, or feeling the sting of his stick on my head, there was only silence. The place felt… empty. Too empty.

And then I saw it.

A simple note, placed neatly on the ground where he usually sat drinking his tea.

I picked it up with hesitant hands and unfolded the slightly crumpled paper. The handwriting was messy, almost like he had written it in a hurry, but the words were clear.

**"Brat,

Your training is over… for now. I have things to take care of, and you have middle school to focus on. But don't get comfortable. I'll be back, and when I return, I'll be even harder on you than before. Until then, don't slack off. Keep training. Keep moving. And don't let yourself get hit by sticks anymore, idiot.

We'll meet again.

—Master Shinza"**

I stared at the note for a long time, my fingers tightening around the paper. He was gone. Just like that. No warning, no goodbye in person, just a note telling me to keep training.

I should've expected this from him. That old man never did anything the normal way.

I let out a long sigh, folding the paper and stuffing it into my pocket before turning away. "Damn old man," I muttered under my breath.

As I walked, I found myself smiling.

We would meet again. And next time, I'd be stronger.

—

Later that day, I met up with Shin and Leana, eager to see how much had changed over the past few months.

The moment I saw Shin, I almost didn't recognize him. His once scruffy hair was now cut short, styled in a way that made him look like some kind of delinquent. The way he stood, with his hands in his pockets and a slight smirk on his face, only added to the new "tough guy" vibe he was giving off.

"Damn, Shin, you look like you just got out of juvenile detention," I joked.

Shin grinned. "What can I say? I've been training. Gotta look the part."

Leana, on the other hand, had changed in a completely different way. She had gotten taller—taller than both of us, actually—and her posture was more confident than ever. Her once soft, girlish features had been replaced by something sharper, more determined. It was clear she had been working just as hard as us.

"You two look like you went through some kind of anime transformation arc," I said, shaking my head.

Leana smirked. "Well, someone had to level up. Can't let you guys have all the fun."

Tomorrow was the first day of middle school, a new chapter in our lives. But before we went home, we made one last stop—the place where it all started.

The spot where we first saw the night sky together.

As we stood there, looking at the view that once took our breath away, memories came rushing back. The fear of sneaking through the dark forest. Shin screaming like a baby. Leana scaring him on purpose. The awe we all felt when we finally saw the sky open up before us.

"I still can't believe how much has changed," I said, staring at the horizon.

Shin chuckled. "Yeah… it's weird. Feels like just yesterday we were those dumb little kids sneaking out at night."

Leana crossed her arms. "We're still dumb. Just a little taller and slightly less clueless."

We all laughed.

No matter how much we changed, no matter how much time passed, one thing was certain—we would always have each other.

Middle school was next. A new adventure. A new challenge.

And we were ready.