14) Too much attention

After my performance, the training ended and everyone went their separate ways.

Right now, I'm waiting outside for Mum to come pick me up from school. The sun's already started to dip behind the trees, casting long shadows over the playground. A soft breeze passes by, rustling the leaves and making the moment feel oddly calm.

A couple of kids are still hanging around, chatting, laughing… just being normal. I'm not like them. My mind is already elsewhere—on my next training session, on getting stronger.

And then I hear the familiar hum of a car engine. Right on time, Mum pulls up in her small blue car. She always arrives exactly on the dot.

As I open the door, I hear a voice squeal:

"Hi, Hiro!"

That would be my little sister, seconds away from launching herself at me like a missile.

Ahh, I've spoiled her way too much. She treats me like her personal hero or something. But it's ok, I will be her hero.

Mum glances at me through the rearview mirror as she starts the engine.

"So, how was your day?" she asks, already smirking. She knows damn well that I am too bored at school. I even asked to skip some years since I am very good at school, but she denied it, saying that I needed to make some friends of the same age.

"Nothing, same as always," I answered.

Except beating up an upperclassman and receiving a standing ovation—except that, nothing important, not at all.

When I arrive at home, I need to train my control over my chakra since I already trained my physical condition.

I need to train. I need to get stronger.

What would be the sense of having such a power and wasting it?

The next day at school

Something feels… off.

Why is everyone staring at me?

Literally every hallway I walk through feels like a spotlight's on me. I glance at a group of students who suddenly whisper when I pass.

"Shinso, why is everyone looking at me?" I asked Shinso, who is walking beside me.

"Huh? You don't know? Well, word of the beating you gave to Yuto got out."

Yuto? Ohh, the guy that fainted yesterday.

He must have been like a quarterback in this school.

Damn, I don't like all this attention. In my previous life, I was more like a lone wolf… okay, more like a lone cub. And I was even bullied because of my circumstances.

Hey, why are little girls eyeing me like that?

I'm only a kid, for God's sake—we're all kids.

I sped up to evade all that attention.

"Wait, Hiro, slow down," said my clueless friend.

With a glare from me, he understood that if he didn't speed up, he would take a beating. And like that, he followed me hurriedly.

Ok, I'm going to release some stress during kendo class.

I'm sorry in advance to whoever ends up as my sparring partner today.