The sky was almost dark when we left school. I thought I was going to have a quiet day, aside from the draw of course, but I had to deal with Anko's mischievous actions.

  Come to think of it, it's unusual for her to get involved that much... And her last words before she left... "I will always be on your side." Even after three years, Anko remained an enigmatic girl, even to me.

  But enough of that. Ry?ko invited the entire squad for a hangout at a nearby diner. As usual, she led the group with bouncy steps.

  Walking like that seemed to be something Ry?ko did often: every time she guided me somewhere I didn't know in school, she walked that way. It's fine as long as she has fun, but her ankles will hurt as she gets older.

  Toshinori Akira, Odogiri Y?suke, and I were following her lead, walking at the same pace. Toshinori remained as silent as ever when I was around, while Y?suke looked ahead with a smile on his face.

  And the rest of the group, Tsukishima Mori and Tonakura Waguri, were just behind us. Just as silent as we were, high school hangouts aren't all like this, I hope.

  We quickly arrived at the restaurant. “Le Grill” was a rustic building with a warm atmosphere.

  I don't know if the French name is right, though. France isn't the No. 1 place for beef, or at least that's what Google told me. I will give them the benefit of the doubt.

  Ry?ko immediately greeted a waitress. "Hey, Miss. A table for six, por favor!"

  "Oh, isn't it Hinata-chan. You came with good company today, too."

  "Hehe! Of course, I wouldn't miss the group special extra!"

  "As expected of you, I'll talk to the boss for you."

  After their short chat, the waitress guided us to a table close to a window. Ry?ko was already skimming through the menu, practically drooling.

  I took a look around; it kind of looked like an Izakaya, but not quite in terms of the vibe. This place still lacked the drunk people and the laughter.

  "Ry?ko, who invites people to such places after school?"

  Tonakura's question hung in the air. I had to snap Ry?ko back from the meat world to get her to answer.

  "Waguri is such an amateur sometimes. You see, to choose a restaurant, there are two main criteria: the quality of the food and its price. But as you can see, here you can eat the best food at a reasonable price, and what's more, you get extras if you come as a group!"

  Ry?ko explained her choice, with drool at the corner of her mouth. So we came here so she could have the extras; that's what I got from their interaction, and judging from Tonakura's side-eye, she'd gotten the same impression.

  "What will Harumaki-san pick?" Y?suke asked, leaning in to peek at my menu. "This one looks good, doesn't it?" he added, pointing at an Argentinian-style beef.

  "I guess. I wanted to take it, actually."

  "The more I look at it, the more I want it... How about we each pick something the other would like? That way we can share."

  He then pointed at a classic Japanese low-cost wagyu. "Would that one be okay for you?"

  "Yeah, that one is fine."

  Y?suke seemed friendlier than usual. Maybe learning that we had met before loosened him up a little. Although, to be honest, he'd never really been that distant, especially compared to Tsukishima or Toshinori.

  We all ordered in turn and got our drinks, and of course, Ry?ko took a huge portion plus the extras. Apparently, the cook knew her from way back and gives her extras whenever she comes with friends.

  But enough of meat talk, Ry?ko's invite was perfect for Team Hinata's first team meeting.

  "So... about the tournament. I feel like we got really lucky with the draw." Toshinori started, leaning on his palm. "I mean, we avoided a big opponent in the first round. At least we'll have time to prepare for the big fights. But man, it's tough."

  "I think it will be a big fight, though. Especially given your current abilities. Actually, we should take every fight as it comes, instead of projecting. It can turn out to be your worst enemy."

  "Oh? What about trust in your teammates? Was that just a passing thing?" Tonakura confronted me as she drank her soda.

  "I can trust you and still think you're weak, especially when it's objectively true."

  Tonakura had no comeback, or rather, she refrained from continuing the argument. Ry?ko then took the floor.

  "If we're weak, we have to train and become strong! That's it, right?"

  "More or less."

  Toshinori followed with a question.

  "So what, we go to the gym five days a week and work out like madmen? Looking at you, it doesn't look like strong people have the toughest-looking bodies, so there must be some special training, right?"

  "More or less."

  "Can you be clearer?"

  All eyes were on me, except for Ry?ko, who seemed to be imagining the texture of meat in her mouth already. I took a sip of my strawberry smoothie and explained.

  "Toshinori-san is right. Strength is more complicated than just muscle mass. The concept of strength comes from two elements, both usually unknown..."

  I reached out my hand, palm open, as if about to reveal something invisible.

  Toshinori held his chin. "Are we supposed to see something?"

  Ry?ko snapped out of her meat-induced daydream and pointed at my hand.

  "It's Newbie's aura, right? Is that what you were trying to show them?"

  I nodded; as I thought, Ry?ko knew about it, though not really for the same reason as I did.

  "This is actually called Reiki; it's an energy field that surrounds an entity. Trees, empty bottles, and flowing water—all of these things have Reiki, of different shapes, colors, and natures."

  //Reiki (霊気) means 'aura of mystery' in its simplest sense, but it can also mean the aura belonging to someone. It's made up of the kanji 霊 (Rei, 'soul') and 気 (ki, 'spirit').

  Just like I did, Ry?ko nodded, but way more energetically.

  "That's basically it... Wait... How do you know about that?? It's supposed to be my Kikai! I thought I was the only one seeing them!"

  "Um... Ry?ko. Anyone can learn to see it with enough training. Even..."

  We looked into each other's eyes. Ry?ko's dumbfounded expression softened into one of intrigue.

  "... That can't be your Kikai, Ry?ko. Such a poor design isn't really logical. It's certainly something else."

  "A poor design?"

  "Yes. From what I know, Kikai tend to grant abilities beyond human capabilities. It's not rare to see Kikai similar to one another; it's even common. But I've rarely seen a Kikai like this... Why would you only be able to see Reiki with your Kikai?"

  "Huh... Newbie..."

  Ry?ko's voice was weaker than usual. I opened my eyes. I had started thinking out loud without realizing it.

  "Sorry... Old habi—"

  I cut myself off. Without thinking, my hand had moved to run through Ry?ko's burnt-orange hair. They were as soft as they looked, and they gently worked through the tangles.

  I glanced down at Ry?ko's face. Her eyes glistened in the restaurant's warm light.

  Her lips parted slightly. "Newbie... Don't stop, okay?"

  "That is not what you are supposed to say." ×2

  Toshinori and Tonakura reacted in unison, pointing at Ry?ko's tanned face.

  "Eh...? What's wrong, guys? Can't I even enjoy it a little? Girls like to get pampered sometimes, you know?"

  Tonakura sighed deeply; somehow, it was the most Ry?koesque answer she could've gotten in that situation. On the other hand, Toshinori had his face in his palms. I don't know if he ever tried to hide the fact that he is in love with Ry?ko, but if he did, he would be really bad at it.

  While Ry?ko held my hand in her hair, I continued.

  "... Ry?ko's Kikai might be linked to Reiki; thus, I could assist her in finding its real purpose. I have some basic knowledge of Reiki."

  "For real?! Newbie, you're the best!!"

  "It's impressive how good you are when you don't have a Kikai for combat."

  "Hehe! I just trained my ass off, and look at me, all strong and fast!"

  "Ahem!" Toshinori interrupted us. "You mentioned two things. Reiki is one thing, so what is the other?"

  "It's the most important part of a human being, something allowing them to be present rather than absent in our realm; the source of all life in the universe, Seimeiryoku."

  //Seimeiryoku (生命力) means 'life force.' It's made up of the kanji 生 (Sei, 'life'), 命 (mei, 'fate/life'), and 力 (Ryoku, 'power/strength')//

  I glanced at the other, who held my gaze blankly.

  "That sounds... really poetic."

  "Maybe because I quoted my master. He always talked like that when explaining things."

  Ry?ko leapt forward in her seat, closing the distance with my face.

  "Newbie has a master!! If he is bald with only a long braid, you have to make me meet him right away!"

  "Unfortunately for Ry?ko, he has long hair and no braids. But I bet he'd like to meet Ry?ko as well. You two are the same type of people."

  "What does that mean?"

  If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  "That Ry?ko is dumb."

  Ry?ko burst out laughing—not the reaction I'd expected.

  "So..." Y?suke, drink in hand, interjected after swallowing with a soft gulp. "... We have to, like, gain that Seimei thing to become stronger?"

  I nodded. "To be precise, it is enhanced by doing simple things: playing a sport, sleeping, having a passion, and even liking someone. There are a billion ways to enhance your Seimeiryoku. Just living is one of them."

  "Eh..." Tonakura leaned on her hand. "That sounds way too simple... There's a twist, right?"

  "Yes. Rather than merely enhancing one's Seimeiryoku, it must be cultivated. Through training, discipline, and meditation. In short, having a healthy mind in a healthy body, but with a good dose of hellish training behind it. Training that I can provide for you."

  I took out my phone and put it on the table.

  "There's one week until the first round. I'm planning a group training session on Sunday, and before that, we'll do individual training. So I need your phone numbers if possible."

  Y?suke handed over his phone without hesitation, as did Ry?ko. Hearing about hellish training didn't seem to worry them much.

  "I look forward to it! It doesn't sound that terrible!"

  "That means that I will get to spend time with Newbie outside of school! I'm definitely in!!"

  Toshinori, on the other hand, hesitated for a long time, and next to Tonakura, Tsukishima stared blankly at my screen. She finally held out her phone, forcing Toshinori to do the same.

  "Go easy on me, I'm not good at fighting..."

  "That's exactly why your training will be tougher."

  Toshinori sighed deeply, looking up at the ceiling.

  "I promised to get strong... So I guess I'll have to endure that hellish training. Doesn't seem that deadly since you came out alive."

  "Barely."

  "Can you not?! Jeez, I can't even reassure myself?"

  I shook my head. "No, because it's true. You know the rule of the universe, don't you? Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed."

  "Cheer up, Akira! Your effort will be turned into strength!"

  "It'll more likely be his tears and sweat. But hey, you can convince yourself otherwise."

  Toshinori's eyes widened, a drop of sweat trickling quickly down his forehead.

  "Haha... You're joking, right? ...Right?"

  I just kept staring at him, without saying anything, while he fell apart before my eyes. I was joking earlier, but it's even funnier this way.

  Soon our dishes were served one by one. Before everyone had even been served, Ry?ko was already tucking into her second piece of steak.

  It was beef cooked churrasco-style, a method originating in Brazil. For some reason, Ry?ko kept repeating the names of Brazilian players like Marcelo and Neymar while thanking them. I just hope she doesn't think they're the only Brazilians out there...

  On the other side of the table, Tsukishima hadn't taken a single bite of her well-cooked Okinawan wagyu. She appeared as calm as ever, but it was evident that she was trying hard not to look at her plate.

  I was about to ask her the reason when Tonakura hit her back.

  "Eat already, I owe you a meal, remember?"

  "But... That time, I didn't help because I wanted you to pay me back. I can't accept."

  She bowed politely, her cold expression hardening into something distant, just like the tone of her voice, which seemed monotonous, a bit like mine.

  "Tsukimomo is so annoying sometimes. If you want to play it like that, seeing you enjoy it will make up for your debt. Is it okay now?"

  Tonakura took a piece of her Argentinian beef and gave it to Tsukishima.

  "It's good, isn't it?"

  Tsukishima froze momentarily before nodding, and although she kept her expression calm, her face relaxed slightly as she chewed. Once she had finished the piece, she finally began eating her meal.

  Ry?ko leaned toward me, whispering in my ear.

  "Newbie will notice it as well. Waguri has a heart of gold underneath all the mud she shows everyone. It's part of who she is, after all."

  Tonakura noticed us looking at her and exclaimed, “Do you want my photo?”

  "No, Ry?ko was just saying that you had a heart of gold covered in mud."

  Tonakura's brow furrowed. I may have made a mistake. She gritted her teeth and took another slice of her meat.

  "This motherfucker better choke on his food," she mumbled mid-chew.

  "I heard you, you know?"

  "Fuck you."

  I see... Tonakura is a woman of the finest words. I don't mind; her insults are funny sometimes.

  The dinner proceeded normally, with Ry?ko and Y?suke doing most of the talking, followed by Toshinori trying to keep up with them.

  Nearly two hours later, we left the restaurant. With the crisp night air still blowing through the streets.

  "I love eating! And I love being with my friends! Let's come here every day!"

  "Hell no! If you want to get fat, do it alone!"

  Ry?ko raised her finger; she was about to say something cheeky. But she gave up midway through, probably for the best!.

  "How was it, Tsukishima-san? I can tell by the look on your face that you enjoyed yourself."

  "Yes."

  "And...?"

  "... It was good."

  Toshinori tried to start a conversation with Tsukishima but failed miserably.

  "Ry?ko, let's go home already. I'm freezing."

  Tonakura grabbed Ry?ko by the arm.

  "Already? But I still want to spend time with the Newbie!"

  "You'll see his dumbass tomorrow, that might not be the case for me if we don't leave now."

  "Wait. I want to do something before everyone leaves."

  I pulled out an old Polaroid with film that had to be developed before you could see the photos.

  "You want to take a picture?"

  I nodded. "It'll be a souvenir. I want to show it to someone in the future and tell her about this day."

  "I'm in!! Come on, Waguri. A lil' pic won't kill you!"

  After two minutes of refusal, Tonakura joined the photo. A passerby agreed to take it so that we could all be in the picture.

  "Haha! Look at Waguri's face! It's like she's about to smash something!"

  "Yeah, 'cause I was about to smash your head!"

  "Hmpf! Waguri is all talk, you're far too weak to damage me—Ouch! Hey, stop squeezing my head!"

  "That's on you, Ry?ko. I won't risk helping you—that chick's more dangerous than Harumaki when she's in that mood."

  Tonakura shot Toshinori a death stare, making him take a step back.

  Then, she left with Ry?ko, followed by Tsukishima and Toshinori.

  I was now alone on the subway station platform with Y?suke. He bought a drink at a nearby vending machine and brought something for me—a carton of Ichigo-Chan.

  "Are you an angel?"

  "Haha! Not at all, I'm just a normal guy."

  He leaned against the same wall as me as we waited for the subway.

  "That photo we just took, you said you wanted to show it to someone. Who is it?"

  "... The closest thing I can say to describe her is to say that she is my soulmate, I think."

  "Eh...? Are you two lovers?"

  I shook my head as I slid my hand in my pocket to grab the picture.

  "I don't know, love is complicated for me. Though, I can say that any second without her feels like it's lacking something."

  "Hm... right..."

  Y?suke closed the distance between us.

  "I hope that my smile is good enough... And you—you stopped pretending, as I can see."

  "Yes. I promised myself that I wouldn't do it anymore, though..." I looked up from the picture at the cloudy sky, searching for a bit of clear sky. "I hope that I'll smile for real the day I finally meet her again."

  Y?suke's lips curved into a bigger smile.

  "I look forward to it as well, then. I'm sure Harumaki-san's smile is marvelous."

  "Is that a love confession?"

  "Oh? Does it sound like one?"

  I nodded.

  "Well, it's not. But I mean it."

  Attention, please: the next subway train bound for Nakano-Sakaue is approaching the station. Please stand clear of the platform edge.

  "Oh, my train is here. I guess we will call it a night."

  "Yeah."

  Y?suke walked toward the platform, waving one last time.

  "See you tomorrow, Odogiri-san."

  "Yeah, see you tomorrow."

  Then he entered the subway, which left a few seconds later. Alone on the platform, I looked at the picture.

  I wonder what Marie is doing right now. If she is making fond memories as well, and if she will share them with me when we meet again.

  That day is still clear in my mind, the day we were split apart by destiny.

  We'd had a habit between us—we always said 'see you tomorrow' before going to sleep. It was like a promise that we would always see each other again the next day.

  The night before she left, Marie replied to my "see you tomorrow" with "sleep well." Maybe that should have tipped me off? Or maybe it was just an oversight, which was the most likely explanation, knowing Marie.

  "See you tomorrow..." The words slipped out of my mouth in whispers...

  Now that I think about it, I did something similar. The day I left Kyoto, I didn't say, "See you tomorrow." Ah... Marie still influences me, even after all this time...

  To be continued...