Chapter 3: Rivals.
"Ren, you don't have—" Regna began.
"The steps are simple," Takami cut in smoothly.
He stepped closer to Ren.
"All you have to do is form three hand signs," he said. "Bite your finger—your blood is required—and say Summon."
As he spoke, Takami demonstrated the hand signs with practiced ease.
The entire classroom was watching.
Ren hesitated.
But his mind was already made up.
He said nothing.
Exhaling slowly through his nose, he formed the hand signs.
Then he bit his lip.
"Summon," he said.
His voice trembled.
Everyone leaned in.
Even the stoic Shiro.
A sudden gust of wind tore through the classroom, papers lifting from desks as the air twisted violently around Ren.
No one blinked.
No one breathed.
…
At last, the gust of wind settled.
There was nothing—
CLATTER!
A single object hit the wooden floor.
A stick.
Ordinary.
Crooked.
Not even straight—more like a random branch snapped from a tree.
Silence swallowed the classroom.
No one moved.
Ren stood frozen, eyes wide as the hope drained from his face—shattering in real time, right before him.
Shinra clenched his fist, jaw tightening painfully.
Regna's expression shifted in an instant—from concern, to confusion… then pity.
Shiro turned back toward the window, already done watching.
And unnoticed by everyone else—
Takami smiled.
Just for a moment.
"Ren-kun," Takami said softly, resting a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't give up hope just yet."
Most of the class looked at Ren with pity.
Some even murmured among themselves.
"What did he expect?"
Ren couldn't feel Takami's hand on his shoulder.
He couldn't see his classmates.
He couldn't hear anything at all.
Slowly, he dropped to his knees.
He picked up the stick and stared at it.
"Ren…" Regna began—then stopped, the words failing him.
Ren clenched the stick in his hand.
Then he hurled it out the classroom window.
He turned and stormed out, tears burning at the corners of his eyes—but he didn't look back.
Silence lingered in the classroom after he left.
It didn't last.
Cheers quickly replaced it as students poured into the courtyard, parents rushing forward with proud smiles and open arms.
Shinra followed.
His mind wasn't there.
And then he saw it.
Laughter.
Applause.
Congratulations.
Parents praising their children.
Students showing off their Seer badges.
And off to the side—
Ren sat alone on a bench.
His eyes were red. Swollen.
Puffy.
Like he'd been crying for a long time.
Shinra exhaled slowly.
Then he turned.
And began walking toward Ren.
He stopped beside him.
For a moment, he didn't say anything.
He just stood there—letting his presence sink in.
"Hey," he said at last.
Ren lifted his gaze from the ground.
His eyes were raw and puffy.
"What do you want?" he snapped. "Just go celebrate with the others. You don't have to…"
His voice cracked.
"…feel sorry for me."
Shinra didn't respond.
A second passed.
Then another.
Shinra still said nothing.
Then—
BAAAM!
Shinra drove his foot into Ren's side.
Not gentle.
Not hard enough to seriously injure him either.
Just enough.
"Ouch—!" Ren gasped, stumbling back, pain exploding through his ribs as confusion shoved the misery aside.
"What the hell was that, Shinra?!" he shouted.
His fists clenched.
His voice shook — anger, hurt, and panic colliding.
"Feel sorry for you?" Shinra repeated quietly.
His tone was even.
Too even.
His own fist was clenched at his side, trembling.
"Did you seriously think I stayed with you all these years because I pitied you?"
Ren snapped back, pain and frustration boiling over.
"Then what else could it be?! Everyone knows I am the class loser—"
"Everyone?" Shinra cut in sharply. "Why should I care about everyone?"
He stepped closer.
"I'm Shinra."
His voice shook now.
"And that's exactly why you deserved that kick."
Ren froze.
"You want to know what I think when we train in the woods?" Shinra continued. "I think—I won't let this guy beat me."
His teeth clenched.
"You never give up. You work harder than anyone I know. It's insane. It scares the hell out of me."
His breath came uneven.
"It sends chills down my spine and adrenaline through my body at the same time."
A sharp, humorless laugh escaped him.
"You're amazing."
A beat.
"And I won't lose to you."
Not Shiro.
Not anyone else.
"You."
Shinra turned away before Ren could respond.
He didn't trust himself to stay.
"Shinra—!" Ren tried to call after him.
To shout.
To argue.
To say something.
But his mouth opened and closed uselessly, his voice caught in his throat.
He… sees me as a rival?
More than Shiro?
The thought twisted his stomach.
It was confusing.
But it felt… good.
Ren stared at his hand for a long moment.
Confusion, hope, and guilt churned together in his chest—none of them strong enough to drown out the others.
From a classroom window above—unseen by either of them—
Takami watched.
Smiling.
His head tilted slightly, like a man who had just found exactly what he was looking for.
—
As soon as Shinra disappeared from the courtyard, Ren slumped back onto the bench.
Click. Click. Click.
Footsteps approached.
A hand settled gently on Ren's shoulder.
"There you are, Ren. I've been looking for you," Takami said, his smile calm and unhurried.
"Takami-sensei…?" Ren looked up, still dazed.
"Regna and Shinra can be a bit harsh," Takami continued evenly. "But they are looking out for you."
He paused.
Letting the words sink in.
"What do you mean, Takami-sensei?" Ren said quietly. His voice shook. "I failed. And that's all that matters."
"Is that all that matters?" Takami repeated.
He studied Ren for a moment.
"What you did was brave," he continued softly. "Far braver than anyone else today. I think that counts for something."
His tone gentled—but the smile never left his lips.
"I still failed…" Ren murmured. His voice was barely audible now.
Takami slowly placed a hand on Ren's shoulder.
"You may not know this," he said, "but I failed the exam the same way you did."
Ren's breath hitched.
"I was one point away from passing," Takami went on, his voice lowering. "I tried to summon as well… and nothing answered me."
A pause.
"And yet," Takami said lightly, "here I am."
He straightened just a little.
"An instructor."
"A Miyan-level Seer."
"What…?" Ren asked, confused. His voice was fragile. "You really mean that?"
"Yeah, Ren-kun," Takami said with an easy nod.
"Then…" Ren hesitated. "Then how did you become a Seer?"
His voice carried the faintest spark of hope.
"It wasn't easy," Takami said, glancing up at the sky. "It took constant struggle. Hard work."
He smiled faintly.
"And not giving up."
Ren swallowed.
"Why are you telling me this?" he asked carefully.
"Because you remind me of myself," Takami replied, his smile soft.
Ren hesitated again.
"…Then can I become a Seer too?"
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"After everything that happened… Can you help me?"
Takami was silent for a moment.
Then his private smile widened—just a little.
"Of course, Ren-kun," he said, resting a hand on Ren's shoulder.
Takami leaned closer.
"Come to my place. I'll treat you to some ice cream and explain everything."
"You're the best, Takami-sensei!" Ren said quickly, nodding as optimism rushed back into his voice.
I'll show you, Shinra, Ren thought.
I'm not a loser. I won't give up.
I'll become the rival you think I am.
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Soon, Takami and Ren arrived at Takami's home.
It was an average house—painted gray, tidy, and almost eerily empty.
The only things that gave it any sense of life were the traces of Takami's mother: neatly arranged belongings, carefully kept, but cold.
"Takami, you're home? And you brought Ren with you?"
Sakura's voice came from the kitchen, where she was preparing dinner.
Ren blinked, confused.
"Yes, Mother. I'm home," Takami replied, his smile tight. "I'm treating Ren to ice cream."
He paused.
"Weren't you supposed to be with the tea shop owner today?"
"Oh dear…" Sakura said softly. "I must have forgotten."
Takami's smile stiffened.
"Ren," he said, turning toward him, "go upstairs to the balcony. I'll bring the ice cream."
Ren hesitated, then nodded and headed up the stairs.
A moment later, Takami followed, holding two ice creams—one for Ren, one for himself.
"Here you go, Ren," he said pleasantly.
"Thank you, Takami-sensei," Ren replied, taking it.
He didn't eat it.
Normally, he would have already taken a bite.
Instead, he stared at the melting surface.
"Takami-sensei…" Ren asked hesitantly, "wasn't your mom… sick this morning?"
Takami's smile didn't vanish—but it tightened.
"Ah. Right," he said smoothly. "She was released from the hospital early."
Ren hesitated.
Something didn't sit right—but he swallowed the thought.
"Oh… I guess that makes sense," he said.
Finally, he took a bite of the ice cream.
As they ate their ice cream, silence settled between them.
"So…" Ren began hesitantly. "What is our training going to be?"
"Ah, yes," Takami said, his smile returning.
He turned fully toward Ren.
"It won't be easy. You'll need to put in a lot of hard work," he said. "I trained every night—honing my skills, pushing myself."
He paused.
Just long enough.
"Since you're just starting out…"
Another pause.
"Perhaps you should take it slow, Ren-kun."
"WHAT?!" Ren snapped, cutting him off. "I don't need a slow start!"
His fist clenched.
Takami's smile widened.
"Well, I'll be damned," he said lightly. "You're committed."
He leaned back.
"If you're half as good with your actions as you are with your words…"
A beat.
"…then the training begins tonight."
Ren hesitated.
Takami shrugged.
"Or," he added smoothly, "we can start slowly. Just as I suggested."
Ren stared at the floor.
His chest felt tight.
Shinra's words echoed in his mind.
He clenched his fist.
I'll show you, Shinra.
I have guts.
"Okay…" Ren said quietly.
He looked up.
"I accept, Takami-sensei."
Takami's smile widened even further.
"After ten tonight, come to my apartment," he said.
He leaned closer.
"We'll head to the training grounds from there."
A pause.
"…Together."
Ren listened, his heart pounding.
"Why so late, Takami-sensei?" he asked, confused.
"Well," Takami said calmly, "the training grounds are only open to those with Seer badges."
He tilted his head.
"And you don't have one yet. So we'll have to sneak in at night."
He smiled, resting a hand on Ren's shoulder.
"Don't worry. I'll be there with you."
"We'll do this… together."
Ren swallowed hard.
"Okay…" he said.
Takami added smoothly,
"Oh—and let's keep this between us. Don't tell Regna or Shinra."
Ren stiffened.
"They'd think it's too dangerous," Takami said lightly. "They wouldn't understand."
Ren fell silent.
Regna's voice echoed in his memory.
No.
One percent didn't matter.
His throat tightened.
"Yeah…" Ren said at last.
"…Okay."
His voice shook.
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The village streets were busy in the afternoon as Shinra walked home toward the grocery store.
His hands were buried deep in his pockets, fists clenched.
His jaw was tight.
A frown sat firmly on his face.
Did I overdo it?
The thought lingered as memories of his confrontation with Ren replayed in his mind.
Soon, he arrived at the shop.
"Welcome home, Shinra—"
Kenji stopped himself mid-sentence. Something felt off.
"Is everything alright?" he asked, concern creeping into his voice. "Is it about Ren?"
"It's nothing," Shinra replied quickly, already turning away.
"I'm tired. I'm going to rest. I'm not hungry."
He was halfway up the stairs before Kenji could respond.
"Shinra—"
But he was already gone.
Kenji sighed, shaking his head.
"Teenagers…"
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Hours passed.
It was about 10 pm.
A full moon was beautifully rising in the sky.
There he was.
Takami.
He wore full combat gear, a katana strapped across his back—far too much equipment for ordinary training sessions as he was waiting for Ren to come.
A smile curved his lips.
END OF CHAPTER 3.