First Steps Forward
Chapter 6 — First Steps Forward
She crossed her arms and tilted her head slightly.
“Rikuo…” she murmured. “Rikuo… I feel like I’ve heard that name somewhere before.”
I froze.
For a split second, I thought about pretending I hadn’t heard her. About turning away. About walking
back to the dorms and pretending this day never happened.
But my feet didn’t move.
Say something.
Anything.
Before I could, her eyes widened just a little.
“Ah. I remember now,” she said, snapping her fingers lightly.
“You’re the curse of the Seras family.”
The words hit instantly.
It felt like something heavy had been placed on my chest.
My gaze dropped before I could stop it.
So even here.
Even in this place, where no one was supposed to know my past.
That name still followed me.
I felt my expression harden, then slowly collapse into something emptier.
“…I see.”
I hadn’t meant to sound resigned.
But that’s how it came out.
Her reaction was immediate.
Her shoulders stiffened, and she took a half step forward.
“Wait— no, that’s not what I meant!” she said quickly, waving her hands. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just… remembered where I’d heard the name.”
She hesitated, then bowed her head.
“I’m sorry. That was rude. I shouldn’t have said it like that.”
I stared at the ground longer than necessary.
It wasn’t anger.
It wasn’t sadness either.
Just… exhaustion.
It didn’t matter how far I went. The past always arrived before I did.
I took a slow breath and forced myself to straighten up.
“You don’t have to apologize, senior, it’s true. And I’m not a Seras anymore.”
She slowly raised her head again.
Her eyes met mine—and she hesitated.
I could tell she didn’t know what to say after seeing how down I looked.
So she changed the subject.
“What are you doing here?”
I answered honestly.
“My friend and I came here to train, but he forgot something in the classroom. He already went back to get it. He should be here soon.”
She nodded once.
Then she smiled, a little awkwardly.
“As an apology, how about we train together? There’s nothing better than physical effort to get to know someone properly.”
I opened my mouth to answer—
“Rikuo!”
Before I could say anything, Izuo entered the training area.
He jogged over, stopping beside me.
“Sorry, it took longer than I expected.”
Then his eyes shifted past me.
He looked at the woman standing in front of us.
“Oh,” he said. “Hello. I’m Izuo. And you are?”
Elaira straightened.
“I’m Elaira, second-year. Nice to meet you,”
“Nice to meet you, senior Elaira.”
They shook hands naturally.
“I was talking with Rikuo, that you two were planning to train. I always train here after classes.”
She glanced at both of us.
“I usually train here after classes. Would you mind if I joined you?”
Izuo looked at me.
“So? What do you say?”
I looked at Elaira for a moment.
“…I don’t mind, if you’re okay with it.”
Her smile softened.
“Great.”
We moved toward the center of the training field.
“So, what were you two planning to do?” she asked.
Izuo smiled, rolling his shoulders slightly.
“I usually train intensely,” he said. “But today, I was planning to put together a basic routine for Rikuo. Something simple, just to help him get his body in shape.”
Elaira nodded slowly.
Then she looked at me.
“And what about you? What did you usually do to exercise?”
“I never really had many chances to train properly, but I walked a lot. Mostly in the forest.”
“The forest?” Izuo asked. “For what?”
“To hunt animals, and to gather mushrooms and fruits to eat.”
He nodded, like that explained everything.
“In my village we hunt a lot too. Good muscles need good meat.”
Elaira tilted her head slightly, looking unsure.
After a moment, Izuo clapped his hands.
“Then let’s start with the basics for now. Running, squats, and push-ups. We’ll take it step by step, Rikuo, and see how far your body can go.”
Elaira nodded.
“That sounds reasonable.”
And just like that, we started.
Izuo glanced at me from the corner of his eye.
“Do not push yourself too hard on the first day, If you collapse before the warm-up, I will never let you forget it.”
“I am not planning to go that far” I replied.
“That is what everyone says before collapsing.”
Elaira let out a quiet laugh beside us.
“That confidence sounds familiar,” she said. “Most people here say the same thing on their first week.”
I had a bad feeling about that.
Izuo walked off and grabbed a massive weight, lifting it like it weighed nothing.
Wow… he’s strong.
Alright. Then let’s start too.
I prepared myself to start running.
Before I moved, Elaira stepped closer.
“I’ll run as well,” she said with a soft smile.
I noticed she was still worried about what happened earlier.
I didn’t say anything.
We started running side by side.
After a few moments, my breathing started to get heavier.
“So… is running always part of sword training?” I asked between breaths.
Elaira nodded easily, not even sounding tired.
“Of course. If your legs stop, your sword stops too.”
That explained a lot.
Mostly why I felt like my legs were planning a rebellion.
After a few moments, I realized something.
She was matching my pace.
Not faster. Not slower.
Exactly my speed.
She’s kind.
Maybe I shouldn’t keep thinking about what she said before. I feel bad about making a fuss about it now.
“Senior Elaira,” I said after a while. “You like the sword, right?”
“Yes. It’s a family thing, and I love it.”
Her voice softened.
“Every time I swing a sword, I feel free. Like a bird finally flying free.”
A bird.
Free.
I looked ahead as we ran.
I hope that one day, I can be like that too.
That thought lasted… about ten seconds.
Senior Elaira didn’t slow down.
We kept running. And running. And running.
By the time my legs started screaming, Izuo, that maniac, was already talking about push-ups.
Then came squats.
So much for long-term dreams.
By the time we finished training, my body had completely given up.
I was lying flat on the ground, staring at the sky, barely able to move my arms.
Izuo leaned over me, hands on his hips, breathing a little heavier than usual.
“Man,” he said with a teasing grin, “you really need to grow some muscles.”
I didn’t even look at him.
I just raised my hand and showed him my beautiful middle finger.
Izuo burst out laughing.
“Yeah, yeah. That reaction means you’re still alive.”
I closed my eyes, too tired to answer properly.
Elaira watched the two of us for a moment, then smiled.
“That was a really good day of training, i had fun.”
I forced myself to sit up slightly and looked at her.
“…Sorry senior, we ended up taking a lot of your time.”
She shook her head.
“That’s not a problem at all, training is always more fun when you do it with someone.”
For some reason, that made my chest feel a little lighter.
I hadn’t realized it, but a small smile escaped me.
After that, we said our goodbyes.
Elaira waved and headed off in a different direction, her figure slowly disappearing beyond the training field.
Izuo waited until she was gone, then offered me a hand.
“Come on. If you stay on the ground any longer, you’ll fuse with it.”
“I am seriously considering becoming part of the ground right now. I feel like I’m dying.”
I grabbed his hand and stood up, my legs shaking slightly.
We headed back toward the dormitories together.
By the time we arrived, the sky was already dark.
The academy was quieter now. Fewer voices. Softer footsteps. Lamps glowing along the paths.
“I hope everything worked out with Latris,” Izuo said.
I glanced at him. “Did she tell you why she could not come?”
“She said she went out with some friends from the capital.”
I nodded. “That makes sense.”
For a while, neither of us said anything.
Then I spoke.
“I want to get stronger,” I said quietly. “No, I need to. If things stay like this, I do not think I will be able to do anything in the next practical exam.”
Izuo stopped walking and turned to face me.
He looked serious for once.
“Everything happens in its own time and either way, I’ll be here. I’ll train with you every day.”
I stared at him for a second.
Then I smiled.
“…Thanks.”
I extended my fist toward him.
He didn’t hesitate.
He bumped his fist against mine.
And for the first time that day, I felt like I was moving forward.
Ending of chapter 6
