''Ah!'' Ichiro exclaimed because the memory shattered like a piece of glass.
He looked around him and saw that he had returned to the black void.
''What do you think?'' He heard a voice behind him.
He turned his head around quickly and saw the white-haired Ichiro.
Ichiro gritted his teeth and clenched his fist.
''Anger, right? That's what I felt.'' The white-haired Ichiro told with a pained face.
Ichiro stayed quiet and waited for him to continue.
*Sigh*
The white-haired Ichiro sighed. ''I felt helplessness, I felt fear. I thought I would die.''
Ichiro interrupted. ''Why didn't I have any memory of this happening to you?''
The white-haired Ichiro wryly smiled. ''System locked some of the darker memories; this was one of them. The system didn't want any distractions.''
''Why did you show these memories now?'' Ichiro asked.
''This is one of the tests for you to reach Martial Captain. We can't keep these memories secret from you anymore; otherwise, you will not be complete as a person.''
''A-Are there more of these memories?'' Ichiro asked with a slight stutter; he doesn't want to feel the helplessness ever again,
The white-haired Ichiro sadly nodded. ''There are still few.''
''Fuck.'' Ichiro cursed; he scratched his head in frustration.
''I know, but this is necessary for your growth.'' The white-haired Ichiro approached Ichiro and told.
Ichiro stayed quiet for a moment longer until he decided to ask. ''Why didn't you want revenge?''
''Who told that I didn't want to?'' The white-haired Ichiro raised an eyebrow.
Ichiro looked at him in surprise.
''I wanted to hurt those delinquent bastards, I wanted to break them, that's why I started training Martial Arts. I spent countless months improving my physique, but I didn't even reach the Martial Novice, I didn't have any talent,'' The white-haired Ichiro sighed out of frustration.
Ichiro widened his eyes.
''Do you remember once you started training that our body wasn't as terrible as someone would assume? After all, I am known to be only interested in video games, but my body wasn't that bad.''
''That's true…'' Ichiro thought aloud.
After he got his memories back, his body wasn't that bad, but it was still weak in some sense.
But not as bad as someone who doesn't exercise at all.
''I decided to give up in Martial Arts, and I became very fearful of my surroundings.'' The white-haired Ichiro suddenly said.
Ichiro looked at him straight in the eye.
The white-haired Ichiro sighed. ''I had nightmares of that day for months; I thought it would never go away, but one day… The memories of that day were so vague that I stopped thinking about that day.''
Ichiro sighed and thought. 'Would I ever be able to forget such experience? Probably not…'
The white-haired Ichiro then smiled and said. ''I don't know if it is destiny or not, but do you remember Lucas telling a story about almost killing a college student once?''
''Ah, I do,'' Ichiro said and looked at the white-haired Ichiro with a questioning gaze.
The white-haired Ichiro chuckled and told. ''The young man who got brutally assaulted in the alley was Lucas' friend, and the delinquents were the ones who felt the wrath of Lucas.''
''Really?!'' Ichiro widened his eyes.
''Yes.'' The white-haired Ichiro nodded and continued. ''But he didn't tell the whole story of what happened… Indeed, he didn't kill the delinquents, but he did cripple one of them.''
Ichiro widened his eyes in shock.
The white-haired Ichiro chuckled and nodded. ''He crippled the one who stepped on my face.''
''I wanted to be the one who did that… but oh well…'' The white-haired Ichiro muttered sadly.
Then the white-haired Ichiro turned his gaze towards Ichiro and wryly smiled. ''It's time for you to experience another memory…''
''Damn…'' Ichiro groaned in annoyance.
The white-haired Ichiro walked towards Ichiro and patted his shoulder. ''Please promise me that you will give a life for our family, which they deserve. I earned a lot of money, but that can be easily lost without having proper strength. You can protect our family and use the money to make our family happy.''
''Of course!'' Ichiro shouted with a firm look.
''Good.'' The white-haired Ichiro chuckled, then his arm turned into bright white light.
*Swoosh*
Ichiro again saw the light pierce through his body; his vision again turned dark.
A moment later, he again opened his eyes.
He saw him sitting on the bench, which was located on the rooftop of the school building.
'Hmm, we are in school…' Ichiro thought with slight worry; the last memory was already terrible, and this must be as bad.
*Clank*
Ichiro turned his head towards the door which led to the rooftop; he saw a black-haired young girl opening the door.
She had a beautiful, youthful face, slick eyebrows, a cute pointed nose, and beautiful blue-colored eyes.
''Hey, Ichiro.'' The young girl said with a smile after she approached Ichiro's figure.
Ichiro stood up and, with a slight blush, replied. ''Hey, Amanda.''
''W-Why did you call me here?'' Ichiro said with slight stutter and nervousness.
Amanda smiled sweetly, which instantly brightened up the place.
''I like you, please go out with me!'' She said enthusiastic tone.
''L-Like?!'' Ichiro exclaimed.
''Mmm…'' Amanda nodded cutely.
''A-Ah…'' Ichiro's face was instantly dyed in pink.
He was about to answer with yes, but then he heard slight laughter coming from the door.
He turned his head with a questioning look and saw a few of his classmates filming them.
''Eh?'' Ichiro exclaimed.
''Pfft!'' A blond-haired girl in the door bursts into laughter.
And two young men next to her also burst into laughter.
''W-What is it?'' Ichiro asked.
''Sorry Amanda, just look at his face; he totally thought you were serious!'' The blond-haired young girl said while giggling.
''Eh?'' Ichiro turned his head towards Amanda.
He saw her previous cute look turn into a mocking look while looking at him.
''A-Amanda?'' Ichiro asked with a nervous face.
''Don't say my name. It's creepy. Honestly, did you think I was serious? Did you think I would actually like a good-for-nothing fool like you? In your dreams.'' Amanda spat out with disgust.
The three figures from the door walked next to her.
A black-haired young man grabbed Amanda from her waist and pulled her close to his chest.
''You see, my boyfriend is Peak Martial Novice fighter, soon he will become Martial Soldier, and he will be able to join Irio's Public Middle School's team next year.'' Amanda proudly declared.
Ichiro's eyes moistened while looking at the four figures; he saw their mocking looks, filled with disdain and disgust.
The black-haired young man grinned viciously. ''No one would ever like you, even though you are slightly handsome, it still doesn't change the fact that weaklings shouldn't exist in this world! This world is for the strong.'' He then approached Ichiro and punched him straight at his gut.
''UGH!'' Ichiro spat out saliva from his mouth and kneeled on the ground while clutching his stomach.
The four figures laughed and walked out of the rooftop, leaving Ichiro behind.
Ichiro fell to the ground; he clutched his stomach in agony.
''W-Why…'' Ichiro muttered with tears spilling out of his eyes.
Inside his mind…
'ARGGGGGGGGH!' Ichiro kept roaring for a few minutes already.
He first started roaring in mind because he knew that nothing good would come seeing a girl appearing in the vision.
Then he roared even more after he saw how bashful Ichiro acted while being in front of her.
He felt that Ichiro had a massive crush on that Amanda girl.
His heart was crushed into million pieces in that memory.
But Ichiro still didn't feel hate any hate towards Amanda.
Ichiro in his mind, kept asking why?
He only felt anger, envy, and pain.
But most of them were aimed towards the black-haired young man in front of him.
Who was probably everything Ichiro wanted at one point…
*CRASH*
*CRACK*
The memory again shattered into million pieces, and Ichiro appeared in the dark void.
He looked around him and tried to find the white-haired Ichiro.
The white-haired Ichiro appeared in front of him with a melancholy face
''Why… Why didn't you hate her?'' Ichiro asked with a pained look.
The white-haired Ichiro sighed and shook his head. ''I loved her… and everything she said was true… I knew it… This place is for the strong, and I was probably the weakest student in the entire school…''
Ichiro bit his lip.
''Hahh…'' The white-haired Ichiro breathed heavily.
''Love is a painful thing… I loved her since elementary school… and the memory of that rooftop was probably the most painful one… I still haven't healed from it.'' The white-haired Ichiro smiled sadly.
Ichiro clenched his fists and hugged him tightly.
The white-haired Ichiro looked shocked; he widened his eyes.
''I promise… I will make her regret!'' Ichiro cried out while his eyes started moistening.
The white-haired Ichiro looked shocked, but then he smiled with slight tears coming from his eyes.
He nodded with gratitude.
''How many memories left?'' Ichiro asked after he ended the hug.
''Only one.'' The white-haired Ichiro told.
Ichiro nodded, but the worry still remained.
The white-haired Ichiro touched his shoulder and both of them were instantly covered in white light.