Time: 1:18 PM
It was almost time for school to end.
School backyard.
As I walked, the sound of leaves crushing beneath my shoes echoed loudly, each step clear in my ears.
I couldn’t help but remember Gru’s words.
“Man, this sounds fake, but… I believe you.”
Gru had paused, tapping his fingers on the desk as if deep in thought.
“Wait here after lunch. I have an idea. Trust me.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I mumbled, barely awake. “I’ll try to make it.”
Gru smirked.
“You never get productive, do you?”
Just then, our teacher, Mr. Stand, walked in and commanded,
“Sit down, everyone.”
He began lecturing about inner demonic energy or something like that, but my mind drifted off. His words faded into background noise as I got lost in my own thoughts.
Soon, the lunch bell rang.
After eating the food Yui had packed for me, I wandered behind the school to meet Gru, just like he had asked.
I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts.
Something felt weird in my stomach. I couldn’t tell if it was excitement or fear.
When I arrived, Gru was already there, wearing some strange, tall boots. They looked normal at first glance—but I knew better. They were battle gear, designed to enhance the user’s abilities: speed, regeneration, and other supernatural skills.
“What’s with the boots?” I asked, confused.
“Don’t worry,” Gru said with a grin. “Just wait. I need you to show me that coat of yours.”
I furrowed my brow. “The one in my bag?”
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“Yeah. Grab it,” he urged.
I stared at him for more than a second, then said lazily,
“You should’ve told me this before.”
No matter how hard I tried to be productive, my body just didn’t respond that way.
But now… I didn’t know why I was suddenly in such a hurry for a coat.
Ken’s coat.
I rushed back to the classroom, grabbed my bag, and returned with the coat. Gru examined it carefully, nodding to himself.
“As expected… it’s definitely battle gear.”
He tossed it back to me.
“Try it on. Let’s see what it does.”
I hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. If it really was battle gear, it might be useful.
I slipped the coat on.
An odd sensation ran through my body as it settled around me. My heart skipped a beat—but then the feeling vanished, replaced by a strange calm.
Without warning, Gru attacked.
A narrow beam of crackling energy shot straight at me. If it hit, I knew I’d die instantly.
I tried to dodge—but my head suddenly felt frozen, as if time itself had stopped.
Then, a calm and cold voice whispered into my ear.
Jump.
Without thinking, my body moved on its own.
I leaped into the air.
My eyes shut instinctively.
When I opened them again, I was soaring—weightless, like a feather drifting in the wind.
I landed softly, unharmed, as if the air itself had cushioned my fall.
I wasn’t injured, but my chest felt strange—like my heart had stopped for a moment and then been forced to beat again.
Gru stared at me, his mouth hanging open.
“Man… it’s… it’s so COOL! You didn’t jump—you flew! How did you do that?”
I stood there, trying to process what had just happened. My mind spun, running calculations that made no sense.
“I don’t know, man,” I mumbled. “It just happened.”
I placed a hand on my chest, making sure my heart was still beating.
Just then, Sophia appeared, walking toward us with a serious expression.
“What are you two doing?”
Before I could answer, Gru jumped in.
“Oh, look who’s here—Sopi.”
Sophia’s eyes narrowed.
“Don’t call me that, Gru!”
I sighed. I was used to their rivalry. Gru had been calling her Sopi since childhood, and it never failed to annoy her. Still, it was all in good fun.
She turned her attention to me and said one word.
“Explain.”
I took a deep breath and explained everything—the coat, the demon, all of it.
At first, she didn’t believe me.
“Are you joking, right… right?”
But as I continued, her expression slowly shifted to anger. After a moment, she exhaled, the tension leaving her body.
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” she asked, crossing her arms.
I scratched the back of my head.
“I didn’t want to worry you.”
Her expression softened.
“Okay. I get it. But don’t ever hide anything from me again. Promise?”
I hesitated, then nodded.
“I’ll try. I’m not good at promises, though.”
For a moment, I thought I saw her eyes narrow—maybe from pain, maybe from anger.
Before I could understand it—
Gru smirked.
“By the way, Sopi, why are you here?”
Her expression suddenly changed.
“Oh, right!” Sophia said. “The school festival and tournament are next week. To participate, you need to be in a club… and neither of you is in one.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“So what? You want us to join a club?”
She nodded.
“I was thinking of starting a new one. But we still need one more member to make it official.”
Gru grinned.
“Don’t worry. I’ll find someone.”
And just like that, we agreed to help Sophia start the club.
She explained more about the tournament—the winner would get a chance to meet The Last End, a legendary hero party. I had never heard of them before, but the name sounded… weird.
Later, in class, I sat alone.
Every seat was empty. The windows were covered by curtains, but they weren’t enough to block the warm yellow-red sunlight.
I couldn’t stop thinking.
Why did everything suddenly start happening like this?
It felt like something—or someone—had planned it long ago.
Then, the classroom door burst open.
Gru stood there, smiling way too wide.
“I knew you’d be here.”
He turned around and walked away.
Moments later, he returned with a guy named Neel.
Neel Breadmar—a sports prodigy. A monster during P.E. class.
His inner demon, Bouny, was a wild gorilla. It had a deep, scary voice, yet somehow managed to look cute with its eyes. The more Neel used its power, the stronger it grew.
Bouny was excited to meet its so-called “rival.”
Unfortunately for me… that rival was me.
Just another surprise in an already chaotic day.
______
Love you all. Stay safe.
