***
Ken alighted from his bike and placed the lock on it, checking that it was secure. He stretched briefly before walking out of the cages and heading into the school building.
By now, he'd already gotten used to the stares of the students once more. However, he still lamented inwardly about the enigma of his skill Charismatic Air. Sometimes he wished that it would only activate on the baseball field.
"Yo Ken!"
Ken turned around, hearing a familiar voice call out to him. He saw the dreads and dark skin of his teammate, Latrell.
"Hey man, I didn't know you went to school here?" Ken asked, rather surprised. However, at the same time he knew that there was a whole lot of people, so it wasn't impossible for him to not see the guy in a single week.
"Yeah I'm only a Sophomore after all."
Ken raised his eyebrow in question. From what he could remember, the system had said that he was 18, the same age as him. But it was also possible that the guy was either held back a grade earlier in his life or just had a late birthday.
"Do you play baseball for McCallum High as well?"
"Mmm. We did pretty well last season."
Ken nodded. He was fond of Latrell, especially since the guy had a good work ethic, despite his limited potential.
In the next moment, Latrell looked left and right before leaning forward. "Do people stare at you like this all the time?" he asked with concern.
"Hah, yeah. You get used to it after a while." Ken replied off-handedly.
"Right…"
"Anyway man, Steve and I will be doing some intensive training over the next 3 months. Are you keen to join us after practices?" Ken asked, changing the subject.
"We'll be doing what?" Steve's concerned voice called out from a few meters away, apparently he had overheard the conversation.
Ignoring the panicking Steve, Ken was wearing an expectant expression on his face as he stared at Latrell.
Latrell looked to Steve who seemed to be filled with anxiety, as if he'd been sentenced to a jail term. However, remembering just what kind of player Ken was, he felt a sudden burst of motivation.
'If I train with Ken, maybe I'll improve dramatically.' He thought inwardly.
To someone who had dreams of playing professionally, hugging the thigh of the best player in the team couldn't hurt.
"Sure man, sounds good." He replied eventually.
Yet almost as soon as he said that, Ken's expectant expression turned slightly more sinister. His lips curled slightly and his face darkened, almost as if someone had walked into his well prepared trap.
"Excellent! We'll see you this afternoon." Ken said, tapping him on the arm.
Steve on the other hand sent his gaze towards Latrell, slowly shaking his head. "What a foolish mistake." He muttered, closing his locker and following after Ken.
"Hmm? What does he mean by that?" Latrell asked no one in particular.
Later that afternoon, he immensely regretted his actions.
"Stop slacking, onto the next exercise!" Ken shouted like a drill sergeant, directing both Steve and Latrell.
The two painfully got up to their feet and followed along, albeit shakily. They stared at Ken as if he was a monster, noting that apart from sweating, the guy looked like he could go on for hours and hours.
Thankfully, the session lasted a total of 1 and a half hours only. However, to Latrell and Steve, each moment had pushed them to the limits, almost breaking them.
If it wasn't for Ken doing the exercises with him, they might have rebelled.
Ken's eyes landed on the two figures now flat on their back with exhaustion and frowned slightly. He had decided to cut the training session short, since they were just lagging behind all the time.
Mika's training regime to boost his physical grades was the most intense he'd seen yet. Even he was beginning to struggle a little at certain parts.
While the two were resting, Ken made the decision to continue the rest on his own. He would rather get everything done now instead of having to complete it at home later.
Steve sat up, seeing Ken in the middle of doing what seemed to be a variation of burpees and almost cried out in shock. After everything they'd done already, he couldn't believe Ken was still going.
Something stirred within him, making him feel indignant.
'I can't be slacking like this…' He thought, feeling annoyed at himself.
With a determined expression, he struggled to get to his feet, stumbling a few times. However, he grit his teeth, slowly making his way over to Ken.
Ken had seen the guy get up, but didn't pay attention to him. But inwardly he smiled.
'It seems that the Mirror Effect really is a thing.' He thought.
Steve then began to perform the same burpees that Ken was doing, albeit far slower and with less technique. However, it was enough that he still had the will and drive to continue.
Latrell on the other hand had also tried to get up, but fell down a moment later. It was clear that he also wanted to join, but his gas tank was completely empty.
After another 20 minutes, Ken finally finished Mika's workout and began to suck in deep breaths. If he hadn't have had to wait for the other two and therefore taken a few short breaks, it was likely that he would be completely spent.
The trio finished their work out and slowly arrived at the water taps. Steve didn't hold back, putting his head underneath the water trying to cool himself down.
Ken drank greedily, before doing the same.
"Make sure you guys eat more carbohydrates and try to increase your calorie intake. I'd suggest eating more rice with every meal, it's good for you and filled with carbs."
Despite not being a dietitian, Ken knew that part of growing one's body required the correct fuel intake.
"Alright, get some good rest and we'll do it all again tomorrow." Ken said with a smile.
These words caused the duo to pale, however they still nodded in response.