Guide to tamming vilanesses-Chapter 33: The Weight of Reality

Hiroto didn’t want to get out of bed. He didn’t want to think about what had happened, much less talk about it.

Hiding in his room, he tried to avoid everyone. His parents tried to talk to him, but he remained closed off. His friends sent worried messages, but he ignored them as well. Hiroto shut himself in his own world, unable to face reality.

But on that day, the door burst open.

"I’m sorry, but I’ll pay for the damages, ma’am," Shin’s voice rang out.

When the hero looked forward, he noticed that his bedroom door had been kicked open.

"What?" he murmured in confusion, his eyes widening.

"We’re training today," Shin said bluntly.

He had already spoken with the boy’s parents, who had allowed him into the house. Now, it was time for him to resolve the trauma he had created; he would forge Hiroto into the most powerful sword of all.

"But..."

Shin grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him out of the house. Hiroto thought about resisting but gave up, following in silence.

Even so, that silent walk gave him time to think. The hero felt the rough ground beneath his bare feet and the strong sun warming his skin.

For most people, these sensations would be unpleasant, but for him, they were a cause for joy. After all, Hiroto had lived confined to a lonely hospital room, illuminated only by the cold light of a lamp.

His skin was sensitive, and prolonged exposure to the sun had always been a risk. His body was so fragile that any outdoor play was unthinkable. For a long time, all he wanted was simply to live, to be able to leave the hospital bed.

Now, he had that. And much more. He was no longer a burden to his parents. In fact, everything indicated that his future would be bright. Still, he couldn’t shake the sadness and deep frustration that insisted on remaining.

During their long, slow walk, he thought. He thought a lot about everything, and his frustration only grew. It was only when they reached their training spot that he decided to say something.

"You were right... She... She never loved me."

Instead of answering, Shin moved, attacking with a punch. Hiroto defended by instinct.

"Who is right or wrong doesn’t matter anymore," Shin said, landing a punch in the pit of his opponent’s stomach. "Now, focus on your training."

Hiroto lost his breath for a few seconds but recovered quickly. He spun in the air in a slightly exaggerated way, landing a powerful kick. Shin barely managed to block it, forced to take a few steps back.

"Damn it! The problem is that you’re always right!" he shouted, frustrated with himself. "Shit! Why do I always make the wrong decisions?"

Avoiding taking out his whirlwind of emotions on his teacher, Hiroto struck the ground with a punch. His fury and sadness mixed into a powerful blow that cracked a hole in the street. The city council would have to fix it later, but neither of them cared much about that.

Impressive... Shin thought, noticing how strong Hiroto had already become. In most routes, it would have taken longer for him to reach this level.

"What... what should I do?" Finally calming down, the hero faced his master with tears on his face.

Hiroto clenched his fists hard enough for blood to drip. His emotions were on the verge of exploding; after all, he was an emotional person.

"I should be happy, I should be enjoying this moment, and yet... I can’t even find the will to leave my room... Why can’t I stop feeling this way?"

"It’s obvious she didn’t love me," Hiroto continued. "So why am I still sad? Tell me, what should I do now?"

Apparently, he really trusts me in this route, Shin thought as he took a step forward. His calm gaze met Hiroto’s watery eyes.

"All you can do is wait. The pain of a broken heart is sharp, but it passes. For now, the best you can do is stay away and focus your mind on something else."

Shin began to walk and made a hand gesture calling Hiroto over. The boy followed immediately, even without knowing where they were going.

"After a while, your love for Eva will disappear completely; until then, this pain will likely continue. At least, that’s my clinical assessment," Shin joked. "It might not seem like it, but I’m a specialist in matters of the heart."

"I feel like you’re a specialist in everything..." Hiroto laughed lightly. "I wish I understood people like you do... That way, I wouldn’t be fooled every day."

Eva wasn’t the only person Shin had warned Hiroto about. There were many people who took advantage of him, and Shin had commented on all of them.

Immediately after finding out about Eva, Hiroto was in a rage. He didn’t want to end up killing her, so he distanced himself as much as he could. Remembering the other warnings Shin had given him, he decided to investigate. And, without much difficulty, he discovered the obvious.

"You were right about all of them... I didn’t believe it when I found out that Akita was a criminal."

Hiroto remembered with frustration the image of a kind old lady he had met. She had approached him asking for protection from loan sharks. The reality was that she was part of a mob, and the hero was just a convenient bodyguard for her.

Eva’s betrayal was the first stab to his soul, but that entire investigation was what buried him for good. It was only then that Hiroto understood how cruel people could be.

His childhood illusion of the world was shattered. Having always lived in an isolated and protected environment, he had developed an almost blind trust in people. After all, it was others who had kept him alive.

But outside the hospital, the world was beautiful, and also cruel.

For a few moments, he had forgotten how beautiful the world was, focusing only on its ugly parts. Because of that, he could no longer find the courage to leave his house.

"I don’t want to be like this anymore. I can’t stand being fooled..."

"I already told you, being wrong doesn’t matter that much," Shin said, leaning over to buy two ice creams. "Here, take one. Let’s talk a bit more."

Hiroto took the strawberry ice cream, and only then noticed he had followed Shin into a convenience store.

"Wait, you know I hate this flavor!" he complained.

"That’s what you get for not paying attention while I was buying," Shin said with an ironic smile.