Vow

''65, 66, 67....' Rando counted, as he struggled to complete 70 push ups.

"You push yourself too much Rando, you've still got months before the entrance examination and you're already killing yourself" Yashiro replied, as he sat at the Peck Deck Machine, getting ready to start a work out.

Rando got up slowly, chuckled and said, "Yeah true, but we still have a long way to go before the exam. I can only maintain steel form for 3 minutes, and you fuck your body up every time you try to use your powers".

"Yeah, whatever" Yashiro said grudgingly, as he continued his work out.

"You really are unlucky" Rando teased, "how does such a skinny guy get landed with such a power ?".

"I may be skinny but I'll beat your ass in a fight any day of the week arsehole" Yashiro said, with a smile on his face.

"Ha, yeah you wish".

The expression on Rando's face became slightly more stern as he looked at Yashiro with concern on his face.

"Yashiro" he said with a very serious tone which made Yashiro straighten up in his seat. "I worry about you. I know you don't like us talking about it but we have to, it's been almost a year since your powers manifested and you still have not been able to use it without any serious injuries to your body. The Horizon Academy is a very serious school and if you want to get in you h--"

"who said that's where I wanted to go?" Yashiro interrupted, sounding slightly irritated. "All everyone talks about is how prestigious that damn Academy is but no one ever asks if I actually want to go there. Look I didn't ask for these powers Rando, if I could return them, I would"

"you're one of the brightest in our class, if not, the entire school. I just don't think you should waste the opportunity you have".

Yashiro buried his face in his hands. "Let's be honest Randy, even if I wanted to, I would never get in. I'm far too skinny and like you said, I can't even control my shitty powers".

"They don't care about size, they care about how you use your powers, physical ability and all that other crap. You may be skinny but I've seen u take on 3 guys and win". Yashiro smiled and sat up straight, Rando continued, "it would be a shame if you didn't get in Yashiro, you're amazing at everything you put your mind to."

"okay, okay, I'll work on getting used to my powers".

"Make me a promise Yashiro"

"depends on the promise"

"promise me you're gonna pass the entrance examination, at all costs"

Yashiro paused for a while, then got up with a determined smile on his face. He held his hand out, and Rando shook it.

"I promise Rando, I'll get in, whatever it takes. I'm ready." They shook hands and Rando had an even bigger smile on his face, "damn right you will".

*

"Empty out your pockets", a masked thug said, as he waved a pocket knife at Sando Kyojiro.

"Don't make me repeat myself. Empty out your pockets and give me everything you have" At that point, a second masked thug came into the rather spacious alleyway with his fist in his hand, smiling.

"You better do what he says, you don't wanna mess up your pretty face now do you?"

Sando looked up at the sky and smiled wildly as he felt the sun on his skin. "Nice weather today isn't it?"

"don't be a retard now, just give everything you have and you can be on your way" the thug with the knife said.

"Well, all I have is my wallet" Sando said as he reached into the left pocket of his trouser and pulled out a flashy wallet.

As the thug saw the wallet, his face lit up. "Yeah that will do. Now hand it over"

Sando laughed and gave the wallet to the thug and slowly puts his hands down by his sides, while staring at the thug with a dark smile across his face.

"What the fuck are you smiling at?", the first thug asked, sounding slightly agitated. He waved the knife in Sando's face again and moved closer to him, attempting to intimidate him. "Are u sure you don't have anything else to give?"

"As a matter of fact, I do". Sando took the thug by the scruff of his neck and headbutted him in his nose. The thug screamed in pain, dropped the pocket knife and clutched his now broken nose as he fell to the floor. Sando turned around quickly as the second thug charged at him.

He was feeling confident, and his smile showed it. The thug came in with a big right hook, which Sando ducked under with ease.

The thug followed with a left, which Sando anticipated and blocked, then immediately shuffled backwards into a boxing stance.

The thug swung wildly again and Sando ducked under the punch, swiftly moving behind the thug with both of his arms wrapped around the thugs torso, lifting him above his head and slamming him hard on the floor behind him, rendering him unconscious.

The first thug still lay on the floor, writhing in agony with his hands covering his bloody nose.

Sando shook his head in contempt as he looked at both thugs.

"Damn, you guys are pathetic" he groaned, "couldn't even put up a real fight. What a bunch of pussies."

He picked up his wallet and walked slowly towards the unconscious thug. He crouched down and reached into the pockets of the thug and removed the wallet he found, and put it in his back pocket.

He looked over at the first thug, shook his head again and walked off, heading to school.

As he walked through the gates of the school and into the hallway, he thought to himself,

[how pathetic, I didn't even need to use my powers on them. For crying out loud, I need a real challenge. I need a reason to use my powers again, I'm bored. I need something, or someone, good enough to make me to all out]

"The fuck are you smiling about now Sando?" Tanori asked, as he walked towards Sando. "You thinking about killing someone again?"

"I just had a fight with two guys who tried to rob me" Sando said, as he bumped his fists against Tanori's. "I absolutely wrecked them, even left one unconscious"

"you use your powers?"

"No, I didn't need to. They weren't worth it"

An alarm went off, signalling the start of a lesson. In a matter of seconds, the hallway was completely empty, but Sando and Tanori remained.

"Well I better go" Tanori said, "don't wanna be late on the first day of school".

"Yeah, me too, promised my mum I was going to behave this year".

Both boys nodded and walked in opposite directions, their footsteps, slowly fading away until there was complete silence.