chapter 4 : friend ?

After the boxing class, Achille changes into his regular clothes quickly. As his mother arrives to pick him up, he greets her and says goodbye to the others. Elise listens carefully to her son as he enthusiastically describes the session. Although she's happy to hear him talk about his passion, she secretly wishes he was more interested in a less violent sport. However, she acknowledges that her son is as stubborn as his father and understands that he won't be giving up boxing anytime soon.

Elise decides to let Achille pursue his passion for boxing, even though it's not her first choice. She can see how much he loves it, and she doesn't want to stifle his enthusiasm.

As they walk home, Achille tells his mother about his plans for the next few months. He wants to train even harder, and he's hoping to enter a big tournament in a years.,he will be 10 years old so he can register. Elise listens, but she can't help worrying about her son's safety.

When they arrive home, Elise starts making dinner while Achille heads to his room to study. As she cooks, she thinks about how proud she is of her son. He's so determined and focused, and she knows he's capable of achieving great things.

Later that evening, as Achille is getting ready for bed, Elise comes into his room to say goodnight. She tells him how proud she is of him and how much she admires his dedication to boxing. She also reminds him to always be careful and to listen to his coach.

Achille nods, and Elise gives him a hug before leaving the room. As she walks down the hall, she can hear her son practicing his punches in his room, and she smiles to herself, knowing that he's doing what he loves.

Achille and his father, Luc, get into the car to go to school. Luc is proud of Achille for his academic achievements as well as his dedication to boxing and blacksmithing. However, Elise, wishes he would show interest in something less violent than boxing, but she acknowledges his strong-willed personality. Although Elise has attempted to teach Achille sewing, he hasn't shown much interest.

As they approach the school, Luc spends several minutes searching for a parking space while Achille impatiently waits to reunite with his friends. Once they arrive, Achille rushes off to meet his peers, and Luc observes from a distance. He's surprised to see Achille talking with a little girl, as he usually spends time with other boys. This thought inspires Luc, as he realizes that this anecdote could be useful in the future to distract his wife during a disagreement, giving him a brief moment to escape the conflict. He does not feel guilty about using his son to save himself.

Luc checks his watch and realizes that he is running late for an appointment. He quickly bids farewell to his son before rushing back to his car and driving away. As he drives, he can't help but feel a sense of nostalgia and think about all the things he still wants to teach his son. However, he knows that Achilles is growing up and needs to learn to be independent. Lucas hopes that the life lessons he has imparted to his son so far will be valuable for him in the future.

Achilles goes through a typical school day attending classes and working hard to comprehend everything that was taught. However, he senses that something is amiss when he notices that his friend Jack is avoiding him and not acting like his usual self. Achilles attempts to engage him in conversation to find out what's bothering him, but Jack remains tight-lipped and reluctant to open up.

Achilles couldn't figure out why Jack was avoiding him at school. He thought hard about it, but couldn't think of any reason why his friend would act this way towards him. The only change he noticed was that a girl named Emmy had spoken to him earlier that morning.

Despite his confusion, Achilles decided to talk to Jack. He planned to do this at the gym, where he would meet Jack to train.

Upon arriving at the club, Achilles headed straight to the locker room to find Jack and get an explanation for his behavior. He found him chatting with his friends Byrne, Zack, and Wilson in the back. When their eyes met, Achilles greeted Jack with a wave. However, there was some awkwardness in the air. To break the ice, Achilles asked Jack the question that had been on his mind since the morning,

"Hi Jack, how are you? Uh, I don't know how to say this, but I feel like you've been avoiding me since this morning, and I don't understand why."

At first, there was some discomfort, but finally, Jack decided to answer Achilles' question. He turned to face him and looked at him with a slightly hostile look.

"Achilles, how do you know Emmy? I saw her talking to you this morning." Achilles frowned, trying to figure out what Emmy had to do with Jack avoiding him.

"I don't really know her; we just ran into each other this morning, and she said hello. Why do you have a problem with that?"

Jack seemed to hesitate before he answered,

"I don't want you talking to her." Achilles was surprised by Jack's possessiveness over a girl he barely knew.

"I don't understand. We just ran into each other, and she said hello. I didn't do anything wrong." Jack replied,

"I just don't want you talking to her! so you should leave her alone."

Achilles shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't believe his friend was acting so possessive and jealous over a girl he barely knew.

"Okay, I won't talk to her anymore, but I don't understand why you're reacting like this."

Jack shrugged before turning away and joining his friends, leaving Achilles standing there, puzzled and a little sad.

Achilles has been putting in a lot of effort and dedication to his training after his last sparring session with Jack. This hard work pays off during their next training session, as Achilles manages to dodge most of Jack's punches and stays on his feet even after getting hit a few times. The coach is watching them closely and notices Achilles' progress, and when the training session ends, the coach takes the time to congratulate Achilles on his performance. The coach is impressed with how much Achilles has improved since the last time they sparred and praises him for his hard work and determination. Achilles is happy to have earned the coach's recognition and thanks him for the guidance and support he has provided. Overall, Achilles feels proud of himself and motivated to continue working hard and improving his skills.

Under his father's guidance, Achilles has made considerable progress in blacksmithing. He has acquired a good understanding of the various temperatures that the metal reaches and learned how to use them effectively to craft exquisite items. Achilles has also developed a keen sense of precision and meticulousness, and his father has often complimented him on his craftsmanship.

his father starts to entrust him with more tasks and responsibilities in the forge. Achilles takes pride in his work and enjoys the feeling of creating something with his own hands. He spends many afternoons in the forge with his father, learning and practicing different techniques.

One day, Achilles' father gives him a special task: to create a small bracelet for his mother's birthday. Achilles is excited and a little nervous, but he is determined to do a good job. He carefully selects the right materials and tools, and works tirelessly on the bracelet for several days.

Despite a few mistakes and setbacks, Achilles perseveres and manages to create a beautiful bracelet that his mother loves. His father is proud of him and compliments him on his hard work and dedication. Achilles feels a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in knowing that he created something that brought joy to someone he cares about.

From that day on, Achilles continues to improve his blacksmithing skills and takes on more challenging tasks.

Elise, was an accomplished seamstress and took great joy in sharing her skills with her son. She taught him the basics of sewing and helped him create beautiful garments. Although it wasn't necessarily his primary interest, Achilles appreciated the quality time he spent with his mother and showed a genuine enthusiasm for the craft. His mother was thrilled to see his interest in her work and was happy to encourage his growing skills in the art of sewing. Together, they created many beautiful pieces.

In addition to his hobbies, Achilles was a diligent student who took his studies seriously. He always put in the effort to do his best and his parents were proud of his academic achievements. However, his competitive nature didn't just stop with his hobbies. His rivalry with Jack, his fellow club member and training partner, continued to thrive as the two boys challenged each other to become better in their martial arts skills. They would often train together, each trying to outdo the other, which resulted in some intense sparring sessions.