Chapter 38

After classes and after Danuja looked at Kana car driving away, she gathered Dad things before beginning her jog towards home.

It would have been easier to just go straight to the gym and begin her training?  Yes it would.

Did she need to bind her chest thoroughly and feed Dad before even thinking of meeting Mr. Touma? Also yes.

'' It's funny and annoying at the dame time.''  Danuja said after she fixed her bandages around her chest, looking through the cabinets for Dad food. While he eat she couldn't help but go in the bathroom, where the only tall mirror in the house was.

Her reflection in the mirror looked at her making Danuja squint her nose. Her weight was still ridiculous, though her legs where looking much more filled with muscle and fat, her bottom part was basically nonexistent if she wore her gym pants, the same with her hips.

Danuja pocket her hip dips before lifting her loose shirt looking at her abdomen. The definition of a four pack was looking right at her making Danuja huff.

'' Who would have though.''  she said faintly to herself before continuing to inspect herself. Her shoulders were still board and her arms were looking too muscled for her age. 

Dad bark made her look to the side, where he was waiting patiently for her at the bathroom door.

'' Coming, coming.''  she muttered, her mind already at the training Mr. Touma will show her. He did say she won't use her legs after all, so it's his business to show her how to win now.

It also his fault he made that bet.

----

'' Just because you won't be using your legs doesn't mean your hips, knees and ankles won't have a role in your punching power. '' Mr. Touma said seating on the bench while Danuja was doing the drill he showed her excitedly

'' What I want from you is to not kick with your legs, that's all. That doesn't mean they won't be trained but just in a different way.'' he said before scolding Danuja  '' Put your heart in there.''

'' I do.'' Danuja grunted  '' Mind telling me what does stuffing my hands in buckets of sand help with? ''  she said grunting when she rotated her wrist again

'' Increasing your punching power while simultaneously allowing you to assess your progress. It also strengthens the structures in your hands, reducing your risk of injury as you throw punches.''  he said pleasantly  '' It's not the weirdest thing we would do, just so you know.'' 

'' Joy.''  Danuja said huffing but not stopping her drill. She was stubborn as a mule when it counted.

'' Mr. Touma.'' Danuja said looking  deadpan at the man. She lifted the heavy ball in her hands, throwing it in the air just the littlest bit, frowning at the weight 

'' Don't look at me like that.'' he said looking a little embarrassed  '' This exercise it's suppose to  increases the power your strikes land with. You need to hold the ball in both of your hands and twist your torso. The more you are twisting your torse the harder your punches will be. '' he said in his teaching mode before coughing, scratching his head

'' Aren't exercises like those suppose to be made with a medicinal ball? ''  Danuja said even if she wasn't really sure how those things looked like but most of the articles she read about boxing implied a 'medicinal ball'  somewhere in the text

'' Do you know how those look like?''  he said arching an eyebrow at her, embarrassment forgotten making her scoff.

Without another words Danuja took the obvious basketball ball filled with sand before beginning the new exercise

----

Her body hurt. 

Her soreness was so evident that Danuja couldn't even hide from Kana anymore. There were just two more days before summer vacation could start and four whole days till her fight should begin.

'' Did you ever heard of the word 'rest'?''  Kana asked looking sadly at her hands. Danuja couldn't help but not that no matter how much Kana could like her there was no way her scabbed hands were a pleasant sight.

It wasn't even her fault truly. It wasn't like either of them, herself and Mr. Touma, could know that the sand had small shell pieces in it that cut through her skin in the process. They were using rice now, per his wife orders.

'' Danuja-san?'' Kana asked again when she didn't answer her, too busy to not move her arms too much while making sure that the her right hand, the one Kana was holding, was not twitching randomly

'' I heard you.''  she grumbled feeling a little bad when Kana just pouted continuing to care for her wounds  '' I'm training.'' she said licking her lips before adding  '' I hated how I come out after that fight so in the future, when other fights appear I won't disappear for a week if anything happens.''  I'm not letting anyone bully you when I'm not around  was left unsaid

'' You will get sick at this rate.''  Kana fretted taking her other hand beginning the process again

'' Then I just get better after.''  Danuja said hissing in surprise when Kana pressed just a tad harder on her  cuts.  She blinked startled while looking at her amethyst eyes and heavy pout.

'' I don't want my best friend to be hurt every day just because she wants to get better at beating people up.''  Kana said somehow sternly making Danuja shut her mouth with an audible click. Licking her teeth while looking at Kana concentrated expression, Danuja couldn't help but laugh.

Kana looked up flustered before huffing, pout still present before smiling softly at the sight in front of her.

'' Keep worrying about  me.'' Danuja said teasingly, leaning back when Kana finished treating her wounds. She couldn't help but grin and now she could feel the softness and difference between grinning and baring her teeth, and look at Kana flushed face 

'' You are going to be spoiled if I do.''  Kana said putting her first aid things away laughing happily despite it all

'' I like getting spoiled.''  Danuja said smirking before barking a laugh. She loved this feeling of just being with Kana and truly, was it really her fault that she wanted more?