Tomorrow's First Step.

Round 1: The Bell.

The Bell rings.

"Box!"

Zaki steps forward, touching gloves with another fighter before dashing in. It is an immediate slugfest, both fighters throwing all kinds of punches. His opponent is light on his feet, but that won't matter once he lands his hook!

"Zaki! Zaki!"

'Huh?'

Zaki turns around, seeing his mother in the crowd. What's she doing here...

"ZAKI! WAKE UP!"

He jolts awake, seeing his father leaning against the doorframe.

"Wake up lah, you're going to be late for school. "

Zaki groggily turns to the digital clock on his desk.

"Pa it's 6:15, we have plenty of ti-"

"Shush! It's your first day in secondary school. Things are a lot stricter here you know? Now go shower."

"Yes Pa.."

Soon enough Zaki was now sitting in his new classroom. The colour looks, bland. Everything is so grey and...he didn't like it at all. He sort of just went through the orientation programmes. While he enjoyed it, he was only looking forward to what lay after school. However during recess..

"Hey."

A boy sat opposite him at the table in the canteen. Zaki looked up, in the middle of chewing a piece of red bean bao.

"I saw you earlier in class and you have a lot of muscles for a sec 1. What's your name?"

Zaki blinked, having a small double take as he glanced at his forearm and back to the boy.

"I'm Zaki, what's your name?"

"I'm Eric."

"I've never met anyone named Eric."

"And I've never met anyone named Zaki."

"You want to play football with me after school?"

Zaki shook his head, taking another bite out of his bao.

"Is it because you go to the gym? Is that why you have big muscles for a sec 1?"

Zaki shook his head again, well, Eric was half-right. A boxing gym is still considered a gym, right? He swallowed his last bite and replied.

"Sort of, it's a place where people get stronger."

"So it's a gym."

"I guess so."

*DING DONG*

"That's the bell, we should head back to class."

At the end of the school day it was quite alright for Zaki. He hadn't experienced the usual bullying or had to defend himself from some aggressor. Maybe secondary school was going to be alright.

*DING*

"Go Zaki!"

The boy threw himself towards a punching bag, letting out a series of fast jabs and varying combinations of punches.

*DING*

"Okay, 10 minutes break!"

Zaki would let go, dropping his fists and going to grab a sip of water. While doing so, a taller, lankier kid approached him, he seemed to be around 16 years old.

"Zaki, how was your first day of school?"

"Hey Jordan, it was alright. I made a new friend, he seems interested in football."

"Is he part of an academy?"

"I don't know. What do you think when you hear the name Eric?"

"White."

"I thought the same thing. But I'm not gonna question it more, he's a nice guy so far."

"That's good. Be careful though, you never know who could betray you."

"I hope that doesn't happen.."

"Hey! Boys! Back to the bags! We going to restart in 2 minutes!"

A voice shouted.

"Okay coach!"

Zaki would return home later that day, a duffle bag by his side. Awaiting him was again, his father.

"Zaki, welcome back. I ordered your favourite fried rice for dinner. You got any homework?"

"No pa, lessons don't start for sec 1s until next week."

"Wah, so good. Back in my day-"

"Pa you let me shower first then you can 'back in my day' alright?"

"Okay, sorry sorry."

Later...

"Got no one bully you right?"

"Of course not."

"Good, I don't want you getting into fights again. Okay?"

" Yes Pa.."

A/N: HEYY GUYS! Okay so, question, why did I rewrite Chapter 1? Because I think it looks cringe asf and I had some ideas for how to set up Zaki's story.