The Pains of Growing || Book One: When We Were Young

Chapter Five

"Come on!"

"Are you sure?" she wondered. "I wouldn't want to barge in. You probably have a whole routine!"

"I wish I had a routine!" he laughed. She smiled. "Come on, Tanaka. It'll be fun."

"I mean-- okay," she sighed, joining his side. He led her down the street.

"Where are we going?"

"To the beach. That's where I always train," he said. She nodded, holding tight onto her bag. The smell and sound of waves soon overtook the area ahead of them. Sand started to cover the road and sidewalk. Before they stepped out, Tori stopped.

"Hm?" Toshinori wondered. She lifted her left foot and took off one blank flat, then lifted her right and took off the other.

"These are my only nice shoes," she explained.

"I can hold onto them if you want."

"Thank you," she beamed. She handed them over to him and he put them in his large bag. They continued to walk through the sand. She seemed to be intrigued by it as she dug her toes in with every step.

"Toshinori!" a warm, loud voice called. Both the students looked up. Tori's mouth went dry.

"You two... know each other?" Tori whispered. Her eyes were locked on the woman who had called his name; Nana. Yagi caught her as she started tipping back. The girl dug her heels in the grounds and grabbed Toshinori's elbow. He snickered.

"She's my master."

"You're kidding," the girl murmured, looking up at him. Their faces were close and they were hushed in their words, which made Nana and her friend Gran Torino suspicious.

"No. Come on, I'll introduce you!"

She nodded and let go of his arm. She walked slightly behind him, her footsteps no longer light. Her feet sunk into the ground and she struggled to keep up. She was freaking herself out. She took a deep breath before they reached the pair.

"Hi, Toshi. Who's your friend?" Nana asked. Tori swallowed to keep her mouth wet. She wouldn't be able to speak with a desert for a tongue.

"I'm Tanaka, Tori," she answered. "It's nice to meet you."

"Oh! Tanaka! He's told me all about you!" she said, shaking the girl's hand. She giggled, turning to a red-faced Yagi and back to Nana.

"He has?"

"A lot," Gran Torino added, crossing his arms. Tori smiled, clasping her hands together. She leaned back and looked at Toshinori, who was clutching to his pants.

"Well, I just came to watch," she said softly. "If you don't mind, of course."

"Not at all," Nana smiled, ruffling Tori's hair. She grinned and walked off, taking Toshinori's bag with her and sitting a few feet away. She took off her vest and tie, setting them in her bag. She stuck her long legs out and put her fists in the sand in between them. She watched intensely as they whispered to each other.

"She's cuter than you said," Nana whispered, nudging the boy's cheek. He furrowed his brow and crossed his arms.

"Please don't embarrass me."

"Yeah, since she is his only friend," Torino teased. The boy continued to pout, taking off his jacket and tossing it to Tori. She thanked him and she wrapped it around herself. Nana turned her back to the girl and cooed.

"Aww!"

"Stop, please," Toshinori begged. "Can we just get started?"

"Fine," Nana grinned. "Um... go carry those old appliances over here."

"On it," he nodded, jogging over to the pile of trash. Tori watched curiously and then in shock as he lifted an old washing machine and carried it over to where the two heroes were standing. He then jogged back and picked up a fridge.

She put her palms on her cheeks as she watched. It was truly a sight to behold. He was incredibly strong.

Nana watched her eyes follow the boy as he moved. She observed the way her eyebrows drew in an out and how her fingers curled around the jacket and released repeatedly. She was unsure what she was doing this for, but it was adorable, to say the least.

"You're so strong!" Tori awed, her hands balled into fists against her chest. He laughed, scratching at his wrist.

"Thanks," he replied. "Ready to go?"

"Mhm!" She waved at Nana and Gran Torino. "It was nice to see you guys! I'll see you tomorrow Sensei!"

Nana waved enthusiastically back while Sorahiko moved his hand in a lazy gesture. They heard a bit of the conversation between the teens as they left.

"Toshi's a cool nickname. Can I call you that?"

"Can I call you Tori?"

"Yeah!"

"Then it's a deal," the boy smiled, shaking her hand playfully. Nana found herself smiling broadly; smiling like the proud mother she was. She'd been worried for a while that Toshinori wouldn't be able to make friends with his terrifying strength. Even though one was a lot, she thought that Tori was enough for him right now.

"She's nice," Nana smiled. "She'll be good support for him."

"Or a terrible distraction," the man retorted gently. He scratched the fuzz on his chin and grunted, "But you're probably right."

"I can't believe you get to work under them," she said, looking up at the sky. It was getting dark and starry.

"Yeah?"

"They're top heroes! It's always been my dream to meet her," she said breathily, turning to him and smiling. He grinned, his teeth showing. "I guess I can thank you for making my dream come true."

"Don't thank me, I didn't really do much."

"Tori! TORI!" a girl yelled. The two teens stopped in their tracks and looked in the direction of the noise. Tori giggled and waved.

"That's my sister," she explained to Toshinori. He nodded, his mouth making an 'o' shape. She brought her hand down and held onto the large sleeve that covered her left arm. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Yeah. I-- bye," he smiled.

She waved at him and walked down the street towards her sister. She jumped on her and Tori held her up, laughing. After she set her down, her younger sister grabbed her hand and dragged her back home. Toshinori chuckled, returning back down the path towards his house.