Inside his room, Alvano sat in silence for a moment. He stared at the ceiling, trying to recall—did Theo often come to his house before? Why did his grandfather seem so familiar with him? But the more he tried to remember, the emptier his memories became. He wasn't close to anyone during middle school, except for occasionally talking briefly with Theo in class.
"Ah, maybe they really did meet often… Grandpa always picked me up since first year of middle school," he murmured quietly, trying to dismiss his curiosity. He didn't want to overthink it—besides, there were more important things to do now.
Alvano stood up, straightened his clothes a little, then walked downstairs with a determined step. "Alright, let's start," he said once he reached the bottom, looking at Theo with a ready expression.
Theo, who had been chatting casually with the grandfather, stood up and raised his hand playfully. "Yes, my student," he teased lightly, making Alvano scoff but unable to hide a small smile.
They said goodbye to the old man. "We'll be in the backyard, Grandpa," said Alvano.
"Train him well, Theo," the grandfather replied with a chuckle, as if giving his blessing for their session.
The two then headed to the back of the house—a wide open yard with green grass and several tall trees surrounding it. The place felt calm and perfect for practice. The afternoon light had started to dim, making the air cooler and more pleasant.
"This place is perfect for training," Theo commented while looking around.
"Yeah, I usually just sit here in the evenings… but I've never actually trained before," replied Alvano.
"From now on, you will," Theo said with a broad grin.
They began the training with enthusiasm. Theo picked up a few small objects like coins, pebbles, and pieces of wood to use for practice. He placed them around the yard, then asked Alvano to focus and try moving them one by one.
"Just focus on one point first," Theo said, pointing to a coin placed about three meters away. "Imagine you're pulling it with your mind—like there's an invisible string attached to it, and all you need to do is tug that string."
Alvano nodded, directing his focus toward the coin. At first, nothing happened. But slowly, the coin shifted slightly. Though only a few centimeters, it was still progress. Alvano panted softly, feeling pressure on his shoulders and arms.
"Not bad!" Theo said excitedly, then joked, "At this rate, you might be able to pull food off someone's table when you're hungry."
Alvano let out a small laugh, amused by the silly comment. The training felt fun, even though he occasionally winced from muscle strain. Theo kept encouraging him, occasionally correcting his stance and focus.
Through the window, the grandfather silently watched them. His eyes glowed with happiness—his usually quiet and reserved grandson now looked lively and full of energy. He smiled contentedly—perhaps this was what he had always hoped to see.
Training continued until 5:35 p.m. Though Alvano's power wasn't fully stable yet, the results were satisfying for a first day. He could already move two objects at once within his range. The movements were shaky and imprecise, but it was still a major achievement.
Theo took notes of the results seriously. He concluded that Alvano's ability allowed him to move objects within an eight-meter radius. The area was circular, and the closer an object was to the center, the easier it was to control.
However, they also discovered a drawback: every time Alvano used his power, his body suffered physical strain, especially on certain muscles. That made it hard to use his ability repeatedly, as his body needed rest to recover. If forced, it could lead to minor muscle injuries.
Alvano began to understand the pattern. He did several independent trials—moving objects faster, shortening the interval between attempts, even trying to change an object's direction mid-air. It wasn't perfect yet, but he realized one thing: his power could grow stronger with consistent training.
"Looks like my body really needs to get used to this," Alvano murmured while massaging his stiff neck.
Theo patted his shoulder. "Relax, you did great today. We'll level it up tomorrow."
Alvano nodded, smiling tiredly but satisfied.
Theo sipped his drink and said, "If you want your power to stay stable and your body not to tire easily, you've gotta start exercising too. At least stretch, jog in the morning, and fix your sleep schedule."
Alvano snorted softly and glanced at him teasingly. "You? Talking about sleep schedule? You're the one who falls asleep first in class—sometimes even before the teacher comes in."
Theo burst out laughing. "Ah, you caught that? But that's different! My naps are part of maintaining my body's balance—it's survival art!"
"Excuses," Alvano replied with a small smirk.
Though joking, Alvano knew Theo's advice made sense. His body did tire easily after using his power, and his muscles weren't used to sudden strain. Regular exercise would really help.
He nodded slightly while looking at his hands. "I'll start tomorrow morning. I can't keep relying on this power if my body can't handle the weight."
Theo grinned. "Now that's the spirit of a future fighter."
They laughed lightly, then sat back for a while, watching the evening sky darken.
Not long after their laughter filled the backyard, the grandfather's voice called out, "You two, come in! Dinner's ready!"
Alvano and Theo turned their heads at the same time and got up. As the door opened, the delicious aroma of fish soup rising from the table greeted them. The scent was rich with spices, making Theo's stomach growl loudly.
"Uh… whose stomach was that?" the grandfather teased with raised brows and a playful grin.
Theo chuckled awkwardly, rubbing his belly. "Hehe… sorry, Grandpa. Reflex. My body can't lie when it smells something this good."
Alvano laughed softly beside him—the atmosphere was warm. For the first time, dinner didn't feel cold and silent like it usually did.
"You really haven't changed, Theo. Always hungry whenever you visit someone's house," the old man added jokingly.
Theo laughed sheepishly, but warmth filled his heart. It felt like coming home.
They began eating together, and that moment became one of those simple, quiet memories—yet deeply meaningful for Alvano.