Tadayoshi: wake up, kid

Alex wakes up to find Tadayoshi sitting on her chair waiting for her

Alex: h-how long was I asleep?

Tadayoshi: you weren't that long, but we got work to do

Alex: work... what kind of work....

Tadayoshi: you will find out soon, get change and meet me outside

Alex: but... don't we have school?

Tadayoshi: it's the weekends kid, don't worry about it

Alex: ok....

Tadayoshi leaves out the room, as Alex changes into her clothes and heads downstairs

Alex quietly walks past her parents, who were eating and chatting to her brother on how successful he is

Father: you've done so well to get this far, don't disappoint me

Jason then notice Alex sneaking by as he squint his eyes

Jason: don't worry father.... I won't fail you... say sis, what are you doing come join with us!

Alex jumps a little as she turns at them

Alex: m-morning mom and dad...

Mother: how did you sleep

Jason: your looking well

Father: yeah, so I think you should be studying

Alex: but I-

Father: no buts, if you keep this up, I'm gonna throw you out of the house

Alex: ...yes father

She turns to leave upstairs

Tadayoshi: you coming kid

Alex turns to see Tadayoshi at the front door

Tadayoshi: I was still waiting for you

Father: who are you

Tadayoshi: I'm just a friend of hers

Mother: sorry, she can't come out and play, she has to

Tadayoshi: she and I planned to study together today

Mother oh...

Father: well then, go ahead Alex, you two study well

Tadayoshi: we will, come on kid

Alex: o-ok

Tadayoshi leaves out the door as Alex follows

They walk down the street for a few minutes

Alex: why did you have to lie?

Tadayoshi: hm?

Alex: n-nothing

Tadayoshi: tell me

Alex: but I-

Tadayoshi: you already say something, you can't take it back, tell me

Alex: w-why did you... have to lie to them...

Tadayoshi: it's either your stuck in your room studying, or me trying to help you

Alex: but... what are trying to help with today...

Tadayoshi: you are about to find out

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Then soon arrive at an open area, with only some fake mannequin

Alex: w-what's this?

Tadayoshi tosses her a wooden sword

Tadayoshi: hit it

Alex: what

Tadayoshi: your gonna learn how to fight

Alex: but... I don't want to fight anyone...

Tadayoshi: when you are alone, you got to learn to fight back, then taking in the pain

Alex: o-ok

Alex walks over and hits one of the mannequin very light

Tadayoshi: your gonna hit it a little hard

Alex nods as she looks at the mannequin

She brings it up to her head and swings it down as hard as she can, while closing her eyes

Tadayoshi: ok, ok, now I'm gonna teach you the basic with a sword

Alex: umm... am I gonna be using a sword to protect myself

Tadayoshi: no

Alex: then why am I-

Tadayoshi: you will find out why

Tadayoshi then begins teaching Alex the basic moves on swinging the sword, which took time with her, for the next few hours

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Time fly by, as Alex finally learn every move

Tadayoshi: you did good kid, you can relax now

Alex sits down next to Tadayoshi, catching her breath

Her stomach begins to growl a bit

Tadayoshi looks at her as she was a bit red

Tadayoshi: you hungry?

Alex: no...

He stomach growls again as Tadayoshi gives her a really look

Alex: yes...

Tadayoshi pulls out a wrapped tinfoil from his pocket and hand it to her

Tadayoshi: eat it up, don't be afraid

Alex slowly takes the wrapped tinfoil and opens it up to reveal a large rice ball

Alex: I.. I can't accept this

Tadayoshi: eat it

Alex: but it's your lunch, I can't just-

Tadayoshi: eat.... it!

Alex: ok...

Alex looks at it a it before taking a bite out of it

As soon she felt it touch her taste buds, she lets out a tear

She begins gobbling it down, as tears starts flowing down her face

Tadayoshi: how is it?

Alex: it's... it's good...

Tadayoshi then pulls out another rice ball that was wrapped in tinfoil

Tadayoshi: eat much as you want

Alex: what about you

Tadayoshi: I'm not hungry

Alex: ok

Alex begin chowing down the rice balls as Tadayoshi watches

Tadayoshi: slow down kid, you don't want to choke yourself

Alex continues chowing down the rice, not listening to him

After a while, she finishes the rice ball

Tadayoshi: you ready to train again

Alex nods as they get up and continue training

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a few hours, it was now sunset

Tadayoshi: alright you did good

Alex: t-thank you...

Tadayoshi: now then

Tadayoshi moves the mannequin, and gets a wooden sword

Tadayoshi: come at me

Alex: what

Tadayoshi: you know the moves, so I want to you attack a live person

Alex: I...

Tadayoshi: come on kid

Alex hands begins to shake

Tadayoshi: we have all day, you can do it

Alex finally starts swinging at him, but Tadayoshi just dodges and blocking her attack

Tadayoshi: too slow and weak

Tadayoshi hits her head with the wooden sword

Alex: ow....

Tadayoshi: you also have to learn to endure the pain

Alex stands back up again

Alex: I-I can't do it, it's impossible to hit you...

Tadayoshi: because your holding back

Alex: what

Tadayoshi: deep in you, you really want to hit something

Alex: n-no I don't...

Tadayoshi: think of the times your parents treat you, the way Alexa and her friends treat you at school, think of the times your brother treat you like a punching bag

Alex begins remembering the pain she went through, all begin to boil up

She yells as she charges at him, but as she was about to swing down at him

Tadayoshi dodges and she trips over and falls to the ground

Alex slowly gets up but notice his hand

Tadayoshi: congrats, you did it

Alex: what...

Tadayoshi: I finally got you to succeed

Alex takes his hand, as he pulls her up

Alex: but... I didn't hit you...

Tadayoshi: no, but you were able to let go of your pain

Alex: what?

Tadayoshi: you have been always holding back, you never yelled back at them, never had the courage to throw a fist at them, but you finally are able to let it go

Alex: oh...

Tadayoshi: starting tomorrow, you are gonna learn to let out your feelings, and to control it

Alex: control it?

Tadayoshi: there are times you have to hold back, which is why I gonna teach you

Alex: ok

Tadayoshi: come kid, lets bring you back home, don't worry about your brother beating you, or your parents yelling at you, I can handle that

Alex: Th-thank you

Tadayoshi: hmm

Alex: thank you... for teaching me... an giving me food and-

She then felt his finger on her lips

Tadayoshi: tell me that when I have finish my help with you

Alex: o-ok

Tadayoshi and Alex begins to walk home as the sun begins to set to begin another day to begin