Vol 3 Chapter 14

Kapros couldn't understand. Forgetting the goal he had set was a tremendous shock to him, but did others really think it was no big deal?

"So, how should I put this... Kap, you sometimes seem too strict with yourself? It's not that it's bad, but if perfectionism is too extreme, doesn't it become more like shackles?"

Kran spoke as he slightly tightened his arm around Kapros from behind and pushed him forward. Suddenly forced to walk while carrying someone in a strange pose, Kapros couldn't tell him to let go because he was listening to the continuing conversation.

"Of course, without that personality, 80 percent of the Kap I like would be gone... Haha. Anyway, what I'm saying is, while it's certainly great to consistently achieve your initial goal without forgetting it, it doesn't mean you won't reach the end of the road if you don't."

"..."

"What's wrong with straying onto a side path? Who knows, there might have been treasure hidden on that path? Maybe because you forgot for a while, you learned a better way to progress towards your goal. And even if you gained nothing, I think it was meaningful just by itself. Because of it, you can move forward more diligently from now on."

Kran's words, which Kapros had initially listened to with a frown wondering what he was talking about, gradually began to strangely touch his heart.

"So don't blame yourself too harshly. If you're still feeling down... I'll make you laugh then, just say the word."

Kapros couldn't answer for a while. Then suddenly feeling the need to see the guy's face, he removed the arm around his neck and turned around to see Kran looking embarrassed with slightly reddened ear tips.

"Umm. Was I talking too much after all?"

"No."

"Huh?"

At the firm answer, Kran's eyes widened. Kapros shook his head with a big smile, his expression comfortably relaxed.

"It wasn't too long. ...Thank you."

Right. Perhaps, as Kran said, he had been too bound by his goal all this time. He was still angry at the fact that he had become lax, but as he listened to Kran's words, the feeling of anxiety that had made him feel like his nerves were burning had melted away like snow.

Somehow, he was reminded of what his master used to tell him often in the past. He had said that Kapros always had a tendency to push himself more than necessary.

"...I set that day's training amount because I thought that much was enough for you, but I don't understand why you keep doing two or three times more than what I assigned. Can't you sleep if you don't torture your body? I won't be responsible if you end up being carried away with muscle rupture."

As Kapros smiled even more brightly than before at the sudden memory, he raised his head to see Kran staring at him with a dumbfounded expression.

"What?"

When Kapros asked curiously, Kran blinked a couple of times, then burst into laughter that seemed incomprehensible and even somewhat dejected as he held his forehead.

"It's nothing. Just, why don't you smile like this sometimes? It's much better and nicer than your usual expression where no one can tell what you're thinking."

That expression, which looked somewhat pained yet laughing with tears in his eyes, was still unfairly handsome despite everything. So Kapros ended up laughing even more loudly.

He hadn't known that just loosening his taut nerves a little could make him feel this comfortable. Kran's words weren't wrong at all. There was no need to get angry by regretting time that had already passed. So from now on, he intended to work even harder to make up for the time he had forgotten.

The effort of doing two or three times more had never betrayed him.

"Master, thank you for today as well."

"Yes. The wind is cold, so be careful on your way home."

After finishing his work at the kendo dojo, Kapros walked along the alley that was a shortcut, leaving behind his master's send-off.

Perhaps because it was becoming the season when the sun sets early, the surroundings were already getting dark. The wind had also become much stronger, making him feel like he might fall over even with his cane more than once or twice. The frequency of his leg bones feeling cold and painful had also increased accordingly.

'Hmm... My leg is aching a bit today too.'

It felt strange to realize the approach of winter through his leg first, even after several years had passed.

'It might be better to take a taxi on the main road rather than forcing myself to walk.'

Just as he was thinking this and about to turn towards the main road near the entrance of a sparsely populated residential area, it happened.

"Hey, cripple."

Along with an unfamiliar voice, the back of his neck was suddenly grabbed. Kapros was instantly dragged back into the alley. Then his head was slammed against the wall with a thud loud enough to make a sound.

"Ugh..."

'What the...'

As he blinked his dizzy eyes, slumped down after sliding down the wall, Kapros saw several shadows approaching behind the man who had dragged him.

"Is this the guy who came out of that dojo?"

"I told you it is. A cripple with a cane passing by at this time. It's definitely him."

The scrutinizing gazes were extremely unpleasant. Kapros started to think, trying to assess the situation. It seemed like these guys, for whatever reason, had been waiting to ambush him, targeting him specifically.

Did they have some purpose related to the dojo? His master and his wife hadn't said anything... He couldn't understand what this situation was about at all.

"Alright, if you've caught the right guy, let's finish this quickly and go get our fee. Hey, you."

A man with a threatening build called out to Kapros, narrowing his eyes. Instead of answering, as Kapros tried to move from his slumped position by pushing against the wall, the man clicked his tongue and spoke while firmly stepping on Kapros's knee.

"No, you don't. Stay put quietly."

"..."

As the man mercilessly pressed down on his surgically repaired leg, Kapros almost let out a groan but gritted his teeth and endured.

'Damn bastard...'

The fortunate thing in this misfortune was that Kapros hadn't let go of his cane even as he fell. This cane, though it looked weak, was actually very sturdy as it doubled as a self-defense tool. It was clear that these guys were underestimating him so much that they didn't even bother to take away his cane.