Sitting at the edge of his bed, Ryosuke thought for a moment. If he wanted to get stronger, there was no other choice: he had to study. Just the thought of it made him smile. Study... A few days ago, the idea of cracking open a textbook would've made him groan. But now, he found himself strangely excited by the prospect.
Subjects he had never taken seriously before, like physics or chemistry, now seemed like untapped goldmines of knowledge. Science could be the key to mastering and refining his techniques.
With a burst of energy, he jumped to his feet, suddenly motivated by this new idea. Heading over to his desk, he rummaged through his drawers, searching for his old textbooks. It was a stack of thick, dust-covered manuals, long forgotten in a corner. One by one, he pulled them out: physics, chemistry, mechanics... Everything he once ignored was right there in front of him.
Wiping the dust off the covers with a swipe of his hand, he opened the first book, flipping quickly through the pages.
The first few lines of text seemed familiar, but boring. He had studied all of this in high school, without ever really paying attention. Terms like "gravitational force," "kinetic energy," and "exothermic reactions" had never caught his interest. But now, they hit differently.
He spent the whole day like that, immersed in his books, stopping occasionally to figure out how everything could apply to his abilities.
As he studied forces, he realized that some of his moves were directly affected by physical laws he'd ignored until now. For example, gravity played a big role in how he executed his jumps or managed his quick dashes. With better control over this force, he could manipulate his weight, slow his falls, or even levitate over short distances.
Time flew by. It was already afternoon when he finished a chapter on potential energy. Ryosuke set down his pen and leaned back in his chair, his eyes tired but his mind racing.
It was the first time he'd ever felt this excited about learning. Usually, a day of studying would feel endless and boring, but this was different. Each new discovery made him hungry for more.
Nightfall came, but he still wasn't ready to stop. His stomach growled, reminding him that he'd barely eaten all day.
He headed down to the kitchen, grabbed some leftovers from dinner, and sat at the kitchen table.
"So, what were you doing in your room all day?" his mom asked curiously, not looking up from her book.
"Nothing much," Ryosuke shrugged. "Just reading a bit."
"Really? You? Reading? That's a first," she said with a teasing smile.
Ryosuke gave a small smile in return, not saying too much. He ate quickly and then went back to his room to dive into more reading before finally crashing into a deep, well-earned sleep.
Monday morning arrived fast, bringing with it the last week of school before summer vacation. But unlike before, Ryosuke wasn't itching for school to end so he could enjoy his free time.
No, he had a new mission now: to learn everything he could to perfect his control over his powers. Every day after school, he'd head straight home, lock himself in his room, and bury himself in his books.
At first, it was tough. Getting back into subjects he hadn't touched in so long was harder than he expected. Some concepts flew right over his head, and he had to start from the basics. Newton's laws, simple chemical reactions, wave theory… all of it felt both familiar and distant. But as he pushed forward, the pieces began to fall into place.
One day, while studying particle motion, he figured out how he could manipulate the air around him to move faster or even create gusts of wind. The next day, he tackled thermodynamics and realized he could influence air temperature to make his techniques even more effective. Even electromagnetic phenomena, which he had always found abstract, started to make sense.
The week flew by, and with each day of persistence, Ryosuke grew more comfortable with these complex concepts. He had always known his power was vast, but only now was he starting to realize just how much he could achieve. Every new discovery fueled his desire to keep learning.
By Friday night, as he closed a book on organic chemistry after another long study session, Ryosuke stretched with a satisfied smile. He'd made serious progress in just one week. Of course, there was still so much more to learn, but he felt ready. Ready to use this newfound knowledge to push the boundaries of his abilities and discover what he was truly capable of.
The summer vacation was shaping up to be thrilling.
TO BE CONTINUED!
Next Chapter: Becoming a Mad Scientist (End part)