Hikaru's room was dimly lit, the only source of light was the eerie glow from the stone that had chosen him. Despite the energy flowing through him, he felt a gnawing unease.
"But I'm not feeling too well," he admitted, a hand pressed against his temple.
The stone's voice resonated within his mind. *Yeah, I can see that, but don't worry. My powers in you aren't meant to heal you from sickness, well... you haven't learned how to do that yet. So, you won't be going to school for now. But don't worry, you won't get tired of exercising for six hours.*
Hikaru's brow furrowed. "So how long will I begin to see changes?"
*Two months… but with my powers, it'll just take one week,* the stone promised, its voice filled with an ancient authority.
Hikaru nodded, determination hardening his gaze. "Alright, let's begin."
*First of all, look at the mirror,* the stone instructed.
Hikaru hesitated but complied, standing in front of the mirror.
*Take off your shirt,* the stone commanded.
"What?" Hikaru's voice wavered.
*Just do it!*
Reluctantly, Hikaru pulled off his shirt, revealing his chubby frame and large belly. He stared at his reflection, self-doubt creeping in.
*Look at you… you think you can use my powers in this form? No way, dude, no way. Alright, step away from the mirror and don't look at it until you've completed your exercises.*
"Which are?" Hikaru asked, apprehension lacing his voice.
*10 km run, 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats.*
Hikaru's eyes widened in disbelief. "Do you want to kill me!?"
*Relax; with your new powers, you'll be able to do it.*
Hikaru sighed. "If you say so."
The next day, Hikaru began his grueling regimen. Two hours running, two hours for push-ups, one hour for sit-ups, and one hour for squats. The first days were sheer agony, but he pushed through, day after day, driven by the stone's unwavering presence.
A week later, the stone spoke again. *Well done, now take off your shirt and look at the mirror.*
Despite his aching muscles, Hikaru managed to pull off his shirt and walked towards the mirror. His eyes widened in shock. The reflection staring back at him was unrecognizable – taller, muscular, and undeniably handsome.
"Who's that?" he whispered.
*It's you,* the stone replied, satisfaction evident in its tone.
Hikaru stared at the mirror for a long time, taking in his new form. "But will I stop being bullied?"
*Only one way to find out… Anyway, how's your head? The headache is gone, right?*
"Yeah, it is," Hikaru confirmed, feeling a strange sense of peace.
*Good. On Monday, go to school. We'll be able to communicate using our minds whenever you want. And if I want to talk to you, you'll know, and it's your choice to answer or not.*
Hikaru nodded. "Good… okay, good night."
He lay on his bed, sleep overcoming him quickly.
On Monday, Hikaru walked to school, his steps confident. As he entered the classroom, a hush fell over the room. The students stared, their gazes lingering in shock.
"Hey, who's that?" a boy whispered.
Hikaru smirked, feeling the change within and around him. The journey had just begun.
The classroom buzzed with whispers as Hikaru walked in, his transformation still fresh in everyone's minds.
"T-that's Hikaru," a boy stammered.
A girl, eyes wide with curiosity, asked, "What is your name?"
Hikaru sighed, "Look, I'm Hikaru."
The shock was palpable as he took his seat. Turning to a nearby student, he asked, "Um, please give me all your notebooks if you're not using them."
The girl blushed, her voice trembling. "Who would imagine that dork could be this cute? Y-yeah sure, I'll give you the ones I'm not using."
"Thanks," Hikaru replied, feeling a surge of confidence. *Yo, it's working. I can't wait to see Hina and Tadashi. Speaking of them, where are they? Well, doesn't matter right now. I need to copy these notes quick or my grades will drop.*
Before long, Hikaru found himself surrounded by curious students. It was a strange feeling, being the center of attention. But the moment was shattered when the three bullies who tormented him approached, seizing him by the collar.
"It doesn't matter if you've become taller, you're still the Hikaru," the first bully sneered.
Hikaru remained calm. "Can you three please give it a rest?"
*Hikaru, Hikaru! Don't use your powers against them! You can use the agility and physical strength you got during your exercise,* the stone's voice echoed in his mind.
*Got it,* Hikaru thought. "Look, I don't want to fight you guys."
"Where did that come from!?" the bully scoffed, letting go of Hikaru's shirt and preparing to strike.
*Whoa, this guy's picking a fight! There are a lot of fighting styles I know, but my older body wouldn't let me use them. But now with this body…* Hikaru caught the bully's hand and punched him. "I said stop this!"
The bully threw another punch, aiming for Hikaru's head, but Hikaru dodged and countered with a punch to the face. Another bully stepped forward, ready to strike. Hikaru anticipated the move, their fists moving in unison. At the last moment, Hikaru turned and landed a solid hit on the bully's face. The third bully hesitated, stepping back as Hikaru sat down, the room erupting in cheers.
When the bell rang, everyone headed to the gym. In the locker room, boys and girls changed into their track suits. As Hikaru took off his shirt, the boys around him gasped at his muscular physique. Hikaru noticed their stares and smirked, pretending not to see them.
He sat on a bench, waiting. A few minutes later, Hina walked in with Tadashi. Tadashi went to talk to someone, and Hina was about to follow when Hikaru's deep, excited voice called out.
"Hina!"
Hina turned around, uncertainty etched on her face, as she tried to identify the voice that called her.
"Don't you remember me?" Hikaru asked.
"Um, sorry no, are you new here?" Hina replied, still unsure.
Hikaru chuckled and reached for his phone, showing her a picture of his former self. "Nope, wait, hold on."
Hina's eyes widened in shock as she recognized the chubby boy in the photo. "Hikaru?"
"Yeah, that's me," Hikaru confirmed.
"You look… different. You changed, how? I didn't see you in school throughout last week."
"Exercise still exists," Hikaru answered nonchalantly.
"Oh my gosh, I can't believe my eyes… You're taller, we were almost the same height, you're muscular, you're… you're…" Hina started blushing but quickly snapped out of it.
"I'm?" Hikaru prompted.
"C-cute as well," she admitted, her blush deepening.
Hikaru's heart skipped a beat, and he started to blush. "Uh, thanks."
Unable to maintain eye contact, Hikaru looked away slowly.
"So, what are you doing here?" Hina asked to change the subject.
"Waiting for the teacher to arrive."
"Oh, that means I didn't really come late, huh?"
"Yeah."
Hina glanced over at Tadashi, who was standing alone. "U-uh, Hikaru, do you wanna come and sit next to Tadashi and me?"
"Wouldn't it look like I'm intruding?" Hikaru asked hesitantly.
"Not when I invite you to come over," Hina assured him.
"Okay, let's go," Hikaru agreed.
As they walked towards Tadashi, Hina couldn't help but think, *He's really changed a lot, he looks cool too. He didn't look like he was bullied when he was alone… but he looks so handsome right now.*
"What's up?" Hikaru asked, noticing Hina's gaze.
"Huh?" Hina snapped out of her thoughts.
"You've been staring at me for a while now. Is everything okay?"
*He noticed?* "Uh, it's because I'm shocked by how much you've changed."
"Yeah, I won't lie though, I'm shocked too."
"Um, Hikaru… do you still want to study with me?"
"You said you wouldn't be able to have that much attention."
"Oh, that's right. Well, I can study with you when I'm free."
"Yeah, okay, that'll work," Hikaru agreed.
They reached Tadashi and sat down next to him. "Hey."
Tadashi looked up, puzzled. "Um, who's this?"
"It's Hikaru," Hikaru answered.
Tadashi's eyes widened in disbelief. "Whoa, you've changed like a lot."
"Yeah."
"Yeah… you have." Tadashi started to sense a strange energy emanating from Hikaru. "Can I talk to you on the rooftop, please?"
Confused but curious, Hikaru nodded. "Y-yeah, sure."
Tadashi turned to Hina. "We'll be right back, Hina."
"Sure, take your time."
On the rooftop, the wind ruffled their hair as Tadashi turned to Hikaru. "So what's up?"
"You're also using a stone, aren't you?" Tadashi asked.
Hikaru's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, how did you know? You're also using the power of a stone too?"
Tadashi nodded. "Correct, but something feels strange. The energy you're carrying is too strong… that's why I wanted to talk to you."
Hikaru's mind raced. "…"
"The stone you carried, what color was it? Was it blue?" Tadashi pressed on.