Leaving the Kobayashi Family estate felt strange.
The pressure that had quietly pressed against Kenji's senses vanished the moment they crossed the outer boundary. The air returned to normal—lighter, noisier, filled with the ordinary sounds of the city.
Footsteps.Voices.Life.
Kenji exhaled slowly, only now realizing how tense he had been.
"…I didn't even notice how tight my shoulders were," he muttered.
Riku chuckled beside him, hands behind his head. "Yeah. First time near a real gate does that to people. Even family members feel it."
They walked side by side down the stone-paved street, the afternoon sun casting long shadows behind them. Shops lined both sides of the road—tea houses, weapon repair stalls, herbal shops, and small restaurants filled with chatter and clinking dishes.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Kenji's mind was still replaying Elder Tetsuo's words.
Choose stability over ambition.
Riku suddenly stopped.
"…I'm starving he said out loud."
Kenji blinked. Then, almost against his will, he laughed quietly.
"Me too."
They stood in front of a modest restaurant with wooden tables and a faded sign swinging gently in the breeze. The smell of grilled meat and broth wafted through the open doorway.
"This place is good," Riku said. "Cheap, filling, and the owner doesn't care if you're a cultivator or a beggar."
Kenji nodded. "Sounds perfect."
They stepped inside.A Meal Without Pressure Riku said
The restaurant was crowded but warm. Steam rose from bowls, laughter echoed, and the clatter of chopsticks filled the air. No cultivation pressure. No status games.
Just people eating.
They took a seat near the corner.
"What'll it be?" the owner asked.
Riku ordered quickly. Kenji followed.
Soon, steaming bowls of noodles and plates of meat were set before them.
Kenji stared at the food for a moment.
"…After the gate," he said quietly, "this feels unreal."
Riku grinned. "That's cultivation life for you. One moment you're staring into the abyss, next moment you're deciding whether to add chili oil."
Kenji smiled faintly and picked up his chopsticks.
They ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes.
Then Riku spoke.
"School's been boring lately," Riku said between bites. "Everyone's obsessed with comparing Body Refining levels."
Kenji nodded. "Yeah. Feels like that's all people see."
"Not wrong," Riku shrugged. "At our age, that's the only measurable thing."
Kenji hesitated. "Doesn't it bother you?"
Riku paused, chopsticks mid-air.
"…Sometimes."
He took another bite, chewing slowly.
"But I figured something out early," Riku continued. "If you don't let it define you, it loses power over you."
Kenji thought about that.
"You joke a lot," Kenji said. "Is that part of it?"
Riku laughed. "Maybe. Makes it harder for people to aim at you when you're moving."
Kenji smiled.
Riku's expression shifted slightly.
"…You saw what happened at school with Yua."
Kenji nodded. "Yeah."
Riku leaned back, staring at the ceiling.
"I've known her since we were kids."
Kenji looked up sharply. "Really?"
"Mm." Riku nodded. "Same neighborhood. Same early training grounds."
He chuckled softly. "She was always ahead."When we Were Young
"When we were little," Riku said, "we both started Body Refining around the same time."
Kenji listened intently.
"She broke through fast. Too fast. Everyone praised her."
Riku smiled wryly. "I was slower. Not bad—just not exceptional."
Kenji frowned. "So she looked down on you?"
Riku shrugged. "Not at first. But the gap grew."
He tapped the table lightly.
"People change when the world keeps telling them they're special."
"She's at the sixth level of Body Refining now," Riku said quietly.
Kenji froze.
"Sixth…?"
Riku nodded. "Unified Frame. Her movements are clean. Efficient. Strong."
Kenji swallowed.
"That's… high."
"Yeah," Riku agreed. "For our age, it's impressive."
Kenji hesitated. "And you?"
Riku smiled faintly.
"…I'm there too."
Kenji's chopsticks stopped mid-air.
"…What?"The the 6th level Kenji replied to himself is that really the Truth
"I'm at the sixth level of Body Refining," Riku repeated calmly.
Kenji stared at him.
"You—?"
Riku scratched the back of his head. "Surprised?"
"…Yes."
Kenji's mind raced.
Riku—who joked constantly, who got beaten up by Yua in public, who acted carefree—
Sixth level.
"Why hide it?" Kenji asked.
Riku shrugged. "Didn't feel like showing it."
Kenji shook his head. "That doesn't make sense."
"It does to me," Riku replied.Why Riku Doesn't Show Off he said because
"When you show strength," Riku said, "people expect things from you."
Kenji listened.
"They want you to win. To lead. To dominate."
Riku looked at his bowl.
"I just wanted to live normally."
Kenji felt something tighten in his chest.
"And Yua?" he asked quietly.
Riku smiled sadly.
"She doesn't know."Looking Down from Above
"She thinks I'm stuck at the fourth level," Riku said. "That I joke because I can't keep up."
Kenji clenched his fist. "That's unfair."
Riku laughed softly. "Maybe. But it's also my choice."
He looked at Kenji.
"She measures worth by cultivation level."
Kenji understood.
"And you don't."
Riku nodded.Still Trying
"So why keep trying to get her attention?" Kenji asked.
Riku grinned. "Because I like her."
Simple.
Uncomplicated.
"…Even if she looks down on you?"
Riku shrugged. "That's her problem, not mine."
Kenji exhaled slowly.A Mirror
Kenji realized something then.
Riku wasn't weak.
He wasn't desperate.
He was patient.
Just like Kenji.
"You're stronger than people think," Kenji said.
Riku laughed. "So are you."
Kenji blinked.Unspoken Respect
They finished their meal quietly.
Outside, the sky had begun to darken, lanterns lighting the street.
Kenji stood.
"…Thanks for telling me."
Riku smiled. "Figured you should know. Friends shouldn't lie about that stuff."
Kenji nodded.
Friends.
The word felt solid.Walking Home
They walked back through the streets together.
No pressure.
No gates.
No ranks.
Just two cultivators moving forward at their own pace.
Kenji glanced at Riku.
"…You know," he said, "if Yua finds out your real level—"
Riku interrupted. "I'll deal with it then."
Kenji smiled.
That night, Kenji Watanabe understood something important:
Strength didn't always announce itself.
Some people hid it.
Some people ignored it.
And some people—like Riku—carried it lightly, refusing to let it define who they were.
Under the same sky, different paths unfolded.
And Kenji's was only just beginning.