Damian arrived home with his mind already occupied, thinking about the future he was beginning to shape. But as he opened the door, his mother's voice made him stop in the hallway. "Damian, you're always fighting, isn't what happened at school enough?" She was visibly irritated, her arms crossed, and a look of concern etched on her face.
Damian sighed, feeling the weight of the reprimand, but he didn't want to argue. He knew his mother, Mrs. Yumi, always worried about him, but she didn't understand what he was going through. "I'm sorry, Mom. I'll control myself." He tried to sound calm, but inside, he knew things would change, and soon.
Without waiting for her answer, Damian went upstairs and went straight to his room. The air was hot and stuffy, but he didn't want to waste time. He knew he needed to train, to improve, and there was no more room for excuses. He closed the door behind him and threw himself on the floor. He started doing push-ups, feeling his body heavy but determined. Each movement seemed easier than the last. The resilience of his body surprised him, as if his physique, even without training, had been made for something greater. He had never trained before, but now he knew that his body was ready for the challenges ahead. He didn't stop at push-ups. He moved on to the plank, challenging his limits. He knew that many couldn't last very long the first time, but to his surprise, he managed to hold the position for an incredible 1 minute and 20 seconds. When he finally gave in, his body was exhausted. Sweat was running down his face and he felt powerless, but something inside him told him not to give up. Damian lay on the floor for a while, trying to catch his breath. He looked at the ceiling, thinking about everything he still had to learn. Then, he took out his cell phone and started watching martial arts videos. Boxing, Muay Thai, Krav Maga, Jiu-Jitsu... Everything that could help him become stronger. He wrote down everything he could and began to try to apply the movements at home, using the cramped space of his room. Each blow, each movement seemed clumsy at first, but he persisted.
Sweat accumulated on the floor, forming an ever-growing puddle. Damian was so focused that he didn't even notice the fatigue taking over his body. He tried to perform a Muay Thai move, but when he made a wrong turn, he slipped and fell to the floor with a thud. The impact made him realize that he still had a lot to learn and that, no matter how hard he tried, his body wasn't ready for all the challenges. But he didn't let it get him down. He quickly got up, massaging his arm, and laughed to himself, thinking: "This isn't going to stop me."
Later, after a hot shower that eased the tension in his muscles, Damian went downstairs to the kitchen. His mother had prepared a meal with rice, beans, vegetables and a generous piece of chicken. He sat at the table, looking at the plate with a thoughtful look. As he ate, he reflected on what his mother always said: "You're skinny, Damian. You need to gain muscle." He took another piece of chicken, chewing as he thought that, yes, his body was still far from what he wanted. "I'm skinny... I need more strength, more endurance."
The scene then cut to his friends. Jin was at his older brother's karate school, getting ready for training, focused, ready to learn the moves more precisely. Seok, on the other hand, was at the gym, running on the treadmill, focused on losing weight and gaining muscle. He knew that physical training was essential to his goal, and he no longer wanted to be the weakest in the group. Minho, with his serious demeanor, was in the old warehouse where his father trained him in boxing. The smile on his father's face showed the pride in seeing his son finally dedicating himself to training. "You've finally decided to do your part, Minho," he said with a satisfied smile. Minho, although still skeptical, felt a small flame of pride ignite within him. It was the first time he felt like he was truly beginning to become something more than just a spectator of life.