Parallel (A Virtual Gamer's Story) [Vol.1 - Vol.4 Complete]

Chapter 7: Jade Yuhi

Genaco Compound.

7:45 a.m. Monday, 13th April 2043.

Suzuki exited the Virtual Drive and walked into the bathroom to relieve himself. A few minutes later, he stepped out of the bathroom and began his daily workout routine. It was a strenuous, high-intensity regimen that consisted of several push-ups, chin-ups, sit-ups, stretches, and other aerobics. On some days, he mixed it up with pull-ups and other forms of exercise. Usually, the exercise routine would last for fifteen to twenty minutes, but Suzuki extended this session to a whole hour to make up for the time spent laying down. By the time he was done, he was sweating like a Thanksgiving turkey.

Suzuki exhaled as he examined his sore muscles. He was by no means the toughest guy in the world, but he had an excellent physique comprised of powerful, well-toned muscles without any useless fat, a lithe frame that allowed high agility if he needed to run, and rock-hard abs that protected his abdomen. The young man sighed as he recalled the countless amount of work that had gone into crafting this body.

At the age of ten, Suzuki's father enrolled him in a junior martial arts school to 'toughen him up.' In reality, they both knew that the real reason Suzuki was enrolled in that school was to give him an out for the aggressive emotions built up in his heart due to his abusive mother.

Suzuki's father, due to the nature of his work, was rarely ever home, and for reasons the child never understood, his mother blamed him for his father's loss of interest in her. Suzuki's father's intentions worked, as the thrill and chaos of a martial arts match often took his mind off the abuse that awaited him at home. Suzuki also found that when he pushed his body to the limit during training, he was too exhausted to harbor any negative emotions. As a result, he often remained in the dojo long past the allotted time.

Suzuki's hard work paid off, and two years later, he qualified for the finals of the junior MMA championship. Unfortunately, Suzuki's family suffered an accident on the way to the finals that claimed his parents' lives. Naturally, the injuries he sustained from the resulting fire disqualified him from the competition.

Worse yet, Suzuki's brain was damaged by the incident, resulting in the loss of almost all his emotions, leaving only rage and anger behind. As a result, he often got into fights with other children at the orphanage he was temporarily placed in by the government. Suzuki was only able to relatively calm down when he resumed his training, and at this point, it had turned into something therapeutic. The pain he endured during training served to cover the anger and rage in his heart.

Suzuki's improved temperament awarded him with a new home and parents. Unfortunately, his new family was no better than his birth parents. If anything, they were much more abusive. Suzuki almost acted on his rage multiple times but managed to keep his emotions in check through diligent training. He eventually joined a kendo club in middle school.

Suzuki was naturally gifted in combat and often picked up skills much faster than his peers and seniors. It therefore came as no surprise to him when he surpassed both his classmates and seniors in training after only a couple of months. Unfortunately, the seniors were not as open-minded as those in manga.

Jealousy clouded their thoughts, and they began taking any opportunity they had to pick on and bully Suzuki. No matter how much Suzuki trained, the rage in him still remained. One day, he could no longer bear the bullying and lashed out in anger. His world turned red, and by the time he returned to his senses, the dojo floor was littered with the unconscious, severely beaten bodies of his seniors and their friends who had tried to stop the fight.

Suffice to say, Suzuki was kicked out of the kendo club. He might have even spent time in juvie if it wasn't for the fact that the seniors were afraid that the truth about the bullying would come up in the news. Suzuki realized simple training would not be enough to fix his anger issues. At the behest of a psychiatrist, Suzuki's foster parents reluctantly allowed the child to spend more time in the game, King's Journey.